A podcast where DeKalb County, Georgia, District 4's Commissioner Chakira Johnson discusses Board of Commissioners meeting outcomes and community news with District 4's Communications Specialist, Carrie.
Chakira's Corner: DeKalb County District 4 Updates
Claim This Podcastby Commissioner Chakira Johnson
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14 episodes
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Podcast Overview
A podcast where DeKalb County, Georgia, District 4's Commissioner Chakira Johnson discusses Board of Commissioners meeting outcomes and community news with District 4's Communications Specialist, Carrie.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
6/6/2025
1 verified contact email on file for Chakira's Corner: DeKalb County District 4 Updates
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Recent Episodes
July 6, 2026
From Potholes to a $4.27B Water Plan: How DeKalb County Gets Things Done
<p>In this episode, Commissioner Chakira Johnson sits down with DeKalb County Chief Operating Officer Zach Williams to pull back the curtain on how the county actually operates day to day. You'll hear what the $4.27 billion water and sewer investment means for your neighborhood, why the permitting system is getting a long-overdue overhaul, and how DeKalb is preparing for the World Cup coming to Atlanta. From road paving to public safety to the new county website, this conversation connects the dots between big-picture policy and the services residents rely on every day.</p><p>0:00 - Welcome to Chakira's Corner</p><p>1:35 - Why Zach Williams came to DeKalb</p><p>3:50 - Commissioner Johnson joins the conversation6:40 - What a county COO actually does</p><p>8:50 - Running a $1.9 billion operation</p><p>12:50 - Getting DeKalb ready for the World Cup</p><p>16:30 - Permitting, dashboards, and the new website</p><p>24:10 - How DeKalb has evolved (and SPLOST)</p><p>29:30 - The people who keep the county running</p><p>34:00 - The $4.27 billion water and sewer plan</p><p>40:40 - Final takeaways and how to reach them</p><p><br></p><p>DeKalb CountyDeKalb County government https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov</p><p>311 Citizen Help Center (dial 311) — https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/residents/report-311</p><p>Board of Commissioners — https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/board-commissioners/board-commissionersCommission District 4 –</p><p>Chakira Johnson — https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/board-commissioners/commission-district-4-chakira-johnsonTopics in this episode</p><p>SPLOST (sales tax & projects) — https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/splost/splost</p><p>SPLOST project list — https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/departments/splost/splost-projects</p><p>Building permits — https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/planning-and-sustainability/building-permitse</p><p>Plans / e-permitting portal — https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/planning-and-sustainability/eplansPermit </p><p>Tracker — https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/383d47460eff4f2eb0b56e076c185351</p><p>Watershed Management (water/sewer, Scott Candler plant, 10-year plan) — https://dekalbcountyga.gov/departments/watershed-management</p><p>Discover DeKalb (CVB / World Cup) — https://discoverdekalb.com</p><p>MARTA — https://www.itsmarta.com</p><p>Grady Health — https://www.gradyhealth.org</p><p>Reach Commissioner Chakira Johnson</p><p>Email — chakira@dekalbcountyga.gov</p><p>Bluesky / X — @CommissionerCJJ</p><p>All platforms — https://linktr.ee/commissionerchakirajohnson</p>
June 1, 2026
Enforcing Loitering, Demolition, and Blight Tax with DeKalb Code Compliance | Chakira’s Corner
<p>On this episode of Chakira's Corner, host Matt Shedd sits down with DeKalb County Director of Code Compliance and Enforcement Tonza Clark and Commissioner Chakira Johnson for a deep look at how DeKalb is reimagining property and code enforcement. Director Clark walks through the new proactive approach: six-day-a-week operations, hotel-motel sweeps, the loitering enforcement partnership with DeKalb Police that has reached close to 100% compliance at convenience stores and gas stations, and the new blight tax that can charge non-compliant property owners ten times the regular tax rate. Commissioner Johnson shares District 4 wins, including two recent demolitions on Shepherd Road and West Mountain Street, and connects her Engineer Progress for DeKalb vision with CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson's Reimagine DeKalb initiative. Tune in for the full conversation, plus how to reach Code Compliance directly.