Clayton County Board of Commissioners Regular Business Meeting

The Clayton County Board of Commissioners (BOC) held its Regular Business Meeting on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, at 6:00 PM. The board adopted the agenda without amendments, delivered five presentations and proclamations, heard six public commenters, approved all 31 consent agenda items, reappointed two board members, entered a litigation-only executive session, and ratified two legal settlements totaling $515,000. The meeting adjourned at 7:12 PM.

Presentations & Proclamations

Presentations were reordered from the published agenda. The board:

• Honored Staff Sergeant Sinitra White as Veteran of the Month. White served 12 years in the U.S. Army as a human resources manager, worked as a veteran service representative for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and currently serves as Community Belonging and Veterans Coordinator at Clayton State University. She is also the founder of SW Product Solutions LLC.
• Proclaimed May 2026 as Older Americans Month with the theme "Aging Gracefully, Living Fully." Senior Services Director Melissa Myers Bristol and two fitness coaches were recognized for setting a Guinness World Record for the largest core fitness class, with 420 senior participants at Mayfest 2026. Coach Deshaun Johnson said the previous record was 289 (set in China); public commenter Dr. Henry Anderson later cited the previous record as 298 (China, May 19, 2018). The source material contains both figures.
• Honored Cadet Colonel Jonah Slade of Morrow High School AFJROTC. Slade holds a 4.0 GPA, passed the FAA written exam, completed a solo flight in a Cessna 172M, and has accumulated 43.9 flight hours toward his private pilot license. He received a congressional nomination to the U.S. Air Force Academy and the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus Rising Star Award, and plans to attend Middle Georgia State University and become a commercial pilot for Delta Airlines.
• Honored Explore Your Purpose (5678 Dance Now Inc.) for 15 years of service under Coach Aisha Wilson, including youth development, dance education, mentoring, academic support, behavioral health resources, Medicaid-supported therapy services, and a community pantry and clothing program.
• Presented the IWPG Women's Peace Leadership Award to Chairwoman Dr. Alieka Anderson-Henry. Candace Moon, Atlanta branch general director of the International Women's Peace Group (IWPG), described IWPG's network of 115 branches in 131 countries and 872 partner organizations across more than 65 countries, and noted Clayton County was the first county in Georgia to recognize International Women's Peace Day on April 26. The Chairwoman thanked her mentors, including former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, and the citizens of Clayton County.
• Note: The agenda identifies the sponsor of the Slade and Explore Your Purpose proclamations as Commissioner Alaina Reaves; the transcript reads the proclamation text as from Commissioner Elena Reeves.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Dr. Henry Anderson (District 3, Hampton) congratulated Senior Services on Mayfest 2026 and the Guinness World Record. He expressed support for Fire Chief Tim Sweat's request for a small increase in the fire millage rate for FY2027, citing the Chief's April 27, 2026, budget presentation: 9,898 residential units were added between 2018 and 2025 (5,836 single-family and 4,068 multifamily homes), with 50.53% located in District 3; emergency call volume rose from 45,861 in 2019 to 57,342 in 2025, an increase of 11,481 calls (25.03%); and monthly "level zero" events (no ambulance available to respond to a 911 call) reached 125 in December 2025, 107 in January 2026, 77 in February 2026, and 75 in March 2026, averaging 96 per month.
• Timothy Vondale Jefferson (District 3) thanked Warden Amy of the Corrections Department for promptly addressing tractor-trailer parking near his business. He said his consulting business was slandered in a letter to the Board of Commissioners, that he has filed an open records request, and that his attorney will be in contact.
• China McLean (District 2) said she sponsored a six-day seminar serving Clayton County's 7,713 crime victims, with 15 to 20 people between ages 25 and 80 attending all six days. She criticized the absence of county officials, noted she personally distributed over 500 flyers, and contrasted her event's turnout with a "Know Your Rights" event hosted by District Attorney Tasha Mosley's office that drew about three people. She suggested a gun buyback and lockbox giveaway at the May 8 Law Day event, stating that "overall safety starts with intervention, not prevention."
• Dietra Pondexter (District 3, O'Hara Village) asked the county to consider appointing a neutral facilitator or mediator for HOAs, POAs, COAs, and co-ops to resolve disputes over transparency, communication, and governance. She submitted a written proposal and a petition QR code.
• Teresa Talley (District 3) thanked the Water Authority for addressing nine years of overgrown grass on North Bridge Road, expressed concern about code enforcement leaving work unfinished, and said abandoned hotels, gas stations, and buildings along Terra Boulevard in District 4 have been neglected for the past 10 years.
• Mickey Garber yielded the floor to the next speaker.

