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Archive for January, 2018

East Lake MARTA Station LCI Study

Posted in Community on January 9, 2018 | Leave a Comment »

East Lake Logo Flower

The stakeholders of three different municipalities, one transit system, and a variety of businesses and environmental interest groups have come together to develop a vision for the place they share – the East Lake MARTA Station.  Your input over the last two months and six events generated several concept diagrams for the East Lake MARTA Station study area. Now’s the time to share, once again, your feedback on each of the concepts for the north parking lot, the south parking lot, potential future AT&T redevelopment, and street improvements for East Lake Drive, College Avenue, and Park Place.  You’ll want to allow 15-20 minutes to complete the survey that can be found here, http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4037001/ELMConcepts.

 

 

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MLK Holiday Schedule for Solid Waste and Recycling Services

Posted in Community on January 8, 2018 | Leave a Comment »

This is a reminder that all city offices are closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, Jan. 15.

Regular services for Mon., Jan. 15 will be on Tues., Jan. 16.

Regular services for Tues., Jan. 16 will be on Wed., Jan. 17

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Winter Weather Tips and Tools

Posted in Community on January 5, 2018 | Leave a Comment »

Preparing for winter isn’t complicated or expensive. While winter is dangerous, a few simple steps can help you and your family stay safe this season. Here is what NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS) recommends:

Know Your Risk

  • A few inches of snow or ice can shut down a city and leave you trapped at home for days.
  • Driving on ice and snow-covered roads can lead to car wrecks, injuries and death.
  • Snow, ice and wind associated with winter storms can have a huge impact on travel, infrastructure, schools and businesses.
  • Some winter storms can cover nearly half the nation, affecting tens of millions of people.  Annually, damages from winter storms add up to over $1 billion.
  • Frostbite may develop on exposed skin when temperatures are below freezing. Add wind to below freezing temperatures and frostbite can set in even quicker.
  • Other winter dangers include hypothermia and avalanches.
  • Flooding is also possible due to snowmelt, ice jams and coastal storms such as Nor’easters.

Take Action

  • Before you go out, check the forecast at weather.gov to make sure you’re prepared for the elements. Follow NWS on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date with the latest weather news
  • At home: have an Emergency Preparedness Kit with three days of food, water, prescription medications and other supplies. Also consider obtaining a NOAA Weather Radio.
  • Make sure your cell phone is fully charged when a storm is approaching and also anytime you’re planning to leave the house. It could become your life-line should disaster strike.
  • In your car: make sure you have food, water and blankets in your trunk. Stay off the road when advised to do so by local authorities.
  • Dress for the season: wear loose, warm clothing in layers.
  • Don’t forget your pets! Keep them inside during cold weather.
  • During and after the storm: never use a generator or kerosene heater indoors – carbon monoxide poisoning is a silent killer.
  • After the storm: take breaks when shoveling snow and stay clear of downed power lines.

Be a Force of Nature

  • Create a Family Communication Plan so that your loved ones know how to get in touch during an emergency.
  • Help your neighbors before and after winter storms – especially the elderly, who are particularly vulnerable.
  • Look for opportunities to help your town prepare, such as volunteering with the American Red Cross.
  • Register for Smart911

In the event of snow and/or ice in Decatur

  • The city will concentrate on providing a usable travel lane in each direction on major streets and clearing sidewalks near MARTA stations.
  • The city will work with City Schools of Decatur to make sure entrances, exits, and driveways at the schools are clear.
  • Residents should expect to clear their driveways and sidewalks. It is unlikely that the city will be able to clear interior neighborhood residential streets.
  • If you, or a neighbor, are a senior, someone with a medical need or someone with special needs, consider creating a safety profile at smart911.com. Stay tuned to thedecaturminute.com blog, Downtown Decatur on Facebook, and the city’s website for information about facilities closures.

These simple steps will help keep you safe from blizzards, ice storms and other winter hazards. A little bit of preparation can make a big difference. And many of these steps – such as preparing an Emergency Supplies Kit – will also come in handy for other hazards, such as hurricanes or power outages.

