Cobb to Create Mental Health Court

Cobb Commissioners voted 3-2 Tuesday to accept a state grant to establish the county's first mental health court.

The Cobb Board of Commissioners gave the green light to funding the county’s first mental health court at Tuesday's meeting. The board voted 3-2 to accept a state grant to create the mental health court, with commissioners Helen Goreham and Bob Ott opposed. The new court will be overseen by Cobb Superior Court Judge Mary Staley, using a $53,615 state grant commissioners accepted for the remainder of the fiscal year through June 30, said county chairman Tim Lee. The mental health court will serve as a problem-solving court similar to drug courts and domestic violence courts, where offenders are offered long-term community-based treatment instead of being prison-bound. Lee said the current grant can pay for 10 participants, but it is …

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North Cobb Road Work Updates, April 15-19

Check out the latest updates on road constructions, delays and detours around North Cobb and the rest of the county before you start the week.

Here are the latest updates on road work being done around North Cobb and the rest of the county, according to the Cobb Department of Transportation. The project includes replacing both headwalls, repairing the pipe, and stabilizing the shoulders. The contractor will continue installing erosion control and clearing from Monday through Friday. The project includes replacing the inlet headwall, repairing pipes, and stabilizing the shoulder. The contractor may begin survey layout and utility locates. Davidson Road to Willow Point Parkway Expect delays and lane closures this week, with one lane open for your commute. The contractor will be grading and placing concrete, and work on asphalt paving between Hyde Road and Asheforde Drive. Willow …

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North Cobb Road Work Updates, April 1-5

Check out the latest updates on road constructions, delays and detours around North Cobb and the rest of the county before you start the week.

Here are the latest updates on road work being done around North Cobb and the rest of the county, according to Cobb Commissioners Bob Ott, Helen Goreham, JoAnn Birrell, Lisa Cupid and the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT). The project includes replacing both headwalls, repairing the pipe, and stabilizing the shoulders. The contractor will continue installing erosion control and clearing from Monday through Friday. The project includes replacing the inlet headwall, repairing pipes, and stabilizing the shoulder. The contractor may begin survey layout and utility locates. Mabry Road will be closed Friday, April 5 after 6 p.m. through Sunday, April 14 for contractor to install a culvert across the road. Advance notification and …

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Cobb Receives AAA Ratings

Chairman Tim Lee said the county is in strong financial standing.

Cobb County was recently recognized for its fiscal responsibility by the top three bond rating agencies, Fitch Ratings, Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s. Fitch assigned its highest rating for tax anticipation notes issued to Cobb, and also affirmed the AAA rating on bonds issued by Cobb Solid Waste Management Authority. The rating agency stated in a press release that the county’s “general fund operating results were strongly positive for the second consecutive year in fiscal 2012.” According to Cobb Commission Chairman Tim Lee, some of the key rating drivers include sound cash flows, stable operating results, low debt, credit profile, a favorable economic profile and budgetary balance in fiscal 2013 and 2014. "This confirms the county’s …

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Area Closures, Detours and Road Work Updates

Check out the latest updates on road constructions, delays and detours around Cobb County.

Here are the latest updates on road work being done around Cobb County, according to Commissioners Bob Ott, Helen Goreham, JoAnn Birrell and Lisa Cupid. Davidson Road to Willow Point Pkwy Willow Point Pkwy to Timber Ridge Road Karls Gate Drive to Lake Fjord Pass GDOT I-285 Top-End Resurfacing Project Expect delays as Georgia DOT continues working on a $56 million resurfacing project on I-285. Crews will resurface 10 miles of I-285 between Paces Ferry Road in Cobb County and Ashford Dunwoody Road in DeKalb County. Most work will take place nights and weekends. The project is scheduled to complete in August 2013. Click here for more information. Detour Scheduled for Multi-use Trail From Monday, Feb. 18, to Monday, March 11, parts of the …

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Man Escorted from BOC Meeting

Fernando Wise was removed after refusing to give his name during a public hearing.

A Cobb County man was released after being escorted from the Cobb Board of Commissioner's meeting Tuesday night in handcuffs when he refused to give his name during a public hearing. "There is nothing in the first amendment requiring me to give my name to speak," Fernando Wise said. Chairman Tim Lee, who asked Cobb County police officers to remove Wise from the meeting room, said there are processes and procedures in place that must be followed. "I apologize it has to come to this, but we must be consistent," he said. Members of the standing room only crowd yelled, "Let him go!" as Wise was escorted from the room. In the foyer, residents in favor of allowing backyard poultry in Cobb County - of which Wise's father, Lamar, is a member - …

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Cobb Commission to Set Millage Rate

Commissioner Bob Ott says he'll vote against maintaining the rate of 11.11 mills because it preserves a 2011 increase.

The Cobb Board of Commissioners will set the property tax millage rate for fiscal year 2013 at tonight's business meeting.  The FY 2012 rate of 11.11 mills is being proposed for an extension. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the Board of Commissioners meeting room on the 3rd floor of 100 Cherokee Street in downtown Marietta. District 2 Commissioner Bob Ott, who represents East Cobb and Smyrna-Vinings, told The Marietta Daily Journal he will vote against maintaining the same rate because it preserves last year's millage rate increase. He and District 3 (Northeast Cobb) Commissioner JoAnn Birrell voted against the millage hike, which passed on a 3-2 vote.  Also tonight, the commissioners will take up a measure approved Thursday by the Cobb …

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Cobb to Fill 4 Leadership Positions

The four positions, which will likely be publicly advertised, would cost taxpayers from about $327,000 to $531,000 in salaries based on the pay ranges provided Tuesday.

Cobb to Enter Immigration Agreement

The county has used the federal E-Verify program to check on worker status since 2006, but the IMAGE program will go a step further.

The Cobb County commissioners are set to enter an agreement with federal officials tonight to help ensure all county employees are in the country legally and are eligible to work. Cobb is the first municipality in the state to use the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Mutual Agreement, or IMAGE program. Commissioner Bob Ott, who pushed for the program, said he hopes the county can be a leader for others. The county has used the federal E-Verify program to check on worker status since 2006, but Ott said the IMAGE program will go a step further. Though it will initially be used only with county employees, Ott told the Marietta Daily Journal that he hopes that in the future it will be used to prevent situations like the one during the …

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Commissioners Approve Hiring Temps

The board approved six temporary positions in the Department of Transportation.

The board approved six temporary positions in the Department of Transportation.

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