Commercial and Residential Locksmiths in Roswell

The first full-service location of wildly popular Cuban sandwich shop Cubanos ATL opens September 20 in downtown Roswell offering an expanded menu and a full bar with cocktails.

In addition to a tight list of traditional Cuban sandwiches, look for overnight oats, Cuban toast, and ham and cheese croissants with Cuban coffee and coffee drinks at breakfast, Spanish, Italian, and spicy-themed charcuterie boards, and desserts like caramel flan and tres leches cake. The bar starts serving mojitos, daiquiris, beer, and wine in the afternoon. All sandwiches are served on La Segunda Central Bakery bread — the oldest Cuban bread maker in the United States — and are created using family recipes.

People order at the counter and take a number. Food is then delivered to the table when its ready.

Opening his Cuban sandwich shop during the pandemic wasn’t what owner Ozzy Llanes planned on when he began working on the tiny house food trailer that would eventually become the first location of Cubanos ATL in metro Atlanta.

A Cuban native, Llanes moved to Atlanta from Miami over a decade ago and spent years searching for a “descent” Cuban sandwich here. Llanes designed and built the tiny house takeout joint on wheels and equipped it with a small kitchen and prep station, opening it in a parking lot of a small retail complex on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs in the summer of 2020. Lines formed early and remained steady throughout the rest of that year.

Llanes went on to open two more locations the following year, one in Cumming and the other at the Chattahoochee Food Works in Atlanta’s Underwood Hills neighborhood. For the Roswell location, Llanes continues those expansion plans, which now includes his first sit-down restaurant and cocktail bar.

Taking over the former Cricket Wireless space on Alpharetta Street, Cubanos ATL seats around 60 people between the dining room, small bar, and sunny patio beside the restaurant, decked out with bright yellow chairs, red umbrellas, and string lights illuminating the space in the evening. Unlike other locations, Cubanos ATL in Roswell also features a retail section for purchasing wines from Argentina, Spain, and Napa Valley and Cuban rums, vodka, and tequila, along with other beverages.

And it appears Llanes isn’t done opening new locations of Cubanos ATL. He’s now set his sights on South Downtown, opening along Mitchell Street and historic Hotel Row, part of the renovation project led by Atlanta-based Braden Fellman Group. Like the Roswell location, expect breakfast, lunch, and dinner and a full bar.

Open Sunday - Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Thursday - Saturday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

1007 Alpharetta Street, cubanosatl.com.

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Cubanos ATL

6450 Roswell Road, , GA 30328 (404) 889-8948 Visit Website

This week, T-Mobile continued its 14-year battle with Roswell, Georgia, to erect a 108-foot monopine near Lake Charles Drive that was denied multiple times.

The ongoing lawsuit is the costliest and most protracted siting litigation in the United States, with both parties shelling out well over a million dollars in legal fees since T-Mobile filed the complaint in 2010.

It is also the first time a lawsuit might hinge on a carrier’s opposition to a defendant’s motion to substitute an expert for a consultant incapable of continuing because of his age and emotional state.

On March 2, 2024, the city’s RF engineering expert, Ronald Graiff, 78, unexpectedly resigned as Roswell’s consultant due to “mental stress, his age, and his personal situation,” according to an email Graiff sent to lead counsel for the City of Roswell, Angela Couch.

Couch said she had talked to Graiff on March 1, 2024, and “he unequivocally stated that he was finished with this case and that he could no longer take the stress. He abruptly terminated the call after flatly stating, ‘don’t call me anymore.’ “

Graiff was hired in February 2017 and communicated on occasion regarding the case status. When the city received a declaratory ruling in March 2023 that the case would be active again, Graiff agreed to continue to assist the city and, as in the past, would be the foundation of the city’s defense.

On March 8, 2024, the city requested the court to substitute RF expert Ben Levitan for testimony at an evidentiary hearing on June 20, 2024. Levitan will explore the possibility of small cells/nodes in the area, any co-location opportunities, and the effectiveness of the proposed monopine site relative to the identified gap at $495 per hour.

On March 15, 2024, T-Mobile opposed the city’s substitution of an expert, stating that if the court did, Levitan should be limited to assessing Graiff’s opinions and conclusions.

T-Mobile said they would be prejudiced by Levitan’s substitution, mainly if new methodologies are used, and the court should order the reimbursement of T-Mobile’s costs incurred about the now-moot Graiff reports, deposition and preparation for his trial testimony.

T-Mobile alleges that Graiff only resigned as the city’s expert after the company had presented in its pretrial brief “the fundamental flaws in Mr. Graiff’s opinions and, critically, his failure to use any standard methodologies or tests to produce any concrete evidence supporting his opinions.”

