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The City of Savannah will hold a public meeting next week to present a new proposal to install paid parking at Forsyth Park.

The meeting is April 24 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Civic Center's O'Connor Room.

The proposal from City staff suggests implementing a new parking charge of $1 per hour in three locations in Forsyth Park that have been free of charge: the Drayton Street Café lot, the Park Avenue Tennis Court lot and the angled spaces on the park-side of Park Avenue.

Parking would be enforced Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m.- 8 p.m., beginning in July 2018, in accordance with new parking measures already instituted north of that area.

"Revenue generated in the first year will be used to cover the initial cost of the meters and other ancillary start-up costs," says a City spokesperson.

"Additional revenue will be used to maintain park facilities (including the Band Shell, Café building and restrooms), provide additional police patrols and install a public restroom at the south end of the park, and to upgrade the band shell lighting," the spokesperson says.

The City says that spaces in the Forsyth lots are often occupied by vehicles that are parked there all day long, and sometimes for days.

"Residents and members of the business community are encouraged to attend and to share any feedback or concerns about the proposed changes."

Tonight, April 17, 6-8 p.m., there will be a Candidate Forum for Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS) Board District Candidates.

It will be held at the Armstrong Center, 13040 Abercorn Street, on the Georgia Southern University Armstrong Campus in Savannah.

The community forum is hosted by Georgia Southern University College of Education and the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.

SCCPSS board district races include: District 4, Shawn Anton Kachmar; District 5, Irene Gadson Hines and Theresa L. Watson; District 6, Alfreda Jeanette Goldwire and David Andrew Bringman; and District 8, Ruby D. Jones and Tonia Denise Howard-Hall.

Tonight's forum will be moderated by Ben Senger of WSAV TV.

The Chatham County Police Department (CCPD) says today "that several robberies and car-jackings have occurred in the past few months at apartment complexes in the Georgetown area."

The car-jackings involved the suspect "accosting victims late at night/early morning as they pulled in to park their vehicle," they report.

CCPD wants citizens to be alert if anything seems suspicious that fits the car-jacking description in Georgetown apartment complexes, "such as loitering subjects with no apparent purpose for being at the location." Citizens can report suspicious activity by calling 911.

K-9 officer Bear, a Belgian Malinois, "is the first K-9 officer assigned to the University’s Armstrong Campus in Savannah and will work alongside Patrol Officer Philip Garza," says a Georgia Southern University spokesperson.

"Bear, obtained through a partnership with the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, has performed explosive detection work overseas with the Department of Defense for several years. He will continue to train with Garza this month and, upon successful completion of certification classes, will be assigned to provide regular patrols on the Armstrong Campus of Georgia Southern," the university says.

"There he will perform daily police patrol functions as well as respond to any calls for possible explosive devices or illegal weapons on the Armstrong and Liberty campuses. Bear and Garza will also be available to assist other agencies in the area should they need the services of an explosives detection K-9."

“We are excited to have Bear join our team and to be able to provide an extra measure of security to our Armstrong and Liberty campuses,” says Georgia Southern University Chief of Police Laura McCullough.

”We want to ensure that we have resources available to provide a safe campus environment to all of the Georgia Southern campus locations. I am sure that Bear will quickly become an integral part of the University community and most likely one of the most popular members of our department.”

The attorney for the family of a 20-year-old man shot and killed by Savannah Police earlier this year says proof exists that the police lied about the shooting.

On Jan. 23 of this year, Ricky Boyd was killed by police officers on Marian Circle as they attempted to serve a warrant for his arrest in the Jan. 21 murder of Balil Whitfield in Hudson Hill.

Police initially said Boyd came out of the house firing a weapon; then they said he came out brandishing a weapon which later turned out to be a BB gun.

Boyd was shot by police, and at least one police officer was injured by gunshots as well. However, it has never been conclusively stated who shot the officer.

"On the day that Ricky was killed by police officers, Savannah Police Chief Mark Revenew told the media that Ricky had 'initiated gunfire towards officers.' That statement was false. Later that same day, Revenew said that Ricky 'confronted officers with a weapon.' That statement was also false," says  William R. Claiborne, the attorney representing Ricky’s family.

The Claiborne Firm has released a video on the subject here. In it, Chief Revenew is shown contradicting himself in separate statements.

“We want the Savannah Police Department to release the body cam video, name the officer who shot Ricky, and clear Ricky’s name,” says Claiborne.

Claiborne and Boyd's family say flatly that he was unarmed when killed.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation put out a press release on Jan. 24 claiming that Boyd had a carbon dioxide-powered BB air gun, not an actual firearm.

