<![CDATA[Cobb Parks Coalition in Cobb County

<![CDATA[Cobb Parks Coalition in Cobb County - Blog]]>Thu, 30 Apr 2026 02:22:55 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Public Input Meetings for the New Passive Park Bond Properties]]>Mon, 11 Feb 2019 17:38:47 GMThttp://www.cobbparkscoalition.org/blog/public-input-meetings-for-the-new-passive-park-bond-properties

Info provided by Cobb County: Public Input Meetings for the New Passive Park Bond Properties purchased with the 2008 Park Bond funds. You are invited to review master plans for the new parks and provide your input.

Cobb County PARKS' staff will host a series of public input meetings to discuss planning for the future of new park properties purchased through the 2008 PARKS Bond program. Although there is currently no funding for the development of these properties, your input will play a vital role in the planning for future development once such funding is identified. There will be a separate meeting for each of the properties purchased in Districts One, Three and Four. Below is more information about all six of the meetings planned around the county:

Wednesday, Feb. 13: Kemp-Burnt Hickory - West Cobb Senior Center, District 1
Monday, Feb 18: Ebenezer Road - Noonday Baptist Church, District 3
Wednesday, Feb. 27: Anderson Road - West Cobb Senior Center, District 1
Monday, March 4: Stilesboro, Price - West Cobb Regional Library (Mars Hill), District 1
Monday, March 11: Old Westside Road - Ron Anderson, District 4
Wednesday, March 20: Henderson Road - South Cobb Community Center, District 4

]]><![CDATA[The July 25, 2017 Board of Commissioners Meeting: a Great Game-Changer for Park Bond 2008 & Braves Financing]]>Fri, 28 Jul 2017 18:29:35 GMThttp://www.cobbparkscoalition.org/blog/the-july-25-2017-board-of-commissioners-meeting-a-game-changer-for-park-bond-2008-braves-financing

The Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, July 25, 2017 was a positive game-changer for the 2008 Park Bond and for the Braves Stadium financing plan.

1. The millage rate approved by the Board of Commissioners respected Park Bond 2008 funding without a tax increase.

2. The BoC restructured how the Braves stadium bond will be financed with the millage rate, so it can no longer be asserted that Cobb County is using all the Park Bond funds for the Stadium Bond.

Thank you for your efforts to email, call and encourage the county to do the right thing with the $40 million Park Bond Cobb citizens voted for and overwhelmingly approved on November 4, 2008. Your actions made a difference!

Chairman Boyce has championed the Park Bond voter-approved referendum that 2 previous Chairmen and the Board of Commissions neglected to fund for over 8 years. We thank Chairman Boyce and the current Board of Commissioners for the July 25 meeting results. Chairman Boyce and other Commissioners have promised to fund the remainder of the Park Bond in a future budget, which is also possible without a tax increase simply by a continuation of the millage already available.

The Finer Details: On July 25, 2017, the Board of Commissioners decided to shift only a portion (.1 mills instead of .23 mills) of the Debt Service Fund millage toward the Braves stadium bond and fund the remainder from a diffferent source in the budget.

Also at the July 25 meeting, $27.5 of the $40 million Park Bond 2008 Referendum was officially funded from the remaining millage of the Debt Service Fund (.13 mills), without a tax increase, and without shifting all the millage to the Braves stadium bond as had been planned since 2013 in the Cobb County - Braves stadium finance plan. That plan would have used the entire millage rate of the Debt Service Fund as one of the funding sources for the $400 million Stadium Bond, but before using a portion of that millage to fund the $40 million Park Bond as intended since 2008.

To summarize, millage will stay for Park Bond 2008 funding as planned since 2008, when voters approved $40 million to preserve land as parks in our beautiful county.

You can listen to the amazing Park Bond supporters at the July 25 meeting here.

News Stories on the Cobb adopting the same millage rate & Park Bond 2008 funding:

WSB TV: Cobb County commissioners vote down proposed tax hike

MDJ: Cobb commissioners reverse course, keep millage rate the same

AJC: No property tax rate increase for Cobb County

ECN: BREAKING NEWS: Cobb commissioners hold line on 2017 property tax millage rate

ECN: Cobb Parks Coalition: Fulfilling 2008 bond referendum doesn’t require tax increase

MP: Commission Votes To Keep Property Tax Rate The Same In Cobb

AJC: An easy guide to Cobb 2017 property taxes

]]><![CDATA[Park Bond 2008 Funding IS Possible Without Raising Taxes + Q&A]]>Fri, 21 Jul 2017 22:13:36 GMThttp://www.cobbparkscoalition.org/blog/park-bond-2008-funding-is-possible-without-raising-taxes-qa

On Tuesday, July 25 at 7pm the Board of Commissioners will decide whether or not to increase the millage rate. Recent news articles have quoted the Board of Commissioners as saying the reason for the increase is to pay for the 2008 Park Bond Referendum. However, Park Bond 2008 can be fully funded without any increase in taxes for property owners if the county will simply honor the voter referendum with the existing millage available, or if the Board restores the exact millage for the Park Bond shifted into the Braves Stadium Bond this year. Cobb Citizens continue to email and ask that the entire $40 million referendum be funded, and it's clear this has always been possible without raising taxes.

For the past 8 years the county has delayed, denied and then actually diverted the exact millage funds intended to fulfill the 2008 Park Bond voter referendum into the Braves Stadium Bond. There may be challenges in the county budget; however, to point to Park Bond 2008 as the root cause of a millage increase in 2017 is misleading and doesn't make any sense given the millage rate history.

We can appreciate that Park Bond 2008 is now partially funded 8 years after 67% of Cobb voters approved the Referendum. In April 2017, Cobb County issued $27.5 million of the $40 million voters approved, so today only $12.5 million more is required to fulfill this mandate. (see below for the 2 ways the Board has always planned to fund Park Bond 2008 without raising the millage rate or taxes.)

However, out of respect for the 67% of voters who approved Park Bond 2008 Referendum but haven't seen the millage used as it was intended, Park Bond 2008 should not be stated as the cause of any millage rate increase in 2017.

Cobb County Millage Rates 2007-2016 (click for larger image)

These 2 ways to fully fund Park Bond 2008 do not involve raising the millage rate. Each plan is explained below, but of course the Board has many other options to fund the $40 million referendum.

1. The original plan in 2008 was to move some millage from the Fire Fund into the Debt Service Fund to repay Park Bond 2008. The Fire Fund millage can be transferred without any interruption to Public Safety funding needs.

2. Another option involves restoring the exact Debt Service Fund millage that was diverted to the Braves Stadium Bond back into the Debt Service Fund to repay Park Bond 2008.

Video on the Millage Rate Increase Proposal: Start around minute 4:00 to see the explanation of the .23 millage rate transfer intended for Park Bond 2008 into the new Braves Stadium Bond.

Send an Email to the Cobb Board of Commissioners before 7PM on July 25, 2017: No Tax Increase Needed to Fully Fund the $40 million Park Bond 2008 Referendum

Name *

First

Last

Email *

To the Cobb County Board of Commissioners: *

* Voters approved Park Bond 2008, and it must be fully funded. Although $27.5 million of the $40 million Park Bond Referendum has been funded, we continue to ask that you fund the other $12.5 million to fulfill the voter-approved Park Bond referendum mandate.

Optional Comments *

Send

Additional Q&A

Q: Was Park Bond 2008 funded by the millage rate set 2008-2016?

A: It is true the county collected millage (property taxes) intended to repay Park Bond 2008, but the Board of Commissioners under Chairman Olens and Chairman Lee chose not to issue the money for it, despite that the availability of the funds, and the critical need for parks & greenspace listed in every Cobb long-range plan. In fact, over 6,000 acres are needed to achieve Cobb’s greenspace goals, and $40 million Park Bond 2008 will help purchase only a few hundred acres.

Q: If property tax money was already collected for Park Bond 2008 from the millage, what happened to those funds?

A: The collected property taxes from previous millage rates were spent on repaying the 2006 Park Bond 2 years earlier than planned. In other words, the property taxes were collected but applied to another debt. However, there is a “multi-million balance” in the Debt Service Fund not yet applied to Park Bond 2008. We have asked but not received confirmation about what happened to those funds when the millage rate intended for Park Bond 2008 was shifted into the Braves Stadium Bond in the 2017 budget. The Debt Service Fund balance should be applied to Park Bond 2008, which will lower the overall cost for any future millage rates.

Here's an overview of the millage rate related to Park Bond 2008:

It's clear that the proposed 2017 millage tax increase is not due to the Park Bond, because the millage intended for Park Bond 2008 has been directly diverted into the Braves (See video above about the shifted .23 mills).
In July 2016, the previous Board with Chairman Lee lowered the Debt Service Fund intended for Park Bond 2008 by .1 mills.
So in just the last year, a combined total of .33 mills available for quick & easy Park Bond 2008 funding has been lost despite 8 years of waiting, asking, encouraging, and petitioning the Board of Commissioners to do the right thing as voters approved by referendum.
All this happened as many properties selected by the Park Bond Cobb Citizen Advisory Committees have been developed and paved over, rather than preserved as green parks as Park Bond 2008 funding would accomplish.

Summary of key Park Bond 2008 funding events:

In 2008, 67% of Cobb voters approved $40 million Park Bond 2008 by referendum. Funding was planned by moving .1 mills of the nearly 2.56 mills from the Fire Fund. (NOTE: Currently the Fire Fund has 2.96 millage, and a $40 million balance, so moving .1 mills is still the simplest solution and would leave 2.86 mills, which equals more than $80 million a year.)
In 2009, Chairman Olens said Park Bond 2008 would be delayed due to the economy.
In 2013, the Board of Commissioners under Chairman Lee announced the exact millage rate set for repayment of the Park Bond 2008 would be directly “shifted” to pay for part of the Braves Stadium bond, but without funding the 2008 Park Bond first.
Once it was known that the Park Bond millage rates would be "shifted" into the Braves Stadium Bond, we knew the "economy" was not the issue anymore. So concerned citizens started petitioning the Board of Commissioners to fund Park Bond 2008 as voters approved, before moving the millage into any other project. Note: The Cobb Parks Coalition has nothing against the Braves; rather our goal is to ensure the democratically elected Park Bond 2008 is fully funded as voters approved, before the millage intended for parks is shifted into any other project.
In January 2016, Chairman Lee said he would consider issuing the Park Bond after a coalition of concerned citizens in every district of Cobb focused on one central mission: To achieve full funding of the $40 million Cobb County Parks Bond Referendum approved by voters in 2008 for the acquisition of park land.
In July 2016, Chairman Lee and the Board surprisingly reduced the Debt Service Fund by .1 mills & the Fire Fund by .1 mills, thereby removing the 2 most viable options for Park Bond 2008 funding, already available in the millage rate since 2008!
This .2 mills reduction of the millage was taken despite a multi-year campaign of literally thousands of emails, calls, and a committed group of citizens speaking at every Board of Commissioners meetings.
In July 2016, Chairman Boyce won his campaign against Chairman Lee by the same 2/3 majority of citizens that voted for Park Bond 2008.
In 2016, Chairman Boyce campaigned on the Park Bond issue (as well as other important issues). Greenspace acquisition resonates with voters due to the unprecedented growth in Cobb that has not stopped to preserve some historically and environmentally significant properties as mapped out in every long-range Cobb plan.
In April 2017, Chairman Boyce and the Board issued $27.5 million of the $40 million voters approved, so today only $12.5 million more is required to fulfill this voter-approved mandate.

