City of Cumming E-News

City of Cumming

E-News

January 2024

Christmas Parade: Congrats and Thanks

Despite rainy weather, we were able to celebrate another Christmas season with the City of Cumming Christmas Parade on Saturday, Dec. 9th! More than 85 wonderful entries participated in the annual event, including government organizations, businesses, churches, scout troops, and private individuals!

Thank you to our event sponsors: Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Andean Chevrolet, as well Forsyth Central High School which served as our staging area, and our contest judges: Mary Helen McGruder and Stephanie McCabe of the Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce!

Congratulations to our 2023 Christmas Parade Winners:

Best Float - Forsyth County 911/EMA
Best Fire Truck - Engine 1
Most Spirited Band - Denmark High School
Most Creative Entry - FaithWay Baptist Church
Best Scout Troop - Cub Scout Pack 211
Best On-Foot/Non-Vehicle - Divas & Gents Bike Life
Best Jeep - Michael Jones
Best Modern Vehicle (Non-Jeep) - Forsyth County Schools Transportation Department
Best Classic/Antique Vehicle - Dylan Holcomb's Mayberry Sheriff Car and Cumming Police Department's Antique Sheriff's Patrol Car
Best Golf Cart - Elaine Thomas
Most Holiday Spirit - St. Brendan the Navigator Catholic Church
Most Patriotic Entry - American Legion Post 307
Honorable Mention - Los Rios Mexican Restaurant & Cantina

Click here and here for photos from the Christmas Parade!

Cumming Police Department Honors Officers

The City of Cumming Police Department recognized several officers during its end-of-year awards presentation on Dec. 13th. Officer William Knight and Officer Shafaa Sammander were both named Officer of the Year, while Detective Burrell Sullivan was named Investigator of the Year. Additionally, Sarah Brecher was ceremonially sworn in as an officer with the department after completing her time at the Police Academy. The Cumming Police Department's new Honor Guard also made its debut during the event. They will don full Honor Guard uniforms in 2024. Congratulations to all these outstanding officers!

City Center Fire Museum Now Officially Open

The Cumming City Center officially opened the Fire Museum on December 14th with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Mayor Troy Brumbalow and Forsyth County Fire Department Chief Barry Head joined former Cumming City Council members Quincy Holton, Lewis Ledbetter and Rupert Sexton in cutting the ribbon. Holton, Ledbetter and Sexton all also served many years on the City of Cumming Volunteer Fire Department. The Fire Museum pays homage to the former City of Cumming Volunteer Department, which disbanded in the 1990s, as well as the Forsyth County Fire Department. The Fire Museum is open during Myth & Legend Coffee's business hours, as well as during some City Center events. The Fire Museum is free for everyone to enjoy!

Click here for more Fire Museum Ribbon Cutting photos!

Recreation Art, Fitness and Dance Classes Open

City of Cumming Recreation & Parks will offer adult fitness and art classes, as well children's dance classes in January, February and March.

Among the fitness classes offered are Barre, HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), Yoga, Zumba, and more! Classes are offered on various days and at various times. For fitness schedule, click here.

Six-week adult art classes in oils, acrylic or pastels will be offered on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 1-4 p.m. Additionally, an Open Studio for adult artists will be offered on Fridays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For the complete schedule, click here.

A number of dance classes in various styles for ages 3 to 18 will be offered beginning in January. For complete schedule, click here.

To register for any class or for more information about Cumming Recreation classes and programs, go to crpdonline.com.

Aquatic Center January Events and Closures

The Cumming Aquatic Center will have the following events and closures in January:

Aquatic Center Holiday Closures - Dec. 31st and Jan. 1st for New Year's Eve and Day

Registration for Spring Swim Lessons Opens - Jan. 2nd at 9 a.m. Lessons will be available for all ages (from 6 months through adults), and will be offered from March through May. Go to cummingaquaticcenter.com when registration opens to sign up.

Half-Price Family Friday - Jan. 19th, 2-6 p.m. Bring the whole family to the Cumming Aquatic Center for half-off regular general admission! Excludes memberships, programs and group exercise classes.

