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LYNDON HOUSE TAKES A HIT
ACC BUDGET: Of all the spending cuts and tax
and fee hikes in Athens-Clarke County's 2014
budget, one of the smallest is getting the
most attention.
Mayor Nancy Denson's $106 million pro
posed budget???a statement of community
values as well as a spending plan???would
eliminate guided tours at the Lyndon House
Arts Center, saving $8,200. Commissioner
Kathy Hoard said she's already received
"several inquiries" about the cut, which, at
a budget hearing Thursday, May 9, led to a
broader discussion of how to make the most of
the Lyndon House, a beautiful but underused
space.
"We envisioned there would be wedding
receptions, meetings and other activities at
night and on weekends," Hoard said, but no
one seems to know it's available. ACC Manager
Alan Reddish promised that staff will "explore
ways for the Lyndon House to be used more
widely for events it hasn't been used for in
the past." And the same goes for the Morton
Theatre.
The proposed budget includes a total of
$488,000 in cuts, in addition to $2.2 million
in new spending. Denson proposed a quarter-
mill tax hike ($12.50 on the average $150,000
home) to fund a 2 percent raise for employees
and operating costs for new SPL0ST facilities
like the expanded Clarke County Jail and the
tennis center at Southeast Clarke Park.
$93,000 included in the budget to staff
the tennis center, in particular, riled up
Commissioner Jerry NeSmith, who wondered
why so much money was being devoted to
something that benefits only a few, especially
when many of those few are from other coun
ties. He said that money could be better spent
helping the Athens-Clarke County Library pay
utility bills at its recently expanded building.
NeSmith also floated the idea of rais
ing bus fares (for the second year in a row)
to extend Athens Transit service to the
westside Stonehenge neighborhood and the
Caterpillar plant. Not a bad idea, but as
Assistant Manager Blaine Williams explained,
raising fares leads to a drop in ridership, so
it may not bring in more money. And while
Caterpillar's eventual 1,400 employees should
be able to take the bus to work, service to
Stonehenge was dropped, not because of the
cost, but because hardly anyone was using it.
"We decided in some situations
it'd be cheaper to buy folks a
car," Hoard said.
Commissioners regrouped
Tuesday, May 14 to continue
budget talks. (See Flagpole,
com for an update.) They'll
take public comment Tuesday,
May 21 at 5:30 p.m. and
Thursday, May 23 at 6:30 p.m.
in the commission chamber at
City Hall.
Oh, and by the way, the
Clarke County School District
is finalizing its budget, too,
and plans to eliminate 32.5
jobs, including 15 teachers
and 14 Office of Early Learning
employees, the latter due
to an expired grant. Public
hearings on the school bud
get are Thursday, May 16 at
Alps Road Elementary School
and Tuesday, May 21 at the central office on
Mitchell Bridge Road; both are at 6 p.m.
OCCUPY ORDINANCE: Opposition seems to be
growing to the "Occupy ordinance" aimed at
shutting down protests on public property by
setting hours for public spaces like the City
Hall grounds.
About a dozen people spoke out against
the ordinance???first proposed by Denson
last year???during the open mic time at the
Tuesday, May 7 Athens-Clarke Commission
meeting. In addition to First Amendment con
cerns, speakers wondered how the law would
affect the homeless. "If you are using [Occupy
Athens] to kick out the homeless people,
that's really despicable, so I'm assuming it's
not that," Chris Dowd said.
A curfew is in conflict with the downtown
master plan's emphasis on public gathering
spaces like a new park and plaza outside of
City Hall, Maureen McLaughlin said. Nor does
it fit with plans to extend the greenway and
build the Firefly Trail, Lauren Blais said. "It
doesn't make sense to me to take an avenue
people use in the morning and afternoon and
deprive them of it at night," she said.
Denson called their comments a "total
mischaracterization."
"We do not have curfew legislation before
the committee," she said, even though three
members of the commission's Legislative
Review Committee???Kelly Girtz, George
Maxwell and Doug Lowry???asked ACC Attorney
Bill Berryman last month to draft language
allowing officials to set hours of operation for
public spaces. They're scheduled to discuss the
draft at another meeting Tuesday, May 21.
"I assure everybody out there there's no
intention to disenfranchise or eject home
less people or infringe on anybody's First
Amendment rights," Denson said. "What
we're trying to do is make sure our laws on
the books are clear and understandable by
everyone."
Girtz said he is "specifically disinterested"
in an urban camping law like Atlanta's.
As Commissioner Jerry NeSmith, who's not
on the LRC, put it: "I haven't perceived a
problem to be solved." This is a solution look
ing for a problem. Just drop it.
DISSING DENSON: The last commission meet
ing also included a sign that, as we approach
campaign season, the frosty relationship
between Denson and the commission is about
to break out into open warfare.
In an almost unheard-of move, commis
sioners unanimously voted to override the
mayor and force an item onto the agenda
that she had blocked. Commissioner Jared
Bailey wants the planning commission to start
reviewing the pre-Internet law regulating what
types of businesses people can operate out
of their homes, which he said will encourage
entrepreneurship. Denson refused to let that
review move forward because it initially grew
out of a request to allow dog-boarding in
residential neighborhoods,
which she opposes. But, of
course, just because that's
what started the discussion
doesn't mean you'll have a
kennel full of yapping Yorkies
next door.
GOP CONVENTION: The
number of Republicans in
Athens will about double this
weekend, when the state GOP
ventures behind enemy lines
and holds its biannual con
vention at the Classic Center.
The two-day convention is
expected to draw more than
3,000 delegates who will
spend about $750,000 while
they're here. Sure, two-thirds
of us voted for Obama, but
their money is as good as
anyone's.
Unfortunately, Flagpole might not be able
to cover it. Brian Keahl, executive director
of the Georgia Republican Party, says they're
"extending press credentials to television,
radio and print media with daily distribution,"
which apparently ain't us. Scared of a Lil' ol'
lefty rag, guys?
BUT WAIT! THERE???S MORE: As usual, too
much is going on to talk about it all in one
print column. Check out the In the Loop
blog at Flagpole.com, where you can find
out how Clarke County public schools scored
on the state's new College and Career Ready
Performance Index and read a League of
American Bicyclists report that ranks Georgia a
surprisingly not-terrible 24th among the bike-
friendliest states.
Blake Aued news@flagpole.com
03
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You can check out these rain barrels painted by local artists at the Lyndon House, but don???t
expect a guided tour???they???re on the chopping block.
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4 FLAGPOLE.COM ??? MAY 15, 2013