]]><![CDATA[Cobb must act swiftly to preserve its green space]]>Thu, 11 May 2017 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.cobbparkscoalition.org/blog/cobb-must-act-swiftly-to-preserve-its-green-space

Letter to the Editor from the Marietta Daily Journal:
Cobb must act swiftly to preserve its green space
May 11, 2017

DEAR EDITOR:
We applaud the Board of Commissioners for issuing $27.6 million of Park Bond 2008. We look forward to the additional $12.4 million during Chairman Mike Boyce’s term in office.

Undeveloped land for green space is disappearing at an alarming rate. There are many ways to preserve land in addition to an outright purchase. Land trusts can provide temporary funding to hold the land until the county purchases it, conservation easements prevent land from being developed in perpetuity and the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority provides extremely low-cost loans, saving the County millions of dollars in interest.

Milton and Johns Creek approved referenda totaling $65 million for land conservation and green space in November 2016. These measures were supported by The Georgia Conservancy, The Trust for Public Land, Land Trust Alliance and The Nature Conservancy in Georgia.

February 2017, Brookhaven was awarded a $5.7 million loan by GEFA to finance purchasing 33 acres of forested land adjacent to the DeKalb-Peachtree Airport. This acquisition preserves one of the largest remaining tracts of urban forest in metro Atlanta, and protects the Peachtree Creek watershed.

The city will pay 0.89 percent interest on the 20-year loan. Yes — less than 1 percent interest, saving Brookhaven millions of dollars that can be used to purchase more green space.

What is Cobb County doing to take advantage of creative financing to purchase and preserve green space?

Cynthia Patterson
Marietta

]]><![CDATA[A park should be within a 10-minute walk for everyone]]>Mon, 01 May 2017 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.cobbparkscoalition.org/blog/a-park-should-be-within-a-10-minute-walk-for-everyoneLetter to the Editor from the Marietta Daily Journal: A park should be within a 10-minute walk for everyone

May 1, 2017

DEAR EDITOR:

Napoleon III came up with a plan to rebuild Paris. He was responsible for the great boulevards and the building and rebuilding of museums such as the Louvre, opera house, clean water and sanitation. But what really impressed me was his devotion to developing great, beautiful parks. He had an edict of a maximum 10-minute walk by any resident to the nearest park.

I have been advocating for this goal thinking that it was established by an enlightened community such as Minneapolis-Saint Paul. But this goal was established a bit earlier than I thought. It was in 1850. This should also be a goal for Cobb County.

We should also establish a goal of having all parks connected by trails. To fulfill the10-minute walk goal, it’s my thought that neighborhood parks of two to 10 acres should be given priority for purchase (as opposed to 100 acre-plus parks).

Because of overbuilding in east Cobb it will probably be difficult to construct the trails that join the parks or even the required number and location of the parks. Some creative thought may be required to do so. I would much rather have a neighborhood park within 10 minutes walking distance from anywhere in Cobb than the Braves Stadium.

Napoleon III wanted these parks so that Parisians could reduce their stress level by walking to, and relaxing in, a beautiful park. We should be provided with the same. Also, parks close to home provide a sense of community and an appreciation thereof.

If you agree, please contact your district commissioner and let him/her know. Also, please let me know of any of your suggestions or recommendations for improvement of Cobb parks and green space or any other item. Let me know by providing an online comment below.

Robert Roth
Marietta]]><![CDATA[Park Bond 2008: $27.5 Million Down, $12.5 Million to Go]]>Tue, 11 Apr 2017 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.cobbparkscoalition.org/blog/park-bond-2008-275-million-down-125-million-to-goOn Tuesday, April 11, 2017, the Cobb County Board of Commissioners finally provided partial funding of the 2008 Park Bond in the amount of $27.5 million to buy land for parks. Please help us secure the remaining $12.5 million to fulfill the voter-approved $40 million Park Bond referendum by emailing the Board of Commissioners to encourage them to keep going.

Cobb County Chairman Mike Boyce officially signing $27.5 Million of the $40 Million Park Bond 2008 Referendum on Tuesday, April 11, 2017 with Parks Director Jimmy Gisi, County Manager David Hankerson, and Cobb Parks Coalition representatives Norman Fagge, Roberta Cook, Morning Washburn and Joe O'Connor. Roberta and Morning are holding a cup representing $40 million Park Bond amount.

]]><![CDATA[Nice to see Boyce living up to Marine motto]]>Sun, 09 Apr 2017 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.cobbparkscoalition.org/blog/nice-to-see-boyce-living-up-to-marine-mottoLetter to the Editor from the Marietta Daily Journal:
Nice to see Boyce living up to Marine motto

Apr 9, 2017

DEAR EDITOR:

During his campaign for Chairman of the Cobb County Commission, Mike Boyce would periodically declare, “I’m a Marine,” by which he presumably intended to remind his audience that he had spent a good portion of his adult life living up to the revered Marine motto, “Semper Fidelis,” Latin for “always faithful.”

It was therefore gratifying to find his adherence to this august creed demonstrated on the editorial page of the March 26 edition of the Marietta Daily Journal.

It turns out that, during the negotiations leading to the agreement between the Braves and Cobb County for the construction of SunTrust Park and related projects, Cobb County had promised to spend $14 million on unspecified transportation improvements. The county then tried to count projects begun prior to the signing of the contract as fulfillment of its obligation. The Braves cried foul.

After reviewing the situation, Chairman Boyce agreed with the Braves. In explaining his decision to the MDJ interviewer, he said: “A deal is a deal. Your word is your word ... I can’t have people saying, ‘These are people you can’t trust’ ... the longer we waited, the more this would be a stain on our reputation...”

Right on! These words are music to the ears of the 67 percent of Cobb County taxpayers and voters who supported the 2008 Parks Bond referendum, which promised to spend $40 million to acquire land for parks. Chairman Boyce has already taken a step in the right direction by finally getting the bond issued in the reduced amount of $24.7 million, the maximum possible until some legal issues regarding the repayment schedule can be resolved.

Cobb County voters have a right to expect an additional $15.3 million dollars to be dedicated to acquiring land for parks, thus fulfilling the 2008 mandate for $40 million to be so dedicated. A deal is a deal!

What greater accomplishment could be claimed by any Commission Chairman than to have restored public trust in county government? How wonderful it would be if Cobb County government could be thought worthy by its employers (the citizens) of the Marine motto, “always faithful.”

Norman D. Fagge
Marietta]]><![CDATA[Park Bond 2008: Honor & No New Taxes Needed for Full Funding]]>Sun, 26 Feb 2017 14:32:39 GMThttp://www.cobbparkscoalition.org/blog/park-bond-2008-honor-no-new-taxes-needed-for-full-fundingMarietta Daily Journal Letter to the Editor:
How to complete park bond funding without raising taxes
Feb 21, 2017

DEAR EDITOR:
On Jan. 10, with the positive leadership of Chairman Mike Boyce, the Board of Commissioners finally funded some of the Parks Bond we voted for in 2008. During his campaign, Chairman Boyce said he would honor the Park Bond vote, and in the first meeting of the year, the Board of Commissioners restored the Debt Service Fund taxes allocated for the Park Bond with a 5-0 vote.

If the new consultative spirit of the board is any indication, the rest of the $40 million should be funded quickly.

Here’s a simple way to do that without raising taxes: $24.7 of the $40 million was just issued with a seven-year repayment schedule. To fund the other $15.3 million the voters approved, the repayment timeline can be extended by a few years. Parks Bond 2008 was set for a 14-year repayment timeline, so the funds will still be repaid in less time than originally planned. That means no taxes need to be raised going forward for Parks Bond 2008 to be fully funded.

The Cobb Parks Coalition continues to actively press for full Park Bond funding because so many ideal parkland properties selected for purchase have been developed during the lengthy eight-year wait time for funding.

Despite the Parks Bond funding process gaining traction, at least one parkland property chosen last year is slated for zoning approval.

A valuable clause in the original Park Bond 2008 resolution states the Board can actually purchase more than $40 million worth of parkland. With real estate inflation and after losing many acres to development, it would make sense for the Board to spend more on greenspace now to plan for the future so more communities can enjoy their neighborhood parks voted for in 2008.

Jennifer Burke
east Cobb

Marietta Daily Journal Letter to the Editor:
A question of honor
Feb 21, 2017

DEAR EDITOR:

On Jan. 10, the Cobb County Board of Commissioners, led by its new chairman, Mike Boyce, approved a resolution to issue General Obligation Park Bonds in an amount up to $24.7 millionto finance the acquisition of land for use as public parks in perpetuity.

For parks supporters, the sweetness of a long-sought commitment to green space was tainted with the bitter taste of a half-kept promise.

Eight years ago an obligation was incurred by the Cobb County Board of Commissioners pursuant to a referendum it initiated and supported which posed the unambiguous question of whether to issue a bond in the amount of $40 million dollars for the purchase of land to be used for public parks. Sixty-seven percent of those voting answered “yes.”

Must referenda be honored? Georgia’s Supreme Court, in Dickey, et al. vs. Storey, et al., 1992, ruled that Floyd County could not use money collected under terms of a referendum for purposes unspecified by that referendum. They deemed obedience to referenda obligatory.

The Cobb County Board, nevertheless, showed little enthusiasm for complying with the 2008 referendum. By contrast, it showed great enthusiasm for investing in Sun Trust Park, and enormous creativity in discovering ways to skirt the legal obstacles to its funding.

Many believe that the high-handed way the “Braves deal” was rammed through is the primary reason why then-chairman Tim Lee was handily defeated by current chairman Mike Boyce.

Indeed, Mike Boyce’s campaign frequently asked why a $40 million investment in parks required a referendum, but a $400 million expenditure for SunTrust Park did not.

To his credit, Chairman Boyce encouraged the Board to immediately issue the Parks Bond, but reduced the amount to $24.7 million due to financing restrictions contained in the original resolution. Half a loaf, some might say, is better than none.

Parks supporters (67 percent of the electorate!), however, are not satisfied with half a loaf, and are determined that the County fulfill its legal and moral obligation to fund the full $40 million.
Many see this as a question of honor and of good, responsive governance. An obligation was incurred by Cobb County government which it is fully capable of keeping.

Partial compliance with the mandate of 2008 is just that: partial!

Readers are encouraged to visit www.cobbparkscoalition.org for more information on this topic.

