OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

DeKalb County Board of Commissioners Meeting – April 14, 2026

Board of Commissioners & Committees — Tuesday, April 14, 2026
BodyDekalb County, Georgia
SessionBoard of Commissioners & Committees
DateTuesday, April 14, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 4:43:48

Transcript — Verbatim
0:11

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

0:17

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

0:21

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

0:27

Um, just a little bit of housekeeping.

0:30

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.

0:39

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

0:44

Thank you.

0:45

So we will move right into this.

0:47

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

0:54

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

0:59

Bishop Tracy L.

1:00

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

1:07

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.

1:19

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.

1:28

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.

1:38

Morton.

1:39

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

1:47

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

1:57

Good morning, Bishop Bowles.

2:01

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.

2:27

Um accessible but not available for everything.

2:34

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.

2:49

Accessible, but not available for everything.

2:53

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

3:02

At first, it looks admirable.

3:04

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

3:14

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.

3:41

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.

3:58

Boundaries, number one, protect your integrity.

4:03

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

4:16

Without boundaries, lines begin to blur.

4:20

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.

5:00

Many public servants are silently exhausted.

5:04

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

5:09

Here's the truth.

5:11

You cannot give what you do not have.

5:15

Even Jesus, who had all power still stepped away.

5:21

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

5:29

Why?

5:30

Because constant access without intentional withdrawal leads to inevitable depletion.

5:38

And burnout doesn't just affect you.

5:42

It also affects everyone connected to you.

5:47

Number three.

5:49

Boundaries clarify your assignment.

5:54

One of the greatest dangers in public service is this.

5:58

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

6:04

Every need is not your assignment, particularly.

6:10

Every opportunity is not your calling.

6:13

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

6:20

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

6:27

Number four.

6:29

Boundaries teach people how to treat you.

6:35

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

6:40

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

6:46

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

6:57

And it is this.

7:14

Boundaries preserve your life outside of your role.

7:20

Here's a hard truth.

7:22

Many public servants succeed publicly, but fail privately.

8:01

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

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural███████████████15%
Pending Litigation███████████████15%
Homelessness███████████11%
Affordable Housing█████████9%
Public Works Maintenance██████6%
Public Engagement████4%
Public Safety████4%
Historic Preservation████4%
Noise Regulation████4%
Summary of Proceedings

DeKalb County Board of Commissioners Meeting – April 14, 2026

The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners convened on April 14, 2026, at 9:00 AM under the presiding of District 4 Commissioner Shakira Johnson. The meeting included an inspirational message, two proclamations, public comments, a public hearing, and numerous agenda items spanning consent, ordinances, contracts, and resolutions. Several items were deferred for further review, while others were approved with substitutes or amendments.

Inspirational Message

  • Bishop Tracy Bowles of New Beginning Full Gospel Baptist Church delivered a message titled "Accessible, but not available for everything," emphasizing the importance of boundaries for public servants to sustain integrity, energy, and focus.

Proclamations

  • Commissioner Marita Davis Johnson presented a proclamation declaring April 14, 2026 as Kevin Hunter Day in DeKalb County, honoring the late zoning administrator’s 25+ years of service.
  • Commissioner Michelle Long Spears presented a proclamation recognizing Dr. Jane Goodall Recognition Day on April 14, 2026, celebrating her legacy and highlighting the DeKalb Youth Explorers Program, which sent students to Costa Rica for environmental conservation.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Jane Dunaway (unincorporated Stone Mountain, Soil & Water Conservation District) opposed the data center text amendment, citing lack of a discharge plan for chemically infused water, risk to water treatment plants and the South River, and no bond or compliance plan. She noted the county remains under a consent decree for sanitary sewer overflows.
  • Jackie Malcolm (District 3 near Boulder Crest) praised Commissioner Long Spears’ community event but raised concerns about inadequate fire station coverage for a proposed 2M sq ft data campus and lack of animal food assistance on the south side.
  • Gina Mangum (East DeKalb, Districts 5 & 7) criticized the data center process as lacking two-way communication, despite outreach to commissioners. She voiced concerns about water depletion, potential contamination from forever chemicals, fire risks, and uncertain revenue benefits.
  • Stephen Benny urged completion of the charter review by September 2026, criticized slow progress on Intrenchment Creek Park, and accused Commissioner Messiah of possibly grandfathering data centers. He spoke only for himself.
  • Betty Prather (District 3, Cedar Grove) asked commissioners to remove Cedar Grove Elementary and High School from the closure list, citing negative impacts on property values, business attraction, and student transportation.
  • Lisa Regan (Associate Executive Director, St. Vincent de Paul Georgia) supported the unhoused support and services plan, emphasizing the need for service hubs providing basic needs and coordinated access.
  • Kimberly Henderson (Bradford Square Condominium Association, District 1) requested clearing of a clogged culvert on North Fork Peachtree Creek to prevent erosion threatening residential buildings. She noted a work order was issued 43 days prior but not executed.
  • James Fisher (owner, EGP Inc.) protested a massive property tax assessment increase from $6,700 to $36,294, stating it would force his business to close. He requested a freeze and use of comparable properties.
  • A representative from the Society of St. Hall affirmed support for the unhoused plan, noting the importance of service hubs, a data platform to avoid duplication, and the need for longer entry times into the system.

