City of Briarcliff Initiative (COBI) Information Meeting Notes, August 28

Our notes from the meeting, with some additional information and links thrown in...

The meeting took place 7-9pm on August 28 at the North Decatur Presbyterian Church. 50+ people were present as the meeting began, with 10+ indicating they had not attended any other meetings about cityhood. City of Briarcliff Initiative (COBI) speakers included Allen Venet, Herman Lorenz, Don Broussard, and Amy Parker (COBI leaders and residents of nearby Sagamore Hills, Leafmore and Briarcliff Woods neighborhoods).

An audience member distributed a handout with background on what she believes is a driving force behind some cityhood movements (e.g., ALEC).

Venet and Parker clarified that they have always been interested in our area and included us in their maps. The audience was appreciative that COBI took the time to set up a meeting with us and share information about cityhood and annexation in general and COBI in specific, even if so much is still up in the air. Lynn Ganim (acting MANA president) clarified that MANA is trying to arrange meetings in September with City of Atlanta, City of Decatur and also a representative for the "stay in DeKalb County" viewpoint; once we all have that information, MANA will conduct a survey to see how our residents perceive these different proposals.

Venet summarized the history of the Briarcliff, Lakeside and Tucker proposals, per the 2014 legislative session. Venet also mentioned Lakeside was invited to this meeting but wasn't present and Ganim read the email she received from Mary Kay Woodworth (chairperson of the Lakeside City Alliance) explaining that Lakeside rejected the invitation because “prematurely holding an informational cityhood meeting could set unrealistic or unattainable expectations.” Venet added that he also asked Bill Floyd of the DeKalb Municipal Association’s to attend, and Floyd also declined. It would appears that these groups value being “strategic” above communicating with neighbors who are sincerely worried about how cityhood and annexation will affect their communities. 

Venet gave a very round-about answer to the question of how City of Decatur's annexation plan affects the Vinson Study’s viability assessment for Briarcliff. The question resurfaced later, and Lorenz and Broussard added that little pieces here and there don't change much but if you add them up, they have an effect. They also noted that the Vinson study did not include Emory Point and that is a big revenue generator. They did not state that Suburban Plaza/Medline + Emory Commons (and nearby businesses) have a similar combined value (i.e., that their loss to annexation by Decatur would be compensated by Emory Point). Audience members asked if COBI would need to re-do their feasibility study in view of Decatur’s annexation plan. Venet said that Representative Mike Jacobs said no and sort of waived that requirement but it is understood that if there is a referendum, an updated study with finalized boundary lines would be needed. Venet encouraged the audience to review the Vinson Institute feasibility study, which is posted on the COBI website.

There was no follow-up to the comment that City of Decatur started out with one annexation map and then expanded the boundary further so that it now completely engulfs the Medline LCI study area; it all looks similar to the “cherry-picking” that resulted in Lakeside’s very irregular borders and which has been roundly criticized. City of Decatur has approved a contract for the Sizemore Group to complete an annexation study. Sizemore was a major player in the Medline LCI study. You can see MANA, CHCA and Good Growth DeKalb’s concerns about the study here (in particular, about the eventual routing of Scott Blvd/ N Decatur Rd. traffic through our neighborhoods, conveniently outside City of Decatur borders). 

COBI clarified that at this point, Medlock Park and Clairmont Heights are simply looking into be included in a proposal so as to have the opportunity to vote should the proposal succeed ratification by the legislature and governor.

Venet said that he had talked to Senator Jason Carter and Carter said he would support the Briarcliff proposal [should the proposal be approved by the legislature, should Carter be elected governor].

People asked about Emory University’s involvement in all this and Venet said that Emory originally claimed neutrality, but in reality remains attached to its Atlanta identity. Venet also explained that Emory believes a light rail connecting the campus to MARTA is critical to its future growth, and Emory is impressed with Atlanta's recent successes securing federal funds for projects such as the Beltline and streetcars. 

