[00:00:03]
          GOOD EVENING EVERYONE AND 
          [WORK SESSION– 6:30 P.M.]
THANKS FOR BEING WITH US. WE WILL CALL THIS WORK SESSION TO ORDER AND WE WILL TALK ABOUT WATCH FEST. WATCH FEST. 
          ALRIGHT. WATCH OUT NOW. 
          ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS. AND AS YOU SEE FROM THE FIRST SLIDE HERE, WE ARE 86 DAYS OUT FROM THE WORLD CUP AND WATCH FEST. 
          WE'VE GOT A LITTLE SWAG IN FRONT OF YOU. OKAY, THAT'S IT, WE'RE OFF. WE'VE GOT ABOUT 30 MINUTES INSTEAD OF THAT HOUR TO RUN THROUGH AND REALLY, I'M JUST HERE TO CHECK BACK IN AND REPORT TO THE CITY COMMISSION ON WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF THE WATCH FEST. 
          JUST AS A REMINDER, IN TERMS OF WHAT IS WATCH FEST. IT IS A 34-DAY FESTIVAL THAT COINCIDES WITH THE FIFA WORLD CUP TOURNAMENT, OF WHICH, YOU MAY RECALL. ATLANTA IS A HOST CITY, AND THEY WILL BE HOSTING EIGHT OF THE MATCHES DURING THE TOURNAMENT. OUR EVENT, WELL, PRETTY MUCH ALL OF THE EVENTS WILL BE HELD UP ON THE SQUARE AND EVERYTHING IS FREE. SO THIS IS FREE, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. AND OUR MARKET IS PRETTY MUCH EVERYBODY. WE WANT OUR RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS TO PARTICIPATE, AS WELL AS FOLKS FROM GEORGIA AND BEYOND, AND AND CERTAINLY WE ANTICIPATE A WHOLE LOT OF INTERNATIONAL VISITORS AND WHO ARE COMING TO ATLANTA AND THEN THEY WILL ALSO FIND US HERE IN DECATUR. WHAT WE ENVISION ON EACH DAY, SO IT'S REALLY A 39 DAY PERIOD, THERE ARE 34 DAYS OF MATCHES. ON EACH OF THOSE 34 DAYS, THERE WILL BE A CONCERT. AND, PENDING RIGHTS FROM FIFA, WE WILL ALSO SHOW AT LEAST ONE, IF NOT MORE MATCHES. I DO, WE DO ENVISION THIS AS BEING A HYBRID EVENT, WHERE WE ARE NOT GOING TO SHOW EVERY MATCH UP ON THE SQUARE. WE WOULD ALSO ENCOURAGE, WE ARE ALREADY ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO GO INTO THE PUBS AND RESTAURANTS. 
          TO VIEW THE MATCHES, WE WILL HAVE FOOD, BEVERAGE UP ON THE SQUARE. THERE WILL BE FOOD TRUCKS. AGAIN, THERE WILL BE AMPLE ATTENDEES WHO WILL PARTICIPATE INSIDE THE BUSINESSES, AS WELL AS WE'LL HAVE THE FOOD TRUCKS UP IN THE TURNAROUND ON EAST COURT SQUARE. WE'LL HAVE SOCCER THEMED ACTIVITIES AND I'LL SHOW A BIT OF A LAYOUT TO GET INTO SOME MORE DETAILS OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. AND ALSO JUST SO FOLKS KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT JUST DOING THIS ON AN ISLAND. FROM DAY ONE, WE'VE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE ATLANTA HOST COMMITTEE. THEY'VE BEEN REALLY GREAT TO PARTNER WITH. AND CERTAINLY WE'RE STRESSING THAT THIS IS MEANT TO COMPLEMENT EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING TO BE HAPPENING DOWN IN ATLANTA AT THE FANFEST. JUST TO REFRESH YOUR MEMORY, SO IT'S BEEN, IT WAS JULY 15TH, 2024, WHEN THE CITY COMMISSION APPOINTED AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND AT THAT TIME, WE ALSO DISCUSS THE MISSION AND GOALS FOR THE EVENT. SO, JUST AS A REMINDER, AND I THINK WE'RE FULFILLING THIS MISSION, IS CREATING AND HOSTING A MULTI-DAY SPORTING WATCH FESTIVAL FOR RESIDENTS, GREATER ATLANTA, ATLANTANS, AND VISITORS FROM NEAR AND FAR AND JUST TO COME HANG OUT WITH US AND ENJOY THE FIFA WORLD CUP 26 IN COMMUNITY. 
          AND IF YOU'VE HEARD ME TALK TO, REALLY, TALKING ABOUT THIS OR TALKING TO THE MEDIA, REALLY, THERE'S A LOT OF EMPHASIS ON COMMUNITY. I THINK THAT'S REALLY WHAT THIS IS ABOUT, IS COMMUNITY BUILDING, SOMETHING THAT WE DO REALLY WELL HERE. AND HERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY TAKE COMMUNITY BUILDING TO THE NEXT LEVEL. THERE'S ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEVERAGE OUR NEW CAPITAL, NEWEST CAPITAL INVESTMENT UP ON THE SQUARE, THE SQUARE TRANSFORMATION YOU KNOW, WHAT A HUGE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE THE NEW STAGE, THE NEW MARVA PLAZA, AND ALL OF THE ACTIVITIES THERE. AND ALSO BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN IMPACTED FOR THE PAST ALMOST A YEAR. 
          AND SO JUST A WAY OF KIND OF SAYING THANK YOU AND GIVING BACK. AND I MENTIONED THAT IT WAS JULY, THAT THERE WAS AN ADVISORY. COMMITTEE APPOINTED, JUST A REMINDER, THOSE WERE RESIDENTS, BUSINESS OWNERS, EMPLOYEES, AND JUST ALSO PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO REALLY LOVE SOCCER. SO WE'VE HAD A REALLY VERY ACTIVE STEERING COMMITTEE 
          [00:05:05]
OVER THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF. 
          AND THEN JUST LOOKING AT THE GOALS HERE, I'M NOT GOING TO READ ALL THESE TO YOU, BUT THAT WAS ONE OF THE EARLY QUESTIONS FROM THIS COMMISSION. IT'S LIKE, WELL, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE? AND WE SPLIT OUT. KIND OF JUST THE GENERAL CITY INDICATOR GOALS, BUT ALSO WE HAVE OUR TOURISM BUREAU, WHO THEY, YOU KNOW MAY BE LOOKING AT THIS WITH A DIFFERENT LENS, SPECIFIC TO TOURIST AND TOURISM. 
          FOR ME, AND I BELIEVE WHAT I'VE HEARD THE BODY SAY, IS THAT REALLY, IN TERMS OF A GOAL, THE BOTTOM LINE IS USING THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE DECATUR, TO SHOWCASE OUR CITY AND JUST SHOW THE WORLD WHO WE ARE AS A COMMUNITY. WE ARE A WELCOMING COMMUNITY. WE'RE A COMMUNITY THAT VALUES DEMOCRACY, A PLACE THAT STRIVES FOR EQUITY, AND I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN SHOW THAT THROUGH THE SHARED EXPERIENCES, THROUGH THIS EVENT. THAT'S AROUND SOCCER AND MUSIC. SO IT'S ABOUT, IT'S MUCH MORE THAN, MUCH MORE THAN A PARTY. 
          SO WHERE IS THIS GOING TO TAKE PLACE? AT THIS STAGE, STARTING, WELL, THE PROJECT UP ON THE SQUARE IS STARTING TO LOOK EERILY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAVE. RIGHT HERE, SO ALL OF THE EVENTS WILL BE ON THE DOWNTOWN SQUARE. JUST A REMINDER THAT WE HAD THE GROUNDBREAKING IN APRIL OF 2025, AND IT'S ROUGHLY EIGHT, EIGHT AND A HALF MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT. REMINDER THAT IT'S ALL PAID FOR BY SALES TAX. THIS IS THROUGH THE SPLOST INITIATIVE, AND SO THERE IS NOT PROPERTY TAX GOING TOWARDS THE IMPROVEMENT. WE WILL BE COMPLETE IN MAY OF 2026. 
          OF COURSE, JUST A REMINDER THAT THE PROJECT INCLUDES THE NEW STAGE, CHILDREN'S PLAY AREA, THE PUBLIC RESTROOMS, AND ALSO THE NEW TURF UP ON THE SQUARE. Y'ALL FEEL FREE TO STOP ME AT ANY MOMENT. AS WE GO THROUGH THIS, HERE'S A LITTLE MORE DETAIL. 
          SO THIS IS A MAP THAT WE, THE STEERING COMMITTEE, HAS BEEN WORKING WITH, AND IT'S CONTINUING TO SHIFT A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, FROM HERE TO THERE. BUT IF YOU SEE THAT THERE'S THE PERFORMANCE STAGE, AND THEN YOU PULL AWAY TO THE OTHER END OF THE MARTA PLAZA, THERE'S THE PLAY AREA. 
          WE ARE STILL WORKING ON ACQUIRING, ACCESSING, LOCATING A MINI PITCH OR, AGAIN, SOME SORT OF SOCCER THEMED ACTIVITY FOR THAT CORNER OF THE SQUARE. YOU ALSO SEE THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF TENTS SET UP THROUGHOUT THE EVENT AREA, FROM COOLING TENTS TO TENTS FOR OUR SPONSORS. WE HAVE AN INTERNATIONAL VILLAGE TENT. YOU SEE THAT JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE JOHN LEWIS STATUE. THANK YOU. AND SO WE'VE ALREADY HOSTED A LUNCHEON WITH OUR CONSULATES, AND WE'RE IN TOUCH WITH, AGAIN, ANY NUMBER OF INTERNATIONAL CONTACTS WITHIN THE ATLANTA COMMUNITY. 
          SO THAT DIFFERENT COUNTRIES CAN HOST EVENTS AND, YOU KNOW HOST VISITORS IN OUR INTERNATIONAL VILLAGE. AND THEN, OF COURSE, YOU SEE EAST COURT SQUARE WITH THE FOOD TRUCKS. ALSO, THERE'S SCREENS. SO PRETTY MUCH WHEREVER YOU ARE IN THE EVENT AREA, YOU WILL ALSO SEE A SCREEN. 
          THERE'S ONE RIGHT THERE, IN FRONT OF IBERIAN PIG, OVER NEAR THE MINI PITCH. AND THEN, OF COURSE, THERE'S THE LARGE SCREEN THAT'S ON THE PERFORMANCE STAGE. IS THERE GOING TO BE TEMPORARY FENCING? THERE WILL BE FENCING FOR THE THREE MAJOR CONCERTS. 
          AND WILL THE FENCING BE WHERE THESE BLUE LINES ARE, OR WILL THEY BE ELSEWHERE? YES, THAT IS THE BLUE LINE. 
          GOT IT. HAVE WE THOUGHT ABOUT TREATING PONTS THE WAY WE TREAT IT FOR. PONTS BETWEEN CHURCH AND CLAREMONT IS GOING TO BE SHUT DOWN FOR THE THREE MAIN EVENTS FOR SECURITY VEHICLES. AND SO WE'LL HAVE ESSENTIALLY A MOBILE OPERATION CENTER OR CENTERS SET UP ON PONDS IN THAT AREA. 
          HOW ABOUT FOR ANY OF THE OTHER DAYS? TREATING IT LIKE A FESTIVAL, SAY, WEEKENDS. HAVE WE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT? RIGHT NOW, WE'RE NOT SHUTTING DOWN PONDS EVERY SINGLE DAY. 
          NO, NOT EVERY DAY, JUST ON WEEKENDS. I'M LOOKING AT JEN JOHNS SITTING HERE 
          [00:10:05]
IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM. JEN JOHNS, AND I'LL NAME SOME OTHER FOLKS, BUT JEN HAS BEEN THE PERSON THAT THE CITY HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THROUGH THIS WHOLE PROCESS. 
          SHE IS THE REASON THAT WE HAVE GOTTEN AS FAR AS WE HAVE ON THIS PROJECT. SO THANK YOU, JEN, FOR ALL THAT. AND ANYWAY, SHE'S BEEN A CRITICAL RESOURCE FOR THIS PROJECT. THE RIGHT PERSON AT THE RIGHT TIME. 
          GREAT PITCH, HITTER. ALL RIGHT, SO IF YOU'RE NOT EXCITED YET, NOW YOU'VE GOT TO BE EXCITED. 
          THERE ARE THREE HEADLINE EVENTS FOR THE, FOR WATCH FEST. SO ON THE OPENING DAY OF THE TOURNAMENT, THAT IS THURSDAY, JUNE 11TH, AND I BELIEVE THAT MEXICO VERSUS SOUTH AFRICA AT 3 O'CLOCK. AND THEN THAT EVENING AT 7:30, BIG BOY WILL BE PERFORMING RIGHT UP HERE ON THE STAGE IN THE CATER. IT IS A FREE, TICKETED, GATED EVENT. FRIDAY, BEFORE LAST, I BELIEVE IT WAS, WE DID OUR FIRST TICKET DROP. 
          AND THE TICKETS SOLD OUT IN 40, 45 MINUTES. AGAIN, THAT WAS THE FIRST DROP AND REALLY WE KIND OF WANTED TO GAUGE IF THERE WAS INTEREST. 
          YOU KNOW WHAT? THERE IS INTEREST. AND SO THEN THERE WILL BE ANOTHER DROP IN APRIL. AND I'LL REMIND PEOPLE HOW TO FOLLOW US, THAT PEOPLE WILL NEED TO FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO GET THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE NEXT DROP. SO JUNE 11TH, IF THAT WASN'T ENOUGH, ON JUNE 25TH, THAT WILL BE A USA MATCH. AT 10 P.M. SO, PRIOR TO THAT MATCH, WE WILL HAVE THE WAR AND TREATY PERFORM AT 7:30. AND WE ACTUALLY, THERE'S GERMANY, I THINK, IS PLAYING THAT DAY, TOO, SO THERE ACTUALLY COULD BE A COUPLE OF GAMES. IT COULD BE A GAME BEFORE AND THE GAME AFTER. AND THEN, FINALLY, HOW FITTING TO CLOSE OUT ON THE LAST DAY OF THE TOURNAMENT WITH THE INDIGO GIRLS ON JULY 19TH AT 8 O'CLOCK. AND THE WORLD CUP FINAL IS AT 3 O'CLOCK. AND ALSO THERE ARE SOME MORE BANDS THAT HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED. SO THE STEWS, WHICH ESSENTIALLY SOME YOUNG MEN OUT OF AUBURN, AND THEN HER MAJESTY'S REQUEST, WHO ARE ALSO A CROWD FAVORITE. AT SPORTS FEST. AND THERE WILL BE MORE, BECAUSE, AGAIN, THERE ARE 34 DAYS THAT WE WILL HAVE CONCERTS. SO MORE TO COME. ALL RIGHT, HERE ARE SOME KEY DATES. AND STARTING WITH THE 11TH, WITH THE OPENING DAY. ALSO, SO THE 12TH WILL BE THE FIRST USA MATCH, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE PLAYED IN L.A. I DON'T THINK WE HAVE THE JUNE 15TH ON HERE, BUT I WOULD JUST ADD JUNE 15TH IS THE FIRST ATLANTA MATCH. AND THEN, IS THAT THE SAME DAY AS, YEP, THE STUDENTS ARE GOING TO BE PLAYING ON THE 15TH. AND THEN ON, WE HAVE JUNETEENTH, WHICH IS ALSO A USA MATCH. SO THAT'S A BIG DAY. THAT'S USA. I THINK THEY'RE PLAYING OUT OF SEATTLE THAT DAY. THEN, AGAIN, THE 25TH IS GOING TO BE WAR AND TREATY. AND THEN WE START GETTING TO, WE HAVE THE ROUND OF 32. THEN THE 4TH OF JULY, WHICH IS ALSO RIGHT SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF WORLD CUP AND WATCH FEST. SO JUST SOMETHING LITTLE. IT'S OUR 250TH BIRTHDAY. AND AGAIN, THEN DOWN TO THE ROUND OF 16, A COUPLE OF MATCHES IN ATLANTA, AND THEN FINALLY THE FINAL ON THE 19TH. HERE ARE, THESE ARE WAYS THAT WE ARE GETTING OUR BUSINESSES AND BUSINESSES INVOLVED. I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT WE SEE THIS AS A HYBRID EVENT. THIS IS NOT JUST ISOLATED TO THE SQUARE. WE WANT ALL OF THE BUSINESSES TO BE AS INVOLVED AND ENGAGED AROUND THIS AS THEY WANT TO BE. SO, YOU SEE ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE, THIS IS A DESIGN FOR A WINDOW CLING. RIGHT NOW, BUSINESSES CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE, DECATURWATCHFEST26.COM, AND SIGN UP TO BE A WATCH SPOT. 
          I BELIEVE THAT THERE'S AT LEAST 15 BUSINESSES SO FAR THAT HAVE SIGNED UP. AND THEN IF YOU'RE, AND THOSE ARE FOLKS 
          [00:15:01]
THAT ARE GOING TO SHOW THE MATCHES INSIDE THEIR ESTABLISHMENT. BUT THEN THERE ARE OTHER BUSINESSES THAT JUST WANT TO GET IN ON THE ACTION. AND SO THESE ARE OUR WATCH FEST FRIENDLY BUSINESSES. AND SO THEY CAN HAVE SIGNAGE THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY, WE'RE PARTICIPATING IN THIS. 
          AND SO, YOU KNOW, WELCOME TO WATCH FEST. THOSE ARE WINDOW CLINGS. WE ALSO, ON OUR WEBSITE, WELL, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S ON OUR WEBSITE, BUT WE HAVE SENT A LINK TO ALL OF OUR BUSINESSES WHO WOULD LIKE TO ORDER CERTAIN SWAG, SAY, IF THEY WANT, WATCH THIS, COASTERS, PINT GLASSES, FLAGS. SO YOU'RE NOT A RESTAURANT, BUT YOU WANT TO GET THEM. MAYBE YOU HAVE A LOBBY. YOU CAN HAVE PILLOWS FOR THE CHAIRS AND COUCHES. I MEAN, ANYTHING THAT WE CAN PUT THIS LOGO ON, WE WILL. 
          BUT WE'RE MAKING THAT AVAILABLE TO OUR BUSINESSES TO ORDER. 
          REGARDING THE WATCH SPOT, SO IS THIS AVAILABLE TO BUSINESSES OUTSIDE OF THE SQUARE AS WELL? YES. 
          THEY CAN BE A WATCH SPOT? ABSOLUTELY. YOU'RE AN OAKHURST AND WE WOULD TOTALLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO BE A WATCH SPOT. AND I HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE LIST OF BUSINESSES, BUT THEY ARE ALL OVER. ALSO, FOLKS CAN GO NOW TO THE VISITOR CENTER OR KELLY'S MARKET. I'M NOT SURE WHO ELSE MIGHT BE SELLING. OUR ONLINE STORE. AND OUR ONLINE STORE. 
          AND I BELIEVE THAT'S ACCESS THROUGH OUR, THAT CAUGHT OFF THE PRESS, ON OUR WEBSITE. YES. AND SO THAT'S WHERE YOU CAN GET THE LOVELY SCARVES, HATS, T-SHIRTS, AGAIN JUST THE GENERAL SWAG THAT YOU SEE PEOPLE WEARING RIGHT NOW. HERE ARE THE PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. PINT GLASSES. I LOVE THE PINT GLASSES. WE SHOULD GIVE AN AWARD FOR WHO WORE THEIR SCARF THE FARTHEST. 
          CHALLENGE ACCEPTED. WE REALLY CANNOT DO THIS WITHOUT OUR PARTNERS, AND SO JUST THESE FOUR BUSINESSES AT THE TOP HERE ARE COMMITTED. 
          THESE PARTNERS WILL HELP TO OFFSET THE COST. SO WE DO HAVE A HANDFUL OF COMMITMENTS AND WE ARE CERTAINLY HOPEFUL FOR SOME OTHERS. AND SO CONVERSATIONS CONTINUE MEAN WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO CONTINUE THOSE CONVERSATIONS. AND THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO PUT THOSE LOGOS UP IN THE EVENT SPACE. AND I WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE ONLY COMMUNITY THAT'S ACTIVATING FOR 34 DAYS. YOU KNOW, WE ARE STRESSING TO BUSINESSES, TO ORGANIZATIONS, THAT THEY WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE SEEN FOR 34 DAYS. AND COMPARED TO, SAY, THE WATCH FEST IN DOWNTOWN ATLANTA, YOU KNOW, IN DECATUR, YOU CAN BE A BIG FISH IN A RELATIVELY SMALL POND. 
          AND SO I THINK THERE REALLY ARE SOME GOOD OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMPANIES TO STAND OUT. I WILL SAY THAT WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO FIFA. 
          YOU KNOW, FIFA'S RULES ARE PRETTY LIMITING IN TERMS OF THE PARTNERS THAT WE CAN ENGAGE WITH. SO, YOU KNOW, THE OFFICIAL FIFA CORPORATE SPONSORS, YES, WE CAN WORK WITH. IF IT COMPETES WITH AN OFFICIAL SPONSOR, SAY THE AIRLINE. WE CANNOT WORK WITH OUR LOCAL AIRLINE BECAUSE OF THE AIRLINE SPONSOR THAT FIFA HAS. I SAY, LOCAL, DELTA. SPIRIT? BUDGET? TED'S AIRLINE? I DON'T KNOW. AND THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THE PARTNERS CAN BE SEEN AND HIGHLIGHTED DURING THE EVENT WITH THE TENTS AND FLAGS. 
          AGAIN, PRETTY TRADITIONAL. SO IF SOMEONE WANTED TO REACH OUT FOR, SAY, AN INCIDENTAL PARTNERSHIP, WHO WOULD THEY REACH OUT TO? WELL, THEY COULD START WITH ME, AND THEN I'LL PRETTY QUICKLY HAND THEM OVER TO A MAN NAMED BRAD OLECKI, AND THAT'S WHO THE CITY HAS CONTRACTED WITH TO HANDLE THE BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP. 
          BUT AGAIN, I CAN MAKE THAT CONNECTION. I REFERENCED THIS EARLIER, SO THIS IS JUST A SNAPSHOT FROM THE WEBSITE THAT'S BEEN 
          [00:20:02]
CREATED, DECATURWATCHFEST26.COM. THE EVENT'S ONLINE PRESENCE IS ACTUALLY QUITE IMPRESSIVE, AND REALLY ALL THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED. IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN COMING TO DECATUR, PARTICIPATING IN THIS EVENT, IT'S HERE. HOWEVER, WHAT I THINK IS A LOT MORE FUN IS OUR INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK PRESENCE. AND IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY, IF YOU'RE NOT ALREADY FOLLOWING, TAKE A MOMENT NOW. 
          IS THERE A LINKEDIN PAGE? I THINK I ALREADY DO. 
          BUT I DO ENCOURAGE FOLKS. SO IT'S DECATURWATCHFEST26. IF YOU GO INTO INSTAGRAM, I MEAN, EVERY SINGLE DAY THERE IS CONTENT ABOUT THIS EVENT, ABOUT WORLD CUP. IT'S FRESH. 
          IT'S ENGAGING. AND IT'S REALLY PROMOTING THE EXCITEMENT AS WE GET CLOSER AND CLOSER. ALSO, LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS HERE ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT. THAT'S PRETTY IMPRESSIVE NUMBERS. 
          THIS IS REALLY IMPRESSIVE. AND CERTAINLY, THE CONCERT ANNOUNCEMENTS HAVE DRIVEN A LOT OF THE TRAFFIC, BUT YOU HAVE 287% INCREASE IN MONTHLY VIEWS. THE TOTAL REACH, WELL OVER 214,000. AND ON AVERAGE, ABOUT 11,000 FOLKS THAT WE'RE REACHING. AND THIS IS JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE SHOWING THE DIVERSITY OF THE CONTENT ON INSTAGRAM. 
          AND THEN JUST LAST WEEK, WE MADE IT. THERE'S LANGSTON, THE FACE OF VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT. LAST YEAR WE, OR LAST YEAR, LAST WEEK, WE ANNOUNCED THE VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN. 
          AND RECALL THE WEBSITE RIGHT HERE AT THE TOP. YOU CAN JUST GO TO OUR WEBSITE, CLICK ON VOLUNTEER. THANK YOU. IT'S NOT INTERACTIVE. 
          BUT THERE'S A REAL SIMPLE FORM TO FILL OUT, AND LET US KNOW, ARE YOU AVAILABLE ONE DAY? MAYBE YOU'RE AVAILABLE ALL 34 DAYS. BUT WE NEED ABOUT 350 OR SO VOLUNTEERS, AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ANY TROUBLE GETTING THE VOLUNTEERS THAT WE NEED. AND THERE'LL BE SOME REALLY COOL SWAG FOR VOLUNTEERS THAT NO ONE ELSE IS GOING TO GET. AND THIS IS JUST A REMINDER THAT THIS WHOLE EVENT IS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY, THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, AND THE TOURISM BUREAU. AND WHEN I SAY PARTNERSHIP, THAT MEANS ALL THREE OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS ARE COMMITTING FUNDS TO THE EVENT. AND THIS BODY APPROVED A BUDGET LAST YEAR FOR, AND REMEMBER, THIS EVENT CROSSES FISCAL YEARS, AND SO WE'VE APPROVED A BUDGET THAT WILL TAKE US THROUGH JUNE 30TH, AND THIS BODY WILL BE SEEING VERY SOON, AN UPDATED BUDGET THAT WILL TAKE US THROUGH, WELL, AN UPDATED BUDGET FOR THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, AND THEN THE BUDGET FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. AND SO WE WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DIVE INTO THOSE NUMBERS WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET. AND ALSO JUST WANT TO ADD, AND I MENTIONED THIS KIND OF OFFHAND TO THIS GROUP. SO, YOU KNOW, YOU SAW EARLIER, THE VERY BEGINNING, WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT THE MISSION AND THE GOALS FOR THIS. YOU KNOW, AND A LOT OF IT, YOU KNOW, IT IS ABOUT COMMUNITY BUILDING. IT'S ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WELCOMING THE WORLD TO DECATUR. IT'S SHOWCASING THE CITY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW HOW SPECIAL IT IS. WE KNOW WHAT WE VALUE. AND AGAIN, THIS IS OUR OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT. WELL, CERTAINLY, THERE'S ALSO FOLKS OUT THERE WHO SAY, WELL, WHAT'S REALLY IN IT FOR DECATUR? AND I WOULD SAY, NO, REALLY, THAT WOULD BE ENOUGH. 
          HOWEVER, WE DID WORK WITH A PROFESSOR AT EMORY, DR. TOM SMITH, WHO PREPARED AN ECONOMIC IMPACT REPORT. WHICH IN MANY WAYS VALIDATED WHAT WE HAVE SAID, ALSO FROM THE BEGINNING. WE KNOW THAT THIS IS GOING TO BRING THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO THE CITY, AND THEY ARE GOING TO STAY IN OUR HOTELS. THEY ARE GOING 
          [00:25:02]
TO SPEND MONEY AT THE PUBS, RESTAURANTS, SHOPS, YOU NAME IT. AND WE HAVE A REPORT THAT'S COMING OUT TOMORROW THAT WILL PROVIDE A GREATER LEVEL OF DETAIL OR PROVIDE A LEVEL OF DETAIL THAT WE HAVE NOT YET PROVIDED TO THE PUBLIC THAT REALLY DOCUMENTS THE FINANCIAL IMPACT THAT THIS COMMUNITY WILL SEE. 
          BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, FOLKS WERE HERE AT THE OLYMPICS. YOU KNOW, THERE'S DECATUR BEFORE THE OLYMPICS AND DECATUR AFTER THE OLYMPICS. 
          BECAUSE OF THE INVESTMENTS THAT WERE MADE IN THE COMMUNITY AT THAT TIME. AND, YOU KNOW, I EXPECT IT TO BE SIMILAR. AND THEN, FINALLY, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I RECOGNIZE, YOU KNOW, WHOLE SLEW OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING SO HARD ON THE PLANNING FOR THIS EVENT. AGAIN SINCE JULY OF 2024. AND I MENTIONED JEN JOHNS, WHO'S BEEN OUR CONSULTANT AND THE OVERALL MANAGER OF THE PROJECT WE RECENTLY HAVE CONTRACTING WITH A MAN, WHITNEY FAGEL. WE BROUGHT WHITNEY IN TO BE THE OPERATIONS MANAGER. 
          SO IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY PIECES OF FENCE DO WE NEED, HOW MANY PORT-A-LETS DO WE NEED, YOU KNOW, AND GETTING THOSE CONTRACTS, HE'S WORKING ON THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL. ALSO, DOZENS AND DOZENS OF CITY STAFF PEOPLE ARE DOING THIS ON TOP OF THEIR DAY JOB. THEY ARE DOING THINGS LIKE DESIGNING T-SHIRTS AND JERSEYS. I'M LOOKING AT GAIL, YOU KNOW, FOR CITY STAFF. JUST, AGAIN, THINGS THAT MAY NOT BE IN PEOPLE'S JOB DESCRIPTION, BUT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE STEPPED UP AND, AGAIN, HAVE BEEN CONTRIBUTING. 
          OF COURSE, THE STEERING COMMITTEE, THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE. WE ARE WORKING WITH A FIRM CALLED LEFF & ASSOCIATES ON THE COMMUNICATIONS. AND THEN ALSO LINDSAY WOJCICKI. I JUST BUTCHERED HER LAST NAME. 
