City of Cumming
E-News
September 2020
Ropes and Reins Ready: Rodeo is Labor Day Weekend
The IPRA World Championship Rodeo will return to the Cumming Fairgrounds' arena this Labor Day weekend.

The rodeo will be held Sept. 4 & 5 at 8 p.m. and Sept. 6 at 7 p.m., with gates opening two hours prior to start times for ticket sales.

Spectators will enjoy more than two hours each night of fast-paced rodeo events, including bull riding, bare back riding, barrel racing, cowgirl breakaway roping, calf roping, steer wrestling, team roping, and saddle bronc riding, as well as comedy from the rodeo's professional clowns and other entertainment.

Due to ongoing public health concerns surrounding COVID-19, special safety measures will be in place every night of the event, as follows:
  • Only 1,000 tickets will be sold each night (including all online sales). This represents less than 1/3 of the covered arena’s seating capacity of 3,300.
  • Guests are asked to please socially distance themselves throughout the event. Rows will be blocked off to ensure guests are well spaced from one another. 
  • Signs will be placed throughout the venue to remind patrons to maintain six feet of distance between themselves and any person not in their familiar group. 
  • Wearing of face masks, while not required, is strongly encouraged.
  • Hand washing and hand sanitizing stations will be available throughout the venue.
  • All surfaces throughout the arena will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected after each night of the rodeo.
  • Anyone exhibiting any symptoms of illness (including but not limited to: fever, cough, shortness of breath, or stomach distress) or who has been in recent contact with anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 is asked to please stay home. 

Admission is $15 for ages 13-64; $10 for ages 5-12 as well as seniors 65 & up; and free for children 4 and under. For more information and event updates, follow the Cumming Fairgrounds' Facebook page.
Doggy Paddle Party: Sept. 12 at the Aquatic Center
Water-loving canines of all shapes and sizes are invited to dip their paws into the Cumming Aquatic Center's outdoor leisure pool on Saturday, Sept. 12. This is the last day the outdoor pool will be open before it is drained for the season (it will not be open for human use this date other than dog owners introducing their pets to the water).

There will be three sessions offered:
  • Session 1 for large dogs (45 lbs & up) - 10 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.
  • Session 2 for small dogs (under 45 lbs) - 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
  • Session 3 for large dogs (45 lbs & up) - 1 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.

Cost is $10 per dog per session (humans are free), and proof of vaccination is required. Humans in attendance are asked to socially distance, and face masks are encouraged. Click here to view complete rules and to register your canine friend.
Outdoor Movie at the Fairgrounds: Sept. 19
Northside Hospital, Southern Outdoor Cinemas, and the City of Cumming present 'Georgia Movies in the Park' on Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Cumming Fairgrounds.

Bring your own lawn chair or blanket for a free viewing of "Jumanji: The Next Level" beginning at 7:45 p.m. Gates open at 7 p.m.

Families must secure a pass in advance (one pass is good for up to five people) to attend this event. Passes can be secured beginning on Sept. 13 on this page. A limited number of passes will be provided and families/groups are asked to maintain six feet of distance between themselves and all other groups during the event. Masks are highly encouraged, and anyone who feels ill or has been exposed to COVID-19 should not attend.

No concessions will be sold during this event, but families are permitted to bring their own snacks (no alcohol or glass bottles allowed). No pets will be permitted, and families are asked to please clean up all their own trash before exiting the Fairgrounds. For more information about this free community event, click here.
Cumming Country Fair & Festival Cancelled
City of Cumming leaders recently made the very difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Cumming Country Fair & Festival due to ongoing concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with the vast scale of the event.

“This was, of course, a very tough decision to make because we know how much the Cumming Country Fair & Festival is loved by our community,” said Mayor Troy Brumbalow. “But given the ongoing public health situation surrounding COVID-19, we simply could not in good conscience hold this large-scale event this year.”

The fair’s magnitude, including high attendance numbers and wide variety of offerings, combined with other concerns such as an inability to properly disinfect numerous highly touched surfaces and communal spaces, led City leaders to cancel the event.

The Cumming Scare Fair: Houses of Four Scythes haunted attraction, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, is still scheduled to take place on all its originally scheduled dates (Oct. 8-18, 23-24, 30-31) inside the Fairgrounds' Horton Hall. Click here to read about the event's COVID-19 plan and safety guidelines.
Special "Honorary Mayor" Named
During the Aug. 18th Regular City Council Meeting, Mayor Troy Brumbalow recognized a very special young man, Charlie Westbrook, with a proclamation declaring Aug. 18, 2020 as Charlie Westbrook Day in the City of Cumming. The proclamation also declared Charlie as the "honorary mayor of the City of Cumming for as long as Charlie so chooses to serve his community." Charlie had already dubbed himself as mayor and already has big plans to run for president of the United States in 2044. Besides the proclamation, Charlie was also invited to sit next to Mayor Brumbalow during the opening of the meeting. He even got to use the mayor's gavel to call the meeting to order. Pictured here with Mayor Brumbalow and his parents, Elizabeth and Slade Westbrook, Charlie, 11, is one of four children with special needs the Westbrooks have adopted. They also have three older biological children. Everyone in the City of Cumming is proud to have Charlie as our "honorary mayor"! Click here to view video clips of Charlie and Mayor Brumbalow interacting during the meeting.

