Clean Water Atlanta Completes Linchpin Project
The City of Atlanta continues to grind out water quality improvements as part of its $3.9 billion Clean Water Atlanta program, even tunneling through solid granite.
Yesterday, the tunnel boring machine (TBM) “Rocksanne” holed-through its destination 300 feet below street level, marking the end of excavation for the 8.5-mile-long West Area CSO tunnel. Rocksanne’s final destination was near the North Avenue CSO Treatment Facility in northwest Atlanta.
In the City's CSO Consent Decree program, the new tunnel is a key element to dramatically reduce combined sewer overflows in the overall system. Capabilities of the new CSO tunnel include the ability to store 177 million gallons of combined stormwater and sewage from the City’s remaining combined sewer system for transfer to a treatment facility where they will be treated at a significantly higher level.
The City recently received a one-year extension on completion of the $300 million tunnel project (which includes design and construction of the treatment facility) by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) of the State Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The project was scheduled for completion in November 2007.
In their letter of approval, the collective agencies said the following: “The City’s work under both the CSO and First Amended Consent Decrees has been very conscientious overall. The quality and positive results of that work are evident from recent water quality monitoring data of streams in the Atlanta area, which demonstrate substantial environmental improvements since work began under the Consent Decree. Recent stream monitoring data indicate that the overall level of pathogenic organisms in the water has been significantly reduced, in many cases by over 90 percent, compared with pre-Consent Decree samples.
For more information on this project, or for updates on the Clean Water Atlanta program, click here to receive News in a Splash.
Mayor Shirley Franklin – the self-appointed “Sewer Mayor” – shares in the excitement of the first phase of completion of the West Area CSO tunnel, a major Clean Water Atlanta project.
Rocksanne, the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) breaks through the granite to complete the first phase of construction on the new West Area CSO tunnel while Mayor Franklin, City officials and the news media look on.
Mayor Franklin is joined underground by two Mayor’s Summer Internship Program participants, Charchelle Ware (left) and Bruce Mayhew (right), who are spending the summer working in the Department of Watershed Management. |
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Atlanta Attracts Nation’s Top Graduates, Ranks Among Best Cities for Young Professionals
Recent college graduates seeking to jumpstart their careers are finding success in Atlanta thanks in large part to the city’s hub of Fortune 500 companies and the cost-of-living to salary ratio.
According to online business magazine Forbes.com, Atlanta ranks third – behind New York City and San Francisco – among the best cities for young professionals. The list was compiled by tracking where graduates from the country’s most elite universities ended up 10 years after commencement; where the best business opportunities exist; which cities had the greatest percentage of young, unmarried residents; and which cities provided the best salaries to young professionals. To view tracking methods, visit www.forbes.com.
Since its days as a bustling transportation and railway nexus, Atlanta has encouraged a spirit of openness and opportunity that has attracted creative business minds. This past June, the city hosted the inaugural Americas Competitiveness Forum, where executive representatives and government leaders from 40 nations converged to exchange ideas for greater productivity within regions of the Western Hemisphere.
Atlanta was chosen to host the forum by the U.S. Department of Commerce due to the city’s use of public-private partnerships to successfully implement best-in-class programs, infrastructure improvements and cultural arts. Some of these successes include the return of the King Papers to Atlanta, and the $3.9 billion rehabilitation and construction of new water and sewer systems for the city.
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Mayor Joins National Think Tank to Address Regional Growth
Last week, Mayor Shirley Franklin joined a distinguished group of national scholars and civic, business and elected leaders to develop a framework for managing the country’s future growth at the America 2050 workshop, presented as part of the Rockefeller Foundation Urban Summit.
This year marks the first time in history that half of the world's population lives in urban regions. By 2030, this is expected to climb to more than 60 percent. Metro Atlanta – part of the most rapidly expanding mega-region, Piedmont-Atlantic – is expected to experience a 65 percent increase by 2030.
Mayor Franklin and workshop attendees gathered at the Bellagio Study and Conference Center in Bellagio, Italy to develop an economic competitiveness and sustainability strategy for U.S. mega-regions and under-performing areas of the country. Attendees also identified collaborative opportunities within the mega-region framework. The Rockefeller Foundation funded the trip.
Mega-regions are large networks linked by environmental systems and geography, infrastructure systems, economic linkages, settlement patterns, and shared culture and history. There are eight (8) U.S. mega-regions. These areas are experiencing rapid population growth, impacting global climate changes and struggling to understand residents’ changing settlement patterns.
