OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

DeKalb County Board of Commissioners Meeting – June 23, 2026

Board of Commissioners & Committees — Tuesday, June 23, 2026
BodyDekalb County, Georgia
SessionBoard of Commissioners & Committees
DateTuesday, June 23, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 8:41:15

Transcript — Verbatim
0:08

Good morning, everybody.

0:11

I am presiding officer and commissioner Shekyra Johnson.

0:15

Welcome to the June 23rd, 2026 Board of Commissioners meeting.

0:20

We have a large crowd today, and we have a lot of items on our public hearing agendas.

0:26

Um, so if we have run out of the printed agenda, there is a QR code just outside that back door that you can scan.

0:34

And I think we yeah, she has a QR code in the back if you need to scan that so you can see the agenda.

0:40

So bear with us today as we have a packed house.

0:43

And we also have a switch in our inspirational speaker.

0:47

Our scheduled inspirational speaker is actually under the weather, so we are sending her extra prayers.

0:53

Um, but fortunately, Demetrius McCoy Sr., who is chief of staff for District 5 is stepped up and is willing to do our inspirational for us.

1:05

Um Pastor McCoy is the pastor at redemption for church, redemption life church in Lithonia, and stated he's the district five chief of staff, and he is the father of two amazing boys, and of most importantly, the husband to Dr.

1:23

Mariah McCoy, who is the assistant principal at Stone Mountain Elementary School.

1:29

Pastor McCoy.

1:30

Good morning.

1:41

Good morning, commissioners, good morning, madam presiding officer.

1:44

I know our CEO is watching.

1:46

Good morning, everyone.

1:48

Good morning.

1:49

I'll try that again.

1:50

Good morning, everyone.

1:51

Good morning.

1:52

Thank you.

1:53

I'm so glad you're glad to be here.

1:56

Uh, for just a few moments, I'm gonna share this.

1:58

I do understand that one of the worst things that a preacher can do is pray too long or speak too long before the main course is served.

2:05

I understand you're not here to see me, you're here to give your public comment to hear this meeting.

2:10

So I'm gonna move on out the way.

2:13

But for just a moment that I have your attention, I want to share a thought with you.

2:18

And if I were to hypothetically ask you a question, the question would be how many emergency exits are in this room.

2:25

I don't want you to look.

2:27

I'm hoping that you discovered that before you entered in the room, how many emergency exits that there are.

2:33

And if you have not, you're probably looking out around the room counting them now.

2:38

There's a scripture in 1 Corinthians 10 13 which says you are tempted in the same way that everyone else is tempted.

2:46

But God can be trusted not to let you be tempted too much, and he will show you a way of escape.

2:56

Madam Presiding Officer and Commissioners, I want to share this thought.

3:01

Find the nearest exit.

3:04

Find the nearest exit.

3:06

Before every flight takes off, passengers hear a familiar instruction.

3:10

Please take a moment to locate the nearest emergency exit.

3:15

Place your oxygen mask on before assisting others.

3:19

Before cruise ship departs, passengers participate in a safety drill, and they're shown where the life rafts are.

3:41

What is interesting is that these instructions are given long before a crisis ever happens.

3:48

The plane is not experienced turbulence, the ship is not taking on water, there is no fire in the building yet.

3:55

Preparation should always come before panic.

3:59

Recently, I found myself in this situation where my family and I went on family vacation, and my wife wanted some Texas Roadhouse.

4:09

And so we stopped in Augusta at Texas Road House.

4:13

And if you've ever been there, you know that everyone goes there not for the steak, you go for the bread.

4:20

So we got our two baskets of bread, and as I ordered my meal, the light started flashing, the siren went off, and to my surprise, everyone sat there because they wanted their steak.

4:36

While the fire emergency exit was going off and fire alarm was going off, everyone sat there until a lady came out and said everybody has to leave.

4:53

The amenities didn't matter, the decor didn't matter, the small things did not matter.

5:00

The only thing that mattered is where the nearest emergency exit was located.

5:06

As I reflected on this experience, it reminded me that many of us spill a great spend a great deal of time locating opportunities, advantages, conveniences, challenges, but spend very little time identifying how we can exit when the pressure arrives.

5:25

We know where success is, we know where comfort is, we know where resources are.

5:30

But do we know where the nearest emergency exit is?

5:36

I want to say this, and then I'm gonna take my seat.

6:14

Let's pray.

6:16

Gracious Father, thank you for the opportunity to share this inspiration.

6:19

Thank you for the opportunity to locate ways out of things that seem challenging.

6:27

Thank you for the opportunity to even exit hard places, hard things and challenging things, and move forward in the things that will continue to progress this county.

