Wendy Parker

Editor/publisher, East Cobb News, hyperlocal site serving the East Cobb community of metro Atlanta with 24/7 news, events and information.

McBath to leave 6th Congressional District after redrawn map

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U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, a Democrat who ended a 40-year hold on Republican representation in the 6th Congressional District in Georgia, is running for a new seat next year.U.S. Rep Lucy McBath, gun violence research funding, McBath border-funding vote

The second-term Congresswoman from Marietta—who has made gun-control one of her major priorities in office—said Monday she will be running in the 7th district, as Georgia’s Republican-led legislature was finalizing reapportionment.

The 6th District that includes East Cobb will soon contain more conservative territory, extending into Cherokee, Forsyth and Dawson counties.

The 6th has included North Fulton and North DeKalb, the latter being the strongest Democratic base for McBath, who defeated former U.S. Rep. Karen Handel in 2018 and 2020.

“It is no mystery why Republicans and the NRA [National Rifle Association] have decided I’m their top target,” McBath said in a statement issued by her campaign office. “As a Black woman, activist, and mother on a mission—they would like nothing more than to stop me from speaking truth to power about the gun lobby and Republican Party in Congress.

“So let me make something very clear: I refuse to stand down. We must fight Republicans every step of the way, and now is not the time to lose a mother on a mission in Congress.”

A former Delta Air Lines flight attendant, McBath had announced her campaign for a state legislative seat in East Cobb in 2018, then switched to the 6th Congressional District after a mass school shooting in Parkland, Fla.

After her teenage son Jordan was shot to death in Florida, she became active in gun-control efforts.

McBath noted the the new 6th District went 26 points for Trump in the 2020 elections, and the new 7th District—which includes South Gwinnett, Johns Creek and Alpharetta— has a voting population that’s 67 percent minorities.

McBath’s decision sets up a potential Democratic primary battle with U.S. Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux, although there’s not presently an incumbent inside the newly drawn boundaries.

It also leaves the 6th without an announced Democratic candidate. Starting with Newt Gingrich, the GOP controlled the district handily, continuing with Johnny Isakson and Tom Price through the 2016 elections.

But when Price resigned to join the cabinet of former President Donald Trump, a 2017 special election revealed how the 6th had changed politically.

Political newcomer Jon Ossoff, a former aide to Democratic U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson of DeKalb, jumped into the race, fueled by out-of-state funding in what became the most expensive U.S. House race in history.

Handel won the special election and got strong support in East Cobb, but served only for a little more than a year after McBath unseated her.

Ossoff is now Georgia’s senior senator, after defeating former U.S. Sen. David Perdue in a runoff in January.

Several Republicans announced their intention to run in the 6th before the reapportionment session, including Jake Evans, who said in a statement that McBath’s record “won’t fly in the Sixth District, and it’s no wonder she has fled to another district. Our voters are ready for the Great American Comeback with the leadership of a bold and unafraid America First conservative.”

Georgia’s current Congressional delegation has eight Republicans and six Democrats, and once the final maps are approved, it’s likely the GOP will have nine seats.

As noted over the weekend, the proposed map would divide Cobb into four Congressional Districts, with East Cobb being split into the 6th and 11th. Three of those four seats will likely be in GOP hands, including freshman firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene.

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Marietta Golden K Kiwanis Club donates $12K to local charities

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Marietta Golden K Kiwanis

Submitted information and photo:
On November 18th, 2021 The Kiwanis Club of Marietta Golden K presented $12,000.00 to sixteen local charity group leader representatives. Recipients of the awarded checks and the groups they represent are as follows:

• ACE Open Hearts Program, Lainey Gaines
• Bert’s Big Adventure, Sheridan Smith
• Camp Twin Lakes, Anna Hutchins
• Empower Cherokee, Amy Vogler, Devon Shay 

• Family Promise of Cobb County, Katherine Cullom 
• Goshen Valley Boys Ranch, Kevin Scott 
• Kate’s Club, Inc., Courtney Parsons 
• Mountain Top Boys Home, Donnis Steele 
• Murphy-Harpst Children’s Centers, Channel Strange 
• MUST Ministries, Don Crampton 
• Next Step Ministries, Leigh Johnson 
• North Georgia Angel House, Susan Worsley 
• Path to Shine, Lisa Jordan 
• Rally Foundation, Sydney Sanchez 
• Restore Place, Brian Caims
• Scout Troop 444, Wayne Marcinko 

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Holiday Lights at East Cobb Park returns in-person for 2021

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Holiday Lights East Cobb Park

After going virtual in 2020 due to COVID-19, the Friends for the East Cobb Park has announced that its annual Holiday Lights event will be open to the public this year.

The free festivities take place on Sunday, Dec. 5, starting at 5 p.m.

In addition to seasonal music, outdoor activities and the tree lighting, there will be a visit from Santa Claus, aka “Santa Steve.”

There also will a tribute to the late Johnny Johnson, a longtime East Cobb business owner and civic and community leader who served as the official Santa Claus of Holiday Lights.

