City of Cumming
E-News
February 2022
Annual Arbor Day Celebration On Feb. 18th
The City of Cumming will again partner with Keep Forsyth County Beautiful, UGA Extension Services, and the Georgia Forestry Commission to present the 3rd Annual Community Arbor Day Celebration on Friday, Feb. 18th. This year we'll also be partnering with Creative Enterprises Forsyth for the location of the event, which begins at 3:30 p.m. with kids' activities, snacks and mingling. The program will begin at 4 p.m. with speakers, recognitions, and a tree planting demonstration. We'll also have free tree saplings and other goodies to take home. Join us on Feb. 18th for this free, family-friendly event!
Vampire Penguin Joins City Center Family
The Cumming City Center recently welcomed a unique dessert eatery with an even more unique name. Vampire Penguin Shaved Snow & Desserts offers a completely out-of-the-ordinary shaved ice experience. Rather than the usual plain ice which is shaved and then flavored via sugary syrups, Vampire Penguin starts with fruit bases which are frozen and shaved into tiny, fluffy ribbons that have the consistency of snow, and topped with fresh fruit and other gourmet finishes. Special combinations are available, such as a strawberry cheesecake made with strawberry and vanilla snow, graham cracker crumbs, fresh strawberries, condensed milk and strawberry syrup. Vampire Penguin’s desserts provide all the full-craving satisfaction of ice cream but in a low-calorie, flavorful dessert with an unexpected light and fluffy texture. Learn more about Vampire Penguin here or check out their website at vampirepenguin.com. For the most up-to-date announcements about City Center tenants, be sure to follow @cummingcitycenter on Facebook and Instagram!
Mayor's Memo

Be sure to check out the Mayor's Memo recapping fourth quarter 2021. In this edition, Mayor Troy spotlights successful holiday season events and thanks constituents for re-electing him to serve his second four-year term, among other highlights. Click here to view previous editions of the Mayor's Memo.
Elected Officials Sworn In for Second Term
Mayor Troy Brumbalow and City Council members Chad Crane and Jason Evans were sworn into office for their second four-year term during the January Regular City Council Meeting by Municipal Court Judge Rich Neville. Councilmen Crane and Evans ran unopposed during the November General Municipal Election, while Mayor Brumbalow received 77 percent of the vote in his race against one challenger.

During the January Work Session and Regular Meeting, City Council also:

  • In a 3-0 vote, with Council members Chad Crane and Joey Cochran absent, approved a revised rate increase proposal from Red Oak Sanitation. Under the revised proposal, monthly rates will be as follows beginning in March: Residential Garbage - $18; Residential Garbage Plus Recycling - $22; Commercial Garbage - $23; Commercial Garbage Plus Recycling - $27. Street Department specialty pickups will remain free, as long customers meet the guidelines.

  • In a 3-0 vote, with Council members Chad Crane and Joey Cochran absent, reappointed all members of the City's boards and authorities (Fair Advisory Board, Health Board, Housing Authority, Development Authority, Downtown Development Authority, Planning & Zoning Board, and Recreation Board), as well as all demand service providers (General Repair and Construction - Cumming Development Construction; Concrete and Street Repair - Jimmy Ray Brown; Sewer Repair - Townley Construction Company; Water Repair, Small Scale - Bobby Amos Inc.; Water Repair, Large Scale - Jasper Grading and Pipeline, Inc.; Landscape Specialty and Design - Watson Landscaping).

  • In a 2-0 vote, with Council members Chad Crane and Joey Cochran absent and Linda Ledbetter abstaining, reappointed all of the City's professional services providers (Legal Services - Miles, Hansford & Tallant; Auditors - Rushton Group; Utilities Engineer - Civil Engineering Consultants, Inc.; Civil Engineer - Foresite Group; and Easement Acquisition Specialist - Michael Delaney).

  • Approved, in a 4-1 vote with Councilwoman Linda Ledbetter abstaining, a rezoning application from Providence Group of Georgia, LLC for development of a project know as Sawnee Village, located on approximately 153 acres between Pilgrim Road and Dahlonega Hwy.

  • Approved a right-of-way abandonment for a portion of the former Industrial Park Drive. With the re-alignment of the Buford Dam Extension and Industrial Park Drive, a portion of the old road bed will not be used.

  • Approved an alcohol for consumption on the premises license for Dice Goblin Games, located at 1532 Market Place Blvd.

  • Approved an 8-foot variance to the minimum landscape strip for Wash Factory Cumming, LLC. The owner made the request in order to accommodate two drive lanes for a car wash facility on North Corners Parkway.

  • Held a public hearing to begin the City's Comprehensive Plan Update process, which is required every five years by state law. In a 4-1 vote, with Councilwoman Linda Ledbetter opposed, Council also approved members of the Comprehensive Plan Update Steering Committee: Councilmen Christopher Light and Joey Cochran; Planning Board members Ralph Webb, Brent Otwell and Ricky Noles; and citizen members Jason May, Susie Carr and Zack McMillian. The steering committee will begin monthly meetings, which will be open to the public, in February.
Upcoming Aquatic Center Events
The Cumming Aquatic Center will present the following events in February:

  • Free Lunch & Lecture: "How to Keep Your Heart Happy" with cardiologist Dr. Heather Westmoreland - Monday, Feb. 7th at 12:15 p.m. Please RSVP for this event by calling 770-781-1781 or emailing cac2@cityofcumming.net.

  • Parents' Night Out - Friday, Feb. 11th, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. $20/child; ages 5-13 only. Drop the kids off at the Aquatic Center for a fun evening of swimming, games, activities, and a pizza party! Click here to register.
SAA Arts Center Opens New Show
The Sawnee Association of the Arts' Cumming Arts Center will feature a new show in February and March titled "Out of the Doldrums." The show opens Thursday, Feb. 3rd and runs through Saturday, March 26th, and features artists Garry and Lois Colby, as well as other SAA member artists. Garry was an Art Director at the advertising agencies of Kenyon & Eckhardt and Campbell-Ewald, and has been teaching at the Center for Creative Studies, an art college, for more than 15 years. He has established an extensive resume of corporate and personal clients. Lois is an extremely talented new artist who leans toward impressionistic painting styles. The Cumming Arts Center, located in the City's historic Brannon-Heard House at 111 Pilgrim Mill Road, is open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday-Saturday.
School Street Playhouse Presents "Private Lives"
Tam's School Street Playhouse, located at 101 School Street, will present a production of Noel Coward's "Private Lives" from Feb. 11-27, with performances at 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and at 3 p.m. on Sundays. Click here to purchase tickets. Revived in 2002 by the Royal National Theatre in a production that sparkled on Broadway, "Private Lives" is acclaimed as one of the most sophisticated and entertaining plays ever written. Elyot and Amanda, once married to one anther and now honeymooning with their new spouses at the same hotel, meet by chance, reignite the old spark and impulsively elope. After days of being reunited, they again find their fiery romance alternating between bouts of love and anger. When their aggrieved spouses reappear, a dance of affiliations ensues as the women first stick together, then apart, and new partnerships are formed.
MEETINGS
Youth Council Meeting - Feb. 1 at 5 p.m.

City Council Work Session - Feb. 1 at 6 p.m.

Planning & Zoning Board Meeting - Feb. 15 at 5 p.m.

Regular City Council Meeting - Feb. 15 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.
Stay Connected