Good morning, everybody, and welcome to the Board of Commissioners meeting for April 28th, 2026.

I am presiding officer and District 4 Commissioner Shekira Johnson.

We will get started with our agenda, starting with our inspirational speaker, Reverend Dr.

Dirley.

If you'd like to start making your way to this front podium for us, please.

Reverend Dr.

Gerald L.

Dirley is widely recognized as a global ambassador for civil rights, environmental justice, and faith-based leadership with a distinguished career expanding education, psychology, interfaith engagement, and public service.

Today it is both an honor and a privilege to recognize a national leader and a friend of the Cab County whose life's work has shaped movements, strengthened communities, and challenge all of us to strive for a better, strive for better, a civil rights advocate, a pastor, a bridge builder, and a steadfast champion for both people and the planet.

Reverend Dr.

Gerald L.

Dirley has been a powerful force for change from his service during the civil rights movement to his global work through the Peace Corps and through decades of leadership across Metro Atlanta.

Throughout it all, he has remained unwavering in his commitment to justice for all.

As we observe Earth Month and confront the urgent moral imperative of climate change, it is especially fitting to welcome him today to share a message of inspiration, reflection, and hope.

Good morning, sir.

No, I'll stand already?

Good morning.

Thank you for being with us.

Good morning.

Good morning.

I'm moving a little slow.

Lee because I just got out of the hospital about eight hours ago.

Oh.

And uh because this means so much, I said I would come.

I had no idea on Friday that I'd be dehydrated and that I would have a blood clot in my left leg go to my lungs.

And so they released me at uh yesterday around eight o'clock, and I said, No, I'm not coming.

I don't care if it is the Kelp County or not, I'm not coming.

But I wanted to come, Terry's such a good friend.

But let me say good morning, Chair Johnson, Commissioners, friends, distinguished guests, and citizens of DeKelb County.

It is both an honor and a sacred responsibility to stand before those of you who've been entrusted to shape the direction, the future of this county.

When I think about it, DeKalb County is more than an infrastructure budgets and policies.

It is families, it is hope in motion.

It is prayers whispered in the early morning and dreams carried into long days and hard nights.

And whether spoken or unspoken, many of those hopes are placed in you.

The planet is depending on you.

1970, they came out with Earth Day.

Fifty-six years ago, they talked about the planet and what it meant and what it means, and how God created something that was so important for all of us.

Yet we treat it like a rental car.

And so the pardons of your coming together this morning, and all the policies are so important.

So I'm glad to be here because leadership at its highest level is not just administration, it's spiritual stewardship.

I never thought that I would be involved in climate change, global warming, not me.

Not Mrs.

Dirley's boy.

Not a kid in 1960 who started with another kid named John Lewis.

He was an old man.

He was 20.

I was 18.

Jesse was 18.

Andy Young was 28.

This next week I'll be 84 years old.

So uh with all of all of those times, we never thought when we were fighting for civil and human rights, how important the climate and environmental rights were.

So what I began to understand was that we must begin to combine our environmental justice with our civil rights and our human rights because everyone has a constitutional right to clean energy, clean water, clean air.

But what could I care about a polar bear who couldn't make it to the next glacier?

Mine was about injustice.

Mine was about situations that destroyed individuals.

But a young lady came to Atlanta about 20 years ago, and she wanted to work with young teenage black girls.

And she said, Would you come with me to address a group of people?

So I said, okay.

I didn't know the young lady.

You never know where you're put in a certain situation at a certain time to make a difference in people's lives.

So I went out to the airport with the young lady, and she was talking about young women, teenage pregnancy.

So a young man in the back said, Who are you?

Her bodyguard.

I said, why am I working with bodyguard?

Because I'm tall, black.

Is that make me her bodyguard?

He said, No, but if have you got a power point to make a difference.

I said, I've got a power point.

Well, use it.

I said, No, I'm not going to use it.

Use a PowerPoint or leave the room.

I didn't like his arrogance.

So the young lady said, leave it alone.

It's not that important.

I said, No, he's insulted me.

So I said, I'll say something.

So I got up front and I said, let me point to my power.

My power has never gone flat.

And I went on talking about teenage pregnancy.

And at the end of the meeting, she said, I'd like to introduce you to my husband.

He talks like you.

And I said, ma'am, I've had it today.

She said, No, I want you to meet him.

Her name was Jane Fonda, his name was Ted Turner.

And in that, you can keep it.

In that, she started talking about environment.

And I started combining civil rights with human rights and justice.

So today I want to briefly speak about three quick words and then I'll sit down.

Purpose, pressure, and power in the presence of God, and God is in all of it.

No, I'm not going to get preaching.

I'm not here to do a sermon today, it's not Sunday morning, so you don't have to sit back and go to sleep.

DeCalb is not just a collection of roads, budgets, ordinances and departs and departments.

It is the people, it is families, it is dreams waking up every morning, hoping for opportunities, expecting friends and depending on leadership.

You are the leadership.

And that's where you come in.

You're not simply policymakers, you are stewards of possibilities.

Every vote you cast echoes beyond this chamber.

Every decision you make touches lives you may never meet.

Every moment of courage or hesitation writes the story of DeKalb County.

Three things I would like to for you to meditate and think about this morning.

Purpose, pressure, and power.

No one arrives in the seats where you're sitting today by accident.

You've hustled, you sacrificed, you've taken risks.

And you said, I want to be here because I want to make a difference.

I want to do something to make a difference in the people's lives of those I'm called to serve.

Somewhere along your journey, you felt a calling.

You felt you could make a difference.

You felt you had an idea, a suggestion, maybe even a solution.

You not only wanted to succeed, but you wanted to serve.

Not just to lead, but to lift.

In the day-to-day demands, the meetings that you have, the debates.

I know you never get into any arguments, but in the fights, the disagreements, the deadlines, it is easy to drift from the original purpose.

Easy to get caught up in the process and forget the only reason that you and I exist are for the people.

The people that we are called to serve, the people that get up every morning wondering what is it that they can do to make a difference.

We can come down and comfortably sit here.

We have our own, our healthcare system, our own kinds of jobs, but there are those that do not have that.

That's why we're here.

It's about leadership.

But purpose, purpose is your compass.

When conversations get complicated, purpose simplifies it.

When noise gets loud, purpose clarifies it.

When the road gets hard, purpose steadies it.

The citizens of DeKelb don't just need representation, they need intentional leadership.

Leadership for who you ask, who benefits from this, who might be left out, who will be named today to make a difference.

Purpose reminds you that this is not about the work, it's about the impact that you make.

We each must have a purpose.

You got up this morning, not just to get up, but there had to be some purpose in your life.

And when you have purpose, there's something that comes into life.

I've learned in life, the more of that pressure comes, purpose comes in, the more pressure that you face.

Pressure is a friend.

Pressure is an ally.

Pressure, embrace it.

Do not avoid it.

When the storms come into your life, get in the storm.

But don't let the storm get in you.

Pressure from constituents.

Pressure from competing priorities.

Pressure from limited resources.

Pressure from all of the expectations that you have every day.

Pressure.

That's what's so important in life.

But pressure is not your enemy.

Diamonds are formed under pressure.

Great communities are shaped under pressure.

Strong leadership revealed under pressure.

The question is not where the pressure will come.

The question is how you will respond when you're under pressure.

Will pressure divide or will it drive collaboration?

Will pressure create fear or fuel courage?

Will pressure lead to compromise of values or clarity of the vision?

The best leaders don't run from pressure.

They refine themselves through it.

They listen more clearly.

They think more deeply, they act more boldly.

DeCalb doesn't need leaders who are comfortable.

DeCalb needs leaders who are committed.

Finally, power.

Power.

Use it wisely.

Use it well.

Each of you in this room hold power.

Not just legal authority, but moral influence.

True power.

Shape policy.

Allocate resources.

Open doors.

Set the times in your life and what it is that you must do.

This is your time and this is your moment.

Power is not measured by control.

It is measured by service.

Power is at its best when it lifts others, when it amplifies unheard voices, when it creates pathways, when barriers once stood.

My friends, the most powerful question that you can ask this morning is what do I do to make the Caleb County a better county?

What does this mean to become a better county?

Because when you align power with the needs of the people, you don't just get power, you transform an area.

DeCalb is beautifully driven economically, culturally, politically, and environmentally.

Your destiny is not a weakness, it is a strength.

Your diversity is your strength.

But only if it is united by a shared commitment to fairness, to progress, to the common good.

Disagreement is inevitable.

Division is critical.

You can't debate without devaluing.

You can stand firm without shutting out others.

Great leadership is not about always agreeing.

It's always about advancing.

One day, those in this room who are listening to me, you will be voted out.

People will rise up against you, depending on how you come together.

And you begin to collaborate and listen intended to the voice of the people, what the people are saying, what the people are feeling, what the people are going through.

That will make the difference.

It will not be how many meetings that I attend, how many motions did I pass.

The question then and now, am I making a difference?

Did your neighborhoods become stronger?

Is the environmental cleaner?

Does opportunity become more accessible?

Do people have more trust in the local government?

Did the people of the Calp feel seen, heard, and valued?

That should be your legacy.

Today is the beginning of the rest of your service as a board member, as a person of this community.

Are you clear in your purpose?

Strong under pressure, responsible with power, and fully committed to service.

If so, lead with integrity.

Decide with courage and serve with humility.

Never forget that behind every policy is a person.

Behind every statistic is a story.

Behind every decision is a future being shaped behind every decision that you make.

DeCalv is not watching you.

Decalve is depending on you.

And when you get up every morning and you know that there is something that no one else can do but you.

No one else has the strength, the tenacity, the perseverance to do it.

It's not just coming to a job.

You've got to understand and say to yourself, I will not bend, I will not bow.

I will not break, I will not back up.

I will stand boldly on the principles and ethics that DeCalb County must be the greatest county, and it will be the greatest county because I am here.

Thank you very much.

Never back up, never bend, never bow, never break.

Always stand for the county of DeCal County.

It is a county that understands that there is power in the people.

And the people will always rise up and make a gift.

Don't just think you've been elected to be here to sit.

You've been elected to serve.

God bless you.

Thank you, sir.

If you'll have a seat and we'll be down to pin you in a minute.

At this time, um, Commissioner Bolton had a couple announcements for us, and then we'll do our pledge and proclamation.

Thank you, Madam Presiding Officer.

Uh, on behalf of the Board of Commissioners, we just wanted to take an opportunity to acknowledge two pillars in the community, both across DeCab County and across the state.

Uh, we want to extend our heartfelt condolences on the passing of, as you guys know, Congressman David Scott, whose decades of public service left a lasting impact in our communities across Georgia and of course across the nation, but also in DeCab County, we also we want to honor the life and legacy of Robert Brown, whose architectural leadership and contributions to our libraries, our schools, other civic public spaces and facilities who helped shape the landscape of the Cab County, and whose son Robert Jr., who's still doing work in the county, who's worked with many of us in this room.

We just want to make sure that the community knows and the family knows you guys are in our hearts.

Our condolences to you, and thank you, um, Madam Presiding Officer, for allowing me to say this.

And if we can just have about 10 seconds, a few seconds of silence.

Thank you for honoring these wonderful men of our community.

Thank you, Madam Deputy Presiding Officer, for that.

Next, we'll have Pledge of Allegiance by Commissioner Rita Davis Johnson, and then we will meet on the floor for our presentations.

Thank you.

Good morning, everyone.

I'm Commissioner Ted Tier, your Super District 6 Commissioner, and welcome to celebrating Earth Month here in DeCab County.

Thank you, Reverend Durley, for that inspirational, just inspirational words, and um really really appreciate everything that you do for our community.

Um Earth Month is a reminder that we don't inherit the planet from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.

Let's return it in better shape than we were given.

And if it was a rental car, let's make sure we you know clean all the trash out and vacuum it before we return it.

Uh, to do this, it takes each and every one of us to do our part in action and education, and of course, if you're here today, advocacy.

Today we're actually celebrating not just Earth Month, but everyone who participates in being that advocate to be our climate champions.

Because when we say that we celebrate our DeCab County climate champions, we're not talking about someone far away.

We're talking about the people present right here in this room and those who may be watching at home.

Our co-workers, our neighbors, our friends.

You are doing the work.

You were literally planting the seeds in your communities.

Literally, as in we have acres and acres of wildflowers that will be popping up very soon now that it's finally rained.

We're rethinking how we reuse and revitalize land, our energy, and our resources.

We're proving that sustainability is not just about policy, it is a practice every single day.

It's how we live, it's how we lead, and it's how we show up for one another.

We also must be honest about where we are.

This moment calls us uh to a higher point.

A power point, Reverend Durley.

And just like we point at the power, the power comes down to the people.

So I point back at you because that's where the power is.

So together we need to keep the work going to celebrate the work we've done in DeCab and the work that we still have to do.

We have to think bigger.

We have to move faster.

Our world depends upon us.

So in April is Earth Month, uh, but every day is Earth Day in my mind.

And the proclamation that we'll be reading here in a minute today serves as a reinforcement and equally important a call to action.

One of the many organizations in DeCab County working for environmental justice and organizing residents for climate change is the Georgia Interfaith Power and Light organization, which Reverend Dirley has been chair of.

And I'd like to call up and recognize Cody Norid, uh, Gipple, as we call it, executive director.

Come on down, Cody.

Uh, today for some brief remarks about what Gipple has been doing in the community as words of uh welcome to um as well as welcome to say a few words that call us to a higher um calling for continued action.

Cody.

A few brief words after what Dr.

Durley said.

I have quite a few words to say.

Um first of all, it's my honor and privilege to be here to celebrate some climate champions in DeCab County.

Just briefly, for over 23 years, Georgia Interfaith Power and Light has sought to inspire and equip congregations, communities, and people of conscience across the state of Georgia to organize, implement practical climate solutions, and advocate at the local, state, and federal level for climate solutions.

And more importantly, for our entire history, we've worked across the state from our home and headquarters right here in DeCab County.

So it's been a great joy to work with many people in this room in DeCab to educate our citizens on the links between the environment, our health, community resilience, and the impact on our energy bills.

We've worked across the county to increase energy efficiency and solar through energy efficiency plans, energizing and electrifying Decatur DeCab, solarize programs, and through joint resiliency task force.

But specifically, I want to take the opportunity to name some of our congregational climate champions that don't often get recognition here in DeCab County.

We've got 16 of our green teams here that I'm going to briefly read through.

There's a lot of people here doing a lot of good work.

Out of only 40 congregations across the state of Georgia who have gone solar, 25% of them sit in this county.

Neighborhood Church, Shallow, Immaculate Heart of Mary, North Decatur UMC, Oakhurst Press, Atlanta Friends Meeting, North Decatur, Presbyterian, St.

Timothy Episcopal Church, Holy Trinity.

It's lists and lists and lists of people here doing incredible work.

So I lift these congregations up by name as those who truly embody our call to care for this sacred earth, and I celebrate their leadership.

Before I sit back down, I would also be remiss if I didn't pour out a heap of gratitude and blessing for Reverend Dr.

Gerald Durley, who's been a friend and mentor of mine for a very long time.

He served faithfully as the president of the board of directors for National Interfaith, Power and Light in Georgia Interfaith, Power and Light would be nothing had it not been for his leadership.

And this is not the first time that I've been somewhere very important where Dr.

Durley has showed up after saying, I was just in the hospital a few minutes ago.

I had something important to do just an hour ago.

He shows up and challenges us to show up as well.

We all have the capacity to transform this county.

Each of us with our hands in the soil, we can renew the world and our living about for mutual flourishing.

We're reminded today that our call to protect our earth is also an invitation to do right by our neighbor.

So we celebrate all the work we have done in this county, and we leave here with ever more to be done.

So thank you for all that we have done and what we will continue to do, and for everybody who's participating in this process to make this county more green and more hospitable for our neighbors.

Thank you.

Thank you, Cody.

So at this time, I'd like to um call up anyone in the audience who might be um with our um resilient decab climate champions advocacy group or anyone else in the audience who would like to come up and celebrate Earth Day.

Come on down as uh as the clerk reads the proclamation.

Whereas for over half a century, Earth Day continues to be the catalyst for action, reminding us of our shared responsibility to protect, preserve, and sustain the natural environment for current and future generations.

And climate change is the most urgent challenge of the 21st century.

A range of environmental crisis directly impact food security, public health, housing, and economic vitality, with vulnerable populations disproportionately bearing the brunt of these effects, including an equitable access to clean air, water, and green space.

Whereas DeCap County's bold leadership, innovative solutions, and collective action at the local level have resulted in spearheading a clean energy and transportation transition plan to move to CAP off fossil fuels and do our part to reduce our carbon footprint.

And community leaders, educators, youth, faith institutions, and advocates are our DeCab County climate champions, pioneering grassroots efforts to protect natural resources, promote clean energy, expand green space, and address environmental injustices to build healthier, more resilient spaces for every creed and creature that calls Mother Earth home.

And whereas the DeCab County governing body acknowledges Reverend Dr.

Gerald L.

Jurley as one of our change agents, advocating how environmental justice is inseparable from social and economic justice and furthering the uncomfortable dialogue needed to influence community-driven solutions.

Now, therefore, we, the DeCap County Government Body, proclaim April 28th as DeCap County Climate Champion Day.

We salute you for your leadership, service, advocacy, and commitment to an evergreen future.

Proclaimed this 28th of April, 2026.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

All right, so in our final minute before we close here, I would be remiss if we did not end Earth Month without recognizing a person who has shown up for what it looks like to lead with faith, courage, and conviction.

I met this person almost 15 years ago when I was working on the Georgia Public Service Commission campaign at a meeting of the concerned black clergy.

And we were talking about solar, we were talking about climate change.

And I remember being at that meeting, and one of the preachers, after hearing us talk about the campaign, said, It sounds great, but we'll be watching you.

We'll see.

And it's that call to action that has inspired me personally in my um political career.

But through his leadership and partnership with the Georgia Interfaith Power and Light, he has mobilized faith communities across our state to take action, reminding us that caring for the environment is a responsibility we all share.

Environmental justice is social justice.

So today, we proudly honor Reverend Dr.

Gerald L.

Durling as the inaugural recipient of the DeCab County Climate Champion Award.

Dr.

Dirley, your life's work is a blueprint, and your leadership will continue to guide us as we build a more just sustainable and resilient DeCab County.

You are our Super District Six Green Giant with a legacy that will far succeed beyond today.

We are forever forever grateful.

Is that the jolly gene grant?

Just as the green giant.

Thank you, sir.

Woo!

That's a heavy award.

Any final remarks?

Never quit, never give up, never bow, never been, never break, never back up.

This is your time.

This is your moment.

There are two ways to tell time in the Greek.

Means there are 60 seconds in a minute, so many minutes in an hour.

K-A-I-R-O-S.

It means it is divinely inspired by something greater than yourself.

Right now, you are in a Kairos moment.

Follow the leadership of a deity greater than yourself, and you'll always be successful.

Follow the leadership of a deity greater than yourself, and you'll always be successful.

Amen.

Thank you.

All right, everybody on three.

One, two, three.

All right, don't touch our move.

Thank you.

I would recognize one of my young men.

I believe she's in here.

Nikki, Nikki McDonald's.

Nikki.

Nikki McDonald, give me here.

Okay, recognize her.

Nikki, I just told her that you're one of my great, great mencies, and I love you very much.

Stay strong.

Okay.

Oh, okay.

Okay.

Good morning, everyone.

De Camp County.

I mean DC TV.

Are we ready to do the um video?

Why not say the day before that you had no plans to study?

That kiss on my cheek wasn't I'll see you tomorrow.

It carried the unknown, a silence with sorrow.

Your final embrace goodbye.

I didn't yet see was the last piece of love that you left with me.

On that gloomy day that you became our angel above, music lost its rhythm, and light lost its love.

The air became heavier, time quietly stood still.

How could this possibly be part of God's will?

A rug pulled from underneath, no warning, no sign, a fracture in places too deep to define.

A wound is still linger, it's very tender and real.

The hearts that you've touched, even more than you knew.

A legacy living in all that you grew.

Carrying wisdom like a quiet flame, so gentle and wise.

You were more than a leader, a heaven-cent guide.

You gave me the courage to dare to dream.

Open wondrous doors I had never seen.

I speak in life into the forgotten space.

You taught me to trust, to rise to believe, and more than the doubt that I used to breathe.

Your unforgettable kindness, soft as a whispered song, still guides us gently when the days feel long.

My dearest Kathy, how can we describe our love for you?

The only way possible is in everything we do.

With every brave step in every new phase, we walk in the majestic light of your twelve blazing ways.

Thank you, Mr.

Speaker.

I rise today in honor of the remarkable life of my longtime friend, my wife's lifelong best friend, and also my district director, Kathy Register, who passed away unexpectedly last month.

When I first took office in 2007, I promised the people that I would take care of home first.

And as uh Kathy did as district director, that's exactly what we did.

And she is largely responsible for the citizens of the 4th district returning me to Congress since 2007.

She has been deeply um appreciated by all who she served and all who she worked with.

We're gonna miss her so very much.

Um but her life has been a life of service, not just to the citizens of the 4th district, but to her family, her mother, Jenny, and her two sons, Anthony and Tito survive her, along with uh her friends and colleagues in my office, both in DC and in uh Decada, Georgia.

So thank you, Kathy.

Rest in peace.

Today is my honor.

Today is Kathy's uh birthday, so birthday, Kathy.

Yeah, Kathy was my best friend.

We went to elementary school together to uh middle school, high school, college.

We were graduating from college, she moved to New York.

I moved I went to law school in um Texas, and we ended up marrying two guys that lived one street apart in Atlanta, and I told her that we it would have never happened if we had planned it.

Our grandmothers were best friends, our mothers was best friends, and we were best friends.

She was a woman of excellence, grace, joy, strength, and she loved life, she loved people, and she knew how to make every moment count.

So I'm not gonna say much, but I do want to say this.

Say she worked hard on behalf of the Calf County.

She lived in the Caleb County, she was Hank's district director.

She would have been retired at the end of this year, and to her retirement.

She wanted to make sure that excellence stayed in that office, and so she was training uh Candace to become to replace her as the district director, and so I'm going to now let uh Candace say a few words.

I like to take the time to thank Commissioner Johnson for the privilege of being able to bestow honor on someone that it was so instrumental in my life, my predecessor and my beloved mentor, Kathy Register.

Kathy loved deeply and she felt deeply.

At the end of the day, it's not about how much money you make, what title you have, what kind of car you drive.

You can't take any of those things with you.

And Kathy obviously knew that.

It's about how you treat others.

The Bible says the least of these, and that's what Kathy did.

She cared about planting seeds and mentoring others, and that's what she did for me.

She was just a country girl from Tennessee.

And like the congressman, absolutely loved the constituents of Georgia's 4th Congressional District.

That was the legacy she left.

Humility and authenticity.

And that's the legacy that I hope to continue to carry in her name.

We love you, Kathy.

Forever and always.

Thank you.

Okay, could you read the proclamations?

Whereas Commissioner Marita Davis Johnson and the DeCav County Governing Authority paused to honor, commemorate, and celebrate the life legacy and lasting influence of Kathy Gale Holt Register, whose grace, strength, and servant leadership profoundly touched all whom she encountered.

And whereas, on the occasion of what would have been her 71st birthday, we take this moment to reflect upon and celebrate a life so beautifully lived and a legacy so powerfully felt throughout this community and beyond.

Kathy was educated in the Davidson County Public School system and later graduated from Tennessee State University, where she cultivated the excellence, discipline, and determination that would categorize her extraordinary life.

And whereas, after spending time working in New York, Kathy made Georgia her home, first residing in Marietta and later in Decatur, following a successful career with the Clorox Company.

She embarked upon a second career that she embraced not merely as employment, but as a calling to serve others.

And whereas from 2007 until 2025, Kathy faithfully served as district director for Congressman Hank Johnson, leading Georgia's 4th congressional district office with professionalism, compassion, and unwavering dedication to public service, and secured more than 100 million dollars in relief and assistance for veterans, seniors, students, nonprofits, and families throughout the Fourth Congressional District, leaving a legacy of advocacy that improved countless lives across DeCab County and the Fourth Congressional District.

Whereas though, she carried great responsibilities in public service.

Kathy's heart remained devoted to family and friendship.

She was a loving mother, grandmother, daughter, and a cherished confidant and friend to Commissioner Marita Davis Johnson, and a distinguished citizen in DeCalf County.

Kathy Register's life stands as a shining testimony of leadership, sacrifice, elegance, faith, and love.

Her memory will forever live on in the countless people she helped, the family she adored, and the community she strengthened.

Now therefore be it resolved that Commissioner Marita Davis Johnson and the DeCalf County Governing Authority do hereby honor the life and memory of Kathy Gail Holt Register and proclaim April 28, 2026 as Kathy Holt Register Day in DeCalve County, encouraging all residents to reflect upon her legacy of service, compassion, and elegance.

And uh before before we take pictures, I just want to say a couple of more words for a couple of more people.

And one is Robert L.

Brown.

Robert was a dear friend of mine also.

Robert started his architectural firm at our office, Hank and I had a building in the Cab County.

He had one office.

By the next year, Robert had two offices in our building.

And then going into that third year, he was talking to us about another office.

And I told Robert then, I said, Robert, you don't move us out of here.

And so Robert was a person of integrity, hard work, and determination.

And Robert built his, he had one of the biggest architectural practices in DeCav County.

And I was just so honored that I was able to know him from the beginning and stayed with him to the end.

Very humble person.

David Scott, we all know David.

David's wife, Frieda Scott, served with me as a spouse, a congressional spouse.

My heart goes out to David and his family.

And our freedom.

And I know that him and Robert both are looking down on us.

And the only thing that I can say about both of them is a job well done.

So thank you, and let's take a look at the first place.

Do they get the first students?

Okay, at this time we will start our public comment.

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 turn 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 presentation 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 the Cav County shall be allowed to speak before residents of other counties are allowed to speak.

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

When the buzzer sounds to indicate that time has run out, the speaker will be expected to immediately cease 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 or opposition to a speaker will not be permitted.

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

First speaker, please.

Thank you, ma'am.

Our first speaker is Christina Roberts.

Good morning, Miss Roberts.

Good morning, commissioners.

Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to speak to you today.

My name is Christina Roberts, and this is Dr.

Jewel Blackman, the founder and executive director of Camp Jewel House Academy, a K through 12 performing art school located at 2801 Canler Road in Decatur.

Our school operates out of a transformed 44,000 square foot facility that was once a 12-screen theater.

Now reimagined as a vibrant space for education, creativity, and opportunity.

At Camp Jewel House, we believe in developing the whole child.

That means not only nurturing artistic talent, but strengthening academic foundations, building confidence, and creating pathways for long-term success.

This summer we are preparing to host a comprehensive creative summer camp designed to serve 200 young people, many of whom would otherwise have limited access to a safe, structured, and enriching summer experience.

Our program is intentionally well-rounded.

Each day, students will engage in core academic instruction, including math, reading, and writing, ensuring that learning continues even while school is out.

