ATLANTA STREETCARPROJECT

INAUGURAL PUBLICSAFETY SUMMIT

CITY’S FIRSTGOVATHON

PG. 6

PG. 14

PG. 18

EDITION 2 • SUMMER 2013

City of Atlanta Magazine

TECHNOLOGY • PUBLIC WORKS • PARKS & RECREATION

ATLANTA BELTLINE • INVEST ATLANTA * SUSTAINABILITY

2 Welcome / Contents

• 04 The State of the City is Strong

• 05 iParcs

• 06 On Track for the Future

• 08 Green Building Infrastructure

• 14Inaugural Public Safety Summit

• 10

• 17

Check out photos from city events

A Sweet look inside the Department of Public Works

For detailed information visit www.atlantaga.gov or scanthe QR Code on yourmobile phone

SUMMER 2013

• 16Watershed ManagementTransforms Southeast Atlanta with Green Infrastructure

Message from the MAYOR

Phoenix Magazine 3

six years, our general fund employ-ees are receiving a three percent salary increase, and our public safety personnel are receiving an additional one percent salary increase.

The official bird of the City of Atlanta has also returned – the construction crane. With over, 1.1 million square feet being restored with retail and residential units at Ponce City Market, Livable Buck-head slated to open soon, and a new retractable roof stadium being built downtown - Atlanta is embarking on a construction boom.

As we approach the beginning of a new school year, we are proud to announce that we have expanded our Centers of Hope program.

Welcome to the second edition of

Phoenix Magazine!

We have much to report in our efforts to transform Atlanta into a first-class, major international city.

Since 2010, our commitment to public safety, economic development, fiscal responsibility and improved recreational opportunities has never wavered.

For the first time in the history of our city, we have added over 800 officers to our police force, making it the largest law enforcement agency in the state of Georgia. We’ve also added 75 new firefighters to eliminate brown-outs due to staffing shortages and improve response times.

For the past three years, my Administration has worked to restore the overall fiscal health of the city by cutting ineffi-ciencies and increasing our revenues. We recently passed our fourth consecutive municipal budget without a tax increase, while increasing our cash reserves. For the first time in over

@kasimreed

mayorreed@atlantaga.gov

www.atlantaga.gov

The Mayor’s Office of Communications is responsible for providing vital information to residents,

business owners and the media about the City of Atlanta and the goals and initiatives of Mayor

Kasim Reed. The Mayor’s Office of Communications works closely with the Public Information

Officers in other departments (e.g.: Police, Fire-Rescue, Planning and Community Development,

Public Works, Watershed Management, etc.) to ensure the accurate and timely dissemination of

news and information.

Frequently Requested Phone Numbers:

Municipal Courts (404) 658-6940

Atlanta Police (404) 614-6544

Fire Department (404) 546-7000

Sonji Jacobs, Director of Communications

Contributors: Aaron Bastian, Department of Sustainability; Valerie Bell-Smith, Department of Public Works; Jamar Brown, Department of Human Resources; Carlos Campos, Atlanta Police Department; Dexter Chambers, Atlanta City Council; Ethan Davidson, Atlanta Beltline; Jennifer Ogunsola, Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs; Anne Torres, Office of Communications; Tkeban Jahannes, Office of Communications; Reese McCranie, Office of Communications; Melissa Mullinax, Office of Communications; Jenny Pittam, Atlanta BeltLine; Scheree Rawles, Department of Watershed Management; Lanii Thomas, Department of Planning; Sloan Turner, Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs; Janet Ward, Atlanta Fire Rescue Department.

Business Tax (404) 330-6270

Watershed (404) 658-6500

Human Resources (404) 330-6360

With a $1 million donation from the Coca-Cola Foundation, our Centers of Hope initiative will continue to provide our youth with leadership development, physical activity, nutrition education and academic enrichment.

While we have accomplished much, we still have much to do. If you know of a project that transforms our community, an employee who goes far beyond the call of duty or an event that needs a spotlight, let us know.

Thank you for your input and thank you for what you do every day to make Atlanta the place we lovingly call home.

Serving as the Mayor of the

Atlanta has been the greatest

privilege of my career. My experi-

ences in Atlanta have been clear:

When we choose cooperation over

conflict, there is little we can’t ac-

complish. With the help of our

Atlanta City Council partners, we

are making significant progress in

several vital areas.

We’re restoring the fiscal health of the city. For the fourth year in a row, the city’s spending plan for the upcoming year does not impose a property tax increase on Atlanta residents. The $539 million budget contains a 3.5 percent pay increase for general employees who earn less than $60,000 per year, and the city’s sworn officers will receive a 1.5 percent salary increase. Both increases will be phased-in and tied to performance. Making a commitment to

providing our employees with living wages, the budget also includes more than $500,000 for employee pay adjustments, which includes raising the minimum pay for all employees to at least $10 an hour. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour.