More details will be updated on the Friends for the East Cobb Park Facebook page.

Many of the events that were also cancelled in 2020 are returning this year, sometimes in a modified format.

The Mountain View Arts Alliance is having its Empty Bowl Brunch on Dec. 12 after having an Empty Bowl Gift Bag sale last year. That’s a Sunday, and it’s taking place at The Art Place (3330 Sandy Plains Road) from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with proceeds benefitting MUST Ministries.

We’ll be posting more holiday event information as we get it, and as the event dates approach.

If you have news to share with the public about your holiday event, please follow the instructions below and East Cobb News will be glad to post it.

Send Us Your Holiday News!

Let East Cobb News know what events and activities your organization is having for the public in the community for the holidays.

Pass along your details to: [email protected], and please observe the following guidelines to ensure we get everything properly and can post it promptly.

Send the body of your announcement, calendar item or news release IN TEXT FORM ONLY in the text field of your e-mail template. Reformatting text from PDF, JPG and doc files takes us longer to prepare your message for publication.

We accept PDFs as an accompaniment to your item. Images are fine too, but we prefer those to be JPG files (more than jpeg and png). PLEASE DO NOT send photos inside a PDF or text or any other kind of file. Of course, send us links that are relevant to your message so we can direct people to your website.

 

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Cobb Police create E-Commerce ‘safe zones’ for holiday shopping

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East Cobb Government Center, Cobb Police Precinct 4
Cobb Police Precinct 4 at the East Cobb Government Service Center is an e-commerce “safe zone.”

Submitted information:

This holiday season, everyone will be searching for the perfect gift at the perfect price and many will turn to e-commerce sites like Craigslist, Offer-Up and Facebook Market Place to purchase those gifts. Cobb County wants to ensure these purchases are done in a safe manner at a safe location.

Cobb Police Department staff has implemented “E-Commerce Zones” at all five precincts and headquarters to provide residents with safe places to conduct trades and sales. The zones are marked with blue signs in well-lit places that are monitored by video surveillance.

Locations of E-Commerce Safe Zones at Police Precincts and Headquartes:

  • Precinct 1: 2380 N. Cobb Parkway Kennesaw, GA 30152
  • Precinct 2: 4700 Austell Rd Austell, GA 30106
  • Precinct 3: 1901 Cumberland Parkway Atlanta, GA 30339
  • Precinct 4: 4400 Lower Roswell Rd Marietta, GA 30067
  • Precinct 5: 4640 Dallas Highway Powder Springs, GA 30127
  • Headquarters: 140 North Marietta Parkway Marietta, GA 30060

 

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Proposed Congressional map would split Cobb into 4 districts

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Cobb Congressional district map
A Republican-backed proposal would split East Cobb into two Congressional Districts. For details, including precinct breakdowns, click here. Source: Dave’s Redistricting.

UPDATED, MONDAY, NOV. 22, 2021:

U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath announced Monday she’s leaving the 6th Congressional District and will be running in the newly drawn 7th District, accusing the GOP of trying “to stop me from speaking truth to power about the gun lobby and Republican Party in Congress.”

ORIGINAL STORY:

Georgia lawmakers are considering proposed maps for the state’s Congressional districts that would add a member of the U.S. House to the Cobb County delegation.

Cobb currently has three representatives, two of them Democrats, including Lucy McBath of the 6th District, which includes most of East Cobb.

But as the legislature continues a special reapportionment session, the latest proposed lines  in the Republican-dominated General Assembly aim to dilute Democratic political gains in Cobb County.

Georgia’s 14-member Congressional delegation currently has eight Republicans and six Democrats, and in recent elections Cobb has become a major metro Atlanta political battleground.

The latest map proposal would split East Cobb into the 6th and the 11th District, which currently is represented by Republican Barry Loudermilk.

On Thursday the Senate reapportionment committee approved the boundaries in a party-line vote, with the full Senate and House still to act on the measure.

Until McBath was first elected in 2018, the 6th had been in Republican hands for 40 years, and whose conservative representatives included former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, now-retired U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson and Tom Price.

Earlier drafts by GOP lawmakers took the strongly Democratic north and central DeKalb out of the 6th.

The version introduced this week would include Northeast Cobb, North Fulton, eastern Cherokee, much of Forsyth County, a slice of Gwinnett County and all of Dawson County.

Those are strong Republican areas, as is much of the 11th. Loudermilk, who hails from Cartersville, would retain all of his home Bartow County, most of Cherokee and Cobb County, including North Cobb, Marietta, some of Smyrna-Vinings and southeast Cobb.

Those areas currently in the 6th that would shift to the 11th are parts of East Cobb closest to the city of Marietta and that have been trending or leaning Democratic in recent elections.

You can find more details by clicking here; it’s an independent site called Dave’s Redistricting and shows precinct breakdowns and other data.

The only proposed district in Cobb that appears to be reliably Democratic is the 13th, currently represented by David Scott, and that would include Smyrna and South Cobb.

