[WORK SESSION – 6:30 P.M.]
          [00:00:05]
          WELCOME. WE ARE HAPPY TO HEAR ABOUT EQUITY AND INNOVATION. 
          YES. GOOD EVENING. I'M RENEE JACKSON, EQUITY AND ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR. 
          CLAIRE MILLER, INNOVATION AND STRATEGY DIRECTOR. 
          AND THIS EVENING WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT EQUITY AND INNOVATION. 
          IMAGINE THAT. IF THE SLIDES WOULD LIKE TO ADVANCE. 
          ALL RIGHT. SO THIS EVENING, JUST TO GIVE YOU A QUICK RUNDOWN OF WHAT WE'RE PLANNING TO
DISCUSS WITH YOU WE'RE GOING TO TALK WITH YOU ABOUT WHY WE, THE TWO OF US ARE HERE IN PARTICULAR THIS EVENING. 
          WE WANT TO TALK WITH YOU ABOUT THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK BEHIND THIS IDEA THAT EQUITY AND
INNOVATION GO HAND IN HAND. 
          WE'RE GOING TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT RELATES TO
EQUITY AND INNOVATION AROUND VISION AND VALUES, EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT, PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY. WE WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING
WITH OUR NEW EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT TEAM THAT NAMED ITSELF IGNITE WITH AN EXCLAMATION POINT. WE'LL TALK WITH YOU ABOUT OUR EMPLOYEE SURVEY AND HOW WE'RE UTILIZING
THAT. 
          OUR E5 ACADEMY, A NEW PROJECT THAT'S THAT WE'RE CALLING SOLUTIONS LAB. 
          AND THEN ULTIMATELY, WE JUST WANT TO FRAME FOR YOU KIND OF HOW THIS ALL FITS TOGETHER AND
WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE BIG PICTURE. 
          SO WHY ARE WE HERE? CLAIRE AND RENAE, EQUITY AND ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR,
INNOVATION AND STRATEGY DIRECTOR CLAIRE AND I HAVE PARTNERED ON A NUMBER OF THESE INITIATIVES THAT YOU'LL SEE, WE'LL TALK ABOUT TODAY. 
          AND AS WE'RE TALKING THROUGH SOME OF THESE THINGS AND SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE
INDIVIDUALLY, WE NOTICED A LOT OF OVERLAP. AND WE ALSO NOTICED THAT IN ORDER TO GET TO INNOVATION,
WE NEED TO HAVE EQUITY IN THE WORK THAT WE DO. 
          AND WE AS WE'RE DOING OUR WORK, WE'RE ALIGNING BACK TO THE CITY'S VALUES,
WHICH IS SUPER IMPORTANT, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE STICKING TO OUR VALUES. 
          WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE APPRECIATE THE CITY'S LEADERSHIP IN CONTINUING THE EMPHASIS TO
STICK TO THOSE VALUES WHILE ALSO KEEPING IN MIND THAT RESPONSIBLE COURAGE, RIGHT? THAT WILL BE HELPFUL AND THAT WE NEED WE WILL KEEP IN FRONT OF OUR MIND AS WE'RE
MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS WORK. 
          NOW, THE STRATEGIC PLAN, THE 2030 STRATEGIC PLAN MAKES IT CLEAR THAT EQUITY AND RACIAL
JUSTICE IS FUNDAMENTAL TO THE VALUES THAT THE COMMUNITY AND THE ORGANIZATION ARE COMMITTED TO. COMMITTED TO WORKING ON. IN ADDITION, THE CITY HAS ALWAYS PRIDED ITSELF ON BEING
INNOVATIVE. 
          WHENEVER I GO OUT AND TALK TO FOLKS AND PEOPLE SAY,
WHY DECATUR? WHY WHAT? WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN DECATUR? WE TALK ABOUT HOW INNOVATIVE WE ARE. 
          WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, IN ADDITION TO THE VIBRANT COMMUNITY AND THE VALUES THAT WE'RE
STICKING TO, WE'RE ALSO THINK ABOUT BEING CUTTING EDGE, BEING THAT MODEL CITY. 
          RIGHT. HOW DO WE PUT US, OURSELVES IN FRONT TO BE THE CITY THAT OTHER PEOPLE LOOK TO WHEN
WE'RE DOING OUR WORK. 
          AND SO WITH OUR WORK, WE'RE REPRESENTING THESE TWO FUNDAMENTAL VALUES OF ORGANIZATION. 
          AND THROUGH OUR PRESENTATION TODAY, YOU WILL SEE AREAS OF EQUITY AND INNOVATION SHOWING UP
THROUGHOUT ALL OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING. 
          WHETHER IT'S INDEPENDENT BUT ALSO INTERWOVEN IN ALL OF THESE THINGS AND IN WAYS THAT YOU
MIGHT NOT EVEN IMAGINE. 
          SO, YOU ALL MAY RECALL THAT IN 2020, THE CITY SIGNED ON TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE
GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE ON RACE AND EQUITY, ALSO KNOWN AS GARE. AND WHEN WE JOINED THAT ORGANIZATION,
THE CITY HAS BEEN SUPER COMMITTED TO BEING EMBEDDED AND LEARNING FROM OTHER JURISDICTIONS THAT ARE A PART OF GARE
AND THE TAKING ON THE RESOURCES AND DIFFERENT THINGS THAT GEAR HAS TO OFFER. 
          WE PARTICIPATED IN TRAININGS. I HAVE SERVED ON THE GARE STEERING COMMITTEE SINCE 2020. 
          IN 2021. BETWEEN 2021 AND 2023, I SERVED AS THE STEERING COMMITTEE CHAIR,
AND I JUST RECENTLY ROLLED OFF OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE IN APRIL. I AM NOW ONE OF THE LEADS OF HBCU D9 COMMUNITY WITHIN GARE,
WHICH IS A NEW COMMUNITY THAT HAS FORMED. 
          CLAIRE AND I ARE ALSO MEMBERS OF THE NEWLY FORMED GROUP WE CALL IT JELLY,
WHICH STANDS FOR JURISDICTION EVALUATION, LEARNING EXCHANGE. AND YOU CAN IMAGINE WE THERE'S A SONG FOR THAT. 
          I THINK I KNOW IT. I DON'T KNOW. NO. AND I JUST WANT TO READ THE DESCRIPTION OF WHAT JELLY
IS. 
          SO THE GARRETT JURISDICTION AND EVALUATION LEARNING EXCHANGE,
AKA JELLY, IS A UNIQUE, TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING OPPORTUNITY FOR JURISDICTIONS TO GAIN TANGIBLE EVALUATION SKILLS WHILE SUPPORTING THEIR CURRENT ORGANIZATIONAL RACIAL EQUITY
EFFORTS. 
          LEARNING COMMUNITIES COMMUNITY PARTICIPANTS WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE KNOWLEDGE
THROUGH EXPERT EXPERIENTIAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, 
          [00:05:05]
REFLECTION, AND CO-CREATION. THROUGH THE PROCESS,
WE ARE WORKING ON DEEPENING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF EVALUATION AS A LEARNING TOOL, INCREASING ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY FOR EVALUATING RACIAL EQUITY WORK,
BUILDING CAPACITY WITHIN ORGANIZATION AND WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION TO LEVERAGE EVALUATION, THINKING AND SYSTEMS CHANGE EFFORTS,
AND CONTRIBUTING TO THE FIELD BY INFORMING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A RACIAL EQUITY EVALUATION FRAMEWORK FOR GARE JURISDICTIONS. SO, WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER AS A COHORT TO DEVELOP AN
EVALUATION TOOL THAT OTHER JURISDICTIONS WILL USE. 
          NOW, IN THAT DESCRIPTION, YOU HEARD WORDS LIKE NORMALIZE,
ORGANIZE, OPERATIONALIZE. 
          AND PART OF THE GEAR THEORY OF CHANGE INCLUDES VISUALIZING,
NORMALIZING, ORGANIZING AND OPERATIONALIZING. 
          AND WITHIN OUR WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, WE'RE MAKING SURE TO DO ALL OF THAT. 
          SO VISUALIZING IS THINKING ABOUT THE BROADER CONCEPT. 
          WHERE DO WE WANT TO GO? WHAT DO WE WANT TO SEE? THEN WE GET TO A PLACE WHERE WE WANT TO NORMALIZE THESE THINGS WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION,
WITHIN THE PRACTICES THAT WE HAVE, WITHIN THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING. WE WANT TO ALSO ORGANIZE BRINGING FOLKS TOGETHER TO DO
THE WORK. 
          HOW DO WE GET BUY IN FROM FOLKS? HOW DO WE GET PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE DOING AND
THEN BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT WORK AS WELL, AND OPERATIONALIZING THE WORK THAT'S DOING THE WORK. 
          MAKING IT PART OF OUR FABRIC. SO I DO WANT TO READ HOW GARE DESCRIBES THIS THIS THEORY OF
CHANGE. 
          THE APPROACH IS ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE MODEL FOR ACHIEVING RACIAL EQUITY IN GOVERNMENT. 
          THE APPROACH RECOGNIZES THAT THE TO ACHIEVE RACIAL EQUITY,
WE MUST BE ABLE TO VISUALIZE AND DESCRIBE A RACIALLY JUST COMMUNITY AND SOCIETY NORMALIZED CONCEPTS OF RACIAL EQUITY AND OUR ABILITY TO TALK ABOUT THEM. 
          ORGANIZE STAFF, LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITIES TO ACT AND OPERATIONALIZE THESE VALUES INTO
CONCRETE POLICIES, PRACTICES, AND PROCEDURES THAT ARE MEASURABLE. 
          ALL RIGHT. LET'S HAVE SOME FUN, Y'ALL. ALL RIGHT. 
          SO, BEFORE WE GET INTO OUR DISCUSSION ABOUT INNOVATION,
I WANTED TO INVITE YOU TO CONTRIBUTE. 
          THERE'S NO WRONG ANSWERS HERE. OUR QUESTION FOR YOU IS,
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT INNOVATION, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU? LOCAL GOVERNMENT SPECIFICALLY. 
          THERE'S NO WRONG ANSWERS. TECHNOLOGY. WHAT ELSE? TRYING NEW THINGS. DATA. FORWARD THINKING. 
          CALCULATED RISK. DISRUPTION. 
          OTHER THOUGHTS. CREATIVITY. EXPANDING THOUGHT PROCESSES. 
          IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF FUN, DOESN'T IT? YEAH. YEAH. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, WE LOOKED AT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS. 
          AND AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, IT'S SOMETHING ULTIMATELY,
IT'S COMPLEX. 
          AND NOTHING THAT YOU ALL SAID IS OFF BASE. THOSE THINGS ARE ALL TRUE. 
          AS ARE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS ABOUT INNOVATION. RIGHT. SO ,
YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER DUSENBURY MENTIONED TRYING SOMETHING NEW. 
          I ALSO HEARD DISRUPTION YOU KNOW, NEW TECHNOLOGY ALWAYS GOING TO BE PART OF THIS. 
          SO SOMETIMES IT'S ABOUT DOING SOMETHING NO ONE'S EVER DONE BEFORE. 
          SOMETIMES IT'S JUST ABOUT LOOKING AT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE DOING AND DOING IT DIFFERENTLY
THAN WE'VE BEEN DOING IT. RIGHT. SO THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT ASPECTS TO WHAT INNOVATION CAN LOOK LIKE IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND OTHER CONTEXTS. 
          BUT WHAT WE WANT TO REALLY MAKE SURE TO EMPHASIZE FOR YOU ALL IS WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE
CITY'S VISION FOR 2030 AND THE WAY THIS GRAPHIC THAT YOU'VE SEEN BEFORE FROM THE CITY STRATEGIC PLAN IS FRAMED. 
          WE ARE WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THIS AS BEING SORT OF A. 
          MISSHAPEN VENN DIAGRAM. RIGHT. THAT THE OUTSIDE OF THE DIAGRAM IS ALL EQUITY AND RACIAL
JUSTICE. 
          AND THAT'S THE CONVERSATION THAT RENEE AND I HAVE BEEN HAVING. YOU KNOW,
SINCE I STARTED IN THIS ROLE AND WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO COLLABORATE IS ALL THE CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO DO FOR THE COMMUNITY AND FOR OUR
EMPLOYEES HAVE TO BE DONE IN A LANDSCAPE THAT'S HEALTHY AND SAFE FOR EMPLOYEES, AND THAT'S GOING TO MEAN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT'S SAFE FROM DISCRIMINATION,
AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE EMPLOYEES SEE EQUITABLE AND FAIR OUTCOMES AND FEEL LIKE THEY CAN ENTER INTO SITUATIONS AND BE ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THEIR IN THE
ORGANIZATION AND BE SUPPORTED. 
          BE SAFE TO DO THAT CONSISTENTLY, RIGHT. SO, IF WE WANT TO BE CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE WHEN
IT COMES TO CIVIC TRUST AND WHEN IT COMES TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND WHEN IT COMES TO MOBILITY, ECONOMIC GROWTH AND CLIMATE ACTION,
WE HAVE TO DO THAT ON A FOUNDATION OF EQUITY AND RACIAL JUSTICE. 
          AND SO, WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF OTHER KIND OF THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU
TODAY TO HELP BRING THAT HOME AND REALLY FORMALIZE THIS IDEA THAT EQUITY IS THE STARTING 
          [00:10:09]
POINT AND INNOVATION IS DOWN THE ROAD BEYOND THAT. 
          ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE WORKED ON IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS IS OUR VISION,
VALUES, GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND PHILOSOPHY WORK. WE STARTED THIS AT THE CITY MANAGEMENT TEAM
RETREAT IN AT THE NEAR THE END OF 2022, THE AT THE CITY MANAGEMENT TEAM RETREAT, WE DEVELOPED INITIAL LANGUAGE. 
          WE PUT TOGETHER A TASK FORCE TEAM THAT TOOK THAT INFORMATION BACK OUT TO EMPLOYEES. 
          WE WENT TO DEPARTMENTS AND MET WITH EMPLOYEES ON THEIR SHIFTS AT THEIR TIME,
A TIME THAT WORKED FOR THEM AND GOT FEEDBACK. 
          WE THEN MASSAGED THE LANGUAGE, BROUGHT IT BACK AGAIN. 
          MANAGEMENT TEAM LOOKED AT IT. WE SENT IT BACK OUT TO DEPARTMENTS FOR REVIEW,
AND NOW WE'RE IN AN OPERATIONALIZATION PHASE WHERE WE'RE HOPING TO ENGAGE OUR EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT TEAM IN MAKING THIS SOMETHING THAT EMPLOYEES CAN TIE TO THEIR DAY TO DAY WORK. 
          RIGHT. SO, IT'S NOT JUST CONCEPTS AND NICE WORDS,
BUT ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DRAW A LINE BETWEEN THE WORK THAT YOU DO EVERY DAY AND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A PART OF THIS ORGANIZATION. RIGHT. 
          SO THAT'S ONGOING. AND NOW THE LOVELY RENAE IS GOING TO TALK WITH YOU ABOUT EMPLOYEE
ENGAGEMENT. 
          WELL THANK YOU CLAIRE. SO, WHAT IS EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT? WHEN WE THINK ABOUT EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT, IT'S BEYOND SURVEYS OR PARTICIPATED IN TRAININGS. 
          IT'S HAVING FOLKS HAVING THE SPACE AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME IN AND BRING IN NEW IDEAS
TO PARTICIPATE IN DECISION MAKING TO BE ABLE TO GIVE BUY IN AND ALSO TO SHARE ANY IDEAS AND USE THEIR SKILLS BEYOND JUST COMING
INTO WORK AND DOING THE JOB, BUT DOING THINGS THAT'S MEANINGFUL TO THEM AS WELL. 
          AND WHEN WE ARE THINKING ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT,
FIRST I WANT TO ASK YOU, WHY DO YOU THINK EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT IS IMPORTANT? YES, IF EMPLOYEES ARE ENGAGED AND FEEL EMPOWERED,
THEN THEY'RE MORE PART OF THE TEAM AND THEY HAVE SOME SENSE OF OWNERSHIP TO IT. THANK YOU. 
          IT'S ALSO CREATING A CULTURE THAT PEOPLE WANT TO BE A PART OF. 
          I MEAN, IT'S YOU COULD HAVE A HIGH FUNCTIONING ORGANIZATION,
BUT IF YOUR EMPLOYEES AREN'T ENGAGED, YOU WON'T HAVE A HIGH FUNCTIONING, YOU KNOW,
WORKPLACE FOR LONG. 
          AND SO THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO GET THEIR BUY IN THAT WHAT THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING
IS MEANINGFUL IN A WAY THAT REFLECTS TO THEM AS WELL. 
          GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT PEOPLE SPEND IN THEIR WORK LIVES. 
          TO HAVE THAT FEELING OF EMPOWERMENT, OF BELONGING,
OF CONTRIBUTING AND BEING LISTENED TO, I THINK IS PARAMOUNT. I THINK IT DOES LEAD TO BETTER JOB SATISFACTION,
THE WILLINGNESS TO KIND OF GO THE EXTRA MILE WHEN THEY'RE, WHEN THEY'RE, THEY NEED TO. AND IT JUST MAKES FOR A MUCH MORE PLEASANT DAY TO DAY
EXPERIENCE IN YOUR WORK LIFE. 
          IT'S A RETENTION TOOL AS WELL. FEEL ENGAGED ARE GOING TO WHO ARE ENGAGED WITH AND ENGAGED
BACK ARE CONNECTED. 
          AND I WANT TO STICK AROUND AND CONTINUE TO DEEPEN THAT BECAUSE IT FEELS GOOD AND IT'S
SATISFYING. 
          SO, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THIS SLIDE, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF A NUMBER OF IMPACTS TO EMPLOYEE
ENGAGEMENT. 
          BUT THINGS THAT WE'VE NOTICED IS THAT EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT BOOST MORALE ACROSS THE
ORGANIZATION. 
          YOU ALL MENTIONED THAT PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER WHEN THEY COME TO WORK. 
          IT INCREASES EFFICIENCY IN THE IN THE JOB. AND,
MAYOR, YOU TOUCHED IT. 
          WE A LOT OF US SPEND A LOT OF OUR TIME OR MOST OF OUR TIME HERE. 
          AND SO, YOU WANT TO BE IN A SPACE WHERE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU BELONG,
AND YOU'RE PART OF A BIGGER SOMETHING BIGGER THAN YOU. 
          IF YOU'RE GIVING YOUR TIME FOR THAT. AND IT HELPS PEOPLE FEEL EXCITED ABOUT COMING TO
WORK. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN IN A PLACE WHERE YOU HAD TO GO SOMEWHERE,
AND YOU JUST DREADED GOING TO THAT PLACE AND HOW YOU FELT DURING THAT TIME. 
          IMAGINE. I THINK I NODDED A LOT. NOT HERE THOUGH. 
          I HAD TO CATCH MYSELF. I WAS LIKE, YEAH. X MADE THIS PLACE. 
          YEAH. NOT HERE. UNHAPPY PLACE. BUT JUST IMAGINE DOING THAT DAY IN DAY. 
          DAY TO DAY. RIGHT. AND HOW PEOPLE CAN FEEL, AND THEY FEEL LIKE THAT,
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ONLY HERE TO, YOU KNOW, PAY THEIR BILLS OR, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN'T OFFER ANYTHING ELSE. 
          SO, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVEN IF PEOPLE DON'T TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE THAT BUY
IN, THERE IS SPACE, THAT THERE IS AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY CAN. 
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AND COMMISSIONER WALSH, YOU, YOU MENTIONED THAT IT'S A RETENTION TOOL,
SO IT WILL REDUCE TURNOVER. 
          AND SO THAT'S WHY WE FEEL LIKE EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT IS IMPORTANT. 
          SO, IF YOU TAKE ABSENTEEISM, I LEARNED THIS. BUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM. 
          IT'S A, IT'S A CYCLE THAT STARTS. AND ONCE THERE'S A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF ABSENTEEISM,
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE THRESHOLD IS, BUT IT KIND OF INVITES OTHER PEOPLE TO NOT COME EITHER BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO BE THERE
IF OTHER PEOPLE AREN'T THERE. I THINK IT'S JUST HUMAN. SO, IT'S A VERY INTERESTING TREND THAT ONCE YOU GET THAT GOING,
IT CAN GET OUT OF OUT OF HAND. 
          SO, THANK YOU. AND SO, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT EQUITY,
WE ALSO THINK WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT SAFETY AND SECURITY. 
          RIGHT. AND SO, MAYOR PRO TEM POWERS, YOU MENTIONED THAT IF YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU'RE,
YOU BELONG IN A, IN A PLACE THAT YOU CAN'T HAVE A HIGH PERFORMING ORGANIZATION. 
          AND WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON BEING A HIGH PERFORMING ORGANIZATION. 
          SO HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO BE THAT? HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO BE THAT ORGANIZATION WHERE PEOPLE
ARE GIVING THEIR ALL WE HAVE TO HAVE EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT. AND SO, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS CHART,
YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF ENGAGEMENT AND HOW IT ALIGNS WITH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE CLOSELY RELATED TO EQUITY. AND SO WHEN EMPLOYEES FEEL SAFE IN A WORKPLACE,
THEY CAN BE TRULY ENGAGED. 
          WHEN SOMEONE FEELS SAFE OR FEELS LIKE THEY CAN SHOW UP AND CHALLENGE A THING IN A WAY
THAT'S PRODUCTIVE. 
          AND I KNOW SOMETIMES WHEN WE HEAR CHALLENGE,
WE IT'S NEGATIVE. 
          BUT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT INNOVATION, IT IS CHALLENGING THE STATUS QUO. 
          IT IS CHALLENGING THE WAY THAT WE'VE ALWAYS DONE THINGS. 
          AND SO, IF YOU DON'T FEEL SAFE AND YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU'RE HEARD,
WHAT IT DOESN'T LEND, IT LENDS SPACE FOR SOMEONE TO COME IN TO FEEL LIKE THEY CAN CHALLENGE AND NOT BE
RETALIATED AGAINST OR NOT FEEL LIKE THAT THEIR VOICE IS HEARD OR, YOU KNOW, RECEIVE SOME KIND OF CONSEQUENCE AFTER THAT. 
          AND SO, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CREATING THAT SPACE. 
          AND SO, SO THAT EMPLOYEES CAN TRULY BE ENGAGED IN THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING. 
          SO THAT THAT TEASE ME UP REALLY NICELY TO TALK WITH YOU ALL ABOUT PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY. 
          SO I WILL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT IS THE VERY FIRST TERRITORY THAT I THINK
RENEE AND I FOUND THAT WE HAD ALMOST DIRECT OVERLAP IS THAT THERE ARE THINGS THAT I WAS SAYING, WELL, IN ORDER TO BE IN ORDER TO MOVE US FORWARD AND BECOME MORE INNOVATIVE AS AN
ORGANIZATION AND DEVELOP THIS CULTURE OF INNOVATION WHERE EMPLOYEES FEEL LIKE THEY CAN COME TO THE TABLE AND BRING NEW IDEAS AND DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY. WE HAVE TO HAVE EMPLOYEE
ENGAGEMENT. AND RENEE IS SAYING, WELL, YOU KNOW, OVER HERE IN THE EQUITY SPACE, EQUITY AND INCLUSION, WE HAVE TO HAVE EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT. 
          WE'RE ALSO HEARING FROM HUMAN RESOURCES. THIS IS A PRIORITY FOR US AS WE WANT TO ENGAGE
EMPLOYEES. SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE KIND OF GOT THIS SYNERGY AROUND THIS IDEA THAT THIS IS A FUNDAMENTAL,
YOU KNOW, SPACE THAT WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO INVEST IN AS AN ORGANIZATION SO THAT WE CAN BE EFFECTIVE
IN MOVING OUR GOALS FORWARD. 
          SO ANOTHER CONCEPT THAT WE'RE COMING ACROSS A LOT IN THIS SPACE IS PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY. 
          AND JUST A BRIEF DEFINITION HERE IS THAT IT'S A BELIEF THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE
PUNISHED OR HUMILIATED OR, AS RENEE SAID, SORT OF RECEIVE ANY NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES FOR SPEAKING UP WITH IDEAS,
QUESTIONS, CONCERNS OR MISTAKES. RIGHT? FUNDAMENTALLY, YOU'RE IN A SPACE WHERE YOU FEEL SAFE TO KIND OF BE TRUTHFUL ABOUT THE
EXPERIENCE THAT YOU'RE HAVING, WHETHER THAT'S POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE. AND THIS IS A MODEL THAT'S DESIGNED BY A,
AN AUTHOR WHO'S WRITTEN A LOT ABOUT PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY, TIMOTHY CLARK. SO, THIS IS HIS FOUR STAGES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY. 
          AND I WANT TO SPEND A LITTLE BIT OF TIME WITH YOU ALL ON THIS,
BECAUSE I THINK WHAT'S MOST FASCINATING ABOUT IT IS YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT THERE'S A THRESHOLD IDENTIFIED FOR INCLUSION AT THE VERY BOTTOM,
AND YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT THERE'S A THRESHOLD IDENTIFIED FOR INNOVATION NEAR THE TOP OF THE SCALE. AND IT RELATES VERY MUCH TO WHAT RENEE WAS JUST SAYING TO YOU. 
          THIS IS A PROGRESSION, RIGHT? SO, WE HAVE TO START FROM A SPACE WHERE EMPLOYEES FEEL
INCLUDED. 
          THEY FEEL SAFE SIMPLY TO BE IN THE ENVIRONMENT. 
          RIGHT. SO THAT'S KIND OF THAT. AGAIN, THE SECURITY AND SAFETY LEVEL OF THE MASLOW'S
HIERARCHY THAT WE WERE JUST LOOKING AT THAT RENEE WAS TALKING TO US ABOUT. 
          AND THAT'S A SPACE WHERE, YOU KNOW, I JUST, I JUST I'M NOT AFRAID TO COME TO WORK. 
          RIGHT. I CAN COME IN. I CAN JUST BE I CAN BE OKAY. 
          RIGHT. BEYOND THAT, WE WANT TO GET TO A SPACE WHERE I FEEL SAFE AS A LEARNER,
AND THAT'S GOING TO BE A SITUATION WHERE I FEEL LIKE I CAN MAKE MISTAKES, I CAN TRY SOMETHING THAT I'M LEARNING, AND IF IT'S NOT PERFECT,
THAT'S GOING TO BE OKAY. 
          I'M NOT I'M NOT GOING TO RECEIVE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES. I'M NOT GOING TO BE REJECTED. I'M
NOT GOING TO BE PUNISHED BY VIRTUE OF, YOU KNOW, BEING WILLING TO STEP INTO A LEARNING SPACE. IF WE CAN GET ME THERE, THEN HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET ME TO A CONTRIBUTOR SAFETY SPACE
WHERE I FEEL NOW WILLING TO RAISE MY HAND AND SAY, I'VE GOT AN IDEA. WHAT IF WE DID IT? WHAT IF WE WHAT IF WE DID THIS? WHAT IF WE DID THAT? AND THEN YOU HEARD RENAE MENTIONED CHALLENGING THAT CHALLENGE,
YOUR SAFETY AS THE VERY TOP OF THE SCALE. 
          [00:20:01]
THAT'S WHERE IT'S KIND OF THAT GOOD TO GREAT SPACE OF WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO
COME AND HAVE HARD CONVERSATIONS AND SAY, YOU KNOW, THE CITY MANAGER TOLD ME THAT WE SHOULD DO X,
Y, AND Z, BUT I ACTUALLY HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE, AND I WANT TO BRING THAT TO THE TABLE AND HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT IT, EVEN IF THAT MIGHT NOT BE THE MOST POPULAR
OPINION. 
          BUT I FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT, YOU KNOW, HERE,
I'LL BE HEARD TO DO THAT. AND I'M NOT GOING TO EXPERIENCE REPRISALS OR NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES BY VIRTUE OF BRINGING FORWARD SOMETHING THAT I WANT TO SAY,
LIKE, I DON'T THINK THIS IS RIGHT AND I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE FIXED OR CHANGED. RIGHT. SO IF WE THINK ABOUT THAT, THAT THE BASELINE OF THIS IS I JUST NEED THAT BASIC EQUITY AND
INCLUSION AGAIN LIKE I NEED I NEED TO FEEL LIKE THIS IS A SAFE PLACE WHERE I CAN BE ME. 
          THAT'S OBVIOUSLY JUST A STARTING POINT, RIGHT? I MEAN,
WE WE WANT TO GO WELL BEYOND THAT. 
          WE WANT TO GET INTO A SPACE WHERE ULTIMATELY WE CAN BE INNOVATIVE. 
          WE CAN INVITE ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES TO THE TABLE TO BRING FORTH THEIR BEST WORK AND THEIR
BEST IDEAS. 
          AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S WORK THAT HAS TO BE DONE TO GET US THERE,
AND THAT THIS IS GOING TO DIFFER BY INDIVIDUAL, AND IT MAY DIFFER BY CIRCUMSTANCE, AND IT MAY DIFFER BY, YOU KNOW, THE MOMENT IN TIME. BUT IT'S A SPACE THAT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO
THINK ABOUT AND INVEST IN IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO MOVE UP THIS, THIS TRAJECTORY TO WHERE WE CAN BE THAT HIGH PERFORMING ORGANIZATION THAT WE WANT TO BE AS
MUCH OF THE TIME AS POSSIBLE. 
          SO HOW ARE WE OPERATIONALIZING EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT? WE'LL START WITH THE EMPLOYEE. IGNITE THE EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT TEAM. 
