Norcross City Council 2013 Retreat Tidbits

While the arts and police were two of the major topics during the Norcross City Council's 2013 retreat Monday, the five-and-a-half hour meeting also covered a number of other topics, too.

Here are some highlights:

-Parks and Recreation: It was concluded that the board will work on adding a dog park in the town center area, building a pocket park on the east side of Buford Highway, and come up with a concept plan for Johnson Dean Park.

-Tree Preservation Board: Jane Remaley of the board explained how successful the city was in its tree planting initiative this past fall. At $50 a tree, the board was able to sell and install 28 trees in Norcross in the project, which aimed to increase the city's tree canopy. She said the board would like for the initiative to be an annual event.

-City Council Agendas on Website: Councilman Keith Shewbert brought up an issue that wasn't on the item list: The city website needs a more convenient way for citizens to find the agendas for city council meetings. The mayor informed that the website is being revamped soon, so the navigation will change. Shewbert added that the website also should have a comment section where citizens can post about the agenda items.

-EB-5 Visa Program: Economic Development Manager Rusty Warner gave a presentation on the EB-5 Visa program, a project he had been working on for the past year. The Employment Based 5th Category program, which would be for all of Gwinnett County but benefit Norcross, is a regional center formed for the promotion of economic growth, improved regional productivity, job creation and increased domestic capital investment. It provides an investor and his family a temporary visa for two years leading to a permanent visa.

-Downtown Development Authority: Members of the DDA informed the council that they aim to concentrate on improving the Skin Alley area, which they first announced before the council in the December policy work session. The council also asked the DDA if it would be more beneficial if the board was funded annually as opposed to its current project-by-project status.

See also:

• 2013 City Council Retreat: Norcross Continues Discussion on Supporting the Arts
• Norcross Police Chief: 2012 Crime Stats Are 'New Normal'

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