Your Monday Morning Roundup for April 19, 2021

by Robin Kemp

4:30 p.m. NOTE: We will add more events this evening but wanted to get these out to you due to time constraints. We apologize for the delay due to breaking news this morning. –Ed.

A court hearing over two illegal businesses in Conley and proposed pay raises for Solicitor General Charles Brooks and Sheriff Victor Hill are among this week’s stories to watch. Here’s a look at what your elected officials will be working on this week:

• 5:30 p.m.: The Jonesboro Historic Preservation Commission meets to consider four Certificates of Appropriateness at these addresses:
  • Showtime Roadside Services, 226 North McDonough Street, Parcel No. 13240D A016 in the Historic District, wants a “new accessory building and sign panels.”
  • “a mexican restaurant,” 106 South Main Street, Parcel No. 13241D C003 in the Historic District (in the business strip on the National Register) wants to renew the Certificate of Appropriateness for “(e)xterior renovation to existing building.”
  • Pregnancy Care Center, Inc., 158 South Main Street, Parcel No. 13241D E007 in the Historic District, wants a replacement sign panel.
  • Robert Andrew Rainer III, 145 College Street, Parcel No. 13241C D011 in the Historic District is asking to put in a replacement accessory building.
• 6 p.m.: The Forest Park City Council holds its work session, followed by the regular meeting at 7 p.m., in person as well as via Zoom and the city’s YouTube channel. (If you come in person, you must wear a mask and observe social distance.) On the agenda are requests for new fire trucks, several requests to shift money from one line item to another, and a proposed resolution to apply for more money for Starr Park renovations and the new police station. The funds would come from a Georgia Department of Natural Resources Section 319(h) Non-Point Source FY2021 grant for green infrastructure “that improve and enhance urban water quality and reduce non-point source pollution.” The city says both sites would “include retrofitting and enhancing existing infrastructure,” at a total projected cost of $1.45 million. The grant itself requires 60% federal funds and at least 40% non-federal matching funds toward the total project cost. Forest Park is seeking $350,000. The city recently passed a $44.11 bond issue for those and other capital improvements. In addition, there will be an update on the update of the city’s zoning ordinance, as well as “an update on audit” by the outside firm Mauldin and Jenkins, which was to have begun a financial compliance audit in October 2020.

• 9 a.m.: Dekalb County Magistrate Court is scheduled to arraign two illegal businesses (a junk yard and a truck parking lot) that operated for years without proper permits on East Conley Road at 4481 E. Conley Road. and 4500 E. Conley Road. In a Facebook post, the East Conley Neighborhood Association urged residents to show up for the hearing via Zoom: “We have been fighting for almost two years to close them down, this is the first step. We are asking everyone to join us in the ZOOM courtroom to show the courts we are serious about protecting our home value, our bridges and our streets.We must show the courts we care!” Here’s a short link for the hearing via YouTube: https://bit.ly/32sn5Ca.
• 6:30 p.m.: The Clayton County Board of Commissioners holds its regular business meeting. On the agenda are numerous appointments, particularly to the new MARTA Citizens Advisory Board, as well as proposed pay raises for Sheriff Victor Hill Solicitor General Charles Brooks and a resolution condemning the state’s new voting laws, which would give the General Assembly the right to take over any county board of elections and registration it deems to be a problem, as well as limit the county to one or two dropboxes placed inside polling places during regular voting hours, among other things. We’ll have an in-depth look at how the law impacts Clayton County specifically.
• 6:30 p.m.: Morrow’s Planning and Zoning Board is set to meet but the published agenda is sparse. The March 16 minutes are up for approval and the board will take calls for vice-chair nominations. The next agenda item is “discussion.” The chair is Wayne Collins.

• 5:30 p.m.: The Forest Park Development Authority holds its monthly meeting. The meeting is only noted as being available online and not in person, despite the fact that the City Council is open to the public and the city’s development boards voted to split the cost of a new audiovisual system in council chambers. On the agenda: Economic Development Director Bruce Abraham will introduce the Economic Development staff assistant and update the board on remodeling at 751-777 Main Street, and City Attorney Mike Williams will discuss a memorandum of understanding about shared expenses. The The board also is set to approve the January 27 minutes–which discuss the new staff assistant position and the approval of UP Construction to do the remodeling at 751-777 Main Street, retaining Kirby Glaze of Hecht, Walker as the board’s counsel, and a discussion of the Development Authority’s intergovernmental agreement with the city allowing the board to use Williams as its attorney. The staff assistant position would be paid for by all three development boards and would provide support and and management for all three. Abraham had recommended that the staff assistant “be appointed as the secretary/treasurer for the board when the board does their officer election.” The Zoom link is https://bit.ly/3ssH3HD. The meeting ID is 940-3699-1585 and passcode is 936695. Call in to (312) 626-6799 and use the same meeting ID and passcode.

• 5:30 p.m.: The Forest Park Downtown Development Authority holds its meeting. The agenda had not been posted as of press time.
• 6 p.m.: The Forest Park Urban Redevelopment Authority holds its monthly meeting. The agenda had not been posted as of press time.

• TBA shortly

• 9 a.m.: The Morrow City Council will hold a special called FY 2021 budget meeting. Departments heads will make presentations.