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SNELLVILLE — The city officially said goodbye to Snellville Police Department Officer K-9 Jax Monday, sending him into retirement with a proclamation thanking him for his years of service.

After being trained by handler Lt. David Matson with the help of Sgt. Will Collins, Jax joined the police department in October of 2014. The German Shepherd-Belgian Malinois mix became an integral part of the Snellville Police Department providing service and protection to the citizens of the City of Snellville and its visitors. Jax conducted more than 208 narcotics searches leading to more than 35 drug arrests, made eight criminal apprehensions, responded to 54 callouts by SPD and 21 callouts by neighboring agencies and conducted 67 public relations and demonstration events.

"Officers and citizens alike recognized the value of our K-9 program and especially, the expertise of Lt. Matson and the performance of K-9 Jax," said Mayor Barbara Bender, reading from the proclamation. "The team distinguished themselves for the job done for our city and the recognition by other local, state and federal entities needing their valued assistance."

A highlight of Jax's career was when he responded to assist patrol officers with a traffic stop following a pursuit during which the driver ran. Officers knew the identity of the driver and discovered she had an outstanding warrant for felony probation violation, according to SPD officials. Matson deployed Jax to search for the suspect, but he immediately went to the vehicle and conducted a "free air sniff" giving an alert to the presence of a trained control substance. The team then identified

a track and pursued the suspect into the woods with Jax stopping and assuming a rigid posture looking at the ground. Matson saw strands of the suspects hair as well as her nose exposed even though she had covered herself with pine straw. He took the woman into custody without incident. The search of vehicle revealed methamphetamine, heroin, glass pipes and needles containing drug residue.

Jax completed his tour of duty and service on Oct. 1, earning his richly deserved retirement.

"This team has gone above and beyond the call of duty by providing assistance and

support on their own time," the proclamation reads, adding the city wants to "recognize the loyalty, dedication, professionalism and service provided and exhibited by Lt. Matson and congratulate him and K-9 Jax, on his storied career in protecting the lives and property of the people of Snellville."

SNELLVILLE — The city has agreed to partner with developer Mid Cast LLC to design, build and lease the prized City Market building planned for The Grove at Towne Center.

"This is another major step in bringing a world-class development to the City of Snellville," Mayor Barbara Bender said. "The City Market will be a centerpiece of The Grove and will draw visitors from across the region who want to enjoy a unique dining and shopping experience in the heart of Snellville."

The Grove as a whole will be a commerce center reflecting the early days of Snellville's entrepreneurial roots dating back to the city's origins and the old Sawyer Store. The two-floor, 24,000-square-foot Market building will include numerous and unique eateries, a coffee shop, a small market, spacious, flexible event space and craft beverage options. Potential plans call for it to be managed by an independent operator brought to the table by Mid Cast and approved by Mayor and Council.

The Snellville Downtown Development Authority will own the building.

Under the agreement, the city will partner with Mid Cast on the selection of an architect to design the building with the Mayor and Council approving final design and budget numbers.

The city's anticipated bond offering will pay for the construction of the building which is estimated to be in the $6-7 million range. The future or perspective tenant will be responsible for internal design and build out.

The City Market will prominently feature outdoor seating, patios, pick-up and drop-off vehicle lanes for ride sharing and take-out order availability.

City officials hope to select an architect before the end of the year and expects the building to be opened in summer of 2022. Design concept renderings will be released sometime in early 2021.

"This market building is a key to deliver the experience the city wants to offer residents and visitors," said Economic Development Director Eric Van Otteren. "Rest assured the City Market will be a destination for residents and visitors alike for decades to come."

The Grove at Towne Center will be a large scale, mixed-use town center property, comprising 18 acres between Oak Road, Wisteria Drive, North Road, and Clower Street, in downtown Snellville. The Grove at Towne Center's first phase will include over 50,000 square feet of retail, restaurant, office, and entertainment space, and approximately 250 multi-family luxury apartments. In addition, the new Elizabeth Williams Library will be constructed and include a 2nd-floor business development/accelerator space.

SNELLVILLE — For the sixth time in her career as the city's controller, Jan Burke has been awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada for the comprehensive annual financial report she wrote for the city.

The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.

"We strive to make sure our finances are reported accurately and responsibly for the residents of Snellville," Burke said. "It is important for our residents to know they can have faith in the financial numbers we compile and report.

The CAFR has been judged by an impartial panel of GFOA officials to meet the high standards of the program, which includes demonstrating a constructive "spirit of full disclosure" to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the CAFR.

Government Finance Officers Association advances excellence in government finance by providing best practices, professional development, resources and practical research for more than 20,500 members and the communities they serve.

Due to Covid-19, the Christmas Tree Lighting and Lighted Parade will be done a little differently this year.

There will be a Snellville Virtual Christmas Tree Lighting at 6 p.m. Nov. 28 and will be shown on Snellville Tourism and Trade Facebook LIVE.

Also, Santa will be coming to a neighborhood near you. Every home on Santa's route will be receiving a special postcard in the mail that looks just like the one above showing the route that Santa and Friends of Santa will be taking with the dates and times. Please try to have vehicles off the street in Santa's route between 6-9 p.m. the dates of the parade. - Nov. 28 and Dec. 12. - otherwise Santa will not be able to get through the streets to see you.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Mayor and Council will be revising the following budget information at the Nov. 23 council meeting.

