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Being a landlord can be a highly profitable venture. However, the current COVID-19 pandemic is, unfortunately, turning the rental property business on its head. Several tenants are losing their jobs…

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is encouraging City of Atlanta residents to continue to stay at home despite Gov. Brian Kemp’s controversial order to begin reopening businesses on Friday as the coronavirus pandemic continues.

During a morning phone conference with the Atlanta City Council, Bottoms said she had publicly expressed her concerns about the reopening order and would continue to do so. “I feel we are not in a position to begin opening up businesses in our city,” the mayor said.  “I’ve asked our law department to look at the governor’s order to see what we are empowered to do as a city. I encourage residents to stay home.”

Bottoms said city hall and city facilities would not be opening next week, and that she would be taking recommendations from the CDC and her health advisors about when it might be safe to do so. The mayor said Atlanta has been fortunate that the number of COVID-19 cases hadn’t been higher since steps were taken early to close down the city.

Bottoms said she would be meeting regularly with her advisory council on reopening the city. The mayor noted that two new COVID-19 testing  sites at Georgia State Stadium and Greenbriar Mall were open and she had joined other mayors in signing a letter to President Trump encouraging the collection of race and ethnicity data by zip code to track coronavirus hot spots.

Bottoms received a racial slur via anonymous text message last night, which was seen by her children. The message, which Bottoms posted on her Twitter feed, told her to reopen the city and used the n-word. Bottoms said she had a long conversation with her children and said “white supremacy is a sickness.” The mayor said she would not be deterred in her message. “Cowards don’t run for office,” she said. “I will continue to use my voice to speak for this community.

In other city updates, Bottoms said the city was serving meals to those in need at 19 recreation centers. There’s also a food program for senior citizens. Sign-up and information about both are at the ATLSTRONG.org website.

The mayor said approximately 2,000 homeless people had been tested in shelters and on the streets with 28 testing positive for COVID-19. She said an isolation hotel for the homeless in Downtown had been operational for two weeks and a second hotel partner was being sought. The city set aside $1.5 million to help the homeless and Bottoms said philanthropic partners had matched that sum.

Bottoms also discussed the Strength in Beauty relief fund for independent cosmetology workers being administered through Invest Atlanta and funded by philanthropic grants. “My mother owned a hair salon, so this is near and dear to my heart,” Bottoms said, noting she had made a $10,000 donation to the fund and encouraged the hair industry and public to make donations via ATLSTRONG.org.

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Nonprofit arts organizations across Atlanta are expected to collectively lose $10.6 million due to the coronavirus shut down. The data comes from a new survey of more than 55 arts nonprofits conducted by Lara Smith, managing director of Dad’s Garage Theatre.

The data comes from a survey of most of the leading arts organizations in metro Atlanta, including many nonprofits that are part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies cohort. The Atlanta Regional Commission assisted in the creation of the survey and data analysis. Some of the organizations surveyed include Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Ballet, Actor’s Express, Horizon Theatre, High Museum of Art, Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA), Decatur Book Festival, 7 Stages, Atlanta Jewish Music Festival, City Springs Theatre Company, True Colors Theatre Company, and Youth Ensemble of Atlanta.

Organizations are looking at average losses of $25,000 to over $1 million, depending on budget size. For instance, organizations with budgets under $250,000 are currently set to lose an average of $25,000 while organizations with budgets of between $1 million and $2 million are set to lose $345,000 on average.

“All in, right now there are $10.6 million in anticipated losses across the arts nonprofit sector in Atlanta,” Smith said. “This number will only go up, as these numbers are underreported, by a large margin. Four organizations with budgets of over $10 million participated in the survey, but only three reported anticipated losses. And we had one third of the region’s nonprofit arts organizations participate.”

Perhaps the most disturbing figure in the survey is that 19 percent of arts nonprofits in Atlanta aren’t sure they are going to make it, and may close permanently. Another 34 percent are only going to make it if they get assistance from the Small Business Administration (SBA) or similar loan programs.

Smith said 96 precent of respondents expressed the need for additional funding in the form of an unrestricted grant with a total need of $4.78 million. Those surveyed indicated needing just over $2.5 million in loans, with 65 percent of that falling into the long-term loan category, as many have concerns they will not receive SBA funding.

“There are organizations that have $1 to $2 million budgets, which may seem like a lot, are in precarious positions,” Smith warned. “If they lose $345,000 and don’t have a financial buffer, the losses could sink them.”

