Milton County Issue Revisited

Courtesy WSBRadio


By Chris Camp @ January 19, 2009

(WSB State Capitol Bureau) -- An renewed effort is underway to bring back Milton County. It merged with Fulton County during the depression to avoid bankrupty .

Rep. Jan Jones (R-Alpharetta) tells WSB 's Sandra Parrish she's reintroducing a constitutional amendment to allow the re-creation of a previously existing county which was merged into another county.

If passed by the General Assembly, voters would then decide the issue in the 2010 general election. A local referendum would then be held among the affected residents.

"For them it is still about having more control and more elected influence," says Jones.
She says if recreated, Milton would be the fifth largest county in Georgia.

But many members of the Fulton County legislative delegation remain opposed to the idea.
Rep. Tyrone Brooks (D- Atlanta) says the costs of starting a new government should be considered especially after the creation of five new cities in metro Atlanta. "How much more money will it take to finance the operation of these governments," he says.

Jones has the support of members representing the northern end of the county.

Alan Tart: The Presidential Taste Tester from Milton

by Jason Wright / Appen Newspapers

January 13, 2009 MILTON – In olden days, royalty had what they called food tasters, a seemingly thankless and terrible job whereby someone would taste the lord's food – at considerable personal risk – to stave off the very real threat of poisoning.

Though the availability of poison has not have changed, the methods by which it is detected certainly have. And that's where Councilman Alan Tart comes in.

No, he not really the president's food taster. But close.

Tart, a regional retail food specialist with the FDA since 1999, is part of a specialized, 15-member team that steps in during "high security" events or disasters. It has been called upon for the G-8 summit, hurricanes Katrina, Gustav and Rita, the Republican and Democratic national conventions and Sept. 11.

Tart said the Secret Service and FBI will contact the FDA and request the team if they believe food security may be an issue. The official inauguration of the President of the United States of America Jan. 20 fall into that category.

"Food defense has been a major issue for us," said Tart, who will leave Jan. 15 and return a week later. "It has been identified as a major weakness in our fight against terrorism."

But it's just food, right? Wrong, says Tart. The chances of something catastrophic occurring are great in a week where there will be more than 20 inaugural balls, all with extensive menus.

To make sure everything goes smoothly, the team exhaustively reviews all menus, the types of food served, the sources supplying the food and the transportation, distribution and secure preparation of all meals.

Because of the volume of food needed for the crush of people coming to Washington for the historic event, the group must also inspect all refrigeration trucks and off-site facilities. That's not to mention the normal food preparation problems of proper cooking, storage and serving.

"You don't notice all this stuff until you really start looking," said Tart. "Any food served to a dignitary, especially the president, is sampled. After the sample is taken it is held in containment in case of an outbreak."

And lest the effort seem a bit much, Tart relayed the tale of some very real food terrorism.

In The Dalles, Ore. in 1984, the members of the radical Rajneeshee cult contaminated water and the salad bars of 10 local restaurants with salmonella, causing 751 cases of illness. They did it to sway the Wasco County elections, hoping that people would be so sick they couldn't outvote the cult's own candidates. Luckily, it didn't work, and no one died from the attacks.

"It can definitely be done," said Tart.

Neighborhood Of The Week

Bentgrass Farms is a quiet neighborhood of only forty five homes in Milton, Georgia. Established in 1991, lots are typically an acre plus of private lush paradise with exteriors including stucco,brick, and hardiplank.

To find out more about this Milton, Georgia Neighborhood, please click here=>

http://www.accessmilton.com/Neighborhoods/BentgrassFarms.php

Milton Council Agendas | 1-18-09

Approval of the Financial Statements for the period ending December 2008. (Stacey Inglis, Finance Manager)

Zoning Agenda • ZM08-06/VC08-06 - 765 & 785 Mid-Broadwell Road by Sally Rich-Kolb to modify Condition 2.a. of Z05-072 to revise the site plan; 2) To delete condition 4.b. to remove the requirement that the owner dedicate to Fulton County (City of Milton) the necessary right-of-way to provide a connector road from Broadwell Road to Mid-Broadwell Road prior to attaining an LDP, or as may be approved by the Director of Public Works; and 3) To request a concurrent variance to reduce parking from 58 to 39 spaces (Article 18.2.1). (This item was deferred on October 20, 2008.) (Presented by Alice Wakefield, Community Development Director) • ZM08-09 -13941 13943, 13945 Highway 9 North by Milton Organizers, LLC to modify Condition 2.a. of RZ07-010, to redesign site plan to eliminate septic and connect to sanitary sewer. (Presented by Alice Wakefield, Community Development Director) • RZ08-09 Text Amendment - To amend Article 22, Appeals of the City of Zoning Ordinance. (This item was deferred on November 17, 2008.) (Presented by Alice Wakefield, Community Development Director) • Approval of an Ordinance to Amend Chapter 14, Land Development and Environmental Protection, of the Code of Ordinances for the City of Milton, Georgia. (First Presentation on October 6, 2008.) (Presented by Alice Wakefield, Community Development Director) Unfinished Business • Approval of an Ordinance Amending the Noise Control Ordinance within the City of Milton, Georgia. (First Presentation on November 3, 2008.) (Presented by Chris Lagerbloom, Public Safety Director) • Approval of a Resolution Amending Resolution No. 09-01-66, A Resolution to Create the Milton Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and to develop the Milton Parks and Recreation Ordinance by appointing a member for District 2. (Presented by Brad Chambers, Parks and Recreation Representative)

Welcome Hunters' Christmas Tree Farm To Accessmilton.com!

All:

We are proud to announce one of Accessmilton.com's newest members; the wonderful Hunters' Christmas Tree Farm located off of Wood Road in Milton, Georgia!

The Hunter family has lived in the area for many years and their farm is truly an asset to the city. If you haven't included Hunters' Christmas Tree farm in your Christmas traditions, start in 2009!

They are also part of "Trees For Troops" which helps supply free trees to those in the military. Such patriotism is to be admired.

Check them out today!
http://www.accessmilton.com/Advertisers/Hunters.php

Tim Enloe
Founder
Magnolia Media, LLC

Milton Business Alliance To Meet

The Milton Business Alliance is conducting a membership drive and we invite you to attend.The Alliance is a business group looking to promote development of business in the City of Milton. We are looking for interested people who own their own business in the city or run a business out of their home, or if you are a resident of the City of Milton and are interested in the growth of businesses in the city we invite you to attend.

DATE: Thursday, January 22nd, 2009
TIME: 6pm
LOCATION: MOntana's Bar & Grill / Greenhouse Location

There will be a $3.00 contribution requested per person to be applied toward appetizers.

Milton Notice Of Public Hearing

Courtesy Appen Newspapers

Re: Notice of Public Hearing for Rescission of Previous Council Approval of Zoning Application RZ08-10 and for Possible Additional Zoning Action Notice is hereby given that the Milton City Council will hold a public hearing in order to consider rescinding its approval of Zoning Application RZ08-10 at the Council’s regular meeting on Monday, February 2, 2009, at 6:00 p.m. in the Milton City Hall main assembly room. Zoning Application RZ08-10 pertains to a parcel of property located at 622 N. Main Street in Milton, Georgia. Zoning Application RZ08-10 requested that the property be rezoned from C-2 to C-1. The purpose of the public hearing shall be for public review and comment concerning rescission of the Council’s December 15 approval of the rezoning request and possible additional zoning action with respect to Zoning Application RZ08-10. All Milton residents and any other affected and/or interested persons are invited and encouraged to attend.Milton City CouncilLocation: 13000 Deerfield Parkway, Building 100 City Council Chambers Date: Monday, February 2, 2009Time: 6:00 PM

Milton Citizens Express Need to Halt Speeding

publication date: Jan 11, 2009

author/source: Jonathan Copsey / The Beacon

When you drive to and from work, to and from dropping the kids off, to and from school, do you watch your speed? Do you go the posted limit? Do you place your faith in the “11 over rule?”

The City of Milton and some residents certainly hope you follow the speed limit, but are actively working on ways to make sure you do.

Milton held a shotgun meeting Thursday on the subject of speeding, with more than two dozen residents appearing to voice concern and discuss solutions to what they saw as an increasing problem on Milton’s streets.

“My brother was killed in an accident,” said Tim Enloe, of Accessmilton.com and organizer of the night’s meeting. “We lost him on his birthday. He was 25 and he was killed on the intersection of Mayfield and Providence. He was driving too fast, but it was also a problem intersection before that. Having someone ripped out of your life when they were so young, I don’t want to go through that again and I don’t want anyone else to go through that.”

Enloe lives on Bethany Road, a so-called “Open Road Neighborhood” – as opposed to a subdivision – where the houses are along the street instead of the relatively enclosed neighborhoods of the subdivisions. He and many of the people at the meeting expressed exasperation at having to deal with the constant danger posed by reckless speeding on Milton’s roads.

