COMMUNITY
PEOPLE
Hard work rewarded
First lady honored
Ogheneruona Uwusiaba was one of four Southwest DeKalb seniors who signed early-decision athletic scholarships. 3
A stretch of the South River Trail has been renamed to honor Michelle Obama’s commitment to better health with her Let’s Move campaign. 4
Put Litter in Its Place Let’s Do Our Part to Keep DeKalb Beautiful
EAST ATLANTA • DECATUR • STONE MOUNTAIN • LITHONIA • AVONDALE ESTATES • CLARKSTON • ELLENWOOD • PINE LAKE • REDAN • SCOTTDALE • TUCKER
Copyright © 2016 CrossRoadsNews, Inc.
November 26, 2016
Volume 22, Number 31
www.crossroadsnews.com
Mangham still owes most of $5,000 fine he denied By Jennifer Ffrench Parker
DeKalb Commission Super District 7 candidate Randal Mangham still owes the state of Georgia most of a $5,000 fine levied for years of ethics violations. Mangham, an attorney and former state representative, is in the Dec. 6 runoff election with Gregory Adams. He was fined $5,000 in Randal Mangham October 2009 for 12 ethics violations for failure to “timely file” Personal Financial Disclosure Statements and Campaign Disclosure Reports while representing
House District 94 from 2001 to 2010. To date, State Ethics Commission records show that he has only paid $1,500 of the fine. Robert Lane, deputy executive secretary of the state Ethics and Transparency Commission, said on Nov. 21 that their records show Mangham only paid three checks for $500 each toward his outstanding $5,000 balance. “Thus, Mr. Mangham owes the commission $3,500, unless he has proof of payment to the contrary,” Lane said. On July 20, Mangham’s delinquent balance was one of 50 sent to the attorney general’s office “to pursue collection,” Lane said.
“Presently, the collection has not moved forward, so Mr. Mangham has not received any correspondence from the Department of Law,” Lane said on Nov. 21. “The referral went with a memorandum detailing 50-plus cases that were outstanding.” Lane said since referring the cases to the attorney general, they have closed about 15 of the outstanding 50. Mangham’s was not among them. The $5,000 fine was part of a Consent Order that Mangham signed before the State Ethics Commission on Oct. 15, 2009, to settle “a probable cause investigation initiated on Nov. 29, 2007, alleging violations of the Ethics in Government Act.” He agreed “to pay a total civil penalty of $5,000” in $500 incre-
ments by the fifth day of each successive 10 calendar months following the order. The state required the penalty to “be paid out of respondent’s personal funds and not those of his campaign.” Mangham made the three payments on Nov. 5, 2009; Dec. 28, 2009; and Feb. 12, 2010, and stopped. As part of the Consent Order, Mangham, who was in the House for 11 years before an unsuccessful run for Georgia governor in 2010, waived his right to a preliminary hearing that was scheduled for Dec. 4, 2008. He also agreed to resolve the case against him for outstanding Personal Financial Disclosure Statements for 2005 and 2006 Please see FINES, page 2
Judge clears way to demolish Brannon Hill condos County to begin in 60 days if owners don’t act By Jennifer Ffrench Parker
DeKalb County can move forward with demolishing a dozen dilapidated buildings that threaten the safety of residents at Brannon Hill Condominiums in Clarkston. Superior Court Judge Gregory Adams signed the order on Nov. 15 authorizing the county to “demolish and clean up” the buildings with 68 units if owners do not do it within 60 days. The order ends a 10-year fight to clean up the condos and resolves an In Rem For Nuisance Abatement lawsuit filed by the county on July 21, 2016. In that complaint, the county alleged that the deplorable conditions at Brannon Hill Condominiums, located at 1000 Old Hampton Drive in Clarkston, “constitute a public nuisance which imperils the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of that neighborhood.” The order gives 82 titleholders and 114 interested parties until Jan. 13, 2017, from the execution of the court order to demolish structures; remove all trash and debris from buildings 1, 2, 3 and 4; remove foundations from the buildings; and clean each location. “These demolitions must comply with the applicable codes and regulation,” the judge said. If owners fail to comply within the 60 days, the order gives the county 270 days to demolish the structures, remove the foundations, and clear all trash and debris deemed necessary to bring the properties into compliance. Adams also ordered that “all demolition costs shall constitute a lien against the properties.” The costs include “the removal of salvaged materials, all court costs, appraisal fees, permit costs, administrative costs, ad-
Ken Watts / CrossRoadsNews
Abandoned furniture, tires and other debris have piled up in front of several burned-out buildings at the Brannon Hill Condominiums in Clarkston.
vertisement costs, restoration to grade the property after demolition, attorney’s fee, and all other costs necessarily associated with the complaint.” The order also requires the county to contact Georgia Power and other utility properties to cut off and cap utilities at the street and it grants the county permission to maintain grass and weeds below 12 inches on the properties. The targeted group of buildings was destroyed by fires on Feb. 19, 2014; July 18,
costs.” 2014; Jan. 31, 2015; and April 9, Commissioner Sharon Barnes 2016. Sutton, who fought for two years The county’s complaint said the for a resolution at Brannon Hill, buildings were either destroyed or said she was happy the court gave left “uninhabitable and unfit for the county the go-ahead to take human habitation” and piles of garcare of the situation. bage, trash, debris, litter and rubble “This is the result of the Branwere not removed. In addition to removing the de- Sharon B. Sutton non Hill Task Force that I formed and chaired. This was the first stroyed buildings, the judge ordered the county to file liens on the properties “to joint effort established in the history of the recover all administrative and demolition decades-long struggles of Brannon Hill.”