The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners held a Committee of the Whole meeting on September 10, 2026, at 2:15 PM. The meeting included committee reports, a review of the proposed executive agenda for September 15, and a detailed presentation on the Resilient DeKalb 2040 Master Plan. Commissioners discussed sustainability, energy efficiency, and policy initiatives, with votes scheduled for the upcoming Board of Commissioners meeting.
Chief Resilience Officer Liza Malagro presented the Roll-out of Resilient DeKalb 2040, a countywide sustainability and resilience strategy. Key points:
Good morning, everybody. I am your presiding officer in District 4 Commissioner Shakira Johnson and welcome to the September 10th, 2026 Committee of the Whole. So we will get started with committee reports. Madam Peck's chair, would you like to go first today? Yes, Madam PL, thank you. Great morning to all. Madam PO recognizing we have CEO in attendance. Welcome to all of my Board of Commissioner colleagues. We have enjoyed this much needed break and a little R. We're up here just talking about it just briefly. But I serve as your your PECS chair, planning economic development and community services, along with Commissioner Robert Patrick from District One and Commissioner Longspears from District 2. A regularly scheduled meeting was held on August 25th, 2026, and those in attendance were myself, Commissioner Long Spears, Commissioner Patrick, Commissioner Terry, and we had also Commissioner Johnson. There were nine items that were printed on our agenda of those. All nine were reviewed. Five items were recommended for approval. One item was recommended for withdrawal. The remaining three items were moved to the next PECS meeting, which will be held on September 15th. We will have our lively discussion related to those items, and we'll dispose of those appropriately. With that, I yield back to you, Madam PL. Thank you, Madam Chair of PECS. Excuse me. Mr. Fab Chair, are you ready to go next? Thank you, sir. Yes, thank you, Madam President Officer. Good morning, everyone, Commissioner Ted Terry. The FAB committee met last on Tuesday, August 25th, joined by myself, Commissioner Michelle Longspears, Commissioner Shah Johnson, and Commissioner Robert Patrick. We discussed, well, actually, we have rescheduled the property tax appeals property appraisal um presentation. So we'll have that um at the next fab meeting. So look forward to that. Uh we are gonna we did discuss the mid-year adjustments uh timeline discussions that we talked about just mostly next year's budget timeline, and um as the committee members recommended and we agreed, we will be um starting our review of the constitutional officers and departments requests earlier in the cycle, um, just so we get that at the front end instead of kind of dealing with it at the very end um in the January February portion of the 2027 budget process. Um we are asking uh commissioners to bring forward any mid-year budget request to the FAB committee meeting. So um, you know, let's uh talk between now and Tuesday about things you want to add uh for discussion items, and then uh we will work with um CO Williams and Director Sigler to uh develop that that budget amendment um for consideration. Uh we also had a couple agenda items on and uh continuing the national institutional government purchasing uh contract, and that is focused on um our procurement process, uh augmenting staff, and um continuing uh working with that entity to improve the efficiency of the procurement department. We also had uniforms that were approved for the marshal's office. Um we did uh recommend approval. Thank you to Commissioner Messiah for bringing forward two budget um requests for the sugar creek tennis and golf course to address the um the overages from the lighting and retention wall for the third tennis court. That's been a project that the commissioners have previously approved, but this is an increase from just the topography and some other engineering issues. So thank you, Commissioner Sai for uh flagging that and bringing that forward. Um Mr. COO, you're gonna be um getting us a funding source. I think we discussed a hotel motel, um, but we'll look forward to receiving that um uh for the BOC meeting next Tuesday. And then um also Commissioner Messiah brought forward uh a request for equipment improvements at Porter Sanford Performing Arts Center, and so again, this is really crucial because there are some um upgrades that are needed in the AV system. Uh this is our biggest event venue in DeCab County, so it's important that we have all of the technology and um the latest so that's and working equipment um so that this facility can be used to its fullest extent. And we did not get to a few other items on the financial advisor, RFP, and um the uh water and sewer um uh ordinance uh that's related to the um the the debt program and then the uh the fiscal stability policy um from district six office and with that I'll yield back that concludes my report. All of the technology and um the latest so that's and working equipment um so that this facility can be used to its fullest extent and we did not get to a few other items on the financial advisor RFP and um the uh water and sewer um uh ordinance uh that's related to the um the the debt program and then the uh the fiscal stability policy um from district six office and with that I'll yield back that concludes my report thank you thank you commissioner terry commissioner marita davis johnson from ops please good morning I am Marita Davis Johnson and I'm sure the county operations committee also known as the ops committee my colleagues who set on that committee with me are Commissioner Robert Patrick and Commissioner Ladina Bolton the ops committee met on Tuesday uh August the 18th committee members that was drawn by us was Commissioner Territory and Commissioner Michelle on Spears during that meeting we approve the minutes for the July the 13th ops meeting there was four new agenda items facility management items were approved uh innovation and technology items were approved there was one previously heard item innovation and technology items 2609 89 was recommended for approval also um the committee continued the discussion of the child of review recommendations we also received an update on the operational review and assessment from the momentum firm the ops committee will meet again uh this afternoon at uh 1 p.m where we will have a couple of um presentations one is the 2027 uh legislative platform the other one is the uh PDK air quality and NOAA study uh charter review and of course we will also continue the discussion if we have time I think we will on the Charter Review recommendations so please um join us live on the uh DC TV thank you and I yield back madam presiding office thank you ma'am commissioner bolton with the ERPS committee report good morning everyone I am ladina bolton our super district seven commissioner deputy presiding officer and chair of employee relations and public safety our last meeting was august eighteenth serving also on that committee with me are commissioners Marita Davis Johnson and Commissioner Nicole Messiah but also in attendance we did have commissioner Patrick Commissioner Long Spears and Commissioner Terry we had a pretty good agenda for that day um which included item 2026 0596 this is an ordinance to regulate the restraint and transportation of animals for and for other purposes of course this item was deferred more discussion is required in addition to the ordinance to amend the code to regulate the sale of dogs cats and rabbits in pet shops this was also deferred at the request of the proposer of that item which was commissioner long spears item 20260769 this was a resolution requesting the administration to establish an independent civilian oversight and auditing committee um this item was also deferred but we had a great discussion which include um elaborating on that item by the proposer or submitter of that agenda item 2026 0218 this is a district seven and five item as you guys know we have been discussing regulating oversight of blasting operations out of committee it was recommended for approval however um there are some updates that will need to occur with that item item 2026 1008 this is for background screening services coming out of HR that item of course was approved under fire rescue there was a request for multi-user hardline communication systems handheld gas detectors and portable air distribution boxes that item was deferred until the next meeting however item 2026 1050 uh which was to seek a revision to the AMR contract that was approved it was just a contract term increase to coincide when the services actually started item 2026 1246 was also approved this is an intergovernmental agreement with the city of Brookhaven to enter into a 50 year lease agreement something that has been occurring uh for some time but item 2026 1247 we were happy to approve this was an intergovernmental agreement with the city of Tucker we actually did a uh groundbreaking for a new fire station which was really exciting item 2026 1218 this is an ordinance to amend the non-discrimination ordinance which was to address licenses permit But item 2026, 1247, we were happy to approve. This was an intergovernmental agreement with the city of Tucker. We actually did a uh groundbreaking for a new fire station, which was really exciting. Item 2026 1218.