Stay tuned to www.decaturga.com and thedecaturminute.com for up-to-date information.

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City Commission Elects Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem

Posted in Community, Meetings on January 3, 2018 | Leave a Comment »

decatur-city-commission-2018_0872-w

And Swears in Newly Elected Commissioner Kelly Walsh

The Decatur City Commission elected Patti Garrett to serve as Mayor for 2018. Garrett was elected to the City Commission in 2009 and has served as Mayor since 2016. She served as Mayor pro tem in 2015.

Garrett is a graduate of Leadership DeKalb, a member of the 2010 class of the Regional Leadership Institute and serves on the Environmental and Natural Resources Committee of the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA).

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The City Commission elected Commissioner Tony Powers to serve as Mayor pro tem. Powers was elected to the City Commission in 2015. He is a native of Decatur, grew up in the Oakhurst community and is a graduate of Decatur High School. He earned a degree in marketing from the University of Georgia and is a co-owner of Intown Ace Hardware.

Before being elected to the City Commission Powers joined the Planning Commission in 2009, ultimately serving as chair and was a founding member of the Decatur Education Foundation, serving as its chair from 2010-2012. He received a Decatur Hometown Hero award in 2002.

Mayor pro tem Powers is the third African American to serve on the City Commission following in the footsteps of Elizabeth Wilson and Kecia Cunningham. He is the first African-American male to serve as Mayor pro tem.

commissioner-kelly-walsh-tnNewly elected Commissioner Kelly Walsh was sworn in at the meeting by her cousin Polly Jesson. Jesson lives in Boulder, CO where she practices environmental law. The two grew up together in Wyoming.

Commissioner Walsh has lived in Decatur since 2005 and works as a residential realtor for Keller Williams at the downtown Decatur office. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and a Master of Business Administration from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Arizona.

Walsh has served on several local boards and committees including the Decatur Active Living Advisory Board, Clairemont Elementary PTA, and the Decatur Education Foundation PTA Council. She is a member of the Decatur Business Association and is in the 2018 Leadership DeKalb class.

Walsh joins Mayor Patti Garrett, Mayor pro tem Tony Powers, Commissioners Scott Drake and Brian Smith. City Commission meetings are held on the 1st and 3rd Mondays at 7:30 p.m. in the City Commission Meeting Room, Decatur City Hall, 509 N. McDonough Street.

The Decatur City Commission elects one of its own to serve as Mayor and Mayor pro tem annually at the first City Commission meeting of the year. Both the swearing in and the election as well as all City Commission meetings may be viewed on streaming video on the City of Decatur’s website at decaturga.com.

More information about the Decatur City Commission is available here.

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Monday and Tuesday Recycling Will Be Collected Wednesday

Posted in Community on January 2, 2018 | Leave a Comment »

Recycling for both the Monday, Jan. 1 and Tuesday, Jan. 2 routes will be collected on Wednesday, January 3. We had a glitch in communication with our recycling vendor over the holidays and have just discovered the error.

If your normal pick up is on Mondays and you placed your recycling out on Tuesday, Jan. 2, just leave it on the curb for collection on Wednesday, Jan. 3.

Thursday, Jan. 4 and Friday, Jan. 5 sanitation and recycling will be collected on the regular schedule.

Thanks for your patience and Happy New Year!

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January Test of Tornado Outdoor Warning Siren System Tomorrow

Posted in Community, emergency management, tagged , on January 2, 2018 | Leave a Comment »

Tomorrow is the first Wednesday of January so we’ll be testing the tornado outdoor warning sirens at 5:00 p.m. The test should last approximately one minute. Should the weather become inclement, the test will be postponed until Thursday, 4 January 2018.

Sirens web

If you have questions or want more information about the siren system, check out the Siren page on the City’s website or contact Police Lt. Barry Woodward at 404-373-6551.

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