Dec 16, 2024 Work Session & City Commission

THE PUBLIC WORKS PARTY.

[WORK SESSION #1 – 6:00 P.M.]

[00:00:03]

MY NAME IS KARA SHEARER.

I SERVE AS ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER SUPPORTING PUBLIC WORKS.

I'M HERE TONIGHT WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS TEAM TO DISCUSS THE CITIZEN REQUEST MANAGEMENT PLATFORM, ALSO KNOWN AS SEECLICKFIX. GOOD EVENING.

I AM SHAWN WATSON, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS.

I OVERSEE SANITATION, RECYCLING, STREET SWEEPING, MOTOR MAINTENANCE, CENTRAL SUPPLY, PROCUREMENT AND SECURITY.

I'M GOING TO.

I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR TEAM OF PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEES.

ORANGE CLAY.

I DON'T BELIEVE, HE'S NOT HERE.

HE'S NOT MAKING IT. HE'S OUT OF TOWN.

OKAY. ORANGE CLAY IS OUR DRAINAGE AND STREET SUPERINTENDENT.

HE LET HIM COME UP.

OKAY. HE COVERS OUR POTHOLES.

SIDEWALK MAINTENANCE, STREET MAINTENANCE, AND STREET SIGN REQUEST.

THEN WE HAVE KAY IVANOVICH, OUR CITY ARBORIST.

SHE HANDLES OUR TREE MAINTENANCE REQUEST.

WE HAVE CYNTHIA HARTNETT.

CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER.

SHE HAS OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT GRAFFITI VEGETATION REQUEST.

WE HAVE KELVIN DAVIS WITH US.

HE'S A SANITATION SERVICES SUPERINTENDENT.

HE HANDLES ALL SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING STREET SWEEPING REQUESTS.

WE HAVE DEMETRIUS WHATLEY, IS NOT HERE THIS EVENING.

HE IS OUR CEMETERY SUPERINTENDENT.

HE HANDLES OUR CEMETERY MAINTENANCE REQUEST.

WE HAVE MR. NOAH BOYER.

HE'S OUR GROUND SUPERINTENDENT.

HE HANDLES OUR CITY PARKS, GREEN SPACE, AND MAINTENANCE REQUESTS.

MR. JENNINGS BELL, THE CITY ENGINEER.

HE HANDLES OUR STORMWATER MAINTENANCE REQUEST AND WE HAVE MR. DAVID GOULD. HE IS OUR BUILDING SUPERINTENDENT, HANDLES OUR CITY FACILITIES MAINTENANCE AND REQUEST.

OH, KIM WADLEY. SHE IS.

THANK YOU. KIM WADLEY.

SHE'S OVER AT PARKS AND RECREATION FOR THE CITY OF DECATUR.

AND ALLISON ERICKSON AND ALLISON ERICKSON, URBAN NATURALIST.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

OH, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY, THE REST OF OUR TEAM, WE'VE GOT CARA.

WE'VE GOT FELIX, SEAN, JULIE AND MYSELF.

I JUST FOR A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT, I WAS BROUGHT ON TO KIND OF HELP MANAGE SOME OF THE BACK END STUFF WITH SEECLICKFIX.

SO KIND OF LEARNING THESE SOFTWARE, KIND OF PROCESSING SOME OF THAT DATA, PUSHING OUT MONTHLY REPORTS TO ANDREA, AS WELL AS KIND OF IMPLEMENTING SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT WE WANTED TO SEE WITH HOW THAT PLATFORM OPERATED ON OUR END OF THINGS.

AGAIN, FELIX FLOYD, ASSISTANT PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR.

SO WHO ARE WE? WE ARE YOUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.

SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE FISCAL YEAR, WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK ON TRYING TO BECOME A HIGH PERFORMING ORGANIZATION.

THIS HAS BEEN A DREAM OF CAROL'S AND A DREAM OF MINE.

AND A DREAM OF A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM.

SO THROUGH THAT WORK, WE'VE COME UP WITH A VISION.

OUR VISION IS TO BE A PROACTIVE, RELIABLE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT THAT LEADS WITH PROFESSIONALISM AND CREATES AN INCLUSIVE, ENGAGED ENVIRONMENT.

I THINK THE KEY WORD IN THAT VISION IS PROACTIVE AND RELIABLE.

THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE STRIVING TO BE EVERY SINGLE DAY TRYING TO BE PROACTIVE BY MEETING WITH THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS QUARTERLY AND THEN SOME DEPARTMENTS MONTHLY. OUR SUPERINTENDENTS ARE MEETING WITH THEIR CREWS, MEETING, DOING INSPECTIONS, DOING THOSE SIMPLE THINGS TO FIND OUT IF SOMETHING'S WRONG BEFORE ANYBODY ELSE FINDS OUT ABOUT IT. THAT'S THE PART OF BEING RELIABLE.

SO OUR MISSION IS AND IT'S STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS.

THE MISSION IS TO CREATE SPACES WHERE PEOPLE FEEL SAFE, CREATIVE AND ENTICED TO COME OUT OF THEIR YARDS AND BUMP INTO THEIR NEIGHBORS, SPORT TRUCKS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT BY CREATING EVERYDAY NORMALCY IN THE LIVES OF RESIDENTS BACK DURING COVID.

THAT WAS ONE THING THAT WE REALLY TRIED TO DO IS CREATE THAT SENSE OF NORMALCY.

OUR PARKS STAYED OPEN THE WHOLE TIME.

THAT WAS ONE AREA THAT WE ACTUALLY RAMPED UP AND WE RAMPED UP OUR EFFORTS IN PARKS.

WE WANTED PEOPLE TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE.

YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU GET THAT CABIN FEVER AND YOU'RE GOING TO KILL SOMEBODY IF YOU DON'T GET OUT.

OUR PARKS STAYED OPEN TO MAKE THAT AVAILABLE SO PEOPLE CAN HAVE THAT LITTLE BIT OF SENSE OF NORMALCY.

SO NOW I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW SEECLICKFIX WORKS, WHAT THAT PROCESS KIND OF LOOKED LIKE.

AS YOU CAN TELL FROM THE NAME, IT IS RELATIVELY SIMPLE.

THE IDEA IS THAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO EASILY SUBMIT YOUR REQUESTS, AND THEN IT WILL GO DIRECTLY TO CITY STAFF AND THEY'LL BE ABLE TO HANDLE IT.

SO THE FIRST THING TO TALK ABOUT IS THAT ALL REQUESTS ARE FIT INTO ONE OF THE 24 CATEGORIES THAT WE HAVE HERE.

[00:05:08]

FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE THIS YEAR IS EXPAND OUT ANIMAL COMPLAINTS FROM ONE CATEGORY TO TWO, BECAUSE WE REALIZED THAT THE DEAD POSSUMS IN SOMEONE'S YARD SHOULD NOT NECESSARILY FIT IN THE SAME CATEGORY AS, YOU KNOW, A BARKING DOG NEXT DOOR, THAT THAT'S MORE OF A, YOU KNOW, NON-EMERGENCY POLICE SORT OF.

HOW CAN YOU BE SURE THAT THE POSSUM IS DEAD? I GUESS THAT WAS A VERY SPECIFIC ANSWER, THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE NOT SHORT OF SUBMITTING PHOTOS.

TOUCHE. YEAH, I GUESS THAT SPECIFIC THAT SPECIFIC CRITTER TO MENTION THAT I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE CHOSEN A DIFFERENT ANIMAL.

BUT YEAH, SO THERE ARE 24 CATEGORIES ON SEECLICKFIX THAT WE CURRENTLY ACCEPT REQUESTS FOR.

WE CAN MAKE MORE, OR WE CAN MAKE LESS OF NOTE.

THE FOLKS THAT ARE HERE TODAY ONLY COVER 18 OF THESE CATEGORIES.

CAR SEAT SAFETY, LIVE ANIMAL COMPLAINTS, FIRE INSPECTIONS.

OUT OF TOWN, HOUSE REQUESTS, PARKING METERS AND ELECTRIC SCOOTER REQUESTS ARE HANDLED BY FOLKS OUTSIDE OF PUBLIC WORKS, USUALLY BY OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT OR OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. SO DO THOSE GO DIRECTLY TO THAT DEPARTMENT OR.

YES. SO, SOMEBODY IN PUBLIC WORKS ISN'T SENDING IT TO THEM.

THEY ARE.

IT GOES DIRECTLY TO THE DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBLE.

YES. THANK YOU. SO SOMETHING I SHOULD MENTION IS THAT EACH CATEGORY HAS ITS OWN INDIVIDUAL STAFF MEMBER WHO IS ASSIGNED TO KIND OF RECEIVE IT.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE HAVE A SANITATION COLLECTION THAT'S GOING TO GO TO CD.

IN SOME CASES, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE FOLKS WHO WILL, YOU KNOW, SUBMIT FOR THE WRONG SORT OF CATEGORY.

AND IN THAT CASE, OUR STAFF CAN THEN REASSIGN IT TO THE APPROPRIATE STAFF MEMBER.

SO THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO SUBMIT A SEECLICKFIX REQUEST ON THE ON JUST THE MOBILE APP OR ON THE WEBSITE.

SO THERE IS A LOCATION MANAGER RIGHT THERE.

SO ESSENTIALLY REQUESTERS ARE ASKED TO INPUT WHERE THE REQUEST IS BEING MADE.

THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR OUR GEODATA.

AND ALSO BEING ABLE TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE HAVING CONTINUOUS ISSUES OR EVEN JUST BEING ABLE TO KNOW EXACTLY WHERE A POTHOLE OR WHERE A BROKEN SIDEWALK PANEL MIGHT BE AFTER THEY SELECT THE LOCATION FOR THEIR ISSUE, THEN THEY'RE GOING TO CHOOSE THEIR CATEGORY ISSUE AS, WHICH WAS ALL OF THE CATEGORIES THAT I JUST SHOWED OFF BEFORE.

AND THEN THEY WILL BE ABLE TO OFFER DETAILS ON WHAT THE REQUEST IS.

SO, YOU KNOW IT'LL, YOU KNOW, USUALLY WE LIKE TO ASK FOR MORE DESCRIPTIONS, THE BETTER AS DESCRIPTIVE AN ISSUE AS POSSIBLE.

THEY MIGHT ALSO ADD PICTURES.

WE LOVE WHEN FOLKS ADD PICTURES BECAUSE IT LETS US KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THE ISSUE IS.

IF WE JUST GET A, IF WE JUST GET A PEN, SOMETIMES THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY GOOD ENOUGH BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHICH SIDE OF THE STREET IT'S ON.

LIKE WHERE SOMETIMES THE PIN, THE PLACE WHERE THE PIN ACTUALLY IS, IS MAYBE A BLOCK OR TWO DOWN FROM WHERE THE ACTUAL POTHOLE ITSELF MAY BE SOMETHING LIKE THAT. HELLO.

SO A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT LANGSTON WAS TALKING ABOUT.

SO ONCE THE REQUEST COMES IN, YOU KNOW, HOW DOES IT WORK ON THE BACK END? AND AS YOU MENTIONED, IT DOES GET PRE-ASSIGNED TO A SPECIFIC STAFF MEMBER.

ONE OF THE PROBLEMS, THOUGH, THAT WE WERE HAVING IN THE BEGINNING OF SEECLICKFIX WAS SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T ALWAYS CORRELATE.

SO SOMETIMES SOMEONE HAS.

THEY WANT A STREET, THEY WANT IT SWEET.

AND SO WHEN THEY HAVE TO GO PUT IN THERE THEY ARE SELECTING THE CATEGORY.

SO THEY, YOU KNOW, JUST BY WHAT THEY THINK IS THE RIGHT CATEGORY.

THEY WOULD SELECT STREET MAINTENANCE.

BUT IN THAT SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCE IT'S NOT IT STREET MAINTENANCE.

MAINTENANCE GOES TO ORANGE CLAY.

BUT FOR STREET SWEEPING THAT ACTUALLY IS A SANITATION REQUEST.

SO IN THE BEGINNING I THINK THINGS WERE GETTING HUNG UP BECAUSE ORANGE WAS THINKING, WELL, THIS HAS COME TO ME, I NEED TO HANDLE IT.

WE'VE KIND OF EMPOWERED THE STAFF AT THIS POINT SO THEY CAN NOW REDIRECT AND ORANGE CAN SEND, YOU KNOW, REASSIGN IT WITHIN SEECLICKFIX ON THE BACK END TO CDD. AND THERE'S ALSO THE OTHER FUNCTION OF INTERNAL COMMENTS.

SO THERE IS A VERY SMALL COMMENT SECTION FOR EACH OF THE REQUESTS THAT COME IN.

AND YOU CAN DO PUBLIC OR INTERNAL COMMENTS.

SO IF ORANGE HAS INFORMATION ON SOMETHING THAT CAME IN AND HE NEEDS TO TRANSFER IT TO SAY CODE ENFORCEMENT BECAUSE IT'S NOT REALLY STREETS.

HE CAN GIVE CYNTHIA ALL OF HIS INFORMATION SO SHE'S UP TO SPEED.

SO SHE'S NOT LOOKING AT IT SAYING, WELL, WHY DID HE SEND THIS TO ME? I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

SO THAT'S ALSO PRETTY HELPFUL ON THE BACK END.

AND SO AS IT GETS PROCESSED, THERE'S DIFFERENT STEPS ALONG THE WAY.

[00:10:01]

AND THEN FINALLY ULTIMATELY CLOSING IT OUT.

SO ALL OF THESE THINGS KIND OF IS HOW IT WORKS ON THE BACK END.

AND EVERYBODY'S GETTING BETTER.

AND WE ALL ARE AT THE POINT NOW WHERE THINGS ARE GETTING OPEN, THEY ARE GETTING ACKNOWLEDGED, AND THEY ARE GETTING CLOSED OUT.

IN THE BEGINNING, I THINK THEY WERE BEING OPENED.

THEY WERE DOING THE WORK AND COMPLETING THE REQUEST AND JUST NOT GOING BACK IN AND CLOSING IT OUT.

SO THAT'S HOW IT WORKS ON THE BACK END.

THE COMMENTS IS THE SECTION IS REALLY MORE FOR KIND OF STATUS UPDATES.

SOMETIMES IN THE BEGINNING REQUESTERS WERE TRYING TO GET DESCRIPTIONS AND DIALOG, AND THAT'S REALLY NOT WHAT THAT'S MEANT FOR.

WE KIND OF LIKE TO USE A PHONE CALL OR AN EMAIL IF WE NEED TO HAVE LONGER CONVERSATIONS, BUT THAT'S WHERE CARE IS GOING TO TALK TO YOU NEXT ABOUT HOW WE ARE PROGRESSING FROM WHERE WE STARTED WITH ALL OF THAT.

SO, CARA, I THINK IT MAY BE MAYBE A JULIE QUESTION IF I AM CORRECT WHEN THIS WHEN WE FIRST STARTED WITH SEECLICKFIX, THERE WAS A STAFF PERSON THAT WAS SORT OF THEN WAS READING ALL OF THEM AND THEN FUNNELING THEM OUT.

IS THAT RIGHT? OR HAS IT? IS THIS A RELATIVELY NEW PROCESS WHERE THEY'RE GOING DIRECTLY TO THE DEPARTMENT THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR TAKING CARE OF IT OR SENDING IT OUT? I WOULD SAY BOTH.

SO HERE WHEN WE SPEAK TO WHERE WE STARTED OR OUR MAJOR ISSUES, I THINK YOU'RE SPEAKING TO THE LACK OF CLARITY AROUND WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT.

SO ONE THING THAT WE'VE DONE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE IS TO TAKE MAYBE A BULKIER CATEGORY SUCH AS VEGETATION.

AND WE BROUGHT THE TEAM TOGETHER TO COME UP WITH THE DIFFERENT NUANCES.

SO NOW WE TOOK THAT ONE CATEGORY AND BROKE IT OUT INTO TREE MAINTENANCE REQUESTS, WHICH GO TO OUR CITY ARBORIST.

VEGETATION, WHICH GOES TO OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT LEAD CYNTHIA AND PARKS CITY PARKS AND GREEN SPACES REQUEST WHICH GOES TO OUR GROUND MAINTENANCE LEAD, NOAH.

SO WE WORKED TO GET SOME CLARITY AROUND ROLES AND WORKFLOWS.

SO EACH CATEGORY HAS ITS OWN SEPARATE PROCESS AND STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE.

AND AN ADDITIONAL ISSUE THAT WE'VE NAVIGATED IS THE NUANCE OF HOW TO ANSWER OFTEN COMPLICATED INFRASTRUCTURE QUESTIONS IN 140 CHARACTERS OR LESS.

SO THIS PLATFORM IS.

YOU KNOW, IT'S LIMITED IN HOW YOU CAN CONVERSE ON MORE COMPLICATED TOPICS.

SO. WE'RE NOW HAVE, WE'LL GET TO IT.

BUT PRE-POPULATED RESPONSES AS WELL AS.

WE'RE SHIFTING TO EMAIL OR PHONE FOR, YOU KNOW, MORE ROBUST CONVERSATIONS WHEN.

THINGS ARE MORE COMPLICATED SEECLICKFIX IS REALLY NOT THE BEST PLATFORM FOR.

THAT KIND OF EXCHANGE.

ANOTHER CHALLENGE WE'VE NAVIGATED AND FACED IS.

JUST A YES CULTURE.

SO CITY OF DECATUR, I THINK IS DIFFERENT THAN A.

LOT OF DIFFERENT MUNICIPALITIES BECAUSE WE DO LEAN INTO, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE.

SAY YES TO THIS REQUEST.

I THINK IT'S WHAT DIFFERENTIATES US FROM OUR LARGER UTILITIES WHERE YOU JUST, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY DIFFERENT WAYS CAN THEY SAY NO? A UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE OF THAT, THOUGH, STAFF FELT LIKE MAYBE PARALYZED OR IT WAS MORE OF A TOXIC WORK CULTURE BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T FEEL EMPOWERED TO SAY NO.

AND SO NOW WE'VE PROVIDED CLARITY AROUND THE ANSWER IS NO IF IT DOESN'T ALIGN WITH OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, IF IT DOESN'T ALIGN WITH THE COMMISSION ADOPTED MASTER PLAN.

SO I THINK BEFORE, IF THEY COULDN'T SAY YES, THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY.

AND SO NOW WE'RE EMPOWERED THAT IF THE ANSWER IS NO, THE ANSWER IS NO.

IS THERE A FOLLOW UP TO THE ANSWER'S NO AND NO, BUT.

OR IS IT JUST A HARD NO? NO, I'D SAY GENERALLY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE IN 140 CHARACTERS.

WE DO ADD CONTEXT, AND IF IT GETS MORE COMPLICATED, OFFER TO, YOU KNOW, REACH OUT VIA EMAIL.

OKAY, GOOD. THANK YOU.

YEAH. IT'S AN EXAMPLE OF MAYBE SOMETHING THAT WHERE IT'S NO BEYOND.

YEAH. I MEAN, I WOULD SAY YES.

TREE TOPICS AND STORMWATER TOPICS COME TO MIND.

SO WE HAVE A STORMWATER MASTER PLAN THAT, YOU KNOW, REALLY WORKS TO MITIGATE RESIDENTIAL FLOODING.

[00:15:05]

SO THE REQUESTS ARE OFTEN VALID.

AND IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY YES TO EVERYONE.

AN ADDITIONAL NUANCE IS WE RECEIVE A LOT OF CAPITAL REQUESTS IN SEECLICKFIX, BUT THIS PLATFORM IS REALLY BEST UTILIZED FOR MAINTENANCE REQUESTS. CAPITAL PROJECTS HAVE AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT PROCESS RELATIVE TO MASTER PLANNING OR STRATEGIC PLAN.

SO UTILIZING THE PLATFORM FOR THAT SORT OF REQUEST IS A CHALLENGE.

AND THEN STAFF WERE IN THE POSITION TO HOW CAN WE SAY YES.

AND SO THAT KIND OF PARALYZED THE PROCESS.

ADDITIONALLY, A MAJOR ISSUE TO ADDRESS WAS JUST FALLING INTO A HOLE OR JUST THE AMOUNT OF BACKLOG THAT CONTINUED TO GROW AND ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE ONLY WAY OUT IS THROUGH.

SO IN ADDITION TO A BACKLOG, IT'S NOT UNCOMMON FOR COMMENTS AS COMMUNICATED INDICATED HERE TO BE PRESENTED TO STAFF WITHIN SEECLICKFIX.

I THINK AN UGLY SIDE OF, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE BEHIND A COMPUTER OR A SMARTPHONE, WHAT YOU FEEL EMPOWERED OR COMFORTABLE TO SAY.

BUT IT'S NOT COMPUTER THAT YOU'RE SPEAKING TO.

IT'S REAL PEOPLE.

IT'S YOUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT THAT WORKS HARD EVERY DAY TO SUPPORT QUALITY OF LIFE OF ALL THE RESIDENTS IN THE COMMUNITY. YES.

GO BACK ONE SLIDE AND TELL ME IF I'M OFF BASE.

BUT I FEEL LIKE WHAT I'M LINKING TO BULLET POINTS ARE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CAPITAL VERSUS MAINTENANCE.

IT DOES MAKE SENSE TO ME THAT WE WOULD NEED TO SAY NO TO CAPITAL REQUESTS, BUT RARELY TO MAINTENANCE.

WOULD THAT BE CLOSE TO ACCURATE? I MEAN, YEAH.

OKAY. AND AS FOR MAINTENANCE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE DIFFERENT MAINTENANCE REQUESTS.

EACH CATEGORY HAS ITS OWN LEAD AND OWN TEAM AND STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR ADDRESSING.

A NOTE TO MAINTENANCE, TO ME, ALSO MEANS THAT IT'S SUCH A HUGE RESPONSE OR REPAIR THAT IT'S ALMOST A REPLACEMENT.

MAYBE, OR.

AND THEN IT STARTS TO SLIDE OVER TO CAPITAL AND HENCE IT'S A NO.

I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND. I MEAN, WE DON'T SEE A LOT THAT FEELS LIKE WE'D SAY NO TO.

RIGHT NOW, UNDER, I UNDERSTAND TREES, STORMWATER AND WHAT I WOULD CALL CAPITAL BUT.

YES. AND THERE ARE NUANCES, TOO, AROUND, YOU KNOW, A HOLE IN THE STREET.

YOU KNOW, THE AVERAGE RESIDENT DOESN'T NECESSARILY CAN'T DIAGNOSE THE UNDERLYING ISSUE THERE.

SO OUR STREETS TEAM LEAD GOES OUT THERE AND REVIEWS IT AND IDENTIFIED.

IS THIS A POTHOLE IN WHICH WE CAN COLD PATCH WHICH IS A MAINTENANCE REQUEST, OR IS THIS A SINKHOLE ASSOCIATED WITH A SANITARY SEWER OR WATER LINE REPAIR, IN WHICH THAT INVOLVES CONNECTING WITH DEKALB COUNTY AND FOLLOWING UP WITH A DIFFERENT PATH THAT OFTEN TAKES LONGER, AND WE DON'T NECESSARILY OVERSEE, BUT WE HAVE I GUESS WE CAN SPEAK TO THAT TOO.

SO I WOULD SAY IT'S RARELY NO FULL STOP.

IT'S NO POTENTIALLY NO NOT NOW.

NO, NOT BY US.

CORRECT. NO, NOT BY US RIGHT NOW.

BUT THESE ARE MORE NUANCED.

KNOWS THAT'S HELPFUL, TOO.

AND IT COULD BE. NO, NOT ON YOUR TIMETABLE.

RIGHT. I MEAN, BECAUSE I MEAN, THAT'S AS THESE REQUESTS COME IN.

I MEAN, WE'RE PRIORITIZING THEM.

AND WHILE YOU MAY PUT IN A REQUEST AND YOU THINK FIXING THAT SIDEWALK IS THE IS A TOP PRIORITY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT 50 OTHER, YOU KNOW, 50 OTHER REQUESTS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO KNOCK OUT.

SO I THINK SOMETIMES THERE IS THE MANAGING THE EXPECTATION FROM A, FROM A TIMING STANDPOINT TO THIS IS JUST A GREAT CONVERSATION BECAUSE IT ALLOWS YOU AND US TO I DON'T THINK ANY OF US ARE COMFORTABLE JUST WITH A FLAT OUT NO.

AND WE WALK AWAY FROM THE ENGAGEMENT BECAUSE THAT'S JUST NOT HOW WE TAKE CARE OF OUR CITY.

RIGHT? SO, THERE'S MORE BEHIND THE? NO. ABSOLUTELY. WHEN PEOPLE ARE WATCHING THE STREAMING OR ON ZOOM, ARE THEY SEEING THE PRESENTATION? THANK YOU. WHAT YOU'RE SEEING.

OKAY. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE SAW SOME OF THOSE COMMENTS.

SO. OKAY.

[00:20:08]

NO, BUT AND THERE ARE VERY A LOT OF NUANCES TO IT.

ONE OF THE KEY CHANGES IS WE CREATED STANDARD REPLIES FOR ACKNOWLEDGING AND THEN CLOSING, YOU KNOW, COMMON REQUESTS OUT.

AND ONE OF THE BEST EXAMPLES OF THAT IS THE STUFF WITH DEKALB WATER AND SEWER.

SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN THOSE REQUESTS COME IN, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE I TALKED ABOUT GIVING THE STAFF THE ABILITY TO REDIRECT INTERNALLY.

WELL, WE ALSO HAVE NOW, HAVE THE, YOU KNOW, EMPOWERING THEM TO REDIRECT EXTERNALLY.

SO A POTHOLE MAY COME IN AND THEY THINK IT'S JUST A QUICK FIX WHEN REALLY WE GO OUT THERE AND WE HAVE AN UNDERLYING, YOU KNOW, SEWER LATERAL BREAK.

SO WHAT WE HAVE NOW IS KIND OF STANDARD DROP DOWN COMMENTS.

THAT IS A QUICK REPLY FOR OUR STAFF TO USE.

AND WHAT WE FIRST DO IS WE ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT THE REQUEST IS AND WE MARK THE REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGED.

WE ALSO SAY THAT IT'S A DEKALB WATER AND SEWER ISSUE.

HOWEVER, WE TAKE THE FIRST STEP IN CONTACTING DEKALB COUNTY TO REPORT THE ISSUE.

I THEN FOLLOW UP MYSELF AND GET A WORK ORDER NUMBER FOR THAT SPECIFIC REQUEST.

AND THEN WE USE THE AUTOMATED RESPONSES TO IN THERE SAYING WE, THIS IS DEKALB WATER AND SEWER ISSUE.

WE HAVE REPORTED IT.

HERE IS THE PHONE NUMBER.

HERE IS THE WEB PAGE FOR THEM TO THEN FOLLOW UP ON THEIR OWN IN THE FUTURE FOR THAT ISSUE.

SO, IT ACCOMPLISHES THREE MAJOR THINGS.

IT'S ACKNOWLEDGING THE REQUEST.

AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE MAKE THAT FIRST CONTACT WITH THE ENTITY THAT IS INVOLVED ON THEIR BEHALF.

IT ALSO INFORMS THE PUBLIC OF WHO THEY SHOULD BE CONTACTING FOR THESE THINGS IN THE FUTURE.

AND, YOU KNOW, MOST IMPORTANTLY THEN CLOSES THAT REQUEST.

AND WHEN WE SAY WE CLOSE IT IN SOMETHING LIKE THAT, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'VE COMPLETELY DROPPED IT.

I NOW HAVE MY OWN LOG OF THAT DEKALB WATER AND SEWER REQUEST THAT I KEEP SEPARATE.

I TALK TO THEM ON A MONTHLY BASIS TO GO OVER WHAT'S BEEN DONE, WHAT HASN'T BEEN DONE, WHERE ARE THEY ON THAT REQUEST? SO WE'RE STILL FOLLOWING UP, BUT WE'VE CLOSED THE SEECLICKFIX REQUEST AND HAVE GIVEN THEM WHAT THEY NEED TO SEE ON THEIR END IF THEY WANT TO FOLLOW UP THEMSELVES.

I GOT A QUESTION, BECAUSE THAT SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF WHAT HAPPENS, ESPECIALLY WHEN SEECLICKFIX WHEN THINGS FALL INTO THE HOLE.

IS THERE A WAY AND THE EXPLANATION YOU GAVE WAS PERFECT.

IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD START PUTTING SOME LITTLE BLURBS IN THE FOCUS ABOUT? THIS IS A POTHOLE.

HERE ARE THE STEPS THAT WE GO THROUGH TO RESOLVE A POTHOLE.

RIGHT. AND SO AT LEAST GIVES PEOPLE THAT DEFINITION OF, YOU KNOW, WELL, IT MIGHT NOT BE AS SIMPLE AS IT'S JUST A HOLE IN THE ROAD, BUT IT WOULD BE GREAT TO PUT THAT KNOWLEDGE OUT THERE SO THAT IT LEVELS THE EXPECTATION.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T PUT A TIMELINE ON HOW LONG IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO GET SOMETHING FIXED.

