Month: June 2019

McBath votes for border-funding bill that divides House Democrats

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U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, a Marietta Democrat who represents East Cobb, was one of 129 House Democrats to vote for $4.6 billion in supplemental funding this week for humanitarian aid for migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border and to address overcrowding at detention centers there.U.S. Rep Lucy McBath, gun violence research funding, McBath border-funding vote

The House supported the measure 305-102, after the Senate passed the special appropriations 84-8 (with Georgia Republican senators Johnny Isakson and David Perdue voting in favor).

The Senate had earlier rejected a different House version of the bill.

The second House vote on Thursday was contentious, with more progressive Democrats accusing moderates in their caucus of child abuse. In one instance, there was a confrontation between Democrats on the House floor over heated social media messages.

The only Georgia House member to vote against the bill was John Lewis of Atlanta.

The Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance and Security at the Southern Border Act of 2019 (summary here) would fund operations for the departments of Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, Commerce and Defense in the following ways:

  • $2.88 billion for the HHS Unaccompanied Alien Children program for the safety and welfare of children under its care;
  • $1.1 billion for migrant care and processing facilities, medical care and transportation, and data systems;
  • $793 million for establishing and operating migrant care and processing facilities to improve conditions at border stations and ports of entry;
  • $220 million to hire additional personnel to expedite immigration court proceedings;
  • $209 million for medical care and transportation of unaccompanied alien children and migrants between facilities, counter-human trafficking operations, detention alternatives and migrant processing;
  • $145 million for Defense operations and maintenance in support of multiple missions at the border.

The bill is awaiting the signature of President Donald Trump, who is in Asia at the Group of 20 Summit.

 

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July 4 events in the East Cobb area; fireworks reminder

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July 4 East Cobb events

The following July 4 events in and near East Cobb are free and open to the public:

  • Kennesaw will have its annual Star Spangled Spectacular 6-10 p.m. Wednesday, July 3, at the Historic Train Depot, 2828 Cherokee Street. The event features two stages of live music, festive entertainment, food vendors, kids activities and a fireworks display. Admission is free. The fireworks are scheduled for 9:30 p.m. In the event of inclement weather, the fireworks will be rescheduled for Saturday, July 8. Click here for more information and here for temporary street closures;
  • Marietta’s Fourth in the Park celebration begins 10 a.m. Thursday, July 4, and includes a parade, free live concerts, museum tours, arts and crafts show, food, carnival games, and a fireworks finale. Click here for more information;
  • More on the Marietta Parade: The start is 10 a.m. at Roswell Street Baptist Church and travels west on Roswell Street, north on East Park Square past Glover Park and the Square, down Cherokee Street and ends at North Marietta Parkway. The end of the parade marks the start of the festival on the Marietta Square. Food concessions, arts and crafts and carnival will provide plenty to do for the whole family.
  • Powder Springs will hold its SpringsFest on the 4th event 4-10 p.m. Thursday, July 4, at Powder Springs Park (3899 Brownsville Road, Powder Springs). There will be a food court, local vendors, artisans, entertainment, DJ, live performances, bounce houses, a game truck, face painters, kids games and a fireworks show. Click here for more information;
  • At sundown on July 4 is the start of a fireworks show at the Indian Hills Country Club (4001 Clubland Drive). The event is dubbed Member Appreciation Night but the public is invited to the clubhouse area and enjoy the display;
  • Acworth will present live music and fireworks at Cauble Park (4425 Beach Street, Acworth) Thursday, July 4. Live music will start at 5:30 p.m. Fireworks will begin at approximately 9:30 p.m. (subject to change depending on weather). Admission to the event and concert is free. Click here for more information;
  • The 5th Annual Barbecue & Bluegrass: A 4th of July Celebration on the Grounds of Barrington Hall (535 Barrington Drive, Roswell), takes place from 11-4. Free admission, no reservations required. Barbecue, beverages and desserts will be available for purchase from the Mill Kitchen Restaurant and Bar. The Smokerise Bluegrass Band will provide music, and the festivities include games on the lawn and hayrides in the front yard;
  • The 20th Annual Roswell Fireworks Extravaganza will be held Thursday, July 4 at Roswell High School on the front lawn. The program includes live stage performances, a Kids Zone and great food! Picnic blankets, chairs, and the entire family are allowed, but dogs, tobacco and alcoholic beverages are not. Click here for more on the Roswell events;
  • Also on July 4, the Stars and Stripes Celebration Fireworks display will take place in Sandy Springs, on the lawn of the Concourse Corporate Center (5 Concourse Parkway, Atlanta. The lawn opens at 7:30 p.m. with music from Bogey and the Viceroys, with the fireworks starting at 9:45 p.m. Picnic fare and blankets are allowed; pets, tents, outdoor cooking, drones, alcohol and personal-use sparklers will not be permitted.

Relaxing the Cobb noise ordinance

The county’s noise ordinance prohibits discharging consumer fireworks after 9 p.m., but the Independence Day holiday is among the exceptions.

Citizens may discharge fireworks until midnight on Wednesday, July 3, and Thursday, July 4.

