Newspaper Page Text
LOCAL
THURSDAY, MAY 31 - JUNE 6, 2018 • Page 4
Decatur responds to
‘sanctuary city’ claims
BY HORACE HOLLOMAN
horace@dekalbchamp.com
Two Republican candidates battling to be
Georgias next governor made Decatur the focal
point of their political campaign.
Lt. Governor Casey Cagle and then-
Republican candidate Michael Williams both
accused Decatur of being a “sanctuary city.”
A sanctuary city is a city in the United
States that follows certain procedures that
shelter illegal immigrants.
Cagle’s accusations included filing a
complaint with the Georgia Immigration
Enforcement Review Board.
Decatur officials held a press conference
to refute the sanctuary city claims. Decatur
Mayor Patti Garrett said the claims were
“absurd.”
“What we’ve been saying over and over
and over again is that we are not a sanctuary
city and we have no intention of being a
sanctuary city,” Garrett said. “That message
has gone unheard and the result is one of the
most bizarre legal proceedings imaginable.”
The Georgia Immigration Enforcement
Review Board said May 19 that Decatur
violated state law when it said it would not
detain illegal immigrants without a judicial
warrant.
The issue started when Decatur codified
a long-standing practice by its police force.
According to Decatur Police policy, “Decatur
Police Department shall not arrest, hold,
extend the detention of, transfer custody of,
or transport anyone solely on the basis of an
immigration detainer or an administrative
immigration warrant, including an
administrative immigration warrant in the
National Crime Information Center (NCIC)
database. Any officer that violates the general
order will be subject to disciplinary action.”
Garrett said the timing of the review board’s
decision was questionable because, according
to her, the review board emailed its decision
to media outlets on a Saturday, days before the
primary election May 22.
“We’re not a sanctuary city, despite the
That message has
gone unheard and
the result is one of
the most bizarre
legal proceedings
imaginable.
conclusion of two of the seven members of the
Immigration Enforcement Review,” Garrett said.
Decatur Police Chief Mike Booker said the
city’s detention policy is in compliance with
state and constitutional law.
“I’d like to invite Casey Cagle to visit me and
share a cup of coffee and have a discussion,”
Booker said. “Come on down to Decatur and
let’s talk, not as adversaries in this process,
but as two people committed to better, safer
communities for all.”
DeKalb County Public Library announced the “Fine-Free Summer” program for
children’s and teen’s materials.
DeKalb library approves
‘fine-free summer’
BY CARLA PARKER
carla@dekalbchamp.com
Children and teenagers for the next three months can check
out books and other material from DeKalb County libraries
without the risk of fines if the materials are not returned by the
due date.
DeKalb County Public Library announced the “Fine-Free
Summer” program, which applies to materials only in the
children’s and teen’s collections. The program begins June 1
and ends Aug. 31. Library Director Alison Weissinger said she
wants parents and caregivers to encourage their children to read
and enjoy library resources all summer.
“We know children lose ground in academics over the
summer break,” Weissinger said. "We want to take away any
barrier to children and teens having books to read and enjoy
over the summer. We just ask that items are returned to the
library in a timely manner, so others may enjoy them.”
Library officials said fees will still be assessed on lost or
damaged items.
“The primary purpose of the library is to get books in the
hands of children,” Weissinger said. “We want to provide easy
access to our materials at a time when children and teens need
them the most. We know families are busy in the summer and
this is one more way we can help kids read while school is out.”
Brookhaven names Maurice Trebuchon to manage PCG construction
Brookhaven City Council
May 22 approved a contract
with Maurice Trebuchon for
project management services
for the Peachtree Creek
Greenway project.
Assistant City Manager
Steve Chapman said
Trebuchon will be coordinating
the various firms working on
the project.
“He’ll be making sure we
have steady progress and
making sure the project gets
completed in a timely basis,”
Chapman said.
Peachtree Creek Greenway
is a 2.8-mile multi-modal
transportation corridor
that is expected to connect
Brookhaven with Chamblee,
Maurice Trebuchon
Doraville, Atlanta and to the
Atlanta BeltLine. Brookhaven
city spokesperson Burke
Brennan said the city will pay
Trebuchon an estimated $150
an hour and the project is
expected to take 10-20 hours of
his time a week.
Previously, Trebuchon was
executive in residence, Georgia
Tech H. Milton Stewart
School of ISyE, and partner/
Vice President, IBM Global
Business Services. Trebuchon
said at the meeting that he is
retired and has spent his time
since retirement as an adjunct
professor at Georgia Tech and
has led a capital campaign
for a fraternal organization at
Georgia Tech.
“I’m very excited about the
opportunity to get involved
[with the Peachtree Creek
Greenway,]” Trebuchon said.
“In my 28 years of consulting,
I’ve led many complex
transformational programs for
large global companies... I’m
excited to take my skills I’ve
developed in the private sector
and apply it to this project.”
Trebuchon said he has
no prior experience in the
public sector. Chapman
said Trebuchon met with
Brookhaven Public Works
Director Hari Karikaran as
part of the vetting process,
calling Karikaran “probably
our premier project manager
in city government right now.”
“It was important for them
to be able to hit it off and to see
eye to eye,” Chapman said. “So,
I feel very comfortable with the
recommendation today.”
According to the Peachtree
Creek Greenway master plan
the project will include a
series of nature trails, paved
multi-purpose trails and paved
promenade trails.
“The Peachtree Creek
Greenway project is the
largest, most strategic
project in the history of
Brookhaven,” Brookhaven city
councilmember Joe Gebbia
said in a statement from the
city. “Brookhaven will be well-
served by having a dedicated
helmsman leading this ship of
progress.”