Suwanee Real Estate

GwinnettCounty, GA

Swim safely this summer


Summer is just around the corner, and there?s no better way to make a splash this summer than enjoying the pool or visiting Lake Lanier! Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation pools will open for the summer on Saturday, May 25. Let?s  keep Gwinnett healthy and safe this summer; check out these videos from Fire and Emergency Services, and follow these easy tips to make sure you?re swimming safely all summer long:

• Lock gates and doors to limit pool access, and use a pool cover when not in use.
• Always supervise children around water, and if a child goes missing, check the water first.
• Teach children to swim, and remind them of the dangers of unsupervised swimming.
• Make sure adults and experienced swimmers still swim with a buddy and in public areas.
• Wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket if you?re going to be around water or on a boat.
• Be careful around lakes and rivers, even if you don?t plan on going for a swim.
• Keep emergency telephone numbers and rescue equipment within reach.
• Learn CPR and how to use the rescue equipment at your pool.
• Cover pool drains and vents to prevent entanglement of hair or body.
• Mark water depths clearly, and use a float line to separate the deep and shallow ends.
• Always follow all pool rules and instructions from lifeguards.
• Don?t mix alcohol and water ? it can impair your judgment, balance, and swimming skills.
• Check in advance for inclement weather, and take shelter accordingly.
  
   


Gwinnett Celebrates Older Americans Month


Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation (GCPR) in partnership with Health and Human Services is celebrating Older Americans Month in May to honor and recognize older Americans for their contributions to our families, communities, and society.

This year's theme, Unleash the Power of Age, highlights the significant contributions made by thousands of older Americans across our nation. GCPR will kick off the month with the Senior Art Showcase on May 1, featuring local senior artists showcasing their exclusive works of art in the atrium of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center. The exhibit includes artwork from patrons at Gwinnett?s Health and Human Services Centers and GCPR Community and Senior Recreation Centers. To see a list of the other events during the month of May, click here.

Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation is proud to support Older Americans Month and the opportunity to show appreciation and commitment for our senior residents. For more information, call 770.822.8840 or visit www.gwinnettparks.com.



County offices closed for Memorial Day holiday


All Gwinnett County government offices, with the exception of those operations required for the comfort and safety of the citizens of the County, will be closed Monday, May 27 for the Memorial Day holiday. County offices will resume normal business hours on Tuesday, May 28. A Magistrate Court judge will be available at the Gwinnett County Detention Center during the holiday.

Memorial Day is not a trash and recycling holiday for solid waste providers in unincorporated Gwinnett County, so trash and recycling collections are scheduled as normal. The Gwinnett County Solid Waste and Recycling Call Center will be closed that day, but hauler call centers will be open. Residents can search for their solid waste hauler to find their hauler?s contact information.

Residents who live in a city should contact their city to find out if trash and recycling will be delayed due to the holiday. 



Weekend construction will close Pleasant Hill Road Bridge June 7?10


The Gwinnett County Department of Transportation will close the I-85 at Pleasant Hill Road bridge for the Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) crossover. The project involves shifting traffic to the opposite side of the bridge, which will make left turns onto the interstate easier and improve the flow of traffic across the bridge. 

The closure will begin at 9:00pm on Friday, June 7, weather and conditions permitting. The bridge will open to traffic by 5:00am on Monday, June 10 with the new DDI configuration.

The bridge will be closed to all through-traffic during the weekend, although construction will not impact right turn access to or from I-85. Drivers and pedestrians should take the planned detour: Pleasant Hill Road to Satellite Boulevard to Steve Reynolds Boulevard to Shackleford Road to Pleasant Hill Road and the reverse. 

Pedestrian traffic should continue to use the detour route for at least one month following crossover during the construction of pedestrian walkways.

?We ask that drivers in this area be especially cautious and alert during construction," said Transportation Director Kim Conroy. "We understand this is an inconvenience, so Gwinnett DOT staff will closely monitor traffic flow and signals during the crossover weekend to help keep traffic moving.?

After crossover, construction will continue on the center median and pedestrian facilities, while crews will finalize the signals, interchange lighting and pavement markings. The project is expected to be substantially complete in September, with landscaping to begin in the fall. Once the project is complete, the bridge at Pleasant Hill Road and I-85 will be Gwinnett County?s first DDI and the second in Georgia.

Gwinnett Place CID Director Joe Allen said, ?The Gwinnett Place business community is thrilled about this investment in our area. The end result of closing the Pleasant Hill Road bridge for a weekend will be improved mobility in this area.?

To view a map of the detour route or for more information on how to drive the diamond including a video rendering of the completed project, visit www.gwinnettDDI.com.  



Burn ban in Gwinnett through September 30


The Gwinnett County Department of Fire and Emergency Services will observe a total burn ban on all outdoor burning from May 1 ? September 30, 2013, in Gwinnett County. All types of outdoor or open burning are prohibited during this time period, including the burning of trees, limbs, or any other yard waste, and the use of air curtain destructors for land clearing. For unincorporated residents, please contact your hauler to ask about adding yard waste service.  

