The East Cobb no-kill Good Mews cat shelter is helping PALS Atlanta collect food and litter donations for animal victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas. Here’s the message Good Mews is sharing with the community:
From 10-3pm daily through this Saturday, Good Mews (located at 3805 Robinson Rd in Marietta) will be a drop-off point for food and litter donations for the furriest victims of Harvey. This drive is organized by PALS Atlanta – Pets Are Loving Support. We will be accepting ONLY dog food, cat food and cat litter on their behalf—no other items, please! Thanks to PALS for organizing this effort!
Newly elected Congresswoman Karen Handel (R-Roswell) is holding her first town hall meeting tonight, but it’s in teleconference format and is restricted only to 6th Congressional District constituents.
Earlier this month, Handel spoke on federal and Congressional issues at Cobb commissioner Bob Ott’s town hall meeting at the East Cobb Library (East Cobb News coverage here).
Lassiter High School clerk Alice Brown with Cobb school superintendent Chris Ragsdale (Photos submitted by Cobb County School District)
Alice Brown, a clerk in the Pupil Personnel Office at Lassiter High School, was one of several individuals named Classified Employee of the Year by the Cobb County School District for 2017.
Brown was the honoree at the high school level and was recognized at a special luncheon for the recipients Tuesday at Roswell Street Baptist Church in Marietta.
Classified employees are non-teachers: administrative assistants, custodians, paraprofessionals and staffers in the school district’s main office.
The following information was submitted by CCSD about Brown, who also was joined by her family members at the luncheon:
Despite all she does for Lassiter High School as a clerk, Alice Brown is still humble, according to her principal.
“She does an exceptional job working at Lassiter. She is [at school] every single day,” said Dr. Chris Richie as he congratulated Brown on being named High School Level CEOTY. “She is very diligent, keeping accurate records of everything our students do. We are extremely proud of her. She is great with staff members.”
Lower Roswell Road at Indian Hills Court, where pipeline construction is nearing completion. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)
Around 4:30 p.m. today Cobb DOT announced there will be night construction of the East Cobb Pipeline project tonight along Lower Roswell Road between Ancient Oaks Court and Indian Hills Trail, just east of the Sope Creek Bridge.
The work is scheduled from 7 p.m. tonight until 5 a.m. Wednesday and traffic will be down to one lane along that 0.8-mile stretch of Lower Roswell.
It’s part of the final phase of the water main installation, and when we drove by there earlier this afternoon, you could see the project was tantalizingly close to being done. Less than a hundred feet of water main installation remains, as crews work primarily around the bridge area on Lower Roswell on either side of Sope Creek.
Weekday traffic is reduced to one lane between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., with crews alternating passage, as has been the case since the project began in late 2015.
Temporary paving of this final stretch of Lower Roswell is expected to take place next week, followed by final resurfacing by Cobb DOT. For more information, call the East Cobb Pipeline Project hotline at 770-514-5301.
More East Cobb restaurant news, following Monday’s posts about Loyal Q/Sugar Benders and a proposed Taqueria Tsunami in the Johnson Ferry corridor: the new Sage Woodfire Tavern location at Windy Hill Road and Powers Ferry Road is opening next week.
The hiring process is underway, and social media accounts have been started (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) for the new restaurant, located in the old Houston’s space at 3050 Windy Hill Road.
According to the office of Cobb Commissioner Bob Ott, a ribbon-cutting and open house reception for invited guests is scheduled for next Thursday, Sept. 7, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with service to the public starting at 4 p.m.
This will be the third Sage Woodfire Tavern location, along with Alpharetta and Dunwoody. It’s located in restaurant space that has been vacant since Houston’s at Wildwood closed in Jan. 2013.
That’s also in a Powers Ferry corridor that’s been challenging for restaurants in recent years. TGI Friday’s and Sal Grosso are among the more notable casualties, along with Houston’s. An exception is the Rose & Crown Tavern, which opened in 2010 at 1391 Powers Ferry Road, just north of the new Sage Windy Hill.
The opening of nearby SunTrust Park earlier this year has been a magnet for new eateries located in The Battery, adjacent to the new stadium for the Atlanta Braves, and in the surrounding area.
