This week, The Clayton Crescent is focusing on your right to vote and the politics surrounding various attempts to infringe upon that right. Assorted deadlines are coming up in August that will affect the ballot (or ballots) you see on Election Day. We’re giving you a heads-up so that you can take whatever action(s) you need to to preserve your access to the ballot box.

This also is the last week of summer vacation for students in Clayton County Public Schools. The first day of school is Wednesday, August 2.

Here’s what your elected and appointed officials are up to this week in Clayton County:

Monday, July 24

  • 6 p.m.: The Riverdale City Council is scheduled to meet for the first time in a while. Although no old business is on the published agenda, several public hearings are. If you live in Riverdale, you should go to the City Council meeting tonight and sign up for public comment if you want city officials to know your thoughts about these items. However, the city had not attached the related pieces of legislation and supporting documents to its published agenda as of Monday afternoon:
    • Public hearing/discussion/consideration of “the Text 22-00003 Zoning Ordinance State Amendments/Ordinance No. 3-2023”
    • Public hearing/discussion/consideration of “the Text-00002 Article 4 Development Standards & Use Table Amendment/Ordinance N0. 4-2023”
    • Public hearing/discussion/consideration of Text 2023-00003, a zoning amendment that the city wants. It would change Sec. 3.6 (Town Center Mixed Use or TCMU), Sec. 3.5 (Mixed Use or MU), and Sec. 3.7 (Hospital Overlay and Use Table). This covers much of how the city is built right now, so residents will want to make their voices heard on any proposed changes. You can look up all of Riverdale’s current zoning ordinances online at https://library.municode.com/ga/riverdale/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICO_APXAZO .
    • Public hearing/discussion/consideration of Text 2023-00004, also requested by the city, to change architectural design standards city-wide.
    • Public hearing/discussion/consideration of the 2022-2023 Comprehensive Plan known as “Riverdale Reimagined.” The Sizemore Group will present the new comprehensive plan for review and a recommendation for the city to send the plan to the Department of Community Affairs and the Atlanta Regional Commission for approval.
    • Discussion and consideration of the Livable Cities Initiative update from TSW Consulting, which involves “moving Forward Developing Town Center.”
    • Public hearing/discussion/consideration of “SLUP2020000002 Church/Daycare 9003-35275” (no address, property owner, or business owner was given)
    • Public hearing/discussion/consideration of “REZ2022-000004-Grocery Store with Retail Shops” (again, no address, property owner, or business owner was given)
    • Resolution 33-7-2023 would “give the city manager the discretion to close city administrative offices on the business day before or after July 4,” sponsored by Councilmember Wanda Wallace
    • Resolution 34-7-2023 would declare two Riverdale Police Department Dodge Chargers as surplus
    • Resolution 35-7-2023 would approve an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) for the Clayton County Elections and Registration Office to conduct the 2024 municipal election.

Tuesday, July 25

  • 5:30 p.m.: The Housing Authority of Clayton County Facilities Holding Company, LLC holds its regular meeting at 732 Main Street in Forest Park.
  • 5:45 p.m.: The Housing Authority of Clayton County holds its regular meeting at 732 Main Street in Forest Park. On the agenda: adoption of a PUSH inducement resolution and an ARPA Reconsideration Resolution.
  • 7 p.m.: The Housing Authority of Clayton County holds a special called meeting to adopt a PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) amendment and a Mt. Zion/Water Authority affidavit and easement. The meeting also takes place at 732 Main Street in Forest Park.

Wednesday, July 26

  • 5:30 p.m.: The Forest Park Development Authority holds its regular meeting. No agenda had been published on the city’s website as of press time Monday.

Thursday, July 27

  • TBA

Friday, July 28

  • 9 a.m: The Clayton County Civil Service Board holds its regular meeting, which you can register to attend via webinar. Items of note on the agenda:
    • Consideration of approval of executive session minutes from May 24, 2023 on personnel matters
    • Calendar calls for several police and fire employees, as well as for Kerwyn Martin, a CCSO employee who filed a grievance appeal on May 2, 2022. According to Martin, “I was told I had to retire or I would be fired because I was under investigation.”
    • The board also will confirm July 2023 meeting dates and upcoming cases.

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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....

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