More fireworks do’s and don’ts

From the Cobb Fire and Emergency Services Department:

  • Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks. Only those 18 and older can legally use fireworks in Georgia.
  • Avoid buying fireworks that are packaged in brown paper because this is often a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays and that they could pose a danger to consumers.
  • Always have an adult supervise fireworks activities. Parents don’t realize that young children suffer injuries from sparklers. Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees – hot enough to melt some metals.
  • Never place any part of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse. Back up to a safe distance immediately after lighting fireworks.
  • Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not ignited fully.
  • Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
  • Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap.
  • Light fireworks one at a time, then move back quickly.
  • Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers.
  • After fireworks complete their burning, douse the spent device with plenty of water from a bucket or hose beforediscarding it to prevent a trash fire.

Fireworks can mean misery for pets. Thousands are sedated every year after being frightened by fireworks. Others are so distraught they bolt and get lost or injured.

Keep pets indoors, close the curtains and play music to drown out the noise. Make sure your pet is wearing a collar and tag and is microchipped in case it bolts and becomes lost.

Fireworks can still be enjoyed if at the same time care and consideration are given to pets, livestock and animals living in the surrounding area.

 

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Lower Roswell annexation case back on Marietta council agenda

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Lower Roswell annexation case

The green zoning signs fronting the entrance to the Sewell Manor neighborhood have a new date etched in for an annexation and zoning case at Lower Roswell Road and the Loop that residents there have been fighting for months.

After the Marietta City Council twice delayed a vote, and after Cobb commissioners reaffirmed a letter of objection to the annexation, the proposal by Traton Homes to build 52 townhome and single-family units is apparently scheduled to be on the July 10 council agenda.

There’s not an agenda posted yet on the City of Marietta website, and there doesn’t appear to be anything new in the case file. We’ll update with more information.

The city council would act first on annexation before conducting a zoning hearing.

The city and county have been at odds over the case since Sewell Manor residents voiced their objection to the Traton project, on less than eight acres of vacant land.

The county had the right to object to the annexation since the rezoning would come to more than five units an acre, but commissioners didn’t formally ratify their opposition before a January deadline.

The Marietta Planning Commission did hear the case in April and voted to recommend denial of the rezoning.

The Marietta City Council held off on votes in April and May, then asked for mediation, and the county agreed. But commissioner Bob Ott of East Cobb, designated as the county representative, said the city wanted to change the process to something between mediation and formally binding arbitration, and cancelled the talks.

Earlier this month he held a town hall meeting with the Sewell Manor residents.

On June 11 commissioners discussed, but took no action, after Ott briefed them about the dispute.

He admitted that there was nothing the county could do to stop the annexation, but said Marietta Mayor Steve “Thunder” Tumlin had indicated the city would not act on the case as long as the county objected.

Sewell Manor residents have put together a flyer to urge their neighbors and others in nearby communities to turn out for the July 10 Marietta council meeting, which starts at 7 p.m.

What they previously labeled a “Save East Cobb campaign” is now being called “Annexation Without Representation.”

 

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Citizens group leader: Developer in talks with Sprayberry Crossing owners

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Sprayberry Crossing Shopping Center

Citizens living near a longstanding East Cobb eyesore got some encouraging news Thursday night: The owner of the blighted Sprayberry Crossing Shopping Center is in talks with a developer.

That’s according to Joe Glancy, moderator of the Sprayberry Crossing Action group on Facebook, who said in a post to its 4,635 followers that there’s a “tentative agreement to redevelop—I say tentative because nothing is set in stone and we are in the very early stages.”

Glancy, who organized a town hall meeting last March about the shopping center, said he’s met with executives from the development firm—which he did not identify—and which asked to gain more input from other nearby residents in the next week.

Glancy said the development firm “is reputable, their interest is sincere and I believe, that although it’s difficult to please everyone, most members of the community will be pleased with what the firm is capable of.”

He called the discussions “a ray of hope” and said he would “share more information as things progress.”

Sprayberry Crossing
Joe Glancy leading a town hall meeting about Sprayberry Crossing at Sprayberry High School in March 2018. (ECN file)

Among those community leaders is Shane Spink. He’s meeting with the developer next Wednesday and told East Cobb News that “I think they are being smart by reaching out to the community with their ideas on what they are looking to do” with the 16 acres on Sandy Plains Road and Piedmont Road.

UPDATE: On Friday Glancy said the developer is eyeing a mixed-use project for the property, but there’s nothing more detailed at this point beyond the concept.

For many years residents near the decaying retail center have urged county officials and the owners to take action.

Most of the businesses have long vacated the premises. Citizens have complained that the former bowling alley has been a spot for criminal activity.

Even after Cobb commissioners imposed a “blight tax” on the property last year, little has happened.

Last August, a Cobb judge ordered NAI Brannen Goddard, the Atlanta real estate agency that owns Sprayberry Crossing, to clean up a portion of the property. The most Brannen Goddard could be taxed according to the remediation plan is around $21,000 for 2019.

Earlier this spring, frustrated citizens posted photos of themselves with signs on the Sprayberry Crossing Action page, trying to shame Brannen Goddard into action.