Many arts organizations also expressed uncertainty about when they would reopen their doors. “Arts organizations are trying to wrap their heads around the timeline for reopening. Some were saying this summer, some were saying not until 2021,” Smith stated.

There is some good news to this survey, including the fact that 64 percent of organizations started the COVID-19 crisis with a financial safety net in the form of a reserves, a line of credit, or an endowment. The average amount of buffer is six months, but ranges from one month to four years. Also, 30 percent  of respondents have not made any staffing changes, as they have been able to maintain current payroll and contractor payments.

According  to Josh Phillipson, who manages Arts and Culture for the Atlanta Regional Commission, the nonprofit arts and culture sector is a $719.8 million industry in metro Atlanta – one that supports 23,514 full-time equivalent jobs and generates $64.5 million in local and state government revenue.

“Spending by nonprofit arts and cultural organizations totaled $434.8 million in metro Atlanta during fiscal year 2015,” Phillipson said. “This money moves through our local economy and supports a variety of businesses and government initiatives. Event-related spending by arts attendees totaled $285 million in Metro Atlanta during fiscal year 2015, excluding the cost of event admission.”

Smith said cutting arts organizations and artists out of economic relief packages would be a mistake, especially since our sector is central to building a strong economy.

Arts and culture organizations – theaters, music venues, museums –  have a symbiotic relationship with many other industries, such as tourism, hotels/hospitality, travel, restaurants, and nightlife, she said.

“Dinner and a show”is a real thing – people want to go out and have a great night on the town, they want to see a show and have a delicious dinner,” Smith added. “Music venues and museums draw in tourists, which helps our hotel and airline industries. When looking for new corporate headquarters, companies often consider the density of arts organizations – they know their employees want to live in a vibrant, fun, enjoyable town.”

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What do Georgia’s cities mean to their local leaders and residents? How can we communicate why they matter? The Georgia Municipal Association provides an annual data snapshot to help answer these questions and tells a brief but comprehensive story of the achievements – and challenges – in its 538 member cities.

Cities play a vital role in the state’s economy by providing jobs and producing the vast majority of Georgia’s gross domestic product. They do so despite taking up a small proportion of the state’s land, containing less than half of the state’s population, and being predominantly small in terms of population size.

Georgia’s cities are attractive places to live, so much so that their population growth outpaces that of the state. City populations also increase by about a quarter every day due to commuting.

Cities provide important services to residents and visitors alike. But revenue streams to fund essential items such as water, sewer, or fire and police protection are limited because most of the state’s tax-exempt property is located in cities.

Cities are doing their part to invest in the future. Local governments receive overwhelming voter approval for special local option sales taxes (SPLOST) to fund capital projects. Whether on a county-wide or regional basis, cities collaborate with other local governments to maintain and improve Georgia’s infrastructure.

And yet, local funds will not always be enough. Use this document in your advocacy efforts for a long-term, strong local-state-federal partnership and help GMA and your city address local infrastructure needs.

There’s no doubt about it, real estate cash flow is a MUST for any rental property. To ensure you have cash flow properties, you will need analytics. For the longest…

The CARES Act 2020 was viewed as a momentous move by the US government to support Americans during the coronavirus pandemic. However, the pandemic and city lockdowns continue. Unemployment claims…

Just in time for Earth Day, the Atlanta City Council approved the acquisition of a 216-acre forest commonly known as the Lake Charlotte Nature Preserve in southeast Atlanta.

The property—which encompasses one of the largest old growth forests in Atlanta—was under major threat of industrial development and forest loss. To protect the land, The Conservation Fund purchased it from Waste Management in December 2019, and it is now on track to be acquired and permanently protected by the city. This will be one of the largest greenspace acquisitions in the city’s history and provides critical protection for the South River Watershed.

The nature preserve is located near the intersection of Moreland Avenue and I-20, an area with historically heavy industrial usage with little access to recreational greenspace. The Lake Charlotte property has 98 percent canopy cover encompassing predominantly native tree species, according to a report prepared by Trees Atlanta in 2019. The greenspace also includes a portion of an archaeologically significant ridge known for its Native American soapstone quarries and workshops, dating back to 3000 B.C. The development and stewardship of this culturally and naturally significant space will be a collaborative effort among government, education, environmental and social organizations.

Despite its name, the Lake Charlotte Nature Preserve was not previously on a path toward conservation. Spearheaded by The Conservation Fund, City of Atlanta Department of City Planning and City of Atlanta Department of Parks & Recreation, this effort will conserve approximately 60,000 trees in one of the highest quality forests remaining in the city.

