Community Meeting on DeKalb Code Enforcement

St. Timothy United Methodist, 5365 Memorial Dr, Stone Mountain, GA | Get Directions »
FREE

From community group Pride Rings in Stone Mountain (PRISM):

DeKalb District Attorney, Robert James, DeKalb Recorders Court Chief Judge Nellie Withers and DeKalb County Code Compliance Director Marcus Kellum will explain their rolls and responsibilities in not only enforcing, but also prosecuting violators of the county's related ordinances including Property Maintenance, Zoning, Noise and Nuisances regulations.
The process has been steadily improving since earlier this year, when Judge Nellie Winters was appointed Chief Judge of Recorders Court where all such cases are heard and tried. More recently in late August, the new director of Code Compliance, Marcus Kellum was appointed to direct, manage and coordinate the efforts of a 24-person staff including 21 field enforcement officers. In late September, the DeKalb Board of Commissioners (BOC) approved by resolution, to allow District Attorney Robert James to assist the court and enforcement officers in the prosecution of violators of the several Code Compliance Ordinances. This latest action, should go even further in improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the total process.
With these key positions filled and in place, improvements are already becoming noticeable and visible. Further action and support by the CEO and the BOC in the form of including in the 2013 County Budget additional funds to better support the current staff, add additional officers and provide for updated digital tools that will enable the department with DA and Court support to restore cleaner neighborhoods and promote a better quality of life in DeKalb. Immediate capital needs include an inter-connected network of hardware, software and access to county related data bases. If and when all these tools become available, DeKalb County will be the "Best Practices" model in Code Enforcement for all of metro Atlanta.
The PRISM meeting will be held Thursday evening November 8 at 7:30 PM in the St. Timothy UMC located at 5365 Memorial Drive (near Rays Road). All DeKalb property owners and residents are urged to attend.