A fellow citywatcher told me I should ask for a copy of the DeKalb-Taylor Municipal Airport (DTMA) Business Plan. So I did. He must be laughing right now, knowing (I am sure) that there isn’t one.

That’s right, the $350,000 per year black hole has no plan to change. Read the rest of this entry

Landlords and other business owners marched to City Hall last evening.

DeKALB – Frank Kasper stood outside the DeKalb Municipal Building before the DeKalb City Council meeting Monday with about 20 other residents holding neon-colored signs against tax increases and a proposed rental licensing program. Passing cars honked in support of the signs and could be heard from inside council chambers as city officials prepared for a meeting that included passing the 2009 budget.
…

While some protesters were upset over budget issues, Kasper, a landlord, is concerned about a proposal for a rental inspection program, something he said infringes on Fourth Amendment rights of private property.

The original crowd marched with 20 people, but grew to about 30 as the Committee of the Whole meeting wore on. Some protestors carried two or three signs, which they shared with new arrivals. Read the rest of this entry

Any CityBarbs readers who have not received an e-mail message from me today (because I do not have your address) please e-mail me ASAP at: yinn422ATyahoo.com (replacing AT with @ of course). I will reply later this afternoon or this evening with news you can use.

Sorry for being mysterious.

Of course I will check it out for myself when the agenda for next Monday’s meeting is finally uploaded but meantime somebody explain this to me:

A few changes were made to amendments. An amendment that calls for a 10 percent cut to the Administrative Services Department is unlikely to happen, according to a memo from city officials, because they want to avoid cutting personnel. The city will most likely only be able to reduce administrative services by 1.2 percent, or $31,000, according to a memo from city staff.

I attended the June 10 meeting when the original amendments were made. I will attend the June 23 meeting when the final decisions are made. But I somehow missed the very important meeting during which the amendments were amended. Especially the one where the Refuse Fund gets pitched into the General Fund after all.

The police station discussion is falling off the front page so here’s a spot to carry it over. (Or shortcuts to the original, if you prefer.)

Pevo’s Plan.
Mac’s response.
Kay’s latest ideas.

Check this out (p. 98). The Joint Review Board recommended that the City of DeKalb approve the TIF redistricting plan subject to termination of the County Home redevelopment project area portion. A city manager’s memo summarizes the goings-on (p. 96).

[T]he School District advised that they had a concern about the affect the addition of the 5th Ward North area would have on the EAV as it related to commitments made by the School District during the referendum process. The School District estimated the addition would capture approximately $25,000 annually in property tax growth to the District. In response to the concern, at the third and final meeting of the JRB, the City Manager offered to commit to the termination of the DeKalb County Nursing Home TIF Redevelopment Project Area upon final payment of outstanding obligations associated with said Project Area, which is scheduled to occur in July 2009. Closing out the DeKalb County Nursing Home TIF District would result in approximately $180,000 in annual property taxes back to the School District, as well as increased shares of property taxes to the remaining taxing districts based on the area’s current EAV. The 12 year Central Area TIF extension received a unanimous positive recommendation by JRB members present. Further, the exchange of the addition of the 5th Ward North area for the termination of the DeKalb County Nursing Home TIF Redevelopment Project Area in 2009 received a positive recommendation on a voice vote of 6-1, with the School District voting against.

Besides the mystery of the school district’s nay vote, how does the city plan to make up the net loss?