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From: Julie Zahner Bailey
[julie4milton@mindspring.com]
Sent: Wednesday, July 04, 2007 7:59
PM
Subject: Happy Fourth of
July and Milton News from Julie Zahner Bailey
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July 4, 2007
Dear Friends, Neighbors
and Milton Citizens,
Happy Fourth of
July!!!! This is a time
for all of us to reflect on the freedoms that make
our county and community so
great. I thought it was
a good time to give you a quick update on some of
the things happening around your
community. As usual, there is much
going on in Milton and your involvement is
important.
A few examples of current
activities include:
- Comprehensive Land Use Update
process that is beginning to kick into gear,
- New Adopt-A-Road program to
help keep Milton beautiful and free of
litter,
- New Citizen Deputy program
intended to engage community members in helping
to uphold the policies of the community
including the sign ordinance,
- City of Milton receiving the
recent Georgia Municipal Association (GMA)
designation as a City of
Ethics.
As an aside,
I attended the annual Georgia Municipal
Association conference in Savannah, the weekend of
June 22nd along with other council members.
We participated in GMA sponsored training for
elected officials from across the state. The
GMA provides training throughout the year and I
continue to participate in all the training
opportunities that have been provided by the GMA
as well as other organizations.
Additionally, the next City of Milton Work
Session and Regularly Scheduled Council meeting
with both take place on the same day, July 12th
with the work session beginning at 3:00 and the
Council meeting beginning at 7:30. Please
scroll down and view the two agendas for the July
12th meetings as there are important items for
which you can have input. The work session,
as an example, will include the first discussions
on the upcoming budget while the Council meeting
includes our first rezoning in Crabapple. I
welcome your input on any and all issues coming
before the Mayor and Council.
Again, Happy
Fourth of July! I hope you and your family
have a safe and enjoyable holiday
together.
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Milton becomes a "City of
Ethics"
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Milton was one of
fourteen Georgia cities to receive the "Certified City
of Ethics" designation at the Georgia Municipal
Association's Annual Convention in Savannah. There are
now 189 cities in Georgia which have received the
designation.
The voluntary program, developed by a
panel of business and government leaders, encourages
cities to adopt and adhere to a set of key ethical
principles and a comprehensive model ethics ordinance.
The ordinance guides city officials' conduct in areas
such as financial disclosures, conflicts of interests
and outside employment. The ordinance also contains
penalty provisions - including public reprimands, fines
and removal from office - for city officials who violate
the ordinance.
"The 'City of Ethics' program recognizes
cities that make a tangible commitment to ethical
conduct," said GMA Executive Director Jim Higdon. "We
now have nearly 200 cities that have proven their
commitment to honest, ethical government by adopting
strong ethics ordinances. I am extremely pleased that
cities have taken the lead on earning and maintaining
the public's trust in government."
A panel of attorneys reviewed the
ordinances to determine if they comply with the criteria
set by GMA. The cities received a plaque and are now
authorized by GMA to use a "Certified City of Ethics"
logo on city stationery, road signs, city vehicles and
for other uses.
The City of Milton is currently amending
the already approved Ethics Ordinance. You may
access the current ordinance on the website.
Click here to view
the ordinance. If you have
specific input regarding this ordinance and its proposed
amendments please send an e-mail to info@cityofmiltonga.us and put Ethics
Ordinance" in the subject
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Citizen Deputy
Program
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Volunteers
can help with code enforcement ensuring appropriate
signage and more
The purpose of
the Citizen Deputy Program is to have citizens assist
City employees with the removal of illegal signage
within the right-of-way as well as reporting zoning and
other code violations. This effort will result in an
additional strategy to protect the environmental and
aesthetic integrity of the City of Milton.
This is an easy way to help Milton be the
community you want it to be and to assist in upholding
the policies that are in place to protect the entire
community.
All volunteers will participate in a
city-specific training session.