BUT HERE ARE THE STEPS.

RIGHT? RIGHT, RIGHT.

AND CERTAINLY, THAT WOULD BE THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.

AND WE'RE ALSO HOPING THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY'RE SEEING THESE KINDS OF THINGS REPEATEDLY WITH THAT STANDARD COMMENT IN THE SEECLICKFIX REQUEST THAT THEY ALSO OR MAYBE A HYPERLINK TO, HEY, HERE'S HOW THIS IS GOING TO GO FROM.

SOUNDS LIKE SOMEBODY IN THE ROOM HAS ALREADY THOUGHT OF THAT.

YEAH. SO ACTUALLY, THERE'S A LITTLE THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE SOME, SORRY, I SAW THE PRESENTATION ALREADY.

ALL RIGHT. SO, TO TAKE THIS A LITTLE FURTHER WE ALWAYS GET CALLS EVERY SINGLE DAY.

AND I KNOW BECAUSE I ANSWER THE PHONES ABOUT ISSUES THAT ARE HAPPENING THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CITY.

IT BELONGS TO OTHER OUTSIDE ENTITIES LIKE GDOT, AT&T, DEKALB COUNTY WATERSHED TRAFFIC SIGNALS, OR GEORGIA POWER.

SO WHAT WE'VE DONE NOW, WE'VE INSERTED THOSE LINKS INTO THOSE ISSUES THAT THEY MAY HAVE SO THEY CAN ACTUALLY REPORT THOSE ISSUES THEMSELVES.

ESPECIALLY WITH GDOT FOR POTHOLES ON OUR STATE HIGHWAYS.

AT&T, I KNOW LAST WEEK I GOT A CALL ABOUT A PHONE LINE BEING ABOUT A LINE BEING LOW, WHICH WAS ACTUALLY A PHONE LINE WATER LINES BUSTED IN THE STREET. YOU'LL SEE THAT SOMETIMES EVEN THE STEEL PLATES IN THE STREET PROBABLY WAS A WATER LINE.

THAT LINK IS IN THERE.

EVEN CALLS LIKE, STREETLIGHTS OUT.

THAT'S GEORGIA POWER.

AND THERE'S A NICE LINK WHERE YOU CAN ACTUALLY PUT IN THE ADDRESS, AND IT'LL TELL YOU EXACTLY WHICH LIGHT IT IS.

LIGHT IT IS. AND THEN YOU'LL GET A RESPONSE BACK FROM GDOT, LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY'VE RECEIVED THE REQUEST.

AND THEN FINALLY DEKALB TRAFFIC OPERATIONS.

WE GET THOSE ALL THE TIME ABOUT TRAFFIC LIGHTS BEING OUT OR THEY'RE BLINKING OR WHATEVER IT IS.

SO THAT LINK IS IN THERE SO THAT PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY SEE THAT AND HIT THE LINK AND MAKE THEIR, MAKE THAT REQUEST THEMSELVES TO THE PROPER ENTITY.

OKAY. AND ALSO I'VE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THESE ALREADY.

[00:25:01]

THEY GET THE LARGE THE MOST REQUESTS BY ABOUT 40%, AND WE'VE CREATED A WORK PLAN KIND OF STRATEGY FOR THEM AT MOVING FORWARD.

THEY HAVE.

THEY START EVERY WEEK TAKING THE NEW REQUESTS THAT HAVE COME IN AND MAKING SETTING THEIR WEEK.

YOU KNOW, OF LOOKING AT WHERE THE REQUESTS ARE, WHAT TYPE THEY ARE, AND KIND OF CATEGORIZING AND TRYING TO MAKE THE MOST OF TIME MANAGEMENT FOR THAT WEEK.

SO WE'LL TAKE THE NEW ONES THAT COME IN BUT ALSO KEY A KEY PART OF IT IS TO LOOK BACK AT THIS BACKLOG THAT WE HAVE TO TRY TO COMBINE.

OKAY, SAY THIS PARTICULAR WEEK, YOU KNOW, TWO SIDEWALK REPAIRS CAME IN.

WELL THEN THIS IS THE WEEK WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON SIDEWALKS.

SO WE'LL TAKE THE NEW ONES THAT CAME IN.

SO, YOU KNOW, WITH THE HOPES OF NOT CREATING ANY MORE BACKLOG, BUT THEN ALSO MOVING BACK TO 2023 AND SAYING, OKAY, WHAT HASN'T BEEN DONE THAT WE NEED TO COMBINE WITH THIS WEEK'S PLAN? AND SO WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT EVERY WEEK SINCE I CAME IN IN AUGUST.

AND IT'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE CREW HAS REALLY RESPONDED TO IT.

AND THEY LIKE HAVING, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO FOR THE WEEK.

IT'S ALSO ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE REALLY ARE TRYING TO HAVE THIS PUSH TO GET EVERYBODY LIKE CITY STAFF TO USE SEECLICKFIX AS WELL, BECAUSE ONCE THEY'VE SET THEIR PLAN FOR THE WEEK, IT IS KIND OF DISRUPTIVE.

THEN WHEN I GET A TEXT OR OH, GETS A TEXT OR AN EMAIL AND NOT, THAT'S NOT THROUGH SEECLICKFIX BECAUSE WE'VE HAD THIS PLAN, BECAUSE THEN WE THINK, WELL, WE NEED TO DROP EVERYTHING AND GO DO THAT.

AND THAT'S ALSO HOW THINGS GET LOST IN THE MIX, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A WAY TO LOG ANY OF THAT OR TRACK IT.

SO IT'S BEEN WORKING REALLY WELL, AND WE'VE BEEN KIND OF TAKING THE THINGS THAT HAVE COME IN THAT WAY RECENTLY AND JUST APPLYING THEM TO THE NEXT WEEK, TRYING TO NOT GET BEHIND.

BUT IT WOULD BE A LOT EASIER IF EVERYBODY WAS ON BOARD WITH THE SEECLICKFIX.

THE OTHER THING WE DID FOR AT LEAST FOR THE STREETS CREW, I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY OTHERS THE CODE ENFORCEMENT.

WE LIMITED YOU CANNOT POST ANONYMOUSLY ANYMORE, AND THAT WAS FOR TWO REASONS.

ONE, BECAUSE OF THE TOXIC ENVIRONMENT THAT IT WAS CREATING.

THESE ANONYMOUS POSTERS WERE INTENDED TO BE THE ONES THAT HAD THE REALLY NEGATIVE COMMENTS, AND IT WAS REALLY MAKING IT HARD FOR THE CREWS TO ENGAGE AND DO THEIR JOB.

BUT ALSO, AS I SAID EARLIER, THAT COMMENT SECTION IS REALLY SMALL AND WE WANT TO GO IN AND ENGAGE AND EXPLAIN, YOU KNOW, AND TALK ABOUT THE SITUATION, BUT YOU CAN'T REALLY DO THAT ON THAT PLATFORM.

SO BY MAKING IT NOT ANONYMOUS, WE'LL HAVE AN EMAIL OR A PHONE NUMBER THAT IF IT NEEDS TO GET, YOU KNOW, RIGHT OFF THE BAT, YOU KNOW, I'M WANTING TO PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL AND EXPLAIN. SO MAKING IT THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE YOUR OWN ACCOUNT HAS REALLY HELPED.

SO I HAD JUST PULLED UP ON MY PHONE, THE CITY WEBSITE.

I THINK WHENEVER WE PUT SOMETHING IN THE FOCUS, WE NEED TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEY HAVE TO, THAT THEY CAN DO IT ON THEIR PHONE THROUGH THE CITY WEBSITE, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S ONE REASON SOME PEOPLE MAY NOT BE USING SEECLICKFIX IS THEY DON'T UNDER DON'T REALIZE THEY CAN DO IT DIRECTLY ON THEIR PHONE.

IT'S NOT A SEPARATE APP, BUT THEY CAN GO THROUGH THE CITY'S WEBSITE ON THEIR PHONE AND REPORT IT INSTEAD OF HAVING TO BE AT A COMPUTER, BECAUSE PEOPLE MORE AND MORE USE THEIR PHONE DIRECTLY TO REPORT THINGS, RATHER THAN GETTING ONLINE AND GOING TO THE CITY'S WEBSITE.

SO I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT COMMUNICATIONS PIECE TO HAVE AS WELL.

OKAY, PERFECT. I WILL ADD THAT TO THE FOCUS FOR SURE.

AND I THINK COMMISSIONER DUSENBURY, I KNOW COMMISSIONER MEYER WERE HERE.

SHE'D BE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE SMARTPHONES.

AND YOU TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE CALL.

SO I KIND OF MISSED HOW YOU DEAL WITH THAT, BECAUSE THERE PROBABLY IS A CERTAIN THERE IS A CERTAIN SECTION OF POPULATION MAY NOT HAVE A SMARTPHONE.

RIGHT. SO HOW DO YOU WORK THAT INTO YOUR.

RIGHT. SO I MEAN, I THINK, YOU KNOW, BEING REALISTIC, WE KNOW THAT NOT EVERYBODY IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO USE THE FIX.

BUT YOU KNOW THE PEOPLE THAT CAN.

WE ARE PROMOTING IT, BUT WE DO WHEN WE MAKE THAT WORK PLAN.

YOU KNOW, AS I SAID, IF SOMETHING DOES COME IN VIA TEXT OR EMAIL OR A PHONE CALL, YOU KNOW, WE WILL MAKE NOTE OF IT AND PUT IT IN THE NEXT WEEK'S WORK PLAN, UNLESS IT'S AN EMERGENCY OR SOMETHING THAT FITS IN WITH THAT CURRENT WEEK.

BUT THERE'S NO WAY TO PUT IT INTO EFFECT.

YEAH, NO, WE CAN THEN I CAN CREATE MY OWN FOR THAT, WHICH IS A VERY GOOD POINT, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE ALL, AS A STAFF ARE TRYING TO DO AS WELL.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

OKAY. SO ON TO THE DATA, WHICH IS THE FUN PART.

THIS IS WHERE I'VE KIND OF BEEN LIVING OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS.

I THINK I STARTED WORKING WITH KARA ON THIS BACK IN MARCH.

ESSENTIALLY, SHE APPROACHED ME AND WAS JUST LIKE, HEY SEECLICKFIX IS KIND OF A QUAGMIRE.

[00:30:05]

SO ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT I DID WAS KIND OF START TRACKING AND AGGREGATING SOME OF THE REQUESTS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED, AND THEN BREAKING THEM OUT INTO THE DIVISIONS AS ASSIGNED. SO OBVIOUSLY CODE ENFORCEMENT AND ARBOR ARE NOT PART OF PUBLIC WORKS ANYMORE, BUT WE'RE JUST GOING TO SUSPEND OUR DISBELIEF AND INCLUDE THEM AS PART OF THE SAMPLE.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE, I THINK IT WAS JULIE THAT WAS SAYING IT.

STREET'S DIVISION ACCOUNTED FOR OVER 40% OF ALL OF THE REQUESTS THAT CAME IN OVER THE SPAN OF A YEAR, DEPENDING ON A MONTHLY BASIS.

SOMETIMES THE STREET DIVISION CAN MAKE UP 50 OR 60% OF ALL OF THE REQUESTS THAT COME IN, AND THEN CODE ENFORCEMENT AND SANITATION.

THOSE ARE 75% OF ALL OF OUR REQUESTS THAT WE RECEIVE WITHIN THOSE THREE CATEGORIES.

AND IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, IMPLEMENTING SOME OF THE CHANGES TO CERTAIN CATEGORIES, THAT'S WHERE I FOCUS THE MAJORITY OF MY ATTENTION.

YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE, YOU KNOW, SORT OF CANNED RESPONSES OR BLOCKED REPLIES OR LIMITING ANONYMOUS COMMENTERS, THOSE TEND TO BE FOCUSED ON THESE THREE CATEGORIES BECAUSE THEY TEND TO RECEIVE THE BULK OF ALL REQUESTS FROM SEECLICKFIX, ESPECIALLY ONCE THE SUMMERTIME COMES AROUND.

USUALLY, YOU KNOW, FOLKS ARE OUT AND ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THEY MIGHT BE WALKING THEIR DOGS, TAKING MARY JOHNSON SEEING A POTHOLE OR A BROKEN SIDEWALK PANEL.

THAT TENDS TO BE WHEN WE SEE OUR STREETS REQUESTS GO THROUGH THE ROOF DURING THOSE SUMMER MONTHS, WHICH IS REALLY WHEN WE STARTED IMPLEMENTING SOME OF THESE MAJOR CHANGES.

AND THEN JUST TO KIND OF GIVE SOME DATA THAT TELLS THE STORY OF THE PROGRESS THAT HAS BEEN MADE OVER THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF.

WHAT WE SEE HERE IS A STORY IN MICRO AND A STORY IN MACRO, THE MICRO STORY IS HOW MANY REQUESTS ARE CREATED WITHIN A MONTH AND HOW MANY WERE BEING CLOSED WITHIN A MONTH.

AS YOU CAN SEE, BACK IN MAY OF 2023, OUT OF 100 REQUESTS THAT WERE CLOSED OR THAT WERE CREATED WITHIN MAY 2023, ONLY 02,929% OF THOSE WERE ACTUALLY CLOSED OUT.

NOW, THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE WORK WAS NOT GETTING DONE BECAUSE THE WORK ABSOLUTELY WAS GETTING DONE.

BUT IT REPRESENTED KIND OF A FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE THAT WORK BEING DONE BACK OUT TO OUR END USERS ON SEECLICKFIX.

AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THE FRUSTRATION WITH THE PLATFORM WAS REALLY COMING FROM, THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, FOLKS WEREN'T GETTING ANY SORT OF ANSWERS OR ANY SORT OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT. YOU KNOW, OUR CREWS WERE GETTING, YOU KNOW, OUR CREWS WERE SEEING A MASSIVE BACKLOG OF UNFULFILLED REQUESTS AND WERE, YOU KNOW, NOT NECESSARILY ENTHUSIASTIC TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH, YOU KNOW, ANGRY RESPONSES OR ANGRY REPLIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

THE STORY IN MACRO IS OUR BACKLOG.

AS YOU CAN SEE, IN MAY OF 2023, WE HAD OVER 1600 UNFULFILLED REQUESTS.

LIKE I SAID, THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY INDICATE THAT THOSE REQUESTS WERE NOT FINISHED, BUT THAT DOES INDICATE THAT THEY WERE NOT BEING CLOSED OUT IN SEECLICKFIX.

SO WHEN WE ZOOM FORWARD TO MAY 2024 AS YOU CAN SEE, THAT BACKLOG HAS SEVERELY DIMINISHED DOWN TO 568 UNCLOSED REQUESTS.

AND YOU START TO SEE A LITTLE BIT OF PROGRESS THAT WAS BEING MADE.

WE'VE MOVED UP FROM 29% OF REQUESTS BEING COMPLETED IN A MONTH, UP TO 53% COMPLETED IN A MONTH.

AND WHAT YOU'LL ALSO NOTICE IS THAT THE NUMBER OF REQUESTS BEING CREATED DOES NOT SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASE.

YOU KNOW, I WAS WHEN I WAS IMPLEMENTING SOME OF THE CHANGES, I WAS A LITTLE BIT NERVOUS THAT WE MIGHT SEE THE NUMBER OF REQUESTS BEING CREATED DROP OFF A CLIFF DOWN TO LIKE 70 REQUESTS IN A MONTH BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE WERE JUST ESSENTIALLY BLOCKING FOLKS OFF FROM BEING ABLE TO MAKE REQUESTS THAT ACTUALLY NEED TO MAKE IT.

BUT THAT DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE HAPPENED.

WE'VE REMAINED PRETTY STEADY WITH THE AMOUNT OF REQUESTS THAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, FROM MAY TO AUGUST TO NOVEMBER OF THIS YEAR, YOU HAVE SEEN THAT BACKLOG CONTINUE TO DECREASE WHILE THE COMPLETION PERCENTAGE HAS CONTINUED TO INCREASE.

I THINK PARTLY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE MADE IT A LITTLE BIT EASIER AND A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME EFFICIENT TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, DEAL WITH THE REQUESTS AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET CLOSED OUT IN A TIMELY FASHION.

THAT 80% NUMBER IS BY FAR THE MOST THAT WE HAVE EVER SEEN.

GETTING 80% OF OUR REQUESTS CLOSED OUT IN THE SPAN OF NOVEMBER 2024 IS CRAZY.

YES. SO CLARIFICATION THAT SO ARE THOSE REQUESTS THAT ARE CREATED IN NOVEMBER AND CLOSED IN NOVEMBER OR ARE THOSE REQUESTS THAT ARE CREATED IN NOVEMBER AND CLOSED WITHIN A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME.

I'M GLAD THAT YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION.

[00:35:01]

THE CLOSED NUMBER IS ONLY REQUESTS THAT WERE CREATED IN NOVEMBER AND THEN ALSO CLOSED IN NOVEMBER.

SO IF YOU GOT A REQUEST ON NOVEMBER 30TH, YES, THEN IT'S NOT GOING TO BE CLOSED OUT.

YES. DO WE TRACK LIKE? IS THERE A? IS THERE A 15 TO 30 DAY? SO MANUALLY I CAN DO THAT WITH THE WAY THAT SEECLICKFIX GENERATES ITS REPORTS.

IT CAN'T DO THAT AUTOMATICALLY.

NO. BUT THAT ALSO SPEAKS WELL TO THE DATA BECAUSE THAT 80% IS REALLY ACTUALLY CLOSER TO, YOU KNOW, 85, 90%.

I'M, I'M FAIRLY SURE THAT IF I WENT AND CHECKED AND MANUALLY TOOK THIS DATA AND SAID, OKAY, EVERYTHING THAT WAS CREATED IN NOVEMBER BUT ALSO CLOSED WITHIN TWO WEEKS, YOU KNOW, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER IT'S IN NOVEMBER, IN DECEMBER, I'M PRETTY SURE THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO TRACK 90%, WHICH, GIVEN WHERE WE WERE AT THE START OF THIS YEAR, AND EVEN WHEN I WAS STARTING TO LOOK AT THIS DATA WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, WAS THAT'S MIND BOGGLING.

THE IMPROVEMENT HAS BEEN STEADY.

IT HAS BEEN STRONG, ESPECIALLY WITHIN THE STREETS DEPARTMENT.

WITHIN THE STREETS DIVISION AGAIN.

YOU KNOW, THE AMOUNT OF REQUESTS THAT THEY RECEIVE AND THE WAY THAT THEIR NUMBERS SPECIFICALLY HAS GONE THROUGH THE ROOF HAS BEEN VERY IMPRESSIVE TO ME.

YEAH. SO I'M GLAD YOU TALKED ABOUT PERCENTAGES.

IS THERE AN INTERNAL SORT OF PERCENTAGE THAT WE ARE STRIVING FOR AS A TEAM? HAS THAT BEEN SORT OF DISCUSSED.

I MEAN I AND I HEAR YOU AND I THINK THAT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY THE THING THAT WE SPEND THE MOST TIME DEALING WITH IS, OH I SENT SOMETHING TO SEECLICKFIX TWO YEARS AGO AND IT NEVER GOT CLOSED.

YOU KNOW, IS THERE AN INTERNAL NUMBER THAT WE STRIVE FOR SO THAT WHEN WE HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, WE CAN SAY, LOOK, THEY'RE CLOSING THESE THINGS AT AN 85% RATE? GENERALLY, THERE'S NEVER GOING TO BE 100.

BUT, YOU KNOW, INTERNALLY, HERE'S WHAT WE STRIVE FOR.

SO THIS AGAIN PART OF THE DATA QUESTION I'M GOING TO LET FELIX TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENTS FOR A SECOND.

I THINK THAT THE FOCUS UP TO THIS POINT HAS BEEN MAKING SURE TO GET THAT COMPLETION PERCENTAGE AS HIGH AS WE COULD POSSIBLY GET IT AGAIN.

THERE'S KIND OF A CAP JUST BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT THE DATA IS REPORTED.

AND NOW WE'RE AT A POINT WITH OUR COMPLETION THAT OUR COMPLETION RATE IS VERY STRONG.

WE ARE VERY CONFIDENT THAT THE VAST, VAST MAJORITY OF SEECLICKFIX REQUESTS THAT COME IN ARE GOING TO BE CLOSED OUT IN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME.

AND NOW I THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE FOCUSING A LITTLE BIT MORE ON HOW LONG IT TAKES TO GET THOSE REQUESTS KIND OF COMPLETED, WHICH IS WHERE TRANSITION OVER TO WINDOWS.

DO WE KNOW HOW OLD SOME OF THOSE, LIKE THE 300 PLUS THAT ARE STILL KIND OF IN THE HOLE, ARE THEY OR ARE THEY BEING LOOKED AT BY LIKE THE ONES THAT ARE OLDEST TRYING TO GET THEM CLOSED OUT FIRST? OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS PART OF SOMEBODY'S WORK PLAN OR JOB TO DO TO GET THOSE DONE WITHIN? AGAIN, WHAT'S THE GOAL FOR GETTING THOSE CLOSED OUT THAT HAVE BEEN THERE A LONG TIME? SURE. SO THE APPROACH HAS BEEN TO ADDRESS THE MONTH FIRST, I THINK HISTORICALLY ANOTHER CHALLENGE IS THE STREETS TEAM, YOU KNOW, STARTED FROM FIVE YEARS AGO AND, YOU KNOW, WAS WORKING THROUGH THAT AND NOT ADDRESSING THE ONES THAT WERE COMING IN.

SO WE'VE SWAPPED THAT APPROACH TO UNDERSCORE, YOU KNOW, YOUR TRUST IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT, THAT YOUR REQUESTS ARE BEING ADDRESSED IN A TIMELY FASHION AND THEN ALSO CONCURRENTLY WORKING THROUGH THE BACKLOG, AS JULIE COMMUNICATED PREVIOUSLY.

YOU SPEAK TO THIS.

YEAH. SO OUR GOAL SO WE HAVE SOME UPCOMING GOALS.

AND THOSE ARE TO CLOSE OUT AS MANY AS WE CAN.

SO WE'RE UPDATING OUR SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENTS.

AS YOU CAN SEE RIGHT NOW, FOR DECEASED ANIMALS THE SLA IS THREE DAYS AND WE'LL NORMALLY DO IT BEFORE THREE DAYS, WHATEVER ANIMAL IT IS EVEN DEER CITY PARKS, GREEN SPACE MAINTENANCE THAT SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT IS FOUR DAYS.

BUT WE DO HAVE OUR SUPERINTENDENTS THAT GO OUT EVERY DAY, OR OUR CREW THAT GO OUT EVERY DAY TO KIND OF, LIKE I SAID, PROACTIVE BEFORE TO TRY TO BE PROACTIVE AND TAKE CARE OF ANY ISSUES THAT MAY BE THERE.

AND THEN OUR CITY FACILITIES WE HAVE CREWS, OUR SUPERINTENDENT HERE THAT WILL GO OUT AND DO THE INSPECTIONS TO KIND OF CURB THOSE IN SEVEN DAYS, HOPEFULLY WELL BEFORE SEVEN DAYS. BUT THOSE WERE, THOSE ARE AGREEMENTS RIGHT NOW.

AND GOING FORWARD, WE WILL ACTUALLY MAINTAIN THOSE AND SEE WHERE WE END UP AT THE END OF THE YEAR.

[INAUDIBLE] CAPACITY TO TRACK WHETHER YOU MEET YOUR SLA WHEN YOU CLOSE IT OUT.

YES. YES. OKAY.

KIND OF A HIGH LEVEL QUESTION.

SO WE'VE BEEN WITH SEECLICKFIX FOR A LONG TIME, BUT WE WERE USING IT IN 2018.

I KNOW WHEN I JOINED THE COMMISSION, AND IT SEEMS LIKE AT TIMES IT FELT LIKE THIS KIND OF AWKWARD DANCE PARTNER.

[00:40:02]

THEY ALL OPERATE SIMILARLY AS SEECLICKFIX.

THE ONLY DOWNSIDE OF SEECLICKFIX, I WOULD SAY, IS ITS NAME, BECAUSE IT ALLUDES TO, I THINK, AN ENVIRONMENT THAT JUST ISN'T POSSIBLE RELATIVE TO INFRASTRUCTURE. WE STAY WITH IT BECAUSE THEIR BACK END IS VERY GOOD.

THEIR API PROCESSES WE CAN EVALUATE DIFFERENT CRM PLATFORMS. IT IS AN OPTION TO CONSIDER.

I THINK IT WAS IMPORTANT TO THE STAFF FIRST TO WORK THROUGH THAT BACKLOG BEFORE LOOKING TO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

WE'RE AWARE, TOO, THAT, YOU KNOW, THE RESIDENTS ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THIS.

SO IT WOULD BE A RETRAINING IN SORT OF A WAY.

SO IT'S AN OPTION ON THE TABLE IN WHICH WE HAVE A WORK SESSION NOW TO DISCUSS IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

CRM CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE.

SO WE CAN TRACK WHAT COMES IN.

YOU ALSO USE THE API.

I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH API.

ME EITHER. HONESTLY, I'M NOT A SOFTWARE ENGINEER, BUT IT'S THE BACK WAY.

THE BACK END INTERFACE.

SO HERE'S WHAT I MEAN BY THAT.

SO BIG PICTURE.

WE HAVE OUR CITIZEN REQUEST SOFTWARE THAT IS GOING TO FEED INTO AN ASSET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.

SO WHEN YOU SPOKE TO, YOU KNOW, IF A RESIDENT DOESN'T HAVE A PHONE TO A SMARTPHONE AND THEY CALL IN OR EMAIL A REQUEST, THEN WE WOULD CREATE A WORK ORDER WHICH WOULD GO INTO OUR ASSET MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE OR SYSTEM.

AND THEN ULTIMATELY THIS ASSET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IS GOING TO CREATE WORK ORDERS FOR DIFFERENT STAFF TO BETTER MANAGE THE WORKLOAD AS A TOOL AS WELL AS GIVE US BETTER DATA.

SO ALL THOSE WORK ORDERS WILL BE TIED TO ASSETS IN GIS TO HELP US WITH OUR CAPITAL PLANNING OVER THE NEXT DECADES. SO IF A ROOF LEAK, YOU KNOW, IS PATCHED TEN TIMES, YOU KNOW, WE'LL HAVE THAT DATA AND IT'S THE COST BENEFIT RATIO INFORMATION NEEDED TO PROGRAM WHEN THAT ROOF GETS REPLACED, YOU KNOW MORE FOR THE LONG TERM.

SO STAFF WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE THOSE REGULAR ANNUAL MAINTENANCE ITEMS, CREATE, YOU KNOW, PROACTIVE WORK ORDERS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH AND HELP DEVELOP A WORK PLAN TO THEN DELEGATE TO THE DIFFERENT TEAM MEMBERS.

SEECLICKFIX DOESN'T.

ITS REPORTING ISN'T GREAT.

WE DO NEED A TOOL SUCH AS THIS ASSET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO BETTER TELL US YOU KNOW, WHAT THE WORKLOAD REALLY LOOKS LIKE.

AND YOU KNOW, WHERE WE CAN BE MORE EFFICIENT OR WHERE WE NEED TO ADD RESOURCES.

THIS ASSET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM MAY COME AS A RECOMMENDATION AT THE END OF JANUARY AND WILL BE NINE MONTHS TO BUILD AND GET ONLINE, ULTIMATELY TO THEN REPORT OUT TO A PUBLIC FACING DATA DASHBOARD.

SO AS YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT CATEGORIES COME IN.

THE ASSET MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE CAN COMMUNICATE OUT A STORY TIED TO GIS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE DOING RELATIVE TO SIDEWALK REPAIRS IN THIS CITY? YES, THE SEECLICKFIX INTEGRATE WITH SPECIFIC ASSET MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS. WELL, THAT'S WHY WE'RE WITH SEECLICKFIX IS BECAUSE IT INTEGRATES WELL WITH MANY.

MANY QUESTIONS.

OH, HOW CAN YOU HELP? SO. OUR REQUEST IS THAT OUR CITY COMMISSIONERS ENCOURAGE OUR RESIDENTS TO UTILIZE SEECLICKFIX.

AND WHEN YOU HEAR CONCERNS OR QUESTIONS AROUND IT TO GET CURIOUS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHICH CATEGORY SPECIFICALLY THEY SUBMITTED, PERHAPS BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT EACH CATEGORY LEADS TO A DIFFERENT TEAM MEMBER HERE IN OUR AUDIENCE WITH DIFFERENT PROCESSES. AND UTILIZING SEECLICKFIX IS VERY HELPFUL IN THE SENSE THAT IT PROVIDES THE INFORMATION WE NEED TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE.

