News from Alan Tart, Council Member - District 6, Milton, GA

November 11, 2008 Update from
Council Member Alan Tart (District 6 - At Large)

Dear Friends and Neighbors of Milton:

Today we remember the sacrifice of the brave men and women who have fought to protect our liberty, freedom, and way of life. As I drove down Deerfield Parkway this morning, I saw the crosses with my father's and grandfather's name on them. While I am sad that they are no longer with me and my family, I am proud of them, what they accomplished, and the sacrifices they made. On this Veteran's Day, I want to thank all Milton veterans for your sacrifices. Let us all take a moment to thank our men and women in uniform that are currently serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other areas abroad and at home and reflect on how great our country is.

There is a lot going on in our beautiful city, so please forgive the length of this update. Please forward this newsletter to your friends and neighbors and encourage them to sign up to receive future updates from me.

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October 16 Highway 9 Town Hall Meeting

Thanks to all of you who attended the October 16 Town Hall meeting hosted by Council member Tina D'Aversa (District 5 - At Large) and me. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss issues of concern to residents, landowners, and business owners in and around the Highway 9 corridor of Milton. Approximately 100 people participated in this meeting. The mayor and city council plan to have other meetings like this, not only for the Highway 9 area, but for other areas of Milton as well. I have provided highlights of the meeting below.

The meeting began with the department heads of Finance (Stacey Inglis), Public Works (Dan Drake), Community Development (Alice Wakefield), and Public Safety (Chris Lagerbloom) each providing attendees with answers to frequently asked questions related to their respective departments. Each session was followed by a short question and answer session. During the meeting, attendees had an opportunity to recommend action items for the city to consider. The night concluded with attendees prioritizing the action items that were discussed during the meeting. Attendees were given five votes each. They could place their five votes on the same item or spread their votes among the various action items. This provided the city team with a basis for understanding the level of importance of the various items.

I want to thank the city staff for their professionalism, expertise, and preparedness during the evening. Our city is lucky to have such competent, dedicated city staff. It was great to hear all the positive accomplishments that have occurred to date in our city and the positive activities currently underway.

The following is the list of action items (in order of priority) from the Town Hall meeting:
Form a Hwy 9 Design Standards Committee and consider Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) grant opportunities for the Highway 9 area
Establish a community-wide neighborhood watch program
Ensure that we have a clear vision for what we want on Highway 9 and how it should look before developing design standards for Highway 9
Ensure that the setbacks in future re-zonings along Highway 9 account for the fact that Highway 9 will be widened in the future. This is to ensure that the landscaping along Highway 9 is unaffected by the widening of the road.
Install smart signalization technology in Milton
Ensure that the Hwy 9 corridor is developed in accordance with the City of Milton's Vision Statement
Following the development of a vision and design guidelines for the Highway 9 area, continue the same concept of visioning/design guidelines for development of other areas in Milton
Hold more town hall meetings
The following routine business issues were raised during the meeting, and the city team committed to those in attendance that we would act on these as soon as possible:

Continue efforts to obtain FY '07 $850,000 Insurance Premium money and ~$1 million in SSD funds from Fulton County

Verify that the city is getting all the franchise fees to which we are entitled

Consider Consumer Price Index (CPI) Frozen exemption during November work session

Assess safety of cement curb/islands near the Orchards neighborhood

Assess safety of culvert/bridge located between Bethany Rd. and Webb Road

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October 16 Highway 9 Town Hall Meeting
Action Items - Progress to Date

I am pleased to report that during the November 10 City Council Work Session, the council took up several of the action items generated from the Town Hall meeting:

CPI Frozen Exemption - The city council asked staff to research the issue further, especially in regards to the impact the exemption would have on our budget given other exemptions the city has provided to its citizens. The city council plans to consider the issue again in January.
Formation of a Highway 9 Design Standards Committee - The council will consider a resolution next month to form a Highway 9 Design Standards Committee (please see below).
Applications for LCI Grants for the Highway 9 Area and Crabapple - Staff presented the council with drafts of LCI grant applications for the Highway 9 and Crabapple areas. If approved, each grant will provide the city with $100,000 to obtain specialized consulting assistance in transportation planning, land use planning, market research, and urban design for these areas. The city only needs to match 20%. In addition, once the city completes the studies, we would be eligible to receive implementation grants.

I will keep you posted as these initiatives progress, and as always, I welcome and appreciate your comments and suggestions.

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Highway 9 Design Standards Committee Proposed/ Volunteer Needed

During the month of December, Council Member Tina D'Aversa and I will co-sponsor a resolution to form a Highway 9 Design Standards Committee. This committee will be responsible for working collaboratively with the business community and area residents to chart out a vision for what Highway 9 should look like. This would include building design, connectivity, land use, landscape, and transportation in the Highway 9 corridor. If you live in District 6 and are interested in serving on this important committee, please send your resume with letter of interest to me at AlanTart4Milton@comcast.net.

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Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Proposed/
Volunteer Needed

During the November 10, 2008 City Council Work Session, a resolution to appoint a Parks and Recreation Advisory Board for the City of Milton was discussed. The resolution will be considered by the mayor and council in December. If approved, the resolution will allow each council member to appoint a citizen to the committee. The citizens appointed must live in the districts represented by the appointing council member.

The committee will work closely with City of Milton Public Works Director Dan Drake, City of Milton Parks Consultant Brad Chambers, and the mayor and council towards the development of current and future parks and recreation in the city. If you are interested in serving on this committee and live in District 6, please send your resume with letter of interest to me at AlanTart4Milton@comcast.net. No specialized experience is required. This is an excellent opportunity for you to become more involved in your city and its future!

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Historical Preservation Committee Proposed/ Volunteer Needed

The mayor and council will soon be considering a resolution to form a Historical Preservation Committee. Once established, the City of Milton Historic Preservation Committee will be responsible for preserving the character and fabric of historically significant areas and structures for all present and future citizens of Milton. The committee will accomplish this task by protecting structures through local designation and through providing technical assistance on the restoration and rehabilitation of historic structures or areas. If you live or own a business in District 6 and would like to volunteer for this important committee, please send your resume with letter of interest to me at AlanTart4Milton@comcast.net. No specialized experience is required. This is an excellent opportunity for you to become more involved in your city and its future!

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Road Improvement and Intersection Improvement Committees Proposed/ Volunteers Needed

Two additional committees will be considered by the mayor and council during the month of December. These committees will work closely with our Public Works Department to develop recommendations for transportation needs (transportation master plan) in Milton, as well as work with staff on providing recommendations for intersection improvements. Specialized experience in the area of transportation design is a plus. If you live or own a business in District 6 and are interested in serving on either or both of these committees, please send your resume and letter of interest to me at AlanTart4Milton@comcast.net.

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Upcoming Meetings

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings will occur at Milton City Hall located at 13000 Deerfield Parkway, Building 100, Suite 107, Milton, GA 30004.

To review agendas or materials for upcoming cases, please visit the city's website and view the community calendar.

Nov 16: Milton Grows Green Committee - 6:00 p.m. at the Birmingham Fire Station
Nov 17: City Council Regular Meeting - 6:00 p.m.
Nov 18: Board of Zoning Appeals - 7:00 p.m.
Nov 19: Tree Committee - 3:30 p.m.
Nov 24: Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee - 6:30 p.m.
Nov 25: Planning Commission - 7 p.m.

As always, I consider it an honor to serve you, the citizens of Milton. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families, and thank you for your support.

Alan Tart
Council Member, District 6 (At Large)
Cell: (678) 464-8550
E-mail: AlanTart4Milton@comcast.net or Alan.Tart@cityofmiltonga.us