Please call or e-mail your county commissioners. Today.
Tomorrow, Tuesday, October 9, the DeKalb County Commission will consider a proposal by Commissioner Jeff Rader to change “last call” for serving alcohol from 4:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.
Citizen involvement is needed to encourage the commissioners to support this measure.
Why is an earlier last call important to our neighborhoods? When the City of Atlanta changed its last call to 2:30 a.m. in response to a wave of violent activity around Buckhead nightclubs, it prompted an exodus of nightclubs to shopping centers in neighboring DeKalb, where last call is later. In fact, DeKalb County presently has the latest last call in all of Metro Atlanta.
It is widely rumored that management from Club 112, the now-closed Atlanta nightclub with a notorious history of violence, is planning to open a new nightclub called “Pure” in Williamsburg Plaza at Briarcliff and Clairmont Roads. Actually, the owners are calling it an “events center,” but with a name like Pure I don’t foresee the facility hosting wedding parties and Rotary luncheons.
This would not be the first nightclub in or adjacent to residential neighborhoods in our community. Within the past year, residents of Pine Hills grappled with noise and disorderly conduct from late-night activities at the nearby Cabin Room on Buford Highway. The Keys Lake Condominiums recently were forced to hire an off-duty DeKalb police officer to curtail trespassing, lewd behavior, and other infractions on Keys Lake’s property by patrons of Club Miami, also on Buford Highway.
The later these establishments stay open and pour alcohol, the more problems tend to arise. DeKalb County simply does not have the police manpower to keep after the problems that accompany more nightclubs taking advantage of the 4:00 a.m. last call.
Commissioners Elaine Boyer (District 1), Jeff Rader (District 2), and Kathie Gannon (District 6) all have expressed their support for an earlier last call. They deserve our thanks for standing strong in the face of outrageous paid advertising in local newspapers calling this proposal “DeKalb’s Jena 6.” The remaining commissioners who have not announced how they will vote are as follows:
Commissioner Larry Johnson, District 3
larryjohnson@co.dekalb.ga.us, 404-371-2425
Commissioner Burrell Ellis, District 4
burrell@burrellellis.com, 404-371-4907
Commissioner Lee May, District 5
lmay@co.dekalb.ga.us, 404-371-4745
Commissioner Connie Stokes, District 7
conniestokes@co.dekalb.ga.us, 404-371-3053
In addition to Commissioners Boyer, Rader, and Gannon, a fourth commissioner must support the proposal in order for it to pass.
CEO Vernon Jones is threatening to veto the measure. You may want to add him to your phone or e-mail list:
CEO Vernon Jones, ceo@co.dekalb.ga.us, 404-371-2881
If the CEO vetoes the earlier last call, then a total of five commissioners (Boyer, Rader, Gannon, and two more) will be needed to override the veto. Please call or e-mail these commissioners, and ask them to stand up for our neighborhoods.
