DeKalb legislators object to proposed new voting machines

Legislation that would call for new touchscreen voting machines in Georgia has been sent to Georgia's governor. The Georgia House passed a measure approved one day earlier in the state Senate, the Associated Press reports.

Public invited to DeKalb County SPLOST open-house meetings in April

DeKalb County officials plan three meetings on successive nights during the second week of April to answer citizen questions about the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax approved by voters last November.

DeKalb County seeks new emergency ambulance provider

Less than a year after DeKalb County extracted a $596,000 cash payment, new ambulance units for Dunwoody and Stonecrest, and another $1.3 million in service improvements from American Medical Response, the county is now looking for a new emergency ambulance transport provider.

Federal lawsuit over DeKalb election problems

A federal lawsuit has been filed in Atlanta over voter registration delays and problems that occurred in DeKalb County and three other metro Atlanta counties on Election Day last November, the Associated Press reports. The American Civil Liberties Union filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court on behalf of the group Georgia Shift.

County tax assessor criticized in Dunwoody for business increases

Business owners in Dunwoody are seeing their property tax assessments quadruple unexpectedly because of a change in Georgia law, the chief of staff for DeKalb County Commissioner Nancy Jester has told a homeowners' association. The aide, former Dunwoody Mayor Mike Davis, says small business owners are being hard hit.

Development bringing higher costs to Doraville and Chamblee - report

Development is bringing rising rents to Doraville and Chamblee as affordable housing is being destroyed around the Atlanta Beltline and elsewhere, according to a Curbed.com article written by freelance journalist Adina Solomon. One resident says: "We're just all stunned by the sudden rise in housing prices, both cost of people's houses but then the impact of that on rent."

PRISM meeting postponed until April

Dear PRISM friends:

We had scheduled our next PRISM meeting for Thursday, March 7, at St. Timothy United Methodist Church.

However, the guests we had invited to speak at the meeting have suddenly become unavailable.

As a result, we are postponing our next PRISM meeting until April. We will let you know when we have a firm date.

We apologize for the inconvenience and for this short notice.

Sworn statements detail Georgia voting issues last November

More than 200 declarations spanning more than 700 pages detail problems with voter registration or voting mchines in last November's election, including in DeKalb County. The Associated Press reports the documents also detail long waits at polling places and problems with absentee ballots.

County's first blight demolition of year is south of Redan Rd.

DeKalb County has demolished an abandoned home south of Redan Rd., at 1264 Muirforest Dr., Stone Mountain. The county gained control of the property in October. It's located in the Muirfield subdivision, in county commission districts 5 and 7. This is the first demolition of the year as part of the county's blight remediation program, which demolished or abated 296 properties in 2017 and 2018. The county's 2017 budget included $3.8 million for dealing with blight and derelict properties.

DeKalb County approves 2019 budget

The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners this morning approved a $1.328 billion Fiscal Year 2019 budget for the county. The vote was 6-1-0, with Commissioner Nancy Jester voting against it.

"We're moving in the right direction," CEO Michael Thurmond told commissioners. "We've gotten our fiscal house in order."

County commissioners mull Memorial Drive economic study, Stone Mountain library renovation

Two spending items of importance to central DeKalb are to be considered at the county commission's Planning, Economic Development & Community Services (PECS) Committee meeting on Thursday morning. At this morning's Board of Commissioners meeting, commissioners voted to send the items to committee and then consider them at their next meeting on March 12.

Committee members will consider a proposed contract for the Department of Planning & Sustainability to spend $175,000 to study Revitalization of the Memorial Drive Commercial Corridor. Pond & Company, an engineering firm based in Peachtree Corners, is being recommended over Sycamore Consulting, according to a document signed by Planning Director Andrew Baker that can be seen at http://bit.ly/2TbBbow . Last year, Pond & Company was named Engineering Employer of the Year by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Georgia. The Memorial Drive study area study area bears a striking resemblance to the area that was unsuccessfully proposed for an Overlay Zoning District in 2017. A map of the study area and proposed meeting plans can be seen at http://bit.ly/2SZ6e7F .

