YEAR IN REVIEW
2019
A publication from the City of Cedartown ©2019 Public Information Office 201 E. Avenue Cedartown, Georgia 30125 www.cedartowngeorgia.gov
A MESSAGE FROM THE
CITY M NAGER Nearly 10,000 people call Cedartown their home -- and it’s a town as special as the people who live here.
With a historic Main Street that houses decades-old mom-and-pop shops that continue to flourish, to a business park that creates hundreds of local jobs and clean energy via a state-of-the-art solar farm, Cedartown is a perfect mix of modern progress meets quintessential “Small Town, USA.” It is the City of Cedartown’s mission to provide excellent, comprehensive services to our citizens and our businesses. Our residents and businesses are the heart of our community, and we aim to support them in any way possible. Additionally, we strive to provide ongoing stimulus for sustainable economic development and growth. We know that smart expansion paired with careful planning is the key to Cedartown’s future success. Lastly, we will uphold these goals while remaining as fiscally responsible stewards to the taxpayers of our city. Serving as Cedartown City Manager is a responsibility that I take seriously. It is an honor to lead and serve alongside the great employees of the City of Cedartown and to work closely with our Board of Commissioners, ensuring that the absolute best decisions are made for the ultimate good of all our residents. Whether you are a resident or a visitor in our wonderful city, we hope you find Cedartown to be a perfect place to spend your time. Explore our website to find out more about what Cedartown has to offer. We may be a small town, but we have a rich history, a surprising number of local attractions and exciting plans and projects on our horizon. If I can be of assistance to you, please don’t hesitate to contact me using the information listed below. Bill Fann
City Manager, City of Cedartown 770-748-3220 ext. 3045 bfann@cedartowngeorgia.gov
City of Cedartown Year in Review 2019— 2
CED RTOWN CITY COMMISSION
2019 CEDARTOWN CITY COMMISSION* ANDREW CARTER MATT FOSTER, CHAIR JORDAN HUBBARD JESSICA PAYTON DALE TUCK,CHAIR PRO TEM *In November of 2019, Sam Branch was elected to fill the unexpired term of commissioner Jordan Hubbard. Commisioner Branch’s biography and photo are listed on page 21.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS CITY HALL ADMINISTRATION P. 5 BUILDING AND CODE ENFORCEMENT P. 6 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM P. 7-9 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY P. 10 PUBLIC SAFETY P. 11-14 PUBLIC WORKS P. 15-16 RECREATION P. 17-18 WASTEWATER P. 19-20 SPECIAL PROJECTS AND EVENTS P. 21
Cedartown Performing Arts Center hosted the Apache Troop 1-108th Cavalry send off prior to their deployment to Afghanistan in November of 2018.
City of Cedartown Year in Review 2019 — 4
CITY HALL ADMINISTRATION CLEAN AUDIT
The City of Cedartown’s Finance Office received a ‘clean’ audit report for FY 2018.
BUSINESS | ALCOHOL LICENSES ISSUED
In 2019, 509 business licenses were issued by City staff. These licenses accounted for $99,485 in revenue. 51 new licenses were issued. Forty-two alcohol licenses were issued in 2019, resulting in $63,350 in fees collected.
NEW ORDINANCES
Two new ordinances were passed in 2018. The retail cigar ordinance (allowing alcohol pouring sales in retail cigar stores in the commercial district and the liquor by the drink ordinance (3% excise tax on liquor by the drink at restaurants).
AYERS| BECK GRANT City administrative staff secured a $1,000 grant from the Doc Ayers/Ray Beck foundation. The grant was applied to the Cedartown Performing Arts Center’s summer theatre camp.
NEW TECHNOLOGY
The City acquired a new mobile unit for meter reading. The new system allows for greater efficiency and easier access to systems from the field.
NEW CUSTOMER SERVICE WORKSPACE
The City installed a new counter in the front office. The new counter allows for more workspace and storage.