But the new map would take out parts of south and west Cobb that also have been strongly Democratic and have large numbers of minority voters.

Instead, the Republican map would place that area—in and around Powder Springs and Austell—into the 14th district.

It’s considered the most conservative district in Georgia, and includes most of the northwest parts of the state and Paulding County.

That district is represented by first-term Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, who’s become a national figure for her strong support for former President Donald Trump and making fiery speeches and public statements on a variety of issues.

Greene initially filed to run in 2020 in the 6th District, but switched when the 14th became an open seat. McBath unseated former U.S. Rep. Karen Handel in 2018 and defeated her in a rematch last year.

Several Republicans have announced their candidacies for the 6th District, but qualifying isn’t until March 2022.

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Cobb commissioners express support for national opioid settlement

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The Cobb Board of Commissioners on Thursday night passed a resolution expressing support for a national opioid settlement with several pharmaceutical companies that could result in $630 million coming to the state of Georgia.Cobb Sheriff's Office Drugs Board

Commissioners adopted the resolution (you can read it here) by a 4-1 vote that would authorize the county to settle litigation against McKesson Corporation, Cardinal Health, Inc., AmerisourceBergen Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Janssen Pharmaceutica, Inc.

Voting against the resolution was Commissioner Keli Gambrill, who said that while lawsuits are ongoing, they’re doing nothing to stop opioids from “getting on the streets.”

She also expressed concerns that the county would be accepting settlement funds for programs that, when they run out, would need to be provided by the county.

“This is a very serious issue in our community today,” Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said, “and we are in a position to help our own citizens.

“We can sit and do nothing and think that helps, or we can do something and see how that helps. I would ask us to lean on the latter.”

That settlement includes a memorandum of understanding that would create a dedicated bank account for settlement proceeds. Cobb’s litigation is part of a $26 billion global opioid settlement deal.

A release issued by Cobb County government Friday said the amount of money the county could get is yet to be determined. Local governments in Georgia would get 25 percent of the funding, and the state government would get 75 percent, according to the county release.

Cobb County Attorney William Rowling said most of the funds the county would receive would be used for programs dealing with future impacts of the opioid crisis.

The county release cited Georgia Department of Public Health figures showing a 207 percent increase in opioid-related overdoses between 2010 and 2020.

Cobb has had some of the highest opioids-related deaths in Georgia in recent years, and in January 2023 the county will be the venue for one of several opioids trials. The litigation was filed in 2018 against pharmacy chain defendants that include CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Rite Aid, Kroger and Publix.

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McBath votes for Build Back Better bill that passes U.S. House

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In a mostly partisan vote, the U.S. House of Representatives voted early Friday to pass President Joe Biden’s $1.75 trillion Build Back Better bill, a vast expansion of the nation’s social safety net.U.S. Rep Lucy McBath, gun violence research funding, McBath border-funding vote

U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath of the 6th District of Georgia was among the Democrats voting in favor of the bill, which passed on a 220-213 vote.

Only one Democrat voted against the legislation (you can read through it here), which got 13 House Republican votes and that now goes to the U.S. Senate.

The bill includes funding for universal pre-kindergarten, lowers the cost of prescription drugs, guarantees parental and caregiver leave, expands Medicare coverage, offers renewable energy tax credits, creates a Civilian Climate Corps and provides money for pandemic preparedness, among other things.

In a statement McBath said that “the Build Back Better Act will set us on a course to create millions of jobs, get Americans back to work, lower health care costs, and provide tax cuts to hard-working families. This historic investment will help put America on the path back to normal, and I am proud to support this package to help meet the needs of our communities.”

Voting against the bill is 11th District Republican Congressman Barry Loudermilk, who represents part of Cobb County. He called Build Back Better a “tax big and spend bigger bill.”

The vote in Congress comes as Georgia lawmakers are redrawing Congressional district lines.

A map proposed by Republicans in the GOP-dominated legislature would cut some of East Cobb from the 6th, which would add more conservative areas in Cherokee and Forsyth counties.

The new 11th district would include some of East Cobb.

The General Assembly is continuing to meet Friday and Saturday and could vote on Congressional reapportionment by Monday.

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East Cobb Cityhood leaders explain public safety proposals

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Cobb tag offices reopening
The East Cobb Government Service Center is being suggested as the city hall for the proposed City of East Cobb, which would have police and fire services.

After initially proposing what’s called a “city light” set of services—planning and zoning, code enforcement and parks and recreation—leaders behind a movement to create a city of East Cobb said they added public safety based on plenty of public feedback.

After getting comments from citizens in recent months, they said that they “unilaterally wanted police and fire to be included,” said Craig Chapin, chairman of the Committee for East Cobb Cityhood.

He and other committee members conducted a virtual information session Wednesday after the release of a financial feasibility study was released last week.

(You can watch the full cityhood information session by clicking here; it lasts roughly an hour.)

That study, conducted by the Center for State and Local Finance at Georgia State University, concluded that the proposed city of 50,000 was financially viable, even with public safety, and would have a $3 million annual surplus.

