City Hall, happy new year to everybody.

It is Tuesday, January sixth, twenty twenty-six.

Just a couple of programming notes as we get started.

We should have two meetings today.

We have a special called session with a single item, and then we have our regularly scheduled voting meeting.

So if you're here for that, that will need to be held because we have to do some legal signage requirements around that.

So with that said, I'll go ahead and ask the clerk to do a roll call for us.

Our collective decisions will be better when different views have had the opportunity to be fully vetted and considered.

All people have the right to be treated with respect, courtesy, and openness.

We value all input and we commit to conduct ourselves at all times with civility and courtesy to each other.

And the first courtesy is gonna be for our leisure services folks who are receiving a couple of awards tonight.

So I'm gonna come down next to the clerk.

So we're really excited.

As is often the case, our Leisure Services Department has been noted as best in class in a couple of areas.

And so I just ask uh Alex Bond, who is our interim leisure services director to come forward first.

Come on down, my friend.

Good to see you.

Alex Bond, everybody cleanly shaven for the new year.

Good to see you.

How are you?

Good holiday?

Good, glad to hear.

Um the first award tonight uh is about uh one of the great sets of volunteers that we have here.

And we have, of course, so many opportunities for volunteerism throughout the community.

Uh, and many of those opportunities exist in our our parks and our natural areas.

Um and tonight we are gonna honor the Sandy Creek Nature Center Trail Guides uh with two awards.

Uh the first is the GRPA State Volunteer Award and the GRPA District 7 Volunteer Award.

Um, so uh as we get ready to talk a little bit more about this, um I would ask Sandy Creek Nature Center Naturalist Kate Mowbray and Trail Guides Katherine Edison, Chuck Horn, Rebecca Horn, Christy Piper, and Avis Winfield to join me if they are here.

Um I can tell you that uh uh the work that they do and the great trail network that we have at Sandy Creek Nature Center is really for me one of the personal highlights in our entire array of facilities.

Uh if I've ever had a challenging day here at City Hall, which you might imagine happens from time to time, and I need a little burden lifted, need a little relief.

Uh Sandy Creek Nature Center's trails is one of the places where I can find that relief.

Um also tell you that if you talk to any student in the region who visits Sandy Creek Nature Center, um their time there is one of the highlights of their year.

Um they get back to school, they have a great new appreciation for nature and the importance of preserving the environment.

Um the program was launched 50 years ago, uh, and since that time the trail guides have been the backbone of the field trips that our young people take.

Um it doesn't go unnoticed at all uh how important the work is that you do uh because we wouldn't be able to offer the quality of programming if not for these great volunteers who are all around us.

So um I just want to thank every one of you for your commitment and service.

Please give them a round of applause.

All right, so uh again the first award uh is the volunteer award for communities of uh populations of between 80,000 and 150,000.

We can hang on to that one.

All right, um, and the second one is volunteer of the year award for communities of over 80,000, and uh hang on to that.

And we're gonna take some pretty pictures.

All right, thank you.

Thank you so much.

I really appreciate it.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

All right.

Well, we appreciate you coming down.

Thank you.

And uh Alex, hang on with us.

Uh the uh second award uh is for the Leisure Services Department broadly.

Um they've earned the prestigious Georgia Recreation and Park Association's District 7 agency of the year award for populations of between 80,000 and 150,000.

And this award recognizes the Northeast Georgia agency that's made a significant contribution to recreation parker leisure services on the local level and is based on outstanding programs and accomplishments over just the last year.

Uh and this is particularly significant because it's voted on by your peers in uh in the recreation world.

Uh and so uh please big round of applause for uh not just Alex but our nearly hundred strong leisure services staff and you my friend get that uh put down the walker house.

All right.

Thank you.

I appreciate it.

All right.

Uh as is often the case, we have many, many, many opportunities for public input tonight.

We're gonna have uh an opportunity for public input on our single special called session item here in a moment.

Uh we're gonna have an opportunity in the regular voting meeting uh for public input on the consent agenda and public input on old and new business uh and public input separately on the single planning and zoning item.

And then at the conclusion of the evening, uh we will have public input on any item to which a member of the public would like to speak uh that is not on the agenda.

Uh rules of public input are generally the same for each of these opportunities.

It's a three-minute input opportunity.

You can see a light in front of the clerk, it will turn green when you provide your name and place of residence and begin speaking.

Uh after two and a half minutes, it will turn yellow and then after three minutes, it will turn red.

And I will thank you for your time with us this evening.

Um, and uh let you know that we need to move on to the next speaker.

Uh so um uh we have tonight just a single item on our special called session, and that is the Lay Park Landmark Designation Resolution uh that would begin the process of creating uh an historic landmark at the Lay Park facility.

Um so now is the time when we are taking public input on that single item.

So is there anyone who'd like to come to the mic and um bless us with your three minutes?

Good evening.

Happy New Year.

Uh Mayor Tijuana Smith Meditates, Athens, Georgia, and um I begin with a celebrations of our ancestors, Jesse Walton Barnett, Evelyn Neely, Miriam Moore, and Virginia Walker, who were instrumental in the Model Cities program, part of the war on poverty instituted by President Lyndon B.

Johnson, with the assistance of an ally and white program director, Walt De Narrow.

Their individual and collective efforts led to accomplishments that should never be forgotten.

These include the establishment of basic utilities on the east side, head start, food nutrition with Action Inc.

programs, um, other programs through them, the health department, adult education programs, the credit union, and the funding of Central Athens, which I found out after reading the resolution.

All through the Model Cities program, because of their work, so much was achieved that continues to impact our community today.

I want to thank you, Commissioner Thornton, for the resolution and for advocating for the sustainability of this facility, which has been a vital support for so many in the community.

I also want to thank the rest of you, mayor and the commission, for your votes in favor of this resolution.

After all of the dialogue and back and forth regarding the land swap, this outcome brings me peace.

I will stop there.

Thank you.

Thank you, Dr.

Maddox.

Is there anyone else here to speak to the special called session item tonight?

All right.

Seeing none, because this is an item of new business uh with a first hearing, I do need a motion for suspension of rules.

Do I hear such a motion?

Some of a motion from Commissioner Thornton.

And I have a second from Commissioner Myers.

All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

All right.

Um now's the time when uh I'd ask uh Commissioner to place a motion on the floor.

Uh Mayor and fellow commissioners, it's my honor to uh make a motion that this resolution be accepted.

Um, all the things that Dr.

Maddox said, plus more.

Second.

All right, I've got a motion from Commissioner Thornton, and I have a second from Commissioner Link.

Uh Commissioner Thornton, any further remarks?

Yeah, I got excited.

I tried to jump all up in there.

Uh I did talk to uh Willie Hull, who was a longtime director.

Um, maybe the first and official back then last.

And he is recovering from a stroke, but he is so excited.

I talked to him tonight, and he's so so excited about this.

Um, with our initial research.

Uh we found where the black men of Athens use Thomas Lay for many years, and your name is spelled out clearly.

So I'm just excited that we're doing this.

You know, I I will say this.

Um, things start out bad, but good things can come out of bad stuff.

Um things start out bad, but good things can come out of bad stuff, and we would never have even recognized that this historical site um should be um designated if it wasn't with all the other stuff that was going on.

I think that we should take this opportunity though to look at all the historical sites in our communities, all the contributions that uh the Miss Nealys, the uh Miriam Moore's and Julie Barnett have done, and many more.

I think we we owe it to this community because we talk about all the changes going to happen, or all the changes that are happening, but it's our responsibility to keep that legacy going.

So I hope this will spare us forward and be proactive.

And what's that when they said uh if you see something, say something.

So if y'all see something in our community, we need to say something.

And I tell you who who's to always say that, another great man, Reverend Um Killian, Reverend Killian.

Um, I think we have the um police station uh uh police substation Rock Springs named after him.

So I'm just honored um to be a part of this, and I did speak to um commissioners about this before coming forward, so I thank you for your support.

Uh Commissioner Link.

Yeah, um I want to thank Commissioner Thornton for for bringing this forward, and I want to echo her call for us to look at um multiple sites, look at the whole county and and identify historic sites throughout our county.

Um we've you know this has come up before in the past, and this would require a little budget money to uh commission a report to to take a look at all the historic structures, not just county owned, but throughout our community, so we can get ahead of the ball when we get some of these redevelopment proposals.

Um I uh you know, Historic Athens has advocated for this as well, and I think you know the the recent events and recent incidents where properties have been lost um and properties that are currently under threat.

I think this is um you know better late than never.

We we really need to get on that.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Commissioner Wright.

Um thank you.

I um want to thank everybody who's gotten this together in the time frame, especially that it was Commissioner Thornton.

We've struggled with resolutions, and look what you've done.

You got one in here that's um capturing steps that we have in place to to move it forward versus the struggles we've had that was just words, but the words in this are meaningful, it's things that we need to hear and capture.

I think Memorial Park is in the process right now of becoming a uh historic landmark.

So um, and also the support during the budget coming up uh as Commissioner Link said, I've talked with Historic Athens about the annual cycle of what it takes to get a historic plaque, and I know we want more than plaques, but a plaque helps people learn about the place, and we want the plaque to be with the place, not instead of the place.

But um, I I do appreciate the work that's been done here, especially because you can feel it in this room, it has brought peace versus confusion and conflict and um to keep the changes in our community and our community the classic city.

I think that these are the kind of things that can help us all get both the best of both.

So I look forward to this moving forward.

Commissioner, anyone else for Commissioner Thornton continues?

Go ahead, Commissioner.

I I would be remiss if I did not thank um Tommy Valentine, um Chris Jackson, and our own Courtney Davis.

She did a magnificent job putting these thoughts together.

Um I I just want to thank them because it it they did the work.

They just took an idea and one more person, Anissa Crew from People in Belonging, because when I was struggling, she reminded me of some another city that did something very similar.

That would and then when I start talking to other people, it made sense.

So making sense and then making it happen as two different things, but we made sense and we made it happen.

Thank you.

All right.

We have a motion and second on the floor for approval of the resolution.

All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Are there any opposed?

Uh abstention from Commissioner Johnson.

Uh please note that for the minutes.

All right.

Uh motion carries.

All right.

Uh I need a motion to adjourn the special called session.

So we've got a motion from Commissioner Fisher.

Who's the second?

Commissioner Link.

All right.

All in favor of adjourning special called session, please say aye.

All posed.

All right.

Here in silence motion carries going to move on to our regular session.

And we will begin with the roll call.

Here.

Link here.

Taylor.

Right.

President Fisher.

Here.

Johnson.

Here, Paul Pepper.

Here.

Myers.

Here.

Thornton?

Here.

Handy.

We have a quorum.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

All right.

Uh, first order of business is approval of the minutes of the voting meetings of Tuesday, December 2nd, Tuesday, December 16th, and non-voting meetings of Tuesday, December 9th, and Tuesday, December 16th.

Do I hear such a motion?

So move, ma'am.

All right, we've got a motion from Commissioner Fisher, the second from apologize from Commissioner Link.

All right.

All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Hearing none, motion carries.

Uh Madam Clerk, are there any written communications tonight?

There are none.

All right.

Um before we move to public input, would a commissioner like to remove any consent agenda item for discussion.

Those are items one through five.

Can I um four?

I just want to give some clarification.

All right.

Uh all right, we'll remove four for discussion.

All right.

All right.

Um so uh members of the public, if you would like to speak to items one, two, three, or five.

One, two, three, or five.

Now is that time.

One, two, three, or five.

All right.

I'd uh entertain a motion from member of the body for approval of one, two, three, and five.

So move all right.

I've got a motion from Commissioner Hamby.

Who is the second?

Second.

All right, I've got a second from Commissioner Wright.

All right, I'm gonna have attorney Drake read the ordinance for us.

So it's to provide funding to implement the classification and compensation study for the fire department and for other purposes.

All right.

All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

All right, hearing none, motion carries.

All right, uh, we're gonna move forward to item number six.

That's our single planning and zoning item tonight.

Um, uh, and again, I know we um uh we've got a request for withdrawal uh that's gonna require a vote of the commission, uh, but we still uh go through the exercise of public input.

So if any member of the public would like to speak to item number six, now is that time.

I think the request for withdrawal section number eight.

Yeah, number eight of number eight, uh oh, I apologize.

Thank you very much.

Uh this uh uh I I got the two confused number six is the rezoning of the the 1.53 acres at 293 Hoyt Street, and so uh thank you for that note.

Appreciate it.

Okay, Mr.

Lane.

Yes, sir.

Good evening, uh Commission.

Uh my name is Ed Lane with SPG Planners and Engineers, uh located at 1725 Electric Avenue, and I'll speak uh briefly on this rezone.

Um, but just as as a reminder, this is for a portion of uh Lay Park, about a one and a half acre portion to be rezoned from park, you know, government-owned zoning to C D.

And the um I I know that this is in the context of a larger decision that you have on your agenda tonight, but I'm speaking to it uh just on the merits of the rezone alone.

Um, and you know, we we believe this is in the best interest of Athens Clark County and the downtown development authority because it helps to reconcile many of the the downtown maps, the planning maps, and all of the the the different um resources that have been planned, including uh this rezone is compatible with the 2023 comp plan, it's compatible with the future land use map, it's compatible with the zoning map, it's consistent with the Greenway Network Plan.

Um it would contribute to TAD district number four.

