January 30, 2025 • 40 mins
Welcome to Milton and Mane! This inaugural episode highlights what makes Milton unique: a steadfast commitment to preserving its heritage while embracing thoughtful growth and innovation. City Manager Steve Krokoff shares insights into his role in maintaining Milton's exceptional quality of life, showcasing the city's dynamic interactions with residents, entrepreneurs, and neighboring communities.
Listeners will explore Milton's dedication to community engagement through active participation in committees, public projects, and strategic partnerships. From initiatives like Destination Deerfield to efforts to preserve historical charm, the discussion underscores how Milton balances its small-town essence with a vibrant, connected future fueled by pride, leadership, and collaboration.
With the community in mind, this podcast explores the stories, people, and initiatives that make our community unique. Each episode offers insights into local government, highlights Milton's history and future developments, and showcases the vibrant arts, culture, and sustainability efforts shaping our city. Join the conversation, celebrate our community, and discover how we're building a better Milton together.
Do you have an idea for an episode or would like to request a specific topic to be covered? Email Christy Weeks, christy.weeks@miltonga.gov
Learn more about the City of Milton at www.miltonga.gov.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to Milton and Maine, the official podcast for
the city of Milton.
We want to bring you closer tothe heart of our community
through stories that inform,inspire and connect.
Each episode offers abehind-the-scenes look at the
people, projects and prioritiesshaping Milton, covering
everything from local governmentand future development to arts,
culture, sustainability andpublic safety.
(00:24):
Whether you're a resident, alocal business owner or just
curious about our city, this isyour front row seat to what
makes Milton special.
I'm your host today, christyWeeks, the communications
manager for the city of Milton,and I'm excited to welcome
everyone to this first episode.
So we're kicking things offwith someone who plays a very
crucial role in the city.
Today we'll get to know him,but in the future there's a good
(00:47):
chance he will host someepisodes.
Who could be more fitting forthe opener than Steve Krokoff,
milton's very own city manager?
Steve brings a wealth ofexperience, insight and deep
commitment to our community,making him the ideal person to
set the stage for what thispodcast is all about.
So let's chat.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Well, Christy, that's an incredible opening.
You've built me up so much.
I hope I can deliver.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
I have no doubts.
I have no doubts.
So, starting off, I think it'sreally important that you tell
us a little bit about yourjourney to becoming the city
manager for the city of Miltonbit about your journey to
becoming the city manager forthe city of Milton?
Speaker 2 (01:27):
I'd be glad to.
I actually started out as thecity of Milton's police chief
back in 2015, which is what mybackground was.
I was with the Albany New YorkPolice Department for a little
over 23 years, with the last sixyears as its chief, and I ended
up in Albany.
I did my undergrad work there.
I actually grew up on LongIsland, just outside New York
City.
I did my undergrad work there.
I actually grew up on LongIsland, just outside New York
City and did my undergrad workthere, ended up connecting with
(01:50):
this really dynamic criminaljustice professor in my senior
year who was actually a retiredCalifornia Highway Patrolman,
went on to get his PhD andbecame just an excellent
professor, and while lawenforcement was never really in
the thought process for me Idon't it's not in my family like
it is so often in a lot of lawenforcement.
He really piqued my interest.
(02:10):
I ended up taking the test andfortunately did well and Albany
was very good to me good to meand my family.
It was a great career.
I learned a lot.
The experiences I had therewere invaluable and a lot of
that set me up for to be able todo the job I can do today
valuable and a lot of that setme up for to be able to do the
job I can do today.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
I feel like, with such an extensive background in
public service, how does thatbleed into becoming the city
manager, and what's the mostmemorable experience you have
from your career that shapes youtoday?
Speaker 2 (02:40):
You had two good questions there, so I want to
take what you first said first.
You know, in policing, to beable to effectively provide
public safety for your community, you have to recognize that
public safety does not exist ina vacuum.
A big part of public safety isthe community in which you work
(03:01):
and all the various facetsassociated with that, and that's
everything from how yourcommunity development works, how
your parks and rec works, howthey all interact, and all of
that creates an environmentwhich is either pro-crime that's
a term or creates anenvironment that is not crime
(03:21):
welcoming.
It goes back to the brokenwindows theory of policing and
it kind of talks about if youwalk down the street and if you
have a couple of windows broken,what's going to happen is
people are going to recognizethere's not community pride
there and people are more likelyto commit crime, break more
windows and continue on andcommit further and further crime
.
So to recognize how that works.
(03:41):
For as far as becoming a citymanager, every part of what we
do as a city contributes topublic safety and public safety
also contributes to the thingswe do in a city, like economic
development.
If you do not have a safe area,you are not going to be able to
introduce different types ofretail and services and things
along those lines because peoplejust simply aren't going to
(04:04):
come if they don't feel safe.
It did set me up for this,though I was never truly
considering going into citymanagement.
I loved being a police chief.
I loved being a police officer.
Now, going into the second partof your question, I've learned
a lot over my 30 years in publicservice 30 plus years and one
of the things I learned,probably in the transition into
(04:28):
administration when I was withthe police department, was
learning the importance ofcommunity cooperation, community
partnership.
You cannot be successfulwithout having that team
approach.
In Albany, for instance, when Itook over as police chief, it
was a tough environment for thepolice department.
We were not very well liked.
We were not very well trusted.
(04:49):
We were doing a decent job inknocking down crime at the time,
but we were doing itindependent from our community.
There was very poorcommunication when the
communication did occur.
it was not usually very positive.
So one of the things we didwhen we took over and I say we I
had a great team in place Trustme.
I do very little great on my own, I assure you.
When we took over, we kind offlipped the script on that,
(05:14):
brought everybody in fromdifferent stakeholder groups
within the community wanted tohear more about what they needed
from their police department,but also what could they provide
to their police departmentRight, and how can we work at
reducing crime together.
And that took about a year.
When we had gotten through that, we created a new strategic
plan.
Based on that, we justdestroyed the crime trends in
(05:35):
the city of Albany.
We were able to that's amazing.
Yeah, it was amazing and it wasa group effort.
It wasn't me, it wasn't my team, it was the entire city, in
fact, so much so that we becameone of only 15 departments in
the country that was recognizedby the White House as a model
for policing.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
And that was really a 180.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
So how big is the community in Albany?
I mean size-wise.
What are we looking at?
Speaker 2 (05:58):
About 100,000.
Wow, it's not that differentfrom Sandy Springs, though Okay,
I think it's a bit of adifferent dynamic.
There's a significant portionof the population that lives
below the poverty level, and wecertainly had our challenges
with crime and violent crime.
At the end of the day, if youcan't resonate with the people
that live in your community andthey don't have any trust in you
(06:19):
, you're not going to get theresults that you're seeking.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
You've got to have buy-in.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
So I would say that you asked about some.
You know one of theaccomplishments, or I would say
that that was kind offoundational Right and making me
understand the importance ofcollaboration in moving us
towards better outcomes.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
So in theory, we were a relatively new city.
I mean new city, I mean 2006,and you arrived as 2015.
So that's under 10 years.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
I got to plan the 10, be part of planning the 10 year
anniversary party, that's so,that's so.
We were young and in a lot ofways that was kind of really
cool, optimal Right.
I remember during my interviewprocess, you know, nobody could
come back and say, well, well,that's just the way we've always
done it.
Well, you've only done that fora couple years.
So let's not get too entrenchedin the old ways of doing
(07:09):
business and and I say thatfacetiously but there's really
some truth and and but also someempowerment to that right right
, because now you have a groupof people here who have the
ability to, working with theircouncil and their community,
determine the trajectory of thecity together, a growth mindset,
and it was fantastic.
(07:30):
And, plus, people were so eagerto get involved, not just
internally but from thecommunity.
In fact, that's what thiscommunity was built on.
It's why Milton is a city.
There was just a lot of positiveenergy behind that.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
So you touch on something.
I'll ask you this question.
So you said something aboutthat's why Milton is a city.
For those who may not know thathistory, can you briefly sum
that up on how we got here?
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Well, sure, it goes back more than 20 years and a
lot of those original peoplethat were foundational in
protecting the city from thesuburban sprawl that you've seen
throughout the whole metro area.
If they did not do that work 20years ago by dragging
themselves down to Fulton Countyto be at the various zoning,
(08:21):
hearings and things along thoselines, we wouldn't be where we
are today.
They were doing their best toexercise local control but it's
very difficult in a monolithlike Fulton County and they
started really exploring ascities started to grow out
throughout the state and weresuccessful.
Sandy Springs predated us.
I think the citizens of what isnow Milton became energized,
(08:44):
similar to Johns Creek, I thinkwe did it.
At the same time theyrecognized wow, we could really
control our own destiny, verypossibly do it more efficiently
and more effectively.
And Jan Jones, who's not only aMilton resident but is often
called the mother of Milton,supported that endeavor again
with that group of really strongresidents and we became a city
(09:07):
and, as far as I could tell,we've never looked back.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
And it's such a cool community and with that, it
makes me want to ask you more onthe personal side what are some
of your favorite things aboutthe city?
As we're talking about this?
