Councilmember H. Lamar Willis held his 3^rd annual "Swing into Spring" golf and tennis camp for Atlanta youth during Spring Break week. The 3rd year was the inaugural year for the golf component of the camp. The aim of this year’s event was to provide kids from all around the City of Atlanta the opportunity to obtain professional instruction in either tennis or golf. The PGA and LGPA provided the services of several top golf instructors, who shared their knowledge of the sport with over 120 children. The camp was held at the McGhee Tennis Center and John A. White Golf Course. The tennis camp curriculum included instruction by skilled tennis coaches on the rules of the game, racquet handling, court awareness, stroke production, serving, volley techniques, footwork, and agility. Each of the tennis camp participants received a racket. The golf camp instruction covered the basic fundamentals of the game along with golf etiquette, mechanics of the full swing, chipping and putting.

To celebrate the achievements of the participants at the closing ceremony the children were provided with iPod shuffles, Sony video and multimedia equipment and gift certificates.

Councilmember Willis focuses his legislative efforts on addressing basic quality of life issues affecting the citizens of Atlanta while providing legislative oversight over the many issues that come before Council.

Recently, in reviewing contracts coming before the City, Councilmember Willis became concerned that information being provided to the Council was not complete.  In an effort to protect against this and ensure that the Council is always provided with the most up to date and accurate information, Councilmember Willis introduced legislation calling for the dismissal of any city employee found to not be forthcoming when providing information to standing committees of the Atlanta City Council. The proposal will require that complaints be filed with the City’s Board of Ethics and all cases would be heard by this body. Upon conclusion that information was erroneously provided or withheld, the Board would recommend termination of the employee.

PANHANDLING LEGISLATION AND PARKING METERS: HOW YOU CAN HELP!

Councilmember Willis recently proposed an amendment that is now being considered as a separate paper.  The proposal calls for the installation of new meters, or the conversion of existing parking meters, to be used as donation receptacles.  The purpose of the receptacles is to encourage the placement of spare change into the donation meters, located throughout the entire City, instead of giving money directly to panhandlers.

Inspired by Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day, he has also suggested the placement of contribution boxes at various businesses around the City.  All of the money collected in the donation meters and contribution boxes would be distributed among various homelessness service organizations.  In doing so, contributors would have more assurance that the money goes to those who are truly homeless and in need rather than to those who are professional panhandlers. 

Several cities across the United States have instituted similar programs and some have had great success in raising money for homelessness services.  Councilmember Willis believes that with the support of the community this can be an effective measure in Atlanta to deter panhandling while heightening the awareness of the homelessness.  Ideally, some of the funding would also go to funding for automated public toilets.  Atlanta is terribly in need of clean and safe public facilities, and in recognition of the lack of public accommodations, Willis also introduced a resolution calling for the City and the Community Improvement Districts to develop plans for installing these toilets. 

For more information on this or other legislative matters, please contact us at 404-330-6041.