CITY CLERK RETIRES WITH 27 YEARS OF SERVICE
City Clerk Carol Crawford retired with 27 years of service to the City of Cedartown on September 2. She was honored by the Cedartown City Commission with a special proclamation during their September 9 meeting. Mitzi Allen, a former clerk with the City of Cedartown, was selected to fill the open Commission Chair Matt Foster (L), Chair Dale Tuck and City Clerk position of City Clerk. Carol Crawford.
ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER EARNS MASTERS DEGREE
Assistant City Manager Edward Guzman earned his Masters degree in public administration from Kennesaw State University in May.
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BUILDING INSPECTION & CODE ENFORCEMENT PERMITS ISSUED
The City issued 216 building permits since January 1 through December 12, 2019. The valuation of these permits totaled $9 million dollars, resulting in $36,000 in collected fee revenue.
CODE ENFORCEMENT
When a property is deemed out of step with city code, our code enforcement officer prefers working with the owner and bringing that property into compliance, rather than issuing a violation or fine. Below are two examples of success stories. Code compliance is a win for the city and for the property owner, as well as the community.
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & TOURISM DEPARTMENT CREATED AND NEW EVENTS ESTABLISHED
The Department of Economic Development and Tourism was created in January 2019. It consists of the public information office, the Cedartown Performing Arts Center and the Downtown Cedartown Association| Cedartown Welcome Center.
TRAILHEAD ART GALLERY AND RECEPTION 20 works of art were selected for display along the Silver Comet Trail. An opening reception was held in May at the Cedartown Welcome Center. The reception was attended by more than 80 people -- many local and some from the Atlanta area. Refreshments and wine were served as those attending enjoyed art, the outdoors and the Silver Comet Trail.
PEEK PARK SUMMER CONCERT SERIES More than 1,200 people enjoyed the three-event concert series held inside Peek Park. Originally hosted in downtown Cedartown, the series made a move to the park to take advantage of less traffic, more space and a more family-friendly environment. Performers this year included Southland Soul, Isaac Streetman and the Rocktown Revival and Bennie Gray and the Trailer Park Cowboys.
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & TOURISM HOLLOWAY HUNNY POT FESTIVAL AND ARTISAN MARKET An estimated 400 people attended the first ever Holloway Hunny Pot Festival held at Big Spring Park. Twenty specialty vendors from Cedartown, Polk County and Northwest Georgia attended the event. Local resident Donnie Jarrell hosted a traveling Sterling Holloway exhibit inside the Woman’s Building, educating attendees about the life of Sterling Holloway -- Cedartown native and Voice of Winnie The Pooh.
FUN FACT Our highest performing post on Facebook for 2019 was a post regarding National Winnie-the-Pooh Day and Sterling Holloway’s ties to Cedartown. It reached 35,000 people. SPOOKY SPOKES BIKE RIDE AND HALLOWEEN VILLAGE Twenty local businesses, churches and organizations filled the football field at Bert Wood Park for an evening of old-fashioned carnival games. A hayride was also provided as well as a fun bike ride around the track. Estimated participation for this event topped 200.
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & TOURISM MARKET ON MAIN Thousands of people enjoyed Downtown Cedartown on November 2 during “Market on Main.” Formerly dubbed as the Fall Festival, the Market on Main featured dozens of arts and crafts vendors, food vendors, live entertainment, a petting zoo, dog show and parade.
THIRD ANNUAL ART GALA The third annual art gala was held at the Cedartown Performing Arts Center. 300-plus works of art were on display and the event was attended by 350 art lovers. CHILDRENS ENRICHMENT SUMMER THEATRE CAMP The Cedartown Performing Arts Center hosted the largest summer theatre camp to date. Children are educated on the basics of theatre performance while enjoying fun crafts. The camp culminated with a public performance of Frozen Jr.