It's consistent with Athens in motion, and it it strongly met the 13 zoning criteria questions, and I think for this reason uh and others, the staff recommended approval and the planning commission recommended approval.

So I I do um want to just ask for the rezoning its own merits and also remind because Athens Clark County retains ownership of this parcel, um it does not bind y'all uh a successful rezone here does not bind y'all to anything, and uh it doesn't even preclude y'all changing you know, rezoning it to something else in the future.

Um, but I did want to speak to to to it uh its own merits.

Uh last I I have I guess a question or a request, and and maybe uh Bruce can help me on this request.

My understanding is that three items need to be voted on in this parcel, and that includes uh the future land use uh designation, the rezone, and the downtown design area.

I see the the agenda only mentions two, and and if Bruce could back me up on that, okay.

And I believe it's in that order too.

Future land use, then rezone, then downtown development.

The designation of that that design overlay would come with the rezone action.

Okay.

That those two would be one vote.

Okay, great.

That that answers that.

Um I'm available if you have any questions at all about the the specifics of the request of the rezone, and also if needed for any reason, representatives of core are here.

Uh David Ellison and some of the the the core representatives if y'all have questions for them related to this.

But thank thank y'all so much for your time.

Thank you, Mr.

Lane.

Is there anyone else here to speak to 293 Hoyt Street?

All right, we'll come for uh commission action.

Uh this is in District 2, Commissioner Link.

Um this course does uh as noted require a pair of votes.

The first is on the future land use, uh, and the second is on the rezoning, which includes the downtown design area.

I'll move to approve.

I'll second.

All right.

I've got a motion from Commissioner Link to approve the future land use and a second from Commissioner Wright.

Commissioner Link, any remarks?

Um, I think the applicant summed it up pretty well, indicating that you know all the plans that have been made around um this part of downtown have indicated that this is a lot that should be developed.

Um and the planning commission voted unanimously for this reason.

Commissioner Wright, anything else?

Um no, I'm I'm ready to move forward and others might have questions, but um any other remarks from members of the body just one uh commissioner Thornton?

I do think that um again how this came out the gate, probably was a little little hairy, but I think one of the big things for me was the uh the information about the tearing down of Thomas Lay Park, and we've gotten that straight.

And we've not just gotten it straight for about this situation, but for 20, 30, 50 years from now, um Thomas Lay will be where it's where it is.

I do appreciate Commissioner Fisher's work session.

I think that it spoke to um some things that I have never seen before as far as uh working with uh local contractors.

I've never seen that before.

So I just wanted to put that out there before the vote.

I I I think yeah, that's that's my comment.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Any others?

Uh Commissioner Davenport.

Um parliamentary.

So we are voting for two items.

Are we individually?

So we first have to vote on the future land use modification, and then we have to vote on the modification in zoning.

Commissioner Fisher?

Yeah.

Um now when we'll just go back to planning now.

When go one of the thing we had talked about initially to plan the parliament was gonna just so if this is successful and should the later vote be successful, then the project goes to plans review in which technical details are managed.

Thank you.

All right, uh, we'll do a roll call beginning with Commissioner.

Uh we'll read uh go ahead and with Commissioner Johnson, then we'll get the ordinance right.

Commissioner Johnson.

You going to do it first?

Commissioner Johnson.

Oh, okay.

Sorry.

Okay, so I watched the planning commission meeting about four times, and so we've been ruminating over this project development for ever since the the end of October.

The planning commission went through the report, or not the report, but the evaluation and the vote in 31 minutes.

One member even said they did not quite understand what they voted on, they didn't discuss.

I don't put a lot of weight in that recommendation from the planning commission.

I heard some things that I just wanted to highlight.

So request to rezone a portion of a parcel from park to commercial downtown.

One other area that I was concerned about was the applicant has not suggested anything.

Staff, if approved gets to suggest Daughtery Street or the other downtown area.

So I heard overlay for the first time, and I did not read that in the 591 pages.

Overlay.

I would clarify that.

Every parcel in the county uh possesses both a future land use designation and a zoning designation.

Every future land use designation might include multiple options around zoning designations.

So for example, uh you might have commercial generally, and there are several different commercial categories and and the commercial categories like C G or C, and those are zoning classifications.

And then within the downtown area, when the down first downtown historic district was designated in 2006, um different segments of downtown had different design overlays assigned to them based on the portion of geography that they were in.

Do we have a comprehensive list of the areas in our community that are deemed an overlay area?

Yeah, yeah, planning can get that for you.

Okay.

I I requested it today.

I hadn't I did not receive it.

I'll I'll wait for that.

Another thing I want to bring up.

So I don't know who did the presentation for the developer, but this comment struck me as curious.

This project is compatible with the comprehensive report.

It's vibrant, diverse center.

Everyone feels welcome.

Visitors and businesses.

And then he said UGA students.

This is it's not a diverse area.

This is this is student housing.

It's misleading.

Um I'm just saying all this for the because I want this on the record.

Um another thing that I don't like, and I wish we would change because it puts it puts us, it throws us into a reactive mode when the someone from the project team said that there are provisions in place for parking at Lay Park when it's under construction.

What's the definition of provisions?

We don't know what that is.

It is a great project, but there are so many things that are not planned out.

And I just am not confident in voting for it.

I'm I'm not going to vote on it, not because of it's not a great project, but it's because of this process.

And I've done this before, and I hope to one day this will change.

We want to be included in the decisions earlier.

And we are a collective body, and it seems like you throw things on the agenda for us to vote on.

And this was a surprise.

We have developers that are trying to build their other projects and they can't build because maybe you're not interested.

I don't know.

I'm not going to go down that road, but I'm this was rushed on us.

It was thrown on us.

And I really appreciate the comment from Miss Mrs.

Kirkendall who talked about this area was originally supposed to be a park and an expansion of the park in the music community, the music um center, so that kids can get out and learn more.

We just gave an organization last year, you know, in 2024.

We run out of time for the public input.

Uh can you please ask if I can have additional time like you normally do?

Would uh would folks uh extend an additional segment of time?

Thank you so much.

Okay, so in June 2024, an organization received 2.4 million dollars for a major undertaking, which was reducing youth delinquency.

This is something that offers art, sports, fitness, fresh air.

She made a great point.

She was, I remember her from years ago.

And for it to change all of a sudden and become a development overgrown with students.

I don't know.

You can't have a you can't have an initiative to reduce delinquency, but not support it with action.

And this is not been supported.

And the last thing I will say is it is very clear that ADA guidelines are not met.

They won't be met when the project is completed.

And I've I've shared this with Judd, and the I've commented about the processes not being clear.

No one's made them clear.

No one wants to make them clear.

I will self-report any infractions.

And I've shared that with Jud that I will because it is that important.

Somebody will get hurt.

This is not when or if somebody will get hurt walking 300 feet.

That's all I have to say.

We'll do a roll call vote beginning with Commissioner Link.

And uh we'll have Attorney Drake read the ordinance.

With respect to amend the future land use map of Athens Clark County by changing the designation of a portion of one parcel of land comprising approximately 12.87 acres in total.

1.53 acres of which is affected by the future land use amendment approved herein, located at 293 Hoyt Street from government to downtown and for other purposes.

Thank you, Attorney Drake.

Uh go ahead and begin with Commissioner Lincoln.

Go around.

Yes.

Taylor, no.

Wright?

Yes.

Fisher?

No.

Johnson?

No.

Culpepper?

Yes.

Myers?

No.

Thornton?

Yes.

Andy.

Yes.

And Davenport.

Oh, Davenport.

Yes.

Six yes and four no.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

All right.

Uh need a motion for the uh rezoning, which includes the design area as well.

So move.

All right.

Second.

All right.

I've got a motion from Commissioner Link and a second from Commissioner Wright.

All right.

And uh do you need to read the ordinance on this as well?

Street from Pea Park to CD commercial downtown and for other purposes.

Thank you, Attorney Direct.

We'll begin with Commissioner Link.

Yes.

Taylor?

No.

Right.

So I thought we were doing comments.

I'm ready to vote.

Um yes.

No.

Johnson?

No.

Culpepper?

Yes.

Myers?

No.

Thornton?

Yes.

Cambi?

Yes.

Davenport.

Yes.

Six yes and four no.

All right.

Motion carries.

Uh, thank you, Madam Clerk.

I appreciate it.

All right.

Uh, we're gonna move on now to old and new business.

And so those are items four and seven through fourteen.

All right.

Uh now is the time uh when anybody who would like to speak to four or seven through fourteen have the opportunity.

So come on down.

Don't be shy.

Again, just provide your name and place of residence and uh let us know the item to which you're speaking.

Good evening.

Hi, happy new year.

I'm Kathy Harr.

I live at 275 Willow Run.

I was here a couple weeks ago with the nonprofit advocacy organization, the Friends of the Greenway.

We gave you all our petition to include more trails in any trails at all in the uh 2026 T Splost.

And I was just uh here to remind y'all that we had 600 signatures, that we had them from all of the districts, and that uh I want to thank everybody.

I know that there was a lot of discussion about getting the Greenway back into this T Splash, and I hope you will continue that discussion tonight and make something happen.

Thank you, Ms.

Hart.

Good evening.

Good evening, happy new year.

Um I'm Andy Savoy with CoreSpace is here to speak in support of item number seven tonight, as you probably know by now.

Uh the development agreement that is item seven is the product of many months of work between myself, city staff, the ADDA, and also the product of uh five public outreach sessions we held at the foundry where we got public feedback from both the public and from leisure services.

This development agreement funds needed needed off-site sewer upgrades at no cost to ACC.

Uh these are upgrades which, by the way, create a path forward for phases three through five of the Bethel Homes development, at least in terms of sewer capacity.

The agreement obligates us to build 425 public parking spaces with a very convenient ADA access to Lay Park, with core paying for half of those spaces and financing the other half at a very low interest rate.

The project would create a series of public spaces, including pocket parks and a playground that achieve much of the intent of the North Downtown Athens Master Plan and the Jackson Street Art Walks PLAS, all at the cost of core spaces.

The contemplated project would save the historic foundry and Hoyt House buildings.

It would result in $7.8 million in contribution to the Affordable Housing Fund.

And it would result in substantial substantial annual contributions to the East Downtown Athens TAD and to the ACC school district.

I can see it's a big bold project, but the public benefits are enormous.

Furthermore, we acknowledge that we're not the only stakeholders here.

In an effort to ensure that this project is a win for the community at large.

We've committed to involving local minority contractors with our next contractor outreach meeting scheduled for tomorrow afternoon at the foundry.

We have approached nonprofit groups, including the Northeast Georgia Black Chamber of Commerce and Destin Inc., which focuses our desk uh which focuses on youth literacy to offer them extremely low rent in the historic foundry building to help support uh the mission of those organizations.

Um there's no developer that I know of that has done anything like that in this town.

We understand the complexity and importance of this site, and we're committed to to delivering a project that will benefit all Athenians.

And so I'm asking you all to please vote in favor of this item tonight.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Savoy.

Good evening.

Hello, everyone.

Um I am uh Aaron Redman.

I live at 125 Crestview Circle.

Um speaking on uh the agenda item 13, uh T S PLOSS funding for Greenways.

I'm actually a former uh Greenway employee.

I've seen um a lot of improvements to the Greenway uh network over the last 15 years since I worked for the Greenway.

Um I'm also a former member of the Citizens Advisory Committee for the T SPLOS 2018 project and uh a lot of that um with that project too.

We funded quite a bit of the Greenway, including the uh Coney Hill Cemetery section.

And I bring that up because while a lot of us think of the Greenway as just a great recreation opportunity, which it is, um it is also a viable transportation option for a lot of people.

Um just uh last time I was getting a haircut, talked into my uh barber, and we weren't even talking about the greenway, but we're talking about commutes, and he brought up the fact that he uses the Greenway, that's especially the Coney Hill Cemetery section to get from uh his apartment uh to downtown to go to work.

Um lot safer option than walking along Lexington Highway.

Um and so just keep in mind too, it's a condition recreation, great transportation options, uh definitely safer and more pleasant than uh than walking along uh busy, busy highways.

So thank you very much and uh appreciate your work.

Thank you, Mr.

Radman.

Good evening.

Good evening, happy new year, everyone.

Theresa Omanovich.

I'm here representing the Northeast Georgia Black Chamber this evening.

I am here to speak in support of project numbers uh item number seven, uh, the project redevelopment of the the the uh hotel um there.

And I would like to extend on what the um Andy Um Savoy um mentioned in regards to the outreach that has been provided to the Northeast Georgia Black Chamber and support show our appreciation of it.

This is a huge opportunity for local contractors here that are minority owners.

Uh the project itself is what construction is about what 180 million dollar budget.

And I just want to be I want to remind you guys that you die you did do a disparity study of procurement with Athens Clark County, and your spend over a five-year period was 409 million dollars, of which you only spent two percent with minority uh uh business owners.

So this is a huge opportunity to help with that economic mobility that your 2019 report that you paid for indicated that you need more opportunities.

You need to provide more opportunities to the people that live and work here.

So we're here in support of that.

We are also recipients of a scholarship fund that will help young people, youth, engage in trades that are that are gonna be in the construct uh the construction industry.

And then also um Andy mentioned that we had a workshop session on the uh last month.

We've got another one tomorrow evening, and um extremely positive feedback from the contractors that did attend.

