2026-09-01 - Mayor and Commission

00:45Welcome to City Hall everyone. It is

00:47Tuesday, September 1st, 2026

00:51and we're gathered here in the chamber

00:52and joined by those online for the

00:54monthly voting meeting of the Athens

00:56Clark County Mayor and Commission. Uh we

00:58are going to go ahead and begin with a

00:59roll call from Clerk Howard.

01:02>> Davenport

01:04Link

01:04>> here. Taylor

01:06>> here.

01:07>> Wright

01:07>> present. Fisher

01:09>> here.

01:09>> Johnson here. Co Pepper Meyers

01:14>> here. Thornton

01:16>> here.

01:17>> Hami

01:17>> here.

01:18>> We have a quorum.

01:20>> Thank you, madam clerk. I appreciate it.

01:21Uh if we've not concluded business by

01:248:15 p.m. We'll have a 15-minute break.

01:26At that point, I'll begin with our

01:28civility pledge from the Georgia

01:30Municipal Association.

01:31>> That indicates that the way we govern

01:33ourselves is often as important as the

01:34positions we take. that our collective

01:36decisions will be better when differing

01:38views have had the opportunity to be

01:39fully vetted and considered. That all

01:41people have the right to be treated with

01:42respect, courtesy, and openness. That we

01:45value all input and we commit to conduct

01:46ourselves at all times with civility and

01:49courtesy to each other. Um, first formal

01:52order of business is approval of the

01:54minutes of meetings of Tuesday, August

01:564th, Tuesday, August 18th, and non-

01:58voting meetings of Tuesday, August 11th,

02:01August 18th, and Monday, August 24th. Do

02:04I hear a motion for approval of those?

02:06>> So move.

02:07>> Second.

02:08>> All right. I've got a motion from

02:09Commissioner Fiser and I have a second

02:10from Commissioner Meyers. All in favor,

02:12please say I.

02:13>> I.

02:14>> Are there any opposed?

02:15>> Hearing none. Motion carries. Madam

02:17clerk, are there any written

02:18communications this evening?

02:19>> No.

02:21>> All right. Uh let me uh for everyone

02:23here, outline the rules of public input

02:25here in Athens, clar county. Uh we have

02:28several opportunities for public input

02:30tonight. We'll have an opportunity on

02:31the consent agenda. We'll have

02:34individual opportunities on each of our

02:36several planning and zoning items. We'll

02:38have an opportunity on old and new

02:40business. And then as we do every month

02:41at the conclusion of the evening, we'll

02:43have an opportunity for anyone to

02:44provide public input on any item that is

02:46not on tonight's agenda. Um with one

02:49brief exception that I'll mention in a

02:51moment. That's a threeinut public input

02:53opportunity per session. You're going to

02:57see the light in front of Clerk Howard.

02:58will turn green when you provide your

03:00name and place of residence and begin

03:02speaking. Will turn yellow when you have

03:0430 seconds remaining and it will turn

03:06red when your three minutes has

03:07concluded. And I'll thank you for your

03:08time with us tonight. Uh the one

03:11exception is that for planning and

03:13zoning items uh either a proponent or an

03:16opponent can apply for up to a 10minut

03:19slot of time and we do have one of those

03:21uh this evening. So, uh, first thing I

03:25need to do tonight is ask my colleagues

03:27here on the commission, is there any

03:28member of the body who would like to

03:29remove one of the items that is on

03:31consent? Those are items one through 15.

03:35>> Number one.

03:36>> Number one. Okay.

03:40Thank you, Commissioner Johnson.

03:42Any others?

03:46All right. I'll then ask members of the

03:47public. Is there any member of the

03:49public who would like to speak to any of

03:50the consent agenda items which are now 2

03:53through 15?

03:55Is anyone moved by any of those? 2

03:58through 15. And again, just provide your

04:00name and place of residence and then

04:02your three minutes will begin.

04:04>> Good evening to Madden Pitt Road. I just

04:07want to say thank you all for your

04:09continued support of Destined

04:11Incorporated and the young people in

04:13this community. When we support our

04:15young people, we are supporting our

04:17future. So, thank you once again.

04:20>> Thank you, Dr. Maddox. Good evening,

04:26>> Michael McClendon, 2011-9 Hamilton Road.

