Public hearings on Switch land and Low-income housing held
The Cartersville City Council Chamber was full Thursday morning with police officers as the city celebrated the retirement of Police Chief Frank McCann. McCann served at chief for the past 10 years, but spent his 41-year career with the Cartersville Police Department.
The council meeting was held in the morning to accommodate the Cartersville Christmas Parade planned for 6 p.m. Thursday night.
“There are highs and lows and you have always been behind us,” McCann told the council. “I appreciate that. They (the officers) appreciate that.”
McCann is going out with a significant achievement for the department. He announced the department was awarded with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) certification. McCann said the certification is considered the highest of honors with only 4 percent of law enforcement agencies nationwide. achieving it.
McCann said the department was already fully state accredited but it has been trying to gain this achievement since 2001. It hadn’t been accomplished because of the amount of time and effort required, he said. Ariel Belcher, the accreditation manager hired 18 months ago, focused on the effort amounting to the achievement.
The council approved for Deputy Police Chief Kevin Cloninger to take over duties as the new police chief.
The council had a public hearing on the zoning and annexation of an additional 85 acres of land to the Switch data center. Both were approved without anyone speaking against either the rezoning or annexation.
In other business:
- The council accepted a donation of solar panels and installation for the new recreation center from Qcells. Chroma Energy Group was approved for the installation.
- A public hearing was held regarding the transfer of the Bartow Habitat Grant to the Land Bank. The grant was used to build seven low-income houses for those eligible to buy under the program. One has completed the sale with the six others paying mortgages. The grant was closing, making it necessary to have another service provider for the loans. The council said nothing will change regarding mortgage payments and the same third-party vendor will continue to collect payments. One person spoke asking for clarification regarding mortgage payments. The houses are on Currant Drive, Douglas Street, Fairview Street, and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
- The council approved to continue with bid selection for a temporary AV system solution at the new city hall. Eight bids were submitted and three finalists were chosen. The city manager and city attorney will continue with the final section with conditions including the submission of a performance bond.
- The council approved purchasing playground equipment for the recreation center for approximately $95,000.
- A $9,100 repair for a commercial dumpster at the Chick-Fil-A in Emerson was approved. The city offers garbage service and dumpsters in areas outside the city and that included this dumpster, according to officials.
- The wellness program for 2026 was approved.
Melody Dareing is a freelance writer for publications in the U.S, Canada, the UK and Germany. She is a former news director of Adelphia Channel 4 and WBHF Radio. She is on Facebook, X, YouTube, content on Substack, and has a podcast on Rumble.