Jim Paine

Mayoral Candidates Back Alpharetta’s City Center Plan

jimp — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 19:10:57 +0000

As council members Paine and DeRito helped work on the current plan, which needs voters to pass a bond referendum on Nov. 8 to build it.

Mayoral candidate David Belle Isle took it on the chin from his opponents over his backing of a public-private city center plan that failed during the Alpharetta HighDebate Club candidate forum on Oct. 26.

Jim Paine and Doug DeRito participated in the forum, but Belle Isle left after making an opening statement. His two opponents fault him for his support of a public-private partnership in that previous City Center plan, which DeRito attacked as being sole sourced to one developer with no bidding process. And DeRito said Belle Isle has received a campaign contribution from that developer.

Belle Isle, in his opening statement at the forum, said he supports the current City Center plan and has a passion for downtown revitalization. He also pointed out after the forum that the developer was chosen by a committee with City Council approval.

Paine said the city’s current plan–the third plan and first to use a bond referendum for fudning–is best because the city owns all 22 acres of the project, having spent general revenue fund tax dollars to purchase the additional acreage. He said the city’s economic vitality depends upon this project.

By Bob Pepalis

http://alpharetta.patch.com/articles/pair-of-mayoral-candidates-back-alpharetta-s-city-center-plan

ATLANTA REALTORS SUPPORT JIM PAINE FOR MAYOR

jimp — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 17:55:44 +0000

ALPHARETTA, Ga. – The Atlanta Realtors Political Action Committee announced today its recommendation of Jim Paine for election to the office of Mayor of the City of Alpharetta.

A candidate screening panel composed of members of the Atlanta Board of Realtors and the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors concluded that Paine is the most qualified candidate to serve the citizens of Alpharetta in the next term.

Jim Paine has an impressive record of public service to the citizens of Alpharetta, where he has held the office of City Council Member and Mayor Pro Tem. He led the way on several important initiatives in his legislative career, most notably in the policy areas of parks, recreation, and greenspace preservation.

“Jim Paine’s experience as a Council Member has prepared him well for the next level of leadership,” said Alan Joel, chair of Atlanta RPAC and principal of Joel & Granot Commercial Real Estate. “His support for low taxes, economic development of the downtown area, and the protection of property rights is perfectly aligned with our associations’ goal of making this community a world-class place to live, work, and play for our members and their clients.”

The Atlanta Board of Realtors and Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors are trade associations that together represent more than 7,500 members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 21, 2011

CONTACT: Robert Broome, Governmental Affairs Director, robert@abr.org

Alpharetta Mayoral, Council Candidates Self-Promote at Forum

jimp — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 17:24:26 +0000

Three Alpharetta mayoral candidates and six council candidates discussed their priorities at the Downtown Alpharetta Trade Association Forum on Tuesday night.

Alpharetta City Council candidate Jim Gilvin chose to use part of his one-minute summation at a candidates forum to criticize his opponent Cheryl Oakes, the incumbent. He said in her four years on the council she failed to be transparent and to control development. Because Oakes had summed up just before, she didn’t have a chance to dispute Gilvin’s criticism.

“I want a rebuttal,” she said. But that fell outside the pre-arranged rules of the forum. The focus moved on to another panel of city council opponents.

Other than that little dust-up, it was pretty much all sweetness and light at the Downtown Alpharetta Trade Association Candidate Forum on Tuesday night.

Candidates used their limited time to discuss what they would do as mayor or as a City Council member.

Major disagreements were lacking, perhaps because Oakes was the only candidate seeking the same seat among six running for city council and three for mayor.

The forum attracted about 50 on-lookers to The DeVore House on Church Street. The election is Nov. 8. Early voting started on Oct. 17.

Oakes, who seeks re-election to the city council Post 4 seat, touted her work on public safety, parks and recreation and to help ease congestion. She said her decades of work as a realtor help her understand the city’s needs.

“I do know what brings people here,” she said.

Her opponent hit hard on a recurring theme of the evening.

“The city needs to get serious,” Gilvin said, “about attracting and retaining business.”

The forum began with a panel of the Alpharetta mayoral candidates: David Belle Isle, Doug DeRito and Jim Paine. Moderator Hatcher Hurd, executive editor of Appen Newspapers, asked all the questions and candidates were bound by time-limited responses.

Jim Paine touted his 15 years on the city council and that he has no other job that would conflict with his work as mayor.

DeRito said that “vibrancy doesn’t exist downtown.” Alpharetta needs to “invest money downtown on an annual basis.”

