The Atlanta Constitution from Atlanta, Georgia • 29

THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION FRIDAY, MARCH 12, 1999 Local News Tree ordinance reshaped The DeKalb County ordinance restricting tree-cutting becomes more bark than bite to help protect it against a court challenge and make it more acceptable to homeowners. C2 Where You i Live, C4 0 Obituaries, C5-7 1 Classifieds, C8-9 ii Jt f-i--J-Jr ice for At ainta ouestii 6 Budget process could keep city from increasing the number of officers. officers on the street is down almost 7 percent from the decade's police staffing high of 1,626 in 1993, the year before Campbell took office. Police strength dipped as low as 1,467 in 1996, and has remained within 50 officers of that point since. The question of just how close to the department's authorized strength the city actually wants to come arose during the 1999 budget debate.

When Councilman Councilman C.T. Martin, chairman of the council's public safety committee. According to figures provided by the city's Department of Personnel and Human Resources, Atlanta currently has 1,514 sworn officers on the streets, including 65 rookie cops still in training. That's 294 sworn officers below the number that the department is authorized to hire. The current number of police of job vacancies, especially in public safety departments, which routinely exceed their overtime budgets and pay the excess from money for unfilled jobs.

So it is unclear just how, many new police officers the city is likely to hire, even if money is allocated to creating new positions or raising pay to attract more recruits. "I think these are just management decisions and an alibi," said Lee Morris suggested that some of the money allocated to polite positions that will not be filled this year be channeled into raises for working cops, administration officials protested loudly. 1 As those officials explained; money available from unfilled positions, which they called "salary savings," is a necessary pact of the city budget. Salary savings Please see POLICE, 04 significantly since he took office, and that trend shows no signs of changing. Police say that current staffing levels are so low it inhibits their ability to do their jobs properly.

And other officials question whether the city can increase the number under its current methods of management and budgeting. The city's budgeting system depends heavily on the existence By Julie B. Hairston STAFF WRITER Despite Mayor Bill Campbell's repeated pledges to increase police strength, the number of sworn officers in the Atlanta Police Department has declined nut I I m- mm''in, 1 1999 GEORGIA LEGISLATURE AIM Ramp opening a turn for better Cumberland Boulevard link to 1-75 completed a month early will aid commuters, developers. By Clint Williams STAFF WRITER The last part of the I-75Kennedy Interchange will be opened to traffic after this morning's rush hour, nearly a month ahead of schedule, state road builders decided Thursday. A northbound on-ramp from Cumberland Boulevard to 1-75, and a southbound off-ramp from 1-75 to Cumberland Boulevard, will be opened today, said Mickey McGee, project engineer for the state Department of Transportation.

Cumberland Boulevard eventually if II Ti if! nn The $77.5 million Kennedy Interchange project has been completed with the opening of two ramps linking 1-75 and Cumberland Boulevard today. will become a loop circling what is now called the Platinum Triangle, a cluster of commercial and retail development in southeast Cobb County. The interchange provides quick access to previously undeveloped acreage and already has spurred development of high-rise office buildings, retail centers, restaurants and condominiums. Today's opening means that a driver headed south on 1-75 can slip under I-285, get off the interstate and approach the Cumberland-Galleria mall area from its underside. He or she can return north the same way.

But if you're looking for something called "the Kennedy Interchange," you won't see it on any freeway signs. The name refers to the family that once owned the land. The new ramps connect to a new road, Cumberland Boulevard. Last October, Cumberland Boulevard became accessible to northbound cars on 1-75. On Wednesday, a special car pool interchange opened at Akers Mill Road.

There also are more surface streets to disperse the traffic leaving the interstate. Cumberland Boulevard connects the Riverwood Parkway via Akers Mill Road. The $77.5 million project had been scheduled to open April 7. McGee said mild winter weather the past two years played a role in the early finish. Beating the deadline, however, won't save the state any money.

The interchange is expected to be a boon to developers. The Cumberland-Galleria area already has about 18.5 million square feet in office space by comparison, the Perimeter Center area has 21.8 million square feet. But the Cumberland-Galleria area has 781 acres of undeveloped land, now made more accessible by the Kennedy Interchange. Interest in Overton Park, a 33-acre high-rise mixed use complex east of 1-75 just south of Akers Mill Road, increased once a portion of the interchange opened last fall, said John Heagy III, senior marketing director for the Hines development company. With the completion of the interchange, he said, "Our customers are able to see how easy it is to get on and off 1-75." Engineers expect 5,000 vehicles a day to use Cumberland Boulevard buiW A -q i BEN GRAY Staff Vehicles snake their way northbound on 1-75 through the new Kennedy Interchange on Thursday.

Today's ramp opening should ease the approach to the Cumberland-Galleria mall area. 14 mile House puts i revisions in Senate bill on tax rights By Peter Mantius STAFF WRITER A House subcommittee unanimously approved a major overhaul Thursday of a Senate bill to carry out Gov. Roy Barnes' proposed "taxpayers' bill of rights," which is designed to discourage back-door property tax hikes. The revised version, drafted by Barnes' attorney Joe Young, extends to commercial property owners the same rights to appeal reassessments as the Senate bill gave to residential property owners. Jt also eliminates Senate provisions to punish tax officials who fail to carry out the law by withholding their pay.

