(Forsyth County, GA) Forsyth County and the City of Cumming took steps to make sure Mary Alice Park is open for the 2023 season while the lease transfer of the park to the county is being finalized.
During a Cumming City Work Session meeting on Tuesday, April 4, the city council approved an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) between it and Forsyth County for the county to start working on the maintenance needed to open the park for the summer.
The park is currently owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and is leased to the city.
The future annexation of Mary Alice Park to the county was part of the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) agreement approved by the county and city last year, which decided how local sales tax will be used over the next decade.
The IGA will allow the county to begin the needed maintenance for the opening and also operate the park. However, the city is allowed to oversee the operations and cancel the IGA if the county does not follow the city’s Master Lease.
All fees collected at the park will also go to the county instead of the city.
The city council approved the IGA with Council Member Linda Ledbetter in opposition.
A Joint Resolution was also presented at the meeting, which would express the county and city’s support of Mary Alice Park being leased to the county once approved by the Army Corps of Engineers. It would also request the Corps to take the first steps in that process.
The resolution will be presented at the next city council meeting on April 18 for official consideration.
More information on City of Cumming meetings can be found at cityofcumming.net/meetings. Meetings can also be viewed on its Youtube channel.
If you have a news tip in Forsyth County, contact Justine Lookenott at justine.lookenott@newsbreak.com. You can also follow her on Twitter at @justalookenott.
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