- Attending: Wendy Cromwell, Carrie Sjogren, David Lewicki, Holly Grimes, Beata and Tim Sass, Catherine Carter, Paula Collins, Carol Burgess
Carrie and Wendy provided recap of the one-on-one meetings they have had with Lesa Mayer, Valerie Wilson and others on behalf of the Coalition, including the Decatur Business Association’s Black History Month Celebration.
Commissioner Mayer has offered to help us with organizing a Decatur neighbor picnic, an idea originating with our meeting with Ms. Wilson. Members brainstormed ways in which we could hold the picnic and facilitate conversations among the neighborhoods, similar to the smaller scale Decatur Dinners before the pandemic.
Paula Collins provided a quick update on the Legislature, saying Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver reported the Decatur Homestead Exemptions (6 measures in all) were approved by the House and were crossing over to the Senate.
Wendy raised the School Board’s decision to pursue two of the Missing Middle pilot permitting requests to create housing for teachers now that the ordinance has passed.
David Lewicki brought the need to advocate for apartment complexes to start accepting section 8 vouchers and how the coalition could help in changing the conversation around section 8 housing.
Members discussed the need to have a better understanding of how the vouchers work and how they work with inclusionary zoning. Carrie and Wendy are to invite Doug Faust to the April coalition meeting to explain how vouchers work, what challenges they face and advocacy opportunities for the coalition. David Lewicki will send a Section 8 primer to which he has access.
Next meeting will be in person at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 13, at North Decatur Presbyterian Church in the parlor