Separate spokesmen for Georgia's counties, school superintendents and tax assessors, as well as the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, applauded the revisions. "This version we have is a great improvement over the Senate bill," said Jim Davis, a lobbyist for the Georgia Association of Assessing Officials. "It's very much more workable." The House Ways and Means Committee is expected to consider the measure Tues? day. The bill now stands an excellent chance for final passage given the Barnes administration's backing and waning opposition. The legislation requires tax levying authorities to hold at least three public hearings if a proposed new millage rate, combined with reassessments, would result in a net property tax increase.

Tne authority also would have to buy a newspaper advertisement spelling out the percentage of the increase. And the burden of proof in a question of property value would shift from the citizen to the tax assessor, who would have to prove a case by a preponderance of evidence. In cases where a taxpayer wins an assessment appeal against a county board of equalization, and the final value is 85 percent or less of the reassessment in question, the county would have to pay all reasonable attorneys fees for the citizen. "That's going to be an issue you hear more about," said Jerry Griffin, executive director of the Association County Commissioners of Georgia. "That can be devastating to counties across the state." Griffin said some large commercial property owners can afford to hire lawyers for their assessment appeals.

Cobb tax assessor Phil Hogsed said his county currently has a case before the state Supreme Court where the. opposition has attorneys fees in the $500,000 range. "We believe the legal fees provision is necessary to protect the Young said. The Senate had passed SB 177 ove whelmingly after Barnes' floor leader; Sen. Steve Thompson (D-Powdftr1 Springs), argued for it.

But after critic's said the bill had serious Thompson acknowledged that it needed to i be revised. y.11 7 mmm project are opening doesn't mean construction is at an end. Work on the link from 1-75 to eastbound 1-285 will continue for a month or more, McGee said, and motorists will need to watch for occasional lane closures. And more work on the 1-28575 intersection is scheduled for years ahead. Cumberland Boulevard eventually will pass beneath 1-285.

And state engineers want to build a "flying bridge" that would allow northbound commuters on 1-75 to move onto westbound 1-285 more safely. Arena work to disrupt weekend C3 immediately, a number expected to rise to 25,000 by 2020, according to Cobb County DOT projections. The new interchange also features "gee whiz" traffic signals, said John Hibbard, manager of the Cobb County DOT's Operations Division. Most traffic signals are triggered by pressure-sensitive sensors embedded in the pavement. Several lights at the new interchange are instead controlled by television cameras, Hibbard said.

While initially more expensive, the new system should last much longer, he said. "There is no way a backhoe or pothole can take them out," Hibbard said. Just because the last ramps in the -Ml Sources: State and Cobb Staff County departments of transportation Cobb adopts 'Keep Your Daughter in School Day' Board member Gordon O'Neill favors taking daughters to work during the summertime. Foundation, Work Day organizer Heidi Burbage, said she doesn't see Cobb's decision as part of any trend. At least one Cobb parent says she'll ignore the new policy.

"It's better than going to the gold mines at Dahlonega. This impacts their future," said Debra Sartin, a UPS human resources executive. She has taken her daughter to work for three years and plans to do it next month, too. 1 stations had his daughter with him," said state School Superintendent Linda Schrenko. "It was quite a nice experience for her to get to think up questions she wanted to do for the interview." Schrenko said the state does not officially promote the day, but said it "is a part of teaching children work responsibility." Take Our Daughters to Work Day is a program of the Ms.

Foundation for Women, an offshoot of Ms. magazine. The program has developed broad support as businesses, Girl Scouts and other groups have gotten involved. It has grown every year since its start in 1993, the foundation says. About 15 million adults took girls to work last year.

A spokeswoman for the Ms. summer when it's not disruptive," said county school board member Gordon O'Neill. School officials say they support career opportunities for girls. But in an era of increasing focus on basic performance, officials say they want to keep children on campus. Many Cobb schools work career-related activities into the general curriculum, and they will plan extra in-school activities on April 22.

For the past five years, Cobb students have been allowed off, on an honor-system assumption that they will spend the day with parents. The result: 25 percent absenteeism, which has made it difficult for teachers to give tests or cover crucial material. Cobb apparently is the only By Henry Farber STAFF WRITER On the fourth Thursday of every April, thousands of girls in metro Atlanta skip classes to see what life is like in the real world. It's part of national Take Our Daughters to Work Day. Many metro school systems support the program, sometimes with only a wink and a nod, by allowing girls and boys, too to take excused absences, But this year, the Cobb County school system is opting out.

Parents are being notified that no children, girls or boys, will be allowed off April 22 to visit workplaces. "If they want to involve their daughters in their careers, do it during the metro Atlanta school district to issue such a systemwide edict. In Gwinnett County, the area's largest school system, individual schools or principals decide whether it is an appropriate absence. Similar policies are in place in Fulton, DeKalb, Henry, Clayton, Douglas, Paulding and Rockdale counties. Among state educators, the day has some big fans.

"List year, a gentleman filming with one of the television ajc.com The newspaper's Web site today features an online discussion forum, an interactive poll and links related to Take Our Daughters to Work Day. Georgia Building Authority will be the focus of Barnes' first outside audit. Legsoi tors approved additional money for such audits earlier this year. C5.