It’s Monday and The Clayton Crescent’s editor is back in action after having to take several days off for health reasons. We apologize for the break in coverage. You can help prevent such breaks by committing to a monthly recurring gift.
We know that many people are reading The Clayton Crescent. We are asking for your support so that we can expand our staff. Click the monthly tab at https://donorbox.org/clayton-crescent and kick in the price of one coffee or lunch a month.
The Clayton Crescent doesn’t just reprint press releases or provide free PR for events and call it a day. We actually do enterprise reporting. That means we find the stories, we research them, we interview the players, and we bring them to light. Our reporting makes a difference in people’s lives. Our investigations do not go unnoticed by those in power.
We are proud to have enterprised numerous stories in the past three and a half years—stories that you saw later on local TV and print publications, whether or not you realized from whence they originated.
Real news coverage costs a lot of money. Every single month, we pay for accountants, attorneys, backend support, necessary subscriptions, and one modest (not industry scale) salary with (thankfully) healthcare. For the past three and a half years, the overwhelming amount of our budget has come from grants and matches.
Now is the time to show your support for trustworthy, nonprofit, real news.
If The Clayton Crescent is to continue as a nonprofit news source, we will need to see more support from individual readers like you. With elections coming up, this county cannot afford to lose its leading news source.
Facebook and Nextdoor are not news sources. They are social media channels that elected officials use to amplify political messaging. Essentially, they are like a TV channel that plays nothing but commercials, interspersed with gossip, flame wars, lots of pictures from people you don’t know, and a few conversations with your friends and family. And if you believe that social media is enough to get the word out or to really know what’s going on, you’re not at the table.
You’re on the menu.
Here’s what your local and county government is up to this week:
Monday, July 31
- 6 p.m.: The Clayton County Board of Education holds its work session at 1058 Fifth Avenue in Jonesboro. You can watch the YouTube livestream above. On the agenda:
- updates on business, administrative, and student support services
- financial, SPLOST revenue, and purchasing reports
- the SPLOST construction report (consent agenda) and a “Cooperation Agreement between CCPS and CCPS Foundation IGA between CCPS and Clayton County Government”
- personnel changes
- Policy Series I – Third Read/Vote – Action Agenda
- 2. Policy Series G – First Read
- 3. Policy Series M – First Read
- the FY2024 Annual Local Board of Education Training Plan
- Approval of the Proposed Board Meeting Agenda for August 7, 2023
- Adoption of Millage Rate
- Budget Amendment
Tuesday, August 1
- 9 a.m.: The State Elections Board meets at the Georgia State Capitol, Room 341. No Clayton County-specific items were on the published agenda. However, activists who say that Georgia’s elections system is subject to “vulnerabilities” are asking the board to reconsider its rejection of two June petitions to reconsider Rule 183-1-12, which details how elections are to be conducted statewide. You also can watch the livestream.
- 3 p.m.: Clayton County Police Department and the City of Morrow present National Night Out at The District, 1065 Olde Town Morrow Road, next to Southlake Mall, until 7 p.m. Other agencies include Clayton County Fire and Emergency Services, Morrow Police, Jonesboro Police, Forest Park Police, Riverdale Police, Lake City Police, Lovejoy Police, and Clayton State University Police. The event will include food, fun, music, and a splash pad (“family-friendly” swimwear only).
- 5 p.m.: Jonesboro Police Department hosts National Night Out at Lee Street Park until 8 p.m. Come on out for free food, games, and information.
- 5:30 p.m.: The Clayton County Board of Commissioners holds its pre-agenda meeting at 112 Smith Street, Jonesboro. No agenda had been posted as of press time Monday afternoon. You can watch the livestream here.
- 6:30 p.m.: The Clayton County Board of Commissioners holds its regular business meeting at 112 Smith Street, Jonesboro. On the agenda, which mostly consists this week of the consent agenda, pending any pulls by commissioners:
- Veteran of the Month presentation
- Approval of the July 18, 2023 regular business meeting board minutes
- a contract for voice and telecommunications services for Clayton County (RFP #23-74) to AT&T Corporation of Alpharetta
- an annual technology license contract (SP #23-83) for Clayton County Corrections Department Code Enforcement with Comcate, Inc. of Beaverton, OR, in the amount of $17,463.54 for Year One, plus a 5% annual cost of living adjustment for up to four additional years, not to exceed $96,497.08 total. Corrections would use its General Fund to pay for the contract.
- a three-year professional services agreement (PSA #23-215) for legal services from Michele Lord, Esq., of Fayetteville, for Juvenile Court at $60.000 per year. Funding would come from the Juvenile Court Services Indigent Defense Fund.
- a three-year annual annual contract totaling $1,972,324.20 for software and ancillary services (SWC #19-235), using the Statewide Contract Annual Contract, with SHI International Corporation of Somerset, N.J. for Microsoft volume licensing. The BOC approved the award on December 3, 2019. Funding would come from Information Technology’s General Fund and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Fund.