Many of Milton’s roads have a posted speed limit of 45 mph. For residential roads, this is seen by those who live there as too high, especially considering Georgia’s “11 over rule,” where police cannot ticket a speeder unless they are going more than 11 miles over the posted speed limit. Unfortunately, on a road posted as 45 mph, add on the 11 miles and vehicles can go as fast as 56 in a residential zone and not face consequences.

“At 56, it’s not safe for horses, bikes, or walking,” said Enloe. Or even for backing out of a driveway or leaving a subdivision.

TALES OF SPEEDING WOE

While all the residents who appeared had horror stories to tell of not being able to back out of driveways or worrying about drivers often passing school busses, some stories stuck out.

Lauren O’Neil, who lives on Freemanville Road, said: “Where I live, it’s an expressway. People going 60, 70mph. We just had a wipeout on our driveway. The kid was maybe 17 years old and he’s OK. But it was in our driveway. My son and daughter wait for the bus at the top of our driveway and thank God he missed them.”

Tara Chambers, who lives on Cogburn Road in a subdivision, wished to take her three-year-old son to the preschool across the street at the St. Aiden’s Church. “I was going to walk my three year old to school every day,” said Chambers. “All I had to do was cross the road. I had to stop because of the speed on that road, it’s just not safe. If he tripped, it was too dangerous.” She has been forced to drive her son across the road because of the drivers barreling down the road.

Paul Moore, of the White Columns subdivision, told of how his teenage daughter was driving a large SUV home from school and wanted to turn left into the subdivision. As she was doing so, another teenager, in another SUV that was going in excess of 60mph hit her.“All three cars were totaled,” said Moore. “Two SUV’s and a Lexus. The friend’s car was going so fast that the suburban was pushed into a Lexus and pushed 35 feet.”Luckily no one was hurt in the accident, but it goes to show that the issue of speeding is not just confined to the open road residents.

NO QUICK SOLUTIONS TO FAST PROBLEM

Various solutions were offered by Enloe and others, such as placing three-way stop signs at the entrances to subdivisions, allowing citizen speed patrols (much like in Alpharetta) and writing to GDOT to demand a lowering of the posted speed limit.

One attendee suggested a “Milton Pace Car” bumper sticker campaign, with drivers pledging to always drive the speed limit.

City staff were on hand to lend their opinions as well. Transportation Director Dan Drake almost immediately shot down the stop sign solution and writing to GDOT, saying they were impractical and not likely to get anything done. Instead, he suggested writing to local legislators to in turn put pressure on GDOT.

Public Safety Director Chris Lagerbloom lamented as to the many restrictions placed on police in catching speeders, such as police always having to be in marked cars and have visibility of 500 feet. Even a proposal to use a marked car with only a police dummy inside was refused, on the grounds that Alpharetta had done such a thing only to have the car broken into and the radio stolen.

The entire City Council attended the meeting and all pledged to do what they could to address the problem. That willingness should be evident by the very fact the meeting was held less than a week after hearing complaints. At Monday’s meeting, the Council created almost a dozen citizen committees to help the City have more input. One of those committees was a transportation committee, which is to deal with issues such as those put forward at the meeting.

301 Used Trees Recycled In Milton

by Jason Wright / Appen Newspapers

January 13, 2009 MILTON - With a lot of work of some committed Milton volunteers, 301 used Christmas trees were used to mulch city projects.The Milton Grows Green Committee held the city's first Bring One For The Chipper event Jan. 3 at Fire Station 43 on Birmingham Road. Marc Arrington, advisory board member of Green Committee and chairman of Milton's Trash and Recycling Advisory committee, said more than 200 trees were collected, which were then chipped Jan. 8 for free after a generous offer by Freeman's Tree Care.About 50 more trees were added to the pile by Crooked Creek residents Jan. 7 when their waste hauler, Waste Management, partnered with the Crooked Creek Homeowners Association and Milton.

The company collected the huge neighborhood's Christmas trees for free and took them to the fire station to be chipped."Freeman Tree Care service [donated] the equipment and labor to chip the trees into mulch, for which the Fire Station will use for landscaping maintenance instead of using Milton tax dollars to purchase pine needles," said Arrington.At the event Jan. 3, the Georgia Forestry Commission donated seedlings of dogwood, green ash and red cedar to those who brought their trees. The leftover seeds will be used at Hopewell Middle School to add extra trees to the campus, said councilwomen Tina D'Aversa and Julie Zahner Bailey.

Milton Residents Concerned About Speed Limits

by Jason Wright / Appen Newspapers

January 13, 2009 MILTON - Resident and frequent city volunteer Tim Enloe is concerned about speeding in Milton. And he's determined to do something about it.

Nearly two dozen residents, council members and City Hall staff turned out Jan. 8 to a community information meeting prompted by Enloe's e-mails asking council to look at several solutions for lowering the number of speedy drivers in Milton.

Enloe, a Bethany Road resident, made the case that while most people think of Milton as a series of neighborhoods, in reality all the open road houses - in his estimation about 10 percent of the total population - should be considered neighborhoods, too. As such, they shouldn't have to worry about cars flying by mailboxes and front yards at speeds nearing 60 mph.

That's the normal speed, he claims, despite a posted limit of 45 mph. Milton police, due to a state mandated speed-trap law, can't pull anyone over unless they are 1 mph over the limit.

The more the homeowners worry, he said, "people will sell out and we'll lose our rural character."

Enloe had a number of residents speak up, including Planning Commission Chairman Paul Moore, whose teenage daughter was involved in a three-car accident trying to turn into White Columns, where the family lives.

Luckily, no one was hurt when she was hit, strangely enough, by a speeding friend coming to see her."My heart beats hard when it comes to things like this for our city," said Moore.

To help calm speeding, Enloe proposed a number of ideas to council, including erecting a few three-way stops, a radar speed monitoring program like the one established in Roswell and recently launched in Alpharetta.

Other suggestions included a "Milton Pace Car" program where drivers display "pace car" stickers while driving the legal limit, naming open roads so driver's treat them as neighborhoods and urging council to petition the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) to lower speed limits.

Council and staff told the residents in attendance they pledged to take a look at the ideas presented, as cities do not control speed limits. There were a few immediate things that could be done, however.

Public Safety Director Chris Lagerbloom said Milton is indeed launching it's own citizen speed monitoring program in early February. He also invited concerned citizens to ride along with police to spot violators - though he admitted it can be tough in a marked police car."We are committed to working with you," he said.

Public Works Director Dan Drake said he loved the idea of pace cars and urged everyone to get involved with the forthcoming transportation master plan. It will address the GDOT uses to determine speed limits.He also encouraged everyone to write to the state Legislature - not GDOT, which he alluded can be fraught with interoffice politics - and urge them to allow cities to set speed limits.

"We're talking about relationships here," he said. "It's a fine line with GDOT. Going over people's heads - they get vindictive about that."

Perhaps the biggest problem, said longtime resident Terry Allen, is the sheer growth in Milton and Alpharetta in the last few decades."I used to be able to sit in the road all night and never worry about seeing a car," he said. "The speed limits haven't kept in proportion with the number of people on the roads."

At Kohl's job fairs, More Than 2,000 people seek work

Fewer than 300 positions available at soon-to-open Milton, Canton stores

By MICHELLE E. SHAW
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Wednesday, January 14, 2009

After getting laid off from his retail job in November, Endale Tefera set his sights on finding another.

With 17 years of experience, including managerial positions, the Atlanta resident thought he had a good shot of finding something quickly. Two months later, he’s still looking.

On Tuesday, Tefera’s search took him to the Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta North Point, in Alpharetta, to a job fair held by Kohl’s department store. The job, should he be offered one, would be in Milton, more than 20 miles from his home, but the prospect of a paycheck outweighs the commute, Tefera said. “It will be a bit of a hike, but I’m willing to do it if it means work,” he said.

Tefera is among a large and growing group of job seekers, like human pegs trying to find and fit themselves into a small number of holes. He is one of more than 2,000 people applying for fewer than 300 jobs at two different Kohl’s stores.

Unlike during previous recessions, Georgia has been carried along with the national trend: Georgia has lost about 94,400 jobs in the past 12 months while its unemployment rate has risen to 7.5 percent.

About two-thirds of the jobless are in metro Atlanta, whose job losses have been the second-worst in the nation, outdone only by Detroit.

While unemployment is higher among the young and inexperienced, job cuts have reached across the spectrum to include many professionals and white-collar workers.
With those layoffs far outpacing hiring, the state now has more than three job seekers for each opening, according to the Georgia Labor Department.

This growing situation has provided Kohl’s with more than enough candidates to fill the 108 positions the Milton store has to fill, said manager Robert Russo. He said more than 1,000 potential employees will have been interviewed for 108 jobs by the time the fair is over Thursday. “We’re seeing a wide variety of people with all sorts of backgrounds,” he said. “And that actually works to our benefit because we get some really qualified people.”