Schools were discussed very, very briefly. There was no reason for the Vinson Institute to include anything about schools in the Briarcliff study because constitutionally, COBI will not touch the schools. Unless the state constitution changes, schools come into play only under an annexation scenario into an existing city that has a grandfathered school systems (that would mean Decatur or Atlanta). The school buildings themselves are owned by the school district, not by the County. Should there be a transfer of ownership, fund generated by the sale would not go to the municipal government but rather to the school district.

As to progress in negotiations between the overlapping Briarcliff, Lakeside and Tucker proposals, Venet stated that this is all very new (per this week’s announcement that the three organizations must finalize their maps by November 15) and that the COBI board is meeting later this week. He also shared that Representative Jacobs had named Bill Floyd to “mediate” process through which maps will be finalized (this was also mentioned in the CAN meeting the previous evening). Venet was uncertain about what this mediation will entail. Bill Floyd previously served as mayor of Decatur and now represents the DeKalb Municipal Association (DMA), which lobbies for cities; he also serves in the County’s Task Force, representing DMA, and as noted above, declined participating in this meeting.

The audience asked what might happen if “no one picks us” so to speak. COBI explained that these proposals will not be allowed to carve a "donut" or island where a neighborhood is surrounded by cities and cut off from an unincorporated area. However, that there is a risk of an area being left out of nearby proposals and being left as "a schmear" connecting to a larger tract of unincorporated land and this is bad—quality of services can be affected simply as a matter of geography. The island scenario would be if our area were cut off the unincorporated parts of the County by Atlanta to the west, Decatur to the south, and some new city or cities to the north/west. The "schmear" scenario would be if we had a new city to the north, Atlanta and Decatur to the west and south respectively, while remaining municipally connected to unincorporated DeKalb to the east and south.

The meeting thus concluded, we left pondering dairy metaphors: who moved our cheese, and how to not become a schmear in DeKalb County’s history.

Please stay tuned for additional meeting announcements.

Annexations and Cityhood: it is (again) time to get involved [Aug 28]

from Lynn Ganim, Acting MANA President

As most of you know, discussions continue about proposed cities in unincorporated DeKalb County. For those who haven’t been following this saga, here are the basics.  Last year the Medlock area was included in the maps for a proposed City of Briarcliff but was left off the maps for the partially-overlapping proposed City of Lakeside.  For various reasons, beyond mortal and non-politicians’ understanding, the state legislature failed to pass any legislation for new cities and told these two, plus the proposed City of Tucker, to solve their differences among themselves. Lakeside and Briarcliff are in discussions with each other, but, as of now, we have no information about where Medlock would stand if there were a merger between the two proposed cities. And, of course, no one knows what the legislature will do when it convenes in January.  The City of Briarcliff  Initiative has scheduled an informational meeting for Medlock and Clairmont Heights at North Decatur Presbyterian Church, 611 Medlock Road [map] beginning at 7:00pm on August 28. The Lakeside City Alliance has also been invited.

In the meantime, reports are that Emory has stated it does not want to be included in any new city. Druid Hills has had preliminary discussion about being annexed into the City of Atlanta, and those discussions continue. (See http://druidhills.org/2014/08/08/dhca-response-to-cityhoodannexation-issues/#more-3556 for the complete Druid Hills statement.)  MANA (and CHCA) representatives have talked with some of the people involved and will continue to follow these issues closely to ensure that our voices are heard and our questions are answered; we will be meeting with representatives of neighborhood associations in interested/involved areas and some representatives of the City of Atlanta later this month.

Many of us would be happy to see this turmoil go away and leave us in relative peace in unincorporated DeKalb County.  And many people are rightly concerned about the probable negative effect of these moves on the rest of the county.

The problem is that if any of these possible scenarios occurs, Medlock will be left as an island between whatever new entities evolve and the City of Decatur. (Based on recent maps and discussions, Decatur's annexation strategy targets commercial property, while minimizing residential annexations.) Also, the tax base of those left in the county will be affected in ways not yet fully understood. In theory, the DeKalb County Schools are not a part of this discussion, but, of course, no one can be sure at this point, especially in the case of a Druid Hills annexation into Atlanta.