At the same time, they will be immersed in a variety of performing art disciplines, acting, dance, music, and film, giving them the opportunity to discover talents they may not even realize they have yet.

We also believe in learning beyond the classroom.

Our scholars will participate in meaningful field trips and real-world experiences, including swimming, bowling, and horseback riding, activities that build confidence, teamwork, and life skills.

But beyond the programming, what we are really offering is access and opportunity.

Many of the youth we serve come specifically from District 3, District 5, and Super District 7, communities where we have built strong, trusted relationships.

For many of these children, summer can mean a lack of structure, limited supervision, and very few positive outlets.

This camp becomes more than just a program.

It becomes a safe haven, a place where they are seen, supported, and encouraged to grow.

Today we are seeking $90,000, which will allow us to fully fund a hundred of those 200 students, ensuring that half the children we serve can attend at no cost to their families.

Equally important, we want to emphasize that this is a shared effort.

We are actively working to partner with local businesses, organizations, and community stakeholders to secure funding for the remaining 100 students.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next speaker, Lance Robertson.

Good morning, Lance.

Hello, I could tell you something.

26 years ago.

I feel like I'm home.

Good morning, presiding officer, commissioners, staff, and pillows of this dynamic county of DeCav.

My name is Lance Robertson.

I serve as Director of Government Affairs and Community Relations for Natson Hotel Group.

It's the largest private hotel in the state of Georgia.

We are north of over 200 hotels, over 30 different flags, where 19 counties, 24 cities, and we have eight here in DeCab County.

We're in 19 counties, 24 cities, and we have eight here in DeCab County.

I'm here to reintroduce myself and bring you greetings on behalf of Sam Patel, our CEO, and a thousands of Georgians that we employ.

We are proud contributors of the hotel motel tax.

It's a critical funding source that drives tourism, supports economic development, and the CAB County's life of style.

We support is and firmly support education awareness of the human and sex trafficking.

We advocate for that and we are open to collaborations with local counties and municipalities.

We firmly and we applaud the CAB County's leadership in helping and trying to solve the national housing crisis.

We are here to be part of the solution.

Short term, we can provide housing stability for thousands through the voucher program for emergency disaster programs and prevent for the unhoused.

We're here to help.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, sir.

Jeb Dunaway.

Good morning, Miss Connaway.

Jan Dunaway, Stone Mountain, and at DeCab Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor.

The data center text amendment, last updated January 22 of 26, continues to have many gaps that must be addressed.

Commissioner Terry has offered some amendments, but it's not enough.

The fallacy that closed loop cooling system solves all the issues couldn't be further from the truth.

Yes, after the initial fill of drinking water of about a million gallons, it is recycled for a period of time, all the while concentrating the hazardous chemicals and picking up new chemicals along the way that cannot be filtered out by our water treatment plants.

Not unlike swimming pools with sand filters, they periodically must be washed backwashed to clean the filters, keep the pool clean, and data centers require the same.

They continue to use about a hundred thousand gallons of drinking water per day to replace the blowdown leaks and evaporation.

It's not a one and done.

Do we have enough drinking water capacity to fill and replenish the data centers and leave enough drinking water for the citizens of DeCab?

The hazardous chemicals cannot be released into our broken water system.

And we should require companies, and there are many that handle chemically infused water to take the hazardous water away first, and then we must test the remaining water prior to discharge.

Will the water treatment plants be overwhelmed by the amount of discharged water?

Who will make that determination?

There must be public disclosure during the slept process, and the data centers must be held accountable.

Right now, Georgia is on fire.

We are experiencing the worst drought in 20 years.

As of yesterday, we're under a level one drought restrictions with fires breaking out even in DeCab County.

Data centers wish to be considered critical infrastructure to guarantee water before the citizens and of DeCab and Georgia.

This is a provision for the drought plan, but who gets priority?

The consent decree will not be met by 2027 deadline requiring an extension, which appears to have been recently approved.

These updates need to be available to the public to ensure full transparency.

The citizens of DeCab have already given so much to conserve water use, low-flow toilets and faucets, water restrictions over the years, and increases in our water and sewer bills year after year for 10 years to overcome the government's historical inertia.

You represent the taxpayers and the citizens of DeCab, not just the billionaires.

Thank you.

Gina Mangum.

Ms.

Mangum.

Good morning.

It's kind of ironic we're celebrating Earth Month.

And then we're talking about putting these huge data centers in our community.

So would someone please explain to me how hyperscale data centers and data center campuses contribute to helping our environment.

And in fact, no one can actually say with a straight face that they don't take away from our environment rather than add to it.

And this is just part of the problem.

Today I'm here to talk about transparency.

And there's been some troubling events lately.

We keep hearing that Shadow Box, a huge proposed development, is kind of a done deal.

In fact, it was announced at a luncheon of the Metro CID that Shadow Box was a development that was going to happen.

So why are we here?

Why are we going through this process if it's just lip service to us?

We're really looking at the needs and desires of the residents of DeCab County.

This raises ethical, if not legal issues.

Look at the timeline.

Shadow Box gives a $1,000 contribution to Robert Padrick while he's sitting on the decide the cab board.

The next thing that happens is Shadow Box and Black Hall are meeting with the community in near Cedar Grove where they said they did not want these things.

And then the next thing we hear is that it's a done deal.

They're just waiting for the moratorium to leave.

So are we really being transparent about this process?

Now we have done some things, at least talked about them.

They haven't been put in the text amendment.

But we also need to be transparent there.

We need to use terms that are industry terms.

Minor, major.

This means nothing to the people.

We need to be talking about hyperscale and data center campuses, which the public has made clear we do not want.

We also, under the frequently asked questions, it says, are there data centers in DeCAV?

And it says, yes, there are two.

But the two data centers in the Cav are light years from what we're talking about developing under this text amendment.

So let's be clear.

And lastly, I understand now that we're having a town hall, 10 months into the process on June 2nd.

People are confused.

What's happening on May 12th?

Is there going to be a public hearing?

Get the proper information out to people so they know where we are in the process.

Thank you, Jackie Malcolm.

Ms.

Malcolm.

Good morning, Commissioners.

My name is Jackie Malcolm.

I live in District 3, off of Bouldercrest, near where they're have an application in for a data campus that is two million square feet.

It started off with us at Cedar Grove.

Back in March of 2025, we met Mr.

Umbury, Mr.

Morris Williams, Mr.

Frank Reading, and someone from the CID set this meeting up with us.

And they began to talk about they want to put a computer center.

As they began to talk on and on, we realized they were talking about our data campus.

Come to our community because what was pledged to come was 300 plus homes that we were welcoming.

So we told Mr.

Umbre and his people that they can come and have a meeting with us at the Cedar Grove community.

They did, and once they had the meeting, everyone there, not one person said they want this data campus, not one.

Okay.

So after we met with them, moving along to 2025, um, in December of 2025, Mr.

Jeff Weber told us to take a tour, several people from the Cedar Grove community.

We took a tour on 155-acre land of Shadow Box.

Once again, in the meeting, he said he would like to put maybe two to three, or he's not sure, don't quote him, a data campus.

We can think of many more things, a better land use of another data campus.

Then we heard word about Shadow Box want to do a data campus.

That is three data campuses, all within a three to five mile radius.

This is ridiculous.

And we told Mr.

Jeff Weber that we are concerned about our water, we are concerned about the toxins, our environment, and our health.

Okay, moving along back in April of April of 2025.

This year, the CID was celebrating their 10-year anniversary.

Mr.

Weber was one of the speakers at that event.

He stated as though that this was already approved.

I'm not quite sure, but we want to know if it was approved, who approve it, when, why, where's the transparency?

Are we talking about Shadow Box or are we talking about Black Hall Studios?

Because they're like right there together.

So we would like answers.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Larry Foster.

Good morning, Mr.

Foster.

I'm Larry Foster, a 48-year resident and civic activist living at 2572 Rain Tree Drive and unincorporated DeCab County.

I normally do not like to call out people by name, but today I'm going to call you out by name, Robert Patrick, because I believe you do not represent the best interests of your district one constituents.

Instead, you have deliberately and willfully worked against your constituents' wishes and interests by vigorously supporting the most damaging expansion of infrastructure and flight operations in PDK Airport's history.

Ironically, you used to live just north of the perimeter in the direct flight path of PDK Airport.

After a PDK plane crashed into a town home just blocks from your home, killing several people in 2019, you moved away from PDK, far away from PDK.

Normally, one would expect such an experience to cause someone to show some concern, empathy, and compassion for similarly impacted residents.

Instead, you have emerged as the most gun-ho supporter of damaging PDK hangar and operations expansion.

At a irregularly scheduled BOC meeting on the first Wednesday of November 2021, when the PDK master plan wasn't even on the original BOC agenda, you cast the deciding four to three vote for the master plan.

When I asked you why at a public meeting that evening, you callously said that anyone who decides to live near an airport should be smart enough to know that what they are getting into.

And if they don't like living there, they should move.

Easily said, but not so easily done.

After more than two years when critical citizen emails blocked approval of the Sky Harbor contract, you co-sponsored a poorly organized virtual town hall on November 10th last year that started 20 minutes late, cut off the chat section after just a few minutes due to negative comments, and featured only pro-Sky Harbor speakers.

A week later, after complex machinations, you managed to secure approval for an RFP to build the first Sky Harbor hangars and get a still complete incomplete version of Sky Harbor contract approved for county review.

I can't say more here, but let me turn to the political bottom line for you.

Two years ago, when you ran for re-election, you faced an opponent who had a very positive record of public service on the Doraville City Council and really cared about people.

He appeared to have a strong chance of defeating you until just a few weeks before the primary when he showed he had feet of clay by getting a DUI into a DUI accident that seriously injured a young lady.

You won handily after that.

You may not be so lucky when you run for re-election two years from now.

It is my sincere hope.

Mr.

Benny, you're about making life good.

Good morning, Mr.

Benny.

Good morning, Commissioners.

As most of you know, I have attended many meetings, maybe too many.

But apparently, some of you don't realize that I do not speak for other commissioners or do their dirty work.

During my public comments, I speak only for myself with the hope of creating a better decab with the help of my fellow citizens.

Recently, the majority of commissioners have been acting like children who have not done their homework, arguing back and forth while protecting their little fiefdoms.

Many decisions are based on what is good for my district versus what is best for the county.

This shows a lack of maturity.

Last meeting I saw Miss Davis Johnson, Miss Messiah, and Miss Bolton slip away from the meeting together to form their own little cabal, leaving only the bare minimum number of commissioners to run the meeting.

It reminded me of a teenage high school click.

Whatever it was, there is no doubt that it was unprofessional.

Last meeting, there were three called to votes.

The meeting before that, it was also used once.

It had been used twice in the previous two years before that.

The call to vote option is a very serious part of your rules, but you are starting to use it like a play toy.

County commissioners need adults to get things done, not children who look like adults.

I know some 21-year-olds who have more maturity than this commission shows at times.

There is an aura of childlike arrogance when a commissioner says they know what is right for their district without bothering to ask their constituents.

An aura of childlike greed and calling a commissioner's reserve funds my money, and no one is going to tell me how I can spend it.

An aura of childlike stubbornness when asked to speak to a charter review member to explain what the intent of putting the subpoena power request in the charter was refuses to do so because they don't need their opinion.

The subpoena power may not be needed under this CEO, but under past CEOs it sure was, and under future CEOs, it may be a tool you would wish was in your tool bag.

Mrs.

Davis Johnson said the internal auditor provides information and could be an option for obtaining information.

Then require a supermajority five to vote to issue one.

There are another two items on today's agenda that are over a year old.

One of them has been on the agenda for almost two years.

Well, I understand the desire to be careful and the possibility of unintended consequences.

I am also aware that the desire for perfection can freeze the march towards improvement.

If there turns out to be problems with the legislation, you can always fix it through making adjustments as needed.

That is your job, I believe.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Benny.

Good morning, Miss O'Neill.

Good morning.

And I just want to say my heart goes out to Commissioner Johnson and family and friends.

I do understand the loss of a childhood friend.

Just want to say when you watch the news today on my street on Larksburg Terrace, we lost a U.S.

postal worker carrier yesterday, yesterday evening.

I heard the crash when I was getting out of my car.

Witnessed the truck turned over, and I don't even want to describe how horrific it was.

But a week before, Thursday before, last Thursday, had neighbors, elderly neighbors right at that same intersection that were in an accident at the same spot.

So something's got to happen.

Something's got to help us.

I feel sorry for the young man who actually got out of his car, was walking around screaming and crying.

She was under the bus under the truck.

So the neighbors came out and we were gonna.

They wanted to move the truck, but I said you can't.

It's a crime scene.

It was really, really a very sad situation yesterday.

But um just want to say, I don't know what would what it takes to make this easier for speed humps to be put in the neighborhood.

I tried 20 years ago on my street.

Uh we had more property owners than we had renters.

Now we have more renters than property owners, and you know that it has to be the property owners to sign the petition because of the taxes, $25 a year.

So we're 95, more 95% homeowners.

Now we're about 35 just on my street.

We need some help.

We're gonna need some help to help with getting speed humps in in neighborhoods.

And I just want to say I did tell the three ladies that came up that spoke about the hyperscale uh data campuses in our communities.

We don't need it.

It's dangerous, and I just want to say that uh we talk about Earth Day and Health.

We need to really strongly consider what we're doing with our communities.

300 homes compared to data campuses.

That doesn't work, it doesn't match at all.

If it's a puzzle, it won't fit in place.

So now so want to say that um still looking for time frames for the sidewalks on La Mesa to Glenmar.

Need a time frame, need to know what's going on.

I've had some report, but I'm still looking for more that would actually give us an update of what we're doing.

Thank you, Madam CEO and DeCamp County Police Department for shutting down Glenwood Nightmare Day.

I thank you all for all the work that they did to support our community because it's coming up to 285 in Glenwood.

And it was just going to be a horrific situation again.

Our DeCab County court system is failing us.

Code enforcement rights violations, they go to court.

Thank you, Miss O'Neill.

And the judges dismiss or suspend the fines.

Thank you, Miss O'Neill.

Thank you.

Sue Sullivan.

Good morning.

Sherry McCoy.

Good morning.

Sue Sullivan.

I am the director of Park 500, DeCap County's new transitional housing program.

And I'm Sherry McCoy of Blessing Bags of Warm, currently contracted with Park 500.

So we're both here today to support the Unhoused Plan.

We both were on the working group, which I'm really glad to see our whole crew here.

This is a really important.

And it also is extremely important that there is a plan in place.

The day center is a reaction.

It needs to be discussed.

I'd simply just like to say that I also applaud all of the initiatives that have been placed.

However, more needs to be done.

More should have already been done.

We have been bringing this to your attention for quite some time now, but now is the time to make a faster move in the right direction.

That's all I have.

I'm sure I have others in the group who are happy to get up here and talk.

Thank you.

Next speaker, please.

Maryl Siddley.

Good morning.

Good morning.

It's such a pleasure to be able to be with all these amazing supporters.

And I love these t shirts.

I love them.

It says serve with compassion and kindness.

I think it's tremendous to have this unhoused plan be incorporated in the comprehensive plan.

My only concern was would be that the elements would not be delayed by doing that, that you still move forward on the pieces that are you know lower to the ground, the smaller lifts that don't that don't need to be incorporated into that larger plan.

Otherwise, it's potentially going to take too long.

And we have people on the ground who need services faster.

So the unhoused plan is amazing.

It's collaborative.

It's the correct balance between financial efficacy and supportive services, and we need to lift it up.

I also want to make a quick note that it's very, very difficult to find parking here.

Um, and it makes it hard for constituents to be here and to speak.

Um I if there's a possibility for um some kind of other discussion of parking or some other options, I think it would it would be very beneficial to um the constituents.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Shelley by good morning.

Thank you for this opportunity to speak.

I'm Shelley Fine, 225 East Ponce de Leon Avenue, Decatur, and I'm with a home for everyone in DeCab.

I want to also speak to the Unhoused Support and Services Plan, and in particular, I want to say that I'm very concerned about the human beings, yes, human beings that this country and other countries have relegated to the streets as their homes.

I'm here to advocate specifically for one of the recommendations of the committee regarding a non-congregate shelter for families and stress, its importance.

I could even live with a simple shelter, if that's the best we can do, but preferably private units.

No child can grow up unscarred when they do not have basic stability in their lives.

We all know the effects of stress on the brain, and especially for the young developing brain.

How can children possibly learn what they need to learn in school, assuming they're even able to go to school with the chaos in their lives?

And how can they learn to cope with life's challenges when their thinking brains, their cerebral cortexes, are constantly flooded with anxiety, wondering whether they will have a roof over their heads and food to eat.

And the worst of it is the cycle will just continue when these children get older and have their children.

We have to put a stop to it.

And I know it's possible if we have the understanding of the causes of homelessness, and if we have empathy for those who've had much more difficult lives than most of us have had.

Thank you.

Next speaker.

We have one minute left.

We have nine cards.

So this will be our last speaker.

Speaker, Judy Kelly.

Good morning, Miss Kelly.

Good morning.

My name is Judy Kelly.

I reside for the last 37 years at 3602 Crown Point Court, part of District 3.

I am 77, 77 years old.

I spent 32 years with the Cab County Board of Education, had a wonderful time getting people off to a good start.

This morning, when I came in, I was just elated at the positive things that I kept hearing from the inspiration and from people speaking.

I said, Judy, you must be in a twilight zone.

Judy, you must have arrived at the wrong planet.

This is not what has happened to you at 3602 Crown Point Court.

In fact, DeKeb County has turned their backs on you and made you feel like less than a citizen.

In 1996.

Please continue.

I'm gonna let you finish.

In 1996, roads and drainage discovered a water problem.

It was flooding me out.

Liana Levitan and Bill Brown came out to take a look.

The water was so swift, it was moving railroad ties that I had put in my backyard to try to control the water.

I went into an agreement with the Cab County.

It's a written agreement.

I have the documents because they told me to keep them.

And the Mr.

Glover was over roads and drainage at that time.

They came out, they buried two four-foot junction boxes in my backyard and ran a 24-inch pipe across my yard with the understanding and a written agreement that they would maintain that, that I would not pay property taxes on that, because indeed it wasn't mine.

I waited and waited and waited.

They never came.

So I was the person that was taking the top off of that off of the junction box, putting a ladder down there and cleaning out all of that debris.

I did that.

I've still do that.

The last two years I haven't been able to do that though.

I financially supported it, or I did it myself.

I have contacted everybody in this county, from the CEO down to Miss Allen, who is never in her office.

I keep a log, I have called her over a hundred times.

I have been in here at this council meeting three, four times, begging for help, begging to come out.

I fail.

I had to get an operation on my knee.

I get injections in my back now.

I can't go back down in that hole.

I can't build a garage for my kids to park their cars.

When I look outside, I almost get physically ill.

I bricked in my back door because water was rushing in.

My floor in my kitchen is just a mess right now.

When it's time mosquito time, I call the health department and ask them to send some out with someone out with those little larvae pills that they can put down those junction boxes.

Because there should be no standing water, and there's always standing water in those junction boxes.

Or I spray it myself.

We got so tough last year, we started bringing burning old rags on top of your junction box.

Just to keep a smoke out there to keep the mosquitoes down from us.

I have been mistreated.

How would you like for your mom to have lived with this?

I come here, I beg, I plead, help me, help me, help me.

I have put in three complete air conditioning and heating units in that 37 years that I've been there.

Bricked in the back door.

Cut down all my trees so there wouldn't be leaves going down there.

I have physically gotten down and I brought bags of garbage here with me to say, where does this come from?

I'm not throwing stuff in that junction box.

It's coming from other streets.

So I give up now.

My requests for years have been, you know, compensate me for what I'm doing.

Or come out and help, or just fulfill your agreement that you would maintain this, and then I wouldn't be charged in my property taxes for this.

But you haven't come.

I give up.

I'm old now.

I'm tired.

I've been lied to.

They brought a uh a roads and drainage.

Mr.

Cox brought a surveyor out there.

It was a scam.

He said he was coming to survey.

I said, this is this is last year, year before that.

I said, where's the report?

Can you show me what land I don't need to pay taxes on so I can take it to the appraisals?

They can give me back some of my tax money, whatever.

He said there's no report.

I have had it.

So today I come to give you your pipe.

I'm going home.

I'm gonna sit down and I'm gonna want to look for your bulldozers, your back hose.

Come get your pipe.

You win.

CO Williams, can you have someone with administration meet with her?

Thank you.

Thank you for that.

At this time, we do need to start our public hearing.

If you'll read in the directions, thank you.

Citizens may speak for or 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 or 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 sounds 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 should 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 calming cases, staff shall make their recommendation for action to the commission first, followed by applicants or citizens speaking in favor of the item.

Applicants in 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 into 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 or opposition to a speaker will not be permitted.

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

Thank you, ma'am.

We have one item under her public works and transportation.

It is a district four and district seven item.

So I will be passing the gavel to commissioner Masaya.

Thank you so much, Madam PO.

That's agenda item 2026-0522.

Commission districts four and seven traffic common petition.

Pass between Martin Road and Lost Creek Circle East.

The cost of the county is $15,100.

Great warning.

Morning.

Try that again.

Good morning, Commissioners.

Great morning.

Um, this agenda item is to establish a special tax district to uh install traffic calming measures on uh post road pass between Martin Road and Lost Creek Circle on the east side.

Um with sixty-eight point seven five percent of the property owners voting in support, staff recommendation is for approval.

Thank you so much.

I appreciate that.

Is there anyone that is here to um speak for this agenda item?

Great morning.

Approach the podium, thank you so much.

Good morning.

Great morning, my name is Lori Williams.

I live at 5140 post-vote pass.

I am in favor of this uh speed coming on our street.

We have lots of speeding.

We have this has to be a cut through now for our neighborhood.

We've had property damage because of the speeders coming through.

We also have no sidewalks there, so it isn't endangerment to those who are walking along our roads.

So I do ask for your uh approval of this jab at comedy measure for our street.

Thank you very much.

Thank you so much.

Next speaker, is there someone else that's here in the um to support this agenda item?

Anyone else here to support seeing none?

Is there anyone that is here to speak against agenda item ending in zero five two two?

Anyone against seeing none, staff.

Can you reiterate what the position is?

Yes, ma'am, with uh 68.75% of the population or the property owners voting in support staff recommendations for approval.

Thank you so much.

And I have a uh motion to defer.

No, I'm actually it will be a motion because I haven't said what I need to do.

Okay, yes.

Okay, it's update the second.

Yes.

So now we have uh call up a motion.

Motion to approve item 052.

Thank you so much.

Second.

I have a proper first and a second now that is updated um to approve.

Is there anyone commissioner Terry?

Yes, thank you, Madam Chair.

Um County Attorney Phillips, um we've heard a couple times that public comment regarding some streets and neighborhoods that have a high number of investor owned um homes in those streets and that sometimes that precludes uh or makes it difficult for the petitioners to get the signatures from the owner because they might be someone who lives out of state or they might be owned by an LLC.

Um I know you all been working on a couple um other solutions for the tax district, whether it's tweaking the uh petition process or you know, looking at it from the the legislative uh fiat side of uh establishing a tax district.

Um is that something that we can can work on just just to address the what appears to be a more common occurrence of streets having more investor owned homes and making it difficult for those speed uh uh bump petitions to get gathered and signed.

Commissioner, I hear you asking that we research if there are legally permissible alternatives to finding those absentee or possibly corporate owners.

Well, uh honestly going around them because if they're not reachable and we can't even get in the sign, and that's the five or six homes we need to get that 60 percent.

Zero six six four commission districts one and six.

Termination of standardized tea hanger space lease agreement with Bruce Bryce angle at no cost of counting.

Move for action.

Under Board of Commissioners, item Zero Seven Six Three Approval of the Minutes of the April Twelfth Twenty First, Twenty Twenty Six Committee of the Whole.

Move for Action.

Top of Page Six.

Item Twenty Twenty Six Status Zero Seven Four Six.

Commission District One to approve the appropriations for an amount not to exceed a hundred and twenty-five thousand to the mind of a winner for district one's twenty twenty-six event management and program support.

Move for action.

Move for action.

Item 0721 allocation of $10,000 of District 2 Reserve for Appropriation to Compassionate Atlanta to support the creature corner at the 2026 Compassion Con.

Move for action.

Okay.

So we are going to pull 718.

So now we're on 0727 under District 5.

An item to allocate 100,000 from District 5 ARP interest account to Decatur Legacy Project Inc.

for the express purpose of assisting in financing the creation dedication and placement of phase two of the memorial to the late John Lewis on county owned property.

Move for action.

Top of page seven item 0749.

An item to appropriate $50,000 of the District 5 ARP interest accounts to the District 5 beautification mini grant program and for other purposes.

Move for action.

Account to support NIA's place supervised visitation and exchange center.

Move for action.

Item 0686 to allocate $10,000 from the 2026 District 6 Reserve for Appropriation Account to support 38 participants in the Almani Women's Sewing Academy Initiative.

Move for action.

Item 0743 to appropriate an amount not to exceed $5,000 from the 2026 District 6 reserved for appropriation to divine Georgia for removal of invasive species at Anderson Family Cemetery.

Move for action.

Under Chief Executive Office, item 2026-0706.50 cents and grant funds from the association county commissioners of Georgia Civic Affairs Foundation to fund one executive internal development position through the 2026 Georgia County Internship Program Summer Program.

Move for action.

Top of page eight.

Move for action.

Item 0688.

Approval of the minutes of the Board of Commissioners meeting of April 14th, 2026.

Move for action.

Under juvenile court, item 0645.

Approval of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council $6,000.

Emergency Subgrant Award Accountability Court Grant.

Move for action.

Item 0648 approval of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council 28,08 dollars.

Emergency subgrant award account accountability court grant.

Move for action.

Under planning and sustainability.

Move for action.

Could you pull uh 2026-0633?

Okay.

Because it's a sub.

Yes.

Understood.

Thank you.

Okay.

Okay.

And then we're going to go back to also pull out of the consent item ending in 0727 under District 5 items.

That was on bottom of page 6.

So moving on to top of page 9.

Item ending in 0695.

Seeking approval to accept the Victims of Crime Act Fiscal Year 26 grant award from the prosecuting attorneys council of Georgia and the amount of 122,528 dollars.

Move for action.

And then finally, under Superior Court, item 0660, criminal justice coordinating counsel grant to the DeCab County Adult Felony Drug Court Supplement Supplemental Funding $16,200.

Move for action.

And with that, Madam Presiding Officer.

And we're on page eight now.

Wait, did you skip seven?

Page seven.

Excuse me.

I sure did.

Skip page seven.

So at the top of page seven, zero seven four nine.

Zero six eight five.

Now we're at the top of page eight.

Zero six four three.

At the top of page nine, zero six nine five and zero six six zero.

Thank you.

Is there a second?

Second.

This one.

And we had a request to speak by Commissioner Terry.

Yes, thank you, Madam Chair.

Um, just a quick comment.

I wanted to just uh recognize um the five thousand dollar um allocation from the district six reserve for uh NIA's place.

Um's place is a supervised visitation safe exchange center operated by the women's resource center to end domestic violence.

And I just wanted to uh give appreciations to our solicitor general Donna Coleman Stribling for her leadership uh with the uh DeCab Dancing with the Stars and all the money that has been raised for that.

Let's give her a round of applause, please.

And I'll and I'll let the chair decide about the speaking button.

I just wanted to say thank you for your leadership and um uh because your office asked all of us to pitch in and support the effort.

Um, this is um going uh to support that because you asked and because you've been a great leader, so thank you.

Thank you so much.

And um when you mentioned NIA's place, I was like, oh, that's exactly the work that's being done, and that's the women's resource center, but it's always wonderful to support them and their endeavors and thank all of you all because you you came out and you supported um whether you donated or bought a ticket, attended, sponsored many of you sponsored or danced and won.

Um I absolutely appreciate it and and certainly just I'm still gonna ask Commissioner Marita Davis Johnson if one year she'll dance and maybe maybe uh but I really do appreciate all of all of you all and thank you.

Thank you for that continued support in that effort.

And once again, thank you for the um one of the grants that was mentioned today was also from my office, and that was my reason for being present here, and my director of victim services is here, Renda Puebla, who is always supporting those endeavors once again.

Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

So now if we will open the machine for the vote on the consent agenda motion carries, thank you.

So now we'll go back to the items from district five that we pulled out of the consent agenda, item 2026.

We're back on page six, 2026-0718, an item to appropriate 25,000 dollars from the district five reserve for appropriation account to provide legal aid assistance support to the CAB lawyers association and for other purposes.

Yes, I'd like to admite that to um the 25,000 comment is coming from my ARP interest account.

Okay, and with that, I make a motion to approve.

Approve that substitute.

Second yes.

Okay, okay.

All in uh sorry, please open machines for the vote.

Thank you.

We're missing there.

We go that motion carries.

Now we're on item 0727, an item to allocate 100,000 dollars from District 5 ARP interest account to Decatur Legacy Project Inc.

for the express purpose of assisting in financing the creation, dedication, and placement of phase two of the memorial to the late John Lewis on county owned property.

Yeah, and I would like to change that 100,000 dollars to $50,000, which is coming also from the ARP interest account.

All right, thank you.

Is there a second motion to approve that substitute?

Please open the machine with the vote.

And so now we'll go back to bottom of page eight.

Get the right item.

Item 2026 0633.

This is under planning and sustainability.

Application of the director of planning and sustainability to modify the 2026-2027 zoning, slump, and land use amendment calendar to reflect the public hearing date change for the July Board of Commissioners zoning meeting from July 23rd, 2026 to August 13th, 2026.

All other Board of Commissioners zoning meeting dates will remain the same.

Is there a motion?

Motion to approve.

Thank you.

Second.

Motion and a second.

Please open the machine for the vote.

Motion carries.

Thank you.

So now we are on preliminary items, middle of page nine, item 2026-0729.

All commission districts request to update the board of commissioners, committee areas of responsibility.

This is an ops item.

Oh 0729.

Okay.

Yeah, I make a motion that this item be approved as approved.

Uh in the ops committee.

Second.

A motion and a second.

I see a request to speak from Commissioner Long Spears.

Thank you, Madam Presiding Officer.

I'm not certain who to direct this question to.

Perhaps the ops chair.

But the um recommendations, I believe, were to move what animal services from ops to ERPS.

What was the second one?

Fleet to PWI.

Fleet to PWI.

Those are the only two changes.

All right.

Thank you so much.

Yield back.

Thank you.

See no other requests to speak.

Please open the machine for the vote.

Motion carries.

District 2 item, item 2026-0728.

An ordinance to amend the code of DeCab County, Georgia, chapter 5 to regulate the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits and pet shops.

And this is an ERPS item.

Yes, ma'am, and we're still having discussions.

So on behalf of the ERPS committee, I move to defer item 2026 0728 for two weeks, and that should be the May 12th BLC with a prior stop in ERPS.

Second.

Motion and if you hit the machine, Commissioner Longspur.

Yes, ma'am.

We have a motion and a second.

No request to speak.

Please open the machine for the vote.

That motion carries.

Thank you.

Top of page 10.

A district six item 0744, a resolution adjusting all DeCap County tire tip fees to one dollar.

And this is PWI.

Uh yes, Madam Presiding Officer.

Uh motion to defer two weeks to the May 12th VOC with a prior stop at PWI.

Is there a second?

We have a motion and a second.

No request to speed.

Please open machine for the vote.

That motion carries.

We are now under a finance item, and there is a substitute for this.

Item 2026-0668, a resolution authorizing the issuance and sale of tax anticipation notes TAN 2026.

Due December 15th, 2026, and the aggregate principal amount of 142 million 300,000 to PNC bank for the purpose of obtaining a temporary loan to pay current expenses during the 2026 calendar year.

Get the motion and then we'll have a motion to approve.

Yes, motion to approve.

Second.

All right, and Madam Chair recognize uh our treasurer, Mr.

Atkins.

Hello, and and uh I have from PFM Elise who you've met before, so she's gonna give you just a quick summary.

Good morning, commissioners.

Um, as some of you may recall, I was here at the FAB committee meeting presenting on kind of the preliminary note resolution at the end of March before we went out and obtained bids.

Um, and now I am here to present on kind of uh the results of the bids and who we recommend awarding the TAN to.

Um so the purpose of the TANS is really just to manage the expenses from when y'all receive your bulk of your property revenues in October through December and manage the expenses through the rest of the year.

Um so on Friday morning this past Friday, April 24th at 10 a.m.

Eastern time.

Yeah, the county and PFM received competitive bids for the TANS from banking institution in response to a term sheet that we distributed on April 8th.

We distributed that term sheet to probably 40-ish banks, knowing that most of them are not going to respond, but we want to kind of keep them all on the list.

Um we did receive uh responses from a total of five banks, which is kind of what we expected.

They're the five who typically bid on the county's TANS almost every year.

Um, those were from PNC Bank, Truist, Wells Fargo, JP Morgan, and U.S.

Bank.

After the bids were received, we verified that PNs of PNC Bank submitting the winning bid for the TANS with a net interest cost of 3.10%.

A summary of the bids is in front of you.

I do want to note that the JP Morgan and U.S.

bank interest rates are incorrect on here, so we have a new one coming your way.

Um, the order is correct, but those interest rates are just a carryover from last year.

The ones that they actually proposed were 3.33 percent versus the 3.78 we have in there, and then a 3.42 versus the 4.04.

So much closer in range from the 3.1 to the 3.42 than what we have here.

So we'll get that corrected over to you, and I apologize.

Um, but be an PNC did submit the winning bid at 3.10 with truest and wells Fargo right behind them at 3.18.

The TANZR will mature on December 15th, um, at which point the principal and interest will be due in full.

And based on the foregoing and PFM's knowledge of tax exempt debt, um, we believe that the uh interest in terms of the TANS are appropriate for the county based on current market conditions, and we would recommend that you award the TAN to PNC Bank.

And I'm happy to answer any questions y'all have.

Thank you.

Commissioner Long Spears has requested to speak.

Thank you very much.

Um, could you repeat the percentage rates?

You read through them quickly.

Yes, sorry.

The JP Morgan is a 3.33.

Okay.

And then U.S.

and I have this coming to you, so you should have a corrected one.

But the US bank is a 3.42.

US bank 3.42.

Yes.

So the first three were correct, it's just those last two that we're understood.

Thank you.

Yield back.

Madam Presiding Officer, uh, we need a substitute approval of the substitute for this item.

I believe that was his original motion was substitute.

Approved.

Yes, I'll clarify.

Just uh the motion is to approve the substitute, which recognizes PNC Bank as the uh winning bidder uh in the principal amount of 142 million three hundred thousand dollars at um the all in true interest costs um of three point one six percent.

Correct.

My second stance.

Thank you.

And we we can't push the button, but Commissioner Bolton has a question.

Just curious to know for U.S.

bank, were there any specific determinants that caused them to go from over just over four percent to less than three and a half?

So the this was my bad, and I apologize for the confusion.

The JP Morgan and U.S.

bank were carryover from last year.

So last year, all of the rates we received were higher, like the winning bid on the TAN last year was higher than what we currently received this year, and that's because rates were higher last year, just short-term interest rates were higher at the same time.

I'm gonna restate my question.

Sorry, yes.

So it was 4.40 last year, 4.404.

So it was just over 4% last year.

This year is just under 3 and a half.

Was just curious.

Were there any specific determinants that prompted them to go more than a half percent lower?

It's really 12 months.

I don't know that I can give US bank per specifics, but usually when we see that drop, it is it a result of interest rate drop.

So they usually their spread is off current one year in tax exempted interest rates, and those have dropped significantly since last year.

So all of the rates that were bid dropped significantly since last year, so that's why they came down.

I am sure there's something going on with their portfolio that kind of affects how they bid with certain types of credits and stuff like that, but in general, it's due to the drop in interest rates just from last year at this time to this year.

Gotcha.

Thank you so much.

I yield back.

Thank you.

Anyone else requesting to speak?

Okay, seeing none.

If we can take the presentation off of our screen, thank you.

And open the machine for the vote.

Motion to approve the substitute carries.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay.

Now, under human services item 2026-0636 transfer funds in amount of eight hundred and fifty thousand dollars from the general fund to senior citizen service grant fund.

This well, this is a PEX item.

Um and her absence motion to defer this item for two weeks.

Is there a second?

We have a motion to second for two weeks.

Please open the machine for the vote.

Motion to defer carry.

We are now under police services.

Item 2026-0592.

All commission districts amend the FY2026 Metro Atlanta multi-jurisdictional DUI task force or heat grant to include a county match of $30,194.84 cents.

And this is ERCS.

Move for action.

Thank you.

Item 2026-0635.

All commission districts collection and analyzation upon secondhand scrap metal recycler offer up an eBay transaction data multi-year purchasing policy exemption for use by the Department of Police Services to obtain a subscription to leads online power plus investigation system to search for and identify stolen items, potential suspects, and criminal activity patterns awarded to leads online LLC amount not to exceed 239,484.

Move for action.

And with that, Madam Presiding Officer, I move to approve items 2026 0592 and 2026 0635.

Thanks.

Second.

We have a motion and a second.

No request to speak.

Please open the machines.

That motion carries.

We are now public works and transportation items.

Item 2026-0588.

All commission districts.

Renewal of Master Agreement with PATH Foundation Inc.

Uh, yes, um, based on the recommendation from PWI, motion to approve.

Thank you.

We have a motion and a second.

No request to speak.

Please open the machine for the vote.

Motion carries.

Now we are under purchasing and contracting items for the ERPS committee.

Item 2026-0532 RFP number 2025-142, fire station 5, 16, and 27 build multi-year contract for use by the Department of Fire Rescue to complete the construction of a new fire station in Tucker, Decatur, and Lithonia.

Recommend award to the highest scoring proposer, Cooper and Company General Constructors, Inc.

Amount not to exceed 26 million five hundred eighty-eight thousand dollars.

And Madam P.O.

We were waiting for some information to come back from audits.

Okay.

So on behalf of the ERPS committee, I move to defer item 2026-0532 for two weeks, which is the May 12th meeting with a prior stop in ERPS.

Second.

Motion and second, if you'll hit your machines, please.

Thank you.

Open the machine for the vote.

That motion carries.

Excuse me.

Change order number one to contract number 1384581.

On call heating ventilation and air conditioning.

Annual contract with two options to renew for use by the departments of facilities management, recreation parks and cultural affairs, watershed management, and fire rescue to obtain an on-call HVAC services.

Seeking contract funds increase awarded to B and W Mechanical Contractors Inc.

Amount not to exceed 300,000 dollars.

Move for action.

Yes, ma'am.

Item 0279, change order number two to contract number 1244 308 and change order number one to contract number 124310 uniforms for public safety personnel annual contract with four options to renew for police services and E911 to obtain work uniforms, ratifying term increase and increase in contract funds and term through December 31st, 2026, awarded to Gaul's LLC and Smyrna Police Distributors total amount not to exceed 560,000 dollars.

Move for action items 0761 statewide contract audio visual equipment and related services for use by the Department of Facilities Management to obtain audio visual equipment for the Mulouv Annex Auditorium awarded to Atlanta Soundworks LLC amount not to exceed one million dollars.

Uh move for action.

Um Madam President Office, I would like to uh pull um 260278.

Yes, ma'am.

And uh I'd like to make a motion to approve uh 0279 and uh 260 761 as approved in the ops committee.

Thank you.

Is there a second?

Second.

Thank you.

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

That motion to approve carries.

We will go back to item 2026-0278, and we were handed a substitute.

Yes.

So I'll read it again.

Change order number two to contract number 1384963 and change order number one to contract numbers 1384581 and 1384955 on call HVAC annual contract with two options to renew for use by the departments of facility management, recreation parks, cultural affairs, watershed management and fire rescue to provide on call HVAC services, seeking contract funds, increase and splash two allocation of funds awarded to BNW Mechanical Contractors Inc.

Galgan HVAC Mechanical Services Inc.

and man mechanical company LLC total amount not to exceed 1,458,000 4370 cents.

Um I'd like to make a motion to approve and I'd like for uh the C CEO to come up approve the substitute.

We'll explain the substitute.

I still need a second, and then we can have a discussion.

Thank you.

Second, Mr.

Williams.

Uh thank you, madam presiding officer, members of the board.

So what we have, um, and um I actually commend staff for for the the forethought in doing this.

Um as you'll recall about two weeks ago we came before you with about 13.5 million dollars in of investment in our uh SPLOSS dollars for health facility upgrades, HVAC, roofing, plumbing, and so forth.

What we didn't have at that time are the contractors to do the work.

This item was already moving when we uh sought the allocation.

Um, but what we're doing is taking the opportunity to add dollars on these contracts so that we can get that HBAC uh uh specifically that work done.

Um and recognizing the timeliness of it, which sum are coming.

You've allocated the funds already uh in a previous item, so we're taking advantage of these contractors to get them working as quickly as possible.

So that's what we have.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any questions on this item?

Seeing none.

Oh, I'm sorry, Commissioner Bolton.

I just want to make sure I'm seeing this correctly.

So the original agenda item for 2026 0278 says amount not to exceed 300,000 dollars, whereas on the substitute is one almost 1.5 million.

Yes, ma'am.

And what that does is that that allocates those dollars.

What was not on here originally is the allocation to repair the HVAC and such at the health facilities.

Um that was a separate item to allocate money to do that, but we didn't have contracts to put the money against, and that's what this does.

I okay, I see it.

I see.

Thank you.

To clarify even more, the original one only had it to one contractor where there's multiple contractors.

Understood.

Thank you.

I yield back.

Thank you.

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

That motion carries.

Thank you.

We are now moving to the top of page 13, purchasing and contracting for the PECS committee.

Excuse me.

Item 2026-0408.

Um, statewide contract number statewide contract, uh, integrated security and surveillance products and services for use by the Department of Recreation Parks and Cultural Affairs to obtain camera cameras for security surveillance awarded to Convergent Technologies LLC, amount not to exceed 201,986.78 cents.

Move for action.

Yes, ma'am.

Item 0432 contract number renewal for contract numbers 1383.

2471, 138-2499.

I'm sorry, um, can we just address that um particular item because we just got a substitute?

I'm sorry.

That's okay.

I will start over.

Thank you.

Item 2026-048.

There is a substitute, statewide contract for integrated security and surveillance products and services for use by the Department of Recreation Parks and Cultural Affairs to obtain cameras for security surveillance awarded to convergent technologies LLC amount not to exceed 2019 and 18 cents.

And and I have a motion to defer this agenda item.

Motion to defer the substitute to the May 12th BLC meeting with a stop in PEX to be heard today.

My understanding is the change in the sub between the substitute and the original is um the there is a typo in the amount to exceed that now differs um slightly and is actually reduced.

Second hit your buttons for me, please.

Thank you.

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

Motion should defer carries.

Renewal of contract numbers 138-247138-2499 and 138-2509.

Plumbing services for the community development decab cares seeking to exercise the first renewal option through June 30th, 2027, awarded to J2 Connect Inc.

Facility Maintenance and Services Group and Raw Plumbing and HVAC services LLC total amount not to exceed 1,926,356 and 50 cents.

Move for action.

Item 0475 RFP number 2025-122, Kensington LCI master plan study update for purpose by the Department of Planning and Sustainability to obtain an update to the Kensington Livable Centers Initiative Master Plan Study.

Recommend award to highest scoring proposal proposer, excuse me, tunnel, spangler, and associates, amount not to exceed 250,000 dollars.

Move for action, Madam PO.

I have a motion to defer agenda items and again 0432 and 0475 to the May 12th BLC meeting with a stop to be heard in PECS committee today.

There's a motion and a second.

Yeah, Mr.

Williams.

Correct.

I believe, Madam Uh Presiding Officer to the Commissioner that uh 0475 we deliberately put here because it was time sensitive.

And we did not uh send it to PECS when we had the opportunity.

Agreed.

So um if we could, and I'm sorry for not catching that COO.

If we uh could retract that, and we'll just take these two um items separate if we could.

So just um amending so that we can go back to agenda item ending in 0432 to be called separate from that of 0475.

Yes, I will just read the agenda item and not read the whole thing again.

Item 2026-0432.

Is there a motion?

Motion to defer this agenda item to the May 12 BLC with the stop in PEX today.

I'm sorry, with the stop impEx today, April 28th.

Yes.

Thank you.

There's a motion and a second to defer.

Please open machine for the vote.

Motion to defer carries.

Now back to item 2026-0475.

Is there a motion?

Motion to approve.

Second.

Motion and a second with a request to speak from Commissioner Masaya.

I'll just handle it offline.

Okay, thank you.

Please open machine for the vote.

Motion to approve carries.

We are now on purchasing and contracting for PWI.

Item 2026-0510, cooperative agreement, plastic refuse, refuse, and recycling containers with related technology solutions, source will contract number 120324 REH for use by public work sanitation to obtain various sizes of new garbage and recycling roll cards awarded to Rehig Pacific Company, amount not to exceed $654,271.

Move for action.

Thank you.

Top of page 14.

Item 2026-0579, change order number two to contract number two zero zero zero one six seven CNG fueling station maintenance and repairs for use by public works sanitation to obtain routine and on-call repair and maintenance services to the CNG fueling stations located at the Seminole Road Landfill and the Central Transfer Station seeking increase in contract funds and term through November 30th, 2026, awarded to Atlanta Gaslight Company, amount not to exceed 35,000 dollars.

Thank you, Madam Presiding Officer.

Uh move for action, and I'd like to follow that with a motion to approve agenda item 2026-0510 and 2026-0579.

We have a motion and a second.

That motion to approve carries.

Item 2026-0604.

Snap finger advanced wastewater treatment facility, wet weather pumping storage emergency for use by the department watershed management to obtain design and implementation of wet weather pumping storage seeking to ratify an emergency purchase awarded to Ruby Collins Inc.

Amount not to exceed 10 million nine hundred and nine hundred eighty nine thousand dollars.

See that five times fast.

Move for action.

Thank you.

Item 2026-0606.

Construction of the Snapfinger Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility Phase 3C for use by the Department of Watershed Management to build out an upgrade S FAWTF membrane capacity in clusters one through four seeking to ratify an emergency purchase award to Ruby Collins Inc.

Amount not to exceed 32 million 371,087.

Move for action.

Top of page 15, item 0613, Snapfinger Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility.

Phase 3C inf influent lift stations pumping system upgrades for use by the Department of Watershed Management to assess upgrade and maintain the pumping capabilities of ILS seeking to ratify an emergency awarded to coal technology inc amount not to exceed 4 million 277,957.

Move for action.

Uh the following items to the May 12th BOC with a prior stop at PWI.

These are agenda items 2026-0604, 2026-0606, and 2026-0613.

So with that, that is my motion.

Thank you.

Is there a second?

Thank you, Commissioner Terry.

Please open machine for the vote.

That motion to defer carries.

Item 2026-0617, change order number three, the contract numbers 1309-232, 1309-234, and 236 and 239.

Storm drainage infrastructure system construction for public works stormwater project for use by public works, roads, and drainage, and the Department of Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Affairs to obtain storm drainage system construction services, seeking increase in contract term through December 31st, 2027, awarded to Kimmy Construction Inc., ANS Paving Inc., Site Engineering Inc.

and GS Construction Inc.

Thank you, Madam Presiding Officer.

Uh, based on the recommendation of PWI, motion to approve.

Thank you.

Thank you for the second.

Commissioner Terry.

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

Motion to approve carries.

Item 2026-0627.

Snap finger advanced wastewater treatment facility.

Membrane bioreactor for use by the Department of Watershed Management to obtain the membranes to upgrade phase two equipment to reliably treat plant design flow seeking to ratify an emergency purchase.

A contract will be developed in a form acceptable to the county attorney.

Order to Coveless Separation Solutions, LLC, amount not to exceed $5 million,000.

Thank you, Madam Presiding Officer.

Um, based on the recommendation of PWI, and again, this is over three million dollars.

Motion to defer two weeks to the May 12th uh BOC meeting with a prior stop at PWI.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Terry, for your second.

Thank you.

Please open that machine for the vote.

Now we're on top of page 16, and we are.

Oh, I'm sorry, we're missing one vote.

It's me.

I was moving on already.

I'm sorry.

Uh topic page 16.

We were just handed a substitute for item 2026-0602.

Uh 2026 summer food service program, and this is a PECS item.

Thank you so much, Madam P.O.

My motion is going to be to defer this agenda item to the substitute to the May 12th BLC with the stop impacts where it'll be heard by committee today.

Second.

You have a motion and a second.

Thank you, Commissioner Long Spears for that second.

Please open the machine for the vote.

Motion to defer carries.

Watershed management items.

Item 2026-0661.

Agreement for the construction and financing of sewer upgrades with Wesley Woods Senior Living E with a contribution of 591,500.

Uh move fraction.

Item 2026-0662.

Agreement of the construction and financing of sewer upgrades with related development LLC with a contribution of 922,500.

Move for action.

Madam Presiding Officer would like to make a motion to approve the following items.

Agenda item 2026-0661 and 2026-0662.

And I have a comment.

Thank you for the second, Commissioner Terry.

You have the floor, Commissioner Patrick.

Thank you, Madam Presiding Officer.

I just wanted to say that uh these last these two items right here reflect a county that is growing and also bringing on more residents, uh, more opportunities for residents to live within DeCab County.

I think that's a very important benefit for all of us.

Um so thank you very much.

Thank you, Commissioner Patrick.

Please open the machine for the vote.

Motion to approve carries.

We're now bottom of page 16 items for decision by the board.

District one item, item 2025-0683 to approve a resolution to address egregious littering and the legal dumping of scrap tires, and this is in ERPS.

Yes, ma'am.

On behalf of the ERPS committee, I do move to defer this item for two weeks to the 512 meeting with a prior stop in committee.

Please hit the machine.

One more time.

There we go.

Is there a second?

Commissioner Davis Johnson, thank you for that second.

Commissioner Patrick, you have requested to speak.

Yeah, uh, thank you, madam chair, for hearing this item as well as thank you to our central staff uh and uh the administration for working on this item.

Uh it has become something of great interest to a variety of people, not just within DeCab County, but seemingly across the region.

So uh thank you, everybody, for your partnership.

Uh commissioners, I believe uh Chief of Staff May had sent out the most current version of the language.

Uh so I hope that all of you will take a chance to review that as it comes back into committee, and then uh hopefully we can move it forward before my birthday, not asking for a lot, but it would be nice.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Patrick.

Um, please open the machines for the vote.

Motion to defer carries district two item, item 2024-0842 resolution to review and amend the board of commissioners standing procedural rules, and this is an ops.

Okay, that's one page motion to defer uh this item uh to the 526th board of commission meeting with the stop and ops.

Second of a motion and a second, no requests to speak.

Please open the machine for the vote.

That motion to defer carries.

Now we are on page 20.

We are cooking today, guys.

Item 2026-0385, all commissioned districts, a resolution of the governing authority of DeCab County, Georgia, urging adoption of the unhouse support and services plan establishing implementation expectations and accountability and for other lawful purposes, and we were just handed a substitute, correct?

Correct.

Yes, I see now.

Thank you.

I'm gonna read it again just to make sure.

Item 2026 03A5, a resolution of the governing authority of DeCarab County, Georgia, urging consideration of recommendations of the unhouse support and services plan as part of the broader housing plan of DeCab County, establishing implementation expectations and accountability, reaffirming the housing strategies currently in place and for other lawful purposes.

Motion to approve the substitute with comment, please.

Is there a second?

Second.

Commissioner Long Spears, you have the floor.

Thank you so much.

All righty.

So first, I would like to thank the commissioners for your interest in this resolution, all of the public debate, and then most recently your suggestions to strengthen the resolution.

So I thought I would go through all of the changes that y'all requested to my knowledge.

Before I do so, is Dr.

Ferguson present with us today?

Oh, there he is.

Okay, come on up, sir.

And please correct me if I miss something or I'm wrong, sir.

Thank you.

All righty.

Um, so at the very top of the resolution itself, we did make a change there.

Um, that again, this is really focused on those eight recommendations, and specifically the change from Commissioner Bolton reaffirming the housing strategies currently in place.

And I will get to some of those later in the resolution.

Um, majority of page one remains the same, other than just some very minor changes there.

Then you can go to the very bottom of page one, and this is a whereas statement that's addressing what we're currently doing.

It was important to some of the commissioners that we articulate through this resolution that there are projects and initiatives in place right now, and we look forward to continuing and building on that success.

Then we had um on the top of page two, five um bullets, if you will, on what's currently going on, and so we did try to um take what you all sent us and include it in the resolution.

So if we miss something, certainly let us know.

Um, then moving down to the now therefore be a resolved.

This is um where we're very specific that these are eight recommendations.

We're operational, operationally, fiscally, and legally be feasible and permissible.

Basically, all of these recommendations will fold up into the broader DeCab County comprehensive housing plan.

Um, at the bottom of page two, the be it further resolved.

This is an important statement because it does give the authority to the chief housing officer, our fabulous Dr.

Ferguson, or his designee to lead the efforts moving forward, and so that is primarily the changes for um the resolution itself.

Now you're coffee.

It's all that pollen.

Um at the top of page three, it references C exhibit A.

Exhibit A is this document here.

You can excuse my pink and yellow.

That was me going through it.

Um, but it is a scope of work for an interagency work session to address the recommendations and the way that it was designed from Dr.

Ferguson.

Brilliant, by the way.

Thank you for this.

I enjoyed reading it.

I look forward to it actually happening.

Is he set up two different work sessions?

The first work session is to plan review current activities and a feasibility assessment.

The second work session is to strategic alignment prioritization and plan integration.

And then you go to page four.

Do you all have oh, you do?

Okay, fantastic.

You go to page four, where he does outline the post-session outputs.

There are three bullets, as well as overall expected outcomes.

And so um after reviewing this document, again, thank you, sir, so much.

