Safety:

Continued from Page 1 additional mid-year budget requests at the meeting. The budget ordinance, which had its first reading at the Feb. 20 council meeting, has received two amendments.

Finance Director Tom Harris said the cost of the city’s email encryption software has decreased from $12,000 to $4,800 for the remainder of the fiscal year.

Harris said the funding request from the Community AG Program has also decreased to $21,828.

Councilmembers voted 5-0 to adopt the second reading of the budget adjustment ordinance.

In-house elections

At its Jan. 23 meeting, the City Council passed a resolution that will allow the city to select a superintendent to manage municipal elections in-house, rather than pay Fulton County to conduct elections.

However, City Administrator Chris Lagerbloom said there are as yet no estimates on how much it would cost Alpharetta to run this year’s election.

Lagerbloom said he had received childhood in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, with a painting called “Wagon,” which depicts himself as a child with a bright red wagon.

Carroll recalled the words his mom said to him that day, after he got in trouble for misbehaving.

“My responsibility is to prepare you for most of what the world is about to hand you,” his mother said. “None of that preparation includes allowing you to take shortcuts and be slick.” an estimate of $7.66 per registered voter, which puts the city’s estimated cost at $379,408 for an election run by Fulton County. The last time Alpharetta had an election, he said, the cost was $146,700, a cost of $2.96 per registered voter.

He said city staff is still working on analyses to determine the cost for the city to run its own election, and councilmembers have until March 31 to inform the county of their decision.

Lagerbloom said he believes the cost per ballot if Alpharetta runs its own election would be cheaper than $7.66, but more than $2.96.

Alpha Loop, Town Green changes Councilmembers also heard a presentation on potential updates to the Alpha Loop Downtown Link Plan, which Starr Whitehouse consultant Jacob Lange said would focus on improving loop intersections at Old Milton Parkway, Kingry Lane, Roswell Street and Devore and Haynes Bridge roads.

The Recreation, Parks and Cultural Services Department conducted a survey following the council’s January planning retreat to poll downtown businesses on events held on the Town Green.

The survey revealed most businesses support special events

Carroll said the words stuck with him.

Another painting depicts a time while playing professional basketball, when he traveled to meet with Palestinian and Israeli children and “bring them together under basketball.”

While Carroll said he knew the sport alone would not solve deeply embedded historical issues, “for a moment we all gathered together” for a traditional meal.

“This is about our shared humanity,” Carroll said.

Carroll carried the concept of shared humanity beyond the canvas. The proceeds from his books and artist speaking fees all go to nonprofits like the ACLU and the Georgia Innocence Project, dedicated to exonerating innocent people in prison.

“It adds a fun element to it, that I’m doing good work and perhaps helping people,” Carroll said.

Carroll joined the calendar for Roswell Roots, the city’s monthlong celebration of Black History Month after his friend Mike Harris told him about the event.

Harris was previously the president of the Friends of Mimosa Hall and Gardens, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the hall and promoting its use. The organization invited Carroll to be the first artist on display in the historic home.

“I’m glad they invited me, but I honestly may have invited myself and they just said yes,” Carroll said with a chuckle.

Carroll said it’s good to “get out and see people” because he works from home, and he was glad to do it for Roswell Roots.

“When you read what each person is doing, poetry or music or performance, it’s all such a rich experience,” Carroll said.

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA at the site. Councilman John Hipes, however, expressed concerns about the city’s ability to regulate the content on large-screen televisions shown in the park, which requires a permit in public areas, if too much access is given.

Alpharetta Finance Director Tom Harris presents two mid-year budget adjustments to the City Council at its Feb. 27 meeting. Councilmembers unanimously approved the adjustments, which call for a decrease in spending.

Councilman Donald Mitchell said he was concerned that too much regulation could negatively affect the appeal of downtown.

Councilmembers agreed to allow the permitting process as it stands, but they will consider further revisions and discussions on public right-of-way at later meetings.