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Friday, August 17, 2018

THE KENNESAW PINE MOUNTAIN ROAD CONSTRUCTION WILL END SHORTLY:

The City advises that "The anticipated completion date for the Pine Mountain project is November 30, 2018."

As previously reported:

"The project to make safety and operational improvements along the entire corridor of Pine Mountain Road (1.5 miles) is scheduled to begin in the spring. Pine Mountain Road will be widened to three 12-ft. lanes, sidewalks will be added to both sides of the road, and retaining walls will be constructed to minimize right-of-way impacts. Ellis Road will have some safety improvements where it ties to Pine Mountain Road. Right turn lanes will be added to the intersections with Pine Mountain Way and Cobb Parkway."




From: consumerissues@aol.com
To: Jeaton@kennesaw-ga.gov, Tviars@kennesaw-ga.gov, Pferris@kennesaw-ga.gov, Chenderson@kennesaw-ga.gov, Dblinkhorn@kennesaw-ga.gov
Cc: deasterling@kennesaw-ga.gov
Sent: 8/8/2018 4:30:25 PM Eastern Standard Time

Subject: Kennesaw Property Tax Rates
Comment from: The Kennesaw Watch 

I have often said that there is no leadership in K. Here is an attempt at getting some and it gets ignored. The matter should be reconsidered at another Council meeting. Ferris has a good idea and it should be looked at.
Article Reposted on:  The Kennesaw Watch
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Kennesaw and Smyrna keep property tax rates the same

Ross Williams MDJ 8-9-18
Kennesaw’s property tax rate will stay the same despite one councilman’s effort to roll back part of the rate.
The council approved Monday night a 2018 millage rate of 9.5 mills, comprised of a maintenance and operation millage rate of 8 mills and 1.5 mills to fund the debt service on $15 million recreation and traffic safety bonds approved by city voters in 2004.
Members were unanimous on maintaining the maintenance and operation rate, but Councilman Pat Ferris said the debt service rate could be lower.
“We started talking about taxes a few weeks ago, and I started questioning the bond,” Ferris said Tuesday. “The staff gave us a really nice, easy to understand chart, and at the 1.5 rate that staff recommended, that (the debt service rate) was going to raise roughly $1.8 million. The bond payment annually is I think about $976,000 … (I thought) this would be a great chance to look at doing a rollback … I just saw it as a great opportunity to let the citizens save some money.”
Ferris proposed changing the rate to the rollback rate of 0.91 mills, which he said would allow the city to make the bond payments and save the average taxpayer about $50 per year, but his plan failed when nobody on the council seconded his motion.
A rollback rate is the rate that would allow a governing body to collect the same amount of tax revenue it did the prior year given a rising assessment of property values.
Ferris acknowledged that voters approved the 1.5 mill rate when they approved the bond plan, but he said the city has changed since then.
“That was 14 years ago,” he said. “The city was very much different, the budget was very much different. I’m sure at the time the 1.5 was absolutely required to make bond payments, but you look at the growth in the city digest, the city has grown tremendously in the last 14 years. Times change, and we as a group need to be looking at opportunities like this.”
Kennesaw’s 2018 tax digest grew an estimated 3.2 percent over the previous year, moving from about $1.14 billion to $1.18 billion. If the tax rates remain steady, the digest growth is expected to increase the city’s total property tax revenue by about $414,000, going from about $10.9 million to $11.3 million.
But that does not mean Kennesaw residents will necessarily pay more.
A 2000 Georgia law called the Taxpayer Reassessment Relief Act, also known as a floating homestead exemption, means the taxing jurisdictions only consider the assessed value of a home when it was purchased by its current owner, regardless of what it is worth now.
That exemption is in place in most of Cobb County, but it does not affect taxes levied by the school system, and it is only for primary residences.
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Link to MDJ article:

8-1-18
KENNESAW CRIME STATS

To: Chief Westenberger

Re: June 2018 Crime Stats

Incidents: 1225
Citations: 881 Warnings: 849
Arrests: 79
Part 1 Crimes: 40
Homicide: 0
Rape: 1
Robbery: 1
Aggravated Assault: 3
Burglary: 4
Larceny: 28
Auto Theft: 3
Part 1 Crime 2018: 208 -45 (-14%) from 2017
Sincerely,

Wm. Craig Graydon
Lieutenant Craig Graydon
Commander – Criminal Investigations Division
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COBB SCHOOLS RANK 11th IN GEORGIA, Cherokee 13th

Best School Districts in Georgia

The Best School Districts ranking is based on rigorous analysis of key statistics and millions of reviews from students and parents using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Ranking factors include state test scores, college readiness, graduation rates, SAT/ACT scores, teacher quality, public school district ratings, and more.

