From Asst. City Manager Linda Harris…

The City of Decatur announces the launch of streaming video for the Decatur City Commission meetings beginning Monday, August 6, 2012.  The option has been in the Pilot Testing Phase and goes live Monday night.

“This feature is part of our ongoing commitment to offering a variety of ways to access our City Commission meetings and information,” said Mayor Bill Floyd.  “We hope that those who have an interest will take advantage of this new service.”

To access the streaming video option, visit www.decaturga.com and click on City Government, City Commission, Streaming Video.  Once the service moves out of the Pilot Testing Phase at the end of August, there will be a button from the front page of the website that will take viewers directly to the streaming video page.

The City Commission meetings continue to be broadcast live on Comcast Channel 25 in addition to this new service.  We encourage your feedback and suggestions during this testing phase so that we can make any needed adjustments.

Today is a big day Decatur.  You’ve got a whole new look!

Don’t worry, no one replaced all the sidewalks with brick pavers and erected a bunch of “Olde Timey” streetlights…you’ve got a new website!

Gone is the cartoonish map welcome page and the poorly sorted wealth of information!  In addition to an updated look, the website is now better sorted and includes many new features like an online calendar, a host of RSS feeds, and a brand-new Decatur Tourism website: VisitDecaturGA.com.

From Linda Harris’ press release…

A highlight of the Tourism website is the “Go Local” section that features Six Word Story and Itinerary vides of various Decatur residents and business owners spotlighting where they take visitors and guests and describing Decatur in just six words.  The Tourism site also features Decatur’s newest blog – Visit Decatur GA.com with guest bloggers posting about events and happenings in and around the City of Decatur.

(Many of the “six word stories” created by DM readers are featured on the city’s new tourism website)

This is a long-time coming, so don’t waste another second.  Head on over and check it out!

After the jump, you’ll find details on the top four budget priorities for Decatur’s Community & Economic Development Department (pages 10-15 of the Budget Narrative doc).  Here’s a top level summary…

1. Priority One: Complete the Update of the City’s Website.
2. Priority Two: Partner with the Tourism Bureau and the Decatur Downtown Development Authority to target advertising and marketing to attract visitors, support programs to retain existing retail and restaurant businesses and maintain clean, attractive and inviting commercial districts
3. Priority  Three: Develop A Community Arts Master Plan.
4. Priority Four: Purchase new, [small electric truck] for Parking Enforcement.

The Arts Master Plan description sounds especially intriguing.  It specifically mentions the new, centrally located auditorium at DHS and Agnes Scott’s desire to “make certain” that in expanding and improving their own arts facilities, they incorporate the community’s arts needs and identify “possible opportunities for developing joint-use off-campus facilities”.

The mind tingles with anticipation to know what these potential “off-campus facilities” could be.

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