IT WILL GIVE THE STAFF A AN ADDRESS, YOU KNOW, A PIN ON A MAP AS WELL AS WHEN SUBMITTING THE PHOTO, JUST PUTTING IT IN THE

[00:45:08]

AND THEN YOU'RE KIND OF PORTRAIT VIEW.

THEY CAN FIND IT.

SO JUST FAMILIAR.

ANY QUESTIONS? IT'S BEEN REALLY HELPFUL AND IT IS ENCOURAGING TO SEE THOSE NUMBERS CHANGING.

I THINK WE'VE HAD MANY CITY COMMISSION RETREATS WHERE WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT SEECLICKFIX, AND IT'S HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S KIND OF THE KNOT, THE SOFT KNOT.

SEECLICKFIX ITSELF, BUT MAYBE HOW IT WAS BEING MANAGED, AND TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION AS TO HOW TO NOT LET SO MANY THINGS FALL IN THE HOLE AND HAVE A PROCESS.

YES, THE HOLE IS FILLED.

THERE IS NO LONGER A HOLE.

YOU KNOW, EVERY GAP IS COVERED, AND WE'RE GETTING BETTER EVERY DAY.

SO, WHEN SEECLICKFIX FIRST CAME OUT I REPORTED SOMETHING, AND I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING BACK, BUT I GOT A REMINDER EMAIL.

OH, WE'RE WORKING ON IT. AND I WAS LIKE, OH, I FORGOT.

I EVEN SUBMITTED IT.

AND IT WAS A PREVIOUS CITY MANAGER.

AND I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH HER, AND SHE HAD SAID THAT WE'D NOT PUT THE BACK OF HOUSE IN FOR THE SYSTEM.

SO IT'S TAKEN US A WHILE, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S BEEN A JOURNEY OF A YEAR, AND I JUST WANT TO THANK THE STAFF FOR PUTTING THAT BACK IN HOUSE.

YES, THANKS TO THE STAFF, WE'LL FIX THAT PART.

YEAH. THANK YOU.

AND THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO ARE PART OF THE TEAM MAKING THIS HAPPEN.

SO WE APPRECIATE YOUR WORK ON THIS AND THE WILLINGNESS TO TAKE IT ON AND SET THOSE GOALS AND HELP WORK THROUGH NOT JUST WHAT'S IN THE, IN THE WHOLE THE BACKLOG, BUT TO STAY ON TOP OF IT AS THINGS COME IN NOW.

SO THANK YOU.

UNLESS WE HAVE OTHER COMMENTS, I BELIEVE WE HAVE ANOTHER WORK SESSION.

[WORK SESSION #2 – 6:45 P.M.]

WE CAN SEE. CLICK FIX THE MISSING MIDDLE.

ONLY IT WAS THAT EASY.

YEAH. GOOD JOB.

ARE YOU READY? OKAY. PLEASE.

YEAH. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING.

MAYOR, MAYOR PRO TEM AND COMMISSIONERS, I AM ANGELA THREADGILL, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

I AM JOINED TONIGHT BY CASEY CURCIC, PLANNING AND ZONING MANAGER.

JULIE SMITH, LIFELONG COMMUNITY MANAGER.

AND CITY PLANNERS EILEEN DE LA TORRE AND NAHUM TAYLOR.

THEY ARE EACH HERE TONIGHT AND THEY'LL BE ASSISTING IN THE PRESENTATION.

SO TONIGHT'S WORK SESSION IS A CULMINATION OF 18 MONTH PHASE IN OF THE MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING ORDINANCE.

AND DURING THIS TIME PERIOD, THIS OPPORTUNITY GAVE US A STAFF TO PUT IN PLACE THE NECESSARY PROCEDURES AND ALSO DEVELOP ADDITIONAL POLICIES SUCH AS A SHORT TERM RENTAL POLICY.

AND SO TONIGHT WE'RE GOING TO BE DISCUSSING JUST AN OVERVIEW OF THE MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING ORDINANCE.

JUST KIND OF THAT BACKGROUND.

THAT'S WHAT I'LL BE DOING.

AND THEN I'LL HAND IT OFF TO EILEEN.

SHE WILL BE PROVIDING A SUMMARY OF THE PERMIT APPLICATIONS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED DURING THAT 18 MONTH PHASE IN PERIOD.

AND THEN JULIE WILL GIVE AN UPDATE ON THAT 600 COMMERCE DRIVE, WHICH IS A MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING PILOT PROJECT.

THAT'S A PROPERTY THAT OWNS IS OWNED BY THE CITY.

AND THEN NAHUM WILL GIVE OBSERVATIONS AND SHARE SOME OF THE INQUIRIES THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED FROM PROPERTY OWNERS AND DEVELOPERS AND BUILDERS, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S CONCERNS OR QUESTIONS.

SO IT'S GOOD TO HAVE THOSE INSIGHTS DURING THAT 18 MONTH PHASE IN PERIOD.

AND THEN CASEY WILL REVIEW SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE TEXT AMENDMENTS.

AND OF COURSE, WE ENCOURAGE QUESTIONS AND DIALOG AS WE GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION TONIGHT.

SO JUST A RECAP OF, YOU KNOW WHO WE ARE.

4.7MI² AT THE TIME OF THE ADOPTION, OR JUST BEFORE THE ADOPTION OF THE MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING ORDINANCE, 67% OF DECATUR'S LAND AREA WAS ZONED SPECIFICALLY FOR SINGLE FAMILY ONLY HOUSING.

CURRENTLY, AVERAGE HOME PRICES ARE OVER $755,000 AND RENTS ARE AVERAGING ABOVE $1,900.

[00:50:06]

AND WHEN I SAY DIVERSITY, IT'S, YOU KNOW, RACE, INCOME, AGE, YOU KNOW, IT'S A LOT OF LOSS OF DIVERSITY.

WE HAVE EXCELLENT SCHOOLS.

WE HAVE GREAT AMENITIES, GREAT QUALITY OF LIFE.

AS WE SAY IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, WE'RE KIND OF A VICTIM OF OUR OWN SUCCESS.

AND WITH THAT HAS COME, YOU KNOW, SOME COMPLEXITY OF INDIVIDUALS STAYING IN OUR REAL ESTATE MARKET OR ENTERING INTO OUR REAL ESTATE MARKET DUE TO THE COST OF HOUSING.

AND SO WHEN WE SET OUT WITH THE MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING ORDINANCE, THE GOALS WERE TO PRESERVE A COMMUNITY THAT IS INCLUSIVE AND WELCOME FOR ALL THAT WE HAVE A DIVERSITY OF HOUSING AND A DIVERSITY OF PEOPLE.

WE WANTED TO CREATE HOUSING CHOICES THAT VARIED INCOME LEVELS.

WE WANTED FLEXIBLE HOUSING OPTIONS, WHETHER THAT WAS FOR RENTAL OR OWNERSHIP.

WE WANTED TO SEE AN INCREASE, A SUPPLY OF SMALLER HOUSING UNITS FOR ATTAINABILITY, AND THEN ALSO ENCOURAGE SUBSIDIZED AND MARKET RATE HOUSING TO DIVERSIFY HOUSING PRICES IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.

AND SO WHEN I SAY SUBSIDIZE, WHETHER THAT'S THROUGH A NONPROFIT HOUSING DEVELOPER OR, YOU KNOW, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY YOU KNOW, ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE CITY OF SOME SORT, THE DECATUR LAND TRUST AS AN EXAMPLE.

BUT OF COURSE, MARKET RATE, THAT BEING THE PRIVATE MARKET.

AND THEN WE WHEN WE THINK ABOUT CREATING THE POLICIES, YOU KNOW, HOW DID WE GO ABOUT CREATING THOSE POLICIES FOR THE MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING ORDINANCE? YOU KNOW, THE KEY THING WAS ENABLING SMALLER SIZE HOMES TO BE BUILT OR EXISTING HOMES TO BE CONVERTED INTO THE MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING TYPES.

WE ALSO WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THE ABILITY FOR REDUCED LAND COST WHEN IT SPREAD ACROSS MULTIPLE UNITS.

AND THEN AGAIN, JUST ALLOWING AFFORDABLE AND MARKET RATE OR UNSUBSIDIZED HOUSING UNITS.

WE WANTED TO MAINTAIN NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER THROUGH MAINTAINING SCALE AND HEIGHT.

JUST AS A SINGLE FAMILY HOME WOULD BE DEVELOPED.

AND THEN OBVIOUSLY WE ALWAYS WANT TO HEAR INPUT AND COMMUNITY FEEDBACK AS WE'RE DEVELOPING THE POLICIES.

AND I WANT TO GO BACK TO A COUPLE OF SLIDES.

LET ME SEE IF I THERE.

SO HERE THIS IS FROM A LIST FROM PUBLIC INPUT SESSIONS FROM FALL OF 2021.

AND, AND OF COURSE OUR ONLINE MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING SURVEY RESULTS.

YOU KNOW, THESE ARE COMMUNITY PRIORITIES.

AND THEN THERE'S THE LIST OF COMMUNITY CONCERNS.

I'M NOT GOING TO READ THROUGH THESE, EACH OF THEM.

BUT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT CAME UP WAS MAINTENANCE OF MULTI UNIT MULTI UNITS.

YOU KNOW WHEN THERE MIGHT NOT BE OWNERSHIP THAT'S THERE ON SITE.

AND SO YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE ADDRESS THAT.

WELL THAT'S THROUGH OUR CODES ENFORCEMENT.

THEN WE ALSO HEARD CONCERNS ABOUT THE ONE RECOMMENDATION THAT'S IN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE REPORT ABOUT INCREASING OUR CURRENT FLOOR AREA RATIO FROM 0.4 TO 0.6.

AND THAT IT MIGHT HURT THAT NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER IN TERMS OF SCALE, LIKE, BUILDING SCALE.

AND THEN ALSO THERE WERE CONCERNS OF SHORT TERM RENTALS, BUT AS YOU KNOW, WE DO NOW HAVE A SHORT TERM RENTAL POLICY IN PLACE.

THE LIST CONTINUES AS WE CONTINUED INTO OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS IN FALL OF 2022.

THESE, AGAIN, ARE A LIST OF PRIORITIES AND CONCERNS FROM PUBLIC COMMENTS HEARD DURING THOSE PUBLIC HEARINGS AND SIMILAR CONCERNS. AND IF YOU REMEMBER, WE INVITED DAN IMMERGLUCK, GSU PROFESSOR, AS WELL AS A REPRESENTATIVE FROM ARC TO THE DECEMBER 20TH, 20, 2022 MEETING.

TO GO OVER THESE CONCERNS MORE FROM A DATA AND KIND OF METRIC STANDPOINT.

THEY HAD A LOT OF DATA TO GO THROUGH THAT ADDRESSED MANY OF THESE CONCERNS.

BUT ONE THING I DO WANT TO POINT OUT IS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ZONING REFORM SPECIFIC TO MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING, IT IS NOT NECESSARILY TO CREATE AFFORDABLE UNITS.

IT'S ABOUT CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR HOUSING OPTIONS AND HOUSING CHOICE.

SO WHEN I LISTEN TO OTHER PRACTITIONERS WHO REALLY ARE IN THIS AREA OF MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING, IT'S ABOUT HOUSING TYPE AND NOT HOUSING AFFORDABILITY. SO I HAVE TO POINT THAT OUT.

OKAY, SO THE AMENDMENTS THAT WERE APPROVED IN JUNE OF 2023 WAS KIND OF TWO PARTS.

[00:55:03]

AND THEN ALSO AGAIN TO CREATE THAT COMMUNITY CHARACTER OR THAT SCALE OF NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER.

THERE WERE LIMITATIONS PUT IN PLACE WHEREBY THE FLOOR AREA SETBACKS, BUILDING HEIGHT, LOT COVERAGE OF A 2 TO 4 UNIT HOME COULD NOT EXCEED THE REQUIREMENTS OF A DETACHED SINGLE FAMILY HOME, SO THAT SCALE AND MASSING ROUGHLY WOULD BE SIMILAR TO A SINGLE FAMILY HOME.

AND THEN THE OTHER COMPONENT OF THE AMENDMENT THAT WAS COMPLETED IN JUNE OF 2023 WAS ABOUT OFF STREET PARKING.

AND SO FOR EVERY 15FT OF STREET FRONTAGE OF LOT WIDTH ONE, QUALIFYING ON STREET SPACE COULD BE COUNTED TOWARDS THE OFF STREET PARKING REQUIREMENTS UP TO 50%.

SO IF YOU HAD A QUADPLEX AND YOUR STREET QUALIFIED FOR HAVING ON STREET PARKING, TWO SPACES COULD BE COUNTED TOWARDS THE FOUR REQUIRED PARKING SPACES, AND AT THAT TIME OF THE TEXT AMENDMENT, THERE WAS A CONDITION OF APPROVAL PLACED ON THAT ORDINANCE THAT THERE SHALL BE A PHASE IN PERIOD OF 18 MONTHS WHEREBY NO MORE THAN THREE BUILDING PERMITS SHALL BE ISSUED PER THE CITY SCHOOL OF DECATUR'S LOWER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT BOUNDARIES.

SO WE HAVE FIVE LOWER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND ONLY THREE COULD BUILDING PERMITS COULD BE APPROVED AND ISSUED IN EACH OF THOSE DISTRICTS.

AND THEN DURING THAT 18 MONTH PHASE IN PERIOD, WE TOOK METRICS.

SO WE COUNTED THE NUMBER OF SUBMITTALS RECEIVED, NUMBER OF PERMITS ISSUED, IF THERE WERE VARIANCES SOUGHT, WHETHER THE UNITS WOULD BE RENTAL OR FOR SALE OR SHORT TERM RENTALS.

IF WE COULD COLLECT THAT DATA, THE SALES PRICES, RENTAL RATES.

IF WE COULD COLLECT THAT DATA, AND THEN ON STREET PARKING UTILIZATION, WHETHER IT WAS ON STREET OR OFF STREET.

YES, SIR.

IN TERMS OF LIKE FIREWALLS AND SPRINKLERS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, COULD YOU REFRESH LIKE TRIPLEX QUADPLEX HOW THAT APPLIES? SURE. SO SINGLE.

SO OBVIOUSLY ONE UNIT AND THE DUPLEX WERE ALLOWED TO BE UNDER THE SINGLE FAMILY BUILDING CODES AND FIRE CODES.

HOWEVER, TRIPLEXES AND QUADPLEXES FALL UNDER THE COMMERCIAL CODE.

YEAH. ANOTHER THING THAT WE LOOKED AT DURING THE TEXT AMENDMENT WERE ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS.

AND SO JUST AS A REMINDER, ADUS HAVE BEEN APPROVED IN OUR ZONING ORDINANCE SINCE 2014 FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, WHETHER THEY'RE ATTACHED OR DETACHED. THERE THEY BEGAN TO BE ALLOWED IN RS 17 ZONING DISTRICTS IN 2021 THROUGH ANOTHER TEXT AMENDMENT.

THERE IS THAT OWNER OCCUPANCY REQUIREMENT IN PLACE.

IF A PROPERTY DOES HAVE AN ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT SO THAT OWNER CAN EITHER LIVE IN THE ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT OR, YOU KNOW, THE MAIN PRIMARY UNIT.

AND THEN THE MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING ORDINANCE DOES ALLOW AN ADU WITH EITHER A DUPLEX, TRIPLEX, OR A QUADPLEX AS A LIMITED USE.

BUT ONE THING THAT WE DID WORK ON AS A RESULT OF, YOU KNOW, LOTS OF FEEDBACK FROM YOU ALL IN THE COMMUNITY IS THAT WHEN THERE IS A QUADPLEX WITH AN ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT ONE OF THOSE UNITS HAS TO BE SET ASIDE AS THE INCLUSIONARY DWELLING UNIT SO THAT IT FELL IN LINE WITH OUR INCLUSIONARY ZONING ORDINANCE.

AND THEN ALSO, LOOKING BACK, I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A VERY LARGE CONCERN ABOUT MAJOR CHANGES WITHIN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT THERE WOULD BE AN OVERWHELMING NUMBER OF PERMITS RECEIVED.

AND JUST LOOKING BACK AT PORTLAND, OREGON, DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA, AS WELL AS MINNEAPOLIS, WHICH IS ON THE NEXT SLIDE, JUST BASED ON THESE CITIES, YOU KNOW, WE TOOK THAT DATA AND COMPARED THAT TO WHAT IT WOULD EQUATE TO IN DECATUR.

AND, YOU KNOW, THEY WE EQUATED IT TO MOST LIKELY AROUND 3 TO 11 NEW UNITS PER YEAR BASED ON WHAT WE SAW IN PORTLAND, AS WELL AS DURHAM AND THEN IN MINNEAPOLIS, BASED ON THEIR DATA, MOST LIKELY AROUND 5 TO 6 NEW UNITS PER YEAR.

SO THIS IS, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, GENTLE DENSITY.

AND SO WITH THAT, THIS IS WHERE I'M GOING TO HAND IT OVER TO EILEEN TO SHARE WHAT IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IN TERMS OF PERMIT

[01:00:08]

HELLO, AILEEN.

DE LA TORREE PLANNER WITH THE CITY OF DECATUR.

AND I'M GOING TO GO OVER THE PERMITS THAT HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR THE MISSING MIDDLE.

SO WE HAVE HAD MANY, MANY INQUIRIES FOR MISSING MIDDLE TYPE HOUSING.

THIS HAS TRANSLATED TO FOUR PERMITS OR FOUR PROJECTS THAT HAVE REACHED THE PERMIT PHASE.

SO THE FIRST ONE I'LL DISCUSS IS THE 2350 NORTH DECATUR ROAD, WHICH IS A NEW CONSTRUCTION QUADPLEX IN THE CLAREMONT SCHOOL DISTRICT WITH OFF AND ON STREET PARKING, 1.5 BEDROOMS PER UNIT.

THE PERMIT WAS ISSUED SEPTEMBER OF 2023, BUT CONSTRUCTION HAS NOT STARTED.

AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE ORIGINAL HOUSE THAT IS ON THAT LOT IS STILL THERE.

THEY RECEIVED A DEMO PERMIT AS WELL, BUT NOTHING HAS MOVED FORWARD WITH THIS PARTICULAR ONE.

AND THEN WE HAVE THE OAKHURST SCHOOL DISTRICT AND 515 THIRD AVENUE.

THIS IS A NEW CONSTRUCTION DUPLEX, OFF STREET PARKING.

THREE BEDROOMS PER UNIT.

THIS PERMIT WAS ISSUED EIGHT OR AUGUST 2023.

AND THE CONSTRUCTION FOR THIS ONE IS COMPLETE.

AND I BELIEVE BOTH UNITS HAVE SOLD.

THEN IN THE WINNONA PARK SCHOOL DISTRICT, WE HAVE 435 CHEVELLE LANE.

IT'S A DUPLEX CONVERSION.

IT'S ALL OFF STREET PARKING.

TWO BEDROOMS PER UNIT.

THE PERMIT WAS ISSUED IN AUGUST 2023 AND CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETE AND THE UNITS ARE RENTED.

GO BACK ONE AND THEN THE LAST IS ALSO IN THE WINONA PARK SCHOOL DISTRICT.

I'M SORRY. COULD YOU GO BACK ONE? YES, YES.

OKAY. I MEAN, IT'S BASICALLY TWO HOUSES THAT ARE ATTACHED BY GARAGES IN BETWEEN.

CORRECT. OH.

ARE YOU. OH, IN THIS ONE? YES. YES.

THIS ONE.

THERE'S SOME COMPLICATIONS WITH THIS ONE.

YES. LESSONS LEARNED.

AND THIS IS THE CONVERSION.

AND THEN THE LAST ONE THAT THAT WE HAVE HERE TODAY IS ALSO IN THE WINONA PARK SCHOOL DISTRICT 109 DRIFTWOOD PLACE.

IT'S A NEW CONSTRUCTION DUPLEX, ALL OFF STREET PARKING.

IT'S FOUR BEDROOMS PER UNIT, AND THE PERMIT IS IN PROCESS.

AND IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER.

SO, THAT ONE LOOKS SIMILAR, THAT YOU HAVE TWO HOUSES KIND OF WITH GARAGES, ALTHOUGH IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S A SECOND FLOOR THAT CONNECTS.

SO YES, IN THIS PARTICULAR ONE IT IS GOING TO BE HOUSES ONE BEHIND THE OTHER.

HOWEVER, IN THIS PARTICULAR ONE, BOTH HOUSES ACTUALLY FACE THE FRONT.

BECAUSE YOU'LL SEE THE HOUSE IN THE BACK IS A LITTLE OFFSET FROM THE ONE IN THE FRONT.

SO THEY BOTH ACTUALLY HAVE FRONT FACING FACADES OR ENTRIES, AND IT IS ACTUALLY CONNECTED BY ACTUAL LIVING SPACE ON THE SECOND FLOOR.

IS THIS A QUAD OR WHAT IS THIS ONE? THIS ONE IS A DUPLEX.

THE ONE ON THE THIRD, ALSO A DUPLEX.

IS THAT RIGHT? YES.

THIRD IS ALSO A DUPLEX.

THIS COMPLIES WITH ALL OF OUR SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING SETBACKS? TREE ORDINANCE, STORMWATER? THEY DO.

WELL, THE ONES THAT ARE COMPLETE DO.

YES. THIS ONE IS IN PROCESS.

AND, OF COURSE, I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE HOW MANY OF THE REVIEWERS HAVE GONE THROUGH IT YET, BUT THIS WILL BEFORE IT'S PERMITTED.

OF COURSE, IT'LL COMPLY WITH EVERYTHING.

JUST A QUICK FOLLOW UP.

I NOTICED YOU SAID THE ONE ON NORTH DECATUR HAD OFF STREET PARKING.

IT MUST BE CONNECTED TO A SIDE STREET BECAUSE I CAN'T IMAGINE IT'S ON THE CORNER OF WENDEN.

IT'S THE CORNER OF NORTH DECATUR AND WENDEN.

I ACTUALLY THINK THEY'VE ALREADY DEMOED THE HOUSE BECAUSE I'VE DROVE PAST IT A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO.

I THINK THEY'VE ACTUALLY DEMOED THE HOUSE.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THE LAST TIME I DROVE THAT WAY; IT WAS STILL THERE.

[01:05:01]

SO YES, THAT IT WILL HAVE THE OFF STREET WILL BE IT WON'T BE ON DECATUR.

OKAY. GOOD QUESTION.

YES. KIND OF. WE JUST HAVE ONE DUPLEX THAT'S DONE AND SOLD TO TALK ABOUT.

THAT WOULD BE THE THIRD AVENUE.

WE HAVE TWO WE HAVE THE CONVERSION ON CHEVELLE AS WELL.

YES. SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AN OWNER OCCUPANCY REQUIREMENT IN A DUPLEX.

RIGHT. CORRECT.

SO THEY'RE BOTH RENTALS.

I KNOW THAT THE TOP UNIT FOR THE ONE ON CHEVELLE IS A RENTAL.

THE BOTTOM MAY BE THE PROPERTY OWNER THAT LIVES IN.

SHE DOES. SHE LIVES IN IT.

OKAY. AND THEN ON THIRD, DO YOU KNOW HOW THAT'S WORKING? WELL, THEY'VE BOTH SOLD UNDERSTANDING WAS THEY WERE BEING SOLD AND SO DID THEY CONDO WISE THE TWO OR HOW DID THEY HAVE THAT? THAT IS. YES.

THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE HOW THEY DO IT.

THEY CONDO-IZE IT.

YES. AND THAT'S THAT WAS WHAT THEY DID.

OKAY. I AM ASSUMING THAT IS WHAT THEY DID.

THAT ACTUALLY IS YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT PART OF THE PERMITTING PROCESS AT THIS TIME.

BUT IN THE RECOMMENDATIONS, WE'LL KIND OF GO OVER THAT A LITTLE DIFFERENT.

YEAH. YEAH. OKAY.

THANKS. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING.

I'M JULIE SMITH.

I'M THE LIFELONG COMMUNITY MANAGER.

AND I'M GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR PROJECT AT 600 COMMERCE DRIVE.

WE HAD A WORK SESSION ON, IT'S SEPTEMBER TO GO OVER SOME CONCEPTUAL DRAWINGS.

THERE ARE FOR MANY REASONS THE CITY IS WORKING ON THIS PROJECT.

BUT ONE OF THEM IS TO HELP US IMPLEMENT THE MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING ORDINANCE THROUGH A PILOT PROJECT SO WE CAN TEST OUR OWN WE CAN SEE WHERE THINGS ARE DIFFICULT. IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT REQUIRES FURTHER CHANGES.

SO, WE'VE PROPOSED A QUADRUPLEX.

AND WHAT WE, WE HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH IS TO IDENTIFY CHALLENGES, EVALUATE MARKET DEMAND.

ARE PEOPLE INTERESTED IN PURCHASING THESE PROPERTIES? WE DID DISCUSS AT THE WORK SESSION WE HAD SPECIFICALLY ON THIS PROPERTY THAT WE WOULD SELL THESE ALL FOUR OF THESE UNITS THROUGH THE LAND TRUST, SO THEY WOULD BE CONSIDERED AFFORDABLE.

WE CAN GET FEEDBACK FROM OUR DEVELOPER, FROM OTHER RESIDENTS, FROM OTHER STAFF ON HOW THE PROCESS WENT, AND IDENTIFY ANY NECESSARY AMENDMENTS TO AN ADU ASSOCIATED WITH ONE OF THE UNITS.

THERE IS. SO IT'S GOING TO BE A BASEMENT ADU UNDER ONE OF THE UNITS, WHICH IS WHY YOU CAN'T REALLY SEE IT ON THIS FLOOR PLAN HERE.

GOT IT. YEAH. AND I WAS JUST CURIOUS.

SO, THE OWNERSHIP; ONE OF THE QUADPLEXES WOULD HAVE TO HAVE TO BE? YES, IT HAS TO BE CONNECTED TO A UNIT.

SO IT WOULD BE FOUR UNITS.

THAT WOULD BE CONDO ISED.

ONE UNIT WOULD BE A UNIT PLUS AN ADU.

THE UNITS WILL ALL BE TWO BEDROOM TWO BATHROOM.

IS THE CONCEPT. THERE ACTUALLY AREN'T FINAL PLANS.

AND THE ADU WOULD BE PRETTY MUCH LIKE A STUDIO LIVE.

IT'S PRETTY SMALL.

BUT I WILL SAY THAT WE LEARNED FROM THE COTTAGE COURT PROJECT PROJECTS.

WE HAD A LOT OF FOLKS LOOKING FOR MULTI-GENERATIONAL HOUSING.

IN FACT, WE HAVE SOME MULTI-GENERATIONAL FAMILIES IN THOSE HOUSES, BUT WE ALSO THOUGHT THIS MIGHT BE ATTRACTIVE FOR THOSE WHO WANT MULTI-GENERATIONAL BUT ALSO SEPARATION.

IMAGINE. AND JUST SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF, OF DOING A PROJECT LIKE THIS IS THAT WE CAN TEST THE ORDINANCE.

WE CAN COLLECT ANY DATA TO INFORM OUR, OUR FUTURE HOUSING POLICY.

IT'S A GREAT WAY FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WHICH WE DID A LOT OF IN THE LEAD UP TO PROPOSING THIS QUADRUPLEX.

AND IT'S GOING TO CONTRIBUTE TO OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPTIONS IN THE CITY.

ANY QUESTIONS? GREAT. THAT'S IT FOR ME.

GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.

NAHUM TATE WITH PLANNING STAFF.

AND JUST TO GIVE THE OBSERVATIONS OF WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE INQUIRIES REGARDING MISSING MIDDLE IS OFTENTIMES INDIVIDUALS WILL INQUIRE TO HAVE THE PREEXISTING RESIDENCE AND ADD AN ADDITIONAL RESIDENTIAL UNIT RATHER THAN CONSTRUCT A TRADITIONAL MISSING MIDDLE DESIGN OR DEVELOP THE LARGEST RESIDENTIAL UNIT POSSIBLE STILL ALLOWED VIA FAR.

THAT'S CREATING A WEIRD, LET'S SAY, ORIENTATION OF HOW THE RESIDENTIAL UNITS FACE TOWARDS THE STREETS.

AND WE ALSO GET QUESTIONS REGARDING FLAG LOTS.

CAN AN INDIVIDUAL USE AN EASEMENT TO REACH THE REAR OF THE PROPERTY TO WHERE, LET'S SAY THEY WOULD HAVE 10 OR 20FT OF ROAD FRONTAGE, AND THEN IT OPENS

[01:10:08]

YEAH. AND I WOULD SAY BASED OFF OF WHAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED, THAT'S RESULTED IN WHAT'S SHOWN IN THE IMAGE THERE REGARDING THE PROPERTY AT THIRD, WHERE THE REAR RESIDENCE IS FACING TOWARDS THE SIDE PROPERTY LINE.

WITH SIDE BY SIDE DUPLEXES, THEY ALLOW FOR A LOT SUBDIVISION AS LIKE AN ATTACHED HOUSE.

