FREE VOLUME 24 NUMBER 20
JULY 7, 2018
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Stonecrest Mayor steps up crackdown on illegal house parties By Valerie J. Morgan
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tonecrest Mayor Jason Lary says the city is increasing its efforts to crack down on illegal house parties in the city. Lary said the crackdown is in response to the growing number of complaints from community residents who say the parties at vacation rental properties have become a nuisance. “In an effort to crack down on all of the illegal house parties that have been taking place here in Stonecrest, I have ordered our Code Enforcement Manager, Al Ferrell, along with his entire staff, to identify and shut down these events before they begin,” Lary said. “District 4 Councilman George Turner and I have heard you loud and clear to put these illegal gatherings at the top of our community
Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary
Stonecrest resident Brenda Herman speaks at July 3 city council meeting. Photos by Glenn L. Morgan
list. They are unsafe, out of compliance, and a traffic and noise nightmare for the residences in that neighborhood, and adjoining properties.” Stonecrest Communications Director Adrion Bell said an event that was being promoted preFourth of July weekend at a house in Sandstone Shores, (Mansion Pool Party), was canceled after City staff members, and DeKalb County Police Department met with the tenant of the house, as well
as the individual promoting the party. “Both individuals have been cited by Code Enforcement for promoting a commercial activity in a residential area without the proper permits or licenses. Representatives from DCPD further reiterated the numerous State violations that would be imposed, if the party were to occur, Bell said. Bell said the promoter canceled the event and said he would update all of his social media outlets to notify
everyone that the event was canceled. “Our Code Enforcement staff and DCPD will continue to monitor this issue. Our city team has been doing a great job in identifying these “Party House” locations and working with the property owners to bring an end to these activities,” Mayor Lary said. “This will stop and it will stop now.” Brenda Herman, a resident at the Parks at Stonecrest, complained at the July 3 City Council meeting that it’s been a slow process to get the parties stopped. “The time that it takes this process to work is extremely slow,” said Herman, who told the council that she has been complaining about a vacation rental property in her community since she moved into the community in October 2017. “As homeowners, we
have to live amongst the blatant violations that this homeowner/investor is causing upon our community… It seems to me that the violators are given so many opportunities to right their wrongs when they have no intentions of rightness from the very beginning,” Herman said . “How do we prevent people from purchasing homes solely for the purpose of renting them out year-long?” Herman asked the council. City officials say that as they work with DeKalb County police and code enforcement officials, they are working on putting more teeth into ordinances regulating vacation rentals. The city’s Planning Commission will discuss vacation rentals at its upcoming meeting. The Planning Commission meets July 10, 6 p.m., at City Hall.
L-R: Tabitha’s House Executive Director Margie Gill, City of Lithonia Mayor Deborah A. Jackson, DeKalb County District 5 Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson, Xeron Pledger and Demetrius Pinkett.
Commissioner Mereda Johnson, Mayor Jackson host Old School/New School Fish Fry
DeKalb County District 5 Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson and City of Lithonia Mayor Deborah A. Jackson held their Third Annual Old School/New School Fish Fry & Block Party on June 30 at Lithonia Amphitheater. There were health screenings, a petting zoo and a variety of vendors. The crowd was also entertained with dance performances by Lou Walker Dancers, Smooth Sophisticated Gents and Beulah Boys. Orrin “Checkmate” Hudson of the Be Someone mentoring program provided one-on-one training on how to get in the game.” Photos by Travis Hudgons
DeKalb State Court now offering online ticket notification system Motorists receiving a traffic citation in unincorporated DeKalb County now can sign up to receive text and email notifications of fines and upcoming court dates. The system also will send notifications if a court date in the Traffic Division of DeKalb County State Court is missed, and inform the motorist of an option to immediately correct their default with the court before sanctions are imposed. Drivers can access the court’s notification system using smartphones, tablets or computers. They can also research how much they may owe in fines and costs. Anyone can opt-in to this program
at www.courtinnovations.com/ GADCSC. “People expect more today from the courts, and our new 24/7 online ticket notification system is delivering on our promise of fair and efficient justice,” Presiding Judge Shondeana Morris said. “Now motorists can feel at ease that the court is being proactive by reminding them of details about their case, any fines and costs owed, and important due dates.” The service, Matterhorn by Court Innovations integrated with Benchmark by Pioneer, allows individuals to search online for their citations, and opt-in to receive
notifications and reminders via text messages and email. After opting-in, motorists will receive electronic messages on their case status. DeKalb’s judicial system is taking a big step forward by adopting this technology,” said Chief Judge Wayne Purdom. “Research shows that when courts adopt new technology like opt-in text messaging, the time for a case to be resolved drops dramatically, and customer satisfaction with the courts improves significantly. Further, this helps us have the punishment fit the actual crime, and not add to the burden because of citizen oversight
or poor scheduling habits.” With this enhanced functionality, the court will be able to handle many types of high-volume infractions completely online, saving time and money for the public and the court. Rather than limiting judicial or law enforcement discretion, this technology enhancement will give decision-makers the ability to resolve cases more equitably and rapidly. Its round-the-clock access and education component also empowers defendants to work with the court to resolve minor violations informally and conveniently.
SEE COURT page 4