From Potholes to a $4.27B Water Plan: How DeKalb County Gets Things Done

From Potholes to a $4.27B Water Plan: How DeKalb County Gets Things Done

In this episode, Commissioner Chakira Johnson sits down with DeKalb County Chief Operating Officer Zach Williams to pull back the curtain on how the county actually operates day to day. You'll hear what the $4.27 billion water and sewer investment means for your neighborhood, why the permitting system is getting a long-overdue overhaul, and how DeKalb is preparing for the World Cup coming to Atlanta. From road paving to public safety to the new county website, this conversation connects the dots between big-picture policy and the services residents rely on every day. 0:00 - Welcome to Chakira's Corner 1:35 - Why Zach Williams came to DeKalb 3:50 - Commissioner Johnson joins the conversation6:40 - What a county COO actually does 8:50 - Running a $1.9 billion operation 12:50 - Getting DeKalb ready for the World Cup 16:30 - Permitting, dashboards, and the new website 24:10 - How DeKalb has evolved (and SPLOST) 29:30 - The people who keep the county running 34:00 - The $4.27 billion water and sewer plan 40:40 - Final takeaways and how to reach them DeKalb CountyDeKalb County government https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov 311 Citizen Help Center (dial 311) — https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/residents/report-311 Board of Commissioners — https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/board-commissioners/board-commissionersCommission District 4 – Chakira Johnson — https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/board-commissioners/commission-district-4-chakira-johnsonTopics in this episode SPLOST (sales tax & projects) — https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/splost/splost SPLOST project list — https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/departments/splost/splost-projects Building permits — https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/planning-and-sustainability/building-permitse Plans / e-permitting portal — https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/planning-and-sustainability/eplansPermit Tracker — https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/383d47460eff4f2eb0b56e076c185351 Watershed Management (water/sewer, Scott Candler plant, 10-year plan) — https://dekalbcountyga.gov/departments/watershed-management Discover DeKalb (CVB / World Cup) — https://discoverdekalb.com MARTA — https://www.itsmarta.com Grady Health — https://www.gradyhealth.org Reach Commissioner Chakira Johnson Email — chakira@dekalbcountyga.gov Bluesky / X — @CommissionerCJJ All platforms — https://linktr.ee/commissionerchakirajohnson

Enforcing Loitering, Demolition, and Blight Tax with DeKalb Code Compliance | Chakira’s Corner

On this episode of Chakira's Corner, host Matt Shedd sits down with DeKalb County Director of Code Compliance and Enforcement Tonza Clark and Commissioner Chakira Johnson for a deep look at how DeKalb is reimagining property and code enforcement. Director Clark walks through the new proactive approach: six-day-a-week operations, hotel-motel sweeps, the loitering enforcement partnership with DeKalb Police that has reached close to 100% compliance at convenience stores and gas stations, and the new blight tax that can charge non-compliant property owners ten times the regular tax rate. Commissioner Johnson shares District 4 wins, including two recent demolitions on Shepherd Road and West Mountain Street, and connects her Engineer Progress for DeKalb vision with CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson's Reimagine DeKalb initiative. Tune in for the full conversation, plus how to reach Code Compliance directly. 0:00 - Welcome & Meet Director Tonza Clark 4:31 - Scope of Code Compliance 6:08 - District 4 Constituent Complaints 7:22 - Proactive Approach: Six Days a Week 8:22 - Loitering Initiative & Police Partnership 12:37 - Safer Communities in District 4 14:01 - The Enforcement Process Walkthrough 16:25 - Vacant & Foreclosure Property Registry 21:02 - Demolitions & the In-Rem Process 26:59 - Party Houses & the Noise Ordinance 33:50 - Final Takeaways & the New Blight Tax 41:05 - How to Reach Code Compliance Relevant Links and Contact Info: -DeKalb County Code Compliance (File a Complaint) - https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/code-compliance/code-compliance [https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/code-compliance/code-compliance] -Code Compliance Phone: 404-687-3700 -Code Compliance Email: codeenforce@dekalbcountyga.gov -Commissioner Chakira Johnson, DeKalb District 4 - https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/government/board-of-commissioners/districts/chakira-johnson [https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/government/board-of-commissioners/districts/chakira-johnson] -Commissioner Johnson's Official Website https://www.commissionerchakirajohnson.com [https://www.commissionerchakirajohnson.com] All of Commissioner Johnson's Social Handles https://linktr.ee/commissionerchakirajohnson [https://linktr.ee/commissionerchakirajohnson] Commissioner Johnson Email: chakira@dekalbcountyga.gov

How the DeKalb Library System Provides Literacy, Digital Access, and Community | Chakira’s Corner