Meanwhile, a proposed contractor has been identified for the renovation of the Stone Mountain-Sue Kellogg Library in downtown Stone Mountain. You can see the bid recommendation to use Alpharetta-based CT Darnell Construction at http://bit.ly/2IrL2T1 . The Request for Proposals that was issued last fall can be viewed at http://bit.ly/2XimdvW . CT Darnell Construction was chosen last year to design and build a judicial annex for the Butts County Administration Building in Jackson. Work to renovate the library branch is expected to take 4 to 6 months.

AJC: More subpoenas issued in federal Barnes-Sutton probe

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that DeKalb County has received more subpoenas related to former an investigation of County Commissioner Sharon Barnes-Sutton. A federal grand jury has asked for budget requests or amendments from the year 2016 that affected Barnes-Sutton's district, which is now represented by Commissioner Steve Bradshaw. The subpoenas, which give the county a March 13 deadline, also specifically ask for correspondence and payment information involving the Bell & Washington law firm, which has in the past represented Barnes-Sutton and also represented ex-boyfriend and former campaign manager Warren Mosby after Barnes-Sutton accused him of domestic assault in 2014. The subpoenas also ask for information on county payments to Tetra Tech, Metals and Materials Engineers, and Environmental Consortium, in some cases dating as far back as 2008, according to this morning's AJC report.

DeKalb Zoning Board of Appeals considers variance requests on March 13

The DeKalb County Zoning Board of Appeals will hear variance applications involving the following properties on Wednesday, March 13, at 1 p.m. in the Maloof Auditorium in Decatur:

2812 Lincoln Dr, Decatur: Reduce lot-width and lot-area requirements, waive lot merger requirement, restore three lots per a historic plat.

1393 Markan Dr NE, Atlanta: Reduce transitional buffer for a four-unit apartment building.

1383 Biltmore Dr NE, Atlanta: Increase lot coverage and reduce rear-yard setback for a proposed rear addition.

3103 N Decatur Rd, Scottdale: Allow two wall signs to be greater than 150 square feet.

775 Queen Ann Ct, Stone Mountain: Reduce interior, side yard and rear yard setbacks for a proposed two-car detached garage.

1788 Stephenson Rd, Lithonia: Reduce distance of a riding horse stable from adjoining property line.

1469 Fame Dr: Reduce side yard setback for new attached garage in the Fama Pines Community Overlay District.

733 Hillmont Ave, Decatur: Reduce front, side and rear yard setbacks and increase lot coverage to construct a home addition.

1610 Henrico Rd, Conley: Waive building materials requirement, Multimodal Access requirement, sidewalk requirements, requirement that build be located within 85 feet of property frontage, requirement for benches, trash bins and bike racks at street frontage, landscape strip requirement and requirement for loading and service area.

Copies of the applications have not yet been posted on the web site of the county's Department of Planning & Sustainability.

Memorial Dr. extended-stay hotels among worst code violators

Four extended-stay hotels on Memorial Dr. are on a list of 12 extended-stay hotels in the county that were written a total of 2,397 code enforcement citations last year and paid $168,395 in fines, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The hotel with the most violations on the list was the United Inn and Suites at 4649 Memorial Dr., between I-285 and Indian Creek Dr. The extended-stay had 447 citations last year and paid $60,345 in fines, according to a report provided to county commissioners. Another extended-stay, the Haven Hotel at 4893 Memorial Dr., just east of Rockbridge Rd. next to Cash America Pawn, had 793 citations in 2017-18, according to DeKalb County's Code Enforcement division. Both hotels are now in compliance with the code, the report said. Four of the 12 hotels on the list are closing or have already stopped operating.

DeKalb Police Chief Conroy is retiring

DeKalb County has begun a nationwide search for a new police chief after the announcement that James Conroy is retiring at the end of April. Conroy, who has spent 30 years with the DeKalb County Police Department, became chief after the departure of Cedric Alexander. County CEO Michael Thurmond called Conroy "an example of the best DeKalb County has to offer."