          LINDSAY AND ETHAN RYDER HAVE BEEN JUST HITTING IT OUT OF THE PARK WITH THE SOCIAL MEDIA. AND, AGAIN, WE'VE PULLED TOGETHER THIS GREAT TEAM. AND THE PEOPLE THAT WE BROUGHT IN FROM THE OUTSIDE, WE BROUGHT THEM IN TO COME TO COMPLEMENT THE WORK THAT OUR CITY STAFF ARE DOING, BUT ALSO JUST TO KEEP OUR CITY STAFF FROM COMPLETELY RUNNING OUT OF BANDWIDTH. AND, YOU KNOW, WE SEE, I MEAN, THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT MARCH, APRIL, MAY, JUNE, I MEAN, IT'S 86 DAYS. JUST, YOU KNOW, THE WORK IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO RAMP UP. 
          BUT WE'VE GOT A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE DEDICATED TO THIS. AND ONCE WE GET THE VOLUNTEERS ON BOARD. YEAH, THAT'S GONNA BE CRITICAL TO PULLING THIS OFF, BUT I MEAN, THAT'S WHERE WE ARE. AND WE'VE COME A LONG WAY SINCE THIS WAS JUST A GLEAM IN THE COMMISSION'S EYE. AND IT WAS A VISION THAT I HOPE YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'RE GETTING CLOSER TO BRINGING TO FRUITION. AND WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE OR PROVIDE INFORMATION AT A LATER TIME. ONE QUICK COMMENT, ONE QUICK QUESTION. 
          FIRST OF ALL, IT'S MY RECOLLECTION THIS WAS STAFF'S IDEA, AND IT WAS MAYBE IT WAS MAYOR GARRETT'S OR MAYOR, SO I JUST WANT TO GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE, BECAUSE I'M EXCITED ABOUT IT. 
          WE ALL PITCHED IN. WE ALL PITCHED IN. IT WAS NOT MY IDEA, SO WHOEVER CAME UP WITH THE GREAT IDEA. I'M ALL FOR IT. DID WE TOUCH ON SECURITY? WE DID NOT TALK ABOUT SECURITY. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST ASSURANCES THAT THIS IS A CHALLENGE. YES. AND SO OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. I MEAN, THEY'VE DEVELOPED A STAFFING PLAN FOR THIS PERIOD OF TIME. 
          WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BUDGET, I MEAN, A LARGE CHUNK OF THE BUDGET IS PUBLIC SAFETY RELATED. SO IT'S GOING TO BE POLICE AND FIRE AND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE EQUIPMENT THAT'S GOING TO BE NEEDED TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE. WE ALSO HAVE A DATE SCHEDULE THAT THIS WAS COORDINATED WITH THE UK, WITH OUR RELATIONSHIP THAT WE DEVELOPED WITH THE UK CONSULATE. THEY ARE GOING TO BE PROVIDING OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH SOME SPECIALIZED EUROPEAN FOOTBALL-TYPE TRAINING BECAUSE THE FAN EXPERIENCE IS DIFFERENT. BUT, I MEAN, WE DO BELIEVE THAT THE SECURITY PROTOCOLS WOULD NEED TO BE DIFFERENT JUST TO ADDRESS THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHALLENGES WITH THIS TYPE OF EVENT. YOU ASKED ME WHAT MY 
          [00:30:05]
PRIORITY IS, IS THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE A SAFE AND THEN A FUN EVENT. BUT THE EMPHASIS IS THAT WHEN PEOPLE COME HERE, THEY KNOW THAT IT'S GOING TO BE SAFE, FUN, FAMILY FRIENDLY. GO DOWN TO ATLANTA, GO TO THE FAN FEST, ENJOY THE FRENZY, AND THEN HOP ON THE TRAIN, COME BACK HERE, AND GRAB A BEVERAGE. GRAB SOME FOOD AND RELAX WITH A CONCERT AND A MATCH. I THINK IT WILL BE A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE, AND I THINK PEOPLE ARE GOING TO WANT TO ENJOY BOTH. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? JUST BYE. 
          WATCH OUT. HERE WE COME. ONE FINAL QUESTION. ARE THE FOLKS PROMOTING THE ACTUAL MATCHES ALSO PROMOTING WATCH FEST, OR ARE WE ONLY DOING OUR OWN PROMOTION? IN OTHER WORDS, DO WE HAVE ANY? ARE WE? IS ALL THE OUTREACH THAT WE'RE DOING FOR WATCH FEST, ALL THE OUTREACH THAT IS HAPPENING, OR ARE PARTNERING COMMUNITIES OR ADJACENT COMMUNITIES ALSO SHARING WHAT WE'RE DOING? I SEEM TO RECALL THERE BEING SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT HAVING TO GET APPROVED AS A WATCH FEST CITY. RIGHT, YOU KNOW, DOES THAT QUALIFY WHAT I'VE SAID IN TERMS OF SHOWING THE MATCHES? THAT IS THAT WE ARE PENDING THE RIGHTS FROM FIFA. SO THE DAY THAT THE APPLICATION OPENED TO MAKE THE APPLICATION TO FIFA, WE MADE THE APPLICATION, AND WE HAVE BEEN IN ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT BACK AND FORTH WITH FIFA. AND IT'S A POSITIVE THAT THEY ARE BEING RESPONSIVE. BUT WE HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED THE RIGHTS. BUT, AGAIN, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE WORKING SO CLOSELY WITH THE HOST COMMITTEE, WHERE THEY'RE PROVIDING US VERY GOOD GUIDANCE ON HOW TO MANEUVER WITH CISA. BUT, I MEAN, I WOULD SAY THAT WE ARE, I MEAN, WE'RE PUTTING OUR, WE'RE PUTTING THIS INFORMATION OUT THERE, AND WE DO HAVE PARTNERS. I MENTIONED DEKALB COUNTY. WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH DEKALB SINCE DAY ONE. 
          MARTA IS WORKING OUT. THEY'RE A GREAT PARTNER. WE'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM. 
          THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE AMBASSADORS AT ALL THE STATIONS. WE'RE ALSO TALKING TO EACH OTHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COORDINATING EVEN TRANSLATION TOOLS. WHAT ARE YOU USING? THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO USE. BUT MARTA HAS BEEN GREAT TO WORK WITH. 
          WELL, IT'S BEEN A WELL-ORGANIZED EFFORT FROM THE INCEPTION, SO THANK YOU. THANKS FOR ANSWERING THAT. ALL RIGHT. 
          WE WILL END THIS WORK SESSION. 
          CAN I GET A QUICK PICTURE? YEAH. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WE DON'T HAVE A HAT ON. GOOD EVENING, 
          [I.Call to Order by Mayor]
EVERYONE. SORRY FOR THE DELAY. WE HAD A WORK SESSION THAT RAN A LITTLE LONG, BUT GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. 
          WELCOME TO THE MARCH 16TH DECATUR CITY COMMISSION 
          [II.Approval of the Minutes.]
MEETING. COMMISSIONERS, YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU THE MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AND THE REGULAR MEETING OF MARCH 2ND, 2026. ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONS OR CORRECTIONS? SO MAY I GET A MOTION, PLEASE? MOTION TO APPROVE. MOTION HAS BEEN MADE AND SECONDED. IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. AND THE CHAIR VOTES AYE. AND THOSE MINUTES ARE PASSED. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO STATE BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I KNOW MANY OF YOU ARE HERE TONIGHT TO TALK ABOUT 346 WEST TRINITY PLACE. THAT IS NOT AN AGENDA ITEM, BUT WE WILL TAKE PUBLIC COMMENTS UNDER REQUESTS AND PETITIONS. 
          SO IF YOU ARE HERE TO SPEAK TO 346 WEST TRINITY PLACE, THAT WILL TAKE PLACE AFTER THE REGULAR MEETING WITH REQUESTS AND PETITIONS. 
          [III.Proclamation.   ]
THANK YOU. WE HAVE TWO PROCLAMATIONS TONIGHT AND WE HAVE A FAIRLY FULL AGENDA, SO I'M GOING TO JUMP RIGHT INTO OUR FIRST PROCLAMATION. 
          THIS IS ALCOHOL AWARENESS MONTH AND WELCOME THE FOLKS FROM DPI. GOOD TO HAVE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE BUILDING TONIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WHEREAS ALCOHOL IS A PRIMARY FACTOR IN THE FOUR LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH FOR YOUTHS AGES 10 TO 21, AND WHEREAS ALCOHOL IS 
          [00:35:02]
THE MOST COMMONLY USED ADDICTIVE SUBSTANCE IN THE UNITED STATES, AND WHEREAS UNDERAGE DRINKERS CONSUME 11% OF THE ALCOHOL SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES, AND 90% OF THAT IS THROUGH BINGE DRINKING, AND WHEREAS YOUNG PEOPLE WHO BEGIN DRINKING BEFORE THE AGE OF 15 ARE FOUR TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DEVELOP ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE, THAN THOSE WHO START DRINKING AT AGE 21. AND WHEREAS, THE 2025 GEORGIA STUDENT HEALTH SURVEY FOR DECATUR INDICATED THAT 6% OF OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS HAD ENGAGED IN BINGE DRINKING IN THE LAST 30 DAYS. AND WHEREAS THE SURVEY ALSO INDICATES THAT THE PERCENTAGE OF ALCOHOL USE IS DECREASING, 3% OF OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS STILL REPORT RIDING IN A VEHICLE WITH SOMEONE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL OR OTHER DRUGS. 
          AND WHEREAS YOUTH WHO DRINK ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE VICTIMS OF VIOLENT CRIME, TO BE INVOLVED IN ALCOHOL-RELATED TRAFFIC CRASHES, TO HAVE SERIOUS SCHOOL-RELATED PROBLEMS, AND TO EXPERIENCE MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS. AND WHEREAS TWO-THIRDS OF DECATUR'S 6TH THROUGH 12TH GRADERS CITE THEIR PARENTS AS THE REASON THEY CHOSE NOT TO MISUSE SUBSTANCES. 
          SUPPORTING THE BELIEF THAT A SUPPORTIVE FAMILY ENVIRONMENT AND A POSITIVE COMMUNITY NORMS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH LOWER RATES OF ALCOHOL USE FOR ADOLESCENTS. AND WHEREAS, CONSISTENT AND SUSTAINED PARENTAL ATTITUDES CAN INFLUENCE A CHILD'S DECISION ABOUT WHETHER TO USE ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUGS. 
          AND WHEREAS YOUTH WHO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEIR PARENTS AND LEARN A LOT ABOUT THE DANGERS OF SUBSTANCE MISUSE ARE 50% LESS LIKELY TO USE ALCOHOL AND DRUGS THAN THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE SUCH CONVERSATIONS. NOW, THEREFORE, I, MAYOR TONY POWERS, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF DECATUR, THE CITY OF HOMES, SCHOOLS, AND PLACES OF WORSHIP, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM APRIL 2026 IN DECATUR AS ALCOHOL AWARENESS MONTH, AND I ENCOURAGE MEMBERS OF THE DECATUR COMMUNITY TO JOIN THE DECATUR PREVENTATIVE INITIATIVE, OR DPI. THE DPI YOUTH ACTION TEAM AND THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON ALCOHOLISM AND DRUG DEPENDENCE TO SUPPORT EFFORTS TO HELP FAMILIES ADDRESS THIS SERIOUS CONCERN IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE PRESENT YOU ALL WITH THIS PROCLAMATION. OH, GOODNESS. GET ME? OH, IT'S TEARY. YEAH, IT'S JUST TEARY. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO SPEAK TODAY. AND THIS IS DECATUR YOUTH ACTION TEAM. AND SOME ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT WE HAD AS DPI, WE HAD A SUCCESSFUL NATIONAL NIGHT OUT. WE ALSO HAD A DRUG TAKE BACK AT THE POLICE STATION. AND I KNOW THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE WANTED TO REQUEST, SOMETHING WE WANTED TO ASK THEM FOR. WE WANTED TO EXPAND THE DRUG TAKE BACK AND INCLUDE A NEW SITE. A NEW SITE INITIATIVE ON TAKING BACK DRUGS IN THE COMMUNITY. YES, THANK YOU. WE THINK THAT DRUG TAKE BACK IS A REALLY IMPACTFUL WAY FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T ACCESS COMMUNITY PLACES TO, FOR THEIR PRESCRIBED PILLS TO GET RID OF THEIR MEDICINES. WE ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR FUNDING DPI WITH THE OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUND. WE HOPE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE THAT FUNDING SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO FUND OUR PROGRAMS. LIKE ONE OF MY FAVORITES, INTERNATIONAL OVERDOSE AWARENESS DAY, THAT WE DO EVERY YEAR ON THE LAST FRIDAY OF AUGUST, WHERE WE HELP EDUCATE STUDENTS TO RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS OF OVERDOSE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT CAN HAPPEN FAST, AND MANY STUDENTS DON'T KNOW HOW TO RESPOND. AND ALSO WE HAD AN EVENT ON HOW TO ADMINISTER NARCAN, BECAUSE IT CAN SAVE LIVES, AND MANY STUDENTS, AGAIN, DON'T KNOW HOW TO ADMINISTER IT. AND I THINK EVERYONE ELSE ON THE TEAM WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SHARE SOME OF THEIR FAVORITE EVENTS. THAT WE'VE DONE THROUGH THE YOUTH ACTION TEAM. AND HOW YOUR FUNDING HELPS US OPERATE. 
          YEAH, SO I CAN START. YOU COME 
          [00:40:02]
TO THE MICROPHONE, PLEASE. 
          THANK YOU. I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, ONE OF MY FAVORITE EVENTS THAT WE DO AT DECATUR HIGH SCHOOL IS DURING ALL FOUR LUNCH PERIODS. 
          THIS YEAR, WE ACTUALLY, IT WAS OUR FIRST YEAR DOING IT, WE HAD A PHOTO BOOTH DURING ALL LUNCHES WHERE WE HAD PEOPLE PRESENT ON A LITTLE PAPER. THE REASON THEY CHOOSE NOT TO MISUSE DRUGS AND ALCOHOL. 
          AND THIS WAS JUST REALLY FUN BECAUSE EVERYBODY WAS CARRYING THEIR PICTURES ALL THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL. EVEN TEACHERS STILL HAVE THEM UP IN THEIR CLASSROOMS. PEOPLE HAVE THEM IN THEIR BACKPACKS. 
          SO IT WAS CLEARLY VERY IMPACTFUL AND JUST A REALLY FUN WAY TO SHARE EVERYONE'S REASONS NOT TO USE. SO I REALLY LOVE THE NATIONAL NIGHT OUT AND ALSO OPIUM. I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW MUCH ABOUT IT, AND SO WHEN I WENT TO THE IT WAS DURING LUNCH, IT WAS LIKE A LITTLE EVENT. 
          WHEN I WENT, I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT IT AND ALSO A LOT OF MY FRIENDS CAME AND A LOT OF PEOPLE LEARNED MORE ABOUT IT. SO I REALLY LOVED THAT AND THE IMPACT OF IT. MY FAVORITE EVENT IS WHEN WE ALL WENT DOWN TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND DISTRIBUTED COLORING SHEETS TO ALL THE LITTLE KIDS OVER THERE ABOUT DRUG AWARENESS DURING RED RIBBON WEEK. AND I JUST THINK IT WAS A REALLY GOOD WAY TO REACH OUT TO DIFFERENT PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY AND THE YOUNGER MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. ONE OF MY FAVORITE ACTIVITIES WAS DOING MENTAL HEALTH COLORING BOOKS WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FOR MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH. AND WE ACTUALLY PUT THESE COLORING BOOKS IN Y'ALL'S BAGS SO YOU CAN MY FAVORITE ACTIVITY WAS THE SAY NO TO DRUGS EASTER EGG HUNT. WE DID AT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THAT ALSO REALLY HELPED US CONNECT WITH THE YOUNGER MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. MY FAVORITE TAKE BACK, MY FAVORITE EVENT IS DRUG TAKE BACK DAY. THEY MENTIONED IT. THEY BOTH MENTIONED IT. I ENJOYED, LIKE TAKING, HELPING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TAKE BACK LIKE DRUGS FROM MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. AND REALLY QUICKLY, BEFORE WE LEAVE YOU, WE WOULD LIKE TO URGE THAT YOU CONTINUE COMPLIANCE CHECKS WITH CONVENIENCE STORES AND GAS STATIONS IN DECATUR TO ENSURE THEY ARE NOT SELLING HEMP AND VAPE PRODUCTS TO UNDERAGE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE'RE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE INCREASE AND HOW STRONG THESE PRODUCTS ARE GETTING. AND THEY'RE MOSTLY UNREGULATED. AND IF YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO THESE UNREGULATED PRODUCTS, IT POSES A SERIOUS THREAT TO THEIR HEALTH. THEY COULD GET ADDICTED, AND WE REALLY DON'T WANT THAT. 
          WE KNOW COMPLIANCE CHECKS ARE SOMETIMES FORGOTTEN, BUT I THINK IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT AND SIMPLE WAY TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFER. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL. 
          TERRY, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE AND WITH OUR YOUNG PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. IT'S ALWAYS TOP OF MIND AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU DO. NEXT UP, WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION FOR GOVERNMENT FINANCE PROFESSIONALS WEEK, BUT BEFORE I DO THAT, I'D LIKE TO ASK THE MEMBERS OF OUR FINANCE TEAM TO STEP TO THE MICROPHONE AND INTRODUCE YOURSELVES, PLEASE. THEY'RE IN FINANCE AND THAT MEANS I REALLY DON'T LIKE IT. BUT Y'ALL DO SUCH A FINE JOB KEEPING THE CITY FUNDED. AND NOT EVERYBODY AT ONCE. MY NAME IS JOEANNE COHEN AND I AM THE ACCOUNTANT. 
          MICHELLE GARY AND I'M THE REVENUE MANAGER. JERMAINE FITZPATRICK, REVENUE OFFICER. 
          GOOD EVENING, RUSS MADISON, FINANCE DIRECTOR. ROSALIND LEE, ACCOUNTING SPECIALIST. JAVONNE HARRIS, REVENUE OFFICER. TAMMY WASHINGTON, OPERATIONS ANALYST. CITY OF DECATUR, DECATUR DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT BOARD. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE,AND SO THIS IS ONLY FITTING. WHEREAS GOVERNMENT FINANCE PROFESSIONALS PERFORM ESSENTIAL SERVICES THAT ENSURE THE EFFECTIVE, TRANSPARENT AND RESPONSIBLE MANAGEMENT OF PUBLIC FUNDS FOR THE BENEFIT OF RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF GEORGIA, AND ESPECIALLY HERE IN THE CITY OF DECATUR. AND WHEREAS GOVERNMENT FINANCE PROFESSIONALS SERVE THEIR COMMUNITIES THROUGH THEIR EXPERTISE IN BUDGETING, ACCOUNTING, TREASURY MANAGEMENT, PROCUREMENT, DEBT ADMINISTRATION, AUDITING, FISCAL REPORTING AND LONG-RANGE FINANCIAL PLANNING, THEREBY SUPPORTING THE LAWFUL AND EFFICIENT OPERATION OF STATE, COUNTY, 
          [00:45:01]
AND MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS. AND WHEREAS THESE DEDICATED PROFESSIONALS UPHOLD THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF ETHICS, INTEGRITY, ACCURACY, AND ACCOUNTABILITY, FOSTERING PUBLIC TRUST AND SAFEGUARDING THE FISCAL HEALTH OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS, AND WHEREAS? THE GEORGIA GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION, OR GGFOA, REPRESENTS FINANCE PROFESSIONALS STATEWIDE AND ADVANCES EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT THROUGH EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT. 
          AND WHEREAS GGFOA AND ITS MEMBER JURISDICTIONS HAVE ESTABLISHED AND SPONSORED GOVERNMENT FINANCE PROFESSIONALS WEEK TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND CELEBRATE THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF FINANCE PROFESSIONALS, AND TO INCREASE THE AWARENESS OF THE VITAL FINANCIAL SERVICES THEY PROVIDE. THAT BENEFITS ALL GEORGIANS. AND WHEREAS IT IS FITTING AND PROPER TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR AND EXPRESS APPRECIATION FOR THE DEDICATION, PROFESSIONALISM, AND PUBLIC SERVICE OF GOVERNMENT FINANCE PROFESSIONALS WHOSE EXPERTISE SUPPORTS THE FISCAL STABILITY AND LONG-TERM SUCCESS OF GEORGIA'S LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, ESPECIALLY OURS. NOW, THEREFORE, I, MAYOR TONY POWERS, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF DECATUR, THE CITY OF HOMES, SCHOOLS, AND PLACES OF WORSHIP, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM MARCH 16TH THROUGH THE 20TH, 2026, IN DECATUR AS GOVERNMENT FINANCE PROFESSIONALS WEEK AND ENCOURAGE ALL RESIDENTS, ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO JOIN IN RECOGNIZING AND EXPRESSING APPRECIATION FOR THE DEDICATED GOVERNMENT FINANCE PROFESSIONALS ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY AND THE STATE OF GEORGIA. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU FOR ALL TWO. 
          IT'S PARENT AND KEEPING US ON THE ROAD. JUST REAL QUICKLY, I ALSO WANT TO REITERATE JUST THE THANKS AND THE RECOGNITION TO THIS TEAM. WE HAVE THE BEST TEAM IN THE COUNTRY. I MEAN, BECAUSE OF YOU, WE ARE ABLE TO DO AND ACHIEVE THE GOALS OF THIS COMMUNITY. AND AGAIN, YOU DO IT QUIETLY, YOU DO IT BEHIND THE SCENES, BUT AS THE PROCLAMATION SAID, YOU DO IT WITH ETHICS. DETAIL-ORIENTED, AND, YOU KNOW, JUST SO DEDICATED. SO I JUST WANT TO TAKE THIS MOMENT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW. I SEE, I SEE THE WORK THAT YOU DO, I SEE THE VALUE THAT YOU ADD TO THIS ORGANIZATION. AND AGAIN, TO SHOW UP AGAINST ANYBODY IN THIS COUNTRY AND IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCE. 
          WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE YOU, THANK YOU. WE WILL HAVE THE 
          [IV.  Presentations.]
DECATUR YOUTH COUNCIL TO TALK ABOUT A PRESENTATION FOR FAIR OFF THE SQUARE. HI EVERYONE, I'M CLAIRE. I'M ELIA MATHEW-LEWIS. I'M LIORA YUSTEIN. AND I'M TATUM HERMAN. SO THE DECATUR YOUTH COUNCIL HAS BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD TO PLAN OUR FAIR OFF THE SQUARE EVENT TO KICK OFF THE SPRING. AND IT'S GOING TO BE HELD THIS SATURDAY ON PONCE DE LEON AVENUE, IN BETWEEN CHURCH STREET AND CLAREMONT, FROM 10 A.M TO 3 P.M. AND ALL AGES ARE WELCOME. 
          WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF LOCAL VENDORS SERVING CARNIVAL FOOD AND A LOT OF FUN BOOTHS, AND THE EVENT IS GOING TO BE EXPANDED THIS YEAR. THIS YEAR, LIKE OUR PAST TWO YEARS, WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF OUR VOLUNTEERS FROM DECATUR HIGH SCHOOL AND CLUBS THERE AND SOME OF OUR, WE HAVE A LOT OF NEW BOOTHS THIS YEAR SINCE IT'S EXPANDED, SUCH AS A LOT MORE CARNIVAL GAMES AND A 
          [00:50:02]
ROCK WALL. BUT WE'RE ALSO BRINGING BACK THE MECHANICAL BULL AND THE DUNK TANK IN THE FORM OF A SILLY SHOWER. SO HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE WARM ON SATURDAY. 
          AND THEN SOME OF OUR BOOTHS ARE TICKETED AND SOME OF THEM AREN'T, BUT THE PROCEEDS FROM OUR TICKETED BOOTHS ARE GOING TO JOE'S FUN THIS YEAR. YEAH, AND JOE'S FUND IS AN ORGANIZATION THAT'S PART OF DECATUR EDUCATION FOUNDATION THAT'S DEDICATED TOWARDS MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVES FOR STUDENTS IN THE DECATUR AREA. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE SOME BUTTONS FOR ALL OF Y'ALL FOR FAIR ON THE SQUARE. THANK YOU. 
          THERE'S A DUNK TANK. ARE YOU LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS? IF YOU WANT. I ALWAYS LOVE TO HAVE VOLUNTEERS. I VOLUNTEER THE NEWEST COMMISSIONERS AS TRIBUTE. THAT'S ONLY IN A SUPER ROLE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE'RE EXCITED TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN. THANK YOU. IS THAT IT? BUT BEFORE YOU ALL GO, I WOULD JUST LIKE THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW THAT OUR VERY OWN LIORA HAS BEEN NAMED SALUTATORIAN OF DECATUR HIGH SCHOOL FOR THIS UPCOMING YEAR. 
          CONGRATULATIONS. 
          CONGRATULATIONS. THANK Y'ALL. 
          ALL RIGHT, NEXT UP, STAFF INTRODUCTIONS. EVENING, MY NAME IS CARA SCHARER. I SERVE AS ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER OF PUBLIC WORKS. I'M PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE APPOINTMENT OF JULIE GYURICZA AS DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS. 
          JULIE IS A LICENSED PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER WITH MORE THAN 15 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN STORMWATER MANAGEMENT IN PUBLIC WORKS. SHE'S LED COMPLEX MUNICIPAL INFRASTRUCTURE INITIATIVES SPANNING TRANSPORTATION, SITE DESIGN, AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS, AND AS AN EFFECTIVE AND COLLABORATIVE LEADER, JULIE SUCCESSFULLY SUPERVISED TECHNICAL AND FIELD TEAMS WHILE STRENGTHENING DEPARTMENTAL PERFORMANCE AND SERVICE DELIVERY. PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING JULIE AS SHE SERVES IN THIS NEW ROLE. THANK YOU. I'M VERY EXCITED TO TAKE ON THIS NEW ROLE. I HAVE A LONG AND KIND OF A UNIQUE HISTORY WORKING FOR THE CITY. I STARTED OUT AS A STORMWATER ENGINEER AND MOVED TO A PART-TIME CIVIL ENGINEERING PLAN REVIEWER, AND THEN, MOST RECENTLY, AS A SENIOR ENGINEER. SO ALL OF THESE ROLES I'VE HELD WITHIN PUBLIC WORKS. I'VE BEEN VERY PROUD TO DO SO. SO THIS NEW ROLE, I'M EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO MORE BROADLY IMPACT PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT ACROSS MULTIPLE DIVISIONS. 
          THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. 
          CONGRATULATIONS. 
          CONGRATULATIONS. ALL RIGHT, 
          [V.A.Recommend approval of temporary special event beer and wine licenses for annual events sponsored by non-profit organizations at Decatur Legacy Park]
NEXT UP, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE LICENSE. 
          MS. ARNOLD, A TEMPORARY EVENT FOR BEER AND WINE LICENSES FOR LEGACY PARK. DIAMOND. 
          HELLO, MS. FOGG. I THOUGHT SOMEONE FROM LEGACY WAS DOING THAT. WELCOME THIS EVENING. 
          COMMISSIONERS, I'M DIAMOND FOGG, PROGRAMS MANAGER WITH LEGACY DECATUR. I'M HERE TODAY TO REQUEST THE COMMISSION TO APPROVE A LOCAL BEER AND WINE ALCOHOL LICENSE FOR THE FOLLOWING EVENTS AT LEGACY PARK THIS YEAR. APRIL 18TH, LEGACY DECATUR WILL HOST OUR THIRD ANNUAL LEGACY COMMUNITY DAY, AND OUR SPRING EVENT CELEBRATES ALL OF OUR NON-PROFITS AND THE COMMUNITY FOR FOOD, FUN, ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION, AND A SIGNATURE PLANT SEAL. 
          WE'RE ALSO EXCITED TO INCLUDE THE CITY OF DECATUR'S EARTH DAY FESTIVAL AS A PART OF OUR EVENT. LEGACY DECATUR WILL BE SELLING THE ALCOHOL AND HAS PREVIOUSLY SERVED SELLING BEER AND WINE AT LEGACY PARK EVENTS. LEGACY DECATUR WILL USE THE LOCAL LICENSE TO APPLY FOR A SPECIAL EVENT ALCOHOL LICENSE FROM THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE. LIKE LEGACY, DECATUR WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING COMPLIANCE WITH THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, ALCOHOL LICENSE AND PERMITTING PROCESS. LEGACY DECATUR REQUESTS PERMISSION FOR BEER AND WINE ALCOHOL SALES FROM 11 A.M. TO 2 P.M. ON APRIL 18, 2026. OUR NEXT EVENT IS OUR TRUCKIN' TUESDAY SERIES. 
          TRUCKIN' TUESDAYS WILL OCCUR TUESDAYS EVERY MAY AND SEPTEMBER FROM 5 TO 8 PM. THE FOLLOWING DATES INCLUDE THIS 12TH, 19TH, 26TH, AS WELL AS SEPTEMBER 1ST, 8TH, 15TH 22ND AND 29TH FROM 5 TO 8 P.M. LEGACY DECATUR WILL SELL THE ALCOHOL AND WILL USE THE LOCAL LICENSE TO APPLY FOR A SPECIAL EVENT LOCAL LICENSE FROM THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT 
          [00:55:02]
OF REVENUE. LEGACY DECATUR WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THE COMPLIANCE WITH THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, ALCOHOL LICENSE AND PERMITTING PROCESS. LEGACY DECATUR REQUESTS PERMISSION FOR BEER AND WINE ALCOHOL SALES FROM 5 TO 8 P.M. 
