Positively Roswell Continues Push For Citizen Engagement

ROSWELL, GA — An organization that grew out of political discontent in Roswell doesn't appear to be slowing down any time soon. In fact, those behind this all-volunteer group of citizens are hoping to get more of their neighbors involved in their mission to improve discourse and engagement throughout the city.

The momentum Positively Roswell has experienced over the last years has been great, said Theo Keyserling, one of the founding members of the group. While local voter turnout remains a bit below what she'd like to see, more people are paying attention and want to be engaged in what's going on in the community.

Since its inception in February 2017, Positively Roswell has stepped up its game and presence on social media. For example, the Positively Roswell Facebook page has about 1,635 likes and is one of the fastest growing civic organizations in the city, Keyserling said.

"(Getting close to) 1,700 (likes) in less than a year is nothing to sniff at,” she added.

Of course, many Patch readers recall Positively Roswell became a movement following the negative political tone and mudslinging expressed by the city's elected officials and some residents. When these residents banded together, they did not foresee their formation as coinciding with a highly contentious election year brought on by the arrest and resignation of former Council member Kent Igleheart, who eventually pleaded guilty to child pornography possession.

Of course that race, former Mayor Jere Wood's decision not to seek re-election following a court ruling that determined him to be ineligible to hold that office and then-incumbents Nancy Diamond and Jerry Orlans' opting not to seek re-election drew about a dozen candidates who all sought to become the city's newest elected officials.

Keyserling said Positively Roswell initially thought it would focus on variety of topics in an effort to engage residents. However, the seemingly never-ending election year gave Positively Roswell the opportunity to help shape the tone and tenor of the campaigns by hosting events with those who were running for local political office.

While their efforts to completely stamp out negative messaging were unsuccessful, Keyserling did say organizers were able to host forums where mayoral and City Council candidates came together to discuss the issues in an amicable tone.

Positively Roswell doesn't have membership dues, but urges its citizens to follow their activities on Facebook and Twitter. It's also planning to conduct a series of forums and other roundtable discussions to reach out to people on various topics. One upcoming initiative will be Positively Roswell's Women's Event, which will be held Tuesday, Jan. 30 at Tap & Six.

The event, which is now sold out, will allow women to break out into smaller groups where they will discuss key issues and topics specifically related to Roswell. Angela Medley, a Positively Roswell member organizing the forum, said the topics were pulled from articles highlighting how stakeholders can build healthy communities.

“We’ve enticed a lot of new people to come and get involved, which is the goal of Positively Roswell," Medley said.

Fellow member Tai Anderson is also hosting podcasts where he talks with guests about key issues related to the city. The most recent episode featured Roswell Community Development Director Alice Wakefield discussing the common mistakes new businesses make when they open to the public. Another featured Alpharetta Mayor David Belle Isle, who chronicled that city's recent growth and what, if any, lessons Roswell can take from its neighbor's path to success. You can check out previous podcasts on Positively Roswell's website.

Medley said in March, organizers are planning to reach out to city of Woodstock planners to discuss the rebirth of its downtown district. Medley said she's hoping the city will be able to shed light on its struggles, successes and what it would have done differently over the last decade. For those who can't attend the Jan. 29 forum, additional community forums and other similar meet-and-greet socials are in the pipeline for the year.

Keyserling said Positively Roswell is also seeing success with its live streaming of City Council meetings on its Facebook page. While she hopes the city will eventually "own" that function, the organization has received palpable feedback on the service.

Seeing the growth of Positively Roswell's popularity and what it stands for has been remarkable, as it was only a year ago that six disgruntled citizens — highly disappointed with how the city was conducting its business — decided they wanted to bring about tangible change in Roswell, Keyserling told Patch.

“We are all volunteers and to look back at the success over the year and (with) hosting those debates, it’s been better than I had anticipated," she added.

For Medley, now that the group is out of an election cycle, it will have a chance to sit down and see what it can bring to the table without the eclipse of campaigns hovering over their shoulders. She also said this process has made her appreciate that people choose to live in Roswell because of the passion of its residents.

“When I hear people getting so passionate about various topics in Roswell, ...it empowers me a little bit more because I see their passion (and) I see their love for our city," she said. "I hope we can all be passionate about Roswell, but I hope we can bring our passion to the table and share those viewpoints with each other so that we can collectively come to a compromise, a place of togetherness and do what’s best for our city.”

Image via Positively Roswell