Norman D. Fagge
Marietta

]]><![CDATA[Park Lovers: Please Attend a Meeting to Impact Future Parks, Trails and Greenspace in Cobb County]]>Thu, 09 Feb 2017 12:56:23 GMThttp://www.cobbparkscoalition.org/blog/park-lovers-please-attend-to-impact-future-parks-trails-and-greenspace-in-cobb-county

By attending these upcoming meetings (see dates below), people can really impact the future direction Cobb takes on parks, trails and greenspace! If you can't make any of the meetings, please answer this 2-question form and email it to Ed Czyscon.

Wednesday, February 22, 2017 – Drop-in Open House
Open House
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Cobb County Civic Center
548 South Marietta Parkway
Marietta, GA 30060

Wednesday, February 22, 2017 – District 1
Public Input Meeting
6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
North Cobb Senior Center
3900 South Main Street (inside Kennworth Park)
Acworth, GA 30101

Wednesday, February 22, 2017 – District 2
Public Input Meeting
6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
East Cobb Library
4880 Lower Roswell Road
Marietta, GA 30068

Thursday, February 23, 2017 – District 3
Public Input Meeting
6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
East Cobb Senior Center
3332 Sandy Plains Road
Marietta, GA 30066

Thursday, February 23, 2017 – District 4
Public Input Meeting
6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Ron Anderson Community Center
3820 Macedonia Road
Powder Springs, GA 30127

Monday, February 27, 2017
Public Input Meeting
6:00 to 7:30 pm
Northeast Cobb Community Center (Shaw Park)
3100 Jaycee Drive
Marietta, GA 30062

Thursday, March 2, 2017
Public Input Meeting
6:00 to 7:30 pm
South Cobb Community Center (Lions Park)
620 Lions Club Drive
Mableton, GA 30126

Here's the flyer listing all 7 dates.

Lose & Associates is a consulting firm Cobb County hired to help create a new Master Parks Plan. In 2001, the same company helped Cobb create a Master Parks Plan, and it's time for an update. At the public input meetings, the consulting firm will present a power point presentation where they talk about the master plan process, and discuss what a modern parks system looks like. They will have boards displayed around the room (i.e. examples of parks facilities such as community parks, ball fields, recreation centers, etc. ) where attendees can “vote” with stickers for facilities that they would like to see in Cobb County parks. Attendees will also have an opportunity to provide feedback in other ways – talking to the consultants one-on-one, and there will be comment cards where they can leave other comments. If you can't make any of the meetings, please answer this 2-question form and email it to Ed Czyscon.

Interested to Learn More? Check out these resources!
A Cobb Parks Coalition summary of Cobb's parks & greenspace goals

Lose & Associates 2001 Parks Master Plan (sections 1-3)
Lose & Associates 2001 Parks Master Plan (sections 4-6)
Lose & Associates 2001 Parks Master Plan (sections 7-9)

]]><![CDATA[It may be too soon to celebrate parks bond]]>Thu, 19 Jan 2017 12:56:30 GMThttp://www.cobbparkscoalition.org/blog/it-may-be-too-soon-to-celebrate-parks-bondIt may be too soon to celebrate parks bond
January 19, 2017

DEAR EDITOR:
Cobb commissioners unanimously approved the new/old park bonds for $24.7 million, plus additional millions in fees and interest, however much that will be. New Chairman Mike Boyce said this is the only tax increase he will approve so the county can honor the 2008 park referendum approved by voters.

For those celebrating, what we are told will be the permanent addition of new green space to the county, I offer four points for your consideration.

First, at public meetings Cobb officials encouraged the “nomination” of properties for consideration by staff, whether the property owners happened to want to sell their land or not. I assume commissioners will use the hammer of eminent domain against any recalcitrant property owners who do not wish to part with their land for the public good. Anyone owning anything should think about this power of government to seize private property.

Second, I hope that speculators who bought land during the building boom will not succeed in unloading on the county economically worthless properties, such as flood plains, as has happened in the past. And I hope county staff and commissioners will not choose such properties for parks while bypassing authentic wilderness areas for future commercial and residential development with the intent of increasing economic development and the county tax base.

Third, I hope any new parks will actually remain parks and green space, that forests will not be bulldozed to make way for parking lots, tennis courts and baseball fields. If that happened, we would not have the acquisition of green space but only more of what Cobb already has in abundance.

Fourth, this project should give pause about the millions of dollars the school system spends for ball fields, stadiums and performing arts centers. This money is supposed to be earmarked for education, not sports. Now we are stuck with, “The recently completed (performing arts) center, part of a nearly $20 million dollar project at the school which also includes a new gym and upgrades to athletic facilities ...” There is $20 million for school athletics facilities and a glorified meeting room, which have nothing to do with academics, while the commissioners fret over raising not much more than that for permanent parks everyone can enjoy?

It may be too soon to celebrate the green space bonds and the honor and wisdom of government.

Tony Cain
Austell]]><![CDATA[2 New Marietta Daily Journal Letters to the Editor]]>Wed, 18 Jan 2017 13:52:05 GMThttp://www.cobbparkscoalition.org/blog/2-new-marietta-daily-journal-letters-to-the-editorWhy can’t full $40 million in parks bond be issued?
Jan 16, 2017
DEAR EDITOR:
Perhaps our county officials might enlighten us as to what specific language in the referendum (authorizing the $40 million parks bond) prevents the full $40M in bonds from being issued. Various and sundry allusions to it do not answer that question. What is that language and who is construing or interpreting it?
Scott Chadwick
Marietta

Hail to the Chief (chairman)
Jan 16, 2017
DEAR EDITOR:
I sent congratulatory emails to all Board of Commissioners members, including Chairman Boyce, concerning their passage (5-0) of the 2008 Park Bond on Jan. 10. Voters approved this $40M bond in 2008 by a 67 percent yes vote. Since payments were missed until now, the bond could only be funded at $24.7 million. I feel absolutely certain that Chairman Boyce will find $15.3 million to fully fund the bond. Unlike the previous chairman, he actually listens to residents and voters. Not only does he listen, he acts. It is so fantastic to have a chairman who does so.
Robert Roth
Marietta]]><![CDATA[Cobb poised to approve park bonds, a campaign promise of new chairman]]>Mon, 09 Jan 2017 08:00:00 GMThttp://www.cobbparkscoalition.org/blog/cobb-poised-to-approve-park-bonds-a-campaign-promise-of-new-chairmanCobb poised to approve park bonds, a campaign promise of new chairman
By Meris Lutz - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Posted: 12:40 p.m. Monday, January 09, 2017

A majority of the Cobb County Commission appear poised to approve the issuance of $24.7 million in park bonds to buy greenspace.

The commission is scheduled to vote on the bonds Tuesday, a first step toward fulfilling a central promise of new chairman Mike Boyce’s election campaign.

The proposed action includes increasing the millage rate by .13 mills, or $10.49 per year on a house valued at $200,000. The $24.7 million represents the remaining sum the county can legally collect based on a $40 million park bond referendum that passed in 2008, but was shelved due to the recession.

The Cobb Parks Coalition, a citizen advocacy group, celebrated the impending vote.
“Great News! Chairman Mike Boyce is already taking steps to honor the vote for the Park Bond 2008 Referendum, as he pledged to do during his campaign for Chairman of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners,” the group said in a statement over the weekend.

The board rejected a similar proposal, 3-2, in November, with then-Chairman Tim Lee and commissioners Bob Ott and Lisa Cupid opposing.

Cupid said last week she is ready to support issuing park bonds, but Ott voiced concern. He suggested the board first identify the properties the county should buy, then find a way to fund the cost.

Ott said the citizens committee tasked with compiling a list of potential park properties spent a lot of time on it.

“We owe it to them” to review the list before taking action, Ott said.

Boyce said he wanted to “send a message” to voters by issuing what bonds could be issued as soon as possible, adding that he was committed to finding more money to honor the $40 million approved by voters.
]]><![CDATA[Financial Gymnastics on Park Bond 2008 incorrect]]>Sun, 20 Nov 2016 17:47:18 GMThttp://www.cobbparkscoalition.org/blog/financial-gymnastics-on-park-bond-2008-incorrect

A recent editorial hugely misinterpreted the Park Bond 2008 resolution. The phrases that taxes need not be raised is from the Park Bond 2008 analysis paragraph that said the county already had sufficient taxes in the Debt Service to cover the $40 million over 15 years. And reading Section 7 of the same document, it clearly states taxes would need to be levied for Park Bond 2008. As Commissioners Birrell and Weatherford astutely noted at a recent meeting, that is the purpose of having a referendum for a $40 million project!

The millions of dollars accrued from property taxes in the Debt Service Fund these past 8 years would have been more than enough to issue the full $40 million Park Bond amount and still have enough for the $400 million Braves stadium bond. And the Board of Commissioners can always make it right by funding the Park Bond 2008 now. Newly elected Chairman Boyce ran on a platform that included funding the Park Bond 2008 referendum as citizens voted for. Chairman Boyce won with 65% of the vote, and he has publicly promised to fund the Park Bond.

It's worth pointing out that Cobb's property tax rate has been more than sufficient to pay for Park Bond 2008 from 2008 until this year when Chairman Lee lowered the Debt Service Fund by the exact .1 tax needed to fund the Park Bond. The Board approved this reduction on the eve of Lee's run-off election July 23, 2016. Concerned citizens had written thousands of emails before the vote asking them not to remove those earmarked taxes for Park Bond repayment.

Before July 2016, the Debt Service Fund stood at .33, and Chairman Lee had already announced .23 of those taxes would go for the Braves stadium. Today the Debt Service fund stands at 0 and the Park Bond has never been funded. This is because the Board of Commissioners approved using the intended funds from the $40 million project citizens voted for to pay for the $400 million project citizens didn't vote for. However, the Debt Service Fund can be restored and made right.

For Braves fans, it would be sad to see the new stadium built with misappropriated Park Bond funds. The Braves might want to pitch in to encourage Chairman Lee to do the right thing before he leaves office.

Citizens should always push for Park Bond 2008 to be fully funded, despite any fancy financial gymnastics some may use to avoid taking action on what citizens approved by referendum. Thankfully newly elected Chairman Mike Boyce stepped up to the plate and pledged to fully fund the Park Bond. That will be the first home run of the new year.

You can read the entire Park Bond resolution document here

Page 93

Page 91

]]><![CDATA[MDJ Article: Commissioners vote down parks bonds’ issuance]]>Wed, 09 Nov 2016 12:50:20 GMThttp://www.cobbparkscoalition.org/blog/mdj-article-commissioners-vote-down-parks-bonds-issuanceCommissioners vote down parks bonds’ issuance
Jon Gargis

MARIETTA — Eight years after Cobb voters approved a bond referendum to pay for additional county green space, a majority of the county commissioners Tuesday refused to greenlight a proposal to finally issue the bonds.