"The GBI never disclosed, however, where the BB gun which they are trying to pin on Ricky was found," says Claiborne.

The web video released today by the Claiborne Firm claims to include a photograph taken by a neighbor "confirming that the BB gun cited by law enforcement was nowhere near Ricky’s body," Claiborne says.

The photo, which was taken shortly after Boyd was killed on Jan. 23, "reveals that the BB gun was 43 feet away from Ricky’s body."

“In order for the [B.B.] gun that they found—which they claim he had—to be 43-feet away from him, [Boyd] would have had to have thrown that gun as his last act while he was being shot, and thrown it quite far,” says Claiborne.

Jameillah Smiley, Boyd's mother, claims the GBI showed her the body cam video without audio following the shooting. Boyd's family is now calling on the police to release the body cam video to the public.

“They will see that my son never had a gun,” said Smiley. “They will see an innocent person getting shot down – that never had a chance against the people that came and accused him of a crime that he did not commit.”

The GBI is currently justifying not releasing the video to the public on the grounds that the case is still an active investigation and therefore exempt from open records law.

However, Claiborne answers that "if that's the reason for not disclosing evidence to the public, why did police release a photo of the BB gun to the media? The police do feel free to release information when it suits them. There's a dangerous double standard."

The Boyd shooting was part of a larger picture of crime in Savannah early this year; at Boyd's funeral on Feb. 4, a 12-year-old boy received a serious gunshot wound when shots rang out right after the service at Bonaventure Funeral Home.

Boyd's shooting came the first week of Chief Revenew occupying the office with the resignation of former Chief Jack Lumpkin.

As recently as last month police were still counting the Whitfield murder as an open investigation, despite the death of Boyd, the leading suspect.

"That means the Hudson Hill murderer is still at large, and still walking around somewhere out there," Claiborne says.

A tweet from Savannah Police the morning of Jan. 23 says Boyd "initiated gun fire."

Chatham County Animals Services Director Kerry Sirevicius has been put on administrative leave during an investigation "for a personnel matter," the County reports through a spokesperson.

Dr. Charles “Jake” Harper, DMV, the Animal Services veterinarian, has been appointed as interim director until further notice.

Reports surfaced today that a Chatham County Grand Jury indicted Sirevicius for "invasion of privacy" when a conversation between City of Savannah Alderman Van Johnson — who is also employed by Chatham County — and Katherina Suarez was digitally recorded in an office at the Animal Services facility on Sallie Mood Drive.

While as of this writing more details are scant which would put the indictment into better context, Georgia is legally considered a "one-party" state for purposes of recording oral or phone conversations, in other words as long as one party involved in a conversation is aware that conversation is being recorded, it is considered legal.

Savannah Police’s Violent Crimes detectives are investigating a fatal shooting that occurred late March 30 at Harry S. Truman Parkway near Wheaton Street.

"Officers responded to the area about 10 p.m. and discovered Ronald Johnson, 30, in a wrecked vehicle with gunshot wounds. He succumbed to those injuries at the scene," police say.

"Sundiadaa Miller, also 30, suffered injuries that were the result of the vehicle crash. He was transported to a hospital for treatment."

The incident remains under investigation. "The shooting does not appear to be random," police say.

Anyone with information should contact the Savannah Police tip line by calling (912) 525-3124. Information can also be forwarded to CrimeStoppers at (912) 234-2020. Tipsters remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.

Savannah Police arrested a 55-year-old Savannah woman March 30 "after she allegedly posted a video on YouTube that depicted a shooting threat at Godley Station Elementary School," police report.

Police say the video, titled “Shooting Godley Station School with Machine Gun Adventures Street View,” showed a street view video of the school grounds while machine gun fire played in the background.

"Teresa Richardson, who admitted to creating the video as an expression of her right to free speech, can be seen in the video giving the middle finger," police report. "The video also displayed obscene language aimed at teachers and students at the school."

After an investigation, officers arrested Richardson on a charge of Dissemination of Acts Related to Terroristic Threats, which makes it illegal for anyone to use a computer network to disseminate any terroristic threat.

Detectives from Savannah Police and Officers from Board of Education Police worked jointly on this investigation.

“We take these threats seriously, and as soon as we learned about them, we immediately assigned investigators to investigate these threats,” Chief Mark Revenew said. “Anyone who makes threats to our schools and the potential safety of them will be investigated thoroughly and dealt with appropriately.”

In what has become a familiar scene, numerous local residents speaking out against a controversial development project weren't enough to convince Savannah City Council to vote against it.