EIGHT NEW BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN Eight new businesses opened in Historic Downtown Cedartown in 2019. Those included a formal wear store, printing operation and cleaning service. 32 LOFT APARTMENTS Our Downtown district boasts 32 loft apartments, all but two are currently leased (as of October 2019). WELCOME CENTER The Cedartown Welcome Center saw nearly 9,000 visitors in 2019. 9 — City of Cedartown Year in Review 2018
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SETUPS, INSTALLATIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS Setup and Installed a new desktop PC for Kelvin Garmon at the City Shop, for Heather Mason at City Hall, for Anna Kerr at the Police Department, for Allison Privett at the Police Department and for Hollis Jackson at One Door Polk. Setup and installed three new mobile laptops and printers for the Police Department and one for Ricky Wilson. Setup and installed a Network Attached Storage system for the Police department, which reduces backup time from 16 hours to one hour. Setup and installed a new printer for the City Manager at City Hall and new printer for the Lab at Wastewater. Setup and Installed a new laptop for the Chief Finance Officer (Amy Orebaugh) at City Hall, for the City Manager (Bill Fann) at City Hall, for the Assistant City Manager (Edward Guzman) at City Hall, for the City Clerk (Mitzi Allen) at City Hall and for the Battalion Chief (Barry Rogers) at the Fire Department. IT SAFETY Implemented a “staff” wireless network policy at the Police Department, completing step two of three to install a secure, isolated staff network. This change isolates personal devices from the City’s “Data” network, which will offer better protection from malicious software/ activities. The email password policy was also changed, requiring users to change their password every 90 days Re-connected the elevator emergency phone at the Historical Society and consolidated all police video from multiple removeable storage devices into one fixed storage device. Added new access point for the Fire Department Office Bunk Room and decommissioned the old police server and moved Courtware Software to the new Server. Remote access for Courtware was added through the new server.
A biometric timeclock was installed at the Cedartown Police Department.
Started enforcement of two-factor authentication for email users in CedartownPD, added two-factor authentication to CloudCare web portal and activated a “Confidentiality Notice” footer for all outbound emails. Installed a new biometric time clock for the Police Department and enabled mobile device management for all City email users. This device management allows for remotely wiping city data from user’s mobile device(s) and requires a screen lock for all devices accessing city data. It also requires users to use Google apps.
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PUBLIC SAFETY FIRE PUP DEBUT AND FIRE SAFETY
Check out our FIREPUP® costume! Thanks to generous community sponsors, this “puppy” was delivered in January to the Cedartown Fire Department. Firepup’s job is to visit with school age children and help them learn about fire safety. We can tell you from experience that kids absolutely love Firepup. Nearly 4,000 elementary school children benefited from our Fire Safety Clown program. Every year, several of our firefighters dress up as clowns and teach fire safety in a fun yet educational environment.
NEW TOOLS IN SERVICE
Our fire-rescue truck was outfitted with new safety tools in February. The equipment, totaling $25,000, was purchased by Polk County. These tools replace older equipment -- they are faster and more efficient. The new tools, made in the USA by TNT Rescue, include a high pressure pump for spreaders and cutters, S.100.28 spreaders (used to prise apart metal), SLC 29 cutters (used to cut through metal), a high pressure TLS 50 ram, and a ram R kit.
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PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL CHANGES
In January 2019, a new firefighter -- Austin Temple -- was hired. Firefighter Dustin Kerr began EMT school. In February, assistant chief Scott Jackson retired with 25 years of service. CFD’s Felix White was promoted to assistant chief, Kyle Watters was promoted to battalion chief, Jason Shuman was promoted to captain, Jeremy Manning was promoted to lieutenant and Jason Fenley was promoted to engineer. In March, firemen Mark Watters, Deric Jones, Alex Lawrence and Tristen Ferrell passed their firefighter II written tests. In June, fire chief Darrell “Scooter” Stephens retired with 29 years of service. The City Commission appointed Felix White as fire chief. Also promoted were Kyle Watters to assistant chief, Barry Rodgers to battalion chief, Mark Watters to captain, Daniel Scipper to lieutenant and Jerry Jackson to engineer. In July, firefighter Ryan Dobbs was added to the department.
In 2019, Chief Scooter Stephens (center), retired. Assistant Chief Scott Jackson, (right), retired and Felix White (left) was tapped as the new chief.