04:29I'd previously sent you comments on what

04:31is now agenda item three, ARPA

04:34refunding. Um, and I had recommended

04:37that that be totally revised. And I want

04:40to repeat several points here. One,

04:43Athens, Clark County knew when it

04:45started using ARPA funds that it was

04:48throwing money down a rat hole because

04:50you were throwing money at nonprofit

04:52organizations and you were hiring people

04:56that you knew that you wanted to

04:58eventually roll over to be funded by the

05:00general fund to make it unaffordable in

05:02the long run. And now what you want to

05:04do is organizations that can't spend

05:07their money, you want to give them

05:08increased allocation of 10% to charge

05:12against those funds, which is like

05:14giving away free money. And these

05:17organizations never competed for these

05:19dollars. And so what about all the other

05:21contractors in Athens, Clark County that

05:23compete for your dollars? Are you going

05:25to give them free access to money? Are

05:28you give them going to give them a 10%

05:30increase to what they can charge and

05:32bill? No, I don't think you're going to

05:34do that. And I think all these people

05:37that you have hired with ARPA funds that

05:39you have rolled over to be funded by the

05:42general fund budget, those positions

05:45should be terminated. There was never

05:47any guarantee of that to start with. So

05:49I think you need to go back to scratch

05:51on your ARPA recapture. Thank you.

05:53>> Thank you, Mr. McClendon. Is there

05:54anyone else here to speak to any item on

05:56the consent agenda? Again, those are

05:58items 2 through 15 tonight. Good

06:00evening, ma'am.

06:01>> Good evening. Good evening. My name is

06:02Hattie Thomas Whitehead, and I'm here to

06:06speak on behalf of the Walk of

06:08Recognition that we have been working on

06:10since really 2019 up to now. We are very

06:15proud of this uh community, the

06:18commissioners and mayor for your support

06:20to get to where we are. This is very

06:22very historic for here in Athens. Not

06:25only for all of us but for the youth.

06:29Um

06:30it shows individuals how you can work

06:34with the mayor commissioners to get

06:36things done and it's very important that

06:39this will be here for generations to

06:41come. So for on the behalf of all the

06:45first descendants of Linentown, the

06:46residents who are not here any longer

06:49and all of the community, I just want to

06:51say thank you for all the work that has

06:54been done and all the support that we

06:56have received from this not only for the

06:58mayor commissioners but this for this

07:00community from this community as well.

07:03Thank you.

07:03>> Thank you, Miss Thomas Whitehead. Is

07:05there any member of the public who would

07:07like to speak to any of those consent

07:08agenda items? Again, last call for items

07:112 through 15.

07:12>> Mr. Have a point of order when it's

07:14time.

07:16>> Yes, ma'am.

07:16>> Um, on item 13, the audit, that should

07:19be an accept, not an approve,

07:25>> attorney Drake, is that an acceptable?

07:28>> Thank you.

07:28>> Thank you. I appreciate that.

07:31>> All right. Uh, Attorney Drake, do we

07:33have any ordinances to read tonight?

07:34Ordinances for agenda items number uh

07:37two, three, and four. Agenda item two,

07:40an ordinance to amend the FY 2027

07:42operating capital budget for Athens,

07:44Clark County, Georgia, so to provide

07:45grant funding if awarded to the fire

07:48department from the Federal Emergency

07:49Management Agency, FEMA fire prevention

07:52safety grant program for the purchase of

07:53a fire safety trailer and for other

07:56purposes. Ordinance number three, an

07:58ordinance to amend the FY 2000, excuse

08:00me, agenda item number three, an

08:02ordinance to amend the FY 2027 annual

08:04operating and capital budget for Athens,

08:06Clark County, Georgia, so as to provide

08:09additional funding for fire equipment

08:10and other purposes. And agenda item

08:13number four, an ordinance to amend the

08:15special purpose local option sales tax

08:172020 program budget so as to provide

08:19additional funding for project number

08:2020, parks, facilities improvements, and

08:22for other purposes.

08:24>> Thank you, Attorney Drake. I appreciate

08:26that. Uh, can I have a member of the

08:27body place a motion on the floor for

08:29approval of the consent agenda?

08:32>> So move. Second.

08:33>> All right. Motion from Commissioner Link

08:35and a second from Commissioner Wright.

08:38All in favor, please say I.

08:39>> I.

08:40>> Are there any opposed? All right.

08:41Hearing none. Motion carries.

08:43>> All right. We're going to move on to

08:44public hearing deliberation on

08:46recommendations from the Athens, Clar

08:47County Planning Commission. Um, first

08:50item there is item [snorts] 16. Would

08:52any member of the public like to speak

08:54to item 16 uh regarding

08:58Clover Street, 490 Clover Street?