“Lake Charlotte Nature Preserve will be the first greenspace acquisition funded through the city’s tree ordinance, which was modified several years ago to allow for both the planting of new trees and the protection of intact, mature forests to mitigate tree loss to new development in the city,” Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said in a media statement. “Thank you to The Conservation Fund and the Arthur M. Blank Foundation for their unwavering commitment and partnership in helping to preserve natural resources that are important to our city.”

“We’ve been working for almost two years to prioritize purchasing land that will significantly increase our tree canopy protection efforts as part of the Atlanta Canopy Alliance. This property is the number one priority on that list,” said Stacy Funderburke, regional counsel and conservation acquisition associate for The Conservation Fund. “This is the first step to not only expand the city’s tree canopy protection but also provide additional outdoor recreational access for the Atlanta community.”

The Conservation Fund has been the City of Atlanta’s Department of Parks & Recreation’s primary acquisition partner for new park and greenspace expansion since 2003 and has also supported Atlanta Beltline, Inc. on acquisition priorities since 2015. With the support of The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation’s $2 million revolving fund dedicated to acquiring greenspaces across Atlanta, The Conservation Fund has completed nearly 50 greenspace projects, acquiring over 400 acres valued at a total of $32.1 million. The Lake Charlotte acquisition, at approximately $4.5 million, is the Fund’s single largest purchase to conserve greenspace in the City of Atlanta to date. Revolving fund support from both the Blank Foundation and the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation were critical in its success.

This also represents a significant commitment by the City of Atlanta in the One Million Trees Initiative, launched by Trees Atlanta in partnership with nine other Atlanta non-profits. This single acquisition will add over 60,000 trees towards the goal of saving one million trees in the Atlanta metro area. “This is a big win for the residents of Atlanta,” said Greg Levine, Co-Director of Trees Atlanta. “The primary goal of the Atlanta Canopy Alliance and the One Million Trees Initiative is to protect high quality forests throughout metro Atlanta. Partnerships are so important to make projects like this a reality because tree protection impacts so many communities, stakeholders, and decision-makers. We are very excited to be a part of protecting this unique natural resource for our city.”

The Atlanta Canopy Alliance, a coalition focused on protecting Atlanta’s canopy, includes The Conservation Fund, Trees Atlanta, The Nature Conservancy, West Atlanta Watershed Alliance, Atlanta Audubon Society, Park Pride, the Trust for Public Land, and the Georgia Conservancy. This acquisition in the South River Forest area was a key focus of the City’s Urban Ecology Framework led by the City of Atlanta’s Department of Planning and Community Development.

When the acquisition is completed in early summer, the City of Atlanta Parks Department will work on a plan for security, public access and stewardship of this unique forest. It will also work with the community and other stakeholders to plan for future greenspace amenities like nature trails. Groups like The Nature Conservancy and Park Pride will work to engage the surrounding communities in this development process to ensure an equitable outcome for the preserve’s usage. Once completed, the City of Atlanta’s Department of Parks & Recreation will manage and maintain the nature preserve as a city park.

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President Donald Trump said during his Wednesday evening coronavirus briefing that he “strongly” disagrees with Gov. Brian Kemp’s decision to reopen businesses on Friday.

“I told the governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp, that I disagree – strongly – with his decision to open certain facilities, which is violation of the phase one guidelines,” Trump said. “He must do what he thinks is right, but I disagree with him on what he’s doing. If I see something totally egregious or totally out of line, I’ll do [something].

Trump said opening spas, beauty salons, tattoo parlors and barber shops in phase one of reopening the economy “is just too soon.”

Kemp announced Monday that gyms, nail shops, beauty salons, barbershops, tattoo parlors, massage parlors and bowling alleys would be allowed to open on April 24 and restaurant dining rooms, private social clubs and movie theaters on April 27.

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More than half of communication executives said employee engagement (63%) and collaboration (58%) have increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, while feedback on productivity varied, with 40% indicating that it had declined and 25% reporting that it had increased. The findings are according to a new global survey by the Institute for Public Relations (IPR) and Peppercomm.

The survey, the second in a series of three COVID-19-specific communications reports fielded by IPR and Peppercomm, polled 403 communication executives and senior leaders and analyzed how the pandemic has impacted the workforce.

