Fall 2019 Douglasville Impact Newsletter

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MAYOR’S GREETING Welcome to the second edition of the Douglasville Impact newsletter! It has been a busy summer packed with many great events and major construction work throughout the City of Douglasville.

Back in April, I participated in the second joint State of the Community Address with Chairman Dr. Romona Jackson-Jones and I reported that the City was putting all our planning efforts into action. I’m happy to report that we have begun to fulfill that report!

We completed the 2018 SPLOST resurfacing list with approximately 65 City streets paved, which equated to about $2.1 million in value. We are continuing to improve our road infrastructure well into 2019 and that will continue as we move into 2020.

Much of what we have accomplished thus far, and what is on the horizon, could not have been done without the participation and input from this great

community. I commend each of you for your commitment to maintaining our great hometown as well as improving it.

From a City operations perspective, we also could not have achieved our infrastructure improvements without the staff of our great Public Services Department. Formerly known as the Maintenance and Sanitation Department, they oversee the quality of our roads, collect refuse, maintain our City buildings, and so much more! These committed men and women have been able to provide excellent services without having an adequate building to work in and store their equipment. We are working to correct this by renovating the Old City Hall building on West Courthouse Square to create the Public Services Administration building and by creating a space to store equipment and house our fleet services division on Cedar Mountain Road.

As you read further, you will find more about the Public Services Department operation and all of the services they provide. Again, I welcome you to the second edition of Douglasville Impact. I hope you find it informative and fun!

Mayor Rochelle Robinson City of Douglasville

What to do with a

Little Extra Leisure Time There are so many reasons to love fall. The weather is changing, leaves are turning colors and it tends to give a sense of anticipation for things to come. Speaking of things to come, the family-friendly Community Rocks Concert Series is back this fall at O’Neal Plaza for a spirited set of concerts! The lineup will be sure to keep the crowd grooving and crooning along to some of their favorite songs. Check out these talented acts rocking the O’Neal Plaza stage this fall:

Friday | August 23 | KRP THE BAND

High energy live music for all occasions - music that everyone can dance to! www.krptheband.com Friday | September 20 | Bogey and The Viceroy

Best known for their upbeat party music covering classic soul from every era along with retro rock/pop to

today’s current chart-toppers, Bogey and the Viceroy performances lead to packed dance floors and good

times. www.bogeyandtheviceroy.com Both concerts will be held at our newly renovated O’Neal Plaza (use City Hall address—6695 Church Street, Douglasville 30134). Come out this fall to celebrate the vitality of our downtown, experience the vibe of our community and dine at any of our fantastic downtown restaurants. We can’t wait to see you!

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HUNTER’S HARVEST

FESTIVE TRADITIONS

Hunter’s Harvest Fall Festival 10/19/19 | 12pm-3pm

The annual Hunter’s Harvest Fall Festival at Hunter Memorial Park will be held on October 19, 2019 from 12pm-3pm. This fall festival is free and open to the public and will feature vendors from all over West Georgia and the Metro Atlanta area. Vendors will display setups from arts and crafts to food and beverages.

Vendor fees are $30 per vendor and must have approval before paying. To pay vendor fees or purchase a play zone wristband, visit www.douglasvillega.gov/registration For more information contact Chris Bass at 678-449-3064 or bassc@douglasvillega.gov.

The festival will also include a children’s play zone featuring inflatables and other amenities for $5. Children 3 and under are free inside the play zone. All festival attendees are encouraged to wear costumes.

DOUGLASVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT The Douglasville Police Department (DPD) is committed to making sure our communities are safe as well as helping our residents have fun and stay connected. Coming up this fall, the DPD will be contributing their own set of Festive Traditions through a handful of events.

Partnering with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and the City Parks and Rec Department, the DPD will host National Night Out (NNO). NNO will take place on Tuesday, August 6th from 5PM-8PM at Brookview Apartments, 8460 Hospital Drive.