If you have any questions, please contact City Manager Butch Sanders at bsanders@snellville.org.

Budget Amendment FY 2020

The Governor's Office of Highway Safety held it 21st annual Georgia Governor's Challenge Banquet in Macon on Friday, Nov. 6. The Georgia Governor's Challenge highlights outstanding achievement in highway safety enforcement and education; open to every law enforcement agency in the State. Agencies participating in the Challenge are evaluated on the effectiveness and overall approach of their highway safety programs. The entries are judged by Public Safety professionals and administrators from South Carolina and Tennessee.

The Snellville Police Department achieved 1st Place in Category 4: Agencies of 46-75 Officers and named the overall winner of the Challenge with 192 points. First Lady of Georgia Marty Kemp presented the Governor's Cup to Snellville Police Chief Roy Whitehead. SPD also won the award for its efforts in the Speed Awareness category.

The Snellville Police Department won the Governor's Cup in 2019 marking the first time an agency won this coveted award in two consecutive years.

"I could not be more proud of the efforts of the men and women of the Snellville Police Department who strive every day to reduce accidents, injuries and fatalities in order to keep our roadways safe," said Whitehead.

SNELLVILLE — In a unanimous show of support, Snellville's City Council brought four years of community input, idea testing and draft review to an end with their Monday, October 26 adoption of the Unified Development Ordinance, a comprehensive updating and consolidation of the city's existing zoning and development regulations.

Reinforcing support voiced by Councilmember Tod Warner during the meeting, Snellville Director of Planning and Development Jason Thompson summed up the experience: "We took the time to get it right. As a result, we're no longer facing modern growth and development challenges with yesterday's tools."

"Under the UDO, we've cleaned up and simplified everything, increased flexibility, and enabled the kind of redevelopment — like our Towne Center plan — envisioned by the community," he said.

View the adopted code here.

A broad and comprehensive process

Early in 2016, at the direction of Mayor and Council, the City of Snellville and its consultant team began work on the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO).

Foundational direction for the project was obtained through a series of one-on-one interviews, focus groups and a widely attended Towne Center gathering, where a broad cross section of the community — residents and neighborhood groups, builders and developers, members of the city's faith communities and small business owners and entrepreneurs — made their priorities known.

Those priorities reflected a desire to preserve and build upon Snellville's enviable quality of life and touched on everything from what's built to where it's built to how it's built. Collectively, they expressed a need for a modern and user-friendly code that fosters quality redevelopment, promotes innovation, effectively manages stormwater, enables the city's Towne Center, and cultivates better design.

That input was then shared with the community in a full-house meeting to be validated and fine-tuned. Many were particularly interested in how the new code could ensure that the city's long-desired Towne Center gets built as envisioned.

"Most development on the horizon will come in the form of redevelopment — rebuilding on previously developed sites," responded project lead Caleb Racicot of TSW Planners at the time. "That's a whole different game and requires a different set of rules if you want to win."

Accordingly, the city then turned its attention towards enacting two new custom zoning districts supporting future Towne Center development, ensuring proactive support of that long-sought community project and allowing for the testing of design standards that might have future citywide applications.

Ultimately, Phase One community input, as well as the resulting analysis from the consultant team, was summarized in the Diagnostic Report that, according to Racicot, became the "blueprint that told us, the code writers, what was important to the city of Snellville and how it should be incorporated into the UDO."

Testing the community's vision

As the new Towne Center zoning districts became finalized and plans were moving forward, Georgia's state-mandated requirement to update the city's comprehensive plan was fast approaching.

Rather than orchestrate both the UDO and the comprehensive plan at the same time, city officials and the consultant team seized the opportunity to delay the UDO until the comprehensive planning process was complete — allowing its extensive community visioning and engagement efforts to be incorporated back into the UDO.

As a result, the UDO adopted Monday evening is optimized to ensure that the community's expressed ambitions through 2040 are supported by regulations that enable them.

Time well spent

Though the Unified Development Ordinance project exceeded its original timeline — as high priority community goals, a state mandated project, and a global pandemic intervened in unexpected ways — the delays only served to strengthen the emerging "renovation" through increased public discussion of community priorities and concerns, and real-world testing of walkable and mixed-use standards.

SNELLVILLE — There's plenty going on at T.W. Briscoe Park this fall as Parks and Recreation officials are offering creative ways to keep visitors and Senior Center members engaged and safe during these days of COVID-19.

"We are in unprecedented times and all of us have had to make major adjustments in our daily lives," said Snellville Parks and Recreation Director Lisa A Platt. "Snellville Parks and Recreation has felt this shift deeply as our ability to give our citizens the 'normal' programming we have done in the past has not been possible. We are here to serve our residents and visitors by providing mental, physical and spiritual outlets. We have struggled to balance our desire to help/connect with our patrons and following CDC and state guidelines to keep all safe. We will continue to be creative and resourceful in offering safe, but engaging programs to our citizens."

