Atlanta City Council District 8

Atlanta BeltLine Quarterly Briefing 2009

2009-02-18T13:40:00.009-05:00

On Thursday, February 26, 2009, Atlanta BeltLine Inc. (ABI) will be holding their first quarterly briefing of 2009. On the agenda for this meeting are a number of important BeltLine issues: 1)2009 BeltLine Priorities, 2)BeltLine Partnership Capital Campaign Update, 3)BeltLine Implementation Update, and 4)Affordable Housing Trust Fund Update. The meeting will be held in the auditorium of the Atlanta Public Schools Building; it will last from 6-8 P.M. These meetings are a great time learn about the status of this ongoing project. For further information, go to www.beltline.org or call ABI at 404-614-8300.

Completion of CSO Consent Decree

2009-01-12T12:07:00.004-05:00

I was happy to present the following Proclamation to the Department of Watershed Mgmt. for completion of the city’s first CSO Consent Decree in early November. I am happy to report that the project came in on time and under the project budget. I have been working on this project many years and am excited about its completion. Below is the Proclamation that the City Council presented them:

In Honor of The Consent Decree Project Completions

Whereas, The City of Atlanta entered a consent decree with federal and state environmental regulators and the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper to repair and upgrade the sewer system to prevent degradation and pollution of the Chattahoochee River in 1998 ; and,

Whereas, The City has completed construction of the Custer Avenue Storage and Declorination Facility which can store 10 million gallons of combined storm water and sewage as planned; and,

Whereas, The consent decree included a $25 million Greenway Acquisition Program that purchased nearly 24 miles of stream buffer protection throughout the region that will protect them in perpetuity as well as separation of 33 miles of combined sewers, inspection of 73.6% or 1,111 of the 1,530 miles of sewer pipe and replacement of more than 60 miles of water pipes and mains; and,

Whereas, The decree also included the construction of the West Area CSO Tunnel at $190 million that, in two sections 200 feet underground, runs from northwest to southwest and another section that runs from downtown to midtown can carry up to 177 million gallons of rain and sewage – enough to fill the Georgia Aquarium 21 times; and

Whereas, The City of Atlanta celebrates compliance with the consent decree on the combined sewer system which included 55 deadlines at a cost $757 million .

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED that, we, the members of the AtlantaCity Council, and on behalf of the citizens of Atlanta, hereby join in celebrating these milestones that have improved water quality for our primary watersheds and additionally improved the quality of life in our great city.

Mt. Paran-Northside Citizens Association Raises Funds to Renovate Fire Station 27

2008-12-11T10:52:00.005-05:00

I would like to thank the Mt. Paran-Northside Citizens Association for their recent fundraising efforts to ensure that Fire Station 27 will receive some much needed renovations. I was honored to attend the ground breaking ceremony on Thursday, December 4; I’m happy to report that Phase One of the renovations, a new roof, is scheduled to begin shortly. This project would not have been possible without the outstanding efforts of this community.

Traffic Advisory: Northside Drive

2008-08-15T14:52:00.001-04:00

Traffic Advisory:
Sewer repair requires lane closure on Northside Drive

What: Lane closure on Northside Drive

Where: Northside Drive between Hemphill Avenue and Ethel Street.

When: 7 am – 7 pm; Monday, August 18

Comments: City contractors are repairing a sewer line on Northside Drive, necessitating the closure of one south-bound. Motorists are urged to exercise caution when traveling through the work area and to use alternate routes when possible.

www.atlantawatershed.org

Traffic Advisory:West Paces Ferry Road

2008-08-15T14:50:00.000-04:00

Traffic Advisory:
Sewer evaluation requires lane closure on West Paces Ferry Road

What: Lane closure on West Paces Ferry Road

Where: West Paces Ferry Road between Northside Drive and Northside Parkway

When: 9 am – 4:30 pm; Wednesday, July 9, – Thursday, July 10

Comments: City contractors are evaluating sewer lines on West Paces Ferry Road, necessitating the temporary closure of one west-bound lane. Motorists are urged to exercise caution when traveling through the work area and to use alternate routes when possible.

www.atlantawatershed.org

Lindbergh Drive Traffic Advisory

2008-07-10T08:52:00.001-04:00

Traffic Advisory:
Sewer work requires lane closures on Lindbergh Drive

What: Intermittent lane closures on Lindbergh Drive

Where: Lindbergh Drive between Plaster Avenue and Springdale Drive

When: 9 am – 4 pm; Friday, July 11

Comments: City contractors are evaluating sewer lines on Lindbergh Drive. The work will necessitate intermittent lane closures, reducing traffic from two lanes to one. Motorists are urged to exercise caution when traveling through the work area and to use alternate routes when possible.

www.atlantawatershed.org

Peachtree Road Traffic Advisory

2008-07-10T08:49:00.001-04:00

Traffic Advisory:
Sewer work requires lane closures on Peachtree Road

What: Intermittent lane closures on Peachtree Road

Where: Peachtree Road between Andrews Drive and E. Shadowlawn Drive

When: 9 am – 4 pm; Friday, July 11

Comments: City contractors are evaluating sewer lines on Peachtree Road. The work will necessitate intermittent lane closures, reducing traffic from three lanes to two. Motorists are urged to exercise caution when traveling through the work area and to use alternate routes when possible.

www.atlantawatershed.org

West Paces Ferry Traffic Advisory

2008-07-08T17:04:00.001-04:00

Traffic Advisory:
Sewer evaluation requires lane closure on West Paces Ferry Road

ATLANTA CITY BUDGET FY 2009 Begins July 1

2008-07-01T09:51:00.002-04:00

ATLANTA GENERAL FUND BUDGET -- FY 2009 Begins July 1, 2008

The FY 2009 City of Atlanta General Fund Budget has received a lot of attention in the press and my office has received many emails and phone calls as well as public comments at hearings about the Mayor’s proposed tax increase. Here is my update.

As you’ll recall from press reports, Atlanta’s newly implemented financial reporting software alerted us halfway through FY 2008 that expenses were projected to be more than revenues. In January there was a projected $70 million shortfall. (You can see the independent auditor’s report on-line.) Mayor Shirley Franklin quickly implemented cutbacks and hiring freezes which seem to have closed that gap and we expect to hear when the books are closed, that FY ’08 will come in on-budget.

Because each municipal budget is based on the revenues of the prior year (we can anticipate no more than 99% of the prior year), the development of the 2009 budget with no significant changes to 2008 service levels and spending began with a $140 million shortfall. The Mayor’s proposed budget of $583 million addressed the shortfall by eliminating 441 General Fund jobs, reducing employee benefits, privatizing several functions, raising various user-fees, and increasing property taxes.

While the Administration believed that the additional taxes were needed to maintain and increase service levels, the Council felt that a tax increase was not the best solution. The Council studied the proposed budget, searched for new revenues and additional cuts. As a result, we came up with the following amendment to the budget:

1) Additions to Budget Shortfall

Eliminate the Mayor’s proposed tax increase (.43 mill) $12,000,000
An additional .118 mill property tax rollback $3,325,000
Restoration of funding for the following:
Public Defender and Solicitor’s Office $3,400,000
Code enforcement officers $654,100
Planners $309,900
Equipment purchase to ensure 24 hour operation of Channel 26 $150,000
TOTAL $19,839,000

2) This to be funded by the following Reductions to the Budget Shortfall:

The sale of taxicab decals (CPNCs) currently held by City $2,000,000
Reduction in the Council budget $1,300,000
Reduction in excess allocation in non-department budget $1,700,000
Increase to traffic fines $264,000
2.5% additional decrease to General Fund (including City Council) $14,575,000
TOTAL $19,839,000

The Council unanimously believes that the approved budget can be implemented by taking the additional General Fund cuts from “supplies” and “consulting”, elimination of some vacant but funded positions, and additional revenues that were discussed in our deliberations but would have to be applied to next year’s revenues, such as the sale of tax delinquencies.

We have another projected difficult year ahead of us. This budget must be carefully monitored from day one---7/1/08--- and we must continue to search for additional revenues and additional cuts.. We must strive for good service delivery and allow for full cost recovery from our city services. We would like to avoid future tax increases. We must bring on line quickly the contract for traffic enforcement because it is a revenue producer. I will continue to explore the sale of tax delinquencies. We are looking at various services that might bring some efficiency if outsourced.

The Council has called for a monthly financial report from all departments as we begin this fiscal year. Additionally, legislation by Muller and Shook has been approved to establish a tightly controlled Restricted Reserve. The practice of budgeting the estimated “cash carry forward” will be eliminated and any such funds would go into this reserve.

A week before General Fund Budget adoption, the Council approved a second four year series of water-rate increases to service the bonds that fund the Clean Water Atlanta program. Rate increases were anticipated in the original approval of the program, but have to be approved every four years. The MOST (Municipal Option Sales Tax) helps to lower these increases, but does not eliminate them. The rate increases are high but necessary to service the debt of the federally mandated program for water/waste water. These fees fund the program in the WATER/ SEWER ENTERPRISE FUND. The Council did not believe that in these difficult economic times the public could bear a tax increase for the GENERAL FUND as well as a water rate increase.