The Sprayberry Crossing property also has been included on a redevelopment list by Cobb commissioners, meaning a developer could be eligible for tax abatements (like Kroger at the MarketPlace Terrell Mill under construction on Powers Ferry Road).

Glancy said he said he’s withholding more details for now “because the developer has been willing to be open, to communicate and to show progress. As such I’m willing to extend them the courtesy of letting them manage the roll out until they are ready.

“This has been a very long time coming. I hope and believe the community will continue to show the same character and courtesy that this group has demonstrated over the previous 30 months.”

 

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New East Cobb coworking business gets county entrepreneurship grant

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New East Cobb coworking business, Brilliant Coworking
Photo: M Harris Studio

In January we noted the opening of Brilliant Coworking, an East Cobb coworking business located near Sprayberry High School.

Earlier this week Brilliant Coworking was awarded a $10,000 grant via the Cobb County Entrepreneurship and Innovation Incentive Program.

While the Cobb Board of Commissioners signed off on the grant, the funding comes from the Development Authority of Cobb County.

Last year commissioners created the program “in support of eligible businesses to aid them in growing their business, creating jobs, and maintaining their presence in the County.”

Under the terms of the Cobb Innovation Grant Fund, eligible businesses must meet the following criteria:

  • agree to remain in Cobb County for three years after the expiration date of the incentive agreement;
  • be an existing business in Cobb County;
  • be a graduate of an entrepreneurial training program.

Grants and applications are evaluated by a subcommittee represented by individuals from the Kennesaw State University Office of Community Engagement, SelectCobb, Cobb Travel and Tourism, Cobb Young Professionals, and The Coalition of Cobb County Business Associations.

More about the incentive program is here.

The funding is generally used for startup operations, purchasing equipment, furnishings and machinery, renovations and expanding business services.

Grant recipients cannot use the grant funding for an owner’s salary, paying off debts or loans, lending or investments or speculative ventures.

Brilliant Coworking (2440 Sandy Plains Road) was started by the husband-and-wife team of Michelle and Joseph Gibson. In their application for the grant, they indicated that their business objective is to “help entrepreneurs and small businesses start, develop and grow” and wants to help “increase the number of businesses within the area and provide a place where they can thrive.”

They’re planning to use their grant funding for marketing, advertising and updating amenities.

“This award is an exciting opportunity for us because Cobb County decided to support us, and stand beside us, so we can turn around and do the same for the business community,” the Gibsons said in a statement.

 

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Cobb school enrollment projections show scattered growth in East Cobb

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Cobb schools enrollment projections
A new home under construction in Indian Hills in the Walton High School attendance zone, whose middle and elementary schools will be over capacity over the next decade. (ECN photo)

Growth in student enrollment in public schools in East Cobb is expected to continue over the next few years, but the rate of that increase isn’t projected to be as much as it is in other parts of the county.

A planning consultant hired by the Cobb County School District told school board members in May in his annual enrollment study that population growth in the county has been and will be holding steady, and that will reflect in school enrollment.

(Read and download the full study here)

James Wilson of Marietta-based Education Planners and a former Cobb and Fulton superintendent, issued school-by-school projections over the next decade (see pages 16-19 at the link above, or see charts below. Click each chart for a larger view).

Some schools in East Cobb, and in particular in the Walton cluster, will be well above capacity. But other schools, especially in northeast Cobb close to the Cherokee County line, will have plenty of room at most grade levels.

Wilson said Cobb’s population is expected to grow only by 22 percent between 2015 and 2040, the lowest rate in all of metro Atlanta. Southern parts of Cobb will be experiencing much greater population growth that will impact school capacity.

“We are not going to grow like other districts and other counties,” Wilson said. “We’re getting older.”

Cobb’s 2018 population estimated at around 763,000, and by 2025, it’s expected to grow to 823,000, according to the Atlanta Regional Commission.

But last year, the county’s population grew by only 1,000 people overall. Between 2016-17, the population rose by around 5,000, less than one percent.

In 2018, Cobb schools enrollment was a little over 111,000, down from 113,000 two years before.

That overall number, and grade-level enrollments, are expected to remain relatively steady over the next decade.

 Housing affordability also figures to be a major factor in enrollment patterns.

“Families are choosing to come to Cobb,” Wilson said, “because of the school district, once they can afford to get here.”

Public schools are a major attraction to East Cobb, but the new enrollment projections reflect differing levels of growth in the community.

Many more housing permits are being issued parts of south, west and north Cobb compared to East Cobb. Those new housing starts are solid in the Walton, Sprayberry, Pope and Lassiter clusters.

Not included in this map are housing starts in the Wheeler cluster, which numbered 16 in the same time period, the lowest of any high school zone in the Cobb school district.

Attendance at Lassiter, Pope, Walton and Wheeler  is expected to be tight to over capacity in the coming years.

Kell was 386 students under capacity after the 2018-19 school year that just ended, and Sprayberry was 292 spots under capacity.

While Kell’s projections have the school with 557 available spots a decade from now, Sprayberry’s capacity is expected to tighten to only 76 open spots, about the same as Pope.

Wheeler is at capacity for now, but the projections indicate it could be nearly 250 students over capacity by 2028-29, while Walton may be slightly under capacity.

