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Check out some recent announcements

November 4, 2024, 5:28 PM

Your input is needed! The City of Decatur is committed to meeting the needs of our community by implementing new ways to connect. As we build civic trust, we are dedicated to using communication tools and resources that are diverse, equitable, and equitable but also inclusive. to ensure everyone is informed and engaged, feeling included and represented in our efforts. Your feedback is crucial in helping us achieve this goal. Please visit decaturga.com/opencityhall by Dec. 18 and share your preferred communication platforms and the type of information you want to receive from the City. Your responses play a vital role in guiding our decisions to better reach, engage, and communicate with our residents.

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July 17, 2024, 11:55 AM

The City of Decatur is exploring updates to the noise ordinance and we would like to hear from you. Visit https://communityfeedback.opengov.com/portals/portal49/Issue_13944 to share your feedback. Information collected will help inform what changes are recommended. The last day to submit input is 5 p.m. Friday, July 19.

The City will host a Noise Ordinance Open House on Wednesday, July 18 from 6 – 8 p.m. at the Decatur Recreation Center, 231 Sycamore Street. For more details on the process and current noise ordinance, visit decaturga.com/community/page/noise-ordinance

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April 17, 2024, 12:37 PM

The City of Decatur is seeking your input to better understand residents’ current habits and views on composting, and to identify households interested in participating in the curbside compost collection pilot program. All City residents are encouraged to complete this survey. Please note, the pilot program is only open to single-family residences.

The deadline for input is 5 p.m. on May 12, 2024.

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March 21, 2022, 5:15 PM

The City of Decatur is seeking input from all residents -- owners and renters -- about the impacts of various noise sources on quality of life and potential noise regulations. The deadline to respond is 5 p.m. on May 6, 2022.

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June 7, 2021, 10:52 AM

The City of Decatur’s Revised 2020-2021 and Proposed 2021-2022 budgets have been presented to the City Commission and are available to the public for review. The City’s budget is scheduled to be voted upon by the City Commission on June 21, 2021.

The City Commission is considering balanced budgets that invest in long-term planning, capital improvements and innovative technology while continuing to provide high quality services. The overall millage rate is recommended to remain at 13.92 mills. Highlights of the proposed budget include:

  • Maintain existing service delivery levels
  • Continued focus on supporting and maintaining quality of life services
  • Funding for 2020 Strategic Plan, Downtown Master Plan and Facilities & Greenspace Master Plan
  • Funding of a 5-year sidewalk maintenance and construction program
  • Pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements

Do you support or oppose the adoption of this budget by the City Commission? 

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November 15, 2020, 6:47 PM

A top priority for City of Decatur Sanitation Services is to provide a dependable, transparent, and sustainable recycling program. With recent changes to recycling markets impacting our services, the City is working to identify ways to improve our recycling program to keep meeting these goals. To this point, the City, alongside the Environmental Sustainability Board, has chosen to focus on the following methods:

  • Reduce Contamination - Contamination is considered to be anything in your recycling bin that doesn’t belong there. Food waste, plastic bags and film, and other materials not accepted by the City or its recycling processor make proper recycling more difficult and more expensive. When placing items in their recycling bins, residents should be sure that their items are sufficiently clean and accepted in curbside collection service.
  • Educate Residents on Accepted vs. Recovered Materials - Currently, some items placed in the bin, while accepted by both the City and our recycling processor, are not ultimately recovered and recycled. These materials include lightweight plastics (often numbered 3-7) like water bottles, which are difficult to capture and sell to end-users. Residents should be aware, from the point-of-purchase to setting out their bins, which items will ultimately be recycled and turned into new products.  
  • Update Recycling Guidelines - The City plans to revisit its recycling guidelines so that they best reflect the information we have and provide consistent and accurate information for Decatur residents.

Central to this effort is collecting input from the community on our current recycling program, on what can and should be improve, and ultimately how we work together to ensure we meet our goals. Visit www.opentownhall.com/9966 to complete the survey. The deadline for input is 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 30.

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July 15, 2020, 2:04 PM

The Better Together Board Wants To Hear From You!

We are at a moment in time when numerous conversations around racial injustice in our nation and in our community are happening. Many have acknowledged this is a time for listening, while others have focused on the need for action. Toward both of those ends, the Better Together Advisory Board is soliciting feedback from the Decatur community to better inform city officials about what is needed to improve racial equity in Decatur. We would appreciate if you would answer the survey questions and complete the demographic information.

The deadline to submit feedback is Monday, Aug. 31 at 5 p.m.