CLAIR MULLER

FYI-
A property tax bill consists of taxes levied by each of the following entities: The State of Georgia, Fulton County (or DeKalb County), Atlanta Public Schools (APS), and the City of Atlanta. It is important to note that approximately 21 cents of the tax dollar goes to the City of Atlanta. The remaining 79 cents supports Atlanta Public Schools (54 cents), Fulton County (24 cents), and the State of Georgia (1 cent).

Solid Waste and Recycling Services

2008-07-01T09:48:00.001-04:00

SOLID WASTE SERVICES—ENTERPRISE FUND—7/1/08

I am happy to report that our new Commissioner of Public Works has reorganized crews and routes to be able to collect recyclables, yard trimmings, and garbage weekly instead of the proposed every other week collection of recycling and yard trimmings.

Beginning the week of July 7, city crews will collect all three items weekly.

RECYCLABLES---Department of Public Works (DPW) will save $3 million in the ’09 Solid Waste budget by taking over the recycling collection contract. This contract for collection has had spotty implementation. Many streets have been missed for collection and many of the small black recycling bins have been lost or broken. The percentage of recycling (and diversion of valuable recyclables from landfills) is abysmal in the City of Atlanta, where we charge customers $30.00 per year for the service. Beginning the week of July 7th, the City encourages customers to take advantage of the collection service and put recyclables on the curb either in your small black recycle bin or in any larger bin you have with a top (to keep items dry), and label RECLYCLE on the bin. Remember the City does not require separation of materials and collects:

newspapers
magazines
phonebooks
paperbacks
junk mail
chip board (such as cereal box, Kleenex box)
corrugated cardboard (flattened) (NEW item to be collected!)
aluminum and steel cans
glass
plastic

We hope to be able to greatly increase the percentage of recycling in Atlanta and divert these items from landfills (decreasing our tipping fees) AND increase revenue by selling the recyclables. Please participate. The City may soon sell larger bins for recycling.

YARD TRIMMINGS---DPW will continue the free collection of yard trimmings weekly. I was alarmed to discover during this year’s budget research that we pay an outside entity $18-$19 per ton to take this material and process it, so I am searching for an enterprise that would take the material for free. That could save $800,000 per year.

GARBAGE will be collected weekly as usual.

I am still encouraging DPW to investigate the advantages of “Pay As You Throw” (PAYT) systems which encourage more recycling. With increased recycling, the existing large green garbage bin should be more than adequate for the majority of households.

Let’s help make revenue for Solid Waste Enterprise Fund and keep our city cleaner!!

CLAIR MULLER

Atlanta Beltline 2008 Quarterly Briefing

2008-06-12T09:28:00.003-04:00

Come learn the latest updates on the Beltline project!

Topics include:

Beltline Partnership Update

Affordable Housing Update

Environmental Impact Study Update

Master Planning Update

Thursday, July 10th 6-8 pm

Atlanta Public Schools, Auditorium

130 Trinity Avenue

Atlanta, GA 30303

Contact Atlanta Beltline Inc.

www.beltline.org or (404) 614-8300

2008-06-05T09:19:00.002-04:00

http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/atlanta_budget_cuts_force_less_recycling/Content?oid=493056

Atlanta budget cuts force, less recycling
Cash-strapped city giving away recycled trash it could sell

Thomas Wheatley, CREATIVE LOAFING - Published 06.04.08

"The city's recycled materials are processed by Dreamsan, a College Park business that has held the contract since 2001. The company pays nothing for the recycled material and keeps all revenue."

Joe Basista has, unfortunately, landed in a mire. Just months on the job as the new commissioner of Atlanta's Department of Public Works, he's got a lot of ideas about recycling. He wants to distribute bigger bins, and kick-start a long-delayed pilot program that would entice more customers to recycle. Ultimately, he wants every resident to have separate bins for yard trimmings, recycling materials and trash.

But the city's estimated $140 million budget shortfall – which has resulted in 122 positions cut from his department and the need to cut costs – has forced him to put his attention elsewhere. In fact, the financial crisis could mean a scaling back of the city's recycling program. The city currently picks up recycled materials once a week; under Mayor Shirley Franklin's budget proposal, that would drop to once every two weeks.

The city is cutting back on recycling just as the materials collected are more in demand. According to state figures, each person in Georgia generates an average 6.6 pounds of trash per day – double the national average. It costs $90 million annually to throw away 2.6 million tons of cans, bottles and newspapers that are collected and moved to Georgia landfills. Ironically, those items would have an estimated market value of $300 million if they were recycled.

In Atlanta, 150,000-175,000 tons of garbage are trucked every year to various landfills located within a 100-mile radius of the city. Basista says he doesn't have exact figures on how much it recycles. He estimates that 7,000 tons of materials were recycled last year, and that 25 percent of Atlanta households participate in recycling.

Others interviewed by CL are skeptical the rate is anywhere near that high.

The city's recycled materials are processed by Dreamsan, a College Park business that has held the contract since 2001. The company pays nothing for the recycled material and keeps all revenue.

Steve Thompson, program director of Curbside Value Partnership – a Virginia-based nonprofit that educates communities about the value of recyclable materials – says that deal essentially means Atlanta is throwing away cash. In his 35 years in the industry, Thompson says he has never seen prices for aluminum, steel and paper so high. He says the city is wasting an economic opportunity by giving the materials away to Dreamsan rather than auctioning it off to recycling companies. "If you think of it as trash, you treat it as trash," Thompson says. "If you think of it as a valuable feedstock, you think of it differently and behave differently toward it. They absolutely should not be giving that away."

Georgia is awash in companies that could use the resources. According to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, one-third of all plastic bottles recycled in North America end up in Dalton to be used to make carpets. Paper materials to feed a pulp mill in Dublin, Ga., are trucked in from Texas while more than 320,000 tons of newspapers in Georgia are tossed out every year.

Randy Hartmann, the DCA's director of environmental management, says there are recycling companies in the area that will pay for material. He says the state encourages cities to get money back from recycling programs. "It's not really waste they've got there; it's a resource," he says. "There are folks willing to pay for it. And I'm not sure Atlanta's there just yet."

Basista says the city plans to explore that option.

In the meantime, Atlanta could lose what little momentum it already has when it comes to recycling.
According to Thompson, when residential recycling collections are scaled back, people's recycling habits often are broken. And out of frustration, confusion or sheer hassle, participation rates drop. "People's lives are so stressed, complex and time-constrained," Thompson says. "If you put one more thing in the hopper for them to keep up with, they just go, 'The hell with it. I've got bigger things in my life than your recycling program.'"

Look to New York City, for example. In 2002, that city scaled back its recycling efforts because of a financial crisis similar to Atlanta's. Participation rates dropped sharply before the city reinstated its services and the rates are only now beginning to slowly rise.

"You're making it less convenient and harder for people to remember," Thompson says. "You can overcome disrupting people's habits if you spend the money to educate them that you're only coming every other week. But you need to provide a sort of 'nag' service."

He points to Nashville – which boasts a successful program even though crews collect recycling just once a month. The city sends e-mails on the eve of pick-ups to "block captains" to remind them to put out their bins and send a signal to neighbors, Thompson says.

To help make the twice-a-month pick-up work in Atlanta, the city will launch a pilot program in July to issue 10,000 recycling containers that are the size of a green Herbie Curbie. The rest of the city's 100,000 residential customers will have the opportunity to get the new 95-gallon containers by the end of next year. They will cost $70 each. Residents also have the option of providing their own container.

City Councilwoman Clair Muller wants to encourage recycling by following Decatur's lead and adopting a "pay-as-you-throw" program. Under that, residents would have to purchase specific garbage bags for pick-up; in Decatur, 10 33-gallon bags cost $14.45. Since Decatur began the program in 1998, it has reduced municipal solid waste by 42 percent. Those who oppose the "pay-as-you-throw" program say it's difficult for those living on low incomes and encourages illegal dumping.

Muller also hopes to keep the weekly recycling program by eliminating the pick-up of yard waste until the fall. "There are studies that show if you pick up recycling less, then you disincentivize people from putting it out," Muller says. "In the future, [the need to provide recycling options] is going to become bigger and bigger."

Howell Mill-Chattahooche Project Update

2008-06-03T09:16:00.002-04:00

Summary:

AT&T Utility Relocation

Splicing work & dismantling of remaining lines

Georgia Power

Relocation of remaining utility poles

Precision 2K (City Contractor)

Installation of signal equipment
Power down and remove old signals, power up and install new signals (simultaneous activity with Georgia Power)
Demolition of existing traffic island at Chattahoochee Avenue (lane closures)
Establish base road bed materials in the newly widened area
Roadway milling
Asphalt leveling & topping
Striping & installation of island at Chattahoochee Avenue (simultaneous activities)
Installation of stamped crosswalks

Note: Lane closures will resume 6/2/08. No construction activities are scheduled for the July 4th holiday. The roadway will remain open at that time.

