A Year To Remember-A Year To Anticipate.

By Mayor Joe Lockwood


Each January 1st, we eagerly look forward to the year ahead and the possibilities that lay before us. This anticipation is no different for City leadership, and the City of Milton has a lot to look forward to in 2008. While we’re looking ahead, though, we also should take a moment to look back on the year that has passed, and celebrate the accomplishments that we’ve made thus far. For Milton, the past year has been a year of birth; of standing up on our own two feet; and of the beginnings of a City that is becoming the "home" that we all wish for.


In our first year, we’ve set up a fully functioning City. We launched local police and fire departments, including getting our own ladder truck and swearing in our first K-9 officer, thanks to a generous donation from a Milton resident. Community Development and Public Works are running solidly; we’ve passed ordinances that help to define and shape what we want in our City; and our City Council has passed a balanced budget for 2008. We held our first special event, the Milton Roundup, to celebrate the City’s birthday, followed by the re-launch of the Crossroads at Crabapple Antique and Art fair. We held our first Transportation Town Hall Meeting in late November, giving citizens the chance to learn about initiatives and voice their opinions on issues like traffic calming, road maintenance, public bike/ped trails and more. And, we just wrapped up Milton Holiday Memories, a special holiday event that is destined to become a beloved memory for Milton children and adults alike throughout the coming years. It has been a great year so far.


Looking ahead, there is so much to get excited about! One of the most exciting items on the 2008 agenda is the development of the City’s Comprehensive Plan. Milton started the comprehensive planning process in 2007, enlisting the expertise of a private consulting firm to oversee the process. Public interaction is of high importance in this process. Public meetings started in Crabapple late last year, and more meetings will be held as the planning process moves forward. The Comprehensive Plan is one of the most important goals for our City, as it will help to shape what Milton is to become. Milton currently operates under a plan adopted by the Fulton County Commission in November 2005. It’s time that we lay down the details that will make Milton unique, and it’s important that the people of Milton have a voice in the process.
I encourage each of you to get involved with the City by joining committees, attending meetings, completing surveys, and letting your voice be heard. Watch the City’s web site for news and information, and sign up for the City’s newsletter so that you’ll be the first to know what’s happening in Milton!


Happy New Year!


Joe Lockwood
Mayor
City of Milton, Ga.