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VOLUME 25, NUMBER 48
FEBRUARY 28, 2020
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DeKalb commissioners unanimously adopt fiscal year 2020 budget
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Photos by Glenn L. Morgan/OCG News
Residents scold Stonecrest City Council members over walkout
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esidents condemned the four Stonecrest City Council members who staged a walkout on Feb. 10 after their motion failed to excuse Councilwoman Jazzmin Cobble for missing two city council meetings in 2019. Although the city announced that it was dropping its lawsuit on Feb. 18 to determine if Cobble should forfeit her seat because of the absences, tensions remain in the city. The Feb. 24 City Council meeting drew a crowd. Four residents drew applause as they each expressed their discontent over the actions of those who walked out: Council members Cobble, Tammy Grimes, George Turner and Rob Turner. Councilman Jimmy Clanton and Mayor Jason Lary, who had voted against the motion to excuse Cobble, had remained on the dais on the night that a bewildered audience watched the walkout unfold. Harriet Harris told the council that she recalled taking her seat and wondering if there had been an emergency as the members vanished one by one. She said she had a different perspective after the mayor shared with the audience why the four council members had walked out. “…The kind of behavior exhibited, in my opinion, was very childish and unprofessional. The City Council members and staff are elected to do work on behalf of the people of this city—not to bicker, to squabble over personal issues. I would therefore ask that you all please settle disputes between you away from the public eye in a professional manner which does not gain negative publicity for our city…,” said Harris. Jeremy Scott also called the council members’ behavior “childish,” admonishing them for their treatment of students from Arabia and Lithonia high schools. The Student Government Association members were attending the City Council meeting to present their strategic planning input on the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. Said Scott: “…You had a group of high school students who put work in to present to you the work that they had done and tell you what they wanted to see in their city. And for you to get up and walk out and take that chance away from those kids, you ought to be ashamed of yourselves. Like she said we elected you to represent us. That was not indicative of who I elected to represent me. Faye Coffield was the only speaker who offered a different perspective on the walkout. “I guess I’m going to be the odd ball of the group tonight because sometimes justice takes a protest. I’m
SEE STONECREST page 11
eKalb County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved CEO Michael Thurmond’s proposed $1.4 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2020, which projects a $113.3 million rainy-day fund and prioritizes enhancements to public safety. “The FY2020 budget reaffirms our commitment to fiscal integrity, CEO Michael Thurmond accountability and improved service delivery,” said CEO Thurmond. “I appreciate the support of Presiding Officer Steve Bradshaw, the Board of Commissioners and staff who worked to develop this budget, which is the result of prudent decision making and collaboration.” The FY2020 budget prioritizes public safety spending, including pay increases and enhancements to reduce homicides and protect the public. To fund gang violence prevention initiatives, $300,000 was directly transferred from Thurmond’s office budget. The Police Department will receive $194,000 to fund training in gang violence prevention strategies, acquire technology to process and analyze data from cell phones, and hire a crime analyst assigned to the Gang Unit to review and interpret crime trends and intelligence gathered in criminal investigations. The District Attorney’s Office will receive $303,000 to hire an intelligence data analyst for the Crime Strategies/Community Partnerships Unit to compile, process, and manage investigative data;
SEE BUDGET page 11 Harriet Harris
Jeremy Scott
Bill Bruckner
Susan Lee
Record rainfall causes 9 million gallon sewer spill in DeKalb February’s record rainfall caused a 9.2-million-gallon sewer spill near DeKalb’s Snapfinger Wastewater Treatment Plant during the week of Feb. 19. To date in 2020, DeKalb County has received 18.45 inches of rain, the highest January-February total since 1936, which registered 19.24 inches. A preliminary engineering analysis indicates that the Meadow Creek Path sewer spill was caused when the plant reached its treatment and storage capacity, which has been temporarily reduced by the ongoing construction of a new plant. The spill occurred during heavy rainfall at a nearby junction box vault. It was discovered by a DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management employee during routine wet weather inspections. After all sewer spills, DeKalb crews work to mitigate health concerns and protect the environment by: • Placing signs in the immediate area to notify the public of the spill. • Assessing and determining a cleanup response plan. • Removing any debris around the site. • Disinfecting the spill area. • Re-inspecting the site before removing signs to determine if additional cleanup steps are needed, such as soil removal. • Monitoring the waterways for water quality. DeKalb County is in the third year of its 10-year plan to fix its wastewater system. Since 2017, the county has spent more than $301 million in capital improvements that include wastewater treatment plant upgrades, sewer pipe rehabilitation and upsizing, manhole repairs and replacement, and lift station renovations. Some of these capital improvements are designed to reduce stormwater intrusion and other decades-old infrastructure defects.