If you are interested
in becoming a Citizen Deputy, call 678.242.2500 or send
an e-mail to info@cityofmiltonga.us and put
"Citizen Deputy" in the subject
line.
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Comprehensive Land Use
Plan Update Process - Advisory Committee Named and RFP
Hits the Streets
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The Comprehensive Land Use
Plan (CLUP) Update Process is continuing to unfold as a
citizens advisory committee has been appointed and a
request for proposal (RFP) has been released in an
effort to seek bids from an outside consultant who will
assist with this very critical CLUP update.
Bear
in mind, the CLUP is the roadmap for how the City of
Milton will evolve and includes everything from zoning
categories, to transportation and recreational planning
to sewerage treatment approaches. The CLUP is the
basis for what defines Milton today and into the
future. Therefore, the process by which this
important document and map will be updated must include
citizen input from day one. I urge you all to plan
to be very involved in this process and to ensure your
voice and opinions are an integral part of how the CLUP
is updated, revised and in some cases, perhaps left as
it currently stands.
The only way for the
updated CLUP to be your vision of your community for
your future is for your voice and opinions to be at the
table during the next 12-18 months as this process takes
shape. Please stay tuned for the specific
meetings, surveys and others methodologies that will be
utilized to garner community input. Your opinions
and involvement matters!
As a part of this
process, the City of Milton is seeking professional
consulting services through a Request for Proposal (RFP)
for an update to the City's Comprehensive Plan. If
you or anyone you know has such expertise please contact
the Community Development Department at
678-242-2534. The current RFP is
available for your review on the City of Milton
website.
The
City's Comprehensive Plan must meet all minimum
standards as established by the Georgia Department of
Community Affairs (DCA)
Rules.
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Meetings, Agendas and Minutes
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Thursday, July 12th
3pm-Mayor & Council Work Session
- The work session includes the first
discussion on the 2008 budget.
Thursday,
July 12th 7:30pm-City Council Meeting
- The Council meeting includes the
first rezoning to come before the
Mayor and Council.
Wrap up reports
The results
of the most recent Planning Commission include their
recommendation for denial of the rezoning in Crabapple,
case # RZ07-003 &
VC07-003 located at 12608 Crabapple Road. The
applicant is requesting to rezone from AG-1 to MIX to
develop 12,000 square feet of Commercial and 31 units of
Residential and a 2 part concurrent variance to reduce
the 75-foot buffer and 10 -foot improvement setback to a
10-foot landscape strip adjacent to residential and to
increase the number of stories to 3 and 40 feet high, by
Trinity Land Group,LLC.
The PC
recommendation for denial is coupled with a
recommendation of denial by the City of Milton
staff. This case comes to the Mayor and Council on
July 12th. Meanwhile, another rezoning case - also
in Crabapple - was deferred and will return to the PC on
July 24th.
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I hope you find this information
helpful. I believe in helping to ensure all
citizens of Milton are apprised of the facts, what is
transpiring locally in your community and encouraging
your involvement on all issues.
Community voice
is more important now than ever. I encourage each
of you to take an active part in the new City of
Milton. This is your community and the only way to
ensure your opinions are represented is to communicate
them to the Mayor, the full Council and staff and to
attend public hearings and provide your input on
specific agenda items. After all, this is your
city and your community. Please help to protect,
preserve and appropriately plan for our future.
Again, thank you for your support and your
input. Let me hear from you regarding any
questions or comments. I consider it an honor to
represent you and I do take my responsibilities
seriously. I serve as a Council person for no
other reason than to ensure your interests and desires
for this place you call home are upheld and
protected. For me, my public service is all about
stewardship for the area.
Every voice matters so
please stay involved and engaged.
Thank you for
caring about our community.
Take care and again,
Happy Fourth of July!
Take care,
Julie
Zahner Bailey
Milton City Council
770-664-5529
(home)
404-310-6344 (cell)
No City of Milton funds were
used for this newsletter.
Paid for by Friends of Julie
Zahner Bailey
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