Newspaper Page Text
LOCAL
THURSDAY, JULY 5- 11, 2018 • Page 2
Decatur won the All-America City award during a presentation in Denver, Colo. June 25.
Decatur recognized
as All-America City
BY HORACE HOLLOMAN
horace@dekalbchamp.com
Decatur is one of 10 cities
selected by the National Civic
League (NCL) to receive this
years All-America City (AAC)
award.
Cities chosen to receive
the AAC award were required
to demonstrate community
wide work on equity and civic
engagement, according to NCL
officials.
The winners were
announced June 25 during a
ceremony in Denver, Co.
Other cities recognized
for the 2018 AAC award were
Springdale, Ariz.; Stockton,
Calif.; Longmont, Colo.; Las
Vegas, Nev.; Charlotte, S.C.;
Kershaw County, S.C.; Mount
Pleasant, S.C.; El Paso, Texas;
and San Antonio, Texas.
“I am really proud of
our city. At a time when
much public deliberation is
acrimonious, it is especially
significant to be recognized for
the efforts the city has made
and is continuing to make with
inclusive civic engagement,”
said Decatur Mayor Patti
Garrett.
Cities were required to
submit three community-wide
projects demonstrating equity
and civic engagement.
“Our presentation was
pretty awesome,” Garrett
said. “The initiatives that
we highlighted—the Better
Together Process, Community
Policing efforts and the I Am
Decatur portrait/story project
were all strong evidence
of Decatur’s commitment
to equity, inclusive civic
engagement.”
Decatur Communications
Specialist Renae Madison also
serves as the staff liaison for
the Better Together Process.
Madison said the initiative
developed through a series
of community conversations
regarding what makes Decatur
different.
In 2015, approximately 800
residents combined for more
than 1,300 hours to create the
Better Together Community
Action Plan for Equity,
Inclusion and Engagement,
Madison said.
“Community engagement
is a large part of what makes
our city great,” Madison
said. “This community-led,
government supported effort
to build deeper connection,
understanding and mutual
respect among the Decatur
community is an extra step
to make sure that all of our
residents are engaged and
informed.”
Madison said she’s proud
Decatur was recognized with
an AAC award.
“We embrace our
differences and encourage our
community to be involved,
not just with this project, but
all the time. We truly believe
that we are better together,”
Madison said.
Decatur officials also
presented various programs,
including community policing
initiatives.
“We were quite recognizable
wearing our Decatur ‘soccer
scarves’ Representatives from
other cities stopped us to
tell us how much they liked
our informative, but clever
presentation of our initiatives,
plans and projects. It was
truly an honor to represent
Decatur—a highlight for
me as mayor of Decatur,”
Garrett said. “I could not be
any prouder of the small but
mighty group that made the
presentation of our city as a
whole.”
City council gives go-ahead for
eminent domain acquisition
BY DEREK SMITH
derek@dekalbchamp.com
Brookhaven City Council
at its June 28 meeting gave
the go-ahead to use eminent
domain to acquire more
land for the Peachtree Creek
Greenway.
Brookhaven City Attorney
Chris Balch told city council
the right-of-way acquisition
of easement between 3183
and 3247 Buford Highway is
necessary if the city wants to
break ground on the Peachtree
Creek Greenway this fall.
City officials have appraised
the property at nearly $1.23
million. Balch said he made
an offer of the appraised value
on June 20 to property owners
Sabra Property Management
but received no response.
The Peachtree Creek
Greenway is a series of nature
trails, paved multi-purpose
paved trails, and paved
promenade trails which
will connect Brookhaven’s
portion into the 12.3-mile
Peachtree Creek Trail project
from Mercer University in
unincorporated DeKalb to the
PATH400 trail and the South
Fork Conservancy Trails. It
also will connect Brookhaven
with Chamblee, Doraville,
Atlanta and to the Atlanta
BeltLine.
Brookhaven officials
attempted in June 2017 to
acquire land on Briarwood
Road for the trail through
eminent domain but were
denied by a DeKalb County
Superior Court judge. The
city then agreed with the
landowner to buy the land
with $2 million Brookhaven
had acquired in a deal with
Children’s Healthcare of
Atlanta.
Brookhaven City Manager
Christian Sigman said the city
hopes to settle this latest filing
for eminent domain in the
coming weeks.
In May, city officials
announced the new
Brookhaven public safety
building would be built along
the greenway on Briarwood
Road. The $12 million facility
will be built adjacent to the
trailhead of the multi-modal
transportation corridor
and will serve as the home
to the Brookhaven Police
Department, the municipal
court and the emergency
operations center.
Also in May, Maurice
Trebuchon was named to
head the project. Trebuchon
will oversee and coordinate
the stakeholders and vendors
through completion of the
construction phase, according
to city officials.
City officials plan to break
ground on the project in the
fall and hope the trail will
become a tourist destination.
Mayor elected to GMA board of directors
BY CARLA PARKER
carla@dekalbchamp.com
Lithonia Mayor Deborah
Jackson is a member of the
Georgia Municipal Association
(GMA) Board of Directors.
Jackson was elected to the
board of directors June 24
during GMA’s annual meeting
in Savannah. GMA officials
said Jackson will serve an at-
large position on the board.
“We are pleased to have
Mayor Jackson serve in this
leadership position,” GMA
Executive Director Larry
Hanson said in a statement.
“She’s well respected by her
colleagues and provides
excellent guidance to the GMA
Board of Directors.”
Jackson
GMA is a voluntary,
non-profit organization that
provides legislative advocacy,
educational, employee benefit
and technical assistance
services to its 521-member
cities.