Good morning, everybody.

I am presiding officer commissioner Shaira Johnson, your district four commissioner.

Welcome to our March 3rd Committee of the Hole meeting.

Um, we do have a quorum.

Um, Commissioner Davis Johnson will be joining us late, and Commissioner Michelle Longspears will be joining us shortly.

Before we start our agenda, I wanted to issue a warm welcome to Bishop Joseph Messiah, Commissioner Masaya's father who's in the room with us.

Good morning, Bishop.

Thank you for being with us.

If you would stand so we can see you, thank you.

I'm not just shy, Daddy.

Welcome, sir.

Thank you for being here.

So now we'll move into the agenda with committee reports.

Commissioner Terry first.

Thank you, Madam Presiding Officer.

The uh finance audit and budget committee chaired by myself and uh joined by Commissioner Michelle Longspears and Commissioner Presiding Officer Shekyr Johnson as committee members uh met on February 25th, last Wednesday.

We're also joined by Commissioner Nicole Messiah and Commissioner Marita Davis Johnson on the Zoom, and we basically spent the entire meeting talking about the budget, so I won't go through all that.

We all voted on that on Thursday.

Um we will have um another meeting next week, and ahead of that meeting, and at that meeting, we'll be talking about our strategic goals for the year for finance audit and budget.

So for committee members, let's bring our ideas and things we want to work on.

Um, one thing that I know was mentioned earlier in the year was the magistrate court, Judge Anderson is working on an eviction um like information center.

And so I think we wanted to continue that conversation with her about um you know uh eviction defense counsel along with that information center to help those who are in the eviction court, um, as well as continuing the conversation we started at the beginning of the year on uh the diversion center.

Uh I know Zach is working on that as well on some other fronts.

So we'll have an update hopefully for the committee, and then bring that back to the full board for further consideration.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Masaya.

Thank you so much, Madam PO.

Great morning to all.

Um, my name is Nicole Messiah, the honor of serving as your PECS chair, along with committee members, Commissioner Longspears from District 2, along with Commissioner Ted Terry from District 6.

Our last regularly scheduled meeting was held on February 26th.

Those were intendants were Commissioner Longspears, Commissioner Terry.

There were 14 items printed on the agenda.

We reviewed and discussed all 14 items, nine of which were recommended for approval.

Four of those particular items were recommended out of committee for deferral, and one item was withdrawn due to the um the Board of Commissioners on 310 2026.

The next PECS meeting will be held March 10th, three at 3 30.

And everyone, please note the time difference instead of our regularly scheduled 2 p.m.

PECS meeting PECS um going forward will be held at 3 30 this year.

With that, thank you so much, Madam PO, and I yield back to you.

Thank you, Commissioner Masaya.

Commissioner Bolton.

Thank you, and good morning.

I am Ladina Bolton, your Super District 7 Commissioner, as well as Deputy Presiding Officer for the Board of Commissioners.

I am the chair of the ERPS Committee, which is employee relations and public safety.

Also serving on that committee with me is our presiding officer, Shekyra Johnson, and Commissioner Marita Davis Johnson.

Our last meeting, which was Tuesday, February 17th.

Um, not only did we have our committee members there, but also Commissioner Terry joined us of Super District 6, and we had quite a few items and a couple of discussions at that last meeting.

Uh, one of the items that we discussed under public safety was item 2026 0320.

That item was approved, and this was an urban area security initiative or UASI grant and an amount of 382,606 dollars.

Again, that was approved by the board.

Item 20260322 was also approved.

Our public safety is doing amazing.

That was another grant, another UIC grant in the amount of 10,000 dollars.

Under public safety as well, but animal enforcement services.

We had a contract that consisted of providing animal shelter operations and services.

Of course, this was deferred.

This was a 22 million dollar contract request.

However, that item had not come out of audit.

So we'll be reviewing that even more today during ERPS.

Under fire rescue item 2026 0183.

We approved this item, which was a contract for the purchase of emergency medical supplies for fire rescue and emergency medical units and vehicles, of which we need plenty of our facilities management items, which consists of 2026 0272.

This item was deferred, of course, and this contract consists of purchasing from the competitively let, which is for indoor and outdoor cameras with sensors for video surveillance.

Also, under public safety, we're going to have some additions to our fleet.

That's under item 0415.

But we did have to defer a couple more items, including the resolution to address egregious littering and illegal dumping of scrap tires.

We're almost through that item, just a few more tweaks, and then we can get it out to the community for implementation.

And uh the last item that was deferred was COSONS sponsored by districts five and super district seven, and this is to establish regulatory oversight of blasting operations in DeCab.

As you know, we have a lot of stone, a lot of rocks, so a blasting ordinance will be very valuable to community members.

And finally, the two discussions that we had.

Of course, one of them was the proposed budget discussion to come out of ERPS as well as the county pension discussion.

And some of you have been really excited about the death benefit that we discussed, and that has gone into this year's budget, but also we're really working toward a strategy to increase pension benefits for the um third-tier employees and also establishing a cola for retirees.

So we're still talking through those things, but hopefully by end of year we will have a codified plan.

And with that, I yield back.

Thank you, Commissioner Bolton.

Commissioner Patrick.

Thank you, Madam Presiding Officer.

Um Commissioner Robert Patrick and uh Chair of the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee.

I'm joined by uh Commissioner and Presiding Officer Shakira Johnson as well as Commissioner Nicole Massai.

Uh at our last meeting, we had a total of six items and two discussions.

Uh three items were approved.

Uh one was uh held for public hearing, one was held for further consideration, and there was another deferral.

Um the things that we talked about uh or approved was a nearly $50 million contract for Department of Watershed Management.

Uh this was for work for the consent decree assignments, along with meeting the urgent needs that arise from operational events in the sewer system.

That's a polite way of saying something broken, we got to fix it fast.

Um we have a robust uh agenda for this afternoon, and we're looking forward to seeing you at PWI at 330, hopefully.

Madam Presiding Officer, I also have You have the ops perfect.

I have comments for ops if if that's appropriate.

Yes, please.

Uh the ops committee had a total of 20 items for discussion.

Let me back up.

Uh the chair of ops is uh Commissioner Marita Davis Johnson.

I join her as well, as well as my colleague Commissioner Ladina Bolton serve on this committee.

Uh we had a total of 20 discussion, excuse me, a total of 20 items, two discussion items that have been recurring uh of our items that we were considering.

Eleven were held and nine were approved.

Um interesting things among those that were approved.

Uh just over seven and a half million dollars uh for Department of Watershed Management and Innovation Uh Technology Department.

Uh, this was the annual hosting costs and maintenance and support for state-of-the-art customer service information solution for the customer uh for the county's customer billing system integration.

Of course, we want to have accurate and timely billing put together, and there is a cost that goes with it.

So that was one of the items, uh, sort of a smaller item.

Um, and this was with the Department of Technology as well.

Uh maintenance support of the DCR digital recording system, audio and video equipment used in the county's courtrooms.

So we're working with our court partners uh to make sure that justice is efficiently recorded and um reported.

Uh we have another robust agenda item for this afternoon at OPS, and we look forward to seeing you at one o'clock.

Thank you, Madam Presiding Officer.

Thank you for the double reports, Commissioner Patrick.

I will also note that today starts our new committee assignments.

There has been a little bit of shuffling on the committees.

So again, new committee assignments and a new committee time that does start today.

Commissioner Long Spears does not chair a committee, but I'll give her opportunity.

Commissioner Long Spears.

Thank you very much.

Again, Michelle Long Spears, District 2 Commissioner.

I proudly serve on the PECS and the Fab Committee.

I do have a report on two other items.

On April 1st, we are hosting the District 2 office, the State of DeCab Animals Add at the new Brookhaven City Center.

It is a free event open to the public, and I hope that everyone will please go and check out my website, Michelle Long Spears.com, I believe.

And you can register on the SOTA page.

My second update is last year, and thanks to my colleagues that unanimously passed that DeCab County is constituting our very first women's commission.

It is the only county-based women's commission in the state of Georgia.

Brings me so much pride that we had the courage to move forward with it.

Currently, we're in the process right now of identifying appointments.

So each commissioner, the CEO, all of the cities, junior league, the tax commissioner, and there are other appointments.

So if you have not made your appointment yet, please do so.

We are hoping to host our first meeting either later this month in March or in April.

Thank you so much.

Oh, and if you have any questions on the women's commission or state of the cab animals address, feel free to reach out to the district two office.

Thank you, and I yield back.

Thank you, Commissioner Longspears.

At this time, let's begin our review of the proposed executive agenda for March 10th.

Good morning, Zach.

Good morning, Madam Presiding Officer and members of the board.

I'd like to begin the proposed agenda review with the first item 0442 is an appointment appointment of Mr.

Sheldon Fleming to post eight of the recreation parks and cultural affairs board.

That'd be a PECS item.

Yes.

Next for proposed preliminary items under the airport.

The very first item, 0388, is a resolution to accept GDOT tentative allocation of state funding assistance associated with a project for airfield crack and seat seal and marking at the DeCab Peachtree Airport.

Um the next two items uh the first is a uh 0389 uh standardized office space agreement with L.

Caitlin Henry, no cost to the county.

Second is a consent to sublease under contract number 16-1710 with two zero zero five flightway drive LLC, no cost to the county.

Consent consent consent.

Next we have under the executive assistance, chief operating officer, um item 0458 authorizing nine million sixty-seven thousand five hundred and twenty-five dollars of SPLOSS funding for facilities improvements to include roofing and HVAC system repairs and replacements for DeCAB County physical and mental health facilities.

This uh PECS and these are this is gonna be SPLOSS II funding.

I want to be clear on that.

We'll get that updated.

Next item is uh to appropriate SPLOSS funding to purchase, install, and repair Lew Walker Kitchen Equipment.

Uh this would be PECS as well.

Yes, sir.

Is that gonna be SPLOS?

These are both these are SPLOS 2 funding for those two items, yes ma'am.

Um item under police services uh 0460 to approve the usage of SPLOST 1 and SPLOS 2 funding to make needed repairs to East Precinct and the police training facility, East Precinct and the Police Training Academy.

Um three million uh nineteen thousand five hundred and thirty dollars.

Uh would have that in ERPS.

Yes, ERPS.

Uh next item uh 0459 under public safety.

Uh the approve the usage of SPLOST 1 funds under category 2H for a public safety training facility and the amount of 500,000 dollars to evaluate and propose the most appropriate location for a public safety training facility.

This ERPS as well.

Yes, sir.

ERPS next we have uh items under purchasing and contracting.

Um the first is an ERPS item.

We're good.

ERPS is good.

Next we have Fab Fab is good.

That's the one FAB item is good.

One FAB item, and then OPS has several items.

Ops is good.

Ops is good.

Now we're on the uh top of page six, uh, which starts us with the PECS committee items.

There are a total of three.

PECS is good.

Next we have PWI, PWI is good, which is good as well.

We'd conclude with uh watershed management items.

Um there are two.

The first one is 0162 agreement for the construction and financing of sewer upgrades with NEX Development Partners LLC with a contribution of 832,000 dollars.

PWI.

Yes.

And then the next is an agreement for River Lake Information Management Services at PWI as well.

PWI as well.

Yeah.

Madam Presiding Officer, I have no further items.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

If we Miss McKenzie would help us with the review of the agenda.

Do we have walk-ons?

Oh do we have any walk-ons?

I don't, I'm not aware of any walk-ons.

Yes, we have a walk.

District one is breaking the system.

It's not district one.

Uh on behalf of my good friend at District 5.

Uh we have a walk-on, an item to allocate $25,000 to How Big Is Your Dream Incorporated from the District 5 Reserve for Appropriation Funds for the Summer Youth Academy of Arts.

And yes, consent, please.

And we will try and get that to not be a walk on next time.

Thank you.

Thank you for stepping in the gap for District 5.

Commissioner Patrick.

Good morning, Miss McKenzie.

For our um BLC items.

Well, we can we'll start with a recap.

For on page one, um, a proposed appointments for CEO's office.

2026 0442 and appointment with a stop in PECS for the airport items.

We have 2026 0388.

Preliminary with a stop in the ops committee.

We did have a question from the PECS chair on this one.

Right.

Related thank you so much, Madam PO.

Um, seeing as it is a uh a grant of funds and it is airport.

Just trying to understand why ops opposed to PECS Airport to PEX item.

I think ops is typically handled the airport daily activities.

Um that was my recollection that ops went to PC.

Airport went to ops, but if I'm mistaken, I can stand corrected, but I believe that's been our history.

Okay, uh history or is it listed under a because I thought airport was under a PEC, so we could op okay fantastic.

All right, that's fine.

Thank you.

Thank you.

No problem.

For the next two airport items, zero three eight nine and zero three nine two appear as consent.

Yes for the COO office item two zero two six zero four five eight preliminary with a stop in the PECS committee.

Human services item 0461, preliminary with a stop in the PECS committee.

Police services item 0460, preliminary with a stop in the herbs committee, public safety item 0459, preliminary with the stop in the herbs committee.

Um purchasing and contracting items for purchasing and contracting for the herbs committee 0311 for the FAB committee 0316 for the ops committee 0176 0199, 0255, 0260, 0327, 0328, 0391, 0393, and 0394.

For the PECS committee, 0307, 0395, and 0426 for the PWI committee, 0182, 0241, 0277, 0288, 0305, 0329, 0336.

For watershed management, items 0162 and 0361 preliminary with a stop in the PWI committee.

For but Bo Board of Commissioners items, we have Board of Commissioners item 0463, approval of minutes for the March 3rd, 2026 committee of the whole meeting.

For Board of Commissioners District 2, 0403, District 2 to allocate 18,800 from 2001 park bond for improvements at Briar Lake Park.

Consent.

2026 0404, District 2 to allocate 21,500 from 2001 park bond for the development of a master plan at 1634 Briarcliff Road, parcel ID 1805702012.

Consent.

Appropriation of 20,000 from the District 2 Reserve for appropriation to stride ahead for equine therapy.

Consent.

2026 0435 allocation of $15,000 from the District 2 Reserve for appropriation to Bellis Blessings to support pet owners in need.

Consent.

Of District 6 reserve for appropriations to Nicole Sage, Sage PR Consulting for Event Development, Production Logistics, and Community Outreach, Fiscal Year 2026, Shakespeare on the Green, Community Arts and Education Series.

Consent.

Also for District 6, 2026, 0425 to appropriate 32,978 dollars of District 6 reserved for appropriations to the City of Avendell Estates to support and expand the 2026 Shakespeare on the Green Community Arts and Education Series.

Consent.

And Clerk to the Board of Commissioner and CEO 2026 0441.

Approval of the minutes of the Board of Commissioners meeting of February 26, 2026.

And that is all I have in the walk-on.

That's going to say District 5 walk on for the 25,000 on consent.

Yes.

Oh.

But we are doing that on consent.

Thank you.

Madam PO or Commissioner Davis Johnson.

What is the sense of urgency related to that appropriation?

So they're in risk of losing their funding.

Um near time.

So there was a timely um component to it.

So the funding from DeCab County.

Yeah, funding from DeCab County.

So and it's not even in the okay.

So there's a risk of them losing funding from DeCab County.

So you're from us from DeCab.

So you're gonna fill in the blank with your funding.

I don't fill it.

Okay, understood.

All right.

Well, you you always question what people do walk-on.

I will do the same.

Thank you.

Yield back.

And I will say I appreciate my fellow commissioners for having much less walk-ons this year.

I think that helps the public as well.

Yes.

Wait till next week.

All right, so we're through our review and recap.

Uh so now we will have our quarterly update.

And then you guys do have copy of the presentations.

Good morning, Mr.

Hans.

Good morning.

Good morning.

The green button on that.

Click here will advance the slides.

Good morning.

Thank you, Presiding Officer Shera Johnson, Deputy Presiding Officer Olton, and hello, members of the DeCAP Board of Commissions.

I also want to take a moment to recognize my great DeCab board members at Marta, uh, Rod Frierson, Devon Hudson, Shana Pollock, and uh Sarah Galizia.

