A Parks and Recreation Department was created by a 3-1-1 vote Monday of the Powder Springs City Council.
Opposed was Councilwoman Cheryl Sarvis. Councilwoman Nancy Hudson was absent.
In favor were Councilwomen Doris Dawkins and Patricia Wisdom and Councilman Patrick Bordelon.
“We don’t need it. I’m against it since we’re adding to our plate in the general fund, said Sarvis. “We keep adding with additional employees and eventually taxes to you.”
This seventh city department will involve hiring a director for planning and organizing recreational events, park planning and programming, beautification and waste reduction on public properties such as rights of way, tree and landscape maintenance oversight and general oversight of the maintenance of city-owned and city-maintained parks, recreational and cultural properties.
In a related matter, the City Council voted 4-0-1 Monday to pay $773,120 to A1 Contracting as the low bidder for park improvements at the Silver Comet Trail Linear Park on Richard Sailors Parkway at Powder Springs Road.
Those changes will include expansion of parking, provision of accessibility for parking and pedestrian connection to park features and installation of a covered basketball court.
Responding to Nancy Farmer, a member of the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission who spoke during the Citizens Comment portion, Mayor Al Thurman said the city needs to be “proactive” since the city has plans to also add an amphitheater to the Linear Park.
Expressing concerns that city officials may raise taxes, Farmer noted the city only has one park - “a little, bitty one” - with other nearby parks maintained by Cobb County.
Thurman responded that funding for the new department and its employees are “already in our budget. Money is not a problem.”
