About Flagpole. (Athens, Ga.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (May 25, 2011)
WHAT’S UP IN NEW DEVELOPMENT One assertion that's often heard is that government ought to run like a business. It would certainly make current bud geting a bit less problematic if our governments were running profits comparable to oil companies and banks. It'd be impos sible to get all the way to a totally business-like government, given that there are certain responsibilities that a government has to its citizens, and certain services that must be provided in an equitable manner. If a government did run like a busi ness, it would charge for every service, and there would be strange complications, as in the city of South Fulton, TN, which provided fire protection services to residents of nearby unincorporated areas for a fee. When one resident didn't pay his fee, his house was allowed to burn to the ground. So, there may be some services that will always be a fun damental duty of government, but are there others that might be made to be more financially sustainable? Imagine SPLOST and other capital projects made more sustainable by including not only the money to build them, but also an operational endowment. Take a relatively low-impact facility like a park or greenway: with a ratio like $1 of endowment for every $2 of capital expense, the annual interest earned could be enough to sustain the maintenance of that facility in perpetuity, and could potentially grow faster than operational costs inflate, allowing the facility to begin funding its own capital improve ments in the future. Privatization is a word I'm usually wary of, especially when it comes to some traditionally public entities like schools, jails and law enforcement (see Atlanta's troubles with parking metering if you want to feel better about our local trifles), but there are some things that it might make sense to privatize. Facilities like the Morton Theatre or the Lyndon House could do very well moving under their own sails, and there are certainly many precedents for private, nonprofit art museums and the aters around the country. Taking the politics and bureaucracy out of booking events and shows at facilities like these could not only save money, but also make them much mere dynamic contributors to the downtown scene. The Morton, anchor though it is of the Hot Corner neighborhood, is anything but lively, and is closed many nights a week. Suppose a private business were to lease that space from the city, booking shows many nights a week and fully utilizing the retail spaces on the ground floor with active businesses? The amount of government-owned land in this county has always been seen as a big problem. But with much of the government land in the downtown area, especially, there's an opportunity for ACC to profit a great deal from putting it to productive use—as the River District proposal put forward by the Economic Development Foundation suggests. Part of that proposal also includes an economic development loan fund, another initiative that could not only pay for itself, but gener ate a profit that could be paid back into the community. There are many other sites beyond that one, though, that could be put to such uses, many of which are located at key intersections around the community, left over from street realignments. Imagine new corner stores on some of those sites, with ground leases used to contribute to area improvements, not only jumpstarting walkable commerce with a rippling effect to surrounding properties, but also returning funds back to city coffers. Other opportuni ties include bringing private enterprise into public domains like parks, similarly activating underutilized public assets while bringing in funds for operations. There are tons of precedents around the country for elements like restaurants in public parks; perhaps we should be looking at places like Dudley Park in the same way. Our Greenway, with its linear biking trails and river, could perhaps be an excellent home for a private outfitter, leasing kayaks and bicycles to tourists. The resource of abundant parkland is also interesting in light of the rising interest in urban agriculture. Many cities have long waiting lists for spots in community gardens, with substantial membership fees. Beyond that, there is the recent introduction of sheep on campus to graze down invasive spe cies. Perhaps as that model is developed, and economies of scale kick in, it might become a profitable enough venture that the city could significantly reduce maintenance costs by allowing urban shepherds to come in and clear weedy areas. Central Park had sheep grazing a large meadow until the 1930s, before they were moved to a more rural location—primarily due to concerns about hungry Depression-era unemployed eating the animals. Our parking issues downtown could also use a similar lens. While tweaks in policy regarding who can park where and for how long have the potential to influence down town patrons' habits, we shouldn't be afraid of talking about downtown parking for what it is: a significant revenue stream that will grow immensely over time. Some initial investigation I did sug gested that with increases in space supply as downtown grows, and with even a much more modest increases in parking rates than currently proposed, something in the vicinity of $100 million (after management and borrowing costs on a bond) might be available over 25 years. That money, if reinvested in downtown for new streetscapes (wider cafe spaces with brick pavers rather than cracked concrete, anyone?) and ideas like the River District to bring new major employers, could really get Athens moving. It would also help downtown businesses more directly by tying meter revenues directly to the district. Currently, 85 percent of metering profits are dumped into the general county budget, disconnected from their source. As long as we go year-by-year, putting out budgetary fires as they come, we'll never get anywhere, and likely remain the nation's poorest urban county for a long time. If, on the other hand, we invest in a long-range plan to make Athens profit able and prosperous, and lay everything out on the table, we might be surprised by the dividends that come back. Kevan Williams alhensrising@flagpole.com Some local government entities, like the Morton Theatre, might benefit from some form of privatization. THURSDAY, AAAY 26 TH£ l/t/£LFAR£ LiNBRS EARTH-FRIENDLY • WATER-WISE ORGANIC GARDENING fl SOME GROW as) a{hob by, Wfc DOllT|FpR A LIVING! ra HYDROPONICS SaUl EH272011 Open Pollinated Heirloom Organic Seeds Earthboxes and Earthbox stackable planters Propagation lighting for seeds Heatmats and thermostats for seed starting Organic fertilizers and amendments for gardens Composters and wormbins Hobby greenhouses and accessories www.FloraHydroponics.com • Mon-Sat 10am-6pm Now Open in Atlanta! 1239 Fowler St. 404-532-0001 Athens • 195 Paradise Blvd. Behind Terrapin Brewery 706-353-2223 GNAT'S LANDING Thursday, May 26 600-7:20 pm Join Andy and Rob for their OWNERS o OYSTER ROAST Free Roasted Oysters Live Music! Mon 4pm-until • Tue-Sun 11:30am-Until • Plenty of Parking 1080 Baxter St. • 706-850-5858 www. gnatslanding. net Call us for your catering needs! MAY 25, 2011 FLAGP0LE.C0M 7
