The City Council of Marietta convened for the final regular meeting of the current council term, marked by departures of three retiring members and the swearing-in of a new council. The session featured an invocation by Councilor Goldstein, recognition of youth artists and a retired Olympic gold medalist, and extensive public comments on community development projects. The council concluded with votes on rezoning requests and a transition to an executive session.
December the 10th, mid of city councilor order, please. First item on the agenda is Mr. Ghostie will lead us in the invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance. I've actually got uh my normal prayer and also an additional prayer. Um uh given the fact that this is the last regular council meeting for this council. We have three members retiring, and we have a new council starting on up. There's a prayer in my religion called the Traveler's Prayer that I'd like to read, and then I'll get into the normal prayer after that. May it be your will, Lord our God and God of our ancestors that you lead us towards peace, guide our four footsteps towards peace, and make us reach our desired destination for life, gladness, and peace. May you rescue us from the hands of every foe, ambush along the way, and from all manner of punishment that assemble to come to earth. May you send blessing in our handiwork and grant us grace, kindness, and mercy in your eyes, and in the eyes of all who see us. May you hear the sound of our humble request, because you're our God who hears prayer, prayer requests. Bless you uh Lord who hears prayer. Our God and God of our ancestors, we ask your blessings for our country, city, and state, for its government, for its leaders and advisors, and for all who exercise just and rightful authority. Teach them insights from your laws, that they may administer all affairs of state fairly, that peace and security, happiness and prosperity, justice and freedom may forever abide in our midst. Creator of all flesh, bless all the inhabitants of our country with your spirit. May citizens of all races and creeds forge a common bond and true harmony, to banish hatred and bigotry, and to safeguard the ideals and free institutions that are the pride and glory of our country. May this land under your providence be an influence for good throughout the world, uniting all people in peace and freedom, helping them to fulfill the vision of your prophet for the time that nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they experience war anymore. And let us say amen. And to the Republic, for which it says, one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Yeah. And Dunay, I think. Come on up here with me today. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. It's my pleasure and the pleasure of uh our PAL executive director today, Bodio McRae, to my left here, to make some presentations tonight. We'll give you a little background on this. The uh Marietta Police Department in the past has sent out uh Christmas cards, holiday cards every year for as long as I can remember to various community members, community organizations, other law enforcement agencies, etc. And um when it came time to do that this coming year, I got together with uh with the name. We talked about it a little bit and decided that we were going to spice it up a little bit, and instead of just buying some stock cards, we decided to have a contest with our POL students and let them draw draw is really the wrong word. This is some fast fantastic artwork, which you see behind me on the on the uh screen. And we we're gonna have a contest and have four of the winners have cards designed, which we will send out, and we have already sent out. So, with all that said, we're gonna recognize the winners tonight, and I'm gonna turn that over to Danae and she's going to call the names up and we're gonna recognize them. Thank you, Chief. Good evening, everyone. So if my amazing pal kids can please come forward as your names are called. First up is eight-year-old Miss Jocelyn Mendoza. Please come forward. Nine-year-old Miss Anna Alevier. Miss Anna, please come up. Last but not least, recommending representing the gentleman, Mr. Sean McQuear McQuery. 15 years old. Please come forward. And so I want to say that they did this beautiful artwork, just kind of for the fun of it. They didn't know that this artwork was going to turn into holiday cards that would go out all over the area. And so now, for the big announcement, who got third place, second place, first place. So we had a tie for third place. And those winners are Miss Jocelyn and Miss Anna. Miss Anna. Second place goes to Mr. Sean.