Good morning, everybody, and welcome to the April 14th, 2026 Board of Commissioners meeting.

I am presiding officer Shakira Johnson and your District 4 Commissioner.

Happy to be with you here today after a nice break from for about two weeks for us.

Um, just a little bit of housekeeping.

If there are people still needing agendas and there's none out front, there is a QR code that you can scan by the door on the outside if you need that agenda.

And then Commissioners We will have executive session at the end of the meeting.

Thank you.

So we will move right into this.

If we will start with our inspirational speaker, Bishop Tracy Bowles from New Beginning Full Gospel Baptist.

If you will make your way to this front podium, good morning.

Bishop Tracy L.

Bowles is a native of Hampton, South Carolina, a devoted husband, a First Lady Darlene Bowles, and a proud father of three.

He is a graduate of Lander University and has pursued advanced theological education at Luther Rice College and Seminary and United Theological Seminary where he earned his doctorate ministry degree.

Prior to entering full-time ministry, Bishop Balls built a successful career in the corporate sector, serving as an assistant vice president and project manager with Bank of America.

He currently serves a senior pastor at Timothy Baptist Church in Athens and New Beginning Full Gospel Baptist Church, where he faithfully seceded the late Bishop James H.

Morton.

A respected revivalist, teacher, and dynamic speaker, Bishop Bowles has held numerous leadership roles within the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International.

He presently serves as the State Bishop for the Georgia Folk Gospel Baptist Fellowship, continuing to impact lives through preaching, leadership, and spiritual mentorship.

Good morning, Bishop Bowles.

To Commissioner Johnson and to all who have gathered this morning, thank you for this incredible opportunity to take five minutes and share with you what I believe will uh prayerfully bless your heart and strengthen your hand as it relates to the assignment that you currently have.

Um accessible but not available for everything.

Uh if you're inclined to take notes or uh capture what I'm saying, if you'd write that down, I think it would bless you not just for this moment, but uh uh sometime perhaps in the near future.

Accessible, but not available for everything.

What happens when the person everyone depends on has no boundaries?

At first, it looks admirable.

They answer every call, they show up to every crisis, they carry every burden, but over time something shifts.

Their clarity becomes confusion, their passion becomes pressure, their calling becomes a cage, and eventually the very people they were assigned to serve began to receive a version of them that is tired, overwhelmed, and depleted.

And it is this if you are a public servant, rather in ministry like myself or uh public leadership like many of you, boundaries are not selfish, they are sacred.

Boundaries, number one, protect your integrity.

When you serve people, access increases, and when access increases, so does exposure to pressure, expectations, and even compromise.

Without boundaries, lines begin to blur.

Personal becomes professional, favor becomes favoritism, compassion becomes overcommitment, but boundaries draw a clear line that says I will serve you, but I will not lose myself in the process.

Many public servants are silently exhausted.

Not because they don't love people, but because they never stop pouring.

Here's the truth.

You cannot give what you do not have.

Even Jesus, who had all power still stepped away.

He withdrew, he rested, he said no to certain demands, even when needs were present.

Why?

Because constant access without intentional withdrawal leads to inevitable depletion.

And burnout doesn't just affect you.

It also affects everyone connected to you.

Number three.

Boundaries clarify your assignment.

One of the greatest dangers in public service is this.

Trying to solve problems, you were never assigned to carry.

Every need is not your assignment, particularly.

Every opportunity is not your calling.

Boundaries help you say, I am committed, but I am also clear.

Clarity is the difference between being effective and just being busy.

Number four.

Boundaries teach people how to treat you.

People don't just respond to who you are, they respond to what you allow.

If you are always available, people will always expect constant access.

If you never say no, people will assume you have no limits.

And it is this.

Boundaries preserve your life outside of your role.

Here's a hard truth.

Many public servants succeed publicly, but fail privately.

Boundaries ensure that you don't sacrifice your life trying to sustain your role.

So here are my closing thoughts.

Let me leave you with this.

Being accessible is part of your calling, part of mine as well.

I'm pretty sure you were able to assess that as my bio was being read.

But being available for everything is not.

Once more, being accessible is part of the calling, but being available for everything is not.

Boundaries don't limit your impact, they sustain it.

They protect your integrity, they preserve your energy, they clarify your purpose, and ultimately they ensure that when you show up, you show up whole.

God bless you all.

Thank you so much.

If you'll stick around after our proclamations, we'd love to give you a pen and picture.

Thank you, sir.

So now we'll go into our Pledge of Allegiance led by Commissioner Nicole Messiah, and then we'll have our presentations.

We have two today, one honoring former zoning administrator Kevin Hunter, and then one for Jane Goodalday.

I Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

One nation under God and invisible with liberty and justice for all.

So commissioners, if you're comfortable and would like to meet us on the floor for a proclamations.

Good morning.

Yes, I am humbled to bring forward a proclamation in honor of Mr.

Kevin Hana, who was our zoning former zoning administrator.

He was a dedicated employee of DeCap County who served a little bit before my time.

However, this morning I wanted to honor his life as he passed in his office 15 years ago.

At that time, our current chief of staff, Lee Maine, was on the board of commissioners.

And so I would like to call him up to say a few words about Mr.

Hunter.

Thank you, uh Commissioner Marita David Johnson.

If we could bring up some of the planning staff, it looks like these are many of our retired, no longer here.

But if anyone is even current staff, we love to have you up this morning.

So good to see so many of you all here today.

I did have the uh the privilege of working with uh Mr.

Kevin Hunter um early in my uh role here in DeCap County.

Okay.

Uh early in um my tenure here in DeCab County.

And before I go any further, do we have any of Mr.

Hunter's family here?

Okay.

Just wanted to make sure.

Uh Kevin uh worked in what we call planning and development back then, um, before the name changed the planning and sustainability.

And uh, and I had the chance to work with him very intentionally as a uh leading uh district five uh during that time where there was a lot of development and uh in that part of of the county.

And I'll just be frank, uh I would give Kevin the business.

Because I would say, please stop coming with all these recommendations of approval for these things that are not gonna be sustainable in our community and not or for not for the good of our county, and he had that heart because Kevin lived in Ellenwood.

Um he worked uh for this county for 25 plus years, and he truly did have a heart for the people.

This was more than just a job for him.

And uh, and my heart broke when I heard of his passing um all the way, what was that uh 15 years ago now, and my heart broke, I couldn't believe it.

And I'll just say this last thing.

You know, um, I have the opportunity to officiate or provide eulogies for many funerals, and uh funerals are not for the dead, they're for the living.

And uh, and I would ask that as we remember his life and legacy, we would use that as fuel for how we live our life and uh and how we want to impact the lives of people and our community as well.

So thank you for giving me a moment to uh be able to speak to this commissioner Breeda Davis Johnson.

Just two words.

Okay.

Real quick.

Okay, come on.

Okay, we have he says two words.

Real quick, two minutes.

I'm sure it works.

Okay, he went from two words to two minutes.

Well, we appreciate it.

Good morning, everybody.

Cedric Hudson, former director of planning and sustainability.

Uh been here since 2002.

Um what we do here is is more than just four, just four walls.

It's bigger than this.

Uh, we just talked about this earlier, preacher here before.

Uh, when your co-workers become your friends, come like family.

It's different.

You pull a bit more into it, it's a little different.

And that's what Kevin was.

Big heart.

Love everybody.

Spotted communities about what it meant.

And one of the funny things about it is uh most important work happened after five.

I'm not going to a lot of details about that.

But anybody all, everybody back here knows about the spot.

That's all I got to say about that.

And all but a lot of good work got done then.

Oh that we're brought here.

It is funny.

A lot of the greatest ideas would come off of a napkin.

Sometimes you know what I mean.

And then that comes in.

You knew the positive.

Anybody knew Kevin?

Um he knew he knew the code by hard.

He'd be walking, see him in the hallways.

He knew the code.

He'll tell you what's going on.

But he knew how to apply that to the community.

That's the most important thing about it because he cared about everybody.

And so I just want to say those two words about that kid.

Cheers, Mr.

Bro.

Love it.

And I would just like to close up by saying this and following what uh Reverend Lee said.

Always able to say that about we got two repens now.

But someone's death says so much about their lives.

And no one really needs to speak for them, although they may want to speak for them.

But if we all remember this, if you've heard the commercial, we all gonna die.

We all gonna die.

But it's what you do in your life that matters, not in your death.

And so I would just want my life to speak at my death.

And so thank you for giving me this opportunity to present this proclamation.

Thank you, Lee.

And also thank you for uh speaking of him.

So I turn it back now to opposite.

Oh, okay.

We're gonna read the proclamation.

Whereas Commissioner Marita Davis Johnson and the DeCap County Board of Commissioners pause to reflect and honor the life and legacy of Kevin Hunter and the anniversary of his passing, recognizing his dedicated service, professional excellence, and lasting contributions to DeCab County.

And whereas Mr.

Hunter served the residents of DeCab County with distinction as a planner and zoning administrator, bringing more than 25 years of experience, expertise, and institutional knowledge to the field of planning.

And whereas he was widely respected for his mastery of zoning codes, his management of complex cases, and his unwavering commitment to ensuring that planning processes were executed with precision, professionalism, and integrity.

And whereas his colleagues regarded him as a self-assured, diligent and highly respected public servant whose work ethic was unparalleled and whose contributions helped shape the growth and development of DeCav County.

Whereas Mr.

Hunter was known not only for his professional excellence, but also for his strong convictions and willingness to stand firmly for what he believed was right, leaving a lasting impression on all who had the privilege of working alongside him.

Where, although his passing occurred in 2011, his impact continues to be felt across the county.

It is both fitting and proper that we honor his memory and the legacy of service he left behind.

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the governing authority of DeCap County do hereby honor and remember the life, legacy, and leadership of Kevin Hunter and celebrate his service and his his enduring contributions to DeCap County.

Be it further resolved that Tuesday, April 14th, is hereby proclaimed Kevin Hunter Day in DeCap County, and that his legacy of excellence, dedication, and professionalism will continue to inspire those who serve in public service and the field of planning for years to come.

Thank you, Madam Perkin.

Thank you, Commissioner David Schohnson, for bringing this proclamation forward as we honor the life of Kevin Hunter.

But I also want to just as we close this out, take the moment to let all of our employees know that we honor and we cherish them and all the work that they do.

And as Bishop Bowles was uh giving the word this morning that this is so much bigger than the one thing that we're doing, that everything we do is is a lifetime, and it's bigger than that.

We have to live outside of that and set those boundaries.

So we honor, but we also want to make sure you guys get home and take time off for yourselves as well.

So thank you.

I think we'll take a picture right now.

All right, on three.

Good morning, everyone.

Good morning.

I hope everybody had a nice spring break and came back feeling rested and relaxed and ready to continue on with 2026.

My name is Michelle Longspears.

I serve as a District 2 commissioner here in DeCab County.

It is my honor today to recognize a legacy that has profoundly transformed how we understand our connection to the natural world and to one another.

Dr.

Jane Goodall was a world-renowned primatologist, conservationist, and humanitarian whose groundbreaking research reshaped our understanding of animal behavior.

Through her work with Chimbanzi, she helped us see more clearly the deep and meaningful connections between humans and the natural world.

Although we lost Dr.

Goodall in October of last year, we continue to celebrate a life defined by purpose, compassion, and an unwavering commitment for a better world for people, for animals, and for the environment.

Her influence extended far beyond science.

She inspired inspired generations, including myself, but especially young people to take action to lead with courage and to become thoughtful stewards of our planet and to protect our planet.

DeCab County was especially honored to welcome Dr.

Goodall in September 2023 when she commemorated the International Day of Peace at Legacy Park and engaged directly with our youth.

During that visit, she helped launch the first Roots and Shoots base camp in the United States, right here in DeCab County, planting seeds of leadership, environmental stewardship, and global citizenship that continued to grow with our youth, our families, our seniors, all of us here in DeCab County today.

Inspired by her example, we have taken thoughtful and meaningful steps to carry that legacy forward.

I was especially proud to partner with the Hundred Black Men of DeCab County.

We have a few representatives here today.

Y'all please come forward to establish the DeCab Youth Explorers Program.

This district two initiative has created opportunities for our young people to engage in environmental stewardship, develop leadership skills, and participate in a global learning experience.

Since 2025, we're on year two, students and mentors in this program have expanded their impact beyond our borders, traveling to Costa Rica, where they have engaged in environmental conservation and community development training, learning, and other efforts in places like San Jose, Corcovado National Park, Sierra Bay, Drake Bay, and several other locations in Costa Rica.

Through these experiences, our young people are not only learning about the world, they are actively working to improve it, to make it better for their children, their grandchildren, and so on.

On a personal note, the work of Jane Goodall inspired me as a little girl, her and Diane Fossey.

And I remember reading as much as I could any article, any book, or watch them on TV.

And I believe that is where the genesis of my love of the natural world began by really being inspired by those two ladies.

And while Jane Goodall came to DeCab and passed away afterwards, I really hated that I missed her here, but I heard that she had such a profound impact on the children that visited with her.

It was apparently just really a spectacular experience.

And on a little side note about Dr.

Jane Goodall, we all know her for her work with monkeys.

One of her last speeches that she gave, she talked about actually her love for dogs.

She said that, like humans, she doesn't like all monkeys.

But with dogs, she just loved to surround herself with all of that love.

And this is the kind of loving legacy, Dr.

Goodall in vision, one that empowers the next generation to lead with knowledge, compassion, and purpose to protect our environment.

Today, as we recognize April 14, 2026, is Dr.

Jane Goodall Recognition Day in Jacab County.

We honor not only her remarkable achievements, but the enduring impact of her vision, a vision that continues to take root right here in DeCab County.

So now, Madam Clerk, if you please read the proclamation into the record.

Whereas Dr.

Jane Goodall was a world-renowned primatologist and conservativess and humanitarian who dedicated her life to the study and protection of chimpanzees and to advancing global conservation efforts.

And whereas Dr.

Jane Goodall was widely recognized for her groundbreaking research on animal behavior, intelligence, and emotional capacity, transforming our understanding of the relationship between humans and animals.

And whereas Dr.

Jane Goodall visited DeCap County, Georgia, in September 2023 to commemorate the International Day of Peace at Legacy Park in Decatur, where she engaged with local youth through a celebration featuring peace dove creations.

And whereas during her visit, Dr.

Jane Goodall highlighted the launch of the first Roots and Shoots base camp in the United States, an initiative supporting youth-led environmental and humanitarian projects, and helped cultivate local partnerships, including collaboration with the Farnbank Museum of Natural History to expand environmental education and community engagement across DeCap County.

And whereas, inspired by Dr.

Jane Goodall's lifelong commitment to empowering youth to protect the natural world through education, service, and leadership.

Commissioner Michelle Long Spears partnered with the 100 Black Men of DeCap County to establish the DeCap Youth Explorers Program, which engages students in the environmental stewardship, leadership development, academic enrichment, and global citizenship.

And since 2025, participating DeCab County High School students and mentors have advanced this mission through environmental conservation and community development efforts in San Jose National Park and Drake Bay, Costa Rica.

And whereas Dr.

Jane Goodall's enduring legacy continues to inspire individuals of all ages to take meaningful action for people, animals, and the environment, advancing peace, sustainability, and global stewardship.

Now, therefore, I, Commissioner Michelle Long Spears, along with the Board of Commissioners, on behalf of DeCab County, and it's more than 780,000 citizens.

Do hereby recognize April 14th, 2026 as Dr.

Jane Goodall recognition day in DeCab County, and we can encourage all residents to support efforts that advance environmental sustainability, youth, leadership, and community well-being.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

And now will our roots and shoots representatives please come forward.

Are y'all out there?

There you are.

Great.

While you're making your way up here, I've asked uh Troy, the President 100 Black Men to say a few words about the experience they just returned home from in Costa Rica, and then we'll hear from Roots and Shoots.

Go ahead.

All right.

Well, good morning, uh Commissioners, uh, good morning guests.

So you've heard a lot about the program, and I'll just give you a little bit of a background.

So we have at the 100, we have our Youth Global Citizenship Program.

And that's a program where we take young people and we compare and contrast different communities.

We compare and contrast the justice systems, the economic systems, the healthcare systems, and the education systems.

So we take that classroom experience, and then the culmination is often an immersive experience into that particular country.

Well, 2025, uh Commissioner Long Spears approached me and she said, Hey, do you all ever do anything with environmental awareness?

And I had this look on my face, like, what are you talking about?

But um, but no, we had not, but it really opened up our eyes, and she had this vision, and we said, sure, why not?

So what we've done, this is our second annual, but we interview not just students, but we interview families.

Um, once they get accepted, they go through a semester long experience in the classroom, learning about what environmental awareness and sustainability is like, and then we take them to a place, um, and it's been Costa Rica these last two years.

So this year we took 10 students uh and some mentors uh to San Jose, but then we went into the wilderness, Drake Bay, and that's really where the magic started to happen.

So you get these young people who are real citified, and uh really bringing them into a location where uh Costa Rica is one of the most biodiverse um environments in the world.

Uh they own smaller than one percent of the land, but five percent of the biodiversity happens in this one country.

So we bought kids in and they were able to truly be one with nature.

Um we had some community service activities, um, sustainable farming, really experienced them, helped them experience on what it means to live on less.

And uh so it was very eye-opening for our young people.

Um we learned that Costa Ricans have a longer life expectancy.

I think theirs is 81 years here in the States.

We're significantly less than that.

So we just had some discussion around that because it wasn't about why they're living longer, because we have more money, more resources, but it just came down to and through conversation.

The young people understood that they don't have the distractions that we have.

So not having those distractions allows them to spend more time with family, living off the earth.

Um, everything is more natural.

So this trip, this experience wasn't just about taking them out of DeCab County into a place like Costa Rica, but it's taking Costa Rica back to DeCab County.

So we truly believe that in order to compete in a global society, you have to become a global citizen.

You can't just have a local mindset.

So we've challenged our young people to come back here, have discussions with their family about what it means to have sustainability, what it means to recycle.

Um, we've asked them to take video speaking to their friends about what it would what the experience meant.

So we're really just wanting to take this time and to prepare tomorrow's leaders today.

So I just want to thank Commissioner Long Spears for trusting us to really help developing our leaders in the future, and this is just the beginning.

So thank you.

Thank you very much.

Good morning.

My name is Angel Cooper.

I'm the Atlanta Base Camp Coordinator for Roots and Shoots, and on behalf of the Jane Goodall Institute, I'd like to thank you all for this great honor.

Many of you know that Dr.

Goodall was a conservationist and researcher, but part of her legacy was also creating two programs.

While she was studying the chimps, she realized that their habitat was shrinking.

She also realized that the people in the villages near the habitats were struggling to survive.