A similar job fair is going on in Canton at the Best Western Mountain Villa Inn and Suites, for a store planned in that area. Interviews there are on track to process more than 1,000 applications as well, Russo said. Both stores are set to open in March, he added.

Monday, Kimberlyn Amin, of Marietta, sat patiently and waited to see if she could snag a walk-in spot. A move across counties made her last job too much of a commute. “I’ve had a few seasonal jobs, but I’m looking for something full-time here,” she said.

At a table not far away, Stephon Carroll, also of Marietta, waited to be called. New to Georgia, he’s looking to land his first job here. “I tried to find a job before I moved from California, but because I wasn’t here yet, I didn’t get the call backs,” he said. “I’m hoping this time will be different.”

Milton Subdivision Tries To Lock Out Traffic

By DOUG NURSE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tuesday, January 13, 2009

A packed house came away from a Milton City Council meeting without getting what they wanted, but with assurances that the council is sympathetic to their cause.

Residents of the 640-home subdivision are asking the city to allow it to become a gated community, responsible for its own roads. The request has been prompted largely by the high volume of traffic with drivers using the subdivision’s main street as a short-cut. As a gated community, it could block off the cut-through traffic.

City Attorney Ken Jarrard told the council that to comply with state law, the city would need to determine that it no longer needed to be used by the public, and then it would require the consent of all the people on the road, a standard the residents said would be impossible to reach.
City Public Works Director Dan Drake proposed a sliding scale that would allow roads to be abandoned with approval of 90 percent of affected homes in a subdivision with more than 100 lots. Crooked Creek representatives said that bar was still unrealistically high.

Among possible options that emerged was detectors laid on roads to gauge speed, more patrol cars, and increased stop sign enforcement.

Mayor Joe Lockwood told the residents that he supported their wish but needed more information. The topic will be taken up by a Comprehensive Transportation Planning committee that is set to meet later this month. The city also is setting up a task force to explore solutions.

Neighborhood Of The Week

Bentgrass Farms is a quiet neighborhood of only forty five homes in Milton, Georgia. Established in 1991, lots are typically an acre plus of private lush paradise with exteriors including stucco,brick, and hardiplank.

To find out more about Bentgrass Farms in Milton, GA, Click here=>

http://www.accessmilton.com/Neighborhoods/BentgrassFarms.php

Milton Council Work Session Monday @ 6pm

From http://www.cityofmiltonga.us

AGENDA:

1) Discussion of the right-of-way privatization policy.
(Presented by Dan Drake, Public Works Director)

2) Update on the performance measurement program.
(Presented by Bob Munroe and Myna Crisp, CH2MHILL)

3) Council consideration of Fulton County response to proposed IGA and sewer
map.
(Presented by Ken Jarrard, City Attorney)

4) Building Procedure Policy.
(Presented by Mort Smedley, Interim City Manager)

5) Inclement Weather Policy.
(Presented by Mort Smedley, Interim City Manager)

6) Briefing Property Insurance (contents).
(Presented by Mort Smedley, Interim City Manager)

Rural By Design Workshop & First Comprehensive Transportation Meeting

The City of Milton is initiating its first Comprehensive Transportation Plan this month with a kick-off meeting and "Rural by Design" workshop on Thursday Jan. 22 from 4 to 9 pm at City Hall in Council Chambers. This meeting is open to the public and all residents and business owners are encouraged to attend. The meeting will present the transportation plan process, schedule, and activities for the overall transportation plan. The workshop will be led by Randall Arendt, author of a book about maintaining small town characteristics, "Rural by Design". This will offer the community the opportunity to develop a strategy for ensuring that the transportation plan and its program of improvements support the City of Milton's desired rural community nature.

Safe Routes To School

The City of Milton has partnered with three Fulton County schools within City limits to apply for the Safe Routes to School grant through the Georgia Department of Transportation. Milton will be applying on behalf of the three schools. The grant funds, if awarded, will be used to construct sidewalk connections and new trails and to improve crosswalks and signage in school zones. The City's SRTS team has drafted a Milton SRTS plan and has begun to develop common goals.

Recycling Program at Bell Memorial

Visitors to the City of Milton's Bell Memorial Park will no longer have to toss that empty soda can or depleted water bottle into the trash; instead, they will be able to recycle them and other materials thanks to a new free recycling program offered by the Milton Grows Green committee and Community Waste Services.

Under the partnership, the environmental committee MGG, will place signs and barrels for recycling at various locations throughout the park, located at 15245 Bell Park Road. CWS will provide both the containers and recycling pickup services at no charge.

The program begins in January."Milton Grows Green is happy to play a part in starting the pilot recycling program at Bell Memorial Park," said Melissa Estes, committee co-chair. "This is a program that helps the environment while helping the city save money."Anyone interested in the committee's activities or in environmental issues is encouraged to contact MGG through miltongrowsgreen@earthlink.net.

Shield-A-Badge With Prayer

Shield-a-Badge With Prayer, a prayer ministry for Milton Public Safety personnel and their families, resumes in 2009 with kick-off events during worship services at two Milton-area churches.

The events will be held 10:30 am on Jan. 11 at The River Church and at 10:30 am on Jan. 18 at Community of Christ Church. Citizens who are unable to attend either service may participate by sending an email to shield@wadeintheriver.org. Anyone of any faith is invited to attend and be part of this ministry.

During each service, worshippers will be invited to come forward and make a one-year commitment to pray for a specific public safety worker and their family. Each participant will select a card with a badge number and general information including the employee's gender, marital status and whether or not they have children.

"We are so happy for the chance to serve our police officers and firefighters again," said Pastor Scott Seeke of The River Church. "These folks put themselves in harm's way every day, and we want as many people as possible praying for them."

"This is a great opportunity to take care of those who take care of us," said Tass Welch, Outreach Minister for Community of Christ.

At both services Milton's Public Safety Director Chris Lagerbloom will address the congregations about the inherent challenges in police work and firefighting, and how the power of prayer can make an impact. "This kind of support means a lot to all our public safety employees," said Lagerbloom. "It's a great program, and we appreciate all the past and future Prayer Partners."A fire truck and police car will be on the premises at each event, giving children and their parents the opportunity to learn more about what is involved in public service.

Mayor Lockwood's Monthly Message

Last year proved to be a successful one for the City of Milton. Together, we achieved many good things. We established a new 911 partnership with the City of Alpharetta, supported the Intergovernmental Agreement with Fulton County regarding sewer in designated areas, created several committees that will help to shape Milton, made a great deal of progress on our Comprehensive Plan and more. We set and met goals for ourselves, and even surpassed a few. During this New Year, we are bound and determined to work harder and make Milton better than we ever imagined.

Unfortunately, we are likely to continue experiencing finanacial hardship across the nation during the year ahead. Every city is feeling the effects of the downturn in economic conditions. I can assure every Milton citizen that we will continue to do everything within our power to be proactive and not reactive. We are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.

Through the incredible efforts of our City Staff, Council and helpful volunteers, we have taken the necessary precautions to whether this storm. We have a balanced budget and a hard working staff that continues to provide Council and our citizens with good and true information. There is a strong financial system and procedures are in place. Even though Milton is a very young city, we have a tradition of responsible stewardship.

For 2009, I pledge to all Milton residents the we will all work together to maintain a pragmatic level of satisfaction and will continue to strive even hard to increase it. We will proceed through the next twelve months, and beyond, cautiously and with the residents' best interests in mind at all times. It will not be an easy ride but I am fully confident we will be successful.

Happy New Year and Best Wishes.

Joe Lockwood

Milton Organization Harnesses The Healing Power Of Horses

10-year-old Amy rarely spoke before coming to Ride-A-Wish, but now they can’t stop her ‘Yee haws.’ For information concerning therapeutic riding at Ride-a-Wish, please call Leigh Aiken, M.S. at (404) 457-8518.

by Morgan Stashick / Appen Newspapers

January 06, 2009 Editor's note: Morgan Stashick is a junior journalism student at Auburn University who wrote about her hometown, Milton, for news outlets in Alabama. This is reprint of her article. The names of the children and parents discussed in the article were not given.

MILTON - On a quiet, single-lane gravel road settled with horse farms plays the music of muted neighs and the crumple of fallen leaves under heavy hooves.

Pastoral Wood Road is the site of Ride-A-Wish Incorporated, a program of innovative therapeutic horseback riding for children with special needs established in 2002 by Leigh Aiken, a certified therapist with the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association and with American Sign Language.

Aiken said after receiving her masters in therapy, she'd had her fill of sterilized environments and chose to branch out to something much more natural.

"I used to work in the hospital. You can't work under fluorescent lights all your life, that's no way to live," said Aiken.

Therapeutic horseback riding, or hippotherapy, is commonly offered to the disabled because riding is good for cognitive skills, core muscles, concentration and stamina. Physically, a horse's natural gait helps strengthen a person's spine and pelvic muscles, improves coordination and posture and increases joint mobility.