NNO is a nationwide event in cities across America designated to bring communities together, while also promoting strong police-community togetherness. This national program is designed to make communities more aware, and make neighborhoods safer and more caring places to live and work.

Another annual event sponsored by the DPD in partnership with the Sheriff’s Office is, the Hollis Street Jamboree. This community event will take place on September 14th from 1PM-6PM. This event is designed to supply the

community with more information about agencies and local health resources available in our area.

And the DPD signature annual Fall Festival will take place on October 12th from 10AM-4PM at the Public Safety and Municipal Complex, 2083 Fairburn Road. There will be a kid’s zone filled with activities for young ones, and one of the highlights will also be the “Touch-a-Truck.” It’s a chance for kids to get an up-close-and-personal look at various police vehicles. They’ll be able to touch them, walkin and sit in the vehicles as well. There will also be a morning bike ride beginning at 8AM, so be sure to register in advance! Vendor booths are available for $25.

The DPD is always willing to engage with the community. You can invite them to come out and present at any event such as HOA meetings, church services, schools, etc.

For any information regarding any festive traditions hosted by the DPD, please reach out to Sgt. Shannon Dean at 678.293.1621 or deans@douglasvillega. gov 3

SERVICE IS KEY MEET THE DOUGLASVILLE PUBLIC SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND ALL THEY DO TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY.

The Public Services Department (formerly Maintenance and Sanitation) has a mission of providing the best possible service to both residents of the City as well as visitors. Those who are aware of the department may only be familiar with its refuse pickup services, but did you know that there is so much more that the department does to keep the City functionally running in addition to maintaining its beauty?

The department also houses Keep Douglasville Beautiful, which focuses on community improvement by facilitating litter pickup events, bi-annual recycling collections, and events like “Bring One for the Chipper.”

Keep Douglasville Beautiful also manages beautification projects like the Military Honor Garden and the Mayor’s Butterfly Garden.

If the answer was “no”, then we’re happy to take the opportunity to highlight more of the services the department provides! The Public Services Department delivers support and maintenance for all City streets. Whether it’s filling potholes, resurfacing streets, or ensuring traffic signals are working correctly, it is truly a 24/7, rain or shine operation. When storms hit, the Public Services crews are on the scene making sure that roads are drivable in icy conditions or clear of debris during torrential downpours.

Finally, the department provides support for all City events. Making sure streets are closed for events like Taste of Douglasville and Google Gravity Games, they also coordinate routes and additional road closures for the Christmas and Fourth of July parades.

As you can see, the department provides so much more to the community than refuse pickup. These are just a few examples of what the department does.

If you have questions for the staff, need help setting up your refuse/recycling pickup, or want to learn more about the services they provide, give them a call at 770-920-3005 or by email at sanitation@douglasvillega. gov. They look forward to hearing from you!

FA L L C I T Y E V E N TS CALENDAR 23rd Community Ro cks 20

AUGUST

6th Family Fun Day Jessie Davis Park 10:00AM – 2:00PM 6th National Night Out Brookview Apartmen 5:00PM – 7:00PM ts 7th Wednesday Win d Down O’Neal Plaza 7:00PM – 9:30PM 14th Wednesday Wind Down O’Neal Plaza 7:00PM – 9:30PM

Concert Series O’Neal Plaza 7:00PM – 9:00PM

27th PD Town Ha PD Community Rollom 6:00PM – 8:00PM

SEPTEMBER 14th CVB Family Reunion Workshop Hunter Park 10:00AM – 12:00PM 14th Hollis Street Jamboree Hollis Street Hope House 1:00PM – 6:00PM

th Community Concert Series Rocks O’Neal Plaza 7:00PM – 9:00PM

OCTOBER 2nd Coffee with a Co p Starbucks 8:00AM – 10:0AM 5th KDB Fall Recycle Event First Presbyterian Church 9:00AM – 2:00PM 12th PD Annual Bike Ride Douglasville Police Department 8:00AM – 8:30AM

