.MTE2Mg.MTE2Mg

/ECONOMIC 0/PIPORT!UNJTY A7!lANJ!A IN CORPORATE. P IOI MARIETTA STREET 13LD6,, ATLANTA> &£0R0IA 30303 TELEf>HONE 525-4-2 62 May 17, 1968 The Honorable Ivan Allen, Jr. Mayor of Atlanta City Hall Atlanta, Georgia Dear Mr. Mayor: The attached memorandum suggests a procedure for compliance with new requirements for selection of directors for Economic Opportunity Atlanta, Inc., the community action agency authorized by the City of Atlanta and Fulton County in 1964, later joined by Gwinnett and Rockdale Counties, and which you have indicated should be continued. The EOA Board now has nineteen appointed members, seven each by Atlanta and Fulton County, one by the two governments jointly, and two each by Gwinnett and Rockdale Counties. It also has fourteen members elected by the poor, one each from the twelve Neighborhood Service Areas in Atlanta and Fulton County, one in Gwinnett County, and one in Rockdale County. The elected representatives of the poor comprise at least one -third of the Board, as required. The Neighborhood organization has worked well, so it seems wise to retain thes e fourteen area units, with one representative each, as the basic numerical control. The law requires that one-third of the Board be representatives of public officials and agenci es as selecte d by them. This number would be fourteen as related to representatives o f the poor. The memorandum suggests representation that would provide broad coverage of the public interest, including city intere sts such as housing, recreation and youth; county interests such as h e alth and welfare; and other general interests such as education, e mployment, planning and relations. The l aw a l so re qui res that other B oa r d members, up to one- third, be repre s entatives of major private community gr oups or interests concerned with problems of poverty as selected by the gr oups . Public officials in the respective jurisdictions may designate which groups will be invited to select representatives. The memorandum suggests eleven private groups most representative of such community interests. The law requires also that the Board be so constituted as to permit the addition of private community gr oups who feel inadequately represented and �-2- successfully p e tition EOA for membership. Although no such petition is anticipated, it would be possible to add three places to the eleven in the category of community groups without disturbing the r e quired distribution ratio . . The memorandum, prepared after extensive consultation, is our best judgment as to how the EOA Board can meet current membership requirements and best retain the general character and individual representation established by the respective city and county go vernme nts. I shall appreciate your agreement or suggested changes in the memorandum in order that we may present the necessary information for Office of Economic Opportunity approval. Following such approval, I shall wish to consult with you further. Sincerely yours, /f2 . ·; _ . cJG_X ~ ne s Chairn1/an EOA �