          AND THIS TEAM WAS FORMED LAST AUGUST. CLAIRE AND I GOT TOGETHER,
AND WE QUICKLY PULLED TOGETHER A TEAM THAT INCLUDED FOLKS FROM ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS. AND THE PURPOSE OF THE EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT TEAM IS TO IMPACT EMPLOYEES ACROSS
THE ORGANIZATION. 
          AND THERE ARE THREE FOCUS AREAS. WE HAVE EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION AND APPRECIATION,
SUNSHINE AND WELCOMING AND INTERNAL COMMUNICATION. 
          AND THE GOAL OR THE INTENDED IMPACT OF THIS TEAM IS TO REDUCE SILOS. 
          SO, THERE'S THAT REDUCING SILOS AGAIN INCREASE PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY,
BOOST MORALE AND CONNECT EMPLOYEES AUTHENTICALLY ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION. SO, WE WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF THIS TEAM,
ALTHOUGH THEY COULDN'T BE HERE WITH US TONIGHT, THEY ARE HERE WITH US IN SPIRIT. AND SO, WITH PARKS AND REC,
WE HAVE KIM WHATLEY, DAEJHANAE MARTIN AND JASMINE MILTON DATES WITH PUBLIC WORKS. 
          WE HAVE DARRONTE STEPHENS AND GREG RYAN AND POLICE. 
          WE HAVE CAPTAIN PHILLIP NEMBHARD. CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. 
          WE HAVE RASHEEDA. KELLY FIRE. WE HAVE CAPTAIN JEREMY STORY AND FIREFIGHTER ANDREW ABBASI. 
          IN COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WE HAVE TAMMY WASHINGTON AND LANITA JOHNSON. 
          AND IN ADMIN SERVICES WE HAVE SANTANA DAWSON AND JERMAINE FITZPATRICK. 
          AND I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT KIM WHATLEY AND CAPTAIN PHILLIP NEMBHARD ARE THE
CO-CHAIRS OF THIS TEAM. 
          AND SO SOME OF THE TEAM AT TEAM ACTIVITIES THAT WE ARE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IS WHEN WE
LOOK AT THE RECOGNITION AND APPRECIATION SUBCOMMITTEE, THEY'RE WORKING WITH HR ON A CYCLICAL EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION AND AWARDS AND
SPECIAL EVENTS SUNSHINE AND WELCOMING COMMITTEES. 
          FOCUS IS ON THE EXPERIENCE OF NEW EMPLOYEES. SO HOW ARE WE WELCOMING NEW EMPLOYEES INTO
THE ORGANIZATION AND MAKING THEM FEEL LIKE A PART OF THE ORGANIZATION IMMEDIATELY? AND LOOKING AT WAYS TO PERSONALIZE THAT NEW EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE AND
CONNECTING THEM WITH OTHER EMPLOYEES IN THEIR FIRST FEW DAYS AND WEEKS. 
          AND THE INTERNAL COMMUNICATION GROUP WILL COLLABORATE WITH THE EQUITY AND ENGAGEMENT TEAM
ON INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS AUDIT TO IMPROVE HOW EMPLOYEES SHARE AND RECEIVE INFORMATION INSIDE THE ORGANIZATION. SO I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE TERM SUNSHINE. 
          SO IS THAT I MEAN, I GET THE, YOU KNOW, THE WELCOMING PART,
BUT WERE THOSE NAMES SELECTED BY MEMBERS OF THE TEAM OR I MEAN, I LIKE THE CONNOTATION, BUT IT WAS,
IT'S INNOVATIVE. 
          PERHAPS IT'S CREATIVE. SO, IF THERE WAS A STORY BEHIND THAT I DON'T THINK THERE'S A STORY. 
          SO WE'VE HAD SUNSHINE COMMITTEES BEFORE. I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS IN CYS,
WE HAD A SUNSHINE COMMITTEE AND THEIR ROLE WAS TO CELEBRATE BIRTHDAYS AND DIFFERENT THINGS. SO IT WASN'T THERE WASN'T A. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. 
          SO ALL RIGHT ONE OF THE TEAM'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS SO FAR IS OUR FIRST EVER EMPLOYEE
CONFERENCE. 
          AND IT WAS OUR MINECON, AS WE CALL IT. AND THIS CONFERENCE WAS HELD IN DECEMBER AT
OAKHURST REC CENTER. 
          AND IT WAS IT'S A CONFERENCE FOR EMPLOYEES BY EMPLOYEES. 
          SO, ALL OF THE PRESENTERS WERE STAFF MEMBERS WITH WITHIN THE CITY. 
          SO, WE ARE NOW PLANNING OUR NEXT ONE. THAT ONE WAS A SUCCESS. 
          EVEN WITH THE POWER OUTAGE. IT WAS GOOD. WE STILL GOT GOOD FEEDBACK. 
          [00:25:02]
WE KEPT THE BALL ROLLING, AND PEOPLE REALLY ENJOYED THEMSELVES. 
          AND SO THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OTHER EMPLOYEES TO USE THEIR SKILLS TO TEACH A SUBJECT
FOR EMPLOYEES TO. 
          THERE MAY BE EMPLOYEES WHO CAN'T PARTICIPATE IN CONFERENCES AS MUCH AS OTHERS. 
          SO, BRINGING THAT OPPORTUNITY IN HOUSE TO HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE,
AND IT'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR FROM THE CITY MANAGER. 
          AND SO, ANDREA, DURING THE LUNCH HOUR, WAS ABLE TO SPEAK TO THE GROUP AROUND SOME OF THE
CITY'S GOALS, GIVE UPDATES AND THEN ALSO HEAR FROM EMPLOYEES AND ENGAGE IN THAT WAY. 
          SO ONE OF OUR OTHER PROJECTS IS OUR NATIONAL EMPLOYEE SURVEY,
WHICH WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST. 
          CITY HISTORICALLY HAS ADMINISTERED THE SURVEY TO EMPLOYEES EVERY TWO YEARS. 
          LAST TIME WE DID THAT WAS IN 2018, 2019. AND SO WE'RE GETTING BACK ON TRACK WITH THAT. 
          SO, WE ADMINISTERED OUR NATIONAL EMPLOYEE SURVEY TO CITY EMPLOYEES IN THE FALL. 
          THIS IS SORT OF SIMILAR TO THE NATIONAL CITIZEN SURVEY THAT WE ADMINISTERED TO RESIDENTS. 
          IN ORDER TO GET FEEDBACK FROM THEM ABOUT THEIR PERCEPTIONS,
ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE OF BEING CITY RESIDENTS. 
          AND THIS, SIMILARLY, IS HOW EMPLOYEES IN THE ORGANIZATION ARE EXPERIENCING THEIR TIME AS
EMPLOYEES. 
          SO THIS IS A IT'S A BENCHMARK NATIONAL SURVEY. 
          IT'S CONDUCTED BY POLCO. AND IN 2024, IT WENT OUT TO 60,000 DIFFERENT LOCAL GOVERNMENT
EMPLOYEES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. 
          AND THAT ALLOWS US TO GET BENCHMARK DATA. SO IT LETS US KNOW WHETHER ON A PARTICULAR
SURVEY ITEM, WE ARE SIMILAR TO THE BENCHMARK, I.E. PERFORMING SIMILARLY TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN TERMS
OF THAT FEEDBACK, WHETHER WE'RE ABOVE OR WHETHER WE'RE BELOW AND JUST KIND OF LETS US GET THAT POINT IN TIME
SNAPSHOT CONCEPT ABOUT HOW EMPLOYEES ARE FEELING. 
          AND WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THAT IS WE'VE HAD A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR CITY MANAGEMENT TO
LOOK AT THE DATA CITYWIDE. 
          AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO DEPARTMENT LEVEL REPORTS. 
          AND SO I'M WORKING WITH EACH DEPARTMENT HEAD TO DESIGN A PROCESS FOR EVERY DEPARTMENT TO
EVALUATE THEIR DATA, IDENTIFY WHAT PRIORITIES THE DEPARTMENT WANTS TO SET AND DEVELOP AN ACTION PLAN. 
          SO THAT PROCESS IS ACTIVELY MOVING ALONG RIGHT NOW. 
          AND THEN THE INTENTION OBVIOUSLY IS TO IMPLEMENT THOSE PLANS,
DO SOME EVALUATION TO SEE WHAT KIND OF PROGRESS WE'VE MADE AND THEN REVISIT THAT, THAT DATA TO SEE IF THERE ARE ADDITIONAL PRIORITIES THAT WE WANT TO GET INTO. 
          AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE HOPE THAT WHEN WE ADMINISTER THE SURVEY AGAIN IN 2026,
THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE WHETHER WE'VE WE'VE MOVED THE NEEDLE ON THAT. 
          THE OTHER THING THAT'S EXCITING ABOUT THIS IS THE DATA IS CATEGORIZED INTO EIGHT DIFFERENT
AREAS, ONE OF WHICH IS EQUITY AND INCLUSION. 
          SO RENEE AND I ARE ALSO PLANNING TO LOOK SPECIFICALLY AT OUR DATA AROUND EQUITY AND
INCLUSION FROM EMPLOYEE FEEDBACK, AND DO SOME WORK WITH THE EQUITY AND INCLUSION TEAM HERE INTERNALLY ON THAT INFORMATION AS
WELL. 
          I JUST WANT TO ADD GIVING THE SURVEY IS THE EASY PART. 
          THIS I MEAN, THIS PART IS SO CRITICAL THAT IT'S A LOT OF IT'S JUST HARD WORK. 
          THE EVALUATION DEVELOPING THE ACTION PLAN AS A RESULT OF THE SURVEY RESULTS. 
          I MEAN, THAT'S REALLY WHERE THE WORK STARTS. AND I'LL SAY,
YOU KNOW, IN THE PAST WE HAD SOME REALLY GOOD INTENTIONS. 
          BUT I'M EXTREMELY HOPEFUL. AND WE'VE GOTTEN FURTHER THIS TIME THAN WE HAVE IN YEARS PAST. 
          BUT AGAIN, WE ALSO PRESS RESET FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. 
          AND IT'S THE WORST THING. WELL, ONE OF THE WORST THINGS YOU CAN DO IS TO OFFER A SURVEY
AND THEN DON'T DO ANYTHING WITH IT. AND SO WE MADE A COMMITMENT THAT WHEN WE DO THE SURVEY NEXT,
THEN WE'RE GOING TO SEE IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH. 
          THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT. AND I WILL ALSO SAY ONE OF THE THEMES THAT WE SAW COME OUT OF
THE VISION AND VALUES WORK THAT'S ALSO REFLECTED IN OUR RACIAL EQUITY ACTION PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS, IS EMPLOYEE VOICE. SO EMPLOYEES WANT TO HAVE A VOICE IN THE THINGS THAT
ARE HAPPENING IN THE ORGANIZATION. 
          THEY WANT TO FEEL LIKE THEY CAN BRING THINGS FORWARD WHEN THEY'RE WHEN THERE'S A CONCERN
OR A NEED. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS IS A PROCESS THAT IT'S ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL,
AS THE CITY MANAGER IS SAYING THAT WE ENSURE THAT THIS THAT WE DO FOLLOW UP ON THIS. 
          AND SO THAT'S PART OF THE WORK THAT I'M DOING,
IS MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE SPENDING THAT TIME WITH EACH DEPARTMENT TO PUT TOGETHER A PROCESS THAT'S GOING TO BE MEANINGFUL, AND THAT REALLY DOES ENGAGE EMPLOYEES AT EVERY
LEVEL. 
          SO, THIS ISN'T LEADERSHIP MAKING A DECISION AND HANDING IT DOWN,
BUT THIS IS FRONTLINE EMPLOYEES HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE PLANNING AND VISIONING FOR THEIR NEEDS. YEAH. JUST SO I UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS,
THERE'S A NATIONAL SURVEY THAT GOES TO EVERYBODY, AND WE HAVE THAT DATA AND WE KNOW HOW IT RANKS AND STUFF LIKE THAT,
AND WE HAVE OUR OWN WHEN WE ASK THE SAME QUESTIONS AT THE NES KNOW. 
          SO, WE'RE ACTUALLY WE USE NES SURVEY. SO, WE'RE ON THEIR PLATFORM PEOPLE. 
          RIGHT. SO, IT'S COMPLETELY ANONYMOUS. WE KNOW HOW MANY FULL TIME AND HOW MANY PART TIME
PEOPLE CONTRIBUTED IT, BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT DEPARTMENTS THEY'RE IN. WE KNOW HOW MANY TOTAL PEOPLE FROM EACH
DEPARTMENT, BUT WE DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT THEM. 
          [00:30:06]
SO, THERE ARE CERTAIN DEMOGRAPHIC DATA, BUT NONE OF IT IS CORRELATED. 
          AND THEN WE GET A SURVEY THAT GIVES US THE CITYWIDE INFORMATION THAT WILL COMPARE US TO
THAT NATIONAL BENCHMARK AND TELL US WHETHER WE'RE ABOVE, SIMILAR OR BELOW. WE GET THAT. WE GET IT. YEAH. 
          IT'S VERY, I'M VERY CURIOUS ABOUT THAT. YOU CAN TALK TO THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT THAT ONE. 
          COMMISSIONER DUSENBURY. NO, ACTUALLY. AND ACTUALLY,
ONE IS CURIOUS ABOUT THAT, TOO, THAT YOU SAID IT OUT LOUD TO THAT QUESTION. 
          WE SPECIFICALLY DID NOT MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO YOU ALL,
AND WE CHOSE NOT TO GET INTO THE DATA WITH YOU BECAUSE IT IS AN INTERNAL, REALLY INTERNAL FOCUS PROCESS. AND IN PARTICULAR BECAUSE WE'RE STILL ACTIVELY WORKING
THROUGH THIS WITH OUR DEPARTMENTS, WE DON'T REALLY WANT IT TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE'RE KIND OF PUTTING ON BLAST AND,
YOU KNOW, ASKING PEOPLE TO KIND OF PARSE THROUGH AND RAISE QUESTIONS ABOUT BEFORE WE'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY FOR EMPLOYEES TO KIND OF SINK THEIR TEETH INTO IT AND PERSONALIZE IT,
INTERNALIZE IT, AND, YOU KNOW, ACT ON IT. AND WITH THE NES AND A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING WE'RE
BUILDING TRUST, TOO. SO, WE'VE HAD PEOPLE IN THE PAST WHO ARE LIKE,
WHY AM I GOING TO COMPLETE THIS IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING WITH IT? OR IF I SAY SOMETHING DIFFERENT, THERE MAY BE SOME RETALIATION. 
          SO, WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD THAT TRUST SO WE CAN GET THAT TRUE FEEDBACK SO THAT WE CAN MOVE
FORWARD ON THE THINGS THAT WE NEED, THE THINGS THAT THE EMPLOYEES ARE TELLING US IN THE MOST AUTHENTIC WAY. 
          SO, I THINK ON THE CITIZEN SATISFACTION SURVEY,
WE HAVE SOME SPECIFIC QUESTIONS FOR DECATUR. 
          IS THAT CORRECT? WERE THERE WAS THAT AN OPPORTUNITY WITH THE EMPLOYEE SURVEY? WE DID, THERE WERE A HANDFUL OF QUESTIONS THAT WE ASKED,
MOST OF WHICH WERE DRAWN FROM PREVIOUS SURVEYS THAT I GUESS HAD BEEN PULLED BACK OUT OF WHAT POLCO WAS UTILIZING. THE PRO AND CON IS THEY AREN'T NECESSARILY BENCHMARKED,
BECAUSE IF WE'VE CHOSEN THOSE QUESTIONS, WE DON'T KNOW THAT THE OTHER COMMUNITIES HAVE. SO,
WE HAD A HANDFUL OF THOSE THAT HAD TO DO WITH EMPLOYEE VOICE AND RAISING IDEAS. 
          WHAT WE DID WAS RENEE AND I LOOKED AT THOSE AND TERESA AS WELL,
IN TERMS OF ALIGNING THEM TO THE VISION AND VALUES TO ENSURE THAT WE WERE ASKING ABOUT EACH, EACH OF THOSE AREAS. RIGHT. BECAUSE WE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO SEE IF THERE ARE GAPS OR
ISSUES RELATED TO WHAT WE'RE SAYING WE'RE ALL ABOUT, RIGHT? THANK YOU. SURE. ALL RIGHT. SO WE'RE ALSO BRINGING BACK THE E5 ACADEMY. 
          THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF A STORY TO TELL HERE THAT RENEE WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU KNEW THE
HISTORY HERE. 
          SO ONCE UPON A TIME BACK IN, I WANT TO SAY IT WAS EITHER 2014 OR 2015. 
          THE CITY OF DECATUR WAS INVITED TO BE A PART OF AN INNOVATION ACADEMY. 
          THAT ALLIANCE FOR INNOVATION WAS OPERATING FOR COMMUNITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY. AND I WANT
TO SAY THERE WAS AT LEAST ONE OTHER COMMUNITY IN CANADA AS WELL. SO IT WAS IT WAS INTERNATIONAL, YOU GUYS. BUT SO TEAMS, TEAMS WERE PUT TOGETHER INNOVATION TEAMS FROM EACH
COMMUNITY. 
          WE PARTICIPATED IN A SERIES OF CLASSES, AND WE WERE ASKED TO DESIGN A PROJECT THAT WOULD
BE INNOVATIVE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. 
          AND I SAY WE BECAUSE I WAS ON THE ORIGINAL TEAM,
THERE'S A HANDFUL OF US WHO ARE STILL HERE WHO WERE ON THE ORIGINAL TEAM THAT DESIGNED THE E5 ACADEMY. AND THEN YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW THAT ONE RENAE JACKSON,
WHO AT THAT TIME WAS RENAE MADISON, WAS IN THE FIRST CLASS. SO, RENAE WAS PART OF THE VERY FIRST CLASS,
WHICH WAS 2016. 
          IS THAT RIGHT? AND THEN SINCE THEN, RENAE HAS CAPTAINED THIS PROGRAM AND BROUGHT IT INTO
THE PRESENT. 
          SO NOW IT'S BEEN HANDED TO ME. IT'S COME FULL CIRCLE,
RIGHT? HERE WE ARE. AND SO, WE'LL BE BRINGING THAT CLASS BACK IN 2026. 
          WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER A NEW PLANNING TEAM INVITING FOLKS TO THE TABLE WHO MAY NOT HAVE
HAD A CHANCE TO CONTRIBUTE IN THE PAST. 
          AND SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, TEN YEARS, FULL DECADE THAT WE'RE STILL CONTINUING THIS PROGRAM. 
          THAT'S BY EMPLOYEES, FOR EMPLOYEES. WHEN WE FIRST PUT THE PROGRAM TOGETHER,
WE SURVEYED CITY EMPLOYEES. 
          WE SAID, HEY, WE'RE INTERESTED IN CREATING THIS LEADERSHIP PROGRAM FOR YOU. 
          WHAT PRIORITIES, WHAT KINDS OF GOALS, WHAT KINDS OF OUTCOMES WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE? AND
SO, THE PROGRAM WAS ACTUALLY DESIGNED WITH EMPLOYEE INPUT, AND EMPLOYEES OPERATE IT, EMPLOYEES FACILITATE IT,
AND EMPLOYEES BENEFIT FROM IT. 
          SO WE'RE EXCITED TO BRING THAT BACK. AND AND AGAIN,
WITH THAT SAME PRINCIPLE OF EMPLOYEE FEEDBACK AND EMPLOYEE PERSPECTIVES CONTRIBUTING TO WHAT WE'RE DOING. AND ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, IT'S I WOULD SAY THERE'S SOME THERE'S IT WAS
INFLUENCED BY DECATUR 101. 
          I DON'T THINK I WOULD SAY THAT IT'S A, IT'S AN EMPLOYEE DECATUR 101. 
          BUT THERE ARE ASPECTS WHERE WE BRING EMPLOYEES TO DIFFERENT CITY BUILDINGS. WE WANT TO
CONNECT THEM ACROSS DEPARTMENTS. WE LIKE TO ENSURE THAT PARTICIPANTS ARE COMING FROM DIFFERENT ROLES SO THAT THEY GET TO KNOW SOME,
SOME FOLKS WHO THEY MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE HAVE GOTTEN TO KNOW WELL. AND THEY DO A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF ACTIVITIES WITH EMPHASIS ON LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT,
ON KIND OF BIG PICTURE AND MAKING CONNECTIONS ACROSS DEPARTMENTS. 
          AND WE'VE HAD VERY POSITIVE FEEDBACK. AND THOSE PRESENTATIONS ARE TYPICALLY BROUGHT TO THE
CITY COMMISSION. 
          [00:35:04]
YEAH, THE E5 ACADEMY. RIGHT. KIND OF CAPSTONE. 
          YES. AND YOU MAY REMEMBER THAT THEIR MOST RECENT RECOMMENDATION WAS THE VETTER SOFTWARE. 
          YES. RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. AND SO, I'M EXCITED TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE SOLUTIONS LAB. 
          THIS IS A NEW AND EXCITING PROGRAM THAT RENAE AND TERESA DE CASTRO AND MYSELF ARE WORKING
ON. 
          WE ARE LOOKING TO BASE THIS ON DENVER'S PEAK ACADEMY,
WHICH YOU ALL MAY OR MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH. 
          THIS IS A PROJECT THAT DENVER STARTED MORE THAN TEN YEARS AGO. 
          IT IS. THEY USE A LOT OF DIFFERENT PRINCIPLES OF SORT OF LEAN AND SIX SIGMA,
AND THEY'VE DESIGNED THEIR OWN PROGRAM FOR EMPLOYEES. 
          SO, IT HAPPENS EVERY MONTH IN DENVER FOR EMPLOYEES ACROSS THEIR DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS. 
          THEY DO INVITE FOLKS FROM OUTSIDE TO PARTICIPATE IN,
YOU KNOW, KIND OF SMALL GROUPS. 
          SO, WE'RE HOPING TO SEND A SMALL TEAM TO DENVER PEAK ACADEMY,
LEARN FROM DENVER, BRING BACK THE WORK THAT THEY'VE PUT TOGETHER AND KIND OF DESIGN OUR OWN PROGRAM AND THE REAL HIGH LEVEL OF WHAT THEY DO THERE IS THAT BASICALLY THE TRAINING
EMPLOYEES ON HOW TO USE TOOLS THEY CAN TAKE BACK TO THEIR DEPARTMENTS. 
          THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO INTRODUCE INNOVATIONS THAT WILL COST MORE MONEY OR REQUIRE MORE
PEOPLE. 
          SO IT'S KIND OF A USE WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE TO BE INNOVATIVE AND BE MORE EFFICIENT,
MORE EFFECTIVE, MAKE A BETTER IMPACT, MAKE LIFE BETTER FOR YOU AND YOUR COWORKERS,
WHAT HAVE YOU. DEPENDING ON THE AREA THAT YOU WORK IN AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU SEE. 
          SO IT'S TO HELP EMPLOYEES LEARN HOW TO SPOT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AND THEN HOW TO IMPLEMENT
THOSE CHANGES WITHIN THEIR DEPARTMENTS. 
          AND SO WE'RE SEEING THIS KIND OF AN INCUBATOR FOR INNOVATION AND ALSO TEACHING AND
LEARNING OPPORTUNITY FOR EMPLOYEES TO GET A BETTER SENSE OF HOW WE DO MOVE THINGS FORWARD. 
          RIGHT. SOMETIMES THE ISSUE IS EMPLOYEES DON'T UNDERSTAND THE BUDGETING PROCESS OR THEY
THEY'RE NOT SURE WHO TO TALK TO OR WHO TO ASK FOR HELP WITH AN IDEA THAT THEY HAVE, OR THEY FEEL LIKE THEY'VE BEEN SHUT DOWN IN THE PAST AND HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO MOVE
SOMETHING FORWARD BECAUSE THEY GOT ROADBLOCKED BY, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY IN A CONVERSATION. SO, OUR GOAL IS TO CREATE A SPACE WHERE THAT CAN BE
WORKSHOPPED AND THEY'VE GOT A SUPPORT NETWORK TO BE ABLE TO MOVE THINGS FORWARD, DEVELOP SKILLS THEMSELVES, AND ALSO MAKE AN IMPACT FOR THE ORGANIZATION. 
          THESE ARE SOME METRICS THAT I GRABBED OFF OF DENVER'S WEBSITE. 
          AND I THINK WHAT'S MOST EXCITING IS OUR NICE NUMBER UP THERE IN THE TOP MIDDLE IS AND THIS
IS, THIS IS OVER THE LIFE OF THE PROGRAM. AND DENVER IS OBVIOUSLY A MUCH LARGER ORGANIZATION
THAN WE ARE. 
          BUT THE IDENTIFIED SAVINGS THAT THEY'RE CALCULATING FROM THE START OF THE PROGRAM TO THE
PRESENT IS OVER $77 MILLION IN TERMS OF INNOVATIONS THAT EMPLOYEES HAVE MANAGED TO BRING TO THEIR DEPARTMENTS THROUGH THIS PROGRAM. 
          SO DEFINITELY HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE AN IMPACT. COMMISSIONER DUSENBURY,
I SEE YOUR PEN. THAT'S HIS THINKING PEN. 
          IT GOES UP WHEN HE'S THINKING AND DOWN. IS THERE ANY REWARD SYSTEM TIED TO THIS AT ALL,
LIKE KIND OF RECOGNIZING GOOD IDEAS AND LIKE, YOU KNOW. COME UP WITH THE BEST IDEA. YOU SAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY REWARDING
EMPLOYEES FOR THAT. 
          SO, WHAT I KNOW THAT THEY DO IS THEY'VE GOT A GREEN BELT AND BLACK BELT SYSTEM. 
          SO FIRST, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED FOR GOING THROUGH THE PROGRAM. I'VE SEEN A LOT ON SOCIAL MEDIA
WHERE THEY'RE HIGHLIGHTING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF EMPLOYEES. THEY'LL DO KIND OF A STORY ABOUT THE INNOVATION THAT YOU BROUGHT FORWARD AND WHAT THE IMPACT WAS,
AND WHAT GOOD THINGS YOU'RE DOING IN YOUR DEPARTMENT. I'VE ALSO SEEN THAT THEY DO THEY BRING THE BLACK BELT COHORT TOGETHER PERIODICALLY JUST TO KEEP THEM CONNECTED TO EACH
OTHER. 
          SO, SOME OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES MIGHT BE LEARNING,
BUT IT MAY ALSO JUST BE LIKE, I THINK THE ONE THAT I SAW THE OTHER DAY WAS THEY BROUGHT THE GROUP TOGETHER SO THEY COULD DO A TAI CHI CLASS,
YOU KNOW? SO, IT WAS LIKE EVERY BLACK BELT IN DENVER WAS INVITED TO,
YOU KNOW, THE GYM AT WHATEVER BUILDING TO DO THIS CLASS TOGETHER. 
          SO I THINK IT'S MORE OF A KIND OF KIND OF LIKE WHAT WE TRY TO DO WITH OUR E-5 GROUP IS,
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE A GRADUATE OF THIS PROGRAM NOW AND YOU'VE GOT THIS,
THIS STATUS AND RECOGNITION WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION THAT'S MORE BASED ON YOUR SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE THAN IT IS ON LIKE COMPENSATION OR REWARD. 
          YEAH. AND IT IS DEFINITELY A WORK WITH THE WILLING KIND OF SCENARIO. 
          SO, IT'S A, YOU KNOW, WHO'S INTERESTED IN IN DOING THIS VERSUS A YOU WILL GO AND DO THIS. 
          RIGHT. AND I'LL ALSO ADD WITH SOLUTIONS LAB. THE MAYOR MENTIONED HOW THE E5 ACADEMY THEY
HAVE A CAPSTONE PROJECT, IF YOU WILL, AT THE END OF THAT, THEY PRESENT AT THE END OF THE PROGRAM. 
          SO, SOLUTIONS LAB IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO TAKE THOSE IDEAS AND MOVE THEM FORWARD,
ALSO TO PROVIDE SPACE FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T PARTICIPATE IN E5 BUT HAVE REALLY GOOD IDEAS. 
          AND THEY CAN BRING IT INTO THIS SPACE, OR IF THERE'S SOMEBODY THAT THEY HAVE AN IDEA,
BUT THEY ARE NOT SURE HOW TO MOVE IT FORWARD. 
          SO BEING ABLE TO CREATE SPACE FOR BRAINSTORMING,
COLLABORATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF SOME OF THESE INNOVATIVE PROJECTS. 
          SO, WHAT ARE WE HOPING TO ACCOMPLISH WITH ALL OF THESE GREAT THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING. 
          INNOVATION AND EQUITY. YOU'VE HEARD US SAY BREAKING DOWN SILOS. 
          BOOSTING MORALE. CONNECTING TO THE BIGGER PICTURE. 
          [00:40:02]
I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. HOW DO WE HELP EMPLOYEES SEE HOW THEY FIT INTO THIS
BIGGER PICTURE? WE DO A LOT OF THAT IN E5. BUT, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE HAVE A STRATEGIC PLAN. 
          BUT HOW DOES MY ROLE FIT INTO THAT? HOW DO I ADD VALUE TO THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING? AND SO, WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX. 
          WE WANT TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT. RIGHT. 
          WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN EMPLOYEES SHOW UP,
THEY ARE SHOWING UP HEALTHY AND HAPPY AND WILLING TO DO THE WORK AND BEING FEELING SAFE TO GIVE THESE IDEAS. WE WANT TO HAVE A HIGH PERFORMING ORGANIZATION. 