          DURING THE SPECIFIED MAY AND SEPTEMBER 2026 DATES. LASTLY, ON OCTOBER 18TH, THE LANDLOCKED OYSTER FESTIVAL WILL TAKE PLACE AT LEGACY PARK. 
          OYSTER SOUTH IS THE ORGANIZER OF THE EVENT AND IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES RESOURCES TO SUPPORT OYSTER FARMS AND HEALTHY WATERS. LANDLOCKED OYSTER FESTIVAL HAS A SUCCESSFUL TRACK RECORD AT LEGACY PARK SINCE 2022. LEGACY DECATUR IS REQUESTING A BEER AND WINE ALCOHOL LICENSE FOR THIS SPECIAL EVENT, LISTING OYSTER SOUTH AS THE LICENSEE. OYSTER SOUTH WILL THEN USE THE LOCAL LICENSE TO APPLY FOR A SPECIAL EVENT LICENSE FROM THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE. NO ALCOHOL SALES ARE CONDUCTED AT LANDLOCKED OYSTER FESTIVAL. HOWEVER, TO RECEIVE DONATED ALCOHOL DISTRIBUTION COMPANIES REQUIRE A LOCAL LICENSE. IF THE EDUCATOR REQUESTS A LOCAL BEER AND WINE ALCOHOL LICENSE FOR OCTOBER 18TH FROM 3 P.M. TO 7 P.M. WITH OYSTER SOUTH AS THE LICENSE HOLDER AND SPONSORING ENTITY. AS A REMINDER, WITH ALL EVENTS AT LEGACY PARK, A SECURITY OFFICER IS REQUIRED, AND CARDING INDIVIDUALS IS ALSO IMPLEMENTED JUST TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF OUR PATRONS. I'D LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO JOIN US, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. 
          COMMISSIONERS, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO QUESTIONS. ALL RIGHT. MOTION'S MADE. IS THERE A SECOND? MOTION'S BEEN MADE AND SECONDED. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. AND CHAIR VOTES AYE. WE'LL SEE YOU SOON. 
          [V.B.Recommend approval of an alcoholic beverage license for consumption on premises of beer, wine and spirituous liquors to Alexis Valentine for AV Gourmet, dba The Foodie’s Place, 627 E. College Avenue, Suite D.]
THANK YOU. NEXT UP, WE HAVE THE RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF AN ABL FOR CONSUMPTION OF BEER, WINE, AND SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS TO ALEX VALENTIN. THAT'S IT, MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS. 
          TONIGHT, I'M RECOMMENDING THE ISSUANCE OF AN ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE LICENSE TO ALEXIS VALENTINE AS THE OWNER, AND THAT'S FOR AV GOURMET, DOING BUSINESS AS THE FOODIES PLACE. THE LOCATION IS 627 EAST COLLEGE AVENUE, SUITE D. 
          THIS IS THE SPACE THAT WAS FORMERLY OCCUPIED BY THE CORNER PUB. AND THE TYPE OF LICENSE IS BEER-WINE COMBO AND SPIRITS WITH LIQUORS. SO, AGAIN, I DO RECOMMEND THE APPROVAL OF THAT APPLICATION. AND I'M ASSUMING SINCE SOMEONE'S STANDING AT THE PODIUM, YOU MUST BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE RESTAURANT. AND SO WOULD YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF? GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONER, EVERYONE ABOARD. 
          I AM ALEXIS VALENTINE, THE CHEF AND OWNER, ALONG WITH MY PARTNER, LEO VALENTINE, HERE AS WELL. WE ARE THE OWNERS OF THE FOODIES PLACE, A.K.A. AV GOURMET, FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE CORNER PUB. WE'RE EXCITED TO BE IN DECATUR. WE LIVED HERE FIVE YEARS AGO. WE'RE BACK IN TOWN. EXCITED TO SEE ALL THE UP-AND-COMING CHANGES, AND WE'RE GLAD TO BE A PART OF IT. WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TOWARDS IT AND EXCITED TO BRING OUR ENERGY TO ALL THE EXCITING ENERGY THAT WE SEE HAPPENING HERE. WHAT'S THE FARE? A GLOBAL CUISINE. CATER TO ALL TYPES OF PALATES, WITH 13 YEARS BEHIND US WITH THE CATERING BUSINESS, AND WE'VE TRANSLATED THAT INTO BRICK AND MORTAR, AND WE FEATURE FOOD FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD, WITH A ROTATING MENU WITH FOOD PURCHASED FROM THE FARMER'S MARKET, WHICH IS EIGHT MINUTES FROM OUR LOCATION. WE'VE REACHED OUT TO LOCAL FARMERS AS WELL, SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED. SO THE FAIR IS ALWAYS CHANGING. ALL RIGHT. EXCELLENT. WE'RE KNOWN FOR OUR JERK CHICKEN, SPRING ROLLS AND OUR SHRIMP AND GRITS. 
          OKAY. OKAY, YOU HAD ME AT CHICKEN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? MOVE APPROVAL. 
          SECOND. MOTION HAS BEEN MADE AND SECONDED. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. AND THE CHAIR VOTES AYE. WELCOME BACK. THANK 
          [VI.Public Comment on Agenda Action Items.]
YOU. ALL RIGHT, NEXT UP, THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO COMMENT ON AGENDA ACTION ITEMS. ON AGENDA ACTION ITEMS OTHER THAN REQUESTS AND PETITIONS AND REPORTS AND OTHER BUSINESS. 
          PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT RELATE TO REQUEST SOME PETITIONS WILL BE HEARD LATER IN THE MEETING. 
          WHICH ALSO INCLUDES 346, AGAIN WEST TRINITY PLACE. WE HAVE FIVE ITEMS BEFORE US TONIGHT. 
          WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT FOR AUDIO-VISUAL EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES, THE PROCUREMENT AND 
          [01:00:02]
SUPPORT SERVICES FOR A BUILD GRANT PROJECT, LOCAL MATCH FOR G DOC, G DOT. L MIG SAFETY ACTION PLAN, THE CONTRACT FOR UPDATED MURAL AND DOWNTOWN CROSSWALKS, THE UPDATES TO THE COMMUNITY ENERGY FUND UTILIZATION POLICY. AND THEN SOME REPAIRS AT DECATUR LEGACY PARK, AT EDWARDS AND TRUSTEE COTTAGES. SO IF YOU WISH TO MAKE A COMMENT ON ANY OF THESE AGENDA ACTION ITEMS, NOW'S THE TIME TO DO SO, PLEASE. PLEASE COME FORWARD. 
          STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE, AND MAKE YOUR COMMENT. MY NAME IS DAVID AMUYAL, 133, UPLAND ROAD. THANK YOU FOR OPENING UP THE MEETING, AS ALWAYS. I'M SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF AGENDA ACTION ITEM C, THE LOCAL MATCH FOR THE GDOT SAFETY ACTION PLAN GRANTS. I SUPPORT THE LOCAL MATCH FOR THE WEST PONCE SPEED MANAGEMENT PROJECT. I LIVE JUST A FEW HOUSES OFF OF WEST PONCE, AND I OFTEN WALK THERE WITH MY FAMILY. TRAFFIC MOVES WAY TOO FAST ON PONCE, AND IT'S DEFINITELY A REAL SAFETY ISSUE. 
          AND MY SPECIFIC CONCERN IS THAT THE PLANNED GDOT ROUNDABOUT ON SCOTT BOULEVARD AT THE END OF PONCE IS GOING TO MAKE THE CURRENT SITUATION WORSE. 
          WITH BOTH THE QUANTITY OF TRAFFIC AS WELL AS THE SPEED OF TRAFFIC. BECAUSE IT WILL CUT OFF NORTH-SOUTH ACCESS TO SCOTT BOULEVARD, WHICH CURRENTLY USES THE PARKWOODS. 
          AND SO THAT MEANS THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING FROM OAKHURST AND THE SOUTH WILL NO LONGER HAVE DIRECT ACCESS TO SCOTT BOULEVARD, WHICH A LOT OF TRAFFIC USES TODAY. SO WE'RE CONCERNED THAT THAT'S GOING TO PUSH A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF THAT EXISTING TRAFFIC TO USE UPLAND ROAD AND THEN WEST PONCE TO ACCESS SCOTT BOULEVARD. THAT COMBINED WITH GDOT'S PLAN TO ADD A SLIP LANE BYPASSING THE ROUNDABOUT EASTBOUND COMING INTO DECATUR. IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S GOING TO CREATE A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION ON WEST PONCE UNLESS SOMETHING IS DONE, ESPECIALLY AT THE INTERSECTION WITH UPTON. SO I ENCOURAGE THE COMMISSION TO APPROVE THIS ITEM, BUT ALSO TO PLEASE STAY ENGAGED ON ADDITIONAL MITIGATION MEASURES AS THE ROUNDABOUT MOVES FORWARD, ESPECIALLY ON EAST PARKWOOD ROAD AND UP THE ROAD. AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK BOTH JULIE HARLAN AND CARA SCHARER FOR THEIR ENGAGEMENT SO FAR ON THIS SPECIFIC ISSUE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. 
          GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS JAMES CHILTON. I LIVE NEXT DOOR TO DAVID ON UPLAND ROAD. I WANT TO ECHO HIS CONCERNS WITH RESPECT TO YOUR ADDRESS. 
          129. THANK YOU. YEAH. YEAH. I WANT TO ECHO DAVID'S CONCERN WITH RESPECT TO THE GDOT. 
          PROJECT AS IT'S GOING TO BE INSTALLED IN SCOTT BOULEVARD. ACCORDING TO THE ROUGH NUMBERS THAT WE SAW FROM GDOT, THIS PROJECT COULD RESULT IN A RESIDENTIAL ROAD THAT CURRENTLY SEES FEWER THAN 100 CARS AN HOUR, RECEIVE TRAFFIC OF UP TO TO 700 CARS AN HOUR. THAT WOULD ESSENTIALLY TURN A LOCAL RESIDENTIAL ROAD INTO A PRIMARY ARTERIAL. I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO SEE SOME INVESTMENT IN UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OF THAT IMPACT, WITH THE NUMBER OF SCHOOL BUS STOPS AND RESIDENTIAL FAMILIES LIVING THERE. THAT'S ALL. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ARE THERE OTHERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT ON THESE AGENDA ACTION ITEMS? SEEING NONE, 
          [VII.A.Agreement for Audiovisual Equipment and Services.]
WE'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THESE AGENDA ITEMS AND WE'LL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM A. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS. AS WE DISCUSSED IN THE WORK SESSION EARLIER THIS EVENING, THE CITY IS PREPARING FOR THE WATCH FEST EVENT STARTING IN JUNE IN 34 DAYS OF CONCERTS. AND IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THOSE CONCERTS ON THE NEW STAGE, WE'RE GOING TO NEED SOME AUDIO VISUAL EQUIPMENT AND THE RELATED SERVICES. SO TONIGHT, I AM RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY COMMISSION AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE COMPANY ORCHESTRATED AUDIO VISUAL, INC. OR OAV IN THE AMOUNT OF $99,491.25. 
          AND THAT IS FOR AUDIO VISUAL EQUIPMENT AND LABOR FOR ALL PERFORMANCES FOR THE DURATION OF THE DECATUR WATCH FEST EVENT. AND ACTUALLY, THE AGREEMENT STARTS A COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE THE EVENT ON JUNE 9TH, WITH THE EQUIPMENT LOAD IN. 
          AND THEN THEY'LL TERMINATE RIGHT AFTER THE LAST CONCERT ON JULY 19TH. WE DID RECEIVE TWO OTHER QUOTES. YOU HAVE THOSE BEFORE YOU. I SEE THAT THERE WAS ONE THAT WAS ABOUT $20,000 LESS THAN THE ONE WE'RE 
          [01:05:01]
RECOMMENDING, AND THEN ONE THAT'S ABOUT $100,000 MORE THAN THE ONE THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING. AND SO, THE PRIMARY DIFFERENCE WITH THE TWO LOWEST QUOTES IS THE LIGHTING SYSTEM PROPOSED BY OAV. AND THEY ACTUALLY STATED THIS IN THEIR PROPOSAL. THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF THE OTHER QUOTE THAT WE HAD RECEIVED. 
          BUT THEY DID POINT OUT THAT THEIR QUOTE INCLUDED THE $20,000 THAT'S NEEDED FOR THE LIGHTING FOR THE NATIONAL ACTS. AND WITH CLOSER REVIEW, THE LOWER QUOTE DOES NOT HAVE THE TYPE OF LIGHTING THAT WOULD BE NEEDED FOR THE THREE NATIONAL ACTS. 
          AND SO THE NATIONAL ACTS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER TODAY, BIG BOY, THE WAR AND TREATY, AND THE INDIGO GIRLS. THIS FIRM, OAV, COMES HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. THEY DO PROVIDE THE SAME SERVICES TO AMPLIFY DECATUR MUSIC FESTIVAL, WHICH WILL BE TAKING PLACE ON THE DECATUR SQUARE STARTING ON JUNE 5TH. SO ACTUALLY, AMPLIFY WILL BE THE FIRST EVENT TO TAKE PLACE ON THE STAGE. WE'LL LET THEM BREAK IN THE STAGE, WORK OUT THE KINKS, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THE WATCH FEST EVENT. THE OAV HAS ALSO WORKED OTHER EVENTS. THE LAST YEAR'S SWEETWATER 420 FESTIVAL IS ONE EXAMPLE. WE DO HAVE THESE FUNDS SPECIFIED IN THE SPECIAL EVENT FUND BUDGET, AND THAT IS THE FUND THAT IS BEING USED SPECIFICALLY FOR WATCH FEST. SO AGAIN, I WE, I DO RECOMMEND AUTHORIZATION FOR THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THAT AGREEMENT WITH OAV IN THE AMOUNT OF 99, 491.25. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. 
          THANK YOU, MS. HARLOW. ANY QUESTIONS, JUST A COMMENT. I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THIS NAME, BUT WHEN I SAW THAT. THEY'VE DONE AMPLIFY, KNOWING HOW GREAT THE SOUND AND LIGHTING IS FOR AMPLIFY, I FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE WITH THE FACT THAT THEY'D BE ABLE TO HANDLE CONCERTS AT THIS SCALE. SO, CAN I GET A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGREEMENT WITH OAV FOR THE AMOUNT OF $99,491.25? SO MOVED. 
          SECOND. WHICH HAS BEEN MADE AND SECONDED. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. AND CHAIR VOTES 
          [VII.B. Procurement Support Services for BUILD Grant Project]
AYE. THANK YOU. NEXT UP, PROCUREMENT SUPPORT FOR SERVICES FOR A BUILD GRANT PROJECT. GOOD EVENING. HELLO. 
          JULIA GYURICZA, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS. I'M HERE TO RECOMMEND THE APPROVAL OF A TASK ORDER WITH JACOBS ENGINEERING TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL PROCUREMENT SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE BILL GRANT PROJECT RECONNECTING SCOTT BOULEVARD. I'M REQUESTING APPROVAL OF A PROJECT BUDGET IN THE AMOUNT OF $181,300 TO SUPPORT THE PROPOSED CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $164,817 FOR THESE SERVICES. THE TOTAL PROJECT BUDGET INCLUDES A 10% CONTINGENCY. IN FEBRUARY OF 2024, THIS BOARD AT THE TIME RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF AN APPLICATION TO THE USDOT. FOR REBUILDING AMERICAN INFRASTRUCTURE WITH SUSTAINABILITY AND EQUITY, THE RAISE PLANNING GRANT, NOW KNOWN AS THE BUILD GRANT, FOR THE RECONNECTING OF SCOTT BOULEVARD. THE $2.87 MILLION AWARD REQUIRES A LOCAL MATCH OF $1 MILLION. THE BUILD GRANT WILL SUPPORT A COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING PROCESS CENTERED ON A ROBUST PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT. 
          THE EFFORT WILL INCLUDE THE DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF MULTIPLE CONCEPTS, ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW, PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING, AND RIGHT-OF-WAY PLANNING. 
          POTENTIAL IMPROVEMENTS ALONG THE SCOTT BOULEVARD CORRIDOR MAY INCLUDE WIDER SIDEWALKS, MULTI-USE PATHS, STORMWATER MANAGEMENT ENHANCEMENTS, BUT IT WILL NOT BE A LANE REDUCTION. THE PROPOSED SCOPE OF SERVICES WILL ENSURE THAT THE CITY'S PROCUREMENT PROCESS COMPLIES WITH FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL REQUIREMENTS. AND THAT THE PROJECT SCOPE REMAINS CONSISTENT WITH THE BUILD GRANT AWARD. BECAUSE SCOTT BOULEVARD IS A STATE ROUTE, COORDINATION WITH GDOT AND ADHERENCES TO STATE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PROCEDURES ARE REQUIRED. 
          JACOBS ENGINEERING WILL PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL PROCUREMENT SUPPORT SERVICES TO GUIDE THE CITY THROUGH THE CONSULTANT SELECTION PROCESS. 
          IN ACCORDANCE WITH GDOT'S PLANNED DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, ENSURING THE PROJECT REMAINS ELIGIBLE FOR FEDERAL FUNDING. 
          THE PROCUREMENT AND INITIAL PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PHASE IS ANTICIPATED TO TAKE UP TO NINE MONTHS AND WILL INCLUDE PROJECT MANAGEMENT, COORDINATION WITH GDOT, PREPARATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE RFQ PROCESS, SUPPORT DURING CONSULTANT SELECTION, AND ASSISTANCE WITH REFINING THE PROJECT SCOPE TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THE BILLED GRANT REQUIREMENTS. 
          FUNDS ARE PROGRAMMED IN THE FISCAL YEAR 25-26 PLOS FUND TO COVER THE COST OF THE REQUIRED LOCAL MATCH. 
          SO, APPROVAL OF A TASK ORDER WITH JACOBS ENGINEERING TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL 
          [01:10:02]
PROCUREMENT SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE BUILD GRANT PROJECT, RECONNECTING SCOTT BOULEVARD, IS RECOMMENDED. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION. THIS IS THE FIRST PHASE WHERE WE'RE BASICALLY DESIGNING THE PROJECT, AND THEN WE GO BACK FOR A SECOND PHASE. 
          FOR THE BUILD GRANT. 
          TO ACTUALLY HOPE TO GET FEDERAL FUNDING TO HELP BUILD OUT WHATEVER COMES OUT OF THE PROJECT. IS THAT PROPER? CORRECT. SO THIS WHOLE PROJECT IS DESIGN ONLY. SO THE WHOLE, THE TWO PARTS 2.87 MILLION IS ALL FOR DESIGN. BUT BUILD IS GENERALLY STRUCTURED WITH THE ANTICIPATION YOU WOULD COME BACK FOR A BIGGER GRANT? SEPARATE FUNDING, YES. THAT WOULD BE UNDER A SEPARATE GRANT. AND WOULD WE EXPECT TO ALSO NEED CONSULTING TO HELP US COMPLY WITH FEDERAL, ASSUMING WE DESIGN THIS, WE GET THE SECOND GRANT, WE PROBABLY NEED TO GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS JUST BECAUSE IT'S SO ONEROUS DOCUMENTING FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS. I WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT AS WELL, YES. A COUPLE QUESTIONS. SO WE GET THROUGH THIS PHASE. WHAT COULD THAT TIMELINE LOOK LIKE FOR A POTENTIAL BUILD-OUT OF THIS PROJECT? BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE A PRETTY MASSIVE PROJECT. 
          IS THERE A, YOU KNOW, PROJECTED? SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CONSTRUCTION, SO PAST THIS DESIGN PHASE? I MEAN, THE DESIGN WILL TAKE US TO 2029, SO THEN CONSTRUCTION, IT WOULD BE A 10-YEAR ALL THE WAY TO COMPLETION. YES, AM I CORRECT THAT WE, COMMISSIONER DUSENBURY MENTIONED, USE THE WORD OWNER IS AN OWNER AS PROCESS. AND IF WE, IF WE MAKE A MISTAKE IN THIS PROCUREMENT PHASE, WE COULD BE FORCED TO GO BACK TO, LIKE, GO BACK TO START. ESSENTIALLY, AND THAT IS ONE REASON THAT WE ARE EMPLOYING THE EXPERTISE OF A CONSULTANT. CORRECT. SO, I MEAN, SPECIFICALLY WITH THE SCOPING, AND JACOBS WOULD HELP US GET THROUGH THAT FIRST TASK ORDER OF SCOPING WITH THE CONSULTANT THAT'S SELECTED. ANYTHING THAT'S NOT SPECIFICALLY CALLED OUT IN THAT SCOPING, WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO IN THIS PROJECT. SO HAVING SOMEONE THERE WHO'S FAMILIAR WITH THE PDP PROCESS. WORKING WITH GDOT AND ALL OF THE FEDERAL REGULATIONS WOULD HELP US MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING EVERYTHING WE WANT UP FRONT IN THIS BEGINNING STAGE. AND I WOULD ADD, MY ORGANIZATION TRUSTS PUBLIC LAND. WE ALSO GET SOME OF THESE GRANTS, AND WE ALSO HIRE PEOPLE TO HELP US NOT MESS UP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER DUSENBURY. ARE THERE OTHER QUESTIONS? MAY I GET A MOTION, THEN? SO MOVED. SECOND. HAS BEEN MADE AND SECONDED. IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. AND THE CHAIR VOTES AYE. GOOD LUCK. THANK 
          [VII.C.   Local Match for GDOT LMIG Safety Action Plan Grant.]
YOU. LET US KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO. NEXT UP, A LOCAL MATCH FOR A GDOT LMIG SAFETY ACTION PLAN GRANT. GOOD EVENING. 
          CARA SCHARER, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, PUBLIC WORKS. HERE TO REQUEST THE CITY COMMISSION APPROVE A 30% LOCAL MATCH IN AN AMOUNT UP TO $360,000 FOR A GDOT-LMIG SAFETY ACTION PLAN GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $800,000 UP TO $840,000. LMIG SAP FUNDS ARE RESERVED FOR IMPROVEMENTS ON LOCAL STREETS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED IN A SAFETY ACTION PLAN. IF AWARDED, THE COMBINED FUNDING WOULD ESTABLISH A TOTAL PROJECT BUDGET OF UP TO $1.2 MILLION FOR THE STUDY, PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING, AND CONSTRUCTION OF SPEED MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENTS ALONG THE WEST PONCE-LEON AVENUE CORRIDOR BETWEEN EAST PARKWOOD ROAD AND WATER STREET. WEST PONCE SERVES AS AN IMPORTANT EAST-WEST CORRIDOR, CONNECTING RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS TO DOWNTOWN DECATUR, SCHOOLS, PARKS, AND LOCAL DESTINATIONS. THE CORRIDOR WAS IDENTIFIED THROUGH THE CITY'S SAFETY ACTION PLAN AS A LOCATION WHERE SPEED MANAGEMENT AND ROADWAY DESIGN INTERVENTIONS COULD SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE SAFETY. 
          THESE FUNDS ARE ALSO BEING PURSUED IN RESPONSE TO COMMUNITY CONCERNS REGARDING POTENTIAL INCREASE IN TRAFFIC VOLUMES THROUGH THE PARKWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD AND ALONG WEST PONCE. FOLLOWING THE COMPLETION OF GDOT'S IMPORTANT ROUNDABOUT PROJECTS. STAFF RECOMMEND THE CITY COMMISSION APPROVE THE LOCAL MATCH OF UP TO $360,000 FOR THE LMIG SAP GRANT APPLICATION. IF THE GRANT IS AWARDED, THE COMBINED FUNDING WILL SUPPORT STUDY, DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION, AND ADVANCE THE CITY'S GOAL OF ELIMINATING TRAFFIC-RELATED FATALITIES AND SERIOUS INJURIES. FUNDING FOR THE LOCAL MATCH WILL BE IDENTIFIED WITHIN THE CITY'S SCHOOL ZONE SAFETY CAMERA PROGRAM 
          [01:15:02]
FUND UPON GRANT AWARD. 
          ANY QUESTIONS? WERE THERE ANY STORMWATER CONCERNS IN THIS INTERSECTION? AND IF SO, WILL THAT ALSO COVER THAT STORMWATER WORK? THIS WOULD NOT COVER STORMWATER WORK ALONG WEST POND. ALTHOUGH IT WOULD BE NICE TO BE ABLE TO INCLUDE STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE, THAT WOULD NOT BE THIS FUNDS WE WOULD NEED TO SUPPLEMENT WITH THE CITY STORM WATER UTILITY. IT HASN'T BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A PRIORITY. WHEN YOU THINK OF THE TOPOGRAPHY GENERALLY, WE'RE AT THE HEADWATERS AND THE FLOW FLOWS OUT OF OUR CITY LIMITS INTO PEAVINE CREEK. YES. WE HEARD SOME CONCERNS VOICED BY FOLKS WHO LIVE ON UPLAND, AND I DON'T SEE UPLAND IN HERE. 
          I WASN'T SURE WHAT THE GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE OF THE STUDY WOULD BE. COULD YOU WALK US THROUGH THAT? SURE. THERE IS, GDOT DOES PROPOSE A ROUNDABOUT PROJECT. 
          IT'S SLATED TO BE LET IN JULY OF 2029. IT'S AN IMPORTANT PROJECT BECAUSE THAT INTERSECTION IS A LOT OF CRASHES. SO, IN GENERAL, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THE ROUNDABOUT PROJECT. 
          HOWEVER, IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES. GDOT HAS DONE A STUDY OF WHAT THE IMPACT MIGHT BE THROUGHOUT THE PARK WOODS IN GENERAL, BECAUSE THERE WOULD BE REMOVING THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL AND BUILDING TWO ROUNDABOUTS. 
          THEY DEFINITELY ESTIMATE A REDUCTION OVERALL, HOWEVER, IT WOULD BE AN INCREASE POTENTIALLY TO UPLAND ROAD. SO, AS PART OF THESE FUNDS, ALONG WEST PONCE, ITS IMPROVEMENTS AT EACH OF THE INTERSECTIONS PROPOSED, AS WELL AS ALONG THE CORRIDOR. WE ANTICIPATE THAT THROUGH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WE'LL HEAR FROM THE PARKWOOD NEIGHBORS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IMPROVEMENTS REQUESTED THROUGHOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD. 
          AND THAT WOULD BE A DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCE THAN THE LMIG SAP FUNDS, IF THAT MAKES SENSE. 
          THIS IS JUST SPECIFICALLY, THEN THIS WILL BE LOOKING ONLY AT WEST PONDS, CORRECT? FROM WHERE THE ROUNDABOUT IS, HOW FAR UP? TO WATER STREET. 
          TO WATER STREET. YES, WITH A DIFFERENT PROJECT IN MIND, FROM NELSON FERRY TO WATER STREET. GOT IT. 
          TO THESE TWO SEPARATE PROJECTS, WE'RE LOOKING PRETTY MUCH FROM THE MARLAY TO THE CITY LIMITS. 
          GENERALLY, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WE'RE REQUESTING FUNDS UP TO 1.2. IT'S NOT CLEAR THE AMOUNT THAT GDOT WOULD PROVIDE, SO THE PRIORITY WOULD BE FROM THE CITY LIMITS. ALONG WEST PONCE, AT THE INTERSECTION OF UPLAND, AT THE INTERSECTION OF ADAIR. WEST TRINITY IS IDENTIFIED IN A DIFFERENT PROJECT. SO IT'S, IT DEPENDS ON THE FUNDING AMOUNT WE RECEIVE FROM GDOT, AND WE WOULD HAVE THE LOCAL MATCH TO SUPPORT 30%. AND SO THEN MY FINAL QUESTION WOULD BE, ASSUMING WE GET THE FULL AMOUNT, WOULD THAT BE ONE CONTINUOUS STUDY OR WOULD IT BE THREE SEPARATE STUDIES? GET THE FULL AMOUNT, I ANTICIPATE, YOU KNOW, ONE STUDY. OKAY. AND ENGAGEMENT WITH NEIGHBORS, YOU KNOW, AT THE DIFFERENT ROADS. 
          THE DIFFERENCE IS, DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT, IS IF IT'S TREATMENT FOCUSED AT THE INTERSECTIONS WITH WEST PONCE, OR IS IT MORE OF A CORRIDOR WHERE WE CAN REEVALUATE MORE OF THAT STRAIGHT SHOT VERSUS WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO WITHIN THAT SPACE ALONG THE CORRIDOR, IF THAT MAKES SENSE. AND THEN ONE FINAL QUESTION, WHAT WOULD THE ANTICIPATED TIMING BE FOR THIS? YES, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT GDOT HAS THE FUNDS READILY AVAILABLE. I'VE PROVIDED THE DATA. WE DON'T KNOW THE AMOUNT IN WHICH THEY ARE WILLING TO DEDICATE TO THIS CONCERN THAT WE'VE MADE A STRONG CASE AND WE'VE PROPOSED SPECIFIC COUNTER MEASURES THAT WE COULD ANTICIPATE ALONG THE CORRIDOR, AS IDENTIFIED IN THE SAFETY ACTION PLAN. THE SPECIFICS THOUGH, DEPEND ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND WHAT WE HEAR FROM THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE RESIDENTS FRONTING THE LOCATION. OTHER QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE LOCAL MATCH FOR THE LMIG SAFETY ACTION PLAN GRANT. SO MOVED. SECOND. 
          [01:20:01]
MOTION'S BEEN MADE AND SECONDED. IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. AND THE CHAIR 
          [VII.D.Contract for Updated Mural and Downtown Crosswalks]
VOTES AYE. THANK YOU, MS. SCHARER. NEXT UP, CONTRACT FOR UPDATED MURAL AND DOWNTOWN CROSSWALKS. YES, HARLAN, MAYBE. 
          GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS JULIE HARLAN, ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY OF DECATUR. I'M HERE TO RECOMMEND CITY COMMISSION APPROVE A CONTRACT WITH TIDWELL TRAFFIC SOLUTIONS IN THE AMOUNT OF $195,013. 
          FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE EXISTING PAINTED MURAL AND THE INSTALLATION OF A NEW THERMOPLASTIC MURAL AT CHURCH IN SYCAMORE, AND THE REMOVAL OF FIVE DECORATIVE CROSSWALKS AND THEIR REPLACEMENT WITH CONTINENTAL-STYLE CROSSWALKS AND TWO-FOOT THERMOPLASTIC DECORATIVE BORDERS. THE CITY ALSO RECOMMENDS ESTABLISHING A TOTAL PROJECT BUDGET OF $234,015, WHICH INCLUDES 20% CONTINGENCY. STAFF PROPOSALS THE REMOVAL OF THE EXISTING DECATUR WATCH FEST 26 MURAL AT CHURCH IN SYCAMORE AND ITS REPLACEMENT WITH UPGRADED MATERIALS. THE CURRENT MURAL WAS INSTALLED INCORRECTLY AND DOES NOT MEET CITY STANDARDS. AS SUCH, WE DID NOT PAY FOR ANY PART OF THE ORIGINAL MURAL INSTALLATION. THE GOAL OF THE MURAL IS TO SIGNAL A PEDESTRIAN-ORIENTED SPACE WHILE CELEBRATING THE UPCOMING DECATUR WATCH FEST 26 FESTIVITIES. THE PROPOSED SCOPE OF WORK WILL ENSURE THE NEW MURAL IS INSTALLED PROPERLY AND IS DURABLE, SAFE, AND FULLY COMPLIANT WITH CITY REQUIREMENTS. 
          IN ADDITION TO THE MURAL WORK, THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL INCLUDE THE REMOVAL OF FIVE EXISTING DECORATIVE CROSSWALKS. THAT HAVE REALLY BEEN FUN AND HAVE SERVED THEIR TIME OUT IN THE PUBLIC. FOUR ALONG PONCE DE LEON AND ONE ALONG EAST TRINITY PLACE. THESE CROSSWALKS WILL BE REPLACED WITH HIGH VISIBILITY CONTINENTAL STYLE CROSSWALKS AND WILL INCLUDE TWO FOOT DECORATIVE BORDERS. THIS TREATMENT MAINTAINS THE AESTHETIC CHARACTER OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA, WHILE IMPROVING OVERALL VISIBILITY AND DURABILITY OF THE CROSSWALK MARKINGS TO ENHANCE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY. 
          STAFF RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING TWO PROPOSALS FOR THE DECATUR WATCH FEST 26 MURAL. TIDWELL TRAFFIC SOLUTIONS IN THE AMOUNT OF $31,722 AND BIG APPLE SERVICES IN THE AMOUNT OF $80,700. THE SCOPE OF WORK FOR THE INTERSECTION MURAL INCLUDES THE REMOVAL OF THE EXISTING MURAL, WHICH DOES REQUIRE A SPECIALIZED HYDROBLASTING MACHINE, THE APPLICATION OF THERMOPLASTIC MURAL, AND THE APPLICATION OF AN MMA PAINTED BACKGROUND. 
          STAFF DID NOT SOLICIT SEPARATE QUOTES. 
          FOR THE CROSSWALK REPLACEMENT BECAUSE UTILIZING THE SAME CONTRACTOR PERFORMING THE MURAL WORK ALLOWS THE CITY TO AVOID MULTIPLE MOBILIZATIONS AND REDUCES THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH THAT SPECIALIZED HYDRO BLASTER FOR THE THERMOPLASTIC REMOVAL. 
          STAFF RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING PROPOSAL FOR THE REMOVAL AND REINSTALLATION OF FIVE CROSSWALKS FROM TIDWELL TRAFFIC SOLUTIONS IN THE AMOUNT OF $163,291. THE SCOPE FOR THE CROSSWALK INSTALLATION INCLUDES THE REMOVAL OF THE EXISTING DECORATIVE CROSSWALKS AND THE INSTALLATION OF THE THERMOPLASTIC AT THOSE FIVE LOCATIONS. 
          AGAIN, STAFF RECOMMEND THE APPROVAL OF A CONTRACT WITH TIDWELL TRAFFIC SOLUTIONS FOR THE CHURCH AND SYCAMORE STREET INTERSECTION MURAL AND THE CROSSWALK PROJECT IN A TOTAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $234,015. FUNDING FOR THIS IMPROVEMENT IS AVAILABLE IN THE SCHOOL SAFETY, SCHOOL ZONE SAFETY CAMERA FUND. A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. OKAY, THANK YOU MAYOR. SO I'M TRYING TO KEEP THE NUMBERS STRAIGHT IN MY HEAD, RIGHT? OKAY, SO. 
          TIDWELL TRAFFIC SOLUTIONS FOR THE MURAL HAD A BID OF $31,722. ANOTHER SUPPLIER HAD $80,700. THAT WAS JUST FOR THE MURAL ITSELF. YES. 
          OKAY, SO IT WAS NOT FOR THE SURROUNDING, THE CROSSWALKS OR ANY OF THAT. THAT'S CORRECT. AND SO I GUESS MY ONLY CONCERN IS HOW DO, IF WE DIDN'T GET A BID FOR THE CROSSWALKS AS WELL, HOW DO WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GETTING 
          [01:25:01]
THE BEST PRICE FOR THE BEST QUALITY SERVICE? THAT'S A FAIR QUESTION. I THINK BECAUSE WE SAW THAT TIDWELL WAS ABLE TO GIVE US THE BEST PRICE FOR THE WATCH FEST MURAL, WE WERE COUNTING ON THE FACT THAT THAT WOULD BE THE CASE WITH THE CROSSWALK DESIGN AS WELL. AND SO, UNDERSTANDING THAT MOBILIZING A SEPARATE HYDROBLASTING MACHINE WOULD NEGATE KIND OF ANY CHANGES YOU'D SEE, OR ANY DIFFERENCES YOU WOULD SEE IN THOSE ESTIMATES. IT JUST MADE SENSE TO GO WITH THE SAME CONTRACTOR. IT'S THE PIANO KEY. IT'S LIKE THE BAR THAT YOU SEE. 
          OKAY, BECAUSE WE'VE GOTTEN LOTS OF EMAILS FROM PEOPLE SAYING THAT THEY WANT THE GOOD OLD, CLASSIC, STANDARD, UNIVERSAL, WORLDWIDE CROSSWALK. SO THIS IS THAT. THE NICE, NEAT LINES THAT EVERYBODY WILL RECOGNIZE, NO MATTER WHAT COUNTRY YOU'RE FROM. YES. GOT IT. THERE'S A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT ONES THAT WE USE. 
          SOME OF THEM ARE KIND OF THE LADDER, THE BAR AND LADDER. YOU WOULD SEE, LIKE, I'M TRYING TO THINK OF WHERE ONE IS. 
          AT THE RAISED CROSSWALK ACROSS CHURCH. AND THEN THE CONTINENTAL ONES ARE, LIKE, YOU SEE AT CHURCH IN SYCAMORE RIGHT NOW. 
          BUT I WOULD SAY YES, UNIVERSALLY UNDERSTOOD AS CROSSWALK. AND THEN THE COST FOR THAT HORRIBLE MURAL THAT'S THERE NOW, THE ATROCITY THAT IS ON THE STREET AT THE MOMENT. 
          IT'S BAD. IT'S REALLY BAD. 
          WHAT HAPPENED WITH THAT? I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN. I QUESTION, I, THE WEATHER WAS NOT IN OUR FAVOR. IT RAINED A LOT THAT WEEKEND. I THINK WE STRUGGLED GETTING CLEAR DIRECTION FROM OUR CONTRACTOR ON WHAT WAS NECESSARY TO REALLY ALLOW IT TO CURE. 
          FOR INSTANCE, WE FINISHED THE MURAL ON, I THINK IT WAS A WEDNESDAY NIGHT, AND IT POURED EARLY THURSDAY MORNING AND ALL DAY THE FOLLOWING THURSDAY, AND WE HAD TO GET, OR MAYBE IT WAS A TUESDAY, SORRY, AND WE HAD TO GET THE ROAD BACK OPEN FOR BUSINESSES, AND SO IT SIMPLY DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME, BUT THE CONTRACTOR ASSURED US THAT IT WOULD BE OKAY. AND THAT WE COULD DO IT IN THIS AMOUNT OF TIME. THAT, I MEAN, CLEARLY WAS NOT THE CASE. WE HAD SEVERAL ISSUES WITH THE CONTRACTOR IN TERMS OF DELIVERING THE RIGHT COLORS, AND I WOULD SAY THEIR GENERAL APPROACH TO APPLICATIONS, SO WE ARE EXCITED TO TRY A DIFFERENT APPROACH. 
          SO DID THEY REFUND THAT? WE NEVER PAID ANYTHING. OKAY, GOOD. I MEAN, I'M NO MURAL EXPERT, BUT WE HAD A MURAL PAINTED BY SCHOOL CHILDREN AND NEIGHBORS THAT LASTED LONGER THAN THAT. 
          AND I'M PRETTY SURE THE PAINT CAME FROM A HARDWARE STORE. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT'S BEING INSTALLED IS GOING TO AT LEAST LAST AS LONG AS WHAT WE NEIGHBORS PUT ON THE GROUND. 
          THAT WOULD BE THE HOPE, RIGHT? YEAH, I COULDN'T AGREE MORE. 
          THEY DID COME OUT AND INITIALLY TRY TO SAY THAT IT WAS THE QUALITY OF OUR ASPHALT. SURE, WE'RE NOT COMING BACK A THIRD TIME, WE'RE DONE, GOT IT. OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. SO ALONG THOSE LINES, YOU KNOW, HOW LONG WILL WE NEED TO SHUT THAT INTERSECTION DOWN THIS TIME? SO TIDWELL HAS SAID IT WILL BE TWO SEPARATE MOBILIZATIONS. ONE, THEY WILL NEED TO COME OUT AND HYDROBLAST IT, AND THEN IT WILL NEED TIME TO DRY COMPLETELY. SO THE HYDROBLASTING THEY ANTICIPATE TAKING TWO TO THREE DAYS, AND THEN THE APPLICATION OF THE MURAL IS BETWEEN THREE AND FOUR DAYS. 
          AND WE WILL COMMUNICATE THIS TO OUR DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES WITH PLENTY OF TIMING. 
          ABSOLUTELY. YES. YOU KNOW, WITH THESE PAINTING AND INSTALLATION PROJECTS, IT IS CHALLENGING. 
          WE TRY TO PROVIDE TIME FRAMES AS BEST AS WE CAN BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE COULD SAY WE'RE GOING TO BE OUT THERE ON MONDAY AND WE'RE GOING TO UTILIZE THE MONDAY. 
          IT'S A SLOWER DAY. AND THEN IT RAINS MONDAY, SO WE HAVE TO BE OUT THERE TUESDAY. SO, BUT WE DO WE'RE GOING TO DEFINITELY KEEP THE LINES OF COMMUNICATION OPEN AND MAKE SURE PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT INFORMATION. YOU'LL HAVE THAT BIG CANOPY THAT WAS OVER THE GAZEBO THERE YOU GO, JUST WALK IT OUT, MOVE IT ON OVER. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER KORTEMEIER. SO FOR THE FIVE CROSSWALKS, WHICH WILL COST ABOUT THIRTY THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS A PIECE, THAT'S RIGHT TO REPLACE. THE PRIMARY DRIVER FOR THAT IS SAFETY AND CLARITY WHEN WE HAVE ALL OF OUR VISITORS COMING THIS SUMMER. IS THAT WHAT'S DRIVING THAT? OR IS IT YES FADED, OR YES, SORRY, THEY ARE FADED? I THINK THEY'RE NOT SUPER HIGH VISIBILITY IN MANY OF THE DESIGNS ALREADY. 
          AND SO WE DEFINITELY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WHAT WE PUT OUT THERE POPS AS SAYING, LIKE, THIS IS A PLACE WHERE PEDESTRIANS ARE CROSSING, AND SO THE OTHER ISSUE WE RUN INTO IS YOU CAN SEE OUT BY LITTLE SHOP OF STORIES, WHERE 
          [01:30:01]
DEKALB COUNTY COMES IN AND DOES A REPLACEMENT AND CUTS OUT A PIECE OF THAT DECORATIVE CROSSWALK. 
          WITH CONTINENTAL STYLE, I MEAN, OUR STREETS TEAM CAN GO BACK IN AND REPLACE THOSE BARS. AND YOU MAY SEE SOME DAMAGE TO THE MURAL PIECE ITSELF, BUT THE SAFETY ASPECT OF IT WILL BE MAINTAINED A LOT MORE EASILY. YEAH. THANK YOU. WHAT KIND OF WARRANTY ARE THEY GIVING US ON THIS APPLICATION? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, AND I CAN GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. 
          ARE THERE OTHERS? IS A HYDROBLASTER BASICALLY JUST A SOUPED-UP PRESSURE WASHER? THAT'S WHAT I UNDERSTAND. 
          THEY'RE, LIKE, SO SOUPED UP THAT THEY HAVE TO BE SUPER CAREFUL. IT DOESN'T. PULL UP THAT, I KNOW IT SOUNDS REALLY COOL. 
          YEAH, I AGREE. THERE'S A 1000 OR 2000 MODEL, ALL RIGHT. IS THERE SOMEONE THAT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION ON THIS ITEM? MOVE APPROVAL SECOND BEEN MADE AND SECONDED ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION. ALL RIGHT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR AYE AND THE CHAIR VOTES AYE. THANK 
          [VII.E. Updates to Community Energy Fund Utilization Policy]
YOU AND PLEASE GET BACK WITH US ON THAT WARRANTY. 
          YES, SIR. THANK YOU. NEXT UP, UPDATE TO THE COMMUNITY ENERGY FUND. MR. NIFONG, WELCOME, SIR. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS. DAVID NIFONG, ENERGY PROGRAMS COORDINATOR. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF CERTAIN UPDATES TO THE COMMUNITY ENERGY FUND UTILIZATION POLICY TO ENHANCE CLARITY, ASSURE ALIGNMENT WITH OTHER REBATE PROGRAMS, AND IMPROVE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE DECATUR COMMUNITY ENERGY REBATE PROGRAM. SO, THE COMMUNITY ENERGY FUND WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE FISCAL YEAR 23-24 BUDGET. AND IT PROVIDES A DEDICATED MECHANISM TO ADVANCE THE COMMUNITY-WIDE CLEAN ENERGY GOALS THAT WERE ADOPTED IN THE 2022 CLEAN ENERGY PLAN. 
          THE COMMUNITY ENERGY FUND UTILIZATION POLICY THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING TONIGHT WAS THEN ADOPTED BY THE CITY COMMISSION IN APRIL OF 2025. 
          TO GUIDE EXPENDITURES FROM THAT FUND IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE GOALS OF THE PLAN AND OTHER ESTABLISHED GOALS IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN. 
          FOLLOWING THE ADOPTION OF THE UTILIZATION POLICY AND THE LAUNCH OF OUR ELECTRIFY DECATUR CAMPAIGN, STAFF HAVE BEEN WORKING TO DEVELOP ADDITIONAL OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES, THE APPLICATION PROCESS, AND STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES TO GUIDE THE LONG-TERM ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROGRAM. SO WHILE IT HAS NOT LAUNCHED YET, IT IS SLATED TO LAUNCH IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE. 
          IN ADVANCE OF THE LAUNCH OF THE PROGRAM, EARLY LEARNINGS FROM OUR ELECTRIFY CAMPAIGN AND ENGAGEMENTS WITH CONTRACTORS AND INTERESTED RESIDENTS HAVE IDENTIFIED SOME NECESSARY ADDITIONS OR CLARIFICATIONS FOR THE POLICY. THAT SHOULD HOPEFULLY PROACTIVELY ADDRESS CERTAIN CHALLENGES. SO I RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING. 
          FIRST, WITH REGARDS TO HOME WEATHERIZATION PROJECTS, JUST CLARIFYING THE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF A PROJECT, SUCH AS AIR SEALING, DUCT SEALING. INSTALLATION, ET CETERA, ALL CAN INDIVIDUALLY QUALIFY FOR A REBATE UNDER THE GUIDELINES OF THE PROGRAM. SUCH THAT THEY'RE NOT EXCEEDING ANY MAXIMUM REBATE AMOUNTS OR INCOME-BASED CAPS OR THE TOTAL PROJECT COST IN A CERTAIN CASE. 
          TO QUALIFY, THE COST OF EACH OF THESE COMPONENTS MUST JUST BE INDIVIDUALLY LISTED IN THE DOCUMENTATION THAT STAFF WILL REQUIRE FOR PROCESSING THE REBATE. 
          SECOND IS ADDING ELECTRICAL PANEL UPGRADES AS AN ELIGIBLE PROJECT MEASURE WHEN IT'S NECESSARY TO COMPLETE ANOTHER ALREADY ELIGIBLE MEASURE. SUCH AS LIKE, THE INSTALLATION OF A HEAT PUMP OR A HEAT PUMP WATER HEATER. THAT REBATE AMOUNT SHALL BE THE LESSER OF 50 PERCENT OF THE COST, OR $1,000. WE'VE IDENTIFIED THIS AS A NEED BECAUSE, ESPECIALLY IN OLDER HOMES, THEY MAY NOT HAVE THE CURRENT ELECTRICAL SERVICE NECESSARY TO ADD ANOTHER ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE TO THEIR DISTRIBUTION PANEL. 
          AND SO THEY MAY NEED TO UPGRADE TO A 200 AMP SERVICE. AND SO THIS IS SUPPOSED TO HELP PAY FOR SOME OF THOSE COSTS. BASED ON THIS POTENTIAL CHANGE, WE ALSO RECOMMEND RAISING THE CAP ON ANNUAL HOUSEHOLD REBATE AMOUNTS FROM $2,000 TO $3,000. 
          FOR INCOME QUALIFIED HOUSEHOLDS AND FROM 1,000 TO 2,000 FOR NON-INCOME QUALIFIED HOUSEHOLDS. PER THE ALREADY APPROVED POLICY, INCOME QUALIFIED HOUSEHOLDS HAVE A TOTAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME AT OR BELOW 80% OF THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME. 
          SO, AGAIN, THIS IS MEANT TO BOTH REFLECT THE ADDITION OF THE ELECTRICAL PANELS AS AN ELIGIBLE MEASURE, AS WELL AS ACCOMMODATE MORE COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND ELECTRIFICATION PROJECTS. 
          FOURTH IS JUST ADDING SOME 
          [01:35:01]
CLARIFYING LANGUAGE THAT ANY PROJECT RECEIVING FUNDS THROUGH THE GEORGIA ENVIRONMENTAL FINANCE AUTHORITY'S HOME ENERGY REBATE PROGRAM, THAT'S AGAIN, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY FUNDING. 
          THAT WAS THEN PROVIDED TO THE STATE. OUR STATE ENERGY OFFICE IS GFA. THEY'RE ADMINISTERING THOSE REBATES BASED ON THEIR GUIDELINES. AND SO, TO ASSURE ALIGNMENT WITH THOSE REQUIREMENTS OF THAT PROGRAM, WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT ANY PROJECT UTILIZING THOSE FUNDS AND THE CITY'S REBATE, THOSE COMBINED REBATE AMOUNTS DO NOT EXCEED THE PROJECT COST. SO IT'S JUST A CLARIFICATION. AND THEN, FINALLY, IS REMOVING A SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO A TIMELINE FOR THE PROCESS AND INSTEAD REFERRING INTERESTED PARTIES TO PUBLISH THE CITY GUIDELINES. 
          THAT GIVES US SOME MORE FLEXIBILITY TO IMPROVE THE PROGRAM AS IT'S GOING. SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE CITY MANAGER. SO, I RECOMMEND THESE PROPOSED UPDATES TO THE COMMUNITY ENERGY FUND UTILIZATION POLICY, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. HOW MUCH IS IN THE FUND CURRENTLY? SO CURRENTLY, THERE SHOULD BE APPROXIMATELY $400,000 OF FEDERAL GRANT FUNDING THAT IS DEDICATED TO THOSE DOLLARS, AND THEN ACROSS THE THREE ALLOCATIONS. 
          APPROXIMATELY 500. SO THE FUNDS HAVE BEEN ACCUMULATING FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS. WE ARE NOW AT THE POINT OF DRAWING DOWN FUNDS FROM OUR FEDERAL GRANTS, AS WELL AS LAUNCHING THIS PROGRAM. 
          THE POLICY DOES REFER TO ANNUAL REPORTING REQUIREMENTS, SO STAFF STILL NEED TO ESTABLISH EXACTLY WHEN THAT REPORT WILL BE PROVIDED. 
          ANNUALLY, I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE PARTIALLY GUIDED BY THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH DATE OF THE PROGRAM AND ENOUGH TIME TO COME BACK WITH A REPORT. 
          AND SO THAT'S ALL TO SAY THAT THIS COMMISSION WILL BE UPDATED REGULARLY AS TO THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING IN THERE AND HOW IT'S BEING ALLOCATED. THE ELECTRIFIED PERIOD, DO YOU HAPPEN TO RECALL WHAT WAS FOR THE HOMES THAT PARTICIPATED, WHAT WAS THE AVERAGE COST? SO THE ELECTRIFY PROGRAM HAS ONLY LAUNCHED IN LATE OCTOBER, AND THEN OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS, WE'VE STILL BEEN LAYING THE GROUNDWORK. EVERY HOUSEHOLD, I BELIEVE, SHOULD HAVE ALREADY GOTTEN A POSTCARD IN THEIR MAILBOX ABOUT THE ELECTRIFY PROGRAM. WE DON'T HAVE THAT EXACT DATA YET. WE DO RECOGNIZE THAT AFTER A CERTAIN PERIOD THAT THE PROGRAM IS ACTIVE, STUDYING THOSE COST AMOUNTS, AND THEN, IF WE NEED TO FINE-TUNE THOSE DOLLARS, WE WOULD COME BACK TO THE COMMISSION FOR IT. 
          NIFONG, HAVE WE HAD TO MAKE ANY TWEAKS BASED ON THE ENERGY STAR PROGRAM POSSIBLY BEING? THANKFULLY, NO. 
          IT'S SOMETHING THAT DOES KEEP ME UP AT NIGHT. HONESTLY, AS FAR AS I KNOW, FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT FEDERAL YEAR, THE ENERGY STAR PROGRAM IS BEING FUNDED AND STAFFED, AND SO THEY'LL CONTINUE TO PUT OUT THOSE LISTS. OUR POLICY DOES REQUIRE THAT ANY APPLICATION WHERE IT'S APPLICABLE IS ENERGY STAR CERTIFIED, AND BEYOND THAT, THAT IT'S ON THE MOST EFFICIENT LIST OF ENERGY STAR. AND SO IF THAT PROGRAM WERE TO GO AWAY IN THE FUTURE, KNOCK ON WOOD, THEN WE'D HAVE TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENT. BUT FOR RIGHT NOW, NO. GOOD. THANK YOU. HOW IS THIS FUND MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC? IS IT IN THE DECATUR FOCUS? IS IT WHEN PEOPLE APPLY FOR A PERMIT? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. YEAH, SO PRETTY SOON INFORMATION WILL BE ADDED TO THE WEBSITE AND THEN COMMUNICATED THROUGH THE DECATUR NEWS. FUNCTIONALITY OF THE CITY WEBSITE, AS WELL AS SOCIAL MEDIA AND OTHER OTHER CHANNELS. ABOUT THE LAUNCH OF THE APPLICATION FOR THE REBATE PROGRAM. AND THEN I'D ALSO ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO VISIT ELECTRIFIEDECATOR.COM AND SIGN UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER THERE. 
          BUT WE ARE GOING TO TRY TO GET IT OUT AS MANY DIFFERENT WAYS AS WE AS WE CAN. THANK YOU. I RECENTLY PAID FOR AN ENERGY AUDIT. I GET LIKE $450, $150 REFUND. AND THEN THAT LAYS THE GROUNDWORK FOR MAKING IMPROVEMENTS. AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THIS IS LARGELY AN INCOME-RESTRICTED PROGRAM. I SAW IN HERE THAT THERE WAS A NON-INCOME RESTRICTION. NO, SO THIS PROGRAM, THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS 
          [01:40:01]
OF THE REBATE ARE NOT DEPENDENT ON THE INCOME OF THE HOUSEHOLD THAT'S APPLYING. HOWEVER, THERE ARE DIFFERENT CAPS THAT A HOUSEHOLD CAN ACCRUE UP TO IN AN ANNUAL BASIS, AND THEN THERE ARE LIMITATIONS ON THE FREQUENCY THAT YOU CAN APPLY FOR A REBATE FOR THE SAME MEASURE. AND SO IT WAS STRUCTURED THAT WAY, BECAUSE AT THE TIME, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THIS INCOME-QUALIFIED GIFA PROGRAM THAT WE WANT TO DIRECT PEOPLE TO, AND THEN THERE WAS ALSO TAX CREDIT FOR CERTAIN. SO THAT'S GONE, AND SO WE WANT TO MAINTAIN THAT FUNDING FOR FOLKS THAT MAY NOT GET IT ELSEWHERE TO HELP INCENTIVIZE THE ACTION. 
          JUST YOUR OBSERVATION THAT WITH CLIMATE CHANGE, IT DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTS POOR PEOPLE. AND SO TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN, MAKE SURE WE DO A GOOD JOB OF REACHING OUT TO MAKE THEM AWARE OF THE PROGRAM. THAT WOULD BE GREAT. I MEAN, JUST BECAUSE NO ONE HIGHER ENERGY BILLS, BUT ALSO THEY OFTENTIMES DON'T HAVE THEIR INSULATION AND STUFF LIKE THAT. WE'RE ACTIVELY WORKING WITH THE MLK SERVICE PROJECT AND OTHER ENTITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FOLKS THAT ARE IN MOST NEED OF THIS SUPPORT HAVE THE INFORMATION THEY NEED TO ACCESS IT. THANK YOU. ARE THERE OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, OR CONCERNS? SO, CAN I GET A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVE. SECOND. MOTION'S BEEN MADE AND SECONDED. ALL THOSE IN 
          [VII.F.Decatur Legacy Park - Edwards and Trustee Cottages Renovations]
FAVOR? AYE. AND THE CHAIR VOTES AYE. THANK YOU, MR. NIFONG. ALL RIGHT, NEXT UP, WE HAVE THE DECATUR LEGACY, EDWARDS AND TRUSTEE COTTAGES. MR. FLOYD, WELCOME, SIR. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS FELIX FLOYD. I'M THE ASSISTANT PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, AND I'M HERE TO RECOMMEND THE APPROVAL OF THE CONTRACT WITH CGS LLC IN THE AMOUNT OF $244,329.21, AN ESTABLISHED PROJECT BUDGET OF THE AMOUNT OF $270,000. THE SCOPE OF THIS PROJECT INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING IMPROVEMENTS TO THE EDWARDS AND TRUSTEE COTTAGES AT LEGACY PARK. THE ROOF REPLACEMENTS, NEW HOT WATER HEATERS, NEW HVA SYSTEMS, KITCHEN AND RESTROOM RENOVATIONS, ELECTRICAL SERVICE UPGRADES, AND GENERAL REPAIRS THROUGHOUT THE COTTAGE WERE NECESSARY. 
          THIS PROJECT IS PART OF THE CREATIVE VILLAGE THAT WAS IDENTIFIED IN LEGACY PARK MASTER PLAN. THE BID WAS ADVERTISED WITH THREE PROPOSALS RECEIVED, AND THEY ARE AS FOLLOWS. CGS LLC, $244,329.21. AMERICAN PROPERTY RESTORATION IS $399,306.10. THEN E. 
          WILLENSHORE SUBMITTED AN INCOMPLETE BID, SO THEY WERE DISQUALIFIED. CGS COMPLIES WITH ALL BID REQUIREMENTS. THE PROPOSAL IS IN LINE WITH MARKET COSTS AND THE ESTIMATED PROJECT BUDGET. CGS HAS SATISFACTORILY PERFORMED SIMILAR SERVICES FOR THE CITY OF DECATUR OVER SEVERAL YEARS. FUNDING FOR THIS PROJECT IS COMPRISED OF CONGRESSIONALLY APPROVED COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT OF $209,000 FROM CONGRESSMAN HANK JOHNSON'S OFFICE, AS WELL AS THE COST SAVINGS FROM OTHER CAPITAL PROJECTS INCLUDED IN THE PUBLIC FACILITIES AUTHORITIES FUND. 
          WE RECOMMEND AWARDING OF A CONTRACT IN THE AMOUNT OF $244,000 AND $329.21 TO CGS LLC AND ESTABLISH A PROJECT BUDGET OF $270,000. I'LL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. I'M JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING THIS WORK DONE. AND WE ALREADY HAVE TENANTS IN THOSE BUILDINGS. MY NAME IS MADELEINE HENNER. I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF LEGACY DECATUR AND I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT. SO, PHASE ONE OF THE CREATIVE VILLAGE PROJECT MADE SURE THAT HYATT COTTAGE WAS RENOVATED AND UP TO CODE SO THAT THE AFFORDABLE STUDIOS COULD MOVE FORWARD. 
