Good afternoon, everyone.

My name is Nicole Messiah.

The honor and pleasure to serve as your District 3 County Commissioner, but also as the Chair Peck's Planning Economic Development and Community Services.

Good afternoon, everyone.

My name is Colleen Saya.

The honor and pleasure to serve as your district of the County Commissioner, but also as the Chair Peck's planning economic development and community services.

Agenda item ending in 0380.

I'm sorry, you know that's um the minutes is zero.

Thank you so much.

Uh all those in favor.

A second.

Are those in favor?

I guess next we have um a presentation by Dr.

I mean um Mr.

Alan Mitchell and I believe our COO Zach Williams um will also weigh in.

And if you gentlemen are ready, um we are ready to go.

Yes.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

What we've like to present is directly related to operating a day center, establishing and operating a day center uh to care for the unhoused um uh beginning in about uh in the next four weeks, that's what we're hoping.

So we have uh met with a number of agencies and kind of discussed a number of the needs, and Mr.

Mitchell will kind of articulate what we've come up with.

The intent is to provide a location where the unhoused would be able to not only um be uh quite frankly uh during the day, but to uh receive certain services.

So Mr.

Mitchell will talk through some of the wraparound services that will be provided at this facility, and we see this as another front door, uh, an opportunity to get people um assistance, uh, get job training and ultimately get housing.

And so uh I'm gonna turn it over to Mr.

Mitchell who will talk through uh our planned use of the facility, our uh estimated timeline, and how we'd like to move forward.

Fantastic.

And I'll just briefly uh read the agenda item, and that's for those following along, agenda item 2026-0396, all commission districts, the Cab County Day Center implementation plan for the Cab County citizens experiencing homelessness, and you'll we also have Commissioner Robert Patrick that is joining us and will be a member of PECS starting in two weeks.

And and before uh Mr.

Mitchell uh starts, I just want to make another uh critical point quite frankly, and with your adoption of today's budget, um, you know, some of the programming that we talked about with housing, housing affordability, and assistance to the unhoused.

This is a prime example of one of those programs for the assistance of the unhoused.

So, Mr.

Mitchell?

Yes.

Good afternoon.

Uh Commissioner Patcher, do you have a copy?

I'm not sure.

Thank you, Director.

Uh Commissioners, good afternoon, and thanks for allowing me to uh present.

We've got an exciting proposal for you, something that we've not done in the county.

We've had uh experience having small day day centers, but we haven't had a fairly large way had an initiative to accomplish so many things that are very positive about a day center.

You might be personally uh familiar with the day center, but I'll take you to a lot of uh the slide deck which talks about what it actually does and the concept is an entree to housing.

Um to be able to have uh a facility where individuals can hang out, socialize, and get uh overt services, wrap around services prior to being uh going to a shelter or for that matter, going back to places where they they currently house themselves.

So the uh picture here is actually the front of um uh a building which we've adopted as being a location for the day center.

It's uh Peace Baptist Church, which is located at uh 4000 Covington Highway in District 6 and District 4.

And I'll take you through a series of things related to that.

Keep in mind that building the pathway to stability uh for unhoused individuals is through the day center.

Uh so what is the S.

We're asking today specifically to approve uh an agenda item uh to enter into a lease with Peace Baptist Church.

It's a lease for a facility which is uh 6300 square feet.

Uh in addition to that, uh it's a one-year with renewal options that the church has voted upon with their board to be able to allow having a direct lease with the county.

Uh the other asked is to consider entering a contract with uh Salvation Army, which is a preeminent um nonprofit organization.

We've worked with them extensively for years, and they've been around for over a hundred years.

They have a great reputation within the Camp County to provide services, and we also use them for other services that we have within community development department.

So we're very excited about them.

I might also add that we had recommendations andor proposals from other industries within the camp county, New Life, uh Community Alliance, and also Frontline.

But of the three, the most cost-effective industry to help the day center was Salvation Army.

Uh the challenge.

What is the challenge?

Why are we doing this?

Um key factor here is unsheltered, homelessness has increased in various quarters.

Um I'll make reference to the library.

I make reference to other parts of the CAP County where uh during the day, not at night, individuals gather for various reasons and congregate.

We've had a major incident that happened in the library uh about three weeks ago.

You're all aware of that.

But there are other parts of the Camp County where individuals hang out during the day because it's handily nothing for them to do.

Um they get a chance to go to shelters where need be or go to warming centers of extremely cold, but we don't have a place for individuals to actually socialize and get direct benefits and get an entree to housing during the course of the business day from nine to five.

So to extend that there's been an increase in individuals' quarters, it leads to a series of things.

Encampments that are developed because they have no place to go.

Um, you know, a lot of emergency room visits, there are a lot of complaints from various individuals.

Uh there are various nonprofits that complain.

There are citizens that complain within your districts.

Um, and we got calls every day uh trying to help individuals, but they actually have nothing to do.

Uh this proposal would allow them to be able to get some invigorating services, which I'll take you through, but it does lead to individuals uh getting in fights, being incarcerated.

There's just a series of things that happen uh by not having a place to go.

So that's our challenge to be able to accommodate our precious homeless individuals and give them a place to be able to uh get services.

Uh what is the day center?

Uh it's not that obvious, but it's clearly not a place where you spend the night.

It's uh a day center is a safe uh welcoming facility.

It uh has mills, nutrition, hygiene services, support services.

Uh in this center, it goes to your immediate needs, which is basically hygiene and mills, uh, pathways to build in housing, it gives case management and job assistance.

Uh you'll see later on that work source will be engaged with us.

You see later on that Claritel will be with us in this facility.

Uh, and also it provides some socialization for people that will like to uh enter.

Also, again, it's not an overnight facility.

It's going to operate from nine to five, six days a week, not Sunday.

Uh we have a lease for the church, and therefore they would like for us not to have a facility on Sunday, but we're okay to operate six days a week from nine to five.

Uh the other core services that are here, there are very number of things that you can actually get.

Basic needs, which are mills, showers.

Um, let me develop on showers.

Shower is an interesting thing in terms of mobile.

This facility does not have showers inside.

However, uh there are mobile showers.

We have an agreement that this provider service, but entering a contract with soaked uh through hope, uh, and is an organization that actually provides a mobile showers, and that's part of the contract to do that.

Um two days a week, and it's an event where they actually show up and bring clothing in certain cases, but they actually provide showers at this facility uh on two days out of the six days that they'll be open.

There are also health services, which are medical screening, middle and health support, substance recovery.

We've got individuals and partnerships with individuals that dwell on this.

Uh it's also a path forward to have case management, job training.

Uh socialization is very key here with the community.

You have technology computers, uh, charging of stations for phones, mill services, just appropriate things that we're going to offer.

Also, there are other things that day centers provide, which are here, housing navigation.

It's very important to realize that this is the entree for housing.

Coming here, we're focused on trying to get you to a process to do intake to get you housed.

You get employment, there are also behavioral health.

We have people there, they're experts in this area.

Again, showers, mills, laundry, mill, charging stations, is safe and being supervised.

Why does this work on a national basis?

There are a number of centers that exist today, but there's a higher engagement with unsheltered individuals.

There's more assessment, increased housing placements, reduced emergency visits.

There's just a host of things that this makes it work on a national basis based on the work we've done to interface with other day centers that are populated throughout the United States from California to New York, et cetera.

There are also some community benefits and also individual benefits.

The things delineated in this chart express what individuals will get out of it versus community.

And here's the conceptual thing I'll dwell on for probably 30 seconds.

Conceptual of what a day center looks like.

You have, in essence, a large space, which I'll show you a photograph of it in a second.

But we have work source, cartel, as well as case management in this facility.

Also, there's a kitchen to be able to provide meals.

There are restrooms for for the facilities that are there.

There's a large open space.

But again, to be redundant, there are computers, TVs, telephones, mail services, furniture, Wi-Fi, mobile showers, wash and dryer.

These are things that individuals would not typically get during the course of a day.

Here's the actual photograph of the facility at church, Peace Baptist.

These are photographs that indicate that there is on Covenant Highway.

A landmark would be Honey Bay Cam to the left, and there's a funeral home to the right.

And it sits in front of 4,000 Covington Highway.

This stresses clinically 3996 Covington Highway, but the church is at 4,000, which is in the back.

It's an old shopping mall that the church is in, but they own this particular property.

And this gives you a chance to look on the inside.

There's a nice lobby.

Also, that gives you a sense of the space that's inside.

There are offices in the back, and there's a total of 6300 square feet again.

But that's what it looks like.