The Infinite Dining Group which runs the Sage Woodfire Tavern also operated the Sage Social Kitchen & Bar in East Cobb, which closed in April after being open for only a few months. Previously the location of Chequer’s and Houlihan’s, that space in the Merchants Festival Shopping Center (1401 Johnson Ferry Road) remains vacant.
Across the parking lot, the Black Swan Tavern is preparing for opening with a date yet to be determined (previous East Cobb News coverage here). A liquor license approval is still pending.
On Friday, September 1, 2017, East Cobb Middle School PTSA and Foundation, Wheeler High School PTSA and Wheeler Football Booster Club are collaborating to present the 2nd Annual WILDCATNATION Community Food Truck Night!
This year’s diverse offering of food trucks – The Blaxican, Bollywood Zing, The Mad Greek, Righteous ‘Que BBQ, Mac the Cheese, Waffle House, Saporito’s Pizzeria, Cherry on Top Delights, and King of Pops – are sure to please everyone in the family.
Our first Food Truck Night was a huge success, with #WILDCATNATION represented by students & their families from all Wheeler feeder schools and attendees from all over the East Cobb! #WILDCATNATION invites the community to kick off the Labor Day holiday weekend in Wheeler’s parking lot at 5:30PM, prior to the Wildcat’s game against the South Cobb Eagles. It’s Jr. Wildcat Night for the Wildcat Football Program and Food Truck Night will benefit the four local school organizations. The Food Trucks will be set up at 5:30 so you can get some great food and then stay for the game at 7:30!
“The ECMS PTSA and Foundation are excited to co-host this fundraising event that involves the whole Wheeler community,” says Sandy Welfare, co-president of the ECMS PTSA. “We look forward to seeing people from all over East Cobb come out for a fun evening.”
“We are hoping this tailgate will encourage Wheeler football fans to gather earlier and create an atmosphere full of Wheeler pride,” says Kelly Feddersen, President of the Wheeler Football Booster Club.
Just a reminder that the Cobb County School District is releasing students early on Wednesday for teacher in-service training, and at the halfway point of the first team of the school year. The release times are as follows:
11:30 a.m.—High School;
12:30 p.m.—Elementary School;
1:30 p.m.—Middle School.
The CCSD is asking parents to contact their local schools if they have questions about the early release.
After students return next week following the Labor Day holiday weekend, the first progress reports of the school year will be issued, for elementary and middle school students, on Wednesday, Sept. 6.
An early check into a really busy September Cobb zoning calendar (especially in East Cobb) revealed this agenda item: the growing, Marietta-based Taqueria Tsunami Latin-Asian fusion restaurant concept may be headed this way.
An application in the “Other Business” section, OB-039-2017, has been filed by Amor Design Studios on behalf of Fork U Concepts, which runs six Taqueria Tsunami locations, including the Marietta Square, Roswell, Woodstock, Athens and soon in Sandy Springs.
The East Cobb location would be at 1275 Johnson Ferry Road, where Caribou Coffee and an Einstein Bros. Bagels operated side-by-side.
Caribou Coffee closed in 2013, and Einstein Bros. Bagels followed in 2015.
The Cobb Planning Commission will hear the application next Thursday, Sept. 7.
Amor Design Studios, an Atlanta architectural design firm, has filed a site plan amendment which states the following intent:
“Fork U Concepts would like to improve the property by deleting the drive-thru [of the former Caribou store] and increasing the number of parking spaces by restriping the parking lot.”
The proposed site plan changes (below, click to see larger image) call for 42 total spaces, 32 of them standard-sized spaces. The total land size for the building and parking is 0.70 acres.
There’s no preliminary staff zoning analysis for the moment since the application was filed on Aug. 15, after the Aug. 4. deadline for comments.
Some major East Cobb redevelopment proposals are also on the September calendar, and we’ll have more in forthcoming posts:
Z-053-2017, by Brooks Chadwick Capital, LLC, which would rezone the former Mountain View Elementary School location on Sandy Plains Road for a retail, restaurant, bank and grocery store development;
OB-016-2017, by Lidl US Operations, LLC, to tear down the Park 12 Cinema on Gordy Parkway and build a Lidl grocery store, a proposal that’s been delayed several times (see previous East Cobb Newsstory) and has community opposition;
Z-012-2017, by SSP Blue Ridge, LLC, to rezone 21 acres northwest intersection of Terrell Mill Road and Powers Ferry Road for a mixed commercial and residential development anchored by a Kroger grocery story. This application also has been continued.
