Council approves purchase agreement and $8.5 million budget amendment to fund Police Annex

Peachtree City Council approved two related actions to expand police facilities: a purchase agreement for property at 104 Guthrie Way and a fiscal-year 2024 budget amendment to allocate $8.5 million for property purchases and renovations for a Police Annex.

City staff told the council the Guthrie Way agreement is essentially the same contract used for a previously approved gun range site and described the terms as “very clean,” with minimal earnest-money exposure. A motion to approve the contract was made and seconded; council voted and the motion carried.

Staff then presented a FY24 budget amendment totaling $8,500,000 to cover the additional purchase and start renovations of the gun-range property once acquired for conversion to police use. Staff explained funding sources: approximately $3.2 million from a Facilities Authority bond previously approved, about $400,000 from police impact fees, and the remainder from cash reserves. The staff presentation emphasized this is a one-time capital expense that becomes a city asset rather than ongoing operations.

Council moved and seconded the budget amendment and approved it on voice vote. During discussion council members asked legal and fiscal clarifying questions; the city attorney said there were no significant legal issues with the purchase contract. Staff described the expenditures as planned capital work (property acquisition and renovation) and said they would not be funding operations with the amendment.

Outcome: purchase contract approved and the FY24 budget amendment to allocate $8.5 million for the Police Annex was adopted by the council.