“Mr. Graiff simply did not want to continue working on this case, and the city, having been alerted to the severe weakness of his testimony, was happy to let him walk away. Yet, ‘buyer’s remorse’ and seeking to ‘remedy’ the expert’s opinions is not good cause to substitute,” T-Mobile said in its court filing.

T-Mobile submitted to the court testimony that Graiff is still an expert consultant for the Town of Rhinebeck, New York Zoning Board of Appeals, and is expected to provide a report regarding Wireless Edge’s tower application today. They also noted that Graiff has not resigned as an expert witness in cases where he has been hired to represent communities in other lawsuits involving siting issues.

In its lawsuit, T-Mobile stated that it is entitled to recover its attorneys’ fees. In 2017, Roswell’s Mayor, Jere Wood, disclosed the city had incurred approximately $1 million in legal expenses due to the lawsuit. It is unknown what T-Mobile has expended.

Rejections heralded a victory from the U.S. Supreme Court

The siting feud arose in 2010 when T-Mobile proposed the tower, only to be unanimously turned down by the city council. The telecommunications company then took the matter to court, claiming Roswell was breaching the Telecommunication Act of 1996 by not providing specific reasons for the denial.

The case eventually reached the U.S. Supreme Court after an appeals court initially ruled in favor of Roswell. In 2015, the Supreme Court, in a 6-3 verdict, found that Roswell did not adequately explain its refusal to allow the tower’s construction. The case was sent back to a lower court for additional review.

In 2016, the 11th Circuit Court in Atlanta determined the case’s evidence was no longer current and directed both Roswell and T-Mobile to reassess the situation to identify any significant gaps in cell phone coverage and whether the proposed tower’s advanced technology could address them.

On July 24, 2017, the city council unanimously voted to again deny T-Mobile’s request to build the monopine.

On March 17, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia set a date for resuming the previously discontinued evidentiary hearing.

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell rose 1.3 percent from December to February, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that the shelter index continued to rise from December to February and was a major contributor to the bi-monthly all items increase. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, bi-monthly changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

The all items CPI-U advanced 3.3 percent for the 12 months ending in February. (See chart 1 and table A.) The index for all items less food and energy rose 3.2 percent over the past year. The food index and the energy index also increased over the last 12 months, up 3.9 percent and 3.6 percent, respectively. (See table 1.)

Food

The food index was unchanged from December to February. A 1.1 percent increase in the food away from home index over the bi-monthly period was offset by a 0.7 percent decrease in the food at home index. Two of the six major grocery store food group indexes increased over the two-month period: other food at home (+1.0 percent) and nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials (+0.6 percent). The indexes for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs (-2.0 percent) and dairy and related products (-4.4 percent) were among the food group indexes to decline from December to February.

The food index advanced 3.9 percent for the 12 months ending in February, led by a 5.9-percent increase in the food away from home index. The food at home index also increased over the past year, up 2.6 percent. Four of the six major grocery store food group indexes increased over the last 12 months, including the indexes for other food at home (+4.9 percent) and meats, poultry, fish, and eggs (+4.2 percent). In contrast, the index for dairy and related products declined 4.4 percent over the past year and the index for cereals and bakery products declined 2.0 percent over the last 12 months.

Energy

The energy index rose 2.9 percent from December to February, reflecting increases in the natural gas (+10.3 percent), electricity (+2.2 percent), and gasoline (+1.7 percent) indexes.

The energy index advanced 3.6 percent for the 12 months ending in February, led by a 14.0-percent increase in the electricity index. The natural gas index also increased over the past year. In contrast, the index for gasoline declined 4.0 percent over the last 12 months.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 1.3 percent from December to February, led by a 1.6-percent increase in the shelter index. Within shelter, owners’ equivalent rent increased 1.2 percent and rent of primary residence increased 1.1 percent over the bi-monthly period. The index for apparel (+7.9 percent) was also among the indexes to increase from December to February.

The index for all items less food and energy advanced 3.2 percent for the 12 months ending in February. Shelter (+6.1 percent) was the largest contributor as owners’ equivalent (+6.4 percent) and rent of primary residence (+6.5 percent) continued to increase over the past year.

The Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell Consumer Price Index for April 2024 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. (ET).

Technical Note

The Consumer Price Index for Atlanta is published bi-monthly. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the average change in prices over time in a fixed market basket of goods and services. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes CPIs for two population groups: (1) a CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) which covers approximately 93 percent of the total U.S. population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers approximately 29 percent of the total U.S. population. The CPI-U includes, in addition to wage earners and clerical workers, groups such as professional, managerial, and technical workers, the self-employed, short-term workers, the unemployed, and retirees and others not in the labor force.

