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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Clayton County Board of Commissioners Work Session – October 13, 2026

Board of Commissioners — Tuesday, October 13, 2026

BodyClayton County, Georgia

SessionBoard of Commissioners

DateTuesday, October 13, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:41:25

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording. Names come from transcript evidence. “Possibly” marks uncertain attribution.

Speaker 1

0:06

The Clayton County Board of Commissioners work session is now called to order.

0:10

The date is October 13, 2026, and the five to the end of the time is 5 30 p.m.

0:17

At this time, board members, is there is there anything from the preliminary agenda that you would like to discuss tonight or have any questions about?

0:26

We have our COO here and he can answer any questions that you may have regarding the agenda.

Unassigned speaker

1:09

All

Speaker 1

1:09

right, board members.

1:11

Again, are there any questions at this time?

Unassigned speaker

1:14

All

Speaker 1

1:14

right.

1:14

Seeing none, we will move on to item three, our agenda items for tonight.

1:19

And um our first um item on the agenda is Macy all here.

1:23

Okay, Mr.

1:23

Rogers, come on up.

1:24

Um we'll have from our development authority of Clayton County our CEO, Macy O.

1:30

Rogers.

1:35

And our agenda changed a little bit, so I know we had some other things on and some things were changed around.

1:41

So we'll get started with you, Mr.

1:42

Rogers.

Speaker 2

1:46

Well, good evening, Madam Chair.

1:48

Good evening.

1:49

Board of Commissioners, Macy O'Rogers, President, CEO, Development Authority of Clayton County.

1:55

It is indeed great to see you all.

1:58

Uh this evening I want to provide a basic update as to what the development authority has been doing for the last four months.

2:06

Uh we've been very busy and we've had tremendous uh success and partnerships with various departments, partners, businesses throughout the community.

2:17

So with that, we will get started.

Unassigned speaker

2:22

So

Speaker 2

2:22

you know who I am, Macy O'Rogers.

2:25

Here is our awesome board that we have, and of course you should know all of these folk already, but I'll go through uh very quickly just to reintroduce.

2:34

Uh moving left to right, we have Dr.

2:36

Batting, he's the chair, Dr.

2:38

Hines, Vice Chair,

Unassigned speaker

2:40

Ms.

Speaker 2

2:40

Godby, member, Mr.

2:42

Blocker, member, Mr.

2:45

Baskin, Secretary Treasurer, Dr.

2:47

Harton, Member Ms.

2:50

Bibbins, Ms.

2:51

Kirby, and Ms.

2:52

Peary, all members of the Development Authority of Clayton County.

2:58

And with that, we don't have an image of our staff, but I would love for the development authority staff, please stand.

3:06

I think I know that we have all three right handed corner.

3:10

And uh we simply couldn't do it without the commitment and dedication of these individuals because we're all busy and we are getting the work of the county of the development authority done.

3:24

Sorry, a little bit quick there.

3:26

So one of the things that we've been focusing on is our re envisioning uh strategic strategy.

3:32

Uh we have really focused on strong marketing branding of the county in terms of aligning ourselves for um business investment opportunities that will uh create uh jobs, uh enhance the tax base uh for the county and advance the county forward.

3:49

So today we are in the process of really enhancing that even more so uh to move the county forward because we are getting more and greater and better uh notoriety in terms of just being effective uh in the county.

4:04

So we want to continue that particular effort by uh again working with our partners, building relate uh relationships, fruitful relationships that will pay off in the end because no one can do it by themselves.

4:16

Economic development is everybody's business.

4:20

One of the focal areas that we've uh concentrated on has been the arena district right up the street.

4:29

One of the reasons being is that we have a uh an abandoned abundant amount of vacant opportunities around the arena.

Unassigned speaker

4:39

Uh we have commercial space, uh retail uh office uh that could be utilized for repurposing redevelopment opportunities, and because it provides such great synergy, it has and will be and has become a catalyst uh for really um uh creating the kind of synergy in terms of building, I mean in terms of uh uh filling those buildings with businesses uh that are ready to um enhance the prosperity of the county just from their investment.

Unassigned speaker

5:00

And because it provides such great synergy, it has and will be and has become a catalyst for really creating the kind of synergy in terms of building, I mean, in terms of filling those buildings with businesses that are ready to enhance the prosperity of the county just from their investment.

Speaker 2

5:14

One of the things that we've often often talked about too is how can we work together in terms of enhancing the visibility of the arena district.

5:27

I mean, in terms of wayfinding, for example.

