East Cobb Government Archives

Cobb schools to get CARES Act funding in 3-2 commission vote

July 14, 2020 5:15 PMJuly 14, 2020 11:40 AM by Wendy Parker

Lisa Cupid, Cobb Board of Commissioners — *Commissioner Lisa Cupid*

The Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday voted to approve an $8.1 million request from the Cobb County School District for resources to bolster online learning, but not after another testy discussion for the second day in a row.

By a 3-2 vote, commissioners signed off on funds from the federal CARES Act so the district can purchase content to add to its Cobb Teaching and Learning online portal that could accommodate the full 113,000-student enrollment for remote instruction if necessary.

The county received $132 million from the federal government to respond to the COVID-19 crisis, and commissioners have spent $50 million for small business grants, as well as funding for non-profits for emergency food supplies and to help tenants work with landlords to pay back rent and avoid eviction.

Cobb school superintendent Chris Ragsdale said the majority of the funding the district was seeking would be spent on content from a variety of sources. In March Cobb schools switched entirely to remote learning, but Ragsdale has said the district needs a “more robust” portfolio of digital materials should classes go 100 percent online.

The Cobb school district has pushed back the start of classes to Aug. 17 to prepare for in-person and online options that parents are choosing this week.

Three other metro Atlanta school districts have said they are holding fall semester classes online only.

Ragsdale told commissioners another superintendent asked him if Cobb would be going to online-only, and he said that “it’s a rumor, but no decision has been made.”

After Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce and Commissioner Lisa Cupid clashed at a Monday work session to hear the district’s proposal, Cupid blistered Ragsdale when she asked whether he had run the request by the Cobb school board.

Ragsdale said that the CTLS project has been in development for several years, and that he had discussed the CARES Act request at school board’s June meeting.

At that point, she interrupted him, saying she’s heard from multiple school board members who’ve said they’ve never been presented with the funding request.

Cupid also said teachers have been e-mailing her about the matter.

“I cannot support anything that my peers on the BOE have not authorized,” said Cupid, of South Cobb, who is facing Boyce in the November election for chairman.

She told Ragsdale that due to the way he presented the funding request, “my intelligence is being undermined.”

Cupid didn’t identify the board members, but she continued expressing concerns from Monday about students lacking access to technology, and implored him to “not let these students fall further behind.”

Several citizens spoke during the commissioners’ public comment session Tuesday in opposition to the district requesting CARES Act funds only for technology. Some identified themselves as Cobb school teachers and a former Cobb school counselor, and said that students in need still need laptops, and teacher and staff need personal protective equipment.

They said they were coming to commissioners because the school board has not heard public comments since going to virtual meetings in March.

The speakers included incoming school board member Tre Hutchins, who also wants the district to regularly provide students with masks, which aren’t in the reopening plans. Staff will be provided masks, although neither they nor students are required to wear them.

Cupid and Keli Gambrill voted against the school district’s funding request; commissioners Bob Ott and JoAnn Birrell of East Cobb supported it, as did Boyce.

Boyce said before the vote that Ragsdale’s request federal guidelines for CARES Act distribution.

While he said that “I acknowledge all the issues” commissioners heard, “the real issue” is that the district is facing a $62 million budget deficit.

While CARES Act funding can’t replace all of that, Boyce said the “request reflects the sentiment” of the superintendent and the school board.

Commissioners are delaying a CARES Act request from Marietta City Schools until July 28.

Proposed Cobb FY 2021 budget of $473M includes no pay raises

July 14, 2020 9:38 AMJuly 13, 2020 3:52 PM by Wendy Parker

Proposed Cobb FY 21 budget — *For a larger view, **click here**. Source: Cobb Finance Office*

The proposed fiscal year 2021 Cobb government general fund budget revealed Monday is $1.8 million less than the current budget and does not include pay raises for county employees.

During a Cobb Board of Commissioners work session, assistant county finance director Buddy Tesar outlined the proposals that include no new positions, continuing a restricted hiring process and that call for steep reductions in capital expenses.

The $473 million budget proposal holds the line on the current general fund property tax rate of 8.66 mills and assumes a flat tax digest after increases of more than three percent in each of the last two years.

The overall Cobb government budget—which includes separate funds for fire and emergency services, debt service, capital expenses, the hotel-motel tax and other categories—is proposed to be $732.897 million, slightly less than the current $732.998 million.

(You can read a summary of the budget proposal here.)

The first public hearing on the proposed budget will take place at the commissioners’ regular meeting at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

The meeting takes place in the second-floor board room of the Cobb government office building, 100 Cherokee St., in downtown Marietta. You also can watch here or here or on the county’s public access outlet, Channel 23 on Comcast.

*For a larger view, **click here**. Source: Cobb Financial Office*

Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce has been saying since the COVID-19 outbreak that he would not be proposing merit raises but he wants to continue the county’s STEP salary and grade program for public safety employees initiated last year.

The general fund is funded with property tax revenues, and revenue from them in the the FY 2021 general fund budget is projected to be $306 million, up from the current $302 million.

That reflects a small bump in the tax digest, although the millage rate will not be going up. Under state law, that counts as a tax increase, and commissioners are required to hold three public hearings.

Other hearings will take place on July 21 and on July 28, when commissioners are scheduled to adopt the budget.

Personnel costs in the proposed budget would rise from $296.4 million to $316.6 million.

Contingency spending also would go down sharply, from $18 million currently to only $3 million in fiscal year 2021.

Around $12.7 million of that contingency was spent on a four-percent merit increase for county employees, and an additional seven-percent for public safety employees, as commissioners addressed staffing and retention concerns for police officers, firefighters and sheriff’s deputies.

In addition, the economic fallout from COVID-19 closures has produced a steep drop in hotel-motel tax revenues that help the county pay off bond debt for Truist Park.

The proposed hotel-motel tax revenues are $9.9 million, down from the current $17.5 million.

The total proposed for bond stadium debt service is the same as the fiscal year 2020 total of $22.4 million, and would include transfers from other capital service funds. No transfer funding from the hotel-motel tax is included in the budget proposal.

An additional $732,000 in property tax revenues also would be shifted into the stadium debt service fund.