Also, there are other benefits, which we get to, which deal with physical health improvements, mental health improvements.

And you can see that there's a great success in terms of people that have visited.

They were reported, improved health after regular hours after usage.

And there was restored sense of dignity, having participated in the day center.

Here is the pathway to housing, which is the conceptual concept, stepping through, intake, stability, preparation, and transition.

Gives you a sense of the very steps we use.

Comparable models.

I picked four, but there's several other centers around.

But what I did was focus on Savannah here.

Savannah is very close, and they've got a day center run by Union Mission, which is called Grace House.

We happen to have a close friend that is the director of operations there.

This is the picture of the new day center that they've got five million dollars donated in Savannah to bill.

They currently use the existing facilities, but there's a proposal.

The gentleman to the far right is named Tommy Jones.

And he uh formerly worked in Fulton County with us working on the NOFA, but he's the director of operations.

He was in town Monday and Tuesday, and we spent hours with him getting a sense of how he is running his day center.

He's a friend, and he worked with us on the NOFA process over the years.

So we've known Tommy for probably 20 years.

But Tommy relocated to Savannah, and they elected him to be the director of operations in the Savannah Day Center.

Also, Salvation Lobby who we picked formerly ran the day center at North Forth Hills Road.

It's closed down now, but we did that for them for two years.

This vendor that was picked has had the experience of being able to run the day center.

Very competent, and as you know, Salvation Army is well structured with the arrangement they have.

Very precise, very detailed, uh all about outcomes and execution.

Uh here's the budget.

So uh the estimate for the budget, which is the lowest budget, it aggregates to 1.2 million dollars.

However, the first item on the budget is the lease component, it's $21 a square foot for the facility from the church, which is direct uh contract with the church.

The other factors there in the budget structure relates to Salvation Army, in which they propose to run the center with experience, things they've done before.

It delineates salary and staff.

There's a director with seven components, food, snacks, operation transportation, uh, et cetera.

Uh we can get into that in more detail later.

Um here are some expected outcomes uh which are not developed yet, but in terms of metrics, we're gonna have mill served monthly satisfaction rates, showers provided, in addition, individual served, reduced substances use.

These are things that we'll actually measure as we go through the center uh and all that.

So we don't have numbers there, but we will once we start.

Uh also, and we're recommending that you approve the implementation plan.

It's going to help us engage unsheltered residents, it reduces the crisis systems costs, it improves public safety and neighborhood conditions dramatically.

It increases housing placement and is going to strengthen the worldwide homeless response.

Uh and it also provides dignity and hope for these individuals that don't have anything in the course of the business day.

It's very important to have them have a place to go to that they love and cherish.

So with that, uh would like your recommend your recommendation to proceed.

I'll entertain questions if you have them.

Yes, ma'am.

And thank you, Madam Chair.

I just wanted to uh bring one thing to everyone's attention.

And in our original um agenda item, we had uh frontline as the partner and we are continuing to work with frontline in our warming centers and other sheltering operations.

Um but you know, we we have uh determined in conjunction with discussions with frontline and among ourselves that uh what uh Salvation Army is uh offering, um, it makes sense for us at this at this point.

Um so we're going to continue relationships that we have, but we're also expanding relationships in this space.

So that's why um Mr.

Mitchell has mentioned Salvation Army because that is who we're looking to contract with to operate this facility.

Yeah.

I appreciate that.

Thank you for the chair, because that was going to be one of my questions because I did realize emergency frontline.

And I welcome there being um a bit of diversity in terms of um providers there.

As a matter of fact, um at the luck um meeting in NACO again, uh, tax dollars uh at work wanted and Shannon shaking her head, she you know, was there and heard as well.

Um the um mayor uh Gaskins, uh the mayor of Alexandria, Virginia had a lot to share in and around housing, you know, um the unhoused and some of the initiatives that they have uh going on.

But one of the things they shared was a a competition and prioritizing a competition of providers, and they spoke specifically of mental health and substance abuse providers, so that may be something else for us to consider as it relates to even in working with Claritel, the other thing they suggested that you know, in actually addressing the needs of the in-house and making sure that there is again that diversity, um, that there cannot be an overemphasis in this presumption, if you will, that individuals that are unhoused that they're um suffering with a mental um mental health crisis or a substance abuse crisis.

But some folks, you know, and again, that's that missing piece that it seems like this is gonna be able to serve.

There are some folks that just prefer to um not have a typical structure of a of a home and environment.

And so for us to provide these services in order to create some structure, still allowing for socialization, still allowing for you know case management and services, including um you know workforce um, you know, uh availabilities for them, I think is just amazing in doing something different than what we are already doing, opposed to just keep replicating the same thing all over and over again to offer some diversity to make sure we're hitting as many um of the unhoused um that are in that situation for different reasons.

But I want to open the floor up for uh my colleagues, Commissioner Terry.

I think you had your hand up first.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Um, Salvation Army is the contractor.

Can you go back to the budget slide, Director Mitchell?

Um it looked like in the budget, okay.

And it looked like in the budget, okay, so you're you're really trying to cover sort of all potential things that need to be taken care of at the site.

When the day center closes at 6 is the ex at five.

Five.

Sorry.

At five, is the expectation that there will be transportation to other uh night shelters.

Uh there are a couple options.

Uh those individuals that would like to go to a shelter uh you've approved a 400 bed shelter so they have an option to go to shelter with frontline there are a couple locations that accommodate sheltering.

We currently have 81 people in the shelter today.

We have capacity up to 400.

At the Gresham Road site?

Yes.

Yes.

So we have capacity to put individuals we approve a 400 band shelter which we have another contract.

But it hasn't been built yet though.

Uh is it's built we have a contract with 570 thousand dollars worth front line currently in existence today.

I don't think that I don't think the Gresham Road can hold 400 people.

Uh it's valid large and we have I've been there and there's no way it can hold 400 people.

We have capacity for Gresham Road uh Illumination okay there's other sites Ember drive other sites yeah that's why I was gonna yeah but individuals have that option to go to a shelter they also have the option to go back to where they were some people that would come to this day center are not experiencing it on the house but they have needs for services.

So in certain cases, for be it maybe 10% of them might go back to wherever they are living because they have various that we cover whether they mental health et cetera and therefore they would need services in that regard.

Right because this is not a treatment center so if someone is presenting with a mental health condition you're not going to keep them there because they may they need other services.

Yeah Fabio has agreed to have individuals participate he's gonna have someone on site so in the in the basement do case management there.

Same as work source if someone wants a job get job readiness uh Lauren has agreed to be on site with the staff to be able to help with job placement.

Okay.

And we're in the where in this budget would Claritel's costs be covered.

Uh Claritose cost is not reflected in this budget.

The budget you're seeing is a function of what salvation on his contract would be and what Peace Baptist cost would be for the lease.

Okay.

Two components of this proposal a lease transaction with the church directly county has there be an additional funding I think if Claritel is gonna have to like deploy more resources then they're gonna probably need to that's our part of the conversation that we have had with Claritel.

So if there's additional cost associated with the signing staff there then that would just come separately and we would enter into direct okay so we can monitor that I imagine like this is going to be kind of a slow roll out I don't you're not gonna fill it with 100 people on day one is that right probably not probably not because there has to be a certain amount of people feeling comfortable coming there.

But the intent with uh to declare to help point is initially they will probably start with like an intake type person who can do screening on site and and make appointments.

Okay.

Um but then over time they may determine to have actual professional uh providers at the facility okay and I know I think I think we've been planning this for a while now but I know the incident at the library sort of kind of maybe initiated this to be sort of rolled out maybe quicker than normal because I guess the the main thing I worried about and this is kind of related to what's happening in Fulton County with their diversion center is it's voluntary and so I guess the question becomes like legally if an if we have someone at the library or like as Clerk DeBerry said like at the courthouse you know sort of cleaning themselves in the bathroom and we tell someone they have to leave but we will take you to the day center and then they refuse.

Right.

Then then what is it did the police have the ability to simply take someone to the day center or do they have to take them to the jail?

Right and can I here's what I would propose because I think that conversation is going to involve the law department and a lot more discussion commissioner but here's what I believe is that historically we have not been able to provide a viable option for people during the in the library right during the day.

Okay.

And not much at night either.

So they're they have found places to congregate.

I do believe as we have logical viable places for them to congregate and get service then we may want to simultaneously look at what is loitering and you know how we deal with that type of thing.

Okay.

So I think and the only thing I'm concerned about is you know the director and seven staff members, I think is based on a hundred people being on site.