So um we appreciate the opportunity of the utilization of the space that is very much needed for the the continuation of the the chamber's work and support of of minority businesses here in the area, Northeast Georgia area.

I want to say that we don't just service Clark County, but the Northeast Georgia area, and um the opportunity to provide entrepreneurship and help with the economic mobility, cost of living, wage you know, uh I can go on a hundred million things with that.

So I really would you would appreciate if you guys really did consider the benefits of this this project because I think they outweigh the the feedback you get the negative feedback you've been getting.

So thank you very much.

Thank you, Ms.

Finich.

Good evening.

Good evening.

Hi, my name is Holly Fuller.

I am in support of agenda item number seven.

I'm owner operated of owner operator of Five Star Painting of Athens and also Bo and Co.

Flooring.

We're local minority and women owned family owned business here in Athens.

And I was one of those contractors who attended the meeting with Core Spaces and also the Northeast Black Chamber of Commerce.

And just speaking from that first experience, sounds like a great opportunity to be able to work and be a part of that specific contractor as far as work and also being able to give back to the community as well.

So I'm definitely in support of it.

Um we try to get back to the community as much as possible.

A member of uh Guanis Club, which I met Mayor at a few years ago.

So want to support that.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Ms.

Fowler.

Good evening again.

Umana Maddox, Athens, Georgia.

Um in December, I don't know, I'm just feeling some kind of emotion.

Um in December, I was invited to a meeting with Annie Savoy, the developer of CORE, along with Buck Bacon of Engineering, where concerns regarding process, transparency, and community impact were discussed.

Mr.

Savoy acknowledged that the process could have been clearer and shared details about proposed community benefits.

Mr.

Savoy seemed sincere in his efforts to acknowledge how the decisions surrounding this deal offended the community, some parts of the community.

He reiterated the proposed community benefits and shared the additional benefits that were just mentioned with the black um chamber to incubate space as well as the scholarships.

As we continued to talk, um, he also offered space to Destin Inc., which is operated for 26 years by my sisters and me.

Um I will be honest, this deeply moved me, particularly the idea that black nonprofits could once again have space built by our ancestors in downtown Athens.

With my heart for Hot Corner, this really mattered.

I'm also very that's why I'm so excited about that resolution.

I want to be clear, I support the development moving forward, but I do remain concerned and have consistently been concerned in how this project was handled.

My issues have never been about one parcel of land.

It is about a broader pattern of decision making by you all, the planning commission, the commissioners who were involved initially, the way that that was handled and not brought forward to all commissioners.

I just don't agree with that.

I believe that there should be early transparency and there should be accountability for long-term community impact, particularly in historically black areas with a legacy of displacement.

We need stronger transparency policies to ensure this does not continue.

I'm tired of hearing they'll do it anyway, so let's we'll just lose the benefits.

Well, that mindset dismisses community power and accountability.

And last, I want to be sure that that strike fund that's $7.8 million, if it's approved, that that is well communicated.

I'm talking about ASAP.

I'm very concerned about that, and I do not believe that that fund, any of that fund should go to um to NOTA because you should have money for that already.

We need a more affordable housing, and we need rehab money to help people have a better quality of life.

Thank you.

Thank you, Dr.

Maddox.

Good evening.

Good evening.

Uh, my name is Charlie Barrow.

I'm chair of the Ocurney Rivers Greenway Commission, live at 211 Morton Avenue.

I'm here tonight to address uh T Splash 2026 and urge the Commission to set aside funding for the development of the Middle Oconey Greenway.

We presented a project in 2025 for the Middle O'Coney Greenway to the T Splost Advisory Commission.

Unfortunately, we didn't make the final cut.

But my understanding is that the commission will be voting tonight on whether to add an additional year to T Splost, which would bring in approximately 42 million more dollars.

So we're very happy to hear about that development and hope that if that does happen, we can carve out some money for the Greenway.

As everybody here knows, the Greenway has a long history in Athens.

The initial construction began in the early 2000s, and it has uh proceeded pretty consistently since then.

Uh so that we've now got almost 10 miles of built trail on the North Oconee River.

Um because so much of has been built on the North O'Coney, uh the Greenway Commission has shifted its focus and wants to begin construction on the middle of Coney Greenway.

Um, bring the greenway out to the west side.

As of right now, there's not a single uh bit of built trail on that uh on the middle of CONI.

Uh so we're asking for funding to begin that process.

Um as one previous commentator said, uh a lot of people I think think of the greenway as a recreational system, um, and it is that, but it was also envisioned as a transportation network, an alternative transportation network.

And if you look at the concept max maps that are online and that were approved by this mayor and commission, you'll see that the the tr the trail system, when it's fully built out, will span all of Athens.

It will connect schools, it will connect neighborhoods, it will connect green spaces, it will connect business centers.

It will serve as a true alternative means of transportation for all Athens citizens.

It's crucial then that we keep up the momentum.

Um if we do not get funding in this T SPLOSS, that'll be the first time in 25 years that uh the Greenway has not received funding from a T SPLOST or SPLOSS that was put on by this city.

Um there's broad support for the Greenway wherever it goes.

Uh we need to begin the process on the west side.

Uh and um we're asking the the Marin Commission to consider setting aside some of these additional funds to begin that process.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Barrow.

Good evening.

Good evening.

Happy New Year.

I've been saying that all week so far.

I hope everyone's keeping up with your resolutions, minus to ride my bike to work more days of the week.

Um I am the I'm Jason Perry, I live at 170 Hall Street in Athens, and I'm the board president of Bike Athens.

Our executive director Scott is uh on vacation this week.

So uh I want to um jump on Mr.

Barrow's comments and uh Mr.

Redman's comments about item 13 regarding the uh lack of of a greenway project on the T SPLOSS list.

Um in particular the the transportation acts aspect of Greenway's um uh I'm not gonna repeat what was said because uh even though that was what I was gonna say and um I use the Greenway as transportation all the time.

I want you to think you know, close your eyes and think about your primary mode of transportation that you all use as as commissioners and think about the last year behind us and how much money you spent just on upkeep, not just fuel but upkeep on on that piece of equipment.

Um I might have spent a hundred bucks on my bike.

I can show it to you, it's right outside.

Um it's a beater.

Um I don't even have to spend that much on it to keep it running.

At Bike Athens, we provide sliding scale from free to to market rate service for for anyone who needs service on their bikes.

Uh we do a lot of free repairs for folks in Athens who rely on bikes for transportation.

Um course you can also skateboard or rollerblade to work or run or walk along Greenways, and it's such a low stress and safe way to do it.

Um I go mile and a half out of my way to to use the the um cemetery connection, which I'm really grateful to have now as part of my commute so that I can get off the street.

Equitable transportation is what Bike Athens stands for.

Um it's not just bikes, but it's primarily bikes for us.

Um it's a really inexpensive way to get around, and there are resources such as us to keep people who can't afford a really fancy bike or can't afford uh market rates for upkeep of those vehicles, and they are vehicles to get to work to get to school, to get to services, and so I want you to remember that as an aspect of this, not just recreation, even though that's a hugely valuable part of it as well.

There's a reason we call them multi-use paths.

It's not just the uses of the of different modes along the path, but it's for different purposes.

It can be for anything.

Um it can be for all three things at once.

It's transportation and mental health care, you know, for me.

It helps me clear my head when I'm riding home from work.

It's great.

And so please keep the momentum going.

We've had amazing expansion of this network throughout the community over the 18 years I've been here and even before then.

Um, if you drop it now, it's really hard to pick back up.

I believe me.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Perry.

Good evening.

Good evening.

My name is Chris Mojok, uh 625 Sunset Drive.

I'm also here to speak in favor of item 13, um, including Greenway funding and the T Splos for this cycle.

I I don't have facts or official stuff.

Um, just kind of context from life.

I've I've been a daily bike commuter for about 20 years, 10 plus years in Athens.

My bike commute to work takes me right past my kids' high school at Central.

I know the greenway is not going to connect there, but I can't convince anyone in my household to become a bike commuter like me because I was dumb enough to get comfortable bike commuting just on the roads.

Um, but I think if if my three kids had had it more access to the greenway trails, they you kind of develop this sense of security and using the bike as a way to get around.

Um, you know, my my kids work here at automatic pizza and Dunkin' Donuts and Battties burgers, and we don't live that far away, but they won't ride their bikes there because they it just doesn't feel quite right.

Um, everyone in my household is a bike commuter by choice if if they decided to be.

But we've got a lot of people in the community who if if we had this connect, you know, this connected network of greenway trails, you develop the comfort of being on your bike, getting around town.

You know, I can now use that cemetery path to get from where I work down near uh Ramsey up into downtown.

And I just think like every time I take somebody on it with me, they're like, oh man, if there was more of this, yeah, I'd I think I might use my bike more.

So I would just like to um put out there that it is.

I mean, yes, it's I I love riding my bike, it's fun.

Um, but it it's a very effective and cost-effective way for me to get around.

So I hope you all consider that adding that funding.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Mojak.

Good evening.

Hello, hi everyone.

I'm Olivia Asher.

I'm a live at 105 College Station Road, and I'm also talking about agenda item number 13 in regard to uh funding for the greenway as part of the T SWATS.

When I moved to Athens around four years ago, I did not have a car, so the greenway was pretty much my only source of both transportation and recreation because there wasn't really anything I could get to aside from that without a car.

Um and I noticed that in some of the proposed projects, there were some really good things for the greenway that would improve the experience a lot, like a pedestrian bridge over a Coney Street.

That was one of the worst parts of trying to do across that on rollerblades.

Very scary, would not recommend.

So having a bridge across would just be such an improvement.

So anyway, uh the greenway is really important to me, and I hope that you all will consider adding some funding to it.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Asher.

Good evening.

Hey, my name is Bart King.

I live in Forest Heights on the west side of Athens in District 5.

Um there since 2004.

And um for years I've been uh excitedly awaiting the arrival of the Greenway along the middle of Coney, as well as parks uh further out on the west side and behind Forest Heights with Beachhaven.

Um honestly I've been envious of greenway access of people on the east side and the north side.

Um and more and more so as I travel around to cities of similar sizes around the country, um becoming envious of cities that seem to be accelerate accelerating uh livability with their trail systems.

Um I feel like we are are falling behind a bit uh with that here in Athens.

Might just be my point of view because I don't have trails to ride on on the west side and have to travel to get to them.

Um yeah, I'm disappointed that as soon as the uh commission has decided to um suggest that we begin developing on the middle of Coney, that funding seems to have stalled.

Um so I'd really love to see uh trans or some funding set aside for greenway development along the middle of Coney.

I'd really hope this is something I'd be able to enjoy with my daughter who was born in 2011, but she's gonna be heading off to school in about three and a half years.

So I'm starting to wonder if now I've often joked that I'm hoping it'll be around by the time I retire, and it's starting to feel a little more like the case.

Um, but I hope we uh have something sooner than that.

And then one other thing that's been concerning as I talk to people about this, I've heard talk of the T SPLOSS being defined as a special tax as opposed to a special or special tax that could be used for sustaining uh maintenance projects and so forth, or um as opposed to a special projects tax.

And I'm a um my concern is that if more and more it's a special tax that's used for sustaining maintenance, that it will become harder and harder to pass uh T-SBOST or SPLOST um for special projects that uh feel like we deserve as a community.

Um that's just uh a bit of a separate issue, just wanted to mention that that's uh come to mind.

Um but anyways, thank you for for your work.

Thank you, Mr.

King.

Good evening.

Good evening, everybody.

Danielle Gilmer, I live in Forest Heights, 725 Fine Forest Drive.

Um I'm just gonna echo what a lot of people have already said.

Um I'm very excited as a resident over in Forrest Heights on the West Side for the development of the Beach Haven Park.

And I know that's gonna take some time, but having the Greenway expansion on the middle of Coney happen in tandem or in the same vein, I think is really going to make a difference.

We all know unfortunately it takes longer than we want for these projects to come to fruition at the moment.

So getting started now with projects that are gonna align with that Beach Haven Park that everybody is so excited for just makes sense.

By the time we have the park open, we're gonna have to figure out parking and other ways to get into it.

So to me, it just kind of makes sense to start considering that middle of Coney piece and the trails that connect up other parts of the city.

The west side definitely gets down to have some green space and some connectivity.

And again, like what other folks have said, it's not just a leisurely thing, it's transportation, it's health, um, it's peace of mind, and it's um an Athens that I want to live in.

So thank y'all very much for considering.

Thank you so much.

Good evening.

Good evening.

My name is Benet Coleman, and I'm a candidate of the District of Seven Commissioner.

I'm gonna stand boldly in front of everyone.

I'm totally against anything when it comes to bikes, unless you treat them as an automobile, a truck, a plane, they have to have license tag, registration like everyone else that pays taxes, and that money can be used on something else.

If you want to feel like you have to give them that privilege to give them pass, make them pay for with the money for that they pay on the tax, the tags in the likes of fee.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Coleman.

Good evening.

Hi, I'm Michael Goltzer.

I live at 120 Valleywood in Athens.

Um I'd like to also support um some action by the commission to um restore funding in item number 13 um for the greenway within the T Splash 2026.

Um I'm really not sure why it didn't make the cut.

Um, and I guess I would ask you guys to ask that question.