Construction Schedule

The current schedule of remaining activities is as follows, weather permitting:

The relocation of utility lines by AT&T is currently underway. Recent timelines for this activity were extended, due to unforeseen difficulties experienced by AT&T with underground work. Once AT&T completes their relocation work, Georgia Power is scheduled to remove the remainder of the old utility poles. This process could take approximately 2 weeks or less. Upon completion of the utility relocation work by AT&T and Georgia Power, the City will resume roadwork to install raised crosswalks, sidewalks, and pedestrian signals at the intersections, along with the median, resurfacing, and striping. The roadway remains open at this time to avoid unnecessary traffic concerns. The majority of the work by AT&T is occurring on Bellemeade Avenue and not creating traffic concerns. Police officers/flaggers are in place to assist with traffic movement, if needed when there are lane blockages due to utility work. For additional information, please contact the Project Manager, Greg Holder, in the City of Atlanta's Department of Public Works at (404) 330-6208. Ongoing updates may be found at
www.atlantaga.gov/government/publicworks/howellmillroadwideningproject.aspx

Express Lanes Approved for Airport

2008-06-03T08:57:00.006-04:00

Travelers at the World’s busiest airport could soon avoid long and congested lines after the Atlanta City Council today gave the green light for a new test program to speed registered passengers through security checkpoints. The Council approved substitute resolution 08-R-1149 by a vote of 11-0. The measure allows the Mayor and the Airport General Manager to enter into an agreement with Clear Atlanta, LLC for the Registered Traveler (R.T.) Pilot Program at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

“It is important that we look to new and innovative ways of speeding some of the 89 million passengers through our airport in a secure, safe and efficient manner,” said City Council President Lisa M. Borders.“ This pilot program has been successful in other international hubs and will benefit passengers here as well.” The program will adhere to the guidelines and regulations set forth by the Transportation Security Administration and the American Association of Airport Executives, which operates the Transportation Security Clearinghouse – an agency that facilitates biometrically-based and biographical background checks for the aviation community.

The R.T. program’s goals are to enhance security and allow registered travelers to pass more quickly through checkpoints and reduce the wait time for all passengers in line for screening. The R.T. Pilot Program will activate through a voluntary enrollment program that will serve qualified air traveler participants who meet Federal Transportation Security eligibility criteria and who agree to provide personal information to the TSA. The program is aimed primarily at business travelers willing to pay $100 or more annually and to undergo an extensive background check and provide biometric information such as fingerprints and iris scans in advance. The TSA would be in charge of security threat assessments of these individuals.

Clear, operates R.T. lines in 17 other airports, including Orlando International and some terminals at New York's LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International airports. The primary location for the pilot program at Hartsfield-Jackson will be an enrollment area, located on the ticketing level of the airport, and security checkpoint kiosks, located near the airport security checkpoint area.

The above legislation and a complete list of other items on the council’s agenda can be viewed in their entirety on the Web at: http://apps.atlantaga.gov/citycouncil/2008/fca0602.htm
City council minutes can be viewed at: http://apps.atlantaga.gov/citycouncil/minutes2.htm

Atlanta City Councilmembers express outrage over recently signed concealed weapons law

2008-05-16T09:36:00.001-04:00

Members of the Atlanta City Council are expressing their outrage over recently signed House Bill 89 which will allow concealed guns on public transportation, in restaurants that serve alcohol and in state and city parks. Gov. Sonny Perdue signed the controversial gun bill Wednesday over the objections of local officials including Mayor Shirley Franklin, members of the Atlanta City Council, anti-gun lobbyists, and public transportation and public safety officials.

The City is considering fighting the new gun law, a city hall official said Thursday. “The new gun bill will be something that will have detrimental effects on the public safety efforts in every city in our state,” said City Councilmember Clair Muller. “There is not a sensible rationale for allowing the loosening of our current gun laws.”

The new law which will go into effect July 1, would allow for restaurant patrons to carry a firearm inside such facilities. Concealed weapons would also be allowed in state and city parks as well as on public transportation systems such as MARTA.

“It’s strange logic that the Governor believes that allowing hand guns in more public places will somehow make us safer,” said City Council President Lisa M. Borders. “This is poor public policy and a tremendous disappointment.”

Alice Johnson, executive director of Georgians for Gun Safety, said HB 89 sends a message that it is ok to assume law enforcement responsibilities if you are a civilian with a concealed weapons permit. “That is extremely dangerous for the community,” Johnson said. “Concealed weapons permit holders do not have to have training, they are not psychologically screened, they can have a conviction for a DUI or simple battery and still get a permit.” Johnson said her group has been fighting the new gun law since the idea first surfaced in January 2007. The legislation was originally written to allow concealed weapons in vehicles. “If the city of Atlanta would join in with other city to take this on, that would be an excellent use of our public safety resources,” Johnson said. “It could also save lives in the long term.”

Traffic Advisory:Roswell Road

2008-05-16T09:33:00.000-04:00

What: Lane closures on Roswell Road

Where: Roswell Road

When: Monday, May 19, 9 pm – 5 am

Comments: City contractors are milling and paving Roswell Road between Wieuca Road and Meadowbrook Drive. The work will necessitate closure of two north-bound lanes between the hours of 9 pm and 5 am. Motorists are urged to exercise caution when traveling through the work area and to use alternate routes when possible.

Connect Atlanta

2008-05-16T09:12:00.002-04:00

Results of the week long workshops are available for your viewing. See the transportation ideas that were developed by your community. http://www.connectatlantaplan.com/visioning.html

Northwest/Northside Design Workshop

http://www.connectatlantaplan.com/north.html

Southwest Design Workshop

http://www.connectatlantaplan.com/south.html

Intown, South & Southside Design Workshop

http://www.connectatlantaplan.com/southEAST.html

Northeast & Eastside Design Workshop

http://www.connectatlantaplan.com/images/Northeast%20Wrapup%20Post_sm.pdf

Sustainable Atlanta Initiative Gets a Boost with Emory Study

2008-04-30T08:10:00.003-04:00

Student-researcher Jessica Wang works on a study as part of a partnership between the Department of Human Resources, Office of Sustainability and Emory University.

In a recent study conducted by the Emory University Service Learning in Environmental Studies program, student-researchers found that Atlanta City Government could become a leader in environmental sustainability by increasing awareness of and accelerating employee participation in its existing alternative commute programs. The study was intended as a pilot for future commute alternative programs to be implemented by the Atlanta Office of Sustainability. Emory worked with the Atlanta Department of Human Resources (DHR) to investigate how the City of Atlanta could encourage its employees to use its current alternative commute programs. The City partners with the Clean Air Campaign to provide the following alternative commuter programs to its employees:

MARTA Card Subsidy and pre-tax deductions for Gwinnett and Cobb County public transit

Guaranteed Ride Home program (up to five free taxi-rides home per year for employees needing an emergency ride home on a day they use an alternative mode of transit)

Cash for Commuters (earn money for each time you carpool, tele-work, use transit, walk or bike to work for up to 90 days)

Car Pool Rewards (earn money by carpooling with three or more people. Ride to work together and log your trips online to receive gas cards

From March 14 – April 4, 2008, Emory students conducted research with GIS mapping, mini case studies and interviews with City employees in the Departments of HR; Planning and; Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs. Their research showed that more than 70 percent live outside of Atlanta and 78 percent drive alone to work. High gas prices are the main factor encouraging people to get out of their cars (58 percent), and nearly one-third of employees (31.6 percent) surveyed were concerned about climate change as a reason to switch to carpooling, vanpooling, biking, walking, or public transit.

About Sustainable Atlanta: This program is aimed at making our city more sustainable by improving “green” programs and policies, such as water and energy conservation, reducing solid waste and emissions, and improving the rates of recycling. For the first phase of Sustainable Atlanta, the City has focused on government operations and policies. By mid-year 2008, Sustainable Atlanta will shift to an external focus with public policies and programs designed to make the entire city a model for sustainability. Information for this article was provided by Emory student-researcher Gary Eddy.

Open House for BeltLine Draft Plans

2008-04-30T08:05:00.001-04:00

On Saturday May 3 from 12- 2 pm, the BeltLine Team will host a public open house at Atlanta City Hall for residents to provide input into the ongoing BeltLine draft plans. Active public participation into the planning and implementation of the BeltLine is a tenet of the visionary project, which will ultimately connect dozens of Atlanta communities with housing, transit, development and parks and trails. BeltLine project managers will be available to discuss resident concerns and input. City Hall is located at 55 Trinity Ave, Atlanta, 30303. For more information, contact Rukiya Eaddy at readdy@atlbeltline.org or Roland Young at ryoung@atlbeltline.org.

Reminder: Annual Electronic Waste Recycling Day

2008-04-16T09:13:00.001-04:00

Added Lanes at World’s Busiest Airport Will Decrease Wait Times

2008-04-16T08:39:00.005-04:00

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (HJAIA) has launched a $25 million construction project to expand the number of security checkpoints to shorten security wait times and increase capacity and efficiency at the world’s busiest airport. The project will increase the total of security screening lanes from 28 to 32. Project components include adding three lanes at the Terminal North checkpoint (T Gates), removing outdated lanes and screening equipment and adding four new lanes to Terminal South.

“This is just another step in our never-ending quest to exceed our customers’ expectations,” said Ben DeCosta, HJAIA General Manager. “We are partnering with the Transportation Security Administration to have these new security lanes fully staffed. We are confident that through this partnership we will increase the amount of passengers screened per hour which will decrease wait times while also maintaining a high level of security.” Construction of the new lanes is scheduled to be completed before the end of the 2008 summer travel season. HJAIA is the world’s busiest airport serving more than 89 million passengers annually housing 34 passenger and 16 cargo airlines.

For more information on the airport and its $6 billion-plus capitol improvement project, please visit www.atlanta-airport.com.

