City of Cumming
E-News
November 2019
Welcome to Our New Design
The City of Cumming's e-newsletter has a new look that we hope everyone will enjoy!

The new design is better streamlined to make reading on a mobile device more user-friendly, and better coordinates with our current website. Hopefully the new design will make catching up on City of Cumming news even easier!

Missed some editions? Don't worry! You can read back issues here.
Municipal Election: Tuesday, Nov. 5 at City Hall
The City of Cumming's Municipal Election for City Council Posts 3, 4, and 5 will be held from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at Cumming City Hall. Three candidates qualified to run for Council Post 3, currently held by long-time incumbent Lewis Ledbetter, who will retire at the end of this year. Political newcomers Joey Cochran, Jason May, and Brent Patrick are seeking Post 3. Incumbents Linda Ledbetter and Christopher Light are unopposed for Posts 4 and 5.

The election also includes a question deciding whether or not restaurants can sell alcohol by the drink beginning at 11 a.m. on Sundays. Residents who live within the City Limits of Cumming are who are properly registered to vote may cast their ballot in this election. Click here for a complete Voter Guide. (Please note that due to the election, the Youth Council and City Council Work Session meetings which normally occur on the first Tuesday of the month have been rescheduled to Wednesday, Nov. 6: Youth Council at 5 p.m. and Council Work Session at 6 p.m.)
Veterans Day Event Set for Monday, Nov. 11th
The annual Veterans Day Ceremony in the City of Cumming will be held on Monday, Nov. 11, beginning at 11 a.m. at the Veterans War Memorial (301 Veterans Memorial Blvd., next door to the Cumming Police Department). This year's ceremony will be presented by Cumming Chapter 1030 of Vietnam Veterans of America, and will feature various patriotic musical performances from local student groups, a welcome by Mayor Troy Brumbalow, keynote address by Brigadier Gen. Thomas H. Blackstock Jr. of the U.S. Army, and presentations by the Forsyth County Fire and Sheriff's Department Honor Guard. The City's Avenue of Flags, featuring almost 250 American flags honoring the memory of deceased local veterans, will also be on display on the grounds (weather pending). Parking is available at the Fairgrounds and the Castleberry Road Parking Deck. Please reserve Police Department parking spaces for the elderly and those with mobility issues. Rain location is the Fairgrounds' Covered Arena.
Christmas Parade & Festival: Register Now
The City of Cumming is thrilled to present our Second Annual Cumming Christmas Parade & Festival on Saturday, Dec. 7. The lighted parade will begin at 5 p.m. and will make its way from Forsyth Central High School, down Tribble Gap/Castleberry Road, through downtown Cumming, and end at the Cumming Fairgrounds. Parade-goers can then enjoy a Christmas Festival at the Fairgrounds with vendors, hayrides, a tree lighting event, photos with Santa, and more!

Any organization wishing to participate in the parade must download a registration form here, fill it out, and return it to cledford@cityofcumming.net by Dec. 2. Businesses wishing to serve as sponsors of the parade should email donnac@cityofcumming.net; those wishing to serve as vendors at the Fairgrounds' festival should email mbennett@cityofcumming.net.
City Council Honors Hispanic Heritage Month
Mayor Troy Brumbalow and City Council presented a proclamation honoring Hispanic Heritage History and Heritage Month during the Oct. 15 Regular City Council Meeting. The proclamation recognized the contributions of Hispanic Americans to our country and local community, particularly the sacrifices of the more than 1.2 million Hispanic Americans who serve in the United States' Armed Forces.

Also during the October Work Session and Regular Meeting, City Council:

  • Approved applying to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for a grant that, if received by the City, would reimburse 80 percent of construction costs associated with creation of trails at the City Center.

  • Approved installation of two speed tables on Pine Lake Drive.

  • Approved purchase of a new pickup truck for the Recreation & Parks Department.

  • Tabled until the Nov. 5th Work Session a rezoning application from Forsyth Central Properties for the project known as Mashburn Village, which encompasses almost 56 acres of property and is slated to include retail/flex space, self-storage units, senior living units, leased residential units, single-family homes, attached town homes, residential amenities, civic space, community amenity/green space, and an extension of Buford Dam Road to Veterans Memorial Boulevard as a main thoroughfare through the project.

  • Approved an Administrative Variance for the Forsyth County Board of Education which will allow for a 50-foot roof height for the school system's future Academy of Creative Enterprises.

  • Approved the purchase of an "auger monster" for the Ronald Reagan Boulevard Pump Station.

  • Approved advertising for bids for a sewer extension on Ventura Drive.
Raise the Water Tower
After much curiosity from the community about the new elevated water storage tank near Ga. Hwy. 400 Exit 14, Cumming Utilities is excited to present this video from the Forsyth County News, which outlines the raising process and answers questions about the tank.

