PUTNAM COUNTY
The ongoing saga of Jimmy Davis Park continued last week with County Manager Paul Van Haute reporting about alternative uses and the expenses of fencing – and with community activists continuing to push to “make it like it was.”
The latest round of talks came after the UGA Agricultural Extension Service backed away from moving its Putnam operations into the building.
“Find something to get this going,” said Patricia Hurt. “Get the park where it can be used. Restore it. Cut the grass.”
“You have it backward,” said Richard Garrett, noting that the facility had not been staffed in 10 years. “For it to thrive, you have to invest in it.”
Commissioner Daniel Brown, whose District 2 includes the park, offered the reminder that the commission’s “budget season” was coming soon and that the park would get “a hard look.”
Among other matters at last week’s mid-month commission meeting, the commissioners:
• Heard is port from Middle Georgia Regional Commissions Greg Boike analyzing the impact of tourism in Putnam County.
Tourism’s direct impact came to 500 jobs and labor income of $11.6 million and $4.5 million in state and local tax revenues, he said.
“Approximately 57 percent of the income generated from tourism in Putnam County comes from non-lodging expenditures. As such, tourism has an impact regardless of where a visitor stays,” his report said.
“Among the types of lodging, Putnam County may have a somewhat higher share of timeshares than do some counties outside of Central Georgia; however, the percentage of homes and apartments for short-term rental appears to be relatively consistent compared to other popular tourist destinations across Georgia.”
• Approved three more right-of-way permits for fiber-optic cable work on Harmony Crossing and Parks Mill Road.
• Tabled are zoning requests from a potential new buyer of 5.31 acres at 331 New Phoenix Road to build a convenience store. Six nearby property owners spoke against the request.
• Approved probation service contracts with Judicial Alternatives that would raise typical probation fees from $40 a month to $45 a month. The fees had not been raised in 10 years.
• Submitted three names (Rebecca Rocker, Marilyn Simon, Richard Garrett) to the board of Putnam General Hospital for it to select one for the vacant Post 5 seat. The hospital board still has two more seats to fill, and the county will still need at least two more applicants.
• Approved four more mutual-aid agreements with surrounding counties for times of emergency.