Before I begin this morning, I'd like to take time to open by saying the MARTA system that everybody is familiar with at the end of 2025 is no more.

Uh it no longer exists.

It's a new year and a new MARTA.

Uh, we're bringing well over a billion dollars in improvements and advancements, including new rail cars, a better breed system, uh, Marta Rapid A-line, a next gen uh bus network, and MARTA reach.

Each one of these items uh to quote my grandmother would be shouting news.

They'd be worthy of a year-long uh rollout and update uh dedicated for each individual item.

We're bringing all of those items online this year, and we are extremely excited about each and every one of them and how they're gonna improve the system.

I'm gonna jump into our report.

All right, go ahead.

Thank you.

Good.

I'll move right into the ridership in under ridership prior to the streetcar's closure due to Georgia Powers' work.

We saw ridership improving above pre-pandemic levels, additionally with the mobility.

Whoops.

Sorry.

Additionally, with mobility ridership, we saw strong year-over-year growth above pre-pandemic levels.

With respect to bus, we've had steady year-over-year growth and improvements.

We are confident that the next gen bus network will increase ridership through improved service and frequency uh throughout our entire service area.

We're also currently installing a new better breed system, which includes Fairgates across 23 stations at present, and obviously we'll complete all 38 stations.

But due to this construction, our ridership numbers will appear lower for a bit while it's harder to adjust and track the taps while we're going through the construction period.

But I'll go a little bit further into the Better Breeze system later into my presentation and update.

Next, I'd like to jump into our capital program here in DeCAB.

First project we're going to talk about is the Buford Highway ART project.

We released a solicitation for the final design consultant and expected award this in the second quarter of this year.

The final designer will develop plans and specifications for the project with the release of construction bids in 2028, and we anticipate construction beginning in late 2028.

I'd like to take a minute to thank all the DeCAB elected officials on all levels of government who've supported this project by giving us letters of support for our build grant that we submitted last week in the amount of 23.9 million dollars.

We'll keep you posted on the outcome of that grant application.

But in particular, I'd like to thank Mayor Park, Mayor Mock, Mayor Gearman, State Representative Lupton, Commissioner Terry, as well as Commissioner Long Spears.

Thank you very much for your support.

I'm going to move on to the Canler Road ART project, and I'm pleased to report that the release of this solicitation for a final design consultant is already on the street.

We expect an award for that one as well in the second quarter of this year.

We participate construction beginning on this project in mid-2020 mid-2028, so a bit sooner than the Buford Highway ART, but they're tracking almost parallel.

And we will also keep you very well informed on the progress of this project.

The next two projects, one is the South DeCab Transit Hub, and the other one is the Stone Crest Transit Hub.

At the request of the county, we have paused this project of the South DeCab Transit Hub in December due to the potential sale of the mall property.

We will be revisiting the same with the county at the end of the second quarter and continually thereafter in order to move this project forward.

In order to get through the real estate acquisition, we will likely be coming back to this body for condemnation resolution as part of the real estate acquisition process.

I will like to report that on a positive note, we've received a $25 million federal funding for this project that's been obligated by the federal government, which decreases the chances of a clawback.

It doesn't eliminate it, but it does decrease it greatly.

And this funding does cover a large portion of the estimated costs of this project.

That $25 million represents a bit over 40-45% of the I mean excuse me, 50-55% of the total project costs.

Due to some capital project budget constraints, as I reported previously, the Stone Crest Transit Hub project is currently on hold.

The final design has not been issued, but we are going to complete that solicitation package so that when funding becomes available, we will be ready to hit the street immediately.

We are also working hard on finding alternative funding sources from the federal government and state to help fund that project.

These projects include the South DeCab Transit Initiative.

As you all know, we're looking at high capacity transit in South DeCab.

The project team has narrowed the routes from 10 to two alternatives, one being the Interstate I-20 from Stone Crest to Five Points, the other one being the Covington Highway alternative from Stonecrest to Kensington Station.

The selection of alternative has been put on hold at the county's request while the county moves forward with its transit master planning process.

We will provide any support needed for that process to move forward expeditiously so we can select the locally preferred alternative.

Section of our presentation.

With the support of CSX and them getting flaggers for us, we'll be ready to install this new pedestrian bridge for use prior to the World Cup.

The milestone follows the reopening of the North Pedestrian Bridge, which now includes a new elevator, upgraded lighting, and enhanced lighting.

With 88 access at the north side, just completed, construction crews will shift to the south side.

This will unfortunately require closure of our South Pedestrian, I mean our South Parking lot as well as the pedestrian bridge.

The closure of the South Parking lot interests will last about two months, but we are going to complete this prior to World Cup.

And the image above shows the pedestrian bridge that's been manufactured and currently sits in the parking lot, so we won't have any manufacturing delays there.

The Kensington Station Master Plan site includes the station and all surrounding parking lots.

We've received a $10 million ARC TIP award, which will help pay for new public parking and bus bays to offset some of the capital infrastructure costs that can often be a hindrance to bringing any new development to fruition.

Safety improvements at Kensington include a station pedestrian walkway that were completed at the end of 2025.

And both the Kensington station as well as the note about Avondale station wrap around all of our TOD efforts here in the county.

There are nine stations in the county, five of which have some form of completed TOD, another that has an RFP on the street at Kensington Station at present for a transit oriented development, and a master plan that's been completed at Indian Creek for TOD that we'll be bringing to fruition at some point in 2026.

In other news, I am happy, happy and elated to highlight our next gen bus network.

We are only 46 days away from the launch of the next gen bus network.

The team is working hard internally to prepare for the launch.

We're including setting up a large staff deployment over the launch weekend, developing launch day playbook, and training our bus operators for the new network.

In February, we held 25 open houses, giving the community an opportunity to meet directly with MARTA staff, our planners to do individualized trip planning, or to answer any questions that they may have.

On March 1st, our staff began outreach at all rail stations, bus loops, on buses, and on ever so that every customer knows what their service is and how it may be impacted by the new bus network.

As part of our next gen bus network, there's also MARTA Reach.

We're at least we are only one week away from launching a brand new service in MARTA Reach.

Across 12 zones, the MARTA service area, including five zones within DeCab County.

Rides will be complementary from launch through March 28 to allow our customers to get used to the new service and adjust to these new new zones.

Customers in these zones will be able to use Marta Reach through their be able to access Marta Reach through the app, the website, or calling our reservations uh department.

All of our zones will connect at a higher frequency service, either to bus or rail, and if your trip is within the zone, it will be a curb-to-curb service.

You can already sign up for MARTA Reach count by downloading the Marta Reach app or by going to uh WWW, it's Marta.com.

You've heard me highlight this item previously in my report, but a better breeze is coming, and I want to remind everyone that there'll be a little short-term pain for long-term gain.

So as we replace all of the fare gates, all of the back end software, new fare cards, all of the payment systems on all of our rolling stock that will be a little painful for our customers.

We're going through the process right now.

As I stated before, we have 23 stations currently under construction, and you'll see more construction in the coming months.

The launch of this will occur this year in April, at the end of March, beginning of April, excuse me, and we are encouraging riders to spend down their balances.

However, if you're unable to spin down your balance by or before March May 2nd, we will be allowing customers to transfer those balance or those unused trips to the new Better Breeze account by registering with the Better Breeze account.

That period will go from May 2nd through October 30th of this year.

Breeze cards will obviously be the typical breeze card that you've seen before, just updated and upgraded, or you'll be able to use virtual mobile wallets or your own credit card, debit card, and just merely tap to pay.

I want to take a moment and highlight the wonderful work of our Marta Police Department.

Last year I was pleased to report at the end of the year of our year-over-year safety rate uh our safety numbers being down by over 25 percent.

As of February 18th, our crime stats are homicides are at zero per se percent.

Aggravated assaults are the same year over year with no precipitous increase.

Robberies are up 50 percent.

That just means, and I want to put that 50 percent in context.

There was one incident during this period last year.

There have been two through this period in 2026.

I want to put context.

I've reported in percentages, but I want to give context.

Overall crime on the system is down 21 percent as compared to last year.

We have one of the safest transit systems in the country, and we're only investing more.

In that vein, last year I committed uh to my leadership group, my board, and this body to get to our full budgeted allotment of 250 officers by the close of 2025.

I'm pleased to report we reached that number at the end of November, and we are currently at 270 like officers for the year, excuse me.

I also committed to adding 10 field protective specialists, which are like officers except they don't carry a badge or a gun, they're not sworn officers.

We are still hiring additional officers, um, field protective specialists to reach that goal.

We've had many, many successful events in 2026.

We hit the ground running with public engagement.

Each of these events, we had QA periods, we shared information, we explored ways to support the community and each subcommunity's efforts around our initiatives and around their goals through the Rosa Parks Transit Equity Day.

Although that was headquartered in the city of Atlanta, we did partner with Amalgamated Transit Union and their leadership under President Ward, and a significant portion of our workforce north of 25% are de cab residents.

We'd also like to thank leadership to cab as we hosted them for a short walk and a background for MARDAR initiatives into CAB as part of that group's leadership training.

We also presented at a tabled Commissioner Johnson's quarterly breakfast this past Saturday, which was very successful, and we had a successful open houses uh throughout the county and at headquarters this year.

With that, I think that brings me to the end of my formal comments and will yield back to you to you, presiding officer Johnson.

Excuse my voice.

I promise I will bring a bottle of water next time.

If we need to get you water, I think.

I'm okay.

I'm okay.

I think we at least have two questions.

I saw uh Commissioner Long Spears first and then Commissioner Massaia and then thank you very much, Madam PO.

We appreciate you being with us today, sir.

Um, awesome detailed presentation.

Um, I do have some questions, and forgive me if you reported on it, and I just missed it as I was uh double duty up here putting out a fire.

Could you tell us a little bit more about the status of House Bill 1137?

Oh, yes, our penny legislation.

At present, uh that House bill has made it out of transportation committee uh with a unanimous vote of support.

Um, one of the rare instances where we got full transportation committee support.

We're very excited that Penny represents an extension from 2057 to 2067 of uh MARTA's uh penny legislation that pays for our service.

Uh it's critical.

Uh we receive no sustaining funding from the state.

We do have occasional grants that we do receive.

I won't go in too much detail, but it is a critical piece of legislation, and part of our legislative priorities this year are only the penny legislation and bus camera enforcement around bus rapid transit, which in the next few years will be in all of our jurisdictions.

The first one coming online is in Summerhill in the city of Atlanta, but there will be one in South Lake.

There are other plans in all of our jurisdictional area.

Could you talk about next steps for House Bill 1137?

I'm gonna call up Jennifer LaRosa, who's in our external affairs group, who will give you the nitty nitty-gritty.

Great on the next steps because other than coming to jurisdictional briefings during the session, herself and Carolina Ramos live in the Georgia Dome.

Well, thank you, Miss LaRosa as well for reaching out to my office.

Um, my chief of staff is not with us today and is out with a family emergency.

Absolutely.

So the next steps would be it would make it to the House floor prior to Friday, which is crossover data.

So it has to make it out by then.

And then it would go through the same process in the Senate.

Um we after that, obviously, the it's still not in stone yet for the policy to go into effect.

We have to do another RTCAA amendment.

So passing it from the state is the beginning, and then we come back and have conversations with all of you on what's next steps in the RTCAA.

That does give opportunity for discussions about projects and other pieces.

So, and that's gonna be up to the Board of Commission and leadership here at the county before you come to the table with us.

So it's a real good time to start having those conversations on how the process would be done internally here at the county before we have conversations together.

So we again the state uh legislation is just the first step of the process, and it will work through the Senate much the way that it has the House, and we have high hopes for it.

So we'll be able to keep those funding mechanisms and be flexible with all the opportunities that we have coming up in the county and the rest of the region.

Thank you for that update.

If House Bill 1137 passes, is that an opportunity to transition from ART to BRT along Beeford Highway?

The busiest route in the system.

I think that uh I certainly don't want to answer for specifics on the cost of things.

So significantly more expensive.

Yes.

Right.

So this is an this is an extension of a current funding mechanism, it's not additional.

So the cost of that isn't gonna change with the passage of this.

We're not collecting more, we'll just continue to collect for a period of time, which really keeping that 30-year window, is allowing us to keep doing bond funding and to be able to be competitive at the federal level for bigger grants like CIG or capital investment grants to do those larger multiple hundreds of million dollars of projects.

So that's what this is allowing us to do.

The state can change that date when they need, we just keep it a 30-year window for those two reasons.

Wonderful.

Well, I'll eagerly be watching the outcome by this Friday.

Thank you.

Madam PO, I'm kind of tracking my time so I don't go over the 10 minutes, but I see the clock.

Is it by where I can't see it?

Okay, all right, fantastic.

Nope, that's what I had.

Okay, fake perfect.

All right, moving on to um the FY26 build grant program.

My office did submit a letter of support for you all.

Could you just talk about um next steps and a little bit more about that program?

Is that you as well?

This is the beautiful IWDRT.

Yeah, yes, it does relate to that.

Yes, been submitted.

We will receive our right now.

We're in the waning period.

Okay.

Um we're gonna go in with all the other competitive projects from across the country looking for bill grant funding.

We're excited about the opportunity of receiving funds.

We've had some successes in this administration already.

So we are very excited, especially considering as you already mentioned, it is our busiest route.

Yes, so the numbers really support uh federal support of the project.

If you win the grant, will that bring any additions to what you're already planning for the ART line along Buford Highway?

Or to be exactly what you've already mapped out.

It's what we mapped out, it will allow us to use other people's money and in that of the 54 million 24 million okay can be used elsewhere.

Understood.

All right, thank you for that.

Um my final question relates to the next gen bus network.

Um, I want to thank you very much for the amount of community engagement opportunities that you did provide to constituents.

Um, I will tell you, and I have certainly sent this information along to you all or my chief of staff has is that we are beginning to get some complaints for constituents where routes have been cut.

So my question to you is um is there an opportunity in the future if we do receive substantial pushback from those constituents that have relied on bus service that will now be terminated in the next 46 days, I believe, you wrote to reconsider that service again.

So our plan is we're gonna launch the network.

This network, we're going from good to great, not good to perfect.

Understood.

So we are gonna take six to eight months to review the implementation of this network, and then thereafter, we're going to evaluate this.

We're not gonna wait 40 years to do systematic upgrades to our bus network.

So the short answer is yes.

It's not gonna be the second day.

Understood.

But but yes, we're gonna be taking feedback.

Our planners are gonna be actively monitoring and working on that, not only for that six-month period, but going forward throughout our entire history or future, excuse me.

I don't imagine there's a perfect transit system in the entire world.

No.

So I like how you characterize that.

So what we'll continue to do then, um, and I don't know if Commissioner Terry, who is also a commissioner for that the bus stops that have been canceled, have been receiving the complaints that we have.

We will continue to channel them over to you.

Please.

And then we'll put a note on our calendar to follow up in six months.

So two ish months before you start reconsidering and see if there's any flexibility.

And we did receive the request for virtual open houses, and I think we're trying to schedule them with the those who requested.

So check the emails and we'll get them on.

Wonderful.

Thank you so much.

I yield back.

Thank you, Commissioner Messiah.

Thank you so much, Madam PO.

Um, first I want to say that I'm very much looking forward to our meeting.

I believe we have a meeting on the 9th, um, and sitting down and having a further conversation.

Um, because that brings me to something that I heard a couple of times rated related to Southwest to CAB, and that is a pause in certain projects.

You know, there's been a history and some challenges related to project delivery, and I have a number of um angry constituents to be quite frank in terms of their access to uh MARTA and public transportation, particularly as it relates to the improvement of quality of life, access to health care, access to child care, access to uh grocery stores, access to entertainment.

With that, um you said there was uh a requested pause by the county.

I had not requested a pause, but no discussions, particularly in areas that affect my constituents.

So where did the request for pause come from?

With respect to the South DeCab Transit Hub that came from the Madam CEO's office and as well as the transit initiative.

Those are the two that I mentioned.