Um missing a whole T Sploss cycle, um it would be pretty devastating, I think, to progress in um expanding the Greenway, um, which for me is yes, it's a recreational opportunity, but for um just transportation, um, if I was still commuting to work, I would be happy to use that greenway.

Um, and it's there for everybody to use once it's built.

If it doesn't get built, then you know the effort will wither and uh be harder to get it started up again later.

So thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr.

Galter.

Good evening.

Good evening, Mayor Commission.

Uh Tim Denson 483 Quailwood Drive.

Uh just wanted to briefly speak to item number 11 on the right-of-way use.

I I do appreciate the time and uh work that the ad hoc committee put into this.

I think really thinking from different points of view and getting a lot of different perspectives.

Um one of the things that was brought up multiple times and is in the report is that the commission, uh the commissioners on the ad hoc committee did think that uh lockers should be supplied for unhoused individuals uh be able to store their uh items since that is one of the things that's on here making that unlawful to do.

And it was citing the report that further work will be done.

I do urge this commission.

I think you all know, I definitely know that this work is continuous, moves very fast, and if something usually isn't put in writing and with a hard date on it, it usually does not get revisited.

Um so I highly encourage y'all to that whenever you if this is passed uh that uh y'all put a a hard date uh for the item for those lockers to come back before this body because I think we all know that if that is not done, it's probably not gonna happen for a number of years.

So please, I definitely uh because otherwise I don't want us to be using this law to criminalize those who are homeless, which could very easily happen if that's not done.

So again, I just urge y'all to actually put a hard date uh for a future meeting in which that item can come back before you if you pass this item.

Thank you all for your time.

Thank you, Mr.

Denson.

All right, we'll come for commission action.

Good evening.

I had the easy seat.

Uh my name is Alan Jones.

Uh I live at uh 195 Xavier Drive, and um speaking on uh T S PLOS 13.

Um I will say also that um in to echo the leisure services thing.

We have a great leisure services department.

I was on the first day hike in Ben Burton Park uh this last week, and it was uh it was a joy.

Um the the T Sploss piece adding the six year, totally for that.

But I am totally against the thought of earmarking a majority of that money like you did with the initial five years.

That was wrong.

It's wrong to do it again.

Do not earmark that money for maintenance and other things for that fifth year.

This is kind of a way to make up for that uh what I call an injustice.

We should be paying for maintenance issues out of our regular budget, not out of these special projects.

I'm also gonna speak for um using some of the additional funds for you've heard me talk about Timothy Road a million times, and I hear that that is being added, and I thank you so much for those people that are putting that piece together.

Timothy, uh Mitchell Bridge, both need that money.

Um, but I also want to speak a little bit about the Greenway.

Uh I left Athens in the late 90s and was gone for about 10 years making my career in Atlanta.

But uh once I got to the point where I could live anywhere I wanted to, I came back, and there were really five things that were kind of infrastructure related, kind of, but not totally, that that brought me back.

And um none of that was football.

Um first, the Dallas Voice magazine uh rated Athens the one of the top ten gay mayor gay Mayberries in the United States back then, even when we had a 20 for the human rights campaign score.

Uh the Georgia Theater and our music scene, the botanical gardens, the uh historic and quirky downtown um back in the olden days when it was clean and inviting, uh and the greenway.

The greenway is something that is and it's been visionary.

It has been something that has been an ongoing thing that is just inspirational the way it has grown with Athens and that it has brought joy to so many people, and that it is has brought transportation to them.

I'd probably be a hundred pounds heavier or dead because of having to bike on the roads if it were not for that greenway.

So please uh consider adding funding back for that.

Thank you, Mr.

Jones.

Right.

Um Commissioner Fisher, you asked for removal of item four for a question about the Freeman Drive Sewer Force main replacement.

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

Yeah, and um Commissioner Thornton's district, and of course I don't want to speak for it, but the um the developer of that property, um the Tanner's had reached out to me, and I also asked him to reach out to Commissioner Thornton.

No a concern about how long this project was gonna take, but when I looked at the notes, seemed like it's gonna get fast track.

Maybe we're thinking about maybe 90 days.

I think we're gonna start sometime this month and try to get it done by um seeing an indication uh affirmative from the public utilities directly.

Right, because initially they was concerned that was gonna be six, eight months, and I felt like that was unacceptable, but I appreciate you all um getting on the ball working with them because I think that Hope 139 is gonna be a um great um housing um parents and single parents and mothers who who need that support.

So thank you all for fast tracking that manual and again um they did reach out to Commissioner Thornton and I.

I'm just wanting to make sure that we get that fast track, get the soil and stuff connected.

We're gonna need that moving forward.

So thank you all for doing that.

Do they know you um going to start um within the 90 days?

Do they know that?

Director uh Terry, you've been able to engage with the property owner.

Yes, yes, we've been talking to as soon as you give us the go ahead.

We'll get away.

Well, you got to go ahead.

Well, we soon as we can do the oh that go ahead.

It is there a motion for a vote.

Uh I've got a motion for Commissioner Fisher.

There's a second from Commissioner Thornton.

We've begun the process of a go-ahead.

Any further questions?

All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

All right, you've got to go ahead.

Here you go.

All right, good job, everyone.

We're winning tonight.

All right.

We are moving on to uh uh old business item number seven.

Uh this is the development agreement for redevelopment of public and private properties around 295 East Doherty Street.

Uh, could I please have a commissioner place a motion on the floor?

Move to approve.

Second.

All right, I've got a motion from Commissioner Link and a second from Commissioner Wright.

Commissioner Link, is there anything else to say?

Um, I think we've been batting this around uh behind the rail here for several months now.

Um, and we had a really productive um intense and and deep dive informative work session about it, and I would hope that everybody has the information they need to move forward and see to it that for once this community can actually benefit from a private development project.

Um we're gonna see about eight million dollars going into our housing fund from this project and um a couple million dollars a year going towards the East Athens TAD.

Um, I think this can serve as a model going forward of how we can use private development to truly benefit the community, and also I hope that this project can serve as a model for some desperately needed downtown design guideline changes.

Um we've got a project that on the ground really meets the community.

Um it, you know, it has these little pocket parts, parks and public spaces.

Um, and and I feel like that's the kind of thing that we should make a requirement, especially in our downtown um, you know, as it interfaces with very public areas.

Um and uh you know there's a little misinformation out there.

This project saves the foundry building.

Um, you know, by entering this agreement and um the ADDA working with this private developer, they're able to do this land swap that that saves the foundry building.

Um I I could place a 90-day hold on the demolition of that building.

It would be up to the will of this body to go for a longer moratorium, but we've been down that road before and we know how it ends.

We couldn't save the say building.

Um, I don't think anybody behind this rail wants to go through that, and I don't know that there would be a fruitful outcome.

Here we have a private developer who's willing to save that building and not only save the building, but have it be used by the community um by minority nonprofits to invite the community into the property um and help the history of that building be told forever.

Um, you know, I mean, I'm I'm not all that excited about student housing towers, but I'm even less excited about more students moving into our neighborhoods.

Um if this project can pull 1400 kids out of East Athens and Hancock, um, all the better.

Commissioner Wright, anything?

Um I'm supportive of this, and it is a very complicated project.

Uh the public-private ACC Gov with the downtown development authority is uh really the beginning of some other complicated things that we'll be doing in the arena district.

So um we need to just nail down what it is that we all need in the process and when I'm taking notes, the earlier the better.

Uh and that we have a committee that can help with the that's uh got um Commissioner Culpepper and I.

So hopefully when things are uh get moving and decisions are being made that um that you guys are in the loop so that you are learning the different public private um decisions that are being made in other areas of our community for um higher better use of our properties.

Um and I'm just glad that people know that Lay Park is not part of it, is its higher better use, and I'm glad that we nailed that down today.

Um, but I'm ready to vote.

Thanks, Commissioner.

I've got the uh Commissioner Fisher and then Commissioners Myers and Thornton.

Yeah, I just want to go on ruck, and I'm I really need to be crystal clear about this.

Um I I want to speak for the four colleagues of mine that voted no.

And I fear because of um what's gonna happen with that quarter that um Tom Lay in the Linden House is gonna pretty much be surrounded by student housing and and that's unfortunate.

And I and I'm looking at the impact it's gonna have on the young people that may be using Lay Park.

Um I appreciate the fact that core is gonna be doing using a minority contractors um in this project.

I appreciate the fact that the foundry building is gonna be a home to nonprofits that's gonna help and all that stuff is great.

I appreciate the um seven million dollars that's gonna be put in a housing fund.

But again, I always think about the future.

Always think about how it's gonna young um impact young people in our community when they're using the um Tom Lay Center, and whether or not they're gonna feel still feel a source of pride if this really gonna be our community center for this community.

So for me, uh, and I know by right, and I need to put that out there because that was an article in the paper that they felt like that we as commission didn't understand that by right they can bill.

We understand that by right they can build 950 units.

I get that, but this is 1400 units.

Um I I am concerned about the parking because there's not enough parking spaces, and I'm concerned about the overflow or where that parking is gonna go once those kids get there.

So um there's some good things that's gonna impact some of the communities, but again, I always think about the future and what's really gonna happen to that area over the next five to ten years when we continue to put in more and more student housing.

I have said this personally, and and some of you all disagree with me.

Don't think we need more student housing.

I truly don't.

I did I did a ride around during the holidays on going to different apartment complexes.

There is an enormous amount of vacancies in this community.

A lot of them.

So, and that can be a good or bad thing.

If there are a number of vacancies, maybe rent will come down and people can go in there and afford to live there.

And that's great.

But again, we can't continue to put student housing, and this is you know, and again, I always said that as Clark County government don't need to be in the student housing business.

That's not our belly wick.

Our belly should be how to rebuild this community moving forward and not being in student housing um um development.

But again, and um I think the four of us who voted no, not so much against what's gonna happen, how it's gonna benefit, but we're looking at the future and how it's gonna impact that area over the next five to ten years.

Thank you, Mayor.

Commissioner Myers.

Yeah, I I I'm in agreement with a a lot of what um Commissioner Fisher said, and and appreciative of the increased benefits that will come out of this because it's clear where the vote is.

But I I do want to just reiterate um why I'm not supporting this.

I actually do not agree that the land swap agreement benefits the community in the long run down the future.

Um student housing built by right with the inclusionary zoning on the land already owned by the developer, could be done.

And without the land swap, and would also produce significant dollars for affordable housing and add to the TAD.

Um swapping the land so that we can build a public parking uh uh deck in the back of the foundry to be mostly used by long-term student parking is not in from my perspective the best use of ACC land or money.

Swapping the Lay Park parking lot and playground profoundly affects access to Lay Park, and with the addition of 1400 student housing bedrooms, has significant potential to alter how and by whom Lay Park is used.

The decision to proceed with the land swap was negotiated without broad commission involvement and then presented as a best option for the community.

Not something I'm pleased with.

Finally, simply put, I'm not against dead student housing, but I am again seeding all of downtown as a continuation of North Campus to student housing.

I don't want to I go back um over the benefits because I think Commissioner Um Fisher and Commissioner Myers really um said all I wanted to say on that.

But I do want to say, I do agree, this started, this is a huge prize.

I didn't even realize it was this huge when it came to us.

We're we're voting on peace here, a zone there, a crunch there.

It's it's it it is it was too huge to go through the process that it went through.

And I do feel as though that me personally, I would have rather to be a part of those conversations on the beginning.

But I guess I'm yeah, I'm the oldest one up here now.

Um, and one of those old sayings, you don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

And the truth of the matter, if you're going to build it anyway without that debt, let us get something out the deal.

Now that sounds like quick pro quo, don't it, uh uh Bob, that sounds like quick pro quo, but it's not really, because I think that we found another terminology for quick pro quo, and that is um community benefits.

To me, those are the same thing, but we'll talk about that another time.

One thing I did, I did go to the first session of uh the workshop they had with the the uh minority uh um subcontractors.

There were not just black folk in there, there were women.

One young lady spoke tonight, there were Hispanics in there.

There were um male, of course, and there was an Asian guy in there.

That's what diversity looks like to me.

And when we talk about the uh disparity study, the the this right now under this administration, this is that's flushed down the toilet.

The disparity study is just rip it up, okay.

But the fact that we're working with a private contractor that does not have to go by these federal regulations, we can do what this government has not done for our community ever.

Ever community has depended on this government to treat us, and I say us, me, uh you know, us, the same way some of the other groups are being treated.

This is the first time a developer has stepped out of the box.

Is it is it gonna be perfect?

No.

Are there gonna be glitches?

No, this is the first time developers have I'm take a minute more.

Um this is the first time ever a developer has reached out into our community and not take all the the goodies for themselves.

I wish and another reason I'm going to support it.

I was talking to another developer who's getting ready to unroll his housing housing plan in 2026, 20, yeah, 2026.

And um, when I was telling him about this, he would say, I've been looking for um to work more in the minority, you know, community.

When I come in, uh, no, you're not gonna meet with me, because nobody's gonna be saying I'm making no deal.

I'll point you in the right direction.

But I feel as though our staff should be directing our minor uh uh our minority um uh subcontract.

So if staff is not doing that, if that's not an important thing, then we got to depend on private developers.

No, this isn't the the no uh I think uh commissioner uh I'm not commissioner, um Dr.

Maddox talked about uh the Bethel Project.

If we had known, if I had known that it was not fully funded like it should be, we shouldn't have even started it.