And it was at that point that she decided that she couldn't help the chimpanzees without helping the people in the villages around them.

She also realized that the villagers were the experts in their own community.

So it was that point that she created a program called Takare, which is a community-led conservation program.

The main key to this program is listening and understanding the people that you serve.

A little later, she created a program for youth and those who are young at heart called Roots and Shoots, which is a youth-driven program that uses service learning to help animals, people, and the environment.

Also had shared values with the Takare program.

The youth had to understand, observe, and learn about their environment before they created their service learning projects.

Thank you again for the honor to Dr.

Jane Goodall.

I think she would be pleased.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

All righty.

Now we will take our photo.

Thank you very much, everybody.

Here you go.

Goodbye.

Everybody.

One, two, three.

Thank you so much for doing that.

I really appreciate that.

Bishop Bowles, if you'd come forward, I'd love to pin you.

Yes, okay.

What an awesome mess I was very tired.

I appreciate that so much.

It was excellent.

Thank you.

Really?

I received that.

One, two, three.

Thank you.

We enjoyed it.

Look, we all know what everybody aside them.

So that we just see that now.

You good, Zach?

All right.

Thank you so much, everybody.

So now we'll move into comments from the public.

Madam Clerk, if you'll read in the instructions.

The purpose of public comment is to allow the public to voice county-related requests, concerns, or opinions during the commission meeting.

Speakers will only have the opportunity for one public comment per meeting.

Each speaker must please complete a speaker card and present it to the clerk before the beginning of the public comment portion of the meeting.

Cards turned into the clerk from the time the general meeting is convened generally 9 a.m.

And by the beginning of public comment portion, generally following presentations on the agenda.

The clerk will accept cards on a first come first served basis.

Prior to the clerk's call for public comment, speakers who are residents of DeCab County shall be allowed to speak before residents of other counties are allowed to speak.

Speakers will only be allowed to speak for three minutes each, and public comment should not exceed 30 minutes in length.

When the buzzer sounds to indicate that time has run out, the speaker will be expected to immediately see speaking and to yield the podium.

Those who submitted speaker cards but did not speak because of the time allotment will be allowed to speak first at the next regularly scheduled commission meeting without regard to residents.

Speakers should always talk directly into the microphone and begin by stating their name, full address, and the name of any organization they represent.

Abusive, profane or derogatory language, holding up signs, clapping, yelling, standing, or laying in the aisles to show support for opposition to a speaker will not be permitted.

But a show of hands, so quietly standing in place, will be permitted to show support for or opposition to a speaker's position.

Thank you, ma'am.

Any speakers left over from the last meeting?

Uh no.

Okay, so first speaker for today.

Our first speaker is Jane Dunaway.

Good morning, Miss Dunway.

I'm Jam Dunway, unincorporated Stone Mountain, and at the Camp County Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor.

The district is an unpaid state agency that works closely with the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission to protect the waters of the state.

I'm here talking about the text amendment again that has been that has gaping holes that must be filled, especially regarding the discharge of chemically infused water from them.

Without a plan for discharge of this chemically infused water to go into our water treatment plant, which can't filter out these concentrated chemicals and could overwhelm the treatment plants, putting more pollution into the South River and polluting the drinking water of our downstream neighbors.

Do we have enough water for these multiple data center campuses without leak detection required?

Surrounding soil will be contaminated.

Closed loop systems still use around 100,000 gallons of water a day.

Data centers should not be considered critical infrastructure, putting data centers over drinking water of citizens.

The amendment has no compliance plan, no consequences, and no bond to protect the citizens or the uh should those companies leave town.

At the July 7th, 2025 PECS committee meeting, Commissioner Bolton questioned staff regarding water, saying we're under a state of emergency.

Ms.

Provost stated that water was is a sticking point.

We remain under a state of emergency for drinking water and sewer, as we still are under the consent decree due to sanitary overflows into the South River since 2011.

It's amazing that nine months later, water and sewer concerns, just like magic, are no longer a concern.

No explanation, just no longer a problem for the staff of the BOC.

This issue is still a concern and has not been addressed.

Citizens have made their voices known.

No data center campuses over 500 square feet and not allowed to cluster, but it appears no one's listening.

I think you guys are swooning over dreams of the county coffers overflowing with cash.

Remember that once all the land is gone, the what and or contaminated, and there's no clean water left to drink.

You can't eat or drink this money.

Thank you.

Next speaker.

Jackie Malcolm.

Good morning.

Good morning, Commissioner.

My name is Jackie Malcolm.

I live in District 3 off of Boulder Crest where they're trying to propose a two million square foot data campus.

But I want to start off by giving honor to Commissioner Long Spears for having a sellout event.

I call this event a docky event first class.

Oh yes.

And uh we enjoyed everything about this event, the speakers, the panel, the t-shirts, the t-shirts, and the food.

I learned a few things from the panel that I did not know.

I thank them all for educating us.

And yes, you are a fantastic mistress of ceremony.

We enjoyed your speech.

And this event ran very smooth.

They had to put additional chairs out for the people that was way in the back.

And with that being said, this was an assessful event.

Thank you.

And I found out from the panel that on the north side, you all have you are able to give food assistance for the people who have animals.

But on the south side, this service is non-existent, which is not available as of yet.

I heard your speech, and I hold you to your word that you would try to find a location on the south side so the south side can experience the same thing as the north side.

And if you need an assistance, I can volunteer.

Thank you.

Now, let me dive into the data campus a tad bit.

De Camp County has a total of 26 fire stations over 271 square miles, and that's 268 square miles of land.

The water area is only three miles.

Each fire station covers 10 to 10 and a half miles.

The urban areas like Tucker, Decatur, Brookhaven.

There are five stations as closer together.

But in the on the South Side, unincorporated areas, we have longer and larger response times.

This gives a population density, roughly 200, 2500 to 2800 people per square mile.

Remember, we only have 26 fire stations that's covering 268 square miles.

Each fire station on an average covers 10 square miles and more.

The data center and the data campus fires.

We understand mutual aid, but in the Botacrest area where I live, the city has five fire stations that is on the list to be dispatched to our area.

That's not enough.

I'm stating to you all do our firefighters and fire department have adequate training and put it on a data campus fire?

I don't think so.

Our firefighters here.

I would pick up a part to next week.

Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

Two weeks.

Gina Mangum.

Ms.

Mangum, good morning.

Good morning, Gina Mangum.

I live in the East DeCab Commission Districts 5 and 7.

It's election season again, and once again, as in all political campaigns, the candidates are vying for a seat on the BOC, and they all commit to community engagement.

But what does that mean?

So I looked it up.

Community engagement is defined as the purposeful collaborative process of working with community members to address concerns, improve well-being, and most importantly, to influence decisions that affect our lives.

It builds trust and involves two-way communication to empower stakeholders.

Unfortunately, throughout this data center process, the process doesn't seem to be quite working.

We have reached out to all of you, and thankfully, Commissioner Terry has had discussions with us, but we are not having a two-way dialogue.

Why does it have to be an us versus them situation?

We've come here week after week to express genuine concerns about the potential impact of large-scale data center campuses on our residents, our communities, and really on the county itself.

We provided legitimate research on the issues, offered reasonable solutions, and more and more information comes available every day, really.

I get articles, I get calls, we all do from people around the country talking about these issues surrounding data centers.

Yet, with the exception of some minor revisions in January and the proposed amendment introduced by Commissioner Terry, it hasn't changed much.

It's a start, but it's not sufficient.

This is a national issue.

Community residents all over the country are raising valid concerns, many of which we've raised here.

Others are already dealing with the aftermath of high costs, both monetary and personal, massive water usage, power usage, pollutants, and health problems.

Government officials are starting to realize that the perceived benefits do not outweigh the enormous burden on our resources.

What if the water supply becomes depleted or contaminated?

What if forever chemicals are not properly disposed of, or worse, seep into our drinking water?

What if a chemical fire is at a data center?

Can we are we prepared to deal with it?

What if the expected revenues don't pan out?

What if the technology changes and then its data centers become obsolete?

This needs to be two-way communication.

We are doing our part.

All we ask is that you do yours.

Thank you, ma'am.

Next speaker.

Next speaker is Stephen Benny.

Good morning, Mr.

Benning.

Good morning, Commissioners.

I would like to start this morning by wishing a speedy recovery to Miss Mary Hinkle.

Ms.

Hinkle has graced this county with a lot of her time and dedication, especially when it comes to the Charter Review Committee, which DeCab County has been working on since 2019.

It took the City of Decatur six months to review and renew their organizational act.

DeCab County is in its seventh year of this process.

Ms.

Davis Johnson seems to be the personification of part-time commissioner when it comes to processing charter review recommendations.

There is a scheduled op special meeting to discuss the charter today at 1 p.m., but there has been one at every scheduled commission public meeting for the last year.

When was the last time a scheduled commission public meeting ended before lunch?

I don't remember either.

With only 28 pages on today's agenda, we can all be hopeful, but I am not betting the under.

I sometimes forget how good DeCab County is at kicking cans down the road, but you always remind me on today's agenda alone.

There are four items that you have been working on since 2024.

Talk about watching grass grow.

For Ms.

Hinkle, the charter review members and all of DeCab County.

Let's finish this charter review by September 1st so that the CEO can finish her review in time to submit it as one of DeCab County's priorities to the DeCab County legislative delegation in January 2027.

If we can accomplish that, citizens will be able to vote on it in November, and we might have a new organizational act by 2028.

I do not see anything on today's agenda regarding the reopening of entrenchment Creek Park.

This is another thing the county has been dealing with since 2019.

I think that it is time to revoke the original land swap deal for breach of contract.

I would much rather have our original parkland back than any money we may receive after a long legal process.

We have available park funds to open up entrenchment Creek Park.

Ms.

Long Spears is allocating over 200,000 from our 2001 park bond funds on today's agenda.

Doing business with racist con men like Bronan Ryan Millstaff is a dangerous thing.

We got property not good for building and anything and for building anything.

And Mr.

Millsaff got property good for building a movie studio, but now apparently wants to sell it to an entity that wants to build a data center on it.

I have heard rumors that the District 3 Commission has been talking with representatives about this proposed data center.

Between this and constantly deferring on the Elwin Data Center, it's especially seems that you may be trying to allow these two locations to be grandfathered into our county after data zoning regulations are finally passed.

We may have to change your name from Nicole Messiah to Nicole Queen of the Data Center's Messiah.

And Miss Messiah, I speak only for myself.

I do not speak for anybody else.

Thank you.

Betty Prather.

Good morning, Miss Betty.

Good morning.

My name is Betty Prather.

I live in District 3, Rolling Rock Drive Conley.

I am here to talk about the school closing in DeCab County.

In particular, the Cedar Grove Elementary and High School.

I am a member of Cedar Grove Elementary School Grandparents Club.

We are a volunteer group.

Every week we go into the school and read to the children.

Every week.

Our goal is to help the children with reading, comprehension, and to verbally answer questions about what has been read.

This also helps the students build confidence by expressing themselves.

We are making a difference.

One of our major concerns is that if the school closes, the children will lose the benefit of the grandparent involvement.

Last month, March, members of the Grandparent Club and I attended the school board meeting.

We asked them to please remove Cedar Grove elementary and high school from the list.

Today, we're asking you, Commissioners, all of you, because whether it's in your district or not, the CAB County is being affected by what's going on right now with the school.

Today, uh, we're asking you to get those two schools removed from the list.

Other concerns are how will we attract businesses to an area with not enough or no schools?

How will the closing affect our property value?

With all the new housing developments being built, where would those children go?

Closing schools is not the answer.

The bottom line is we want our children in the classroom and not on buses being driven all across town.

Thank you for listening.

Thank you, ma'am.

Lisa Reagan.

Ms.

Lisa Good morning.

Good morning.

My name is Lisa Regan, Associate Executive Director of St.

Vincent of Paul, Georgia.

I would firstly like to applaud the county for the thorough and thoughtful unhoused support and services plan that was proposed in January and accepted to today's agenda.

The issue of housing instability and homelessness is extremely complex and will take a village, all of us working together to make an impact on this critical and timely issue.

I'd like to take a moment to focus on the strategy of deploying unhoused service hubs throughout the county.

The plan calls for at least resource hubs, at least three resource hubs in the north, south, and central regions of the county to provide basic needs and coordinated access to services.

For those of us in this work, we certainly certainly know the importance of community, a community center easily accessible by MARTA, providing the full range of services our unhoused neighbors need.

What most of us take for granted basic hygiene, clean clothes, nutritious food, shelter from extreme elements, access to vital documents, a place to pick up mail, oftentimes time sensitive time sensitive mail relating to benefits applications are not readily available for our neighbors experiencing homelessness.

Neither is the opportunity to use a computer, charge a cell phone, or talk to somebody who can actually tackle the arduous process of finding permanent housing and helping someone who feels broken get back on their feet.

The smart idea to employ service hubs does just this.

It offers a version version of a one-stop shop in strategically placed areas of the county, leaning into the services that exist.

At St.

Vincent of Paul, about 100 unhoused neighbors come through our facility each day.

There they have access to food, caseworkers, life skills classes, spiritual retreats, basic money management classes, and more.

But we also know that more is needed.

St.

Vincent of Paul's plan within the CABS Support and Services Plan calls for 10,000 square feet of dedicated space as a community center to provide all of the components of the proposed services hub.

We see this not as a nice to have, but as a must have facility within the St.

Vincent of Paul operation.

The service hub is a key component to this comprehensive and vitally important plan, and I urge you to approve the unhoused support and services plan to unleash the power of community in support of our unhoused neighbors.

Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

Kimberly Henderson.

Kimberly, good morning.

Hello, my name is Kimberly Henderson.

I live at 2562 Bradford Square Northeast Atlanta, Georgia 30345.

I'm the incoming secretary of the Bradford Square Condominium Association, a 71 unit community in District One.

So, um, Commissioner Patrick, I am here to introduce myself as a new board member and to follow up on something urgent.

Hi.

Yes, ma'am.

Um, our most immediate need is simple.

We need the culvert on the North Fort Peachtree Creek at Shallowford Road cleared.

DeCab Roads and Drainage issued work order 26007109 on March 2nd to do exactly that.

It is now 43 days old and nothing has happened.

Every day that culvert stays clogged, our creek bank erodes further toward our residential buildings.

We are in a FEMA designated floodway.

A hundred-year storm would bring 8.2 feet of flood water to our doors.

This one action, clearing that culvert, is what we are asking for right now today.

But Commissioner, we also need to talk about the bigger picture.

You visited our community on September 9th of last year.

I wasn't on the board yet at that time, so we haven't had a chance to meet, but I know you have seen this with your own eyes.

The North Fork Peachtree Creek has been flooding and eroding our banks for years.

The chronically clawed culvert makes it worse every time.

Our buildings are at risk, and we simply do not have the financial resources to shore up those banks on our own.

On your YouTube channel, speaking about our very situation, you said these are projects larger than what an individual property owner can afford, and that ultimately the government is going to have to get involved.

We agree completely.

We also understand there is a Peach Tree Creek Greenway project planned through this corridor.

We would welcome a conversation about whether Creek Bank stabilization at Bradford Square could be incorporated into that effort.

We have spent years being bounced between roads and drainage, planning, planning and sustainability, stormwater management, floodplain management, and the Army Corps of Engineers with no resolution.

Bradford Square is a modest cash-strapped community.

Our complex was built in the 1960s and has many residents who are elderly, first-time home buyers or otherwise living on a fixed income.

We have been managing this crisis with nothing but band-aid fixes because we simply cannot afford anything more.

We would like to know what will it finally take to get action.

We want to be your partners.

We are open to easement discussions.

We support the Peach Tree Creek Greenway.

I have photographs and a summary document to submit today, and Commissioner Patrick, I would welcome the chance to invite you back to Bradford Square to continue this conversation.

Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

James Fisher.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak today.

My name is James Fisher.

I'm the sole owner of EGP Inc., which owns a small 56-year-old building in Tucker, located at 2256 4th Street.

It's an engine rebuilding company that has been in operation since 1984.

My business, like many other mom and pop businesses, are getting forced out of business because of huge increases in taxes that were assessed in 2025.

In 2024, my property was assessed at 3739.

In the summer of last year, it was assessed at over 2 million dollars.

My county property taxes went from 6700 to 36,294.

I can't afford to pay this.

I'm going to have to go out of business.

The county, along with the city of Tucker, has been trying to force businesses like mine out of business in the interest of gentrifying.

The county has used misleading comps to try and show that my value is over 2 million.

The property is located on a dead end road with virtually no traffic volume or exposure.

The property consists of a 9,000 square foot machine shop on two-thirds of one acre.

It was built in 1970 and it's in decent shape, but it needs some upgrades.

I'm planning on making them until I receive this tax assessment.

The building is sheet metal over metal frame.

It needs some roof work, gutters, and parking lot maintenance.

The comps that the county assessment offices use are not even close to comparable.

Almost all the comps are all Hugh Howard Road, Lawrenceville Highway, which are obviously high traffic, four-lane roads with lots of public exposure.

Virtually no traffic goes by my building on Fourth Street.

The comps also are masonry buildings much newer than mine.

Like I said, my building is sheet metal built in 1970.

Such comps aren't even close to my building type.

One of the comps is a new, very new car wash on Lawrenceville Highway built in 2021.

That was valued at 4.6 million.

This outrageous that my property is being compared to a newly built car wash.

The assessor's office has intentionally used different properties like the car wash to try and bring up average values to justify tax increase.

Something needs to be done about this to protect me, my business, and other property owners who are getting squeezed out.

I asked my 2024 property tax assessment be frozen and otherly provided to keep this increase from happening to me and other small business owners.

The county also needs to stop allowing the use of properties that are not comparable to be used to drive up property values.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, sir.

Next speaker.

Good morning.

Good morning.

It's such a pleasure to be here.

I'm with the Society of St.

Hall, Georgia.

I'm here to affirm support, um, like my colleague Lisa Regan for the unhouse plan.

Um this was a very collaborative effort to move forward some vitally needed resources and services.

We think it's very well thought out.

I know as someone who's been working in this field for a number of years.

Um it will really be responsive to the black hole that people find themselves in when they're in crisis when they're in need.

The hub vision is very important because it's hard for people to get around.

Um they need to be served kind of where they are.

That inverts the burden.

Um, building up the data platform will be very, very helpful to providers so we're not duplicating services, so that we can make sure that the resources are smartly utilized.

Having the ability to access a longer time frame of entry into the system and having these doors kind of like a no-wrong door entry will be really really helpful.

I think there's a misconception that people bop around to different counties, and they really don't.

They tend to be where their community is.

Um, and so this plan finds people where they are and tries to serve them where they are.