We’re also creating jobs and restoring the economic vitality of our city. Recently, we announced that PulteGroup, one of the nation’s largest homebuilding companies featured frequently on the Fortune 500 list, is moving its headquarters from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan to the City of Atlanta. With a number of development projects slated to be completed within the next several years, the construction crane – the official bird of the City of Atlanta – once again dots the skyline. I recently attended a groundbreaking for the new proton therapy research center under construction off Ponce de Leon Avenue in Midtown, which will be part of a new technology corridor for the city, and we’re also welcoming a new research center to southwest Atlanta. In downtown, tracks are being laid for the Atlanta Streetcar and we’re about a year away from the ribbon-cutting of the new National Civil and Human Rights Museum in Centennial Olympic Park.

As the largest adaptive reuse project in Atlanta’s history, development at Ponce City Market continues to progress. Slated to open in spring 2014, Ponce City Market will restore 1.1 million square feet of the historic Sears, Roebuck & Company building, combining 300,000 square feet of retail and restaurants, 450,000 square feet of office space and 260 residential units. I also look forward to the opening of Buckhead Atlanta and the new shopping and retail stores coming online there.

THE STATE OF THE CITY IS

STRONG

4 The State of the City is Strong

Phoenix Magazine 5

iPARCS

Closing one of the largest develop-ment projects in our city, Atlanta City Council in March approved the extension of the hotel-motel tax to 2050 for the construction of a new retractable roof stadium in downtown. The drawings of the new stadium – Pantheon – are breathtaking. The city will not only keep the Falcons for the next 30 years, but have an iconic new building. Perhaps most exciting of all, the stadium deal terms include more than $30 million in direct investment for the English Avenue, Vine City and Castleberry Hill neighborhoods, and a $50 million investment in infrastructure improve-ments in the area adjacent to the proposed new stadium. To promote

full and equal business opportunities in connection with the design and construction of the new stadium, the Atlanta Falcons and the GWCCA have agreed to develop an Equal Business Opportunity Plan that will ensure at least 31 percent participa-tion by women and minority business enterprises.

Our commitment to parks and greenspaces continues to grow and improve. I recently attended the Clinton Global Initiative America conference, and along with Mayor Rahm Emanuel of Chicago, Mayor Marchione of Redmond and Mayor Fischer of Louisville, committed $22 million in additional private-public

funding for the Atlanta BeltLine, the most comprehensive revitalization effort ever undertaken in the City of Atlanta and among the largest, most wide-ranging urban redevelopment and mobility projects currently underway in the United States. Most recently, I was pleased to attend the opening ceremony for Piedmont Commons, a 12.5 acre expansion of one of our city’s most beloved and important open spaces.

The City of Atlanta has much to offer this summer. I encourage you to get outside, stop by one of our parks or lounge by one of our pools. Stroll through downtown or check out the new restaurants and shops in neighborhoods like East Atlanta and Virginia-Highlands. Without a doubt, Atlanta is on its way back.

Kasim Reed Mayor, City of Atlanta

As part of Mayor Kasim Reed’s effort to improve customer

service for Atlanta residents, the City of Atlanta’s De-

partment of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs recently

launched iPARCS, which is an acronym for internet Parks, Arts,

Recreation and Customer Service (portal).

For the very first time, Atlanta residents will benefit from the convenience of “around the clock” access to their activities and facilities via the Department’s new on-line registration and reservation system at www.atlantaga.gov/iparcs.

Through iPARCS, it is now easier than ever for Atlanta residents and customers to explore the many programs and facilities that the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs has to offer. All from the comfort of their home, customers can log on to this new online registration and reservation portal to: - view photos of rooms, pavilions and fields available for rent; - register and pay for activities and afterschool programming; - purchase recreation memberships;- reserve pavilions and recreation facilities; and- keep track of permit requests, family schedules and much more.

“Our new on-line system will make it easier for Atlanta’s youth to take advantage of educational afterschool programs, sports and cultural experiences taught by experienced, well-trained professionals,” said George Dusenbury, Commissioner of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs. “We all know that recreation, parks and the arts are a valuable investment in communities, and we will continue to make our city stronger by providing state-of-the-art programs and facilities.”

To use the portal and register for programs, customers must set up a free online account at www.atlantaga.gov/iparcs.

In addition to launching the new portal, for the first time in Atlanta’s history, the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs now provides a membership card to purchasers of Splash Card and Athletic Pass memberships. The Splash Card allows access to all City of Atlanta Natatoriums and the Athletic Pass includes the use of all recreation fitness centers citywide.

Work on the Atlanta

Streetcar continues to

advance and construction

crews are making tremendous

progress. For the first time in

more than 60 years, Atlanta

has streetcar tracks again.

In March, the project reached a key milestone with the delivery of the first section of track on Edgewood Avenue. Crews lowered seven sections of rail into the track bed near the intersection of Bell Street and Edgewood Avenue and will continue the installation east along Edgewood Avenue towards Jackson Street.

Speaking of the occasion, Mayor Reed remarked, “This construction activity signifies an important step forward for the Atlanta Streetcar project and underscores the city’s commitment to build a new, world-class transit system that will benefit residents, businesses and visitors for years to come. There is real momentum gaining for this project and once completed, the Atlanta Streetcar will be transformational for the downtown corridor.”

Each section of rail is approximately 80 feet in length and weighs 3,040 lbs. Construc-tion contractors forecast completing one block of track installation every three to four weeks.