Atlanta’s Award-Winning Water Treatment Plants

2008-04-16T08:32:00.002-04:00

The Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP) has given Atlanta water treatment plants the “gold award” for exceptional performance in the delivery of safe, portable water. The annual GAWP awards recognize facilities that met or exceeded the permit requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act in 2007. The City of Atlanta currently is spending $1 billion to overhaul its drinking water system by replacing meters, repairing leaks, building new transmission and distribution mains and upgrading its plants. The City of Atlanta Chattahoochee and Hemphill water treatment plants received the Gold Award for permit compliance. The Atlanta-Fulton County Treatment Plant, which is jointly owned by the City and Fulton County, also received a Gold Award. The Chattahoochee plant treats 64.9 million gallons of water per day; Hemphill treats 136.5 million gallons; and the City’s share of the Atlanta-Fulton County Treatment is 45 million gallons. “We are grateful to GAWP for recognizing our ongoing efforts to provide clean, safe drinking water to customers,” said Rob Hunter, commissioner, Department of Watershed Management (DWM). GAWP represents more than 5,000 operators, owners, contractors, manufactures’ representatives, engineers, elected officials, industry representatives and others concerned with Georgia’s water resources.

Electronic Waste Recycling Day 2008

2008-04-07T16:23:00.007-04:00

Atlanta City Councilmember Carla Smith hosts
Electronic Waste Recycling Day 2008
First 100 cars to received a free gift certificate from Best Buy

Atlanta City Councilmember Carla Smith will host the city’s annual Electronic Waste Recycling Day on Saturday, April 26 from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at Turner Field’s GOLD Lot of Turner Field. Residents are encouraged to bring their old computers and household electronics to this Earth Day event. An astounding 75,583 of electronic items were collected in 2007 – the largest amount ever collected. “We are out to beat that record,” said City Councilmember Carla Smith, whose office has hosted E-Waste Recycling Day for the past six years. “Each year we collect more electronics than the year before, which shows there is a tremendous need for residents to properly dispose of these unwanted items.” The goal of this initiative is to promote the recovery, reuse, and recycling of obsolete electronic equipment and to encourage the design, manufacture, and purchase of environmentally responsible electronic equipment. The electronics industry is one of the fastest growing and most innovative industries in the world. Every year, newer and better products are being sold to consumers. While electronics account for up to five percent of landfill volume, the products contribute up to 70 percent of the toxins found in landfills.

The following items will be accepted at the city of Atlanta’s E-Waste Recycling Day:

COMPUTER MONITORS
TELEVISIONS ($10 fee required)
MICROWAVE OVENS
COMPUTER CPU’s
STEREOS
TELEPHONES
LAPTOPS
COPIERS
CB RADIOS
PRINTERS
VIDEO MACHINES
CD PLAYERS
DISK DRIVES
VCRs and DVD Players
PORTABLE RADIOS
FLOPPY DRIVES
CAMCORDERS
CELL PHONES
TEST & NETWORKING EQUIPMENT
CAMERAS
KEYBOARDS
MODEMS
RECORD PLAYERS
SCANNERS
CURCUIT BOARDS
SPEAKERS
ELECTRICAL PANELS
TYPEWRITERS
UPS/BATTERY BACK-UP
FAX MACHINES
CD ROMS
PROJECTORS
CABLES
COMPUTER MOUSES

The following items will not be accepted: consoles, projection televisions, vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, washers, dryers, freezers, de-humidifiers or humidifiers, gas-powered equipment, tires, household trash and NON-electronic equipment.

For more information, please call Councilwoman Smith’s office at (404) 330-6039.

Project Update - Howell Mill/Chattahoochee Intersection Project

2008-04-07T10:01:00.004-04:00

We are pleased to provide you with the following information related to the Howell Mill Road/Chattahoochee Intersection Improvement Project:

Utility relocations are currently underway with City of Atlanta Traffic Operations, Comcast, Bellsouth, and the City of Atlanta Watershed Management Department. We expect completion of relocations by April 21st with paving operations immediately following.
With the exception of the stamped concrete crosswalks and permanent striping planned for the project, we continue to expect major construction activities to be complete by the end this month, April 2008.
Stamped crosswalk locations are planned at the intersections of Howell Mill and Chattahoochee and Howell Mill and Defoors/Bellemeade. These activities are currently scheduled for early May 2008, for the duration of approximately 2 weeks.
All of the scheduling is weather dependent. Significant rain days, more than 1-2 in a work week, will impact this schedule.
Additionally, the Atlanta Police Department is working diligently to address enforcement concerns in the area.

As always, we certainly appreciate your diligence in working with us to improve your community. This project will upgrade Howell Mill Road between White Street and Verner Street and provide more pedestrian-friendly amenities. This will be accomplished in part by the addition of an 8’-0” wide stamped concrete sidewalk on the west side and a similarly patterned 5’-0” wide sidewalk on the east side. Crosswalks will also be of stamped concrete. The project consists of the following:

Widening of the narrow lanes on Howell Mill Road to at least 11 feet.
Addition a through lane on Howell Mill Road northbound between Chattahoochee Avenue and Bellemeade Avenue.
Widening of the narrow lanes on Chattahoochee Avenue in its approach to Howell Mill Road to accommodate truck-turning movements.
Addition of a left turn lane on Howell Mill Road onto Chattahoochee Avenue.
Addition of a left turn lane on Howell Mill Road onto Bellemeade Avenue.
Addition of a left turn lane on Bellemeade Avenue westbound onto Howell Mill Road southbound.
Improvement of the pedestrian environment through sidewalks/streetscape and street lighting.
Redesigning of the northwestern corner of Defoors Avenue to discourage cut-through truck traffic.

The current schedule of activities is as follows, weather permitting:

The relocation of utility lines by other agencies is currently underway. This task must be completed before the construction of the median is started.
Upon completion of the utility relocation, roadway work will resume to install the median, along with resurfacing, crosswalks, and striping.
The roadway remains open at this time to avoid unnecessary traffic concerns. Police officers/flaggers are in place to assist with traffic movement, if needed when there are lane blockages due to utility work.

The Department of Public Works remains on schedule for completion of the entire project by the end of April 2008, with the exception of the installation of stamped concrete crosswalks and permanent striping.

Funding: $1.1M (General Obligation Bond Funds)

Ongoing updates may be found at http://www.atlantaga.gov/government/publicworks/howellmillroadwideningproject.aspx

For additional information, please contact the City of Atlanta - Department of Public Works
Greg Holder, Project Manager at (404) 330-6208

2ND ANNUAL EARTH DAY CELEBRATION

2008-04-04T09:58:00.003-04:00

It’s our city. do your part.

Join the Keep Atlanta Beautiful 2nd annual Earth Day Celebration

In April, Keep Atlanta Beautiful, the City of Atlanta, and The BeltLine Partnership will host “Arms Around Atlanta ~ Earth Day Celebration.” As part of this celebration, there will be two festivals over two weekends. On April 19, Zoo Atlanta, a Greener Atlanta Earth Leader, will sponsor the first event, where Zoo patrons will enjoy $5 off general admission with the donation of a used cell-phone that will benefit the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International. Your Zoo entry will include access to the Earth Day World Music Fest™ and the Kids ECO-Zone™, a special area where kids can learn about “Stepping Lightly in Atlanta” and reducing their carbon footprint.

On April 26, 10 am – 10 pm, we will be in Glenwood Park, a Green Streets Properties ‘green’ development. The day’s activities will feature the Earth Day World MusicFest™, Kids ECO-Zone™, and the Organic and Local Taste of Atlanta™, as well as a special ceremony at noon where Mayor Shirley Franklin and Anthony Pratt, Chairman and CEO, Pratt Industries, will award the winners of the “Stepping Lightly in Atlanta Awards Contest.” Keep Atlanta Beautiful and the City of Atlanta are delighted to present the 2008 ‘Stepping Lightly in Atlanta Awards” sponsored by Pratt Industries, a Keep Atlanta Beautiful ~ Greener Atlanta Benefactor.

On April 26, we will also hold an e-Waste recycling drive at Turner Field in the Gold Parking Lot, hosted by City Councilmember Carla Smith, where residents can recycle their old computers, monitors, TVs (TV’s will have a recycle charge), and other used electronics. Last year, more than 80,000 lbs. of e-Waste were recycled.

Throughout the month of April, Keep Atlanta Beautiful will sponsor community-based projects to help clean and green neighborhoods and parks in the City of Atlanta along with many located on and close to Atlanta’s BeltLine. Last Earth Day, with the help of more than 55 teams, or 1200 volunteers, Keep Atlanta Beautiful successfully beautified 31 sites around the city and recycled more than 8,500 lbs of recyclable waste as well as 13,000 tires. Thanks to The Home Depot Foundation for their generous support in 2007 and for helping Keep Atlanta Beautiful carry on the tradition in 2008.

For more information on how you can be a part of the excitement, education and entertainment of the Keep Atlanta Beautiful Arms Around Atlanta ~ Earth Day Celebration, visit http://www.keepatlantabeautiful.org/.

BeltLine Quarterly Briefing-April 17, 2008

2008-04-02T11:10:00.002-04:00

Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. - Update

Quarterly Briefing - April 17, 2008

Once every three months, the BeltLine Team hosts a city-wide meeting to provide an overview and update of Beltline activities. Our next briefing is Thursday, April 17, 2008 at Atlanta Public Schools Auditorium from 6-8 p.m (130 Trinity Ave., Atlanta, GA).

