Alpharetta-Roswell Herald - October 6, 2022

ALEXANDER POPP/APPEN MEDIA Alpharetta Mayor Jim Gilvin, left, makes a point at a Sept. 28 town hall in College Park.

Mayor’s run raises funds for charities

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The Rotary Club of Alpharetta hosted its biggest fun draiser of the year downtown Sept. 29. This year, the Mayor’s Corporate Challenge 5K race drew about 1,600 registrants.

Rotary Club President Nominee Jeff Davis said the club expects to raise $110,000 through corporate sponsors and individual donations. The net will go toward local nonprofits and interna tional projects, he said.

“Look, at the end of the day, Rotary is about service,” Davis said. “This is our opportunity to serve the community.”

— Amber Perry

Cities unite over tax negotiation

By ALEXANDER POPP alex@appenmedia.com

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. — Mayors and representatives of 11 Fulton County cities projected a message of unity and strength Sept. 28 at a second town hall meeting to discuss distribution of the countywide local option sales tax.

The cities are locking horns with Fulton County over how an estimated

$3 billion in sales tax revenue will be distributed over the next 10 years. The cities are fighting a Fulton County bid to keep more than the 5 percent share it has been getting over the past decade. The cities say the county’s proposal will cost them tens of millions of dollars they need to pay for local services without raising property taxes.

Held at the Georgia International

City to partner with nonprofit for Alpha Loop

By ALEXANDER POPP alex@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — City officials have approved an agreement with a local nonprofit to provide resources and direction for the Alpha Loop trail project.

Members of the City Council voted unanimously Oct. 3 to partner with the Alpha Loop Foundation, forming a coordinating committee for the project and providing a $2 million match for the Alpha Loop, which, when com pleted, will connect large portions of Alpharetta’s business, residential and greenspace districts, with miles of muti-use trails.

Kathi Cook, director of Commu nity and Economic Development, told council members the Alpha Loop Foundation is a nonprofit established to raise awareness and funding for the trail project. As the foundation grows, Cook said they could also en gage with the public by offering tours, fundraising projects, special events and corporate volunteer project days.

“It’s a way to bring people to the loop, and of course, raise awareness,” she said.

Council candidate Q&A’s

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Tax:

Convention Center in College Park, the meeting was well attended by residents and a diverse panel of city officials from Alpharetta, College Park, East Point, Fairburn, Hapeville, Johns Creek, Milton, Palmetto, Sandy Springs, South Fulton and Union City.

City representatives spent nearly two hours answering questions on the proposed distribution negotiations with Fulton County officials, which have be come increasingly heated.

“What Fulton County has been doing for the last few months, is not working together to help our residents,” Alpharet ta Mayor Jim Gilvin said. “The one thing that is common amongst all of us in this room is if you live in Fulton County, and Fulton County gets what they want, we’re all gonna get screwed.”

Every 10 years, the county and its cities – now 15 in number – renegotiate how money collected from LOST is dis tributed. Most often, the pot is generally apportioned based on each city’s popula tion, while the county keeps a small portion for administrative fees.

But from the beginning of talks over the new 10-year agreement, the county has insisted on taking a greater share than it has in the last two decades. Ful

ton County initially proposed to increase its share from 5 percent to 35 percent.

City officials have come down hard against that proposal, saying it would devastate municipalities that rely on LOST proceeds to pay for things like law enforce ment, fire and emergency rescue, parks and recreation, roads and other services.

Since that initial offer, negotiators on both sides have exchanged proposals. Most recently at a Sept. 23 mediation session with the Georgia Municipal As sociation in Atlanta, talks stalled when county officials refused to participate in negotiations in front of the public.

“There’s no reason for the county that they can justify an increase in their percentage of LOST,” Johns Creek Mayor John Bradberry said. “If they want an increase in their percentage, they need to come to us, they need to come to you with a concrete proposal.”

The hostilities with the county over LOST negotiations has unified the cities.

“North, south, there’s always been a divide,” Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul said. “Republican, Democrat, there’s al ways been a divide. Black, white, an un fortunate divide … Look up here, there’s one positive thing that Fulton County has accomplished. They organized all of us.”

Paul said the cities have set aside all historic differences to focus on solving the real problems residents face in their daily lives.

That theme was echoed by each of

the panelists, from all parts of Fulton County, each expressing their apprecia tion for the chance to tackle issues fac ing all of Fulton County together.

“We’re all here united because this is a vitally important issue,” College Park Mayor Bianca Motley Broom said.

Motley Broom, who’s city hosted the town hall Wednesday night, said all Fulton County Commissioners had been invited to share their position on LOST with resi dents. County officials chose not to attend.

“This was not supposed to be an event where we just talked and didn’t have a dialogue with them,” Motley Broom said. “Commissioners Ellis, Abdur-Rahman, Morris and Arrington said they would not be able to attend, the others went radio silent … That is not good enough, when they are accountable to each one of us.”

Challenging the crowd to reach out to their county elected officials on the issue, Motley Broom said the County Commis sion should be held accountable by its constituents the same way city residents demand accountability from their mayors.

“Ask them the hard questions,” she said. “Ask them why they are so proud of a rollback in their millage rates – Because they want to look like the good guys while they’re putting it on our backs.”

City and county officials will have their second mediation session on LOST at the Georgia Municipal Association in downtown Atlanta on Friday, Oct. 7, starting at 10 a.m.

SARAH BEESON

Q: Can you tell us more about yourself and what that brings to the voters?

A: I was raised in Roswell for the most part. We moved there when I was 9 years old. I went to Mountain Park Elementary. I currently run a small business. We have about 50 employees, based in Roswell. We’ve been in historic Roswell, specifical ly, since 2005. But we’ve been in Roswell since 1998. I work alongside my family. We do environmental and geotechnical engineering consulting. I work there with my husband as well. We’re also raising two small children together.

In addition to working full-time, I also am working towards my doctor ate in city planning at the University of Georgia. I’ve served on several organiza tions’ nonprofit boards across the city, including Roswell Inc and the National Small Business Association. Both of those organizations focus on support ing small businesses, especially here in North Fulton. I’ve also been on the board for Advance Atlanta, which is a transportation-focused board across the metro area, and I was the North Fulton representative. I previously served on the board for Abundant Housing At lanta, which focuses on affordability and inclusivity for housing.

To our readers

Appen Media invited the four candidates running for Roswell City Council Post 1 to record an interview with reporter Chamian Cruz. What follows is a transcript of those question-and-answer sessions. The an swers contain modest edits due to space limitations. While some candidates were more concise in their responses than others, every effort was made to apportion space equally.

Appen has also made the interviews available to hear, in full, as episodes of the Inside the Box podcast. Listen for free wherever you get your podcasts or by going to appenmedia.com/roswellelection. You can also ask Alexa, Siri or any other smart device to, “play the Inside the Box podcast.”

Interview by CHAMIAN CRUZ, Editing by AMBER PERRY and PAT FOX

Q: A big topic in Roswell right now is the rising cost of living and the lack of affordable housing. The mayor and City Council have made it clear they do not want to see any more construction of new apartments in Roswell unless they are part of a mixed-use development. What role, if any, should local govern ment have in promoting or restricting affordable housing, which may include multifamily housing?

A: I see the city planning side, and then I see the small business side and the

way that you impact your local economy.

I understand the hesitation from some residents of being concerned about over-development and wanting to make sure that our city is able to accom modate any level of growth. One of the reasons why I initially pushed back on this is exactly to your point about afford ability and making sure that our city is able to accommodate and be inclusive of our residents that we currently have.

I do have an environmental back ground. The way I look at it: If you’re

looking at biodiversity, it’s indicative of a healthy environment. Same diver sity applies to a city. If we’re going to lose that socioeconomic diversity and diversity in many other ways, it’s going to have a negative outcome right here in Roswell. In terms of if I think our city government has an impact on that, ab solutely. I think it’s something that city government can do — a lot of things in terms of smart city planning, smart land use policies, a more improved unified development code. If folks don’t want to see more multifamily complexes in East Roswell, rezone East Roswell. Then, we can expand it in other areas to break up some of our areas that are more com mercial, and make sure that we’re more inclusive of housing in those areas to try to support those businesses.

Q: Roswell is a very diverse commu nity. But, in April, a number of Roswell residents pointed to possible racial bias in the City Council’s new apartment ban and asked about the status of the racial impact assessment, an idea that was tossed around in 2020. The assessment would be part of the city’s comprehen

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sive plan and include a full-scale exami nation process that is focused on staving off racial inequalities, particularly when it comes to zoning and land use regula tions. Would you support the city com pleting the racial impact assessment?

A: That was implemented at the end of 2020 under former Mayor Lori Henry. It was approved by several council mem bers that are currently on council with the understanding that with the racial equity impact assessment, we could have a third-party consultant that we were contracting with to determine our land use policies and our zoning policies and how that’s going to have an impact. For those who don’t know historically, land use and zoning has been indicative of racial inequalities. Redlining is one of the big things that comes to mind. But, also, generational wealth that’s passed down through purchasing of housing, the ability to access a down payment for a mortgage, even having a mortgage.

[To] have a keen mind when ap proaching our different changes to the UDC (Unified Development Code) is something that we need to be aware of and having that third party make those assessments will be incredibly helpful.