But now we're picking it up and picking up the pieces, but you can't leave it just hanging.

But I guarantee you this, somebody knew.

We might not have known, but somebody knew.

And the last thing I'm gonna say about the um uh uh the infrastructure and the sewer, I've heard Commissioner uh Johnson Johnson.

Commissioner Johnson and even one of our speakers talked about that infrastructure should be paid for by our tax dollars, actually.

I don't think a developer should be paying for infrastructure unless that's what they want to do.

But we should make sure our infrastructure is good.

So we do have a good product.

Now, I don't want to put Bob on the spot, but I've I've been known to do that.

Um I talked to Bob about uh the infrastructure and about the quarry, we talked about the quarry.

Since we since the developers are taking over the infrastructure on this project, I would like um our PUD enterprise to look at the monies and come back with and I guess this has to go through a motion, but we need to take those dollars and address the quarry.

We keep cooking, we keep kicking that quarry down there.

Guess who suffers?

It ain't it's not a lot of people in here now.

But why are we keep kicking the quarry down the hill if that's a public entity?

And I think you say, well, I think you said we own it now.

And when you buy the house, if you haven't done your audience.

I do want to make a note that we are gonna address the public utility service delivery plan, which will include uh exactly that property this year.

The quarry.

Yes, ma'am.

Okay.

Commissioner Johnson.

Okay.

So with the quarry, when you buy the property, you you own the debts.

And so if there were issues that you that were existing when you purchase the property, we assume those issues, and they have not been sufficiently addressed.

They've been drunk, you know, drug along, ignored, no return phone calls, and it's heartbreaking.

And if you know, you should just you know, some of us should go to those homes and see the floor separating.

I just wanted to finish uh Commissioner Thornton's thought.

Okay, so here we go.

Like I said, I watched the video of the planning commission evaluate the um this proposal.

They did not have the full 500 page document, 500 plus plus page document.

So as it relates to sewer, I believe it was the attorney who spoke.

He said the potential benefit.

I just want you to know the potential benefit of this project is 2.6 million in service upgrades, one one and one-time benefit of 14 million.

He also stated 2.4 million in benefit from tax revenue.

Okay.

Someone in the audience asked a question, a very good question.

The 2.6 million you reference, is it for this sewer or or what sewer?

So they're down on Hoyt, Jackson, and Daughtery Street, because we've seen different different agenda items with all three names.

He actually said the 2.6 million contribution is not for this project.

He said it's for North Downtown.

The developer will be helping fix an issue related to the sewer closest to the classic center.

That's that I actually put the minute.

He said that at minute 30, 30 minutes, 13 seconds, around around there.

You know, folks, we get funding and people do things, but money never ends up where it's supposed to end up.

That 7.9 million.

It's not going to end up where it's going to end up.

And if it did, let me just show you what that what will happen.

So we I requested myself, Commissioner Myers and one other commissioner requested a five-year summary of the homes completed by the housing and community development department working with the housing partners.

And so I started crunching numbers doing it and doing analysis.

I'm going to just use one nonprofit.

So since 2015, this is the Athens Land Trust, the Athens Land Trust have two different categories completed and pending.

So when we say 7.9 million, something's wrong.

Something's happening.

So would you like another segment of time?

I I would, I got two more points.

And I and I will be, I'll speak with brevity.

The total bedrooms of those 26 homes are 76.

That is is that's that's not a good return on investment.

Okay, moving on.

Okay, so for the Greenway, you know, I used to live in Washington and California and Idaho, and I love the Greenway too.

But in some districts, it is just not feasible for me to have compassion and um be hopefully.

We will have a separate conversation about the T S Plus, but this is just about the Doherty Street project.

Okay, okay.

So nobody district six and Greenway clarifying misinformation winging.

Okay.

This everything about this project has felt like everybody's winging it.

There's no plan in action in writing.

There's a lot of hope.

There's a lot of wish, but it's nothing in writing.

And we've gotten burned before.

The parking problem, it's a problem before before they break land.

And when they leave town, it's not their issue, and they don't care.

Um but that is going to be a real issue.

I'm I'm not gonna vote for it.

And it is, you know, I really do commend the um core group because you are the very first that actually said we would we we are willing to invest.

That's that's commendable.

You're gonna get it.

You're gonna get this is gonna pass.

But I want to be consistent, and I and I want this on the record, the inconsistencies.

So that's why I'm just making these points.

And the last thing is, you know, I put this together last uh two weeks ago.

And it had dawned on me after having conversations with commission with developers that projects went through successfully.

If they were willing to do additional work in development that wasn't part of their plan, they were able to get their projects through the process and complete them.

If you weren't willing to do this additional work, you know, like you're gonna build a parking deck.

Variances are approved.

Um, but when you don't have the funds to do that, everybody can't be in the in the game.

Everybody doesn't have the funding, and it sends a it sends a message, and we are known for being hard on businesses.

That's all I have to say.

Commissioner Taylor.

Yeah.

Um so I um won't be voting for this um for this project.

And it's not because of all of the community benefits or what the core group is gonna do for the blacks, but it's more so the future of the area.

Because one thing that I that that's done on me is every time that we've gone on a trip somewhere, we've always gone to a state that has a riverfront kind of um area.

And so I see that that's where this project is kind of like you know, spearheading and leading to.

Um, so Lord help bigger vision.

Um, but um I'm really concerned about the the residents of um Bethel Homes and the Scatter sites and housing authority because housing authority lately has been going more public private, which means um the scattered sites will also be next, whatever ACC housing authority and whatever private developer decides to come in and get a piece of the pie.

My concern is where are those residents gonna go?

But then I thought about it.

The building um of highway 29 um potentially is where most of those residents are gonna go.

And um, this body will be the governing body that pushes um the residents from Bethel homes out.

Um, Denny Towers, I'm sure is gonna be gonna go as well along with the the scattered sites.

Um, and to believe that when we get 1400 um student bedrooms that they're gonna somehow not be my neighbors anymore is delusional.

Um, students love their freedoms, they don't like to be stacked on top of each other because if they did, then they wouldn't be my neighbors, they would be downtown or at the atlas that has um vacancies.

Um it's so it's so heartbreaking because our children they won't be able to go to Lay Park, even though it's gonna be designated as a um historic area.

It is going to be used by those 14 bedrooms, and you know, I'm not saying black students aren't gonna be a part of those 14 bedrooms because more than likely they will.

Um, but the Bethel home um residents who you know will be able to live there or or could afford to live there because most of them can't afford to live there now, and it's supposed to be affordable housing.

They can't live there now, they're being evicted now.

Um so you know, in a couple of years, that won't even matter because they can't afford to live in it.

And I just I know and I'm saying all this because Kelly, you know very well, my grandma lived on um College Avenue before she passed away.

You actually sat in her living room, and so it it weighs heavy on my heart.

Yeah, give me some more minutes.

It it weighs um heavy on my heart because we don't have residents from Bethel Holmes that's here today um to talk about what they live through every day, what they live through during construction, and also the displacement of um neighbors now.

Um they don't have a voice, and I felt like if I just sat here and just continued to listen to everybody else, then those residents won't have a voice.

My silence means that I'm complacent with homegrown Athenians being pushed out because the dollar sign is more important, and and I get that money is gonna go to the downtown tab, the east downtown tab, which is in district three and district two.

But the fact that district three is being gentrified at such a heavy rate, we won't even need affordable housing because those children will be able to afford the houses that we're gonna be pushed out of because we are not gonna be able to afford the taxes.

These are all the things that are gonna happen within the next five to ten years.

And being the youngest person on the commission, um, I hope to see the change in Athens, but I also hope to see that change also involves the residents that voted us in these seats, not the private developer that comes from out of state to say this is what we're gonna do for the blacks.

And the blacks say, well, we appreciate you doing it for the blacks, but it's not gonna be all the blacks in Athens, it's gonna be the blacks in Northeast Georgia, which nine times out of ten is not gonna be the blacks in Athens, not a lot of contractors, blacks, Latinos, or Asians in Athens.

Um yeah, with us patting ourselves on the back, we probably should take into account all of the seats that are going up in May, and you know, who's gonna get votes, and um yeah, this is that's it.

Anyone else, Corey?

We're turning to Commissioner Johnson.

Uh Commissioner Johnson.

I I agree with everything the people that spoke said besides the first person.

I want to say that I'm just waiting for because of the history of my first 12 months of being hijacked with the last minute projects thrown at us to make very serious decisions.

I am concerned.

I would love for us to be partners and information and plans.

We have these meetings, we have these um retreats, and we don't talk about nothing.

We don't fix nothing, we don't talk about nothing, and but some of these things we we are lectured to and and maybe given some information, but we do not have a dialogue.

It is all monologue for the most part.

There's a lot to fix.

And I am just waiting for someone to say we're move, we're clearing all of all of the unhoused individuals out of downtown, and we are moving them to the country land and district six, or the country land and district one, or the country land in district nine.

Because we don't have all the same, we don't have all of the same pleasures that the other districts do.

And I see something, I see something five years ahead, two years ahead.

We're trying to eliminate you're making all downtown for students.

They don't want they want to feel safe.

We want them to feel safe, but it shouldn't be at the um it shouldn't be for leaving um pushing people out of their homes.

I want to be a part of the strategy, the conversation, and we don't and you don't do that.

I want to do that with if if if if if some commissioners don't care, that's fine.

But I I I want to know what's coming.

All right, uh I've got a motion and a second on the floor, so we'll do a roll call vote in just a moment.

Uh did want to note um a couple things that through the multiple conversations we've had have emerged just about uh direction with some of the component pieces.

Uh one of the component pieces of this obviously are additional funds for our affordable housing trust fund, and on our 23rd of January mini retreat where we look at the budget, we'll have a session specifically designated for for for that fund uh because we've got some dollars in there already, and and should this be successful, we'll have additional dollars.

moment uh did want to note um a couple things that through the multiple conversations we've had have emerged just about uh direction with some of the component pieces uh one of the component pieces of this obviously are additional funds for our affordable housing trust fund and on our 23rd of january mini retreat where we look at the budget we we'll have a session specifically designated for for for that fund uh because we've got some dollars in there already and and should this be successful we'll have additional dollars uh also want to note given proximity to the former Bethel homes that the housing authority has uh indicated to us that when the second phase is complete which will be under construction this spring that that will house everybody who is in the former Bethel homes in north downtown so just want to make sure that that's clear to everybody um so uh commissioner link was the motioner so we'll begin the roll call with her yes Taylor no right yes Fisher no Johnson no Culpepper yes Myers no Thornton yes Hambies Davenport yes six yes four no right uh thank you madam clerk motion carries all right we're um moving on to item number eight and uh we've received uh formal request uh for a withdrawal of item eight and uh so I'll turn to Commissioner Fisher to make a motion.

Yeah um like I'm like to put a motion on the floor um not the eight that the um car um development has um requested to pull the application for the um 2415 Jefferson roads um so we've got a a motion to accept the withdrawal request is there a second second all right I've got a second from Commissioner Davenport anything further commissioner yeah just um and again I just I want to do want to address um residents um at home with heels and and um and also the Carter you know we went back and forth held a number of meetings and um hopefully what I hope come out of this is we go back to the drawing board we'll be back with the residents um in home with heels hopeful we can come up with something that would um fit um that particular shopping center probably not gonna be perfect but hopefully be something that everybody can live with and I do appreciate Carter willing to um withdraw the application for us to come back to the drawing board to look at something and uh and I appreciate the back and forth and this democracy looks you know we talk about it we meet about it sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't but again I do appreciate them willing to um withdraw the application willing to come back to the table will have some uh really good discussions with the residents open homeway heels uh anything further commissioner davenport um I was gonna mention something well gonna mention about a buy right because there are a lot of constituents not constituent residents in Fisher's district and others who mention um that don't scare us or buy the buy right building you need to be scared of a buy right building because um a buy right building well if a buy right development can literally right now build without public input without commissioners without any input from anybody can build right now because it's zoned that way and I appreciate what um the developers were trying to do and working with the neighbors it's unfortunate but I completely understand um the livability of those residents who have been stationed over there they want to keep the keep it quiet but you know just down the road if a developer comes and purchase that property and start putting up five story buildings right next to your home you know just understand that you had a developer to at least try to communicate and discuss um for other options anything further if we've got a let me have uh attorney Drake read the ordinance and I'll turn to Commissioner Link ordinance to a vision back Star County George respect to rezoning one force of land comprising approximately 15.95 acres located at 2415 Jefferson Road from C D commercial general to CGPD commercial general plan development and for other purposes.

Thanks Attorney Drake Commissioner Link yeah I mean I want to speak to the idea of a a buy right project going in there that really could be a lot worse really impactful to the the neighbors um I you know as we update our future land use plan and take a new look at our zoning I think it's time for us to look at that CG and CN zoning and height restrictions particularly when buildings are located at a certain proximity to single family neighborhoods.

I think that's something we need to do as soon as possible because um you know the buildings of that height can have a real impact when they're located very close to people's backyards.

I know I live a block off Prince Avenue so I I think we really need to get on that and on some downtown design guidelines really quickly got a motion and a second to accept the withdrawal all in favor please say aye aye are there any opposed hearing none motion carries right uh going to move on to item nine I know uh commissioner myers you've spearheaded uh kind of alternative so I'll ask you to place a motion on the floor.

