(770) 528-3318
(770) 528-2606 fax
tlee@cobbcounty.org

Happy holidays and thank you for subscribing to my monthly e-newsletter. Your ongoing support and input into how Cobb County is governed is very important to me. Between the ever tightening economy and increasing demands for service we have plenty of challenges in the year ahead. But, it is also important to be mindful of the many blessings that we have in our lives. We don’t have to look far to find an abundance of open businesses, beautiful homes, happy and thriving children and good neighbors looking out for each other. It is with great appreciation that I thank each and every one of you for being a part of this wonderful community.

The recent flooding in Cobb County brought to the forefront the importance of stormwater and efforts to reduce damage by flooding. The county implemented a plan in 1996 to look for ways to improve and mitigate the adverse impacts of urbanization.

Among the recommendations were efforts to widen stream buffers, acquire floodplain properties, a home buyout program for chronically flooded properties, increase flood storage volume for our dams/lakes and a Stormwater Utility Program for private infrastructures. This also includes the construction of two Regional Stormwater Management Facilities at Chastain Meadows Parkway, and Mark Avenue. These facilities will greatly improve water quality by controlling the runoff volume from urbanized areas around the Town Center Mall area and reduce stream bank erosion which affects Lake Allatoona.

Last September, the Cobb County Board of Commissioners awarded a construction contract to Thalle Construction Company to build a conventional earthfill dam with an estimated project cost of $8.8 million. Construction is scheduled to begin this month. The anticipated construction period is one year.

In October, the county entered into a cost-share agreement with the Mobile District to federalize the final design and construction of the Mark Avenue facility. The federal government will contribute $1.9 million. Cobb County will spend $656,500 for property and easement acquisition. The Mark Avenue project will begin in 2010 and should be completed in late 2011.

The following are road construction updates in your district.

Post Oak Tritt Road
This project consists of improving the horizontal and vertical alignments between Murdock Road and the Fulton County line. The project includes the addition of curb/gutter and sidewalk on the north side, and replacing two bridges. This project is scheduled to be completed by next February. The remaining work includes completing the sidewalks, curb and driveways along with permanent striping and signs. A right turn lanes is being added on Post Oak Tritt Road at Tritt Springs Trace. This work should begin in mid-January after utilities are relocated and should be completed by the end of February, weather permitting.

Sewell Mill Road Bridge over Sewell Creek
This project consists of the removal of the existing two-lane, six-span roadway bridge and the adjacent three-span pedestrian bridge. The new bridge will be a three-span structure with sidewalks on both sides. Preliminary clearing and utility relocations have begun and the road is scheduled to be closed in mid January, 2010 for demolition of the existing bridge and construction of the new structure. The new bridge should be open by mid May with a scheduled project completion in July 2010.

Captain Jerry Quan started his law enforcement career with the Georgia State University Police Department in 1988. The next twenty years was spent at various units within the Cobb County Police Department.

His first stop at Cobb County was at the Precinct 3 in the Cumberland Mall area in 1989. Although it was a busy precinct, Quan enjoyed it because he knew the area well. He grew up in the South Cobb High School area, attended Kennesaw College and later joined the United States Marine Corps as a radar technician. He was honorably discharged as a Sergeant in 1986.

“I am very thankful to the Corps for the experience I gained and the travels I had, especially my duty station in Hawaii,” said Quan. He found his true calling when he was hired by the Cobb County Police Department in 1989. “In my own way, I felt this was a way I could give back to the community, and when my siblings moved away from Georgia, I couldn’t think of any other place to be than Cobb County.”

Quan was later assigned to work narcotics and was promoted to sergeant in 1997. As a sergeant, he worked in uniform at Precinct 1 in northeast Cobb. He has also served as detective sergeant in east Cobb’s Precinct 4 before being promoted to Lieutenant in 2003.

In December 2007, he was promoted to Captain and assigned to his current position as commander of Precinct 1. Quan takes pride in his accessibility to the public and the quality of officers and detectives under his command.

Quan is a fourth generation Chinese-American, born in Florida and moved to Cobb in the 1960s. “I have seen how far Cobb County has progress since the civil rights movements, the Vietnam War era and today I am amazed at how diverse our county is,” he said. “That diversity is what makes Cobb County a great place to live and work.”

This past year, more than 29,000 people were served by MUST. A powerful, volunteer-driven organization, MUST is blessed with 4,200 community members doing the immense work of the ministry. The small staff could never reach the number of people who request help, but the thousands of volunteers are a vibrant army of support.

Volunteers work in every aspect of MUST, serving in Food Pantries, MUSTWear, education and training, special events, board of directors, reception areas, Donation Center, Elizabeth Inn Shelter, intake areas, clinic, toy shop, summer lunch program and more. Wherever there is a need, the volunteers are there as a mighty force.

Donating time and talent is a gift that cannot be measured. In addition, many MUST volunteers also give financially because they understand the depth of the need and the careful way donations are used. It all works together to create an effective process.

Founded in 1971 and rooted in the Christian tradition, MUST Ministries has created programs for dealing with core problems in the community, such as education & employment, recovery from homelessness, health, and housing. MUST is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization. To volunteer your time, services or financial assistance, please call 770-427-9862 or visit www.mustministries.org.