For additional information concerning the burn ban, please contact the Gwinnett Fire and Emergency Services Community Risk Reduction Division at 678.518.4980 or visit www.gwinnettfiremarshal.com.



The Burn Ban is issued by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) and includes 54 counties within the state of Georgia. During the summer months, the ozone in the air we breathe can reach unhealthy levels. The EPD has identified outdoor/open burning as a significant contributor of the pollutants that form ozone. Consequently, open burning in metro Atlanta and larger counties is restricted during the warm weather season.



FOCUS ON: Grants and Neighborhood Stabilization Program


FOCUS ON is a monthly feature that tells how your county government employees focus on providing high-quality services to you each and every day.

Our Grants Business Unit: Collaborating to meet the needs of the community
Collaboration is essential to many of the functions in Gwinnett County Government, so it?s no surprise that the Department of Financial Services? Grants Business Section collaborates with a variety of different departments and local agencies to seek funding opportunities to support programs that meet our community?s critical needs. Read more about the Grants Business Unit?s efforts to provide grant funding for Gwinnett County?s departments and local nonprofit agencies.

Our Neighborhood Stabilization Program: Fighting Foreclosures One Home at a Time
When disabled Navy veteran Darrell Lowery bought his new home in Lawrenceville in February, it was Gwinnett?s Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) that made the mortgage possible. The program helps neighborhoods where housing values and conditions are deteriorating due to foreclosures. Created by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, NSP provides affordable housing to Lowery and many others by buying vacant, foreclosed homes in targeted areas, making repairs, and selling the houses to eligible new homebuyers. Read more about the Neighborhood Stabilization Program?s work to combat the foreclosure crisis.

Past Articles:

• Our Performance Analysis Division: Driving change in the right direction
• Our Crime Prevention Unit: Working with apartment communities to reduce crime


County hosts workshop for potential vendors


The Gwinnett County Purchasing Division will host the seventh annual Supplier Symposium on June 6, 2013, from 8:30am to 11:30am at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center.  

Attendees will meet buyers and contracting officers from the Purchasing Division and other metro Atlanta agencies to take advantage of networking opportunities designed to create relationships and obtain information on current and upcoming projects.  

To register for this free event, please visit the Purchasing Symposium registration page.  

To view current projects open for bidding and explanations of bidding procedures, visit the Purchasing Division?s webpage.

Celebrate National Drinking Water Week


Ever wonder where your water comes from? Find out on Saturday, May 11 at Shoal Creek Filter Plant as Water Resources celebrates National Drinking Water Week. The celebration takes place from 10:00am to 2:00pm and includes a tour of the filter plant, kids? activities, and free refreshments.

County departments will set up informational dis­plays and representatives will be on hand to answer any questions. The Shoal Creek Filter Plant is located at 1755 Buford Dam Road in Buford. If you have any questions about this event, please call 678.376.4200.



Assessment notices will not accurately reflect tax billing


2013 Assessment Notices will not accurately reflect 2013 tax billing
The Gwinnett County Tax Assessor?s office has begun issuing 2013 Notices of Current Assessment to residential and commercial property owners. The purpose of the assessment notice is to inform the property owner of the appraised value of the property that will be used later in the year to bill ad valorem (property) taxes. Once you receive your assessment notice, be sure to review the current value; appeals must be filed within 45 days of the notice date. Instructions on how to appeal will be included on the notice.

Tax estimates based on prior year's millage rate, current assessed value 
State law requires counties to send a Notice of Current Assessment to every property owner annually, whether or not the value of the property has changed. The assessment notice is not a tax bill. However, state law also requires the assessment to include an estimate of the ad valorem tax bill (property taxes) based on the prior year's millage rate and the current year's assessed value. The notices will include estimates of 2013 property taxes that may not accurately reflect what property owners in Gwinnett County will owe, depending on the location of the property. 

New service districts will change 2013 millage rates
Because the law requires the use of the prior year?s millage rates, Gwinnett County?s property tax estimates cannot reflect the new 2013 service districts that will substantially change how property taxes will be billed this year. As a result of the new service districts, your actual tax bill may be more or less than this estimate. For example, someone who owns property inside a city that provides its own police service will not see the reduction in County taxes associated with county police services reflected on this notice.

What will my millage rate be?
Commissioners will set the millage rate for property taxes this summer, after assessments and appeals are completed in the spring. A millage rate will be associated with each of the new service districts; rates will depend on a property?s location, which determines what services are provided by the County. Property taxes will be billed in early August with payment due 60 days following the billing date.

For more information
For a detailed explanation of how service districts will affect service delivery and property taxes for services, including a brief video explanation, please visit www.gwinnettservicedistricts.com.



Join the Great American Cleanup


Do your part to help clean up Gwinnett County this spring. From March 1 to May 31, Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful will sponsor the Great American Cleanup Gwinnett Challenge as part of Keep America Beautiful?s Great American Cleanup, the nation?s largest community improvement program.

All interested local businesses or community groups can select a Gwinnett Challenge activity and be eligible to receive a cash prize! Projects must be completed between March 1 and May 31 and prizes will be awarded based on the most impact made on the community.

For more information and how you can get involved, visit http://www.gwinnettcb.org.