We very much appreciate your participation in furthering BeltLine planning and implementation. If you have any questions, please contact Roland Young at

ryoung@atlbeltline.org or Rukiya Eaddy at readdy@atlbeltline.org.

For more information about the BeltLine, please visit www.beltline.org

Outdoor water use workshop available online

2008-03-31T11:08:00.002-04:00

The Water Smart Outdoor Water Use conservation workshop hosted by the City of Atlanta is available online at http://atlanta.acrobat.com/p13639929/.

The free workshop focuses on innovative and unique ways to conserve water while maintaining a beautiful landscape. It features sessions on rain barrels, irrigation systems, green roof design, use of organic material, turf maintenance and caring for trees in a drought.

The workshop is one of a series of initiatives the Department is undertaking in its efforts to meet Mayor Shirley Franklin’s goal of a 10 percent reduction in water usage citywide. The City also is spending $1 billion on drinking water infrastructure improvements to repair leaks and repair and replace meters and mains; helping finance water conservation audits for large customers; and taking steps to reduce usage among its various departments.

Chastain Park Tennis Center available for review

2008-03-31T10:57:00.002-04:00

The Initial Concepts for the Chastain Park Tennis Center are availalbe for review on the Conservancy web site www.ChastainParkConservancy.org. If you would like to make comments, please submit the form online or attend one of the Open Houses this weekend.

Open House Dates/Times - at the Tennis Center
Saturday, March 29, 10am - 12 noon
Sunday, March 30, 1-3 pm

Traffic Advisory: Sewer work closes Lindbergh Drive

2008-03-31T10:53:00.000-04:00

Sewer rehab work requires closing of portion of Lindbergh Drive

What: Road closure on Lindbergh Drive

Where: Lindbergh Drive between Brookwood Drive and Plaster Avenue

When: Monday, March 31—Wednesday April 2

Comments: City contractors are working to replace sewer lines on Lindbergh Drive. The work will necessitate a road closure for three days. Message boards near the site will contain detour information. Motorists are urged to use alternate routes.

Traffic Advisory:Sewer repair closes West Wesley

2008-03-31T10:48:00.000-04:00

Sewer repair requires lane closure on West Wesley Road

What: Single lane closure on West Wesley Road

Where: West Wesley Road between Westover Drive and Northside Drive

When: Monday, March 31 – Friday, April 4; 9 am – 4 pm

Comments: City contractors will be repairing a sewer line, necessitating the closure of one lane on West Wesley Road. Motorists are urged to use caution in the area and to use alternate routes if possible.

Volunteers needed

2008-03-26T08:42:00.001-04:00

Skilled volunteers and supplies are still needed to continue the repair work to homes damaged during the March 14th tornado that tore through part of Atlanta. The Fuller Center for Housing of Greater Atlanta, Hands on Atlanta, and the Atlanta chapter of the National Association of The Remodeling Industry are continuing to repair a home at 1393 Glenwood Avenue that was damaged by the tornado. Construction on the roof frame will begin at 9 a.m. Thursday.

“Many of these homeowners were uninsured,” said Mark Galey, president of The Fuller Center for Housing of Greater Atlanta. "We have dozens of other homes on our list to repair. Donations are our biggest need right now, followed by a need for skilled volunteers who are able to lend a helping hand.” The Fuller Center, based in Americas, Georgia, is a non-profit organization dedicated to building and rehabilitating houses for people in need. For more information, call The Fuller Center at (404) 867-3258.

Reminder: Earth Hour this Saturday

2008-03-26T08:36:00.002-04:00

Atlanta Goes Dark to Support Climate Change

On Saturday March 29 from 8 to 9 pm, Atlanta residents, stakeholders, and dozens of local businesses and communities will make a powerful statement in support for global action on climate change by cutting off all non-essential lights for one hour - Earth Hour. The event is designed to make a powerful statement in support for global action on climate change. Watch the video about the worldwide particiaption of 21 cities as a part of the Earth Hour video as the Video On Demand feature in this week's City Newsbytes.

Connect Atlanta

2008-03-24T10:21:00.003-04:00

Dear Community Member,

Next week is your last opportunity to take part in workshops for the Connect Atlanta Plan. Please join us at City Hall East and share your thoughts and concerns about the future of transportation in Atlanta. Your input is critical.

March 24th through 27th - CITY HALL EAST - 675 Ponce de Leon
Kickoff Presentation: Monday, March 24th at 6:30pm
Recap Presentation: Thursday, March 27th at 6:30pm
Workshops: Open Monday through Thursday from 10:00am to 8:00pm
Directions: MARTA Bus #2 from North Avenue Station
Parking: In the first level of the parking deck from the Ponce de Leon entrance

Whether you can make it to the workshop or not, please take this transportation survey.

Survey Link:
http://connectatlantaplan.com/survey.html

Valve repair work forces service interruption on Peachtree Road

2008-03-12T16:09:00.002-04:00

What: Water service to be interrupted

Where: Addresses between 1690 and 2300 Peachtree Road, inclusive

When: Wednesday, March 12, 6 pm - Thursday, March 13, 6 am

Comments: City contractors are making emergency repairs to water valves near Piedmont Hospital. The repairs are necessary because of low water pressure at the hospital as a result of a main break yesterday. The work will necessitate an interruption of water service overnight. Customers may want to fill their bathtubs in order to have water to flush toilets.

http://www.atlantawatershed.org/news/advisory_details.aspx?id=250

Get Ready-MARTA is on the MOVE!

2008-03-10T11:22:00.002-04:00

MARTA Public Meetings Scheduled

MARTA has scheduled a series of very important public meetings and requests your participation. The agency is conducting a study to re-examine its current system. MARTA has named the study MOVE which stands for "Making Operations Very Efficient." Why MOVE? Because it is what MARTA does. MARTA's core business is moving people throughout its service area and, with other partners, throughout the region.

The study will identify and propose actions to address several issues related to operations and customer friendliness. The operations that will be examined include bus, rail and paratransit service. The goal of the study is to develop strategies that will improve MARTA service, increase ridership and be more responsive to its customers. This is an opportunity to help MARTA develop solutions.

Eleven meetings are scheduled for the public to provide input on MARTA's existing conditions and to learn more about the study. All meetings are open to the public and you may attend any one that meets your schedule. Please see the dates and locations below and visit MARTA's website at http://www.itsmarta.com/ for additional information. If you are unable to attend any of these meetings you may submit comments to: contact@peqatl.com or by fax (770) 306-7754.

Monday, March 17, 2008

7:00-8:30 pm

South Fulton Service Center

5600 Stonewall Tell Rd.

College Park, GA 30349

Bus Routes 160 and 180 from College Park Rail Station

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

7:00-8:30 pm

Adamsville Recreation Center

3201 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.

Atlanta, GA 30331

Bus Routes 73 from Hamilton E. Holmes Rail Station

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

7:00-8:30 pm

Georgia State Alpharetta Campus

3705 Brookside Parkway

Alpharetta, GA 30022

Bus Route 140 Windward Parkway from North Springs Rail Station

Thursday, March 20, 2008

7:00-8:30 pm

Chamblee Library

4115 Clairmont Road

Chamblee, GA 30341

Bus Route 70 from either Brookhaven or Chamblee Rail Stations

Monday, March 24, 2008

7:00-8:30 pm

John Birdine Neighborhood Center

215 Lakewood Way

Atlanta, GA

Bus Route 42 from Lakewood/Fort McPherson Station

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

7:00-8:30 pm

Peachtree Branch Library

1315 Peachtree Street

Atlanta, GA

Bus Routes 23,110 and 113 from Arts Center Station

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

7:00-8:30 pm

East Lake YMCA

275 East Lake Boulevard

Atlanta, GA 30317

Bus Route 28 from Edgewood/Candler Park Rail Station or Bus Route 22 from East Lake Rail Station

Thursday, March 27, 2008

7:00-8:30 pm

Gresham Recreation Center

3113 Gresham Road

Decatur, GA

Bus Route 34 from Inman Park Station

Saturday, March 29, 2008

10:00-11:30 am

Dunbar Recreation Center

477 Windsor Street, SW

Atlanta, GA 30312

Bus Route 49 from Garnett Station

Monday, March 31, 2008

7:00-8:30 pm

Clarkston Library

951 North Indian Creek Drive

Clarkston, GA 30021

Bus Route 125 from Avondale Rail Station

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

7:00-8:30 pm

DeKalb Medical Center Hillandale

2801 DeKalb Medical Pkwy

Lithonia, GA

Bus Routes 86 and 111 from Indian Creek Rail Station

Citizen Participation Opportunities

2008-03-10T10:49:00.003-04:00

Want to get involved in the Beltline? A variety of citizen participation opportunities exist for anyone to provide input into how the Beltline will take shape. For updated meeting dates and locations please visit www.beltline.org or call (404) 614-8300.

Study Groups are the primary way for anyone to participate in the Beltline. Study Groups were created by City Council to enable direct input on the planning, implementation, and design of Beltline projects over the 25-year life of the Beltline. There are five Study Groups around the Beltline (N, NE, SE, SW, W), and they have standing meeting times and locations. Study Groups focus on topics ranging from park design to transit planning, depending on the projects and activities currently underway. At the present time, the primary focus is to support Master Planning of the Beltline's ten Sub Areas.