Obviously, many uncertainties and unanswered questions exist, but we’ll continue to participate in discussions and monitor and communicate information on options possible for Medlock. In the meantime, we ask that you send us your questions and concerns so we can raise them at the appropriate forums. Also MANA and CHCA are planning to compile and distribute a survey to find out how you feel and, as necessary, we will hold neighborhood meetings. The discussions occurring now and in the near future can have a significant impact on our neighborhood and each of us individually; we urge you to follow them closely.

Time is of the essence. The DeKalb Operations Task Force's incorporation and annexation subcommittee will meet on August 20, September 17, October 15 and November 12 [see complete meeting schedule here or download the pdf]. The Operations Task Force was created earlier this year in response to citizen dissatisfaction with the County's operations, transparency and responsiveness. All meetings will take place at the Maloof Auditorium, 1300 Commerce Drive, Decatur, GA 30030 [map] at 6 p.m. The Task Force holds a mandate

"to explore and study (1) the financial, business, zoning and quality of life impact on residents and government operations caused by the creation of new cities and annexations; (2) the effectiveness of the current governance structure of DeKalb County and ethics and transparency in County operations; (3) the equitable distribution of Homestead Option Sales Tax (HOST) proceeds and legacy pension costs between the DeKalb County and it’s cities; and (4) other related matters. The Operations Task Force is charged with making recommendations that can be forwarded to the Georgia General Assembly in December 2014."

Please send questions and brief comments to medlockassoc@gmail.com; of course, the Medlock Park Neighbors facebook page is always a good forum for more extended discussions.

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UPDATE:
The Civic Association Network (CAN) posts notes from many County meetings. These are their notes from the July 16, 2014 Operations Task Force Incorporation and Annexation subcommittee meeting.

Moratorium motion

GRAB-IT! ® -- a new and defective board game that simulates DeKalb County's cityhood and annexation landscape. 

Reviews are mixed: shoddy documentation and many missing pieces!

Last week, the City of Briarcliff initiative released a new map and declared that Briarcliff had "chosen to defer to the published annexation plans of existing cities." This came as a surprise, given that the Vinson Institute study included these commercial properties in the Briarcliff proposal viability test... a study that MANA dues helped support. Briarcliff, at this time, is not on the docket.

New Lakeside map, via http://lakesidecityalliance.org/
wp-content/uploads/2013/02/City-of-Lakeside-map-
2-26-2014-1.pdf. Click to enlarge.

This week, the Lakeside initiative released a new map that engulfs nearby Laurel Ridge (including Laurel Ridge Elementary School, attended by many Medlock area children) as well as other neighborhoods. In rushed, ongoing committee negotiations, legislators are redrawing proposal boundaries in a manner that makes it difficult for constituents to offer timely feedback. As of this week, the Senate has approved the bill (SB 270); if the bill passes the House, it will need to be voted upon, but only those within its boundaries can voice their support or lack thereof.

Many of these concerns were voiced in the Senate this week, and video is available at http://www.gpb.org/lawmakers/2014/day-29. Click on the "Senate Day 29 PM link" and cue to 1:29:10 to watch Senator Steve Henson challenge Senator Fran Millar's Lakeside proposal's incursion into Tucker. Then, cue to 1:44:30 and watch Jason Carter light into Senator Millar and describe the broken process that has led to an ever-changing Lakeside map that amounts to a "foray into someone else's district". Thank you for the Medlock/MANA shout-out, Senator Carter, and for speaking for all the communities being aggravated and antagonized by Lakeside's schemes.

There are many reasons not to rush this process; Commissioner Rader articulated them well here. We encourage the legislature to bench all cityhood and annexation proposals for DeKalb County to allow sufficient input from citizens and analysis on the repercussions these changes will have on the County at large. We encourage DeKalb County residents to reach out to their legislators to ensure these concerns are heard and recorded, in particular as SB 270 moves to the House.