12th PD Fall Fest l Douglasville Policiva e Department 10:00AM – 4:00PM 19th Hunters Harves t Hunter Park 12:00PM – 4:00PM

NOVEMBER 2nd Georgia Gravity Games Downtown Dougl 9:00AM – 2:00PMasville 26th PD Town Ha PD Community Rollom 6:00PM – 8:00PM

For more than 10 years, this event has collected literally tons of items from old computers, printers and game consoles to bikes, BBQ grills and old trampoline parts. Basically, if it plugs in, uses batteries or has metal content, it can be recycled and you can drop it off. As in the past, the Lion’s Club will also be onsite to collect old hearing aids, eye glasses and shoes for the Lighthouse Program. All styles of shoes are welcome. Please ensure they are paired together with rubber bands.

Recycling is the simplest step that anyone, from children to adults can participate in to ensure we all have a cleaner, greener tomorrow!

Stay up to date on all the local events, subscribe to our new Podcast on iTunes, Spotify, or Google Play

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Each fall, thousands of communities across the country participate in a community recycling event associated with the Keep America Beautiful Great American Cleanup. Mark your calendars because this year our free community recycling event, sponsored

by Keep Douglasville Beautiful, will once again be held at the First Presbyterian Church overflow parking lot at 9190 Campbellton Street on Saturday, October 5th from 10am 3pm

Fa l l E v e n t s W e a r e R e a l ly E x c i t e d A b o u t

Fall Recycle Event

Aug 23rd & Sep 20th

oct 12th

oct 19th

Nov 2nd

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FROM THE CITY MANAGER’S DESK Thank you for reading the second edition of Douglasville Impact! I think this is another way for our citizens to get informed about some of the things that may “fly under the radar” here at the City. As we continue with this publication, it is my hope that we continue to inform you and encourage you to interact and get involved with the community.

At the City of Douglasville, we want to make sure that we are providing the best customer service in addition to all the other services we provide. The only way we can improve on that customer service impact is to get feedback from our residents and all who we interact with.

If you have a question or comment, please call City Hall at 770-920-3000 or simply drop by. We look forward to hearing from you!

THE GEORGIA

GRAVITY GAMES RETURN The Georgia Gravity Games will return to the streets of downtown Douglasville again this year on Saturday November 2, 2019.

This marks the sixth year Google, Georgia Tech and The City of Douglasville have hosted this STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) event.

The Georgia Gravity Games is a gravity-powered car race that fills the lower west end of Church Street with excited racers and fans to cheer them on. An estimated 60 teams with 2000+ spectators are anticipated to attend this year’s races.

Entries and race teams will represent over 20 local schools, businesses and individuals that have built out car kits or engineered gravity-powered cars. The race kickoff ceremonies begin at 9am with the first two cars in the qualifying round rolling off the start ramp just shortly after.

This STEM event is a signature event in downtown Douglasville taking its place as a fall Tradition. Come join us and make the Georgia Gravity Games one of your Festive Traditions!

For more information, visit GaGravityGames.com.

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DOUGLASVILLE

FALL CLEANUP WEEK It’s time to clean up your basement, garage, yard or home for the Fall Cleanup Week.

Twice a year during the spring and fall, the city picks up large items such as furniture and appliances at no charge. This is your opportunity to get rid of items that the sanitation department does not usually pick up. This year’s event will be October 7-10. Items should be placed at the curb by 7:00am on your scheduled collection day.

They will only make one pass down each street so make sure you’re not late.

Some of the items accepted include: furniture and appliances, carpet and padding, building materials that have been stored on your property, old fencing materials, tree limbs no larger than 5 feet long or 6 inches in diameter, and paint that has been solidified with kitty litter or similar material. Some items that cannot be picked up include: tires, batteries, large automobile parts, tree limbs or trunks larger than 5 feet long or 6 inches in diameter, hazardous waste of any form and non-solidified paint.

For specific information please contact the City of Douglasville Public Services Dept. at (770) 920-3005 or email us at sanitation@douglasvillega.gov.

