Neighborhood Planning Unit-X Meeting Minutes (April 12, 2012)

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V.  Presentations

Greater Works Assembly Church Prayer Walk—Rev. Valerie Stafford announced that on April 28^that 9 am, the church will host a prayer walk in the Capitol View area. The church is off of South Industrial Pkwy near Jonesboro Rd. The church chose CV based on observed community need particularly in response to high rate of burglaries and auto thefts. Walkers will meet in Perkerson Park. Open to all. APD will be a part of the event. Contact admin@greaterworksassembly.org for more information or cwalker@atlantaga.gov the APD representative. Officer Walker will share which streets will be targeted in the walk.

VI.  Public Services

Chief George Turner, APD—Shared that APD is close to reaching its goal of 1959 officers (authorized strength). 35 officers added last month with more expected. New budget will add 41 more officers. Largest law enforcement agency in the state. Code Enforcement integrated into APD in December 2011. Officers have been checking placarded properties and those efforts have led to arrests. Major CJ Davis is commander of Code Enforcement. The Code Enforcement backlog has been eliminated. Zone 3 leading crime reduction this year. Also, APD is relying on technology via the video integration center where private and public sector cameras are feeding information to prevent and detect crime. Cameras are concentrated in the central business district but the chief hopes to have cameras in other zones’ problem areas. $1.2 million has been identified to increase the number of cameras. All APD cameras will have a blue light on them to identify them as police cameras but APD will have covertly positioned cameras also to monitor other problem areas. Residents shared concerns for APD follow up:

• Although crime has been reduced in Hammond Park, the Code Enforcement backlog has not been eliminated. Share the addresses of problem properties.
• 2512 & 2500 Perkerson Rd have been consistently broken into and neighbors have been boarding it up multiple times. Also, the yard is overgrown and obstructs the view. Stolen cars have been found behind the property.
• Would like to see more efforts to address drug activity in the area.
• Q: Who protects APS property, particularly abandoned properties? A: APS is responsible for protecting its property. When police are seen in schools they are typically working in an off-duty capacity.
• Call 911 when suspicious activity is observed. That’s why APD created the See Something, Say Something campaign.

Major Cavender, Zone 3—404-245-8038 or bcavender@atlantaga.gov– Crime down 6% for the 28 day period and for the year to date. Auto thefts, burglaries and robberies have been issues. Remember the Clean Car Campaign to help prevent auto break-ins. Home security systems and maintaining serial numbers of electronics to help trace stolen property and connect to the victim if recorded. Officer Carswell in zone coordinates with Code Enforcement. The discretionary team in the zone looks at vacant locations for squatters. Christina Walker is the zone’s crime inspector.

Parks and Recreation—Camp Bestfriends will run weekdays from 5/29 thru 7/20 for 6-12 and 16-18 year olds. $35 per week per child for Atlanta residents. Other camps—fee-based and free—will run throughout the summer in various parks in the city. For additional information contact Samantha Terry at SNTerry@atlantaga.gov. On May 2^nd, the city will host a senior health extravaganza at the Civic Center. On April 21^st@ 6 pm there will be an alumni step show at the Civic Center. Park pavilions can be reserved via the Office of Park’s link on the Atlanta website. Perkerson Park’s spray pad is under construction and will open early this summer as well as the disk golf 404-546-6813.

• Concerns regarding accessibility and public safety in parks and facilities.

MARTA police—Lt. Coats, cell 404-427-4744 or jdcoats@itsmarta.com, from the south precinct—Although it has been a relatively quiet month, there was a spike of crime—electronic items snatched—over the weekend. Juveniles were arrested for the incidents.

Atlanta Fire Rescue Department—Capt. Rumsford, Station #20, announced that AFRD is piloting a quick intervention unit to more quickly respond to medical emergencies in stations in midtown with hopes to expand the concept citywide. The Citizens Fire Academy begins May 15^th for eight week course, meeting each Tuesday evening, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., at the AFRD Training Facility [407 Ashwood Ave., Atlanta, Georgia, 30315]. The academy allows residents to learn about the organizational and operational components of the department, and allows them to experience the modern fire service from a first responder’s perspective. Contact Capt. Marian McDaniel at 404-382-1081 or mmcdaniel2@atlantaga.gov if interested. Remember, burning of yard refuse is not allowed in the city so if burning is witnessed, call 911. Consider registering with Smart 911, www.smart911.com, particularly if elderly are in residence with physical or mental impairments. Station #20 appreciates the gifts and attention from Capitol View in honor of their 85-year anniversary.