“We are pleased to have reached this milestone in the Atlanta Streetcar project,” said A.J. Robinson, president, Atlanta Downtown Improvement District. “The installation of track is a critical and exciting step, and we look forward to the economic development opportunities the Atlanta Streetcar will provide.”

Also in March, it was announced that a section of the Atlanta Streetcar route has been approved as an Opportunity Zone by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. This new designation will create a tax incentive for businesses to expand and locate in the historic area.

“This Opportunity Zone designation for the Auburn and Edgewood Avenue District will benefit new and existing businesses in an area that is rich in history and is poised for a cultural and economic resurgence,” said Mayor Reed. “The Atlanta Streetcar project will help to revitalize this corridor and, thanks to this announcement, there will be an additional incentive for businesses to make further investments along the streetcar route.”

Businesses located within the Opportunity Zone can qualify for a yearly income tax credit of $3,500 for each new job created provided that there at least two net new jobs.

THE ATLANTA STREETCAR PROJECT MOVES FORWARD

6 On Track for the Future

Phoenix Magazine 7

Tax credits are good for up to five years and $17,500 as long as the business continues to hire at least two new people per year. Opportunity Zones are used as an incentive to attract new businesses and encourage existing businesses to hire additional employees.

Duriya Farooqui, Chief Operating Officer for the City of Atlanta, along with Brian P. McGowan, president and CEO of Invest Atlanta, announced the Auburn Opportunity Zone at The Epsten Group, a leading sus-tainable architecture firm in the southeast. The firm is located in a renovated, historic building on Edgewood Avenue and is an example of Auburn’s potential for future growth.

“Invest Atlanta is highly committed to the success of the Auburn Avenue district, both for its historical significance and its tremendous potential as a destination for innovative, forward-looking businesses,” said Brian P. McGowan. “The Opportunity Zone designation will help business owners who might not have otherwise considered Auburn Avenue recognize that potential.”

The Opportunity Zone comes at an important time for the Auburn Avenue community. The Sweet Auburn District has been listed as endangered by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, in part because the area needs a more robust business community to work in partnership with the historic sites to ensure a thriving area worthy of Sweet Auburn’s rich history.

“This is more good news for the Auburn-Edgewood corridor,” said Atlanta City Councilman Kwanza Hall. “Last week, we laid the first tracks for the Atlanta Streetcar, our ‘Downtown Re-Connector.’ With the Auburn Avenue Opportunity Zone, we are preparing the way for existing small businesses to expand while offering an incentive for prospective businesses to join us and shape the future of Atlanta’s legacy corridor.” At the announcement, the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District (ADID) also released its Atlanta Streetcar Corridor Development and Investment Guide which can be downloaded here: http://bit.ly/15KDhd4

The Atlanta Streetcar project is a cooperative effort by the City of Atlanta, the Atlanta Downtown Improve-ment District (ADID) and MARTA. The 2.7-mile line will run through the heart of Atlanta’s business, tourism and convention corridor, bringing jobs and new economic development to the city. It is expected to serve as a catalyst for millions of dollars in new residential, office and retail development.

The streetcar line will include 12 stops with access to major attractions like the World of Coca-Cola, CNN Center, the Georgia Aquarium, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site and the historic Auburn Avenue corridor, the birthplace of the Civil Rights movement. The line, which reconnects the two halves of downtown that were disconnected by freeway construction, will also directly connect with MARTA’s rail and bus systems, and will have eventual connectivity to the Atlanta BeltLine. New bicycle facilities, upgraded sidewalks and pedestrian environments are all part of the Atlanta Streetcar project.

The design-build services for the project are managed by URS, a leading provider of engineering, construc-tion and technical services that has been involved in streetcar projects nationwide, including cities such as Portland, Spokane, Tucson, Dallas, Seattle, Tacoma, Charlotte and Tampa. The firm has also teamed with prominent companies including C.W. Matthews, G.W. Peoples and seven minority or disadvantaged business enterprises based in the Atlanta area.

For more information on the Atlanta Streetcar project, visit www.theatlantastreetcar.com, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @ATLStreetcar

Focus on sustainability gives City

competitive advantages across

sectors

As Atlanta seeks to become a top-tier sustainable city, the city’s commercial building sector shows steady progress toward leading the nation in green buildings. Progressive zoning and incentives, a committed business sector, and City leadership are spurring economic and environmental wins across the community.

Ranked 5th nationally for Energy Star certified buildings in the U.S. EPA’s 2012 ranking, 304 properties from Downtown to Buckhead comprise this steadily growing list of environmental leaders. The Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge (ABBC), led by the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability and key community partners, is playing a substantial role in the effort to embed sustainability best practices in government operations and across the community.

Launched in November 2011, the ABBC has led the country in its first year, committing 74 properties to the equivalent of 50 million square feet of building space to the initiative. The Challenge, an initiative of the White House and the U.S. Depart-ment of Energy, targets commercial buildings as they represent roughly 42 percent of the country’s energy consumption.

Participating buildings in Atlanta represent an array of building types including hospitals, schools, and government facilties. Building participants commit to:

1. Publicly pledge a building-specific energy savings goal and develop a plan and schedule ;

2. Identify a building energy savings project and implement the project;

3. Share utility data with the US Department of Energy, as well as information about the tools, technologies, and processes they used to implement projects and reach their pledge goal.

