school bus on road
Photo by ArtHouse Studio on Pexels.com

The kids go back to school this Wednesday, August 3, so slow down, be aware of kids running out in the street, and do not—DO NOT—try to pass a school bus that is slowing down and deploying its stop signs.

YouTube video

If saving a child’s life is not incentive enough, keep in mind that Clayton County’s various municipalities and unincorporated areas have installed numerous license plate cameras. If you go 10 miles over the speed limit, you are subject to $75 for a first offense and $125 for a second offense. Note that this does not mean you can go one to nine miles over the speed limit in a school zone.

And if you pass a school bus that is stopping or has stopped, you will be fined up to $1,000, be required to show up on court, and get six very expensive points on your driver’s license.

School zones are in effect for one hour before and after classes start. Those times vary depending on the age level of the school you’re driving past.

School zones start at 6:45 a.m. for elementary, 7:20 a.m. for middle, and 7:45 a.m. for high schools. (The kids need to be in class at 7:45 a.m. for elementary, 8:20 a.m. for middle, and 8:45 a.m. for high schools.)

Classes let out at 2:15 p.m. for elementary, 3:15 p.m. for middle, and 3:45 p.m. for higj schools. That means school zones are in effect until 3:15 p.m. at elementary, 4:15 p.m. for middle, and 4:45 p.m. for high schools.

School Zone Times

Elementary schools
6:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.

Middle schools
7:20 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.

High schools
7:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Clayton County Public Schools also kick off the new academic year with two new buildings: a brand-new Morrow High School and Administrative Offices where parents and stakeholders can meet with School Board members in person.

MONDAY, AUG. 1

  • 6 p.m.: Clayton County Board of Education
  • 6 p.m.: Jonesboro City Council Work Session
    • Key items:
      • discuss a possible contract with Utility Management Services to cut the city’s utility costs; no upfront costs, but UMS would get 50% of any savings
      • discuss an alchohol sub-permit for Southern Crescent Pearls Foundation for a private event at Lee Street Park on September 10
      • discuss three estimates from St.Pierre Fencing , C&C Fencing, and Natural Enclosures to replace the fence at the Lee Street basketball and tennis courts (a vehicle hit the fence)
      • proposed zoning changes to prohibit “museums with obscene subject matter” or “food or drink service except prepackaged snacks.” (The agenda packet does not define what “obscene subject matter” is, a long-standing First Amendment issue.)
      • calculating law enforcement overtime after working 86 hours over a 14-day period “so that the ADP system tracks hours worked and pays overtime bi-weekly (every 14 days) at time and a half to the patrol officers that work 12-hour shifts. Overtime will be paid when their total hours worked in the established 14 day pay cycle exceeds 86 hours. Overtime pay is based upon physically working the noted number of hours and that leave, or PTO is not included in the calculation of hours worked.” If adopted, this would take effect August 15.
      • code changes to limit non-profit food truck events to four per year and tighten regulation of oil and lube shops
      • revise the sign ordinance to keep signs at least one foot away from sidewalks
  • 6 p.m.: Forest Park City Council Work Session
    • Key items:
      • Discussion of the city’s E-911 fund: “E-911 Funds received by the City of Forest Park is [sic] accounted for separately in its own fund (#215) for the purposes of operating all city E-911 operations.”
      • Discussion of what staff and council learned at the annual Georgia Municipal Association convention in Savannah
      • discuss the city’s new representative for the county Land Bank Board, since former Planning and Community Development Director James Shelby has left the city (term ends April 21, 2023)
      • City Manager Dr. Marc-Antonie Cooper is asking for another $50,000 for Public Works “t0 apply toward contracted lawn service providers… to assist with this maintenance for the season,” citing labor shortages.
  • 7 p.m.: Forest Park City Council Work Session
    • Key items:
      • The city will issue a proclamation to cosmetology business owner Judy Pryor Taylor, who it says “in 1981…became the first African American woman to open a business in Forest Park.”
      • Approve transfer of five lots totaling 1.93 acres, plus a buffer zone next to the old water tank lot, from the city to the Downtown Development Authority “for the purposes of economic development/revitalization of Main Street” The lots are bounded by Hill Street, Parker Street, Summit Street and College Street.”
      • vote on a county Land Bank representative
      • vote on $50,000 for Public Works to outsource lawn maintenance
      • vote on an Adopt-a-Road beautification initiative
      • approve draft minutes from the July 18 work session and meeting