5:29

When you long when you drive along 75 north and south, uh, there is a great opportunity to have that better greater highlighted because uh there's an off-ramp, and it would be an excellent opportunity to provide wayfounding finding in terms of the arena being where it is, how do we get there, where is it located, what is the exit.

5:51

There's none of that information existing right now, but there's a tremendous opportunity for us to take advantage of that because I think that again, one of the things we're trying to do is increase the visibility of all our great assets.

6:03

And I've always said from the minute I saw the arena and heard about it, I said, man, that is a jewel in the county.

6:10

We need to do all that we can to make sure that it's on everyone's radar.

6:16

From the uh from the fans, the patrons that would visit the area to the businesses who might want to stage and hold various um uh events there.

6:24

So there's a huge opportunity.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Affordable Housing███████████████████████████████████35%

Economic Development████████████████16%

Data Center Regulation█████████9%

Legislative Process█████████9%

Community Engagement███████7%

Zoning And Land Use██████6%

Public Engagement████4%

Workforce Development████4%

Public Safety████4%

Summary of Proceedings

Clayton County Board of Commissioners Work Session – October 13, 2026

The Clayton County Board of Commissioners held a work session on October 13, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. The meeting featured three major agenda items: an update from the Development Authority of Clayton County, a presentation from co-living company PadSplit seeking zoning code changes, and the board's legislative priorities for the 2027 session. Discussions included a proposed $3.5 billion bond financing for a data center end-user, community benefits agreements, affordable housing solutions, and transportation infrastructure funding.

Development Authority Update & Discussion Items

Macy O. Rogers, President and CEO of the Development Authority of Clayton County, presented a quarterly update covering the authority's strategic rebranding, the Arena District redevelopment, the Real Estate Investment and Development Forum held in August 2026, workforce development initiatives (Momentum 500, partnerships with Goodwill, Construction Ready, Clayton State University), and a capital connections symposium with Fifth Third Bank.
Rogers reported the retention of 329 full-time jobs (over 500 including part-time) through the House of Rayford Chicken project, which also provides community support (sheriff's department, police, nonprofits, Thanksgiving turkeys, Toys for Tots).
Commissioner Davis asked about pending bond initiatives. Rogers stated that no bond applications had been submitted, but the authority is working with Core Weave, a tech company, for a bond financing deal valued at $3.5 billion over 10 years. The bond would be for equipment only and would yield approximately $100 million to Clayton County and an additional $30 million for a nonprofit community benefits fund (supporting Momentum 500, workforce, and the school district).
Chairwoman Jeffrey and Commissioner Davis requested a copy of the Core Weave letter of intent, which Charles Edwall (Development Authority Chairman) confirmed was executed that day. Commissioner Davis expressed concerns about the type of data center and potential health risks. Commissioner Reeves noted that the data center itself (on Williamson Road) was approved by the board in 2023 and is already under construction; the bond financing is for the end-user (Core Weave). A community benefits agreement is being negotiated, with clawbacks and accountability measures. Commissioner Reeves stated she will schedule a meeting with District One residents to include their input in the agreement.

PadSplit Presentation and Discussion

Atticus LeBlanc (founder/CEO) and Charles Gross (Chief Legal Officer) presented PadSplit, a platform that rents individual rooms in single-family homes to low-income workers. They cited that 33 Clayton County employees currently use PadSplit. The average rent per room in Clayton County is under $700, compared to $1,270 for a typical apartment. They claimed residents save an average of $317 per month and 95% would refer a friend. Nationally, PadSplit has created over $256 million in resident savings since 2018.
PadSplit requested two changes to Section 6.12 of the Clayton County zoning code: (1) eliminate the two-acre minimum lot size requirement and reduce the one-mile separation distance to 250 yards; (2) add provisions for a dedicated point of contact, 24-hour complaint protocol, annual inspections, a $500 annual administrative fee per property, safety equipment (smoke/CO detectors, fire extinguishers, stove-top fire suppression), and compliance with HUD room standards.
Multiple commissioners expressed concerns. Commissioner Davis questioned the impact on neighborhoods (parking, overcrowding, conversion of three-bedroom homes into six-bedroom units). Commissioner Hambrick stated she is opposed, noting that the homes break up communities. Chairwoman Lee referenced an incident in Morrow where three homes housed 18 people and were boarded up by the city, later restored by court order. She emphasized the need to regulate such housing but stated she supports affordable housing. Commissioner Reeves argued that the county has a housing crisis (highest eviction filing rate in the U.S., 40% of renters facing eviction) and that PadSplit provides immediate shelter for low-income workers, including county employees. Commissioner Davis requested data on how PadSplit helps residents build credit and transition to homeownership.
No vote was taken; the board agreed to continue the discussion.

