DeKalb County PECS Committee Meeting – August 25, 2026
DeKalb County PECS Committee Meeting – August 25, 2026
The Planning, Economic Development, and Community Services (PECS) Committee of the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners met on August 25, 2026, to consider several agenda items including a noise ordinance amendment, an electric landscape rebate program, appointments, park improvements, a naming resolution, and a data center study resolution. The meeting was chaired by Commissioner Nicole Massayam (District 3) and attended by Commissioners Robert Patrick (District 1), Michelle Long Spears (District 2), Shakira Johnson (District 4), and Commissioner Terry (District 6).
Consent Calendar
- Minutes Approval: Agenda item 2026-1243, minutes from the August 11, 2026 PECS committee meeting, were approved (Commissioner Massayam abstained due to absence).
- Cooperative Agreement - Viewing Platform: Agenda item 2026-0915 (Commission District 5) – a cooperative agreement with Romtech Inc. for a viewing platform/pavilion at Intrenchment Creek Park (Michelle Obama Park) was approved, not to exceed $178,450.
- After-School Snack Agreement: Agenda item 2026-128 – an annual agreement with DeKalb County Schools Nutrition Services for $76,940 to furnish after-school snacks for Parks and Rec was approved.
- Naming of Amphitheater: Agenda item 2026-1215 – a resolution to name the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center Amphitheater in honor of Andrew Keenan was approved. Commissioner Long Spears recused herself due to serving on the Callanwolde board.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Commissioner Patrick read an email from a constituent, Mr. Suarez, who expressed strong opposition to the proposed 65-decibel noise limit, arguing it was unenforceable and would ban standard lawn maintenance tools (gas and electric) based on decibel measurements cited from industry standards (e.g., gas mowers 100–130 dB).
Discussion Items
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Noise Ordinance Amendment (2025-0015): Commissioner Terry, the sponsor, presented a choice between a “plainly audible” standard and a decibel meter standard. He recommended decibel meters for objective enforcement. However, public safety officials (Chief Pedrick and Mr. Williams) preferred “plainly audible” due to cost and calibration issues with decibel meters. Commissioner Terry then proposed a hybrid approach: daytime decibel limit (65 dB) and nighttime “plainly audible within 100 feet” after 11 p.m. Commissioner Patrick raised staffing concerns, noting noise complaints often take hours to respond to. Commissioner Johnson questioned the feasibility of 65 dB for lawn equipment. Commissioner Long Spears suggested a pilot program for decibel meters. After extended debate, Commissioner Terry agreed to withdraw the current ordinance and return with a narrower version focused only on nighttime party noise (plainly audible after 11 p.m.). The motion to withdraw was approved.
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Electric Landscape Maintenance Device Rebate Program (2025-0017): Commissioner Terry presented a resolution to create a rebate program (businesses: $500 rebate for up to 5 devices; residents: $75 gift card) to incentivize switching from gas-powered to electric landscape equipment. Concerns were raised about the $75 being insufficient incentive and the need for a pilot program. Commissioner Patrick suggested piloting in county departments or with vendors. COO Williams advised against immediately selecting a department for administration. The item was held for further exploration, with plans to involve the new sustainability officer.
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Appointment to Community Services Board (Claritel Behavioral Health): Dr. Lynnette Wilson Phillips was interviewed. She is a pediatrician with 30 years of experience in DeKalb County. She emphasized the need for annual physical exams for children in behavioral health programs and improving access to long-term care. She stated no conflicts of interest. The appointment was approved.
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Resolution for Data Center Study (2026-0244): Commissioner Terry introduced a substitute resolution requiring an independent third-party health and environmental study on data center impacts before lifting the moratorium. The substitute changes procurement language to direct Purchasing and Contracting to find a vendor via competitive bidding. The item was introduced but not voted on; discussion was deferred to a later meeting due to time constraints.