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Loyal Q and Brew (website; Facebook page) opened Aug. 17 at the Parkaire Landing Shopping Center (4880 Lower Roswell Road, Suite 850, between Sellars Goodyear and Ted’s Montana Grill), once it got a distance waiver from the Cobb BOC to serve alcohol.
The barbecue concept, which specializes in smoked meats, was started by two former Taco Mac executives, ex-CEO Bob Campell and ex-chief operating officer Susie Addo.
Loyal Q is open for dinner only during the week (Mon-Thur 5pm-10pm; Fri 5pm-midnight) and serves lunch on the weekends (Sat 11am-midnight; Sun 11am-10pm). Phone: 678-921-0456.
Down the road at Paper Mill Village, longtime Sugar Benders Bakery owner Veronica Estrada has put up a sign indicating the forthcoming arrival of a Cafe at Pharr location that will share space with her business (255 Village Parkway, Suite 240-A, just around the corner from Camp’s Kitchen).
She’s estimating the new joint location will open in mid-September. Cafe at Pharr, which specializes in gourmet salad and sandwich lunch fare (here’s the menu), has been expanding around metro Atlanta from its original site in Buckhead. This will be its first location in Cobb County.
The Mabry Park Master Plan calls for an overlook bridge over the pond, with trails leading up to and surrounding the water on all sides.
The Friends of Mabry Park couldn’t wait to break the news this week that construction bids have been issued by Cobb County government for the development of the 26.5-acre tract on Wesley Chapel Road at Sandy Plains Road that’s been the subject of a years-long effort. On the group’s Facebook page was this message on Thursday:
This is truly an exciting time. All the blood, sweat and tears from sooo many in the community is finally paying off!
The construction time line estimate is approximately 12 months. So we’re looking at later in 2018 before we can enjoy the park, but compared to the time it’s taken to get to this point it’s almost like we’ll be cutting a ribbon tomorrow!
Here are the details: The county sent the bids (officially called request for proposals, or RFPs) last Friday, Aug. 18, with advertising for potential contractors continuing through Sept. 8. All bids are due by Sept. 14.
More information below about the process for bidding and awarding a contract comes via commissioner JoAnn Birrell. Her district no longer includes Mabry Park (it’s now in Bob Ott’s District 2) but it’s a project that she has championed for years. Here’s how the Cobb Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department is explaining the steps and timetable:
“If there is a responsive and responsible low bidder, the Parks team will send the bid to the Board of Commissioners in early October and request that they award a contract. It will take several weeks to obtain all of the required bonds, insurance, immigration affidavits and related documents for a complete contract. Pending any issues, construction should be underway in early 2018. Mabry Park will be under construction for about a year.
The entrance from Wesley Chapel and the roadway into the park will be the first item that needs to be completed. This will allow construction equipment to access the main park property. Although it depends on how the bids come in, the Parks team is confident that the construction funding will support installation of the roadway and all utilities, parking lot, storm water management and water quality features, restroom/maintenance building, most of the pavilion structures, repairs to the dam, and limited dredging of accumulated sediment in the lake. A variety of other features are included as alternates in the bid documents and will be approved as the budget allows.”
Birrell dug the first few scoops of dirt last year during a groundbreaking ceremony at Mabry Park, but that’s as far as it’s gone. Still, that was a big step following stalled attempts to get the park developed during the recession.
The county purchased the land in 2008 with around $4 million funding from the 2006 Cobb parks bond issue, but hadn’t budgeted anything for development into a park.
The Mabry Park Master Plan (PDF here and map below) was completed in 2011. Even after steep budget cuts during the recession meant no money for the park, or even to build the road into the future park area, the Friends of Mabry Park persisted. The group staged a “Mabry Park Preview” in the fall to give residents something to keep hoping and lobbying for.
Many did, including the Friends group, and advocacy from the Cobb Parks Coalition benefitted the Mabry Park effort. The development project costs an estimated $4.25 million, with the funding coming from the 2016 SPLOST approved by Cobb voters.