State Rep. Matt Dollar and State Rep. Sharon Cooper, both East Cobb Republicans, have filed a bill for the 2022 legislature that if passed would call for a Nov. 2022 referendum on whether to create a city.

While police and fire were not mentioned in earlier virtual town halls held by the East Cobb cityhood group, Chapin said the decision was made to include those services in the study to give a future East Cobb mayor and city council a financial outline.

He also said “we wanted to be as transparent as possible” before a referendum would be held.

The main source of revenue for the City of East Cobb would be the existing 2.86 mills in property taxes Cobb citizens pay for fire services, roughly $15 million.

No new property taxes would be imposed to fund city operations, which are estimated to cost $24.4 million a year.

The current proposal calls for planning and zoning and code enforcement services, along with public safety.

Chapin said cityhood leaders also heard from officials in Milton and Johns Creek, which eventually added public safety, and cited a recent survey by the Atlanta Regional Commission indicating crime as the top concern in the metro area for the first time.

That includes 27 percent of respondents in Cobb County placing crime at the top of their list.

The cityhood group is proposing to conduct city government services out of the East Cobb Government Service Center on Lower Roswell Road, which it would purchase from Cobb County.

It’s the location for Precinct 4 of the Cobb Police Department and Station 21 of the Cobb Fire Department, as well as a Cobb tag office and other existing office and community meeting space.

The city also would purchase Cobb Fire Station 15 on Oak Lane, off Johnson Ferry Road.

For now, parks and recreation are on the back burner. The GSU study includes some financial projections contained in appendix.

Chapin said that “there are not a lot of revenues and there is a lot of expense” in providing those services, which would include East Cobb Park, Fullers Park, Hyde Farm, Mt. Bethel Park and the Wright Environmental Education Center.

The study estimated annual expenses of $2.5 million, and Chapin said the issue is complicated by the expiration of a parks memorandum of understanding with the county in 2025.

East Cobb cityhood polll

Cityhood leaders also updated a continuing “strawman” poll they’ve been conducting since April, indicating that 43 percent of respondents are in favor of a city, with 44 percent undecided and 14 percent opposed.

Issues of planning and zoning are behind the revived cityhood effort. The 2018-19 campaign for cityhood centered on public safety, but Cindy Cooperman, a spokeswoman for the cityhood committee, said development issues are “becoming a hotter and hotter topic.”

During the information session they referred to recent zoning cases in the county and critical news articles and columns about them, as well as a proposal to create a Unified Development Code in Cobb.

“We’re giving people the ability to vote for local control,” Dollar said.

The proposed City of East Cobb map is centered along the Johnson Ferry Road corridor, much smaller than the first cityhood map, which included a population of around 100,000.

When Dollar was asked about that, he explained that it was also based on public feedback, and to have a more condensed municipality.

The lines were created to include whole census tracts, and since the new map was first issued, he said the only addition was apartment complexes along Columns Drive.

(You can click here to view the map, which is also shown at the bottom.)

“I don’t anticipate any more changes,” Dollar said, adding that “adding any large chunks would change the outcome of the feasibility study.”

Neighborhoods wishing to become part of a city, should it be created, could do so through existing annexation processes.

Some questions for the cityhood leaders also pertained to schools.

Former Cobb school board member Scott Sweeney said that a City of East Cobb would have no bearing on the Cobb County School District since new cities are barred by law from creating school districts.

A city also would have no impact on school attendance zones, since those are drawn administratively by district officials.

And a new city of East Cobb also would not affect homeowners 62 and older who claim an exemption from paying Cobb school property taxes.

Dollar said the cityhood bill (you can read it here) is likely to be taken up in January or February by the Georgia General Assembly.

For a larger view of the proposed City of East Cobb map, click here.

Revised East Cobb city map

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East Cobb Food Scores: Curry Leaf Indian Grill; Red Curry Thai; more

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Curry Leaf Indian Grill, East Cobb food scores

The following East Cobb food scores for the week of Nov. 15 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing for inspection details:

Addison Elementary School
3055 Ebenezer Road
November 16, 2021 Score: 100, Grade: A

Curry Leaf Indian Grill
3000 Windy Hill Road, Suite 128
November 15, 2021 Score: 82, Grade: B

Domino’s Pizza
4724 Lower Roswell Road, Suite 101
November 16, 2021 Score: 97, Grade: A

East Cobb Fit Nutrition Center
2145 Roswell Road, Suite 130
November 16, 2021 Score: 100, Grade: A

Garrison Mill Elementary School
4111 Wesley Chapel Road
November 19, 2021 Score: 100, Grade: A

Kell High School
4770 Lee Waters Road
November 16, 2021 Score: 100, Grade: A

Lassiter High School
2601 Shallowford Road
November 16, 2021 Score: 100, Grade: A

Mabry Middle School
2700 Jims Road
November 19, 2021 Score: 100, Grade: A

Papa John’s Pizza
4811 Lower Roswell Road
November 16, 2021 Score: 100, Grade: A

The Phoenix at Johnson Ferry
9 Sherwood Lane
November 18, 2021 Score: 98, Grade: A

Red Curry Thai
4724 Lower Roswell Road, Suite 500
November 18, 2021 Score: 83, Grade: B

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Ex-Commissioner Bob Ott named East Cobb Citizen of the Year

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Bob Ott East Cobb Citizen of the Year
Bob Ott flanked by Cobb Chamber President/CEO Sharon Mason and Chamber Chairman John Loud. Photo Courtesy Cobb Chamber of Commerce

The East Cobb Area Council of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce has named former Cobb Commissioner Bob Ott its 2021 Citizen of the Year.