Other revenue losses factored into the budget proposal include cuts of $1.7 million in fines and forfeiture, due to a curtailed court calendar since the virus, as well as a $910,000 loss in licensing and permitting revenue.

The additional personnel costs include increases in pension and health-care costs.

*For a larger view, **click here**. Source: Cobb Finance Office*

Commissioners spar over Cobb schools CARES Act request

July 13, 2020 11:31 AM by Wendy Parker

Cobb school superintendent honored — *Cobb superintendent Chris Ragsdale says the district needs to complete a “more robust” online learning portal.*

A presentation by the Cobb County School District for emergency funding resulted in a bit of a clash between county commissioners Monday.

The Cobb and Marietta superintendents are seeking CARES Act funding from the Cobb Board of Commissioners, which is overseeing distribution of $132 million for responses to COVID-19.

Cobb superintendent Chris Ragsdale is seeking $8.1 million for the CCSD to complete development of its Cobb Teaching and Learning System, an online resource that became more heavily utilized than usual when district schools closed to in-person learning in March.

Ragsdale told commissioners that the final phase of the portal, called CTLS Learn, has been in progress but needs to become “a more robust” resource should schools have to close again.

He said the district has redirected existing funding for that effort, “but we’re going to run out of funding” to have CTLS Learn ready by the time classes begin on Aug. 17.

“We have to be prepared with 113,000 students and 8,000 teachers to be online with CTLS without missing a beat,” Ragsdale said.

The district is offering both classroom and remote learning options for students, whose parents have all this week to choose that environment.

The CARES Act funding, Ragsdale said, would enable the district to purchase and develop enough online curriculum materials to accommodate full-fledged distance learning.

CTLS currently has around 700,000 resources, he said, and the additional elements would be purchased from vendors, obtained from open sources and developed in-house.

Ragsdale also said that unlike the end of the last school year, when students’ grades as of March 13 were allowed to stand, there will be academic accountability.

Commissioner Lisa Cupid, who represents South Cobb, said she was disappointed the district’s proposal didn’t include technology assets—computers and internet access—for students in need.

Ragsdale said that wasn’t part of his proposal, and based on unused Chrome Books that were given out this summer to students in need, he was confident the district could provide them.

She also asked if the district would be providing masks to students, since they’re not going to be required, and Ragsdale said that each student would be given one mask. Masks also will be available for teachers and staff, who are “expected” to wear them.

At that point, Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce cut off Cupid, saying her questions were off-topic, telling her “I’m running this meeting.”

She protested, saying all aspects of the district’s preparations for the start of school were germane.

(Boyce and Cupid will be squaring off in the November general election in the chairman’s race).

Commissioner Bob Ott of East Cobb told Ragsdale that “all this could have been avoided” if the district had requested funding to pay employees and for personal protective equipment (PPE).

“If you had done that, there would have been no questions from the board,” Ott said. “I’d rather see a request for PPE than for a learning system.”

Ragsdale said he was asking the county for online learning funding since that’s “a finite amount of money, “whereas PPE funding “is a flexible amount.”

The Cobb school district received $16 million in CARES Act funding from the Georgia Department of Education, and Ragsdale told commissioners that’s being used to pay for employees providing student meals during the summer, and to help offset an anticipated $62 million budget deficit.

When asked by Commissioner Keli Gambrill of North Cobb if the CTLS Learn could be completed by Aug. 17, Ragsdale said it could.

Marietta City Schools are asking for $2.9 million in CARES Act funding from the county, to be used for social distancing and safety measures that include classroom partitions and required masks, and for staffing to provide daily temperature checks for students.

Superintendent Grant Rivera also wants to purchase Chrome Books for every student in the district, which has around 9,000 students.

Commissioners will take action on both funding requests at their voting meeting Tuesday morning.

Boyce: No Cobb mask mandate, asks for voluntary compliance

July 10, 2020 3:51 PMJuly 10, 2020 1:40 PM by Wendy Parker

After several jurisdictions in Georgia—including the City of Atlanta—issued face mask mandates this week, Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce said Friday he won’t be doing that. Mike Boyce, Cobb Commission Chairman

In his weekly newsletter, Boyce said while “there are those who support imposing a county mandate on face coverings,” Gov. Brian Kemp’s executive order on June 30 states that cities and counties cannot take public health actions “that are more or less restrictive” than the state.

Boyce also said that while other elected officials are imposing mask requirements in response to rising COVID-19 cases in Georgia, “I cannot support this kind of governance. Moreover, while such a mandate looks great on paper, it puts an unsustainable burden on public safety personnel. They would be the ones responsible for enforcing this behavior on more than 760,000 people in the County. This expectation is unreasonable.”

Boyce said he’s making a “nice ask to wear a mask” by encouraging citizens to wear a face covering whenever possible “as a matter of personal and public health.”

Last week, Gov. Kemp went on a statewide tour encouraging mask use, but said he wouldn’t be making it mandatory, even though he warned rising COVID cases could affect the college football season. Kemp also said on Thursday that local mandates are not enforceable.

Other cities that have issued mask mandates include Athens-Clarke County, Savannah and Brookhaven.

Georgia’s COVID-19 cases have spiked in recent weeks, to more than 106,000 in all. On Thursday, 2,837 more confirmed cases were reported, and for the past week the test positivity rate in Georgia is nearly 13 percent.

UPDATED:

On Friday the Georgia Department of Public Health reported a one-day record of 4,484 new reported COVID-19 cases and 35 additional deaths statewide.

Cobb, which issued a public health alert last week, has seen its cases go up from around 5,000 then to 6,369 as of Thursday.

By Friday, Cobb’s case totals had grown by 339 to 6,708. The single-day high for Cobb is 556 new cases on Monday, July 6, likely reflecting a reporting lag due to the Independence Day holiday weekend.

Georgia has 2,965 deaths, although the seven-day average for fatalities is the lowest it’s been since March. A total of 250 deaths have been in Cobb County, two more than Thursday, and second in Georgia to 321 deaths in Fulton County.

