Around 35 residents take part in a discussion about the Deerfield Parkway athletic complex at the June 25 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting. A few elementary schoolers in attendance may play games at the facility if the city moves forward with acquisition and build-out.
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
MILTON, Ga. — Resident sentiment was all over the map June 24 when the Milton Parks and Recreation Advisory Board unveiled the latest sketch of the Deerfield Parkway athletic complex.
Public comments on plans for a new athletic complex at 300 Deerfield Parkway were split evenly between supporters and surrounding residents who questioned the need for the facility on the site.
The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, chaired by Scott Stachowski, supported the final sketch and recommended the City Council move forward with acquisition of the property.
Residents of the Lake Deerfield townhomes spoke against the move, citing increased traffic, noise and light pollution. Some questioned the need for playing fields. Other nearby residents seconded their comments, citing environmental concerns about a significant loss of tree canopy and wildlife.
While some residents want to see a nature park with trails and a few pavilions, others asked for specific amenities at the site, like an indoor gymnasium.
Jon Lundstedt, advocate of more playing fields in Milton and Eagle Stix Lacrosse, said baseball fields could be designed to allow for other youth
By BEECHER TUTTLE newsroom@appenmedia.com
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp in April signed a bill to limit large annual property tax increases that have plagued homeowners in Metro Atlanta suburbs for the better part of a decade.
While the legislation should help property owners in counties like Fulton, DeKalb and Forsyth, it will also quietly remove what some deem a loophole that has benefitted taxpayers who know the ins and outs of the property assessment process. The coming days and weeks will likely represent the last chance homeowners have to lock in their property values without much of a fight.
Set to be enacted prior to the 2025 tax season, House Bill 581 will enable counties to limit the appreciation of property values to no more than the current rate of inflation. The new law comes on the heels of significant annual surges in taxable property values in most every county in North Georgia and parts of Metro Atlanta.
However, the bill will also soon prevent homeowners from taking advantage of the current system where simply appealing a property tax assessment will freeze the appraisal value for the current and two succeeding years, no matter if they actually win their case. Starting in 2025, property owners will need an appeal to be successful and result in a reduction in the value of their property to lock in the three-year assessment – something easier said than done.
The numbers tell the story
An eye-popping number of property assessment appeals are filed in Metro Atlanta counties every year. In DeKalb County, roughly 19,000 appeals were filed for 2023,
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ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police are investigating a residential burglary on Stonemoor Circle June 22 after a real estate agent called about a shattered window.
The caller said his client who owns the home, New York Jets quarterback Tyrod Taylor, was out of town.
Earlier this month, regional news outlets reported Taylor listed his home for $5 million.
The real estate agent said the house
All crime reports published by Appen Media Group are compiled from public records. Neither the law enforcement agencies nor Appen Media Group implies any guilt by publishing these names. None of the persons listed has been convicted of the alleged crimes.
ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police secured warrants for a 33-year-old man June 9 after finding four firearms, 10 pounds of marijuana and 1.8 pounds of ecstasy at a residence on Chattahoochee Circle.
An officer said he met with a 26-year-old Roswell woman about a domestic dispute with the suspect.
After investigating the dispute, an officer said he sat in his car waiting for the male suspect to return to the residence. While the officer was waiting, the woman said she found a bag of marijuana inside a sealed can, belonging to the suspect.
The officer said he secured the marijuana as evidence while the woman brought out a duffle bag containing a scale, plastic bags, small blue tablets, yellow triangular pills and prepackaged bags of multicolored capsules.
The officer said he called his lieutenant and a detective after discovering the narcotics.
With consent from the woman, officers searched the residence and found 10 pounds of marijuana, 1.8 pounds of
manager contacted him June 21 about an open window activating the security system around 10:30 p.m.
The agent said he went to the residence June 22 around 2:30 p.m. the next day and found a planter on the ground, presumably used to shatter the window.
The officer said the agent found drawers rummaged through in the main bedroom with empty jewelry and watch boxes on the floor.
ecstasy, unidentified drugs, three handguns with ammo and an AK-47.
Tests for fentanyl are pending.
Officers secured warrants for the man on four counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and during the commission of a crime on top of two trafficking charges.
DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dunwoody Police are looking for suspects involved in eight car break-ins June 11 at the Hampton Inn & Suites on Ashford Dunwoody Road.
A security guard said he discovered a GMC Denali with shattered windows while conducting a perimeter check. He soon found more damaged cars.
Officers said the security guard found rear window damage to eight vehicles throughout the property.
The hotel does not have security cameras on the exterior of the building.
One victim, a 54-year-old California man, told officers he discovered someone else’s blood on his dashboard. A crime analyst retrieved a sample of the blood for evidence.
The victim said thieves took a $200 cooler and a $300 soccer bag. He also said he would send officers footage from his dashboard camera.
Another victim reported nothing missing from their vehicle.
Officers did not identify a suspect. They estimate around $2,000 in damages and
The house manager said the suspect cut wires to the old security system, leaving the new system still intact.
The officer said footage would be sent to a detective.
Because Taylor is out of state, the officer said it is unknown what exactly was stolen from the residence. He said at this point, only the shattered window could be listed.
Two detectives at the Roswell Police Department took over the investigation.
stolen belongings.
ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police are investigating a felony theft at the Goodwill on Ga. 9 June 21 after a woman reported her purse contents were stolen.
The victim, a 64-year-old Roswell woman, said she set her purse down while shopping around noon. By the time she remembered and came back to retrieve it, the purse was mostly empty.
The unidentified suspect took her wallet, phone, driver’s license, Bank of America debit card and $620 in cash.
The victim said she went to her bank to cancel the card and called 911 after the incident.
An officer said he spoke with the Goodwill manager who showed him footage of the theft.
The officer said an elderly White female with silver blonde hair could be seen removing items from the victim’s purse and placing them in her bag.
The suspect wore a white and black blouse, white pants and carried a black handbag.
The officer said he recorded the footage on his body camera but could not identify the suspect clearly.
The manager said he would send footage to Roswell Police after he receives it from human resources.
The officer said the parking lot has no security cameras.
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Four area high school graduates received $1,500 scholarships from Alpharetta American Legion Post 201.
Scholarships were awarded based on a student’s academic performance and a themed essay on “Patriotism and Citizenship – What America means to me.”
This year’s winners also received a certificate recognizing their accomplishments.
The recipients are:
• Alexa Boada , Denmark High School, who will be majoring in business management and marketing at Georgia State University.
• Her brother Sergei Boada , Denmark
High School, who is preparing for a career in veterinary medicine at Berry College.
• Madison Elizabeth Ashe , Alpharetta High School, who will be majoring in psychology pre-med track at the University of North Carolina.
• John Cody Watkins , Cambridge High School, who will be majoring in industrial engineering at Mississippi State University.
The Alpharetta American Legion Post 201 was formed over 75 years ago to honor the contributions of our Nation’s veterans, their families and the local community.
— Hannah Frazer
By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
NORTH METRO ATLANTA — As Independence Day rolls around, fire officials across Metro Atlanta have shared the game plan for fireworks displays.
According to the National Drought Information System, parts of Fulton County and all of Forsyth County are “abnormally dry,” meaning the region is going into or coming out of a drought.
Because of the conditions, Alpharetta Fire Marshal Ethan Talbot said the risk of fire has significantly increased.
“Recent fire incidents like the brush fire earlier this week on Westside Parkway show how easily fires can start, posing a threat to property and disrupting community life,” Talbot said.
Alpharetta, Talbot said, is strongly urging all residents to consider the potential dangers of using consumer fireworks this year. While it has been legal in Georgia to use fireworks for some time now, he said the risk of starting a fire is exceptionally high under the drier-than-normal conditions.
“Instead, we encourage everyone to enjoy professional fireworks events like the Alpharetta July 4th celebration at Wills Park,” Talbot said. “This event is organized with the utmost attention to safety and provides a spectacular and secure way to enjoy the holiday with friends and neighbors.”
Alpharetta division chiefs said staffing for the Fourth of July is currently planned to be the same as in previous years, though they would reevaluate as the holiday draws near in case adjustments become warranted.
In Johns Creek, Fire Chief Chris Coons said the Fire Department will continue to house a fire truck at each professional firework display, permitted and inspected by the city’s fire marshal.
“We’ve been doing that now for several
years,” Coons said. “We kind of put that in place just because this time of year is the dry time of year, and you never know what may happen if some of those beautiful sparks fall in somebody’s pine straw … So, we’re there to get on it quick.”
This year, there are six professional firework displays scheduled, three on July 3 and three on July 4.
Coons said the city has seen some fires because of consumer-level fireworks, citing an example of a firework landing in a gutter with leaf litter.
“Be mindful of where [the firework] is intended to go and where it could potentially go and what that may look like,” Coons said. “Fireworks can be very, very dangerous outside of just the fire side of it. Obviously, they cause fires, but they can cause just incredible injuries.”
Coons also cautioned parents against allowing children to handle fireworks, or a lighter to set them off.
Depending on the size of the event, Forsyth County Fire Division Chief Jason Shivers said a fire engine, a brush truck, ambulances as well as on-foot personnel and the bicycle team will be on-site, such as the celebration at the Cumming Fairgrounds July 4.
“We always have a very large presence there for that event, and it’s from both a fire prevention and fire response [perspective] but also because of the large crowd,” Shivers said, adding that the Sheriff’s Office and the Cumming Police Department will be there as well to ensure safety.
In the past two to three weeks, Shivers said the Fire Department has handled small brush fires, which he said are not uncommon for this time of year.
“Anytime you’ve got a period of dry weather, a grass fire on the side of Ga. 400 or in someone’s backyard or from a campfire, those are going to get worse quicker because of the dryness … and the wind,” Shivers said.
By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
ROSWELL, Ga. — Consulting firm Seer World is expanding its oversight of Roswell government after the City Council approved hiring one of its employees as the city’s chief operating officer for the next three years.
The contract is set at $340,000 a year, and it falls under the annual $2 million threshold the council passed as part of the master services agreement with the consulting company, founded by Peter Sorckoff and based in Roswell. The employee will not receive city benefits.
At the City Council meeting June 10, when the statement of work was passed, City Councilwoman Sarah Beeson said she was concerned about the size of the paycheck, calling it “fiscally irresponsible,” among other issues. She also cautioned against “scope creep” and overreliance on consultants.
That night, Beeson cast the lone dissenting vote on the item, with an abstention from Councilman David Johnson, who questioned whether the contract was ethical.
Johnson had voted in opposition to an amendment to the master services agreement to include “augmentation of operational staffing” alongside Beeson just before. Johnson said he sent the master services agreement and the COO contract to Joe Cusack, deputy director and general counsel of the State Ethics Commission, for review.