FRONT AND REAR DUPLEXES OR STACKED DUPLEXES AND WALKUP FLATS MUST CREATE A CONDO ASSOCIATION.

ASSOCIATION FOR SALE FOR SELLING OF DWELLING UNITS AND CURRENT UDO DESIGN STANDARDS AND DEFINITIONS LACK REQUIREMENTS TO PREVENT LARGE SINGLE FAMILY DESIGNS TO BE CONSTRUCTED ON TOP OF EXISTING SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCES, RATHER THAN CREATE A DIVERSITY OF HOUSING TYPES.

SO WITHIN THE UDO IN OUR DEFINITION SECTION, SPECIFICALLY QUADPLEXES, THERE ARE SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS THAT THE RESIDENTIAL UNITS HAVE TO BE INTEGRATED VERTICALLY AND HORIZONTALLY. THAT'S WHERE YOU DON'T YOU DON'T SEE INDIVIDUALS TRYING TO RECREATE TOWNHOMES WITH THE LABEL AS A QUADPLEX, BUT WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE THOSE REQUIREMENTS FOR DUPLEXES WHERE THEY'RE REQUIRED TO FACE THE SAME, THE SAME ROAD FRONTAGE.

AND THAT'S WHERE YOU CAN GET THE DIFFERING DESIGNS.

AND WE'D STILL HAVE A DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY THAT'S GETTING USED TO THIS NEW STYLE OF MISSING MIDDLE AND A DIVERSITY IN HOUSING TYPES, AND THAT'S WHY YOU STILL SEE INDIVIDUALS TRYING TO RECREATE THE SAME SINGLE FAMILY DESIGNS WE SEE, BUT JUST STACKED UP ON TOP OF EACH OTHER.

SO IS THAT GOING TO BE A RECOMMENDATION, POSSIBLY FOR AN UDO CHANGE OR.

WE WILL GET THERE.

SORRY. READING AHEAD.

BASED ON PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS IN THE INCEPTION OF MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING.

AT FIRST IT WAS THOUGHT NONCONFORMING LOTS WOULD NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE ALLOWANCE OF MISSING MIDDLE.

BUT AS STAFF HAS NOTED FROM OUR EXPERIENCE AND OUR OWN RESEARCH.

THE REGULATIONS REFLECT DIFFERING LOT SIZES THROUGH ITS SEMI-FORCED FORM BASED CODES, CREATING EQUITABLE UNIFORMITY.

NOT ALL NEIGHBORHOODS AND RESIDENCES WITHIN THE CITY OF DECATUR DEVELOPED THE SAME TIME, SO THERE ARE ACTUALLY A LARGE NUMBER OF NONCONFORMING LOTS, BECAUSE A NONCONFORMING LOT IS JUST ANYTHING THAT DOES NOT MEET ITS ZONING CODE.

SO WE HAVE PROPERTIES THAT ARE ZONED R 60, AND THERE ARE ONLY A COUPLE FEET OFF THE MINIMUM LOT WIDTH OF THEIR ZONING DISTRICT, BUT THEY WOULD BE CONSIDERED LEGALLY NON-CONFORMING TODAY.

ARE YOU SAYING THEY WOULD NOT QUALIFY? THEY WOULD NOT QUALIFY.

MISSING. MISSING. MIDDLE.

OKAY. LET ME SAY THAT YOU COULD NOT DO A DUPLEX.

THAT IS CORRECT. SORRY. YEAH.

GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.

GOOD EVENING, KC.

SO, I GUESS YOU'RE READY FOR THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.

AWESOME. SO LET'S START WITH THE BUILDING DESIGN OF DUPLEXES.

THIS REALLY GOES BACK TO EVERYTHING YOU'VE HEARD.

SOME RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE HAVE ARE TO REQUIRE BOTH FRONT DOORS TO FACE THE STREET.

FURTHER CLARIFYING THAT THE UNITS HAVE TO BE VERTICALLY OR HORIZONTALLY INTEGRATED BY THE LIVING SPACE, NOT JUST THE GARAGE SPACE.

SO WHY SO WHAT WE FOUND IS THE.

WE'RE JUST GETTING REALLY LONG BUILDINGS WITH GARAGES IN THE CENTER.

SO IT'S REALLY JUST TWO SINGLE FAMILY HOMES BACK TO BACK CONNECTED IN THE GARAGE, WHICH MEANS ALL OF YOUR CAR MOVEMENTS ARE STILL FACING THE SAME RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY. SO YOU'RE CONSTANTLY GOING TO BE MOVING IN AND SEEING THAT BACKING IN AND OUT, GARAGE DOORS GOING UP, KIND OF A WAY TO BREAK THAT UP AND MAKE IT NOT SO INTENSE FOR ONE NEIGHBOR VERSUS THE OTHER.

I MEAN, SOME MAY STILL BE DESIGNED IN A WAY WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE ACCESS DOWN ONE SIDE.

BUT IN WHAT WE'RE FINDING IS THE CASES WHERE THEY'RE JUST ATTACHED BY THE GARAGE, THEY JUST BECOME LONGER DUPLEXES ACROSS THE PROPERTY.

AND SO IT'S A CONCERN ABOUT THE NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE NEIGHBOR.

WE'RE ALSO WHEN WE ALSO DON'T ALLOW THE LOT TO BE DIVIDED LIKE THAT.

SO THAT WAS KIND OF GOING BACK TO ONE OF THE REASONS, LIKE THERE'S NOT A WAY TO DIVIDE THAT LOT WITHOUT HAVING ONE LOT COMPLETELY LANDLOCKED.

THE WAY THE UDO SPELLS IT OUT IS YOU STILL HAVE TO HAVE THE ROAD FRONTAGE WITH AND MOST OF THE LOTS ARE NOT ACTUALLY DOUBLE LIKE, DOUBLE SIZED LOTS.

THEY DON'T. YOU WOULD HAVE TO HAVE 120FT IF THAT MAKES SENSE, VERSUS THE 60.

SO IN TURN THEY'RE TURNING IT THE OTHER WAY.

[01:15:04]

AND THE QUESTION IS LIKE, WELL, WHY DO WE REQUIRE A 15 FOOT MINIMUM? SURE. AND SO AS WE'RE LOOKING AT A DIVERSITY OF HOUSING AND YOU KNOW, AND I WOULD NOT USE THE TERM AFFORDABILITY, BUT, YOU KNOW, AS YOU AS YOU GET SMALLER, YOU GET KIND OF ODDER, THEN YOU TEND TO BE MORE AFFORDABLE.

SO I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS LOT.

AND SO WHAT'S BAD ABOUT THIS? I MEAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE COULD BE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE NEIGHBOR.

I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT. I MEAN, THERE'S THE SIZE OF IT LOOKED KIND OF LARGE TOO.

BUT I WANT TO UNDERSTAND, LIKE WHAT? WHAT'S THE NEGATIVE WHAT'S THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING.

SO JUST. WELL, I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, I'M NOT SURE WITH TWO THAT ARE COMPLETELY DESIGNED DIFFERENTLY.

LIKE YOU HAVE AN ACCURATE.

BUT I THINK WITH THIS ONE WHEN THE GARAGES ATTACHED, WE DO HAVE SOME LANGUAGE IN THE CODE WHERE IT SAYS IT HAS TO BE VERTICALLY OR HORIZONTALLY INTEGRATED.

AND LIKE I SAID, SO WHEN IT'S JUST THE GARAGE, I KIND OF FEEL LIKE YOU DO LOSE SOME OF THAT ARCHITECTURE OF THOSE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.

SO, IT'S AN ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

THAT'S ALSO. YEAH, I MEAN, WE WERE REALLY KIND OF LOOKING AT EVERYTHING, BUT REALLY ONLY HAVE ONE PERMITTED EXAMPLE TO GO OFF OF.

BUT EVEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ONES THAT ARE BEING BUILT AROUND, MANY OF THEM STILL DO HAVE ANOTHER FRONT DOOR FACING FORWARD.

OTHER JURISDICTIONS DO ALLOW THOSE LAND LOCKED PARCELS IN THE REAR.

IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT DECATUR CODE DOES NOT.

I THINK, TOO, THAT BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME LOTS THAT ARE SOMEWHAT NARROW, LIKE 60, BUT MAY BE VERY DEEP.

AND I THINK THAT'S ALLOWING FOR TWO LARGE HOUSES TO BE STACKED ALMOST.

AND WITH JUST THE GARAGE.

AND I THINK THAT IF IT AS OPPOSED TO EVEN JUST LIKE A HOUSE AND AN ADU, THERE'S A SIZE LIMIT ON THE ADU, I THINK.

AND I THINK WHAT HAPPENED IS TWO REALLY LARGE HOUSES GOT BUILT ON ONE LOT WITH A CONNECTING GARAGE.

AND SO AND I THINK TYPICALLY WHEN YOU THINK OF A DUPLEX, YOU'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE A CENTER WALL ATTACHING THEM SOMEHOW.

WHERE THIS ONE, IT'S YOUR GARAGE SPACE.

COULD YOU BUILD LIKE YOU HAVE TWO LARGE HOUSES.

COULD YOU. LET'S SAY THERE WAS A LARGE HOUSE 4000FT², I DON'T KNOW, COULD YOU BUILD A 1000 SQUARE FOOT HOUSE IN DECATUR, DEPENDING ON THE LOT SIZE, IF THEY MEET ALL OF THE SETBACKS AND THE FLOOR AREA RATIO? EACH LOT IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.

SO, WHEN YOU ADD THE TWO DUPLEXES UP TOGETHER, THEY HAVE TO MEET.

THEY STILL HAVE TO MEET THOSE SINGLE FAMILY REQUIREMENTS.

I'VE GOT A DIFFERENT QUESTION.

AND MAYBE IT GETS TO WHAT YOU'RE ASKING.

WOULD IT BE PERMITTED IF YOU BUILT A HOUSE AND THE FRONT DOOR DIDN'T FACE THE STREET? IS THAT A PERMISSIBLE BUILD IN THE CITY? CORRECT. RIGHT. NOW BOTH FRONT DOORS DO NOT HAVE TO FACE THE STREET.

JUST ONE SINGLE, BUT A SINGLE FAMILY.

OH, A SINGLE FAMILY.

IT HAS TO FACE THE STREET.

SO TO ME, THAT'S THE ROADMAP I THINK WE NEED TO FOLLOW.

IF YOU WON'T ALLOW A SINGLE FAMILY TO HAVE A FRONT DOOR THAT DOESN'T FACE THE STREET, THEN YEAH.

NO, NO. YEAH, YEAH.

THAT THAT INTEGRATION PART OF IT WAS IT WAS CREATIVE.

PERFECT. NEXT ONE WOULD BE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE BUILDING DESIGN OF WALKUP FLATS.

SO IF YOU RECALL THESE ARE GOING TO BE THE THREE AND THE FOUR UNITS ATTACHED.

ONCE AGAIN REQUIRING THAT THE FRONT DOORS FACE THE STREET.

WE ALSO LOOKED AT PROVIDING ALLOWANCES FOR A CORNER LOT WHERE YOU HAVE MAYBE TWO FRONT DOORS FACING EACH STREET.

THAT'S ACTUALLY THE ONE THAT'S DESIGNED THAT'S PROPOSED FOR COMMERCE.

ALSO PROPOSING AN ALLOWANCE FOR A SINGLE FRONT DOOR OR A FRONT FOCAL FEATURE THAT COULD PROVIDE THAT INTERIOR ACCESS.

SO YOU'RE STILL LOOKING AT THAT AS A FRONT FACADE? WHETHER IT'S THERE'S ONE PICTURE UP THERE THAT'S KIND OF MORE.

YOU CAN'T SEE IT, BUT THERE'S ACTUALLY FOUR DOORS IN THERE.

SOMETIMES IT MIGHT BE AN INTERIOR ACCESS, MAYBE ONE'S THAT TWO ARE AT GROUND LEVEL, TWO GO IN UPPER STAIR LEVEL, THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND THEN ONCE AGAIN FURTHER CLARIFYING THAT UNITS HAVE TO BE VERTICALLY AND THIS ONE'S VERTICALLY AND HORIZONTALLY INTEGRATED BY THE LIVING SPACE.

[01:20:04]

SO FROM OUR STANDPOINT WHETHER IT'S A LEGAL LOT PER THE CODE OR A NONCONFORMING LOT, WE STILL HAVE ALLOWANCES FOR NONCONFORMING LOTS TO BE BUILT UPON ON A REGULAR SINGLE FAMILY HOME.

SO STILL HAVING THE ABILITY TO BUILD A DUPLEX OR A WALK UP FLAT IF THOSE ZONING REGULATIONS ARE MET, NO DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, THAT WOULD BE YOUR SETBACKS, YOUR LOT COVERAGE, YOUR FLOOR AREA RATIO, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

AND THEN REQUIRING THE ACTUAL SUBMISSION OF ANY OF THOSE CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS, IF THAT'S HOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE SOLD.

WOULD THAT BE? I'M SORRY.

WOULD THAT BE DONE ON THE FRONT END? WELL, WE COULD RECEIVE IT ON THE BACK END WHEN THEY FINAL THE PERMIT.

I THINK IT'S JUST A MATTER OF HOW AND WHEN THEY FILE THEM.

I DIDN'T ACTUALLY GET AN ANSWER ON HOW THE ONE WAS SOLD.

I WENT UP AND DOWN THROUGH TAX RECORDS AND CALLED THE BUILDER AND THE REALTOR.

I THINK THAT'S HOW IT WAS SOLD, JUST BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT MAKES SENSE.

BUT WE JUST NEVER GOT A COPY OF THOSE DOCUMENTS.

HOW DO VARIANCES PLAY INTO THIS? SO PARTICULARLY IF YOU HAVE AN EXISTING HOME AND YOUR FOOTPRINT ALREADY IS PERHAPS WITHIN THE SETBACK.

AND LET'S SAY YOU WANT TO PUT A SECOND STORY ON IT.

WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO GET A VARIANCE TO THE DUPLEX TO DO THAT OR.

WELL RIGHT. RIGHT NOW, YOU COULD APPLY FOR A VARIANCE ON ANY PROPERTY EVEN A SINGLE FAMILY HOME.

SO ESSENTIALLY, I MEAN, JUST THE WAY THE CODE IS WRITTEN.

NOW, THEY COULD APPLY FOR A VARIANCE IF THAT'S A REQUEST.

IF IT'S A NOTION TO GO A DIFFERENT WAY, WE COULD ALSO WRITE THAT.

SO THOSE ARE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.

I GUESS IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS WHY WOULD WE NOT NECESSARILY CONSIDER THE OPTION TO SUBDIVIDE? AND HOW COULD THAT WORK? WHAT'S THE PROS AND CONS LIST THERE VERSUS FORCING THE CONDO-IZATION.

SO RIGHT NOW THE WAY THE CODES ARE IS YOU STILL HAVE TO HAVE THE 60FT OF ROAD FRONTAGE AND THE 120 DEPTH.

SO 9000FT².

A LOT OF THE LOTS JUST AREN'T THAT LARGE.

AND THAT WOULD REALLY BE FOR YOUR DUPLEX.

SO IT WOULD ESSENTIALLY BE A ZERO LOT LINE IF THAT MAKES SENSE DOWN THE CENTER.

I'M NOT SURE HOW YOU GOT TO THAT POINT, BECAUSE THAT PREDATES ME A LITTLE BIT.

BUT IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS WANTED, WE WOULD JUST HAVE TO REWORK THE CODE ON HOW THE LOT SIZE AND THE LOT LOCATION WOULD BE ESTABLISHED, BUT ESSENTIALLY IN THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN NOW, IT WOULD BE A LANDLOCKED PARCEL IN THE REAR.

DO YOU THINK IT'S A BARRIER TO ENTRY FOR DEVELOPERS TO DO THE CONDO AVENUE VERSUS JUST SUBDIVIDING AND WORKING THE PROJECT THAT WAY? YEAH. I MEAN, THE ONES OBVIOUSLY THEY DO WANT TO SELL SOME.

LIKE I SAID, I GUESS IT JUST DEPENDS HOW YOU WANT THAT ULTIMATE OWNERSHIP TO BE, WHERE IN THE CASES OF WHAT WE HAVE NOW, ONE WAS SOLD, THE OTHER ONE IS OCCUPIED AND RENTED. I DON'T, I THINK IF YOU WANTED TO DO THEM, YOU SHOULD STILL HAVE THE ROAD FRONTAGE, STILL HAVE THE FRONT DOORS FACING FORWARD SO NOTHING OVERLAPS. BUT THAT WOULD BE WHERE YOU WOULD HAVE TO REDO SOME OF THOSE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

WE HAVE A NARROWER PATHWAY RELATIVE TO CITY OF ATLANTA.

I'M NOT SAYING WE WANT TO TRY TO BE LIKE CITY OF ATLANTA, BUT.

RIGHT. I THOUGHT WE'D HAVE MORE DUPLEXES COMING UP, AND THE MARKET WILL CONTINUE TO DICTATE THAT.

BUT I DO THINK THAT'S KIND OF THE SLAM DUNK OF OPPORTUNITY IN PARTICULAR, LIKE IN A FIRST PHASE.

SO I JUST WOULD BE INTERESTED TO CONTINUE TO EXPLORE WHAT THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY THINKS ABOUT, PARTICULARLY THE DUPLEX AND WHAT ARE BARRIERS TO ENTRY TO DOING THE DUPLEX.

SURE. JUST TO CLARIFY, THERE HAVE BEEN FOUR.

OH, YEAH. GO AHEAD.

WE'VE HAD FOUR APPLICATIONS.

THERE'S THREE.

I'M SORRY. WE HAD ONE.

WE HAD THREE THAT ARE TECHNICALLY PERMITTED.

ONE IS ACTUALLY IN THE PERMIT PROCESS AND TWO THAT WERE CONSTRUCTED.

ARE WE AWARE OF ANY OTHER PIPELINE OR INTEREST OR.

NO, WE DO.

WE GET TONS OF CALLS ALL THE TIME.

SOME COME TO FRUITION, SOME DO NOT.

I WANTED TO ADD A COMMENT ABOUT THE CONDO-IZATION.

JUST FROM AN AFFORDABILITY STANDPOINT.

IT ADDS A LOT OF EXPENSE WHEN YOU HAVE TO CONDO-IZE THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS TO GO THROUGH LEGAL PROCESSES.

THERE'S DOCUMENTS THAT HAVE TO BE DRAWN UP BY LAWYERS.

IF IT COULD BE SIMPLER, IT COULD HELP AFFORDABILITY.

ADDING THAT I THINK IT WOULD BE WORTH YOU KNOW, FINDING WHO'S CALLING AND WHAT THEY'RE ASKING ABOUT. DO WE BRING THOSE PEOPLE BACK TO THE TABLE AND SAY, WHAT'S KEEPING YOU FROM MOVING FORWARD? AND TO JUST HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE DATA AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT IF THEY'RE IF THEY'RE INTERESTED, WHAT'S WHAT IS KEEPING THEM

[01:25:09]

I THINK MANY OF THEM, AS YOU ALREADY HAVE EXISTING SINGLE FAMILY HOMES ON THE SITE.

SO THEN YOU REALLY GET INTO A COST SITUATION.

I THINK MANY DO ORIGINALLY THINK THAT THEY WILL JUST EITHER ADD ON OR REDO THE INTERIOR SOMEHOW, AND THAT ALSO HAS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT COST DEPENDING ON WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.

AND SOMETIMES IF YOU WOULD GO FROM SINGLE FAMILY TO, LET'S JUST SAY A QUADRUPLEX, THAT WOULD ACTUALLY CHANGE SOME BUILDING CODES.

SO I THINK THOSE ARE A LOT, A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS WE GET ALREADY HAVE HOMES ON THEM.

I'M GOING TO CIRCLE BACK TO THE 15 FOOT, 14 FOOT WIDE TOWNHOME.

THE EXTENT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RECOMMENDATIONS AND CHANGES.

IS THAT SOMETHING ALSO WE COULD LOOK AT IN TERMS OF LIKE WHY DO WE? WHY DO TOWNHOUSES? WOULD THAT BE IF WE COULD MAKE CHANGES TO THE ADU.

IS THAT? ARE THERE OTHER THINGS WE SHOULD LOOK AT BESIDES SPECIFICALLY OUR MISSING MIDDLE? WELL, TONIGHT WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT THE MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING ORDINANCE.

SO THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE A SEPARATE CONVERSATION BECAUSE TOWNHOMES ARE NOT CONSIDERED MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING TYPES FOR PURPOSES OF THE CITY OF DECATUR AND THE ORDINANCE THAT WAS ADOPTED, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT THAT IN THE FUTURE.

YES. GREAT.

OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? OKAY. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

GREAT. YEAH.

LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A QUICK, WE NEED TO TAKE A MINUTE BREAK.

GOOD EVENING.

[I. Call to Order by Mayor]

COMMISSIONERS, YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF DECEMBER 2ND.

[II. Approval of the Minutes.]

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? CHAIR VOTES I AND THE MINUTES ARE ADOPTED.

ALL RIGHT. SO NEXT WE HAVE THE EXCITING PRESENTATION FOR THE DECORATE DECATUR CONTEST WINNERS.

[III. Presentations.]

AND THANKS TO JACKIE MOORE FOR ALWAYS COMING UP WITH SOME CLEVER POEMS TO READ.

AND WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME FORWARD? THANK YOU.

GOOD EVENING. I'M JACKIE MORRIS, SPECIAL EVENTS COORDINATOR FOR THE CITY OF DECATUR.

AND TONIGHT, I WANT TO PRESENT THE WINNERS FOR THE 2024 DECORATE DECATUR HOLIDAY CONTEST.

WE HAVE THE WINNER HERE WITH US, BUT WE HAD TWO OUTSTANDING MENTIONS.

THE FIRST ONE WAS 124 OAKLAND STREET, AND THEN THE SECOND ONE WAS 712 SOUTH MCDONOUGH STREET.

ALL RIGHT. SO WOULD YOU LIKE TO READ THE POEMS? OH. YOU CAN.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

WE'RE OUTSTANDING AT 124 OAKLAND STREET.

A HOUSE THAT SHINES IN HOLIDAY LIGHT.

A DAZZLING SCENE TO WARM THE NIGHT.

CANDY CANES AND GLOWING CHEER.

A FESTIVE WONDER DRAWING NEAR.

SANTA STANDS WITH A CHEERFUL GRIN.

BRIGHT AND MERRY.

LET THE JOY BEGIN.

BUSHES WRAPPED IN RED AND GOLD OF STORY OF CHRISTMAS.

BEAUTIFULLY TOLD.

SO THAT'S 124 OAKLAND.

MAKE SURE YOU GO BY AND SEE IT.

AND THEN THE OTHER OUTSTANDING MENTION IS 712 SOUTH MCDONOUGH STREET ON A QUIET STREET, A HOUSE AGLOW WHERE HOLIDAY MAGIC BEGINS TO SHOW.

TREES ADORNED WITH COLORS.

BRIGHT SPHERES OF WONDER.

DANCE IN THE NIGHT, A MASTERPIECE OF JOY AND PRIDE.

A GLOWING BEACON FAR AND WIDE.

THIS OUTSTANDING MISSION TRULY SHINES A HOLIDAY WONDER SO DIVINE.

AND NOW WE'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE WINNER AT 104 WOODLAWN AVENUE.

AND I BELIEVE THE HOME.

OH, THERE YOU ARE.

IT WAS, JUST SAW YOU.

SO, THE HOMEOWNER IS PRESENT, AND WE WILL PRESENT YOU WITH THE COMMISSIONER'S CUP FOR THE DECORATE DECATUR CONTEST. BUT FIRST, I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR ABOUT YOUR HOME ON WOODLAWN AVENUE.

THERE'S A HOUSE SO BRIGHT, A FESTIVE DISPLAY, A TRUE HOLIDAY DELIGHT WITH WREATHS ON THE WINDOWS AND RIBBONS OF RED

[01:30:08]

TWINKLE HIGH OVERHEAD.

A GARDEN OF SNOWMEN, PENGUINS AND DEER SPREAD HOLIDAY JOY AND WINTERTIME CHEER.

CANDY CANES LINED THE PATH.

A WELCOMING SIGHT.

LEADING TO A PORCH THAT GLOWS WITH SOFT LIGHT.

SNOWFLAKES DANGLE.

A MAGICAL SCENE, THIS HOUSE COULD RIVAL THE NORTH POLE, IT SEEMS. CONGRATS TO THIS WINNER! YOUR DECOR IS THE BEST.

YOU BROUGHT THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT TO ALL OF THE REST.

AND THIS GOES TO THE MARKS POWELL FAMILY.

SO, WE GIVE THEM THE PICTURES.

SO CONGRATULATIONS.

DISPLAY THIS PROUDLY AND NEXT YEAR WE TAKE IT FROM YOU.

THANK YOU.

YES, ABSOLUTELY.

CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE'LL ALL COME TO YOUR HOUSE.

THANKS A LOT. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

NEXT, THE COMMUNITY RATING SYSTEM ANNUAL REPORT.

WE GO FROM SOMETHING REALLY FESTIVE TO SOMETHING VERY FUN.

VERY, VERY FUN.

GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS.

MY NAME IS KARA SHEARER.

I SERVE AS ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER OF PUBLIC WORKS.

I'M HERE TO PRESENT THIS CITY'S PARTICIPATION IN FEMA'S COMMUNITY RATING SYSTEM PROGRAM, WHICH INCLUDES FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT PLANNING.

AS PART OF THIS, WE SUBMIT AN ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT CONCERNING IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CITY'S PORTION OF THE COUNTY'S MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN.

THE PROGRESS REPORT WILL BE SUBMITTED TO OUR INSURANCE SERVICE OFFICE, OR ISO REPRESENTATIVE, AS PART OF THE CITY'S CRS ANNUAL RECERTIFICATION PROGRAM.

DOCUMENTATION INCLUDES A 2024 ACTIVITY PROGRESS REPORT, SUCH AS THE PURCHASE OF REPETITIVE LOSS PROPERTY AT 475 LANDOVER, WHICH WAS RESTORED TO A GREEN SPACE, AS WELL AS IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CITY'S STORMWATER MASTER PLAN.

CONSTRUCTION PLANS ARE CURRENTLY 90% COMPLETE FOR THREE PROJECTS ONE ON DAIRY DOWN WAY, PARK DRIVE, AND BREWER STREET, PENDING ADJUSTMENTS THAT MAY BECOME NECESSARY TO OBTAIN EASEMENTS.

ANY QUESTIONS? ARE THERE QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. THEN I GUESS WE WOULD NEED TO ACCEPT THE REPORT.

A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE REPORT AS PRESENTED HERE.

A MOTION TO THAT EFFECT.

SO MOVED. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND MOTION'S BEEN MADE AND SECONDED.

ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? CHAIR VOTES. AYE.

AND IT IS ACCEPTED.

SO NEXT.

I THINK WE HAVE SOME STAFF INTRODUCTIONS, SOME NEW STAFF INTRODUCTIONS.

THAT'S CORRECT. I'M HERE ALSO TO INTRODUCE A NEW STAFF MEMBER.

JULIE HARLAN WILL SERVE AS THE CITY'S ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION DIRECTOR.

THIS IS ABOUT HER SIXTH DAY.

HI. GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY.

GOOD EVENING. JUST JOTTED A FEW THINGS DOWN SO I COULD ADEQUATELY INTRODUCE MYSELF.

THRILLED TO BE JOINING THE CITY OF DECATUR AS THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION DIRECTOR.

DECATUR HAS SUCH A STRONG REPUTATION OF BEING A WALKABLE AND VIBRANT AND FORWARD THINKING COMMUNITY, AND I'M HONORED TO BE PART OF THAT LEGACY. OVER THE COURSE OF MY CAREER, I'VE WORKED IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS WELL AS RIGHT HERE IN MIDTOWN ATLANTA ON PROJECTS THAT EXPAND TRANSPORTATION CHOICES, CONNECT COMMUNITIES, AND MAKE IT A SAFER PLACE FOR EVERYBODY TO MOVE AROUND.

WHETHER THEY'RE WALKING, BIKING, ROLLING, OR TAKING TRANSIT.

I'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND HOW THOUGHTFUL TRANSPORTATION PLANNING DOESN'T JUST MOVE PEOPLE, IT CAN TRANSFORM NEIGHBORHOODS, STRENGTHEN LOCAL ECONOMIES, AND IMPROVE LIVES.

WHAT EXCITES ME MOST ABOUT THIS ROLE IS THE CHANCE TO BUILD ON DECATUR'S PROGRESS BY LISTENING TO YOU, THE RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES, ADVOCATES, EVERYBODY WHO MAKES THE CITY WHO IT IS TODAY.

I BELIEVE THE BEST TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS COME FROM COLLABORATION AND SHARED VISION.