COBB:  OK so it's the 11th best in Georgia, but that doesn't say much about Georgia if you can be 11th with only 51% of the students 'Proficient' in Reading and 50% proficient in math. Cherokee County was 13th best.

2nd to last was: Clayton County Schools
a public school district located in Jonesboro, GA. It has 54,136 students in grades PK, K-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 18 to 1. According to state test scores, 21% of students are at least proficient in math and 26% in reading.

Coming in last was Meriwether County Schools
a public school district located in Greenville, GA. It has 2,921 students in grades PK, K-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 14 to 1. According to state test scores, 18% of students are at least proficient in math and 21% in reading.



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IMPORTANT INFO ON PASSING A STOPPED SCHOOL BUS

Drivers probably never really understood the 'old' regulations on when you can or can not pass a stopped school bus which has its lights flashing and stop arm extended.

Now there is even another minor item to add to the confusion.

New legislation is now in effect that expands when you CAN pass. It always was OK when on a roadway that has a median strip between lanes, BUT, now that is extended to include divided roadways where there is a 'TURN LANE' between the lanes of traffic.

So whether a divided roadway has a median stip (usually grass) or a center turn lane, it is OK to continue on without stopping for a loading or unloading school bus.

I'm sure there will be a lot of confusion and probably some tickets issued that shouldn't have been, but the law this year is changed. Here it is FYI:

O.C.G.A. § 40-6-163
(b) The driver of a vehicle upon a highway with separate roadways or a divided highway, including, but not limited to, a highway divided by a turn lane, need not stop upon meeting or passing a school bus which is on a different roadway or on another half of a divided highway, or upon a controlled access highway when the school bus is stopped in a loading zone which is a part of or adjacent to such highway and where pedestrians are not permitted to cross the roadway.


8/1/18 Update:  a reader sent me the below info.  Reaffirms what I wrote about but it is so confusing that you have to pay close attention.




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The Kennesaw Watch
4 hrs

KENNESAW'S DOG HOUSE CLOSES
a new Colombian restaurant opens in this location.
This is the 6th restaurant I know of in this location. It has always been a poor site for any restaurant and it is no surprise that after 1 year 10 months (9-16 to 7-18) that the Dog House is closing.
I ate there often when it was both the Boxcar Cheesecake Cafe and shortly after that TJ Bryans (same ownership and staff).
The location always had poor parking, cramped interior and back then a limited kitchen, don't know what the kitchen is like today.
In a year or so the Kennesaw Library branch will close with the opening of the large Regional Library in Acworth and for a bit the parking should be resolved. But it still remains a poor site for any restaurant.
For the history of restaurants at this location see:
https://theboxcarcafe.blogspot.com/
COLOMBIAN BITES, LLC
was Registered with the Ga. Secretary of State on 5/16/18.
The owners are:
Maribel Victoria, and
Michelle Gonzales 
Address Listed:
649 Phlox, Acworth, Ga 30102 (Cherokee County)


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7/9/18

KENNESAW APPROVES NEW MASSAGE PARLOR SET FOR OLD PAWN SHOP LOCATION

Work proceeds on the new massage parlor in Unit #1 at 2953 N Cobb Pky. Kennesaw.

This location is half of the old footage of the Cruchelow's Pawn Shop of 7 years ago, the other half is now used as Mae Magnifique Salon, for Hair Styling.

Residents of the area around Mack Dobbs and N. Cobb Pky may recall that 7 years ago there was a big flap about a Pawn Shop opening in the strip mall.

For those interested in the Pawn Shop fiasco you can see what went on at:
http://johncruchelow.blogspot.com/ and
http://jcruchelow.blogspot.com/

One photo shows one of the shop workers who was unhappy to find someone taking photos of the massage parlor.





KENNESAW:  City Council
Meeting Agenda
July 2, 2018  6:30 PM

Council Chambers

XVII. GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE
GINA AULD, Finance Director

A.
Consideration for approval for a Massage Therapist license for Yuhan Liu.  Ms. Liu is the owner of  Make Phenomenal World LLC d/b/a Massage Now! to be located at 2953 N Cobb Parkway, Suite 1, Kennesaw, GA 30152.


The applicant has submitted the complete application with the required documentation per Ordinance Sec 22-218 and 22-219: employment history, copy of certificate of schooling, current health certificate and three character references.  Background check investigation results are on file.  Zoning documents provided by the Planning and Zoning department are attached regarding permitted uses for this location.  A massage therapist business is allowed at this location per the Planning and Zoning Administrator.  Finance Director recommends approval.  