Johnson said Cusack gave the OK, saying the contract’s “oversight provisions provide proper ethical supervision to this position.”
The COO will report to and at times advise the city administrator, according to the contract. The COO, under Seer, will also be responsible for implementing the consulting company’s deliverables.
The $340,000 position would top the payroll charts for north Metro Atlanta municipalities. Alpharetta City Administrator Chris Lagerbloom collected $311,000 in 2023, and Sandy Springs City Manager Eden Freeman is on track to earn at least $320,650 this year, according to records obtained by Appen Media.
The new COO was not named in the contract, though city officials are aware of who it is, and it’s not Sorckoff. In an interview, City Attorney David Davidson said the name was not disclosed in the statement of work because they have not yet left their current job to join Seer World.
The COO hire replaces Navy veteran Richard Rhinehart, who resigned after eight months on the job in January. Prior
retreat in February. The council has authorized Seer World to hire one of its employees to serve as the city’s COO for the next three years, at an annual salary of $340,000.
to Rhinehart, the position did not exist in the city’s organizational chart, and it is still not defined in the city charter.
In a statement to Appen Media, Mayor Kurt Wilson said the role of the COO is “crucial for driving the necessary changes in [the city’s] organizational structure to foster and amplify economic growth within [the] community.”
In a follow-up interview, Wilson said the organizational shift, which entails moving from government to business naming conventions (COO, CFO and CLO, or chief legal officer, under the CEO, or the mayor), tackles finding a revenue source outside of property taxes.
“I think, ultimately, you’re going to see us do services for other cities,” Wilson said.
The city’s CFO position, formerly known as the finance director, is still vacant following the resignation of Ryan Luckett last August. Wilson said whether the city will contract out the position or bring it in-house depends on the candidate’s skill level.
Within the same week of Luckett’s departure, former Purchasing Manager Greg Anderson also resigned, and he did it the day before a budget amendment for $250,000 in professional services was initially proposed at an Administration, Finance, Recreation and Parks Committee meeting — a payment to Seer World, which drew scrutiny for not going through the city’s bidding process.
In his resignation letter, obtained by Appen Media in an open records request, Anderson wrote, “I believe that we must remain committed to ethical procurement practices, transparency, and adhering to the legal statutes that govern our work. While I recognize the pressures and constraints that shape our decisions, I cannot reconcile my belief system with
do no wrong.”
Seer World also had hands on the “Green Street Activation Plan,” the framework for a new public parking deck downtown.
The plan has seen significant backlash, specifically aimed at the City Council’s decision to exercise eminent domain on a property along Alpharetta Street that currently houses Masonic Lodge No. 165. A pedestrian plaza is planned for the site, to sit adjacent to the parking deck.
The Save Roswell’s History Committee, headed by former longtime Roswell Mayor Jere Wood, has met regularly for the past couple of months to protest demolition of the pre-Civil War structure, which served as the first permanent building for the Methodist Church in Roswell.
the present course of action.”
Appen Media got wind of more recent departures in the city’s Finance Department.
When asked to confirm the departures June 24, City Administrator Randy Knighton said turnover is “natural” in an organization with 700plus full-time employees. Standing next to Knighton, Mayor Wilson said he isn’t surprised by the city having some attrition.
“This is an agency that is trying to become highly effective, highly adaptive, highly innovative, and some people welcome that,” Wilson said. “Not everybody welcomes that.”
An open records request for related documents is pending.
Seer’s track record
The five-year parent contract with Seer World, passed in April, is intended to bolster the city’s economic development services already under the purview of the city’s Economic Development director and Roswell Inc, an organization that has regularly received about $277,000 a year from the city to pursue business growth and retain commercial operations.
City officials said transactions with Seer World will be listed in quarterly public disclosures.
At the June 10 council meeting, Councilman Allen Sells lauded the work Seer World has already done, like procuring negotiations between the city and the United Soccer League, an organization one resident said isn’t doing great during public comment on the item.
The city’s plan is to introduce a stadium-anchored entertainment district.
“I have heard so much about Seer and Peter Sorckoff, and it has all been just glowing things,” the resident said. “I feel like this is the ‘Wizard of Oz.’ He can
Jason Yowell, a former mayoral candidate, questioned the “brilliance” of Sorckoff at the council meeting June 10 and said other sites made more sense for the project.
“It’s easy to look like you’re doing things when you’re spending millions and millions of dollars irresponsibly,” Yowell said.
‘Economic Development Strategy’
In an interview June 24, Mayor Wilson said he met Seer World’s founder in November 2022, around the time he was elected mayor and soon after the Sizemore Group had been selected to create a master plan for the intersection of Holcomb Bridge Road and Ga. 9. Plans brought forth by the Sizemore Group weren’t really a “game changer,” Wilson said, and that’s when the city received a referral for Sorckoff.
“Somebody on Roswell Inc’s board knew Peter and said, ‘This guy’s different,’” Wilson said, adding that city officials were blown away after meeting with him and hearing of his work history.
Then, the city tried him out at the City Council retreat in Opelika, Alabama, and everyone left impressed and believing Sorckoff to be an out-of-the-box thinker. Over the next few months, Wilson said the city will unveil pieces of the “Economic Development Strategy” and that it is going to be different from what others are doing.
He said the city is in the process of piecing together a “simpler document.” But, the problem with that, he said, is that people will get “locked in” on something that is dynamic.
“But the reality is, if we do that, we’re going to get hammered,” Wilson said.
“Like, ‘Well, the plan doesn’t have this, and the plan doesn’t have that, and we’ll go, ‘I know, but I can’t put all those pieces out there’ … it will sabotage its success.”
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Tracking the Sandy Springs Police Foundation, the chief entity behind the city’s police training complex, just got a little more difficult.
In the process of requesting meeting records from the nonprofit, Appen Media and its newsroom has hit a snag.
In April, Appen Media reported the city intends for the foundation to be the primary funding source for the training facility, which would sit next to the new police headquarters and municipal court currently under construction at 620 Morgan Falls Road.
Cost estimates for the training facility sit at between $37-$45 million.
The Sandy Springs Police Foundation supports the city’s Police Department in acquiring the resources to maintain an elite standard of safety and efficiency, its website says.
It differs from the Sandy Springs Police Benevolent Fund, a nonprofit formed in 2010 to support law
the foundation and receive dollar-fordollar tax credit.
It’s a win-win for residents and corporations looking to bolster public safety in Sandy Springs.
Through community support and donations, the foundation looks to provide improved recruitment, training, police equipment and technology.
Specifically, the foundation’s website explains it’s focused on constructing a firearms training facility in Sandy Springs to provide a convenient location for local law enforcement qualifications.
During the 2025 budgeting process, city officials decided to split the cost of a $100,000 scoping study for the shooting range between city tax dollars and the Police Foundation.
Appen Media first learned of the foundation from June 2023 emails obtained through the Open Records Act. The emails contained messages in which local police officials thanked members of the Atlanta Police Foundation for guidance about “starting up a non-profit fund.”
CITY OF SANDY SPRINGS/PROVIDED
A January 2023 map shows the site of a proposed firing range and training center behind the Sandy Springs Police headquarters.
Foundation meeting.
The open records request returned the nonprofit’s bylaws, the agenda and an account of motions made, votes taken and topics discussed.
Subsequent requests for meeting minutes have been denied, and information about the Police Foundation’s actions has dried up.
After repeated requests for an explanation, city spokespeople told Appen Media the foundation is a separate nonprofit from the city and is not subject to the Georgia Open
When asked why the city provided the first set of documents and then stopped, Communications Director Carter Long issued a reply.
“City email accounts were initially used,” she wrote. “Because of that, the city clerk provided the documents requested that were on file in the city’s email archive. Since then, the foundation has maintained its own records, including agendas, minutes and other documents.”
Agendas typically show what items will be discussed, and meeting minutes summarize those talks.
The foundation’s website offers the minutes and agenda of the March meeting, along with the agenda for a June meeting. The June document mentions approval of minutes from a May meeting, but that event is not mentioned on the site.
In the city’s initial June 27 response to Appen Media, it did not address how much money the foundation has raised
or where the funds come from.
Shortly after, City Manager Eden Freeman who serves as the foundation’s treasurer sent an email saying the nonprofit has received $75,330, none of which came from the city.
Of note, the initial email was sent to Freeman’s @ sandyspringsga.gov domain. Her response came from a @ sspdfoundation.org domain.
The remaining six members of the Executive Committee include Mayor Rusty Paul, chair; Councilman John Paulson, vice chair; Police Chief Kenneth DeSimone; Maj. Nable, secretary; police Sgt. Leon Millholland, director; and local businesswoman Gail Early Jokerst, director.
Because the city says the Sandy Springs Police Foundation is separate from the government, it is not subject to the Georgia’s open records and meetings laws, cornerstones of the First Amendment and the state’s sunshine laws.
However, Freeman did answer Appen Media’s questions through her role as treasurer of the foundation.
All but one person on the Executive Committee are city employees or elected officials.
For now, the foundation says its plan is to release agendas and minutes on its website.
It’s still unclear when documents from the May 23 meeting, or other meetings of the Sandy Springs Police Foundation’s Executive Committee, will be shared with the public.
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
DUNWOODY, Ga. —Since taking the oath of office two months ago, Police Chief Mike Carlson has ushered in a new era at the Police Department.
After longtime Police Chief Billy Grogan announced his retirement in January, city leaders opted to recruit from within and promote the former deputy chief to the top job.
Appen Media sat down with Carlson to discuss the department under his leadership, recent crime trends and what residents can expect ahead.
Carlson said the biggest change is now the decision lies with him.
“When I make those careful decisions, I have to use my 26 years of experience and the individuals that surround me,” Carlson said. “What’s going to be best, not only for the department, but how are we going to make sure we represent citizens and their issues.”
The new chief said he has been meeting with residents since his swearing-in because it’s important to stay connected to the community.
Before Carlson took the helm, consulting firm BerryDunn returned a two-year study of the Dunwoody Police Department, commending its practices but showing understaffing and inexperience.
During the 2024 planning retreat, city officials emphasized recruiting, retention and the implementation of recommendations from BerryDunn.
Even with the swearing-in of officers Sebastian Wright and Alvin Slocum since May, there remain six vacant officer positions, the same number discussed at Dunwoody’s March retreat.
“They’re usually here a few weeks in advance before we can get them on the City Council’s roster,” Carlson said, referencing swearing-in ceremonies at City Hall. “As of July 1, we have been approved for an additional sergeant and three officers.”