Cobb DOT photo of Roswell Road at South Marietta Parkway shortly before the ramp reopened early Friday morning.
UPDATED, 2:25 P.M.: The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said what turned out to be a deadly confrontation between a motorist and Cobb Police early Friday morning at a traffic accident scene in East Cobb involved the use of a Taser.
According to a GBI statement issued shortly after 2 p.m. today, the male driver of a white Dodge Caravan, which was heading westbound on Roswell Road, passed a marked Cobb Police car at an excessively high rate of speed.
Police tried to stop the Dodge Caravan, then pursued his vehicle, which then slammed into another car on the ramp to the South Marietta Parkway. The GBI said the driver of the Dodge Caravan “became combative and fought with officers” who had arrived at the accident scene. During the confrontation, one officer utilized his Taser, according to the GBI, and “the subject became unresponsive. He was transported to the hospital where he died.”
According to the GBI statement, the Cobb County Medical Examiner’s Office is conducting an autopsy on the deceased man, whose identity has not been disclosed.
The GBI said several officers received minor injuries during the struggle but did not require medical attention. The driver of the other vehicle involved in the accident was hospitalized with minor injuries, according to the GBI.
The GBI continues to investigate the post-crash incident, while the Georgia State Patrol probes the accident. The GBI will turn over its findings to the Cobb District Attorney’s Office.
ORIGINAL REPORT, POSTED 1:32 P.M.: Cobb Police said one person died early Friday following a collision involving two cars on the ramp connecting Roswell Road and the South Marietta Parkway in East Cobb.
The accident happened at 12:46 a.m., according to police, and the ramp was closed until around 7:30 a.m.
According to a statement from Cobb Police, the male driver of a white Dodge Caravan traveling westbound on Roswell Road passed a Cobb Police officer in a marked patrol car at a high rate of speed.
When the driver entered the ramp to South Marietta Parkway, the Dodge Caravan hit another vehicle in the curve, police said.
When they arrived at the accident scene, officers from Cobb Precinct 4 struggled with the Dodge Caravan driver, who was arrested and later transported to a hospital, where he died, according to the Cobb Police statement.
Cobb Police have not identified the man who died.
The accident remains under investigation and is being conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Georgia State Patrol.
Cobb DOT photo of Johnson Ferry Road looking southbound at the Woodlawn Drive intersection. Northbound lanes also are backed up.
UPDATED, 1:35 P.M.: Cobb DOT reports that all northbound and southbound lanes of Johnson Ferry Road have reopened to traffic.
ORIGINAL REPORT: At around 12:45 p.m. Friday, Cobb DOT reported that an accident in the southbound lanes of Johnson Ferry Road and Woodlawn Drive is causing major traffic delays.
The delays are being experienced in both the southbound and northbound directions on Johnson Ferry Road.
The Noshfest at Temple Kol Emeth is next Sunday and Monday, Sept. 3-4. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)
A week from now is the Labor Day holiday weekend, and two of East Cobb’s signature festivals for that extended weekend are finalizing their schedules.
At the Noshfest, it was announced this week that the Alex Guthrie Band, which is gaining recognition for its “earthy soul” performances in metro Atlanta, Georgia and the South, will be playing next Sunday, Sept. 3, at 1 p.m.
Guthrie is returning to his East Cobb roots, where he stood out as a young musician at Simpson Middle School and Lassiter High School. Want to know what “earthy soul” sounds like? Here’s a 2015 clip of the Alex Guthrie show at the renown Eddie’s Attic in Decatur:
This will be the 7th year for the Noshfest (official website here); admission is free but they ask that you bring two cans of food to be donated to MUST Ministries. Food and drink tickets can be purchased in advance or at the gate. The festival hours are 11am-5pm Sunday and 11am-4pm on Monday at Temple Kol Emeth (1415 Old Canton Road).