Public Hearing

  • Item 2026-0617 (Septic to Sewer Petition, Forest Road, Districts 4 & 7): Director Reginald Wells (Watershed Management) presented a substitute to correct public hearing notices. The item was approved unanimously to extend sewer lines 300 linear feet for failing septic systems.

Consent Calendar

  • Multiple routine appointments (Women’s Commission, etc.) were recorded.
  • Appointments to the Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Affairs Board (Sheldon Fleming) and Development Authority (Commissioner Shakira Johnson) were approved.
  • Consent agenda items (airport leases, district appropriations, minutes, grants) were approved en bloc.

Discussion Items

  • Item 2026-0596 (Animal Restraint Ordinance): Deferred two weeks to April 28, 2026, for further ERPS review.
  • Item 2026-0413 (Mowing & Maintenance Contract): After debate on adding cemetery maintenance, the board approved the contract with a friendly amendment to include the Thomasville cemetery for mowing, provided it meets legal requirements. Commissioner Messiah expressed concern about labeling cemeteries as abandoned without court process. The amendment passed.
  • Item 2025-1760 (Park Pride Grant): Deferred to April 28, 2026 for PECS review.
  • Items 2026-0436 and 2026-0568 (Watershed agreements): Approved.
  • Items 2024-1237 and 2024-1239 (Nuisance and vacant property ordinances): Deferred 30 days to allow for further legal and operational clarity.
  • Item 2026-0385 (Unhoused Support and Services Plan Resolution): Extensively debated with multiple friendly amendments proposed and withdrawn. Ultimately, the item was deferred two weeks to April 28, 2026, to allow for final wordsmithing and clarification of roles.
  • Items 2025-0015 and 2025-0017 (Noise ordinance and leaf blower rebate program): Deferred to May 12, 2026 with stop in PECS on April 28, after discussion on enforcement (plainly audible vs. decibel meters). The deferral passed 5-2.
  • Item 2025-1525 (Water Customer Bill of Rights): Deferred to first meeting in May.
  • Item 2026-0158 (AI Tech Dividend Fund): Deferred two weeks.
  • Item 2026-0218 (Blasting Operations Ordinance): Deferred two weeks pending coordination with noise ordinance and fire department.
  • Item 2026-0458 (SPLOST II funding for health facilities – $13,499,000 substitute): Approved after audit review and substitute. The vote followed debate over the cost increase from $9M.
  • Items 2026-0402 and 2026-0405 (Vehicle purchase contracts): Approved with substitutes after audit.
  • Item 2026-0504 (Tax Anticipation Notes – $142.3M): Initial resolution approved; final note resolution to come April 28.
  • Item 2026-0491 (De-annexation in Stone Mountain): Approved with substitute clarifying location.
  • Other ops and PWI items approved en bloc.

Key Outcomes

  • Proclamations: Kevin Hunter Day and Dr. Jane Goodall Recognition Day in DeKalb County.
  • Septic to Sewer Petition (Forest Road): Approved.
  • Mowing Contract with Cemetery Amendment: Approved with legal criteria for cemetery maintenance.
  • Unhoused Plan Resolution: Deferred two weeks to April 28.
  • Noise Ordinance and Leaf Blower Rebate: Deferred to May 12, 2026, with a 5–2 vote.
  • SPLOST II Health Facilities Funding: Approved with substitute for $13,499,000.
  • Blasting Ordinance: Deferred two weeks.
  • Tax Anticipation Notes: Initial resolution approved for $142.3M with 3–3.5% estimated rate.
  • Two Legal Settlements Authorized from Executive Session: Participation in national opioid settlement with six remnant defendants, and PFAS chemicals settlement with Tyco/BASF.
  • Numerous contracts and appointments approved.

The meeting recessed for executive session and reconvened, finalizing business at approximately 2:00 PM.

Meeting Transcript

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.

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