Addendum 3/3/2014: City of Decatur's proposed annexation map to which the Briarcliff Initiative defers. Apparently City of Decatur wants the whole Medline LCI area in addition to commercial properties on North Decatur Road.

Highlight of City of Decatur's annexation plan to which the Briarcliff Initiative defers. Red notes desired boundary;
current boundary not quite as visible in black, so it is now highlighted in pink. Click to enlarge or see original image at http://www.decaturga.com/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=4724  Aug 2014 update:
this link now shows a map without the current city boundary. Subliminal inevitability nudge: check!

This is all very exhausting and confusing, thank goodness for Monty Python's take on annexation.

Lastest City of Briarcliff map

"The City of Briarcliff Initiative announces the release of an updated version of the Briarcliff map. “February 2014 Draft” is available on Briarcliff’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/briarcliffga and shows hand drawn lines. Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (HD-82) will present a formal version of this map to the Legislature. Briarcliff has chosen to defer to the published annexation plans of existing cities, in keeping with the city’s core belief that everyone should have a chance to vote on whether they want to be in a city."

[But it should be noted that the owners of non-residential properties are not allowed to vote.]

For the full press release, see

http://www.prlog.org/12285345-briarcliff-statement-on-hb-665-cityhood-map.html

For some recent discussions on City of Decatur's current annexation plan, see DecaturMetro:

http://www.decaturmetro.com/2014/01/31/superintendent-annexation-would-require-building-another-school-or-campus-expansion/

http://www.decaturmetro.com/2013/12/26/catch-up-on-the-decatur-annexation-conversation/

http://www.decaturmetro.com/2013/12/16/decatur-preps-for-large-scale-annexation-as-creation-of-north-dekalb-cities-looms/

More on City of Briarcliff's community meeting

Jay Scott at the North Druid Hills Patch reports on the City of Briarcliff Initiative's meeting on Thursday December 19:

"The City of Briarcliff Initiative board used a community meeting Thursday night as another call for leaders of the Lakeside and Tucker cityhood efforts to get together with them to work out differences in their proposed maps. 

However, the group's message to the audience was more direct: "We see Lakeside as a redundant and unnecessary city," a phrase repeated in a PowerPoint slide and in discussions."  Read the rest @ North Druid Hills Patch.

More on the City of Briarcliff Initiative

Patch reports on the City of Briarcliff's press conference yesterday and that the Briarcliff Study Finds Surplus, 50% More Than Lakeside's.

WSB also reported on this event.

via the City of Briarcliff Initiative...

The City of Briarcliff Initiative announces Briarcliff has been confirmed to be the most feasible cityhood plan currently proposed for central DeKalb County by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia.

Atlanta, GA, December 16, 2013 -- The City of Briarcliff Initiative has scheduled a Tuesday, December 17, 2013 press conference to officially announce the results of an independent cityhood feasibility study. The study, conducted by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia has confirmed that Briarcliff is the most financially feasible cityhood plan currently proposed for Central DeKalb County.

The press conference is scheduled for Tuesday, December 17, 2013, 2:00pm at the Toco Hills Shopping Center near 2105 Lavista Rd. A follow up public meeting to review the results of the Carl Vinson Institute of Government study will be held on Thursday, December 19, 2013, 7:00pm at Briarcliff United Methodist Church (4105 Briarcliff Rd. NE, Atlanta GA).

“An independent study has confirmed what so many in central DeKalb already knew that Briarcliff is positioned to be the most sensible city for central DeKalb,” explains Allen Venet, President of City of Briarcliff Initiative. He adds, “Our proposed city has a strong blend of residential, commercial and industrial areas. Our map is smart and does not abandon neighborhoods. We believe the members of this community deserve the chance to publically vote on Briarcliff cityhood.”

Keith Hanks, member of the executive board comments, “The Briarcliff cityhood plan is funded by local citizens. Over 99% of funds donated have come from local residents within the proposed city limits, making this a successful grassroots effort. Our next step includes refining cityhood plans, translating into necessary legal language and presenting as a proof of concept to the Georgia House of Representatives in the next session.”

