🌱 Proposed Change To Open Records Requests + Public Comments Needed

Welcome back, Roswell. I'm here in your inbox per usual to get you up to speed on everything you need to know about what's going on around town. Because community information is power! Today we'll cover...

• Mayor gives updates on North Fulton municipal election partnerships.
• Volunteer for The Great American Cleanup 2023.
• Roswell's Zero Based Budgeting plan

But first, your local weather:

• Saturday: Intervals of clouds and sun. High: 61 Low: 46.
• Sunday: Cloudy, a shower and t-storm. High: 50 Low: 46.

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Here are the top three stories today in Roswell:

1. The city council has presented a draft resolution that proposes a change to Roswell's public records policy. The prospective change would allow for public records to only be sent electronically to entities and/or individuals who provide names and addresses that can be verified. The City of Roswell says that they are ineffectively spending a great amount of time and resources to respond to open records requests for entities that do not legally exist or for those who give false addresses. This idleness encroaches on the Roswell's ability to collect the necessary charges under State Law for open records request. This change will be discussed at the next City Council work session on March 14. (thegeorgiasun.com)
2. Public comments are being requested from residents of Roswell regarding the city's 2022 Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER). This is a yearly report that gives a description of how Roswell uses entitlement funds for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and is required to be submitted to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This draft plan was made available to Roswell's citizens on Friday, March 10 via an online portal or hardcopy. Hardcopy versions of the draft plan can be retrieved from Roswell City Hall, the Roswell Public Library, the East Roswell Public Library, or at the Roswell Housing Authority. The city will also hold a Public Hearing on Monday, March 27 at City Hall where residents can come to give their comments on the plan. The open comment period ends at 5:00 PM on Wednesday, March 29. (City of Roswell, Georgia Government via Facebook)
3. On Friday, Mayor Wilson gave a public statement to the media regarding the discussions that the cities in North Fulton are having regarding their plans to partner to hire a superintendent to manage joint municipal elections. The mayor has updated that this idea is loosing momentum and the talks have "stalled." The cities of Roswell, Mountain Park, Alpharetta, John's Creek, and Milton discussing their own separate election plans. In a recent email, City Manager Steve Krokoff said that “We simply don’t know whether or not there will be a joint election superintendent for multiple cities.” Mayor Wilson and some councilmembers have come to believe it would be a rushed effort to try to arrange this year's election in November. They believe they should now wait until 2025 to do so. North Fulton cities with closely-approaching elections must give notice to Fulton County by March 31 if they want the county to manage their elections. (Newsbreak.com)

Today and tomorrow in Roswell:

Saturday, March 11

• The Running Of The Leprechauns - Riverside Park (8:00 AM)
• Habitat for Humanity Ecumenical Build - Roswell Presbyterian Church (8:45 AM)
• Empower Thyself Class - Lumina Center (10:00 AM)
• B.Y.O.M Yoga - Gate City Brewing Co. (10:30 AM)
• Rising Stars Saturday Class - ILM Academy (11:00 AM)
• The Magic in Me: A Self-Love Workshop Series - The Little Yogis Roswell (11:00 AM)
• St. Paddy Shamrock Bar Crawl - Downtown Roswell (2:00 PM)
• Atlanta Pizza Truck - Gate City Brewing Company (2:00 PM)
• Roswell Dance Starz Presents "Cinderella"- Roswell Cultural Arts Center (2:00 PM)
• Phoenix Flies 2023: Roswell Historic District Tour - Roswell Town Square (3:00 PM)
• Live Music w/ Bruce and the Peoples - Pinkies Up Beer and Wine (5:30 PM)
• Ice Cream and Holi - Cold Stone Creamery (6:00 PM)
• Roswell Dance Starz Presents "Cinderella"- Roswell Cultural Arts Center (7:00 PM)
• Abraxas~ A Santana Tribute Band - Houck's Grille (8:00 PM)
• Double Take Live - Rock N' Taco Roswell (9:30 PM)

