City of Atlanta to purchase Atlanta Golf Course

 

[February 07, 2019] 

The Atlanta City Council met on Tuesday, February 5th for their regular voting meeting. In council chambers, the gallery was standing room only as local citizens came to hear the outcome of one particular agenda item.

According to the agenda, the council was to go into executive session to discuss the purchase of the Atlanta Golf Course and afterward vote to authorize Mayor Fred Finchum to sign the purchase documents, and also authorize Finchum and City Clerk Ken Martin to sign the associated loan agreements.

The evening began with public comments. Rick Lynch was the first to speak and said he had a few questions for the council. Regarding the golf course he wanted to know if the city had already voted to purchase the property. He noted that the agenda stated that the council would vote to authorize Finchum and Martin to act on behalf of the city in the purchase. Lynch said that the city should have voted first to buy the property.

Aldermen did not respond to Lynch’s question. Lynch went on to say that the public should be told how much the property was going to cost. Again he stated that the vote on the agenda did not stipulate that. Mayor Finchum said that the resolution the aldermen would be asked to vote on contained more than just the authorization.

Lynch voiced additional questions that garnered no response from aldermen.

He then asked if anyone was going to answer him, and Mayor Finchum said the aldermen are not required to respond. The public comment period is for comments only and aldermen may choose not to engage in discussion.

Lynch said that the purchase of the golf course was supposed to be decided by referendum on the April ballot. He didn’t understand why the council was now voting on it instead of allowing the public to decide. He told the council that while they (the aldermen) want the golf course, the public doesn’t.

The second person to speak was Melanie Blankenship. She began by saying that she was not opposed to the golf course and wants to see it stay open. However, she said that she felt that the golf course should be “capitalized not socialized.”

Blankenship went on to say that she would like for the council to consider opening the shooting range to the public. She said that while some like to golf, others like to shoot and the range could be opened for all.

The council moved on to other business items and 17 minutes into the meeting called for an executive session to discuss the resolution for the purchase of the golf course. That discussion lasted approximately 40 minutes.

When the council reconvened, Finchum said it was now time to discuss whether there would be a vote on the golf course resolution.

Alderman Adam McVey said the council has discussed the golf course for several years and there has been a lot of inaccurate information. He said the city clerk has now provided information about the golf course, how much money it has raised and how much it has cost, and he said, “it hasn’t cost the taxpayers in the city one dime.”

McVey continued, “We also have an opportunity to purchase this golf course, and it won’t cost the taxpayers one dime to purchase this golf course. It was presented to Neal at the Atlanta National Bank, he ran the numbers for us, he showed the council, he showed all of us how this can pay for itself and float itself and provide an opportunity for everyone in this community without raising taxes or using any of their tax money.

“There is a lot of stuff out there that has been incorrect and people are uninformed, making statements they don’t know anything about.

There have been three or four things that are really positive about this golf course.

• One, it has improved the quality of life. Look at all the houses built out there.

• Two, it provides recreational opportunities.

• Three, it hasn’t cost any of the taxpayers in this town any money.

"Some of the people who come here and complain the most don’t even live in town, vote in town, or pay any taxes in town. So, there are things this city council needs to talk about before they vote on this resolution.”

McVey then made the motion to pass the resolution as presented to the council. Mayor Finchum read aloud the contents of the resolution that included the purchase price of the property at $210,000.

He said the property had been appraised at $250,000. The city has negotiated a loan with Atlanta National Bank and will borrow the $210,000 for the next 10 years.

When the resolution was read, Alderwoman Billie Cheek seconded the completed motion. The vote was taken with no further discussion.

The motion passed with Aldermen Adam McVey, Billie Cheek, Amber Finchum, Andrea Halley and Mayor Finchum voting “yes.”

Alderman Keith Eimer abstained from the vote and Tommy Young voted "no."

With the vote taken the council adjourned.

After the meeting, Alderwoman Cheek, who seconded the motion said that the council had made a good decision. She also said that McVey had spoken well and said things that needed to be said.

Mayor Finchum said he was satisfied with the outcome of the vote.

The mayor was asked about some of the online discussions that had taken place prior to the meeting. In those discussions it had been mentioned that the council needed to vote so as to preserve the memberships at the golf course, as those memberships come due in March, and the referendum vote would not happen until April.

Mayor Finchum said there were several things to consider, but the membership had not been one of them. He said that the city lease at the golf course was set to expire March 31st and the new lease agreement was not going to work out favorably for the city. He said the options were going to have to be to purchase the course, or let it go, the city could not afford to renew the lease.

So, the council couldn’t wait until an April referendum primarily for that reason, but also he noted that it takes a good deal of preparation to get a golf course ready for the season and if there were good weather days in March or even in February there were those who would want to use the course. Finchum said the city could not wait until April or May to own the course, and then spend time getting it ready that could run into late spring.

With the council voting now to make the purchase, the transition of ownership at the golf course will go practically unnoticed by patrons.

Finchum also indicated he was pleased with the council’s decision and felt it was the right thing to do for the city.

[Nila Smith]