Welcome

The devastating impact of Hurricane Helene across the Southeast has been difficult to process. My family and I have spent a lot of time in WNC over the years on vacations and camping trips. Many communities and locally owned businesses that kept us coming back have been destroyed. We are praying for everyone impacted by this storm— not just for healing but for the needed strength to rebuild.

In the spirit of new beginnings, I would like all of my Jewish friends and neighbors to have a joyful and peaceful Rosh Hashanah. May this New Year bring health, happiness, hope, and renewal. Shana Tova to you and your loved ones!

This week’s Big Story focuses on Cobb DOT, what’s happening on Lower Roswell, how you (yes, you) can make an impact from your phone, and how to keep up with projects happening around you.

As always, thank you for your continued support of this newsletter. If you like this content, please pass it on!

What’s Happening in the District 

Chalktoberfest!

Save the date for Chalktoberfest 2024! This exciting event will take place in historic Marietta Square on October 12th and 13th. Hosted by the Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art, the festival will showcase incredible chalk art from talented local and international artists. As you explore the square, you can enjoy the beautiful street murals that turn the pavement into a colorful outdoor gallery.

In addition to the fantastic artwork, Chalktoberfest will offer a family-friendly environment with live music, food trucks, and a craft beer festival for the adults. Children can also enjoy the fun with interactive art activities and their own chalk stations. This event is the perfect way to spend a fall weekend, combining creativity, community, and culture.

Whether you're a fan of art or delicious food or want to have a great time with family and friends, Chalktoberfest promises something for everyone. Don't miss this celebration of art, community, and local flavor!

The Big Story 

If you’ve driven down Lower Roswell near Johnson Ferry, you’ve seen impending construction activity. This prompted me to include this in this week’s newsletter because this will be an impactful project. I also wanted to take this opportunity to show you how to keep up with this and other projects and report issues to the DOT.

“The Lower Roswell Project” is something I wrote about in a February 2024 issue of this newsletter. tl;dr: this is a Cobb DOT SPLOST project that kicked off planning in 2011 and has had a dozen public meetings since to gather feedback from the public. From Davidson to Woodlawn, “Project E6020 was enacted to improve traffic flow and safety,” says Cobb DOT. “This project will provide safety and operational improvements through a combination of intersection improvements, raised medians, and a multi-use trail.  A raised median along Lower Roswell Road between Johnson Ferry and Davidson Road will reduce left turn conflicts and therefore reduce the number of angular crashes.”

The activity now is preparation for moving existing utilities (think power, water, sewer, and gas). The project timeline has a stated completion date of August 2026, so there will be an increasing amount of disruption in the area between now and then.

While we’re on the topic of Cobb DOT, I wanted to share a great experience I had with their SeeClickFix program. SeeClickFix is a way to report an issue you see on a Cobb County road via the web or mobile app on iPhone and Android. You can report everything here, from potholes to litter to missing road signs.

I recently reported a growing pothole on my street on the app. Within a few hours, I received a human response. This response acknowledged the request and went above and beyond to give me the road resurfacing schedule for my neighborhood. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that our neighborhood is going to have its roads resurfaced in 2025.

Even more impressive: in less than 24 hours, Cobb DOT trucks rolled in to fix the reported pothole and other holes in the area that needed repair.

Cobb DOT wants to hear from you - and I recently found out that 50% of their repair calls are coming from SeeClickFix. This successful tool gives the community empowerment to improve their community.

Finally, as a reminder, the Cobb County Mobility Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (MSPLOST), aimed at improving transportation infrastructure and mobility within Cobb County, will be on the ballot in the November 2024 elections. It is a one-cent sales tax to finance various transportation improvements over 30 years. The 30-year duration is designed to maximize federal funding, reducing Cobb County's financial burden.

If approved, the MSPLOST is expected to generate approximately $10 billion, which will be allocated to projects such as road widening, intersection upgrades, transit enhancements, and the development of pedestrian and bicycle paths. According to Cobb County, the MSPLOST would eliminate the need for transit operations to be funded by the county's general fund and instead cover the construction and operation of the new transit proposals during its duration.

The referendum will significantly impact Cobb County by addressing current and future transportation challenges. With the county's population steadily increasing, traffic congestion has become a significant concern for residents and businesses. The proposed improvements aim to reduce congestion, improve safety, and offer more efficient transportation options.

While not perfect, the sales tax approach ensures that the cost of these improvements is shared by everyone who shops and does business in Cobb County, including visitors, rather than relying solely on property taxes. This broad-based funding strategy makes the MSPLOST a fair and effective solution for addressing the county's transportation needs.

BOC Meeting Recap 

The Cobb County Board of Commissioners held their latest Regular Meeting on September 24 at 7:00 PM. The meeting opened with several proclamations. September was designated as Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, September 25, 2024, as National Homicide Awareness Day, and September 15 through October 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month in Cobb County. These recognitions highlighted vital issues affecting the community and celebrated the diverse culture within the county.

Following the proclamations, the Board addressed a variety of consent agenda items. These included approvals for continued grant funding from ARPA for the Cobb Judicial Circuit, maintenance responsibilities for stormwater infrastructure, and several stormwater and water system agreements. The Board also authorized various community development and economic support initiatives, such as grants for local businesses through the Cobb County Entrepreneurship and Innovation Incentive Program and improvements for recreational centers and senior services. Public safety measures were further bolstered with approvals for fitness equipment for the police department, agreements related to the ATF’s violent crime task force, and updates to fire and emergency medical systems.

Several key transportation projects were advanced on the regular agenda, including contracts for bridge repairs, ADA ramp upgrades, and drainage system repairs. The Board also approved multiple agreements for the engineering design of a pedestrian bridge on Cobb Parkway, working in coordination with the Georgia Department of Transportation. The meeting concluded with public comments and the announcement of Joan Bloom's reappointment to the Neighborhood Safety Commission before adjournment.

Important Dates

October 8th: Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting

October 14th: Board of Elections and Registration Meeting

October 15th: Board of Commissioners Zoning Hearing

October 22nd: Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting