DeKalb County Operations Committee Meeting - April 21, 2026\n\nThe DeKalb County Operations Committee (Ops Committee) met on April 21, 2026, at 6:00 PM, chaired by Commissioner Marita Davis Johnson. The committee approved several routine items, including funding for HVAC repairs at fire stations, police uniform contracts, and AV equipment for the Maloof Annex Auditorium. It also realigned committee responsibilities by moving animal enforcement services and fleet management to other committees. A discussion on proposed changes to the standing procedural rules and a charter review regarding subpoena powers and community engagement programs took place but no final votes were taken on those items.\n\n### Consent Calendar\n- Approval of Minutes: The committee approved the minutes from the April 21st, April 14th special call, and April 16th special call meetings. (Motion to approve items 0366, 072, 7252, and 0753.)\n- Change Order for HVAC Repairs (Item 260278): Approved a $300,000 increase to the contract with B&W Mechanical Contractors, Inc. for on-call HVAC services at fire stations. The contract runs through July 31, 2026.\n- Change Order for Police Uniforms (Item 260279): Approved a $556,000 increase to contracts with Calls, LLC and Smyrna Police Distributors for work uniforms for public safety personnel, due to increased staffing and higher costs.\n- AV Equipment for Maloof Annex Auditorium (Item 260761): Approved $1,000,000 for Atlanta Soundworks LLC to purchase and install audio-visual equipment in the Maloof Auditorium, including displays, screens, cameras, and speakers for broadcasting meetings and events.\n- Committee Responsibility Realignment (Item 260729): Approved updating the Board of Commissioners’ committee areas of responsibility by moving Animal Enforcement Services from the Ops Committee to the Employee Relations and Public Safety (ERPS) Committee, and moving Fleet Management from Ops to the Public Works and Infrastructure (PWI) Committee.\n\n### Discussion Items\n- Standing Procedural Rules (Blue Book): The committee reviewed a tracker of decisions on the standing procedural rules. Commissioners agreed to note sections without contention to avoid re-discussing them. A proposal by Commissioner Long Spears to change speaker times for commissioners to five minutes for the first speech, three minutes for the second, and no third speech was discussed. The committee decided to place this as an agenda item for the April 28th meeting, with the law department drafting the language for both a temporary and a permanent change.\n- Charter Review – Section 9 (Powers and Duties of the Commission): The committee discussed two Charter Review Commission recommendations:\n 1. Community Engagement Programs: The CRC recommended adding language to allow the Board of Commissioners to establish community engagement programs (e.g., community councils, neighborhood planning units). The CEO’s office requested additional information; no position was stated.\n 2. Subpoena Power: The CRC recommended giving the BOC subpoena power to investigate county affairs, subject to an authorizing resolution. The CEO opposed, stating it blurs lines between executive and legislative powers. Commissioner Terry argued for a compromise allowing the BOC to subpoena only the CEO as a backstop to obtain critical information. Commissioner Bowden and Patrick opposed subpoena power, citing the adequacy of existing mechanisms like open records requests and the independent auditor. Commissioner Johnson expressed support for the CEO’s position. No vote was taken; discussion was deferred.\n\n### Key Outcomes\n- All items on the consent calendar were approved unanimously.\n- The committee directed staff to add an agenda item for the April 28th meeting to amend the standing procedural rules regarding commissioner speaker times. The law department will prepare the necessary language for immediate effect and a permanent change.\n- No decisions were made on the charter review recommendations; discussion will continue at a future meeting.\n- The committee noted that staff will update the standing rules tracker to highlight uncontested sections.\n- Commissioner Johnson requested that the status of the HVAC system at the Dunwoody Library be assessed and the findings shared with Dunwoody council members.\n- The meeting adjourned at approximately 6:45 PM.