Here’s the full entertainment schedule as it stands now for the Noshfest, according to its Facebook page, which provides regular updates for the event:
Sunday, September 3, 2017
11:00 am Flag raising, National Anthem
11:10 am Israeli Dancing (Lessons and Demonstration)
11:30 am Kyra Goldman (Singer/Songwriter)
12:30 pm General Muir Cooking Demonstration
1:00 pm The Alex Guthrie Band
2:00 pm Kagan Entertainment (DJ and MC)
2:00 pm Annual Bagel Eating Contest
2:30 pm Krav Maga Demonstration
3:00 pm The Haskells formally known as TJT’s (Classic Rock Band)
Monday, September 4, 2017
11:00 am Flag raising, National Anthem
11:10 am Israeli DJ Ruby
12:00 pm Atlanta Fever (DJ)
1:00 pm Peyton Parker, The Voice Contestant
2:00 pm The Chip McGuire Band (Nu-Grass Americana Band)
The antique car show at the 2016 Holy Smoke Festival featured more than 100 golden oldie buggies. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)
A retro car show returns as one of the main features of the Holy Smoke Festival from 11am-3pm Monday at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church (955 Johnson Ferry Road), but the barbecue bash includes a lot more in the way of entertainment.
Admission to the festival is free; food plates catered by Williamson Bros. cost $6 each and can be ordered ahead of time (see event website for more).
There’s also a 5K run and tot trot at the church that starts at 9am (more info here); registration fee for the 5K and virtual run is $25 through Sunday; after that it’s $30. There’s no charge to sign up youngsters under 5 for the tot trot. The proceeds for from the race benefit Predisan Health ministries in Honduras.
Here’s more about what’s on tap at Holy Smoke, which drew more than 10,000 visitors last year:
kids play area
silent auction benefiting Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Storehouse Ministries
Antique car show (over 100 cars) and the Silver Wings Skydivers parachute jump team
plenty of activities for the family
vendor area
live music
These events and more can be found at the East Cobb Newsevents calendar; if you have a listing to share with the public, please e-mail us: calendar@eastcobbnews.com.
The Spirit of Rush cover band plays Saturday night at The Wing Cafe & Tap House.
The high school football season swings into full action this weekend as most East Cobb schools have games, including three in the community, while several local restaurants and bars are offering a variety of live music and entertainment. Here are a few samples, and check out the East Cobb Newsfull calendar listings for the weekend and beyond:
An all-East Cobb gridiron battle takes place at Lassiter (which won its opener last week against Johns Creek), where the Trojans play host to Pope. It’s the season opener for the Greyhounds under first-year coach Tab Griffin, a former Pope player and graduate;
Sprayberry opens its season under debut coach Brett Vavra (who once played for the Yellow Jackets) against Osborne; Walton (1-0), which won a thriller at the Corky Kell Classic, plays at home for the first time, against Brookwood; after losing 52-0 to Marietta, Wheeler (0-1) hits the road at Centennial; all kickoff times are 730pm; Kell is off this week;
Fans of classic rock from the 1970s and 1980s can indulge in their favorites at two live shows this weekend at The Wing Cafe & Tap House (2145 Roswell Road). On Friday, the Rush cover band Spirit of Rush will play from the Canadian progressive band’s iconic “Permanent Waves” album, from 10pm-1 am; on Saturday, ’80s tribute band Shyanne will play at the same venue, at the same time;
There’s also live music at Red Sky Tapas and Bar (1255 Johnson Ferry) with the regular Friday-Saturday stand-bys, the 88 Licks Dueling Pianos Show; at Chicago’s Steak & Seafood (4401 Shallowford Road), the featured weekend acts at the SpeakEasy Loung are Jack Collins on Friday and Paul Joseph on Saturday, from 7:30pm-10pm each night;
Live music also is on tap Saturday at 9pm at the Rose and Crown Tavern (1931 Powers Ferry Road); and the Sunday Funday Open Mic at Keegan’s Irish Pub (4401 Shallowford Road), where sign-up starts at 6:30 pm.;
The late summer consignment sale season continues this weekend with the All 4 Kids Children’s Consignment Sale at Mt. Paran Church of God North (1700 Allgood Road); hours are 9:30am-8pm Friday and 9am-1pm Saturday.
Did we miss something? Do you have a calendar item to share? Send your event listing to: calendar@eastcobbnews.com and we’ll post it, free of charge!
UPDATED, 1:07 p.m.: Cobb DOT now says the intersection has reopned to traffic. Lower Roswell had been closed between Shadowlawn Drive and Indian Hills Trail.