If there are no new hires, the Dunwoody Police Department will have 58 sworn officers with 10 vacancies as of July 1.
Summer 2020 was difficult for many Americans, especially law enforcement officers, with a global pandemic and nationwide calls to defund policing.
Recruitment for sworn positions became difficult, with experienced
officers leaving the profession, less candidates signing up and turnover rates increasing.
Dunwoody officials adopted a restrictive 2021 budget across all departments, cutting 9 percent from the Police Department amid larger cuts to others during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since then, the city has increased pay for police seven separate times through cost of living and market adjustments.
An officer with a high school degree and no experience making $44,567 at the end of 2020 is now earning $59,391.
Other benefits include a $15,000 signing bonus, $800 a month housing stipend for living in Dunwoody, extensive medical coverage and bonuses for unit-specific work.
“My goal here is to attract the best and brightest officers,” Carlson said. “We never lowered our standards to get more individuals through the door.”
The chief said recruiting is competitive with other Metro Atlanta agencies and officers looking for where they can make more, like the private sector.
“Between our mayor, city manager and the council, they wholeheartedly support the Police Department,” Carlson said. “They’re just trying to keep up with our surrounding agencies.”
Sandy Springs, just to the west across Ga. 400, has a population of around 108,000, more than double the population of Dunwoody.
Both cities reported their index crime counts – or total crimes – were just under 2,000 in 2023.
Sandy Springs Police Department has 171 sworn officers, almost three times Dunwoody’s 58.
Another revealing comparison is the number of sworn officers per 1,000 people.
Roswell and Alpharetta, larger cities than Dunwoody but slightly smaller than Sandy Springs, each have 2.3 sworn officers per 1,000 residents.
Dunwoody, at 1.1, comes out ahead of only Johns Creek when compared with neighboring North Fulton cities.
Milton, with 10,000 fewer residents than Dunwoody, has 51 sworn officers who delt with an index crime count of 265 in 2023.
That same year, Dunwoody’s 58 sworn officers delt with a crime index count of 1,985.
If someone struggles to categorize my work as one thing or another, I don’t think that’s a bad thing.
SUSAN JAMES, founder, Passerina Press
By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
CUMMING, Ga. — When someone shows you their basement, you might expect to find a mess of cardboard boxes, a pool table, exercise machines, lost things.
But, downstairs at Susan James’ home is a 2,500-square-foot printmaking studio, filled with mostly used and discontinued equipment collected over the years.
The space is the heart of her business Passerina Press which she operates alongside her husband Ken Wilkens, who acts as the “sherpa,” helping with logistics and loading the van for juried artist fairs.
Both are photographers, and their work is used in James’ printmaking process — specifically photogravure, a technique that dates to the 19th century.
It involves exposing a light-sensitive gelatin tissue to a film positive, then using a wet process to adhere the tissue to a polished copper plate. Across from James’ “dream press,” the one she regularly uses and takes to workshops at universities, is a metal shear used for cutting.
James mixes up potassium dichromate in a solution, where she floats the tissue, leaves it in for more than a minute, then adheres it to a piece of plexiglass that she places on a Lazy Susan to dry for around three hours.
“It’s a real slow drying process,” James said. “Humidity in the room should be between 60 and 65 percent, so it’s really, really finicky.”
The result is an engraved plate that
captures the detail and continuous tones of a photograph, which is printed using a traditional etching press. The ink is deposited below the surface, like banknotes, a style called “intaglio.”
A rare medium
James said there’s maybe 100 people in the United States who engage in photogravure. The craft is more popular in Europe, she said.
“I knew there was a way that photography and printmaking collided back in the past, and so I did some research,” James said.
She found a guy who worked in
photogravure, a former instructor at the Rhode Island School of Design named Paul Taylor. When Taylor helped James set up her studio in Nashville in 2018, the year she founded Passerina Press, she took copious notes which became her go-to manual.
“This tells me everything I need to know,” James said, holding the tattered and stained booklet of stapled paper. “It stresses how much you have to clean everything before you get started…”
Starting with a love of drawing in pen and ink, James found printmaking when she was 22, a contestant in her first art fair in Florida.
“I set up my little panels. I was so proud of my work and was getting some positive feedback, but I didn’t win first of show, and of course, I was kind of disappointed…” James said.
She met the first-place winner, David Hunter, a printmaker based in Winter Park whose hand-etched entry hangs on James’ living room wall,a sailboat riding painstakingly crosshatched ocean waves.
James said on that day, Hunter explained to her the difference between a reproduction and an “edition,” an
Continued from Page 10
original in its own right that uses an antique process of inking, wiping and printing by hand. Not long after that, James was in Hunter’s studio learning his process, sometimes staying until 2 o’clock in the morning, eventually getting her own key.
“I was just totally addicted to it, and from then on, it’s just been printmaking, printmaking, printmaking,” James said.
An appetite to learn more
Since then, she has taken workshops at a number of schools in the United States, including Parsons School of Design in New York City, and one in Florence, Italy, studying intaglio printmaking at Santa Reparata International School of Art.
entry.
The goal is to be self-supporting, she said. Last year was James’ first as a full-time printmaker, retiring after a career in systems engineering and cybersecurity, similarly processoriented.
One area in the couple’s basement is James’ digital dark room. She often combines digital photography, photocompositing and digital illustration to produce her printed images.
“If someone struggles to categorize my work as one thing or another, I don’t think that’s a bad thing: I want the observer to feel a little discombobulated, and to seek more information about how my work is created,” James said.
Through Passerina Press, James offers photogravure plates and limited edition prints from personal digital photographs. But, her dream is to one day establish a cooperative printmaking studio in the area. James has also talked about loaning out her printing presses, acknowledging the barrier to
Right now, she’s working on an image that uses a photo taken from her and her husband’s trip to White Sands National Park. A group of nine individually drawn horses gallop through the scenery, and an AIgenerated steampunk carousel is in the background.
“This is kind of the story of my postretirement life, how I feel like I’m free of the carousel now, you know, and my horses are all my ideas, and they’re just running away from the routine,” James said.
Brought to you by
– Allison Kloster, Associate Broker, Home Real Estate
As a listing agent, I love it when my clients ask me to come talk with them well in advance of them wanting to sell their home. In fact, a year is not too far out. That of course is in a perfect world. As with many businesses, real estate has its “high” seasons and its “low” seasons. In reality, people buy and sell homes all year long with the spring usually being “high season”. If you missed that window, don’t despair, when properly prepared you can sell your home for top price in any season. Its summer now, what should you do if you have decided to sell now? School is out, people are busy with kids and vacations and we’ve got four holidays between May and September. Don’t despair, buyers buy all year long, but in certain seasons, like summer and through the winter holidays, there are fewer buyers and they can be picky. This doesn’t mean you won’t sell your home. What it does mean is you have to make sure your home offers a
great first impression to every buyer that sees it. A great first impression means pricing is critical, condition is paramount and full-service marketing is an absolute necessity.
It is important to call your Realtor as soon as you know that you will be moving. A great agent doesn’t just sell, he or she can counsel you on how best to prepare and position your home for any market. For instance, in the summertime, your agent may advise more outdoor staging, lighter colors in the home, colorful flowers at the front door and clean landscape. That may mean paint, power washing, outdoor lighting and other ideas to help the buyer see what the exterior and yard will offer them during the summer months when they may be outside grilling and entertaining more.
Condition is always a key component to being a successful seller in any market. Nobody wants to buy a project to live in, especially at top dollar. Clean sells, tastefully decorated sells, move-in ready sells and well maintained interior and exterior sells. Again, your agent can help you by being an objective observer helping you to see what needs to be done. This is especially important if this has been your home for several years, you’ve gotten used it and may not be
the best judge of how other people might see it. Trust your agent to guide you in preparing your home, the agent has a vested interest in you selling for top dollar also.
Starting at the right listing price is an important part of making sure to get strong, top dollar offers and reasonable terms. A lot goes into arriving at the listing price, including community factors, schools, pricing trends for the area and specific comparable properties that a buyer (or appraiser) will use to gauge your relative value. Summer is usually not the season to push the market for the highest price possible. Summer offers fewer buyers and you will have competition from other sellers. A great house at a fair price will bring you the highest quality offers. Frequently, it may not be the highest priced offer that is the best offer. The terms of sale are super important and once you agree to accept a contract, you want to be confident it is going to stay together and close on time. Your agent is the best source of information on what is customary, acceptable and desirable in the terms of an offer on your specific home for your specific needs. A strong contract for a seller will have a great sales price, more than 1% earnest money, a short due diligence
period and reasonable contingencies for financing and appraisal. Your agent can also negotiate a closing date and possession terms that best meet your needs.
Once you’re ready to hit the market, make sure your agent is able to offer you the best marketing plan to make every buyer aware of your home. This may include listing in multiple MLS’s, professional HD photography, video, maybe drone photos and certainly professionally printed materials for onsite collateral. In addition to putting all that out there on social media for the public, your agent should also have a network of other highly qualified agents that they work with.
With the right team of professionals, you can sell your home for top dollar any time of the year. HOME Real Estate and The Kloster Group will gladly help you evaluate your home to best meet your selling goals. We wish you a wonderful summer selling season!
Investing in your home is one of the hardest and most important decisions you will make for your family. You don’t have to do it alone! Call or email Allison at 404-784-5287 or email allison@homegeorgia.com and get a response within 24 hours.
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Brought to you by – Estates Law Center USA
Singer Tony Bennett’s family’s legal battle over his trust is one example of why it’s important to set up a clear and detailed estate plan. Although it is our hope that our loved ones can settle any inheritance disputes with grace, when a large amount of assets are involved, it’s unfortunately common for predatory spouses, children, and other beneficiaries to fight over who gets what.
Let’s look at the lawsuits involving Bennett’s trust. Prior to his death, Tony Bennett set up a trust with one of his sons, D’Andrea “Danny” Bennett and himself as the Trustee. Following Tony’s death, Danny became the sole Trustee of the trust and was thus tasked with distributing the assets that were in the trust - the singer’s music and business ventures, his tangible personal property, and accounts - to the beneficiaries, which were his siblings and Bennett’s widow. But not everyone in the family was happy with Danny being the sole Trustee. Bennett’s daughters, Johanna and Antonia Bennett alleged that Danny mishandled Bennett’s trust and kept the beneficiaries in the dark about the singer’s actual finances and transactions involving the trust assets, including Bennett’s business interests. In their lawsuit against Danny, the two daughters are demanding that he provide complete inventories of all of Bennett’s personal property and full details of all financial activity regarding
the family trust.
