Opening Comments Myron Polster
Details to be sent out Monday, June 16th for an EACA outing to a Braves game
July Meeting - Hope to have officials running for public office to July Meeting
East Atlanta Strut Laird Ruth
9.20.08 www.eastatlantastrut.com Sponsor & Volunteer forms available now
Seeking Volunteer Coordinator
Seeking people with PR skills to assist with promotions and who have contacts within the Atlanta community
Atlantas Sustainable Food Future - Laird Ruth
The Atlanta Local Food Initiative (ALFI) has created a plan for a more sustainable food system for Metro Atlanta
Goals include increasing and improving food supply by increasing the number of sustainable farms in Metro Atlanta; increasing number of Community Gardens; encouraging backyard gardens and edible landscaping & urban orchards; increasing consumption (Farm to School programs increase amount being given to school children thats grown locally, develop purchasing guidelines); Enabling access by making local, fresh food available in underserved neighborhoods.
Funding comes from various sources (grants, etc.)
Georgia Organics website good source for information www.georgiaorganics.org
EACA vote passed to support ALFI initiative
Crime Report Jennifer Murray
Overall crime up 88% over same period in 2007
Up month over month 190% (May 07 to May 08) increase driven by burglary and auto larceny
Burglary up 26 incidents as compare to May 2007, Up 235% versus same 5 months in 2007 (87 incidents versus 26 in 2007; represents 61 additional incidents as compared to first five months of 2007)
Burglary by type in April/May Most frequently stolen - Computers, TVs/DVD players, IPODs and games
All of these electronic items being stolen have serial numbers writing these down can help in getting them back
Commercial Burglary up 9 incidents YTD vs 2007 but is down 50% from April 2008 (2 incidents (May) as compared to 4 incidents (April)
Residential robbery also decreased from April to May (From 1 incident to 0) while pedestrian robbery remained the same month to month with 2 incidents
Larceny Auto up 172% versus first five months of 2007 (87 incidents (2008) vs. 32 incidents (2007))
Auto Larceny by type in April/May Most frequently stolen - aftermarket stereos, GPS, IPODs
Police Report Lieutenant Boyce
Congratulated EAV on our attention to working on crime and says she has never seen a neighborhood analyze stats on neighborhood crime like we do
Recemt arrest made suspect was in stolen car and additional stolen goods were within the car (perp had 27 prior arrests), last released from jail in November Cedric Jackson, DOB 10.4.65
Deployment of units on the beat is done by tracking data around recent crimes and then deploying discretionary units to where crime is occurring
Need help Court Watch citizens can make an impact here, encourages EACA community to take action
BOLO (Be On the Look Out) for Cedric Sanchez Goodwin responsible for burglaries, on active probation, APD in possession of warrant for arrest for burglary
News - All zones will have mandatory foot patrols for all new officers coming out of Academy -- Zone 6 will have 10 new officers as of Thursday, June 12th
Neighborhood Deputies (new program) housing codes, junk vehicles, vacant lots, rooming houses, etc areas that need code enforcement next training is June 28th
Lt Boyce is open to having citizens e-mail her directly tboyceatlantaga.gov
Need citizens to be extra eyes and ears to report suspicious behavior
Inquiry regarding homeless people/pan handlers APD has a protocol to give a homeless person a map with all service locations and information on the Gateway Center, morning watch gives this information out and checks the area for stolen goods e-mail tboyceatlantaga.gov if you have information about where these people sleep (this is most crucial info for the police, not where they are panhandling)
May Minutes Approved
Friends of East Atlanta Library Henry Bryant
2nd art showing up right now kids from South Atlanta High School Academy of Computer Art & Design created this artwork everything is for sale. If room is locked, ask for access at Circulation Desk
EACA Grant Process
Deadline June 20th information on www.eaca.net
Atlanta Water & Sewage Rate Increase Dept of Watershed Mgmt - Sheila Pierce
Current rates were approved in 2004, will expire on June 30, 2008
New rates would be effective July 1, 2008 effective for 4 years
Why do we need a rate increase?
o There are Federal & State mandates to fix our Water/Sewer System
o Impact of the drought residents conserved water which lowered revenues and reduced ability to cover debt
o In the past, Atlanta failed to adequately invest in water & sewer infrastructure
What are we doing within the department to decrease costs?
o Reducing workforce within the department
o Have implemented value engineering
o 2007 expenditures vs. 2008 expenditures are only 8.9% increase and when retirement/pension are removed, this increase is only 1.6%
What are you doing to improve services for customers?
o 60% reduction in sewer overflows
o Separated sewers from water flows
o Call center improvement for response to calls (45 minutes 2007 to 1 minute or less)
o Cleaning sewers, repairing leaks fixing about 800 leaks a month (large increase but still not to where we want it)
o Previously proposed increase was for 13% but now is 27.5% (will yield 65 million dollars)
B*ATL Glen Satell
5K race Doublequick, more details at www.batlevent.org
Band, Cemetery, & Walking tours; Encampment will now be in Kirkwood; Gala House (1854); Working with 3 historians in Atlanta Skip Mason, Cathy Kaemmerland, Cliff Kuhn; Book signing by Authors; Storytellers; Music, Dancing, and Craftspeople
Volunteers needed re-enactors and others
EABA Marc Takacs
Taste of East Atlanta July 17th 5 tickets for $1. www.tasteofeastatlanta.com
100% participation from all the restaurants and bars, tickets available at the Farmers Market
4th networking event (professionals who live and work in the neighborhood) to be held in June
East Atlanta profiled in InSite magazine week of June 2nd
Working to develop a marketing plan part of this is a brand awareness campaign, unveiling of new EAV logo that will be used in EABA marketing efforts
Land Use & Zoning Andrew Walter
2045 Graham Circle
Special on-site exemption to reduce on-site parking from 119 spaces to 27 spaces to allow for conversion of existing multi-family development (2 buildings) and construction of 2 new buildings
Motion to approve parking exemption (24-0-0)
Motion to approve special use permit (24-0-0)
390 Maynard Terrace
Re-zone from R-4 to PD-H to build 6 single-family homes
Un-paved right of way (Marbut Ave)
o All paving to be pervious, 14 - 20 vegetated buffers between development and existing neighbors
Motion to approve pending final conditions agreed upon between LUZ Committee and applicant prior to the NPU-W meeting later in the month (22-0-0)
606 Flat Shoals
Revocation of special-use permit
EACA supported this permit Paradise Living to operate personal care home in 1996. Have been series of complaints against this property, facility has not met the requirements of the permit as provisioned, Councilmember Archibong filed revocation of permit due to this. NPU-W unanimously supported revocation of this permit
Motion to support revocation of this permit (26-0-1)
Anyone interested to be on committee to replant trees damaged/destroyed during tornado should contact Andrew Walter, planting to take place this fall landuseeaca.net
Public Safety Ed Gilgor
East Atlanta Ice House (506 Flat Shoals Rd) - Seek to get permit for the on-premise consumption of Beer & Wine seating capacity is 85 people, developing parking
Motion to approve (22-0-0)
Burglary Prevention
Household recommendations reinforcements for your door Strikemaster (www.strikemaster.com) , double-cylinder deadbolt (not compliant with building code), padlocks to secure shed/gates/etc. that can be keyed to your housekey, horn connected to alarm on outside of house, turn on alarm (even if not being monitored by an alarm company)
Southside High School being renamed as Maynard Jackson Holbrook High School
Code Enforcement Department was reduced by one third
East Atlanta Beer Festival operated more smoothly this year please share any neighborhood complaints regarding the festival with edwardmgilgorcomcast.net
