Birrell to Hold Town Hall Meeting

The District 3 Cobb Commissioner will meet with constituents tonight at the Mountain View Community Center.

District 3 Cobb Commissioner JoAnn Birrell will have a town hall meeting tonight from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Mountain View Community Center, located on 3400 Sandy Plains Road. She will spotlight the Canton Road Redevelopment Foundation. Birrell has been working in recent months to revive economic development in the Canton Road Corridor, beginning with a request before the Development Authority of Cobb for seed money to fund a non-profit entity that would provide loans. She also created the redevelopment committee, made up of civic and business interests in the Canton Road and Northeast Cobb community.  For more information on the town hall meeting, call 770-528-3317 or visit cobbcounty.org/birrell.

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Birrell to Hold Town Hall Meeting

The District 3 Cobb Commissioner will update constituents on Canton Road redevelopment efforts on Wednesday.

Birrell to Hold Town Hall Meeting

The District 3 Cobb Commissioner will update constituents on Canton Road redevelopment efforts on Oct. 17.

District 3 Cobb Commissioner JoAnn Birrell will have a town hall meeting Oct. 17 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Mountain View Community Center, located on 3400 Sandy Plains Road. She will spotlight the Canton Road Redevelopment Foundation. Birrell has been working in recent months to revive economic development in the Canton Road Corridor, beginning with a request before the Development Authority of Cobb for seed money to fund a non-profit entity that would provide loans. She also created the redevelopment committee, made up of civic and business interests in the Canton Road and Northeast Cobb community.  For more information on the town hall meeting, call 770-528-3317 or visit cobbcounty.org/birrell.

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Water Rate Increase an Issue for Cobb

The county is looking for ways to reduce a projected rate increase for the water system.

Cobb County is investigating ways to alleviate the projected eight percent increase in water rates that will be passed on to consumers from the Cobb County Water System. Chairman Tim Lee suggested the county look at refinancing the Cobb-Marietta Water Authority's debt. With the current low interest rate, this plan could bring significant savings to the county and its water consumers. As reported in The Marietta Daily Journal, there was a transfer of $20 million from the Water System to the general fund to help balance the budget combined with a rate increase. This shuffling of funds has been decried by several people, including District 3 Commissioner JoAnn Birrell, as a back door tax hike.

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Northeast Cobb Road Work Update: Sept. 17-21

Use this information to plan your commute and avoid construction delays.

The following information on road construction in Northeast Cobb County was provided by the Office of District 3 Commissioner JoAnn Birrell: Canton Road to Trickum Road – Monday, Sept. 17 through Friday, Sept. 21 This section of construction is substantially complete. The contractor will be installing an overhead sign near Canton Road and continue fine grading and shoulder grassing. Trickum Road to Jims Road – Monday, Sept. 17 through Friday, Sept. 21 No lane closures expected between Trickum Road and Jims Road. The contractor will be fine grading and finishing shoulders. Jims Road to Sandy Plains Road – Monday, Sept. 17 through Friday, Sept. 21 Expect periodic lane closures from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wigley Road and Sandy Plains Road. One …

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Canton Road Non-Profit to Elect Board

Local business leaders, community leaders and government figures will take the next step in their push to restore the Canton Road Corridor.

The non-profit organization that will be used to convert grant money into incentives for businesses to move to the beleaguered Canton Road Corridor will elect its board of directors after Wednesday's Northeast Cobb Business Association luncheon. The non-profit, which is being supported by District 3 Commissioner JoAnn Birrell, hopes to attract new businesses to the Canton Road Corridor through the process of gap financing-taking grant money from organizations such as the Development Authority of Cobb County and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs and turning it into bonuses given to businesses that will relocate to the corridor. "Now that the SPLOST work of road construction and infrastructure is done, we need to work on …

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Ads on CCT Buses? Commissioners Will Decide

After a drawn out process, the Board of Commissioners is expected to approve the revenue-generating venture.

The Cobb County Board of Commissioners are expected to approve a contract that will allow advertising to be placed on the windows of Cobb Community Transit (CCT) buses to generate additional revenue for the county. As reported by The Marietta Daily Journal, the process to approve a contractor for this project has taken roughly a year due to the lack of competitive bidding. In May, the county invited representatives to examine the dimensions of CCT buses, which caused two more companies to submit bids. The contract was won by Signal Outdoor Advertising, of Orlando. The ads are expected to bring in at least $60,000 in the first year, at least $70,000 in the second year, and at least $80,000 in 2015, when the project is slated to end.  This …

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Alternate Funding for Canton Corridor Sought

Northeast Cobb's government and business leaders are trying to think of new ways to raise money for the Canton Road Corridor.

According to The Atlanta Journal Constitution, District 3 Commissioner JoAnn Birrell is proposing a unique funding plan that would help to pay for a dozen of 38 suggested targets for renovation along the Canton Road Corridor and greater Cobb County. The four mile stretch of road between the Marietta city limits and Cherokee County, is the business heartland of Northeast Cobb County. Due to dilapidated buildings, abandoned storefronts and box stores have long shown that a heart transplant for the area is necessary. With the recent defeat of the TSPLOST, getting funding to revitalize the corridor is now problematic. Birrell's suggestion is a revolving fund, or "gap financing:" this plan would non-profit organization that can accept money …

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Northeast Cobb Road Work Update

Northeast Cobb's roadways are being improved week by week.

The following information on road work updates comes from the office of District 3 Commissioner JoAnn Birrell: Canton Road to Trickum Road – Monday, Aug. 6 through Friday, Aug. 10 This section of construction is substantially complete. The contractor will continue adding the finishing touches which will include fine grading and grassing shoulders. Trickum Road to Jims Road – Monday, Aug. 6 through Friday, Aug. 10 Expect intermittent lane closures from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. between Trickum Road and Jims Road with one lane remaining open for your commute. The contractor will be fine grading, grassing shoulders, and placing final lane striping. Jims Road to Sandy Plains Road – Monday, Aug. 6 through Friday, Aug. 10 Expect periodic lane closures …

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