Tomorrow there will be a women's singles tennis tournament from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. under the supervision of tennis instructor Anthony Evans. All four courts will be utilized for the tournament.

A free Intro to Tennis clinic will take place each Tuesday for six weeks beginning Nov. 10 until Dec. 15. The one-hour classes begin at 9:30 a.m. Space is limited so call the park at 770-985-3535 by Nov. 3 to sign up. Bring a tennis racket, a towel and water.

Also tomorrow, aside from the usual youth soccer programming, there will be a small 6-team adult softball tournament hosted by a group raising money for funeral costs for a friend who lost their son in a drowning incident.

For more information on any of these programs call the Park Office at 770-985-3535.

The Snellville Senior Center has been closed since March due to Coronavirus, but that hasn't stopped programs from being offered for active older adults.

There is a Modern Fluid Art Class from 1 to 3 p.m. Nov. 10 at the Briscoe Park Office. Cost is $15, supplies and snacks are included. After the class, budding artists can take home two 8-by-10-inch abstract art paintings. Mask use and social distancing guidelines will be in effect. Space is limited, so sign up by Nov. 4.

The popular Outdoor Exercise programs are ongoing through December. Aerobics classes are at 9 a.m. Monday and Thursdays at Briscoe Park in the parking lot near the softball field. During the class, seniors will be led through a fun and stimulating exercise routine by professional exercise instructors. The Sole Buster Walkers Walking Club meets at 9 a.m. Wednesdays and Fridays in the same parking lot for a brisk walk through the parks winding trails. For more information on both classes call the Senior Center at 770-985-3580.

Seniors are also encouraged to take part in the Gingerbread House Photo Contest. You can make your own or get family and friends to help you create your gingerbread from your own home. Simply send in two photos (front and back) no later than Dec 1. and Senior Center staff post them all on their Facebook page. First, second and third-place awards will be offered. Either mail photos to the Senior Center at 2350 Oak Road or send them via email to tglass@snellville.org.

"Since we've had such a great response to our outdoor exercise classes, we have added a few other programs that are sure to be a success," said Kathi Gargiulo, Senior Program Supervisor at the Snellville Senior Center. "Between our free tennis clinic, modern art painting class and Gingerbread House contest, we're hoping that our senior community will get involved so they can stay active and healthy. That's what it's all about."

A Senior Center Membership is required to participate in senior events. Membership cost is $25 for Gwinnett County Residents and $15 for Snellville City Limit Residents and is good through December 2021.

Oak Road location to be demolished making way for The Grove at Towne Center development

SNELLVILLE — Construction will completed shortly at the new location of the U.S. Post Office on Wisteria Drive, formerly occupied by SunTrust Bank.

Post Office officials said they expect to move from their current Oak Road location to the new site at 2440 Wisteria Drive the weekend of Nov. 7-8 as the $1.2 million renovation is just days away from completion.

Regular Post Office operations will not be affected as it will be open for business as usual Monday, Nov. 9 at the Wisteria address.

This relocation and renovation was made possible only through the cooperative efforts of the City of Snellville and USPS officials over the past several years. The old post office will soon be demolished, making way for The Grove at Towne Center which will bring 250 luxury apartments, a 750-space public parking garage, a new Gwinnett County library where the current Elizabeth Williams branch will be relocated, several thousand square feet of retail/office space and a unique City Market all helping to create a new city center and downtown for Snellville.

SNELLVILLE — The annual Department of Public Works stormwater drainage and paving projects have been approved by Mayor and Council.

The Dickerson Group was the low bidder at $893,586 for the 11 stormwater drainage projects to improve the handling of stormwater and reduce the city's overall inventory of poor infrastructure. Stormwater Utility Fees will be used to pay for these projects

The stormwater projects to be completed by June 30 are:

1847-1838 Englewood Way

1887-1888 Englewood Way

1915-1845 Rockside Lane

2001-1992 Collinswood Drive

2075 Highriggs Lane - 1918 Englewood Way

2776-2775 Hickory Circle

2105 Chaparral Drive

2153-2192 Chaparral Drive

2187-2198, 2199-2198 Chaparral Drive

2956-2955 Overwood Lane

2138 Hartridge Drive

Atlanta Paving & Concrete Construction, Inc. was awarded the contract for patching, milling and resurfacing six city streets after coming in at the low bid of $499,265.30. Funds will be taken from the city's Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant allotment and Capital Paving Expense.

Streets scheduled to be paved by June 30 are:

Brooks Drive

Classic Drive

Green Turf Drive

Overwood Lane

Overwood Trace

Timberline Trace

The city also awarded a $45,180 contract for lawn care services to Russell Landscape, LLC to handle landscaping at City Hall, the Senior Center, the Towne Green, the Police Department, Public Works and the Recycling Center, right of way downtown on Oak Road, Clower Street, Wisteria Drive and Highway 124 medians.

Funds utilized will be in lieu of what is equivalent or less than a Public Works salary. Public Works no longer has the resources of the inmate work release program due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which was up to four workers per day. Staff is short currently and this will allow us to focus on the historical cemetery, general Public Works tasks and cross train in stormwater maintenance and other job duties.