Belle Isle said Alpharetta must deal wisely with economic pressures, maintain its identity and stave off outside pressure to urbanize.

City council Post 5 candidate Michael Cross, who is running against Hans Appen, had the humorous line of the night. “Thanks,” he said to the crowd. “This is most attention a tax attorney has ever gotten.”

Cross said he thought the city should have two staffers who work solely on economic development.

Appen, whose parents own the Appen Newspapers, said city traffic problems should be solved regionally. “I don’t think traffic stops or starts at the Alpharetta city limits.”

Ron Carter faces off against Donald Mitchell for the unexpired Post 1 council seat.

“We need to move Highway 9,” Carter said. “We have to have a pedestrian-friendly Main Street. People have to be able to cross there safely.

“When I see our Main Street two years from now, I see a two-lane street with angle parking, lots of landscaping and a big roundabout at Academy Street. This would be a nice, warm fuzzy feeling for downtown.

“Business would automatically be attracted.”

“Let’s move on past that,” Mitchell said. “Let’s talk about what we can do with Webb Bridge Road. Let’s talk about what we can do with Kimball Bridge Road.

“Those projects have dragged on forever. We have to have a comprehensive approach about traffic and downtown.”

By Timothy Gillman

http://alpharetta.patch.com/articles/alpharetta-mayoral-council-candidates-self-promote-at-forum#photo-8163204

Few Surprises Heard in Alpharetta Candidates’ Forum

jimp — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:28:29 +0000

The Kimball Bridge Coalition’s event drew approximately 100 audience members, including candidates’ families and supporters.

It came as no surprise that Alpharetta mayoral candidates would be asked questions about ethics, transportation and high-density development during the Kimball Bridge Coalition’s Candidates Forum on Sunday, Oct. 9.

The coalition’s forum has had such success, and there are so many candidates, that none of the clubhouses in subdivisions along Kimball Bridge Road was large enough. So Embassy Suites of Alpharetta on North Point Parkway hosted the four-hour event. Approximately 100 people participated in the forum, including candidates, their families and supporters.

Economy

A weakened economy got plenty of attention from the candidates. One question asked them how they would handle all the empty shopping centers and storefronts all around town.

“We do have a lot of empty retail, a lot of empty offices in Alpharetta,” said Jim Paine.

The city can streamline its application process to help prospective businesses, he said, and look at incentives.

David Belle Isle said the city needs to be on the short list of companies looking to open or move their regional headquarters in the South. He, too, wants to remove the perceived barriers in how the city deals with applicants.

Doug DeRito wants the city to work to enforce its existing property maintenance codes. The properties falling into disrepair will make the city unattractive to new business, he said.

Ethics

All three mayoral candidates said the city is strong in ethics. A mini-scandal over Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre concert tickets that were given to City Council members, the Mayor, city staff and others by the Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau has the public’s ire. Better record keeping was demanded by each of them.

T-SPLOST

The regional transportation “penny sales tax” probably won’t get any support from Alpharetta’s next mayor, whomever that may be. All three of the candidates were appalled that North Fulton had no representation on the regional roundtable, and said too few projects were being considered for Alpharetta and the rest of North Fulton.

Traffic

David Belle Isle expressed surprise when Doug DeRito called the traffic synchronization plan Belle Isle championed when on council a “boondoggle.” DeRito said the plan was scrapped when a test of the system on Old Milton Parkway failed, and he wouldn’t spend the $16 million he said it would cost to install on the city’s major roads. Jim Paine said any traffic problem is regional in nature, and the city should seek cheaper ways to solve the problems than the T-Splost, such as cooperative ventures with neighboring cities.

Comprehensive Land Use Plan

Belle Isle and DeRito came out clearly against the 2030 plan as it is written, saying it pushed mixed use and high-density development. Paine said the plan is supposed to designate appropriate sites for different types of development. He said the neighborhoods should be heard as to what they want near their homes.

Mayor’s Role–Is it a Full-Time Job?

All three candidates said they would devote the time necessary to do the job. DeRito specifically said residents should not want a full-time mayor, trying to deflect any comments that Paine, a retiree, might make on his available time. Paine said having served as acting mayor for the two months between former Mayor Chuck Martin’s term and the start of Arthur Letchas’s first term, he knows the job takes a lot of time. It’s the “difference between night and day” from a council seat, Paine said. Belle Isle said as the owner of a successful law practice, he can make the time needed to do the job.

