WE'RE READY. OKAY. [00:00:04] GOOD EVENING. I'D LIKE TO CALL TO ORDER THE CITY COMMISSION MEETING FOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER [I. Call to Order by Mayor.] 27TH. AND, COMMISSIONERS, YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU THE MINUTES FROM THE EXECUTIVE SESSION [II. Approval of the Minutes.] AND THE REGULAR SESSION. REGULAR MEETING OF NOVEMBER 6TH, 2023. ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS OR ADDITIONS? MOVE. APPROVAL. MOTION'S BEEN MADE. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. MOTION HAS BEEN MADE AND SECONDED. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? THE CHAIR VOTES AYE. AND COMMISSIONER DUSENBURY IS JOINING US BY ZOOM THIS EVENING. HE ALSO VOTES AYE, AND THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED. SO NEXT WE HAVE SOME REALLY EXCITING THINGS TO CELEBRATE THIS EVENING. [III. Proclamation.] AND THE FIRST IS THE TO RECOGNIZE THE DECATUR HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS' CROSS-COUNTRY TEAM AND THEIR RECENT STATE CHAMPIONSHIP. AND FOR THIS PARTICULAR EVENT WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVE OMARI CRAWFORD IS ONE OF OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES, AND HE IS GOING TO READ THE PROCLAMATION AND RECOGNIZE THE STUDENTS. AFTER HE MAKES SOME REMARKS AND READS THE PROCLAMATION, I'LL ASK THAT THE RUNNERS COME UP AND INTRODUCE THEMSELVES AS WELL AS THEIR COACHES THAT ARE IN THE AUDIENCE. INTRODUCE YOURSELVES SO WE CAN GIVE YOU THAT SPECIAL RECOGNITION. AND THEN WE'LL ASK FOR A PHOTO. SO REPRESENTATIVE CRAWFORD, AGAIN, A HUGE THANK YOU FOR YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE HERE TO THE MAYOR, TO THE MAYOR PRO TEM, CITY COMMISSIONERS, OUR CITY MANAGER, AND THE ENTIRE CITY OF DECATUR LEADERSHIP TEAM AND FAMILY. GOOD EVENING. HOW ARE YOU? OKAY. I'M OMARI CRAWFORD, STATE REPRESENTATIVE OUT OF GEORGIA'S 84TH HOUSE DISTRICT, AND IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE TODAY. SO, THANK YOU FOR THE INVITATION. I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE, NOT ONLY BECAUSE I'M A MEMBER OF THE DECATUR FAMILY, BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF MY BACKGROUND. I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE THAT I'M HERE. MANY YEARS AGO, IN 2004, I BECAME A STATE CHAMPION IN THE 800-METER RUN. SO, I AM A HUGE TRACK AND FIELD ADVOCATE AND I HAVE A BIG LOVE FOR STUDENT ATHLETES. SO, WHAT YOU DID IS UNPRECEDENTED. WHAT YOU DID IS A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT, AND YOU COULD NOT DO THIS WITHOUT GREAT COACHING. SO, CONGRATULATIONS COACH, WITH ALL OF THE SUPPORT OF YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE SUPPORTING INTO YOUR DISCIPLINE. SO, CONGRATULATIONS. AND SO NOW I'M GOING TO READ THE PROCLAMATION AND IT SAYS, WHEREAS IT IS WITH GREAT PRIDE THAT WE RECOGNIZE THE HARD WORK, DEDICATION, SPORTSMANSHIP, TALENT AND EXCEPTIONAL TEAM CHEMISTRY OF THE 2022 AND 2023 DECATUR BULLDOG CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS. AND WHEREAS THAT CHEMISTRY HAS ENABLED THESE STUDENT ATHLETES TO EARN THE GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOL CLASS FIVE A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TWO YEARS IN A ROW, AND WHEREAS WINNING BACK-TO-BACK STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN THEIR SPORT IS UNPRECEDENTED, IS AN UNPRECEDENTED ACCOMPLISHMENT. AND WHEREAS THIS ACCOMPLISHMENT HAS BROUGHT HONOR TO DECATUR HIGH SCHOOL, THE CITY OF DECATUR GOVERNMENT, AND THE ENTIRE DECATUR COMMUNITY THAT SURROUNDS AND SUPPORTS THEM WHILE ALSO INSPIRING THEIR COMPETITORS ACROSS THE STATE. AND WHEREAS COACHES JACK AMICK, CHARLES HUNTER, PAUL JOHNSON, MARY SOUDER, TREMELL SMITH AND CASEY TODD WERE INTEGRAL IN GUIDING THE TEAM TO VICTORY THROUGH THEIR UNWAVERING DEDICATION AND SUPPORT. AND WHEREAS TEAM MEMBERS AND ARE BLAKE SAGE, CHAPMAN STEPHENS, SOPHIE. DANIELLA, PENELOPE GOBLE, ELLIE HERMAN, ANNA LOTHRIDGE, MAYA MCCRAE, AVERIL PAYNE, LEAH ROBERTSON, OLIVIA SAWYER, KATE SHERWOOD AND MAGGIE WELP WERE PART OF THE VICTORIOUS 2023 TEAM. NOW THEREFORE, I MAYOR PATRICIA MAYOR GARRETT MAYOR OF THE CITY OF DECATUR. THE CITY OF HOMES, SCHOOLS AND PLACES OF WORSHIP JOINED BY THE DECATUR CITY COMMISSION, DO HEREBY RECOGNIZE AND DO PROCLAIM. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27TH, 2023, AS DECATUR HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY TEAM VICTORY DAY AND THE MAYOR CALLS UPON THE DECATUR, GEORGIA, THE PEOPLE OF DECATUR, GEORGIA TO CONGRATULATE THE DECATUR HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY TEAM FOR THEIR TREMENDOUS ACHIEVEMENT IN WINNING THE CLASS 5A GEORGIA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP IN 2022 AND 2023 AND WISH [00:05:03] THEM CONTINUED SUCCESS IN THEIR FUTURE ENDEAVORS. PLEASE GIVE YOURSELVES A ROUND OF APPLAUSE. NOW, IF I CAN ADD ONE MORE THING, MAYOR, BEFORE THEY COME UP AND TAKE A PICTURE, I ASK THE MAYOR AND I ASK MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION BOARD AND I'M GOING TO SAY THIS TO YOU ALL. I WANT TO MAKE A DEAL WITH YOU. ALL RIGHT. THIS PAST THURSDAY, I JUST RAN A HALF MARATHON. MY TIME WAS OKAY. I CAN DO BETTER. I THINK I COULD DO BETTER IF I TRAINED WITH A TWO-TIME STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM. AND IF I'M ALLOWED TO DO THAT, THEN COACH. GUYS, IF I'M ALLOWED TO DO THAT, THEN WHY DON'T YOU GUYS COME DOWN TO THE CAPITAL ONE DAY DURING THE SESSION NEXT YEAR TO BE RECOGNIZED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, AND MAYBE MEET THE GOVERNOR AND THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR? IF YOU ALLOW ME TO DO THAT, IS THAT A DEAL? CAN WE DO THAT? ALL RIGHT. SO, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN. ALL RIGHT. AND IF YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO JUST COME FORWARD AND STATE YOUR NAME AND MAYBE TELL US IF YOU'RE WHAT, WHERE YOU ARE IN SCHOOL, IF YOU'RE A SOPHOMORE OR JUNIOR OR SENIOR. AND THEN WE'LL HAVE YOU STAY UP HERE FOR A PICTURE. AND AFTER YOU AND THE COACHES INTRODUCE THEMSELVES, WE'LL TAKE A PICTURE. AND BEFORE WE DO THAT, ARE THERE PARENTS IN THE ROOM THAT MIGHT BE HERE? IF YOU ARE A PARENT OF ONE OF THESE FINE YOUNG STUDENTS, WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND? AND WE'D LOVE TO GIVE YOU A ROUND OF APPLAUSE AS WELL. SO, BECAUSE WE KNOW IT TAKES SOME SUPPORT TO MAKE THINGS LIKE THIS HAPPEN. SO, IF YOU ALL WANT TO COME AND JUST INTRODUCE YOURSELVES QUICKLY AND THEN WE'LL TAKE A PICTURE. SO MY NAME IS MAGGIE WELP. AND I'M A SENIOR. OKAY. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS ANNA BLAKE AND I'M A JUNIOR. MY NAME IS ANNA LORTHRIDGE, AND I'M A FRESHMAN. MY NAME IS ISLAY HERMAN AND I'M A FRESHMAN. HI, MY NAME IS PENELOPE GOBLE AND I'M A SENIOR. MY NAME IS AVRIL PENN. I'M A SENIOR. MY NAME IS MAYA MISHRA AND I'M A SENIOR. MY NAME IS SOPHIE DELANEY AND I'M A JUNIOR. MY NAME IS KATE SHERWOOD AND I'M A JUNIOR. MY NAME IS SAGE CHATHAM STEVENS, AND I'M A FRESHMAN. ALL RIGHT, THERE'S SOME RETURNING TALENT. RIGHT. SO. AND COACHES, ANY COACHES THAT ARE HERE THIS EVENING, WE'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE YOU ALL AS WELL. HI, I'M MARY SATHER. I'M VERY SENIOR TO THEM BECAUSE I'M THE I'M THE HEAD COACH. ALL RIGHT. SO, THAT WAS MY LINE. I'M JACK AMICK AND I'M A SENIOR. ALL RIGHT. OTHERS. ALL RIGHT. LET'S GIVE THEM ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE. YEAH. SO, I THINK WE'LL HAVE YOU ALL STEP OUTSIDE FOR THE PHOTO AND ASK REPRESENTATIVE CRAWFORD TO JOIN YOU IN THE PHOTO. THANK YOU. YOU'RE VERY WELCOME. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL RECOGNIZED AT THE STATE CAPITOL. ALWAYS LIKE THAT ENERGY. PLEASE. DO I DO THE NEXT PRESENTATION IF YOU WANT TO INTRODUCE THE COUNCIL. SO, ALL RIGHT. SO, AS THEY ARE LEAVING THE ROOM, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A PRESENTATION FOR [IV. Presentation.] THE GEORGIA RECREATION AND PARK ASSOCIATION VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR. AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF SARAH OR GREG WHITE WOULD LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING, OR IF YOU JUST LIKE TO READ ME TO READ INFORMATION ABOUT THE AWARD, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS AND GUESTS. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THIS IS WHAT DECATUR IS ALL ABOUT. RECOGNIZING OUR STRENGTH OF VOLUNTEERS IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND I WON'T TAKE ANY THUNDER, BUT I GUESS I HAVEN'T COME FORWARD. THIS IS JACK AMICK, AND TO OUR TEAM, WE HAVE SOME OTHER TEAMMATES HERE. SARAH HOLMES AND KIM WHATLEY. TAG TEAM EFFORT. AS FAR AS US MAKING THIS NOMINATION FOR HIM TO BE RECOGNIZED AS A GRF STATE VOLUNTEER OF [00:10:03] THE YEAR. ALL RIGHT. SO, AND JACK KITTLE. SO, WE HAD THE, WE GOT A LOT OF JACKS THIS EVENING. SO, ALL RIGHT. SO, IF YOU WILL STAY UP HERE, I WOULD LOVE TO READ THE INFORMATION THAT WAS SUBMITTED ON JACK'S BEHALF AND WILL'S. THEN WE HAVE THE AWARD WE'D LIKE TO PRESENT YOU WITH. SO, IN EVERY COMMUNITY, THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO QUIETLY BUT PROFOUNDLY INFLUENCE POSITIVE CHANGE. JACK KITTLE, A LONGSTANDING ADVOCATE FOR DECATUR'S PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, IS ONE SUCH INDIVIDUAL. HIS REMARKABLE COMMITMENT TO THE BETTERMENT OF DECATUR SPANS OVER THREE DECADES AND HAS MADE HIM AN ESSENTIAL ASSET IN THE EYES OF THE COMMUNITY. HIS JOURNEY IS A CHAMPION OF DECATUR'S PARKS AND RECREATION BEGAN IN 1984, WHEN HIS CHILDREN FIRST JOINED THE CITY'S RECREATION PROGRAMS. FROM THAT POINT FORWARD, HIS INVOLVEMENT EVOLVED INTO A CHAMPION FOR VARIOUS PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES. ONE OF HIS SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS WAS THE ORGANIZATION OF BRIGHT AT NIGHT AND SUNDAY STROLLS, EVENTS DESIGNED TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ABOUT DECATUR'S PARKS, ART, AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY. THESE INITIATIVES WERE MORE THAN JUST GATHERINGS. THEY REFLECTED JACK'S COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, ENCOURAGING RESIDENTS TO EXPLORE THEIR CITY'S NATURAL AND ARTISTIC BEAUTY ON FOOT. HE REPRESENTED THE PARKS AND RECREATION DURING SPECIAL OCCASIONS LIKE TOUCH A TRUCK AND TOUCH A BUDGET, SHARING HIS IN-DEPTH KNOWLEDGE OF THE CITY AND OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION EVENT. HOWEVER, HIS INFLUENCE ISN'T JUST LIMITED TO EVENTS. HE'S PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN THE RECENT PARKS AND REC MASTER PLAN PROJECT RECREATOR. HE ATTENDED NUMEROUS PUBLIC INPUT MEETINGS AND SPREAD THE WORD TO RESIDENTS. HIS GOAL WAS STRAIGHTFORWARD YET PROFOUND TO ENSURE THAT THE MASTER PLAN ACCURATELY REPRESENTS THE CITY'S NEEDS AND DESIRES. ADVOCATES ADVOCATING FOR THE COMMUNITY'S INTEREST AND BEYOND HIS INVOLVEMENT WITH PARKS AND REC, HE'S ACTIVELY CONTRIBUTED TO SEVERAL PROJECTS AIMED AT ENHANCING THE CITY'S WELL-BEING. HE CHAMPIONED THE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, ADVOCATED FOR SAFER BIKING AND WALKING LANES, AND HE'S BEEN A VITAL MEMBER OF THE BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN COMMITTEE, WORKING ON VARIOUS PROJECTS. HE ALSO WORKED ON PROJECTS LIKE THE EAST LAKE TRANSIT DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND THE COMPREHENSIVE CITY PLAN. IN ADDITION TO HIS COMMUNITY WORK, HE HAS SERVED IN VARIOUS CAPACITIES AT DECATUR HIGH SCHOOL, INCLUDES SERVING AS THE COMMUNITY, AS THE CONCESSIONS CHAIR AND SOCCER SCOREKEEPER. HIS DEDICATION AS A GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION STAKEHOLDER IN SEVERAL CITY PROJECTS HAS BEEN INVALUABLE. JACK KITTLE'S JOURNEY AS A COMMUNITY CHAMPION IS A TESTAMENT TO HIS UNWAVERING DEDICATION TO THE BETTERMENT OF DECATUR. HIS CONTRIBUTIONS HAVE NOT ONLY TRANSFORMED PARKS AND REC BUT HAVE LEFT A LASTING IMPACT ON THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. HIS LEGACY IS ONE OF SELFLESSNESS, LEADERSHIP, AND TIRELESS ADVOCACY. THANK YOU, JACK, FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE. IT'S INDEED AN HONOR TO PRESENT THIS TO YOU. I CAN'T THINK OF ANYONE IN THE STATE WHO WOULD DESERVE IT MORE. SO, CONGRATULATIONS. OKAY. CONGRATULATIONS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE EVERYONE BEING HERE ON A MONDAY THAT WE DON'T NORMALLY MEET. AND YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED THAT THERE'S A CONCERT GOING ON NEXT DOOR AT EDDIE'S, KRISTIAN BUSH IS PLAYING. SO, IF YOU'RE WONDERING WHY THERE'S NO PARKING ANYWHERE, THAT'S THE REASON. SO, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER JUST BRIEFLY TO THE MAYOR PRO TEM TO RECOGNIZE OUR SOME OF OUR DECATUR YOUTH COUNCIL MEMBERS. SO, ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. SO, AND THEY KNOW THE DRILL. SO, AS I CALL YOUR NAME, PLEASE JUST COME FORWARD AND TELL US WHO YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU GO TO SCHOOL AND WHAT YEAR YOU'RE IN. PENELOPE GOBLE, MCCLAIN DRAKE, LEXI FOSTER, ROBERT NOBLES, CADEN DAYS, AND HENRY CASEY, COME ON UP AND TELL THESE WONDERFUL PEOPLE WHO YOU ARE AND MEMORIALIZE YOURSELF FOR ALL ETERNITY. HI, MY NAME IS MCCLAIN DRAKE. I'M A JUNIOR AT SAINT PIUS. HI, MY NAME IS LEXI FOSTER AND I'M A JUNIOR AT DECATUR HIGH SCHOOL. [00:15:05] I AM ROBERT NOBLES. I'M A JUNIOR AT DECATUR HIGH SCHOOL. HELLO, I'M HENRY CASEY, AND I'M A JUNIOR AT PATTI. HI, I'M CADEN DAYS, AND I'M A JUNIOR AT DECATUR HIGH SCHOOL. HI AGAIN, I'M PENELOPE GOBLE. I'M A SENIOR AT DECATUR HIGH SCHOOL AND ALSO A CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER THAT YOU JUST HEARD. SO, THESE WONDERFUL YOUNG PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BRING YOU SCREEN ON THE SQUARE DOWNTOWN FRIDAY NIGHT STARTING AT 6:00 WITH TUNES BY DJ CAT. YOU'LL BE ABLE TO WITNESS HISTORY AT 6:30 AS THE CITY BECOMES A CF OR EXCUSE ME, A CHILD FRIENDLY CITIES INITIATIVE CANDIDATE CITY. YOU'LL HEAR FROM THE TEEN LEADERSHIP TEAM AND OTHERS, AND YOU'LL ENJOY A HEARTWARMING SCREENING OF HAPPY FEET, HOSTED BY THE YOUTH COUNCIL AT 7 P.M. ON THE SQUARE. SO, THIS IS ONE OF THEIR SERVICE PROJECTS FOR THE YEAR, AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT IT NEVER GETS OLD SEEING THE WORK THAT OUR YOUTH PUT INTO DOING THE JOB THAT THEY DO. SO, GIVE THEM A GREAT ROUND OF APPLAUSE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO NEXT WE WILL LOOK AT RECOMMENDATION FOR AN ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE LICENSE. [V. Alcoholic Beverage License.] ARNOLD. MAYOR. COMMISSIONERS. I THOUGHT ALL THE CARS WERE HERE FOR US, BUT MAYBE A BIGGER DRAW. NONETHELESS, WE DO HAVE AN APPLICATION FOR AN ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE LICENSE. AND THIS IS FOR A NEW BUSINESS. AND THE OWNER, ALREADY FASORANTI IS OPENING GURU RESTAURANT AND BAR. THIS IS AT 2641 EAST COLLEGE AVENUE, SUITE E1. AND THIS IS THE CORTLAND DECATUR EAST FOR THE MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT OVER THERE ON EAST COLLEGE. AND THE TYPE OF LICENSE BEER WINE COMBO SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS. CONSUMPTION ON PREMISES. ALL THE FEES ARE PAID. BACKGROUND CHECK. EVERYTHING CHECKS OUT. SO, WE ARE RECOMMENDING THE ISSUANCE OF THIS ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE LICENSE. ALL RIGHT. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS. ARNOLD? DO I HEAR A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE ISSUANCE OF AN ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE LICENSE AS DESCRIBED? SO MOVED. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. ALL OPPOSED? THE CHAIR VOTES AYE AND THE MOTION PASSES. SO NEXT WE WILL MOVE TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS. [VI.A.Staff Report Written Public Comments Conditional Use Permit Application-UPDATED ] WE'LL BE HOLDING A HEARING ON THIS. AND SO, WE'LL ASK MS. THREADGILL TO COME FORWARD FIRST, AND THEN WE'LL ASK THE APPLICANT TO MAKE SOME COMMENTS, AND WE'LL OPEN UP THE HEARING. AND THEN WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING PART OF THE MEETING. AND THEN WE MAY HAVE THE APPLICANT OR MS. THREADGILL COME BACK AS WE DISCUSS IT. SO. ALL RIGHT, MISS THREADGILL. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR. MAYOR PRO TEM POWERS, AS WELL AS THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS. I AM ANGELA THREADGILL, PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY, AS WELL AS THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION. AT YOUR MEETING ON OCTOBER 16TH, THE CITY COMMISSION DEFERRED TAKING ACTION ON AN APPLICATION FOR A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT THAT WOULD ALLOW A TELECOMMUNICATIONS TOWER WITHIN THE CSX RIGHT OF WAY NEAR THE END OF MADEIRA DRIVE. THE DEFERRAL WAS, AT THE REQUEST OF THE APPLICANT CITY SWITCH TO ALLOW ADDITIONAL TIME FOR THE APPLICANT TO ADDRESS COMMENTS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP DURING THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING, WHICH WAS HELD ON OCTOBER 10TH. IF YOU WILL REMEMBER, THE PLANNING COMMISSION DID RECOMMEND DENIAL OF THE APPLICATION REQUEST IN A LETTER DATED NOVEMBER 20TH, WHICH IS A PART OF YOUR AGENDA PACKET. THE LEGAL COUNSEL OF CITY REVISED THEIR APPLICATION. THEY SPECIFICALLY PROPOSED A CHANGE IN THE TOWER HEIGHT FROM 150FT, WHICH WAS IN THE ORIGINAL APPLICATION. THEY HAVE LOWERED THAT REQUEST TO 140FT. THE LETTER PROVIDES EXHIBITS, WHICH INCLUDES A PHOTO MONTAGE OF DIFFERING ALTITUDES USING DRONE TO ILLUSTRATE THE REQUESTED TOWER HEIGHT, AS WELL AS REVISED PLANS OF THE PROPOSED TOWER HEIGHT. THERE ARE UPDATED LANDSCAPE PLAN, THE FENCE DESIGN BASED ON THE COMMENTS FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING, AND THEN A REVISED LETTER FROM A PROFESSIONAL ENGINE R IN RESPONSE TO CONCERNS REGARDING THE FALL ZONE. AND SO AT THIS TIME, I WILL ASK I'VE CADLE HERE, WHO IS THE LEGAL COUNSEL FOR CITY SWITCH TO PRESENT THESE REVISIONS AND ALSO DESCRIBE HOW THEY HAVE TRIED TO ADDRESS THE COMMENTS FROM THE LAST PUBLIC HEARING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION. [00:20:01] SO, IF YOU ARE READY, MAYOR, I WILL ASK MR. CADLE TO COME UP, PLEASE. THANK YOU. AND I HAVE A PRESENTATION THAT KIND OF OUTLINES THIS, SO IF I MAY. OKAY. SIR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SURE DID. GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR. COMMISSIONER PRO TEM AND OR MAYOR PRO TEM AND COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS IVY CADLE. I'M AN ATTORNEY AT THE LAW FIRM OF BAKER DONELSON, AND WE REPRESENT CITY SWITCH AND IGNITE WIRELESS. MR. KENDALL OATES IS HERE WITH ME FROM IGNITE WIRELESS. HE REPRESENTS THE APPLICANT. AND I HAVE GIVEN YOU A POWERPOINT STYLE PRESENTATION THAT WE PUT TOGETHER IN AN EFFORT TO KIND OF HIT THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS APPLICATION SO THAT YOU CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND WITHOUT READING IN FINE DETAIL ALL THE ENGINEERING PLANS AND EVERYTHING THAT WE SENT, SUBMITTED. SO, ON THE SECOND PAGE THAT'S TITLED SEARCH RING AND I'VE GOT A RADIO FREQUENCY DRAWING WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN A MINUTE. BUT THE SITE SELECTION WAS BASED OFF OF A DENSE AREA WHERE THE CARRIER DISH, WHO OFFERS CELLULAR SERVICES, FOUND THAT THEY HAD A GAP IN COVERAGE. AND I WILL SHOW YOU THE GAP IN COVERAGE. BUT THE SEARCH RING, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THE BLUE DOT IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT RING IS BASICALLY RIGHT AT THE END OF MADEIRA DRIVE. AND THE SITE INSTEAD OF WE HAD DIFFERENT SITES AND OWNERS WE TALKED TO, BUT IT WAS MOVED TO THE NORTH, SO IT WOULD BE IN THE MORE FAVORABLE INDUSTRIAL ZONING, IT WOULD BE FURTHER AWAY FROM CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL HOUSES, AND IT WOULD ALSO BE KIND OF TUCKED UP CLOSER TO THE MORE COMMERCIALLY DENSE AREA UP THERE ON NORTH DECATUR AND CLAREMONT ROAD. SO THAT'S THE SEARCH AREA THAT WAS ESTABLISHED. THE SECOND PAGE THAT'S GOT OTHER SITES CONSIDERED. IT SHOWS YOU DIFFERENT SITES THAT WERE CONSIDERED SOME, SOME THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. THERE IS AN EXISTING TOWER BY THE PUBLIX THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN MORE DETAIL IN A MINUTE. AND SO THERE WERE THE NOT INTERESTED. WE HAD ONE OWNER VETERINARIAN OFFICE WHO DID GET BACK TO US, BUT THEN THEY DECIDED THEY DID NOT WANT ONE. SO, THE OPTIONS THAT WE HAD ARE ALL SHOWN BY THESE PUSHPINS, EITHER GREEN OR RED, DEPENDING ON WHETHER OR NOT THERE WAS A RESPONSE OF NOT INTERESTED OR THE OWNER WAS UNRESPONSIVE. AND THEN THE GREEN PUSHPIN IS THE SITE THAT WAS ULTIMATELY SELECTED ON THE CSX RAILWAY. AND IF ANYBODY HAS QUESTIONS AS I GO, FEEL FREE TO STOP ME. SO, THE FIRST LOOK WAS AT THE EXISTING CROWN TOWER. SO THAT'S CROWN CASTLE'S TOWER THAT'S AT THE PUBLIC SHOPPING CENTER. AND DISH CONFIRMED THAT THAT GROUND LEASE HAS EXPIRED. SO, THE TOWER IS THERE, AND RENT IS BEING PAID, BUT IT'S WHAT WE CALL A HOLDOVER. IN OTHER WORDS, THERE'S NO LEGAL RIGHT FOR THAT TOWER TO CONTINUE ON. AND SO, THERE'S UNCERTAINTY FOR DISH TO LOCATE ITS EQUIPMENT THERE. THERE'S ALSO VERY LITTLE ROOM AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS TOWER, AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE GROUND EQUIPMENT. AND SO THAT WOULD REQUIRE THE NEGOTIATION OF A SECOND LEASE. AND SO THERE'S JUST A REAL LIMITATION ON ANY SPACE FOR THE GROUND EQUIPMENT, ESPECIALLY TO DO A DEAL WITH THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY WHO HASN'T RENEGOTIATED THE LEASE WITH CROWN. SO THAT'S BEEN A COMMON QUESTION IS WHY CAN'T WE JUST GO ON THAT TOWER. AND THAT'S WHY IS THAT LEASE IS EXPIRED AND SO THERE'S NO LONG-TERM OPPORTUNITY THERE. ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE, YOU'LL FIND THE COVERAGE MAP THAT I REFERENCED EARLIER. YOU REALLY HAVE KIND OF FOUR MAPS. ONE ISA HIGH LEVEL. THE ONE ON THE TOP LEFT CORNER SITE LOCATION IS KIND OF A HIGH LEVEL. JUST GEOGRAPHIC IMAGE OF WHERE THE TOWER IS LOCATED. SO, YOU CAN SEE THERE. SCOTT BOULEVARD, ET CETERA. AND THEN YOU CAN GO DOWN. AND THAT'S THE DENSITY OF USE. AS YOU WOULD IMAGINE, THIS AREA HAS A LOT OF CELLULAR DEMAND AND TRAFFIC. SO THAT JUST KIND OF SHOWS YOU THE DENSITY OF OVERALL TRAFFIC ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE IS AND THEY REDID THESE MAPS FOR THE LOWER 140 FOOT TOWER SHOWS, THE GREEN SHOWS IN [00:25:04] RESIDENCE COVERAGE WITH WHERE IF THIS TOWER WERE TO BE ONLINE AND THE LOWER ONE SHOWS WHAT IT IS NOW WHERE YOU'RE LACKING OR HAVE POOR OR IN HOME COVERAGE, WHICH IS KIND OF THE STANDARD BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S SITTING IN THEIR HOUSE ON THEIR PHONES, WITH OR WITHOUT WI-FI OR WHATEVER. SO THAT'S THE, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS ESTABLISH IN-HOME COVERAGE AND TO KNOCK OUT THIS AREA OF POOR COVERAGE, AS ILLUSTRATED WITH THIS IN A HIGH DENSITY COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL AREA. THE NEXT PAGE. QUESTION. YES. WHEN YOU SAY COVERAGE, YES. WHAT SERVICE IS BEING PROVIDED, WHAT YOU SAY WHEN PEOPLE ARE IN THEIR HOMES, I MEAN, WHAT SERVICE IS GOING TO BE ON THIS TOWER THAT WOULD BE PROVIDING SERVICE IN THESE IN THESE AREAS? WOULD IT BE 5G WIRELESS? SO, SERVICE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO TALK ON YOUR PHONE. DISH. OKAY. DISH NETWORK IS THE CELLULAR PROVIDER. DISH IS? YES. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. SO, IT IS. IT IS A CELLULAR SERVICE AS WELL AS LIKE THE LIKE SATELLITE TV SORT OF SERVICE. IT IS. IT IS A PHONE CELLULAR. THIS IS FOR A PHONE. DISH IS IN THE BUSINESS OF PROVIDING PHONE AND CELLULAR SERVICE. AND THEY'VE BEEN LICENSED BY THE FCC TO DO SO AND HAVE AGREEMENTS WITH THE FCC TO DEPLOY THE NETWORK BANDWIDTH AT A CERTAIN RATE. AND THIS TOWER IS PART OF THEIR EFFORT TO COMPLY WITH THAT. AND THE BAND MAPS THAT YOU SHOW ARE EXISTING SERVICE BY ANY AND EVERY CARRIER IN THE IN THAT IN THOSE AREAS LIKE THE MAPS ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE. SO, THE MAPS ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE ARE FOR DISHES COVERAGE. OKAY. SO, THIS IS DISH'S EFFORT TO DO BUSINESS IN THIS MARKET. AND SO, THAT WOULD BE THEIR COVERAGE. BECAUSE, I MEAN, THERE'S NO WAY TO KNOW WHO'S. YOU EITHER GOT ONE SERVER SCARIER OR THE OTHER. SO, THERE'S NO IT'S NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ACTUAL PHONE CELLULAR COVERAGE BY ANY, ANY PROVIDER. IT'S FOR, IT'S WHAT DISH IS COVERAGE CORRECT. YES. OKAY. THANKS. THAT'S HELPFUL. YES, I COULD JUMP ON HERE IF YOU'LL GET TO IT IN OTHER SLIDES LET ME KNOW. BUT COULD OTHER WIRELESS PROVIDERS GET ON THIS TOWER IN THE FUTURE? YES. SO AS YOU'LL SEE ON ANOTHER SLIDE, THERE ARE FOUR POSITIONS FOR WHAT I CALL ANTENNA ARRAYS. SO, IF YOU SEE A CELLULAR TOWER AS YOU DRIVE DOWN THE ROAD, YOU'LL USUALLY SEE LIKE BANDS OF ANTENNAS, THE LITTLE SQUARE OR RECTANGULAR PAD LOOKING THINGS. AND SO, EACH ARRAY, EACH KIND OF CIRCULAR ARRAY IS A DIFFERENT CARRIER. SO, THIS PROPOSED AND MONOPOLE WE CALL IT HAS FOUR DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR CARRIERS. AND DISH NETWORK HAS SECURED THE TOP POSITION. AND THAT'S COMMON FOR THEM TO SHARE THIS POLE. THEY DON'T THEY DON'T CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THERE'S JUST ONE BASED ON PRICING OR INCENTIVES OR THINGS LIKE THAT. WELL, AS YOU WILL SEE, IT'S HARD TO GET THESE ZONED. AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T LIKE CELL PHONE TOWERS. AND SO, THE IDEA IS THAT YOU OFFER OPPORTUNITIES FOR CO-LOCATION SO THAT YOU HAVE AS FEW TOWERS AS POSSIBLE. YEAH. AND THAT'S COMMON IN THE, IN THE MARKET AND THE NETWORK. I MEAN, THAT'S HOW BUSINESS IS DONE. AND A LOT OF THAT'S DRIVEN BY ORDINANCES BECAUSE THE ORDINANCES REQUIRE THE CARRIERS TO FIRST LOOK FOR CO-LOCATION OPPORTUNITIES BEFORE THE THEY WE COME AND DO THIS. OKAY. SO, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THE COVERAGE IMPACT MAP? THANK YOU. THEN THE SITE LOCATION IS THE NEXT PAGE. AND YOU CAN SEE HERE THAT THIS IS LOCATED OFF OF A WHAT WOULD BE A GRAVEL ROAD OFF OF MADEIRA DRIVE. WE PUSHED THE SITE TO THE NORTH OF THE OVERALL RIGHT OF WAY, AND IF YOU LOOK AT LARGER MAPS OF THE RIGHT OF WAY, YOU CAN SEE THIS ONE'S KIND OF WHAT I CALL MORE INDENTED THAN MOST AREAS OF THE RIGHT OF WAY. SO, THE RIGHT OF WAY VARIES AS YOU GO ALONG THE RAILROAD TRACK. AND THIS ONE'S GOT A LITTLE MORE ROOM THAN AVERAGE BASED ON MY OBSERVATION. WE ADDED LANDSCAPING TO ALL FOUR SIDES. AND SO, YOU WOULD HAVE TREES, SHORTER TREES ALL THE WAY AROUND THIS. THE AREA THAT IT IS IN THIS RIGHT OF WAY IS FAIRLY HEAVILY TREED. AND SO, THAT WOULD OFFER A NATURAL SCREENING, BECAUSE SOME OF THE TREES WOULD [00:30:02] OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO BE REMOVED TO MAKE WAY FOR THE MONOPOLE AND THE COMPOUND BELOW IT. BUT OTHER TREES WOULD HAVE TO BE, YOU KNOW, PLANTED. SO WE'VE GOT LANDSCAPING ON ALL FOUR SIDES THAT WAS DONE TO ADDRESS CONCERNS BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE NEIGHBORS. AND THEN THE REST OF THESE JUST KIND OF TALK ABOUT WHAT'S AROUND IT, WHICH WE'VE ALSO TALKED ABOUT. THE YMCA IS HERE, BUT IT'S NOT SHOWN BECAUSE IT'S FAR ENOUGH. OFF TO THE RIGHT, THERE IS ONE RESIDENCE THAT IS WITHIN 144FT. BUT WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN JUST A MINUTE. SO IF YOU FLIP OVER TO THE NEXT PAGE, SITE LOCATION CONTINUED, IT GIVES YOU AN AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH SO YOU CAN BETTER ASSESS WHAT IS NEAR THIS PROPERTY. AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S A SUBDIVISION TO THE WEST OF THE PROPERTY. THERE IS THE Y THERE OFF TO THE RIGHT. BUT THE BUILDING AND THE PARKING LOTS ARE WELL REMOVED FROM THE ANTENNA. AND SO THAT SHOWS YOU THE ADJACENT USES. THERE'S YOU CAN SEE, MADEIRA DRIVE COMING LEFT TO RIGHT KIND OF QUARTER, A QUARTER, A THIRD OF THE WAY ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF THE IMAGE. THEN THE NEXT QUESTION OR THE NEXT SLIDE. A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAD HAD TO DO WITH THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE TOWER AND THE SETBACK REQUIREMENT OF 200FT, WHICH IS. BUT I MEAN NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND A PLACE WHERE IT'S 200FT ALL AROUND. AND SO WHAT WE DID IS THEY DID AN ADDITIONAL PHOTO STUDY, WHICH YOU CAN SEE ON THE NEXT PAGE. SO, THERE'S KIND OF FLIPPING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN TOTAL HEIGHT REDUCED PAGE, AND THEN THE NEXT PAGE THAT JUST SHOWS THE TOPS OF SOME TREES. SO WHAT WE DID IS LOOKED AT THE DISTANCE TO THE NEAREST RESIDENCE, WHICH IS SHOWN HERE APPROXIMATELY DEPICTED BY THE TAX ASSESSOR SITE, AND IT'S 144FT. AND