The City of Decatur received a grant from the Atlanta Regional Commission’s inaugural Public Art Program for a community mural on the MARTA Overpass at the intersection of W. Trinity and Atlanta Avenue.

The MARTA Overpass bisects several diverse Decatur communities including Trinity Walk, Henry Oliver House, Allen Wilson Terrace; Beacon Municipal Center which houses Decatur Police & Municipal Court, Ebster Gym & Active Living, and City Schools of Decatur Administrative Building; Swanton Heights neighborhood; and Task Force for Global Health.  The grant includes a community engagement piece that will bring these neighbors together in a process that will result in a community mural interpreting ARC’s theme “There is ample opportunity to participate in making history in our region.”

A panel of regional civic leaders, community engagement professionals, artists and design professionals selected the Decatur’s project and three others around the region based on the community engagement processes proposed for interpreting the theme in their communities and the quality of the projects that could be anticipated.  Other recipients included Woodstock, Hapeville, and MARTA for the King Memorial station mural.

If you have questions about the project or want to be a part of the process, contact linda.harris@decaturga.com.  The proposed mural will go on both sides of the Overpass and on the pilings pictured above and below.

The Decatur Police Department will be participating in the DEA National Prescription Drug Take-Back initiative this Saturday, September 26, 2015 between 10am-2pm. The Drug Take-Back initiative is an opportunity for you to safely dispose of any unwanted, unneeded or expired prescription drugs.  It is important to safely dispose of prescription medications so they are not targeted for theft, accessible to youth or disposed of into the water supply or trash where they can harm the environment, animals or end up in the wrong hands.

We will be collecting in front of the police department, located at 420 West Trinity Place, Decatur, GA 30030, so you can just drive up and drop off.

Bill Bolling took the official oath of office from City Attorney Bryan Downs on Monday, September 21 and served his first meeting as a Commissioner from District 2.  Commissioner Bolling was appointed to serve out the term of Mayor Pro Tem Kecia Cunningham who resigned to take a job out of state.  Commissioner Bolling will serve through the end of December, 2015.

Pictured are current members of the City Commission (front row L-R) Mayor Pro Tem Patti Garrett and Mayor Jim Baskett (back row L-R) Commissioner Fred Boykin, Commissioner Bill Bolling and Commissioner Scott Drake.

The City Commission meets on the 1st and 3rd Mondays at 7:30 p.m. in the City Commission Meeting Room, Decatur City Hall, 509 N. McDonough Street.  Meetings are broadcast on Comcast and are also streamed live from the City website.

During the week of September 12-20, 2015, Welcoming America and its partners across the country, including the City of Decatur, host National Welcoming Week, a nationwide event highlighting the contributions of immigrants to American communities and fostering a commitment to principles that focus on building inclusive communities that enable all residents to thrive.  Decatur became an official Welcoming City back in March as designated by the City Commission.

On September 17, the White House launched the Building Welcoming Communities Campaign, accelerating the growing movement of communities that embrace immigrants and foster opportunity for all.  The City of Decatur is one of 40 early acceptor US cities and counties to sign on to the campaign.

Welcoming America Executive Director David Lubell (and a Decatur resident) said “We…look forward to supporting the federal taskforce and communities in this effort because we know it will jumpstart economic growth and vitality.”  For information about National Welcoming Week activities, click here.  Welcoming America’s national headquarters are located in downtown Decatur.

DeKalb County Property Assessment Appeal Process: You Filed an Appeal, Now What?

City of Decatur homeowners are invited to learn about the next steps in the DeKalb County property assessment appeal process on Thursday, September 17, 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Decatur Recreation Center, 231 Sycamore Street.  A representative from the DeKalb County Property Appraisal Department will outline the assessment appeal process and will provide information regarding what will happen next.

This year’s deadline to file an appeal has already passed. If you have already appealed, this is the opportunity to find out about the rest of the process. You will also learn how to plan for future assessments. This information session is part of the Decatur Lifelong Community Advisory Board’s Third Thursday series. For more information, contact leeann.harvey@decaturga.com or 678-553-6548.

Photo of Bill Bolling from the Atlanta Community Food Bank

At the regular meeting on Tuesday, September 8 the Decatur City Commission appointed Bill Bolling to finish out the remaining four months of former Mayor Pro Tempore Kecia Cunningham’s term, who resigned to take a job out of state. Commissioner Bolling is not one of the two candidates running for the District 2 seat (the election is November 3) and has stated he has no further political ambitions.

“We are fortunate to have Bill Bolling, a pillar of our community and long-time Decatur resident, agree to serve alongside us for the next few months on the Decatur City Commission,” said Mayor Jim Baskett. “Commissioner Bolling has had a long career in community service and I am confident he will do a great job as a City Commissioner through the end of the year.”

