Acworth Aldermen Announce Re-Election Bids

Three Acworth aldermen announced their candidacies for re-election at the Nov. 8 general election during Thursday evening's meeting of the .

Aldermen Bob Weatherford, Gene Pugliese, and Butch Price all announced that they will stand for re-election in their respective posts.

“I've been proud to serve the city for the last ten years,” Weatherford said. Price said that he would retire after his next term of office expired.

Although it seems that some of the candidates will run unopposed, Weatherford will be running against Brett North in Post 3. Weatherford smiled at North as he announced his candidacy during the public comment session at the end of the meeting. North ran against and lost to Gene Pugliese in Post 2 in 2007.

Without any presentations or public discussions to be had, the Thursday evening meeting of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen of the City of Acworth was completed in 10 minutes. While short, the meeting accomplished some important tasks for the city.

The 12-item consent agenda passed unanimously, and dealt mainly with the use of the city's parks by groups such as the Boy Scouts of America and for future events, as well as the approval to hold the Acworth Cultural Arts Fest next April.

Another item on the agenda authorized the mayor to execute the approval of the Agreement for Livable Centers Initiative Grant between the city and the Georgia Department of Transportation. This grant signals the beginning of the acquisition of rights-of-way for the second phase of the Senator Russell Avenue project.

Other notable items on Thursday evening's agenda were as follows:

• The right-of-way and easements for 4450 Cherokee St. will be acquired for the School St. Project at a cost of $8,144. The funds to pay for the acquisition will come from SPLOST I earnings. This acquisition is pending final execution by the owner and lender.
• The city will approve the acquisition agreement and documents for the right-of-way and easements for 4683 Bell St. This is part of the School St. project.
• The city will purchase a 2006 Ford F-350 truck with an Arm-Lift bucket attachment from Pruitt's Truck Sales for $19,999.99. This truck will be used by the city to install street signage and serve as right-of-way maintenance equipment.
• The city will purchase 1/0 underground primary cable from Stuart C. Irby at a cost of $17,842.50.
• The Health Reimbursement Arrangement plan the city has with ShawHankins will be amended.
• The Acworth Cultural Arts Fest will be held on Main St. from Lemon St. to Morningside Dr. on April 14 and 15, 2012. The Acworth Area Convention and Visitor Bureau Authority's FY 2012 budget will be amended to add an $8,000 expense to co-sponsor the event with the Acworth Downtown Development Authority.

Mike Fusco, owner of , said that his business would be negatively affected by the required closure of Main Street for the festival, but said he was “wholly supportive” of expanding the city's cultural horizons.

Additionally, Fusco brought before the Board the parking regulations in effect in Savannah, which generate revenue for the city but are friendlier to business owners. The regulations in Savannah allow business owners to pay a fee for the right to park without having to worry about fines, an issue which has drawn some from Main Street business owners.

The entire agenda can be found here.