Austell Annexes Marathon Gas Station

Firdous Halwany, owner of the Marathon gas station at 131 Maxham Road, was pleased that Austell City Council members agreed, with a 5-0 vote, to annex his business at Monday's council meeting. Councilman Martin Standard was absent from the Monday meeting.

Because the gas station sits close to the Douglas County-Cobb County line, Halwany said the response time for Douglas County police or fire was longer than he would like and would prefer to be included in the City of Austell to receive protection from its fire and police departments.

Because of the interdepartmental agreement for Austell, Cobb and Douglas police and fire departments, Austell's fire and police personnel would respond to any issue at the gas station anyway due to its proximity to the city.

"It's important for us to do it (annex the gas station)," said Mayor Joe Jerkins at the council meeting. "We're going to need to make the call anyway."

Halwany would not have to pay taxes to the city since Austell receives 1 percent of Douglas County sales tax in exchange for not requiring property taxes of its Douglas County residents, Jerkins explained.

"It's a very, very busy place and anything to make it more secure is better for everyone," said Councilwoman Kirsten Anderson.

Additionally at the meeting, council members approved:

• allocating the approximately $32,000 the city received in Cobb's Community Development Block Grant funds to make improvements to Collar Park adjacent to City Hall. With the additional $7,649 remaining from the CDBG funds the city received in 2011, the parks department plans to construct a covered pavillion in the park and to remove the rarely used sand volleyball area. The sand will be replaced with rubber mulch.
• the purchase of the New Holland tractor and bush hog attachment for $21,000 from 2011 SPLOST funds to replace the city's broken 2000 bush hog tractor.
• leasing three 2010 Crown Victoria patrol cars over three years at a total of approximately $67,500.

Austell Police Officers Timothy Koutlas and Armando Cipriano were recognized for their combined 20 years of service, 15 and five respectively, in the police department with plaques and pins.