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June 2, 2020, 11:29 AM

The City of Decatur’s Revised 2019-2020 and Proposed 2020-2021 budgets have been presented to the City Commission and are available to the public for review. The City’s budget is scheduled to be voted upon by the City Commission on June 15, 2020. The City Commission is considering balanced budgets that invest in long-term planning, capital improvements and innovative technology while continuing to provide high quality services. The overall millage rate is recommended to remain at 13.92 mills. Highlights of the proposed budget include:

  • Maintain existing service delivery levels
  • Continued focus on supporting and maintaining quality of life services
  • Funding for 2020 Strategic Plan, Downtown Master Plan and Facilities & Greenspace Master Plan
  • Funding of a 5-year sidewalk maintenance and construction program
  • Pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements
  • Anticipation of additional impacts from COVID-19

The proposed budget does not include funding for salary increases or pay adjustments for employees.

Do you support or oppose the adoption of this budget by the City Commission? 

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February 24, 2020, 8:45 AM

The City of Decatur is working with AECOM to design sidewalks for Derrydown Way (east of S. Columbia Drive), Shadowmoor Drive, and Garden Lane. Designs will include green infrastructure, defined on-street parking, and traffic calming measures where appropriate. Please share your feedback on the preliminary concepts for each street. For more information, contact Courtney Frisch, Project Manager, at [email protected]. The deadline to submit feedback is Friday, Feb. 28 at 5 p.m.

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February 3, 2020, 2:53 PM

At its recent planning retreat, the City Commission identified five key areas to focus on in 2020: 1. Affordable Housing, 2. Communications,  3. Economic Development,  4. Environmental Sustainability and 5. Transportation. Since staff is in the process of developing the FY 2020-2021 budget, the City Commission and staff would like to know how you would prioritize these areas as a way to aid us in allocating resources.

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October 29, 2019, 11:09 AM

The City of Decatur is exploring ideas to improve multi-modal safety within the Parkwood neighborhood. Please share your feedback on the preliminary concepts for the Parkwood’s intersections and corridors on Open City Hall. For more information, contact Courtney Frisch, Project Manager, at [email protected]

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May 21, 2019, 10:49 AM

The City of Decatur’s Revised 2018-2019 and Proposed 2019-2020 budgets have been presented to the City Commission and are available to the public for review. The City’s budget is scheduled to be voted upon by the City Commission on June 17, 2019.

Do you support or oppose the adoption of this budget by the City Commission?

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April 26, 2019, 12:43 PM

The City of Decatur is exploring ways to expand the pedestrian and bicycle network to Talley Street Upper Elementary School and Legacy Park along South Columbia Drive. The project team is seeking your input on the three concepts for the corridor. 

We encourage you to participate in this online input session to provide your General Comments and Preferred Concept. The deadline for submissions is Monday. April 29.

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March 29, 2019, 4:11 PM

The city is seeking comments on the regulation of e-scooters and e-bikes. Currently, e-scooters are being operated through an Interim Operating Agreement while an ordinance is being developed. We are interested in hearing from you about the key components in the motorized mobiltiy device ordinance.

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August 21, 2018, 2:35 PM

Decatur City Manager Peggy Merriss announced her retirement from the City of Decatur effective December 31, 2018 after 25 years of service as City Manager. The Decatur City Commission hired GovHR to lead the executive search for the City Manager’s position. As part of the process the search firm is seeking community input on the qualities, skills and traits that are important for a new city manager. The information collected from this forum topic will be used by GovHR to develop a recruitment brochure and for selecting possible candidates for the City Commission to consider. This forum topic will be closed at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, September 28, 2018.

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June 7, 2018, 4:56 PM

The City of Decatur’s Revised 2017-2018 and Proposed 2018-2019 budgets have been presented to the City Commission and are available to the public for review. The City’s budget is scheduled to be voted upon by the City Commission on June 18, 2018.

Do you support or oppose the adoption of this budget by the City Commission?

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May 17, 2018, 8:42 AM

Decatur will host its second Open Office Hour of the year with Mayor pro tem Tony Powers on Wednesday, May 23 from 7 – 8 p.m. Mayor pro tem Powers will speak for approximately 15-20 minutes on the topic of myths and facts of development in the City. 

The community is invited to tune in to watch and listen and will be able and encouraged to submit questions related to the topic live via Twitter, Facebook, email or phone. If you already have a question in mind related to this topic area, submit it on Open City Hall now.