For more information about the City of Briarcliff Initiative visit briarcliffga.org or facebook.com/briarcliffga.

About City of Briarcliff Initiative:
The City of Briarcliff Initiative, Inc. is a non-profit corporation chartered under the laws of the state of Georgia. The group seeks to enable residents to form a new city government in central DeKalb County that would serve all people within the community and promote the health, welfare, and safety of the general public.

Copyright © 2013 City of Briarcliff Initiative, All rights reserved. 

City of Briarcliff = most viable

The Patch reports that the City of Briarcliff proposal was deemed

 "the most financially feasible cityhood plan currently proposed for Central DeKalb County." Read the rest at The North Druid Hills Patch.

Source: The Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia (that also completed the Lakeside feasibility study).

City of Briarcliff: info session (and pizza!) [Dec 9]

Interested? Confirm attendance by emailing rsvp@briarcliffga.org

Information meeting on cityhood (Karla Drenner) [Nov 7]

Although Karla Drenner does not represent us, her Scottsdale constituents are included in the City of Briarcliff proposal. This meeting should be of interest to others also included in the proposal:

Thursday, November 7, 2013
6:30pm
Avondale Estates First Baptist Church
47 Covington Rd.
Avondale Estates, GA 30002

Scottdale is located in the proposed City of Briarcliff map. Join Rep. Drenner, Rep. Michele Henson will and Sen. Steve Henson at this meeting to find out what cityhood would--and wouldn't--mean for Scottdale. Presentations will be followed by a question and answer session at the end of the evening.

You can read more about the proposed City of Briarcliff here: http://briarcliffga.org

City of Briarcliff Initiative -- Information Meeting [Sept 12]

For additional information on the proposed City of Briarcliff, visit the maps and documents page.

See other posts on MANA's website  on the City of Briarcliff and cityhood.

Druid Hills Civic Association's Cityhood and Annexation Town Hall Meeting [Aug 20]

This meeting is organized by the Druid Hills Civic Association and attendees can expect that the concerns of Druid Hills residents will be the focus of the discussion. That said, note that speakers include representatives of the City of Briarcliff and the Druid Hills Charter Cluster--two initiatives that include our neighborhood:

from the Druid Hills Civic Association website:

The agenda has been set for a Town Hall Meeting on Cityhood & Annexation to be held on August 20, 7-9pm. Speakers will include Allen Venet, chair, City of Briarcliff Initiative; Duriya Farooqui and Hans Utz of the Office of the Mayor, City of Atlanta; Lee May, acting CEO, DeKalb County; and Matthew Lewis of the Druid Hills Charter Cluster. 

Presenters will be available to answer questions from the audience, said Mike St. Louis, chair, Committee to Explore Druid Hills Cityhood Options.  The meeting will be held in the sanctuary of Glenn Memorial Church. Please attend and bring your neighbors!  This issue is critical for our community! 

UPDATE (8/26/2013): Notes from the above meeting are available at http://druidhills.org/2013/08/22/town-hall-meeting-draws-a-big-crowd/#more-2506
Per the comment section, a link to the Powerpoint presentation shared at the meeting may be posted soon.

Emory University also posted notes on the meeting, including a heading that reads "Emory remains neutral."

Support for the City of Briarcliff feasibility study

Red dog wearing a blue cape? No, it's the competing cityhood proposals that stand to affect our area!
Existing cities (Atlanta, Decatur, Avondale Estates and Clarkston) are colorized and labeled in black. Lakeside proposal is outlined in red,  Briarcliff proposal is outlined in a dashed blue line, and Tucker proposal is outlined in pink. Lakeside and Briarcliff boundary lines are slightly offset for clarity--position does not denote different coverage and where they overlap, both are following Hwy 85 and 285. Original map courtesy of Google.
Please report any inaccuracies to medlockassoc@gmail.com so that we may better inform our readership.