09:03>> Good evening. My name is Franklin Frost.

09:04Live at 180 Indale Avenue. Um would just

09:07like to speak uh on the project uh just

09:10looking to take two existing uh

09:14neglected buildings and turn them into

09:16two duplexes to provide housing uh that

09:19this community needs. And so we just

09:20want to say that we're a part of the

09:22team trying to uh bring additional

09:25housing to our community and actively uh

09:28participating in in trying to meet the

09:31the growing needs of our of our

09:33community. So thank you very much.

09:34>> Thank you, Mr. Frost. Is there anyone

09:36else here tonight to speak to Clover?

09:40>> Good evening.

09:42>> Good even Zeb Brookshshire. Uh 620

09:44Sunset Drive, right around the block

09:45from Clover Street. Um I've lived in the

09:48neighborhood for 5 years. is I'm a

09:49homeowner there and I'd like to speak

09:50staunchly in favor of this amendment to

09:52the zoning code for this property. This

09:54is the missing middle housing that

09:56Athens needs. This is the what we're all

09:59looking for. I live in this neighborhood

10:00and this is the diversity that makes the

10:02neighborhood vibrant. It brings in

10:04different types of folks. Y'all can look

10:06on Zillow and see what home prices are

10:08like over there right now. And this is

10:09the kind of thing that will bring in

10:10folks that are working up to putting a

10:12down payment on a house, things like

10:14that. you know, this is um one of the

10:16things that I'd like to see in the

10:18neighborhood as a homeowner because we

10:20have, you know, kids that still do run

10:21around on the sidewalks and things like

10:23that, which is a good thing, and I'd

10:24like to see more of it. And the reason I

10:26bring that up is because, you know, you

10:27see these headlines about people in

10:29Georgia getting arrested because they

10:31let their kids play outside and things.

10:32And I'd like to keep our neighborhood

10:33the kind of neighborhood that has that

10:35going on. So, I'd like to see different

10:36types of people coming in. I'd like to

10:38see different types of housing and other

10:39things like that. Um, and so I just want

10:41to speak in favor of this as a member of

10:43the neighborhood and as someone who's

10:44been there for a while and walks my dog

10:46down that street, you know, every chance

10:48I can when it's not this hot out. Thanks

10:50y'all.

10:50>> Thank you, Mr. Brookshshire. Is there

10:53anyone else here to speak to 490 Clover.

10:58>> Hi, I'm Eva Claire Schwarz. Um, I am a

11:02young professional social worker here in

11:04the Athens community. um decided after

11:07my master's degree to come back and

11:09reinvest in the community as an adult

11:11non- studentent person for the first

11:13time and by the end of my search for

11:16housing. Um college aimed housing

11:19high-rise wasn't really a good fit for

11:20my lifestyle as someone who's 32. Um I

11:23was left for two options in more of a

11:25neighborhood setting at the time of when

11:27I moved here. So, just speaking super in

11:29favor of number 16. Um, having more

11:33housing opportunities in neighborhood

11:34settings that are in kind of a more

11:36appropriate uh like entrylevel

11:39professional degree budget is awesome.

11:42Yeah. So, strongly in favor. Thanks.

11:43>> Thank you, Miss Schwarz.

11:47>> All right.

11:49>> Hey, uh, Andrew Gross, 335 Clover

11:53Street. Um, this is going to be right

11:56down the road for me. I am

11:59in favor of this build. I think it will

12:02be a good addition to our neighborhood.

12:05Um,

12:07thank you.

12:08>> Thank you, Mr. Gross. All right, last

12:11call for 490 Clover.

12:14All right. Uh, this is District 2.

12:18Commissioner Link, could you place a

12:19motion on the floor, please?

12:20>> Yeah. Um I have a a CDO that adds just a

12:24couple of minor conditions to the

12:25conditions that planning put forward. Um

12:28primarily just to asssure that the

12:30redevelopment retains the same height

12:32and setback restrictions as the RS8 of

12:36the surrounding neighborhood. Um and

12:38I've spoken with the developers. I've

12:40spoken with some of the the surrounding

12:42neighbors. you know, I think this will

12:44um help assure some of the the you know,

12:46neighbors directly across the street and

12:48directly adjacent that no future

12:50redevelopment would, you know, become a

12:5335 story or 35 foot um structure. Um so

12:58yeah, I'd like to place a motion on the

13:00floor to approve this with the u staff

13:04conditions as well as the additional

13:06conditions for the CDO.

