July 3, 2017

To understand the politics of Milton and the problems currently affecting our City government, citizens must have a basic understanding of 1) the City Charter and 2) Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP).  These documents are the cornerstones of our local governance.  The Charter and CLUP guide many of the day-to-day actions and activities of our government.  Good governance in Milton depends on these documents being respected and upheld.

Milton’s Charter is like Milton’s version of the U.S. Constitution.  It established our city and provides the basic structure of our city government.

The Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) is Milton’s long-term strategic plan for land-use.  It is a detailed document that lays out a vision for land use but also includes specific guidance on how Milton’s land is to be developed.  It is important because so much of our government activity revolves around development.

Because of the Charter and CLUP’s importance, the City has established rigorous,  transparent, and participatory processes for amending these documents.  Changes to these documents require 1) serious discussion and debate and 2) opportunities for citizen input.

In the coming days, we will discuss the Charter and CLUP in greater depth:  what they are, why they are important, the process for amendment, and the like.  We will also discuss how the Charter and CLUP have been disregarded and violated by the City Council and the resulting negative impact on citizens.

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Alpharetta Council Member Jim Gilvin’s Latest Blog Post.

Following is Jim Gilvin’s latest blog post.  Jim is fighting the good fight for smart development in Alpharetta.  Jim is obviously a passionate advocate for citizens in Alpharetta.  His blog posts are intelligent and well-reasoned.  His posts provide good discussions of the same issues that we are facing in Milton–albeit on a smaller scale.  However, those of us that have been residents of Milton for 20+ years remember when Alpharetta was at the same stage of development that Milton now finds itself.  Hopefully, Milton will make better decisions.  Smart development will only happen if citizens are engaged and demand that our City Council uphold the vision of the city established when Milton was founded in 2006.  It will only happen if we elect our own Jim Gilvins here in Milton.  Hopefully, six years from now, we will not be lamenting the results of today’s development decisions.

Alpharetta Six Years Later

Tim Becker