The large, $40 million multi-use "live/work/play" development Starland Village was approved for zoning by a vote of 6-3 today in Council. Alderpersons Van Johnson, Estella Shabazz, and Brian Foster were the no votes.

Johnson said of the project: "It represents coolness at its best... but in my mind it's also a fundamental mismatch to what's there.... It's classic gentrification."

Referring to the developer's efforts to network with Mid-City residents, Mayor DeLoach said "the Foram Group has gone farther" than nearly any other developer in responding to neighborhood concerns.

"It will change that neighborhood but it will change that neighborhood for the better," said the mayor.

Alderman Bill Durrence, in support of Starland Village, said, "If Foram walked away tomorrow.... somebody else will come in... at one point the Landmark District, if you go back far enough, was nothing but cottages. Scale changes, context changes.. I think this is a good project... this project has my absolute support."

However, a steady stream of residents and local small landlords spoke against the project.

Raine Blunk said the change of zoning to allow Starland Village will "homogenize years of distinct culture" enjoyed by local residents, adding that the "beautiful thing about Savannah is we have time to avoid" what has happened to so many other cities,"and this development would put a stop to that forever."

Virginia Mobley, former head of the Thomas Square Neighborhood Association, told City Council that "first you allowed big developers to push residents and local businesses out of the Landmark Historic District, then out of the Victorian district, and now you want to do the same to Thomas Square."

Indeed, at one point Alderman Julian Miller, supporting the project, said point blank that "this is not a neighborhood, this is a business district."

The Foram Group's attorney Robert McCorkle pointed out to Council that though the building contains a five-story structure, that portion will be set back from the street and the neighborhood is likely to only perceive it as a three-story structure.

An advanced semi-automated parking system will be incorporated into the development at Bull and 38th Streets.

In other City Council business:

* A zoning ordinance amendment passed to establish a Conservation Overlay District in the Ardsley Park/Chatham Crescent/Ardmore Neighborhood. The change would make it more difficult to demolish existing contributing structures.

* Council approved a Fire Fee Discount Program to allow property owners to apply for and receive discounts on their new City of Savannah fire fee.

"Discounts are available for items and activities which support fire safety and reduce the risk of fire, such as installing smoke detectors or creating and practicing evacuation plans," says a City spokesperson,

The City currently anticipates billing the 2018 fire fee on the second installment property tax bill in September, 2018. Property owners can apply for the fire fee discount program between April 15, 2018 and June 1, 2018. Details about the program and the application can be found online at www.savannahga.gov/firefee.

The fire fee for all single family residences, before any discounts are applied, is $256 for 2018. The City will be sending out letters in April to property owners who will be billed a fire fee greater than the base $256 letting them know their estimated fire fee amount.

* The Broughton Street Corridor was officially taken off the City's Urban Renewal Plan, established in 1986 to revitalize the area.

"It has been fully renewed," said Alderman Foster.

The City of Savannah's defense has been undercut in the wake of yesterday's news that the National Historic Landmark District was downgraded to "Threatened" status by the National Park Service due to increased development and disturbance of the original town plan.

In response to that new National Park Service assessment, completed recently and unveiled by local preservation agencies yesterday, the City issued a statement Wednesday afternoon saying:

"As cited in this report, the status of Savannah’s Landmark District has not changed. It was designated as 'Priority 1 Threatened' when it was last assessed in 2002, and it is recommended in this report to remain at “Priority 1 Threatened,'" a City spokesperson told the media on Wednesday, just hours after the news broke.

"For the past 15 years the City has been working with local stakeholders to address most of the concerns noted in the report, with the goal of striking a balance between preservation, development, tourism and quality of life," the City said.

However, in an email obtained by Connect Savannah, the National Park Service confirms that Savannah's Landmark District designation was taken off the watch list in 2006.

In 2006 the district was moved to 'Satisfactory' when a proposed bus terminal was moved outside the boundary. Since 2006 the condition has not changed," writes Cynthia Walton, National Historic Landmarks Program Manager with the National Park Service's Southeast Region.

This development reinforces concerns that developments downtown since then, especially hotels, have indeed directly put Savannah's cherished Landmark District in danger, contrary to the City's position that such development had not affected the designation.

There are three basic designations of a National Historic Landmark District:

• Satisfactory (Priority 3) indicates that there is no known current or potential threat to the landmark.

• Watch (Priority 2) indicates NHLs that face impending actions or circumstances that likely will cause a loss of integrity.

• Threatened (Priority 1) indicates NHLs that have suffered, or are in imminent danger of, a severe loss of integrity.

• Emergency indicates that recent catastrophic damage has occurred that requires immediate intervention.