City Administrator Monthly Update
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Message from City Administrator Tammi Saddler Jones:
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It’s official…Smyrna is one of the best places to live in America. Money Magazine, in its October 2018 issue, revealed its "50 Best Places to Live in 2018" and Smyrna ranks #44. Money Magazine’s editors and writers only looked at cities with populations of 50,000 or greater. They considered data on each city's economic health, housing, cost of living, diversity, education, income, crime, ease of living, and amenities.
I firmly believe that Smyrna is THE best place to live in America. Therefore, the staff and I remain dedicated to providing our residents and businesses alike with the best service for the best value in hopes that our efforts make a difference in the lives of those who choose to call Smyrna home.
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Smyrna Ranked #44 in Money Magazine's
Best 50 Places to Live 2018
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Smyrna is ranked #44 in Money Magazine's list of "The 50 Best Places to Live in 2018". Money Magazine teamed up with realtor.com and measured quality of life factors such as diversity, education, housing, and income. Sara Ivry from Money Magazine wrote, "Residents enjoy good weather, modest home prices, and good schools, part of the state’s second-largest-district and one that boasts a graduation rate of roughly 84%."
Click here to see the full list.
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Public Safety Appreciation Week
October 1 - 7, 2018
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For the past 18 years, the Cobb Chamber and its many community partners have celebrated Public Safety Appreciation Week, seven days of expressing encouragement and gratitude for our public safety agencies and officials from local businesses and residents.
Visit the Cobb Chamber Public Safety Appreciation Week webpage for ideas on ways you can show appreciation for public safety. |
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Fire Prevention Week:
“Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware.
Fire can happen anywhere!”
October 7 - 13, 2018
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To encourage observance of Fire Prevention Week, Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner Ralph Hudgens in conjunction with the State Fire Marshal's Office sponsor activities that support fire safety and prevention. Each year a statewide poster, fire safety tips calendar poster and two fire safety essay contests are conducted for Georgia students. Additionally, Commissioner Hudgens and the State Fire Marshal urge schools and communities to participate in the annual statewide fire drill scheduled for Wednesday, October 10, 2018, at 10:00 am.
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The Smyrna Jonquil Garden Club and Keep Smyrna Beautiful Re-dedicate the Sensory Garden
Saturday, October 6 - 10:00 am
Smyrna Community Center
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The community is invited to the re-dedication/ribbon cutting of the Smyrna Sensory Garden.
The garden is located within the Smyrna Community Center beyond the game room and is a quiet, tranquil place to sit and relax.
The Smyrna Sensory Garden was created in 2000 as a place where all of our residents and visitors, including the physically challenged, could enjoy the benefits of a beautiful garden setting and learn about the plants there. It was the hope that the Sensory Garden would encourage everyone in our community to use all of their senses to experience and enjoy the beauty around us. The garden provides the relaxing sound of falling water, the touch of soft leaves and warm sunshine, and the wonderful scent of fragrant blooms and fresh herbs.
This year, Keep Smyrna Beautiful, the Parks and Recreation Department, and the Smyrna Jonquil Garden Club came together to cleanup and refurbish the garden. New plants, a new water element, and new floors have brightened the space and given it new life. According to the Garden Club President Shirley Priest, “we were excited to begin work on the redesign and installation of the new Sensory Garden last Spring. This is a garden with a rich history that the Jonquil Garden Club will have the opportunity to build upon with a garden for all the senses, all seasons, that is sustainable and durable.”
The Sensory Garden is open during the hours that the Community Center is open.
For more information, please contact Keep Smyrna Beautiful at 770-431-2863 or jliberman@smyrnaga.gov.
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Books & Bricks: A LEGO Exhibition
Saturday, October 6 -12:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Sunday, October 7 - 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Smyrna Community Center
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Exhibits include townscapes, landscapes, moving trains, MOCs (My Own Creations), and kid creations. Activities include a free build station, crafts, and a reading corner.
Tickets will be sold at the door:
$8 - ages 13 years old & up
$4 - ages 5-12 years old
FREE - ages 0-4 years old
Proceeds benefit the Youth Services collection of the Smyrna Public Library.