I mean, you came down fromAlbany, New York.
What kind of drew you in andwhat are your favorite parts of
the city?
Speaker 2 (09:27):
So I've.
I know I've only been heresince 2015, but our family is in
and around the metro area.
So you know, full transparency.
I thought Milton was Alpharetta, I'll just be honest about that
.
I didn't really recognize thedifference between the two.
But we had been coming hereforever.
We slowly really fell in lovewith the area and all it had to
(09:50):
offer.
But you know, there wassomething unique, as you.
You know, for me at the timeMilton was probably everything
from Providence South.
I didn't really much know aboutanything north at that point,
but recognizing how much thiscommunity embraced its heritage,
Right.
Wanted to make sure that Miltonremained something special
(10:11):
outside of what the North Fultonarea or the larger metro area
was becoming, because it'sincredibly popular.
As you know, people are cominghere for a better quality of
life lower taxes, lower cost ofliving.
So you become a victim of yourown success and Milton has just.
In my opinion, one of thefavorite things is that
(10:31):
commitment to its heritage byintentionally making sure
population density stayed downthrough its zoning, and how
we're very careful about thetype of businesses we try to
attract, and things along thoselines.
I think it's been phenomenallysuccessful.
And when you're in Milton nowyou know you're in Milton.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Yeah, absolutely Absolutely the horse farms.
When I first moved here, it wasthe most peaceful feeling
coming down all these curvyroads which, coming out of
Colorado, threw me for a loop.
For sure it's a feeling.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
It's pride, it's community pride and it's
undeniable and you can feel itas you travel through the city.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
You can, I agree.
So I'm going to steer this backto city manager.
Many of us we hear about a citymanager.
We know you exist.
What do you do?
Solid question.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
What do I do?
Speaker 1 (11:27):
What do you do what?
Speaker 2 (11:27):
did I do today.
So officially I'm the chiefadministrative officer of the
city.
Okay, and while that doesn'ttell you much, my job is really
to make sure that I execute onthe council strategy every day.
It's about overseeing dailyoperations, city staff, managing
(11:48):
the budget, managing ourstrategic plan and ensuring that
I keep this city moving forwardaccording to the vision of our
elected officials.
So that's what it looks like,maybe on a more macro level.
On the day-to-day, you'regetting your hands dirty,
especially in a city this sizeof only 40 or so thousand.
(12:08):
You have to be able to go outthere and do the job.
It's not just directingdirectors.
We're very fortunate here.
We have a very talented groupof professionals here, not only
at the director level butthroughout the organization, and
they don't need me overseeingthem every day in the minutiae.
But I have to be able to notonly talk the talk but walk the
(12:30):
walk.
So you know, you startunderstanding what is paving.
When are you, are you overcoding?
When are you doing full depthreclamation?
What is the pci?
And that's in every departmentthat you have, and I truly find
that.
I find it fascinating.
I consider myself a lifelonglearner and to learn some of
these new things has beenincredible.
The things I could tell youabout stormwater at this point
in my life is amazing we'llcircle back to that in another
(12:53):
episode but it, but it is you to.
At the macro level, you have tomake sure that we're providing
the services, that we'reachieving our objectives, we're
executing our strategic planwe're doing it in an efficient
manner.
We're providing high-qualityservices and that's incredibly
important to the city, which,again, I'm going to tout it now
because I can Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
We just came out as number one in the country for
customer service, and that is abig deal, I think that's a huge
deal because not everybody has agreat experience on dealing
with their local government andI find that to be fascinating.
It was one of the things thatdrew me to Milton personally.
I'm glad to hear that.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Yeah, it is something we embrace.
It's part of our core values,which our staff, our team, knows
quite well, and they wear thatwith pride too.
Let's face it, I'm not the onethat's delivering excellent
customer service.
It's everybody out there that'sdelivering that customer
service.
So I think it really speaksvolumes about the quality of
people we have here.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
I'm going to kind of open that up a little bit, just
because it takes good leadershipfor people to do their job and
to do it well and to take pridein it.
And so, coming from myperspective, yes, the leadership
here is unbelievable and we'revery fortunate to have the
directions that we do.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
I agree with you.
We have, like I said, at everylevel we've got great people and
leadership happens at everylevel.
So I'm with you there.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
What is something people might be surprised to
learn about the day-to-day workof a city manager or a deputy
city manager.
What would surprise people?
Speaker 2 (14:38):
manager.
What would surprise people?
Probably the amount of hands-onand interaction we have with
the public, with the community.
We're not generally sittingbehind a desk, though I, you
know, sit behind a desk,probably more than I ever
thought I would be, but it's amatter of having those
communications getting involved.
We have tremendousentrepreneurs in the city and
the ideas that they come up withare mind-boggling, which I love
.
But it also forces us to startthinking differently, because
(15:02):
our codes a lot of times don'teven contemplate the ideas that
people are throwing at us.
In fact, I have a meeting afterthis regarding just one of
those ideas from one of ourconstituents that own a business
, one of those ideas from one ofour constituents that own a
business, and I think peoplewould be surprised at the level
of involvement we have, theamount of hands-on and the work
we do with making sure we havecodes that represent not only
(15:23):
the current Milton but thefuture Milton.
It's fun too, it's great to beinvolved and the impact we can
have.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
So accessibility is open and the impact we can have.
So accessibility is open.
I think most people would thinkthat the city management is not
available, is not easy toaccess and it sounds like you
and our two deputy city managersspend a lot of time making sure
that things are addressed andthat you're involved and that
you support and I encourage it.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
It's an open invitation right now through
this podcast.
We love to have visitors, ofcourse, but when we sit down, we
look at constructiveimprovement every time.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
What do you think are Milton's biggest strengths and
distinguishing qualities?
Speaker 2 (16:06):
Beyond its city manager, beyond its city manager
.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Well, Val, you know.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
Without a doubt it goes back to the discussion we
were just having.
Right, it's engaged citizens.
They predated the city.
They are still out there someof some of them that were out
there 25 years ago making surethat fulton county didn't just
run over this area and we've hadnew citizens that have moved
here since from.
(16:31):
They could be here two years,they could be here 30 years.
They are very engaged in thecity, whether they're involved
in our committees or boards thathave moved here since from.
They could be here two years,they could be here 30 years.
They are very engaged in thecity, whether they're involved
in our committees or boards,which has tremendous, tremendous
impact on the city, or they'rein one of our volunteer groups,
or they've been involved in oneof our many stakeholder groups,
or they're just coming forpublic comment.
It's that community engagementthat is probably our biggest
(16:56):
strength.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
I was going to say so .
How common do you think that is?
I mean, you've had many yearsin public service.
How common do you think it isthat the citizens are so
involved and proud and keeppushing forward the way Milton
does?
Speaker 2 (17:12):
The city I come from.
For sure, their pride in thatcity grew, especially over the
years, but I think things weremore focused at the time on
specific situations.
In a city like that, you hadall kinds of different crises
and things like that that wouldoccur and people seem to be more
focused on those individualissues.
When I say, from a communityengagement standpoint, the city
(17:33):
of Milton, I feel like there'smore of a focus on the entirety
of the city, where we are, wherewe're going, most importantly
probably, or the foundation ofwhere we've been.
That connection between thethree, I truly believe, has that
impact.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Fair Fair.
I'm just curious.
I came out of a very small townin Colorado, so where it seemed
like everybody was involved,but we're talking about 7,700
regular residents, so a muchsmaller scale.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
I always say Milton is the biggest small town I have
ever seen.
Wherever you go, you run intopeople.
You know it's amazing thatthere's 40-something thousand
people here, but it just seemslike we all know each other
Friendly.
It's absolutely.
It's kind of mind-boggling.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
So we got strengths, we got qualities.
How do you balance maintainingMilton's small-town charm with
the pressures of growth anddevelopment?
Because that is happeningeverywhere Just a mad burst of
people moving up this areaspanning out, heading out past
Cherokee County up north.
How do you balance that?
Speaker 2 (18:42):
Planning.
You've got to plan ahead, and Idon't mean planning for the end
of this year, planning for theend of the next decade, like our
comprehensive plan.
If you fail to plan, you planto fail, and I think that's
something that the citizens ofMilton have really understood
for an awfully long time.
We are very intentional aboutwhat we do and it's certainly
(19:03):
undeniably quality over quantity, and I think that that is truly
what makes us different.
We're very intentional aboutthe types of businesses we're
trying to attract and we use ourzoning very effectively to be
able to create that sense ofcommunity and adhere to our
character and vision.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
Well, as we're talking about that, what would
you say?
Your top priorities for thecity are over, just the next few
years.
I know you guys plan 10 yearsin advance and you're really
looking at the next decade, nextfew years.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
So my priorities are always the council's priorities,
and I don't just say that it'snot up to me.
I'm here to execute on theirstrategies, but I could tell you
that public safety is alwaysforefront for them, kind of what
we discussed earlier.
If you don't have a safecommunity, the other things
start falling.
So foundationally you need tohave a safe community.
(19:56):
People need to feel safe.
So public safety is and I'mpositive will remain a priority
for the city of Milton.
