Crossroads 9-05
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ro s s o a d s C R Official newsletter of the September 2005 Police department, chief shine at state law enforcement confere n c e The Suwanee Police Department and Chief Michael Jones both stood out at the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police summer conference held in Savannah at the end of July. Chief Jones was elected fourth vice president of the state chiefs association, and the Suwanee Police Department was a finalist for the Dr. Curtis McClung Award of Excellence. As a result of his election, Jones will be the Ge o r g i a Association of Chiefs of Police president in five years. “ I ’m ve r y humbled and excited about the opport u n i- ty to help enhance law enforcement in the state of Police Chief Georgia,” says Jones. “One thing that we need to work on Mike Jones as an organization is to have a more unified, stronger voice. We need to speak as one, particularly to the legislature. We have to speak in a stronger vo i c e about the laws, or the tools if you will, that we need to make our citize n s , communities, and roadways safer. ” Also during the conference, Jones was recognized for his graduation from Command College at Columbus State University, an advanced training Celebrate program for police executives and administrators, through which he complet- ed his master's degree in public administration. Suwanee Day Meanwhile, Suwanee's community policing philosophy and associated on September 17 p rog rams made the City's police department one of three finalists for the McClung Aw a rd, which honors programs that, among other things, are Come to Town Center Park to celebrate i n n ova t i ve, impact quality of life within the community, promote commu- community with your friends, neighbors, nity relations, and enhance law enforc e- ment pro f e s s i o n a l i s m . and others who enjoy a parade, arts and Suwanee's community policing philoso- crafts, free entertainment, an assortment phy supports several programs that provide of food, rides and attractions for children, specialized training to residents and an evening concert, and fireworks. Look enhance relationships between officers and citizens. These relationship-building pro- inside, pages 6-13, for details. grams are designed for neighborhoods, teen drivers, elementary students, and citizens interested in police work and are credited for the small decline in Suwanee's calls for Inside this issue: Proud to serve Suwanee Police service last year, despite the community's Your vote counts . .p. 2 Chief Mike Jones, center, and continued growth. City tax rate declines . .p. 3 Sgt. Jeff Dickens accept the Dr. The Griffin Police De p a r tment was pre- Curtis McClung Finalist Award sented the 2005 McClung Aw a rd for its Suwanee’s sign posse . .p. 4 from Louis Dekmar, president of Watch & Pray program, and the Po rt e rd a l e City employees moonlight as ‘zebras’ . .p. 5 the Georgia Association of Chiefs De p a rtment also was re c o g n i zed as a finalist. of Police. Page 2 August 2005 City Council election to be held November 8 The City of Suwanee will hold an election on November 8 for three City Council positions for which Poll workers needed terms will expire at the end of this year. The posts up for Poll workers are needed for the November 8 election and the Councilmembers currently serving in them Suwanee City Council municipal election. Poll are Post 3, Alan Landers; Post 4, Jace Brooks; and Post 5, workers must be at least 16 years old. For salary Carol Hassell. and other information, contact Elvira Rogers at [email protected] or 770/945-8996. Suwanee's City Council election will take place from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. at City Hall, 373 Buford Highway. While Councilmembers are elected to specific posts, each position is voted on Citywide. Also, City of Suwanee elec- tions are non-partisan. Qualifying for candidates begins at 8:30 a.m. Mo n d a y, September 12, and ends at 4:30 p.m. We d n e s d a y, September 14. The qualification fee is $108. Candidates may qualify at either City Hall or Suwanee's Crossroads Center, 323 Buford Highway. In order to run for City Council, prospective candidates must reside within the Suwanee City limits (and have been residents for at least six months prior to qualifying) and be a registered voter. This municipal election will be conducted and votes tabulated using Accu- Vote TS equipment. Gwinnett County has upgraded to this state-approved elec- tronic voting system, and City of