I believe that you've hit on, at least from my perspective and my expectations, all of the key areas that I believe will help us continue move this work forward and to build on the efforts that our unhoused advocates, our affordable housing advocates have been engaged in now for quite some time, and certainly under your leadership.

I strongly believe that we're going to be able to address this problem humanely with courage, with compassion, and leading with love.

Thank you so very much.

Um before I um uh turn it over to you guys for any additional questions.

Ferguson, I'll give you some of my time, sir, to just talk about your perspective and where we're at now with this.

Thank you.

Sure.

Good morning.

Good morning, uh presiding officer and board of commissioners.

Thanks, uh, Commissioner Spears, you know, for the opportunity to speak.

Um so where we are now is really at the cusp of you know beginning this conversation to review the recommendations, you know, go through uh, you know, an analysis, you know, really kind of out of three boxes, you know, what's operationally viable, what's legally permissible, was financially feasible.

Um, so then we can determine, you know, which recommendations we can advance and move forward and lift them up and incorporate them into the comprehensive housing plan.

Um, so you know, uh some of you you know, probably don't know, some of you have met her already.

I just uh have on boarded a new project manager, Paige Mitchell.

Uh so Paige will be joining me uh in leading these sessions, and so we'll get them scheduled.

Yes, right.

She's right here.

Thank you.

So uh Paige will be joining me leading these sessions so we can get them scheduled fairly quickly, we can have these engaging uh discussions uh and move this you know process along uh expeditiously.

You know, but as was mentioned and was also pointed out in the resolution is that we already have current activities uh underway uh and in play, you know.

Specifically, uh you know, just this morning, uh Director Mitchell and I, you know, engaged in the conversation uh on trying to plan in advance, you know, our day shelter services center.

So, regardless of you know how this you know kind of plays out from an approval standpoint resolution, we're committed and we're dedicated to continuing the work, you know, to try to serve the unhoused uh and under house populations here in DeCav County.

So, you know, with that uh having been said, more than happy to answer any additional questions that you have.

You'll see that exhibit A is you know provided to you as a draft because we still want to add some additional parties and put some specific placeholders around certain activities that we're gonna have in the work session.

Uh Paige is actively uh working on helping us plan that, but we anticipate putting those work sessions on the calendar uh fairly soon, and we'll advise the board of commissioners when those work sessions get scheduled in case you like to you know join in and participate and witness the discussion.

Thank you so much.

Um I also wanted to give a shout out to the behavioral health stakeholder group.

Over two dozen entities were represented in the planning process that began last May.

A lot of work went into providing the eight recommendations.

Several of those folks were present with us today.

I don't know if you'll notice, but there were yellow shirts on this side of our auditorium.

We probably had two dozen people here.

And I believe that our community is ready and we have the right people at the right time prepared to move this initiative forward.

And I think with um with the plan that we currently the recommendations that we currently have, once you review them and you determine how they sync with what's currently going on, what you've proposed, you certainly are doing a gap analysis, which you addressed in the plan as well.

I think once we really spend the time in those two work sessions, all of the stars will align and we'll have the overall support and buy-in from those two dozen stakeholder groups, hopefully from my colleagues up here, I hope from our CEO as well, but to move this and for this whole program forward.

I did want to point out before I yield back my time on the fourth page of the scope of work that you provided.

One of the most important statements in this entire document is that third bullet under expected outcomes, which is the coordinated strategy linking homelessness response and housing policy.

Last summer I led a group of 21 individuals representing 21 different entities to the state of Texas, to Bear County and Harris County, which is San Antonio and Houston, respectively.

One of the biggest messages and key themes we continue to hear from that trip.

We were joined by Commissioner Terry, is around coordination.

That was something that just resonated with me.

It was repeated over and over and over again.

And I think it's something that with you in place, sir, as our chief housing officer, is that you're going to be the person that really can bring all the players together to coordinate an effective strategy moving forward.

So thank you very much, Dr.

Ferguson.

I'm grateful you're on board, and I yield back to you, Madam P.

O.

Thank you.

Commissioner Masari, you're next.

Thank you so much.

Madam P.O.

I really do appreciate it.

One I like to um understand it, you know, because I see work group that we actually are okay from legal to have a work group because we've had discussions before between a working session and a work group and special call.

So I just want to make sure we're still we're good with the work group when we're addressing things like housing.

Commissioner, we'll gladly take a look at that and make sure it conforms to your rules.

Thank you so much.

I appreciate that.

And then, you know, I've had a number of folks just being a real estate professional for over 30 years, um, and conversations with um a number of constituents, um, a lot of which were professionals in housing, and there were some concerns that they had brought up as I do.

Um, one of which was related to the behavior health state group, stakeholders group, and housing.

And so when it comes to behavioral health and substance abuse, that is one tall feat in and of itself.

And then when they are taking on housing, it sometimes can get distorted as to what the actual focus is supposed to be.

So um there's some grave concerns there.

Um, but I see we have a behavioral health stakeholders group and a Baby Health Work Group.

Can we understand the difference between the two?

So it's my understanding, you know, quite frankly, it's just semantics.

It was probably a reference to the behavioral health work group, which is actually kind of a coordinating body, if you will, um, that participated in the creation uh you know of the study.

Uh so I think it's more you know just semantics and and language scribble as ever.

So they're not two separate groups, because behavioral health stakeholder group and then behavioral health work group.

So they're not two separate separate groups, not from my understanding.

All right, so that may be something that in this language we made clear because is identifying two separate groups.

All right.

Um then in terms of the two dozen individuals that are a part of either the behavioral health stakeholder group or the behavioral health work group.

Um, can we identify who those 12 are?

Yes, certainly.

I can you know provide a list to the board of commissioners of the different groups and entities that participate in those stakeholder discussions, and those are the the entities, if you will, uh that will receive.

And that may be more of a question for um Commissioner Long Spears in terms of identifying since this is her resolution.

I understand that.

So don't feel compelled in any way to answer any of these questions specifically.

Um it's better for me to get those details from Commissioner Long Spears.

And then um lastly, well, I I think uh when it comes to just the need impact, um, you know, and I appreciate law and the tweaks um that was suggested um just based on my colleague here, but where the the CAB County governing authority has developed a comprehensive plan, I think that's what should be stated, not the while the behavior health stakeholder group has developed a comprehensive plan.

It specifically the governing authority has, and that is gonna be um how we lead in terms of any comprehensive planning when it comes to housing.

Um, because again, with yourself, the experts involved, you're paying attention to uh affordable housing and not using it as a buzzword.

It's okay, what is that AMI really look like and is the housing truly affordable, not just you know, called affordable housing.

So I think those important elements go into the comprehensive plan that the governing authority um is created through what you're creating specifically and is anticipated to be rolled out, and so I would like that language to reflect that the governing authority has developed a comprehensive plan because that's what we're gonna focus, even though we may take uh recommendations in, and that's what we put here is that we will um be mindful of their recommendations, so not their specific plan.

So with that, I yield back to you, Madam PO.

I'll accept that friendly amendment.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Commissioner Fulton, you're next.

Thank you, Madam P.O.

And I just wanted to take an opportunity to give you and your team kudos, Paige, as well as um Eva and some others.

I know some of our partners, housing partners from the stakeholder group joined us on yesterday.

Commissioner Shekira Johnson was there.

Jackson from D5, and I think there was a D2 representative there as well.

But we took a bus, um, a MARTA bus across the county, looking at the different projects, look talking about the vision, having discussions about some of the things that have been mentioned here, which is why it was especially important to me to reassure the community that work is already being done, even though we're trying to streamline the strategy.

I thought it was extremely valuable.

The bus tour that we took.

I actually think it would have been a great idea for um residents to have some insight into some of what we experienced.

It was very well organized, very thorough.

It was great to hear from the partners in the field that are on the ground doing the work.

So just wanted to make sure everybody know what an amazing job that you did with that on yesterday.

And thank you for including us.

Thank you for the invitation.

And with that, I yield back.

Thank you, Commissioner Bolton.

And I co-signed her statements on the bus tour.

It was a great tour.

Commissioner Davis Johnson, please.

Good morning, and thank you.

Um this last, whereas when we're talking about monies, uh, and we're looking at paragraph five on the second page of the resolution.

I just want to make sure that everything inclusive in that paragraph is correct.

Are you referring to the the fifth bullet that begins the expansion of coordinated entry?

Yes.

I believe that information is correct.

That's information that I received from uh Director Mitchell, who's organized and who's implementing uh those efforts.

Um so those are funds under uh Director Mitchell's purview.

Okay.

And with the friendly amendment that Commissioner McSi Massai gave with the government authority uh during the development of the unhoused support, is this resolution consistent with um what you all are doing, or what you're doing is cheap housing thought.

Is this consistent?

Yes, there's no contradictions or there's no um there's no problem in you doing your job with what is in this uh what is in this resolution.

No, I don't view it as a conflict uh with my job or or my role.

Okay.

Um I think you know, to you know, take in input you know from different organizations to inform and and feed our comprehensive housing plan, you know, should be an integral part of the process.

And our comprehensive housing plan is, you know, and I've mentioned this before, is not just a plan around affordable housing or you know, low-income populations, is really around the diversity of the housing needs and challenges, you know, in DeCav County, and that includes the unhoused and the underhouse you know population and how we're gonna serve that population.

Okay.

So it's always been my intent uh as well as the intentions of the team, and thank you, you know, for your comments in regards to the bus tour.

I have to give kudos to uh Ava and Nicole and the rest of the members of the plan and sustainability team.

They really carried the water on pulling all of that off and planning.

Um, but it's always been a part of our intent uh to make the comprehensive housing plan, you know, inclusive of the homeless and underhouse population.

And this is as well.

I did not go on that bus tour because I know that each jurisdiction is unique.

Yes, it's not saying that you can't get certain points, information from other jurisdictions, but I know each jurisdiction is unique when you're dealing with housing.

Yes, absolutely.

Because it depends upon a lot of different factors.

And so I understand that, but I can appreciate their trip.

Okay, I'm good.

All right, Commissioner Messiah, for your second time.

Thank you so much, Madam PO.

And so um also, Dr.

Ferguson, um, you and I had had discussions in terms of like safety cab.

Is this somewhere you would have liked or uh a document like this where you would like that initiative to be introduced?

Um, and just for the benefit of of my colleagues, you know, um essentially the idea is that um while the county is completely dedicated and um as you know Dr.

Ferguson, all of his staff and everyone, Madam CEO, this board in ensuring that we have um we address uh homelessness uh and the unhouse and all of the different um basets that it actually comes in, which is again uh multi-dimensional, and obviously, you know, one initiative isn't gonna resolve everyone's issues and all the issues that um some of our unhoused have.

Um there are some individuals that are residing in their cars, and so we talked about things like road to road to home, um, not just you know, hotel to home, but road to home, where there are some individuals that actually have living out of their vehicles that are in need of housing themselves, and the proceeds and some folks may not know this, but the proceeds and even some of the efforts um of our individuals that are going to hotels and trying to help people to go from hotels to um homes aren't have the capacity actually serves specifically those individuals that are living in their cars.

It is a clear differentiator, and I've heard from some of the folks that are actually doing that work as well.

So just to offer an opportunity where specifically those people that are living in their homes can actually um have a place to live and be able to address those unhoused as well.

Um additionally, there are some folks that again living in their cars that need things like being able to take a shower, and so um, or just somewhere to park their car where they feel safe and not worried about somebody breaking in, you know, to their car or robbing them while they're sitting in the car.

So just what the county specifically can do to address those specific concerns on that area of the unhouse.

So is this somewhere in this particular document that you would like for those um recommendations and initiatives to be included?

So it's not specifically you know within this document per se, uh, but it is something that we have been harder working and diligently you know pursuing ever since budget approval in uh 2026.

You know, actually we're at the cusp, you know, right now we kind of think we've gotten the you know the right format uh you know for the program, and so we're at the the point now where we're looking to try to identify you know what are going to be the spaces you know for that say space the cab initiative and you know uh condition of messiah, you know, I have to give you you know all the the credit you know for you know bringing that you know to our attention.

There was definitely a gap, if you will, uh, in the ecosystem in retard in regards to serving uh the homeless homelessness community, but I can tell you every party that we've had conversations with about trying to advance uh that initiative is absolutely excited around you know trying to create this type of opportunity uh in the CAB County.

So we're hard at work um again, you know, pursuing uh that initiative and it's it will advance, and we're anticipating hoping to launch that program in the latter part of fiscal year 2026.

All right, yeah, I just didn't want to be on duplicitous, you know, if there is a a preference for yourself that you know, as you're looking at um what's being provided, you know, here to address the issue if it if there is a preference for it to actually go in and you guys consider the recommendations, you know, at once, then my I just wanted to make sure that I'm not making it more difficult unnecessarily because my focus is to work with particularly since you guys have to to implement it, and so thank you for that response.

With that, I yield back to you, Madam PO.

Thank you, Commissioner Patrick, for your first opportunity.

Thank you, Madam Presiding Officer.

Uh Commissioner Spears, I just noted uh, and I and I apologize for not seeing this in the previous version if it was included in there.

Um, the second where as pardon me, the uh yeah, the second where uh uh top of page two under uh uh section four, the approval of a hundred thousand dollars in supplemental funding from Commissioner Patrick to expand list homeless street outreach efforts resulting in additional personnel capacity.

If we could um just note that was from 2025, um I am looking at what we can do for 26, and and you know I had put in 200,000 already for transportation, and I just need to make sure I okay I do have that available before I commit to that.

May I respond on your time?

I'm sorry, second.

May I respond on your time?

Yeah, oh yes.

