Below are minutes for the April 9, 2002, joint meeting of the Atlanta Downtown Neighborhood Association and the Fairlie-Poplar Task Force. Notes were written by Wendy Darling.

Introduction

Because it was a joint meeting and because we put in an extra effort to get our residents to attend, we had a very big crowd, probably 60 people. Hampton Inn generously provided us with a before-meeting finger food buffet, complete with deserts, beverages and coffee.

Attending the meeting were residents living at Kessler City Lofts, the Metropolitan, the Healey, Gordon Lofts, Muse's, 90 Fairlie, 123 Luckie, McGill Park, the Landmark, and some residents of Casteberry Hill as well.

We also had tremendous pool of business, arts and community leaders and local business owners, including Tom Adehold (Aderhold Properties) and people representing Central Atlanta Progress, Icon, Gold's Gym, GSU, Sweet Auburn Curb Market, the AJC, Atlanta City Council, the Downtowners, the Rialto, an architectural firm, hotels, and several residential and commercial real estate firms.

is a run-down of the major issues discussed and who did the talking:

Presentation & Discussion Notes

Brandie Haywood of Homeward Inc.

One of Homeward Inc.'s upcoming projects is the coordinatation of a "point in time" census to count numbers of homeless people. Although this type of study has been carried out before, the most current data available is five years old. Since homeless providers, business leaders and residents all agree that the problem has grown significantly in that time, it would seem another count is needed. Having an acccurate count is essential for planning and carrying out efforts to alleviate the problems. We need to know the answer to the question: "How many are there?" This census will be funded through public-private partnership and will involved things like going into all the shelters, resources centers, parks, rehab centers, under bridges, etc., trying to get numbers and some basic demographic info. (women, men, children, families, etc.)

Brandie also spoke of the need for outreach to really *reach* the homeless population. Often it's the aggressive panhandlers or loud street people who become the focus of things, but in reality the homelessness situation involves thousands of people who are not so "in your face" but live more in the shadows, off the main streets, and it's these people (along with the others) who need our help.

Brandie pointed to a new initiative from City Councilor Mary Norwood, who was in attendance, on putting the homeless to work, giving them not only a chance to earn money but a chance to step up and work, which is what a lot of homeless people are looking for. The plan has already started, with homeless people going from Woodruff Park over to the Resource Opportunity Center ("The Rock") where they get uniforms and are put to work as (paid) day laborers making improvements to Downtown streets and parks.

Cooper Holland, who for years has been pushing efforts to clean up Five Points Plaza and Woodruff Park, gave an word on two issues: 1) public feedings in Downtown parks, which the neighborhood is taking a stand against, thinking that such feeding pose a health hazard and are counterproductive to real efforts at helping the homeless, and 2) trying to get hotels to actually inform/prepare Downtown visitors on how to deal with panhandlers -- rather than ignoring the issue and letting visitors fend for themselves and get scared or guilted into giving money.

More more about Homeward Inc., see this article from the Atlanta Business Chronicle:

Charlie Battle hopes to unite efforts to reduce homelessness
Atlanta Business Chronicle
April 7, 2000
http://atlanta.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2000/04/10/editorial3.html

To contact Homeward Inc.:

Brandie Haywood
Executive Director, Homeard Inc.
404-614-1020
bhaywood@unitedwayatl.org

Downtown Neighborhood Festival

The Downtown Neighborhood Festival is something this list is going to promote like CRAZY these next few weeks and there are lots and lots of components. Maria and others had a lot to say on this but for now, the easiest way to pass that information along is to quote from a "Dear Friend and Neighbor" letter than will be sent out by mail shortly.

"As you know, lots of new and exciting things are taking place in our neighborhood. Our neighborhood IS the heart of metro Atlanta! In the next few months, major events will happen, including monthly activities at Centennial Olympic Park, The Downtown Lifestyles and Tour of Lofts, and The Downtown Neighborhood Festival on Luckie Street, on May 18th from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and May 19th from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The Festival is a brand new, grassroots neighborhood project with an artist's market, children's activities, food vendors and live entertainment. We want to involve as many of our neighbors as possible either by making a donation, volunteering, or both. You may remember that Central Atlanta Progress (CAP) was the producing organization for "ArtScape", the downtown arts festival that happened every October from 1999 to 2001. CAP realized that they could no longer sponsor "ArtScape" and began to find another organization to keep the spirit of 'ArtScape' alive.

Most importantly, the Festival will enhance the Membership Drive of the Atlanta Downtown Neighborhood Association. The Association is dedicated to supporting a better quality of life for Downtowners, and this festival can bring out our sense of community, as well as organize as a residential force in metro Atlanta."

What's the Festival going to involve? Well, thanks to a bunch of very dedicated volunteers and lots of incoming support from the business community, we are expecting to have an artists markets (10-20 booths), food vendors (so far 5), local businesses, live music and entertainment, a beer pavilion (!), and a children's area. We are getting support from a wide range of sponsors, so for (officially) including SunTrust, Parking Company of America, and promotion from TWO radio stations that want to broadcast LIVE from the festival!

Although this is our first festival and we're trying to keep it from being "too big" for us, we need financial support to make this happen. We need to pay for permitting, off-duty police officers, supplies, marketing, electricity, the booths, banners and tons of other stuff. Besides looking to corporate sponsors, we're looking to you as residents.

To support the festival: For more info. on supporting the festival, visit the festival web site and check out the info. If you can get use more ARTISTS, or more food or business VENDORS, or more ENTERTAINERS or want to volunteer or donate money, that's the address.

ADNA Membership Drive

Although the Festival is not being planned as a "moneymaker," any profit we receive above the cost of the festival is going towards the Association. In addition all our Festival contribution packages include basic ADNA membership as well as other benefits, depending ont the level:

Basic ADNA Membership
$25 for one person in a household
$40 for two people in same household
Downtown Neighborhood Association *something*
Voting rights on neighborhood issues
Regular Neighborhood Newsletter and E-mail Updates

Neighbor $50
1 Festival T-shirt
1 Festival Souvenir Poster
Basic ADNA Membership Benefits (See above)

Urban Pioneer $100
1 Tickets to Festival VIP Party
1 Festival T-shirt
1 Festival Souvenir Posters
Basic ADNA Membership Benefits (See above)

Ambassador $250
Name on Host Committee for Festival VIP Party Invitations
2 Tickets to Festival VIP Party
2 Festival T-shirts
4 Festival Souvenir Posters
Basic ADNA Membership Benefits (See above)

To become a member or donate now, MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: Atlanta Downtown Neighborhood Association and MAIL CHECKS TO: 20 Marietta Street, #17-B, Atlanta, GA 30303. Please include your name, address, phone, and email and mark what sort of contribution you are making. If you would like to make a contribution but aren't a resident and won't be a ADNA member, try to note that. Also, if you can make LARGER contributions (over $250), feel free :)