In other business during the August work session and regular meeting, City Council:

  • Approved a contract to extend Buford Dam Road from its current terminus at Atlanta Road to a new terminus at Veterans Memorial Boulevard, and to install water and storm water drainage lines. Council authorized Mayor Brumbalow to sign the necessary documents to execute the contract only after the City is provided the final engineering design for the road extension. Eventually, Buford Dam Road will be further extended to tie into Castleberry Road on the south side of the Cumming Fairgrounds' Parking Lot #3.

  • Approved an amendment to the City's Planning & Zoning Ordinance which clarifies that dwellings are to be located above the principal business in cases of mixed use facilities, and allows for entities who donate property to the City to be allowed legal non-conforming uses without penalty.

  • Approved an alcohol license for the sale of malt beverages and wine for consumption on the premises for Annunziata’s Pizza & Pasta on the square.

  • Approved new software for the Cumming Municipal Court, the cost of which will be covered by an additional $12 fee that will be added to each court case.

  • Approved the proposed ground lease between the City of Cumming and the State of Georgia Properties Commission for placement of Cumming Utilities’ two-million-gallon water storage tank, concrete detention pond, water and storm water drainage improvements, paving, and fencing. The annual lease payment would be $10,600, payable to the State of Georgia Properties Commission.

  • Approved an amendment to the School Street Playhouse lease agreement which allows Playhouse Partners, LLC to pay the City 12.5 percent of its gross revenue until March 31, 2021, or until social distancing restrictions are lessened to allow full capacity inside the performance venue.

  • Approved a resolution concerning federal CARES Act funding, which would be distributed to the City in three phases to offset costs incurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Approved a resolution regarding Forsyth County’s request to adjust Regional Commission boundaries to remove Forsyth County from the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission and place Forsyth County in the Atlanta Regional Commission.

  • Approved a land donation of approximately 10 acres from Brookside Heights Apartments, LLC, located across from the site of the Cumming City Center on Canton Highway. The property is to be used only for a public purpose such as walking or hiking trails.

  • Approved a resolution to match grant funds, if awarded, from the Georgia Council for the Arts for Cultural Facilities. The maximum amount of the grant is $75,000, which, if awarded, would help offset costs of the band shell at the City Center amphitheater.
Mayor's Memo: Summer 2020 Edition
Despite some changes to our normal publishing schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mayor's Memo is back with a summer edition!

Be sure to check it out for updates on the Cumming City Center's progress and other news from Mayor Troy Brumbalow. Click here to read the Summer 2020 Mayor's Memo.
Cumming Utilities: Drinking Water Notice
Cumming Utilities has received several concerns from customers in recent weeks regarding an unusual taste and/or smell to their tap water. These unusual occurrences, which many people describe as an "earthy" or "musty" flavor and/or scent, are due to two naturally occurring components: Geosmin and 2-Methylisoborneol (MIB), which are produced by blue-green algae and actinomycetes in Lake Lanier. Periodically the levels of these substances rise, which calls for additional levels of powdered activated carbon to be added to water during the treatment process. While the resulting tastes and smells can be unpleasant while staff work to find the best balance between the natural flavors and the activated carbon, please be advised that none of these substances have any effect on the safety of drinking water, and Cumming Utilities employees are working to resolve these issues as soon as possible. To learn more about the causes of certain tastes and odors in drinking water, click here. To learn more about everything found in your Cumming Utilities drinking water, click here to read the Annual Water Quality Report.
Labor Day Closure: Monday, Sept. 7
Cumming City Hall and most non-critical departments will be closed on Monday, Sept. 7 in observance of Labor Day.

The Cumming Aquatic Center, however, will be open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 7, as well as normal weekend hours on Sept. 5 and 6.

We wish everyone a safe and happy Labor Day weekend!
Reminder: Order Your City Center Bricks Today
Have you purchased your bricks yet? Be sure to check out the City Center Buy-A-Brick Program for your opportunity to be a lasting part of the Cumming City Center's history!

For only $50.00, you can purchase a personalized engraved brick with up to three lines of text (with 18 characters per line). Individuals, families, businesses, churches, civic clubs, schools and specific school organizations or clubs, and more are all invited to take part in the City Center Buy-A-Brick Program.

Bricks can be easily purchased with a credit card by clicking here, or a hard copy order form can be obtained anytime between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday-Friday at Cumming City Hall (100 Main Street) and returned with check or money order made payable to the City of Cumming, GA. For more information, contact Jennifer Archer, City Center Property Manager, at jarcher@cityofcumming.net.
Call for Artists: Autumn in the City Virtual Art Show
The Cumming Arts Center invites local artists aged 18 years and older to submit online photos of original works of art created recently or in the past for the Autumn in the City Virtual Art Show.

The submittal period runs from Sept. 1-30. This will be a juried show open to the public. Prizes will be awarded to first, second and third place winners, as well as a “Best in Show” award on which the public will vote.

Artwork may include 2D and 3D art (drawings, paintings, photography, woodworking, sculptures, pottery, jewelry, and more). The art show will “go live” on Oct. 5. Click here for complete information. (Image: oil painting by Valery Rybakow)
MEETINGS

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

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

Regular City Council Meeting - September 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.
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