Ott was honored at a breakfast Thursday at Indian Hills Country Club for his public service, including 12 years on the Cobb Board of Commissioners and citizen activism beginning with the East Cobb Civic Association on zoning and planning matters.

Ott, a Republican who lives in the Powers Ferry-Terrell Mill area, served three terms representing District 2, which stretches from Vinings, Cumberland and Smyrna to much of East Cobb, until retiring in 2020.

(See previous ECN story here as Ott prepared to leave public office.)

The Chamber also noted his role in helping bring the Atlanta Braves to Cobb County, promoting other development in the Cumberland area and helping secure land for the expansion of East Cobb Park (previous ECN story here).

During the COVID-19 crisis, “Ott was vigilant in helping small businesses stay open, working alongside SelectCobb to propose that $50 million of the county’s federal CARES Act funding would be dedicated to developing grants for small business owners,” the Chamber said in a release.

“His term started with catastrophic floods that devastated East and South Cobb County and ended with a pandemic that crippled the nation. Ott worked tirelessly through those terrible events during his term and has remained a faithful servant to his community.”

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East Cobb MS earns STEAM certification from Cobb schools

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New East Cobb Middle School

At the Nov. 11 Cobb Board of Education meeting, East Cobb Middle School was recognized as having earned STEAM certification from the Cobb County School District.

It’s the third school in the Cobb school district to earn such certification, which combines the traditional STEAM disciplines science, technology, engineering and math) with the arts.

The other STEAM-certified schools by the Cobb school district also are in East Cobb, Simpson Middle School and Tritt Elementary School. Here’s more about the STEAM program at East Cobb MS.

The Georgia Department of Education has recognized two Cobb schools as STEAM schools: Wheeler High School and Mableton Elementary School.

Also on Nov. 11, the Cobb school district recognized Garrison Mill ES, Rocky Mount ES and Sprayberry HS with having earned STEM certifications.

Here’s more from the district about those designations:

“The Cobb STEM Certification recognizes schools that provide students with STEM-enriched learning opportunities and are committed to helping students cultivate critical thinking and problem-solving skills necessary for future success in STEM-related college and career fields. ”

A total of 39 of the Cobb school district’s 112 school have earned STEM certifications along with three earning STEAM certification.

For the full list click here.

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East Cobb Cityhood town hall to include legislation sponsors

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East Cobb Cityhood leaders
State Reps. Sharon Cooper and Matt Dollar during an East Cobb Cityhood virtual town hall this spring.

The two East Cobb lawmakers who’ve sponsored a cityhood bill for the 2022 legislature will be featured on a virtual information session Wednesday.

State Reps. Matt Dollar and Sharon Cooper, both Republicans, will discuss the results of a feasibility study that’s required for the bill to be considered.

The information session starts at 5:30 and the public can sign up by clicking here. You can also include questions you want answered, as there will not be direct interaction with the participants.

Researchers at Georgia State University concluded in their report that a proposed City of East Cobb, with around 50,000 residents centered along the Johnson Ferry Road corridor, is financially feasible.

But Dollar, Cooper and Cityhood representatives scheduled to appear on the information session will most likely be questioned above all about a surprising development in the Cityhood initiative.

That’s the inclusion of police and fire services (new cities must provide a minimum of three) which were evaluated in the GSU study.

East Cobb News contacted Dollar and the Committee for East Cobb Cityhood to provide more details before the Wednesday session about those changes.

Cindy Cooperman, a cityhood spokeswoman, said that “after reviewing service options and community feedback, public safety was added to the scope of the study in the October timeframe. This addition is very favorable from both a public quality of life and an economic standpoint for the residents of East Cobb.”

The bill Dollar and Cooper submitted in March, near the end of the 2021 legislative session, proposed planning and zoning, code enforcement and parks and recreation services.

Road maintenance was added in July, when the feasibility study was commissioned.

During three virtual town halls over the spring and summer, police and fire services were not discussed.

The initial East Cobb cityhood effort in 2018-19 included police and fire services, but the bill was eventually abandoned before the 2020 legislative session.

The revived effort was modeled on what’s called “city light” services, which typically don’t involve expensive public safety services and the imposition of new taxes.

The proposed cities of Lost Mountain and Vinings, whose financial studies also were released recently, focus on zoning and development and do not include public safety.

