Gwinnett County voters will be asked whether they want to continue collecting Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax for the next five years. A referendum will be added to the Nov. 4 ballot, according to action taken by the Board of Commissioners.
Commissioners voted to add the referendum, and have been working for several months with the county's 15 municipalities on an intergovernmental agreemental for the distribution of proceeds from SPLOST.
The five-year SPLOST collections, which would begin April 1, 2009, are estimated to total $850 million. "Voter support of SPLOST has made it possible for many needed capital improvements to take place in our community. When you think of the parks, libraries, roads, and public safety facilities that are here today, it's clear that Gwinnett is a better place to live because of SPLOST," said Commission Chairman Charles Bannister.
As authorized in state law, the County will utilize 20 percent of the proceeds for level two countywide projects consisting of recreational facilities and libraries. The cities will then receive funding based on the percentage of the population within incorporated Gwinnett County according to 2007 Census Bureau numbers, 19.522 percent. The estimated amount to the cities is just under $132.8 million. The remainder of the SPLOST proceeds will go to the County.
The intergovernmental agreement reflects the County breakdown between roads, streets and bridges – $380.9 million; public safety facilities and equipment – $66.3 million; recreational facilities – $162 million; libraries – $13 million; and court facilities – $95 million.
The cities' planned uses are city roads, streets and bridges – $46.9 million; city public safety facilities and equipment – $18.9 million; city recreational facilities – $32.3 million; city water and sewer capital improvements – $8.5 million; city administrative facilities – $20.2 million; and city parking facilities – $6 million.
- www.gwinnettherald.com
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Gwinnett voters to decide on SPLOST
New library referendum tests Fulton voters' will
Library bond referendums are normally a shoo-in at the polls. It is one of those "we got to have them" items that voters traditionally support. But that may not be the case this Nov. 4 when they go to the polls in Fulton County.
The hitch this time around is the $276 million as the bond tries to make up for years of benign neglect over the last 20 years since the last library bond. Coupled with the tremendous growth Fulton County has experienced in that time, library facilities have fallen far behind the needs of the people. Now the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System Board of Trustees and the Fulton commissioners have agreed on a master plan that will build nine new libraries (three in North Fulton), fund renovations for 23 libraries and expand two more.
"Ever since I came here, Fulton County residents have talked of nothing but library needs - facilities needs," said John Szabo, AFPLS director. "We have areas of the county that are underserved and we have areas of the county, including North Fulton, that have no service at all."
Szabo says the library system needs to be expanded and modernized, and the best way to ensure the support of everyone is to bring the entire system up to par at one time.
"I have seen some incredible inadequacies in my tours around this county," he said. "I have seen 1,600-square-foot metal boxes that we are calling branches. They are really just kiosks. I have been in a converted funeral home that was supposed to be a temporary building. The children's book section was the stage where the viewings used to take place."
What this bond proposes is to address the needs of the system comprehensively. The staff conducted 37 public meetings across the breadth and depth of the county, issued surveys and questionnaires and then came up with a master plan. The library board sent it back to add more to it.
The $276 million bond will mean an increase of 0.317 mills. Kelly Robinson, public relations and marketing director for the library system, said for the average homeowner that translates to about $19 a year for the owner of a $150,000 home. The owner of a $300,000 home would pay an extra $38 annually.
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Johns Creek man missing since Aug. 20
A 39-year-old Johns Creek resident has been missing for two weeks, according to the Johns Creek Police Department.
Orlando Jordan, a resident of Babbling Creek Place, was reported missing Aug. 20 by his family.
According to police, his family said his disappearance appears suspicious because he left his animals unattended and his job of 13 years at UPS without saying anything.
Jordan's vehicle was found abandoned in DeKalb County after the activation of the LoJack system in the vehicle.
Police said Jordan is not listed as endangered but the circumstances surrounding his absense are suspicious in nature.
If anyone has any information about Orlando Jordan, contact the Johns Creek Police Department at 678-474-1600.
- www.northfulton.com
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Forsyth residents rally against jail
Local residents gathered in the Wyngate Subdivision off Veterans Memorial Boulevard Aug. 18 to protest the proposed location for a new Forsyth County Jail.
Voters will decide on the $90 million total investment ($75 million for the detention center and $16 million for the Sheriff's Office) this November.
Trenna Gordon and her husband, Jeff, helped coordinate the Aug. 18 event along with other homeowners.
"I think we had a good turnout," she said. "It was mostly homeowners."
Gordon said the primary concerns of most local residents are property values and safety issues.
"The county owns a significant portion of land elsewhere in the county they could build this jail," she said. "I think we will be able to hear the inmates. You can see it from the Cumming Fairgrounds. I think this will affect shopping. I heard one person say, 'Suwanee builds a town center, Cumming builds a jail.'"
Gordon said she understands the need for the jail to be close to the courthouse.
"But I think they could have picked a location a little farther away," she said. "Our ultimate goal is to get people to vote 'no' for the jail this November. I think the more people that know about it, the more people will vote. There is other land in the county to consider."
The group has created a Web site at www.movethejail.org.
- www.northfulton.com
Duluth approves Taylor Park playground
Construction of the new City Hall last year caused the city to remove the playground equipment out front, but soon residents can bring their children to play on new equipment to be built at Taylor Park this fall. City Council unanimously approved to amend the Parks Master Plan to submit this proposed design which will be built adjacent to the Town Green.
This new set of equipment will be different from the previous in that it will not be "destination" equipment, rather meant for people already enjoying downtown or living nearby. Parks and Recreation Director Kathy Marelle said this is to prohibit busloads from coming downtown just for the playground. In other words, this new playground will not have something like a large jungle gym.
"We faced several challenges in finalizing the design," Marelle said. "We want it to be inviting and mix the characteristics of the old downtown, also we want to preserve the trees that are already there. Also, we faced challenges with the space since we have less to work with than before."
What this playground will contain will be a variety of pieces designed to help kids get up and moving, as Marelle said health and exercise were a priority. But she said over the years most playground equipment that adults grew up with has been deemed unsafe and will not be there. Gone are long slides and merry-go-rounds.
Since this is Duluth and trains have had a long history in the city, there will be a mockup of the old Duluth Depot and an interactive train model where children can climb on it and slide down.
Designed not to clash with buildings downtown, the equipment will be in more neutral colors instead of the bright blues and yellows found at other playgrounds. The train was shown in the presentation as being blue, but Maxine Garner, the chair of the eight-person steering committee overseeing the project, said it would actually be forest green or black.
This playground has been in the making since March, with the steering committee presenting their findings to the Parks and Recreation Board in March. If all goes to plan, this will go out for bids next month and construction will start in October. Currently there is $260,000 budgeted for the project.
In other business, council continued their debate on overlay districts in the downtown and Buford Highway corridors of the city. This plan for two overlay districts – which will bring particular architectural standards to the area to promote revitilazation – was tabled at the previous meeting to incorporate changes from the public hearing.
Because council still had several concerns, such as the possibility of drive-thrus and how to regulate hotels and motels (with particular interest in not permitting extended stay hotels), the decision was postponed until the next meeting, Sept. 8. This caused council to once again extend for two weeks the moratorium on development on Buford Highway until the overlay district is approved.
- www.gwinnettherald.com
