Questions answered by Lamar Paris, County Commissioner
Q. What happened to the "North Complex Fields" that the county was going to purchase with SPLOST funds?
A. First, the property is owned by the US Forest Service and at the time of deciding the SPLOST projects, we felt like it might be available for purchase in a couple of years. It is located one mile past Meeks Park. However, that has all changed and we do not now know when or if it will be available for purchase in the future. However, I am and will continue to work with the USFS to see if this will become a possibility either for purchase or lease. In any case, it is just as well right now, because we do not have the SPLOST revenue to purchase the property and we have had to remove this project from our current SPLOST list unless revenue drastically improves in the next couple of years.
Q. What was the purpose of wanting to purchase the North Complex Fields?
A. The purpose of this property purchase was to build a new "small" park for 8 year olds and smaller. It would include walking trails, small ball fields and a small water park for the tots. The property also borders Lake Nottely. Meeks Park continues to become crowded from current use and moving some of the functions would help alleviate the crowding. However, it may have to wait until a future SPLOST. We will continue to pursue a method by which the property can be converted to public use. It is a great location just across the Coosa Creek bridge on the South side of Hwy 515, bordering the Blairsville Airport Regional Industrial Park and just before Wal-Mart.
Q. Why has the county not made any improvements to the transfer station with the current SPLOST?
A. The answer is priorities. Once our sales tax collection estimates lowered based on the economy going into a downturn, we knew we had to cut or delay some projects and this is one of them. While the transfer station facility could certainly be improved with doubling the size of the transfer building, it will have to wait for now. We do have some possibilities to improve these facilities without the use of taxpayer funds that we are currently exploring.
Q. When will the amphitheater be built at Meeks Park?
A. It is another SPLOST project, similar to the North Complex Fields, that is having to be left off the SPLOST list for now because of inadequate revenue. However, it is a tremendous project that we hope can happen in the future.
Q. When the SPLOST passed, how much money did the county borrow to start the projects?
A. This has been answered before, but the county borrowed, "bonded" $ 5 million shortly after the referendum passed. That money has been used to work on the projects, including paying off the fire engines, purchasing the additional property at Meeks Park, buying ambulances, building the Union County Arena and Farmers Market, contributing to the construction of the library, old historic courthouse elevator and several other projects that will be summarized in a report that will be published prior to years end. The bond is being paid back each month with the current SPLOST revenue and should be paid off in full at the end of the current SPLOST in March of 2014, just as we did with the previous SPLOST.