We have found that when people are moved to different areas, they gravitate back to their community.

Um so um just want to encourage um the resolution to be affirmed by the council and to really move forward on it.

Uh we really need it.

Thank you all.

Thank you.

That was our last speaker.

Yes, yes, ma'am.

So before we move into our public hearing, I did want to take a point of privilege and acknowledge one of our amazing employees who is now missed Dr.

Diamond Lewis.

Dr.

Diamond Lewis has just recently successfully defended her dissertation and communication at Liberty University.

Congratulations, ma'am.

Now we'll move into public hearing.

If you'll read the instructions for us, please, madam clerk.

Citizens may speak for against an item that is considered by law to be a zoning ordinance, and each side will have 10 minutes to present its case.

Citizens may also speak for against an item that is placed on the public hearing agenda, but it's not a zoning ordinance.

In that case, each side will have five minutes to present its case.

In the event there is more than one speaker per side, speakers must divide their time in order to complete their full presentation within the 10 minute time allotment or the five-minute time allotment.

When the buzzer sells to indicate that time has run out, the speaker will be expected to immediately cease speaking and to leave the podium area.

Prior to speaking, a speaker shall complete a speaker card and present it when approaching the podium.

If a speaker has any documents for the commissioners, the speaker shall provide 10 copies when approaching the podium.

Seven copies are for the commissioners, and the remaining copies are for the planning director, the county attorney, and the clerk.

In all zoning ordinance and traffic common cases, staff should make their recommendation for action to the commission first, followed by applicants or citizens speaking in favor of the item.

Applicants and zoning ordinance cases shall have the right to reserve time for rebuttal.

Opponents of a zoning ordinance item shall have no right of rebuttal.

But all other items placed on the public hearing agenda.

Applicants or citizens speaking in favor of the item shall speak first, followed by the opponents of the item.

Once the citizens have finished speaking, staff shall make a recommendation for action to the commission.

At this point, citizens are no longer allowed to speak unless called to the podium by an individual commissioner to answer questions or provide information.

Speakers should always talk directly to the microphone and begin by stating their name, address, and the name of any organization they represent.

Abusive profane or derogatory language will not be permitted.

Holding up signs, clapping, yelling, standing, or laying in the aisles to show support for opposition to a speaker will not be permitted.

But a show of hands, a quietly standing in place, will be permitted to show support for opposition to a speaker's position.

Thank you.

One item under the public hearing.

And it is a district four and district seven item.

So I am going to pass the gavel to Commissioner Messiah to handle this for us.

Or deputy deputy presiding officer.

Deputy Deputy.

Thank you.

And we just received a substitute for this particular item.

This is item number 2026-061.

Commission districts four and seven, septic to sewer petition, Pine Lake Georgia Forest Road.

Great.

Morning, Director.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Reginald Wells Watershed Management.

Yes, this item is a sewer to septic petition.

We got a couple of residents along Forest Road that have failing septic systems and will not due to requirements of septic systems will not be able to reinstall, renew, repair.

They'll have to uh connect to uh public sewers.

However, in order for that to be executed, it requires a uh extension of about 300 linear feet in order to be able to facilitate connection to the county sewer.

Um, and this is exactly what this item is in place to do.

Um the reason for the substitute is the um septic to sewer requirements require public hearing and um a presenting before the board um and specifically the notifications and the champion of the public hearing um March 12th, the 19th and the 26th had to be uh specifically stated in the uh legislated item.

The reason for the substitute.

Um the item did go through PWI March 26th and um was approved and ultimately um we need to uh support this to serve the um the citizens and I ask for you guys approval.

Thank you so much, Director Wells.

Are there any um citizens that are here to speak in favor of this item?

Is there anyone here to speak in favor of item 2026-0601?

Seeing none, is there anyone here to speak in opposition to this agenda item?

Anyone in opposition seeing none, can you repeat your recommendation again, Director Wells?

Uh recommend approval of the septic to sewer petition for forest road.

And I see we have a motion.

Yes, ma'am.

I move to approve item ending in 0601.

Second.

We have a proper first and second.

All the can you open up the machine for a vote, please?

Excuse me, that should be approved.

The substitute, yes, the substitute.

That motion is passed, passing the gavel back over.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Masaya.

So now we are at the top of page three, and again, that was our only public hearing item, and we have no appeals.

So now we are at appointments, excuse me, not requiring board action and from information only.

So I will read all of these into the record under Board of Commissioners.

Item 2026-0558.

All commission districts record the appointment of Nia Z Harper to the to the DeCap County Women's Commission as the City of Sowncrest appointee.

Item 2026-0559.

All commission districts record the appointment of Beverly Eccles to the DeCab County Women's Commission as the City of Tucker appointee.

Item 2026-0560.

All commission districts record the appointment of Soraya Yadu Green to the DeCab County Women's Commission as the City of Pine Lake appointee.

Item 2026-0561.

All commission districts record the appointment of Cheryl Glover to the DeCab County Women's Commission as a city of Chambelly appointee.

Item 2026-0562.

All commission districts record the appointment of Elizabeth Appley to the Cab County Women's Commission as the City of Brookhaven appointee.

Top of page four, item 2026-0565.

All commission districts record the appointment of Joyce Neal to the Cab County Women's Commission as the DeCab County Tax Commissioner's Office appointee.

Item 2026-0566.

All commissioned Dixoras record the appointment of Victoria England to the Cab County Women's Commission as the junior league of the Cab County appointee for District 1.

Item 2026-0576.

For district two, item 2026-0, excuse me.

0508, um, record the appointment of Ben Bell to the Friends of the DeCap Sports Commission as the District 2 representative under the CEO's office.

Item 2026-0599.

All commission districts record the appointment of Claire Burks-Jones to the DeCap County Women's Commission as a chief executive officer of the Cap County government appointee.

And that is the end of the ones recorded into the record.

We're now at the top of page five, or these are appointments to be voted on.

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

And this is a PEX item.

Motion to approve.

Second.

You hit your button, Commissioner.

Thanks, first.

Thank you.

All right, seeing no request to speak.

If we'll open the machine for a vote.

Now motion carried.

Totally proved.

Madam Presiding Officer, um, apologies, but we need to circle back to item 2026-0508.

It's an appointment item that has a substitute.

So if you could just acknowledge the substitute.

Okay, thank you.

So re reading into the record, item 2026-0508.

Record the appointment of Ben Bell to the CAB United Sports Commission as a district two representative as a standing member with voting privileges.

So hopefully that will correct the record.

Yes, ma'am.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And the next item I do need to pass the gavel to my deputy presiding officer.

Thank you, Madam PO.

This is item 2026 0570.

All commission districts.

This is the appointment of Commissioner Shekaira Johnson's two post nine of the development authority of the CAB County and Post 9 of the private hospital authority.

Do we have a motion for this item?

So moved.

Second.

Can we open the well?

I don't see any requests to speak.

But my screen is stuck on the last vote.

I'm not seeing any requests to speak.

Okay.

Can we open the machines for a vote, please?

Motion carries.

And I pass the gavel back to Madam Presiding Officer.

Thank you.

And thank you, everybody.

I appreciate the confidence.

We are on the consent agenda.

Madam Deputy Presiding Officer.

Ready.

That's good.

Middle of page five.

Airport.

Item 2026-0505.

Commission districts one and six.

Standardized T Hanger Space Lease Agreement.

Charles E.

Taylor at no cost to the county.

Move for action.

Item 2026-0571 Commission Districts 1 and 6.

Standardized T Hanger Space Lease Agreement with James Weaver.

No cost to the county.

Move for action.

Item 2026-0585 Commission Districts 1 and 6.

Standardized Office Space Agreement with Jenna Kim.

No cost to the County.

Move for action.

Board of Commissioner Items.

Item 2026-0600.

Approval of minutes for the March 26, 2026 Committee of the Whole.

Move for action.

District 1 items.

Item 2026-0574 to approve the appropriations of an amount not to exceed $50,000 for the renewal of a contract agreement for Tobin Inc.

for an additional year from District 1's operating account.

Move for action.

Item 2026-0575 to approve the appropriations of an amount not to exceed $50,000 for the renewal of a contract agreement for design B, Haley Curtis for an additional year from District 1's operating account.

Move for action.

Move for action.

We're going to top of page 7, District 2 items.

Item 2026-0556.

Allocation of $15,000 of District 2 reserve for appropriation to echo addendum to fund training for District 2 Parks volunteers.

Move for action.

Allocation of 216,149.50 from 2001 District 2 bond account for improvements at Rutledge Park.

Move for action.

District 3 items.

Item 2026-0537 to appropriate 2,500 dollars from the District 3 Reserve for Appropriation Fund to the National Council of Negro Women, DeCAB chapter.

Move for action.

Item 2026-0549 to anallocate amount not to exceed 100,000 dollars from the district three reserve for appropriation funds for the district three live laugh love, a community arts, music and engagement series.

Move for action.

District 6 item item 2026-0573 to appropriate an amount not to exceed $39,300 from the Super District 6 reserved for appropriations to roots down for impact analysis reporting and public engagement around the cabs, regenerative land projects as well as landscape installation and site management.

Move for action.

Top of page eight CEO items.

Item 2026-0612.

Approval of minutes of the special call meeting of March 17th, 2026.

Move for action.

Item 2026-0615.

Approval of the minutes of the Board of Commissioners meeting of March 24, 2026.

Move for action.

Approval of the minutes of the Board of Commissioners zoning meeting on of March 26, 2026.

Move for action.

And final one district attorney item item 2026-0567.

Acceptance of violence against women act grant for $55,405 to the district attorney's office.

Move for action.

And with that, Madam Presiding Presiding Officer, I move to approve items 2026-0505, 0571, 0585, 0600, 0574, 0575, 0577, 0556, 0597, 0537, 0549, 0573, 0612, 0615, 0616, and 0567.

Is there a second?

Second.

Thank you.

See no requests to speak.

Please open the machine for the vote.

Motion carries.

This is a district two item.

Item 2026-0596.

An ordinance to regulate the restraint and transportation of animals and for other purposes.

I believe this is an ERPS.

Yes, ma'am.

This is an ERPS item.

And on behalf of the ERPS Committee, I move to defer item 0596 for two weeks with a prior stop in ERPS.

And I believe that is the April 28th meeting.

Second.

Please hit the buttons.

Motion to defer carries.

Top of page nine.

Commission districts three and six.

Fire rescue training at 3211 Glenwood Road and 1816 Cantler Road.

And these are fire and rescue services items.

Move for action.

All commission districts.

First responder kits for kids program.

Move for action.

Item 2026-0580.

All commission districts.

Move for action.

And with that, Madam Presiding Officer, I move to approve items 2026, 0563, 0572, and 0580.

Is there a second?

Second.

Thank you.

See no request to speak.

Please open the machines for the vote.

Motion to approve carries.

Middle of page nine.

These are ops committee purchasing items.

Item 2026-0481.

Change order number four to contract numbers 1297 340.

1297345 and 1297347.

Vehicle mounted GPS devices for use by public works fleet management.

The CAP County Co-compliance administration and the Department of Watershed Management to obtain GPS Vehicle Services, Safety and Work Management Applications and Tracking Capabilities, seeking increase in contract funds and term through June 30th, 2027, awarded to Rise and Connect NWF Incorporated Amount Not to Exceed $202,000.

Move for action.

Yes, ma'am.

Topic page 10.

Item 2026-0496.

All commission district statewide contract.

Very long one.

Software and auxiliary services for use by Department of Innovation and Technology to pay outstanding Microsoft Azer license overages for June through December of 2025.

Awarded to Dell Marketing LP.

Amount not to exceed 473,050 and 71 cents.

Move for action.

Item 2026-0526 Commission Districts 1 and 6.

Cooperative Agreement for score bar scoreboards, digital displays, and video boards with related services for use by the CAB Peachtree Airport to obtain replacement and additional digital displays and signs at the airport.

Also seeking to ratify a previously issued purchase order, awarded to DACTRONICS incorporated, amount not to exceed 215,467 dollars.

Move for action.

Uh Madam Signal Officer, I'll make a motion that 2604A1, 2604, 962605 26 be approved as approved in the ops committee.

Thank you.

If you'll hit your button for me, is there a second?

Second.

Motion and the second, no request to speak.

Please open the machines for the vote.

Motion to approve carries.

We are now bottom of page 10 under PWI.

Item 2026-0413, all commissioned districts.

Invitation number 2025-137 ITB, County Abatement Properties Mowing and Maintenance, annual contract with three options to renew for use by public works, sanitation and beautification to obtain mowing and maintenance services at various county abatement locations.

Recommend award to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder.

Flex landscaping management LLC amount not to exceed 100,000.

Move for action.

Yes.

So can we take that one separate?

Do it so okay.

Um could we just skip to the next one?

Sure.

So you want to go to item 2025-1760?

Uh yes, on page 11.

On page one.

Okay.

So that's 2025-1760, Commission Districts 2 and 6, Park Pride Atlanta Incorporated $50,000 grant award to Frazier Road.

This was um motion to approve.

Yeah, to move for action and the action to approve both those items.

Oh no, so uh well we're gonna pull that first one, the mowing first one.

So we're just gonna handle this one separately as a standalone item and then circle back.

Okay, I'm sorry, understood.

No worries.

So just for item ending at 1760, a motion to approve.

Correct.

And um if uh respectfully to those commissioners, if thank you.

Yeah, 1760 was in PECS.

I think you meant the remote or something very scary.

Yeah, look, we had two weeks off.

We're a little rusted.

Which item are we on?

So we should be on 0473.

Okay, I think we skipped that one.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, but I meant was uh skip the previous one where we were talking about the mowing as I believe Commissioner Terry has some modifications he wants to make.

Let's reset.

Are we gonna get a substitute on that?

Have staff heard that you've got.

I guess that you would pass that out as well.

And then sorry, madam presiding officer, if we could take 02 excuse me, uh 2026 0473.

I think that would be appropriate.

Top of page 11.

So, Matt Clerk, if we can just nix the one we were just doing, and we'll come back to that one.

So now we're on item 2026-0473, all commissioned districts, cooperative agreement, sewer vacuum, hydro excavation, and municipal pumping equipment with related accessories and supplies for use by public works fleet management to be used by the Department of Watershed Management.

This request seeks to purchase from the competitively let source roll contract number one zero one two two one VAC for the provision of one VATCON international truck, cab and chassis with hot shot jetting machine for the purposes of unclogging sewer manholes and residential sewer lines throughout the county awarded to VATCON Inc.

Care of Carolina Environmental Systems amount not to exceed 412,880 and 15 cents.

All right, uh motion to approve.

Thank you.

I can get a second.

So that was a motion to approve that one.

Seeing no request to speak.

Please go machines.

That motion to approve.

And then if we have that substitute, can we get that passed out?

Friendly amendments.

Motion friendly amendment.

So you just want to do it as a friendly amendment.

Uh yes.

So I can read it and you'll do the friendly amendment.

We're good with that.

Okay.

So we're back to item 2026 on dash 0413, bottom of page 10.

Invitation number 2025-137 ITB county abatement properties mowing and maintenance.

Annual contract with three options options to renew for use by public work sanitation and beautification to obtain mowing and maintenance services at various county abatement locations.

Recommend award to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, flex landscaping management, LLC amount not to exceed 100,000 dollars.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Um so uh motion to approve this item um and the additional um uh amendment to the agenda item is to add an amount not to exceed $1,500 for cemetery maintenance uh within this contract consistent with legal requirements for the um cemetery located at uh Fleetwood where the new roundabout at Constitution and Fleetwood will be installed.

Um this is the um cemetery that this um uh in district three and six that the um CID cleaned up last year and um this is an abandoned cemetery and um uh the motion is to um add this to the um the contract second of a motion and a second and request to speak Commissioner Masaya you refers.

All right, thank you so much.

Um and so I'm just gonna say public here um publicly that there has been um some challenges in terms of cemeteries um and it's been historically an issue where um cemeteries are considered abandoned um for lack of due diligence into ascertaining ownership and I'm hesitant as and in opposition of this board deeming any um cemetery or land um at this present moment especially in a general nature as being abandoned so with that I respectfully ask that the friendly amendment um be withdrawn because I don't want it to be construed and conditioned on actually labeling a piece of property in DeCab County as an abandoned property particularly at a cemetery historic cemetery that has um bodies that are are there so I think the proper and legal thing would do is to actually go through the courts and the process in order to identify a property as being vacant or abandoned with that I I yield back.

Thank you Commissioner Patrick thank you for that input uh commissioner um my comment is there are a lot of abandoned uh cemeteries or cemeteries are not being maintained within the county even within district one and so my ask would be ultimately to the administration is is can y'all put together a list of cemeteries that are within the county regardless of uh municipal or city jurisdiction um and then let's come back with a fuller conversation uh to talk about how we uh maintain those facilities um again going back to my experience in Norcross Historic Cemetery uh it is actually something that the community appreciates when it's maintained uh putting some trails or sidewalks in the area also is a way to increase activity engagement and keep our eyes on those locations so uh that was going to be my my ask on this um and those are my comments for now thank you Commissioner Terry uh thank you madam presenting officer um last year the um metro south CID invited uh myself and Commissioner Masaya to participate in a volunteer cleanup of um the cemetery that I'm mentioned in my motion and at the time the CID um was uh basically improving a property that had been completely overgrown and so it was a blight in an area of the county that we're trying to improve and we're spending you know upwards of millions of dollars on a new roundabout intersection at that uh five point uh convergence and um the CID at the time as well as um uh uh news outlets that covered the volunteer cleanup uh interviewed myself and Commissioner Masaya and um one thanked us for participating in the cleanup and then uh respectfully requested that we find a way for there to be ongoing maintenance because the CID expended you know several thousand dollars to clean overgrowth that had occurred for what appeared to be many many years.

And the the reason why I brought this forward commissioners is in the agenda item if you notice on the third uh sort of tranche of properties there are several cemeteries that we are maintaining.

I don't have the exact history of why we started to maintain them but um presumably they were um uh sort of created before the state uh statute that required there to be some funds set aside for ongoing maintenance and so there unfortunately we have a lot of cemeteries that you know are literally probably a hundred years old plus um that um while functionally and maybe legally are not technically abandoned um there just is no one taking care of them and so they're becoming a blight um on our communities um and the other and again this is something that we talked about at PWI so if you weren't there then you probably missed out on part of the conversation but the committee did recommend approval of this contract with the consideration for two additional locations to be added for this cleanup and maintenance that is in line with the contract the other one that I'm gonna ask about is in a separate motion commissioners is related to the Anderson cemetery and I'll just share with you all that a year ago a DeCab History Center volunteer approached me with concern that there was a historic African American cemetery

Um but the committee did recommend approval of this contract with the consideration for two additional locations to be added uh for this cleanup and maintenance that is in line with the contract.

