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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

DeKalb County Operations Committee Meeting - September 22, 2026

Board of Commissioners & Committees — Tuesday, September 22, 2026

BodyDekalb County, Georgia

SessionBoard of Commissioners & Committees

DateTuesday, September 22, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:09:59

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:04

Good afternoon, everyone.

0:06

I am Commissioner Marita Davis Johnson and I chair the ops committee, also known as the County Operations Committee.

0:18

My colleagues that serve on the commission with me, Commissioner Ladita Bolton, and Commissioner Robert Patrick, who is not here today.

0:33

So Commissioner Bowden, have you had an opportunity to review the minutes?

0:39

Yes, ma'am.

0:40

I move to approve the minutes, item 0375.

0:45

Okay, approval of the minutes of the September 10th, 2026, ops committee.

0:53

Um I second that.

0:55

All in favor?

0:56

Aye.

0:57

Okay, the next item is um these are new items is facility management, the 26th, 1230.

1:10

All commission districts, change order number four.

1:14

The contract numbers 1309 666 and 1309686 on call roof maintenance, repair, and replacement services for use by the Department of Facility Management, Recreation Parts and Cultural Affairs, Watershed Management, and Fire Rescue to obtain roof maintenance, repair replacement services at county owned facilities, seeking to utilize flush two funds for the roof replacement at police and fire rescue headquarters in the roof replacement helipad uh membrane and waterproofing services at Bobby Burgess and to increase the contract terms through June the 30th, 2027.

2:06

Awarded to National Building Contractors, Inc.

2:10

and Hawk Construction Company, amount not to exceed 4, 416, 997.

2:22

Good afternoon.

2:22

Good afternoon, Madam Chair and Commissioner.

2:25

Um this request is to stand the reefing contract to June 30th, 2027, and also to add funding, Splash 2 funding for roof replacements at uh police and fire headquarters and the Bobby Burgess complex.

2:39

So this will um replace their roofs because they're very old, and um this will help alleviate any leaks and protect our building.

2:50

Have this come back from audit.

2:53

I don't know if this has got back to audit.

2:55

I haven't heard that.

2:58

She asked if it comes back to the audit, but I haven't heard of that.

3:00

Central staff, uh I don't believe it's come back here.

3:04

Okay.

3:05

It's not okay.

3:08

I'm sorry.

3:10

It's still in audit.

3:12

Okay.

3:13

So you have a motion.

3:15

I move to defer item one, two, three, zero for the first BLC in October.

3:24

1013.

3:25

1013 with the stop back in ops.

3:29

Okay.

3:30

Okay, I second that.

3:32

All in favor?

3:33

Aye.

3:34

Okay.

3:35

That item is to defer to 1013.

3:40

The next item is um 261311, all commission districts change order number six, the contract number one two seven two eight one on call architect and engineering and design services for facility management for use by the department of facility management and fire rescue to obtain an on-call architect and engineering and design service for station number five, sixteen, and twenty-seven.

4:16

So you can increase the contract from funds in term through December 31st, 2028.

4:23

Awarded to Pond and Company, amount to not to exceed 75,000.

4:32

Good afternoon.

4:37

Is your microphone on?

4:39

Okay.

4:40

Good afternoon, presiding officer and commissioner.

4:43

Uh, yes, this item uh 1311.

4:46

This is one of our on-call architects whose contract expires at the end of this year.

4:51

Uh it is to extend the contract time to the end of 2028 to allow for the current fire projects and to increase the contract cap by 75,000.

5:02

Uh, we do anticipate that the other on-call contracts uh will be extended as well and an upcoming agenda item.

5:11

Uh the current RFP uh is in process in the works for the next five years.

5:17

So this is just to bridge that gap.

5:21

Okay.

5:22

Do you have any questions?

5:24

When is the original date of termination that we are extending beyond December 31st of this year?

5:31

Of this year, okay.

5:33

I yield back.