6:38

Bless our leaders, bless our CEO, our presiding officer, and our commissioners and staff as we all work together to find the nearest emergency exit so that we can continue progress for this great county.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural████████████████████20%
Data Center Regulation█████████████████17%
Public Safety███████7%
Homelessness███████7%
Community Engagement██████6%
Affordable Housing██████6%
Public Engagement█████5%
Miscellaneous█████5%
Budget Equity Analysis████4%
Summary of Proceedings

DeKalb County Board of Commissioners Meeting – June 23, 2026

The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners convened on June 23, 2026, at 9:00 AM for a full-day meeting that included presentations, public comments, and multiple public hearings. Key topics included a proclamation for Foster a Pet Month, a trailblazer award for music producer James "J. Lack" Lackey, and a 25-year service recognition. The board heard extensive public testimony on data centers, water infrastructure, property taxes, and zoning issues. Major decisions included denial of a data center text amendment (after a brief reconsideration), approval of the 2055 Unified Plan update, approval of the North DeKalb Day Center, and deferral of the millage rate public hearing to July 7, 2026.

Consent Calendar

  • Proclamation declaring June 2026 as Foster a Pet Month in DeKalb County, recognizing Lifeline Animal Project and encouraging fostering.
  • Proclamation honoring James "J. Lack" Lackey with the 2026 District 1 African American Music Appreciation Month Trailblazer Award.
  • Recognition of Dion McKenzie for 25 years of county service.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Data Centers: Multiple residents spoke against data centers, citing water consumption, environmental racism, noise, health impacts, and inadequate proposed regulations. Speakers included Jackie Malcolm, Cambria, Ralph Branch, Jonathan Holley, Deborah Wallace, Rosalind McIntyre, Gina Mangum, Jam Dunaway, Stephen Benny, Kiana Jones Moore, and Austin Cryell. They demanded a one-year extension of the moratorium, a health and environmental study, and a ban on data centers. A guest from Memphis, Keyshawn Pearson, shared negative experiences with data centers in his community.
  • Property Taxes/Millage Rates: Several speakers opposed the proposed millage rate increase, arguing it disproportionately affects residents and questioning the use of EHOST sales tax. Speakers included Jam Dunaway, Stephen Benny, Gina Mangum, Jocelyn O'Neill, and Jimmy Easton.
  • Rezoning (Kelly Lake Road): Residents opposed rezoning from R75 to R60, citing concerns about density, water infrastructure, and community character. Speakers included Eric Peake, Delphi Yavonjo, Virtonia Jerry, Rosalind McIntyre, and Paul Glaze.
  • Traffic Calming (Terry and Drive): Residents supported the traffic calming plan, citing speeding and safety issues. Speakers included Ornish Bush, Melody Riggins, Beverly Dabney, and Debbie Smith.
  • Other: A speaker opposed the 2055 Unified Plan update, urging affordability and community engagement.

Discussion Items

  • Millage Rates (Item 2026-1045): Budget Director TJ Seeger presented the proposed 2026 millage rate of 21.31 mills for unincorporated areas (a half-mill increase). The average homeowner would see a $69 increase ($5.74/month). The increase funds housing, workforce development, healthcare, public safety, and other programs. The item was deferred to the July 7, 2026 meeting with a public hearing.
  • Data Center Text Amendment (Item 2026-0972): Deputy Director Bragg presented a substitute draft that defines data centers, requires a special land use permit (SLUP) for major centers, caps size at 1 million square feet, and sets a 750-foot residential buffer. After extensive debate and public testimony, the board initially voted to defer to August 11, 2026. However, later in the meeting, a motion to reconsider was approved, and the board voted 7-0 to deny the substitute, effectively rejecting the proposed regulations. The moratorium continues.
  • Short-Term Rental Text Amendment (Item 2026-0628): The board approved a substitute that clarifies licensing requirements. A friendly amendment was added requesting staff to return within six months with additional amendments, including a homestead exemption cap and background check provisions.
  • 2055 Unified Plan Update (Item 2026-0995): The board approved the substitute, authorizing the planning process for the comprehensive land use plan update. The plan will be developed in-house with a $75,000 budget for outreach and materials.
  • North DeKalb Day Center (Item 2026-1056): The board approved a partnership with St. Vincent de Paul to renovate a 10,000 sq. ft. facility near the Chamblee MARTA station. DeKalb County will contribute $755,000 toward renovations; St. Vincent de Paul will contribute $1.1 million. The center will operate six days a week, serving 100 individuals daily.
  • Rezoning - 2697 Kelly Lake Road (Item 2026-0452): After community opposition, the board voted to deny the rezoning from R75 to R60 for 12 single-family homes.
  • Rezoning - Optimal Consulting LLC (Item 2026-0443): The board deferred the rezoning from R75 to RSM at 3327 Woodstock Road to July 14, 2026, for decision only, to allow Commissioner Messiah to meet with constituents.
  • Urban Camping Ordinance (Item 2026-0550): The board deferred the ordinance to July 14, 2026, after Sheriff Maddox expressed concerns about jail overcrowding and the administration requested time to propose amendments.
  • Salary Commission Resolution (Item 2026-1031): The board denied a resolution to create an independent salary commission for commissioner compensation, citing existing part-time status and ongoing financial pressures on residents.
  • Environmental Equity Resolution (Item 2025-1787): The board denied a resolution to provide sanitation fee discounts to residents within a half-mile of the Seminole Road Landfill, with concerns about the financial impact on the enterprise fund.
  • Health and Environmental Study Resolution (Item 2026-0244): The board deferred this resolution to July 14, 2026, with a stop at PECS. The resolution would require a baseline health and environmental study before any data center permits.