Lassiter is just under capacity now but may be 100 students over in another decade.

Dodgen, Dickerson and Hightower Trail middle schools are over capacity, while there’s plenty of room at Mabry and McCleskey.

At the elementary school level, East Side and Mt. Bethel, in the Walton cluster, are well over capacity.

In the Wheeler cluster, so is the new Brumby Elementary campus, with 59 more students over capacity. Eastvalley Elementary, slated for a new school building, was 160 students over its capacity of 562.

Projections show a rising enrollment to nearly 800 students a decade from now, by the time the school is expected to occupy a new campus at the former site of East Cobb Middle School.

Blackwell, Davis, Keheley, Kincaid, Mountain View and Nicholson and Shallowford Falls elementary are well below capacity and are projected to remain that way.

 

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Simpson Middle School earns STEAM designation from Cobb schools

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Simpson Middle School has become the first middle school in the Cobb County School District to be designated a STEAM school.Simpson Middle School STEAM

STEAM is STEM-based learning (science, technology, engineering and math) with an arts and language-based component.

“Students at Simpson are using the arts to demonstrate what they’ve learned in math, English and even science classes. Their teachers have worked hard to help students see how the concepts that they are learning are integrated from one class to the next. This approach to learning mirrors the real world,” Dr. Sally Creel, Cobb Schools Supervisor of STEM and Innovation, said in a statement.

Simpson is one of 25 Cobb schools to have STEM or STEAM designation. Last year, Kerri Waller, an art teacher at Simpson, was the recipient of a Cobb STEM Distinguished Educator Award.

In 2017 Wheeler became the first Georgia high school to earn STEAM certification, and earlier this year it was named the No. 2 STEM program in the country.

The other East Cobb schools certified for STEM by the district include Brumby, East Side, Shallowford Falls, Sope Creek and Tritt elementary schools; Hightower Trail, Mabry and McCleskey middle schools and Lassiter, Pope, Walton and Wheeler high schools.

Lassiter, Tritt and Wheeler are also STEM-certified by the state.

 

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Cobb 2020 budget proposal is $474.8M with public safety raises

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Cobb commissioners on Monday heard an overview of a fiscal year 2020 budget proposal that comes in at $474.8 million and includes a seven-percent salary increase for certified and sworn public safety employees.Cobb County logo, Cobb 2017 elections

Other county employees would receive a pay hike of four percent, according to the briefing that took place at an afternoon work session.

Those raises would cost more than $12 million. Also included in the outline is a proposal for the county to contribute to a supplemental public safety pension plan, which will be an item on Tuesday night’s commissioners’ regular meeting agenda for approval (Meeting agenda can be found here).

Another part of the “retention and recruitment” plan to address public safety concerns includes offering a $5,000 bonus for certified officers (those who have been trained and are experienced elsewhere).

Related stories

The $474.8 million proposal represents a 4.8 percent increase from the current fiscal year 2019 budget of $454 million, Cobb finance chief Bill Volckmann told commissioners.

The budget proposal would not include a millage rate increase for the general fund, and assumes tax digest growth of 3.4 percent. Last year, commissioners approved a millage rate increase of 1.7 mills to 8.46 mills for the general fund.

Personnel expenses would increase by $6 million from the current fiscal year (see chart below presented at the work session), with operating costs up $11 million. The contingency projection of $18.5 million reflects an increase of nearly $4 million in the reallocation Cobb receives from the state in title ad valorem tax (TAVT) revenues, following a formula change.

The revised budget draft would also reduce by one percent ($2.2 million) the amount of funding the county borrows from water system revenues for the general fund budget. Currently Cobb borrows around 10 percent (or $22 million) each year, but plans are to gradually reduce that amount by one percent a year.

Also missing from the budget proposal is $850,000 in non-profit funding, which is slated to be eliminated completely.

In addition, the county will eliminate fees for use of senior centers that were imposed last year.

During the commissioners’ discussion, some expressed a desire to approve the seven-percent raise for public safety employees this year, and then take initial steps to implement a step-and-grade plan for fiscal 2021.

That’s a sentiment expressed by new Cobb public safety director Mike Register. But commissioner Bob Ott of East Cobb, who’s said often that a pay-and-class system is “broken,” wants to start with step-and-grade first.

Commission Chairman Mike Boyce is expected to unveil a formal, more detailed budget on July 8. Commissioners will hold three public hearings on the budget starting July 9.

 

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Duck Donuts to open East Cobb franchise at Merchant’s Walk

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Duck Donuts, a specialty chain that’s moving into the Atlanta area, will be opening soon in East Cobb at Merchant’s Walk.Duck Donuts East Cobb

Company spokeswoman Kristen Kellum told East Cobb News there’s not a definite grand opening date yet, although a media preview event is slated for early July.

All she’s saying for now is that the shop will open this summer.

It’s going to be located in the former Gigi’s Cupcakes space at 1281 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 116, between Mirko Pasta and Bar Method.

Here’s what Duck Donuts, which has two other franchises in Atlanta, is about:

Duck Donuts specializes in warm, delicious and made-to-order donuts. Customers can create their own donut combination by choosing from a variety of coatings, toppings and drizzles, including traditional favorites such as chocolate icing with sprinkles and more adventurous creations such as maple icing with bacon.