By Bob Pepalis

http://alpharetta.patch.com/articles/few-surprises-heard-in-alpharetta-candidates-forum#video-8066771

Jim Paine Runs for Alpharetta Mayor

jimp — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 18:16:31 +0000

Name: Jim Paine

Age: 67

Occupation: Retired Business Owner

Political experience: 15 years on Alpharetta City Council, including nine years as mayor pro tem

Education: Georgia State University, major in Marketing

Family: Three grown children, six grandchildren

Election website: www.jimpaine.com.

Why I am running: I am running for mayor because I can offer our citizens a candidate with a solid record of accomplishments for 15 years as a council member. I can use these skills to build on our many strengths and continue to keep Alpharetta the choice location for families and businesses. I can make a full-time commitment to the mayor position and will always be available to our citizens and businesses.

I have had the honor of being chosen by my peers on council as mayor pro tem (similar to vice-mayor) for nine years, and I have represented the city in many regional capacities.

I plan to work for beneficial changes while still preserving our small-town character. Development and redevelopment should be considered carefully.

I am a strong advocate of our downtown enhancement plan. I can work effectively with other city and county governments to form partnerships to help solve regional problems we face such as traffic, water and legislative policy. As a member of the Milton County Legislative Advisory Committee, I will continue promoting the re-creation of Milton County.

I have a record of conservative fiscal principles and that will never change. Alpharetta’s tax rate is almost half what it was when I started on council. Our homestead exemptions have doubled during the same period.

For a prosperous future, Alpharetta must have a mayor that has a proven record of involvement, accomplishments and a passionate dedication to the city and its citizens. Jim Paine is that person.

http://www.northfulton.com/Articles-c-2011-09-07-188868.114126-sub-Jim-Paine-Runs-for-Alpharetta-Mayor.html

Monday’s Final Elections Update: Council, Mayoral Candidates File in Alpharetta, Milton

gabe — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 14:19:12 +0000

Alpharetta will have four council posts and the mayor’s seat on the ballot, while Milton has three council seats up for election.

Anyone can say they are running, but you have to qualify for a race to get on the ballot. Several candidates in Alpharetta and Milton have already done so.

Lance Large has qualified for the District 6 Council seat in Milton now held by Alan Tart.

Burt Hewitt seeks to keep his District 4 Council seat.

Julie Zahner Bailey, the District 2 Council incumbent, qualified on Monday also.

In Alpharetta, incumbent D.C. Aiken qualified for the election to retain his Post 6 Council seat.

Cheryl Oakes filed to retain her Post 4 Council seat.

Jim Paine, whose Council term ends Dec. 31, was the first candidate to qualify for the Alpharetta mayoral election.

David Belle Isle, a former City Council member, joined Paine in the mayoral race today.

Michael Cross, an attorney and a member of the Alpharetta Development Authority (until he filed today) qualified for the Post 5 Council seat now held by Paine. Hans Appen, a sales executive at Appen Newspapers, joined in the Post 5 race as well.

Two candidates have qualified for the unexpired term for the Post 1 Council seat being vacated by Doug DeRito. Donald Mitchell, a downtown businessman involved in the Downtown Alpharetta Trade Association will face James “Ron” Carter, an Alpharetta Planning Commission member.

Several more candidates were expected at Alpharetta City Hall this afternoon.

Residents in Alpharetta and Milton who want to become candidates for City Council seats–or even mayor in Alpharetta–have begun qualifying for the November municipal elections, a process that began today in both cities.

In Alpharetta, three City Council posts were up for election, but Doug DeRito’s announcement he was running for mayor added a fourth post this November.

Jim Paine’s announcement he was running for mayor means only two incumbents will be on the ballot, assumng they file.

Council seats are elected at-large, which means all city voters get to vote in all the races.

Election qualifying in Alpharetta lasts three days, ending at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 31. The qualifying fee for City Council is $450; for mayor, it’s $900.

City officials report a busy morning in the City Clerk’s office with filings.

Alpharetta City Council

Post 1: Unexpired term ending Dec. 31, 2013, vacated by Doug DeRito to run for mayor.

Post 4: The incumbent, Cheryl Oakes, plans to run to retain her council seat.

Post 5: The incumbent, Jim Paine, announced for mayor.

Post 6: The incumbent, D.C. Aiken, plans to run to retain his council seat.

Mayor: Arthur Letchas hits his term limit as mayor. He’s served 29 years on City Council and as mayor.

Milton City Council

Council seats in Districts 2, 4 and 6 are up for election. Like Alpharetta, Milton City Council seats are elected at large by the voters.

Qualifying began this morning, and ends Friday, Sept. 2 at 4:30 p.m. It costs $390 to file. The city provides a candidate packet online that must be filled out. Completed forms must be returned to Milton City Clerk Sudie Gordon.

