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SECTION A: VOL. 27 NO. 13
The Official Legal Organ ofDeKalb County, GA. Serving East Atlanta, Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Clarkston, Decatur, Doraville, Dunwoody, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Tucker, Stonecrest and Stone Mountain.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 28-OCT. 4
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PAGE 2A
DeKalb schools to make up days through 20 minute extension
BY R. SCOTT BELZER
sbelzer@dekalbchamp.com
DeKalb County School
District (DCSD) announced its
plan to make up days missed
during Hurricane Irma on Sept.
22.
"In order to recapture
precious instructional time
lost due to Hurricane Irma, the
DeKalb County School District
(DCSD) will extend its school
day by 20 minutes, Monday
through Friday, beginning
Monday, Oct. 2,2017, through
the end of the first semester
on Wednesday, Dec. 20,2017,"
reads the announcement.
In addition, DCSD schools
► SEE SCHOOL ON PAGE 5A
County touts water
billing progress,
residents beg to differ
BY HORACE HOLLOMAN
horace@dekalbchamp.com
DECATUR SCHOOLS
DOUBLE DOWN ON
TRANSGENDER POLICY
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H ours ahead of a Sept. 25 water billing
update meeting at the Maloof Building
in downtown Decatur, county officials
stated DeKalb has made "substantial progress"
in resolving some of the issues which led to
residents receiving costly water bills.
According to the county, approximately
27,500 of the 37,000 unverified water bills have
been released since April 2017. DeKalb County
CEO Michael Thurmond said the county's water
billing customer service center has improved as
well.
The number of calls the customer service
center receives dropped by 40 percent
compared to the same time period last year,
the average call wait time is estimated to be 40
seconds and 75 percent of calls are answered
within 60 seconds, according to DeKalb County
press release.
"We continue to make significant progress
toward developing a world-class 21st century
water system,"Thurmond said. "Much work still
needs to be done and we are committed to an
open public process."
The update was the fourth countywide public
meeting on water billing issues since Thurmond
was elected as DeKalb's CEO.
While county officials said progress is being
made, some residents voiced their frustration
at the public update meeting. One resident said
the meeting was more of "the same song with a
different beat."
Brookhaven resident Corey Sechler, 33,
a lifelong DeKalb County resident, said he's
tired of dealing with high water bills. Sechler,
who said he lives with his mother to help her
during a recovery process, said his mom's water
meter is the same age as his older brother—
approximately 38 years.
"[DeKalb County] told us the last time our
► SEE WATER ON PAGE 5A
DeKalb County officials held a fourth water billing update meeting at the Maloof building on Sept. 25.
During a Sept. 25 meeting to discuss water billing issues, DeKalb residents asked CEO Michael
Thurmond questions about their bills.