The family-friendly stores offer a viewing area where children and adults alike can watch their donuts being made from scratch to finish. Duck Donuts also sells coffee, tea, donut breakfast sandwiches and more.

For grand opening details, specials and donut topping updates, customers are encouraged to visit the Duck Donuts Marietta Facebook page or connect on the web at www.duckdonuts.com.

 

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ArtsBridge Foundation earns regional Emmy for high school musical theatre awards

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Sarah Clay Lindvall, ArtsBridge Foundation Emmy award

Submitted information and photo:

They did it again! ArtsBridge Foundation and Georgia Public Broadcasting earned their second-straight Emmy Award for their production of the Georgia High School Musical Theatre Awards, also known as The Shuler Awards.

The two nonprofit partners picked up their latest Emmy Award hardware at a ceremony held June 15.

Presented by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Southeast Chapter, the regional Emmy Award for Special Event Live Coverage went to ArtsBridge Foundation and GPB for the live broadcast and production of The 2018 Shuler Awards held in April of last year.

The team previously won an Emmy Award in the same category for The 2017 Shuler Awards, and in both years, the live broadcast earned back-to-back Emmy Awards for GPB’s Anthony Marshall in the category of Director–Live or Recorded Live broadcast.

Presented as the Shuler Hensley Awards—also known as the “Shuler Awards” or “The Shulers” and named for the Atlanta-born star of the stage and screen—during the event, Georgia high school student recipients are recognized as the best of the state’s musical theatre students and schools for grades nine through 12. Two students are currently in New York preparing for the national 2019 Jimmy Awards taking place June 24 on Broadway after winning in the most recent competitions for best actress and best actor at The 2019 Shuler Awards.

“The back-to-back Southeast Emmy Awards for The Shulers are indicative of the superb quality and high production value Georgia students bring at show time,” said Jennifer Dobbs, executive director of ArtsBridge Foundation. “Producing this live event takes a team of dedicated staff and volunteers at ArtsBridge Foundation, Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, many sponsors and our partners at GPB, and it is so rewarding to share this honor with so many contributors.”

Fashioned after Broadway’s Tony Awards, the Shuler Awards competition includes 17 categories with entrants from nearly 60 public and private schools from across the Peach State.

In photo above: Sarah Clay Lindvall of ArtsBridge Foundation.

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Johnson Ferry Baptist Church honored by Sons of the American Revolution

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Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, Sons of the American Revolution
From L-R: Joe Shadden, Amber Hudson, David Wiley, Bill Floyd, Greg Hebert, Shep Hammack, and Ricky Lewis.

Thanks to David Wellons of the Mount Vernon Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, for the information and photos of this week’s flag recognition at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church:

The Mount Vernon Chapter presented a Certificate of Commendation to Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in recognition of exemplary patriotism in the display of The Flag of the United States of America. The flags are raised and lowered each day by the security team since they are not lit during the night.Johnson Ferry Baptist Church flags

Secretary David Wellons was present and coordinated the ceremony. Other chapter members present were President Bill Floyd, past President Shep Hammack, David Wiley and Chuck Rann. The ceremony was held in the church lobby due to inclement weather.

Members of the church participating in the ceremony were Joe Shadden, JFBC Business Administrator, Amber Hudson, EKG Security Officer, Greg Hebert, JFBC Director of Facilities and Ricky Lewis, EKG Site Supervisor Security Officer. Not in the photo and also present for the ceremony were Mark Shelton, EKG Manager, and Fred Godbee, EKG Owner.

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McBath applauds $50M in gun violence research funding

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Submitted information: U.S. Rep Lucy McBath, gun violence research funding

U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA) applauds the House passage of $50 million in funding she requested for important firearm injury and mortality prevention research at the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health, including critical projects at the Centers for Disease Control National Center for Injury Prevention and Control in Chamblee that would improve understanding of the solutions to prevent gun deaths.

“I was proud to lead my colleagues in asking for this funding because I believe I have the responsibility as a survivor of gun violence to stand up to stop these tragedies,” McBath said. “The CDC and NIH need this funding to better understand how to prevent gun deaths. When I visited the Injury Center in my district, I was heartbroken to hear about the severe lack of funding for gun-related injury research. This critical funding will save lives.”

These federal dollars will provide for the first gun violence prevention funding in more than twenty years and allocates $25 million each to the Centers for Disease Control and National Institutes of Health to study firearm injury and mortality prevention. The funding passed as part of the Labor-Health & Human Services-Education Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2020.

 

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East Cobb city finances scrutinized by independent working group

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East Cobb city finances
East Cobb cityhood opponent Bill Simon (L) talks with cityhood committee leader David Birdwell at a Walton High School town hall meeting in April. (ECN file photo)

An independent panel has been poring over a financial feasibility study for the proposed City of East Cobb this summer as it also fashions a working budget from those numbers.

Rob Eble, a spokesman for the Committee for East Cobb Cityhood, told East Cobb News the group’s results are expected to be made public later this summer, with another town hall meeting tentatively scheduled for August.