Emory University Hospital Midtown, Grady Hospital, Coca-Cola, Spelman College, Georgia Institute of Technology and Fulton County are among the participants, along with ten city facilities including the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center.

City commitment creates attractive climate for smart growthBy 2016, revenue in the green & sustainable building construction industry is forecast to increase at an average annual rate of 23 percent to $245.4 billion. Unprecedented commitments from the federal government are providing states and local governments tangible pathways to spur growth; Atlanta is a shining example.

The city’s commitment to green infrastructure extends into its long term operational strategy where any new development or extensive renovation must be done to LEED Silver standard. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), is a tiered certification standard established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and granted to facilities who install upgrades like low-flow bathroom fixtures, energy efficient lighting systems, eco-friendly carpeting and furnishes made of recycling content.

Ponce City Market, formerly City Hall East, and the International Terminal at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport, are two of the city’s premier facilities offering these unique features. These features not only provide utility savings while reducing their environmental impacts, but increase occupant comfort. The Atlanta Public Safety Annex has earned both LEED Silver and Energy Star certifications.

At the neighborhood level, zoning requirements in the city’s Special Interest Districts (SPI), include:

- Trees adjacent to public sidewalks- Landscape buffers (with trees) around the periphery of all surface parking

8 Green Building Infrastructure

CITY OF ATLANTA MOVES FORWARD AS NATIONAL LEADER IN GREEN BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE

- Car and van pool spaces- Electrical vehicle charging stations- Bike storage facilities- Heat-reflective roofing

These requirements are consistent with national best practices for sustainable development and create a transparent standard that ensures environmentally responsible growth from sidewalk to rooftop. The City of Atlanta goes a step further to incentivize development exceeding these requirements where rainwater is captured for landscaping, native plants are used for landscaping, and green building standards like LEED and Energy Star are achieved. Incentives include a reduction of open space requirements and expedited permitting.

As city and state agencies recruit nationally and globally, green infrastructure provides Atlanta with numerous competitive advantages as both the private sector and the development community become increasingly sustainable. Voluntary initiatives like the Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge coupled with best practice requirements for smart growth will continue to secure Atlanta’s position as a city serious about its future as a leader in green infrastructure and sustainability.

Phoenix Magazine 9

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1. Mayor Kasim Reed joins Jasmine Guy at the national launch of “I Am Not Yours!” child sex trafficking campaign; 2. Mayor Kasim Reed speaks to construction workers at Ponce City Market; 3. Mayor Kasim Reed joins SoSo Def Recordings, Inc. to celebrate 20-year musical legacy; 4. Mayor Kasim Reed is interviewed by the Boys and Girl Club of Metro Atlanta; 5. City of Atlanta featured in Fortune Magazine’s “World’s Most Admired Companies” Issue; 6. City of Atlanta holds first-ever Govathon; 7. Mayor Kasim Reed announces new metropolitan export plan at the Brookings Institution Global Cities Initiative; 8. City employees line dancing at the launch of the SHRED weight loss challenge; 9. The UPS Foundation awards $30,000 to Mayor Kasim Reed’s ‘Love Your Block’ program.

10 In Pictures

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10. Mayor Kasim Reed announces renova-tion, re-opening of Historic Fire Station 7 in West End; 11. Mayor Kasim Reed joins Hyundai Motor America and Atlanta Public Schools to donate 1,000 coats to Atlanta; 12. Mayor Kasim Reed and Atlanta Fire Res-cue Chief Kelvin J. Cochran commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the hiring of the city’s first African-American Firefighters; 13. Mayor Kasim Reed delivers his fourth State of the City Address; 14. Mayor Kasim Reed announcing the 36th Annual Atlanta Jazz Festival.

15. Mayor Kasim Reed, Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs unveil new sculptures at Freedom Park; 16. Mayor Kasim Reed, NCAA representatives unveil basketball court renovations at the Dunbar Center of Hope; 17. Mayor Ka-sim Reed and Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at the NCAA Youth Dribble.

Phoenix Magazine 11

12 Atlanta Fire Department Special Ops

Those are all functions of the Depart-ment’s Special Operations group, which is staffed by 50 firefighters on each of three shifts. The unit started out in the 1960s and ’70s as a rescue unit perform-ing extrications from vehicles that had been in accidents. But as society grew and changed, so did AFR Special Op-erations. “Modern urban fire departments are called upon to do things that our fire-fighting predecessors could never have imagined,” says Fire Chief Kelvin

Cochran. “We have more responsi-bilities for keeping people safe in many more ways.”

Everyone knows one thing about Atlanta

Fire Rescue: The Department fights

fires. Some people know that the Depart-

ment provides emergency medical assis-

tance. But only a handful are aware that

the Department also provides services like

extrications from vehicles and machinery,

high-angle and tunnel rescues, hazardous

materials response, assistance in natural

disasters, and what is known in the

professional response world as “swiftwater

rescue.”

The BeginningsIn the early ’80s, hazardous materials response (HazMat) became part of the mission since most hazardous materials are flammable, and, around that time, Special Operations became a formal team within the Department. As Atlan-ta grew vertically, the Department added high-angle rescue capabilities to its tool-box, following a nationwide trend, and a few years later Confined Space rescue became part of AFR’s growing list of re-sponsibilities.