Perhaps most importantly for children, the diverse activities offered in the riding ring teach a cause-and-effect relationship while bringing fun and games into each lesson. Students at Ride-a-Wish also gain social and conversational skills.

"Walk on! Yee haw!" shouted one of the program's participants, a small 10-year-old named Amy.At her gentle yet eager command, her horse, named Star, continues its walk around the outdoor horse ring with Aiken at Amy's side."The kids have to 'yee haw' when they go around a barrel in the ring because it makes them more outspoken. Now Amy does a continuous 'yee-haw,'" explains Aiken.

However, Amy wasn't always this chatty. When she first began lessons at Ride-A-Wish six years ago at the age of 4, she hardly talked at all.

Amy's mother said the child has symptoms of C.H.A.R.G.E Syndrome, an acronym for a cluster of features found at birth (see sidebar). Amy's disability most served by equine therapy is hypertonia, a muscle condition that contributes to increased muscle tension, poor muscle tone and reduced ability to stretch muscles."Woah!" shouted Amy.

Again, Star obeys her tiny commander and comes to a halt. Amy decides that it's time to do her posting exercise, which consists of lifting her bottom up and down off the horse as she walks around the ring."I'm going to do a hundred," she announced.

And she does.Amy continues to walk around the ring on Star, blissfully unaware the friend who is carrying her is helping her body in several ways."Posting is good for strengthening the core muscles and thighs, and really helps with balance and stamina," explains Amy's mother.

But there are a lot of children, each with his or her issues. For that, Aiken makes her programs unique, offering a variety of activities depending on the rider's specific needs."Walk on!" shouted Zack, a 6-year-old atop a golden gelding named Hugo. Zack is talkative and full of energy, like most boys his age ‑ except he didn't start talking until he was four. Eighteen months later Zack began forming full sentences.On this particular day, Aiken takes her time preparing the horse when Zack and his mom arrive at Ride-a-Wish, talking to both while setting up and strapping on a saddle.This teaches patience.When Zack finally gets to climb onto the horse's back, Aiken announces that today's lesson is going to be a "whisper lesson," where all voices are hushed unless instructing the horse. This encourages voice control."We've gone to therapists since Zack was 18 months old. We stopped going to the others because Leigh brings everything we need into a lesson," said Zack's mom.

Glowing parental praise aside, Aiken said what motivates her most is simply knowing the children."I never want to be big. I want to be with people where I know all about their lives and can help make them better," said Aiken. "These lessons today, this is why I'm blessed. God's been good to me."

Some Milton Residents Hope To Put The Brakes On Speeding

This Story content provided by FOX 5 Atlanta WAGA
Reported By: Kaitlyn Pratt Edited By: Leigha Baugham

Created: Friday, 09 Jan 2009, 12:33 AM EST

MILTON, Ga. (My FOX ATLANTA) – Some Milton neighbors tried to put the brakes on speeders and voiced their concerns at a meeting dedicated to speeding.The speed limit on one Milton street is posted as 45, but neighbors said many drivers don't obey the limit.

Tim Enloe said Bethany Road where he lives has become a commuter cut through."Much like these folks wouldn't want speeders going by their home, it's a two-way street. I don't want them speeding in front of mine," said Enloe. Enloe said his brother died in a speed-related crash a few years ago and he said he didn't want another family to hurt like his has. "Don't forget, you've got people living on these roads!" exclaimed Enloe.

To view the video, click here=>

http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=8219555&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1

Neighbors at Thursday's meeting said they were fed up with the speeding in the area. Some neighbors have taken things into their own hands and monitored speeders with a radar gun. About two dozen residents voiced their concerns at a city meeting dedicated to speeding.

"As we get complaints about speeders, the phone will start ringing about too much enforcement too," said Milton Mayor Joe Lockwood. The city of Milton has developed a program where neighbors, not police, will help slow speeders.

"We're hopefully going to engage them to help us -- not in enforcing, but in identifying," said Milton Public Safety Director Chris Lagerbloom. City leaders said they were listening to residents and were in the process of working with the state to approve lower speed limits so they could enforce them.

Milton To Address Speeding

By DOUG NURSE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tuesday, January 06, 2009

One reason Milton residents decided to become a city, although it was down on the list, was to hire more police to control rampant speeding.Now that the city has been established for a couple of years, speeding is moving toward the top of issues to be addressed; the city has scheduled an entire meeting dedicated to the topic on Thursday.

The meeting was prompted by complaints by residents over motorists speeding through neighborhoods on popular roads and cut-throughs.

Public Safety Director Chris Lagerbloom said the format and the agenda are pretty open so citizens can bring up whatever traffic enforcement issues they want. He said he plans to bring data to illustrate what works and what doesn’t.“We are hoping for some dialogue so that people understand the challenges and possibilities,” Lagerbloom said. “It’s a double-edged sword. I’ve also got people who when you send an officer out there, you get an e-mail asking if you’ve raised enough money yet.”

City staff also will explain changing speed limits on some Milton streets and roads.The meeting is set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday at City Hall, 13000 Deerfield Road.

Orkin And Associates Pitches In With Habitat

Appen Newspapers

January 06, 2009

On Nov. 22, Milton-based Orkin & Associates, LLC, joined the Habitat for Humanity North Central Georgia to begin constructing the future home of the Lyons, one of recipients of a Habitat town home located in Centennial Village in Milton. Orkin & Associates, LLC, a third-generation, family-owned real estate investment company and The William B. Orkin Foundation Inc., the Orkin family's charitable foundation, donated labor and funding to help provide a home for this deserving local family. Staff and board members of Orkin & Associates, including Orkin & Associates' CEO Adam Orkin, worked alongside the Lyons family as well as other sponsors and donors during the First Nail Ceremony to construct the Lyons' new Centennial Village town home. "It is very rewarding for the company as a whole to participate in such a wonderful and worthwhile experience," said Orkin. On Jan. 31, Orkin & Associates staff members will participate once more in an additional phase of this Habitat built for the Lyons family.

Shield-A-Badge With Prayer Ministry Kicks Off At Two Milton-Based Churches

Appen Newspapers

January 06, 2009

Shield-a-Badge With Prayer, a prayer ministry for Milton Public Safety Department personnel and their families, resumes in 2009 with kick-off events during worship services at two Milton-area churches.The events will be held 10:30 a.m. Jan. 11 at The River Church and 10:30 a.m. Jan. 18 at Community of Christ Church. Citizens who are unable to attend either service may participate by sending an e-mail to shield@wadeintheriver.org.Anyone of any faith is invited to attend and be part of this ministry.During each service, worshippers will be invited to come forward and make a one-year commitment to pray for a specific public safety worker and his or her family.

Each participant will select a card with a badge number and general information including the employee's gender, marital status and whether or not he or she has children."We are so happy for the chance to serve our police officers and firefighters again," said Pastor Scott Seeke of The River Church. "These folks put themselves in harm's way every day, and we want as many people as possible praying for them."

"This is a great opportunity to take care of those who take care of us," said Tass Welch, Outreach Minister for Community of Christ.

At both services Milton's Public Safety Director Chris Lagerbloom will address the congregations about the inherent challenges in police work and firefighting, and how the power of prayer can make an impact."This kind of support means a lot to all our public safety employees," said Lagerbloom. "It's a great program, and we appreciate all the past and future Prayer Partners."

Home Fashion Center Approved In Milton

by Jason Wright / Appen Newspapers

January 06, 2009MILTON - By a 3-2 vote Dec. 15, City Council OK'd a rezoning for a home fashion business on Ga. 9 - after lopping off a third of the square footage for which the applicant was asking. The business, which is to be located on a 2.26 acre lot fronting Ga. 9, was planned for 28,260 square feet of space.It was previously zoned through Fulton County for a little less than 19,000 square feet - the number with which the majority of council felt comfortable.

The business' owner, a Milton resident, currently runs the operation in Alpharetta but is looking to relocate the two miles into Milton to have a new facility. Eighty five percent of the development was for the home fashion center, and the other 15 percent - 5,000 to 6,000 square feet - was for other complimentary businesses. However, because of concerns the density was too high, that the lot's trees would be harmed by that density and that tree recompense would not do enough to shield the property, council members Julie Zahner Bailey, Tina D'Aversa and Alan Tart voted to decrease the size of the project.

Both staff and planning commission had recommended approval of the project, but members of the design review board member noted the density was too much."I'm struck by the comments [of the design review board]," said Zahner Bailey. "This level of density, if allowed to be built at that density, would effectively remove the ability of any trees to remain. I'd be remiss if I didn't say to this body that I'd be concerned with 28,000 square feet. To go up by 10,000 square feet is excessive."She added she felt such a move would be inconsistent with the board's policies along Ga. 9.

