FREE VOLUME 24 NUMBER 30
SEPTEMBER 15, 2018
News 24/7
ocgnews.com
Stay connected
Published Since April 1995
Serving DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale Counties
facebook.com/ocgnews
City of Stonecrest’s controversial SPLOST deal back on table
S
By Valerie J. Morgan
tonecrest officials will consider how the city’s Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) program will be managed when the council and mayor meet on Sept. 17 for the work session and council meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. at City Mayor Jason Lary Hall. The meeting is critical. The city’s estimated $47.7 million SPLOST program has been in limbo for months, the center of a heated debate between council members and the mayor. Mayor Jason Lary said at a Sept. 10 “Straight Talk With the Mayor” town hall meeting that he was ready to see the situation resolved. Although the one-cent SPLOST took effect on April 1, Stonecrest has been delayed in moving forward. The council has been unable to agree on whether to execute a $3.75 million proposal with Grice Consulting Group to manage the six-year program. John Funny, CEO of Grice, had also proposed developing the city’s comprehensive transportation plan for $480,000. Ten days after the council approved the proposal on Aug. 21, 2017, problems arose. Grice invoiced the city $56,840 and then sent a second invoice for an additional $54,840, Mayor Lary said. Grice invoiced the city a total of $162,000 through November 2017, including $20,000 for setting up and conducting five community SPLOST meetings, Lary said. The city wound up negotiating a settlement payment of $40,000 for the pre-SPLOST work. The matter, however, was not resolved. City officials decided to look at managing the SPLOST program in-house, rather than contracting it out. Some council members didn’t like the idea and the debate came to a head on April 16 when the council debated the issue past 1 a.m. The council ended up deadlocked over a motion to execute the proposal with Grice. Council members Diane Adoma, Rob Turner and Jazzmin Cobble voted for the motion, while Mayor Jason Lary, and Council members George Turner and Jimmy Clanton voted against it. In May, the council ordered the city attorney and city manager to renew negotiations with Grice and give him an opportunity to submit a detailed proposal of work he plans to do. Grice is scheduled to make a presentation at the Sept. 17 City Council meeting. The council’s decision overrode Mayor Lary’s motion to issue a Request For Proposal to look at other contenders, based on the city’s purchasing policy. DeKalb County voters overwhelmingly approved the SPLOST in the November 2017 general election, paving the way for 12 municipalities, including Stonecrest, to get a share of the projected revenues of more than $630 million through 2023. Stonecrest, which has 53,000 residents, will get the largest share of any of the municipalities based on its population. DeKalb County will receive $388 million for unincorporated areas.
BYE, BYE SUMMER
Photos provided
DeKalb dogs, pet owners end summer with a splash
D
eKalb pet owners and their dogs gathered for a day of fun in the sun at the first ever Doggie Splash Pawlooza on Saturday, Sept. 8, at the Midway Park Pool in Decatur. The inaugural pool party for pooches, sponsored by DeKalb County Recreation, Parks & Cultural Affairs, celebrated the close of the summer season by allowing local pet owners to bring their dogs out for a dip in the pool. David Manuel, Interim Deputy Director at DeKalb County Recreation, Parks & Cultural Affairs as well as executive
director of the Porter Sanford III Performing Arts and Community Center, said the event brought together one of DeKalb’s largest populations – families with pets.
“For our first time, we were hoping to get a minimum of 25 dogs. We got 71. The event was very successful, and fun was had by all – especially the dogs,” said Manuel. Dog enthusiasts from various parts of DeKalb and metro Atlanta attended the event which featured music, games, food, doggie treats and pet friendly vendors. The event, which was $5 per dog, will help provide enhancements for Brookside and Mason Mill dog parks. – Mackenzie N. Morgan
MARTA Police Chief Wanda Y. Dunham promoted to executive team New role expands operational and personnel responsibilities
MARTA has promoted Chief Wanda Y. Dunham from Assistant General Manager of Police and Emergency Management to Chief of System Safety, Security, and Emergency Management/Police Chief. Dunham made history in May 2006 with her appointment to Chief of Police/Assistant General Manager at MARTA, the country’s ninth largest transit agency. She is the first AfricanAmerican and woman to hold this position. “I have had the privilege of serving the customers of MARTA for the last 30 years. I am honored to take on this new role and continue providing a safe riding experience for our valued MARTA patrons,” said Chief Dunham. As a member of MARTA’s executive team, Chief Dunham will have expanded areas of responsibility including the Department of Safety and Quality Assurance, the Office of the Chief Wanda Y. Dunham Chief Information Security Office (CISO) in addition to her existing responsibility for Police and Emergency Management. The MARTA Police Department has distinguished itself as one of the top law enforcement agencies in the country under Dunham’s direction, receiving consecutive Gold Standard Awards from both the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Baseline Assessment for Security Enhancement. “In this new role, Chief Dunham will be able to streamline critical safety and security functions, and provide critical leadership around some of MARTA’s most important and impactful events, including the Super Bowl LIII,” said Jeff Parker, MARTA’s General Manager/CEO.
MARTA, MillerLite offer free rides to Falcons Sept. 16, 23 home games
MARTA and MillerCoors will provide free rides to Falcons fans on Sunday, Sept. 16 (vs. Carolina) and Sunday, Sept. 23 (vs. New Orleans). Miller Lite representatives will hand out free Breeze cards both days between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Indian Creek, College Park, H.E. Holmes, and Lindbergh rail stations. “The safety of MARTA customers is always our top priority,” said MARTA General Manager & CEO Jeffrey Parker. “By providing Breeze cards for Falcons games, Miller Lite is helping us ensure fans will have a great time and a safe ride on our transit system.” Miller Lite has provided more than 100,000 free rides to Falcons fans since 2014. “At MillerCoors, we’re committed to helping football fans Celebrate Responsibly,” said Diane Wagner, alcohol responsibility manager for MillerCoors. “We’re proud to partner with MARTA and United Distributors for the fifth year in a row to offer Falcons fans safe and alternative transportation on their first two home games of the 2018-2019 season.” MARTA’s Dome and Vine City Stations are closest to Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Route and schedule information for rail, bus, and streetcar service is available at www.itsmarta.com.