Pause on Stone Crest, there was fund funding issues.

Okay.

And I'm gonna respond those were all three.

I'm gonna respectfully ask that, of course, if it affects you know at South the Cabin, my constituency, that we have a conversation related to it, because I would at minimal like to be able to weigh in uh well at maximum like to be able to weigh in at minimum, be able to be advised and know what's going on in and around my constituency and be able to communicate the same.

Um with that, I see that you have mentioned the $25 million that has been appropriated for some time that it would be able to satisfy 50% of the South uh South DeCab uh hub.

And so that's been on the books for um some time here.

Do you know I see construction supposed to start commence in 2028?

Um do we know what quarter or when in 2028?

Do we have some idea there?

Well uh once the final design is completed, we want to move exceedingly quickly.

So I can't give you a timeline and a and a pause, but those are the broad strokes.

We're hoping that this gets resolved here, second quarter of this year, and I come back to you and talk to you about how it's moving forward.

Because South to CAB has been at a 30% design phase for some time, whereas Stone Crest was not at the same design phase, and now we presently are at the same design phase.

So that would suggest that South to CAB um hub, the transit hub is being delayed in some way now that it's at the same design phase as something, you know, another area that not been um parallel in some time in a excuse me relation to a time perspective.

There you go.

So has there been a delay?

And if so, again, the question becomes why.

The the only the the requested pause happened in December.

So that's when uh if you want to use the word delay occurred, that's when the delay occurred.

Um the only other item would be the condemnation resolution, but we need to get to a further point in design so that when we come before you we have specific exacting parcels, and we can give you the detail on who exactly is impacted.

All right, but all of this property is on on the mall's property where the transit hub is uh selected to be located.

Okay.

All right, and uh that brings me to um again the narrowing down to two BRT alternatives, and since I've been on this board, I've been requesting that um we actually have BRT and Candler.

Um again, but now we're narrowing it down to Stone Crest and to Kensington.

Uh can you give me the thoughts in and around, not including Candler in that BRT.

On the South decrease transit initiative.

Um the Canler Road is a Canley Road ART, which is the one that's moving forward.

It would merely be cost that we can come back to you with information on the 9th in more detail.

Yes, please, because I've been asking every every time we have a presentation.

I literally have been making the same request, same comment, um, in and around the design phase, in and around BRT for Candler.

So that would be great, and I appreciate I know that um, you know, coming in, you had to hit the ground running, and I was one of those very excited, you know, to be quite frank, um, in you coming in and being able to see some of the delivery projects, but it'd be great to be able to get that follow-up.

Happy to see, speaking of which, that the East Lake Station, um, that we're finally um getting that going.

Yes.

Um, that's been a long time coming, and you know, part of my constituency includes the city of Atlanta.

So I've had lots of conversation in and around it.

That's the station that I use, and to be quite frank, coming back from one of our um our travels, I decided instead of waiting on a ride to have on Marta and writing.

Thank you for writing.

You know, and with that, but I did have to make a call to our local one of our local uh board members.

Um I I'm Marta to ask, you know, where are we?

Can I use the um the elevator as the bridge, you know.

So but I'm glad to see that there's some some movement there.

And then I think um oh, in reference to the um the next gen network, just seeing um out of the 12 um launch network sites, it seems that six of them are in South DeCab.

You on REACH, we have five zones in the Cab County.

There may be one that's really close.

Not I know the picture is it's nice, it gives you a broad, but it's not uh a uh GIS drawing.

Got it.

There should be five zones in the CAP.

Got it.

Just you know, Candler, McAfee, that's uh affecting South to Cab, um Cedar Grove, Gresham Park, Kerr uh Kirkwood, Candler Park, of course, County Line Road, um, you know, close to Hillendale, and so that's um, you know, not GIS, but close proximity.

Um, you know you said what?

Yeah, I yeah, so uh myself and super commissioner Bolton counted about six, so that's roughly 50 percent.

So um the thoughts in our in terms of expansion, which has been the thing for a while, um, opposed to just providing and I'm there our constituents that are happy about the next gen um bus network because allow at least that allows some level of connectivity, but any thoughts and you know um being able to provide uh more bus and an actual direct service.

So the a lot of our service and service planning is driven by the ridership as well as the community out outreach that we've had for the last few years around next gen.

It wasn't something that we just kind of came up with in this last year.

So we're always studying it, so as the ridership supports it, we more than want to implement it.

Right.

Well, I mean, you'd agree that we can't have ridership if we don't actually have the buses there, right?

Or transportation there?

Uh absolutely, absolutely.

All right.

Um and it's great that you mentioned ridership because when you know um the decapital allocation, we were actually at um NACO just about a week and a half ago, I guess two weeks ago now, colleagues.

Um that's something that came out of uh the meeting um with the DOT in terms of some um programs related to ridership.

So that may be something to follow up on.

But again, um as important as it is um for well-being and quality of life, it's hard to um just predicate whether we have an expansion on ridership when they don't have access.

And that brings me to my last point in terms of 1137 and a penny.

I have a huge uh constituency base who don't have access to MARTA, and so they pay one percent presently for MARTA and have zero access to riding MARTA.

So as we're talking about expanding it to 2067 for my position and the people that I represent and be quite frank would not do it well if I did not have the conversations that we're having, if I did not bring it to the forefront both in public um as well as in private, I would be doing them a disservice.

I really am gonna employ us to look into ensuring that the people that are helping to support and pay for MARTA throughout the Cab County at minimum have access to riding MARTA.

And with that, I yield back to you, Madame P.

Oh, thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Messiah.

Commissioner Terry.

Yes, thank you, Madam Presenting Officer.

Um thank you, um CEO Hunt for the presentation.

Um just a couple quick questions.

Um I do and maybe a couple of comments too.

Um I do want to uh support the the Buford Highway uh BRT um ultimate goal.

Um so I understand you know moving forward with ART, and I think we have continue to have the conversations about can ART be implemented and then converted into BRT.

And I think the answer has been yes.

It's just so um as long as we're moving in the direction of BRT for Perd Highway, um, as my colleague, Commissioner Long Spears mentioned, having 1.8 million annual ridership, um to me that just makes a lot of good sense in terms of transit planning and getting people to the locations they need to.

Um the can the road ART so um definitely uh agree with Commissioner Messiah about wanting can the road ART to also be BRT.

And so I think when we're discussing sort of the extension of the penny and maybe resetting the goals um from the last time it was the the agreement was amended, um I think it would be good to really just try to hone in on the things that are realistic and truly a priority because I think what happened at the last amendment is everything was a priority, and it kind of seemed like nothing really got done um although a lot did get done.

Um but it was more the low-hanging fruit.

You know, we repaired the stations and you know, did some more kind of aesthetical things um as opposed to sort of big systematic things, and so um what I'll be really interested in, especially for my constituents in South DeCab, is that if we are going to continue paying the penny an additional 10 years, but quite frankly, a lot of us won't be necessarily paying it because we might not even be here.

Um so our future constituents will be paying for it, that they'll see that investment paying off in a more rapid transit network in South DeCab.

And so from Avondale Station all the way down to Georgia State campus is is really really crucial because we have a lot of county facilities.

Um I want to hold up the the South DeCab Mall transit hub.

Um I I am glad that it that is being paused.

I've never been a big fan of moving forward with it as a standalone project.

Um so if there is an opportunity to work with Marta, the county, and anyone else that we can come together to redevelop uh the gallery at South DeCab, as they call it officially, um, then the transit hub, in my opinion, hopefully could be worked into that master plan in a more integrated way.

And I've seen a lot of great models of where um I think in Minneapolis, one of the BRT uh systems literally just goes straight into the mall.

Like, but it's a mixed-use mall, so and it's of course it's snows up there, so that's a little bit different.

Um, but having the hub sort of to the side and kind of isolated to me never made too much sense.

But in context of housing and retail and public parks, um the the hub could really, I think, thrive and and be a true hub.

So I I do understand the pause there, but let's not pause it too long.

Um so if there if it doesn't look like we're gonna be able to have a redevelopment of the South DeCab Mall anytime soon, hopefully there's a way to kind of sort of future proof that to where there will be opportunities to move forward with it, but also integrate it into a future plan um that I think will come one day.

Um the the Kensington TOD, can you go to that slide?

Um I think it was slide 14 of the the map site plan.

Oh, we lost it.

Um while they're pulling that up, the um the map that you showed the site plan is that that's just conceptual, right?

What you're asking for in the RFP is a more detailed plan proposal, right?

Yep, it that RFP is on the street, so it's an open procurement.

This is part of the imaging that was put out when we were doing the master planning process right with the county.

So we didn't want one to show something that was public that people had seen.

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, it gets the the the key concepts.

Um the one thing that is missing from this the massing.

Yeah, just the massing, right?

So um we wanted to one of the things that we had agreed to when we did the rezoning for Kensington a few years ago was that the soccer in the streets uh component would either remain where it's at, or if the developer came in and needed to move it, they in essence would just replicate it.

So I know that's not being shown here.

Um but the intent is the same.

Right.

No, I understand.

Period.

Okay, good.

All right, just want to hear you say that.

Um because it wasn't in the map.

So no.

You know, just someone might ask about that.

Um and then in terms of the next gen bus network, so I am optimistic about the MARTA reach.

Um I was very supportive of the pilot project at Belvedere, which I thought you know, folks I think enjoyed and liked.

So I think that the main thing that I'm gonna be focused on is just the metrics of will it be more convenient?

You know, if someone's losing access to a bus route that might be a 10 minute walk away from their house, does MARTA reach get them to the bus, the other bus line in 10 minutes?

Right.

And so hopefully there can be some very um uh active surveying of all the folks who are using MARTA reach of like is it faster, is it slower?

You know, because I I think the whole idea of the on-demand service is that sweet spot of you have enough vehicles that can respond if 20 people at once request it, you know, okay, there's a you know a bit a busy hour, or here's when we don't need it, and and I'm imagining these the MARTA reach will be deployed to different zones depending on or are they gonna exist in the US?

There's vehicles dedicated to each zone, right?

We're dedicating multiple V two vehicles to each zone.

Okay we're doing it balanced.

It may turn out that some zones have less usage and other zones have more, and we'll move a vehicle.

We're gonna remain flexible and organic depending on what zones.

We are very excited about the service and through our studies and our planners' work.

The two groups that tend to be the earliest adopters are one, uh the young, because with apps and technology, and also the older population once they understand the service, they tend to get a lot more of the curb to curb door to door because they have stuff located more to where they live.

Absolutely.

Okay, so the pop-ups are gonna help individuals who might not be savvy with technology to like help them install it, how to use it.

And I think Jennifer, we're talking later this week about how we can do um sort of a constituent focused webinar or something for any additional questions.

Yeah, so we are planning on doing a virtual for those of that have requested it.

We've also done a lot of work in our senior centers.

We're gonna we've done a whole round of touches with them.

So we're doing a whole another round when the service comes online so we can actually help them download it.

Um there will always be uh hard number to call.

Um because we are very aware that that's how some of our demographic uses the customer base uses the system.

But as our fearless leader has said before, we have noticed that the two groups that um grasp the technology the quickest are our seniors and our youngest.

So hopefully we can see those stats in real time using that.

But we do have a live call line, and yes, I do believe we'll be doing some type of um surveying along the way to make sure we can adjust, as he said.

Okay.

So you can start with two in each zone, but then if you see a demand in one or the other, will you pull from other zones, or will you just add more fleet uh vehicles to the fleet?

It depends.

Okay.

So do you have funding for more vehicles if you need it?

Yep, we have more vehicles.

Um the vehicles, we have two sets of vehicles right now.

One is uh under a national uh recall, so those are being worked on.

Okay, but we have vehicles that are gonna start the service on time, and those vehicles won't go away.

Okay.

We've leased some additional vehicles.

Okay.

All right.

Well, I think let's just track that and just you know make sure that we're up to date because um you know, I think it could be really successful, um, but if it gets bottlenecked, then people might say let's go back to the old system because that was more convenient.

But hopefully this is a way to enhance service.

Um, I'm very excited about the convenience this is gonna bring.

Yeah.

Um and then the last question, Madam President Officer, is just about MARTA Hope, um, the homeless outreach program.

So one, I mean, the team does amazing work and they've come to a lot of our meetings and come to the point in time count and just been very active in the decap homelessness response.

So um, you know, you may have heard that we're opening up uh a day shelter, um, we're expanding a lot of our uh unhoused outreach, whether it's diversion, mental health, so those are programs that we're really we can spending a lot of time on.

So in terms of MARTA Hope, uh do y'all feel or do you feel that that team is um adequately connected with our um outreach teams and that when when there is issues, whether they're at a station or a bus stop, because I what I'm noticing is that there's uh seems to manifest more at the bus stops at than maybe the stations, um, but that's just my kind of anecdotal view.

Um but that's just my kind of anecdotal view.

I do think the team is adequately connected, but we always look are looking for a better, what we call a warm handoff when we do identify somebody or providing services, and they accept having a better warm handoff depending on where they are in our system.

You can continue your thought, but this time is out.

Oh and I've committed in this budget, and we're going through our budget right now for additional funding for two additional uh case officers for that program to increase it.

Uh it's still not enough.

It's not the number that I would like that program to have from Martyr's perspective, but it is a bit more.

Yeah.

Okay.

Thank you, Commissioner Terry.

Commissioner Davis Johnson.

Good morning.

Good morning.

And uh thank you for being here for everything that you're doing at the model.

I just have a couple of questions.

One, of course, I'm always looking at my district, so if you can give us a free update of what's happening at the South Indian Creek station.

Indian Creek Station has recently completed or just a hair shy of completion of its station rehabilitation project.

We have done the master plan for transit oriented development.

We've had a large number of very disparate groups of developers and business owners and potential ideas around doing a TOD.

We want to engage with the county on that to make sure it's thoughtful, it's in line with what the county wants.

But we are going to be going out with another transit oriented development with that, hopefully this year, but we want to be in partnership with the county.

Okay, well, thank you so much.

Um, my last question, you spoke on um the field uh protective officers.

Could you explain exactly what they do?

Oh, absolutely.

So our field protective specialists, they get training very similar to our officers, not they don't go through an academy, they have a slightly different looking uniform, but they are a force multiplier for our officers.

They are on our systems, patrolling, they have radios, they're connected, they can detain individuals that are doing wrong, they can call for support, they support our operators, um, as well as other staff, station maintainers, etc., as well as our facilities.

So you'll see field protector specialists out in the field, but you also see them at all of our facilities, all of the headquarters to garages maintaining security at those facilities so that our officers are on the front line.

And are you at the I know you said that you were looking at hiring 250 offices?

You have 278 right now.

So that's great.

Um so are you at your highest capacity for hiring offices?

I heard that you were had openings for more fields.

We have 10 openings for 10 field protective specialists.

I committed to 30 officers above the budget amount last year when I took the position.

So we're just too shy of that, so we're gonna hire two more officers.

But the reality is we have more than that in the academy now, so our numbers should come in just to 290, provided everybody passes and graduates from the academy.

Okay, so we good for the World Cup.

100%.

Additionally, for the World Cup, we are we've gotten commitments from 11 different jurisdictions, the majority of which are right here in the Metro region, where they're gonna be give um sharing their officers with us, two from transit agencies, one is Wamada in DC, as well as Kansas City, where they'll be sending some officers, and those officers will help on surface level to allow our officers who are more familiar with our transit system to work the lower platform levels, the stations, our police command center, our real-time crime center, and the like.

So we're very excited, and yes, we are prepared for World Cup.

Okay, thank you so much.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Bolt.

Thank you.

So um, because everybody went already, I I guess I don't have as many questions as I thought I had.

But I do want to start by saying just congratulations to you on being able to erect the South Bridge prior to World Cup, because that could get really chaotic, and also as Commissioner Davis Johnson just indicated, increasing your public safety team to 278.

That's right on time.

We need all of that right now.

I did also have questions about whether we would be prepared for World Cup, but just to piggyback because she's already asked the question.

