CI T Y O F F O R E S T P A R K

TO: Mayor and Council

FROM: John Parker, City Manager

DATE: September 8, 2009

SUBJECT: INFORMATION BULLETIN - AUGUST, 2009

The following is a department by department status report of priority activities, projects and initiatives for the month of August, 2009.

DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING, BUILDING AND ZONING

Building Plans Submitted

Business Name	Address	Details
JBL Jonesboro Road	4150 Jonesboro Road – B	Sprinkler system

Building Permits Issued

Structure Type	Address	Details
Residential	463 Mistral Way	Storage room; 192 sq. ft. JC $3,000
Residential	356 Fourth Street	Interior rehab; 2,100 sq. ft. JC $8,000
Church	4150 Jonesboro Road -A1800	Tenant finish; 2,100 sq. ft. JC $20,000
Commercial	4150 Jonesboro Road – A1100-1300	Tenant finish; 3,600 sq. ft. JC $15,000
Commercial	4150 Jonesboro Road – A1700	Whitebox; 1,200 sq. ft. JC $5,000
Church	5150 Whatley Drive	Interior repairs; JC $6,940

Certificate of Occupancies Issued

Business Name	Address	Date of Issue
Nutrition & Energy	4645 Jonesboro Rd. – E	08/13/09
A 2 Z Service	4095 Jonesboro Rd. – A	08/13/09
Hair Embassy	4491 Jonesboro Rd.	08/14/09
Moffett Transportation	5222 Old Dixie Hwy.	08/14/09
Traffic Soundz	4660 Jonesboro Rd.	08/14/09
Lisa’s Sew For You	4921 Jonesboro Rd. – D	08/14/09
American Global Trade	15 Royal Dr. – A	08/18/09
K & Ess Grocery	753 Main St.	08/24/09
Over The Road Auto	4583 Ernest Dr.	08/25/09
Rumba Latina	432 Jonesboro Rd. –E,F,G,H	08/31/09

AFFILIATE BOARD ACTIVITY

There were no affiliate Board meetings during August 2009.

Mike Tuttle, Deputy Director

(404) 608-2300

DEPARTMENT OF POLICE SERVICES

TRIAD

Triad held their monthly meeting with 60 people in attendance. A speaker from the United Postal Service conducted a “Scam Jam” and spoke to the seniors about fraud.

Citizen’s Police Academy

Applications are being accepted for the Citizen’s Police Academy which begins in September.

Patrol

MPO Geeslin was recommended for the Life Saving Award after he rushed into a burning building to save a child at Clayton Forest Apartments. Adam Team units were praised by citizens for their work at the fire.

Charlie Team seized over a ton of marijuana from a truck making a delivery at Garcia Produce. Mr. Garcia called police after the driver of the truck and another individual attempted to flee after abandoning the vehicle. Mr. Garcia and his son detained the subjects until officers arrived and discovered marijuana in the truck valued at over 8 million dollars. The case will be handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Six candidates for promotion to sergeant and lieutenant attended the Assessment Center training class given by Capt. Stevens. The assessment center is scheduled for the third and fourth weeks of August

Officer Lindsay Stevenson completed the Intoxilyzer 5000 course sponsored by the GBI.

Officer Shane Clayton was released from Field Training and is now working as a solo officer.

MPO Freeman attended Intox 5000 recertification class on 8-6-09.

CID

Det. Sgt. Fisher attended Supervision level III at GPSTC.

Det. Craig gave the Neighborhood Watch presentation.

Admin

Admin personnel are overseeing the installation and training for the new mobile data terminals being installed in the police vehicles. Personnel from all divisions of the agency have been attending extensive computer training and will be training other personnel the new system.

MPO Presley and her 17 year old daughter Seanna Wright are training for the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington D.C. October 25, 2009. They are running for the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund which assists wounded Marines and their families with rehabilitation and household expenses while they are recovering from their injuries. If you would like to donate you can do so by going to:

http://www.active.com/donate/teamsemperfi09/lisapresley

Chief Dwayne Hobbs

(404) 366-7280

DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION / FINANCE

Expenditures (preliminary totals) for the General Fund for the month of August are $1,264,996 or 6.33% of the budget. Year-to-date preliminary expenditures for the General Fund are $2,630,930 or 13.16% of the budget (fiscal year July 2009 – June 2010). For comparison purposes, the period of July through August represents 16.67% of the budget year. Total expenditures for the General Fund are under budget for the month of August and year to date.

Local Option Sales Tax revenue received in August is $392,180, compared to $511,721 for August of the prior year. The fiscal year-to-date total received is $802,825 or 15.44% of the budget; the percentage of the budget year through August is 16.67% of the year.

The annual audit for the City is scheduled to begin on September 28 and the fieldwork (audit procedures) is expected to be completed in October. Preparation of the financial report will begin at that time and is expected to be completed by the end of November.