The 1990s brought domestic terrorism, with bombings at Centennial Olympic Park and the Otherside Lounge, to na-tional attention, and, once again, AFR

THE ATLANTA FIRE RESCUE DEPARTMENT’S SPECIAL OPS DIVISION

Phoenix Magazine 13

assumed responsibility for response. Finally, in the late ’90s, the Department added swiftwater rescue to its To-Do list.

“Special Operations grew in response to the City’s growth,” says AFR Assistant Chief Steven Woodworth, who has headed the group since July 2012. “We added new response capabilities as the various threats changed.”

Woodworth was born to this profession. A veteran of the U.S. Air Force and the son of a one-time Coweta County Fire Commissioner, he spent much of his youth tagging along with his father (invited or not) to fires. He joined Atlanta Fire Rescue in 1991 after starting his career in Coweta County. “I never wanted to be anything but a firefighter,” he says.

Training for the DramaticFirefighter Matt Moseley’s dramatic helicopter rescue of a man on a crane above a raging fire at a southeast Atlanta abandoned mill was probably the most dramatic episode in the group’s history. But Chief Woodworth estimates that the group has saved upwards of 100 people since its establishment.

As part of GSAR (Georgia Search and Rescue), Special Operations can be called on to assist with rescue jobs across the state and even, in a serious disaster like Hurricane Katrina, outside Georgia’s borders. Its personnel undergo rigorous training in technical rescue, rope and swiftwater skills. It averages 40 calls a month, according to Chief Woodworth, everything from suicide attempts (Special Ops has “jump bags,” those bags firefighters set up on the ground when someone is threatening to jump out of a six-story building) to cutting car accident victims out of mangled vehicles to rescuing MARTA workers trapped belowground. “There are many more tunnels under the City than people realize,” Chief Woodworth says.

But it’s not just the training that is unique. Special Ops also has specific vehicles – “apparatuses” in fire profession lingo – that enable it to respond to the variety of calls it gets. It has two decontamination units to respond to hazmat events; a collapse rescue unit to deal with trench and structural collapses; a GSAR rig outfitted with extrication equipment and general rescue and response paraphernalia; and several boats. Most firefighters have breathing apparatuses with 30-minute capabilities; Special Ops has some that can last for four hours.

With that variety of equipment, it’s a given that Special Ops is all over the rescue map. Recent responses, according to Chief Woodworth, include:

- Extricating a man who had fallen from a ladder and gotten his foot wedged into an escalator at Lenox Square;

- Rescuing a man who swam into Lake Clara Mead at Piedmont Park in February in an attempt to commit suicide;

- Responding to the April 2011 Ringgold, Georgia, tornado, and a gas explosion in Bremen, Georgia; and

- Helping out in the 2009 Midtown parking deck collapse.

Additionally, Special Ops is mobilized any time Atlanta hosts a major event. “If something is going on in the City, we are there,” Chief Woodworth says.

Special Operations is Atlanta Fire Rescue’s little-known story. But it gives the Department a breadth of response capability that is acknowledged statewide. As Chief Woodworth says, “If something happens, like a flood or tornado, a building collapse or someone trapped in a sewer line, we are at or near the top of everyone’s call list.”

14 Public Safety Summit

Inside a conference room of a Midtown business, Atlanta’s public safety leaders held a meeting in

March hailed as “historic,” “inspirational” & “groundbreaking” by many in attendance.

Top leadership with the Atlanta Police Department, Atlanta Fire Rescue Department and Atlanta Department of Corrections met in an inaugural Public Safety Summit, with one goal in mind: How to work collaboratively to improve public safety for all who live, work and visit the city.

The chief of each department (Chief George Turner with APD, Chief Kelvin Cochran with AFR and Chief Patrick Labat with DOC) presented an overview of their respective agency’s Five-Year Strategic Plan. The plans outline each agency’s long-term vision, including strategic initiatives on how to accomplish goals. Each department spent months developing its strategic plan, in consultation with top leaders, rank-and-file employees and members of the community.

Each chief discussed their respective department’s vision, mission and values, and briefly went over the top priorities to maximize the efficiency of their operations and better serve the public.

Later, departmental leaders in each agency broke up into smaller groups to discuss how each strategic plan’s goals impact the other. Each department also discussed areas of common ground and the potential to increase operational efficiency by sharing resources. For example, holding more joint training sessions.

Mayor Kasim Reed has made public safety the number one priority of his administration. As a result: • Atlanta Police Department is nearing 2,000 sworn officers (the largest force in the city’s history), and major felonies are down to lows not seen since 1969. • The city has also hired 75 new firefighters, and eliminated brown-outs due to staffing shortages and made many improvements to Atlanta Fire Rescue resulting in improved response times. • The Department of Corrections has graduated two classes of Junior Corrections Officers and partnered with more than 50 communities throughout

INAUGURAL PUBLIC SAFETY SUMMIT

Atlanta to clean debris, trash and remove on more than 3,000 streets. The inmate work detail has saved the city an estimated $400,000.

City Chief Operating Officer Duriya Farooqui visited the summit, noted the momentum and praised the inter-departmental cooperation.