Two-thirds of Cobb voters approved a $40 million bond issuance for parks in the November 2008 referendum, but county officials never issued the bonds, saying the tanking economy would have forced a tax increase to repay the bonds. County officials say the full $40 million can no longer be legally issued because of the language in the referendum.

In September, Commissioner JoAnn Birrell announced her intention to introduce a proposal to fund the $24.7 million in park bonds the county is now legally able to issue out of the approved 2008 bonds. Under the proposal, which commissioners considered Tuesday, the bonds would be paid for by increasing the county’s property tax rate for debt service by 0.13 mills, or about $10.40 a year on an average $200,000 home, said Bill Volckmann, the county’s interim finance director and comptroller.

Volckmann also said the bonds, if approved, could be issued within a 60-90 day window — a positive for Commissioner Bob Weatherford, who seconded Birrell’s motion to issue the bonds. Birrell and Weatherford were the only two commissioners to vote in favor of the measure.

“I fully expect that we will have the properties that we can afford and that we want to purchase by the time the bonds are issued, and for that reason, I can support this,” Weatherford said prior to the vote, referencing the list of 13 properties the county’s recreation board has recommended for purchase.

Commissioners received the list last month behind closed doors and have not publicly released the list, but the MDJ obtained a copy, which contained 13 properties totaling 494 acres across Cobb.

OPPOSITION TO ‘RECKLESS,’ ‘PREMATURE’ ISSUING OF BONDS
Cobb Chairman Tim Lee said commissioners have not made it far enough in the process to “purchase a single piece of property in 2016,” and called it “reckless” to issue the bonds without a plan of how to use them.

“Today, the agenda item before us is not asking the board if we want more green space — it is asking us to raise taxes to purchase more green space,” Lee said. “Under all other circumstances, the Board of Commissioners is required to advertise a tax increase, and hold three public hearings before levying such an increase. If we adopt this agenda item today, not only are we imposing a tax increase without public input, we are approving a tax increase before we know what we are going to purchase with the revenue generated by the tax increase.”

But Birrell contended that Cobb residents knew a tax increase was likely when they voted on the bond measure eight years ago.

“When you vote on a referendum — (special purpose local option sales tax), parks bond — it’s pretty much a given that it’s going to be taxpayers that are paying for it in a bond situation,” she said. “I think it was approved with the understanding of that, and (it’s) $10.40 a year, which would’ve been more had we been able to legally fund the full $40 million, which we’re not.”

In addition to Lee, voting against the measure were commissioners Bob Ott and Lisa Cupid, though both said they fully intended to support the bond measure in the future.

“I support issuing the maximum bond that the county can (issue) at this point in time. I also support looking for ways to fund the remainder of the $40 million that was authorized under the 2008 referendum,” Ott said. “Having said that, I believe that issuing bonds in any amount before the Board of Commissioners has had the opportunity to review the recommended properties and discuss options is both premature and inadvisable.”

CUPID: EMPLOYEE PAY ISSUE ALSO CRUCIAL
Cupid said her reason for voting against the bonds’ issuance was because the county had not taken action following its pay and class study. In August, commissioners were presented with the results of the study created by the Archer Group, which compared Cobb’s pay with that of similar governments. The consulting firm made several recommendations to amend the county’s pay plan, including salary increases.

“I’m fully supportive of moving this parks bond forward, but I’m not willing to look at these two issues separately,” Cupid said, adding that she believes the pay and class study recommendations have not moved forward because of an unwillingness to increase the salary of part-time employees, including those who would maintain the county’s existing and future parks.

She also referenced commissioners’ September approval of Lee’s fiscal 2017 budget, which was based on the current millage rate of 6.66 mills. Lee had proposed the budget as a “continuation budget” as it included no new initiatives from him as part of an effort to not bind other county leaders or his successor, presumptive Chairman-elect Mike Boyce. Cupid was the sole vote against the budget.

“I think it’s unreasonable to increase the burden on our county staff and to not increase the millage, which would have supported additional hires to parks and recreation or supported their operation. I think it’s unreasonable to not increase the wages of those who are to maintain this increased burden of new parks,” Cupid said.

Birrell said she intended to bring the measure back for a vote sometime after the first of the year.]]><![CDATA[AJC Article: Split vote likely over $24.7 million in Cobb County park bonds]]>Sun, 06 Nov 2016 13:32:45 GMThttp://www.cobbparkscoalition.org/blog/ajc-article-split-vote-likely-over-247-million-in-cobb-county-park-bondsAJC Article: Split vote likely over $24.7 million in Cobb County park bonds
By Meris Lutz

The Cobb County Commission appears divided over a proposal to issue $24.7 million in bonds to buy land for new parks.

The commission is scheduled to vote on the bond issuance at its regular meeting Tuesday.

Greenspace advocates have been pushing the county to issue $40 million in park bonds approved by voters in a 2008 referendum. Those bonds were never issued, and county officials say they cannot retroactively collect funds from previous years.

A list of potential properties was presented to commissioners behind closed doors last week. Although the list has not been made public, a copy obtained by the Marietta Daily Journal contains 13 properties throughout the county for consideration.

The list includes the 50-acre Rosewood Goat Farm on Baker Road in northwest Cobb. Absent from the list is a large East Cobb tract owned by Wylene Tritt that many residents hoped to see turned into a park.

Commission Chairman Tim Lee issued a statement cautioning against the bond issuance, saying it would require a millage increase and the county has not identified the land it would buy yet.

“There are simply too many unknowns attached to a $25 million commitment,” Lee said. “I believe it is reckless to rush to issue debt without a clear plan.”

According to estimates by interim County Finance Director Bill Volckmann, the bonds would necessitate a hike of .13 mills, though he said it could be less.

Commissioner Bob Ott had no comment but has previously stated his opposition to approving the bonds before the final properties have been identified for purchase.

Commissioner Lisa Cupid said she was supportive of buying more greenspace, but declined to indicate how she would vote.

“I’m supportive of funding what we do have, which is better than not funding anything at all,” Cupid said.
Commissioner JoAnn Birrell also said the bonds should be issued, even if it means raising taxes.

“To me, the voters spoke in 2008,” Birrell said. “I don’t want to raise taxes either but when you have a referendum, the voters are aware that there’s a bond money tax that’s going to be associated with that.”

Jennifer Burke of the Cobb Parks Coalition called the proposed bond issuance a great “first step,” and that her organization would continue to push for the $40 million voters approved.

“The referendum has to be honored,” Burke said.

Burke said it was especially concerning that the county would not issue the full amount after shifting debt service on existing park bonds to pay for the new Braves stadium, rather than issuing a new set of bonds for greenspace.

Commissioner Bob Weatherford could not be reached for comment.

]]><![CDATA[MDJ Article: 13 properties on county parks list]]>Wed, 02 Nov 2016 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.cobbparkscoalition.org/blog/mdj-article-13-properties-on-county-parks-list

Marietta Daily Journal article:
13 properties on county parks list
Jon Gargis

TIER 1

1. 2820 Baker Road, 54, Charline Cambron, 1
2. 5151 Brownsville Road, 82.8, Gerald & Beverly Wallace, 4
3. 3801 Ebenezer Road, 50, Thomas & Betty Phillips, 3
4. 4331 Burnt Hickory Road, 88.4, Tommy Kemp, 1
5. 1260 Cheatham Hill Road, 58.4, Albert & Saundra Fleming, 1
6. 675 Smyrna-Powder Springs Road, 10, Lester Wiley, 4
7. 3155 Village Lane Place, 5, Wesley Leach, 4
8. 3156 Village Lane Place, 6.3, Gene & Myra Brookshire, 4
9. 1065 Villa Rica Road, 29.9 Gregory & Howard Chastain, 1

TIER 2
10. 451 Anderson Road, 33, Suzanne Schmidt, 1
11. 4700 Dallas Highway, 30, James B. McCloud, 1
12. 4701 Post Oak Tritt Road, 14.1, Kenneth Clary, 2
13. 201 Fowler Road, 31.9, Mike P. Fowler, 4

Nearly 494 acres of land across Cobb County is being eyed to become some of the county’s newest parks and green space, according to a list of properties obtained by the MDJ.

The list includes 13 parcels scattered across the county, the largest of which is an 88.4-acre piece on Burnt Hickory Road near Pinewood Drive. It’s one of the six listed properties within Commissioner Bob Weatherford’s District 1, which includes most of the northwestern portion of the county. Those six properties total 293.7 acres, or nearly 60 percent of the total acreage on the list.

The list divides the 13 properties into two tiers, likely to indicate the priorities for obtaining the properties. Nine properties are listed in Tier 1, totaling 384.8 acres. Four of the Tier 1 parcels are in Weatherford’s district, while District 4, which includes the southwestern portion of the county and is represented by Commissioner Lisa Cupid, has four properties.

Commissioner JoAnn Birrell’s District 3, which includes northeast Cobb, has just one property — a 50-acre parcel on Ebenezer Road near Blackwell Road — while Commissioner Bob Ott’s District 2, which includes Cumberland and parts of east Cobb, has no properties listed on the Tier 1 list.

Four properties totaling 109 acres are listed in Tier 2, the largest of which is a 33-acre Anderson Road parcel near Burnt Hickory Road in Weatherford’s district.

Ott’s district’s sole piece of land on the entire list is on Tier 2 and is a 14.1-acre parcel on Post Oak Tritt Road not far from McPherson Road. It’s also not far from Tritt Elementary School.

The list’s second tier also includes a 30-acre piece on Dallas Highway in Weatherford’s district, and a nearly 32-acre plot on Fowler Road in Cupid’s district; no properties from Birrell’s district are on the list’s second tier.

The smallest properties on the entire list are two pieces on Village Lane Place, of 6.3 and 5 acres, near Smyrna Powder Springs Road and Birney Elementary School. Both of these properties in Cupid’s district are in Tier 1.

Absent from the list is the nearly 54-acre Tritt property, which is located adjacent to East Cobb Park on Roswell Road. The parcel had been at the center of a lawsuit against the county after Cobb commissioners in March 2015 denied Atlanta-based Isakson Living’s request to rezone the land for a senior living project.
The suit was dropped in September. A day earlier, the property’s owner, Wylene Tritt, sent a letter to county officials asking that the county consider purchasing her property to use as a park. Several green space proponents have also called for the county to buy the land and turn it into east Cobb’s next park.

County commissioners last week were made aware of the list of properties recommended by the county’s recreation board to become Cobb’s next parks.

The county held a public nomination process from late January through April 15, with 166 properties nominated for purchase by the county to increase green space. The recreation board was tasked with narrowing that list down and presenting its recommended properties to commissioners.

That pared-down list was presented to Cobb commissioners behind closed doors following their Oct. 24 morning work session. The next evening and prior to the MDJ obtaining the list, Commission Chairman Tim Lee said county officials would not be releasing the list in the near future.