Consent Calendar

The board approved all 31 consent agenda items in a single voice vote. Highlights included:

• Ratified emergency change orders for Fire Station #1 and Emergency Services Headquarters (contract 15th amendment) with Hogan Construction Group, LLC, totaling $64,963.70: Change Order #9 ($43,259.56 for ER HQ access control installation), #10 ($2,246.20 for added wheel stops), and #12 ($19,457.94 for fire station access controls). Funded through the Fire Fund and 2021 SPLOST Fund.
• Ratified two emergency change orders for the Lakeview Events Center Amphitheater (contract 5th and 6th amendments) with Brad Construction Company II, LLC: Change Order #5 for $297,863.05 for unforeseen underground utility work, and Change Order #6 for $7,260.00 for a damaged drop inlet catch basin. Funded through the 2021 SPLOST Fund.
• Awarded a sole-source contract to Talitrix, LLC, for court monitoring devices and services, with a one-year initial term and two one-year renewal options.
• Awarded a special purchase to JCB Atlanta, LLC (d/b/a Wespro JCB), for heavy equipment staff augmentation at $150,000 per year, with two one-year renewals for a total contract value of up to $450,000.
• Ratified emergency Senior Services transportation purchases with Common Courtesy, Inc. ($1.00 per-trip administration; $3.00 per-trip dispatch as needed) and 2 Friends Transport, LLC ($110,000 for medical appointments and senior center transportation), each for six months with one three-month renewal option.
• Approved a cooperative purchase of $314,425.91 in law enforcement equipment from Axon Enterprise, Inc., through Sourcewell contract #101223-AXN, funded by the 2021 SPLOST Fund.
• Approved eight budget amendments: BA 2-46 ($3,418,725 for medical claims); BA 2-47 ($11,015,493 for Sheriff's Office expenses); BA 2-48 ($61,100 for Civil Service Board services); BA 2-49 ($192,000 for BOC elevator replacement); BA 2-50 ($143,301 for jail lift station repair); BA 2-51 ($25,000 in opioid funds for the Superior Court Accountability Court); BA 4-13 ($37,000,000 in 2021 SPLOST funds for the County Administration Building); and BA 4-14 ($2,226,840 in 2021 SPLOST funds for the Winter Weather Supply Storage Building and District Pocket Parks).
• Approved Resolutions 2026-90 through 2026-101, including: voluntary chaplain agreements for Fire and Emergency Services with Dr. Jeffrey D. Holmes and Nikki Rhew; an Atlanta Regional Commission Older Americans Act grant amendment reallocating $15,000 from home-delivered meals to supportive services/transportation; three Clayton County Water Authority agreements for Fire Station 15 (a perpetual permanent easement, an inspections and maintenance agreement, and an Owner's Affidavit needed to release the certificate of occupancy); authorization to apply for the GDOT FY2026 Local Road Assistance Grant (up to $3,054,864.65 in grant funds; total program value estimated at $3,140,704.85); a no-cost Library System MOU with Authentic Mind LLC; authorization to auction three seized vehicles (a 1957 Chevrolet BelAir, a 2008 Honda Accord, and a 2013 Cadillac ATS Luxury); and a no-cost RapidSOS pilot program for the E-911 Communications Center.
• Added a fully grant-funded Grants Research Analyst position (Grade 25/Step 1, $59,282) with no impact on the general fund.
• Also approved the April 21, 2026, Regular Business Meeting minutes and the monthly settlement report for November 2025 through April 2026.

Regular Agenda – Board Appointments

• Housing Authority Board: The board unanimously reappointed Dr. Candice Jackson for a term beginning May 12, 2026, and expiring May 11, 2031. (The transcript records "May 11, 3031," an apparent transcription error; the agenda states 2031.)
• Library Board: The board unanimously reappointed Chivonne Fleming for a term beginning May 6, 2026, and expiring May 5, 2029.

Executive Session & Litigation Settlements

The board voted unanimously to enter executive session to discuss litigation only. After reconvening, the board approved two settlements by voice vote:

• Rikita Burney v. Sheriff Allen (in his official capacity): $15,000 civil service settlement, with authorization for the Chief Financial Officer to amend the budget.
• Quarry Loyal v. Clayton County (Civil Action File No. 2025CV04865, State Court of Clayton County): $500,000 settlement related to a motor vehicle collision involving the county, with authorization for the Chief Financial Officer to amend the budget.

Key Outcomes

• Agenda adopted unanimously with no amendments.
• All five presentations and proclamations delivered.
• Six public commenters heard; no external public officials were present.
• The complete 31-item consent agenda passed by one voice vote.
• Dr. Candice Jackson and Chivonne Fleming reappointed unanimously.
• Executive session held for litigation only; settlements totaling $515,000 approved unanimously.
• Meeting adjourned at 7:12 PM.