New business licenses issued during the month of August:

Name Description

Family Variety Grocery – WIC approved

Traffik Soundz Car Audio Sales / Installation

Mac One Pallet Pallets

Alex’s Tire Center U-Haul Dealer

A-2-Z Service Tag / Title / Income Tax

American Global Trade Lines Warehouse / Export / Cargo Loading

Piggy City BBQ Restaurant

Over The Road Auto & Industrial Radiator Radiator Repair

Dorothy’s Creative Learning Center Child Care

Mike Blandenburg, Director

(404) 366-4720

DEPARTMENT OF RECREATION AND LEISURE SERVICES

WHAT’S HAPPENING!

Outdoor Pool – The Outdoor Pool closed August 8, 2009 for public swimming. Attendance – 206. Family Night was held on August 7, 2009 6:30pm-8pm. The Outdoor Pool was open for Water Aerobics and Water Exercise for the month of August.

Adult Softball – We have two Coed Leagues that play on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Play started the week of August 11, 2009 and continues until October 15, 2009. Games are played at Baker Field.

Youth Soccer – The Fall Soccer Program has 17 teams with 200 children participating between the ages of 4 yrs to 12 yrs. Games will start on September 12, 2009 at the Soccer Fields on Park Drive.

Family Nights @ Starr Park Pool – Were held on July 10, July 17, July 24, July 31, 2009 6:30pm-8pm. This time is set aside so families may enjoy swim time at the pool and a hotdog plate for only $2 per person.

Kiwanis Stadium – The Southern Football League played games on August 1, 8, 15, 2009. Forest Park High School has a pre-season game on August 20, 2009, and Babb Middle School played a game on August 18, 2009. Youth Soccer practices at the stadium Monday through Thursday.

The recreation center was closed starting on August 10^th through August 22, 2009 for updating and repairs.

Community Wide Yard Sale – August 8, 2009 – Forest Park Recreation and Leisure Services held its Community Wide Yard Sale on August 8, 2009. Our yard sales invite people in the community to come together while shopping for great bargains. Small and large household items were sold as well as shoes, clothes, jewelry, toys and much more. We sold an estimated 86 booths for the event. Booths were 10x10 spaces. Our yard sale was held in the parking lot outside of the recreation building 9am-2pm. Our next Community Wide Yard Sale will be held on October 3, 2009.

Movie Night – August 6, 2009 – Our last night of Summer Entertainment in the Park was hosted by our friends from the Magic of Music. As always, they came with a spirited effort to ensure the young people of Forest Park enjoy themselves. Along with their usual arsenal of great music like the Cupid Shuffle and the Electric Slide, they came with a little something new in their bag of tricks. This time around they thrilled the little girls in attendance by face painting them into rainbows, butterflies, and all the flowers of the field which tickled their fancy. But of course this was only the preshow to our third and final Movie Night. With two bleachers filled with parents and kids, and the residents of Forest Park scattered throughout Starr Park we were treated to the inspiring flick known as ‘Kung Fu Panda’. As the kids enjoyed the action packed and humorous onscreen entertainment, they were also treated to free popcorn from the Forest Park Recreation Department. It proved to be an awesome finale to a fun filled summer.

Ongoing Classes

Water Aerobics – Monday & Wednesday 6pm-7pm

Yoga – Wednesday evening 6:45pm-8pm

Water Exercise – Monday & Wednesday 1pm-2pm

Teen Weight Lifting – Tuesday & Thursday 5pm-6pm

Swim For Fun (ages 55 & Over) – Tuesday & Thursday 1:30pm-2:30pm

Chess – Wednesday 5pm-9pm

Martial Arts (Tai-Chi, Kung Fu) – Tuesday 6pm-7pm

SENIOR ACTIVITIES

* The Red Hatters started the month off at the Broadway Diner for lunch. It was fun and enjoyable.

* Then the Peach Trip kept us on the road. The peaches were really good and the lunch was even better.

* Our best trip for August was our Mystery trip to ‘Light House Restaurant’. It was out in the middle of nowhere and it seems almost everyone knows where it is. This is a trip everyone enjoyed.

* The Luau provided a great meal for all that attended. Everyone dressed up and brought a covered dish. It was one of our biggest events.

* The Card Club is still a big program every week. Usually we have 3 tables and they play til dark.

* Exercise classes are still growing, as we have WII Fit and also a stretching class. Both classes are enjoyed by the Seniors.

* The other programs are going strong and new members are joining daily.

* Shuffle boarders are getting ready for the State Tournament in Warner Robins. So they are really practicing hard.

* The Yard Sale was a working day for the Seniors. Some sold goods and others cooked the hotdogs and served drinks.

UPCOMING EVENTS

* September 12, 2009 – Opening Day – Fall Youth Soccer 10am @ Soccer Fields on Park Drive

* September 19, 2009 – Good Neighbor Day @ Starr Park 10am-2pm

* September 26, 2009 – 5K Fun Run/Walk @ Starr Park starting @ 8 am

Elaine Corley, Director

404-363-2908

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS

Street Division:

Street crews were kept busy cleaning storm drains to enhance the water flow from storms and securing and cleaning Briarwood Apartment area. A total of 9 new abatement and 31 reoccurring abatements were completed. New street signs were placed at Skyland at Phillips Drive, Hendrix Drive at Evergreen Terrace and Brookside Drive. Crews also aided the Parks Department cutting grass on City right-of-ways.