“Neither the nominated properties nor the recommended properties will be released to the public at this time to ensure that the properties can be properly reviewed and that the potential purchase of real estate will remain economical for our citizens,” Lee said, according to a copy of his remarks provided by the county. “We are committed to proceeding in a manner that does not bring the property owners any unwanted attention or artificially drive up land values.”

Lee later in the week told the MDJ that the timeline for releasing the list of recommended properties would depend on the amount of time it takes for commissioners to agree on properties to visit, actually visiting them, coming to a consensus on a final list for potential purchase and negotiating a final purchase price with property owners.

“It is unlikely that all of this can be accomplished in the next eight weeks,” Lee said.

Such a timeline would extend the process into Lee’s expected successor’s term in office. Mike Boyce is expected to succeed Lee in January after topping the incumbent in July’s Republican primary runoff; no Democratic candidates qualified for the office, leaving Boyce unopposed in the Nov. 8 general election.

The compiled list, which was obtained by the MDJ Wednesday, is meant to be used to guide the county’s purchase of parkland using a voter-approved bond issuance. In November 2008, two-thirds of Cobb voters approved a $40 million parks bond, but the bonds were never issued by then-county Chairman Sam Olens due to a tanking economy and a tax increase he said would come as a result of the bonds’ issuance.

Because of the passage of time and the language of the 2008 referendum, the county’s finance director has said Cobb would no longer be able to collect the full $40 million for park land from the 2008 bond were it issued today.

Cobb residents who have been proponents of increased green space said the county’s choice to not release the list bucks the trend set in previous years. In the most recent example, the public in October 2009 got to see the list of 29 properties recommended for purchase by the parks bond citizen advisory committee.
But Cobb Support Services Director Eddie Canon said the 2009 list was not released until the decision was made not to issue the bond, while a similar list of properties in 2006 was released only after properties had been purchased.

County officials have also said that this year’s list of recommended properties is not being released as the information remains privileged because it deals with real estate matters.

West Cobb resident Paul Paulson, who founded the Cobb Parks Coalition to promote the county’s $40 million parks bond, said he would like to see the list of properties be made public.

“The argument that they’re using now, basically that when they’re involved in real estate negotiations they can keep the negotiations quiet because they don’t want the prices to go up, only applies when they’re actually involved in the negotiations. There are no negotiations — this is simply a list of properties for consideration,” Paulson said. “Once they start the negotiations and choose one of those properties, then they can keep that quiet.”

Paulson said he believes the county’s holding back of the details of the recommended properties shows a lack of importance placed on the issue of acquiring green space.

“For (the county) to now keep it quiet, to me, indicates that this is not a high-priority issue, to go ahead and save some of the rapidly disappearing tracts that give people a sense of place, especially in west Cobb County, there are all kinds of rezonings for them out here — pastures and beautiful spots where people on their way home from a busy day fighting traffic get a little bit of solace and see what it was like 100 years ago,” Paulson said. “It’s part of their home.”

]]><![CDATA[All bond issuances should be voted on by citizens]]>Wed, 26 Oct 2016 20:15:46 GMThttp://www.cobbparkscoalition.org/blog/all-bond-issuances-should-be-voted-on-by-citizensMarietta Daily Journal Letter to the Editor:
All bond issuances should be voted on by citizens

Oct 24, 2016

DEAR EDITOR:
I am sure that many of us feel the same as Mr. Lawrence (“We’ve got to do everything possible to move traffic along,” Letters, 10/13/2016).

Unfortunately, I don’t believe this will happen.

1. Per the Cobb-Marietta Coliseum and Exhibit Hall Authority bond indenture all Cobb County taxpayers will receive additional annual property tax assessments to cover revenue shortfalls under the Sun Trust Park bonds. The Sun Trust Park bond indenture can be found at: emma.msrb.org/EP869776-EP673662-EP1075327.pdf

2. Based on my Oct. 6 conversation with a representative of the Cobb County finance department in response to my Oct. 4 email to Commissioner Ott, I found that excess revenues in the amount of $6.4 million collected via countywide property taxes for the now fully funded $40 million Parks Bond will be transferred to the Cobb County General Fund and from there to assist in the payments on the Sun Trust bonds, amortization of which begins July 1, 2017.

The third FAQ on the undated Cobb County Government website noted below states that .33 mills currently being levied for the Parks Bonds will be transferred to help pay for Sun Trust Park. It further states that it was approved by a four to one vote taken Nov. 13, 2013. I certainly hope the year is a typo as the Sun Trust Park bonds did not come into existence until 2015.

I have been unable to locate the Parks Bond indenture so am unable to determine the authority of the Cobb Commissioners to divert excess funds from the Parks Bond assessments to Sun Trust Park, however, I feel that a tax assessment should terminate once the purpose for which it was levied is fully funded.

Considering this transfer of funds and the fact that the Sun Trust Park bond obligates all Cobb County taxpayers despite our not being given an opportunity to vote on it, I suggest the following: All future proposals for the issuance of bonds by Cobb County not only be put to the vote of the taxpayers but full disclosure be made by making a final draft of the complete bond indenture available to the taxpayers before a vote is called.

R.S. Pino
Marietta
]]><![CDATA[MDJ Article: Parks list will not be released at meeting today]]>Tue, 25 Oct 2016 10:04:26 GMThttp://www.cobbparkscoalition.org/blog/mdj-article-parks-list-will-not-be-released-at-meeting-todayMarietta Daily Journal Article: Cobb County: Parks list will not be released at meeting today

Jon Gargis

Cobb residents may have to wait a few weeks to learn which properties have been recommended to be purchased to become county green space.

After a work session Monday morning, county commissioners were presented the list of recommended properties compiled by the county’s recreation board in a meeting that was closed to the public, county spokesperson Sheri Kell told the MDJ.

The county held a public nomination process from late January through April 15, with 166 properties nominated for purchase by the county to increase green space. The recreation board was tasked with narrowing that list down and presenting its recommended properties to commissioners.

Though commissioners in January unanimously approved a plan to have the recreation board present its initial recommendations at today’s work session, Kell said the list will not be presented to the public today as the information remains privileged because it deals with real estate matters.

She said a timeline for releasing the list publicly had not been determined, but said Chairman Tim Lee was expected to address the issue at the commission’s 7 p.m. meeting tonight.

“We are going through the same process now that we have gone through in the past,” Lee said. “This discussion involves the purchase of real estate. As such, the county will go through the proper due diligence of property acquisition. I have asked staff to provide to the Board of Commissioners and the public (the) necessary steps and an anticipated timeline for the rest of this process.”

Lee said that additional information and a timeline was expected to be announced at tonight’s meeting.

The compiled list is meant to be used to guide the county’s purchase of parkland using a voter-approved bond issuance. In November 2008, two-thirds of Cobb voters approved a $40 million parks bond, but the bonds were never issued by then-county Chairman Sam Olens due to a tanking economy and a tax increase he said would come as a result of the bonds’ issuance.

Because of the passage of time and the language of the 2008 referendum, the county’s finance director has said Cobb would no longer be able to collect the full $40 million for park land from the 2008 bond were it issued today.

Commissioners have yet to take action regarding the approved parks bonds, but Commissioner JoAnn Birrell has proposed increasing the property tax rate the county uses to pay down debts by 0.13 mills to fund $24.7 million in park bonds the county would legally be able to issue out of the approved 2008 bonds. She has said the 0.13-mill increase would equate to a $10.40 annual property tax increase on a $200,000 home.
Then, with Cobb residents already scheduled to head to the polls in March to vote on a renewal of the 1 percent special purpose local option sales tax for Cobb County and Marietta City Schools, Birrell has said she would propose putting on the same ballot a referendum for an additional $40 million parks bond. Her proposal would have to earn approval from her fellow commission members to be placed on the ballot.

PARK PROPONENTS REACT
Several Cobb residents who had been proponents of increased green space said the county’s choice to not release the list bucks the trend set in previous years.

“This is unprecedented for the list not to be announced as planned since January because it was done in 2006 and 2008, where they made the announcement of the actual list,” said Jennifer Burke of the Cobb Parks Coalition.

Carol Brown of the Canton Road Neighbors said she was unsure why this year’s process was different, adding that commissioners had set the expectation that the list was to be put out in the open at tonight’s meeting.

“I think that a transparent process, particularly one that follows the precedent set, is the right way to go,” Brown said.

Commissioner Bob Weatherford said the need to keep the list of recommended properties close to the vest was needed. He said commissioners and county leaders need to decide where new parks may be needed and will need to visit the sites before making a determination.

“We don’t want to let (the information) out or the property values might go up, so that’s why we discussed it in executive (closed) session,” Weatherford said.

Though county officials did not release official details on the properties on the recreation board’s list, Weatherford said the committed had pared down the list of nominated properties down to “less than 20,” with their sizes running the “whole gamut” of about 5 to 100 acres. While the recommended list includes properties across the whole county, Weatherford said “one might predict that south and west Cobb have the most land that’s available.”

He said that while some county residents may have been clamoring for commissioner action on the parks bond and using its funds to purchase properties on the list of recommendations, moving forward in the process takes some time.

“People that want things sooner than later need to understand that we have said what we’re going to do, that we now have the list so we now have something to work with, and we’re moving forward with it,” he said. “We’re not going to rush it, and if we started tomorrow, we couldn’t buy these properties for probably four to six months because of appraisals and due diligence, the sales process back and forth, etc.”

The Cobb Board of Commissioners meets at 7 p.m. today.

Marietta Daily Journal Article: Cobb County: Parks list will not be released at meeting toda
]]><![CDATA[We want our parks: JoAnn Birrell proposes issuance of old, new parks bonds]]>Wed, 28 Sep 2016 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.cobbparkscoalition.org/blog/we-want-our-parks-joann-birrell-proposes-issuance-of-old-new-parks-bonds

Marietta Daily Journal Article We want our parks: JoAnn Birrell proposes issuance of old, new parks bonds
Jon Gargis
Sep 28, 2016

MARIETTA — Cobb’s fiscal 2017 budget will not include funding for the $40 million parks bond approved by voters in 2008, despite an audience that clamored for such an inclusion on Tuesday. But parks proponents were offered an olive branch by one commissioner who proposed measures that could see tens of millions of dollars earmarked for new county green space in the coming months.

The budget vote came after commissioners heard from nearly 20 community members who weighed in on the funding plan. Many of those who spoke were members of the Cobb Parks Coalition and others who supported their effort to see the county fund parks bond.

Several dozen community members in the audience wore green to bring attention to the issue, with members of the Cobb Parks Coalition and supporters displaying signs with messages such as “Note Our Vote: Buy Parks” and “Trees Please.”

Two-thirds of Cobb voters approved a $40 million parks bond in November 2008, but the bonds approved by voters were never issued by then-county Chairman Sam Olens due to a tanking economy and a tax increase he said would come as a result of the bonds’ issuance.

Commissioners have yet to take action regarding the approved parks bonds, but Commissioner JoAnn Birrell prior to the budget vote told those in attendance that she planned to propose next month a resolution to increase the county’s debt service millage by 0.13 mills to fund the $24.7 million in park bonds the county would legally be able to issue out of the approved 2008 bonds.