The City of Atlanta has taken a leadership role in managing the region’s ever-surging population. In April, the City announced a new Sustainability Initiative to manage Atlanta’s growth over the next 100 years. In June, the City appointed former Atlanta chief operating officer, Lynnette Young, to lead that initiative.
Mayor Shirley Franklin joins attendees at the America 2050 workshop in Bellagio, Italy. Pictured l-r: Ron Sims, executive, King County (Seattle Metro); Dr. Judith Rodin, president of the Rockefeller Foundation and Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon). |
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Fulton Superior Court Grants City’s Motion In $28 Million Beltline Bonds Case
On Friday July 6, the Fulton County Superior Court granted a motion requiring an Atlanta resident to post a $657,051 appeal bond in his lawsuit challenging the validation of $28 million in Downtown Development Authority (DDA) bonds for the Atlanta BeltLine.
Superior Court Judge Gail Tusan issued an order validating the issuance of the Series 2007 DDA bonds on June 5. That same day, Resident John Woodham, who brought the lawsuit, appeared in court to intervene.
“We are pleased with the order by Judge Tusan,” said Terri Y. Montague, president and CEO of Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. “This ruling will help the City protect its interest in redeveloping neighborhoods within the BeltLine area.”
By ordering Woodham to post bond in this matter, “the judge is putting him on notice that it is in the public interest for the City to have security for the substantial damages and costs that the City may incur as a result of Woodham’s intervention and in the event the City prevails in any subsequent appeal of the validation,” said Serena L. Sparks, Deputy City Attorney, Commercial Transactions Group.
Woodham has until July 19 to post the bond or be dismissed as a party to the DDA bond validation. Woodham may also appeal the order to post the $657,051 bond.
To read the full release, please visit here.
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On behalf of the City of Atlanta, Mayor Shirley Franklin recently signed a Statement of Support affirming the City’s commitment to supporting employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserves in all human resources capacities. Click here to go to VOD webpage where you can watch the news conference.
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Rave Reviews!
- On Monday, the Atlanta Police Department (APD) received an Atlanta City Council proclamation for completing a community-based conflict resolution training program hosted by the Southern Christian Leadership Council (SCLC). The program was based on the non-violent strategy of Dr. Martin Luther King, co-founder of the SCLC. Approximately 248 APD officers including all front-line supervisors, recruit class #198, and Academy staff completed the 8-hour training program. In 2004, Mayor Shirley Franklin required that City Cabinet members complete the program during a full-day retreat. The program is now being offered to all City departments. “The APD is committed to building trust with the people we protect,” said APD Chief Richard Pennington, who accepted the proclamation on behalf of the department. At 1786 sworn officers, the APD is the largest law enforcement group in Georgia.
APD Chief Richard Pennington (center) joins Mayor Shirley Franklin and the Atlanta City Council to accept a City proclamation on behalf of APD for its recent completion of a community-based, non-violent conflict resolution program administered by the SCLC. |
- The Office of Parks has chosen Candler Park as Park of the Month for June 2007. Located at 1500 McClendon Ave, Candler Park is 55.3 acres of green space. The park was selected based on the favorable condition of its lawns, flowers and shrubbery. The goal of the Park of the Month program is to feature the efforts undertaken by the Office of Parks, community partners, and volunteers toward maintaining and improving the city's 348 parks. “This is a wonderful program,” said Ken Gillett, Parks Director. “All the crews are motivated by the competition, the winners take great pride in their accomplishments, and the community gets the park they deserve. The best part of this program is that it is on-going. We have to try every day to make each park a Park of the Month.”
Candler Park has more than 55 acres of lush green space. The park is located at 1500 McClendon Avenue. |
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Upcoming Events & Volunteer Opportunities
- On Wednesday July 18 at 5 p.m., Mayor Shirley Franklin will host Mayor’s Night In for residents in front of the Mayor’s Office, Second Floor, Atlanta City Hall, 55 Trinity Ave., 30303. Registration is required. Residents can begin to register at 4:45 p.m.
- On Wednesday July 25 at 5:30 p.m., the Atlanta Development Authority (ADA) will host its Small Business Monthly Information Session. The session will be held at the ADA offices, located at 86 Pryor Street, Atlanta, GA 30303. To RSVP, email cbrackett@atlantada.com or call 404.614.8295.
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Job Announcements
With the City of Atlanta’s online application system, you are able to create an account and select a Username and Password and then log in to your account.
After your account has been established, you can create an application by clicking on the “Build Job Application” link. Once your application is completed, it will be stored in the system and can be used to apply for future job openings. To get started by viewing current open positions, click here.
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Weekly Features
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