City of Cumming
E-News
March 2021
Community Arbor Day Celebration a Success
About 85 people, including many families with young children, braved the chilly temperatures on Friday, Feb. 19th to attend the Community Arbor Day Celebration. (Click here to see more photos from the event! )This celebration of trees - presented in conjunction with Keep Forsyth County Beautiful, UGA Extension Services, and the Georgia Forestry Commission - featured a tree planting demonstration, free saplings and other Arbor Day goodies for guests to take home, presentation of a $10,000 donation from Keep Forsyth County Beautiful to the City of Cumming for planting of native trees at the Cumming City Center, recognition of Cumming as an official "Tree City USA," and announcement of winners of the Arbor Day Youth Art Contest. The City of Cumming thanks all of our event partners and sponsors, including TriScapes, Inc., which donated and prepared the site of the tree used in the planting demo, and TradeWind Coffee Co., which served coffee and hot chocolate to warm up patrons, as well as members of the City of Cumming Youth Council who helped out before and during the event, and of course everyone attended the celebration!
Cumming Named An Official "Tree City USA"
As part of the Arbor Day event, the City of Cumming received official recognition from the Georgia Forestry Commission and the National Arbor Day Foundation as a "Tree City USA." In order to become a Tree City USA, a city must meet four criteria: having a tree board or department; having a tree ordinance; having a Community Forestry Program with an annual budget of at least $2 per capita used for planting and care of city trees; and having an Arbor Day observance and proclamation every year. The City received a flag, plaque, and two street signs noting its status as a Tree City USA. Jayme Walls with the City Street Department hung the street signs at the intersection of Kelly Mill Road and Hwy. 20, and at the mini clocktower park near City Hall.
Congratulations Arbor Day Youth Art Contest Winners
This year marked our first ever Arbor Day Youth Art Contest. In hopes of spreading awareness of our Community Arbor Day Celebration, we encouraged students in grades K-12 to submit photos of unique, tree-themed drawings or paintings for the contest. We were thrilled to receive 33 entries (18 from elementary students, 11 from middle school students, and 4 from high school students)! We utilized assistance from the City of Cumming Youth Council to help us select one winner each from elementary, middle and high school levels. Our winners were:

  • Anay Rajankar, a 4th grader at Big Creek Elementary School
  • Clara Miller, a homeschooled 8th grader and
  • Chariah Miller, a homeschooled 10th grader.

Each winner received a certificate and goody bag with small prizes sponsored by the Cumming Arts Center and Sawnee Mountain Biscuit Co. Thank you to ALL the students who submitted work, to our prize sponsors, and to our Youth Council members! The artwork will be on display at Cumming City Hall (second floor) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday through March 5th and shared on the City's Facebook page.
City Council Approves Horton Hall as Vaccine Location for Health Department
During their February Work Session, City Council unanimously approved use of Horton Hall at the Cumming Fairgrounds as a COVID-19 vaccination site by the Forsyth County Health Department. Officials with the department and Forsyth County Emergency Management had made the request to utilize Horton Hall as a vaccine site due to a lack of space to allow for appropriate social distancing and parking at the Heath Department's regular office. Please note: All vaccination appointments must be made in advance through District Two Public Health (NO walk-ins allowed). Please do not contact the Cumming Fairgrounds or any other City of Cumming department about vaccinations as the City is simply providing a venue for administration of the vaccines by District Two Public Health/Forsyth County Health Department.

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

  • Adopted a Parking and Miscellaneous Offenses Ordinance to allow the Cumming Police Department better discretion on several types of offenses such as parking violations, shoplifting, and trespassing.

  • Approved the low bid from Townley Construction Company, Inc. to replace sewer line from Tribble Gap Road to the Butler Building in downtown Cumming.

  • Approved a change order to allow Utility Service Co. (SUEZ), the contractor painting Sawnee Mountain Tank #1 for Cumming Utilities, to also paint Sawnee Mountain Tank #2.

  • Adopted a Pedestrian Event Ordinance which requires a permit and a 30-day review window to evaluate the traffic burden and need for police protection when planning an event such as a 5K run.

  • Held public hearings on a rezoning application (Ashton Atlanta) and an annexation application (14905 Hopewell Group, LLC). Following the public hearings, Council voted to wait until the March 2nd work session to vote on approval of both these items.

  • Approved the low bid from Utility Service Co. (SUEZ) for repainting, repair, addition of cathodic protection and mixing for Cumming Utilities' Hendrix Road Elevated Water Storage Tank.

  • Approved low bids from Old South General Contractors, LLC, and Strong Building Systems for concrete and steel work needed to construct two buildings at the Utilities Distribution & Collection Division shop site on Hwy. 9.

  • Approved the low bid from Universal Concepts for purchase of various Christmas decorations and lights for use at the Cumming City Center.
Family Friday at CAC on March 19th
Looking for a fun, family outing? How about a trip to the Cumming Aquatic Center for half-off regular admission costs? Half-Price Family Friday returns on March 19th from 2-6 p.m. Pricing excludes memberships, programs, and group exercise classes.
Cumming Arts Center Accepting Members
The Cumming Arts Center/Sawnee Association of the Arts 2021 membership drive is now open. This year the Arts Center will continue to provide opportunities to participate in art shows, classes, and open studio. Anyone, regardless of artistic ability, is welcome to join, volunteer and support/sponsor the arts in the Cumming-Forsyth community. Visit www.sawneeart.org to join and learn more about exciting new classes, the “Art of the World Exhibit” scheduled for September and the Annual Christmas Arts & Crafts Festival at Lanier Technical College, and don’t forget to register to receive the Cumming Arts Center newsletter!
MEETINGS
Youth Council Meeting - March 2 at 5 p.m.

City Council Work Session - March 2 at 6 p.m.

Planning & Zoning Board Meeting - March 16 at 5 p.m.

Regular City Council Meeting - March 16 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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