A Commissioner’s Top 10 List of Decatur Accomplishments in 2011
Decatur Metro | January 17, 2012Decatur City Commissioner Patti Garrett posted this Top 10 list of city accomplishments in 2011…
- The City and City Schools of Decatur agreed to participate in a joint maintenance facility and we did a joint bid for office supplies; Fifth Avenue Academy opened.
- The City Commission adopted a second ten-year strategic plan which was the result of a year-long planning process with input from over 1500 individuals.
- Standard and Poor’s upgraded the City’s rating from AA to AA+ and Moody’s Investors Service confirmed the City rating of Aa3.
- CCP Games has leased 40,000 square feet in the Renaissance Building and is relocating its North American Headquarters to Decatur.
- Real estate property digest remained flat from 2010 but values from 2011 exceeded 2008 values by 3%; sales of existing housing stock increased 13% in 2011 and permit and inspection fees increased 76%.
- The City secured grant funding for the N McDonough Streetscape improvement project as well as for Clairemont/CommerceChurch St Pedestrian Safety and Bicycle improvements.
- Crime rate was down by 3%.
- The former Holiday Inn was sold to Noble Investment group and the hotel will re-open in February as a Courtyard by Marriott.
- Through its recycling efforts, the City has reduced landfill deposits by approximately 41% and the two electronics recycling events resulted in 57 tons of electronic equipment being recycled.
- Decatur was designated a Tree City USA and received a Silver Walk Friendly Community designation from the Pedestrian and Bicycle Center.
Whatcha think? Did she capture everything?
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Sunday alcohol sales!
Aren’t all these accomplishments negated by Decatur’s failure to keep Walmart from it’s doorstep? The barbarians are at the gate! Maybe this year we can build that fence to keep the unwashed masses out.
tongue in cheek, yes ?
Of course. Not even Rick Perry was dumb enough to support building a fence.
Does the city actually have much control over #5 and #8 or is that more related to demographic changes?
Nice list, but I would agree that I don’t see how it’s a city accomplishment to have the Holiday Inn sold and re-opened.
Doesn’t the city own the conference center portion of the building, as well as the parking deck? I’d have to assume they were a player in the sale.
I believe it has been renovated (updated), so it should be a more attractive hotel for guests. Also, new owners tend to market their newer properties with more enthusiasm than their established properties. So, I suspect the change of hands will result in higher occupancy rates, which will mean more dollars for Decatur businesses.
Besides, there was/is a Holiday Inn Express nearby, on N. Decatur just East of Clairmont. So, having two(2) hotels of the same chain within 2 miles of each other is worse than having a variety of hotel chains. There is something to be said for rewards systems. I know I always try to stay at my preferred hotels whenever I travel.
Decatur also won Most Fit City at the KP Challenge. (A citizen achievement, but the Active Living Department initiated and facilitated that) I don’t necessarily think the city is claiming credit for all these…just tooting their horn(s).
I agree – it’s more a statement of things that are happening in the city and how proud the city is that it’s still a happening place, rather than them taking credit for every single item on the list.
I don’t think Patti is claiming credit–on behalf of city gov’t/mgt–for these things but is simply calling out things that we should, as a community, remark and celebrate. Of course the City doesn’t control them all, or all of the factors that contribute to these various achievements and milestones. But it’s a safe bet the way our city operates is a huge factor in how well the community functions and how successfully we are weathering current conditions–economic, social, political, etc. etc. etc. I find it interesting that some people’s first reaction is to snipe, reflecting an us v. them outlook, and am curious as to whether Parking Lot or Keith lives inside the city limit or beyond. Not asking anybody to share what they don’t want to share…just curious. Especially given Scott’s recent observation about the high level of trust that exists–well-earned–between Decatur residents and our city gov’t.
I like the bond rating improvement from AA to AA+. This will mean Decatur should pay a lower effective interest rate on bonds it issues for capital improvement projects, which means either lower taxes or more money available for the improvement projects.
In an era in which the trend on muni bonds is down (more expensive) rather than up, Decatur should be especially proud – we’re bucking the trend in a positive direction.