ORIGINAL REPORT CONTINUES:

Boyce said voluntary mask-wearing to help slow the spread of virus “is a learned behavior that is better achieved by cooperative engagement rather than legislative fiat. I believe our efforts will ultimately achieve the desired outcome of normalizing the wearing of face coverings. This health precaution is one that is reinforced by a sense of personal accountability and respect for the health of others.”

Cobb schools seeking $8.1M from county in CARES Act funding

July 9, 2020 4:50 PM by Wendy Parker

The Cobb County School District will be asking the Cobb Board of Commissioners on Monday for federal COVID-19-related funding to enhance distance learning options.

The district will make its presentation at a commission work session at 9 a.m. Monday. You can watch here on Cobb TV, the county’s public access channel, or tune in Channel 23 on Comcast cable.

The CCSD is seeking $8.125 million for “digital content acquisition, open education resources, and its own in-house content development.

“These costs will cover curriculum content development for every core subject, professional learning, translation, support and maintenance, and allow schools that currently spend their own discretionary funds on curriculum to instead spend those funds on other resources,” according to the proposal.

The work session agenda item explains the details, and the matter is up for commission action on Tuesday.

The Cobb school broke down the proposed costs here in Tuesday’s agenda item. The Tuesday meeting, which starts at 9 a.m., also can be seen online at the above link and on TV.

Cobb schools are in the process of offering parents the option of having their students go back to the classroom or continue a remote option that was undertaken when schools closed in March due to COVID.

Students who stay at home will be offered a separate curriculum, along with dedicated teachers who will instruct only via online.

The start of classes is being delayed two weeks in Cobb, to Aug. 17, to continue preparations and as concerns grow over a rising number of COVID cases in the county.

The Cobb school district is facing a deficit in the vicinity of $60 million for fiscal year 2021, which began on July 1. The district will be presenting its proposed budget next week to the Cobb Board of Education. The FY 2020 budget was $1.1 billion.

The district is currently operating on a special spending resolution this month while the school board formulates a budget delayed by the delay in the legislative session.

Initially state budget reductions were projected to be around 14 percent, which would have left Cobb schools with an $80 million deficit, but the final cuts were around 10 percent.

The Cobb school district has received $16 million in federal CARES Act spending through the Georgia Department of Education.

The Cobb commission received $132 million in CARES Act funding, and has spent $50 million to assist small businesses and another $1 million for low-income renters affected by COVID closures.

The online content the Cobb school district wants to acquire would expand the district’s CTLS online learning portal (Cobb Teaching and Learning System) that’s also accessible for parents.

The curriculum content proposed includes open education resources for both classroom and remote environments, as well as “curated content” reviewed and approved by credentialed educators, and licensed content.

The agenda item said the Cobb school district’s proposal is “a complete content solution” that would cost “a fraction” of a similar acquisition recently by the Chicago Public Schools, which is spending $253 million over five years.

Cobb announces property tax increase proposal; hearings set

July 8, 2020 2:01 PMJuly 8, 2020 9:34 AM by Wendy Parker

While the fiscal year 2021 budget to be proposed next week will not include an increase in the millage rate, it also won’t include a “rollback” millage rate to counter a rise in the county’s tax digest.

That’s why Cobb government is required by law to announce a proposed property tax increase of 3.66 percent in the general fund, when public hearings also begin next week.

The budget proposal and tax digest details are to be presented to the Cobb Board of Commissioners at a work session on Monday, with public hearings starting on Tuesday.

Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce has said he wants to maintain the current general fund millage rate of 8.46 mills. The budget commissioners will adopt later this month includes other services with their own millage rates, and the proposals are as follows:

Fire, 2.86 mills;
Debt Service (Bond Fund), 0.13 mills;
Cumberland Special Services District II, 2.45 mills;
Six Flags Special Service District, 3.50 mills.

The general fund “rollback” rate—what would produce the same total tax revenue from the current digest without reassessments—is 8.161 mills. If adopted as proposed, the increase would come to an increase of 0.299 mills.

A home with a fair market value of $300,000 would have an annual increase of $32.89. A non-homestead home with a fair market value of $425,000 would see an increase of $50.83.

The county said in a statement issued Tuesday that “the continued recovery of the Cobb real estate market is the primary reason for this modest growth in property values and this corresponding increase in the county’s property tax digest.”

The current tax digest is a record $39 billion. The general fund budget for FY 2020 is $475 million. The public hearings are scheduled as follows:

Here’s the full budget and millage rate public hearing schedule, and keep in mind there are three separate hearings each for the budget and millage rate:

Monday, July 13, 2 p.m.—Recommended FY 2021 budget presented to commissioners at work session
Tuesday, July 14, 9 a.m.—First public hearing
Tuesday, July 21, 6:30 p.m.—Second public hearing
Tuesday, July 28, 7 p.m.—Third public hearing and board adoption

That last meeting is also slated for final budget adoption. More Cobb budget information can be found here.

Here’s more from the Cobb Tax Commissioners Office on the county’s millage rate history, and the millage rates compared to the six cities in the county.

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Cobb library card renewal period extended; branches reopen

July 6, 2020 4:53 PM by Wendy Parker

East Cobb Library, Cobb budget crisis

Seven Cobb library branches reopened Monday—including East Cobb, Mountain View and Sewell Mill—with limited services noted here previously.

The library system also is alerting patrons whose cards expire on or near July 31 that they’ll have a couple extra months to renew to those cards.

The new deadline is Sept. 30, and the system estimates some 50,000 patrons will be affected. They’re now being told to ignore the automated renewal notices with the July 30 deadline.

The branch hours for those that are open now is 10-8 on Monday and 10-6 Tuesday through Saturday; for now there are no weekend hours.

Patrons won’t be allowed inside long, and they are being encouraged—but not required—to wear masks inside the branches.

You can do limited browsing, check out materials and pick up those placed on hold, apply for or renew a card, use public computers and seek reference and information assistance.

You won’t be able to sit down and read and use electronic devices other than the computers, use study or community rooms or make use of the creative studios at the Sewell Mill branch.

All programming events also are virtual-only for the time being.

For more information about what to expect when you visit a library branch click here.