Danny himself, along with his brother Dae Bennett, have filed a lawsuit against Susan Benedetto, Bennett’s widow. The two alleged that Susan manipulated Bennett to secure a significant portion of his assets for herself, and that she had taken advantage of his deterioration from Alzheimer’s to make changes to his estate plan. Susan in turn has denied those allegations and stated that she only acted in accordance with Bennett’s wishes. Although it has been nearly a year since Bennett passed away in July 2023, the legal battles among the family have continued, signifying how important it is to not just have a generic trust, but one that’s carefully tailored to be as clear, concise, and transparent to all parties as possible, to prevent the chances of family disputes. We may not be highprofile figures like Tony Bennett, but that doesn’t mean our assets aren’t worth protecting, especially when family members don’t get along and when our legacy is at stake. When setting up a trust, always make sure you have a list of assets so the Trustee and beneficiaries know what’s being distributed, and make sure that you have documents like Power of Attorney and Healthcare Directives so that no third party can take advantage of any potential legal incompetencies. More importantly, make sure you have an attorney specialized in estate planning and licensed in your state to oversee the creation of your estate plan.
Brought to you by – Bill Rawlings and Sherri Conrad, Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty
With the warm, sunny days of summer drawing us outside, it’s the perfect time to tap into the appeal of your front porch. Here are two compelling reasons to revitalize this space:
1. The front porch is one of the first things visitors notice.
2. Budget-wise, it doesn’t (or shouldn’t) cost a fortune to take things up a notch or two. With some creative ideas and a few practical tips, a porch transformation is possible for any budget and style.
Whether you envision a cozy nook for reading, a vibrant area for entertaining guests or a lush garden sanctuary, the possibilities are endless. Here are a few places to start:
1. Refinish and/or repaint. Refinishing wooden decking and chairs or opting for a fresh coat of paint is a transformative first step. Sanding down dull, weathered surfaces and applying a new stain or paint can restore their original beauty and protect them from future damage. The benefits are threefold: it brings out the wood’s natural grain and texture, lets you customize the finish to align with your design vision and creates a stylish and inviting outdoor
space that sets the stage for additional decor.
2. Add plants.
Planters, hanging baskets or window boxes turn any size porch into a lush, inviting oasis. Planters allow you to introduce a variety of flowers and herbs that can be easily changed with the seasons. Hanging planters or baskets maximize vertical space while bringing a touch of whimsy, while window boxes add charm and integrate the porch with the rest of your home’s exterior.
3. Light on purpose.
Start by considering a mix of overhead fixtures, wall sconces and portable lamps to create a layered lighting scheme. Then, turn on the charm with string lights or lanterns—a cozy touch perfect for evening gatherings or quiet nights.
4. Upgrade your furniture.
If your budget allows and your porch is large enough, adding weather-resistant outdoor furniture is always a nice touch. Cushions in vibrant colors or patterns can punch it up further and make your porch a true extension of your living area.
A stylish and inviting outdoor space is rewarding and can enhance both your home’s curb appeal and your personal enjoyment. 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/ Copyeditor
Brought to you by – Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties’ New Homes Division
Nestled in the picturesque rolling hills of Milton, Georgia, The Homestead at Milton represents the pinnacle of luxury living. Situated on what was formerly a meticulously maintained 180-acre golf course, The Homestead at Milton is a community rich in history and natural beauty. This luxurious neighborhood is perfect for buyers looking to own substantial land in one of the most sought-after areas north of Atlanta.
The pristine landscape and serene environment provide a perfect backdrop for these magnificent homes.
The Homestead at Milton offers estate-sized homesites within a gated community, providing residents with privacy and tranquility. The opportunity to own a home in this rare collection is limited, with only 13 homesites remaining. These prime homesites range in price from the $900s to over $1 million, while custom homes are available from $4 million to $11 million. Each home is a blend of inspiration and tradition and
defines the new southern lifestyle. Located just a short distance from downtown Crabapple and only three miles from Historic Downtown Alpharetta, The Homestead at Milton combines rural charm with urban convenience. Residents enjoy easy access to a variety of shops, restaurants, and entertainment options. The Avalon and GA 400 are also within close reach, making commuting and travel convenient. The community is part of a toprated school district, and children will attend Cambridge High School, Hopewell Middle School, and Summit
Hill Elementary.
Discover the epitome of luxury living at The Homestead at Milton. Bring your own builder or work with one of our premiere custom builders and seize the opportunity to find your homestead. For more details, visit TheHomesteadatMilton.com or call 770.766.4954 to schedule a private appointment. Vision Development Partners is represented by Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties’ New Homes Division. BHHSgaNewHomes.com. An Equal Housing Opportunity.
By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
ROSWELL, Ga. — Over a month of weekly sessions, interest has grown in the University of Georgia-led food education program at the Roswell Adult Recreation Center.
Starting with maybe a couple dozen attendees, the turnout June 20 saw around 125 people. They learned a new salad recipe and took home a bag of fresh, in-season produce to make it, stored in the county-funded Fulton Fresh Mobile Market outside the door.
The facility is considered within the bounds of a “food desert,” the target area of the market on wheels. The term is defined as a low-income community at least a mile from a grocery store.
Cecilia Tran, an agent with the Family and Consumer Sciences branch of UGA Extension, emphasized affordability playing a part.
“The perception is there’s not a food desert up here, but in some places, it is,” Tran said. “...I really, really wanted to bring it up here because there are people who get overlooked because the assumption is, ‘No. Roswell, Milton, Alpharetta — they all have money.’”
Less than 2 miles down the road from the center is the Roswell Housing Authority, which oversees affordable housing in the city.
Tran just gave a talk on making plates more colorful with fruits and
vegetables. There was also a curriculumbased SNAP-Ed nutrition segment for those who receive government assistance.
Each week, visitors learn a new recipe and get to try it out in-session in a cooking demonstration.
The program at the Roswell Adult Recreation Center, one of six locations across Fulton County, ran from May to June. It will ramp up again at six new locations from July 9 to August 8.
While the program is open to the public, most of the audience that day were older than 50, many with memberships to the center.
This was the second time the Fulton Fresh Mobile Market made its way to the facility, though its staff has worked with UGA Extension for several years to provide educational programs.
Mary Rummell, program coordinator for the Roswell Recreation, Parks, Historic and Cultural Affairs Department, said she hopes to have ongoing nutrition education for those at the center.
“As they get older, they don’t always cook healthier meals because they're by themselves, or they're one or two people,” Rummell said.
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The City of Alpharetta has rescheduled the construction of the Wacky World playground and its amenities at Wills Park to begin in 2025.
The project was scheduled to open this October.
The intent is to approach all the improvements planned for Wills Park under a single contract rather than as smaller, individual projects. The City Council decided on the plan at its meeting June 24.
The current $3.8 million bid received for the construction of the Wacky World playground, an adjacent restroom facility and other amenities will be set aside. Instead, city staff will prepare
a procurement package covering all components of the planned improvements to Wills Park.
“Looking at the entire project in totality and having a single construction manager overseeing all phases of the Wills Park improvements may help to achieve economies of scale and achieve a better deal for Alpharetta taxpayers,” Alpharetta Public Works Director Pete Sewczwicz said. “We will also know all of the costs associated with the improvements sooner and be able to complete the full menu of improvements sooner than if we treat each phase or component as a separate project.”
There are no plans to change the
Wacky World Playground’s design, which was greatly influenced by local children and students who participated in a series of input sessions focused exclusively on collecting ideas from the kids who will be playing there.
“Adjusting our timeline has brought a silver lining, giving families extra moments to enjoy the playground during its liveliest seasons,” said Morgan Rodgers, director of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Services. “As an added benefit, the revised construction schedule minimizes the challenges of weather-related delays while preventing overlap with school holidays and summer breaks.”
The construction of a new and improved Wacky World is one of the projects funded by the $29.5 million parks bond approved by Alpharetta voters in November 2021.
With an eye toward making the playground even better, a citizens’ committee is raising funds to enhance the facility and provide additional features. So far, $495,000 in contributions have been received, advancing toward the $750,000 target.
For more information, opportunities to contribute, or to stay informed on the project’s progress, follow official updates via social media @WackyWorldPlayground or visit www.wackyworld.org.
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Sandy Springs announced Newell Brands signed a 180,000-square-foot lease June 24 at the iconic Queen tower at Concourse Office Park for its new global headquarters.
With the national office vacancy rate around 18 percent in the second quarter of 2024, a new major tenant in the Queen tower signifies a jump in the regional competitiveness of Perimeter.
Newell Brands, a global manufacturer and marketer of consumer and commercial products, is known for products like Coleman, Rubbermaid and Sharpie.
The Fortune 500 company moved its global headquarters less than 2 miles south from 6655 Peachtree Dunwoody in
Sandy Springs.
Newell Brands is one of six Fortune 500 companies in Sandy Springs, home to the most in Atlanta’s Perimeter market.
The Queen Building at 5 Concourse Parkway lies in the heart of Perimeter and stands 31 stories with almost 700,000 square feet of Class A office space.
The property is a part of the Concourse Office Park, a 2.2 million-square-foot development just north of I-285 and immediately east of Ga. 400.
Mayor Rusty Paul said the city is thrilled to keep Newell Brands headquarters in Sandy Springs.
“We have several programs designed to encourage the retention and expansion of
existing businesses, and the incentives we have put in place to foster a pro-business community are clearly working,” Paul said.
“We are excited that Newell decided to stay home and look forward to the positive impact of retaining 890 jobs and adding 165 new jobs to Sandy Springs’ economy.”
Sandy Springs offers economic incentives to attract new business and encourage growth of existing ones.
Benefits of this program include an expedited permitting process, a waiver of permit fees and a waiver of business and occupational taxes.
In March 2024, the Sandy Springs City Council approved the request from Newell Brands to waive building permit
fees and business occupational taxes for three years. The estimated value of the fees waived totals $281,883.
The relocation, brokered by Cushman & Wakefield, increases the square footage of Newell Brands’ headquarters by 20 percent.
“We are pleased to call Sandy Springs home to our global headquarters and to continue our strong partnership with the city,” a Newell Brands spokesperson said. “We look forward to bringing our Atlantabased employees together in a single space that will foster performance, innovation and inclusion.”
— Hayden Sumlin
By HANNAH FRAZER hannah@appenmedia.com
JOHNS CREEK, Ga.— Confined to a wheelchair by muscular dystrophy, Kyle Eggleston drew a standing ovation for the words of inspiration he gave in his commencement address to Johns Creek High School graduates.
