Mayor Kautz Says Recent Allegations are 'Blatantly False'

The mayor stated that she did not issue a check to a law firm "under the cover of darkness," as one council member recently claimed.

According to Mayor Kelly Kautz, allegations by members of the City Council that she "retained a law firm to represent [her] personally in a lawsuit and then in December without authority paid the law firm with city funds" are blatantly false.  During the May 13 City Council meeting, council member Bobby Howard claimed that a check was written to Cruser and Mitchell well before they were appointed as city attorneys to represent Kautz in the case between the city and Marilyn Swinney. (Swinney claimed that her First Amendment rights were violated when the mayor would not let her speak during the public comment portion of a council meeting. The city ended up paying Swinney $15,000, which she donated, to settle the case.) "Under cover of …

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Dave Emanuel

11:39 am on Friday, May 17, 2013

Was proper protocol followed? It appears it was not, but you can decide for yourself. Following are sections of the City Charter that deal with the duties and responsibilities of the City Manager and the manner in which mayor and Council interact with the City Manager and staff. Section 3.14. - (a) A city manager shall be nominated by the mayor with the confirmation of the city council. The city …   more ›

City Attorneys Unpaid, Mayor Denies Wrongdoing

Patch will begin live-blogging at 7:30 p.m.

(Editor's note: you can scroll through the live blog of the May 13 council meeting above. For background, follow the links within the story.) Update May 15: The mayor has responded to allegations discussed in this article and live blog. You can read that story here. The fallout from the city attorney fiasco that happened toward the end of last year isn't over yet, as evidenced by the May 13 council meeting.  From the time the mayor removed Tony Powell from his position as city attorney, he has not been paid, according to the city council meeting agenda. Cruser and Mitchell, the law firm that took his place, has also not been paid.  Powell's firm, Webb, Tanner, Powell, Mertz and Wilson, LLC, is owed $94,000. That's nearly $35,000 over what …

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Pat Binger

6:35 pm on Thursday, May 16, 2013

I agree with you Manique. It is all very sad. If you watch this charade long enough, you'll find it's the Mayor that needs firing. She seems to be the center of all things controversial.   more ›

National Kids to Parks Day Comes to Gwinnett

The event promoting healthy family lifestyles takes place May 18.

National Kids to Parks Day is coming soon to Gwinnett County. The free event takes place locally May 18 at Shorty Howell Park in Duluth, where families are encouraged to bring a picnic lunch for outdoor play, wildlife education and crafts. Additionally, Bogan Park in Buford will host a bike rodeo. Children will be able to decorate their bicycles, compete in a relay and get bicycle and helmet safety checks for $6 each.  It is National Park Trust's third annual National Kids to Parks Day, and officials say they event helps combat obesity and other ailments by encouraging a healthy lifestyle. For more information call 678-277-0905 for Shorty Howell Park, or 678-277-0850 for Bogan Park or visit www.gwinnettparks.com.

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Editor's Notebook

Stories from the Wall: Gene Lane

A look at veterans and current service members who have a place on the Snellville Veterans Memorial.

Gene Lane grew up in Cairo, Illinois. It was a twist of fate that brought him to the military; in an effort to impress a congressman, Lane told him he wanted to attend West Point. The congressman made a few phone calls, and to West Point he went. From that point on, the military was his life.  Gene’s son, local resident Ned Lane, has memorialized his father by purchasing a brick in the Snellville Veteran’s Memorial.  Ned recalled a three-month period of time during the Vietnam war when his father was completely out of touch.  “The guerillas were showing up from everywhere,” he explained, “but we didn’t know what was going on.” Without modern technology like cell phones or email, they had no way of finding out if Gene was alive, injured or …

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Unincorporated Snellville Takes Center Stage During Commissioners Town Hall Meeting

The meeting took place at Grayson High School on May 1.

Last week’s town hall meeting with the Board of Commissioners in Grayson focused on the Centerville area of Gwinnett County, which includes much of the area between Snellville city limits and Lithonia.  The area, represented by Commissioner Tommy Hunter, is an unincorporated part of Gwinnett County. Hunter replaced Mike Beaudreau in the most recent elections and told the crowd he would do “as much good as humanly possible.”  “It’s going to take each one of you to decide where this county’s going to go,” he added. Judging by comments from the large crowd gathered in the Grayson High School auditorium, the general consensus seemed to be that the Highway 124 corridor that stretches from Snellville to Lithonia needs some major upgrades.  …

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'Snellville Days' Has Been Canceled

Due to the heavy rain, the parade and festivities have been canceled.

The Snellville Days Festival at T.W. Briscoe Park has been canceled on Saturday and Sunday due to inclement weather. If you're looking for things to do, there is a grand opening scheduled at 10 a.m. for a slot car race track on the corner of Highway 78 and 124. 

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Traffic Alert: Roads Closed During Snellville Days Parade

If you're headed to City Hall Saturday morning, be aware of road closures.

The Snellville Police Department has warned residents that from approximately 9:45 - 11:30 a.m., traffic near City Hall will be blocked due to the Snellville Days parade. Wisteria Drive will be closed between Highway 78 and North Road, North Road will be closed between Wisteria Drive and Oak Road, and Oak Road will be closed between North Road and Highway 78. Only emergency or other government vehicles will be allowed into the closed section after all the roads are blocked, according to Snellville Police. No portion of Scenic Highway or Highway 78 will be shut down.  Police advise to be on the lookout for the men and women in reflective vests out in the roadway directing traffic. 

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