In this episode of Chakira's Corner, Commissioner Chakira Johnson sits down with DeKalb County Public Library Director Alison Weissinger to pull back the curtain on everything the county's 23-branch library system actually offers — from early childhood programs like 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten to free Wi-Fi hotspot loans, LinkedIn Learning, Mango Languages, and no-cost digital access to the New York Times. They talk about how individual branches respond to their specific communities, what the county is doing to ease pressure on libraries from unhoused residents, and why current federal threats to library funding should matter to every DeKalb resident. If you have a library card and aren't using these resources yet, this episode will change that. And if you don't have one, you'll want one by the time it's over. * 0:00 Intro * 1:21 Director Weissinger's Path to the Library * 2:54 30 Years of Change at DeKalb Libraries * 4:13 Why Libraries Matter for District 4 * 6:12 Beyond Books: Programs and Community Resources * 8:08 A Thousand Books Before Kindergarten * 12:12 Summer Reading and Fighting the Summer Slide * 13:33 Free Online Resources with Your Library Card * 19:17 Hotspots, Chromebooks, and Digital Access * 25:35 Threats to Libraries and How to Help * 29:14 Supporting Libraries Through Advocacy and Donations * 31:11 The Library Foundation and Friends Groups * 36:16 Stay Connected with the Library and Commissioner Johnson Links: DeKalb County Public Library  DeKalbLibrary.org DeKalb Library Resources for Young Children dekalblibrary.org/read-and-grow A Thousand Books Before Kindergarten  dekalblibrary.org/read-and-grow/1000-books Computers and Technology  dekalblibrary.org/using-the-library/computers Friends of the Library  dekalblibrary.org/support-us/friends-of-the-library Library Newsletters  dekalblibrary.org/newsletters Library Events Calendar  events.dekalblibrary.org/events Email Commissioner Johnson  chakira@dekalbcountyga.gov Commissioner Johnson, All Links  linktr.ee/commissionerchakirajohnson

DeKalb Public Safety Update: EMS Response, Crime Center, Text Alerts, and More | Chakira's Corner

DeKalb County’s new Director of Public Safety, Darnell Fullum, joins Commissioner Chakira Johnson to discuss what residents are experiencing around public safety. They cover EMS response improvements, the Real Time Crime Center, and how the county is strengthening coordination across agencies. The conversation also highlights less-visible departments like 911, Emergency Management, Animal Services, and the Medical Examiner’s Office. Commissioner Johnson shares how budget priorities connect to retention, stability, and safety.00:00:24 Welcome to Chakira’s Corner and today’s focus00:00:45 District 4 priorities and Commissioner Johnson’s committee roles00:01:08 Introducing Director Darnell Fullum and the episode format00:01:42 Start date and early priorities in the new role00:02:36 Fullum’s early life in Pittsburgh and path into public service00:03:29 Army service and moving to Atlanta to join the fire department00:05:17 Top public safety concerns from constituents: EMS response and crime00:06:47 EMS contract changes and how performance is being improved00:08:45 Real Time Crime Center and why technology matters00:09:42 What Public Safety oversees: Fire, Police, 911, Animal, ME, DEMA00:10:32 Ride-alongs, breaking silos, and building cross-department synergy00:19:12 DEMA, warming centers, and preparing residents for severe weather00:23:13 Code Red transitioning to Rave and reducing alert fatigue00:25:46 Department wins: recognition, staffing progress, SPLOST, accreditation00:30:11 Closing takeaways and how to contact Commissioner Johnson

DeKalb County Rent, Homeownership, and the Unhoused with Dr. Alan Ferguson | Chakira's Corner

DeKalb County's first Chief Housing Officer, Dr. Alan Ferguson, joins Commissioner Chakira Johnson to talk about housing challenges and solutions in DeKalb County. They discuss rising rents, homelessness, and housing diversity. The conversation also details where residents should turn if they are worried about paying rent or staying housed. Learn how to plug into the zoning rewrite, the countywide housing strategy, and other opportunities to help shape DeKalb's housing future. Chapters 00:00 Intro and Commissioner Johnson's roles 01:33 Introducing Chief Housing Officer Dr. Alan Ferguson 02:26 Growing up in South DeKalb and choosing public service 05:22 Why DeKalb created a Chief Housing Officer role 07:24 What the Chief Housing Officer does and does not handle 12:18 Common misconceptions about county government and housing 18:06 If you miss a paycheck, where to call and how to get help 23:00 Development without displacement and neighborhood stability 27:10 Preserving neighborhood character and the zoning rewrite 33:05 Early wins: housing strategy, Affordable Housing Fund, Park 500, NACA 39:06 Key takeaways on housing priorities in DeKalb 41:25 Commissioner Johnson's new role as Presiding Officer44:46 How to contact Commissioner Johnson and stay connected Links DeKalb Housing and Chief Housing Officer info:https://bit.ly/DeKalbDrFerguson [https://bit.ly/DeKalbDrFerguson] DeKalb Zoning Rewrite information:https://bit.ly/ZoningDeKalb [https://bit.ly/ZoningDeKalb] United Way of Greater Atlanta (including 211):https://unitedwayatlanta.org/ [https://unitedwayatlanta.org/] ARCHI Collaborative:https://www.archicollaborative.org/ [https://www.archicollaborative.org/] DeKalb Resource Guide:https://bit.ly/DeKalbResourceGuide [https://bit.ly/DeKalbResourceGuide] Commissioner Chakira Johnson Linktree:https://linktr.ee/commissionerchakirajohnson [https://linktr.ee/commissionerchakirajohnson]