          WE WANT TO BE THAT MODEL ORGANIZATION THAT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING TOWARDS WHEN WE'RE DOING THE
WORK. 
          AND SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO. WE VISUALIZE WE HAVE THE STRATEGIC PLAN. 
          WE VISUALIZE; WE HAVE THE RECOMMENDATIONS. WE HAVE ALL OF THESE PLANS. 
          SO, WE'VE DONE THE VISUALIZATION. NOW IT'S TIME TO OPERATIONALLY CONTINUE TO
OPERATIONALIZE. 
          WE ARE ONE OF THE FEW CITIES THAT TAKE THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND DON'T LEAVE IT ON THE SHELF. 
          AND WE ACTUALLY LOOK AT IT OFTEN AND MAKING SURE WE'RE MOVING THINGS FORWARD. 
          HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO ORGANIZE, BRING OUR EMPLOYEES TOGETHER,
BRING THE FOLKS WITHIN THIS ORGANIZATION TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CITY'S VALUES AND THE CONNECTION THAT ALL
OF US HAVE TO THIS, THIS THING AND THE COLLABORATION WITH EACH OTHER,
BECAUSE WE ARE MOVING FORWARD FOR THE GREATER GOOD OF THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY AND THE ORGANIZATION AND THEN NORMALIZING IT. HOW DO WE MAKE THIS PART OF OUR FABRIC THAT WE'RE
NOT EVEN THINKING ABOUT IT, THAT IT'S JUST WE'RE AUTOMATICALLY DOING ALL OF THESE THINGS,
PROVIDING SPACE THAT'S SAFE, PROVIDING EQUITABLE OPPORTUNITIES. HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO DO THAT? WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO PUT IN THE WORK. WE HAVE TO INVEST IN THESE EFFORTS,
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE TO ENGAGE AND LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE AROUND US, REALLY PAYING ATTENTION TO THE FOLKS THAT WE DON'T SEE AT THE TABLE,
THE PEOPLE THAT WE DON'T SEE RAISING THEIR HANDS TO BE A PART OF THESE CROSS-DEPARTMENTAL TEAMS, CHECKING IN WITH THEM, ASKING THEM WHY,
WHAT ARE THE ROADBLOCKS, WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION, AND HOW DO WE HELP REMOVE THOSE THINGS? BECAUSE WE ARE ALL HERE FOR A REASON. 
          AND I APPRECIATE BEING A PART OF THIS ORGANIZATION BECAUSE OF THE VALUES THAT WE HAVE AND
THE OPPORTUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO BRING NEW IDEAS. 
          AND I WANT OTHERS TO FEEL THAT AS WELL. AND SO THAT'S THE WORK THAT CLAIRE AND I ARE DOING
AND BEING VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT IT. 
          AND I WILL SAY, WE'RE DOING THIS WORK NOT BECAUSE SOMEBODY TOLD US TO DO IT BECAUSE WE
CARE ABOUT THIS WORK. 
          AND WE ARE IN ANDREA'S OFFICE ALL THE TIME. WE GOT A NEW IDEA,
ANDREA. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, SHE'S LIKE, OKAY BUT WE HAVE THE SPACE TO DO THAT,
AND I WANT OTHER PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO FEEL THAT AND FEEL LIKE THEY MATTER, AND THEY HAVE SKILLS THAT THEY CAN SHARE WITH OTHERS. 
          THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS? I HOPE YOU'RE INSPIRED. 
          I AM. I'M FIRED UP. THAT WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION. 
          SO ARE YOU AWARE OF OTHER SMALLER CITIES THAT ARE DOING THINGS LIKE THIS? I MEAN, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU'VE, YOU KNOW, RESEARCHED AND LOOKED AT DENVER AND I DIDN'T KNOW
IF THERE WERE OTHER MODELS OUT THERE THAT YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO FIND. 
          SO I JUST CAME BACK FROM TLG. I GOT TO BE THERE WITH A TEAM FROM OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT
WAS PRESENTING ON IMPLICIT BIAS AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE. 
          THERE WAS, THEY WERE SUPERSTARS. AND YES. SORRY? THE TRANSFORMING LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONFERENCE IS A LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONFERENCE THAT'S
FOCUSED ENTIRELY ON INNOVATION IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT. 
          THANKS FOR ASKING, MARY GARRETT I RECOGNIZE TRANSFORMING LOCAL GOVERNMENT. SORRY TO THROW
LETTERS AT YOU. 
          AND WHO WAS PRESENTING FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT? SO,
IT WAS CAPTAIN MENARD AT THE TIME, FIREFIGHTER BIRD. 
          BUT NOW HE'S SERGEANT BIRD. JIMENEZ AND RYAN. 
          YEAH. ANYWAY, THERE ARE MANY COMMUNITIES THAT ARE. 
          THIS IS. IT FEELS TO ME LIKE THIS IS BECOMING MORE COMMON. 
          SO, LOTS OF INNOVATION ACADEMIES, LOTS OF PROGRAMS WITHIN GOVERNMENTS OF VARYING SIZES
THAT ARE DESIGNED TO TEACH EMPLOYEES ABOUT INNOVATION. 
          I THINK DENVER IS ONE OF THE MOST WELL ESTABLISHED ONES BECAUSE THEY DID START AROUND
2012. 
          AND THEY'VE HAD A LOT OF LEARNINGS. SO, I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF NO,
NOT HAVE TO MAKE ALL THE SAME MISTAKES AND RECREATE THE WHEEL BECAUSE WE CAN LEARN FROM, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER AGENCY THAT'S KIND OF ALREADY BEEN THROUGH SOME OF THOSE THINGS AND
START A LITTLE BIT FARTHER DOWN THE LINE. 
          AND I ALSO ADD, I DO GET A LOT OF CALLS ABOUT E5 AND HOW WE SET THE PROGRAM UP. 
          SO, TO CLARA'S POINT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE FOLKS COMING ON INTO THE SPACE OF CREATING
EMPLOYEE LEADERSHIP ACADEMIES. 
          [00:45:03]
BUT I THINK WE SIT UP THERE AS A MODEL ORGANIZATION,
AND I WANT US TO CONTINUE TO BE THERE, NOT TO FORGET THE ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT,
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING. 
          AND WAS THAT HAMPTON, VIRGINIA, WHERE YOU MADE A CONTACT THERE BECAUSE THERE WERE A FEW
YEARS AHEAD OF US A SIMILAR SIZE COMMUNITY. AND I MEAN, THERE'S I'D SAY THERE'S MAYBE NOT QUITE A DOZEN OTHER COMMUNITIES
THAT WE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LOOK OVER OUR SHOULDERS AT WHAT THEY'RE DOING. 
          AND THAT WOULD BE ONE OF THE COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY IN THAT ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT,
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE SPACE. 
          SO, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. AND IT'S A LITTLE BIT IRONIC. 
          ABOUT SIX WEEKS AGO, I SAID TO THE CITY MANAGER,
I WAS LIKE, DO YOU THINK WE MIGHT COULD HAVE CLAIRE COME BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T HAD AN INNOVATION STRATEGY MANAGER? THAT'S A NEW POSITION. 
          AND THAT DOESN'T EXACTLY TELL US WHAT CLAIRE DOES,
YOU KNOW, EXCEPT TO I MEAN, WE KNOW THE WORDS INNOVATION AND WE KNOW THE WORD STRATEGY, BUT HOW IS THAT BEING HOW IS THAT BEING IMPLEMENTED IN THE,
IN THE CITY? SO, AND SHE SAID, AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE HAVE A WORK SESSION COMING UP. 
          SO, I APPRECIATE AND THEN WE GOT THE TWO OF YOU TO SEE AND JUST TO HEAR ABOUT THE LEVEL OF
COLLABORATION NOT JUST BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU, BUT OTHERS THAT ARE BEING BROUGHT IN TO BE A PART OF THIS PROCESS. 
          GREAT PRESENTATION. MY QUESTION IS HOW CAN WE HELP? HOW CAN WE GET INVOLVED? WHAT CAN WE DO? AND IT MAY BE EARLY,
BUT. 
          SO, I DIDN'T WANT TO RAIN ON RENEE'S PARADE WHEN SHE WAS TALKING TO YOU ALL ABOUT OUR
FINAL SLIDE HERE. 
          BUT I DO WANT TO SAY THAT WHEN WE WERE PREPARING FOR THE PRESENTATION EARLIER THIS
AFTERNOON, I POINTED OUT TO HER THAT EVERY SPOT ALONG THIS TRAJECTORY THAT WE PUT TOGETHER FOR YOU IS A HUGELY AMBITIOUS, YOU KNOW, AREA OF DEEP PROJECTS AND A LOT OF WORK. 
          AND I TOLD HER I WAS LIKE; THIS IS PROBABLY ABOUT THE NEXT 50 YEARS OF WORK FOR THE
ORGANIZATION. 
          AND SO THAT'S GOING TO NEED A LOT OF SUPPORT,
YOU KNOW. 
          AND I THINK, I THINK SUPPORTING THE FACT THAT WE'VE GOT,
YOU KNOW, IT IS NOT EVERY ORGANIZATION OF THIS SIZE THAT HAS AN EQUITY AND ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR THAT HAS AN INNOVATION AND STRATEGY DIRECTOR. I DO THINK THAT IS AMBITIOUS AND
DIFFERENT. 
          AND I THINK WHAT I'M SEEING IS IT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY LEAN IN AND INVEST IN
AREAS THAT OTHERWISE, WE WOULD NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY AS AN ORGANIZATION TO SPEND TIME,
ENERGY AND EFFORT ON. 
          EVEN TO, YOU KNOW, EXPECT EMPLOYEES WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION TO BE ABLE TO MOVE INITIATIVES
LIKE THIS FORWARD WHO WOULD BE ABLE TO DO IT? I MEAN, BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S FULL TIME AND WORKING THEIR TAIL OFF AND THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. 
          SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTING, SUPPORTING THE ORGANIZATION'S EFFORTS AND YOU KNOW,
CONTINUING TO FRAME THE CONVERSATION THE WAY YOU ALL ARE AROUND WHAT THE PRIORITIES OF THE COMMUNITY ARE WHEN THEY'RE ALIGNED TO THE WORK THAT
WE'RE DOING, IS REALLY HELPFUL. TRANSLATION ONE LAST THING AT RETREAT TO TALK ABOUT FOR Y'ALL. 
          THEN WE'LL TAKE ONE THING OFF Y'ALL'S LIST. OKAY. 
          WHICH THING? WE'LL SEE AT RETREAT. SOUNDS A LITTLE CASUAL,
BUT I REALLY, REALLY MEAN IT. 
          YOU HAVE BEAUTIFUL VOICES, BOTH LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY. 
          AND I THINK YOU TELL A REALLY COMPELLING STORY. 
          AND TOGETHER AND I IT WAS KIND OF WEIRD THAT I DIDN'T KNOW BASED ON THE TITLE OF THE WORK
SESSION. 
          I DIDN'T KNOW WE WERE GOING TO HEAR FROM YOU TONIGHT. 
          I DIDN'T ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT WE WERE GOING TO HEAR. AND I THINK YOU COULD DO A REALLY GREAT
PODCAST. 
          I REALLY THINK THAT WOULD BE A NEAT WAY TO BOTH DOCUMENT SOME OF WHAT YOU'RE WORKING ON
AND SHARE IT OUT TO THE ORGANIZATION. 
          WE'VE STARTED TALKING ABOUT THE BOOKS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE PUBLISHING AS WELL,
SO WE'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN THE SIGNING RELEASE, PARTY MULTITASKING OR DOING ONE OTHER THING, BUT IT COULD BE A REAL TREAT OR A GIFT BACK TO THE ORGANIZATION OR TO US,
OR WE COULD BE INVOLVED, WHATEVER. AND I KNOW IT COULD BE ONE MORE THING TO WORK ON. I DIDN'T MEAN TO SAY THAT
EITHER, BUT IT'S AN IDEA I'M INNOVATING RIGHT NOW. 
          THAT'S RIGHT. VERY INNOVATIVE. IT'S COMING SOON. 
          NICE, NICE. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER WALSH. YEAH. 
          OTHERS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU BOTH VERY MUCH. AND WE WILL TAKE A SHORT BREAK,
AND WE WILL START OUR COMMISSION MEETING AT 07:30. THANK YOU. GOODBYE. GOOD EVENING. I'D LIKE TO CALL TO ORDER THE 
          [I. Call to Order by Mayor.]
REGULAR MEETING OF THE DECATUR CITY COMMISSION FOR MONDAY,
MAY THE 5TH, 2025. 
          [II. Approval of the Minutes.]
COMMISSIONERS, YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU THE MINUTES FOR THE 2025 CITY COMMISSION RETREAT
AND THE REGULAR MEETING OF APRIL 21ST, 
          [00:50:02]
2025. ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS OR ADDITIONS OR CORRECTION OR NOT? OKAY. FIRST OF ALL, I CAN HANDLE THESE SEPARATELY. 
          WOULD THAT BE BECAUSE NOTHING ABOUT THE RETREAT? OKAY. WELL DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT? RETREAT. 
          MOVE. APPROVAL FOR THE RETREAT. MOVE APPROVAL. 
          OKAY. SECOND. ALL RIGHT, OTHER QUESTIONS. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? THE CHAIR VOTES? AYE. AND THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED. 
          NOW WE'LL LOOK AT THE REGULAR MEETING OF APRIL 21ST AND COMMISSIONER DUSENBURY. 
          AND THIS IS SOMEWHAT EMBARRASSING BECAUSE THE CITY MANAGER HAS TOLD ME THAT I NEED TO SIT
CLOSER TO THE MICROPHONE BECAUSE SOMETIMES PEOPLE CAN'T HEAR ME. 
          AND I WAS LOOKING. IT SAID THAT I REFERRED TO UNNATURAL ALLIANCES,
BUT I TALKED ABOUT ENCOURAGED UNITING AGAINST ENEMIES RATHER THAN ATTACKING ALLIES. 
          MAY I USE THE WORD ENEMIES? BUT I GENERALLY DON'T USE THAT WORD. 
          I TRY TO AVOID IT. AND SO, I WENT TO THE RECORDING. 
          AND OF COURSE, AT THAT POINT IN TIME I'M TALKING BACK THERE. 
          AND SO, I DON'T KNOW, I DID IT. SO, I DON'T KNOW IF I COULD CHANGE ENEMIES TO UNNATURAL
OPPONENTS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 
          OR DO I HAVE TO? CAN I MAKE A MOTION TO CHANGE THAT? YOU CAN. I DON'T KNOW WHAT I SAID BECAUSE I WAS YOU WERE TALKING. 
          AND I'LL JUST ALSO ADD YOU KNOW, WITH THESE BEING THE MINUTES,
IT'S NOT TRUE, RIGHT? IT'S NOT A TRANSCRIPT. RIGHT. SO, IT'S NOT A TRANSCRIPT. 
          SO, FOR THAT REASON, I'M COMFORTABLE WITH CHANGING THE LANGUAGE TO FIT. 
          WHAT? WHAT YOU BELIEVE OR WHAT THE INTENT WAS. 
          CAN WE CHANGE THAT TO UNNATURAL OPPONENTS? I WOULD APPRECIATE IT. 
          DID YOU SAY UNNATURAL? UNNATURAL OPPONENT? IT ALIGNS WITH THE OPPONENTS. 
          OPPONENTS? YEAH. CAN YOU TELL US EXACTLY THE. 
          WAS IT IN THE. SURE. IT'S IN THE MINUTES AT THE END WHERE I MADE DURING THE COMMENTS
SECTION. 
          OKAY. SORRY. NOW IT'S ALL FALLING APART. AND SO,
THERE'S A PARAGRAPH WHERE I SAY THAT RIGHT. I SEE IT NOTED THAT UNNATURAL ALLIANCES WOULD BE NECESSARY TO COMBAT UNNATURAL
FORCES AND ENCOURAGED UNITING AGAINST ENEMIES RATHER THAN ATTACKING ALLIES. AND YOU'D LIKE FOR THAT TO READ ENEMIES? I GENERALLY DON'T LIKE THE WORD ENEMIES. RIGHT. 
          CORRECT. NATURAL OPPONENTS OR OPPONENTS? YOU'RE JUST,
WHEN YOU SAY A NATURAL. 
          THANK YOU. DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS AMENDED? SO MOVED. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? THE CHAIR VOTES? AYE. AND THE MINUTES ARE ADOPTED. 
          AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT FORWARD. AND I'M GOING TO TALK. 
          YOU'RE GOING TO TALK. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NEXT,
WE HAVE A PRESENTATION, AND I'LL READ 
          [III. Proclamations.]
THE EXCUSE ME, THE PROCLAMATION, AND I'LL READ IT AND THEN ASK. 
          I BELIEVE THERE'S SOME FOLKS HERE FROM OUR PARKS AND REC AND PERHAPS OTHERS WHO WILL COME
FORWARD AND BE RECOGNIZED. 
          I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE COMMISSIONER DUSENBURY HAS HIS GEORGIA BIKES T SHIRT ON. 
          SO, GEORGE. IN CASE YOU THOUGHT IT SAID GO, GEORGE. 
          SO, WHEREAS THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF MAY, THE CITY OF DECATUR WILL CELEBRATE BIKING AND THE
FREEDOM, THE JOY AND THE WELL-BEING IT IMBUES WITHIN US,
AS WELL AS THE POWER THAT MORE PEOPLE RIDING BIKES HAS IN MAKING LIFE BETTER FOR EVERYONE. AND WHEREAS MAY 12TH THROUGH THE 18TH,
2025 IS BIKE TO WORK WEEK AND MAY 16TH, 2025, IS BIKE TO WORK DAY. WHEREAS BICYCLING HAS BEEN SHOWN TO IMPROVE PEOPLE'S HEALTH,
WELL-BEING AND QUALITY OF LIFE. 
          GROWING THE ECONOMY OF THE CITY OF DECATUR, ATTRACTING TOURISM DOLLARS AND LOCAL BUSINESS
SPENDING, AND REDUCING CONGESTION AND PARKING COSTS ON OUR STREETS AND ROADS. 
          AND WHEREAS, BICYCLING ACCESS AND SAFETY ARE CORE COMPONENTS OF OUR LOCAL TRANSPORTATION
SYSTEM, AND THE CITY OF DECATUR AFFIRMS ITS DECISION MAKING TO PLAN FOR AND IMPLEMENT LOCAL
TRANSPORTATION PRIORITIES. 
          AND WHEREAS, PROMOTING THE USE OF THE BICYCLE AS BOTH A MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION AND A
MEANS OF RECREATION YEAR ROUND TO ATTRACT MORE VISITORS TO ENJOY OUR LOCAL PARKS AND TRAIL SYSTEMS, AS WELL AS RESTAURANTS,
HOTELS, RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS AND CULTURAL AND SCENIC ATTRACTIONS. 
          AND WHEREAS ALSO PROMOTING GREATER PUBLIC AWARENESS OF BICYCLE OPERATION AND SAFETY
EDUCATION DURING BIKE MONTH AND YEAR ROUND IN AN EFFORT TO REDUCE COLLISIONS,
INJURIES AND FATALITIES AND IMPROVE HEALTH AND SAFETY FOR EVERYONE ON THE ROAD. 
          [00:55:03]
NOW, THEREFORE, I, MAYOR PATTI GARRETT, THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOMES,
SCHOOLS AND PLACES OF WORSHIP DO HEREBY PROCLAIM THE MONTH OF MAY AS BIKE MONTH AND ENCOURAGE ALL RESIDENTS TO JOIN ME IN THIS SPECIAL OBSERVATION AND IN
RIDING THEIR BIKES, SO THANK YOU. IF YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO COME FORWARD,
I'D LOVE TO PRESENT THIS. 
          THANK YOU. ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT? THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. I'M KAREN MINVIELLE AND I JUST WANT TO REALLY EXPRESS MY
GRATITUDE FOR ALL THE BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THE CITY HAS PUT IN. IF YOU BUILD IT,
THEY WILL COME. 
          AND THAT IS CLEARLY WHAT'S HAPPENING. I'M SEEING MORE BIKES ALL THE TIME AND PERSONALLY
I'M FEELING MUCH SAFER WITH ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. 
          THANK YOU. WE'LL GIVE. SO NEXT WE WILL LOOK AT OUR 
          [IV. Public Comment on Agenda Action Items.]
AGENDA ACTION ITEMS AND WE'LL TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THESE AGENDA ACTION ITEMS IN JUST A
MOMENT. 
          THE FIRST IS A RESOLUTION FROM BEACON HILL BLACK. 
          ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. THE SECOND IS ESTIMATED ROLLBACK MILLAGE RATE. 
          THE THIRD, OR ITEM C, IS THE DECATUR SQUARE TRANSFORMATION PROJECT,
THE ELECTRICAL SERVICE UPGRADE AND TRANSFORMER RELOCATION. 
          AND THEN ITEM D IS A DECATUR SQUARE TRANSFORMATION PROJECT THE STREETLIGHT REPLACEMENT. 
          SO, AT THIS TIME WE WILL TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THESE AGENDA ACTION ITEMS. AND WE WOULD ASK YOU THAT IF YOU'RE IN THE ROOM AND WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT TO PLEASE
COME FORWARD, STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND MAKE YOUR COMMENT IF THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU WANT
TO BRING BEFORE THIS COMMISSION THIS EVENING, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU WAIT UNTIL WE LOOK AT REQUESTS AND PETITIONS. 
          WE ARE NOW TAKING COMMENTS ON AGENDA ACTION ITEMS. AFTER WE HEAR FROM THOSE IN THE ROOM WHO MIGHT LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT. 
          WE'LL ALSO OPEN IT UP TO THOSE WHO ARE ONLINE,
BUT WE'LL START WITH THOSE FIRST IN THE ROOM. 
          SO, IF THERE'S ANYONE HERE WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT ANY OF THE AGENDA ACTION
ITEMS, NOW'S THE TIME TO DO SO. 
          MADAM MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS JOHN LEAKE I LIVE AT 255 WEST PARKWOOD ROAD. 
          I CAME THIS EVENING BECAUSE I SUPPORT THE RESOLUTION FOR THE BEACON HILL BLACK. 
          ALLIANCE, AND I THINK IT WAS A VERY WELL PROPOSED SOLUTION,
AND IT INTRODUCED ME TO A POINT THAT I DIDN'T KNOW BEFORE. SONIA SANCHEZ AND I WILL GET TO KNOW A LOT BETTER NOW. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. 
          GOOD EVENING, GOOD EVENING, GOOD EVENING. IT'S GOOD TO SEE EVERYONE. IF I COULD JUST TAKE
A FEW, 3 OR 4 MINUTES. FIRST INTRODUCE YOURSELF. YES,
I'M MOLLY DAVIS. 
          I AM THE ONE OF THE CO-FOUNDERS OF BEACON HILL BLACK. 
          ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, BUT ALSO THE CO-CHAIR FOR THE REPARATIONS COMMITTEE. 
          I LIVE AT 1041 ATLANTA AVENUE HERE IN THE CITY. 
          AND I AM HONORED TO BE HERE ON BEHALF OF THE BEACON HILL BLACK ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
AND SPECIFICALLY OUR REPARATIONS COMMITTEE. 
          WE STAND IN A LONG TRADITION OF BLACK ORGANIZING IN THE CITY OF DECATUR. 
          WE'RE FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE DECATUR COLORED CITIZENS LEAGUE THAT WAS FOUNDED
IN 1950. 
          AND IT WAS 75 YEARS AGO. IT WILL BE 75 YEARS,
JUNE 28TH, THAT THAT GROUP OF CITIZENS CAME BEFORE THE CITY COMMISSION, AND THEY CAME BEFORE THE CITY COMMISSION TO VOICE THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT THEIR COMMUNITY. 
          A COMMUNITY CALLED BEACON HILL. THEY WENT ON RECORD. 
          IT WAS 20 CITIZENS. THEIR SPOKESPERSON OF THAT EVENING WAS MR. STEELE, MANY OF WHOM KNOW THE LEGENDARY MR. STEELE,
WHO WAS A COMMUNITY LEADER AND ORGANIZER. 
          AND SO WE COME IN THAT SAME SPIRIT REMEMBERING THEM,
REMEMBERING THAT THEY CAME AND THEY MADE A A CALL, THEY A REQUEST, THEY RAISED AN ISSUE. 
          AND UNFORTUNATELY THAT ISSUE WAS NOT FULLY ADDRESSED. 
          [01:00:02]
AND SO WE WE COME BACK NOW 75 YEARS LATER. IN FACT,
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT IT, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES ENTITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY, MANY OF THEM BOTH COMMUNITIES AND EVEN AT TIMES CITIES HAVE BEEN DISAPPEARED. 
          THEY HAVE BEEN ERASED, SOME BY THE FLOOD OF WATERS,
SOME BY FIRE AND VIOLENCE. 
          THAT WAS NOT THE CASE HERE. THE CASE HERE WAS DIFFERENT. 
          IT WAS, IN FACT, BY DESIGN THAT THE COMMUNITY ONCE KNOWN AS BEACON HILL,
WITH EIGHT THRIVING CHURCHES, WITH BUSINESSES, WITH FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES,
THAT COMMUNITY IS GONE. 
          IT NO LONGER EXISTS. THE ONLY THING THAT'S LEFT ARE OUR PLACARDS AND OUR STREET TOPPERS TO
REMIND US THAT ONCE STOOD A COMMUNITY WHERE PEOPLE BUILT, BUILT FAMILIES AND EXPERIENCED JOY AND LOVE. 
          AND THAT'S NO MORE. AND THE REASON THAT THAT HAPPENED WAS BECAUSE OF URBAN RENEWAL. 
          IT WAS A STRATEGY. IT WAS INTENTIONAL. AND IF I COULD JUST TAKE A QUICK MOMENT TO JUST
READ FROM ONE OF THE DOCUMENTS, IT SAYS THE CITY FATHERS OF DECATUR HAVE DETERMINED TO USE THE
SURGEON'S SCALPEL ON BEACON HILL. IT WILL BE TREATED BY URBAN RENEWAL. 
          THIS MEANS MORE SPACE FOR GOVERNMENTAL BUILDINGS. 
          IT MEANS A LARGER CAMPUS FOR DECATUR HIGH STUDENTS. 
          IT MEANS AN EXPANSION AREA FOR DECATUR'S BUSINESS DISTRICT. 
          WHAT IT ALSO MEANT WAS THAT THE SPACE THAT. AND WE SHOULD BE CLEAR;
THIS WAS THE ONLY AREA THAT AFRICAN AMERICANS COULD LIVE. WE JUST HAVE TO I JUST WANT TO UNDERGIRD THAT THAT
PEOPLE THINK, WELL, THEY STARTED EXPANDING AND SO THEY COULD JUST MOVE OVER TO OAKHURST OR TO WINONA. 
          NO, THEY COULDN'T. IT WAS ILLEGAL FOR THEM TO MOVE OUTSIDE OF THE COMMUNITY OF BEACON
HILL. 
          AND SO THEY WERE IN FACT, THEY WERE LANDLOCKED. 
          AND THEIR LAND AND HOUSES AND BUSINESSES JUST CONTINUE TO BE TAKEN AWAY FROM THEM UNTIL
AGAIN, NOW IT IS JUST A MEMORY. THEY GO IN DEPTH, AND I HAVE THE DOCUMENTS. 
          AND THIS EFFORT OF RESEARCH HAS BEEN A PART BASED ON THE WORK. 
          AGAIN, THE GRANT THAT THAT WE RECEIVED, WE WERE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO ENGAGE COMMUNITY
MEMBERS. 
          AND SO, WE'RE GRATEFUL THAT THAT THAT GRANT,
WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ENGAGE IN COMMUNITY TALKBACKS IN TOWN HALLS. WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET A COMMUNICATIONS EXPERT AROUND THE ISSUE OF REPARATIONS TO
HELP US FRAME IT AS WE GO INTO A COMMUNITY. 
          AS WE ADDRESS OTHER CITIZENS OF DECATUR, WE'VE ALSO BEEN ABLE TO USE THOSE RESOURCES FOR
HISTORIANS TO HELP US UNCOVER AND UNEARTH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK A REPARATIONS TASK FORCE WILL REALLY BE ABLE TO GO
MUCH FURTHER WITH. 
          BUT I DO WANT TO SHARE THE, THE LEGACY AND PUT THIS WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN THE CITY OF
DECATUR INTO SOME, SOME WIDER CONTEXT. THE ISSUE OF REPARATIONS HAS BEEN ONE THAT HAS BEEN FOUGHT BY PEOPLE
OF AFRICAN DESCENT PRIOR TO OUR EMANCIPATION. THERE HAVE BEEN THOSE WHO HAVE CALLED FOR A PAYMENT FOR THEIR
LABOR. 
          TODAY I'M WEARING A SHIRT THAT SAYS MELINDA LIVES THROUGH US,
AND MELINDA IS A NAME THAT WE SHOULD ALL KNOW. 
          MELINDA IS AN AFRICAN WOMAN WHO WAS PUT UP FOR SALE RIGHT WHERE THIS COURTHOUSE IS. 
          HER HUMAN BODY WAS PUT UP FOR SALE NOT ONCE,
IN 1826, BUT THEN AGAIN IN 1827. 
          AND SO IT HELPS CRYSTALLIZE FOR US THAT WE'RE NOT JUST COMING UP TALKING ABOUT MEMORIES,
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HUMAN BEINGS. 