Fitter and Faster 2-Day Swim Camp - Jan. 27th & 28th. Elite clinicians will work with participants, focusing on fast starts, turns and underwaters. Click here to register.

Registration Now Open for February Lifeguarding Course - Lifeguarding Course will be held Feb. 23rd - 25th. Click here to register.

Recycle Your Christmas Tree

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. 27th. Trees may be dropped off at any of the following locations:

Home Depot - 1000 Market Place Blvd. (only on Jan. 6th from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Home Depot - 2635 Peachtree Pkwy. (only on Jan. 6th from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Vickery Creek Elementary School - 6280 Post Road (Dec. 26th to Jan. 6th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Tolbert Street Recycling Convenience Center - 351 Tolbert Street, daily through Jan. 27th from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed on Sundays)*
Old Atlanta Recycling Convenience Center - 3678 Old Atlanta Road, daily through Jan. 27th from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed on Sundays)*
Coal Mountain Recycling Convenience Center - 3560 Settingdown Road, daily through Jan. 27th from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed on Sundays)*

*All three county recycling convenience centers will be closed Monday, Jan. 1st for New Year’s Day and Monday, Jan. 15th for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Wood chips made from the recycled trees are available on a first-come, first-serve 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. (Graphic courtesy of Keep Forsyth County Beautiful)

Local Honored for Heroic Efforts During Fire

During their December Work Session on Dec. 5th, Mayor Troy Brumbalow and City Council presented a proclamation to Marlon Priest in honor of his heroic efforts during a fire at Aubrey's Landing Apartment Community in November. Mr. Priest went door-to-door to his neighbors to ensure everyone got out of their apartment safely, and then went into the apartment that was on fire to make sure no one was inside. He also removed the source of the fire - a vanity on which a lit candle had overturned - and extinguished flames that had spread to walls, all while making contact with 911.

Forsyth County Fire Chief Barry Head and Fire Battalion Chief Jay Davis attended the presentation. Chief Head thanked Mr. Priest for his heroic actions, which no doubt saved lives and property. Many of Mr. Priest's family, friends and neighbors attended the meeting.

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

Following a public hearing, adopted the 2024 City Budget, and approved the amended 2023 City Budget.

Following a public hearing, approved the Capital Improvements Element of the City's Comprehensive Plan, which will be submitted to the Atlanta Regional Commission and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.

Approved the sale of approximately 0.34 acres of property at the intersection of Market Place Blvd. and Mary Alice Park Road to Access Area LLC. for the appraised value of $52,000.

Approved an easement and maintenance agreement with First Baptist Church in which a sign for the church will be placed on Vision Parkway at the church access point. In exchange for permission to place the sign on City right-of-way, the church will do all landscaping and maintenance of the right-of-way from Sawnee Drive to the sign, which must meet City requirements before being installed.

Following a public hearing, approved the annexation and rezoning of approximately 9.306 acres on Market Place Boulevard for the purpose of constructing a commercial development.

Click here to view meeting agendas and minutes.

SAA Arts Center January Events

The Sawnee Association of the Arts will offer the following events this month at the Cumming Arts Center, 111 Pilgrim Mill Road:

"Season Finale" Members Exhibit & Holiday Market - Now through Jan. 6th
"Tiny Bubbles" Members Exhibit - Opens Jan. 10th in the Main Gallery
South Forsyth Vertical Team Art Exhibit (Elementary, Middle & High School Student Work) - Opens Jan. 17th in the Upstairs Gallery
SAA Monthly Meeting (Non-SAA Members are welcome to attend) - Jan. 21st, 3-5 p.m. at the Cumming Library, 585 Dahlonega Street
Lunch & Learn: Encaustic Painting - Jan. 27th

For more information about these events, click here.

City of Cumming Holiday Closure

Cumming City Hall and all other non-essential City of Cumming facilities and departments will be closed in observation of the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday on Monday, Jan. 15th. All City facilities will reopen for normal business hours on Tuesday, Jan. 16th.

MEETINGS

City Council Work Session - January 2nd at 6 p.m.

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

Regular City Council Meeting - January 16th 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.

Click here for previous meeting videos.

Click here for City Council Agendas and Minutes.

Click here for Planning & Zoning Board Agendas and Minutes.

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