The Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Savannah will be accepting applications for appointment(s) and reappointment(s) to the following Boards, Commissions and Authorities: Civil Service, Downtown Savannah Authority, Ethics, Historic District Authority of Review, Housing Authority of Savannah, Savannah Hospitality Authority, and Savannah Zoning Board of Appeals.

Applications can be found on the City’s website: www.savannahga.gov/boards and will be accepted beginning Thursday, December 21, 2017.  No applications will be accepted after noon on Monday, January 22, 2018.   

CIVIL SERVICE BOARD 

• Three (3) members appointed to overlapping six (6) year terms by City Council. Basic function is to hear appeals from disciplinary action against an employee when it is alleged the action is taken for political or religious reasons.
• The labor Seat should be filled by someone who is not a management-level employee: this person does not have to be member of a labor union. 
• Members must be a Chatham County resident for at least five (5) years. 
• No term limits. 
• One (1) term available for appointment

DOWNTOWN SAVANNAH AUTHORITY 

• Five (5) members, including the Mayor or member of City Council serving his/her term of office and four (4) City residents appointed to four (4) year terms by City Council, as well as a member of the Chatham County Delegation to the GA Legislature.
• Encourages construction of new parking facilities and provides financial incentives for private projects which have economic benefits to the downtown area.
• One (1) term available for appointment

ETHICS BOARD 

• The board will hear and conduct review of complaints filed against elected officials of the City; if such complaints involve impropriety of elected officials and violation of the provisions of the Ethics Ordinance, and if such violations affected the elected official’s ability to carry out his/her official duties.  Members shall be known for their personal integrity.
• The Mayor shall appoint one (1) member; the Aldermen shall appoint one (1) member; together the Mayor and Aldermen shall appoint one (1) member who shall be an attorney in good standing with the State bar. 
• Members must reside in the City and not be an elected official or City employee.  Board members shall be prohibited from engaging in City election, political activities, and from making campaign contributions to candidates in City elections during their terms as board members.
• Members shall serve a four (4) year term. 
• Three (3) terms available for appointment

HISTORIC DISTRICT BOARD OF REVIEW

• Eleven (11) members appointed to three (3) year terms by Savannah City Council including one (1) small business owner with an architectural background. 
• Makes decisions on new construction and any changes to historic structures in the City’s Historic District. 
• One (1) term available for appointment

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF SAVANNAH

• Established pursuant to general law O.C.G.A. 8-3-1 et seq. which creates a Housing Authority for each City and County.
• The general law provides for a governing body of five (5) Commissioners serving a five (5) year term with one (1) appointment each year. Vacancies are filled for the unexpired terms.
• Commissioners serve until a successor is named. The terms begin, on January 5th of each year. Any appointment after January 5th would be for the remainder of the term expiring on January 5th.  
• The General Assembly of 1994 repealed all special legislation providing for additional Commissioners and Residents, thus the only Commissioners are the five (5) Regular Commissioners appointed pursuant to general law.
• One (1) term available for appointment

SAVANNAH HOSPITAL AUTHORITY

• Seven (7) members appointed to staggered four (4) year terms by City Council. 
• Arranges the contractual agreements between Candler General Hospital and purchases of hospital authority bonds used to finance the building of their complex off DeRenne Ave.
• Six (6) terms are available for appointment

SAVANNAH ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

• Seven (7) members appointed to overlapping three (3) year terms by City Council. 
• No term limits.
• Members must reside in the City limits Members cannot hold public office, except for one appointee who must be a current member of the Metropolitan Planning Commission. 
• Board hears and rules on appeals from decisions of the zoning administrator and hears and rules on requests for permits which require the board’s approval.
• One (1) term available for appointment

Upon completion of the appointment process by the Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Savannah, all applicants and appointees will be notified.

For further information, contact the Office of the Clerk of Council.  Telephone 651-6442, Fax 651-4260 or Email – clerkofcouncil@savannahga.gov

Parking Advisories and Road Closures Announced
for Veteran's Day Parade

On Saturday, November 11th, a number of downtown neighborhood streets will be closed for the staging and parade in celebration of Veteran's Day. Please follow the link below to review maps and notifications to see if your street may be affected.

http://scmpd.org/veteransdayparade/

This is a reminder that the Rock ‘n’ Roll Savannah Marathon and ½ Marathon is this Saturday, November 4. The 5k and 1 mile race will take place in Daffin Park on Sunday, November 5. Click on the links below for important race week information. To help avoid road closures on race day download the Waze app to your smart phone!