“They are taking this very seriously,” Eble said. “All of their findings will be made public—good or bad.”

He said the group—which is not part of the cityhood committee—is being led by Bill Green, a former financial executive with Coca-Cola and Delta.

The other financial experts, whom Eble did not identify, included those with experience with a company on the Fortune 1000 list, as well as a CPA, an auditor and someone with a background in public budgeting.

Also involved in the process, Eble said, is a public finance attorney.

Eble said the group has been given two mandates: Conduct a complete audit of the feasibility study, and propose a realistic budget.

The study was commissioned by the cityhood committee last fall for $35,000, and was done by The Center for State and Local Finance at Georgia State University.

(Download and read the study here.)

The main conclusion of the study is that a City of East Cobb, with a proposed population of 96,000, is financially feasible with a millage rate of 2.96, what’s currently levied for fire services in unincorporated Cobb.

The study asserts that the City of East Cobb would not have to impose a millage rate higher than what those currently in unincorporated pay in property taxes.

That’s providing police, fire and community development services, the mandated minimum of three services required by Georgia law for new cities.

The study figured an annual budget of $45.6 million, and estimated revenues of $49.8 million.

One of the revenue lines is nearly $7.3 million in franchise fees. Those are additional monies collected by municipalities for things like electric, natural gas, telephone and cable television services.

East Cobb city finances

Questioning budget assumptions

That figure is being questioned by a vocal opponent of cityhood. Bill Simon said he checked with officials from Cobb EMC, who told him the electrical provider doesn’t collect franchise fees in unincorporated Cobb.

If East Cobb should become a city, it would have the power to charge all residential and commercial customers a four-percent surcharge on their monthly Cobb EMC bills.

If the city elects not to impose this charge, Simon said, there would be a deficit of $3.1 million.

That also amounts to what Simon considers another tax, which is among the reasons he is against a new city. He provided East Cobb News a copy of a June 3 letter sent to him by Kevin Moore, the general counsel for Cobb EMC.

Eble said “I appreciate people questioning” the franchise fee matter, because “it’s very complex” and that’s one of the reasons why the cityhood committee is having the feasibility study examined.

He maintained the cityhood committee’s pledge to “not raise taxes and not raise fees. That is the goal, and it’s all being reviewed.”

The existing six cities in Cobb all have higher overall millage rates than unincorporated Cobb, which has spurred some of the skepticism about cityhood proponents’ claims.

Eble said that the study is required by state law in order for a cityhood bill to be introduced, and was meant only to be an outline.

“We want to bring it to life,” he said, “validate what’s in it and build a budget.”

Mapping a new city

The audit of the feasibility study, and any budget formulated by the finance group, may have to be amended if the proposed city boundaries (view map here) are altered. At an April town hall meeting at Walton High School, cityhood leaders said they’ve been lobbied by citizens, especially in the Pope and Lassiter areas, for possible inclusion.

The area around Shallowford and Trickum roads in northeast Cobb was mentioned by a cityhood leader as a possible new northern boundary.

As drawn up for the study and in the legislation, the proposed city encompasses all of unincorporated Cobb Commission District 2 east of I-75 and excluding the Cumberland Community Improvement District.

Eble told East Cobb News Thursday that the cityhood group met recently with officials in the state reapportionment office, at which “we have discussed an expanded map. I would say it has not been formally opposed.”

He added that “there has definitely been talk and we would like to see the borders expanded,” and that he was hopeful “we would get it done” well before the legislative session begins in January.

East Cobb News Cityhood Coverage

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New Cobb public safety director: We have to make profession ‘cool again’

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Mike Register, Cobb public safety director

A few weeks into his tenure as the Cobb public safety director, Mike Register was blunt about one of the biggest obstacles his department faces, perhaps as much as the salary and retention concerns that have been expressed in recent months.

Perceptions do matter, and they matter a lot, Register said in remarks earlier this week to the East Cobb Business Association.

“Somehow, we have got to make public safety cool again to our young people,” he said.

Part of the reference was to salaries and benefits, as Cobb salaries lag other jurisdictions in metro Atlanta and the county struggles to fill openings.

But he also mentioned a social media environment rife with critical comments about those in law enforcement, in particular after police shootings.

“The whole is being vilified for the sake of the few,” Register said. “Those in uniform are committed. Somehow we have to communicate that.”

He was drawn to a law enforcement career after being kidnapped as a teenager in Macon. The police officers who worked to free him kept in touch after his release.

“They checked on me, they worried about me,” Register said. “Today is a different time,” a reference to trends he’s seeing that “less and less of our young people want to be in law enforcement.”

Formerly the Cobb Police Chief, Register has taken on an expanded role overseeing police, fire, emergency management, 911 and animal services in a department with around 2,000 employees.

Much of that time has been spent hearing out those who have been vocal in urging Cobb commissioners to pay and support them better.

Last month, commissioners approved a one-time bonus of $1,475 for selected police, fire and sheriff’s employees with good performance evaluations.

The move was considered a first step toward a more comprehensive approach to hiring, keeping and encouraging public safety employees.

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Steven Gaynor, head of the Cobb Fraternal Order of Police, said he’s glad Register is “fighting for us” and especially since he now has a direct line to commissioners.

