Final Food Truck Friday of the Year Features Special Kids' Program by Sawnee Association of the Arts 
Frankie the Dog book series author Marie Kirkpatrick at a Food Truck Friday event earlier this summer.
After being rained out in June, kids of all ages will get another chance to meet a furry Forsyth County literary hero during the final Food Truck Friday event of 2019 on Aug. 2. 

Hosted by the Sawnee Association of the Arts,  Frankie the Dog, star of the Frankie the Dog series of children's books , which focus on the importance of pet rescue and adoption, will be in attendance at a reading by the books' author Marie Kirkpatrick. The reading and visit by "the real" Frankie will be held at 7 p.m. in front of the Brannon-Heard House (111 Pilgrim Mill Road). 

Beginning at 6 p.m. children will be provided crayons and a coloring page from one of Frankie the Dog's books. All the kids' artwork will then be on display at the Brannon-Heard House in the upstairs gallery from through Aug. 24 (Thursday-Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Members of the Sawnee Association of the Arts will judge the kids' artwork on Aug. 7 and ribbons will be placed on the winning entries on Aug. 8. Prizes will be awarded through the Children's Art Awards Program on Aug. 10 at 3 p.m. 

Before and after Frankie's visit, kids and their families can also enjoy all the fun at Food Truck Friday , including entree and dessert food trucks, a DJ, games, and activities! Food Truck Friday will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and there are no admission or parking fees. Parking is available at the Mason Street parking deck and Cumming City Hall. Please reserve parking at the School Street Playhouse for patrons of the Aug. 2 performance of "South Pacific."

(Reminder: Pilgrim Mill Road from Pirkle Ferry Road to School Street, and School Street from Mason Street to Pilgrim Mill, will be closed for Food Truck Friday from approximately 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Traffic will be detoured via Dahlonega Street and Ingram Avenue.) 
Did you know?  The Sawnee Association of the Arts leases the City's Brannon-Heard House and utilizes the building as a Downtown Arts Center, which is open Thursday-Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Volunteers Needed for Scary Relay for Life Fundraiser in October 
Mayor Troy Brumbalow and Cumming Fairgrounds Director Tracy Helms with members of the Scare Fair planning committee.
Get ready for a ghostly good time at the Cumming Fairgrounds this Halloween season. The City has partnered with Relay for Life of Forsyth County to present the first ever Scare Fair, a haunted fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Scare Fair will be presented Oct. 18-19 and 25-26 in and around the Fairgrounds' livestock barn. 

The planning committee is currently looking for volunteers who would like to help as scare actors, set builders, costumers, makeup artists, ticket-takers, vendors, and many other positions. Anyone interested in volunteering for the event should visit the Scare Fair website, email [email protected] or call (770) 744-3051. More information can also be found on the event's Facebook and Instragram pages (@cummingscarefair). 

Mayor and City Council Welcome New Police Chief 
Cumming Police Chief David Marsh is congratulated by Mayor and Council after being sworn in on July 22.
During a special called meeting on July 22, Mayor Troy Brumbalow swore in the Cumming Police Department's new Chief, David Marsh. Chief Marsh brings a wide variety of law enforcement experience, including many years of service at the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office, to his new position. Chief Marsh's experience includes jail and uniform patrol deputy, HIDTA/DEA Federal Drug Task Force and Criminal Investigations, Internal Affairs and Training, and supervisor of the Johns Creek/Alpharetta/Forsyth Narcotics Task Force. Congratulations and welcome Chief Marsh! 

Also regarding the Cumming Police Department, Council approved a proposal to change to the starting salary range of officers. The new  range, which takes into consideration the previous years of service as a certified officer, became effective July 11, 2019. 