Northside (meets the 1st Monday of the month)

AGL Resources, Annex

10 Peachtree Place NW

Atlanta, GA 30309

Citizen Participation Advocate (CPA), Roland Young

(404) 588-5474

Ryoung@atlbeltline.org

Northeast (meets the 2nd Thursday of the month)

StudioPlex Community Room

659 Auburn Avenue

Atlanta, GA 30312

Citizen Participation Advocate (CPA), Rukiya Eaddy

(404) 614-8285

Readdy@atlbeltline.org

Southeast (meets the 2nd Monday of the month)

Zoo Atlanta, ARC Building

800 Cherokee Avenue, SE

Atlanta, GA 30315

Citizen Participation Advocate (CPA), Rukiya Eaddy

(404) 614-8285
Readdy@atlbeltline.org

Southwest (meets the 4th Thursday of the month)

Atlanta Metropolitan College

Academic Bldg, Rm A-210

Atlanta, GA 30310

Citizen Participation Advocate (CPA), Roland Young
(404) 588-5474
Ryoung@atlbeltline.org

Westside (meets the 4th Monday of the month)

Hands on Atlanta

Training Room A

600 Means Street

Atlanta, GA 30318

Citzen Participation Advocate (CPA), Rukiya Eaddy

(404) 614-8285

Readdy@atlbeltline.org

Quarterly Briefings are city-wide meetings held to provide an overview and update of Beltline activities and are held at a minimum of four times a year. These briefings are advertised broadly throughout the Atlanta area. Briefings for the remainder of 2008 are scheduled as follows: April 17, July 10, and October 16.

Master Planning Office hours are designed so that community groups can schedule a time to meet with Atlanta Beltline, Inc. planners to discuss the draft Master Plans before they are submitted for final approval. Beltline Master Plans include detailed land-use, transportation, and park plans around the Beltline. We have not yet determined the final dates for office hours. Please continue to check the website to determine the Office Hour schedules for each Sub Area.

City-wide conversations will provide a forum to develop the Beltline vision for specific issues requiring more in depth dialogue from different perspectives. Specific issues might range from transit supportive development to housing affordability. Please continue to check the website for the first city-wide conversation on transit supportive development.

A city-wide open house will provide the opportunity to comment on plans and ask questions in an informal public forum. Open houses will share plans and concepts for topics ranging from Beltline parks to transit. The first city-wide open houses will highlight Westside Reservoir Park to be located on the site of the Bellwood Quarry.

The community is represented on several Beltline boards and committees by neighbors that have been appointed by Beltline, Inc., City Council, Atlanta Public Schools, Fulton County Commission, the Mayor, and community groups. These boards and committees are listed below. Please check the website to see a list of the membership for these organizations:

Master Planning Steering Committees for 6 of the 10 Sub Areas around the Beltline

Tax Allocation District Advisory Committee ("TADAC")

Beltline Affordable Housing Advisory Board ("BAHAB")

Atlanta turns off its lights!

2008-03-10T10:42:00.003-04:00

Earth Hour Atlanta will take place on Saturday, March 29, 2008 from 8:00 to 9:00 pm. For one hour, residents, businesses and organizations are asked to voluntarily turn off non-essential lights to reduce energy consumption. The goal is to raise awareness about climate change and demonstrate that working together; the people of the world can make a difference in the fight against global warming.

Earth Hour is modeled after a successful event held in Sydney, Australia in March 2007. In 2008, Earth Hour will be celebrated globally in more than 20 cities with Atlanta, Chicago, Phoenix and San Francisco representing the four continental US time zones. Other cities across the world participating include Brisbane, Australia; Copenhagen, Manila; Tel Aviv and Toronto, Canada, and many more.

Earth Hour is an initiative of World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Our initial partners in Atlanta include the City of Atlanta and Creaxion, a local marketing firm. Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin accepted WWF’s invitation to represent the Eastern Time Zone of the US in Earth Hour 2008 as a way to complement the recently launched “Sustainable Atlanta” environmental initiative. Dozens of major landmark buildings in Downtown, Midtown, Atlantic Station and Buckhead will go dark in honor of the event---as will neighborhoods across the city. Leading up to Saturday, March 29, WWF is working with a large cross-section of public and private entities to ensure their participation the initiative.

A steering committee comprised of local business and civic leaders has been formed to ensure the success of Earth Hour Atlanta. The committee includes city officials, local police and fire departments, electrical utilities such as Georgia Power, and private and public organizations to coordinate logistics in Atlanta. While there are no specific energy reduction targets for this year’s initiative in participating U.S. cities, Georgia Power will measure the drop in electricity use during the event, and will provide additional logistical support and assistance.

Mayor Franklin is calling on citizens and business leaders across Atlanta to support Earth Hour. She hopes that our great city will be a beacon of action and change for the rest of the world to see.

The event on March 29 is only one step in ongoing efforts to fight climate change. To encourage long-term benefits, all participants will be encouraged to replace older light bulbs with energy efficient compact fluorescents and pledge to take actions that will reduce their energy consumption in the year ahead.

How Can Atlantans Participate?

Turn off the lights

As part of a global campaign to raise awareness about climate change and demonstrate that working together, the people of the world can make a difference in the fight against global warming, we ask skyscrapers, businesses and individuals to voluntarily turn off the lights in their own home or business for one hour on Saturday night, March 29. Also turn off/unplug other non-essential electrical equipment – such as idle cell phone chargers, computers, microwaves, electric toothbrush, etc.

Businesses open to the public during this time are encouraged to participate and can do so in a safe manner by remaining in full compliance with all laws and proper safety standards. For instance, theater marquees could go dark while the show goes on in the light; hotels will maintain lobby and hallway lights, but guests will be encouraged to participate in this environmental event during that hour.

Restaurants could darken their exteriors, but have their kitchen lights on, and may get creative with battery-powered lanterns and other dim lighting.

Homeowners could have a one-hour family time, free from computers and TV, and play games by flashlight, or read stories by the fireplace. All lobby, hallway lights and elevators will remain on in high-rise condominiums, and condo owners will be encouraged to participate voluntarily.

Earth Hour is about living in a modern world while doing the right thing. Therefore, we are asking people to turn off lights for one hour and come up with fun ways to celebrate the impact they’re having on their environment. For more information about participating in Earth Hour, please contact Sunni Hickman at 404-495-4442 or sunni@creaxion.com. Earth Hour 2008 complements Atlanta’s recently launched Sustainable Atlanta initiative. Sustainable Atlanta focuses on improving green programs and policies like water and energy conservation, reduced solid waste and emissions, and improved recycling rates. For More Information on Sustainable Atlanta, visit here. For More Information on Earth Hour, Visit www.earthhourus.org

Free Water Conservation Kit and Workshop

2008-03-05T10:13:00.004-05:00

The City of Atlanta's Department of Watershed Management invites you to attend "Water Smart," an outdoor water use efficiency workshop on Friday, March 28, 2008 at 8:30 am-2:00 pm, which will be held at the Atlanta Civic Center's Piedmont Room (395 Piedmont Avenue, NE Atlanta, GA 30308). The workshop is free and open to the public, please RSVP by calling Miltresa McMichael at (404) 546-1265 or email mmcmichael@atlantaga.gov.

Who should attend?

Atlanta's Irrigation customers
Landscape professionals
Large commercial water users
Residential customers
Anyone who is interested in maintaining a beautiful landscapes in a drought

Workshop Topices:

Irrigation systems
Greenroof design
Caring for your trees in a drought
Use of organic material in a sustainable landscape
Turf maintenance
Rain barrels
On-line certification class

For a FREE Water Conservation Kit that contains a low-flow showerhead, kitchen and bathroom faucet aerators, flow measurement bag, and toilet dye tablets and instructions visit http://www.atlantawatershed.org/.

City continues to seek public input on "Connect Atlanta" transportation plan

2008-03-05T09:41:00.003-05:00

Last fall, the Bureau of Planning began a yearlong process to develop the Connect Atlanta Plan, the first comprehensive transportation plan for the City of Atlanta. The Connect Atlanta Plan will guide the next 25 years of transportation policy and investment in ways that contribute to Atlanta’s larger vision of creating a more modern, vibrant, and sustainable city. The time has come to make recommendations for each neighborhood. The public is invited to join a series of open, multi-day workshops. For more information visit www.connectatlantaplan.com or call 404.330.6800.