Um that would uh would be a waiver for a hundred percent of the water and wastewater connection fees for the mental health recovery center that Invantage is building.

Second, got a motion from Commissioner Myers, second from Commissioner Fisher.

Anything further, Commissioner?

Uh I just want to thank the attorney's office for working through the ordinance that was needed for this.

Um this will it's you know it's I hate saying this.

I mean, it's it's only 100,000, but they the budget has gone so far um it'll save them in a continued hundred thousand dollars.

That that project started at about 11 million and is now 10 million more over that.

Um and advantages of secured grants and value engineered the project to make up for the difference, but this will help and this will help with them finally get the uh moving forward on this project that um the communities needed for long.

It's a 32-bed recovery-based residents with wraparound support services for those with mental illnesses.

So I look forward to this getting started and getting completed.

Anything further?

Oh, is it 60?

The 60 Bay is commission.

Um just to echo uh my colleague um comments and and the CDO that that um we put together, and I think it is well needed while community when we're doing with mental health and um substance abuse, and I think it's really gonna help impact some of the things that goes on.

I hope we can be um an example for the um other parts of the state that can build these type of um campuses and these types of housing for people who need um those assistance.

So I'm fully supporting the CDO.

Yeah, no, I just might thank you for that correction.

It's 32 two-bedroom units, make 64.

My math.

Thanks for that.

All right, uh, do we have an ordinance?

Ordinance to win water and waste coordination fees for that certain mental health recovery facility project located at 240 Mitchell Bridge Road and for other lawful purposes.

All in favor, please say aye.

Commissioner Johnson.

Yes, I'm so sorry.

So uh I I I do support this, but I'm looking at uh looking ahead at initially started with developers who were willing to um work in that space of inclusionary zoning.

And so they got that 30 percent break.

And I understand the need for this.

So my question is how far are we going to go?

We have individuals that live below the poverty line that can't pay for their water.

Are we willing to do the same thing?

Because with the developers, there was something that was asked and given.

It was an exchange, like a contract.

This is just assistance for our community benefit.

But we do have people in the community that struggle to pay their water bill.

As a note, this is for the connection, but not for the monthly charge.

So not for the ongoing operation, but just for that connection.

Uh, when you build a new structure, you pay for both the water and separately for the sewer connection based on the size of the pipe connecting to that facility.

And so this is for that, but not for waiver of the monthly fee.

Okay.

May I ask if the new if our housing partners transfer that expense to the owner, the um the person that's moving in?

Do they pass that expense on, or is it just part of the the building?

Uh i it would be hard for me to quantify exactly for uh Habitat for Humanity, for example, or for some of our recent LITEC projects, like the one on highway 72, exactly what the translation is, but you know, I think generally speaking, I think it's fair to say that if you reduce the overall cost of construction, then you reduce the cost to the end user to the occupant.

Thank you.

Commissioner Myers.

Yeah, I do want to uh clarify that this is not connected to the inclusionary zoning.

It's another ordinance that allows policy that allows a reduction in fees for uh projects that are adding for housing and for economic development if approved by the commission.

So um, you know, there we do have a lot of policies on building as such.

So this this one is is a little bit different there.

Um so this is just for the building of it, it's not for the ongoing uh the ongoing costs.

Uh uh again, uh all in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

All right, hearing none motion carries.

Um we do need a motion to hold item 10 uh because we have some advertising requirements that we have to pursue.

Do I hear such a motion?

Yes, so moved.

So we need a timeline on that.

Um I think that there are some legal requirements, and so I don't know.

We'll see it as soon as practical.

Yes.

Both of the requirements are for sixty days.

Okay.

At least six days.

Okay.

So hold hold is the way to go.

Okay, hold from Commissioner Wright.

Is there a second?

Second.

All right, we've got a second from Commissioner Link.

All right.

Anything further?

No.

Yes.

Uh Commissioner Devin.

So I um I'll be working with Commissioner Thornton to talk with Weaver D's and is Barbara Barnett on options.

So 60 days gives us plenty of time and hopefully we'll come to a resolution.

Maybe I'm name and I will say both of them were here tonight.

Oh, but I told them to go.

Um, but um uh I think Commissioner Myers had a great idea too, so we'll bounce it off.

Um some more work to be done with there, of course, uh for the public who are listening.

There are two parallel bridges, and so they could be separately named because there's some interest in another honorary so uh but uh but there's some others out there as well.

So certainly the the whole time will give everybody time to sort these out.

Oh if y'all if y'all could include us so that we know what y'all are talking about, oh that'd be great.

That'd be great.

Just not not tonight.

Not the agenda item is to be on hold right now.

If you have guys are got something else going on in my district, I'd be happy to if you would include me on what's going on.

Oh, thank you.

All right, there's a motion from Commissioner Wright and a second from Commissioner Link to hold.

All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed hearing none, motion carries.

All right, uh item 11 is uh um ordinance revision from the right of way use ad hoc committee.

Um entertain a motion from any member of the body.

Make a motion to approve second.

I've got a motion from Commissioner Fisher and uh second from Commissioner Davenport.

I'll have uh attorney Drake read the ordinance at this point.

There are three ordinances, Mr.

Mayor, uh three separate ordinances attended to this agenda item.

First is an ordinance to amend the code of Athens Clark County, Georgia with respect to obstructing public sidewalks and streets and for other purposes.

The second is an ordinance to amend the code of Athens, Clark County, Georgia respect to definitions, services category, service categories, customer classification, and for other purposes.

And the third is an ordinance to amend the code of Athens, Clark County, Georgia with respect to abandonment of personal property within public rights away and for other purposes.

Thank you, Attorney Drake.

Uh Commissioner Fisher, any remarks?

Yeah, just uh um just for the public just for the record.

Um this is not to um criminalize um uh homeless um population.

However, though I think those um businesses downtown and other places in um Athens um should not have a business MP because somebody is sleeping in their doorstep or in their doorway.

So I think some of this is gonna help to ease some of that.

I've gone downtown and met with some of those business owners.

And I think for me and what they talk to me about, is that you know they you know they want something done at this body we should do something about that and should try to um um work with them with our homeless coalition to get some of these things worked out, but um, but this is not to criminalize uh homeless population, but it is to help um those downtown businesses who deserve our support because I always say this most of us live in neighborhoods, and we will want no we would not want people impeding in our neighborhoods or in our land in front of our homes.

So I think that was businesses downtown deserted that same same type of respect.

Uh Commissioner Davenport, a seconder.

Yeah.

So yeah, I'll be supporting this.

I'm not going to go back and forth with my colleagues about terminology.

Um, but we do um for the edification of the public.

Um we do have um we did set up a meeting in the future to meet with our nonprofit providers um for to discuss um the lockers.

So we that is underway and we look forward to getting feedback from them.

Thank you, Commissioner.

I've got uh Commissioners uh right, Link, uh Taylor and Myers and Thornton.

Um thank you, uh Mr.

Mayor.

I appreciate you moving this forward in the committee's work and the fast tracking this topic so that we can um improve.

I think I think that the improved use of our public right-of-way um for everybody to be able to use it, and I think that this is a step in the right direction that might hopefully improve the connectivity between those who need help and those who provide help because um I think that um it's anyway.

I I hope that this is helpful.

I think that we also uh need to do some work on checking on people when people are sleeping with their belongings.

It it brings to my heart does that person need medical attention.

And I think that um there's a point to where checking on somebody uh about them and their belongings is also a checkpoint to make sure that they are okay and that they're not in need of like a wellness check, is what's happening with uh an improved checkpoint and uh sooner checkpoint, I think.

Commissioner Link.

Um yeah, I I wanted to address the lockers.

I'm glad to know that is there a date set for that meeting.

We they are doing a doing research and making um talking with some of our community partners, and they're gonna have a report hopefully by the end of this month.

No permit's on by the end of the month, though.

And this is the homeless coalition.

Yeah, okay.

Commissioner Commissioner Taylor.

Yeah, I just want us to um also make sure that our um police department is in these talks as well, um, because they will be the ones enforcing this, and I just heard my colleagues say that they are, and you know, because a lot of people think that Athens is a sanctuary city.

So you can tell people to come here and then tell people don't sleep in front of places where they're gonna sleep at what a lights on it, what I ain't gonna get killed or stolen or stabbed, you know, because I have a really close friend that I met once I got um elected, Miss Teresa, whose address is City Hall.

And the last thing I want is for Miss Teresa to be um arrested, you know, for trespassing or anything like that.

I just want us to be mindful of um, you know, and I Patrick doesn't want to go back and forth about terminology, neither do not I.

I'm not about the words, I'm about the people and the people who will be affected.

And I don't know if y'all know, but we've approved a lot of structures, especially in district nine, that's gonna tear down a lot of trees that's gonna bring a lot of people that we don't see out of the bushes.

Where are those people gonna go?

Because again, a lot of people think that this is a sanctuary city, meaning not just the individuals, but the municipalities.

Um, when I was also um newly elected, me, John, and Dexter, as well as Mayor sat with a group um about the homeless issue.

They were business owners and they you know talked to us about all of the things that they were facing from then to now, the homeless population has probably tripled since then.

And I just want us to be mindful of the fact that until we, you know, also reach out to the municipalities that's dropping them off.

We're always gonna be trying changing the terminology.

It's gonna be something else the next time, and then the next time.

And at the end of the day, it's about the people.

Um, and a lot of them have mental health issues, um, or just fell on hard times and now have nowhere to go.

And so I just I just want us to be mindful um just not fill our jail with unhoused residents because we don't want to look at them.

Uh Commissioner Myers.

Yeah, as a fellow member of this ad hoc committee with um with the Commissioners Davenport and um Fisher, I just wanted to add a few points here.

Um, and that is I think if anything, that this ordinance language really just clarifies some vague language, ambiguous language that was in there of in the ordinances, um, and we had really involved support involvement with the solicitor William Fleener and the deputy chief Harrison in there so that it would help our law enforcement uh work with the unhoused population or anyone who are in this this situation, um, because there's just a lot there was a lot of vague language and at the attorney's office.

Oh, yes, the attorney's office was endlessly helpful.

So uh we know we don't want to forget about them.

Um and I think it's uh the the so I don't I don't think it's going to there's lots of exceptions you have to be enter, you know, it's it's not just grabbing anyone off the street by any means.

That's not what it's about.

Um, and I think we made sure of that um again and again in there.

There's also uh the new ordinance um requires a warning.

There's a warning before a citation before put forward.

Um, and so I think these should be helpful.

Um we did express to the uh members, the commissioners the importance of those like exploring those lockers, and I clarified because I couldn't remember if we'd set up a meeting or not, and it was I think their their goal is to get it by the end of January.

I got that from the uh county manager's office.

Um, but probably in more likely in February that they'd be getting us something back, and those are um the homeless coalition with Sally Kimmel, Mike Moss, and Michael Bean will be doing that.

So um, and I do want to reiterate that what we said last time was that we were not looking to create a program that ACC would be responsible for.

We may contribute in a certain way, a limited way, but not to be completely that was that was important for us to get faith communities and nonprofits involved and not have this to be another responsibility solely for the government here.

So just wanted to add that.

Commissioner Thornton, and then Commissioner Davenport again.

Yes, I'm going to um support this also, and I think Commissioner Um Taylor alluded to my point is um I hope the lockers and the enforcement is not the total solution.

I don't think that um we know that we know that other counties, cities are dropping folk off.

If you drop a dog off and you get caught, you're gonna get locked up.

And it is not right for Gainesville, the police are to drop human beings off and leave them there for them to fend for themselves.

We have been talking about this homeless situation since I've been on this commission, but we have not gotten to the root cause or or prevention or to leviate.

So I hope this is just I I don't want us to go celebrate when we get lockers and and and and and we and then you move them up North Avenue to my district.

Um then I'm gonna send them over to Patrick's district.

But but um all jokes aside, I wish somebody would have the um I don't know who does it, but somebody needs to be talking to the surrounding counties.

Somebody need to be talking to our state representatives.

This homeless thing is not an Athenian thing, whether people think we're a sanctuary city or not.

Some of those folk just need a little tender loving and care, and some of them need to be down there with John Williams, but uh John Q.

But um, but at the end of the day, I would like to know exactly, and that's I well, you already know because I already sent an email out to everybody.

I want to see, I want to know how the homeless coalition is functioning and process.

Uh uh I I don't get it.

I thought that the homeless coalition was supposed to be the oversight for the continuum of care, but also to bring in other resources and programs.

It still seems like everybody's open uh working in their own silos.

So um John Mars said that he would take us, whoever wants to go, TIFF, I figured you did.

And um, I thought maybe I I think I mentioned it too, I don't know who else I mentioned it to.

But I want to know how it works.

I I I really do.

I I I'm supporting this, but it's gotta be something else to this.

It really does.

Um so that's my that's where I am.

So uh yeah, and maybe after I took maybe after we talked to John, we can have uh a more um in-depth conversation.

I I do uh just briefly want to note that there was legislation that passed the General Assembly in 2023 uh about jurisdiction dropping off homeless uh in other jurisdictions, you know, with some limited exceptions, and so uh I believe that was find you the bill number it was SB62 from 2023.

So if you want to research that, you can find the I need somebody to enforce it.

So and uh certainly Commissioner, I think uh at the time of passage enforcement was recognized as a challenge to say the least.

So uh I've got uh Commissioner Davenport and then Commissioner Fisher.

