Peachtree City UPDATES – Week of Jan. 3, 2012

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Council agenda, Father-Daughter Valentines Dance registration, poetry contest, Christmas Tree Recycling, Peachtree City Senior Homestead Exemption, new tree removal permit process, and more . . .

Council Meets Thursday
The Mayor and Council meet this Thursday, January 5, 7:00 p.m., at City Hall. The public is welcome, and the meeting will be streamed live and available on demand at www.peachtree-city.org/video. The agenda includes a Public Hearing for a request to rename Fieldturf Drive to NAECO Way, contracts for Peachtree City’s landscaping, mowing, litter removal services, the possible abandonment of a portion of Newgate Road to NorSouth, and an ordinance amendment to allow wine tasting events at retail wine package stores (not liquor stores). View the full agenda at www.peachtree-city.org/councilagenda.

Register Now for Peachtree City Father/Daughter Valentine Dance on February 4
The annual Father/Daughter Valentine’s Dance for girls ages 6 to 12 will be held from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 4, at Kedron Fieldhouse and Aquatic Center. The evening will be filled with music, dancing, light refreshments, photos, and much more. The price is $35 per couple and $15 for each additional daughter (non Fayette County Resident cost is $45). Space is limited, so register now at Kedron Fieldhouse/Aquatic Center, The Gathering Place, or online at http://activenet13.active.com/peachtreecityrec/.

Friends of the Peachtree City Library Poetry Contest for April’s National Poetry Month
The Friends of the Library Association is sponsoring a Poetry Contest open to published and unpublished authors. A $100 prize will be awarded in two categories, students (enrolled in high school or less than age 18) and adults (high school graduate or older than 18). Entry fee of $10 for three poems of up to three pages in length each. Entries due to the Library no later than March 1. Entry forms are available at the Library or email ptc.library.friends@gmail.com.

Winners and honorable mentions will be invited but not required to read their poems at the Peachtree City Library on April 28. A volume containing winning entries and honorable mentions will be published and sold by the Peachtree City Library, Inc. The winner in each category will receive a cash prize and a copy of the volume. Honorable mentions will receive a copy of the volume. The Peachtree City Library, Inc. (Friends of the Library) is a Georgia non-profit corporation.

Christmas Tree Recycling – Saturday, January 7
Bring one for the Chipper! Bring your tree (all decorations and tinsel removed, no flocked trees) to the Peachtree City Recycling Center (Rockaway Road at Highway 74 South), the Peachtree City Home Depot, or the Kedron Kroger between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 7.

No car or truck to haul your tree? No problem!

The Boy Scout Troop 175 will pick up Christmas trees on Saturday, January 7, as part of a fundraiser to purchase calling cards for members of our military stationed overseas. Suggested donation is $10 per tree, and donations are welcome from those who don’t have a tree, too. For more information on how to make donations and/or how to have your tree picked up, please email kenofalltrades@yahoo.com by Thursday, January 5. Thanks for your support of the young men in Troop 175 and our military personnel serving overseas.

The McIntosh Lacrosse Team is also picking up trees as a team fundraiser and taking them to be recycled for donations to the team. Schedule your Christmas Tree pickup by contacting Sally Z. Herman at szherman@yahoo.com or 770-487-8877.

Peachtree City Senior Homestead Exemption – Registration Underway Through March 1
Forms for qualifying senior citizens to register for the 2012 Peachtree City Senior Homestead Exemption are now available at City Hall. Peachtree City residents must register each year for the exemption.

Qualifying PTC homeowners must be age 65 by January 1 of 2012 and must already have applied for the standard Homestead Exemption through the Fayette County Tax Commissioners Office. The household income, which must be less than $30,000, will be calculated on the Federal Adjusted Gross Income of the applicant and spouse. The exemption is a flat rate of $5,000 per home, which would amount to a $33 savings in City property taxes under the city’s current millage rate. Qualifying seniors should bring proof of age and income (a copy of their 2011 tax returns) to City Hall, 151 Willowbend Road, in Peachtree City to file for the exemption.

The deadline to file for 2011 is 5:00 PM on Thursday, March 1, 2012. Because the deadline to file taxes is April 15, the City will continue to accept proof of income through April 20, 2012, for those who registered by March 1. Residents with questions may contact City Hall at 770-487-7657 or email info@peachtree-city.org.

Tree Removal – Permit Required, Process Revamped for 2012
Effective January 1, Peachtree City residents will have a new process when applying for tree removal permits on residential property. The purpose of these changes is to streamline the application process and to put the burden to provide accurate information to the City on property owners and/or tree removal contractors. City Staff has been working closely with the Planning Commission and City Council for several months to develop these new procedures, with the intent of simplifying the existing process as well as to free up Staff time for other duties.

Tree removal permit applications will now be reviewed by the Planning and Zoning Department instead of by Code Enforcement. Staff has developed a Frequently Asked Questions brochure and a new permit application, both of which can be found on the city’s website at www.peachtree-city.org/tree.

Project Updates:

Traffic Advisory for Peachtree Parkway North
Last Friday, Fayette County Water had a water main break under Peachtree Parkway North near The Peninsula neighborhood. The County’s contractor has made repairs and both lanes are open, but Peachtree Parkway North will be limited to one lane of traffic when paving can occur (the temperatures must be significantly warmer for this step in the repairs).

Kedron Pools & Bubble – Peachtree City staff expects the new Kedron Bubble to be shipped this week, with installation scheduled for next week. With additional system testing and construction cleanup, staff expects the pools to reopen by January 31 (but is hoping for as early as January 17). Stay tuned!

Highway 74 South Construction/Widening – The Georgia Department of Transportation advises that the Highway 74 South construction is nearly complete, with some miscellaneous grading and striping required and work on the traffic signals. The project remains on track for completion by the end of December 2011.

Don’t Forget . . .

City Council Regular Meeting – Thursday, January 5, 7:00 p.m., at City Hall. The public is welcome.

Christmas Tree Recycling – Saturday, January 7, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., at the PTC Recycling Center, the PTC Home Depot, or the Kedron Kroger. Please remove all decorations and tinsel. No flocked trees.

St. Paul Lutheran School’s Frostbite 5K & 1 Mile Fun Run – Saturday, January 7, 9:00 a.m., at St. Paul Lutheran School, 700 Ardenlee Parkway. Start the New Year off on the right foot at the 6th annual Frostbite. Pre-registration is $20; $25 on race day. Register online at www.frostbite5k.org or at the school office. The Frostbite is part of the Peachtree City Rotary Club Elementary School Grand Prix Series.

Peachtree City Water & Sewerage Authority Regular Meeting – Monday, January 9 (Postponed due to holidays), 6:30 p.m., at the WASA offices, 1127 Hwy 74 South. The public is welcome.

Peachtree City Planning Commission Regular Meeting – Monday, January 9, 7:00 p.m., at City Hall. The public is welcome.

Fayette County Board of Education Regular Meeting – Monday, January 9, 7:00 p.m., at the BOE Offices at 210 Stonewall Avenue W in Fayetteville. More information is available at www.fcboe.org.