Coffee Shop I n t e r v i e w s

Following our theme of “Festive Traditions”, we sat down with Councilman Mark Adams (Ward 2, Post 2) and spoke with him about an exciting upcoming project that will include bringing together old traditions in a new tradition space. So sit back, relax and imagine yourself engulfed in a conversation with one of our own.

What is the vision and master plan for this site?

ADAMS: What Mayor and Council envision for this space is for it to be a multi-use facility for large events, concerts, family gatherings and for leisure time activities. The plan includes space for office use and parking. It will provide a great additional green space to that which the city already provides in the downtown area.

What challenges have there been with this project?

ADAMS: There have been a few, but mainly financing and clean up. When we purchased the property in 2017/2018 from the county, the previous use, of course, was for incarceration.

We knew there was potential for hazardous waste and on site remediation would be necessary, and though we weren’t the ones who created those potential hazards, we took on the responsibility to prevent anything further. Just recently, the EPD has cleared the property and it’s been given a clean bill of health to move the project forward. However, we still want to be as cautious and as careful as we can, but we’re going to keep moving forward with the project and continue to check off everything we need to as we go.

Have Douglasville citizens been supportive of this project?

ADAMS: Because the steering of this project has been community-based, I have been involved in a limited way as far as the Master Plan updates go. But, other than hearing some tweaking to the design, the capacity, the layout, the look of the town green and the amphitheater area I’ve seen and heard

nothing but substantial support! I haven’t heard a single resident or constituent question why do we need this?

Why are we doing this? Or that it’s a waste of money.

Will this be a new tradition space for Douglasville?

ADAMS: It will definitely become a new tradition space! It will be great to see us tie in some of the events that we already do traditionally. Can you just imagine events such as the “Taste of Douglasville” on the town green? How much easier it would be rather than closing off streets? People can bring their chairs and enjoy the food and festivities, partaking in old traditions in a new space. I’m hoping to see a mixture of multi-use. I want us to have retail, office, and residential space. That’s exciting to me that people could show interest in wanting to possibly live in the same building where they run their business. My biggest hope is that the community would continue to rally around the plan. As with any plan, when you are dependent upon SPLOST dollars and other sources of funding, you can’t just write a check for it.

So we’re going to need some public and private buy-in. But all in all, I hope that we can present a product that would cause those users to want to be involved and moreover, have Douglasville citizens even more proud to call this their home.

DID YOU KNOW? Before Douglas County owned the jail space, did you know that long before that it was used as a horse stable known as Mac’s Barn? It was owned and operated by Douglasville’s own, Mac Abercrombie. Mac’s Barn was a horse boarding facility and it was the place in town where everyone knew they could stop by.

Councilman Adams remembered his grandfather taking him there just to see the horses when he was a young boy, about 55 years ago. Neither one of them rode horses, but they just enjoyed seeing them. He even remembered that they rarely came through the official entrance, but rather climbed in through the slats in the fences to see what everyone was doing with their horses.

How great is it that this piece of land has come full circle and continues to serve so many purposes?

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DOUGL

ASVILLE

IMPAC T

www.D

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The Douglasville City Council ROCHELLE ROBINSON Mayor 678-449-3000 robinsonr@douglasvillega.gov

TERRY S. MILLER Ward 1

678-449-3002 millert@douglasvillega.gov

MARK ADAMS Ward 2, Post 2

678-449-3004 adamsm@douglasvillega.gov

SAM DAVIS Ward 3, Post 2

678-449-3007 daviss@douglasvillega.gov

RICHARD SEGAL Mayor Pro-Tem, Ward 5 678-449-3010 segalr@douglasvillega.gov

NYCOLE MILLER Ward 2, Post 1 678-449-3012 millern@douglasvillega.gov

DR. LASHUN BURR-DANLEY Ward 3, Post 1 678-449-3006 danleyl@douglasvillega.gov

COACH CHRIS WATTS Ward 4 678-449-3014 wattsc@douglasvillega.gov

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