“We have a skatepark,” was the declaration after the Tift County Board of Commissioners voted to allow members of a local skatepark initiative to use land owned by the county to build the recreational facility.

The board voted down the first motion, which included the board allocating $125,000 in projected Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax IV (SPLOST IV) revenues and the county-owned land at the intersection of Victory Drive and West Second Street for the skatepark.

Bonnie Sayles, one of the leaders of the skatepark initiative, several other adults and at least 15 young skateboaders attended Monday night’s commission meeting. Outside the Charles Kent Administrative Buildings after the vote, she explained to the adults and children that the final vote was a victory.

“I think this is good. We have a skatepark,” Sayles said. “Now we can put up a sign so people will know the plans and now we can apply for grants, now that we have a location.

“We are all very excited.”

The next step, Sayles said, is to create a design for the park. She said that Roy Rankin, who was also in attendance with the group at the county meeting Monday night, would join the design committee and draw up plans to present to the county and the recreation department.

It was a year ago that the group first asked commissioners if they would help with donation of land and/or funding for the proposed skatepark. At the county’s workshop session last week, Tift County Recreation Department Director Craig Sowell presented the commission with several options, including the possible donation of the land and, possibly, funding. He told commissioners that the skatepark supporters would be more successful in their fundraising and grant-writing efforts if the board would make a decision on the issue. The Tifton City Council indicated last year that it would not financially support the initiative because the county funded recreational projects for the entire county.

During the public comment portion of Monday night’s meeting, Sayles told commissioners that she appreciated them hearing from the group and that the young people who had been involved in the initiative are “learning how government works.”

Before either of the motions were made Monday night, Commissioner Mike Jones said that he wanted to clarify that SPLOST IV proceeds that could possibly be allocated to the skatepark had not been received and projects of what those proceeds might be in the future could not be determined.

Commissioner Robert Setters made the motion that sufficient land be donated for use as a skatepark and that $125,000 be earmarked from SPLOST IV “if the money comes in.” He also included directing staff to draft plans for the park as part of his motion. Commissioner Buck Rigdon seconded the motion.

When Commissioner Frankie Mathis asked how it could be determined that SPLOST IV moneys coming in would be for the skatepark, County Manager Jim Carter explained that the board would have final approval of the funding allocation and could decide to complete “top tier projects” first and that the funding was dependent upon the tax collections. County Attorney Tony Rowell said that the land being allocated to be used as the home of a future skatepark would remain county property and is already being used for recreation.

Setters’ motion was defeated. Jones then made a second motion that the land be designated for use as a potential skatepark. Jones’ motion didn’t include any provision for county funding. Miley, Rigdon and Mathis voted in favor of Jones’ motion. Setters and Hester voted against it.

Setters said Tuesday that he never lobbied commissioners on the issue and that he only wanted “closure” for the skatepark initiative.

“My intention was, ‘Let’s give them the day for a vote and win, lose or draw, no hard feelings,’” Setters said. “My motion was as open-ended as it could be. If the money is collected, if we approve the design, then maybe we will do it.”