Newspaper Page Text
Classic Center Design,
Future ACC Budgets
Coming into Focus
Initial designs for an expanded Classic
Center, presented last week for the first time
at a public input session, leave a broad open
space, or roofed "atrium," for pedestrian
access that extends behind the old Fire Hall
through to Foundry Street. Citizens at the
meeting offered suggestions that included
better accommodating retail space along
Foundry (or even within the atrium), redesign
ing an arch on the interior of the atrium for a
better view of the Fire Hall from Foundry, and
making the Thomas Street view of the facility
more inviting.
Such suggestions are being taken into
account as architects modify the plans in time
for this Thursday's mayor and commission work
session (the revised plan may be posted on
the county website before then). "You will see
a clear difference in the schematic," includ
ing changes for future retail and the Thomas
street face of the building, ACC Manager
Alan Reddish assured commissioners at their
agenda-setting meeting last week.
And while it wasn't news to any of them,
Reddish also sketched the seriousness of the
county's budget crunch: barring a quick upturn
in property values, ACC will have to lay off
still more employees and reduce services in
future years. ACC property values (and there
fore, tax revenues) have fallen over 4 percent
on average since last year—instead of rising,
as has been more usual. If this year's bud
get is tough, the coming few years could be
even tougher: Reddish proposes cutting $10
million over five years, a few million a year.
And where will those cuts come from, with the
budget already tight? Seventy percent of the
budget goes to employee pay and benefits,
and cutting the county workforce "has to be
part of the discussion," he said. About a dozen
full- and part-time ACC employees will likely
lose their jobs under the Fiscal Year 2012
budget that commissioners are set to approve
June 7; in coming years, there could be more.
And that means cuts in county services,
Commissioner Doug Lowry pointed out. 'These
employees aren't just hanging around," he
said. "They're all doing something." He asked
for the public's understanding. "We're not
interested in raising taxes... unless there's just
no way out of it," he said, but the alternative
is going to be some reduction in services.
Increased business and industry in
the county would help, suggested Mike
Hamby—which ACC's Economic Development
Founaation is supposed to attract. Hamby and
other commissioners asked to take a closer
look at the EDPs needs and how it's spend
ing its money. "They need to inform us what's
going on," said Commissioner Kathy Hoard.
And, while leaving further discussion of
parking rates for June (the manager's office is
still crunching numbers) Commissioner Kelly
Girtz suggested that meter parking might be
extended "a couple of hours into the evening"
and meter rates raised increased "modestly...
but not as dramatically [to $2 an hour] as was
discussed." But meter rates could still rise
higher, he suggested. ACC must charge enough
in its new parking deck to cover its building
costs, and consultants have recommended
pushing longer-term parking into decks by
raising street parking rates.
John Huie
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42nd Annual
PRESERVATION
ATHENSCLARKE
HERITAGE
FOUNDATION
www.achfonline.org
Come see this year's outstanding local makeovers, from do-it-yourself
home rehabs, to LEED-certified new construction, to million-
dollar historic restorations. Plus, an update on the foundation's
accomplishments of the past year and plans for the next.
Monday, June 13,2011,6:30pm
UG A Fine Arts Theatre, Baldwin Street
This is your Athens.
Assistant Curator Megan Kiuttz
The Way Things Work Closing Weekend
Friday, May 27
8:3Q'9:30pm: The Way Things Go 2:
An AMT Video Art Experience on the Adjustable Media Theater by
Ernesto R. Gomez. Free!
With extended gallery viewing hours from 1:00pm onward until after the event
sponsored by:
——. *
Athens First
Bnnkkthm
GCMMNY
Videos by: Eve Bailey, Christian Croft & Andrew Schneider,
Celeste Fichter, Maud Haya-Baviera, Gareth Hudson, plan b and
Katharine Tolladay, curated by Didi Dunphy and Lauren Fancher
flagpole
Sunday, May 29
4:30-5:15pm: Artist & Curators Panel with outuf-town artists
Dan Grayber from San Francisco, Andy Moon Wilson from Atlanta
and Will Pergl from Wisconsin. Audience Q & A following.
ReignSold.com
5:30pm: Picnic on the porch by White Tiger Gourmet and Trump's.
Gallery Viewing from 1:00pm onward. Free!
§ DOC UNLIMITED
MAY 25,2011 FlAGPOLE.COM 5
