DeKalb County PECS Meeting: Approvals, TAD Advisory Committee Debate, Zone DeKalb Update - September 29, 2026

The September 29, 2026 meeting of the DeKalb County Planning, Economic Development, and Community Services (PECS) committee covered two consent items, a detailed discussion of a new compost beta program, a contentious presentation on Tax Allocation District (TAD) advisory committees, and an update on the Zone DeKalb zoning code overhaul. The meeting lasted approximately one hour and twenty minutes.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes Approval: The committee unanimously approved the minutes from the August 25, 2026 PECS meeting (Motion 2026-1342).

Discussion Items

Item 2026-1315: Operational and Performance Assessment Services – Amendment No. 2

• Awarded to Malden Jenkins LLC for an amount not to exceed $182,420. The amendment is part of a series of assessments begun in 2025, now focused on community development organizational improvements. Motion passed unanimously.

Item 2026-1320: Recycle the Cab Compost Beta Community Education Program

• Awarded to Compost Cowboys LLC for an amount not to exceed $325,000. This is a 40-week beta program (staff later referred to it as a 45-week pilot) providing weekly food scrap collection and education to 500 unincorporated DeKalb County households in concentrated areas of North DeKalb and Stone Crest. The program includes quarterly knowledge quizzes; participants who repeatedly contaminate bins will be removed. The beta is intended to inform a countywide green waste diversion program expected by the end of 2027.
• Commissioner Terry noted a similar pilot in Avondale Estates that had limited participation (544 of 750 slots filled) and cautioned that transportation costs to remote compost facilities may limit feasibility without a local compost facility. She expressed support for the beta but emphasized the need for a DeKalb compost facility to reduce costs and create revenue. The item passed unanimously.

Tax Allocation District (TAD) Advisory Committees – Presentation & Debate

• Dorian DeBar (President, Decide DeKalb) and Tiffany Wheels (Chief of State Investments) presented a proposal to create advisory committees for all five TADs. Each committee would comprise five members: three technical advisors (finance, real estate, economic development professionals, all required to be DeKalb residents or business owners within three miles of the TAD) and two residents or business owners from within the TAD boundaries. Terms would be three years, staggered initially. Decide DeKalb’s board of directors would appoint members, with input from the county CEO (via the sole 13A appointment).
• Commissioner Spears expressed disappointment that commissioners were not given appointment power, noting she and Commissioner Terry had requested representation since June 2023. She requested a formal legal opinion from the county attorney on whether commissioners could make appointments.
• Commissioner Terry strongly criticized the process, stating that the enabling legislation for the Market Square (2022) and Southwest DeKalb (2023) TADs anticipated advisory committees, but the current proposal had been developed without commissioner input. She objected that member slates had already been selected by a consultant without any application process or commissioner outreach. She vowed to block any new TAD proposals and to scrutinize all Decide DeKalb budget requests. Both commissioners argued the structure excluded community and elected official representation.
• No vote was taken; the item was presented for discussion only.

Zone DeKalb Update (Sign Code and Zoning)

• Yvonne Fromel and Whitney Fuller presented an overview of the two-and-a-half-year Zone DeKalb project, now one year in. The first phase (review) is complete; the second phase (visioning and code drafting) is underway. Over 16 engagement events have reached 500 people. The sign code (Chapter 21) update will be presented as a draft to PECS on November 19, 2026. The updated code will create a list of permitted signs with illustrations and tables, replace the current approach of listing what is prohibited. A developers focus group was scheduled for the following day (September 30, 2026). The zoning ordinance (Chapter 27) update will follow in early 2027.
• No action was taken; the presentation was informational.

Key Outcomes

• Item 2026-1315: Approved unanimously.
• Item 2026-1320: Approved unanimously.
• TAD Advisory Committees: No formal vote; commissioners expressed strong opposition to the proposed structure. Commissioner Spears requested a county attorney opinion on commissioner appointment authority. Commissioner Terry stated she would oppose any future TAD proposals.
• Zone DeKalb: On schedule; draft sign code ordinance to be reviewed at the November PECS meeting.
• Next Steps: The committee adjourned; the next PECS meeting will continue the Zone DeKalb presentation and possibly revisit TAD advisory committee discussions.