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Book Discussion: Darktown by Thomas Mullen
Friday, October 12, 2018 - 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Smyrna Library, Meeting Room
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Smyrna Reads will be having a book discussion on Darktown, a novel by Thomas Mullen: Responding to orders from on high, the Atlanta Police Department is forced to hire its first black officers, including war veterans Lucius Boggs and Tommy Smith. The newly minted policemen are met with deep hostility by their white peers; they aren’t allowed to arrest white suspects, drive squad cars, or set foot in the police headquarters.
Bring a sack lunch. Drinks and dessert will be provided.
Event is free of charge and open to the public.
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Casper's Fall Fun and Movie Night
Friday, October 12 - 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Village Green
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Bring the kids for a funfilled evening! We will have carnival games, inflatables, hay rides, and so much more. The evening will end with the movie Coco being shown on a giant inflatable screen on the Veterans Memorial lawn.
Admission is free. Tickets for carnival games, inflatables and hay rides will be available for purchase at the event.
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Book Collecting Workshop for Beginners
Saturday, October 13 - 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Smyrna Library, Conference Room
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Join staff members from the Department of Museums, Archives and Rare Books at Kennesaw State University for a two-hour workshop that covers the basics of book collecting, with a special focus on rare books. The workshop will also include a show-and-tell session with items from the Bentley Rare Book.
Free of charge.
Space is limited. RSVP - sreference@smyrnaga.gov
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Smyrna Streets Alive
Sunday, October 14 - 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm
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Come out and play in the streets with your neighbors!
Residents from the Community Health Advisory Council and the Smyrna United Task Force are collaborating on a free community event modeled after the Atlanta Streets Alive events. 1.3 miles of street, near Downtown Smyrna will be closed to vehicles, and residents are encouraged to come out and walk, ride bikes, and have fun! Activities will be planned at various spots along the route.
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Keep an eye out for activity updates on the Facebook event page and the city website.
Interested in volunteering? Click the button below to sign up!
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Author Appearance: Thomas Mullen
Sunday, October 14 - 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Historic Reed House - 3080 Atlanta Road
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Award-winning author and Decatur resident Thomas Mullen will discuss his novel Darktown and the real-life history that inspired it. Set in 1948, when the city of Atlanta hired its first eight African-American police officers, Darktown paints a portrait of a city on the cusp of great change.
A booksigning will follow the presentation.
Refreshments will be served.
Seating is limited. RSVP: sreference@smyrnaga.gov.
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Adopt-a-Mile Litter Cleanup
Saturday, October 20 - 8:30 am to 11:00 am
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Keep Smyrna Beautiful is hosting their quarterly Adopt-a-Mile Litter Cleanup on October 20th. The Adopt-a-Mile program is a litter cleanup program on 1 mile stretches of roadway in Smyrna. So far this year, volunteers have picked up over 300 bags of litter on the side of Smyrna roads.
Join the effort to keep our community a cleaner, more beautiful place to live and sign up to volunteer today!
Keep Smyrna Beautiful provides everything volunteers need for the cleanup including safety training and all necessary supplies. We welcome individual and groups (families, work, school, civic, faith-based, etc.) up to 15 people. Volunteers must be at least 12 years old.
To sign up to volunteer contact Keep Smyrna Beautiful at jbarwig@smyrnaga.gov or 678-631-5519.
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Smyrna Outdoor Market
Saturdays through October 20
8:00 am to 12:00 pm
Smyrna Community Center Lawn
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Have you been to the Outdoor Market? There are a lot of vendors with everything from fresh produce, salsa, coffee, cheese and more!
The Market is located at the Community Center along Atlanta Road and is open from 8:00 am to noon Saturdays until October 20th.
Coming in October: Jonquil Bulbs, Smyrna Jonquil Garden Club Plant Sale, local artists row, and more!
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For more information, contact Janet Liberman at jliberman@smyrnaga.gov.
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Evolution: Moonshine
Friday, October 26 - 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Historic Reed House - 3080 Atlanta Road
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Evolution: Moonshine is an art fusion event set in the prohibition era. We will be bringing together four artists for one spectacular art showcase, outstanding food, great live music, and a nip or two of moonshine and drinks. This will be a great evening under the harvest moon!
- Culinary Artist: Chef Rusty Hamlin, Exec. Chef for Zac Brown Band, Exec. Chef & Partner at Atkins Park Restaurant, and Food Network Star Finalist
- Musical Artist: Tray Dahl and the Jugtime Ragband
- Fine Artist: Megan Fechter
- Drink Artist: Atkins Park Restaurant and Bar, featuring a moonshine inspired cocktail.
