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CrossRoadsNews
Finance
June 8, 2013
“We are appreciative of King & Spalding for acknowledging and removing these financial pressures on the district.”
Chamber honoring small businesses GDOT seeks imput on wider Panola Road “Project Management Evangelist” Frank Payne will help the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce celebrate small-business achievements at its third annual APEX Awards on June 12 in Atlanta. The 11:30 a.m.-to-1 Frank Payne p.m. event, presented by the Cornerstone Bank and Onyx Media Systems, takes place at Marriott Century Center, 2000 Century Blvd. N.E. More than 200 business and community leaders are expected to attend and celebrate the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council, winner of the 2013 Small Business Champion of the Year, and the other awardees – Bella Lane Designs, Hampton Inn Northlake and SteelMart Inc. DeKalb Chamber President Leonardo McClarty said award winners will be recognized for their hard work, revenue growth, business development and contributions to the community.
Payne, who will deliver the keynote address, is also known as a “serial entrepreneur.” He has founded and led more than 10 growing and profitable companies as well as several outreach proLeonardo McClarty grams under the We Care Foundation. He is chairman/CEO of PQC International, a strategic global consulting firm. The APEX Awards honor DeKalb Chamber organizations for exemplary standards in business development, employee programs, business innovation, and contribution to DeKalb County and the metro Atlanta region. For tickets, visit http://2013apex awards-eorg.eventbrite.com. For more information, visit www .Dekalbchamber.org or contact Katerina Taylor at ktaylor@dekalbchamber.org or 404-378-8000, Ext. 223.
Firm cuts School Board’s legal fees By Ken Watts
The DeKalb School System reached an agreement with Atlanta law firm King & Spalding that will cut at least $30 million from its spiraling legal fees. Board members voted June 3 to amend its agreement with the firm that has been representing the district in its 2007 suit against Heery International, its former construction firm. The law firm already has received $6 million in fees and stood to receive another $30 million if the district elected to settle the case against its recommendation. The new agreement also removes taxpayers from all future legal fees and expenses associated with the case. The district has sued Heery for alleged
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fraud, waste and mismanagement. Dr. Melvin Johnson, School Board chairman, applauded the agreement. “We are appreciative of King & Spalding for acknowledging and removing these financial pressures on the district and for moving forward with us in partnering in the Heery case,” he said. Marcia Coward, president of the De Kalb Council of PTAs, was among residents happy with the new agreement. “I just had to shake your hand,” she told King & Spalding partner Robert Khayat Jr. “That [agreement] is an absolutely huge breath of fresh air. And we can all exhale now. That’s just awesome.” Khayat, a chief litigator in the Heery suit, negotiated the new agreement.
By Ken Watts
Residents can weigh in on the discussion about a proposed widening of Panola Road at a June 13 public hearing at the Lou Walker Senior Center in Lithonia. The Georgia Department of Transportation is seeking to widen nearly six miles of the busy corridor between Snapfinger Road and Covington Highway. The meeting takes place from 5 to 7 p.m. The open house will be informal and the public is invited to attend anytime during these hours to view the proposed project, ask questions, and comment on the proposal. The project will investigate the widening and
potential reconstruction of the Panola Road Bridge over I-20. The GDOT says the road widening project would be done in five segments beginning in 2019. Those segments would include Snapfinger Road to Browns Mill Road; Browns Mill to Thompson Mill Road; Thompson Mill to Fairington Road; Fairington to Snapfinger Woods Drive; and Snapfinger Woods to Covington Highway. Written statements can be made through June 28 to Glenn Bowman, P.E., State Environmental Administrator, Georgia Department of Transportation, 600 W. Peachtree St. N.W., 16th Floor, Atlanta, GA 30308. The Lou Walker Senior Center is at 2538 Panola Road.
New digs for Workforce Development DeKalb Workforce Development will cut the ribbon on its new Decatur offices on June 12. The festivities include an open house and Spring Jobs Fair starting at 10 a.m. It is now located in Building 4 at 774 Jordan Lane. The jobs fair takes place from noon to 4 p.m. Job seekers can meet with top employers and get advice on their resumes, job search strategies, and interviewing styles. Participants will have access to DWD’s
Comprehensive One-Stop Resource Center, which offers more than 20 state-of-the-art computers as well as printing capabilities and Internet access. The Mobile Career Unit also will be onsite during the jobs fair. To register as a job seeker, visit http:// www.conta.cc/11SvDdL. To register as an employer, visit http://www.conta.cc/10nynlk. For more information, call 404-687-3428 or 404-371-2592.
‘Blight,’ ‘slum’ called unfortunate ZONES,
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“Opportunity zones will help us attract the businesses.” The 15 proposed opportunity zones are located within the county’s Urban Redevelopment Area, created under the 1955 Georgia Urban Redevelopment Act. That law empowers local governments to combat blight and chronic underdevelopment in areas within their jurisdiction. The proposed zones were selected based on 2010 Census data. Johnson said that Candler Road was designated an Opportunity Zone in 2010, but he did not know if any businesses had benefited from the job tax credits. The boundaries of DeKalb’s Urban Redevelopment Area range from the county’s western border with Fulton County in the Bouldercrest area, to the Rockdale County line to the east, and to Stone Mountain in the north.
It includes the I-85 corridor and excludes cities and thriving areas. DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis acknowledged the public relations issues raised by the terms “blight and slum” in the qualification criteria. Burrell Ellis “This unfortunate language would not be used if given a choice,” he said. “This language, however, has been used by many other jurisdictions including the cities of Atlanta, Roswell, Alpharetta, Marietta and East Point and Cobb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties in order to obtain Opportunity Zone status.” Ellis said by moving forward with the Urban Redevelopment Plan, DeKalb will be able to leverage its many assets and other growth opportunities and gain a chance to diminish the current 8.5 percent jobless rate. Ken Watts contributed to this report.