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SNELLVILLE – The Snellville Youth Commission is hosting a Youth Summit next month.

The event, from 12-5 p.m. March 17, will take place at City Hall, 2342 Oak Road.

"The purpose of the event is to reach out to local high school-aged students to discuss a topic of concern," said Snellville Youth Commission Director Christopher O'Donoghue. "This year's topic is 'Impact.' The summit will consist of multiple student-led sessions discussing and tackling the ways that they, as high school-aged students and young adults, can positively impact their communities."

The event is free to all area high school-aged students. There will be snacks, games and a VISA gift card giveaway.

"The hope is to help these students understand that they can affect change and be leaders in their communities and they don't have to remain voiceless," O'Donoghue said. "It's just a matter of using their skills and the tools available to them to make that change. We hope that the message will be better received, since by and large, the students will be the ones delivering this message at this summit."

To register, scan the QR Code on the accompanying graphic.

The mission of the Snellville Youth Commission is to promote education in governmental affairs, engage the youth of the Snellville area in civic activities and build practical and effective leadership skills.

For more information visit www.snellville.org/snellville-youth-commission.

SNELLVILLE – There has been a group of residents and politicos meeting in City Hall periodically for discussion about issues facing the region.

The dinners, an initiative of the Atlanta Regional Commission, have brought policy discussion off the floors of congress, the statehouse and council chambers, and into a casual environment where talk is less formal – though it is summarized and sent to the ARC for review and to use to refine future plans.

It's the type of environment where you'll find congressmen, passing the salt to a probation clerk.

Free from the confines of bureaucracy, the group tackles issues of the day, such as the recent discussion of transportation in Metro Atlanta. Among those in attendance at the last dinner was Congressman Rob Woodall, Loganville Mayor Rey Martinez and Councilman Dave Emanuel, the dinner's host.

"With traffic and road congestion in and around Atlanta being on the minds of anyone who has to travel in the area, it's no surprise that mobility is one of the hottest topics discussed at Civic Dinners," Emanuel said. "The conversation was lively. It was also very productive, as attendees discussed not only a variety of mobility problems and challenges, but potential solutions."

Dinner guests agreed that dealing with myriad federal, state and county agencies is the most challenging aspect of implementing improvements in infrastructure, Emanuel said.

"Congressman Woodall cited the reconstruction of the I-85 overpass as an example of how quickly projects can be completed when a sense of urgency cuts through the typical red tape that causes seemingly endless delays," Emanuel said.

When the conversation moved to mass transit, the most telling comment was, according to Emanuel, "Why is so much of the conversation centered around light rail and heavy rail?"

"Those are outmoded relics of the past," he said. "Just as air travel just about killed long-distance passenger rail service, autonomous vehicles and bus rapid transit will have the same effect on commuter rail."

Conversation moved from creating an internet portal to enable citizens to stay apprised of all transportation projects to MARTA transitioning to autonomous rail cars to improve service and reduce costs.

If you'd like to be a part of future Civic Dinners, email Emanuel at demanuel@snellville.org. .

Upcoming Senior Center Events

Upcoming Parks and Recreation Events

SNELLVILLE – For the third consecutive year the Community Garden @ Snellville has been awarded a grant from the Gwinnett County Master Gardeners Association.

The $500 grant will help support the garden's greenhouse operations with the purchase of supplies, including pots, potting soil, organic fertilizer, rooting hormone and vegetable and flower seeds.

"We will now be able to grow more flowers and vegetables for the community, making a better environment for all of us," said Master Gardener Wes Nettleton, who was instrumental in applying for the grant.

The garden's greenhouse is maintained by a team of volunteers.

The team plans to have plants available for sale at this year's Snellville Days, May 5-6 at T.W. Briscoe Park.

In addition to its primary purpose of providing space for families to grow flowers, food for their own consumption and to donate to local charities, the Community Garden @ Snellville also adds a new dimension to Snellville's sense of community. The garden is located in T. W. Briscoe Park on the corner of Marigold Road and Sawyer Parkway. Currently the garden includes 48 raised beds, a pavilion, beehives, a greenhouse, tool shed and a large perennial garden.

For more information on the garden visit www.snellvillecommunitygarden.com.

SNELLVILLE – The city council approved an Atlanta-based firm's bid of $132,000 to create the city's 2040 Comprehensive Plan Monday.