District 2: Incumbent Julie Zahner Bailey

District 4: Incumbent Burt Hewitt

District 6: Incumbent Alan Tart.

By Bob Pepalis

http://alpharetta.patch.com/articles/qualifying-begins-today-for-alpharetta-milton-elections

Downtown Alpharetta Restaurant Patrons Can Walk Out With Alcohol

gabe — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 19:13:48 +0000

Downtown Alpharetta restaurant patrons can now walk out of the businesses with a drink in hand without breaking any law.
An initiative backed by the Downtown Alpharetta Trade Association to allow patrons of restaurants in a downtown district to take a single drink with
them as they go walking and shopping within the district.

The beer, wine or liquor must be in a plastic cup provided by the restaurant that holds no more than 16 ounces. Cans, bottles and glasses are
prohibited. Each person is limited to a single cup. And it has to come from one of the restaurants within the district. So you can’t show up downtown
with a cooler full of beer and tailgate at the Farmers Market on Saturdays. All other city laws are still in effect, including prohibitions on DUI and public
intoxication.

Councilman Doug DeRito said this is “just one more step for us working with DATA and folks in the area, businesses to help I guess serve as a catalyst
to enhance business operations and attract visitors to the downtown area.”

Councilman Jim Paine agreed the measure will help downtown development. Just look a little bit farther south at what Roswell is doing with their Alive
After 5 events, he said. This amendment to the city’s alcohol ordinance will help create opportunities for Alpharetta to catch up with what Roswell has
done. The city’s downtown development project can help also, if it’s approved by voters.
The downtown district’s boundaries are:
North–Church Street
West–Canton/Roswell Street
South– Marietta Street extended east to Haynes Bridge Road
East–Haynes Bridge to its intersection with Academy Street, then westward along Academy to its intersection with Main Street, then north to Church Street.

Smokejack Restaurant and The Coffee Pot on South Main Street, 52 Bistro on Church Street, La Casa Italian Grill on Old Roswell Street and Pure
Taqueria at Roswell and Marietta streets are within that area. Other restaurants already opened or that will open in the future within this downtown area
could do this if they get a pouring license approved.

By Bob Pepalis

http://alpharetta.patch.com/articles/downtown-alpharetta-restaurant-patrons-can-walk-out-with-alcohol

JIM PAINE ANNOUNCES MAYORAL CAMPAIGN KICKOFF EVENT

admin — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 01:04:47 +0000

Says Paine “In these times, we need experienced and conservative leadership that is focused on protecting Alpharetta’s Taxpayers and Neighborhoods, while looking out for our future.”

Jim Paine, a long time community leader and City Councilman in Alpharetta, announced last month that he is seeking the office of Mayor of the City of Alpharetta. His campaign kickoff event will be held at The Olde Blind Dog Irish Pub at 12650 Crabapple on September 8 from 6-8 pm.

“The campaign will be sending out additional details soon, we wanted to get the basic information out there now. We hope for a strong turnout,” said Paine. “It will be a great opportunity to get together and launch the campaign. This mayoral race will set the direction for Alpharetta for years to come.”“In my many years of public service I have been singularly focused on making Alpharetta a great place,” said Paine. “I believe in times like these we need a Mayor that will focus on building on our accomplishments, and maintain our hometown as a leader, not just in North Fulton or the region, but in Georgia. Alpharetta deserves a Mayor who is available at all times, and will passionately devote 100% of his time and expertise in leading your great City of Alpharetta”.

Paine has built a substantive, conservative record. On the City Council, he has consistently voted to keep tax rates low. He has worked to expand the tax base by helping to recruit new businesses to the city. His fellow Council Members elected Paine Mayor Pro Tem (Vice Mayor) for nine years of his fifteen years on Council.

He is also a leader in the movement to create Milton County. “I believe all governments should be accountable and closer to the people,” Paine said. Paine also has established solid working relationships with all North Fulton leaders in areas of regional impact, such as traffic, water and legislative policy. “Working together, our North Fulton Cities can address many of the problems facing us today. I am already involved in many of these initiatives”.

As Mayor, Paine says he will work on completing the new Downtown Development Center, making Alpharetta a leader in job creation and protecting the city’s neighborhoods. “My priorities all build on each other, completing Downtown, the right way, can help us attract new businesses and jobs, which grow the tax base and allow us to provide the highest level of service for our citizens, particularly in the area of public safety. These things don’t just happen by accident,” said Paine.