The Downtown Neighborhood Association has been notified that the City of Savannah will not enforce street sweep parking this weekend (Friday and Saturday nights) due to the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon and the parking restrictions that come with the race.

• Saturday Course Map
• Sunday Course Map
• Saturday Road Closures
• Sunday Road Closures
• No Parking Information
• Interactive course map
• Waze Navigation App

Visit the race website for additional road closure and access information. 

The annual Concourse d’Elegance/Savannah Speed Classic will be held this weekend.  On Thursday, October 26 race cars will be test driving their vehicles on Hutchinson Island.  They will then proceed to City Market around 5:00 p.m. where vehicles will be displayed through 9:00 p.m.

On Friday, October 27 and Saturday, October 28, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sunday, October 29, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., the event will be taking place on Hutchinson Island.

Please note, you may experience noise from the engines during these times.  The City is working with the event organizers to ensure engine noise is limited to the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and not before 9:00 a.m. on Sunday.  Additionally, a quiet time has been established for Sunday, October 29, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

If you have any concerns, please contact the event organizers at 843-785-7469 (ext. 4).

Dear Neighbors, 

The Savannah College of Art and Design Admission Department will host a SCAD Day on Saturday, October 7, from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. at our offices in Poetter Hall (342 Bull Street). We wanted to let you know in advance to avoid any inconvenience on this date as the event may attract several hundred prospective students and their parents from all over the country. Registration will take place at Gryphon from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m., so please be aware of increased foot traffic in the vicinity. Additionally, parking meters will be blocked off on Bull Street between Charlton and Jones in order to allow space for our college tour buses to pick up our visitors. If you have any questions or concerns prior to this event, please contact me at 912-344-5809 or kjohnston@scad.edu. The warmth and beauty of historic Savannah, your home and ours, attract many people to the city and to the college. We appreciate your patience and hospitality to all prospective and current SCAD students. 

Sincerely, 

Katy Baker Johnston Assistant Director, 

Enrollment Events Savannah College of Art and Design

[WASHINGTON, DC, September 27, 2017] – Downtown Neighborhood Association (DNA) president, Melinda Allen will speak on behalf of the Savannah downtown residential community and Historic Savannah Foundation regarding sustainable tourism and preservation at the United Nations Foundation’s Environment Forum today, Tuesday, September 27th. The forum is designed to showcase the importance of the UN’s declaration of 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. This invitation-only, day-long event is taking place at the UN Foundation in Washington, DC.

Allen joins an esteemed lineup of key thought leaders in the field of responsible travel, as well as officials, executives with an interest in sustainable tourism. The keynote speaker, Elizabeth Becker, author of Overbooked: The Exploding Business of Travel and Tourism, who visited Savannah in 2016 will speak on the key challenges facing travel and tourism today.

Allen’s presentation shares the story of Savannah’s historic preservation movement and how the City is striving to establish a sustainable balance between visitors and residents. Allen has served on the Board of Directors of the Downtown Neighborhood Association for the past four years as President and CEO.

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A new, more convenient system of fare-free dot shuttles will launch in Savannah on September 25, connecting riders with popular destinations throughout downtown and reaching as far as Forsyth Park.

Two new dot routes will be available: a downtown loop will bring riders through the core of Savannah’s historic downtown and a Forsyth loop will give riders access to Forsyth Park from downtown. These new routes and stops replace the existing dot shuttle and Liberty Street parking garage shuttle.

The new shuttles will arrive at designated stops approximately every 10 minutes. The service will be available for riders Monday – Friday: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m., Saturday: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., Sunday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

The implementation of the new shuttles and routes is part of the Parking Matters study, a comprehensive mobility management plan that aims to provide a variety of mobility options, reduce congestion, and enhance the overall quality of life for Savannah residents, employees, and visitors alike.

The dot shuttle service is a partnership between the City of Savannah, Chatham Area Transit, and Savannah Mobility Management, Inc.

For more information and to view the route map, visit www.connectonthedot.com.

At today's Downtown Neighborhood Association meeting, Sean Brandon with the City of Savannah announced some welcome changes to residential parking. 

Click here to view the presentation.

Every year the Savannah Bicycle Campaign and the Coastal Region Metropolitan Planning Organization join forces to measure bicycle and pedestrian traffic at locations around Savannah.

Why is this important? Read this: I count bike people.

Volunteers are needed to conduct bicycle counts on the following dates and times:

• Saturday, Sept. 23, noon-2 p.m.
• Tuesday, Sept. 26, 5-7 p.m.
• Thursday, Sept. 28, 5-7 p.m.

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