Cobb fiscal year 2021 budget proposal to be presented July 13

June 22, 2020 5:37 PM by Wendy Parker

The Cobb Board of Commissioners will hold three required public hearings in July on the proposed fiscal year 2021 budget and millage rate.

Mike Boyce

The board will be presented the proposed budget at a work session on July 13, to be followed by the first public hearing the following day at a regular meeting.

Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce has said he will not be seeking a property tax rate increase from the current fiscal year 2020 general fund levy of 8.46 mills.

He’s advocating additional funding to continue implementing a step-and-grade salary structure for police officers, firefighters and other public safety personnel that got underway earlier this year.

That was before COVID-19 and expected drop in tax revenues due to a battered economy from business closures and job losses.

Boyce has said in the wake of those developments he would not be seeking merit increases for county employees, who got an across-the-board four-percent raise in the adopted FY 2020 budget of $475 million.

Here’s the full budget and millage rate public hearing schedule, and keep in mind there are three separate hearings each for the budget and millage rate:

Monday, July 13, 1:30 p.m.—Recommended FY 2021 budget presented to commissioners at work session
Tuesday, July 14, 9 a.m.—First public hearing
Tuesday, July 21, 6:30 p.m.—Second public hearing
Tuesday, July 28, 7 p.m.—Third public hearing and board adoption.

More Cobb budget information can be found here.

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Cobb Commission District 2 Republican primary goes to runoff

June 20, 2020 11:10 AMJune 19, 2020 6:59 PM by Wendy Parker

Fitz Johnson, Cobb Commission candidate — *Fitz Johnson*

More than a week after the primary elections, the two candidates who’ll be moving on in the Aug. 11 Republican runoff for District 2 on the Cobb Board of Commissioners have been certified.

The Cobb Board of Registration and Elections on Friday certified that Fitz Johnson of Vinings and Andy Smith of East Cobb emerged as the top two finishers in a three-candidate race that was separated by fewer than 1,000 votes.

The board certified all of Cobb’s primary results on Friday, after a delayed process that included counting a record 107,000 absentee ballots.

According to the certified tabulations, Johnson received 6,656 votes, or 36.2 percent of the ballots cast.

Smith got 5,946 votes, or 32.2 percent. Kevin Nicholas, also of East Cobb, received 5,770 votes, or 31.4 percent. They were running to succeed retiring commissioner Bob Ott, with the GOP winner facing Jerica Richardson, the only Democratic candidate, in November.

Voting figures reported on the June 9 primary election day were very close, and remained that way as the absentee voting updates were added.

Andy Smith, Cobb commission candidate — *Andy Smith*

“Yes, it was very close, and maybe that’s the way it should be,” said Smith, a former member of the Cobb Planning Commission. “There were three very good candidates and I think District 2 would be well represented by any of them.”

Johnson, a first-time candidate for county office who previously ran for state school superintendent, won 24 of the 39 precincts in District 2, which includes most of East Cobb and some of the Smyrna-Vinings-Cumberland area.

He won 11 precincts in East Cobb, mostly by very slender margins (click here for a hover map with precinct totals).

“I’m not from East Cobb, and so we had to make sure we really got out in East Cobb a lot,” Johnson said.

Cobb BOC District 2 GOP primary precinct map — *To view individual precinct results **click here**. Johnson won precincts in blue, Smith in light green and Nicholas in turquoise. There was a tie in the Dickerson 1 precinct, shaded in beige.*

Nicholas, a member of the Development Authority of Cobb County and a candidate for the Cobb County Board of Education in 2014, also was running for the commission for the first time.

After East Cobb News requested comment from Nicholas, he e-mailed a statement saying that “I am proud of the grass roots campaign we ran, representing our neighbors—not special interests, and a huge thank you to the thousands of voters who supported me.”

Johnson and Smith said they will keep stressing issues they heard a lot from voters, especially public safety, during the runoff campaign.

They both said they’re eager to do more in-person campaigning, as more restrictions on public gatherings in Georgia have been lifted.

The Art Place, most Cobb government offices reopen

June 19, 2020 1:58 PMJune 19, 2020 8:40 AM by Wendy Parker

The Art Place

The Art Place-Mountain View is among the Cobb government facilities have have reopened to the public.

Opening hours are 9 a.m. 6 p.m. Monday-Friday, and has an FAQ at Artplacemarietta.org with more details about classes and other activities:

“All the art centers in Cobb County are working to quickly produce a hybrid of virtual and in person classes. Additionally, we are working hard to create new digital content to keep the public informed and educated about the arts.

“Please note—facilities will operate with limited public access which is dependent upon occupancy, based on recommendations from the CDC. Screening processes are in place to enter the facilities.”

Cobb government has been working under “Limited Operational Services” since March and last weekend that status changed, as county employees who had been teleworking returned to their offices.

Among the exceptions are libraries (seven branches will be reopening on a limited basis July 6) and senior centers.

County courthouses are open with some court business being conducted, but restrictions are in place due to a statewide judicial state of emergency and open and some court business is underway. However, the statewide Judicial State of Emergency order in effect through July 12 keeps many restrictions in place.

Also, starting Monday, you can reserve pavilions at selected park facilities that will be available starting July 1. All parties must follow social distancing practices and may have no more than 50 people.

The online form to apply can be found here; large event venues, including the Jim Miller Event Center, the Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre and Cobb Civic Center are still closed until further notice.

More details at the Cobb COVID-19 page.

Cobb libraries reopening July 6 include 3 East Cobb branches

June 18, 2020 7:54 PM by Wendy Parker

Sewell Mill Library opens — *Cobb library patrons won’t be able to sit down or stay for long when seven branches reopen July 6. (ECN file)*

The seven library branches that began curbside service earlier this month will be reopening their doors in early July, but you won’t be able to spend much time inside.

The East Cobb, Mountain View and Sewell Mill branches are among those reopening to patrons on July 6, the Cobb County Public Library System announced Thursday.

The other branches are North Cobb, West Cobb, South Cobb and Vinings. The main Switzer branch in Marietta has been closed for renovations.

The hours will be limited and so will the things you’ll be able to do.

