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Record of Proceedings

DeKalb County Operations Committee Meeting - October 6, 2026

Board of Commissioners & Committees — Tuesday, October 6, 2026
BodyDekalb County, Georgia
SessionBoard of Commissioners & Committees
DateTuesday, October 6, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:00:11

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

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:06

And welcome to the county operations committee, better known as the OPS Committee.

0:14

I am Commissioner Marita Davis Johnson and I chair uh this committee.

0:21

Uh my committee members are Commissioner Ladina Bolton and Commissioner Robert Patrick.

0:30

Uh we have Commissioner Tad Terry here with us today.

0:36

Welcome.

0:37

And with that, uh Commissioner Bolton, have you had a chance to read the September the 22nd uh 2026 minutes?

Speaker 2

0:49

Yes, ma'am.

0:50

And with that, I move to approve item 2026 0376.

0:56

I second

Speaker 1

0:57

all in favor.

0:58

Aye.

0:59

Okay, that is approved.

1:04

The um next item is uh previously heard item, facility management 261230, all commissioned districts.

1:17

Change order number four to contract number 13096 and 1309686 on call roof maintenance repair and replacement services for use by the Department of Facility, recreation parks and cultural affairs, watershed management, and fire rescue to obtain roof maintenance repair and replacement services at county-owned facilities, seeking to utilize splus two funds for the roof replacement at police and fire rescue headquarters and the roof replacement, um helipad, uh membering and waterproof and services at Bobby Burgess, and to increase the contract terms through June the 30th, 2027 awarded to National Building Contracting Inc.

2:20

and Hulk Construction Construction Company, LLC, total amount amount not to exceed 4,416 and 97 cents, and there is a substitute for that.

Unassigned speaker

2:36

Yes,

Speaker 3

2:37

ma'am.

2:37

Good afternoon, madam chair.

2:38

Good afternoon.

2:39

There is a substitute.

2:41

Um the funding request is actually um reduced to four million three hundred ninety-seven thousand two hundred and twenty-seven dollars.

2:51

And uh that was due audit found a uh some transposed numbers in the uh one of the proposals, so it reduced it by about nineteen thousand dollars.

Speaker 1

3:00

Okay.

3:03

Okay.

3:05

Um are there any questions?

3:07

Uh Commissioner Bolton.

Speaker 2

3:11

No, ma'am, not at this time.

3:13

I've already had an opportunity to look over this item and ask my questions.

Speaker 1

3:17

Okay, is there questions from you?

3:20

Okay.

3:21

If there's no further questions, is no if there's no questions.

3:25

Uh is there a motion?

Speaker 2

3:27

I move to approve the substitute for item 2026-1230.

3:34

And I second, all in favor.

3:37

Aye.

Speaker 1

3:38

Okay.

3:38

That item is approved.

3:42

Uh the next item is um 26 1390.

3:53

And that is all commission districts authorizing and that CEO authorize the proposed lease extension with more drive.

4:04

Associates, LL, I mean LP for 4572 with more drive property.

Speaker 4

4:12

Okay.

4:13

Good afternoon, Chair Davis Johnson and Commissioner.

4:16

Good afternoon.

4:17

Uh, yes, this is to extend the existing lease under our final renewal term number two for three years.

4:25

For three

Speaker 1

4:25

years?

Speaker 4

4:26

Yes.

Unassigned speaker

4:30

Uh,

Speaker 1

4:30

this is this the property where the tax office is.

Speaker 4

4:35

Uh yes, this does house watershed uh UCO.

4:39

It also houses our work source development, and we also have some state of Georgia entities uh in that space.

4:46

Uh-huh.

Speaker 1

4:47

So, Zach, this is not the property that we're

Speaker 5

4:49

purchasing.

Unassigned speaker

4:50

Yeah, 4380 Memorial Drive is the property we purchased that has voter registration and elections facilities and a couple other uh tax commissioners.

Speaker 5

5:00

So this is across the way DK Sporting Good or DNK uh closing.

5:05

Oh, okay.

5:06

Yeah, so we have a watershed component there, which is the UCO and work.

Speaker 1

5:10

Okay, yeah.

5:11

Okay.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Election Administration█████████████████████████25%
Procedural███████████████████19%
Charter Review██████████████████18%
Facility Management███████████████15%
Technology and Innovation█████████9%
Public Engagement████4%
Budget Equity Analysis████4%
Legal Services███3%
Public Safety██2%
Summary of Proceedings

DeKalb County Operations Committee Meeting - October 6, 2026

The DeKalb County Operations (OPS) Committee met on the afternoon of October 6, 2026, chaired by Commissioner Marita Davis Johnson. Committee members Commissioner Ladina Bolton and Commissioner Robert Patrick were joined by Commissioner Tad Terry; Commissioner Spears participated virtually during the charter review discussion. The committee unanimously approved all six action items on the agenda and then reviewed Charter Review Commission recommendations on vacancies, chief executive powers, and budget control.

