(APN) ATLANTA — The Georgia Attorney General’s office has opined that the officers of Atlanta Neighborhood Planning Unit R violated a city ordinance when they banned two outspoken members from participating in public meetings. In May 2015, Ben Howard, 82, a well-known senior advocate, and Ron Shakir, an activist who has run for City Council, were expelled from the […]
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(APN) ATLANTA — While there is no end in sight to the Beltline-Atlanta Public Schools (APS) dispute, the Atlanta City Council has set aside four million dollars for a possible eventual settlement. The Council could have made an outright good faith payment, but decided to put it in a contingency fund, pending a settlement agreement. The problem is, […]
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(APN) ATLANTA — At the Monday, July 06, 2015, Committee on Council Meeting of the City Council of Atlanta, Councilwoman Mary Norwood (Post 2-at-large) made a motion to file, or terminate, her proposed legislation to set a Multi-Committee public comment limit. Atlanta Progressive News reported that Norwood introduced the legislation, out of her concern that some citizens were jumping […]
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(APN) ATLANTA — David Gregory Walker, 70, an advocate for transparency, citizen participation, and ethics in government in Atlanta and beyond, has passed away on yesterday, Sunday, July 05, 2015. Walker was best known for his role as a citizen advocate at meetings of the Atlanta City Council and its seven Committees, where he would make public comment that […]
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(APN) ATLANTA — Atlanta City Councilwoman Mary Norwood (Post 2-at-large) has introduced controversial legislation to limit public comment at all of the Council’s seven bi-weekly Committee Meetings. Currently, each Committee gets to set its own time limits, if any; some committees have limits currently; some do not. The matter is under the purview of the respective seven Committee Chairpersons, […]
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(APN) ATLANTA — In a surprising turn of events, the Atlanta City Council voted down Mayor Kasim Reed’s nomination of disgraced former Councilman Lamar Willis (Post 3-at-large) to the Fulton County/City of Atlanta Land Bank Authority. Willis lost his City Council seat to Andre Dickens in 2013 after serving for twelve years, during which time he committed numerous ethics […]
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(APN) ATLANTA — Disgraced former Atlanta City Councilman Lamar Willis (Post 3-at-large) could soon assume a public leadership position once again. Mayor Kasim Reed recently appointed Willis to serve on the Atlanta Land Bank Authority, which acquires tax-foreclosed properties to turn over to developers or keep for long-term planning. The appointment must be approved by City Council before […]
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(APN) ATLANTA — On Tuesday, May 18, 2015, at the City Council of Atlanta’s Full Council Meeting, concerned citizens from unincorporated south Fulton County turned out to express their concerns regarding the annexation petition process for the Loch Lomond, Sandtown, and Southoak communities. Councilwoman Keisha Lance Bottoms (District 11) addressed the commenters, including by discussing their concerns and denying […]
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With additional reporting by Matthew Charles Cardinale (APN) ATLANTA — After six years and numerous motions of contempt against the City of Atlanta for not implementing court-ordered changes in training of Atlanta police officers, changes in Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and other changes to police culture, now serious sanctions have been imposed on the City of Atlanta. Today, […]
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(APN) ATLANTA — Atlanta City Councilwoman Felicia Moore (District 9) announced on Facebook on April 27, 2015, that she has completed her Masters of Science in Administration. “It’s official!!! I have completed my coursework for my masters degree from Central Michigan University. I attended their Atlanta Metro Global Campus. I received in class instruction, with no online courses. I […]
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(APN) ATLANTA — Atlanta’s large commercial buildings will be required to report their water and energy use under a newly adopted City ordinance that aims to reduce commercial energy consumption and cut carbon emissions. Mayor Kasim Reed announced the new policy on Tuesday, April 21, 2015. “We are building on our success with the Better Buildings Challenge to […]
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(APN) ATLANTA — At the Full Council Meeting of the City Council of Atlanta, on Monday, April 20, 2015, the fast-tracking of 13 million dollars for Tyler Perry’s real estate transaction deal with the City of Atlanta for a new film studio at Fort McPherson was approved by all except Councilwoman Felicia Moore (District 9). The vote was 11 […]
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With additional reporting by Matthew Charles Cardinale (APN) ATLANTA — The Board of Directors of the Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority has removed the Executive Director of the Authority, and replaced her with Atlanta City Councilwoman Keisha Lance Bottoms (District 11), a strong advocate for Mayor Kasim Reed. The position pays 135,000 dollars per year. “I’m very […]
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(APN) ATLANTA — On March 05, 2015, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, through Feld Entertainment, Inc., its parent company, announced they would end the practice of using Asian elephants in their traveling circus performances by 2018 a victory for animal rights advocates everywhere. The move comes after years of criticism from animal rights activists of the circus’ […]
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(APN) ATLANTA — A dispute over the former George Adair Elementary School property in southwest Atlanta has been lobbed back to Mayor Kasim Reed’s office after the City Council of Atlanta passed two resolutions at the Monday, March 02, 2015 Full Council Meeting. One of the resolutions passed by the Council seeks to evaluate all properties being used by […]
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