Birrell on Wednesday said the 0.13-mill increase would equate to a $10.40 annual property tax increase on a $200,000 home.

“Through the budget talk, I’ve been working with staff and legal to find out what we can do to get the balance, the $24.7 million, moved forward,” she said. “Because of the way the bond is structured, it depletes annually even though it was never issued … we have to do a resolution and vote on it to issue the bond.”

Birrell said she planned on introducing the resolution at the commission’s Oct. 25 meeting.

Commissioners next month are also slated to receive from the county’s recreation board a list of properties that could become future county parks. The county held a public nomination process from late January through April 15, with 166 properties nominated for purchase by the county to increase green space. The recreation board is expected to narrow that list down and present its recommended properties to commissioners.

“The $24.7 million in bonds can be issued in December of ‘16, and we can purchase properties beginning in January of ‘17,” Birrell said.

NEW PARKS BOND PROPOSED
With Cobb residents expected to head to the polls on March 21 to vote on a renewal of the 1 percent Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax for Cobb County and Marietta City Schools — neither school board has authorized the ballot measure but are considering it — Birrell said Tuesday night she would also propose putting on the same ballot a referendum for an additional $40 million parks bond. Her proposal would have to earn approval from her fellow commission members to be placed on the ballot.

“I know it’s not what everybody wanted as far as a full $40 million now, but if we can purchase park land at $24.7 million in 2017, and issue a new bond for $40 million, that will give us $64.7 million total in the next two years,” she said.

Birrell’s announcement earned applause from the audience, who earlier had booed as commissioners said they had planned to vote on Chairman Tim Lee’s “continuation budget.” That budget was approved by a 4-1 vote, with Commissioner Lisa Cupid the sole dissenting vote.

Janine Eveler, director of Cobb Elections, said commissioners have time to put a new parks bond referendum on the March special election ballot.

“We like to have notification of it 60 to 90 days ahead, because it takes that long to plan the election,” Eveler said, but added that the absolute deadline to move forward on adding the ballot initiative would likely be in January.

Several of Birrell’s peers on the commission Wednesday expressed a desire to issue the proposed parks bonds. Bob Weatherford said he would “fully support” the resolution to issue this year the $24.7 million remaining in the previously approved parks bonds, as well as a measure to have a March vote on the new bonds.

“The timing is perfect,” Weatherford said. “There’s already something on the ballot, so it won’t be a special election, as it will coincide with the school boards’ referendum.”

Commissioner Bob Ott said he had “no problem” with the issuance of the $24.7 million. “The public voted on it, and the associated millage increase, the public knew that when they voted on it,” he said.

But Ott said Tuesday’s meeting was the first time he had learned of Birrell’s proposal for the new parks bonds.

“There’s been no discussion as to the resolution we’d craft, would it be issued the same way as the one in ’08 was supposed to be issued — she just threw it out there. I think there’s a lot of discussion that needs to happen,” Ott said. “This is committing the county and the board to something before the new chairman’s there to have a chance to weigh in on it, because you’re talking about at least another .2 to .3 mills on top of the .13 for the $24.7 (million).”

Lee reiterated Wednesday that his fiscal 2017 budget had been designed as a “continuation budget” in light of his term ending in December. He is expected to be succeeded by Mike Boyce, who defeated him in the Republican primary runoff in July; Boyce has no Democratic opposition in the November primary.

Lee said he did not yet have a stance on the issuance of the $24.7 million from the existing bonds, due in part to Birrell’s proposal being newly introduced.

“We’ll have to see what it looks like when it gets to that point — last night was the first time I had heard that, so we’ll have to have a conversation about that,” Lee said. “As to anything that happens in 2017, I’ll have to leave it to their discretion.”

Lee added that he did not have a leaning either way on a vote for a new $40 million parks bond. It remains to be seen if commissioners would have to consider authorizing the ballot initiative this year or could wait until after Lee’s departure from office.

“I’m going to leave it up to their leadership and their best judgment,” he said.

Next Blog to Read: 3 Ways the BoC Denied Funds Earmarked for Park Bond 2008 + 2 Positive Developments for the Future of Park Bond 2008

Showing some of the history at Hyde Farm, saved in part with Park Bond 2006 funds

]]><![CDATA[MDJ Article: Commissioners approve Lee’s fiscal 2017 budget]]>Wed, 28 Sep 2016 05:56:34 GMThttp://www.cobbparkscoalition.org/blog/mdj-article-commissioners-approve-lees-fiscal-2017-budgetUPDATED: Commissioners approve Lee’s fiscal 2017 budget
Jon Gargis

MARIETTA — Cobb’s fiscal 2017 budget will not include funding for the $40 million parks bond approved by voters in 2008, despite an audience that clamored for such an inclusion. But parks proponents were offered an olive branch by one commissioner who proposed measures that could see tens of millions of dollars earmarked for new county greenspace in the coming months.

Commissioners approved by a 4-1 vote, with Lisa Cupid in opposition, Chairman Tim Lee’s $858 million fiscal 2017 budget. Based on the current millage rate of 6.66 mills, Lee had proposed the budget as a “continuation budget” as it included no new initiatives from him as part of an effort to not bind other county leaders or his successor, presumptive Chairman-elect Mike Boyce.

Prior to the commissioners’ vote, Cupid said she could not support Lee’s budget as the county had the ability and responsibility to fund the parks bond and other needs, such as Sunday bus service.

“I think that we are sensitive to your needs, but we are lacking in some intestinal fortitude to make it happen. I think we made a decision which has put us in a hole in setting back our millage further than was ever committed,” Cupid said, referring to the commission’s July vote to reduce the millage past the budgeted millage of 6.82 to the rollback rate of 6.66.

The budget vote came after commissioners heard from nearly 20 community members who weighed in on the funding plan. Many of those who spoke were members of the Cobb Parks Coalition and others who supported their effort to see the county fund parks bond. Several dozen community members in the audience wore green to bring attention to the issue, with members of the Cobb Parks Coalition and supporters displaying signs with messages such as “Note Our Vote: Buy Parks” and “Trees Please.”

Two-thirds of Cobb voters approved then $40 million parks bond in November 2008, but the bonds approved by voters were never issued by then-county Chairman Sam Olens due to a tanking economy and a tax increase he said would come as a result of the bonds’ issuance.

Commissioners have yet to take action regarding the approved parks bond, but Commissioner JoAnn Birrell, prior to the budget vote, told those in attendance that she planned to propose a resolution next month to increase the county’s debt service millage by 0.13 mills to fund the $24.7 million in parks bonds the county would legally be able to issue out of the approved 2008 bonds.

Commissioners next month are also slated to receive from the county’s recreation board a list of properties that could become future county parks. The county held a public nomination process from late January through April 15, with 166 properties nominated for purchase by the county to increase greenspace. The recreation board is expected to narrow that list down and present its recommended properties to commissioners.

“The $24.7 million in bonds can be issued in December of ’16, and we can purchase properties beginning in January of ’17,” Birrell said.

Then, with Cobb residents already scheduled to head to the polls in March to vote on a renewal of the one-cent special purpose local option sales tax for Cobb County and Marietta City Schools, Birrell said she would propose putting on the same ballot a referendum for an additional $40 million parks bond. Her proposal would have to earn approval from her fellow commission members to be placed on the ballot.

“I know it’s not what everybody wanted as far as a full $40 million now, but if we can purchase park land at $24.7 million in 2017, and issue a new bond for $40 million, that will give us $64.7 million total in the next two years,” she said.

Birrell’s announcement earned applause from the audience, who earlier had booed as commissioners said they had planned to vote on Lee’s “continuation budget.”]]><![CDATA[More Letters to the Editor on Park Bond 2008 Funding]]>Wed, 21 Sep 2016 08:27:02 GMThttp://www.cobbparkscoalition.org/blog/more-letters-to-the-editor-on-park-bond-2008-funding
An open letter to the Cobb Board of Commissioners on parks bonds
Sep 21, 2016

Mr. Chairman/Commissioners:

As a supporter of the 2008 Parks Bond initiative since day one and having heard the proposed 2017 budget discussions of Aug. 23 and no response to public comment on the matter at the Sept. 13 Board of Commissioners meeting, I am concerned about the lack of results in putting Cobb County voters’ authorization of November 2008 back on track. As you understand better than I, this is mighty “late in the game” of finalizing the 2017 budget, having nothing to show for all that’s been written and said about making good on county leadership’s commitment established by the 2008 referendum decision.

Unless I am mistaken, only two commissioners have expressed any real support for finding the solution in 2017. As I understand the others’ views: A do-over on the referendum is not right; packaging it into a SPLOST initiative that can’t be voted on before March next year and then actually resourced many months later is nearly as wrong as the idea of starting all over; and then leaving it entirely for the next chairman to deal with ... what is up with that?

In a way, it’s unfortunate that the recreation board’s effort you directed won’t be complete before late October. But that’s not to say that you can’t commit funding in the 2017 budget to act on their findings and recommendations. And God forbid that another cycle of volunteer citizen effort of this scale at your behest could be wasted.

As I pointed out earlier, the decision was made in 2008: $40 million. A millage rate increase to cover it is not anathema to me and surely a majority of Cobb taxpayers would share that view if that’s what it were to come to. Wouldn’t you go for it rather than cut a different line on the budget to accommodate it? The only question remaining should be which properties to save from development.

So I wrap this up with a plea to make the $40 million dollar green space acquisition happen without further delay and a thank you in advance. I am confident you will come up with the right answer. Thank you for your time.

Dave McDaniel
Mableton

Full $40M park bond should be funded immediately
Sep 8, 2016

RE: Funding of $40 million Park Bond - MDJ Around Town, Aug. 6

Dear Commissioner (JoAnn) Birrell,

I could not agree with you more. The full $40 million Park and Greenspace bond should be funded ASAP! You state that $19 million is left in the 2008 bond so just divert $21 million from some other source such as the water system or our property taxes to fully fund the bond. The BOC obviously had no problem diverting funds from the water system to the general fund. Also, absconding with, without our permission, almost $9 million per year for 30 years to a private organization, the Braves, from our property taxes. With the Park Bond, you were given our permission with an overwhelming vote of 67 percent in favor of the $40 million. Since the BoC funded the Braves with $400 million it should be a snap for the BoC to come up with (divert) a paltry $21 million.

In a recent opinion article in the MDJ, Mr. Yarbrough compared Chairman Lee with Mr. Iacocca of Ford Motor Co. He said that the Braves may turn out to be Lee’s Mustang. Am now beginning to believe that it may be his Edsel!

Robert F Roth
Marietta

A question of honor
Sep 6, 2016

DEAR EDITOR:

Eight years ago, a promise was made by the Cobb County Board of Commissioners to its citizens to abide by the results of a referendum which unambiguously asked whether the board ought to issue a bond of indebtedness in the amount of $40 million for the purchase of land to be used for public parks. Sixty- seven percent — a supermajority — of those voting answered in the affirmative. Yet eight years later, no action has been taken to comply with this mandate, and the latest working budget allocates no money for park land. The promise has not been kept.