SO THE ACTUAL TOWER, WE LOOKED AT THE TREE HEIGHT AND THE TOTAL TOWER HEIGHT WOULD BE 140FT, WHICH WOULD GIVE A ANTENNA POSITION AT 135FT, WHICH IS TEN FEET ABOVE THE EXISTING TREE HEIGHT. AND SO BASICALLY, WE TRIED TO CHOP IT DOWN AS LOW AS WE COULD TO KEEP THE ANTENNA ARRAY OUT OF THE TREES. AND SO, IF OTHER, IF OTHER CARRIERS GO ON THE TOWER, THEN THEY WOULD HAVE LOWER POSITIONS WHICH WOULD BE IN THE TREES. BUT WE'RE TRYING TO BALANCE THE CONCERNS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE ORDINANCE AS BEST WE CAN, AND A REALLY DENSE, DENSELY DEVELOPED AREA. AND SO, YOU CAN SEE THE TOWER IS 140FT. THERE IS A SIX-FOOT LIGHTNING ROD ON TOP OF IT, BUT THE TOWER HEIGHT WOULD BE FOUR FEET SHORTER THAN THE DISTANCE TO THE NEAREST RESIDENCE. AND THAT'S THE HOUSE OF THE RESIDENCE. SO, THE NEXT PAGE REVISION TO TOWER HEIGHT JUST SHOWS YOU WHERE WE DID THE DRONE STUDY AND FIGURED OUT THAT KIND OF THE AVERAGE TREE CANOPY HEIGHT TOP WAS AT 126FT. AND HOW WE WENT UP FROM THAT SO THAT THAT LINE IS AT 120, I THINK. YEP, 26FT ABOVE THE GROUND. THE NEXT PAGE. WE ALSO TO ADDRESS CONCERNS ABOUT ESTHETICS, WE OBTAINED PHOTO SIMULATIONS. IT'S OUR POSITION THAT THE LAW IN THIS AREA DOESN'T ALLOW CONSIDERATION OF ESTHETICS, BUT NONETHELESS IT'S A CONCERN THAT PEOPLE ADDRESS. SO, WE WENT IN OUR BEST EFFORT TO ADDRESS IT. THIS PHOTO SIMULATION AND THE PHOTO SIMULATIONS WE HAVE ARE FOR 150-FOOT TOWER. SO, THEY'RE TEN FEET TALLER THAN WHAT WE PROPOSE TO PUT OUT THERE. BUT DUE TO THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY AND THE TIME THAT IT TOOK TO GET DISH TO APPROVE THE LOWER TOWER, WE DID NOT HAVE TIME TO GET ADDITIONAL PHOTO SIMS. BUT YOU'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT TEN FEET. SO, YOU KNOW, IN THIS FIRST PICTURE, IT WILL PROBABLY MOVE IT DOWN INTO THE TREES A LITTLE BIT. I HAVE A SECOND PAGE WHERE, YOU KNOW, BEING CANDID WITH YOU, IF YOU THE TEN-FOOT TOWER, THE TEN FOOT LOWER FROM THAT PARTICULAR VIEW PROBABLY WOULD NOT CHANGE THE ACTUAL ESTHETICS OF THAT AREA. BUT WE WANTED TO INCLUDE IT SO THAT YOU COULD SEE AND ASSESS IT. WE ALSO ON THE RIGHT THERE, YOU CAN KIND OF BARELY SEE THE ANTENNA BEHIND THE BEIGE HOUSE. THAT PROBABLY WOULD BE OBSCURED TO SOME DEGREE IF WITH THE LOWER PROPOSED [00:35:06] ANTENNA MONOPOLE. SO. WE HAVE ANOTHER THIRD PAGE OF THE BALLOON TEST AND PHOTOS THAT WE OBTAINED, AND A RESULT TO THE CONCERNS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION. AND IN THE MIDDLE ONE YOU CAN SEE IT THAT ONE IS FAR ENOUGH AWAY. IT'S KIND OF HARD TO SEE. AND ON THE ONE ON THE RIGHT AGAIN IS CIRCLED IN RED DOWN THERE BECAUSE IT'S SO HARD TO SEE, AND IT WOULD PROBABLY BE FURTHER OBSCURED. THE NEXT PAGE TALKS ABOUT THE FALL ZONE LETTER, AND THERE WAS A LOT OF CONCERN ABOUT WIND AND KIND OF CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE ANTENNA. AND WE HAD ANOTHER CONVERSATION WITH DISH AND WITH IGNITE. AND THE INDUSTRY DEPENDS ON ENGINEERS TO ENGINEER THESE THINGS UP TO SOME COMMERCIAL STANDARD. AND THE COMMERCIAL STANDARD THAT THEY'VE ENGINEERED THIS WOULD BE FOR 107 MILE AN HOUR WIND, WHICH IS LIKE A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE MAKING ITS WAY UP HERE. SO, THERE WERE COMMENTS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WAS THIS FOR THE BASE OR THE POLE OR DIFFERENT THINGS. SO, THIS WE'VE CONFIRMED THAT THIS IS FOR WHAT I CALL THE ENGINEERED DESIGN. RIGHT. THEY'VE GOT AN ENGINEER THE POLE, THEY'VE GOT TO ENGINEER THE BASE ETCETERA. SO, THIS IS FOR THE COMPLETE ENGINEERED DESIGN AND UNDER. AND THERE'S A SAFETY COMPONENT ON TOP OF THE 107 MILE AN HOUR WINDS OR ICE. BUT THEY DON'T THEY, THEY DO THAT IN THEIR CALCULATIONS. THEY WON'T CERTIFY TO THE SAFETY. PERCENTAGE. THE LETTER DOES SAY THAT THIS EFFECTIVELY RESULTS IN A FALL RADIUS WITHIN THE 50 AND 50 FOOT BY 60-FOOT COMPOUND, BECAUSE THERE ARE FAILURE POINTS IN THE POLE AT 50 AND 100FT OFF THE GROUND, THAT WOULD CAUSE IT TO MORE FOLD OVER THAN TO LIKE, FALL LIKE A TREE IN THE FOREST. THERE. AND THEN YOU CAN SEE ON THE. AND YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE ENGINEERING FOR THE BASE WAS BACK ON THE PAGE WHERE IT WAS ACTUALLY SHOWN. I MEAN, YOU JUST SEE THE GRAPHICAL DEPICTION. SO, YOU CAN SEE KIND OF THE CONCRETE BASE AND WHATNOT THAT WOULD BE DOWN IN THE GROUND AND THE FENCE IS DEPICTED AND THAT'S ON THE THAT'S ON THE PAGE. IT SAYS TOTAL HEIGHT REDUCED FROM 160 TO 146FT. SO, THAT'S SIGNED AND SEALED BY A PROFESSIONAL GEORGIA ENGINEER LICENSED IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA, AMY HERBST, WHO'S A SENIOR ENGINEER DESIGN AT SABER INDUSTRIES. AND AGAIN, WE ALL HAVE LIABILITY CONCERNS SHOULD THIS THING FAIL. SO, WE'RE AS INTERESTED IN KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE AS ANYBODY ELSE. THE LAST PAGE KIND OF SUMMARIZES SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL CONCERNS THAT WE WORK TO ELIMINATE. NUMBER ONE IS THE VISUAL OBTRUSIVENESS AND LOCATION TO THE RESIDENCES. IN MAY, DEAREST, WE DID THE BALLOON TEST. WE REDUCED THE TOWER HEIGHT, SO IT MAKES IT LESS. IT SHOULD BE LESS OF A SAFETY CONCERN AND SHOULD BE BETTER SCREENED BECAUSE IT'S NOT AS TALL. WE COMMIT TO ONLY REMOVE THE VEGETATION AND TREES ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE TOWER. WE HAVE A TREE SURVEY IN THE FULL APPLICATION PACKAGE. SO, WE'VE LOOKED AT THAT AND CONSIDERED IT SO WE CAN REMOVE AS FEW TREES AS POSSIBLE, AND WE'RE GOING TO REPLACE TREES AROUND THE BASE TO SCREEN IT AGAIN. SAFETY WITH THE TOWER FAILURE. WE'VE GOT AN UPDATED FALL ZONE LETTER FOR THE SHORTER TOWER. AND IT TALKS ABOUT THE MECHANICS THEREOF. THERE WERE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT GENERATOR NOISE AT THIS TIME. DISH HAS NO EXPECTATION OF PUTTING A GENERATOR OUT THERE. WE HAVE PROVIDED SPECS FOR A STANDARD GENERATOR THAT'S PLACED OUT THERE, WHICH IS 71DB. BUT AS WAS POINTED OUT IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING, IF A GENERATOR WERE PUT OUT THERE, THEN IT WOULD HAVE TO ABIDE BY YOUR EXISTING NOISE ORDINANCES. WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR A VARIANCE FOR NOISE, SO WE'D HAVE TO ABIDE BY WHATEVER PROTECTIONS ARE CURRENTLY THERE. AND SO, THAT'S THE END OF THE PRESENTATION. I HOPE THAT KIND OF HIT THE HIGHLIGHTS AND GAVE YOU SOME INFORMATION. IF THERE ARE ANY MORE QUESTIONS, I'LL TAKE THEM. IF NOT, I'LL SIT DOWN. ALL RIGHT. I THINK WE DON'T HAVE QUESTIONS NOW I DON'T BELIEVE. BUT WE'LL OPEN UP THE HEARING AND THEN I'M SURE WE MAY HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AFTER THAT. SO, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THE EASE AT WHICH IT WAS TO FOLLOW THE INFORMATION WAS VERY HELPFUL. SO, NEXT WE WILL OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING. [VII. Public Comment on Agenda Action Items.] [00:40:01] AND AS WE HAVE DONE IN OUR MEETINGS SINCE THE PANDEMIC, WE WILL OPEN IT UP TO THOSE WHO ARE HERE IN THE MEETING. AND THEN WE WILL SEE IF THERE'S WHO HAVE JOINED US ONLINE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE COMMENTS. AND AGAIN, THIS IS JUST THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE. ALL OTHER COMMENTS WILL COME LATER IN THE MEETING ABOUT EITHER AGENDA ACTION ITEMS OR OTHER ISSUES THAT YOU'D LIKE TO BRING FORWARD. SO, WE'LL NOW TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ONE ITEM FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING. SO, IF YOU'LL COME FORWARD, STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND PLEASE MAKE YOUR COMMENT. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS PHILIP MCGUINNESS. I LIVE AT 413 WESTCHESTER DRIVE. I'M HERE AS A RESIDENT AND ALSO AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WESTCHESTER HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. FIRST AND FOREMOST, I THINK THE SETBACK REQUIREMENT IS FROM THE PROPERTY LINE AND NOT THE ANY STRUCTURES ON THE PROPERTY. AND SO, WE HAVE TWO PROPERTY LINES AT PLAY HERE. WE HAVE THE YMCA PROPERTY LINE, AND WE HAVE THE LAST HOUSE AT THE END OF MADEIRA. BOTH OF THOSE ARE EFFECTIVELY AT 80% REDUCTION IN THE SETBACK. IF THIS IS APPROVED, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF DECATUR THAT WOULD LOVE TO HAVE AN 80% VARIANCE FOR VARIOUS REASONS. SO, I THINK THAT'S JUST EXCESSIVE. AND THIS JUST IS AN INADEQUATE SITE. THE STRUCTURAL ENGINEER LETTER DOES TALK ABOUT THE TOWER. HOWEVER, THE PLANNING COMMISSION REALLY HAD CONCERNS ABOUT THE CONNECTION AT THE BASE, AND THE STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING REALLY DOESN'T ADDRESS THE ATTACHMENT AT THE BASE. AND I PRESENTED THREE EXAMPLES TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, WHERE TOWERS HAD BASE FAILURES AND DID FALL IN A LINEAR FASHION JUST WITHIN THE PAST TWO YEARS ALONE. THE OTHER IS THE LANDSCAPING BUFFER ON THIS. AT FIRST, THEY ASKED FOR A VARIANCE, AND THEY HAD NO LANDSCAPE BUFFER. THE PLANNING COMMISSION REQUESTED A TEN-FOOT BUFFER, AND WHAT THEY'RE SHOWING YOU TONIGHT IS A FIVE-FOOT BUFFER ON THERE. AS FAR AS THE GENERATOR GOES. OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS VERY SENSITIVE ABOUT IT BECAUSE WE HAD SUNRISE INSTALL A GENERATOR, AND WE HAD A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH WITH THE CITY AND SUNRISE ON THAT. SO, WE'RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. IF YOU LOOK AT THEIR SITE PLAN, THEIR LOCATION, THEY HAVE A FIVE-BY-FIVE FOOT PAD OF CONCRETE PAD IN THE LOWER RIGHT CORNER OF THEIR SITE, AND THAT'S THE CLOSEST TO THE RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE. AND I BELIEVE THAT'S WHERE A FUTURE GENERATOR WOULD GO. SO, THEY'RE PUTTING THE GENERATOR OR A PLANNING FOR A GENERATOR CLOSE TO OR AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO THE RESIDENTS. THE OTHER IS THE PLANNING COMMISSION SPECIFICALLY ASKED THE APPLICANT TO REACH OUT TO THE NEIGHBORS, AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY, TO ADDRESS SOME CONCERNS. I'VE TALKED WITH ONE TWO RESIDENTS, BOTH ADJACENT TO THIS SITE, AND THE APPLICANT HAS NEVER REACHED OUT TO THEM. AT ONE POINT THEY DID DO THE SITE VISIT FOR THE NEW DRONE THERE, AND ONE RESIDENT WAS THERE, AND THEY DIDN'T EVEN TALK TO HIM, SO THEY NEVER REACHED OUT TO ME, NEVER SAID, HEY, WHAT CAN WE DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT? OTHER CONCERNS ARE WATER RETENTION. THEY'RE ASKING FOR BASICALLY 6300FT² OF IMPERVIOUS AREA, AND WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANY WATER RUNOFF, ANY ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. ALSO, A LOT OF THE PHOTOS THAT THEY'RE PROVIDING, YOU ARE FULLY LEAFED OUT TREES, AND WE HAVE ABOUT FIVE MONTHS OF THE YEAR WHERE WE DON'T HAVE LEAVES ON TREES. SO, THIS TOWER WOULD BE HIGHLY VISIBLE FROM OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, AS WELL AS OUR MAIN ENTRANCE OFF OF CLERMONT AT THE YMCA. SO, I WOULD RECOMMEND WE FOLLOW THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATIONS AND DENY THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. REFORMING A LINE OR ANYTHING. IF WHOEVER GETS UP AND WALKS TO THE PODIUM FIRST, IF YOU'LL STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, WE DIDN'T HAVE A SIGN IN. SO, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HELLO, MY NAME IS SARAH BOSE AND I OWN THE PROPERTY AT 235 MADEIRA DRIVE, WHICH IS THE CLOSEST PROPERTY TO THE PROPOSED SITE AND THEREFORE THE MOST IMPACTED. I SPOKE AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION EARLIER, SO I WON'T REHASH MY COMMENTS, BUT I'LL KEEP MY COMMENTS BRIEF. [00:45:01] MY OPINION REMAINS THAT THIS PROPOSED SITE WILL HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON MY HEALTH AND THE QUALITY OF HEALTH OF MY FAMILY, THE WELL-BEING OF THEM, WHICH IS MY PRIMARY CONCERN. THERE'S A LOT OF POINTS THAT MR. MCGUINNESS HAS MADE THAT I WON'T REITERATE. ALL OF THOSE ARE A PRIMARY CONCERN TO US. BUT ONE OTHER POINT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ADD IS, ALTHOUGH EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN PRESENTED HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE FCC, AND THE CELL PHONE INDUSTRY HAS CLAIMED THAT RF RADIATION EMITTED BY CELL TOWERS ARE SAFE, THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION DISAGREES. THEY'VE CLASSIFIED RF AS A POSSIBLE HUMAN CARCINOGEN, AND THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS RECOMMENDS THAT CHILDREN'S RF EXPOSURE BE MINIMIZED. SCIENTISTS AND HEALTH EXPERTS HAVE RECENTLY URGED THE FCC TO PROPOSE REVISED SAFETY REGULATIONS FOR RF RADIATION. MY WIFE AND I ARE EXPECTING OUR FIRST CHILD, AND OUR ELDERLY PARENTS WILL BE LIVING WITH US AT 235 MADEIRA. I'VE BEEN A 30-YEAR ATLANTA RESIDENT AND I PLAN ON THIS RESIDENCE BEING MY FOREVER HOME, SO I'LL BE A DECATUR RESIDENT FOR THE LONG TERM. IT PAINS ME TO THINK THAT THIS WOULD AFFECT MY HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE, AND AS I'VE ALREADY RECOMMENDED TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION THAT I DON'T APPROVE THIS, AND I STRONGLY RECOMMEND AGAINST IT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS BOB WYTTENBACH AND I LIVE AT 231 MADEIRA DRIVE, WHICH IS THE SECOND CLOSEST HOUSE. TO THE PROPOSED TOWER. THIS TOWER WOULD BE 120FT FROM MY PROPERTY LINE. 180FT FROM THE CORNER OF MY HOUSE. EVEN WITH A TEN-FOOT REDUCTION, THE TOWER WILL ADVERSELY AFFECT MY FAMILY AND OUR WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD IN THREE PARTICULAR WAYS. FIRST OF ALL, THE TOWER AND ACCESS ROAD WOULD REMOVE ABOUT 6500FT² OF VEGETATION, INCLUDING TREES. THIS VEGETATION CURRENTLY PROVIDES A VISUAL AND ACOUSTIC BARRIER BETWEEN THE TRAIN TRACKS AND THE RESIDENCES THAT WOULD BE GONE. SECONDLY, THE TOWER ITSELF WILL BE AN EYESORE. THOSE PHOTOS PRESENTED BY THE APPLICANT WITH A DRONE SIMULATION WERE DONE IN THE BEGINNING OF OCTOBER, WITH THE TREES FULLY LEAFED OUT. EVEN NOW, MANY OF THOSE LEAVES ARE GONE, AND FOR THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS, THAT TOWER ALL THE WAY FROM THE BASE ON UP, WILL BE THE MAIN THING THAT I WILL SEE LOOKING OUT MY BACK WINDOWS. FINALLY, AND MAYBE MOST IMPORTANTLY TO THE MORE BROADLY, THIS TOWER WILL IMPACT PROPERTY VALUES. THERE ARE TWO PUBLISHED STUDIES, ONE FROM 2016 IN LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY. ONE FROM 2019 IN SAVANNAH, GEORGIA. BOTH OF WHICH SHOWED APPROXIMATELY 7.5% LOWER VALUES FOR HOUSES WITHIN 1500 FEET OF A CELL TOWER RELATIVE TO COMPARABLE HOUSES OUTSIDE THAT RANGE. NOW, I GRANT THAT THIS TOWER IS PROBABLY SMALLER THAN THE ONES THEY STUDIED, BUT THE DISTANCES ARE ALSO MUCH SMALLER. 68FT FROM THE CLOSEST PROPERTY LINE. 120FT FROM MINE. I THINK A 7.5% HIT IS PRETTY LIKELY. AND WITH THE VALUE OF A HOUSE BEING SUCH A LARGE PART OF THE NET WORTH OF MANY FAMILIES, THIS IS PRETTY SERIOUS. SO, FOR THESE REASONS, AS WELL AS THOSE GIVEN BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION LAST MONTH, A REQUEST THAT THE CITY COMMISSION DENY THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT. HELLO, MY NAME IS JOHN BENNETT. I'M AT 224 WESTVHESTER, AND I'M ALSO VERY MUCH AGAINST THE PROPOSED CELL PHONE TOWER AND AS PHILIP POINTED OUT, WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMISSIONERS REALIZED THAT THE SETBACK IS 200FT FROM THE PROPERTY LINE, NOT THE HOUSE. BECAUSE IF YOU JUST MEASURE FROM THE HOUSE, THAT MEANS THE OWNER CAN'T REALLY DO ANYTHING ON THEIR PROPERTY, BECAUSE NOW THEY HAVE THIS CELL PHONE TOWER THAT'S WITHIN 100FT OF THEIR PROPERTY LINES, I THINK ACTUALLY IS GOING TO BE LIKE 60 TO 70FT OF THE PROPERTY LINE. WE ALL KNOW THAT DECATUR IS FULL OF RAILROADS. I DON'T THINK ANY OF US WANT CELL PHONE TOWERS ON ALL THE EASEMENTS THAT RUN THROUGH DECATUR ON THE RAILROADS. THERE'S A BUFFER THERE FOR A REASON. IT'S TO KEEP SOUND AND EVERYTHING AWAY. AND IF YOU START TEARING THAT DOWN AND GETTING RID OF THE BUFFERS BETWEEN THE RAILROADS, THAT'S A HORRIBLE PRECEDENT TO SET. AND FOR THAT REASON, I'M VERY MUCH AGAINST IT. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS LINDA EARHART. I LIVE AT 132 HAROLD BYRD DRIVE. I'M VERY MUCH AGAINST THIS PROPOSED CELL TOWER. THIS IS THE WRONG SPACE FOR THIS UTILITY. THIS TYPE OF TOWER IS A COMMERCIAL SERVICE AND BELONGS IN A NONRESIDENTIAL SPACE. THE GROUND EQUIPMENT REFERENCE IS ALREADY AN INDICATION OF REFERRING TO THE TOWER AT [00:50:03] PUBLIX. THE FACT THAT MORE SPACE WOULD BE NEEDED IS AN INDICATION OF HOW INTRUSIVE THIS WOULD BE. AND ALTHOUGH THERE IS REFERENCE TO WIND BEING A POSSIBLE THREAT TO THE TOWER COMING DOWN, THERE IS NO REFERENCE TO WHAT IF THE TRAIN WERE TO COME OFF THE TRACKS. SO, IN OTHER WORDS, THERE ARE OTHER, OTHER SAFETY ISSUES THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED. AND I ASK THAT YOU DENY THIS THIS APPLICATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OR THERE ARE OTHERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE. YOU'RE THERE. HI. MY NAME IS CLINT ELLIOTT. I'M A VICE PRESIDENT WITH THE YMCA OF METRO ATLANTA, AND I'M REPRESENTING THE DECATUR YMCA TODAY. UNFORTUNATELY, STACY STEPHENS, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CAN'T BE HERE, BUT I SUPPORT HER IN THAT ROLE. SO, I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY BEEN MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES. IS THE ACTUAL DISTANCE FROM THE PROPERTY LINE VERSUS THE STRUCTURE, AND IT'S ACTUALLY ONLY 50FT FROM THE YMCA PROPERTY THAT THIS IS BEING CONSTRUCTED. AND THAT'S PROGRAMABLE SPACE FOR US. AND SO, WE PROVIDE PROGRAMS LIKE DAY CAMP AFTER SCHOOL. WE HAVE HOLIDAY CAMP THAT HAPPENS BACK THERE. WE HAVE A LOT OF RECREATION THAT HAPPENS IN THOSE AREAS, ESPECIALLY ON OUR PROPERTY. AND SO WHEN WE WHEN WE LOOK AT THE SAKE OF HUMAN SAFETY, IN ADDITION TO SOME OF THOSE STRUCTURES, I UNDERSTAND THAT'S IMPORTANT. BUT I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD REALLY CONTEMPLATE IS THAT PROGRAMABLE SPACE IS SO VALUABLE TO OUR COMMUNITY AND TO THE FOLKS WE SERVE, SPECIFICALLY THE YOUTH THAT UTILIZE THAT SPACE BEHIND THE YMCA. AND WE LOOK AT THE POTENTIAL AND THEN THE PROGRAMING IN THE BACKGROUND OF A TOWER AND THE VISUAL COMPONENT OF THAT AND THE EXPERIENCE FOR THOSE KIDS. I REALLY THINK THAT IT'S PROBABLY NOT THE BEST INTEREST OF THIS COMMUNITY TO ALLOW THIS TOWER. SO, I APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION AND I APPRECIATE YOU LISTENING TO MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU. ARE THERE OTHERS? WE'D LIKE TO. HI, MY NAME IS PREETI JAGGI AND I LIVE AT 160 MADEIRA DRIVE AND I'M AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE DOCTOR AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CONCERNED ME WAS ACTUALLY WALKING IN THAT AREA WITH PHILIP ONE DAY. THERE'S A LOT OF WATER THAT'S ALREADY POOLED IN THAT AREA, AND I'M AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE DOCTOR, AND I KNOW THAT MOSQUITOES BREED IN THAT WATER. SO, I THINK THAT THERE ARE SOME HEALTH EFFECTS OF TAKING THESE TREES DOWN AND THAT SPECIFIC AREA THAT WE NEED TO ACCOUNT FOR BEFORE ALLOWING THIS TO PROCEED. I WOULD REALLY MUCH RATHER EXHAUST ANY POSSIBILITY OF PUTTING IT AT PUBLIX, WHERE THERE'S ALREADY CLEARED SPACE, RATHER THAN CLEARING THOSE TREES. ANYTHING THAT WE DO TO THE ENVIRONMENT AFFECTS OUR OWN HEALTH, AND I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A REALLY GOOD ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT, PARTICULARLY IN HOW IT COULD AFFECT OUR HEALTH IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. THANK YOU. WERE THERE OTHERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO COME FORWARD AND MAKE A COMMENT? MY NAME IS VADIM ROTHSTEIN. I'M AT 213 WESTCHESTER DRIVE, SO I JUST WANT TO KIND OF STEP BACK AND FOR YOU TO. AGAIN, THINK WHAT WE'RE SAYING HERE. SO, THE COMMUNITY IS OVERWHELMINGLY AGAINST. AND ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE ARE BEING ASKED IS TO SACRIFICE OUR QUALITY OF LIFE. POSSIBLY EVEN HEALTH HAS BEEN MENTIONED EARLIER, THE VALUE OF OUR PROPERTIES AND ALL FOR WHAT? SO THAT THE SPECIFIC MINOR CARRIER CAN DO BUSINESS IN THE AREA. IT DOESN'T BRING ANY BENEFIT TO US AS A COMMUNITY. THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO SAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ARE THERE OTHERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT ON? THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE. YOU PLEASE COME FORWARD. STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. GOOD EVENING, ANTONIO. ANTONIO, 213 WESTCHESTER DRIVE. CAN YOU PULL THE MICROPHONE A LITTLE BIT TOWARDS YOU? I THINK IT MIGHT BE. IS THAT BETTER? YES. SO, THE PLAN ON PAGE 119, ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT THAT WAS SUBMITTED TODAY, IT SHOWS THAT THE RESERVED CARRIER ANTENNAS OTHER THAN THE DISH NETWORK ARE AT 125FT, 115FT AND 105FT, THESE ARE HEIGHTS ARE WELL BELOW THE EXISTING CANOPY. SO, MY QUESTION IS, WELL, MY CONCERN IS THAT THERE IS NOT GOING TO BE ANY OVERSIGHT FOR FUTURE CHANGES. SO, THE COMPANY MAY BE RELYING ON CUTTING TREES TO CHANGE THE SURROUNDING LANDSCAPE TO [00:55:05] MAKE THOSE FUTURE PROPOSED LOCATIONS VIABLE FOR FUTURE CARRIERS. BUT WE DON'T KNOW THAT, AS IS THE CURRENT PLAN THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING WILL ONLY SUPPORT A SINGLE COMPANY. SO THAT'S PROBABLY NOT TO THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY TO DO THIS. THANK YOU. AND I'M AGAINST THIS PLAN. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK OR BRING FORWARD A DIFFERENT CONCERN. ALL RIGHT. SEEING NONE, WE WILL OPEN THIS UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT FROM THOSE WHO ARE JOINING US ONLINE. AND I'LL ASK OUR CHIEF OF STAFF, MS. ROARK, TO HELP ME. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT ABOUT THIS ITEM, IF YOU CAN RAISE YOUR VIRTUAL HAND, WE'LL CALL ON YOU, ASK YOU TO STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, AND PLEASE MAKE YOUR COMMENT. SO, I'M LOOKING TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY VIRTUAL OR ACTUAL HANDS RAISED. YOU SEE ANY, MS. ROARK? OKAY. SEEING NONE, WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING PORTION OF THE MEETING, AND I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION. AND AMONGST THE COMMISSIONERS, I KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER DUSENBURY IS JOINING US ONLINE, AND I DON'T I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO. I'LL CALL ON YOU TO SEE IF YOU HAVE ANY PARTICULAR COMMENTS. BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO THOSE OF US AT THE TABLE MIGHT BE EASIER. OKAY. THANK YOU, MARY GARRETT. I'M A LITTLE. I'VE WANTED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH PUBLIX A LITTLE BIT MORE, BECAUSE IT SOUNDED LIKE BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND FOR THE INITIAL PRESENTATION TO THE COMMISSION WITH THE DEFERRAL WAS GRANTED, THAT THAT CONVERSATION HADN'T TAKEN PLACE YET. AND SO, I JUST I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND FROM THE APPLICANT WHERE THE CONVERSATION TOOK PLACE AND HOW MANY. YOU KNOW, I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THAT'S NOT A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE. I UNDERSTAND THAT BETTER. SO, I WANT TO MAKE SURE I'VE UNDERSTOOD YOUR COMMENT. I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND FROM THE APPLICANT WHY THE PUBLIX LOCATION IS NOT A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE. OKAY. VERY BAD. MAYOR. GARRETT, RIGHT? YES. YES, YES. SO AGAIN, WHY THE PUBLIX IS NOT A VIABLE LOCATION. SO, THE TOWER OWNER HAS A HAD A LONG-TERM LEASE WITH THE SHOPPING CENTER OWNER ON WHICH THE PUBLIX WAS LOCATED. THAT LEASE HAS EXPIRED. AND SO, IN ORDER FOR A. CARRIER TO LOCATE A NEW SET OF EQUIPMENT, THERE WOULD NEED TO BE A LONG-TERM LEASE IN PLACE SO THAT THE CARRIER COULD THEN ENTER A LEASE WITH THE TOWER OPERATOR, AND THEY'D HAVE TO NEGOTIATE A LEASE WITH A SECOND OFF SITE PROPERTY OWNER SO THAT THERE WOULD BE SOMEWHERE TO PUT EQUIPMENT AND. THIS OPPORTUNITY OFFERS ALL OF THAT IN ONE PLACE, AND RIGHT NOW, THERE'S NO KNOWLEDGE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE PUBLIX TOWER LEASE WOULD BE RENEWED. AND SO, WE HAVE INVESTIGATED THAT. AND IT'S NOT A VIABLE OPPORTUNITY, BECAUSE BY THE TIME YOU GO TO ALL THE EXPENSE TO LOCATE YOUR EQUIPMENT, ET CETERA, IF THE LEASE GOES AWAY IN A MONTH OR TWO, YOU'RE RIGHT BACK WHERE YOU STARTED. THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE. THERE ARE CURRENT PROVIDERS ON THAT TOWER, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. AND IT'S A SMALL TOWER, AND I HAVEN'T SEEN ENGINEERING SCHEMATICS, BUT I'D BE SHOCKED IF YOU COULD GET MUCH MORE EQUIPMENT ON THAT TOWER. I MEAN, IT'S A SKINNY LITTLE TOWER. IT'S A SHORT TOWER. I MEAN, AS THESE THINGS GO AND IT'S VERY COMPLEX. I MEAN, THEY'RE ALL COMPLEX LOCATIONS, BUT IT'S MORE COMPLEX THAN MOST. WHAT CONVERSATION DID YOUR CLIENT HAVE WITH THE OWNER OF THE TOWER, AND WHEN DID THOSE CONVERSATIONS TAKE PLACE? I CAN'T GIVE YOU THOSE SPECIFICS, BUT I KNOW I TALKED TO MY CLIENT TODAY OR I TALKED TO DISH TODAY, AND THEY VERY AFFIRMATIVE. THEY HAVE A COPY OF THE LEASE. I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY CAN SHARE IT DUE TO NON-DISCLOSURE ISSUES, BUT THEY HAVE A COPY [01:00:05] OF THAT LEASE AND THEY HAVE. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATED THAT OPPORTUNITY. AND DO THEY HAVE A COPY OF THAT LEASE WHEN THEY CAME TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND WHEN THEY SUBMITTED THIS APPLICATION? YES, IT DID. THEY SHARE IT WITH PLANNING COMMISSION? NO, NO. GO AHEAD. SORRY. I DO SEE SOMEONE WHO HAS RAISED THEIR HAND. I'M SORRY. WE HAVE CLOSED THE PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION. WE. ONCE WE CLOSE IT, WE NO LONGER TAKE COMMENTS IN THE IN THE ROOM FROM. I SAW SOMEBODY RAISE THEIR HAND IN THE BACK JUST A MINUTE AGO. AND SO, IT'S NOT, IT DOES NOT BECOME A BACK AND FORTH WITH US AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. IT IS A BACK AND FORTH AMONGST THE COMMISSIONERS, US AND THE APPLICANT. SO, I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT. SO AND SO. COMMISSIONER DUSENBURY OTHER COMMENTS I HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION AND THEN A COMMENT. THE TOWER IS 140FT. THE HAD TO GET ABOVE THE HEIGHT OF THE TREES, WHICH IS 123FT. WOULD THAT ALLOW FOR ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT TO BE PUT ON THE CELL TOWER? THAT 17-FOOT GAP IT COULD BE PUT ON THERE. IT'D BE AT A LOWER SIGNAL STRENGTH. AND SO THAT CARRIER WOULD HAVE TO ANALYZE WHAT THEIR GAP IN COVERAGE WAS AND WHAT THEY WERE PROVIDING. BUT TO THE EXTENT THE ORDINANCE REQUIRES CO-LOCATION, THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU'D HAVE A BACK AND FORTH TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN. THEY PROBABLY HAVE TO ACCEPT THE LOWER ELEVATION. JUST THE DIFFICULTY IN ZONING. OKAY, MY COMMENT IS THAT I REGRET THAT I'M NOT THERE IN PERSON. IT SEEMS THAT YOU HAVE PROVIDED NEW INFORMATION TO THE COMMISSION THAT WAS NOT PROVIDED FRIDAY, WHEN WE RECEIVED OUR MATERIALS TO PREPARE FOR THIS, SHOWING THE COVERAGE AND OTHER ANALYZES. AND SO, I'M JUST SAYING IT'S DIFFICULT FOR ME TO CONSIDER THAT BECAUSE I LOOKED AT MY MATERIALS AND ACTUALLY, I WILL ADD AND PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I WAS PROVIDED THAT AHEAD OF TIME. BUT I DO NOT THINK I'VE SEEN THAT POWERPOINT THAT WAS SHARED WITH THE COMMISSION. AND I THINK IT WAS. YEAH. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT NOT SEEING THAT INFORMATION. SO, IT'S HARD FOR ME TO GET THIS. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. AND FEEL FREE TO LET US KNOW IF YOU HAVE FURTHER COMMENTS AS THE CONVERSATION GOES. SO, I'LL IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A SEAT, IF WE HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS. I DO HAVE TWO QUESTIONS. OH OKAY. SO, A QUESTION FOR HIM. ALL RIGHT. SO, OKAY I GUESS YOU CAN JUST STAY UP HERE FOR A MINUTE. SURE. THANK YOU. ONE MIGHT BE A REBOUND OFF YOU TO STAFF, BUT DO WE KNOW IF OUR ORDINANCE REQUIRES CO-LOCATION AND HOW THAT WOULD WORK? JUST THREADGILL, I THINK WOULD PROBABLY BE THE BEST ANSWER THAT. THE CODE DOES NOT REQUIRE CO-LOCATION ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS TOWERS, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY ENCOURAGED. OKAY, AND MY SECOND QUESTION FOR THE APPLICANT THEN WOULD BE. I SAW THAT COVERAGE MAP THAT YOU SHARED TONIGHT. HOW FAR DOES THAT COVERAGE GO ACROSS THE CITY? IT GOES FARTHER THAN THAT MAP, I'M ASSUMING. OR CAN YOU SAY IN MILES OR KILOMETERS? I WILL SAY THE COVERAGE MAP AND SOME OF THE FEW THINGS THAT WERE REVISED ARE REALLY PRETTY SIMILAR TO WHAT THEY WERE WITH THE 150-FOOT TOWER. SO, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS TO ADDRESS KIND OF THE QUESTION THAT WAS RAISED EARLIER. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS ACTUALLY PRETTY SIMILAR BECAUSE IT IS ABOVE THE TREE HEIGHT, AND WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT A DIFFERENCE OF TEN FEET. I ADMITTEDLY UNFORTUNATELY, THE COLORING TO SHOW THE IMPACT OF THE SITE IS SO DENSE I CAN'T CROSS REFERENCE ROADS AND STREETS BELOW IT. BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IT'S TO THE SAME SCALE AS THE SITE LOCATION MAP IS TO THE LEFT, SO THAT KIND OF GIVES YOU SOME AMOUNT OF COMPARISON. SO, IT'S NOT. IT'D BE NICE IF YOU COULD TURN THE LAYERS ON AND OFF, BUT I DON'T HAVE THAT ABILITY. SO, I MEAN, MY OBSERVATION IS IT KIND OF SOME OF THE NORTH PART OF TOWN WOULD BE AMPLIFIED OR COVERAGE WOULD BE STRENGTHENED. IT DOESN'T REALLY EXTEND PAST DOWNTOWN. IS THAT WHAT I THINK? THAT'S PROBABLY FAIR. DOESN'T DO ANYTHING IN OAKHURST OR WINONA. IT'S KIND OF, I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE INDUSTRY IS THAT AS PEOPLE WANT [01:05:06] TO STREAM MORE STUFF AND HAVE MORE BANDWIDTH TO THEIR DEVICES, AND THEY WANT SMALLER DEVICES. I REMEMBER THE BAG PHONE YOU USED TO CARRY AROUND, AND THAT THING WOULD HIT AN ANTENNA THAT WAS 5 OR 10 MILES AWAY. BUT AS EVERYBODY'S GONE TO THE TINY IPHONES AND THE ANDROID PHONES AND IPADS AND ETCETERA, THEY'RE, THEY'RE SO SMALL AND THE BATTERY IS SMALL. THAT'S WHY IF YOU LOOK REAL, IF YOU DO THIS LIKE I DO, YOU START TO SEE CELL TOWER AND CELL ANTENNAS ALL OVER THE PLACE. AND THAT'S WHY THEY'RE SO DENSE. AND IF YOU LOOK, THERE ARE TWO OTHER TOWERS THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THIS JURISDICTION AND SEVERAL MILES AWAY. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT LIKE THEY'RE WAY, WAY AWAY. AND ONE MORE QUESTION. I HAD TO GET SO TECHNICAL, BUT MAYBE IT'S JUST IT'S HELPFUL TO EVERYONE. BUT IS THIS A SOLELY FOR THIS 5G NETWORK OR. WILL 5G BECOME OBSOLETE IN ANOTHER COUPLE OF YEARS? AND THEN THIS TOWER HAS TO. SOMETHING HAS TO HAPPEN TO MAKE IT. DO ITS JOB. MY EXPERIENCE IS THAT MOST OF THAT IS TRANSPARENT FROM A VISUAL ZONING PERSPECTIVE. YOU HAVE TO UPGRADE THE SOFTWARE AND THE HARDWARE THAT SITS THERE AND ON THE, THE, THE TOWER. BUT YOU THE ONCE THE MONOPOLES ARE THERE, I MEAN, AND THIS IS A SLIM TOWER, THIS IS NOT ONE OF THESE LATTICE TOWERS OR ANYTHING. SO, BUT IF YOU KIND OF START TO OBSERVE, THEY JUST HANG NEW EQUIPMENT ON EXISTING TOWERS. OKAY. OKAY. SO, I'VE GOT A FAIRLY TECHNICAL QUESTION FOR YOU. APPARENTLY, DISH IS NEW TO THE MARKET, AND FCC MANDATES THAT THEY HAVE 70% COVERAGE BEFORE THEY CAN PROCEED AND GO FORWARD. IS THAT CORRECT? DID I MISSTATE WHAT I'VE SORT OF UNDERSTAND? I'M NOT AWARE OF THE 70% THRESHOLD, BUT THEY'VE COMMITTED THIS TOWER IS BEING DEVELOPED BUT BASED ON A COMMITMENT TO PAY. IT'S KIND OF A PREARRANGEMENT. SO, DOING MY HOMEWORK I READ THAT THEY HAVE TO HAVE A 70% COVERAGE MODEL IN ORDER FOR THE FCC TO GRANT THEM A LICENSE. SO, MY QUESTION TO YOU IS SIMPLY WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY DON'T MEET THAT THRESHOLD AND WE GET THIS TOWER, OR WE APPROVE THIS TOWER, AND THIS TOWER GETS BUILT AND THEY DON'T MEET THAT THRESHOLD. MOST ZONING CODE I HAVEN'T LOOKED IN YOUR ZONING CODE. MRS. THREADGILL MAY BE ABLE TO HELP, BUT TYPICALLY THE PROJECT HAS TO BE UP AND ACTIVE WITHIN SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR AFTER IT'S APPROVED, OR IT CAN BE DEMOLISHED. SO THAT'S I'VE HAD TO GO TO JURISDICTIONS WHERE MY CLIENT DIDN'T BUILD THEIR TOWER IN TIME. SO, I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT IF THEY DON'T BUILD IT IN TIME. WHAT IF YOU DON'T BUILD OUT? WHAT IF YOU DON'T MEET YOUR FCC REQUIREMENT? WELL, THEN YOU WOULDN'T HAVE THE ANTENNAS HUNG ON THE TOWER TO MAKE IT TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT. OKAY. THAT'S WHAT I HAD TO GO DEAL WITH BEFORE IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS. AND IT WAS OUT NEAR SOUTH CAROLINA. AND THEY HAD WE HAD A TOWER THAT HAD BEEN ZONED FOR OVER A YEAR FOR ANOTHER CARRIER, AND THEY WANTED TO TEAR THE TOWER. THEY WERE DEMANDING THE PERFORMANCE BOND TO TEAR THE TOWER DOWN. SO, LET'S BACK UP FOR A SECOND. SO, WE'VE HEARD A NUMBER OF RESIDENTS TONIGHT TALK ABOUT IT NOT BEING MORE THAN 200FT. CAN YOU ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS? YEAH. WELL, I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN ADDRESS THEM. THEY WERE COMPLETELY ACCURATE. THE SETBACK IS FROM THE PROPERTY LINE. WE HAVE FOCUSED ON THE THING THAT WE CAN DO. WE, CAN'T WE? I WENT BACK AFTER WE GOT THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION. I WENT BACK TO DISH, AND I SAID, HOW LOW CAN WE GO, FOLKS? BECAUSE THE, THE VARIANCE I THINK IT WAS POINTED OUT IT'S LIKE 60% OR SOMETHING. IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE DISTANCE FROM THE BASE OF THE TOWER TO THE PROPERTY LINE IS WHAT YOUR SPECIFIC REGULATION ADDRESSES. AND SO, IF I COULD HAVE CONVINCED THEM TO BUILD A 60-FOOT TOWER SO THAT MY JOB WAS EASY, I CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE DONE THAT. BUT WHEN THEY LOOKED AT THE LEVEL OF HEIGHT, THEY HAVE TO HAVE IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH THE SERVICE, THE LEVEL OF HEIGHT THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO COME DOWN TO WAS 140-FOOT TOWER. BUT AND IF I, IF I WAS SO FOCUSED ON WHAT WE TRIED TO ADDRESS, THE TOWER HEIGHT VERSUS WHAT WE COULD DO, SOMETHING ABOUT THE DISTANCE TO RESIDENCES, ET CETERA, THAT IF I NEGLECTED TO, YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT THE ORDINANCE AND THAT IT IS FROM THE PROPERTY LINE TO THE BASE OF THE TOWER. I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. THANK YOU FOR THAT. I'D LIKE TO REVISIT THE GENERATOR CONVERSATION FOR JUST A QUICK SECOND, AND [01:10:04] THIS MAY BE MORE OF A MR. THREADGILL QUESTION, BUT AT THIS TIME THERE IS NO PLAN TO ADD A GENERATOR OR INSTALL A GENERATOR FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT. CORRECT? THAT'S ACCURATE. AND I THINK MORE IMPORTANTLY, THERE'S NO REQUEST FOR A VARIANCE FROM WHATEVER YOUR ZONING REQUIRES FOR GENERATORS. AND SO, WE'D HAVE TO COMPLY WITH WHATEVER PROTECTIONS THE CITY OF DECATUR PROVIDES ITS CITIZENS. SO THOSE PROTECTIONS HAVE ALREADY BEEN IN PLACE. AND WE'RE NOT I MEAN, TO THE EXTENT THEY HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE, THEY'RE THERE AND WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR A VARIANCE FROM THEM. BUT WE DID TRY AND PROVIDE A MODEL GENERATOR JUST TO SAY IF SOMEBODY DID ONE ON SITES THAT HAVE BEEN DONE BEFORE, THIS IS WHAT IT COULD LOOK LIKE. SO, IN THE EVENT THAT THIS PROJECT WOULD BE APPROVED, A GENERATOR COULD POTENTIALLY BE INSTALLED WITHOUT YOU HAVING TO COME BACK BEFORE US. IS THAT CORRECT OR ADDRESS THAT. THE CITY COMMISSION MAY PUT IN PLACE A CONDITION OF APPROVAL. IF YOU GET TO THAT POINT THAT STATES THAT ANY ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING A GENERATOR, WOULD REQUIRE A REVISION TO THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT AND GO BACK THROUGH THE PROCESS OF A PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THEN FINAL ACTION BY THE CITY COMMISSION. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. AND THEN ONE MORE QUESTION, MR. CADLE. THIS WILL BE THIS IS PROBABLY THE HARD ONE. SO, THERE WERE A LOT OF COMMENTS THAT MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WERE NOT CONTACTED. CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY THAT OCCURRED, WHY THERE WASN'T COMMUNITY OUTREACH? I MEAN, FRANKLY, IT'S NOT REQUIRED BY THE ORDINANCE. WE DO OUR WE KNOW THAT THESE AREN'T GOING TO BE POPULAR, AND WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT GOING TO BE HAPPY WITH IT. WE DID COMMUNICATE WITH MR. BOSCH DIRECTLY, AND WE DID REACH OUT TO THE PRESIDENT AND PROVIDED THEM IN ADVANCE THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAD AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO US. SO, I MEAN, WE DIDN'T HOLD A TOWN HALL BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR TODAY, AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION. SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHY, FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE YOUR CANDOR. I'M KNOWN FOR IT MYSELF. SO, I HAVE A COUPLE OF, I GUESS, QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS. AND YOU'RE RIGHT. IT IS. IT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK THE PLANNING COMMISSION DID ASK WAS FOR NEIGHBORHOOD OUTREACH. AND I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT TYPICALLY ENCOURAGES APPLICANTS TO, TO DO AND GET FEEDBACK ON. AND MAYBE IF THAT HAD BEEN HELD IN ADVANCE, SOME OF THESE KINDS OF THINGS WOULD HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S CONSIDERATION. INSTEAD OF COMING NOW AFTER A DEFERRAL OF OF OUR MEETING. I RECOGNIZE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE MORE EQUIPMENT, PLACES FOR THE SORTS OF ELECTRONICS THAT WE ALL USE AND ENJOY. AND I RECOGNIZE, JUST LIKE I MEAN, WE'RE AN OLD CITY. WE HAVE WIRES STRUNG ALL THROUGHOUT OUR CITY, UNLIKE SOME OF THE NEWER CITIES THAT HAVE EVERYTHING BURIED. AND THERE'S THERE ARE GOING TO BE VISUAL IMPACTS. I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS LIKE THE TREES COMING DOWN. IF THERE ARE ALREADY SOME WATER CONCERNS. I THINK MY, MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS WHEN I LOOK AT THIS MAP OF OTHER SITES CONSIDERED, IT REALLY IS IN THE MIDDLE OF A SINGLE-FAMILY NEIGHBORHOOD WHEN THERE IS ALL OF THIS COMMERCIAL AREA WITH PARKING LOTS. THAT, AND I KNOW YOU YOU'VE REACHED OUT TO, BUT SOME OF THE RESPONSES ARE, THEY WERE UNRESPONSIVE. I THINK THAT MAY NOT BE THE, THE BEST SOLUTION IS IF THAT IF IT SERVES THE PURPOSE BETTER IN TERMS OF NOT BEING IN THE MIDDLE OF A NEIGHBORHOOD TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON A COMMERCIAL LOCATION. THAT AND I UNDERSTAND THE PUBLIX MAY. MY FEELING IS AT SOME POINT THOSE CARRIERS ARE NOT JUST GOING TO DISAPPEAR FROM THAT PARTICULAR POLE. IT MAY TAKE SOME ADDITIONAL DIGGING AND WORK. I THINK THAT THAT'S BEEN THE FEELING OF SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE HAVE HAD FROM THE NEIGHBORS IS NOT ONLY THE IMPACTS ON THEIR PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT THE FACT THAT [01:15:01] THERE ARE SITES THAT ARE WITHIN A VERY CLOSE DISTANCE THAT WOULD, THEY'RE STILL GOING TO SEE IT FROM THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. IF IT'S DOWN THE ROAD. I SEE WIRES HANGING IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE, YOU KNOW, AND. AND THERE'S NOT A BUFFER ON THE SOUTH RAILROAD TRACKS. THERE'RE NOT LANDSCAPE BUFFERS RIGHT ACROSS THE RAILROAD TRACKS. I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, I LIVED IN A HOUSE WHERE I COULD EASILY SEE THE RAILROAD TRACKS, SO. BUT I THINK IT DOES SERVE AS SOMEWHAT OF A NOISE BUFFER NOW. AND MY, MY CONCERN IS THAT THERE APPEARS TO BE LOCATIONS THAT WOULD BE LESS IMPACTFUL ON THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SITTING IN THIS ROOM RIGHT NOW. AND YOU'RE RIGHT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE DON'T WANT A CELL TOWER PLACED IN THE MIDDLE OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. WE KNOW THAT A LOT OF COMMUNITIES HAVE HAD THINGS PUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T HAD A VOICE TO COME OUT AND SAY THEY DIDN'T WANT THEM. SO, BUT I GUESS THAT'S THAT IS MY CONCERN WHEN I DO LOOK AT THE OTHER OPTIONS THAT ARE VERY CLOSE BY, THAT WOULD BECAUSE IT ALSO APPEARS FROM THAT COVERAGE MAP, WE'RE LOOKING AT REALLY A PRETTY SMALL PART OF DECATUR BENEFITING, AND A PRETTY LARGE PARK OUTSIDE THE CITY OF DECATUR BENEFITING FROM THIS TOWER PLACEMENT. IS THAT A FAIR ASSESSMENT IN TERMS OF COVERAGE? THIS KIND OF UNIT OR I CALL IT OMNIDIRECTIONAL. AND SO, IT'S ON THE CITY LIMITS. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE CITY LIMIT LINE IS THAT RAILROAD TRACK. SO, RIGHT. IT WOULD COVER MUCH MORE THAN JUST CITY OF DECATUR PROPERTY. AND I DEAL WITH THE SITE SELECTION IS TOUGH BECAUSE AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DEAL WITH IS HOW DO YOU FIND SOMEBODY WHO IS WILLING TO HAVE A CELL TOWER ON THEIR PROPERTY? AND A LOT OF TIMES WE COMMONLY ARE FACED WITH, WELL, THEY DIDN'T RESPOND. WHAT ELSE DID YOU DO? WHAT ELSE DID YOU DO? AND SO, YOU KNOW, NOBODY HAS IN THEIR ORDINANCE THAT IN ORDER TO PROVE THAT A PROPERTY OWNER IS UNRESPONSIVE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE CONTACTED THEM THREE TIMES BY CERTIFIED, WHATEVER IT IS AND SO YOU KNOW IT. WITH THE PROPERTY RIGHTS THAT WE HAVE, ESPECIALLY IN COMMERCIAL SITES, THEY WERE EXPENSIVE TO DEVELOP AND THEY'RE SO FULLY DEVELOPED THAT I MEAN, THAT IF YOU LOOK AT THE PICTURES OF THAT TOWER THAT SHOEHORNED INTO THAT PUBLIX PARKING LOT, IT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE TO ME OF JUST HOW DENSELY DEVELOPED COMMERCIAL TRACTS ARE AND HOW HARD IT IS TO SITE SOMETHING LIKE THIS ON THEM, BECAUSE THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN MAXIMIZED FOR DEVELOPMENT. AND SO THAT'S KIND OF WHY WE WIND UP HERE AND WHY WE AREN'T SURPRISED WHEN PEOPLE DON'T RESPOND. LET'S DO SOME MORE. JUMP BACK IN. OH, COMMISSIONER DUSENBURY, THANK YOU. THANKS. I WANTED TO PIGGYBACK ON SOMETHING AND READ THE STAFF REPORT AND COMMISSIONER MEYERS COMMENTS, AND SOME OF THE MAYOR'S COMMENTS ABOUT REACHING OUT AHEAD OF TIME. AND SO, I'M READING FROM THIS IS THE PUBLIX THING WITHIN THE AREA THAT WOULD SERVE THIS. I MEAN, LET'S SAY REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT WE KNOW THE POLE WILL BE YOUR NEEDS, IS IT LOCATED WITHIN THE SERVICE AREA THAT WOULD HAVE MET YOUR NEEDS IF YOU COULD HAVE PUT IT THERE? MY ANSWER IS OUTSIDE OF THE SEARCH RING, BUT IT'S VERY CLOSE. AND SO, IT WAS CONSIDERED WITH THE OTHER. IT WAS CONSIDERED AND REJECTED ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, AS IT CONCERNS ANY OF THE OTHER SITES THAT ARE NOTED TO THE NORTH IN THE COMMERCIAL AREA. JUST MEAN FROM REVIEWING WHAT'S HAPPENED HERE. THE STAFF BOARD SAYS NO NEW TELECOMMUNICATION TOWER MAY BE PERMITTED, UNLESS THE APPLICANT DEMONSTRATES THAT NO EXISTING TOWER OR STRUCTURE CAN ACCOMMODATE THE APPLICANT'S PROPOSED INTENT. EVIDENCE MUST BE SUBMITTED AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION, DEMONSTRATE THAT NO EXISTING TOWER OR STRUCTURE CAN ACCOMMODATE THE APPLICANT'S PROPOSED ANTENNA, AND MAY CONSIST OF ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING LIST THEM. REASONS FOR REJECTING IT. [01:20:01] FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN, YOU DID NOT MEET THAT STANDARD AT THE TIME OF YOUR APPLICATION, AND IF YOU'VE DONE OUTREACH TO THE RESIDENTS, YOU MAY HAVE BEEN AWARE OF SOME OF THESE CONCERNS. BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THEM BETTER, BUT I JUST WANT TO STATE THAT THAT I WOULD ASK YOU TO REBUT THAT. I'VE TRIED TO ASK A LITTLE MORE BRIEFLY IN MY EARLIER QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS, BUT I DID NOT SEE THAT STANDARD BEING MET. AND THEN ON A SEPARATE AND I JUST APOLOGIZE FOR GOING ON A DIFFERENT TANGENT HERE. THIS IS MORE OF A COMMENT ABOUT THE CITY'S NOISE ORDINANCE. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NOISE ORDINANCE FOR DECATUR, WE RESTRICT DURING THE DAYTIME, SORRY, DURING THE NIGHTTIME NOISE, DECIBELS OF, YOU KNOW, 50, 60DB. IF WE DON'T HAVE RESTRICTIONS DURING THE DAYTIME AND THIS IS NOT APPLYING TO THIS APPLICANT, BUT SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO SAY INDUSTRIAL, WE ACTUALLY DO RESTRICT THE ENTIRE 24 HOURS. AND THAT RESTRICTION IS AT 75DB, AND THIS IS WITHIN FOUR DECIBELS OF THAT. SO, I JUST WOULD LIKE FOR STAFF AND FOR THE COMMISSION THAT PERHAPS WE WOULD WANT TO LOOK AT DECIBEL LIMITS DURING DAY HOURS IN RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITIES DURING. YEAH, JUST SAYING THAT. BUT ANYHOW, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO REBUT MY STATEMENT THAT IT SEEMS AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION WOULD NOT ADEQUATELY CONSIDER THE PUBLIX'S POWER, I'D APPRECIATE THAT. THANKS. I DON'T. I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE MUCH REBUTTAL. I'VE KIND OF GIVEN YOU ALL THE INFORMATION I'VE GOT. ALL RIGHT. UNLESS YOU KNOW ANYTHING. ABOUT THE PUBLIX'S POWER. THE HEIGHT SIGNED A NEW AGREEMENT. OKAY. IF YOU WANT TO MAKE COMMENTS, YOU NEED TO COME UP HERE UNLESS YOU WOULD LIKE TO JUST REPEAT EVERYTHING. WE WON'T DO THAT. OKAY. STATE YOUR NAME. HELLO, MY NAME IS KENDALL LOTSEE. I'M WITH IGNITE WIRELESS AND WE DID A LOT OF THE SITE ACQUISITION WORK FOR CHOOSING THE LOCATION AND PUTTING THE APPLICATION TOGETHER. AND I WAS JUST REITERATING THAT, YES, I KNOW THAT WE DID LOOK AT THAT, THAT TOWER. AND YES, THE INFORMATION THAT WE GOT WAS THAT IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE FOR DISH TO LOCATE THERE. I GUESS THERE ARE OTHER LIKE YELLOW PINS AROUND, NOT JUST AT THAT SITE THAT APPARENTLY INDICATE THE COMMERCIAL OPTION WAS UNRESPONSIVE. SO NOT I GUESS, YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T JUST THE POSSIBILITY OF THE PUBLIX. I SEE THAT IT'S A SMALL POLL AND THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF, BUT IT APPEARS THAT IN THAT COMMERCIAL NODE UP THERE, THERE ARE OTHER LOCATIONS THAT IT'S NOT OBVIOUS TO ME THAT THOSE WERE THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATED PRIOR TO MAKING APPLICATION. AND I THINK THAT'S MAYBE COMMISSIONER DUSENBURY POINT, AND HE DOESN'T HAVE THE BENEFIT OF SEEING THIS INFORMATION. SO, HE JUST SPECIFICALLY KNOWS, BECAUSE WE'VE LET ME JUMP IN BECAUSE UNLESS THERE'S AN EXISTING TOWER, THOSE ARE DIFFERENT STANDARDS. THE EXISTING TOWER STANDARDS THAT I'M REFERRING TO SPECIFICALLY. AND AGAIN, THIS LOOKING AT THE MINUTES FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING AND JUST THE EVIDENCE IS PUT FORTH AND THE TIMING OF THAT EVIDENCE, IT DID NOT SEEM THAT WHEN THE APPLICATION WAS SUBMITTED THAT THERE WAS ADEQUATE CONSIDERATION OR CONVERSATION AROUND THE PUBLIC'S EXISTING TOWER. AND THAT WAS THE SPECIFIC POINT OF MY QUESTION. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING. YES, MA'AM. I WAS THE PERSON THAT DID THAT. THE RESEARCH INTO THOSE LOCATIONS, ALL THOSE YELLOW PINS AND YES. SO, WE DID TRY TO CALL WE SENT LETTERS, AND WE DID, YOU KNOW, I VISITED PERSONALLY AND TRIED TO KNOCK ON SOME DOORS IN SOME CASES, A LOT OF COMMERCIAL AREAS, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON SITE ARE NOT THE PROPERTY OWNERS. SO THAT'S A TYPICALLY A CHALLENGE. BUT YES, WE DID TRY TO FIND AN AREA, YOU KNOW, EVEN GOING WELL OUTSIDE OF THAT SEARCH RING, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, DIFFICULT ON OUR END. BUT YES, WE DID TRY TO GO INTO THAT AREA BECAUSE WE KNEW THE, THE CHALLENGES THAT WE. [01:25:03] YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THE COMMERCIAL AREA IS MORE IDEAL. BUT I'M ASSUMING THEY'RE THE SAME CHALLENGES THAT YOU WOULD HAVE, OTHER PLACES THAT YOU WOULD GO INTO, COMMERCIAL LOCATIONS THAT YOU HAVE, HAVE DIFFERENT PROPERTY OWNERS DIFFERENT? SURE. I'M SORRY IF I WAS NOT CLEAR. I JUST MEANT THAT YOU THAT WAS OUR REASON FOR GOING OUTSIDE OF THE SEARCH RING IS THE COMMERCIAL AREA BEING THERE. AND YOU KNOW THAT BEING A MORE FAVORABLE LOCATION. SO THAT WE DID TRY TO EXPLORE THOSE OPTIONS. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AROUND THE HORN HERE? RIGHT, SURE. SO DO YOU WANT OKAY SURE. FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU TO THE APPLICANT AND BOTH APPLICANTS HERE TONIGHT, AND I DID FIND THAT YOU WERE FAIRLY RESPONSIVE, MORE RESPONSIVE THAN I HAD ANTICIPATED, AND ALTHOUGH IT WAS HARD TO GET THE NEW INFORMATION TONIGHT AND ABSORB IT ALL IN THE ROOM. I FEEL LIKE THIS APPLICATION, PROBABLY BECAUSE IT GOES THROUGH INSTITUTIONAL CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT ON CSX PROPERTY, MAKES ME FEEL LIKE THERE'S SOME VULNERABILITIES TO IT THAT MAKE IT PRETTY FAR OUT OF OUR CONTROL, AND SOME OF THE SCENARIOS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, AND ONE THING THAT I PRESSURE TEST OUR ORDINANCE, I'M THINKING BECAUSE WE CAN'T REQUIRE CO-LOCATION, WHICH I THINK WOULD BE IMPORTANT, AND I KNOW IT'S ENCOURAGED, BUT IT'S NOT BUILT INTO A FUTURE WAY OF LIVING WITH THE TOWER. I WOULD WANT TO REQUIRE CO-LOCATION. I FEEL LIKE WE CURRENTLY HAVE ALMOST AN ECONOMIC IMPACT, IF NOT AN EQUITY IMPACT, WITH OUR COVERAGE IN DECATUR. IT'S NOT GREAT. I DON'T KNOW WHO HAS AT&T, BUT IT'S GOTTEN WORSE AND WORSE AND WORSE. I'VE HEARD FIRSTHAND ACCOUNTS OF PROBLEMS WITH BUSINESSES ON THE SQUARE, INDIVIDUAL USERS, MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, WHICH IS JUST ONE, BUT I ASK AROUND. I DO THINK OUR EXPERIENCE AND OUR COVERAGE IS DEGRADING BASED ON INCREASED POPULATION, INCREASED USE, AND WE HAVE TO BE READY TO GET MORE BANDWIDTH AND DO IT IN A WAY WHERE WE HAVE AGENCY AND WE UNDERSTAND HOW IT INTERACTS WITH OUR CODE BUT THIS IS WHERE YOU MIGHT BE READY FOR US. I'M NOT SURE WE'RE READY FOR YOU. THAT'S WHERE I'M COMING BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE BANDWIDTH. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD FIT INTO OUR ENVIRONMENT THAT MAKES SENSE, THAT WE UNDERSTAND, BUT THIS HAS SOME REACHES TO ME THAT I CAN'T QUITE GET TO. THE CO-LOCATION, OUR NOISE ORDINANCE IS NOT ADEQUATE. I'LL SAY THAT TO ADAPT TO A GENERATOR, IT ISN'T, AND SO WE'RE NOT THERE YET, AND WE'VE ALREADY HAD AN ISSUE WITH A GENERATOR IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD AND LEARNED WHAT THE DEFICITS OF THAT ORDINANCE, COVERAGE AND ABILITY TO MANAGE NOISE WOULD BE. SO THAT WORRIES ME. THE IMPACT TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD OUTSIDE OF OUR CITY LIMITS IS IS HARD FOR ME TO GRAPPLE WITH. I CAN'T I DON'T WANT TO MAKE A DECISION ON A DENSE NEIGHBORHOOD RIGHT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF OUR BOUNDARY THAT COULD BE IMPACTED GREATLY. THEY DON'T HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER THIS BECAUSE IT'S IN OUR CITY LIMITS, AND I THINK THAT BUFFER ARGUMENT RESONATED WITH ME A GREAT DEAL, THAT CSX CREATES A BUFFER FOR A HOST OF REASONS, AND WHEN WE START TO IMPACT THAT BUFFER, WE SET A PRECEDENT, AND WE ALREADY HAD SOME GOOD EXAMPLES TONIGHT ABOUT HOW WE WOULD BE LEANING UP THAT BUFFER IN WAYS THAT DON'T MAKE A LOT OF SENSE ENVIRONMENTALLY WATER, SOUND. SO I JUST WORRY THAT IT'S ON CSX PROPERTY AND WE DON'T HAVE AS MUCH CONTROL IN FUTURE MAINTENANCE AND FUTURE OUTCOMES. SO I WANT MORE COVERAGE. I WANT MORE BANDWIDTH. I'D LIKE A HEALTHY APPLICATION THAT WE COULD WORK WITH. I THINK OUR CITY NEEDS TO TAKE A HARD LOOK AT WHAT THAT MEANS AND HOW WE INVITE OR HAVE AN APPLICANT IN OUR CITY BE SUCCESSFUL, BUT I, AND BASED ON, OF COURSE, COMMUNITY INPUT AND THE YMCA THAT'S ALL MAKES IT A REALLY DIFFICULT DECISION TO BE IN FAVOR OF. IT'S HARD TO IT'S HARD TO ADD TO THAT, BUT I WILL SAY THAT SETTING A PRECEDENT IN AN AREA IN WHICH YOU KNOW, IS ALREADY ENDANGERED, I'D SAY TROUBLES ME TO QUOTE THE LATE JACK RHODES, YOU NEVER WANT TO SET PRECEDENTS IN NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE THIS WILL ULTIMATELY IMPACT THAT QUALITY OF LIFE WHAT HAPPENS TWO YEARS FROM NOW OR SIX MONTHS FROM NOW. SOMEONE ELSE WANTS TO LOCATE BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO CO-LOCATE, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN WE HAVE A BUNCH OF 120 40-FOOT TOWERS DAISY CHAINED ON CSX PROPERTY, AND WE DON'T CONTROL THAT. SO I THINK THE PRECEDENT THE SETBACKS TO ME, THOSE ARE THE BIGGEST THINGS. [01:30:06] IF IT WERE CO LOCATED SOMEWHERE ON ANOTHER EXISTING I THINK THIS IS A MUCH EASIER. AGAIN, WE ALL WANT BANDWIDTH. WE ALL WANT TO BE ABLE TO USE OUR CELL PHONE WHEN WE WANT TO USE IT, BUT I THINK THERE ARE APPROPRIATE PLACES FOR SAID EQUIPMENT, AND I DON'T THINK THIS IS THE APPROPRIATE PLACE. I THINK THAT IN THIS PARTICULAR SCENARIO, ESPECIALLY BEING SOMEONE WHO COULD NOT LIVE FARTHER FROM THIS PROPOSED SITE IN DECATUR, WHEN I LOOK AT WHAT'S BEEN PRESENTED TODAY, AND I LOOK AT THE FEEDBACK THAT'S BEEN PROVIDED BY OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, IT JUST APPEARS TO ME THAT THE ADVERSE IMPACT TO A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS FAR OUTWEIGHS ANY GOOD THAT THIS TOWER COULD PROVIDE AND I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT LIVE JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE, THAT I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY WERE NOTIFIED AS WELL. IT DOES IMPACT THOSE OF OUR RESIDENTS, BUT ALSO OUR NEIGHBORS ON THE OTHER SIDE, AND I AGREE THAT WE DO NEED MORE COVERAGE AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO NEED MORE. I THINK THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT HAS HAS THINGS THAT GIVE US ALL PAUSE, AND WE FEEL LIKE THE IMPACTS ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD, JUST THE PLACEMENT AND SORT OF THE ASK IS I THINK THE I DO APPRECIATE THAT A LOT OF THINGS CAME BACK DIFFERENTLY THAN WERE PRESENTED TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION. I THINK IT IS JUST THE OVERALL PROJECT. I THINK YOU CAN SEE THAT WE WE'RE ALL GIVING IT A LOT OF THOUGHT AND DISCUSSION BUT I WILL NOW ASK FOR A MOTION. MOVE DENIAL. OKAY, MOTION HAS BEEN MADE TO DENY THE REQUEST, AND IS THERE A SECOND TO THAT MOTION? SECOND. MOTION'S BEEN MADE AND SECONDED TO DENY THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT APPLICATION AS IT WAS UPDATED AND PRESENTED THIS EVENING. SO THIS WILL BE A ROLL CALL. WON'T BE A ROLL BECAUSE IT'S NOT AN ORDINANCE OKAY. THIS WILL BE A VOTE. SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE DENIAL, PLEASE SAY AYE. COMMISSIONER DUSENBURY VOTED AYE. THE CHAIR VOTES AYE AND THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT AS PRESENTED IS DENIED. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU FOR THE NEIGHBORS AND INTERESTED PARTIES BEING HERE. SO NEXT WE WILL MOVE TO AGENDA ACTION ITEMS. WE WILL OPEN THINGS UP NOW FOR PUBLIC COMMENT WITH RESPECT TO SEVERAL AGENDA ACTION ITEMS. THE FIRST IS CONTRACTS FOR SERVICES. THE SECOND IS THE RESOLUTIONS DECLARING THE RESULTS OF THE 2023 ELECTION. THE THIRD IS COVENTRY ROAD TRAFFIC CALMING DESIGN. THE FOURTH IS A CHANGE ORDER FOR THE NORTH DECATUR ROAD TRANSPORTATION STUDY AND TRAFFIC CALMING DESIGN. THE NEXT IS THE CHANGE ORDER FOR THE MCCOY PARK FIELD DUGOUT RENOVATION, AND THE FINAL IS THE WEBSTER TEEN AREA GRANT PLANNING SERVICES AGREEMENT. SO WE WILL OPEN THE FLOOR UP FOR ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO COME FORWARD AND MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT ANY OF THE AGENDA ACTION ITEMS. ALL OTHER COMMENTS WILL BE HEARD AT THE END OF THE MEETING UNDER REQUESTS AND PETITIONS BUT IF IT PERTAINS TO ANY OF THESE, IF YOU'LL PLEASE COME FORWARD AND STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. GOOD EVENING, I'M SCOTT PENDERGRAST. I LIVE WITH MY WIFE BAILEY AT 245 CHELSEA DRIVE. I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO AGENDA ITEM C, THE COVENTRY ROAD TRAFFIC CALMING PLAN. IF YOU CAN TAKE ONE AND PASS THEM ALONG. AS YOU MIGHT KNOW, THE CHELSEA HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD DOES NOT HAVE AN ACTIVE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION COMMUNICATIONS OUTREACH GATHERING INPUT IS DIFFICULT FOR US. WE'VE BEEN VERY GRATEFUL TO OUR NEIGHBORING NEIGHBORHOOD OF PHILIP MCGUINNESS IN WESTCHESTER HILLS FOR INCLUDING US IN SOME OF THEIR COMMUNICATIONS. THERE WAS A GOOD PUBLIC MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 29TH AT WESTCHESTER SCHOOL ABOUT THE CONCEPTUAL EARLY PLANNING PROCESS FOR COVENTRY ROAD. I WOULD REQUEST THAT YOU DEFER ACTION OR APPROVAL OF THE PHASE ONE PLANS AS CURRENTLY [01:35:08] DRAWN, UNTIL WE CAN DO FURTHER OUTREACH TO COVENTRY ROAD RESIDENTS AND OTHER AFFECTED RESIDENTS NEARBY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ALONG CHELSEA DRIVE, CATHERINE AVENUE, MERRILL AVENUE AND RIDLEY CIRCLE AND MOCKINGBIRD LANE, WHICH FEED INTO THIS. THE BLOW UP THAT I HANDED OUT SHOWS THE PROPOSED RECONFIGURATION OF THE COVENTRY ROAD INTERSECTION WITH MERRILL AVENUE AND CHELSEA DRIVE. IT CREATES CONFLICTS BETWEEN PEDESTRIANS AND VEHICLES WHICH ARE NOT THERE NOW. IT, IN MY OPINION, TREATS THE WORLD AS IF IT WERE TWO DIMENSIONAL AND FLAT DOES NOT TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION SLOPES GRADIENTS. IT SUGGESTS THAT PEDESTRIANS WALKING OUT OF CHELSEA DRIVE WOULD WALK DOWNHILL TO A CROSSWALK AND THEN CROSS COVENTRY, AND THEN GO BACK UPHILL ALONG COVENTRY TO GET TOWARD THE SCOTT BOULEVARD CROSSING AND WEST PONCE DE LEON TO DOWNTOWN DECATUR, WHICH IS AN IMPORTANT DESTINATION FOR US. IT NARROWS THE INTERSECTION OF WHAT ARE ALREADY NARROW STREETS. I WOULD POINT OUT THAT COVENTRY ROAD DOES NOT HAVE A SPEEDING PROBLEM. WE HAVE CURVES, WE HAVE BLIND CORNERS. WE HAVE A 25 MILE AN HOUR SPEED LIMIT THAT I DON'T THINK IS EXCEEDED ON A REGULAR BASIS. THIS IS NOT SOUTH CANDLER OR SOUTH COLUMBIA WHERE WE HAVE SPEEDING PROBLEMS THAT NEED CALMING. WHAT WE NEED TO WORK ON IS GETTING CARS AND PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLES TO BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER AND COEXIST WELL, AND NOT CREATE HAZARDS AND NARROWING THAT FORCE VEHICLES MAKING TURNS TO LEAVE THEIR SIDE OF THE ROAD AND END UP ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD BEFORE THEY CAN REGAIN THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND THE PHASE TWO PROPOSED SIDEWALK ALONG BOTH SIDES OF COUNTRY ROAD. I DON'T KNOW THAT ANY OF THE RESIDENTS THERE ALONG THE NORTH SIDE OF COVENTRY ROAD ARE AWARE OF THAT. THE SEPTEMBER 29TH MEETING AT WESTCHESTER SCHOOL WAS ATTENDED BY A DECENT NUMBER OF PEOPLE, BUT IT WAS NOT AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE WE COULD HEAR EACH OTHER. THERE WAS NO PRESENTATION MADE. IT WAS ONE OF THOSE DIVIDE AND CONQUER TYPE CHARETTES, WHERE THE ENGINEERS HAD BOARDS, WERE WILLING TO TALK TO PEOPLE, WERE WILLING TO LISTEN TO PEOPLE, BUT THERE WAS NO PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF WHAT WAS REALLY HAPPENING AND WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IF THIS PLAN WENT FORWARD WITHOUT ADEQUATE INPUT FROM THE AFFECTED RESIDENTS AND SO, IN CLOSING AGAIN, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ASK THAT YOU NOT APPROVE THIS PHASE ONE PRELIMINARY PLAN WITHOUT FURTHER OUTREACH AND INPUT FROM THE AFFECTED RESIDENTS OF THE CHELSEA HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. THANK YOU. HI, I'M DAVID WASSERMAN. I ACTUALLY LIVE ON COVENTRY ROAD AND WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO SCOTT, THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH SPEEDING TRAFFIC. NOT EVERYBODY SPEEDS, BUT ENOUGH HIGH PERCENTAGE ENOUGH THAT IT CAUSES A PROBLEM, AND I'VE SPOKEN TO PROBABLY HALF OF THE RESIDENTS ON COVENTRY ROAD PERSONALLY, AND NOBODY IS AGAINST ANY TRAFFIC CALMING EFFORTS ON COVENTRY. THE PROBLEM WITH THE ORDINANCE, THE PROBLEM WITH THE PROPOSAL IN FRONT OF YOU IS THAT IT'S NOT JUST TRAFFIC CALMING, IT'S IN FACT TRAFFIC ENHANCING BY ELIMINATING PARKING ON ONE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THAT'S NOT TRAFFIC CALMING. I MEAN, EVEN C SAYS COVENTRY ROAD TRAFFIC CALMING DESIGN, IF THAT WAS IT, YOU WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEMS, NOBODY WOULD HAVE PROBLEMS WITH PUTTING IN MORE SPEED BUMPS, PUTTING IN TRAFFIC CIRCLES, STOP SIGNS, WHATEVER TRAFFIC CALMING ENTAILS, BUT ELIMINATING PARKING ON ONE SIDE OF THE ROAD ALLOWS A LARGER TRAFFIC LANE TRAVEL LANE FOR CARS. IT SPEEDS UP TRAFFIC, YOU KNOW. YOU'RE NEGATING WHATEVER ATTEMPTS YOU'RE DOING AT TRAFFIC CALMING. BY HAVING LARGER LANES, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GO FASTER THAN THEY ARE NOW, NOT NECESSARILY GO FAST, BUT THEY'RE BEING ENCOURAGED TO GO FASTER BY HAVING IT. NOT TO MENTION THE INCONVENIENCE OF OF ELIMINATING PARKING ON ONE SIDE OF THE ROAD. SO SO EVERYBODY I SPOKE TO IS REALLY IN FAVOR OF ENHANCING THE SIDEWALKS, THE [01:40:01] EXISTING SIDEWALKS, PUTTING IN ANY ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC CALMING, BUT NOBODY UNDERSTANDS WHY WE NEED TO ELIMINATE PARKING ON ONE SIDE OF THE ROAD. TRAFFIC PARKING ON ONE SIDE OF THE ROAD ACTUALLY IS TRAFFIC CALMING, A NATURAL TRAFFIC CALMING PEOPLE. SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO STOP IF THERE ARE PEOPLE PARKING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD, ONE LANE HAS TO STOP AND ALLOW THE OTHER LANE TO PASS. PEOPLE SLOW DOWN FOR THAT. WITHOUT THAT, PEOPLE WILL JUST BE ABLE TO SPEED RIGHT DOWN AND WON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ANY CARS PARKED. AS FAR AS THE SECOND PHASE, WITH THE PROPOSED SIDEWALK ON THE NORTH SIDE. I LIVE ON THE NORTH SIDE AND I'VE SPOKEN TO EVERYBODY. EVERYBODY IS QUITE AWARE OF OF THAT AND NOBODY IS FOR IT. EVERYBODY THINKS IT'S A WASTE OF MONEY. WE DON'T NEED IT. THE AMOUNT OF VEGETATION AND TREES THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE DESTROYED BY IT, AND THE AMOUNT OF EXTRA PAVEMENT THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE PUT IN FOR RUNOFF, THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED. IT'S JUST NOT WORTH IT. THAT'S NOT A PROBLEM. IT'S NOT A IT'S A SOLUTION THAT DOESN'T HAVE A PROBLEM FOR US ON COVENTRY ROAD, BUT ANYWAY, IF IF SOMEHOW THAT YOU CAN TAKE OUT THE ELIMINATING THE PARKING AND JUST LEAVE THE OTHER ASPECTS OF THIS PLAN, THAT WOULD BE PERFECTLY FINE TO EVERYBODY I'VE SPOKEN TO, WHICH IS ABOUT 15 OF THE 30 RESIDENTS OF COVENTRY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ARE THERE OTHERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT ANY OF THE AGENDA ACTION ITEMS? OKAY. THANK YOU. YES. HI, AND YOUR QUESTION IS BECAUSE INDEED, WE ARE HERE TO LATER MENTION A PETITION, BUT I WANT TO SPEAK ABOUT COVENTRY ROAD. OKAY, CAN YOU GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE? [INAUDIBLE] 211 MISSIONARY DRIVE. OKAY, AND IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, I WANT TO KEEP MY COMMENT ON THIS VERY BRIEF. I WANT TO I DON'T WANT TO, LIKE, QUESTION LIKE WHAT MY WHAT THE PEOPLE WHO SPOKE BEFORE ME SAID OR ANYTHING IN DETAIL OF THE PLAN AT ALL. EVERY PLAN HAS PROS AND CONS. THERE'S ALWAYS A COMPROMISE THAT HAVE TO BE MADE, BUT I WANT TO SAY, EXCUSE ME, TWO THINGS. ONE, FROM WHAT WE'VE SEEN FROM CALM DECATUR WHO I AM HERE FOR IN GENERAL, WHAT THE CITIES AND THE CITY PLANNERS AND ENGINEERS DO DOES WORK VERY WELL FOR TRAFFIC CALMING. SO IN THAT SENSE, WE ARE IN SUPPORT OF THAT PLAN AND SECOND, ANY TRAFFIC CALMING WE FIND IS VERY IMPORTANT. SO FROM THAT GENERAL RESPECT AS WELL, WE OR RATHER I AM IN SUPPORT OF THAT PROPOSAL AS IT IS PROPOSED. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON ANY AGENDA? ACTION ITEMS? I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE COVENTRY ONE, AS WELL AS THE CYCLISTS THAT USES THAT CORRIDOR ON A REGULAR BASIS. PEOPLE DO SPEED ON THAT CORRIDOR IN MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. ALL RIGHT. HELLO. GOOD EVENING. I'M STEPHANIE VAN PARIS, AND I'M HERE TO REPRESENT THE WILD CENTER WHERE AN ITEM THIS EVENING ON YOUR AGENDA, AND THIS WILL BE MY FINAL TIME IN THIS ROLE, IN THIS CAPACITY, AT THIS MIC, THANKING YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT THAT YOU'VE HAD FOR THE WILD CENTER ALL THESE YEARS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT FOR AS LONG AS THE OAKHURST COMMUNITY GARDEN PROJECT HAS BEEN A NONPROFIT IN DECATUR, AND THAT'S BEEN SINCE 1997, THE CITY OF DECATUR HAS BEEN A GOOD FRIEND AND PARTNER TO THIS ORGANIZATION, AND JUST A FEW EXAMPLES. IN 2000, WHEN WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO DOUBLE THE ACREAGE OF OAKHURST GARDEN DOWN THERE IN THE OAKHURST NEIGHBORHOOD, THE CITY OF DECATUR WAS ABLE TO PURCHASE ONE OF THE PROPERTIES WITH GRANT MONEY. AT THAT TIME, AND EVER SINCE THEN, WE HAVE BEEN TAKING CARE OF THAT PROPERTY. WE CALL IT THE WILD WOODS. ALSO IN 2010, THE CITY OF DECATUR EMBARKED ON AN URBAN AG INITIATIVE USING SUGAR CREEK AS ONE OF THE EXAMPLES AND REACHED OUT TO THE WILD CENTER. AT THAT TIME, WE WERE THE OAKHURST COMMUNITY GARDEN PROJECT TO PARTNER ON THAT PROJECT, AND WE STILL TAKE CARE OF THAT PROPERTY TODAY AND MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY AND FOR EDUCATION, AND ALSO IN 2010, WE FORMALLY STARTED OUR CONTRACT OF SERVICES WITH YOU. SO WE HAVE A LONG HISTORY, AND AS A PERSON WHO'S BEEN INVOLVED WITH THIS ORGANIZATION FOR 20 YEARS, I AM DEEPLY THANKFUL TO THE CITY OF DECATUR FOR ALWAYS BEING SUCH A GREAT PARTNER, ALWAYS BEING WILLING TO RESPOND TO THE EMAILS AND QUERIES THAT WE HAD, OUR MEETINGS REPRESENTING THE CITY AT OUR EVENTS THAT WE RECENTLY HAD, OUR [01:45:05] GROUNDBREAKING, HAVING MEETINGS, JUST BEING A GREAT PARTNER OVERALL, WE ARE ALIGNED IN OUR STRATEGIC GOALS AND PROVIDING GREEN SPACES AND PROGRAMS TO THE RESIDENTS, BUT ALSO WE PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE WARMING CLIMATE AND BEING ABLE TO HELP THE CITY ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES AS WELL. SO DECATUR IS MY HOME AND I INTEND ON FULLY STAYING ENGAGED WITH THIS CITY, AND I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE YEARS OF SUPPORT AND AND ALL THE YEARS THAT ARE TO COME. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND IF YOU'RE ONE OF THE THREE ORGANIZATIONS ON AGENDA ITEM A, WE'LL TALK. YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AFTER THE PUBLIC COMMENT. YOU'RE FINE; WE APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. I SAW OTHERS LIKE [CHUCKLING] GO UP THERE. SO THANK YOU. SO ARE THERE OTHERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT AGENDA ACTION ITEMS PRESENT IN THE ROOM? HI, MY NAME IS MARCY MASCARO AND I LIVE AT 201 WESTCHESTER DRIVE, AND I TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND BOTH THE I'M SPEAKING ON ITEM SIX. ITEM C SORRY, C, THE CALMING INITIATIVES. I TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND BOTH THE BRIEFINGS, THE PRESENTATIONS AND PROVIDED FEEDBACK, AND I WANT TO SPEAK TODAY ON THIS PARTICULAR EFFORT BECAUSE I LOVE THAT WE'RE DOING TRAFFIC CALMING AROUND CITY OF DECATUR TO MAKE IT SAFER FOR PEOPLE TO USE ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION TO GET TO AND FROM DECATUR, BUT A COUPLE THINGS OF NOTE WHEN WE DO THESE PLANNING EFFORTS IS WHEN WE'RE TAKING OFF STREET PARKING AND THEN WE MARRY THAT WITH OUR NON-PERMEABLE SURFACE REQUIREMENTS IN THE CITY OF DECATUR, WE'RE TAKING AWAY PARKING SPACES FROM RESIDENTS AND THEN NOT GIVING THEM ANY ALTERNATIVES BY RIGHT AS YOU WOULD SAY. SO THEN THEY HAVE TO NOT ONLY SEEK A VARIANCE REQUEST BUT ALSO FIND FUNDING TO CREATE THEIR OWN PARKING, BECAUSE A LOT OF PROPERTIES IN DECATUR WERE BUILT WITH THE VERY LINEAR PARK DRIVE, AND THOSE ARE BASED ON NON-PERMEABLE SURFACE REQUIREMENTS, AND THEN IN THIS LATEST PRESENTATION I THINK THERE IF YOU COUNT IT ON ANY GIVEN DAY THERE ARE LIKE TEN CARS PARKED ALONG THE STREET AND NOW THEY'RE OFFERING LIKE FIVE SPOTS IN THE SAME AREA, AND THAT'S COMING RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF COVENTRY ON SCOTT BOULEVARD, AND SO I THINK MAYBE THAT'S PART OF THE PAIN POINT FOR THE RESIDENTS IS WHERE ARE THESE CARS GOING TO PARK WHEN THIS IS PUT INTO PLACE? AND SO THAT NEEDS TO GIVE SOME THOUGHT, AND THEN SECONDLY, WHICH WAS BROUGHT UP, THERE IS NO DEEPER LEFT TURN LANE FROM COVENTRY ONTO SCOTT AND THERE AND I'VE HEARD THAT WE DON'T HAVE CONTROL OVER THE INSTALLATION OF STOPLIGHTS THERE AND PUTTING A LEFT TURN LANE OFF COVENTRY ONTO SCOTT, AND SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE LIKE SOME MORE EFFORT TAKING SHAPE TO PUT IN A LEFT TURN LANE, BOTH IN THE DESIGN OF IT AND TO ACCOMMODATE TURNING, EVEN FROM A LIGHT PERSPECTIVE. BECAUSE IF YOU SIT AT THAT LIGHT, THE PEOPLE GOING STRAIGHT THROUGH COVENTRY, ACROSS SCOTT AND THE PEOPLE TAKING LEFT, THERE ARE FAR MORE PEOPLE TRYING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN AND THEY CAN'T BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A PROTECTED LEFT TURN. SO THAT WOULD BE MY TWO PIECES OF ADVICE FOR THE CITY WHEN MAKING DECISIONS ON TRAFFIC CALMING EFFORTS IS CONSIDER THE PARKING SITUATION FOR THE RESIDENTS WHEN YOU TAKE AWAY STREET PARKING, AND TO WORKING WITH OTHER ENTITIES THAT MAY OWN TRAFFIC LIGHTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT AFFECT THESE PLANS AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO ARE THERE OTHER COMMENTS ON AGENDA ACTION ITEMS? OKAY. I BELIEVE WE HAVE SOMEONE ONLINE THAT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT AN AGENDA ACTION ITEM. SO I SEE ONE HAND RAISED. MS. ROARK IF YOU WILL UNMUTE. MS. RUGINIS WE WILL BE HAPPY--MR. OR MS. I'M NOT SURE--WE'LL BE HAPPY TO LISTEN TO THE COMMENT AND SEE IF THERE ARE OTHERS JOINING US ONLINE. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. IT'S MS. [CHUCKLING] GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. I WOULD LIKE TO TOUCH UPON ACTION ITEM ON COVENTRY TRAFFIC CALMING INITIATIVES, AND I JUST HAD A COUPLE OF POINTS. [01:50:01] I ACTUALLY LIVE AT 633 COVENTRY AND WOULD BE DIRECTLY AFFECTED OR IMPACTED BY THESE CHANGES AND I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN MENTIONED. THE FIRST THING IS WE DO HAVE A SPEEDING PROBLEM ON A HIGHLY RESIDENTIAL ROAD, AND WITH A LOT OF RESIDENTS THAT REALLY DO ENJOY WALKING UP AND DOWN OR BIKING UP AND DOWN COVENTRY IN ORDER TO MAKE IT OVER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TRACKS, GOING TO EMERY VILLAGE OR GOING INTO DOWNTOWN DECATUR. WE ALL KNOW THAT THIS IS A THROUGHWAY AND WE ENJOY IT AS A RESIDENTIAL THRUWAY, AND THERE ARE MANY FAMILIES, MINE INCLUDED, THAT HAVE SMALL CHILDREN THAT ARE WALKING TO WESTCHESTER, THAT ARE WALKING TO BEACON HILL. THEY ARE WALKING TO DECATUR HIGH, AND WE DEFINITELY WELCOME A DESIGN THAT WOULD GIVE MORE ACCESS TO ALL OF OUR PEDESTRIANS AT EVERY STAGE OF LIFE. THERE ARE ALSO A LOT OF DANGEROUS CURVES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED, AND I THINK THAT'S ALSO IMPORTANT. SPEAKING OF PEDESTRIANS, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE A PLAN THAT INCLUDES A SAFER PEDESTRIAN CORNERS AT THE CROSSING AT COVENTRY, AND SCOTT, I SAW THAT A LOT OF THE DESIGN FOCUSED ON COVENTRY IN AND OF ITSELF, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY THE FOCUS, BUT I THINK THOSE CORNERS ARE FAIRLY DANGEROUS. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT LIKE THIS TURNING OFF OF SCOTT ONTO COVENTRY IN EITHER DIRECTION, AND AGAIN, WE HAVE A LOT OF RESIDENTS, SMALL RESIDENTS, BIGGER ONES THAT ARE GOING TO SCHOOL THAT NEED SAFER PEDESTRIAN WAYS. WE DO ABSOLUTELY AS RESIDENTS THAT WOULD BE AFFECTED. WELCOME SIDEWALKS. I THINK SIDEWALKS PROVIDE SAFETY BARRIERS AND WE WELCOME THOSE. MY FAMILY WELCOMES THOSE AND WE WELCOME THE TRAFFIC CALMING. AS FOR THE TRAFFIC SPOTS,T THE DESIGN IN OF ITSELF REALLY FEELS VERY COMMERCIAL, WHICH DOESN'T KIND OF RESPECT THE RESIDENTIAL FEEL OF OUR AREA. SO AND THE ISSUE ALSO ABOUT TAKING AWAY PARKING IS SOMETHING TO HAVE IN MIND. SO MAYBE A DESIGN THAT RESPECTS THE RESIDENTIAL AREA, BUT ALSO A DESIGN THAT WON'T BE TAKING AWAY FROM OUR RESIDENTS OPTIONS FOR PARKING. SO IN CONCLUSION, I WOULD SAY THAT I AGREE THAT WE SHOULD HAVE FURTHER CONVERSATIONS WITH NEIGHBORS THAT ARE DIRECTLY AFFECTED IN ORDER TO REALLY REVISE AND INCLUDE OPINIONS FROM THOSE THAT ARE LIVING RIGHT ON COVENTRY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. CAN YOU PLEASE REPEAT YOUR NAME AND GIVE US YOUR ADDRESS? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. JANIQUE RUGINIS, AND WE'RE AT 633 COVENTRY. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. ARE THERE OTHERS WHO WOULD ARE JOINING ONLINE THAT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT ANY AGENDA ACTION ITEMS. OKAY. I DON'T BELIEVE I SEE ANY, SO WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR AGENDA ACTION ITEMS AND WE'LL MOVE TO THE FIRST AGENDA ACTION ITEM, THE CONTRACT FOR SERVICES. SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU, MAYOR. COMMISSIONERS, WE HAVE ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT THREE CONTRACTS FOR SERVICES, AND THESE ARE THREE CONTRACTS OR CONTRACTS WITH THREE LOCAL NONPROFITS, AND THIS REALLY IS AN OPPORTUNITY TONIGHT TO HIGHLIGHT THESE COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, AND THESE PARTNERS THAT DO PROVIDE SERVICES ON THE CITY'S BEHALF IN A WAY THAT THEY CAN DO IT IN MANY WAYS, BETTER AND MORE EFFICIENTLY AND COST EFFECTIVELY THAN THE CITY CAN. SO I'M GOING TO START WITH THE FIRST ORGANIZATION, AND I'LL JUST SAY A FEW WORDS AND THEN ALSO RECOGNIZE THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR EACH, AND THEN AGAIN WITH EACH ITEM, GIVE THE DIRECTOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY A FEW, FEW WORDS, AND THE FIRST ORGANIZATION IS THE DEKALB HISTORY CENTER, AND WE ARE RECOMMENDING THE AUTHORIZATION AND EXECUTION OF AN AGREEMENT WITH THE DEKALB HISTORY CENTER FOR FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT OF $10,000, AND THAT'S FOR CAPITAL, EQUIPMENT AND MAINTENANCE NEED NEEDS FOR THE HISTORIC COURTHOUSE ON THE SQUARE AND THE HISTORIC COMPLEX DOWN ON WEST TRINITY PLACE. MANY PEOPLE MAY NOT BE AWARE THAT THE CITY ACTUALLY OWNS THAT HISTORIC COMPLEX OF BUILDINGS DOWN ON WEST TRINITY PLACE, AND WE DO CONTRACT AND RELY ON THE DEKALB HISTORY CENTER TO PROVIDE ANNUAL MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS ON THAT PROPERTY. ALSO, THE HISTORY CENTER DOES PROVIDE HISTORIC PRESERVATION, COMMUNITY EDUCATION, PROMOTION OF COMMUNITY EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO OUR OUR CITY AND COUNTY'S HISTORY. [01:55:03] ALSO, THE CITY, OFTEN OR FROM TIME TO TIME, WILL USE THE HISTORIC COURTHOUSE FOR COMMUNITY MEETINGS, OTHER EVENTS, AND THE RENTAL FEE THERE IS WAIVED, AND ALSO, HOPEFULLY FOLKS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY OR WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE EXHIBIT AT THE AT THE COURTHOUSE THIS YEAR, HIGHLIGHTING THE UNITED METHODIST CHILDREN'S HOME AND A GREAT, GREAT EXAMPLE OF A OF A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HISTORY CENTER, AND BUT I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MELISSA CARLSON, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HISTORY CENTER, TO COME UP AND INTRODUCE HERSELF TO THE COMMUNITY AND REINTRODUCE HERSELF TO YOU ALL AND SAY A FEW WORDS. THANKS FOR BEING HERE, MELISSA. THANKS FOR HAVING ME HERE. IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU, MAYOR GARRETT, MAYOR PRO TEM AND COMMISSION MEMBERS. I THINK ANDREA MORE OR LESS COVERED IT. WE DID OPEN THE UNITED METHODIST CHILDREN'S HOME EXHIBIT EXHIBITS ARE PRETTY EXPENSIVE TO PUT ON. SO SUPPORT THERE IS REALLY APPRECIATED BECAUSE THAT BRINGS PUBLIC IN. THEY HAVE SOMETHING NEW TO LOOK AT YEAR TO YEAR. SO WE REALLY HOPE THAT VISITORS ENJOY THAT, AND WE HAD ABOUT 150 FOLKS AT THE RECEPTION, INCLUDING MAYOR PRO TEM, AND I THINK COMMISSIONER WALSH WAS THERE. SO THAT WAS A GOOD TIME, AND I THINK YOU GUYS REALIZED IT WAS REALLY LIKE A HOMECOMING FOR. PEOPLE FROM THE HOME AND CITY STAFF AND ALL SORTS OF FOLKS, AND THEN THE OTHER BIG THING IS, ANDREA SAID, WE PUT A LOT OF MONEY INTO THE SWANTON HOUSE THIS YEAR. A TREE FELL ON IT. OF COURSE WE HAD INSURANCE, BUT WITH THE TREE DOWN AND THE WATER COMING IN, IT WAS JUST LIKE WE HAD MANY, MANY MORE PROBLEMS TO TAKE CARE OF. SO WE ACTUALLY SPENT $70,000 ON THAT HOUSE COMPLETELY REPAINTING INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR. INTERIOR PROBABLY HADN'T BEEN DONE SINCE IT WAS MOVED 53 YEARS AGO. EXTERIOR GETS PAINTED OCCASIONALLY. WE HAD MOLD REMEDIATION DONE AND A NEW HVAC INSTALLED. SO IT WAS A BUSY YEAR AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR YEARS AND YEARS OF SUPPORT AND HOPE. HOPE THAT PARTNERSHIP WILL CONTINUE. THANKS. THANK YOU, AND I WOULD ASK THAT YOU TAKE A VOTE ON EACH ONE, PLEASE. ALL RIGHT. SO WE'LL FIRST LOOK AT RECOMMENDING OR AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT FOR SERVICES WITH THE DEKALB HISTORY CENTER IN THE AMOUNT OF $10,000. DO I HEAR A MOTION TO THAT EFFECT? SO MOVED. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. OKAY, FURTHER DISCUSSION. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. CHAIR VOTES AND THE MOTION PASSES. THE SECOND WE WILL LET THE MANAGER CITY MANAGER INTRODUCE BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE. SO THIS IS THE CONTRACT FOR SERVICE WITH THE WILD CENTER, AND THE RECOMMENDATION IS A CONTRACT FOR SERVICES WITH THE WILD CENTER IN THE AMOUNT OF $20,000, AND THAT IS TO ASSIST WITH THE PURCHASE OF PROPERTY, AND AS WELL AS PROVIDING AS WELL AS TO SUPPORT SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED BY THE WILD CENTER TO THE COMMUNITY. IT ALSO INCLUDES MAINTAINING AND MANAGING CITY OWNED GREEN SPACES. THE CITY DOES OWN MULTIPLE GREEN SPACES THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, MANY OF WHICH ARE MANAGED AND MAINTAINED BY THE WILD CENTER, AND OF COURSE, THE WILD CENTER PROVIDES LOTS OF IN-PERSON AND ALSO SOME VIRTUAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS. THEY WORK CLOSELY WITH THE WITH THE DECATUR HOUSING AUTHORITY, AND I DO BELIEVE THAT THE WILD CENTERS, THEY'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE THESE TYPES OF SERVICES, AGAIN, AT A LEVEL MUCH GREATER THAN THE CITY COULD EVER DO IF WE WERE DOING THIS ON OUR OWN, AND AND I APPRECIATE STEPHANIE VAN PARIS FOR INTRODUCING THE ORGANIZATION YOU'RE WELCOME TO. IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT TO ADD, YOU'RE WELCOME TO DO THAT, BUT I DO JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE YOU AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE. IN MY MIND, YOU ARE THE WILD CENTER, AND FOR FOR MANY OF US HERE, THAT'S THE CASE AND YOU'VE JUST WHAT YOU'VE DONE WITH THAT ORGANIZATION. YOU TRULY HAVE TRANSFORMED IT, AND CERTAINLY YOU'RE LEAVING AT A VERY EXCITING TIME AND CERTAINLY [02:00:04] LEAVING IT BETTER THAN YOU FOUND IT, AND SO THAT'S ALL THAT WE REALLY THAT'S ALL THAT WE CAN WISH FOR IN AN ORGANIZATION. SO THANK YOU FOR FOR YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I HOPE ALL OF YOU WILL JOIN ME IN GIVING STEPHANIE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE. WE WILL MISS HAVING YOU COME NEXT YEAR, SO, BUT APPRECIATE ALL YOU HAVE DONE FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND THE GROWTH THAT THE ORGANIZATION HAS EXPERIENCED, AND ALL THE WONDERFUL SERVICES AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS OFFERED THROUGH THE CENTER. SO ARE THERE ANY ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE CITY? ONE QUICK ONE. STEPHANIE, I COULDN'T LET YOU GET AWAY THAT EASILY. [CHUCKLING] COME ON BACK. I MIGHT HAVE MISSED AN ANNOUNCEMENT. OR HAS AN ANNOUNCEMENT BEEN MADE AS TO WHO WILL BE TAKING OVER THE ROLE THAT YOU'RE VACATING, OR WHEN CAN WE EXPECT THAT ANNOUNCEMENT? I WOULD EXPECT THAT THE ANNOUNCEMENT WILL BE MADE BY THE END OF THE YEAR. I GET TO MEET SOME OF THE CANDIDATES OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, SO THAT'S EXCITING. SO THE BOARD HAS BEEN WORKING VERY HARD TO FIND THE REPLACEMENT, TO FIND MY REPLACEMENT, AND I AM EXCITED TO HAND OVER THE ORGANIZATION. I HAVE A GREAT TEAM OF PEOPLE, SO I DON'T FEEL LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE ANY. THERE WON'T BE ANY TRANSITION PAIN AS I AM CONNECTED TO SO MANY PEOPLE VIA MY PHONE AND TEXTING FOR QUESTIONS. SO BUT I'M EXCITED AND, AND YOU KNOW, ALSO JUST WANTED TO THANK MAYOR GARRETT AND ANDREA FOR COMING OUT TO OUR GROUNDBREAKING. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT I HAVE HAD TO MEET WITH THE COMMISSIONERS AND THE MAYOR PRO TEM TO DISCUSS WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING, BUT WE DO HAVE A CAPITAL CAMPAIGN. WE'RE ABOUT TO START RENOVATING THAT OAKVIEW BUILDING IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY. PERMITS HAVE BEEN REQUESTED FOR THE CITY OF DECATUR, AND YEAH, SO THAT WILL BE A $1 MILLION RENOVATION FOR THAT BUILDING, AND IT'S GOING TO BE STUNNING. SO I WILL SHOW UP AT THE AT THE RIBBON CUTTING WITH A BIG SMILE ON MY FACE, BUT I DO ANTICIPATE SUPPORTING THE ORGANIZATION THROUGH THE SPRING WITH FUNDRAISING FOR THAT SPECIFIC PROJECT. SO I WON'T BE A STRANGER, BUT I WON'T BE INVOLVED IN THE DAY TO DAY, BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR NICE WORDS TONIGHT. IT'S BEEN AN HONOR. THANK YOU. DO I HEAR A MOTION TO AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT FOR SERVICES WITH THE CENTER IN THE AMOUNT OF $20,000? SO MOVED. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. ALL OPPOSED? THE CHAIR VOTES AYE, AND THE MOTION PASSES. NEXT I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU. YES. THE FINAL RECOMMENDATION IS AUTHORIZATION TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT FOR [VIII.A.Contracts for Services.] SERVICES WITH THE GLOBAL GROWERS NETWORK, AND THAT IS IN THE AMOUNT OF $15,000, AND THAT IS FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS COSTS FOR WHAT WE CALL THE DECATUR KITCHEN GARDEN AND THE ORCHARD AT LEGACY PARK, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS WHO DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT KITCHEN GARDEN EXISTS AND TUCKED BACK AWAY THERE AT LEGACY PARK, BUT IN ADDITION TO MAINTAINING THE GARDEN, THEY ALSO MAINTAIN THE ORCHARD THAT WAS PLANTED BY OUR YOUTH COUNCIL THAT'S NOW GOING ON 4 OR 5 YEARS AGO, AND ALSO THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME NEW PROGRAMING. THE CITY COMMISSION RECENTLY APPROVED A COMMERCIAL KITCHEN OVER AT THE MAIN BUILDING THERE AT LEGACY PARK, AND THAT WILL GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GLOBAL GROWERS TO OFFER COOKING CLASSES AND NUTRITION AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS. SO SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO STRENGTHEN THAT PARTNERSHIP, AND I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SUSAN PAVLIN, AND YOU'LL SAY A FEW WORDS, AND I THINK YOU MAY HAVE A STAFF PERSON HERE AS WELL. YES. THANK YOU. MAYOR. GARRETT. COMMISSIONERS. SO I'M SUSAN PAVLIN, I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL GROWERS, AND I'M ACTUALLY RETURNING TO THE MICROPHONE BECAUSE I WAS A FOUNDER OF THE ORGANIZATION BACK IN 2010 AND THEN JUST RECENTLY RETURNED IN LEADERSHIP AGAIN AND GLOBAL GROWERS STARTED. I KNOW MOST OF YOU KNOW THIS, BUT JUST AS A I JUST WANT TO SAY HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE THE CITY OF DECATUR BECAUSE WE STARTED ACTUALLY ON A PRIVATE PROPERTY DEVELOPERS PROPERTY IN THE CITY OF DECATUR BACK IN 2010 WITH WHAT STARTED OUT AS A COMMUNITY GARDEN. [02:05:03] IT WAS A COLLABORATION WITH A GROUP OF EAST AFRICAN WOMEN AND MYSELF, AND THEN IN 2012, WE FORMALLY CONTRACTED WITH THE CITY TO BECOME THE STEWARDS OF TWO ACRES OF PROPERTY THAT THE CITY HAD NEGOTIATED WITH THE UNITED METHODIST CHILDREN'S HOME TO TAKE CARE OF, AND WE BECAME THE STEWARDS OF THAT PROPERTY AND THE FARMERS OF THAT PROPERTY. SO GLOBAL GROWERS IS THE NETWORK OF NEW AMERICAN GROWERS BEGAN GROWING THERE AND REALLY IMPLEMENTING CONSERVATION PRACTICES THAT HAVE BEEN IN PLACE NOW FOR MORE THAN 13 YEARS, AND IN ADDITION TO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ANDREA MENTIONED, WE ALSO JUST RECENTLY WERE RECOGNIZED FOR THAT WORK BY THE US DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND AWARDED A THREE YEAR GRANT TO DO CONSERVATION EDUCATION AND OUTREACH PROGRAMMING, PARTICULARLY AMONG UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE SOME OF THAT PROGRAMMING OPENING UP AT DECATUR'S KITCHEN GARDEN. THE OTHER THING I JUST WANT TO MENTION, BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS SO IMPORTANT TO THE ETHOS OF THE CITY, IS THAT OUR GROWERS AVERAGE, THEY SAY, A SAVINGS OF ABOUT $800 PER YEAR IN FRESH AND CULTURALLY RELEVANT FOODS THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO GROW AT DECATUR'S KITCHEN GARDEN, AND IF YOU MULTIPLY THAT TIMES THE NUMBER OF FAMILIES THAT ARE THERE, YOU'RE LOOKING AT A SAVINGS OF MORE THAN $24,000 FOR FAMILIES WHO ARE PRIMARILY LOW INCOME AND NEEDING ACCESS TO THAT FRESH FOOD. SO IN SO MANY WAYS, WE'VE BEEN REALLY GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF THE SUPPORT OF THE CITY. WE GOT TO OPEN UP THE GARDENS INCREASINGLY THIS YEAR, KIND OF AS WE GET OUT OF THE PANDEMIC. WE HOSTED DINNERS IN THE GARDENS. WE HOSTED A WEDDING PARTY NOT TOO LONG AGO, AND INCREASINGLY, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING MORE AND MORE VISITORS FROM THE CITY, BOTH IN PROGRAMING AND GETTING INVOLVED WITH GETTING ACCESS TO ALL THE FRESH PRODUCE. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT, AND LASTLY, I DO WANT TO INTRODUCE MY COLLEAGUE WHO IS THE NEW MANAGER OF THE GARDENS. DO YOU WANT TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF? GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS SAUL. I'M FROM BURMA. I'M SO GRATEFUL TO GET TO JOIN WITH THE GLOBAL GROWER NETWORK. IT'S SUCH AN AMAZING TEAM, AND ALSO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT, AND YOU KNOW, YOU ARE WELCOME TO VISIT OUR KITCHEN GARDEN. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'LL PROBABLY SEE YOU THERE. I WALK THERE A LOT. ARE THERE QUESTIONS FOR MS. ARNOLD OR FOR MS. PAVLIN? WE'RE JUST SO LUCKY TO HAVE THESE WONDERFUL NONPROFITS IN OUR MIDST THAT ARE EQUALLY INVESTED IN EACH OTHER AND JUST GET ALL THE GREAT OUTCOMES POSSIBLE FROM THE PARTNERSHIP. SO IT ALWAYS MAKES ME HAPPY, AND I THINK OF ALL THE TOUCH POINTS MY FAMILY'S HAD WITH THE VARIOUS GREEN SPACES AND GARDENS AND ABILITY TO BE PART OF WHAT YOU CREATE. SO AND IT GROWS WITH A FAMILY. SO THAT'S WHAT'S TO BE REINTRODUCED TO WILD CENTER MY KIDS DID SO MANY THINGS WHEN THEY WERE TINY, FOR EXAMPLE, AND THEN TO GET TO GO BACK AND SEE PLANS FOR BASICALLY ANOTHER GENERATION IS REALLY EXCITING. SO I KNOW YOU'RE ALL VIBRANT, DYNAMIC NONPROFITS ON THE MOVE, SO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO. DO I HEAR A MOTION TO AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT FOR SERVICES WITH GLOBAL GROWERS NETWORK IN THE AMOUNT OF $15,000? SO MOVED. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? THE CHAIR VOTES AYE, AND THE MOTION PASSES. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO ANOTHER GREAT YEAR. ALL RIGHT. SO NEXT WE WILL LOOK AT RESOLUTION. [VIII.B.Resolutions Declaring the Results of the 2023 Election.] RESOLUTIONS DECLARING THE RESULTS OF THE NOVEMBER 7TH 2023 ELECTION, AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE SEVERAL MS. ROARK. GOOD EVENING, BUT BEFORE I GO INTO THAT, I JUST WANT TO MAKE A NOTE THAT WE'RE HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH THE CAMERAS IN THE ZOOM SESSION. WE CAN STILL HEAR EVERYBODY. THEY JUST CAN'T SEE US. SO JUST WE KNOW IT, BUT I CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT WITHOUT DISCONNECTING, SO PLEASE BEAR WITH US. OKAY. THANK YOU, AND WHILE I'M HERE TONIGHT, JUST TO ASK FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION FOR THREE RESOLUTIONS, R-23-XX, YY, AND ZZ, WHICH DECLARE THE RESULTS OF THE NOVEMBER 7TH GENERAL ELECTION FOR MEMBERS OF THE CITY COMMISSION AND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, AS WELL AS THE RESULTS OF THE SPECIAL ELECTION FOR THE HOMESTEAD TAX EXEMPTION REFERENDA. SO THE VERY FIRST RESOLUTION, XX DECLARES THE RESULTS OF THE CITY COMMISSION ELECTION FOR [02:10:03] THE POST B SEATS IN DISTRICTS ONE AND TWO, AND THE AT LARGE DISTRICT. GEORGE DUSENBURY WAS UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT ONE, LESA MAYER WAS UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT TWO, AND TONI POWERS WAS UNOPPOSED IN THE AT LARGE DISTRICT. YY WILL DECLARE THE RESULTS OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION ELECTION FOR POST TO BE IN DISTRICTS ONE AND TWO. JAMES HERNDON WAS UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT ONE, AND TRACY ANDERSON RECEIVED A PLURALITY OF THE VOTES IN DISTRICT TWO, AND THEN RESOLUTION R-23-ZZ DECLARES THE RESULTS OF THE SPECIAL ELECTION TO PROVIDE AN INCREASE IN THE GENERAL HOMESTEAD TAX EXEMPTION FOR ALL OWNER OCCUPIED PROPERTIES, AN INCREASE IN THE GENERAL HOMESTEAD TAX EXEMPTION FOR RESIDENTS 65 YEARS AND OLDER. CREATION OF A NEW HOMESTEAD TAX EXEMPTION FOR OWNER OCCUPIED PROPERTIES ON LAND OWNED, MANAGED AND MANAGED BY LAND TRUST, AND AN INCREASE IN THE GENERAL HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION FOR RESIDENTS 62 AND OLDER WHOSE INCOMES DO NOT EXCEED $60,000, AND THEN THERE WAS A SENIOR TAX EXEMPTION FOR THE CITY SCHOOLS OF EDUCATION TAXES. THESE REFERENDA RECEIVED MORE THAN ONE HALF OF THE VOTES IN APPROVAL, AND ATTACHED TO EACH RESOLUTION ARE THE RESULT, AS CERTIFIED BY DEKALB COUNTY'S BOARD OF ELECTION AND REGISTRATION AND I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. ARE THERE QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. WE WILL TAKE THESE INDIVIDUALLY AS WELL. SO THE FIRST ONE IS CERTIFYING THE RESULTS OF THE CITY COMMISSION ELECTION. THE RESOLUTION R-23-XX THAT DECLARES THE RESULTS OF THE NOVEMBER 7TH, 2023 CITY COMMISSION ELECTION, WHICH CERTIFIED THAT MAYOR PRO TEM WAS REELECTED TO HIS POSITION AS THE AT LARGE COMMISSIONER. COMMISSIONER LESA MAYER WAS REELECTED AND COMMISSIONER GEORGE DUSENBURY WAS REELECTED. SO DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTION R-23-XX? I'LL MOVE FOR APPROVAL. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND MOTION'S BEEN MADE AND SECONDED. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? OKAY, AND THE CHAIR VOTES AYE AND IT'S NOW OFFICIAL I GUESS. WE HAVEN'T TAKEN OATH. [CHUCKLING] OH. RESOLUTION R-23-Y DECLARES THE RESULTS OF THE NOVEMBER 7TH BOARD OF EDUCATION ELECTION, WHICH CERTIFIES THAT JAMES HERNDON WAS ELECTED FOR POSITION ELECTION DISTRICT ONE POST B AND TRACY ANDERSON ELECTED AS BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBER FROM ELECTION DISTRICT TWO POST B. SO DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTION R-23-YY. SO MOVED. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? OKAY. THANK YOU. I KEEP I NEED TO WAIT ON THE DELAY FOR COMMISSIONER DUSENBURY. THE CHAIR VOTES I AND THE MOTION IS APPROVED, AND THEN FINALLY RESOLUTION R-23-Z THAT DECLARES THE RESULTS OF THE NOVEMBER 7TH, 2023 SPECIAL ELECTION FOR A NUMBER OF HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS THAT I THINK WE'RE ALL THRILLED, WERE SUPPORTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND PUT ON THE BALLOT AND SO DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTION R-23-ZZ THAT CERTIFIES THOSE RESULTS. SO MOVED. SECOND MOTION'S BEEN MADE AND SECONDED. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED. THE CHAIR VOTES AYE AND THE MOTION PASSES. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I THINK NEXT WE WILL LOOK AT THE COVENTRY ROAD TRAFFIC CALMING DESIGN. [VIII.C.Coventry Road Traffic Calming Design.] SO I BELIEVE THAT WILL BE MS. SCHARER. GOOD EVENING MAYOR, MAYOR PRO TEM AND COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS CARA SCHARER. I SERVE AS THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, PUBLIC WORKS. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF A FIRST PHASE OF TRAFFIC CALMING PLAN ON COVENTRY ROAD BETWEEN SCOTT BOULEVARD, STATE ROUTE EIGHT AND THE CITY LIMITS. COVENTRY ROAD HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR RESURFACING AS PART OF THE CITY'S 2023 LMIG [02:15:04] PROGRAM. DURING THE LOCAL MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENT GRANT RESURFACING PROJECT, THE CITY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THREE SEPARATE TRAFFIC CALMING REQUESTS RECEIVED IN MARCH, AUGUST AND DECEMBER OF 2022. INITIAL TRAFFIC SURVEY DATA COLLECTED IN DECEMBER OF 2022 REFLECT AN AVERAGE OF 2131 VEHICLE TRIPS PER DAY, WHICH EXCEED THE CITY'S TRAFFIC CALMING THRESHOLD OF 1000 VEHICLE TRIPS PER DAY FOR LOCAL RESIDENTIAL STREETS. THIS SECTION OF COVENTRY ROAD IS A RESIDENTIAL STREET WITH ONE SIDEWALK ON THE SOUTH OF THE STREET AND ONE PEDESTRIAN CROSSING NEAR THE CITY LIMITS AT THE CSX RIGHT OF WAY. THE EXISTING. THE EXISTING STREET WIDTH IS 26 TO 28FT, AND RIGHT OF WAY IS 40 TO 50FT, WITH LARGE SWATHS OF PAVEMENT AT THE INTERSECTIONS OF CHELSEA DRIVE AND CATHERINE AVENUE. EXISTING TRAFFIC CALMING TECHNIQUES EMPLOYED ARE TWO SPEED HUMPS AND AN UNDEFINED ON STREET PARKING LAYOUT ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET. TWO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WORKSHOPS AND ADDITIONAL INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS WITH LOCAL RESIDENTS ON COVENTRY ROAD LED TO THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE PHASE ONE IMPROVEMENTS, WHICH ARE PUT FORWARD WITH FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS IN MIND, AND THE RECOGNITION THAT THIS TRAFFIC CALMING INITIATIVE IS PURPOSEFULLY ITERATIVE, EMPLOYING LOW COST QUICK BUILD TECHNIQUES PRIOR TO INVESTING IN MORE PERMANENT AND COSTLY CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS. THE EXISTING CROSS SECTION IS NOT WIDE ENOUGH TO INCLUDE SEPARATE BIKE FACILITIES, PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES AND ON STREET PARKING. THERE ARE CHOICES AND TRADE OFFS WORKING TO PROVIDE ACCESSIBLE RESIDENTIAL STREETS THAT ARE SAFE, COMFORTABLE AND COMMUNITY FRIENDLY WHILE ACCOMMODATING THE NEEDS OF ALL USERS. THE RECOMMENDED PHASE ONE IMPROVEMENTS PROPOSE THE FOLLOWING FROM THE CITY LIMITS TO SCOTT BOULEVARD. LANE NARROWING. UPDATING EXISTING SPEED HUMP TO A SPEED TABLE TO RAISE CROSSWALKS. AN ADDITIONAL AT GRADE CROSSWALK. REALIGNMENT OF THE INTERSECTIONS AT CHELSEA DRIVE AND CATHERINE AVENUE SO THEY ARE PERPENDICULAR WITH COVENTRY ROAD. ON STREET PARKING LAID OUT IN A CHICANE PATTERN, WHICH IS A LANE SHIFT OR DEFLECTION TECHNIQUE TO ENCOURAGE DRIVERS TO SLOW DOWN. A NEW SIDEWALK IS PROPOSED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF COVENTRY ROAD, BETWEEN THE CITY LIMITS AND NORTH PARKWOOD ROAD, TO RELOCATE AND IMPROVE THE EXISTING PEDESTRIAN CROSSING, FACILITATING A BETTER LINE OF SIGHT THAN THE EXISTING LOCATION. THE SELECTED LMIG 2023 CONTRACTOR. MAGNUM PAVING IS SLATED TO MOBILIZE FOR THE ANNUAL PAVING PROJECT IN EARLY DECEMBER. IF APPROVED, THE RECOMMENDED CONCEPT WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2024. THE WORK WOULD INCLUDE RAISED CROSSWALKS, SPEED TABLES, AND THE STRIPING. A SEPARATE CONTRACTOR WOULD APPLY THE PROPOSED GREEN EPOXY PAINT. IMPROVEMENTS, IDENTIFIED AT THE INTERSECTION OF COVENTRY ROAD AND SCOTT BOULEVARD, WOULD BE REQUESTED OF GDOT DISTRICT SEVEN AS A QUICK RESPONSE PROJECT. FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS WOULD PROCEED BASED ON ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY INPUT AND FUNDING AVAILABILITY. FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE FY 2324 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BUDGET FOR COVENTRY ROAD TRAFFIC CALMING TO COVER THE COST OF THE PROJECT. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'D LIKE ME TO ADDRESS A NUMBER OF THE COMMENTS IF THAT'D BE HELPFUL. THAT'D BE VERY HELPFUL. THANK YOU. SURE. SO THIS PROPOSED PHASE ONE WAS DESIGNED WITH FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS IN MIND THAT DO NOT INCLUDE A SIDEWALK ON THE NORTH SIDE OF COVENTRY ROAD OUTSIDE OF THAT FIRST BLOCK FROM THE CITY LIMITS TO NORTH PARKWOOD. LOCAL FEEDBACK WAS SUCH THAT THEY DID NOT WANT A SIDEWALK. ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE ROAD THERE WAS THE EXISTING ONE ON THE SOUTH, AND THEN BROADER FEEDBACK WAS SUCH THAT SIDEWALKS ARE HELPFUL, BUT WE SEE MORE VALUE IN IN [02:20:03] APPLYING THOSE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT COSTS ELSEWHERE NOT ON A STREET TO HAVE A SECOND SIDEWALK, BUT TO BRANCH OFF POTENTIALLY CHELSEA DRIVE TOWARDS WESTCHESTER ELEMENTARY IN TERMS OF PARKING ON ONE SIDE. YES. PUBLIC FEEDBACK IS SUCH THAT WHEN THERE ARE TWO CARS PARKED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET, IT DOES SLOW TRAFFIC BECAUSE TWO CARS CAN'T FIT, BUT IT ALSO IS CREATING THIS KIND OF FROGGER EFFECT. LIKE IF PEOPLE FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE NAVIGATING THE STREET, CYCLISTS INCLUDED, WHEN WHEN THERE ISN'T ENOUGH SPACE OR LINE OF SIGHT. SO WHAT YOU SEE IN THE PROPOSED PARKING LAYOUT DOES ACCOMMODATE PARKING ON ONE SIDE AND ALSO FACILITATES NARROW LANES FOR CARS TO PASS. ALSO FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS PROPOSED DO INCLUDE A LEFT TURN ON SCOTT BOULEVARD. THAT WOULD BE A LATER PHASE. IT WOULD BE A PROPOSAL TO GDOT DISTRICT SEVEN TO BE CONSIDERED FOR A QUICK RESPONSE PROJECT. IT THAT PROPOSAL FOR THE PEDESTRIAN, IN ADDITION TO A LEFT TURN LANE DOES INCLUDE PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS AND CURB EXTENSIONS AT THAT INTERSECTION WITH THE ADDITIONAL CROSSWALKS. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR SOMETHING I MISSED THAT I CAN HELP ADDRESS? SO WITH RESPECT TO THE PARKING ON ONE SIDE, YES, SOME OF THE MATERIALS SAID SOMETHING ABOUT USING A CHICANE APPROACH. SO WOULD THE PARKING CHANGE LIKE SIDES OF THE STREET? CORRECT. OKAY, SO FOR ONE BLOCK BETWEEN STATE ROUTE EIGHT AND CHELSEA DRIVE, THE PROPOSED PARKING IS ON THE NORTH SIDE FOR THE MIDDLE BLOCK. PROPOSED PARKING IS ON THE SOUTH SIDE AND THERE'S A TURN AND IT CONTINUES TO BE THERE ON THE SOUTH SIDE. SO IT'S USING THE EXISTING TOPOGRAPHY TO KIND OF CREATE A DEFLECTION BECAUSE DRIVERS ARE CUED TO BRAKE AS THEY APPROACH A TURN. OKAY. SO THAT'S HELPFUL. SO IT IS, IT'S NOT LIKE TWO PARKING PLACES AND THEN TWO OTHERS AND THEN TWO OTHERS. SO IT'S FOR BLOCKS AT A TIME. YES. YES. SO ARE THERE OTHER QUESTIONS OR OBSERVATIONS. MS. SCHARER, I HAVE A QUESTION SO ITERATIVE. I MEAN, I'VE HEARD THE WORDS TACTICAL URBANISM. IS THIS IN THAT FRAMEWORK? YES, THIS. WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IS PAINT OR LOW COST KIND OF QUICK BUILD APPROACH TO TRY IT BEFORE WE BUY IT. SO PRIOR TO RECONSTRUCTING THE CURB LINE, WE'RE DEFINING WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE ALSO WHAT WE HEARD IN PUBLIC WORKSHOP NUMBER ONE WERE A NUMBER OF STORMWATER COMPLAINTS. THIS IS NOT A LOCATION IDENTIFIED IN THE STORMWATER MASTER PLAN. HOWEVER, BY CREATING THE T INTERSECTION AND THOSE LARGE SWATHS OF PAVEMENT AT CATHERINE AVENUE AND CHELSEA DRIVE, IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONSIDER STORMWATER PLANTER BULB-OUTS WITH THAT, BY HAVING IT ALONG THE CURB LINE, YOU CAN CAPTURE STORMWATER TO MITIGATE RUNOFF IN THE FUTURE. IF THAT IS A DIRECTION THAT WE'D LIKE TO GO AS A COMMUNITY, THAT'S JUST A BENEFIT TO CONSIDER IT, AS OPPOSED TO SOMETHING MORE CENTRALLY LOCATED, IS CAPTURING THE STORMWATER ON THE CURB LINE. THANKS FOR THAT. ONE THING THAT REALLY STANDS OUT TO ME, WELL, A COUPLE OF THINGS BEFORE THE CONCEPT OF THIS. OF THESE CHANGES, THE ONLY PEDESTRIAN CROSSING IS UP CLOSE TO THE CSX LINE, RIGHT? CORRECT. THEN YOU OTHERWISE NEED TO BE ON THE SIDEWALK ON THE SOUTH SIDE. [02:25:05] THE WHOLE WAY OR DO YOU HAVE TO? IS THERE ONE AREA I CAN'T REMEMBER? YOU CAN JUMP OVER AND YOU'RE ON SIDEWALK ON THE NORTH SIDE. THERE'S NO OTHER SIDE, NOTHING ON THE NORTH, RIGHT? CURRENTLY PEOPLE KIND OF CROSS AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS, BUT THE PROPOSED CROSSWALKS ARE MORE AT THE DIFFERENT MERRILL AVENUE, CHELSEA DRIVE, CATHERINE AVENUE, EMORY CHASE CONDOMINIUMS AND NORTH PARKWOOD KIND OF AT YOUR DIFFERENT POINTS THAT YOU TRAVERSE ACROSS AND THEN FACILITATING PEDESTRIAN ACCESS FROM DEKALB COUNTY DOWN TOWARD NORTH PARKWOOD AVENUE, A SAFER CROSSING, AND THEN DOWN INTO DOWNTOWN DECATUR. SO I THINK IS A ROUTE A LOT OF PEDESTRIANS UTILIZE. YEAH. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A WONDERFUL, DENSE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT'S TRULY. PART OF OUR WHOLE CITY, AND YET, FROM A WALKABILITY STANDPOINT, I THINK YOU'RE A LITTLE STRANDED, AND PARTS OF WESTCHESTER AND WESTCHESTER HILLS HAVE BEEN AND HISTORICALLY, I MEAN, I DON'T LIKE THAT, AND IT SEEMS LIKE A GREAT OVERALL HOLISTICALLY, WHAT COULD IMPROVE LIVES FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE? HOW DO YOU MEASURE SUCCESS, THOUGH, AND THEN ALSO GO BACK AND AND BE RESPONSIVE TO THE COMMUNITY WHO'VE BEEN HERE AND THEY EXPERIENCE THIS EVERY DAY, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT PROS AND CONS AND DIFFERENT PERCEIVED EXPERIENCES SO THAT THEY'RE HEARD AGAIN, AND THEY CAN FEEL LIKE WE COME BACK AND UPDATE IT APPROPRIATELY. YES, FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAD MORE OF A CAPITAL PROJECT WOULD NOT PROCEED WITHOUT ANOTHER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS. IN TERMS OF HOW WE WOULD MEASURE SUCCESS. RIGHT NOW THERE IS TRAFFIC SURVEY DATA COLLECTED FOR THE CORRIDOR IN THIS SECTION. THAT COULD BE A COMPARISON POINT. I TOO WANT TO ENCOURAGE THE COMMUNITY TO ENGAGE IN OUR UPCOMING SAFE STREETS FOR ALL ACTION PLAN, WHICH CAN HELP DEFINE THOSE METRICS FOR HOW WE DETERMINE SUCCESS WITH THESE TRAFFIC CALMING PROJECTS IN ORDER TO, IN THE ITERATIVE PROCESS, CONTINUE TO GET IT RIGHT. YOU. THERE ARE OTHER QUESTIONS. COMMISSIONER DUSENBURY HAS HIS HAND UP. SORRY, I GOT A LITTLE DISTRACTED. I THINK COMMISSIONER WALSH MAY HAVE ASKED MY QUESTION. SO WE'RE BASICALLY PUTTING PAINT ON THE ROAD, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT IMPACT THAT HAS AND THEN TAKE THOSE METRICS AND COMPARE THEM TO METRICS BEFORE WE PUT THE PAINT ON THE ROAD, AND SO JUST EMPHASIZING THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO LEARN AND SEE WHAT THE IMPACT OF THIS IS BEFORE WE PUT SIGNIFICANT DOLLARS INTO THIS. IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT. THE PROPOSAL IS ESSENTIALLY PAINT ON THE ROAD. THERE IS ONE SECTION WHICH IS A MORE PERMANENT SHIFT, AND THAT IS BETWEEN THE CSX RIGHT OF WAY IN THE CITY LIMITS AND NORTH PARKWOOD ROAD AND HERE WE ARE ADDING A SIDEWALK WITH STARTING FROM THE EDGE OF PAVEMENT INTO THE ROAD TO HELP KIND OF CREATE THAT NARROWER STREET SECTION. ALSO, THERE'S A NUMBER OF CHAMPION TREES LINING THOSE PROPERTIES. SO IN ORDER TO PRESERVE THAT CANOPY, WE NEEDED TO GO IN THE ROAD, AND FOR THAT SECTION, I MET WITH EACH INDIVIDUAL RESIDENT FRONTING THAT PROPERTY AND TALKED THROUGH THEIR SPECIFIC CONCERNS, AND THEY ARE SUPPORTIVE OF THE PROPOSED PLAN. THEN JUST TO CONFIRM THAT ANY CHANGES TO THE INTERSECTION OF SCOTT BOULEVARD WOULD BE THE PURVIEW OF GDOT. YES. THANK YOU, AND THAT WOULD BE AS PART OF THE NEXT PHASE. IS THAT CORRECT? YES. I THINK WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT HERE IS WHAT WE CAN IMPLEMENT WITH OUR CONTRACTOR. WHEN THEY MOBILIZE TO REPAVE, THEN MAYBE A SUBSEQUENT PHASE OF ADVOCATING FOR THE IMPROVEMENTS IDENTIFIED BY THE COMMUNITY AT COVENTRY ROAD AND SCOTT BOULEVARD WITH DISTRICT SEVEN AND THEN REVIEWING HOW THIS KIND OF OPERATES AND THEN COURSE CORRECTING PRIOR TO MORE PERMANENT INFRASTRUCTURE BEING IMPLEMENTED. IN TERMS OF THE FEELING THAT PARKING IS BEING TAKEN AWAY FROM RESIDENTS. [02:30:07] CAN YOU? I MEAN, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, LIKE A PUBLIC STREET IS KIND OF A PUBLIC STREET, AND I KNOW A LOT OF A LOT OF US USE STREET PARKING. MANY DON'T HAVE GARAGES OR OR EVEN DRIVEWAYS SOME, BUT AGAIN, THAT PART WOULD ALSO BE ASSESSED TO SEE IF IT IS GETTING THE DESIRED EFFECT FOR SLOWING TRAFFIC DOWN AND MAKING IT DOES MAKE YOU MAKE CONSCIOUS DECISIONS WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING. IF YOU HAVE ALMOST LIKE A LANE SHIFT, IS THAT CORRECT? SO THAT WOULD BE THE AND THAT IF YOU HAVE PARKING ON BOTH SIDES WITH THE LANES NARROWED, IT DOESN'T ALLOW FOR TWO CARS TO. CORRECT IT'S JUST LESS ORGANIZED. BY DOING THE PARKING ON ONE SIDE A DRIVER KIND OF KNOWS WHAT TO EXPECT. THE STREET ISN'T WIDE ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE PARKING ON BOTH SIDES, BUT WE ON STREET PARKING DOES SLOW TRAFFIC, BUT WE CAN'T RELY ON PEOPLE LEAVING THEIR CAR THERE FOREVER. SO THAT IS WHY WE HAVE THAT WHITE EDGE LINE TO DEFINE THAT TEN FOOT LANE FOR DRIVERS IN THE ABSENCE OF WHEN CARS AREN'T THERE AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF DAY. OKAY. OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS, COMMISSIONER DUSENBURY OR QUESTIONS? NO, THANK YOU. I THINK THIS HAS BEEN IN RESPONSE TO CONCERNS ABOUT SPEEDING, ABOUT PEDESTRIAN SAFETY AND ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WE COULD IMPLEMENT IN AT THE TIME WE'RE DOING THE REPAVING, AND AS YOU SAID, WE TRY IT BEFORE WE BUY IT SO THAT WE'RE NOT PUTTING IN A LOT OF EXPENSIVE INFRASTRUCTURE. SO, AND THAT THERE WOULD BE BEFORE ANYTHING MORE THAN THE RACE SPEED TABLES AND WHAT YOU HAVE DESCRIBED TONIGHT. THERE WOULD BE ADDITIONAL PUBLIC INPUT BEFORE WE INVEST THOSE AS PART OF PROBABLY OUR SAFE ROUTES FOR ALL OVERALL MASTER PLANNING PROCESS. YES. COMMUNITY PLANNING. YES. ALL RIGHT. DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE PHASE ONE TRAFFIC CALMING PLAN FOR COVENTRY BETWEEN SCOTT BOULEVARD AND THE CITY LIMITS? SO MOVED. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. MOTION'S BEEN MADE AND SECONDED. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED THE CHAIR VOTES? AYE, AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT FORWARD WITH A CAREFUL EXPLANATION. SO I BELIEVE YOU ARE STILL UP. ONE MORE. I'M HERE TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF A CHANGE ORDER IN THE AMOUNT OF $15,510, [VIII.D.Change Order for N. Decatur Road Transportation Study & Traffic Calming Design.] WHICH WOULD REVISE THE CONTRACT AMOUNT TO $186,690 FOR AECOM TO INVESTIGATE AND RECOMMEND SAFETY AND OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS FOR ALL MODES OF TRANSPORTATION, INCLUDING VEHICULAR, PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE ALONG NORTH DECATUR ROAD AND AT THE INTERSECTION OF SUPERIOR AVENUE AND NORTH DECATUR ROAD. THE NEW PROPOSED CONTRACT AMOUNT IS BELOW THE ESTABLISHED PROJECT BUDGET OF $200,000. AECOM SCOPE FOR RE-VISIONING NORTH DECATUR ROAD INCLUDES PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND OVERSIGHT. A TRAFFIC STUDY OF EXISTING CONDITIONS AND FUTURE TRAFFIC ESTIMATES. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, INCLUDING OPEN HOUSES AND WORKSHOPS. DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVE CONCEPTS AND COST ESTIMATES IN THE FINAL DESIGN RECOMMENDATION. APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE OF THE STUDY AREA IS IN UNINCORPORATED DEKALB COUNTY. A KEY STAKEHOLDER IN THE SUCCESS OF THIS PROJECT, WE ANTICIPATE WE ANTICIPATED IT WOULD TAKE ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS TO COMPLETE THE CONCEPT PHASE, INCLUDING STAKEHOLDER, PUBLIC, AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT. BECAUSE THE SCHEDULE EXTENDED TO 14 MONTHS, THE CHANGE ORDER IS WARRANTED. A NEW TARGET DATE OF JANUARY 2024 HAS BEEN SET FOR THE THIRD PUBLIC WORKSHOP, WHERE THE CITY OF DECATUR, TOGETHER WITH DEKALB COUNTY, WOULD COMMUNICATE THE FINDINGS OF THE TRANSPORTATION STUDY. [02:35:01] COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS AND SHARED TRAFFIC CALMING RECOMMENDATIONS AND PROPOSED NEXT STEPS. NORTH DECATUR ROAD IS KNOWN FOR BEING A NARROW, HEAVILY TRAFFICKED CORRIDOR OFTEN NAVIGATED BY VEHICLES AT HIGH SPEEDS. THE CITY OF DECATUR PAUSED THE CONCEPT DESIGN FOR A STORMWATER MASTER PLAN PROJECT IN THIS AREA, SO THAT TRAFFIC CALMING AND SAFETY MEASURES COULD BE DEVELOPED. OUR GOAL IS TO COMPLETE THE TRAFFIC CALMING AND SAFETY MEASURES ALONG WITH THE STORMWATER IMPROVEMENTS. FUNDS FOR THIS PROJECT ARE AVAILABLE IN THE FY 23-24 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND. ANY QUESTIONS? ARE THERE QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CHANGE ORDER NUMBER ONE, AND THE AMOUNT OF $15,510, AND AN INCREASE IN THE CONTRACT AMOUNT TO $186,690 WITH AECOM FOR A TRANSPORTATION STUDY AND TRAFFIC CALMING DESIGN PORTION FOR A PORTION OF NORTH DECATUR ROAD. SO MOVED. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? THE CHAIR VOTES AYE. SO THANK YOU. I KNOW IT IS A BIG PROJECT WITH A LOT OF MOVING PARTS SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT THE CHANGE ORDER FOR THE MCCOY PARK FIELD DUGOUT RENOVATION. [VIII.E.Change Order for McKoy Park Field Dugout Renovation.] GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS. I AM COMING TO YOU TONIGHT FOR. IT'S REALLY A TWO PIECE PART. THE FIRST IS THAT WE DO HAVE A CHANGE ORDER FOR THE MCCOY DUGOUT PROJECT. DUE TO A CHANGE IN THE DESIGN OF THE PLAN. WE ARE HAVING TO CHANGE THE LOCATION OF THE STORAGE PIECE OF THE BUILDING, AND SO WITH THAT, WE'LL HAVE A FURTHER SETBACK INTO THE HILL THAT LEADS UP TO THE SIDEWALK, WHICH WILL CAUSE FOR ADDITIONAL GRADING, AND THEN ALSO BECAUSE THE BUILDING WILL BE SET BACK INTO A MORE ELEVATED GRADING, THE CINDER BLOCK WOULD NEED TO BE WATERPROOFED AT THAT POINT. SO ESSENTIALLY WE'RE ASKING FOR THE CHANGE ORDER, BUT WE'RE ALSO ASKING FOR AN ESTABLISHMENT OF A PROJECT BUDGET, WHICH BASICALLY WOULD CREATE A CONTINGENCY WHICH THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN PREVIOUSLY. SO THE PROJECT BUDGET WOULD BE 138,000 FOR THE PROJECT BUDGET. THE $8,850 FOR THE INCREASE TO THE CURRENT CONTRACT THAT WAS ALREADY APPROVED. THAT CONTRACT CHANGE WOULD THEN BE $133,000 AND [INAUDIBLE]. YEAH, $133,177 FOR THAT CONTRACT CHANGE, WHICH WOULD STILL ALLOW US TO HAVE SOME MONEY WITHIN THE CONTINGENCY SHOULD ANY OTHER CHANGES COME UP WITH THE PLAN AS WE GO FORWARD. I DID MEET WITH MR. JUNGER TO DISCUSS THE FUNDS, AND THEY ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE IN THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND BUDGET FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR. ARE THERE QUESTIONS? I'M JUST GLAD TO SEE THESE IMPROVEMENTS HEADING FORWARD NOW. THAT'S BEEN A BIG COMMUNITY CONCERN FOR YEARS. SO GLAD TO SEE IT COME TO FRUITION, AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT AT THE TIME WE APPROVED THE FUNDING, WE DIDN'T APPROVE AN OVERALL BUDGET. WE JUST APPROVED THAT SPECIFIC AMOUNT. SO THAT'S WHY THE PROJECT BUDGET IS COMING FORWARD NOW. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT THIS. SO IT SAYS THE STORAGE ROOM IS BEING MODIFIED. IS THE MODIFICATION MOVING IT OR DOES IT GET BIGGER OR SMALLER. IT IS GETTING A LITTLE BIT SMALLER BUT NOT BY MUCH. I THINK WE'RE TALKING THREE FEET OF COMING OFF THE BACK END OF IT, BUT YES, I MEAN I THINK OVERALL WE'RE TALKING A LITTLE LESS THAN 100FT² OF TRUE CHANGE TO THAT STORAGE ROOM INSTEAD. PREVIOUSLY IT WAS DUG OUT EXTENSION, AND THEN IT WAS GOING TO BE THE NEW STAIRWAY TO GO DOWN AND THEN THE STORAGE ROOM, AND SO THIS CHANGE NOW MOVES THE STORAGE ROOM BACK UP AGAINST THE DUG OUT EXTENSION, AND INSTEAD OF IT GOING LONG WAYS ACROSS THE FIELD, IT HAS NOW BEEN TURNED SO THAT THE RECTANGLE IS LONGER GOING BACK TOWARDS THE SIDEWALK. OKAY. YEAH, AND THEN THE STAIRWAY WILL GO ON THE OTHER SIDE AND WILL CROSS OVER THE STORMWATER DRAIN AT THE TOP, BUT IT WILL NOT. NOTHING WILL BE BUILT ON TOP OF THAT ACTUAL STORMWATER DRAIN DRAIN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL. IT WILL JUST BE BUILT OVER THE PIPES AS YOU COME UP TO THE TOP OF THE SIDEWALK, WHICH WILL BE A VERY MINIMAL BUILD SHOULD ANYTHING CRAZY HAPPEN TO THAT STORMWATER. IT SOUNDS LIKE ALL THESE CONDITIONS VERY MUCH INFORMED WHAT YOU COULD DO AND NOT DO. THERE WASN'T A LOT OF ROOM TO DO ANY DIFFERENTLY. [02:40:01] OKAY. I MEAN, IF THERE'S A SLIGHT SHRINKAGE IN STORAGE THAT WOULD IMPACT OUR TEAMS, PARTICULARLY SCHOOL USERS. OBVIOUSLY THAT COULD BE UNFORTUNATE, BUT IT DOESN'T SOUND TO ME LIKE WE HAD A LOT OF OPTIONS IF WE'RE GOING TO DO IT RIGHT AND AVOID WATER. IS THAT WHAT I'M HEARING? YES. OKAY. WANT TO MAKE SURE. I APPRECIATE YOU WORKING ON THAT. WE ALL ARE. VERY MUCH. THEY WILL HAVE MORE STATE CHAMPIONS, RIGHT? THERE YOU GO. WHO KNOWS? ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CHANGE ORDER? NUMBER ONE, IN THE AMOUNT OF $8,850, AN INCREASE IN THE CONTRACT AMOUNT TO 133,001 79 WITH CGS, LLC, AND ESTABLISHMENT OF A PROJECT BUDGET IN THE AMOUNT OF $138,000 FOR THE MCCOY PARK FIELD DUGOUT RENOVATION. DO I HEAR A MOTION TO THAT EFFECT? SO MOVED. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND MOTION'S BEEN MADE AND SECONDED. FURTHER DISCUSSION. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. CHAIR VOTES AYE, AND THE MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, MISS HOLMES. [VIII.F.Ebster Teen Area Grant Planning Services Agreement.] GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS AND CITY MANAGER. I'M SARAH HOLMES. I'M THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR PARKS AND RECREATION. RECREATION DEPARTMENT. YOU SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST. ALL RIGHT. I AM HERE TO SEEK APPROVAL FROM THE CITY COMMISSION FOR THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT WITH PEREZ. PLANNING AND DESIGN. THE PURPOSE IS TO SECURE PLANNING SERVICES FOR THE EBSTER TEEN ACTIVITY AREA IMPROVEMENTS WITH A SPECIFIED PROJECT BUDGET OF 150 AND THE CONTRACTS AWARD AMOUNT OF $144,293. ON MAY 18TH, THE CITY OF DECATUR WAS AWARDED AWARDED GOVERNOR KEMP'S IMPROVING NEIGHBORHOOD OUTCOMES AND DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED COMMUNITIES GRANT, THAT'S A MOUTHFUL FOR $2,088,803.75. THIS PROJECT AIMS TO UPDATE THE AMENITIES WITHIN THE YOUTH AND TEEN ACTIVITY AREA OF EBSTER PARK, AND ADDRESS THE MAINTENANCE NEEDS AND SAFETY ISSUES SURROUNDING THIS PORTION OF THE PARK. AS A GRANT REQUIREMENT. THE PROJECT, PRELIMINARY PROJECT DESIGN AND PROPOSED BUDGET WAS SUBMITTED TO GOVERNOR KEMP'S OFFICE OF PLANNING AND BUDGET. MOVING FORWARD, YOU'LL HEAR ME SAY OPB BY PEREZ PLANNING AND DESIGN, WITH THE CAVEAT THAT SUGGESTED AMENITIES OFFERED WERE BASED ON THE PUBLIC. THE CITY'S PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS THAT WILL OCCUR DURING THIS PROJECT. IN NOVEMBER OF 2022. WE ORIGINALLY SUBMITTED THIS GRANT WHEN WE SUBMITTED THE GRANT. WE AIM TO EXTEND THE MASTER PLANNING SERVICES PROVIDED BY PEREZ PLANNING. DUE TO THE REQUIREMENT THAT WE HAD TO SUBMIT A PRELIMINARY DESIGN AND A PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THE PROJECT DUE TO THE DELAY EXPERIENCED BY THE OPB OFFICE. THE CONTRACT EVENTUALLY EXPIRED. HOWEVER, WE SOUGHT OUT APPROVAL FROM THE OPB TO CONTINUE OUR COLLABORATION WITH PEREZ, PLANNING AND DESIGN FOR THE PLANNING SERVICES RELATED TO THIS CONTRACT. TO OBTAIN APPROVAL. I HAD TO SUBMIT ALL RELEVANT, RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FOR THE MASTER PLANNING SERVICES, INCLUDING THE ORIGINAL RFP SCOPE OF SERVICES SUBMITTED BY POTENTIAL BIDDERS. SCORING SHEETS AND THE EXECUTED AGREEMENT FOR MASTER PLANNING SERVICES. THE OPB OFFICE APPROVED. APPROVED THIS REQUEST AND SAID THEY ENDORSED THE USE OF PEREZ PLANNING TO DESIGN THE PARK AND THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE INSTEAD OF SEEKING ANOTHER RFP BID PROCESS. THIS IS JUST FOR THE PLANNING SERVICES. THERE WILL BE A SECOND PHASE TWO WHERE WE WILL HAVE A SEALED RFP PROCESS. PROCUREMENT PROCESS FOR THE CONTRACTUAL SERVICES FOR THE CONSTRUCTION SERVICES. THIS SHOULD BE ABOUT 18 MONTHS. WE'RE ANTICIPATING AN 18 MONTH PROCESS, HOPEFULLY STARTING IN JANUARY, POTENTIALLY ENDING BY JUNE OF 2025. I PROVIDED YOU WITH THE PRELIMINARY SCOPE OF SERVICES AND YOU CAN SEE THAT. THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE HAD. WE THE PRELIMINARY DESIGN THAT WE SUBMITTED INCLUDED REMOVAL OF THE WALL AROUND THE RAMP. [02:45:05] PROPOSED RESTROOMS AND THEN A UPDATED BASKETBALL COURT, PAVILION AND SKATE PARK. AGAIN, WE MADE CERTAIN TO SAY THAT IT THE AMENITIES WERE BASED ON THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT. THERE WILL BE ABOUT 4 TO 6 PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS IN PHASE ONE THAT WILL HELP DESIGN THE AMENITIES THAT WE WILL SEE AT THIS PARK. IN THE SCHEMATIC I SEE HAS THE POOL OVER HERE. SO IT GIVES US AN IDEA OF THE LOCATION FOR THIS, CORRECT? YES, MA'AM. SO WHEN YOU SAID 18 MONTHS, IS THAT FOR THE PLANNING? THAT'S FOR ALL OF IT OKAY. OKAY. SO THE PLANNING AND THEN THE RFP GOING OUT FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION AND CONSTRUCTION. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. WE HAVE TO EXPEND ALL FUNDS BY DECEMBER 31ST OF 2026. SO WE SHOULD BE IN GOOD STANDING. SO LET ME AGAIN SAY THANK YOU FOR SUBMITTING FOR THAT GRANT OPPORTUNITY. I THINK THIS IS A REAL OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DO SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL IN THAT, IN THAT LOCATION. SO AND TO HAVE THE FUNDS TO BE ABLE TO DO IT QUICKER THAN WE THOUGHT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT FOR SURE. SO ARE THERE OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MS. HOLMES? I DO HAVE A QUESTION PROBABLY NOT RELATED TO THE DESIGN. DO WE HAVE PLANS TO PUT AEDS ON SITE FOR ANY OF THE ACTIVITIES THERE? I KNOW IT'S BECOMING MORE PREVALENT NOW, CAN SURELY LOOK INTO THAT AND MAKE THAT HAPPEN. WHAT WILL BE OUR NEXT OPPORTUNITY TO BE INVOLVED IN DESIGN INPUT FOR THIS COMMUNITY AND AND US TOO? SO PHASE ONE IS APPROVED. CARLOS PEREZ PLANNING IS WAITING ON SPEED DIAL. WE WOULD START THAT PLANNING PROCESS IN JANUARY, AND WE WOULD HAMMER OUT DATES AND WORK WITH OUR MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS PERSON TO GET THAT OUT TO THE COMMUNITY. THERE'S NO SET DATES AS OF RIGHT NOW. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY, MY ONLY COMMENT IS THAT I AM ALWAYS HAPPY TO SEE ENHANCEMENTS IN THIS PARTICULAR LOCATION AT THIS PARTICULAR SITE, BUT I THINK THAT IT IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT FOR WHOMEVER IS GRANTED THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS A HISTORICAL SITE FOR CITY OF DECATUR, AND THEY NEED TO KNOW WHAT THAT HISTORY IS. THEY NEED TO TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT, AND THEY ABSOLUTELY MUST INCLUDE STAKEHOLDERS THAT THEY WOULDN'T TYPICALLY DEEM STAKEHOLDERS BECAUSE OF THE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE. OTHER THAN THAT, THIS IS REALLY EXCITING STUFF AND I'M THRILLED BY IT. OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. SO DO I HEAR A MOTION TO ESTABLISH A PROJECT BUDGET IN THE AMOUNT OF $150,000 IN APPROVAL OF AN AGREEMENT WITH PEREZ PLANNING AND DESIGN IN THE AMOUNT OF $144,293 FOR PLANNING SERVICES FOR THE EBSTER TEEN ACTIVITY AREA IMPROVEMENTS. SO MOVED. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND MOTION'S BEEN MADE AND SECONDED. FURTHER DISCUSSION. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? THE CHAIR VOTES AYE, AND THE MOTION PASSES. SO THANK YOU. LOOK FORWARD TO THE PLANNING PROCESS. SO WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK BEFORE WE GO TO REQUEST AND PETITIONS. SO THANK YOU. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. WE WILL CALL THE MEETING BACK TO ORDER, AND WE'LL MOVE TO THE NEXT PART OF OUR AGENDA WHICH IS REQUEST AND PETITIONS, AND WE'LL OPEN THE MEETING UP FOR REQUESTS AND [IX. Requests and Petitions.] PETITIONS. FIRST, THOSE WHO ARE JOINING US IN THE CITY COMMISSION ROOM. SO IF YOU'LL COME FORWARD, STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND PLEASE MAKE YOUR STATEMENTS AND BRING FORWARD YOUR INFORMATION. SO THANK YOU. I'LL KICK THIS OFF JUST FOR THIS. MY NAME IS TONIO ANDRADE. I THINK I KNOW ALL OF YOU. I LIVE AT 119 WEST DEARBORN CIRCLE, AND I'M HERE AS THE SHIRT SORT OF SAYS ON BEHALF OF CALM CANDLER, AND YOU CAN RECOGNIZE SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HERE. WE ALSO HAVE SOME UNDERCOVER AGENTS BACK THERE TOO. SO AND WE'RE HERE TO SUBMIT A PETITION FOR TRAFFIC CALMING AND, AND OTHER THINGS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF DECATUR. [02:50:02] SO A BIT MORE THAN A WEEK AGO, ABOUT 40 PEOPLE GATHERED AT ONE OF OUR DANGEROUS INTERSECTIONS, CANDLER STREET AND COLLEGE AVENUE, AND TWO OF OUR COMMISSIONERS WERE HERE. KELLY WAS THERE, AND SO WAS GEORGE, AND SO THEY ALSO WITNESSED WHAT WE WITNESSED THAT DAY AS WE RANG THE BELL TO MARK AN INTERNATIONAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE FOR VICTIMS OF TRAFFIC VIOLENCE. THERE WERE THREE MOMS THERE WHO HAD LOST CHILDREN, AND IT WAS I MEAN, ALL OF US WHO WERE THERE. IT WAS. IT WAS REALLY DIFFICULT AND HEARTBREAKING TO SEE THEM TELL THEIR STORIES, AND ESPECIALLY FOR ME AT LEAST, HOW THEY CONSOLED EACH OTHER. AS ONE OF THEM SAID, IT NEVER ENDS AND YOU COULD JUST SEE THIS RECOGNITION OF THEM IN EACH OTHER TO LOSE A CHILD, IT'S JUST THERE'S NOTHING LIKE IT, BUT NOT JUST CHILDREN HAVE BEEN LOST. MOTHERS HAVE BEEN LOST. PARENTS HAVE BEEN LOST ON OUR STREETS. SO TRAFFIC VIOLENCE IS A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM, AND FIVE YEARS AGO, I STOOD HERE IN THE SAME PLACE, SUBMITTING ANOTHER PETITION AND HERE WE ARE AGAIN. NOW YOU ALL HAVE DONE A LOT. LIKE I WANT TO SAY THIS, THE PETITION THAT WE SUBMITTED IS A BIT STRIDENT IN TONE. I THINK WE USE THE TERM DEMAND, AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S A THAT'S A BIT MUCH, MAYBE BECAUSE I DO WANT TO RECOGNIZE ALL OF US, RECOGNIZE HOW MUCH YOU ALL DO, HOW MUCH OUR CITY DOES, AND ALL THE CITY STAFF AND EVERYTHING DO TO MAKE OUR STREETS SAFER, BUT THE SITUATION IS GETTING WORSE, AND PEOPLE ARE TELLING US, AND WE'RE HEARING IT JUST IMMENSE AMOUNTS OF CONCERN AND FEAR AND WORRY AND ANGER THAT DESPITE THE MULTI-USE PATHS, DESPITE THE NEW SIDEWALKS, DESPITE THE TRAFFIC CALMING, THERE'S JUST A SENSE OF LAWLESSNESS ON OUR STREETS. SO THIS PETITION IS I WON'T GO INTO THE DETAIL. YOU ALL CAN READ IT AND I'M SURE YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. CONTINUE THE GREAT LONG TERM PLANS THAT YOU'RE DOING, LIKE THE TWO THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT, THE COVENTRY ROAD TRAFFIC CALMING, THE NORTH DECATUR TRAFFIC CALMING. THERE'S A BUNCH OF OTHER WONDERFUL PROJECTS THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING. THESE ARE LONG TERM PROJECTS THAT ARE GREAT, AND WE ARE 100% IN SUPPORT OF THOSE. WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE EVERY SINGLE INTERSECTION IN THIS CITY, ESPECIALLY ON OUR DANGEROUS ARTERIALS LIKE CANDLER STREET, COLLEGE AVENUE, ETCETERA, RETHOUGHT WITH AROUND THE MOST VULNERABLE USERS. THAT'S LONG TERM, BUT I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE REALLY COME TO APPRECIATE MORE RECENTLY FROM RECENT INCIDENTS, BUT ALSO FROM WHAT PEOPLE ARE TELLING US, PEOPLE ARE WRITING ON FACEBOOK, PEOPLE ARE TELLING US TO OUR FACE, PEOPLE ARE WRITING IN COMMENTS TO PETITIONS, WHICH YOU'LL SEE IS THAT THERE'S A SENSE OF LAWLESSNESS ON OUR STREETS, THAT IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT DESIGNING OUR STREETS BETTER. THAT'S A KEY PART OF IT, THAT DECATUR HAS BEEN DOING GREAT, BUT WE ALSO NEED IMMEDIATE ACTION. THIS IS A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY. IT'S GETTING WORSE, NOT JUST IN DECATUR BUT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. OUR TRAFFIC DEATHS ARE AT A HIGH, A 40 YEAR HIGH, AND ENFORCEMENT IS A BIG PART OF THE ISSUE, AND WE'RE HEARING THIS FROM ALL OF OUR CONSTITUENTS. NOW, OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT RESOURCES, POLICE RESOURCES, EQUITY ISSUES, BUT EVERYONE, ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE TALKING TO US ARE SAYING THAT THEY REALLY WANT TO SEE. THEY WANT TO SEE ENFORCEMENT ON OUR STREETS. THEY WANT OUR STREETS TO NO LONGER BE LAWLESS. SO YES, KEEP WORKING ON THE LONG TERM PLANS, BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS TREATED AS AN EMERGENCY IN FIVE YEARS. THE NEXT TIME I HOPE THAT WE COME HERE, WE WANT TO BE SAYING THANK YOU. THANKS FOR MAKING OUR STREETS SO MUCH BETTER. THERE'S NO MORE. THERE'S NO NEED FOR ANY MORE GRIEVING MOTHERS OR CHILDREN. IT'S TIME TO TREAT THIS AS A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY. WE'D LOVE TO SEE YOUR LEADERSHIP ON ALL PHASES OF THIS. THANK YOU. HI EVERYONE! MY NAME IS PATRICIA [INAUDIBLE] AND I LIVE AT 1019 SOUTH CANDLER STREET. FIRST, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR PROVIDING THIS FORMAT FOR US TO CREATE A PETITION AND SUBMIT IT TO YOU AND SAY A FEW WORDS. SO I MOVED HERE IN OCTOBER 2018, SO I WASN'T AT THE MEETING FIVE YEARS AGO THAT ANTONIO REFERENCED WHEN THIS SAME GROUP STOOD BEFORE YOU WITH THEIR PREVIOUS PETITION. [02:55:01] IN BETWEEN THE TIME OF CREATING THAT PETITION AND THE GROUP COMING TO THE MEETING. A FIVE YEAR OLD CHILD LOST HIS LIFE. THIS TIME WE CREATED A PETITION AND PRESENTED IT TO YOU IN LATE SEPTEMBER. BETWEEN THEN AND NOW, WHEN WE'RE BACK WITH THE SIGNATURES. ANOTHER CHILD, A TEENAGER, LOST HIS LIFE ON ONE OF OUR SIDEWALKS. STANDING BEFORE YOU FIVE YEARS AGO. THE DISCUSSION CENTERED AROUND SOUTH CANDLER AND PARTICULARLY THE INTERSECTION AT MIDWAY. AS A RESULT, THE CITY MADE CHANGES AT THIS INTERSECTION. YET JUST A WEEK AGO, WE HAD TWO CRASHES OVER THE COURSE OF TWO DAYS AT THAT INTERSECTION. SO ON OUR WAY TO THE WORLD DAY OF REMEMBRANCE FOR TRAFFIC VICTIMS EVENT LAST SUNDAY, WE DISCOVERED A DOWNED POST JUST STEPS AWAY FROM [INAUDIBLE]. SO SOMETHING MUST HAVE HAPPENED OVERNIGHT. THE FOLLOWING NIGHT, TECHNICALLY EARLY MORNING HOURS, RESIDENTS WERE WOKEN UP BY SIRENS AND LIGHTS TO FIND A CAR ENGULFED IN FLAMES RIGHT NEAR THAT INTERSECTION. SO DESPITE THE POSITIVE STEPS THE CITY HAS TAKEN AND THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE TO, FOR EXAMPLE, SOUTH CANDLER. PEOPLE ARE STILL BEING HURT. CARS ARE STILL CRASHING. CITIZENS ARE STILL AFRAID TO WALK OR BIKE ON SOUTH CANDLER AND MANY OF OUR OTHER ROADS IN THE CITY. THESE CHANGES BEING MADE ARE NOT KEEPING UP WITH THE NEED, OR THEY AREN'T ENOUGH, OR THEY AREN'T THE RIGHT SOLUTIONS. WE NEED TO DO MORE. URGENT ACTION IS NEEDED BECAUSE WE CAN'T HAVE MORE OF OUR KIDS AND OUR CITIZENS DYING ON OUR STREETS. WE'VE HAD THREE REPORTED DEATHS THIS YEAR, AND IN ONE DAY IN EARLY NOVEMBER, WE HAD FOUR PEDESTRIANS HIT, ONE OF WHICH WAS THE FATALITY THAT I MENTIONED. SO KNOWING WHAT WE ALL KNOW, WE NEED TO TAKE ACTION TO PREVENT ANOTHER LIFE LOST, AND THERE'S THAT SAYING IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING. WE'RE SEEING SOMETHING AND WE'RE HERE SAYING SOMETHING. I AGREE WITH TONIO THAT I THINK EVERY INTERSECTION IN OUR CITY NEEDS TO BE SYSTEMATICALLY ASSESSED, STARTING WITH THOSE MOST DANGEROUS, LIKE WHERE WE WERE STANDING LAST WEEKEND, AND THE CITY NEEDS TO DETERMINE WHAT IMPROVEMENTS CAN BE MADE BOTH IMMEDIATELY AND LONGER TERM, AND THEN THEY HAVE TO HAVE THE BACKING AND THE SUPPORT TO IMPLEMENT THEM. BECAUSE JUST COMING UP WITH THEM AND NOT GOING FORWARD WITH THEM IS NOT GOING TO GET US ANYWHERE. IF I MAY, I'D ALSO LIKE TO SHARE A FEW OF THE COMMENTS SUBMITTED WHEN SIGNING THE PETITION. JUST WANT TO NOTE THAT WHETHER OR NOT EACH OF US AGREES WITH THESE STATEMENTS IN WHOLE OR IN PART, THIS IS WHAT OUR COMMUNITY IS FEELING, AND THIS IS WHAT THEY'RE WILLING TO PUT OUT THERE PUBLICLY TO YOU AND ABOUT HOW THEY FEEL LIVING, WORKING OR TRAVELING WITHIN OR THROUGH OUR CITY. SO ONE SAYS WE SHOULD BE SAFE WHEN WE ARE WALKING ON THE SIDEWALK OR CROSSING THE STREET AT CROSSWALKS. I DON'T WANT ANYONE ELSE TO DIE. SOMETIMES IT IS THAT SIMPLE. I'M SCARED FOR THE SAFETY OF MY CHILDREN. I DON'T WANT TO GET HIT AND KILLED EITHER. PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS MATTER. I'M GOING TO HAND IT OFF TO THE NEXT ONE OF US, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'LL KEEP IT BRIEF. MY NAME IS APRIL BIAGIONI 245 EAST TRINITY. YOU ALL HAVE HEARD ME SPEAK ENOUGH OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS. SO, AS PATRICIA DUNN BEFORE ME, I'M GOING TO SPEAK TO THE ONES THAT I THINK ARE REALLY RELEVANT TO WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO SEE HAPPEN, AND THAT IS ENFORCEMENT, AND THEY FEEL THAT IT'S UPON YOU ALL'S RESPONSIBILITY TO DIRECT OUR POLICE WHERE THEY NEED TO FOCUS, AND WITH EQUITY IN MIND AND ALL OF THAT BEING A CORNERSTONE, I DO THINK THERE IS A WAY THAT WE CAN BOTH PROACTIVELY BE OUT THERE ENFORCING THE LAWS, BECAUSE WHY ELSE DO WE HAVE THEM, IF PEOPLE KNOW THAT, THEY CAN JUST TAKE LEFT TURNS ON REDS? ONE STUDENT SAYS, AS A STUDENT, I COMMUTE ON FOOT QUITE OFTEN. I OBEY THE LAW AS A PEDESTRIAN, TAKE MEASURES TO KEEP MYSELF AND OTHERS SAFE, BUT I'VE HAD COUNTLESS RUN INS WITH DANGEROUS, AGGRESSIVE AND DISTRACTED DRIVERS. PLEASE KEEP US SAFE. ANOTHER PERSON SAYS DECATUR IS ONE OF THE FEW WALKABLE CITIES IN GEORGIA, AND WITH INCREASED DEVELOPMENT COMES INCREASED TRAFFIC. MORE ACCIDENTS WILL INEVITABLY HAPPEN UNLESS THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND ENFORCEMENT KEEPS UP WITH THE DEVELOPMENT. OUR FAMILY OFTEN WALKS AROUND DECATUR. YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE YOU MAKE EYE CONTACT WITH DRIVERS, OR RISK GETTING RUN OVER IN A CROSSWALK WITH A WALK SIGNAL. IT MAKES ME NERVOUS TO LET MY KIDS WALK AROUND, SINCE YOU HAVE TO BE DILIGENT SINCE SO MANY DRIVERS ARE JUST PASSING THROUGH DECATUR LOOKING AT THEIR PHONES. [03:00:02] ENFORCEMENT DURING RUSH HOUR TIMES WOULD BE A KEY TO ACTUALLY SEE IN DECATUR A LOWER SPEED LIMIT CITYWIDE IS ALSO VALUABLE. ANOTHER PERSON SAYS UNTIL TRAFFIC LAWS ARE ACTUALLY ENFORCED AT INTERSECTIONS AND CROSSWALKS, PEOPLE DRIVING CARS ARE GOING TO CONTINUE SPEEDING, DRIVING, DISTRACTED, INTOXICATED, AND RUNNING RED LIGHTS AND HARMING OTHERS. NOVEMBER 6TH, 2023 WAS A TYPICAL DAY FOR PEDESTRIANS BEING HIT BY MOTORISTS. NOT AN ANOMALY. THE CITY OF DECATUR DOESN'T NEED ANOTHER GRANT OR STUDY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS WITH ROAD SAFETY IN 30030. YOU JUST NEED TO SIMPLY GO TO ANY FOUR WAY INTERSECTION WITH A TRAFFIC SIGNAL, AND YOU CAN WITNESS IT FOR YOURSELF. FROM MOTORISTS RUNNING RED LIGHTS AT HIGH SPEED TO FAILURE TO YIELD TO PEDESTRIANS IN THE CROSSWALK. THE CITY OF DECATUR COULD PROVIDE ITSELF WITH UNLIMITED AMOUNTS OF REVENUE BY SIMPLY CITING AND FINING MOTORISTS WHO ARE FLAGRANTLY BREAKING TRAFFIC LAWS AND ARE DRIVING DISTRACTED IN 30030. THESE MOTORISTS NEED TO BE CITED BEFORE THEY HARM OTHERS, AND I'M JUST GOING TO END IT ON ONE STUDENT WHO I MET TODAY AT KELLY'S MARKET. I GOT SOME HAND SIGNATURES FROM SOME OF OUR YOUNGEST CITIZENS, AND I JUST ASKED A GROUP OF THERE WERE LIKE 15, 12 YEAR-OLDS, AND I WAS LIKE, HEY, I INTRODUCED MYSELF. HAVE YOU ALL HAD ANY ISSUES OR CONCERNS DRIVING IN DECATUR OR WALKING IN DECATUR OR DO YOU WANT TO SHARE ANY STORIES WITH ME? AND THIS 11 YEAR OLD GIRL LOOKS AT THE 12 YEAR OLD GIRL NEXT TO HER AND SHE GOES, I SAVED HER LIFE TWO WEEKS AGO AND I WAS LIKE, WHAT? AND SHE WAS LIKE THIS SMALL, AND SHE WAS LIKE, WE WERE AT FELLINI'S, AND UNFORTUNATELY THERE WASN'T A CROSSING GUARD THAT DAY AND IT WAS A RED WE COULD ROARK, AND SO WE STARTED TO WALK BECAUSE WE HAD THE SIGNAL, AND SURE ENOUGH, THIS CAR COMES AND I SAW THE CAR AND I FROZE AND MY FRIEND GRABBED ME BY MY BOOK BAG AND THREW ME ON THE SIDEWALK. SHE WAS LIKE, I WOULD HAVE BEEN THAT 16 YEAR OLD TWO WEEKS AGO AND SO I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS, BUT OUR KIDS ARE SCARED AND WE'RE SEEING THESE AND IT'S HYPER RIGHT NOW, LIKE SO. YEAH. THANK YOU. EXCUSE ME. [INAUDIBLE], 211 MISSIONARY DRIVE. YES THESE MAY BE SOME BIG DEMANDS WERE MENTIONED HERE AND THAT WE WANT TO ADDRESS, BUT I WANT TO IN A COUPLE OF MINUTES, LIKE PUT THIS IN PERSPECTIVE. IT ALSO HAS BEEN A WHILE SINCE I WAS LAST HERE, AND IN TIME SINCE THEN, WE'VE ALL LIVED THROUGH A PANDEMIC AND AN EXPERIENCE THAT NOBODY WANTS TO GO BACK TO, BUT I DO WANT TO RECALL HOW THE CITY REACTED TO THAT. I REMEMBER SOLIDARITY BETWEEN NEIGHBORS. PEOPLE LOOK OUT FOR EACH OTHER, BUY GROCERIES FOR THEIR NEIGHBORS. THE MAYOR ADDRESSING THE CITY IN AN ONLINE VIDEO. I THINK THIS WAS MAYBE A FIRST. I DO REMEMBER IT FOR SURE, AND HOW I FELT LIKE WATCHING THAT VIDEO AT THAT TIME. I REMEMBER AS WELL HOW WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, THERE WERE SIGNS UP EVERYWHERE SAYING DECATUR WEARS MASKS, AND WE DID, AND SURE, NOT EVERYBODY LIKED IT, BUT THE CITY WAS VERY PROACTIVE IN PROTECTING THE POPULATION. NOW. THE PANDEMIC WAS CERTAINLY A UNIQUE TIME, REQUIRING UNIQUE MEASURES, AND SOMEHOW PEOPLE SEEM TO BE MUCH MORE AFRAID OF DYING FROM A VIRUS THAN GETTING HIT BY A CAR, BUT HOW DO THE NUMBERS COMPARE? I DON'T HAVE FIGURES FOR THE CITY. I DON'T THINK ANYBODY DOES, BUT TAKING THE DEKALB NUMBERS, HERE'S WHAT I FOUND. EVERY YEAR IF YOU CALCULATE IT FOR THE CITY, IN THE CITY OF DECATUR, YOU'RE JUST AS LIKELY TO DIE OR GET SERIOUSLY INJURED BY A CAR AS WAS YOUR CHANCE OF DYING FROM COVID DURING THE PANDEMIC. I SAY THAT AGAIN. DYING OR GETTING SERIOUSLY INJURED IN TRAFFIC IS JUST AS LIKELY AS IT WAS DYING FROM COVID, AND WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT THESE EPIDEMIC LEVELS OF TRAFFIC VIOLENCE? SOMEHOW, BECAUSE TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS HAPPEN EVERY DAY, WE SEEM TO HAVE BECOME COMPLACENT, AND TO SOME EXTENT THAT'S A HUMAN REACTION, BUT AS A AS A CITY, AS A GOVERNMENT ENTITY, WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE NUMBERS. WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE SCIENCE, AND THERE'S PROBABLY NO OTHER PREVENTABLE CAUSE OF DEATH AND PAIN THAT THE CITY CAN IMPACT THAN TRAFFIC VIOLENCE. IT'S VERY NICE AND I TRULY MEAN THAT, AND I THINK WE ALL APPRECIATE THAT EVERYBODY IS HERE, THAT THE CITY SPENDS MONEY AND EFFORT ON ALL THE NICE THINGS THAT WE HAVE THE SQUARE, THE OAKHURST VILLAGE, LEGACY PARK, THE WILD CENTER I COULD HAVE ADDED TO THE LIST SINCE THEY WERE HERE EARLIER, BUT IF GETTING THERE BECOMES A DEADLY RISK, THEN OUR PRIORITIES ARE WRONG. [03:05:02] SO THE SAME THAT PROACTIVE "CAN DO" STANCE THAT YOU ALL AS A CITY COMMISSION, AS A MAYOR TOOK DURING THE PANDEMIC TO ACTIVELY DO SOMETHING THAT WAS VERY VISIBLE. I ASK YOU TO TAKE THAT SAME APPROACH AND THAT SAME DEDICATION AND ENTHUSIASM THAT YOU BRING TO THE OTHER AREAS THAT I JUST MENTIONED TO THE MORE MUNDANE, MAYBE BORING, BUT MUCH MORE IMPACTFUL AREA OF TRAFFIC SAFETY. THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO SAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HI, MY NAME IS DONOVAN MCMURRAY. I LIVE AT 2544 TALLEY STREET. I'M HERE IN SOLIDARITY AND TO STAND WITH CALM DECATUR. I DON'T HAVE MY SHIRT YET, BUT I'M WORKING ON THAT. [CHUCKLING] I'VE SHARED MY STORY AT THIS PODIUM A COUPLE OF TIMES, WHERE I MOVED TO DECATUR LAST YEAR, AND WHAT ATTRACTED ME TO IT WAS ITS WALKABILITY, AT LEAST FOR THE ATLANTA AREA. I'M COMING FROM BROOKLYN BEFORE THAT, SO IT WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT FEELING, BUT DECATUR HAS SO HAS DONE SO MUCH, AND I COMMEND YOU ALL FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE IN THIS REGARD, BUT IT HAS SO MUCH FARTHER TO GO, AND WHAT I'D LIKE TO SHARE TONIGHT IS A POSITIVE EXAMPLE OF A CITY THAT HAD GREAT SUCCESS, AND THAT'S HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY. THEY ADOPTED A VISION ZERO PLAN, AND AS OF JANUARY 2017, THEY'VE NOT HAD A SINGLE TRAFFIC DEATH, AND IT CAME FROM BOLD DECISION MAKING. THEY INSTITUTED A 20 MILE AN HOUR SPEED LIMIT ACROSS THEIR ENTIRE CITY. OUR PETITION IS ASKING FOR A 25 MILE PER HOUR MAXIMUM SPEED LIMIT, BUT. I. WHILE I COMMEND THE COMMISSION ON THE PROGRESS THAT IT HAS MADE, I JUST WANT TO VOICE THAT. I HOPE THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE BOLDLY TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM AND THESE DANGERS IN OUR CITY. THANK YOU. HELLO, MY NAME IS ADAM [INAUDIBLE]. I LIVE AT 428 LOCKWOOD TERRACE. SO THAT'S OVER ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE CITY. SO I FIRST WANT TO SAY I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE WITH PROMOTING TRAFFIC CALMING AROUND THE CITY AND CONTINUED PRIORITIZATION OF THAT EFFORT. MY IMMEDIATE CONCERN RIGHT NOW IS WITH NORTH ARCADIA AVENUE. SO LIKE I SAID, I'M ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE CITY, AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT THERE OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS. THERE'S A HIGH DENSITY RESIDENTIAL ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET. SO WE NOW BASICALLY HAVE AN INDUSTRIAL ROAD GOING THROUGH A RESIDENTIAL AREA, RESIDENTIAL AND RETAIL AREA THERE'S A LOT OF IT'S A NICE SHOPPING CENTER OVER THERE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF ARCADIA, BUT WE BASICALLY CAN'T WALK THERE. IT'S NOT SAFE TO WALK THERE OR BIKE THERE. EVEN DRIVERS HAVE SOME CONCERNS GOING ACROSS THAT STREET. I WOULD LOVE FOR MY KIDS TO BE ABLE TO JUST WALK OVER THERE, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'RE A BIT OLDER, WHEN THEY'RE TEENAGERS, GET A SMOOTHIE, THE SUB SHOP, THERE'S THE GROCERY STORE, BUT RIGHT NOW, I'M AFRAID THAT THEY'RE GOING TO TRY THAT THEY'RE NOT NOT OLD ENOUGH TO BE WALKING OVER THERE RIGHT NOW BUT I HATE THAT THERE'S LIKE A WALL THERE, CUTTING A CHUNK OF OUR CITY OFF THAT WE JUST CAN'T GO OVER THERE, AND I'M AFRAID THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE TEENAGERS FROM MY NEIGHBORHOOD WHO ARE GOING TO BE WALKING, TRYING TO GET ACROSS THAT STREET. RIGHT NOW IT IS SIX LANES WIDE. THERE'S VERY FAST TRAFFIC ON THERE. THERE IS NO CROSSWALK IN BETWEEN DEKALB INDUSTRIAL AND PONCE. SO IF THEY WANT TO JUST GO ACROSS THE STREET, IT'S 600M TO WALK DOWN TO PONCE, ACROSS THE STREET, WALK BACK. IT'S KIND OF RIDICULOUS, AND I KNOW PEOPLE DO JUST WALK STRAIGHT ACROSS THE STREET. IT'S NOT A SAFE ENVIRONMENT THERE. SO THAT'S MY IMMEDIATE CONCERN. THAT'S WITH SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS WE'VE SEEN AROUND AROUND THE TOWN. THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S GOT ME OUT HERE TONIGHT. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION. WERE THERE OTHERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO BRING ANYTHING FORWARD? SO. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS KEN ROSE. I LIVE AT 710 SOUTH MCDONOUGH STREET. THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND STAYING HERE ALL NIGHT, AND IT'S A REAL PRIVILEGE TO BE ABLE TO COME AND PARTICIPATE IN AMERICAN DEMOCRACY, AND I AM THANKFUL FOR THAT PRIVILEGE TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK WITH YOU TONIGHT. A BIT ABOUT THE DATA. OVER 7000 PEDESTRIANS LOST THEIR LIVES FOR PEOPLE WALKING, LOST THEIR LIFE IN 2021, AND UNITED STATES PEOPLE OF COLOR ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE KILLED THAN OTHERS. [03:10:01] STATE OF GEORGIA, HAD THE FOURTH LEADING, FOURTH HIGHEST NUMBER OF TRAFFIC CASUALTIES, AND 2021 IN THE CITY OF ATLANTA. 70% OF ALL TRAFFIC FATALITIES AND SERIOUS INJURIES OCCURS ON 10% OF THEIR ROADWAYS. THOSE ARE HIGH SPEED, HIGH TRAFFIC ARTERIALS, AND THEY'RE REFERRED TO AS AS HIGH INJURY NETWORKS, AND SO I WONDER IF WE KNOW WHAT OUR HIGH INJURY NETWORK IS AND WHAT WE'VE DONE TO REDUCE THE CASUALTIES ALONG THAT HIGH INJURY NETWORK. DECATUR IS A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WALK, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THERE ARE TOO MANY PLACES IN DECATUR WHERE IT'S TOO DANGEROUS TO CROSS THE ROAD OR WALK ALONG THE ROAD, OR WE'RE CONFRONTED BY SPEEDING, AS ALREADY HAS ALREADY HAS BEEN MENTIONED, AND UNFORTUNATELY, TOO OFTEN I WALK IN DECATUR, AT BEST, IT BECOMES AN UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE AND AT WORST BECOMES A TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE BECAUSE OF OUR UNSAFE ROADS. SO I DO WANT TO COMMEND THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE. I THINK YOU'RE DOING PROGRESSIVE, GROUNDBREAKING WORK IN A LOT OF WAYS, PARTICULARLY COMBINING REPAVING WITH TRAFFIC CALMING AND STORMWATER IMPROVEMENTS WITH THE TRAFFIC CALMING. THOSE ARE GREAT THINGS THAT YOU'RE DOING ON YOUR LOCAL ROADS, BUT I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO THINK FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT IS OUR VISION, WHAT DO WE WANT TO DO AS A COMMUNITY? AND WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY AS DRIVING THAT VISION, AND IN MY VIEW, THAT'S AN EIGHT YEAR OLD WALKING WITH THEIR 80 YEAR OLD GRANDPARENT TO THE STORE, TO THE PARK, TO SCHOOL AND WHEN YOU MAKE THAT THE FOUNDATION OF YOUR TRANSPORTATION POLICY DECISIONS, THE DECISIONS THAT YOU HAVE TO MAKE AROUND STREET DESIGN AND ENFORCEMENT BECOME EASIER BECAUSE THAT IS YOUR GUIDING LIGHT, AND HAVING ALL OF THE ABOVE APPROACH REALLY DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE ANY OF THE ABOVE APPROACH. SO MY VIEW IS THAT YOU REALLY NEED TO SET THAT EIGHT YEAR OLD WALKING AROUND DECATUR WITH THEIR 80 YEAR OLD AS YOUR GOAL. I MEAN, SOME SPECIFICS ARE IN THE PETITION, BUT OVER THE SHORT TERM, IN ADDITION TO WHAT'S IN THE PETITION, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE DOING WITH THE QUICK BUILDS AND LOOKING AT SAFETY DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS WHEN YOU HAVE REPAVING AND REALLY CONSCIOUSLY NOT WAITING FOR THE BLOCK TO SUBMIT A A TRAFFIC CALMING REQUEST, BUT ACTUALLY LOOKING AT THAT BLOCK PROACTIVELY AND SAYING, WHAT CAN WE DO TO REDUCE SPEEDS HERE WITHOUT THE DEMAND FROM THE COMMUNITY? AND YOU MAY ALREADY BE DOING THAT. SPEED LIMITS HAVE ALREADY BEEN MENTIONED OVER THE LONGER TERM. I THINK LOOKING AT DESIGN SPEED OF STREETS IS REALLY IMPORTANT ACROSS THE JURISDICTION, AS WELL AS LOOKING AT A SAFE, CONNECTED NETWORK THAT ALLOWS AN EIGHT YEAR OLD TO WALK ACROSS TOWN WITH THEIR 80 YEAR OLD GRANDPARENT. THEN FINALLY, I'LL JUST SAY. THAT WE HAVE TO PUSH THE STATE. I MEAN, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE STATE OWNS THE DANGEROUS ROADS AND I WOULD ASK WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW TO PUSH THE STATE. I THINK YOU ALL ARE PROBABLY DOING SOME THINGS THAT I'M NOT AWARE OF BUT AS AN EXAMPLE, I MEAN, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO PUSH THE STATE TO PUT STREET TREES ALONG CANDLER ROAD BETWEEN THE SIDEWALK AND THE ROADWAY? I KNOW WHAT THE POLICY IS, THAT SIDEWALKS ARE VEHICLE RECOVERY ZONE, BUT WHAT ARE WE DOING TO ASK THE STATE TO MAKE AN EXCEPTION TO THAT POLICY? BECAUSE WE KNOW STREET TREES REDUCE SPEEDS AND THEY ACTUALLY PROTECT PEDESTRIANS. THERE'S A PHYSICAL PROTECTION FOR PEDESTRIAN THERE WALKING ALONG THE STREET, AND THEN OVER THE LONGER TERM, WHAT DO WE WHAT ARE WE DOING TO WORK WITH THE STATE TO ADDRESS OUR HIGH INJURY NETWORKS, WHICH I ASSUME ARE PROBABLY SCOTT, CLERMONT AND COMMERCE. SO FINALLY, I WOULD JUST SAY THAT WHAT WE NEED TO HOW WE PUSH THE STATE MAY REQUIRE FORMING A COALITION ACROSS THE STATE WITH SMALL TOWNS THAT HAVE THE SAME CONCERN THAT WE DO, DANGEROUS STATE ROADWAYS THAT TRAVEL THROUGH THEIR TOWNS, AND THOSE ARE IN RURAL AREAS. THEY'RE IN URBAN AREAS AND THEY'RE IN SUBURBAN AREAS, AND THEY'RE NOT DRIVEN BY POLITICAL IDEOLOGY. I THINK WE WOULD ALL SHARE THAT COMMON CONCERN. I HEAR ABOUT IT FROM WORK I DO NATIONALLY ACROSS THE COUNTRY. SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER WAY THAT WE COULD WORK TO PUSH THE STATE. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. HAVE A GREAT DAY. ARE THERE OTHERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT? HI, MY NAME IS JOEL RIGGS. I LIVE AT 111 GREEN STREET. I WANT TO STATE VERY SIMPLY A WAY YOU CAN CONCEIVE OF TRAFFIC SAFETY. [03:15:04] IF YOU SEE A SPEED LIMIT SIGN, YOUR TRAFFIC DESIGN HAS FAILED. IF YOU SEE A CROSSING GUARD, YOUR TRAFFIC DESIGN HAS FAILED, AND WITH THIS IN MIND, AS I GO AROUND THE CITY OF DECATUR, IT'S VERY EASY TO SEE THE PROBLEM ZONES. SO THANK YOU. PATRICK DEAN 125 GREENWOOD PLACE. I SUPPORT EVERYTHING SAID. I CANNOT OFTEN MAKE EYE CONTACT WITH CARS WHEN I'M TRYING TO CROSS INTERSECTIONS. THERE'S TENTS AND SOMETIMES I'M GETTING BIGGER IN ALL THE WRONG WAYS, BUT THE TRUCKS ARE GETTING BIGGER FASTER. HELLO, I WAS NOT PLANNING TO SPEAK TODAY, BUT SINCE I'M IN A BOOT, I THINK IT'S I HAVEN'T DRIVEN IN ABOUT THREE MONTHS, SO I'VE BEEN WALKING EVERYWHERE, AND I LIVE ON 115 NORTH MCDONOUGH STREET ON THIS BLOCK RIGHT HERE. TELL US YOUR NAME. MY NAME IS COREEN MILLION LIKE $1 MILLION, AND I HAVE DEFINITELY NOTICED WALKING WITH MY DOG IN A BOOT. I'M LIKE, I KNOW YOU SEE ME AND OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE DON'T SEE ME, AND I'M A PRETTY CALM PERSON. I'M A PRETTY TOLERANT PERSON. I GIVE PEOPLE A LOT OF GRACE. EVEN WHEN THE LIGHT TURNS THE WALKING PERSON. I WAIT A COUPLE SECONDS AND IT'S STILL LIKE, YOU'VE GOT TO SEE ME AND THE DOG. YOU GOT TO SEE THE BOOT, YOU GOT TO SEE THE DOG, YOU GOT TO SEE ONE OF US, AND THE FACT THAT I CAN'T WALK TO KELLY'S MARKET, I CAN'T WALK TO, I MEAN, I LITERALLY HAVEN'T DRIVEN IN THREE MONTHS. I'VE BEEN WALKING EVERYWHERE, AND IT'S REALLY BEEN APPARENT, AND I DEFINITELY WASN'T PLANNING ON SAYING ANYTHING, BUT AS SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN WALKING A LOT WITH THE BOOT, I JUST WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING AS WELL. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? SARA ZINGARELLI 522 CHEVELLE LANE. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, MAYOR PRO TEM, COMMISSIONERS, CITY MANAGER. I'M HERE AS A CO-FOUNDER OF THE DEARBORN AREA NATURE ALLIANCE. TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN DEARBORN PARK. OUR GOAL IS CLEARING THE PARK OF NON-NATIVES, WHICH ALLOWS THEN FOR THE NATIVE SPECIES TO THRIVE. SO WE'VE JUST FINISHED OUR FIFTH SUMMER OF DIGGING UP JAPANESE CHAFF AND WE'RE ACTUALLY MAKING HEADWAY. IT WAS REALLY FIVE YEARS AGO FROM TONIO'S HOUSE ON WEST DEARBORN CIRCLE TO MY HOUSE ON CHEVELLE. ON EITHER SIDE OF THE SHALE PATH WAS LIKE FOUR FEET WIDE CHAFF FLOWER. NOW YOU GO DOWN THERE AND THERE'S ONE HERE, ONE THERE, ONE HERE, ONE THERE, AND YOU FIND JEWELWEED AND BLACK SNAKE ROOT AND ELEPHANT'S FOOT. IT'S JUST WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS, BUT WE DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THESE SEEDS ARE VIABLE. SO IT'S GOING TO TAKE MORE YEARS, BUT WE ARE IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL AND WE'LL KEEP PERSEVERING. WE'RE STARTING OUR FIFTH WINTER OF CUTTING ENGLISH IVY OFF OF TREES AND PULLING IT UP FROM THE GROUND ONLY AFTER IT RAINS. WE HAVE BEEN WORKING IN THE PARK, THE ESTABLISHED PLAYGROUND AREA, PULLING IT UP THERE AND STRIPPING IT OFF. WE'RE GOING BACK DOWN MIDWAY ROAD NEXT THIS WEEKEND BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO DO IT EVERY THREE YEARS. IT KEEPS CLIMBING UP THE TREES. SO WE DO 25 PLUS FOREST RESTORATION SESSIONS A YEAR, WHICH IS BASICALLY EVERY OTHER WEEKEND. WE HAVE 85 COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON OUR MAILING LIST, AND IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS WE'VE PUT IN OVER 1000 VOLUNTEER HOURS. WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH EMORY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES, THE DECATUR HIGH SCHOOL, IVY LEAGUE ATLANTA GEOCACHERS, AND OUR GOAL FOR THIS COMING YEAR IS TO PARTNER WITH THE GEORGIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY AND HOPEFULLY, TREES ATLANTA TO GET ON THEIR FOREST RESTORATION SESSIONS. [03:20:01] NOW. I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF THE FRIENDS OF DECATUR CEMETERY. I'M IN CHARGE OF THE SALUTE TO VETERANS FLAG PROGRAM, AND WHEN I REALIZED THAT THE FRIENDS ARE UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF LEGACY DECATUR. I WENT, WELL, WHY CAN'T WE BE, TOO? SO THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TO GIVE YOU A FACT SHEET OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN ACCOMPLISHING AND I'M IN DISCUSSION WITH MADELINE HENNER TO SEE ABOUT THAT POSSIBILITY THIS COMING YEAR. SO I FIGURED IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW WHO I WAS, I'VE SENT YOU EMAILS. I KNOW YOU'RE BUSY. YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE RESPONDED, BUT THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER WALSH, FOR RESPONDING, AND YOU'LL HEAR FROM ME SOON AGAIN. JAPANESE [INAUDIBLE]. SO I DIDN'T WANT TO BRING THAT UP. I WENT OUT AND SPRAYED IT. IT'S THE ONLY THING WE EVER USE AN HERBICIDE ON, BUT I WON'T KNOW UNTIL SPRING HOW IT WENT, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOU DO. WE APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU FOR THIS UPDATE. SO IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT? ALL RIGHT, WE'LL CLOSE REQUESTS AND PETITIONS, AND I WILL READ THE PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA THAT. [X. Reports and Other Business.] MY IPAD IS I THINK A FEW PAGES THAT ARE CRASHING, SO LET ME SEE IF I CAN. OKAY. THE PLANNING COMMISSION WILL MEET IN THIS ROOM ON DECEMBER THE 12TH AT 7 P.M.. THEY HAVE NO NEW BUSINESS. THEY WILL APPROVE THEIR MINUTES FROM THEIR OCTOBER 10TH MEETING, AND THEN OTHER BUSINESS THAT WILL COME BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMISSION WILL BE DISCUSSION OF THE STORMWATER MASTER PLAN, POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS AND APPROVAL OF THEIR 2024 MEETING SCHEDULE SO THEY WILL NOT CONSIDER ANY NEW BUSINESS AT THEIR LAST MEETING OF THE YEAR. WE DO HAVE A RESOLUTION CONFIRMING CONFIRMING THE EXECUTIVE SESSION OF NOVEMBER THE 6TH. THE RESOLUTION R-23-AA STATES THAT THE CITY COMMISSION ENTERED INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION ON NOVEMBER 6TH FOR THE PURPOSE OF DISCUSSING LEGAL AND REAL ESTATE MATTERS. SO, DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTION R-23-AA SO MOVED. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND MOTION'S BEEN MADE AND SECONDED. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? THE CHAIR VOTES AYE, AND THE RESOLUTION IS APPROVED, AND NEXT WE'LL LOOK AT THE COMMUNITY RATING SYSTEM ANNUAL REPORT. I BELIEVE, MS. SCHARER. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS CARA SCHARER. I SERVE AS ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER OF PUBLIC WORKS. THE CITY PARTICIPATES IN FEMA'S COMMUNITY RATING SYSTEM, OR CRS PROGRAM. AS PART OF THE PROGRAM INVOLVES ACTIVITY 510 FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT PLANNING AND A REPORTING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION OF AN ANNUAL REPORT CONCERNING IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CITY'S PORTION OF THE COUNTY. MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN. THE. THE STATUS REPORT WILL BE SUBMITTED TO OUR INSURANCE SERVICES OFFICE OR ICO REPRESENTATIVE AS PART OF THE CITY CRS ANNUAL RE-CERTIFICATION PROGRAM DOCUMENTATION IN COMPLIANCE WITH THIS REQUIREMENT. WE HAVE THE STATUS REPORT THAT'S PROVIDED OR RECEIVED BY THE CITY COMMISSION PRIOR TO PROVIDING TO OUR ISO. A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE REPORT RELATIVE TO THE CITY'S ACTIONS AROUND THE MULTI JURISDICTION HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN, WHERE A LOCATION IS STORED AT FIRE STATION NUMBER ONE, JUST CONFIRMS THE CITY WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE PLAN AS MATCH FUNDING FROM AS AS FUNDING BECOMES AVAILABLE FOR THE PURCHASE OF FLOODPLAIN PROPERTIES, ESPECIALLY REPETITIVE LOSS PROPERTIES. RECENTLY, THIS OCCURRED FOR 4.75 LANDOVER DRIVE, WHERE THE FEMA GRANT PROVIDED 75% OF FUNDING AND WAS. THE CITY PROVIDED 25%. [03:25:03] ADDITIONALLY, THE CITY WILL CONTINUE TO IMPLEMENT THE STORMWATER MASTER PLAN ADOPTED IN 2020. PROJECTS ONGOING ARE AT BROWARD, MCLEAN PARK, AND CANDLER AND DAIRY DOWN IN SOUTH COLUMBIA. THOSE PROJECTS ARE ABOUT AT 50% COMPLETE AND ARE WORKING THROUGH TEMPORARY CONSTRUCTION EASEMENTS FOR EACH AFFECTED PARCEL ALONG THE CORRIDORS. ANY QUESTIONS? ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? I HAD ONE QUESTION ABOUT THE IMPLEMENTATION, WHERE IT SAYS CURRENT AND FUTURE STORM SEWER SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED. I KNOW SOME OF THESE PROJECTS ARE IN AN AREA WHERE THERE ARE SEWER UPGRADES GOING IN WITH THE COUNTY. ARE WE IN COMMUNICATION? DO WE KNOW? I DON'T WANT US TO HAVE TO TEAR SOMETHING OUT OR DO WE HAVE A CONTACT IN THE COUNTY THAT WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE NOT PUTTING IN A PROJECT, AND THE SEWER SYSTEM IS COMING IN? YES. BEHIND THAT AND YES AFFECTING WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH OUR STORMWATER MASTER PLAN OR OUR SIDEWALKS. YES. MISS ALIA JOHNSON WITH DEKALB COUNTY, I BELIEVE, IS LEADING THAT PROJECT IN SHOAL CREEK WATERSHED, WHICH IS A LARGE SANITARY SEWER UPSIZING, WHICH WILL HAVE A LARGE IMPACT ON THE WATERSHED IN THE SHORT TERM, BUT BETTER, BIG PICTURE, AND YES, WE DO HAVE A CONTACT WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT GETS IMPLEMENTED, IT DOESN'T CONFLICT WITH THE STORM SEWER IMPROVEMENTS. ALL RIGHT. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OTHER QUESTIONS. OKAY, AND THAT WAS JUST AN ANNUAL REPORT THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE ANY ACTION. CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. THANK YOU. I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO THE CITY MANAGER, AND I THINK THERE ARE JUST TWO STAFF REPORTS THAT I'M AWARE OF. I'M GOING TO CALL ON MISS THREADGILL TO MAKE AN INTRODUCTION. YES, I ACTUALLY HAVE TWO ANNOUNCEMENTS. ONE IS THE INTRODUCTION, BUT IF I MAY START WITH THE OTHER ONE TODAY BEING MONDAY THE 27TH. THIS MARKS THE LAST DAY OF OUR PILOT PROGRAM OF THE GO CIRCULATOR SHUTTLE. WE HAD STARTED THAT IN, I BELIEVE, APRIL OR MAY EARLIER THIS YEAR AND HAVE CONTINUED IT THROUGH TODAY WE DO ANTICIPATE BRINGING BACK A REPORT TO THE CITY COMMISSION, PROBABLY QUARTER ONE OF 2024, THAT HAS EVALUATED THIS CIRCULATOR PROGRAM, BUT ALSO LOOKS AT OTHER TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS THAT WE CAN INVEST IN AND MAKE SOMETHING MORE PERMANENT, BUT WE DO ANTICIPATE BRINGING THAT BACK BEFORE YOU. MY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENT, WHICH I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT, IS WE HAVE HIRED OUR NEW LIFELONG COMMUNITY PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE CITY. HER NAME IS JULIE SMITH. SHE COMES TO US WITH 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND MOST RECENTLY, HAVING WORKED WITH THE TASK FORCE FOR GLOBAL HEALTH. SHE IS A DECATUR RESIDENT, AND SHE ALSO HAS A MASTER'S IN URBAN POLICY FROM THE GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY. IN THE FIRST SEVERAL MONTHS, SHE WILL BE WORKING WITH OUR LIFELONG COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD ON THE INITIATIVES AND TASK AND GOALS THAT ARE IN THE AGE FRIENDLY COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN. IN FACT, THIS IS HER FIRST DAY AND SHE JUST TONIGHT MET THE LIFELONG COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD AT THEIR MONTHLY MEETING. SO SHE'S ALREADY HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING. SHE WILL ALSO BE MANAGING THE DECATUR HOUSING TRUST FUND POLICIES AND PROCEDURES. THAT PROGRAM, I BELIEVE BACK IN AUGUST, THE CITY COMMISSION APPROVED THOSE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES. SO SHE'S GOING TO BE MANAGING THAT PROCESS. SHE'LL ALSO BE ASSISTING WITH THE ANNUAL SEASON OF GIVING PROGRAM. THINGS ARE UNDERWAY THIS WEEK AND NEXT WEEK, SO SHE'LL GET TO BE WORKING WITH THAT CORE VOLUNTEER GROUP, AND THEN SHE'LL ALSO BE WORKING WITH THE MARTIN LUTHER KING SERVICE PROJECT BOARD AND BEING A CITY LIAISON TO THAT PROJECT. THAT, OF COURSE, HAPPENS IN JANUARY, AND THEN ALSO SHE WILL BE WORKING ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CITY'S STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS RELATED TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING ALONGSIDE THE DECATUR LAND TRUST. SO SHE'LL BE JOINING US NEXT WEEK FOR THAT BOARD MEETING, BUT SHE HAS A BUSY SCHEDULE OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, AND JULIE, YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME UP AND ADD ANYTHING. [03:30:03] SAY HELLO. JUST HELP ME GIVE HER A WARM WELCOME. WE WANT HER TO COME BACK TOMORROW. THANK YOU SO MUCH, ANGELA, AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE AND MEET EVERYONE ALTHOUGH I MET A SUBSET OF YOU IN THE KITCHEN A FEW MOMENTS AGO. I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO USING THE SKILLS THAT I'VE LEARNED IN PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS, AND ADVOCACY TO HELP THE CITY OF DECATUR, WHICH IS JUST SORT OF A LIFELONG PASSION OF MINE. I'VE BEEN A FULLY ADULT RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF DECATUR SINCE FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS. I DON'T WANT TO GET TOO MUCH MORE SPECIFIC. GIVE AWAY THE AGE. [CHUCKLING] I KNOW. I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH EVERYONE. ALL RIGHT. WELCOME, WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE YOU HERE. SO, AND THEN MR. JUNGER. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS. DAVID JUNGER, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER. SPEND A LOT OF TIME DURING THE COURSE OF A WORKDAY TALKING ABOUT TRAFFIC AND TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT AND TRAFFIC ENGINEERING AND ROAD DESIGNS. SINCE NOVEMBER THE 6TH, BEEN SPENDING EVEN MORE TIME FOCUSING ON THOSE EFFORTS, AS WELL AS STUDYING THE PETITION THAT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED. I WAS COPIED ON THE CALM DECATUR PETITION THAT WEEK. DECATUR HAS GOT A LONG HISTORY OF DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IS IN SUPPORT OF THE GOALS OUTLINED IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, THE COMMUNITY TRANSPORTATION PLAN, IN ADDITION TO MANY PROJECTS WHICH HAVE BEEN COMPLETED. THE CITY IS ACTIVELY WORKING ON PROJECTS INTERNALLY OR WITH OTHER AGENCIES, SUCH AS THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, IN FURTHERANCE OF ESTABLISHING SAFE AND EFFICIENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS, WHICH EMPHASIZE THE CONCEPT OF COMPLETE STREETS, WHICH IS A TRANSPORTATION NETWORK THAT PROVIDES SAFE AND EFFICIENT MOBILITY TO ALL USERS THROUGH IDENTIFICATION OF PEDESTRIAN, BICYCLIST, PUBLIC TRANSIT, AND VEHICLE MOBILITY IMPROVEMENTS. AS LISTED THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY TRANSPORTATION PLAN. A BALANCED APPROACH IS ALWAYS OUR GOAL. EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED TONIGHT, FROM CHANGING SPEED LIMITS TO SIGNS TO TRAFFIC SIGNAL MODIFICATIONS TO. ENFORCEMENT AND PUBLIC EDUCATION. IT REQUIRES ALL OF THOSE ITEMS GOING TO TAKE THE COOPERATION OF ALL OF US WE SEEK TO ENGAGE WITH THE CALM DECATUR GROUP, AS WELL AS OTHERS TO ASSIST US IN THESE EFFORTS. AS YOU ALL KNOW, MANY OF THE STREETS THAT THIS CALM DECATUR GROUP IS INTERESTED IN OUR STATE ROUTES AND MANAGED BY THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, WHICH MEANS THAT OUR ABILITY TO IMPLEMENT TRAFFIC CONTROL MEASURES IS LIMITED, OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO INVOLVE THE GEORGIA DOT. HAVING SAID THAT, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, AT LEAST ON A MONTHLY BASIS. WE CONTINUE TO HOLD OUR MONTHLY MEETINGS WITH GDOT, WHERE WE DISCUSS PROJECTS THAT ARE ON CITY STREETS, AS WELL AS THE STATE ROUTES. THOSE PROJECTS HAVE RESULTED IN A VARIETY OF IMPROVEMENTS, SOME OF WHICH HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED TONIGHT, INCLUDING MANY OF THE IMPROVEMENTS ALONG THE SOUTH CANDLER STREET CORRIDOR, AS WELL AS IMPROVEMENTS ON STATE ROUTE 155 CLAREMONT AVENUE, AS WELL AS STATE ROUTE, EXCUSE MY I CAN'T REMEMBER, SCOUT BOULEVARD TEN? EIGHT. TEN. STATE ROUTE EIGHT. ANYWAY, I'M IN THE SAME PLACE. TEN. EIGHT. WHATEVER. ANYWAY. MINOR IMPROVEMENTS THROUGH THAT CORRIDOR BUT WE DID RECEIVE FUNDING, AND WE HAVE NOW COMPLETED TWO PROJECTS TO INSTALL PEDESTRIAN HYBRID BEACONS ON THAT CORRIDOR. FROM THE WORK THAT WE HAVE COMPLETED, WORKED WITH GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. THERE IS AN ONGOING DESIGN PROJECT FOR STATE ROUTE TEN, WHICH IS COLLEGE AVENUE FROM ARCADIA TO SOUTH CANDLER STREET, WHICH INCLUDES CONCEPTS CONSISTENT WITH THE COMPLETE STREETS POLICY, WHICH INCLUDES LOOKING AT THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ALL MODES OF TRANSPORTATION. THE PLAN, PRELIMINARY PRELIMINARILY, IS VERY CONSISTENT WITH WORK DONE BY CITY STAFF. BACK IN THE DAYS WHERE WE DID A TRANSPORTATION STUDY PREPARING FOR THE OPENING OF A NEW TALLEY STREET UPPER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHICH INCLUDED MAKING [03:35:06] IMPROVEMENTS TO THE INTERSECTION AT COLLEGE AVENUE AND COMMERCE DRIVE, SOUTH EAST COLLEGE, AND COMMERCE DRIVE. WHICH INCLUDED INSTALLING LEFT TURN SIGNALS AT THE INTERSECTION, AS WELL AS A CYCLE TRACK ON COLLEGE AVENUE, NARROWING THE ROAD, REDUCING THE NUMBER OF VEHICLE LANES, AND IMPROVING THE PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE. THAT PROJECT IS IN DESIGN. HOW LONG HAS TALLEY STREET SCHOOL BEEN IN PLACE? AND GDOT HAS NOW INCLUDED THAT, AND IT HAS A PROJECT NUMBER ASSIGNED TO IT, AND SO IN TERMS OF WORKING WITH GDOT, THIS IS MOVING VERY QUICKLY. IT'S GOT A LOT OF SUPPORT. THE SUPPORT OF SAM HARRIS, WHO'S IN THE SAFETY OFFICE, IS VERY SUPPORTIVE AND I ANTICIPATE INFORMATION WILL BE COMING OUT. I'M HOPING IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2024. IF NOT, MAYBE THE SECOND QUARTER OF 2024 REGARDING A PUBLIC INFORMATION OPEN HOUSE, THAT WILL BE THE FIRST TIME THOSE PRELIMINARY PLANS ARE SHOWN TO THE COMMUNITY FOR FEEDBACK. IT WILL BE IMPACTFUL. THERE WILL BE RESTRICTIONS ON TURNING MOVEMENTS OFF OF SIDE STREETS IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT CORRIDOR SAFER, AND SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO PUSH GDOT TO MOVE THAT PROJECT FORWARD. OVER THE YEARS WE'VE BEEN TRACKING OUR PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, AND I KNOW I'M PREACHING TO THE CHOIR, AND I KNOW THAT YOU ALL HAVE PROBABLY HEARD OF A LOT OF THESE THINGS. NOT EVERYBODY IN OUR COMMUNITY MAY BE AWARE, BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS MAY PREDATE THEM LIVING IN THE CITY OF DECATUR, BUT STREETSCAPES PROJECTS STARTED BACK IN 1995, AND THE PURPOSE OF THOSE STREETSCAPE PROJECTS WERE TO IMPROVE ACCESSIBILITY AND SAFETY FOR PEDESTRIANS AND TO REDUCE CONFLICTS BETWEEN PEDESTRIANS AND MOTORISTS. THOSE IMPROVEMENTS WERE MADE IN THE PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY. THEY INCLUDED NEW SIDEWALKS, CROSSWALKS, CURB RAMPS, STREET TREES, PEDESTRIAN LIGHTING, BENCHES, SIGNAGE, TRASH RECEPTACLES, ETCETERA. THIS ALSO INCLUDED DEVELOPING AND ADOPTING STREETSCAPE STANDARDS THAT WERE REQUIRED FOR PRIVATE DEVELOPMENTS IN THE DOWNTOWN DECATUR AREA, WHICH INCLUDED TOWN SQUARE WHEN TOWN SQUARE WAS REDEVELOPED, DECATUR RENAISSANCE, 335 WEST PONCE DE LEON, ETCETERA. THAT WAS A LOT OF IT CAME OUT OF THAT PHASE ONE PROJECT WORK IN THE EARLY IN THE MID 90S. PHASE TWO AND THREE INCLUDED ALL OF WEST PONCE DE LEON CHURCH STREET SOUTH OF PONCE, WEST TRINITY BETWEEN CHURCH STREET AND MCDONOUGH STREET. WE'VE ALSO COMPLETED THE NORTH MCDONOUGH STREETSCAPE. WE'VE ALSO COMPLETED THE RAILROAD CROSSING IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AT CANDLER AND MCDONOUGH ALONG. STATE ROUTE TEN. WE'VE COMPLETED NUMEROUS NEIGHBORHOOD SIDEWALK PROJECTS. AS WELL AS SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL PROJECTS. IN 2011, WEST PONCE DE LEON AVENUE ROAD DIET PROJECT. WHICH PROVIDED TRAFFIC CALMING ELEMENTS ALONG WEST PONCE DE LEON BETWEEN WEST TRINITY AND THE WESTERN CITY LIMITS. WE REDUCED THE VEHICLE, REDUCED FROM TWO VEHICLE LANES TO ONE VEHICLE TRAVEL LANE IN EACH DIRECTION, WITH BIKE LANES IN EACH DIRECTION AND BULB OUTS WITH CROSSWALKS AT INTERSECTIONS, AND ALSO INCLUDED ON STREET PARKING PROVISIONS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STREETS. WE ALSO HAVE COMPLETED OAKHURST STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENT. MAJOR GOAL OF THE PROJECT INCLUDED IMPROVING PEDESTRIAN ACCESSIBILITY AND SAFETY THROUGHOUT THE OAKHURST VILLAGE WITH WIDER SIDEWALKS, OUTDOOR SEATING AREAS, IMPROVED CROSSWALKS, ADDITIONAL ON STREET PARKING, STREETLIGHTS, STREET TREES, BENCHES, BIKE RACKS, AND LITTER CONTAINERS. IN 2023, THE CITY COMMISSION ADOPTED ORDINANCE O-13-01, WHICH AMENDED CHAPTER 98 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES TO RESTRICT VEHICLES FROM USING MARKED BICYCLE LANES. PRIOR TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WEST PONCE DE LEON AVENUE, THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. ONCE THAT PROJECT HAD A COUPLE OF YEARS UNDER ITS BELT AND WE OBSERVED TRAFFIC AND THE BEHAVIOR OF DRIVERS, WE REALIZED THAT WE NEEDED A NEW ORDINANCE TO MAKE THAT AREA A LITTLE SAFER, AND SO YOU ALL ADOPTED THAT ORDINANCE IN ORDER TO HELP US BE MORE EFFECTIVE IN OUR ENFORCEMENT. WE'VE ALSO COMPLETED IMPROVEMENTS TO CROSSWALKS ON SOUTH CANDLER STREET AT EAST PHARR ROAD, TRAFFIC LANE RECONFIGURATIONS WIDEN THE EDGE STRIPING THAT WAS ALL [03:40:03] COMPLETED IN 2016. THAT CONTINUES TO BE A WORK IN PROGRESS. AS WE ALL KNOW, WE HAVE A BLOCK FROM MIDWAY TO THE CITY LIMITS THAT NEEDS FURTHER WORK. MODIFICATION ENHANCEMENTS AN INCREASE OF THE LENGTH OF THE SCHOOL ZONE FOR WINNONA PARK ELEMENTARY WERE COMPLETED IN 2016, I KNOW THERE HAS BEEN SOME RECENT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT. AGAIN, THOSE EFFORTS WERE THE RESULT OF A LOT OF DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS WITH THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. WE'VE INSTALLED ANOTHER PEDESTRIAN HYBRID BEACON ON SOUTH CANDLER AT EAST DAVIS IN 2017. THAT'S CONSISTENT WITH SOME COMMENTS MADE EARLIER ABOUT IMPROVEMENTS THAT WERE MADE AT MIDWAY. AT THE SAME TIME. AS YOU ALL WILL CRAWL BACK IN 2022, YOU ALL APPROVED A CONTRACT FOR REPAIRING THE SIDEWALKS ALONG THE ENTIRE STRETCH OF SOUTH CANDLER STREET FROM COLLEGE AVENUE TO THE CITY LIMITS. THAT WORK WAS COMPLETED. 2019, THE COMMERCE DRIVE CYCLE TRACK WORK WAS DONE ON. THIS PARTICULAR SEGMENT RUNS WEST FROM THE INTERSECTION OF NORTH MCDONOUGH STREET AND WEST TRINITY PLACE TO COMMERCE DRIVE, THEN NORTH AND NORTHEAST ON COMMERCE TO ITS INTERSECTION WITH CLAREMONT. THAT WAS THE FIRST PROJECT COMPLETED FROM THE DECATUR PATH CONNECTIVITY PLAN. THE PROJECT CREATED A PROTECTED CYCLE TRACK WHILE ALLOWING COMMERCE DRIVES FOUR LANE CONFIGURATIONS TO BE RETAINED FROM WEST PONTS TO CLAREMONT. COMMERCE DRIVE, CHURCH STREET CYCLE TRACK AND KNOW YOU ALL ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THAT ONE. WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT OBSERVING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THAT NEW PROJECT. THE PROJECT INCLUDED INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS TO REDUCE CROSSING DISTANCES, ELIMINATE VEHICLE SLIP LANES AT CLAREMONT COMMERCE, AS WELL AS CHURCH AND COMMERCE, PERMANENTLY REDUCING CHURCH STREET TO TWO VEHICLE LANES, NEW WIDER SIDEWALKS, ONE WAY CYCLE TRACK, ALSO KNOWN AS A PROTECTED BIKE LANE ON EACH SIDE OF COMMERCE AND CHURCH STREET. IT INCLUDED PLANTING OF NEW TREES ALONG CHURCH STREET, WHICH WILL TURN THAT CORRIDOR INTO A TRUE, BEAUTIFUL PARKWAY. THE PROJECT EXTENDS THE COMMERCE DRIVE CYCLE TRACK ALL THE WAY TO THE NORTHERN CITY LIMITS, NEAR FAULKNER DRIVE AND MEDLOCK. I ALSO MADE A NOTE. I WON'T GO INTO IT ANY FURTHER. THE TRAFFIC CALMING PROJECTS AT COVENTRY ROAD IN SOUTH MCDONOUGH STREET. STAFF WORKED VERY HARD TO TAKE PETITIONS SUBMITTED TO THE CITY OF DECATUR. TAKE AN APPROACH THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO KIND OF CALL QUICK RESPONSE PROJECTS, UNDERSTANDING THE GOALS AND EVERYTHING THAT'S OUTLINED IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN AS WELL THE COMMUNITY TRANSPORTATION PLAN, AND TURN INTO A TURN THOSE INTO RECOMMENDATIONS IN A TIMELY FASHION THAT DON'T TAKE YEARS AND YEARS TO IMPLEMENT, BUT AS YOU ALL ARE WELL AWARE, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT HAS BECOME A VERY INTEGRAL PART IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND SOMETIMES THAT DOES TEND TO SLOW THOSE PROJECTS. SO WE DO TAKE THE TIME TO LISTEN TO THE INPUT AND FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY TO HOPEFULLY MAKE A BETTER PROJECT. BUT JUST AS WE ALL UNDERSTAND, THOSE DO TAKE TIME. TAKE TIME TO HOLD AND PREPARE FOR THOSE MEETINGS, AS WELL AS TO DIGEST AND SUMMARIZE THE INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM THOSE MEETINGS, AND THEN ALLOW THAT TO HELP GUIDE AND INFORM OUR RECOMMENDATION AND DESIGNS. NORTH DECATUR ROAD IS ANOTHER, LARGER EXAMPLE OF THAT. I WON'T GO INTO ANY MORE DETAILS. I THINK YOU ALL ARE PRETTY FAMILIAR WITH WHERE THAT ONE IS. WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS. WE HAVE A MEETING SCHEDULED NEXT MONTH ON THAT ONE THAT WILL HOPEFULLY LEAD TO THE NEXT PUBLIC INFORMATION OPEN HOUSE IN FIRST QUARTER OF 24. AS YOU ALL ARE ALSO AWARE, IN 2018, DECATUR RESIDENTS CAME TOGETHER TO IMPROVE SAFETY, ACCESS AND COMFORT FOR PEDESTRIANS, CYCLISTS AND MOTORISTS ALONG THE WEST HOWARD AVENUE CORRIDOR. THE RESULT WAS THE REIMAGINED WEST HOWARD PLAN. IMPLEMENTATION. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN INCLUDED AN INTERIM PHASE WHEREIN A LOWER COST INFRASTRUCTURE, THE FAMOUS OR INFAMOUS PLANTERS, COULD BE DEPLOYED TO PROVE THE PLAN'S THEORETICAL LONG-TERM AMBITIONS THAT A TWO-LANE CONFIGURATION IS SUFFICIENT FOR THE VOLUME OF TRAFFIC EACH DAY, THAT SHORTER CROSSING DISTANCES CAN ENHANCE SAFETY FOR [03:45:01] PEDESTRIANS AND THE DISABLED, AND THAT VEHICLE SPEEDS CAN BE REDUCED TO BETTER ACCOMMODATE ALL USERS. IN SEPTEMBER 2021, THE CITY COMMISSION APPROVED THE PLANNING PROJECT PLANNING FOR THIS PROJECT IN ACCORDANCE WITH. I'M SORRY, I SKIPPED A SECTION BASICALLY THE REIMAGINED 2.0 AND THAT PROJECT IS CONTINUES TO BE UNDERWAY AS WELL AS WORKING. IN COORDINATION WITH THE RAILROAD CROSSING IMPROVEMENTS AT ATLANTA AVENUE. AS WELL AS THE ADAIR STREET TRAFFIC CALMING. UM, PROJECT, WHICH I BELIEVE YOU WILL SEE THE RECOMMENDATIONS AT A AT THE NEXT MEETING, DECEMBER 4TH. THE 2023 CITY BUDGET ALSO INCLUDES FUNDING FOR TRAFFIC CALMING ON ADAIR STREET, WHICH AGAIN, YOU WILL SEE THAT, AND IT INCLUDES A VARIETY OF THINGS LIKE RAISED CROSSWALKS. ON STREET PARKING. AGAIN, FOR CREATING A CHICANE EFFECT ON THE STREET. SOME DO NOT BLOCKS BLOCK THE BOX. PAVEMENT TREATMENTS TO BE INSTALLED ON WEST PONCE DE LEON AT ADAIR. INTENTION OF DRAWING MORE ATTENTION TO THAT INTERSECTION AND THE CROSSINGS THAT ARE GOING TO BE MADE AVAILABLE THERE. SHARROWS. THOSE ARE THE ON STREET SHARED. SHARE THE ROAD PAVEMENT MARKINGS TO HELP ACCOMMODATE CYCLIST. FOR THE ENTIRE STRETCH OF IT. AIR, NEW TRAFFIC CONTROL SIGNAGE, AND ADDITIONAL STREETLIGHTS AT KEY LOCATIONS. WANTED TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE WAS AWARE THAT THE DECATUR POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN WORKING FOR QUITE SOME TIME ON IMPLEMENTING THE AUTOMATED SCHOOL ZONE SPEED ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM, WHICH WE ANTICIPATE BEING COMPLETED IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 24. THAT PROJECT HAD LAYERS OF HURDLES THAT HAD TO BE OVERCOME, INCLUDING HAD TO BE SIGNED OFF AND APPROVED BY NOT ONLY OUR LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, BUT THEN ULTIMATELY HAD TO GO TO THE STATE TO BE APPROVED. ONCE THAT WAS RECEIVED, THEN THERE WAS ALSO ANOTHER LAYER OF APPROVALS THAT WERE REQUIRED AS IT RELATES TO ACQUIRING THE NECESSARY PERMITS TO INSTALL THE HARDWARE AT BOTH A LOCAL LEVEL AT THE CITY AS WELL AS AT THE STATE LEVEL WITH THE DOT. SO, WE ANTICIPATE THOSE BEING COMPLETED IN 2020. ALSO, SOMETHING THAT THE CITY IS BEGINNING, AND I'M VERY MUCH APPRECIATIVE OF MS. CARRIE SHERRY, WHO'S HERE TONIGHT AND THE WORK THAT SHE IS DOING AND CONTINUES TO DO. SHE'S BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN ACQUIRING FUNDS FOR SAFE STREETS FOR ALL ACTION PLAN, WHICH WE ANTICIPATE STARTING ANY TIME NOW. WE'RE WORKING ON IDENTIFYING CONSULTANT FOR THE PROJECT, AND WE HOPE TO HAVE IT COMPLETED BY 2025. SOME OF THE TYPES OF CONVERSATIONS THAT WE WILL BE HAVING AS PART OF THE SAFE STREETS FOR ALL WILL BE SOME POLICY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE PRIORITIZE AND EVALUATE THE WORK, AS SHE'S ALREADY DESCRIBED TONIGHT EARLIER IN THE CONVERSATION, BUT DISCUSSIONS ABOUT HOW WE ESTABLISH SPEED LIMITS. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE ENGINEERING STANDARDS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO BE MET IN ORDER TO LOWER THOSE SPEED LIMITS. THE CITY HAS ALWAYS, I THINK, TAKING AN APPROACH THAT IS CREATIVE AND I THINK CHALLENGES THE STANDARDS AND STATUS QUO TO MAKE EFFECTIVE CHANGE. WHICH IS PART OF WHERE I THINK WE ARE GOING TO BE GOING IN THE FUTURE. MODIFICATIONS TO ROADWAY DESIGN, WHICH ENCOURAGES SLOWER DRIVING. WE BELIEVE THAT TO HAVE THE GREATEST IMPACT ON ROAD SAFETY. ONCE THOSE PHYSICAL IMPROVEMENTS HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED, THE PROCESS WOULD INCLUDE PERFORMING AN ENGINEERING TO STUDY AND DETERMINE THE SUCCESS OF THOSE IMPROVEMENTS, MUCH LIKE MS. CHAIR HAS ALREADY SPOKEN EARLIER. THIS DATA WOULD THEN SUPPORT A REQUEST TO LOWER THE SPEED, POSTED SPEED LIMITS, AND ALLOW THE ENFORCEMENT BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. IF YOU DON'T FOLLOW SOME PROCESS TO MAKE THOSE WARRANTS AND JUSTIFICATIONS, THEN YOU CAN CHANGE THE SPEED LIMIT SIGN TO ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE WITH NO ENFORCEMENT ABILITY OF THOSE SPEED LIMITS. THE ENGINEERING REPORT WOULD NOT ONLY INCLUDE THE CALCULATION OF THE 85TH PERCENTILE, WHICH IS CURRENTLY REQUIRED, BUT THE CITY WOULD ALSO INCLUDE OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. SUPPORT THE REQUEST TO LOWER THE SPEED LIMIT. CONSISTENT WITH CONVERSATIONS WE'VE RECENTLY HAD WITH GDOT, AS WELL AS THE SOUTH CANDLER [03:50:06] STREET GROUP IS, YOU KNOW, HOW WELL WE CAN ARTICULATE THE RESIDENTIAL NATURE OF OUR STREETS AND THE CRITICALNESS OF OUR PEDESTRIANS AND FOR SAFE ROUTES. MUCH AS TO SOMEBODY ELSE DESCRIBED EARLIER IN THIS CONVERSATION FOR THE EIGHT-YEAR-OLD AND THE 80-YEAR-OLD, AND SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE THOSE CASES. ADDITIONALLY, I'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED THE MONTHLY MEETINGS WITH GDOT AS. AS OUR PETITIONERS HAVE NOTED, THE CITY HAS BEEN BUILDING FOR SAFER CROSSWALKS, SIDEWALKS, AND PATHS. THE CITY IS COMMITTED TO CONTINUING THIS WORK IN ADDITION TO THE CURRENT TRAFFIC CALMING WORK EACH YEAR DURING THE STREET RESURFACING PROJECTS. THE CITY NOT ONLY IMPROVES THE STREET, BUT ALSO IMPROVES THE SIDEWALKS AND CROSSWALKS ON THE ENTIRE CORRIDOR. THIS YEAR, IN ADDITION TO THE RESURFACING WORK, OUR WORK INCLUDES THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE OTHER TRAFFIC CALMING IMPROVEMENTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AS WELL AS THE SIDEWALKS ON ALL STREETS. LASTLY, THE CITY WILL CONTINUE THE EDUCATION ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS. WE UNDERSTAND THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BROUGHT UP ENFORCEMENT TONIGHT. ENFORCEMENT? IT'S WE'VE TALKED TO A LOT OF PROFESSIONALS ABOUT THE APPROACH, AND LIKE I STARTED THE CONVERSATION. I BELIEVE A BALANCED IS APPROACH. A BALANCED APPROACH IS WHAT WE NEED TO TAKE. NOT FOCUSING IN EXCESS ON ANY ONE OF THE AREAS, BECAUSE THERE'S ALSO STUDIES THAT SHOW WITH EXCESSIVE ENFORCEMENT THAT TENDS TO CREATE A KNEE JERK REACTION ON THE PART OF MOTORIST, TOO, SO THAT'S NOT A SILVER BULLET IN IN RESOLVING OUR ISSUES AS WELL, BUT WE ARE GOING TO. EMBRACE ALL OF THESE ITEMS TO IMPROVE OUR SAFETY. IT WILL INCLUDE EDUCATION FOR MOTORISTS. WE ARE RESPONSIBLE. THE DRIVERS THAT GET BEHIND THE WHEELS OF THE VEHICLES IN THIS CITY NEED TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO DRIVE SMARTLY OUR STAFF AT PUBLIC WORKS HAS KIND OF TAKEN UPON THEMSELVES TO DRIVE 25 IT'S NOT ALWAYS MET WITH. SMILES AND NICE GESTURES, BUT WE'RE COMMITTED TO DOING OUR OWN ON THE JOB RESEARCH. WE'RE NOT ALWAYS GOING TO BE ABLE TO ENGINEER OUR WAY OUT OF THESE PROBLEMS. EDUCATION FOR MOTORISTS, PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS ALIKE. IT'S GOING TO BE A LARGE COMPONENT IN CREATING A SAFE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM. REGRETFULLY, ANY ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC CONTROL IMPROVEMENTS OR TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT. WOULD NOT HAVE PREVENTED THE TRAGIC ACCIDENTS THAT RESULTED IN THE RECENT SELFLESS FATALITY CRASH. IT WAS AN IRRATIONAL ACT BY SOMEONE THAT RESULTED IN A LOSS OF LIFE. OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT STAFF ARE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN DO TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PROSECUTION OF THE DRIVER AND THE JUDICIAL PROCESS RESULTS IN JUSTICE BEING SERVED. WE CAN ACCOUNT FOR PEOPLE DOING STUPID THINGS, BUT WE DO TRY TO HAVE CONSISTENT AND EVIDENT ENFORCEMENT, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH AND PUSH THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. FOR ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC CONTROL IMPROVEMENTS. ALL OF US SHARE YOUR CONCERNS AND ARE DEEPLY SADDENED BY THE LOSS. IN THIS RECENT TRAGIC INCIDENT. THIS IS NOT A COMPREHENSIVE PROJECT LIST, BUT RATHER A SUMMARY OF MANY OF THE PROJECTS EITHER COMPLETED. OR UNDERWAY TO IMPROVE SAFETY THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF DECATUR. HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANYTHING FURTHER? OKAY. COMMISSIONER DUSENBURY, I'LL START WITH YOU, SINCE YOU ARE JOINING US ONLINE THIS EVENING FOR CLOSING COMMENTS. OKAY. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SOFTBALL TEAM FOR THEIR CROSS-COUNTRY TEAM, AND I'M SURE THE SOFTBALL CROSS, THE SOFTBALL TEAM PROBABLY WENT BACK-TO-BACK TITLES TOO, AND JACK KITTLE. JUST SOME KUDOS TO THEM. I APPRECIATE VERY MUCH THE FOCUS OF THE END OF THE MEETING ON KIND OF SPACE DISTRICT SAFETY AND WHAT WE'RE DOING ACTUALLY A THEME THROUGHOUT THE MEETING. UM, AND APPRECIATE ALL THAT MR. [03:55:03] YOUNGER DID TO POINT OUT WHAT HE HAS BEEN DOING OVER THE LAST DECADE PLUS TO HELP MAKE OUR CITY MORE PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY. PLACE TO LIVE, BUT ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE CONCERNS THAT FOLKS HAVE. I THINK IT EXTENDS BEYOND. BEYOND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY, BUT JUST WITH WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING. I THINK EVER SINCE THE PANDEMIC AND GEORGE FLOYD AND, AND SOME OF THE INTERNATIONAL CHAOS THAT WE'RE SEEING THAT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING THEY'RE FEELING UNCOMFORTABLE AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR KIND OF STRUCTURE AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR TRUST IN THEIR INSTITUTIONS LIKE THE CITY OF DECATUR AND OUR GOVERNMENT HERE, AND I THINK THAT THIS IS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT TO EARN THAT TRUST, BUT TRUST IS SOMETHING YOU CONTINUE TO EARN EVERY DAY, AND I THINK THAT MR. JUNGER DID A GOOD JOB OF OUTLINING HOW WE'RE WORKING TO DO THAT IN THE TRANSPORTATION SPACE, BUT I JUST ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO STRIVE TO DO BETTER, AND ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO LEARN HERE MORE ABOUT, I BELIEVE I HEARD MR. JUNGER SAYING SOMETHING ABOUT THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF ENFORCEMENT, OR THAT THERE COULD BE SOME BACKLASH. SO, I'D LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE THAT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO ENFORCE THE LAWS THAT WE HAVE TO THAT IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT PART OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH HERE. SO, LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING THAT CONVERSATION, LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS, AND WITH THAT, I WILL CLOSE MY REMARKS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MAYER. THANK YOU. I'M SO GLAD YOU ALL STAYED. I REALLY, REALLY DO APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE THIS IS NOT EASY, AND AS A COMMUNITY, WE'RE STRUGGLING AND SUFFERING AND DEALING WITH A CHALLENGE THAT IS REALLY. THAT IS REALLY DAUNTING, AND WE ALL WANT TO FIX IT, AND SO I RECOGNIZE VERY CLEARLY THAT THE PETITION THAT WAS SUBMITTED BY DECATUR HAD THE BEST INTENTIONS. IT REALLY DID I GET THAT, BUT IT WAS ALSO INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS. WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE IS THAT. POLICING IS NOT EQUITABLE. ENFORCEMENT OF TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS IS NOT EQUITABLE, AND SO IT IS REALLY DIFFICULT TO SIT HERE IN THIS SEAT AND HEAR A REQUEST, A VERY STRONGLY WORDED PETITION THAT DEMANDED LAW ENFORCEMENT, ADDITIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TO TRY TO MITIGATE HARM WITH WHAT WE HAVE PROVEN AND SEEN IS ADDITIONAL HARM JUST TO OTHER PEOPLE. EQUITY IS WHEN A $400 TICKET TO YOU HAS THE SAME IMPACT AS A $400 TICKET TO SOMEONE WHO MAKES $16 AN HOUR, AND I GET THE CONCEPT THAT IF SOMEONE BREAKS A RULE THAT THEY SHOULD BE PUNISHED FOR IT, BUT THE PUNISHMENT SHOULD BE EQUITABLE, AND WE DON'T LIVE IN A SOCIETY WHERE POLICING IS SET UP THAT WAY, WHERE OUR ECONOMIC SYSTEM IS SET UP THAT WAY, WHERE THE IMPACTS ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE THE SAME FOR PEOPLE. AND WE ALSO STILL LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE TRAFFIC STOPS CAUSE DEATH TO PEOPLE WHO ARE DRIVING. WE HAVE NOT FIGURED OUT HOW TO MITIGATE PEOPLE, MAKING SURE THAT THEY GET HOME ALIVE FROM TRAFFIC STOPS, WHICH SHOULD NOT BE A DEATH SENTENCE. SO, AS I'M READING A PETITION THAT IS DEMANDING WHAT I KNOW WILL CAUSE HARM TO MY PEOPLE, TO PEOPLE OF COLOR. I AM AUTOMATICALLY ON THE DEFENSIVE BECAUSE MY KIDS WALK THESE STREETS, TOO. THERE ARE A FEW OF YOU IN THIS ROOM WHO MY KIDS AND YOUR KIDS HAVE BEEN IN SCHOOL SINCE PRE-K TOGETHER. YOU ALL KNOW MY BABY WALKS DOWN. YOU KNOW, COLLEGE EVEN THOUGH I TELL HIM NOT TO BECAUSE THE RISK FOR HIM IS HE COULD TAKE PATHS THAT GO BEHIND PEOPLE'S HOUSES IN THE DARK AS A 17-YEAR-OLD BLACK KID, OR HE CAN WALK DOWN A STREET THAT I KNOW IS DANGEROUS. I'D RATHER THEM WALK THE PATHS. THAT'S THE CHANCE WE TAKE MY KIDS SKATEBOARD, BIKE, WALK TO SCHOOL. MY SIX-YEAR-OLD RIDES A BIKE TO OAKHURST. THIS IS ALL OF OUR CONCERN, RIGHT? AND SO WHAT I REALLY, REALLY WANT CALM DECATUR TO DO IS TO EVALUATE. THE FACT THAT IF YOU REALLY ARE GOING TO STAND UP ON A PODIUM AND SAY THAT YOU CARE [04:00:02] ABOUT EQUITY, THAT YOU RECOMMEND EQUITABLE SOLUTIONS, AND IF EQUITY IS NOT A PRIORITY, THEN THAT LANGUAGE NEEDS TO BE REMOVED BECAUSE WE CAN'T TAKE, WE CAN'T GET CREDIT FOR SAYING THAT WE CARE ABOUT EQUITY AND TAKING ACTIONS. THAT OR MAKING DEMANDS OF THE CITY THAT WE KNOW IS GOING TO RESULT IN INEQUITY FROM ANOTHER SUBSET OF A VULNERABLE POPULATION. YOU ALL KNOW I'M EMOTIONAL AND ANIMATED, AND I CARE VERY DEEPLY ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY, INCLUDING CHILDREN, PEDESTRIANS, OF WHICH I AM. I WALK MORE THAN I DRIVE. I CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO WORK HERE AND SERVE OUR COMMUNITY THAT CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE HERE, AND I KNOW YOU DO, TOO, AND SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO RESTRUCTURE THIS CITY IN A WAY THAT IN THE FUTURE WE WILL HAVE SAFE STREETS, WE WILL HAVE PROTECTED SIDEWALKS, WE WILL HAVE PLACES FOR OUR KIDS TO RIDE THEIR BIKES WHERE WE HAVE LESS CONCERNS, BUT WE ARE A WE ARE A CITY THAT IS FILLED WITH HOPE AND THAT PRIORITIZES EQUITY IN THE DEEP SOUTH, WHERE SYSTEMS ARE STILL IN PLACE, THAT ARE NOT ALIGNED WITH MAKING SURE THAT ALL CITIZENS ARE TREATED EQUITABLY OR EQUALLY OR ARE PROTECTED, AND WE WANT TO BE A MODEL FOR OTHER COMMUNITIES, NOT JUST TO PRIORITIZE THOSE WHO ARE IN A POSITION OF PRIVILEGE, BUT THOSE WHO ARE ALSO NOT IN A POSITION OF PRIVILEGE, AND FIGURING OUT HOW TO BALANCE, MAKING SURE THAT WE CREATE SAFETY FOR ALL WITHOUT TAKING AWAY THE SAFETY OF SOME. REALLY WISH THAT I COULD HAVE JUST TALKED ABOUT HOW I LOVE HAPPY FEET, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT PRINCE WON HIS OSCAR FOR. FUN FACT THE SONG AT THE END OF HAPPY FEET WAS WHY PRINCE WON AN OSCAR. THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT TODAY, Y'ALL, BUT BUT NO, TRULY, THANK YOU FOR SITTING HERE ALL NIGHT WITH US, BECAUSE I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS YOUR PETITION. Y'ALL ARE MY NEIGHBORS. I CARE ABOUT Y'ALL. I CARE DEEPLY ABOUT YOUR KIDS. I CARE ABOUT THE FUTURE OF DECATUR. I LOVE MOST OF Y'ALL AND I, AND I WANT TO WORK WITH YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP THE STREETS SAFE, BUT I WANT TO KEEP EVERYBODY SAFE, TOO. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL FOR ME TODAY, MAYOR. THANK YOU FOR THE TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER WALSH. EXCELLENT MEETING TONIGHT. THANKS TO MY COLLEAGUES AND THE COMMUNITY. EVERYONE WHO'S ALSO STAYED THIS LATE FOR YOUR INSIGHTS, AND JUST IF YOU REMEMBER A LITTLE BIT EARLIER IN THIS MEETING, WE TALKED ABOUT THE CELL TOWER. LIKE BARELY REMEMBER THAT, BUT MY POINT IS, WE TAKE GREAT CARE IN KEEPING IN ALL THE TOPICS THAT COME BEFORE US, AND WE SPEND AS MUCH TIME AS NECESSARY TO TALK THEM THROUGH. I DON'T THINK WE ARGUE, BUT WE CAN TEST, WE ASK, WE QUERY, WE DECIDE, AND WE WORK TOGETHER. SO, I HOPE JUST EVEN TONIGHT'S MEETING WAS A CRUCIBLE FOR HOW THIS BODY, AND I BELIEVE THIS BODY BEFORE I WAS HERE, HAS WORKED FOR A VERY LONG TIME, WHICH HAS BEEN A LOT OF THE WORK THAT HAS SUPPORTED WHERE WE ARE TODAY WITH WALKABILITY, WHICH IS A VERY HIGH STANDARD. IN GENERAL, AND FOR GEORGIA. WE KNOW THAT GEORGIA AND THE SOUTH HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO, AND DECATUR HAS A LOT OF WORK TO DO, BUT I THINK WE HEARD EARLIER ABOUT ALL THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE TILL NOW THAT WE'RE BENEFITING FROM AND ENJOYING AND NOW ALSO CRITIQUING AND AUDITING AND SAYING, WHAT MORE CAN WE DO? AND THAT'S WHY I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE A GROUP LIKE COMM DECATUR, AND TO BE HERE TONIGHT WITH YOUR VARIOUS EXPERTISE AND INSIGHTS AND EXPERIENCES, AND ALSO AT THE BEGINNING SAY THAT YOU RECOGNIZE A LOT OF THIS INVESTMENT IN THIS INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE ALL USE, AND THAT'S NOT BECAUSE WE NEED TO BE SUPPLICATED OR PLACATED BECAUSE WE CAN TAKE A BEATING. THAT'S OKAY, BUT TO SHOW THAT YOU'RE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH US, I THINK TO ME THAT RECOGNITION IS AS YOU ARE SAYING, WE'LL MEET YOU. WE'LL MEET YOU SOMEWHERE OUT THERE IN THE MIDDLE, THAT RECOGNITION. SO, I VALUE THAT BECAUSE IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE STARTING FROM ZERO, AND PROBABLY MOST OF US IN THIS ROOM WOULD SAY WE MOVED HERE, OR WE STAY HERE AND WE LOVE IT HERE BECAUSE OF THIS WALKABILITY ATTRIBUTE. SO WHAT SADDENS ME, AND WE TALKED ABOUT IT AT THE VIGIL THE OTHER DAY, IS THAT I THINK WHAT I'M FEELING THAT WE'RE FEELING INTIMIDATED TO USE GOOD INFRASTRUCTURE THAT DOES EXIST BECAUSE OF A LOT OF THESE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AND THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NEED TO BE FURTHER CONTROLLED OR MEANING WITH ENGINEERING, WHICH HAS LIMITS WITH ENFORCEMENT, WHICH HAS LIMITS, AND THAT WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT HOW WE HAVE A [04:05:02] MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH. BUT SO, I THINK IT WAS A VERY CONSTRUCTIVE MEETING OF MINDS AND OPINIONS TONIGHT, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT, AND I KNOW NOW I KNOW REALLY KNOW AFTER TONIGHT THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD. I LEARNED A LOT IN PARTICULAR FROM A GREAT RECENT MEETING WITH KEN ROSE AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP THAT ANALOGY OF AN EIGHT-YEAR-OLD AND AN 80-YEAR-OLD, AND IT'S CRAZY THAT YOU SAID THAT. MY GRANDMOTHER RAISED ME THROUGH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND SHE COULD NOT DRIVE ANYMORE BY THE TIME I WAS ABOUT SEVEN. SO, I HAVE A LOT OF MEMORIES OF WALKING AROUND, AND I'LL FIGURE OUT MY AGE AT BEING EIGHT YEARS OLD WITH THE GRANDMOTHER WHO WAS 78, AND WE WALKED AND GOT HAIRCUTS AND WENT TO THE DRUGSTORE AND ALL THAT, AND SO WE OUTLIVE, OR WE OUTLAST OUR ABILITY TO BE A LICENSED DRIVER BY SEVEN YEARS. SO, IT'S ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO PLAN FOR AS A COMMUNITY, BECAUSE WE WANT EVERYONE TO AGE IN PLACE, THAT YOU'LL LIVE ANOTHER SEVEN YEARS AFTER YOU. IN A PERFECT WORLD, GIVE UP YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE. SO HOW DO WE GET AROUND SAFELY AS THAT VULNERABLE USER? WHICH I'M MUCH CLOSER TO THAT NOW, SO I GUESS I WANTED TO TOUCH ON THOSE THINGS. I THINK HOPEFULLY WE ALL LEAVE TONIGHT AND SAY WE'RE ALIGNED AND THAT WE'RE SHARING IN GOALS AROUND STAYING SAFE, AND I WANT TO PROTECT THIS CULTURE OF WALKABILITY BECAUSE IT IS PERISHABLE, AND THERE COULD BE A GAP HERE WHERE OUR LITTLEST ONES, WE DON'T CREATE THIS BRIDGE FOR THEM TO FEEL SAFE IN OUR GOOD INFRASTRUCTURE AND TO CONTINUE TO BE SAFE IN OUR IMPROVED INFRASTRUCTURE AS THEY COME THROUGH THE NEXT THE NEXT WAVE OF WALKERS AND BIKERS AND FOLKS AGING IN PLACE AS WE STAY IN OUR FAIR CITY. SO, THANKS FOR LETTING ME ELABORATE ON WHAT WE'RE ALL TRYING TO GET ACROSS HERE TONIGHT, AND I THINK THE PATH FORWARD IS THERE FOR US. I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE THE COALITION TO BROADEN ITSELF AND MAKE SURE YOU'RE WIDENING YOUR, YOUR FOOTPRINT AND, AND MAKING SURE THE WHOLE CITY IS INVOLVED FROM DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS AND DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS SO THAT IT REALLY REPRESENTS. ALL OF THIS HIGH INJURY NETWORK IS IT COVERS OUR WHOLE CITY. THERE ARE PAIN POINTS ON THE IN EVERY QUADRANT. SO, I THINK IF THE STAKEHOLDERS REPRESENT OUR VARIOUS NEIGHBORHOODS, THAT COMFORTS ME TOO, BECAUSE IT'S EYES ON THE GROUND, IT'S PEOPLE. USING THOSE INTERSECTIONS WILL BRING THE BEST TESTIMONIAL TO WHAT'S GOING ON. AND TO, LIKE I SAID, TO CROSS-POLLINATE WITH THOUGHT. I THINK THERE'S LOTS OF DIFFERENT. WE NEED SOMEONE WHO HAS A DIFFERENT LENS ON ENFORCEMENT, RIGHT? WE NEED SOMEONE WHO HAS ANOTHER LENS ON THE OLDEST USERS AND THE YOUNGEST USERS. SO, THINK ABOUT THAT AS YOU BUILD YOUR COALITION AND CONTINUE TO DO THE GOOD WORK WITH US. SO, WE TALKED ABOUT THE SAFE SYSTEM APPROACH. THAT'S OUR BASELINE. I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE GRANT THAT WE HAVE TO DO WORK ON IN THE NEXT YEAR, AND WE'LL ALWAYS BE THANKING YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE WITH WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO. SOME OF US HAVE RUN FOR OFFICE MORE THAN ONCE AND HAVING TO REESTABLISH THAT. WE STAND FOR THIS BECAUSE WE I SHOULDN'T SPEAK FOR YOU, MY COLLEAGUE. WE'VE BEEN CHALLENGED ON DECISIONS THAT ARE FOR PEDESTRIAN SAFETY, FOR TRAFFIC CALMING, AND THERE IS THERE ARE THERE CAN BE VOICES OUT THERE THAT DISAGREE WITH SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE ALL SAYING. WE THINK ARE A SLAM DUNK. THEY'RE JUST NOT FOR EVERYBODY. SO, I'M PROUD OF THE WORK THAT MR. JUNGER TALKED ABOUT WITH A LOT OF THE BIGGEST IMPROVEMENTS IN PARTICULAR, AND THE THINGS THAT WILL CONTINUE TO COME FROM THE 2018 PLAN, WHICH THREE OF US WERE ALSO PART OF APPROVING AND LOOK FORWARD TO ACCELERATING A LOT OF THE TENETS OF THAT WHICH VERY MUCH ALIGNED WITH YOUR PETITION. SO, THANK YOU FOR HEARING ME OUT, AND I HOPE EVERYBODY GETS TO SLEEP IN TOMORROW. OKAY. NOT ME. MAYOR PRO TEM. YEAH. SO WHERE DO I BEGIN? THANK YOU ALL FOR STAYING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR VERY POIGNANT COMMENTS, AND I LIKE TO SHARE A LITTLE STORY. I GOT HURT. I'VE BEEN DOING PT IN DOWNTOWN DECATUR. WAS LEAVING A PTA APPOINTMENT ONE DAY. 8:00. HEAD IT TO MY CHIROPRACTOR APPOINTMENT. DRIVING, GETTING READY TO HIT CLAREMONT, AND IT'S RUSH HOUR, AND IT'S ALSO. PEAK WALKING TIME, AND I WANT TO SHARE THIS STORY BECAUSE I THINK IT HAD BEEN ANYBODY ELSE BEHIND THE STEERING WHEEL. THERE HAD BEEN ANOTHER TRAGEDY GROUP OF KIDS. WALK RIGHT OUT IN FRONT OF ME. I HAVE THE LIGHT; I HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY. THEY ARE NOT PAYING ATTENTION. I LEARNED THIS LESSON AS A CHILD. BECAUSE I WAS ALMOST HIT BY A MARTA BUS ON THIRD AVENUE IN THE CITY OF DECATUR WHEN IT CAME DOWN. MY MOTHER GAVE ME VERY IMPLICIT INSTRUCTIONS ON WHAT TO DO, AND I'M NOT VICTIM SHAMING, BUT WHEN I WAS LITTLE, WE LEARNED THE FUNDAMENTALS OF BEING A PEDESTRIAN, AND I [04:10:09] THINK AT THE CORE OF A LOT OF OUR PROBLEMS IS WE HAVE. THIS SORT OF SEPARATION FROM WHEN WE LEARN DRIVER'S ED. WHAT WE TEACH OUR KIDS. WHAT THEY THINK THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO. SO, IT'S A SYSTEMS APPROACH. ALL THE SYSTEMS HAVE TO WORK RIGHT FOR EVERYBODY TO GET WHERE THEY'RE GOING. AND I ONLY SHARE THIS STORY BECAUSE I SEE IT ALL THE TIME. I CAN TELL YOU OF THE FIVE ELECTED OFFICIALS, I GET YELLED AT OR I GET CORNERED PROBABLY MORE THAN ANYBODY IN THIS CITY ABOUT IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE TO OUR PEDESTRIAN NETWORK. SO, I RE A THIRD TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE THINGS CONTINUE TO HAPPEN. I WILL STAND ON MY PRINCIPLE THAT WE WANT TO MAKE THIS A WALKABLE, VIABLE CITY FOR EVERYONE. KNOWING THAT THERE ARE ALSO CARS THAT ARE GOING TO COME INTO CONFLICT WITH OUR PEOPLE, THAT ARE WALKING AND BIKING. WE'VE RAISED OUR KIDS HERE, AND ONE OF THEM NOW TEACHES AND COACHES HERE. WE'RE IN THIS FOR THE LONG HAUL, AND IT IS A SYSTEM APPROACH. I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT ANOTHER KID BEING HIT OR ANOTHER PEDESTRIAN BEING HIT BECAUSE IT'S PERSONAL FOR US, AND IF YOU DON'T THINK IT IS. TRUST ME, IT IS BECAUSE WE WEAR THAT, AND SO WITH EACH ACTION, WE ALSO WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE STAND WITH YOU AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO OUR PART, BUT WE ALL HAVE TO DO OUR PART, AND COMMISSIONER MAYER. RIGHT. THERE'S A VERY DIFFERENT LENS, A VERY, VERY DIFFERENT LENS THAT MANY PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO TALK ABOUT WITH THEIR KIDS, ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GET STOPPED. OR WALKING THROUGH THE WRONG NEIGHBORHOOD. OR JUST BEING BLACK. SO, IT'S BEEN A GREAT CONVERSATION. WE NEED TO HAVE THEIR HARD AND THEIR DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS, BUT ALWAYS KNOW THERE'S ANOTHER SIDE OF THAT LENS. WE ALL TRY TO BALANCE THAT THE BEST WE CAN WITH THE RESOURCES WE HAVE. WE HAVE. KNOWING THAT THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT SAY, WELL, WHY ARE Y'ALL DOING THAT? SO, THANK YOU ALL. I MEAN, IT REALLY IS ONE OF THOSE, AS COMMISSIONER WALSH WOULD SAY, CONTENT RICH MEETING. THIS WAS A VERY CONTENT RICH MEETING, AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WAS SAID, AND WE'VE DONE A LOT OF THINGS. YOU'VE HEARD THE LIST. I MEAN, I'VE LIVED THROUGH A LOT OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE, AND WE STAND BY IT BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. PEOPLE MOVE HERE BECAUSE WE ARE CLOSE TO MARTA. WE ARE WALKABLE. WE ARE BIKE FRIENDLY, BUT WE ALSO CARE ABOUT EACH OTHER, AND WE CAN HAVE A MEETING LIKE THIS. WHERE? AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE LOVE MOST OF YOU STEALING OUR WORK, BUT THERE YOU GO, BUT THANK YOU ALL. WE APPRECIATE IT. I CONTINUE TO DO THIS WORK, AND JUST ANOTHER LITTLE STORY ABOUT EIGHT AND 80. I WAS SITTING HERE THINKING. THAT'S WHY WE HAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING INITIATIVES. THAT'S WHY WE'VE PUT A MANDATORY INCLUSIONARY ZONING ORDINANCE IN OUR BUILDING CODE AND OUR CODE OF ORDINANCES, BECAUSE I WANT TO SEE THAT EIGHT-YEAR-OLD AND THAT 80-YEAR-OLD BECAUSE ON THE PATH WE'RE GOING, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SEE THAT. SO, ALL THESE THINGS, AS I SAID IN THE BEGINNING, THEY'RE CONNECTED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU FOR PASSIONATELY CARING ABOUT OUR CITY WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK HARD. I HOPE YOU ALL HAD A FABULOUS THANKSGIVING READY FOR THE HOLIDAYS BECAUSE WE WANT THEM TO BE SAFE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. I PROMISE I'LL GET US OUT IN LESS THAN EIGHT MINUTES. SO, WE'LL STILL BE ON THE SAME DAY AS WE BEGAN THE MEETING. SO, I APPRECIATE THE INPUT. I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU COMING AND SHARING YOUR CONCERNS. I THINK BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING WHERE WE RECOGNIZE JACK KITTLE, AND HE STARTED THE BRIGHT AT NIGHT CAMPAIGN. THE BUTTONS THAT YOU WEAR, THAT LIGHT UP, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING I HAD A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE JUST COMING IN THIS EVENING. DRIVING IN, I PASSED FOUR PEOPLE, TWO WITH DOGS, DARK, WALKING IN THE STREET, DARK CLOTHING. I'M NEXT TO THEM BEFORE I SEE THEM, AND SO AND I KNOW IN CONVERSATIONS WITH RESIDENTS AS WELL AS SORT OF EXPERTS IN THE FIELD WE DON'T WANT TO PUT THE, I'M NOT AT [04:15:02] ALL BLAMING PEDESTRIANS, BUT WHEN IT IS PEDESTRIAN VERSUS A CAR, WE HAVE TO DO AS THE MAYOR PRO TEM SAID BE ALERT AND PAY ATTENTION AND MAKE OURSELVES VISIBLE. A LOT OF TIMES IN THE AND I THINK KEN MAY HAVE ON A ON A REFLECTIVE VEST, I THINK WE HAVE TO BE ALERT AS DRIVERS, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO ENCOURAGE PEDESTRIANS TO AT LEAST BE VISIBLE AND TO USE OUR SIDEWALKS AND TO AVOID AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE THOSE, THOSE INHERENT CONFLICTS THAT IF YOU DON'T SEE SOMEBODY. AND SO, AND I DRIVE 25 MILES AN HOUR, I'VE HAD MOTORCYCLES GO AROUND ME. I HAVE PEOPLE HONK AT ME ALL THE TIME, AND I JUST LIKE FROM MY LITTLE BITTY CAR, JUST SMILE AND WAVE, AND SO BUT I DO FEEL LIKE THE COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH IS THE ONE THAT WE THAT WE WANT TO TAKE WITH DRIVER EDUCATION, WITH WHAT MAKES SENSE FOR ESPECIALLY IN OUR SCHOOL ZONES AND KEEPING EVERYONE SAFE. I HAD AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION WITH REBECCA SERNA FROM PROPEL ATLANTA, SO I THINK MANY OF YOU RECOGNIZE THAT NAME AS THE SORT OF THE PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE SAFETY GURU IN CITY OF ATLANTA ABOUT ENFORCEMENT, AND SHE SAID THAT THEY HAVE FOUND THAT DATA AND STUDIES SUGGEST THAT PEOPLE, SOME PEOPLE, THOSE THAT ARE PRONE TO SPEEDING, ACTUALLY SPEED MORE AFTER RECEIVING A TICKET. IT'S ALMOST LIKE A DARE, AND ESPECIALLY WITH YOUNG MALES, AND SO I THINK THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT HAD NEVER I HAD NEVER HEARD THAT BEFORE. SO I THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE THE SYSTEMS APPROACH. WE HAVE TO HAVE US ALL COMING TOGETHER. HER MAIN MESSAGE IS CONTINUE FOR US TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON WHAT WE CAN DO TO REDUCE SPEEDS BY ROAD DESIGN, THAT WE CAN USE THE TACTICAL URBANISM SORTS OF TECHNIQUES TO REDUCE TURN RADIUSES, TO DO THINGS, TO USE PAINT INITIALLY TO AT LEAST GIVE THE APPEARANCE OF NEEDING TO, THAT THE ROADWAY IS NARROWING AND SORT OF TRICKS YOUR BRAIN INTO AND TRYING THESE THINGS THAT WILL SLOW DOWN DRIVERS ON ALL OF OUR STREETS AND KEEP BICYCLISTS AND PEDESTRIANS AND PEOPLE IN THEIR CARS SAFE AS WELL. SO, I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION. I APPRECIATE THE PASSION. WE'RE ALL HERE WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT REGARDLESS OF THE METHOD THAT WE GET HERE, THAT WE ARRIVE SAFELY BACK TO OUR HOMES, TO OUR SCHOOLS, WHEREVER WE ARE GOING, WHEREVER WE ARE GOING, AND IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN, AND SO I APPRECIATE YOU ALL BEING HERE. IT IS CERTAINLY THE DESIRE ON ALL OF US. UP HERE AND CITY STAFF TO CONTINUE TO WORK. I THINK MANY OF YOU KNOW, I ALSO HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE HEAD OF THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, AND HE IS HE WAS OPEN TO CONTINUING THE CONVERSATIONS WITH RESPECT TO SPEED LIMITS AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND HOW THEY CAN WORK WITH US IN IMPLEMENTING CHANGE ON STATE ROUTES THAT HE RECOGNIZES ARE PART OF OUR RESIDENTIAL NETWORK IN THE CITY OF DECATUR. SO, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND STICKING IT OUT, AND WE WILL MEET AGAIN NEXT MONDAY FOR OUR NEXT CITY COMMISSION MEETING. SO, UNTIL THAT TIME, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 11:57. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.