March 12, 2026
The meeting was called to order by Emily Boatwright, Executive Director. After some opening comments, our speaker Mayor Andre Dickens was introduced. He indicated members of his staff were in attendance to answer questions on specific projects.
The mayor outlined a list of accomplishments including a 50% drop in Atlanta homicide rate last year, and a drop in the number of other types of crimes. Crimes committed by youth are down 56%. The mayor’s office is working with other counties and their police departments and school systems to coordinate a response to the recent “teen takeover” events at Six Flags, the Boundary, Atlantic Station, etc.
The Atlanta Public School has achieved a High School graduation rate that is higher than the state of Georgia’s. In 2021 it was 83%, and in 2025 it was 90.5%
Mayor Dickens discussed homelessness as it is still a critical issue in Atlanta, and other major cities. Housing affordability, mental health challenges, substance abuse issues, etc. attract the homeless to Atlanta where many resources (SSI, soup kitchens, counseling, housing, warming shelters) exist. The success of some of providing help on those issues has resulted in counties all over Georgia bussing their homeless to Atlanta. We cannot afford this influx.
Census taken of the homeless shows approximately 75% are not from Atlanta. Atlanta is going to keep dealing with the problems but stop advertising their success so much, to not attract so many needy people. At last count there are approximately 3,000 homeless people in Atlanta with about 500 moving into brand new housing last year. The city monitors unregulated homeless camps recording each occupant’s name, and details and a relocation solution is found for each one (returning some to their home counties, housing others, etc.) before the demolition of a homeless camp.
Planning is now for the World Cup games to be held in Atlanta in June and July. The mayor shared some insight on how it will include public activities open to all Atlanta residents such as big screen watch parties of the games, festivals at Olympic Park, Piedmont Park, etc. cultural exchange events, small business vendor enhancements funded by grants from the city.
In response to Q&A about progress on infrastructure issues part of “Moving Atlanta Forward,” details were shared on road pavement, water issues and other infrastructure needs by members of the mayor’s staff. The website atldot.atlantaga.gov/MAF-dashboard gives an overview of the projects included in the funding for “Moving Atlanta Forward” and the actual locations of each of the planned improvements included in each type of project.
The Department of Transportation’s responsibility for moving projects forward is handled by a team that reviews progress monthly, coordinates efforts, and deals with problems. The goal of oversight is quality and consistency. Coordination is key. Example: the city doesn’t want to pave a road and have a hole dug a couple of months later because new construction requires new underground sewer pipes, power lines, fiber optics, etc. which would result in another paving need. The Atlanta City Council did approve additional funding for road repair.
Water problems are a serious Atlanta Department of Watershed Management issue – from broken pipelines to flooding. Atlanta has a unique weather system that creates water problems that need Atlanta-specific solutions. Our rainfall averages 50 inches a year but can vary from 30 to 70 inches a year. Along with very intense rainstorms we have topography challenges with the many hills that push water down into areas that flood – that pressure can break the underground water pipes and cause sewers to overflow. These problems are increased by climate change, also. Federal money received to deal with the problems has to be used by deadlines attached to the funding program.
We need approximately $200 million to solve the problems which include inoperable valves, water main breaks, hardened surfaces—such as concrete, asphalt, brick, stone, and rooftops—preventing or significantly retarding the infiltration of water into the soil. These non-porous areas increase stormwater runoff volume and velocity, leading to greater erosion, increased flooding, and reduced water quality in local streams. These continued problems for decades have resulted in a massive need for equipment updates (22 key valves need to be replaced downtown, etc.) which will require a long time to complete. Atlanta has approximately 530 breaks a year. Repair is targeted at the 5-10% of the water pipes responsible for 75% of water breaks: find valves, check valves, replace valves.
Parks and Recreation efforts include updates on sites such as Chastain Park, and other parks, improvements to the Peachtree Hills Recreation Center.
While there were many more questions, it was necessary to adjourn the meeting.
Respectfully Submitted
Anne McKillips, Secretary