“Today’s groundbreaking initiative takes public safety to the next level,” Farooqui said. “We’re actively breaking down silos and we’re thinking about public safety comprehensively. We’re coming up with innovative solutions and creative ways to make this partnership even stronger.”

Council President Ceasar Mitchell and Council Member Michael Bond, chairman of the Public Safety Committee, also made welcoming remarks at the summit.

Dave Wilkinson, president and CEO of the Atlanta Police Foundation, also offered words of encouragement, saying: “I’m inspired by the fact that we have leaders in this room who have a shared vision for a better city – a safer city.”

Phoenix Magazine 15

Chief Turner called it a historic day that was “a long time coming.”

The chiefs and their command staff recognized the value of working together for the greater good of the citizens of Atlanta. By the end of the day, leaders in all three departments were making arrangements to meet again.

“The more we come together, the safer our city will be,” Chief Cochran said in closing.

“The more we come together, the safer our city will be.”Chief Kelvin Cochran,

Atlanta Fire Rescue Department

16 Watershed Management

Transforms Southeast Atlanta with Green Infrastructure

a comfortable environment for plant life. Crews have installed rain gardens at three locations on Sydney Street, Ira Street and near Dunbar Elementary School that divert and treat runoff.

Vegetative bioswales are also great alter-natives to gray infrastructure. Like rain gardens, they temporarily store runoff and increase ground infiltration. Crews have removed impervious pavements and installed vegetative bioswales on Crumley Street and in Rosa Burney Park.

Crews have also expanded the detention pond in Rosa Burney Park and constructed biodetention ponds to capture and treat runoff on Kelly and Martin streets. These short term projects combined decrease flow into the sewer system by a half-million gallons.

“Green Infrastructure is more than how we are going to deal with stormwater,” said DWM Deputy Commissioner for Watershed Protection Margaret Tanner. “It improves so much of our environ-ment and provides us with wonderful looking communities.”

For input on where to implement near-term green infrastructure projects in Southeast Atlanta, the Department en-listed the help of a Citizens Advisory Committee organized by Watershed Management officials and Atlanta City Councilmember Carla Smith to ensure that community needs are met. Reducing the amount of stormwater runoff that floods their neighborhood is a top priority for many members.

The Department’s near-term solutions to flooding include permeable pavers and in-line storage.

Residents in Southeast Atlanta communities will soon see a decrease in flooding issues

that have plagued them for more than a decade thanks to the work of the Department of Watershed Management and its use of green infrastructure. With a newly defined focus and the City’s adoption of the amended Post-Devel-opment Stormwater Ordinance, the Department has made a commitment to implement green infrastructure requirements for new projects and redevelopments to reduce flooding caused by stormwater runoff, improve water quality and

protect Atlanta’s waterways.

Green infrastructure helps control stormwater runoff by allowing water to infiltrate soil that is usually covered by impervious surfaces like sidewalks and paved parking lots. Rain gardens, detention ponds, permeable pavements and soil restoration projects are designed to capture the first inch of runoff while lowering the number of pollutants that enter freshwater sources and reducing combined sewer overflows during heavy rainfall events.

“We are grateful for the support of Mayor Kasim Reed and the City Council,” said Commissioner Jo Ann Macrina. “The ordinance addresses a serious problem using natural ways to reduce stormwater runoff, while ‘greening’ the City even more to further support Mayor Reed’s goal of making Atlanta a top-tier city for sustainability.”

Phase I of the Department’s Southeast Atlanta Green Infrastructure Initiative is dedicated to repurposing and building new areas in Peoplestown, Mechanicsville and Summerhill to alleviate flooding through a combination of short, near and long-term projects. These communities represent approximately ten percent of Atlanta that have combined sewers, in which stormwater and sewage travel through the same collection system. This coupled with their low-lying geographic locations results in major flood damage to homes and prized property.

Since July 2012, Watershed Management has completed several short-term projects that will ultimately contribute to the overall goal of the initiative.

Rain gardens are attractive features designed to temporarily store stormwater runoff with a mixture of soil and compost, which provides

Committee members, Councilmember Smith and Watershed Management worked together to determine the best locations to install permeable pavers during one of four meetings since November 2012.

Permeable pavers, traditional pavement’s eco-friendly relative, allow rainwater to absorb into soil while still providing a stable surface for vehicles and pedestri-ans. Watershed Management will begin installing pavers and in-line storage units throughout Southeast Atlanta in early summer 2013.

Although small green infrastructure projects provide some relief for residents, larger scale projects are necessary to significantly impact and address flooding issues. Long-term projects, including retention ponds and storage vaults, are scheduled to be completed within two to three years and are projected to store approximately 31.5 million gallons.

“Green infrastructure fits with what we are doing holistically in Atlanta,” said DWM Environmental Program Man-ager Cory Rayburn.

The benefits of green infrastructure far outweigh the initial expenses. In addi-tion to flood protection and increased water quality, green infrastructure pro-motes sustainable practices by reducing energy consumption and even reduces development costs by decreasing the amounts of material needed.

Under Commissioner Macrina’s di-rection, the Department’s current and future green infrastructure projects are helping to move the City towards Mayor Reed’s goal to make Atlanta a thriving “Green City.”