Among other business during the July meeting and work session, City Council:   
  • Heard a presentation regarding the benefits of joining the Tree City USA program, which allows communities to better manage and expand their public trees. 
  • Approved an agreement with MTechProMedia, a local video production company, to produce promotional videos for the City. 
  • Approved an amendment to the City's Smoking Ordinance. 
  • Approved the low bid from Construction 57 for the extension of sidewalk on Pine Lake Drive from its current end at Pine Lake and Hickory Ridge to the end of the City Limits. The project will be funded from SPLOST VII.  
  • Approved the low bid from North Georgia Pipeline, Inc. for Kelly Mill Creek sanitary sewer replacement and stream restoration. 
  • Approved a Conditional Use Permit for Carcraft, LLC with the condition recommended by the Planning staff stating that the CUP is specific to the applicant and the business for which the applicant currently holds a license, and an additional condition by City Council limiting the number of vintage cars displayed outside the business at any given time to three vehicles. 
  • Approved a Conditional Use Permit for THKC, LLC to establish a drive-thru facility for a Dunkin Donuts restaurant, which will be constructed at the intersection of Canton Road (SR 20) and Samaritan Drive. After it's opened, the business will have two points of ingress/egress. 
  • Approved an annexation of eight parcels, totaling 125.41 acres, located along Pilgrim Road and Dahlonega Highway. 
  • Approved a request to advertise for bids for an "auger grinder monster" at the Ronald Reagan Boulevard wastewater pumping station. This device is used to remove large debris from the station in order to avoid clogs in the pump and lines. 
  • Approved a request to advertise for bids for water and sewer line relocation which will be required as part of the state's widening work along Hwy. 369. 
  • Approved a request to advertise for bids to replace the Haw Creek Force Main and Sewer Outfall project. 
  • Approved a resolution in support of working with the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing to explore housing options and opportunities in the City through identifying opportunities for revitalization, development, and encouragement of community housing. 
Stay Up to Date with Mayor Troy Brumbalow
Mayor Brumbalow likes to recap highlights of all the good things that happened in the City of Cumming through a special quarterly publication called the Mayor's Memo. Check out the Second Quarter 2019 Mayor's Memo here or pick up a hard copy at City Hall, 100 Main Street (Cumming Utilities customers will also receive a hard copy in their upcoming bill). 

Aquatic Center Gearing Down for Close of Summer Season
There's not much time left this season to enjoy the Cumming Aquatic Center's outdoor pool and water park. The outdoor facilities will be open daily through July 31, and then transition to weekends only through Sept. 2. Saturday hours are 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Sunday hours are 1-6 p.m. The final day of the season will be Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 2) from 1-6 p.m. 

The City's vendor table at the New Educator Orientation.
August Means Back to School 
The City of Cumming helped welcome some 400 new teachers to Forsyth County during the school system's New Educator Orientation on July 23 at Denmark High School. These new teachers and all returning educators are busy getting ready for the opening of the 2019-2020 school year on Thursday, August 1!  Back to school time means more traffic throughout the county, so be prepared: Plan for extra commute time in the mornings and afternoons, and be mindful of school buses and students making their way to school! 

AgeWell Forsyth Variety Show Auditions Aug. 13 & 14
Calling all actors, singers, dancers, comedians, and entertainers! AgeWell Forsyth, a nonprofit organization that supports Forsyth County seniors through a variety of services and activities, will present its annual fundraiser variety show at the School Street Playhouse November 7-10. Auditions for the production will be held Aug. 13 and 14 at the Playhouse from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Anyone wishing to audition should contact the show's director, Cindy Bowman, at 770-827-8577. 

Coming Soon
 
To the Cumming Fairgrounds

To the Cumming Aquatic Center 

To Tam's School Street Playhouse

 
Meetings
  • City of Cumming Youth Council - Aug. 6 at 5 p.m. 
  • City Council Work Session (Gallery B, Second Floor of City Hall) - Aug. 6 at 6 p.m. 
  • Planning & Zoning Board - Aug. 20 at 5 p.m.  
  • City Council Regular Meeting - Aug. 20 at 6 p.m. 
All meetings are open to the public and held in the third-floor Council Chambers at City Hall, 100 Main Street, unless otherwise noted. For all meetings after 5 p.m., please enter through the rear parking lot entrance. Click here for previous meeting videos. 
Click here for City Council Agendas and Minutes.

We wish everyone a great start to the 2019-2020 school year! 

 

Sincerely,   
City of Cumming
Division of Public Information
  

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