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Official says Roswell favors residents only during open forums
HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
Kennedy Hicks, chief investment officer at Cousins Properties, talks about back-to-office trends with representatives from the engineering, transportation and commercial real estate industry. Hicks said white-collar workers are looking for more amenities in and around their offices.
North Fulton Futures Summit keys on economic growth By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — A team of industry experts provided perspectives on economic development May 1 at the annual North Fulton Futures Summit. City officials and business leaders packed the Studio Theater at City Springs to hear about
Appen Media staff set Milton event ► PAGE 4
housing availability in the region, efforts to return to the office and the development of workforce talent. While the 2023 summit featured a panel of the six North Fulton mayors, this year’s event heard more from the business community and educators. The summit is sponsored by The Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce.
Ga. 400 express lanes see bids ► PAGE 5
In his introduction of the first panel, Alpharetta Mayor Jim Gilvin said it’s critical to have a conversation about housing when talking about economic development. “We’re living at a time when the entire Metro Atlanta area is growing faster than we can keep up with,” Gilvin
See SUMMIT, Page 8
Scout eyes Gold Award, literacy ► PAGE 6
ROSWELL, Ga. — Only Roswell residents should expect to speak to the Roswell City Council at its regular meetings and at open forums, held every fifth Monday. In light of recent activity, city staff explained to Appen Media that regular meetings and open forums are generally exclusive to residents as per the direction of the presiding officer, or Mayor Kurt Wilson. The open forums, uncommon among North Fulton local governments, gives citizens the platform to raise issues and concerns with city councilmembers. “Since Mayor Wilson was elected, only Roswell residents have been allowed to comment on agenda items during city meetings,” Roswell Communications Director Julie Brechbill wrote in an email. Brechbill said that in her more than two decades with the city it has long been the practice that the presiding officer runs the meetings and sets the rules. Exceptions to the resident-only rule are under the discretion of the presiding officer, Brechbill said. One such case was when Wilson allowed nonresident, massage establishment owners to speak to city ordinance changes related to their businesses. — Amber Perry