D'Aversa said it was "a problem for Milton" and "myself personally" to establish a Ga. 9 Design Review Board to help streamline the development along the state route while at the same time approving a higher density project.With less density and more trees, she said, "It would look more like what ... I'm confident the committee is going to bring forward to us. I'd hate for us to go ahead and rezone properties that are going to be designed differently when six months from now we're going to have design guidelines that are so much different."

Mayor Joe Lockwood said he did not feel it was a wise move to make decisions based on guidelines that could change in the future.Historically Zahner Bailey, Tart and D'Aversa, which generally take a harder line approach against development in the city, have been outvoted by the more centrist voting block of Lockwood, Karen Thurman, Burt Hewitt and Bill Lusk. This time, however, Lusk and Thurman did not attend the meeting.

Zahner Bailey put forth the motion to approve the site for the original Fulton County density and save specimen trees while also adding trees on site for recompense.She also asked for four board equestrian fencing to be used on the property.Lockwood said he couldn't support changing "in the last 15 or 20 minutes" a citizen-owned project that had been approved in all levels of Milton's zoning structure. Hewitt agreed."I respect everybody's concerns, but we just changed this applicant's whole use of the property," he said.

Milton Store Needs 150 Employees

From Appen Newspapers

Interview times Jan. 11 – 12, 10:45 a.m. – 6:15 p.m. Jan. 13 & 15, 12:15 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Jan. 14, 8:45 a.m. – 4 p.m. LocationThe Hilton Garden Inn – Atlanta North Point 10975 Georgia Lane Alpharetta, Ga. 30022 For information:877-NEW KOHLS (877-639-5645) or www.kohlscareers.com

January 06, 2009

Construction of Kohl's Milton store is nearing completion, and it now needs 150 employees. A job fair is scheduled next week, Jan. 11 through 15, at The Hilton Garden Inn-North Point.Prospective employees for the full-time and part-time positions should visit www.kohlscareers.com or call 877-NEW KOHLS (877-639-5645) – to obtain details regarding time, location and to schedule an interview. For new stores, Kohl's needs associates for customer service, department service, cash register operation, early morning stocking, truck unloading, housekeeping and evening signage/pricing updates. New hires will receive the full Kohl's benefit package including competitive wages, health insurance, 401(k) plan, employee stock ownership and merchandise discounts. Through Kohl's A-Team, associates are encouraged to volunteer for local youth focused nonprofit organizations, and Kohl's matches their efforts with corporate grants.Kohl's is also committed to being a good steward of the environment through energy management, recycling and building programs. All 19 stores opening this spring are green buildings, 18 of which were built according to a design that is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) pre-certified at the Silver level by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The Milton Gardening Meetup

DATE: Wednesday, January 21, 2009

TIME: 12:30pm

WHERE: Scottsdale Farm and Garden

15639 Birmingham Hwy, Milton GA GA 30004

770-777-5875

To find our more about the Milton Gardening Club, click here=>

http://www.accessmilton.com/MiltonGardenClub.php

Meeting Notice from City of Milton.

Meeting To Gather Information On Issues & Concerns With Traffic and Speeding
Thursday, January 8th, 2009, 7:30pm
Milton City Hall, Council Chambers
13000 Deerfield Parkway, Suite E
Milton, GA 30004

Milton Mayor Asks For Another Vote on Zoning Decision

By DOUG NURSE The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Friday, January 02, 2009

Milton Mayor Joe Lockwood wants a do-over on a recent zoning decision made while two City Council members and the city attorney were absent.On Monday, Lockwood is going to ask that the council reconsider on Jan. 15 an 18,000-square-foot project on Ga. 9 — this time with everybody present.

“We want to preserve Milton and keep it like it is, but this was in an existing commercial area,” Lockwood said. “With these tough economic times, with potential cutbacks on services and revenue down and not being able to raise taxes, I think it’s important that we do let development occur where development is allowed.”

The seven-member council tends to be divided into two factions, most prominently on development issues. One faction, the majority of four, is considered pro-development by its critics, not a positive appellation in a community wary of growth. The three-member faction has been described by critics as anti-development, also not a compliment in a city struggling to pay its bills.On Dec. 15, the tables were turned as two members of the majority were gone, and the minority held sway.Realtor Larry Singleton sought a rezoning that would allow him to expand a proposed high-end decoration and furniture shop on Ga. 9 from 18,000 square feet to 28,000 square feet.

Milton’s city planning staff had signed off on it, and the Planning Commission had blessed it as well.But the proposal met trouble when it reached the City Council, which approved the plan 3-2, but imposed several conditions. The council rejected the increase in size, demanded more trees be planted to replace ones that would be cut down and banned a long list of potential uses for the property.The project’s supporters felt the changes weren’t fair, so they ended up voting against the proposal.

City Council member Tina D’Aversa supported the changes, but said in the interest of fairness, she wouldn’t fight a re-hearing. “I don’t think they thought through their site plan,” she said. “I don’t think they were prepared to appear before the City Council. They should have asked for a deferral.”

Speed Enforcement Meeting Date Set.

The speed enforcement meeting will be held this upcoming Thursday, January 8th at 7:30pm at Milton City Hall. Both council and staff will be in attendance to hear residents concerns and points. We encourage you to attend and be heard.

- Tim Enloe / Magnolia Media, LLC

770 653 0552

Milton News from Julie Zahner Bailey

Happy New Year

Dear Friends, Neighbors and Milton Citizens -

I hope you all have had a blessed holiday season and continue to enjoy important time with your families and friends. As we near the corner on a new year, I want to take the opportunity to thank you for your care for our collective community and for your involvement which comes in so many different forms. And as we approach 2009, if you have not had the opportunity to be as involved as you would like to be, please include it as one of your resolutions for the New Year. It does not have to take Herculean efforts, but instead can be as simple as attending a Council or committee meeting, sending in a suggestion or reaching out to a neighbor. After all, the greatest blessings of our Milton community are the people that make this place we call home so wonderful.

"Bring one for the Chipper" Christmas Tree Recycling Event - Saturday, January 3 from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.Please mark your calendar for January 3rd from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. for the first annual Milton Grows Green Committee "Bring One for the Chipper" recycling event. Bring your Christmas trees to Firestation #43 on Hickory Flat Road (near the Birmingham Crossroads) to have your Christmas tree recycled. It is one of many programs brought to Milton via the Milton Grows Green Committee. Please scroll down for details.

January Meetings IGA with Fulton County regarding sewer services to be discussed January 12th. In this release is a listing of the upcoming meetings of the Milton Council and other boards and committees. Please note the dates of these meetings in the right margin. The January 12th Work Session in particular will include several important topics including:

Discussion of the right-of-way privatization policy as it relates to the request to gate Crooked Creek and abandon Crooked Creek Drive. (Presented by Dan Drake, Public Works Director)
Council consideration of Fulton County response to proposed Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) and sewer map.The third meeting of January will be on Wednesday, January 21st (given that Monday is a holiday) and includes at least one zoning modification request in Crabapple. As always, I consider it an honor and privilege to serve you. I appreciate so much the many calls, emails and comments I receive from many of you. Keep them coming. Please know I take my role as your Council member very seriously and strive everyday to represent your interests with dedication, honesty and hard work all the while keeping the values and mission of what is uniquely Milton in focus. I welcome your input, suggestions and ideas; after all this is your community.Blessings to you and your families as we enter what is sure to be a wonderful 2009.

All my best -

Julie Zahner Bailey
Milton City Council
770-664-5529 (home)
404-310-6344 (cell)
Julie4Milton@mindspring.com
www.Julie4Milton.com

Committee Brings Holiday Tree Recycling Program To Milton

From The City Of Milton -


MILTON, Ga., Jan. 1, 2008 - City of Milton residents are urged to recycle their Christmas trees through a program brought to the city by the Milton Grows Green committee. "Bring One for the Chipper," is a statewide program sponsored by the Georgia Forestry Commission. This program has existed across Georgia for several years, but is being brought to Milton for the first time by MGG with the generous support of Freeman's Tree Care. The mulch will be used in public beautification projects, helping to reduce costs for the City.

Recycling will be available on Saturday, Jan. 3 from 9 am to 4 pm at the Birmingham Fire Station, located at 750 Hickory Flat Road. All trees should be carefully checked to be sure that lights, ornaments, etc., have been removed. Seedlings, including dogwood, green ash and red cedar, will be given away on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.

Volunteers aged 12 to 96 are needed to help unload trees - no machinery contact involved. Please contact miltongrowsgreen@earthlink.net to volunteer, or to request more information.

Recession Gives New Cities Rough Start

Some locked in low taxes, now face pinch

By DOUG NURSE /
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Sunday, December 28, 2008

It was going to be so perfect. Fed up with perceived inefficiency and neglect from Fulton County, the newly incorporated cities of Milton, Johns Creek and Sandy Springs were going to provide the same or more services at the same tax rate.

Their founders were so sure of that when they formed the cities, they capped the property tax rates at the relatively low millage rate of 4.731, the same level the county had taxed residents in these north Fulton communities.

