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Posts Tagged ‘City of Decatur’

Let’s Talk Equity: Decatur Strategic Plan 202 Session

Posted in Community, tagged , , , , , , , , on December 29, 2020 | Leave a Comment »

The third of four Decatur 202 Zoom discussions– this time on equity and racial justice — is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 14 from 6-8 p.m. The sessions are part of the city’s current strategic planning efforts and drill down on the input provided during the Citizen Roundtables and the Virtual Forums.

Interested participants can get involved by registering on Zoom.

The presentation and discussion format for the two-hour 202 session is the same for all four topic meetings. If you missed the small group discussions and introductory presentations during the previous 202 sessions, check out the recap videos on the Decatur 2030 website.

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3 Ways to Cast Your Ballot for the Jan. 5 Runoff Election

Posted in Community, tagged , , , , , on December 16, 2020 | Leave a Comment »

Voters, you have options. Make a plan to vote. For polling locations and more information, visit Dekalb Votes.

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Remember to Celebrate the Holidays Safely

Posted in Community, tagged , , , , , , , , on December 16, 2020 | Leave a Comment »

The safest way to celebrate winter holidays is at home with the people who live with you. If you’re hosting a small celebration, have conversations with guests ahead of time to set expectations. Everyone can make winter holiday celebrations safer by:

  • Wearing masks
  • Improving ventilation by choosing outdoor spaces or opening windows and doors as weather permits
  • Spacing seating at least 6 feet apart for people who don’t live together
  • Limiting the number of guests and length of the event
  • Washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds

Review more tips on the CDC website.

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Municipal Equality Index 2020: Decatur Improves MEI Score

Posted in Community, tagged , , , , on December 15, 2020 | Leave a Comment »

The City of Decatur, GA is 4.5 square miles in size with a population of 23,000 located 6 miles east of Atlanta. We are an urban city that values and is committed to equity, inclusion and diversity. We have worked closely with the Human Rights Campaign to understand and apply the standards associated with the Municipality Equality Index because we believe that LGBTQ-inclusion is critical to our commitment of being a Welcoming City. We have a high population of LGBTQ residents and business owners and they are an important part of the fabric of our community.

I am proud to announce that Decatur passed a non-discrimination ordinance in November, 2019. The ordinance prohibits local businesses from discriminating based on sexual orientation or gender identity, as well as race, religion, color, sex, disability, national origin, ancestry, age or military status. Discrimination is prohibited in the areas of employment, housing, and public accommodation. No federal or Georgia state law expressly prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity.

We followed in the footsteps of the city of Atlanta and four other DeKalb County cities becoming the 6th city in Georgia to adopt a non-discrimination ordinance. Decatur is committed to the values of equity, inclusion and diversity and the adoption of this Ordinance was a tangible way to demonstrate that commitment.

In addition, we passed a Resolution urging the State of Georgia to adopt a broad and comprehensive hate crimes act through prompt legislative action stating that “the Mayor and Commission believe that such hate crimes act should protect the widest range of vulnerable persons.”

We appreciate the HRC and the MEI team working in partnership with us to modify some of the language in standards geared to large cities in order to reach and include smaller municipalities who strive to ensure LGBTQ inclusion in all areas of community work, life and play. Working with HRC and the MEI team, the city of Decatur was able to identify areas to codify existing practices, pass ordinances and document our commitment and in doing so, raise our MEI score from 51 points in 2017 to 86 points in 2020. We are proud of the accomplishment!

Patti Garrett, Mayor

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Let’s Keep the 2020 Strategic Plan Conversation Going!

Posted in Community, tagged , , , , , , , , on December 15, 2020 | Leave a Comment »

The 2020 Strategic Plan update, Destination 2030, is back in full swing, and we want to hear from you! A lot has changed since Opening Night back in January, when we launched the Roundtables process in a room of 600+ people, full of hope for the new decade. Halfway through those discussions the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic put us on hold while civil rights demonstrations unfolded here and around the country, highlighting challenges and inequities that we aim to address in our emerging plans.

In September we wrapped up the remaining Roundtables. Now we’re diving into their biggest topics: Equity and Racial Justice, Climate Change, Civic Trust, Housing, Transportation, and Economic Development. You can use the QR code or short link to visit our Virtual Street Forums to submit ideas, add photos and answer a few questions about each topic.