</p><p>0:00 - Welcome & Meet Director Tonza Clark</p><p>4:31 - Scope of Code Compliance</p><p>6:08 - District 4 Constituent Complaints</p><p>7:22 - Proactive Approach: Six Days a Week</p><p>8:22 - Loitering Initiative & Police Partnership</p><p>12:37 - Safer Communities in District 4</p><p>14:01 - The Enforcement Process Walkthrough</p><p>16:25 - Vacant & Foreclosure Property Registry</p><p>21:02 - Demolitions & the In-Rem Process</p><p>26:59 - Party Houses & the Noise Ordinance</p><p>33:50 - Final Takeaways & the New Blight Tax</p><p>41:05 - How to Reach Code Compliance</p><p>Relevant Links and Contact Info:</p><p>-DeKalb County Code Compliance (File a Complaint) -<a href="https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/code-compliance/code-compliance"> <u>https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/code-compliance/code-compliance</u></a></p><p>-Code Compliance Phone: 404-687-3700</p><p>-Code Compliance Email: codeenforce@dekalbcountyga.gov</p><p>-Commissioner Chakira Johnson, DeKalb District 4 -<a href="https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/government/board-of-commissioners/districts/chakira-johnson"> <u>https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/government/board-of-commissioners/districts/chakira-johnson</u></a></p><p>-Commissioner Johnson's Official Website</p><p><a href="https://www.commissionerchakirajohnson.com"><u>https://www.commissionerchakirajohnson.com</u></a></p><p><br></p><p>All of Commissioner Johnson's Social Handles <a href="https://linktr.ee/commissionerchakirajohnson"><u>https://linktr.ee/commissionerchakirajohnson</u></a></p><p><br></p><p>Commissioner Johnson Email: chakira@dekalbcountyga.gov</p><p><br></p>
April 6, 2026
How the DeKalb Library System Provides Literacy, Digital Access, and Community | Chakira’s Corner
<p>In this episode of Chakira's Corner, Commissioner Chakira Johnson sits down with DeKalb County Public Library Director Alison Weissinger to pull back the curtain on everything the county's 23-branch library system actually offers — from early childhood programs like 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten to free Wi-Fi hotspot loans, LinkedIn Learning, Mango Languages, and no-cost digital access to the New York Times. They talk about how individual branches respond to their specific communities, what the county is doing to ease pressure on libraries from unhoused residents, and why current federal threats to library funding should matter to every DeKalb resident. If you have a library card and aren't using these resources yet, this episode will change that. And if you don't have one, you'll want one by the time it's over.</p><ul><li><p>0:00 Intro</p></li><li><p>1:21 Director Weissinger's Path to the Library</p></li><li><p>2:54 30 Years of Change at DeKalb Libraries</p></li><li><p>4:13 Why Libraries Matter for District 4</p></li><li><p>6:12 Beyond Books: Programs and Community Resources</p></li><li><p>8:08 A Thousand Books Before Kindergarten</p></li><li><p>12:12 Summer Reading and Fighting the Summer Slide</p></li><li><p>13:33 Free Online Resources with Your Library Card</p></li><li><p>19:17 Hotspots, Chromebooks, and Digital Access</p></li><li><p>25:35 Threats to Libraries and How to Help</p></li><li><p>29:14 Supporting Libraries Through Advocacy and Donations</p></li><li><p>31:11 The Library Foundation and Friends Groups</p></li><li><p>36:16 Stay Connected with the Library and Commissioner Johnson</p></li></ul><p><br></p><p>Links: </p><p>DeKalb County Public Library </p><p>DeKalbLibrary.org</p><p>DeKalb Library Resources for Young Children</p><p>dekalblibrary.org/read-and-grow</p><p>A Thousand Books Before Kindergarten </p><p>dekalblibrary.org/read-and-grow/1000-books</p><p>Computers and Technology </p><p>dekalblibrary.org/using-the-library/computers</p><p>Friends of the Library </p><p>dekalblibrary.org/support-us/friends-of-the-library</p><p>Library Newsletters </p><p>dekalblibrary.org/newsletters</p><p>Library Events Calendar </p><p>events.dekalblibrary.org/events</p><p>Email Commissioner Johnson </p><p>chakira@dekalbcountyga.gov</p><p>Commissioner Johnson, All Links </p><p>linktr.ee/commissionerchakirajohnson</p><p><br></p>
14 total episodes available
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- What is Chakira's Corner: DeKalb County District 4 Updates?
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This podcast updates daily.
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Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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