City of Cumming
E-News
January 2023
Cumming City Center Welcomes New Tenants
The Cumming City Center welcomed four new tenant businesses in December. Click each link to read more about each business.

Rita West Photography - Forsyth County native Rita West will take her photography business, which specializes in candid and posed lifestyle shots, to the next level with her first studio site at the Cumming City Center.

Santa Maria Tapas Bar - Veteran chef and restaurateur, Mariano Garcia, will bring unique flavors of Spanish and Latin American tapas (small plates) and beverages to the Cumming City Center via his new restaurant, Santa Maria.

Rock 'N' Taco - This popular Roswell taqueria, sports bar and live music venue will be expanding into its second location at the Cumming City Center. Rock ‘N’ Taco has built a brand around its belief in “cover bands, not cover charges," and focuses on the music of the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. The Cumming restaurant will exude the same ambiance as the Roswell location with walls decorated with music memorabilia, signed guitar plaques and platinum records.

Willis Group Real Estate - After many years on Canton Road, Willis Group, a real estate team with Keller Williams Realty Community Partners, is pleased to announce plans to move to a new office space in the Cumming City Center. The transition is designed to better position Willis Group to serve its clients and the greater community of Cumming and beyond. The new office space will help accommodate the continued growth of the team and the continued growth of the Cumming real estate market.

The Cumming City Center is thrilled to welcome these new tenants to the City Center family! Click here for a complete list of all businesses who have joined the Cumming City Center family, or go to www.cummingcitycenter.com.
Thank You for 5 Great Years: Christmas Parade & Festival Again a Hit
The 2022 City of Cumming Parade & Fairgrounds' Festival marked five years since the City reestablished the parade and began the festival. Each year has seen more and more people in our community coming out to the enjoy these holiday festivities, and this year was no exception. Thank you to everyone who participated in the parade or festival, our event sponsors, and everyone who attended one or both of these events!

We'd also like to thank our parade contest judges, Mary Helen McGruder and Joni Buford of the Forsyth County Chamber, and congratulate all our parade contest winners:

  • Best Float - Forsyth County E911/Emergency Management Agency
  • Most Spirited Band - East Forsyth High School "Thundering Herd"
  • Best Scout Troop - Cub Scout Pack 207
  • Best Jeep - Mike Jones of FoCo Jeepers
  • Best Modern Vehicle (Non-Jeep) - Pull Water Sports
  • Best Classic/Antique Vehicle - Xpress Auto Glass (1951 Ford)
  • Best Animal Entry - Boy Scout Pack 8307
  • Best On-Foot Group - Sawnee Ballet Theatre
  • Most Creative Entry - Tiki Time Lanier
  • Most Holiday Spirit - Georgia Highlands Medical
  • Spirit of Christmas Award - St. Brendan the Navigator Catholic Church
  • Spirit of Christmas Award, Honorable Mention - Faithway Baptist Church

Click here for more photos from the Christmas parade and the Fairgrounds' festival.
Recycle Old Christmas Trees at 'Bring One for the Chipper' Locations
Keep Forsyth County Beautiful (KFCB) invites Cumming and Forsyth County residents to recycle their live Christmas trees during the annual ‘Bring One for the Chipper’ event now through Jan. 28th. Trees may be dropped off at any of the following locations:

  • Home Depot - 1000 Market Place Blvd.
  • Home Depot - 2635 Peachtree Pkwy. (Jan. 7th only from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
  • Vickery Creek Elementary School - 6280 Post Road (Dec. 26th to Jan. 7th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
  • Tolbert Street Recycling Convenience Center - 351 Tolbert Street, daily through Jan. 28th from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed on Sundays)*
  • Old Atlanta Recycling Convenience Center - 3678 Old Atlanta Road, daily through Jan. 28th from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed on Sundays)*
  • Coal Mountain Recycling Convenience Center - 3560 Settingdown Road, daily through Jan. 28th from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed on Sundays)*

*All three county recycling convenience centers will close at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 31st, until Tuesday, Jan. 3rd, 2023 for New Year’s Day. The centers will also be closed on Monday, Jan. 16th, 2023 for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Wood chips made from the recycled trees are available on a first-come, first-served basis year-round to all county residents, just inside Coal Mountain Park (3560 Settingdown Road). Residents are responsible for loading and hauling their own wood chips. 