So the question becomes if we are unsuccessful in getting individuals at the library on private property to leave, or maybe they leave, but they just say I don't want to go to the day center, and we end up having you know 25 people there.

Is the is the contract able to be scaled up and down?

Well, we will scale.

Like in other words, I don't want to pay for a service and we don't fully use it.

I'm not against the idea um, you know, just just looking at other models where if it's voluntary, then you know, some might just say, I'm good, I'm not gonna leave.

And you know, my experience with the point in time count, even going out when it was you know 30 degrees, right?

You know, we had a guy over on Candler who had a fire.

Right.

Uh he I can't fire on the side of the road.

Yeah, that's it.

And we said we'll we'll take you to the shelter, and he said, I'm good.

Right.

So some people won't even go when it's 30 degrees outside.

And then the I think the beauty of what we're uh looking to do here is first of all, we will show the doors are open, right?

People are invited.

And then there's probably going to be a trust building stage, and that will vary with each person, right?

But ultimately, I believe we are very optimistic and working with the various community partners who have credibility and relationship with a lot of the unhoused.

Okay.

We get them in, and then you know, slowly but surely, you know, maybe some job training or maybe some um getting your ID, getting whatever benefits that you may be uh elected for, you know, that that's okay.

Yeah, I think that's great.

Can you go back to the slide of the um the street view of the facility?

Um Director Mitchell, you probably have heard of this um uh phenomenon, it's called the Eden effect.

And it's something go to go to the next one where it's out you're looking at outside and so the Eden effect is just this general notion that if you include greenery in clinical settings, people sort of become maybe more calm or even health outcomes improve.

So, and because this is a very busy thoroughfare, would and Zach, this is probably for you actually, because it might cost a lot extra money, but would y'all be willing to either install some landscaping on this strip or some like potted plants that just create sort of a sound and visual buffer that sort of kind of makes it not feel so institutional because when I look at this building and I've been there for like uh Miss Jocelyn O'Neill's meetings, the Greater Towers neighborhood meeting.

I mean it's just a it's like an old bank building, I think, or something.

So it's just it's very sterile, but just anything that would just kind of make it have a little bit more curve appeal.

Um because I'm assuming some folks might want to hang outside too.

Right?

You're not you're not gonna force them just to be in the building.

They might want to hang out in the little portico area, I don't know, smoke a cigarette, who knows.

But um I I think it would be good just to create a little bit of kind of a cloistering where there's some protection sound and visual so there it feels a little bit safer um and more inviting.

Yeah, well we can take a look at that.

I have a have to get with the um church because we have returns for the lease to ensure that they are uh okay with being able to alter this.

It could be a lease all the improvement to use the term to be able to put uh any shrubbery there if they're okay with it, then we can pursue that.

Yeah, we can't.

I think this is probably our I think that's our public right-aways act.

So I mean, to the extent that we could like plant some trees or something, we got that contract with Trees Atlanta.

Yeah, so you're yeah, so I think your point is well taken, Commissioner, and whatever we can do to make the site look more inviting, um, that will be our goal.

So we'll we'll have the conversation as necessary with the pastor, but we can certainly take a look at our own resources and see uh for the rights of way what can we do.

Okay.

Um I did check this is this is in district five and seven, Director Mitchell, just for the record.

Um, but district six is just like down the road.

Um district four.

Oh well, I'm on the map I'm looking at it says um the GIS map it says five and seven.

Um but it's fine.

I mean, I'm just just was just clarifying the exact location.

Um so would you all would you be willing to just provide us like the monthly um census report so we could just kind of keep track of the capacity and how it's being used?

Okay, and then I guess once it's sort of up and running, could you um sort of offer an option uh opportunity for the commissioners just to visit when it's sort of fully furnished and ready to go and it's you know running all steam?

We envision in 2026, thanks to the vote you just took.

Right.

Uh there will be more field trips and we're going to see not only this, but other facilities.

Um I see the Gresham Road, which that you you've approved uh separately, an opportunity to do a field trip there and provide uh updates on that.

So this whole space uh we're going to be talking about, and you'll see how your investment is paying off.

Okay, great, thank you.

Thank you so much, um Mr.

I mean Commissioner Terry.

Yeah, and so and to the the point of the traffic, um, and that being concerned is especially as busy as Cummington Highway is, and then you have two eighty-five right there.

Um is there anything that we've looked at or are looking at in order to prevent any uh pedestrian um tragedies?

Um it's a pretty wide street, um, no stoplight right there.

Um so are there any thoughts there as to be I mean, because particularly as you're dealing with um you know the unhouse, you'll have a lot of I mean they won't be likely driving, so any thoughts in and around that and safety?

Uh we we have not candidly pursued that.

However, we can get with transportation for East Keater and uh get some thoughts and ideas from transportation.

That would be great, and uh to um COO's point when he was talking about trusts, you know, uh again something that was said at luck was progress moves at the speed of trust.

So, you know, um that's an important piece in terms of folks trusting us, but then also they mentioned that the consolidation of continuum of care programs, and so one of the challenges that they were having was there was a lot of different continuum of care um programs in and around and it made it complex to manage, and so they suggested you know, um consolidation there too in terms of that the direction things are going in.

Absolutely, and I'm I'm going to steal that uh progress moves at the speed of trust.

There you go.

Um and and interesting enough, and it dovetails we had an excellent meeting on Monday with a number of the providers in and around Decatur throughout the county, quite frankly, um, just talking through this uh facility.

And so the vision is although you have a primary operator in the form of uh Salvation Army, there'll be a number of other providers who are doing things, providing lunches at churches and stuff like that.

That we're gonna find a way to have you know uh storage space for them in this facility where they can bring their staff and we can all you know bring resource, bring the people and the resources together.

That'd be great.

Um Commissioner Longspeers.

Yes, thank you so much.

Um appreciate the presentation.

I'm very excited about this.

Uh do, however, have some questions.

So I will start with my questions pertaining to the budget.

Which is they're not slide 17.

All righty.

So the facility lease is 132,678 dollars.

What is the monthly?

Just divide it by 12, I assume.

It's about 11,000.

Just divide that 182 by 12.

Okay.

Okay, fantastic.

Um, and then for staffing, it's a I guess a um site director.

And then seven seven, yeah, seven staff members for six days of operations.

Have you identified the roles of those seven staff members?

Uh yes, yes.

Uh conceptually, it's um four uh case managers.

Um there are also drivers of and there are other individuals that compliment as a receptionist, etc.

I'm just going mentally in terms of what so you've got uh a total of seven but four, uh then you've got a driver, uh a receptionist, and uh and uh there's also a custodian, someone to be able to clean and monitor the place because you can imagine a place like this can get quite filthy, so you need to have a day porter.

Okay.

So that gives you roughly the seven people that are there with various salary rates and all that, but it aggregates to that and benefits, etc.

But that's that's the staff component.

All right.

Separate director.

They've already picked the director, someone that um we know very well that works with Salvation Army.

Um she was at the point in time count.

I don't know if you recognize her, but they've already appointed someone.

Oh, good.

If this gets approved, you appointed someone to be.

She's got experience running a day center.

So uh they've already designated someone to take on the role of this director of the City.

Okay, so a total of eight staff members for six days.

Yes, and they can vary their time because you can imagine with a six-day schedule with hours, they're gonna put a schedule in place to cover the six days because of uh so they've already worked out the map in terms of who would be on and all.

All right.

Okay.

Um so maximum capacity of a hundred in individuals, and you've got food and snacks.

Is that like three hot meals per day plus snacks?

Uh no, no, it's a uh noon meal uh and also snacks to uh support that.

So you would have uh coffee, tea, etc.

snacks in the morning, you'd have a a meal per se uh midday, and then you would have uh snacks and uh beverages in the afternoon uh leaving at uh at five o'clock.

So we're not gonna lunch only.

And it's a hot lunch?

It's a hot lunch.

Well, it could be cold depending on the variations of things uh and all that, but it would be uh hot, but sometimes you might mix it up with the menus.

I'm not a chef, but uh I'm told that they would mix it up a poker different offerings and a nutritional uh and all.

So but it would be a meal.

So the hundred and fifty thousand dollars obviously includes the meal, whether hot or cold, plus snacks, and then is that also inclusive of like an external entity that will be serving the food and cleaning preparing, serving, cleaning up, or is the expectation that the eight staff members manage that?

Uh that's a function of Salvation's Lombard to get uh food that they buy, but also they get a lot of donations.

So they have a combination of donations plus food they would buy.

They've got a staff to provide food.

They currently run shelters in other parts of the county.

We work with them and other entities, but they got a mechanism in place to be able to provide food.