Overall, communication executives reported their function is a critical component of their company’s internal crisis response, with only five percent reporting being uninvolved. Ninety percent said their company’s leadership has handled the COVID-19 crisis effectively.

“With lives at stake, companies had to ramp up their communication efforts significantly and quickly, including being flexible and introducing new tools at a rapid rate for a wide range of employees,” said Tina McCorkindale, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Institute for Public Relations. “Companies also appear to be more empathetic toward workers who are stressed, many of whom are living in highly uncertain times while juggling multiple responsibilities.”

Looking ahead, return-to-work preparations were in the early stages, as only 10% of communication executives reported having done extensive planning while 60% had not started planning for the return or did not know about return-to-work preparations for their employees. Only 42% of respondents have done at least “some” planning. About one-quarter (27%) said they are planning for a phased or gradual return of their employees, while 12% said they will return all at once.

“One of the other remarkable findings was the near universal lack of preparedness to return to work on the part of senior communicators,” said Steve Cody, founder and CEO of Peppercomm. “I understand we are dealing with one unexpected crisis after another, but if CCOs and agency leaders alike don’t begin to look up and look ahead NOW for how best to manage their direct reports when they return, they will find major gaps in quality, service and productivity. This is especially problematic for organizations whose teams will return to work on a staggered basis.”

Other critical subjects covered in this most recent report include employee satisfaction and productivity; how companies are preparing for employees’ return to work; the most trusted go-to sources, topics, and channels; measurement; and how diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives have fared during the pandemic.  

Additional key findings include:

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. The survey also indicates that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) was not a top priority for some communication executives. Only 19% of companies are communicating information focused on DE&I to their employees.

Working from Home. On average, respondents reported 13% of their company’s employees worked from home before COVID-19, compared to 77% during COVID-19, and an estimated 23% following COVID-19. 

Job Reduction. More than half of communication executives said their company is not planning to layoff (55%) or has not furloughed (67%) employees, but only 31% have made a commitment not to do so in the future.

Focus on Mental, Physical, and Emotional Health. Two-thirds of communication leaders said they were sending their employees information about their physical (70%) and mental (65%) health.

How Leaders Are Communicating. Communication executives credit consistent key messages, and frequent, personal communication with employees from a reliable source as critical to their efforts. Three-quarters of respondents said the CEO was “very involved” with internal communication.

Employee Feedback. Respondents reported that employee trust (49%) and satisfaction (32%) increased at their companies. The top methods communication executives used to track results in their internal communication or to seek employee feedback were informal listening tools and methods (e.g., check-ins, web visits, email open-rates, HR feedback). Nearly one-in-four were not tracking at all and only about one-fourth (28%) surveyed their employees.

To read the full report, please visit https://instituteforpr.org/how-companies-are-engaging-employees-during-covid-19/.  The Institute for Public Relations and Peppercomm will collaborate on a third report in mid-May that will ask senior communications leaders to look ahead to what will be the new normal for the profession.

American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index rose 1.2% in March after increasing 1.8% in February. In March, the index equaled 120.4 (2015=100) compared with 119 in February.

“March was the storm before the calm, especially for carriers hauling consumer staples, which experienced strong freight levels,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “But there was a huge divergence among freight types. While freight to grocery stores and big box retailers was strong in March, especially late March, due to surge buying by households, freight was anemic in other supply chains, like that for gasoline, restaurants, and auto factories.  

“Because of this, and the continued shuttering of many parts of the economy, I would expect April tonnage to be very soft,” he said.

Compared with March 2019, the SA index increased 4.3%, which was preceded by a 2.6% year-over-year gain in February. During the first quarter, the index rose 1.5% compared with the fourth quarter of last year and 2.4% from a year earlier.

The not seasonally adjusted index, which represents the change in tonnage actually hauled by the fleets before any seasonal adjustment, equaled 120.9 in March, 11.8% above the February level (108.2). In calculating the index, 100 represents 2015.

Trucking serves as a barometer of the U.S. economy, representing 71.4% of tonnage carried by all modes of domestic freight transportation, including manufactured and retail goods. Trucks hauled 11.49 billion tons of freight in 2018. Motor carriers collected $796.7 billion, or 80.3% of total revenue earned by all transport modes.

ATA calculates the tonnage index based on surveys from its membership and has been doing so since the 1970s. This is a preliminary figure and subject to change in the final report issued around the 5th day of each month. The report includes month-to-month and year-over-year results, relevant economic comparisons, and key financial indicators.