If you look at the majority of our residents who are multi-family resi dents, they typically are Black or Latino residents. So, it would beg the question as to how re-zoning certain areas or limiting certain types of housing is going to impact the diversity of Roswell. Ro swell has increased in diversity over the years, and that’s something that I love. I remember what it was like being the one brown kid in my elementary school class — and to have children now who are racially mixed be able to grow up in an environment where they can see folks who look like them and also be around folks who don’t look like them, get to know people who maybe have a differ ent background or different culture than you. I think that’s incredibly helpful to what makes the community thrive.

Q: In 2020, the East Roswell Economic Action Committee presented its final report. It includes recommendations on how to better promote economic develop ment in this area. How would you decide whether to begin tackling the recom mended improvements and how to fund them, along with having other additional and new priorities?

A: People underestimate how many residents are in East Roswell. We have 40,000 residents from Warsaw Road over to the edge of East Roswell heading towards Gwinnett County. They’re not necessarily getting the same amount of resources that we’re getting on the west

ern side of Roswell. I mean that in terms of resources, not only in terms of having access to office buildings, right? It’s very residentially focused. And, then what commercial areas we do have — we’re starting to see those fade away. When they did their assessment, one of the key points that they had made that I thought was interesting was their parks.

The recommendation according to the report for Roswell’s Parks and Rec reation Program is that there should be 1 acre of park property for every 1,000 residents. We’re roughly 50 acres short in terms of where we need to be in East Roswell to have parity with the west side for how much park land we have.

I make the point about park land in relation to businesses because those are community places. These are areas where you have residents gather, and the parks that we do have in the east are kind of enclosed among themselves.

Some of the recommendations that they had was trying to support large business growth in addition to small business growth and giving some of these areas more community-oriented approaches. That’s something I’d love to see more of — I mean, the way that we’re able to come together as a community and see each other.

Q: What role do you see transparency playing in how the City Council oper ates?

A: Transparency is crucial. That’s been a point of frustration on my end. Earlier this year … an agenda item that was introduced, heading into the weekend, five o’clock on a Friday, that they were going to be changing our city’s charter. A charter is the document that dictates how your city functions. Most of the changes came out of how mayor and council function. These are big changes, right? This was done without any work committee session.

I forewent my Valentine’s Day dinner and showed up to the council meet ing along with many other concerned residents, questioning why this process [was] being implemented without com munity input. The only time that we

were given to comment on was at that meeting. To mayor and council’s credit, they took that feedback and said that they’re going to definitely table the topic.

But my question was, why was the apology more widely broadcast than changes? Why was there not a charter committee to talk about these changes?

We’ve had 20 residents, on one item, comment. Everyone’s saying, “I’m against, I’m against, I’m against.” Then it goes back, and they vote as a block unanimously, “Yes.” So, I’m feeling on my end—I’ve sat here for a five-hour meeting on a super uncomfortable wooden pew. We have 20 other people who agreed with me, and it wasn’t even

a back-and-forth or feeling like you were considering our comments.

To me, that’s indicative of having some sort of backdoor discussion or this was previously commented on outside of public purview. That makes me, as a resident, as someone who’s very attuned to accountability and transparency, that makes me nervous.

Q: Where would you like to see more taxpayer money allocated?

A: Evergreen is being able to support public safety… not only supporting our fire departments and being allocated where they need to be or police facilities

— I need to see more infrastructure here in the city. That’s something that we’re starting to see deteriorate at a faster rate because we haven’t been staying on top of that in Roswell. If we want to be competi tive as a city and for where people want to live, work and play, we need to support areas where they live, work and play.

One of the concerns I had was Leita Thompson Park. There are low-income housing units in that park that are not done through Roswell Housing Author ity, which is a separate entity from the City of Roswell. Those units are funded through Roswell Parks and Rec because it’s inside a park. When Leita Thompson passed away and left her park property to the City of Roswell, a requirement was to maintain those living units for mostly

Beeson:

women, mostly elderly. Some have lived there for decades, and it’s low-income housing for them on fixed income.

In December, there was a report that came out that showed that the parks program said, “Well, it’s getting too high for us to maintain for our budget, and we have a demand for pottery classes, and we want pottery classes in there.” When we’re prioritizing amenities over resi dents, that to me is a concern, especially when it’s something that we already have.

Q: Roswell City Council often talks about what the City of Alpharetta does right and what can be done in Roswell to be more like Alpharetta. Is this the right approach? Or what can Roswell do dif ferently using its own unique resources and characteristics to be successful?

A: We’re comparing apples and oranges a lot of times. I would say both geo graphically and in terms of population, Alpharetta is roughly two thirds of what Roswell is. Anytime these criticisms come up, it’s, “Oh, we want to do it the way that Alpharetta does it.” And they do it from just skimming the surface.

Roswell has an identity crisis right now, in terms of trying to decide what it wants to be. It wants to be Alpharetta in one way. To Alpharetta’s credit, they know what they want to do.

At the same time, it’s realizing that we have certain resources that Alpharet ta doesn’t have. We have the most river frontage property in the metropolitan area. We don’t play to that at all. We also have a significantly larger population. We have areas where we can easily de velop more businesses. We need to play to our strengths and understand what our strengths are and know where we

want to go in order to get there.

Q: Longtime Roswell residents take a lot of pride in being here for so long or growing up here. How long have you been here? And how is that an advantage?

A: I’ve lived here through every phase of my life. I’ve not lived here the entire time.

When I purchased my first home, I couldn’t afford to live here in Roswell. I lived just over the line in Cherokee County on Cox Road. I had to make some very pointed decisions to be able to move back in, back at the time when we were in the middle of the housing crisis.

These are circumstances that most people my age, who are in their 30s, would not be able to replicate. I think having that perspective of how many planets aligning, shooting star moments that I was able to have as a young person to move back into my hometown gives me a perspective that I know no other candidate is going to have. I had to fight to be here.

Beyond living here for about 19 years in total, I’ve seen the city through every phase. The running joke is, “When I was here, it was horse farms.” And honestly it was. I grew up in Brookfield, and that Target shopping center was literally a horse farm. Publix was a horse farm. It was all horse farms. But, we also got to see growing diversity. I have neighbors who are Black, Latino, Jewish, folks who are European immigrants. I love being able to be in a community like that.

To be able to see the diversity, not only of residents, but of businesses as well.

I came here. I grew up here. I’m con tinuing to grow here. And that’s an invest ment that I like to see all the way through.

Q: What’s the best way for residents to learn more about you and your platform or campaign?

A: Check out votebeeson.com. You can reach out to me on there.

JASON MILLER

Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself and what that brings to the voters?

A: At the end of the day, my campaign is simple. It’s about making our gov ernment streamlined. It’s about really making sure we’re doing the right things at the city government level. I’m a small business owner here in Roswell. I’ve lived here for two years, have had my business here based out of Roswell for the last eight years. And, what I’m go ing to bring to the voters is — the clear answer for everyone is transparency. But to go beyond that, it’s really bringing the business acumen of being an entre preneur and really learning how to get through tough times. We went through the 2008 recession. We’ve gone through a lot. I bring the most experience as far

as running an entity to the table.

Q: A big topic in Roswell right now is the rising cost of living and the lack of affordable housing. The mayor and City Council have made it clear they do not want to see any more construction of new apartments in Roswell unless they are part of a mixed-use development. What role should local government have in promoting or restricting affordable housing, which may include multifamily housing?

A: I do appreciate multifamily housing. I lived in that for a lot of my life, growing up and in college. We have to have that. As far as creating new affordable hous ing — that’s tough in Roswell. There are

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA Candidate Jason Miller is a Roswell small business owner.

areas where we can expand what we currently offer. The issue we run into as a city is development cost. The cost of living in Roswell is high, and trying to back into the numbers is very difficult.

We need careful development. We need affordable housing. I think what scares most people about affordable housing is who they believe lives there. I don’t think people recognize that it is the people that work in our restaurants. It is the people that work everywhere in our city. They can’t afford to live here.

High density is a little bit of a struggle because we have a lot of that already. That’s what half of the east side is. We have more apartments on the east side than there are homes. It’s hard to make mixed-use affordable. But, mixeduse is our best bet because we can give people the opportunity to live, work and play in the same spot, especially with a work from home environment now. If I can work in my home and go downstairs and grab lunch or have a cup of coffee, fantastic. Versus me having to leave my city and lose that tax base. That’s what we don’t want. We want to keep our people here.

Q: Do you have any other ideas for how Roswell can address affordable housing?

A: We just had the Atlanta Realtors Political Action Committee meeting. It was where the idea came about where we can afford homeownership for folks. If we take the rent back, and we make it a mortgage, and we teach people homeownership, and we teach people what that means, and we teach people HOA (Homeowners Association), and we teach people to take care of an asset. About the time they leave the afford able housing unit, the course by that time — they’re educated on homeown ership, their credit’s improved, they’re in a much better place in life than they would have been just by being in somewhere where they’re renting just to survive. I think we could teach that homeownership and bring the economics together.