They also have the ability to transport food from their locations uh down to this facility.

So and they plan to lease a vehicle for transportation so that they're not buying a vehicle and they're gonna lease it uh and all to uh augment that.

We also have three vans um ourselves within the community development, you approve uh some today that we can supplement the transporting of individuals to this facility, but they've agreed in this lease in this transaction to at least have a lease of a large vehicle to transport individuals, but it's supplemented by things we already own.

Great, thank you.

Um moving on your operations facility of fifty-one thousand dollars annually, um, or I guess it would be prorated.

Uh annually.

Uh all the numbers are annually annual.

When when does this when do you anticipate this opening up?

We had a target date originally of one April, but that might be a risk.

I've got to get through the contract process if we so we we shooting for one April, but it might be one May because if you approve this at the next BOC, then I've got to get a contract.

I at lease I've done before, but leases can be challenging.

I've got to get a lot of work with me.

I need to have a lease in hand.

I have to have a contract in hand to give them a notice to proceed.

So with that, that's the only uh obstacle to keep them from moving forward.

So post-approval, if you we got approved, they can be OC, then I have to start the work cut.

Okay.

I'm gonna move a little quicker because I'm sure that the committee we've got other items, so I'm gonna go as fast as I can and if you would please just keep your um responses short.

So just to be clear then, your annual cost here is for 12 months.

So if it begins on one April, it will go through March 31.

If it ends on one May, it will go through April 30th.

Is that correct?

That's correct.

Okay, so I'm gonna make a big note that this is 12 months.

Okay, um, your transportation 22,800, is that for the gas and repair of the existing vans?

Uh it's to lease a vehicle that they would get.

It's a new vehicle that they plan to lease, and it's the fuel associated with that uh uh with that vehicle.

Okay, Commissioner Terry asked some questions related to transportation.

So I'm just trying to understand if the hours are nine to five, and if folks are staying at a warming center or cooling center the evening of um, I don't have the schedule in front of me, but if I recall some of the pickup times from the warming centers were as early as like 7 a.m.

So will they be transferred from a warming center to the day center and they just hang out outside until the doors open at nine?

What is how does what is that gonna look like?

Okay, so it's gonna take a couple of seconds to explain this.

So it lets use examples.

If they're in a warming center, uh we have release times based on the weather.

So when I look at the weather, we activate 6 30 in the night before hybrid, we're released based on the weather.

So if the wind chill factor is different, we released at 9, 10, sometimes 12.

Okay.

It varies based on weather.

The earliest uh we release is probably more like eight-ish.

But if the weather dictates staying longer, they stay longer.

So I can't give a huge.

Okay, okay, I got you.

And then we're released based on the weather.

We wouldn't want to put you out in 30 degree weather uh and it's nine o'clock.

We keep you uh for extended period of time.

How does this impact the 24 hour activations?

Uh 24 hour activation.

The 24 hours.

Some I know when it gets down to a certain temperature, it becomes 24 hours and not like for example, um, St.

Vincent DePaul often can't do the 24 hours because they're operating.

Would it still trigger that 24 hour activation for the warming centers, or are you transferring that over to the day center?

You see what I mean?

Yeah, the day center would would operate during the day, of course, but of course.

24 hour activation means something, I'm explain it.

It's that if we pick you up at 6 30 on Monday night, and we don't release you on Tuesday morning, we keep you all day, Tuesday might release you on Wednesday morning.

So 24 activation means that it's 6 30 on the night before.

You don't get released the next day, you retain and you go to the next one.

Okay, okay.

That's how that works.

Uh so it depends on that.

Some people will not, some people will be in the shelter per se, might want to leave the shelter, which is a different concept.

Go over to the day center, so therefore they will be picked up from the shelter until the day center.

That was my next question.

The warning center is different.

So the the inflow is from various sources.

Okay, all right.

I could probably ask a million more questions on that, but I won't.

Um, under professional services, payroll, legal insurance, got all of that.

Showers, are you outsourcing um like a shower vehicle or something?

Uh yes, yes.

We have a company that's got a mobile shower unit.

Is this blessings for what is the name of that?

Yeah, the one they're using is uh is Hope Through Soap.

Hope through soap, that's it.

Okay, thank you.

Okay.

Yeah.

And they they have an agreement to sub that out to hope through soap.

Okay.

We met with them, we met the proprietor, uh, they're reputable, but they charge per event.

Okay.

It's a very nice facility and got it, nice.

Okay.

Um, the nonprofit overhead of 137,133 dollars.

Is that for Red Cross?

Yes.

Or another nonprofit.

Uh no, Red Cross only.

Red Cross.

Okay, gotcha.

Okay, and I'll try to zoom through these questions.

Um do you have a multi-year agreement with Peace Baptist and Red Cross or Salvation Army?

Uh the lease has an option, so one year with an option.

We have to develop the lease and get it signed.

Okay.

Of course, but that's gonna be a one year with an option to renew.

Okay.

Uh that's one contract.

The other contract with this entity would be uh we'd go to one year lease.

Uh no, one year contract, but an option to renew.

Okay.

So they'll be crafted out when I get with purchasing and law to put these in place.

We have to write those, of course, to work with them.

Uh we'd get those in place with initiation dates of uh one April or one May.

Okay, very good.

Um pets.

Um will there be kennel services at this day shelter?

So if someone has a pet, they have a place to put their pet while they're there during the day.

Uh we have to uh work on that to get a cage, etc.

Um we have some that are donated would be able to accommodate that.

Uh so we have not added that to the equation, but it's possible with the space that's there to be able to accommodate that.

We have cages that we use on the warming center.

Uh if you know uh in the warming center dynamics, we house individuals, uh animals at Exchange Park.

Right.

So we have cages that we use at Exchange Park.

They're available.

Yeah.

Uh I don't I bought some.

And also metal detector, which I didn't mention, we're gonna try to get that from facilities so that we have an ability to uh discern whether you have a metal object coming in.

And so hopefully there's no cost for that because we have some that are around we're gonna get from facilities management so that to ensure that we have overt security.

Great.

You're gonna have an armed security guard, which means that you can enforce the law for Georgia to say that there are no weapons allowed.

As you know, it can't be enforced unless you have a armed security guard.

Right.

So based in to this budget is an armed security guard.

Okay.

Um I saw that this is open to men and women.

What about children?

Um the added during the day, unless it's Saturday, uh kids go should be in school.

But they may not be there nine to five.

Uh exactly, from nine to five.

So we're there nine to five.

You should be in school unless someone's bringing uh uh a pre uh pre preschool individual, which is going to be rare.

Uh so and maybe perhaps on Saturday might be an option.

What about summer or holidays?

Spring break.

Yeah, it's possible if you have a holiday, et cetera, at the end of the day.

So you you will accept children.

Yeah, they wouldn't be exempt.

Okay, just that the adage would be you gotta be in school uh and all that.

But if you're not in school, then we would accommodate them accordingly.

Okay.

Yeah.

All right.

So children are allowed um when they are not in school.

Not in school.

Okay.

All right.

Uh MARTA stop.

Is there how far is the closest MARTA stop?

Uh five feet away.

Oh, fabulous.

Okay.

In that picture, okay.

I could show you if you like.

Oh, that's okay.

Nope.

I'm just glad to know that.

Is this considered a low barrier day center?

Good question.

The answer is yes.

Great.

However, there's an asterisk by low barrier.

Okay.

Uh if you're intoxicated, come to the door.

Okay.

Uh you and I get in.

So low barrier has to do with the hierarchical structure with regard to individuals coming in and all that.

So it varies.

So uh that's you know, you can be really low low barrier, or but it is a low barrier, but the degrees are low.

So you wouldn't let someone immediately has a problem uh come in.

We try to get them services, of course, but uh if you are intoxicated or uh under the influence, then you would have to have to use some judgment.

So it's it's low barrier to a degree with an asterisk.

So if someone does show up intoxicated, yes, you simply reject them, or do you call the police or do you maybe call get Claire tell folks to come out and try to assist them?

They can tend 13 though, but we get police.

We call uh PD first, determine the severity of it, then we can get Claritale over.

But the initial call would be to uh uh police department.

Okay.

If you uh if you come in smelling and you can tell the person is intoxicated, then it'll be a problem.

The same thing in warming centers, if you come in intoxicated, you you're not allowed to come to a warming center when you're intoxicated.

That's uh that's not allowable.

You you we call PD, try to help you, uh, and you leave because it has an adverse effect on the on the facility.

All right.

I may have some more questions on that, and I'll just follow up at a later date.