Consent Calendar

  • Item 2026-0376 - Minutes of the September 22, 2026 committee meeting: Approved unanimously on a motion by Commissioner Bolton.

Discussion Items

Item 2026-1230 - Roof Maintenance and Replacement Contract, Change Order No. 4 (Substitute)

  • Staff presented a substitute reducing the not-to-exceed amount by about $19,000, to $4,397,227, after an audit found transposed numbers in one of the proposals.
  • The change order covers roof replacement at police and fire rescue headquarters and helipad membrane/waterproofing work at the Bobby Burgess facility, using SPLOST funds, and extends contracts with National Building Contracting Inc. and Hulk Construction Company, LLC through June 30, 2027.
  • Approved unanimously.

Item 2026-1390 - Lease Extension, 4572 More Drive

  • The item authorizes a three-year extension (final renewal term two) with More Drive Associates, LP. The property houses watershed UCO, WorkSource development, and state of Georgia offices; it is not the 4380 Memorial Drive property the county purchased.
  • Annual rent increases from $513,800 to $544,600 ($45,383 per month), about a 6% increase as specified in the lease, and remains flat for the three-year term.
  • Commissioner Tad Terry asked whether the county plans to move occupants to the 4380 Memorial Drive property once developed; staff said that is the type of long-term option under consideration.
  • Approved unanimously.

Item 2026-1329 - Police Firing Range Perimeter Fencing, Change Order No. 1 (District 5)

  • The change order adds $436,700 to the fence installation, repair, and maintenance contract (Hulk Fence LLC) to replace the police firing range perimeter fence, including one year of maintenance.
  • Staff explained the contract originated with Parks and Recreation but is being utilized by Police Services and funded through the PLACE program. Commissioner Terry asked that future agenda language explicitly identify it as a police services project.
  • Staff noted this is the county's only firing range; police, the sheriff's office, and the marshal's office share it, each with separate ammunition storage.
  • Approved unanimously.

Item 2026-1440 - Juniper Network Equipment (Statewide Contract)

  • A one-time hardware purchase for the county's server room, not to exceed $380,620.78, awarded to Juniper Network Inc. c/o MGT Impact Solutions LLC for the Department of Innovation and Technology.
  • Approved unanimously.

Item 2026-1451 (Substitute) - 311 System Technical Support, Change Order No. 3

  • The substitute was issued to correct a typo. The change order adds $400,000 and extends the sole-source support contract with Sporidian Technologies LLC through February 28, 2029.
  • Staff said the current 311 CRM system runs on Oracle Service Cloud and supports 311, roads/drainage, and sanitation, integrating with CityWorks. The county is evaluating a long-term replacement and held four vendor demonstrations in September, aiming for a resident-friendly mobile application.
  • The contract is month-to-month with 30 days' notice, so it can end early if a new system launches before 2029.
  • Commissioner Terry requested a year-to-date 311 call and disposition report, broken down by district; staff confirmed reports are available.
  • Approved unanimously.

Charter Review Commission Recommendations

The committee reviewed two documents: a working list with green highlights showing items where consensus has been reached, and red-line language prepared by the Law Department. Three sections remain under discussion: Section 6 (vacancies), Section 14 (powers and duties of the chief executive), and Section 19 (budgeting and control of expenditures).

Section 6 - Vacancies

  • Law Department Attorney Matthew Welch explained the proposed language distinguishes temporary vacancies (suspension) from permanent vacancies (death, resignation, or removal from the district), inserting the word 'permanent' for clarity; a new Section F addresses temporary vacancy procedures.
  • A new Section D, suggested by central staff, would let the remaining commissioners who represent the affected area nominate up to three candidates, with the full board voting to fill the vacancy. If a standard district seat is vacant, the super district commissioner(s) covering that area would nominate; if a super district seat is vacant, the district commissioners within that super district would nominate. If no appointment is made within 30 days, the chief judge of the Superior Court would fill the vacancy.
  • Commissioner Bolton raised two concerns: District 5 sits within only one super district, so a single commissioner would control nominations; and if both seats were vacant, no one would be available to nominate. Attorney Welch agreed to develop an intermediate or backup step for those scenarios.
  • Commissioner Davis Johnson expressed the position that the at-large (super district) commissioner should be able to fill a temporary vacancy directly, without a full-board vote, until a special election is held.
  • Commissioner Bolton asked whether an appointee would appear on the ballot as an incumbent; Attorney Welch said that is a separate determination requiring research.
  • The committee also discussed how a temporary vacancy interacts with an appeal, citing the year-long appeal and eventual reinstatement of a former CEO (identified in the transcript as both 'CEO Burrow' and 'CEO Ellis'). Staff noted the distinction between a governor's suspension and a permanent removal.