[01:35:02]

I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING EACH ONE OF YOU, GETTING TO KNOW EVERYBODY, AND JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT MY DOOR, MY INBOX AND MY PHONE ARE ALWAYS OPEN AND I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.

ALL RIGHT. WELCOME.

GLAD YOU'RE HERE.

I'LL JUST ADD THAT'S A NEW POSITION TO SAY I'M A LITTLE BIT ENVIOUS OF JULIE.

THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME INTO THIS NEW POSITION.

AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, USE IT TO HAVE AN IMPACT, POSITIVE IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY.

SO. THANKS, JULIE. THANK YOU.

NEXT, I THINK WE WILL HAVE AN ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE LICENSE.

[IV. Alcoholic Beverage License.]

YES. MAYOR.

COMMISSIONERS, WE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION THIS EVENING FOR A NEW ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE LICENSE.

AND THIS IS FOR A NEW BUSINESS.

IT'S FOR MOTHER'S BEST.

YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH THIS.

OVER AT 406 CHURCH STREET IN THE SPACE THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY OCCUPIED BY CASA LATINA, AND THEY ARE SEEKING AN ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE LICENSE FOR BEER, WINE AND SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS.

THEY WE PERFORMED THE BACKGROUND CHECK.

THEY PAID ALL THE ASSOCIATED FEES.

AND ALSO, JUST, WE'LL ADD THAT THE RESTAURANT WILL HAVE OUTDOOR SEATING, AND YOU HAVE THE, THE SIDEWALK PLAN IN YOUR MATERIALS HERE.

SO, WITH THAT SAID, I DO RECOMMEND APPROVAL FOR THIS APPLICATION.

AND I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT, I THINK THAT IT'S PROBABLY THE OWNER OF THE BUSINESS, MR. BANCROFT. STANDING BACK THERE.

SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

AND AGAIN, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT YOU ALL BEING IN DECATUR.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

I WAS PRIVILEGED TO MEET HIM AT THE RIBBON CUTTING LAST WEEK, AND HIS WIFE AND SON.

AND WELCOME THEM TO DECATUR.

AND WE CUT THE RIBBON AT 11, AND BY 1105 THE LINE WAS OUT THE DOOR.

SO I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE ALREADY A POPULAR LOCATION.

SO ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? CAN WE HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE LICENSE FOR CONSUMPTION ON PREMISES OF BEER, WINE AND SPIRITUOUS LIQUOR.

LIQUORS TO IAN.

BEST FOR MOTHER'S BEST.

IAN BANCROFT. I'M SORRY.

BANCROFT. I WAS LIKE, HIS NAME IS BEST.

WHAT A COINCIDENCE. RIGHT? SO DOING BUSINESS AS MOTHER'S BEST AT 406 CHURCH STREET.

DO I HEAR A MOTION TO THAT EFFECT? I MOVE TO APPROVE. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? CHAIR VOTES. AYE.

AND CONGRATULATIONS.

SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

ALL RIGHT. NEXT, WE WILL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING FOR PROPERTY VIOLATIONS AT 335 GLENDALE AVENUE AND 339 GLENDALE

[Items V.A. & V.B.]

GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME IS CYNTHIA. I'M THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF DECATUR.

I'M HERE FOR A MEMORANDUM TO RECOMMEND THAT THE CITY COMMISSIONERS AUTHORIZE THE CLEANUP OF THIS PROPERTY AT 335 GLENDALE AVENUE.

THE PROPERTY IS MAINTAINED BY TALL WEEDS AND GRASS.

FALLEN TREE LIMBS.

BROKEN TREE BRANCHES.

THE PROPERTY HAS BEEN VACANT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.

THE PROPERTY OWNER IS KNOWN TO BE DECEASED, AND WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY CONTACT WITH ANY FAMILY MEMBERS.

AND I WANTED TO RECOMMEND THAT YOU GUYS AUTHORIZE THE CLEANUP.

ALL RIGHT. ARE THERE QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS? JUST THE ONLY QUESTION I HAVE.

NORMALLY WHEN WE GET THESE, WE HAVE DOCUMENTATION THAT SHOW THE STATE OF THE PROPERTY.

I DON'T SEE THOSE IN THIS PARTICULAR.

I HAVE THEM, I JUST DIDN'T I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO PRESENT THEM, BUT I CAN.

I HAVE PICTURES TODAY.

I WENT OUT TO TAKE PICTURES TO MAKE SURE THAT NOTHING HAD BEEN DONE ON THE PROPERTY.

SO NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE SINCE THIS WAS FIRST BROUGHT TO US, SINCE IT WAS FIRST BROUGHT TO US.

THANK YOU. OKAY, SO THE PROPERTY WAS POSTED FOR A PUBLIC NOTICE.

WE GOT A LOT OF PHONE CALLS SAYING THAT THE PROPERTY WAS GOING TO BE SOLD OR HAD BEEN SOLD, OR THEY'RE WORKING WITH THE WIFE.

WE DON'T KNOW THAT TO BE TRUE, BUT WE'VE GOTTEN A NUMBER OF PHONE CALLS STATING THAT THE SALE IS SUPPOSED TO TAKE PLACE TODAY AND CLOSE ON WEDNESDAY.

AGAIN, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO PROVE THAT THAT IS TRUE, BUT WE STILL WANT TO MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE IT'S INFLUENCED THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND IT'S JUST BEEN SITTING THERE IN AN EYESORE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.

YES, FOR PUBLIC HEARING.

PUBLIC HEARING.

[01:40:02]

THEN THE PUBLIC SPEAKS AND THEN WE CAN SPEAK FOR OURSELVES.

THAT'S CORRECT. THAT'S CORRECT.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU. WE MAY HAVE YOU COME BACK UP AGAIN, BUT WE WILL NOW OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR AT THIS TIME, IF THERE'S ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE, THE AUTHORIZATION OF THE CORRECTION OF THE VIOLATIONS OF THE CITY'S HEALTH AND SANITATION ORDINANCE AT THE PROPERTIES LOCATED AT 335 AND 339.

THAT'S THE ONLY PUBLIC COMMENT WE'RE TAKING NOW.

BUT IF ANYONE IS HERE THAT WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ABOUT EITHER OF THOSE ITEMS, WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO THOSE WHO ARE HERE AND THEN SEE IF THERE'S ANYONE ONLINE THAT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT.

PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.

ABSOLUTELY. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS MITCHELL GREEN.

I AM THE OWNER AT 331 GLENDALE.

MY WIFE AND I ARE BOTH HERE, AS WELL AS OUR ACROSS THE STREET NEIGHBOR.

I BELIEVE YOU ACTUALLY RECEIVED A LETTER AS WELL FROM THE OWNERS AT 343.

YEAH, I THINK 343.

CAN I SEE WHAT JONATHAN WROTE? AT LEAST A LETTER OR EMAIL THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN AN EMAIL WAS NEITHER.

ONE DAY, WE DIDN'T.

OKAY. LET ME GET SO LET ME GET THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU AT LEAST TO SORT OF READ THAT IN BECAUSE HE ACTUALLY STATES IT REALLY WELL AND WOULD LOVE FOR IT TO BE HEARD.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

EXCUSE ME.

341 SO THIS LETTER IS BY JONATHAN BARTLETT, WHO LIVES ON THE OTHER SIDE RIGHT THERE, THE TWO HOUSES THAT ARE IN QUESTION SIT BETWEEN US AT 331 AND THE BARTLETT FAMILY AT 341, AND HE WRITES THE FOLLOWING.

HE SAYS, I LIVE AT 341 GLENDALE, ADJACENT TO 339 WITH 335 THE NEXT ONE DOWN.

THESE HOMES HAVE BEEN VACANT FOR SEVERAL YEARS.

I SUPPORT THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION TO CLEAN AND SECURE THESE PROPERTIES.

AT A MINIMUM, THE OWNER'S WIDOW AND HER CHILDREN LIVE OUT OF TOWN AND COME PERIODICALLY TO CUT THE GRASS AND STRAIGHTEN THINGS UP A BIT.

HOWEVER, GIVEN THE LEVEL OF DISREPAIR, THE POTENTIAL FOR SQUATTERS AND THE NARROW SIDE SETBACKS IN THIS AREA, I HAVE REAL CONCERNS ABOUT FIRE RISKS.

THERE ARE ALSO SEVERAL LARGE TREES AT 339.

I'LL ADD IN AT 335 AS WELL.

GLENDALE THAT ARE IN BAD SHAPE OR HAVE DEAD LIMBS THAT POSE A RISK TO NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES.

I WOULD ASK THE CITY'S ARBORIST TO INSPECT AND INCLUDE TREE REMOVAL AND OR REMEDIATION IN THE WORK PLAN, IF APPROPRIATELY, EXCUSE ME, IF APPROPRIATE.

FINALLY, GIVEN THE HIGH DEMAND FOR HOUSING IN DECATUR AND THE LENGTHS THIS COMMISSION HAS TAKEN TO PROMOTE DEVELOPMENT OF ANCILLARY UNITS OR PROVIDING HOUSING DIRECTLY WITH TINY HOMES AND SO FORTH, THE NOTION THAT THESE PROPERTIES WOULD STILL EXCUSE ME, WOULD SIT VACANT FOR SO LONG, MAY WARRANT DISCUSSION OF MORE DIRECT INTERVENTION FROM THE CITY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I WILL JUST SIMPLY ADD, WITHOUT A DOUBT, THOSE PROPERTIES ARE NOT SECURED.

THERE IS A RESIDENT STRAY DOG THAT HAS BEEN IN THIS 335 FOR QUITE A LONG TIME THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF, BUT HE'S ABLE TO ENTER AND EXIT INTO THE BASEMENT OF THAT HOME WITHOUT ANY TROUBLE WHATSOEVER.

THE TREES THAT ARE PRESENT AT 335 AND AT 339 AS WELL HAVE IVY CLIMBING UP THEIR RATHER LARGE, OF THE OAK TYPE, AND THEY ARE LEANING CURRENTLY IN OUR DIRECTION, WHICH GIVES US A REAL PAUSE AS WELL ABOUT THE ACTIONS THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN.

JUST AS A REMINDER, THE CITY DID MAKE MOVES ON THESE TWO PROPERTIES.

ABOUT A YEAR, I THINK, TWO AND A HALF, WE BELIEVE TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO IS WHEN THAT WAS.

I'M SORRY. MAYBE THERE'S SOME HISTORY HERE THAT WE CAN DISCUSS.

WE APPRECIATE THE MOVE THAT WAS MADE.

AND IT'S JUST IT'S REALLY TIME TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION.

WE APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

ARE THERE OTHERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT THIS ITEM? THESE TWO ITEMS. SEEING NONE, WE'LL OPEN THIS UP FOR PUBLIC.

SORRY. OH, I DIDN'T SEE YOU GET UP.

SO SORRY. SORRY.

YEAH. WE DIDN'T CONFER ENOUGH ON THE WAY IN.

NANCY GREEN, 331 GLENDALE.

I ALSO WANTED TO JUST COMMENT THAT IT'S MORE THAN THE LANDSCAPING AND THE TREES THAT ARE A PROBLEM IN THESE TWO HOMES.

THE STRUCTURES THEMSELVES OF THE PROBLEM ARE THEY'RE FALLING APART.

THE ROOFS, THE ROOFS ARE FALLING DOWN.

THERE ARE NO GUTTERS ANYMORE.

THE WINDOWS ARE BROKEN.

EVERYTHING MUST BE ROTTED IN IN THE ONE HOUSE.

THREE, THREE, NINE. THEY IT'S ONLY BEEN EMPTY FOR FOUR YEARS NOW.

BUT THE THREE, THREE, FIVE HAS BEEN EMPTY FOR, I WANT TO SAY, AT LEAST EIGHT YEARS.

AND IT IS.

I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE WHAT IT IS LIKE INSIDE OF THAT HOUSE.

I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT'S LIVING INSIDE OF THAT HOUSE.

WHEN THEY DO FINALLY TEAR IT DOWN, I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT WILL COME OUT OF THAT HOUSE.

BUT TO CONTINUE TO JUST BAND-AID THE GRASS AND THE SHRUBS, LIKE, FEELS REALLY INADEQUATE FOR DEALING WITH THE HAZARD AND THE EYESORE AND THE I DON'T KNOW, IT'S JUST INAPPROPRIATE FOR DECATUR.

[01:45:03]

ARE THERE OTHERS? FRANCIS SCHAEFFER, 330 GLENDALE.

ONE OF THE NEIGHBORS JUST WANT TO REITERATE.

IT'S ALL OF US.

NEIGHBORS. WE POW-WOW ABOUT THIS HOUSE ALL THE TIME.

IT'S REALLY A MESS.

ACTUALLY, ONE OF THE HOUSES ACTUALLY HAS BAMBOO GROWING INSIDE OF IT.

IT'S JUST THEY'RE IN REALLY BAD SHAPE.

SO ANYTHING YOU GUYS CAN DO, WE.

WE'D ALL APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. OKAY.

ON THAT ONE, FRANCIS.

THERE YOU GO. HI, I'M CAROL.

ALL RIGHT. IF YOU COULD SAY.

CAROL AND I LIVE AT 424 GLENDALE.

I REALLY THOUGHT TONIGHT WOULD BE COMING JUST TO LISTEN.

BAMBOO INSIDE THE HOME.

IT'S GONE TOO FAR.

PLEASE HELP US.

THANK YOU. RIGHT.

ARE THERE OTHERS? OKAY. WE WILL OPEN UP THE PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THOSE WHO ARE ATTENDING ON ZOOM.

AND WE ARE CURRENTLY HOLDING THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE PROPERTY VIOLATIONS AT THREE, THREE FIVE AND 339 GLENDALE AVENUE.

AND IF THERE IS ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON WITH RESPECT TO THESE TWO ITEMS, PLEASE RAISE YOUR VIRTUAL HAND. WE'LL CALL ON YOU AND ASK YOU TO STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.

AND PLEASE MAKE YOUR COMMENT AGAIN ONLY ON THE PUBLIC HEARING.

PROPERTY VIOLATIONS.

ALL RIGHT. SEEING NONE, WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND WE'LL OPEN THIS UP FOR DISCUSSION.

I KNOW WE TALKED SOME WHEN THIS WAS FIRST BROUGHT FORWARD A FEW WEEKS AGO, THAT WE HAD TO HAVE THAT HEARING FIRST AND NOW THIS ONE, IN ORDER TO CORRECT THE VIOLATIONS.

I THINK WE'VE ALSO TALKED SOME ABOUT SOME INTEREST IN WHAT MORE CAN BE DONE.

AND SO MAYBE I'LL ASK THE CITY MANAGER OR ANGELA, MS. THREADGILL. OKAY.

IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO WHAT THE OPTIONS ARE BEYOND, YOU KNOW, ALLOWING STAFF TO OR ORDERING STAFF ESSENTIALLY TO CLEAN UP THE PROPERTY, WE PLACE A LIEN ON THE PROPERTY.

AND THEN THE, THE LIEN IS ONLY PAID NORMALLY IF THE HOUSE IS SOLD OR IF THERE'S FINANCING AGAINST THE HOUSE.

ARE THERE OTHER OPTIONS INVOLVING THE MUNICIPAL COURT SYSTEM OR EVEN CONDEMNATION.

WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO? WELL, BEFORE WE USE THE C WORD OF CONDEMNATION, I WOULD APPRECIATE A CONVERSATION WITH OUR CITY ATTORNEY FOR SOME OF THESE MORE INTENSIVE OPTIONS THAT WE MAY HAVE.

BUT THE MUNICIPAL COURT SYSTEM.

YES, THAT IS AN OPTION.

BUT AGAIN, IF THERE'S FINES OR FEES THAT JUST GETS TACKED ON TO THE PROPERTY AS A LIEN, AND WE ONLY RECOUP THOSE FINES AND FEES AND RESOURCES THAT THE CITY EXPENDS AT THE TIME OF THE PROPERTY SALE.

BUT AS FAR AS MORE INTENSIVE OPTIONS, I WOULD PREFER TO SPEAK WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY.

AND PERHAPS THAT'S A CONVERSATION THAT WE CAN HAVE, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF A WORK SESSION WHERE WE TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT OUR CODE ALLOWS US TO DO RIGHT NOW, AND IF WE NEED TO MAKE FUTURE AMENDMENTS, IF WE WANT TO HAVE MORE INTENSIVE AUTHORITY FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT.

IS THAT NOT CURRENTLY AN OPTION? BECAUSE I'M THINKING THAT WE HAVE WE TAKEN FURTHER LEGAL STEPS IN THE PAST FOR SIMILAR SITUATIONS? IT'S BEEN A VERY.

DAVID IS NODDING HIS HEAD.

YEAH. THANKS. HE HAS A LITTLE BIT MORE HISTORY IN THIS AREA.

I WANT TO SAY IT HAPPENED LIKE 4 OR 5 YEARS AGO.

GOOD EVENING, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER DAVID YOUNGER.

ANOTHER OPTION.

BASED ON THE INFORMATION, I WAS BACK THERE TAKING NOTES REGARDING THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE HOME.

IF, IN FACT, THAT'S COMPROMISED, AND IT CAN'T BE FIXED.

SOMETIMES IT'S JUST SIMPLE.

A RODENT KIND OF CONTROL WHERE THERE CAN'T BE ANY OPENINGS IN THE EXTERIOR FACADE OF A BUILDING.

BUT IF IT'S MORE THAN THAT IT WOULD GO TO THE BUILDING OFFICIAL.

THE BUILDING OFFICIAL WOULD THEN REVIEW THE CONDITION OF THE BUILDING, AND IF IT'S DILAPIDATED TO THE POINT, IT'S NO LONGER SAFE, THEN WE COULD GO TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FOR A NUISANCE ABATEMENT PROCESS, WHICH WOULD THEN ULTIMATELY GO THROUGH MUNICIPAL COURT AND THEN FROM THERE.

PREVIOUS CASES HAVE RESULTED IN DEMOLITION ORDERS ISSUED BY THE MUNICIPAL COURT, BUT THERE IS A PROCESS FOR THAT AS WELL.

[01:50:09]

SO, OR ASK FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.

COMMISSIONER. I MEAN, WE NEED TO HAVE THAT FURTHER CONVERSATION.

I JUST WANT TO READ AN ARTICLE FROM WSB ON AUGUST 31ST, 2024.

I'M AT MONDAY'S ATLANTA CITY COUNCIL MEETING.

THE COUNCIL MEMBERS PROPOSED A RESOLUTION TO USE CITY FUNDS TO BUY UP BLIGHTED AND CONDEMNED PROPERTIES IN THE CITY AS PART OF A BID TO BOOST DEVELOPMENT AND SOLVE COMMUNITY ISSUES. BOZO COMES LESS THAN A MONTH AFTER THE COUNCIL PASSED THEIR PLAN TO LEVY ADDITIONAL TAXES ON THE OWNERS OF BLIGHTED PROPERTIES.

CHANNEL TWO ACTION NEWS HAS REPORTED OWNERS OF BLIGHTED PROPERTIES IN ATLANTA COULD SEE THEIR TAXES INCREASE AS MUCH AS 25 TIMES THE CURRENT PROPERTY TAX RATE, AS A STRATEGY TO CUT DOWN THE AMOUNT OF VACANT, ABANDONED AND BLIGHTED PROPERTIES IN THE CITY.

LARGER PROPERTIES WOULD ALSO HAVE TO HAVE OWNERS AGREE TO AND PROVIDE DETAILED REDEVELOPMENT PLANS, WHICH ATLANTA OFFICIALS SAID.

BLAH BLAH, BLAH. NOW, COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREA BOONE AND ANTONIO LEWIS PROPOSAL TO HAVE ATLANTA BUY THE PROBLEMATIC PROPERTIES BY USING WHAT'S KNOWN AS EMINENT DOMAIN TO HANDLE PROPERTIES THAT OFFICIALS SAY HINDER ENACTING NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS, DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AND VITALIZATION EFFORTS.

I'M JUST READING A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE.

SO I GUESS THE WSB ARTICLE.

SO AS WE HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS THE LAST PARAGRAPH, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF COUNCIL MEMBERS.

MICHAEL JULIAN AND MARY NORWOOD.

THE PROPOSAL PASSED THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND LEGAL ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE UNANIMOUSLY.

BOND AND NORWOOD WERE ABSENT FROM THE MEETING, SO I APPRECIATE US EXPLORING OPTIONS AND HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITHOUT COMMITTING US TO DO ANYTHING.

AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO JUST READ A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE ABOUT WHAT A NEIGHBORING JURISDICTION IS DOING.

SO FOR THE RECORD, AND I, YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER MEYER IS NOT HERE.

I THINK WE NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT THE LATTER PART OF THAT.

I'M ALL FOR MAKING SURE THAT WE GO THROUGH THE PROPER STEPS TO, YOU KNOW, SECURE A PROPERTY STRUCTURE IF IT IS NOT SECURABLE, WHICH IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE THESE ARE, THEN WE NEED TO GO THROUGH THE BUILDING OFFICIAL TO GO THROUGH THE COURT PROCESS.

I JUST I WANT TO BE CAREFUL, GIVEN DECATUR'S HISTORY, ABOUT HOW WE TREAT CERTAIN RESIDENTS AND JUST APPLY THAT SORT OF LENS THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY, NOT JUST WHERE IT'S APPROPRIATE, BUT ALWAYS.

SO AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO SIT HERE TWO YEARS FROM NOW AND BE BACK AT THE SAME SITUATION AND SPIN OUR WHEELS AGAIN AND PUT ANOTHER BAND-AID ON THAT'S BEEN RIPPED OFF OR GROWN OFF.

BUT WE DO NEED TO FIX THE PROBLEM.

AND THE PROBLEM SOUNDS LIKE WE'VE GOTTEN BEYOND THE CUTTING THE GRASS, TAKING SOME TREES DOWN.

WE'RE AT SORT OF DEFCON FIVE, I THINK, WITH THESE TWO STRUCTURES.

AND I THINK THAT WHATEVER WE DO NOW NEEDS TO BE ESCALATED IN THE COMING YEAR TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT HERE AGAIN IN A COUPLE OF YEARS, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER IT SELLS OR NOT.

AND I APPRECIATE THE APPROPRIATE.

YEAH. AND, YOU KNOW, MY RECOLLECTION FROM A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO IS THAT A FAMILY MEMBER OR FAMILY MEMBERS DID SHOW UP AND THEY SAID THAT THEY WERE IN THEY WERE GOING THROUGH THE COURT PROCESS AT THAT TIME, THERE WAS A BACKLOG DUE TO COVID.

AND SO THIS BODY YOU KNOW, WAS WILLING TO GIVE THE FAMILY SOME MORE TIME TO JUST, YOU KNOW, GET THROUGH PROBATE AGAIN.

IT SEEMED AT THE TIME THAT WAS THAT WAS A REASONABLE DECISION TO MAKE.

AND HERE WE ARE, TWO, TWO AND A HALF YEARS LATER.

AND IT APPEARS THAT THE FAMILY HAS NOT FOLLOWED THROUGH ON THAT.

IF THEY HAVE, THEY CERTAINLY HAVE NOT COMMUNICATED THAT.

AND SO WE'RE BACK HERE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN TWO YEARS LATER, KIND OF AT THE SAME PLACE YOU WERE THEN.

BUT I THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.

WE'RE ALSO SAYING WE DON'T INTEND TO BE BACK HERE AGAIN IN TWO YEARS WITH THIS SAME ISSUE.

AND SO AGAIN, THAT'S A COMMITMENT WE CAN MAKE.

AND AGAIN, I BELIEVE THAT THE COMMISSION MADE THE RIGHT DECISION A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN THE FAMILY WAS HERE.

AND, YOU KNOW, AND YOU DID APPEAR TO YOU KNOW, BE MAKING A REAL EFFORT TO GET THE PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, TITLE AND OVER OWNERSHIP AND SUCH RESOLVED AND THAT, BUT NOW I THINK THAT THE TIME HAS COME TO TAKE SOME ACTION. AND AGAIN, LET'S FOLLOW THE STEPS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO US.

AND WITH THAT, DEPENDING ON THE DECISION THAT'S MADE TONIGHT ONCE THE PROPERTY IS CLEANED UP, WE WILL ALSO REACH OUT TO THE BUILDING OFFICIAL AND MAKE SURE THAT THE PROPERTY IS

[01:55:03]

I WOULD LIKE THAT TO BE PART OF THE CHARGE TONIGHT.

I HEAR YOU. OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. I COULD JUMP IN, AND I'D LIKE TO THANK THE NEIGHBORS WHO CAME TO LET US KNOW THE MOST RECENT STATUS ON THE GROUND.

MORE ABOUT THE CONDITION OF THE ACTUAL STRUCTURES.

AND TO MENTION THAT ONE HOUSE IS ONE THING, BUT TWO.

AND RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER IS PRETTY INTENSIVE BLIGHT, AND WE DON'T SEE THAT VERY MUCH IN DECATUR, LUCKILY.

SO THERE YOU CAN SEE THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO GO ALL THE WAY TO THE TEN STEP PROCESS OFTEN.

SO WE'RE BEING MEASURED AND DELIBERATE ABOUT DOING IT.

BUT YOU'VE BEEN VERY PATIENT.

I THINK WE'VE BEEN VERY PATIENT AND UNDERSTANDING.

AND WE'LL TAKE THE MEASURES IN THE WAY THAT SEEMS RATIONAL, BUT I WANT TO ESCALATE AND NOT BE HERE VERY QUICKLY AGAIN.

AND I'D LIKE FOR THE COMMUNITY, THE NEIGHBORS, TO BE ABLE TO HEAR WHAT THE RESULTS ARE OF THE ENGINEERING REPORT.

HOW CAN WE MAKE SURE WE'RE RESPONSIVE? SO, IT'S, THEY DON'T HAVE TO NECESSARILY.

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE AN AGENDA ITEM THAT WE MIGHT NOT HAVE FOR MONTHS.

CAN THEY JUST CONTACT THE CITY TO ASK.

OR WE COULD REACH OUT TO THEM IN ANY.

I MEAN, IF THERE'S SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO BE THE NEIGHBORHOOD REPRESENTATIVE AND THEN THEY COULD REACH OUT TO ANGELA, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO JUST REACH OUT TO ANGELA THREADGILL? BUT IF ONE PERSON WOULD BE WILLING TO BE THAT THAT REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WE HAVE A NEIGHBORHOOD LIST SERVE AGAIN.

AND WE CAN CERTAINLY SHARE THAT BROADLY IF THAT'S APPROPRIATE.

RIGHT. RIGHT. YEAH.

I DON'T LIKE TO ENCUMBER A PROPERTY WITH LIENS, BECAUSE THAT ACTUALLY ALSO MAKES IT PROBABLY TRICKIER TO SELL, WHICH WOULD BE A GREAT OUTCOME, RIGHT, FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND THINGS MIGHT BE RIGHT IN THE CROSSHAIRS OF SELLING, BUT I ALSO DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE MAKING A DECISION TONIGHT THAT IS PREDICATED ON THIS UNKNOWN SALE AND UNKNOWN ACTORS.

AND I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S AN AGENT INVOLVED THAT A LISTING SIGN THAT WE KNOW, LIKE, WHATEVER MIGHT BE HAPPENING, IT COULD BE OFF MARKET.

AND SO WE DON'T KNOW.

SO I GUESS THAT'S WHY I'M MORE COMFORTABLE TAKING THESE NEXT, MORE AGGRESSIVE STEPS, EVEN THOUGH IT IS NOT IDEAL FOR THE PROPERTY WHEN IT GOES TO SELL.

BUT THAT WILL GET WORKED OUT IN THE IN THE MARKET HOPEFULLY.

SO THANKS.

SO IF I'M HEARING CORRECTLY, WHAT WE NEED IS A MOTION TO AUTHORIZE CORRECTION OF THE VIOLATIONS OF THE CITY'S HEALTH AND SANITATION ORDINANCE AT THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 335 GLENDALE AVENUE, AND THE PROPERTY BE ASSESSED FOR THE COST OF THE WORK AND THAT THE BUILDING OFFICIAL ASSESS THE STRUCTURE, DIRECT THE BUILDING OFFICIAL TO ASSESS THE PROPERTY STRUCTURE.

OKAY. AND WE NEED TO DO THESE SEPARATELY, PLEASE.

OKAY. SO DO I HEAR A MOTION TO THAT EFFECT? SO MOVED. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? CHAIR. VOTES. AYE.

AND THE MOTION PASSES.

AND THEN FOR 339.

GLENDALE. DITTO.

DITTO. OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. THAT WAS QUICK.

ALL RIGHT. WE'VE GOT THE SCRIBE OVER HERE.

SO, A MOTION'S BEEN MADE.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND MOTION'S BEEN MADE AND SECONDED.

FURTHER DISCUSSION.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? THREE. 339 AS WELL.

THE CHAIR VOTES. AYE.