Key Outcomes
- Noise Ordinance: Committee voted to withdraw the current ordinance (2025-0015). Commissioner Terry will work with the law department to bring back a new agenda item specifically addressing nighttime party noise (plainly audible after 11 p.m.), with Commissioner Long Spears and Commissioner Patrick as co-sponsors. The broader noise and leaf blower issues will be addressed separately.
- Electric Landscape Rebate Program: Held for further discussion; staff to explore a pilot program and coordinate with the sustainability officer.
- Data Center Study Resolution: Introduced but no action taken; will be revisited at a future PECS meeting.
- Operational Assessment: Deferred to a future meeting due to the hard stop at 5:00 p.m.
- All other consent items (minutes, viewing platform, snack agreement, naming of amphitheater, Dr. Wilson Phillips appointment) were approved.
Meeting Transcript
Great afternoon, all my name is Nicole Massayam. The I have the honor and pleasure to serve as the DeCap County Commissioner District 3, along with the Chair of PECS Planning Economic Development and Community Services. I serve alongside my committee members, that is commit um Commissioner Robert Patrick from District 1 and Commissioner Michelle Long Spears from District 2. Joining us today also is Commissioner Shakira Johnson from District 4, as well as Commissioner Terry from District 6. There we go. All right. If my colleagues have had and committee members have had an opportunity to uh review the minutes, um I'm gonna read that out and I'll entertain a motion that is agenda item 2026, 1243, all commission districts, minutes for August 11, 2026, Planet Economic Development and Community Services Committee meeting. Uh motion to approve. I'm going to abstain because I wasn't present at the committee meeting. Thank you. Second, all those in favor? Aye. Aye. All right. And we are going to, for those following along, we're gonna jump a bit ahead to our second page. We fortunately only have a two-page uh agenda today and deal with some of our other older items, and that is the bottom of page two, Board of Commissioners, Super District 6. The first agenda item is 2025-0015, all commission districts and ordinance to amend the code of DeCab County, Georgia, Chapter 16, pertaining to regulation of sound and for other purposes. And so um the sponsor of this um ordinance is here, and I invite him to um to speak on it. Commissioner Terry. Yes, so we last left it at plainly audible or decimal. So that is the decision before the committee today. All right. And as a sponsor, do you have a recommendation as to which of the two you you would like to see move forward? Yeah, I I'm good with the decibel readers. Uh the main reason, Commissioners, is it it to me it seemed a little not a little, it seemed more straightforward on an objective enforcement uh versus a plainly audible, which I guess in some jurisdictions it's it seems to work for like party noises, but the um the decibel uh seems to be like an objective way to measure when something is too too loud. So I would go with decibel um as the enforcement measurement. All right. Are there additional thoughts there? Commissioner Longspears. Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Um I was rooting for decibels, so I am glad that the sponsor is comfortable with that. Um I did want to hear from I guess Mr. Williams to make sure that the public safety and law enforcement folks are also comfortable with that. And one of the suggestions I had asked in a previous uh PECS committee meeting, and I apologize, Mr. Williams, if you did respond to it by email and I did not see it. I don't I looked earlier and didn't see it, was to consider buying some decibel meters for each precinct. And uh do you remember this conversation where the hot spots have the officers that are gonna be patrolling the hot spots have those decibel meters? The reason I had just made this as a suggestion for you to explore, because you did talk about the expense of buying decibel meters for all of our units. Thank you. Go ahead. So a couple things. The position of the public safety and code enforcement has been that they prefer the uh plainly audible as opposed to the decibel meters, meter readers. Um however, um, first of all, I believe we own a number currently, but we could um undertake the kind of pilot that you just mentioned, Commissioner Spears, but I don't believe that's something that we have done at this time. So, you know, and I'm sure the chief would be able to determine or his his command staff, you know, the best way to distribute a few at each precinct or something like that. For a pilot. That was what I had suggested. I thought it would, we could just test it. All right. Chief. And and so just to to add to that, um, yes, my understanding was um that what public safety code, the preference was for the plainly audible.
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