*This question will close at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 23. After that time, questions can be submitted live via Twitter, Facebook, email or phone beginning at 7 p.m. (Details will be posted right before the meeting).*

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April 20, 2018, 2:18 PM

Cars VS. Bikes VS. Pedestrians

Decatur will host its first Open Office Hour of the year with Mayor Patti Garrett on Wednesday, May 2 (new date) from 7 – 8 p.m. Mayor Garrett will speak for approximately 15-20 minutes on the topic of tensions between modes of transportation in the City, including the steps the City is taking to improve safety on our streets and sidewalks as well as how to move people, bikes and cars safely and efficiently through Decatur. She will also talk about how the City Commission and staff are addressing the tensions between transportation modes and working with other government agencies such as DeKalb County and the Georgia Department of Transportation.

The community is invited to tune in to watch and listen and will be able and encouraged to submit questions related to the topic live via Twitter, Facebook, email or phone. If you already have a question in mind related to this topic area, submit it here now.

*This question will close at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 2nd. After this time, questions can be submitted live via Twitter, Facebook, email or phone beginning at 7 p.m. (Details will be posted right before the meeting).*

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February 15, 2018, 11:51 AM

Please take a moment to answer seven short questions that will help guide the City's way forward on a few initiatives.

The 2018 edition of the National Citizen Survey was mailed to 1,500 randomly selected households in the City of Decatur in early February. If you didn’t receive a copy this year but want to share your thoughts on a few questions, here’s your chance. The following questions are specific to Decatur, so let us know what you think by Friday, March 16th by clicking on link below.

Thank you in advance for your participation!

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October 18, 2017, 2:35 PM

Decatur will host its sixth and final Open Office Hour of the year with Commissioner Brian Smith on Thursday, October 26 from 7 – 8 p.m. Commissioner Smith will speak for approximately 15-20 minutes on the topic of the role of youth in the City of Decatur.

The community is invited to tune in to watch and listen and will be able and encouraged to submit questions related to the topic live via Twitter, Facebook, email or phone. If you already have a question in mind related to this topic area, submit it here now.

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September 20, 2017, 9:05 AM

Decatur will host its fifth Open Office Hour with Commissioner Tony Powers on Thursday, September 28 from 7 – 8 p.m. Commissioner Powers will speak for approximately 15-20 minutes on the topic of the role of the city and schools including ongoing and potential initiatives and partnerships.

The community is invited to tune in to watch and listen and will be able and encouraged to submit questions related to the topic live via Twitter, Facebook, email or phone. If you already have a question in mind related to this topic area, submit it here now.

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June 6, 2017, 10:31 AM

The City of Decatur’s Revised 2016-2017 and Proposed 2017-2018 budgets have been presented to the City Commission and are available to the public for review. The City’s budget is scheduled to be voted upon by the City Commission on June 19, 2017.

Do you support or oppose the adoption of this budget by the City Commission? 

Read More

May 17, 2017, 3:31 PM

Decatur will host its third Open Office Hour with City Manager Peggy Merriss on Monday, May 22 from 7 – 8 p.m. Ms. Merriss will speak for approximately 15-20 minutes on the topic of the city organization and the budgeting process. The FY 2017-2018 budget is now available for review and can be found at www.decaturga.com/budget.

The community is invited to tune in to watch and listen and will be able and encouraged to submit questions related to the topic live via Twitter, Facebook, email or phone. If you already have a question in mind related to this topic area, submit it here now.

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April 17, 2017, 9:39 AM

Decatur will host its second Open Office Hour with Mayor pro tem Fred Boykin on Monday, April 26 from 7 – 8 p.m. The Mayor pro tem will speak for approximately 15-20 minutes on the topic of transportation in the city and the activities and efforts relating to this area.

The community is invited to tune in to watch and listen and will be able and encouraged to submit questions related to the topic live via Twitter, Facebook, email or phone. 

If you already have a question in mind related to this topic area, submit it here now.

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March 22, 2017, 2:44 PM

Decatur will launch its first Open Office Hour with Mayor Patti Garrett on Monday, March 27 from 7 – 8 p.m. The Mayor will speak for approximately 15-20 minutes on the topic of Decatur’s commitment to being a just, welcoming, equitable, inclusive and compassionate city and the activities and efforts around that commitment.

The community is invited to tune in to watch and listen and will be able and encouraged to submit questions related to the topic live via Twitter, Facebook, email, or phone.

If you already have a question in mind related to this topic area, submit it here now.

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February 9, 2017, 2:48 PM

Beginning this March, the City of Decatur will be hosting a series of virtual Town Hall meetings and we would like to know if and when residents might participate.

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June 3, 2016, 2:01 PM

Do you support or oppose the adoption of the revised 2015-2016 and proposed 2016-2017 budgets by the City Commission?

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April 6, 2016, 6:37 PM

Should Decatur Pass on Glass Recycling?

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March 9, 2016, 2:46 PM

Please take a moment to answer three short questions that will help guide Decatur's way forward on a few initiatives.