Motion by Mayor Protem Blinkhorn to approve the massage therapy license as stated, seconded by Councilmember Eaton.  Vote taken, approved unanimously, 5-0.  Motion carried.

==============================

7/2/18

CITY OF KENNESAW RESPONDS TO MAYOR’S RACIAL COMMENTS 

By: Bode Brooks  WSBTV July 2, 2018   5:59 PM


Officials with The City of Kennesaw responded on Monday to inquiries by WSB regarding comments made by Mayor Derek Easterling at a Dunkin Donuts ribbon-cutting.

WSB has learned that the mayor’s comments were directed to Darryl Simmons, Director of Zoning and Planning. Multiple sources have told WSB that while at the ribbon cutting Mayor Easterling, who is white, said something similar to “Go stand by the chocolate donuts, where you will blend in better” to Simmons, who is black. 

On Monday, the city issued the following statement:

 “On Tuesday, June 26th during the ribbon cutting of a new business in the City of Kennesaw, Mayor Derek Easterling made an unintentional comment that offended some Kennesaw employees attending the event.

“The City Manager’s Office along with Human Resources swiftly called an emergency meeting to address employees’ concerns,” the statement continued. “Mayor Easterling sincerely apologized for the comment and explained it was unintentional and will never happen again. Mayor Easterling said he has always had a good working relationship with the employee addressed and he in no way intended to offend the gentleman or other city employees.” 

The statement concluded, “The City of Kennesaw is committed to maintaining a professional and lawful work environment free of harassment and discrimination.”

 This is a developing story. Check back for details.



https://www.wsbradio.com/news/local/city-kennesaw-responds-mayor-racial-comments/FaPwHLokZkOaVz1aQDXU1N/

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Comment:  Easterling has been a so-so Mayor, not great and not terrible, but he suffers from foot in mouth syndrome and has some baggage in that department.  Photo is from an appearance at a charity gala when he had the bright idea of going in drag.


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6/29/18
KENNESAW MASSAGE PARLOR SET FOR OLD PAWN SHOP LOCATION

Residents of the area around Mack Dobbs and N. Cobb Pky may recall that 7 years ago there was a big flap about a Pawn Shop opening in the strip mall.  That issue came and went and other uses were found for units 1 and 2 of 2953 N Cobb Pky.

For some time unit #2 has been Mae Magnifique Salon, Hair Styling, Suite 2, 2953 N Cobb Pky and unit 1 was a Title Loan operation.

Now unit #1 will be opening as a Massage Parlor.  It is set for approval Monday July 2nd before the City Council.



Kennesaw City Council  -  Meeting Agenda
July 2, 2018 6:30 PM
Council Chambers

XVII. GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE

GINA AULD, Finance Director

A. Consideration for approval for a Massage Therapist license for Yuhan Liu. Ms. Liu is the owner of Make Phenomenal World LLC d/b/a Massage Now! to be located at 2953 N Cobb Parkway, Suite 1, Kennesaw, GA 30152.

The applicant has submitted the complete application with the required documentation per Ordinance Sec 22-218 and 22-219: employment history, copy of certificate of schooling, current health certificate and three character references. Background check investigation results are on file. 

Zoning documents provided by the Planning and Zoning department are attached regarding permitted uses for this location. A massage therapist business is allowed at this location per the Planning and Zoning Administrator. Finance Director recommends approval."

Uses such as this are giving Kennesaw a poor reputation.  Does the City need more massage parlors?  Probably not, but those many residents who put up a good fight years ago to get the Cruchelow's Pawn Shop removed probably won't be able to stop this usage.

While there is a long list of prohibited uses for this particular strip mall the closest banned business is found at item Z "Tattoo or Body Piercing Parlors or any business which principally features sexually explicit products or drug related paraphernalia".

Seems folks in that Summer Stream area can now just walk over to get their massages from Ms. Liu at Massage Now!




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For those interested in the Pawn Shop fiasco you can see what went on at:
http://johncruchelow.blogspot.com/ and
http://jcruchelow.blogspot.com/


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6/18/18

GUESS THERE IS ANOTHER COMCAST OUTAGE IN THE AREA!

Glad I fired them about 6 months ago and went to Dish Tv with Windstream as the Internet provider.

That light green lump in every other yard is a Comcrap booster or repeater.  The one on my property line seems to need a lot of attention.


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6/12/18
Page Liked · 1 hr 

We are working very hard to give you a great service!!! Any suggestions are more than welcome 

For the history of restaurants at this location see:


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The final restaurant at the Kennesaw Marketplace Mall is now open.



Viars joins Kennesaw Council after election in May



























  •    MDJ  6/6/18   



























viars
Tracey Viars is sworn in as a council member surrounded by family members.

