Hoschton council delays 40‑year Hushton Park IGA after debate over access, turf funding

The Hoschton City Council on March 20 tabled consideration of a proposed 40‑year intergovernmental agreement with Jackson County that would change when and how Hushton Park is used and allow county‑funded improvements including artificial turf.

Council members spent the bulk of the meeting debating whether to replace an existing IGA that runs through July 20, 2029, with a longer agreement that opponents said could restrict residents’ access and lock the city into long commitments. “By signing a 40 year IGA, we give up any opportunity to reassess our citizens' ability to use that park facility,” Council Member Tina Brown said. She asked the council to keep the current agreement, monitor how the charter school and county use the park, and revisit a longer deal later.

The issue matters because Jackson County officials have proposed spending on the fields — speakers described the cost as a multimillion‑dollar project — and said they want a longer guarantee before committing to large capital work. “I know they wanna spend $2,300,000 on putting AstroTurf on there,” one council member said during the discussion. Another speaker later referenced a different large figure during the debate; speakers did not reconcile the discrepancy on the record.

Supporters of the new IGA said the county would pay for resurfacing, maintenance and higher‑level upgrades, and that the county wants a longer term to justify its investment. Jennifer (staff member) told the council the county was driving the longer agreement so it would feel secure investing in the fields. The proposed IGA would extend protected priority use hours, change daily hours (one speaker noted the current IGA runs 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the proposed agreement would extend that to 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.), and make the county responsible for certain capital and maintenance items during the term.

Council members repeatedly warned the measures could limit resident access during typical exercise hours if school security or county priorities led to restricted use. “If it has been restricted access to our citizens, then we could arrange a lease, could arrange to sell to Braselton or something. But by signing a 40 year IGA, we give up any opportunity to do that,” Brown said.

The council first voted on a motion to approve the IGA; Mayor Martin and Council Member Quarter voted in favor, while Council Members Tina Brown and Dave Brown voted opposed. With the motion on the table and no immediate majority to adopt, a subsequent motion to table the IGA until the council can gather more information passed; the council set a follow‑up discussion for the April meeting. Council members suggested a phased approach: keep the current IGA in place while monitoring how the charter school and county use the park and, if the arrangement proves workable, consider a longer agreement later.

The council clarified several factual points on the record: the current IGA runs through July 20, 2029; the county would pay for 50% of certain parking lot repaving on a 15‑year schedule under the proposed terms; the county would pay for new turf fields and assume primary maintenance during the IGA term; and the IGA would guarantee the county priority field use for the length of the agreement. Multiple council members said the county had already addressed many of the city’s requested edits but that some areas still needed clarification.

The item will return to the council’s agenda in April for further discussion. In the meantime, the current IGA remains in effect.