The National Citizen Survey was mailed to 1,500 randomly selected households in Decatur in early February. If you didn’t participate, here’s your chance to answer the questions specific to Decatur. Let us know what you think by Friday, March 18th.

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November 17, 2015, 6:35 PM

Better Together is Decatur’s effort to address Principle B from 2010’s Strategic Plan, which reads, “Encourage a diverse and engaged community.” Associated with this principle are multiple goals to maintain and encourage all manner of diversity, strengthen our connections, foster greater interaction, and promote a stronger sense of community. What do you think of the 71 proposed action items that emerged to take the form of a Community Action Plan?

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June 8, 2015, 1:08 PM

Do you support or oppose the adoption of the revised 2014-2015 and proposed 2015-2016 budgets by the City Commission?

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April 7, 2015, 3:12 PM

    What should be done to meet CSD's expanding enrollment demands?

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April 2, 2015, 4:10 PM

How would you spend $500 to show what's most important to you in Decatur?

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December 2, 2014, 10:58 PM

Thank you for your participation in this Open City Hall topic. The City Commission adopted the Unified Development Ordinance on Monday, November 17, 2014. It will become effective on February 1, 2015. The final draft included new high performance building requirements, eliminated minimum floor area requirements for residential housing, allowed for administrative adjustments and adopted a 15 day demolition delay process. For more information and to view the final ordinance please visit www.decaturnext.com or contact Amanda Thompson at [email protected]

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October 29, 2014, 3:28 PM

How do you find out about emergencies?

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September 11, 2014, 1:22 AM

Last week we posted 3 questions about the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) on Open City Hall.  Thank you to everyone who participated and left us their feedback.

We’re wrapping up our online polling with questions about how the UDO should handle high performance (green) buildings. The proposed UDO includes new high performance standards for both residential and commercial buildings.

The proposal would require some manner of third-party green building certification for new construction or substantial renovations that exceed 50% of a building’s pre-renovation market value.  It would also require new construction buildings to achieve higher tightness standards, making them less leaky than Georgia Residential Energy Code currently allows.

Go to the city’s Open City Hall page now to learn more and let us know what you think. The questions close Sept. 17 at 11:59 p.m.

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August 25, 2014, 10:35 PM

Last week we posted 3 questions about the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) on Open City Hall.  Thank you to everyone who participated and left us their feedback.

We’re wrapping up our online polling with questions about how the UDO should handle high performance (green) buildings. The proposed UDO includes new high performance standards for both residential and commercial buildings.

The proposal would require some manner of third-party green building certification for new construction or substantial renovations that exceed 50% of a building’s pre-renovation market value.  It would also require new construction buildings to achieve higher tightness standards, making them less leaky than Georgia Residential Energy Code currently allows.

Go to the city’s Open City Hall page now to learn more and let us know what you think. The questions close Sept. 14 at 11:59 p.m.

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June 13, 2014, 11:03 AM

The Decatur City Commission voted to adopt a new Tree Conservation Ordinance that will go into effect on July 7, 2014. The purpose of this update is to modernize the current ordinance (which dates back to 1988) and to encourage the conservation of existing tree canopy.

The process started in October 2013 and the first draft was completed in January 2014. Revisions to this draft were made based on feedback received from Open City Hall, DecaturNEXT.com, and public comment made at City Commission meetings. The second draft was released on April 8, 2014.

Presentations made by city staff to the Decatur City Commission specifically outlined the feedback from the two questions asked on Open City Hall about the ordinance drafts. (See the presentation from May 19 for an example.) Additionally, copies of all comments posted to Open City Hall were provided to each of the Commissioners. Open City Hall provides a valuable resource to the City of Decatur on these types of issues, and we are grateful to those who participated. 

Timeline

  • Tree Conservation Ordinance update process begun – October 2013
  • Public input meeting – December 11, 2013
  • First Open City Hall question posted – January 16, 2014
  • First draft tabled by City Commission for further review –  January 21, 2014
  • City Commission Work Session to discuss revisions – March 3, 2014
  • Second draft released – April 8, 2014
  • Second Open City Hall question posted – April 17, 2014
  • City Commission Work Session on second draft – May 5, 2014
  • City Commission voted to adopt – May 19, 2014

The Design, Environment, and Construction Division is currently working to finalize processes and procedures to implement the new ordinance. More information will be available soon. Questions? Contact John Maximuk, [email protected], 678-553-6570.

Final Approved Ordinance Materials

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June 9, 2014, 4:33 PM

 

Do you support or oppose the adoption of the revised 2013-2014 and proposed 2014-2015 budgets by the City Commission?

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