"After discussion and careful consideration and by a unanimous decision, the city's Comprehensive Plan Review Committee recommend award of the contact to Jacobs Atlanta-based Advance Planning Group, led by Jim Summerbell, AICP," said Planning and Development Director Jason Thompson.

Jacobs bested six other firms. Three companies were chosen as finalists to create the plan including Jacobs, TSW and Amec Foster Wheeler. Jacobs will now be tasked to collect public and professional input through community meetings, disseminate findings and ultimately write the plan that will shape the city's future for decades to come.

The City of Snellville 2030 Comprehensive Plan was adopted Feb. 9, 2009. Since then, the city has worked to create a Towne Center in the downtown area. A major focus of the new plan will be to expand the Towne Center around a city market and library though a partnership with Gwinnett County. Officials believe the market and library will be a catalyst for commercial and residential growth in the areas surrounding City Hall and elsewhere.

SNELLVILLE – The city council approved a measure Monday, which will help pay for the bulk of the new Oak Road Park and the proposed Towne Center Multi-Use Trail.

The city will use a maximum of $1 million in County Special Local Option Sales Tax funds to pay for a majority of the costs of the two projects. Oak Road Park had a price tag of $400,000 while the trail system is expected to cost $1.25 million.

The trail is expected to offer a path for pedestrians and cyclists to and from the city's proposed Towne Center which will feature commercial, residential and business space.

Beginning at Scenic Highway on the west side of the downtown area at a new trailhead, the proposed 1.25-mile multi-use trail will travel east crossing North Road. It is designed to include park space at many points along its path and will incorporate needed stormwater features that double as scenic lakes/ponds. The trail is slated to traverse the entirety of the proposed Towne Center area and become part of the city's Greenway system.

The trail will serve a larger purpose than just general recreation use as it will be an integral part of the city's Towne Center development tying together residential, retail and education aspects of the development creating a new downtown Snellville.

City officials said the trail would be constructed ahead of or in conjunction with the Towne Center project.

Oak Road Park was envisioned first in 2003, when a 4.67-acre tract of land was acquired by the city on Oak Road which included the stipulation that it could only be used for greenspace. In 2015, a united Mayor and Council agreed on how it should be developed as a neighborhood park. This plan included working with the county on building a sidewalk from Scenic Highway to Mountain View Road, also with joint SPLOST funding, to make the park easily accessible to downtown and nearby neighborhoods. The city hired the engineering firm of Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood to design the park and oversee construction.

The Bicentennial Torch Run has completed its first legs and Gwinnett County has released the link to the Torch Run map and schedule. Please take a few moments to enjoy the photos from the gallery on the www.gwinnett200.com site. Check the schedule and you will see that the next city hall torch run stop is the City of Lilburn.

Snellville will receive the torch at 2 p.m. May 30 at City Hall. It will leave at 1 p.m. June 7.

The Gwinnett Bicentennial will be a one-year celebration of 200 years of our county's history. The state of Georgia created Gwinnett County on Dec. 15, 1818, naming it for Button Gwinnett, one of Georgia's three signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Snellville will celebrate Gwinnett's 200 years at numerous events this spring and summer. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.

SNELLVILLE - Autaco Development LLC is creating a sidewalk from Rockdale Circle to Odum Street.

Providing good weather, the project – a joint effort between the city and county using Special Local Option Sales Tax funds – will be completed next month.

The sidewalks will help to keep students walking to and from South Gwinnett High School safer, city officials said.

The area around the high school has been a focus of sidewalk and intersection improvements in the city in recent years, including at Wisteria Drive and Highway 78 and Skyland Drive. Other sidewalk improvements have been made at Oak Road and Highway 78 and on North Road.

The city is also working to make pedestrian and bicycle travel safer through its recently approved Greenway Master Plan - http://www.snellville.org/greenway-master-plan-gets-approval-by-council.

City officials encourage public input on future sidewalk projects. Send comments to Public Information Officer Brian Arrington at barrington@snellville.org.

The City of Snellville (City) is soliciting competitive sealed bids for the T.W. Briscoe Park Pool Services for the 2018-2019 Pool Services Contract. This contract will include spring/summer open season operation and fall/winter maintenance and may be renewable for up to 2 consecutive years following the initial year of inception.

Visit our Bid Page for more information.