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Board approves new IGA limiting PSA role to programming; maintenance returns to cities and county (4‑1)
Summary
The Board of Commissioners approved a rewritten intergovernmental agreement with the Public Service Authority (PSA) and the three cities that narrows the PSA's role to programming and scheduling of recreation while transferring most maintenance responsibilities back to the county and cities.
The Camden County Board of Commissioners voted 4‑1 to approve a revised intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the Public Service Authority (PSA) and the county's three cities to redefine roles on parks and recreation.
Under the new IGA, the PSA will retain oversight only of recreation programming — scheduling leagues, collecting usage fees and related functions — and will continue to maintain the PSA facility (the swimming pool and its parking lot). All other park maintenance responsibilities will revert to the county or to the individual cities.
County staff described the rewrite as a clarification of roles and financial reporting that the previous one‑page agreement did not provide. The new agreement shortens the term to four years, requires annual reporting, and adds clearer financial and audit provisions. Staff said the PSA will request programming funding using 2020 census proportions and that a separate committee will recommend SPLOST 9 allocations to park rehabilitation projects.
During discussion, commissioners and speakers raised several items for follow up: how SPLOST 9 proceeds will be allocated across jurisdictions; the PSA's maintenance budget (staff cited approximately $700,000 total for the PSA-managed program) versus the county's expected receipt of roughly $162,000 for its share of maintenance; transfer or rehiring of PSA maintenance staff (PSA maintenance employees have been offered the option to apply to city or county maintenance positions); and an additional suggested clarification to identify the PSA facility responsibilities in an exhibit.
Commissioner Goodwin said he supported recreation improvements but wanted assurances the county would not "go into debt for something ill‑conceived" and asked that the board preserve options such as value engineering and phased work. The IGA passed 4‑1.
Supporters argued the change will let cities maintain their own parks and clarify financial flows; opponents cautioned against open‑ended spending without detailed project lists. Staff said the county expects to present more detailed SPLOST distribution proposals and maintenance cost estimates to the board before large capital work begins.