Um the other one that I'm gonna ask about is in a separate motion, commissioners um is related to the Anderson Cemetery, and um I'll just share with you all that um a year ago a DeCav History Center volunteer approached me with concern that um there was a historic African-American cemetery over on Jordan Lane near the North DeCalf Mall site, it's district four and six, um, about overgrowth and um and invasive species.

And so we actually um worked with the um the nearby um uh funeral home um that is across the street to do a cleanup day.

And I wanted to share a letter from um uh Mr.

Robert Strong, who's um a member of the the patrilineal side of the Bussey family, and they emailed this um to all the commissioners on April 3rd, so you'd y'all have to get this letter.

Um but it goes on Sunday, March 29th.

Members of our Bussey family group along with Commissioner Ted Terry, community volunteers, staff of the Divine Group, uh Timothy Amo Shada Frost of Lincoln Memorial Group participated in the cleanup of DeCab County's Anderson Cemetery.

We are writing to sincerely thank you for your support.

We are hoping for your continued support uh and look forward to more cleanups for decades, seven plus our family kept up the 24 plots of our second generation two brothers purchased in the 1900s.

With the help of family through generations, the gravesites were maintained.

As time has passed, our family members aged, and that ugly, beautiful lavender, treacherous west wisteria took over, and we have never been able to find the owners of the Anderson Cemetery.

We worked hard on Sunday, and if you did not know Commissioner Terry works well with pitchforks, portable saws and garden rakes, pruners and pulling up vines, which I all did.

Um and we were honored that uh the commissioner worked alongside of us to uh uncover the gravesites of our ancestors.

There are no words to describe the emotions you feel when a headstone marker is revealed that was not visible when we arrived at the gravesites of our dear ancestors.

Again, thank you very much for your support.

Sincerely, the Bussey family group, Gregory Bussey, Barbara Bussey Williams, and Rosemary Clark Strong.

Um this is a historic African-American um cemetery, and um, and as the Bussey family pointed out, their family plot had been so overgrown that we actually pulled out several uh chunks of wisteria vines and dirt that accumulated over many decades.

And um, we got about 10 percent of the way through the cleanup, um, but there's just so much overgrowth that it's just gonna require um additional work.

And so um, you know, the again keeping in line with what we talked about at the the PWI committee, um the the motion was to um uh bring bring back to the board a recommendation for the two cemeteries um for maintenance and for cleanup.

Um and so I would like um the commissioners to support just the in the basic maintenance, it's basically the same cost as the other cemeteries.

Um we're just mowing and blowing, basically, just to keep the weeds from overgrowing the cemetery again.

Um that's for the Thomasville cemetery site, and then um I'll have a second motion um Madam Presiding Officer after we're completed with this one on the um Anderson Cemetery site.

Thank you, um Commissioner Davis Johnson for your first opportunity to speak.

Okay.

Thank you.

And um I could go along with that amendment for maintenance, not abandonment.

Because uh abandonment has not been defined by anyone right now, but you we know it needs maintenance.

I'm uh good with that.

And with the list okay.

I I certainly don't want to interrupt you, Commissioner, but Madam Chair, I would like to be recognized when this commissioner is done.

I will recognize um I see the list of um properties that need the maintenance.

I don't see the um I don't see the um districts that they're in, so we could add those districts so that we can identify what districts we're looking at.

And also uh if um we could uh also um disguise between what are these uh private cemeteries that are receiving because to get a plot, I'm assuming you have to pay for it, except for the county uh having to uh pay for certain uh plots.

Um if they're private, and why you hear if they're if any of them are private, and you could let me know.

If any of them are private and receiving monies for the barrel plot, then why would the CAB be responsible for the maintenance unless the cab is getting a portion of that money from whomever own the cemetery plots?

Okay.

That's my I'm okay.

Thank you, ma'am.

I'm good.

Attorney Phillips, yes, please.

Just in an effort to help, we have, in my opinion, begin a robust discussion about some of the technical nuances around abandonment and how the county may come to maintain certain cemeteries.

So I would just offer to Commissioner Terry in an effort to help.

Perhaps your friendly amendment could be to add cemeteries, provided they qualify legally for the county to provide the maintenance under the term of this contract.

And I understand there may be others that will be considered, but that can be our stated criteria publicly.

That law will look at whatever this board wants addressed as a cemetery the county will maintain and will make sure it meets the legal requirement.

Because it's not just abandonment, there may be another criteria that we're able to identify.

Thank you for that.

I'll accept that in the the Friendly Amendment.

Okay.

All right.

You're you yield it right, Commissioner Davis Johnson.

Uh so that uh the amendment so that Fremney amendment is for maintenance, not abandoned cemeteries, but maintenance where there is yes, please.

Um I would state the amendment provided this is sufficient for Commissioner Terry, it's his motion.

The friendly amendment is for the stated cemetery for maintenance for the term of this contract, provided it meets legal requirement, and we will look at that.

Okay.

Okay.

I'm good with that.

Thank you.

I yield back.

Thank you, Commissioner Bolton, for your first opportunity, and then Commissioner Masayo.

Thank you, Madam PO, and I appreciate you addressing that county attorney.

Um, because actually my questions were in line with what Commissioner Marita Davis Johnson was just alluding to with the list of those properties.

I'd like to see or I'd like it to be distinguished which ones are commercially owned versus nonprofit.

My understanding is that if it is under the authority of a nonprofit, we're not collecting taxes on those, but if it's commercial, we are.

Um, and the reason I'd like to see that because if they are commercial, if we're maintaining those, can we apply a lien to recoup some of the funds that we're expending in order to maintain those spaces?

So if we can add that as well to that document, whether they're commercially owned or nonprofit.

Okay, thank you, sir.

I yield back.

Thank you.

Commissioner Massai for your second opportunity.

Thank you so much, uh, Madam Presiding Officer.

And so, yes, thank you, um county attorney for making sure that we um add in that additional language because I mean things like lean, I would be apprehensive of us just cleaning up and attaching a lien, obviously without proper notice.

So I mean, this is property ownership, and each typically when someone buys a plot, they own that particular plot.

So there's an opportunity to provide notice to several individuals that may have an interest in that piece of property.

So the other thing that I would like for us to put in place as a county is to ensure that we have a process um prior to going in and saying we're just cleaning up the property, and especially where we might consider attaching some lien for the cleanup of that property, that we actually identify clearly a process and a procedure that we intend to take.

And I could appreciate that some cemeteries they get over uh overrun and it becomes a bit of a challenge.

But identifying whatever um property it is, how long it's been in that particular state where it needs to um be clean up, what processes that we have in place and what steps we actually took in order to notify those that may have an interest in um that property in participating in the cleanup and making sure that they have sufficient notice, which is a very again important requirement before especially us as the government go in and do anything related to private property.

So making sure that notice uh exists, the procedure exists, and then cleaning it up, but wrapping it in and rolling it in to clean up of other properties, I think will be outside of what we um what we should be doing here, and I appreciate the additional language.

With that, I yield back.

Thank you, Commissioner Patrick, for your second time.

Yeah, thank you, Madam Presiding Officer.

Um appreciate a lot of the dialogue and conversation that's happening right now with this topic.

Uh something that hadn't been mentioned or reminded was when we were in committee about this.

There was a discussion of staff putting together a GIS map available on the county website that has a list of these abandoned properties.

Um it addresses a way to find out what district they're in or super district they're in.

Uh, and obviously, when you click on it, it'll have ownership information from the tax assessor's office.

So just wanted to add that in for uh people's memory.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Davis Johnson, for your second opportunity.

Okay, and um county attorney Phillips.

Um, my next question is a follow-up from Commissioner Bowden's statement, and that is non-profit cemeteries exempt from maintaining their properties because it's my understanding, even with non-profits, uh you have to purchase that lot.

And so uh they exempt from maintaining the properties that they own.

Well, Commissioner, with all due respect, I'm gonna beg your indulgence and get back to all of you with an opinion about the circumstances under which the county can legally maintain a cemetery.

We are now into the weeds of a legal analysis that I would prefer to provide in writing to all of you so that you can digest it together.

I I hope you'll accept that.

I will, thank you.

Thank you.

Commissioner Bolton, your second opportunity.

And I just wanted to clarify with the suggestion of that lien.

It's not to impact those who have already purchased a plot, but similar to having a lien on your home where transactions are limited, you can't sell your home until you've addressed the lien on that property.

So if we can look into whether that will prevent the sale of land or plots of land property until they maintain the space.

So that's what I was looking to do, ensuring that they can't continue to operate business as usual if they're not maintaining that space.

Thank you, Commissioner Bolton.

Seeing no further request to speak, we have we do have the motion on the floor that was friendly amended by the language added by interim county attorney Phillips.

So if we're ready, please open machines for the vote.

That motion carries, thank you.

I have the follow-up motion for the other site.

So but it's still under this one.

That's what what's it wouldn't be under this contract.

So which item were you going to attach it to?

Um item.

I can read the motion.

We don't need don't we need an it attached to something?

Attorney Phillips.

I I haven't heard Commissioner Terry's motion, but in order to make a motion, you would need an agenda item.

And from that item, the motion would be made for passing the agenda item.

We can submit it.

We had this discussion, Commissioners.

We can submit the agenda item later today so that the clerk can get it in the minutes.

Um, but my issue is if this is being walked on, we ask you not to walk on an item and vote on it at the same time.

So if you're simply adding an item, the process would be procedurally motion to add an item.

You would vote on that, then you would add your item and defer it for a vote at a subsequent meeting.

And of course, again, the agenda item would have to be submitted to the clerk in a timely fashion to be added.

So respectfully, Commissioner Terry, I would request that you create the agenda item and let's do the normal process so that we're not looking like we're adding in voting on something on the same day, because we have had complaints on that.

Okay.

All right, thank you.

So now I think we are middle of page 11.

The parks and rec item, item 2025-1760, Commission Districts 2 and 6, Park Pride Atlanta, Inc.

and 5 50,000 grant award to Frazier Row.

I have a motion to defer the agenda item to the April 28th VOC so that it can be heard in PECS today.

Thank you.

Is there a second?

Second.

Thank you.

See no request to speak.

Please open the machine for the vote.

That motion carries.

Motion to defer carries.

We are under watershed management items.

These are PWI items.

Item 2026-0436, Commissioner Districts 24 and 6.

Intergovernmental Agreement for paving of SR 10 U.S.

278 between DeCab County, Georgia, and the City of Avandela States, Georgia.

Uh move for action.

Yes, sir.

Item 2026-0568, Commission Districts 5 and 7.

Agreement for the construction and financing of sewer upgrades with the company.

And we were gonna get that company name in there with contribution of 682,000 dollars.

Uh move for action, madam presiding officer, based on the recommendations of PWI, uh, agenda item 26-0436 and 26-0568.

Um motion uh motion to approve.

Thank you.

Is there a second?

Second.

Commissioner Bolton, you've requested a speaker you have the floor.

Yes, ma'am, and for the record, if we could just have someone speak to who the company is for 0568.

Thank you.

Thank you, madam presiding officer, and to the commissioner's direct question.

Uh, and it's further in the agenda item, but it's Westbury Family One slash LP or Dash LP, limited partnership.

Westbury family.

Okay, thank you.

I yield that.

Thank you.

And thank you for the question, Commissioner Bolton.

See no further request to speak, please open the machine for the vote.

Motion carries.

Top of page 12.

Items for decision by the board.

These are this is a district one item, item 2024 dash 1237.

All commission districts a request for the director of planning and sustainability to amend the DeCab County nuisance ordinance to add a closure of chronic nuisance properties ordinance chapter.

This is PECS.

Uh yes, uh, thank you, Madam Presiding Officer and Madam Chair.

I believe the conversation we had was a deferral for 30 days to see if we could work out some issues on this one and the next item as well.

Uh so I'll make a motion to defer 24-1237 for 30 days back to BOC.

Thank you.

And I I have a second um and just a brief request to speak, madam.

You have the floor, Commissioner Massai.

Thank you so much.

Um, again, uh these two agenda items, they have been on our agenda.

Unfortunately, they weren't um vetted out as well as you know as we need them to be to get them completed.

Um we were having robust discussion in terms of ensuring that uh we meet the the legal mustard, if you will, um working with legal and others just to make sure that we're making the most impact.

So it is not kicking a can down the road.

It is very much wanting to make sure that as we are uh passing agenda items that they are as thought uh as well thought out as possible.

So thank you uh so much, Commissioner Patrick for allowing us the opportunity to do so with these agenda items and um proceeding the discussion.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

See no other requests to speak, please open the machine for the vote.

The motion defer carries bottom of page 13 item 2024-1239, an ordinance to amend the code of DeCab County, Georgia as revised 1988, Chapter 18, Article 3, property maintenance to establish minimum standards for vacant property, require property owners to apply for a board up permit and for other purposes.

Again, Madam Presiding Officer, Madam Chair, thank you for letting me uh motion on this one again, defer for 30 days back to the BOC.

Um hopefully we'll have these conversations and get this wrapped up uh one way or the other for these two items.

Second.

Motion and a second.

Please open the machine for the vote.

That motion to defer carries.

Skipping over to middle of page 15, district two item, item 2026-0385, all commission districts, a resolution of the governing authority of DeCap County, Georgia, urging adoption of the unhouse support and services plan, establishing implementation expectations and accountability and for other lawful purposes, and there is a substitute on this item.

Thank you very much.

Uh Madam Preding Officer and our hex chair.

So motion to approve the substitute for item 0385.

Okay, it's second by Commissioner Terry's okay.

Um Commissioner Long Spears, you have the floor.

Yes, ma'am, thank you so much.

Um so uh a substitute is being distributed by Ms.

McGraw right now.

And the only change from the last substitute, which included responses back and suggestions from both directors Ferguson and Mitchell.

This new substitute adds Commissioner Ted Terry as a sponsor, a co-sponsor of this item.

Thank you very much, and I yield back.

All right, Commissioner Messiah has requested to speak.

Thank you so much.

And if you would indulge, I wanted to um just briefly touch spaces um with uh director uh Ferguson with Dr.

Ferguson, uh, if we could, because I believe there was some other tweaks that were expected to take place um in this particular item.

So if they could and director Mitchell um as well.

So if you could just briefly you know speak to that, because I want to ensure that that was that had been done and it is at a place of um satisfaction where the administration hereby has an opportunity to um properly execute this as expected.

And so thank you so much, gentlemen.

And so did you have opportunity to review the substitute?

Uh yeah, I'm just you know double checking and make sure it was the last you know round of changes that I uh sent around.

Uh I think the one thing that may be missing from this document is to make sure that um the uh convening of the stakeholder group uh is going to be led by my office, the chief uh housing officer, and that um any reporting of the findings of the working group and how they get incorporated into the comprehensive plan also flows through my office as the chief housing officer.

The the way the language currently rules just as the chief executive officer or designee.

I just want a clarification that that was all going to flow through the chief housing officer.

Okay, um, and so is it your contention that's not made clear here that there needs to be some other tweaks to language?

Yeah, because when you say or designee, it's just a little bit you know, ambiguous on who that designee uh is, and so just for clarity purposes, you know, we wanted to include the chief housing officer as the design.

I understand that, and I completely agree that it needs to be made clear.

I I yield back.

So, question before we go down the comment list, Commissioner Long Spears.

We could table this, make the tweak and come back before the end of the meeting.

Or we could just accept that as a friendly amendment if that's the only change Dr.

Ferguson has.

So I believe, sir, you're referring to the be it further resolved that the chief executive officer, and I think you want it to stay there, and chief housing officer instead of or designees.

Yes, is respectfully urged to consider the recommendations.

So I am okay.

I am absolutely in support of that friendly amendment.

Okay, Commissioner Davis Johnson, you were next.

Mike.

Good afternoon.

I mean, good morning.

We still have good morning.

If this is the first that you are seeing this, um, I would like to put it at the end of the meeting to give him an opportunity to review it and make sure that what we talked about, what we have talked about, what your intentions are in it, rather than just strolling through it right now.

I'd like for you to take time and make sure that everything is correct, yeah, and then vote on it.

So I would uh suggest that we hold this to the end of the meeting and come back.

Yeah, someone would have to make a substitute motion if that's my substitute motion.

Second.

All right, we have a substitute motion to table to get make sure there is clarification on the substitute.

Um we will if you'll hit the button, Commissioner Davis.

To the end of this meeting, yes.

We'll bring it back up.

So we will continue down the discussion.

Um, Commissioner Bolton, what's next?

If you yield, Commissioner Davis Johnson.

Oh, I'm I'm okay.

Commissioner Bolton.

For the for the record, can you or whether it's the proposers or even our chief housing officer, can someone just iterate how this is excuse me, different from the plan that we have for the day center that would provide many of these services, or was this established originally to complement that because it it seems as if some of this might be duplicate duplicative, and I just want to make sure we're not uh overstepping our boundaries by offering this resolution when there's a strategy in place already.

Sure, absolutely.

So what this resolution you know really refers to is the homeless and the unhoused plan uh that was presented, you know, before the board of commissioners in January uh of this year, January 2026.

Um what the resolution is is intended to read that um we would actually continue to work with the working group that developed that housing and the house plan, work with them, go through the recommendations and make sure that there's a robust discussion around which recommendations are you know operationally viable, financially feasible, and legally permissible for us to include within the comprehensive housing plan.

Um so you know, I've said it you know before this body before that you know, when you get kind of multiple different plans and strategies all around you know, housing, you know, it's hard to monitor, it's hard, just difficult to execute, and it just adds additional confusion.

So to the greatest extent possible, we are trying to include the broad spectrum of housing uh activities under the comprehensive housing plan.

And so I look at this work and the body of work that's been done by the working group as being inclusive of that overall comprehensive housing plan that's currently underway.

We just passed the bid point, if you will, um, you know, for that plan that's currently in development.

And so we just want the opportunity to make sure that we take these recommendations, you know, lift them up, have a very robust discussion and see what feeds into the comprehensive housing plan.

Uh but Commissioner Bolton, to your point, there are a number of recommendations uh that the group uh has put forth that we are very supportive of and have already started putting into action.

So one of the recommendations is that we need more day shelter service centers here in the Cav County.

And as you know, this board voted, um, and you're well aware, we're currently actively pursuing our first day shelter center, you know, here in the CAB County with you know plans you know shortly thereafter to pursue a second uh location as well.

And then there are other initiatives in terms of outreach to extend the state hotels trying to enforce um and support more uh transitional housing that are recommendations embedded within uh their plan that we're also intentional around trying to pursue uh as well.

