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Hey, Decatur! This week: the law firm that has advised City Schools of Decatur for nearly 30 years says it won't renew its contract, with a board update set for Oct. 13. We're also tracking a Midtown Oaxacan restaurant eyeing Lulah Hills and a weekend stacked with BBQ, ghost tours, and live music.

- News — Beyond the school district's legal shake-up, catch the Decatur Book Festival's split with a local bookstore, a $109,023 homelessness task force facilitator contract, and layoffs in DeKalb's law department.
- Business — A Midtown Oaxacan Mexican restaurant is planning a new location at the upcoming Lulah Hills development in North Decatur.
- Events — From Donna the Buffalo at the Avon and Randall Bramblett at Eddie's Attic to the Decatur BBQ Festival, a Ghostbusters movie night, and Día de los Muertos nichos, the week runs from Monday to Sunday.
- Government — DeKalb moves an $11.1M water plant contract and a plan to transfer 30 properties to the land bank, while Decatur weighs added costs for the South Columbia Drive path.
- Construction — Kensington MARTA access work and I-285 resurfacing are on GDOT's list, plus a roundup of sidewalk, street sign, and pothole reports around town.

Let's dive in.

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City Schools of Decatur's lawyer parts ways with district
Wilson, Morton & Downs, LLC told the board on Oct. 8 that it will not renew its contract beyond December 2026 and will not respond to the pending RFP. The RFP for legal services was posted Sept. 22 with an Oct. 20 deadline, and an update is planned at the board's Oct. 13 pre-work session.

Isaias knocks out power to tens of thousands across metro Atlanta
Isaias made landfall Friday as a Category 2 hurricane and moved north through Alabama, weakening to a post-tropical cyclone. As of 2 p.m. Saturday, about 50,000 Georgia households were without power, including 4,300 in DeKalb County, and a high wind warning and flood watch remained in effect for North and Central Georgia until Sunday morning.

UPDATE: Decatur Book Festival cuts ties with local bookstore
Organizers of the Decatur Book Festival have severed ties with Kiss and Tale Romance Bookshop following allegations of racism posted on social media by an attendee. The bookstore is on West Ponce de Leon Avenue in downtown Decatur and participated in the early October event.

Decatur approves facilitator for new homelessness task force
On Oct. 5, the Decatur City Commission approved a $109,023 contract with MIG, a national planning and community engagement firm, with a project budget not to exceed $125,000. MIG will design and facilitate eight meetings of the 30-member task force, each lasting up to three hours.

Decatur Schools hires new Chief of Safety and Technology
City Schools of Decatur hired Hoke Wilcox, currently executive director of information technology services at Fulton County Public Schools, with a start date of Oct. 12. He succeeds Eston Melton, who left after 10 years with the district for a position at The Westminster Schools.

DeKalb County law department undergoes 'restructuring'
A senior assistant county attorney said about 10 of the county's 18 attorneys and three administrative staff were laid off Oct. 9, and seven open positions will not be filled. A county spokesperson said the Law Department is not being eliminated and will keep an in-house team working alongside outside counsel.

Community meetings planned for DeKalb 2055 land use vision
The DeKalb County Planning & Sustainability Department is hosting a "Visioning Series" of five district meetings, each from 6 to 8 p.m., to collect input for the 2055 Unified Plan Update. The first is Oct. 22 at Mason Mill Recreation Center, and the series runs through Nov. 18 at the East Central DeKalb Community & Senior Center.

BUSINESS

Midtown Mexican restaurant plans new location at upcoming Lulah Hills development — A Midtown Oaxacan Mexican restaurant is planning to expand with a new location at the upcoming Lulah Hills mixed-use development in North Decatur.

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Monday, October 12
- Q/T YOUTH BOARD GAMES @ CHARIS BOOKS AND MORE | 184 S. Candler St.
- Crooked Roots Concert feat. George Kotler-Wallace | Waller's Coffee Shop

Tuesday, October 13
- Brewery Spotlight: Zillicoah Beer Co. | Brick Store Pub
- Midweek Mile & Dash - October | Legacy Park
- All the Love You Can Use with Carlos Dews | Decatur Library

Wednesday, October 14
- Halloween Party - Senior Event | 450 E Lake Dr
- Lunch and Learn: Cemeteries of Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area | 101 E Court Square
- Samuel Sattin with Preeti Chhibber- Unico: Lost! | Little Shop of Stories
- Know Your Flow | Legacy Park- Auditorium in Main Admin Building