New Abatements:

890 Conley Road, 1172 South Parkwood Drive, 5689 Cypress Drive, 356 Third Street, 5610 Cypress Drive, 601 Kay Street, 818 North Avenue, 814 Cone Road, and 522 More Avenue

Special Sanitation Pickups:

670 Shellnut Drive and 287 First Street

Building Maintenance:

The major projects for Building Maintenance crews were the renovation at the Recreation Department. The indoor pool walls were repainted and the deck was repainted with non-slip paint, shower room grout was cleaned and pressure washed, replaced all broken floor drains, painted all bench seats in locker rooms, and removed awnings from around the exterior of the building. All damaged ceiling tiles were replaced, air vents were cleaned, and a light switch was installed at the Police Department. Building Maintenance crews included work orders for all buildings and departments.

Parks Division:

Parks crews were maintaining park areas and right-of ways along with their regular daily duties of Recreation and Leisure set-ups revolving around the recreation facilities and Senior Building activities. Crews helped the Street Department completing abatements and cutting right of ways. Crews lined off the ball fields for the football season. Park Crews also helped Street crews cleaning storm drains after thunderstorm.

Mike Gippert, Director

(404) 366-2310

DEPARTMENT OF FIRE/EMS

Fire Department personnel participated in the following Community Activities:

• “Welcome Back to School” Program – gave out pencils and pens to students returning to school and offered words of encouragement for a good year.

• Utilized the Fire Safety House to teach fire safety education at the Paradise Church Health Fair.

• Conducted the 6^th annual Muscular Dystrophy Association Boot Drive. Citizens in the community gave $3640.53 to this worthy cause. The check was presented on Labor Day at the MDA Telethon conducted in College Park.

• A hearty welcome to several new employees – wishing them a very successful Forest Park firefighting career. They include: Para/FF John Gaddy, Para/FF Philip Kent and Para/FF Jeremy Puckett.

• The CERT continues to train and prepare to support our agency and the City in times of disaster and provide REHAB support to City personnel in long-duration events. KUDOS TO OUR GREAT AND DEDICATED VOLUNTEER CORPS!!

Call Volume

Fire

· Structure (Apt) 1

· Vehicle 2

· Rubbish 2

· EMS Assist 106

· False Alarm 13

· Hazardous Response 14

· Other 25

EMS

· 109 - Treated, released at scene

· 186 - Treated, transported to area facilities

458 Total Calls (15 calls/day average)

Chief Eddie Buckholts

(404) 608-2382

OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER

Sidewalks to Schools, Phase III and Transit Oriented Pedestrian Improvements Projects

The City has begun preparing the Right-of-Way Easement packages for this project.

Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)-Main Street Streetscape Project

NO STATUS CHANGE - The City of Forest Park is waiting for the Notice to Proceed with construction from the Georgia Department of Transportation.

State Farmers Market

NO STATUS CHANGE – Identifying and Researching funding sources for transportation and building improvements.

Clayton County Public Schools Day One Celebration

Day One is an opportunity for the business community, elected officials, parents and all other volunteers to welcome students back for the new school year. Day One was held August 10, 2009. Volunteers greeted students on their first day of school with words of welcome, encouragement, and a small token of support. Mayor Corine Deyton, Councilwoman Sparkle Adams, and Angela Redding volunteered on Day One.

Small Playground Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for playground improvements in Starr Park was held Tuesday, August 11, 2009. New playground equipment was installed in the small playground area. The project was implemented utilizing Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. Elected officials in attendance were Mayor Corine Deyton, Councilwoman Linda Lord, Councilwoman Maudie McCord, Councilman Donald Judson and Clayton County Board of Commissioners Chairman Eldrin Bell. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Officials in attendance were Pat Hoban-Moore, HUD’s Region IV Director and Mary Presley, Director, Atlanta Office of Community Planning and Development. Clayton County Community Development Block Grant Officials in attendance were Lance Crawford, Director and Chuck Johnson, Assistant Director. Others in attendance were John Parker, City Manager, several Department Directors and city employees. The Chick-fil-A cow was in attendance to greet the children eager to play on the new playground equipment from Clayton County Head Start and Excel Achievers Academy.

Officials at the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Councilman Donald Judson (from left), Clayton County Board of Commissioners Chairman Eldrin Bell, Mayor Corine Deyton, Councilwoman Linda Lord, Councilwoman Maudie McCord, Pat Hoban-Moore, Housing and Urban Development Region IV Director, and Mary Presley, Director-Atlanta Office of Community and Planning Development (HUD).

New Playground Equipment in Starr Park

Chick-fil-A cow greeting kids on the playground

John Parker, City Manager

Angela Redding, Mgt. Analyst

(404) 366-4720