Will we still be actively in construction on any MARTA projects while we have all of that activity during that event?

We have instituted ourselves a moratorium on construction.

So as I guess as the kids say now, we're gonna be 10 toes down during World Cup.

I did not win any friends.

She's a little close, but I I did institute a blackout, so there's no vacation other than one off instances during World Cup.

We're asking all of our contractors to help by volunteering to be transit ambassadors during World Cup.

FIFA has given us a hundred volunteers during World Cup for major fanfest days as well as the event days during World Cup.

So everybody is going to be front facing.

We're not anticipating any kind construction during World Cup at this time.

Okay.

And do did you guys and temp anticipate how that might impact um accessibility?

Well, considering that we adapted the strategy for ridership, and then some of the locations have reduced or lost access.

Will there be a negative impact for writers during uh World Cup?

So on accessibility, we're we're doing two things.

One, we're going to honor if you have an accessibility or mobile mobility pass wherever you live, whatever your home country is.

If you call Marta, register in advance when you come, you can use our mobility services on ADA.

We're required to maintain, even if we're in construction, a adequate ingress and egress, and that includes all ADA and mobility.

So all of our facilities will be ADA accessible throughout World Cup.

And with that, um, over the past year, I have been recommending, and to the extent I I don't know the ins and outs logistically of how this would work, but suggesting a um I was calling it a World Cup pass, but a DeCab United pass or something like that, where you give um uh a card to the folks who are coming specifically for that event and may want information that can help them get to maybe the location, shopping, dining, stuff like that, specifically for them because you know what type of entertainment and environment that they're here for, and maybe even charge a dollar more for it to put back into the system.

Is that something we can do?

I love the way you think on the charging that rest that the purview for parking rates and fare is with our board.

We have to do a bunch of public meetings before we can, so we wouldn't be able to charge.

But I know the uh convention and visitor bureau of the sports council and the host committee has all that information.

We do have special breeze cards, we have a lot of things that have most recently within the last three or four weeks just been approved.

So we're doing all of our station beautification, and that isn't just the four or five stations right around the World Cup site.

It goes beyond that, and we're partnering with whatever jurisdictions that happen to be having watch parties or other big events so that we can service them because it isn't just about the downtown venue.

We're anticipating activities every single day for the 35, 36 days that the World Cup um is present here and that last week when it's in New York.

So we are, I'd love to charge, but I can't.

So there's no way to get additional revenue for those 45 days and those hundreds of thousands of people that would descend on the Metro Atlanta area.

Um I would be the shorter interim if I tried to change fairs in any way uh for the World Cup.

No, just just with the all jokes aside, when we go to change fairs, there is a long public engagement outreach process, and we are we there's no way we can get that done by World Cup.

Okay.

All right.

I tried to tell y'all about a year ago.

Y'all want to listen to me.

But also, do you guys have a map of the transit hubs relative to the rail lines and stops that we could share with community members who have questions about the hubs that will be erected?

We will absolutely get that to the entire commission.

Wonderful.

And your discussion of MARTA reach that of course reminds me not just of the ride share programs that we're most familiar with, but what I've heard and have known to be PRT, the pods.

Yes.

Is that so my understanding is that there are some other jurisdictions doing the research?

This could be more cost effective, it could be erected more quickly.

Um accessibility would increase.

As a part of the delays that we have, would there be any wiggle room to transition the conversation to PRT if it were the will of the board?

So there is a pilot going on down at the GICC on Atlanta Eritropolis.

In fact, tomorrow I'm going with a group to San Francisco to visit glideways.

Marta is a partner in that pilot project to see if there's feasibility if it could even work in our system in our jurisdiction or in other areas if there's cities or counties that want to go it alone, kind of like what Cobb County did with the Brave Stadium, that kind of that kind of thing.

Any shift in actual mode and delivery, I would caution against the quick flip.

I understand the frustrations around delivery.

When I came in, one of my primary other than safety items was getting these projects going, delivering them and closing them out.

So I am sensitive to that, and I understand that hey, can we get this in the interim while that's taking too long?

I don't know if that's possible.

I'm not going to equivocate and say, oh, I'm gonna do some study.

The study is ongoing and they're constructing it now.

They just had the ribbon cutting after the uh South Metro Development Conference about two weeks ago.

Um I shouldn't say ribbon cutting, groundbreaking, excuse me, about two weeks ago.

That's a long way to say is I'm I don't know, and I hate saying that, but that is the truthful answer.

Understood, but I would argue as opposed to and in the and in the interim solution that this is a more modern approach to transportation than the bus lines that we have been discussing, the rapid bus rapid transit that we've been discussing because it's end-to-end transportation.

Uh I think because heavy rail is no longer an option because of how expensive it is.

Folks have been um well, let me say it's no longer an option.

It's uh a far reach because of how expensive it is, but PRT could be an alternative to that because it of the end-to-end, you don't necessarily have to do all the transfers and the waiting on the buses, but it could be integrated into the system we currently have.

So I I would love to see the results of that feasibility study if you could share that with us when it does come out.

We will absolutely share it, and you'll be able to experience it.

It's not just a feasibility stuff study.

They're they're building it.

You can you'll be able to see the pods and experience, it's down at the airport.

Um, and I'm sure uh Gerald McDowell will be uh reaching out to any and everybody to experience that.

I'm not gonna go into the pros and cons because it's open.

I want Marta wants to keep an absolute open mind blank slate as to what is possible and where.

Understood, and thank you so much.

I yield back with that.

Thank you.

Commissioner Patrick.

Thank you, Madam Presiding Officer.

Uh uh, thank you for being here today.

Appreciate you being here.

Um, my questions are gonna start with uh sort of a follow-up from uh Commissioner Bolton.

Uh she mentioned asking for a map that shows the service routes and stops.

If you could do one that's sort of high resolution by district as well, and even super district, that might be very helpful.

No problem.

Um, I know uh district one has four cities in it, and uh anything that would be helpful for my residents would be much appreciated, as well as the unincorporated folks.

Um on the uh ART Buford Highway um page, you have projected goals of uh basically 1.81.9 million riders.

What's the time frame that you see ramping up to that?

And and I guess the question that should have asked been first, what's the current ridership on uh that route Buford Highway is our highest um rider ship bus route?

I don't know the exact number off the top of of my head.

I will get that to you and get you the protect the projection glide path.

Yep, but it that route is so popular that there is an additional service from a private entity that operates in the same exact alignment, and they are full as well.

There are several uh private operators in that area that yes, they're full of their um it's a great little corridor within DeCab County in that.

100%.

Um the other question I had for you was um where is Marta on BRT for 285?

On the top end around, we are taking GDOT's lead on that one.

So they're very early stages of feasibility study.

We plan on supporting that when they're a little further along.

I know there's a lot of work going on 400 and the peach partners.

Yep.

For us, it's 400 BRT, for them it's 400 peach pass lanes.

Um but 285 uh is on our in our on our map.

Okay.

I just want to make sure that wherever the transit nodes or stops were considered on 285 that we uh keep that conversation alive and engaged so that uh it's a benefit.

As we go into feasibility for the whole top crescent, including all the cities with the cab, we will be outreaching.

We're not doing this in a vacuum.

Okay, in a stretch of the imagination.

Perfect, perfect.

Okay.

Uh and then the final thing.

Um, so uh I did not see your uh email when you guys sent it out initially asking for support for ART.

Um I will note that the deadline was March 13th.

That said, I've got you two hard copies right here.

I'd like to amend my report.

We've got a camera right there.

Take your own.

Thank you so much, Commissioner Patrick.

Just so we're clear, I love ART and BRT on Beauford Highway.

Uh the Beefford Highway Corridor is very important.

Uh just as a reminder, uh, and my colleagues know this as well.

Uh we I had funded a study to look at ways to help pay for uh BRT along uh 285 uh Buford Highway as well as trails within that area.

So um thank you.

Appreciate it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Picture it didn't happen, Commissioner Patrick.

Good job.

Good job.

Commissioner Terry for your second and then I had a question.

Yes.

You're you're making me cry over here, literally.

That was too good.

Um I just wanted to have a quick follow-up from what Commissioner Bolton said um, because she makes a really good point about the future of transit and mobility.

And so um one, I'll just share that about two years ago I was invited to the Peach Tree Corners to um, you know, get on their autonomous loop that's basically a smart road.

Yeah.

And you know, what's interesting about that setup is you know, the city as the local government, you know, help establish the infrastructure, and then I I I guess I think they have like a nonprofit like actually running the um autonomous vehicle.

Um so I think really what that you know says to me is that you know, if we say, Marta, we want you to do autonomous vehicles or pod, you might say, well, the Cab County, can we have some of your right-of-way?

Can we have some roads, some trails?

Like you still need infrastructure and right-of-way and space to make it happen.

For from a majority of uh transit modes, right-of-way is a is a big hurdle.

Um additionally, with autonomy, we are very sensitive to our partners in the amalgamated transit union in our operators, and we love our operators.

So there's sensitivity to autonomy there and and in other ways.

That doesn't mean it isn't possible, or we shouldn't pursue it, or we shouldn't study it, which is why we're doing that in in partnership with uh uh aerotropolis.

Yeah, and I think just the the thing that would be interesting to understand is just the time it takes to deploy these methods, and so you know when you talk about ART, you know, being I don't think it was like 2028 or something.

Um I mean, but you know, we've been talking about ART for over a decade.

And so helping us understand the timeline of all of these different modes, and I know we focused first on heavy rail, light rail, BRT, and talked about the the delta between conception and actually delivery.

But you know, we haven't we don't really have those timelines for these other mobility, I guess what's called micromobility, um, because they're not really trying to get large amounts of people from one side of the county to the other.

It's more just like we need to get a neighborhood access to the grocery store, the health center, the senior center, you know, public parks and schools, right?

And so in that way, you know, it might be interesting through our planning department, because we have several small area plans that we're working on this year, and probably have a few more we'll we'll start later this year.

But if there's an opportunity for your team, if y'all are looking into the pods and those types of mobility solutions, helping us understand, you know, what it what is needed infrastructure-wise to support that to support it, because then our planning department and our planners might simply ask the neighbors, hey, would y'all be interested in this, and we'll study it.

Like they'll look at the roads, the trails, the points of interest, and there might be a half-mile or a mile route, right?

That could work.

Um, but I don't know enough about it to like opine too much on it, other than to know that that's a lot of where mobility is going.

I mean, we we're all seeing Waymo's.

I mean, they're here, autonomous vehicles are here.

It's it is the future.

And you know, what I'm seeing is the cities that are kind of adapting the smart infrastructure technology are gonna are a little ahead of the game in that deployment, but honestly, the technology is getting so good, you know, it's it's sort of self-contained for the vehicle.

So then it just becomes a question about how the city infrastructure you know makes it a safe experience.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So I did have a couple questions, and thank you guys for being here.

Um mine won't take too long.

I did want to thank um the team we met uh virtually, I think last week, two weeks ago.

I don't know, it's a blur.

Um, but thank you for the virtual meeting, and I wanted to also thank Carolina Ramos and her team for attending my community connection breakfast this past Saturday.

We had a really good attendance, and we do get people from outside District 4 attending those meetings.

So I just wanted to pass along two questions that I received after the meeting.

Um, one about an escalator at Indian Creek, um, and the status of that.

If so, just I know that's district five, but I'm not trying to bleed in, but I do get everybody sometimes comes to our meeting.

That's uh okay.

And then another question that came up was light rail included in future plans for South the Cab.

Um at this point, we don't have LRT in the plans uh for South to Cab as to the escalator, our chief of capital, Larry Prescott should be able to give that in.

Good morning, sir.

Good morning.

Uh, interim chief capital officer Larry Prescott.

We did do a study on that escalator on the east end of that facility.

It is we're looking at funding opportunities.

Uh, we'd have to extend the roof at that end and do some foundation work.

Uh we have costing in plan, we're just adding it to our next round of station rehabilitation as we get the additional funding.

Perfect.

Thank you for that explanation.

Um, so again, those were two questions.

I don't definitely wanted to pass along from our community connection breakfast this past Saturday.

And I most of my my colleagues have touched on House Bill 1137 and just the importance of making sure that our projects are getting completed, specifically with those in South DeCab, because again, I also hear those questions and complaints about that.

So wanted to pass along that importance.

And then my final question, um, with the REACH program.

I understand the importance of getting that reach to South the Cab, but how do can you explain the um no reach kind of north of I-20 into Cab County and the just kind of the concept behind where you guys chose to go with REACH?

So I'm for reach, think of it as with the net mark, the new next gen bus network redesign.

We went to faster, more frequent service.

So throughout our service area, three times as many individuals will have access to fast frequent bus service, 15-minute headways or wait times.

But as has been noted here, and we were recognized in our planning process, there will be some holes, so some donut holes.

That's where MARTA reach is there to bridge that and fill that donut hole.

Where you see the areas where you don't have martyr reach, there is already adequate bus service and a fast frequent pace in those areas or rail service, but in the area you're talking about bus service.

Understood.

I kind of just needed you to say that Alex.

Yes, thank you.

That is all of my questions.

Were there any additional follow up?

Commissioner Davis Johnson for your second.

Yeah, sort of uh taken aback a little bit about this.

No discussions plans, the light rail, or heavy rail that was in the camp counties.

Transit master plan.

And so I'm gonna know is it excluded?

I mean going through east decad.

Now that's going to right there, and that's going to so I don't care how many lanes that you have, how many buses that you have, is the highways are gonna fill up.

Oh yes, and so uh for there not to be any discussion about light well or heavy rail and understand the current atmosphere and um going from the federal government down, it doesn't mean that it will be like that forever.

Hopefully, we'll see a trend change uh coming up soon, but to exclude it.

I I just I I just don't see that, especially since you have everything going north when your growth is about to go east, and we don't have any form of transportation that would rapidly get us there, no matter how many lanes or how many buses that you put on, you're still gonna have to deal with traffic.

And so I'm just a little taken back that we're not I just want to make sure we're not excluded in the plan.

I understand we're not included, but I would like to know that we're not excluded, and there's possibilities uh for that.

There's absolutely possibilities.

The way I understood the question was was there a LRT plan in South the Cobb right now, and there isn't.

I I'm not going to, I'm gonna be completely transparent with this group right now.

They're not studying LRT and South the Cab.

There have been attempts in the past to try to bring heavy rail along I-20 in the past.

Part of that back to the right-of-way discussion, that's the state.

We don't have access to that right-of-way, which exponentially drives up the cost of something that's already pretty expensive, but studying it is not excluded.

Okay, if I gave that sentiment, I apologize.

Oh, okay.

So heavy light, you know.

I mean, you know, I'd like to, and we can have further discussions, but if you know, if I know that my growth is east, you know, and my attention is north, then there's something wrong.

Because we've already been told, I think who was at AR who told us that was ARC.

Sure.

Yeah, I think that was ARC that gave us a report that I roll is going east to right there to Newton and yeah.

Yes, ma'am.

I just want to clarify a little bit of what the ICEO said.

So when the transit uh South DeCab Transit Initiative that we did the studies, and we started with 16, went to 10, now we have two, those options were considered, and when it came to ridership and cost right away and competitiveness at the federal level to in order to really get the funds we need to deliver the service, it fell out of favor amongst all the options.

So, in order for us to deliver the service as quickly as possible, as promised, in a high capacity way, the two BRT options and the two routes chosen are the ones that fell out as the best choices for now.

But as he said, we are always having as a consideration as those options come available.

And I will also say that um when you see those additions north, 400 BRT 285, those were not funds out of MARTA, those were funds given either by the previous governor deal or not funded yet.

So we're studying those two, they're not guaranteed.

We go as the state goes or as you tell us to go.

Okay, and the transit master plan that the cab is engaging in right now will also help shape that.

That's why we paused on those two, so we don't have an IPA yet.

Okay, I just want to make sure we wasn't excluded.

No.

Okay.

And we can have further talks on that.

So thank you so much.

Thank you.

Thank you guys for the detailed presentation.

Much appreciated.

