DeKalb County Commission Meeting Summary - May 12, 2026
DeKalb County Board of Commissioners Voting Meeting Summary – May 12, 2026
The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners held its regular voting meeting on May 12, 2026, at 9:00 AM. The meeting included an inspirational message, multiple proclamations and recognitions, public comments, a public hearing on the proposed data center text amendment, and votes on numerous consent and regular agenda items. Key outcomes included deferring the data center text amendment to June 23, 2026, approving emergency contracts for wastewater treatment facility upgrades, and deferring several other items for further discussion.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes Approval: Approved minutes of the May 5, 2026 Committee of the Whole meeting (Item 2026-0846).
- District 2 Allocations: Approved allocation of $9,000 for a spay/neuter survey (Item 2026-0828); $10,000 for Globe Academy Summer Camp (Item 2026-0830); and $176,050 for Pinegrass Park improvements (Item 2026-0836).
- District 3 Allocations: Approved $30,000 to Superior Court for a Law Clinic (Item 2026-0849); $10,000 to DeKalb Pro Bono (Item 2026-0850); $10,000 to START ME/e-SOLATE Coalition (Item 2026-0851); and $10,000 to Atlanta Masters Sisters United/Human Rights (Item 2026-0855).
- District 7 Allocations: Approved $3,000 to Hank Stewart Foundation (Item 2026-0772); $35,000 to Flat Rock Archive for historical preservation (Item 2026-0780); $2,100 for the County Line/Ellenwood parade (Item 2026-0784); $3,500 each to Women’s Resource Center and International Women’s House (Item 2026-0785); $15,000 to How Big Is Your Dream Foundation (Item 2026-0786); $5,000 to Rainbow Park Baptist Church for food pantry (Item 2026-0787); and $1,000 for World Planning Day (Item 2026-0788).
- Lighting Agreements: Approved lighting agreements for SR12/Covington Highway ($1,582.56 yearly) (Item 2026-0797) and SR 43 (Item 2026-0798).
Public Comments & Testimony
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Public Comment Session (9:33 AM – 10:03 AM): Multiple residents spoke in opposition to data centers, urging the board to reject or significantly strengthen the proposed text amendment. Speakers cited environmental, health, water consumption, noise, and economic concerns. One speaker (name not given) criticized the timing of a town hall scheduled just before the first election day, calling it “political games.” Several speakers noted the county had collected over 31 signatures regarding dog attacks and expressed frustration with the current response to repeated dangerous dog incidents. The public comment period ended at 30 minutes; a motion to extend for five additional minutes failed due to lack of a second.
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Public Hearing: Data Center Text Amendment (Item 2025-0972): Approximately a dozen residents testified in opposition, arguing the amendment lacks sufficient compliance and audit mechanisms. Speakers described data centers as “environmental and health injustice,” “death of a community,” and “not a risk worth taking.” Several requested a two-year moratorium. One speaker noted that “Loudoun, Virginia has over 200 data centers that buzz all day, all night,” and urged DeKalb to learn from that experience. Another stated the amendment is “not ready” and lacks annual compliance audits. No speakers testified in favor.
Discussion Items
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Data Center Text Amendment (Item 2025-0972): The board held a public hearing on a proposed text amendment that would establish definitions, development standards, and a special land use permit (SLUP) requirement for data centers over 100,000 square feet. Staff recommended approval, but numerous residents testified against it, citing concerns about water usage, noise, health, and lack of community benefit. After testimony, Commissioner Bolton made a motion to defer the item to the June 23, 2026 BOC meeting, which passed. Commissioner Bolton explained the deferral was to allow more time to incorporate public input, hold an evening town hall on June 2, and strengthen the amendment. Commissioner Messiah stated she has “consistently” supported adding a bond and decommissioning plan.
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Stormwater Utility Fee Increase (Item 2026-0587): The board deferred this item for two weeks to the May 26, 2026 BOC meeting with a prior stop at PWI. Commissioner Patrick indicated the delay was to allow all commissioners to be present, to hold a town hall, and to develop a strategy for public engagement.
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Commissioner Speaking Time Limits (Item 2026-0801): The board approved a first read of an amendment to Board procedural rules to limit commissioners to five minutes on first speaking and three minutes on second speaking, for a total of eight minutes per item. A second read is required for final adoption.
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Dog Attack Issues: During public comment, a resident from District 3 described multiple severe dog attacks (including a non-fatal attack on a neighbor and an attack on five children) within 1,000 feet of an elementary school. He said the owner received only a fine and warning, and the dog remains. He asked for board assistance with this incident and broader policy.
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Noise Ordinance (Item 2026-0209): The board deferred this item to the June 9 BOC. Commissioners discussed using decibel meters, the potential role of community service aides as “scouts,” and the need for effective enforcement. Commissioner Long Spears suggested a pilot program where decibel meters are issued to precincts patrolling “hot spots” rather than equipping every officer.