Suwanee voters will be testing the new system. The deadline to register to vote in this election is 4:30 p.m. Tu e s d a y, October 11. Information about voter registration is available at the Georgia Secretary of State's website, http://www.sos.state.ga.us/elections/elections/voter_information. Voter registration applications may be picked up at City Hall, Suwanee Crossroads VOTE Center, or the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center, 75 Langley Drive, Lawrenceville. If only one candidate qualifies for each City Council position, then no elec- tion will be necessary as state law assumes that that candidate will "win" the post: "Each such unopposed candi- date shall be deemed to have voted for himself or herself." (Georgia Election Code 21-2-285) Suwanee adds to open space inventory The City of Suwanee added 8.5 acres to its growing open space inventory in July when it purchased a tract located on McGinnis Ferry Road, adjacent to the City's Suwanee Creek Greenway, just across the street from the Suwanee Sports Academy. The purchase price was $155,100. The parcel is mostly wetlands and, at this time, the City has no development plans for it. Since beginning its award-winning, voter-approved Open Space Initiative three years ago, the City of Suwanee has acquired more than 240 acres of open space, created three new parks, and extended the Suwanee Creek Greenway. This newest property had three previous owners, one of which donated his portion to the City. In addition, the sellers gave the City 1.1 acres of the nearly 9.7-acre origi- Mo re space Su w a n e e’s newest parcel of open space is located just nal parcel in 2002 for use as part of the Greenway. west of the Suwanee Creek Greenway on McGinnis Fe r r y Ro a d . August 2005 Page 3 www.suwanee.com Masino elected to lead Council approves metro mayors group lower tax rate Suwanee Mayor Nick Masino has been elected chairman of the Metro Atlanta Mayors Association At its August 16 meeting, (MAMA). Elected at the Georgia Municipal City Council approved the 2005 Association's annual convention in June, Masino millage rate at 5.77 mills. T h i s assumed leadership of the group in July. m a r ks the third consecutive ye a r MAMA consists of mayors from 62 cities in 10 that Su w a n e e’s millage rate has counties in metropolitan Atlanta. The association d e c reas ed. Last ye a r’s millage rate has an 11-member executive committee with mayoral representatives from was 5.81, and the previous ye a r’s each of the 10 counties as well as the immediate past president. rate was 5.89 mills. MAMA's goals are to foster communication among cities in the metro One of the City's largest Atlanta region; support public policy decisions beneficial to local govern- expenses is annual payment of ments; coordinate activities that benefit the entire region; and relate needs to vo t e r - a p p roved bond funds that federal, state, and regional agencies and organizations as well as to citizens. s u p p o r t the City’s award - w i n n i n g “One of MAMA's primary goals this year,” says Masino, “will be to work Open Space In i t i a t i ve. T he pay- with the Georgia Department of Transportation to create more walkable ment due in 2005-06 is communities. We'll need DOT's cooperation and assistance to fully imple- $1,228,500, re p resenting about ment the pedestrian-focused vision that many communities are in the process of creating through programs such as the Atlanta Regional Commission's 14 percent of the City's total Livable Centers Initiative.” b u d g e t . One of the reasons that City officials have been able to decre a s e New ordinance imposes the tax rate while acquiring addi- tional open space and cre a t i n g graffiti clean-up n ew parks, maintaining a high City Council adopted at its July 25 meeting a new anti-graffiti quality of service, and underw r i t- ordinance that requires the timely removal of graffiti from public and ing initiatives such as the commit- private property, including walls, rocks, bridges, buildings, fences, gates, ment to historic Main St reet is the signage, other structures, and trees. Modeled after the City of Lilburn’s a vailability of SPLOST funds. ordinance, the new law Su w a n e e’s anticipated share of represents a proactive “It’s been demonstrated that Gwinnett County SPLOST funds measure rather than a prompt removal of graffiti serves over the next four years is approx- as a deterrent to future defacement response to a serious imately $6.6 million, $1.5 million and reduces the likelihood that in the coming ye a r.