5:34

And how much funds uh left on that contract?

5:40

Um, excuse me, go ahead.

5:42

This is uh splost one funds added to the existing pond contract because they're the engineers of record for the three fire stations under construction.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Ethics And Governance███████████████████████23%

Charter Review██████████████████18%

Election Administration████████████████16%

Facility Management████████8%

Procedural████████8%

Legislative Updates███████7%

Technology and Innovation█████5%

Budget Equity Analysis█████5%

Public Engagement████4%

Summary of Proceedings

DeKalb County Operations Committee Meeting - September 22, 2026

The County Operations Committee of DeKalb County, Georgia, met on September 22, 2026, at 6:00 PM, chaired by Commissioner Marita Davis Johnson. Present were Commissioner Ladita Bolton and Commissioner Robert Patrick (absent). The committee reviewed contract approvals, received updates on the 2027 legislative platform and upcoming elections, and conducted a detailed review of Charter Review Commission recommendations.

Consent Calendar

Approval of the minutes of the September 10, 2026, Operations Committee meeting (item 0375) was moved, seconded, and approved unanimously.

Discussion Items

Facility Management Change Order #4 (Item 26-1230): Request to extend roof maintenance contracts (1309-666 and 1309-686) to June 30, 2027, and add Splost 2 funds ($4,416,997) for roof replacements at police/fire headquarters and the Bobby Burgess complex. The item was deferred to the first BLC meeting in October (10/13) because the item was still in audit.
Facility Management Change Order #6 (Item 26-1311): Approved extension of on-call architect/engineering contract (127281) with Pond and Company through December 31, 2028, and increased contract cap by $75,000 for fire station projects (stations 5, 16, 27). Approved unanimously.
Innovation & Technology Contract Renewal (Item 26-1245): Approved third renewal of contract 134954 with RB Communications for low voltage, multimedia cabling, and security camera installation, not to exceed $1,500,000, through October 31, 2027. Approved unanimously.
Software Cooperative Agreement (Item 26-1299): Approved three-year extension of Granicus GovQA subscription for open records request management, not to exceed $411,637.64, through August 31, 2029. Currently used by police and law departments. Approved unanimously.
2027 State Legislative Platform (Item 26-1359): Staff presented updated priorities. Top six priorities: (1) MARTA study committee and mobility funding, (2) tenant protections, (3) strategic housing investment, (4) mental health/behavioral health funding, (5) water and sewer infrastructure, and (6) city annexation and new city reforms. Additional objectives include regulatory authority for vacant/rental property, Next Gen 911 and cybersecurity, food security, and pedestrian safety. The committee approved the platform with annexation included as a top priority.
Early Voting Update: The Voter Registration and Elections director presented key dates for the November 3, 2026 general election: absentee ballot requests opened August 17; last day to register is October 5; early voting runs October 13–30; election day is November 3; potential runoffs December 1. The county will have 22 early voting locations (a record), with Living Grace and Wade Walker open only the last week. Hours are Monday–Friday 7am–7pm, Saturdays 9am–6pm, Sundays noon–6pm. Commissioner Davis Johnson requested that the presentation be shared with all commissioners and constituents. She also noted constituent concerns about voter intimidation and suppression.
Charter Review Recommendations: The committee continued its review of the Charter Review Commission (CRC) recommendations. Key decisions:
- Budget presentation: consensus to set CEO budget presentation by November 1 and adoption by January 31, aligning with Fulton County’s schedule.
- Records/minutes: agreed to have law draft language that references storage of documents rather than including them in minutes.
- Commission eligibility: adopt state law (minimum age 21, 12 months residency) instead of current org act’s 25.
- Commission term start: rejected CRC proposal to take office at first meeting of year; retained January 1.
- Running for other office: agreed to adopt CRC recommendation to conform with state law.
- CEO eligibility: same as commission, adopt state law.
- Vacancies: held for further discussion; law to draft language about appointments and staff implications.
- Powers and duties: commissioners rejected both additional community boards and subpoena power, citing existing citizen boards and current request mechanisms.
- Purchasing/contracts: agreed to maintain purchasing policy and require publication of sealed bids on county website.
- Department of Finance: rejected CRC recommendation allowing BOC to change departmental duties without CEO input.
- CEO powers: law department to redraft language on intergovernmental and legislative affairs to ensure BOC’s role in legislative agenda is clear.
- Budget officer: law to redraft language on BOC’s ability to specify budget presentation manner.
- Repealers: deferred to state legislative drafting process.

