Meeting Minutes – February 12, 2020
AGENDA
Opening Remarks/Introductions
Moment of silence
Approval of Agenda
Approval of Minutes
Chair Report
Reimplement some of the initiatives from the 2019 Retreat.
Fulton County 2020 Budget Hearings re: Entitlement Grant. Terry Ross statement due to
the great response of 117 people who came to speak and 200+ residents Gave up entitlement community for block community grants for infrastructure and homelessness, trying to reverse that decision
Rebranding – Remarketing – new website and emails
New legislature on the NPU that has been presented recommending that 20 NPU’s should not be affected by the behavior of five not following the rules
Reports from City Departmental Representatives
APD Zone 1 & 4: Major Collier new major of Zone 1 404-275-9387 kcollier@atlantaga.gov there are currently 140 recruits in training. Pressing issues thefts from items still being left in car. Love my Community 7am – 7pm call 311 February 14 – 28th first come first serve basis. Issue with officers please advise.
Zone 4; Lt. Scheck Homicide at the barber shop in January an arrest was made on Monday. 807 Juvenile shootings near Auto Zone appears fighting for territory. Bike Squad has been initiated near Krispy Kreme and MLK corridor. Be mindful of items in car and cars running
Atlanta Fire – Battalion Chief Tony Terrell New items 30 new recruits graduated 100 in training academy now 35 at Atlanta Tech. Training for Atlanta Fire Dept is 11 months. Continue caution when using space heaters and only plug in wall
Marta – Be mindful of phones in hands and surroundings when riding the train. Don’t We love our riders for Valentines Day giving away candy. Don’t forget to use the See n Say App
Public Works – 404-8954453 Reminders on Bulk Collection to call and schedule pickups at 31. Be mindful of non-recycling items in the Blue container they will not be collected. 100 Bulk schedules per day. 475 East Ontario was an eviction that the furniture is sitting outside. Evictions are not the responsibility of bulk collection but the property owner. However, will check on this case.
Watershed Management – Ms. Brown aibrown@atlantaga.gov 404-546-3230 – Project to clean and maintain the retention pond to start mid-February completed by May 2020. Storm Water Upgrades go to Watershed Website. March 24th to vote on MOST which is municipal option sales tax. It is a vote for assisting with water and sewer improvements. Penny tax already paying coming up for vote. Questions: What is remedy if infrastructure is collapsed and not just filled with deris as in Westview ANS: They are supposed to repair. Dean Rusk Project will start next week once begin the infrastructure work and find issues will work to repair to eliminate flooding issues within the City. Will provide updates on MOST projects next month Penny tax already paying and this vte is a reissuing of that tax to continue repairs
COA 311 Call Center Representative – Open Monday – Friday 7am – 7pm. Have a 311 app, FB, Instagram, and Twitter. Offering tracking and accountability for the COA. Question: How are concerns being forwarded to GDOT? ANS: It is something right now taking the feedback to find solution for a something that is a much larger issue What is turn around tie for reporting issues? ANS: You can provide a picture to help provide more clarity of what the actual issues. 1495 RDA has been reported since last year and no resolution or since of urgency has been given to this issue. ANS: Will address offline
Zone 1 & 4 Prosecutors – Shari Jones & Brandon Thomas – Conviction Integrity Unit has been initiated looking at past convictions and sentencing to see if commutes can be made. 461 Nelson Street March 26th Zone 1 office opening, free hair cutting for homeless. Both prosecutors have moved in the areas of Zone 1 and 4. Funding by Natalie Hall for Level 1 Program to assist at risk youth
Code Enforcement – Proposal for properties with junk vehicles is to have tow companies come tow the cars away right now the contract only permit for two tows per week. Only two a week total are contracted to be done. Rental properties have certain specks for boarding, or it will result in a violation. Register vacant properties. Boarding Houses are registered within the City or in violation
Planner’s Report
Matters for Vote/Review and Comment (See attachment)
Comments from Elected Officials
Council Brown Office – Celebrated unveiling of mural on Joseph Boone honoring Boone and Ivory Young. NPU legislation some NPU’s are not ran as well, also want to increase
engagement and attendance to make it work better based on the feedback that community will provide to help improve this system Created in 1974 and needs some due diligence in upgrading want to include a few foundational items due to disenfranchisement, how to handle grievances, will take a few months. Look at the recommendations of the community, and rewrite and come back to community before legislation goes up for vote Question: Misstep that the legislation was put up before coming to the community? ANS: Agree to misstep but trying to make
Lyndon Green would like to see a budget allowance for put in the new legislation for NPU’s to do greater work, to see the work that is being done and how a budget would help improve that even more, this should not be inclusive of APBAB budget but additional funding that would sustain throughout the year that will allow more to be done for individual communities and the City.
Counsel Cleta Winslow
Introduced newest staff person Demetrius previously worked for Commissioner Ivory Young
Planning Department has put together a map with the development being done within the NPU distributed to all in attendance
District 4 is the hottest District in Atlanta over the Next 5 – 10 years over half billion dollars in investments coming. Morehouse $55million at Lee & I- 20development project is currently in construction along with many more attracted developers coming. Zaxby’s is now in the area after 8 years of convincing. Another new restaurant Slim & Husky’s Pizza will be coming to corner of Wells & Northside Dr.