          AND SO, THIS WORK IS IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE WORK OF CALLIE HOUSE,
ISAIAH DICKERSON, QUEEN MOTHER MOORE, AND MARIO BARDELLI AND JERRY AL-GHANI AND SO MANY MORE WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING AROUND
THE ISSUE OF REPARATIONS. 
          OUR CITY WOULD BE FALLING IN LINE WITH OTHER CITIES RIGHT NOW THE CITY OF EVANSTON
PROVIDENCE, 
          [01:05:01]
RHODE ISLAND ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA STATES LIKE CALIFORNIA AND NEW YORK. 
          AND THE WORK THAT THIS TASK FORCE COULD DO TO HELP BRING CLARITY ABOUT THE HARM THAT
PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT HAS SUFFERED IN DECATUR IT DIDN'T IT DIDN'T STOP DURING ENSLAVEMENT. 
          IT DIDN'T STOP DURING THE REDLINING. AND I THINK WE WERE ABLE TO LAY OUT IN THIS
RESOLUTION, KIND OF THE CONTINUATION OF THE SCHOOLS WERE ONCE CONTROLLED BY THE CITY COMMISSION UP
UNTIL THE 80S. 
          SO EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED, ALL OF THE SEGREGATION BOARD OF BOARD OF BROWN VERSUS BOARD
OF EDUCATION, 1954, WHEN DO WE THIS CITY DESEGREGATE? 65, 66,
11 YEARS. RIGHT. AND THESE SCHOOLS WERE UNDERFINANCED. 
          BUT WE HAD SOME INCREDIBLE. BY ALL ACCOUNTS,
INCREDIBLE TEACHERS. 
          AND SO, THIS RESOLUTION IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE HARM. 
          IT'S ALSO ABOUT THE RESILIENCY OF THE MEMBERS AND THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS OF BEACON HILL WHO
HAVE KEPT COMING FORWARD, AND THEY KEEP ANSWERING THE CALL AND KEEP BUILDING COMMUNITY IN SPITE OF ALL OF THE
ATTACKS AGAINST THEIR HUMANITY. 
          AND SO, WITH THAT, I WOULD WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE REGARDING THE
RESOLUTION. 
          AGAIN, IT IS OUR HONOR. IT HAS BEEN COLLECTIVE. 
          WE HAVE INTERVIEWED MANY OF OUR ELDERS, SOME OF WHOM ARE UP IN THEIR 90S NOW JUST TRYING
TO TELL THE STORY AND MAKE SURE THAT THE STORY IS NOT LOST. SO, AGAIN, IT'S AN HONOR. AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR IF THOSE THAT ARE IN SUPPORT,
IF THEY WOULD JUST STAND SO THAT FOLKS COULD SEE THESE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. AND THE FACT THAT I AM PROUD TO BE ABLE TO STAND HERE ON BEHALF
OF OUR CO-CHAIRS, PHIL CUFFEE AND FANTA HIGH, WHO HAVE LED US IN THIS WORK VERY INTENSELY,
AND MAMA NGABANTU AS WELL. 
          ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. I THINK SINCE WE'RE STILL JUST TAKING PUBLIC COMMENT,
YES, WE HAVE QUESTIONS. 
          WE MAY, YOU KNOW, ASK THOSE OF YOU IN A LITTLE WHILE,
BUT WE WILL CONTINUE WITH OTHERS WHO MAY WANT TO COME FORWARD. 
          BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION AND FOR EXPRESSING YOUR SUPPORT. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. 
          GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS PHIL CUFFEE, AND I RESIDE AT 408 ADAMS STREET IN THE CITY OF
DECATUR. 
          AND I'M CO-CHAIR OF THE BEACON HILL BLACK ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. 
          AND THE LAST TIME I SPOKE BEFORE YOU, WE RECEIVED A GRANT,
AND WE'RE THANKFUL FOR THE GRANT THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE CITY OF DECATUR FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONTINUING THE WORK THAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING,
REALLY FOR THE LAST 18 MONTHS, NEARLY TWO YEARS. 
          THE ARCHIVAL RESEARCH WORK. ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY SPEAKING WITH ELDERS. 
          AND I JUST WANTED IN FULL TRANSPARENCY TO GIVE YOU ALL AN ACCOUNT OF THOSE FUNDS,
WHICH I DID EMAIL TO COMMISSIONER MEYER. 
          SO, SHE HAS A RECORD OF IT. BUT JUST TO HIGHLIGHT AND WHAT WE USE THOSE FUNDS FOR,
AND THEY'VE BEEN ABOUT 80% FULLY ALLOCATED WITH SOME BALANCES TO BE PAID FOR THE CONTRACTUAL WORK. 
          AND THOSE DELIVERABLES WILL BE COMING UP SHORTLY. 
          BUT THEY INCLUDE THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS THAT WE HELD AT LILY HILL BAPTIST
CHURCH. 
          AND WE WERE ABLE TO INVITE A LOT OF OUR ELDERS AND INDIVIDUALS WHO COULD RECALL WHAT IT
WAS LIKE LIVING IN BEACON HILL AND GROWING UP IN BEACON HILL. AND THAT WAS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO DO THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. 
          WE ALSO HAD A CONTRACT WITH AN EXPERT IN THE AREA OF COMMUNICATIONS. 
          WE HAVE A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN, AND WE LEARNED OF THIS EXPERT BY ATTENDING A NATIONAL
REPARATIONS CONFERENCE. 
          AND SO, WE WERE ABLE TO HARNESS SOME OF THAT EXPERTISE. 
          WE ALSO HAVE SOME EXPERTS IN THE AREA, INCLUDING PROFESSOR. 
          DOCTOR AKINYELE UMOJA, WHO'S THE CHAIR OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES DEPARTMENT AT
GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY. 
          OF THE NATIONAL COALITION OF BLACKS FOR REPARATIONS IN AMERICA,
ALSO KNOWN AS NCBRA, AND DR. 
          NATSU SATO, WHO IS A PROFESSOR EMERITA AT GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LAW. 
          [01:10:07]
SO, THEIR GUIDANCE WAS REALLY INVALUABLE FOR US IN TERMS OF DOING THIS IMPORTANT WORK. 
          AND WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO HIRE A HISTORICAL DOCUMENTARIAN. 
          SO THAT'S IMPORTANT TO CAPTURE THIS HISTORIC PROCESS SO THAT WE CAN PRESERVE AND SHARE IT, MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS AS WE CONTINUE TO RECOVER AND RETELL THE HISTORY
OF BLACK LIFE IN DECATUR, PARTICULARLY IN IN THE BEACON HILL COMMUNITY,
ALSO HISTORICALLY KNOWN AS THE BOTTOM. 
          SO WE'VE REMAINED COMMITTED TO STEWARDING THESE RESOURCES RESPONSIBLY AND TO WORKING IN
PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY TO MOVE THIS HISTORIC INITIATIVE FORWARD. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TRUST AND SUPPORT. 
          THANK YOU. SO ARE THERE OTHERS WHO ARE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON ANY OF
THE AGENDA ACTION ITEMS? THE RESOLUTION FROM BEACON HILL. BLACK. 
          ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. THE ESTIMATED ROLLBACK MILLAGE. 
          THE DECATUR SQUARE TRANSFORMATION PROJECT, WHICH INCLUDES THE ELECTRICAL SERVICE UPGRADE
AND TRANSFORMER RELOCATION, AND ALSO THE DECATUR SQUARE TRANSFORMATION PROJECT STREETLIGHT REPLACEMENT. 
          SO WE'RE CONTINUING TO TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THOSE ITEMS. HEY, Y'ALL. ANDREW HOLLY. DO I DO THE ADDRESS? 219 BUCHANAN TERRACE. HAPPY TO BE HERE. JUST A BRIEF COMMENT IN FAVOR OF THE RESOLUTION
FOR BEACON HILL. 
          AND I APPRECIATE YOU ALL CONSIDERING. JUST TO SAY,
I THINK THE KIND OF COMMUNITY THAT I KNOW WE'RE ALL AIMING FOR BEGINS WITH THE TRUTH AND THE KIND OF MEANINGFUL TOGETHERNESS. 
          WE DON'T WE DON'T GET THERE IF WE DON'T GET THERE TOGETHER. 
          AND SO, I THINK IT'S I THINK IT'S JUST IMPORTANT THAT WE ACKNOWLEDGE AND WE PREPARE TO
MAKE THE MOVES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT TRUTH AND DO JUSTICE ACCORDING TO THAT TRUTH. SO, THANK YOU. GET YOUR ADDRESS. 219 BUCHANAN TERRACE. 
          OKAY. THANK YOU. RIGHT. SO, APPRECIATE IT. ARE THERE OTHERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A
COMMENT ON ANY AGENDA ACTION ITEM? WE WILL OPEN THIS UP NOW TO THOSE WHO HAVE JOINED US ONLINE. AND THE PROCESS,
WE'LL USE THE SAME PROCESS. 
          WE WILL ASK YOU TO RAISE YOUR VIRTUAL HAND, AND THEN WE WILL UNMUTE YOU AND ASK YOU TO
PLEASE MAKE YOUR COMMENT. BUT IF YOU CAN, LET US KNOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT ON
ANY OF THE AGENDA ACTION ITEMS, NOW IS THE TIME TO DO SO. AND WE'LL GIVE YOU A MINUTE TO RAISE YOUR HAND. 
          I DO SEE ONE HAND RAISED, TWO HANDS. OKAY. I BELIEVE IF MISS ROARK WILL UNMUTE, I BELIEVE ROBIN RUE. SIMMONS. 
          OKAY. SIMMONS, YOU ARE UNMUTED, IF YOU WILL,
PLEASE RESTATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS, AND PLEASE MAKE YOUR COMMENT. 
          GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ROBIN RUE SIMMONS. MY ADDRESS IS 2008 DODGE AVENUE,
EVANSTON, ILLINOIS. 
          I AM HERE IN SUPPORT AND IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE BEACON HILL LEADERS IN THEIR RESOLUTION. 
          I'VE BEEN ABLE TO OBSERVE THEM AS MOVEMENT PARTNERS. 
          OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, I BELIEVE IT'S BEEN IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND EDUCATION,
DEEP RESEARCH. 
          AND THEY HAVE REALLY BEEN LEADERS AND INSPIRATION FOR MANY OTHERS THAT HAVE BEGAN A
PROCESS OF REPAIR. 
          AND SO I'M JUST HERE TO LEND MY SUPPORT. I'M THE FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FIRST
REPAIR. 
          WE'RE A NONPROFIT INFORMING LOCAL REPARATIONS NATIONALLY. 
          I'M AN ART COMMISSIONER, AMONG OTHER THINGS. BUT TONIGHT,
I'M HERE AS A FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE OF BEACON HILL LEADERS, AND I AM ASKING YOUR SUPPORT OF THIS RESOLUTION. 
          THANK YOU. AND I HAVE A TEXT THAT IS ATTEMPTING TO RAISE HIS HAND BUT ISN'T ABLE TO. 
          [01:15:02]
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. NEXT. DORIS. JOHNSON. 
          ALL RIGHT. MISS JOHNSON, IF YOU'LL REPEAT YOUR NAME AND TELL US YOUR ADDRESS,
AND PLEASE MAKE YOUR COMMENT. 
          MY NAME IS DORIS SIMS JOHNSON. MY CURRENT ADDRESS IS 5739 HUNTERS CHASE COURT IN LITHONIA. 
          I'M HERE TODAY JUST TO BRIEFLY SAY THAT I SUPPORT THE RESOLUTION BEING PRESENTED BY THE
BEACON HILL BLACK ALLIANCE. 
          I AM A FORMER RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF DECATUR. 
          BORN AND RAISED. EDUCATED IN DECATUR SCHOOLS PRINCIPALLY NOW THE ORGANIZER OF DECATUR DAY, WHICH WE HAVE COME TO RECOGNIZE AS BEING IN LINE AND IN STEP WITH WHAT THE BLACK ALLIANCE
IS DOING IN TERMS OF DOCUMENTING AND KEEPING ALIVE THE MEMORY OF THE BLACK RESIDENTS AND BLACK LIVES. 
          IN DECATUR, WE CELEBRATE DECATUR DAY EVERY YEAR TO CELEBRATE THE LIFE,
HISTORY AND LEGACY OF BLACK PEOPLE IN DECATUR, MOST OF WHOM WE CALL ELDERS ARE NOW DECEASED. 
          AND AS MY CHILDREN ADVISE ME THESE DAYS, WE ARE THE ELDERS. 
          SO, I SPEAK TO THAT AND WITH LOVE FOR THE CITY OF DECATUR AND JUST THE SUPPORT WE RECEIVED
THROUGHOUT THE YEARS. 
          AND WE STAY ACTIVELY INVOLVED. BUT WHAT THE ALLIANCE IS DOING THESE DAYS IS CERTAINLY IN
LINE AND IN STEP WITH WHAT WE WERE UNABLE TO DO OR COULD NOT DO BECAUSE OF LACK OF RESOURCES OR INGRESS. 
          YOU KNOW, WITH THE CITY AND THE COMMISSION, WHILE WE'VE HAD THAT COOPERATION,
WE'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO ACTUALLY EFFECT A CHANGE. 
          THE ALLIANCE IS IN STEP WITH THAT. I THINK THE RESEARCH AND THE HISTORY THAT THEY'RE
DOING. 
          I'M EVEN LEARNING FROM IT. AND IT IS VITAL AND IMPORTANT THAT IT BE RECORDED AND
DOCUMENTED, DOCUMENTED IN THE CITY'S ANNALS OF HISTORY. THIS IS THE HISTORY THAT LIVES WITHIN US. 
          BUT I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE SHARED WITH OTHERS AND THE NEW GENERATIONS TO
COME. 
          SO, I WOULD JUST SAY TO THE COMMISSION AND THE COMMISSIONERS IN PARTICULAR YOUR SUPPORT
HAS BEEN VITAL. 
          IT'S BEEN GENEROUS. IT'S BEEN GREATLY RECEIVED. 
          AND I JUST TRUST AND HOPE AND PRAY THAT IT CONTINUES IN THE SPIRIT THAT YOU'VE GIVEN IT
BEFORE, AND THAT THE RESOLUTION BEING PRESENTED BY THE ALLIANCE. 
          TODAY IS PASSED AND ACCEPTED. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. NEXT, WE'LL MOVE TO NATSU SAITO. 
          ALL RIGHT. MY NAME IS NATSU SAITO. I'M A FORMER RESIDENT OF DECATUR FOR MANY YEARS. 
          I CURRENTLY LIVE AT 2198 VENETIAN DRIVE. SOUTHWEST IN ATLANTA. 
          I AM ONE OF THE CONSULTANTS THAT PHIL CUFFEY REFERENCED EARLIER,
BUT I WANTED TO SAY THAT NOT ONLY DO I SUPPORT THIS RESOLUTION, BUT THAT I REALLY HAVE COME TO APPRECIATE THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT THE BEACON HILL BLACK
ALLIANCE HAS BEEN DOING AND THAT THE CITY OF DECATUR HAS DONE IN SUPPORTING THEM. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT INITIATIVE. 
          AND I WANT TO SAY THAT I CAME TO THIS WORK BECAUSE I'M JAPANESE AMERICAN,
AND I SAW FIRSTHAND THE IMPORTANCE, THE HEALING POWER THAT REDRESS HAD IN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          AND I WAS QUITE SKEPTICAL ABOUT IT AT FIRST BECAUSE I THOUGHT,
YOU KNOW, THE WRONG WAS DONE, AND THEY KNEW IT WAS WRONG AND WE WEREN'T GOING TO,
YOU KNOW WHAT? WHAT GOOD DID IT DO TO HAVE THIS ACKNOWLEDGMENT AT SO MANY YEARS LATER? BUT I WAS WRONG. IT HAD A HUGE IMPACT ON THE DIGNITY AND THE RECOGNITION OF THE HUMANITY
OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN HARMED. 
          AND WHAT I SEE THROUGH MY WORK IN INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS LAW,
WHICH HAS BEEN THE AREA OF MY STUDY AND SCHOLARSHIP AND TEACHING, IS THAT THESE EFFORTS ARE NOT JUST ABOUT SOME KIND OF CALCULUS LIKE WE THINK OF
IN THE IN LAW OF THERE'S A HARM, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY'S GOT TO PAY FOR IT. IT'S ACTUALLY ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE OF PEOPLE
COMING TOGETHER TO RECOGNIZE COLLECTIVE HISTORIES AND REALITIES AND FOSTERING THE DIGNITY AND THE HUMANITY OF EVERYBODY INVOLVED. 
          AND THIS IS THE WAY WE GET TO HEALING. AND I THINK ALL OF THE UN EXPERIENCE AND
INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS BODIES EXPERIENCE TELLS US 
          [01:20:04]
THAT PAST THE HARMS THAT WE SEE TODAY AND THE TENSIONS AND STRIFE THAT WE OFTEN SEE TODAY
IN MANY PLACES HERE, BUT ALSO AROUND THE WORLD, IS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE HISTORY OF RACISM AND COLONIALISM AND
OTHER HARMS THAT HAVE BEEN LONG STANDING. 
          AND THAT ACKNOWLEDGING THINGS AND BRINGING THESE FORWARD IS THE PATH TO ACTUALLY RESOLVING
MANY OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE FACE TODAY. 
          AND I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE HOW THOUGHTFULLY THAT'S BEING DONE BY THE BEACON HILL BLACK. 
          ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND. REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL TAKING THE TIME AND THE
CONSIDERATION TO REALLY THINK ABOUT AND HOPEFULLY SUPPORT THIS RESOLUTION. 
          THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. NEXT MARCUS COLEMAN. 
          YES. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS MARCUS COLEMAN. I RESIDE IN SOUTH FULTON,
GEORGIA. 
          I HAPPEN TO BE THE FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE FULTON COUNTY REPARATIONS TASK FORCE WHO WORKED
WITH COMMISSIONER MARVIN ARRINGTON, JR. TO ERECT THE FIRST COUNTY TASK FORCE IN THE COUNTRY. 
          WE'VE EXISTED SINCE 2021. THERE ARE A LOT OF COMRADES AND FRIENDS IN THAT ROOM THAT HAVE
ASSISTED IN SO MANY WAYS. 
          IT'S BEEN SPOKEN ABOUT PRIOR TO ME. I ALSO HAVE TO ECHO THE SPIRIT THAT THE CITY HAS HAD I MEAN, WITH THE REMOVING OF HATEFUL STATUES AND JOINING OTHER CITIES IN THE NATION TO
LEAD THE WAY TO TRY TO HELP SOLVE RACE RELATIONS. 
          BUT A YES VOTE IS SO NECESSARY BECAUSE IF YOU IF REMOVING THE STATUE IS ONE THING. 
          BUT WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE STATUTES, WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE INK THAT EXISTS IN THESE VARIOUS
LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT. 
          SO AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO CALL IN AND SUPPORT THIS RESOLUTION. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT EASY WORK. AND THERE'S A,
THERE'S A HELL OF A TEAM THAT'S BEEN ASSIMILATED THERE. 
          SO, I THINK IT WOULD DO NOTHING BUT BENEFIT THAT AREA. 
          AND ALSO, IT WILL BENEFIT THE STATE AND OVERALL BENEFIT THE NATION. 
          GREAT. THANK YOU. NEXT KIERRA ABRAMS. I THINK ALL RIGHT, IF YOU WILL REPEAT YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS,
AND PLEASE MAKE YOUR COMMENT. 
          MY NAME IS BEATRICE BOYCE. MY ADDRESS IS 3420 WEST 13TH PLACE. 
          I'M FROM CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. I AM THE PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD COMMUNITY REPARATIONS
COMMISSION HERE IN CHICAGO. 
          AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SHOW AND EXTEND MY SUPPORT TO THE BEACON HILL BLACK ALLIANCE. 
          MANY OF YOU MAY NOT KNOW, BUT CHICAGO JUST ANNOUNCED IS ORGANIZING EFFORTS TO BRING FORTH
A TASK FORCE IN CHICAGO THIS YEAR, EVEN THOUGH WE'VE BEEN FIGHTING THIS SINCE 2019. 
          AND TO SEE THAT DECATUR IS PUSHING THE RESOLUTION FORWARD SO THAT THIS TOO CAN HAPPEN IN
DECATUR, WE'RE HERE IN STRONG SUPPORT, UNDERSTANDING THAT IT'S LOCAL REPARATIONS THAT'S SPARKING A
NATIONAL MOVEMENT. 
          AND SO MY CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ORGANIZATION THAT'S PUSHING THIS FORWARD AND IN HOPES
THAT THE RESOLUTION WILL GET SUPPORTED TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I THINK I JUST YES. 
          YES. THAT WAS THAT WAS GOOD. OKAY. WHEN I'M IN DECATUR,
I RESIDE AT 206 FAYETTEVILLE ROAD. I WOULD LIKE TO GROUND MY COMMENTS. FIRST,
AND BUILDING ON THE OPENING THAT BROTHER [INAUDIBLE] IN TERMS OF HONORING OUR ANCESTORS. 
          SO DEFINITELY WANT TO HONOR SISTER MELINDA, AS WELL AS THOSE ANCESTORS WHO CARRIED THE
REPARATIONS BATON LOCALLY IN THE METROPOLITAN AREA OF ATLANTA. 
          THAT WOULD BE MY COMRADE, MOTHER. IN JERRY AL-GHANI,
BABA SULEIMAN, MAHDI AL-FULANI, SUNNI ALI BABA, OBADELE WILLIAMS, BABA ALVIN DOLLAH AND OTHERS. 
          I WANTED TO ALSO OPEN WITH A QUOTE THIS AND THIS COMES FROM CSI,
AND I THINK CSI IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT NOT ONLY WERE HARMS DONE, BUT CRIMES WERE COMMITTED,
AND THE HARMS ARE A RESULT OF THE CRIMES. 
          SO, THE QUOTE IS TRUTH IS A MORAL COMPASS CAN ONLY POINT YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. 
          [01:25:03]
IT CAN'T MAKE YOU GO THERE. AND THAT'S BY THE CHARACTER GIL GRISSOM ON CSI. 
          SO, I SERVE CURRENTLY SERVE VARIOUS POSITIONS IN THE REPARATIONS MOVEMENT. 
          I'VE BEEN VERY ACTIVE WITHIN COBRA, THE NATIONAL COALITION OF BLACKS FOR REPARATIONS IN
AMERICA. 
          I CURRENTLY SERVE AS THE. I'VE HELD VARIOUS LEADERSHIP POSITIONS IN THAT ORGANIZATION. 
          I'VE ALSO CURRENTLY SERVES AS THE SENIOR ADVISOR TO FIRST REPAIR,
WHICH YOU HEARD ROBIN SIMMONS SPEAK EARLIER ABOUT, AND AS WELL AS THE SOUTH REGION COORDINATOR. AND I'VE ALSO BEEN AN ADVISOR TO MOVEMENT FOR
BLACK LIVES, AS WELL AS THE GREATER ATLANTA REPARATIONS COLLECTIVE AND VARIOUS OTHER GROUPS AROUND
REPARATIONS. 
          I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE COURAGE OF YOUR CITY OF DECATUR COMMISSIONER LISA MEYER,
FOR BEING ABLE TO FOR BRINGING FORWARD THIS RESOLUTION ON BEHALF OF BEACON HILL. AND I ALSO WANT TO SALUTE AND HONOR THE GREAT WORK OF THE BEACON
HILL BLACK ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND ABANTU BROTHER MALI PHONTE, BILL CUFFEE, AND MANY OTHERS. AS I SAID EARLIER OR ALLUDED TO EARLIER,
DECATUR IS A CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION, AND YOU WILL SEE IN THE RESOLUTION THAT WE HAVE METICULOUSLY THE RESEARCH
AND DOUBLE CHECK AND FACT CHECK FOR ACCURACY. THE CASE AND STORIES OF WHAT HAPPENED IN DECATUR AND WHAT EVEN CONTINUES TO
HAPPEN. 
          AND SO, AS WE HAVE DONE THAT, WE ALSO WILL SWITCH TO MY NOW SWITCH,
MY METAPHOR TO TALKING ABOUT MEDICINE, BECAUSE ONCE WE DETERMINE WHAT THE SYMPTOMS ARE,
THEN A DIAGNOSIS IS GIVEN. 
          AND EVEN BEFORE DIAGNOSIS IS GIVEN, MANY, MANY MORE QUESTIONS ARE ASKED TO DETERMINE THE
TREATMENT. 
          AND ONCE THE TREATMENT IS DETERMINED, IT'S USUALLY VARIOUS TREATMENT OPTIONS. 
          BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT IF WE DON'T FOLLOW ANY TREATMENT,
WE USUALLY, WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENS. 
          USUALLY THINGS GET WORSE, SOMETIMES FAR WORSE. 
          AND WE DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN IN THE CITY OF DECATUR. 
          SO, WE BELIEVE AT THE CITY OF DECATUR WILL HONOR THE TREATMENT OR HONOR AND IMPLEMENT THE
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THIS REPARATIONS TASK FORCE THAT WILL BE VOTED ON TODAY. 
          THIS IS AN IMPORTANT HISTORICAL POINT IN THE STORY OF DECATUR AND THE STORY OF AFRICAN
LIVES IN DECATUR, AND I'M GLAD TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A COMMENT ON THIS DAY TO SHOW MY SUPPORT FOR THIS
RESOLUTION. 
          AND I'LL CLOSE OUT WITH THE WORDS FROM GARY HINES,
THE SOUNDS OF BLACKNESS. 
          IT'S TIME FOR REPARATIONS RIGHT NOW. TIME FOR REPARATIONS RIGHT NOW. 
          IT'S TIME FOR REPARATIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. 
          I BELIEVE WE HAVE KIRA ABRAMS. I BELIEVE IT MAY BE SOMEONE ELSE. 
          I BELIEVE MAYBE ON THE SAME, HAVE THE SAME NAME,
BUT MAYBE A DIFFERENT PERSON. 
          SO, I THINK IF WE CAN UNMUTE MISS ABRAMS, WE'LL. 
          MISS ROARK, HAVE WE. TRIED. OKAY. IT MAY BE THE SAME PERSON. 
          OKAY. WHEN? SINCE SHE DIDN'T STATE THAT AS HER NAME,
I THOUGHT I WOULD ASK AND MAKE SURE. 
          SO, JEFFREY EDISON. WE WILL UNMUTE YOU. PLEASE MAKE YOUR STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS,
AND PLEASE MAKE YOUR COMMENT. 
          YES. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS JEFFREY EDISON,
AND I HAVE COME VIRTUALLY IN SUPPORT OF THE BEACON HILL BLACK. ALLIANCE LIONS RESOLUTION WITH THE CITY OF DECATUR. 
          I AM WITH THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF BLACK LAWYERS AND SPECIFICALLY THE NATIONAL
CONFERENCE OF BLACK LAWYERS, MICHIGAN CHAPTER HERE IN DETROIT. WE HAVE A REPARATIONS TASK FORCE THAT IS THIS SUMMER WILL BE ISSUING ITS FINAL REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL OF
DETROIT. 
          AS EVERYONE HAS EXPRESSED THE IMPORTANCE AND NECESSITY OF REPARATIONS,
IT'S NOT JUST A LOCAL MATTER TO THE AFRICAN COMMUNITY IN DECATUR BUT CERTAINLY ISSUES OF AFRICAN PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT THROUGHOUT
THIS COUNTRY AND INTERNATIONALLY. 
          [01:30:11]
AND SO WE JUST, FOR THE RECORD, WANT TO EXPRESS OUR SUPPORT FOR THE AFRICAN COMMUNITY
THERE IN DECATUR AND THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF GEORGIA, AND ITS EFFORTS TO BRING FORTH THE CALL FOR REPARATIONS OF THE ANCESTORS
THAT HAVE BEEN CALLED OUT AND THOSE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN CALLED OUT PREVIOUSLY. 
          SHOULD ALSO BE NOTED THAT THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF BLACK LAWYERS WAS ONE OF THE FOUNDING
ORGANIZATIONS OF NCBRA. 
          AND SO WE OUR WORK CONTINUES AND WE SALUTE THE ORGANIZED EFFORT OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE CITY COUNCIL OR CITY COMMISSION OF THE DECATUR FOR ALLOWING THIS
RESOLUTION TO BE CONSIDERED. AND WE CERTAINLY URGE THE PASSING OF THIS VERY IMPORTANT RESOLUTION IN THE
SPIRIT OF NOT ONLY THE ANCESTOR AFRICAN ANCESTORS, BUT ALSO THE AFRICANS THAT ARE LIVE NOW,
AND THE DESCENDANTS OF AFRICANS AND THE BROADER COMMUNITY FOR EVERYONE WHO ARE YET TO LIVE. SO, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. 
          AND THANK YOU TO THE COMMUNITY IN DECATUR, GEORGIA. 
          MR. EDISON, COULD YOU PROVIDE US WITH YOUR ADDRESS,
PLEASE? YES, MY ADDRESS IS 3434 RUSSELL STREET, SUITE 104, DETROIT, MICHIGAN, 48207. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND THANK YOU. 
          I BELIEVE WE HAVE CALLED ON EVERYONE WHO HAS RAISED THEIR HAND ONLINE. ARE YOU SEEING ANYONE ELSE? FINALLY DID UNMUTE. 
          SO, WE'LL ASK AGAIN. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. YOU ARE,
WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM MISS ABRAMS, I BELIEVE IS A DIFFERENT PERSON. 
          IS THAT CORRECT? CAM. HOWARD. OKAY. THANK YOU. 
          YES. MY NAME IS CAM HOWARD. I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF REPARATIONS UNITED. 