          WHILE THE FEDERAL FUNDING PROCESS WITH HUD HAD MORE HOOPS TO JUMP THROUGH THAN WE EXPECTED. 
          BUT WE, SO THERE ARE NO TENANTS IN EDWARDS OR TRUSTEES AS PART OF THE PHASE TWO FOR THIS. SO THIS WILL BE RENOVATING TWO CURRENT BUILDINGS. WE ARE NOT CHANGING THE FLOOR PLAN IN ANY WAY, BUT BRINGING THEM UP TO CODE. 
          AND THEN EVENTUALLY, PHASE THREE WILL BE UPDATING SMITH COTTAGE, SO THE FINAL PART OF THAT CREATIVE VILLAGE 4 COTTAGE PIECE. THANK YOU FOR THE EXPLANATION. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ASK FOR A MOTION, PLEASE. APPROVED. SECOND. IT'S 
          [01:45:06]
BEEN MADE AND SECONDED. 
          FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. AND THE CHAIR VOTES AYE. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BEFORE I MOVE TO REQUESTS AND PETITIONS, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO HONOR THE MEMORY OF DECATUR POLICE CAPTAIN RICHARD PHILLIPS, WHO PASSED AWAY ON MARCH 5TH OF THIS MONTH. CAPTAIN PHILLIPS WAS A BELOVED MEMBER OF OUR POLICE COMMUNITY. HE ROSE THROUGH THE RANKS FROM PATROLMAN TO CAPTAIN, AND HE SERVED AS THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN CAPTAIN IN THIS CITY'S ENTIRE HISTORY. 
          AND SO I WOULD JUST LIKE TO CALL FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE TO HONOR CAPTAIN PHILLIPS AND HIS FAMILY. THANK 
          [VIII.    Requests and Petitions.]
YOU. NEXT, WE WILL MOVE TO REQUESTS AND PETITIONS. 
          THIS IS THE TIME WHERE YOU GET TO COME AND ASK A REQUEST OR PETITION OF THIS BODY. PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM AND STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. AND WE WILL HEAR YOUR REQUEST OR PETITION. JUST A REMINDER, WE WILL NOT ENGAGE IN A BACK AND FORTH, BUT WE WILL TRY TO ADDRESS YOUR COMMENTS IN OUR OWN PERSONAL COMMENTS. 
          SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE A REQUEST OR PETITION, PLEASE, YOU KNOW THE DRILL. 
          HELLO. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS WANDA SIMS WATERS. I LIVE AT 1031 JIMSON CIRCLE IN CONYERS. I'M HERE TONIGHT SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE LEGACY DESCENDANTS OF THE OLD BEACON HILL COMMUNITY. WE HAVE SUBMITTED A REQUEST TO THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE FOR AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY ON THE SITE, LOCATED AT 346 TRINITY. I HOPE YOU GUYS GOT OUR LETTER THAT WE SUBMITTED. 
          OKAY. WELL, WE NEED, THE REASON THAT WE REALLY, THAT WE KNOW THAT WE NEED AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY. BECAUSE IT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT STEPS IN HONORING AND PROTECTING THE LAND THAT HOLDS THE HISTORY, AND IT CAN PROVIDE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE THAT CONFIRMS AND PRESERVES HISTORY IN WAYS THAT CANNOT BE IGNORED OR DELIBERATELY ERASED. LIKE US, THE MUSCOGEE INDIAN NATION AND THE LEGACY DESCENDANTS WHO WERE SHAPED BY SEGREGATION, DISPLACEMENT, AND SYSTEMIC EXCLUSION, IT'S BEEN MADE CLEAR THAT OUR OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS WERE INCOMPLETE, BIASED, OR NEVER CREATED AT ALL. NOW, WITH THE RESOLUTION THAT WAS ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE COMMISSIONS IN 2025 AND THE REPARATIONS THAT IS IN PROGRESS, THIS IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REDRESS THE WRONG. 
          SO WE'RE ASKING FOR YOUR SUPPORT. FINANCIALLY ON THIS ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY THAT WE'RE REQUESTING. THAT'S WHY THIS SURVEY IS NOT SIMPLY A RESEARCH EXERCISE. IT'S A STEP TOWARD RECOGNITION AND HONORING SACRED GROUND. THIS SURVEY WILL ALSO ALLOW THE WORKS TO BE DONE RESPECTFULLY AND CAREFULLY. WE ALL SHOULD BE REMINDED THAT LONG BEFORE THE ENSLAVED AFRICAN AMERICANS LIVED ON THAT LAND, IT WAS ALSO INHABITED BY THE MUSCOGEE CREEK NATION, WHO WERE ALSO FORCIBLY REMOVED IN SIGNIFICANT REMAINS IN 1830. BUT THERE MAY BE, TAKING ALL OF THAT INTO CONSIDERATION, I'M SORRY, IF THERE ARE BURIAL SITES OR CULTURAL ARTIFACTS OR OTHER SIGNIFICANT REMAINS THAT ARE PRESENT THIS TIME, THEY CAN BE PROTECTED. RATHER THAN ACCIDENTALLY DISTURBED OR EVEN DESTROYED. THE PURPOSE OF ALL THE MANY DESIRES OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE DESCENDANTS AS TO WHY WE SHOULD BECOME A HISTORIC SITE IS TO INCLUDE HISTORICAL DOCUMENTATION, WHICH PROVIDES COMMUNITY EDUCATION AS WELL AS ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. ALL OF THESE CONCERNS TO PRESERVE BOTH THE LAND AND THE HISTORY IT HOLDS. ALL THIS EVIDENCE THAT WE WILL GATHER FROM THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 
          IF, YOU KNOW, IT CAN STRENGTHEN THE EFFORTS TO PROTECT THE LAND AND NOT DESTROY BY BUILDING A $23 MILLION STRUCTURE, THAT MAY BE NEEDED FOR EARLY EDUCATION, BUT MAYBE IT CAN BE MET THROUGH OTHER COST-EFFECTIVE APPROACHES, OR EITHER IN ANOTHER LOCATION. WE NEED SUPPORT. WE NEED A DEVELOPMENT 
          [01:50:04]
THAT WILL SUPPORT HISTORICAL DESIGNATION AND ONE THAT WOULD ENSURE THAT IT'S CONNECTED TO THE LAND, THAT IT WILL PRESERVE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. THE SURVEY IS VERY IMPORTANT. IT BECOMES AN ACT OF RESTORATION. IT HELPS RESTORE VOICES, RECOVER PIECES OF A STORY THAT TIME, DISPLACEMENT AND NEGLECT HAVE TRIED TO BURY. I'M GOING TO LEAVE YOU WITH A QUOTE. I DON'T KNOW WHO WROTE IT, BUT I LOVE IT. IT SAYS, WHEN THE SOIL IS STUDDED WITH CARE AND RESPECT, THE LAND ITSELF CAN BEGIN TO SPEAK AGAIN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. I'D LIKE TO PLEASE ASK THAT THERE'S NO APPLAUSE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          WE HAVE RECEIVED THOSE COMMENTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. 
          GOOD EVENING. APRIL BIAGIONI, 706 EAST PONCE DE LEON AVENUE. AND FIRST, THANK YOU GUYS FOR THIS. I WANT TO CONGRATULATE THE CITY'S BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT TEAM FOR BEING RECOGNIZED FOR TRANSPARENCY AND STRONG FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP. AND THAT RECOGNITION REFLECTS THE VALUES THIS COMMUNITY EXPECTS FROM ITS INSTITUTIONS. SORRY, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO TALK INTO THIS THING. 
          UNFORTUNATELY, MANY RESIDENTS DO NOT FEEL THE SAME LEVEL OF TRUST, TRANSPARENCY, OR CONFIDENCE WHEN IT COMES TO THE FINANCES AND DECISION-MAKING OF CITY SCHOOLS OF DECATUR. 
          RECENT REPORTING IN DECATUR HAS HIGHLIGHTED COMMUNITY CONCERNS ABOUT DEFICIT BUDGETING, THE BOND PROCESS, AND MAJOR DECISIONS THAT SEEM TO BE MADE WITH LIMITED PUBLIC INPUT. 
          THIS INCLUDES THE USE OF LAND PRESERVED ON ELECTRIC AVENUE, THE SCHOOL BOND PROCESS, AND DECISIONS MANY BELIEVE DID NOT FOLLOW THE SPIRIT AND THE OPEN MEETINGS REQUIREMENTS. CONCERNS ALSO EXTEND BEYOND THE LOCAL LEVEL. 
          MEMBERS OF DECATUR'S LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION HAVE CALLED FOR A PUBLIC REFERENDUM ON THE EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING CENTER, UNDERSCORING HOW SERIOUS THESE CONCERNS HAVE BECOME IN THE RECOGNITION AND NOTICE THAT WE'RE GETTING. 
          AT THE SAME TIME, LEADERS FROM THE DECATUR HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION URGED THE DISTRICT TO PAUSE ITS TIMELINE TO ALLOW THE BEACON HILL HISTORIC DESIGNATION PROCESS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH FULL PUBLIC INPUT. YET, THE DISTRICT RESPONDED WITHOUT A PUBLIC BOARD DISCUSSION OR VOTE, FURTHER FUELING CONCERNS ABOUT TRANSPARENCY AND GOVERNANCE. SO TONIGHT, I WANT TO RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR TWO THINGS. FIRST, I URGE THE CITY TO SUPPORT FUNDING FOR THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY REQUESTED THROUGH THE DICTATOR DAY PROCESS. WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT THE FULL HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THIS LAND IS UNDERSTOOD AND IT'S RESPECTED. SECOND, I ASK THAT YOU USE YOUR AUTHORITY TO ENSURE THAT THE BEACON HILL HISTORIC DESIGNATION APPLICATION IS ALLOWED TO GO THROUGH ITS FULL PUBLIC PROCESS WITH A VOTE BY THIS BODY, WITHOUT INTERFERENCE OR PREMATURE ACTIONS THAT COULD UNDERMINE THAT PROCESS. 
          TRANSPARENCY BUILDS TRUST. AND I AM VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK THAT Y'ALL DO EVERY DAY THAT HAS BUILT THAT TRUST WITHIN THIS COMMUNITY. BUT THE CITY HAS DEMONSTRATED WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE THROUGH ITS OWN BUDGETING PRACTICES. AND SO WE KNOW THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING THIS THE RIGHT WAY, AND WE SEE YOU, AND WE THANK YOU, AND WE JUST WANT TO SEE IT MOVE FORWARD IN THE SAME PROCESS. SO RESIDENTS SIMPLY JUST WANT THE SAME STANDARD APPLIED TO THE DECISIONS THAT AFFECT OUR SCHOOLS, OUR TAXES AND SHARED PUBLIC ASSETS. I URGE YOU TO CONTINUE ADVOCATING FOR OPENNESS, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND MEANINGFUL PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT SO THAT OUR COMMUNITY CAN HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THESE DECISIONS. THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. ARE THERE OTHERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT? SEEING NONE, 
          [IX.   Reports and Other Business.]
I WILL CLOSE REQUESTS AND PETITIONS, AND WE'LL MOVE ON TO REPORTS AND OTHER BUSINESS. 
          COMMISSIONERS, YOU HAVE RESOLUTION R-26-XX CONFIRMING EXECUTIVE SESSION ON MARCH 2, 2026. ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS TO THIS RESOLUTION? SECOND. 
          MAID AND SECONDED. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. AND THE CHAIR VOTES AYE. MS. ARNOLD, WE ARE AT A PLACE WHERE WE CAN TALK ABOUT 346 WEST TRINITY PLACE. 
          WE ARE. WHILE I'M STARTING, I'M GOING TO ASK MR. WHITE, DANIEL WHITE, TO ALSO COME TO THE PODIUM. DANIEL WHITE IS THE ATTORNEY THAT THE CITY AND THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION HAS BEEN WORKING WITH FOR LEGAL ADVICE. AND JUST 
          [01:55:03]
TO KIND OF TEE THIS UP, I'M ENVISIONING KIND OF THERE ARE TWO PATHS GOING ON RIGHT NOW. AND THE PATH THAT WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT IS THE HISTORIC DESERT. 
          DESIGNATION PROCESS. SO THAT APPLICATION HAS BEEN RECEIVED. 
          SPECIFICALLY, THE APPLICATION WAS FOR 346 WEST TRINITY PLACE. THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION HAS EXPANDED THAT DISTRICT TO INCLUDE ADDITIONAL PROPERTIES. 
          AND THEN THEY'RE WORKING ON, THEY'RE FINALIZING THE GUIDELINES THAT WOULD APPLY SPECIFICALLY TO THAT DISTRICT. THIS BODY WILL SEE THOSE SOON. THEY'LL NEED TO SEE THEM SOON, OR AT LEAST BY APRIL 6TH, BECAUSE THERE WILL BE, THERE'S ALREADY BEEN ONE PUBLIC HEARING IN FRONT OF THE HPC, AND THEN THE SECOND PUBLIC HEARING IS SCHEDULED, IT HAS BEEN ADVERTISED IN FRONT OF THIS BODY ON APRIL 6TH, AND THEN ON APRIL 20TH, THERE IS NOT AN OFFICIAL PUBLIC HEARING. THE RECOMMENDATION, THOUGH, IS THAT THERE WILL BE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, AND THE CITY COMMISSION WOULD TAKE A VOTE, MAKE A DECISION ON THAT HISTORIC DISTRICT AND THOSE GUIDELINES ON APRIL 20TH. ALL THAT TO SAY, THAT'S ANOTHER PATH THAT WE'RE NOT DISCUSSING TONIGHT. THE PATH THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING TONIGHT IS ALSO RELATED TO THIS PROPERTY, AND THIS IS WHERE, MR. WHITE, CORRECT ME IF I GET ANY OF THIS WRONG. AT THE TIME THAT THE APPLICATION WAS RECEIVED BY THE HPC, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE HISTORIC DESIGNATION ORDINANCE, THE HPC ALSO SET A MORATORIUM ON PERMITTING FOR THAT SPECIFIC PIECE OF PROPERTY. BUT IN ADDITION, WELL, NOT. IN ADDITION, THE ORDINANCE ALSO ALLOWS FOR THE PROPERTY OWNER TO APPLY FOR AN EXCEPTION TO THE MORATORIUM. SO THEY CAN HAVE THAT MORATORIUM LIFTED AND ULTIMATELY RECEIVE THE PERMITS. 
          I ULTIMATELY RECEIVED THE PERMITS UNDER THIS PROCESS FOR THE EXCEPTION. AND UNDER THE CITY'S ORDINANCE, IT SAYS, YOU APPLY FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY A 45-DAY PROCESS THAT GOES THROUGH THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION. AND AT THE END OF THAT PROCESS, THE MORATORIUM IS LIFTED AND PERMITS WOULD BE ABLE TO BE GRANTED. HOWEVER, IN THIS CASE, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM ASSERTED THAT THE CERTIFICATE OF UNDER STATE LAW, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS DO NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS PROCESS. 
          THEY GO THROUGH WHAT'S REFERRED TO AS THIS 45-DAY REVIEW AND COMMENT. 
          SO REVIEW AND COMMENT, PERIOD. SO THAT'S WHAT THEY HAD HAVE REQUESTED, AND THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF BACK AND FORTH OR JUST A QUICK BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION AND THE CITY SCHOOLS OF DECATUR AND THE CITY SCHOOLS OF DECATUR, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THAT 45-DAY REVIEW AND COMMENT PERIOD WOULD HAVE ENDED TWO DAYS BEFORE THE PUBLIC HEARING IN FRONT OF THIS BODY. SO I GUESS APRIL 4TH AND THE HEARING WOULD HAVE BEEN ON APRIL 6TH. 
          SO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, SCHOOL BOARD CAME BACK WITH A COMPROMISED POSITION. 
          AGAIN, ALL AS IT RELATES TO THIS MORATORIUM. THEY SAID, WELL, WE'LL EXTEND, YOU KNOW, LET'S EXTEND THE REVIEW AND COMMENT PERIOD BY 13 DAYS SO THAT, AND THEY SAID, AND WE WOULD WAIT UNTIL AFTER APRIL 20TH, AFTER THIS BODY MAKES A DECISION TO APPLY FOR THEIR PERMITS. DID I SUM THAT UP? YES. THE ONLY THING I WOULD SAY IS THAT THERE IS A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS PROCEDURE. 
          HERE. IS PART OF THE, ANY PROPERTY OWNER, NOT JUST THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, CAN ASK TO GET OUT FROM UNDER THE MORATORIUM. THE MORATORIUM GOES INTO PLACE ON EVERY, ANYTIME THERE'S AN APPLICATION TO CREATE A HISTORIC DISTRICT OR DESIGNATE A HISTORIC PROPERTY, THE MORATORIUM AUTOMATICALLY GOES IN PLACE. 
          ANY PROPERTY OWNER WITHIN THAT DISTRICT, WHETHER IT'S A GOVERNMENT OR WHETHER IT'S JUST A PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER, HAS THE OPTION TO PURSUE AN EXCEPTION TO THAT MORATORIUM. AND THE WAY THEY NORMALLY WOULD DO THAT WOULD BE TO ASK FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS. IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE NORMAL PROCESS THAT HPC WOULD DO FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS, BECAUSE NORMALLY YOU WOULD EVALUATE THE APPROPRIATENESS OF THAT REQUEST. 
          UNDER THE GUIDELINES OF THE ORDINANCE THAT'S BEEN ESTABLISHED. BUT WE DON'T HAVE AN ORDINANCE HERE, SO WHAT YOU DO IS YOU GO REFERENCE. THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR HAS A STANDARD SET OF GUIDELINES FOR HISTORIC DISTRICTS, AND IT'S A PRETTY LONG DRY, 
          [02:00:01]
162 PAGE DOCUMENT THAT THE HPC WOULD HAVE TO SORT OF COMB THROUGH AND DECIDE WHAT APPLIES AND WHAT DOESN'T, AND THERE WOULDN'T BE MUCH. 
          BUT, YOU KNOW, ANY PROPERTY OWNER COULD GET OUT FROM UNDER THE MORATORIUM IN THEORY, IF THEY WENT THROUGH THAT PROCESS, WHICH IS ALSO IS A 45 DAY PROCESS. BUT IT JUST, IT DOES RESULT IN SORT OF A, AT LEAST IN THEORY, A BINDING DECISION, ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, ABOUT WHETHER, WHETHER IT'S WHAT'S APPROPRIATE FOR THAT AREA. SO THAT'S ONE PROCESS, BUT WHAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS SAID IS WE, WE. 
          THEY TAKE THE POSITION THAT THEY'RE A LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AND UNDER THE STATE STATUTE, THEY ARE ENTITLED TO INVOKE THE PROVISION. THAT SAYS ANY UNDERTAKING THAT WOULD REQUIRE A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR A LOCAL GOVERNMENT, YOU ONLY HAVE TO DO A 45-DAY REVIEW AND COMMENT PERIOD. AND SO THEY'VE ASKED FOR THE CITY TO APPLY THAT, AND AS YOU INDICATED, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HBC, ON BEHALF OF THE HBC, SENT A LETTER TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SAYING, HEY, THAT'S KIND OF RUSHING THE PROCESS HERE. 
          THE CITY'S NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THAT. CAN WE AT LEAST GO THROUGH THE PUBLIC? WOULDN'T YOU BE WILLING TO JUST AT LEAST LET THE WHOLE PROCESS PLAY OUT AND THEN ASK FOR YOUR REVIEW AND COMMENT? AND AS YOU INDICATED, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT RESPONDED WITH WHAT I GUESS I WOULD CALL A COMPROMISE POSITION OF SAYING, YES, WE'LL AT LEAST LET THE PUBLIC COMMENT PORTIONS MOVE FORWARD, AND WE WON'T. 
          REQUEST THAT OUR PERMITS BE RELEASED UNTIL AFTER THE SECOND. WHAT WOULD IN THEORY BE THE SECOND ROUND OF PUBLIC COMMENTS ON APRIL, THIRD ROUND OF PUBLIC COMMENTS ON APRIL 20TH. SO THAT'S WHAT THEY OFFERED. AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST FELT LIKE, AND I THINK THIS COMMISSION FELT LIKE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ALL NEEDED TO BE DISCUSSED IN PUBLIC. SO THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT POSITION COULD BE OUT IN THE OPEN AND THIS BOARD'S POSITION COULD BE OUT IN THE OPEN. 
          BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT'S REALLY WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS MOST RIGHT NOW IS JUST EVERYBODY TO BE OPEN ABOUT THIS PROCESS AND HOW IT'S UNFOLDING. 
          SO, YES, WITH THOSE MINOR UPDATES, THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHERE WE ARE. AND I'M HERE. AGAIN, I'M OUTSIDE COUNCIL HIRED, AND THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS THEIR OWN OUTSIDE COUNCIL THAT'S BEEN HIRED, AND I HAVE COMMUNICATED WITH THEM. 
          BUT I TOLD HIM I NEEDED TO GET DIRECTION FROM THIS COMMISSION BECAUSE YOU'RE MY CLIENT. AND SO UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO SPEAK WITH YOU AND FILL YOU IN AND HAVE THIS DISCUSSION, I WASN'T IN A PLACE TO GIVE DIRECTION OR GIVE ANY COMMITMENT TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ON THE CITY'S POSITION. 
          BEFORE WE DIVE INTO THIS DISCUSSION, WHICH WILL BE PRETTY MEATY, WOULD YOU ALL ALSO LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE ISSUE THAT CAME UP MONTHS AGO AS IT RELATES TO THE ZONING APPLICATION? YES, I WOULD. THANK YOU. A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, IT'S ALL A BLUR BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN A LENGTHY PROCESS. THERE WERE SOME CONCERNS, VALID CONCERNS EXPRESSED BY MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, THAT PERHAPS WE WERE GIVEN NOT THE BEST ADVICE ABOUT HOW THE ZONING DECISION WAS HANDLED. 
          INITIALLY, CITY SCHOOLS OF DECATUR HAD AN APPLICATION IN TO REZONE THAT PROPERTY TO INSTITUTIONAL. 
          AFTER A REVIEW VIEW OF OUR ORDINANCE AND WHAT IS ALLOWED IN A COMMERCIAL DISTRICT, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT WHAT CITY SCHOOLS OF DECATUR IS REQUESTING TO BUILD IS ACTUALLY A DAYCARE AND NOT A SCHOOL. 
          AND SO CITY SCHOOLS OF DECATUR REQUESTED THAT THEIR APPLICATION BE WITHDRAWN. I ASKED THE CITY MANAGER TO PLEASE GET A SECOND OPINION ON THAT DECISION TO EITHER AFFIRM OR DENY THAT THAT ALIGNS WITH HOW OUR ORDINANCE SHOULD HAVE BEEN INTERPRETED. WOULD YOU PLEASE SPEAK ON YOUR REVIEW? YES, YES. 
          AND EARLIER THIS WEEK THERE WAS A REQUEST THAT I LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE, SORT OF IT, AND I WASN'T TRUE. I HONESTLY DIDN'T KNOW THE CITY'S ORIGINAL POSITION, BUT I WAS JUST ASKED TO LOOK AT THE. THE DECISION ABOUT WHETHER, LIKE WHAT, PARTS OF THE CITY'S REZONING PROCESS WOULD APPLY TO THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT. 
          IT'S GOING BACK AND LOOKING AT YOUR UNIFORM DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE, THERE'S A TABLE OF USES, AND FOR C2 THERE THERE'S DIFFERENT CATEGORIES THAT YOU WOULD LOOK AT. AND SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT A SCHOOL WHICH IN THE TABLE OF USES IS DEFINED AS A K THROUGH 12 OR OR A HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION, THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT CATEGORIES. 
          THOSE WOULD WOULD BE USES THAT WOULD YOU WOULD NOT SEE IN A AS PERMITTED USES IN A C2 DISTRICT. 
          BUT IF YOU GO DOWN, EVEN THOUGH IT SAYS DAYCARE, IF YOU GO, READ THE DEFINITION IN THE END. WHAT THE ITEMS THAT WOULD BE ANTICIPATED THERE? THIS WHAT THEY THEY'RE PROPOSING THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS PROPOSING TO USE THIS PROPERTY FOR WOULD BE OKAY. IT'S CALLED A LIMITED USE, SO SO LONG AS THERE'S THE IT MEETS THE LIMITATIONS OF THAT USE, WHICH IN THIS CASE IS RECREATIONAL AND GREEN SPACE REQUIREMENTS. I THINK I THINK IF IT MEETS THOSE REQUIREMENTS, THEN IT COULD BE, 
          [02:05:02]
I GUESS IT IS A RECREATIONAL REQUIREMENT THAT, AND IT'S NOT VERY ONEROUS. AS LONG AS THEY MEET THAT REQUIREMENT, THEN THEY ARE ENTITLED BY RIGHT TO USE IT FOR THAT DAYCARE USE, WHICH, AGAIN, DAYCARE SOUNDS LIKE A VERY LIMITED THING THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE DEFINITION, IT INCLUDES, IT ENCOMPASSES WHAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S PROPOSING. AND ALSO, THERE'S A QUESTION AROUND, WELL, THEY ALSO WANT TO DO SOME ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES HERE, BUT IF YOU LOOK UNDER THE ITEMS ALLOWED IN THE C2, THE CIVIC, LIKE GOVERNMENT OFFICES ARE ONE OF THE ANTICIPATED USES IN THE C2 ZONING DISTRICT. SO BOTH OF THOSE, EITHER ONE OF THEM BEING A PRIMARY USE, WOULD BE ALLOWED UNDER C2, AND THAT WOULD BE MY OPINION. 
          THAT WAS THE CORRECT, ULTIMATE DECISION TO SAY THAT THEY COULD WITHDRAW THEIR REQUEST TO RESUME THE INSTITUTIONAL AND MOVE FORWARD UNDER THE CURRENT C2 ZONING. 
          THANK YOU. SO, COMMISSIONERS, WE CAN TREAT THIS LIKE WE TREAT OUR INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS, OR YOU JUST JUMP IN WHERE YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE JUMPING IN. I FEEL LIKE THIS IS BEST SERVED AS A DISCUSSION, AND I THINK THAT BECAUSE YOU SHARED QUITE A BIT OF A LOT OF INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, WE GOT TO HEAR THIS EARLIER, AND SO NOW WE HAVE, YOU KNOW? ULTIMATELY, WE HAVE A FUNDAMENTAL DECISION TO MAKE AS A BODY. AND WE HAVE OPTIONS WITH HOW WE WOULD LIKE TO RESPOND TO THE REQUEST FROM THE BOARD OF CITY SCHOOLS OF DECATUR. DO YOU WANT TO DISCUSS WHAT THOSE OPTIONS LOOK LIKE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A DIALOGUE ABOUT WHERE WE ARE? AGAIN, THERE ARE THREE OPTIONS I THINK THAT WE WILL CONSIDER AS OUR RESPONSE. OPTION NUMBER ONE IS TO APPROVE THE REQUEST AND COMMENT ON THE STANDARD SCHEDULE, WHICH MEANS WE WOULD ACCEPT THE ORIGINAL REQUEST AS IS. AND ALLOW THE HPC TO REVIEW THE SITE PLAN ON THEIR MEETING TOMORROW, PROVIDE WRITTEN COMMENTS BY DAY 45, WHICH WOULD BE APRIL 4TH, 2026, TWO DAYS BEFORE OUR SCHEDULED FIRST MEETING OF THE, OR THE SECOND HEARING FOR THE HPC, BUT OUR FIRST MEETING IN APRIL. OPTION NUMBER TWO, TO DENY THE REQUEST AND COMMENT. 
          CITY SCHOOLS OF DECATUR IS NOT A LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND REQUIRE THEM TO APPLY FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS. THIS WOULD FORCE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO SUBMIT ITS SITE PLANS FOR REVIEW UNDER THE CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS PROCESS. 
          THIS PROCESS COULD TAKE PLACE EITHER AFTER THE GUIDELINES ARE ADOPTED IN APRIL, OR IF THEY STILL WISH TO PROCEED UNDER THE MORATORIUM EXCEPTION, THEY COULD GO AHEAD AND APPLY. 
          IT WOULD BE REVIEWED IN 45 DAYS UNDER THE GUIDELINES ISSUED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR. OPTION THREE WOULD BE TO APPROVE THE REQUEST AND COMMENT PERIOD ON THE COMPROMISE SCHEDULE OFFERED BY CITY SCHOOLS OF DECATUR, ALLOWING FOR THE HPC TO REVIEW THEIR PLANS ON MARCH 17TH, COMMENT NO LATER THAN APRIL 17TH. CSD WOULD NOT REQUEST THE RELEASE OF ITS PERMITS PRIOR TO APRIL 20TH. OPTION NUMBER THREE ALLOWS MATT, JUST A CLARIFYING QUESTION FOR MR. WHITE. 
          UNDER THOSE THREE SCENARIOS, THEY ALL RESULT WITH US ISSUING A PERMIT? MOST LIKELY, I MEAN, FOR SURE, UNDER THE REVIEW AND COMMENT. 
          EITHER PROCEDURE THAT RESULTS IN A REVIEW AND COMMENT IS JUST YOU'RE GIVING COMMENT, THE HPC WOULD BE GIVING COMMENT ON THE PROPOSED SITE PLANS, AND THEN THEY WOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PERMITS BEING ISSUED. 
          IT WOULD BE HARD FOR ME TO ARTICULATE A SCENARIO UNDER WHICH. THE SECOND, THE DENIAL, WHICH ALSO STILL ULTIMATELY RESULTS IN PERMITS NOT BEING ISSUED. 
