Council approves legislation to link workforce, economic development
Item also approved supporting hairstyle discrimination ban
The Atlanta City Council approved legislation Monday to authorize an intergovernmental agreement between the City of Atlanta and Invest Atlanta for the purpose of further aligning its workforce development services as provided by WorkSource Atlanta (Legislative Reference №20-R-4375). The legislation notes that combining Invest Atlanta and WorkSource Atlanta will reinforce key partnerships and create stronger outcomes for employers and residents, advancing Atlanta’s economic growth and mobility goals.
The Council also adopted legislation urging the Georgia General Assembly to enact House Resolution 5309, commonly known as the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act to prohibit discrimination in employment against natural or protective hairstyles (Legislative Reference №20-R-4430). The House bill seeks to ban discrimination based on a person’s hairstyle or hair texture if the hairstyle or texture is commonly associated with a particular race or national origin.
Other items approved Monday include:
• An ordinance to amend the City’s Zoning Ordinance to create a definition of a “party house,” establish regulations by which party houses may operate, and prohibit “party houses” in residential districts (Legislative Reference №19-O-1393).
• A resolution to accept the recommendations of the Mayor’s Police Use of Force Advisory Council as outlined in the group’s final report (Legislative Reference №20-R-4428). The legislation also establishes a process for a series of work sessions to be convened by the Council’s Public Safety and Legal Administration Committee to review and discuss implementing the recommendations.
• A resolution to establish a task force to determine an appropriate manner in which to honor Hank Aaron, John Lewis, Joseph E. Lowery, C.T. Vivian and Andrew Young for being recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom (Legislative Reference №20-R-4431).
Several items were introduced that will be considered in committee next week, including:
• An ordinance to protect Atlanta’s legacy residents and prohibit the predatory tactics used to harass homeowners into selling their property and becoming the victims of equity theft.
• An ordinance amending the City of Atlanta Code of Ordinances to require the detention of a
defendant until the initial appearance hearing for certain vehicular offenses related to street racing which create dangers to persons or property.
• An ordinance to provide for the regulation and taxation of short-term rentals within Atlanta.
• A resolution requesting the City’s Department of Transportation commissioner develop a street lighting plan in the interest of promoting safety along city streets.
• A resolution requesting the City’s Department of Transportation commissioner develop a sidewalk master plan which will prioritize the installation of sidewalks in high-injury areas, on streets where mass transit is provided, and any other highly traveled corridors of the city.
• A resolution requesting the City’s Department of Transportation commissioner conduct a study to determine the feasibility of establishing a program to train and hire City employees for transportation infrastructure-related job opportunities.
• A resolution requesting the City of Atlanta’s Department of Human Resources work with all City departments to develop a preliminary plan that would outline opportunities for eligible City of Atlanta employees to work remotely post the COVID-19 pandemic.