          PAST THREE TIME ELECTED MALE CO-CHAIR OF THE NATIONAL COALITION OF BLACK REPARATIONS IN
AMERICA, A COMMISSION OF THE NATIONAL AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMISSION,
AND CO-CONVENER OF THE GLOBAL CIRCLE FOR REPARATIONS AND HEALING. 
          I STAYED ALL THAT TO SAY THAT WE ARE TAKING PART IN WITNESSING AND CERTAINLY YOU THERE IN
DECATUR ALSO TAKING PART IN A GLOBAL RECKONING FOR JUSTICE. THE ACTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN THAT WE'RE HERE TO DISCUSS,
THAT WE'RE HERE TO BEGIN TO TALK ABOUT A TASK FORCE TO ADDRESS HAS CREATED A WORLD WHERE CERTAIN PEOPLE,
AS A RESULT OF PAST ACTIONS, LIVE A LIFE OF PROSPERITY, AND OTHER PEOPLE LIVE A LIFE OF SUFFERING AS A RESULT OF THOSE
ACTIONS. 
          AND RIGHT NOW, THE WORLD IS RECKONING THE GLOBAL AS A GLOBAL PROCESS OF RECKONING RIGHT
NOW. 
          AND CERTAINLY WE APPLAUD YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE CONTINUING IN THAT PROCESS. 
          WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU DELIVERED A GRANT TO START THE INITIAL INVESTIGATION OF WHAT TOOK
PLACE IN DECATUR, GEORGIA, AND THAT IS APPLAUDED. BUT THE CONTINUATION OF OF YOUR WORK WILL BE THE
PASSAGE OF THIS RESOLUTION TO ESTABLISH A REPARATIONS TASK FORCE. 
          NOT ONLY IS THIS HAPPENING GLOBALLY, BUT IT'S HAPPENING IN THE UNITED STATES. 
          THE THREE LARGEST CITIES IN AMERICA, NEW YORK,
LOS ANGELES, CHICAGO HAVE ALL ESTABLISHED REPARATIONS COMMISSIONS. 
          AND THE STATES WHERE THOSE CITIES EXIST HAVE ALL ESTABLISHED STATE REPARATIONS
COMMISSIONS. 
          ILLINOIS, NEW YORK AND CALIFORNIA. WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING IS ALSO TAKING PART IN THIS
HISTORICAL REWRITING OF PAST HARMFUL ACTS THAT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO A LIFE OF SUFFERING FOR MANY,
MANY PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY AND THERE IN DECATUR, GEORGIA. HISTORY IS ASKING YOU TO MAKE A DECISION,
AND WE HOPE THAT IT WOULD BE THE RIGHT DECISION THAT YOU MAKE IN ESTABLISHING THIS TASK FORCE. 
          WE UNDERSTAND BY ONE OF THE EARLIER SPEAKERS THAT IT TOOK 11 YEARS FOR DECATUR TO
DESEGREGATE SCHOOLS AFTER THE 
          [01:35:09]
1954 BROWN VERSUS BOARD OF SEGREGATION DECISION. 
          SOME CITIES IT TOOK UNTIL THE 1970S. SO THAT WAS NOT UNUSUAL FOR THAT PARTICULAR TIME. 
          BUT IN 2000, EVANSTON BOLDLY ESTABLISHED A REPARATIONS COMMISSION AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. 
          WE'RE FIVE YEARS OUT, AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DECATUR TO ACT RIGHT NOW,
AS MANY OTHER CITIES AND STATES HAVE DONE, NOT WAIT 11 YEARS, BUT DO SO NOW AND BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY. 
          WE FULLY IMPLORE YOU TO VOTE YES FOR A REPARATIONS COMMISSION IN THE CITY OF DECATUR AND JOIN US, ALL OF US AROUND THE AROUND THE GLOBE WHO ARE PUSHING FOR REDRESS,
REPAIR AND JUSTICE FOR THE HARMFUL ACTS THAT HAVE BEEN COMMITTED, AND THAT WE KNOW FROM STUDY AFTER STUDY NOT
ONLY BENEFIT THE BLACK COMMUNITY, IT'LL BENEFIT, ACCORDING TO CITIGROUP. CITIGROUP BANK,
THE LARGEST BANK AND ONE OF THE LARGEST GLOBAL BANKS, THAT IT WILL BENEFIT ALL AMERICANS. IF WE WERE TO PAY BLACK REPARATIONS OR WE WOULD ENGAGE
THE REPARATIONS PROCESS WITH ALL, IT WOULD BENEFIT ALL AMERICANS AND CERTAINLY BENEFIT ALL THE PEOPLE OF DECATUR,
GEORGIA. 
          IF YOU WERE TO VOTE YES FOR THIS, AND WE FULLY SUPPORT THE EFFORTS AND WE ASK YOU TO VOTE
YES. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COULD YOU ALSO PROVIDE YOUR ADDRESS? I AM SO SORRY. YES, I'M 48 SOUTH CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. 
          GREAT. THANK YOU. WE HAVE, I BELIEVE, HEARD FROM EVERYONE. 
          TYPICALLY WE WITH PUBLIC COMMENT, WE DON'T GO BACK AND HAVE REPEATED COMMENTS BY FOLKS
THAT ARE COMMENTING. SO I THINK WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HEAR FROM EVERYONE THAT HAD THEIR HAND RAISED
AND HAS BEEN CALLED ON. AND I THINK IF THERE ARE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS THAT PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE
FEEL FREE TO CONTACT US AT SOME POINT. BUT WE, I THINK, HAVE RECOGNIZED EVERYONE WHO WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT ON
AGENDA ACTION ITEMS FOR THIS PARTICULAR MEETING, UNLESS I SEE A DIFFERENT HAND GO UP,
THEN WE WILL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AND I WOULD INVITE MISS JOHNSON. THERE'S SOMEONE WHO ARRIVED A LITTLE LATE. 
          ONE MINUTE I WILL INVITE MISS JOHNSON IF SHE HAS ADDITIONAL COMMENTS TO PLEASE SEND THOSE
TO US SINCE WE DID RECOGNIZE HER. 
          WE DO HAVE ONE ADDITIONAL PERSON IN THE ROOM WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT WHO HAS
NOT SPOKEN, SO PLEASE WELCOME. HELLO AND THANK YOU. I HAD A LITTLE STAGE FRIGHT EARLIER,
SO. 
          GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS NANCY MARION. 
          I LIVE AT 1425 OAK VIEW ROAD. I PURCHASED MY HOUSE FROM MISS LOUISE JACKSON BACK IN 2021. 
          AND I AM A VERY PROUD MEMBER OF THIS COMMUNITY. 
          VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE. I WANTED TO SPEAK OUT FOR TWO REASONS. 
          FIRST OF ALL, I ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT THE WORK OF THE BEACON HILLS BLACK ALLIANCE. 
          NOT OFFICIAL MEMBER, BUT I'VE BEEN FAMILIAR WITH PHIL SINCE PROBABLY THE DAY I MOVED IN
AND HAVE, YOU KNOW, ATTENDED A COUPLE OF THEIR MEETINGS. 
          BUT FOR SURE, I CAME TONIGHT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE RESOLUTION AND HAVE BEEN IMPRESSED
WITH EVERYTHING THAT I'VE HEARD, AND I THINK THAT I WANTED TO JUST SHOW SUPPORT AS A RECENT MEMBER OF THIS COMMUNITY. 
          NUMBER TWO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S JUST BEEN PRESSING ON MY MIND IS THE REVITALIZATION
OF DECATUR SQUARE. 
          I AM WANTING TO REQUEST THAT THIS COMMISSION CONSIDER ADDING THE REVITALIZATION OF THE
BLACK LIVES MATTER MURAL THAT'S OUTSIDE OF DECATUR HIGH SCHOOL. IT'S FADED ALMOST TO THE POINT THAT YOU CAN'T
REALLY SEE WHAT IT SAYS ANYMORE. 
          AND I LOVE THAT MURAL. SO I KNOW THAT A LOT OF MY NEIGHBORS ALSO FEEL A POINT OF PRIDE
THAT WE HAVE THAT MURAL. 
          AND IN CONSIDERATION OF WHAT'S HAPPENED TO OTHER MURALS AROUND THE COUNTRY,
I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE COULD JUST RESTORE THE BEAUTIFUL YOU KNOW, COMMITMENT TO BLACK LIVES IN DOWNTOWN DECATUR. 
          [01:40:07]
THAT'S IT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. YOU'RE WELCOME. 
          ALL RIGHT. WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION OF THE MEETING FOR AGENDA ACTION
ITEMS. 
          [V.A. Resolution from Beacon Hill Black Alliance for Human Rights.]
AND WE WILL MOVE TO AGENDA ACTION ITEM A, THE RESOLUTION FROM THE FROM BEACON HILL BLACK
ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. AND I WOULD LIKE TO TURN IT OVER NOW TO COMMISSIONER MEYER FRANK. 
          THANK YOU MAYOR. I'M GOING TO TAKE A DEEP BREATH,
BECAUSE I DON'T USUALLY GET TO DO SOMETHING THIS IMPORTANT AND IMPACTFUL. 
          AND SO I RECOGNIZE THAT WHAT I AM ABOUT TO INTRODUCE TO YOU IS INCREDIBLY MEANINGFUL FOR A
NUMBER OF REASONS. 
          I'D LIKE TO KIND OF GIVE SOME INSIGHT AS TO HOW THIS WORKS STARTED,
IF I MAY, AND IT STARTED ACTUALLY WITH A WHAT I NOW REALIZE TO BE WELL COORDINATED DINNER PARTY WITH SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THIS ROOM TO GIVE
ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET THEN ALDERWOMAN ROBIN RUE SIMMONS. 
          SHE ASKED ME VERY DIRECTLY, ARE YOU PLANNING ON ANY REPARATIONS WORK IN DECATUR? AND I SAID, ACTUALLY, NO, I'M FOCUSED ON HOUSING. 
          HOUSING IS MY PRIORITY. I DON'T BELIEVE I HAVE THE BANDWIDTH TO TAKE ON THAT AND
REPARATIONS. 
          AND IT'S QUITE FUNNY BECAUSE IT ONLY TOOK MAYBE 1 OR 2 CONVERSATIONS WITH MAYOR EMERITA
ELIZABETH WILSON AND DORIS SIMS JOHNSON TO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF DOCUMENTING NOT ONLY THE HISTORY,
BUT HEARING THE STORIES AND THE EXPERIENCE AND DIRECTLY ASSOCIATING THAT WITH HARM. 
          NOT LONG AFTER THAT, I ASKED FOR MORE INFORMATION,
AND A GENTLEMAN IN THIS ROOM BROUGHT ME THIS BOOK THAT I THINK MANY OF YOU OVER THERE WILL RECOGNIZE. AND IT WAS VERY INSIGHTFUL. THIS IS THE NATIONAL REPARATIONS DECLARATION,
AND IT GAVE ME A FRAMEWORK TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE WHAT THE WORK IS AND WHAT THE END INTENT IS BEHIND THE WORK THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE
DOING IN THESE COMMUNITIES. 
          AND I HAVE TO CORRECT MY FRIEND PHIL CUFFEE RESEARCH FOR THIS EFFORT STARTED IN 2021. 
          SO HERE WE ARE ALMOST FIVE YEARS LATER WITH A RESOLUTION THAT I WOULD LIKE TO BRING
FORWARD TO YOU TODAY IN THE HOPES THAT WE WILL ADOPT IT, TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE HARMS THAT ARE DOCUMENTED IN THE RESOLUTION,
AND TO CREATE A TASK FORCE TO CONTINUE THE RESEARCH AND TO ALLOW THAT TASK FORCE TO GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO US. 
          WHAT I AM ABOUT TO READ TO YOU CONTAINS SOME VERY DIFFICULT TRUTHS,
VERY PAINFUL TRUTHS. 
          THEY ARE VERY HARD TO HEAR. THEY WILL BE VERY HARD TO READ. 
          I KNOW THAT WE HAVE SOME YOUNG FOLKS IN THE ROOM TODAY,
SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I SHARED THAT SO THAT YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, IF YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH STAYING AND HEARING IT WOULD BE MY HONOR. 
          ALL RIGHT. THIS THIS RESOLUTION IS AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN AS THE MELINDA RESOLUTION. 
          AND IT IS MY GREAT HONOR TO PRESENT IT TO YOU TODAY. 
          THIS IS RESOLUTION R-25-XX, A RESOLUTION ACKNOWLEDGING THE HISTORICAL CRIMES AND ONGOING
INJURIES INFLICTED UPON BLACK RESIDENTS OF DECATUR, GEORGIA, AND ESTABLISHING A REPARATIONS TASK FORCE TO STUDY AND DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR REDRESS. 
          WHEREAS THE CITY OF DECATUR'S 2020 STRATEGIC PLAN DESTINATION 2030,
WHICH WAS ADOPTED BY THE CITY COMMISSION IN OCTOBER 2021, STATES THAT BLACK PEOPLE IN DECATUR HAVE BEEN UNJUSTLY ENSLAVED,
SEGREGATED, INCARCERATED, DENIED HOUSING, DISPLACED, WHILE ALSO FACING REDLINING,
BLOCKBUSTING, AND GENTRIFICATION. 
          AND WHEREAS, THE STRATEGIC PLAN RECOMMENDS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A COMMUNITY DIRECTED
REPARATIONS TASK FORCE TO DOCUMENT THE CITY'S ROLE IN THESE INJUSTICES AND ADDRESS REPARATIONS. AND WHEREAS, AS IT'S MARCH 4TH,
2024, REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING IN RESPONSE TO A REQUEST FROM THE BEACON HILL BLACK ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS REPARATIONS COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS THE CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF DECATUR, GEORGIA, UNANIMOUSLY AUTHORIZED A CONTRACT FOR SERVICES WITH THE BEACON HILL BLACK
ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS FOR REPARATIONS RESEARCH WORK. 
          THE RESULTS OF WHICH ARE INCLUDED BELOW. AND WHEREAS,
THE HISTORICAL RESEARCH NECESSARY TO UNCOVER THE LEGACY OF RACIAL HARM IN THE CITY OF DECATUR WAS MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE DEDICATED WORK OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS,
STUDENT RESEARCHERS FROM GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY'S AFRICANA STUDIES DEPARTMENT AND 
          [01:45:09]
COLLEGE OF LAW, ORGANIZED AND TRAINED BY DOCTOR AKINYELE UMOJA AND PROFESSOR NATSU SAITO,
RESPECTIVELY. 
          DECATUR HIGH SCHOOL'S BLACK STUDENT UNION AND ORGANIZING PARTNERS WHO ACCESS THE CITY
ARCHIVES AND REVIEWED HISTORICAL EVIDENCE. 
          AND THIS EFFORT WAS FACILITATED IN COLLABORATION WITH CITY COMMISSIONER LISA MEYER AND THE
REPARATIONS COMMITTEE OF THE BEACON HILL BLACK ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. 
          AND WHEREAS, THE BEACON HILL BLACK ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZED A SERIES OF
COMMUNITY GATHERINGS AND LISTENING SESSIONS AT LILY HILL BAPTIST CHURCH TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM HISTORIC RESIDENTS OF THE BEACON HILL COMMUNITY. 
          NOW, ELDERS WHO LIVED THROUGH PERIODS OF SEGREGATION,
DISPLACEMENT AND TRANSFORMATION, CREATING A SACRED SPACE FOR SHARED MEMORY, HEALING AND TRUTH TELLING ROOTED IN BLACK RESILIENCE AND LIVED EXPERIENCE. 
          AND WHEREAS THIS COLLECTIVE ENDEAVOR WAS SUPPORTED BY THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DECATUR
PEOPLE'S HISTORY, A RETELLING OF THE CITY'S PAST THROUGH THE LIVED EXPERIENCES AND LENS OF THOSE WHO HAD
BEEN SYSTEMATICALLY OPPRESSED IN DECATUR AS PART OF A PUBLIC EDUCATION INITIATIVE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE CRITICAL CONTEXT TO THE CITY OF DECATUR'S 200TH
BIRTHDAY COMMEMORATION. 
          AND THIS INITIATIVE WAS COORDINATED BY THE DECOLONIZE DECATUR COMMITTEE OF THE BEACON HILL
BLACK ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, WITH ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEWS AND HISTORICAL RECORDS FROM BEACON HILL ELDERS FACILITATED BY
MAYOR EMERITA ELIZABETH WILSON AND EXTENSIVE RESEARCH CONTRIBUTED BY DECATUR HISTORIAN AND DECATUR HISTORY.COM CREATOR LORRELL WILSON. 
          AND WHEREAS, THE LAND THAT ENCOMPASSES PRESENT DAY DECATUR,
GEORGIA, WAS ORIGINALLY INHABITED BY THE MUSCOGEE CREEK NATION, WHO WERE FORCIBLY REMOVED IN THE 1830S. SUBSEQUENTLY,
THIS LAND WAS CULTIVATED THROUGH THE LABOR OF ENSLAVED AFRICANS. 
          WE GOT YOU. TAKE YOUR TIME. WHEREAS FROM THE CITY'S FOUNDING IN THE 1820S THROUGH THE
CIVIL WAR, DECATUR'S ECONOMY AND PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE RELIED ON THE LABOR OF ENSLAVED
AFRICANS WHOSE UNPAID WORK BUILT ROADS, CLEARED LAND, MAINTAINED HOMES AND SUPPORTED WHITE PROSPERITY. 
          WHEREAS THE DEKALB COUNTY COURTHOUSE THAT NOW SERVES AS THE DEKALB HISTORY CENTER IN THE
CITY OF DECATUR IS A LATER VERSION OF THE FIRST WOODEN COURTHOUSE, BUILT IN 1823, 23 IS WHERE HUMAN TRAFFICKING OF ENSLAVED AFRICANS OCCURRED ON THE FIRST
TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH. 
          ALL PUBLIC SALES AND AUCTIONS TOOK PLACE, INCLUDING HUMAN BEINGS,
AND WHEREAS THE YOUNGEST PERSON SOLD WAS A MERE 20 DAYS OLD. 
          BETWEEN 1831 AND 1863, NEARLY 500 ENSLAVED AFRICANS WERE SOLD ON THE STEPS OF THE
COURTHOUSE. 
          FORGIVE ME. I'M LOOKING FOR MY TISSUES. 
          THERE WE ARE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. WHEREAS THE FIRST RECORDED AFRICAN IN DECATUR, GEORGIA, WAS AN ENSLAVED WOMAN NAMED MELINDA WHO WAS OFFERED FOR SALE AT THE COURTHOUSE IN
MARCH OF 1826 AND AGAIN IN SEPTEMBER OF 1827 FOR THE DEBTS OF HER ENSLAVER. AND WHEREAS THE REMAINS OF SOME FORMERLY ENSLAVED
PERSONS, INCLUDING HENRY OLIVER, A BLACKSMITH AND OWNER OF DECATUR'S FIRST BLACK BUSINESS,
AND SALLIE THOMAS DURHAM AND HER HUSBAND SYLVESTER DURHAM, WERE AMONG THE 900 PEOPLE BURIED IN SECTION SIX OF THE DECATUR CEMETERY,
A SEGREGATED BURIAL GROUND THAT OFFERED NO FORMAL RECOGNITION OF LIFE OR DEATH. THEIR NAMES PRESERVED ONLY THROUGH LOCAL BLACK GENEALOGICAL MEMORY AND THE WORK OF
THE FRIENDS OF THE DECATUR CEMETERY. 
          WHEREAS IN DECATUR, NEWLY EMANCIPATED AFRICAN AMERICANS SETTLED IN WHAT WAS KNOWN AS THE
BOTTOM, THIS SQUARE MILE BECAME THE SITE OF A THRIVING AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY OF HOMES,
BUSINESSES, CHURCHES, AND SCHOOLS. BY THE EARLY PART OF THE 20TH CENTURY,
THE AREA BECAME KNOWN AS BEACON HILL OR JUST BEACON. 
          ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, AFRICAN AMERICANS IN DECATUR BEGAN EMPOWERING
THEMSELVES THROUGH COMMUNITY ORGANIZING AND INSTITUTION BUILDING. 
          AND WHEREAS, IN 1882, JETHRO BROOKS, A RESIDENT OF DECATUR WHO WAS EMANCIPATED IN HIS
EARLY 20S FROM ENSLAVEMENT, WAS AMONG EIGHT BLACK DELEGATES FROM DEKALB COUNTY TO THE GEORGIA REPUBLICAN CONVENTION,
HIGHLIGHTING THE POLITICAL ACTIVISM AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF BLACK RESIDENTS TO THE BROADER 
          [01:50:08]
STRUGGLE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS. AND WHEREAS, IN THE BEACON HILL COMMUNITY,
THERE WERE AT LEAST EIGHT CHURCHES, ALL WITHIN FOUR BLOCKS OF EACH OTHER. THESE SERVED AS THE BACKBONE OF THE COMMUNITY AND
INCLUDED ANTIOCH AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, AN APOSTOLIC HOLINESS CHURCH, FAITH TABERNACLE BAPTIST CHURCH,
LILY HILL BAPTIST CHURCH, MOUNT ZION BAPTIST CHURCH, THIRKIELD METHODIST CHURCH, TRINITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH,
AND THANKFUL BAPTIST CHURCH. 
          AND WHEREAS THE ANTIOCH AME CHURCH WAS FOUNDED IN 1868,
IN THE HOME OF A FORMERLY ENSLAVED DECATUR RESIDENT, AUSTIN BRATCHER, AND HIS WIFE, LOUISE MCCOY BRATCHER. 
          ANTIOCH A.M.E. CHURCH WAS MORE THAN A RELIGIOUS INSTITUTION FOR THE COMMUNITY OF FORMERLY
ENSLAVED AFRICANS. 
          IT HOUSED THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL, SOCIAL EVENTS,
POLITICAL GATHERINGS, BENEVOLENT AND FRATERNAL SOCIETIES, AND WAS A CENTRAL COMPONENT IN THE FORMATION OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY'S CONCEPTION OF
FREEDOM. 
          27 SEGREGATION RELATED LAWS PASSED IN GEORGIA BETWEEN 1865 AND 1958 WERE DESIGNED TO
REPLICATE SLAVERY IN SPITE OF THE 13TH AMENDMENT, EFFECTIVELY STRIPPING BLACK CITIZENS OF CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS,
SUPPRESSING THEIR VOTE, AND SUPPORTING CONVICT LABOR. 
          AND WHEREAS, AFTER THE ABOLITION OF SLAVERY,
THE CITY OF DECATUR CONTINUED THE SUBJUGATION OF BLACK MEN AND BOYS, DISPROPORTIONATELY ARRESTING THEM UNDER VAGRANCY AND OTHER FRIVOLOUS LAWS,
FORCING THEM TO BUILD CITY INFRASTRUCTURE PURSUANT TO CRIMINAL SENTENCES. 
          AND WHEREAS AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, MARY GAY, A PROMINENT RESIDENT OF DECATUR,
WAS ACTIVE IN THE WORK TO PRESERVE CONFEDERATE BATTLEFIELDS, RAISE MONEY FOR MONUMENTS AND CEMETERIES, AND HELPED ORGANIZE A LOCAL CHAPTER OF THE
UNITED DAUGHTERS OF THE CONFEDERACY AND THE JUNIOR LEAGUE OF DEKALB COUNTY CURRENTLY OPERATES WHAT WAS PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS THE MARY GAY HOUSE. 
          AND WHEREAS, AGNES SCOTT COLLEGE, LOCATED IN THE CITY OF DECATUR,
WAS FUNDED BY A FLORIDA PLANTATION OWNER AND OWNER OF ENSLAVED PERSONS. 
          LIEUTENANT COLONEL GEORGE WASHINGTON SCOTT, NAMED AFTER SCOTT'S MOTHER AGNES SCOTT,
WAS ORGANIZED IN 1889 BY MEMBERS OF DECATUR PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, AND THE SCHOOL'S ORIGINAL MASCOT WAS A CARICATURE OF AN AFRICAN WOMAN,
HOTTENTOT. 
          AND WHEREAS IN 1906, THE UNITED DAUGHTERS OF THE CONFEDERACY UDC INSTALLED A CANNON IN
DECATUR SQUARE, PURPORTEDLY A RELIC OF THE SO-CALLED 1836 CREEK WAR,
SYMBOLIZING THE GENOCIDAL REMOVAL OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES. 
          AND WHEREAS TWO YEARS AFTER THE ATLANTA 1906 RACE MASSACRE,
THE UNITED DAUGHTERS OF THE CONFEDERACY PLACED A CONFEDERATE MONUMENT IN THE FORM OF A 30 FOOT OBELISK IN FRONT OF THE COURTHOUSE SUPPORTING THE LOST CAUSE NARRATIVE,
WHICH GLORIFIES THE FALSE CLAIMS THAT THE CIVIL WAR WAS A NOBLE WAR FOUGHT FOR STATES RIGHTS AND NOT SLAVERY. AND WHEREAS IN 1915,
DECATUR ENACTED A RACIAL ZONING ORDINANCE AND IN 1938 PROHIBITED BLACK AND WHITE RESIDENTS FROM LIVING UNDER THE SAME ROOF UNLESS IN SERVITUDE. 
          INSTITUTIONALIZED. INSTITUTIONALIZING RACIAL SEGREGATION. 
          AND WHEREAS CITY OF DECATUR ORDINANCES WERE USED TO LEGALLY RESTRICT AFRICAN AMERICANS
FROM LIVING IN ANY NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE CITY OF DECATUR OUTSIDE OF THE BEACON HILL COMMUNITY, CITY ORDINANCES WERE ALSO USED TO RESTRICT THE FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT OF AFRICAN
AMERICANS IN THE ALL WHITE NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE CITY OF DECATUR. 
          AND WHEREAS IN THE 1930S, HOME OWNERS LOAN CORPORATION REDLINING MAPS CLASSIFIED DECATUR'S
BLACK NEIGHBORHOODS AS HAZARDOUS, AND LOCAL BANKS, INCLUDING CITIZENS AND SOUTHERN NATIONAL BANK DECATUR FEDERAL SAVINGS AND
LOAN AND GEORGIA SAVINGS BANK DENIED FEDERALLY INSURED LOANS TO BLACK FAMILIES, BLOCKING WEALTH ACCUMULATION. AND WHEREAS RECORDS SHOW THAT BY THE 1940S,
THESE LOAN QUALIFICATION MAPS MARKED THE ENTIRE BEACON HILL AREA IN RED, NOTING NEGRO ENCROACHMENT AS A DISQUALIFYING FACTOR. 
          THESE MAPS WERE LATER USED TO DETERMINE SCHOOL ZONES AND REINFORCE SEGREGATION. 
          AND WHEREAS RESIDENTS OF ELECTRIC AVENUE, MCDONOUGH STREET,
WHEAT STREET, WATER STREET, WATER PLACE, AND ROBIN STREET WERE DENIED CITY SERVICES WELL INTO THE 1970S,
LACKING TRASH COLLECTION, PAVED ROADS AND SIDEWALKS, AND CLEAN WATER ACCESS DESPITE PAYING TAXES. 
          AND WHEREAS, THROUGH URBAN RENEWAL IN 1941, HOMES OWNED BY AFRICAN AMERICANS WERE SEIZED
AND SOLD TO BUILD THE SEGREGATED ALLEN WILSON TERRACE APARTMENTS BY THE U.S. HOUSING AUTHORITY, THEREBY ELIMINATING INTERGENERATIONAL WEALTH IN
THE BLACK COMMUNITY. 
          AND WHEREAS BLACK CITIZENS OF DECATUR ORGANIZED THE DECATUR COLORED CITIZEN LEAGUE IN 1950
AND THE DEKALB CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR 
          [01:55:08]
THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE NAACP IN 1955. 
          AND WHEREAS, ON JUNE 28TH, 1955, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE DECATUR COLORED CITIZEN LEAGUE,
INCLUDING PRESIDENT WILLIAM H. 
          SIMMONS AND SECRETARY JOHN H. SHANKS APPEARED BEFORE THE DECATUR CITY COMMISSION TO
ADVOCATE FOR IMPROVED HOUSING CONDITIONS FOR BLACK RESIDENTS, HIGHLIGHTING THE OVERCROWDED AND SUBSTANDARD LIVING CONDITIONS CAUSED BY URBAN
DISPLACEMENT AND LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. 
          THIS ACT OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT REFLECTED A SUSTAINED COMMITMENT BY BLACK DECATUR RIGHTS TO
DEMAND EQUITABLE TREATMENT, PUBLIC INVESTMENT AND DIGNITY IN THE FACE OF SYSTEMIC OPPRESSION. 
          AND WHEREAS ATTORNEY JAMES R VENABLE, A FORMER IMPERIAL WIZARD OF THE KU KLUX KLAN AND
FOUNDER OF THE NATIONAL KNIGHTS, MAINTAINED HIS LAW OFFICE IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN DECATUR IN THE MASONIC BUILDING AND
ROUTINELY DEFENDED WHITE SUPREMACISTS WHILE USING HIS LEGAL AND POLITICAL INFLUENCE TO PROMOTE KLAN IDEOLOGY AND RACIAL TERROR. 
          AND WHEREAS, THE VENABLE FAMILY OWNED STONE MOUNTAIN,
WHERE THEY PROMOTED THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST CONFEDERATE MONUMENT, TRANSFORMING THE MOUNTAIN INTO A NATIONAL SHRINE OF WHITE SUPREMACY,
AND USED IT AS A GATHERING SITE FOR KLAN RALLIES AND ACTS OF RACIAL INTIMIDATION. 