In the East Cobb study, parks and recreation services were pushed back to an appendix and road maintenance services were given a “snapshot” assessment to “assist a city council in the future to negotiate with the county,” Cooperman said.

The recent GSU study includes transferring the current Cobb County Fire Fund, with a 2.86 millage rate, and that would be the proposed city’s largest source of revenues.

The report also concludes that the city of East Cobb would have a $3 million annual budget surplus.

The city would purchase two existing Cobb fire stations, but there’s no funding for leasing facilities for city government.

Cooperman said that the East Cobb Government Service Center on Lower Roswell Road “would work perfectly for the city hall.”

It’s the location for Precinct 4 of the Cobb Police Department and Station 21 of the Cobb Fire Department, as well as a Cobb tag office and other existing office and community meeting space.

“Should East Cobb become a city it would have access to this facility for its office space and equipment needs,” Cooperman said, adding that “the elected council ultimately has responsibility for the final decision.”

The cityhood bill, if passed by the legislature, would establish a November 2022 referendum for voters in the proposed City of East Cobb to decide whether to incorporate.

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Cobb COVID-19 mask mandate, emergency declaration expire

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Cobb mask mandate expires
Cobb COVID-19 case rates compiled by the Georgia Department of Public Health. For more details click here.

As of midnight Wednesday there will be no longer a mask mandate in most Cobb County government buildings.

The county announced Tuesday that a COVID-19 emergency declaration issued by Cobb Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Lisa Cupid would expire, along with a mask mandate.

The mandate included all indoor county facilities, including libraries.

However, a mask mandate will still be in place at county courthouse buildings, according to county spokesman Ross Cavitt.

He quoted Cupid in statement saying that “although the transmission levels of COVID-19 are still considered high, Public Health officials say they are declining along with the number of newly reported cases and the test positivity rate. One of my biggest concerns was the effect on our local hospitals, but WellStar reports low levels of COVID cases and they recently transitioned to “green” status, meaning that beds are vacant and visitors are again allowed in the hospital.”

Cobb County Manager Jackie McMorris imposed the mask mandate in August, as the Delta variant of COVID-19 was spreading rapidly.

Cupid declared a 30-day state of emergency in the county shortly after that, then extended it twice, then renewed it twice, with the current order set to expire Nov. 16.

During that time, attendance was limited at public meetings, including commissioners meetings.

As of Tuesday 14-day average of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people in Cobb County is 112. An average of 100 or higher is considered a high rate of transmission.

The test positivity rate in Cobb County is 4.33 percent, under the 5 percent threshold cited by public health officials as a concern.

Citizens using Cobb County buildings are still encouraged to wear masks, and the county statement said that “The Chairwoman indicated she would remain in contact with Public Health officials who remain concerned that colder weather and the holidays could reignite a surge.”

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Mt. Bethel Church allowed to retain Methodist leader in lawsuit

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Keith Boyette, Wesleyan Covenant Association, Mt. Bethel lawsuit
Keith Boyette, Wesleyan Covenant Association

A Cobb Superior Court judge has granted a request by Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church to add a leader of the denomination’s conservative wing to its legal team.

Judge Mary Staley Clark ruled in a motion on Friday that Keith Boyette, head of the Wesleyan Covenant Association and a qualified attorney in Virginia, could work on behalf of Mt. Bethel in a pro hace vice admission.

That’s when an attorney from one state is granted special admission in a court in another state in a specific case.

Attorneys for the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church filed an objection to Mt. Bethel’s request, contending that Boyette was actively involved in the East Cobb congregation’s attempts to disaffiliate, and that one of his “primary goals was to take land and buildings currently used by the United Methodist Church from the United Methodist Church so that they can be used by a newly formed denomination.”

But Staley Clark noted in her motion that the State Bar of Georgia, “having investigated the matter, found that Mr. Boyette has paid the requisite fees for pro hac vice admission.”

It was the first legal disposition in what figures to be lengthy litigation involving the North Georgia Conference, which in September sued Mt. Bethel over assets and property following a months-long dispute.

In April, North Georgia Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson reassigned Mt. Bethel senior pastor Rev. Dr. Jody Ray to a non-ministerial position.

Mt. Bethel announced it was not accepting a new pastor, and Ray turned in his UMC ministerial credentials. Mt. Bethel has kept him on as CEO and lay pastor, positions, the Conference say violate its Book of Discipline governing protocols.

Mt. Bethel then announced its intent to disaffiliate from the UMC and declined to provide Rev. Dr. Steven Usry, the newly appointed senior pastor, office space or pay him a full salary.

The Conference further ruled that Mt. Bethel was not a church in good standing, and ordered it to turn over its properties and other physical assets. Attempts at mediation fell through over the summer.

Mt. Bethel’s counterclaim to the lawsuit, filed Oct. 8, seeks an accelerated vote on disaffiliation.

Mt. Bethel has nearly 10,000 members and is the largest denomination in the North Georgia Conference.

It’s been grappling for years with doctrinal and other disputes increasing in the UMC, especially over same-sex marriages and lesbian and gay clergy.

