GOVERNMENT SCORECARD / A ROUNDUP OF LAST WEEK’S PUBLIC MEETINGS

Tuesday’s DeKalb County Commission

Next meeting: Sept. 23

Action: Commissioners heard from members of a foreclosure prevention task force.

Vote: none taken

What it means for you: A major cause of foreclosures in DeKalb County is Georgia’s relatively short foreclosure process. Members recommended lobbying the Legislature to give homeowners more time to catch up on their bills.

Monday’s Milton City Council meeting

Next meeting: Sept. 22

Action: Approved boundaries and conditions for county sewer in the city limits. The plan must now be approved by Fulton County, which is demanding additional lots be included in the sewer service area.

Vote: 4-3

What it means for you: Supporters maintain it will allow growth in limited parts of the city, such as along the Ga. 9 corridor and in Crabapple, and will bring in desperately needed tax revenue. Opponents say it allows growth in new parts of the city, and sets a precedent that threatens the pastoral feel of the community that everyone wants to protect.

Monday’s Alpharetta City Council meeting

Next meeting: Sept. 22

Action: The council decided to purchase and equip four pickups for Public Works for $90,000; an auxiliary power system for the 911 center for $73,100; and to buy some radio equipment and relocate other equipment to the new center for $48,000.

Vote: 6-0

What it means for you: The four pickups being replaced are old and hard to maintain. The auxiliary power system will ensure the 911 center stays operational in event of a disaster. The radio system is being relocated and upgraded for better communications.

Monday’s Roswell City Council meeting

Next meeting: Sept. 29

Action: Approved $523,000 for new digital consoles for the 911 dispatch center.

Vote: 5-0

What it means for you: The city’s 911 center will have eight digital consoles from Motorola for dispatching instead of the current five.

Tuesday’s Sandy Springs City Council meeting

Next meeting: Oct. 7

Action: Approved four-month deferral for vote on the Epstein School’s requested expansion.

Vote: 5-0

What it means for you: The private school on Colewood Way has asked for more time to work out an acceptable busing plan for students that would reduce traffic through the surrounding neighborhoods.

Thursday’s Forsyth County Commission meeting

Next meeting: Sept. 23

Action: The rules are being relaxed for people who buy merchandise from pawnshops. County commissioners are still requiring a record of the date of sale, name of the purchaser and the person’s address.

Vote: 4-1

What it means for you: Commissioners are retooling their pawnshop ordinances. Commissioner Dave Richard objected to making the pawnshop keep information on the purchasers. “No other retailer has to do this,” he said.

Tuesday’s Gwinnett County Commission meeting

Next meeting: Oct. 7

Action: Denied approval of an agreement worked out between the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office and the city of Sugar Hill to provide regular patrols of the city at a fixed hourly rate. The vehicle, its maintenance and insurance, also would be paid by the city.

Vote: 5-0

What it means for you: Rather than allowing the Sheriff’s Office to branch out into direct police patrols, which the county Police Department now provides, Chairman Charles Bannister said he will meet with Sugar Hill officials to address the issue of added police patrols in their city.

Thursday’s Fulton County school board meeting

Next meeting: Oct. 16

Acton: The school board decided to allow current ninth-graders at three north Fulton County high schools the option to stay at their current school, rather than be redistricted to a new Johns Creek school opening in August.

Vote: 6-0

What it means for you: The new Johns Creek High School will pull students from Chattahoochee, Northview and Alpharetta high schools. Students who choose to stay at their current school must have their own transportation to and from school.

Contributors: Nancy Badertscher, Doug Nurse, Mary MacDonald, Ty Tagami and Alexis Stevens