UPDATE 11:19 a.m. Tuesday: ADDS Forest Park Neighborhood Watch reinstated Wed. 6p at 320 Cash Memorial Blvd.

UPDATE 4:59 p.m. Monday: Riverdale city clerk says no quorum, so meeting is cancelled but public hearings still on

CORRECTION 6:30 p.m.: The Georgia Municipal Association will hold 6690 Church Street until the debt is paid off, then the city will buy it back; Wonderful Foundations would buy the DuBois Charter School using out-of-state bond money.

by Robin Kemp

Ramadan Kareem to those who celebrate, and welcome back to those Clayton County Public School students who return to the classroom this morning! We’ve got a busy week ahead, so get out your calendar and take note of these dates:

6 p.m. public hearing on selling the Public Safety Building
7 p.m. on public hearing for an Oregon nonprofit, Wonderful Foundations, to buy the DuBois Integrity Academy charter school using out-of-state bond money.
  • 12 p.m.: A special called meeting of the Clayton County Civil Service Board will take up a continuation of a termination appeal by Marquitra Key, who was terminated from Juvenile Court on June 28.
  • 6 p.m.: The Riverdale City Council was scheduled to hold its business meeting but the city clerk says there is no quorum, so the meeting was cancelled Monday but two public hearings WILL happen as scheduled. On the agenda: the discussion and approval for the appointment of a new Ward 1 Councilmember, who will be sworn in by Judge Wanda Dallas. Former Ward 1 Councilmember Cynthia Stamps-Jones submitted a letter of resignation during March 24 impeachment proceedings. Two public hearings are on the agenda–one at the other at 6 p.m. for a multiyear lease of the building at 6690 Church Street, which the city would sell to GMA until the debt is paid off, then buy it back tax-free; the other at 7 p.m. that would give permission to an Oregon nonprofit company, Wonderful Foundations, to buy the DuBois Charter School using out-of-state bond money.
  • 6 p.m.: The Jonesboro City Council is holding its regular meeting–but only via Zoom this week, citing COVID-19 (here’s Gov. Brian Kemp’s executive order rolling back prohibitions on public gatherings as of April 8). On the agenda is the annexation into the city limits of a property where My Myloor Group, LLC wants to put a liquor store in Hwy. 138 just off Tara Boulevard. Councilwoman Tracey Messick had expressed concerns about the business. There will be a public hearing on that matter, as well as on a proposal to add a “City Center Mixed-Use District” to the city zoning laws. The city also plans to update the zoning map. You can join the Zoom meeting at https://bit.ly/3dUpwTf (meeting ID is 214-823-7355) or call in at (929) 205-6099 with the same meeting ID