I have to say over my decadehere our council has always been
incredibly supportive.
They've been incrediblysupportive across the board and
across all the councils that Ihad the pleasure and the good
fortune to work for, but publicsafety has always been a
(20:18):
priority for them.
What follows from there you gotto think about?
How does the city manage thegrowth pressures that we're
dealing with?
What do we look likefinancially as far as having to
rely less and less on propertytaxes?
We are, by and large, a bedroomcommunity, but we have a
potential economic engine downin our beautiful Deerfield area,
(20:40):
which, of course, is one of thethings we're really looking
forward to.
You have to think about from aprioritization standpoint.
What does that look like forthe city?
How do we leverage that best,maintain that sense of place but
also turn that into an economicengine for its citizens?
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Which is very cool because I have noticed, since
I've been here, the amount ofcommunity support that people
showing up to the open houses togive their opinions and listen
to the plans and find out whatthe options are is incredible.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
I agree, it's inspiring.
Actually, people come out afterworking all day, showing up at
these meetings at seven o'clockat night and giving that
valuable input, and that's again, that's why we are what we are.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
Right and so with the input of the residents, I mean,
how do you continue toencourage that?
Because I know there are biggerplans for Milton, I know there
are things going on and it'svery exciting.
How do you encourage residentsand those who maybe have not
engaged yet?
How do you get them involved?
Speaker 2 (21:44):
I think the proof is kind of in the pudding there.
If you invite people out, youhave to use what they're telling
you.
You know you have to.
They people have to feel thatthat that time, investment and
and the mental energy they putinto that means something.
And I'm feel very comfortablethat our community recognizes
that their input is incrediblyvaluable and it it's not just
(22:06):
words on a paper but it turnsinto plans that are executed
later.
As long as you continue thatpositive approach, I think
people will continue to engage.
Now, of course, if people startcoming out and we don't take
what they're saying and chartour future with the input we get
back, then I think people willstart losing faith, and that's
(22:27):
something we need to focus onevery day.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Right.
Their input is important.
So you're talking abouttransparency and communication,
which is ridiculously importantin every aspect, internal and
external, in Milton, and it wasnew to me to find out all the
steps that are involved inkeeping those lines of
communication open, like thethree open houses, the three
(22:52):
public meetings.
Are there other ways that we'rekeeping the community informed?
Speaker 2 (22:56):
I think effective communication is key, right,
right, poor communication is atthe root of families that fall
apart and the root of wars thathappen right.
So effective communication isincredibly important to all the
work that we do and I think,some of the things that our
communications department, inconjunction with our public
works, community development,parks and rec you can bring it
(23:19):
even further than that.
It really provides thosevarious avenues.
It's not just about showing upat the library for an input
session.
It's about responding to themany surveys we put out.
It's about having your voice beheard.
It's about getting involved, ifyou're in HOA, with your HOA
and making sure that yourcommunity's voice is being heard
so that we can provide the bestpossible services.
(23:41):
Fortunately, that's workingreally well right now.
I'm not saying there's not roomfor improvement.
There's always room forimprovement there, even
internally.
You know we're looking at howwe can improve communications
amongst Team Milton, butCreating the various avenues for
meaningful communication, Ithink, is incredibly important.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
And encouraging people to utilize that, because
a lot of people hear it, theydon't participate, they may or
may not like the outcomes I mean.
So there's always trying toreach every person and give
everybody the opportunity toparticipate and to be heard.
I think is something that thisteam does incredibly well.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
Well, you're part of that team, so I couldn't agree
with you more.
But you know it is.
They start to see when they dosurveys.
They start to see some of thefree form work that they did in
the responses and they see thosenow as appendices in the
planning.
So I mean, they see it and itbuilds that trust.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
It does.
It does so with that.
What's some ongoing or someupcoming projects in Milton that
you're really excited about?
Speaker 2 (24:43):
All right, this is pretty cool.
So the first thing we kind oftouched on already.
Destination DeerfieldAbsolutely.
Deerfield area and we for forthose listening, obviously it's
bigger than Deerfield Parkway.
It's that whole area ofDeerfield Highway 9, morris,
really all the way down fromWindward to the city line and
(25:05):
it's a great opportunity for us.
Right now, the council hasfocused on that area.
Okay, what can we do?
A lot of that area was builtout before we became a city, so
we inherited generally what wasthere.
We've had some nice development.
Our community development hasdone an excellent job, but now
we're talking aboutredevelopment, as opposed to a
lot of the areas we were able tostart with a blank slate.
(25:26):
There we're talking aboutredevelopment and what does that
look like?
So I would say, primarily, oneof the most exciting upcoming
projects is the destination deerfarm.
In fact, I was in a meeting onit this morning.
Projects is a destination deerfund.
In fact I was in a meeting onit this morning and I'm excited
to see what comes out of that,because I talked about a little
bit about the economic driversand the economic engine that
(25:46):
could be.
But some of the plans and someof the things we are getting
back from our community and whatpeople are seeking it's slowly
going from.
You know something that youreally couldn't see into.
It's now starting to form intoan image of wow, what a cool
place.
This can be connected by trailsand parks along the roadside
(26:10):
and it just it could besomething just really, really
awesome.
And you know, with that, youknow, bring in the different
types of building styles, right,and the streetsca we bring in
the different types of buildingstyles and the streetscapes and
things along those lines andit's starting to form a picture
and it's very exciting, and withthat I'm actually going to jump
on another one.
So it's right, in that areait's our new active park which
is going to be on DeerfieldParkway.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
Oh, that's terribly exciting.
Speaker 2 (26:33):
Incredible.
For those of you who don't know, our city hall used to be right
there on Deerfield Parkway andthis is going to be right next
door.
And so exciting not only to beable to offer those recreational
services to the citizens ofMilton, but we're bringing it to
our most populated area of thecity where people can walk and
(26:53):
bike over to these amenitiesthat will be there and it's
going to be 20, I think, around22 acres.
In fact we're in the process ofpicking up another three, so
we'll be close to 25 acres whenit's all said and done and we'll
have baseball, diamonds, somerectangular fields for football,
lacrosse, soccer, theplaygrounds and a bunch of other
amenities there for ourcitizens to really enjoy.
(27:16):
And a park like that is also aneconomic driver.
Of course People come to thegames, you know.
Of course They'll go out tolunch, they'll stop at the store
and it just it becomes a veryvirtuous cycle.
So we're really excited aboutthat.
I'm going to throw one more inCome on, kind of hit an exciting
point.
So the last one I just want tobring up is the district at
Mayfield.
People may not be as familiarwith that because, well, we
(27:38):
completed it last year.
It's not necessarily wherepeople see.
Every day we're working withthe landowners over there to
build out what is really thesoutheast quadrant of our
downtown Crabapple.
And what an exciting thing thatwas.
Our DRB really took the balland ran with that.
And it's really about we wantto preserve some of the history
over there, have that connectionto our past.
(27:59):
You know, something we've beentalking about quite a bit.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
Throughout this talk.
It's the last quadrant we needto develop.
I really turn that intosomething awesome and some of
the preliminary plans I've seenalready.
Just, it's really going toround out our downtown and it's
exciting to see that evolve aswell.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
Well, that's really cool.
It's exciting to see thatevolve as well.
Well, that's really cool.
And it's important foreverybody who's listening to
know that a lot of thisinformation, especially the
Destination Deerfieldinformation, can be found on our
website.
We do everything we can to keepupdates posted.
It goes out on our social, soif you're curious about any of
these projects, take a look atthe website.
You can generally find the mostrecent update.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
That's great, I like to say that that's great, like
you said that's a great thing toadd.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
Yeah, so earlier you mentioned working with a
talented staff.
How would you describe the teamculture and what qualities do
you look for when building yourteam?
Because we've talked a lotabout external Milton, let's
talk about internal.
Speaker 2 (28:55):
No, I appreciate everybody an idea?
This is the team.
Milton is very special.
It's not just to me, it's toall of us.
I don't want to throw outbuzzwords like servant
leadership, though that is a bigpart of the way we operate here
to make sure that our staff'sempowered to do the job that
they do, and do so well.
But I think, at the end of theday, it's about open
(29:15):
collaboration, empowerment to beable to make the decisions that
you need to make at the placeyou are, without having to go
through some bureaucratic redtape to be able to get either
the decision or the resultsyou're seeking.
It's about making sure thatwe're growing from the inside.
I prefer to see promotionsinternally if we can help it.
(29:36):
So I want to make sure we'recreating the next bench, the
next leaders, at every level ofthe organization, and that's why
we have certain programs like-.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
Absolutely Emerging leaders.
Emerging leaders which I thinkyou're part of right.
I am, I am.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
So those aren't just buzzwords.
That is about making sure we'recreating the best possible
future for the city and we don'tlose anything along the way.
That doesn't mean someone fromthe outside can't bring in
another great perspective.
They can and they do, but weprefer to grow the talent
internally, if we can.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
Right and it's important because you've got
people who've experienced Miltonand have a familiarity with a
lot of things going on and Ithink people appreciate the
opportunities that are here andthey really what I'm learning is
people work well together here.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
I'm glad to hear that .