So um the notion is to take this, you know, join this working group if you will, bring them back together in conversation with county departments as well as our um other agencies so that we can really kind of vet through and prioritize the recommendations and then lift those up into the comprehensive housing plan, and that's really what we're trying to accomplish, not create duplicative efforts, but really augment the efforts that we're already doing.

Okay, and just to clarify what I heard is there are strategies that are currently active or operational now, and this is to kind of codify holistically that plan, whereas those specific strategies that are being enacted will be under the umbrella of this recommendation.

Yeah, okay.

Thank you.

I yield back.

Thank you, Commissioner Terry, for your first opportunity.

Okay, I'll I'll wait.

Yeah, wait.

Okay.

Okay.

Um Commissioner Long Spears, your second.

Thank you very much.

Madam Presiding Officer.

So I don't really feel a need to table this to the end of the meeting.

However, if it's the will of this board to do so, so you have a little bit more time to review the document, I will support that.

But before I move into a few comments, um, Dr.

Ferguson, did you I know you just did a quick peruse of this, but if you just please review it and when we bring it back up again at the end of the meeting, if there's any other changes or amendments, just let us know.

Yeah, absolutely.

Because we have uh commissioners, I have worked in lockstep with commissioner or doctor commissioner, director Ferguson and Alan on the creation and specifically around the amendments to this resolution.

And for Commissioner Bolton to provide a little bit of background, um, we started working with a stakeholder group.

We called the behavioral health stakeholder group on developing a behavioral health plan.

Um, goodness, I guess a full year ago.

Year and a half ago now.

After they wrapped their work for the behavior health plan, we then moved into the unhoused planning process.

It was led by a lady named Miss Carol Dotson.

It was a six-month planning process.

There were over two dozen stakeholders involved in it, and they ended up at the end delivering a presentation to this board advancing eight recommendations, which are on just very basic tip of the iceberg on page one under the fourth whereas statement.

So that's kind of the heart of the recommendation.

Certainly, there's a lot more language for those recommendations in the report itself that was distributed to you all back in January, and there was a follow-up presentation to it.

So the only change right now that you have listed, sir, is under the be it further resolved for to add the chief housing officer.

I'm fine with that.

Um, if there's anything else, of course, let us know.

And then in summary, I think the important piece here is that this plan, the unhouse services and support plan, will actually fold up and roll into the DeCab County comprehensive plan.

And that was a specific request of Dr.

Ferguson.

Uh, we did comply with that request.

So I hope you all have a chance to review some of the documents between now and when we come back at the end of the meeting.

Yield back.

Thank you, Commissioner Messiah for your second time.

Thank you so much.

Um Madam Presiding Officer.

Um, again, thank you for all of the work that you all have done.

Um, Dr.

Ferguson, I know coming in, you were trying to make sure that the county has a robust plan and that it addresses all of the needs of the constituents housed and unhoused here in DeCab County.

I want to thank you again for indulging us in the way that you do sometimes.

Um, just knowing that you guys are the experts as to what needs to happen, when and how, and your prospective fields.

And so I know that we will at times bring in folks to get a better grasp as to what's taking place, and I appreciate the understanding and um willingness to incorporate those things just simply make sense of their logical that are reasonable into our plan, you know, being willing to pivot so we can make sure that collectively we are doing what we need to do for our constituents.

With that being said, I want to make sure that there is sufficient time because it sounds like from my reading and understanding and in our extensive conversations that a lot of what's being proposed is already inside the plan.

And so it is just a matter of certain things being built out just a bit more, um, ensuring that you have sufficient resources and sufficient coverage to do what needs to get done.

I want to allow you that opportunity, particularly since you know, actually executing on some of these components would be under the guise of the administration.

I'm big on working collaboratively and not duplicating efforts.

With that being said, take the time that you need to do what you need to do, and that is my position.

I yield back.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The motion before us right now is to table this item to the end of the meeting.

Um please open the machines for that vote.

Motion the table carries.

You mean those there's only six votes?

Did everyone vote?

You're abstaining or is it not showing?

All right.

That's fine.

That's supporters and abstention.

Um top of page 15 item 2025.

Thank you, gentlemen.

Dash 0015, all commission districts and ordinance to amend the code of DeCab County, Georgia, chapter 16 pertaining to regulation of sound and for other purposes.

This is also PECS.

We can um take the next one together as well.

So move for action.

Move for action, I'm sorry.

Thank you.

Adam 2025-0017, all commission districts a resolution to create an electric landscape maintenance device rebate program to encourage switching from gas-powered landscape maintenance devices and for other lawful purposes.

Move for action.

I have a motion to defer these items to the May 12th BLC with the stop in PECS on April 28th.

And I comment as well.

Thank you.

Is there a second?

Is there a second for the motion to defer?

Thank you.

Commissioner Patrick.

Commissioner Masaya, you have the floor.

Thank you so much.

I appreciate it again.

Um items that need to be worked on and more in depth.

My understanding is whether or not we had some challenges as to whether or not the language that was going to be used that creates the issue that we have sometimes when we're dealing with some of these agenda items, if they're not as clear and vetted and thought through in terms of the ability to enforce it, because any of the policies that we put forth, there's only as good as our capacity to actually enforce them.

And so we actually had a conversation, I think, Chief Pedrick and our public safety um director as well, just trying to wrap our heads around what is the best way to execute these particular um policies.

Um and then, in terms of speaking of the second item, the costs related to it, um, not specifically established.

And so I'm I'm just going to suggest to uh all of our colleagues as much as possible that we actually vet these things through, think them through, work through whatever department that we may need to, um, including an especially legal, and find out uh particular cost if there is going to be one before we put them forth.

That way they don't drag along without all of the details that we need on the agenda.

And so with that, I yield back.

Thank you, Commissioner Masaya.

Commissioner Terry.

Um, thank you.

I'll I'll just uh provide a recap of the PECS committee meeting, which Commissioner Messiah chairs, so she was present when we went through all these issues.

So I'm not exactly clear what she's referring to about the confusion or the needing to have more legal discussions because I simply posed a question to the committee members.

Um law department worked by office for over a year on this ordinance, so thank you to the law department, Mr.

Petty and Mr.

Welch.

Um, and I and we we've grappled with a fundamental issue.

Do we have a decibel level for noises or do we have a plainly audible uh regulation?

And for the first year, we were going towards the decibel levels.

Um at the PECS committee meeting that Commissioner Messiah was present for.

Chief Pedrick and Director Clark requested that we make the change in the um proposed ordinance to plainly audible.

Simple as that.

So I asked the committee members, please tell me what you would like.

Do you support the administration and the CAP police and code compliance with the plainly audible definition?

If the answer is yes, then we will make that change, and then we will be ready to act on this agenda item.

So PECS committee members looking all at you right here.

Um I'm waiting for your response.

Um, this is in your committee.

I'm opening it up for amendments based on your recommendations.

So that is the fundamental issue.

Plainly audible or a decibel level.

Police have said that they would like plainly audible for nighttime uh noises.

They don't want to go into someone's house because currently the definition of um of a nuisance noise is you can hear with inside someone's house.

And people have reported to the police that they do not want officers to come into their homes because they may be targeted by people that might think they told on their neighbors.

So not trying to get in the middle of neighborhood disputes.

Uh police have basically not been able to enforce um noise ordinance violations after 11 p.m.

Um and so therefore it has caused a problem in addressing party houses and other type of issues.

So they have requested plainly audible for the nighttime noises.

Uh Director Clark uh provided information to the committee that said that uh currently the co-compliance department has no decibel meters.

So just keep this in mind, everyone who's watching at home that we have an ordinance in DeCab County that's been on the books for decades that has a decibel level for how we enforce sound and noise.

We currently do not have decibel meters.

So ask the question in your mind how do you enforce a law when you actually can't even provide the equipment to enforce it?

All right, simple as that.

So I'm good with moving forward plainly audible.

The police department code compliance said let's give it a shot.

If it turns out plainly audible is not as effective, or we need to go back to decibel meters.

There's basically two options here, Commissioners.

Plainly Audible within 100 feet of the property line, or a decibel level.

So that's where we're at.

We can move on this as soon as the next PECS committee meeting, and the committee members want to make a decision.

I'm open to either.

Um it seems like plainly audible is the preference for police and code compliance, so I'd suggest we go forward with that.

Um maybe I'll just maybe I'll just do it this way without any objection.

So you don't have to say anything.

If you don't say anything, we'll move towards the plainly audible.

So, madam chair, next time this comes before your committee without objection, we'll make the plainly audible change, right?

County attorney Phillips, we can do that.

Yeah, he's nodding his head.

We can do that, and then you'll have an agenda item that you can act on.

And I'll pause for any objections.

Okay, I'm seeing none.

Thank you.

Okay, so we have Commissioner Long Spears has requested for her first opportunity, and then Commissioner Patrick for his first.

Thank you very much, Madam Presiding Officer.

Um, I am in support of both of these items, 0015 and 0017.

I feel that they have been reviewed, amended, vetted, and then wash and repeat over and over again.

So thank you, law department.

Thank you, Mr.

Williams, as well for your feedback.

And certainly to Chief Patrick.

If plainly audible is what Chief Prack, our chief of police is suggesting and what they feel comfortable with, I am certainly in support of that.

Um I do have a question though that Commissioner Terry just brought up, Mr.

Williams regarding the decibel meters.

That's an interesting um uh comment that he made that we've had this on the books for so long, and it was actually looking at the decibels, but we don't have meters.

Did we use to at some point?

And then they broke and win ever replaced them.

I think the issue may be the number of meters and having each um unit who may respond having a unit, uh having a meter.

So I believe there are a handful of meters in our system, but they do require a certain amount of maintenance and upkeep, especially if they're going to be distributed to any car that may need to respond.

So I think that's in large part um why between the police department or chief payrick as well as director Clark like the plainly audible.

Because it doesn't you don't have to deal with the other issue.

Understood.

Okay.

Well, if it goes that direction, fine.

If it does go the other direction with decibel, um the sounds where we're trying to track it that way.

I would certainly think at that point it might be worth revisiting to ensure that it's in everybody's vehicle so that we can comply with that law.

Of course.

Thank you.

All right, yield back.

Thank you.

Commissioner Patrick.

Uh thank you, madam chair.

Um because I was at that meeting too.

Um, one of the things I had asked for was data, frequency of these noise complaints that come in, location of where these noise events come in, and that's what I'm still waiting for.

And so if that's going to happen at our next committee, which I believe is either today or whatever the next one is, that's what I'm looking for.

And I appreciate our staff from the planning department to the police department.

But our responsibility is to be able to double check and verify things so that our residents are comfortable with the ordinances that are put in place.

And so that is I don't have that information either.

But when you're up here sort of trying to berate us in a move in a direction that you want us to go, the opportunity is is you need to realize all of us have to write answer to our residents.

That's my obligation.

Thank you.

Commissioner Bolton, I think you were first, and then Commissioner Davis Johnson.

Yeah, I don't think this takes a whole lot of back and forth.

You said we don't have the equipment, so we can just put it in the budget to purchase it.

A decibel meter could be as little as about $50, as opposed to if it's just audible, now we have to make sure everybody's hearing is consistent and at the same level.

So now we're making everyone get hearing exams.

So if we're sending them out to see if it's audible, we're consistently getting the same result.

Well, we could just get a dis uh decibel meter.

They're not that expensive, but consistency is key.

Residents like to see consistency, they like to see data, they like to know that there will be no bias in any result or solution that we're offering them.

And we could just put it in the budget to buy decibel meters.

I I don't see what the big deal is.

I yield back.

Thank you, Commissioner Davis Johnson.

And um, you know, I would I think I support both of these uh commissioners, what they say that I think that you talked about the data, and you talked about the readers.

And I think that both are consistent.

I tell you, I haven't had, and my office can correct me.

Demetrius speaking, can correct me if I'm wrong, but I haven't had any complaints about I haven't had any complaints on this.

And I think that some form of data is what we've received from my commissioners.

I mean, what we can receive from our constituents.

Now I can give you my data, and I have none.

And that's one place to start.

If there's a problem, a big huge problem, we can start with the complaints from my commission offices.

And I haven't received any.

And everything that I received in my office is documented.

So anyone want to know what I have is documented.

I can always go back to it and I can tell you who said it and when.

You know, and so uh that's one source to start data, and any other source I would um, you know, I would encourage, but also I'd like the uh the readers also if we're going to do this, uh, you know, because some people don't hear like other people.

And so I think that that's a um a good suggestion as well.

So I go with the both of them.

And I don't know if we're ready to hear it this evening.

Because we haven't gotten the data, at least from our commission offices.

I yield back.

Thank you, Commissioner Masaya.

Thank you so much, Venopio, and I completely agree.

I mean, and just this dialogue and discussion in and around shows where we've had some issues related to this agenda item being set forth, but not being really properly vetted.

Whatever you guys would like is not necessarily a response for us to make um a decision that is impacting all of the constituents that we're responsible for.

And so sitting in that same meeting where I chair, I could completely agree with Commissioner Patrick, in that there are additional information that we ask for so that we can make a well-informed decision that's gonna affect our constituents, and that's the whole point.

We want to make sure that the decisions that we make are well informed, they're knowing, and we're not just making passionate decisions or putting forth um legislation that we don't know where it's going or how to even get there.

And so that's why I had asked um the chief, and it was um also director Clark who had come up.

My apologies, it wasn't um our former chief that had come up to speak on what their thoughts were, literally putting them on the spot.

Um I apologies there, but just trying to work through what's the best route and in absence of anything else definitive, they're like, okay, I guess plainly audible is okay simply because they don't have the technology to do anything else, and they weren't provided with any other alternative.

And I don't think that's the proper way to go into a activity that may end up dispatching several of our officers, utilizing resources with our officers and their time, um, potentially going into another budget expenditure.

It just needs to be vetted out more.

So when my colleague says he's not certain about what the issue is, that is the issue, and we need to take time to determine that.

And that is also the rationale as to why this has been on our agenda for so long and why it's gonna apparently stay there and anticipate it to be heard in PECS on um the 28th per our last discussion to get that additional information.

With that, I yield back to you, Madame P.

L.

Thank you, Commissioner Terry, for your second opportunity.

Um yes, uh Zach, is Chief Pedrick available?

Oh yes, Chief Pedrick.

Okay.

Um and so um let me just address Chief Pedrick, they're asking for you to come forward.

Let me just address uh Commissioner Bolton's uh comments about the decibel meters, and um you know, I'm just like I'm really just trying to figure out where y'all where y'all stand on principle, because over and over again you say we should defer to the administration, we should defer to the departments.

But now you don't want to defer to the departments.

It's it's I'm I'm getting whiplash, and it seems that it depends on who might be bringing certain agenda items forward where you have extra questions and concerns, and we have to consider this.

Imagine if you did this for all the other things that we have big issues on.

Um, the water customer advocate, for instance, the resolution that was passed, and we haven't even implemented those things that were related to the 10 by 10.

In fact, the CEO said the resolution wasn't worth the paper it was written on.

But to answer your question, Commissioner Bolton, because we did talk about this.

Police and code do not want to maintain the decimal meters.

They have them, they don't want to calibrate them, they don't want to maintain them, they don't want to have they don't want to deal with the bureaucracy of having a decibel meter.

I don't understand it.

Other jurisdictions have decibel meters, but apparently they don't want to do it.

So I'm going towards what the administration asked for.

And honestly, this and Commissioner Patrick and Davis Johnson brought up, well, who's who's complaining?

Well, this started out as just addressing leaf blower noises.

All right.

But then when we started to do the research and vet all of the ideas and the things, Commissioner Messiah, we asked Chief of Police, what's going on?

We actually asked two chiefs of police.

Um, what's the deal with how y'all enforce sound?

Chief Pedrick said we can't do it.

We just can't do it.

And so we asked them what would be the best way for you to enforce nighttime noise violations.

And he told us at the last committee meeting.

In fact, he actually, I believe Chief Patrick, come on down, please.

Didn't you tell us that you do get complaints?

Yes, sir.

This is the the nighttime, it's the loud party, loud noises, uh, music, things of that nature.

And historically, uh the way the ordinance was written, we do not have the decibel meters uh within the parameters of those loud party or noises, and the ordinances written that we have to be inside a sealed dwelling and hear that noise in order.

So the complainants say, I'm not letting you come in and close my doors in my house.

It's intrusive for them.

They don't want us to do that, so then we're stuck.

We go and knock on the the offender's door, turn it down, please.

Turn it down, please.

So that's basically our only enforcement approach.

So the simplest way, again, we did a lot of research back uh 2019-2020, looking at other agencies back to Athens Clark County, which is what we modeled our recommendation after, which they have been very effective with their college uh dorms and college parties and things of that nature.

So we looked at that approach as uh not only what they were doing from a law enforcement perspective, but a prosecution perspective.

Again, with the decipel meters, the calibration, the training, uh, the maintenance, it becomes uh very complicated, and then we end up in court, and if we don't have all of the documented training, calibration, and so on and so on, then that case is getting thrown out anyway.

So the plainly audible is cost efficient and it's still prosecutable.

Okay.

Um can you can you say that again because other commissioners were talking to each other when you were saying that?

Because the point of them asking the questions, um commissioners is I'm trying to answer the questions for you.

And I'm ca I'm I'm a little struggling a little bit because I'm not sure questions.

Yeah, we were well you were talking while he was literally saying the main question.

Commissioners, let's get on focus.

They've answered the question, Commissioner Terry.

Is there anything else?

The motion is to defer.

So there will be continued discussion on this item.

Okay, but I just all right.

Thanks for thanks for that.

Um Chief Pedrick.

Um, do you get noise complaints?

Yes, sir.

Okay, are they in only one district?

No, sir.

They're in all districts.

Yes, sir.

Throughout the country.

Um Commissioner Patrick asked for data.

And I see director Clark and Director.

I mean, y'all are the two that are in charge of this.

Do you have data on noise complaints?

Yes, sir.

We have it from the police department responsible, get that out to you today.

Okay.

So we'll get the so commissioner Patrick asked about complaints.

Um Commissioner Davis Johnson said she has gotten no complaints, but I think we do have complaints in all districts.

But we'll get that documented for you, and you can have the data.

But here's the motion to call to qua call to question.

Here's the fundamental issue.

Is there a second on that?

Second.

I think we need to vote to see if we're willing wouldn't vote.

So please show of hands for the call to question.

Raise your hands again so they make sure the clerk saw.

Okay, those against calling for we're ready to go to the vote.

That's what I'm calling for.

Thank you.

There was two opposed to that.

So it looks like we are in favor of opening the machines for the vote.

So please open the machine for the vote.

The motion is to defer.

It's already in there.

They just need to update it.

They just need to open the machine up.

It's not open on our end.

No, we're still seeing the motion screen, not the voting screen.

Do we need to hit it again?

Commissioner Patrick, you were second.