The CPI is based on prices of food, clothing, shelter, fuels, transportation fares, charges for doctors' and dentists' services, drugs, and the other goods and services that people buy for day-to-day living. Each month, prices are collected in 75 urban areas across the country from about 6,000 housing units and approximately 22,000 retail establishments—department stores, supermarkets, hospitals, filling stations, and other types of stores and service establishments. All taxes directly associated with the purchase and use of items are included in the index.

The index measures price changes from a designated reference date; for most of the CPI-U the reference base is 1982-84 equals 100. An increase of 7 percent from the reference base, for example, is shown as 107.000. Alternatively, that relationship can also be expressed as the price of a base period market basket of goods and services rising from $100 to $107. For further details see the CPI home page on the internet at www.bls.gov/cpi and the CPI section of the BLS Handbook of Methods available on the internet at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/cpi/.

In calculating the index, price changes for the various items in each location are averaged together with weights that represent their importance in the spending of the appropriate population group. Local data are then combined to obtain a U.S. city average. Because the sample size of a local area is smaller, the local area index is subject to substantially more sampling and other measurement error than the national index. In addition, local indexes are not adjusted for seasonal influences. As a result, local area indexes show greater volatility than the national index, although their long-term trends are quite similar. NOTE: Area indexes do not measure differences in the level of prices between cities; they only measure the average change in prices for each area since the base period.

The Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Core Based Statistical Area is comprised of Barrow, Bartow, Butts, Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Haralson, Heard, Henry, Jasper, Lamar, Meriwether, Morgan, Newton, Paulding, Pickens, Pike, Rockdale, Spalding, and Walton Counties in Georgia.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

ROSWELL, Ga. — The first question former IT Director Christopher Zack asked at the Roswell City Council open forum Oct. 30 was, why did the city’s financial director and purchasing manager quit within one week of one another?

Zack went on to ask questions about the turnover rate of staff, an organizational chart change and senior-level leadership.

At the open forum, City Administrator Randy Knighton said the “Reinvent Roswell” initiative involves an examination of the city’s policies and procedures; the organizational structure of staff; and internal and external communications.

Roswell to ‘reinvent’ in response to criticism

The City of Roswell government has undergone a change in leadership structure over the past year, according to interviews and documents obtained by Appen Media.

During the same time period, the personnel assigned to fill those positions has also shifted.

Former Deputy City Administrator Michael Fischer, who Communications Director Julie Brechbill named as a key proponent of the reorganization, left his position as deputy city manager after 14 years in March.

He has since joined the City of Lawrenceville in a similar role.

Rich Rhinehart was announced as Roswell’s chief operating officer April 11, a position that had previously not existed in the city’s organizational chart.

His assignment signaled the first hire of the new governance system, and Fischer’s the first departure.

Since August, the finance director, IT director, purchasing manager, community development director, community development deputy director, and the superintendent of parks have resigned.

The list does not include departures of lower-level staff and may exclude other senior-level roles.

Former Councilman Peter Vanstrom resigned in July.

Through an Open Records request Appen Media obtained 73 letters of resignations tendered by City of Roswell employees in 2023.

At the Oct. 30 open forum Former IT director Christopher Zack alluded to dissatisfaction with city operations as a motive for his resignation. It is unclear whether the other departures were for similar reasons.

Councilwoman Sarah Beeson said her work in the private sector overseeing operations for Oasis Consulting Services first drew her attention to senior-level departures from city staff.

“If that’s a larger question as to why, and if there’s a problem that needs to be solved,” Beeson said.

“I don’t think the resignations are a direct result of the reorganization, I think it’s a larger cultural issue that we’re looking to solve.”

Interviews, public documents and a review of city meetings plot a restructuring timeline that stretches into 2022.

Brechbill attributed the initiative to senior staff, namely Knighton and Fischer, who approached the mayor and councilmembers with a reorganization proposal in early 2023.

Knighton said the revision of the leadership structure began in fall 2022 when the city administrator and staff began reviewing the internal organization of the city.

Mayor Kurt Wilson also mentioned a reorganization at a Jan. 10 Administration, Finance and Recreation committee meeting.

“The greater piece is that the reorganization of our government that’s going to occur is to try to find the greatest efficiencies in every respect,” Mayor Wilson said.

He used the decision of whether to purchase or lease reel mowers as an example of a decision that “should probably be in the hands of whatever agency we create inside the government,” instead of each department handling the process.

Later that night the topic came back up, this time in reference to proposed changes to the Unified Development Code.

Appen Media asked Randy Knighton whether reorganization may have led to the recent departures of senior-level staff.