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Tethering Ordinance Update (Item 2026-0596): The board approved a 45-day deferral (to June 23) to update the ordinance on dog tethering. Commissioner Long Spears noted time sensitivity because extreme temperatures cause harm; the current ordinance needs strengthening.
Key Outcomes
- Data Center Text Amendment: Deferred to June 23, 2026 BOC meeting (Item 2025-0972).
- Constitution Road Freight Corridor (Item 2026-0795): Approved condemnation to acquire a temporary easement at 3316 Fayetteville Road, with funds ($2,205) to be distributed through the court, as six property owners include deceased individuals without wills.
- South Peachtree Creek Trail Extension (Item 2026-0589): Approved allocation of $8 million of SPLOST 2 funds for trail construction. Developer Lula Hills will reimburse the county up to $4.5 million.
- Transit Master Plan Funds (Item 2026-0813 & 2026-0814): Approved acceptance and appropriation of $625,000 from ATL and $500,000 from ARC, with the ATL funds serving as the local match for the ARC grant.
- Emergency Wastewater Contracts (Items 2026-0604, 0606, 0613): Approved emergency purchases totaling approximately $47.6 million for upgrades at the Snapfinger Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility, addressing sewer spills and capacity issues.
- Fire Station Construction (Item 2026-0532): Approved award to Cooper & Company General Constructors Inc. for up to $26,588,000 for construction of Fire Stations 5, 16, and 27 at locations in Tucker, Decatur, and Lithonia (updated addresses included).
- Executive Session: The board adjourned into executive session to discuss potential litigation. No action was taken upon reconvening.
- Meeting Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at approximately 1:15 PM.
Note: No separate PECS or FAB committee meetings were held after the BOC meeting; the PECS meeting was moved to 2:00 PM, and the FAB meeting was canceled.
Meeting Transcript
We do have a lot of people in the room, so there is an overflow room. If there were not enough agendas, there should be a QR code that you can scan right outside the door here where you pick up the agenda so you can look at the agenda on your phone. So we will get right into it. First, we have our inspirational speaker, Pastor Micah Dial. If you would like to start making your way to the front podium, sir. It is my honor to introduce a dynamic community leader, devoted servant of faith, and champion for ethical and transformational leadership, Pastor Micah Dial. Pastor Dial serves as a senior pastor of Rainbow Park Baptist Church in Decatur, faithfully continuing the extraordinary legacy of his father, the late Reverend Dr. Stephen Endles Sr. With a vision grounded in integrity, transparency, and bridging generations through ministry. Pastor Dial has led one of the Cab County's historic congregations into a new era of service and community engagement. A graduate of Miles College with a Bachelor of Science and Business Administration and a scholar pursuing a Master of Arts and Christian Leadership from Liberty University. Pastor Dahl combines faith, leadership, and strategic vision in all that he does. Beyond the pulpit, he is deeply committed to the public service as a second vice president of the NAACP DeCap County branch and as a member of the DeCab County Board of Ethics. His dedication to uplifting communities and fostering accountability reflects his lifelong commitment to servant leadership. Please join me in warmly welcoming Pastor Micah Dial. Good morning, sir. Good morning. Good morning. I'd like to thank uh presiding officer Commissioner Johnson for the invitation today. It's an honor to be here with all of you. Um I not only have the privilege of serving as the pastor of Rainbow Park Baptist Church here in Decatur, not in Decatur, it isn't Decatur, but in DeCav County. But also I'm a proud resident of DeCab County of South DeCab. Uh so shout out to my commissioners, District 3 Commissioner Nicole Messiah and Super District 7, Commissioner Ladina Bolton. Dr. Martin Luther King once said, the time is always right to do right. We are all making waves. We're making waves. I want you to think about the last time that you threw a rock into still water. You didn't have to throw it hard, you didn't have to throw it far. The moment that the rock hit the surface, the water responded. Rings went out, one after another, farther than the rock ever traveled. Y'all, that's impact. And the water never asked if the rock was ready. It just responded to the weight of it. Here's what I've come to understand about impact. It's never one directional. We talk a lot about what leaders do for communities and that matters. The policies, the funding, the decisions made in rooms just like this one. They ripple out into neighborhoods. They ripple out into schools, ripple out into families, most importantly, ripple out into the futures of our children. A commissioner votes yes and a rec center gets built. A commissioner votes yes and a road gets repaired that a mother had been navigating for three years with a stroller. A commissioner votes yes, and a small business gets the infrastructure that it needed to survive. That's real. That's the weight of hitting water. But it what we often don't talk about is that the community also makes waves too. The grandmother who shows up to every town hall, even when nobody's listening, she's throwing a rock. The teenager who picks up trash on his block every Saturday morning without being asked, he's throwing a rock. The small business owner who hires from his neighborhood and mentors the kid that nobody believed in, throwing a rock. The parent who shows up to every school board meeting, exhausted after a double shift because she refuses to let her child's future be decided without her voice in the room.
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