Okay.

There we go.

Motion to defer carries five to two.

We are at the bottom of page 19, item 2025-1525, all commission districts.

A resolution by the DeCab County Board of Commissioners establishing a deCab County water customer bill of rights.

This is a fab item.

Is there a motion?

Yes, uh, we'll be uh hearing this item um within the next month.

So I'll defer this to the um first meeting in May.

Second.

See no request to speak.

Please open the machine for the vote.

Yes, to defer.

Motion to defer carries.

Middle of page 20, item 2026-0158, um, super district six to approve a resolution to establish a decaf for the people AI tech dividend fund and fiscal stability policy.

This is also FAB.

Uh yes, we're hearing this item today.

So motion to defer for two weeks.

Second.

A motion and a second, no request to speak.

Please open the machine for a vote.

Motion to defer carries.

Now we're on page top of page 21.

Item 2026-0218, all commission districts to establish regulatory oversight of blasting operations in DeCab County through the adoption of a controlled blasting and safety ordinance to promote public safety, environmental protection, and community stability, and for other purposes.

Yes, ma'am.

On behalf of the ERPS committee, we did um suggest approval of 0218, but it was pending an update from law.

I know there was also some information that needed to be added about the fees.

Is there a substitute that is available for commissioners to review?

There is no substitute today.

One of the fundamental issues is the impact of the noise ordinance on this ordinance as well.

So until we get clarity, we're not gonna be able to give you final approval because of the reference to noise.

Understood.

And a few other things that I won't go into publicly.

I'm just uh Yeah, because with blasting, I think that would be clearly audible.

So we do need to make sure we go back and look at that.

Alrighty.

So with that, what I'll do is if the committee is amenable, go ahead and request a deferral of two weeks for item 20260218.

Second or I motion for a deferral.

Second.

Motion and a second, Commissioner Terry, you have requested to speak.

Yes, just a question for the sponsor of the legislation.

So are you considering having a decibel level for your ordinance?

No, um, this ordinance didn't have anything to do with sound.

We were just trying to be considerate of the legislation regarding noise that was on the agenda.

Okay.

So this is the first that you've heard about there being an issue with the sound ordinance and this ordinance.

Repeat your question.

Um is this the first time that you've heard about there needing to be an amendment to the sound ordinance to address your ordinance?

No, no, it isn't.

Actually, that's what we were just discussing whether there would need to be a substitute because in the last meeting we were considering noise, even though this has nothing to do with noise.

Okay, and so the enforcement of it will have nothing to do with the the noise or sound of blasting.

The enforcement will have nothing to do with noise.

Okay.

But the county attorney is concerned is considering that to be part of this legislation.

Is that right?

We've considered Phillips.

We've considered risk management.

We've considered the marshal, the fire department who will be responsible for execution.

We've considered a lot of different uh authorities and leaders because we want to make sure there are no pieces to the puzzle that were missing.

That's how you get legislation passed.

You're inclusive before you put it before the board of commissioners, and then you're more likely to have uh a an agenda item that is amenable for all to support.

Okay, so you're you're waiting waiting on the departments to provide feedback on how they're going to enforce the ordinance.

Attorney Phillips, if you've done that already.

We're just on legal to give us a response to the noise.

Everybody else has responded before we submit it to the committee and is now in front of the board of commissioners.

We did that in advance.

Attorney Phillips, that's how you get an agenda item.

Attorney Phillips Commissioners, please.

If I may in fairness to all the commissioners, the law department needs to prepare a substitute based on what I understand the attorneys assigned to this ordinance for Commissioner Bolton has requested in the last meeting, and then we initiated some discussions with the fire department and others to make sure the draft we the final draft we were preparing matched.

And I raised the issue with them about the noise ordinance, coordinating, and a few other things that again I'd prefer out of respect for Dr.

Bolton to not say publicly, but this has been vetted and it that is on the law department.

And I apologize for raising this last minute, but that is really on me, not my staff.

Understood, thank you.

And then um, Chief Carter, just real quick, because I think we talked about this.

So um this ordinance was introduced, um, and it sounded like the goal was just to shrine it in the law, but it it is not it's not true.

Is it not true that um there already are regulations on blastings without this ordinance?

There are regulations.

My apologies.

Yes, there are regulations on blasting, obviously.

We're doing some things and customizing it where it works for DeCab County.

We did look at some state ordinance and obviously some other jurisdictions that have things that another jurisdictions as far as what they have.

That's what we kind of use to put together for uh recommendations for the board.

So is the concern that because the policy on blasting is just a policy and not a law that it the policy could be changed in at any point in the future?

No, I think it just brings consistency as far as what we're doing.

Uh we already had a lot of things that were already in place when it as it relates to blasting, but obviously putting it now in the ordinance, having it that just brings consistency across the board, uh addressing a number of things like we say with the blasting with the noise and things of that nature.

Okay.

So to be clear, the ordinance actually isn't really necessary because it's already being done.

Um, but we're just passing it just because we think we should have it in the code.

That's the one.

Well, that may yeah, that's not a commissioner Bolton.

I'm a that's not for me to speak to the farm up here as far as the the need for it.

Did we have things in place?

Absolutely, we did.

Again, the the need and the desire to create an ordinance isn't anything that's be you know in my and I don't think it's appropriate to ask the chief that type of question, Commissioner Gary.

You're not in charge of ask telling me what I can't do.

I don't care that I'm in charge.

I have an opinion that's asking our call to question.

Call the question.

Call the question.

I'm y'all are like really getting progressive right now.

I don't know why we're going to be able to do that.

I have a call to question.

Chief Carter.

Please, is there a second for the call to question?

Second.

There's a second.

Please raise your hand if you're in favor of calling the question.

Raise your hand if you're in opposition of calling the question.

So Commissioner Terry's abstaining.

We are in favor of calling the question.

Please open the machines for the vote.

Thank you.

Motion to defer carries.

We're now top of page.

We did top of page 21 that got deferred.

Can you can you push my back and just check on her?

Okay.

Which one's yours?

Um 0458.

Okay, thank you.

And then 0491.

Okay, thank you.

We are this is also a district seven item, and so we will move to skipping around a little bit.

Middle of page 22.

This is a fab item.

They've asked them to be skipped ahead.

Item 2026-0504, all commissioned districts, a resolution authorizing the issuance and sale of tax anticipation notes, tan 2026 for 2026, due December 15th, 2026, and the aggregate principal amount to be determined for a winner to be determined for the purpose of attaining a temporary loan to pay current expenses during the 2026 calendar year.

Good afternoon.

And is there a motion before we start discussion?

Mr.

Fab Chair.

And there's a substitute coming.

Motion to approve the substitute.

Thank you.

Second.

Thank you.

If you hit the machine, please mine is oh there we go.

Thank you, ma'am.

Yes, sir.

You can continue.

This is the initial resolution which permits our FA to go out and submit for bids for the TAN.

We'll be coming back on the 28th with the um with the note resolution that speaks to uh the the actual amount we're getting, the interest, the actual interest rate, and who is the winning bidder.

And so the FAO will be back to review that with you, like it's done normally.

Uh you'll see on the substitute that we're we have determined the amount is 142 million three hundred thousand.

I think before we told you it was about 150 million.

Um the rate should be about three to three and a half percent.

Uh expenses around three million.

So uh I obviously we'll have final numbers for you on the 28th.

Okay, and for the record, I am gonna reread this item with that amount in there for the record.

On initial resolution authorizing the preparation and distribution of a request for proposals for the solicitation of office to purchase the county's tax and piss tax anticipation notes TAN 2026 due December 15, 2026, and the aggregate principal amount of 142,300, 142 million 300,000 dollars for the purpose of obtaining a temporary loan to pay current expenses during the 2026 calendar year.

Just wanted to make sure we have that correct on the record.

Seeing no okay, Commissioner Patrick, you ever and the motion the motion was uh please be to defer to 28.

We we need to pass this.

This is the initial resolution.

There'll be another agenda item, um which I have already, but give to you at your leisure.

Um that'll be um for the note resolution.

The amendment I I have that uh uh I I can give okay so you'll add it to the next end of yeah, it'll be on the next cow and approval 28.

The motion to approve the substitute stands.

Commissioner Patrick, you had a question uh thank you, madam chair, and I didn't see anything that mentions a specific uh company that we're going to be getting the loan from just to confirm it's not in this document.

No, that'll be on the 28th.

Perfect.

Thank you very much.

Okay, seeing no other requests to speak again.

We are on yes, ma'am.

Yeah, Commissioner Davis Johnson.

This item but that is the motion to approve the substitute.

The screen does say defer up here, but it is but his motion was to approve the substitute.

Okay, then I'd move to the and that is for item ending in 0504.

Yeah, it moved up to there.

If you can open the machine for the vote, but it's still it should be that is what we needed.

All right.

That motion carries.

So now we are going to go back to page 21.

This was a district seven item, and since the district seven commissioner stepped away, I pivoted.

So we are on 2026-0551, an item to allocate $2,000 of reserve for appropriation funds to 100 black men of DeCap County.

Legacy is not extinct event, page 21 for enhancement of educational programming for youth.

I think this originally was on consent, and you had us defer it last time.

Yeah, we were um submitting a substitute for this item, and we don't we do not have it distributed.

We were increasing this amount, so uh we'll just go ahead and defer this again so we can get that substitute in.

Second.

If you hit your machines, hit it one more time.

Okay, motion to defer is good.

Let's open machines for the vote.

Yes, to the next VLC.

Motion to defer carries.

Now I need Commissioner Young to I will come back to the PEX item at the bottom of page 21.

So now we're on the page of bottom of page 22, which is also a PECS item, but I think we can move forward with this one.

Item 2026-0491, Commission Districts 4 and 7 to consider consenting to the de-annexation of property located at 45499 Woodsong Trace, Stone Mountain, Georgia 3087.

This was heard in PECS.

Uh Madam Presiding Officer, since our chair is not here at this exact moment.

I'll make the motion to approve 0491.

Thank you.

Is there a second?

There's a motion and a second to approve.

Okay, and there is a substitute adding noting that this is in the city of Snow Mountain.

Okay.

Uh motion to approve the substitute.

Second stance.

Second stands.

No request to speak.

Please open the machine for the vote.

Motion to approve the substitute carries.

Thank you.

The substitute clearly states that it's in the city of Stone Mountain versus just Stone Mountain.

Yes, ma'am.

Um Commissioner Patrick and other PEX members.

Are you guys good to move forward with 0458?

Or should I wait for the chair to come back?

Uh let's wait for the chair to come back on those.

So we are now in ops purchasing and contracting items.

Top of page 23.

Item 2026-0339 cooperative agreement, heavy construction equipment with related attachments and technology for use by public works fleet management to be used by the Department of Watershed Management.

This request seeks to purchase from the competitively let source roll contract number 011723 KOM for the provision of two komatsu rubber tile wheel loaders with attachments for the purposes of clearing debris, dirt, and rocks, as well as loading items into dump trucks of various work sites throughout the county awarded to Kamatu America Corporation Care Tractor and Equipment Company amount not to exceed 489,396.

Uh huh.

Move for action.

Yes, ma'am.

Item 2026-0340, uh cooperative agreement, grounds maintenance equipment and related attachments, source will cooperative contract number one one two six two four KBA for use by public works fleet management to be used by the Department of Watershed Management.

This request seeks to purchase from the competitively let source well cooperative contract for the provision of one Kabuta mini compact exavator with attachments and two Kabuda compact track loaders with attachments for the purposes of excavating various work sites throughout the county as well as cleaning up debris and landscaping awarded to Cabuta Tractor Corporation care of Lashley Tractor Sales Amount not to exceed 268,143 dollars and fifty-eight cents.

Move for action.

Okay, top of page 24.

Item 2026 dash 0401 cooperative agreement heavy construction equipment with related attachments and technology for use by public works fleet management to be used by public works sanitation.

This request seeks to purchase from the competitively let source well contract number 011723 JDC for the provision of one John Deere Compact track loader for the purpose of multing and maintenance and around detention retention ponds sweeping roadways picking up yard debris loading and unloading supplies routine maintenance at the seminal landfill awarded to John Deere construction retail sales a division of John Deere Shared Services LLC doing business as John Deere construction retail sales care of Dobbs equipment S E L L C amount not to exceed 192,515 dollars uh move for action uh Madam President Officer I make a motion at 260339 uh 260340 260401 be approved as approved in the ops committee hit your button and is there a second second seeing no request to speak please open the machine for the vote motion to approve carries and uh madam peck's chair we did take care of the de-annexation item at the bottom of page 22 but we did skip over the item at the bottom bottom of page 21 so we will do that one and then get back to the ops items so this is item 2026-0458 all commissioned districts authorizing nine million sixty seven thousand five hundred and twenty five dollars of SPLOS two funding for facilities improvements to include roofing and h vacc systems repairs and replacements for the CAB County physical and mental health facilities and there is a substitute for this item that changes the authorized amount to $13,499.

Thank you so much COO that's the only oh so it depart it went up a lot yes all right my motion is to um defer to our upcoming BOC to be heard in PECS today to uh get more detail and clarity on um that adjustment in terms of price is there a second second he grabbed it yes I will defer CO Williams would you like to speak to heard in PECS today okay today um text today I think this had gone through PECS with the substitute we added in with the change in the price in the price but we want the audit we wanted the audit yes maybe talk about this yeah um did it go through uh an audit when it go through audit yeah go ahead commissioner patrick well commissioner terry had requests oh I'm sorry I'm sorry and then Commissioner Patrick Commissioner Terry.

Thank you um Zach I I thought that we went through this at X and the recommendation from experts to approve yes that was my recommendation okay so I'm I would suggest we move forward I mean these are I mean one we passed this I mean the voters approved SPLOS to this was a category we should be delivering on our promises to voters um this is a comprehensive um renovation package that's quite frankly is long overdue it's addressing the the issues that are public health buildings as well as Claritel or mental health provider and so I'm just not sure what else we have to discuss about this um I mean you know and just as a point of reference um I was the commissioner that advocated for SPLOS to have this category in the first place.

Um, but we're we're working on a plan B for that one, and so um uh so I I do appreciate that the administration has um you know talk with our stakeholders and partners at DeCab Public Health and Claritel to determine exactly what needs to be improved so that the the health and wellness of the employees and the people who visit these facilities um is intact and is safeguarded and so um we're really running the gamut of um HVAC um elevators other structural pairs that are absolutely necessary.

Um I keep I keep hearing people saying we have to send us to audit, so um I mean Zach is it's right in if I may and I think maybe you didn't see this morning it has it's gone through audit that was the PECS committee as I recall approved it contingent upon audit audit is reviewed, and I think they sent something this morning.

You just may not have had a chance to see it.

Okay, but what did it say?

It is supported.

Okay, great.

Well then um I'll make a substitute motion to approve this item, the substitute second.

We have a motion and a second to approve the substitute.

Um we will continue.

Did you yield, Commissioner Terry, at this time?

Commissioner Patrick was next uh thank you, madam, and thank you everyone.

It did come back with Mr.

Lavois Campbell's uh review, and that was my main concern.

So thank you.

You yields.

Um I'm not sure how we move forward.

I'm comfortable with the substitute.

I'm comfortable pulling back my second, but either way, I do support the so Commissioner Terry had made a substitute um motion to approve the substitute.

Whichever process we have to go through.

I'm gonna support this.

Commissioner Masaya.

Thank you so much, Madam P.O.

Yes, it w it was going through because there is and there's a lot of things we owe to our constituents, including to be um good stewards and due diligent.

And so just wanting to make sure that it ha went through the process and that since that was sent this morning, we start on the diet at nine o'clock this morning, uh nine o'clock in the morning.

So sometimes we're not you know catching things ahead of nine o'clock in the morning, but with there being a difference between you know um thirteen million and nine million dollars, we have a responsibility um to go through and make sure that there are not any um issues and to do our proper due diligence and review.

Um seeing that's done similar to uh my colleague commissioner Patrick, I am fine, but I wanted to make sure that had been done and was complete.

I yield back.

Thank you, Commissioner Long Spears.

Thank you very much, Madam Presiding Officer.

Um as a member of the PECS committee, I do recall the discussion related to this item.

After our committee wrapped, I did reach out to um the Claritel executive director and CEO, since so many of these do actually apply to him.

And initially, the funding that was in SPLOSS to Commissioner Terry is right on.

It was he led the effort, several of us, I believe actually all the commissioners back then, it was a couple years ago, supported that 15 million dollars.

So when I saw this on the agenda, it did raise a red flag, which is why I spoke to um Mr.

Williams about it, and I also spoke to Fabio with Claire Tell, and both of them I think provided a really strong rationale to use the funds for roofing HVAC repairs and replacements instead of it going to the crisis center and per Fabio and Mr.

Williams that there is a plan B that they're pursuing related to the crisis center, but they really felt that the immediate needs are about these repairs and replacements that need to happen at the facilities that are listed in the purpose section of the agenda item cover sheet.

Quick question though, the TO Vincent Health Center.

What is TO stand for?

I'm just curious, by the way.

This guy's name is like some does anybody.

Is someone's name?

Yeah.

I think so.

All right, that's okay.

I was just curious.

And BJ BJ, can you he's looking it up and I think he's all right, no worries.

I can get that information offline.

It was I just wasn't familiar with the TO part.

All righty, thank you so much, and I yield back.

So I think you're did you speaking again, Commissioner Terry?

Okay, go ahead.

Yeah, I just want to clarify.

Zach, can you just remind me again?

So the agenda item started out at nine million, but you brought the 135 million to the committee.

That's correct.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

So I just want to make sure everyone's clear because earlier the chair said that she didn't know why the it increased, but we went over it at the committee meeting, which is per committee.

So I'm I'm just trying to understand that someone like blackout, that were they paying attention during the committee meeting, or they maybe worrying too much about being re-elected as opposed to doing that.

Commissioner Terry, that is unappro inappropriate.

And you know it.

And so I would just suggest that.

And so I would just suggest we just follow the second item, read it, and vote on it.

There's been a call to question.

Commissioner Terry has also now yielded.

Commissioner Masaya was going to speak.

Do you still wish to speak or do we need to move forward with call to question?

Call the question.

All right.

You second it, Commissioner Patrick.

All in favor of wanting to move forward with the call to question.

All in favor for wanting to move forward would call the question.

Oh gosh.

You won't have to trust me.

Commissioners.

Stop, please.

Oh my goodness.

If you're in favor, go moving forward, call thank you.

If you are opposed to calling the question, please raise your hand.

We have one extension.

So please open the machine for a vote.

We're getting close to one.

Commissioner.

So we're voting on the substitute.

Move to approve the substitute by commit commissioners.

By Commissioner Terry that was seconded on by Commissioner Long Spears.