The branches that are reopening will be open only during weekdays for now: Mondays 10-8 p.m., and Tuesdays-Fridays 10-6 p.m.:

“Under this reopening phase, library patrons are asked to limit visits to browsing, completing library account transactions like checking out items, picking up available reserved materials, and renewing or signing up for a Cobb library card. A limited number of public computers will be available for reservation.

“Casual visits of more than a few minutes to the libraries and sitting down will not be possible under the health and safety guidelines for maintaining social distancing for reducing the community spread of COVID-19. Study and community meeting rooms will remain closed to the public.”

Library staff will be wearing masks and patrons will be “encouraged” to do the same at the libraries, as well as practice social distancing and hygiene.

No tentative plans have been announced for reopening other branches or expanding hours or services.

For information on the library system visit www.cobbcat.org or call 770-528-2320.

Cobb to hold virtual open houses on 2022 SPLOST projects

June 16, 2020 8:13 AM by Wendy Parker

Following up the passage a couple weeks ago of the 2022 Cobb SPLOST project list that will be on the November ballot, the county is sending out word of two “virtual” open houses this week soliciting your feedback:

“Learn more about what is included in the lists, the impact on the county’s budget if these projects are funded with SPLOST proceeds and ask your questions during two online open houses this week.

To view more information on SPLOST Renewal projects, visit cobbcounty.org/communications/news/cobb-boc-approves-list-splost-projects.

6-8 p.m., Wednesday, June 17
Join us on the CobbTV networks for a SPLOST overview featuring Chairman Mike Boyce, Cobb commissioners and county department heads as they present items on the project list.

6-8 p.m., Thursday, June 18
Representatives from Cobb’s six cities will join us to discuss their needed infrastructure improvement plans and the impact on their budgets if their projects are funded with SPLOST proceeds. You will have a chance to have your questions answered by commenting online or sending your email questions to SPLOSTcomments@cobbcounty.org. You can watch live and join the discussion at cobbcounty.org/CobbTV, facebook.com/cobbcountygovernment or youtube.com/cobbcountygovt.

The county had scheduled town halls about the SPLOST this spring but they were cancelled due to COVID19. You can read through the full project list here.

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Cobb commissioners approve revised anti-racism resolution

June 9, 2020 1:11 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb commissioners anti-racism resolution — *“This resolution gives us an opportunity to get it right,” commissioner Lisa Cupid said before the board approved an anti-racism resolution Tuesday.*

After some testy public clashes and behind-the-scenes wrangling, the Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved a revised resolution decrying racism in the county.

The vote was a unanimous 5-0, as was a companion resolution to support a proposed state hate crimes bill.

After a draft resolution of the anti-racism measure was proposed late last week, a revised resolution was the subject of heated discussion at a board work session Monday morning.

Commissioner Lisa Cupid of South Cobb, the only Democrat and lone black member of the board, said then that she could not support the revision, proposed by commissioner Keli Gambrill of North Cobb, who shared it with her colleagues minutes before the work session.

But later Monday night, a third proposal was circulated and Cupid sent out an e-mail saying she would back that version, which while it “has some deviation from the original, this is a version I can support.”

The resolution that was approved (you can read it here) differed from the original near the end, declaring that commissioners “stand with all citizens of Cobb County against racism and reaffirm our commitment to provide an environment that supports civil rights for all.”

That final portion replaced initial language that called for “fighting for racial and economic justice, gender equality and human and civil rights for all.”

When she posted the initial draft to her Facebook page on Thursday, Cupid said she had heard that some thought the language was too strong, and urged citizens to contact their commissioners to express their views.

When the board met on Monday, Cupid learned that some of her colleagues didn’t appreciate her distributing the resolution publicly before they could meet to discuss it as a group.

That’s why Gambrill said she didn’t send out her revision until right before the work session. Her version included specific language about Cobb Police Department community outreach activities, including the Police Athletic League, faith forums and a community affairs unit that “works daily with all our diverse communities to make their neighborhoods a safer, happier and more productive place to live.”

Cupid didn’t like any of that being included, but she was upset by the whole process, saying she was bearing a heavy burden as the only black commissioner. “I wanted the community to see the stress level I had to deal with and see the boldness of these modifications,” she said.

East Cobb Black Lives Matter rally — *East Cobb citizens have shown support for Black Lives Matter at roadside rallies over the last week (ECN file).*

On Monday night, Cupid—a candidate for Cobb Commission Chairman—sent out word via her campaign e-mail that “although this process has been an uphill battle, I am confident that citizen communication to commissioners have resulted in us now having a resolution that has better likelihood of passing unanimously.”

She reiterated that sentiment during the commission’s virtual meeting Tuesday.

“This resolution gives us an opportunity to get it right,” Cupid said before the vote. Near the end of the meeting, Cupid said the resolution “presents an opportunity for a new day” in Cobb County. “A lot of people are watching us.”

Before the vote, several citizens spoke in favor not only of the resolutions but also urged the county to improve procedures for complaints about law enforcement excesses, and some called for the creation of a citizens’ review board.

Commissioner JoAnn Birrell of Northeast Cobb, the board’s public safety liaison, made some emotional remarks about the issue while a video played of Cobb police officers last week retaking their oath of office in a stand against brutality and racism.

She pledged to “take the lead” in continuing county-led efforts to forge stronger ties with Cobb’s minority and ethnic communities.

“We are a diverse county,” Birrell said, “but more importantly, we are all children of God, created equal in the likeness and image of God. We all deserve to be treated equally, with mutual respect and love for one another.”

But commissioner Bob Ott of East Cobb said he was “both disheartened and disappointed in the members of this board” for how the process over the anti-racism resolution unfolded.

“It is unbelievable to me the week we’ve spent haggling over the language in the resolution over racism,” said Ott, who supported Gambrill’s revisions. “Every member of this board supports removing racism from community.”

Ott said that Cobb County, while “not perfect,” has been working to address racial issues, and referenced a community-based outreach program by former public safety director Michael Register.

“I am concerned that this past week’s wasted opportunity will cause more harm than good,” Ott said. “If this board can’t immediately agree on the language in this resolution, I fear it will take far too long to take the steps forward.”

Ott then read a letter written last week by Lt. Gen. Darryl Williams, the black superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy, as an ideal of what he thinks the board should follow.

