Shredfest 2010

February 13, 2010
8:00 am	to	12:00 pm

Welcome back!

On February 13, 2010, the Shredfest event hours will be 8AM until 12 noon or until the truck is full, whichever comes first.

This is a perfect opportunity to safely dispose of sensitive documents like old tax returns, junk mail with personal information, dated documents with personal information, dated pay stubs with personal information, etc.

Shredded while you watch!

Limit: 5 boxes or 200 pounds of documents per vehicle. Roswell and non-Roswell residents are welcome to participate.

Shredfest takes place at the Roswell Recycling Center, 11570 Maxwell Road, Alpharetta, GA 30009 .

Term Limits Imposed for Roswell Mayor

Recently re-elected Mayor Jere Wood has finally gotten his way. The Roswell City Council, at the insistence of Wood, has voted to impose term limits on the mayor’s position.

Under the measure, the next mayor, whether it’s Wood or someone else, will be limited to three terms.

The irony of this is this is that Mayor Wood began his fourth four-year term last month. But in his defense, Wood has tried previously to convince the city council to approve limits, but was unsuccessful.

Wood argued for the limits, saying they force mayors to have to become leaders, rather than becoming complacent.

The Roswell City Council passed the term limits with only one dissenting vote.

Grimes Bridge Road Roundabout Plans

February 4, 2010
6:30 pm	to	8:30 pm

The City of Roswell’s Transportation Department will hold a public information open house where staff will be available to discuss the pending roundabout intersection improvements at the Grimes Bridge Road/Warsaw Road/Norcross Street intersection.

The meeting will be held on February 4, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. at the Adult Recreation Center located at 830 Grimes Bridge Road . The public is invited and encouraged to attend to review the improvements and discuss the roundabout with City staff.

The roundabout will allow the removal of the traffic signal and allow traffic to move freely and safely through the intersection. There is strong evidence from across the United States and in Georgia that confirms roundabouts:

• reduce accidents and injury crashes
• provide increased pedestrian and bicycle safety
• reduced vehicle delay and fuel consumption
• improve air quality by reduced vehicle idling
• reduce electricity usage (by removing existing traffic signal) therefore less cost to the city
• reduce road noise
• provide a sustainable, aesthetically pleasing improvement

In terms of the Grimes Bridge/Warsaw/Norcross roundabout project, it is important to note that:

• Modern roundabouts are safer than a traditional intersection with a traffic signal
• No houses will be taken or demolished as a result of this project
• No significant specimen trees will be removed or harmed due to this intersection improvement project
• The construction of this project requires no road closures
• The construction cost is estimated to be $950,000

Roswell Notification Service

The City of Roswell has launched a new citizen notification service that will deliver important and timely emergency and general information to Roswell residents using the latest technology available.

What is Nixle?

The new notification service, NIXLE, will alert residents to emergency weather events, road closings, public safety advisories, natural and manmade disasters, and general city information through email and text messaging.

How Do I Sign Up?

NIXLE is free and is easy to register for through City of Roswell website. The button to sign up for the service is located on the right hand side of the City’s homepage. Those who wish to register will need to create an account with a user name and password, enter an email address and/or cell phone number where you would like to receive the messages, and then enter your address. Click the “Sign Me Up” button to complete the registration.

Currently, residents who register will receive alerts for weather events, road closing, and public safety advisories. Roswell will eventually provide general City information through NIXLE.

Please note that your cell phone provider’s text messaging rates will apply.

North Fulton Transportation Open House

January 14, 2010
6:00 pm	to	8:00 pm

The purpose of the North Fulton Comprehensive Transportation Plan is to provide the foundation and framework for transportation and policy recommendations across the distinctive and unique cities of North Fulton – Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Sandy Springs, Roswell and Mountain Park. The resulting document, TRIP (Transporation Resources Implementation Program), will guide the accomplishment of this effort. Input of the public will be sought throughout the project schedule.

Roswell transportation needs will be discussed in the context of the North Fulton County Region.

• Date: Tuesday, January 14, 2010

• Time: 6-8:00 P.M

• Location: Roswell City Hall, 38 Hill St, in Room 220, Roswell, GA 30075

Georgia Super Speeder Law

Georgia Super Speeder Law

The new “Super Speeder” law just took effect on January 1st and it’s about to get really expensive on Georgia roads. The law targets drivers going 75 miles per hour or more on two-lane roads and 85 or more on multi-lane roads like interstates. (Editor Note: For those local drivers, the picture above is not taken from GA 400, otherwise known as the Georgia Autobahn. These are professional drivers on a closed track and trying to match their speeds on GA 400 will now cost you a couple Benjamins.)

That means, going 85 miles per hour or more on most Georgia roads, including interstates, will cost a speeder an additional $200. On two-lane roads, meaning one lane each way, the extra fine kicks in at 75 mph. And that is on  top of whatever ticket the speeder gets for going over the speed limit.

The state will send a letter notifying the speeder of the $200 fine, which must be paid within 90 days of the letter’s date.