Sunday, March 12

• Malcolm Little Live - Big Oak Tavern (12:00 PM)
• The Grateful Dawg Live - Gate City Brewing Company (12:00 PM)
• Flying into the Future Science Festival- Chattahoochee Nature Center (12:00 PM)
• St Paddy's Day: 24th Annual Bash - Killer Creek Harley-Davidson (12:00 PM)
• Tarot 101: Minor Arcana Wands w/ Azalea - Eclipse Over Roswell (12:00 PM)
• Sundays Live Music - 1920 Tavern (2:00 PM)
• MD: "Medical Doctor" or "Mule Driver"? The Courageous Story of Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler - Roswell Library (2:00 PM)
• March 12 Community Walk - Leita Thompson Memorial Park (2:00 PM)
• Aromatherapy for Allergies - East Roswell Library (2:30 PM)
• Southern Rock Saturdays - Rock N' Taco Roswell (4:00 PM)
• "Growing Figs in the Southeast for the Home Gardener" presented by NFMG - Virtual Event (2:00 PM)
• Talking Tech at CMoA – Adapting the Unspoken: Designing an Improvisational Co-Creative AI Dance Partner (3:30 PM)
• Team Maggie's Dream Fundraiser - Deep Roots Wine Market & Tasting Room (4:00 PM)
• Atlanta Concert Band: "Heroes & Villains" Spring Concert - Cultural Arts Center (4:00 PM)
• Live Music w/ Andrew Black - Standard at Roswell (5:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• City of Roswell, Georgia Government: Do you want to learn more about Roswell's Zero Based Budgeting plan? Mayor Kurt Wilson, Councilmember Christine Hall, and Roswell's Finance Director Ryan Luckett give all the details about the plan and the Finance Department's process for their Fiscal Year 2024 budget in their new video. (City of Roswell, Georgia Government via Facebook)
• City of Roswell, Georgia: Last month the mayor and city council went on their annual retreat to the City of Auburn/Opelika, Alabama. The time for inward reflection on the future plans for the city was such a success, that Mayor Wilson and the council decided to "meet and retreat" more frequently. They will begin hosting monthly, half-day meetings in Roswell to give more time to their planning and governance duties. (City of Roswell, Georgia via Instagram)
• Atlanta Track Club: The club is back in Roswell for the Summit Coffee Second Saturday run. Join them this morning as they conduct their group run through downtown. All levels of runners and walkers are welcome. (Atlanta Track Club via Twitter)
• Roswell, Georgia Fire Department: Fire Chief Joe Pennino and Fire and Life Safety Educator Chad Miller attended Crabapple Middle School's 8th Grade Career Day. The firemen answered all the students questions about having a future career with the fire department. (Roswell, Georgia Fire Department via Facebook)
• John Ray, Host of Business RadioX® - North Fulton: Business RadioX-North Fulton host John Ray did a remote broadcast from Mimosa Elementary this week. He was there on behalf of the Roswell Program of Path To Shine®, Inc. This non-profit mentoring and tutoring program offers tutoring to the students at Mimosa ES. Some students were even featured in the broadcast. (John Ray, Host of Business RadioX® - North Fulton via Twitter)
• City of Roswell, Georgia: The city will be closing a section Rounsaville Road. These section of Rounsaville Road will be undergoing pipe repairs. The closures are expected to last for several weeks. Alternate routes are available in the meantime. (City of Roswell, Georgia via Instagram)
• Roswell High School: Students who study Japanese as a second language received a visit from the U.S. Consulate General for Japan, Mio Maeda. The students got the opportunity to participate in a traditional rice pounding activity that is used to celebrate the new year with the Consul General and his staff. (Roswell High School via Twitter)
• City of Roswell, Georgia: Volunteer for The Great American Cleanup. This year will be the 25th anniversary that The Great American Cleanup encourages volunteers to contribute to community greening and beautification in their towns. The cleanup will be held from March 20-June 21. (City of Roswell, Georgia via Instagram)

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You're officially in the loop for today! See you all soon for your next update.

— Jessica Griffin

About me: My name is Jessica Griffin and I am a native of Roswell, Georgia. I have been in the Roswell-Alpharetta community for over 30 years. As a native "Roswellian", I embody, participate, and support all things local. Community is at the core of all of us, and I aim to convey the collectiveness and unity that should be promoted and celebrated throughout our community. Being a mother, a writer, a student of history, and the arts are my passions.

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