As has been reported in the media and here, proposals for new cities in the northern part of DeKalb County are gathering steam. CHCA has just posted an informative piece on this issue at http://clairmontheights.org/node/3450

As noted in the MANA editorial below [to appear in our next newsletter], the time has come to form an opinion about the future of the region. Georgia law specifies that before a cityhood proposal can be brought to the legislature, it must include a financial viability study, and the City of Briarcliff Initiative is collecting funds ($30,000 needed) to commission said study from the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at UGA. Since MANA is included in the Briarcliff proposal, the MANA Board has voted to contribute towards this study. If the study is not commissioned, funds will be returned to the donors. The Lakeside City Alliance (whose proposal excludes MANA and CHCA) is likewise collecting funds for a feasibility study.

---

City of Briarcliff Initiative
by Lynn Ganim

Many of us have opposed the creation of a city including our part of the county, preferring to remain in DeKalb County, but events have made it necessary to reconsider that opposition.  Momentum and political power seem to be on the side of a creation of a Lakeside City. This proposed city does not include the Medlock or Clairmont Heights areas and would isolate us politically from much of the rest of the northern and central section of the county. We do not know how that would affect our property values, levels of service, or taxes.

 We, of course, can choose to do nothing.  Or we can support the study for the proposed new city of Briarcliff, which pays tribute to the interests of our area. If the legislature chooses to accept neither of the cityhood proposals, then we continue as we have.  If the Briarcliff initiative passes the legislature, we can vote our preferences.  If the Lakeside City initiative passes the legislature, we will have no say at all.  For now these seem to be our choices.

A new formal organization now exists to “investigate and study the possibility of forming a city within unincorporated central DeKalb County, Georgia.” This proposed city of Briarcliff would include most of unincorporated DeKalb County inside an area outlined by I-285, I- 85, and the city limits of Decatur and Atlanta.  The new city overlaps much of the already-proposed Lakeside City Alliance map but adds neighborhoods and sections left out of that proposal; it was created by a group that includes representatives from many neighborhoods and civic associations in the relevant sections of the county. As a result, Briarcliff constitutes what proponents claim is a more logical and inclusive entity for a city in DeKalb County.

There are several steps in the process of cityhood.

Georgia law requires that to be called a city an entity must provide at least three of the following services: law enforcement, fire protection/fire safety, road and street maintenance or construction, solid waste management, stormwater collection and disposal, electric or gas utility service, code enforcement, planning and zoning, and recreational facilities.

Georgia law also requires that there be a study of the feasibility of any new city to provide the services it requires and pay for them.  This study costs $30,000 and must be conducted by a properly- recognized  organization  like the Carl Vinson Institute at the University of Georgia.  Work on the study must begin by July 1, 2013, so that it can be completed in time for the next legislative session. This is a crucial first step towards cityhood.  Fund-raising has already begun.

Once a study has been completed, the legislature then must decide whether or not to authorize a referendum on the proposed city.  Our understanding is that no more than one proposal for the same general section of the county would pass.  If the legislature approves the plan for a proposed city, the people directly affected will have their say in the referendum. No one else in the county would vote on the issue.

As a result of the concerns stated above, the MANA board has just approved supporting the study for the City of Briarcliff by contributing $1000 to the cost of the feasibility study. The board is also offering up to $500 in matching funds for contributions from the neighborhood. Details about the match are still being worked out and will be available at the MANA web-site at http://www.medlockpark.org/  They will also be discussed at the MANA Community meeting on June 17.   We emphasize that we are supporting the study, not necessarily the city itself, because we believe this option gives all of us more opportunity to have our voices heard. Otherwise, events may overtake us before we have a chance to decide for ourselves.

Since this situation is very fluid and extremely important to our neighborhood, we urge you to keep up with the local news about it, as well as information on the MANA web-site and the Civic Association Network site at http://www.can-dk.org/file-cabinet/government-municipal.

Note:
At a meeting in early May a representative of the City of Decatur stated that they are still interested in annexing certain (unspecified) commercial areas to increase the percentage of revenue they get from businesses and “straighten out” their borders.