Commissioner Bolling founded the Atlanta Community Food Bank in 1979 and was its executive director until earlier this year, when he shifted into a senior advisor role. Prior to his association with the Food Bank, he served as director of community ministries for St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta. He continues to support other food initiatives in metro Atlanta and elsewhere, including the Food Well Alliance.

Born and raised in Lexington, North Carolina, Commissioner Bolling holds degrees from Central Piedmont College and Appalachian State University in Business and Education. He received his Master of Arts degree in Psychology and Counseling from the University of West Georgia in 1976. In July of 2003, he attended Harvard Business School, completing a course on Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management. He has served as an adjunct professor in the School of Management at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and has taught classes at Georgia State, Emory and Oglethorpe Universities. Commissioner Bolling is a frequent speaker on topics related to hunger, poverty, regionalism, affordable housing and public policy reform.

Five City Commissioners are elected in nonpartisan elections for overlapping four-year terms – two from District 1, two from District 2, and one At-Large. Each January, Commissioners elect two of their fellow members to serve as Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem.

Mayor Pro Tem Patti Garrett (seated, third from left) at the ceremony earlier this year honoring the City of Decatur as the Atlanta Regional Commission’s only Platinum-level Green Community.

At the regular meeting on Tuesday, September 8 the Decatur City Commission elected Commissioner Patti Garrett Mayor Pro Tempore. The previous Mayor Pro Tempore was Kecia Cunningham, who resigned her District 2 seat on the City Commission last month to take a job out of state.

“Thank you to my fellow commissioners and to the Mayor for this honor,” said Mayor Pro Tem Garrett. “Kecia Cunningham’s years of service on the City Commission contributed greatly and positively to the Decatur we live in today. I have some big shoes to fill.”

Patti Garrett was first elected to the City Commission in 2009. She has been active in the community since moving to Decatur in 2001, serving as chair of the Decatur Tour of Homes committee, house captain on the Martin Luther King Jr. Service Project, a board member of the Oakhurst Community Garden Project, and as secretary of the Oakhurst Neighborhood Association.

Mayor Pro Tem Garrett is a 2012 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). A graduate of Texas Christian University and the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Garrett teaches nutrition at Georgia State University, works as a Clinical Dietitian at Emory University Health Services, and is active in the Atlanta Local Food Initiative network. She also received the 2010 Georgia Dietetic Association Distinguished Service to a Community Award.

Five City Commissioners are elected in nonpartisan elections for overlapping four-year terms – two from District 1, two from District 2, and one At-Large.  Each January, Commissioners elect two of their fellow members to serve as Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem.

The DeKalb County Board of Health has asked the city to share the following information: 

A mosquito collection from a DeKalb County Board of Health’s sampling station which is located in Decatur has been reported as positive for West Nile virus (WNV).

While most people infected with West Nile virus have no symptoms or experience mild flu-like symptoms, the virus potentially can cause serious and sometimes fatal illness. The chance that any one person is going to become ill from a single mosquito bite is low. The risk of severe illness and death is highest for people over 50 years old, although people of all ages can become ill.

The easiest and best way to avoid West Nile virus is to prevent mosquito bites. While the potential for WNV transmission exists throughout the metro area, this WNV positive collection does indicate a higher risk at this time in this area. Please remember to use the following precautions and remind your neighbors, friends and coworkers to do the same.

•    Apply insect repellent. DEET (N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide), picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus and IR3535 are effective repellents recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For more information, please see: http://www.cdc.gov/westnile/faq/repellent.html.

•    When possible, wear long sleeves, long pants and socks. Clothing may also be treated with permethrin.

•    Use extra care when mosquitoes are most active, particularly from dusk to dawn.

The DeKalb County Board of Health is aggressively working to prevent West Nile virus transmission. Program technicians will be in the area providing additional mosquito control services including applying larvicide and investigating for mosquito breeding sites. This will keep mosquito larvae from developing into flying biting insects.

Along with the larvicide treatment, it is important to eliminate any containers and other removable breeding sites which may hold water for five or more days. Some items such as bird baths can be dumped and rinsed twice a week, but do need continual attention. Also, gutters should be cleaned and checked to make sure they drain properly.

For more information about West Nile virus, refer to the following web sites:

•    http://www.cdc.gov/westnile/

•    http://dekalbhealth.net/envhealth/west-nile-virus/

Contact the Division of Environmental Health (404-508-7900) with any questions or concerns on this matter.

The City of Decatur will have mosquito repellent with DEET available at the Fire Department’s First Aid Tent at the Decatur Book Festival this weekend.