The Decatur Minute

This is a reminder that all city offices are closed for the Fourth of July holiday, Monday, July 5.

Regular trash and recycling service for Monday will be on Tuesday, July 6; regular service for Tuesday will be on Wednesday, July 7. The complete 2020-2021 schedule may be found at www.decaturga.com/sanitation.

A message from DeKalb County Board of Health:

They are back with a vengeance and an appetite that leaves its tell-tale mark. With recent rains, mosquitoes are out and reproducing in a location near you with standing water. The good news is that the DeKalb County Board of Health’s summer mosquito surveillance team is already at work.

To monitor for diseases that mosquitoes can transmit to humans, the Board of Health recently deployed mosquito traps throughout the county. Although the traps are in areas with little foot traffic, someone coming upon one can easily identify it by its red and white sign.

Once mosquitos are collected by a trap, they are examined under a microscope and sorted by species and gender. Appropriate mosquitoes are then tested for specific viruses. The main virus of concern in the Atlanta area is West Nile virus.

In DeKalb County last year, there were 25 West Nile virus-positive mosquito collections from 22 sites and one case of human infection.

In addition to trapping and testing mosquitoes, technicians work with residents to eliminate them. Measures include placing larvicide in areas with standing water, like inside storm drains. This keeps young mosquitoes from becoming flying, biting adults.  

As mosquito season ramps up, the Board of Health reminds residents to take the following precautions over Independence Day holiday and throughout the summer and fall:

• Reduce mosquito breeding in your yard by eliminating standing water in gutters and items such as planters, toys, wheelbarrows and old tires.
• Discourage mosquitoes from resting in your yard by trimming tall grass, weeds and vines.
• Make sure window and door screens fit tightly to keep mosquitoes out of your home.
• Reduce your outdoor exposure at dawn and dusk, when the mosquitoes that transmit West Nile virus are most active.
• Use an insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535.  Apply according to label instructions.
• Spray clothing with products containing permethrin according to label instructions.
• Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants and socks when outdoors, particularly at dawn and dusk and in areas with large numbers of mosquitoes.

For more information about West Nile virus, contact the DeKalb County Board of Health’s Environmental Health division at (404) 508-7900 or visit https://www.dekalbhealth.net/envhealth/west-nile-virus/.

After more than 18 months of community conversation about Decatur’s to-do list for the next decade, an initial draft of the 2020 Strategic Plan is now available. Everyone in the community, whether you’re new to the process or have participated since the beginning, is encouraged to provide final thoughts on the emerging plan. There are two ways to provide input:

• Join us Saturday, June 26 for the Decatur Strategic Plan pop-up event from 9 am-noon at Harmony Park in Oakhurst and 1-4 pm at Decatur Square.

• Visit decatur2030.com/dsp-draft-ready-for-community…/ for online review and commenting. The draft will remain open until July 23.

Meetings 

• Public Hearings on Budget and Millage Rates Monday, June 21 @ 3:30 p.m. To participate via the Zoom video platform, click on the registration links listed here: http://www.decaturga.com/budget. 
• Decatur City Commission and Planning Commission Strategic Plan Joint Work Session| Monday, June 21@ 6 p.m.
• City Commission meeting (including Budget and Millage Rates public hearing)| Monday, June 21 @ 7:30 p.m.
• Environmental Sustainability Board Meeting| Friday, June 25@ 9 a.m.

Visit decaturga.com/bc for additional meeting details. 

Event

• Free COVID- 19 vaccinations at Hattie Marie’s BBQ– 130 Clairemont Ave. Suite 100 Decatur, GA 30030. This event will take place on Tuesday, June 22 from 12 – 6p.m. The Pfizer vaccine– which requires 2 doses– will be administered only to people ages 12 and up. Visit hattievax.coreresponse.org to register. Walk- ins are welcome! 

Meetings 

• City Commission Special Called Meeting| Monday, June 14 @ 6 p.m. 
• Zoning Board of Appeals| Monday, June 14 @ 7:30 p.m.
• Historic Preservation Commission meeting| Tuesday, June 15 @ 6:30p.m.
• City Commission Retreat| Thursday, June 17 @ 9 a.m.

Visit decaturga.com/bc for additional meeting details. 

Events

• Attend the public budget hearing on Monday, June 14 at 6 p.m.and let the City Commission know your thoughts on the budget and the 2021 millage rates. There are two additional public hearings scheduled for  Monday, June 21 at 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. All meetings will be held via Zoom. Visit http://www.decaturga.com/budget for the schedule and registration links. 
  
• Join the Beacon Hill Black Alliance, in partnership with the City of Decatur, and the Better Together Advisory Board for Juneteenth Decatur: a “Celebration of Liberated Spaces.” The event will take place on Saturday, June 19 from 4p.m- 8p.m. on the city square.
  
  Spend the afternoon learning more about the meaning of Juneteenth, the harmful impact of hate symbols, and anti-hate activism while enjoying live music performances and music from the winner of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. playlist competition. Browse an open-air marketplace and explore 12 points of interest on a self-guided walking tour. There will also be youth art and a mural project. 
  
  The purpose and goals of this event includes educating the community about the meaning of Juneteenth while bringing together a diverse community to celebrate liberated spaces.  
  
  For more information on the Juneteenth celebration, activists, vendors and media, contact transformation88.3@gmail.com. Donations to be sent to $beaconhill300.

• UPDATE: The draft recommendations for the Decatur Strategic Plan final topic, Equity & Racial Justice, are now live. The pop-up survey will close on Sunday, June 20. Visit https://decatur2030.mysocialpinpoint.com/decatur-strategic-plan/activities/ to share your input.

Meetings

• City Commission meeting (including Budget public hearing)| Monday, June 7 @ 7:30p.m.
• Decatur Planning Commission meeting| Tuesday, June 8 @ 7p.m
• Budget Virtual Work Session| Wednesday, June 9 @ 5-7:30 p.m. Visit www.decaturga.com/budget for meeting details
• Environmental Sustainability Board meeting| Friday, June 11 @ 8a.m.
• Decatur Development Authorities meeting| Friday, June 11 @ 8a.m. 

Visit decaturga.com/bc for additional meeting details. 

Events

Submissions for the Decatur Focus July/August issue are due Thursday, June 10. Visit www.decaturga.com/cd/page/decatur-focus-newsletter or contact decaturfocus@decaturga.com for submission guidelines.