AND SO, WE HAVE, AND THE MOTION PASSES.

SO WE HAVE APPROVED THE AUTHORIZATION OF THE CORRECTION OF THE VIOLATIONS AND THEN HAVE ALSO ASKED THE CITY MANAGER TO DIRECT THE BUILDING OFFICIAL TO ASSESS THE CONDITION.

GREAT. THANK YOU. BUILDING.

ALL RIGHT. I KNOW WE'VE FINISHED AND MADE THE MOTION, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IN THE PAST WE'VE ALSO BOARDED UP STRUCTURES THAT WERE, YOU KNOW, WINDOWS EXPOSED, DOORS OPEN.

I KNOW THAT'S BEEN PART OF THE PROCESS.

I KNOW THAT THAT HAPPENED MOST RECENTLY ON FERNDALE.

SO, YOU KNOW, TO THE NEIGHBORS KNOW THAT IT'S NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, CLEANING UP BUSHES AND LEAVES, BUT ALSO MAKING SURE THAT THE PROPERTY IS SECURE FROM THE OUTSIDE SO NO ONE'S GETTING IN AND OUT.

SO I WAS AT THE PROPERTY TODAY.

THE DOORS ARE LOCKED.

I WAS AT THE PROPERTY TODAY.

I CHECKED THE DOORS ON THE 339.

THE BRICK BUILDING. THE DOORS ARE LOCKED.

AND THE GRAY BUILDING.

THE DOORS ARE LOCKED. THERE'S SOME.

IT'S THE GRAY BUILDING.

THE WHAT? IT'S KIND OF LIKE GREEN.

335. SOME THE ROOF IS KIND OF FALLING IN.

THERE'S SOME STRUCTURAL DAMAGE, BUT YOU CHECK THE DOORS TODAY.

YES, MA'AM. CHECK THE DOORS TODAY.

I DIDN'T SEE ANY BROKEN WINDOWS AT 339.

I SAW A CRACKED WINDOW UPSTAIRS AT 335, BUT THE BUILDING WAS SECURED.

TODAY IT'S A BRICK BUILDING.

IT'S UPSTAIRS.

[02:00:01]

THE WINDOWS IS CRACKED.

THE ROOF LOOKS LIKE IT'S FALLING IN AT THE BACK.

SO WE'LL BE RE INSPECTING IT AND REASSESSING IT AND SECURING AS NECESSARY.

OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

NEXT WE WILL LOOK AT PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS, AND THEN WE WILL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PLANNING

[Items VI.A. & VI.B.]

SO I'M NOT SURE.

SO, CASEY.

YEAH. I'M JUST THINKING THE HOME.

BUT SHE'S ZBA.

GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE AGAIN.

I'M CASEY KURZWEG.

WE DO HAVE TWO ITEMS IN FRONT OF YOU.

THEY ARE CONCURRENT ON THE SAME PROPERTY.

SO IF IT'S OKAY, I'LL KIND OF JUST EXPLAIN THEM ALL TOGETHER.

SO THE FIRST ONE YOU HAVE IS A REQUEST FOR THE OAKHURST CENTER FOR COMMUNITY IS REQUESTING A LAND USE PLAN AMENDMENT.

AND THIS IS FROM THE LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL TO THE MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL CATEGORY.

THIS IS LOCATED AT 232 EAST LAKE DRIVE.

THE CONCURRENT APPLICATION IS ALSO FOR THE OAKHURST CENTER FOR COMMUNITY, AND THEY ARE REQUESTING A REZONING AND THAT IS FROM THE R 60, WHICH IS THE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL, TO THE RM 22, WHICH IS A MULTIPLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT.

THE REASON FOR THIS REQUEST IS BECAUSE THEY ARE REQUESTING FOR A ROOMING BOARDING HOME AT THIS LOCATION.

THEY WILL HAVE PROFESSIONAL ON SITE STAFFING AND CARE CASE MANAGEMENT FOR WOMEN AT THIS LOCATION.

A COUPLE OF QUICK THINGS.

THIS IS A LIMITED USE WITHIN THIS DISTRICT.

SO THAT IS THE REASON FOR THE REQUEST OF BOTH THE LAND USE CHANGE AND THE REZONING CHANGE.

THE PLANNING COMMISSION DID RECOMMEND APPROVAL UNANIMOUSLY ON BOTH ITEMS. THE FIRST ONE WAS FOR THE LAND USE AMENDMENT AND THEN THE SECOND ONE FOR THE REZONING.

THEY DID ATTACH A COUPLE CONDITIONS.

THOSE CONDITIONS ARE, NUMBER ONE, THAT THE PROPERTY SETBACK SHALL BE 25FT IN THE FRONT, HAVE A SIDE SETBACK OF TEN FEET TO THE NORTH AND SEVEN FEET TO THE SOUTH, AND HAVE A REAR SETBACK OF 30FT.

THAT THE MAXIMUM LOT COVERAGE SHALL NOT EXCEED 53%, AND THAT ANY FUTURE ADDITIONS OR IMPROVEMENTS SHALL MEET THE MINIMUM TREE CANOPY REQUIREMENTS IDENTIFIED FOR SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL IN SECTION 9.1.

5D1 THROUGH FOUR.

AND LET ME EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT, BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY JUST KEEPING WITH THE FOOTPRINT AND THE LOT COVERAGE OF THE EXISTING SITE.

SO THEIR INTENT WAS EVEN THOUGH IT IS NOT A TRUE SINGLE FAMILY HOME, IT'S IN A SINGLE FAMILY DISTRICT, STILL DOES APPEAR TO LOOK LIKE ONE FROM THE STREETSCAPE.

AND SO THAT WAS THE REASON FOR THESE CONDITIONS HERE.

AND I THINK THAT'S IT FOR ME.

THE APPLICANT IS HERE TONIGHT.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

CASEY. MY NAME IS PRINCESS FUTRELLE, AND I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE CENTER FOR COMMUNITY.

AND THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING ME.

WE WERE VERY HAPPY TO PRESENT LAST WEEK AND TO GET OUR APPLICATIONS APPROVED, AND I'M HOPING THAT YOU ALL WILL DO THE SAME.

THE CENTER FOR COMMUNITIES MISSION IS TO AMPLIFY LOCAL NONPROFITS THAT FOCUS ON SOCIAL JUSTICE, ECONOMIC JUSTICE, AND EQUITY.

PROVIDING RESOURCES, TRAINING AND TOOLS.

THIS COLLABORATION BETWEEN US, A HOME FOR EVERYONE AND GEORGIA WORKS IS A TRUE TESTAMENT TO THAT.

AS YOU ALL MAY KNOW, WE ARE IN A CURRENT STATE OF NEED FOR SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.

CASE MANAGEMENT, ADDITIONAL WRAPAROUND SERVICES AND SUPPORT.

JOB SKILLS. LIFE SKILLS.

DIFFERENT HOUSING OPTIONS, INCLUDING PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.

THIS COLLABORATION TO BRING WOMEN'S WORKFORCE HOUSING PROGRAM TO THE CITY OF DECATUR WOULD INCREASE A PIPELINE TO THOSE SERVICES.

IT WOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES FOR UP TO TEN WOMEN AT A TIME LIKE CASEY HAD MENTIONED.

THERE WILL BE ON SITE STAFF THAT WILL BE THERE THAT WILL HELP OVERSEE THE PROGRAM.

GEORGIA WORKS WOULD RUN THE PROGRAM.

THEY HAVE A CURRENT HISTORY OF RUNNING A SIMILAR PROGRAM IN THE CITY OF ATLANTA, WHICH IS FOR MEN AND A HOME FOR EVERYONE, WILL ALSO SUPPORT AND HELPING WITH FUNDRAISING FOR THEIR FIRST YEAR OPERATION AND FOR RENOVATION, WHICH WE WILL ALSO SUPPORT AS WELL.

AGAIN, THERE IS A TREMENDOUS NEED FOR THIS SERVICE.

WE ARE HOPING TO BE ABLE TO ROLL THIS OUT IN SUMMER OF 2025 IF WE ARE APPROVED, AND THIS PROGRAM COULD BE A FRAMEWORK FOR BEING ABLE TO BRING THESE

[02:05:05]

AND SO WE ARE HOPING THAT YOU ALL APPROVE.

AND IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ASK.

ALL RIGHT. WE MAY HAVE SOME IN A LITTLE BIT, BUT THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

SO NEXT WE WILL TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS.

THE TWO THAT ARE BEFORE US HAVING TO DO WITH LAND USE AND ZONING A REZONING.

SO IF THERE'S ANYONE HERE THAT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT THOSE TWO RECOMMENDATIONS, NOW IS THE TIME TO COME FORWARD AND MAKE YOUR COMMENT. STATE YOUR NAME AND PLEASE MAKE YOUR COMMENT.

SO THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

MY NAME IS ROB JOHNSON.

I AM THE BOARD PRESIDENT OF THE COLLABORATOR, A HOME FOR EVERYBODY IN DEKALB COUNTY.

AND ABOUT A YEAR AGO, AS WE WERE DOING HOMELESS OUTREACH, COLD WEATHER SHELTERING, WE KEPT NOTICING HERE IN DECATUR EVENING TIME IS WE'RE GETTING PEOPLE TO FRONT LINE RESPONSE THAT THERE ARE LOTS OF MEN, BUT EVEN MORE WOMEN WHO WERE HOMELESS.

CARRYING AROUND THEIR BAGS AND THEIR SUITCASES HAD NO PLACE TO PUT THOSE.

SO WE BEGAN THINKING WHAT WE NEED IS IN OUR MIND, IT WAS A WOMEN'S DORMITORY SOMEPLACE DURING THE DAY, A BUNCH OF THEM COULD HAVE A PLACE JUST TO LEAVE THEIR STUFF AND HAVE CASE MANAGEMENT WHILE THEY'RE LOOKING AROUND FOR STUFF.

AND WE BEGAN. WHO CAN WE PARTNER WITH IN DEKALB? ALL OF OUR OTHER NONPROFIT AGENCIES WORKING WITH HOMELESSNESS WERE JUST PACKED TO THE TOP, BUT WE DID, THROUGH A MUTUAL CONTACT, GOT CONNECTED WITH GEORGIA WORKS.

I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THEM FROM MY 29 YEARS AT THE ATLANTA COMMUNITY FOOD BANK.

WHEN WE STARTED TALKING WITH THEM, THEY IMMEDIATELY SAID, YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING FOR WOMEN.

WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS WITH MEN FOR OVER A DOZEN YEARS.

WE'VE MOVED A THOUSAND MEN, IN 90% OF WHICH AFTER A THREE MONTH PROGRAM GO ON AND GET JOBS, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN APARTMENTS.

WE HAVE BEEN DREAMING FOR THE TIME TO TRY THIS WITH WOMEN, SO WE HAVE BEEN EXPLORING FOR ABOUT A YEAR, WELL, SIX MONTHS.

WHERE MIGHT WE DO THAT? AND THAT'S WHERE WE CONNECTED WITH OAKHURST BAPTIST CHURCH AND THEIR HISTORY OF ABOUT TEN YEARS OF DOING HOMELESS MEN TRANSITION IN THIS BUILDING.

THEY HAD TO CLOSE IT DOWN ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF BECAUSE THEY'D RUN OUT OF FUNDS.

IT'S BEEN VACANT.

SO WE ARE ALL POISED FOR THE NEW STAFF PERSON, JULIE, SAYING IT'S ALL ABOUT COLLABORATION.

WE ARE POISED IN THE WEEKS AHEAD TO FINALIZE SOME MOUS BETWEEN FOUR ENTITIES OAKHURST BAPTIST CHURCH, OAKHURST CENTER FOR COMMUNITY, GEORGIA WORKS, AND A HOME FOR EVERYBODY IN DEKALB.

AND AGAIN, HOME FOR BED IN THE CAB BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAD BOUGHT A HOUSE AND ARE RUNNING A MEN'S TRANSITION SHORT THING OVER ON SNAPFINGER ROAD.

WE'RE ALREADY HAVING MULTIPLE PEOPLE SAYING WE WOULD LOVE TO GIVE MONEY FOR THIS CAPITAL CAMPAIGN.

SO WITH YOUR BLESSING AND APPROVAL, VERY LIKELY EARLY IN JANUARY, WE WILL KICK OFF AND PIN DOWN A CONTRACTOR AND AS WAS SAID, HOPEFULLY GET THIS UP AND RUNNING BY JUNE.

THANK YOU. HI.

GOOD EVENING. I'M MELANIE VON CALDWELL.

I'M ONE OF THE TWO PASTORS AT OAKHURST BAPTIST CHURCH, ALONG WITH PASTOR ASHLEY ROBINSON, WHO'S JOINING US VIA ZOOM.

I'VE BEEN IN THIS POSITION FOR 17 YEARS.

AND AS ROB WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR, WHICH SITS ON OAKHURST PROPERTY FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS HAS BEEN A SAME SIMILAR PROGRAM FOR MEN. SO, IT HAS BEEN IN THAT USAGE FOR THIS TIME.

I WAS ACTUALLY AN INTERN BACK IN 1999 WHEN THE CHURCH PURCHASED THAT HOUSE TO USE IT FOR THE OAKHURST RECOVERY PROGRAM.

SO I HAVE SEEN IT FROM THE TIME THAT IT STARTED IN IN 1999, 2000, AND THEN UP UNTIL WE HAD TO CLOSE DURING COVID, AND WE FELT LIKE IT WAS VERY MUCH SUPPORTED BY THE LARGER NEIGHBORHOOD, THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD FELT VERY GOOD ABOUT IT BEING THERE DURING ALL THOSE YEARS, IT ONLY ADDED VALUE.

THERE WERE NEVER ANY PROBLEMS. WE CONTINUE TO FEEL LIKE THE OAKHURST NEIGHBORHOOD AROUND US, WHO WE REALLY WANT TO BE MORE INVOLVED WITH, IS EXCITED ABOUT THIS.

THE CHURCH IS EXTREMELY EXCITED TO HAVE A PROGRAM BACK IN AFTER HAVING TO VERY SADLY CLOSE THAT PROGRAM DURING COVID.

[02:10:09]

AND I BELIEVE IT REALLY REFLECTS THE VALUES OF THE CITY OF DECATUR AND THE OAKHURST COMMUNITY AS WELL.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR CONSIDERING THIS.

GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME IS JAMES HOLMES.

I AM A I'M EMPLOYED BY THE OAKHURST CENTER FOR COMMUNITY, AND I AM THE BUILDING MANAGER FOR THE CHURCH AND THE WHOLE PROPERTY. SO I'VE BEEN I'VE BEEN EMPLOYED FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON TRYING TO GET THE HOUSE READY FOR A NEW PROGRAM.

AND WE'RE LOOKING LIKE IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

BUT THE KEY THING HERE IS REZONING TO MAKE SURE I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT HOW OAKHURST HAD THE OAKHURST RECOVERY PROGRAM FOR 20 YEARS WITHOUT A REZONING BECAUSE THEY HAD ABOUT TEN RESIDENTS THERE.

BUT AT ANY RATE, I DID.

I DID WANT TO MENTION SOMETHING NEW, THOUGH.

JUST BEFORE THANKSGIVING AS A PART OF MY RESPONSIBILITY AS BUILDING MANAGER, WE WERE TAKING CARE OF THE HVAC UNITS FOR THE SANCTUARY AND THE PEOPLE WHO WERE REPAIRING IT SAID, YOU NEED TO COME AND SEE THIS.

AND THEY WERE ONE OF THE HVAC UNITS THAT HAD A, IT WAS SITTING IN A BAY AND THERE WAS STUFF LEFT BY HOMELESS PEOPLE.

AMONG THEM WERE SHOES SMALL ENOUGH FOR WOMEN.

SO THIS IS CLEARLY A PROBLEM.

AND WE WERE WE BASICALLY TOLD PUT UP SIGNS SAYING, WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO ASK YOU TO FIND ANOTHER LOCATION.

THIS IS NOT A GOOD PLACE FOR YOU TO STAY.

AND I JUST FEEL LIKE THIS IS AN THIS IS THIS WHOLE PROJECT IS AN ANSWER TO THAT NEED.

AND I JUST WANT TO LIFT THAT UP TO YOU.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

ARE THERE OTHERS? OKAY. SEEING NONE, WE WILL OPEN IT UP TO THOSE WHO ARE JOINING US ON ZOOM.

IF THERE IS ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE REZONING AND THE LAND USE PLAN AMENDMENT FOR THE OAKHURST CENTER FOR COMMUNITY.

IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE TWO HANDS RAISED VERY QUICKLY.

SO MISS ROARK, IF YOU WILL UNMUTE.

REVEREND ROBINSON, IF YOU'LL RESTATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND PLEASE MAKE YOUR COMMENT.

THANK YOU. YES.

GOOD EVENING, I'M ASHLEY ROBINSON.

I AM ONE OF THE PASTORS AT OAKHURST BAPTIST.

AND I JUST WANT TO SECOND WHAT MY COLLEAGUE MELANIE SAID THAT WE ARE THRILLED TO PARTNER WITH THESE ORGANIZATIONS AND PART OF MY JOB IS TO BUILD COMMUNITY OUTSIDE THE WALLS OF THE CHURCH.

AND SO, I'VE, IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS GOTTEN TO KNOW THE OAKHURST COMMUNITY AT LARGE.

AND AFTER GETTING TO KNOW THIS COMMUNITY AND HEARING HOW THE COMMUNITY SHARES OUR VALUES FOR JUSTICE AND LOVING OUR NEIGHBOR, I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD WILL EMBRACE THESE NEW NEIGHBORS, JUST LIKE THE CHURCH WILL.

THANK YOU.

NEXT, I BELIEVE DARLENE SCHULTZ.

GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.

I AM DARLENE SCHULTZ, THE CEO OF GEORGIA WORKS.

AND I JUST WANT TO REITERATE WHAT PEOPLE HAVE SAID TONIGHT IN THAT WE HAVE BEEN OPERATING A GEORGIA WORKS PROGRAM FOR MEN IN THE CITY OF ATLANTA, OUT OF THE GATEWAY CENTER FOR OVER 11 YEARS NOW, AND IT HAS BEEN TREMENDOUSLY SUCCESSFUL. FOR EVERY MAN THAT WE HAVE GRADUATED FROM THE GEORGIA WORKS PROGRAM, WE HAVE SAVED YOU AND I AS TAXPAYERS IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA, OVER $40,000 PER MAN.

AND WE'VE GRADUATED 1100 MEN.

SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I JOINED GEORGIA WORKS WITH FIVE YEARS AGO AS A PROMISE TO LAUNCH A GEORGIA WORKS FOR WOMEN.

SO AND I LIVE IN DEKALB COUNTY.

SO THE OAKHURST LOCATION IS ESPECIALLY MEANINGFUL TO ME AS WELL.

THIS IS GOING TO BE A VERY MUCH OF A GROUNDBREAKING PROGRAM FOR, FOR WOMEN.

AND I THINK WE CAN JUST USE THIS.

[02:15:01]

AND BUT THIS WILL BE THE, THE ONE THAT EVERYBODY LOOKS AT AS TO HOW WELL IT'S HOW WELL IT WAS LAUNCHED.

AND OAKHURST IS IDEAL FOR WHAT WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH, YOU KNOW, WITH THIS STARTUP OPERATION FOR A WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR WOMEN.

AND I APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THIS.

AND I INVITE YOU ALL TO ASK, COME DOWN AND TOUR.

GEORGIA WORKS FOR MEN, WHATEVER YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO.

BUT THIS IS THIS IS GOING TO BE MEANINGFUL.

VERY MUCH SO.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

ARE THERE OTHERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT ON THESE TWO ITEMS? SO YOU CAN RAISE YOUR VIRTUAL HAND AND WE WILL CALL ON YOU.

ALL RIGHT. SEEING NONE, WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS, AND I'LL OPEN IT UP TO THE COMMISSIONERS FOR DISCUSSION. SO I THINK THIS IS GREAT.

MAKES SENSE. I LIKE THE FACT THAT, NUMBER ONE, THE COMMUNITY SEEMS TO BE BEHIND IT.

NUMBER TWO IT'S SO CLOSE TO THE MARTA STATION, BUT THAT WAS EXACTLY.

YOU KNOW, THE REZONING AND THE TECHNICAL DECISIONS ASIDE, I THINK WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IS THAT IT'S UNDERPINNED BY STRONG ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN DO THE WORK THEY'RE PROMISING AND COMMITTING TO DO.

AND I DON'T KNOW ALL OF THE ORGANIZATIONS PRESENT THROUGH SOCIAL REFERENCING, I DO, BUT FOR SURE, A HOME FOR EVERYONE HAS BEEN THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD SINCE ITS INCEPTION.

SO I WANTED TO ADD THAT BECAUSE I WOULDN'T NECESSARILY WANT TO BUILD OUT SOMETHING THAT JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE RIGHT SUPPORT FROM UNDERNEATH.

IN TERMS OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN EXECUTE, AND YOU DON'T SAY THAT AS FORCEFULLY IN NONPROFIT, BUT WE DO NEED YOU TO BE ABLE TO BRING THIS ACROSS THE FINISH LINE.

SO IT'S REALIZED. BUT THAT'S BEEN MY EXPOSURE TO HOME FOR EVERYONE.

AND IT SEEMS LIKE A CONSORTIUM OF REALLY ACCOMPLISHED NONPROFITS IN THIS TYPE OF COLLABORATION IS I DON'T KNOW HOW TYPICAL IT IS, BUT IT'S EXCITING AND I'D LIKE TO SUPPORT IT.

ALL RIGHT. OTHER BOTH OF WHAT YOU SAID.

BUT YOU KNOW, ALSO KNOWING ROB AND KNOWING THAT HE DOESN'T JUST STICK HIS NOSE INTO SOMETHING THAT HE DOESN'T THINK IS A WORTHY CAUSE.

I MEAN, IT'S GREAT TO, YOU KNOW, HAVING GROWN UP IN THE OAKHURST NEIGHBORHOOD, I CAN TELL YOU THAT THERE'S PROBABLY ALWAYS BEEN THAT DEMAND FOR THIS TYPE OF SERVICE.

AND AGAIN, IT'S BY THE MARTA STATION, WHICH IS WHAT GOT US TO OAKHURST IN THE FIRST PLACE.

SO I THINK IT'S A GREAT ADAPTIVE REUSE OF A SPACE THAT REALLY, I WOULD SAY IS ALMOST SACRED IN OAKHURST.

SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BRINGING US SUCH A GREAT SORT OF COLLABORATION.

I AGREE, IT'S YEAH, I THINK ALL OF US ARE REALLY EXCITED TO SEE, I MEAN, THIS IS WHAT WE ARE HOPING IS GOING TO HAPPEN IS HAVE COLLABORATION BETWEEN GROUPS THAT CAN EACH BRING A PIECE.

AND WORKING WITH GEORGIA WORKS ALSO A SUCCESSFUL ORGANIZATION WITH A HISTORY AND AS THE SEVERAL HAVE MENTIONED, BEING BY MARTA STATION, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE, YOU KNOW, LOOKING FOR WAYS TO GET TO WORK, I THINK IS A REAL ASSET.

SO I THINK WE'RE ALL PLEASED AND HOPE MORE THINGS LIKE THIS CAN HAPPEN IN OUR, OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, DEKALB COUNTY AT LARGE AND THE METRO ATLANTA AREA.

SO I BELIEVE WE NEED TO TAKE THESE INDIVIDUALLY AS.

IS THAT CORRECT? BECAUSE WE DO HAVE ORDINANCES TO VOTE ON.

YES. SO THE FIRST ORDINANCE.

ORDINANCE 024-Z-XX IS THE CHANGE IN THE LAND USE PLAN AMENDMENT FROM RL.

LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL TO RM MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL CATEGORY FOR THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 232.

EAST LAKE DRIVE.

DO I HEAR A MOTION TO THAT EFFECT? SO MOVED. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. ALL RIGHT.

ORDINANCE IS ADOPTED.

THE NEXT IS ORDINANCE.

ORDINANCE 024-Z-YY THAT REZONE FROM R-60 SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL TO RM 22 MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT FOR THE USE OF A ROOMING HOME WITH PROFESSIONAL ONSITE STAFFING AND CASE MANAGEMENT FOR WOMEN AT 232

[02:20:04]

I BELIEVE IT'S THE CURRENT SETBACKS THAT ARE THE FRONT AT 25FT, THE SIDE ON THE NORTH TO TEN FEET, AND THE SIDE ON THE SOUTH IS SEVEN FEET, THE REAR AT 30FT, AND THAT THE MAXIMUM LOT COVERAGE SHALL NOT EXCEED 53%, AND THAT FUTURE ADDITIONS AND OR IMPROVEMENTS SHALL MEET THE MINIMUM TREE CANOPY REQUIREMENTS IDENTIFIED FOR SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL.

SO IT IS THE RECOMMENDATION WITH THOSE ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS.

SO DO I HEAR A MOTION TO THAT EFFECT? YOU DO. SO MOVED.

ALL RIGHT. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. FURTHER DISCUSSION.

ALL RIGHT. COMMISSIONER DUSENBURY.

FIRST OF ALL, JUST, I APPRECIATE THE TREE ORDINANCE PART.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

ALL RIGHT.

AND THE MOTION AND THE ORDINANCE IS ADOPTED.

AND I DO APPRECIATE THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION PAID ATTENTION TO THOSE DETAILS, SO.

BUT THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

NEXT, WE WILL TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE PENDING HOMELESS STAFF PERSON.

IT'S KIND OF FOR THAT.

SO, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. WE'RE NOW TAKING PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ACTION ITEMS.

[VI. Public Comment on Agenda Action Items.]

IT'S THE GMA.

FIRST RESPONDER POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER PROGRAM.

AND WE WILL TAKE COMMENTS ON THIS ONE ITEM.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS WILL BE TAKEN AFTER THIS UNDER REQUEST AND PETITIONS.

SO IF THERE'S ANYONE HERE WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT THIS ONE AGENDA ACTION ITEM, PLEASE COME FORWARD AND STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.

ALL RIGHT. SEEING NONE, WE'LL OPEN THIS UP FOR THOSE WHO ARE PARTICIPATING ONLINE.

IF THERE IS ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT THE GMA FIRST RESPONDER POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER PROGRAM NOW IS THE TIME TO PLEASE RAISE YOUR VIRTUAL HAND, AND WE WILL RECOGNIZE YOU AND ASK YOU TO STATE YOUR NAME AND MAKE YOUR COMMENT.

ALL RIGHT. SEEING NONE, WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ACTION ITEMS AND TURN THIS OVER TO MISS DE CASTRO.

[VII.A. GMA-GIRMA First Responder Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Program.]

TERESA DE CASTRO, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER OVER ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES.

AND I'M HERE TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION R-24-XX.

THAT WOULD ALLOW THE CITY TO BIND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER, PTSD INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR OUR POLICE, FIRE AND E911 EMPLOYEES.

IN 2024, THE GEORGIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY PASSED HOUSE BILL 451 THAT REQUIRES ALL PUBLIC ENTITIES IN GEORGIA TO PROVIDE SUPPLEMENTAL BENEFIT PROGRAM FOR FIRST RESPONDERS DIAGNOSED WITH PTSD THAT IS A RESULT OF EXPOSURE TO LINE OF DUTY TRAUMATIC EVENTS.

THE CITY OF DECATUR IS REQUIRED TO PROVIDE COVERAGE TO BOTH FULL TIME AND PART TIME POLICE OFFICERS, FIREFIGHTERS, AND E911 COMMUNICATIONS OFFICERS.

THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE COVERAGE WOULD BE JANUARY 1ST, 2025.

THE GEORGIA MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION, GMA AND THROUGH THE GEORGIA INTERLOCAL RISK MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION, GIRMA OFFERS FIRST RESPONDERS POLICIES REQUIRED BY HOUSE BILL 451.

IN YOUR AGENDA PACKET, I INCLUDED THE TWO COVERAGE COMPONENTS REQUIRED BY HOUSE BILL 451 AND THE QUOTED PREMIUMS ASSOCIATED.

COMPONENT ONE IS A $3,000 LUMP SUM PTSD BENEFIT, AND COMPONENT TWO IS A LONG TERM DISABILITY INCOME REPLACEMENT BENEFIT.

FIRST RESPONDERS DETERMINED TO BE UNABLE TO CONTINUE TO WORK AS A FIRST RESPONDER DUE TO A COVERED CONDITION WOULD RECEIVE 60% OF THEIR MONTHLY PAY UP TO THE MAXIMUM OF $5,000 PER MONTH.

BOTH COMPONENTS ARE REQUIRED BY HOUSE BILL 451.

ANNUAL PREMIUMS ADD UP TO ABOUT JUST OVER $17,000, AND THE QUOTES ARE BASED OFF OF THE CURRENT HEADCOUNT OF PART TIME AND FULL TIME POLICE, FIRE, AND E911 EMPLOYEES.

