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Veterans groups press Johns Creek for dedicated facility as council hears arts and business recognitions
Summary
Multiple public commenters urged support for veterans services and a facility at Newtown Park; the council also recognized SAIA LTL Freight's centennial and honored the municipal court DRIVE program and the Art Center at Johns Creek.
During public comment at the Dec. 9 Johns Creek council meeting, several speakers urged the city to support expanded veterans services, while the council gave local recognitions for business and arts programs.
Roger Wise (speaker 5) thanked the mayor and council for their partnership with the Johns Creek Veterans Association (JCVA) and asked the city to allow JCVA to construct a headquarters so veterans would not need to travel to Canton, Gainesville or Atlanta for services. "We have established ourselves as the best place in the state of Georgia to service veterans," Wise said, urging the council to continue the partnership and to allow a building to serve as headquarters.
MK Sharp (speaker 15), cofounder of VetBuds, described the group's programs — vehicle donations for veterans, student grants and homeless relief — and urged council support for Colonel Mike Mizell's proposal for a nonprofit relationship to construct a facility at Newtown Park that would house veteran services and staff. "Please help Mike Mizell build a facility that improves the future of living veterans," Sharp said.
Colonel Mike Mizell (speaker 13), who identified himself as longtime president of the Johns Creek Veterans Association, asked for roughly 60 by 108 feet of park space, described potential Fulton County interest and said the facility could boost visitation to the veterans memorial and local businesses.
Council recognized SAIA LTL Freight on its centennial with a proclamation; a company representative (speaker 12) said about 600 SAIA employees work in Johns Creek. City Manager Greer (speaker 14) also announced that the municipal court DRIVE program won the Georgia Municipal Court Clerk's Council 'program of the year' award, and Nilanda Chandra (speaker 3) said the Art Center at Johns Creek received a 2024 governance award for arts and humanities.
Speakers asked the council to continue prioritizing arts and culture, to pursue a thoughtful funding strategy for any performing arts center and to consider partnerships and public engagement on veterans and arts projects. The council did not take formal action on any veterans facility at the Dec. 9 meeting.