ORIGINAL POST, 10:46 a.m.: Around 10:38 a.m. this morning, Cobb DOT announced that Lower Roswell Road is closed at Indian Hills Parkway due to a broken gas main, and that traffic delays are very heavy.
Please avoid the area; we will post more updates as we get them.
By now most Cobb property tax owners should have received their bills for 2017; most were mailed out in the last week or so. Here’s what the county sent out earlier this week as a reminder:
More than 261,500 bills, representing $729,711,039 in 2017 property taxes, have been mailed. There were 245,942 bills resulting in $674,891,143 for real property and 15,582 bills resulting in $54,819,896 for personal property. The Tax Commissioner’s Office bills and collects property taxes for Cobb County Government, Cobb County Board of Education, Cumberland and Town Center Community Improvement Districts and the Cumberland and Six Flags Special Services Districts. All six of Cobb’s cities bill and collect their own property taxes. State of Georgia property taxes have now been eliminated. The chart below details this year’s property taxes for our billing and collection authorities:
County General
$ 186,988,125
County Bond
$ 4,237,623
County Fire
$ 79,471,996
School General
$ 442,724,334
Cumberland CID
$ 6,567,316
Town Center CID
$ 3,228,681
Cumberland SSDII
$ 5,681,507
Six Flags SSD
$ 811,457
TOTAL
$ 729,711,039
Payments received or U.S. postmarked after Monday, Oct. 16 will incur a 5 percent late penalty, plus monthly interest on the unpaid balance. Payments can be made online at www.cobbtax.org, by automated IVR at 1-866-PAY-COBB or by mail to P.O. Box 100127, Marietta, GA 30061-7027. In-person payments are accepted at the Property Tax office at 736 Whitlock Ave., Marietta, the East Cobb Government Service Center at 4400 Lower Roswell Road in Marietta and the South Cobb Government Service Center at 4700 Austell Road in Austell. Payment drop boxes are located both inside and outside the Whitlock Avenue location, as well as inside both Government Service Centers. Payments via check will also be accepted at any Motor Vehicle office.
If you need a detailed explanation about what’s on your bill, the Cobb tax commissioner’s office has created this PDF with a line-by-line description.
Thursday’s Cobb Board of Education agenda leads off with plenty of recognitions carried over from the 2016-17 school year, including athletic accomplishments in spring sports.
The meeting starts at 7 p.m. in the board room at the Cobb County School District main office, 514 Glover St., Marietta. An executive session begins at 5:30 p.m.
Athletes and teams from Lassiter and Pope high school will be recognized, including the entire Pope athletic program, which earned the Class 6A Georgia Athletic Directors Association Directors Cup for overall athletic excellence.
In addition, several academic recognitions will be made, including AdvancEd STEM certification at Brumby and Shallowford Falls elmentary schools and Mabry Middle School (more about the CCSD’s STEM program here.)
The board also will recognize the recent Georgia Department of Education STEAM certification to Wheeler High School (East Cobb News coverage here), the first high school in the state of earn that status.
The rest of the agenda is fairly light, you can view the full agenda PDF by clicking here.
JoAnn Birrell—speaking here to a business group last week—says closing the East Cobb Library would reduce duplication of services. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)
After several East Cobb residents objected to the possibility of closing the East Cobb Library on Tuesday, the Cobb commissioner making the proposal strongly defended her position, and laid out a detailed set of numbers in making her case.
JoAnn Birrell, who represents Northeast Cobb, said at the end of a long Board of Commissioners meeting that “this has never been a personal agenda” but instead addresses what she terms as an issue of duplication of services.
She said she’s proposing the East Cobb Library closure because of the new Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center that will open before the end of the year, replacing the adjacent East Marietta Library.
The two libraries are located five miles apart on Lower Roswell Road, and carry some expensive operating costs, Birrell said. (That’s also about the same distance between the two East Cobb-area libraries in her district, the Mountain View Regional Library on Sandy Plains Road, and the Gritters branch off Canton Road.)
The East Cobb Library opened in the Parkaire Landing Shopping Center in 2010, after being previously known as the Merchants Walk Library and relocated when that shopping center was redeveloped.