I hear that from yourperspective.
We try to give everybody enoughroom to be able to use their
creativity, their intelligenceand their drive to be able to do
something different, and whenyou see that happen, it's really
cool and we see it quite oftenyeah a lot of the best things we
do, a lot of the, you know,most creative, innovative things
(30:46):
we do come right out of thepeople that are out there doing
it what if?
Speaker 1 (30:49):
what if we did this?
Speaker 2 (30:51):
and they do it what do you think?
Speaker 1 (30:53):
and it's, uh, it's, it's great to see so how do you
approach partnerships andcollaborations with local
leaders or neighboring cities,because we're very tight on the
border with a lot of cities andI know that say public safety
has relationships out there.
How do you collaborate and howdo you develop those
(31:13):
partnerships and what are thosebenefits?
Speaker 2 (31:16):
So, let's face it, there's still some spots along
Highway 9, I'm not sure orMilton or Alpharetta, and even
going over towards Arnold Millbetween Milton and Roswell.
It does become interesting andconfusing.
But I must say I was fortunateenough to come in to a
collaborative environment, sowhen I got here we were already
(31:38):
cross-sworn with all theAlpharetta police officers, and
we've continued that to this day.
Alpharetta police officers canrespond anywhere in Milton, have
full authority, just as aMilton police officer would, and
vice versa.
Wow.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
I did not know that.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
It's a tremendous value and you'll see quite often
a Milton police officer andAlpharetta police officer on a
call together and at the end ofthe day, it's about providing
the best possible public safety.
When someone's in crisis, theydon't care what uniform they're
wearing.
So I came into that, which wasfantastic and it was a great
(32:13):
thing to build from.
Our fire departments have nowautomatic aid with all our
surrounding fire departmentswhich, similar to what we just
said once a few more things arein place.
The closest fire engine,wherever it may be, is going to
respond to the call.
It may be a Milton fire truck,it may be an Alpharetta fire
truck, it might be a CherokeeCounty fire truck, but the most
(32:35):
important thing is to get theemergency personnel on the scene
as quick as possible.
Especially when you're talkingabout the fires, they grow
exponentially in seconds on highacuity medical calls where
seconds count.
You have to have thoseparamedics who can intervene
quickly strokes, heart attacks,things along those lines.
It's incredibly important tohave those types of cooperative,
(32:55):
collaborative environment.
And then there's heart attacksthings along those lines.
It's incredibly important tohave those types of cooperative,
collaborative environment.
And then there's even moneysavings, taxpayer savings
opportunities.
A lot of people don't know thatwe share court facilities with
the city of Alpharetta.
We run court on some days, theyrun court on some days.
Our very dynamic court clerk isable to manage both.
She does a fantastic job and,as a result, dynamic court clerk
(33:18):
is able to manage both.
She does a fantastic job and,as a result, both Milton and
Alpharetta citizens get to enjoythe tax savings by not
supporting facilities thatwouldn't have 100% utility.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
So let's jump a little bit.
I know that you're busy andwe've gotten a lot of
information out of you, but I doreally want to know you
mentioned involvement from theresidents.
For residents who have yet toget involved, what is a good
first step for them?
Speaker 2 (33:46):
Our Citizens Government Academy.
That seems to be a launchingpoint.
Speaker 1 (33:50):
Isn't that one coming up?
Speaker 2 (33:52):
I think we do, I think it begins in January
actually that is a great jumpingoff point because it provides
citizens with a fullunderstanding operationally of
what our various departments do.
People love the CitizensGovernment Academy and then that
becomes a launching point quiteoften for our boards and
commissions.
You start seeing some peoplelike trails.
(34:12):
They can move towards our trailcommittee.
Some people enjoy the zoningaspect of it and they can either
get involved with our Board ofZ appeals or, if they're more
planning type, planningcommission.
I mean it seems to be the pointof entry for many.
So if I didn't know much aboutthe city, I would start there
and our council members a lot oftime.
That's a fertile ground forthem to find their appointees
(34:35):
and I would attend a councilmeeting.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
If you never have, you need to go.
You need to witness how this isdone, because it is.
It was like clockwork in there.
Our city clerk does an amazingjob managing those meetings and
it is a learning opportunity,especially if you're not
familiar with the processes thathappen at a local level.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
Well, if you think about it, it could be very
intimidating.
Speaker 1 (34:59):
Very.
Speaker 2 (35:00):
And the goal.
Like I say, our council hasalways done a good job at this
and they make them verywelcoming.
It's important because theylisten to what people have to
say.
Sometimes it seems duringpublic comment that someone
makes the public comment andgoes and sits down, but that's
not really what occurs.
We're taking notes oneverything that is said there
and most of the things that aresaid are actionable and they
(35:23):
become the impetus of work thatwe're going to do.
Speaker 1 (35:26):
And those are recorded.
Speaker 2 (35:28):
They are.
Speaker 1 (35:28):
They are recorded.
You can watch them all ifyou're you can if you ever get
super curious, you can watchthem, or we do a kind of a
conclusion, a wrap up of it, andit gets posted on social.
If you're ever interested inthe points that were discussed
and what the outcomes were atthat time, yes, and you all do a
(35:58):
really good way to gather someinformation and get a quick
update as to what's beingdiscussed and to see what may be
coming down the pipeline forthe next meeting.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
Agreed.
Speaker 1 (36:07):
So last question maybe If you could make one big
change or improvement in Miltonover the next year, what would
it be and why?
Speaker 2 (36:18):
Let me put some of our strategic plan aside because
that would be obviously myfocus.
I would have to say I'm beinginfluenced by the work we're
seeing down in DestinationDeerfield and the amount of
connectivity I'm seeing in theconcept plans for cool trails
and pocket parks and things likethat for the community to be
(36:39):
able to enjoy.
I would love to be moreconnected that way and it's a
little difficult when you have alot of our roads that run
across the city at 40-plus milesan hour.
You don't want your kidscrossing those and things like
that.
But I think, as we continue toslow down our speed limits and
become more of a connectedcommunity, to slow down our
(37:00):
speed limits and become more ofa connected community, I'd
really love to see some more ofthose trails and infrastructure
allow people in a moremultimodal type thing, you know,
walk, bike.
We're seeing a lot of golfcarts around the Crabapple area
now, Depending on what happenswith Georgia Highway 9, we're
hoping to see speed limits comedown there and perhaps that
could be an exciting area forthose types of improvements.
(37:20):
So yeah, I think thatconnectivity would be something
I'd love to see.
Speaker 1 (37:25):
You know it's interesting because Milton is
full of parks that you don'tinitially see.
I was amazed, got a wonderfultour a while back and the amount
of tucked in useful beautifulparks and trails and the
equestrian availability atBirmingham is super unique.
(37:48):
I encourage everybody to get onthe website and see all the
various areas you can go becausethey are fantastic.
They are.
Speaker 2 (37:55):
Birmingham Park is an absolute jewel.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
Yep, and they just did that night hike.
That was a raging success.
Speaker 2 (38:02):
I wanted to go, I had marshmallows and ready to go
and everything, butunfortunately I got called away
for other work.
Speaker 1 (38:08):
Oh, the duties of a city manager.
Yes, yes, yes they got you,they got you.
Okay, I lied earlier.
This is your last question.
Looking, looking ahead what'syour vision for milton five to
ten years down the road?
Speaker 2 (38:20):
again strategic plan aside and comp plan and I'm
gonna get I'm bringing up alittle bit more of a macro level
, seeing the city being athriving, well-connected city
that still preserves Milton'scharm.
That is basically what our compplan aims to do, absolutely,
(38:43):
and that is what I want to see.
And what I want to see isreally immaterial, but I've
always embraced our vision.
It's one of the reasons I lovebeing here, I love working here.
It is that aspect that I'd liketo hold on to Agreed Agreed.
Speaker 1 (39:00):
This is a super unique community and it welcomes
connectivity.
Speaker 2 (39:04):
Agreed.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
So, steve, thank you so much for your time today.
It has been incrediblyinsightful and I have learned a
lot from the inside from you,and I know our listeners have
gotten a different perspective,hopefully, from this
conversation, and I hope thatthere are more.
What I'd really like is for youto possibly host a couple,
(39:26):
because I think you have theability to have a conversation
with other individuals.
I have a couple in mind.
Speaker 2 (39:33):
I'd love to.
My wife always said I had avoice for radio.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
I actually said I had a face for radio, which is
worse.
Speaker 2 (39:43):
But yeah, I would love to Anytime we can get out
there and really educate peopleand maybe engage them even more.
It's a big part of what we do.
Speaker 1 (39:50):
I think this is our new outlet to really utilize and
make some of those connections.
Speaker 2 (39:54):
Well, you're the reason we're doing this.
So, thank you for bringing thisnew innovative approach to the
city of Milton so excited aboutit.
Speaker 1 (40:01):
Okay, everyone, that's a wrap for this episode.
A big thank you to our citymanager, Steve Krokoff, for
sharing his time and insightswith us today.
Stay tuned.
We have more exciting episodescoming your way.