Intown South & Southside - March 10-13 (NPUs S, T, V, X, Y, Z)

Location: Atlanta Metropolitan College - Academic Building #500 1630 Metropolitan Parkway,SW

Kickoff: Monday, March 10th at 6:30pm

Recap: Thursday, March 13th at 6:30pm

Workshops: Open Monday through Thursday from 10:00am to 8:00pm

Directions: MARTA Bus #54 south from Oakland City Station or Bus #95 from West End Station

Parking: Available on Metropolitan College campus, next to Atlanta Technical College

Northeast & Eastside - March 24-27 (NPUs E, F, M, N, O, W)

Location: City Hall East - 675 Ponce de Leon Avenue, NE

Kickoff: Monday, March 24th at 6:30pm

Recap: Thursday, March 27th at 6:30pm

Workshops: Open Monday through Thursday from 10:00am to 8:00pm

Directions: MARTA Bus #2 (Ponce de Leon/Avondale Estates) from North Avenue Station

Parking: Available in first level of parking deck from Ponce de Leon entrance

New Solid Waste Services Collection in Effect

2008-03-05T09:35:00.002-05:00

Yesterday the Office of Solid Waste Services launched a new solid waste collection process that will establish long-term improvements in operations, customer service and environmental sustainability. The new collection improvements will not only create a more cost-efficient collection process, but residents will benefit from a safer, cleaner and greener Atlanta. The most noticeable changes in the new solid waste collection process include:

New collection days for most customers

Weekly collection of waste materials (garbage, recycling and yard waste)

Yard waste will not be collected in plastic bags. It must be placed in paper yard waste (kraft) bags or a container clearly labeled “yard trimmings"

Only 5 additional bags of garbage are allowed in addition to the contents of your Herbie Curbie for garbage collection

For more information and to do a search of the online directory which indicates collection days by street, visit http://www.atlantaga.gov/government/publicworks/swsi_013008.aspx

Chastain Park Master Plan Approved

2008-03-03T16:54:00.004-05:00

Today the Atlanta City Council approved allowing the Chastain Park Conservancy to move forward with its master plan for the 268-acre park off W. Wieuca Road. Members approved a resolution (Legislative Reference # 08-R-0345) accepting the plan on behalf of the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs.

As part of the plan, the Chastain Park Conservancy is proposing:

A new Recreation and Community Center to include two basketball courts (double the current capacity) as well as other multi-use, community and recreation facilities, and an attached parking structure;

Kiosks and wayfinding signage throughout the park;

Pedestrian safety improvement which will include the widening and extension of the current path system;

The reclamation of 12 acres of current park space that have been overgrown by invasive plants;

Parking improvements and traffic calming and control measures in the surround community;

The rehabilitation of the historic Chastain Arts Center building, along with two new outbuildings for additional studio space.

“Under this new master plan Chastain Park will be a state of the art park in the years ahead,” said City Councilmember Clair Muller, who represents the area. “The goal of the community and the park conservancy is to have a safe, clean, green, educational, and entertainment venue that all Atlantans can be proud of.”

According to Chastain Park Conservancy Executive Director Mark A. Root, the implementation of all of improvements under the new master plan is expected to cost $36 million and will be accomplished primarily through capital campaign fundraising. The plan was developed through broad public input, including suggestions from park lease holders and the local civic associations. To view the plan please visit the Conservancy's website: http://www.chastainparkconservancy.org/MasterPlanUpdates/tabid/3341/Default.aspx

Buckhead Library

2008-02-20T15:45:00.003-05:00

There will be a Library Board of Trustees meeting at the 6th Floor of the Atlanta/Fulton Central Library on February 27th from 3-4. The Buckhead Library issue is on the agenda and citizens can share their thoughts and concerns. The master plan workshop will begin at 4 pm, following the general meeting. For more information please call (404) 730-1972 or email your concerns to librarycomments@fultoncountyga.gov

Atlanta's Trolley

2008-02-20T15:42:00.004-05:00

ATLANTA TROLLEY INSTEAD OF PEACHTREE STREETCAR?

In mid 2007 Mayor Franklin formed the Peachtree Corridor Task Force to create a vision for our city’s signature street. Peachtree Corridor, as defined by the Task Force, is 14.5 miles long and extends from the Beltline crossing of Lee Street in the couth to Club Drive and the city limits in the north. The Task Force recommended a 25-year, $1billion vision to transform Peachtree into a world-class boulevard characterized by high quality streetscapes, including sidewalks, pocket parks and public spaces, consistent signage, attractive lighting, trees, flowers and other elements. The Task Force also recommended the development of a modern streetcar to connect and unify the corridor.

The Task Force objectives apparently were to highlight Peachtree, create transportation “pizzazz” different from other cities’ transport, integrate streetscapes & transportation mode, service new high rise residential and create reason to develop on Peachtree.

I (and many other Council Members) had months ago supported the idea of a streetcar (such as Portland’s) when the idea was presented as a way to increase tourism and help Downtown redevelop. But at the time the idea was presented, there was no conversation about how the streetcar would be funded. And at the time, no one discussed what other routes other than Peachtree might benefit our Atlanta residents.

The recommendation from the Task Force of linking our city from the northern city limits to Fort Mac with a new type of vehicle special to Atlanta seems like a good idea. AND, I have never heard any opposition to beautifying Peachtree with streetscapes, lighting and pocket parks.

But the idea of imposing a Special Assessment District (SAD) with no referendum to fund the first phase of the streetcar in only Downtown and Midtown needs some more conversation among the six City Council members who represent segments of Peachtree. We already had several conversations about the amount of time it would take to complete the transportation vision, the amount of money need to fund the vision, the opposition to the type of vehicle with overhead wires, and especially with the idea of imposing a SAD on business and condo owners with no referendum.

I think maybe we should go back to the drawing board, partially. My personal view is that we should consider another, smaller attractive vehicle that is not fixed rail and that can be used for circulators for neighborhoods and for tourists. Our objectives should not be just for Peachtree, but city-wide: to provide non-auto transit for short destinations, to provide tourist transport, to be attractive enough to be an alternative to a car or taxi, to service new high rise residential, but which does not interfere with the current flow of traffic. I think it could also offer a way for Atlantans to get to the Beltline.

Trolleys, ore smaller circulator buses, are available with low-to-the-curb entrance doors for a much lower cost than streetcars. A lower-cost vehicle could allow the vision of whole-city use much sooner. These smaller circulator vehicles might attract more users than big buses and could maneuver more neighborhood routes than just Peachtree. Whether it is sufficiently “pizzazy” to provide a unique transportation experience for Atlanta would have to be tested.

What about the funding? I propose that we have a city-wide referendum to fund this new attractive circulator trolley and the streetscape improvements. Atlanta citizens have overwhelmingly supported two bond referenda—in 1994 and in 2000—aimed at street improvements and traffic calming and streetscapes and sidewalks. The 2000 bond program is winding down now. If this idea is deemed to be a good idea, the residents of the whole city would support it—not just businesses and condo owners in Midtown and Downtown.

Outdoor Watering Ban

2008-02-20T15:38:00.001-05:00

Mayor Shirley Franklin and Commissioner Rob Hunter announced that Atlanta would continue its ban on outdoor watering. “We are still in a Level 4 drought,” Mayor Franklin said. “And we still are under an obligation to cut our use 10 percent. We can’t allow outdoor watering and meet that goal.”

Although the governor approved loosening restrictions including one 25-minute hand watering per day, the state maintained the requirement for local utilities to reduce usage by 10 percent and gave local utilities the responsibility of deciding how best to meet that goal. The Mayor pointed out that Atlanta had gone to Drought Level 3 last May, four months before the State moved from a Level 2 to a Level 4 drought, banning most outdoor watering. That means that Atlanta’s usage was already significantly reduced last summer. A 10 percent reduction on top of that already reduced usage would be “unlikely if not impossible,” according to Commissioner Hunter. Commissioner Hunter noted that the 30-day exemption for new landscaping is still in place but that the City would no longer exempt watering for lawn overseeding and aeration.

“Lake Lanier levels have dropped significantly over the past three years,” the Mayor said. “On Feb. 17, 2006, the lake was 1.97 feet below full pool. A year later, it was 4.85 feet below full pool. On Feb. 17 of this year, it was 18.32 feet below full pool. In other words, Lake Lanier is 13.5 feet below where it was at this time last year, and it is .2 feet lower than it was in November. We are still in a very serious drought.” State Climatologist David Stooksbury has predicted that the drought will continue through this summer.

Mayor Franklin did announce that pools will be exempted from the restrictions, effective immediately. “This was not an easy decision,” she said. “But we think it makes sense from a public health and safety standpoint. Atlanta gets very, very hot during the summer, and we want children and families to have access to pools.” Commissioner Hunter said that the City would continue to monitor the situation and take additional steps if necessary.

Conservation tips are available at www.atlantawatershed.org. Additionally, in keeping with the Mayor’s determination to make water conservation a top priority, the City’s water usage figures are posted on www.atlantawatershed.org every weekday.

A more energy efficient home

2008-02-18T10:33:00.003-05:00

http://www.southface.org/web/resources&services/publications/factsheets/sf_factsheet-menu.htm

Southface provides resources and fact sheets on ways to save energy, conserve water and preserve the environment. Please look over the website to find tips for making your home more energy efficient.

Recycling in Atlanta

2008-02-18T09:31:00.002-05:00

Items that can be recycled at the curb:

Newspaper
Aluminum cans
Glass bottles and jars ( remove the lids)
Steel ( tin) cans
Plastic #1 and # 2 bottles
Mixed paper (Please put the mixed paper in a brown craft paper grocery bag to keep it separated from newspaper.)
Office paper
Junk mail
Envelopes
Telephone directories
Boxboard (cereal boxes, tissue boxes )
Shredded paper tied in a clear plastic bag
Magazines
Catalogues

Hartsfield Incinerator Site
2175 James Jackson Parkway
Atlanta, GA 30318

Phone: (404) 794-2422
Days/Hours: Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm
This site is for City of Atlanta residents only; proof of residency is required. Please call first for further details.