“No, absolutely not,” Knighton said. “[We] are proud that the organization has developed leaders that are attractive to both the public and private sectors.”

The review process sought to improve efficiency in service delivery; to increase direct lines of communication; develop leadership authority and decision-making; and to ensure the delivery of bond projects, Knighton said.

With positions like chief financial officer and IT director vacant heading into the holiday season, it’s not clear if the “Reinvent Roswell” initiative is delivering on its goals.

There are 27 full-time job openings for city staff positions, ranging from high-level administrative positions to equipment operators in public works.

Some of the high-level openings include chief financial officer, who also serves as an assistant city administrator for internal services, and assistant city manager for economic and community development.

Those positions are two of the four new titles featured on the city’s revised organizational chart, obtained by Appen Media through an Open Records request.

In addition to the assistant city administrators, the city has added the roles of deputy city administrator for utilities, infrastructure and facilities, and a deputy city administrator for community services.

The four new spots will oversee the city’s individual department heads.

The deputy city administrator for utilities, infrastructure and facilities is Sharon Izzo, and the deputy city administrator for community services is Jeffrey Leatherman.

Prior to October 2023, Leatherman served as the recreation, parks, and historical and cultural affairs director, and Izzo served as the environmental and public works director.

The restructuring also reclassifies the former deputy city administrator position into a chief operating officer, now held by Rich Rhinehart.

For the last ten years the City of Roswell has included the organizational chart in the first few pages of its annual budget. It is absent from the 2024 report.

Communications Director Julie Brechbill said the chart was removed because city staff was focused on the change from priority-based to zero-based budgeting.

While priority-based budgeting starts with the previous year’s budget and directs available funds to preferred programs, zero-based budgeting generally starts from scratch each year and analyzes all expenditures in a department.

The result was an intense budgeting process, which involved city staff immersing themselves in the new budgeting method, Brechbill said.

Brechbill also said the organization chart was included in previous annual budget reports to qualify for the Government Finance Officer Association’s award, which the city did not apply for this year.

Elements of the reorganization were approved by virtue of the fact the council voted to fund it in the 2024 budget to pay for its implementation, she said.

When the council voted Aug. 15 to appropriate $2.2 million in funding for reorganization in this year’s budget, the purpose was to increase efficiency and restructure the city government into a more service-oriented organization, Brechbill said.

At the time the appropriation was framed as a formality, intended to account for changes that had already taken place. Speaking at a committee meeting that day then-Director of Finance Ryan Luckett introduced the amendment as a measure “to recognize some changes and reorganizations that have happened,” during the quarter.

Brechbill said internal reorganizations are nothing new.

Senior staff proposed one under Mayor Lori Henry, but the effort failed to draw adequate council support, Brechbill said.

City Administrator Knighton was also asked about whether the changes to some administrative titles signaled a for-profit business approach to government.

“I have not heard from any critics of administrative titles or ‘a business approach to government,’ so I cannot speak specifically to the question,” Knighton said.

The next Roswell City Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 27 at 7 p.m.

Lights, camera, action: Roswell, GA, is not just a popular place for movie makers but also for residents who want a happily-ever-after setting to call home. This sought-after Atlanta suburb is one of the best places to live in the U.S. because of its historic charm, welcoming neighbors, strong economy and nationally recognized health care facilities, including WellStar North Fulton Hospital, Emory Clinic and Piedmont health care. The city also has several top-rated public schools, making it a good choice for families with children.

While jet setters and business commuters appreciate that one of the world’s busiest airports, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, is close by, there’s loads of fun to be had close to home. For example, Roswell hosts annual festivals celebrating everything from lavender to Monarch butterflies. There’s even a homemade ice cream social in August with volunteer “crankers” making more than 100 varieties. Locals also love coming together on summer nights for Reels and Wheels, an outdoor movie showing with food trucks providing the snacks.

Roswell’s prime location near the Chattahoochee River means the city offers plenty of things to do for outdoor enthusiasts. Roswell also has a burgeoning craft beer scene, and you can enjoy a cold pint after a day floating on the Chattahoochee River. Roswell also has a thriving arts and culture scene, and the city is home to several art galleries, theaters and museums.

How We Calculate Our Data

Roswell ranks highest for economy, amenities and transportation.

Weather and Outdoor Activities in Roswell, GA

Things To Do in Roswell, GA

The Local and State Economy in Roswell, GA

With a strong economy, top-rated public schools and a thriving arts and culture scene, Roswell is one of only two Georgia cities to be named a Top 100 best place to live. Read more about Roswell and learn why you should consider moving to Georgia. If you’re interested in the region, check out the 25 top places to live in the Southeast.