Chairman Mike Boyce has proposed a seven-percent pay raise for public safety employees, but Gaynor said he’ll feel better when he “sees a plan” for a step-and-grade hiring and pay raise program—similar to what teachers get in Cobb County schools—that he thinks will go a long way toward solving lingering problems.

Register said “it’s no secret in Cobb that we’ve been struggling” to bring up salaries and address retention and benefits concerns. He said he’s hopeful commissioners will address the salary boost this year, and then the step-and-grade program for the 2021 fiscal year budget.

Gaynor said it’s “made a big difference” for citizens to speak out on issues that he and others have been raising for years.

One of them is Susan Hampton, who coordinates Cobb public safety appreciation dinners put on by the East Cobb Business Association. In comments before commissioners this spring, she had been asking for a 10-percent pay raise and step-and-grade in the upcoming 2020 budget.

She acknowledges the seven-percent raise this year and step-and-grade for next year is a more realistic scenario.

Hampton also said after Tuesday’s ECBA luncheon she was encouraged by Register’s appointment, as he is a “common voice” for public safety employees. “He’s got their backs.”

 

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Cobb included in severe thunderstorm watch as wet weekend looms

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Cobb severe thunderstorm watch

Cobb County has been included in a severe thunderstorm watch issued this afternoon by the National Weather Service in Atlanta.

The watch will last until 10 p.m. and includes all of South Carolina and parts of North Carolina.

Here’s what the NWS said in issuing the watch:

Scattered severe thunderstorms remain possible across the area this afternoon and into tonight. The primary hazards with any severe storms that occur will be damaging winds and large hail.

Frequent lightning and heavy rainfall are also possible with stronger storms. The possibility of a brief, isolated tornado cannot be ruled out.

Friday is expected to be sunny with a high of 90, with a slight chance of thunderstorms moving in on Friday night, with storm possibilities lingering all weekend and into early next week.

The chance of rain is forecast to be around 50 percent on Saturday and 40 percent on Sunday.

Similar conditions are expected through Wednesday of next Wednesday, with highs around 90 and lows in the low 70s.

Isolated to scattered thunderstorms can be expected Friday through Wednesday, primarily in the afternoon and evening hours.

 

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Book reads beach party headlines Sewell Mill Library weekend events

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Sewell Mill Library weekend events, Mini Con

Thanks to Melissa White, the adult services librarian at the Sewell Mill Library (2051 Lower Roswell Road), for the details on two Saturday events this weekend and another on Monday of interest, as well as the 2nd Mini-Con coming up in July:

Sewell Mill Book Reads Beach Party

When: Saturday, June 22 @ 1-4 p.m.

The Book Reads Beach Party is back and better than ever! It’s the first official Saturday of summer and time to hit the beach! But before you go, be sure to stop by the Sewell Mill Library & Cultural Center and grab some books at our summer beach party! Dance to some surf tunes and be sure to stay for our Beach Reads Book Talk, showcasing summer reads for adults. Whether it’s mystery, suspense, romance, or biography, the Sewell Mill Library & Cultural Center Beach Party will offer the best in vacation reads!

 

Cake Off        

When: Saturday, June 22 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

During Sewell Mill’s Beach Party, make waves with your baking skills! During the duration of the party, patrons will taste and vote on Cake Off entries. The winner will be announced at the end of the party.

Tasting plates and forks will be provided.

Entrants MUST bring a copy of recipe with ALL ingredients to display during the competition.

Warning–do not participate in this program if you or your children have food allergies.  Cakes are baked by participants in their homes and we cannot guarantee an allergy free environment.

 

Arts Databases in GALILEO

When:  Monday, June 24 @ 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Join Sewell Mill Library branch manager Bruce Thompson and enjoy this overview of two art databases that come free with your library card:  Arts of The United States and Europeana, provided through GALILEO.

No registration necessary. Held in the Community Room.

MINICON 2019
Saturday, July 20 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Bring the whole family to celebrate comics and pop culture at Sewell Mill Library & Cultural Center’s 2nd Annual MINICON!

You’ll find something for everyone in the family, including: Workshops, Panels, Gaming, Vendors, Cosplay Contest, Children’s Costume Parade, Food, Face Painting, Crafts and MORE!

More information to come.

Interested vendors, please contact Ashley.Miller@cobbcounty.org.

Related story:

 

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More than 100 hands-free citations given near Big Chicken intersection

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Big Chicken traffic citations

For a couple of hours this morning, a few dozen police officers (some posing undercover as road workers) cracked down on distracted drivers around the Big Chicken, the intersection of Roswell Road and Cobb Parkway, and gave out between 100 and 150 citations.

That area includes the Roswell Road access point for the Northwest Corridor managed lanes, and the number of citations is an estimate that is expected to rise.

Marietta Police said the undertook the planned enforcement detail because in recent months they’ve seen an increase in the number of accidents caused by distracted drivers.

Officers from Marietta and Cobb Police and the Georgia State Patrol worked in 40 marked vehicles, and the “goal was to re-educate drivers about the importance of safe driving, specifically seat belt use” as well as the Georgia hands free law (the do’s and don’ts are here) that went into effect a year ago.