This is a question of honor. A promise has been made by Cobb County which it can and must keep. Failure to do so flouts the will of a supermajority.

Norman Fagge

]]><![CDATA[3 Ways the BoC Denied Funds Earmarked for Park Bond 2008 + 2 Positive Developments for the Future of Park Bond 2008]]>Tue, 13 Sep 2016 12:59:22 GMThttp://www.cobbparkscoalition.org/blog/3-ways-the-boc-denied-funds-earmarked-for-park-bond-2008-2-positive-developments-for-the-future-of-park-bond-2008

Showing some of the history at Hyde Farm, saved in part with Park Bond 2006 funds

At the August 23 and September 13, 2016 Board of Commissioners budget presentations, we learned the surprising & unfortunate fact that the 2017 Budget does not include Park Bond 2008 Referendum funding, despite the Board re-starting the property selection process earlier this year for purchasing land as parks.

The irony? The Board of Commissioners could easily have funded the 2008 Park Bond Referendum voters overwhelmingly approved AND the new Braves stadium with the .33 available in the Debt Service Fund.

Why doesn't the 2017 Budget include Park Bond 2008 funding? 3 Reasons.

1) The Board officially shifts the earmarked tax money for Park Bond 2008 into the new Braves stadium bond account for 30 years. The Park Bond 2008 could have been quickly paid before shifting the money in just a few short years because the Braves money is actually moving 2 years earlier than planned because of the extra funds in the Debt Service Fund due to the booming economy.

2) At the previous July 26 meeting, the Board of Commissioners lowered the Debt Service Fund rate, which pays for park bonds, by the exact amount needed (.1 millage is equal to an $8 refund for the average homeowner this year). This .1 reduction zeroes out the Debt Service Fund for future Park Bond funding, because the Braves will take the rest of the millage in that fund, .23 of the total .33 millage currently available.

The Board's shifting the Debt Service Fund taxes into the Braves stadium leaves the Debt Service Fund at an unprecedented zero. The Debt Service Fund is like the County's credit card, so no new bonds can be taken out without raising taxes. We continue to ask that the County restore the Debt Service Fund. See history of Cobb County Debt Service Fund rate above and below.

History of the Cobb County Debt Service Fund 1999-2016 + Proposed 0 for 2017

3) To add insult to injury, after delaying the Park Bond 2008 funding for years, Chairman Lee now says only a certain amount of the park bond remains, $24.7 million out of $40 million. The full $40 million voted for by referendum in 2008 should be available via the Debt Service Fund for many reasons.

First, the Park Bond Referendum on the actual ballot in 2008 did not have a time limit.
Second, since Park Bond 2008 has never been issued, of course no bond requirements or repayment schedules can be linked to how the $40 million referendum. A new bond request should be secured.
Third, since Park Bond 2008 was postponed until the economy improved, there is no loss of funds. If there was a certain amount remaining, either the county would have been repaying a debt or Park Bond 2008 would have been issued years ago as soon as the Board knew it would transfer the earmarked tax money into the Braves.

Cobb County is basically taking away $15 million from a $40 million voter approved referendum before the 2008 Park Bond game even starts. It's like a baseball game, if a game is postponed due to rain, the next game doesn't start with the home team down 15 runs. Or like when a timeout gets called, again, the home team doesn't come back to find the other team is 15 runs ahead. It's a timeout.

"Cobb County is basically taking away $15 million from a $40 million voter approved referendum before the 2008 Park Bond game even starts. It's like a baseball game, if a game is postponed due to rain, the next game doesn't start with the home team down 15 runs. Or like when a timeout gets called, again, the home team doesn't come back to find the other team is 15 runs ahead. It's a timeout."

When the Board finally fully funds Park Bond 2008 after postponing it, they should fund the full $40 million. We know that financially funding Park Bond 2008 can be & should be done first. We continue to ask the Board of Commissioners to restore the .1 millage to the Debt Service Fund in the 2017 Budget.

The 2 Positive Developments:

1. The Board restarted the Park Bond property evaluation process in January 2016, and the Parks Department has reported their Committee will announce the park nominations for purchase in October 2016.

2. The Incoming Chairman Mike Boyce centered a good part of his Chairman campaign on funding the 2008 Park Bond, and he has publicly reported he will fund the Park Bond in the Marietta Daily Journal and on WABE radio.

The Park Bond will ensure a great legacy for any Commissioner who funds it, and that is what should happen in our great American democracy for any voter-approved Referendum.

Horses at Mabry Park

nvironmentally, Cobb’s stated goal in the 2030 Plan is to save at least 10.5% of county land as greenspace. Currently Cobb has less than 7 percent saved, so Cobb needs to purchase more than 8,000 acres to achieve their 10% goal. For perspective, the very popular Park Bond 2006 saved fewer than 400 acres, and no parkland has been purchased in Cobb for nearly a decade.

Having nearby parks:

helps the roads have less traffic
keeps the water table high with drinkable water
ensures less flooding due to impervious surfaces
creates healthier and safer communities

Parks also increase home values, tourism, and the overall quality of life.

Park Bond 2006 was a huge success and purchased Green Meadows Preserve, Hyde Farm, Mabry Park, and Price Park among others, which is why 65% of voters approved Park Bond 2008 and we continue to press for it to be funded.

Some more history: The Cobb Parks Coalition met with each Commissioners in the Fall of 2015 and noted the Board could easily use .1 millage of the .33 millage to pay for Park Bond 2008 exactly as planned in 2008 under Chairman Olens. Chairman Olens completed the property evaluation process for Park Bond 2008 but chose not to buy the properties in 2009.

]]><![CDATA[Boyce commits to $40M for parks]]>Sat, 10 Sep 2016 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.cobbparkscoalition.org/blog/boyce-commits-to-40m-for-parksMDJ Article: Boyce commits to $40M for parks

Ricky Leroux
Sep 10, 2016

Retired Marine Col. Mike Boyce, set to become the chairman of the Cobb Board of Commissioners next year, said this week he is committed to finding a way for the county to spend $40 million on new park land because that was the amount approved by voters in a 2008 referendum.

However, he said needs to get more information about the options available before committing to a method of funding the land purchases.

In an hour-long interview with the MDJ’s editorial board on Monday, Boyce said he wants to “keep a low profile until Nov. 8,” when he is officially elected chairman. Boyce defeated incumbent Tim Lee in a runoff for the Republican nomination for the chairman’s seat in July, and without a Democratic, third-party or independent challenger, he is assured a win on Election Day.

Still, Boyce said he wants to wait for the general election before scheduling meetings with county staff, “so that when I go into a meeting with a staff person, I am the chairman-elect, and not the presumptive.”

Below are Boyce’s answer to a variety of questions the editorial board posed to the incoming chairman, though some have been edited for clarity.

Q: One of the big issues for your campaign was the parks bond. (we) know you haven’t sat down with staff yet, but what are your preliminary thoughts on how the county should handle it?
A: Again, I don’t want to put the cart before the horse. They’re still working through the budget, but I think you don’t have to go back to my campaign to find that I’m committed to find a way to pay for the bond. I think that in 2008, the people spoke, and I think that’s still a standing commitment that we should honor. And the challenge we’re going to have is finding a way to do that. But I want to let the chairman and the board work through that issue before I get involved in it.

Q: So you’d have to get more information before deciding what options are out there for you? What’s on the table, what’s not on the table?
A: Yeah, the bottom line is I have to see — I have to work with the budget they produce. But I think I bring the skillset to the table to be able to do that. And again, whatever decision I make regarding any topic, including the bond, has to be worked through the board.

Q: But eventually, you’d like to see that $40 million number realized?
A: Yeah, in some way.

Q: As you told (us) in the last month, a tax rate increase is off the table. That’s a non-starter.
A: Yeah, it has to be for me. It’d be political suicide. First off, I’ve said that I’m not going to raise taxes. And (second), we’re fiscally conservative. The way you keep government small is you starve them of money. I forget who said that, but there’s a lot of reality to that. But the other side is you’re still expected to provide them certain public services. So I think the only challenge might be the parks bond because there, the people have already indicated that they want the bond. Now, how are we going to pay for that? There’s a lot of options on the table. Again, how we do that, that’s going to be tough. But if I articulate the argument that they’re the ones that want the bond, they voted for it, we’re just delayed in how we do it. That’s really not my decision, I’m just executing it. But I have to communicate it in a way that they understand, on both sides, why we’re doing what we’re doing. So, $40 million is not a small amount of money. We’re not going to just pull that out of a hat. We’re going to have to find ways to do that, but again, I can’t make any decisions on that until I see how the board votes on the budget.
...
Q: What’s your interaction with the district commissioners?
A: I’ve had coffee with them, I’ve had breakfast with them. I’ve texted, emailed. It’s been informal, but again, everything I pretty much need to know, I read in the paper.

Q: Have you met with all the district commissioners?
A: In person, all except for (Commissioner) Bob Weatherford. I just don’t ride motorcycles, and I don’t believe in going to Montana. But no, he and I have texted, and likewise with most of the mayors. I’m meeting with (Smyrna Mayor) Max Bacon on Friday, but these meetings, again, like I said before, it’s just for them to get to know me. Look, I’m an unknown. I came up out of nowhere, and they knew my name and that’s just about it. The reality is I think a lot of people thought this was a shot in the dark. … It’s not like we tried to hide the nature of our campaign. I just think people, and I mean this generally, people didn’t believe that the whole issue was that the people felt that they should have been brought into the process, something that simple. And that after two years, they’d have gotten over it. Well, I didn’t feel that way, and apparently most of them didn’t either.

Q: And the peace accords with the Atlanta Braves went well?
A: That was a good meeting.

