Brookhaven has discussed creating a URA for several years, City Attorney Chris Balch told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Redevelopment agencies create another financing option for developers, who can use them to access tax-free loans. In return, the redevelopment agency has negotiating power over how new projects look and feel. This can vary from the construction materials used in…
There is a presumption that bigger is better. We want bigger players on the football teams we follow or support. We want bigger cars. We want bigger houses. The same presumption applies to law firms. There is a presumption that if a firm is “big,” then they must have experts in the field you want….
Nominated by his clients and affirmed by his colleagues, Chris Balch has been named a Georgia Super Lawyer for 2021. This recognition is made for the quality of the advocacy and dedication to client success Chris has demonstrated throughout his career. Selection is limited to just 5% of lawyers in the state. The firm is…
Eight years ago on the 12th of December, Brookhaven, Georgia, officially began operations as Georgia’s newest municipality. From those early days to the present, the community rallied around progressive policies of creating livable and workable spaces for all of its citizens. In that effort, the City Council has proposed and supported the creation of a Public…
From an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution by Zachary Hansen Brookhaven’s city leaders passed an ordinance Tuesday night that imposes a fine between $500 and $1,000 for violators, who could also receive up to six months in jail. In addition, vehicles used in a street race can be impounded for 30 days or until the case is settled….
Georgia’s Governor Kemp has said that a mask mandate is a “bridge too far;”* but we learned from Congressman John Lewis** that crossing bridges, even in the face of violent opposition, is good trouble when it means saving lives and making a difference. Cities across Georgia need to stand up for their citizens and assert…
The firm is proud of its work for the City of Douglasville as the Georgia Court of Appeals has reversed a lower court ruling that would have allowed a rock crusher facility to be built adjacent to a residential neighborhood in the City. In City of Douglasville v. Bart Boyd, the City argued that the use…
I was raised by a pacifist who wholly believed Dr King and Mahatma Ghandi’s creed of nonviolence. Then I learned about WWII and confronted bullies on the playground and realized that sometimes violence is a necessary response to injustice and violence. I enlisted in the Marines to put action to my belief that I was…
In an article published today, the AJC stated (without citation or authority) that public hearings by local governments had to be held in person. That is flatly incorrect. Georgia cities, including Brookhaven, have been conducting public hearings via online platforms throughout the COVID-19 crisis and will continue to do so. The Open Meetings Act, O.C.G.A. § 51-14-1et seq., allows…
Yesterday afternoon, the Governor issued Executive Order 05.12.20.02. Written in the intensely bureaucratic language we have come to expect, the Order is far from a model of clarity. By omission, the Governor has directed that public pools are allowed to reopen. Pools are not included or directly mentioned in the Executive Order but they are…
Chris is thrilled that his recent ordinance for Brookhaven, GA has been adopted by multiple municipalities, the Georgia Municipalities Association, and the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia It’s about saving lives and flattening the curve of COVID-19 to prevent its spread and not overwhelm our healthcare system, while still adhering to the City’s Charter…
Brexit aside, no one can call out absurdity like the Brits can. While some folks are still caught up on the red herring that local regulation equals no 5G (that 5G which doesn’t yet exist, by the way), The Register, a UK publication that sports the tagline, “Biting the hand that feeds IT,” highlights the…