So our next presentation will be from the CAB County School District with a student assessment project update.

Good morning.

You can come up.

Good morning, and thank you for being here.

Yep.

Yep.

So good morning.

Um Madam Presiding Officer, Jonathan.

And members of the commission.

My name is Eric Hofsetter.

I'm the chief operating officer, and I love the DeCab County School District.

With me is Dr.

Trisilla Weaver.

She is our Chief of Access and Opportunity Division.

And along with our executive director of the Student Assignment Project, Mrs.

Sarita Smith.

First of all, I do want to extend my thanks to the CAB County.

We've talked quite a bit, and our our collaboration and our partnerships have just been continue to strengthen, and we're all seeing the benefits of it because as we say, we all serve the same communities.

So we're very happy about that.

Just a quick note about the student assignment project.

So you may be aware that many school districts across the United States, including here in Georgia and in Metro Atlanta, we're seeing this phenomena about just low enrollment.

All right.

With that, it has opened up many, many seats within the and within the school district across our 127 school buildings.

We have just about 20,000 open seats out of 110,000.

Okay.

And that trend is continuing to drop.

20,000 seats represents the top 20 school districts out of 179 in the state of Georgia would be able to fit in those in some way or shape or form.

All right.

So that just kind of expresses the magnitude.

We have developed a process about almost two years ago now.

And in that process of reimagining of what a school district would look like and how it is resourced.

We call that process here in DeCab County School District, the student assignment project.

And uh Ms.

Smith here is going to talk to you more about that.

And then we're gonna have some questions and answers because we do want to hear from you.

We'll let you know how things are going.

And uh we'll turn it over right now.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

The green button will advance your slides.

Thank you.

Um good morning.

My name is Sarita Smith.

I am the executive director of the student assignment project.

My role is to uh facilitate uh what we hear from our community and from our constituents um on the SAP project and bring it back to a larger process with our board and our um chiefs and executive and um superintendents.

So I'll take you just quickly through our um presentation that we shared.

I think it's really really important to understand that this first kind of uh phase was just to set the groundwork of what uh a metrics across the district could look like.

This is not a decision, this is not a recommendation, this is a start of a conversation, and we have had over 3,000 of your constituents interact with this process thus far, even just on paper, and a couple thousand more um in person and through virtual interaction.

So very excited about some of the feedback that we've already received.

Um Mr.

Hofsteadter talked a little bit about this process.

Um and and I I want to stress that uh resourcing is really really important.

How we spread our resources in this district or or condense them to serve uh our kids better is a really big part of this process as we look at uh this you know number of 20,000 um open seats in our school district.

Um, and we want to really create a space where uh there isn't uh a process where this school versus that school serves students better.

We want all of our schools to serve all of our students well.

This is just a visual of what that 20,000 looks like.

Uh the Cavsman playing a little bit of a cat and mouse game with um open enrollment or or seats, excuse me, versus our um enrollment and capacities and trying to match that, and as you can see right now, we're a little uh disjointed.

Um, that the long bar graphs are the number of seats that we have total in the district.

The colorful graph is the number of enrolled students that we have.

So you can see that enrollment is is way down compared to uh our open seats, and uh we are not remiss to say and or understand that in certain districts it looks different than in others.

There is more um density in some versus other uh housing um challenges are also perpetu perpetuating some of that and for um where people live and choose, etc.

School choice is is in there as well.

So there's a lot of competing factors that leads to uh why this graph looks the way it does.

Uh Mr.

Hofstead talked a little bit about kind of five reasons why this may be important.

Uh we talked about the um declining student enrollment, which causes some underutilization in some of our school buildings.

Uh, we have a lot of buildings that need capital uh repairs and improvements.

Um, thinking about how we can condense some of that so we can do more of that uh quicker.

Again, based on certain districts, we have some severely overcapacity schools and severely undercapacity schools, depending on where we're looking in our district.

So trying to figure out a way to balance that as best as possible, which will hopefully lead to more efficient transportation routes so kids are not out on bus corners early, early in the morning.

Um, and then again that consolidated resources.

And when we say consolidated resources, we're talking about our IEP and 504 services, our um enrichment services, special education services, things of that nature that might now are spread across all of those schools, the and and teachers are spending time driving to and from or educators when they could possibly be serving more kids in one building more efficiently.

We gave some if and then if we do this, what could happen for your leisure to read?

Um, and this this part of it I think is a little challenging for our communities to understand.

So, right now, this first phase, we're only talking about the physical buildings that we could possibly use in this process.

So, when you think about 20,000 seats, uh, there's a number of buildings, if you will, that you could equate to that.

And so, we want to talk about our physical assets first, our buildings, which ones could we or could we not use, which ones could be expanded, which ones could be consolidated, things of that nature.

Once we know that, then we'll overlay the boundaries and the programs, um, uh program um allocation on top of the physical buildings that we're using.

So, we're getting a lot of questions about well, what where's my kid going and things of that nature?

Great questions.

So, this is the hard part of the process where we're trying to decouple those and bring them back together at a later date.

Um, our uh we have a um HPM consulting group that is kind of doing the work as a third party behind the scenes for us, um, and they talked a little bit about funding.

Um, we have some areas that have extremely large schools and some that have really small neighborhood schools.

Um, there's definitely a uh a not consensus in the community on which one of these models work better.

Um, and we're not here to say that one is better than the other, but there is some funding that is related at the state level.

So for schools under uh 450 uh uh capacity, uh, the state only funds certain things for those schools, and then the district has to subsidize the rest.

So, this is just a visual of what that could look like.

Uh, you know, the state could fund a principal and a half of a nurse for a school that's under uh 450 capacity, whereas if it's over, you'll see how drastically that funding shifts for a school district.

Uh so we're trying to get to a space where that subsidy gets put back into services for students in our buildings versus the district subsidizing most of those.

Uh, there's also uh in our community, there's a lot of conversation, both about us being fiscally and operationally responsible, but offering robust programming and then small school size.

We're seeing this tug of war with kind of these three things that we want to be fiscally uh fiscal agents of taxpayer dollars.

Our commute our community loves programs, they want programs, they are very clear about that.

Uh, they have talked about it a lot.

Uh, we have talked about it a lot in our in our SAP committee, and so there's a lot of questions about like how do we do this well but still offer great programming, and then there's a subset of our community who love small schools, uh, small schools and walkable schools, neighborhood type of schools.

And so our consultants gave us just a little bit of a visual of where where the pull and tug is with this, and it isn't to say that the triangle has to look a specific way.

The question is what should the triangle look like for the cab?

Um, so low operating costs is great, um, and you can offer great robust school programming, but then it's going to be difficult to have small schools.

And so we went through this kind of what does the triangle look like and what would you have to give and take in order to have a specific type of triangle.

Um, and so all three of those are kind of leading to kind of why we are here and talking about this process.

Um, so uh Mr.

Hofsetter mentioned we did a committee of 150 people over the last two years.

Um, I love love love that committee.

I spent a lot of time with them.

Uh many of Wednesday nights, Wednesday has become SAP nights for our district, um, just talking through buildings, boundaries, and programs.

We educated ourselves, we've challenged the district on a lot related to buildings boundaries and programs.

We spent um a considerable time creating guiding principles around that, and then um we're starting to dig a little deeper into giving um HPM, which again is our consultants, some guidance on what SAP would like to see in future scenarios.

So the scenario that has been developed, our SAP committee did not develop these, they just gave guidance.

We want to see metrics across our district.

They gave guidance on program placement.

They gave guidance on boundaries.

So this first phase is just what created a metric that went across the district equitably, and what could that look like?

So they again we kind of transitioned to our consultants in this side of the work who obviously have a lot of experience in this work and expertise.

So again, our SAP committee was just providing some some blanketed guidance that then the consultants did and used and took to work with it.

So we have this kind of community feedback loop.

I think it's super super important to know again that this is a start of a conversation, and there will be several iterations of what we see today.

So we're gonna the SAT the HPM committee will build our scenarios, we share them publicly.

That's the phase we're in right now, getting feedback as well, phase we're in right now, and incorporating that and coming back again to say, hey, here's what we heard, here's some of our guiding principles that we've used, and here's yet another possibility of what this could look like.

Um so it's also important to know that the SAP committee, or none of us standing up here are the deciding decision-making uh body of this.

This does go to our board of directors in DeCab County that will vote on whatever that recommendation is.

So the recommendation, though we have the SAP committee, it does not lie in their hands, they are instrumental in thinking through and providing guidance.

However, we're in the community phase of this where we're pouring all community feedback into what an iteration could look like and eventually come to some kind of final recommendation for the board, which will happen late in the year.

All right, so how was some of this developed?

So again, I've kind of hit on a lot of this, like nothing is off the table.

We're looking kind of at everything, we applied a metrics, high level for the first round across the entire district.

Um, there is a lot of data.

So uh something our consultants talk a lot about is there's a data piece of this, and then there's the community piece of this, and we have to figure out some how to meet somewhere in the middle.

You can't heavily just rely on the data, which you'll see a lot of today, fairness.

They rely on the data, but you also can't just only listen to community, you have to find the middle ground.

Um, so phase two, you'll see a little more of the middle ground piece.

This is where we will be in your areas, in your districts, in a school building, work shopping light.

Hey, here's what we're where we are, here's some data related to that.

Help us think of a creative way to get to a solution.

Again, the first round was really more merely like here's the data, here's an overlay, tell us what you think.

And we got a lot of what people think in this first process.

Um, the other piece of this is that we there isn't like one metrics that we're looking at.

It is very complex.

Um, and so we are looking at facilities that are local where students live.

There's a lot of questions about is this about where kids live or where they go to school?

We have both sets of that data.

Uh but we want to build based on where kids live, right?

Thinking about that, um, how close facilities are to other facilities.

There's a lot of our facilities that are like a mile away from each other.

We looked at that data, um, building adequacy, which also includes capacity and add think of adequacy as um is there a way of expanding or building onto this if we needed it for additional capacity, could we add on, could we build, could we scale, things of that nature?

Does it have enough enough cafeteria seats?

If you add 200 kids to a building, doesn't necessarily mean the cafeteria can hold 200 more kids, things of that nature.

Um, and then there's a process called cascading, which is a little more complex to understand, but um our consultants really believe that have holding on to our largest assets, our high schools and middle schools was important.

So if we did, if we came to a conclusion where we didn't need a high school for high school, then we would combine middle schools and keep it as a building and use it to keep it on our portfolio, a little easier to build elementary schools in the future if we need it, versus a high or middle school building.

Um, and then thinking about how we can reinvest in facilities in the future.

So I talked a little bit about cascading.

Um we I think Dr.

Mr.

Hofsetter is working with different municipalities around uh reuse if we get to a space where we're like these are the buildings that we no longer want to use for K-12 education, what could we use them for?

Uh want to be really really cognizant that we do not want to um decimate communities and have empty buildings in your communities.

That is definitely at the top of our mind.

Uh, we you know, depending on what happens at the government level, pre-K is a hot button item right now.

Could we repurpose some of these for pre-K spaces?

Could there be community district community school space use, things of that nature that we want to start thinking about as we get to a little more of a finalized uh decision around buildings?

Looking at this as a this is a met all those metrics that I talked about a few slides ago layered on top of a map.

Um so what this does bring up is are there some some challenges in our district?

Absolutely.

Um, and if you apply a metrics across the district equally, it it will heighten some of some of the challenges that we have in this district.

So you'll see that in the color coded, if we uh in that metrics, if a high school came up to the top is not being used, we would convert that into a middle.

If a middle school came to the top is not being used, we would convert that to elementary.

The red are potential closures, and the blue would be comp potential expansion projects.

I think it's in uh hard hard to understand why some of the comes excuse me, the expansion projects are uh concentrated north, and there's some some challenges with that that we're talking with communities about, uh, but there is a lot of density there at the moment with our schools.

There's a lot of schools that have modular units outside, or a lot of our high schools that are well over capacity.

Um, so in order to shift anything there, we would have to build capacity in other spaces in order to shift any of the enrollment up north, and then there's a lot of capacity in in the south.

And so, does this look inequitable?

Absolutely.

Is there something we're trying to do about it?

Absolutely, which is part of the reason we started coming to the communities to have some of these conversations.

So, again, the next version as we collaborate could look a little bit different.

The other pieces that this is going to take several spLOSes to do, so none of this can happen next year, nothing is happening next year.

Uh, at the earliest fall of 27, 20, the school year 27-28, if any changes were to vote on, but there would be also a uh timeline uh phased approach that our consultants and our operations team would overlay onto this project.

Uh, this is that same map, but just for people that like to see it in numbers and chart form, and these three slides just kind of go through how or or you know what that could look like if we did cascading.

So I'll leave that for you guys to look at.

Um, this is another way.

We just pretty much did the same map in multiple ways just for people's consumption, like what that could look like.

Um, so there are some buildings that are not on this map yet, again, because we're we're phasing this in.

So buildings that are not um boundaried are not on this map.

So some of our specialty schools, some schools that um just that do not have a um that have school choice only, those kind of things are not on there yet.

Um, that will be kind of rolled in in phase two, and especially schools that have like IEP services only, things of that nature that we need to have a little more consideration outside of just the boundaries piece are not on there yet.

Um, and then the other piece we uh our board and our staff committee asked us to start looking at possible grade configurations.

So, even looking at that map, there is an opportunity where some of those buildings can be repurposed, possibly based on how we configure grade bands.

Um, overwhelmingly, the community is likes the pre-K5, 6, 8, 9, 12 that we are currently operating.

Uh, there are some benefits and challenges to each of these, but we did look at um more pre-K 8s.

Right now, our district only has um one pre-K8, which is the CAB Arts Academy.

Is there options of possibly doing more of those throughout the district?

Again, benefits and challenges to each of these.

Uh, we talked about a six uh 12 option.

We are opening um a Sequoia middle high school campus in two years.

Um 2029.

2029, um, which will essentially be a 612 campus.

There's a middle school side, there's a high school side, but it's still on one campus uh for some of our underpopulated high schools.

Is that an option?

Possibly.

Um, so thinking about that again, trying to get some feedback at the at the commun uh community level to see you know if there is um any appetite for something like that.

Um there was a question about like really uh thinking through a pre-K345 scenario where you're really concentrating those academic services and early learning in smaller buildings, smaller sizes.

So there's an option there.

Um definitely heard back pretty quickly from community members that like dropping my kids off at like six different sites might be a little much, but there's some benefits to that as well.

Um so this is just some examples that um grade band changes could look like throughout our district.

This was us just kind of playing with uh a reimagined idea of what some of those could look like as we go through scenarios, has already gotten some feedback around reimagining grade bands as well.

Um, and then there's a we are accepting a lot of feedback this Sunday.

This the current phase one survey closes.

We've been pushing it out um through many channels um throughout our district, throughout social media, direct contact, um, specialized groups.

Um so we are putting all that in so we can use that obviously to iterate um and think through the next phase of this and the next scenarios that we will be presenting.

And then this is a little bit of a timeline.

So through May, this process this just the building piece is through May.

Um, so we will again have several iterations, several conversations.

We have gone to many of community meetings um just to get feedback about what parents, families, and constituents are thinking.

We will refine all of that stuff over the summer and start doing the boundary and program overlay, and then go through a full another round of this scenario type like this with multiple iterations in the fall, with hopefully um getting something to the board uh by sometime late in the fall.

Um, so we just kind of went through the February.

Uh, we're already probably gonna change that March stuff because uh we learned a lot from the February meeting.

So those will be a little bit in person, in um small groups with data, with information that families can kind of sort through with possible ideas on if this happens to this school, where would my child go?

Things of that nature that we've heard in this first round.

Um, a little bit of an overlay on what could a more equitably distributed school district look like if we did that, what could investment in different areas look like?

So we've all the information that we've heard from round one, we're implementing for round two, and then having some small group discussions pretty much throughout all of your districts.

So we will um undoubtedly be very busy for the next few months um talking to a lot of your constituents directly and online about this process.

I think that's the last slide.

Thank you so much.

I know we have commissioners with questions.