TESTING AND PREPARATION
In March, the Cedartown Fire Department placed 3,700 feet of fire hose into service. They also tested and flowed 400 fire hydrants across town.
EXTRICATION CLASS
In April, the Cedartown Fire Department hosted a crash victim extrication class for surrounding counties and their fire departments. The classes were held at the CFD’s training grounds.
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PUBLIC SAFETY CEDARTOWN POLICE EARNS STATE CERTIFICATION
The Cedartown Police Department achieved State Certification in 2019. Agencies must meet the standards set forth by the State of Georgia Joint Commission on Certification which consists of 128 standards governing every aspect of the agency’s operations. The Cedartown Police Department is the only Polk County Agency to have obtained this certification. The City of Cedartown received a 20% reduction on liability insurance costs as a result of this achievement.
OUTSTANDING OFFICERS AND PROMOTIONS
Officer CJ Norris was recognized as a finalist for the Exchange Club Officer of the Year recognition. Officer Tyler Eason received the Arthur Kaplan Public Safety Award. This award is presented annually by the Scottish Rite in Atlanta. Eason is the third Cedartown officer to have received this award. Several of our patrol officers completed the supervision modules of training through the North Central Georgia Law Enforcement Academy. Two of these officers, Katie Winkles and CJ Norris, have since been promoted to the rank of corporal.
NEW PATROL CARS
The Cedartown Police Department purchased four new patrol cars in 2019. The vehicles were bought using SPLOST funds.
OFFICERS SWORN IN
Three new Cedartown Police Department officers -- Naomi Quiroz, Logan Duke and Chase Parker -- were sworn in on December 23, 2019.
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PUBLIC SAFETY CPD REACHING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY
Our Officers continue to invest in our children and youth. We participated in several “Career Days” at Polk County Schools. The CPD frequently hosts school groups for tours of the police station. Senior citizens are not overlooked -- the Cedartown Police Department Training Division presented two educational seminars to senior adults which focused on common scams and fraud prevention.
Above: Northside kindergarten toured the police station in 2019, along with other school groups. Left: Sgt. Andre Nicholson speaks to a group of senior residents regarding scams. Right: Officers CJ Norris and Scott Greene at Rockmart High School Career Day.
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PUBLIC WORKS STREET DEPARTMENT PAVING PROJECTS, UPGRADES AND IMPROVEMENTS In 2019, the street department prepared for the City’s 2019 LMIG Paving Project of .50 miles of Georgia Ave. from Canal St. to the City Limits; .05 miles of Noyes St. from Philpot St. to Main St.; .14 miles of E. Queen St. from Philpot St. to Greenwood Dr.; .33 miles of 10th St. from West Ave. to W. Girard Ave.; 2.27 miles of Georgia Ln. from College Dr. to Valley Dr.; .23 miles of Valley Dr. from Georgia Ln. to Evergreen Ln.; .14 miles of College Circle from W. John Hand Rd. to N. College St.; .14 miles of W. Queen St. from College St. to Cave Spring Rd. and .39 miles of the Good Year Park entrance road and loop. The street department also built a new 126 ft. long by 16” high block and concrete flood wall and installed an 8” drain line and catch basin behind 206 Marshall St. to stop yards from flooding for a cost of $2,612.50; purchased and installed two in-street pedestrian crosswalk signs for Main Street at Bussey’s Florist at a cost of $560.50 and replaced 80 ft. of curb and added handicap access ramps to the two corners at the Woman’s Building and Big Spring Park at $762.50. PERSONNEL ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CHANGES Shawn Edison was hired as street department foreman and he has been training to become street department superintendent. Edison also completed the LGRMS Safety Coordinator course modules 1 through 4. WHEELCHAIR ACCESS SWING A swing with wheelchair access was installed in Peek Park by members of the street department. The swing was completed in July and offers the ability for parents, siblings and caregivers to swing alongside children or adults confined to a wheelchair. The idea of the swing came from local resident Eddard Graves. Graves worked to secure a grant of $8,000 for the swing.