Here’s more from Officer Chuck McPhilamy, the Marietta PD’s public information officer, and sent out on social media this afternoon, including information on how the court process works if you get a citation:

1. Driving is a PRIVILEGE not a RIGHT. When we sign for our driver’s license we agree to abide by the rules and regulations of the road as established by our elected government officials.

2. The tickets for distracted driving, according to the law, can ALL be waived the first time if you appear in court and show evidence that you have a blue tooth device in your vehicle now, after that the first fine is $50 and (1) point, then it climbs in increments of $50 and one point for each additional violation.

3. The goal is to make the roads safe, these tickets are the government’s way of trying to get people to obey the law.

4. EVERYONE can simply pull over into a parking space and use their phone any way they like. The law only prohibits the use of an electronic device while also operating a vehicle.

5. If we had even more marked vehicles available, even more violators would have been issued citations – this is clearly a law being violated.

Regardless of your stance, know that we all went out this morning with the goal of making your ability to drive in Marietta as safe as possible. 

 

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Big Chicken Chorus to hold tribute show this weekend

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Big Chicken Chorus tribute show

Submitted information and photos:

Marietta’s Big Chicken Chorus is producing a major Tribute Show on June 22 at 3:00 p.m. in the Byers Theatre at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center. The “Celebrating the Gentlemen” Show will pay homage to an iconic barbershop quartet, Gentlemen’s Agreement, the 1971 Barbershop Harmony Society international gold medal winner. The performance also will honor the group’s sole surviving member, Drayton Justus, a former member of the Big Chicken Chorus who has served in a variety of leader and mentor roles in the Society for 60 years and who will be a treasured guest at the Show.

Three local barbershop choruses — the Big Chicken Chorus, the Atlanta Vocal Project and the Stone Mountain Chorus — will be joined by four outstanding quartets in presenting a wide variety of selections from the Gentlemen’s Agreement repertoire. Be ready for a “big finish” when all of the singers combine for a familiar finale.

A gala “Afterglow” will be held following the show with a catered meal and more singing. Tickets for the Show and Afterglow are available at wwww.bigchickenchorus.org or www.citysprings.com.

Big Chicken Chorus tribute show

 

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East Cobb food scores: Bradley’s Bar and Grill; Goldberg’s; Marlow’s; Movie Tavern; and more

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Marlow's Tavern Sandy Plains; East Cobb food scores

The following East Cobb restaurant scores from June 10-20 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing to view details of the inspection:

Asian Express
4880 Lower Roswell Road, Suite 110
June 11, 2019 Score: 97, Grade: A

Bradley’s Bar & Grill
4961 Lower Roswell Road, Suite 117
June 13, 2019 Score: 82, Grade: B

Canton Wings and More
3190 Canton Road, Suite 108
June 13, 2019 Score: 71, Grade: C

Goldbergs Bagel Co. & Deli
1062 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite A110
June 20, 2019 Score: 76, Grade: C

Jersey Mike’s Subs
4400 Roswell Road, Suite 148
June 19, 2019 Score: 94, Grade: A

Kumo Hibachi Sushi
2595 Sandy Plains Road, Suite 103
June 19, 2019 Score: 73, Grade: C

La Fiesta Grande
1199 Bells Ferry Road
June 20, 2019 Score: 53, Grade: U

Marlow’s Tavern
2960 Shallowford Road, Suite 109
June 17, 2019 Score: 80, Grade: B

Mazzy’s Sports Bar & Grill
2217 Roswell Road, Suite A-200
June 20, 2019 Score: 95, Grade: A

Movie Tavern
4651 Woodstock Road, Suite 430, Roswell
June 10, 2019 Score: 83, Grade: B

My Friend’s Place @ East Cobb
1205 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 127
June 12, 2019 Score: 87, Grade: B

O’Charley’s
3550 Sandy Plains Road
June 20, 2019 Score: 88, Grade: B

Thai Taste 
4796 Canton Road, Suite 600-700
June 14, 2019 Score: 95, Grade: A

Wendy’s
1043 Sandy Plains Road
June 12, 2019 Score: 91, Grade: A

Wendy’s 
1312 Johnson Ferry Road
June 17, 2019 Score: 99, Grade: A

Yogli Mogli 
3605 Sandy Plains Road, Suite 150
June 17, 2019 Score: 92, Grade: A

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Relocated Carwash USA reopening soon in East Cobb

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Carwash USA East Cobb

When Carwash USA temporarily closed in 2017, the California-style hand car wash business that had been at Roswell Road and Old Canton Road since 2002 indicated it would be relocating elsewhere in East Cobb at a time to be announced.

That’s because the property was bought by RaceTrac, which opened last summer.

It’s been revealed that Carwash USA will be reopening at the former Wells Fargo bank branch at 1454 Johnson Ferry Road, near Dick’s Sporting Goods in the East Cobb Crossing Shopping Center.

Hiring is underway and a specific opening date is still to come, but when we went by there Monday we saw that there’s already an emissions operation underway.

The former bank building also is the location for The Auto Accident Attorneys Group that is run by Ali and Jamie Salimi.

 

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