“I’m looking forward to the kickoff and the campaign, I really am,” said Paine. “We have all these great new ways to interact, so I’m out there on Twitter (@JimPaineMayor) and you can find me on Facebook, but none of these substitute for a good face to face conversation. I am going door to door to make sure I know what’s on people’s minds and so I can look them in the eye and ask for their vote.”

In addition to his service on the City Council, Jim served as Alpharetta’s Recreation Chairman, and he earned the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association’s “Volunteer of the Year” award. Also, he is an active member of the Rotary Club of Alpharetta, Ed Isakson YMCA Board Member and Board Chairman of Alpharetta PAL, a youth crime prevention program. For additional information, check out www.jimpaine.com.

Alpharetta Accelerator Offers Office Space, Access to Capital

admin — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 02:20:44 +0000

Entrepreneurs looking to give their companies a jumpstart have a new opportunity with the opening of the Alpharetta Accelerator this week.

Managing partners Jim McNabb and Tarby Bryant formed the incubator, which had its grand opening at 221 Roswell St. in Alpharetta on Aug. 9, with plans to help 10-15 prospective clients.

Though it just opened on Aug. 9, the Alpharetta Accelerator already has six prospective clients, including one that Bryant had known about for the past two weeks.

“From the press release that came out on Tuesday, I’ve got about five more prospective clients that are interested in coming in,” he said.

The accelerator will serve North Atlanta and all industries.

Those prospects are working on their applications now.

Alpharetta Accelerator clients will have first class office space, furniture and access to the Atlanta Gathering of Angels, an angel investors group, Bryant said. It also

offers something many other accelerators don’t.

“It offers capital. Most accelerators offer office space and some coaching, but we offer coaching and access to capital,” he said.

That will be through the Gathering of Angels group and the seed capital fund the accelerator plans to start late this year. The seed capital fund will provide access to capital $250,000 to $2 million.

The $10 million side-by-side seed capital fund will provide capital for the young clients that are inside the accelerator, Bryant said.

“To make an application for entry, I need to see a full business plan, an executive summary, a 12- to 20-slide Powerpoint presentation and they have to fill out one of the application forms that is available online on the Web site,” Bryant said.

And what does he expect of the businesses that are accepted by the Alpharetta Accelerator?

“I expect them to be successful,” Bryant said.

Bryant assigns five members of the 73-member board of advisors to work with each young company. These advisors are charged with helping the companies grow, with coaching, counseling advising, opening up their own Rolodexes to the young firms and providing an introduction to capital.

The current economic conditions make this the best time to start up a company, Bryant said.

Al Nash, executive director of Progress Partners North Fulton, said he was excited about the opening of Alpharetta Accelerators. He attended the grand opening and will meet with Bryant on Aug. 11 to discuss how Progress Partners and the North Fulton Chamber can help.

Nash said this is “just another piece of evidence that illustrates what a strong market we have in technology and so forth. We do have a lot of entrepreneurs. I think this is going to be another tool in our toolbox to help companies expand.”

By Bob Pepalis

http://alpharetta.patch.com/articles/alpharetta-accelerator-offers-office-space-access-to-capital

Alpharetta City Council Donates to the Police Athletic League

gabe — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 14:24:55 +0000

Alpharetta City Council presented the Police Athletic League (PAL) with a contribution of $35,000 at Monday night’s meeting at City Hall. This donation is offered by the city every year and goes to support the non-profit organization which is a recreational-based youth crime prevention program.

According to the city’s Web site, the Alpharetta Police Athletic League “provides a variety of service to Alpharetta’s youth while establishing a bond of mutual respect, understanding and trust with the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety.”

Council member Jim Paine, who is the PAL chairman, was grateful to receive the check from council.

“This is an investment in Alpharetta’s future. The future of our kids and this community,” said Paine.

Two alcoholic beverage applications were also approved at Monday night’s meeting, giving LaCasa Italian Grill Inc. on Old Roswell Street and The Coffee Pot on Main Street permission to serve liquor, wine and beer.

Glenda Jennings, owner of The Coffee Pot, said the process was not hard.

“The city was very easy to work with,” said Jennings.

While she did acquire some expenses, including having to conduct a survey to assure she was the required distance from bus stops, churches, schools, etc., she thinks it will be worth it and is hoping this will help draw a new crowd to her establishment.

“I’d like to attract the business crowd that’s looking for a place to meet up after work,” said Jennings.

For more information on Alpharetta City Council visit the city website here.

By Ashley Brechtel

http://alpharetta.patch.com/articles/alpharetta-city-council-donates-to-the-police-athletic-league