So first, Commissioner Massia.

Thank you so much, Madam Pio.

Thank you so much, Ms.

Smith again.

Um, Mr.

Houseetter, um, also I met with uh Miss Umboard Member Tate Hogan and board member Pierce.

We met on the 16th of February President's Day.

So immediately after um the announcement uh for the potential closures, you availed yourself um even on a holiday, and I appreciate that.

So we could sit down for me to better understand.

Um, particularly as 33% of the potential school closures are um expected or could take place in my district alone, nine of the 27.

It was important to you know understand I was getting immediate questions, and again, thank you for availing yourself to answering those questions so I can be able to speak to the constituents and as much as possible work together.

Um, you know, with that, there is uh seemingly um inequity, and so thank you, uh Ms.

Smith for bringing that up.

I can't help but think about the presentation we just had with Marta.

And I would be remiss as a district three um county commissioner who represents these constituents to say that my heart isn't is bleeding um because what I keep having to deal with what my constituents deal with day in day out is if not the actual um inequality, at least the appearance, right?

Um, the optics of and you can't get around that because you know sometimes it seems like perception, but perception is reality.

And where we're talking about school systems and schools, and we're talking about transportation, right?

Education transportation.

I mean, we can go on and talk about health care.

We can talk about so much more.

Again, I we can't be united and as one if we don't at least address the elephants that continue continuously are in the room, but I understand you have to make hard decisions with that.

Thank you for adjusting the survey.

I just scanned myself because I was one came in earlier.

Um we were all again in Washington, came in, so I can come to the Cedar Grove meeting that was held on the 24th, and you guys did a great job in pivoting because originally it was not open to uh questions, and I was one of those that had you know very specific questions, particularly after hearing certain things.

So thank you for adjusting that survey where you don't have to pick a cluster.

So for the public, you choose a school and it has other at the bottom, and you can speak to what your um your concerns are, whether you're a community member or a parent.

So thank you for pivoting there.

Um also just want to um share that I still don't um and it sounds like we are still trying to, you're trying to determine what weight um sort of the you know, H um HM uh HPM, I think is HBM, right?

Um, and the community's comments, what that will have.

speak to what your um your concerns are whether you're a community member or a parent so thank you for pivoting there um also just want to um share that I still don't um and it sounds like we are still trying to you're trying to determine what weight um sort of the you know HM HPM I think is HBM right um and the community's comments what that will have and so are you any closer because we had challenges as I brought up uh constituents brought up you HPM may not be aware of the fact you can't mix certain high schools together because systematically for years there's been ongoing issues uh within those schools and they're not even in school together um and don't want to increase in crime which lowers property value and and the like so have there been any resolutions or any thoughts around how do you address or um if you have to miss uh to combine schools that have historically been adverse to one another what would happen there.

Yeah so I I think the again like this first phase was just like uh overall like here's the data on top of a map come back and tell us what what's not great about this and so we've heard it uh it will be you'll see multiple scenarios in the next metrics one may be every high school stays open what does that look like to middle and elementary like so there there's definitely some some conversations happening about that um we're we're getting some kind of large uh um categories of challenges one is mixing high schools we saw that loud and clear and so we're like okay so if if we don't do that what's the give and take and that's really what the question is in those community meetings coming up in the the next phase is like so if we do this then where where are we creating the balance like help us think through um alternative solutions for creating that balance we can keep all high schools open but then what does that look like at the middle elementary level or are there buildings that are operating in specialized spaces that can put into a high school and then we don't have to think about that at all.

So that definitely is on the table we are looking at all that feedback which has been super super helpful because to your point there's just a lens that certain people from the outside don't have and it's been really really helpful last week to uh get those uh boots on the ground uh emotions and lenses directly into this process so yes thank you I appreciate you doing that and so um that brings me to just the um building capacity and um just um how many of the seats there being are that are offered being utilized and I brought this to the attention before in terms of um the capacity and Bob Mathis because that's one of the schools that's slated to potentially close however it's at a 76% enrollment rate.

So any thoughts as to what that looks like because if we're saying it was initially driven by and building adequacies and then there's secondary components and pieces that are weighing in it's got to on the front end you know make sense specifically if it's going to be driven by the data.

So any thoughts as to how or you know any further in terms of reconciling that at this point.

So I I want to share where data is and then I'll let Mr Hofsetter talk a little bit about that.

So we have a website um if you go to the Cab County School District and search SAP SAP it's probably the easiest way to get there and on that site um where you take the survey it says give us your feedback we pretty much broke this uh presentation down uh by the who what when we're how on the how there's a lot of the data that we use and there's a data dashboard in there and so it talks about all the metrics uh for each school building and I think um we we have to constantly say it isn't one thing like enrollment or capacity isn't the only thing um that drove kind of this and for Bob Mathis in particular the cascading piece affected that so if we did a version of this where cascading wasn't a part of that then Bob some things like Bob Mathis wouldn't be affected.

So we'll be looking at kind of those different um metrics to show different maps and different ways that may uh trigger some of those responses but I'll let Mr.

Hoffman talk about capacity.

Yeah I think overall and again thank you for this because these are all very important questions that we have to ask um can and should right can and should the data this first pass of data is strictly that right this is what you can accomplish now we're into the phase of of saying now what should we accomplish and that is a decision that we make together right we do not we do not in education look at children as doucible points or data points necessarily on a line.

When we talk about building capacity it's a physical building right so we know what can uh occur there.

In the case of Bob Mathis specific uh it does have uh extra room just it's been a long serve problem years ago the district made the conscientious effort uh and decision to make it more of a diagnostic center so there is a program within the school uh that has been there right but that program can be moved uh whereas buildings can't all right so those are all things that will come into play in part of the discussion when we talk about buildings boundaries and programs is where best should these programs reside uh but in the meantime what you'll see is historically decades of the Cab County School District trying to utilize their buildings for all other types of needs and programs and and uh other initiatives only because space was allowed so but yes we do look forward to that and again thank you for coming to those meetings uh because we heard and that's why we we engage in that all right so thank you and just one uh last quick brief thank you so much board men PO for indulging is related to um we had a brief conversation related to um the housing and I kept hearing a lot about development and with

So but yes, we do look forward to that.

And again, thank you for coming to those meetings because we heard, and that's why we we engage in that.

All right.

So thank you.

And just one uh last quick brief thank you so much, board men PO for indulging is related to um we had a brief conversation related to the housing, and I kept hearing a lot about development and with uh district three having the largest amount of undeveloped land, land to be redeveloped, and projects going up.

Um there is a brief conversation as how that is actually impacting uh the multifamily units, the townhouses, just some of what's going up presently, how that's impacting the overall challenge that we're having now.

So can you briefly speak to that for the benefit of the board and the public?

Absolutely.

Uh schools are built over time.

Ours started back in the 1950s, and you'll see that historically how these schools were built, and that was to answer what you saw is the population, the enrollment.

Those population trends have dropped, so now we still have these buildings sitting there.

Um as far as development, our planning team, uh, we have a full-time planning team, and they actually work very closely with the DeCab County's planning team and the GIS, and uh, we do appreciate that partnership.

We do monitor permit data, we do you know, we're actively involved in that because those are all the types of things that we look at when we forecast.

All right.

So we're we're aware of it, and uh that's why through this process right now, and until we actually see the results of that potential development that may come in.

Now, when we start talking about development, building houses is one thing, but then that's what we attract even further.

One price points and who they're marketed to, how many bedrooms are these homes, right?

Because that all gives us statistical forecasting information on what school age children historically it may produce.

What we're seeing is a lot of developments uh not producing historically what it is.

All right, and there's obviously a societal movement on that over the last couple of decades.

Thank you.

But yes, we're on it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I yield back to you, Madam P.O.

Thank you, kind of.

Thank you, Commissioner Massai.

Commissioner Long Spears.

Thank you so much, Madam B PO, and I appreciate you scheduling this presentation.

This was good and I think important for all of us to have heard, because I certainly am receiving emails and calls and text and everything above that.

Um so just to make sure I'm clear, um, the Board of Education will consider or your final recommendations in late fall 2026.

So we have about six months of planning and community input opportunities.

Correct.

Um further in the presentation, you mentioned a survey.

Um if that's already open, wonderful, and when is it open until?

So the current ones just for phase one has been open since February 11th.

Um it closes this Sunday.

So please, please, please tell people to go to our website, look at the there's a video on there.

Again, those slide decks are broken down, different ways we put it um embedded it into the website so um anyone that has um uh not English is not their first language can translate it as well.

Um so all that stuff is on there, so we want people to engage through that as much as possible.

There will be plenty of opportunity after this in the next process um to engage a little bit further.

But just that first initial brush survey that closes on Sunday.

Yep.

And just so I can add to that, it's very important because you're all receiving emails and we do as well.

But it's very important that we take those emails, but if we can tell those uh constituents to also copy and paste that into the survey so that we can keep all this data together.

When we start splitting it among different people, it doesn't always get to where it needs to be.

So we do appreciate it, but please have them also copy and paste into that survey.

Thank you for that.

Um question and one comment on that, and then I'll move on.

So could you send us um like a little blurb that we could potentially put out through socials and our newsletter to encourage people between now and Sunday to complete that survey?

Yes.

And then uh a comment.

Um have y'all can or I guess more of a question, have y'all considered doing like targeted um targeted promotion for this, getting trying to get to the folks that live in the impact areas and maybe through SMS like um the text messaging.

Yeah, for sure.

So we have um a part of our communications team that we connect with multiple times a week at this point.

Um, there is a subset of them called community and family engagement, and their whole goal is to look at our survey data and see what people what people are not showing up in that space or what people don't typically show up at board meetings and community meetings and do separate uh separate targeted communications just with them.

We have a pretty pretty decent amount of uh families that are connected to our WhatsApp through our family engagement because they aren't on our traditional social media channels, but there is a specific WhatsApp group for uh several constituents, um both in the Cross Keys and Clarkson uh areas in particular, um, that we are hitting through that as well.

Um, but then there's like coffee conversations at schools that they go to and some communities like 10 o'clock at the school is where it's at, so that's where we're pushing our community uh or our communications team through.

Sorry, Dr.

Weeb.

And we also use our athletic events.

Um we have good idea, great participation in our athletic events, and so this past weekend we were at some of our stadiums providing information.

We will be at some of our elementary sporting events this weekend.

Um, some of those communities that you spoke to, we will be in their carpool lane.

Um, we're doing um book backed um flyers for them as well as social media, but um, as Ms.

Smith said it was a targeted to look at some of those communities.

One of the things that we want to make sure is that not only are we listening to the loudest voice, but we're also listening to those whispers as well, and we want to make sure that they feel that their voice is heard in this process.

And so when we received our survey back, part of why we wanted to look at some of that data by those clusters is we wanted to know who's not here, whose voice have we not had an opportunity to hear, and then go right out to those.

We're also work um reaching out to some of our faith-based organizations, and they have also invited us to come and speak with um their congregation about some of the information, and we're still receiving invitations and open to those invitations as well.

But I thank you for um asking that question because it is important to us that we hear from all voices and not just the loudest voices.

All right, thank you for that.

On slide 18, you affirmed and then reaffirmed that nothing is decided yet, nothing is off the table, and these are not final plans.

And I'm glad that you're getting that message out there because some of the concerned constituents I have heard from think that this deal has already been done.

So thank you for for doing that.

Um, my next question goes to what you're referring to as cascading.

So the old Briarcliffe High School across from Target on North Druid Hills, that has been closed and is a duck pond basically for quite some time now.

So obviously cascading wasn't applied there because it's a vacant piece of property.

I've gotten considerable complaints since I've been in this seat over how that process that property is being used.

Fast forward to last year, I was alerted that the BOE decided to um change the usage of that property into a bus depot.

So of course, I along with my constituents were horrified, quite frankly, and the reason is is that that corridor, the congestion, the density, the traffic that those at work and live in that area is almost unbearable.

And the last thing folks wanted is between an 80 and 100 buses, you know, continually going through there for maintenance and fuel and a place just to I guess store these buses.

And so how can you confirm to us and ensure us that this cascading strategy that you have talked to us about will not happen moving forward because that's an example again of something remaining vacant where there have been again endless constituent complaints about it.

Can you respond to that?

Yes.

Okay.

So if I understand correctly, oh well, let me clear up a few things.

Okay.

So the Briar Cliff side uh specifically, all right.

So that RFP listed a number of our vacant properties as potential because uh sites don't like to be vacant uh for very long, but they can be used at some point.

Um so that was actually a joint effort uh that we did work with local uh county on that because we're also trying to reduce uh some of the um potential crime that is also occurring on the when did you do this?

You said you worked with the county ago.

This was over a year ago, that's correct, because it backs up to the county park, right?

Which is on the backside of course we we're what I'm trying to say is is that right now there is no plans to build any kind of bus parking lot.

The RFP simply just stated several pieces of property.

I believe the board of education voted on it.

It was last spring, March, April, May.

It was a five to two vote.

That's correct.

That it was gonna transition to a bus depot.

So you've walked that back, it's no longer gonna be a bus depot.

No, right now there's only there's no plans for development on that site within the RFP.

There are plans on two other sites, so that's where the board approved those contracts, not for the Briar Cliff site.

Okay.

So I'm just making I'm just trying.

Yeah, I'm not sure.

Because I'm going to get questions on this since we're talking about it publicly.

You are or are not going to transition that site into a bus depot at some point in time.

There are no plans to do that.

Okay.

So the Board of Education's decision to do so is irrelevant.

The board.

We can talk offline.

How about that?

Let's go ahead and do that.

Because I can pull I'll go ahead and I've already got it.

It's in my email.

The boat on it.

That's how I know it was five to two.

Okay.

So going to cascading.

Okay.

And if what you're talking about is having buildings become open and vacant, uh, what happens to those use?

So we've already begun those conversations and those are actually beginning uh to take place in more earnest and more formal.

Again, right now there are no decisions about any buildings.

So we don't want to get ahead because we don't know if there are any buildings and what buildings are there, and then what is best use for those buildings, right?

So that's why we have a slide there that there's a number of uses.

Uh we've been talking uh quite a bit about again, these are just ideas on the table, about community needs.

And we've made this very public that any vacant buildings, we want them to continue to serve the community in some way, shape, or form.

And we're inviting, and we will invite more uh through county and other municipalities where that jurisdiction lies about how they can serve the broader community in the meantime.

Now at some point, right, because enrollment goes up and down over decades, we may need some of those sites back.

Generally, it doesn't happen overnight.

We we can forecast in in several years and say, hey, maybe in four or five years we may need this site back to reopen as a school, in which case then we can we can work on those problems, right?

And those challenges.

Wonderful.

But in the meantime, uh there are no formal plans, but what we do know is we do not want buildings to sit vacant and we also have a number of vacant properties already, including Briar Cliff, that uh it could be a value uh to the community in some shape.

And we figure out what that best use is.

I am almost out of time, but very quickly on slide 23, a potential capacity expansion projects.

An example is Montgomery elementary school, which is in my district.

Do you mean that you will transition and remove the trailers off of that and then put up buildings?

Is that what you mean by that?

Yeah, that so uh additional capacity is adding potential classroom wings.

Uh and in that way, yes, it is a goal to remove all students out of the uh modular units.

We don't want them learning in modulars.

So that would be part of the goal, but we also build a permanent building onto that.

Understood.

Yield back.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Terry.

You were next.

Thank you, Madam President Officer.

Just as a follow-up on that question, so when you talk about the with the map of the expansions, is it just in terms of trailers to buildings, or is it actually seat expansion?

Yeah, I think um if I could speak to HPM's um thought process is that in order to shift any of those schools um in the north right now, especially our smaller ones, we would have to build capacity onto buildings that currently have adequate space, land, et cetera.

Uh so it would be physically building on wings, classrooms, et cetera, to the adult current sites.

So enrollment would go up then?

Correct.

Okay.

Well, capacity.

Well, yeah, capacity.