“Consider how your words, actions and attitudes impact other people,” Williams wrote in remarks to cadets. “Muster the moral courage necessary to confront and solve problems with effective, honest and empathetic dialogue that seeks solutions rather than sowing seeds of division and disunity.”

Ott said that “until all members of this board are extending forgiveness and actively listening to other points of view, and are color-blind, we cannot move forward.”

The hate-crimes resolution (you can read it here) supports a bill introduced in the Georgia legislature following the death of Ahmaud Arbery, a black Brunwick man, who was shot to death while jogging in a residential area in February. Three white men have been charged with murder.

Georgia is one of the few states without a hate-crimes law. The bill has been endorsed by the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police.

Cobb County earns AAA financial rating for 24th year in a row

June 8, 2020 8:54 PMJune 8, 2020 7:54 PM by Wendy Parker

The Fitch Ratings has given Cobb County government its highest possible financial rating, AAA. That’s the 24th consecutive designation for Cobb, per a county release issued late Monday afternoon:

The Fitch Ratings analysts cited Cobb County’s history of conservative budgeting and proactive measures in the face of an uncertain economic future caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

“The county is well-positioned to withstand the current period of economic weakness due to its sound reserves and superior inherent budget flexibility,” the agency said in a news release.

“The fact that we had our AAA rating reaffirmed during the most challenging economic time in a dozen years shows the fiscal soundness of the county,” said Cobb County Commission Chairman Mike Boyce. “It is a tribute to our staff, the board, and our work with the community to make sure we continue to show diversity in our county’s economic base.”

Fitch pointed to the county’s reaction to the last recession as one of the reasons it has confidence Cobb County can weather whatever lies ahead.

What the AAA rating means above all is that when the county saves money on interest rates when needs to borrow—particularly the short-term loans it takes out to bridge from one fiscal year to another.

On Tuesday, the Cobb Board of Commissioners will be asked to approve in $65 million TANS—tax anticipation notes—to fund county government operations until it can collect property sales tax revenues in the fall.

Last week the county sent out delayed assessment notices, with bills due after the tax digest is established in July.

Here’s more from Fitch’s analysis. Other rating agencies are expected to follow suit and maintain Cobb’s AAA status.

Boyce has said the fiscal year 2021 budget he will propose this summer will keep the current millage rate.

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Cobb commissioners to consider resolution condemning racism

June 7, 2020 12:38 PMJune 4, 2020 2:55 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb commissioners will be asked Tuesday to consider a resolution to condemn racism.

Lisa Cupid, Cobb Board of Commissioners

Commissioner Lisa Cupid, of South Cobb, and the only black member of the five-member board, admitted on Thursday when she posted the proposed resolution on her Facebook page (see below) that “I have been informed that some think this language is too strong, indicates something of the past, and is not reflective of how people feel today or in all districts of the county.”

“It is imperative that we have our citizens weigh in on this else I fear it could not pass or be worded in such a way that loses its intent and purpose.”

She urged citizens to contact their commissioner and let them know their thoughts.

Cupid said an online meeting she organized on Tuesday, entitled “Cobb Forum: Recent Deaths, Race and Response,” attracted more than 600 people, and she invited a number of elected and law enforcement officials and community leaders to participate.

(You can watch here and listen here.)

The Smyrna and Acworth city councils this week approved similar anti-racism resolutions.

Cobb Commission candidates oppose sex shop in East Cobb

June 3, 2020 8:27 PMJune 2, 2020 4:45 PM by Wendy Parker

East Cobb sex shop

Kevin Nicholas, one of three Republicans running in next week’s primary for District 2 on the Cobb Board of Commissioners, says he’s opposed to a possible sex shop in East Cobb.

In a note written in response to organizers of an online petition against what they claim will be an adult retail store on Johnson Ferry Road, Nicholas said “this is not the business we want in our family-based community.”

The note was sent to Amy White, who’s leading a change.org campaign against what’s being planned at 1290 Johnson Ferry Road, in a former mattress store building.

A business license issued by Cobb County in March states it’s for a clothing store; the individual listed in state incorporation documents for 1290 Clothing Co. LLC is Michael Morrison, who owns the Tokyo Valentino adult retail store chain in metro Atlanta.

Retiring District 2 commissioner Bob Ott has said that since rezoning isn’t required, the county has little recourse as long as the new business meets code requirements. The general commercial zoning status of the land dates back to the 1970s.

Ott said he also is against an adult store coming to the community, and reminded citizens that opposition to a We Buy Gold store several years ago prompted it to close, citing a lack of business.

Nicholas, who’s running to succeed Ott, said he’s “been in lengthy discussion with many neighbors about this and what we need to do” and at the very least thinks the county should review the business license application.

Some opponents of an adult store have claimed that Morrison has misrepresented his business aims as well as his own identity and want the business license invalidated.

Morrison, who’s been ordered to jail for a contempt citation in Brookhaven and is suing the city of Atlanta in legal battles over his businesses in those municipalities, has said he isn’t sure what the East Cobb store will end up being (There’s a Tokyo Valentino store on Marietta, on Cobb Parkway near the Big Chicken).

Nicholas, an East Cobb resident, said he advocates a “check list” for the county that would require applicants to provide more details on a business license application, a review of the county code and “to make amendments that fit the community while preserving good business growth. I reject the notion that there is nothing that can be done.”

East Cobb News contacted the other Republicans in the District 2 race. Andy Smith, who also lives in East Cobb and was Ott’s appointee to the Cobb Planning Commission, referred East Cobb News to Ott’s statement issued on Memorial Day with no additional comment.

UPDATE: On Wednesday Smith issued a videotaped message and a written statement which reads in part:

“The application for this business has been gone through with a fine-tooth comb and found to comply with existing code; this doesn’t surprise me because of the battalion of very well-paid lawyers the applicant has on staff. So let’s put that myth to bed.