“This is about being a responsible steward of the taxpayers’ money,” Birrell said, reading from a written statement, adding that budget decisions will be made by the board, not one commissioner.
The East Cobb Library closure plans were first made public last Thursday, at a town hall meeting held by East Cobb commissioner Bob Ott, who said Birrell “has been relentless” in proposing the move (East Cobb News coverage here).
Birrell said her proposal “was just one” cost-saving suggestion as the commission was presented last week with a proposed FY 2018 budget of $890 million, including $21.5 million in one-time reserve funding to avoid a property tax increase.
After hearing protests to the closure plan earlier Tuesday at the first formal public hearing on the budget, Birrell said the consolidation of Cobb libraries has been “years in the making,” and referenced the 2011 budget crunch. In the wake of the recession and a steep decline in the Cobb tax digest, then-commission Chairman Tim Lee proposed permanently closing 13 of the 17 county library branches, including East Cobb and East Marietta.
But he backed down after vocal public opposition. While no branches were closed, library hours and staffing levels were reduced.
Most of the funding for the new 8,600-square-foot Sewell Mill library complex, which will include an amphitheater and other cultural arts space, comes from the 2016 Cobb government SPLOST (special local option sales tax) approved by county voters.
Birrell said the new library will have annual staffing and operating costs of roughly $732,000. The East Marietta Library currently costs around $524,000 a year to run, according to her figures.
The East Cobb Library, she said, not only has annual staffing and operating costs estimated at $771,000 a year, but another $263,000 a year, ($21,961 a month) is paid out in lease costs at Parkaire Landing.
For that kind of money, Birrell said, the county “could hire three police officers” as part of a larger recommendation in a recent police chiefs’ report that Cobb add 60 more officers to meet current public safety needs.
U.S. Rep. Karen Handel called the Charlottesville violence an “evil, evil attack” but didn’t mention President Trump at an East Cobb town hall meeting last week. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)
Newly elected Georgia Congresswoman Karen Handel got the biggest applause—a standing ovation from some in the audience—at Cobb commissioner Bob Ott’s town hall meeting last Thursday at the East Cobb Library.
Handel, a Roswell Republican who defeated Democrat Jon Ossoff in a June 20 runoff, said she’s made several trips to East Cobb, which gave her strong margins in the most expensive House race in history.
Before Ott spoke to a couple hundred constituents on the county budget and other local items, including the proposed closing of the East Cobb Library (East Cobb News coverage here), he turned the microphone over to Handel, whom he campaigned for extensively.
She immediately condemned the racially-inspired violence in Charlottesville, Va., earlier this month that left one person dead and injured dozens of others, calling it an “evil, evil attack.” Of racism, anti-Semitism and bigotry, Handel said, “It is wrong. It is evil. It has no place in society and this country.”
The few hundred whites who showed up to protest the proposed removal of a Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville “are not representative of this country,” she added.
Without mentioning President Donald Trump—who came under fire for his post-Charlottesville remarks—Handel issued a call for fairness, respect and civility, “some basic kindness,” as Americans confront racial and other cultural issues that have flared up in recent weeks and months.
Less than two months since taking office, Handel also defended Congress—or at least her chamber, the House—against criticisms that it’s not getting much done.
She said more than 250 pieces of legislation have been passed in the House, including a repeal of the Dodd-Frank financial reform law passed in the wake of the recession. Some in the audience voiced displeasure, but Handel said the rollback was necessary.
She also said she was bewildered that the Republican-led U.S. Senate failed to pass a repeal of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, after it passed the House.
“I would have supported it,” Handel said of the ACA repeal, which was approved in the House before her election. Of the continuation of Obamacare, she said that “the status quo is unsustainable,” a reference to the rising costs of premiums on the ACA exchanges.
Many insurers are seeking significant hikes or withdrawing altogether (here’s a projected 2018 summary from the Kaiser Family Foundation which includes an anticipated seven-percent increase in Georgia for one of the lowest-cost plans, and a 34-percent boost in subsidies).
“The rubber will hit the road when the open enrollment period begins in fall,” Handel said.
Handel has been assigned to the House committees on Judiciary and Education and the Workforce.
Her district office is in the same location at her predecessor, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price: 85-C Mill Street, Suite 300, Roswell.
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