Q: Roswell is a very diverse community. In April, a number of Roswell residents pointed to possible racial bias in the City Council’s new apartment ban and asked about the status of the racial impact assessment, an idea that was tossed around in 2020. The assessment would be part of the city’s comprehensive plan and include a full-scale examination process that focused on staving off racial inequalities, particularly when it comes to zoning and land use regulations. Would you support the city completing and releasing the racial impact assess ment?

A: Oh, absolutely. I think any study, any impact assessment that we can do, whether it’s racial, whatever those impact studies are, we have to get those done. Speaking to that, there are a lot of things we could do as a city that we presently outsource. We use a lot of consultants. I understand that there’s a need for consultants. But, if we empower our department heads that we employ, I think we can make much better strides toward overcoming a lot of what’s going on — racial division.

We’re a very diverse community. It is amazing. You can go from one end of the city to the other, and you meet people from all walks of life, from all parts of the world. We have to do better at making sure everyone feels included and inclusive. I know that is one of our slogans as a city. We’re a very inclusive and diverse city, which is very true. But, we need to empower that. There’s a lot of ways to do that.

Q: Explain your ideal relationship be tween a city government and its local businesses.

A: City government has a duty to attract new businesses and try to attract entre preneurs, which is one of the reasons why I’m here to begin with. My company was out in Cobb County for a while.

There were incentives offered in Roswell at the time, opportunity tax credits, that have since expired. But, those were offered. The city didn’t promote those.

I didn’t hear about that from the city.

I heard about that from the landlord because they were wanting to rent a space. That was a great program. Cities, especially Roswell, have an obligation to begin trying to bring businesses here.

We don’t have a lot of new businesses showing up.

Communication, overall — whether that’s through our residents, whether that’s through our businesses — we are terrible at communicating, which is one of the things I want to fix. Riding around Roswell since the campaign and visiting all the parks and seeing all the options that our residents have, adult recreation centers — we didn’t know about those.

I’m not sure how many businesses in Roswell are aware of the $500 tax credit that the city is providing. I don’t think the businesses have been communicated to, to let them know that. I thought about how to do that — if we do a news letter every month, what do we do? Well, 50,000 newsletters every month. So, we’re looking at a $25,000 in postage.

That gets to be kind of cost prohibitive, which takes us back to our city mobile app. It could be made better. We could do push notifications. We need to do bet ter promoting that and do better promot ing us as a city overall.

The city has an obligation for busi ness. We’re talking business. We’re not

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Miller:

talking big business. Ninety percent of our businesses are small businesses. When we say small businesses that are under 10 employees — they are our restaurants, our dry cleaners, all these places that make us function as a soci ety. We tend to forget that.

Q: The East Roswell Economic Action Committee presented its final report in 2020. It includes recommendations on how to better promote economic develop ment in this area. How would you decide where to begin tackling the recommend ed improvements and how to fund them along with having other additional and new priorities?

A: We have to make better use of either community improvement districts, CIDs, or TADS, tax allocation districts. If we can get the businesses built around that method, at least on the east side, espe cially right there at 400 and Holcomb Bridge — that is such a lost opportunity that we’re just squandering. There’s so much available space, whether that be for multi-use, whether that be for businesses moving in, whatever that might be, or convention space, whatever that might be for, there’s such an opportunity.

I think if we can combine that mixeduse along with jobs, which is what we’ve got to have. We have the jobs. But, if we can create better paying jobs, things that will keep our people here, that’s what we got to have. Because the last thing we want as a community is our citizens living in Roswell and then going to work in Alpharetta, going to work in Johns Creek, going to work in East Cobb because we lose that tax base.

Q: What role do you see transparency playing and how the City Council oper ates?

A: When I started running, that was one of those things I could not understand why, you know — “I’m transparent. I’m transparent” — why that has to be said to begin with is discouraging, at least.

I start to pick up on it because I tried to figure out what current council and mayor do that people don’t believe are transparent. There are some things I kind of understand about that. I’m not saying whether that’s intended or not. It’s just either a lack of communication or it’s a lack of knowledge or lack of communicating what the intentions are.

What I mean by that is the bonds — the bonds we have coming up. At a City Coun cil meeting, someone had asked a question about why not put on the referendum itself on the ballot about what it cost an aver age homeowner — “It was already written. We can’t do it. It was already done. It’s a done deal. Everybody should understand what bonds are.” I don’t think that a lot of people do. I think we stopped teaching civ ics a long time ago.

I think most people, when they walk to a ballot box that says, “Do you approve $107 million for recreation and parks?” and we’re like, “Heck yeah,” without even understanding that that’s going to cause an increase in property taxes. I don’t know if that’s intentional. But, that’s where the transparency comes in. That’s where we have to do better.

Q: The Roswell City Council often talks about what the City of Alpharetta does right, and what can be done in Roswell to be more like Alpharetta. Is this the right approach? Or, what can Roswell do differently using its own unique resourc es and characteristics to be successful?

A: It goes back to being a kid in my very first job. I was a waiter and you got to set yourself apart, be different. I hear that day-in-day-out, “Sandy Springs does this and Alpharetta does this. And, we’re falling behind.” Well, it’s only be

cause we’re trying to copy other people. Let’s don’t do that. We have such great natural resources. We have a river below us, and we have the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains right above us.

The other day I was at a meeting, and when I said I would like us to be the tech hub, they looked at me and said, “Well, Alpharetta already is that.” Does that matter that someone else already is? We could take the tech title from Alpharetta. Just because Alpharetta has a lot of good businesses up there that are technically-oriented does not mean that we’re not a tech hub. I run a tech company. I can’t find good people to work because we don’t have affordable housing. Or they don’t want to travel so far to come to Roswell.

Stop trying to be Alpharetta. Stop trying to be Sandy Springs. Let’s go be Roswell.

Q: Longtime Roswell residents take a lot of pride in being here for so long and growing up here. Do you think they have an advantage over you or what do you think you have to offer since you’ve lived here two years?

A: I think about this a lot. I think some of my opponents, and other people in politics, really focus on how long they’ve been a resident, how long they’ve been in an area. My rebuttal back to that was, “Do you realize the last four years, and what that was, prior to the current ad ministration? And why not get involved earlier? If you’ve been here that long. That’s no excuse. I think that’s terrible.”

At the first opportunity I have to do good and to get involved I’m taking it.

I consider it almost an advantage because I have a different perspective.

I’ve been here again, every single day, building the company, and living here for the last two years. I live, work and play in Roswell and have for, solidly, the last two years. Some of my opponents, they work in other cities. They’re not here all the time.

I don’t think the fact that I’ve only been in Roswell and as a resident for two years should bear into their minds, but it will.

Q: If you had to give one last pitch, why should Roswell residents vote for you?

A: Because I’m different. I’m going to be different in all ways. I believe I’m the only entrepreneurial candidate. I see things differently. I don’t approach it from a political standpoint at all. I approach most things from a “Does it make business sense?” And, whether that is economics, whether that is housing, whether that is development, if it makes good sense for the commu nity, then why not do it? I’m always a big proponent of trying different things, of sticking our neck on the line, let’s see what we can get done.

I don’t like the status quo, which I think is another advantage I bring. People don’t like change. But, if we can convince them to upgrade, choose a little better deal. If I can’t get you to change your phone, I can convince you to up grade.

There are certain things that we do because we don’t know a better way. That is one of the unique perspectives I can bring to the city. And, I do bring to the city. I bring it every day with the com pany. I can extrapolate that into our city government and really get back to the transparency and do good for the city.

I’m so heavily invested in Roswell. My companies are here. My family is here. My home is here. I have to make it work.

Q: What’s the best way for residents to learn more about you and your plat form?

A: My website’s jasonforroswell.com and social media, same thing. Our phone number, in case anybody wants to call, is 770-415-3650.

Just because Alpharetta has a lot of good businesses up there that are technicallyoriented does not mean that we’re not a tech hub.”

JASON MILLER

ALLEN SELLS

Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself and what that brings to the voters?

A: We have lived in Roswell, my wife and I. We raised our children in Roswell, been here since 1995. When we moved here, I still worked in the CNN Center. I have a lot of experience in corporate development, which in Roswell today is a big need. We’re sort of out of balance. It has been great to live in Roswell. We love the city. We are on the east side. I am the only east side candidate. Roswell needs a perspective for both sides. Obviously, we’re a united Ro swell. We have one tax base. We need to understand and believe that we have one balance sheet that we are taking to the market against competitor cities.

Q: A big topic in Roswell right now is the rising cost of living and the lack of affordable housing. The mayor and City Council have made it clear that they do not want to see any more construction of new apartments unless they are part of a mixed-use development. What role if any, should local government have in promoting or restricting affordable housing, which may include multifamily housing?

A: Roswell has a good size complement of what I would call “workforce hous ing.” There’s 11,300 units in Roswell, which is over 30 percent of the housing

stock. We have more units than Al pharetta by a good bit. We have almost either double, maybe even triple what Johns Creek and Milton have. Roswell has a fair amount of diverse housing. I do believe that that’s important for a city to have a diverse base of opportunities for housing. But, I do believe as a city, our top priority for all of our residents is to bring good paying jobs so people can afford to live in Roswell. We have to focus on bringing jobs that allow people to live, work, play as well as thrive and grow their family. We want our residents to feel like being in Roswell has bettered their life, and part of that is providing them the opportunity to live here afford ably and make a life for themselves.

