Holiday Season Brings Plenty of Festive Fun to the City 
Christmas is just around the corner, and there is plenty of seasonal fun to enjoy in the City of Cumming. 

The Cumming Fairgrounds will host the annual Christmas in Cumming Arts & Crafts Show on Friday, Dec. 8 from 4-9 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The annual event offers patrons the chance to purchase unique, hand-crafted Christmas gifts from a variety of vendors. Pick up everything from holiday wreaths and jewelry to homemade treats such as fudge and baked items. Kids can also enjoy free photos with Santa on Friday from 6-9 p.m. and Saturday afternoon from 12-3 p.m. Click here for more information. 

Holiday shows continue through the month of December at the Cumming Playhouse. Among the lineup is "Christmas Classics 2017" on Dec. 15, North Georgia Barber Shop Singers in Concert on Dec. 16 and 17, the Cumming Playhouse Singers in Concert Dec. 19, and the Sounds of Sawnee Community Band in Concert Dec. 22. The Cumming Playhouse closes out 2017 with the Sentimental Journey Orchestra during two New Year's Eve performances at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Click here for more information or to order tickets. 

Cumming residents can also enjoy a Christmas light display every evening at the Cumming Fairgrounds, as well as decorative, holiday-themed lights and banners on City light posts, through the end of December. 

Did you know? City Council approved the purchase of new LED Christmas light displays for street posts in August of 2016. The 270 LED lamps are anticipated to last much longer and be more energy-efficient that the old lights, which were utilized for about 20 years. 
Election 2017: Voters Select New Mayor and Councilmen
During the City of Cumming's Municipal Election on Nov. 7, Cumming voters chose Troy Brumbalow as the City's new Mayor and Jason Evans as a new City Council Member, filling Post 2. 

In a rare occurrence, incumbent Councilman Chuck Welch and challenger Chad Crane received the same number of votes during the Nov. 7 election, which took them into a runoff election on Dec. 5. Voters selected Chad Crane as the winner of Council Post 1 during the runoff. 

Brumbalow succeeds Mayor Ford Gravitt, who has held the office since January of 1971, and Evans succeeds Councilman Quincy Holton, who has held Council Post 2 since January of 1969. Welch has held Council Post 1 since July of 2015.

Congratulations to Mayor-elect Brumbalow and Councilmen-elect Evans and Crane! They will all be sworn into office on Jan. 2. 
Several Hundred Attend Annual Veterans Day Ceremony
Thank you to everyone who attended the Annual Veterans Day Ceremony at the City's Veterans War Memorial on Friday, Nov. 10. American Legion Post 307 organized the event in conjunction with VFW Post 9143, Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 1030, and the Forsyth County Patriots Alliance. 

The event featured patriotic music and presentation s from the Forsyth Central High School Flash of Crimson Band, Cumming Christian Co-op, and Christian Fine Arts of Forsyth, as well as a rifle salute by the Forsyth County Fire & Sheriff's Honor Guard. The keynote address was presented by Retired Army Col. Larry Mrozinski, the invocation and benediction were offered by Retired Chaplain Charles Weaver, and Cumming Mayor H. Ford Gravitt welcomed the crowd. 

Following the ceremony, veterans joined Gravitt as he unveiled one of the City of Cumming's new "Purple Heart City" road signs. 

Click here to view more photos from the 2017 Veterans Day Ceremony. 
Mayor Gravitt Thanks Supporters for 51 Years in Office
After calling the November City Council meeting to order, Mayor Ford Gravitt thanked citizens and voters for their support throughout his almost 51 years of service to the City of Cumming. 

"On Nov. 7, voters elected a new Mayor and City Council member," he said. "I have been honored to serve.  Voters wanted change, and I congratulate the new Mayor and Council members." 

Gravitt recognized all his supporters over the years, but particularly his mentors - James Otwell and Dr. Marcus Mashburn, who were instrumental in getting him involved in City Council - and Mayor George Ingram, whom he served under while a Councilman. 

In his nearly 51 years of service to the City, Mayor Gravitt noted that he has never missed a City Council meeting, having attended 612 regular meetings throughout his time in office as Mayor and Councilman. 

