An effort to increase public notice about coal ash issues, and management of coal ash dumps, has stalled in the state Legislature. The proposals are dead for the year, unless advocates can attach them to legislation that is still under consideration.
Category: David Pendered
Articles by David Pendered
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Report: ATL Streetcar fares cover 4.5 percent of cost, safety issues resolved, free of MARTA
The Atlanta Streetcar has improved its safety and operations and is on track to sever its relation with MARTA and function solely as an entity of the city, even as passenger fares cover just 4.5 percent of expenses, according to Atlanta’s public works commissioner.
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Zell Miller’s Legacy Dinner captures bipartisan spirit central to Miller Institute
The honoree has been ailing lately, and wasn’t about to attend. But in an age of sharp political divisions, Zell Miller’s 85th birthday was celebrated Tuesday evening by as bipartisan a group as you’ll be likely to gather these days.
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Public corruption case in DeKalb County, GWCCA lost in din over Atlanta corruption
Federal prosecutors have closed a public corruption case involving more than $100,000 in bribes paid to a public official for contracts that involved millions of dollars in janitorial services for DeKalb County and the Georgia World Congress Center Authority. The sentencing phase in January was overwhelmed in the din over the corruption case involving the city of Atlanta.
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MARTA reaching tipping point over bus service for disabled riders
MARTA’s bus service for disabled riders is in the legal crosshairs. MARTA is to appear in federal court in Atlanta to defend its paratransit service just weeks after being told to scrub its privatized paratransit program and operate buses with MARTA employees.
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MARTA hasn’t decided on response to costly ruling regarding paratransit service
MARTA’s leadership has not determined if it will appeal a ruling that it must return its paratransit service to an in-house operation and compensate employees who lost wages or benefits as a result of the privatization of paratransit in 2016.
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Tech’s dean of engineering tapped as chancellor at University of California, Davis
Georgia Tech’s dean of engineering, Gary May, has been tapped as the next chancellor of the University of California, Davis. If approved by California’s Board of Regents on Thursday, May would start work Aug. 1. Tech intends to name an interim dean to serve while a national search is conducted for a successor.
Posted inColumns
Army Corps of Engineers at center of water dispute in report to U.S. Supreme Court
The buzz over the Georgia-Florida water dispute is more than mere white noise in a battle that dates to 1990. The final report now headed to the U.S. Supreme Court puts the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the center of the environmental dilemma.
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Funding dog, cat sterilization; removing a typo from ‘Go Braves’ specialty tag
The Atlanta City Council is slated on Monday to urge state lawmakers to pass a law that would increase the amount of money a state department receives from the sale of special license plates to fund the sterilization of dogs and cats. The bill also would fix an apparent typo on the state’s “Go Braves” tag.
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Atlanta City Council may tighten emergency contract policy, as second contractor pleads guilty
As the second contractor charged in a public corruption probe at Atlanta City Hall pleaded guilty Thursday, the Atlanta City Council is devising a policy to guide the award of emergency contracts.
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Atlanta preparing to buy land to improve access to Peachtree Creek trail network
Atlanta is making plans to buy a house and use its grounds to provide access to creek side trails the South Fork Conservancy has built alongside the South and North forks of Peachtree Creek. The city is willing to pay nearly $400,000 for the property.
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Atlanta moving ahead with restoration of greenroof atop Atlanta City Hall
Atlanta is poised to hire a Marietta-based green roofing company to renovate the 14-year-old greenroof that’s on the fifth floor of the Atlanta City Hall. The cost is not to exceed $135,000.
Posted inColumns
GSU report examines popular ESPLOST as U.S. education secretary mulls school funding
When voters in Atlanta, and Fulton and DeKalb counties, approved a 1 percent sales tax for education last year, they fell squarely within the group of affluent Georgia communities that like what the tax provides – interest-free, pay-as-you-go financing for capital expenses. A new report from Georgia State University outlines challenges that face less affluent communities.
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Apartment rents above $2.60 a foot highlight effort to promote affordable homes
Rental rates for newly built apartments in Buckhead and Midtown now exceed $2.60 a square foot, and a new report from CBRE says the demand exists to fill the units. Meantime, the report observes gentrification and rising prices are concentrated east of Midtown/Downtown.
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ARC announces nearly $1 million in planning grants to help 11 metro communities
The ongoing effort to shape the redevelopment of Memorial Drive received a shot in the arm from the Atlanta Regional Commission, which provided a grant to fund further studies through its Livable Centers Initiative.
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Source of fire at Pullman Yard revealed as process to sell grinds forward
The pending sale of Pullman Yard has elicited more than interest from developers and politicians. The sales process prompted the state to release a trove of information about the site – including the reason behind a fire that burnt a hole through a roof last summer.
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Newark creating its version of Atlanta BeltLine – after decades of struggle over plan
Newark is the latest city to plan its version of the Atlanta BeltLine. This being New Jersey, the arc toward an alt-transit oriented greenspace flanked by mixed use development traveled some gritty ground.
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Atlanta’s latest incubator fosters new approaches to preserving affordable housing
Atlanta has a long tradition of being open to testing new ideas in urban planning. The latest project – preserving affordable housing – continues the city’s record.
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Atlanta City Council to honor Morehouse College on 150th anniversary
Morehouse College is being honored for its 150th anniversary by the Atlanta City Council. The council is slated to adopt the resolution Monday.
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Ala. trade deal with Cuba could impact Georgia port; Fla. balks under pressure from governor
Cuba and Alabama signed a deal Thursday to explore opportunities to grow trade between the state port in Mobile and Cuba. A similar deal planned for two ports in Florida was cancelled following threats by Republican Florida Gov. Rick Scott to cut state funding to any state port that signed a deal with Cuba.
