Rosa Parks alcohol ban compromise nears — with a stipulation

A compromise appears to have been reached on the Rosa Parks Square alcohol ban, with the fate of a future park likely depending on its passage.

Macon-Bibb County Mayor Robert Reichert said he plans to introduce an ordinance July 5 that will ban alcohol inside the downtown park named after the civil rights icon. And an added stipulation, advocated for by Commissioner Gary Bechtel, could be enough to garner the necessary votes in favor of the ban.

Bechtel’s proposal calls for the alcohol prohibition at Rosa Parks Square to become official only if a new park at the median of Poplar between First and Second streets is completed. The unofficially named Poplar Street Commons, located next to Rosa Parks Square, could become a new place where events with alcohol could be held, officials said at Tuesday’s commission committee meetings.

Reichert first broached the idea for a park with commissioners earlier this month, but that measure, along with the ban ordinance, both failed to get through committee.

But there are unknowns on how much the new park would cost. And Rosa Parks Square could also undergo a major redesign, although officials would need to approve that funding as well.

A permit is required for alcohol to be allowed at any Macon-Bibb park. Reichert, however, also pledged Tuesday to not grant any requests to permit alcohol inside Rosa Parks Square even before the new park is built.

“I could make that commitment to you,” he said.

The proposed alcohol ban has attracted a large number of supporters and detractors — including dueling petitions — since the issue was brought up during an April 28 news conference held by members of the Friends of Rosa Parks Square organization. The organization’s leaders, including former Macon Mayor C. Jack Ellis, spoke out in opposition to a beer festival inside the park.

Commissioner Elaine Lucas sponsored the first ban ordinance, but officials decided to hold a public hearing before making a vote on an issue that’s often fallen along racial lines.

The May 30 hearing brought out about 100 people to County Commission chambers, as people on both sides discussed everything from economics to the park being a place of respect as reasons for or against the measure.

Rosa Parks Square would also be designated as a memorial as part of the ordinance.

Commissioner Joe Allen also said he wants to make sure veterans memorials are not relocated from Rosa Parks Square.

“I think this is kind of a win-win situation,” Commissioner Larry Schlesinger said at Tuesday’s commission’s Facilities and Engineering meeting. “I think it’s important for this commission be united.”

New business district

Downtown property owners could pay higher taxes that would be reinvested into the city’s core.

The commission’s Operations and Finance Committee approved an ordinance Tuesday for the creation of the Downtown Macon Business Improvement District. If the final OK is given next week, the district will use an additional five mills over a six year period for upgrades to the area.

The new district would span from New Street down past Fifth and Pine streets and over to Riverside Drive. The southeast corner of downtown between Walnut and Riverside would not be a part of the improvement district.

Enough downtown property owners have agreed to the Business Improvement District to meet the requirements to enact the measure, said Newtown Macon President and CEO Josh Rogers.

The extra money generated would come to about $375,000 a year. The funds would likely be used to make a more inviting environment downtown, with a focus on cleanliness and safety, Rogers said.

The additional taxes would come out to about $200 a year for a building valued at $100,000.

“Basically (Business Improvement Districts) can use their for anything a local government can do: additional trash collection and cleanliness, streetscaping and lighting ... safety ambassadors,” Rogers said.

In other business Tuesday, the commission agenda also included discussions about:

▪  An indoor football franchise plans to bring the pigskin to Macon.

Representatives for the Georgia Doom announced Tuesday to the County Commission its plan to call the Macon Coliseum its home field. The team will play in the American Arena League, which also has a franchise in Savannah.

It would be the first professional football team in Macon since the Macon Knights played at the Coliseum from 2001-2006.

▪  Safety concerns as well as better bang for the buck could lead to Macon-Bibb County not using inmate labor for some of its maintenance work.

Macon-Bibb officials discussed Tuesday taking about $276,000 it gives to the Georgia Department of Corrections for inmate labor and instead using that money to hire a company to perform public works duties work.

The talks come a couple of weeks after two inmates killed prison guards in Putnam County.

Macon-Bibb has also had issues with smaller crews than expected coming to do work that includes cutting right of ways, officials said.

“With the same money you could probably get as much done with greater safety just by outsourcing this work,” Reichert said.

This story was originally published June 27, 2017 at 5:17 PM with the headline "Rosa Parks alcohol ban compromise nears — with a stipulation."