TUESDAY, AUG. 2

  • 4 p.m.-7 p.m.: Clayton County Police Department hosts the 10th annual National Night Out event at the Lovejoy Soccer Complex, 1935 McDonough Road in Hampton. You can enjoy food trucks, a DJ, music, and entertainment for the kids while picking up information about keeping yourself and your loved ones safer.
  • 5:30 p.m.: Clayton County Board of Commissioners Pre-Meeting
    • Key items: Clayton County Public Schools support for homeless families; county rezoning application to City of Jonesboro for county parking deck at 112 and 124 Smith Street. The deck is part of the BOC’s new headquarters plan. City of Jonesboro leaders are upset with the county for closing the Jonesboro Branch Library. Jonesboro hosted Clayton County’s first library. The Jonesboro Library building had problems with asbestos, structural damage, and HVAC.
  • 6:30 p.m.: Clayton County Board of Commissioners Meeting
    • Key items (not all):
      • Veteran of the Month
      • contractor name change from Superior Water Services, Inc, to BenCon Enterprises, Inc.
      • $105,691.72 to Mohawk Carpet Distribution, Inc. of Calhoun for Annex 3 repairs; annual contract for screen printing and embroidery to Community Reach, Inc. of Riverdale
      • $145,8876.31 for printer lease and maintenance to Konica Minolta Business Solutions, Inc. of Ramsey, N.J.
      • $505,832 emergency purchase of 15 Ford F-150s from Allan Vigil Ford (requested by Transportation and Development/Fleet Maintenance)
      • $60,000 annual contract (renewable up to three years) for legal services for juvenile court dependency hearings to The Law Offices of Delisa Williams, P.C.
      • $95,000 for demolition of the Jonesboro Library and Human Resources Buildings to Kissberg Construction, Inc. of Stone Mountain
      • $4,747,250 in FY23 budget amendments for additional funding to “various departments” from the General Fund
      • an $850,000  FY23 budget amendment “to provide additional funding to purchase heavy equipment for the Landfill” from the Landfill Fund
      • a request to carry forward “a donation received from Comcast Financial Agency Corporation given to Flint River Community Center in FY 22…[that] was not distributed or used”
      • a resolution to use cancelled/unexpended Community Development Block Grant funds to improve parks instead of “renovating an [unnamed] existing resource facility”
      • approve $645,566.83 in supplemental federal funding for Clayton County Fire and Emergency Services with a county match of $173,980.26 for the Ground Ambulance Upper Payment Limit Program “for the initial claim period of July 1, 2020 through December 30, 2020”
      • a resolution for the county to de-annex a property at 0 Conley Road and Hendrix Drive (zoned Single-family Residential) inside the City of Forest Park and owned by Wade Starr, Jr.’s The Ora Group (13014D A002Z)
      • a resolution to form a 10-member Impact Fee committee (two appointees per commissioner) at the request of the Resiliency Office
      • an ordinance creating the office of Chief of Staff, to be appointed by the Chief Operating Officer
      • a resolution authorizing the Clayton County Internal Audit Department to identify and recommend accounting firms…to conduct a second audit” following Terminus Municipal Advisors LLC’s audit “of payments made by Clayton County to Vanderbilt University” for former CFO Ramona Bivins’ Ph.D. studies
      • appointments to the Library Board (Anderson), Board of Appeals (Franklin), Solid Waste Authority (Anderson), and Zoning Advisory Group (Hambrick, At-Large).

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 3

  • Clayton County Public Schools are back in session! Drive safely between 6:45 a.m. and 4:45 p.m!
    • Elementary school zones: 6:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.
    • Middle school zones: 7:20 a.m. to 4:15 p.m
    • High school zones: 7:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.

THURSDAY, AUG. 4

FRIDAY, AUG. 5

  • TBA

SATURDAY, AUG. 6

  • TBA

We’re working to update details of this week’s top government events later this week, so check back or send us a tip!

And remember: We do our best to let you know what’s going on in advance. It’s up to YOU to show up for meetings, contact your elected officials, and make your opinions known. Democracy is not a spectator sport! We will never tell you how to vote but we will give you as much information as possible so that you can hold your elected officials accountable.

Robin Kemp is executive editor and CEO of The Clayton Crescent, which she founded in 2020. She has worked for Gambit, CNN, The Weather Channel, Clayton News, Henry Herald, and numerous freelance outlets....

Leave a comment