IN ORDER TO BIND COVERAGE WITH GIRMA, THE ATTACHED RESOLUTION MUST BE APPROVED BY THE CITY COMMISSION.

[02:25:01]

APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTION IS RECOMMENDED.

ANY QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS. I JUST HAVE ONE.

SO WHEN WOULD THAT POLICY TAKE EFFECT FOR, SAY, NEW HIRES? IS IT IMMEDIATE OR DOES IT WILL THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW THE STANDARD INSURANCE VESTING PROGRAM.

SO ARE THEY ELIGIBLE DAY ONE.

I BELIEVE THAT THEY.

ARE ELIGIBLE.

DAY ONE. HOWEVER, I THINK THERE IS A, IF YOU ASKED ME, A TOUGH ONE.

SEE, I DID MY RESEARCH.

YES, I READ SOMETHING THAT MENTIONED A 90 DAY AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I AM NOT.

ARE YOU LOOKING AT THE REASON I ASK? BECAUSE I KNOW IN A LOT OF PLACES THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHEN THE PERSON ACTUALLY STARTS AND THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR INSURANCE.

SO I HOPE THAT THE STATE MANDATE SORT OF MIRRORS.

I DON'T KNOW HOW IT WOULD MIRROR EACH MUNICIPALITY BUT HAVE SOME LANGUAGE IN IT TO ATTACH IT TO THE MUNICIPALITIES DATE OF COVERAGE.

SO YES. NO, NO, THE 90 DAYS THE 90 DAY BENEFIT.

THE DISABILITY BENEFIT BEGINS 90 DAYS AFTER THE FIRST RESPONDER IS DETERMINED TO BE UNABLE TO CONTINUE WORK.

SO THE 90 DAYS WAS NOT.

THEY HAVE TO BE WITH US FOR 90 DAYS.

I WAS JUST DOUBLE CHECKING THAT.

BUT YEAH. NO, THEY WOULD BE COVERED AS OF JANUARY 1ST.

OKAY. AND THE PTSD OCCURRENCE COULD BE FROM JULY 1ST, 2024.

SO IT TOOK EFFECT BEFORE THE COVERAGE DATE.

I DO RECALL A NUMBER OF CONVERSATIONS AT GMA ABOUT THIS AND SEVERAL IMPACTED FIRST RESPONDERS.

REALLY LOBBIED PRETTY HARD FOR GETTING ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR PTSD.

SO I THINK THIS THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD IN SUCH A TIMELY MANNER SO THAT WE SHOULD BE COVERED AND MEET THE DEADLINE. YES, DEFINITELY.

AND WE ALREADY USE GMA FOR THE FIREFIGHTER CANCER PROGRAM.

SO THIS IS SIMILAR TO THAT.

AND THE EMPLOYEE WOULD ACTUALLY REACH OUT TO GMA TO REPORT VERSUS.

SO TO KEEP CONFIDENTIALITY.

AND THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT US KNOWING.

OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.

IS THIS WHAT DID I SAY.

DID THEY MAKE THE LEGISLATION MAYBE KIND OF SMART SO THAT WE HAVE SOME REPORTING REQUIREMENTS AND CITIES SHARE INFORMATION, OR THERE'S SOME VISIBILITY AS YOU LAUNCH THIS? I MEAN, WE'RE REQUIRED TO DO IT, RIGHT, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IS THERE A MECHANISM WHERE THEY WANT TO KNOW HOW WE'RE USING IT AND WHAT LIKE WHAT ARE THE RATES OF THE TAKE RATES SO THAT WE KNOW IT'S NEEDED AND HOW MUCH IS SPENT AND ANYTHING LIKE THAT THAT YOU KNOW ABOUT IT.

THEY HAVE NOT REALLY TOLD US HOW MUCH INFORMATION.

I'M GUESSING IF THEY RELEASE ANYTHING, IT'LL BE AGGREGATE INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OF HIPAA.

I DIDN'T MEAN. YEAH, I DIDN'T MEAN AT THE GRANULAR.

I JUST MEANT HOW DO YOU MEASURE THAT THIS IS NEEDED.

IT'S TAKEN UP. IT'S AN EFFICIENT PROGRAM AND THAT IT'S DOING THE WORK IT'S INTENDED.

SO KIND OF TO THAT POINT, THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT THAT A CITY USE THE GMA OR GIRMA PROGRAM.

OKAY. SO THERE COULD BE CITIES GETTING PROVIDING.

YEAH. PROVIDING THIS COVERAGE THROUGH PRIVATE CARRIERS.

OKAY. SO THAT DOES KIND OF LEND ITSELF TO THAT QUESTION.

IS THERE A WAY FOR THE STATE TO GATHER THIS INFORMATION THAT COULD THEN BE REPORTED BACK OUT STATEWIDE ABOUT THE UPTAKE? BUT AGAIN, THE CITIES AND COUNTIES, THEY COULD ALL BE GETTING THE PROVIDING THE COVERAGE THROUGH A VARIETY OF PROVIDERS.

OKAY. SO IT'S KIND OF FRAGMENTED, BUT I'M GLAD IT'S THE LEGISLATION SOUNDS LIKE IT WAS NEEDED AND BEING RESPONSIVE TO A NEED, BUT IT'D BE NEAT TO THINK THAT WE WOULD BE LEARNING MORE FROM THE DOING SO.

ALL RIGHT. OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. OTHER QUESTIONS.

DO I HEAR A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION R24-X, AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL CONTRACT WITH GIRMA AND OTHER RELATED DOCUMENTS FOR MANDATED POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER COVERAGE FOR FIRST RESPONDERS?

[02:30:08]

DISCUSSION. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? CHAIR. VOTES. AYE. AND THE MOTION PASSES.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

WE APPRECIATE YOU. ALL RIGHT.

[IX. Requests and Petitions.]

NOW IS THE FINAL TIME IN THIS MEETING IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO COME FORWARD AND MAKE A COMMENT, NOW IS THE TIME TO DO IT.

AND IF YOU WANT TO COME FORWARD AND STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND PLEASE MAKE YOUR COMMENT HOBBLE UP HERE.

OKAY, TAKE YOUR TIME.

MY NAME IS CATHERINE CARTER.

531 SOUTH CANDLER STREET, WHERE I HAVE LIVED FOR 81 YEARS.

WHAT BRINGS ME TO THE MEETING TONIGHT IS MORE ABOUT MY NEIGHBOR WHO LIVES ACROSS THE STREET.

526 SOUTH CANDLER STREET.

THE LAST HALF ACRE OF A PROPERTY THAT USED TO BE A THOUSAND ACRES IN SOUTH DECATUR.

AND KIRKPATRICK PECK.

AND THIS PROPERTY WAS KIRKWOOD WAS NAMED FOR KIRK DRIVE WAS NAMED FOR IT, AND SO ON.

AND THIS IS THE LAST, I'M GUESSING, HALF ACRE OF THE PROPERTY.

MY CONCERN IS THAT I HAVE KNOWN HER FOR MY ENTIRE LIFE.

MY OLDER BROTHER WAS HER PLAYMATE AS A CHILD, WHICH WAS FAIRLY FORTUNATE BECAUSE AFTER HE DIED, I WAS ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE MONEY THAT HE EARNED DURING THAT TIME.

I GOT MY TAX BILL AND SAW THAT IT WAS UP HIGHER THAN BEFORE AND WAS CONCERNED ABOUT IT, BUT I WAS NOT NEARLY AS CONCERNED AS I WAS WHEN I SAW HER TAX BILL LYING ON HER DINING ROOM TABLE WHEN SHE RETURNED FROM MONTREAT, WHERE SHE HAD SPENT THE SUMMER WITH RELATIVES.

AND WHEN I SAW THE $9,000 PLUS AMOUNT.

I WAS HORRIFIED.

I KNEW WHAT HER TAXES HAD BEEN BECAUSE I HAD PAID THEM ONCE BEFORE.

I STARTED TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON.

CAME TO THE CITY, GOT A COPY OF HER TAX BILL.

SHOWED IT TO A BANKER FRIEND TO SEE IF HE COULD TELL ME MORE ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON.

SHE STARTED CHECKING IN AND CALLING DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND SAYING, WELL, I THOUGHT I HAD ALL THE EXEMPTIONS THAT I WAS ENTITLED TO AND WAS TOLD THAT, YES, SHE HAD THE EXEMPTIONS, BUT NOBODY REALLY COULD EXPLAIN TO US WHY THE TAXES HAD GONE UP SO MUCH ON HER PROPERTY. I FINALLY TALKED TO SOMEONE IN THE CITY OF DECATUR AND THE CLERK'S OFFICE WHO SAID THAT THE REASON THE TAX BILLS HAD GONE UP SO MUCH WAS DUE TO THE SCHOOL TAX EXEMPTION, THAT IT HAD BEEN CHANGED.

I WENT TO THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING TO SEE IF I COULD FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THAT, BUT THEY HAD ALREADY TAKEN UP.

THIS WAS EARLIER IN THE END OF NOVEMBER; I THINK IT WAS.

THEY HAD TAKEN UP THE SIGNUP SHEET THAT YOU SIGN UP FOR IF YOU WANT TO TALK TO THEM BEFORE THE MEETING.

AND SO WHEN THE MEETING WAS OVER, I ASKED TO SPEAK AND THEY SAID, WELL, YOUR NAME IS NOT ON THE LIST.

AND I SAID, WELL, I WAS AT THE MEETING, BUT YOU TOOK THE LIST AWAY.

I WENT UP TO TRY TO TALK TO THEM AND THEY SAID, NO, WE CAN'T TALK TO YOU BECAUSE YOUR NAME IS NOT ON THE LIST.

AND I, THE GENTLEMAN, I DON'T KNOW IF HE WAS, WHAT HE WAS, WHAT HIS POSITION WAS ON THE SCHOOL BOARD, TOOK MY EMAIL ADDRESS AND SAID HE WOULD BE IN TOUCH WITH ME ABOUT IT.

HE DID NOT.

MY NEIGHBOR HAS GONE THROUGH ALL KINDS OF TROUBLE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT ABOUT THE ASSESSMENT OF HER PROPERTY. I WAS FORTUNATE THAT I HAD APPEALED MY OWN ASSESSMENT, AND SO MY TAXES HAD NOT GONE UP NEARLY TO THE EXTENT THAT HERS DID.

NOBODY SEEMS TO REALLY WANT TO TELL US HOW THIS CHANGE IN THE SCHOOL TAX EXEMPTION

[02:35:09]

AND THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH OF THE.

WE KNOW WHAT THE EXEMPTION WAS BEFORE BECAUSE WE SEE THE ZERO ON OUR TAX BILL, BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE NEXT YEAR.

MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY, THE SCHOOL BOARD, CAME TO THE CITY COMMISSION AT SOME POINT AND SAID, WE HAVE TO HAVE MORE MONEY. YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE SCHOOL TAX EXEMPTION FOR THE OLD PEOPLE.

AND I GUESS IT WAS PASSED.

BUT NOBODY, NONE OF US CITIZENS REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON.

WE ALL KNOW THAT TAXES HAVE GONE UP, BUT WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH.

WE DON'T KNOW HOW IT IS DETERMINED.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE NEXT YEAR.

WE DON'T KNOW IF WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO AGE IN PLACE, AS EVERYONE LIKES TO TALK ABOUT.

I MEAN, ARE WE GOING TO HAVE TO LEAVE THE CITY OF DECATUR BECAUSE WE CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO LIVE HERE.

NOW, LIKE I SAID, I WAS FORTUNATE I WAS ABLE TO GO TO THE BANK AND GET A CHECK FOR $5,000 SO THAT MY NEIGHBOR WILL NOT BE THROWN OUT OF HER HOUSE.

BECAUSE OF MY BROTHER HAVING THE MONEY THERE.

BUT SHE WILL HAVE TO CLEAR OUT HER INVESTMENTS IN ORDER TO PAY THE REST OF THAT TAX.

IF SOMEBODY COULD JUST TELL US HOW THIS SCHOOL TAX EXEMPTION IS GOING TO AFFECT US, SO THAT WE WILL KNOW WHETHER WE CAN STAY IN THE CITY OF DECATUR, OR IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MOVE OUT BECAUSE WE CAN NO LONGER AFFORD IT.

I MEAN, THE REALITY IS, THE ONLY WAY A PERSON CAN AFFORD TO STAY IN DECATUR IS EITHER THEY ARE VERY WEALTHY OR THEY ARE VERY OLD, OR THEY ARE VERY POOR.

ANYBODY WHO DOESN'T SEEM TO FIT IN THOSE CATEGORIES IS KIND OF UP THE CREEK.

AND IF WE COULD JUST FIND OUT WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN WE NEXT SEE A TAX BILL, WE WOULD APPRECIATE IT.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. SO ARE THERE OTHERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A I MEAN, WE WILL ADDRESS YOUR COMMENTS.

DOCTOR CARTER, SO WE WILL ADDRESS YOUR COMMENTS IN JUST A FEW MINUTES.

OKAY. IF THERE ARE OTHERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT.

WE WILL OPEN IT UP TO THOSE WHO ARE ONLINE TO SEE IF THERE'S ANYONE WHO IS ONLINE THAT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT UNDER REQUEST AND PETITIONS.

IF SO, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND WE'LL RECOGNIZE YOU.

YOUR VIRTUAL HAND.

ALL RIGHT. SEEING NONE, WE'LL MOVE TO REPORTS AND OTHER BUSINESS.

[X. Reports and Other Business.]

AND I BELIEVE THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS MEETING IS CANCELED IN JANUARY.

SO THE NEXT DEADLINE FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS DECEMBER 28TH FOR THE FEBRUARY 11TH, 2025 MEETING. NEXT, THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS WILL MEET ON MONDAY, JANUARY THE 13TH IN THIS ROOM AT 7:30.

THE NEW BUSINESS THAT WILL BE CONSIDERED ARE MIKE AND BETH DUGGAN, HOMEOWNERS HAVE APPLIED FOR A VARIANCE FOR A SWIMMING POOL IN THE FRONT YARD OF THE PROPERTY, LOCATED AT 231 WEST HILL STREET, AND THE SAME APPLICANTS HAVE APPLIED FOR A VARIANCE TO EXCEED THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 231 WEST HILL STREET, AND UNDER THE REPORTS AND OTHER BUSINESS, THEY WILL HAVE A SITE VISIT DISCUSSION.

REMEMBER THAT THESE DO NOT COME BEFORE THE CITY COMMISSION.

THESE ARE DECIDED AT THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS MEETING AND CAN ONLY BE APPEALED THROUGH SUPERIOR COURT.

IF YOU HAVE COMMENTS, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO ATTEND THE MEETING OR TO REACH OUT TO THE COMMITTEE STAFF FOR THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

[02:40:04]

AND THAT MEETING IS ALSO ON ZOOM.

AND THEN WE HAVE A NUMBER OF APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.

SO WE HAVE BEEN BUSY MAKING APPOINTMENTS AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO THE CITY MANAGER TO REPORT ON THOSE.

THANK YOU.

YOU'RE CORRECT, WE DO HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A NUMBER OF APPOINTMENTS AND REAPPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.

FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANT TO START BY SAYING THANK YOU TO THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE SERVED AND THOSE THAT ARE ROLLING OFF, THOSE THAT ARE CONTINUING TO SERVE, AND ALL OF THESE FOLKS THAT RAISED THEIR HANDS AND SAID, I WANT TO GET INVOLVED.

I WANT TO I WANT TO SERVE THE CITY THROUGH A VOLUNTEER BOARD OR COMMISSION.

AND I'LL ALSO JUST ADD A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROCESS.

EACH OF THESE FOLKS WERE INTERVIEWED BY AT LEAST TWO CITY COMMISSIONERS.

AND THEN ULTIMATELY WITH WORKING WITH STAFF, WE'VE DEVELOPED THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.

SO IF YOU WILL BEAR WITH ME, I WOULD LIKE TO READ THE APPOINTMENTS, THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EACH OF THOSE BOARDS, AND I WILL START WITH THE BETTER TOGETHER ADVISORY BOARD.

WE'LL START WITH RHONDA WILDMAN.

APPOINT TO AN UNEXPIRED TERM THROUGH 1231 2025.

MARLA TEPPER.

APPOINT TO AN UNEXPIRED TERM THROUGH 12/31/2025.

REBECCA TUTTLE APPOINT TO UNEXPIRED TERM THROUGH 12/31/2026.

BERNADETTE DAVIS AND SEAN MUKHTAR BOTH APPOINT TO FIRST FULL TERMS THROUGH 12/31/2027.

CLARE ANDERSON REAPPOINT TO A FIRST FULL TERM THROUGH 12/31/2027.

THAT MEANT THAT SHE HAD SHE HAD JUST FINISHED OUT SOMEBODY'S UNEXPIRED TERM.

AND THEN AMY POTTER, REAPPOINT TO A SECOND FULL TERM THROUGH 12/31/2027.

MOVING ON TO THE DECATUR, DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITIES APPOINT HAROLD BUCKLEY APPOINT TO A FIRST FULL TERM THROUGH.

12/31/2028 AND DAVID HENRY REAPPOINT TO A SECOND FULL TERM THROUGH.

12/31/2028. THE CITY'S ETHICS COMMITTEE ELIZABETH WILSON REAPPOINT THROUGH JUNE 30TH, 2025.

AND MARK DOUGLAS REAPPOINT THROUGH.

12/31/2026. THE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY BOARD STEPHEN BUSH APPOINT TO AN UNEXPIRED TERM THROUGH. 12/31/2025.

KENNY JACKSON TO SERVE AS A YOUTH MEMBER.

APPOINT TO UNEXPIRED TERM THROUGH.

12/31/2025. AMY ARCHIBALD AND MIKE BARCIK REAPPOINT BOTH OF THEM TO SECOND TERMS THROUGH 12/31/2027.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION.

GRACE VERMILLION APPOINT THROUGH 12/31/2027, AND I'M NOT SURE ABOUT ALL THE OTHERS.

I DO KNOW THAT THERE'S STILL A VACANCY, EVEN WITH THAT APPOINTMENT FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION, SO CERTAINLY JUST WANT TO PUT THAT OUT THERE THAT WE ARE STILL LOOKING FOR MEMBERS LIFELONG COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD.

LILA MILLER APPOINT TO UNEXPIRED TERM THROUGH 12/31/2026.

AND PAM BLOOM APPOINT TO AN UNEXPIRED TERM THROUGH 12/31/2025.

THE PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD.

ZACHARY STEVENS APPOINT TO UNEXPIRED TERM THROUGH 12/31/2025.

TONY FIORE APPOINT TO FIRST FULL TERM THROUGH 12/31/2027.

AND THEN WE ARE RECOMMENDING THE APPOINTMENT OF TWO YOUTH MEMBERS, LAURA STINE AND HARPER WATTERSON, BOTH TO BE APPOINTED THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, 2026, AND TERESA CUMMINGS REAPPOINTED TO A FIRST FULL TERM THROUGH 12/31/2027.

GET SOME MORE NUMBERS IN HERE.

THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDING THE APPOINTMENT OF KEN WEST TO A FIRST FULL TERM THROUGH 12/31/2027, AND ALSO CHRIS SHARON APPOINTING TO A FIRST FULL TERM THROUGH 12/31/27. OUR PUBLIC FACILITIES AUTHORITY.

WE'RE RECOMMENDING THE APPOINTMENT OF JAN BLACKMAN ADAMS.

[02:45:04]

CASEY BOYCE FOR IN HIS ROLE AS CHAIR ONE MORE YEAR THROUGH 12/31/2025.

AND BRETT PANOFSKY, REAPPOINT TO A SECOND FULL TERM THROUGH 12/31/2027.

AND THEN FINALLY, LEGACY DECATUR.

AND THESE ARE ALL REAPPOINTMENTS AT THIS TIME.

ED BOWEN THROUGH 12/31/27, MARK ETHAN THROUGH 12/31/27, AND MARK ARNOLD AND BRIAN SMITH THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, 2026.

SO THAT THAT IS THE EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF APPOINTMENTS AND REAPPOINTMENTS.

AND I DO RECOMMEND THE APPROVAL OF ALL OF THESE VOLUNTEERS FOR THEIR IMPRESSIVE LIST. IT IS SO.

I WILL SAY THANKS TO LANGSTON LEAKE FOR HURTING US.

AND HE'S PROBABLY GLAD TO HAVE THIS OFF HIS CHECKLIST.

HE'S NOT DONE YET BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE LEGACY.

WE HAVE LEGACY. WE STILL HAVE LEGACY MEMBERS.

SO BUT NOT QUITE SO MANY, I THINK.

SO, I ALSO JUST WANT TO PUBLICLY THANK THOSE WHO ARE ROLLING OFF OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT HAVE SERVED FOR A VERY LONG TIME FOR SOME, FOR A LITTLE EXTRA AS THE CHAIR OF A BOARD AND APPRECIATE THEIR SERVICE FOR THE BOARDS THAT THEY ARE, THAT THEY HAVE BEEN WILLING TO DONATE THEIR EXPERTISE AND TIME TO THE CITY.

SO WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT WE SEND THEM A NOTE TO THANK THEM APPROPRIATELY.

SO, I HAD SOMETHING THERE.

SURE. WE MET A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE.

WE DID. IT WAS GREAT TO HAVE THE NUMBERS AS WELL AND NOT FEEL LIKE WE WERE SCRAMBLING TO GET MORE APPLICANTS.

IT REALLY WAS A HEALTHY RESPONSE TO A CALL TO THE COMMUNITY.

THAT'S AWESOME.

I FELT LIKE MORE PEOPLE THAN NOT WERE RELATIVELY NEW TO DECATUR, WHICH I THINK IS SO EXCITING THAT THEY SAID THAT THEY CAME HERE INTENTIONALLY.

THEY CHOSE TO CATER INTENTIONALLY WANTED TO BE HERE FOR A LIST OF REASONS THAT VERY MUCH ALIGNED WITH THE THINGS WE WORK ON AND VALUE AROUND WALKABILITY AND COMMUNITY AND INCLUSIVENESS.

SO WE HEARD THAT OVER AND OVER.

AND THEN WE ALSO HEARD A LOT OF THE REFRAIN WAS, I MIGHT NOT BE RIGHT FOR THE BOARD I'M INTERVIEWING FOR.

BUT YOU TELL ME IF YOU SEE ANOTHER PLACE.

I MEAN, THAT'S PRETTY AWESOME.

SO IT WAS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE TO MEET EVERYBODY.

AND IF THERE'S ANYONE WHO'S NOT BEING PUT ON A BOARD TODAY, I CAN ASSURE THEM THAT THEY'RE ON THE BENCH, SO TO SPEAK, AND THAT THEY'RE JUST WAITING TO BE CALLED UP BECAUSE WE'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY.

IT'S JUST A TIMING QUESTION, BUT EVERYONE WAS IT WAS A STELLAR SLATE, AND I WAS HONORED TO BE ABLE TO MEET EVERYBODY.

SO, AND WE'LL GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO DECATUR FOR HELPING US PUT PUBLICIZE THE OPENINGS.

AND BECAUSE WE DID ASK A NUMBER OF PEOPLE, HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS? AND THEY READ IT ON DECATUR.

SO THANK YOU.

BUT ALL RIGHT, SO DO I HEAR A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AS PROVIDED? SO MOVED.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED THE CHAIR VOTES I AND WE THANK ALL OF THOSE GREAT FOLKS.

AND SOME OF THEM HAVE JOINED US ONLINE AND APPRECIATE THEIR SERVICE.

SO WE GOT A HEART.

NEXT, THE CITY COMMISSION SCHOOL BOARD RETREAT REPORT.

YES. SO ON OCTOBER 15TH OF THIS YEAR WE MADE HISTORY BY HAVING WHAT I DO BELIEVE IS THE FIRST RETREAT. BETWEEN THE CITY COMMISSION AND THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THE CITY COMMISSION AND THE SCHOOL BOARD.

YOU KNOW, MEET HAVE MET REGULARLY, IRREGULARLY OVER DECADES.

BUT AS I SAID, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE'VE EVER HAD A REAL FORMAL RETREAT.

WE DID MEET FOR ROUGHLY A HALF DAY.

AND DURING THAT TIME THERE WAS DISCUSSION OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM'S PROPOSED EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING CENTER. WE ALSO SPENT A FAIR AMOUNT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT HOW THE CITY AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM CURRENTLY SHARE FACILITIES, THE AGREEMENTS THAT WE PUT IN PLACE AND SOME GOALS AROUND THE FUTURE SHARED USE, SINCE ULTIMATELY

[02:50:05]

AND WE ALSO SPEND SOME TIME TALKING ABOUT JUST, YOU KNOW, COMMUNICATION AND HOW WE CAN, AS BODIES, CAN MORE EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE AND COLLABORATE. SO I THINK THAT WAS AN EXCELLENT FIRST STEP TO MAKING SOME HEADWAY ON ALL THREE OF THESE ISSUES. AND ALL OF THAT IS SUMMED UP IN THE REPORT THAT WAS PREPARED BY THE CONSULTANT, MICHELLE WEST.

SHE FACILITATED THE DAY AND DID PREPARE A SUMMARY.

AND I HAVE, IT'S PRESENTED HERE BEFORE YOU.

AND I'M JUST ASKING THAT THIS BODY ACCEPT THE REPORT.

IT'S NOT AN APPROVAL OR AN ADOPTION, BUT JUST THAT THIS, YOU KNOW, THE EVENT HAPPENED.

WE GOT THE REPORT AND HOPEFULLY EVERYONE'S HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW IT.

AND THEN ONCE IT'S ONCE IT HAS BEEN ACCEPTED, WE WILL ALSO MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC TO REVIEW.

AND I CERTAINLY HOPE THAT THIS IS THE FIRST OF MANY MORE RETREATS AND OPPORTUNITIES TO COLLABORATE WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.

SO WE NEED JUST A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE REPORT AS WE RECEIVED IT.

DO I HEAR A MOTION TO THAT EFFECT? SO MOVED. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? THE CHAIR VOTES? AYE.

AND THE REPORT IS ADOPTED.

SO I THINK.

DO WE HAVE OTHER I HAVE OTHER.

I'M LOOKING AT THIS STAFF.

THEY HAVE ANYTHING.

THEY'RE SHAKING THEIR HEADS.

WELL, THIS IS THE LAST MEETING OF THE YEAR.

AND SO I WANT TO JUST TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THANK YOU.

THANK YOU TO THE COMMISSIONERS AND ALSO THANK YOU TO THE STAFF FOR ALL THAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED OVER THE YEAR.

AND Y'ALL MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW THAT I JUST KEEP THIS LITTLE RUNNING LIST OF THINGS THAT HAPPEN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

SO IF YOU WILL INDULGE ME, I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH THIS LIST.

AND I PROMISE YOU, WHEN I'M DONE, YOU'RE GOING TO BE EXHAUSTED.

AND WE WILL WONDER HOW IN THE WORLD WE'VE ACHIEVED ALL THIS YOU KNOW, WITH A TEAM OF PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE.

SO LET ME JUST JUMP IN AND START READING OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS FROM THE PAST YEAR.

ALSO, KNOWING THAT THERE'S A LOT THAT I PROBABLY HAVE LEFT OFF AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.

BUT LET'S START OUT, WE STARTED OUT THE YEAR WITH THE CLEAN AUDIT.

WE HIRED AN OPERATIONS ANALYST IN OUR OFFICE.

KAY IVANOVICH, WHO WAS, IF I COULD, I THINK DR.

CARTER IS.

DR. CARTER, ARE YOU HEADED OUT? OH, SORRY. OH, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, I WAS, I WANT TO SPEAK TO, I WANT TO SPEAK TO THE SCHOOL HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION ISSUE IF.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU. YEAH.

I'LL SPEAK QUICKLY.

OUR OWN KAY IVANOVICH, WHO WAS HERE EARLIER TONIGHT, WAS RECOGNIZED AS AN ARBORIST OF THE YEAR.

AT THE STATE LEVEL.

OUR E5, THE EMPLOYEE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, CAME BACK IN PERSON.

DID YOU REMEMBER MCCOY'S SKATE PARK OPENED EARLIER THIS YEAR? IT WAS FREEZING WHEN THAT HAPPENED.

TO THE TRACK AND FIELD.

WE HAD THE GROUNDBREAKING ON THE TRACK AND FIELD, AND NOW WE'RE PLANNING THE RIBBON CUTTING AND OPENING CEREMONY.

THE COTTAGE COURTS OPENED.

WE INSTALLED AUDIBLE PEDESTRIAN SIGNALS IN THE DOWNTOWN.

WE STARTED THE PACE CAR PROGRAM.

WE INSTALLED PORTABLE ROAD SAFETY MESSAGING SIGNS.

THE MISSING MIDDLE CONCEPT IS BEING DEVELOPED AT 600 COMMERCE DRIVE.