A limited supply of tickets will go on sale Friday, October 5th at 8:00 am. Tickets can be purchased for $40.00 each at the Smyrna Community Center, 200 Village Green Circle.
Visit the Recreate Smyrna Facebook page for more details.
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Fall Jonquil Festival
Saturday, October 27 - 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Sunday, October 28 - 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Village Green
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The Jonquil Festival has a history of over 20 years and will feature over 175 hand-made arts & crafts booths, local non-profit booths, live music, festival food and children's activities. Artisans are from all over the southeast and feature their own hand made crafts, paintings, clothing, furniture, jewelry and much more.
Admission is FREE. Visit our Facebook page for festival highlights.
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The latest edition of the Tapestry is now available! Stay informed on all events, explore venue rentals, and find class information in this all-inclusive guide to Smyrna's Parks and Recreation activities. You may pick up a physical copy at our city facilities. Click below for a digital view of the Fall-Winter 2018-19 edition of the Tapestry.
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Prescription Drug Take Back Program
Ongoing Event
Smyrna Police Department - 2646 Atlanta Road
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Recently, the Smyrna Police Department (SPD) partnered with the DEA and their prescription drug take back program. Currently SPD is accepting (no longer used/expired prescription drugs) at their front desk. Citizens who drop off prescription drugs do not have to complete a report. All a citizen needs to do is drop off the prescription(s) at the front desk however SPD does “require” that the prescription(s) be in a closed container.
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Rivers Alive Cleanup
Saturday, November 3 - 8:30 am to 12:00 pm
Paces Mill
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Keep Smyrna Beautiful and Keep Marietta Beautiful are partnering for Georgia’s Annual Waterway Cleanup, Rivers Alive. The cleanup will be held on November 3rd at the Paces Mill site at the Chattahoochee National Recreation area located at 3444 Cobb Parkway SE, Atlanta, GA 30339.
Volunteer for the cleanup to help preserve Georgia's waterways!
Last year, volunteers cleared 840 pounds of litter and debris during Rivers Alive and we are hoping to clear even more this year and WE NEED YOUR HELP. Keep Smyrna Beautiful provides everything volunteers need for the cleanup including safety training and all necessary supplies. Volunteers must be at least 12 years old.
To sign up to volunteer contact Keep Smyrna Beautiful at jbarwig@smyrnaga.gov or 678-631-5519. |
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Voting Information
State of Georgia General Election
November 6, 2018
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The City of Smyrna has a referendum on the ballot for the General Election for the Brunch Bill. The ballots to be used in the election shall have written or printed thereon the following words:
( ) Yes Shall the governing authority of Smyrna, Georgia be authorized to permit and regulate Sunday sales of distilled spirits, or alcoholic beverages for beverage purposes by the drink from 11:00 A.M. to 12:30 P.M.?
( ) No
Advanced Voting Info:
Monday – Friday, October 15th – 19th
Saturday, October 20th & Saturday, October 27th
Monday – Friday, October 22nd – 26th at these two (2) locations
-Cobb Elections (MAIN OFFICE)
736 Whitlock Ave.
Marietta 30064-4663
Monday- Friday 8am-5pm
Saturday 8am-4pm
-Jim R Miller Park Event Center (CENTRAL)
2245 Callaway Rd
Marietta, GA 30008
Saturday 8am-4pm
Vote Monday – Friday October 29th – November 2nd at 11 locations
No Voting on Saturday, November 3rd or Monday November 5th.
For more information on elections visit our website and the Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration website.
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Save the Date: Veterans Day Ceremony
Sunday, November 11 - 2:00 pm
Twentieth Century Veterans Memorial Lawn
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Mark your calendars for the 2018 Veterans Day Ceremony to honor the brave men and women who have served in the armed forces. The ceremony will begin at 2:00 pm on the Veterans Memorial lawn.
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Smyrna City Staff Spotlight
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Notable Service Anniversaries
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Last month, both Police Sergeant Ed Cason (left) and Police Lieutenant David Maroney (right) celebrated their 20 year service anniversaries with the City of Smyrna Police Department.