Tuesday, April 13

  • 5:30 p.m.: The Clayton County Board of Commissioners Work Session will discuss preliminary items for next wee’s meeting, including zoning matters, as well as discuss the following:
    • MOU with Georgia State University’s BE WITH program
    • Voluntary benefits renewal
    • Commissioner Felicia Franklin will discuss Pointe South Apartments in terms of “Blighted Communities”
    • the 2021 HUD Annual Action Plan, along with amendments to the 2016-2020 Annual Plans
    • a legislative update report from Ohio River South and Peachtree Government Relations
    • a presentation on Gilbert Road by Erica Rocker-Wills
  • 6 p.m.: The Development Authority of Clayton County (Invest Clayton) will meet at the Lake City Community Center, 5471 Jonesboro Road. On the agenda: welcome of the new members who were not at the last business meeting, the treasurer’s report, an “Invest Clayton Project Report” from Larry Vincent, the economic development strategic plan and Mountain View project from Regina DeLoach, the Clorox and Clayton State bond documents, an update on Workforce Clayton, and an internship for the Clayton County Conservation District Outreach Program. DACC held a special called meeting on April 8 to discuss approval of a supplemental bond resolution for the Development Authority of Clayton County Revenue Bonds (Clayton State University Project) Series 2021. You can call into the meeting at (605) 472-5254 (AC Number is 136500#).
  • 6:30 p.m.: The Morrow City Council will hold its work session, which is real-estate heavy and includes the following items:
    • a discussion with Johnson Controls (the agenda doesn’t specify the nature of the discussion)
    • review the business meeting agenda, which includes:
      • the March 23 minutes
      • moment of silence for former mayor Jim Millirons
      • a public hearing on a proposed moratorium on multifamily housing (Ordinance 2021-03)
      • Flock Cameras for the Dog Park and Southlake Parkway and Ga. Hwy. 54
      • $13,884 for Johnson Controls to replace a Siemens engine
      • $21,455 for a software service agreement with Johnson Controls
      • $48,887.50 for a structural engineering assessment for the “dark space” at Southlake Mall
      • approval of grants from Georgia Trauma Commission
      • $3,879 to It’s Electric for welcome sign electricity
      • Ordinance 2021-02, which would change the way the city chooses its Planning and Zoning Chair (giving the mayor appointment powers instead of letting the board members elect a chair)
      • Ordinance 2021-03, which would put multifamily housing construction on hold in the city
      • Ordinance 2021-04, which would institute a policy on city purchasing cards
      • Resolution 2021-04, which would address overtime during disasters and emergencies
      • Resolution 2021-05, which would change the city pay classification scale
    • Other items include a charter amendment for planning and board chair selection, a priority list for Flock, a mixed-use moratorium, the purchasing card policy, third-party property damage, the retirement plan, the annual City Council Planning Meeting scheduled for April 24, the Morrow Center financial update, a request for a raise from City Medical Director Dr. Augustine, bond refinancing, development of the “Meadowbrook corner property” and “Morrow Station property,” an update on board appointments to the Morrow Housing Authority (with projects and initiatives from Economic Development and Public Works), and what to do with the Reynolds Road property. In addition, the council is scheduled to discuss the Urban Redevelopment Agency’s debt, gross revenue per property per year for the past decade, city authorization of and allocation of revenue from specific land sales, renovation of the “dark space,” and updates on parcels, easements, and repair estimates for Olde Towne Morrow, which the city is rebranding as “The District.”

Wednesday, April 14

  • 6 p.m.: The Forest Park Police Department will hold its first in-person Neighborhood Watch meeting since its former liaison, Lt. Kelli Flanigan, announced several months ago that the program would no longer meet in the police station. Wednesday’s meeting will take place in the courtroom at 320 Cash Memorial Blvd., as it has in previous years. Call (404) 366-4141 or e-mail fpcommunityaffairs@forestparkga.gov for more information.

Thursday, April 15

  • 5 p.m.: Forest Park Ward 1 Councilwoman Kimberly James holds her monthly neighborhood meeting, open to everyone citywide, via Zoom at https://bit.ly/2RpEI3b (meeting ID 830 8346 5760, password jamesward1) and by phone at (301) 715-8592 ((meeting ID 830 8346 5760, password 8504719671).
  • 6:30 p.m.: MARTA will hold a Zoom meeting on Clayton County Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). You can watch the meeting live at itsmarta.com, pre-register to take part and/or comment at connectclayton.com, call in at (301) 715-8592 (use access code 925-5362-4340), or e-mail your comments to clayton@itsmarta.com.

Friday, April 16

  • This is the deadline for several federal grant deadlines for funding to combat human trafficking, a scourge in Clayton County and the Atlanta metro. According to the Georgia Municipal Association, four grants are closing Friday, April 16. Applicants are “urged” to get applications in at least 72 hours in advance in case of any technical issues. This is the second extension for applications, with the final application package due by April 30 at 11:59 p.m. Local, county, and state governments, 501(c)(3) groups, public colleges and universities, Native American tribal organizations, and public and Indian housing authorities may apply. See links for details and please let us know if you are awarded one of these grants:

As always, please let us know if there is a meeting of a government body that is not on the list. We tell you what’s going to happen–it’s up to you to decide what you want to do with that information.

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