Saturday, February 9, 2013
Both the City of Cumming and Forsyth County were awarded funds to be used for local road projects.
The Georgia Department of Transportation awarded a combined amount of more than $1.4 million in transportation enhancement grants to the City of Cumming and Forsyth County to be used for road projects. The City of Cumming was awarded $47,763.89, the City’s Fiscal Year 2013 allotment, while Forsyth County was awarded $1,420,397.19, the County’s fiscal year 2013 allotment, according to a GDOT release. Rudy Bowen who represents the 7th Congressional District on the State Transportation Board, which includes southern Forsyth County, presented checks Thursday to Mayor H. Ford Gravitt and Commission Chairman, R.J. (Pete) Amos. Mayor Gravitt accepted the check and said, “I’d like to thank Georgia DOT. We have plans to patch plenty of potholes …
Thursday, January 31, 2013
The group is asking Deal to suspend the arrest and prosecution of marijuana possession cases.
Advocates for marijuana law reform are calling on the state of Georgia to suspend the arrest and prosecution of marijuana possession cases, according to a recent release from Georgia Campaign for Access, Reform, & Education (Georgia CARE). The call comes after state prosecutors said they lack the resources to prosecute a backlog of child exploitation cases in a January press conference. In Georgia, possession of more than 28 grams of marijuana carries up to 10 years in state prison. Roswell Police deal with their share of marijuana cases on a daily basis. A letter to Governor Nathan Deal from James Bell, director of Georgia CARE, asks the governor to direct state agencies to suspend the arrest and prosecution of marijuana possession cases …
Friday, January 18, 2013
Municipal Court Judge Charles R. Smith was honored by Cumming mayor and City Council for his years of service.
For nearly 22 years, the Honorable Charles R. Smith has been the municipal court judge for the city of Cumming. On Tuesday, Mayor H. Ford Gravitt and City Council honored him on his service work to the city. "Judge Smith has served the city well for many, many years," said Gravitt. "He's been a friend to all of us and we have a proclamation we want to present to the judge." Mayor Gravitt then read the proclamation, and along with City Council, formally presented it to the retiring judge. "Thank you [Mayor Gravitt] and the council for giving me the job to do and leaving me alone to let me do it," said Judge Smith. Smith, who practiced law for 35 years prior to becoming a judge, said the first thing he was told when he took the bench was …
Sunday, December 30, 2012
City, county and federal employees are off on Jan. 1.
The City of Cumming and Forsyth County government offices will be closed Tuesday, Jan. 1 for the New Year's holiday. All operations required for the comfort and safety of citizens will remain open. Post Offices will also be closed on Jan. 1. Express Mail only will be delivered on New Year’s Day. Forsyth County’s three recycling convenience centers will also be closed on Tuesday, Jan. 1. The city and county offices will resume regular operating hours on Wednesday, Jan. 2 and all Post Offices will be open and regular mail delivery will resume on that day. Don’t miss any Cumming news. Subscribe to Cumming Patch’s free newsletter, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Forsyth County officials inked an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) Friday that will require the county to pay $11.5 million for the city's water intake facility.
After a lengthy, and often bitter, year-long battle, Forsyth County and the City of Cumming ended their water war Friday. During a special called joint meeting, city and county officials approved four intergovernmental agreements (IGA), two that will govern water distribution, another that establishes distribution of local option sales tax (LOST) revenue, and another that funds improvement of roads and bridges. The LOST agreement, which passed 4-1 with Commissioner Todd Levent opposed, will be implemented in two five-year phases. For the first five years starting Jan. 1, the city will continue to receive 15 percent of the tax. That amount will be reduced to 13 percent for the second five-year period, starting Jan. 1, 2018. The raw and …
Friday, October 26, 2012
Forsyth County Commissioners took time out from grappling over the water contract and Local Option Sales Tax with the city to approve the county's new spending plan and plans for the new courthouse.