And okay, so and and just from your initial analysis, because it you know what I'm looking at is the potential capacity expansion projects are in the northwest-ish part of the county, and anecdotally, and then just kind of observationally, there is more growth, I think, in terms of housing in those areas, maybe per capita to the other parts of the county.

So are your projections looking at permits and future building, and it is that what's driving this move towards there's more people, more more housing units, but I guess those housing units have more family capacity, and so you're seeing more students coming into that part of the county.

So that's why you're proposing the expansion in those schools.

Yeah, sure.

So we have a couple of different dynamics working right now.

So in that northern part of the county that you saw on the map, uh, you have much smaller schools and they're much older.

Okay.

And when I say small, some of them are under capacity of maybe only 450 students.

As you start moving south as as growth occurred over the decades, the district started building larger schools.

Ah to meet that.

So but what you have now is larger schools that are under underutilized, even though they still might have 500 kids but they can hold 800.

But in the north, you might have in those smaller schools a capacity of 400, but they might have 450 or 500 students, so technically those buildings were crowded.

Okay.

The idea is add on so that you can consolidate those students out of there, and then we can close those smaller schools.

And repurpose those.

Okay, that's really important context to have.

And I think that would be interesting data just to, and maybe you've already done this on another slide, but um just how the age and the initial the uh original capacity of those schools differ, I guess at what point they were built, right?

And I think when you go back to the population or the growth of the school system, you really see the 80s and then the 90s.

You know, that was a period of tremendous growth.

So, you know, I mean, you can kind of forgive the leaders at that time because they were just responding.

They said DeCab was growing.

Yeah, that's correct.

And so I mean, it appears that at least through the 2000s, they were right.

Pretty steady.

I mean, they you know, the the subdivisions were built, the single family homes were built, families moved in.

Uh oftentimes they were moving in because the elementary school was within a walking distance.

I mean, that was one of the selling points of being in DeCab County.

Every neighborhood had a school, basically.

Um it was kind of, I think maybe our uh nice, you know, check mark of this is where you would want to raise a family.

Um what's interesting though is, and I think the ARC has covered this a lot, they talk they call it the silver tsunami, they've been talking about this for over a decade now.

Um but what you have is you just have a lot of families where the kids went to school in the 90s, 2000s, and then they grew up and they moved out.

And but mom and dad are still there.

Or now their grandma and grandpa are still there.

Or, you know, yeah, they're empty nesters, and so they're living in 2,000, 3,000 square foot homes with multiple bedrooms, but you got one or two people living there.

And and so my office has been doing a lot of work with Georgia Tech and the ARC and our planning department, because what we're hearing is that a lot of the neighborhoods have been concerned about the fact that you know there aren't there aren't families anymore.

And what we've uncovered, and this is more of a trend nationwide, that a lot of seniors would like to downsize into smaller homes, but because of zoning restrictions, and you might know this, but you can't build a a home less than 2,000 square feet in DeCab County.

So if you if a senior citizen wanted the downsize to a tiny home or a cottage home, it's very rare to find that in DeCab County because a lot of the zoning doesn't allow it by right.

So you have to go through a very complex process.

So the reality is there's just not that many units, and so there's thousands of seniors that are just in their home and they're either waiting for a senior living residence, which the county's been building a lot of senior residences, right?

And that's a little bit of the the growth and the dynamism and the housing market, um, or they just stay put until such time as when they have to get um nursing home care, assisted living care, um hospice care, um, in-home care.

In fact, actually it's it's and what's really interesting is the the number one the really the only bright spot in the economy last year in terms of job growth was in the health care sector.

And when you look at the health care sector, it's almost entirely related to elder care and senior care.

So just understanding like that's where the job growth is, that's where the people are, and that's where the hot the demographics are.

So what I think would be really interesting as y'all move forward in this process is provide as maybe this is maybe where you can work with our planning department and Zach.

I don't know if you know Director Njoku or Rachel can kind of and Larry with the long-range planning team can help interface some of these separate decisions, right?

Because I want to just acknowledge that this is y'all's show.

You know, and I I don't I don't want to be a politician that says, you know, I don't want to castigate y'all because one, it's not my decision, and two, it's a very complicated decision, and it's very big picture.

So it's easy to say this school here and this school there, what about that?

And you know, there might be political points to say, well, we're gonna tell the school system, you know, what's up.

But what I'd really like us to focus on is how do we solve the problem and how do we forecast the future that is going to make create a more equitable DeCab County, especially in the school system.

So what would be interesting to know in a planning context is the capacity in the schools that are being closed.

Um look overlaying the clusters and those attendance zones with our not only our housing goals in DeCab County, but also what would what could be the required density that would make y'all say, actually, we're gonna leave this school open.

And you know, it could I mean so for Cedar Grove Elementary, I mean, we know there's new development pressures down there, yeah.

And the community is going through a small area plan.

Commissioner Masai and I are working on that right now.

We're literally asking them this question, you know, would you be okay with additional density in some areas?

But I don't know if those plans will impact your plans to keep Cedar Grove Elementary open or not.

But maybe it will.

Maybe if you said, oh, if we had 200 more students that we knew were going to come in the next three years, and this and we have housing professionals that could forecast, you know, how many three-bedroom apartments do you need, or you know, how many missing middle housing that would allow for seniors to downsize and then those homes come available.

Um so just understanding that metric, so communities could understand that if there were some housing reforms in their neighborhood, if we could create more intergeneral housing, more accessory dwelling units, more cottage developments, um, more opportunity for intergenerational living, and for more families to live in these neighborhoods, would that actually reverse?

Would it stop a closure or would it reverse a closure?

And this is all for this is all long range plans, right?

So is so if y'all's long-range plan overlaps with our long-range plan, because we do land use zoning, right?

And I think we sometimes talk about the schools, but I in my experience we sort of treat it as well.

We that's not our problem.

Like we don't deal with that, we'll let y'all deal with that.

But since this is a very big issue and it's affecting every single district, every part of Cab County, every district has a school closing in it.

I think that would be helpful for us to understand how we can be supportive of you in this process, but also I mean, keeping the schools open.

I mean, I don't, you know, it's it's it is to me seems it's a wasted investment to go and build, you know, all those years ago, build a school, have property, have potential to do things on it, whether they're early learning or other, you know, like talking about ag programs, you know, and school green schoolyards, Eric, you know.

So there's lots of opportunities for school sites to have great quality of life benefits for our citizens at their neighborhoods.

Um but we gotta kind of come together to figure out like how can we make those two plans align.

Um so I'd be interested if we could maybe explore that.

And I don't know, I'm looking at Zach if if that's possible with long-range planning, maybe could have some input on how we look at those impacts in our housing goals.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We appreciate that.

Thank you, Commissioner Terry, Commissioner Patrick.

Uh thank you, Madam Presiding Officer.

Welcome to the board of commissioners.

Glad to have you guys here.

Um already asked, but I just want to review them, make sure I heard them correctly.

Uh, the time frame for implementation is late fall 2026, or that's when your decision will be made by then.

So recommendations will go to the board late fall if it gets voted on or not, it's still up in the open the air.

Politicians do things on their time frame.

I think if so, no changes are happening next school year, the earliest is fall 27.

Okay, all right.

Um you I guess the board makes its final decision.

Will you guys will they have access to things like market considerations, sort of economics within an area, or is this purely going to be driven by uh the data that you've already put together uh as well as I guess resident input?

Oh sorry, I thought she was going to answer.

Um no, I think uh uh I think when uh we talked about like everything is on the table, everything is really on the table.

Um so I appreciate the offer of working, you know, with your long-range planning team.

That's super helpful.

We have also been uh working with decide to cab, so they came on early on just to talk a little bit with us about um things that are in the works, what's coming up, where is the development happening?

I have a meeting with them, I think is next week, it could be this week.

It's been a lot of meetings, guys, forgive me.

Uh to say, like, all right, so here's like an initial brush with the metrics, where are we missing?

Where's the pressure points that we don't know about?

Let us think about to um uh Mr.

Edwards' point, like if something's happening in the Cedar Grove area in the next five years, then maybe we leave that alone.

So that those kind of conversations are happening.

Uh decide to cap has been our kind of conduit right now as it relates to economic development.

Perfect.

Uh great to hear that, and uh sort of echoing what uh Mr.

Edwards said.

Um Commissioner Terry.

Um if you could work with our uh planning staff, long-range planning staff to look at the housing trends overall, if you guys are experiencing reductions and you're having to acknowledge it, it would be interesting to see uh what your data provides for us in our decision making when it comes from everything from new housing, affordable housing, attainable housing, and how we address the homeless folks.

So thank you for that offer.

Uh Warren Tech was in district one, that's off of Shambley Tucker Road.

Uh, and you said that sort of the specialty schools are not yet part of the consideration.

Correct.

Is there a time frame or is there a trigger that you guys would look at to say now we're gonna look at these schools?

You'll see most of those probably in the next at least the next two scenarios.

So the we want to be sensitive to some of those spaces, uh like the warrant tax, Elizabeth Andrews.

We have some specialty schools that we need to um have some admin that do this work on a daily basis, give some input in as well.

Um there are some um some considerations around like where most of those kids live.

Uh Warren Tech's a really good example of that, um, though maybe in your district, a lot of them are being busted pretty far to get to that school.

Like, is that the proper location?

Could we repurpose a school that's closer to where the density of those students live?

So those kind of things are what we're kind of talking about when it comes to those specialty schools.

Because we've done some of that analysis already, specifically heat maps for all of our program schools.

Uh those are on that website as well.

Um I added it to that how section of where all these kids live.

So you'll get there's some clear challenges on why we're busting kids that far, if that may not be necessary.

So we are looking at some of those.

Okay, all right.

Um trailers has long been a hot topic in in uh North to Cap.

Uh Dorville at uh High Tower Elementary at one point had several uh trailers.

I know Dunbody High School has several trailers.

I think um Chestnut and uh the middle school also at one point had trailers, but your ultimate goal is to make sure kids are not in trailers and actually in park buildings, fix fixed buildings.

Yeah, yes, sir.

That is a district wide goal, anyway.

Uh that actually began prior to this process, uh, which is we believe that children should be learning in a permanent type facility, like that also provides better safety and security measures.

Uh so we do have an active goal of trying to uh remove that, and that can be done either through capacity in some places or through boundary changes uh and just programming uh to offer that choice.

But that is our goal is to begin to try to remove as many as we possibly can.

Gotcha, okay.

Um got a couple pages, and I made notes along the way.

So give me just one second.

Here we go.

Um I'll also just note for the record that uh according to your map, it looks like in District One to Cab County Board of Commissioners, it looks like there's a total of five schools that y'all will be considering for closing, uh, but then also four schools that you're looking to sort of uh build additional capacity at.

Uh I used to live down the street literally from Hightower.

Um if you build additional capacity in in neighborhoods, are you also going to be looking at alternative traffic flows?

Absolutely.

So Tilly Mill is a very constrained road.

Uh the access road, Flowers Road that packs up to your property is uh although topographically challenged, it's got great access.

So you would look to find ways to accommodate neighborhoods.

Yes, sir, absolutely.

It's just part of our normal building process when we're assessing sites that are slated for any type of uh you know increase to capacity.

We do uh perform traffic studies uh and we work with those with the proper agencies, uh whether it's municipality and or the counties and sometimes the state because of state roads.

Uh and then we do in modifications as we need to to make sure that we are uh not creating a larger problem.

Understood, and I I am grateful.

Um an opinion offered, not asked, but offered.

Um as someone who had kids go through the K through eight program, uh it seems very effective to me.

It seems like a good way to build up uh a community or a sense of uh friends as you're growing up.

So I make an argument for that.

Uh the final item I wanted to ask about is uh after you guys have come up with your decision, and uh it's gonna be the number of schools and obviously which ones in particular, uh, would y'all be open to the idea of sitting down with uh obviously the board of commissioners, uh, but also to Cab Municipal Association, and we sort of have a countywide approach to what options, what you all are comfortable with future land uses with your property, but how we can talk about working together and and uh not creating voids within our neighborhood, but also creating better opportunities within the neighborhoods.

Um I'll say child care is a frequent thing that comes up here at the Board of Commissioners for special land use permits, uh but we also have adult care concerns and um as the smaller schools are sort of located ideally in neighborhoods, they could be great locations for uh individuals who have parents as well as kids and they're juggling both.

So with that, thank you very much.

Thank you, Madam President Officer.

Thank you.

Um Commissioner Bolton, you're next, and then Commissioner Davis Johnson.

All right, I'm only gonna ask one question because y'all have been talking a long time and I'm tired.

So I I want to give a little bit of context before I go for with my question, as probably the only person that has been significantly impacted by school closures over the years.

I graduated from Avondale High School, which you know closed in 2011, went to Midway, closed in 2015.

Um, and my my oldest son who went to he went to Midway.

Now my boys go to Peach Crush.

You know, Peach Crust was recently rebuilt.

But I I say that because as a community member, the transition gets to be difficult and the engagement because when you have your PTAs and your PACs and all of that, you don't have the consistency or the relationships with the other parents, the children, the admin, the principals and stuff.

So I I totally understand it.

I understand the when we're under utilization, but if there's a way to also consider the consistency for the children and the families when it comes to who's supporting those schools as we talk about the school closures, um, but I also bring that up to say it seems in recent history, every couple of years, there's a major transition.

Um, even with the magnet schools, my son went to, I think it was um well, I can't remember remember the name, Wadsworth.

Wadsworth, yeah, Wadsworth moved during that transition, all of that happens.

Um, but I think that's significant because if this is approved, you say within six to eight years, the tr the trend this transition will occur, but we may see a significant difference in the population in the next eight to ten years from the side of being a commissioner and how we're trying to codify our communities and the plans that we have.

Um, and even looking at census tracking or even reports that were put out by the governor, we see over the next decade or so, we should be over a million people.

And the data says it's gonna be the population between ages 20 and 39 that's gonna help grow the cab, which to me, those are childbearing ages.

Um, so and you kind of alluded to it earlier, but if you can just speak to a little more how you're using that information from census tracking from what the governor's office is putting out uh with respect to how we anticipate there will be growth in the cap with that population, because I foresee more children.

So by the time the transition is complete, we'll have more people here.

Um and then of course ARC um has predicted that growth specifically in DeCab County to be on the eastern side, and we've just discussed how many schools will be closed and transitioned.

Um if you could speak to that, but I did want to throw one more thing in there.

So my husband teaches at Miller Grove Middle School.

Now y'all about to disrupt my family again.

Potentially potentially potential.

But go ahead if you could speak.

Yeah, so one thing thank you for sharing.

Um we love we love context uh behind a question.

Um, I think what our HPM team um talked a lot about with the cascading piece is kind of alluding to what you said.

We want at as best as possible to keep large cohorts of of students together.

So that's where the cascading piece does lend us a little bit of flexibility on, like if I have to consolidate two elementary schools, if I can put both of them in one school, I'm still keeping those cohorts of families together.

Uh you're just getting a bigger family.

So I think that's where cascading does lend us some of that that flexibility on supporting whole families, but still meeting kind of our our fiscal and and enrollment needs.

Um I think you know that's a piece where we want to get into the smaller groups to talk about like what does this really mean?

What does the impact of something like cascading look like in a district?

It also keeps our large schools online like high schools and middle schools.

So in 10 years, if these wonderful 30, 30 group people decide to start actually having children, which based on the CDC isn't looking super likely at the moment.

However, if they do, it's easier for us to reconvert that back to high school, like at Avondale.

Like right now, we're looking like, man, we really could use the Avondale site as a high school site for some specialty spaces right now, and now we'll have to do something different with it.

Like luckily we kept it online, um, and now we can possibly repurpose it.

So we do, I think cascading lends us that flexibility in the future.

Um, whereas if we just look at don't close this school or don't close that school, um, you know, that we're we're trying to rebuild and redistrict fully um in the future.

So that that's definitely um something that we are are possibly looking at.

Um and then the CDC, I mean we've been tracking CDC and Census data.

Um there's a lot of reports in the CDC about birth rate data.