          THEY MIGHT BE DELAYED SOMEWHAT, AND A COURT MIGHT END UP TELLING US, MIGHT END UP TELLING THE CITY THAT YOU HAVE TO ISSUE PERMITS, DEPENDING ON HOW THE SCHOOL DISTRICT REACTS. 
          BUT YES, EVEN IF THEY WENT UNDER THE CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS APPROACH, THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, WITHIN 45 DAYS, WOULD NEED TO DETERMINE. WHAT'S, YOU KNOW, WHETHER TO ISSUE A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS BASED ON THE SITE PLANS, BUT GIVEN THE NATURE OF THE PROPOSED HISTORIC DISTRICT. 
          AND THEN ALSO THE GUIDELINES THAT IT WOULD BE USING FROM THE SECRETARY OF INTERIOR, THERE WOULDN'T BE THAT MANY THAT WOULD APPLY TO THE PROPOSED USE. I MEAN, IT'S JUST NOT, THERE'S NOT THAT 
          [02:10:01]
MUCH THAT'S CURRENTLY THERE THAT WOULD REQUIRE IT. SO, YES, EVEN THAT PROCESS, ON ITS OWN, IS ALMOST CERTAIN TO RESULT IN A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS BEING ISSUED. 
          AND PERMITS BEING GRANTED. AND IF, FOR SOME REASON IT WASN'T, I WOULD IMAGINE THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WOULD ASK THE COURT TO WEIGH IN AND REQUIRE THE PERMITS TO BE ISSUED EITHER WAY BECAUSE THEN THERE WOULD BE A WHOLE QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER THE CITY COULD EVEN APPLY ITS ORDINANCES. AND THEN, JUST TO FOLLOW UP, UNDER THE FIRST SCENARIO, THEY COULD REQUEST THEIR PERMITS ON APRIL 5TH, THE DAY AFTER APRIL 4TH. IS THAT HOW IT WORKS? WELL, UNDER THE FIRST SCENARIO, IT'S JUST GOING, THEIR ORIGINAL REQUEST FOR REVIEW AND COMMENT WAS SUBMITTED ON FEBRUARY 18TH, AND SO JUST 45 DAYS FROM THAT, UNDER THE STANDARD 45-DAY REVIEW AND COMMENT PROVISION, WOULD BE APRIL 4TH. 
          SO THEY COULD ASK ON APRIL 4TH. 
          YES. AND THEN, UNDER THE THIRD ONE, THEY COULD ASK FOR APRIL 20TH. 
          WHAT THEY'RE OFFERING UNDER THE THIRD ONE IS A COMPROMISE TO SAY, WE'LL WAIT UNTIL AFTER THE WHOLE PROCESS PLAYS OUT, UNTIL APRIL 20TH. YES. WHICH WOULD BE THE SECOND ROUND OF COMMISSION HEARINGS OR, YOU KNOW, THE ONE WOULD BE A DEFINITE PUBLIC HEARING, AND THE SECOND WOULD BE AN OPTION TO HAVE MORE COMMENT AT THE 20TH. AND SO THEY SAID WE WOULD NOT ASK FOR OUR PERMITS UNTIL THAT TIME. THAT WOULD ALLOW. 
          BUT YOU'D STILL CONTINUE ON WITH TOMORROW NIGHT. THE HPC WOULD CONSIDER THE REVIEW AND COMMENT. THEY WOULD CONSIDER THE SITE PLANS TOMORROW AND PROVIDE COMMENT. 
          BUT THEY'VE OFFERED UNTIL APRIL 17TH TO PROVIDE THE COMMENTS. AND THEN THEY WOULD NOT REQUEST ANY PERMITS BE ISSUED UNTIL AFTER THIS NEXT MEETING ON THE 20TH. AND THEN, UNDER THE SECOND SCENARIO, THEY COULD SUBMIT SOMETHING OF APPROPRIATENESS. I'M CERTAIN WHATEVER REQUEST FOR CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THAT'S A LOT OF SYLLABLES. THEY CAN DO THAT TOMORROW, AND THEN THE 45 DAYS FROM THERE IS WHEN THEY COULD GET A PERMIT, ASSUMING THAT IT IS APPROPRIATE. WELL, THAT'S THE TIMELINE. THE TIMELINE FOR CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS IS GENERALLY 45 DAYS. THERE'S SOME THINGS. 
          AND THE QUESTION IS, WHEN DOES THE CLOCK START TICKING? RIGHT. OKAY. SORRY, MS. MAYER. SO CAN WE TALK ABOUT, I THINK THAT THIS IS REALLY COMPLEX. ALL THREE OF THESE SCENARIOS ARE REALLY COMPLEX, AND I'M HAVING A HARD TIME TRACKING THEM MYSELF, SO I KNOW PEOPLE WHO ARE LISTENING AND MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE ROOM TODAY WHO DO NOT HAVE LAW DEGREES ARE PROBABLY NOT QUITE CLEAR ON WHAT THIS REALLY MEANS FOR THEM. SO CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE RISKS OF EACH OF THESE SCENARIOS TO THE CITY? AND THEN I ALSO WANT TO BE VERY, YOU KNOW, CONSCIOUS OF THE FACT THAT THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE PRESENT TODAY WHO ARE PART OF THE APPLICATION TO MAKE HISTORIC BEACON AND HISTORIC DISTRICT. 
          AND SO I KNOW THAT THERE ARE PROBABLY CONCERNS ABOUT HOW DOES THIS AFFECT OUR APPLICATION AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT. 
          SO, I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT POTENTIAL HARM OR RISK COULD BE CAUSED BY EACH SCENARIO. 
          SURE. WELL, I THINK THE I MEAN, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE RISK FOR NUMBER ONE, I MEAN, THAT'S JUST THE COMMUNITY. 
          NUMBER ONE MEANS THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T GET TO COMMENT IN FRONT OF THE CITY COMMISSION, AND THE CITY COMMISSION DOESN'T GET TO WEIGH IN. BASICALLY, YOU'RE JUST LETTING THE HPC MAKE THEIR COMMENT, AND THERE'S NOT REALLY ANY OPPORTUNITY. SO THAT'S THE MAIN THING IS THE COMMUNITY KIND OF GETS MOSTLY SHUT OUT OF THE PROCESS OTHER THAN THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT TOMORROW NIGHT. I MEAN, AND EVEN THEN, TOMORROW NIGHT IS JUST THE CHANCE FOR THE HPC TO ASK QUESTIONS. IT'S NOT NECESSARILY ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING, BUT THE PUBLIC COULD ATTEND. 
          SO THAT'S THE BIG PROBLEM WITH NUMBER ONE IS THAT YOU'RE JUST SORT OF SHORT-CIRCUITING ANY MORE PUBLIC INPUT ON THIS ITEM. NUMBER TWO, YOU KNOW YOU, THAT THE BIG RISK. THERE'S LITIGATION. AND I, YOU KNOW, THERE HAVE BEEN SIGNALS SENT THAT IF THE CHOICE WOULD BE TO DENY AND SAY, AND I WANT TO JUST EXPLAIN THE DISTINCTION HERE. THE STATE LAW, AND THIS IS FOR THE PUBLIC, THE STATE LAW SAYS THAT A LOCAL GOVERNMENT DOESN'T HAVE TO FOLLOW THE CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS PROCESS, THAT THEY CAN USE THE REVIEW AND COMMENT. 
          BUT THEN THE QUESTION BECOMES, WHO'S THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT? AND IF YOU ACTUALLY LOOK UNDER THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION ACT, THE TERM LOCAL GOVERNMENT ISN'T DEFINED SPECIFICALLY THERE. 
          BUT IT DOES HAVE A REFERENCE TO LOCAL GOVERNING AUTHORITY. 
          NOW, THE LOCAL GOVERNING AUTHORITY IS THE CITY OR THE COUNTY, AND IT DOESN'T SAY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, BUT THAT'S BECAUSE THE LOCAL GOVERNING AUTHORITY TERM, PROBABLY, IS PROBABLY BEING USED IN REFERENCE TO THE BODY THAT PASSES THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION ORDINANCE. 
          BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY WHAT MOST OF THE ACT IS ABOUT. MOST OF THE ACT TALKS ABOUT THE CITY PASSING AN ORDINANCE OR DESIGNATING A PROPERTY, OR THE COUNTY ADOPTING AN ORDINANCE. 
          AND SO THAT'S WHY THOSE ARE DEFINED. I DON'T KNOW. SOMEONE PROBABLY SHOULD UPDATE THAT 
          [02:15:01]
CODE TO CLARIFY, BUT IT DOESN'T LIST SCHOOL DISTRICTS. THERE'S A GOOD ARGUMENT THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS NOT A LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AND THAT'S A POSITION THAT THE CITY COULD TAKE. 
          BUT THERE ARE OTHER STATUTES IN THE GEORGIA CODE THAT DEFINE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE INCLUDED THERE. 
          SO THE QUESTION IS, DO YOU WANT TO TAKE THE RISK OF GOING TO COURT ON THAT? THE BIGGER CONCERN, IF YOU DO GO TO COURT, IS THAT YOU DON'T JUST ENDANGER THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HERE, YOU COULD ENDANGER THE WHOLE BEACON HILL DISTRICT. BECAUSE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, IF THEY REALLY, YOU KNOW, GO ALL IN, AND THAT'S JUST WHAT I WOULD DO IF I WAS AN ATTORNEY FOR THE SCHOOL, BUT YOU WOULD SAY, WELL, THIS WHOLE PROCESS WAS WRONG FROM THE GET-GO, SO WE DON'T THINK YOU SHOULD ALLOW THIS DISTRICT TO MOVE FORWARD AT ALL, PERIOD. SO THEN THAT ENDANGERS THE WHOLE THING, SO THAT'S THE RISK. THAT'S ONE OF THE RISKS THAT YOU WOULD BE LOOKING AT IF THIS ENDS UP IN COURT. IS THAT IT WOULDN'T JUST BE ABOUT WHETHER THIS ONE NARROW EXCEPTION APPLIES, IT COULD ALSO BE ABOUT THE ENTIRE REQUEST TO CREATE THE DISTRICT. SO THAT'S SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO TO WEIGH WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE THAT DECISION. AND IF THAT OCCURRED AND SAY, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, I WANT TO USE REAL, PLAIN LANGUAGE. 
          IF WE THE CITY COMMISSION DEEMED THAT CITY SCHOOLS OF DECATUR IS NOT A LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND WE, WE DECIDED TO SAY THAT THEY COULD NOT. 
          YOU KNOW, USE OF THE PROCESS. 
          THEY HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO TO TAKE US TO COURT. 
          TO ALLOW A JUDGE TO STATE THAT THEY DO QUALIFY UNDER SOME STATUTE OF GEORGIA LAW AS A LOCAL GOVERNMENT. AND THE POTENTIAL FOR THAT IS THAT A JUDGE COULD DEMAND THAT THEIR PERMITS BE ALLOWED TO BE ISSUED IMMEDIATELY. AND THERE IS ALSO AN ANCILLARY CHANCE THAT THE JUDGE COULD ALSO WIPE OUT THE APPLICATION THAT'S BEEN SUBMITTED FOR THE HISTORIC DISTRICT FOR BEACON HILL. HOWEVER, WHAT I'D ALSO LIKE TO CLARIFY IS, IN THE EVENT THAT THAT HAPPENS, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT STOPS? THE APPLICANTS FROM REAPPLYING FOR THEIR HISTORIC DISTRICT DESIGNATION. WELL, THAT'S A, YEAH, I MEAN, THERE COULD BE A SET OF FACTS THAT THE COURT FINDS, DEPENDING ON HOW THEY CHALLENGE IT. THE GROUNDS THAT THEY RAISED IN THEIR LETTER TO THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION WAS THAT THIS WASN'T AN ORGANIZATION THAT WOULD BE QUALIFIED AS A HISTORIC ORGANIZATION. AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S INFLAMMATORY ON ITSELF, AND I AGREE. YES, THAT'S INCREDIBLY INSULTING. 
          TO ME, THAT'S PRETTY OFFENSIVE. THAT THEY WOULD EVEN CLAIM THAT. BUT I THINK WHAT THEIR LAWYER WOULD SAY IS THAT HE'S MAKING THAT ON THE TECHNICAL GROUNDS. 
          IN TERMS OF, THEY'RE JUST AN ASSOCIATION, MEANING, AND I WON'T SAY JUST, BUT THEY ARE AN ASSOCIATION. 
          THEY'RE NOT LIKE A 501C3 OR AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAS FORMAL, YOU KNOW, CHARTERING DOCUMENT THAT SAYS THIS IS THE PURPOSE OF OUR ORGANIZATION. SO THEY WOULD BE, I'M SURE THE LAWYER WOULD BE MAKING IT ON VERY TECHNICAL LEGAL GROUNDS, BUT THEY COULD ARGUE THAT THIS GROUP DOESN'T HAVE STANDING. 
          THAT DOESN'T MEAN SOMEBODY ELSE COULDN'T COME BACK IN AND ASK FOR THAT. SAME DESIGNATION AND CURE, SORT OF CURE THOSE STANDING ISSUES. 
          AND SO I ALSO JUST WANT TO SAY THIS IS VERY UNUSUAL FOR ME TO BE GIVING THIS LEVEL OF LEGAL ADVICE IN PUBLIC. AND I DON'T NORMALLY TELL MY CLIENTS THAT WE NEED TO DO THIS. EVEN MY REPRESENT MULTIPLE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND I PREFER TO HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS, USUALLY IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. 
          BUT I THINK THIS PROCESS, IN PARTICULAR, CALLS FOR AS MUCH SUNSHINE AS IT CAN HAPPEN. 
          AND EVERYBODY NEEDS TO KNOW, AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT MAY WANT TO HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, BACK AND FORTH, BY LETTER, BUT I THINK THIS BOARD FELT IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO JUST BE, LET'S JUST PUT IT ALL OUT ON THE TABLE AND BE REAL ABOUT IT. BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT'S REALLY WHAT THIS SITUATION CALLS FOR. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING US WITH THAT. 
          AND THEN THE RISK OF SCENARIO THREE. WELL, THE RISK OF SCENARIO THREE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, I GUESS THERE'S A SLIGHT RISK THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT COULD SAY, WELL, WE. 
          THEY PUT AN ARTIFICIAL DEADLINE IN THEIR LETTER TO SAY YOU NEED TO RESPOND BY MARCH 9TH TO THIS OFFER, BUT THIS CITY HAD NOT HAD THE CHANCE TO REALLY EVALUATE THEIR OFFER AND DISCUSS IT PUBLICLY, AND SO THEY COULD, IT WAS ASKED, WELL, COULD THEY JUST IGNORE? THEIR OFFER THAT THEY'D MADE EARLIER AND SO THEY COULD DO THAT, THAT'D BE THAT PRETTY, PRETTY BOLD FOR THEM TO MAKE THAT OFFER. AND THEN SAY, ACTUALLY, WE DON'T REALLY MEAN THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO KEEP THAT OPEN. AND NOW WE NOW WE'RE GOING TO DEMAND YOU TO MOVE FORWARD ON OPTION NUMBER ONE, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S THE PRIMARY RISK THERE. I THINK THAT THE THE COMPROMISE, THE THE. THE BEST THING FOR THE CITY IN TERMS OF NUMBER THREE IS THAT IT ALLOWS FOR THE MOST PUBLIC. YOU GET THE HEARING TOMORROW NIGHT, YOU GET THE HEARING ON APRIL 6TH, AND YOU GET ANOTHER HEARING ON APRIL 20TH, WHERE PEOPLE COULD BE HEARD IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, COULD BE FORCED TO LISTEN TO PEOPLE THAT HAVE AN INTEREST IN THIS PROJECT INSTEAD OF PUSHING THROUGH THINGS ON THEIR OWN SCHEDULE. AND DO WE HAVE ANY WAY TO ENFORCE THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ADHERE TO THE TERMS OF THEIR COMPROMISE? I GUESS THAT'S WHAT THE ARTIFICIAL DEADLINE WAS FOR, FOR THEM TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WELL, WE TOLD YOU 
          [02:20:01]
TO LET US KNOW BY MARCH 9TH, SO WE DON'T ACTUALLY AGREE TO THAT ANYMORE. 
          BUT NOT REALLY. I MEAN, THERE'S NOT A THERE'S NOTHING THAT I COULD DO. NO IRON HAMMER THAT WE CAN SAY. YOU MUST. LET ME JUST INTERJECT. COULD THIS BODY COME BACK TOGETHER? I MEAN, SO IF WE SAID, OKAY, THE COMPROMISE, AND IF THEY DON'T LIVE UP TO THAT, THEN COULD THIS BODY COME BACK TOGETHER AND SAY, OKAY, NO, THEN YOU'RE GOING TO APPLY FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS. LIKE, THAT WOULD BE, I MEAN, AGAIN, WE'RE JUST PUTTING IT OUT THERE. I MEAN, AGAIN, A STRATEGY THAT I WOULDN'T NORMALLY PLAY OUT THERE, BUT AGAIN, THAT WOULD BE THE OPTION IS IF WE, AND AGAIN, LIKE YOU SAID, THAT WOULD BE REALLY, REALLY BOLD. BUT ON THAT OFF CHANCE, THERE'S STILL THE POSSIBILITY FOR THIS BOARD TO COME TOGETHER AND SAY, NO, WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO OUR ORDINANCE. AND YOU'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH THE CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS. IF THEY WANT TO PURSUE THE ACCELERATED SCHEDULE, THEN THIS BOARD COULD COME BACK TOGETHER AND SAY, NO, WE THINK NOW WE'RE GOING TO GO WITH AN EVEN LONGER SCHEDULE. 
          OKAY. THANK YOU. SO WITH SCENARIO TWO, I THINK NOBODY ON THIS COMMISSION HAS BEEN IMPRESSED WITH THE WAY THAT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS HANDLED THIS SITUATION, AND NONE OF US ARE PARTICULARLY HAPPY ABOUT WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO CIVIC CRUSTS IN DECATUR BECAUSE OF THAT. AND I THINK THERE IS A DESIRE FROM THIS COMMISSION TO EXPLICITLY STATE THAT, AND PART OF IT IS JUST LIKE, OKAY, YOU CAN'T DO IT, SUE US, WHICH IS TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, WHAT THE SECOND OPTION OPENS IT UP TO. SOME CONCERNS I HAVE WITH THAT IS THAT IF DECATUR CITY SCHOOLS IS SUING THE COMMISSION, THERE ARE LEGAL FEES FOR THESE OUTSIDE COUNCILS. 
          WE'VE RETAINED, AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE PAYING THAT ARE OUR CONSTITUENTS, WHO WE DON'T WANT TO BE BURDENED WITH THAT COST. SO THAT IS A CHALLENGE FOR ME. AND THERE'S ALSO A CHALLENGE FOR ME IN THAT, I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, AN OUTCOME OF THAT. THAT WOULD INCREASE PUBLIC CONVERSATION OR ULTIMATELY FORCE THE SCHOOL BOARD TO HAVE A MORE OPEN MIND IN TERMS OF WHETHER OR HOW THIS PROJECT SHOULD MOVE FORWARD. I GUESS I'M MAKING A STATEMENT MORE THAN I AM. I'M ASKING A QUESTION, ALTHOUGH I WILL SAY THAT IF I SAID ANYTHING, THAT IS WRONG FROM A LEGAL PERSPECTIVE, FEEL FREE TO JUMP IN. 
          BUT I JUST WANTED TO GET THAT OFF MY CHEST. I THINK ON YOUR SECOND POINT, IT'S WELL TAKEN. BECAUSE IF THE GOAL IS TO MAKE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, OR AT LEAST ALLOW THE COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE MORE INPUT AND BE ABLE TO VOICE ALL THEIR CONCERNS, DENYING THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT. 
          EXCEPTION TO THEM? IT COULD, AND IT'S NOT GUARANTEED TO, BUT IT COULD RESULT IN A LAWSUIT BEING FILED PRETTY QUICKLY AND THEN, DEPENDING ON HOW QUICKLY THEY COULD GET. 
          THE SCHOOL DISTRICT COULD GET A COURT TO ACT AND THAT COULD JUST SORT OF SHORT CIRCUIT THE PROCESS, DEPENDING ON HOW THE COURT. 
          JUST BEING REAL IT, I'M NOT. 
          DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY WOULD I ASSERT, SO I CAN'T REALLY ADVISE YOU ON THE THE TOTAL LIKELIHOOD. 
          BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU START RAISING QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT CAN THE CITY REALLY APPLY AGAINST THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN TERMS OF ZONING AND STORE PRESERVATION? AND I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD DISCUSS ALL OF THAT PUBLICLY, BUT THOSE ARE JUST ARGUMENTS THAT WOULD BE RAISED, AND THERE'S CASE LAW THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE DISCUSSED. 
          BUT A COURT WOULD DECIDE, AND YOU'RE SORT OF TAKING IT OUT OF YOUR HANDS AND JUST LETTING IT END UP BEING WHAT THE COURT SAYS. AND SO I THINK THE BEST CHANCE FOR THE CITY TO BE ABLE TO GIVE INPUT IS THROUGH THE, HE'S NOT PURSUING THE SECOND OPTION. YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT BEARS TO MENTION, AND IT'S THE ONE THING THAT WE ALL KNEW WHEN WE TOOK THIS SEAT, THAT WE WERE GOING TO GET A LOT OF PUBLIC COMMENT. WE WERE NOT ALWAYS GOING TO AGREE WITH THE PEOPLE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT MICROPHONE. BUT WHAT WE DID KNOW WAS THAT WE WOULD LISTEN AND MAKE HONEST DELIBERATIONS IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY OUT THERE. AND BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THOSE ACTIONS THAT WE MAKE. 
          AND THE PROBLEM THAT WE ALL FEEL HERE ON THIS BODY IS THAT THAT PROCESS HAS NOT BEEN FOLLOWED. IT IS NOT THE DECATUR WAY, PERIOD. IT IS NOT THE WAY WE DO BUSINESS. IT'S NOT THE WAY OUR CITY DOES BUSINESS. AND SO WE'VE BEEN CONTACTED, AND WE'VE TALKED TO MORE PEOPLE THAN WE CAN COUNT. 
          [02:25:03]
WE RECEIVE MORE PETITIONS THAN WE CAN COUNT. THE PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST ANGRY AND FRUSTRATED. 
          AND WHEN YOU DON'T TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT INTO YOUR DELIBERATIONS OR PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN HEARD, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS. AND IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO GAIN PUBLIC TRUST. AND I'M SPEAKING TO THOSE THAT ARE LISTENING BECAUSE WE'VE ALL BEEN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT. IN 2002, WHEN WE MADE THE DECISION TO CLOSE TWO ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS OR THREE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, IT WAS A BRUTAL PUBLIC PROCESS. 
          BUT IT WAS A PROCESS THAT WE NEEDED TO HAVE. AND WE DID IT IN THE LIGHT OF DAY. AND THERE WERE DECISIONS THAT WERE NOT POPULAR, THAT WERE MADE. BUT WE HEALED TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY BECAUSE THERE WAS A PUBLIC PROCESS. AND TO CSD, THE CHALLENGE IS, YOU'VE DESTROYED ALL THAT TRUST THAT WE'VE BUILT. WHETHER IT'S THROUGH THE BEACON ELDERS OR THROUGH THE PROCESS, WE NEED TO GIVE YOU YOUR DAY AND YOU NEED TO BE HEARD. AND SO OUR INTENT IS TO GIVE YOU THAT TIME TO BE HEARD, BECAUSE WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS COUNTER TO EVERYTHING THAT WE SAY AND WITH OUR REPARATIONS TASK FORCE. AND THOSE ARE JUST HOLLOW WORDS. IF WE CAN'T CARRY THROUGH WITH WHAT WE SAID, WE'RE GOING TO DO. AND I, FOR ONE, AM TIRED OF THE INTERACTIONS THAT WE CONTINUE TO HAVE WITH OUR OTHER ELECTED BODY. 
          IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR IN ANY CASE WHATSOEVER. IT IS NOT OPEN. IT IS NOT TRANSPARENT. IT IS NOT GOOD GOVERNANCE. AND SO HERE WE ARE. 
          WE ARE FORCED TO DO WHAT, QUITE SIMPLY, OTHERS HAVE BEEN RELUCTANT TO DO. IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE FACT THAT IT COULD POTENTIALLY COST OUR TAXPAYERS, I THINK WE WOULD SEND THE STRONGEST MESSAGE WE WOULD POSSIBLY BE ABLE TO SEND. AND I THINK I WOULD PROBABLY GET FULL SUPPORT FROM THIS BODY. WE WOULD ALL PROBABLY BE UNANIMOUS. 
          BUT WHAT WE HAVE TO DO HERE IN THIS SITUATION IS DO WHAT'S BEST SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS HEARD IN WHATEVER THAT PROCESS IS. 
          YOU'RE 100% RIGHT, MAYOR. THE ONLY PROBLEM IS, WE HAVE NO INDICATION THAT THE BOARD OF THE CITY SCHOOLS OF DECATUR WILL ACTUALLY HONOR ANY OF THESE REQUESTS OR ANY OF THESE COMPROMISE LETTERS. 
          AND THAT IS NOT TO BE OFFENSIVE TO THEM. I'M JUST LOOKING AT THEIR TRACK RECORD. AND SO THEY WANT US TO, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK THAT IT WAS ABSOLUTELY AUDACIOUS FOR THEM TO EVEN SEND US A LETTER OF COMPROMISE WITH A DATE, THAT'S ESSENTIALLY A DEMAND LETTER. AND INSTEAD OF SENDING US A LETTER, THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN GOOD FAITH GONE THROUGH THIS HPC PROCESS. 
          THE CORRECT WAY, THE WAY IT WAS OUTLINED, AS A SHOW OF CIVIC TRUST, BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO BE PARTNERS IN THIS PROCESS. THAT IS NOT WHAT THEY DID. SO I AM NOT WILLING TO RISK THE CHANCE THAT THEY CAN USURP. COMING BEFORE THIS BOARD WITH SOME SORT OF, DARE I SAY, SNEAKY SOLUTION THAT WOULD PROHIBIT US FROM BEING ABLE TO UNDO A DECISION THAT'S MADE TODAY. I DON'T WANT TO COST TAXPAYERS A PENNY OF ANYTHING, BUT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT WHAT CITY OF DECATUR SPENDS VERSUS THE EXORBITANT AMOUNT THAT CITY SCHOOLS OF DECATUR SPENDS YEAR OVER YEAR FOR, YOU KNOW, ADMINISTRATION, I CONSIDER THIS AN INVESTMENT IN PUBLIC TRUST. IF WE PUT OUR FOOT DOWN AND SAY WE ARE NOT GOING TO ALLOW CITY SCHOOLS OF DECATUR TO TAKE A LOOPHOLE AND DISRESPECT THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SUBMITTED THIS APPLICATION. 
          THAT IS MY POSITION. I FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT IF CITY SCHOOLS OF DECATUR WANTS TO EARN PUBLIC TRUST, THEY WON'T TAKE THEIR SISTER CITY GOVERNING BODY TO COURT. THEY WILL HONOR THE PROCESS, HONOR THE PEOPLE OF DECATUR, AND ALLOW THE PROCESS TO MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT ARBITRARY DEADLINES THAT THEY SET IN EMAILS AND LETTERS, WITHOUT CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE NOT MADE PUBLIC, AND WITHOUT ADDITIONAL REQUESTS OF US OF OUR HPC OR OF OUR COMMUNITY. THAT'S MY POSITION, AND I THINK THAT THE RIGHT THING TO DO IS TO TAKE THE STRONGEST STANCE. I THINK WE'LL FIND A WAY TO COME UP WITH THE MONEY TO PAY FOR IT IF NECESSARY, BUT MY 
          [02:30:02]
HOPE IS THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO, BECAUSE THEY'D ACTUALLY THIS TIME DO THE RIGHT THING. 
          MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO JUST NOT ASK A QUESTION, BUT MAKE A STATEMENT FOR THE RECORD. PLEASE DO. MY POSITION CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD AND MEMORIALIZED. SO I AM IN FAVOR OF THE SECOND OPTION, WHICH IS TO COMPEL THE CITY SCHOOLS OF DECATUR TO GO THROUGH THE CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS PROCESS. 
          YOU KNOW, THE PROCESS IS IMPORTANT, RIGHT? WE ARE A SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY. I MEAN, IF YOU LISTEN TO THE WORK SESSION AND WATCH FEST AND THE YOUTH PROGRAMS AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON, IT SPEAKS TO SUCCESS. AND ONE HAS TO ASK. HOW DID THIS COMMUNITY GET TO THIS POSITION, TO BE SO SUCCESSFUL, TO HAVE ALL OF THESE AMAZING THINGS? WE ALMOST TAKE IT FOR GRANTED, RIGHT? AND THOSE SUCCESSES ARE BUILT ON VALUES THAT I'VE SEEN, DEMONSTRATED AND LIVED OVER 26 YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN IN THIS COMMUNITY. AND THOSE VALUES, YOU KNOW, TRANSPARENCY, COLLABORATION, RESPECT FOR PROCESS. RESPECT FOR ALTERNATE VIEWS, LISTENING TO OUR NEIGHBORS, RIGHT? AND I THINK WHAT CSD HAS DONE IS A GROSS VIOLATION OF OUR VALUES, OUR TRADITIONS, OUR PROCESSES, AND I THINK THEY'VE DEMONSTRATED EXTRAORDINARILY BAD FAITH. 