Forsyth County Government has its 2013 spending plan and, as expected, citizens will not see a property tax increase next year. Commissioners adopted the $89.6 million General Fund budget at Thursday's meeting. The millage rate for the 2012 tax digest and 2013 budget was set on July 5 at 6.56 mils, including 4.812 for Maintenance and Operation, 1.975 for Fire Fund and .869 for Bond indebtedness. A new item in the budget this year is the Public Safety Reserve of $5,014,000 which is money withdrawn from the Sheriff's Office budget at the request of outgoing Sheriff Ted Paxton. After being defeated by former Sheriff's Office Lt. Duane Piper in last summer's Republican Primary, Paxton tossed out a challenge to Piper to live up to his campaign …
Monday, September 10, 2012
Forsyth County commissioners huddle in executive session to decide what to do about the mayor's threat to cut off the county's raw water supply without a signed contract.
Cumming Mayor Ford Gravitt's threat to shut off the county's raw water supply by Oct. 1, absent a signed water contract, hung like a dark cloud over Thursday night's Forsyth County Board of Commissioners meeting. Commissioners have received a letter from the City of Cumming, formalizing the mayor's threat. Several citizens lined up to speak during the Public Forum, including former Commissioner Julian Bowen. "There’s almost no way that the board and city council can come together on this," said Bowen. "Really, the best thing is to go before a superior court judge." Bowen also expressed concern that sending only treated water from the city’s plant -- with no untreated water to the county plant -- could increase the pressure to the point …
Monday, August 20, 2012
A ribbon-cutting ceremony officially opens the new University Center | GA 400 campus in Cumming.
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
- Patch Staff
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Monday, August 20, 2012
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Thursday afternoon for the opening of the University Center | GA 400 campus in Cumming. A crowd of more than 150 people, including local leaders and school officials from North Georgia College & State University and Gainesville State College celebrated the opening of the new campus, which builds on the 27-year partnership between the two institutions, according to a press release. The new instructional center is located off Georgia 400 at Pilgrim Mill Road, (Exit 16) and will extend the presence each school has in the region by exclusively hosting the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program. Between the two institutions, the center will also offer a range of two- and four-year undergraduate …
Friday, August 10, 2012
City Attorney Dana Miles says Mayor Ford Gravitt is protected by the state constitution's "official immunity" doctrine and the City is protected by "sovereign immunity."
City of Cumming officials have challenged the constitutionality of Georgia's sunshine laws. In response to a lawsuit filed by Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens alleging the City of Cumming violated those laws last April, by barring Nydia Tisdale from videotaping a city council meeting, City Attorney Dana Miles said the law is unconstitutional. Tisdale and her video camera were removed from a city council meeting on April 17. The same day the Georgia General Assembly approved House Bill 397, which specifically provides for visual and sound recordings of public meetings. Olens has asked the court to impose the maximum civil penalties allowed under the new law, $1,000 for the first violation and $2,500 for each subsequent one. But Miles …
Sunday, July 22, 2012
The original agreement has been shredded and the city is now considering doubling the rate to the county. No settlement in sight before the July 31 primary.
What was once believed to have been at least a verbal agreement on a new water contract between the City of Cumming and Forsyth County has been shredded and the two governments that exist across the street from one another are now miles apart in terms of a new agreement. Bullet points of a deal were accepted by both governments in May but contract language has been a different story. The city drafted the first intergovernmental agreement and sent it to the county which then redlined it and sent it back. City officials balked at the redlined version and sent it back on June 28. The most recent proposal set the price for treated water at $2.25 per 1,000 gallons, or 18 cents less than the current rate of $2.43, adjusted to the consumer …
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7:24 pm on Sunday, February 3, 2013
Couple of thoughts, It should be decriminalized for Marijunana users. I do support using Marijuana for medical purposes. I have mixed feelings on using Marjunana for recreational purposes, however, as long you are not driving a vehicle after smoking Marijuana I am fine with that. more ›