AND THAT DEMOLITION HAS WAS COMPLETED.

WE HIRED AN INNOVATION AND STRATEGY DIRECTOR.

WE HAVE A SHORT TERM RENTAL REGULATION ORDINANCE.

WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE REGULATING TOBACCO AND VAPE SHOPS.

ESSER FIELD.

THE TURF AND LIGHTS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED.

THE BEACON ADMIN BUILDINGS WERE CAN WERE CONVEYED TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.

SPLOST TWO WAS APPROVED AND IS IN EFFECT.

THE BOOK FESTIVAL RETURNED THE DOWNTOWN AMBASSADOR PROGRAM IS IMPLEMENTED.

THE ART HAS BEEN INSTALLED AT THE PUBLIX DEVELOPMENT, AND I MAY HAVE A FAVORITE OF THE THREE.

THE INAUGURAL DECATUR FC SOCCER SEASON WITH RECORD ATTENDANCE SUPPORTING A WOMEN SOCCER PLAYERS.

[02:55:08]

THE DECATUR YOUTH COUNCIL HAD THEIR FIRST ANNUAL FAIR ON THE SQUARE WITH A MECHANICAL BULL.

WE RECEIVED THE GFOA BUDGET AWARD.

16 YEARS AND RUNNING, WE HAD OUR FOURTH ANNUAL BUDGET AS ART EXHIBIT.

WE WON A GEORGIA CITY SOLUTIONS AWARD RECOGNIZING THE ROLE OF YOUTH IN OUR COMMUNITY.

THE MCCOY DUGOUT RENOVATION WAS COMPLETED.

PUBLIC WORKS BUILDING B OFFICES WERE COMPLETED.

THE LAND TRUST HIRED AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.

WE HAD THE RETREAT.

THE SCHOOL ZONE, SPEED ENFORCEMENT CAMERAS ARE IN PLACE AND OPERATING.

WE WERE AWARDED A RAISE GRANT FOR SCOTT BOULEVARD.

THE FEMA GRANT WE ACQUIRED AND DEMOLISHED THE PROPERTY AT LANDOVER DRIVE FOR FLOOD CONTROL.

TRAFFIC CALMING WAS COMPLETED ON SOUTH MCDONOUGH, COVENTRY AND ADAIR.

GDOT HAS RECOMMENDED, AND WE ARE IN SUPPORT OF SPEED REDUCTIONS AND NO TURNS ON RED ON STATE ROUTES.

THE DECATUR SQUARE TRANSFORMATION DESIGN HAS BEEN APPROVED.

WE WERE AWARDED AND HAVE STARTED THE SAFE, SAFE STREETS FOR ALL GRANT AND PLANNING PROCESS.

WE HIRED A PARKS AND RECREATION DIRECTOR.

PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT COMPLETED A FIELD STUDY.

THE JOHN LEWIS STATUE WAS INSTALLED.

WE OUR EMPLOYEE PICNIC CAME BACK.

WE HIRED A SENIOR ENGINEER AND THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION DIRECTOR THAT YOU MET THIS EVENING.

THE SOUTH COLUMBIA DRIVE MULTI-USE PATH IS UNDER CONTRACT.

WE'RE HOSTING MONTHLY WALKING TOURS IN THE CITY.

WE HAVE A GRANT FOR HURON AND CHAMPLAIN STORMWATER IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.

THEIR NEW AND EXPANDED CITY HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS WENT INTO EFFECT.

WE'VE DISTRIBUTED NARCAN THROUGHOUT CITY FACILITIES, SCHOOL SYSTEM, AND EVEN ACROSS THE STREET AT THE COUNTY.

AND WE WERE AWARDED, I THINK, AT THIS POINT, TOO MANY CLIMATE ACTION GRANTS THAT I CAN NAME.

SO THAT'S JUST A BIT OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN 2024.

SO IT'S BEEN A AN IMPORTANT ONE.

THE DEVELOPMENT AT LEGACY AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

IT'S RIGHT HERE.

IT'S RIGHT HERE. SOUTH HOUSING VILLAGE PHASE TWO CLOSING SHOULD BE DECEMBER 2024.

SO, THANK YOU. JUST SKIPPED RIGHT OVER THAT.

SO A LOT A LOT HAPPENING.

AND THERE'S A GREAT TEAM OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT THAT I MEAN THEY MAKE IT HAPPEN.

I MEAN, THESE ARE FOLKS WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A STRATEGIC PLAN.

WE HAVE A CITY COMMISSION, WE HAVE STAFF, WE HAVE A COMMUNITY THAT ARE JUST BEAUTIFULLY ALIGNED.

AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS, WE'RE ABLE TO ACHIEVE REALLY GREAT THINGS.

SO, THANK YOU FOR INDULGING ME THERE.

I DO WANT TO SPEAK TO DR.

CARTER. YOUR CONCERN, ESPECIALLY ON BEHALF OF YOUR NEIGHBOR AND OTHER NEIGHBORS, JUST LIKE HER.

FIRST OF ALL, I'M GOING TO ASK TERESA DE CASTRO TO RAISE HER HAND.

I'M NOT SURE IF Y'ALL HAVE CONNECTED TERESA DE CASTRO.

SHE OVERSEES THE DEPARTMENT THAT ALSO HANDLES OUR TAX BILLS, AND SO SOUNDS LIKE FIRST OF ALL, TERESA CAN BE THE QUARTERBACK BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S KIND OF WHAT'S NEEDED AS A QUARTERBACK AND SOMEONE WHO CAN ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS AND ALSO POINT YOU AND YOUR NEIGHBOR IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BECAUSE IT GETS A LITTLE BIT COMPLICATED WHEN YOU HAVE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND THEY ACTUALLY THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS EXEMPTIONS THE SCHOOLS GO TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE.

SO IT WAS ACTUALLY THE STATE LEGISLATURE THAT THAT APPROVES THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS, AND THEN THOSE ULTIMATELY GET ON THE BALLOT AS A REFERENDUM.

SO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM ACTS INDEPENDENTLY IN THAT REGARD.

THEY ALSO HAVE THEIR OWN MILLAGE RATE THAT THEY SET SO THAT THEY CAN GENERATE THE REVENUE THAT THEY NEED TO OPERATE. HOWEVER, ALL THAT COMES OVER TO THE CITY AND THE CITY STAFF, SINCE WE'RE THE ONES THAT WE CALCULATE THE TAX BILL, WE SEND OUT THE TAX BILLS. I THINK IT'S OUR STAFF THAT MAY HAVE A BETTER KNOWLEDGE, OR AT LEAST IN TERMS OF HOW TO CALCULATE IF THERE ARE ANY CHANGES IN THE EXEMPTIONS, WHAT KIND OF IMPACT THAT'S GOING TO HAVE ON SOMEBODY'S TAX BILL.

[03:00:07]

AND THEN YOU KNOW, WE CAN CALCULATE THAT TAX BILL YOU KNOW, AGAIN, MAKE SURE THAT IT'S ACCURATE AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, MAKE A DETERMINATION OF WHAT KIND OF IMPACT THE SCHOOL HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION HAS HAD.

I'M NOT SURE OF THERE BEING ANY FUTURE CHANGES.

YOU KNOW, WITH THE SCHOOL HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, LIKE I SAID, TERESA IS WILLING TO BE THAT QUARTERBACK.

AND IF SHE DOESN'T HAVE THE ANSWERS, SHE CAN FIND SOMEONE THAT DOES.

BUT AGAIN, I KNOW IT CAN.

IT JUST GETS A LITTLE COMPLICATED WHEN YOU HAVE THE SCHOOL HAS THEIR EXEMPTIONS AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE CITY HAS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE EXEMPTIONS THAT ARE ALSO, YOU KNOW, AGE AND INCOME BASED EXEMPTIONS.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT THE PEOPLE ARE RECEIVING ALL OF THE EXEMPTIONS TO WHICH THEY ARE ENTITLED.

YEAH. WANTED TO ADD IF YOU COULD COME.

DO YOU MIND? OKAY.

SO JUST SO EVERYONE ELSE CAN HEAR FOLKS THAT ARE WATCHING.

IT SEEMS TO HAVE A LOT TO DO WITH SOME ASSESSMENT THAT IS MADE.

I'M PRESUMING, IN THAT COUNTY BUILDING, WHICH IS CATTY CORNER FROM THE BEACON SCHOOL WHERE I WENT TO FILE MY APPEAL.

DIFFERENT PEOPLE HAVE TALKED TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE, OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE COUNTY ABOUT ASSESSMENTS, BUT NOBODY SEEMS TO KNOW A WHOLE LOT.

AND I KNOW THAT SEVERAL TIMES THIS WEEK AND LAST WEEK, THERE WAS A PERSON WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO CALL MY NEIGHBOR AT 01:00, AND SHE WOULD TALK TO HER ABOUT THE ASSESSMENT.

SHE NEVER DID.

I PRESUME THIS WAS SOMEBODY WITH THE COUNTY.

OKAY. AND WE CAN ALSO MAKE THAT CONNECTION TO BECAUSE, I MEAN, THERE'S THERE ARE JUST A COUPLE OF EMPLOYEES THAT I BELIEVE THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ASSESSMENTS IN THE CITY. SO WE CAN ALSO MAKE THAT CONNECTION HAPPEN.

CERTAINLY. ANY CHANGES WITH THE ASSESSED VALUE OR WILL ALSO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT.

I MEAN, EVEN THEIR MILLAGE RATES AND HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS ASIDE.

ISN'T THAT WHERE IT ALL BEGINS? KIND OF BEGINS THERE. AND IF SOMEONE MISSES AN OPPORTUNITY TO AN APPEAL THEN THAT CAN ALSO HAVE A.

YEAH, I KNOW SOME OF THE NEIGHBORS HAVE ACTUALLY TALKED TO A PERSON WHO WAS ABLE TO CHANGE THE ASSESSMENT.

AND BECAUSE THEY CHANGED THE ASSESSMENT, THE ACTUAL TAX BILL WENT DOWN.

BUT SHE'S NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE RIGHT PERSON.

SO THIS IS WHAT TERESA IS THE RIGHT PERSON HERE.

AND OKAY, I'LL JUST ADD ONE OTHER COMMENT.

THE SCHOOLS DID CHANGE THEIR SCHOOL TAX EXEMPTION BASED ON AGE.

THEY CHANGED IT TO MORE AN INCOME BASE, I THINK FROM 65 TO 70 AND, AND BUT AND THEN 70 AND BEYOND.

THERE'S A FORMULA THAT IS USED RATHER THAN JUST LIKE ZEROED OUT.

AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE.

RIGHT. AND SO IT IS ON THE I THINK IT'S ON THE WEBSITE.

BUT TERESA CAN WALK YOU THROUGH IT BECAUSE IT DOES GET IT'S BASED ON HOME VALUE.

AND SO IT DOES GET COMPLICATED.

SO THAT BUT THEY MADE THAT DECISION, I GUESS TWO YEARS AGO, TWO OR MAYBE THREE YEARS AGO TO CHANGE AND HAD TO GO TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE.

AND SO, THERE'S STILL A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION BASED ON AGE.

THEY CHANGED THE AGE SLIGHTLY.

ADDED I THINK INCOME REQUIREMENTS FOR AGE 65 TO 70.

AND AFTER THAT IT IS BASED ON THE VALUE OF YOUR HOME.

AND SO YEAH, THAT'S THE CRITICAL POINT RIGHT THERE.

THE VALUE OF THE HOME.

RIGHT. SO BUT THANK YOU FOR LETTING US KNOW THAT THERE IS STILL A LOT OF CONFUSION OUT THERE.

THERE IS A LOT OF CONFUSION.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

APPRECIATE IT. ALL RIGHT.

SO I WILL GO NOW TO COMMISSIONER DUSENBURY.

THANK YOU, MADAM. OOPS.

[03:05:02]

THERE'S A REFERENCE TO THE HOMELESS STRATEGY MANAGER.

WHERE ARE WE WITH THAT EFFORT? THE HOMELESS STRATEGY MANAGER.

IT'S. THANK YOU, MISS THREADGILL.

IT'S IN PROCESS.

YES, IT IS IN PROCESS.

WE HAVE 84 APPLICATIONS, AND WE ARE PRESENTLY NARROWING THE FIELD DOWN.

SO I THINK WE'VE HAD A REALLY GOOD RESPONSE TO THAT.

POSITION THE NEW POSITION.

SO WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE A PERSON IN PLACE BY THE END OF JANUARY.

OKAY. YEAH. I'VE BEEN MEANING TO TALK ABOUT THIS FOR A WHILE, BUT JUST SO WE WALKED THROUGH A CEMETERY QUITE A BIT, AND WHOEVER IS DOING THE RESTORATION AND THE HISTORIC PART, IT'S JUST IT'S NEAT TO SEE IT JUST GETTING BETTER AND BETTER AND BETTER.

SO, I JUST WANTED TO KUDOS TO, I DON'T KNOW WHO THE STAFF PERSON IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT.

IF YOU WOULD PLEASE PASS THAT ON.

CERTAINLY. OKAY. APPRECIATE THAT.

I REALLY ENJOYED THE SEECLICKFIX PRESENTATION.

I TALK A BIT ABOUT THE KIND OF CIVIC TRUST, AND NOTHING I THINK IS MORE IMPORTANT TO BUILDING CIVIC TRUST THAN PEOPLE CALLING UP AND HAVING POSITIVE INTERACTION WITH US. AND WE I THINK WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS AS A COMMISSION FOR A WHILE, SO I WAS REALLY PLEASED TO HEAR THAT.

I WANTED TO AGAIN REITERATE THAT KUDOS TO STAFF FOR TAKING THAT ON AND DOING IT, BECAUSE I THINK THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

SO I WAS REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT, AS IT MAY SOUND.

AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS GREAT.

I BROUGHT UP THE NOISE ORDINANCE BEFORE.

I DO WANT TO REITERATE. I HOPE WE CAN BRING THAT BACK UP.

I THINK WE NEED A NOISE ORDINANCE, AND I THINK WE HAVE SOME CHALLENGES WITH THE CURRENT ONE, AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN FIND A WAY TO IMPLEMENTING ONE THAT WORKS AND MAKES IT HAPPEN.

AGAIN, GOING TO CIVIC TRUST.

WHEN PEOPLE CALL UP AND WANT TO USE A NOISE ORDINANCE AND WE HAVE TROUBLE ENFORCING IT, I THINK THAT'S NOT HELPFUL.

AND WE DO A GOOD JOB WITH A LOT OF THINGS.

I DON'T WANT TO, BUT EARLY LEARNING CENTER, I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I VERY MUCH ENJOYED THE RETREAT WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD. AND AS YOU GUYS KNOW, I WAS ASKED BY SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER HANS TO SERVE ON A COMMITTEE ALONG WITH STEPHEN BUSH, WITH THE DOWNTOWN DECATUR NEIGHBORS, AS THEY WERE GOING THROUGH THE DESIGN PROCESS FOR THAT.

AND WE HAD A PRESENTATION ON THE EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING CENTER PART OF OUR RETREAT.

AND I WOULD SAY THAT THERE WERE SOME SIGNIFICANT CHANGES FROM WHAT WE SAW AT THE RETREAT FROM WHAT APPEARED IN DECATUR-ISH.

AND SO WHEN I SAW THAT, I REACHED OUT TO THE SUPERINTENDENT, I REACHED OUT TO HANS AND EXPRESSED, YOU KNOW, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO CONFIRM THAT WHAT I SAW IN DECATUR WAS CORRECT. OF COURSE IT'S CORRECT.

I DON'T DOUBT DECATUR IS.

AND THEN BASICALLY IT EXPRESSED MY DISAPPOINTMENT.

I DID NOT THINK THAT IT REFLECTED ON WHAT WE'D HAD WITH OUR CONVERSATIONS THERE.

I WANT TO READ THE EMAIL THAT STEVEN BUSCH SENT ME.

WHERE HE SAYS HI, GEORGE.

I WAS CURIOUS IF YOU KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT THE SLC.

WHEN WE LEFT THE COMMITTEE MEETING, IT SEEMED LIKE THEY WERE ON BOARD, PRESERVING A BIT OF GREEN SPACE FOR THE CITY, BUT THIS CAME BACK AS THOUGH THEY DID NOT EVEN EXIST AS AN IDEA. AND I WOULDN'T SAY IT WAS THAT STRONG, BUT I DID HAVE A SENSE.

I COMMUNICATED TO THE SUPERINTENDENT, TO HANS, THAT THERE WAS KIND OF AN EXPECTATION OF A THIRD OF THE LAND BEING GREEN SPACE, AND THAT PERHAPS IT COULD BE A BIT MORE CREATIVE AND THOUGHTFUL IN THEIR DESIGN AND PERHAPS MEET THE NEEDS OF DOWNTOWN NEIGHBORS.

THE SUPERINTENDENT INDICATED THIS COULD BE AN INVESTMENT OF $20 MILLION.

AND THIS IS A HIGH PROFILE PUBLIC INSTITUTION IN THE DOWNTOWN OF THE DENSEST CITY IN GEORGIA.

AND IF WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THAT INVESTMENT AND ASK OUR RESIDENTS TO MAKE THAT INVESTMENT, I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE TRY TO MEET AS MANY NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS AS POSSIBLE.

AND I THINK WE CAN DO THAT.

AND SO I JUST WANTED TO REPORT TO EVERYBODY HERE THAT I DID HAVE THOSE COMMUNICATIONS.

I REACHED OUT I'VE HAD I WOULD SAY THE RESPONSE WAS THE DOOR IS OPEN AND WE SHALL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

BUT I WANTED TO LET FOLKS KNOW THAT I DID CONVEY THAT CONVEY THAT IN MY SENSE THAT THIS BODY WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME GREEN SPACE.

AND THE THIRD, THE MAYOR.

I'D HEARD THAT FROM THE MAYOR AND OTHERS ON THIS COMMISSION.

THAT WAS THE EXPECTATION. SO I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW I DID THAT AND THAT'S IT.

THOSE ARE IMPRESSIVE LISTS.

MRS. ARNOLD, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I'M GLAD I COULD DO MY LITTLE PART TO BE PART OF IT.

AND I HOPE EVERYBODY HAS A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY SEASON.

OKAY. COMMISSIONER WALSH, THANK YOU.

A MEATY MEETING AND AN EXCELLENT TIME TO REFLECT ON A BUSY YEAR.

AND YOU GET LOST IN THE DETAILS SOMETIMES JUST DOING THE WORK.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT LIST AND REMINDING US OF A LOT OF GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT WE COULDN'T DO WITHOUT YOUR LEADERSHIP.

COLLEGIALITY ACROSS THE DAIS UP HERE AND AWESOME WORK AND 110% BY STAFF OVER AND OVER AND ALL THE TIME.

[03:10:09]

BUT THANK YOU FOR BEING IN THE MIX, BECAUSE YOU ARE OUR VOICE TO THAT AUDIENCE, AND WE'D LIKE AN ADEQUATE AMOUNT OF GREEN SPACE THAT REFLECTS TO YOUR POINT WHERE IT'S POSITIONED, WHO THE USERS ARE AND THE SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT.

SO, THANK YOU. I WANTED TO ADD THE SEECLICKFIX CONVERSATION WAS VERY HELPFUL, AND I WILL MAKE A COMMITMENT TO MORE OFTEN AND MORE READILY RECOMMEND TO, TO RESIDENTS THAT THEY USE IT, AND I'LL USE IT MYSELF.

I THINK WE'VE BEEN WORKING AROUND IT SOMETIMES BECAUSE IT'S BEEN A LITTLE MORE EFFICIENT.

BUT NOW I SEE THAT THE STRAIGHTEST PATH HOPEFULLY TO GETTING THINGS RESOLVED WILL BE USING SEECLICKFIX.

AND THAT THE BACKEND REPORTING IS MORE ROBUST, AND WE CAN FOLLOW UP WITH, WITH RESIDENTS WITH THEIR CONCERNS THAT ALSO I THINK BUILDS TRUST.

AND IT'S WHAT SO MUCH OF WHAT WE DO.

IT'S A BIGGER PERCENTAGE, I THINK, THAN MANY PEOPLE KNOW OF WHAT OUR WORK AND OUR EFFORTS ARE IN THE COMMUNITY AS ELECTED OFFICIALS IS CONSTITUENT SERVICES.

AND WE'RE CONTACTED.

I'M GUESSING NO LESS THAN SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK, EACH ONE OF US AND WITH SOME OVERLAP.

AND IT'S A LOT TO KEEP UP WITH, BUT IT'S REALLY SATISFYING TO BE ABLE TO HELP PEOPLE.

AND IT'S ALL THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO TRANSFER TO STAFF.

AND THEN FUNNEL IT BACK THROUGH.

BUT THE MORE EFFICIENT AND THE MORE COMPRESSED THAT THAT WORK GETS, THE BETTER FOR EVERYONE.

AND THEN WE CAN EXPAND OUR HORIZONS TO OTHER THINGS AS WE'D ALL LIKE TO DO BEYOND SOME OF THAT CONSTITUENT SERVICES, BUT IT'LL ALWAYS BE THERE.

IT'S IMPORTANT WORK, BUT I'M GRATEFUL FOR ANY MORE EFFICIENCY AND COMMUNICATION THAT WE CAN GET FROM SEECLICKFIX, AND THE STAFF WORK BEHIND IT.

I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT HOW LOVELY THE SQUARE IS.

WE ALL LOOK BETTER, MAYBE WITH SOME DECORATIONS AND BETTER LIGHTING.

I KNOW I DO. BUT I WAS THINKING THE SQUARES LOOKED LOVELY.

THERE'S A LOT OF ACTIVITY; THERE'S LOTS MORE SHOPPING TO BE DONE AND DINING AND EXPERIENCING DOWNTOWN.

BECAUSE I THINK WE SHOULD JUST REALLY BE LEANING INTO SUPPORTING OUR SMALL BUSINESSES.

AND THEY'RE REALLY THE BACKBONE OF OUR DOWNTOWN CORRIDOR IN PARTICULAR.

WE HAVE A LOVELY NOTE IN OAKHURST, AS WE KNOW, AND SO MANY OF THESE BUSINESSES DEPEND ON THIS STRETCH OF TIME BETWEEN THANKSGIVING AND THE END OF THE YEAR AND EVERYTHING WE CAN DO TO SHOW THEM THAT WE ENJOY THEM, BRING OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY THERE AND SHOP THERE.

I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE IT, AND THAT MAKES ME REALLY GRATEFUL TO, FOR EVERYTHING THE STAFF DID TO GET US TO THE POINT OF AN ALCOHOL LICENSE FOR OUR NEW RESTAURANT.

I THINK FOR THEM TO NOT HAVE HAD THAT FOR THE HOLIDAYS WOULD BE A HARDSHIP, BUT HOPEFULLY THEY DID WHAT THEY NEEDED TO DO.

STAFF JUMPED AND WE GOT IT DONE LIKE OUR CITY DOES FREQUENTLY.

SO THAT'S ALL I HAD TO SAY TONIGHT.

I WISH EVERYONE A REALLY SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY.

RESTFUL AS YOU NEED IT TO BE.

AND WATCH THE CHRISTMAS STORY ONE MORE TIME.

SO THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. BALL'S IN MY COURT.

WELL, MOST OF THE STAFF'S GONE, BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT I WANT TO SAY TO STAFF IS THANK YOU FOR HELPING US EXECUTE OUR STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE YEAR 2024.

THERE'S A LONG LIST OF THINGS THAT WE HAD TO DO THAT WE TASKED YOU WITH HELPING US WITH, TO HELP MAKE OUR COMMUNITY A BETTER PLACE, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT. YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THERE WERE THINGS THROWN IN THE MIX THAT WE HAD NO IDEA WAS GOING TO HAPPEN IN JANUARY, BUT HERE WE ARE IN DECEMBER.

AND LOOKING BACK, I THINK WE GOT A LOT DONE.

I THINK THERE'S BEEN I THINK WE'VE ALL HELD OUR OWN MUD, PULLED OUR OWN ROPE, YOU KNOW, HELD UP OUR END OF THE BARGAIN AS BEST WE CAN FOR AN ORGANIZATION OF OUR SIZE AND THE CITY THAT, YOU KNOW, NEVER SEEMS TO STOP GROWING OR THINGS NEVER SEEM TO STOP BREAKING.

SO I WANT TO THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, YOUR COLLABORATION HERE, BECAUSE NONE OF THE CONVERSATION AND NONE OF THE OTHER STUFF MEANS ANYTHING.

IF THREE OF US DON'T AGREE, AND OFTEN IT'S FIVE OF US THAT OFTEN AGREE, WE DON'T ALWAYS GET THERE THE SAME WAY, BUT SOMEHOW OR ANOTHER, WE GET THERE.

AND YOU KNOW, I REALLY THANK YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, MAKING THIS A REALLY, REALLY GOOD YEAR.

YOU KNOW, I'M EXCITED ABOUT WHAT 2025 IS GOING TO BRING.

I MEAN, LOOKING AT THE LIST, I'M ALREADY THINKING ABOUT THINGS FOR THE RETREAT THAT, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT WE CAN THROW A LITTLE DARTS AT AND PUT PINS IN AND GO, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT TO TRY TO TACKLE, YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR, NEXT YEAR.

BUT THE THING I THINK I REALLY WANT TO SAY, GIVEN THE LIGHT OF EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENED THIS YEAR, IS PEACE ON EARTH AND GOODWILL TOWARDS MY FELLOW CITIZENS.

[03:15:04]

IF YOU'RE TRAVELING, YOU KNOW, TRAVEL SAFELY.

I CAN'T WAIT TILL YOU GET BACK BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO REPLACE YOU WHILE YOU'RE GONE.

BUT THE ONLY OTHER THING I WANTED TO SAY, AND THIS IS REGARDING A DECATUR BUSINESS OWNER.

LISA BOBB LOST HER FATHER-IN-LAW LATE LAST WEEK.

AND I WANT TO SEND OUR CONDOLENCES TO LISA AND KARMEL.

BOB. YOU KNOW, IT WAS A TOUGH LOSS FOR THEM, AND I THINK THEY'RE STRUGGLING MIGHTILY.

BUT KNOW THAT WE IN THIS COMMUNITY ARE THINKING ABOUT THEM.

THANK YOU. IT'S A TOUGH TIME OF YEAR, I THINK, TO LOSE A FAMILY MEMBER.

AND ALSO WANT TO ECHO MY THANKS TO MY COLLEAGUES AND TO THE CITY STAFF FOR REALLY INFORMATIVE WORK SESSIONS AND I THINK HELPING US KIND OF KNOW HOW THINGS ARE PROGRESSING.

I THINK WHEN WE GO TO RETREAT THIS YEAR, SEECLICKFIX WON'T BE AT THE TOP OF THE LIST.

AND SO IT WAS REALLY HELPFUL TO HAVE THAT DATA AND TO SEE THINGS BEING ORGANIZED AND MOVING, MOVING FORWARD, AND FIND OUT WHAT, WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP THAT OUT. I WOULD I THINK WE'D ALL LOVE TO HAVE A COPY OF THAT LIST.

AND I KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER MEYER COULDN'T BE HERE THIS EVENING, BUT I KNOW SHE WILL ALSO BE INTERESTED IN THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED TOGETHER IN 2024.

I APPRECIATE DOCTOR CARTER COMING OUT.

WE DON'T ALWAYS HEAR THOSE THINGS UNLESS SOMEBODY BRINGS THEM DIRECTLY TO OUR ATTENTION.

SO AND JUST TO FINISH UP THE YEAR THIS THURSDAY SCREEN ON THE GREEN, THE GRINCH IS GOING TO BE SHOWN.

DECEMBER 29TH, THE GRAND MENORAH LIGHTING WILL BEGIN IT.

HANUKKAH BEGINS ON THE 25TH, AND THEN THE MENORAH LIGHTING.

WILL BE ON THE 29TH.

I THINK IT STARTS AROUND 5:00, I BELIEVE.

IT'S ALWAYS A GREAT EVENT.

WE HAVE OUR FIRST CITY COMMISSION MEETING ON MONDAY, JANUARY THE 6TH.

OUR SECOND MEETING IS ON TUESDAY, JANUARY THE 21ST.

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

SERVICE PROJECT IS THE 18TH, 19TH AND 20TH.

AND, EVERYONE, SAVE THE DATE FOR TUESDAY, JANUARY 28TH FOR THE STATE OF THE CITY.

SO THINGS AREN'T REALLY SLOWING DOWN IN JANUARY, BUT HOPEFULLY WE'LL ALL GET A BREATHER AND COME BACK WITH A LOT OF GREAT THINGS TO WORK ON AND GET TOGETHER AND PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER AND CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE DO IN SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.

AND THANKS TO ALL THE PEOPLE THAT STEPPED UP AND INTERVIEWED AND ARE WILLING TO SERVE ON OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.

SO WITH THAT, IT IS 9:24 AND THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED.

THE FINAL MEETING.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.