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@ @ITEM 2004 -01 -29 City Council Minutes
Mayor Walter Parked called the Special City Council meeting to order at 7:04 PM.
Those Council Members in attendance were Paul Wolff, Jack Youmans, Shirley Sessions,
Jason Buelterman, Eddie Crone and Mallory Pearce. In addition City Attorney Edward
Hughes and City Manager Bob Thomson were also in attendance.
Mayor Parker opened the meeting by saying that the item on the agenda was the issue of
the gym. He welcomed all who were in attendance but said comments would be limited
to those who were experts in their fields. He asked Council if anyone had any comments
or wanted to introduce a guest. Bob Thomson introduced Tony Schopp, who is the
Director of the Visitors Bureau of the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce. Mr.
Schopp said he didn't come with a prepared statement but would be glad to answer any
questions that the Council had. Mallory Pearce asked if he could give an idea of the
amount of income from the rental of the facility the City could receive. Schopp said that
Savannah did not have a small conference center like this one to compare. He said about
the closest thing would be the Coastal Georgia Center for Continuing Education, but that
center is used mostly for local groups. Schopp said most conference centers have hotel
rooms in the same venue. The current plans show 8000 square feet of useable space, and
according to Schopp, could seat up to 700 people for a dinner. He said he believed the
true answer would be the hotel owners. They would sell rooms that otherwise would not
sell. Wolff asked what the odds would be for marketing if there were nothing but the
gym. Schopp said he would not expect that to happen. He said why would any group
come to use a gym and have to stay elsewhere, when there are so many other conference
centers.
Crone motioned that we finish gym as is proposed, Youmans seconded. Sessions said
that she felt people thought she was opposed to the gym, but she was not opposed to the
concept of anything that would benefit our children and citizens of Tybee. She said she
was not comfortable with some of the answers she had received, such as how we will pay
for it, who will use it, who will run it, and how to pay for upkeep. Sessions said another
question she had was what were the agreements with the person who donated the land for
Memorial Park. She said she understood that it was to be used for parks. She asked if we
should be concerned with the way we keep changing the look and use of the park.
Hughes said the earliest map of the area from back in the 1800's, shows this as a park.
The park actually predates the City. The title was certified when the library was built in
the '80's as unencumbered, and without contradicted that; Hughes couldn't say they were
restrictions. Pearce said there was financial information that he wanted and asked for at
the last meeting. He said he wanted some data from Hussey, Gay, Bell & DeYoung as to
the cost if we stop construction, if we postpone construction or if we change the plans.
Youmans said that the City purchased the land from the Chatham County Board of
Education for $300,000. We built a school and a fire station on it. Then we sold it back
to the Board of Education and then we bought it back. Youmans said that when we left
the last meeting, we were all given a week to get the information and come up with a
decision. He said he told everyone that some would be out of town for most of that time
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and would not have time to get information they needed. We are here to night to make a
decision, Youmans said. Sessions asked how it came about that there is a house on the
land. Youmans said that once belonged to the Electric Company and they had all of the
big lines and things that are across the street now. He said they moved all of that
equipment and sold the land to Lance Smith. Sessions said she agreed with Youmans
that they were to make a decision. She said she could vote for the motion if Crone would
accept an amendment to it. Session's amendment was that we would not add any more
concrete to the 2 parks, Memorial Park and Jaycee Park, we have, that we would not
build anything else and leave them as children's playgrounds and green space. Mayor
Parker asked Crone if he would accept amendment, Crone agreed. Youmans, who
seconded the original motion, said he didn't want to but he would accept the amendment.
Vote was 5, Wolff, Youmans, Sessions, Buelterman and Crone, for approval, and 1,
Pearce, opposed.
There being no further business before the Council, the meeting was adjourned.
Mayor Walter W. Parker
Clerk of Council