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khalid for South Fulton - New Vision for a New City

City Prepares for Mid-Year Budget Review

NEXT COUNCIL MEETING
Tuesday, March 26 • 5 & 7PM
South Fulton City Council
seated (l to r): Catherine Rowell (District 1) ● Carmalitha Gumbs (District 2) ● Helen Z. Willis (District 3) ● Naeema Gilyard (District 4) ● Rosie Jackson (District 5)
standing (l to r): Councilman khalid (District 6) ● Mayor Bill Edwards ● Mayor Pro tem Mark Baker (District 7)
South Fulton Service Center
5600 Stonewall Tell Rd, 30349
At the March 26 meeting, City Council will pick up the unfinished conversation which began February 26 regarding financing improvements to South Fulton City Parks. In 2017, Councilman khalid led City Council to prioritize parks as an economic development & juvenile crime prevention tool. 

In 2018, 
City Council approved tens of thousands of dollars in infrastructure, lighting & security upgrades across the City of South Fulton's 17 parks. However, a recent discovery of mold at Sandown Park forced the Council to reconsider these priorities and led to a larger conversation about the city's finances.   
South Fulton City Council Prioritizes Safety of Families & Children in Infrastructure Funding at Feb 26, 2019l Meeting (YouTube - khalidCares TV)
South Fulton City Council discusses Parks infrastructure & city finances.
Working with the United States Tennis Association (USTA), City Manager Odie Donald II has found funding to help rebuild — not just repair — the courts at the South Fulton Tennis Center. Yet, several other infrastructure projects across the city must be budgeted for, including the build-out of South Fulton's new Police Headquarters on Old National Highway. 

The City of South Fulton's Fiscal Year (FY) begins in October. As is customary with all local governments, the City of South Fulton will have a comprehensive Mid-Year Budget Review during its April meetings. The Mid-Year Budget helps the Council and citizens see how well the City has stuck to its own budget. City Council will hold Public Hearings on the FY2020 Budget this July. These discussions, being held at the March 26 and April meetings, will help us beginning planning for FY2020.

City Council is expected to pick up this discussion at the March 26 meeting. A top priority is securing funding to complete construction of Police Headquarters —including a Gang Unit & Detectives division — on Old National Highway. The proposed site, located at 7490 Old National (the old Ingles supermarket), could also house temporary City Council & Court chambers. The City of South Fulton is currently renting space in Fulton County and Union City buildings to hold Council Meetings and Municipal Court.


Also on the March 26 Agenda is a vote on a Contract between City Council, Fulton County and private contractor Jacobs to complete the City of South Fulton's portion of $10 million in street repaving & improvement projects with tax money created by the 2016 T-SPLOST (page 181); a vote on hiring a private contractor to keep the Merk Miles trash site open at an average annual cost of $770,000 after Fulton County abandons its management of the facility March 31 (pg. 244); and an Animal Control Ordinance which regulates horses, chickens & other livestock in addition to pets (pg. 222). 
March 26 Agenda & Documents
Old National Main Street Program
Georgia's Department of Community Affairs (DCA) — whose mission is to build strong communities with affordable housing — has identified Old National as the most likely site of South Fulton's "downtown."  Along with Economic Director Chris Pike, they will discuss using DCA's Main Street program to help revitalize Old National, our city's largest & longest commercial corridor.  This is the beginning of a series of conversations & events to revitalize Old National that will continue in April. Visit khalidCare's Economic Development page at the link below to learn more and sign up for updates on Old National economic development news. 
City of South Fulton, GA's Old National Main Street Program (khalidCares.com/Economy)
khalidCares - Economic Development
Council Meetings usually begin at 5 PM with a Work Session where complex issues like the Main Street program are discussed in detail. This is often followed by an Executive Session, closed to the public, around 6.30 PM

Part 2 of the Public Meeting begins at 7 PM. All people are invited to speak at the 7 PM meeting and present City Council with their questions, concerns & compliments. This Public Comment portion of the meeting usually beings around 7.30 PM, after Proclamations recognizing outstanding achievements of South Fulton citizens.

If you would like to speak during Public Comment, please arrive by 7PM Tuesday and check in with the City Clerk at the front of the auditorium.
4th Tuesday Zoning Hearings
South Fulton's City Council hears Zoning Cases the second Regular Meeting of each month — usually 4th Tuesdays. This week's Zoning Hearing is for land at 8140 & 8160 Williams Road. (khalidCares.com/News)
8140 & 8160 Williams Road Re-Zoning
At the second Regular Meeting of each month (usually 4th Tuesdays), City Council hears Zoning Cases.  This is where developers request approval from City Council to change the regulated land use of a parcel of land to a use that suits their purposes. At these meetings, there is a second, separate Public Comment period where people in favor of or opposed to the re-zoning can speak on the issue.  Each Zoning Application will have 20 minutes of Public Comment.