“Cobb has had a long history of having one of the strongest adult industry codes and has been the model for most if not all of metro Atlanta. So, as with all things, it is time to look at the current code and update it, and I can assure you that is being done. I am well aware of the research and effort being put forth firsthand, and the all-hands-on deck approach that’s ongoing. Just like the duck swimming across the lake, all looks calm on the surface but we are paddling with all our might underneath. This is just another example of where having a commissioner who understands the code and how to strengthen and enforce it really matters. I have the experience and knowledge to preserve our community and don’t think for one minute I’m not working like that duck to cross the lake.”

East Cobb News also has left a message with Fitz Johnson seeking comment.

UPDATE: Here’s what Johnson sent us Wednesday morning:

“My wife and I are appalled at the idea of a sex shop going into our neighborhood. I am firmly opposed if this shop were to open in the old Matress Firm store or anywhere. I will leave no stone unturned as I investigate my powers under the U.S. Constitution to make this right.

“It is unfortunate we are put in this position by law, but it doesn’t mean we can’t educate ourselves, organize as a community, and fight to keep this from happening. I am against having this type of establishment in our neighborhoods so close to schools and churches. If elected, I will do everything within my U.S. Constitutional powers to discourage these types of establishments.

“We have to be mindful that commissioners do not have the authority under the U.S. Constitution to alter existing zoning or add stipulations. Again I will encourage our citizens and neighbors to organize, and work together to stop this from happening. I absolutely will join in and lend my voice to that cause.”

ORIGINAL STORY CONTINUES:

Dan White, another online campaigner against an adult store, contacted East Cobb News Monday to note that more than 2,700 people have signed a petition.

He also took exception to comments in an East Cobb News commentary over the weekend from citizens imploring opponents to lighten up about a possible adult store. A few noted that for those who’d want to patronize such a store, it would be convenient to have it nearby.

“Having a dump close by would be convenient as well but not in the middle of our community,” he said. “This business will affect crime, the statistics that retail companies use to choose their expansion opportunities and property value.”

White also noted that while Ott has “served this community fairly well over his tenure,” his retirement “makes doing nothing but saying that there is a law from 1975 an easy way out.

“Tell him it’s not OK to give up.”

A signer of the change.org petition said “if this store opens, I’m voting against all my local incumbents who didn’t stop it.”

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Cobb tag offices reopening June 8; non-contact options continue

June 1, 2020 1:12 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb tag offices reopening

Cobb County Tax Commissioner Carl Jackson said Monday all tag offices in the county will be reopening next Monday, June 8, at their usual Monday-Friday times from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

That includes the location at the East Cobb Government Service Center (above) at 4400 Lower Roswell Road.

If you choose to renew your tag in person, they’re asking you to check in with your name or mobile number. Instead of staying in the waiting area, you’ll wait in your car and receive a text message notifying you to come in for service:

“For businesses requiring an in-person visit, the office staff will follow recommendations of social distancing for safe interactions and use personal protective equipment. We are also encouraging visitors to wear a face mask for in-office visits.”

June 15 is the extended deadline for vehicle registrations that were due to expire when COVID-19 prompted closures in March, so Jackson warned that wait times are expected to be longer than usual.

Jackson said Cobb processes around 40,000 in-person tag renewals every month, and encourages vehicle owners to use e-services, tag kiosks, drop boxes, and mail.

Call 770-528-8600 weekdays between 8-5 or or tax@cobbtax.org for more information.

Cobb library due date extended to June 10; curbside service expands

June 1, 2020 12:48 PMJune 1, 2020 8:21 AM by Wendy Parker

East Cobb Library, Cobb budget cuts

From Cobb County government on Monday morning:

Due date for all checked-out library materials extended to June 10. There are no late fees on materials originally due during the library system’s closure. The due date for all checked-out materials is extended to June 10. Upcoming reopening phases also include curbside services weekdays at seven libraries starting June 10 to enable patrons to pick up reserved holds. The locations are the Mountain View, East Cobb, South Cobb, West Cobb, North Cobb, Sewell Mill and Vinings libraries. You can call our customer service department at (770) 528-2326 or email your question or comments to our customer service department at contactus@cobbcat.org.

This is part of what the Cobb library system is calling Library Express, in which patrons can return materials to outdoor book drops at most branches and place holds for materials online.

Those curbside pickup hours will be from 10-8 Monday and 10-6 Tuesday-Friday, and you’re asked to call at least an hour ahead before coming to pick up materials. You’ll also need to have an ID and your library card once you arrive at your branch.

One other note: If you’re a Gritters Library patron, you can order holds online and pick up those materials at the Mountain View branch.

Candidate spotlight: Mike Boyce, Cobb Commission Chairman

May 29, 2020 5:25 PMMay 29, 2020 1:18 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb budget town hall, Mike Boyce, Cobb public safety bonus, Cobb millage rate — *Boyce has held numerous budget and other town hall meetings during his time as chairman. (ECN file)*

Ever since he unseated Tim Lee as Cobb Commission Chairman in 2016, Mike Boyce has acknowledged what was behind it.

“They didn’t vote for Mike Boyce,” he says now, as he’s campaigning for re-election.

“They were ticked off by the Braves deal.”

Four years ago, Boyce, an East Cobb resident who also ran in 2012, rode anti-Lee sentiment to capture the Republican primary.

Four years ago, Boyce didn’t have a Democratic opponent, but if he should prevail in a three-way GOP primary on June 9, he would face commissioner Lisa Cupid.

His primary opponents are East Cobb resident Larry Savage, a previous chairman candidate who has challenged the county legally on the Braves deal and business tax breaks, and retired Cobb police officer Ricci Mason, a first-time candidate.

“I have to run on my record,” Boyce said. “Before, I was selling an idea.”

Boyce said he’s proud to tout that record: Preserving the county’s AAA bond rating (via a 2018 property tax increase unpopular with some Republican voters), taking the first measures toward a step-and-grade pay policy for public safety employees and enhancing quality of life with additional park land purchases and expanding library hours.

“People move here for the amenities, and look what we have done for public safety,” Boyce said, referring to three pay raises as well as the first steps in a new compensation and retention plan for police officers, firefighters and sheriff’s deputies.

(Here’s Boyce’s campaign website.)

Boyce defends the 2018 property tax increase, pointing to the commissioners’ vote—on the day he beat Lee in a runoff—to lower the millage rate.

