Atlanta wants residents to weigh in on city’s first-ever LGBTQ center

“Atlanta continues to be a beacon for LGBTQ+ people,” said Malik Brown, the mayor’s former director of LGBTQ affairs and project director. “This feasibility study — and the vision for a potential LGBTQ+ Community Center — will be shaped directly by what the community tells us they want and need.

Despite being known as the LGBTQ capital of the south that hosts massive events like Atlanta Pride every year, the city does not currently have a dedicated space to support LGBTQ residents.

The survey — which is available in six different languages — aims to hear directly from LGBTQ residents and organizations supporting the community about resources needed at the center, possible locations for it and potential funding sources.

The city is partnering with the Atlanta-Fulton County Recreation Authority to get the project off the ground.

“This proposed hub for the LGBTQ+ community is an opportunity for the Authority to not only provide a safe, welcoming, exceptionally maintained facility, but also a place where resources and a sense of belonging can be gained,” said Kerry Stewart, the recreation authority’s executive director.

Residents interested in giving input can visit atlgbtqcenter.com.

Mayor pledges to address climate change

Credit: John Spink

Credit: John Spink

Atlanta is no stranger to extreme weather conditions, like grueling temperatures and flooding, that are only getting worse each year.

Mayor Andre Dickens has pledged to address climate change by pushing the lofty goal of a complete city transition to 100% clean energy by 2035.

In a recent write-up for the United Nations, Dickens described how the city’s growing population is only going to continue to strain its ability to respond to climate crisis.

“Like many cities, Atlanta experiences increasing impacts because of our rapidly changing climate,” he wrote. “As these impacts become more frequent and more intense, they exacerbate social inequalities across our city. Particularly in our most distressed neighborhoods.”

With summers getting hotter, the demand by Atlanta’s more than 500,000 residents continues to put pressure on the city’s crumbling water systems.

But Dickens — who is also the vice chair of the national group Climate Mayors — faces extreme obstacles to getting his environmental goals accomplished, as the Trump administration cracks down on clean energy initiatives.

“In the face of our rapidly changing climate, we must make smart investments in climate resilient infrastructure,” the mayor said.

Program offering amnesty for failure-to-appear warrants in traffic court extended

Credit: TNS

Credit: TNS

The city of Atlanta is extending a program aimed at reducing court backlog by dissolving warrants for Atlantans who failed to appear for traffic violations.

In March, the city launched a monthlong program that waived warrants for residents who didn’t show up at their scheduled hearings for traffic offenses.

But Atlanta officials announced last week that the program will be extended through the end of May.

About 30% of residents charged with a low-level crime do not show up to the municipal court, according to city officials. Last year, more than 17,500 people failed to show up to court; this year so far, it’s been 2,600 people.

“We cannot call everyone every day — 119,000 cases last year — and say ‘come to court,’” Atlanta Municipal Court Chief Judge Christopher E. Ward told the City Council. “We have the infrastructure to handle these cases. We just have to have folks coming into court.”

To check eligibility and find your case, visit court.atlantaga.gov.

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