Those speaking in favor of the development will get 10 minutes — in total, NOT 10 minutes each — and those opposing will get 10 minutes in total. It is up to speakers on each side to decide how to divide up their 10 minutes.  Please arrive BEFORE 7PM Tuesday and check in with the City Clerk at the front of the auditorium to sign up & receive special Speaker's Cards for these hearings. 

This month's Zoning Hearing (pg. 172 of Agenda, or at the link below) is for land at
 8140 & 8160 Williams Road. JB Hunt Trucking is requesting to rezone 12.5 acres of land near the intersection of Williams Road & Roosevelt Highway from Agricultural to Heavy Industrial to create a storage facility for truck trailers & shipping containers.
 
Zoning Hearing for J.B. Hunt Trucking Storage
FUTURE COUNCIL MEETING DATES
(Regular Meetings held 2nd & 4th Tuesdays at 5PM & 7PM)
April 9, 2019
April 23, 2019
May 14, 2019
 May 28, 2019

 
Full videos of previous council meetings, as well as Meeting Minutes & Documents can be found at khalidCares.com Archives
Meet South Fulton's New City Clerk
Diane White
East Point's Diane White replacing outgoing City Clerk Mark Massey
Regular attendees to City of South Fulton Council Meetings will notice a new individual in our Clerk's Chair. South Fulton's first City Clerk, Mark Massey, began a new position in the City of Savannah this month. Our new clerk, Diane White, comes to us from the City of East Point. Certified by the University of Georgia's Carl Vinson Institue, Ms. White has served in the Clerk's offices of East Point & Sandy Springs.  
 

CITY NEWS
SFPD & Councilman khalid Respond to Crime on Old National

SFPD released surveillence photos of a robbery at a IHOP on March 15. 

Two armed men robbed the Old National IHOP in the late night/early morning hours of March 15. South Fulton Police has released these photos of the suspects. Anyone with information on these young men or their whereabouts is asked to contact SFPD Detective Marcus Denard at (404) 670-4476.

In response to the incident, Councilman khalid is arranging for South Fulton Police to hold roll calls & launch shifts from the restaurant. All uniformed Police now receive 50 percent off on their meals and can stop by to get free coffee 24 hours per day. 
Strategic Planning Survey Closes March 31
City of South Fulton, GA Map (South Fulton 101) - khalidCares.com/101
Click to view a Zoomable Map of the City of South Fulton, GA
South Fulton was never designed to be a city. Many longtime South Fulton residents moved here to get away from Atlanta's urbanization, seeking open space and decreased regulation offered in an unincorporated section of the County.  After decades of neglect by the Fulton County Commission, the citizens of the area decided to become a city to better control our own destiny. 

Now we must provide our own Public Safety, Parks & Recreation, and Economic Development for an area nearly the size of Atlanta. How do we budget for this? How urban/commercial of a city are we willing to become to pay for the services and economic development we desire? As the city improves, how do we keep the cost of living affordable for the citizens that have called South Fulton home for decades? How do we brand our new City to attract new businesses & economic development? With the name South Fulton, how do we distinguish ourselves from the County?  


These questions and more have been the focus of several Strategic Planning Sessions conducted by city officials over the past two months. If you missed out on these conversations, you can take our Online Strategic Planning Survey.  The survey ends March 31, so click the link below. To learn more about our new city, click the South Fulton 101 link. 
   
Take South Fulton Strategic Planning Survey
South Fulton 101
South Fulton Forms 2020 Census Count Committee
City of South Fulton, GA Forms 2020 Census Count Committee
Every 10 years, the United States conducts a count of all citizens & residents, known as the U.S. Census. These numbers are used by the federal government to disburse grants and other federal funds (based on each city, county and state's population). The results of the Census count are also used to draw maps of voting districts and for many other government programs. This 2020 Census will have a big effect on the future of South Fulton.

President Trump has proposed funding cuts to the U.S. Census and other changes that may make it harder for some cities to get an accurate count of their residents. Many cities are beginning to prepare for the 2020 Census now. The City of South Fulton will begin training community leaders for our citizen-led Census Count Committee this Friday, March 22. 