"I'm proud we've had no debt or city property taxes over the past 51 years," he added. "I think we operated the City very well." 


In other business during the November meeting, City Council: 

  • Was presented with a draft of the tentative 2018 City Budget, which totals almost $35 million. Council held a public hearing on the proposed budget on Dec. 5 at 5 p.m., where they received no comments from the public, and will vote on the budget during the regular December meeting on Dec. 19 at 6 p.m. Click here to view a budget summary and comparison. 
  • Voted 4-1, with Councilman Christopher Light opposed, to sponsor the Junior Achievement Discovery Center North Georgia, which will be located next door to the Alliance Academy for Innovation of Cumming-Forsyth County on Lanier 400 Parkway. Council approved sponsorship at the Presenting Sponsor level, which means support of $75,000 per year for at least five years. The Discovery Center will provide an immersive financial literacy and entrepreneurship educational experience for middle school students throughout Forsyth and several other Northeast Georgia counties. 
  • Voted unanimously to deny curbside recycling to City garbage pickup customers following results of a survey sent to approximately 1,200 customers. Of those surveys, 400 responses were received with 308 voting against the addition and only 92 voting for the addition. Councilman Chuck Welch suggested Council should revisit the issue again in 12 months to see if any more residents are interested in the service at that time. 
  • Approved a lease renewal for the Bell Research Center to continue use of the building next door to the Sinclair Service Station. The Bell Research Center houses hundreds of books and artifacts on Georgia history and genealogy. 
  • Approved reappointment of Authorities, including the Fair Authority, Development Authority and Housing Authority. Under this item, Council also approved: Transferring all income from the 2017 Cumming Country Fair & Festival, which totaled approximately $1.096 million, to the Fair Authority; appointment of Councilman Welch to the Development Authority; and appointment of Brittany Amos to the Housing Authority. 
  • Approved a late alcohol license renewal for Valero Mart, 428 Atlanta Road.
  • Approved a Conditional Use Permit to operate a contractor's establishment within the Central Business District in a building that is currently vacant. The permit was approved with several conditions from the Planning and Zoning Board. 
  • Approved three proposals relating to the Habersham Wastewater Treatment Facility property: To rescind the condemnation and acquisition of the property since after analysis by staff, it has been determined the site is not suitable for a future Cumming Utilities Wastewater Treatment plant; Obtain a necessary easement to install two of three required emergency connections from the Habersham Sewer System to the existing Cumming Utilities Sewer System; and accept the low bid from North Georgia Pipeline to construct the two connections. 
 
Click here for meeting videos.  

Coming Soon
 
To the Cumming Playhouse
  • "Sanders Family Christmas" (Sequel to "Smoke on the Mountain") - Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 3 p.m. through Dec. 10.
  • "Christmas Classics 2017" - 8 p.m. Dec. 15.
  • "North Georgia Barbershop Singers: Christmas 2017" - 8 p.m. Dec. 16 and 3 p.m. Dec. 17.
  • "Cumming Playhouse Singers: Hope for Christmas" - 8 p.m. Dec. 19.
  • "Sounds of Sawnee: Christmas 2017" - 8 p.m. Dec. 22.
  • "Sentimental Journey Orchestra: New Year's Eve" - 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Dec. 31.
 
To the Cumming Fairgrounds
  • Christmas in Cumming Arts & Crafts Festival - Dec. 8 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Dec. 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Holiday Closures
  • All City of Cumming facilities and departments, except the Police Department, will be closed Monday, Dec. 25 and Tuesday, Dec. 26 in observance of Christmas, as well as Monday, Jan. 1 in observance of New Year's Day. 
Meetings
  • Planning & Zoning Board - 5 p.m. Dec. 19
  • City Council - 6 p.m. Dec. 19 
All meetings are open to the public and held in the third-floor Council Chambers at City Hall, 100 Main Street. For all meetings after 5 p.m., please enter through the rear parking lot entrance. Click here for previous meeting videos. 

Happy Holidays from the City of Cumming! 

 

Sincerely,   
City of Cumming
Division of Public Information