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Other notable employee service anniversaries include:
- Dat Luu, IT Manager (left) - 5 years
- Shannon Werner, Parks Maintenance Crew Worker (center) - 15 years
- Jim Cox, Business License Officer (right) - 15 years
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Born and raised in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, Terence has been a Smyrna resident for 27 years and began his career with the City of Smyrna Public Works Department on November 1, 1996. He has held a few positions during his career with the City including Crew Worker, Equipment Operator, and currently holds the position of Utilities Locator. Terence has been a part of the on-call team for over 16 years and during his 22 years of service, he's received various awards. Terence demonstrates strong leadership skills when training new employees as well as existing staff in the Water and Sewer Department.
Terence is the father of 2 boys and in his spare time, he loves to cook-out, travel and is an avid Kansas City Chiefs fan.
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Jess has worked for the City of Smyrna for 15+ years. He started his career in Building & Grounds then took his talents to Parks and Recreation where he's been a key member of the Parks Maintenance division serving as a Crew Leader and most recently as a Senior Maintenance Technician.
Jess has served proudly in the Army and the National Guard for 22 years, having bravely faced two deployments to Iraq and Kosovo. He will soon deploy to Afghanistan (October 18) for another year of active duty. He is a husband and a father of 3 children.
Parks and Recreation is proud to have someone like Jess represent the department each day and we commend him for his relentless loyalty to the City of Smyrna, his family, and his country!
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Thank you to all of our employees for their continuous dedication in serving the City of Smyrna.
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Smyrna Community Spotlight
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This summer, Bilal Quintyne went above and beyond in an act of kindness when he noticed that Belinda Whitaker (pictured above) was struggling to get home. Ms. Whitaker's electric wheelchair broke down on her way back to her apartment, causing her to be stranded in the Georgia heat. When Mr. Quintyne noticed that Ms. Whitaker was in need, he stepped up and pushed her all the way home. In an interview with the Washington Post, Mr. Quintyne said, "I don’t see myself as no superhero, I don’t see myself as no great guy. I’m just a moral man doing what I was put on this Earth to do." |
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Mr. Quintyne was recognized for this heroic act and the love he exhibits for his neighbors at the September 17th City Council Meeting. He also received the Community Hero Award from the Smyrna Fire Department alongside Councilmembers Derek Norton and Maryline Blackburn on September 27th.
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Once again, Keep Smyrna Beautiful (KSB) is encouraging everyone to plant Jonquil bulbs. KSB will be selling bags of 50 bulbs for $15.00.
Bulbs may be purchased at:
- The Smyrna Recycling Center, 3475 Lake Drive
- The Outdoor Market October 6, 13, and 20
- The Fall Jonquil Festival October 27 and 28
- Neighbor’s Feed and Seed, 1565 Roswell Street, SE
Bulbs will be available while supplies last.
According to Janet Liberman, Executive Director of Keep Smyrna Beautiful, “Smyrna is the Jonquil City so, let’s plant jonquils everywhere!”
For more information, please contact Keep Smyrna Beautiful at 770-431-2863.
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Smyrna Police Department Beard Contest
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The Smyrna Police Department is hosting a beard contest from which began on September 12, 2018 and runs through December 12, 2018. During this time, Smyrna police officers will be allowed to grow facial hair. The purpose of this event is two-fold: 1) it allows officers, for a defined period of time to grow out their facial hair, and 2) the officers use this occasion as a fund raising event. The money that is raised is given to Belmont Hills Elementary School. The Smyrna Police Department is a partner in education with Belmont Hills Elementary School and strongly believes in the benevolent relationship with the school.
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New Community Engagement Tool
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As part of Smyrna’s Strategic Vision Plan, we're asking our residents to respond to a few basic community satisfaction survey questions so the City can begin to track satisfaction and gather feedback in hopes of continuing to improve City services and the community’s quality of life. Click on the button below to complete the survey.
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Is there a problem in the City that you'd like to report?
A pothole on your street or issue in one of the parks you've visited recently? We can't be everywhere at once, so we want our residents to let us know so we can take care of things as quickly as possible! Please don't hesitate to tell us. |
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Get to Know Your Smyrna City Council
City Council meetings are on the first and third Monday of each month at 7 PM at City Hall.
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Please share with your neighbors to let them know about all the great things going on in the City.
There's so much, we couldn't list it all here so please be sure to visit our website and follow the City on our Facebook page. |
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If you have any questions, but don't know where to look, you can always call the Front Desk at City Hall.
Just call 770-434-6600 and they will happily assist you.
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It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your City Administrator.
Tammi Saddler Jones
City Administrator
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