Key Outcomes

  • Denied: Data center text amendment (Item 2026-0972 substitute) – moratorium continues.
  • Approved: Short-term rental text amendment substitute (Item 2026-0628) with friendly amendment for staff to return within six months.
  • Approved: 2055 Unified Plan update (Item 2026-0995 substitute).
  • Approved: North DeKalb Day Center partnership with St. Vincent de Paul (Item 2026-1056) – $755,000 county contribution.
  • Denied: Rezoning at 2697 Kelly Lake Road (Item 2026-0452).
  • Denied: Salary commission resolution (Item 2026-1031).
  • Denied: Environmental equity resolution (Item 2025-1787).
  • Deferred to July 7, 2026: Millage rates (Item 2026-1045) – with public hearing.
  • Deferred to August 11, 2026: Data center text amendment (initially, then reconsidered and denied).
  • Deferred to July 14, 2026: Urban camping ordinance (Item 2026-0550), health study resolution (Item 2026-0244) and companion funding (Item 2026-0245), and rezoning at 3327 Woodstock Road (Item 2026-0443).
  • Deferred to July 14, 2026: Numerous PWI and other committee items.
  • Deferred to July 7, 2026: Housing investment bond program (Item 2026-1043) and related housing initiatives (Item 2026-1044) – with special call FAB meeting.
  • Approved: Traffic calming plan for Terry and Drive (Item 2026-0943) – 90-day petition process.
  • Approved: Various purchasing and contracting items as listed in the agenda.
  • Tabled and then Deferred: Item 2026-0630 (Bouldercrest/Cedar Grove/Moorland Overlay amendment) – deferred to July 7, 2026.

Note: The meeting adjourned after 5:00 PM.

Meeting Transcript

Good morning, everybody. I am presiding officer and commissioner Shekyra Johnson. Welcome to the June 23rd, 2026 Board of Commissioners meeting. We have a large crowd today, and we have a lot of items on our public hearing agendas. Um, so if we have run out of the printed agenda, there is a QR code just outside that back door that you can scan. And I think we yeah, she has a QR code in the back if you need to scan that so you can see the agenda. So bear with us today as we have a packed house. And we also have a switch in our inspirational speaker. Our scheduled inspirational speaker is actually under the weather, so we are sending her extra prayers. Um, but fortunately, Demetrius McCoy Sr., who is chief of staff for District 5 is stepped up and is willing to do our inspirational for us. Um Pastor McCoy is the pastor at redemption for church, redemption life church in Lithonia, and stated he's the district five chief of staff, and he is the father of two amazing boys, and of most importantly, the husband to Dr. Mariah McCoy, who is the assistant principal at Stone Mountain Elementary School. Pastor McCoy. Good morning. Good morning, commissioners, good morning, madam presiding officer. I know our CEO is watching. Good morning, everyone. Good morning. I'll try that again. Good morning, everyone. Good morning. Thank you. I'm so glad you're glad to be here. Uh, for just a few moments, I'm gonna share this. I do understand that one of the worst things that a preacher can do is pray too long or speak too long before the main course is served. I understand you're not here to see me, you're here to give your public comment to hear this meeting. So I'm gonna move on out the way. But for just a moment that I have your attention, I want to share a thought with you. And if I were to hypothetically ask you a question, the question would be how many emergency exits are in this room. I don't want you to look. I'm hoping that you discovered that before you entered in the room, how many emergency exits that there are. And if you have not, you're probably looking out around the room counting them now. There's a scripture in 1 Corinthians 10 13 which says you are tempted in the same way that everyone else is tempted. But God can be trusted not to let you be tempted too much, and he will show you a way of escape. Madam Presiding Officer and Commissioners, I want to share this thought. Find the nearest exit. Find the nearest exit. Before every flight takes off, passengers hear a familiar instruction. Please take a moment to locate the nearest emergency exit. Place your oxygen mask on before assisting others. Before cruise ship departs, passengers participate in a safety drill, and they're shown where the life rafts are. What is interesting is that these instructions are given long before a crisis ever happens. The plane is not experienced turbulence, the ship is not taking on water, there is no fire in the building yet. Preparation should always come before panic. Recently, I found myself in this situation where my family and I went on family vacation, and my wife wanted some Texas Roadhouse. And so we stopped in Augusta at Texas Road House. And if you've ever been there, you know that everyone goes there not for the steak, you go for the bread. So we got our two baskets of bread, and as I ordered my meal, the light started flashing, the siren went off, and to my surprise, everyone sat there because they wanted their steak. While the fire emergency exit was going off and fire alarm was going off, everyone sat there until a lady came out and said everybody has to leave. The amenities didn't matter, the decor didn't matter, the small things did not matter.

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