Q: So you’re all set with them?
A: Yeah, that was a good meeting. I got a sense of their professionalism, and I also got a sense that this is a big enchilada. We have to find a way, all of us, to make this a successful enterprise. And that’s going to require a lot of work on our part because we’re now part of a business enterprise, so we have responsibilities in that regard. And we have to find a way to do our part to make that business enterprise successful. They are unique because they are so big and because of the issues, primarily traffic surrounding them, that are going to be there from day one. So I’m aware of that, they’re aware of that. Apparently, everyone is doing their best to come up with a plan, but as I told them in my meeting, I’ve heard a lot of plans in my lifetime, they usually last about a minute once you execute them. So you have to have the flexibility to adjust (when) something you hadn’t thought about occurs, but you still have to deal with it. But I think we’re all on board with it. I think they were very, very reassured that I’m here to work with them, in every way, shape or form … and I’ve committed to that.
...
Q: (Another) issue … is the bridge over I-285 near the stadium (and) how it’s being paid for. Are there any changes that you would like to see made to how that bridge is being funded? Or do you agree with the way the county has handled it so far?
A: Let me simply say that the bridge was in the (Memorandum of Understanding) (between the county and the Braves). The board signed, approved the M.O.U., they have to find a way to build it. That’s the agreement. Somebody had asked me if I had planned to go and try to find a way to change the M.O.U. The answer’s no. That is a contract. And some things are black and white to me. It’s a contract. We have to do it. So I’ll let the board figure out how they’re going to do that.
...
Q: Recently, the board was presented with this study outlining changes that should be made to staffers’ salaries. Are you familiar with what was presented in the report and what do you make of their findings?
A: I went to the board and spoke to them sometime in the last year about — it was during the budget last year — and they were mentioning this study, but they hadn’t put (in) something called a placeholder. And I went the board and I said, ‘Look, even if you don’t know the exact impact of this study, show your employees that you’re serious about doing something about it and put a placeholder in the budget to reflect that you think this is going to be an estimate of what you think this budget’s going to cost. And that sends a signal to all your employees that you are serious about this effort.’ And ultimately, they did that. So I think that’s where they are right now. I think it’s a priority to the chairman, and I think that’s terrific because the county employees certainly have worked hard for it. And I would like to — I just want to let him work this out with the board as to how they’re going to implement that study because, again, I’m aware of the issue, I’ve read some of it, but I haven’t read all of it. I don’t know all the impact of it because I haven’t talked to the HR director or the other people who are impacted by it. But it’s something that I think everyone recognizes should be done, and I think the board will find some way of at least getting started on that.
…
Q: You were saying earlier that you didn’t think the whole zoning — the way of doing it with the signs right by the property was enough.
A: No, because people are busy. The reality is that even though I went to 8,000 doors, most of them weren’t home, but a lot of them called me back. People just work hard. My sense was a lot of them, if not most of them were low-income families. They get home, they have kids, they have soccer and after-school activities that they want to be a part of, and now you’re asking them to take another part of their very busy life to focus on what’s going on in their county. Now, if you’re doing everything right, it’s like other institution — if it’s clicking on all cylinders, then you don’t have an interest because they’re taking care of you. I remember one morning, watching ‘The Georgia Gang,’ the guy — who’s that, Dick Williams, is that who runs that show? — he was making a comment, ‘Well, Mike Boyce has said the county government has got great people, they’re doing great things, you know, the economy’s growing there. What’s his problem?’ Well, Dick, obviously you missed the point because when I went knocking on doors, I wasn’t complaining about how our government was being run, I was complaining about something else. And I was trying to convince people to agree with me and vote for me. But I realized that I had to go get them. If I hadn’t done that, I probably wouldn’t have won. I’ll be realistic. What we did was what it took to win. And in the course of doing that, I just learned that we have to find a better way of getting people to vote. Something as simple as putting absentee ballot applications in the water bill or something. Just reach out to them.]]><![CDATA[A LITTLE PIECE OF PARADISE’: Acworth goat farm’s open house to promote property’s park potential]]>Fri, 09 Sep 2016 10:10:02 GMThttp://www.cobbparkscoalition.org/blog/a-little-piece-of-paradise-acworth-goat-farms-open-house-to-promote-propertys-park-potential

Rosewood Farm Open House Saturday, Sept 9 from 1:00 to 5:00 pm

MDJ Article: ‘A LITTLE PIECE OF PARADISE’ Acworth goat farm’s open house to promote property’s park potential

Jon Gargis

Charline Cambron feeds treats to goats on her farm, Rosewood Farm, Wednesday morning. Her 54-acre Acworth property off Baker Road, on which her farm and home are located, will host an open house Saturday afternoon to show the land's potential to become a county park.

Charline Cambron's 54-acre Baker Road property in Acworth has grassy areas, which her 130 goats enjoy, as well as wooded areas. The property was nominated several years ago to be purchased as county greenspace but was never pursued as Cobb never issued the bonds to be used for park land. An open house Saturday aims to highlight the property's potential for a future park.

ACWORTH — Charline Cambron calls her 54-acre Baker Road property “a little piece of paradise,” but if she had her way, it could potentially be that and more for her neighbors and other county residents.

Cambron’s family has owned the land since her parents bought it in 1958, with she and her parents and brother moving onto it in 1965. She and her husband, Donald Perryman, continue to live there today, and in addition to their house, the land also serves as the site of Rosewood Farm, where she raises goats for meat, some of which is sold to metro Atlanta restaurants, including The Butcher The Baker in Marietta and Canoe in Vinings. She had about 130 goats on the farm Wednesday.

And while the animals now occupy a number of her property’s grassy areas, she sees those acres as well as the property’s wooded lands as the perfect site for a county park. She, along with the Cobb Parks Coalition, are promoting an open house on her property from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday to show the land’s potential for future park land.

“I would love for this to become a park,” she says. “The walking traffic on Baker Road, in the evenings and the mornings, people walking their dogs or jogging, we don’t have anything on this end of the county for Cobb County — Kennesaw has Swift-Cantrell and Acworth has Logan Farm Park. (This) is for the purpose of seeing it as a potential park and let the neighbors see what’s here that could be a park, because when neighbors get behind stuff, it does help, and a lot of people probably have no idea that this is actually in here, because you really can’t see it from the street.”

Cambron said she can imagine the land, surrounded almost entirely by neighborhoods, providing for county residents amenities such as dog parks or community garden space. Her house, she added, could be used for a county office, an event center or some other use.

“This could be a lot of things, and it would all be beneficial to the county,” she said. “To me, it would be like adding another little jewel in Cobb County’s crown, because we need greenspace. [And] the owls and the hawks and all those guys still need a place to live.”

Cambron said the county could pursue a purchase of her land, or perhaps even a life estate, where the land would be transferred to the county upon her death.

“There’s really basically probably only two endgames: I’m the last Cambron, and one day it’ll be developed or it could be a park, and I would love to see it become a park, because it is my home, and I would hate to see them (develop it), because when they develop stuff, they grade it pretty much flat,” she said. “If it doesn’t become a park, who knows what’s going to go in? No matter what (it is), people don’t like change, there’s going to be people who are for it and people that are against it. I would think that a park would enhance their property values, but of course, some of them are probably going to say no, but everybody has a different take on that.”

IS LAND ON THE LIST?
Cambron’s property had been recommended as the site of a possible county park before. In late 2008 and into 2009, a public nomination process was held to determine which properties Cobb residents wanted to see the county purchase in order to increase greenspace. The nomination period followed voters’ November 2008 approval of a $40 million parks bond, but the bonds were never issued by then-county Chairman Sam Olens due to a tanking economy and a tax increase he said would come as a result of the bonds’ issuance.

That process resulted in more than 330 nominated properties. County commissioners in late October 2009 were presented by the parks bond citizen advisory committee a list of 29 properties that had been whittled from those that were nominated. Cambron’s property was one of those 29.

The parks bond issue fell off the radar until details of Chairman Tim Lee’s plan to bring the Atlanta Braves to Cobb County were released. Lee’s plan to finance the new ballpark involved increasing general fund millage just as debt service millage used for a previous park bond was paid off and decreased. The discussion prompted commissioners to authorize a similar nomination process for parkland this year, with more than 160 properties across the county nominated. The parcels are located in all areas of Cobb and range in size from 0.5 acres to more than 120 acres, Tom Bills, senior project manager for the county’s parks department, told the MDJ last month.

But county officials last month said they could not reveal if any of the 29 properties recommended in 2009 were among those nominated this year, though Bills said that at the beginning of this year, of those 29, county officials could find no evidence of development activity on 21 of them. He added that the board has an Oct. 25 deadline to present its list of recommended properties to the Board of Commissioners. Commissioners are scheduled to meet that day.

Paul Paulsen of west Cobb founded the Cobb Parks Coalition to promote the county’s $40 million parks bond.

He said the coalition wants to see the nomination list made public.

“By the county refusing to reveal the properties that are nominated, it adds a cloud of opaqueness that does a disservice to all that we’ve done. Why not do it now? People need to know what’s out there,” Paulsen said. “That’s why we want it to be open.”

Paulsen said he hopes the public will come to Saturday’s event to see a site that could one day become a source of county greenspace.

COMMISSIONERS: COMMITTEE’S JOB TO SELECT PROPERTIES

In addition to community members, organizers have also invited members of the Cobb Board of Commissioners. Three commissioners — JoAnn Birrell, Lisa Cupid and Bob Ott — told the MDJ that they each had prior commitments and would not be attending Saturday’s open house.

“I expect the coalition of Parks and Recreation board appointees to evaluate this property along with the other properties nominated for consideration,” Cupid said.

Ott said that while he has not yet seen the property in person, he believes it will be moved forward by the advisory committee.

“My understanding is it’s going to be one of the properties that comes forward,” he said. “I’ve talked to the folks who are my appointees to the committee, and they’ve kind of kept me abreast of where they are looking at properties, and they’re going to come talk to me once they’ve finished reviewing the properties.”

But Ott said it was too early to say if any property was worthy to become a future county park.
“We have a committee, so it’s important to let the committee do the work that they’re out there doing,” Ott said. “I don’t want them to think they’re wasting their time if we’re all of a sudden making decisions without letting them do the research and investigation they’re out there doing. I’m just waiting for them to finish and let us know.”

Birrell said she too had not seen the property in person, but could do so if it is selected. “Once we get the recommended list in October from the parks board, I plan to make site visits to the selected properties,” she said.

Only time will tell if county leaders pursue Cambron’s land for a future park. But what would happen if the county bought the land from Cambron?

“I’m not ready to live in a house with a neighbor that close. I’d most likely buy something else. I would like to stay in Cobb County, I love Cobb County. I would like to find a smaller piece of property in Cobb County and downsize,” she said. “But I would still have goats.”

]]><![CDATA[A question of honor]]>Wed, 07 Sep 2016 12:13:43 GMThttp://www.cobbparkscoalition.org/blog/a-question-of-honorMarietta Daily Journal Letter to the Editor: A question of honor

DEAR EDITOR:

Eight years ago, a promise was made by the Cobb County Board of Commissioners to its citizens to abide by the results of a referendum which unambiguously asked whether the board ought to issue a bond of indebtedness in the amount of $40 million for the purchase of land to be used for public parks.

Sixty- seven percent — a supermajority — of those voting answered in the affirmative. Yet eight years later, no action has been taken to comply with this mandate, and the latest working budget allocates no money for park land. The promise has not been kept.

This is a question of honor. A promise has been made by Cobb County which it can and must keep. Failure to do so flouts the will of a supermajority.

Norman Fagge
Marietta

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Send an Email to the Cobb Board of Commissioners before 7PM on July 25, 2017: ​No Tax Increase Needed to Fully Fund the ​$40 million Park Bond 2008 Referendum

Send an Email to the Cobb Board of Commissioners before 7PM on July 25, 2017: No Tax Increase Needed to Fully Fund the $40 million Park Bond 2008 Referendum