Just for staff, can we get an update?

It's six-month update from the jail and maybe with our nonprofits on how this is working out, like from our police department, how many people have been cited, arrested.

Six months subsequent to passage of tonight.

Oh, I'm listening after uh Commissioner Fisher.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

And just want to follow up with um um House Bill 62.

And again, I think I suggested this Senate bill.

Senate Bill 62.

I think I suggested this when it passes.

Um I think we should send a letter.

To our surrounding counties, stating that law.

And just sort of calling them out.

If they're dropping people off, and we know that we have talked with service providers, um, people sparrow's nest, um, bigger vision.

Then we we need to um we need to we need to address that with our surrounding counties on mayor.

I think that wouldn't be a bad idea.

Again, you know, it don't have to be uh um ugly um um uh letter, but just saying, you know, we're aware these things are happening and that they should not be happening, and we shouldn't have the community to tolerate that.

And and Commissioner, this uh testing my memory, this was two or three years ago.

Right.

Uh then manager Blaine Williams sent such a letter uh to surrounding jurisdictions.

I uh I'll dig that up and make sure I circulate it to the body.

Okay, well maybe we need to reinforce it.

Uh maybe it needs to come from you.

Glad to.

Glad to.

All right.

Uh anything else?

Well, I'll assign it.

Okay, yeah.

Commissioner Cole Pepper.

Just to comment on what Commissioner Um Fisher was saying.

When we passed uh the ARPA money to spend on homelessness, that was part of it, as we were going to let surrounding counties know that they will be held accountable to that uh Senate bill and not to be dropping off folks.

We stated that in the um when we passed that.

I don't it sounds like it's not happening, but we did bring that up.

And uh it was supposed to be um taken care of.

All right, we have a motion and a second on the floor.

All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Hearing none, motion carries.

Uh all right, uh item 12 is acceptance of uh uh investigative audit of the ACC organizational structure.

Do I hear a motion for acceptance of that audit?

Move to approve.

All right, we've got a motion from Commissioner Link, a second from Commissioner Wright.

All right, Commissioner Link, anything else?

Yes.

Gavin, thank you so much.

This is um this is golden.

I I would recommend that anybody's in who's interested in how our local government functions and it's organized to um pick up a copy of this.

It's it's in our agenda.

You can take a look at it online, print it out.

Um I'd only skimmed it so far, but I look forward to closing up with it more.

Thank you.

Where's my commissioner right?

I know uh madam clerk apparently Commissioner Wright uh is uh missing out on some literature.

We'll get her home.

I just want to say I really appreciated the um the topic and the details, especially um in the property realm being the um in limbo property committee chair.

Um that stuff in particular was very neat to me, and I took notes and I wrote down so many pages I wanted to print out.

And now I get the whole thing just like that.

It will not sit on the shelf.

That is um very well.

Thank you.

I mean, I appreciate the work.

I appreciate the details.

Um I suspect as I was reading it, I was thinking, well, what a great um report for a new manager to have.

Um and so I I think that it will not be on his shelf.

Uh he probably doesn't print things out, but he's stolen yours, apparently.

Okay, all righty.

But anyway, I I appreciate this greatly and um yeah, thanks for the hard work and and it seemed like it was enlightening speed too as well.

And so you guys maybe should lighten up on your give yourself a little time.

Okay, take a little pace.

Oh, it's staffing.

For next year if you pass that on to us.

Commissioner Fisher, yeah.

Just um from historical um perspective, uh, we had talked with uh operation analysis uh to Gam's department, something that we wanted to put out.

We thought was a good thing to look at our whole structure.

I want to thank my colleagues, Commissioner Myers, also the audit committee.

Um we were the first ones to get this report and um they did a um yeoman's job, great information, and to Commissioner Link's point, I think it could be actually for our community to really take a look at all the departments we got, historical perspective, um, the impact um that this um government makes on our community, but I think it's good.

Actually, I was sort of laugh to myself, it's almost better than our charter.

I mean, when we look at without some good information and just from the public to know, please please is online, take a look at it, read over it, but it's some good stuff in there again.

I just want to um give a um um thumbs up to um Gavin and that staff for putting this together and um really I mean and and putting it in layman's term where people can really understand the information that's in there.

So thank you again.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Uh Commissioner Johnson.

Hey Gavin, I thought it was great, great report, and I um I really appreciate the thoroughness and having something that's so comprehensive but just clear and easy just to go through and read.

It was it's just a resource tool.

So thank you.

It was really great.

Thank you.

All right.

Uh motion, a second on the floor for acceptance.

Please say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed.

All right.

Hearing none, motion carries.

Uh all right.

Uh last item requiring a vote tonight is the T S Plus 2026 final project list.

Uh, a couple of things just uh as we kind of enter the conversation.

Staff has indicated that uh the 20th two weeks from tonight is when we effectively need uh uh a final decision.

So uh no decisions uh expected tonight.

I know that Commissioner Davenport has taken up the work of collecting input uh and and begun a final list.

Um so your options tonight are to hold in totality, um, or if you would like to affirm interest in a sixth year and then have a subsequent vote.

That's that's an option as well.

So uh Commissioner Davenport.

Motion to approve a six year with um our final list being finalized on January 20th.

Second.

I've got a motion from Commissioner Davenport, second from Commissioner Thornton.

Commissioner Thornton is second, or I'll turn to you.

No, I um I've been back and forth with uh Commissioner Davenport.

I think the extra time um to and plus we heard comments tonight.

So I um I I think and what was that date again?

I think 20th two weeks from tonight.

Yeah, I think we can do something by then.

Okay.

Uh Commissioner Wright.

I I'm curious if it would help staff as they begin to do the paperwork for the intergovernmental agreements.

Would it be helpful if the motion included that uh the project seven and intersection improvements for winter for Winterville on Main Street and Cherokee Road?

That seemed to be in the agenda, uh, kind of a uh a way for the six-year plan to begin the IGA paperwork.

So Commissioner Davenport, would you like to affirm that uh the that that project, the uh the roundabout at the five points intersection in Winterville, you know, would be a designated project.

I just need a point of clarification too, Mayor, if you don't mind.

I'm sorry if you weren't finished, but yeah, that's that's that's fine.

So we're not we're not we're just voting on the six years.

Yeah, we're just voting to say we're gonna do a sixth year and it will include the Winterville project uh with the final list to be determined in over two weeks from tonight.

But we're not voting on that extra six-year being a 7030 split.

No, no, no.

That the sixth year could look different than the other years.

Okay.

And and so the other thing would be if we need to do we need to go in some sort of a conclave sort of mode and nail this down.

So I believe Commissioner Davenport will be calling every member of the body uh to to assemble a package that then will be able to be in front of the public, uh, obviously well ahead of the 20th.

And do is that going to be the for the if we're gonna have a special session on the agenda setting, will we want that list to be in the packet the Friday before for the public?

We will want that, and and I would even say let's back it up a couple of days and by um let's call it uh Wednesday, the would that be the the 15th?

Because we do have a holiday that weekend we should respect and um this is gonna involve staff because we don't want to start going you know with the math.

We need to have others in the conclave to keep us on track.

Um and so Patrick.

As he noted at the agenda setting meeting in December, he said uh he'd be glad to take it.

Can we request that he take notes to keep it straight?

That sounds great, thank you.

Tape is rolling as we speak.

So uh Commissioner Myers.

Yeah, um, I'd like to uh for us to ask the attorney if making a decision on that roundabout is really uh I mean can we wait for the 10 days on that?

The roundabout in Winterville that you just made a motion on.

Um, because I've only seen that just now, and I'd like to look at that a little bit more closely because that's a larger item.

Um and a large and I'd like to just review what was submitted to us by um uh by Mayor Dodd um before we make a vote on that.

Is does that make a difference to you in terms of getting this done between now and two weeks?

We you know you are gonna have to, though, by the 20th make a decision, the roundabout in order for you to have a six-year uh T spots, you have to have an IGA with all the municipalities.

So I sent you the email I shared with everybody I couldn't tell if Mayor Farrell was indicating that and Commissioner Myers, Mayor Farrell has indicated that essentially six year is that project.

Well well, I actually wanted to clear up, read the whole email that I just received this afternoon rather than make it.

I mean, obviously, if everyone votes for it and I don't vote for it at this point, it'll go forward.

But I just wanted to know if it made a difference in terms of of you moving forward and doing the work in the attorney's office if it was now versus two weeks from now.

I think the probably differences in what's in Winterville's email is it would allow them to begin the work to consider it's true faster.

Yeah, because they they won't consider their approval of the IGA and the approval of moving forward with the sixth year absent that project being included.

So if that's included tonight, that gives us a week or so ahead start on it.

So that is one advantage of that.

I would say if if majority of the commissioner for the six years are for putting that project, it'll be good to have that direction.

Then you know you're gonna have the extra money from the six years you plan.

Can someone then just share with me because I have just gotten this this afternoon, you know, today what the price tag for that is and what percentage of the six of the six.

It's approximately nine million dollars.

And that's nine million of how much is the extra money for uh the so that's uh a good fifty twenty percent of the money going to Winterville for that.

Okay, just no, this is Bogar is differently situated given their work.

This project is in Winterville.

So should Commissioner Wright?

Uh yeah, thank you for for the clarification, and I thought the whole point, and this is a spinoff from our joint work session was the IGA is essential, critical for the six-year plan to be something that we talk about.

And the project, and you're confirming that the mayor the the mayor of Winterville feels that this project being included.

Allows the degree by the sixth year.

Is helping and then that and because we want to know the IGA is here by the 20th, so that we can vote on it and they can vote on it, and it's because otherwise we don't need to.

So then they would subsequently vote.

Yeah, because this allows us to talk about the six-year plan with everybody, and and Bogart was very clear they want the six years funds uh without a project.

So um I really appreciate how everybody is let our holiday time be holiday time, but now it's time to do that.

And as a reminder, both of those communities also are receiving some additional sixth year, if you will, pass-through money that's based on the formula.

So um even though Bogart doesn't have a project, they were comfortable with moving forward, they also will benefit from a sixth year um because of that, those passed three dollars.

So if after after this vote, if you guys, whoever does the math on this, will send us what is left over for the projects with the six-year plan.

And you're probably already ready to send, um, then that'll make sure that we're working in the right buckets of money, and I appreciate that.

Thank you.

Uh Commissioner Devin Horton Link.

So the list is done.

Um, one of the reasons why I so it was my decision, you know, unfortunately.

Well, to hold it because this meeting was jam-packed with uh a lot of stuff, and sometimes lists get leaked, and then we get phone calls, additional phone calls and emails about you know why this this and this, and so I was like, let us get through this meeting and then we'll send out a list.

So staff has worked really hard.

I work um really hard, the mayor and others have worked really hard on creating a list, but it was my decision.

My Patrick Diamond for District One.

Um, I said I will let's hold off on sending out the list to the group and to the public, so we get to tonight's meeting, make a decision on what we're gonna do with the sixth year, then we can just focus on the rest.

But uh hopefully Saunders sent out um his version or their version.

Um, but if not, I will send it out tonight.

And yes, the greenway y'all are taking care of, five people you're taking care of, North Thousand's taking care of it, Western's taking care of.

But yeah, but yeah, I will send that out.

So, yeah, yeah.

Commissioner, you'll send that uh what you've got, that'd be good.

I will so there's we need direction on so when I called everyone over the weekend or the last week, there's still some discrepancy on the 7030.

Some if if everybody's a can we uh we're if we're not talking about the yeah, we're not gonna talk about that tonight.

But just send a list out, that'll be good.

Okay, I'll send a list out.

I don't think we've just called that.

Yeah, I just want to make sure that we um adequately fund some more greenway.

Um you know, we've heard from a huge portion of the community, and I I want to reiterate that the greenway is not just about cyclists, there are a lot of runners on that greenway.

Um my husband being one of them, you know, he found himself 50, 60 pounds overweight in the wake of the pandemic and 45 years old when his dad had dropped out of a heart attack at 47.

He started running, and he might not be alive today if it weren't for that greenway.

He heads to that greenway.

So there are a lot of people who use that greenway to sustain their health as runners.

Um it's not just about bikes.

I know some of y'all are have whatever prejudices you have against bikes, but there are a lot of runners on that greenway, and they are they're staying alive because of that.

They're able to run in a safe, steady place.

Can we go ahead and vote on the six-year stuff so that we can six years?

Commissioner Johnson, you have some input.

I just have a question.

I just want to understand what we're talking about.

So I know that when we spoke at the last meeting before the holiday that we were talking about revisiting the list because there are some districts that did not have any projects, and that maybe we would look at it again and make make different decisions.

So I didn't hear that tonight.

So what are we doing?

So what tonight would do is extend the program, do a six-year program.

And with the understanding that one of the projects in year six would be the intersection improvements at the five points intersection in Winterville to become a roundabout.

But to your query specifically, this would not designate the the rest of the list.

That would be up for a vote on the 20th, which could be different than the draft list.

So we need to have a conversation with each other before the 20th.

Yes.

Thank you.

Well, Patrick is going to send out the list.

Yeah.

And I just wanted to understand.

So yeah, Commissioner Davenport.

And then um, and I do think that when Patrick said that earlier, he asked if people had any ideas to reach out to him.

Anyone who wanted to work with him.

So a list is prepared, but I'm sure there's opportunities to change it if necessary.