Q: Do you have any other ideas for how Roswell can address affordable housing?

A: I spent a good amount of time with the Roswell Housing Authority. I began my career at KPMG. I’m a CPA, and my clients were Atlanta Housing Authority and several other housing authorities. The Housing Authority of Roswell is an important part of solving any problem that revolves around that issue. Looking at the situation, talking to the residents — I was at their CDBG (Community De velopment Block Grant) meeting briefly.

FALL FESTIVAL

APPEN PRESS CLUB

MEMBER

CHARTER MEMBER

Robin Fricton

Roderick Liptrot

Bob Meyers

Roger Wise Jr.

MEMBER+

Rita Brown

Charlcie Forehand

Anne Peer

Robert Popp

Mark Rundle

Suraj Sehgal

MEMBER

Mary Asbury

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Tom Billings

Joe Bowen

Kirk Canaday

James Carr

Pat Check

Tom Driscoll

Danny Elkins

Carol Fry

Christopher Goodrich

Joe Hirsch

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Tyler Jones

MEMBER (Cont.)

Mark Kelly Allison Kloster

Ken Leffingwell

Karen Magill

Al Merrill

Fred Moeller

Stephanie Schuette

Cindy Simpson

Faye Sklar

Andy Smith

Lisa Tilt

Ollie Wagner

Lewis Walker

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA Allen Sells is the only candidate for Post 1 who lives on Roswell’s east side.

Sells:

If you recall a few years ago they had not passed an inspection in a lot of years, and concerned citizens recognized that if the Housing Authority was taken over by HUD (Housing and Urban Development), Roswell would lose the important part in making affordable housing a reality in Roswell. So, concerned citizens got out, crawling around on the ground picking up glass before the inspection, cleaning up, making sure that the Roswell Hous ing Authority would pass. The leadership has pulled that housing authority back from the brink. But, I will say you know they’re in a tough spot still.

I should point out that the city has a limited role in Roswell Housing Author ity. The only official role is the appoint ment of the board members by the mayor himself, not by the City Council. But, we have an influential role. We are interested in their success as our citizens and as a means to drive afford able housing in Roswell. The mayor and council can help drive this conversation with HUD, perhaps with state officials to provide the additional resources. But, also, there’s a forensic role for the City Council to play. As a CPA and as some one who has housing authority experi ence, we should look at those things and see what can be restruck or re-traded. And, try to use the housing authority as it should be used — a local path for people to achieve affordable housing.

Q: In April, a number of Roswell resi dents pointed to possible racial bias in the City Council’s new apartment ban and asked about the status of the racial impact assessment, an idea that was tossed around in 2020. The assessment would be part of the city’s comprehen sive plan and include a full-scale exami

nation process that focused on staving off racial inequalities, particularly when it comes to zoning and land use regula tions. Would you support the city com pleting or going through with the racial impact assessment?

A: I don’t know enough about that particular document, but I do know that through the process of the CDBG grants, Roswell is required, and they are currently going through a process of as sessing barriers to fair housing. I sat in on two community meetings, the one at the Roswell Housing Authority but also a more full eval of the entire process on the east side. I know that there is action by the city to look at these issues. We should identify ways to raise the level of living for all of our citizens at all times.

There are limited things that the city has in its purview. Clearly, zoning is one of those. Several of the cities in their comprehensive plan are shooting at 30 to 32 percent composition of workforce housing. We are already there. Where we are truly out of balance is in our com mercial real estate. Roswell has about 30 percent of our tax digest in commercial property, 70 percent is in residential.

You have to have a balance of that. Otherwise, your tax digest doesn’t cover the operations of the city, so you’re chasing grants or you’re using other resources that could be used to better the city to make up the shortfall because you’re out of balance.

Q: Can you tell me more about your ideal relationship between the city gov ernment and its local businesses?

A: A lot of times we’re not the ones to light the fire. I think the role of the City Council, different than perhaps state or federal, is to blow on the embers.

We should find ways to take those sparks of ingenuity — let’s face it, most people in their life are not going to start a business. Somebody said, “Ah, I have this great idea.” We, as citizens, have a great opportunity to blow on those em bers in different ways. Perhaps the city’s role would be through the operations of the business development offices and those kinds of people to help bring busi ness to help support that cause.

Q: The East Roswell Economic Action Committee presented its final report in 2020 and includes recommendations on how to better promote economic develop ment in this area. How would you decide where to begin tackling the recommend ed improvements and how to fund them along with having other additional new priorities?

A: East Roswell is unique challenge. The Chattahoochee is sort of a moat. But also, 400 is the Great Wall. As someone who lives on the far east side, coming over to City Hall can be, at the wrong time of day — better pack a tent. It’s a challenge for our businesses. It’s a chal lenge for our residents.

If you think about a small shop, they tend to be very thinly capitalized and of the size that if the wind blows the wrong way, you’ve got a derelict business.

We need to attract some corporate cli ents that go out shopping at lunchtime or

go support these restaurants, so they can make it. We need to focus on businesses as a city in these areas that are under stress. We need to focus on bringing in some clients that bring almost a destina tion, whether it’s just a work destination, or it’s a true destination for leisure. Re placing one failed business with a second thinly capitalized business is not doing favors to the business owner who’s risk ing the capital or to the community that gets to pick up the pieces.

Q: Do you have any ideas on how to do that?

A: My career has been made through negotiation. One of the things that I learned early in my career in negotia tions is you need to begin the negotia tion with a clear model of what your business model is. What is it that I’m trying to accomplish for our team, our capital, our company, our city?

The next thing that I do, which I think is a relatively unique approach, I try to cross the table. I’m a chess player, so I try to turn the chess board around and say, “OK, what moves would I do?”

We can’t make people invest in Roswell. We invite them to invest in Roswell. What I want to do is to under stand exactly how they make money so that we can try to preserve those oppor tunities and still get what the city needs to start that business.

Q: What role do you see transparency playing in how the City Council oper ates?

A: The way Roswell’s government is structured is pitch perfect for that. And that is a part-time position that should be occupied by a citizen. This is not a profes sion. We don’t have professional council members. It’s intended to be citizens.

The way Roswell does it, and I’m sure all the other municipalities do too, you go

I do believe as a city, our top priority for all of our residents is to bring good paying jobs so people can afford to live in Roswell.”

ALLEN SELLS

Sells:

through some training after you become a council member about how this stuff works because that way you can add val ue. The purpose is to bring citizens to the table to allow them to guide government with a clear eye. I think Roswell is struc tured in a correct way for that purpose.

I say get the bad news out early. Hiders always lose. If there is bad news to be told, you need to make sure it’s on the table quickly. I can’t remember what wise person said this but, “We may not solve all the problems we face, but we won’t solve any that we don’t face.” As citizens we have to be presented with the clear, unvarnished truth and react to that. I’m all about transparency. I have no purpose in this other than particu larly to provide as much authority to the residents of Roswell themselves as humanly possible and the least amount of government as humanly possible.

I have nothing to hide. I choose clar ity over agreement. We may disagree, but we should both be clear about what our positions are.

Q: The Roswell City Council often talks about what the city of Alpharetta does right, and what can be done in Roswell to duplicate that. Is this the right ap

proach? Or, what can Roswell do dif ferently using its own unique resources and characteristics to be successful?

A: I’m not sure that the talk that you’re pointing to is Roswell saying, “Let’s be Al pharetta.” I don’t think that’s a character ization that I would agree with. I think Ro swell has a uniqueness that is a strength. I have to say we can be united and unique at the same time. But, what I see when I hear those comments is that old say ing, “Seek not to imitate the masters, but rather seek what they saw.” What Alpharetta and other cities have seen is to have a balanced economic model for their city. They intentionally did things over the last 20 years to build that balance.

I think it was absolutely appropriate for Roswell to say, “Where did we miss that? What can we do to get back in bal ance?” I don’t think that’s the same as Roswell saying, “We need Avalon or what ever the case may be.” Nobody has the riverfront that we do. Nobody really has the quaint, historic downtown, quirky as

it is, that we do. We’re clear that we have assets that are unique. But, we should seek to fulfill the objectives of our citizens using a process that’s tried and true as opposed to just making it up as we go. We need a better plan.

Q: A lot of longtime Roswell residents take a lot of pride in being here for so long or growing up here. How do you see that as being an advantage running for City Council?

A: So much of culture is geography. There is a lot about Roswell that’s caught, not taught. You may have taken Georgia history in school, but you didn’t take Roswell history. The only way you’re going to pick that up is by being here, meeting the people, catching the culture of Roswell. You’re not going to learn it in a book. It’s important to have roots here. We’re on our fourth address in Roswell. We had bought a place in Midtown and were thinking of moving in Midtown. We owned it for seven years.

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We never sold our house in Roswell. We love Midtown. But, we were like, “Our peeps are out here.” So, we sold the house in Midtown right before COVID and instead bought a townhome in Roswell, so we could stay here with the people that we raised our kids with, the people that we go to church with.

Q: If you have to give one last pitch, why should Roswell residents vote for you?

