MICHELLE WILLARD, Post Staff Writer
Posted: Friday, January 16, 2009 2:38 pm

In these trying times, there’s a better use of taxpayer dollars than building new tennis courts for county school’s teams, Commissioner Mike Sparks (Dist. 11) said.

Sparks spoke against the county spending $1.2 million and trading the old Ag Center in Old Fort Park to the city of Murfreesboro for additional money to build 16 new, lighted tennis courts, while people across the county are losing their jobs and homes.

“I think we need to get our priorities right … we are going to spend this much money on tennis courts out of our development fund and we all see how slow construction has gotten,” Sparks said.

Sparks spoke out during the commission’s debate on terminating the county’s lease on the Ag Center, in exchange for Murfreesboro funding an additional $675,000 for the construction of the courts.

The funds are needed because construction bids came in higher than expected to build the courts in Old Fort Park. County schools previously used the eight existing courts at Old Fort Park next to Kids’ Castle.

With a tight county budget in these lean economic times, the County Mayor Ernest Burgess proposed terminating the county’s lease on the Ag Center as of June 30, 2009, in exchange for the city picking up the additional funds.

County Mayor Ernest Burgess defended the courts by pointing out the money is already appropriated and had been before the recession hit.

“We have tennis teams at our schools,” he added. “And we have football teams and baseball teams. And we have fields and stadiums. We need this for the teams and the public.”

Sparks then suggested the tennis teams use booster clubs, like other local high school sports teams do, to offset some of the county’s cost.

“It’s foolishness in my opinion,” he concluded.

Commissioner Ron Williams (Dist. 8) also expressed concern about the amount of time teams would actually have to practice on the courts, since the agreement with the city allows the Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department to schedule times.

“The way this is written right now, we’re left with the same schedule we have right now,” Williams said. The current tennis schedule allows for teams to practice three hours per day, Monday through Friday during non-school hours from Feb. 1-May15 each year.

“It’s not fair for the teams or for the county,” he added.

Burgess said the teams may actually have more time, since 16 courts will be built to accommodate the teams.

“I believe they (Murfreesboro) will be gracious with us and continue to schedule in a fair and equitable basis,” Burgess said.

In the end, most of the commissioners agreed, passing the amendment in a 17-3 vote, with Doug Shafer (Dist. 1), Williams and Sparks dissenting.

The amendment requires the City to pay up to $600,000 for the cost of design and construction of the tennis courts, and in addition the City may spend up to $75,000 on restroom renovation or construction. Additionally, the Ag Center lease between the county and city shall terminate on June 30, 2009.

The city actually owns the land the building sits on and granted the county a long-term lease to use the property until at least 2018, city spokesman Chris Shofner said.

Burgess said if the county continued paying rent on the land until the end of the lease, it would pay between $600,000 and $700,000 to the city over the next 10 years.

Public Hearings
- The commission approved a rezoning and conditional-use permit request by Turner & Associates Realty, 2706 Lascassas Pike, to change existing zoning from residential and commercial to services for a Dollar General store. The vote was 18-2, with Commissioners Jack Black (Dist. 2) and Jeff Jordan (Dist. 13) dissenting.

- The commission approves a rezoning and conditional-use permit request by Andrew Wileczek, located on Franklin Road to change existing zoning from residential to industrial for a variety of services. The vote was 18-0, with three commissioners absent during the vote.

Michelle Willard can be contacted at 615-869-0816 or mwillard@murfreesboropost.com.