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PUBLIC WORKS WATER MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT INSTALLATIONS, PURCHASES AND REPAIRS In 2019, the water maintenance department purchased eighty - two - ¾” I - Perl meters to replace the ¾” SR- 2 meters that were beginning to reach the end of their life span, purchased fifty - four - #520 MXU Transmitters to replace the old MXU transmitters, purchased eight - 1” I – Perl meters to replace the 1” SR-2 meters and purchased seven – 2” Omni meters to replace the old 2” SR-2 meters. A 2019 4x4 F-150 Super Cab Pickup truck was also purchased. A 30-year-old centrifugal pump was replaced with a new Auro 5”x 6”x 15” at the Spruce Street flood pump station. The department replaced the sewer manhole and 8” sewer lines coming into the manhole at Spruce St. and W. Fairmount. The Peek Park Fountain was repaired at a cost of $3,500. The repairs included replacement of underground wiring from the electrical panel to the control switches, and replacement of the conductive relay. Two new 4” sewer connection taps were installed as well as eight new water taps and meters for the Polk County Housing Authority. The department also installed a new 2” water tap and meter for the Good Year Soccer Complex. PERSONNEL ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CHANGES Kelvin Garmon renewed his State Water Distribution System Operator licenses and his State Sewer Collection System Operator Licenses through the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office.Matthew Wray also renewed his State Water Distribution System Operators licenses through the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office. Wray and Ray Rosser both completed the LGRMS Safety Coordinators course modules 1 through 4.
CEMETERY DEPARTMENT
In 2019, the cemetery department hired Trammell Lawn Care LLC. to till up, rock rake, and sod the new 242 grave addition at Northview Cemetery at estimated cost of $6,800.00. Jerry Jackson was promoted to cemetery department foreman. Jackson also completed the LGRMS Safety Coordinators course modules 1 through 4.
TRANSIT DEPARTMENT
The city’s transit department trained for, and began using, the new Q – Ryde transit operation system from the Georgia Department of Transportation. This phased out the use of the Route Match System. The department passed the yearly Department of Transportation inspection for office operation, records maintenance, and employee training requirements as well as passed the bus inspection for orderly maintenance records being in order, bus condition and proper driver training requirements.
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RECREATION BY THE NUMBERS 451 youth participated in Cedartown Recreation programs in 2019. soccer 150 basketball 109 softball 60 cheer 50 flag 49 tackle 33 GOODYEAR SOCCER FIELD Phase 1 of the Goodyear Soccer Field Complex project was completed in 2019. Phase I included two full-size soccer fields and an irrigation system. BIGGERS FIELD RENOVATIONS In 2019, renovations were made on the city’s Biggers Field facility. This project included renovation of restrooms, painting of the press box and concession stand, new vanities and sinks installed, new heating and air system installed, roll up doors installed in concession area, construction of a new storage building, leveling of the infield and outfield and roof replacement. STAFF TRAININGS All recreation staff received American Heart Association First Aid/CPR/AED certification. Rec staff also participating in GRPA Maintenance Field Day, the Certified Youth Sports Administrator Course and the Playground Safety Inspector Course. NEW PROGRAMS AND EVENT SUPPORT The Cedartown Recreation Department offered the “StartSmart” basketball program for children ages 3-4. The rec department also gave logistical support and execution assistance for the Holloway Hunny Pot Festival and Spooky Spokes Bike Ride and Halloween Village. SUMMER CLINICS The rec department hosted two summer clinics in 2019 -softball and basketball. Sixteen girls participated in the softball clinic and there were 30 co-ed participants in the basketball clinic.
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RECREATION DEPARTMENT LITTLE FREE LIBRARIES Cedartown High School students Ava Allred, Lindsey Lee, Lesley Muñoz, Jessica Neal, Alex Orebaugh, and Kennedy Owens, representing the Student Government and Debate Club, teamed up with Cedartown Parks and Recreation Department and set up Free Little Libraries at various spots around town. These Free Little Libraries provide local residents with an assortment of easily accessible, family friendly books for readers of all ages. The books were generously donated to the high school by local residents and have been strategically placed at the local parks for the convenience of the general public. These miniature libraries at Bert Wood Park, Peek Park, Turner Street Park, and the Cedartown Depot (Welcome Center).
