Here’s a roundup of some of the things your local elected officials and representatives are doing this week.
Chamblee wants to hear from you about redistricting
Chamblee residents are invited to join City Manager Jon Walker in a discussion regarding the upcoming redistricting on March 3 at 5:30 PM. To register for the Zoom meeting, visit bit.ly/chambleeredistrictingmeeting.
If you are unable to join, complete the feedback form at bit.ly/2022chambleeredistricting or email your questions to info@chambleega.gov.
Submitted questions will be addressed during the March 3 meeting.
Additionally, there will be an in-person meeting on March 15 at 6:30 PM in the Public Safety Building (4445 Buford Highway).
Lowndes County Board of Commissioners head to Jekyll Island for planning
The Lowndes County Board of Commissioners will hold their annual planning meeting on Jekyll Island February 23 through 25 at the Jekyll Island Hotel, Pulitzer Board Room, 371 Riverview Drive, Jekyll Island. The planning meeting will begin on Wednesday, February 23 at 1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. and will resume Thursday, February 24 at 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. The annual planning meeting will wrap up on Friday, February 25 with the meeting beginning at 8:30 a.m. and ending at 1:00 p.m.
The purpose of the annual planning meeting is to discuss vision, goals, and direction for the future of Lowndes County. Agenda items to be discussed include facility projects (SPLOST & non-SPLOST), utilities, Local Option Sales Tax, road improvement projects, zoning, criminal justice, Unified Land Development Code and more. The items being presented have been selected by the commissioners and will be prioritized during their discussion.
The annual planning meeting is open to citizens. In addition, staff will release a synopsis of discussions that will be posted on the county’s website, www.lowndescounty.com. Any official actions on items will take place at a future public meeting of the Board of Commissioners.
As in past years, the intent is to provide an environment in which elected officials can come together without distraction to strategically address community needs and set goals for the next year. The timing of the annual planning meeting is in accordance with the beginning of the budget process each year.
Daily updates will be posted online, www.lowndescounty.com. In response to COVID-19, social distancing guidelines will be observed.
Roswell leaders take a hard look at city plans
Roswell’s mayor and city council spent last weekend in Greenville, South Carolina on a planned retreat.
One of the exercises that mayor, council and staff accomplished during the retreat was to review and discuss more than 40 City of Roswell plans, dating back 10 years, which cost more than $4 million. Some of the plans that were reviewed and updated included Roswell’s Strategic Plan, Organizational and Cultural Assessment, Pay and Classification Study, Public Arts Master Plan, the GIS Strategic Implementation Plan, River Parks Master Plan, the Strategic Economic Development Plan, the Transportation Master Plan, and several other plans pertaining to Recreation and Parks.
Roswell City Administrator Randy Knighton said the sessions were very productive. “The retreat really enhanced the working relationship between Mayor, Council and staff,” said Knighton. “Staff understands the direction and expectations of Mayor and Council, and we are all excited to move forward working as a team.”
According to city officials, Greenville is considered a model of success in terms of downtown revitalization and has been a popular planning destination for many local government organizations. The retreat also gave Roswell leaders an opportunity learn more about the transformational work Greenville’s Mayor, city officials, residents, and community partners have accomplished over the past few decades.
Brookhaven wants your input on Dresden Drive
City officials in Brookhaven are asking residents to participate in a virtual public forum for the Dresden Drive Intersection Improvement Analysis on Thursday, March 3, from 7 to 8 p.m. Following an initial virtual forum on July 13, and an open house at City Hall on Sept. 29, the information presented during this meeting is part of a revised approach to the project after receiving feedback from the community.
- What: Dresden Drive Intersection Improvement Study Update
- When: Thursday, March 3, 7 to 8 p.m.
- Where: Via Zoom – Visit https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87877584812 to attend the meeting, ask questions and provide feedback. The meeting will also be broadcast on the City’s Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/BrookhavenGAGov
- Why: Learn about and provide feedback on new data collected and assumptions
The project team will present newly collected data, assumptions about all potential and planned developments along the Dresden Drive corridor, and give an overview of the approach to the analysis.
For more information about the study and to view preliminary information related to newly collected data and assumptions, please visit the City’s website at https://www.brookhavenga.gov/publicworks/page/dresden-drive-intersection-improvement-study
DeKalb board of elections to meet March 10
The DeKalb Board of Registration and Elections meeting for the purpose of conducting its normal monthly business will be held on Thursday, March 10, at 4:30 p.m.
This meeting will be conducted via Zoom. Simultaneous public access to the meeting will be available via livestream on DCTV’s UStream channel at https://video.ibm.com/channel/dctv-channel-23.
To make a public comment, join via Zoom: https://dekalbcountyga.zoom.us/j/97184078303 or dial in via phone toll free at 888-270-9936 and use conference code: 171493.
Public comments of two minutes or less may be made live via the teleconference. For those joining the meeting by telephone, please be aware that phone numbers may be displayed to the public viewing or participating in the online meeting. Citizens who attend the meeting via the Zoom link above may join the public comment queue by raising their hand in the Zoom application, while citizens who attend the meeting via telephone may join the comment queue by pressing # followed by 2. There will be no comment cards, so when called upon, citizens are asked to state their name and address for the record. Also, please be conscious of speaking time so that everyone has an opportunity to provide input in the allotted time. Abusive, profane, or derogatory language will not be permitted.
Avondale Estates Mayor and City Manager will speak at men’s club
The Avondale Men’s Club will return almost two full years after its last meeting. The meeting will be held at the Avondale Community Club where there is plenty of space for social distancing. Pizza and salad from Avondale Pizza will be provided. There will be no charge for this meeting.
Mayor Jonathan Elmore and City Manager Patrick Bryant will provide an update on the city, the new town green and other topics of interest to the community.
Only those who are fully vaccinated may attend. This policy will be evaluated on a month-by-month basis.
Have ideas for future meetings? If you are interested in speaking or know of someone who might be willing to talk to the club, please contact Harry Vann.
In The Know: While much attention is given to national politics and the workings of Congress and the White House, local government meetings are where the decisions that impact your daily life are made. City Council, County Commission, School Board Meetings, and Town Halls are where your elected leaders discuss and decide the issues that most effect your family and your community. These meetings are open to the public.
Each week, The Georgia Sun highlights some of the meetings and local government actions you need to know about in your community to keep you informed and to make sure you know what decisions your elected officials are considering and how your tax dollars are being spent.