Thursday, October 15
- Secret Army with Soul Candy | Wild Heaven Beer
- The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane | Decatur High School Performing Arts Center
- Movie Night – Ghostbusters | The Reading Room
- Donna The Buffalo at Avon Theater with Special Guest Fussin' n' Fightin' | Avon Theater

Friday, October 16
- GO BACK FOR MURDER | OnStage Atlanta
- Cat Eye Creative Presents "Afterglow" a Group Exhibition | Cat Eye Creative Gallery
- Sade Tribute Featuring 404 Theory and Special Guests | The Reading Room
- Bikes & Brews | 115 Clairemont Ave
- B&P in DECATUR, GA: The Upside Down World Circus | Decatur Legacy Park, 500 S. Columbia Drive
- Randall Bramblett Band at Eddie's Attic | Eddie's Attic
- It's Only Dancing: Jasmine Guillory with Julian Winters | Decatur Library
- Decatur Ghost Tour | Historic Courthouse Square

Saturday, October 17
- Decatur BBQ Festival | Harmony Park
- Magical Forest Poetry for Kids & Families | Woodlands Garden
- Ghouls Night Out TCG Market! | My Parent's Basement -Restaurant and Comics
- Musical Bookings: Four Seasons Chamber Orchestra | Decatur Library
- The Book As Art v.14: Ghosted - Artist Talk #2 | Decatur Library
- Learn Wylde: Día de los Muertos Mini Nichos at Wylde Center | Oakhurst Garden
- #6 Drumming for Peace, Joy, and Unity | Decatur Square behind the courthouse
- The Wedding Singer | 636 W Ponce de Leon Ave

Sunday, October 18
- SINSANITY III | Waller's Coffee Shop
- LANDLOCKED 10: A DECADE OF SHOWING UP FOR SOUTHERN OYSTERS | Decatur Legacy Park
- Music in the Garden on Select Sundays | 932 Scott Blvd
- Atlanta Americana Presents: Maya de Vity | Eddie's Attic
- Music in the Garden: Ruby Velle and the Soulphonics | 435 Oakview Rd

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Note: our information comes from posted meetings documents (agendas and minutes when available) — latest source document hyperlinked to each meeting.

Past Week Roundup

DeKalb County Board of Commissioners
At its Committee of the Whole meeting, commissioners moved dozens of contracts toward final board action, including $11.1 million for construction management at the Scott Candler Water Treatment Plant. They also advanced about $15 million in contracts for manhole repairs, sidewalks and curbs, and pavement markings, which keeps road and sewer maintenance on schedule across the county. Commissioners sent along $4.6 million in federal HUD grants for park and facility renovations and a proposal to transfer 30 vacant county-owned properties to the DeKalb Regional Land Bank Authority. Other items cleared included $4.4 million in roof replacements for county public safety buildings, $2.2 million in police and 911 radio upgrades, and $1.9 million for senior meal services. Data center rules, including a resolution requiring an independent health and environmental study before the moratorium can end, and two Briarcliff Road rezoning requests remain pending for a final decision.

City of Decatur
The Decatur City Commission's agenda was full, though minutes aren't yet published, so outcomes aren't confirmed. Commissioners took up two change orders totaling about $209,600 for the South Columbia Drive multi-use path, which would bring the contract to roughly $1.9 million, still within the $2.1 million project budget. As covered in today's news section, the homelessness task force facilitator contract with MIG was also on the agenda. The commission also considered alcohol license applications for a new downtown restaurant moving into the former Revival space and for an ownership transfer at a neighborhood market and deli. Before the regular meeting, commissioners held work sessions on parks and recreation operations and on an energy savings performance contract, which shape how the city runs its parks and cuts building energy costs.

Avondale Estates Historic Preservation Commission
The commission's agenda covered exterior work on three historic homes, and no outcomes are confirmed. One request involved a large backyard overhaul that included a deck renovation, a retractable awning, new stonework, and a screened enclosure for HVAC equipment. Another asked to mount two solar panels on a side-facing roof slope of a 1952 ranch house. The third proposed regrading a sloped yard to curb erosion, along with granite edging and new steps at a side gate. These reviews show how the city balances homeowners' upgrade plans against its historic design standards.