Section 14 - Powers and Duties of the Chief Executive

  • Proposed language states that if the board and CEO adopt a joint legislative agenda, pursuing that agenda falls within the CEO's powers. Attorney Welch said 'as appropriate' was meant to direct state items to state officials and federal items to federal officials.
  • Commissioner Spears, joining virtually, asked to confirm that commissioners retain the right to pursue legislative matters individually. Attorney Welch said the section does not alter commissioners' ability to have conversations with legislators, but the CEO remains the county's representative in intergovernmental matters.
  • Commissioner Davis Johnson took the position that the county's legislative agenda should be presented by the presiding officer on behalf of the board, and that individual district agendas should not be presented as the county's agenda.
  • Commissioner Terry argued that individual commissioners remain free to advocate for priorities on their own behalf - such as district interests not selected for the joint agenda - so long as they do not present them as board positions.
  • Attorney Welch agreed to review Section 9 (commissioner powers) and return with clarifying language.

Section 19 - Budgeting and Control of Expenditures

  • The draft moves the budget officer designation from another section (the CEO is already designated budget officer), sets November 1 as the budget presentation date, and allows the board to request additional information and route budget presentations to board committees, the committee of the whole, or a business meeting - matching current practice.
  • Commissioner Terry asked whether the change could be adopted by home rule; Attorney Welch said he believed it was within the board's powers but would provide a definitive answer.
  • Commissioner Terry requested a holistic read-through of the final document to check for unintended consequences on other sections.

Key Outcomes

  • All six action items approved unanimously: minutes (2026-0376); roof maintenance change order substitute (2026-1230); More Drive lease extension (2026-1390); firing range fence change order (2026-1329); Juniper network equipment (2026-1440); and 311 support change order substitute (2026-1451).
  • Charter review next steps: Attorney Welch will return with updated vacancy language (including a backup procedure for failed nominations and the double-vacancy scenario), research on the incumbent ballot-designation question, clarifying language for Section 14, and an answer on home-rule authority for Section 19. Staff will provide input from the chief of staff's experience with a CEO vacancy. Revised language is expected at the next committee meeting.
  • The meeting adjourned by unanimous consent.

Meeting Transcript

And welcome to the county operations committee, better known as the OPS Committee. I am Commissioner Marita Davis Johnson and I chair uh this committee. Uh my committee members are Commissioner Ladina Bolton and Commissioner Robert Patrick. Uh we have Commissioner Tad Terry here with us today. Welcome. And with that, uh Commissioner Bolton, have you had a chance to read the September the 22nd uh 2026 minutes? Yes, ma'am. And with that, I move to approve item 2026 0376. I second all in favor. Aye. Okay, that is approved. The um next item is uh previously heard item, facility management 261230, all commissioned districts. Change order number four to contract number 13096 and 1309686 on call roof maintenance repair and replacement services for use by the Department of Facility, recreation parks and cultural affairs, watershed management, and fire rescue to obtain roof maintenance repair and replacement services at county-owned facilities, seeking to utilize splus two funds for the roof replacement at police and fire rescue headquarters and the roof replacement, um helipad, uh membering and waterproof and services at Bobby Burgess, and to increase the contract terms through June the 30th, 2027 awarded to National Building Contracting Inc. and Hulk Construction Construction Company, LLC, total amount amount not to exceed 4,416 and 97 cents, and there is a substitute for that. Yes, ma'am. Good afternoon, madam chair. Good afternoon. There is a substitute. Um the funding request is actually um reduced to four million three hundred ninety-seven thousand two hundred and twenty-seven dollars. And uh that was due audit found a uh some transposed numbers in the uh one of the proposals, so it reduced it by about nineteen thousand dollars. Okay. Okay. Um are there any questions? Uh Commissioner Bolton. No, ma'am, not at this time. I've already had an opportunity to look over this item and ask my questions. Okay, is there questions from you? Okay. If there's no further questions, is no if there's no questions. Uh is there a motion? I move to approve the substitute for item 2026-1230. And I second, all in favor. Aye. Okay. That item is approved. Uh the next item is um 26 1390. And that is all commission districts authorizing and that CEO authorize the proposed lease extension with more drive. Associates, LL, I mean LP for 4572 with more drive property. Okay. Good afternoon, Chair Davis Johnson and Commissioner. Good afternoon. Uh, yes, this is to extend the existing lease under our final renewal term number two for three years. For three years? Yes. Uh, this is this the property where the tax office is. Uh yes, this does house watershed uh UCO.

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