Parks & Greenspace Conference coming up March 20th would like to sponsor two individuals from NPU-T to attend
Thanks to those that attended West End LCI Beltline Meetings/Study last year making it helping when talking to developers to ensure community voice of what you would like to see is being heard and implemented
Small Business Loan Fund is in place for businesses already in business. Information is still being pulled together and will be shared
Commissioner Natalie Hall –
Four Commissioners voted to relinquish the Entitlement Grant Funding (Hud Housing Grants, Neighborhood Stabilization, Redevelopment, helps with Affordable Housing) because it is too much many to manage. Robb Ellis sponsored the legislation, Robb Pitts, Lee Morris, Liz Houseman, also voted. Over 200 residents came to the January meeting to voice their opinion with 117 speaking, which help this to make the news and showed that residents are watching and concerned. Legislation to repeal failed, but have Concerned Black Clergy, 100 Black Men, Urban League helping to try to get this repealed. Task Force has been created and consistently watching to try to help work in this situation. Still unknown if the letter has been submitted to follow through on this legislation. Meeting with Hud Reginal Director for further assistance in this matter.
HIV Aides funding campaign money is needed
Dental Travel Unit funding is needed for our youth
Tax Assessors Office representative present to forward information to those need
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Calvin Brock is Chief of Staff can reach him to get items before Commissioner Hall
9. Committee Reports
Zoning & Land Use – Walter Slaton
Transportation- Alan Babiliński – Marta Board Meeting is scheduled tomorrow, 02/13/2020 will be attending. Marta held a transit equity day last Tuesday, unveiled plan to survey as many of the 9,000+ bus stops looking at things like trash cans, benches, crossing, etc. Can go to busstopcensus.com to complete a survey, provided feedback, or submit picture on condition of bus stops in your area and what can be done for improvement. Still awaiting letter confirming no name name of stations
Public Safety- Kon Maiwan – Public Safety Forum will be held for Zone 1 and Zone 4 separately. Working to include support as possible, will also be including a short Court Watch during the forum. Inviting elected officials, Zone Commanders and Majors are already onboard will be meeting with them as planning continues. Prior to forum you will receive a survey via for your feedback on public safety in your specific community. Have completed Citizen Police Academy, applications are still be accepted for upcoming class.
Education- Sharifa Jackson – Facilities Masterplan Meetings are upcoming, next one
February 19 at King Middle and February 20. Final Draft of strategic plan will be posted to
APS website in March. The hiring of new Superintendent will be aligned with what is in that
plan to ensure implementation is a primary goal. Booker T. Washington is having a Blood
Drive February 14 , 9 – 12pm.
10. Presentations
West End LCI - Department of City Planning: Jessica Lavandier/Beltline Subarea 1 Masterplan: Whitney Fuller – Grant was received to update the 2001 LCI and four public meetings were held. The final executive summary report is now available. Still want more development around Marta Stations, connectivity to Beltline. Will be back next month asking NPU for support of the comprehensive development plan. Would like to know how they can help us understand the plan through a meeting or video/audio summary or combination of both. Working together with the Beltline and the City. Contact Info: wfuller@atlbeltline.org. Full West End LCI report is located in a link sent in your emails. Wendy will forward Subarea Report which will also be emailed to you
Atlanta Public Schools (APS) District 12 Board Member: Aretta Baldon aretta.baldon@atlanta.k12.ga.us – Serving on Audit Committee and Facilities Master Planning analysis of infrastructure and facilities 02/19 King Middle School Meeting. Strategic Planning is also in process. Still looking for Superintendent with a July start date On APS website there is a draft of the Strategic Plan. Change Columbus Day to Indigenous People Day. Survey online for the 2020-21 School Calendar. Looking for Principal for Douglas High School. Go Teams local teams recruiting declare candidacy online. Kipp has submitted intention of expanding their high school level by adding 200 seats to their 9th grade. Comments can be made to Kipp Metro Board. Still multiple steps from that becoming a reality. First Monday of the Month is for Board Meetings Also hosting community conversation meetings Open to conversations about what s best for all of our children
Zaxby’s: Chankeydria Dunn, Field Marketing Specialist – Opened on January 13th and interested in partnering within the community for fundraisers, events, community meetings. Open and willing to embrace new opportunities/ideas benefitting the community.
Friendship Baptist Church: Sam Young & Lloyd Hawk – Located at Martin Luther King and Northside Drive in negotiations with a national grocery store to come to area. Renovation of Morris Brown Gym. Process of bringing in a new planning team with a few more planning work for this project. Established goals for the mix use goals for the community and number one is housing for range of income levels. Also focused on education that is inclusive of vocational training, business ownership, and economic development. NPU will be invited to the planning meetings that will be forthcoming
11. Announcements
Urban Design Awards will be coming up. See note at end of Agenda for detailed st information. Deadline for submission is March 31 .
Community Block Grant –
Out of eight neighborhoods within NPU-T only four neighborhoods presented Westview, WEND, Beecher-Donnally, Ashview Heights
Motion made to submit all of the four for the Block Grant. And Seconded
Favor 14 Oppose 0 Abstentions 0
Motion Carries
12. Adjournment – 9:13PM
The Design Awards are an opportunity for the public to nominate a project, place, program or person that is making Atlanta a better place to live, work or play. There are two types of awards the public can submit nominations for: The Awards of Excellence and the Community Design Awards. The Awards of Excellence are physical projects, programs, and sometimes people located in the city of Atlanta that have improved the city’s physical character. The Community Design Awards are projects, programs, or people who have worked to make the city or a neighborhood a better place to live. Submission deadlines are March 18th for Awards of Excellence and March 31st for the Community Design Awards. If you have questions, please contact Doug Young in the Office of Design at dyoung@atlantaga.gov or 404-330-6702.