So it the it was by Commissioner Terry and then seconded by Commissioner Long Spears to approve the substitute.

Machines are open.

Sorry.

That's what I feel like a mom up here today.

Y'all killing me.

Motion to approve carries.

I would like to, it is 1202, but I would like to get through the ops contract items before we break for lunch, and it will be a working lunch to go through executive session.

So we're at the bottom of page 24, item 2026-0402.

Change Yeah, we've already voted on that one.

Oh, yeah, we did 30 minutes.

Yes.

Change.

Okay.

Let's start this one over.

Item 2026-0402, change order number two, and there is a substitute to contract number 2000 police pursuit special service vehicles for a statewide contract for use by public works fleet management to obtain pursuit and special service vehicles seeking increase in contract funds and term through October 31st, 2027, awarded to Hardy Chevrolet, Buick GMC Incorporated, amount not to exceed 10 million five four hundred and sixty-eight thousand three hundred fifty-five dollars and fifty cents.

Is there a motion?

You said that's the substitute.

The substitute, yes.

Microphone, please.

So I'm assuming that this came back from audit.

Yes, ma'am.

Okay.

10 million rather than the 16 million.

Yes, ma'am.

Okay.

Then I make a motion to approve the substitute.

If you'll hit your button, and is there a second?

Second.

And the motion is to approve the set substitute.

I see no requests to speak.

So let's please open the machine for the vote.

Thank you, ma'am.

All right.

That motion carries.

We are now page 25, which also has a substitute item 2026-0405.

Change order number one to contract numbers 2000 416, 2004, 418, and 419.

Administrative vehicles for a statewide contract for use by public works fleet management to obtain administrative vehicles like sedans, SUVs, vans, and trucks.

Seeks to increase contract funds and term through August 31st, 2027, awarded to Hardy Chevrolet Buick GMC Incorporated, Alan V.

Hill Ford, Lincoln Incorporated, Family Ford Incorporated, doing business as Hardy Family Ford and Aitkins Ford LLC, total amount not to exceed 5 million 625, 762.53 cents.

Yeah, being that report for mod it is back.

Thank you.

If you hit your machine, and is there a second?

Second.

We have a motion and a second.

Commissioner Terry, you requested to speak.

Yes, thank you, Madam Science.

Uh Director Halls or Zach.

Um just wanted to confirm.

I think y'all had said this at the last meeting, but just wanted to make sure.

Um, so within this contract, you've got three different dealerships.

Um, and you said that y'all will be continuing to look for electric vehicle um products for some of the uses.

Yes, sir.

Okay.

And I also we receive your your letter of concern.

And we'll be responding to that also regarding electric vehicles.

Okay.

I think you sent the email.

Well, it wasn't really a letter concern, it was more just um the total cost of ownership calculations.

You know, the CEO is asked for us to pursue policies that would uh you know, either have cost containment or revenue production, you know.

So, you know, the theory is that the total cost of ownership of an electric vehicle um is less than a gasoline powered one, and so therefore that would be safety and county money over the life of the vehicle.

Um, so it's not really necessarily just me.

I'm just trying to follow the two things the board has approved.

One, which is the clean energy trans and transportation transition plan, which the goal is to have more electric vehicles, um, and then the CEO's directive to seek cost containment.

So um my the whole goal of this exercise is what is the highest and best used and most cost effective for the county, and if we can buy more electric vehicles and that saves us money, then that would be achieving both goals.

Yes, sir, and we hear you we are always looking for opportunities to um utilize electrication of the of our fleet.

But in regards to the email that you sent, you know, it takes time for us to do that, and we asked if you'd be so kind for us to do that research.

That would involve some research.

And we are working on that, sir.

Yeah, thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

So you know the other requests to speak, please open the machine for the vote.

Motion to approve this substitute carries it.

A couple more items before we take our break.

For networking equipment and related services for use by the Department of Innovation and Technology consists of purchasing from the competitively let contract statewide contract for the annual technical support and maintenance of the Apollo Alto Networks software utilized throughout the county, awarded to Palo Alto Networks Incorporated care of MGT Impact Solutions LLC.

Amount not to exceed $699,316.

Move forward.

Yes, ma'am.

Item 2026 0411, all commissioned district statewide contract for networking equipment and related services for use by Department of Innovation and Technology consists of purchasing from the competitively let statewide contract for the annual maintenance and on-site support of the Juniper Network software utilized throughout the county awarded to Juniper Networks um U.S.

Incorporated care of MGT impact solutions LLC amount not to exceed 567,129.

Uh move for action.

I make a motion that 2604 and um 2604 be approved as approved in the ops committee.

Thank you, ma'am.

If you'll hit your button, and is there a second?

Second.

We have a motion and a second.

No request to speak, please open machines for the vote.

And at this time, if I can get a motion to adjourn to executive session for the purpose of litigation.

So moved.

Second.

Hit the buttons.

Don't hit the button.

Okay.

I'm trying.

I've been trying all day.

So a raise of hands for this one.

We all ready.

Okay, thank you.

We are in recess.

Working lunch.

So who comes in the middle?

I thought it was I didn't have a little active.

Good afternoon, everybody.

Welcome back to the Board of Commissioners meeting.

If I can get a motion to reconvene out of recess, so moved.

Second.

Do we need to hit the buttons, please?

Thank you.

Open the machine.

Motion to reconvene out of recess is approved.

Okay, thank you.

Um we did have some action to be taken out of executive session, so let's take care of that business first.

Madam PO, I have a motion.

I move that the CAB County Board of Commissioners authorize the county attorney, the finance director, or their designees to execute and timely submit on behalf of DeCab County.

All documents required for the Cab County to participate in and receive funds from the six remnant defendants national opiates settlement involving associated pharmacies, Inc.

and American Associated Pharmacies, JM Smith Corporation, Louisiana Wholesale Drug Company, Inc., Morris and Dixon Company, North Carolina Mutual Wholesale Drug Company, Inc., United Natural Foods Inc., including its subsidiaries, supervalue and advantage advantage logistics and related entities in connection with opiate claims and litigation MDL 2804 in the U.S.

District Court of Northern District of Ohio.

Second.

We have a motion and a second.

I see no request to speak.

Please open machine for the vote.

Motion to approve that item carries, and we had one more item.

I move now.

Um Madam P.O.

that the DeCab County Board of Commissioners approved DeCab County's participation in an acceptance of funds from national settlement of claims related to PFAS Chemicals and Drinking Water Against TICO Fire Products LP BASF Corporation and Related Entities.

Second.

Motion and a second to approve that item.

Yes, ma'am.

Now pop top of page 27.

Item 2026-0433.

Consists of purchasing through the competitive let source world contract number 101625 PLP for renovations and upgrades to the amenities at parks, playgrounds, and recreational areas.

Award or two play power LT Farmington Farmington Inc.

amount not to exceed 134,170 and 97 cents.

Move for action.

Excuse me.

Item 2025-1759 Commission Districts 4 and 7 Park Pride Atlanta Inc.

grant grant award for Wade Walker.

Move for action.

Top of page 28.

All item 2026-0409.

All commission districts, approval of a contract between DeCab County government and the DeCab County School District.

Move for action.

I move to approve agenda items ending in 0384, 0433, 1759, and 0409 as they were approved in the PECS committee.

Thank you.

Second.

We have a second.

Thank you, ma'am.

I see no request to speak.

Please open the machines for the vote.

That motion to approve carries.

We did have one item that was on that we tabled.

Let me get back to is on the bottom of page 15.

Excuse me.

So if I can get a motion to remove from the table item 0 2026-0385.

So move second.

If we can open the machines, please.

So this is this.

Yeah, we're bringing that item off the table.

It's the bottom of page 15.

I'll read out the item again.

And I know there is a substitute.

So item 2026-0385.

All commission districts, a resolution of the governing authority of DeCap County, Georgia, urging adoption of the unhoused support and services plan, establishing implementation expectations and accountability and for other lawful purposes.

Motion to approve item 0385 with several the substitute with a few friendly amendments from our chief housing officer.

And you're seconding commissioner Terry.

Okay.

Commissioner Long Spears, you have the floor.

Great.

Thank you so much.

All righty.

Um so there he is.

Okay.

Chief Housing Officer is here.

If you wouldn't mind coming to the podium, I'm guessing my colleagues might have some questions for you.

Um, but for the public's knowledge, um, this was an item that was discussed earlier.

Our director Ferguson and Alan both um have reviewed this previously.

This is yet another substitute.

And then during our break, they also provided some additional friendly amendments, and I'll just talk through those briefly.

Sure.

So the first one is actually, and make sure I'm I'm right on, sir.

But the first one is on the cover page, the agenda item page, where it says fiscal impact.

He said that he is okay with TBD at this stage.

Um because one, they're not requesting funding, but that will be a conversation moving forward, correct, sir?

Yes, absolutely.

Um, so within the you know, unhoused plan that was you know presented.

Um, they have an estimated you know budget within that, you know, for all of those uh recommendations.

Uh and that comes at an annual cost.

And I want to say their projection was around seven and a half million dollars on an annual basis.

Uh so given that we're already underway with some of those you know, current activities, and we've kind of yet to determine kind of which of those recommendations are going to be finalized and uh incorporated into the comprehensive housing plan.

Yeah, I think it's best at this point to you know just kind of full transparency to say that's to be determined because we'll have to go through an analysis to really try to understand what's the exact fiscal impact, and because we're not requesting dollars today, uh, you know, to support that, I'm comfortable with it being you know, to be determined because I think that's gonna be the outcome.

Fantastic.

Some of the discussions we'll have.

All righty.

So um as a sponsor of the item, I accept that friendly amendment on the cover page.

One second, Commissioner Long Spears.

Commissioner Patrick wanted to verify what section you were talking about again.

Oh, sure.

Um, it's on the cover page under the fiscal impact section.

Oh, I'm not gonna go.

Yeah, cover page.

Yeah, on the sub.

Okay.

The second um request came from this morning, and that was where under the be it further resolve that the chief executive officer, chief housing officer, or as designee is to be included in here.

So I accept that friendly amendment as well.

And do you want is there anything else you want to say on that?

Now again, you know, as I you know mentioned this morning, it just kind of takes away kind of any ambiguity in regards to you know this being you know, kind of my charge, you know, with the chief housing officer uh to you know, really kind of you know conduct and and gather this form together to have these discussions, you know, as well as you know, ultimately, you know, engaging in the discussion in regards to what gets incorporated into the comprehensive housing plan, and you know, in accordance with the comprehensive housing plan, we're anticipating uh we're going to do and perform quarterly updates, you know, to the governing body, you know, to various you know committees uh on the progress uh and implementation of that plan.

So it just aligns uh with everything that you know those communications and that those efforts are going to be led by my office of housing and chief housing officer.

Thank you, sir.

So um one says I'm excuse me, and it says my designee because I just got a new project manager under to assist me.

So Paige might be leading some of these discussions.

Okay, very good.

So um I accept that friendly amendment and and agreement that it's important that specifically the chief housing officer is included um in this resolution, and we're all or at least I'll speak on my behalf.

Very excited to have your role here with DeCap County.

The third, and I believe final friendly amendment that you requested.

You kind of threw the softball to me a minute ago.

But it's in the section above the be it further resolved section.

It's in the now, therefore, be it resolved section.

It's the final sentence, and it states and supports the incorporation of the final edition of the unhoused services and support plan into the DeCab County comprehensive housing plan.

So it was simply adding that word housing into it.

Is that correct, sir?

Yes, yes, because it's you know, it's the there's uh totally different exercise in regards to the comprehensive plan for the cab county deals with planning zoning and land use, and so it just provides that clarity as to comprehensive housing plan.

Excellent cash.

Yes, two very different beasts for sure.

Um okay, sir.

Did we capture all of yours and director Mitchell's request?

Yeah, I believe uh I believe so.

Again, you know, I look at the cover, I look at the resolution as the document, you know, that we follow, you know, the cover page.

Right.

Those edits were just for you know clarification and consistency.

Okay, very good.

Thank you so much.

I yield back.

Thank you, Commissioner Davis Johnson.

Yep.

Oh, you want to yield, Commissioner Bolton?

Commissioner Bolton.

I I would recommend that because uh early in earlier conversations we indicated that there are some strategies, tactics, and initiatives that are in place are already that would be consistent with some of the language that's in here.

If we can update this to essentially reaffirm what we're already doing and distinguish what is a new proposition so that it doesn't appear that we're trying to reinvent essentially reinvent the will or redo some of the activities that are already in place or operations that are already in place.

Yeah.

Um it looks like director Mitchell wanted to some of those.

Both of you, but I I just saw that it seemed he needed he wanted to speak to that.

Oh, yes, Commissioner.

I think you're allowing me to speak.

Uh to your point, uh, there are a number of things we have underway, and if you recall the board has voted on these things, uh really go through about three of these things.

Uh, you approved a congregate shelter uh some time ago, uh which is with frontline, where we have a capacity of over 400 individuals that could be housed.

Uh we're currently working with the frontline, which is uh clearly one of the recommendations which we're in agreement with.

So that's currently underway.

Also, you approved the uh day center, uh, which allows us to be able to have a day center um locally in Covington Highway, but we're also working uh on additional one in the north because it was a great idea to have logistically at least three, but St.

Vincent DePaul is uh uh I submitted a proposal you heard that earlier today uh from one of the individuals that spoke publicly, but we're working aggressively to be able to bring on a northern location for a day center.

So we have one approved, we're working on also we have a second one we're looking at.

Uh also the third thing is expanding the outreach team.

We've done a lot of work to be able to expand the bill that they have on outreach teams to be able to get with homeless individuals and encampments.

Those are three things that you've already seen embraced, and we currently have underway.

Uh so I'll just make you aware of those things.

So we have momentum on these things that are being recommended.

So yeah, and so considering that those are some of the major operations that we already have in place or that have are previously been proposed, I would like to see those reaffirmed in this document so that it's clear to the community there have been actions already in place, and this would ultimately supplement what we're doing.

Certainly, and so um, you know, there's a I guess a couple of different ways we can handle it in regards to we can include some statements uh in the whereas section that uh identifies you know previous actions that the board uh commissioners has approved in regards to those efforts, and so those are you know kind of clearly called out and spelled out that you know they are you know supportive of the recommendations that you know are in the on-house plan.

I think that's probably the most you know kind of straightforward way uh you know to make sure that you know those are uh are are clearly called out.

Um, or we could do it, you know, and we can include that in the resolution.

Um or we could do it with ever you know type of pathway the board of commissioners, you know, you know, recommends, or if there's a different pathway recommended by the interim county attorney uh you know, just open you know to discussion how we incorporate those elements.

Okay, and I would also ask to the county attorneys with the rec some of the requests that we've made, would we need to defer this to include these, or are they minor enough to be friendly amendments?

I I think they can be friendly.

We're gonna need to provide the appropriate substitute for the clerk's office immediately, but from what I've heard, I don't think that what's been discussed today warrants bringing it back, not independent of any other considerations.

Okay, okay.

Can you just restate that what you just communicated?

Sure.

What I've heard today doesn't warrant bringing it back.

They were minor tweaks to the document as I understood it, but a substitute will have to be prepared for the clerk today so that the record can be done and you can in a timely fashion approve your minutes with the substitute item included.

Okay.

And with that, I yield back.

Thank you.

Um Commissioner Davis Johnson, did you still want to speak or you okay?

Go ahead.

Okay.

Okay, so these eight initiatives we're already doing.

Well, it's not necessarily being considered it's not necessarily that the all of those eight initiatives are are currently in progress.

Uh you just heard uh director Mitchell mentioned some of the things that have been recommended, you know, within that unhoused plan, we're already you know actively doing.

You know, the you know, Board of Commissioners approved the congregate shelter, the board of commissioners approved, you know, a you know, day sheltered services uh center.

Um, you know, the board of commissioners has previously approved, increasing you know, resources and providing resources for more outreach.

So some of those things were already actively doing.

There are other things that have been recommended that we've been having internal discussions around.

So in that particular aspect, we recognize you know, for example, a there is a need for a non-congregate family shelter here in the county.

We don't have one.

And so you know, trying to, we're in the early stages of kind of ideation around okay, what does a non-congregate family shelter look like for the Cab County, and what's the pathway to try to get that accomplished.

So there are other things that you know we're thinking about and we're contemplating, but they're not active projects at this particular.

Okay, so the behavior stakeholders group would only through this resolution, as you see it, as the both of you see it, would only make recommendations to the administration.

Is that correct?

Yeah, so it's my expectation is that we're going to involve and engage in a conversation with the behavioral uh health stakeholder group, uh, you know, this working group that conducted the plan.

We're also going to invite and make sure they're present, you know, the various county departments that also have a nexus around uh this issues as well as our other you know county uh public agencies uh as well.

And we're going to engage in really kind of a group effort to really understand these recommendations, understand again and make sure everybody's on the same page uh around efforts that we're clearly pursuing.

Decisions are going to be made by whom so I think the yeah, so after after it's all of that.

After it's all said and done, because the comprehensive plan does come through the administration, we'll have you know final you know, say so over what recommendations gets included within the comprehensive housing plan.

But those are our recommendations.

It's very similar to other exercises that have been done in the county.

There will be dialogue and conversation with the board of commissioners on those recommendations before they get finalized and being brought to the board uh of commissioners.

So ultimately, this body is the body that approves that comprehensive housing plan as the housing plan for you know the Cab County.

But from an administrative standpoint, the administration's perspective, we are going to provide our opinion and our recommendations around which ones are most operationally viable, legally permissible, and uh and fiscally and financially you know responsible.

That's our role.

And you as and and that goes for recommendations in regards to the unhoused and the homeless, as well as all of the other you know, recommendations that are going to be lifted up and put forth within the comprehensive housing.

My next question is, and you've had an opportunity to review this, is all of that in a nutshell that you just told me, as you just told us, is in this resolution so it's clear and plain what the roles are.

So not to that level of detail.

I think that I think that it needs to be.

Yeah.

So that, and if it's not um, Mr.

County Attorney, if it's not uh when we do a when we do an amendment or a sub on this, I would like to see that um everything that we just talked about is clearly defined in the substitute, so that roles are defined, and also um what opposition is, what has been done, the da-da-da-da-da.

So there is no ambiguity uh in this document at all.

Okay.

I I want to point two things out for context, Commissioners, please.

The if you look at the the second page, what has not been changed, that is vital language, now therefore, be it resolved by the governing authority of the Cab County, Georgia, that the county hereby urges, urges, next paragraph.

Be it further resolved that the chief executive officer or chief hearing officer or his designee is respectfully urged.

This is an urging resolution with the exception of the last, be it further resolved.

The county requests quarterly progress updates.