Chattahoochee Hills in south Fulton did not limit property tax millage when it incorporated and has almost doubled the rate.

Timing, as they say, is everything. Now, revenues from sales taxes, permits and fees are flat or falling and cities all over Georgia are struggling along with the national economy. And the new cities are finding they don’t have the traditional options available to governments wanting to keep the same services: raising taxes and going to the bond market to borrow money.

The new cities’ leaders are concerned, having cut revenue projections already. Some are saying the situation might get worse, and they are expecting even more declines in revenue.
“There could be some real problems in terms of our ability to meet basic service demands in two or three years,” Johns Creek City Manager John Kachmar said. “We haven’t seen a drastic decline in revenue because there’s a lag, but we’re gaming out what could happen. We’re worried about what’s down the road. It’s very hard at this time to predict what any fall-off will be.”

It’s a rough time to be starting out. Chattahoochee Hills, a south Fulton city, was launched Dec. 1, 2007 — the month the recession started. Sandy Springs was launched Dec. 1, 2005; Johns Creek and Milton on Dec. 1, 2006; Dunwoody incorporated Dec. 1.

Sandy Springs is probably in the best shape, partly because it has a larger commercial tax base. Assistant City Manager Steve Rapson said officials saw early on that they needed to drastically reduce some of their revenue projections.

Chattahoochee Hills may be in the worst shape. It has a small population – 2,500 people — is mostly rural, with only 1 percent of its property developed commercially, and patrolling and maintaining its 57 square miles of roads is expensive. The city nearly doubled its property tax rate — it has no cap — the mayor and City Council members are working for no pay, and they are even taking turns mowing the lawn at City Hall.

The millage cap

Perhaps the biggest financial impediment facing north Fulton’s new cities is the cap on the property tax rate.

Proponents pushed cityhood promising better services, local control — and low taxes. Their legislative sponsors imposed a legal cap on their millage at 4.731, the same rate Fulton County charged at the time. And they set the bar high to raise property taxes, requiring a voter referendum before increasing taxes above the cap.

The low-tax, small-government message resonated among many north Fulton residents.
State Rep. Wendell Willard (R-Sandy Springs), who sponsored the legislation founding his city, said organizers thought it was important to make sure taxes did not exceed the cap without the people’s consent. “I think it’s a pretty good safeguard,” Willard said.

Other north Fulton cities adopted the same language in their own charters.
The low millage was fine as long as commercial and retail business thrived and the area grew. But now, it’s potentially a problem.

“Other cities have the ability to raise taxes to offset declining revenues,” said Milton Finance Manager Stacey Inglis. “We have to be more creative in trying to find more revenue. We may start charging for services, such as false alarm calls, where other cities just eat that charge.”

Christopher Bloor, a Milton resident, said he wouldn’t be surprised if the city cut services to the essentials, such as public safety and roads. “Things in Milton have always been tight,” Bloor said. “Other than Police and Fire departments, what services has the city offered? But we haven’t seen a lot of quality of life services offered [by Fulton County] anyway.”

Johns Creek resident David Kornbluh said he never was a fan of the millage cap. “I always thought it wasn’t the wisest thing to do,” he said, “but it was required to sell [the idea of cityhood to voters]. The numbers were not analyzed as thoroughly as they could have been.”

In south Fulton, Chattahoochee Hills has no cap on property taxes. Officials found the $2.3 million revenue projected in a pre-incorporation viability study to be off – by about $1 million. As a result, the City Council voted in September to increase the property tax rate from 5.6 mills to 10.9 mills.

Phillip West, a 20-year resident, said in an interview after the vote that the city did the only thing it could do, given the circumstances. “Yes, this is a hard pill to swallow,” West said. “But nobody knew the economy would turn down the way it did.”

Carol Wolfe, director of administration for Chattahoochee Hills, said the viability study relied on 2005 and 2006 economic data. “I don’t think we could have made it if we’d had a cap on the millage,” she said.

Obstacles to borrowing

When facing big-ticket construction projects, cities traditionally borrow money through the bond market, said Monte Vavra, Johns Creek’s finance director. That may not be an option for the new cities.

Wolfe, the Chattahoochee Hills official, said general obligation bonds require a city to commit taxes to pay the debt. That’s why they’re attractive to investors, who are guaranteed a return. So cities ask voters to cover the debt.

Issuing general obligation bonds requires a referendum. What are the odds of success?
When asked, Inglis, the Milton official, shook her head. “Zilch.”

In a survey last year, Milton residents were asked whether they would be willing to tax themselves extra to improve parks, build senior centers and make traffic improvements. The No. 1 response from a list was: “Don’t spend any more than what is generated from current tax base.”

Johns Creek Mayor Mike Bodker said he believes people would tax themselves if a convincing business case were made. “There’s no question it handicaps the city, but it forces the City Council to prove any millage above 4.731 is needed,” Bodker said. “I don’t believe people would say, ‘I don’t believe in taxes and I’m voting it down.’ “

The cities are studying the possibility of going to the bond market by 2010, assuming money is available. With the credit crunch, it could be tough going: The New York and New Jersey Port Authority, rated at the highest credit level, went to the bond market to borrow $300 million recently and got no takers.

With property tax rates limited, new cities are more dependent on sales tax revenues than older cities. In Johns Creek, sales tax proceeds make up about a third of its general fund revenue. Sales tax income is currently flat because of a slowdown in consumer spending, and the future looks uncertain.

“Everything you read, it sounds bleak,” Vavra said. “I projected a 9 percent decrease in sales tax revenues in 2009. That’s a lot.”

Property valuations are no cure

The millage cap’s impact wouldn’t hit so hard if property values were expected to keep rising like they were a few years ago. Even with the same tax rate, the rising value of property would put more money in city coffers. But with values flat or on the decline, there’s little prospect of more revenue.

“There are pockets in north Fulton where we’ll see a downturn of 4 to 5 percent,” said Burt Manning, chief property assessor for Fulton County. “We do expect to see a general flattening in the commercial values in north Fulton.”

Adding to the anxiety is a proposal the 2009 General Assembly is expected to consider that would cap property assessment increases at 3 percent. It’s meant as relief for taxpayers, but Kachmar said Johns Creek might have a hard time surviving if the bill passes.

“With millage and assessment caps in place, your ability to generate any new revenue is extremely limited,” Kachmar said. “There would be no money to pay for salary increases; parks improvements come to a screeching halt. You’d have to do triage. If the cost of gas goes up, you don’t buy as much gas. What do you do then? You say, ‘We’ll only patrol a little bit?’ It would have a very deleterious effect.”

Other revenue also iffy

Cities also draw income from licenses, permits, fees, investment income, and assorted odds and ends. There’s unlikely to be good news there, either.

Income from permits is down because people aren’t building, companies are going bankrupt or not seeking business licenses. Rapson said he slashed Sandy Springs’ projected revenue from permits and fees by 21 percent.

In Johns Creek, revenue from building permits has fallen off 50 percent from what was expected — since August.

With the nation in recession, federal and state governments are cutting back on grants. And even if grants are available, cities have to weigh whether they can afford the 20 percent local match that’s typically required and whether they can afford to operate the program the grant might establish. These days, the answer is often no.

“We’ve given money back to the federal government,” Rapson said. “There were too many strings attached.”

Milton Folks Can Recycle Their Trees

City of Miton

December 22, 2008

Milton residents are urged to recycle their Christmas trees through a program brought to the city by the Milton Grows Green (MGG) committee."Bring One for the Chipper" is a statewide program sponsored by the Georgia Forestry Commission. This program has existed across Georgia for several years, but is being brought to Milton for the first time by MGG with the generous support of Freeman's Tree Care. The mulch will be used in public beautification projects, helping to reduce costs for the city.Recycling will be available Saturday, Jan. 3 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Birmingham Fire Station, located at 750 Hickory Flat Road. All trees should be carefully checked to be sure that lights, ornaments, etc., have been removed. Seedlings, including dogwood, green ash and red cedar, will be given away on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.Volunteers aged 12 to 96 are needed to help unload trees - no machinery contact involved. Please contact miltongrowsgreen@earthlink.net to volunteer, or to request more information.

Milton Teacher, Coach Recovering From Accident

by Jason Wright / Appe Newspapers

December 23, 2008 ALPHARETTA -

A 17-year Milton High School teacher and popular coach is recovering from injuries sustained in a head-on collision on Cogburn Road Dec. 12.Tim Chastain, a 50-year-old Dawsonville resident who has taught health and physical education courses while coaching baseball and football at Milton since 1991, is in North Fulton Hospital suffering from a severely broken leg, dislocated foot, broken pelvis and a ruptured spleen. He received the injuries after his 2003 Toyota Tacoma drifted across the center lane and hit a 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche head on just before 3:45 p.m. near North Park."I'll be OK. It's just going to take a while to rehab," said Chastain. "It's going to be a slow process."