At age 4, Eggleston was diagnosed with the genetic condition that gradually weakens and breaks down the skeletal muscles. By age 11, he transitioned from crutches to a wheelchair.
“Emotionally, it had me anxious about my independence,” he said, “but by accepting being in a wheelchair it had allowed me to become more independent than ever before.”
To begin his address to seniors, Eggleston confessed to using the high school hallways as his own personal Daytona 500.
“Consequently because of this, a lot of feet were ran over these past four
years,” Eggleston admitted. “I need to say something, I am sorry.”
He then continued to express two important lessons he has learned: speaking up for himself and knowing when to listen to others.
“It is incredibly important to speak up, but if we don’t take the time to listen to others and to try and see things from different points of view, we will never learn,” told the assembly.
His mindset of “learning to adapt makes you stronger, not weaker” caused him to challenge the students “to get something you never had, you have to do something that you’ve never done.”
Everyday tasks can be difficult. Eggleston sometimes struggles to brush his teeth. Even so, he says he views the obstacles as opportunities for growth, enhancing his ability to overcome life’s tougher challenges.
Eggleston exemplifies adaptability in athletics. His competitive drive was instilled from his family, but finding
sports that matched his abilities and energy was difficult. Most disabled sports focused on participation, but Eggleston wanted more – to compete in an intense environment.
Luckily, his mother found the Atlanta Sting Power Wheelchair Soccer Team.
The sport allows physically disabled participants to use a specialized powered wheelchair to navigate a basketball court and strike an oversized soccer ball.
Although Eggleston never imagined he would receive an offer to play at the college level, he was given the first offer to play power collegiate soccer at Auburn University.
“It’s something I didn’t think was a possibility,” Eggleston said. “I only thought that was for able-bodied athletes.”
Eggleston is no one-trick pony. He took on the role of serving as an assistant football coach for Johns Creek High School. He’d always dreamed of playing football, but that wasn’t realistic. So, his dad suggested coaching, and Eggleston
fell in love with that aspect of the game.
As a devoted Florida State Seminoles fan, Eggleston models his coaching style after Bobby Bowden, the former head coach. Faced with a new decision, Eggleston claims he will cheer for Auburn if the school ever has to play the Seminoles.
Eggleston also draws inspiration from former Johns Creek High football coach Matt Helmerich who taught him the importance of connecting with players. Through this experience, Eggleston built a relationship with the players, sometimes giving them advice, other times receiving it.
Johns Creek High School Principal Chris Shearer says he was also taken by Eggleston’s commencement address.
“I speak so often about growth mindset and maintaining a positive attitude. Kyle articulated both masterfully,” Shearer said. “As he said, you just gotta keep rolling through life. I loved it!”
By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
ROSWELL, Ga. — Mirroring the waiver on Canton Street, patrons at establishments at Crabapple Road and Crossville Road will be able to carry out alcoholic beverages as part of a new restaurant district.
Roswell Deputy City Administrator Jeff Leatherman described a new redevelopment project coming forward in the area at the City Council meeting June 24.
Leatherman said the traditional
office park property will be modified into restaurants and retail space, renovating the buildings on-site.
He said the developers plan to create a courtyard out of the site’s parking lot, a gathering place covered in a synthetic turf lawn. The resolution will come into play at the courtyard, Leatherman said, allowing patrons to walk out of restaurants in the designated area with an alcoholic beverage.
According to their application, Dreamcatchers Investment Group and Partners Development Group
are collaborating to transform the office park into the initial stages of “Uptown Roswell,” envisioned to be Canton Street’s northern most upscale restaurant and retail hub.
The City Council unanimously approved the resolution to establish the Crabapple Road Restaurant District.
“I think over the course of the next 30, 60, 90 days, as we continue to enhance our economic development strategy, you’re going to see more projects moving forward here in the City of Roswell, which we’re excited about,” Leatherman said.
By JAKE DRUKMAN newsroom@appenmedia.com
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — After holding its third and final public hearing, the Alpharetta City Council unanimously approved a $164 million budget for fiscal year 2025 at its June 24 meeting, marking a $10 million increase in spending and revenues over fiscal year 2024.
The total includes $19 million for onetime, big-ticket capital projects, like street improvements and land acquisition. The city also expects to receive another $6.5 million from state and federal grants to apply to capital projects.
The actual operating budget – the day-to-day cost of running the city, which includes wages – is $103.5 million, up about 2 percent from the current year,
No residents came forward to speak at any of the three public hearings the council held on the budget, nor did anyone from the public speak before the two separate votes to pass the budget ordinance and the millage rate ordinance.
Despite the spending increase, homeowners may actually save a bit on property taxes with the new budget, which takes effect on July 1.
Alpharetta’s property tax rate will remain at 5.75 mills, but some of that tax income — 0.059 mills — will move from the city’s debt levy to its operating levy. The move is expected to save homeowners an estimated $90,000 in property taxes, because taxes applied toward the operating levy are subject to the city’s homestead exemption. Taxes levied for debt are not.
The city’s Public Safety Department will receive a notable increase in funding for the coming year. The approved budget includes nearly $55 million, compared to 2024’s departmental allocation of just under $48 million – a $7 million increase.
The budget also allocates about $914,000 for wage adjustments to existing city employees and about $600,000 for six new employees to be added to the
The Alpharetta City Council approved its fiscal year 2025 budget June 24 after three public hearings
payroll, including a fire training lieutenant in the Department of Public Safety, an administrative assistant in the Municipal Court and a senior urban forestry assistant in the Public Works Department. The most costly new position will be an economic development director within the city’s Administration Department, with a price tag of $245,000 for the year.
The initial budget proposal called for seven new city employees, including an administrative assistant, which would have cost $79,000. City Finance Director Tom Harris said the proposal was removed between the first and second public hearings on the budget, and the allocated money was moved to the city’s reserve fund.
The full approved budget for fiscal year 2025 is available on the city’s website. The spending plan runs from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025.
Mixed-use complex approved
Also at the June 24 meeting, the City Council approved a rezoning to allow a small mixed-use building to be constructed at 152 Marietta Street, adjacent to the intersection with Orchid Lane.
A
of the
The two-story building will consist of one for-sale condominium unit, 2,500 square feet of retail space and 1,500 square feet of medical office space on about half an acre. Due to approval conditions recommended by city staff, the retail space will be limited to services, such as a salon or another health clinic, rather than a store that primarily sells items to
consumers.
Applicant Jean Chapman, who owns the property and has operated a medical practice in Alpharetta for 21 years, noted in her application that she intends to move her medical practice into the development’s office space. The application also states that she and her family may move into the building’s condominium unit.
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Old Rucker Farm, the home base for the Alpharetta Community Agriculture Program, is getting a new greenhouse.
The Alpharetta Business Association donated more than $22,600 for the purchase, proceeds from the group’s biannual Brew Moon Fest, to support the program’s mission to cultivate community engagement and education through agriculture.
The new 24-by-36 greenhouse will serve a diverse group of participants, including community garden members, home growers, local schools with garden programs, and the garden at the North Fulton Community Charities food pantry.
It will also enable the production of a variety of organic and heirloom seedlings, ensuring that all
according to the Assessor’s Office. More than 16,000 of those were for residential properties. Meanwhile, Fulton County saw more than 30,000 appeals in 2023. Forsyth provided a list of around 4,000 unnamed appeals for last year.
The legislation “should cut down on the number of people that appeal things without even knowing if the value is wrong,” according to one assessor who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The same property owners have been appealing every three years no matter what, he said, noting that there are neighbors in his county with similar properties who have significantly different tax assessments, all because one homeowner pauses the process through appeals while the other cuts a check without asking questions.
In theory, the assessments should even out after the freeze is over, but that rarely happens, he said.
District 3 Fulton County Commissioner Dana Barrett offered a similar perspective late last year, suggesting that the powers that be have been wary to implement multiyear increases in a single assessment, especially considering another appeal would surely be waiting.
Data shows 5 to 10 percent of residential appeals have resulted in a reduced assessment in a given year, the assessor said. That is no accident.
participants have access to healthy, locally grown plants for their gardens.
“The donation of this greenhouse marks a significant enhancement to our growing capabilities,” said Morgan Rodgers, director of Alpharetta Recreation, Parks and Cultural Services. “With this gift, we can expand our support to local schools and community gardens, and increase our contributions to the NFCC food pantry, helping to address food insecurity in our area.”
Tracy Morton, president of the Alpharetta Business Association, said the project aligns with the group’s mission to foster community development and sustainability.
“We look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on local agriculture and education,” Morton said.
specializes in real estate law says that due to the sheer volume they’re facing, appeals committees haven’t the bandwidth or time to critically react to the evidence put before them, or the ability to dive deep on comparable sales
“It’s easier to rubber stamp what the assessor tells them,” Campbell said.
The Board of Equalization, the panel that hears most property assessment appeals, is not always made up of real estate professionals or those who work in tangential industries. In fact, committee members are only required to be property owners who have completed 40 hours of certified training and earned their high school diploma. Property visits occur but anecdotal evidence suggests they’re more of a rarity, according to Campbell.
Hearings in front of Boards of Equalization run roughly 5 to 7 minutes, and live testimony – like that from a third-party appraiser – is typically not allowed or considered, he said.
“You can walk in with the most scientific presentation – a lockdown case – and they may just arbitrarily agree with the assessors,” he said. The end result is that 2024 is absolutely the year to appeal if you simply want two additional years with no changes to your appraisal, Campbell said. Otherwise, come next year, you’ll have to convince a committee to approve a reduced assessment to earn those two extra years.
Board
of the
forward with an appeal, it’s important to understand the benefits – or maybe lack thereof – beyond the two-year freeze on assessment increases. The financial ramifications can be much less impactful than most people assume for typical homeowners. A $50,000 reduction in property value results in roughly $450 in tax savings in a given year, according to Campbell.
The 2023 numbers provided by Forsyth County show that a “successful” appeal can often result in no more than pocket change. One unidentified property that was originally assessed at more than $1.7 million saw its valuation drop by exactly $100 following the appeals process, meaning the property owner saved just pennies in taxes. However, another Forsyth property initially valued at roughly $2.88 million fell to less than $1.3 million after an appeal, resulting in an enormous tax savings.
The appeals process is also lengthy, even if it isn’t necessarily arduous. Appeals are usually finalized between four and 10 months from the initial paperwork. The board of tax assessors can also increase the value of a property if an onsite inspection reveals significant additions or improvements to the property of which the board wasn’t already aware.