The Census also hires paid part-time & full-time staff. You can earn up to $20 per hour helping to make sure everyone in our city gets counted! Read more about how the Census works and apply for Census jobs at the links below.  Tell them Councilman khalid sent you!
Read More About Census Count Committee
APPLY FOR LOCAL CENSUS JOBS
Homestead Exemption Deadline: April 1
Homestead Exemption is a legal provision that helps reduce the amount of property taxes owed on owner-occupied homes. If you own and live in a home in Fulton County, Homestead Exemptions may help reduce your property taxes. The person applying for the Homestead Exemption must be listed on the deed, and cannot claim another Primary Residence anywhere else. 

Most Homestead exemptions automatically renew each year. One exception is the Fulton County Low Income 50% Exemption, which property owners must re-apply every two years.

While all homeowners may qualify for a basic homestead exemption, there are also many different exemptions available for seniors and people with full medical or veterans disabilities (and their surviving spouses).

Homeowners over age 65 are eligible for a new Senior Homestead Exemption that increases the base homestead exemption from $30,000 to $50,000. This exemption applies to the Fulton County portion of property taxes. All homeowners age 65 or over qualify for this homestead exemption, regardless of income.

Read more about Homestead Exemptions and how to apply for them at the link below.
Fulton County Tax Exemption Guide
SOUTH FULTON CITY SURVEYS
South Fulton citizens can take a surveys on a variety of topics at khalidCares.com/Surveys
khalidCares.com now has a survey section for residents to offer feedback on various issues & upcoming legislation. Citizens may give feedback anonymously, or request a direct response from Councilman khalid or other city officials. Current survey topics include revisions to the City Seal and Citywide sanitation service, as well as renaming Old National Highway and the city itself. Please click the link below to take these Citizen Surveys and share your thoughts.
khalidCares.com/Surveys

SOUTH FULTON EVENTS
South Fulton Celebrates Men's State Champion Basketball Team — Tri-Cities
Last month, South Fulton students dominated Georgia's State Basketball Championships. Councilman khalid's alma mater, Tri-Cities, won the Men's Basketball Championship. Westlake's Lady Lions won their 2nd State Basketball Championship.

Though Tri-Cities is located in East Point, many the magnet school's students are South Fulton residents. The Bulldogs were cheered on by a constellation of celebrity alumni, including Wingo of the platinum R&B group Jagged Edge and Big Boi of the Grammy®-winning duo Outkast. In addition to excellence on the court, 9 of Tri-Cities' 13 players are on the Honor Roll.  

The Lions returned to State with an undefeated 29-0 record. Lead by top scorers Lydia Freeman (55) & Raven Johnson (25), Westlake took an early lead and dominated the entire game.

Proclamations are in the works for all our outstanding students. Visit khalidCares.com and subscribe to this newsletter for updates. 
Free Zumba Classes
Tuesdays & Thurdays • 6.30PM
Have fun & get healthy! Contact Ms. Kathy Davis at (678) 231-2978 for more information.
Pinetree Park Baptist
2855 Bethsaida Rd, 30296
FREE, CONFIDENTIAL HIV TESTING
Mondays, 3-5PM
Creel Park
2775 Creel Rd, 30349
Councilman khalid is on a mission to transform South Fulton's recreation centers into holistic, Community Health Centers. FREE, Confidential HIV Testing is now available at Creel Park every Monday from 3-5pm (Winter Hours). Contact our health partner, ANIZ Inc. for more information. 
Creel Park Testing Info
khalid's Commentary:
Mulling Over Meuller
Many South Fulton employees (seen here at a Summer 2018 Community Budget Input session) embody the military motto: Service Over Self.
As a Councilman in a very polarized local government, I've noticed that when issues become highly politicized experienced staff will go on the defensive to protect the institution of government and try to preserve the People's faith in it.
 
It is entirely possible that the report by Robert Meuller — the United States' Special Council in charge of investigating ties between Russia and U.S. President Donald Trump — is very damning. Perhaps to avoid another Comey-style debacle, and preserve whatever shred of confidence people have left in government in this "Trump era," Mr. Mueller is leaving it to Congress to read the report and come to its own conclusions about whether or not to prosecute the President. This would explain Mr. Meuller’s dignified silence throughout this investigation, as well as his decision to release the report at the end of the day, Friday (when officials often dump news stories they don't want getting much attention).


As an elected official who has seen firsthand how infighting can undermine
good government, I'd like to thank Robert Meuller, and the City of South Fulton employees like him, who “keep it classy” in the face of foolishness. Even if The People lose faith in politicians, we can all have faith in you.

Thank you for all you do. South Fulton Forever. 

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