Legislative Priorities for 2027

Ricardo Brown, legislative liaison, presented the board's five legislative pillars for the 2027 session:
1. Airport revenue equity (advance revenue equity legislation, protect school tax base, increase detainee fees, expand workforce opportunities for Clayton residents).
2. Transportation infrastructure, transit, and corridor investment (secure state funding for specific projects; board to identify corridors and projects).
3. Access to healthcare, mental health, and trauma care (support Southern Regional Medical Center's goal of level 1 trauma center status; produce a gap analysis).
4. Workforce development, K-12 and technical education (secure advanced technical training, job pathways with major employers).
5. Local governance and tax base protection (address annexation, deannexation, and service district impacts on county property and residents).
Commissioner Davis noted that Commissioner Allen's priorities should be included. Brown confirmed they will follow up. The board will pass a resolution formalizing these priorities. State lobbyists (George Link with the Public Trust Group) are present and will work with Brown year-round.
Chairwoman Lee requested a post-session report on accomplishments.

Key Outcomes

Development Authority / Core Weave: The board requested a copy of the final Core Weave letter of intent. Commissioner Reeves will hold a community meeting with District One residents to incorporate their demands into the community benefits agreement. The bond financing is expected to close by the end of 2026.
PadSplit: No action taken; the board will continue to study the issue and requested additional data on resident outcomes (credit building, savings, homeownership). The county's legal and code enforcement departments will review the proposed code amendments.
Legislative Priorities: The board will adopt a formal resolution at a future meeting. The legislative liaison will coordinate with lobbyists on year-round advocacy. A tracking system (green/yellow/red) will be provided to the board during the session.

Meeting Transcript

The Clayton County Board of Commissioners work session is now called to order. The date is October 13, 2026, and the five to the end of the time is 5 30 p.m. At this time, board members, is there is there anything from the preliminary agenda that you would like to discuss tonight or have any questions about? We have our COO here and he can answer any questions that you may have regarding the agenda. All right, board members. Again, are there any questions at this time? All right. Seeing none, we will move on to item three, our agenda items for tonight. And um our first um item on the agenda is Macy all here. Okay, Mr. Rogers, come on up. Um we'll have from our development authority of Clayton County our CEO, Macy O. Rogers. And our agenda changed a little bit, so I know we had some other things on and some things were changed around. So we'll get started with you, Mr. Rogers. Well, good evening, Madam Chair. Good evening. Board of Commissioners, Macy O'Rogers, President, CEO, Development Authority of Clayton County. It is indeed great to see you all. Uh this evening I want to provide a basic update as to what the development authority has been doing for the last four months. Uh we've been very busy and we've had tremendous uh success and partnerships with various departments, partners, businesses throughout the community. So with that, we will get started. So you know who I am, Macy O'Rogers. Here is our awesome board that we have, and of course you should know all of these folk already, but I'll go through uh very quickly just to reintroduce. Uh moving left to right, we have Dr. Batting, he's the chair, Dr. Hines, Vice Chair, Ms. Godby, member, Mr. Blocker, member, Mr. Baskin, Secretary Treasurer, Dr. Harton, Member Ms. Bibbins, Ms. Kirby, and Ms. Peary, all members of the Development Authority of Clayton County. And with that, we don't have an image of our staff, but I would love for the development authority staff, please stand. I think I know that we have all three right handed corner. And uh we simply couldn't do it without the commitment and dedication of these individuals because we're all busy and we are getting the work of the county of the development authority done. Sorry, a little bit quick there. So one of the things that we've been focusing on is our re envisioning uh strategic strategy. Uh we have really focused on strong marketing branding of the county in terms of aligning ourselves for um business investment opportunities that will uh create uh jobs, uh enhance the tax base uh for the county and advance the county forward. So today we are in the process of really enhancing that even more so uh to move the county forward because we are getting more and greater and better uh notoriety in terms of just being effective uh in the county. So we want to continue that particular effort by uh again working with our partners, building relate uh relationships, fruitful relationships that will pay off in the end because no one can do it by themselves. Economic development is everybody's business. One of the focal areas that we've uh concentrated on has been the arena district right up the street. One of the reasons being is that we have a uh an abandoned abundant amount of vacant opportunities around the arena.

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