Watershed Management Frank Brown, construction manager, ph. 404-734-7612, for sewer replacement project. There has been $5,000 worth of vandalism to the construction equipment. Finished the tunneling on Macon Drive and now doing a tunnel on Springdale Rd so please drive cautiously in the area.

Department of Public Works (includes Solid Waste Services)—No representative present to make a report.

Office of Code Compliance—Jesse Evans, 404-330-6190, Code Enforcement agent [standing in for Kelsey Turner] reported that the department had a 6,000 case backlog a year ago due to the difficulty of finding property owners. The department has added more staff to research owners and that has helped tremendously. The addition of APD officers has fed more information into Code Enforcement. Residents are asked to report any code enforcement violations including illegal dumping. Photograph violations when possible. Mr. Evans provided a fact sheet to explain what matters come under Code Enforcement versus other department like zoning. Owners of vacant properties are supposed have them recorded in the vacant property registration system or incur fees. When Code Enforcement identifies vacant houses, they placard them and record any code violations found.

• Vacant property at 979 Arden Ave—site of multiple break-ins.

VII.  Elected Official’s Report

State Representative Simone Bell, District 58—The district realignment will reconfigure district 58 to include parts of the current district 60 to include much of NPU-X. The realignment will force Rep. Bell to run against Rep. Long.

State Rep. Keisha Waites, District 60—Hammond Park is in her district. Commends them for their clean up efforts and will be participating in Earth Day clean up projects.

Alicia Jordan from Chairman Eaves office, ph. 404-612-8206–The chairman and boards of commissioners are increasing visibility in neighborhoods throughout the county including those in Atlanta. She took note of our request to have Animal Control attend the NPU meeting.

Rozalynne Echols from Councilmember Sheperd’s office—Great American Clean up/Tire Amnesty Day on April 28^th. More volunteers are welcome in order to spread out volunteers across all the District 12 neighborhoods. Also, food donations are being accepted on that day to supplement the supplies being provided for the post clean up picnic.

• Will research to identify the address and owner of vacant lot behind CVS and next to Pavilion apartments.
• Atlanta Beltline is sponsoring a clean up on Allene Ave on April 21^st.
• The councilmember is hosting a jazz concert in Perkerson Park on May 19^th at 2-6 pm. The Atlanta Jazz Festival on May 26-28^th at Piedmont Park.

Claire Farley, Community prosecutor—Burglary case from Villages at Carver resolved (thanks to a willing witness) with a plea deal that includes banishment from the city. Ms. Farley announced the successful implementation of Operation Heavy Metal that has resulted in 96 indictments for auto thefts. Cases do not target metal recyclers or tow truck operators but some of the individuals indicted are tow truck operators.

Rep. Long brought a map of the new district 58 for which he’ll be running to represent at the July 31^st election.

VIII.  Planners Report

Garnett Brown, ph. 404-330-6724, provided the form for neighborhoods to complete with our wish list of improvement projects for the Capital Improvement Program and the Short-Term Work Program (CIP/STWP)[1]. Neighborhoods should submit lists

IX.  Zoning Review Board

V-12-015—1058 Birch St.—Questions about the site plan and the residence. Mr. Brown recommended deferring the matter until the questions are answered. Motion made and seconded (Vote: 9—for; 0—opposed; 4—abstentions). Motion passed. Matter deferred.

X.  Committee Reports

Public Safety committee, Dianne Bryant, ph. 404-758-8008 or dmbryan@emory.edu —Committee is planning a public safety recognition event to be held on 4/27 @ 6-9 pm at Capitol View Elementary school. Need volunteers to help with the event. See Chase Randall.

Lakewood Finance Committee, Jolivet Thomas—The committee meets on the 2^nd Tuesday of January, April, July, and October at 7pm at the Rosel Fann Rec. Center.

Economic Development Committee, A. Chase Randall—The committee has not met due to Mr. Randall’s commitment with the public safety event.

Land Use Committee—Jill Redman volunteered to chair committee after Matt Cherry’s resignation.

XI.  Old business

None

XII.  New business

Esther Food Mart—Chase Randall announced that the owners are hosting an open house on 4/14 to establish a relationship with the community. Have addressed some community concerns to help alleviate loitering problems. The owners appear before the LRB on 4/17 to present their beer & wine sales application.

The Food Mart at 1407 Metropolitan has had their beer & wine application approved by the LRB and is going to the mayor for signature. All neighborhoods need to contact the mayor by phone to let him know that we are against the license and that we want him to deny it.

Plant & herb sale at the Sullivan Center on April 28^th at 8:30 am -1 pm.

XIII.  Adjournment

Mr. Burney adjourned the meeting at 9:05 pm.

Minutes submitted by:  Kenneth A. Johnson