10U FOOTBALL TEAM WINS POKEY BOWL, B DIVISION CHAMPS Cedartown Recreation Department’s 10U Cedartown Bulldogs captured a 27-0 victory to win the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association 5th District Pokey Bowl. The Pokey Bowl was played in Calhoun, Ga., Nov. 9 - 19. The 10U Dogs also clinched a 29-6 victory in Carrollton’s West Georgia Football League Farmer Bowl to take the B Division Championship. The team finished the season with a 7-3 record.
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WASTEWATER DEPARTMENT CRITICAL $3-MILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT The City of Cedartown Wastewater Department is undergoing a major improvement which should be complete in 2020. This improvement includes sewer lift station repairs and rotary screen replacements.
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WASTEWATER DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL AND DEPARTMENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS Wastewater department employee Zach Porter obtained his Wastewater 3 Certification in April. Employee Brayden Stephens obtained his Maintenance 3 Certification in April. The department received state license to continue the Water Lab from EPD in March 2019. Wastewater received no violations for 2019 Discharge Monitoring Report, received acceptable Results on both yearly PT Tests for the Water Lab and on the Yearly DMRQA 39 test for Wastewater Lab. The department received acceptable results for the yearly Industrial Pretreatment Inspection in June.
ACQUISITIONS, REPAIRS AND PARTNERSHIPS A new air unit was purchased and installed for the Asbury Lift Station from Haney’s Heating and Air in April. A bearing assembly on a Fairbanks Morse Pump at the Main Lift Station was also replaced in April. Staff replaced a bad drive on our digester control panel in May and Thompson Armature Works repaired a broken foot on our digester motor in June. Also in June, Triple B repaired the exhaust fans in the blower room that were not operational. The motor for the sweeper arm on the No. 1 clarifier in June. Mike Wilson installed power protection devices on the effluent meter and samplers. The digester blower was repaired and put back into operation on September 6. The wastewater department worked with Polk County and installed a treatment system to treat sewage produced by the Polk County Jail before it enters the City’s sanitary system.
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SPECIAL PROJECTS AND EVENTS INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 926 GROUNDBREAKING
City Manager Bill Fann, Gary Mashburn, Robbie Siniard, Christy Wood, Jamie Morris, Steven Little, Rich Shakespeare and Mark Templeton.
In July, we celebrated and witnessed the groundbreaking for the International Union of Operating Engineers’ (Local 926) new, state of the art training center in Cedartown’s North Business Park. The investment includes and for heavy equipment training purposes that will include pipeline training, excavation, and cranes as well as the construction of the training facility to include mechanics, classrooms, and a simulator room. The members of the union who are accepted into an apprenticeship program will be required to attend regular training at the new facility.
SPECIAL PROJECTS AND EVENTS In November 2019, Sam Branch was elected as a city commissioner. He was sworn into office, filling the unexpired term of former Commissioner Jordan Hubbard. Branch is a lifelong resident of Polk County and the newest member of the Cedartown City Commission . After graduating from Cedartown High School in 2009, Sam attended Jacksonville State University where he studied Political Science. He currently works as a Personal Banker for Truist Financial, formerly SunTrust Bank at the Cedartown office. Branch also works part time for Gammage Funeral Home as an assistant funeral director. He is an active member of the community, serving as President of the Exchange Club of Cedartown and a board member of the Cedartown Civic Arts Commission.
City Hall partnered with the Cedartown branch of SouthCrest Bank to celebrate all of the superhero patients at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta for Cape Day on October 4. Cape Day encourages the community to honor and celebrate the patients battling illnesses and injuries at CHoA.
A publication from the City of Cedartown Š2019 Public Information Office 201 E. Avenue Cedartown, Georgia 30125 www.cedartowngeorgia.gov