City revives performing arts center idea

About seven months after the idea was discussed and tabled, the Alpharetta City Council has approved issuing an “indication of interest” for potential partners in developing a 1,400-seat performing arts center.

The measure was revived on a 6-1 vote, with Councilman Jim Gilvin voting in opposition.

The city, supported by the Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau, previously engaged Johnson Consulting to study the idea, according to a staff report to council. “Based on this study and discussions with the executive director of the Athens Classic Center, the city is considering the establishment of a public/private partnership” for the arts venue, the report says. listening to residents, visitors, business owners and city officials in interviews, focus groups, workshops, on-the-street interviews and more than 450 online surveys, before beginning the redesign, according to a “Canton Branding” web page.

The logo incorporates the name “Canton” in green letters overlying a ribbon of blue, representing the Etowah River.

The city’s new home page, cantonga.gov, has top line links to “Our Community,” “Visit Us,” “How Do I,” “Business,” “Your Government” and “Police.” Downpage links lead to events listings, meetings and agendas, online payments, reporting non-emergency problems, staff directories, jobs and other information. There’s also a search tool for the entire site.

Information: http://bit.ly/2sBDeB6 million total in the proposed fiscal 2018 budget, cover areas ranging from traffic signal and landscape maintenance to community appearance and street repairs.

The successful bidders were Aegis ITS Inc., traffic signal maintenance; GCA Services Group, for mowing, street sweeping and weed eradication of public roads and rights-of-way; Yellowstone Landscape, to service 66 parcels of green space for the Recreation and Parks Department; Optech Monette LLC, for basic storm water maintenance, inspection and repair; and Blount Construction Co., for street and sidewalk maintenance and repair.

City adopts rate changes, budget

Acworth residents will pay less on one rate but more on another rate and possibly no tax increases.

The Acworth Board of Aldermen voted 5-0 Thursday to decrease the environmental compliance cost recovery rate.

Acworth City Manager Brian Bulthuis said in a Friday email to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution the decrease may be 50 cents on an average bill but “it all depends on usage.”

However, the sanitation rate increase will take effect Aug. 1 — from $20.50 a month to $21 monthly, Bulthuis said.

About the general fund budget, which runs July 1 to June 30, 2018, the total is $14,677,638 — a decrease from the 2017 budget of $15,113,379 that ends June 30, he added.

However, the overall budget will be about $35 million, according to the city’s May 18 minutes.

Included in this Fiscal Year 2018 budget will be new positions for the Human Resources director and accounting technician, a new Building Maintenance Department and a new sanitation truck.

The millage rate will be set during the 7 p.m. July 20 preceded by a special called meeting and public hearing at 7 p.m. July 13 about the millage rate.

The city has a fund balance in its contingency of $4.7 million, he said.