Okay, so just confirming.

Um I'm making note of all the friendly amendments, so the approval of a hundred thousand dollars and twenty twenty-five.

Yep.

Gotcha.

Okay, thank you very much.

Thank you.

You yield, Commissioner Patrick.

All right, Commissioner Long Spears for your second opportunity.

Thank you very much, Madam Presiding Officer.

All righty, I am going to go through all of the friendly amendments.

If I did not capture yours, please do advise.

So the first one is what Commissioner Patrick just stated.

Um page two, the approval of a hundred thousand dollars and twenty twenty-five and supplemental funding.

The next change, and this is a friendly amendment from me.

It's just a small uh grammatical error, be it further resolved on line two is re respectfully urged to consider the recommendations, remove the word and that is it actually in that document.

Then we move over to the cover page, the agenda item page, the substitute, and we have commissioner Messiah requesting to change while the behavior health stakeholder group will put while the governing authority instead has developed a resolution or a comprehensive plan.

So that change has been made.

And then, sir, um Dr.

Ferguson, under exhibit a earlier commissioner Messiah um reference some confusion between behavior health work group or behavior health stakeholder work group.

Um could you just under participating entities make that change there and add the word stakeholder after health?

Yes so everyone's clear this is one group.

Yes.

All right, that is all that I noted.

Any other recommendations or changes, Commissioners?

See none.

All righty.

Thank you again all so much.

We appreciate your leadership.

I appreciate all of uh the commissioners providing input, and I do hope and pray that we can get this across the finish line today.

Thank you so much.

I yield back.

Thank you, Commissioner Long Spears.

So I see no additional requests to speak.

There is a motion to approve the substitute with the friendly amendments by Commissioner Long Spears, seconded by Commissioner Bolton.

Please open the machines for the vote.

That motion carries.

Thank you.

So quick time check before we move on to the next item.

We are moving to the top of page 21.

We have 11 more items to go.

I'd like to maybe try to go to 1210, 1215 and see how far we get.

All right, top of page 21.

Item 2026 0596, all commission districts, an ordinance to regulate the restraint and transportation of animals and for other purposes.

This is ERPS.

Thank you, Madam P.O.

With this item 2026 0596.

I move to defer it for two weeks.

That's the May 12th meeting with a prior stop in ERPS, and this is on behalf of the committee.

Second, uh I'm in ERPS.

Okay, second.

You don't have to, I can second, even if I'm not in the committee, but go ahead, you can have it.

Have a motion and a second.

It seems like the machine has calmed down.

It was flinking for a little bit.

It was flinching back and forth.

So I was trying to push it.

Please open the machine for the vote.

Thank you.

That motion to defer carries, and I will also note that Commissioner Marietas Marita Davis Johnson's had a step away.

Now moving to middle of page 21, district three item 2026-0550 to opt to adopt an ordinance to amend the code of DeCab County to address public safety vagrancy, unauthorized camping, and certain public news nuisance behaviors.

Motion to defer to the May 12 BOC with the stop in PECS today, April 28th.

And um we'll get with some of those those tweaks and understanding um the impact of those.

Thank you.

If you'll hit your machine, is there a second?

Okay, one more time.

Second.

There we go.

Thank you.

Seeing now request to speak, please open the machine for the vote.

That motion defer carries.

Bottom of page 21, item 2025-1506, a district six item to approve a resolution to ensure that the county's judges receive the same benefits as the judges of the Superior Court of DeCav Judicial Circuit, County Employees, and Judges and other counties.

It's also a FAB item.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Motion to defer this item to the May 26th meeting.

I have a brief comment.

I have a motion and a second.

Second.

Thank you.

Commissioner Long Spears.

Commissioner Terry, you have the floor.

Yes, thank you, Madam Chair.

So just to let everyone know we are awaiting hopefully the signature of the governor for legislation that hopefully should address all the issues in this resolution.

And so we'll just uh wait for that and um hopefully we'll come back in a month and we'll be able to uh withdraw this item.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Terry.

Please open the machine for the vote.

Motion to defer carries now, bottom of page 22, 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.

Yes, thank you, Madam Chair.

We're still discussing this in Fab.

Um, so I'll motion to defer this item to the May 26th BOC meeting.

Second motion second.

Commissioner Masaya has requested a speech.

Thank you.

And just to briefly understand, um, and this is a district six item.

So um as it relates to the tech dividend fund, where would those uh we're expecting those proceeds to come from that's a great question?

It's actually in the resolution.

As the author, can you share that?

I mean, yeah, it's it's to come from the tax revenues.

Which tax revenues?

The tax revenues from data centers.

Okay, which is also in the resolution.

All right, so we're looking to get tax revenue from data centers, and we don't have any.

All right, is there any alternative um place where you think these funds would come from?

Because at this point we don't have, we're not we don't have data centers, so how would we pay for this otherwise?

Well, it's dependent upon data centers being built.

So it's an it's only if a data center is built.

Got it.

Okay.

All right.

That's all the questions that I have.

Thank you, Madam P.

O.

Thank you.

Seeing no other request to speak, please open the machine for the vote.

Who was the second?

Commissioner Long Spears, it kind of moved to the top.

Okay.

That motion to defer carries five to one.

Top of page 23, item 2026-0244.

All commission districts a resolution requiring a baseline assessment of DeCAB County's health, socioeconomic, and environmental status, and a third-party analysis of analysis of DeCAS proposed data center regulations before issuance of a land disturbance permit for data centers.

And this is in PECS.

Thank you so much.

Um, Madam PO.

We have a move for action in that item.

Move for action.

Thank you.

So now we're going top of page 24, item 2026-0245, and the allocation not to exceed $15,000 of the DeCab County General Fund to be considered for the 2026 budget to science for Georgia to conduct the baseline assessment of DeCab County's current health, socioeconomic and environmental status, and provide a third-party analysis of DeCab County's proposed data center regulations contextualized by the county's current health, socioeconomic, and environmental status.

Move for action and with a comment, Madam PO, I move to defer agenda items ending in 1244 and 0245 to the May 12th BLC meeting with a stop impact today.

Second.

Please hit your buttons, please.

Uh one more time.

It disappeared on us, Commissioner Masaya.

Again, there we go.

Commissioner Masay, you have the floor.

Thank you so much.

Just want to briefly ask um a district six commissioner as the sponsor of 0245, wanting to be as mindful as time is possible with things in our agenda.

Do we actually have a um an additional entity that's considered an expert to do the impact study?

I just don't want to leave it on the agenda if there's some more work that needs to get done.

Um so just as a reminder, the um Science Georgia is the um well, it's not on the yeah, there it is, it's been updated.

So yeah, Science for Georgia would um conduct the baseline assessment, and then of course um the DCAP Public Health Department uh director um uh Paxton had um you know volunteered to be a part of that um stakeholder group as well.

And I believe that our uh DCAB public health, they were not being um they're not involving themselves in this.

And I guess my question is as Science for Georgia has admitted in our last committee meeting that they were not experts.

Do we have an alternative?

Just wanted to make sure if not, we don't, but just want to see if we have experts for this in fact or not.

Well, again, I'd I think maybe you're maybe mischaracterizing what they said.

Um they're not they're not saying they're the experts, they're collating the literature.

So from a scientific perspective, they're objectively the goal here in this is to objectively look at what the experts are saying.

That that was that was their argument, and that's the the point of the study is not they're the experts, but they're going to go out and coalate the experts literature review as well as stakeholder and community input, and then you know any other stakeholders that the commissioners would like to include.

All right, look forward to having um in digging and better understanding.

Uh, I guess it'll stay on there for now.

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

O.

Thank you.

See no further requests to speak, please open machine.

Well, Commissioner Bolton, try to get it right there at the last second.

Go ahead.

Just with an understanding of what you were just describing, Commissioner Terry, are we putting stipulations around where they will be getting the information from the data that they'll be collating and sharing?

Um yeah, I mean, I think um, you know, there's Science for Georgia does have a website and they you know, one, they keep a map of all the data centers in DeCap County and they update it every month.

Um they've done several um you know, testimonies at the Capitol, um they've done town halls around Georgia.

Um they they've been requested a lot.

Um in fact, actually, I was in Athens Clark County uh two months ago, and Science for Georgia was there on the request of the local uh county commissioners there uh to give their assessment on the Athens Clark County data center ordinance, which passed a few weeks ago.

A lot of it based on our ordinance.

Yep.

I support Science for Georgia.

I think they're a great organization.

I've done some work with them, but because this says a baseline assessment that has to do with health, socioeconomic, and environmental status.

I would like to put some stipulations around what we defined as reputable references and resources and making sure that we do have experts to confirm whatever information that is provided to the board since we're gonna provide it, it's gonna be shared as if it's official.

So we do need confirmed experts in the industry to co-sign whatever is presented.

Other than that, it's um it would be similar to something any of our advocate community members could produce.

So they could get the same information, put it in a white paper like they've done previously and share that with us.

So if we're gonna do this, it it must be strictly organized and laid out what we will permit in as reputable references and reputable experts or SMEs subject matter experts in the industry before we allow that sort of information to be given to the Board of Commissioners as accurate.

So if you could take some time to go back and just re-evaluate some of that, even in conversations with them, I'm sure they can make some really good suggestions.

And with that, I yield back.

Thank you, Commissioner Patrick.

And then this sounds like this needs to be a much broader conversation in committee and not up here, so I'm gonna allow a little bit more.

Thank you, Madam Presiding Officer.

On behalf of the second greatest committee, PECS.

I invite all these great ideas and conversations to follow this with Commissioner Terry uh at our next discussion.

Those are uh good concerns, but I think those are things best for the committee level conversations where we can go into depth uh uh uh for or against or any other point with that, but that's my recommendation.

Thank you, Madam Presiding Officer.

With that, Commissioner Terry, you wanted to can you handle it in committee?

Um can we have a brief.

Yeah, no, I'm happy to talk about it in more detail in the committee and um you know honestly just would would welcome any uh amendments to the resolution.

And um, you know, honestly, I just would would welcome any uh amendments to the resolution.

I I think I've covered everything and we have talked about it a few times in the committee.

So I mean, honestly, at this point, it's really the committee's prerogative to uh bring forward uh changes or amendments to the resolution.

I'm completely open to any additions or tweaks.

Um you know, happy to work with the committee on what you feel would be the best standards or scope of work.

Um so you know, this is a an iterative process, and um as all democratic actions are um someone brings forward an idea, and then the body can help um you know tweak it uh to move towards consensus.

So happy to take any suggestions and continue that discussion in PECS.

Thank you.

Machines are open for the vote.

Thank you.

Motion was to defer that motion to defer carries.

Thank you.

Bottom of page 24 item 2026-0341, all commission districts a resolution of the of the DeCab County Board of Commissioners requesting the administration and planning department to update the recommended substitute for text amendment 2025-0972 regarding data center regulations.

I have a motion to defer to the May 12th BOC as communicated even earlier by constituents.

There's more work to be done.

Thank you.

Motion and a second, please hit the buttons.

Thank you.

I see no request to speak.

Please open the machine for the vote.

Motion to defer carries.

We are almost there.

If we can just push through this, I think we can get this done.

Middle of page 25, 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.

Madam ERPS chair.

Thank you.

The consensus in ERPS was to approve, however, we were pending some an update from law.

Some considerations for noise.

I know you wanted to share with us for the blasting ordinance.

There are some additional pieces that we need to cover on this.

So we'd ask for a deferral, Commissioner, so we can speak with you offline and make sure that we address that.

Understood.

We have Chief Carter.

Okay.

Did you want to add to that?

Okay.

No problem.

Well, if okay.

Well, I'll amend my motion to defer item 2026 0218 for two weeks.

My second stance.

Thank you.

See no further requests to speak.

Please open the machine for the vote.

Motion to defer carries.

We're on page 26.

Item 2026-0551 Commission District 7.

An item to allocate 2,000 of reserve for appropriation funds to 100 black men of DeCab County for legacy is not extinct event for enhancement of educational programming for youth.

Do we have a substitute for that item?

District 7.

All right.

So the and the substitute will just be a change from $2,000 to 15,000.

And with that, I move to approve item 2026 0551.

The substitute.

Second.

Oh, you got it.

Please open the machine for the vote.

You said 15,000, is that right?

Yes, ma'am.

Okay, thank you.

Please hit your button.

Thank you.

That motion to approve the substitute carries.

Middle of page 26, item 2025-1577, all commission districts.

Resolution of the DeCab County governing authority regarding the trade review commission's report and recommended changes to the organizational act.

I know Madam Ops Chair has stepped away.

Is the rest of the ops committee ready with the recommendation?

Did she leave you any recommendation?

Otherwise, I'm just going to defer it to two weeks to our next meeting.

That's what it is.

Okay.

Yep.

That's my motion.

Deferred for two weeks to the next meeting.

Second.

Commissioner Terry, we're so close.

You have requested a speech.

Go ahead.

Thank you.

Just real quick.

So after this agenda item, are we going to be able to simply walk on or just from the floor amend the rules with the new time limits?

So we have one more after this one, but it's my understanding that we are working on that agenda item, but we would also can do that at the start of a meeting to handle everything in that meeting.

So we can there will be an agenda item in Cal.

At the next one.

Please open the machine for a vote.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Motion to adjourn.

Second.

Oh, look, county attorney stood up and I was about to like no.

Take the vote, quick.

Well, I know, right?

Motion to adjourn.

Seconded by Commissioner Long Spears.

Please open the machines for a vote.

All right.

Good job, everybody.

Look at that.

We can do it.

Commissioners, I did not need this on the record.

This is not county business, but I am very pleased and thankful to tell you our deputy is at home and doing well.