Property tax appeal deadlines, contacts
• Fulton County: Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, fultonassessor.org/ property-appeals/
• Forsyth County: Monday, July 8, 2024, forsythco.com/ Departments-Offices/Board-ofAssessors/Assessments
• DeKalb County: Monday, July 15, 2024, dekalbcountyga.gov/ property-appraisal/appeal-process
The time to act is now
While each county has slightly different rules, the main pillars of the appeals process are the same across the state. You’ll have 45 days from the date on the Notice of Assessment to file an appeal. DeKalb County said its notices were mailed at the end of May, suggesting a mid-July deadline. Forsyth County sent notices out on May 24. Appeals for Fulton County must be postmarked on or before the last date to file, which is clearly marked on every individual notice of assessment.
Jody Campbell, a partner at law firm Blum & Campbell which
Realities to consider
When deciding whether to move
That said, you can choose to be billed at 85 percent of the initial assessment while your appeal is being resolved, which can be a major benefit for property owners with extremely large initial assessments, particularly owners of commercial properties.
While you don’t need to see a reduction in property value under the current law to lock in property values, you do need to complete the appeals process. That means attending the Board of Equalization hearing or having someone else attend on your behalf.
But come next year, you’ll need to actually find a way to convince a committee or arbiter to approve a reduction to your assessment to see any benefits. Continued from Page 1
DC Aiken
Big Sky Franchise Team
David & Michelle Bertany
Amour & Duane Carthy
Barbara Anderson
Kerry Arias
Scott Baynton
Joseph Bell
James Bennett
Carl Abernathy
Alpharetta Lions Club
Omar Altalib
Dave Altman
Ron Altman
Joel Alvis
American Legion Post 201
Alice & Dr. Richard Appen
Gaye Armstrong
Mary Asbury
Beth Barnes
Janet Bass
Barbara Bauschka
Kathy Beck
Bill Bentley
Leslie Berry
Tom Billings
Tochie Blan
Ron Boddicker
Jodi Bogen
Sherri Bolles-Rogers
Helen Borland
Debra Bowen
Joe Bowen
Ryan Brainard
Mark Brandus
Mel Brannen
Dorothy Brouhard
Erendira Brumley
Bernhard Burgener
Alvin Burrell
Mike & Theresa Buscher
Mary Busman
Gary Butterfield
Clea Calloway
Kirk Canaday
James Carr
Bridgette Carter
William Cartwright
Pat Check
Virginia Christman
Christopher Cleary
Ann Coaloa
Kim Coggins
Adam Corder
Robert Flint
Robin Fricton
Allison January
Roderick Liptrot
Bob Meyers
Claude Nardy
Ross & Lori Ramsey
Rita Brown
Mark Casas
David Conti
Theodore Davis III
Maureen Drumm
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Leave in the dust
Tailless stoutbodied amphibian
Make-up artist?
Thursday, July 4, Open House: 12 noon til 11 p.m.
Alpharetta City Band Concert on the Grounds – 6 p.m.
Parking (donation requested) & Great View of Fireworks
Bounce House for Youngsters; Food for Sale
Budweiser Beer Wagon on Site All Weekend
Friday, July 5 – Gold Standard Band
Motown, Carolina Beach & Classic Soul
Dance Lessons: 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Open Dance: 8:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.
Admission $12 per person Cash or Credit
Saturday, July 6, Open House: 12 noon til 11:30 p.m.
Budweiser & Folds of Honor Clydesdales Downtown
Alpharetta Procession Ends at Post 201, 12 noon – 2 p.m.
Budweiser Beer Wagon Benefiting Folds of Honor
Bounce House for Youngsters; Food for Sale
Championship Baseball on Veterans Field
Country Music Dance Mix with DJ Wray Sisk
Dance Lessons: 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Open Dance: 8:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.
Dance Admission $12 per person Cash or Credit
www.legion201.org
Allow me to paint for you a duck.
The Sandy Springs mayor, city manager and police chief form a club. They invite a city councilman, two high-ranking members of the police department and one private citizen to join them.
The gang meets in a City Hall conference room on a Monday afternoon with two of the city’s staff attorneys.
Their topic of discussion is how to build a $45 million police training facility on city property.
At the end of the meeting, they agree on some rules for the group. The mayor will act as the chairperson, the city manager the treasurer and the Police Department’s third-in-command will be the secretary. They set a schedule for the year, planning when they will come back to this room and continue working on their project.
Would you describe this entity as
“totally separate” from the city? Me neither. But that’s the justification the city is now using to withhold records about the Sandy Springs Police Foundation.
When I talk to folks about Sandy Springs’ disregard for the Open Records Act, I am quick to point out it reaches far beyond police records.
Our company and newsroom are supporters of law enforcement. I sing praises of Forsyth County Sheriff Ron Freeman and staff at the Roswell Police Department. I remember fondly dozens of hours I spent in our recording studio producing a podcast which stars Alpharetta Police Officer Phil Ritchey and K9 Officer Raider. Appen reporters have covered public safety fundraisers in Alpharetta, Dunwoody Chief Emeritus Billy Grogan’s honors from the state capitol and the coronation of Milton’s new Chief Jason Griffin.
We’re fans of police, and they should have every resource they need to ensure the highest quality training and equipment to protect and serve the public.
Our gripe is aimed higher, at those with more purview.
City of Sandy Springs staff and officials’ apparent disregard for the public’s right to know doesn’t make fine distinctions. They’ll withhold a police report one day and stop a reporter from attending a budget workshop the next. Equal opportunity obfuscation, if you will.
I am accustomed to the city trying to avoid accountability. What gets me red hot is when they make their efforts so obvious.
In Georgia, there are specific conditions for when a non-government body is subject to open meetings and records laws.
One is that if a third of their funding comes from taxes. Another is whether it is performing a duty on behalf of a public agency.
The City of Sandy Springs used to hand over materials related to the Sandy Springs Police Foundation. Appen Media would request agendas, minutes and other documents through the open records portal, and the City Clerk’s Office would send them over.
Then staff reporter Hayden Sumlin used some of those materials in a story about the proposed Sandy Springs
police training center, including the discovery that the project had quietly been in the works since at least 2021.
It was a surprise to most –including some on the City Council.
After Hayden’s reporting, one councilmember formally requested the city manager give them regular updates on the project going forward.
That story came out April 1. The city started denying our requests for foundation materials on April 2.
They justified the change by claiming the City of Sandy Springs is entirely uninvolved with the Sandy Springs Police Foundation and, as a result, the gang is not subject to the Open Records Act.
See above duck.
Now the city manager has a new email address, dedicated to discussing foundation business. Coincidence? Of course not.
“An agency may not transfer records to a private entity to avoid disclosure,” writes Attorney General Chris Carr in his guide to open government.
Or, as they say at Sandy Springs City Hall, “quack quack quack.”
This week’s “Rock” pick, as it relates to currentday economics, is “Riding the Storm Out” by REO Speedwagon from 1981. It seems that the American public is willing to wait for rates to come back down before they make a new home purchase, as well as other consumer goods and services. They appear to be “Riding the Storm Out” until the FED decides to move rates lower and bring affordability more in line with what people can afford: including homes,
foods, and other consumer goods and services.
We saw retail sales come in this week for the month of May only up .1 percent, and April’s figures were revised to down .2 percent. Consumer sentiment also fell in May, falling to 62.5 percent from 69.1 percent in April, a far cry from the 101 peak we saw pre-pandemic.
According to Redfin, 61.9 percent of homes listed (nationwide) in May were on the market for over 30 days, and over 40 percent of the homes still for sale in May had been on the market for two months.
The “good news” is that the Metro ATL market is doing better than the national averages, but not by much. The average home in the Metro ATL averages
37 days on the market with roughly two offers during that timeframe. Home prices have risen 6.6 percent since this time last year, which is still not a bad return on your money.
The FED needs to adjust their thinking, or they will drive us into recession quickly. Focusing on just the “inflation” rate will be a recipe for disaster, as they need to focus on employment numbers, retail sales, business closures and overall consumer sentiment. It would be great if they could achieve their 2 percent inflation goal but not at the expense of people’s jobs and their inability to purchase goods and services. But if you don’t have a job and can’t afford a place to live, how wonderful is a 2
percent inflation rate? Perhaps taking a macroeconomic approach as opposed to a micro one could keep us out of recession. While the “market” is only predicting one rate cut this year, I am calling for two. One, maybe as soon as late summer and possibly another one before the election, as “data” will show we are moving quickly into recession.
D.C. Aiken is vice president, producing production manager for BankSouth Mortgage, NMLS # 658790. For more insights, you can subscribe to his newsletter at dcaiken.com.
The opinions expressed within this article may not reflect the opinions or views of BankSouth Mortgage or its affiliates.
BOB MEYERS Columnist
“The Ann Jackson Gallery was a mainstay of downtown Roswell for more than 50 years. In a previous column I discussed the early history of the famous art gallery by highlighing the life story of Ann Marie Moir Jackson (1932-2012), the exploits of her husband Basil (1923-2013) as a World War ll bomber pilot and the transfer of ownership of the gallery to their daughter Valerie in 1986.
This week’s column will complete the story.
The Farm, a sad tale
In 1971 Ann and Basil purchased a 12-acre parcel on Freemanville Road that contained a small milking barn that Ann used to house several horses while she built a larger barn. The couple built a beautiful house on the top of a hill that resembled a southern plantation. They affectionally called the property The Farm and kept it for about 15 years before selling it to pursue their dream of buying a boat where they would live for fi ve years before returning to Georgia.
The buyer gave Ann and Basil enough money to buy their 42-foot sailboat but never paid the rest of the agreed price for the property despite legal action by the Jacksons. The sad result was that the couple never got their money and had to live on their boat for 12 years, their dream of paradise crushed.
Life in the Caribbean was not always idyllic. The couple was lost at sea twice.
Life had its good aspects as well. When the boat docked in Caribbean ports, Ann painted local scenes and sold her paintings in galleries in Nassau, Marsh Harbor, a town in the Bahamas and in other ports. The purchaser eventually abandoned the Freemanville Road property, and the beautiful house deteriorated until a new owner restored it.
Today the property is owned by the City of Milton which has plans to convert it into a nature preserve. The house has been torn down. The city recognizes the historic nature of the small barn and intends to preserve it. According to Milton Communications Director Greg Botelho, residents in the coming months will have input into plans for the preserve as part of the Greenprint intitive to develop a vision for Milton’s greenspaces.
The Jackson story has a happy ending after all. In 1998 Ann and Basil bought a house on Tybee Island where they lived for the rest of their lives. Ann painted almost every day, and Basil retired from his job as an engineer at Lockheed
Once when asked by an Atlanta Constitution reporter when she started to paint, Ann replied “My fi rst recollection of art is I would always ask Santa Claus for paint.”