          WHAT WE HAVE WITNESSED FROM THEM IS THE ANTITHESIS OF WHAT'S MADE US SUCCESSFUL. 
          AND FOR THAT REASON, AND THE FACT THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN PLEADING ITS CASE SINCE LAST FALL TO DEAF EARS. I DON'T SEE CSD MAKING ONE INCH OF CONCESSION TO THE COMMUNITY, TO OUR VALUES OR TRADITIONS. 
          AND I THINK FOR THOSE REASONS WE SHOULD MAKE THE STRONGEST POSSIBLE STATEMENT AND COMPEL THEM TO PROCEED WITH THE CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER ARNOLD. I HAVE A QUESTION, AND YOU MAY OR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ANSWER THIS. SO IF WE DID GO WITH OPTION TWO AND CSD RESPONDED WITH A LAWSUIT, WOULD THEY HAVE TO HAVE A MAJORITY VOTE BY THE SCHOOL BOARD TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT LAWSUIT? OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT THE BOARD CHAIR OR SUPERINTENDENT COULD MOVE FORWARD WITH? WELL, TYPICALLY, IN ORDER TO FILE SUIT, I DO REPRESENT CITIES AND ELECTION BOARDS AND WATER AUTHORITIES. I WILL SAY, AS A GENERAL MATTER, LAWSUITS DO HAVE TO BE INITIATED BY A VOTE BY. 
          THE ELECTED BODY OR THE GOVERNING BODY, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T SAY THAT. I KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT CARTER OR THEIR GOVERNING PROCESSES, OR THE BYLAWS, OR ANY OF THAT TO SAY WHAT THEY MAY ALLOW IN TERMS OF HOW TO INITIATE A LAWSUIT. SO THAT I CAN'T, I CAN'T GIVE YOU A THOUGHT. 
          BUT AS A GENERAL PROPOSITION, YES, A GOVERNING BODY WOULD NEED TO, YOU DON'T NECESSARILY NEED AUTHORITY TO RESPOND TO A LAWSUIT, BUT USUALLY TO INITIATE ONE, IT TYPICALLY REQUIRES A PUBLIC VOTE, BUT THAT'S NOT ALWAYS THE CASE. 
          THERE ARE, THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS TO EVERY RULE LIKE THAT. AND I KNOW THERE'S BEEN TIMES WHEN I'VE HAD CITY CLIENTS TO FOLLOW AND DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO GET INTO COURT FOR A PUBLIC MEETING, BUT I CAN'T REALLY SPECULATE ABOUT THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS. FOLLOWING UP ON THAT QUESTION, IF THE STAFF WERE TO INITIATE A LAWSUIT, THE SCHOOL BOARD WILL ALWAYS HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO PASS A VOTE, CRAFTING OR STOPPING THAT LAWSUIT? COULD THEY ALWAYS, LIKE, LET'S SAY STAFF WOULDN'T DO THIS, COULD THE SCHOOL BOARD THEN HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO PASS LEGISLATION, SAYING NO, WITHDRAW THE LAWSUIT? YES. SO THEY HAVE THAT. THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS THE AUTHORITY TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT A LAWSUIT AGAINST US WOULD MOVE FORWARD. 
          YEAH, I MEAN, ULTIMATELY, I MEAN, THAT WOULD BE MY NORMAL ASSUMPTION IS THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD IS GIVING GUIDANCE. 
          ULTIMATELY, IT'S THEIR DECISION. THEY'RE GIVING GUIDANCE ON HOW, YES. 
          FOLLOW-UP ON THE FOLLOW-UP QUESTION. IS THERE AN INTERPRETATION THAT WOULD ALLOW A DECISION TO FILE SUIT TO BE COVERED UNDER THE LEGAL MATTERS IN AN EXECUTIVE SESSION? WELL, YOU CAN ALWAYS DISCUSS 
          [02:35:01]
POTENTIAL LITIGATION ON A LAWSUIT, BUT YOU HAVE TO TAKE A VOTE IN OPEN SESSION. YOU HAVE TO TAKE A VOTE IN OPEN SESSION IF IT'S DISCUSSED. THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. YOU CAN DISCUSS IT, AND IF THE DECISION IS NO ACTION, THEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT. 
          BUT IF YOU WANT TO TAKE GENERALLY A VOTE. I'M HERE TO ADVISE YOU GUYS, I HAVE NOT LOOKED INTO ANY OF THEIR, YOU DON'T NEED TO PUT ME ON THE SPOT. LOTS OF CAVEATS THAT I HAVE TO GIVE HERE. THANK YOU. WE DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY IN DECATUR. WE DO. AT LEAST THE SENATE COMMISSION. THAT'S RIGHT, THAT'S RIGHT. MAYOR, MAY I SHARE A FEW MORE THOUGHTS? YES, PLEASE. I ECHO EVERYTHING THAT YOU SHARED A MOMENT AGO ABOUT PUBLIC INPUT, AND WHEN I RAN FOR THIS SEAT BACK IN THE FALL, THE NUMBER ONE TOPIC THAT PEOPLE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT AT THAT TIME WAS WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD. AND BECAUSE I'M A NUMBERS PERSON, I WANT TO SHARE THAT I'VE BEEN KEEPING ALL OF THE EMAILS THAT I'VE BEEN GETTING FROM CITIZENS IN A FOLDER, AND I STARTED COUNTING, AND THAT NUMBER OF CITIZENS THAT HAS REACHED OUT WITH OPPOSITION TO THIS PROJECT AND WITH SUPPORT FOR THE HISTORIC DESIGNATION FOR THIS PLAN IS OVER 1,000 EMAILS. AND THEN THE NUMBER OF EMAILS OR COMMUNICATIONS THAT I'VE GOTTEN IN SUPPORT OF THIS PROJECT IS ONE. SO I JUST, I FEEL THAT THAT'S A REALLY CLEAR, CLEAR ILLUSTRATION OF WHERE OUR COMMUNITY STANDS ON THIS ISSUE. IT'S JUST, IT'S DISCOURAGING AS A PARENT JUST TO SEE THIS AND AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL TO SEE THE DIVIDE IN OUR COMMUNITY OVER THIS. SO CLEARLY, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE NEED TO GIVE COUNSEL DIRECTION. MAY I MAKE A STATEMENT BEFORE WE DO IT? BECAUSE I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THIS ECLC SINCE AUGUST 2024. WHEN I WAS ASKED BY A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM TO JOIN, THEIR DESIGN, SESSIONS HOSTED. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, I WENT INTO THAT RECOGNIZING THAT WE'RE NOT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. 
          BUT WE DO HAVE SOME INTEREST IN HOW THIS PLAYS OUT, HOW OUR COMMUNITY IS ENGAGED. 
          AND SO I REALLY KIND OF FOCUSED ON THOSE AREAS LIKE, WHAT'S THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT? AND THIS BODY FOR A LONG TIME HAS EXPRESSED THE DESIRE TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. THAT IF THAT SITE WERE TO BE DEVELOPED AS AN ECLC HALF, THAT WOULD BE SET ASIDE AS PUBLIC SPACE. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, I, SO, I DID THAT. UNFORTUNATELY, THE INITIAL RENDERINGS PRESENTED TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION DECEMBER 2024 DID NOT REPRESENT THIS. NOW, DURING THE PROCESS, WE SAW ALL THESE DESIGNS, AND EVERY ONE OF THOSE DESIGNS LOOKED LIKE ABOUT HALF OF IT WAS PARKLAND. THAT WAS GREAT. SO, YOU KNOW, WE SHARED OUR SENSE OF THAT TO THE SCHOOL BOARD. 
          AND I WAS ACTUALLY INVITED TO A MEETING WITH THE CONSULTANTS, A SPECIAL MEETING, TO TALK ABOUT IT. IT WAS CANCELED THE DAY THAT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE PLACE. AND THEN MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD APPROACHED THEN MARY GARRETT AND MAYOR PRO TEM POWERS AND SAID, HEY, WE'RE GONNA. WE LOVE TO HEAR THIS. 
          THE COMMISSION'S INPUT ON OUR ECLC DESIGN, TO WHICH THE MAYOR PRO TEM BASICALLY, THAT WILL COME IN. 
          SURE, DO SOME VERY. HE'S BEEN THERE THE ENTIRE TIME, I THINK HE'S EXPRESSED OUR OPINION. 
          TO MY KNOWLEDGE, NO MEMBER OF THE SCHOOL BOARD REACHED OUT TO A COMMISSION TO HAVE ANY OF THAT FOLLOW-UP MEETING IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM. SO THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHEN ANY COMMUNICATION, WELL, ANY OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION WAS COMING FORWARD BEFORE THE APPLICATION WAS RECEIVED TO THE CITY. YOU HEARD HOW THAT HAPPENED. LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE THOUGHT THAT WE HAD JURISDICTIONS. WE WERE TOLD WE DIDN'T HAVE JURISDICTIONS. 
          IT'S JUST BEEN A SECOND OPINION. MAYOR PRO TEM FRONK REQUESTED, WE DIDN'T HAVE JURISDICTION OVER THE DESIGN. 
          HOWEVER, THE SCHOOL BOARD UNDERSTOOD THAT WE WEREN'T PARTICULARLY HAPPY WITH HOW THINGS WERE PROGRESSING. SO THE CHAIR OF THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THE VICE CHAIR INVITED THEN MAYOR PRO TEM POWERS AND I FOR A MEETING, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, AND THERE WAS A GENERAL CONSENSUS, OKAY, LET'S TRY TO FIND A WAY TO REACH THIS. 
          AND I KNOW THAT THE BEACON HILL COMMUNITY HAS COME AND SAID, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT DECATUR DAYS, THE HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SITE, I DON'T KNOW IF HALF OF THE SPACE WOULD SUFFICE. I DON'T WANT TO BE STEP-AND-TOES MAKING DECISIONS, BUT WE WERE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT MAYBE SOMETHING LIKE THIS COULD MOVE FORWARD. 
          AND WE THOUGHT, WELL, IT MIGHT BE MORE EXPENSIVE IF YOU HAD TO PUT A SECOND STORE IN THE BUILDING TO ACCOMMODATE THAT. AND I DO A BIT OF THIS FOR A LIVING. AND WAS THINKING, YEAH, MAYBE TWO OR THREE MILLION DOLLARS, AND THE THOUGHT WAS, WELL, MAYBE THE CITY WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT, 
          [02:40:01]
WELL, IF YOU COMPROMISE, YOU KNOW, WE COULD WORK WITH YOU ON THIS. AND THEN THE STAFF, AND I TALKED TO THE VICE CHAIR OF THE BOARD, WHO TOLD ME HE HEARD ABOUT IT. 
          LIKE I DID WHEN HE READ ABOUT IT IN DECATURISH, THAT THE COST WOULD BE EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS TO DO THAT, WHICH I JUST THOUGHT WAS EXORBITANT. 
          SO I STARTED TRYING TO, I WAS LIKE, WELL, PROVE IT, SHOW IT TO ME, AND STARTED ASKING. 
          BOARD MEMBER WOODS, I KNOW, SAID HE WAS DUBIOUS AND ASKED FOR IT, TOO. DIDN'T GET AN ANSWER FOR QUITE SOME TIME. 
          WHEN I DID GET AN ANSWER, I WAS TOLD THAT THE COST ESTIMATOR BASICALLY SAID, WELL, WE'D HAVE TO ADD ANOTHER 5,000 SQUARE FEET TO A 35,000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING. AND INCREASE THE PER SQUARE FOOT COST FROM $625 TO $737, AND YOU DO THAT MATHEMATICAL PROBLEM THAT GOES FROM $22 TO $8 MILLION. SO I REACHED OUT, YOU KNOW, LIKE MY CURRENT JOB, WE BUILT, YOU KNOW, THREE PARKS, MORE THAN $10 MILLION. I RAN THE ATLANTA PARKS DEPARTMENT, SO I KNOW A LOT OF FOLKS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, REACHED OUT TO THEM AND ASKED FOR THEIR THOUGHTS ON THAT MATH. AND I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, I WROTE DOWN THE RESPONSE HERE. THE 14% GROWTH IN THE BUILDING SQUARE FOOTAGE IS EXCESSIVE, ABSENT MAJOR PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES. 
          THERE WERE NO PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES. TYPICAL PLANNED INEFFICIENCIES TO GROW SQUARE FOOTAGE GOING FROM ONE TO TWO STORIES SHOULD BE IN THE 5% TO 10% RANGE DUE TO CIRCULATION, BLAH, SO ABOUT HALF. AND SO YOU COULD TAKE THAT $8 MILLION, YOU COULD IMMEDIATELY CUT IT DOWN TO $4 MILLION. THE 15% COST INCREASE SEEMS EXCESSIVE AS WELL. IT SEEMS LIKE THEY JUST TOOK A LAZY COST PER SQUARE FOOT APPROACH. THEY SHOULD BE SAVINGS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SITE WORK, GRADING, FOUNDATIONS, ROOF AREA, STORMWATER, AND OTHER UTILITIES TO OFFSET THE INCREASE IN BUILDING SQUARE FOOTAGE AND STACKING. I WOULD ASK THE PROGRAM MANAGER AND DESIGN TEAM FOR A STACKING, EFFICIENCY DIAGRAM AND COST BROKEN DOWN. 
          MY SYSTEM, KIND OF GO THROUGH THIS. THE DIAGRAM WOULD BE TYPICAL OPTION ANALYSIS TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE PREMIUM GIVEN THE CLIENT, THE BEST INFORMATION TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION. 
          THIS WOULD BE STANDARD PRE-CONSTRUCTION SERVICES. I DON'T SERVE ON THE SCHOOL BOARD. IT'S NOT MY FISCAL DUTY TO LOOK AT THE NUMBERS THAT ARE PRESENTED AND FIGURE OUT WHETHER THEY MAKE SENSE OR NOT. BUT I WOULD ARGUE THAT THIS DETAILED EXPLANATION IS NEEDED TO HELP THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTAND WHY THE PROPOSED REDESIGN WOULD BE SO EXPENSIVE AND WHY THE 50% GREEN SPACE DESIGNATION CANNOT BE MET. I SPOKE TO ANOTHER SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, AND SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE OBSERVATION ROOMS. THAT ARE IN THE DESIGN FOR THE ECLC, NOTING THAT THOSE DO NOT CURRENTLY EXIST, THAT THEY DO NOT EXIST IN THE INITIAL DESIGN, THEY WERE ADDED. I SHARE THAT JUST TO THE POINT. WE TALK ABOUT TRANSPARENCY. WE TALK ABOUT GOOD FAITH. WE TALK ABOUT ANGER, FRUSTRATION, NOT BEING HEARD. WHAT YOU'RE HEARING FROM ME IS ANGER AND FRUSTRATION, AND NOT BEING HEARD. 
          AT THE END, I NOTE THAT THE APPROACH TO THE ECLC CONTRASTS WITH THE CITY'S APPROACH TO THE LEGACY PARKS AND REC. DO NOT HAVE A NEED FOR A COMPETITION LEVEL TRACK FACILITY. I KNOW COMMISSIONER WALSH LOVES TRACK AND IT WAS A GREAT THING, BUT WE DID NOT NEED ONE. THE CITY SCHOOLS IN DECATUR DID. 
          THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE LAND. WE WERE WILLING TO PROVIDE THE LAND. 
          TO PROVIDE HALF THE FUNDING FOR IT. AND WE WERE WILLING TO ENTER INTO AN OPERATIONAL AGREEMENT WITH THEM TO USE IT HALF THE TIME TO MEET THEIR NEEDS. 
          DESPITE THE ALLEGATION OF COLLUSIONS THAT WE'VE HEARD BETWEEN THE CITY SCHOOLS OF DECATUR AND EAST, AND C SCHOOL, THE THE COMMISSION OF SEATTLE, DECATUR. NO SUCH COOPERATION IS HAPPENING AT THE ECLC SITE. I HOPE THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION WILL RE-EXAMINE THE SITUATION. ACKNOWLEDGE THE LEGITIMATE CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY AND WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THE COMMISSION TO RESOLVE THESE CONCERNS IN A WAY THAT BENEFITS DECATUR'S RESIDENTS. WHAT YOU'VE HEARD FROM MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS IS THAT THEY'VE GIVEN UP THAT THAT WILL EVER HAPPEN. I, I'M NOT SURE WHETHER I WANT TO GIVE UP OR NOT. GIVING UP IS TAKING THE SOSUA'S APPROACH, AND SO I'M KIND OF STRUGGLING WITH THAT, BUT IT'S BEEN A FRUSTRATING PROCESS. I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT THIS COMMISSION HAS NOT BEEN SITTING IDLY BY THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROCESS. WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE SCHOOL BOARD, OUR FRIENDS, AS MAYOR PRO TEM FRANK WOULD SAY. IT'S BEEN A FRUSTRATING EXPERIENCE. IT HAS NOT HELPED THOSE RELATIONSHIPS. 
          AND I STILL HOPE THERE STILL IS TIME. ALSO, I SAID, LIKE, HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE TO DO THIS ANALYSIS? IT WOULD TAKE LESS THAN FOUR WEEKS TO DO THE ANALYSIS TO FIGURE OUT IF YOU ACTUALLY COULD REDESIGN THE ECLC IN SUCH A WAY. THAT IT COULD SET ASIDE SPACE THAT MAY MEET THE DESIRES OF THE BEACON HILL COMMUNITY, MAY MEET THE DESIRES 
          [02:45:01]
OF THE DOWNTOWN DECATUR NEIGHBORS, AND WOULD MEET THE DESIRES EXPRESSED 18 MONTHS AGO BY THIS COMMISSION. SO THANK YOU. SORRY FOR TALKING FOR A LONG TIME. COMMISSIONER. 
          I JUST WANT TO SAY ONE MORE THING FOR THE RECORD, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT THIS TO COME BACK. I ALSO THINK THAT I SPEAK FOR EVERYONE HERE THAT WE CARE ABOUT THE YOUNG PEOPLE, THAT THIS PROJECT IS, YOU KNOW, INTENDED TO SERVE. SO IT FEELS LIKE THEY ARE NOT THE CENTER OF THIS PROJECT ANY LONGER. 
          BUT JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE. WELL, THAT'S A GREAT POINT, BECAUSE I BROUGHT UP LAST WEEK THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A REASON WHY WE'RE THE THIRD CHILD-FRIENDLY CITY IN THE UNITED STATES. BECAUSE WE PUT THOSE DECISIONS OF OUR YOUNGEST CONSTITUENTS, YOU KNOW, TO THE LITMUS TEST. 
          YOU KNOW, WE ENGAGE THEM AT A VERY EARLY TIME, AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT THROUGH THIS PROCESS THAT WE DON'T DISCOUNT THE NEED FOR THAT EDUCATION. THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT I DON'T THINK ANY OF US HAVE SAID. IT'S IT'S PURELY BEEN THE PROCESS. IT'S THE PROCESS OF HOW WE'VE GOTTEN HERE. THE COMMUNITY IS FED UP, AND QUITE FRANKLY, WE'RE FED UP. AND WE WERE NOT THE DRIVERS OF THE UGLINESS. AND OUR STATE DELEGATION IS FED UP. AND OUR STATE DELEGATION IS FED UP. 
          SO, I MEAN, SO AGAIN, WE HAVE TO GIVE COUNCIL DIRECTION BECAUSE WE DO NEED TO RESPOND, BECAUSE THE CLOCK IS TICKING. 
          AND SO, DO YOU ROLL CALL, VOTE FOR EACH OF THE THREE? WELL, IT'S NOT AN ORDINANCE, SO I CAN'T DO A ROLL CALL VOTE. I DON'T KNOW. JUST GO ONE BY ONE, BY ONE OPTION? OR JUST SOMEONE MAKE A MOTION? I'M WITH MAYOR PRO TEM. I WANT US TO ADDRESS ROBERT, I'LL MAKE IT. I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE TO MOVE FORWARD, WITH THE OPTION TO, LET ME GET THE LANGUAGE CORRECT IF I'M WRONG THERE. WE CAN MAKE A MOTION TO ALL THREE OPTIONS. 
          I'M SORRY. YOU CAN REFER TO OPTION TWO. 
          WITH OPTION TWO, FOR THE RECORD, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE CITY SCHOOLS OF DECATUR TO APPLY FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS ON THE GROUNDS THAT THEY ARE NOT A LOCAL GOVERNMENT. SO IF THAT MOTION HAS BEEN MADE, IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. 
          IN FACT, THE MOTION HAS BEEN MADE AND SECONDED. IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SO IF THIS IS APPROVED, IT COULD PROMPT LEGAL ACTION THAT WOULD COST THE TAXPAYERS FOR THE CITY REPRESENTATION AND THE SCHOOL BOARD REPRESENTATION. 
          CORRECT. BASED ON THAT. 
          CORRECT. IF CITY SCHOOLS OF DECATUR CHOSE TO DO THIS. IT'S HIGHLY LIKELY. OKAY. OKAY. 
          THERE IS ANOTHER QUESTION. 
          ROLL CALL VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? NAY. 
          CAN I HAVE ANOTHER MOTION? I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE FOR THE REVIEW AND COMMENT ON THE COMPROMISE SCHEDULE OFFERED BY CSD. I'LL SECOND. THE MOTION HAS BEEN MADE AND SECONDED. 
          ARE THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? I HAVE A DISCUSSION. GO AHEAD, CHERYL. 
          CAN I MAKE FURTHER DISCUSSION ON MY OWN MOTION? YES. OKAY. 
          FURTHER. THANK YOU. SO I MAKE THIS MOTION WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE EXPECT THAT OUR CSD COMMUNITY LEADERS WILL ACT IN GOOD FAITH, AND IF THEY DON'T, THIS BODY CAN COME BACK TOGETHER AND DISCUSS NEXT STEPS. IF IT'S NOT TOO LATE AND THEY'VE ALREADY APPLIED FOR THEIR PERMIT. SO THE OTHER THING THAT I WANT THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW IS THAT WE COULD CALL FOR AN EMERGENCY SESSION. WE HAVE TO ADVERTISE THAT, CORRECT, MS. ARNOLD? COULD WE HAVE A, BUT WE COULD, 24 OR 48 HOURS, IT CAN BE PRETTY THAT WE COULD COME BACK BEFORE OUR NEXT SCHEDULED MEETING IN THREE WEEKS. SO I WANT TO CLARIFY THIS MOTION AND WE HAD DISCUSSED IF THIS IS THE MOTION WE WANTED TO MAKE CLEAR WITH IN THE CONTEXT OF THE MOTION. 
          AND MY RESPONSE WOULD MAKE CLEAR, IF THIS IS THE DIRECTION YOU END UP GIVING ME, THAT WE'RE NOT AGREEING WITH THE POSITION NECESSARILY. 
          WE'RE NOT AGREEING THAT THEY WOULD QUALIFY AS A LOCAL GOVERNMENT. WE'RE JUST SAYING THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO MOVE FORWARD. SO, IN OTHER WORDS, YOU COULD COME BACK AND MAKE THIS DECISION. 
          WE ARE NOT SAYING THAT THEY'RE A LOCAL GOVERNMENT OR NOT. WE 
          [02:50:02]
ARE JUST LOOKING FOR THE REVIEW AND COMMENT ON THEIR COMPROMISE PROPOSAL SO THAT WE CAN GET PUBLIC COMMENT. 
          THREE MORE TIMES. THREE MORE TIMES. ONE MORE TIME. ONE MORE QUESTION BEFORE YOU MOVE FORWARD WITH THE VOTE. WE HAVE NONE OF THIS ON THE TABLE. ISSUED CITY SCHOOLS OF DECATUR TO MOVE THAT DIRT. COULD IT BE TOMORROW? NO, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE EARLIEST WOULD BE, RIGHT? I MEAN, IF WE DO NOTHING, IF WE WALKED OUT, YEAH, WE WALKED OUT TONIGHT. 
          WE DID NOTHING. THEY WOULD BE OPERATING UNDER NUMBER ONE, OKAY, AND SO THEY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE EARLIEST BEFORE FORTH. MY FIRST QUESTION WAS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THOSE. THEY SAID, WE YOU GIVE US OUR PERMIT, WE APPLIED FOR IT, WE WOULD. 
          THEY ARE OPERATING UNDER THE 45 DAY REVIEW AND COMMENT PROCESS. AND AGAIN, THAT PART OF THAT HAPPENS TOMORROW NIGHT WITH THE COMMENT PERIOD WITH HPC AND BUT AGAIN, THE EARLIEST. THE 45-DAY PERIOD WOULD END ON THE 4TH. AND THEY WOULD NOT COME BEFORE THE COMMISSION. THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION. AND THE ONLY EXCEPTION TO THAT IS IF YOU'VE GONE FORWARD NUMBER TWO. AND THEN THEY GOT A COURT TO RULE ON IT, IT COULD HAVE GONE EVEN FASTER. 
          IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, THE COURT COULD SAY NONE OF THIS SHOULD BE HAPPENING, AND THEN IT WOULD HAPPEN, IT COULD HAPPEN, IN THEORY, EVEN EARLIER. THAT'S A RISK YOU TOOK. BUT, YES, WITHOUT THE COMPROMISE SCHEDULE, APRIL 4TH IS A SATURDAY, SO PROBABLY YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT. I'LL JUST SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, I EXPRESS MY FRUSTRATION WITH ALL THE DAMAGE THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS DONE. I RESENT THE FACT THAT THE MEMBERS OF THIS COMMISSION ARE STRUGGLING TO COME ACROSS WITH A UNIFIED POSITION. THAT ADEQUATELY EXPRESSES OUR SENSE OF THE SITUATION WHILE DOING OUR BEST TO WHAT WE THINK IS RIGHT FOR THE RESIDENTS OF DECATUR. 
          AND SO IT'S JUST NOT AN EASY DECISION. WE'VE HAD, I THINK, ONE OTHER 3-2 VOTE BEFORE NOW, AND IT WAS NOT NEARLY THIS DIFFICULT, AND IT SHOULDN'T BE THIS DIFFICULT IF THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS DONE ITS JOB. I WOULD ADD TO THAT THAT BECAUSE WE ARE HERE AND BECAUSE WE DO CARE. 
          AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT WE'RE THE GATEKEEPERS AND WE'RE THE ORGANIZATION THAT OUR CONSTITUENTS LOOK TO TO PROVIDE THAT GUIDANCE AND THAT TRANSPARENCY. IT DOES MAKE THIS DIFFICULT BECAUSE WE EACH FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT WHAT WE FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT. AND WE KNOW THAT THE PROCESS HASN'T BEEN THE RIGHT PROCESS. AND SO HERE WE ARE. THERE IS A MOTION ON THE FLOOR WITH A SECOND. 
          WITHOUT ANY FURTHER COMMENT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. CHAIR VOTES AYE TO TWO NAYS. BIG NAY. 
          MAJOR NAY. ALL THE WAY NAY. SO WE HAVE OUR MARCHING ORDERS. 
          YOU HAVE YOUR MARCHING ORDERS. 
          WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH THE CITY SCHOOL ATTORNEY AND REPORT BACK TO THE COMMISSION AS SOON AS I CAN. THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TONIGHT. THANK YOU. 
          OKAY, MS. ARNOLD. WE'RE NOT DONE. I KNOW. I WILL TURN. WE ARE DONE WITH THIS MATTER. 
          YEAH. SO I THINK IT'S IN YOUR COURT NOW FOR REPORT OUT FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. 
          YES. STICK AROUND, FOLKS, IT'S GOING TO GET MORE FUN. 
          OKAY, SO WHAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU, AND ONE, I DO JUST WANT TO APOLOGIZE FOR NOT HAVING THIS ITEM ON THE AGENDA BECAUSE IT'S CAME OFF OF MY COMPUTER LAST NIGHT. 
          SO IT WAS NOT, AND AGAIN, I APOLOGIZE. 
          BUT THIS IS RELATED TO HOUSE BILL 1116, ALSO KNOWN AS THE HOME OWNERSHIP, OPPORTUNITY AND MARKET EQUALIZATION ACT OF 2026. I HAVE SENT THIS BODY A COUPLE OF EMAILS AND VERBALLY HAVE KEPT THIS BODY. I'M INFORMED ABOUT THE PROGRESS OF CERTAIN BILLS RELATED TO PROPERTY TAXES. AND ON CROSSOVER DAY, ON CROSSOVER 
          [02:55:06]
DAY, HOUSE BILL 1116 WAS PASSED BY THE HOUSE. IT IS NOW OVER IN THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE FOR REVIEW. 
          SINCE HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS TO REVIEW THE BILL IN SOME DEPTH. ALSO, TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE GEORGIA CITY COUNTY MANAGERS AT OUR SPRING MEETING LAST THURSDAY. GATHERED EVEN MORE INFORMATION. AND AS A RESULT OF THE CONCERNS THAT I HAVE, THAT I'VE SHARED WITH YOU ALL PRIOR TO TONIGHT, I'VE DOCUMENTED THOSE CONCERNS IN THIS RESOLUTION. 
          ULTIMATELY, THIS RESOLUTION DOES ASK THE MEMBERS OF THE GEORGIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO AMEND HOUSE BILL 1116. 
          THERE ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS OR URGINGS IN THIS RESOLUTION, AND IF THOSE CHANGES AREN'T MADE, THEN THERE'S A RECOMMENDATION TO OPPOSE THE LEGISLATION, AND IF I MAY, MAYOR, MAY I READ THIS RATHER LENGTHY RESOLUTION TO THIS BODY? ALRIGHT, THIS IS R-26-XX, A RESOLUTION REGARDING HB 1116 AND ITS IMPACT ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCES. 
