DeKalb County Committee of the Whole Meeting – October 6, 2026

Presiding Officer Commissioner Shaker Johnson welcomed attendees to the nighttime Committee of the Whole meeting, hosted by the City of Dunwoody. The meeting included committee reports, review of the proposed executive agenda, walk-on items, public comments, and presentations on the CIP monitor and health care expansions. Key discussions focused on mid-year budget adjustments, public safety investments, data center regulations, and funding for health care access for uninsured residents.

Consent Calendar

• Airport Lease Agreements: Two standardized T-hangar space lease agreements (items 1309 and 1422) with Spencer Clark and Raymond Dale, at no cost to the county, were placed on consent.
• Fire Rescue Walk-On Grants: Two grants were walked on as consent items:
  • Item 2026-1428: Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) for 400 cancer screenings and seven vehicle exhaust capture systems. Total budget $410,520.32, with $37,320.30 county match.
  • Item 2026-1453: Fire Prevention and Safety Grant for 4,688 smoke and CO detectors. Total budget $267,216.00, with $12,724.58 county match. Both grants require acceptance by October 22, 2026.
• District 7 Appropriations: Five items allocating district reserve funds (totaling $23,000) to various community organizations were placed on consent.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Joyce Clemens (Dunwoody resident): Expressed privacy concerns about Flock cameras installed near her apartment building, asking about camera range, who views footage, and whether it captures close-ups.
• Gina Mangum (DeKalb resident, DeKalb Citizens Coalition): Urged the board to work with the community on a data center text amendment, stating the current proposal lacks protections and does not reflect community views. Offered an alternative that limits size and location.
• Rosalind McIntyre (Brookhaven resident): Contrasted a small 88,000 sq ft data center in Dunwoody (converted office building, no diesel generators) with the proposed Shadow Box data center (5 million sq ft, 100 diesel generators, near homes). Pleaded for protections similar to those in Dunwoody.
• Additional speakers at the September 22 business meeting (excerpts included in transcript): Multiple residents spoke against data centers, citing water consumption, tax losses, property value declines, and environmental harm. Others raised concerns about police accountability, 911 response times, blight, and election security. A speaker also requested a health and environmental impact study before lifting the data center moratorium.

Discussion Items

• Finance, Audit & Budget (FAB) Committee Report (Commissioner Terry): The committee met September 29 to review mid-year budget adjustments. A special call FAB meeting is scheduled for October 12 at 1:00 p.m. to finalize the mid-year amendment. Several items were held; item 0839 (financial advisor services RFP) was approved. Discussion continued on the LSB program.
• Employee Relations & Public Safety (ERPS) Committee Report (Commissioner Bolton): The committee met earlier on October 6. Key updates:
  • Police department has 90% retention rate and nearly 10% more officers than last year.
  • 2027 Medicare retiree rates will remain consistent with no increase.
  • Approved funding for preliminary design of a police special operations storage facility.
  • Approved $300,000 renewal for the Bright Futures leadership development program (Columbus State University).
  • Approved $2.1 million for a backup public safety radio simulcast system (Motorola).
  • Discussed tethering ordinance with emphasis on not penalizing unhoused individuals.
• Public Works & Infrastructure (PWI) Committee Report (Presiding Officer Johnson): Special call PWI meeting scheduled for October 12 at 2:00 p.m. Previous meeting included watershed CIP update and discussion on CIP monitor.
• Proposed Executive Agenda Review: Staff reviewed multiple items assigned to various committees. Notable: Item 1319 (budget amendment for CIP funding) to FAB; item 1411 (declaring 30 surplus properties to Land Bank) to PECS; item 1390 (lease extension for Memorial Drive property) to ERPS; item 1426 (Bright Futures program) to ERPS; item 1413 (property transfer to Brookhaven) to PECS; item 1336 (public safety radio upgrade) to ERPS.
• CIP Monitor Presentation (Chief of Staff May & Policy Analyst Allen): Updated resolution to establish an independent CIP monitor, with changes including:
  • Selection via RFQ (not RFP) to maintain independence.
  • Monitor cannot bid on or perform CIP work during its term.
  • Scope ensures no duplication with Office of Independent Internal Audit.
  • Funding ($800,000 originally budgeted in 2025) will come from watershed fund; actual cost expected lower.
  • Timeline: Firm selected and contract in place by Q1 2027 (ideally January).
  • Central staff will vet qualified firms and bring recommendation to board.
  • Commissioners raised concerns about independence, expertise, and cost. Some questioned whether central staff has capacity to evaluate specialized firms.
• Health Care Expansion Presentations:
  • Mosaic Health Center (Dr. Carlin Tunnell): Serves uninsured; 9,000 patients since 2015; 40% increase in volume in 2026 vs 2025. Plans include hiring an additional provider, launching a mobile home-visit program (Mosaic Mobile), expanding dental and mental health services, and a food distribution program (9,000 lbs distributed on launch day). County funding ($1.5 million) not yet received; contract recently executed. Funds intended for three pillars: expanding access, community-based services, and strengthening the health care ecosystem.
  • MedCura Health (Jeff Taylor): 18 sites, 13 in DeKalb; served 25,000 DeKalb residents in 2025. Plans include expanding maternal health, renovating a pediatric facility, and deploying a mobile unit for schools and Buford Highway corridor. County funding ($1.4 million) not yet received; contract in final signature stages. Both providers confirmed most patients are DeKalb residents; data on exact percentages will be provided later.

Key Outcomes

• Mid-Year Budget Amendment: Will be finalized at special FAB meeting on October 12 at 1:00 p.m.
• CIP Monitor: Resolution will be updated and brought back for approval. Board expects a more refined cost estimate and assurance of independence. Funding will be allocated from watershed fund.
• Data Center Text Amendment: Multiple public commenters urged stronger protections. The board deferred related items (e.g., environmental study, dividend fund) to future meetings with committee stops.
• Health Care Contracts: Both Mosaic and MedCura have executed contracts but await fund disbursement. Commissioners requested detailed reporting on DeKalb resident impact and spending timelines. Funding is expected to carry over into FY2027.
• Fire Rescue Grants: Both grants (cancer screenings and smoke detectors) were approved as consent items, with acceptance deadline October 22.
• Public Safety Investments: Police retention rate of 90% and increased officer count noted; $2.1 million approved for radio backup system.
• Animal Ordinance and NDO: Items on tethering, pet sales, and non-discrimination ordinance were deferred to October 13 business meeting with prior committee stops.
• Blasting Ordinance: Deferred to allow finalization of substitute.
• Electric Landscape Rebate Program: Deferred to October 27 BLC for further refinement.
• Charter Review Commission Report: Deferred to OPS committee with goal of approval by end of year.
• Executive Session: Brief session held for litigation update; no action taken.