DeKalb County Ops Committee Meeting: Operational Assessment, Airport Contracts, and Court-Held Dog Resolution (March 17, 2026)

The DeKalb County Operations Committee met on March 17, 2026, at 6:00 PM, chaired by Commissioner Marita Davis Johnson, with Commissioners Robert Patrick, Ladina Bolton, Ted Terry, Michelle Lone Spears, and Commissioner Massar (via phone) present. The meeting covered the approval of March 3, 2026 minutes, a detailed update on the county's operational assessment implementation, approval of multiple contracts and renewals, and a resolution on court-held dogs. Several items were approved with conditions, and discussions highlighted budget constraints, resource needs, and efficiency goals.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes (March 3, 2026): Motion by Commissioner Patrick, seconded, all in favor. Approved.
• Item 2026-0388 (Airfield Crack Seal and Remarking): Resolution accepting GDOT tentative allocation of $936,638 (state funding) with a 25% county match of $234,159.50. Approved.
• Item 2024-0243 (Tire Services Renewal): First renewal of contract for roadside tire services for county vehicles, not to exceed $510,000, awarded to Southern SA Mark LLC, SETCO Inc., etc. Approved.
• Item 2026-0327 (OpenGov Software): Change order increasing contract funds by $413,451 for third year of budget software. Discussion included potential for taxpayer receipt feature. Approved.
• Item 2026-0328 (Network Services): Six-month extension with MGT Impact Solutions for $491,450.13 to renegotiate state contract. Approved.
• Item 2026-0439 (Airfield Services Contract): Award to Highlight Airfield Services for $835,275.45 for runway repair. Approved conditionally pending additional information on the $100,000 discrepancy with the state allocation. (Motion to approve pending additional info, carried.)
• Item 2026-0414 (Cabling Installation): Change order increasing contract funds by $500,000 for RB Communications for low voltage cabling. Approved.
• Item 2026-0260 (Soils and Materials Testing): Ratification of $56,148.82 purchase order and cap increase to $436,148.82 for four on-call consultants. Approved.
• Item 2026-0391 (Pest Control Services): Six-month extension adding $65,000 for Powerhouse Termite and Pest Control, pending rebid. Approved.
• Item 2026-0394 (Light Bulbs, Fixtures, Lamps): Second renewal with Summit Lighting Solutions for $125,000. Approved.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were heard during the meeting.

Discussion Items

• Operational Assessment Update (Presentation by Lakisha Cisse, Momentum Firm):

  • Lakisha Cisse provided an update on implementation of the 266 recommendations from the Maldon & Jenkins operational review across 18 departments. Key points:
    • 59 recommendations met, 11 blocked, 123 requiring additional resources.
    • For the Ops Committee departments (Animal Enforcement, 311, Facilities, Fleet, IT): 56 total recs, 11 met, 2 blocked, 24 needing resources.
    • Top challenges: governance/structure issues, technology limitations, and budget uncertainty. 24% of recs depend on additional funding; 10 of 12 funding requests in this committee were not approved in FY26 budget.
    • Departments reported needing cross-departmental support, training, and funding. Many are unsure of implementation timelines.
  • Commissioner Patrick asked about the disconnect between the budget and the resource needs; COO Williams noted capital requests will come to the board in 60 days, and many needs were captured pre-budget. He highlighted centralizing/decentralizing business operations and a $6M allocation for planning/code software.
  • Commissioner Bolton questioned the definition of “blocked” vs. “requiring resources”; Cisse clarified that blocked items need additional resources but some in-progress items also need resources. She also asked for a breakdown of budget requests tied to the recommendations; COO Williams agreed to provide that after vetting.
  • Commissioner Terry noted the value of the assessment and suggested tracking productivity and efficiency, including a pilot four-day work week. COO Williams confirmed employees now have two remote work days per week (policy updated 60-90 days ago).
  • Commissioner Lone Spears asked about facilities and fleet having many “not started” recommendations; Cisse said they had not received an update from facilities and would follow up. She also linked the challenge of vacancies, recruitment, and turnover to the proposed half-mill rate increase; COO Williams said the half-mill may address some budget uncertainty, and a compensation study due end of summer will inform further needs.
  • Commissioner Massar inquired about the $24 million allocation for temporary and permanent positions earlier in the year and how it impacts vacancy challenges. COO Williams explained that temporary contracts are used to fill hard-to-fill positions, and the administration is tracking workforce levels. Cisse confirmed they are monitoring vacancy rates and productivity.

• Resolution 2026-0286 (Court-Held Dogs):

  • Commissioner Michelle Lone Spears sponsored the resolution reaffirming the county’s authorization to seek cost recovery for impoundment and care of court-held dogs, urging the Law Department to continue filing petitions, and creating a Court-Held Dog Coordinator (paralegal) position in the Law Department.
  • Interim County Attorney Phillips presented friendly amendments: change “resume” to “continue” to reflect work already done (6-7 animals freed up in 2026), adjust reporting timeline to 30 days after position creation or resolution adoption (whichever later), and update the resolution to include progress made by the next board meeting.
  • Commissioner Bolton requested the title reflect “reaffirmation” of prior authorization; Attorney Phillips agreed.
  • Commissioner Terry supported the changes and emphasized the need for public transparency.
  • The resolution was approved with the friendly amendments.

Key Outcomes

• Approved all consent items as listed above, with Item 2026-0439 approved conditionally pending additional information on the state allocation match.
• Operational Assessment: No formal vote, but the committee received the update. COO Williams will provide a detailed breakdown of budget requests tied to recommendations and a demo of OpenGov to the FAB committee.
• Resolution 2026-0286 (Court-Held Dogs): Approved with friendly amendments. The Law Department will create a paralegal position, continue cost recovery efforts, and provide monthly reports to the board starting within 30 days of the position's creation or resolution adoption.
• Meeting adjourned after approval of the court-held dog resolution.