Um so one thing I noticed is that in the actual agenda item itself, it's nine hundred and thirty thousand, but your budget is for one million two hundred and thirty-four thousand twenty-eight dollars.

What's the correct number?

The correct number is what I have uh on the uh uh transparency.

We have to submit a substitute agenda item.

Yes, I would just make sure that gets changed.

For that, because that official as Zach said earlier, we initially have front line there, but uh that has to be substituted.

I have to update the agenda item with the nuances with Salvation Army and the circulated cost and all.

Okay.

Um what's the funding source?

Funding source is gonna be the general fund.

General fund?

Yes.

100% from the general fund.

Okay.

Literally what you voted on this morning.

Yeah, I just wanted to make sure.

Okay.

Um are you offering any specialized services such as for veterans?

Oh, sure, sure.

We VA would be uh I didn't have an attrop, the VA is a is a friend.

Okay.

Help us with the UNOFA, they help us with the coordinated entry areas.

Uh we we offer Vash vouchers.

Uh we we love the VA.

I'm a veteran myself.

But sure, VA is involved.

We have uh close Jennifer Turner Reed.

Okay.

Jennifer Turner Reed is our key component in VA that she's on the board for the uh COC.

Uh and her whole staff is associated with us.

So uh I don't know if you know her or not.

She's a renowned uh VA person.

Okay, we've used her for probably over 10, 12 years.

Great.

She's connected.

Jennifer Turner Reed is her name.

Yep, name is definitely familiar.

Um all right, moving on legal support.

You listed all kinds of other um supports that will be there, mental health, behavioral health, etc.

What about legal support?

Uh legal support.

The um it's not listed here, but as you know, I'd like to know a land legal aid has a substantial contract with us.

And so we pay them to assist in many, many forms of lawyers.

Uh if in the event that someone has an issue, we can actually defer refer them to land legal aid.

But they're not physically in the building, but they are on call.

Karen Brown, who's the uh our representative on land legal aid, uh is very active and we can get help.

But they're on the contract.

We give them about excuse me.

Um we give uh I would say about seventy, eighty thousand dollars a year, we give landlord legal aid, which is for anyone in the cap candidate in age legal services, we do that.

So that's an ongoing contract that gets approved in our plan that you approved.

Would you offer a day, for example, if you need legal support, come over on Tuesdays between nine and noon?

Sure.

On a weekly basis, something along those lines.

Uh there uh the answer is yes, we have the cap pro bono.

We work we all the legal folks we work with, uh at ICCI we have the capro bono, Atlanta legal aid, they have substantial contracts, they volunteer the services.

Uh so we have all those connections with legal, sure.

Um one of the reasons I asked that question is that um very recently the eviction lab released a report.

And the number of evictions in DeCab County, it's trouble incredibly troubling and probably one of the worst in the whole state.

Yes.

And so I think having assuming that some of these folks have been evicted, having access to an attorney at that day center, I think would be incredibly useful as a service to folks.

Oh, thank you for considering that.

I'll add that.

Okay.

And we experienced the eviction uh because you know we use home ERP funds.

Ninety percent of the people would call this every day of being evicted.

So I uh I'm fully aware of the eviction rate because people need how back rent, five, six, eight months behind.

That's a major problem.

Most of the ICC funds of the 13 million we spent 515 is for uh delinquent rent and utilities people being evicted.

So that's a major problem with the county.

Just lastly, it's a fast question.

Mail.

Are people able to receive mail?

Yeah, it's on the chart.

Okay, great.

Okay, thank you so much.

Yield back.

Thank you so much.

Uh Commissioner Patrick, do you have any questions?

I'll mention it.

I think the only question I didn't hear asked was um what is the capacity of the facility?

I know what you said at 6300 square feet.

It's uh 80 to 100.

The lease says that you can't exceed 100.

Okay, but we agreed to not exceed 100.

Okay.

The capacity is not it's 63 18 square feet, but the church and all agree to not exceed a capacity of 100.

Yep.

And I understand with seven employees that they may not be able to handle a huge load right now.

So okay.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you so much.

Uh Commissioner Patrick, Commissioner Terry.

Yes, real quick, just in following up on the uh outreach uh person from Claritel.

So I think what Commissioner Long Spears made was a good point that if there are individuals who maybe um are brought there and then there might be a substance abuse issue, a mental health issue.

We really want to have that, I think, locked in on day one.

So I believe Claritel's um estimated cost was like about 75,000.

So, Zach, are you okay if we just go ahead and add this to this agenda item in terms of funding so we just have all of that in place?

Yes, so as soon as this thing opens, Claritel has like the mental health crisis component.

Yes, so commitment.

Locked in on day one.

Absolutely.

Since we have we're going to be uh presenting a substitute.

Okay.

I just messed everything up.

Um but yes, I would I would add um 75,000 for the bottom line budget.

Okay for that purpose appeal.

All right, so I can make a motion if you're ready.

Okay, yes.

Okay, um, so motion is to approve uh the upcoming it'll be a substitute for item 0396 um in the amount of 1,234,002 for the Sant Let Salvation Army portion and then um adding 75,000 for the Claritel outreach manager um component.

Yes, we do that.

Second All right, and so just so I can understand um because I thought Claritel was already a part of so was there not sufficient funding to include Claritel.

Uh Commissioner, the budget did not reflect any cost Clarentel with uh charges.

We're in the assumption that Claritel would effectively provide pre-service of ZAC is degree to add uh component so that it's guaranteed that they would get 75,000 uh that would in effect increase this budget with unique funds to Claritel.

So uh so this is guaranteed to have Claritel in.

Clarentil is going to volunteer their services, but now it's a hard item in the budget for them.

Well, if they were gonna clarify uh if they were gonna volunteer their services, I don't understand why it's uh necessary to include that as a um as a budget item specifically for them to get directly.

Right, and then thank you for the question.

And then if I could clarify in my conversations with Claritel, uh my understanding is they were going to need to charge for the service.

So initially they would bring someone who could do some intake and referral, but in order to have a counselor type person on site, uh they would have to charge it.

All right, so we'll we'll um explore that um uh in in more depth before um it comes before the whole board.

But um at this point I have a uh first and a second, all those in favor?

Aye.

All right, thank you so much.

I appreciate you as always.

Thank you for all your work and you know, and and working collectively to try to you know actually offer some additional options.

I think it's groundbreaking, and I really do appreciate it.

I know you've been putting your heart, um, soul, and sweat into it, so thank you for all of that.

Um the next we have a um an appointment.

And that is agenda item is under our appointments 0309, all commission districts to appoint Elizabeth M.

Roberts Esquire to point one of the DeCab Regional Land Bank Authority.

Thank you so uh much.

And um great afternoon, uh Attorney Roberts, how you doing today good afternoon, and thank you so much for coming to PEX and um your willingness to serve um in the capacity of the um regional land bank authority.

Thank you so much for that.

Just a couple of uh brief questions uh you know from myself and um my colleagues, and but if you would start it'd be great just to share a little bit about yourself and how any previous experiences uh qualify you for your position and what you hope to bring to the uh land bank authority board.

Sure.

Uh DeCab County resident district four.

Um and I am presently operating as a general counsel for the Fulton County City of Atlanta Land Bank Authority.

Uh prior to that, I've got about 30 years worth of real estate experience.

Um of that working as a solicitor for the city of Atlanta and working in code enforcement uh and then um also working for uh Fulton County and the County Attorney's Office.

Fantastic.

All right, and uh can you share just briefly what you would hope to bring to the Dacab land bank authority board?

Sure.

Um my hope is that we could uh work through some of the issues that that we have seen both in Fulton and DeCAP, which would be uh blighted property, uh the reconditioning of blighted property, putting it back on the tax rolls, um, also helping cities uh and in the unincorporated areas be able to deal with um larger scattered site projects as well as multifamily sites that need to be redeveloped.

Okay, and can you speak to that a little bit in terms of what that would redevelopment would look like from your perspective?

Um sure, I can give you an example of what we're doing now.

Sure, that'd be great.

We have taken down in the city of Atlanta through a number of years uh multifamily properties that have been condominiumized.

Uh done uh foreclosures on those demolition liens, reassembled those parcels into unified sites, and we're now listing those back out on for redevelopment through RFP RFQ processes either through Invest Atlanta or through um AUDC.

All right, thank you so much.

I appreciate that.

Seems like your wealth of knowledge and um you bring a lot of it to the DCAB um land bank authority, so thank you.

Um Commissioner Long Spears.

Thank you very much and welcome.

We appreciate you being with us today.