Mt. Bethel has been actively involved in the creation of the Wesleyan Covenant Association, which is being tapped as a future destination for conservative Methodist congregations.

Boyette has been a leading figure in what would be called the Global Methodist Church.

But national UMC delegates are not scheduled to vote on allowing congregations to break away until September 2022 at the earliest, due to COVID-19 delays.

The Mt. Bethel Administrative Council scheduled a meeting for members on Monday night.

Mt. Bethel leadership has a special page on its website with its response to the lawsuit and the dispute with the North Georgia Conference.

A group of members upset with the congregation’s leadership, which calls itself Friends of Mt. Bethel, has formed its own website and started a newsletter.

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Wellstar Kennestone Hospital expansion prompts access changes

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Kennestone Hospital access changes
For a larger view click here. Map: Wellstar Health System

A construction and expansion project is getting underway at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital, and a number of traffic and access changes have been put in place, effective today.

Wellstar sent out a news release Monday afternoon noting that the Church Street access to the hospital will be closed.

Also, the covered walkway from the Blue parking deck to the main entrance, also will be closed while the construction work continues.

Patients and visitors to the labor and delivery entrance will now use Kennestone Hospital Boulevard, off Tower Road, and follow the signs to the Blue parking deck.

Here’s more from Wellstar about what’s going to be different while the expansion is ongoing:

  • The main lobby entrance will remain open, as will Kennestone Hospital Boulevard, but the covered walkway from the Blue Parking Deck will not be accessible.

  • Visitors who park in the Blue Parking Deck can use the other sidewalk into the lobby or enter the hospital through the Purple Tower.

  • The new Labor & Delivery entrance location is covered, with ample space for curbside drop-off. The area will be open 24 hours a day and fully staffed to welcome and direct patients to their destination.

  • Signs will be posted on the construction barricades, in the parking deck, and in the hospital corridors to guide visitors to their desired location.

  • Traffic directors will be stationed outside the hospital lobby to help visitors navigate the changes.

The $263 million project includes a new patient tower that would replace the Baird Tower, which was built in 1964.

The new seven-story building would house expanded services for women and children and include more campus amenities and private rooms.

The project would be completed by mid-2025, if the Georgia Department of Community Health approves. A decision deadline is expected by Dec. 13.

Last summer, a new $126 million emergency department opened at Kennestone, and that includes a Level II trauma center.

 

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East Cobb resident marks 10th anniversary of marketing agency

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Submitted information via press release:Patrick L. Burns Arc 3 Communications

Arc 3 Communications, a public affairs agency located just off the historic downtown square of Marietta, Ga., recently celebrated their 10-year business anniversary. Started by founder and president, Patrick L. Burns, Arc 3 Communications has provided winning content, digital, and advocacy solutions for clients since 2011. For 10 years, Arc 3 has provided quality services to trade associations, businesses, non-profits, and government agencies, helping them achieve their organizational goals in a complex media and public affairs landscape. 

“I am so grateful to our clients from across the country who have entrusted us to serve their content, digital, and advocacy needs,” said company founder and president, Patrick Burns, “I look forward to working with our growing, talented and innovative team to help our clients achieve their public affairs goals for many more years to come.” 

For more information about Arc 3 Communications, visit www.arc3communications.com.

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Temple Kol Emeth to hold Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service virtually

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The East Cobb synagogue Temple Kol Emeth is having its 17th annual Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service in virtual form this year.Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service

The service takes place next Thursday, Nov. 18, starting at 6:45 p.m. with music, followed by the service at 7 p.m.,

A livestream will be available at this link.

The service features music and messages from a variety of faiths and faith communities, including Chestnut Ridge Christian Church, Congregation Etz Chaim, the East Cobb Islamic Center, Eastminster Presbyterian Church, Emerison Unitarian Universalist Congregation, St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church, Transfiguration Catholic Church and Unity North Atlanta Church.

The theme of this year’s service is “Rebuilding Hope Together.”

Each year the service collects donations for its Give-A-Gobble program, which purchases Thanksgiving turkeys and food for those in need.

This year’s recipient is East Cobb-based United Military Care, a non-profit that supports veterans in crisis.

Among the speaks is United Military Care founder and president Kim Scofi.

If you’re interested in donating, you can do so by clicking here.

More information on the Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service can be found here.

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Sprayberry PTSA Craft Show returns after 2020 hiatus

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Among the many East Cobb area events that didn’t take place in 2020 was the Sprayberry PTSA Craft Show, the organization’s biggest fundraiser that benefits school projects and helps students get volunteer hours.Sprayberry PTSA Craft Show

It’s also among those events that’s back on the schedule for 2021, and it’s taking place this coming weekend, Nov. 20-21.

This is the 39th year for the craft show, which includes more than 200 craft booths and in the past has attracted around 10,000 to do some early holiday shopping over two days.

More information can be found on the flyer at right and by clicking here.

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Let East Cobb News know what your organization is doing, or share news about what people are doing in the community—accomplishments, recognitions, milestones, etc.