WATERSHED MANAGEMENT

Phoenix Magazine 17

The City of Atlanta Department of Public Works continues to improve service delivery. In April 2013, the Solid Waste Education and Enforcement Team (SWEET) celebrated their 1-year anniversary. The SWEET

officers provide enforcement of Solid Waste Code violations in the public right-of-way.

SWEET Team Members Anthony Byrd, Louise Simmons, Michael Crawford, and Carl Aaron were sworn in by the Atlanta Police Department, April 2012, as Code Enforcement Agents. They are among the City’s team of code enforcement officers who are trained in the applicable Municipal Code requirements relative to their department’s primary area of purview. The SWEET’s focus is the public right-of-way as it relates to solid waste and proper disposal. Each SWEET Enforcement Agent is assigned per quadrant of the city to oversee education and enforcement of the code violations in the public right-of-way.

The primary goal of SWEET is to keep public spaces clean and safe, by educating customers about proper waste disposal and holding those accountable who violate the city’s rules and regulations. The Team regularly visits the city’s various Neighborhood Planning Units and attends community events to share information. Typical violations include illegal dumping, graffiti, illegal signs, and improperly contained waste disposal. Violations may carry fines and penalties up to $1000. Cases are prosecuted in the Atlanta Municipal Court weekly. Code enforcement and public education are part of an ongoing commitment to our residents and visitors in combatting illegal dumping, illegal sign placement and other violations in the public right of way. Individuals, community groups, associations, and others can help by reporting concerns to the Department of Public Works Customer Service Center at 404-330-6333 or by email to publicworks@atlantaga.gov.

Recycling Collection occurs weekly on the same day as garbage collection. Items eligible for curbside collection include: magazines, news-papers, catalogs, junk mail, office paper, telephone books, envelopes, cereal and shoe boxes, glass bottles and jars, aluminum beverage cans, tin cans, plastic soda bottles, milk jugs, and corrugated cardboard boxes which have been broken down and are dry. Recyclables will be collected at the curb in contain-ers provided by the City or other containers which are clearly marked “Recyclables” and have a lid to secure the contents.

Anthony Byrd, Louise Simmons, Michael Crawford, & Carl Aaron DPW Solid Waste Education & Enforcement Team

Your household garbage, recycling, and yard trimmings are collected weekly on the same day. Bulk rubbish is collected quarterly. If you need to confirm the collection schedule for your ad-dress, please call the Department of Public Works Customer Service Center at (404) 330-6333 between the hours of 8:15 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. You may also submit your request via email to: publicworks@atlantaga.gov. Detailed information is also available online at: www.atlantaga.gov. Yard Trimmings refers to leaves, brush, grass clippings, shrub and tree plantings, including tree roots, branches not exceeding 4 feet in length and 6 inches in diameter, discarded Christmas trees, and nursery and greenhouse vegetative residuals. Leaves, grass clippings and pine straw should be placed in paper bags manufactured for yard trimming disposal or a container labeled “Yard Trimmings.” Yard trimmings will not be accepted in plastic bags. Over 25 bags of yard trimmings constitute bulk rubbish and require scheduled collection. If you utilize the services of a professional lawn maintenance provider, it is their responsibility to provide removal of debris upon completion of service. Bulk Rubbish refers to materials with a total weight, volume and/or size that are too large for the City’s residential garbage collection trucks. This includes items such as appliances, furniture, large piles of tree branches, large metal or wooden playground equipment or similar items or a combination of these items.

Street Sweeping is done quarterly in the City of Atlanta. We post signs at neighborhood entrances advising you when we will be in your area. Please adhere to posted “No Parking” signs to assist us with accessing your street when it is scheduled to be cleaned.

Grass Cutting is done April - October on a monthly basis per quadrant of the city.

A SWEET LOOK INSIDE THE DEPARTMENT OF PUbLIC WORKS

SOLID WASTE COLLECTIONS

18 Safety Task Force

of Business Development at Invest Atlanta. “In a recovering economy, new and innovative ideas and products are essential. We’re excited to support the entrepreneur eco-system by finding creative forms that support interaction and new business development.”

After a long session of programming and pizza, a panel of judges named three winners: Crime Syndicate, an application that provides incident reports and crime maps by neighbor-hood; Park Find, a tool to search At-lanta parks by location and amenities; and Curb, an application that allows users to pay parking meters from their smartphones.

The panel of judges included Atlanta Councilmember Kwanza Hall; Cinda Herndon-King, Director at Atlanta CareerRise; Michelle Morgan, Founder of HUB Atlanta; Blake Patton, In-terim General Manager at Atlanta Technology Development Center; and Paul Judge, a successful, local entrepre-neur. Councilmembers Joyce Sheperd and Aaron Watson also attended, as well as Invest Atlanta Board Member Julian Bene.

“I was thrilled to see so many Atlan-tans with tech talent and energy will-ing to work so hard for the good of

The word hackathon has become synonymous with innovation and creativity. Marathon

collaborative technology development sessions run from a day to a week and result in the quick turnaround of mobile apps and other technology platforms that can improve the lives of many.