          AND WHEREAS THE PERSISTENT AND VISIBLE PRESENCE OF A KLAN LEADER OPERATING FREELY WITHIN
CITY OF DECATUR, ALONG WITH THE LOOMING SYMBOLISM OF STONE MOUNTAIN UNDER THE VENABLE FAMILY CONTROL,
FOSTERED A PERVASIVE CLIMATE OF RACIAL OPPRESSION, PSYCHOLOGICAL TERROR, AND CHRONIC FEAR AMONG BLACK RESIDENTS,
CONTRIBUTING TO THE TRAUMA, MARGINALIZATION, AND MENTAL STRAIN EXPERIENCED BY GENERATIONS OF DECATUR'S BLACK
COMMUNITY. 
          AND WHEREAS, ON MAY 28TH, 1960, MEMBERS OF THE KU KLUX KLAN,
IN FULL REGALIA, PARADED THROUGH THE BEACON HILL COMMUNITY AND HELD A RALLY AT THE DEKALB COUNTY COURTHOUSE, BOTH PUBLIC SPACES UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF
DECATUR. 
          EMPLOYING RACIAL TERROR AS A TOOL TO INTIMIDATE BLACK RESIDENTS,
SUPPRESS DEMANDS FOR CIVIL RIGHTS, AND REINFORCE A RACIALLY DISCRIMINATORY SOCIAL ORDER,
WITH CITY OFFICIALS TAKING NO EFFECTIVE ACTION TO PREVENT OR CONDEMN THESE ACTS. 
          AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF DECATUR'S PAST PATTERN OF INACTION IN THE FACE OF WHITE
SUPREMACIST TERRORISM, COMBINED WITH ITS BROADER HISTORIC DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES,
INCLUDING THE SYSTEMATIC EXCLUSION OF AFRICAN AMERICANS FROM PUBLIC OFFICE, THE DISPLACEMENT OF BLACK NEIGHBORHOODS AND BUSINESSES UNDER THE GUISE OF URBAN RENEWAL,
AND THE MAINTENANCE OF RACIALLY SEGREGATED PUBLIC SERVICES, CONSTITUTED MUNICIPAL COMPLICITY IN UPHOLDING A RACIALLY OPPRESSIVE REGIME. 
          THE EFFECTS OF WHICH CAUSE INTERGENERATIONAL HARM AND STRUCTURAL INEQUALITY THAT PERSISTS
TO THIS DAY. 
          AND WHEREAS FOR MUCH OF DECATUR'S HISTORY, AFRICAN AMERICANS WERE SYSTEMATICALLY DENIED
THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE FULLY IN CIVIC LIFE, BARRED FROM HOLDING ELECTED OFFICE, SERVING ON PUBLIC COMMISSIONS,
OR OCCUPYING LEADERSHIP ROLES IN MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE DESPITE THE ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT, LEADERSHIP, AND ADVOCACY OF BLACK COMMUNITY LEADERS. 
          AND WHEREAS, IN A POWERFUL ACT OF SOLIDARITY WITH THE BEACON HILL COMMUNITY'S ONGOING
FIGHT FOR JUSTICE, JACKIE ROBINSON, THE LEGENDARY ATHLETE WHO BROKE MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL'S COLOR LINE,
VISITED DECATUR IN 1961 AND SPOKE AT THANKFUL BAPTIST CHURCH, LENDING HIS NATIONAL PLATFORM TO SUPPORT LOCAL CIVIL RIGHTS EFFORTS. 
          AND WHEREAS, THE DECATUR HOUSING STUDY OF 1964 IDENTIFIED MCDONOUGH STREET AND CAMPBELL
STREET, MAJOR RESIDENTIAL STREETS IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY AS UNDERUTILIZED,
RECOMMENDING THEIR CLEARANCE FOR MUNICIPAL USE, INCLUDING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE DECATUR POLICE STATION,
FIRE STATION, AND CITY SCHOOLS OFFICES. 
          AND WHEREAS, IN 1964, AFRICAN AMERICANS, AFRICAN AMERICAN HOMES,
BUSINESSES AND CHURCHES WERE DEMOLISHED IN THE SECOND WAVE OF URBAN RENEWAL IN THE CITY OF DECATUR AND WHEREAS, THE DECATUR HOUSING AUTHORITY WAS DESIGNATED BY THE CITY OF DECATUR
AND ITS AGENT TO CARRY OUT URBAN RENEWAL ACTIVITIES KNOWN AS BEACON HILL PROJECTS NUMBER ONE AND TWO. 
          AND WHEREAS DECATUR HIGH SCHOOL AND ITS CAMPUS WERE BUILT AS A RESULT OF URBAN RENEWAL
UNDER BEACON HILL PROJECT ONE. 
          AND BEACON HILL PROJECT TWO PROVIDED DEKALB COUNTY WITH SITES FOR NEW JUSTICE,
EDUCATION AND ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, HEALTH BUILDING, AND PARKING DECK. AND WHEREAS ALMOST ALL OF THE HOMES DESTROYED IN
DECATUR'S URBAN RENEWAL ZONES WERE BLACK OWNED, NONE OF THE DISPLACED FAMILIES WERE RELOCATED WITHIN CITY LIMITS,
AND MOST WERE OFFERED COMPENSATION FAR BELOW ASSESSED LAND PROPERTY VALUES OR WERE DENIED 
          [02:00:07]
LEGAL ASSISTANCE TO CHALLENGE THE SEIZURES. AND WHEREAS THE CITY COMMISSION CONTROLLED THE
BUDGET FOR THE CITY SCHOOL SYSTEM AND APPOINTED SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS UNTIL THE 80S, AND THE DECATUR SCHOOL BOARD OPERATED A SEGREGATED DUAL SCHOOL SYSTEM UNTIL 1970,
BLACK CHILDREN WERE RELEGATED TO HERRING STREET ELEMENTARY AND TRINITY HIGH SCHOOL. BLACK TEACHERS RECEIVED LOWER PAY, CLASSROOMS WERE OVERCROWDED,
AND THE SCHOOLS WERE UNDERFUNDED. 
          FOR EXAMPLE, THE 1966 SPENDING PER CHILD AT HERRING STREET WAS ONLY 48% OF THAT AT THE ALL
WHITE GLENWOOD ELEMENTARY, DESPITE EQUAL OR HIGHER ENROLLMENT. AND WHEREAS THE HISTORIC BEACON HILL COMMUNITY
FOSTERED A THRIVING AFRICAN-AMERICAN BUSINESS DISTRICT WITH ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERS SUCH AS TOM STEELE, WHO OPERATED STEELE'S CAFE AND SERVED AS THE
FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN BOARD MEMBER OF THE DECATUR HOUSING AUTHORITY. 
          ARCHIE AND DOVIE CLARK, WHO RAN CLARK'S GROCERY,
PROVIDING FIRST CLASS SERVICE TO BLACK RESIDENTS FROM THE 1930S THROUGH THE 1970S. 
          AND THE OPERATORS OF COX FUNERAL HOME, ROGERS CAB COMPANY,
BUSSEY FLORIST, WILLIAMS BEAUTY SHOP, AND TYLER FUNERAL HOME, AMONG OTHERS. AND WHEREAS,
THESE BLACK OWNED BUSINESSES NOT ONLY OFFERED ESSENTIAL GOODS AND SERVICES, BUT ALSO SERVED AS VITAL CENTERS OF COMMUNITY LIFE,
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AND CULTURAL PRIDE IN BEACON HILL DURING AN ERA OF PERVASIVE SEGREGATION AND RACIAL EXCLUSION. AND WHEREAS DECATUR,
GEORGIA, I'M SORRY, THE CITY OF DECATUR INITIATED URBAN RENEWAL AND REDEVELOPMENT PROJECTS WHICH RESULTED IN THE FORCED DISPLACEMENT,
DEMOLITION, OR RELOCATION OF MANY BEACON HILL BUSINESSES, SEVERELY UNDERMINING THE ECONOMIC FOUNDATIONS AND SOCIAL FABRIC OF DECATUR'S AFRICAN
AMERICAN COMMUNITY. 
          AND. FORGIVE ME. 
          WHEREAS THE LOSS OF THESE BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS CAUSE LASTING HARM TO
GENERATIONS OF BLACK DECATUR RESIDENTS. 
          ERASING SPACES OF SELF-DETERMINATION. ENTREPRENEURSHIP COLLECTIVE ADVANCEMENT BUILT UNDER
CONDITIONS OF SYSTEMIC RACIAL DISCRIMINATION. 
          AND WHEREAS THE COMMUNITY ONCE KNOWN AS THE BOTTOM AND BEACON HILL CEASED TO PHYSICALLY
EXIST. 
          AND NOW THE ONLY EVIDENCE OF IT EVER EXISTING IN THE CITY OF DECATUR IS A HISTORICAL
MARKER, PLACARDS AND STREET SIGN TOPPERS. AND WHEREAS THERE IS NO LONGER A NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE
CITY OF DECATUR KNOWN AS BEACON HILL THAT BLACK DECATUR WHITES COULD CALL HOME, SOME BLACK RESIDENTS BEGAN MOVING INTO OAKHURST NEIGHBORHOOD WHEN IT BECAME LEGALLY
PERMISSIBLE. 
          AND WHEREAS DECATUR FEDERAL SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATION,
A PROMINENT MORTGAGE LENDER ESTABLISHED IN 1926, ENGAGED IN DISCRIMINATORY LENDING PRACTICES BY REJECTING BLACK MORTGAGE APPLICANTS AT
NEARLY THREE TIMES THE RATE OF WHITE APPLICANTS BETWEEN 1988 AND 1992, AND WAS CHARGED WITH A BROAD PATTERN OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION. 
          AND WHEREAS, THE US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, IN ITS FIRST FEDERAL REDLINING LAWSUIT,
WHICH RESULTED IN A CONSENT DECREE REQUIRING DECATUR FEDERAL TO PROVIDE $1 MILLION TO AFFECTED BLACK APPLICANTS AND TO IMPLEMENT COMPREHENSIVE REFORMS TO ITS LENDING PRACTICES. 
          AND WHEREAS THE OAKHURST NEIGHBORHOOD OF DECATUR,
GEORGIA HISTORICALLY SERVED AS A REFUGE FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN FAMILIES DISPLACED BY MID-20TH CENTURY URBAN RENEWAL PROJECTS IN DOWNTOWN DECATUR AND NEIGHBORING ATLANTA,
OFFERING OPPORTUNITIES FOR HOME OWNERSHIP, HOME OWNERSHIP, AND COMMUNITY BUILDING. WHEREAS SYSTEMATIC PRACTICES SUCH AS REDLINING AND
RACIALLY RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS HISTORICALLY IMPEDED AFRICAN-AMERICAN ACCESS TO HOUSING AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES IN OAKHURST,
CONTRIBUTING TO PATTERNS OF SEGREGATION AND DISINVESTMENT. 
          AND WHEREAS, BEGINNING IN THE EARLY 2000, OAKHURST EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT GENTRIFICATION
CHARACTERIZED BY THE DEMOLITION OF OVER 120 HOMES, RISING PROPERTY VALUES, AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF LARGER,
MORE EXPENSIVE RESIDENCES, LEADING TO THE DISPLACEMENT OF LONGSTANDING STANDING AFRICAN AMERICAN RESIDENTS. AND WHEREAS THIS DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFT,
THE DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS RESULTING FROM GENTRIFICATION HAVE LED TO A SUBSTANTIAL DECREASE IN AFRICAN AMERICAN POPULATION, ALERTING THE CULTURAL AND HISTORIC FABRIC. 
          ALTERING THE CULTURAL AND HISTORIC FABRIC OF COMMUNITY. 
          FORGIVE ME. AND WHEREAS COMMUNITY INITIATIVES SUCH AS DECATUR DAY HAVE EMERGED AS
PLATFORMS FOR FORMER AND CURRENT RESIDENTS TO CELEBRATE AND RECLAIM AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE IN THE FACE OF ONGOING DISPLACEMENT AND
MARGINALIZATION. 
          AND WHEREAS IT WAS NOT UNTIL 1984, 161 YEARS AFTER DECATUR'S INCORPORATION IN 1823,
THAT THE CITY ELECTED ITS FIRST 
          [02:05:01]
AFRICAN AMERICAN OFFICIAL, ELIZABETH WILSON,
BREAKING A LONG STANDING PATTERN OF EXCLUSION. 
          AND WHEREAS THE BEACON HILL BLACK. ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND ALLIED ORGANIZATIONS IN
RECENT YEARS, IN THE TRADITION OF THE DECATUR COLORED CITIZEN LEAGUE,
HAS DOCUMENTED AND RESISTED THESE PERSISTENT INJURIES, CALLING ON THE CITY OF DECATUR TO ACKNOWLEDGE ITS ROLE AND TAKE MEANINGFUL STEPS TOWARD
STRUCTURAL REDRESS. 
          AND WHEREAS, IN JUNE 2020, AMID NATIONWIDE PROTESTS AGAINST POLICE BRUTALITY AND SYSTEMIC
RACISM FOLLOWING THE MURDERS OF GEORGE FLOYD, BREONNA TAYLOR, RAYSHARD BROOKS AND AHMAUD ARBERY,
AND AFTER YEARS OF ADVOCACY BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING THE BEACON HILL BLACK ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND HATE FREE DECATUR,
DEKALB COUNTY, WITH THE SUPPORT OF CITY OF DECATUR, REMOVED THE CONFEDERATE MONUMENT OBELISK THAT HAD STOOD FOR OVER A CENTURY. 
          AND WHEREAS, IN SEPTEMBER 2021, THE BEACON HILL BLACK ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS,
IN COLLABORATION WITH DECATUR MAKERS AND AFROFUTURIST ARTIST ALEX [INAUDIBLE], UNVEILED THE BRONZE STATUE WHAT SONIA SAID, FEATURING A QUOTE FROM SONIA SANCHEZ'S POEM
CATCH THE FIRE AND STANDING AS A TRIBUTE TO THE STRENGTH, HEROISM AND RESILIENCE OF THE BEACON HILL COMMUNITY. 
          AND WHEREAS IN DECEMBER 2020, FOLLOWING CONTINUED ORGANIZING AND EDUCATION EFFORTS LED BY
LOCAL STUDENTS, EDUCATORS AND BLACK LED ORGANIZATIONS, THE CITY OF DECATUR PASSED A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT
OF THE REMOVAL OF THE GENOCIDAL CANNON FROM THE DECATUR SQUARE, WHICH WAS THE CANNON INSTALLED BY THE UDC IN 1906,
GLORIFYING THE GENOCIDAL REMOVAL OF MUSCOGEE CREEK NATION, AND IT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY REMOVED BY DEKALB COUNTY IN OCTOBER 2021. 
          WHEREAS THE 2001 DURBAN DECLARATION AND PROGRAM OF ACTION,
ADOPTED BY THE UNITED NATIONS WORLD CONFERENCE ON RACISM RECOGNIZED SLAVERY AND THE SLAVE TRADE AS CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY, AND THAT THE TRANSATLANTIC SLAVERY AND COLONIALISM
REMAIN AMONG THE ROOT CAUSES OF CONTEMPORARY FORMS OF RACISM AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION. 
          AND WHEREAS, ON AUGUST 24TH, 2024, A 12 FOOT BRONZE STATUE OF THE LATE CONGRESSMAN JOHN
LEWIS TITLED EMPATHY, CREATED BY RENOWNED JAMAICAN SCULPTOR BASIL WATSON,
HONORING THE CIVIL RIGHTS LEGEND, WAS UNVEILED IN THE DECATUR SQUARE ON THE PRECISE LOCATION WHERE THE CONFEDERATE MONUMENT ONCE STOOD,
SYMBOLICALLY REPLACING A TRIBUTE TO WHITE SUPREMACY WITH A BEACON OF UNITY, COURAGE AND MORAL CLARITY. WHEREAS THIS CITY COMMISSION AFFIRMS THAT PROVIDING REDRESS FOR
THE HISTORIC CRIMES AND ONGOING HARMS AND INJURIES ILLUSTRATED BY,
BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE AFOREMENTIONED EXAMPLES REQUIRES MORE THAN PUBLIC RECOGNITION. IT REQUIRES A COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION OF PAST AND PRESENT POLICIES,
INSTITUTIONAL COMPLICITY AND INTERGENERATIONAL HARM, AS WELL AS ACTION CONSISTENT WITH GLOBAL REPARATIONS
FRAMEWORKS SUCH AS THOSE RECOGNIZED BY THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS. 
          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, THAT THE CITY COMMISSION OF DECATUR,
GEORGIA, THAT ONE FORMAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT. 
          THIS IS WHAT WE WILL BE ASKING OF YOU TODAY,
THE CITY OF DECATUR FORMALLY ACKNOWLEDGES ITS PAST ROLE IN THE SYSTEMIC OPPRESSION OF PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT THROUGH ENSLAVEMENT,
HUMAN TRAFFICKING, CONVICT LABOR, DISCRIMINATORY ZONING AND DEVELOPMENT, UNDERINVESTMENT IN AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES,
SCHOOL SEGREGATION, RACIALLY BIASED POLICING, THE DESTRUCTION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN OWNED PROPERTIES,
BUSINESSES AND INSTITUTIONS, AND THE DISPLACEMENT AND ERASURE OF THE BEACON HILL COMMUNITY. PEOPLE AND CULTURE. TWO, PUBLIC APOLOGY. 
          THE CITY EXTENDS A FULL AND PUBLIC APOLOGY TO THE BLACK RESIDENTS OF DECATUR PAST AND
PRESENT, AND THEIR DESCENDANTS FOR ITS ROLE IN PERPETUATING DISCRIMINATION,
OPPRESSION, SUBJUGATION, AND THE RESULTING HARMS PROFITING FROM POLICIES ROOTED IN THE SYSTEM OF WHITE SUPREMACY. 
          THREE. CREATION OF THE DECATUR REPARATIONS TASK FORCE. 
          A DECATUR REPARATIONS TASK FORCE SHALL BE CONVENED TO COMPILE RECORDS OF BLACK LAND AND
PROPERTY LOSS, ECONOMIC DISPLACEMENT, LEGALIZED DISCRIMINATION,
AND EXPROPRIATION AND LABOR EXPLOITATION, INTERVIEW DESCENDANTS OF THOSE IMPACTED AND CONSULT ARCHIVAL MATERIALS. 
          DEVELOP POLICY AND PROGRAMMATIC RECOMMENDATIONS TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF REDRESS. 
          RECOGNIZING THAT ADDRESSING THE HARM DONE BY HISTORIC CRIMES,
THE EFFECTS OF WHICH CAUSE INTERGENERATIONAL HARM, AND STRUCTURAL INEQUITY THAT PERSIST TO THIS DAY,
MAY REQUIRE A WIDE RANGE OF REMEDIAL MEASURES. 
          [02:10:05]
PROMOTE AWARENESS OF THIS HISTORY AND THE PROCESS OF REDRESS THROUGH ENGAGEMENT AND PUBLIC
EDUCATION AND AN HISTORICAL RECKONING. 
          INITIATIVES. PROPOSED CITY SPONSORED MEMORIALIZATION PROJECTS,
ECONOMIC EQUITY TOOLS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES, AND SUPPORT COMMUNITY BASED INITIATIVES TO ADDRESS THE RACIAL DISPARITIES RESULTING FROM
THESE HISTORIC CRIMES AND ONGOING HARMS. FOUR, MEMBERSHIP AND STRUCTURE, THE BEACON HILL BLACK. 
          ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS WILL MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE COMMUNITY LED REPARATIONS TASK
FORCE, WHICH SHALL CONSIST OF THREE RESIDENTS WITH FAMILIAL TIES TO BEACON BOTTOM OR OAKHURST
COMMUNITIES. 
          TWO MEMBERS OF THE BEACON HILL BLACK ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. 
          TWO HISTORIANS WITH SPECIALIZATION IN AFRICAN AMERICAN OR SOUTHERN URBAN HISTORY. 
          ONE LEGAL EXPERT IN CIVIL RIGHTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS,
INTERNATIONAL LAW AND REPARATIONS, ONE YOUTH REPRESENTATIVE UNDER 25, ONE REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE DECATUR CITY COMMISSION,
AND ONE REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE BETTER TOGETHER ADVISORY BOARD WITHIN 60 DAYS OF RECEIVING THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE BEACON HILL BLACK. ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS,
THE DECATUR CITY COMMISSIONS TASK FORCE REPRESENTATIVE, WILL APPOINT THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE REPARATIONS TASK FORCE. 
          THAT SAME PROCEDURE WILL BE FOLLOWED SHOULD VACANCIES ARISE ON THE REPARATIONS TASK FORCE. 
          FIVE. TIMELINE AND REPORTING. THE REPARATIONS TASK FORCE SHALL HOLD ITS FIRST MEETING
WITHIN 60 DAYS OF CONFIRMATION OF AT LEAST 7 TO 9. 
          TASK FORCE MEMBERS ISSUE PUBLIC INTERIM REPORTS 12 MONTHS AND 24 MONTHS THEREAFTER,
AND A FINAL REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION WITHIN 36 MONTHS. THESE REPORTS SHALL BE ARCHIVED AND MADE ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC THROUGH CITY AND
HISTORICAL WEBSITES. 
          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE DECATUR REPARATIONS TASK FORCE WILL CONTINUE TO OPERATE
UNTIL FULL REDRESS HAS BEEN ACHIEVED, OR THE TASK FORCE AGREES BY CONSENSUS TO DISSOLVE. 
          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE CITY OF DECATUR WILL REVIEW,
CONSIDER, AND INCORPORATE THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE REPARATIONS TASK FORCE INTO ITS POLICY MAKING, BUDGETING AND STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESSES,
AND WILL WORK TO ENSURE LASTING CHANGE AND MATERIAL REDRESS FOR ITS AFRICAN AMERICAN RESIDENTS PAST AND PRESENT. NOW,
AT THIS TIME, IF I MAY, MAYOR, I WOULD LIKE TO CALL UP MOLLY DAVIS, WHO WE MET EARLIER IN PUBLIC COMMENT. A NEIGHBOR AND A FRIEND TO THIS COMMUNITY,
AND ALSO THE INDIVIDUAL WHO WILL FIELD ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS YOU HAVE ABOUT THE RESOLUTION AND THE RESEARCH THAT
WAS DONE. 
          I'M ALSO VERY HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT THE RESEARCH PROCESS. 
          AND I WILL ALSO CERTAINLY RECOMMEND THAT IF MR. DAVIS WOULD LIKE TO CALL FORWARD ANYONE ELSE AS A RESOURCE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS THAT
HE DO SO. 
          THANK YOU, MR. DAVIS. THANK YOU. OKAY. OKAY. NO WORRIES. OKAY. THANK YOU. I THINK ALL OF US LISTENING OR JUST PROCESSING IT ALL. AND EVEN THOUGH WE HAD SEEN IT BEFORE HEARING IT READ ALOUD WAS POWERFUL. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          I KNOW IT WAS NOT AN EASY THING FOR YOU TO DO. 
          SO WE WILL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS FROM THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION TO BRING FORWARD AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER MEYER-FRONK. 
          IT'S HAVING LIVED HERE FOR. SO MY MOM CAME TO OAKHURST IN 78 AT THE HEIGHT OF WHITE FLIGHT, AND IT'S NOT LOST ON ME THAT I SIT HERE AND I OWN THE SINS OF THOSE THAT SAT IN THIS CHAIR. 
          AND I KNOW MY RESPONSIBILITY. I DON'T WANT TO MAKE HISTORY. 
          I WANT TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT. AND SO THAT FACT ISN'T LOST. 
          BUT IT'S ALSO NOT LOST IS IN THE 202 YEAR HISTORY OF THE CITY OF DECATUR,
THERE HAVE BEEN THREE AFRICAN AMERICAN CITY COMMISSIONERS, TWO OF WHICH SIT ON THE SHOULDERS OF THE ORIGINAL ONE WHO MENTORED US BOTH. 
          AND SO THAT'S NOT LOST ON ME. IT WAS A BIG MOMENT. 
          A MOMENT NOT FOR SPEECHES, NOT FOR WORDS, BECAUSE WE HEARD AND,
YOU KNOW, WE CONTINUE TO LIVE IN THAT, 
          [02:15:03]
IN THAT PLACE AND IN THAT SPACE. AND HONESTLY,
I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW WE GOT HERE, BECAUSE I KNOW HOW WE GOT HERE. YOU KNOW, THE QUESTION IS,
HOW DO WE PREVENT IT FROM EVER HAPPENING AGAIN? AND HOW DO WE HOW DO WE MAKE US WHOLE? HOW DO WE MAKE A COMMUNITY WHOLE? THAT'S BEEN FRACTURED. HOW DO WE MAKE A NATION WHOLE THAT'S CONTINUING TO BE FRACTURED? THAT'S MY CONCERN. I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO DO RIGHT BY OUR COMMUNITY. 
          I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT THAT. I'M WORRIED ABOUT HOW DO WE DO RIGHT BY OUR PEOPLE? THIS IS HARD. IT'S HARD TO HEAR IT. IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE IT. 
          AND IT'S HARD TO THINK THAT WE WALK IN IT. AND SO,
YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS ARE THINKING. 
          I KNOW WHAT I'M THINKING, MAN. WE DEFINITELY GOING TO TAKE ONE FOR THE TEAM,
BUT WE'RE GOING TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT AND WE'RE GOING TO TAKE IT FOR THE TEAM TOGETHER, BECAUSE WE ARE A TEAM, ALL OF US IN THIS ROOM. 
          SO WHATEVER HAPPENS STARTING TODAY, HEY, WE WEREN'T HERE FOR WHATEVER HAPPENED,
BUT WE'RE HERE FOR WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW. 
          AND SO WE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT FROM THIS DAY FORTH,
WE DO NO HARM. 
          AND WE RECOGNIZE HOW WE GOT HERE. AND SO OUR ACTIONS TODAY DO A LOT IN ADDRESSING HOW WE NEVER REPEAT THIS AGAIN, EVER. LIKE I SAID,
I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. 
          THANK YOU. IT WAS VERY THOROUGH. I READ IT EARLIER TODAY AND I HAD THE SAME REACTION
EARLIER. 
          IT STRENGTHENED MY MY RESOLVE TO HEAR A FELLOW COMMISSIONER READ IT. 
          SO THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU. THERE ARE OTHERS,
COMMISSIONER. 
          HOW ABOUT YOU, COMMISSIONER? COMMISSIONER WALSH. 
          FIRST OF ALL, IT'S AN HONOR TO BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION,
BUT EXTREMELY HUMBLING. 
          AND I CAN ONLY SAY THAT I'M THANKFUL TO BE IN THIS ROOM WITH YOU,
COMMISSIONER MEYER. 
          MAYOR PRO TEM, ALL MY COLLEAGUES ARE A PACKED ROOM. 
          AND PARTICULARLY A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN WHAT WAS ON THE AGENDA,
BUT ARE HERE FOR A REALLY IMPORTANT, REMARKABLE AND HISTORIC CONVERSATION. THIS IS UNIQUELY PERSONAL TO DECATUR. 
          AND IF I COULD SHARE SOMETHING THAT LINKS ME IN A WAY THAT I RECOGNIZED A STORY THROUGH
WHERE I WENT TO UNIVERSITY AT GEORGETOWN, WHICH IS ALSO A PRETTY COMPELLING STORY ABOUT AN INSTITUTION
HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS TOPIC AND TRYING TO TACKLE IT AND TRYING TO OFFER REDRESS. AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'LL BE ANY PERFECT
PROCESS, BUT WHAT I WANTED TO GET OUT TONIGHT WAS ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT THIS,
THIS UPFRONT PART WITH THIS RESEARCH AND INFORMATION. 
          IT'S CRITICAL, BUT IT'S SO PAINFUL. THE RESEARCH,
THE DELIVERING OF THE INFORMATION THE RECEIVING AND THE PROCESSING. 
          AND WE HAVE TO ALL BE TOGETHER IN THAT AS HARD AS IT IS AND ACKNOWLEDGE IT AND,
AND PREPARED TO MAKE THE NEXT STEPS TO MOVE FORWARD. 
          I THINK IT'S PART OF THE TRANSPARENCY OF IT THAT MAKES IT A STRONGER PROCESS. 
          AND THAT IF WE CAN DO ANYTHING TO MODEL, AND SET AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHER CITIES,
OTHER INSTITUTIONS, OTHER COMMUNITIES AND BE A BEACON. BE A LIGHT FOR THEM. 
          I THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING THAT WE WERE GETTING CALLS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY FROM
PEOPLE FROM MANY OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD WITH THEIR OWN UNIQUE EXPERIENCES WHO ARE ESSENTIALLY CHEERING YOU ON,
CHEERING US ON, AND WANTING TO IN, IN, IN THIS WITH US. 
          I DID WRITE A FEW COMMENTS BECAUSE IT JUST HELPS ME TO BE MORE. 
          PURPOSEFUL. WHAT I THINK THIS DOES, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE GOING TO BE IN THIS REALLY PAINFUL
PART FOR A WHILE, BREAK THROUGH THAT TO GET TO WHAT I HOPE IF I CAN SPEAK FOR MYSELF. 
          PEACE, PROSPERITY, FORGIVENESS. AND I HEARD IT SAID EARLIER TOO,
SHARED GOALS FOR THE FUTURE OF A WHOLE COMMUNITY. 
          AND I THINK IN THE AGGREGATE, EACH CITY COMMUNITY INSTITUTION DOING THIS LAYERED ON
TOGETHER. 