Dr. Seuss postscript
Valerie Jackson has assembled a large collections of reproductions of Dr Seuss drawings and paintings for the gallery. After the death of the author/cartoonist (1904–1991), his wife Audrey Stone Dimond (1921–2018) chose a company to promote his work. Valerie had worked with
Ann Jackson Gallery owner Valerie Jackson stands in front of a painting done by her mother Ann Jackson in 1995 while she was in France. Valerie, the oldest of their eight children, eventually took over the gallery from her mother. Today she operates the gallery at her home on Bowen Road in Roswell. Call her at 770 6865613 to make an appointment to visit the gallery.
the promotion company in the past, and the company provided her with some reproductions of Dr Seuss art encompassing 70 years of his work. The collection has grown from 10 pieces to approximately 150 today. Valerie treasures her collection and sells some occasionally out of her home which now houses the Jackson gallery. Clients can contact Valerie at 770 993-4783. Be sure to call for an appointment to see her beautiful collection.
Dr. Seuss, whose real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel, is best known for his more than 40 children’s books, but he was much more than Cat in the Hat, the Lorax or the Grinch. He earned a bachelor’s degree in 1925 from Dartmouth College and published his fi rst book, “And to Think That I saw it on Mulberry Steet” in 1937. He used his mother’s middle name Seuss as his pen name. Some of his books sold more than 200 million copies. Many have been adapted for television and fi lms.
During the early days of World War ll Geisel joined the New York magazine PM as a political
ATLANTA CONSTITUTION/PROVIDED
The Ann Jackson Gallery was largely responsible for the growth of the Roswell Art District. In 2006 they hosted an exhibit titled “The Secret Art of Dr Seuss” consisting of reproductions of sculptures and serigraphs (silk-screens) on canvas, most of which were never published in his children’s books.
Here his widow
the Cat in the Hat and Thing 1 and Thing 2
the dedication of the Dr Seuss star.
cartoonist. He drew more than 400 political cartoons for the publication between 1940 and 1942. In 1943 he joined the Army and was deployed to Fox Studios in Hollywood where he worked with top fi lmmakers, screenwriters and journalists as part of Frank Capra’s Signal Corps unit. He produced hundreds of political cartoons and cartoon shorts, such as a series featuring Private Snafu about the misadventures of an inept soldier. Geisel told his wife that after his death she would have to guard his legacy by taking charge of all the creatures he had created. That became her mission in life. In 1993 she founded Dr. Seuss Enterprises and became active in many charities. She gave $20 million and thousands of her husband’s drawings and manuscripts to the University of California, San Diego, for example.”
Bob is director emeritus of the Milton Historical Society and a Member of the City of Alpharetta Historic Preservation Commission. You can email him at bobmey@bellsouth.net. Bob welcomes suggestions for future columns about local history.
A farmhouse once sat at 1000 Spalding Drive in Sandy Springs, where Peachtree Dunwoody Road meets Spalding Drive. In 1995 this became the location of Spalding Gables Apartments, which is now Cortland 1000 Spalding apartment homes. Lynne Byrd, on a mission to document all older homes and buildings in Dunwoody and parts of Sandy Springs in 1994, took photographs of the home, which she identified as a circa 1900 farmhouse.
Byrd’s research indicated Nolia and Nina May Holbrook Spruill were early owners of this Spalding Drive farmhouse. Nolia was the son of Joseph and Sophia Spruill, and Nina May’s parents were Susan Jarrell and Fransco Holbrook. The Holbrooks lived in the Cross Keys district which includes Chamblee and Brookhaven.
Nolia Spruill completed a World War I registration card in 1917. He gave an address of Dunwoody, Georgia and recorded his nearest relatives as his wife and four children. He was working at the time as a farm laborer for Carl Wallace in Chamblee. There are no records to indicate that Nolia was ever called to serve during the war.
Census records for 1910 and 1930 show Nolia and Nina Spruill living along what was
PROVIDED
The farmhouse at 1000 Spalding Drive was photographed by Lynne Byrd in 1994. A year later, this would be the location of Spalding Gables Apartments.
called Spruill Road and Dunwoody Road. Several other Spruill families lived nearby. In 1920, Nolia and Nina Spruill are recorded as living in Cobb County.
Nolia Spruill is part of the Stephen and Sarah Martin family, buried at Stephen Martin Cemetery in Dunwoody. The cemetery is located behind Perimeter Expo Shopping Center on Hammond Drive. Stephen and Sarah’s Martin’s daughter Sophia married Joseph Spruill, and they are buried in the fifth row of the cemetery along with some of their children, including Nolia Spruill, Nina Holbrook Spruill and their child Elbert.
Around 1948, Leslie W. and Helen
Pickering purchased the home and property at 1000 Spalding Drive. Pickering operated construction companies P&W Construction Company and Pickering Construction Company. In 1954, he worked along with contractor E. Jack Smith to build the Skyland Shopping Center at Clairmont Road and Buford Highway. (Atlanta Journal, Oct. 17, 1954, “Skyland Shop Center Construction Started”)
1000 Spalding Drive was listed for sale in the Atlanta Constitution in 1976 and 1977. It is described as a 100-year-old country home in the city with 9.9 acres. This is older than Lynne Byrd’s estimate of the home’s age. The property includes
“lots of trees and pasture for horses, a large fishing lake plus a summer house, making this a beautiful retreat.”
The adjacent property of 1060 Spalding Drive is listed as a three-bedroom home with 5.9 acres.
Mr. and Mrs. James Asher lived at 1060 Spalding Drive with their children Phillip and Alice in 1946. There was an outbreak of forest fires that year, including near these homes. However, the Ashers and other families were able to save their homes. The Asher children were photographed putting out small fires in their backyard. (Atlanta Journal, March 5, 1946, “Forest Fires Ravage 5,785 Acres in State”)
Another address next to 1000 Spalding was 996, which Lynne Byrd recorded as the home of Helen Seamon in 1994.
To the west, at 960 Spalding Drive, was the home of Elon and Sarah Elizabeth (Lizzie) Jordon. The land was given to the couple by Lizzie’s great uncle John Ball. Their home and land sat on the north side of Spalding Drive, west of where Ga. 400 is today.
There are unanswered questions in my mind regarding this property. If additional information is uncovered, there will be an update to the history of farmhouses near and on 1000 Spalding Drive.
Award-winning author Valerie Biggerstaff is a longtime columnist for Appen Media and the Dunwoody Crier. She lives in Atlanta. You can email Valerie at pasttensega@gmail.com or visit her website at pasttensega.com.
There was a time when going to the movies was an event to be cherished. Dinner and a movie was the standard for a Friday or Saturday night. Going on a date in high school often entailed seeing a movie. Theaters were packed and I couldn’t wait to see the latest Hollywood offering.
Today, not so much. The last movie I saw in a theater was “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Before that, I went to see “Oppenheimer” with my sons. And while both films were well-done and entertaining, I haven’t gone back.
I recently queried Abigail from AMC at The Collection about what I should be looking forward to this summer. How many “summer blockbusters” will inspire me to fork over nearly $20 just to get a ticket?
Are you ready? “Despicable Me 4” (We all need more Minions, don’t we?), “Deadpool vs. Wolverine” (I guess there’ll be a fight, but I don’t care who wins), and some type of “Mad Max” offering. Oh, and there’s also plans for a “Lord of The Rings” marathon.
Maybe I’m a movie snob, but there really doesn’t appear to be anything worth seeing right now. And worse yet for those in Hollywood wanting to get some of my money, there’s nothing on the horizon that gets me to say: “I really want to see that!”
I guess there’s the possibility that going to the movies is not what it used to be. The experience is somewhat lacking. However, I love a good IMAX offering with that vivid picture or a Dolby theater with audiophile sound and reclining seats.
I have the fondest California memories of DeeDee, my godmother, taking me to the Warner Theater in downtown San Pedro. Whenever there was a new Disney movie showing, she was a great sport, and we had popcorn and drinks while watching
upstairs in balcony seats. DeeDee always paid extra to have us sit upstairs, which made the experience feel that much more special.
I had an early crush on Hayley Mills in “The Parent Trap.” I believed Fred MacMurray had ditched his three sons to become “The Absent-Minded Professor,” and his Flubber could help me become a better basketball player and might make our old Plymouth fly. I remember being mesmerized by “Swiss Family Robinson” and how that clan fought the elements and some jabbering pirates, vanquishing the marauders by employing coconut bombs. Mom was wise to my ways when I asked her to pick me up a few coconuts next time she bought groceries, “and by the way, where do we keep our gunpowder around the house?”
Admittedly, I thought the last “Mission Impossible” offering rocked. I’ll probably pony up for a ticket to watch Tom Cruise perform his own “how does he do that?” stunts.
I think there’s a new Western starring Kevin Costner on the horizon, and that seems to be worthwhile. Aside from that, there’s nothing that excites me.
Maybe we’ve exhausted all the possibilities for new material, and all that’s left are sequels and remakes. I can’t help but think that Hollywood is hurting, and its once “sure thing” audience may have become more discerning and, worse yet, aloof.
Looking at all the entertainment alternatives, the prospect of driving to a movie house and paying ridiculous admission prices, coupled with food that can be purchased for at lease half-price at Publix, I’ve concluded I still like movies, but going to the movies just isn’t worth the hassle.
Mike Tasos has lived in Forsyth County for more than 30 years. He’s an American by birth and considers himself a Southerner by the grace of God. He can be reached at miketasos55@gmail.com.
Continued from Page 1
sports.
A few fathers of young athletes also spoke about the urgent need for more playing fields in Milton.
With youth sports overwhelming facilities at Bell Memorial Park, the city is short on facilities for a growing population.
During the annual State of the City address in January, Mayor Peyton Jamison took time to discuss the city’s focus on providing recreational spaces.
In the past five years, youth sports registrations have increased 120 percent, from 2,500 to 5,500.
“That’s a whole bunch of Milton’s children battling for active field space,” Jamison said.
The fathers of young athletes who spoke at the June 24 meeting shared anecdotes of their families scrambling to make practices and games at different facilities across the city.
Others told of cases of children dropping sports because of a lack of practice time and the unavailability of fields in other jurisdictions.
The design team at CPL Architects and Engineers shared their thoughts on the new sketch.
The playing fields include two full-sized rectangles with 20-foot clearances on all sides, three 200-feet-deep baseball fields and one diamond at 275 feet.
Catherine Newberry and Cydnee Bonacci, project leaders at CPL, went over site analysis and provided a cost analysis
Continued from Page 9
The BerryDunn study recommends an increase in the authorized staffing level of the Police Department from 64 to 78, accounting for attrition to achieve the minimum staffing level of 73.