Um my question for you is as an appointee to the land bank authority board, what would be your top three priorities to help advance the land bank's mission of reducing blight and promoting productive reuse of properties within DeCav County?

I I think I'd want to check with staff and see what your ongoing programs are first.

Um and see if there wouldn't be some ways that we could make those more efficient.

Uh but having not set on your board, I'm not real sure where you guys are on that.

So the first thing I do would be check with staff uh and then reach back over either to uh Alan Ferguson and I think he's your housing director and or the county attorney's office to find out what items they had on their agendas as well.

Um perhaps I could ask the question in a different way then.

Um, what are the top three priorities that you have are I guess top three maybe challenges might be a better way of um asking this question that you've dealt with related to land banks in your other capacities?

Um funding.

Okay.

In order for the land bank to be effective, uh you need to fund it.

Uh the other things that I would suggest would be um reaching out to the other cities in DeCAP's footprint.

Um as you all know, you only need one city and one in the county to agree to charter a land bank, but the this particular institution is open to membership from each and every municipality in the county.

Um so the putting forth the value to those cities, uh especially regarding either redevelopment or affordability.

Um it offers a new tool in the toolbox for the county to work with nonprofits.

We can hold the property in a tax-abated status, um, as you are well aware.

Uh a land bank is really the is the only institute institution under Georgia law that allows you to extinguish advalum taxes.

Um one of the things that we're also working through with the city of Atlanta is whether or not we would include and increase that footprint to allow for the reduction of fees.

Uh so that uh there are any number of ways that you can reduce the carrying costs for a developer, primarily non nonprofit developers.

Great.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Commissioner Terry.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Um nice to meet you, attorney Roberts.

I see that you are a neighbor of mine in Scotdale area.

So you got District 4 and 6 to look out for you.

Um, and I'm just because you know you have such broad experience in this area, and also you've been working the Metro Atlanta land bank.

Correct.

So you have a lot of experience.

So I'm just I'm just gonna ask this the question that we have to ask everyone.

Which don't take offense to this.

It's and it's that we ask everyone are there any extenuating circumstances or potential reasons for recusal that could preclude or impede your service to the land bank board.

Uh no.

And in fact, we've already presented this to our board so that we have board approval on our side.

Wonderful.

Great, thank you.

Okay.

Thank you so much, Commissioner Terry.

Commissioner Patrick.

Well, thank you so much.

Once again, that exhausts our questions or appreciate you being down here on a ready uh Thursday afternoon and your willingness to serve again.

Thank you all.

The next uh item on the agenda is 1718.

All commission districts, LB Invitation 2025-025, fence installation, repair, and maintenance annual contract with two options to renew for the use of the department of recs and facilities management.

Consists of a purchase repair and installation uh fencing for county facilities recommended to the lowest responsive and uh responsible bidder hawk fence LLC ASAP management group LLC for a total amount not to exceed 750,000 dollars.

Great afternoon.

Good afternoon, thank you.

So recommend to approve.

This is an on-call fence bid for use by the parks department, um, galvanized fence, athletic field fence, split rail fence, anything you can imagine for fence.

Seems simple enough.

Do any committee members have any questions?

Commissioner Patrick.

Thank you so much.

With that, uh entertain a motion.

Motion to approve 1718.

Second.

All those in favor?

Aye.

All right, and we will go back to let's see, uh 0396.

We didn't take a vote on that one, did we?

No.

All right.

That's our commission districts to CAB Day Center Implementation Plan.

Oh, we did, yeah, yeah.

Okay.

Uh-huh.

All right.

Next is 0156 Commission Districts 356 and 7.

Change order number one, contract number 137363 restoration and maintenance of athletic fields annual contract with two options to renew for use by the Department of Recs Parks and Recs.

This contract consists of site restoration and maintenance of athletic fields.

It seeks to increase funds awarded to JMB, landscape and ink amounts not to exceed 55,596 76.

Thank you.

Recommend to approve this contract.

Is two things.

It's not only routine maintenance of athletic fields, but also restoration.

And we were able to um do some restorations.

That's the change order that you're seeing in front of you.

Fantastic.

Any questions from the committee members?

Commissioner Patrick.

No.

With that, I'll uh entertain a motion.

Motion to approve.

Second.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

The next item to 0230, all commission districts, contract number 1359729 and 1367273, demolition of residential and commercial buildings, annual contracts, second renewal of set second option to renew for the use of uh department of uh parks and recs.

This contract consists of providing demolition services for county-owned services.

It seeks to require um to exercise a second renewal option through March 31st, 2027.

Also seeks or uh seeks approval to transfer funds between the contract based on the needs of the county, awarded to Southern Demolition to LLC and complete demolition to LLC, total amount not to exceed 250,000 dollars.

Thank you.

And this one we're actually gonna recommend to withdraw.

We did have some demolitions, but unfortunately, we're not gonna be able to move forward with those.

So we're requesting to withdraw at this time.

Okay, and let me ask you a question.

Is it possible?

Um, because I know there was some demolition.

We had talked about little create in there was opportunity to demolate um to demolish that um building on there, and and I see director um lass um in the back shaking head also.

So is it uh related to this or is that something that can be done, or what are the thoughts there?

So the request was told to do a structural assessment of the existing structure to determine whether we can reuse the structure as is.

Um so that was the thought just to kind of go backwards a little bit to make sure that we're using county money wisely.

So at this time we're requesting to withdraw and then we can bring it forth if needed at a further time.

Fantastic.

Well, uh I follow you guys in you know, as long as you're getting you know things done that you you need to get done.

I appreciate that.

Uh any questions from the committee members?

No.

Commissioner Patrick.

Seeing none, I'll uh entertain motion.

Motion to withdraw 0230.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Thank you so much.

The next item, and again 0306, Commission District 356 and 7.

Change order number one to contract number 2000 for 64 cooperative agreement for the court construction of maintenance cob county sealed agreement, bit number 25-6902 for the use of department of parks and recs.

It consists of a purchasing for competently led Cobb County contract re needed for court construction and maintenance.

It seeks to increase funds from embark and Dotty Bridges Tennis Center awarded to signature tennis courts and amount not to exceed 72,000 910.

Thank you.

Again, recommend to approve.

So this is rehabilitating the courts at the old brand ZYMCA property, which is now known as embark, and then also converting two courts at Dotty Bridges, Flat Shoals.

We work with the community group down there in order to convert two of the existing tennis courts to pickleball.

Fantastic.

And are there any questions from any commitment members?

Commissioner Patrick?

Seeing none, I'll entertain a motion.

Motion to approve.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

All right, the next item 0313, all commission districts, LB invitation to bid number 2025-053-ITV Aquatics Maintenance and Life Guard Services, a three-year multi-contract with two options to renew for the use by the Department of Parks and Recs and Human Services consists of providing maintenance for on-site chlorinators, chemical maintenance, seasonal preparation, and lifeguard services for swimming pools, splash guards for county-owned facilities.

Recommended uh award to the sole responsible and responsible bidder, stand guard aquatics amount not to exceed 1,234, 140.80 cents.

Yep.

Again, recommend to approve.

So this is all things pools, um, chlorinators, lifeguards, and everything to get us through pool season 2026.

Fantastic.

Commissioner Terry.

And so because NH Scott pool will be up and running, this contract will cover NH Scott for whatever months is that it's available.

That is correct.

It has been added into the bid, yes, sir.

So it will be open for pool season.

Yes.

Okay, thanks.

Fantastic.

All right.

With that, I'll entertain a motion.

Motion to approve.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Thank you.

The next uh agenda item is 0318.

All commission districts acceptance of federal work force innovation and opportunity acts WIOA additional funds request for dislocated workers fiscal year 2026 from the technical college system of Georgia for the amount of 100,000 dollars.

Commissioner, is there anyone here to speak to that item?

Sure, sure.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, Commissioners.

My name is Lauren Green.

I'm actually a new director of work source to CAP.

So a pleasure to be here to meet you all.

Thank you.

Nice to meet you as well.

All right.

So can you just um just briefly speak to the use of the additional funds will be used for?

Yes.

Um Technical College System of Georgia uh made us aware that additional funds and adult dislocated and youth were available.

We did apply for all three.

However, we just awarded uh additional funds for dislocated work, or those are people who were working or were disengaged for employment, and these additional funds will help them.

Um the average cost of a training voucher uh ranges between five and seven thousand.

So this is estimated to serve about 15 to 20 people in addition to the ones that will already serve for this year.

Fantastic.

Any questions from committee members?

Commissioner Patrick.

Seeing none, uh entertain a motion.