We'd love to hear from you, sosend us your feedback on who and
what you'd like to hear aboutnext.
Thanks for listening to Miltonand Maine.
We hope this episode gave youfresh insights into what makes
(40:21):
our city so special.
Stay connected and don't missan episode by subscribing to
this podcast on your favoriteplatform and following us on
social media for all updates.
And, of course, if you want tolearn more about the city, visit
us online at wwwmiltongagov forresources, news and upcoming
events.
Until next time, thanks forbeing part of the conversation
(40:45):
and we'll see you on the nextMilton and Maine.
Welcome to Milton and Maine, the official podcast for
the city of Milton.
We want to bring you closer tothe heart of our community
through stories that inform,inspire and connect.
Each episode offers abehind-the-scenes look at the
people, projects and prioritiesshaping Milton, covering
everything from local governmentand future development to arts,
culture, sustainability andpublic safety.
(00:24):
Whether you're a resident, alocal business owner or just
curious about our city, this isyour front row seat to what
makes Milton special.
I'm your host today, christyWeeks, the communications
manager for the city of Milton,and I'm excited to welcome
everyone to this first episode.
So we're kicking things offwith someone who plays a very
crucial role in the city.
Today we'll get to know him,but in the future there's a good
(00:47):
chance he will host someepisodes.
Who could be more fitting forthe opener than Steve Krokoff,
milton's very own city manager?
Steve brings a wealth ofexperience, insight and deep
commitment to our community,making him the ideal person to
set the stage for what thispodcast is all about.
So let's chat.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Well, Christy, that's an incredible opening.
You've built me up so much.
I hope I can deliver.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
I have no doubts.
I have no doubts.
So, starting off, I think it'sreally important that you tell
us a little bit about yourjourney to becoming the city
manager for the city of Miltonbit about your journey to
becoming the city manager forthe city of Milton?
Speaker 2 (01:27):
I'd be glad to.
I actually started out as thecity of Milton's police chief
back in 2015, which is what mybackground was.
I was with the Albany New YorkPolice Department for a little
over 23 years, with the last sixyears as its chief, and I ended
up in Albany.
I did my undergrad work there.
I actually grew up on LongIsland, just outside New York
City.
I did my undergrad work there.
I actually grew up on LongIsland, just outside New York
City and did my undergrad workthere, ended up connecting with
(01:50):
this really dynamic criminaljustice professor in my senior
year who was actually a retiredCalifornia Highway Patrolman,
went on to get his PhD andbecame just an excellent
professor, and while lawenforcement was never really in
the thought process for me Idon't it's not in my family like
it is so often in a lot of lawenforcement.
He really piqued my interest.
(02:10):
I ended up taking the test andfortunately did well and Albany
was very good to me good to meand my family.
It was a great career.
I learned a lot.
The experiences I had therewere invaluable and a lot of
that set me up for to be able todo the job I can do today
valuable and a lot of that setme up for to be able to do the
job I can do today.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
I feel like, with such an extensive background in
public service, how does thatbleed into becoming the city
manager, and what's the mostmemorable experience you have
from your career that shapes youtoday?
Speaker 2 (02:40):
You had two good questions there, so I want to
take what you first said first.
You know, in policing, to beable to effectively provide
public safety for your community, you have to recognize that
public safety does not exist ina vacuum.
A big part of public safety isthe community in which you work
(03:01):
and all the various facetsassociated with that, and that's
everything from how yourcommunity development works, how
your parks and rec works, howthey all interact, and all of
that creates an environmentwhich is either pro-crime that's
a term or creates anenvironment that is not crime
(03:21):
welcoming.
It goes back to the brokenwindows theory of policing and
it kind of talks about if youwalk down the street and if you
have a couple of windows broken,what's going to happen is
people are going to recognizethere's not community pride
there and people are more likelyto commit crime, break more
windows and continue on andcommit further and further crime
.
So to recognize how that works.
(03:41):
For as far as becoming a citymanager, every part of what we
do as a city contributes topublic safety and public safety
also contributes to the thingswe do in a city, like economic
development.
If you do not have a safe area,you are not going to be able to
introduce different types ofretail and services and things
along those lines because peoplejust simply aren't going to
(04:04):
come if they don't feel safe.
It did set me up for this,though I was never truly
considering going into citymanagement.
I loved being a police chief.
I loved being a police officer.
Now, going into the second partof your question, I've learned
a lot over my 30 years in publicservice 30 plus years and one
of the things I learned,probably in the transition into
(04:28):
administration when I was withthe police department, was
learning the importance ofcommunity cooperation, community
partnership.
You cannot be successfulwithout having that team
approach.
In Albany, for instance, when Itook over as police chief, it
was a tough environment for thepolice department.
We were not very well liked.
We were not very well trusted.
(04:49):
We were doing a decent job inknocking down crime at the time,
but we were doing itindependent from our community.
There was very poorcommunication when the
communication did occur.
it was not usually very positive.
So one of the things we didwhen we took over and I say we I
had a great team in place Trustme.
I do very little great on my own, I assure you.
When we took over, we kind offlipped the script on that,
(05:14):
brought everybody in fromdifferent stakeholder groups
within the community wanted tohear more about what they needed
from their police department,but also what could they provide
to their police departmentRight, and how can we work at
reducing crime together.
And that took about a year.
When we had gotten through that, we created a new strategic
plan.
Based on that, we justdestroyed the crime trends in
(05:35):
the city of Albany.
We were able to that's amazing.
Yeah, it was amazing and it wasa group effort.
It wasn't me, it wasn't my team, it was the entire city, in
fact, so much so that we becameone of only 15 departments in
the country that was recognizedby the White House as a model
for policing.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
And that was really a 180.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
So how big is the community in Albany?
I mean size-wise.
What are we looking at?
Speaker 2 (05:58):
About 100,000.
Wow, it's not that differentfrom Sandy Springs, though Okay,
I think it's a bit of adifferent dynamic.
There's a significant portionof the population that lives
below the poverty level, and wecertainly had our challenges
with crime and violent crime.
At the end of the day, if youcan't resonate with the people
that live in your community andthey don't have any trust in you
(06:19):
, you're not going to get theresults that you're seeking.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
You've got to have buy-in.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
So I would say that you asked about some.
You know one of theaccomplishments, or I would say
that that was kind offoundational Right and making me
understand the importance ofcollaboration in moving us
towards better outcomes.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
So in theory, we were a relatively new city.
I mean new city, I mean 2006,and you arrived as 2015.
So that's under 10 years.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
I got to plan the 10, be part of planning the 10 year
anniversary party, that's so,that's so.
We were young and in a lot ofways that was kind of really
cool, optimal Right.
I remember during my interviewprocess, you know, nobody could
come back and say, well, well,that's just the way we've always
done it.
Well, you've only done that fora couple years.
So let's not get too entrenchedin the old ways of doing
(07:09):
business and and I say thatfacetiously but there's really
some truth and and but also someempowerment to that right right
, because now you have a groupof people here who have the
ability to, working with theircouncil and their community,
determine the trajectory of thecity together, a growth mindset,
and it was fantastic.
(07:30):
And, plus, people were so eagerto get involved, not just
internally but from thecommunity.
In fact, that's what thiscommunity was built on.
It's why Milton is a city.
There was just a lot of positiveenergy behind that.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
So you touch on something.
I'll ask you this question.
So you said something aboutthat's why Milton is a city.
For those who may not know thathistory, can you briefly sum
that up on how we got here?
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Well, sure, it goes back more than 20 years and a
lot of those original peoplethat were foundational in
protecting the city from thesuburban sprawl that you've seen
throughout the whole metro area.
If they did not do that work 20years ago by dragging
themselves down to Fulton Countyto be at the various zoning,
(08:21):
hearings and things along thoselines, we wouldn't be where we
are today.
They were doing their best toexercise local control but it's
very difficult in a monolithlike Fulton County and they
started really exploring ascities started to grow out
throughout the state and weresuccessful.
Sandy Springs predated us.
I think the citizens of what isnow Milton became energized,
(08:44):
similar to Johns Creek, I thinkwe did it.
At the same time theyrecognized wow, we could really
control our own destiny, verypossibly do it more efficiently
and more effectively.
And Jan Jones, who's not only aMilton resident but is often
called the mother of Milton,supported that endeavor again
with that group of really strongresidents and we became a city
(09:07):
and, as far as I could tell,we've never looked back.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
And it's such a cool community and with that, it
makes me want to ask you more onthe personal side what are some
of your favorite things aboutthe city?
As we're talking about this?
I mean, you came down fromAlbany, New York.
What kind of drew you in andwhat are your favorite parts of
the city?
Speaker 2 (09:27):
So I've.
I know I've only been heresince 2015, but our family is in
and around the metro area.
So you know, full transparency.
I thought Milton was Alpharetta, I'll just be honest about that
.
I didn't really recognize thedifference between the two.
But we had been coming hereforever.
We slowly really fell in lovewith the area and all it had to
(09:50):
offer.
But you know, there wassomething unique, as you.
You know, for me at the timeMilton was probably everything
from Providence South.