The other driver was not injured, said investigators.Principal Ron Tesch said the school has been in regular contact with Chastain's family and is monitoring his recovery."He has been a good teacher who is respected by his students and staff," said Tesch. "He is in our thoughts and prayers."

The long time coach, who took a break from football this year, said he appreciated the sentiment."I need all the prayers I can get right now," he said.

Merry Christmas From Accessmilton!

City Of Milton Fire Department Urges Holiday Safety

Allie Taylor, Communications Specialist Allie.Taylor@CityofMiltonGa.us
678-242-2516 O
678-925-3414 C

MILTON, Ga., Dec. 22, 2008 - The City of Milton Fire Department would like to wish you a festive and safe Holiday Season. As you celebrate with family and friends please be mindful of holiday light, candle, and decoration safety. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, holiday fires kill hundreds of people, injure thousands more and cause millions of dollars in property damage each year.

For more information call the Milton Public Safety Department at 678-242-2570 or visit the U.S. Fire Administration Web site.

Recycling Project Begins At Bell Memorial Park

By DOUG NURSE / The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

In one of the first projects by the city-sponsored Bell Memorial Parkenvironmental group Milton Grows Green, signs and barrels will be placed for recycling at various locations at Bell Memorial Park.

Milton Grows Green, a brainchild of Council member Julie Zahner Bailey, was established last month to promote environmentally sound practices and to advise the city on green issues.

Joined by Community Waste Services, a trash hauler, Milton Grows Green will provide the containers and recycling pickup for free. Bell Memorial Park is the city’s busiest park.

Those interested in the committee’s activities or in environmental issues is encouraged to contact the organization at miltongrowsgreen@earthlink.net.

Pantless Boy Found In Target in Milton

Appen Newspapers

December 16, 2008MILTON - Milton police arrested a 38-year-old Twinrose Way mother Dec. 3 after her young son was found with no pants, shoes or jacket in the SuperTarget on Ga. 9.The boy said he'd ran away from home because his mother had allegedly beaten him with a telephone cord after discovering he'd been burning things again.

According to the incident report, the boy had tried to hide burnt pencils and napkins from his mother by taking them out with the trash. He admitted to police he "likes to burn things."His mother discovered the items and allegedly began beating him with nearly two feet of telephone cord while he was backed into a corner.The boy ran off when he had the chance, he said. He later told police his mother locked the door behind him and told him to stay outside.

The cold child ran into the SuperTarget because it was the first business he'd found that was open, he said.When questioned, the mother allegedly admitted to "spanking him, but not with her hand." She said the boy has a problem with fire and had burnt hamburgers so bad the fire department had to be called.The woman was largely uncooperative during the investigation, said officers, and was charged with second degree cruelty to children.The boy, who police said had marks in the shape of looped telephone cord, was taken to Hughes Spalding Childrens Hospital and turned over to DFACS staff. Officers said the boy's aunt had earlier refused custody, and he has no other relatives in Georgia.

Committeee, Hauler Partner on Free Recycling Program at Bell Memorial Park

Visitors to the City of Milton’s Bell Memorial Park will no longer have to toss that empty soda can or depleted water bottle into the trash; instead, they will be able to recycle them and other materials thanks to a new free recycling program offered by the Milton Grows Green committee and Community Waste Services.Under the partnership, the environmental committee MGG, will place signs and barrels for recycling at various locations throughout the park, located at 15245 Bell Park Road. CWS will provide both the containers and recycling pickup services at no charge. The program begins in January."Milton Grows Green is happy to play a part in starting the pilot recycling program at Bell Memorial Park," said Melissa Estes, committee co-chair. "This is a program that helps the environment while helping the city save money."Anyone interested in the committee's activities or in environmental issues is encouraged to contact MGG through
miltongrowsgreen@earthlink.net.

.

***Dangerous Driver Alert***

Stock Photo.

DATE: Sunday, December 14, 2008.

TIME: Approx 5:15pm.

OFFENDING VEHICLE: Late Model White Town and Country Chrysler Van / Tag #BQ57E8.

REPORT: A white Chrysler Town and Country Van passed a commuter at a high rate of speed going south on Bethany Road between Mayfield and Providence Roads. The vehicle passed on a double yellow line which means no passing in residential node. This situation has been reported to the City of Milton.

Tina D'Aversa, City of Milton News

WISHING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY A SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Dear Milton Neighbor,

From my family to yours, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! I am thankful for the opportunity to serve as your District 5 City of Milton Council Representative. One thing that I am reminded of each Holiday Season is the freedoms we enjoy living in America . We are blessed to have the opportunity to choose to celebrate our faith in different ways. As you celebrate in your way this season, I wish you the very best of Hope, Peace Joy and Love.

Monday, December 15, the City of Milton will host the final Council Meeting for 2008. It is a good time to reflect on all the successes this year.

In a few weeks, you should receive a City of Milton Annual Report. You can read about some of the tremendous accomplishments and enjoy some nice photos and a 2009 calendar. I appreciate our city management, Mayor Lockwood and my fellow council members. Together we have made our citizens proud.

I am most proud of the unparalleled citizen involvement in our community. We host more than 20 distinct citizen committees that are ensuring a balanced voice in our diverse city. I am proud of the Milton Disability Awareness Committee formed in 2007. This group, chaired by Laura Barham and Ann Coggins continues to help and support our city staff in ensuring accessibility and inclusion for all people. The city is also honored to have Marie Latta consulting with our team as we develop new and improved infrastructure throughout the city. You can read about Ms. Latta on the city website.

My commitment to maintaining our unique quality of life has never been more evident than with the citizen committees formed in 2008. Community involvement is the driving force in a strong city. The committee that best exemplifies my desire for a distinctive community that embraces, preserves and enhances its rural character is the Highway 9 Design Board. This committee along with city staff will embark on a Livable Centers Initiative developing a full master plan, resulting in not only a vision but also implementation strategies such as recommended amendments to the overlay, design guidelines, and identify transportation improvement projects. I am proud to sponsor this committee. My vision remains steady for 2009; appropriate development in our community, keeping our citizens safe, controlling traffic and developing our parks.
There are several groups I would like to thank for their hard work this year including our boards and the Comprehensive Plan Committee (CPAC). These volunteer citizens have worked tirelessly all year so that the future of Milton will depict the vision.

I am proud to support these committees and look forward to working with citizens and watching our vision develop in 2009.
May you be blessed with a safe and Happy New Year.

Sincerest regards,

Tina D'Aversa
678-242-2498 Direct
tdaversa@bellsouth.net

For additional information and updates, visit the City of Milton website.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." ~ Margaret Mead

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December 15 City Council Agenda

City Council Agenda

City Council Meetings are held at City Hall, 13000 Deerfield Parkway, Milton, Georgia 30004.

Meeting Calendar of the City Boards and Commissions

Monday, December 15, 2008 Council Meeting Agenda 6:00 PM
INVOCATION - Tass Welch, Community Minister, Community of Christ Church

1) CALL TO ORDER
2) ROLL CALL
3) PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE (Led by the Mayor) (Agenda Item No. 08-744)
4) APPROVAL OF MEETING AGENDA (Add or remove items from the agenda)
5) PUBLIC COMMENT
6) CONSENT AGENDA
(Agenda Item No. 08-745) 1. Approval of the December 1, 2008 Regular Meeting Minutes. (Jeanette Marchiafava, City Clerk and Clerk of the Court) (Agenda Item No. 08-746) 2. Approval of the following task orders:
November 19, 2008 - Task Order 09-SSI-01 from Street Smarts, Inc. for traffic calming services for the City of Milton with a total cost of $15,162.27; and

November 7, 2008 - Task Order 09-KHA-01 from Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. for Phase 1 Crabapple Crossroads Southeast Quadrant Study with a total cost of $17,635.00; and

November 25, 2008 - Revised Task Order 09-KHA-01 from Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. for Revised Phase 1 Crabapple Crossroads Southeast Quadrant Study with a total cost of $21,783.00
(Dan Drake, Public Works Director)
(Agenda Item No. 08-747) 3. Approval for Street light acceptance agreement with Crabapple Crossing Subdivision. (Dan Drake, Public Works Director)

7) REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS

8) FIRST PRESENTATION

9) PUBLIC HEARING ALCOHOL BEVERAGE LICENSE
APPLICATION (Agenda Item No. 08-748) 1. Approval of Alcohol Beverage License Application for Wu & Huang Enterprises, Inc. d/b/a Ru San's Milton located at 13085 Alpharetta Highway 9N, Unit #440, Milton, Georgia. The applicant is Kent Wu for Consumption on the Premises - Wine and Malt Beverage. (Presented by Stacey Inglis, Finance Manager) END OF PUBLIC HEARING