The City Council funded some recommendations this year, like adding a four-member unit focused on street crimes and civilian positions intended to free up officers.
The additional positions, if filled along with other vacancies, still leave the department five sworn officers below the recommended minimum staffing level.
Meanwhile, the Police Department has been looking to fill those positions.
Recruits come from a variety of backgrounds, Carlson said.
He recently swore in an officer from Emory University Police Department and interviewed a retired Chicago officer in mid-June.
A non-sworn candidate heads to the Georgia Police Academy in July.
PROVIDED
The final sketch of the athletic complex on Deerfield Parkway keeps the same number of fields after the discovery of a stream head on the property. The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and design consultants threw out the roadway connection to Ga. 9 to fit needed amenities.
for build-out of the athletic complex.
“We saw that there are wetlands on the site,” Newberry said. “There actually is a spring head, which requires acknowledgement of state water buffers.”
All of Georgia’s waterways are protected by a 25-foot buffer or no-build zone.
“We can’t put that rectangular field right there where it was shown in some
Carlson said the mindset of an ideal recruit is someone who is communityoriented, which is why he requires the post-academy Police Officer Training program.
“I’ve got more plans for the department, I’m going to ask for more personnel next year,” Carlson said. “I’m asking for seven more personnel, whether I get it or not, we’ll see.”
As Dunwoody continues to grow, Carlson said he wants to ensure he has the staffing to make it safe.
It is clear Dunwoody officials are helping the Police Department recruit sworn personnel through pay increases, incentives to stay and additional positions for promotion.
But, it’s an uphill battle because crime in the city and throughout Perimeter has increased since 2019.
With residents speaking at public meetings about increased homelessness and crime in Perimeter, it’s not clear if taxpayers are feeling or seeing their investment.
After reporting annual increases to violent crime from 2019-2022,
area with a boardwalk over the stream.
One of the rectangular fields, previously in the wetland, now sits in the center of the property where the thoroughfare to Ga. 9 was planned.
Concession stands, playgrounds, restrooms, pavilions, a maintenance facility and a 1-mile-long walking trail remain in the final sketch.
CPL estimates the athletic complex will cost between $17.2 and $19.7 million, including contingency, engineering and design fees.
Members of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board asked Parks and Recreation Director Tom McKlveen if the cost estimate aligns with city expectations and funding availability.
Since land acquisition with the property owner, Crescent Communities, is estimated to cost $8 million, the cost for build-out fits with earlier city estimates of $28 million. The due-diligence period on the property ends July 21.
“It came in right where we thought it would,” McKlveen said. “Even with the contingency, we have been looking at increasing the budget number for this park because everything we’ve been bidding out lately comes in higher than expected.”
of the earlier concepts,” Newberry said, pointing to the right or northeast side of the sketch.
The final conceptual sketch, which is not set in stone, includes 10 batting cages, 4 pickleball courts, no tennis courts and 301 parking spots.
The design team opted to leave the area around the stream head as is, creating a nature preserve and wooded
DUNWOODY POLICE/PROVIDED
Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch swears in Police Chief Mike Carlson May 7 at City Hall.
the department reported a 7 percent decrease last year.
The number of homicides, assaults and robberies decreased between 2022 and 2023, but residential burglaries, entering autos and larcenies increased.
The Perimeter Center Improvement Districts, covering Brookhaven, Dunwoody and Sandy Springs, reported a 35 percent increase in crime from
McKlveen also said the city is in discussions with neighboring properties for shared-parking agreements.
“We have done internal analysis based upon field capacities and what our registrations numbers currently are,” McKlveen said. “Getting these six fields would get us exactly what we need to have a little bit of breathing room for our programs.”
2022 to 2023.
The challenges of policing in Dunwoody boils down to traffic, vacancies and crime.
Tens of thousands pour into the city from I-285 and Ga. 400 every day, often leaving officers sitting in traffic with everyone else.
With increasing crime and persistent vacancies, it’s not clear whether one factor can be singled out or if a myriad of explanations fit.
Potential explanations include labor shortages and wage competition, and fallout from the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis in 2020.
Around that same time, the Dunwoody Police Department endured public humiliation when an internal probe revealed serious misconduct – including allegations of sexual harassment – by Police Lt. Fidel Espinoza, a high-ranking supervisor. Amid the controversy, Espinoza resigned in May 2020
Amid the turbulence of the nation’s recent history, some police agencies have reported increased hiring since 2023, but the Dunwoody Police Department has not.
City of Milton 2006 Heritage Walk Milton, GA 30004
Notice of Public Hearing
Notice is hereby given that a public hearing shall be held at the City of Milton City Hall, 2006 Heritage Walk, Milton, Georgia, on Monday, July 22, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. before the Milton City Council to consider and receive public comment on an amended Development Impact Fee Ordinance, in accordance with the authority provided by Article 9, Section 2, Paragraph 3 of the Constitution of the State of Georgia and the Georgia Development Impact Fee Act (O.C.G.A. § 3671-1 et seq. as amended).
Case No. U24-02, VC24-02
Location: 900 Pleasant Hollow Trail
Existing Zoning: AG-1 (Agricultural)
Applicant: Keith (Andy) Campbell and Courtney Bartik
Request: To request a use permit to utilize the existing Accessory Structure as an "Artist Studio" (Milton Unified Development Code Sec. 8.5.14.C) with four (4) Concurrent Variances:
1) To allow the existing accessory structure to remain in front of the primary residential structure (Milton Unified Development Code Sec. 3.1.4)
2) To allow the existing accessory structure to remain as is, without being designed in accordance with the predominant commercial building types (Milton Unified Development Code Sec. 6.3.4.H.1.a)
3) To allow the existing accessory structure to remain as is, without having a ratio of openings to solids from 30% to 50% (Milton Unified Development Code Sec. 6.3.4.H.4.a)
4) To allow the existing accessory structure to remain as is, without the existing accessory structure having the same window arrangement as the side with the principal entrance (Milton Unified Development Code Sec. 6.3.4.H.4.e)
Public Hearings/ Meetings: Community Zoning Information Meeting (CZIM)
Tuesday, July 23, 2024 at 6:00 p.m.
Design Review Board (DRB)
Tuesday, August 6, 2024 at 6:00 p.m.
Planning Commission Meeting
Wednesday, August 28, 2024 at 6:00 p.m.
Mayor and City Council Meeting
Monday, October 7, 2024 at 6:00 p.m.
Location: Milton City Hall - Council Chambers 2006 Heritage Walk Milton, GA 30004
678-242-2540
CITY OF MILTON
Date: Tuesday, August 6, 2024 6:00 P.M.
Location: Milton City Hall – Council Chambers 2006 Heritage Walk Milton, GA 30004
678-242-2540
On the date and time, and at the location stated above, the Design Review Board shall conduct a public hearing to consider the following applications for Certificate of Appropriateness.
1. Demolition Permit Review:
A. Address: 15675 Rowe Road Applicant: Scott D. Reece
B. Address: 12780 Birmingham Highway Applicant: Drew Clough
Request for Proposals
Safe Streets for All Grant Implementation RFP NUMBER 24-PW08
Qualifications/Proposal Due Date: July 23, 2024, by 2:00PM Local Time
Electronic submission via: www.miltonga.gov
Names for submissions received will be publicly announced via a virtual opening at approximately 2:30 PM at the City of Milton City Hall located at 2006 Heritage Walk, Milton, GA 30004. The City reserves the right to reject any and all proposals. If the contract is awarded, it will be awarded to the highest scoring Offeror whose proposal meets the requirements and criteria set forth in the request for proposals.
The City of Milton is requesting qualifications and proposals from interested parties to provide supplementary planning and engineering services to support further development of Milton's Local Road Safety Plan. All qualified proposals will receive consideration without regard to age, handicap, religion, creed or belief, political affiliation, race, color, sex, or national origin. The City was awarded a grant from the United States Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Since Federal funding will be used on this project all Offerors must comply with the Federal requirements listed in the solicitation document. All federal funding must be spent within 24 months of the grant executed by FHWA. This RFP will assume that date is June 1, 2026.
The request for electronic proposals for RFP 24-PW08, Safe Streets for All Grant Implementation will be posted on the following websites the week of June 27, 2024: https://www.miltonga.gov/government/finance/bids-rfps and https://ssl.doas.state.ga.us/gpr/
Santo Caruso, 92, of Alpharetta, passed away on June 16, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Betty Maugans, 96, of Alpharetta, passed away on June 23, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Donald Wilson, 89, of Roswell, passed away on June 24, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
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Software Engineer Consultant (Alpharetta, GA):
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Sawnee EMC is seeking a Cyber Security and Compliance Specialist to monitor and ensure security and integrity of the network(s), computers systems, install/maintain security software, and establish baseline configurations. Requires: Bachelor’s degree Cyber Security, Computer Information Systems, Computer Science, Information Systems. Must have a minimum of three (3) years of overall security experience and three (3) years of direct experience in technical information security. Proficiency in Next-Gen firewalls, SIEM, vulnerability management, web, and email security, WAF, NAC, EDR/XDR, IPS/IDS, DLP, MFA, SSO, SAML, OAuth, FIDO, security frameworks, NIST, CIS, PCI, DNS, DHCP, VPN, TCP/IP, Ethernet, ITSM systems, Active Directory, Azure AD (Entra ID), Group Policy, PowerShell, SQL, KQL.
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Sawnee Electric Membership Corporation is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer of Females, Minorities, Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities. Sawnee EMC is VEVRAA Federal Contractor. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans to perform the essential functions. Drug Free Workplace.
Midway Preschool is hiring lead and assistant teachers for the 2024-2025 school year. Please call Beth @ 770-752-0440 or email beth@midwayumc.org
North Fulton Community Charities, a non-profit in Roswell, Georgia, is seeking a Part Time Donor Operations Associate I.
This entry level hourly position is available now, averages 28 hours per week, and requires the ability to lift up to 75 pounds and work outside during the day.
NFCC have been serving individuals and families in the North Fulton area for 40+ years. Our Mission “To Ease Hardship and Foster Financial Stability in our Community”. We provide opportunities for the whole community to thrive. NFCC is committed to provide professional development and pathways for advancement to all members of the NFCC team. To view the complete job descriptions, please visit our website at https://nfcchelp.org/work-at-nfcc/ If you wish to apply, please send your resume to mjallad@nfcchelp.org
EEO Statement: NFCC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. NFCC does not discriminate based on race, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disabilities, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis protected by the law. All employment is decided based on qualifications, merit, and business needs.