I didn't really much know aboutanything north at that point,
but recognizing how much thiscommunity embraced its heritage,
Right.
Wanted to make sure that Miltonremained something special
(10:11):
outside of what the North Fultonarea or the larger metro area
was becoming, because it'sincredibly popular.
As you know, people are cominghere for a better quality of
life lower taxes, lower cost ofliving.
So you become a victim of yourown success and Milton has just.
In my opinion, one of thefavorite things is that
(10:31):
commitment to its heritage byintentionally making sure
population density stayed downthrough its zoning, and how
we're very careful about thetype of businesses we try to
attract, and things along thoselines.
I think it's been phenomenallysuccessful.
And when you're in Milton nowyou know you're in Milton.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Yeah, absolutely Absolutely the horse farms.
When I first moved here, it wasthe most peaceful feeling
coming down all these curvyroads which, coming out of
Colorado, threw me for a loop.
For sure it's a feeling.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
It's pride, it's community pride and it's
undeniable and you can feel itas you travel through the city.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
You can, I agree.
So I'm going to steer this backto city manager.
Many of us we hear about a citymanager.
We know you exist.
What do you do?
Solid question.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
What do I do?
Speaker 1 (11:27):
What do you do what?
Speaker 2 (11:27):
did I do today.
So officially I'm the chiefadministrative officer of the
city.
Okay, and while that doesn'ttell you much, my job is really
to make sure that I execute onthe council strategy every day.
It's about overseeing dailyoperations, city staff, managing
(11:48):
the budget, managing ourstrategic plan and ensuring that
I keep this city moving forwardaccording to the vision of our
elected officials.
So that's what it looks like,maybe on a more macro level.
On the day-to-day, you'regetting your hands dirty,
especially in a city this sizeof only 40 or so thousand.
(12:08):
You have to be able to go outthere and do the job.
It's not just directingdirectors.
We're very fortunate here.
We have a very talented groupof professionals here, not only
at the director level butthroughout the organization, and
they don't need me overseeingthem every day in the minutiae.
But I have to be able to notonly talk the talk but walk the
(12:30):
walk.
So you know, you startunderstanding what is paving.
When are you, are you overcoding?
When are you doing full depthreclamation?
What is the pci?
And that's in every departmentthat you have, and I truly find
that.
I find it fascinating.
I consider myself a lifelonglearner and to learn some of
these new things has beenincredible.
The things I could tell youabout stormwater at this point
in my life is amazing we'llcircle back to that in another
(12:53):
episode but it, but it is you to.
At the macro level, you have tomake sure that we're providing
the services, that we'reachieving our objectives, we're
executing our strategic planwe're doing it in an efficient
manner.
We're providing high-qualityservices and that's incredibly
important to the city, which,again, I'm going to tout it now
because I can Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
We just came out as number one in the country for
customer service, and that is abig deal, I think that's a huge
deal because not everybody has agreat experience on dealing
with their local government andI find that to be fascinating.
It was one of the things thatdrew me to Milton personally.
I'm glad to hear that.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Yeah, it is something we embrace.
It's part of our core values,which our staff, our team, knows
quite well, and they wear thatwith pride too.
Let's face it, I'm not the onethat's delivering excellent
customer service.
It's everybody out there that'sdelivering that customer
service.
So I think it really speaksvolumes about the quality of
people we have here.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
I'm going to kind of open that up a little bit, just
because it takes good leadershipfor people to do their job and
to do it well and to take pridein it.
And so, coming from myperspective, yes, the leadership
here is unbelievable and we'revery fortunate to have the
directions that we do.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
I agree with you.
We have, like I said, at everylevel we've got great people and
leadership happens at everylevel.
So I'm with you there.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
What is something people might be surprised to
learn about the day-to-day workof a city manager or a deputy
city manager.
What would surprise people?
Speaker 2 (14:38):
manager.
What would surprise people?
Probably the amount of hands-onand interaction we have with
the public, with the community.
We're not generally sittingbehind a desk, though I, you
know, sit behind a desk,probably more than I ever
thought I would be, but it's amatter of having those
communications getting involved.
We have tremendousentrepreneurs in the city and
the ideas that they come up withare mind-boggling, which I love
.
But it also forces us to startthinking differently, because
(15:02):
our codes a lot of times don'teven contemplate the ideas that
people are throwing at us.
In fact, I have a meeting afterthis regarding just one of
those ideas from one of ourconstituents that own a business
, one of those ideas from one ofour constituents that own a
business, and I think peoplewould be surprised at the level
of involvement we have, theamount of hands-on and the work
we do with making sure we havecodes that represent not only
(15:23):
the current Milton but thefuture Milton.
It's fun too, it's great to beinvolved and the impact we can
have.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
So accessibility is open and the impact we can have.
So accessibility is open.
I think most people would thinkthat the city management is not
available, is not easy toaccess and it sounds like you
and our two deputy city managersspend a lot of time making sure
that things are addressed andthat you're involved and that
you support and I encourage it.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
It's an open invitation right now through
this podcast.
We love to have visitors, ofcourse, but when we sit down, we
look at constructiveimprovement every time.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
What do you think are Milton's biggest strengths and
distinguishing qualities?
Speaker 2 (16:06):
Beyond its city manager, beyond its city manager
.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Well, Val, you know.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
Without a doubt it goes back to the discussion we
were just having.
Right, it's engaged citizens.
They predated the city.
They are still out there someof some of them that were out
there 25 years ago making surethat fulton county didn't just
run over this area and we've hadnew citizens that have moved
here since from.
(16:31):
They could be here two years,they could be here 30 years.
They are very engaged in thecity, whether they're involved
in our committees or boards thathave moved here since from.
They could be here two years,they could be here 30 years.
They are very engaged in thecity, whether they're involved
in our committees or boards,which has tremendous, tremendous
impact on the city, or they'rein one of our volunteer groups,
or they've been involved in oneof our many stakeholder groups,
or they're just coming forpublic comment.
It's that community engagementthat is probably our biggest
(16:56):
strength.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
I was going to say so .
How common do you think that is?
I mean, you've had many yearsin public service.
How common do you think it isthat the citizens are so
involved and proud and keeppushing forward the way Milton
does?
Speaker 2 (17:12):
The city I come from.
For sure, their pride in thatcity grew, especially over the
years, but I think things weremore focused at the time on
specific situations.
In a city like that, you hadall kinds of different crises
and things like that that wouldoccur and people seem to be more
focused on those individualissues.
When I say, from a communityengagement standpoint, the city
(17:33):
of Milton, I feel like there'smore of a focus on the entirety
of the city, where we are, wherewe're going, most importantly
probably, or the foundation ofwhere we've been.
That connection between thethree, I truly believe, has that
impact.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Fair Fair.
I'm just curious.
I came out of a very small townin Colorado, so where it seemed
like everybody was involved,but we're talking about 7,700
regular residents, so a muchsmaller scale.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
I always say Milton is the biggest small town I have
ever seen.
Wherever you go, you run intopeople.
You know it's amazing thatthere's 40-something thousand
people here, but it just seemslike we all know each other
Friendly.
It's absolutely.
It's kind of mind-boggling.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
So we got strengths, we got qualities.
How do you balance maintainingMilton's small-town charm with
the pressures of growth anddevelopment?
Because that is happeningeverywhere Just a mad burst of
people moving up this areaspanning out, heading out past
Cherokee County up north.
How do you balance that?
Speaker 2 (18:42):
Planning.
You've got to plan ahead, and Idon't mean planning for the end
of this year, planning for theend of the next decade, like our
comprehensive plan.
If you fail to plan, you planto fail, and I think that's
something that the citizens ofMilton have really understood
for an awfully long time.
We are very intentional aboutwhat we do and it's certainly
(19:03):
undeniably quality over quantity, and I think that that is truly
what makes us different.
We're very intentional aboutthe types of businesses we're
trying to attract and we use ourzoning very effectively to be
able to create that sense ofcommunity and adhere to our
character and vision.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
Well, as we're talking about that, what would
you say?
Your top priorities for thecity are over, just the next few
years.
I know you guys plan 10 yearsin advance and you're really
looking at the next decade, nextfew years.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
So my priorities are always the council's priorities,
and I don't just say that it'snot up to me.
I'm here to execute on theirstrategies, but I could tell you
that public safety is alwaysforefront for them, kind of what
we discussed earlier.
If you don't have a safecommunity, the other things
start falling.
So foundationally you need tohave a safe community.
(19:56):
People need to feel safe.
So public safety is and I'mpositive will remain a priority
for the city of Milton.
I have to say over my decadehere our council has always been
incredibly supportive.
They've been incrediblysupportive across the board and
across all the councils that Ihad the pleasure and the good
fortune to work for, but publicsafety has always been a
(20:18):
priority for them.
What follows from there you gotto think about?
How does the city manage thegrowth pressures that we're
dealing with?
What do we look likefinancially as far as having to
rely less and less on propertytaxes?
We are, by and large, a bedroomcommunity, but we have a
potential economic engine downin our beautiful Deerfield area,
(20:40):
which, of course, is one of thethings we're really looking
forward to.