So the only thing that's mandatory here as I read this, and Commissioner Spears rescue me if I'm not reading it properly, is the reporting.

Yes, sir.

That's correct.

Okay.

So you had exhausted your time, Commissioner Davis Johnson.

You can come back for a second time if you need to add more questions.

All right.

Commissioner Massaia.

Thank you so much, Madam P.

O.

So just to make sure it is clear as day.

Um, I know that again, you guys have been working tirelessly to um to ensure that we have a plan and to update it based on the needs of the county.

But just very and I understand there's some recommendations that are being offered that we have not actually implemented yet, though it clearly has been um considered and discussed.

But just in general, how is this really different than the plan that we would set forth um with the updates and changes?

Is it necessary really to have something completely separate and apart to do what we're already doing and planning to do anyway?

So I uh just to you know speak frankly, that's the whole reason why we're pursuing this version of the resolution.

I don't believe that a separate plan for the homeless is necessary.

I think serving the homeless and under housed population falls under the umbrella of a comprehensive housing plan for the CAB County, and that comprehensive housing plan we're looking at, you know, our entire you know population, all of its diversity, and everyone that we're seeking to serve in regards to housing opportunity, and that does not preclude or exclude the homeless and the unhoused.

It's from the very beginning, it's been a part of the conversation that has been actually part of the directive that all of those elements are going to be touched.

So I'm not proposing that we have a separate plan.

What I'm proposing is that there's been you know work done by a stakeholder group on developing this plan.

Obviously, some of their recommendations are very valid as evidenced by we're already pursuing initiatives that align with some of their you know recommendations, and so I intend to essentially have the conversation, make sure that there's a meeting of mine, especially in regards to prioritization of activities, because even though I like to think we have an infinite amount of resources here in the Cav County, I think we all know and understand we don't.

And so we'll there have to be some conversations around prioritization of efforts where we could vote our resources, you know, across you know the housing uh spectrum.

And so what comes out of that discussion and gets recommended to be included in the comprehensive housing plan uh along with whatever types of requests that come before the board of commissioners, we're gonna have that uh discussion.

So I don't think a separate homeless plan is necessary or needed.

I think a this plan, this body of work, this information needs to be digested, reviewed, and we'll take what's good and best and viable out of it and lift it up into a comprehensive housing plan.

Completely understand and agree, which is what you guys are doing anyway, in making sure that it is operationally sound, that is legally permissible and fiscally that we have the capacity to actually do it.

Yeah, exactly.

With that, I yield back.

Thank you, Commissioner Long Spears.

Thank you very much.

Madam Presiding Officers, I was copiously taking notes as y'all were speaking, and just wanted to address some of the questions and concerns that have been stated by my colleagues.

The first is it was pointed out this is an urging resolution.

So please keep that in mind.

We're just urging the administration to review the report and consider the eight recommendations that were presented on behalf of the stakeholder group.

And again, there was about two dozen um different entities involved with the development of those eight urging of the one urging resolution for eight recommendations.

The second point I wanted to address was from Commissioner Bolton.

So my friendly amendment so that we capture what you were concerned about, is the title of this could be a resolution of the governing authority of the Cab County, Georgia, urging again, note the word urging adoption of the unhoused support and services plan, then perhaps a second statement reaffirming the housing strategies currently in place, such as the day shelter.

I don't know that we necessarily need that language, but that would reaffirm that things are actually happening right now.

I believe that was at the root of your concern.

You didn't want the public to think nothing was happening, but that is a way that we can certainly include that in there.

Um, under fist fiscal impact, as we already previously discussed, um, Dr.

Ferguson, he want to call you commissioner for now.

But Dr.

Ferguson, and not any of your um go ahead under fiscal impact to do a TBD, and he was comfortable with that.

Um moving on to um there was a concern about what we're currently doing and not doing, and I don't remember who actually asked the question, but of the eight recommendations, we are not doing all of them.

An example is which he pointed out was the uh low barrier family shelter, which we don't have and they're currently exploring.

I'm so glad to hear that, by the way.

And again, just a reminder, these are just these are recommend not just, I don't want to minimize, these are recommendations on behalf of a two-dozen member stakeholder group that they worked on for over six months to provide this document to us.

Um moving on.

There was a again back to Dr.

Bolton.

So I do agree with you a friendly amendment that will include a whereas statement, just specifically stating that some of the activities that are currently in place.

So just to uh put a pen in this and make sure we're all on the same page, is that in the title of it, we'll add a statement there.

I've got my notes everywhere, reaffirming the housing strategies currently in place under purpose.

Second, is we'll add a whereas statement just identifying some of the strategies and activities that are currently in place.

Then we discuss just for the DeCab County comprehensive housing plan, making that minor change.

We have already discussed adding chief housing officer or designee.

And then lastly, I believe this was Commissioner Davis Johnson.

Um there's two different sections here.

Consider the recommendations presented by the stakeholder group, including identifying runt responsibility for competing convening partners by an unhoused stakeholder work group, and that is what Dr.

Ferguson spoke to earlier is that after this is passed, they will then reconvene all of the stakeholders, talk about those recommendations, what has been done, what it hasn't been done, what's feasible, what's not, and then all of this to the final point I wanted to make, and I can't remember who asked it, but might have been Commissioner Masaya, is that these are again recommendations that will roll up into the DeCab County Comprehensive Housing Plan, so it's not a separate plan.

It will all just be one big housing plan that includes these recommendations in there.

All right.

So I think I hit on all of y'all's concerns that I've heard today.

So with that, I will yield back.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Bolton.

Your second time.

Okay.

Um with your well, first, Commissioner Longspears, thank you so much for um considering the amendments that I just suggested.

But I do want to make sure, based on your last statement, are you saying that this will be um an amendment to the comprehensive housing plan?

Is that what you're suggesting?

Um no, ma'am.

They're actually in the midst of the housing plan process right now.

Okay, and um I'm not quite certain now what the anticipated completion date of that is.

Was it for the comprehensive housing plan is due for completion of around October?

That's what I was thinking.

Okay, before in presentation to the Board of Commissioners in November uh of this year.

Um I should also mention we you know, as you are well aware, we had a series of community conversations to get resident and stakeholder uh input.

The team is digesting that along with a lot of other uh data and information that they received, and so when they formulated you know, some recommendations when we formulated some recommendations, the intent is probably August uh September early September time frame to return back to the community to socialize the proposed recommendations, get feedback, get buy-in before we finalize those and bring those before the board of commissioners, and they get incorporated into a final plan.

Okay, thank you for that explanation.

Um, and also considering that we will be it's was just proposed to update both the title and the we're s statement with the friendly amendments.

I would like to be to request to be added as a co-sponsor on this legislation as well.

Happy to do so.

Thank you for joining.

Thank you.

Commissioner Davis Johnson for your second time.

Okay.

Um just wanted to make sure that all of the language and all of the intentions that we've stated here are included and is a part of the substitute.

So once you've had a chance to review what um county attorney Terry have submitted based on our conversations today, um, I would like to see that.

Yes, absolutely.

And I'd like to talk with you about it to make sure that we're on the same page that we understand what is in this substitute, because I believe that if we have a comprehensive plan and we reach out for community involvement, I don't see the need for this resolution.

But if you all see the need for this resolution, you know, I will defer to your judgment.

But I mean, if you get in community involvement and you getting input from different sources throughout, uh, why do we even need this resolution?

I guess you can tell me that.

So, yeah, you know, my best response to that, uh, Commissioner Davis Johnson is, you know, I came to DeCab County to do the work.

I'm sorry.

I came to the Cab County to do the work and the work and you know in the housing space.

Um, and so when I landed, you know, this effort around the comprehensive housing plan, you know, had already been approved, you know, by the board and and was underway.

And so I I took it upon, you know, as part of my responsibility and chief housing officer to get involved to get engaged and kind of shape, if you will, that comprehensive housing plan to make sure that it's inclusive of all arenas, you know, you know, every you know, population, the diversity that we see represented uh within uh the Cab County amongst our population as well as our housing needs.

Um and so, you know, I've I've been doing doing that work.

Um there have been other efforts that started uh you know before I arrived in the Cal County as well, uh, and you know, with the Cab County government as well, and and they've you know been doing work as well.

It's not I'm not here to kind of discount or dismiss the good efforts that you know all parties you know have been doing or been engaged in.

Um, but what I am here to do is really to make sure that we're driving a cohesive and collaborative effort that touches all of the Cab County, our diverse you know, population, and trying the best we can to serve our very different and and varied how you know housing needs.

So you know, if you're if you're asking me if you're asking, okay.

Well, I I do understand, let me say this.

Yes, I I do understand what you're saying because before you came, we were all over the place.

And that's because we did not have a chief housing officer to coordinate all of that.

Everyone had their own ideas as to how and taking nothing away from the work uh uh the the workforce taking nothing away from the task force, I would say.

Uh we didn't have anything.

And so everybody was coming up with their own solutions for dealing with this, but now we do.

You know, so we appreciate all of the work and I definitely appreciate all of the work because I'm hearing it from every commissioner, what we should do on housing when really none of us are experts on housing.

So when we brought in, and so I guess that's the reason a committee was formed, and I appreciate that committee, but we have a housing um person there that pretty much have the background and know what to do and listen to the community, open-minded and listening to all of us.

So if we're gonna have one, this continuing, I mean this um resolution, then I just want to make sure that it is consistent with what our housing.

That's what I thought.

Housing Zah.

I just want to make sure it's consistent with what a housing C as we move forward to be cooperative, collaborative with the community and all other stakeholders that may have an interest or knowledge as to how we should move forward.

Yes.

And that's the reason I just want to make sure when we get this again, we don't have to do anything else.

We won't have a last-minute amendment to go with what this amendment is or sub is that we're moving for to take care of the unhoused and the homeless in uh the Camp County.

And so um with that, I yield back.

Thank you, Commissioner Davis Johnson.

Commissioner Terry.

Thank you.

Um Dr.

Ferguson.

Um so just one question for you.

Um now that you've heard all of the uh amendments and other, you know, sort of the final verbias that we've all discussed up here um for like the last 40 minutes, it seems like, um, are you in support of approving this item?

With all of the amendments and the language included, um, if the board of commissioners decide to vote on this resolution, then you know, then I would support it because you know, as I said previously, we're not creating a separate plan.

You know, these recommendations, you know, these you know, suggestions, you know, need to be discussed, they need to be contemplated, we need to figure out what's most viable, um, and they need to be lifted up and incorporated into the comprehensive housing plan.

Uh, and so as long as everybody understands that you know this effort is, you know, to Commissioner Davis Johnson's point, you know, collaborative and cooperation with community, stakeholders, public agencies, so on and so forth.

Um, as long as w everybody's under that clear you know understanding, then yes, uh in support of it.

If everyone is not under that clear understanding, I'm more than happy to take a step back, draw up a you know, complete kind of scope of work of what the working group form would look like and you know how the sessions would be conducted and to bring that clarity, that depth of detail so that you clearly know and understand the outline of the path uh that I'm headed on.

Right.

Well, I mean, sorry, I'll ask a second question since you brought it up.

I mean, it seems like you already have a plan of action for this resolution approves, you're gonna incorporate what was previously done in the unhoused plan and factored into the overall housing plan.

So that's what you're gonna work on.

Yeah, but but it but that needs to occur after you know there's been some discussion.

Yeah, we got a visit on a variety of different issues, but you know, we you know we need to follow a process.

Yeah, we have until October, right?

Yeah, we got yeah, we got until I'll get a lot of work to do.

A lot a lot could happen.

Yeah, so let's go ahead and approve this and let's keep moving.

Yes.

Thanks.

Commissioner Massaia.

Thank you so much, Madam PO, and and I appreciate um your response.

And so, in terms of um the urgency to adopt the plan, I mean, and that's why I I keep wanting to call it a separate plan because even in the verbiage, it's saying adopt a plan.

Even if you're urging, if you're suggesting, if you're kicking, if you're prodding, if you're poking, you know, if you're twinking, it's still to adopt a plan when we have a plan that is presently in development and being developed.

And so it still makes it two separate plans, even if you're suggesting someone to urge if they're urging someone to adopt something different.

Additionally, it seems like um that with you identifying, you know, sort of the route, and I'm looking for it very much to you know what you can do, what you will do with the time that is necessary to really take the bites out of this elephant that's very necessary.

It's obviously a very complex matter and issue, and that's one of the reasons why we have Director Mitchell involved in terms of you know, just some other um considerations.

It's not just a dwelling, right?

And if it was just that simple, then you know, uh, we wouldn't have spent 45 minutes or 50 minutes, you know, dealing with it, but it's necessary for us to to flush this through.

Um, but it still sounds like you know, it's still too separate, even if you're incorporating pieces of it.

And so with that, there's the recommendations.

I personally would like to see and understand what specific recommendations are issues that would even be included in the plan, and I think that was one of the things we had talked about earlier on, is that I want to understand if there's some you know great recommendations and issues with others, what are those particular recommendations that we anticipate adopting and which you know what are the specific issues with the others before we actually move forward?

Then also, you know, um that clarity you know piece um you know I think is extremely important, and so the opportunity to provide a clear scope of work so that we can understand, particularly where we have the responsibility of funding, and we have a plan presently that is TBD on funding.

I would just like to see the extensive body of work put forth and we roll with that.

If you want to work with you know the consultants and the groups and the stakeholders and behavior health, you know, I don't know why it's not a housing health group or a housing group, but you know, the behavior health group and all the you want to do that, then fantastic.

But I want to see what you have the capacity to do and what you on your own accord can suggest to us is the best plan and path moving forward um absent again, some of the unnecessary um pressure and conflict.

With that, I yield back to you, Madam P.

L.

Thank you, Commissioner Patrick.

First time I believe.

It is but I'm still experienced.

Um Director, thank you again for coming back.

Uh Commissioner Spears, thank you for your efforts getting to this point.

Uh I'll just be honest, I was ready to approve this today and move on to the next item.

And um the conversation has sort of made me feel like one, since there seems to be a fair amount of of um friendly amendments and changes that are being suggested, perhaps we need to come back and re-look at this.

Uh my question to you though is uh director, is is this.

Um you've said that there is an overall housing strategy which includes housing needs for single family, residential, multifamily, I'm assuming.

And then you're also going to equally put attention towards the unhoused issues that we have.

And that's people sleeping on the streets, uh, people that uh are in extended state hotels, any other kind of non-stable housing conditions is what you're going to be contemplating.

Is that is that correct?

Uh not exactly.

What I really stated was that what we're trying to do is make sure that we touch every segment of the housing needs and the diverse populations that we need to serve you know within DeCab County.

That doesn't necessarily you know translate to treating each group equally, you know, per se.

Um because they're they're not all equal in some aspects, you know, we have greater needs than others.

So I don't expect that they'll all be treated equally.

Um but what I do expect is that um we're going to you know identify the needs for our diverse population.

We're gonna put forth uh suggestions or recommendations, you know, to serve uh those diverse populations that you know we think is the most responsible operational viable way, a physically responsible way to do that uh as a county, and then the Board of Commissioners will have that opportunity to you know vote that into existence, and then that's gonna be our guide, our plan going forward.

Okay.

Um and sort of what I've been hearing from the conversation here is is that there may be a view that this is a component of the conversations and then investigations that you're gonna be doing uh to come up with that final product in October, is that correct?

Yes, correct.

And and and what I would say that, you know, whether this resolution passes or not uh today, we're still going to continue that work and we're still going to continue to have those conversations.

So uh to Commissioners Messiah's points that she was making earlier, the level of detail that you'd like to see in terms of what are our specific recommendations, you know, who's gonna lead and implement those efforts, what type of you know, kind of structural and infrastructural investments that we need to make as a county in order to make that happen.

And then what's the you know immediate and ongoing you know fiscal impact of those efforts, you know, that type of work, those types of conversations are are yet to happen.

And so if the commissioners, you know, are desiring that level of detail and information, you know, here today, I don't have it.

Right.

But regardless of whether this resolution passes, we're going to work to get it.

And we're going to you know provide that information to the board of commissioners so you'll be fully informed of the decisions that you're making and the impacts you know that they'll have so.

I guess uh a couple of wordsmithing suggestions that I would have.

And this is uh right now focused in on the title.

So it currently says a resolution of the governing authority of DeCap County, Georgia, urging, and then the what I would respectfully suggest, uh consideration of recommendations of the unhoused support and services plan as part of the broader housing plan of the Cap County.

And I don't know if that would be something that folks could get behind.

And I also will acknowledge, you know, uh, we're doing this all on the fly, and uh it may be worthwhile just getting the final version back and then moving forward with it.

But I think if I've what I've heard from my colleagues as well as the concerns I've had it as well as what uh director has said, um I I think that might be a way to move forward, but again, that's uh that's a suggestion uh for the for the topic.

I've got five minutes and I'm gonna hold my fire for the next topic.

But did I hear you ask a question to Commissioner Long Spears?

Because she's out of time, so I'm if she needs to answer it, I'd like her to pick up.

Yes, I accept your friendly amendment.

You'd be good with that?

Yes.

Okay.

Absolutely.

Would would you be comfortable if we just get it all wordsmithed and brought back in two weeks and then we can get her done with something that we can all read.

So are you suggesting a deferral of two weeks?

If you would be comfortable with that, that and that if that gets us to a yes, uh, I'd much rather have a seven zero than uh anything anything uh vote.

So if that's Madam P.

Ok, may I um thank you kindly?

So I am amending my motion to a two-week deferral to be back at the second business meeting in April.

The 28th.

Does your second stand, Commissioner Terry?

What is the date?

I think it's the 28th.

I think it is okay, 28, thank you.

April 28th.

Commissioner Terry, does your second stand?

Okay.

So the motion has been amended to a two two-week deferral.

See Commission Commissioner.

See, I do the same thing.

They get up there, we want to call everyone commissioner.

Attorney Phillips.

I I just want to clarify one point from comments made by Commissioner Marita Davis Johnson.

The law department was not the drafter of this document, and we don't hold the latest version.

So I I wouldn't want Commissioner Davis Johnson or any of you to think that the law department was going to make these changes.

We'll help whoever the drafter is.

If they want our help, we're always available to dive in.

But I I just want to clarify that with all due respect, of course.

Yes, but I've got two week deferral.

Can we vote?

Yes.

Can we please vote?

Thank you.

Machines are open.

That two-week deferral is carries.

Now for the most important motion of the entire day.

Second.

When you hit the button, waiting for Bolton.

Oh.

There we go.

Aye.

I have a question.

Are we doing that?

I was just about to ask that too.

So it is 145.

You want to convene ops in five minutes?

They need a couple minutes to switch over.

Okay.

So options have the time to say what time will start?

Fabs off first.

Okay.

Marita.