The next time you contemplate trash day, you may want to ponder whether or not you could live with just one pick-up per week or you absolutely, positively, must have two per week.

We have been reporting for a few weeks now that DeKalb County is lowering the number of trash pick ups from two times per week to once per week. Yard waste and recycling will continue to be picked up one time per week each - just as they are now. The kicker is that if it is decided to keep the rates the same as they are now - we will get 25% less service for the same money - 50% less service when looking at trash pick-up alone. 

According to Mayor J Max Davis, our City Administration will be able to decide for us whether we accept the plan as proposed by DeKalb County or whether we want to pay extra for exactly the same service we enjoy now. This is why you need to take 5 minutes to let the City know your preference and have your opinion counted.

Mayor Davis said during a January 22 City Council Meeting that he thinks the one day per week pick-up may lead to really stinky trash and that he prefers the two day per week trash pick-up - but does understand that paying $40 more per year is an issue as well for some citizens.

The two likely scenarios are:

1. 1 Recycling, 1 Yard Waste, 1 Trash Pickup
   = Costs stay the same, lose 1 Trash Pickup.
2. 1 Recycling, 1 Yard Waste, 2 Trash Pickup
   = Cost will rise $40.00 per year, Service stays the same.

Note: Despite rising costs for labor and operations, this is the first proposed change in DeKalb sanitation fees since 2007.

If you have an opinion and would like to address the Mayor or your City Councilperson beyond what you are capable of in the survey above, here is their email address information:

• Mayor J Max Davis: jmax.davis@brookhaven-ga.us
  
• Rebecca Chase Williams - District 1: rebecca.williams@brookhavenga.gov
• Jim Eyre - District 2: jim.eyre@brookhavenga.gov
• Bates Mattison - District 3: bates.mattison@brookhavenga.gov
• Joe Gebbia - District 4: joe.gebbia@brookhavenga.gov

Present*:
Mayor J Max Davis, District 1 Councilwoman – Rebecca Chase Williams, District 2 Councilman – Jim Eyre, City Clerk – Susan Hiott, Interim City Manager – Marie Garrett, Interim City Attorney – Bill Riley, * District 3 Councilman – Bates Mattison, joined later

The meeting got under way with a review of the City Charter by Bill Riley. The first topic was a discussion on Term Limits.

"We’ve looked at that [Term Limits for the Mayor] and term limits are only of course for the Mayor, there’s been some discussion of having 2 full terms instead of a partial term and a full term for the Mayor. After some research we think that probably we’re going to need to have that passed at the Legislature rather than by home rule since it is an election matter”, said Riley. “If that’s something that you [Mayor Davis] desire we can certainly get it into this years hopper and see if we can’t get it through if that would be the desire of the Council on that.”

Thirty fourth graders at Woodward Elementary in Dekalb County jumped up and down with excitement when The Rotary Club of Brookhaven donated 90 paperback books to their class last Thursday.

Ms. Bethann Soons’ 30 students now each have their own personal copy of “The Giver” by Lois Lowry, “The Westing Game” by Ellen Raskin, and “My Name is Brian” by Jeanne Betancourt.

The Rotary Club of Brookhaven’s Literacy initiative supports Woodward Elementary through regular book donations and bi-weekly readings to first, second, and/or third grade classes.

According to the "Let's Talk Trash" schedule, the last public outreach meeting on Sanitation will be held this weekend.

Saturday, Feb 2, 9 AM
Chapel Hill Middle School
3535 Dogwood Farm Rd
Decatur, GA 30034

At the 1.22.13 City Council Meeting, Mayor J Max Davis brought up Sanitation (Trash, Recycling, and Yard Waste), where Bill Riley explained that the City has pursued an IGA with service levels to remain as they are today. There is a kink in that plan, however. As many of the Brookhaven Citizens may already know, Dekalb County is considering countywide rate increases for Sanitation Services. Bill Riley explains, "I would anticipate that when they [Dekalb County] make a decision on what they are going to do, they will come to the cities and offer either once a week or twice a week for Garbage pickup...whenever they do it, it will go to all the cities at one time...they will present a couple of options and the cities will vett and choose the option and build the IGA around that." 

The City of Brookhaven Public Works Department is off and running on their first day on the job. Mayor J Max Davis was on hand to inspect the first pothole repair in the history of The City of Brookhaven. The repair work is currently under way at 1883 Manville Dr. This pothole, was reported to the Public Works Department a day or so ago via SeeClickFix, an application that citizens can download onto their smartphone, which enables the citizen to snap a photograph of the issue. SeeClickFix records their GPS location and upon the citizen clicking the "Submit" button, the app sends an alert to Brookhaven Public Works. Lowe Engineers, the public/private partner with the city and RoadWorx crews were making the repair.

A short video of the work being performed is below the photo gallery.

2 Upcoming Public Hearings
Mayor and Council of the City of Brookhaven
January 14, 2013 at 7 p.m. and January 15, 2013 at 7:30 p.m.

The Mayor and Council of the City of Brookhaven, Georgia will hold a PUBLIC HEARING in accordance with O.C.G.A. 36-66-1, Georgia Zoning Procedures Act for the purpose to consider the adoption of the Brookhaven Zoning Ordinance and also the Brookhaven Sign Regulations Ordinance. 

All meetings are open to the public.

Belenda Demos, Interim City Clerk, City of Brookhaven
Marie L. Garrett, Interim City Manager, City of Brookhaven

Taking a break from our Brookhaven City Government coverage, there is a story that has been developing over the last couple of years, that this writer felt compelled to share.

If you've travelled down Peachtree Dunwoody Rd, at the corner of Winnall Down - a block or so from Peachtree Rd - across from Little Nancy Creek Park - you've likely seen the home of Dr. Gary Gropper and family. 

Dr. Gropper, who sits on the advisory board of the Genesis Shelter, has quite an impressive display of inflatable characters that has grown over the last couple of years. The display is more than just for show. Donations can be made to benefit the Genesis Shelter and this effort has raised thousands of dollars over the last couple of years.

"We started out with one for fun. Now we are up to around 150", says Brittany Gropper. "Most days are pretty busy...the display is up all day until around midnight."

Zack Gropper, says when folks ask about the power bill, "We like to tell people that Georgia Power sends us boxes of Godiva Chocolates and leave it at that. It's alot of fun to meet and talk to folks who come by...and it's all for a good cause."

Please take a moment to stop by to take this all in. There's nothing like it.

About The Genesis Shelter

The Genesis Shelter is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that serves babies six months of age and younger, and their families; with a priority given to families with a newborn.  This could mean a baby and a single Mom, a couple with a baby and other children, a single Dad and his baby, or even sometimes Grandparents caring for a grandbaby.  Approximately 80% of the families served are single Mothers with a newborn and one or more additional children.

In 1994, Rabbi Alvin Sugarman and Rev. Joanna Adams brought together a coalition of faith-based organizations to address the growing issues of women leaving the hospital with newborns and living in the street or in their cars.  Since then, Genesis has served 3000 individuals in 1200 families.

To learn more about the Genesis Shelter please visit their website at www.genesisnewlife.org.