          CREDIT RATINGS AND TAX EQUITY. 
          AND URGING MEMBERS OF THE GEORGIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO AMEND OR OPPOSE THE LEGISLATION. WHEREAS ARTICLE 09, SECTION 2 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA RECOGNIZES AND PRESERVES LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AS POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS OF THE STATE. GRANTS THEM HOME RULE POWERS TO SELF-GOVERN AND PROVIDE ESSENTIAL PUBLIC SERVICES AND PROTECT THE HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE OF RESIDENTS. AND WHEREAS HOUSE BILL 1116, THE HOME OWNERSHIP, OPPORTUNITY, AND MARKET EQUALIZATION ACT OF 2026 WAS PASSED BY THE GEORGIA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ON MARCH 6, 2026. AND PROPOSES TO CAP ANNUAL LOCAL PROPERTY TAX REVENUE GROWTH AND RESTRUCTURE LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX AUTHORITY, INCLUDING THE CREATION OF A LOCAL HOMESTEAD OPTION SALES TAX L HOST. AND WHEREAS, HOUSE BILL 1116 WOULD CAP AD VALOREM PROPERTY TAX REVENUE INCREASES. REGARDLESS OF COMMUNITY NEEDS, AND WOULD REQUIRE, WOULD REQUIRE ONEROUS AND COSTLY PROCESSES FOR REVENUE GROWTH OVER THE ARBITRARY CAP. 
          THEREBY CONSTRAINING THE CITY'S ABILITY TO PROTECT THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE OF ITS RESIDENTS. AND WHEREAS HOUSE BILL 1116 WOULD REVISE LOCAL SALES TAX PROVISIONS TO REPLACE AN EXISTING HOMESTEAD SALES TAX WITH A 1% L-HOST DEDICATED TO HOMESTEAD PROPERTY TAX RELIEF. 
          AND IN DEKALB COUNTY, THE BILL WOULD ELIMINATE THE EQUALIZED HOMESTEAD OPTION SALES TAX E-HOST. WHICH CURRENTLY PROVIDES RELIEF FROM ANY COUNTY AD VALOREM PROPERTY TAXES LEVIED UNIFORMLY THROUGH THE COUNTY ON HOMESTEAD PROPERTIES, INCLUDING IN ALL MUNICIPALITIES. AND WHEREAS AS THE REQUIRED CONVERSION TO L-HOST IN DEKALB COUNTY RAISES SERIOUS CONCERNS THAT THE EXISTING AND FUTURE SPECIAL PURPOSE LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX, SPLOST, COULD BE JEOPARDIZED. DUE TO REFERENDUMS THAT REQUIRED BOTH THE E-HOST AND SPLOST TO BE APPROVED IN ORDER FOR EACH TO EXIST, AND WHERE, IT IS UNCLEAR. HOW? A SINGLE ONE CENT L HOST IN DEKALB COUNTY WOULD BE ABLE TO GENERATE SUFFICIENT REVENUE TO FULLY COVER HOMESTEAD PROPERTY TAXES FOR THE COUNTY IN ALL THE MUNICIPALITIES. 
          WHEN THE CURRENT ONE CENT E-HOST IS ADEQUATE TO COVER ONLY COUNTY HOMESTEAD TAXES. 
          [03:00:05]
WHEREAS, THE CITY ENGAGES THE COMMUNITY IN COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGIC PLANNING AND EMPLOYS CONSERVATIVE FINANCE AND BUDGET PRACTICES. AS REFLECTED IN ITS STRONG CREDIT RATINGS, DUE, IN PART, TO THE CURRENT LEGAL FLEXIBILITY TO RAISE REVENUES WHEN NEEDED. 
          AND WHEREAS THE STATE IMPOSED CAPS ON LOCAL REVENUE GROWTH AND HEIGHTENED DEPENDENCE ON A SINGLE ONE-CENT SALES TAX FOR HOMESTEAD RELIEF WILL BE SEEN BY CREDIT RATING AGENCIES AS WEAKENING LOCAL REVENUE FLEXIBILITY AND PREDICTABILITY. 
          THEREBY POTENTIALLY PLACING DOWNWARD PRESSURE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT'S CREDIT RATINGS, INCREASING BORROWING COSTS FOR NEEDED CAPITAL PROJECTS, AND ULTIMATELY RAISING COSTS FOR TAXPAYERS. AND WHEREAS THERE HAS BEEN NO COMPREHENSIVE, PUBLICLY AVAILABLE, INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF HOUSE BILL 1116'S PROJECTED IMPACTS ON LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, PARTICULARLY WITH RESPECT TO LONG-TERM REVENUE ESTIMATES, IMPACTS ON TAXPAYER CLASSES, AND EFFECTS ON CREDIT RATINGS AND DEBT AFFORDABILITY. AND WHEREAS THE RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES OF THE CITY OF DECATUR EXPECT AND DEPEND UPON WELL-FUNDED LOCAL SERVICES, INCLUDING POLICE, FIRE, AND EMERGENCY SERVICES, PUBLIC WORKS, PARKS AND RECREATION, SANITATION, AND OTHER SERVICES THAT PROTECT QUALITY OF LIFE AND ECONOMIC VITALITY, AND HASTY AND POORLY STUDIED CHANGES TO A STABLE REVENUE STRUCTURE THREATEN THESE CRITICAL SERVICES. AND WHEREAS LOCAL ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES ARE BEST POSITIONED TO ASSESS AND RESPOND TO THE UNIQUE FISCAL NEEDS OF THEIR COMMUNITIES. AND A ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL APPROACH UNDERMINES LOCAL FISCAL FLEXIBILITY. AND HOME RULE AUTHORITY, ESPECIALLY IN SMALLER CITIES LIKE DECATUR, THAT ARE HIGHLY RELIANT ON HOMESTEAD PROPERTY TAXES TO MEET BASIC SERVICE STANDARDS. 
          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF DECATUR, GEORGIA, THAT THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF DECATUR. HEREBY EXPRESSES ITS CONCERNS THAT HOUSE BILL 1116.1 IMPOSES RIGID LIMITS ON ANNUAL PROPERTY TAX REVENUE. 
          GROWTH THAT MAY PREVENT THE CITY FROM KEEPING PACE WITH POPULATION GROWTH AND SERVICE DEMANDS, THEREBY RISKING CUTS TO ESSENTIAL SERVICES, DEFERRED MAINTENANCE OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, AND EROSION OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE EXPECTED BY RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES. 
          2. DOES NOT CONSIDER THAT? THE CURRENT E-HOST IN DEKALB COUNTY THAT WOULD BE CONVERTED TO L HOST IS NOT ADEQUATE TO PROVIDE HOMESTEAD TAX RELIEF FOR MUNICIPAL HOMESTEAD PROPERTY TAXES. THREE, IT WILL SHIFT THE LOCAL TAX BURDEN ONTO NON-HOMESTEAD TAXPAYERS, SUCH AS SMALL BUSINESSES, RENTAL PROPERTIES, AND OTHER COMMERCIAL USES, AS WELL AS ONTO CONSUMERS. 
          THROUGH HIGHER RELIANCE ON SALES TAXES, UNDERMINING TAX EQUITY AND COMPETITIVENESS. 
          FURTHERMORE, THE PROPOSED L-HOST WOULD APPLY TO ESSENTIAL GOODS, SUCH AS FOOD, WHICH IS CURRENTLY EXCLUDED FROM E-HOST, EXACERBATING THE REGRESSIVE NATURE OF THE SALES TAX. FOUR, IT ADDS ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLEXITY AND ADDITIONAL UNFUNDED, MANDATED PUBLIC PROCESSES FOR LOCAL BUDGETS AND MILLAGE DECISIONS, WHICH COULD DELAY OR IMPEDE TIMELY RESPONSES TO EMERGENCIES, ECONOMIC DOWNTURNS, OR RAPID CHANGES IN COMMUNITY NEEDS. AND COULD CONTRIBUTE TO RATING AGENCY CONCERNS ABOUT THE CITY'S FINANCIAL FLEXIBILITY. FIVE. IT INTRODUCES WHOLESALE CHANGE TO A CITY'S ABILITY TO PROVIDE ESSENTIAL SERVICES WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF AN INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL ANALYSIS. 
          THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF DECATUR RESPECTFULLY REQUESTS THAT MEMBERS OF THE GEORGIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY DEFER ACTION ON HOUSE BILL 1116 UNTIL A COMPREHENSIVE, INDEPENDENT, COUNTY-BY-COUNTY AND CITY-BY-CITY FINANCIAL IMPACT ANALYSIS OF HOUSE BILL 1116 AND ANY RELATED MEASURES IS COMPLETED AND SHARED WITH LOCAL ELECTED BODIES. 
          ENGAGE 
          [03:05:02]
IN MEANINGFUL CONSULTATION WITH THE CITY TO UNDERSTAND PAST, CURRENT, AND FUTURE RELIANCE ON PROPERTY TAX REVENUE TO FUND FAIR SALARIES AND HEALTH BENEFITS FOR POLICE, FIRE, AND OTHER ESSENTIAL WORKERS TO MAKE LEGALLY OBLIGATED CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITY'S RETIREMENT PLAN, TO FUND LIABILITY INSURANCE PREMIUMS THAT HAVE INCREASED 240% SINCE 2020, TO INVEST IN AGING CAPITAL, INFRASTRUCTURE AND OTHER EXPENDITURES THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR THE PRUDENT OPERATIONS OF A LOCAL GOVERNMENT. OPPOSE HOUSE BILL 1116 IN ITS CURRENT FORM, IN THE ABSENCE OF CONSIDERATIONS TO INCLUDE A FINANCIAL ANALYSIS, CREDIT RATING ANALYSIS. AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE BILL'S IMPACT ON DEKALB COUNTY'S E-HOST AND SPLOST, INFORMATION ABOUT THE BILL'S IMPACT ON COMMERCIAL, NON-HOMESTEAD PROPERTIES. AND ALLOWANCES FOR A COMMUNITY'S ABILITY TO SELF-GOVERN, HOW IT MEETS COMMUNITY NEEDS. 
          SO RESOLVED THIS DAY, MARCH 2026. I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE CHANGES TO THE THIRD PARAGRAPH UNDER THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF DECATUR CURRENTLY EXPRESSES ITS CONCERNS AT H.B. 
          1116. OKAY. OUR TARGET IS A CONSERVATIVE GENERAL ASSEMBLY GOVERNED BY REPUBLICANS. AND WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT TAX, EQUITY AND STUFF LIKE THAT. I DON'T THINK IT'LL BE SUCCESSFUL IN, LIKE, SHIFTING THE TAX BURDEN. I THINK WE'RE TOO SUBTLE. IT WILL RAISE TAXES ON SMALL BUSINESSES, RENTAL PROPERTIES, AND OTHER COMMERCIAL, COMMERCIAL, YOU KNOW, I'LL FIGURE THAT OUT. 
          COMMERCIAL USES. YEAH, AS WELL AS ONTO RESIDENTS WHO CANNOT AFFORD TO OWN THEIR OWN HOME. 
          THAT'S WHY I LIKE THAT TO SAY, AND JUST THAT'S IT. 
          THEY'RE GOING TO RAISE TAXES ON SMALL BUSINESSES, ON RENTAL PROPERTIES, ON WHATEVER THE MAYOR SAID, AND ON PEOPLE, ON GEORGIA RESIDENTS WHO CANNOT AFFORD TO OWN THEIR OWN HOMES, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THIS DOES. 
          AS WELL AS RESIDENTS THAT CANNOT AFFORD TO OWN THEIR OWN HOMES. I JUST WOULD SAY THE ELSE THERE. OR YOU CAN KEEP IT. 
          FURTHERMORE, ALL ESSENTIAL GOODS, SUCH AS FOOD, IT'S CURRENTLY. THAT CAN'T BE A SURPRISE TO ME. YEAH. I KNOW THEY DON'T CARE THAT IT'S REGRESSIVE. I'D CROSS OUT THE REGRESSIVE PART. 
          WELL, HOW DOES HIS BODY FEEL ABOUT THAT? YOU'RE RAISING TAXES. YEAH. WHERE THE PROPOSAL IS TO APPLY TO ESSENTIAL GOODS, SUCH AS FOOD, WHICH IS CURRENTLY THE SUIT OF THE HOST. I JUST END IT THERE. 
          THE REST OF THE BOARD CAN DO IT. I JUST KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE. 
          I WOULD JUST SAY RAISING THE COST OF BASIC ESSENTIALS. 
          YEAH, MAKING THE COST OF LIVING HIGHER. FOR ALL GEORGIANS. YEAH. YEAH. YEAH, I JUST I SPEND TIME AT THE CAPITOL. YEAH. YEAH, RAISING THE COST OF LIVING EXPENSES FOR ALL GEORGIANS. YEAH, THAT'S WHAT IT IS. AND IF YOU REALLY WANTED TO MAKE A POINT, YOU CAN SAY AVERAGE GEORGIANS. AVERAGE GEORGIANS. 
          ALL GEORGIANS. ANYHOW. THANK YOU. SURE. IS THIS BODY? I'D BE VERY POLITICAL IN THAT. OKAY, WITH THESE CHANGES? I THINK THAT'S A GOOD CHANGE. I AGREE. 
          SO IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE A MOTION AND A SECOND AND A VOTE. 
          ALL RIGHT, SO MOVED. AS AMENDED? AS AMENDED. OKAY, MOTION HAS BEEN MADE. AS AMENDED. SECOND. MOTION'S BEEN SECONDED. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. AND THE CHAIR VOTES AYE. THANK YOU, MS. ARNOLD. AND I WILL BE PREPARED TO PUT MY SIGNATURE ON THAT AND NEED BE DELIVERED TO OUR DELEGATION ON MONDAY. 
          THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, WHAT ELSE YOU GOT FOR ME? I THINK THAT'S ENOUGH. I THINK SO, TOO. OH, ANGELA THREADGILL, COME ON DOWN. I'M LOOKING IF ANYONE ELSE HAS AN ANSWER. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, MAYOR, PRO TEM, AND COMMISSIONERS. I'M ANGELA THREADGILL. I SERVE AS THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. I KNOW IT'S LATE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A COUPLE OF MINUTES OF MINUTES TO REMIND OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING PROCESS FOR THE CITY. AND TO LET'S SEE OUR WEDNESDAY NIGHT ON THE 18TH, WE WILL BE HAVING OUR DEEP DIVE CONVERSATION AT THE OAKHURST RECREATION CENTER, 6 O'CLOCK TO 8 O'CLOCK P.M. THIS DEEP DIVE CONVERSATION IS SPECIFIC 
          [03:10:03]
TO TWO TOPIC AREAS ONE IS COMMUNITY FACILITIES, THE OTHER IS PUBLIC SAFETY. 
          AND SO IF COMMUNITY MEMBERS WANT TO TALK ABOUT OUR RECREATION CENTERS, CITY HALL, OUR FIRE STATIONS, OUR POLICE STATIONS, ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY FACILITIES, EVEN OUR PUBLIC LIBRARY. YOU KNOW, WE WOULD INVITE THEM TO THIS MEETING, AS WELL AS OUR PUBLIC SAFETY CONVERSATION. 
          AND THEN IF THEY CAN SAVE THE DATE FOR, I BELIEVE IT'S APRIL 16TH, FROM 6 O'CLOCK TO 8 O'CLOCK P.M., AT THAT TIME, WE'LL HAVE A DEEP DIVE CONVERSATION ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING, AND THAT WILL BE HELD AT THE EPSTER RECREATION CENTER. ALL THIS INFORMATION IS ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE ON THE MAIN PAGE, THE HIGHLIGHTS ON THAT ON THE MAIN PAGE. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU MS THREADGILL. COMMISSIONER KORTEMEIER. OKAY, THANK YOU MAYOR. I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO TOOK TIME TO COME OUT AND SHARE THEIR COMMENTS TONIGHT AGAIN TRANSPARENCY IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO THIS BODY AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND YOUR ENGAGEMENT. IN ADDITION TO TALKING ABOUT THE ECLC, THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS GOING ON IN THE CITY TOO THAT ARE BIG PRIORITIES, AND ONE OF THOSE IS OUR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS. AND LAST WEEK, THE MAYOR, AS WELL AS FELICIA MOORE, WHO'S OUR HOMELESS STRATEGY MANAGER. 
          AND I HAD THE CHANCE TO JOIN LOCAL CLERGY, NON-PROFIT LEADERS AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM DEKALB COUNTY. ON A TOUR OF PEACE BAPTIST IN DEKALB COUNTY, AS WELL AS THE CITY OF REFUGE. 
          THEY SHARED THAT THERE WILL BE A DAY SHELTER OPENING IN APRIL. I'M NOT QUITE CLEAR ON THE TRANSPORTATION PIECE YET AND HOW THAT WILL IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY HERE IN DECATUR, BUT THAT WAS PROMISING. AND IT WAS NICE TO SEE A MODEL THAT'S WORKING WELL AT THE CITY OF REFUGE. I ENJOYED THAT EXPERIENCE AND APPRECIATE EVERYONE WHO PUT THAT ON. I ALSO WANT TO CONGRATULATE THE DECATUR EDUCATION FOUNDATION ON A WONDERFUL TOUR DECATUR ON SATURDAY. IT WAS WELL ORGANIZED, WELL ATTENDED, AND A VERY POSITIVE COMMUNITY GATHERING. YEAH, THAT'S IT. 
          THAT'S ALL FOR ME. THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. 
          COMMISSIONER ARNOLD. NO COMMENT. I'M GOOD. I REALLY ENJOYED HAVING THE YOUNG PEOPLE. I WAS THINKING ABOUT HOW WE STARTED OFF WITH THIS JOY AND THIS YOUTH AND THIS EXCITING STUFF AND HOW GREAT THAT WAS. AND NOW I'M JUST FEELING FRUSTRATED AND WONDERING WHETHER I MADE THE RIGHT DECISION VOTING FOR NUMBER THREE VERSUS NUMBER TWO ON THAT BUT THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS MAYOR PRO TEM. THANK YOU. I WOULD LIKE TO ECHO THAT SENTIMENT. THE MEETING STARTED OFF VERY UPLIFTING AND UPBEAT AND WONDERFUL WITH YOUTH. AND THEN WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, A REALLY HARD CONVERSATION, AND LET'S JUST FACE IT. THE ROOT OF THE CONVERSATION WAS BASED ON HOW DEEPLY WE TRUST OR DISTRUST PEOPLE THAT WE CONSIDER FRIENDS. AND WHO, IN ESSENCE, RUN THE SYSTEM THAT EITHER HAS EDUCATED OUR CHILDREN OR IS CURRENTLY EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN. 
          NOTHING ABOUT THAT FEELS GOOD. 
          BUT I WANT TO BRING UP TWO VERY IMPORTANT POINTS THAT HAVE CAUSED ME GREAT DISTRESS. ONE OF WHICH IS THE INSINUATION THAT MEMBERS OF THIS COMMUNITY WHO EITHER OPPOSE THE PLAN FOR THE ECLC AS IT EXISTS OR WHO ARE ASKING FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION? OR WHO ARE ASKING QUESTIONS AT ALL ABOUT THE COST OR THE TRANSPARENCY OF THE PROCESS ARE, IN SOME WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM, RACIST. THAT IS DESPICABLE AND DISGUSTING. I THINK THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ME TO HIGHLIGHT THE FACT THAT FOR MONTHS, I HAVE PERSONALLY ASKED FOR INFORMATION ABOUT HOW STUDENTS FROM THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WILL HAVE SPOTS PRESERVED FOR THEM AND HOW THOSE SPOTS WILL BE PAID FOR. AND AS WE SIT HERE AND HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS, I AM STILL WAITING FOR THAT INFORMATION. 
          FOR ALL WE KNOW, THERE IS NO PLAN TO ENSURE THAT THOSE SEATS ARE PROTECTED, AND THERE IS NO PLAN TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE SEATS ARE PAID FOR. AND THAT'S A PROBLEM. 
          THIS HAS BECOME A SITUATION WHERE PEOPLE ARE MANIPULATED INTO FEELING GUILTY FOR SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T EVEN HAVE EVIDENCE. WILL BE ABLE TO BE IMPLEMENTED AS WE ARE TOLD. 
          WHAT WE HAVE BEEN ASKED IS THAT WE SHOULD TAKE $50 MILLION 
          [03:15:02]
ON THEIR WORD. AND I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THAT. I ALSO DEEPLY, DEEPLY RESENT ANY ASSERTION THAT THE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE APPLIED FOR THIS HISTORIC PRESERVATION BEING UNWITTINGLY MANIPULATED BY DOWNTOWN ACTIVISTS AND GREEN SPACE PRESERVATIONIST, DESPICABLE. 
          THE BEACON ELDERS ARE SOME OF THE MOST ADMIRED PEOPLE AND ACCOMPLISHED PEOPLE IN DECATUR'S HISTORY. TO THINK THAT THEY DON'T HAVE THE WHEREWITHAL TO PROTECT THEIR OWN HISTORY BY THEIR OWN DESIGN, FOR THEIR OWN REASONS, IS AUDACIOUS AND DISGUSTING. 
          SO I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT GOING FORWARD, THOSE TWO TOPICS IN THIS CITY ARE PUT TO REST. 
          THAT NEEDS TO STOP. WE HAVE CONVERSATIONS WHERE WE DON'T ALWAYS AGREE. VERY RARELY DOES IT GET CONTENTIOUS. I CAN'T REALLY THINK OF A TIME THAT IT'S EVER GOTTEN CONTENTIOUS. 
          AND I THINK IT'S BECAUSE OF TRUST AND RESPECT. WHILE I DO NOT TRUST THAT THE PROCESS WILL MOVE FORWARD IN GOOD FAITH, I DO APPRECIATE AND RESPECT THAT SOME OF YOU STILL DO. DID NOT EVER THINK THAT THIS ETERNAL OPTIMIST WOULD BE THE MOST JADED COMMISSIONER SITTING UP HERE. BUT, I MEAN, THE REALITY IS I THINK THAT I AM REALLY TIRED OF PEOPLE OF COLOR BEING USED AS A MANIPULATION TACTIC. 
          AND IT SADDENS ME. SO I'M EXCITED TO SEE HOW WE REBUILD FROM THIS BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO SOMETHING. AND NOT JUST BECAUSE SHE'S IN THE ROOM. I ACTUALLY PRAISE ONE OF OUR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, MEMBER ERIE, WHO IS SPEAKING UP WHEN IT'S REALLY HARD TO DO SO. THAT IS THE FIRST STEP IN OUR HEALING AND I'M VERY, VERY PROUD OF YOU FOR DOING SOMETHING SO HARD. 
          NOW I'D LIKE TO SWITCH GEARS, IF I MAY, BECAUSE TODAY, THE MAYOR, CITY MANAGER, MYSELF, AND MEMBERS OF CITY STAFF GOT TO GO TO PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOME-GOING SERVICES I'VE EVER BEEN TO. 
          FOR CAPTAIN RICHARD PHILLIPS. 
          AND I'D LIKE TO TELL A LITTLE ANECDOTE, IF I MAY. FOR THOSE WHO, I THINK EVERYBODY KNOWS ABOUT THE BEACON HILL CONCERT SERIES, THE VERY FIRST BEACON HILL CONCERT SERIES THAT I THREW WAS THE LABOR OF LOVE. 
          AND IT WAS ALL BECAUSE MAYOR ELIZABETH WILSON, WHO IS THE BOSS OF EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD, SAID, HEY, THIS GREEN SPACE HERE AT UPSTER ISN'T BEING USED, AND THE ACOUSTICS ARE LOVELY. 
          FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH THAT. AND SO THE CONCERT WAS A HISTORY LESSON, FOLLOWED BY MUSIC. IF YOU WANT TO ROCK OUT TO JOHN BOYD'S ROUND SOUND, YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO THE STORIES OF THE BEACON ELDER. THERE IS NO EXCEPTION. 
          AND IT WAS AMAZING. CAPTAIN PHILLIPS WAS THE INDIVIDUAL WHO HANDLED OUR EVENTS. HE WAS THE OFFICER ON THE GOLF CART, MAKING SURE THAT WE WERE SAFE. 
          MAKING SURE THAT SETUP WAS GOING WELL AND PROVIDING A PRESENCE SO THAT WE, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS HAD HAD CITY OF DECATUR THERE. AND AFTER THAT SHOW, I SAW HIM AT ANOTHER EVENT AND HE WALKED UP TO ME AND HE SAID, DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS? AND HE HAD A LITTLE COIN IN HIS HAND. AND I SAID, AS A MATTER OF FACT, I DO BECAUSE MY BOYFRIEND IS IN THE AIR FORCE AND HE HAS ROWS AND ROWS AND ROWS OF THESE BEAUTIFUL COINS CALLED CHALLENGE COINS. AND I USED TO DUST THEM AND LOOK AT THEM AND PICK THEM UP. AND I'D SAY, WHAT'S THIS ONE FOR? AND WHAT'S THIS ONE FOR? AND WHAT'S THIS ONE FOR? AND HE'D SAY, OH, WELL, THAT'S BECAUSE I DID THIS IMPRESSIVE THING OR THAT'S BECAUSE I LED THIS GROUP OR THAT'S BECAUSE I SHOWED THIS ACT OF BRAVERY. SO HE'S SHOWING ME THIS COIN. AND HE SAYS TO ME, THIS IS FOR YOU. BECAUSE I'M SO PROUD OF YOU AND I KNOW YOU'LL KEEP IT. I AM SO PROUD OF YOU. SO SAD THAT WE'VE LOST SOMEONE SO GREAT. HE WAS REALLY EXCEPTIONAL, REALLY EXCEPTIONAL. AND AT A TIME WHEN THERE'S SO MUCH AWFUL IN THE WORLD, LOSING SOMEONE THAT SPECIAL, WHO BROUGHT A HOPE TO EVERYONE WHO KNEW HIM, IT KILLED ME HARD. CAN WE BASK IN HIS MEMORY? BECAUSE HE WAS A LIGHT, I STILL SEE HIS SMILE. I WILL NEVER FORGET HIM. AND WHILE WE'VE HAD A GOOD LITTLE BIT OF LOSS IN THE PAST YEAR, WHEN IT COMES TO CITY OF DECATUR, LISA POWELL, HERE IN MENARD, AND NOW RICHARD PHILLIPS, YOU SAY THEIR NAME TO KEEP THEM ALIVE. I CAN SIT BACK 
          [03:20:04]
AND SAY, MY GOD, I'M SO LUCKY THAT I GOT THE HONOR TO KNOW THESE PEOPLE. YOU KNOW, IT'S TIMES LIKE THIS WHERE WE LEAN INTO EACH OTHER. AND WHAT I WANT THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW IS THAT EVEN THOUGH WE HAD TWO SPLIT VOTES, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE ARE SPLIT IN THE WAY WE FEEL. THERE'S ANGER, THERE'S ANGST, THERE'S FRUSTRATION. WE BE AND DO BETTER PERIOD AS A COMMUNITY. 
          THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I SAT IN THE AUDIENCE IN SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS BEFORE. I KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO BE IN A FOREIGN SPACE, BUT I KNOW YOU'RE IN THAT SEAT. BECAUSE YOU'LL DO THE RIGHT THING, AND WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO KEEP DOING THE RIGHT THING. 
          WHAT YOU HEAR TONIGHT IS OUR FRUSTRATION, AND I HOPE THAT THAT MESSAGE WILL GET RECEIVED. 
          YOU GUYS AREN'T OUR ENEMIES, YOU'RE OUR FRIENDS, WHICH MAKES IT SO MUCH MORE DIFFICULT. 
          WE'VE BEEN TASKED TO SET POLICY IN ONE OF THE GREATEST CITIES IN THE SOUTH, AND WE HAVE A REPUTATION FOR DOING IT IN A WAY IN WHICH WE ENGAGE PEOPLE. AND IF WE LOSE THAT ABILITY TO ENGAGE AND TO HAVE PEOPLE TRUST US, THERE'LL NEVER BE ANOTHER LEGACY PARK. THERE'LL NEVER BE ANOTHER DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN. 
          THERE'LL NEVER BE ANOTHER SCHOOL BUILDING BUILT BECAUSE PEOPLE SIMPLY WON'T TRUST US. 
          WE DIDN'T GET TO DO LEGACY PARK BECAUSE WE HID BEHIND THE VEIL OF, YOU KNOW, EXECUTIVE SESSION. WE WERE OPEN AND TRANSPARENT ABOUT WHAT WE WANTED TO DO. 
          THAT WAS THE ONLY WAY IT HAPPENED AND THE ONLY WAY THINGS GET DONE IN THIS COMMUNITY IS. YOU GOT TO SIT AND YOU GOT TO LISTEN, AND THEN YOU GOT TO SIT WITH IT. WHETHER IT'S GOOD OR BAD, AND IF YOU'RE UNWILLING TO SIT WITH THE GOOD OR BAD, THEN MAYBE YOU SHOULDN'T SIT IN THE SEAT. THAT'S ALL I'M GOING TO SAY. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT. I WANT TO SAY OUR DEEPEST CONDOLENCES TO CAPTAIN RICHARD'S FAMILY. 
          YOU KNOW, HEAVEN GOT ANOTHER GOOD ONE. WE LOST ANOTHER GREAT ONE. AND WITH THAT, I WILL ADJOURN THIS MEETING IF THERE'S NO FURTHER BUSINESS AT 10:26. 
          THANK YOU ALL.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.