          THAT'S THE BIG OUTCOME TO THAT. BUT IT'S STEP BY STEP FOOTHOLD BY FOOTHOLD. 
          [02:20:02]
AND I THINK IT IT'LL HAVE HUGE IMPLICATIONS IN SO MANY WAYS WE CAN IMAGINE FROM HEALTH,
EDUCATION, FINANCIAL STABILITY, HOMEOWNERSHIP, SOCIAL MOBILITY. 
          AND THEN I JUST I THINK, YOU KNOW, EVERY COMMUNITY IS UNIQUE. 
          AND WE'LL GO DOWN OUR OWN SEPARATE PATH. I HAD A WORD IN MY MIND THAT I'VE SAID TOO MUCH
SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, BASICALLY. AND THE WORD IS CRUEL. 
          AND I THINK SO MUCH OF WHAT WE HEARD TONIGHT RELATES TO A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF CRUELTY. 
          AND I THINK IT'S OUT IN THE WORLD NOW. BUT I THINK THE OPPOSITE OF CRUELTY IS KINDNESS. 
          AND THAT'S EXACTLY THE TURN AND THE SHIFT THAT THAT WILL TAKE. 
          AND THAT WILL TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER IN THAT WAY. AND WE'LL PROVIDE A RESISTANCE OR A
VACCINE TO THIS HAPPENING AGAIN. 
          I ALSO HEARD THAT, AGAIN, AN IMPORTANT PART OF THIS PROCESS IS TO MITIGATE A FUTURE
SITUATION IN WHICH WE SEE THESE, THESE HARMS AND CRIMES. SO ONE OTHER THING, IF I CAN ADD,
I'M FROM WYOMING, WHERE A LOT OF JAPANESE AMERICANS WERE INTERNED. 
          AND THAT IS A PAINFUL STORY FOR MY STATE. I GREW UP THERE,
LEFT AT 18. 
          BUT WE TAKE PRIDE IN WHERE WE GREW UP. WE LEARN OUR CIVICS AND OUR SOCIAL STUDIES. 
          AND THIS IS JUST AN IMPORTANT EFFORT THAT WE CAN MODEL FROM OTHER EFFORTS LIKE THAT. 
          MISS SITU, I IMAGINE THAT PROVIDES TREMENDOUS INSIGHT AND I'M IMPRESSED. 
          AND I BELIEVE STRONGLY IN WHAT YOU'RE DOING. ALSO,
BECAUSE OF THESE MANY VOICES AND EXPERTS AND PERSPECTIVES THAT YOU'VE GARNERED TO BE AROUND THE TABLE, THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AS WELL. 
          SO THANK YOU. NOT VERY SMOOTH WITH THIS TONIGHT I WANTED TO GET A FEW IDEAS OUT. 
          THANK YOU FOR WHAT IT TOOK TO READ THAT. THANK YOU,
COMMISSIONER MEYER-FRONK. 
          AND I'D LIKE TO BE PART OF THE JOURNEY STARTING AT THE START,
WHEREVER WE ARE TODAY, AND CONTINUING TO LEARN AND BE IN IT TOGETHER. 
          COMMISSIONER DUSENBURY THANK EVERYBODY FOR THE WORK THAT WENT INTO THIS. 
          I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WORK. ONE THING I WOULD LIKE IS IF WE COULD HAVE THE
RESEARCH IN THE RECORD. 
          WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? BUT WE HAVE THE WHEREAS CLAUSES. 
          [02:27:54]
MIC] THANK YOU. 
          I JUST HAVE A FEW COMMENTS TO ADD. I THINK CERTAINLY THANK YOU TO BEACON HILL BLACK
ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND TO COMMISSIONER MAYER FRONK FOR BRINGING FORWARD THIS RESOLUTION FOR THE RESEARCH. 
          AS I MENTIONED A MINUTE AGO, IT'S NOT HARD TO HEAR. 
          IT'S ALSO REALLY DIFFICULT TO EVEN DIGEST THE IMPACT OF THE INJUSTICES THAT ARE THAT WERE SPELLED OUT. AND I THINK IT IS A ALL FEEL UP HERE THAT THIS IS IMPORTANT TO OUR
COMMUNITY. 
          IT IS IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO CHICAGO. 
          I THINK IT WAS AROUND 2018. WE VISITED AS PART OF THE ATLANTA REGIONAL COMMISSION TRIP. 
          WE VISITED EVANSTON AND HEARD ABOUT THEIR WHAT THEY WERE DOING AND THEIR STRATEGIES,
AND THAT WAS REALLY THE FIRST. 
          AND I'M SURE THAT ROBIN SIMMONS WAS A PART OF THAT CONVERSATION. 
          AND THAT WAS MY FIRST KIND OF EXPOSURE TO REAL WORK THAT WAS HAPPENING IN THIS SPACE. 
          AND I CERTAINLY ADMIRED WHAT THEY WERE DOING AND THE ABILITY TO COALESCE AND COME TOGETHER
AND 
          [02:30:06]
WORK OUT STRATEGIES. AND I'M SO HAPPY THAT WE IN THE CITY OF DECATUR HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY
TO SUPPORT THIS RESOLUTION OF HAVING A TASK FORCE. REMINDS ME SOME OF WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO WITH THE
AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE THAT SET OUT A PLAN OF STRATEGIES THAT COULD BE IMPLEMENTED OVER TIME,
AND I EXPECT THAT MAY BE WHAT COMES ABOUT. WITH THIS TASK FORCE IT'S A TALL ORDER. 
          BUT THERE'S A LOT OF PASSION, THERE'S A LOT OF COMPASSION,
AND I THINK THERE IS A LOT OF SPACE IN OUR COMMUNITY TO COME TOGETHER AND DO THE RIGHT THING AND TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT
LOOKS LIKE AND TO ENTRUST WITH THOSE WHO ARE, WHO ARE CLOSEST TO WHAT HAS HAPPENED AND THE GENERATIONS REPRESENTED. AND I IT IS AN HONOR TO REALLY BE A PART OF THE
THIS DECISION MAKING BODY AS WE AS WE MOVE FORWARD. AND JUST ONE COMMENT ABOUT COMMISSIONER DUSENBURY. 
          IT WOULD. I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THAT REPORT. I APPRECIATED PHIL CUFFY COMING FORWARD AND
HAVING LETTING US KNOW HOW SOME OF THE, THE MONEY HAS BEEN SPENT AS A PART OF THE CONTRACT FOR SERVICES TO
BRING US TO THIS POINT AND TO HAVE. BUT I FEEL LIKE TAKING ACTION IS THE FIRST THING THAT WE NEED TO DO AND THEN
TO HAVE THE, THE DOCUMENTATION, BECAUSE IT'S CLEARLY SPELLED OUT. 
          AND I KNOW THAT THERE IT HAS BEEN CLEARLY DOCUMENTED BY HISTORIANS,
MEMBERS OF THE TASK FORCE AND ALL OF THE EXPERTS THAT WERE BROUGHT IN TO LOOK AT THAT AND TO BRING THAT FORWARD BY THE COMMITTEE THAT'S BEEN WORKING ON THIS AT A
POINT IN THE FUTURE. BUT I DON'T HAVE ANY REAL QUESTIONS,
BUT THANK YOU TO YOU, YOUR HARD WORK, ALL OF THOSE WHO ARE HERE THIS EVENING IN SUPPORT,
ALL OF THOSE WHO MADE COMMENTS ONLINE. 
          WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE TO OUR CITY AND TO OUR COMMUNITY. 
          AND I BELIEVE YOU DO HAVE SOMEONE COMING FORWARD THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND. 
          I JUST WANT [INAUDIBLE] TO STAND WITH ME. SHE HAS BEEN WORKING AROUND THE ISSUE OF
REPARATIONS FOR. 
          A FEW DECADES, AND I'M HONORED THAT SHE HAS BEEN MY COACH HERE IN THIS PROCESS. 
          I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T LIFT UP THE NAME OF CONRAD WARRELL. 
          WHO? FIRST, WHEN I WAS A LAW STUDENT HELPED ME CRAFT MY VERY FIRST RESOLUTION ABOUT
REPARATIONS FOR THE FOR THE BLACK LAW STUDENTS ASSOCIATION. SO I JUST WANTED TO LIFT HIM UP. 
          AND THEN I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT AS PAINFUL AS IT IS,
WE ALL KNOW THAT WHEN THERE'S AN INJURY, PART OF HEALING IS PAINFUL. AND SO WE JUST HAVE TO EMBRACE THAT PAIN,
KNOWING THAT IT CAN LEAD US TO SOME HEALING. 
          I KNOW THAT IT WILL HOPEFULLY BEGIN TO HEAL SOME OF OUR BEACON HILL HISTORIC RESIDENTS TO
KNOW THAT WHAT HAPPENED HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED NOW AND WILL BE RECOGNIZED GOING INTO THE FUTURE. 
          AND SO WE'RE GRATEFUL. I ALSO JUST WANTED TO LIFT UP. 
          SOMETHING THAT WE DID NOT INCLUDE WAS THAT FOR A LONG TIME THERE WAS NO MEDICAL SERVICES
THAT COULD BE PROVIDED TO AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE CITY OF DECATUR. AND THAT MAYOR WILSON STARTED THE BEACON CLINIC WITH VOLUNTEERS. 
          AND SO THE WHOLE NOTION OF SELF-SUFFICIENCY AND RESILIENCY HAS BEEN EMBODIED BY MAYOR
WILSON. 
          AND I JUST THINK THAT IN THIS MOMENT, AS YOU LIFT IT UP,
THE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT AMERICA HAS ATTEMPTED TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE ISSUES. IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT IN THIS MOMENT,
ALL OF THOSE ARE UNDER ATTACK. 
          AND SO IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE MAKE CLEAR WHAT WE STAND FOR AS A CITY. 
          AND THAT WHAT MAKES US PROUD TO BE A PART OF THIS CITY,
IN SPITE OF WHAT IS BEING PUT FORWARD. 
          [02:35:08]
SO I JUST WANTED AGAIN TO THANK OUR COMMISSIONER,
ALL OF YOU, ALL BUT PARTICULARLY FOR YOU TO COME AND FOR US TO SIT IN THIS SPACE AND THE READ AND THE CRY AT TIMES AND BECOME
EMOTIONAL ABOUT WHAT WE READ, ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR ANCESTORS. SO WE ARE GRATEFUL AND HOPEFUL THAT THE WORK AS WE
MOVE FORWARD, WILL BE HEALING WORK FOR OUR COMMUNITY, ONE OF SELF-DETERMINATION,
AND THAT WILL INDEED REPRESENT THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE US AND THAT WE WILL MELINDA WILL LIVE THROUGH US. 
          SO THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. AS MR. DAVIS SAID, THIS IS UNDER ATTACK. AND I THINK THAT'S WHY WE WANT TO GET THE RESEARCH. 
          YES, DOCUMENTING AND ALL THE STUFF WE'VE DONE. 
          AND WE HAVE I'M A PROUD MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF BLACK LAWYERS. 
          NCBL HAS A HANDBOOK THAT LAYS OUT A LOT OF HISTORY AND I THINK WE ALL HAVE TO BE WILLING TO LEAN INTO THE HISTORY, TO THE INTERNATIONAL WAY THAT REPARATIONS IS VIEWED ALL
OVER THE WORLD AS A, AS A HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE. AND THE NCBL HANDBOOK THAT WAS JUST RECENTLY PUBLISHED BY ONE OF
MY MENTORS, I THINK HELPS US WITH THIS PROCESS. AND SO WE'LL PROVIDE ALL OF THE THE RESEARCH. 
          AND I WOULD ALSO ADD THAT LAURA WILSON WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN THE SECTION SIX WORK
THAT'S DONE IN THE, IN THE CEMETERY TO REMEMBER ALL OF THOSE FORMERLY ENSLAVED WHO ARE BURIED IN
SECTION SIX HERE IN THE DECATUR CEMETERY. 
          SO THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. SO WITH THAT,
I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTION R-25XX THAT ACKNOWLEDGES THE HISTORIC CRIMES AND ONGOING INJURIES INFLICTED UPON BLACK RESIDENTS OF DECATUR,
GEORGIA, AND TO ESTABLISH A REPARATIONS TASK FORCE TO STUDY AND DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REDRESS. IS THERE A MOTION TO THAT EFFECT? SO MOVED. IS THERE A SECOND? THERE IS A SECOND. 
          IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? THE CHAIR VOTES. AYE. AND THE RESOLUTION IS ADOPTED. 
          SO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. COULD WE TAKE ONE SECOND TO COMMEMORATE THIS MOMENT WITH A PICTURE? THANK YOU. WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO COMMEMORATE THIS MOMENT
WITH A PICTURE? IT WOULD MEAN A LOT TO ME. THANK YOU. WHERE ARE WE GOING? RIGHT HERE IN THE PLACE WHERE IT HAPPENED. 
          [02:40:23]
ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. SO NEXT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE CITY MANAGER FOR 
          [V.B. Estimated Roll-back Millage Rate.]
ESTIMATED MILLAGE RATE. 
          ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS. I THINK YOU ALL RECALL HOUSE BILL 581. 
          AND THAT WAS FROM 2024, MOST RECENTLY, HOUSE BILL 992. 
          BOTH OF THOSE BILLS CREATED A REQUIREMENT THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS CERTIFY WHAT'S CALLED AN
ESTIMATED ROLLBACK MILLAGE RATE, JUST FOR THE PURPOSE OF PUTTING ON THE COUNTY ASSESSMENT NOTICE. 
          YOU MAY YOU KNOW, BE AWARE OF THE ASSESSMENT NOTICE STATING THE ASSESSED VALUE OF YOUR
PROPERTY GOES OUT TO ALL THE PROPERTY OWNERS IN DEKALB COUNTY. EVIDENTLY THIS REQUIREMENT IS SUPPOSED TO BE A
PREVIEW OF THE GOVERNMENT'S MILLAGE RATE. THE COUNTY SAYS THEY NEED THIS RATE BY MAY 12TH. 
          THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TONIGHT. AND THIS IS WHERE IT STARTS TO GET A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING. 
          A LITTLE BIT A LITTLE BIT WONKY. SO YOU'RE ALREADY FAMILIAR WITH THE ROLLBACK AND
ESTIMATED OR ACTUALLY A ROLLBACK RATE. AND THAT'S WHAT WE CALCULATE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TAXPAYER
BILL OF RIGHTS OR TRUTH IN TAXATION LEGISLATION. THERE'S A FORM YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW IT'S CALLED THE PT 32.1 FORM. 
          THERE'S THE CALCULATION. THIS IS HOW YOU CALCULATE THE ROLLBACK RATE. 
          YOU MAY RECALL THAT ROLLBACK RATE IS REPRESENTS THE VALUE OF THE DIGEST INCREASE THAT'S
DUE JUST FOR REASSESSMENTS. 
          YOU'RE GOING TO GET ALL OF THAT INFORMATION AT OUR NEXT MEETING WHERE YOU SET A TENTATIVE
MILLAGE RATE. 
          AND WE HAVE THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED TO CALCULATE THE ORIGINAL. 
          THERE'S AN OG MILLAGE RATE, AND NOW WE HAVE THIS NEW ONE THAT I BELIEVE COMES THE LEGISLATION IS JUST FLAWED. AND I AM GOING TO TRY TO EXPLAIN THIS THE BEST I CAN. 
          SO UNLIKE THE PT 32.1 FORM, THE OG ROLLBACK RATE,
THERE IS NO AGREED UPON CALCULATION OF THE RATE. DEKALB COUNTY HAS EXPRESSLY STATED THAT THE TAX
COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE CANNOT WILL NOT ASSIST IN THE CALCULATION. BUT HERE'S THE DEAL. IF THIS BODY SETS A FINAL MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS
AND JUST THE GENERAL FUND CAPITAL FUND, DDA, IF WE SET THAT MILLAGE RATE WHEN WE DO THE MILLAGE RATE
AND WHEN YOU ADOPT THE FINAL MILLAGE RATE IN JUNE, IF THAT'S HIGHER THAN WHATEVER GOES ON THIS NOTICE OF ASSESSMENT,
THEN THIS STATEMENT GETS PRINTED ON THE TAX BILL. 
          HOWEVER, WHEN THE STATEMENT SAYS YOUR TAXES HAVE INCREASED AGAIN,
THIS IS WHERE THE LEGISLATION GETS REALLY FLAWED. 
          BECAUSE THERE'S A REAL POSSIBILITY THAT THE THAT THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS MILLAGE
RATE THAT IS GOING TO COME BEFORE YOU. WELL, ACTUALLY,
AT THE NEXT MEETING THAT MAY BE HIGHER THAN THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS MILLAGE RATE THAT WE HAVE TODAY. THAT'S BECAUSE WE HAVE THE BOND MILLAGE RATES
AND WE CAN DECREASE THE BOND MILLAGE RATE, MOVE IT OVER TO MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS, BECAUSE I DON'T ANTICIPATE THERE'S GOING TO
THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ANY CHANGE IN OUR BOTTOM LINE OF OUR MILLAGE RATE FROM 2024 TO 2025. HOWEVER, IF OUR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS MILLAGE RATE ENDS UP BEING HIGHER THAN WHAT IS ON THE NOTICE OF ASSESSMENT,
THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO PUT THIS ON HERE. 
          THAT WOULD BE A MISNOMER. THAT WOULD BE WRONG BECAUSE IF THE GENERAL FUND MILLAGE RATE IS
ACTUALLY HIGHER BECAUSE WE TAKE MILLAGE RATE 
          [02:45:01]
FROM THE BOND FUNDS, YOUR TAXES ARE GOING TO BE LOWER BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THE
BENEFIT OF HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS ON THE GENERAL FUND, THE CAPITAL AND THE DDA. AND IT'S PERFECTLY CLEAR WHEN I SAID THIS,
YOU KNOW, IN MY HEAD. 
          BUT THE WHOLE POINT IS THAT THE LEGISLATION IS FLAWED. 
          I MEAN, IT WOULD ACTUALLY MAKE US PRINT A NOTICE. 
          THAT'S NOT TRUE. SO WITH ALL THAT SAID, I'M RECOMMENDING THAT YOU CERTIFY THIS MILLAGE
RATE OF 11.2 MILLS FOR THE PURPOSE OF PURELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING A NUMBER TO THE DEKALB COUNTY TAX
ASSESSOR FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS THEIR NOTICE OF ASSESSMENT, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WHEN WE COME BACK
HERE NEXT WEEK OUR AT OUR AT OUR NEXT MEETING, THAT'S WHEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE TO THE PUBLIC THE TAX RATE THAT WE
INTEND TO ADOPT. 
          WE'LL KNOW WHAT THE OG. I'M SERIOUS. WE'LL KNOW WHAT THE OG ROLLBACK RATE IS. 
          BUT I'M JUST SAYING THE KIND OF. BEAR WITH ME. 
          SIR, PLEASE CERTIFY THIS AMOUNT. IT HAS NO BEARING ON AN INDIVIDUAL'S TAX BILLS. 
          IT'S PURELY FOR THE SAKE OF BEING IN COMPLIANCE WITH WHAT I BELIEVE IS FLAWED LEGISLATION
THAT I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO WORK TOWARDS NEXT YEAR. 
          AT LEAST GETTING SOME CLARIFICATION AND MAKING IT A LITTLE LESS CONFUSING. 
          THIS IS NEW LEGISLATION. THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY PASSED,
AND WE COULD MAKE UP ANY NUMBER WE WANTED TO. 
          THERE IS NO THERE IS NO FORMULA. THERE'S NO CALCULATION. 
          THERE'S NO CALCULATION. THERE'S NO GUIDANCE FROM THE ONLY REPERCUSSION IS THAT IF OUR O&M
IS HIGHER THAN WHATEVER WE SUBMIT, THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO PUT THAT ON PEOPLE'S TAX BILLS. CORRECT? CORRECT. IT DOES NOT
MATTER. 
          RIGHT? WE'RE IN THE MATRIX. THERE IS NO SPOON. 
          DO YOU SPELL IT OUT REALLY CLEARLY? THERE IS NO SPOON. 
          IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING. IF, FOR EXAMPLE, I THINK WHAT YOU SAID IF WE ACTUALLY LOWER THE
BOND RATE BUT IN THE BUMP UP THE M&O. M&O. THAT'S ACTUALLY PEOPLE ARE PAYING,
THEY WOULD PAY A LITTLE BIT, A LITTLE BIT LESS, BUT THEY WOULD PAY A LITTLE BIT LESS BECAUSE THE BOND YOU DON'T GET THE
HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION ON WHAT YOU'RE PAYING FOR BONDS. 
          AND SO BUT IT WOULD HAVE TO SAY THAT YOU RAISED IT BECAUSE OF THE M&O. 
          RIGHT. BUT AND JUST AND ALSO I DID I CONSULTED WITH OUR CITY ATTORNEY LAST WEEK. 
          BECAUSE I MEAN, THE LAW DISCREETLY SAYS OR IT ALLOWS FOR. 
          IT ALLOWS FOR YOU TO DO NOTHING WITHOUT PENALTY. 
          BUT IN TERMS OF WHEN I SPOKE WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY,
I MEAN, ULTIMATELY IT'S IT DOES SAY THERE'S AN EXPECTATION THAT THE GOVERNING AUTHORITY CERTIFY A RATE. AND SO AGAIN, JUST FOR THE PURPOSE OF TRYING TO FOLLOW THE LETTER OF THE LAW. I'M HERE TONIGHT JUST ASKING FOR THE CERTIFICATION. 
          SO YOUR SECOND. YES. YES, SECOND. IS THERE I HAVE TO JUST ASK A QUESTION OR TWO WOULD BE HELPFUL. I'M SORRY. 
          SO IN THE IN A VACUUM, DOES 11.2 FUND THE. NO,
IT'S IT MORE THAN FUNDS. 
          WHAT WE WOULD NEED FOR THE OH OKAY. YES. IF YOU WANT TO AMEND IT,
YOU COULD SAY IT SHOULD BE 100, RIGHT? AND WHAT? AND IT DOES NOT RELATE TO OUR MILLAGE RATE LAST YEAR AT ALL AT THIS
POINT. 
          SO JUST UNCOUPLE THEM. NO RELATIONSHIP. AND 11.2 HOW'D YOU GET TO 11.2? I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S HIGHER THAN WHAT THIS BODY IS GOING TO. 
          WHAT I'M GOING TO RECOMMEND TO THIS BODY AT THE NEXT MEETING IS IF EVERYTHING'S VARIABLE,
I'M TRYING TO FIND ONE RELATIONSHIP. 
          SO JUST WANTED TO AND AGAIN, THAT WAS THERE WAS ADVICE IN ONE OF THE TRAINING SEMINARS
THAT THEY JUST SAID JUST SET IT HIGHER THAN WHAT MAKES SENSE. IT'S LOGICAL. 
          IT'S FOLLOWING THE RULES. TURNER GAVE US GUIDANCE AND COULD FUND AN M&O YES,
IF NEEDED. 
          OKAY. I'M GOOD, THANK YOU. THIRD, I THIRD IT. 
          MOTION'S BEEN MADE. SECOND AND THIRD WILL MAKE YOU AN OG. 
          IS THERE ARE THERE OTHER QUESTIONS OR NO DISCUSSION. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? CHAIR VOTES. AYE. AND THE MOTION PASSES. 
          [02:50:02]
I WILL SAY THAT I SAW THAT ACCG AND GMA DID TRAINING,
AND THEY BASICALLY SAID THERE'S NO GUIDANCE ON HOW TO CALCULATE THIS AT THE PRESENT TIME. 
          SO THAT WAS THEIR MESSAGE AS WELL AS FROM THE DEKALB COUNTY TAX COMMISSION. 
          SO THEY CAN JUST SAY THERE IS NO SPOON. IT'S EASIER. 
          WE ALL KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS. SO ALL RIGHT NEXT WE'LL LOOK AT THE FIRST DECATUR SQUARE
TRANSFORMATION PROJECT, 
          [V.C. Decatur Square Transformation Project – Electrical Service Upgrade and  Transformer Relocation.]
THE ELECTRICAL SERVICE UPGRADE AND TRANSFORMER RELOCATION. 
          GOOD EVENING. MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER DAVID JUNGER. 
          PURPOSE OF THIS AGENDA ITEMS TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF AN AGREEMENT WITH GEORGIA POWER
COMPANY. 
          AND THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $11,624.87 AND ESTABLISH A PROJECT BUDGET OF $15,000 TO. 
          REMOVE THE EXISTING TRANSFORMER IN THE LANDSCAPE ISLAND ON NORTH MCDONOUGH STREET,
AND INSTALL A NEW TRANSFORMER AND ELECTRICAL SERVICE TO THE NEW BANDSTAND, STAGE AND RESTROOMS. GEORGIA POWER PROVIDED A QUOTE ON MAY THE 1ST,
2025, REFERENCE NUMBER 75 3725. WORK ORDER GP 831, ECHO 03825. I JUST WANTED TO BE VERY PRECISE, AS THAT IS THE SPECIFIC DOCUMENT REFERENCED FOR THIS QUOTE,
TO INSTALL A THREE PHASE TRANSFORMER AT THE NEW BANDSTAND LOCATION. 
          GEORGIA POWER WILL THEN COORDINATE THE WORK WITH JHC CORPORATION,
THE CONTRACTOR FOR THE DECATUR SQUARE TRANSFORMATION PROJECT. 
          THIS PROJECT SCOPE DOES INCLUDE THE REMOVAL OF ONE TRANSFORMER. 
          INSTALLING A NEW UNDERGROUND ELECTRICAL SERVICE ADJACENT TO THE NEW BANDSTAND AND
RESTROOMS, AND INSTALLING A NEW TRANSFORMER. FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE DECATUR SQUARE TRANSFORMATION
SPLOST TWO FUND. 
          FOR THIS WORK, WE RECOMMEND THE CITY MANAGER BE AUTHORIZED TO EXECUTE THE NECESSARY
AGREEMENTS FOR THE PROJECT. 
          ARE THERE QUESTIONS FOR MR. YOUNGER FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE ELECTRICAL SERVICE UPGRADE? THE AN AGREEMENT NOT TO EXCEED $11,684.87 AND A PROJECT BUDGET IN THE AMOUNT OF $15,000. 
          SO MOVE. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? CHAIR VOTES AYE. AND THE MOTION PASSES. 
          SO THE STREETLIGHT REPLACEMENTS, MR. YOUNGER. 
          [V.D. Decatur Square Transformation Project – Street Light Replacement.]
THANK YOU. THE PURPOSE OF THIS AGENDA ITEM IS TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF AGREEMENTS WITH
GEORGIA POWER COMPANY IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $87,600 TO INSTALL 39 DARK SKY LED LIGHT FIXTURES AND RELOCATION OF EIGHT STREET LIGHTS AS PART OF
THE DECATUR TRANSFORMATION DECATUR SQUARE TRANSFORMATION PROJECT. THIS SCOPE OF WORK INCLUDES THE REMOVAL AND STORAGE OF EIGHT EXISTING LIGHT
POLES, AND THEN REINSTALLING THE POLES IN NEW LOCATIONS WITH THE NEW DARK SKY COMPLIANT FIXTURE. 
          THE REMAINING 31 FIXTURES WOULD BE UPGRADED WITH THE NEW DARK SKY LED FIXTURES. 
          THIS NEW FIXTURE WILL ALSO BE CONSISTENT WITH NEW STREETSCAPE STANDARDS,
WHICH WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE CITY COMMISSION THIS SUMMER OF 2025. 
          THIS WILL BE THE FIRST PHASE OF A MULTI-PHASE PROCESS TO UPGRADE THE DECORATIVE LIGHTING
IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA TO THE NEW DARK SKY LED FIXTURES OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS. 
          GEORGIA POWER WILL COORDINATE THE REMOVAL OF THE EXISTING POLES AND FIXTURES,
RUN NEW UNDERGROUND SERVICE, AND INSTALL NEW STREET LIGHTS AT TWO LOCATIONS WITHIN THE SQUARE TRANSFORMATION PROJECT. 
          IN ADDITION TO THE FIXTURE REPLACEMENTS ALONG THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDES OF THE PLAZA. 
          GEORGIA POWER WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE NEW LIGHTS AND REPLACEMENT IF
NECESSARY. 
          AGAIN, FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE FOR THIS PART OF THE PROJECT IN THE DECATUR SQUARE
TRANSFORMATION, SPLOST TWO. FOR THIS WORK, WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU AUTHORIZE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE
NECESSARY AGREEMENTS. 
          FOR THIS PROJECT. QUESTIONS FOR MR. YOUNGER. COMMISSIONER DUSENBURY. 
          THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. YES. HAPPY TO SEE THIS. 
          START THAT PROCESS. SO MOVE. APPROVAL. ALL RIGHT. 
          WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGREEMENT WITH GEORGIA POWER IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED
$87,600 TO INSTALL THE DARK, LIGHT, DARK SKY LED FIXTURES AND RELOCATE POLES. 
          SO IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. FURTHER DISCUSSION. 
          ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. CHAIR VOTES. AYE. AND THE MOTION PASSES. 
          THANK YOU. NEXT WE WILL OPEN THE MEETING UP FOR REQUESTS AND PETITIONS. 
          [VI. Requests and Petitions.]
          [02:55:02]
NOW IS THE TIME FOR ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO BRING ANYTHING ELSE FORWARD TO THIS BODY AT
THIS MEETING. 