Pass along your details to: [email protected], and please observe the following guidelines to ensure we get everything properly and can post it promptly.

Send the body of your announcement, calendar item or news release IN TEXT FORM ONLY in the text field of your e-mail template. Reformatting text from PDF, JPG and doc files takes us longer to prepare your message for publication.

We accept PDFs as an accompaniment to your item. Images are fine too, but we prefer those to be JPG files (more than jpeg and png). PLEASE DO NOT send photos inside a PDF or text or any other kind of file. Of course, send us links that are relevant to your message so we can direct people to your website.

 

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Birrell to speak at East Cobb Area Council Chamber breakfast

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Cobb Commissioner JoAnn Birrell is the featured speaker at the East Cobb Area Council breakfast of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, Nov. 18.Commissioner Birrell recognized

The breakfast takes place from 8-9:30 a.m. at Indian Hills Country Club (4001 Clubland Drive).

The event will also include the announcement of the East Cobb Citizen of the Year for 2021.

Birrell, a Republican from District 3 that includes Northeast Cobb, is in her third term on the Cobb Board of Commissioners.

Registration is open until November 15 at https://bit.ly/3ohdAQR. Tickets are $25 for Cobb Chamber members and $30 for general admission.

More information on the event, including COVID-19 protocols, can be found by clicking here.

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East Cobb Cityhood study declares financial feasibility

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East Cobb candidates forum cityhood
State Rep. Matt Dollar is co-sponsoring another East Cobb Cityhood bill to be considered during the 2022 legislature.

The Committee for East Cobb Cityhood has released a feasibility study declaring financial viability without imposing new taxes.

The group’s press release can be found here; a link to the full report, which was compiled by researchers at Georgia State University, can be found here.

A major change in the focus of the report is the addition of police and fire services to the financial analysis.

Police and fire services were included in the initial 2019 Cityhood effort, although legislation filed for consideration in 2020 was abandoned.

The proposed city introduced this year would contain a population of 50,406, around half from the 2019 bill.

The new boundaries would include the Johnson Ferry Road corridor, running west to Old Canton Road and including most of the Walton High School attendance zone and some of the area around Pope High School (click here to view map).

Areas of East Cobb closer to the city of Marietta, comprising most of the Wheeler High School zone, were taken out.

The revived Cityhood effort, which was announced in March, included planning and zoning, code enforcement and parks and recreation services. Road maintenance was later added.

The Cityhood committee said Friday that police and fire were added back into the feasibility study based on public feedback and that parks and recreation were pushed back to the appendix to be considered on contingency, along with road maintenance.

Researchers from the GSU Center for State and Local Finance made comparisons to similar-sized cities—Brookhaven, Dunwoody, Johns Creek, Marietta and Smyrna—to help craft their report.

The study estimated annual revenues of $27.7 million and estimated annual expenses of $24.65 million for a budget surplus of $3 million annually (see chart below).

East Cobb Cityhood study financial analysis 2021

The single-largest revenue source would be existing property taxes ($15 million), and public safety services would be the largest expense ($14.3 million).

The existing property taxes would be the 2.86 mills that make up the current Cobb County Fire Fund, and that would be transferred to a new City of East Cobb.

Under the proposed city, that would become the primary revenue source, collecting around $12 million a year.

Other taxes include around $1 million in real property taxes, as well as utility and franchise fees and alcohol taxes.

The City of East Cobb would purchase two existing Cobb County Fire Department stations that are within the proposed city boundaries (they’re not identified in the report but they are No. 20 at the East Cobb Government Service Center on Lower Roswell Road, and No. 15 on Oak Lane near Johnson Ferry Road).

The study did not indicate how big a police force or fire department would be staffed, in terms of number of employees.

EC Cityhood 2021 study revenue estimates

EC Cityhood 2021 study expense estimates

The study estimated around 50 total employees would be on staff citywide, but the report didn’t detail a breakdown.

The Georgia State researchers estimated startup costs of $984,000, and their report indicated no expenses for facility leases.

In fact, there’s no mention of a a City of East Cobb government having a physical location, other than public safety services.

As we noted earlier this week, two other Cityhood efforts in Cobb County—for proposed cities of Vinings and Lost Mountain, in West Cobb, also have commissioned studies concluding that they would be financially viable.

The Lost Mountain proposal does not call for a city government facility to be owned or leased, but for existing community space to be rented for meetings and other public events.

But Lost Mountain and Vinings are not proposing public safety services.

The East Cobb Cityhood study was to have been released this coming Monday.

There will be an information session next Wednesday, Nov. 17, at 5:30 p.m. with state Rep. Matt Dollar, state Rep. Sharon Cooper, co-sponsors of the East Cobb Cityhood legislation to be considered in 2022, and the East Cobb Cityhood Committee.

To sign up: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/5293479304166286864.

Their bill, if passed by the legislature, would establish a November 2022 referendum for voters in the proposed City of East Cobb to decide whether to incorporate.

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