City Council approved a resolution Monday offering support for installing a permanent historical marker honoring John Milton – a Revolutionary War patriot, one of Georgia’s earliest leaders, and our City’s namesake.

Spearheaded by Mark Amick, the Milton Historical Society has spent considerable time and effort in recent years to share the story of John Milton. This includes extensive research, a public talk, and a collaboration with the City to create a dedicated webpage (www.miltonga.gov/JohnMilton) about this groundbreaking Georgian.

Their next step is to apply for the Georgia Historical Society to recognize John Milton as part of its historical marker program. After Monday’s unanimous vote, that application will now include the City’s official blessing in the form of a resolution.

“A lot of work was put into this,” Mayor Peyton Jamison said. “And it looks like that hard work is going to pay off.” 

Among the first in Georgia to enlist to battle the British for America’s independence, John Milton wound up serving as a trusted hand to several high-profile military leaders. He’d go on to become Georgia’s first Secretary of State, a delegate to the convention that ratified the U.S. Constitution on behalf of Georgia, and even recipient of two votes (out of 138 cast) by electors to be the United States’ first president.

The Georgia Historical Society is expected to announce its next round of marker recipients this coming August. If John Milton is among those honored, his marker would be installed in City Hall plaza in early 2026 – a year that corresponds the United States’ 250^th anniversary and 20 years since the City of Milton’s founding. This would be at no cost to the City, with the Milton Historical Society paying for and maintaining the marker.

GREENSPACE, TRANSPORTATION AGREEMENTS ON CONSENT AGENDA

This resolution occurred further along into an evening that began with an invocation by City Church Executive Pastor Jim Boyle. After one general public comment, the Council approved the Consent Agenda that included agreements with: 

• Columbia Engineering and Services to continue working with the City on land acquisition services (albeit at a reduced scope than once planned) for a TSPLOST-funded improvement project at the intersection of Freemanville and Redd roads

• Safe Road Solutions to support the City on federally funded Safe Streets for All (SS4A) grant tasks related to adding future curve warnings – including creating a compliant sign plan – along Hopewell Road and Freemanville Road 

• Premier Events to again coordinate with the City in managing vendors, securing equipment rentals, and helping with logistics to organize and run Crabapple Fest, which this year will take place on Saturday, October 4 

• Vanasse Hangen Brustlin to study stream, wetland, and natural areas in the Cooper Sandy greenspace, Hamby Road greenspace, Lakhapani Preserve, and Milton City Park and Preserve to inform the Greenprint (a community-driven plan guiding the future of Milton’s more than 400 acres of greenspace) 

• Crabapple Green for the no-cost use of the downtown green area, including the stage, for the City’s Memorial Day ceremony scheduled for May 26, 2025 

• Diana Wheeler to continue serving as Milton’s Interim Community Development Director 

• Temple Inc-AL to upgrade 22 flasher devices in school zones around Milton so they can be monitored from any location with Internet connectivity

MILTON FIRE GETS OK TO BE RED CROSS TRAINING PROVIDER

The Council then resoundingly approved an agreement for the Milton Fire-Rescue Department to become a licensed training provider for Red Cross classes.

Chief Medical Officer Mark Haskins explained that he and fellow Milton firefighters – all of whom are either EMTs or paramedics – must regularly obtain certifications to continue in their jobs. Currently, Milton Fire relies on outside providers for certifications, corresponding certification cards, and to purchase training materials necessary to maintain licenses. As Haskins noted, this can come with “a lot of paperwork” and can result in delays.

Only in the last year has the Red Cross made it possible for agencies, like Milton Fire, to become their own licensed training provider, according to Haskins. Monday’s vote allows the department to take advantage of this change – becoming its own training site, having its own certified instructors, and issuing certification cards.

Milton Fire’s Red Cross-licensed instructors ultimately should be able to teach fellow firefighters, Milton Police officers, City staff members, and even citizens about topics such as CPR, First Aid, and Advanced Life Support.

Other items that the Council approved on Monday were:

• A final plat for Providence Point, a new 5-parcel gated community at the intersection of Birmingham Highway and Providence Road
• A resolution transferring surplus right of way along Heritage Walk – land originally donated to the City by a developer – to Market District Crabapple, a move that will make clearer that everything behind the sidewalk will be privately owned and maintained
• A “clean-up” amendment (according to City Attorney Ken Jarrard) to a resolution authorizing the City’s disposition of property off Hopewell Road, specifically adding 0.168 acres to add the total land area of 39.098 acres

After accounting for local schools’ Spring Break early next month, the City Council will meet again until the evening of April 14.