10) ZONING AGENDA (Agenda Item No. 08-734) 1. ZM08-08/VC0-07 - South side of Webb Road, To modify condition 2a. and a 2 part concurrent variance to 1) To reduce the side yard setback from 20 feet to 10 feet along the east and west property lines; 2) To reduce the minimum rear yard setback from 25 feet to 10 feet along the south property line. (Presented by Alice Wakefield, Community Development Director) (Agenda Item No. 08-735) 2. RZ08-10, 622 N. Main Street by Larry Singleton, ADT Real Estate, LLC, To rezone from C-2 (Commercial) to C-1 (Community Business) to develop a 28,260 square foot retail home fashion center at a density of 12,504.42 square feet per acre on 2.26 acres. (Presented by Alice Wakefield, Community Development Director)

11) UNFINISHED BUSINESS (none)

12) NEW BUSINESS (Agenda Item No. 08-749)
1. Approval of a Resolution Amending Resolution No. 08-12-54, A Resolution to Create the Milton Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and to develop the Milton Parks and Recreation Ordinance. (Presented by Brad Chambers, Parks and Recreation Representative) (Agenda Item No. 08-750)
2. Approval of a Resolution Amending Resolution No. 08-12-55, A Resolution to Create a Committee to Serve as the Highway 9 Design Guideline Committee for Potential Revision to the Highway 9 Overlay District of the City of Milton Zoning Ordinance. (Presented by Alice Wakefield, Community Development Director) (Agenda Item No. 08-751)
3. Approval of a Resolution Amending Resolution No. 08-12-56, A Resolution to Create a Committee to Serve as the Historic Preservation Committee for Development of a Historic Preservation Ordinance for the City of Milton. (Presented by Alice Wakefield, Community Development Director) (Agenda Item No. 08- 752)
4. Approval of a Resolution Amending Resolution No. 08-04-32, A Resolution Appointing Members to the City of Milton Bike and Pedestrian Path Committee. (Presented by Alan Tart, Councilmember) (Agenda Item No. 08- 753)
5. Approval of a Resolution to Create a Stakeholder Advisory Committee for City of Milton Transportation Plan. (Presented by Dan Drake, Public Works Director) (Agenda Item No. 08- 754)
6. Approval of a Resolution to Create a Citizen Advisory Committee for City of Milton Concept Plans for the Intersections of Birmingham at Providence and Arnold Mill at New Providence. (Presented by Dan Drake, Public Works Director) (Agenda Item No. 08-755)
7. Approval of task orders for concept studies of Birmingham at Providence intersection for $116,434.06 and Arnold Mill at New Providence intersection $70,496.70 with Street Smarts, Inc. (Presented by Dan Drake, Public Works Director) (Agenda Item No. 08- 756)
8. Approval of a Resolution Requesting the Transmittal of the draft City of Milton 20082028 Comprehensive Plan Partial Update to the Atlanta Regional Commission and the State of Georgia Department of Community Affairs. (Presented by Alice Wakefield, Community Development Director) (Agenda Item No. 08- 757)
9. Approval of a Resolution to Adopt the 2009 Zoning and Use Permit, Zoning Modification, Board of Zoning Appeals and the City of Milton Design Review Board Schedules. (Presented by Alice Wakefield, Community Development Director)
13) MAYOR AND COUNCIL REPORTS
14) STAFF REPORTS 1) Discussion of the right-of-way privatization policy. (Presented by Dan Drake, Public Works Director)
15) EXECUTIVE SESSION (if needed) (Agenda Item No. 08-758)
16) ADJOURNMENT

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Committee and Board Nominations

Council members will be nominating committee members this month.

Tina D'Aversa's nominees to date

1) Parks and Recreation Committee -
District 5 Nominee: Tom Mulroy
2) Highway 9 Design Guidelines Committee
District 5 Business Rep Nominee: Adam Orkin
District 5 Citizen Nominee: Roger Festa
3) Historic Preservation Committee.At Large Nominee: JT Adams
District 5 Nominee: Travis Allen
4) Transportation Committee.
District 5 Citizen Nominee: Vic Jones
5) Transportation Intersection Committee
At Large Nominee: Marty Littleton

These committees will begin working if they have not already in early January 2009. The Parks and Recreation Committee is already developing a list of priority review items for early 2009. Public Works Director, Dan Drake and P&R Consultant, Brad Chambers will be the staff liaisons.

Community Development Manager, Alice Wakefield will be working with the Highway 9 Review Board very soon to review the LCI process and to begin setting discussion priorities. We encourage citizens to be involved and attend these meetings. Meetings will be listed on the city website.

Please email the city council member serving your district if you are interested in participating on one of these boards or committees. City Council contact information.

City Council Meeting agendas are posted seven days prior to a meeting.

New Poll Up / Adjusted.

Due to the annoucement that the Milton Round Up has moved to the public schools in Crabapple next fall, we have a new Accessmilton.com poll up. This month's question ask:

"Should the City Of Milton delay any extra projects due to the decrease in property values / lower tax base?"

State Approves Green Cememtery In Milton

By DOUG NURSE / www.ajc.com

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

The Georgia Cemetery Board has approved an application for a green cemetery in Milton.
The board on Tuesday signed off on a plan by Milton resident Jim Bell, who sought state approval to use 17 acres of pasture as a green burial ground. In a green cemetery, people are interred in a shroud or a biodegradable coffin without embalming, vaults or even tombstones. Graves are marked by a GPS system or flat markers.To motorists passing by, the cemetery would look like an open field.

“We’ve already had a good bit of interest,” Bell said. “It’s less expensive, environmentally sound, and we’ll give part of the proceeds to give to the city to buy more green space.”
Bell said he wanted to find a way to keep the land from being developed.
Traditional burials average $7,500, according to the National Funeral Directors Association. A green burial would cost up to $4,000.

Embalming is not required by law except in some circumstances, such as transporting a body by airline, according to the National Funeral Directors Association.
Bell wrote in an email that he plans to open cthe emetery in January.

Milton Council Establishes Three New Committees

by Jason Wright / Appen Newspapers

December 09, 2008 MILTON - City Council established a Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, a Ga. 9 Design Guideline Committee and a Historic Preservation Committee at its meeting Dec. 1.• The Parks and Recreation Advisory board will be staffed by seven volunteers tasked with developing a parks and recreation ordinance. Councilwoman Karen Thurman nominated Mark Reed, Councilman Bill Lusk nominated Lauren Jackson, Councilwoman Tina D'Aversa nominated Tom Mulroy and Councilman Alan Tart nominated Sandy Shelley.• The Ga. 9 Design Guideline Committee will be staffed by 14 volunteers, representing an equal mix of business and homeowners in the Ga. 9 area. They will weigh potential revisions to the Ga. 9 Overlay District, and if revisions are made, could eventually be pared down to a seven-member recommending body for review of cases in the area. Mayor Joe Lockwood nominated Dennis Potts, Thurman nominated former Councilman Rick Mohrig, Lusk nominated Rodney Reese, D'Aversa nominated Adam Orkin and Tart nominated Brenda Hemphill.• The Historic Preservation Committee will be staffed with 14 volunteers tasked with creating a Historic Preservation Ordinance. Thurman nominated Gordon Hunter, Lusk nominated Norman Broadwell and, as an "assistant," local historian Billy Bates. D'Aversa nominated Travis Allen and J.T. Adams.The committees still need a number of volunteers. Interested parties should contact volunteer coordinator Linda Blow at 678-242-2489.In other news, council:• Approved unanimously a little more than $449,000 task order with Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc. for Milton's Transportation Master Plan. Due to an 80-20 funding match, Milton will pay just shy of $90,000 for the work, which Public Works Director Dan Drake said will take 18 months.• Approved unanimously a modification to the Fulton County Service Delivery Strategy Agreement to allow participation by the South Fulton Municipal Regional Water and Sewer Authority. City Attorney Ken Jarrard said the modification does not involve Milton (it affects Union City, Fairburn and Palmetto), but due to its contract the county must have all cities in Fulton who receive county water sign off on the move.

Milton Looks to Recover "lost" $836,000

By DOUG NURSE / www.ajc.com

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Milton officials are hoping to pull a rabbit out of a hat and recover $863,000 in lost insurance premium taxes.

The city has an “error and omissions” clause in its insurance policy with the Georgia Interlocal Risk Management Association that officials think might cover the lost money.

The city lost its chance to collect $863,000 in its first days of cityhood in 2007. It missed a deadline to alert the state that it intended to collect its share of taxes on insurance premiums sold in Georgia. The city rectified the oversight.

Officials did explore legislative solutions but were told the law was clear about having to meet the deadline.

Men's Night At Broadwell Cottage This Evening

Wed December 10th, the lovely ladies of Broadwell Cottage in Crabapple are hosting a "Men's Night". The event is located at 765 Mid Broadwell Rd, in Crabapple. This is an opportunity to shop with other men for gifts for your wife or daughters. There will be specials and discounts on all items.

So stop by and look around; from what I hear, they have some great gifts!