Motion to approve.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

And just um we'll go on with the last two and actually let's go ahead and and go back and um take care of the first three um that we had not on page one for those following along.

That includes our appointment of uh attorney Elizabeth M.

Roberts Esquire to post one of the DeCab Regional Land Bank Authority.

Motion to approve.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Thank you so much.

The next um agenda item 175 to all commission districts, a memorandum of understanding between the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia by and on behalf of the uh university of Georgia Cooperative Extension and DeCab County.

Thank you, uh Madam Chair, and actually the next two items really are um companion items and Dr.

Perry is unavailable, so I'll speak to them.

The first one, 1752 is exactly as you articulated.

That's the annual MOU between the uh county and the Board of Regents for our ongoing operation of the cooperative extension department.

We have an agreement with them where they pay essentially half and we pay half for the employees and services.

Uh and then the next item um simply shows the contribution that the county would need.

Um it goes from January 1st, 26th through December 31st.

All right.

Thank you so much for that.

Um heard you mentioned Dr.

Perry isn't um available.

Did we invite Dr.

Perry to speak to these items?

Yeah, does she?

I think she's out of town.

Okay.

All right.

Do we know when she intends to and when she would change?

She would certainly be back before the meeting.

All right.

So um if it's okay to hold this and give her an opportunity to present in front of us.

All right.

With that, I'll um entertain motion to defer for two weeks.

For public.

Yes.

Items 1752 and 1774.

Second.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

And then we are on our last page, page four.

That's uh agenda.

I'm sorry.

Um did we do that.

Three.

Uh so um we didn't miss three.

Um that is agenda item 0245, an allocation not to exceed $15,000 of the DeCab County Georgia fund to be considered for the 2026 budget to the DeCab Public Health to conduct a study on the known health and environmental impacts of data centers in local communities.

And we are receiving a substitute.

Yes, yes, thank you, Madam Chair.

There is a substitute.

Um and so just because the public health department um did not feel they had the capacity to uh work on this, we have updated it uh simply to have science for Georgia, which is a nonprofit that's done a few research projects uh for my office as well as statewide uh to conduct this study.

Um it's less of a study and more of an analysis about all the health, socioeconomic impacts, environmental status of data centers in general, as well as uh uh a further scan of any additional policies that we might want to consider at the Board of Commissioners when it comes to water use, wastewater, backup generators, noise, light, pollution, mitigation efforts uh during times of drought, intense energy need, testing requirements, and the the list goes on.

Um but Science Georgia is uh is a very uh reputable uh entity um in Georgia, and um as their name says, they follow the science.

So this uh would be an effort hopefully to um just create additional layers of um uh review and maybe hopefully a little comfort for some individuals who are concerned about how data centers could impact our community.

Um but I believe you know we follow the science, then we'll be getting a lot closer to all the facts.

Thank you so much.

Uh I appreciate that.

Um and I reached out, you know, um public health is under the purview of uh PECS.

So I did want some insight um from our um Board of Health to the extent they didn't have the capacity, and I did read their emails in and around um the request that they make a suggestion.

Um I understand that we have to have you know some additional scientific data in which um we can consider and be able to share with the public so that we're taking all of the steps necessary to assess any potential um adverse um effects, if any, on our constituents to the extent that we're considering um allowing any data centers to be erected here in DeCab County.

I would like an opportunity though to um dig in a little bit more in terms of this provider and you know, touch bases with the DeCab Board of Health and see what their thoughts are in terms of someone providing this additional information if at all possible.

Uh well, to be clear that the Board of Health would not be involved in this work, however, they will be a considered a stakeholder.

Um so I mean I think it's it's totally optional to them, but um approving this item wouldn't require them to do anything unless they wanted to.

But we're certainly hopeful hopeful that they would participate.

And so as a um stakeholder to your point, just wanting their um their way in, um, particularly as we're getting data that we're gonna use and be able to rely upon and I wanted to at least touch bases, you know, with them in and around uh who would be appropriate and if it's science for Georgia, then fantastic, or if they have another suggestion, um, but just at least making sure that we get a fully encompass um view as to an analysis as to um you know some of the science and the concerns.

I mean, particularly we have constituents that share um their concerns in and around um pollution as it relates to air, water, and noise.

And so, you know, those are three succinct areas that we definitely have to look into to make sure that we are addressing all of the potential um pollution concerns for our constituents.

So um if you will permit me that, just seeing as I got this, I want to look into this uh individual and see maybe we might have an opportunity to even make a a friendly amendment to add um where there may not be a particular area that's covered by um or in the purview of science for Georgia uh Commissioner Long Spears.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

So Commissioner Terry, I'm just confirming that um states here towards the bottom, the last sentence of the need impact section of the agenda item that they will be able to complete this work after execution.

So let's say it's executed, say April 1, they could complete this work within three months, and that really does align with the timeline that they offered on page two of their presentation.

And you feel you feel good with that?

And the reason I ask is um the very first um note on the timeline is that this is the most risk to the timeline, depending on the availability of stakeholders.

I just wonder if maybe an extra month or two, just some wiggle.

Oh, I I mean I think it's pure item.

I just wanted to point that out.

Yeah, I think they're just trying to give themselves uh advanced notice that if stakeholders aren't available during that first month, then it might impact the analysis timeline.

Um what I would suggest is we uh not delay if we don't want to do it, we should just say it now, because if we do want to do it, then we should we should try to get this going because I know the data center text amendments are coming back in May, second week in May.

So I mean, it in theory could be done before then.

Um but you know it's hard to say exactly how long it would take.

But I think the goal is to finish it within three months.

That would be my expectation.

And that that's go ahead.

I still have okay, yeah, I have the floor.

Okay, so if you feel comfortable with three months, then so be it.

It's your item.

Um a second point I had is on page one of their proposal, and again, this is the first time I've I've seen the Science for Georgia proposal, says research and summarize the current state of health, socioeconomic and environmental factors, if possible.

The DECAB Board of Health can provide more granular de-identified data about the health status in DeCAAB.

So it looks like there is a critical role for the Department of Health.

I'm just pointing that out.

Because it is in their proposal.

It says if possible.

And and the main reason is that Dr.

Jules Crawford, who you know, we interviewed for the Board of Health here at this committee, um, she this was really her idea.

She was very adamant that we do some sort of environmental scan on data centers.

So you know, again, like we can't make the Board of Health participate or do something, but I I do think that they are interested in providing data or documentation and or attending stakeholder meetings.

And so again, it's totally voluntary for them.

Uh we want to be respectful of their time, but also respectful of board member uh Dr.

Crawford who um was really uh encouraging us to work on this.

So if the uh DECAP Board of Health is unable or unwilling to provide this data, will Science for Georgia be able to access the data themselves?

So that's for baseline, and I believe honestly, I think a lot of this data is already available.

Um but again, they're not doing a health study, it's an environment, it's a scan.

And the goal hopefully will reinforce any of our text amendments.

Um so the things that we're talking about putting into the text amendments that are already there.

Um, you know, some of those actually came from Science Georgia early on in the process.

I know Rachel uh Bragg met with them, and so I would, you know, I would just chalk this up as an additional layer of scrutiny of things.

Hey, have you thought about this?

Have you thought about that?

Um, one thing since we have been discussing data centers, and this is the final sentence of the page one is community benefits agreements.

We actually heard from Microsoft in a big announcement a few weeks ago that they are trying to incorporate community benefits agreements into all of their data center locations.

So this kind of is an opportunity for us to pick um things that the community should be asking for uh when it comes to CBAs and data center developments.

All righty fantastic.

Thank you.

Um and just as a point of clarity also is in terms of recognizing um and on the floor.

So do want to make that point, but thank you so much for yielding.

Um, Commissioner Patrick.

Yeah, uh thank you, uh Madam Chair.

So I guess just a couple questions.

Like uh um some of the items they're gonna look at is water use, possible water contamination, include including coolants and PFAS, uh backup generators, the noise and light issues, uh mitigation during times of drought and attention energy, um, as well as testing requirements.

So uh for some of those items, um I'm just wondering if our staff isn't already looking into that or hasn't already considered some of that.

Water usage in particular, I think I would think our staff should be knowledgeable about about the water use concern um contaminants.

I mean, that would again under the MS4 permitting requirements, I don't think you can put anything any of those things down the drain, whether that's going into the stream most definitely through stormwater or going down the sewer.

So um I I sort of think like some of those items might already be taken care of, backup generators.

If I remember correctly, staff was looking into level four generators.

Um so again, that might be already addressed with noise and light.

We've already set standards in the proposed legislation, if I'm remembered remembering correctly.