Key Outcomes

Approved: Minutes (item 0375); Change Order #6 (26-1311); Contract renewal (26-1245); Software extension (26-1299); Legislative platform (26-1359).
Deferred: Change Order #4 (26-1230) to October 13, 2026.
Charter Review: Multiple items were advanced with consensus; law department will draft language for four items (records/minutes, vacancies, CEO powers, budget presentation) and return to committee. The overall charter review item (26-1577) was held in committee, with recommendation to discuss at the last meeting in October.

Note: The meeting agenda and minutes were not available; the summary is based solely on the raw transcript.

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon, everyone. I am Commissioner Marita Davis Johnson and I chair the ops committee, also known as the County Operations Committee. My colleagues that serve on the commission with me, Commissioner Ladita Bolton, and Commissioner Robert Patrick, who is not here today. So Commissioner Bowden, have you had an opportunity to review the minutes? Yes, ma'am. I move to approve the minutes, item 0375. Okay, approval of the minutes of the September 10th, 2026, ops committee. Um I second that. All in favor? Aye. Okay, the next item is um these are new items is facility management, the 26th, 1230. All commission districts, change order number four. The contract numbers 1309 666 and 1309686 on call roof maintenance, repair, and replacement services for use by the Department of Facility Management, Recreation Parts and Cultural Affairs, Watershed Management, and Fire Rescue to obtain roof maintenance, repair replacement services at county owned facilities, seeking to utilize flush two funds for the roof replacement at police and fire rescue headquarters in the roof replacement helipad uh membrane and waterproofing services at Bobby Burgess and to increase the contract terms through June the 30th, 2027. Awarded to National Building Contractors, Inc. and Hawk Construction Company, amount not to exceed 4, 416, 997. Good afternoon. Good afternoon, Madam Chair and Commissioner. Um this request is to stand the reefing contract to June 30th, 2027, and also to add funding, Splash 2 funding for roof replacements at uh police and fire headquarters and the Bobby Burgess complex. So this will um replace their roofs because they're very old, and um this will help alleviate any leaks and protect our building. Have this come back from audit. I don't know if this has got back to audit. I haven't heard that. She asked if it comes back to the audit, but I haven't heard of that. Central staff, uh I don't believe it's come back here. Okay. It's not okay. I'm sorry. It's still in audit. Okay. So you have a motion. I move to defer item one, two, three, zero for the first BLC in October. 1013. 1013 with the stop back in ops. Okay. Okay, I second that. All in favor? Aye. Okay. That item is to defer to 1013. The next item is um 261311, all commission districts change order number six, the contract number one two seven two eight one on call architect and engineering and design services for facility management for use by the department of facility management and fire rescue to obtain an on-call architect and engineering and design service for station number five, sixteen, and twenty-seven. So you can increase the contract from funds in term through December 31st, 2028. Awarded to Pond and Company, amount to not to exceed 75,000. Good afternoon. Is your microphone on? Okay. Good afternoon, presiding officer and commissioner. Uh, yes, this item uh 1311. This is one of our on-call architects whose contract expires at the end of this year. Uh it is to extend the contract time to the end of 2028 to allow for the current fire projects and to increase the contract cap by 75,000. Uh, we do anticipate that the other on-call contracts uh will be extended as well and an upcoming agenda item.

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