MARIETTA - The City Council on Wednesday approved the structure of a citizens committee to make recommendations on how to spend the $25 million parks bond that Marietta voters approved Nov. 3.

The committee will consist of 16 voting members appointed by the mayor and council and chaired by Councilman Jim King, who is a non-voting member.

Each council member gets to appoint two residents of Marietta. The exception is for Holly Walquist, who was defeated by Johnny Sinclair and will step off the council next month, as well as Mayor-elect Steve Tumlin, who replaces retiring Mayor Bill Dunaway. Walquist, Sinclair, Tumlin and Dunaway each get to make one appointment.

Since one council cannot bind another, King said Walquist's and Dunaway's appointments expire in January and would have to be reapproved by Sinclair and Tumlin.

"Then why in the world do we have an appointment?" Walquist asked.

Walquist said Sinclair would oust her appointment as soon as he stepped into office.

"If you're going to give me an appointment, that person needs to go until they want to step down. Otherwise, on the 13th of January, they'll be ousted," Walquist said.

King said he would talk with Sinclair to see about a compromise.

Dunaway asked the council members to bring the names of their appointees to the Dec. 7 Committee of the Whole meeting since King wants the committee to begin meeting as soon as possible.

The council approved the committee structure in a vote of 4-3, with Councilman Grif Chalfant absent, Dunaway casting the tie breaking vote in favor, and Philip Goldstein, Annette Lewis and Anthony Coleman voting against.

Goldstein, Lewis and Coleman voted for a substitute motion to exclude any elected Marietta official, who served in either the 2006 or 2010 terms, from serving on the committee. Ultimately, the council agreed to only exclude current serving council members, which means Walquist and Dunaway will be eligible for appointment when they leave office next month, King said.

Dunaway said once he and Walquist are private citizens again, they should be able to serve on the parks committee if appointed, especially since they were the ones who spearheaded the parks bond in the first place.

Dunaway said he "hated" to think the council would exclude him or Walquist since "we helped get it through."

Goldstein compared it to putting an attorney on the jury.

"You could carry too much impact on that committee," he told Dunaway.

Dunaway responded, "Probably as much as I do on the City Council," which prompted laughs.

The mayor pointed out that Goldstein opposed the parks bond.

"You want to drink from a well you did not dig," Dunaway said.

Goldstein said the bond only passed by a margin of 61 votes and failed in Dunaway's home ward. He said the people who voted against it, who will also be taxed for it, have a right to representation also.

But King said he wanted Walquist to be on the committee next year.

"I'm trying to make Holly a part of this. I do want her to be on there," King said.

The council also approved putting the $25 million parks bond on the market. The bond is callable in 10 years and will be paid off by 2030, City Manager Bill Bruton said.

Council members also authorized the refunding of two Marietta City School District bonds at a lower interest rate, for a $1.75 million savings, and one existing public safety bond for a $500,000 savings.

The cost of issuing the four bonds totaled $529,100, which includes McKenna, Long Aldridge's bond counsel's fee and Morgan Keegan's underwriter's fee, said Sam Lady, the city's finance director.

The council also paid $85,000 for property at 617 Fraiser Street from Susan Gillian of BRB Holdings for streetscape improvements.