Grady officials raise putting pool project back on ballot

Published 12:17 pm Wednesday, March 28, 2018

CAIRO — Grady County officials dived back into aquatic center talks at a recent workshop and raised starting from the shallow end by putting the 2007 project back on the ballot for voters to decide. 

Commissioner Keith Moye, also a pool committee member, said the committee discussed the option of putting the project back on a special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) ballot. 

The aquatic center was listed on a 2007 SPLOST project ballot. 

“We inherited a mess,” said Becky Bracewell, Grady County Recreation Department director. “The needs and concerns have changed drastically since this SPLOST has passed.” 

“My opinion, I don’t think we’re going to be able to maintain the pool,” said Ray Prince, commission chairman. 

The pool could be built, Prince pointed out, but could close in one to two years because of maintenance costs. 

County attorney Jennifer Herzog said to declare the project infeasible, a joint resolution with the City of Cairo was possible. The city has a 39 percent share of the 2007 SPLOST project ballot. 

“You’ll have to state that circumstances have changed since the project was approved,” Herzog said. 

Said Vice-Chairman T.D. David: “If we’re going to declare this SPLOST as infeasible, it can’t be because we need to use this money somewhere else.” 

Commissioner LaFaye Copeland said a decision about the project should be made. 

“We’ve been dealing with this ever since I’ve been on the board,” she said. 

Prince said the last swim team for a competitive swimming pool was in 2008. 

“When you throw the pool in the equation, it changes the equation anyway you go,” he added. 

Grady officials also discussed scope of the project. 

Bracewell said the splash pad option was considered after “looking for things to generate interest in Barber Park.” 

A $100,000 Department of Natural Resource grant would cover the cost of the splash pad, along with a proposed exercise area. 

The grant, Bracewell noted, would not cover the cost of constructing a bathhouse. 

“If you build a certain size swimming pool, you have to build a certain size bathhouse,” she added. 

A splash pad, if built, could be completed as early as December 31. 

Following the workshop, aquatic center discussion also occurred at the commission’s regular meeting. 

John Brannon, a vocal project proponent, addressed a December 2016 email exchange with Kevin Cauley, former county attorney, and Joe Scheuer, assistant general counsel for Association of County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG), regarding the aquatic center. 

“While there is no definition of an aquatic center in the law, I think it is an uphill battle to say that a splash pad equals an aquatic center,” Scheuer wrote. “A reasonable person would likely conclude that an aquatic center would at a minimum be composed of one or more swimming pools.” 

“Angry parents could quickly turn into ready plaintiffs, so be sure the board understands they do not have a good hand to play,” Scheuer also wrote. 

Brannon said he was “very disappointed” to learn of ACCG’s legal opinion about the project. 

“And y’all continue to delay and deceive,” he said to commissioners. 

Reporter Jordan Barela can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1826.