But you do have a rough draft based on the calls and the comments that you did receive.

That's great.

Okay.

So uh motion on the floor is to hold final action until January 20th, uh, with the intent to have a sixth-year program that includes that project in winter.

Initially, everybody knows the plan is to approve the project list on the 20th.

Well, actually approve the IGA we will in February.

First meeting in February.

Okay.

Yeah.

Thanks, Attorney Drake.

All right.

All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

All right.

Hearing none, motion carries.

All right.

Uh now is that time in the evening uh when we have public input on any item that was not on tonight's agenda.

Is there any member of the public who would like to speak to any item that was not on tonight's agenda?

Now is that time.

Motion to adjourn.

Uh seeing none, uh, we are gonna uh uh get a report from myself, uh manager, the auditor, the attorney, and then from commissioners and adjourn.

Uh just wanted to um welcome everybody to uh another year.

Appreciate uh everybody's hard work as this happens, interestingly enough.

Uh this week is 30 years that I've lived in Athens, Georgia.

And um really grateful for the generosity of this community that's that's ongoing, and I look forward to the year ahead, uh, my last year in this role.

So um uh manager.

Oh, we want to move right into the uh um just slide into the mayor pro tem's position.

Uh you know, I appreciate you raising that.

Um, it it has been uh kind of typical habit for about the last 15 years uh that we provide a two-year opportunity for the existing mayor pro tem.

So uh could I receive uh motion from the body uh for a mayor pro temperature and nominate Commissioner Dexter Fisher to continue uh thanks, Commissioner.

Is there a second?

I'll second it.

All right, I've got a motion from Commissioner Hambee and uh second from Commissioner Thornton.

Yeah, all right.

We might just want to amend the agenda to add that first could could I first have a motion to amend the advantage.

I mean the motion to affirm the mayor pro ten.

All right, all in favor, please say aye.

I got a question.

I got a question.

Yes, Commissioner.

Is it possible to get a list of the expectations of a mayor pro tem?

It is.

Okay, thank you.

Yep.

I'll do that for you.

Uh all right.

So uh now there is good.

Could you reaffirm your motion, Commissioner?

I reaffirm my motion for Commissioner.

And I reaffirm my second.

Okay.

Any further discussion?

Thank you for the head.

All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

All right, hearing none motion carries.

Uh Manager Cowell, anything tonight?

Uh only thank you for the uh last five months of 2020 2025 and look forward to 2026.

So happy new year.

So thank you.

Attorney Drake.

No comments.

All right.

All right.

We'll uh we'll begin with uh uh Commissioner Davenport, uh District One, and we'll end with uh Commissioner Hambee.

Um just happy new year to everybody and look forward to having a wonderful year.

Um I just want everybody to remember that today is January 6th, it's the anniversary of the fifth year anniversary of the attack on our capital on our government on our democracy.

Um I think we all can remember where we were that day.

It was right before our swearing in of a couple of our new commissioners.

Um and there were five officers that lost their life due to the injuries they sustained in that battle, and I think that um we should offer a moment of silence for those lives lost and for the damage done to our nation um and the ongoing crimes being committed um that originated that day.

Um I'll just ask for a couple minutes, a couple seconds of silence to remember those folks lost.

Thank you.

Oh I don't have any comments.

I can even get out the fact that I didn't have any comments.

I don't have any comments.

Happy New Year.

Yeah, that's a good comment.

Happy New Year as well.

Um I wanted to bring attention to our January 12th transit route changes.

Those are now on the front page of the ACC website.

Um so you can click on that and you can get into the details maps, written changes and updates.

Uh hope that our workers and employees in the community are patient while people are um working through the changes and updates that that have been made and are um gonna be in effect next Tuesday, right?

The 12th.

Yeah.

And then um, Mr.

Mayor, you mentioned our retreat meeting on January 23rd.

Do we have a time bracket?

9 a.m.

Two um because we have something already at one to four.

We uh we will be having uh retreat time nine to one and then one to four.

We will be doing uh mid-year reviews uh under a closed session for charter officers.

Excellent.

And well, I am thankful that you're including a discussion in our budget retreat on the Ford Well Housing Fund and how we can move those funds out effectively into the community.

Um I thank you and staff for having that on there.

That's it for me.

Thank you, Mayor, and happy new year to everyone.

And well, thank my colleagues for having confidence in me to stay on as the um Mayor Pro Town.

Thank you, Commissioner Hammy, for um nominating me.

Oh, I don't know if that was a vote of confidence.

I'm joking.

But anyway, uh well as always, I always try to keep you guys informed of what we're doing and what the mayor and I are doing and try to do y'all pertinent information so I'll continue to do that.

Just share it.

And you know, and we get into our last year.

You know, I'm going four years running, four years ago we were sworn in um Commissioner Taylor and Commissioner Cole.

I thought we're going to our fourth year.

So I'm looking forward for some big things, uh make sure that we stay on task and again to continue to do the people's work that they asked us to do as we move forward.

I do want to put a plug in um for my church.

Um, pastor have challenged our congregation to do 100,000 hours of community service in this community.

So actually we start this Friday at the food bank.

Well with that, we're taking 30 members.

We're gonna go to the food bank and spend three hours separating the food.

But um that he put a challenge to that and just gave is just sort of sparring something on me um that you know as a community, and we'll this is such a given community.

If more of our community could do more of those type of things, to volunteer to pour into other people that may be less fortunate.

Look, we're fortunate.

First of all, maybe sit behind this rail.

Secondly, um to go to bed at night, sleep half full, but it it's just so much more than so.

I want to challenge our community to really get involved and some type of nonprofit or just do volunteer go mentor child in our school system.

I'm getting ready to um be a mentor at Oberthorp Elementary School with a third grader, and they're gonna sign me a young man and my I go and my my prayers that I stay with him until he graduates.

There you go.

So also that that's gonna be for me, that's gonna be my ambition.

But just with a blue bill of challenge what we're doing with our church, and put a little bit of challenge out to our community, think about the poor and to other people that may be less fortunate than we are.

Thank you, Mayor.

Okay, I did.

Commissioner Johnson.

Oh, yes, thank you.

I just wanted to ask if it's possible when we have public meetings, if what I notice often is that the uh meeting consists of a presentation, and it's not included in the agenda.

Just like our like, for example, like when we have a public meeting, like the mayor commission, we have the agenda and we have all of the uh documents.

It is um really challenging because you can't follow and you want to maybe you want to keep them.

I want to know if it's possible.

How do you feel about directing staff to just upload it to the website, upload it to the um calendar when they post the meeting?

Just like if you have documents to share that you're going to speak from me with my poor vision, I would like to read it before I get there.

And so I just think about the presentations for work sessions, because I think we yeah, so I was watching like again the um planning commission, and they were going through this presentation and they were going pretty fast, and it wasn't and I didn't have any of those documents, but I just think it would be really helpful for a lot of people.

Yeah, I can definitely look and talk further with folks.

I I wouldn't want to promise 100% because there are I know are times when literally they're working on the presentation right before they come come in, but certainly there's many of those we review a week ahead of time to kind of get it get them where they need to be and stuff.

So I would think there should be a way in which we can we can do that.

That that would be really great.

And for the meetings that are in buildings that don't have video, like the Costa building, and we don't have documents, but you're interested in going, I have to read them in advance.

Is there something that we can do to alternate um I'm sorry, not alternate, but um change that so that something is available, something video or documents.

Yeah, it's always gonna be easier for the documents than it is the videos because you know, and Jeff Jeff would tell you that I don't know what it is, like 300 meetings we're now responsible for over the course of a year.

I mean, to be honest, our communication communications department does hardly anything other than videos for meetings that not many people are watching, and so I think the documents certainly would be a lot easier to do um with those.

It would certainly be helpful if they're posted to the calendar, like the master calendar.

Thank you.

The traffic calming report for the core project.

The TIA, the traffic impact assessment.

Impact, sorry, impact study.

If you could um send that to me, thank you.

I did it it should be.

Oh yeah.

Okay, I'll check.

Thank you so much.

Okay, so the next one is in at my district, the cooperative extension has recently declined individuals, mostly homeowner associations and people having baby showers, um, from using the space.

And it's a first because um ever since I've been uh returned to Athens in 2010, 11, you know, public buildings, public spaces were the people's buildings and spaces.

You know, for an example, in five points, people can park at the fire department.

You know, at you know, at night, people can park at the water business office.

So I was kind of curious what led to that, and maybe if you could find out something for us.

And I I got a phone call.

I've gotten several phone calls from Lake Mueller about the landscaping at the cooperative extension.

One could look at it as ornamental grass.

However, they say it's the highest, the tallest it's ever been.

And I got a I did send a work, well, Shimika helped me with the work ticket, and I got a response that it's not the county's responsibility.

I don't I don't know that, but I just would like to just confirm that.

We'll find out.

I mean, I know it's you know, we own the building, obviously they're the tenant in the building, so you just have to look at it.

Okay.

Um code enforcement.

So four separate neighborhoods have been super frustrated about code enforcement's follow-up follow-through, and the ability to actually solve the issue.

And some of these are really bad.

I got a call and I went over to a neighbor, uh Creekside neighborhood, and someone had thrown out you know, mattresses, tires, um just trash, like it's just like two or three months worth of trash.

And I took pictures and I'm going to formally send it in, but I want to know if it's possible to do something like a a deer cam, you know, and I might have some money in my budget, you know, from my campaign to actually capture who it is.

Um code enforcement informed this neighborhood that they only come out to evaluate streets.

Um cleanliness twelve uh every 12 weeks.

I've not ever seen anybody, and they hadn't either.

Just wanted to confirm that.

And when they did meet with that resident, they said that there's nothing that they can do.

Um I would like to, you know, as the budget comes closer, talk about you know, and increasing their power or changing it because four separate neighborhoods, they are at their their wits end because nothing is being handled.

Um people know how to duck and dodge, and the issue is not being fixed, it's recurring, it's just always, and I continue to get the calls.

Um and Andrew, I'm so looking forward to having that conversation with you about learning everything about how to start a mall project.

Not a mall, but how to start a park project in District 6.

Okay, um I think this right around.

Oh, there's a neighborhood I have where the streets in the neighborhood are not to code.

And they had someone from several people from transportation of public works come out.

And they they said you're you're right, fire department fire fire trucks cannot get through, they have to back up school buses, cannot get through.

And if you have individuals parking in front of their house, it's only a single lane road.

So I wanted to know.

I wanted to say that, and maybe you can ruminate on it, you and Andrew, and just I would like to have a conversation with you about how to address that because they did acknowledge that the roads are too narrow.

Yeah, typically the resolution obviously is looking at parking restrictions on the on the street in order to keep the ability to actually serve them with the emergency vehicles and others, but that's gonna be your typical because it's not gonna be likely that it would end up being a project to widen the road.

So well, what what it is is there are two separate roundabouts where the roundabouts are so narrow, they're they're not wide enough.

And so the school bus can't get get around it.

Commissioner, it might be helpful if it just uh kind of via email arrange a site visit with staff.

That might be helpful so that that's what I want I would like to do.

And you can send it to me, and then I'll thank you so much.

Happy New Year.

I'll keep it short.

Happy New Year.

Look forward to working with everybody in 2026.

It's very short.

Um happy new year.

I want to follow up and give more kudos to the leisure services.

I know it's like you know, December's over, but they put together and organized another great holiday parade of lights downtown, and um these community celebrations um that Leisure Service takes a lead on are just so valuable and they're very heartwarming and often joyous and fun events.

So I just want to really thank them for that.

Um I also want to point out that uh Monday, January 19th.

Um we have the MLK Day of Service, and that you can volunteer at the ACC website.

There's a bunch of um, you know, there's a bunch of places you can volunteer from 10 to 12, I believe that's when it's said, and also that there's a parade that afternoon at 3 p.m.

and a festival downtown from the Athens anti-discrimination movement.

Um it's tends to be a busy holiday um if one it does that, but a very worthwhile one as well.

Happy happy new year, everybody.

Um I do want to emphasize the uh work session next Tuesday, our regular um the Git committee will be presenting, one of the committees will be presenting the work that we've done.

And I know there's been a lot of questions about housing, but I hope the housing issues will stay in the GIC arena and not be dibbied out all over the place because we are tracking things, but the the um training next week I think will be very helpful.

the uh work session next Tuesday our regular um the gig committee will be presenting one of the committees will be presenting the work that we've done and I know there's been a lot of questions about housing but I hope the housing issues will stay in the GIC arena and not be dibbied out all over the place because we are tracking things but the the the um training next week I think will be very helpful um in April um to follow up on the we're hoping to have a Thomas Lay Day to back up the um resolution part of the research and we're going to be asking everybody that grew up or had any relationships with Thomas Lay to come out and so I'm working on that and the last thing I want to mention because I again the things that are on my radar are um the quarry and the data centers um this morning did you actually get on yeah I did get on I did too they had ACC Gov sponsored a um a session on data centers they're going to have it online next week and I'll send it out it's very generic but I do think for those people who are interested you know in differ different segments the poverty law center they present it also so those will be good resources as we uh move further into the data centers um because it's going to pop up sooner than you think so Mike has told me to keep it short so I'm sure so finally you listen to me took you four years I'll make a motion to adjourn.

All right motion to adjourn there's second all in favor please say aye thank you everyone have a beautiful night