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Decatur Summer Camp Registration Opens January 2​

Posted in Community, tagged , , , , , , on December 9, 2020 | Leave a Comment »

Summer Camp 2021 registration opens January 2 at 9 a.m. online. Look for the Camp Edition of the Playbook on the City of Decatur website on or after December 10 to plan and select your camps for Summer 2021.  Note: The City will use a new software system for camp registration in January 2021. See instructions below for how to create a new family profile in CommunityPass.

How to prepare for Summer Camp Registration:

  1. Create Your City of Decatur Family Account in CommunityPass – the City’s new software for Active Living and Children and Youth Services programs.  Visit the CommunityPass website and select “Create an Account”.
  2. Add family members to the account in the My Account > Account Information area.  Ensure all campers have been entered.
  3. Complete the Summer Camp Information and Release Form before January 2 at 9 am. The form is a pre-requisite to registering for camp so completing it ahead of time will expedite your registration.
  4. Spend some time with the Camp Playbook and map out some first and second choices for each camper in your household.  Check out pages 10-11 for week by week camp options, grades and ages, etc.

Questions about camp registration for 2021 or the new CommunityPass software?  Contact cys@decaturga.com.

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Let’s Talk Housing: Decatur Strategic Plan 202 Session

Posted in Community, Meetings, tagged , , , , , , , , on December 8, 2020 | Leave a Comment »

The second of four Decatur 202 Zoom discussions– this time on housing affordability — is scheduled for 4 p.m., December 10. The sessions are part of the city’s current strategic planning efforts and drill down on the input provided during the Citizen Roundtables and the Virtual Forums.

Interested participants can get involved by registering on Zoom.

The presentation and discussion format for the two-hour 202 session is the same for all four topic meetings. If you missed the small group discussions and introductory presentations during the first 202 session, see the video under Transportation & Mobility on the Decatur 2030 website. The first 202 encouraged – and got – a vigorous conversation on how to reconcile two Decatur ambitions that aren’t always compatible: Our dependence on automobiles and the road and parking infrastructure they require and our determination to expand pedestrian, biking, and transit alternatives.

For the upcoming housing session, we’ll confront the increasing demand for housing within the reach of lower and middle income families and the fear of disrupting the character and stability of existing neighborhoods.

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This Week in Decatur

Posted in Community, tagged , , , , , , on December 7, 2020 | Leave a Comment »

-Decatur Sanitation Services and the Environmental Sustainability Board are currently working to improve the City’s recycling services by reducing contamination, educating residents on recoverable materials, and updating its recycling guidelines. Join us on December 8 at 4:00 p.m. via Zoom to learn more about what’s to come, have your questions answered, and provide your feedback. Registration is required: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_6H4MazYhRsWP2zK38XctCQ

-The second of four Decatur 202 Zoom discussions– this time on housing affordability — is scheduled for 4 p.m., December 10. The sessions are part of the city’s current strategic planning efforts and drill down on the input provided during the Citizen Roundtables and the Virtual Forums. Interested participants can get involved by registering at decatur2030.com.

-Join Little Shop of Stories and the City of Decatur on Thursday, December 10, for the 2020 Virtual Tree Lighting on Zoom at 7 p.m. Grab some goodies and hot chocolate (holiday recipe included in the November Focus) and hop on Zoom at 6:30 p.m. for story time with Santa. The event is free but registration is required. To register, head to visitdecaturgeorgia.com/visit/page/2020-events!

Photo Credit: Steve Schaefer (Atlanta Journal Constitution)

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2020 Virtual Tree Lighting

Posted in Community, Events, tagged , , , , , , , on December 2, 2020 | Leave a Comment »

Join Little Shop of Stories and the City of Decatur on Thursday, December 10, for the 2020 Virtual Tree Lighting on Zoom at 7 p.m. Grab some goodies and hot chocolate (holiday recipe included in the November Focus) and hop on Zoom at 6:30 p.m. for story time with Santa. The event is free but registration is required. To register, head to the Visit Decatur event page!

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Reminder: Register for the 2020 Anti-Racism Series

Posted in Community, Events, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on December 1, 2020 | Leave a Comment »

Join us for the final installment in our 2020 Anti-Racism Speaker Series featuring prominent anti-racist writer and educator, Tim Wise this Thursday, December 3 at 6 p.m. Visit decaturga.com/speakerseries to make sure you’re registered for this session and to watch recordings of the previous speakers.

The Speaker Series was created to mine the knowledge and wisdom of numerous thought leaders to challenge and inspire our community to take actionable steps to instill anti-racism throughout our norms and practices.

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