A: I have real world experience in a lot of things that matter to Roswell. It is not a slight on Roswell to say that we face some challenges that are probably imminent and need immediate care and attention. The Housing Authority is clearly one of those. We cannot afford to have another decade where we fall far ther behind, and business opportunities leapfrogs us to go to the other cities. I believe that a vote for me is a vote for, “We need to do what we need to do in Roswell now. We need to do it wisely. We need a good negotiator who under stands how to close billion-dollar deals at the table.” There are businesspeople on the council today, but I do think my skills are different than the rest of the council in terms of negotiations and be ing a CPA.

Q: What’s the best way for residents to learn more about you and your platform and campaign?

A: allen4roswell.com

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Nobody has the riverfront that we do. Nobody really has the quaint, historic downtown, quirky as it is, that we do. We’re clear that we have assets that are unique.”

ALLEN SELLS

MULHAM SHBEIB

Q: Can you please tell us a little about yourself and what that brings to the voters?

A: I’ve lived in Roswell for 10 years, my wife and I. I’m the CFO of a chicken company. We’re the 15th largest chicken company in America. We employ over 1,000 people in Georgia. Our budget is actually bigger than the entire City of Roswell’s budget. As CFO I feel very comfortable understanding finances, accounting, transparency, ethics and so forth. During our 10 years in Roswell, I tried to be very active in the community. I’ve coached my daughters in basketball through park and recs. I’ve coached them in softball through park and recs. I’ve sat on two school boards here in the Alpharetta-Roswell area. And, in my house, we’ve got four daughters and my dad. So, in my house I have from the ages of 7 to 85 years old or so. I’m in vested in the city based on everyone that I have living with us at home.

Q: A big topic in Roswell right now is the rising cost of living and the lack of affordable housing. The mayor and City Council have made it clear they do not want to see any more construction of new apartments in Roseville unless they are part of a mixed-use development. What role should local government have in promoting or restricting affordable housing which may include multifamily housing?

A: One of the reasons that I decided to run for City Council is — as I mentioned, I have four daughters here. I’d love to be part of the decision-making process as the girls get older. They say, “Dad, Roswell is a really good place to be. We don’t want to have to live anywhere else.” As these kids graduate from col lege and start their professional careers, you need to have opportunities for young professionals to live in the city. So, just having a balanced approach of under standing the history of Roswell, the charm of Roswell, the culture of Roswell, but at the same time, allowing young professionals an opportunity to be here as well.

I think there’s a lot of value in mixed-use facilities. I’ve seen it done in Alpharetta. A mixed-use thing is a good thing. I just think it gives people an opportunity to feel that they’re part of the neighborhood. They’re part of the city and so forth and just giving younger folks an opportunity to feel like this is their home as well.

Q: Do you have any other ideas for how Roswell will can address affordable housing?

A: Roswell is a very interesting city be

cause land-wise, we’re about 45 square miles in size and about 100,000 people or so. One of the ways that you can help address these issues is sometimes you can provide tax incentives to builders. The builder doesn’t feel they’re losing money because they’ve been incentivized from the government to build here.

Q: Roswell is a very diverse commu nity. But, in April, a number of Roswell residents pointed to possible racial bias in the City Council’s new apartment ban and asked about the status of the racial impact assessment, an idea that was tossed around in 2020. The assessment would be part of the city’s comprehen sive plan and include a full-scale exami nation process that focuses on staving off racial inequalities, particularly when it comes to zoning and land use regula tions. Would you support the city com pleting the racial impact assessment?

A: I’d love to know the cost associated with that. I think that’s a fair question to ask. If you started it, and you put in the money, and it doesn’t have a huge mate rial impact financially on the taxpayers, I definitely think it should be completed.

Q: Explain your ideal relationship be tween a city government and its local businesses.

A: I think you want to have a really strong relationship. Part of what makes a city healthy is having a good combi nation of businesses. Businesses are a fabric of our community, of our city. One of the ways to make a city successful is if its businesses are successful. So, obviously, just having a good working re lationship where you could understand some of the challenges the businesses are having, some of the opportunities.

I feel like it’s a partnership, and if you have a city with just all residents and no strong businesses, that wouldn’t be a good thing short term or long term.

Q: The East Roswell Economic Action Committee presented its final report in 2020. It includes recommendations on how to better promote economic develop ment in this area. How would you decide where to begin tackling the recommend ed improvements and how to fund them along with having other additional and new priorities?

A: Economic development is a big thing that I would really be focused on. About 35 percent of the city lives in East Ro swell population-wise, 65 percent is in West Roswell. As a City Council member, the majority of the challenges facing the city from an economic development side is definitely East Roswell. About two years ago, I was appointed by the

governor to the Georgia Department of Economic Development. My strongest suit as a candidate is economic develop ment. Through the Georgia Department of Economic Development, I’ve made a lot contacts, learned a lot, built a lot of good relationships. I’ve learned, just through the last 10 years, it’s really not about politics, it’s about your policies.

There used to be Studio Movie Grill. It was in East Roswell. It was the anchor tenant of an almost 10-acre property. That left and went about 5 miles north to Alpharetta. Having strong policies in place would have kept Studio Movie Grill here. That’s something that I’m going to advocate for. That’s something that I’m passionate about. That’s something that I’m going to definitely champion — is just developing East Roswell.

One thing I’m really focused on and hopeful for is — as my daughters get older, they want to be in Roswell, they want to be part of this community. If you develop a whole city the right way, this would be a great opportunity for my kids to stay here. We’re not a broken city by any means. There’s a lot of good in this city. But, just because there’s a lot of good doesn’t mean there’s a lot of opportunity.

Q: You mentioned Studio Movie Grill. What other types of businesses would you like to see in East Roswell?

A: I’d like to see more on the riverside, for example. There’s so much oppor tunity there. We have beautiful parks — so many opportunities from a trail perspective, biking. Just having a good combination of making that part of town a place to live, to work, to play, to retire

and so forth. Mixed-use could be a really good example of that, like these really nice neighborhoods. Within that, like what they’ve done in parts of downtown Alpharetta, like near City Hall, those little pockets — I’d love to see something like that created in East Roswell and in all parts of Roswell. The stronger you make our city, the better it is for genera tions to come.

Q: What role do you see transparency playing in how the city council operates?

A: I think transparency is huge. I believe I’m the only candidate, from a trans parency perspective — I’m not accept ing more than $200 from anyone. But, at the same time, I’m publishing the financials associated with my campaign because I know how important transpar ency is, especially in the role of govern ment. We’re not a publicly traded com pany. We’re not a private company. We’re the government, and our money basi cally comes from the taxpayers. If your source of income is from the taxpayers, you need to be transparent.

Q: The Roswell City Council often talks about what the City of Alpharetta does right and what can be done in Roswell to duplicate that. Is this the right ap proach? Or what can Roswell do differ ently using its own unique resources and characteristics to be successful?

A: I’ve only lived in Roswell for 10 years but talking to a lot of friends and going through this process, folks who have lived here for 20 or more years have told me that they feel in the last 10 years,

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA Mulham Shbeib, CFO for Mar-Jac Poultry, has lived in Roswell for 10 years.

Shbeib:

20 years or so that Roswell has been left behind other neighboring cities. There’s some truth to that. But, we have some thing special that nobody else does. We have 27 parks here in Roswell. We have over 900 acres of parks. We have the charm of downtown Roswell as well.

think we have a lot of value in our city. But, we just need to find the right balance where we maintain the charm of Roswell, everything that’s made it special, for the history, for 150 years or so, the things that make Roswell special, we need to definitely focus on. But, the areas that are maybe being left behind, we need to address those issues and ad dress them responsibly and tackle them one by one.

Q: Longtime Roswell residents take a lot of pride in being here for so long and growing up here. Do you think that they have an advantage to that? How is being a longtime Roswell resi dent an advantage when running for City Council?

A: I’ve met some residents as I go through this process who have lived here for 50 years, who have a lot of value to share. In a way they’re almost like the elders of the community. You

definitely want to respect what they have to say. You definitely want to hear their thoughts. You want to find issues that are important to them and respectfully listen.

Somebody a lot smarter than me said, “Mulham, you’ve got two ears and one mouth, so you always want to listen twice as much as you talk.” One thing that kind of helps me as I go through this process — I’ve never run for any position. This is all green to me. One of the things I feel that is a good quality or characteristic for me — I know a lot about the city but at the same time, I have a lot to learn. So, if I’m fortunate and blessed to have the opportunity to be part of City Council, I think that’s an advantage, where I’m not just set in my own ways.

I’m definitely looking to listen, look ing to learn. That’s one of the things I’ve tried to do as a candidate, whether

you’re knocking on doors, posting coffee meet and greets, doing phone calls, go ing to community events. When you go to these events, you see the perspective from everyone.

Q: If you had to give one last pitch, why should Roswell residents vote for you?

Tell us a little bit about your priorities.

A: My passion is really strong for the city. I’ve invested in the city quite a bit. I work about 50 miles from here. My wife and I chose for me to drive 45 miles to work because I know how great of a city Roswell is. Also, in my house, I’ve got my four daughters. I’ve got my dad as well.

I have a 7-year-old, a 12-year-old, a 15-year-old, an 18-year-old, my wife and I, and my dad. Hearing the perspective of Roswell from my own home gives me a good perspective of the city as well.

