Brookhaven News, Updates and Resources The Brookhaven Blast Brookhaven News, Updates and Resources CITY OF BROOKHAVEN NEWS Brookhaven appoints first Latina City Clerk The City of Brookhaven made history this week by officially swearing in its first ever Latina City Clerk. Sandra Bryant was promoted from Deputy City Clerk to the first Latina to run the City's Clerk’s office. The Mayor and Council appointed Sandra Bryant as City Clerk during their June 13 meeting, a position that will go into effect on July 1, 2023. “Sandra is highly qualified, knows the City, has credentials, and furthers our ongoing commitment to our burgeoning Hispanic community by having a bilingual Clerk,” said Mayor John Ernst. Full story here. Brookhaven Finance Department wins Excellence in Financial Reporting For yet another year the City of Brookhaven’s Finance Department has won the Excellence in Financial Reporting Award from the Government Finance Officers Association. This is the seventh consecutive year Brookhaven has earned this award. “We work hard to ensure that Brookhaven’s finances maintain a high level of accuracy, integrity and transparency,” said Finance Director Oscar Medina, pictured with the Mayor and City Council above. “It is gratifying to earn this recognition from the Government Finance Officers Association.” More info here. New Lynwood Park pool and splash pad open this Saturday, June 17; ribbon-cutting follows on June 21 Lynwood Park’s new pool and splash pad will open to the public on Saturday, June 17, at 10 a.m. just in time for summer. A ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, June 21, at 5 p.m. will be held to officially mark the occasion. The lap pool and splash pad are part of the Parks Bond projects, approved by voters in 2018 after substantial public input. Lynwood Park improvements also include a new pavilion and synthetic turf field. More info here. Parks Bond News: Brookhaven Park A construction contract has been awarded for improvements to Brookhaven Park. Work should begin in mid-July. The project will include rebuilding the dog park parking lot and the dog park restrooms/pavilion/patio building. Also, a new larger playground with restrooms and a pavilion are included. The dog park area will be closed during construction. The front parking lot and front half of the park will remain open. A plan of the improvements can be found on the City website at www.BrookhavenGA.gov/Parks-Bond-Ref. Census 2020 correction reflects a larger Brookhaven The COVID-19 pandemic was still in its infancy when the U.S. Census Bureau was charged to conduct its decennial population count in 2020. This made for a rough going for census-takers, amid widespread quarantines, closures, and social distancing. The census kicked off just over 3 months after the LaVista Park community successfully petitioned to be annexed into the City of Brookhaven, the largest such annexation in Georgia history. Due to an administrative error, LaVista Park was included in the unincorporated DeKalb County map. Brookhaven staff immediately sought to correct the error when the count was released in 2021, and in October of last year the Bureau officially accepted the City’s petition for a corrected count. Due to an overwhelming number of petitions in the pipeline however, progress stalled. However, the 1,182 citizens of LaVista Park are finally recognized as Brookhaven citizens. Patty Hansen, Brookhaven’s Director of Strategic Partnerships, explains that an accurate population count has an exponential impact on the distribution of both local and federal funding. Full story here. City offices closed for Juneteenth City of Brookhaven administrative offices will be closed Monday, June 19, in observance of Juneteenth, and will reopen Tuesday, June 20, at 8:30 a.m. Summer edition of Brookhaven City News available now The Summer edition of Brookhaven City News is available to read or download. Email News@BrookhavenGA.gov to have a complimentary copy mailed to your home. Brookhaven holding public hearings for 2023 millage rate Residents are encouraged to attend upcoming public hearings for the 2023 millage rate. Anyone who wants to attend and or participate can do so in person or virtually via Zoom. A public hearing was held Tuesday, June 13, with two more scheduled for Wednesday, June 28, at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. at City Hall at 4362 Peachtree Road, Brookhaven. More info here. Brookhaven Parks & Recreation Summer Activity Guide available now Brookhaven Parks and Recreation Department's Summer Activity Guide is available for download now in English and Spanish. To have a copy mailed to your home, email News@BrookhavenGa.gov Front Yard Tree Program takes root in Brookhaven Back by popular demand, Brookhaven is once again partnering with Trees Atlanta to sponsor the Front Yard Tree Program. In this partnership, Trees Atlanta will plant up to 80 trees. Homeowners can choose one of five varieties of White oak, Overcup oak, Willow oak, River Birch and Sycam