With no bidders, city to trash old church pews

Having found no interest online for 32 second-hand church pews, Woodstock — which inherited the seating when it took over an old church for its City Council chambers – will now dispose of the items the traditional way: Putting them out in the trash.

The City Council this week authorized the disposal of the pews after an online auction drew no bidders. The seats had been removed and stored as surplus goods in a city maintenance facility at Bell Park.

Since 2011, the Council has been meeting in the Chambers at City Center, 8534 Main St. The building is the former Woodstock Community Church, built in 1913. a local match of about $590,000, according to a staff report prepared for this week’s Council meeting.

The funds are for resurfacing, striping and other work for 5.2 miles of Holly Springs Parkway from the Woodstock to Canton city limits.

The city also seeks funds for lane markings to Sixes Road from the parkway to I-575, and guardrail work on the two roads as well as Rabbit Hill Road and Ash Street; and resurfacing segments of Palm Lake, Mansfield and Bay Ridge drives and Cryder Lane and Ridge Hill Circle.

City to seek $2M loan for Mimosa ‘green’ work

Roswell is submitting an application for a $2 million loan from the state to fund a “green infrastructure and urban reforestation project” using plantings and other solutions to handle stormwater on Mimosa Boulevard in the city’s historic district.

The City Council on recently passed a resolution to apply for the funds out of the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority’s Stormwater Loan Program. Possible improvements include “bioretention areas” or gardens to handle runoff, as well as sidewalk planters, tree boxes, pervious pavers and a restored urban tree canopy with new trees.

The 15-year loan would be repaid out of the Stormwater Utility Fund. GEFA 15-year loans had an interest rate of 0.65 percent as of August. Once the loan application process is completed, a final project proposal and budget are expected in 2017 to seek loan approval.

Roswell’s Frances McGahee Youth Day Celebration. Oct. 8. Roswell Recreation, Parks, Historic & Cultural Affairs Department at 770-641-3705.

9:45 a.m. Historic Roswell 5K Road Race. Starts at Roswell United Methodist Church, 814 Mimosa Blvd. and ends at the Roswell Area Park football field, 10495 Woodstock Road. Benefits Friends of the Roswell Parks’ “Play It Forward Program.” Register: active.com or Susan Silver at 770-817-6670.

10 a.m. parade. Begins at First Baptist Church of Roswell, 710 Mimosa Blvd. and ends in Roswell Area Park, 10495 Woodstock Road.

11 a.m. Fun Fitness Challenge to run through large inflatable obstacle courses. Roswell Area Park, 10495 Woodstock Road.

11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fall Farm Days. Smith Plantation, 935 Alpharetta St., Roswell. Artisan exhibits and demonstrations about life on a 19th-century farm, including period games, spinning, weaving, open-hearth cooking, farm animals and petting zoo.

Budget adopted over objections

The 2017 Cobb County budget was approved 4-1 Tuesday amid boos from the audience who wanted money included in the budget to buy new parks.

Voting against the budget, Commissioner Lisa Cupid said the millage rollback in July from 6.83 to 6.66 was “politically motivated” and not needed so that the budget could have included funding for park purchases.

While voting for the budget, Commissioner JoAnn Birrell acknowledged that many items were not included such as Sunday bus service, a new deputy county manager, privatization of right-of-way mowing, police body cameras and new parks.

Commending Commission Chairman Tim Lee on this continuation budget, Commissioner Bob Ott said a 51 percent increase in property taxes would be needed to meet all of the requests.

The 2017 budget is an increase of $14.4 million due to debt service on the SunTrust Park bonds instead of $100,000 this year for the debt service on bonds.

Contingency is proposed to increase from $9,004,675 to $9,733,562.

Consisting of 17 operating budgets, the overall 2017 budget is proposed to increase by 8.7 percent to $857,968,275 from this year’s $789,165,502.

The budget year is Oct. 1 to Sept. 30 annually.

Information: CobbCounty.org/ images/documents/boc/FY_2017_ Budget_Presentation.pdf.

Cobb Public Safety Appreciation Week. Monday to Oct. 9. Mary Beth Moore at 770-8592359 or mmoore@cobbchamber.org. See link at CobbChamber.org/Member-Services/Public-Safety.aspx on how to thank and encourage public safety personnel, including yard signs.

Smyrna Fall Jonquil Festival. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 22, noon-5 p.m. Oct. 23. Free. Village Green, 200 Village Green Circle, Smyrna. Receive a jonquil bulb from Keep Smyrna Beautiful before buying fair food. A children’s area will offer inflatables and sand art, while Southeastern artisans will sell their handmade arts and crafts. See the Atlanta Puppet Show with Peter Hart. Friends of the Smyrna Library will hold a book sale both days. Marietta musician Scott Thomas will perform an acoustic set. SmyrnaCity.com.