Drivers who don’t pay will have their licenses suspended.

State officials pushed for the law to cut down on devastating high-speed crashes, while raising funds for trauma care.

For those that have already been pulled over, apparently the excuse of not knowing about the new law is no excuse at all. Keep an eye on the mailbox for your bill from the state.

Christmas Tree Recycling

January 9, 2010
8:00 am	to	4:00 pm
8:00 am	to	4:00 pm

Bring One for the Chipper

Recycle that Tree! ….Bring One For The Chipper! – Saturday, January 9, 2010, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.  at Roswell area Home Depot stores.

Home Depot
870 Woodstock Road
Roswell, 30075

Home Depot
1580 Holcomb Bridge Road
Roswell, 30076

Recycle that tree and get free seedling (while they last).

Make sure that your tree keeps on giving after the holidays by removing all ornaments and the base and deliver it to the Keep Roswell Beautiful event between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on January 9th.

Contact Davey Tree Experts at 770-451-7911 after the event or fax in the mulch request to get your free mulch.

Bring One for the Chipper is Georgia’s annual Christmas tree recycling program. Each year, Keep Georgia Beautiful works with private sponsors to organize the recycling event. In the past, these statewide sponsors have included The Home Depot, The Davey Tree Expert Company and WXIA-TV. Numerous local sponsors and volunteers also make contributions and provide in-kind services across the state.

The Chipper program involves hundreds of Georgia communities and thousands of volunteers. Since its inception, the program has recycled over 4.8 million Christmas trees. The mulch from these trees has been used for playgrounds, local government beautification projects, and individual yards. You can support the Chipper program by bringing your cut Christmas tree to a designated drop off site or volunteering with your local coordinator to collect trees.

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Roswell goes Green and wins Silver

Congratulations to the City of Roswell, who was recently certified under the Atlanta Regional Commission’s (ARC) Green Communities Program at the Silver Level. Roswell is the first city in Georgia to be certified Silver.

“Roswell’s color has always been green,” explains Mayor Jere Wood. “We are proud to be the first City in Georgia to achieve the Silver Level Green Communities Certification from the Atlanta Regional Commission. We plan to be the first city in Georgia to receive the Gold Certification.”

ARC launched the Green Communities Program late last year to foster greater environmental stewardship by recognizing local governments that invest in programs leading to a more sustainable Atlanta region. ARC’s Green Communities program is the only program in the country that seeks to transform a region by promoting sustainability through a “green” certification program for local governments.

The city estimates that it will save $62,000 annually from the replacement of traffic signals and school zone flashers with LED bulbs. The Leita Thompson Park dog park lighting is solar powered.

The city has a no net loss of trees policy, and trees that cannot be replaced onsite will be planted on other government property. The Tree Planting Partnership is a public-private partnership to improve tree canopy and density on public lands. It has resulted in the planting of 788 hardwoods and 3,838 shrubs and flowers.

Roswell offers commute options to staff that include a flexible work arrangements policy provides for telecommuting, compressed work week and flex time. Recycling containers government facilities are located at individual desks and in common areas for traditional and non-traditional recycling. Residents of single-family homes have curbside recycling, and multi-family complexes are required to provide recycling.

Vote for Roswell Fire Department

The Fire Department is participating in the BeFireSmart Pledge Program sponsored by Liberty Mutual. The program offers a $10,000 grant to fire departments across the United States that display a commitment to fire safety.

In order to receive the grant, Roswell is asking residents and businesses to complete a brief 10-question online quiz and vote for Roswell Fire Department. The ten communities with the most completed quizzes and votes will earn grants for their fire departments.

To participate in the online quiz, visit www.befiresmart.com/fire-safety-pledge/default.aspx.

Click the “Get Started” button on the homepage and take the brief fire safety quiz. Once you have completed the quiz, you’ll be asked for your name, city and email address and an email confirmation will be sent to your email account. Verify your email address and cast your vote for Roswell.

The deadline to submit your vote is Monday, December 21st, so log in today!

The Roswell Fire Department needs your vote!

Roswell Chickens Squawk at new Ordinance

On Monday, the Roswell City Council voted 6 to 2 to ban all roosters and restrict the number of backyard chickens subject to lot size. In what turned out to be a shock, the attempt to loosen Roswell’s backyard chicken law resulted in a much tighter law.

Under the most recent version, residents could have kept up to 25 birds in some sort of enclosure at single-family homes, no matter what the lot size. People already keeping more than 25 chickens could have obtained a permit for up to 15 more birds.

However, under the new ordinance, no chickens are allowed on residential lots of 1/3 acre or less. Homeowners with 1/3 to 1 acre can keep six chickens. Homeowners with more than 1 acre can have 12 birds per acre, up to a maximum of 36. The ordinance does not regulate lots larger than 2 acres.

The council debated over roosters, but in the end there wasn’t enough support to allow roosters to be included in the ordinance, which resulted in total ban on those early morning noise makers.

The law takes effect right away, but residents were given a 90-day grace period to comply.

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