DeKalb County School District Board of Education
The Board of Education considered a heavy slate of contracts, led by a renewal of up to $10 million for the district's bus and fleet fuel supply. It also took up a $6 million renewal for facility maintenance and repair services, plus $2 million for bleacher replacements and $1.5 million for preventative roofing work. On the school facilities side, the board looked at a no-cost stadium project at Dunwoody High, donor-funded sports lighting at Lakeside High, and up to $500,000 in architectural and engineering work for facade repairs at Miller Grove High. Other items included a $1 million pizza program at 10 high schools and a $1.58 million Microsoft software subscription with AI tools. The board also held a second reading of a new policy governing how schools use artificial intelligence, which will affect classrooms and district offices alike.

Notable Neighborhood Mentions

DeKalb County Board of Commissioners
- Lithonia Park (2501 Park Dr) — A proposal to rename a portion of Lithonia Park to 'DeKalb Lithonia Park' advanced to the PECS Committee.

City of Avondale Estates
- 1 Dartmouth Ave — A proposal to install two rooftop solar panels on the side-facing slope of the home was on the agenda for historic review.
- 25 Kensington Rd — A comprehensive rear yard overhaul, deck expansion, and landscaping plan for a 1926 Colonial Revival Bungalow was on the agenda for review.
- 32 Fairfield Dr — An application proposing slope regrading and cobblestone edging along the public sidewalk was scheduled for commission review.

Meetings This Week
- City of Avondale Estates — Oct 13, 2026 Downtown Development Authority Regular | Oct-13 | key topics: Avila Development contract update for Center Street, signage review for 90 North Avondale, Manga Day Festival sponsorship
- City Schools of Decatur — Board of Education | Oct-13 | key topics: RFP 27-001 legal services update, E-SPLOST VI closeout and E-SPLOST VII capital plan, FY27 budget amendment and school allotment guidelines, 2027 legislative priorities, policy reviews
- DeKalb County Board of Commissioners — Board of Commissioners | Oct-13, 9:00 AM | key topics: Briarcliff Road rezonings, data center regulations, nuisance and animal restraint ordinances, $11.12M water plant contract, HUD park grants
- DeKalb County Board of Commissioners — Committee of the Whole | Oct-13, 5:30 PM
- City of Avondale Estates — Oct 14, 2026 Board of Mayor and Commissioners Regular | Oct-14 | key topics: City Hall Renovation Project architectural design contract with William H. Clark and Covalent Consulting, LLC
- City of Avondale Estates — Board of Mayor and Commissioners | Oct-14 | key topics: FY 2027 draft Operating Budget and Capital Program review

CONSTRUCTION

Permits
- 2665 N Decatur Rd Ste 240. A commercial business permit for rerouting 21 cables closed out on 10/09. The work is finished, so you won't see any more disruption from it.

Road Work

Under Construction
- Kensington MARTA Station - Transit Access & Mobility Phase I (LCI) — Phase I of transit access and mobility improvements at the Kensington MARTA station.
- I-285 from Snapfinger Road to SR 8 (DeKalb County) — Resurfacing of this stretch of I-285 (SR 407) to improve the road's low pavement condition score.

Service Requests
- Code Violations: Seven reports came in, including New St, Sycamore Dr, 2-202 Montgomery St, Adams St, and Clairemont Ave. Two more locations round out the list.
- Sidewalk Maintenance: You'll find four reports on W Pharr Rd, E Ponce de Leon Ave, 508-512 W Trinity Pl, and Sycamore Dr.
- Street Signs: Three reports cover W Howard Ave, Missionary Dr, and the 130-198 block of Kings Hwy.
- City Parks and Greenspace Maintenance: Neighbors flagged the 1254-1292 block of Church St and Kathryn Ave.
- Vegetation Maintenance: Overgrowth is reported at 503-511 W Trinity Pl and on W Howard Ave.
- Street Maintenance: Requests came in for E Lake Dr and N Church St.
- Missed Sanitation Collection: Heatherdown Rd didn't get its pickup.
- Pothole: One is reported on W Pharr Rd. That street also has a sidewalk request, so it's a spot to watch.

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Until next week,
Decatur Busybody

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Disclaimer: We use advanced data retrieval and analysis techniques across hundreds of sources, and may be prone to occasional error. Independently verify information with a secondary source, and please let us know if we got anything wrong via the feedback form.