So that's you know, um I'm just wondering what are what are we getting beyond what we're already getting.

Um so you're exactly right.

And in fact, actually, some of the things that we put, like backup generators level four, that was something that came straight out of Science for Georgia's call with planning department and the Southern Environmental Law Center.

Um the one thing that did come up over NACO, and I emailed everyone about it, that I don't think we've quite addressed is how, and this came out of uh Chair Turner out of the land use environment and energy committee, um, is the requirements not only to treat the coolant glycol mixes as a pre-industrial treatment, and in essence, a portable treatment system would have to be sort of brought in.

But then the question came up about the flushing of the closed loop um air conditioning systems.

In other words, they you know they keep that water contained in those closed loops for like six months.

And the concern that Chair Turner raised is that heavy metals and PFOFs can increase concentrations by going through that cycle for six months.

Understood.

And so that 10,000 gallon sort of limit under EPA EPD is sort of the threshold for that industrial um sort of permit that that might be a loophole um in sort of our regulations.

And so this was something actually that was our the Science Georgia was already thinking about, and then it was kind of confirmed of let's make sure we're covering our bases there.

I don't think it's a huge issue.

I think it's something more just to cover our bases.

And you're right, a lot of these things I think we're addressing.

So I I might kind of posit this as like an additional second opinion of additional scientific research that's already been done because as we heard this morning, there was concern about well whose facts are the right facts.

And so this gives us another layer.

Well to your point, I mean support.

Um if I was a cynic on data centers, I would say the county is paying for a response that it might want to have.

So um, but if you want to move forward to that, I that's uh that's another topic altogether.

Perhaps though what we could do either through PECS or through PWI is have uh someone come and speak to us about the MS4 permit requirements, what the expectations are.

Um we can do that separately from this site right here, but it just seems like um I appreciate the belt and suspenders approach on a lot of things.

But I also think we we have a lot of stuff that's already baked in here and and sort of the things that I've heard from our residents during our meetings, let alone uh the emails that I get um have been um more on the skeptical side of of everything associated with data centers from we're helping the oligarchs to we're taking away people's jobs to we're polluting our their neighborhoods, and I'm not sure that um beyond what our staff has already provided.

I don't know what this gets us, but uh that's uh that's my opinion.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Uh Commissioner Patrick.

So uh my thoughts are uh again, just would like an opportunity to be able to dig in more.

Um if it was something I didn't want to support it, I would outright say that.

So that's certainly not my position, um, but very much agree in terms of wanting to ensure that it's all encompassing and make sure what we're getting one is not being uh duplicated and not something that we should get through information from our own avenues, but just wanting to do a deeper dive.

That's the only ask at this point.

Uh would you like Science Georgia to come back at the next meeting?

And when and they could certainly answer any questions.

And to Commissioner Patrick's point real quick, um, I I do see Science Georgia as like an independent entity.

So that was kind of the idea that whether it was public health or now Science Georgia, they are separate from the county, so it creates uh an additional layer of um review that is you know is isn't we're not dictating it, we're just asking for the facts.

So but yeah, I'd be happy to um if we want to defer this and then um you know you let me know when we can the next meeting.

Yeah, we could try to get them in the next meeting.

Um just Shannon will shake in our head, yes, and try to coordinate with you, your office, try to get them on and get them to present.

Yeah, okay.

Just for what's worth, I think that's a good idea.

Uh bring them in here, uh, let them make the pitch and see if we have some residents that may have uh some opinions on it as well.

But that would be great.

Okay.

All right, so uh I'll motion to defer this to When's your next PECS meeting?

I guess it's in two weeks, right?

So how about March 24th?

And I think we'll have a PECS before then.

Yes.

I'll not be on the committee anymore, but you will have a PECS.

Actually, all three of you all will have a PEX.

All those in favor?

Aye.

And then we have our last two items on page four.

That's 024 for our commission districts of resolution requiring countywide health and environmental impact study before the issuance of a land disturbance permit for a data center.

Um yes, uh chair, and this actually is substitute your um more to the point of the site the previous item.

So if the previous item um can um you know move forward, then I think that would kind of cover what we were trying to do in this initial um so uh this is a companion item in essence.

So we would I'd prefer for the work that Science Georgia will do uh in essence be completed before a land disturbice permit is issued.

Um but I do believe that we have a little bit of buffer time over the next few months to accomplish that.

So be happy to recommend deferral and not spending more time talking about it since those two things are linked.

Sounds good.

So I'll motion to defer this item to the March 24th meeting, um, and then we'll just kind of, if you don't mind, put those two together.

Second.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

The last uh item on our agenda for today is zero agenda item ending in 0341.

All commission districts of resolution of the DeCab County Board of Commissioners requesting the administration and planning department to update the recommended substitute for the text amendment 2025-0972 regarding data center regulations.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Um and as I told uh Director Rag before the meeting started, uh don't take offense.

Uh I believe that the work that they have done with Trisha and Ava, Ava and Yvonne and the whole crew is really good.

I think the ordinance is 95% there.

Um the the three things that I'm requesting, and and this is more just the fact that we've pushed the text amendment into May, that we don't really have a chance really just to talk about these last couple of issues.

And what was really interesting um about what we heard this morning is you know, we had some members of the public that kind of began with we don't want any data centers.

And what we heard today is we don't want campus data centers.

And so to me, that was the moment for us to reach a consensus and to reach a compromise.

And so um what I'm trying to do here is if the board you know supports this, um it would be asking uh the planning department to update their recommendations.

And so I'll just review them real quickly.

Um the number two one, as I mentioned, would uh effectively cap developments at 500,000 square feet um each.

Um however I would be open to the planning department's um ideas on how to um to stage data center developments um maybe over a series of uh phases um so that the um the impact of a really large campus um would be mitigated.

Um the special land use permit.

I think again that was just something that you know coming out of NACO, uh Chair Turner, even at this last meeting where he was talking about that other issue with the closed loop systems was very adamant, and this is from their experience, just every data center application should have a special land use permit.

That's how we get community benefits agreements in there.

That's how we get additional site specific um conditions that will protect the community.

Um and then because the public service commission last Thursday voted to deny the motion to reconsider on the 10,000 megawatts, um two-thirds of which would be fossil fuel power generation, um the clean energy incentive um would be raised to utilize uh 100 percent, and this would either be local, on site, on the grid, or through a virtual power plant option, um, which um could be deployed somewhere else on the grid.

Um and then I'll share with the commissioners an article.

Uh a New Jersey data center was approved last month that has a um 16 um megawatt battery uh power plant on site.

And so what was really fascinating about that is that that is in essence a grid reliability uh measure so that if the grid does go down, those on-site batteries could actually feed into the neighborhoods nearby to provide power um during emergency situations.

Uh but on top of that, when it's not an emergency situation, you could effectively use the power of the sun, fill those batteries up with power that can then be used either on site at the data center or just on the grid in general to power our homes, which would allow meeting that 100% clean energy goal that DECAP has all the more possible.

Thank you.

Thank you so much for that.

I completely agree that uh planning, they have done a great job at um working diligently and contacting a number of experts in and around their drafting of uh the data center ordinance, and I'm glad we do have this time.

Um that's one of the reasons why I supported us actually, you know, taking additional time before we passed it to make sure that we again get it as right as we possibly can because we only have one um shot at it.

So thank you for that.

And your um you're continuing to you know do additional research and trying to you know um add some more meat to this text amendment.

Thank you for that.

Commissioner Longspears.

No permit Commission Patrick.

Uh just a brief comment.

Um Senate Bill 34 talks about paying for data centers or paying for the power for data centers, it might be worth uh taking a look at from our residents and reaching out to your electeds at the state level.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, Commissioner Patrick.

With that committee, um I am open to a motion.

Motion to approve.

Second.

All those in favor.

I guess we all have an opportunity to continue to you know to add to um Oh yeah, I'm happy to take any amendments or I mean, and obviously the planning department has any tweaks that they think we should consider.

Yes.

Well, yes, uh open to any additional edits or additions.

Rachel's saying yes.

Yes, so very much we want you, you know, planning to take a look and you know to offer any um suggestions.

So at this point, is a motion and a second to approve it.

So as quickly as you have an opportunity, please provide those to the board so that we can guess incorporate them where we can.

All those in favor?

All right.

With that, thank you so much, ladies and gentlemen, um, for joining us at PECS, and we are officially done.

Thank you.

Motion to adjourn.

Exhausted our our agenda.

All righty.

All in favor.

All in excuse me.

Sorry.

Yeah, all in favor.

All right.

Thank you so much.

Enjoy the rest of your day.