Your Roundup for June 20, 2023

CORRECTION: BOC meets 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 20

A short work week after the Juneteenth holiday, but an important one, nonetheless. Forest Park will hold a series of public hearings on the budget, which is residents’ chance to make their wishes known about how the city plans to spend your tax dollars. And Riverdale is holding a special called meeting, which includes a personnel matter.

Tuesday, June 20

• CORRECTION: Clayton County Board of Commissioners meets at 6:30 p.m.! Numerous contracts are on the agenda, as well as four budget amendments to add:
  • funding allocation for multi-modal trails
  • funding allocation for two pedestrian walkways over “heavily traveled roads”
  • funding allocation for the annual lease-purchase equipment payment for the Public Safety Radio System
  • “to recognize interest earned and to provide additional funding for Sonna Singleton Gregory Senior Center (NE Senior Center), Sector 2 Precinct (NW Precinct), and the NW Library for site improvements (water meters, irrigation system, and fuel tank concrete cap repair).”
• A lease agreement for the Clayton County Office of Resilience and Sustainability to lease office space at 1590 Adamson Parkway in Morrow from Morrow GA Investors, LLC
• A vote on the final travel policy (see our previous coverage)
• Zoning matters, including recommended denial of an amendment to “the Future Land Use Map Category for 1535 Highway 138, Jonesboro GA 30236 from Mixed Use to High Density Residential for a single-family attached townhome development.  Said property, consisting of ±4.84 acres, is located between N McDonough St and Stockbridge Rd, is in the East-West (Highway 138) Corridor Overlay District, and is further known as Parcel 12047C F001.”
• 5:30 p.m.: The Forest Park City C0uncil holds a work session, followed by the regular meeting at 7 p.m. You can watch the meeting live or after the fact on the city’s YouTube channel. On the work session agenda: the council will discuss a simplified noise ordinance, which would get rid of the requirement for a decibel meter to enforce quiet. Instead, the city proposes what the state follows: a “plainly audible” noise within 100 feet that would be “easier to enforce.” City Manager Ricky Clark also wants to adopt the “See Click Fix” app, which would allow citizens to, for example, take a photo of a pothole or dump site and send it to the city for action. The app tags the GPS location of a problem, which helps crews fix it sooner. The council also will discuss federal grant money for rental assistance and home improvements, including the fact that one program returned nothing but “excessively high” bids, so the city is inclined to run the program itself to get more money to citizens. There’s also discussion of an “Adopt a Cop” program for more experienced FPPD officers to mentor the newbies, who make up 85% of the city’s current department: “The Forest Park Police Department is currently authorized to have 95 sworn officers, 63 of which are police officers. Approximately 85% of the police department has less than 3 years of law enforcement experience. As a department with a relatively young department[,] implantation of this program will allow for senior officers to provide mentorship and guidance drawing upon their years of experience.” The regular meeting will include a proclamation in honor of LGBTQ+ Pride Month, marking the second time Forest Park has done so. Last week, Jonesboro also issued a proclamation in honor of Pride Month, that city’s first such recognition of its LGBTQ+ residents. Other recognitions are on the agenda for Forest Park students, Code Officer Edwin Torres (Level II GACE Certification), FPPD Ofc. Shelton (Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Community Policing), and Ofc. Pope (Officer of the Month) The city also will hear a legislative presentation on changes to Medicare redetermination. Expect votes on a contract with Government Tax Services, LLC; a $41,250 contribution to the Clayton County Land Bank; an agreement to use Clayton County’s voting machines for the November 7, 2023 election; three new streetlights for Elam Church Road, with city residents splitting the cost for future streetlight petitions; $46,500 for on-call services (Task Order PPI 2023-02) for building a new City Hall and Recreation Center Complex “at the site of the existing City Hall, Planning Community Development/HR Building, and the Recreation Center.” The company, Precision Planning Inc., “will develop a conceptual design, plan and budget based on an approved program by the City.” Council also will vote on canceling the July 3 meeting.

Wednesday, June 21

• 5 p.m.: The Riverdale City Council and the Planning Commission will hold a special called meeting at Riverdale City Hall, 7200 Church Street, to discuss the comprehensive plan. The City C0uncil also will hold an executive session to discuss a personnel matter.
• 5:30 p.m.: The Forest Park Development Authority meets at City Hall, 745 Forest Parkway. On the agenda: updates on 842/850 Main Street, which are the empty lot and city satellite office next to Forest Park Army Navy Store, and 696 Main Street, which is the Leonard Hartsfield Community Center.
• 5:30 p.m.: The Jonesboro Historic Preservation Commission meets at City Center, 1859 City Center Way. On the agenda: a certificate of appropriateness for a new house to be built at 203 West Mill Street. The house is supposed to look like the one built next door at 207 West Mill Street last summer. Carlos Soler is the applicant.

Thursday, June 22

• 6:30 p.m.: Forest Park holds a public hearing on the FY 2023-2024 budget at City Hall, 745 Forest Parkway. The meeting is open to the public and the public is strongly encouraged to comment. The next public hearing on the budget will be at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 29.
• 6:30 p.m.: The City of Forest Park apparently may hold a special called meeting, based on the city’s calendar. We’ll update with more information.

Friday, June 23

• TBA

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