“We faced a $30 million shortfall before I ever took office,” he said. “We came within an inch of losing our AAA rating,” the highest issued by creditors and highly desired by public bodies (the Cobb County School District also is rated AAA) when it borrows for short-term loans and bond issues.

Boyce said the county’s reserves were down to $10 million as well, and now it enjoys a $125 million contingency.

For the fiscal year 2021 budget that takes effect on October, Boyce is proposing to hold the line on the millage rate and continue with public safety pay measures. A merit pay raise for county employees is off the table, due to the economic hit to come from closures related to COVID-19.

Having that money on hand now, Boyce said, is vital.

“This isn’t just a rainy day,” he said. “It’s a rainy year.”

The county’s diversified business base also should help, but Boyce acknowledges it’s still a little early to tell “what the consequences of a loss of jobs, a loss of tax revenue will be.”

Commissioners voted this week to spend $50 million of an allotted $132 million in federal CARES Act funding for small business relief grants.

Continuing the work of addressing public safety issues would be a cornerstone of a second term for Boyce, who said “we have to show our first responders that this won’t be a one and done.”

If he should advance to the November ballot, a local referendum for Cobb voters will be on there too, asking whether to extend the Cobb SPLOST, which Boyce has stressed with road resurfacing and transportation projects, as well as other parks and recreation improvements.

When asked if he felt confident about the SPLOST’s chances of passing, Boyce said a 5-0 vote by commissioners this week to finalize the project list “was a big step. The board understands the importance of this. The emphasis on the roads really hits a sweet spot.”

Boyce also acknowledges he’s never been the candidate of choice by his party establishment. In 2016, Lee had GOP backing as the incumbent, as well as from business leaders.

During the tax increase debate, the Cobb Republican Party formally opposed it, and some critics have alleged all along that Boyce, a retired Marine colonel, is a RINO (Republican In Name Only).

Former Georgia GOP chairwoman Sue Everhart, a Cobb resident, and the Cobb County Republican Assembly, a group made up of fiscal and cultural conservatives, have endorsed Savage.

“I’ve just accepted the fact that they’re not in my corner,” Boyce said. “The only people who matter are all the voters.”

When he was first elected, the changes in the county’s demographics began to be revealed, as Cobb voted for Hillary Clinton in the presidential race. Democrats will be unified behind Cupid, who’s attempting to become the first Democrat to lead county government since Ernest Barrett in the early 1980s.

Boyce said he’s proud to run on a pledge to continue a set of broad-based priorities, with voters across the county in mind.

“I know I’ve done what’s in the best interests of the county,” he said.

Cobb small business grant applications accepted June 8-26

May 28, 2020 5:53 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb small business grant applications

After the Cobb Board of Commissioners this week approved $50 million in federal CARES Act funding for small businesses, the Cobb Chamber of Commerce has released details about the application process, which runs from June 8-26.

The program is called the Select Cobb Small Business Grants, after the chamber’s economic development arm, which will distribute grants to qualifying businesses in amounts ranging from $20,000 to $40,000. The funding can be used on personnel, rent, utilities and acquiring PPE for employee safety.

Here’s what SelectCobb sent out late Thursday afternoon:

Applications will open on June 8, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. and close on June 26, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. A full list of eligibility requirements and more information about the application process will be available at www.selectcobb.com on June 1. The website and email address for this program—www.selectcobb.com/grants and grants@selectcobb.com—will be available on June 1. Also, a webinar on how to apply for the small business grants will be held on June 10th at 10:00 am through the Cobb Chamber.

“Maintaining jobs and promoting growth within Cobb County has been and always will be our number one priority for our small business community,” said Kevin Greiner, president and CEO of Gas South and Chairman of SelectCobb for the Cobb Chamber. “The SelectCobb Small Business Relief Grants will allow Cobb’s small businesses to stand strong during this pandemic and continue to meet necessary business expenses, as well as providing capital to acquire PPE and other resources to ensure a safe working environment for their employees.”

To be considered for the SelectCobb Small Business Relief Grant, small businesses must meet the following requirements:

Business must be an existing for-profit corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship;

Business headquarters or primary location must be within Cobb County;

Business must have 100 or fewer full-time, W-2 employees, i.e., employees working at least 30 hours per week or 130 hours per month;

Business must have been in continuous operation for a minimum of 1 year prior to March 13, 2020;

Business must have a current business license issued by Cobb County Government, City of Acworth, City of Austell, City of Kennesaw, City of Marietta, City of Powder Springs, or City of Smyrna;

Business must be current on all local taxes;

Business may be home-based or located in an owned or leased commercial space;

Business must certify if they have received PPP funds as of time of application submittal; and

Business cannot be a publicly traded company.

Grant funding will be available in three different tiers based upon the number of full-time, W-2 employees employed by the company as of March 12, 2020. The tiers of grant funding include, up to $20,000 for 1 to 10 employees; up to $30,000 for 11 to 50 employees; and up to $40,000 for 51 to 100 employees.

“I’m gratified that the board came together to address an important segment of our community, the small business community,” said Chairman Mike Boyce after the vote. “It demonstrates when it is all said and done, this board has the best interest of the county at heart. We work every day to do the best we can with the money we have—whether it is county money, state money, or federal money—we all have a duty to make sure the taxpayer’s money is spent appropriately and I think this is one action that reflects that.”

SelectCobb staff will review each application to ensure that all eligibility requirements are met. Once applications are closed, an independent committee of business representatives will review each eligible application and decide which companies will receive grant funds and how much will be provided, up to the maximum allowed by each tier. The committee will be comprised of individuals from all areas of Cobb, and will include a diverse group of industries being represented, including banking, certified public accountants, law, small business and county government.

The committee will review applications per Commission District so that all areas are equally represented in the number of companies being assisted. Once determinations are made, a public announcement of grants funds will be made by representatives of the selection committee, SelectCobb, Cobb Chamber, and Cobb County Government.

“Cobb County should be applauded for creating one of the largest small business grants in the region,” said Dana Johnson, executive director of SelectCobb. “I want to thank the Board of Commissioners for their leadership and commitment to ensuring that Cobb County remains one of the top destinations for small businesses.”

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