          NOW IS THE TIME TO COME FORWARD. MAKE YOUR COMMENTS AND STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND
MAKE COMMENTS, AND WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO THOSE WHO ARE IN ATTENDANCE IN THE MEETING ROOM WITH US. 
          AND ONCE THAT HAPPENS, WE'LL SEE IF THERE'S ANYONE ONLINE WHO WANTS TO MAKE A REQUEST OR
PETITION TO THIS BODY. 
          ALL RIGHT. SEEING NONE IN THE ROOM, WE WILL OPEN IT UP TO THE MAYOR. 
          HOLD ON ONE SECOND. OH. I'M SORRY. YES. I DON'T. 
          OH, OKAY. CAN YOU COME TO THE MICROPHONE? SURE. 
          THANK YOU. WAIT. IF YOU CAN WAIT SO THAT. BECAUSE WE ARE RECORDING. 
          SO THANK YOU. IF YOU'LL STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. 
          THANK YOU. MY NAME IS MOLLY RANDALL. I LIVE AT 212 ADAIR STREET. 
          I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THIS FORMALLY, I APOLOGIZE,
OUR STUDENTS ARE GOING TO SPEAK, BUT MANY OF THEM HAD TO LEAVE. 
          THEY'VE GOT TESTS EARLY. WE WERE REALLY MOVED BY ALL OF YOUR COMMENTS TODAY. 
          OUR STUDENTS WERE GOING TO SPEAK ON A PETITION AND A REQUEST FOR FEASIBILITY ABOUT A
COMPETITION POOL IN THE CITY OF DECATUR. 
          I JUST WANTED TO HONOR THE WORK THAT THEY HAVE DONE TONIGHT AND IN THE PREVIOUS MONTHS. 
          IF THEY HAVE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, I CAN PROVIDE THE CONTACT INFORMATION AFTER THE MEETING
TO THE APPROPRIATE. 
          I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR WORK WAS HONORED AND THEY WERE SPOKEN FOR,
EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE NO LONGER ABLE TO BE PRESENT. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND NOW WE WILL OPEN IT UP TO THOSE WHO ARE ONLINE. 
          IF THERE'S ANYONE ONLINE THAT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT TO THIS BODY. 
          NOW IS THE TIME TO DO SO. SEEING NONE, 
          [VII. Reports and Other Business.]
WE WILL CLOSE REQUESTS AND PETITIONS AND MOVE TO REPORTS AND OTHER BUSINESS. 
          WE DO HAVE THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS IS CANCELING THEIR MEETING THIS MONTH. 
          AND AS AND I BELIEVE THEY WILL MY INFORMATION JUST WENT AWAY. 
          THEY WILL MEET AGAIN IN JUNE. IS THAT CORRECT? I THINK, AND THEN THE PLANNING COMMISSION ALSO IS CANCELING THEIR MEETING IN MAY AND WILL
MEET IN JUNE. 
          SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE CITY MANAGER TO SEE IN THE AUDIENCE TO SEE IF STAFF HAVE ANY
REPORTS. 
          AND I THINK THAT'S NO. I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO REPORT TO THE COMMISSION THIS EVENING. 
          AND I SHOULD PROBABLY KNOW BETTER THAN TO WING IT OR AD LIB AT ALL. 
          AND ESPECIALLY IN MY ROLE AS THE CITY MANAGER. 
          I SAY I GOT INTO THIS BUSINESS TO BE A REALLY GOOD ADMINISTRATOR AND TO COME IN AND TO
BALANCE BUDGETS AND MANAGE DEPARTMENTS AND YOU KNOW,
CREATE PLANS AND CARRY OUT PLANS. 
          PAVE SOME ROADS, PUT IN SOME SIDEWALKS. IT MAYBE GET CRAZY AND WORK ON A TREE ORDINANCE
AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO GET PEOPLE'S ATTENTION. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THIS BODY. 
          I DO, I JUST FEEL EXTRAORDINARILY HONORED TO BE YOUR CITY MANAGER AND TO GET TO WORK WITH LEADERS OF ELECTED LEADERS OF THIS CALIBER,
ALSO LEADERS IN THE COMMUNITY PEOPLE THAT THAT ARE NOT ELECTED THAT ARE OFTEN,
YOU KNOW, BEHIND THE SCENES YOU KNOW, MAKING BIG THINGS HAPPEN. LIKE I SAID,
I GOT INTO THIS WORK FOR ONE REASON. 
          AND IT'S THE COMMUNITY AND THE LEADERS THAT HAVE KEPT ME HERE. 
          AND TONIGHT IT TRULY DID WORK. THAT MATTERS. AND IT ALSO IS NOT LOST ON ME. AND ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOT PLANNED, BUT WE HARKEN BACK TO THE WORK SESSION WE HAD HAD
THIS EVENING, ALSO MAKES ME EXTREMELY PROUD OF RENAE JACKSON AND CLAIRE MILLER FOR THEIR PRESENTATION ON
EQUITY AND INNOVATION. 
          [03:00:02]
AND WE SEE HOW THAT JUST TIES RIGHT INTO WHAT HAPPENED HERE TONIGHT. 
          WITH, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT EQUITY BEING A VALUE IN THIS COMMUNITY,
WITHOUT DIVERSITY AND EQUITY AND INCLUSION YOU KNOW, THE DESIRE TO BE A WELCOMING COMMUNITY,
YOU KNOW, WITHOUT THAT WE COULDN'T HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE WILLING TO LITERALLY TAKE THE RISK. 
          PEOPLE THAT ARE WILLING TO JUST SHOW SOME COURAGE,
WHICH IS ALL A FORM OF INNOVATION, INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY. BUT THAT EQUITY YOU KNOW, JUST COME BACK TO EQUITY. 
          AND THAT'S THE FOUNDATION AND JUST AS IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN,
YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING ELSE IS WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EQUITY. AND SO AGAIN, NOT LOST ON ME THAT THE,
THE VALUES THAT WE TALK ABOUT AND ESPOUSE AS AN ORGANIZATION ARE ALSO SO CLEARLY ALIGNED WITH THE COMMUNITY. 
          SO JUST AGAIN, IT'S AN HONOR TO BE AT THE DAIS WITH A GROUP OF PEOPLE TONIGHT. 
          SO THANK YOU. I DID NOTICE THAT SOMEONE HAS RAISED THEIR HAND THAT I DID NOT SEE FOR
PUBLIC COMMENT. 
          SO IF WE COULD UNMUTE MR. MARTIN, IF YOU COULD STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND PLEASE MAKE
YOUR COMMENT TO THE CITY COMMISSION. MR. MARTIN. 
          PLEASE. MR. MARTIN, YOU ARE UNMUTED ON OUR END. 
          IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT. 
          I'LL WAIT JUST ANOTHER MINUTE. APPEARS THAT WE ARE NOT ABLE TO HEAR YOU. OH, THERE YOU ARE,
MR. MARTIN. OKAY. PLEASE MAKE YOUR COMMENT. STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. 
          ONE SECOND. OKAY. SORRY ABOUT THAT. 
          CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. SORRY ABOUT THAT. 
          I WAS ON. I WAS HOLDING FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF,
AND THEN I HAD TO MOVE. 
          SO MY NAME IS CHRIS MARTIN. I USED TO LIVE AT 203 FAIRVIEW AVENUE IN DECATUR. 
          I LIVED THERE FOR ABOUT 15 YEARS, AND MY MOTHER LIVES THERE NOW. 
          SHE AND I CO-OWN THAT PROPERTY. AND I WANTED TO APPEAR BEFORE THE CITY COMMISSION TO TALK
ABOUT A CONCERN I HAVE REGARDING THE ZEBRA CROSSINGS OR PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS THAT ARE IN FRONT OF TAQUERIA DEL
SOL AND MELLOW MUSHROOM ON PONCE. 
          ONE OF WHICH IS CLOSE TO THE INTERSECTION WITH FAIRVIEW AVENUE. 
          MY MOTHER USES THAT CROSSING FAIRLY FREQUENTLY,
AND THERE ARE A COUPLE OF PROBLEMS WITH IT. 
          SO I'M WORRIED ABOUT OUR SAFETY. SHE HAS BEEN HIT BEFORE,
NOT THERE, BUT AT A DIFFERENT CITY. 
          BUT SHE HAS BEEN HIT BEFORE AS A PEDESTRIAN. SO CONCERN ABOUT HER SAFETY AND MY CONCERN. 
          PART OF IT'S A HUMAN FACTORS ENGINEERING CONCERN. 
          THE STANDARD ZEBRA CROSSING, THE STRIPES THAT ARE USED. 
          THAT'S THE UNIVERSAL SIGN FOR A PEDESTRIAN CROSSING. 
          IT'S A SIGN THAT IMMEDIATELY COMMUNICATES THAT THIS IS A PEDESTRIAN STREAM CROSSING. 
          IT'S PART OF A UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE USED NOT JUST IN THE UNITED STATES,
BUT AROUND THE WORLD. 
          AND IF YOU REPLACE THAT WITH ANYTHING ELSE, YOU NO LONGER HAVE A SIGN THAT COMMUNICATES
THAT THING. 
          I UNDERSTAND THE RATIONALE BEHIND USING RED AND BLACK STRIPES. 
          THERE WAS TO DRAW ATTENTION TO IT. BUT DESPITE DRAWING ATTENTION TO IT,
IF THERE'S NO SIGN THAT COMMUNICATES WHAT YOU TYPICALLY WANT TO COMMUNICATE, THEN YOU'RE NOT COMMUNICATING THAT THING. AND I FEEL LIKE MAYBE THERE WERE NO HUMAN
FACTORS ENGINEERS INVOLVED WHEN THAT WAS DESIGNED. 
          [03:05:04]
THERE ALSO IS NOW AN UPDATED VERSION OF THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY AND ROAD CODE. 
          I CAN'T RECALL THE ACRONYM OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. 
          AND THAT DOES POINT OUT THAT HIGH CONTRAST PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS ARE MUCH SAFER FOR PEOPLE
WITH WORSE VISION. 
          PEOPLE WITH MENTAL DISABILITIES. AND JUST GENERALLY BETTER OVERALL. 
          THERE ARE THREE TYPES OF ROAD CROSSINGS THAT ARE CLASSIFIED AS HIGH CONTRAST. 
          ALL OF THEM INVOLVE ZEBRA LIKE STRIPES. ONE IS THE TRADITIONAL BROAD WHITE STRIPES. 
          ONE IS THE LATTER, WHICH IS USED IN OTHER PARTS OF DECATUR. 
          AND THE THIRD IS A DOUBLE STRIPE, WHICH IS NOT USED MUCH IN THE ATLANTIC AREA,
BUT ALL OF THOSE ARE CLASSIFIED AS HIGH CONTRAST OR HIGH CONTRAST BECAUSE YOU HAVE WHITE PAINT, WHICH IS VERY BRIGHT, CONTRASTING AGAINST A DARK ROAD SURFACE. 
          AND TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW FROM A DRIVER'S POINT OF VIEW,
I WANTED TO SHARE MY SCREEN, BUT I DON'T THINK I CAN JUST HOLD THIS UP. THIS IS WELL,
IT'S NOT REALLY IN FOCUS, IS IT? BUT WHAT YOU COULD DO IS GO TO GOOGLE MAPS AND POSITION THE LITTLE STREET VIEW GUY ON
GOOGLE MAPS. 
          ABOUT 20 YARDS AWAY FROM THE ZEBRA CROSSING. AND LOOK AT IT,
AND YOU'LL NOTICE IT'S BASICALLY INVISIBLE. 
          SO WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE RIGHT NOW, IF YOU'RE A DRIVER,
IS ONLY REALLY VISIBLE EVEN IN DAYLIGHT HOURS. 
          IT'S ONLY REALLY VISIBLE ONCE YOU'RE ABOUT TEN YARDS AWAY FROM IT. 
          SO THAT WAS WHAT I WANTED TO DRAW TO YOUR ATTENTION. 
          ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. WE WILL ADDRESS COMMENTS AT THE END OF THE MEETING,
SO. 
          THANK YOU. SURE. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE STUDENTS WHO CAME TODAY TO SPEAK. 
          I HATE THAT WE DIDN'T GET TO HEAR FROM THEM,
BUT I DO UNDERSTAND HOW EARLY THEIR TESTING STARTS. 
          AND SO I HOPE I GENUINELY HOPE THEY'LL COME BACK AND SHARE WITH US THEIR PETITION AND
THEIR STATEMENTS THAT THEY HAD PREPARED. 
          I LOVE WHEN YOUNG PEOPLE ARE ENGAGED WITH US AND WE DON'T GET IT ENOUGH. 
          AND SO HOPEFULLY SOMEONE CAN GET THIS MESSAGE TO THEM THAT WE DEFINITELY WANT THEM TO COME
BACK MAYBE OVER A SUMMERTIME MEETING. 
          WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE SCHOOL IN THE MORNING. I FEEL LIKE I'VE SPOKEN A MILLION WORDS TODAY, SO I WILL KEEP IT BRIEF BY JUST SAYING THAT I DEEPLY APPRECIATE THE ACTIONS OF THIS BODY
TODAY. 
          I EVEN MORE APPRECIATE YOUR INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS. 
          I WAS MOVED BY YOUR VULNERABILITY AND HONESTY,
COMMISSIONER DUSENBURY. 
          I WAS VERY MOVED BY YOUR SINCERITY, COMMISSIONER WALSH. 
          AND I WAS VERY MOVED BY THE DEPTH OF YOUR FEELINGS AND YOUR HISTORY IN THIS COMMUNITY. 
          MAYOR PRO TEM AND I WAS VERY MOVED BY YOUR STOIC SUPPORT,
MAYOR GARRETT. 
          I KNOW THAT THIS WAS AN UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATION TO HAVE,
AND IT WAS A PAINFUL CONVERSATION TO HAVE. 
          THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ALL OF THAT, AND THEN PROCESSING IT AND THEN SHARING YOUR
FEELINGS, WHICH IS NOT COMMON IN PEOPLE WHO ARE SERVING IN ELECTED SEATS. 
          THANK YOU FOR JUST BEING SO HUMAN AT A TIME WHEN YOU KNOW,
IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY EASY TO CLAM UP AND YOU KNOW, CLOSE OFF. I DO WANT TO ACTUALLY THANK OUR CHIEF OF STAFF,
MEREDITH ROARK, AND HER TEAM, BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW THAT THE RESEARCH THAT WAS DONE BY THOSE GROUPS MENTIONED IN OUR RESOLUTION WERE
FACILITATED BY MISS ROARK AND HER TEAM PULLING DOCUMENTS OUT OF THE ARCHIVE AND SHUTTLING THEM OVER AND PULLING THEM INTO
THIS ROOM IN WAGONS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, RECORD BOOKS ARE MASSIVE AND HEAVY,
AND THEY FOUND US EVERYTHING FROM OUR HISTORIC BOOKS TO NEWSPAPER ARTICLES TO PHOTOGRAPHS. AND LET ME TELL YOU, IF THE WORDS WERE HARD TO HEAR,
THE PICTURES WERE EVEN HARDER TO SEE. 
          SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOU AND YOUR STAFF FOR HELPING US. 
          WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE THAT WITHOUT YOU BRINGING US THE ARCHIVES AND UNLOCKING THE DOORS
AND ALLOWING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO VIEW THEM. 
          SO YOU ARE VERY MUCH A PART OF THIS HISTORIC MOMENT. 
          AND ALSO, CITY MANAGER, THANK YOU SO MUCH. BECAUSE WITHOUT YOU,
THIS MACHINE DOESN'T RUN. 
          [03:10:01]
AND THAT WAS THAT WAS VERY EVIDENT THIS WEEK WHEN THERE WERE AT LEAST 50 THINGS GOING ON
ALL AT ONCE, INCLUDING THIS, WHICH WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME. 
          AND I DON'T KNOW HOW, BUT YOU DIDN'T MISS A BEAT. 
          SO I AM INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL TO YOU AS WELL. THANK YOU ALL. 
          THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER DUSENBURY, I SAID MY PIECE IN THE RESOLUTION TALKS ABOUT SOME MORE
MUNDANE STUFF. 
          BUT THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER, FOR YOUR. YES. SORRY TO SAY,
FRONK. 
          MEYER-FRONK, DO YOU WANT TO PUT THAT? JUST THERE WAS A COMMENT ABOUT THE BLACK LIVES
MATTER MURAL. 
          I MEAN, I THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN LOOK INTO IS EASILY DONE. 
          IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE AS MR. DAVIS SAID, THERE ARE A LOT OF WHAT WE OUR STRATEGIC PLAN
AND WHAT WE SUPPORT IS I THINK HIGHER SCRUTINY WOULD BE A POLITE WAY OF SAYING IT. 
          JUST LOOKING AT OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, WE HAVE THE EQUITY AND RACIAL JUSTICE. 
          OKAY, THAT'S UNDER ATTACK. CLIMATE ACTION. OKAY,
THAT'S KIND OF UNDER ATTACK. 
          AFFORDABLE HOUSING HAS GOT UNDER ATTACK. CIVIC TRUST THAT'S UNDER ATTACK. 
          SO IT'S JUST IT'S. WE NEED TO TAKE STEPS TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT. 
          SPEAKING OF THINGS UNDER ATTACK, I JUST WANTED TO JUST SAY MY THOUGHTS FOR THE FOLKS AT
THE CDC. 
          AND THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT US. THAT'S IMPACTING A LOT OF FAMILIES HERE IN DECATUR. 
          I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT'S GOING TO BE VERY DIFFICULT. 
          THEN ON A MORE POSITIVE NOTE, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT I'VE PROBABLY RIDDEN MY BIKE TO
WORK MORE OFTEN THAN I'VE TAKEN ANY OTHER FORM OF TRANSPORTATION. 
          I ACTUALLY STOPPED WHEN I BROKE MY FOOT, AND THEN COVID HIT AND I ACTUALLY STARTED RIDING
AGAIN. 
          SO MY BIKES GO GEORGIA T SHIRT. NOW SHOW A LITTLE SOLIDARITY WITH BICYCLIST. 
          COURTNEY AND I WALKED THE CEMETERY QUITE A BIT. I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT JUST LIKE IT'S
JUST GETTING BETTER AND BETTER. 
          I DON'T KNOW WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT, BUT IF YOU COULD JUST SAY THANK YOU. 
          I'M NOT, I'M SURE I'M NOT THE ONLY PERSON NOTICING IT,
BUT IT LOOKS GREAT AND LASTLY, I WANTED TO JUST PUT UP JUST AN UPDATE ON THE HOMELESS STRATEGY MANAGER. TO HAVE ONE ON BOARD. WE HAVE NOT. AND I'LL BE GLAD TO TALK TO THE GROUP OFFLINE. 
          OKAY. JUST PUT A PLUG IN THAT I STILL THINK IS IMPORTANT. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER WALSH,
THANK YOU. 
          I REALLY APPRECIATED HOW MR. DAVIS WRAPPED UP WITH THE ONE POINT THAT THINGS HURT A LOT AS
THEY ARE BROKEN DOWN, AND THEN BEFORE THEY CAN HEAL. IT'S A HARD PLACE TO BE IN THIS MOMENT. 
          AND I'M NOT AT ANY POINT FEEL LIKE I COULD PROPERLY EMOTE OR EXPRESS WHAT I FEEL AND WHAT
I'D LIKE TO SAY. 
          SO APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S PATIENCE WITH THAT. AND AS WE NAVIGATE WHAT'S. 
          UNPRECEDENTED. AND I WAS GOING TO SAY SOMETHING I'VE LEARNED DURING THIS JOB GETTING
OLDER, MAYBE BEING A PARENT, YOU KNOW, NEVER ASSUME THAT YOU KNOW WHAT SOMEONE ELSE IS THINKING,
OR I DEFINITELY DON'T ASSUME THAT THEY AGREE WITH YOU. 
          AND ON THE OTHER HAND, ALWAYS ASSUME THAT THAT SOMEONE ELSE HAS A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE. 
          SOME HIDDEN SOME THINGS YOU'LL YOU SHOULD KNOW OR YOU'LL NEVER KNOW. 
          BUT IT ANIMATES THEIR BEHAVIOR AND THEIR EMOTIONS AND THEIR PASSIONS. 
          AND IF WE JUST GIVE EACH OTHER ENOUGH SPACE TO HAVE THOSE AND WE CAN WORK TOGETHER. 
          AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE A LOT OF THAT SPACE IN DECATUR. 
          WE'RE WORKING ON IT MORE AND MORE. WE HAVE IT IN THIS BODY. 
          AND SO I DON'T THINK IF THAT AMOUNT OF EMPATHY AND OPENNESS DIDN'T EXIST,
WE COULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN THROUGH TONIGHT OR GOTTEN UP TO THIS POINT. 
          SO I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT WAS DONE AND THE ABILITY OF A COLLECTIVE GROUP OF PEOPLE
WITH DIFFICULT EXPERIENCES, BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCES, A RANGE OF EXPERIENCES COMING TOGETHER TO ENABLE US TO DO SOMETHING
AMAZING. 
          AND WE STILL DON'T EXACTLY KNOW. AND I MEAN THIS IN A PHILOSOPHICAL WAY,
JUST WHAT WE'VE DONE. 
          SO THAT'S THE EXCITING PART. BUT AS I'M TOLD,
I DON'T EVER SAY I HAVE TO DO THIS MEETING OR THIS JOB. 
          I THINK WHAT'S REALLY COOL IS WE GET TO DO IT. 
          AND WE GET TO DO IT, AND THEN I'LL PIVOT TO,
LIKE, ELECTRICAL POLES. 
          SO IT'S PRETTY INCREDIBLE WORK ON THE BOTTOM. 
          BUT TONIGHT WAS DEFINITELY ONE OF A KIND AND SOMETHING I'LL NEVER FORGET AND I'LL BE PROUD
OF FOR A LONG TIME, TOO. AND PIVOT, CLEANUP DAYS. WE DID SOME PRETTY AWESOME WORK IN THE GREAT LAKES A WEEK
AGO. 
          [03:15:04]
NOT THIS WEEKEND, BUT A WEEK BEFORE. AND I REALLY THINK WE'RE ON TO SOMETHING AS FAR AS
THE CITY THAT WE COULD KEEP DOING MORE OF THESE NOT JUST AROUND THE TRASH AMNESTY DAYS, BUT ALL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. I'D LOVE TO GET KIND OF A CAPSULE REPORT BACK SOMETIME IN THE
COMING WEEKS OR MONTHS ON WHAT FOLKS ARE DOING SO WE CAN SHINE THAT LIGHT BACK AND FORTH ON WHAT COMMUNITIES ARE WORKING, ON WHAT PLACES THEY'VE SPRUCED UP. 
          AND ALISON'S BEEN REALLY GREAT ABOUT GETTING REALLY QUICKLY BACK TO RESIDENTS WHO SAY,
WE WANT TO DO THIS CLEANUP PROJECT. 
          AND SHE GETS THE LAWN BAGS, TOOLS, MEETS ON SITE TO SEE WHAT THE JOB LOOKS LIKE AND JUST
FACILITATES IT. 
          THAT'S BEEN REALLY AWESOME, AND IT'S JUST BEEN A CRAZY FEW WEEKS WITH ALL OF OUR FESTIVALS
AND EARTH DAY AND BEAUTIFUL THINGS THAT WE DO. 
          SO I'VE BEEN HAPPY TO BE PART OF ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING. 
          AND I KNOW WE'LL KEEP ROLLING THROUGH MAY BECAUSE IT'S THE NEW DECEMBER. 
          BUT THANKS TO EVERYBODY FOR A GOOD MEETING. AND. 
          YOUR PRO TEM I'D LIKE TO START BY SAYING THANK YOU,
COMMISSIONER MEYER-FRONK, BECAUSE IT TOOK INCREDIBLE STRENGTH TO NOT ONLY READ THAT TONIGHT, BUT TO SPEND THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF ACTUALLY DOING THAT
WORK BEHIND THE SCENES. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT WORK AND IT'S INCREDIBLY. 
          EMOTIONALLY TAXING WOULD PROBABLY BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT. 
          BUT THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE ME IN THIS CITY,
AND THOSE WHO COME AFTER US IN THIS CITY WEREN'T LOOKING TO MAKE HISTORY. WE WERE JUST LOOKING TO MAKE RIGHT. 
          THANK YOU. AND I'M GOING TO PIVOT BECAUSE THIS,
THIS THIS NEXT PARAGRAPH IS PROBABLY APPROPRIATE FOR THIS MONTH. MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH. AND I WANT TO READ A PARAGRAPH FROM THEIR
WEBSITE. 
          THE PRIMARY GOAL OF MENTAL AWARENESS MONTH, HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH,
OBSERVED IN MAY, IS TO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS AND EDUCATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH, REDUCE STIGMA AND PROMOTE ACCESS TO CARE AND SUPPORT. 
          IT ENCOURAGES OPEN CONVERSATIONS, EMPATHY AND ACTIONS TO IMPROVE MENTAL WELLBEING FOR ALL. 
          AND I CAN'T TELL YOU THERE'S NOT A PERSON ON THIS PLANET THAT DOES NOT NEED IT. 
          PERIOD. AND I END WITH TWO VERY POSITIVE THINGS. 
          THE DECATUR HIGH SCHOOL BOYS AND GIRLS LACROSSE TEAM ARE BOTH IN THE ELITE EIGHT,
BOTH PLAYING AT MILTON TOMORROW AT SIX AND EIGHT. 
          AND I THINK WE ALL IN THIS COMMUNITY, IF YOU'RE ABLE TO GO SUPPORT OUR ATHLETES BECAUSE
THEY NEED US NOW MORE THAN EVER BECAUSE WE ARE GOING INTO THE DEN OF THE LIONS AND WE'RE GOING TO COME OUT VICTORIOUS WITH IT. 
          THEY KNOW IT OR NOT. SO THAT'S ALL I GOT. I HAPPEN TO SEE A PARENT OF ONE OF THE GIRLS
LACROSSE MEMBERS AFTER THEY HAD WON, AND HER SMILE WAS THIS BIG. 
          SHE WAS BEAMING AND JUST SAID, WE JUST MADE HISTORY WITH THE MOST WINS OF ANY GIRLS
LACROSSE TEAM IN THE CITY OF DECATUR. 
          SO MAY THAT STREAK CONTINUE. ONE MORE. I WILL JUST ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT COMMISSIONER MEYER
FRONK SAID ABOUT THE STUDENTS THAT HAD TO LEAVE BECAUSE THEY HAVE TESTING AND THAT WE DO HOPE
THEY WILL COME BACK AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AT A, ANOTHER MEETING BECAUSE WE IT IS NICE TO HEAR FROM THEM AND
CERTAINLY BUT I THINK, I HOPE, I THINK THEY ALL BENEFITED FROM WHAT THEY HEARD AS A PART OF THIS MEETING,
EVEN THOUGH IT WAS UNEXPECTED TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE AND HEAR THAT, AND MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COME FORWARD WITH
WHAT THEY HAD PLANNED. 
          I THINK JUST LOOKING AT THEIR FACES WHILE THE RESOLUTION WAS READ,
I THINK IT TOUCHED EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM. SO I'M GLAD THEY WERE HERE FOR THAT EXPERIENCE. 
          I DID ALSO WANT TO JUST SAY TO MR. MARTIN THAT OUR TRANSPORTATION PLANNER,
JULIE HARLAN, IS GOING TO REACH OUT TO YOU TO DISCUSS YOUR CONCERNS AND THE INFORMATION THAT YOU BROUGHT FORWARD ABOUT CROSSWALKS. 
          SO THERE IS A STAFF MEMBER THAT WILL BE IN TOUCH WITH YOU ABOUT THAT. 
          SO THERE'S NOT A LOT I CAN ADD ABOUT THE RESOLUTION. 
          [03:20:01]
EXCEPT THAT AGAIN, I'M PROUD OF THIS BODY AND AM REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT STEPS AND TO
THANK THOSE WHO CAME AND SOME THAT ARE STILL HERE AND SUPPORTING THE CITY COMMISSION IN MAKING THAT
DECISION AND CERTAINLY IN BRINGING FORWARD THE RESOLUTION FOR US TO CONSIDER AND I'LL ADD MY DEEP THANKS TO
COMMISSIONER MEYER FRONK IT HAS BEEN A LABOR OF LOVE. I KNOW, AND FOR A WOMAN WHO HAS A VERY BUSY LIFE TO COME UP HERE ON THE
WEEKENDS AND TO LOOK THROUGH AND PARTICIPATE IN THAT PROCESS HAS TAKEN A LOT OF TIME AND ATTENTION,
AND WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO, TO DO THAT FOR FOR THIS BODY,
AS WELL AS FOR THOSE WHO WERE A PART OF THAT INITIAL GROUP BRINGING FORWARD THIS INFORMATION
TO US. 
          AND I GUESS JUST TO PIVOT A LITTLE AS WELL, IF YOU DON'T GET TO MILTON FOR THE LACROSSE
GAMES, TRUCKING TUESDAY IS HAPPENING AT LAKESIDE PARK. 
          SO IF YOU'RE IF YOU HAVE A SHORTER COMMUTE IN MIND TO SEE SOMETHING,
GREAT DAY TO RIDE YOUR BIKE TO LEGACY PARK AND ENJOY WHAT I THINK IS GOING TO BE A BEAUTIFUL AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND PARTICIPATE IN TRUCKING
TUESDAY. 
          SO WITH THAT, UNLESS THERE ARE ANY OTHER BUSINESS BEFORE. 
          THERE IS NO SPOON. C OMMISSION, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 10:04. 
          THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.