You have to think about from aprioritization standpoint.
What does that look like forthe city?
How do we leverage that best,maintain that sense of place but
also turn that into an economicengine for its citizens?
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Which is very cool because I have noticed, since
I've been here, the amount ofcommunity support that people
showing up to the open houses togive their opinions and listen
to the plans and find out whatthe options are is incredible.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
I agree, it's inspiring.
Actually, people come out afterworking all day, showing up at
these meetings at seven o'clockat night and giving that
valuable input, and that's again, that's why we are what we are.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
Right and so with the input of the residents, I mean,
how do you continue toencourage that?
Because I know there are biggerplans for Milton, I know there
are things going on and it'svery exciting.
How do you encourage residentsand those who maybe have not
engaged yet?
How do you get them involved?
Speaker 2 (21:44):
I think the proof is kind of in the pudding there.
If you invite people out, youhave to use what they're telling
you.
You know you have to.
They people have to feel thatthat that time, investment and
and the mental energy they putinto that means something.
And I'm feel very comfortablethat our community recognizes
that their input is incrediblyvaluable and it it's not just
(22:06):
words on a paper but it turnsinto plans that are executed
later.
As long as you continue thatpositive approach, I think
people will continue to engage.
Now, of course, if people startcoming out and we don't take
what they're saying and chartour future with the input we get
back, then I think people willstart losing faith, and that's
(22:27):
something we need to focus onevery day.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Right.
Their input is important.
So you're talking abouttransparency and communication,
which is ridiculously importantin every aspect, internal and
external, in Milton, and it wasnew to me to find out all the
steps that are involved inkeeping those lines of
communication open, like thethree open houses, the three
(22:52):
public meetings.
Are there other ways that we'rekeeping the community informed?
Speaker 2 (22:56):
I think effective communication is key, right,
right, poor communication is atthe root of families that fall
apart and the root of wars thathappen right.
So effective communication isincredibly important to all the
work that we do and I think,some of the things that our
communications department, inconjunction with our public
works, community development,parks and rec you can bring it
(23:19):
even further than that.
It really provides thosevarious avenues.
It's not just about showing upat the library for an input
session.
It's about responding to themany surveys we put out.
It's about having your voice beheard.
It's about getting involved, ifyou're in HOA, with your HOA
and making sure that yourcommunity's voice is being heard
so that we can provide the bestpossible services.
(23:41):
Fortunately, that's workingreally well right now.
I'm not saying there's not roomfor improvement.
There's always room forimprovement there, even
internally.
You know we're looking at howwe can improve communications
amongst Team Milton, butCreating the various avenues for
meaningful communication, Ithink, is incredibly important.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
And encouraging people to utilize that, because
a lot of people hear it, theydon't participate, they may or
may not like the outcomes I mean.
So there's always trying toreach every person and give
everybody the opportunity toparticipate and to be heard.
I think is something that thisteam does incredibly well.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
Well, you're part of that team, so I couldn't agree
with you more.
But you know it is.
They start to see when they dosurveys.
They start to see some of thefree form work that they did in
the responses and they see thosenow as appendices in the
planning.
So I mean, they see it and itbuilds that trust.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
It does.
It does so with that.
What's some ongoing or someupcoming projects in Milton that
you're really excited about?
Speaker 2 (24:43):
All right, this is pretty cool.
So the first thing we kind oftouched on already.
Destination DeerfieldAbsolutely.
Deerfield area and we for forthose listening, obviously it's
bigger than Deerfield Parkway.
It's that whole area ofDeerfield Highway 9, morris,
really all the way down fromWindward to the city line and
(25:05):
it's a great opportunity for us.
Right now, the council hasfocused on that area.
Okay, what can we do?
A lot of that area was builtout before we became a city, so
we inherited generally what wasthere.
We've had some nice development.
Our community development hasdone an excellent job, but now
we're talking aboutredevelopment, as opposed to a
lot of the areas we were able tostart with a blank slate.
(25:26):
There we're talking aboutredevelopment and what does that
look like?
So I would say, primarily, oneof the most exciting upcoming
projects is the destination deerfarm.
In fact, I was in a meeting onit this morning.
Projects is a destination deerfund.
In fact I was in a meeting onit this morning and I'm excited
to see what comes out of that,because I talked about a little
bit about the economic driversand the economic engine that
(25:46):
could be.
But some of the plans and someof the things we are getting
back from our community and whatpeople are seeking it's slowly
going from.
You know something that youreally couldn't see into.
It's now starting to form intoan image of wow, what a cool
place.
This can be connected by trailsand parks along the roadside
(26:10):
and it just it could besomething just really, really
awesome.
And you know, with that, youknow, bring in the different
types of building styles, right,and the streetsca we bring in
the different types of buildingstyles and the streetscapes and
things along those lines andit's starting to form a picture
and it's very exciting, and withthat I'm actually going to jump
on another one.
So it's right, in that areait's our new active park which
is going to be on DeerfieldParkway.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
Oh, that's terribly exciting.
Speaker 2 (26:33):
Incredible.
For those of you who don't know, our city hall used to be right
there on Deerfield Parkway andthis is going to be right next
door.
And so exciting not only to beable to offer those recreational
services to the citizens ofMilton, but we're bringing it to
our most populated area of thecity where people can walk and
(26:53):
bike over to these amenitiesthat will be there and it's
going to be 20, I think, around22 acres.
In fact we're in the process ofpicking up another three, so
we'll be close to 25 acres whenit's all said and done and we'll
have baseball, diamonds, somerectangular fields for football,
lacrosse, soccer, theplaygrounds and a bunch of other
amenities there for ourcitizens to really enjoy.
(27:16):
And a park like that is also aneconomic driver.
Of course People come to thegames, you know.
Of course They'll go out tolunch, they'll stop at the store
and it just it becomes a veryvirtuous cycle.
So we're really excited aboutthat.
I'm going to throw one more inCome on, kind of hit an exciting
point.
So the last one I just want tobring up is the district at
Mayfield.
People may not be as familiarwith that because, well, we
(27:38):
completed it last year.
It's not necessarily wherepeople see.
Every day we're working withthe landowners over there to
build out what is really thesoutheast quadrant of our
downtown Crabapple.
And what an exciting thing thatwas.
Our DRB really took the balland ran with that.
And it's really about we wantto preserve some of the history
over there, have that connectionto our past.
(27:59):
You know, something we've beentalking about quite a bit.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
Throughout this talk.
It's the last quadrant we needto develop.
I really turn that intosomething awesome and some of
the preliminary plans I've seenalready.
Just, it's really going toround out our downtown and it's
exciting to see that evolve aswell.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
Well, that's really cool.
It's exciting to see thatevolve as well.
Well, that's really cool.
And it's important foreverybody who's listening to
know that a lot of thisinformation, especially the
Destination Deerfieldinformation, can be found on our
website.
We do everything we can to keepupdates posted.
It goes out on our social, soif you're curious about any of
these projects, take a look atthe website.
You can generally find the mostrecent update.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
That's great, I like to say that that's great, like
you said that's a great thing toadd.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
Yeah, so earlier you mentioned working with a
talented staff.
How would you describe the teamculture and what qualities do
you look for when building yourteam?
Because we've talked a lotabout external Milton, let's
talk about internal.
Speaker 2 (28:55):
No, I appreciate everybody an idea?
This is the team.
Milton is very special.
It's not just to me, it's toall of us.
I don't want to throw outbuzzwords like servant
leadership, though that is a bigpart of the way we operate here
to make sure that our staff'sempowered to do the job that
they do, and do so well.
But I think, at the end of theday, it's about open
(29:15):
collaboration, empowerment to beable to make the decisions that
you need to make at the placeyou are, without having to go
through some bureaucratic redtape to be able to get either
the decision or the resultsyou're seeking.
It's about making sure thatwe're growing from the inside.
I prefer to see promotionsinternally if we can help it.
(29:36):
So I want to make sure we'recreating the next bench, the
next leaders, at every level ofthe organization, and that's why
we have certain programs like-.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
Absolutely Emerging leaders.
Emerging leaders which I thinkyou're part of right.
I am, I am.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
So those aren't just buzzwords.
That is about making sure we'recreating the best possible
future for the city and we don'tlose anything along the way.
That doesn't mean someone fromthe outside can't bring in
another great perspective.
They can and they do, but weprefer to grow the talent
internally, if we can.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
Right and it's important because you've got
people who've experienced Miltonand have a familiarity with a
lot of things going on and Ithink people appreciate the
opportunities that are here andthey really what I'm learning is
people work well together here.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
I'm glad to hear that .
I hear that from yourperspective.
We try to give everybody enoughroom to be able to use their
creativity, their intelligenceand their drive to be able to do
something different, and whenyou see that happen, it's really
cool and we see it quite oftenyeah a lot of the best things we
do, a lot of the, you know,most creative, innovative things
(30:46):
we do come right out of thepeople that are out there doing
it what if?
Speaker 1 (30:49):
what if we did this?
Speaker 2 (30:51):
and they do it what do you think?
