About Flagpole. (Athens, Ga.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (May 25, 2011)
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 A, tZoufj£> to\jjfJ TUB SUY***€ ft l 6£T TuE UPGE- To SCB IMQgt QT' THE SOuTtf toJ€/ur op to rue R«o6e MOUUTAIUS U7/TH 5owe R2/6WD5 AHO uJG H\«eD ATSAIC- ih 7h£ CHAfT/AHOOCHe£ /UATfOAJAC FORCST t ve fiJevGR ncus seroae tu ucb >9 .T^vid McxcU. e \ tJ b mo QCUHiOJm m 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