What also makes me a different candidate is I’m not taking any money.

Like I said, I’m not accepting more than $200. At the same time, I’ve commit ted to donating all that back to the City of Roswell. I know as a councilmember you’re not doing this for the money. They make about $18,000 a year. Regardless, I’ve already committed to donating back to the city, whether park and recs, police programs fire and so forth. So, I’m not taking money as a candidate, and I’m not keeping any money.

I’d be as transparent as possible and just using my business experience, just being a CFO and a CPA of a fairly large company. Being appointed by the governor to the Georgia Department of Economic Development, having that be a big area I’m really interested in. I add a lot of value to the city.

One of the things I think that I enjoy about myself honestly is whether you’re a multimillionaire or making $10 an hour, I will treat you exactly the same. I don’t distinguish at all. I treat everybody the right way. I mean I’ve really tried to be kind to everyone that I meet and try to treat people with respect.

Q: What’s the best way for residents to learn more about you and your plat form?

A: I would say the best way is just through social media initially — yes2ro swell.com is the website. Also, facebook. com/yes2roswell. My phone number is on there.

We’re not a broken city by any means. There’s a lot of good in this city. But, just because there’s a lot of good doesn’t mean there’s a lot of opportunity.”

MULHAM SHBEIB

Antique books abound at Roswell shop

By CHAMIAN CRUZ chamian@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga. — Sonny Ideker wasn’t fond of reading growing up, but today, he spends most of his time surrounded by a grand collection of rare and an tiquarian books that hold rich history between their pages.

The 76-year-old is the owner of Son ny Ideker Rare and Antiquarian Book seller inside City Antiques and Interiors in Roswell. The bookstore features an eclectic mix of decorative, general anti quarian books, most 100 years or older.

His collection ranges from “St. Gregory’s (Pope Gregory I.) Teachings on the Gospel” from 1493 to the 1987 “We the People,” an elephant folio work made in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution. The shelves also include a variety of classics as well as works by authors such as William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Edgar Allen Poe and Jane Austin.

And, if you just so happen to be looking for costume books from Russia, Turkey, England, Africa or Asia, he has those too.

“We’re called booksellers, but we are book showers,” Ideker said. “Our job is to find out your interest and show you books of interest. You decide if you want to buy or not. You can have a library and not one book looks like this, and it could still be a wonderful library. You should always buy what you want, not what someone tells you to buy.”

Ideker has been in the bookselling/ collecting business for over 25 years, but he said he doesn’t read for pleasure and never has, because of his dyslexia. How ever, that doesn’t stop him from trying to spark an interest in others, especially

children, whenever they visit his store.

“We show them the fore-edged painted books and have them say, ‘abra cadabra,’ because they’re magic,” Ideker said.

Before he was a collector, Ideker was a U.S. Air Force pilot for 20 years and served in the Vietnam War. He was stationed in countries such as Korea, Thailand, Spain and Germany, where he was able to immerse himself in different cultures. When he retired, he was hired by Delta and eventually moved to Eu rope, where he lived with his wife, Janel, for five and a half years.

At that time, he says he had never visited a bookstore or antique store.

Then, one day his wife, who owned a home décor store, asked him to bring her back interesting books he happened to come across on one of his trips. He said she planned to use them to decorate.

“That’s how it all started,” Ideker said. “Once I was introduced to books, the people in England were so kind to me and willing to share their knowledge with me, ... and I just fell in love with the process.”

The first set of books Ideker bought was at a street fair in Brighton, Eng land, that had been in a fire. While they smelled, he said they were nice look ing. His wife didn’t quite feel the same, and the books never made it out of the

garage, Ideker said.

As time went on, he learned what to look for in antiquarian books from his bookseller friends in Europe. The more he collected them, Ideker said the more they became a reason to get up in the morning.

Ideker said he probably sells more religious books than anything else be cause most early books were all religious in nature. But, his personal favorite is a French version of the New Testament and Book of Psalms from 1710 in which every psalm is put to music.

Somehow though, he says he doesn’t get attached to any one book.

“When someone buys a book, you see the person and you see the joy it brings them,” Ideker said. “So, it’s not like it’s just a financial transaction. There’s some emotion because you’ve met the person.”

Steven Martin, a business partner at Sonny Ideker Rare and Antiquarian Bookseller, said their customers are some of the most interesting people he’s ever met. They come from all walks of life, often oohing and aahing as they move from shelf to shelf.

“It’s a good feeling to be able to provide something like this to the com munity,” Martin said. “Most people are not familiar with this sort of shop. The two words I hear constantly from outside the door are ‘wow’ and ‘amazing.’ A lot of people are afraid to come in or touch anything, but, I mean, the books are here, books are designed to be held. So, we’ll go through the process of educating them on how to hold a book or what to look for, and that’s neat when you can open somebody’s eyes.”

Martin was a student at Kennesaw State University when he responded

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From left, Sonny Ideker and Steven Martin bond over their passion for antiquarian books at Sonny Ideker Rare and Antiquarian Bookseller inside City Antiques and Interiors in Roswell.

We’re called booksellers, but we are book showers.

SONNY IDEKER, co-owner, Sonny Ideker Rare and Antiquarian Bookseller

Can the pace of home remodeling continue?

Brought to you by – Remodeling Expo Center

Throughout 2021 home remodel ing seemed virtually unaffected by the Covid pandemic. Home sales continue to be robust, but the pace of home remodeling is even greater. New home buyers tend to remodel as soon as they move into their new home, but the remodeling craze seems to apply to everyone. “Our Kitchen and Bathroom remodeling business has experienced a 75% year over year increase” says John Hogan, president of Remodeling Expo Center, “and we don’t see any slowdown in sight.”

There’s been a rapid change to supply chains in our entire economy and while some businesses are suf fering, others are prospering. Demand for products and services are at record levels and businesses are required to re-think their supply chain from end to end; those businesses that creative ly maneuver around the supply chain

issues are prospering.

“Last year we re-focused all of our purchasing to those suppliers with local inventory, so we get instant ac cess to products, then we diverted custom built products to smaller, more nimble suppliers, and finally we began to inventory some items so our remodeling jobs could get started faster and eliminate job progress interruptions. These changes weren’t easy but without them we couldn’t be in the hyper-growth mode that we’re presently experiencing, says Bobbie Kohm, Vice President of Remodeling Expo Center, “Turnkey Design-Build companies, like us, keep the process very simple.”

Low interest rates are going to be around for a long time and investment in our homes is likely to continue. For more information on Remodeling Expo Center (RemodelingExpo.com), contact them at their showroom at 48 King Street in Roswell or at 404-910-3969.

Soleil Belmont Park celebrates

109 homes sold in nine months!

Brought to you by - Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices GA Properties

Soleil Belmont Park, a 55 plus com munity built by award-winning Patrick Malloy Communities, is an extraordi nary new home community expertly de signed for active adults. Conveniently located between Milton and Canton, Soleil Belmont Park will feature 471 low maintenance homes. This exciting new neighborhood offers an array of re sort style amenities including a 9,800 square foot community clubhouse with a coffee and cocktail bar, health and fitness center, catering kitchen, arts and crafts studio, club/card room and a community post office. Homeowners

will enjoy a resort-style pool, tennis and pickle ball courts, bocce ball, a community garden, and walking trails. In addition, Soleil Belmont Park will have its own lifestyle and travel direc tor.

With the focus on lifestyle and amenities, Soleil Belmont Park offers a lifestyle that appeals to a variety of buyers all with their own specific rea sons for choosing Soleil Belmont Park. Some were looking for a sense of com munity and a social lifestyle where they could meet new friends. Others wanted a lock and leave lifestyle to

enjoy traveling and visiting family and friends. Staying healthy is a quest for many and Soleil’s fitness centers and social sports such as pickle ball and tennis played an important part in their homebuying decision. And don’t forget the four-legged members of the family who enjoy the outdoors and the extensive walking trails. Whatever the reason, Soleil is quickly becoming the place for the ultimate in active adult living!

Next year the Soleil story will continue with the opening of Soleil Summit Chase. Located in Gwinnett

County’s town of Snellville, this sister neighborhood will open for sales this winter. To join the Soleil Summit Chase VIP list and to register for com munity updates, go to www.pmcommu nities.com.

Make plans to visit Soleil Belmont Park’s model home park featuring five designer models priced from the low $500s+. Visit www.SoleilBelmontPark. com or call 770.635.4080. Sales and marketing by Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties New Homes Division. Equal Housing Oppor tunity.