I think in the 90s, women on average was like 2.5, 2.6 kids, maybe closer to three, and now it's like 1.6, 1.5.

Um, so we're looking at some real some serious birth rate data trends that are now we're starting to see kind of couple um or are bubble up in our district, along with our, you know, we have a lot of choice in this in this county.

Families have school choice, they can go wherever they want to if there is room.

So there's you know, some some cascading challenges um also with that is not even just if they're there, even if they're there, they still could potentially go to other other schools, other districts, other areas.

So there's some compounding things.

Dr.

Reef.

And you may mention um about the PACs and the PTAs, it's very important because those groups actually help form the school experience.

And so what we want to do there is make sure that we are cross-training those PACs and those PTAs and working in those schools with those community and family engagement to make sure that they know what options are there are there for them.

We also um when any of this happens, you know, when it's voted upon, we will have a robust plan of how to bring those communities together, how to work with those parents, um, and to make sure that they find a sense of belonging in whatever space they in so end up in.

So that's very, very important to us, but we cannot negate that family piece because that helps with um creating um the school environment.

And I was a former principal at Miller Grove Middle.

I served there for five years, so a special place for me as well.

Wonderful.

Wonderful, wonderful.

Well, I appreciate you guys speaking to that, and I yield back.

Thank you, Commissioner Davis Johnson.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Uh thank you all for being here.

Uh I would like for you all to sort of keep the my answers a little concise because I have a bunch of questions, and I'm what I do want to get into them, and you can always we can always talk offline too.

The first thing is uh were there any options considered of consolidating schools uh down south and expanding the infrastructure uh down south as opposed to all ten expansions being north so again we we laid a metrics across the district.

Um so there are a lot of underutilized spaces in the South.

So when you see an equal metric across the district, it just it kind of shows that.

Um but there is again in this next kind of process, is there those options that we can look at in smaller communities?

Absolutely.

Uh, but again, we we want to talk a little bit about what what the give and take is that triangle, like what that would look like, and where kind of we have to yield um some opportunity in other spaces in order to get there.

Okay.

Um yeah, also wondering about your class size anticipation.

You have 16 potential closures in South Southeast decad.

And so, what are your class size anticipation?

Yeah, we keep getting that.

So I think there's a misconception that bigger schools means bigger class sizes when it's kind of offly actually the opposite.

Um, so just as an example, if um an elementary school only has 60 kindergarten students, we can only allocate two teachers to that.

So that's two classes of 30, right?

If we do that.

Uh if the elementary school has a hundred kids, I may be able to stretch those allocations to four or five teachers.

So that's smaller classes sizes with more teachers.

So the goal is that we consolidate a little bit, but the teachers follow that, which means that their spread gets a little a little more equitable, I think, across the district.

Right now, we have some schools that have uh overcapacity and there and there's just too many kids in a classroom because we have waivers and things of that nature.

So the goal is to get to something a little more balanced.

We're not a teacher in one district has you know 1.5 kids, if you will, and then one has like 0.3.

Like we want to get to something a little more balanced.

So bigger doesn't always mean more kids in a classroom.

Okay.

Oh, thank you.

Uh when was the last time the district updated school attendance uh boundaries to reflect new residential development?

Well, I've been here almost uh three and a half years, and we haven't done any in response to that specifically.

Uh so I'm thinking it would probably be back uh pre-pandemic at the earliest.

I think 2011 there was some there was quite a few that were that were done in response to the growth.

But since then, I don't believe there's been too many.

Okay.

I know it's a lot of uh I don't have it with me, but we can we can get that data.

I I know it's been a lot of growth in those three years in South Southeast uh to Cav as well.

And one of the things that my colleague was talking about aging, y'all take into consideration that even though there's an Asian community, a lot of children are and grandchildren are living with their parents in that same home.

That is correct.

And also foster kids.

So although the community is aging does not mean that you don't have school age kids in that same community.

So have y'all taken in consideration that is where the um again in that house section, there is a school dashboard.

Uh when you look on there, it shows you live in enrollment and then um enrollment for the who actually goes to the school.

So the live-in is who lives in that area.

So that data is calculated into uh if it's a foster child or a grandchild, if they had if their address is in that um school in that in your district, that is included in the data.

Was that you all request that information prior to you all just getting that information?

Yeah, it's a part of data that we look at every we our dashboards get that um updated every year.

Okay, great.

Okay.

Uh several newly built neighborhoods in my district are not zoned for the schools directly across the street, suggesting boundaries have not kept pace with the growth.

Is that fair?

Fair statement.

Uh, and so that's why boundary adjustments is a part of this process too.

Uh so when we looked at the for the building portion, they really did again, there's multiple metrics, but one of the big ones is where are the closest kids to this building?

Are there kids close to X building?

That is one uh, you know, something that we definitely looked at a part of this, so that's why the boundary piece will be a part of kind of the next phase of this rollout.

Oh, okay.

Has the district assessed uh whether the misalignment is impacting enrollment balance across the schools.

Say sorry, repeat that okay.

Has the district assessed whether the misalignment and in uh is impacting uh enrollment balance across the schools from the question you just answered.

The misalignment meaning the bound like my the kept up with the pace that you just answer.

Yeah.

I'm trying to sorry, I'm just trying to think of how to best put that.

So I think it's similar to the answer I just said that we yes, we we have to balance some boundaries of part of this process.

Um again, we're just we want to know what physical asset uh, especially based on capacity that we could use before we make a boundary.

So to make a boundary before you know what buildings you're using is counterproductive, right?

We want to know which buildings and then create the boundary around that to fill, if you will, the building.

Okay, okay.

Um yeah, I um yeah, I did send out the survey to my constituents when I when I've gotten it, and of course, anything that I can do to encourage them, I will.

So if I can continue to get the uh schedules.

Yes, when we figure out the march piece, we will definitely send it to you guys.

Um all of my constituents are really all of the Camp County uh citizens to attend these meetings because these meetings have a direct impact upon the education of our children, which is uh very important.

I remember growing up in desegregation, and I was a plaintiff and integrating, I was a named plaintiff and integrating the schools of Nashville, Tennessee.

And I know that when you talk about busing, I know who's the ones that are being bussed doing desegregation.

Yeah.

It was minority students being buzzed way across town, but we would have to get up probably two hours earlier to just get bused across town.

So I wouldn't want us to go back to desegregation times when you're talking about busing.

And then when you talk about school choice in the cab, that sounds good.

But you gotta have a car.

And you gotta have transportation.

You gotta have MATA.

You gotta have money to pay for MATER.

So it sounds good.

Yeah.

But it only affects a few that can afford that choice school.

Yes, ma'am.

So whether it's a choice school or the school that you assess to go into, you know, we want to make sure that education everywhere is good for everyone.

So with that, I you're back.

And thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Davis Johnson.

Commissioner Long Spears for your second, Commissioner Terry after that.

We haven't been up here making them stand for a long time.

So if we could be a little deeper, I think y'all got on heels.

Yes, ma'am.

Understood.

Um just to loop back to the Briar Cliff site off of North Druid Hills.

Um I did draft and send a letter, sent a letter to the former superintendent and the BOE on August 13th, just requesting you all to reconsider the proposed use of that site.

And so I do want to say thank you on behalf of District 2 residents and business owners for doing exactly that.

There was a great deal of community concern.

There was organizing going on in the background with folks who were very upset about that being a high use bus depot.

So I appreciate your words today.

That makes me happy.

But that was really good news to hear.

Um and lastly, and in honor of our commissioner's request to be brief, is that I think that um this is a really tough decision.

And I y'all did a great job in your presentation, it just breaking down the five points of why you're considering this decision.

And I know that um, you know, there is an impact to folks that, for example, choose to live in their home because it's close to an elementary school, so they can walk or you know, ride their bikes or a super, you know, fast drive, but we'd rather get them on the trails and off the road to get to the schools, and why folks are so concerned about that.

Yes, and so if there are any opportunities, perhaps in the future, maybe around the summer, if you don't feel that you received sufficient feedback from your survey and the community meetings that you have already started and will continue through this month, you know, please let me know in district two.

I'm certainly more than happy to host a type of information session or anything that we can do to get the word out, um, have a opportunity for folks to ask questions and express their concerns and then quell any concerns that they have related to the impact on their homes, their communities, their livelihoods, because this decision is more than just about closing the schools.

To some people, again, it relates to their home property value.

It also relates to you know, schools are our anchor institutions in our community, they're big, they're important, and that's where people go to to make friends.

It's you know, they're convening locations.

There's a whole bunch of reasons why schools are important.

But again, if um district two can be of any support, please let me know.

Thank you, yield back.

Thank you.

Commissioner Terry, appreciate it.

Yes, thank you.

So earlier we were talking about the transit-oriented developments and you know, redeveloping um like dead and dying malls.

Um it would be interesting for the school system to give us some feedback on these major redevelopment sites that are transit oriented or gonna have rapid transit connections that are mixed use, will have housing retail, public facilities, but ever but every one of those sites is missing one thing, and that's an educational facility.

And I think at one point, maybe three superintendents ago when we were talking about the North DeCab Mall redevelopment, um, which is now Lula Hills, uh, one of the initial concept plans was to have a school facility um on that master plan site.

Um, it was gonna be more of like a stadium, I think, to replace Adam's stadium, I think.

Um, but there was the the idea of maybe even putting a college and career academy on that site, for instance.

So I just I think when y'all are looking at these facilities and there's opportunity where we know that there'll be new growth, especially on transit lines, yeah.

Um, and and and maybe think about a school in an urban context as well as because the Cab County schools are suburban context, right?

So I mean to a certain extent, Commissioner Long Spears is right, schools are part of our community, but quite frankly, they're not in a lot of ways.

I mean, they're a very tightly guarded secure sites.

I mean, we've talked a lot, Eric, about green schoolyards and people using the tracks, you know, on the weekends and all the security concerns with that.

And I think in the age of school violence and school shootings, schools have actually really been sort of put put a wall.

Yeah, you know, so this the parents and the teachers and the students are part of that community, but the the larger community, if you don't have a child in the school, you're not really part of that community necessarily.

Um, I know neighborhood meetings will have like, you know, like I think Laurel Ridge is used for like the local neighborhood meeting, you know, once a quarter, right, which is great.

But you know, I think in some of the urban context of schools, um they're they're kind of they're like, you know, the sidewalk in the school are right there, and the housing unit and the park are like right there.

And I know that's a whole other security sort of situation, but I think what DeCab is doing in terms of all our long-range plan is we are urbanizing.

And so we're because we are mostly built out, um, we really only have one way to go, and that's up.

Yeah.

So, you know, so this this is why like our planning and your planning is so important, because if there's not any more space to grow out, then the suburban context and model might not work in every part of the county.

Um, so I want you all to think about that.

Um I I do want to just maybe uh add a little more data to what I think Commissioner Davis Johnson was talking about when she talked about the the growth is in the east side.

So it is true that Stone Crest does have and Southwest DeCab, District 3 area has some of the last um sort of large swaths of undeveloped land.

Um but even the ARC says that that's limited, and they're really looking at DeCab in the context of the larger region.

And so when they say there's growth happening on the east side, they're actually talking about Walton County, um, which is supposed to grow by 51% on the west side, Bartow County, Forsyth County is the fastest growing county.

Um but what the report's saying is that land's just cheaper out there.

And so you could get a single family home for 250,000 and a nice one of that.

But if you want to find a 250,000 home in DeCab County, it might be smaller, it might be a fix, a fixer upper, you know, it might be in, you know, um a distressed part of the county that is trying to revitalize.

So the the challenge we have is that we don't really have anywhere else to grow except in the last little spots that have not been developed, and then revitalizing some of these um urban inner core areas that have strip malls, parking lots, um, and in some cases school sites, you know, like I mean, we were talking about the Alexander Hooper uh site that has been vacant for many years, right across the street, the Kroger City Center closed.

And so we I think Commissioner Bolt and I were talking about a small area plan um update.

I think uh Larry Washington's and their team are working on a kind of a feedback on potential scope of work.

But in that that small area plan, Alexander Hooper is you know in the corner of it, right?

So it's part of do we plan new development at Kroger City Center absent of what happens at at the Hooper site, right?

So understanding what the Hooper site means to y'all, whether it's bus parking, which I know that was one idea, um, or new housing or other, you know, facilities.

I really am very supportive of the pre-K initiative.

Um I actually think that this is a crazy idea, y'all, but I actually think that more families would move to DeCab County if they knew that we had an expansive 3K and pre-K.

And we've talked a lot about child care up here.

It is one of the major inflationary cost drivers in people's pocketbooks right now.

It's housing, transportation, and child care.

And offering 3K and pre-K at an affordable rate, um, and this is something that the county, I mean, we could all partner, and we've seen cities.

I mean, I know New York City passed a universal 3K and pre-K a few years ago.

Um, they had different taxing powers, so they were able to do that.

Um Vermont just passed a statewide uh.22% payroll tax, and they're providing universal child care for every um family, um, and it's actually helping them grow their workforce because families are now saying, well, I can go have my child at a child care facility, they're getting early education, and I can go out and do the job, where some families literally were saying I would work a full-time job and it basically paid for child care.

So you have like moms but also dads saying, I'll just stay home and not work and take care of the child.

Yeah.

But if if families knew they can come to the cab and there was a an integrated child care system and 3K and pre-K, you know, that's something y'all been working on, then there'll be an incentive for families to come to the Cav, and then we would see the growth that we're looking for.

Because Commissioner Bolton is exactly right.

You know, when you talk about 20 to 30 year olds, you know, yes, that's the childbearing age, but the population uh demographics show that that demographic are not having children, right?

And there's a whole other societal things that we we can't control that are part of that.

But they also say, well, paying for a child and taking care of a child is much more expensive than it used to be.

And so you know, these are opportunities.

Again, like, you know, we can harp on the negatives, but this is an opportunity for us to reimagine.

And I'm using CEO Cochrane Johnson's words here because this really is an opportunity for us to reimagine not just what happens in the education system, but what happens collectively, because we're all connected.

And if we're working together and planning together, we can achieve a lot of amazing things.

Exciting.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Commissioner Terry.

I just have one question, and then we will wrap it up.

Yes.

We knew it was going to be uh lengthy conversations with Martha and with the school board.

Um, but it is right at noon, so it is time to move on.

Um, what is what will SAP committee, what will their engagement and their assignment be moving forward?

Yeah, great question.

So um right now, what I've asked them to do was integrate into the community um uh because I think they need to hear.

They've been in entrenched in it, so their knowledge is just much greater than the than a broader community.

Um and kudos to them.

I've heard I've seen them online, I've seen them emailing you guys.

I you know, like they are invested.

Um, so I wholeheartedly appreciate that that 150 uh committee strong group.

Um and so right now for this phase of May uh through at least through May, we'll be I want them to be in the community meetings just so they can understand um based on what we've been talking about and kind of our guiding principles, what community really is feeling um so we can somehow marry that.

So they'll come back again uh probably towards the end of April, early uh end of April, early May to say, like, hey, here's all this stuff that we heard uh based on our guiding principles.

Is there anything you think we should shift?

Like, here's kind of the iterations we've gone through based on what we've heard, like give us your last points of feedback, and then we'll kind of do the same process again.

So they were kind of our first lens.

Here's here's what you're gonna see.

They pretty much told me everything we were gonna see uh for those February meetings.

We'll do the same thing once we do boundaries um and programs.

Here's a first lens, tell us what you guys think.

We're gonna share the same thing with the community, and then we'll kind of wrap it all into the iterations.

Thank you.

And I commend you uh a committee of 150 individuals.

It's unfathomable in my mind.

Um thank you for this amazing presentation.

I would like to invite you guys back to do an update whenever you guys feel the need.

Um is very helpful because again, we know that we have to partner in these situations and these issues.

So thank you and please come back.

Thank you for having us.

Appreciate it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So at motion to adjourn.

Second.

Second.

Right.

And as we're adjouring, um, I offer to Commissioner Masaya to take a pin her father and take a group picture.

If anyone's interested, meet us down there.

All in favor of adjourning.