School Board Follies

What the hey: Committee members were given a “fly-over view” PowerPoint presentation of the new high school by ATS&R architects. The new 400,000 square foot school will feature an all brick exterior with contrasting colors to give the building a prairie-style look. Other features include a glassed-in clock tower that will hold the original clock…

FPC Meeting 9/9

The materials sub-committee starts at 3:30 p.m., full Facilities Planning Committee at 6:30 p.m. Plans for the high school are being wrapped up. Then they will discuss Phase II, including floating ideas about consolidating some of the elementary schools. High school core for 3000 and initial classroom space for 2500, and they still think Phase…

School District’s Referendum Costs May Approach $200 Million

[Written by Jim Schneider, who did hear the proceedings. Edited & posted by yinn. Go to Mac’s place for more, including the docs holding the numbers Jim is using.] The $110 million ref was a lot more than advertised. Since this ref is being financed, the interest cost will cause the total costs to be…

DeKalb County Online: Rental Inspection Manager Hired Last Year

Surprise! The City of DeKalb has been paying the “proposed” Rental Inspection Program Manager for the better part of a year now: According to records obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, filed by DeKalb County Online, the City hired an independent contractor, retired DeKalb Police Lt. James Kayes, to perform the duties…

Airport Business Plan

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.

City Watcher Thought #2 on Friday the 13th: Rental Inspection Program

In reading the first of two ordinances critical to the proposed Rental Inspection program, I see nothing in the proposed “Chronic Nuisance Property Abatement” ordinance (start on p. 10) that limits it to rental properties. No property owner would be safe from being called a chronic nuisance and summoned to a legal proceeding at City…