SOLEIL BELMONT PARK / PROVIDED

Deryle Allen

Pam Gillig

Wendy Mullins

Melanie Snare

The Haran Group

Christy Barnett

Laura Herrera

Cynthia Norcia

Michael Stevens

The McCown Group

Monica Blanco

Beanne Creeger

Katie Holmes

Michelle Porche

Susie Uhlich

Nixon Zygmont Team

Kirsten Bowen

Josh Dower

Mary Lou Lanaux

Tricia Quidley

Andi Cueny Ward

The Rutherford Group

Sheila Bowling

Rebecca Duncan

Beth Luther

Annemarie Russo

Kathy Whitehouse

Tirone

Weaver Team

Lurine Craig Burke

Sara Ead

Pamela McArthur

Jenny Salter

Sheri Whitney

Humminbirds Team

Trisha Estes

Jane Mentzer

Karen Salter

Tracy

Shelley Carafano

Amy Etheridge

Te’A Metro

Pam Scudellari

Dana Banister Coleman

Ramsey Flint

Missy Ann Mulkeen

Jan

Still a great time to sell your home

Brought to you by - Allison Kloster, Associate Broker, Home Real Estate

There is much talk in the media and in the social network world about the market and the shift that everyone is seeing and feeling. The sky is not falling. We live in a very sought-after area. A community that folks from all parts of the country, and even more in our very own metropolitan area, want to call home. The shift that you see is what we, Realtors, call normalization, a traditional market, if you will. Our val ues are significantly still up, from a year ago. It is still an extremely good time to sell and a really great time to buy. The interest rates have gone up for all the reasons you have read about, but mostly because the Fed is trying to stabilize the econo my and control inflation. Refinancing

becomes a real part of the dialogue now because it is important to note that the interest rate you close on today is not a lifelong commitment. You can and should refinance when the market settles, and interest rates come back down. This will happen. By looking at an interest rate chart over the last 25 years, you will see all the ups and downs rates have experienced and you can see notable times in our history where refinancing became the norm and homeown ers could capture better rates than when they first bought their home.

Ask your lender to keep you posted on rates and tell them you will want to refinance when an opportunity presents itself and you meet the criteria to do so.

In our current market, selling your home is still a great idea because while our inventory levels have increased, they are still down and not over saturated. Your buyer pool is more concentrated and usually yields you stronger, more serious buyers at this time of year. In other words, you will have better showings and more motivated buyers and they will want to potentially close over a winter break and start the new year in a new home.

Buying in the fall season is the best. As a buyer, there will not be as many other buyers out there competing with you and therefore, you have a strong possibility of getting the home of your dreams with the terms that make you comfortable. You may be able to get a 5, 7 or even 10-day due diligence period. This will allow you to assess

the property in any way you want. You may be able to get a financing and an appraisal contingency again and pos sibly even a survey contingency. Of course, all of this will be dependent upon the house itself. It is critical that sellers go the extra mile to make their home shine. Buyers are paying more in monthly payments and are now expect ing more from the sellers. It is really important to create that sense of arrival and stage the home for the buyers and that need will continue to be important in to the 2023 market.

If you would like for us to come, see your home and help you understand the best money to spend to position your home for top dollar in this market – please reach out to us. We are here to help and improve your potential sales price!

Brought

Leaves turning, temperatures cool ing and winter approaching means that it’s time to prep your household for the change of season. Post-summer months are the perfect time to prime your home for winter, especially in the South, where—finally—the weather is less hot and humid. The follow ing list breaks down fall maintenance

specific

1. Windows and doors.

AMERICAN LEGION POST 201

EVENTS CALENDAR

SATURDAY EVENING,

Air leaks

a less-thancomfortable

Fall:

has worn down or disappeared com pletely and replace single-pane windows with multiple-pane models or glass with spacers or filler gasses.

2. Gutters.

As your home’s exterior drainage system, gutters man age the amount of water that touches the foundation walls and external sur faces, and through out the year, they accumulate debris that needs to be removed. To properly clean them out, all you need is a ladder, gloves, a bucket and a hose to rinse them down after all the sludge has been discarded.

3. Water lines and hoses.

When temperatures drop, leftover water in your pipes can freeze and dam age your home’s irrigation system. While disconnecting and emptying your garden hoses is fairly simple, you may want to call a professional to winterize your sprinkler system, as high pressure is often necessary.

4. Fireplace and chimney.

It’s important to keep fireplaces and chimneys clean and check them for damage. You’ll want to make sure that creosote doesn’t accumulate from burning wood (as it is flammable and contains toxins) and check for flue blockages as well as loose or broken joints.

5. Furnace.

Turn on your furnace before it’s actu ally necessary. Listen for strange noises, check for unusual smells and make sure your filter is fresh.

Whether you decide to run through the list yourself or hire a contractor, doing a maintenance check now and tackling a few small improvements means that you can truly relax during the holidays and enjoy your home for the way it makes room for friends and fam ily. Just a few improvements can make a huge impact. If you need assistance renovating your home or have any other real estate needs, please contact Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty at 770.442.7300. We would be happy to assist you!

Compiled and edited by Angela Valente, Marketing Copywriter/Copy editor

Exceptional Living

ALPHARETTA

AUBURN

ELLENWOOD

LOCUST GROVE

BROOKHAVEN

Newhaven

WOODSTOCK

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

Western Cape 7806

Offered for $10,000,000

MCDONOUGH

Turner

for $900,000

Henderson

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL

Private Island House

for $14,638,783

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Business Daily, September 20, 2021, ©2021

Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. All rights

Business

SIPC. (0922-2MVB)

how

Inc.

Books:

to a request to help porter a book fair. There, he met Ideker, and the rest is history. He says he’s in heaven being surrounded by the artistry, workman ship and craftsmanship of every book in the store.

“Many of them are just as beauti ful with the information on the inside as they are with the bindings on the outside,” Martin said. “There’s just so much to learn about everything in here. It’s nonstop. If I don’t know something, I’ll get up and grab a book.”

Martin said they don’t restore many of the books, but they do “feed” them to

get them ready for sale, meaning they condition the leather to bring luster and life back into the bindings and protect them for future generations.

“Every book tells a story in one sense or another, whether it’s what’s in the book, what’s on the book, what’s writ ten in the book or where it came from,”

Martin said. “These books are special because, for the most part, they’ve been taken care of over the millennia and are ready for their new home. There’s a cer tain feel. I think they give off an energy in a sense. Maybe we sound a little silly, but they kind of do.”

Sonny Ideker Rare and Antiquarian Bookseller is at 700 Holcomb Bridge Road, No. 100 in Roswell. For more information, visit sonnyidekerbookseller. com or call 770-853-3311.

Sonny Ideker Rare and Antiquarian Bookseller in Roswell features an eclectic mix of decorative, general antiquarian books dating back to the 1400s.

CHAMIAN CRUZ/APPEN MEDIA

Loop:

Cook said the foundation, and their relationship with the city, is mod eled after the Beltline Partnership in Atlanta.

“We looked at how that was set up at the Beltline partnership and all the work they do in order to make the Beltline a better experience for residents,” she said. “But also, to bring in economic de velopment, to make sure you’re attract ing employers to existing office space, all of those different benefits that they bring

to the table.”

But Cook said Alpharetta will not be responsible for providing an additional $2 million for the project, because it has already committed much more than that for Alpha Loop projects through the city’s Transportation Special Pur pose Local Option Sales Tax and parks bond.

“We’re going to spend it one way or the other,” Alpharetta Mayor Jim Gilvin said. “It’s just a matter of whether we match it with them, through certain sections, or we just continue what we’re going to do.”

Cook said they are expecting a $100,000 donation to come in next week

for construction on the project.

Speaking in favor of the agreement and the foundation, Councilman John Hipes called the project “transformative” for the city.

“I think people who come to visit this city and see it and experience it, find it’s almost wholly unique to con nect all the different parts of the city,” Hipes said. “I use it regularly and it is just an amazing way to get around the city.”

Hipes said the agreement between the public and private sectors, and their investments in the project, are what make the project so special.

“One of the things that really ex

cites me about Alpharetta is how our private sector steps up to invest right here in their own back yard,” he said.

“And I’m extremely excited about what the foundation is doing and is gonna do.”

Council members also unanimously approved a license agreement between the city and foundation for use of the Alpha Loop image and trademark.

Cook said the foundation is prepar ing to start a website to begin advertis ing and create Alpha Loop Foundation merchandise to raise money.

The agreement grants the foundation a non-exclusive, royalty free license of the trademark.

Business: Edward Jones

Owner: Nashica McRath

Description: While the location is new, Edward Jones has been help ing individual investors reach their long-term financial goals for more than 100 years. Nashica McRath looks forward to continuing the tradi tion of providing per sonalized service in the Alpharetta Community.

Opened: March 2022 Address: 4400 North Point Pkwy, Suite 158, Alpharetta Phone: 678-367-3099 Website: edwardjones. com/Nashica-McRath

In Memoriam

Sarah “Sally” B. Hipes

Sarah “Sally” B. Hipes, of Suwanee, Georgia passed away on September 26, 2022. Sally was born on August 17, 1930 in Chicago, Illinois and she grew up in Bippus, Indiana where she graduated from Bippus High School in 1948.

Sally was a devoted mother who always present to support and encourage her children at school, sporting, and cheerleading events. In addition, Sally worked at Wabash College, Curtis 1000, as the longtime YMCA front desk associate greeting members of the Alpharetta and Forsyth County YMCAs, and she was also an Avon lady. Sally was an exceptional athlete and enjoyed tennis and bowling, she excelled at ping pong, and she was an avid Atlanta Braves fan.

Sally is preceded in death by her parents Raymond Overman and Zoe Layden Overman, her sister Jean Bishop, and her brothers John Overman and Joseph Overman.