For more than a decade, hackathons have gathered programmers, developers, designers and community stakeholders to develop new, groundbreaking software around the world. This concept was the inspiration for Atlanta’s first-ever Govathon, a landmark assembly of technology professionals and city officials that took place Feb. 22 and 23 at City Hall. Participants worked late into the night and returned early the next morning.

Govathon was co-sponsored by the City of Atlanta and Startup Atlanta, an organization founded last year by Invest Atlanta, the city’s economic development authority. Startup Atlanta’s goal is to nurture the city’s entrepreneurial spirit by providing resources and opportunities to connect and collaborate.

The focus of Govathon was to bring tech-savvy citizens together to help create new technology platforms and make Atlanta an even better place to live. Government departments presented a variety of ideas related to transportation, public parks, econom-ic development and law enforcement. In many cases, the ideas involved taking information already available in government documents and making the information more accessible through technology. Participants formed 19 teams to create websites, mobile apps and other digital platforms.

“Atlanta is a city of innovation, and that’s what Govathon is celebrating,” said Dr. Eloisa Klementich, Managing Director

the city,” Bene said. “Invest Atlanta recognizes that these talented folks – and the businesses they make success-ful – are vital to our future prosperity.”

Mayor Kasim Reed, Invest Atlanta Chairman, praised Govathon for har-nessing local talent to work together on projects that will make living in Atlanta even more convenient for residents. “The caliber of work pre-sented at Govathon was truly impres-sive, cementing Atlanta’s reputation as a top city for innovation,” he said. “By bringing together the talent in Atlanta’s technology community, we can better serve our city residents and enhance government services.”

Because of Govathon’s success, talks of future events are already in prog-ress. The willingness and enthusiasm of residents with technology skills to work together for the good of the city demonstrates the civic pride in At-lanta and has paved the way for more creative uses of technology in Atlanta. For more information, contact Dr. Eloisa Klementich at 404.614.8291. or eklementich@investatlanta.com

18 City’s First Govathon

CITy’S FIRST GOvaThONPROMOTES INNOvaTION aND COllabORaTION

Phoenix Magazine 19

Because of the complexities of the transactions associated with AEMI, fees are generated. Some of the fees are placed in the Atlanta Catalyst Fund. It is unusual for a community development corporation like AEMI to use the income generated by fees to directly benefit lower-income communities.

“LottaFrutta is exactly the type of business the Catalyst Fund was set up to assist,” said Dale Royal, Manager of the New Markets Tax Credit program at Invest Atlanta. “Every community needs and deserves access to healthy food, and Myrna is providing that in the Old Fourth Ward.”

LottaFrutta is already a success story, as told by the throngs of cyclists, families and visitors drawn to the store by Yelp reviews who drop in on weekends for fruit, coffee and conver-sation. The loan from Atlanta Catalyst

LottaFrutta, a colorful corner café in

Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward, is much

more than a unique place to grab a bite.

The “gourmet fruit house and restaurant”

has brought a social and economic spark

to the community.

Myrna Perez-Cifuentes, owner of the Latin-inspired restaurant, provides her community with fruit cups, salads, smoothies, Cuban coffee and many more fresh options. Perez-Cifuentes’ success demonstrates how business can grow, thrive and make an impact in the transitioning historic area.

This impact is soon to be even greater. Invest Atlanta, the City of Atlanta’s development authority, has granted LottaFrutta a $50,000 loan. This is the first Atlanta Catalyst Fund small busi-ness loan to be granted. Fueled by Invest Atlanta’s subsidiary, Atlanta Emerging Markets, Inc., the Atlanta Catalyst Fund was formed in late 2012 with a mission of assisting businesses that provide healthy foods in food deserts, neighborhoods without as many healthy-food options.

All loans are evaluated by Invest Atlanta’s seven-member Credit Review Committee, which is comprised of bankers. Small businesses can apply for loans between $50,000 and $100,000.

The 5-year loan will allow Perez-Cifuentes to upgrade the wiring in the 1920s house-turned-storefront, purchase new equipment and grow her business.

“Invest Atlanta is thrilled to see LottaFrutta put its loan in action,” said Brian P. McGowan, president and CEO of Invest Atlanta. “Lottafrutta is one of the small businesses that helps strengthen Atlanta’s economy, and we’re excited to see them have the opportunity to improve and expand. We’re sure it will continue to make the Old Fourth Ward not only a historic area of Atlanta, but one of growth and promise.”

Atlanta Emerging Markets, Inc. (AEMI), a subsidiary of Invest Atlanta, seeks to spur economic development and neighborhood revitalization by attracting private-sector investment. It is certified by the U.S. Department of Treasury.

Fund will help LottaFrutta continue bringing warmth, vitality and healthy food to Old Fourth Ward residents for years to come.

“Atlanta is among the nation’s top cities for small, minority and women-owned businesses,” said Mayor Kasim Reed, Invest Atlanta Chairman. “This is an-other example of how agencies such as Invest Atlanta support entrepreneurs and help create jobs.”

OLD FOURTh WARD FRUIT RESTAURANT GETS LOAN TO GROW

CITY OF ATLANTAMayor’s Office of Communications55 Trinity Avenue SW, ATLANTA, GA 30303+1 404 330-6004

cityofatlanta @CityofAtlanta MAYOR KASIM REED

aTlaNTaGa.GOv