Materials Collected:

Electronics
Computer Monitors
Computer Recycling
Televisions
Household Hazardous
Fluorescent Bulbs
Reuse (Cell phone and Equipment)

For more community-specific information on recylcing, green shopping, energy conservation, household hazardous waste, composting and dozens of other environmental resources, enter your zip code and visit:

http://earth911.org/

City Launches New Solid Waste Initiative

2008-02-18T09:27:00.001-05:00

Department of Public Works Prepares to Launch New Solid Waste Collection Process

Beginning March 3, 2008, the Office of Solid Waste Services will implement a new solid waste collection process that will establish long-term improvements in operations, customer service and environmental sustainability. To ensure efficient, timely and safe collection of solid waste from all customers, the Department of Public Works (DPW) has redistributed households into more balanced service areas, which will result in new collection days for most of Atlanta’s residents. The new collection improvements will not only create a more cost-efficient collection process, but residents will benefit from a safer, cleaner, greener Atlanta. “This is a very exciting time for Atlanta, as we work to further enhance and improve solid waste services for our customers. We are committed to the efficient management of our resources and determined to take control of Atlanta’s solid waste destiny”, said David E. Scott, Public Works Commissioner.

The most noticeable changes in the new solid waste collection process include:

New collection days for most customers.
Weekly collection of waste materials (garbage, recycling and yard waste).
Yard waste will not be collected in plastic bags. It must be placed in paper yard waste (kraft) bags or a container clearly labeled “yard trimmings.”
Only 5 additional bags of garbage are allowed in addition to the contents of your Herbie Curbie for garbage collection.

For additional information and to obtain their new collection day, customers may call the DPW Customer Service Division at 404.330.6333 or visit www.atlantaga.gov.

January 2008 Newsletter

2008-02-04T13:52:00.000-05:00

2008-02-04T13:45:00.001-05:00

Sewer Program Milestone

2008-02-04T13:37:00.000-05:00

Mayor Shirley Franklin and Commissioner Rob Hunter will celebrate the City's Sewer System Evaluation Survey's success with remarks about the Clean Water Atlanta program's status and demonstrations of the techniques, including smoke tests and robotic tools, used to evaluate sewers for damage and defects. The celebration highlights the evaluation of 1,000 miles of the City's 1,530 miles of sewer pipe on budget and ahead of schedule.

When: Thursday, January 31, 2008 11am-Noon

What: Celebration of the City's Sewer System Evaluation Survey's 1,000th mile evaluated

Where: 1279 Ladd Street

Directions: I-20 West to Lowery Boulevard. Exit 55A toward West End. Left onto Joseph E. Lowery Blvd. Right onto Ralph David Abernathy Blvd. Left onto Lawton Street. Lawton Street becomes Hall Street. Right onto Richland Road, left onto Oakland Drive and right onto Ladd Street.

Connect Atlanta

2008-01-28T13:12:00.000-05:00

You are invited to a series of open, multi-day workshops for the Connect Atlanta Plan. The Connect Atlanta Plan is a yearlong planning process to develop the City's first citywide transportation plan. These interactive sessions are designed for you to drop by at your convenience and work with us on specific transportation challenges in your area. While the public can come anytime during the day, each multi-day workshop will have an introductory and final meeting in order to introduce you to the plan and workshop and then present the work accomplished during the week. Your input is critical to this effort; please join us in your neighborhood!

Northside & Northwest-February 11-14
Location: Georgia-Pacific Center, 133 Peachtree Street, NE
Kickoff: Monday, February 11th at 6:30 pm (Georgia-Pacific Center Auditorium)
Recap: Thursday, February 14th at 6:30 pm (Georgia-Pacific Center Auditorium)
Workshops: Open Monday through Thursday from 10:30 am to 8:00 pm (Suite 3100, Floor 31)
Directions: Building adjacent to Peachtree Center MARTA Station, exit at Ellis Street
Parking: Check http://www.connectatlantaplan.com/ or call 404-330-6800 for directions.

Southwest-February 25-28
Location: Adamsville Recreation Center, 3201 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, SW

Intown South & Southside-March 10-13
Location: Atlanta Metropolitan College-Academic Building #500, 1630 Metropolitan Parkway, SW

Northeast & Eastside-March 24-27
Location: City Hall East, 675 Ponce de Leon Avenue, NE

Low Flow Toilet Rebates and Radar Speed Signs near Schools

2008-01-25T09:33:00.000-05:00

The Atlanta City Council has moved a step closer to offering rebates for single family residential customers in the city’s drinking water service area that install low flow toilets. City Councilmembers on Tuesday authorized the Mayor to enter into a memorandum of agreement with the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District for the establishment of the Toilet Rebate Program for customers of the City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management – one of the largest drinking water providers in the region. “By providing rebates, we will encourage accelerated installation of water-saving, low flow devices,” said City Council President Lisa M. Borders. “We are taking this measure to incent our fellow citizens to adopt conservation practices that will protect our resources and sustain our city for future generations.”

Atlanta has set aside $1 million for the program. The funds, which were set aside from Water and Wastewater Budget reserve funds in December, will go toward a region-wide program to encourage water conservation – a measure that the City Council also endorsed. The Council expressed its support through a resolution (Legislative Reference # 07-R-2431), sponsored by Councilmembers Clair Muller, Mary Norwood , Ivory Lee Young, Jr., Joyce Sheperd, H. Lamar Willis, Carla Smith, Jim Maddox, Ceasar C. Mitchell, Cleta Winslow and Kwanza Hall. In response to the drought in northern Georgia, Gov. Sonny Perdue signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency in 85 counties. Municipal water systems in the affected area, including City of Atlanta, have been required to reduce water use by 10 percent.

The rebate program starts on February 5, 2008, according to officials with the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District – a planning entity dedicated to developing comprehensive watershed, wastewater and water supply and conservation plans to be implemented by local governments in the 16-county metro Atlanta region. The rebate program will be administered by Water Planning District. The amount of each rebate will depend on the volume of the fixture purchased.

To receive a rebate, Atlanta water/sewer customers must:

Live in or rent a single family residence that was built prior to 1993 and have fixtures not currently in compliance with current water efficiency plumbing code standards; Have a water account in good standing with one of the participating utilities; Purchase and install a toilet from an approved list of 1.6- or 1.28-gallon-per-flush (gpf) toilets ; Provide the District with their most recent water/sewer bill; and Provide the District with proof of purchase (showing make, model, flow rate and installation.)

Customers who replace their old toilets with 1.6-gpf toilets can receive a $50 rebate, and those who install 1.28-gpf toilets can receive a $100 rebate. There is a limit of two rebates per household. Only toilets purchased after September 28, 2007, are eligible.

Toilets purchased prior to 1993 use between 3.5 and seven gpf. There are an estimated 46,000 structures within Atlanta’s service area with pre-1993 toilets. Replacing a 3.5-gpf toilet with a 1.6-gpf model saves about two gallons a flush or 54 percent of an average household’s water use. Replacing a 7-gpf toilet with a 1.6-gpf model saves 5.4 gallons a flush or 77 percent of an average household’s use. “Changing our older, inefficient toilets is one of the most important things we can do to conserve water in North Georgia,” said Kit Dunlap, chairman of the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District. “I applaud the City of Atlanta for appropriating these funds to give homeowners the incentive to replace older fixtures with new, low-flow ones. These funds will go a long to helping us meet out conservation goals.”

For more information, including guidelines and how to apply call 404-463-3256 or reference the “toilet rebate program” at http://www.northgeorgiawater.org/ or visit http://www.atlantawatershed.org/

In other news, the Atlanta City Council:

Approved a resolution by Councilmembers Clair Muller, Joyce Sheperd and Anne Fauver encouraging the installation of Radar Speed Signs in all School Zones in the City of Atlanta (Legislative Reference # 07-R-2603).

The above legislation and a complete list of other items on the council’s agenda can be viewed in their entirety on the Web at: http://apps.atlantaga.gov/citycouncil/2008/fca0122.htm

Video of the Atlanta City Council meetings can be viewed at:
http://apps.atlantaga.gov/citycouncil/video.htm

Welcome!

2008-01-09T14:47:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends,

Welcome to the new District 8 blog! I am the elected representative for City Council District 8, and I have served my constituency and the city of Atlanta since January 1990. I have served on all committees of the City Council at various times over the years, but currently serve as Chair of the Transportation Committee and as a member of the Finance/Executive Committee and the City Utilities Committee. I am currently the City Council-elected member of the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Board, and as a board member I am on the Environmental and Land Use Committee and the Legislative Agenda Committee. Also, I serve on the Chattahoochee Basin Advisory Committee through the Georgia Water Council and on the Atlanta/Fulton County Water Resources Commission—all of which involve dealing with various issues on a regional level.

In addition to my work on City Council, I have previously served as Chair of the Atlanta/Fulton County Water Resources Commission, Chair of the Georgia Municipal Association’s Environment and Natural Resources Policy Committee, on the Advisory Board of the Georgia Water Campaign, and on the National League of Cities’ Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Steering Committee.

I hope you will find my blog to be helpful and informative. I will be updating it periodically with information that I believe is important to my constituency and the citizens of Atlanta. Again, thank you for visiting my blog. I look forward to hearing from you in the future, should you have a problem, concern, or any ideas you would like to share with me.

Best Regards,

Clair M. Muller