Kennesaw’s City Council is whole again.
Its newest member, Tracey Viars, was sworn in this week and then took part in her first meeting. Viars served six years on the Kennesaw Downtown Development Authority, the last three as chair. She runs a Kennesaw-based advertising and marketing company and is mother to three children.
“It was an exciting day,” Viars said after the meeting. “I’ve been waiting for a while, having worked with the DDA for several years, I was kind of excited to go the next step. I was anxious though, I can’t lie about that.”
Councilman Doc Eaton was also long looking forward to welcoming a new colleague.
“I’ve been waiting a long time to do this,” Eaton said as he pulled out the newly-minted Councilwoman Viars’ chair at the dais for her.
Viars’ assumption of the seat came in last month’s special election, which occurred after former Councilwoman Yvette Daniel resigned abruptly in January after missing 29 meetings over her two years in office, including 23 in 2017 alone.
Viars won against opponent Kemela Carlson, who works in revenue management for Delta Air Lines, with about 59 percent of the vote. Viars is set to serve out the remainder of Daniel’s term, which expires at the end of 2019.
The new council member addressed the audience Monday after sitting through her first meeting.“I’m super excited to be here,” she said. “I appreciate your faith and trust in getting me here, and know that I don’t take that lightly. It’s your city, my city, our city. I love that we’re all so passionate about it, and I’m ready to get to work.”
That Monday meeting came just weeks after Viars’ election, but speaking after the meeting, she said she has been working hard to prepare.
“I’ve been going back and reading minutes from older meetings, having lots of conversations with different people in city staff, people involved with things coming up … I’ve just been trying to get my head around everything. I want to make informed decisions,” she said.
Viars said she plans to get out in the city and meet people.
“I’m looking forward really to getting to know people throughout the city, finding out what people want,” she said. “We have a lot of exciting development going on right now, and I’m looking forward to seeing our downtown become the best downtown it can be. Some areas in town need some more attention, and I’m looking forward to looking into that as well.”

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Kennesaw settles lawsuit with gas station developer

Ross Williams   MDJ  6/7/18

A yearlong battle between residents of Kennesaw’s Ellison Lake townhome community and a developer hoping to build a gas station at the end of their street has come to an end.

The City Council voted this week to accept a settlement under which the city would use $150,000 in voter-approved sales tax funds to purchase 3.58 acres inside the development for the creation of a passive community park. The developer, meanwhile, would place a commercial business other than a gas station at the development’s entrance.

Convenience chain Speedway and Ellison Lake Partners, the developer of the 130-acre community, had plans to put a 24-hour convenience store with a filling station on undeveloped land near the entrance of Ellison Lake.

Residents fought against the proposed gas station at council meetings last year, and the city ultimately denied the request to build the gas station.

That prompted Speedway and Ellison to file suit against the city last June. The parties reached a compromise in January.

Monday’s unanimous vote to approve the settlement was the first vote cast by the council’s newest member, Councilwoman Tracey Viars, who was sworn in earlier that night.

Viars said although she was not on the council when the settlement was reached, she thinks it worked out well for residents and the developer.

“I think it was a good compromise for all the parties involved and a smart move on everybody’s part,” she said. “I think in the end, everybody gets what they want— the developer will get to develop the property, the residents at Ellison Lake will have a great asset in their neighborhood … All the way around, I think it was a good settlement for everyone involved.”

Ellison Lake residents seemed to agree. When the council made its decision, there were scattered applause from audience members. Speaking at the beginning of the meeting, Ellison Lake Homeowner Association President Joyce Yung said residents there were grateful to the city for reaching the compromise.

“Everyone here wishes to preserve the appearance, safety and lifestyle of our community,” she said. “As such, we would like to thank the mayor, the council and the city staff for their continued effort in preserving the tranquility of Ellison Lake from potential undesirable development. Addressing issues such as the one before you tonight demonstrates to everyone the city has the resources and sound judgement to protect the best interests of the citizens.”

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KENNESAW MARKETPLACE MALL

You know what it looks like today but here is that property in the mid-stage, after the slum trailer park (Castle Lake MHP) was removed but before the new stores and 55+ Senior Development were put up.

You can take a look at the entire history of that Kennesaw property with photos and comments, at:  https://castlelakekennesaw.blogspot.com/

The below shows the remains of the Castle Lake Mobile Home Park.  One third of this park remains, the other 2/3rds was sold off to Fuqua, Inc for the Kennesaw Marketplace Mall.  The remaining park is still a slum, but worth a lot more now being next to the new mall.  The CLMHP is the triangular slice in the middle of the photo.  It remains in Cobb County but the new mall was added to the City of Kennesaw 2 years ago.