Extra chairs were brought in the Board of Commissioners meeting room to accommodate the citizens who showed up at a special called meeting.
Still some citizens had to stand during the Oct. 8 meeting.
Citizens comments kicked the meeting off and 13 people spoke in favor of the county partnering with the U.S. Corps of Engineers to keep the recreation areas of Doll Mountain, Harris Branch, Woodring and Ridgeway open.
“If we close Woodring Branch because of money, I see very little money saved there, what’s next?” Betsy Schueth asked.
She said the county needed to do whatever it could to save this beautiful resource in Gilmer County.
“Closing it would be tragic for the county and surrounding areas,” said Terry Hewitt.
Robert Ferguson, co-owner of Stay Active Ellijay with his wife and Post 1 Commissioner Karleen Ferguson, said Carters Lake is not overbuilt like other lakes in the state and it is a wonderful place to get away. He said he takes people to the lake as part of his company all the time for hiking, and other activities.
“I can’t imagine putting gates up and not letting people enjoy the beauty of Carters Lake,” he said.
Getting down to brass tacks, Oliver Craig, resource manager at Carters Lake, distilled some numbers for commissioners.
If the county cooperatively manages the three areas of Doll Mountain, Ridgeway and Woodring with the U.S. Corps of Engineers, the two entities would be able to split the management costs while the county received the revenue generated at the sites.
Estimating the county’s costs based on discussions of what the county would be responsible for versus the revenue, Craig estimated the county would see a surplus of $67,000. This money could be used in administration costs, improvements and day-to-day costs at the recreational areas.
For Harris Branch, which Ferguson and Chairman Charlie Paris have discussed an outright lease, he said revenue had a four-year average of $40,000, while maintenance costs were $91,000.
Craig added the Corps is restricted on when they can stay open and using vending and other resources for revenue. He believes there are things the county can do to increase revenue at Harris Branch.
“The good part about this is they don’t want us to go in the hole,” Ferguson said. “They want to help us figure out how to make it work for both parties.”
Carters Lake Project Manager Miriam Fleming said the Corps is also restricted from marketing the Carters Lake Recreation areas.
Paris said the Gilmer County Chamber of Commerce does a good job of marketing the lake right now.
Fleming said she and her boss are excited about a cooperative agreement between the county and the Corps. It would be the first under new authorities allowed in lease agreements.
“I am glad he is excited, because I am scared to death,” said Paris.
If the county votes to enter into any agreement with the Corps, Paris said he would want it to be its own department, like Whitepath Golf Course. A director would be needed.
Paris said his preference would be to lease Harris Branch and jointly manage the other three areas with the Corps. Ferguson agreed.
The issue will be added to next week’s agenda for discussion and a possible vote.
Paris asked Ferguson to continue to hammer out details, he said he did not want to decide based on possible future negotiations.