Sally is survived by her children Cindy (Don) Bennett, Carrie (Jim) Bearden, John (Karen) Hipes, Jill Hipes, and Jeni

(Larry) Hall. Sally will always be known as “Nana” to her grandchildren Meghan (Justin) Womack, Lauren Richardson, Kaelin (Jordan) Stroschien, Zachary Hipes, Kyle Krueger, Riley Krueger, Sam Bennett, Sara (Derian) Meyer, Rob (Silvana) Spector, Michelle (Kelly) Germann, Riley Hall, and Sam Hall, and to her great-grandchildren Griffin, Harrison and Brooks Womack, and Hailey, Levi and Cody Spector, and Landon and Rylee Germann.

A Memorial service will be held at 11:00 am on October 6, 2022 at Alpharetta

First United Methodist Church, 69 North Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009. To honor Sally and her sense of style, please wear bright, vibrant colors to the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made in Sally’s memory to Hands of Christ, Duluth Cooperative Ministry at duluthco-op.org.

Northside Chapel Funeral Directors and Crematory is in charge of arrangements.

Online condolences may be left at www.northsidechapel.com/obituaries.

Francine, 84, of Johns Creek, passed away September 13, 2022. Arrangements by Leaf Cremation.

Barbara Hunt, 77, of Roswell, passed away September 22, 2022. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Helen Larkin, 98, of Alpharetta, passed away September 26, 2022. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Betty Myers, 66, of Cumming, passed away September 19, 2022. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Woo Park, 84, of Duluth, passed away September 21, 2022.

by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Full-time

POOL TECHNICIANS

WANTED

Part-time & Full-time positions available. Pay is $12-$14 per hour. Hours starting at 6:30AM, Monday-Friday. Pick-up truck not required but must have your own reliable transportation. Gas allowance provided. Looking for people who enjoy working outside and are enthusiastic, dependable & punctual. Able to contribute independently or on a crew with consistently friendly attitude.

Well-established commercial pool maintenance company providing service in the North Atlanta Metro area.

Bill: 404-245-9396

Part-time

ASSIST PARTIALLY DISABLED EXECUTIVE

Onsite at his place of employment. Perfect for retired nurse. Helping with meal prep, drive to doctors appointments, some shopping. Salary negotiable. English speaking non-smoker. Charlotte 678-208-0774

TAX PREPARER ASSISTANT

Experience required. Flexible hours. Lacerte software experience helpful. admin@skbcpas.com

Carmichael, Brasher, Tuvell & Company is hiring an Income Tax Preparer, Corporate and Individual. Great pay and flexible, relaxed work environment. Seeking full and/or part-time individual for individual and corporate tax preparation and accounting. Prior tax preparation required and have working knowledge of QuickBooks. Our office is located in the heart of Dunwoody and work from home is an option. To apply email your resume to gbrasher@cbtcpa.com

ASSISTANTS & KENNEL HELP FULL & PART TIME

Currently hiring Veterinary Assistants and Kennel Help. If you enjoy working with small animals, please contact us. This position offers Dental, Vision, and Major Medical. Please send Resume to docjch@bellsouth.net. 678-327-7008.

Bargain / Furniture

FORMAL DINING ROOM SET, solid wood, excellent condition, like new.

Table, buffet, china cabinet and six chairs (two end chairs have armrests). $1,000. Call or text 470-546-1898

TEAKWOOD TABLE, 8 chairs, China cabinet. $1000/obo. Call or text 404-433-3414

Cemetery

ROSWELL GREENLAWN LAKESIDE

2 plots, vaults, openings & closings & marker base. $6750/all; transfer fee. Value $25,000$30,000! 770-654-5961

SERVICE DIRECTORY

Concrete/ Asphalt

Retaining Walls

Brick or Wood

Contact Ralph Rucker. Many local references. Honest, punctual, professional and reasonable prices! 678-898-7237

Driveway

$250 OFF NEW DRIVEWAY!

Mention this ad. Concrete driveway specialists. Driveways, Pool Decks, Patios, Walkways, Slabs.  A+ BBB rating. FREE ESTIMATE. Call Rachael at 678-250-4546 to schedule a FREE Estimate. 30 years of experience. ARBOR HILLS CONSTRUCTION INC. Please note we do have a minimum charge on accepted jobs of $4,500.

Flooring

PHILLIPS FLOORING

Hardwood, laminate, carpet & tile installation and repairs. We do tile floors, showers, tub surrounds and kitchen back-splashes. Re-grouting is also available. Call 678-8871868 for free estimate.

Haulers Home Improvement

Roofing Landscaping

Bush Hogging, Clearing, Grading, Hauling, Etc. Many local references Call Ralph Rucker 678-898-7237

PHILLIPS HOME IMPROVEMENT

We offer drywall, painting, carpentry, plumbing and electrical. Basements finished, kitchen and bath rehabs. All types flooring. Also total home rehab for those who have a rental house or one to sell. Call 678-887-1868 for a free estimate.

ROOF LEAKING?

Call us for roof repair or roof replacement. FREE quotes. $200 OFF Leak Repairs or 10% off New Roof. Affordable, quality roofing. Based in Roswell. Serving North Atlanta since 1983. Call to schedule FREE Quote: 770-284-3123.

Brothers Roofing

Full Service LANDSCAPING Company

Retaining walls (brick or wood), grading, sod, tree services, hauling, topsoil & more.

Rucker

Pinestraw

PINESTRAW, MULCH Delivery/installation available. Firewood available. Licensed, insured. Angels of Earth Pinestraw and Mulch. 770-831-3612

Gutters

AARON’S ALL-TYPE GUTTERS Installed. Covers, siding, soffit, facia. www.aaronsgutters.com. Senior citizen discount! 678-508-2432

NATIONAL ADVERTISING

Health & Fitness

VIAGRA and CIALIS USERS!

50 Generic Pills SPECIAL $99.00. 100% guaranteed. 24/7 CALL NOW! 888-4455928 Hablamos Español

Dental insurance - Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Covers 350 procedures. Real in-surance - not a discount plan. Get your free dental info kit! 1-855-526-1060 www. dental50plus.com/ads #6258

Attention oxygen therapy users! Inogen One G4 is capable of full 24/7 oxygen delivery. Only 2.8 pounds. Free info kit. Call 877-929-9587

Atlanta News

Prepare for power outages today with a GENERAC home standby generator $0 Down + Low Monthly Pmt Request a free Quote. Call before the next power outage: 1-855948-6176

Eliminate gutter cleaning forever! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule free LeafFilter estimate today. 20% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-833-610-1936

AT&T Internet. Starting at $40/month w/12-mo agmt. 1 TB of data/mo. Ask how to bundle & SAVE! Geo & svc restrictions apply. 1-855-3643948

BATH & SHOWER UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY!

Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months!

Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 855-761-1725

Donate Your Car to Veterans Today! Help and Support our Veterans. Fast - FREE pick up. 100% tax deductible. Call 1-800-245-0398

HughesNet - Finally, superfast internet no matter where you live. 25 Mbps just $59.99/ mo! Unlimited Data is Here. Stream Video. Bundle TV & Internet. Free Installation. Call 866-499-0141

Become a published author. We want to read your book! Dorrance Publishing trusted since 1920. Consultation, production, promotion & distribution. Call for free author’s guide 1-877-7294998 or visit dorranceinfo. com/ads

Paying top cash for men’s sportwatches! Rolex, Breitling, Omega, Patek Philippe, Heuer, Daytona, GMT, Submariner and Speedmaster. Call 833-6033236

Put on your TV Ears & hear TV w/unmatched clarity. TV Ears Original - originally $129.95 - now w/this special offer only $59.95 w/code MCB59! 1-888-805-0840

Aloe Care Health medical alert system. Most advanced medical alert product on the market. Voice-activated! No

wi-fi needed! Special offer w/code CARE20 for $20 off Mobile Companion. 1-855341-5862

DISH TV $64.99 For 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply. Promo Expires 1/21/23. 1-866-479-1516

The Generac PWRcell solar plus battery storage system. Save money, reduce reliance on grid, prepare for outages & power your home. Full installation services. $0 down financing option. Request free no obligation quote. 1-877-539-0299

Vivint. Smart security. Professionally installed. One connected system for total peace of mind. Free professional installation! Four free months of monitoring! Call to customize your system. 1-833-841-0737

Safe Step. North America’s #1 Walk-in tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-theline installation and service. Now featuring our free shower package & $1600 off - limited time! Financing available. 1-855-417-1306

Protect your home from pests safely and affordably. Pest, rodent, termite and mosquito control. Call for a quote or inspection today 844-3949278

Discount air travel. Call Flight Services for best pricing on domestic & international

flights inside & from the US. Serving United, Delta, American & Southwest & many more. Free quote! Have travel dates ready! 844951-2014

Reader Advisory: The National Trade Association we belong to has purchased the above classifieds. Determining the value of their service or product is advised by this publication. In order to avoid misunderstandings, some advertisers do not offer employment but rather sup-ply the readers with manuals, directories and other materials designed to help their clients establish mail order selling and other businesses at home. Under NO circumstance should you send any money in advance or give the client your checking, license ID, or credit card numbers. Also beware of ads that claim to guarantee loans regardless of credit and note that if a credit repair company does business only over the phone it is illegal to request any money before delivering its service. All funds are based in US dollars. Toll free numbers may or may not reach Canada.