Cumming-Forsyth Under Drought Advisory
Cumming Utilities would like to remind residents and businesses that due to a lack of precipitation during recent months, Cumming and Forsyth County are currently under a Level 1 Drought Response Declaration by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD). Under this designation, general outdoor watering is allowed only between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m.

It is very important that we all work together to reduce indoor and outdoor water usage and waste. Being a good steward of our water resources is easy if you follow these basic steps :

1.) Regularly check for and repair leaks inside and outside your home.
2.) Don't leave the tap running when shaving, brushing your teeth, or washing your face.
3.) Only water your landscaping when necessary (under current drought designation only between the hours of 4 p.m. and 10 a.m.), and make sure your sprinklers are properly adjusted to do their job - water your landscaping, not the driveway, sidewalk, or house.
Catch Up with the Mayor
Each quarter Mayor Troy Brumbalow releases the Mayor's Memo, a publication in which the Mayor reflects back on the highlights of the previous quarter. Check out his third quarter 2019 Memo here! Back issues can be found here.

Holiday Closure
Cumming City Hall and all other non-essential City departments and facilities will be closed for Thanksgiving on:

  • Thursday, Nov. 28
  • Friday, Nov. 29

We wish everyone happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday!

UPCOMING EVENTS
18th Annual Steam, Antique Power & Gas Engine Expo
When: Nov. 8 & 9
Where: Cumming Fairgrounds
Admission: $5 per person, ages 12 & up
What: Check out a huge array of all types of engines - from the antique to the modern - at this annual Cumming tradition.
Veterans Day Ceremony
When: Nov. 11 at 11 a.m.
Where: Veterans War Memorial (301 Veterans Memorial Blvd.)
Admission: Free
What: Annual event honoring local veterans; this event is free and open to the entire community.
Half-Price Family Friday
When: Nov. 15, 2-6 p.m.
Where: Cumming Aquatic Center
Admission: 1/2 Off Daily Admission
What: Every third Friday of the month, the Cumming Aquatic Center offers 1/2 off daily admission costs for swimming in the indoor lap and instructional pools.
"Remember Broadway at Christmas"
When: Nov. 7-10; Thursday & Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m.
Where: Schoolstreet Playhouse
Admission: $25
What: Age Well Forsyth, a nonprofit organization serving senior citizens, presents this fundraiser variety show featuring some of Broadway's most beloved tunes with a bit of Christmas spirit thrown in to kick off the holiday season.
"A Christmas Carol"
When: Nov. 29 - Dec. 15; Thursdays & Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m.
Where: School Street Playhouse
Admission: $30
What: MKBaker & Sherouse/Rily Productions present a musical retelling of this classic Christmas favorite, which depicts Scrooge and his fateful visits with several holiday spirits.
2nd Annual Christmas Parade & Festival
When: Dec. 7, 5-8 p.m.
Where: Parade - Tribble Gap/Castleberry Road; Festival - Fairgrounds
Admission: Free
What: The City of Cumming's 2nd Annual Christmas Parade and Festival kicks off at 5 p.m. Parade route runs from Forsyth Central High School, through downtown Cumming, to the Cumming Fairgrounds. The fun continues at Fairgrounds with a Christmas Festival until 8 p.m.
Festival of Trees
When: Nov. 16 - Dec. 8; Tuesdays - Saturdays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays 1-5 p.m. (Closed Thanksgiving Day)
Where: Sawnee Association of the Arts Downtown Art Center (111 Pilgrim Mill Road)
Admission: Free
What: The Sawnee Association of the Arts will sell (through a silent auction process) decorated table-top Christmas trees with various themes to raise money for SAA programs and Cumming Home Ministries. Themes include: Georgia, Pink Poodles, Unicorns, Retro, and more!
Nativities of the World
When: Dec. 10 - Jan. 6; Tuesdays - Saturdays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays 1-5 p.m. (Closed Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day)
Where: Sawnee Association of the Arts Downtown Art Center (111 Pilgrim Mill Road)
Admission: Free
what: The Sawnee Association of the Arts presents its 2nd Annual Nativities of the World event, featuring displays of dozens of unique types of nativities from various time periods and parts of the world. Admission is free, but donations are welcome to help support SAA programs.
MEETINGS
Youth Council Meeting - Nov. 6 at 5 p.m. *Please note that this meeting has been rescheduled to the first Wednesday of the month, rather than the typical first Tuesday of the month, due to the Municipal Election on Tuesday, Nov. 5.*

City Council Work Session - Nov. 6 at 6 p.m. in Gallery B (Second Floor of City Hall) *Please note that this meeting was rescheduled to the first Wednesday of the month, rather than the typical first Tuesday of the month, due to the Municipal Election on Tuesday, Nov. 5.*

Planning & Zoning Board Meeting - Nov. 19 at 5 p.m.

Regular City Council Meeting - Nov. 19 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.

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