- Resolution 2023-163 would terminate the county’s lease agreement with Rainbow House, Inc. The lease was signed on May 4, 1999. The program ceased operations and moved out of the county’s building at 879 Battle Creek Road, Jonesboro, following charges that a male staff member allegedly had inappropriate contact with a female minor at the shelter, and that two staffers, including the man’s mother, allegedly covered up the relationship.
- Resolution 2023-164 would allow voters to decide whether to reduce Clayton County’s Level 1 freeport tax exemption from 100% to 80%.
- Resolution 2023-165 would support Hearthside Living Faith’s bond application to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs relating to the development and vertical construction of senior living housing; to authorize entering into an agreement with Hearthside Living Faith, LP for use of American Rescue Plan Act funds; to support the creation of a Community Revitalization Plan; and to support the identification of additional qualifying investments within the Old Dixie Highway. Specifically, it would allow the county to enter an agreement with Hearthside Living Faith LP, with the county providing up to $3,000,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (“ARPA”) funds to build a senior multifamily apartment building. One Street Residential is looking to “identify” sites along Old Dixie for additional projects near Living Faith Tabernacle Church. Several days ago, The Clayton Crescent spotted a tractor-trailer loaded with lumber in Living Faith’s parking lot. Developers have wanted to put housing in the empty land behind the parking lot for some time.
- Resolution 2023-166 would authorize the BOC, on behalf of Clayton County Fire and Emergency Services, to enter a Memorandum of Agreement with the City of South Fulton Fire Department Training Academy “to provide clinical experience training as part of the City of South Fulton Fire Department Training Academy initial EMS education platform.”
- Resolution 2023-167 would adopt the FY 2023-24 property tax millage rate of 16 mils for Clayton County M&O. Resolution 2023-168 would adopt the FY 2023-24 property tax millage rate of 19.6 mils for Clayton County Public Schools. Here’s what the past five years of property taxes looked like for comparison.
- Resolution 2023-169 would grant a Special Facility Use Request to Nourishing Hands Inc. to use the second floor of the Lakeview Event Center for an appreciation dinner honoring Clayton County foster parents from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, October 28.
- Resolution 2023-170 would order the removal of Antrinell Lamar from the Clayton County Land Bank. Lamar reportedly has not been attending Land Bank meetings, so the Land Bank Board requested he be removed. The current term expires April 15, 2024 and is District 3 Commissioner Felicia Franklin’s appointment.
- A new Land Bank member would be appointed, unless Franklin chooses to hold that appointment for a future meeting.
You can watch the livestream here.
Wednesday, August 2
- Today is the first day of class for students in the Clayton County Public Schools!
- 6:45 a.m.: SLOW DOWN! Elementary school zones are in effect!
- 7:20 a.m.: SLOW DOWN! Middle school zones are in effect!
- 7:45 a.m.: SLOW DOWN! High school zones are in effect!
- 7:45 a.m.: Elementary school starts, running until 2:15 p.m.
- 8:20 a.m.: High school starts, ending at 3:15 p.m.
- 8:45 a.m.: Middle school starts, with classes getting out at 3:45 p.m.
- SLOW DOWN for one hour after each dismissal time!
- 10 a.m.: The Clayton County Civil Service Board holds a Civil Service Hearing Officer Conflict Meeting via Zoom. On the agenda are four cases involving the Sheriff’s Office:
- Heather Roscoe demotion appeal filed March 29, 2018: “Demoted to the position of Correctional Officer.”
- LaShanda Baker termination appeal filed December 14, 2018: “My termination on December 4, 2018.”
- Willeca Thompson termination appeal filed May 24, 2019: “Termination”.
- Nikitisa Winters suspension appeal filed June 28, 2019: “Three Day Suspension.”
Thursday, August 3
- 10 a.m.: The Clayton County Civil Service Board holds a Civil Service Hearing Officer Conflict Meeting via Zoom.
Friday, August 4
- 10 a.m.: The Clayton County Civil Service Board holds a Civil Service Hearing Officer Conflict Meeting via Zoom.
Saturday, August 5
- 2 p.m.: The City of Lovejoy will hold a community meeting at 2296 Talmadge Road. “The intended agenda” includes an introduction to “Love Thy Neighbor,” updates on Neighborhood Watch and neighborhood surveillance options, upcoming events, and “further lawful purposes.” Look for two upcoming special called meetings at 2 p.m. on Friday, August 11 and 2 p.m. on Friday, August 18 on salaries for the mayor and council, which at present are set at $14,400 per year plus “actual and necessary expenses.”
Send your updates, corrections, hot news tips (with evidence, thank you) to editor@claytoncrescent.org