Speaker 1 (30:53):
and it's, uh, it's, it's great to see so how do you
approach partnerships andcollaborations with local
leaders or neighboring cities,because we're very tight on the
border with a lot of cities andI know that say public safety
has relationships out there.
How do you collaborate and howdo you develop those
(31:13):
partnerships and what are thosebenefits?
Speaker 2 (31:16):
So, let's face it, there's still some spots along
Highway 9, I'm not sure orMilton or Alpharetta, and even
going over towards Arnold Millbetween Milton and Roswell.
It does become interesting andconfusing.
But I must say I was fortunateenough to come in to a
collaborative environment, sowhen I got here we were already
(31:38):
cross-sworn with all theAlpharetta police officers, and
we've continued that to this day.
Alpharetta police officers canrespond anywhere in Milton, have
full authority, just as aMilton police officer would, and
vice versa.
Wow.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
I did not know that.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
It's a tremendous value and you'll see quite often
a Milton police officer andAlpharetta police officer on a
call together and at the end ofthe day, it's about providing
the best possible public safety.
When someone's in crisis, theydon't care what uniform they're
wearing.
So I came into that, which wasfantastic and it was a great
(32:13):
thing to build from.
Our fire departments have nowautomatic aid with all our
surrounding fire departmentswhich, similar to what we just
said once a few more things arein place.
The closest fire engine,wherever it may be, is going to
respond to the call.
It may be a Milton fire truck,it may be an Alpharetta fire
truck, it might be a CherokeeCounty fire truck, but the most
(32:35):
important thing is to get theemergency personnel on the scene
as quick as possible.
Especially when you're talkingabout the fires, they grow
exponentially in seconds on highacuity medical calls where
seconds count.
You have to have thoseparamedics who can intervene
quickly strokes, heart attacks,things along those lines.
It's incredibly important tohave those types of cooperative,
(32:55):
collaborative environment.
And then there's heart attacksthings along those lines.
It's incredibly important tohave those types of cooperative,
collaborative environment.
And then there's even moneysavings, taxpayer savings
opportunities.
A lot of people don't know thatwe share court facilities with
the city of Alpharetta.
We run court on some days, theyrun court on some days.
Our very dynamic court clerk isable to manage both.
She does a fantastic job and,as a result, dynamic court clerk
(33:18):
is able to manage both.
She does a fantastic job and,as a result, both Milton and
Alpharetta citizens get to enjoythe tax savings by not
supporting facilities thatwouldn't have 100% utility.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
So let's jump a little bit.
I know that you're busy andwe've gotten a lot of
information out of you, but I doreally want to know you
mentioned involvement from theresidents.
For residents who have yet toget involved, what is a good
first step for them?
Speaker 2 (33:46):
Our Citizens Government Academy.
That seems to be a launchingpoint.
Speaker 1 (33:50):
Isn't that one coming up?
Speaker 2 (33:52):
I think we do, I think it begins in January
actually that is a great jumpingoff point because it provides
citizens with a fullunderstanding operationally of
what our various departments do.
People love the CitizensGovernment Academy and then that
becomes a launching point quiteoften for our boards and
commissions.
You start seeing some peoplelike trails.
(34:12):
They can move towards our trailcommittee.
Some people enjoy the zoningaspect of it and they can either
get involved with our Board ofZ appeals or, if they're more
planning type, planningcommission.
I mean it seems to be the pointof entry for many.
So if I didn't know much aboutthe city, I would start there
and our council members a lot oftime.
That's a fertile ground forthem to find their appointees
(34:35):
and I would attend a councilmeeting.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
If you never have, you need to go.
You need to witness how this isdone, because it is.
It was like clockwork in there.
Our city clerk does an amazingjob managing those meetings and
it is a learning opportunity,especially if you're not
familiar with the processes thathappen at a local level.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
Well, if you think about it, it could be very
intimidating.
Speaker 1 (34:59):
Very.
Speaker 2 (35:00):
And the goal.
Like I say, our council hasalways done a good job at this
and they make them verywelcoming.
It's important because theylisten to what people have to
say.
Sometimes it seems duringpublic comment that someone
makes the public comment andgoes and sits down, but that's
not really what occurs.
We're taking notes oneverything that is said there
and most of the things that aresaid are actionable and they
(35:23):
become the impetus of work thatwe're going to do.
Speaker 1 (35:26):
And those are recorded.
Speaker 2 (35:28):
They are.
Speaker 1 (35:28):
They are recorded.
You can watch them all ifyou're you can if you ever get
super curious, you can watchthem, or we do a kind of a
conclusion, a wrap up of it, andit gets posted on social.
If you're ever interested inthe points that were discussed
and what the outcomes were atthat time, yes, and you all do a
(35:58):
really good way to gather someinformation and get a quick
update as to what's beingdiscussed and to see what may be
coming down the pipeline forthe next meeting.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
Agreed.
Speaker 1 (36:07):
So last question maybe If you could make one big
change or improvement in Miltonover the next year, what would
it be and why?
Speaker 2 (36:18):
Let me put some of our strategic plan aside because
that would be obviously myfocus.
I would have to say I'm beinginfluenced by the work we're
seeing down in DestinationDeerfield and the amount of
connectivity I'm seeing in theconcept plans for cool trails
and pocket parks and things likethat for the community to be
(36:39):
able to enjoy.
I would love to be moreconnected that way and it's a
little difficult when you have alot of our roads that run
across the city at 40-plus milesan hour.
You don't want your kidscrossing those and things like
that.
But I think, as we continue toslow down our speed limits and
become more of a connectedcommunity, to slow down our
(37:00):
speed limits and become more ofa connected community, I'd
really love to see some more ofthose trails and infrastructure
allow people in a moremultimodal type thing, you know,
walk, bike.
We're seeing a lot of golfcarts around the Crabapple area
now, Depending on what happenswith Georgia Highway 9, we're
hoping to see speed limits comedown there and perhaps that
could be an exciting area forthose types of improvements.
(37:20):
So yeah, I think thatconnectivity would be something
I'd love to see.
Speaker 1 (37:25):
You know it's interesting because Milton is
full of parks that you don'tinitially see.
I was amazed, got a wonderfultour a while back and the amount
of tucked in useful beautifulparks and trails and the
equestrian availability atBirmingham is super unique.
(37:48):
I encourage everybody to get onthe website and see all the
various areas you can go becausethey are fantastic.
They are.
Speaker 2 (37:55):
Birmingham Park is an absolute jewel.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
Yep, and they just did that night hike.
That was a raging success.
Speaker 2 (38:02):
I wanted to go, I had marshmallows and ready to go
and everything, butunfortunately I got called away
for other work.
Speaker 1 (38:08):
Oh, the duties of a city manager.
Yes, yes, yes they got you,they got you.
Okay, I lied earlier.
This is your last question.
Looking, looking ahead what'syour vision for milton five to
ten years down the road?
Speaker 2 (38:20):
again strategic plan aside and comp plan and I'm
gonna get I'm bringing up alittle bit more of a macro level
, seeing the city being athriving, well-connected city
that still preserves Milton'scharm.
That is basically what our compplan aims to do, absolutely,
(38:43):
and that is what I want to see.
And what I want to see isreally immaterial, but I've
always embraced our vision.
It's one of the reasons I lovebeing here, I love working here.
It is that aspect that I'd liketo hold on to Agreed Agreed.
Speaker 1 (39:00):
This is a super unique community and it welcomes
connectivity.
Speaker 2 (39:04):
Agreed.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
So, steve, thank you so much for your time today.
It has been incrediblyinsightful and I have learned a
lot from the inside from you,and I know our listeners have
gotten a different perspective,hopefully, from this
conversation, and I hope thatthere are more.
What I'd really like is for youto possibly host a couple,
(39:26):
because I think you have theability to have a conversation
with other individuals.
I have a couple in mind.
Speaker 2 (39:33):
I'd love to.
My wife always said I had avoice for radio.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
I actually said I had a face for radio, which is
worse.
Speaker 2 (39:43):
But yeah, I would love to Anytime we can get out
there and really educate peopleand maybe engage them even more.
It's a big part of what we do.
Speaker 1 (39:50):
I think this is our new outlet to really utilize and
make some of those connections.
Speaker 2 (39:54):
Well, you're the reason we're doing this.
So, thank you for bringing thisnew innovative approach to the
city of Milton so excited aboutit.
Speaker 1 (40:01):
Okay, everyone, that's a wrap for this episode.
A big thank you to our citymanager, Steve Krokoff, for
sharing his time and insightswith us today.
Stay tuned.
We have more exciting episodescoming your way.
We'd love to hear from you, sosend us your feedback on who and
what you'd like to hear aboutnext.
Thanks for listening to Miltonand Maine.
We hope this episode gave youfresh insights into what makes
(40:21):
our city so special.
Stay connected and don't missan episode by subscribing to
this podcast on your favoriteplatform and following us on
social media for all updates.
And, of course, if you want tolearn more about the city, visit
us online at wwwmiltongagov forresources, news and upcoming
events.
Until next time, thanks forbeing part of the conversation
(40:45):
and we'll see you on the nextMilton and Maine.
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