South Cobb Volume 6, No. 8
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YOUR BEST SOURCE FOR COMMUNITY NEWS AND EVENTS
Bright Side
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Austell, Mableton & Greater Smyrna’s Community Newspaper
AUGUST 2011
AUSTELL ‘CONCERT IN THE PARK’ FEATURES TRIO OF MUSICAL ACTS
The fifth annual Concert in the Park will be held Sept. 10 at Collar Park in Austell with an expanded musical format. The concert, sponsored by the City of Austell and the Austell Business Association, will feature Gospel Artist Al Holley beginning at noon, Bluegrass greats The
Rambling Grass at 3 p.m. and the ever-popular local band Rambunctious at 6 p.m. “This year’s event promises to be bigger and better and has been expanded to include three great performances by local music artists,” said Felicia Jones, treasurer of the ABA.
There are plenty of sponsorship opportunities available as well as vendor registration opportunities. Register as a vendor by Sept. 9. For sponsor questions, call Ms. Jones at 770-739-2355. Spaces are available for individuals, families, crafters, artist, home-based/personally owned busi-
nesses and fund raising groups. Food vendors are welcome. You are invited to bring your lawn chair and enjoy one artist, or stay all day. This is a free community event and full concession are available. No alcoholic beverages allowed.
AUSTELL OFFICIALS ANSWER QUESTIONS Increased storm water fees will be going into effect in Austell, city officials told a crowd at the Austell Business Association in July. The roundtable program brought together the mayor and most city department heads for a presentation and questions. Storm Water Impact Fees were addressed by Public Works Director Randy Bowen. Since 1998 the city has been billing $1 a month in storm water fees on the tax bills, but those fees are going up. The average residential storm water fees will be
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$3 per month while businesses, especially those with large paved parking lots, will pay more. “It will create enough revenue to address our storm water runoff issues,” he said. Mayor Joe Jerkins said that the city is bidding out the demolition of 23 flood damaged that the city has purchased. The 2009 flood damaged some 700 homes but only half have been rebuilt. He said that the city budget took a $1 million hit from the loss of property taxes due to the flooding but will keep its 3.123 mill tax rate for the coming year. “We are about the cheapest taxes you can find in Georgia,” Jerkins said. Residents take a 3 mill discount on their county taxes, leaving and effective rate of only .123 mill. “So the effective tax is almost zero,” he said. The city’s population was 6,510 in the U.S. Census, up from a decade ago but the floods drove it down from an estimated 8,000+ in early 2009. Fire Chief Tim Williams said that while his department Police Chief Bob Starrett, City Clerk Carolyn Dunresponded to 1,176 calls in can and Fire Chief Tim Williams listen as Austell 2010, some 70 percent were Mayor Joe Jerkins speaks at the Austell Business medical calls offering advanced Association meeting. life support from EMTs on duty each of the city’s two fire stations. A new fire engine, paid for by SPLOST funds, is expected to be in use by the end of next year. Austell is one of only three cities in Cobb with its own fire department. City Clerk Carolyn Duncan is in charge of both the city court and is election supervisor. She noted that there will be an election for three council seats this year. In his 16 years as Police Chief, Bob Starrett said that the city has seen only two bank robberies -- one 12 years ago and another in July. “I arrested them both,” he said. The department has 33 full time and 12 part time officers, plus two detectives and operates 24-hours a day. “We are highly visible as a police department and our response time is very good. Finance Director Denise Soesbee’s five person staff collects property taxes and water bulls for 3,300 water customers. “One of our goals is to offer online payment,” she said, by the end of next year.
SOUTH COBB HIGH TO OPEN 9TH GRADE ACADEMY The freshman experience at South Cobb High School will be different this year as the school opens its new Freshman Annex building. The new building on Clay Road is part of the school’s largest expansion project since it was built in 1952. “This building is just a part of a brand new campus at South Cobb High School,” said Principal Ashley Hosey. New chorus and orchestra rooms open in the fine arts building and a new cafeteria, and bus parking opened earlier this year. New tennis courts, a new practice field, expanded parking and a new pedestrian courtyard round out the expansion. “It’s all supposed to be complete by the time schools starts,” said Hosey. Cobb schools begin on Aug. 15. Freshmen will have their own cafeteria and Hosey said “They will be in this building all day.” Parking lots on the Austell Road side are still being finished, but a covered walkway provides a new front entrance to the school from the bus area into a central courtyard with a small amphitheatre. The grand staircase is the centerpiece of the lobby of the 3-story building. The 9th Grade Administrative suite and a health clinic are on the second floor along with two science labs. Two more science labs and a large computer lab are on the first floor with classrooms on all levels. A planned separate media center was converted into an additional computer lab with a media specialist on hand. Renee Bassinger is the Ninth Grade Coordinator, in charge of the 550 students in the freshman class. She previously taught in Paulding and Fulton County schools. “We are incorporating the Highly Effective Teaching Model,” she said. Most classrooms are fitted with smart boards, an interactive teaching tool that projects lessons on the whiteboard. The majority of classrooms are outfitted with tables seating two students, rather than
Ninth Grade Coordinator Renee Bassinger in front of the Grand Staircase in the new building.
South Cobb Principal Ashley Hosey individual desks to allow collaborative, hands-on learning. Construction began in 2010 as a part of the Education SPLOST funding. “I’ve been looking at building plans for a year,” said Hosey. “It will be nice to see it come together.”