For more information on Christmas tree recycling, visit keepforsythcountybeautiful.org or call KFCB at (770) 205-4573. (Image courtesy of Forsyth County.)
City Council Honors Police Officers
During their Dec. 6th Work Session, Mayor Troy Brumbalow and City Council joined Police Chief David Marsh in honoring several Cumming Police officers for outstanding work in 2022. Officer Tyler Burns received the Officer of the Year Award, while Sgt. Sebastian Strano received the Life Saving Award and was promoted from Sergeant to Captain. Sgt. Tony Hodgkins was also recognized for his work during two difficult cases. Click here to read more about the 2022 Cumming Police Department Awards.

In other business during the December Work Session, Regular Meeting, and two special called meetings, City Council took the following actions:

  • Approved an alcohol license application for Homestead Restaurant Group at the Cumming City Center, as well as 2023 alcohol license renewals for 56 businesses.

  • In a 4-1 vote with Councilwoman Linda Ledbetter opposed, approved an intergovernmental agreement with Forsyth County for distribution of Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) proceeds for the next 10 years. Under the agreement, the City of Cumming will continue to receive 13 percent of the revenue generated by the tax, while Forsyth County will continue to receive 87 percent.

  • In two 4-0 votes, both with Councilwoman Linda Ledbetter absent, adopted the 2023 budget and the 2022 amended budget.

  • In two 4-1 votes with Councilwoman Linda Ledbetter opposed each time, reappointed Kelly Lamb and Eric Kimbral for another 4-year term to the Development Authority, and reappointed David Leathers and Brad Garmon for another 4-year term to the Downtown Development Authority. City Council also discussed looking into possibly adding more positions onto each authority to allow more people to serve, but no action was taken.

  • Voted to amend the City's Zoning Ordinance to add a Design Guide, a Design Review Committee consisting of one Planning Commission member and two members of City Council, and a Design Review Permit Application.

  • Authorized emergency repairs around the Sawnee Mountain Water Tanks by GeoStabilization International GSI and North Georgia Pipeline after recent heavy rains caused erosion which ultimately led to line leaks and further damages. The emergency repairs are needed to shore up the area around the tanks to prevent any future issues.

  • Approved purchase of three service trucks from low bidder John Megal Chevrolet for the Cumming Utilities Department.

  • Approved purchase of a sludge dryer for use at the Cumming Utilities Advanced Water Reclamation Facility from Heavy Constructors, Inc.
Cumming Arts Center Preparing for Busy Year
The Cumming Arts Center, with its more than 150 members, is looking forward to a busy and exciting year in 2023. The Arts Center will present a wide range of visual art events for Cumming and Forsyth County residents throughout the year. Some of the planned events include plein air painting day trips, photography shows, scavenger hunts, a City Center Art Walk event, Second Annual World of Art Outdoor Festival, and local area school exhibits. These events are in addition to the Arts Center's ongoing classes, open studio space and more. Visit sawneeart.org to sign up for for the Arts Center newsletter, and to learn about membership, volunteer opportunities, sponsorships and more.
January Holiday Closures
All non-essential City of Cumming departments and facilities will be closed in observance of the New Year holiday on Monday, Jan. 2nd with normal business hours resuming on Tuesday, Jan. 3rd.

City of Cumming facilities will also be closed in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday on Monday, Jan. 16th with normal business hours resuming on Tuesday, Jan. 17th.
MEETINGS
Youth Council - January 3 at 5 p.m.

City Council Work Session - January 3 at 6 p.m.

Planning & Zoning Board Meeting - January 17 at 5 p.m.

Regular City Council Meeting - January 17 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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