13:09>> There's a motion from Commissioner Link.

13:11Is there a second?

13:11>> Second.

13:12>> All right. I've got a second from

13:13Commissioner Hamby. All right.

13:15Commissioner Link, any further remarks?

13:17>> Yeah. Um I had some discussion with the

13:20applicant and with neighbors and with

13:22staff about um right now there's yellow

13:24curbing in front of the property. Um

13:27I'll be um talking with staff some more

13:29about removing that yellow curbing and

13:31potentially placing it across the

13:32street. So that'll probably come before

13:34this body sometime in the near future.

13:37Um, and also there's some talk in the

13:40neighborhood about going through our um,

13:42voluntary traffic calming process. Um,

13:45hopefully getting some speed bumps on

13:47the the street at some point. And, um,

13:50you know, I would expect the property

13:52owner or the developer to um, contribute

13:54proportionally to that process. Um, so

13:57that's some things down the line that we

13:59might be seeing associated with this

14:01property.

14:02>> You have a followup, Commissioner Hampy?

14:03>> No. Sounds like a good project.

14:05>> Any others?

14:07All right, there's a motion and a

14:08second. I believe we need two uh votes.

14:10The first uh for which the motion is on

14:12the floor now is for the future land use

14:15change. So, I'll have attorney Drake

14:16read that ordinance.

14:17>> An ordinance to amend the code of

14:18Athens, Clark County, Georgia with

14:20respect to amending the future land use

14:21map of Athens, clar county by changing

14:23the designation of one parcel of land

14:25comprising approximately 0.308

14:28acres located at 490 Clover Street from

14:30neighborhood residential to mixed

14:31density residential and other purposes.

14:34>> Thank you, Attorney Drake. All right.

14:35All in favor, please say I.

14:36>> I.

14:37>> Are there any opposed? Hearing? None.

14:39Motion carries. Can I have a motion for

14:41the reasonzoning?

14:43>> Athens Clark I'm sorry.

14:44>> Will you read that now?

14:45>> All right. No. An ordinance to amend the

14:46code of Athens, Clark County, Georgia

14:48with respect to reszoning one parcel of

14:49land comprising approximately 0.308

14:52acres located at 490 Clover Street from

14:54RS-8 mixed density residential and CG

14:57commercial general to RM-2 mixed density

15:00residential and for other purposes.

15:01>> Motion for that ordinance.

15:02>> So move.

15:05There a second.

15:06>> Oh, second. Sorry.

15:07>> I've got a motion from Commissioner

15:09Link, second from Commissioner Wright.

15:12Right. All in favor, please say I.

15:13>> I.

15:14>> Any opposed? All right. Hearing none.

15:16Motion carries. All right. Moving on to

15:1817. This is 940 College Avenue. Is there

15:22any member of the public who's here to

15:23speak to that this evening?

15:29>> Brett Nave 200 Plum. I'm a studio BNA

15:32architects and uh we got to talk about

15:34this a couple of weeks ago and and uh I

15:37just want to thank everybody planning

15:39department, planning commission to get

15:41this far and everyone that I've been

15:43able to speak with and hopefully we've

15:45answered u any questions that you guys

15:47have on this and we're certainly here uh

15:51for for any more questions if you need

15:53any any more clarification. Uh we're

15:56proud to be able to work on projects

15:59like this where we can reclaim a decades

16:02old industrial site and come up with

16:05some transition between our downtown

16:09density and our neighborhoods. We we've

16:12been able to do a couple of projects

16:14right along the edge of of the the

16:16tracks there. And and I I feel like this

16:17is a hopefully you guys do too. I feel

16:20like this is a very successful approach

16:22to bring in a smaller to medium scale uh

16:27buildings and kind of create a a

16:29transition scale neighborhood as well.

16:32So if you have any questions, I I love

16:34to be able to try and clarify your

16:36answer. Thank you so much.

16:37>> Thank you, Mr. Nave.

16:39>> Good evening.

16:40>> Good evening. Ed Lane with SPG Planners

16:43and Engineers, 1725 Electric Avenue.

16:46I'll be real brief, echo Brett's

16:48comments, but um especially want to just

16:51commend staff from the fire department

16:54to public utilities, public works, uh

16:57working with us and the developer trying

16:58to find some win-wins here for for some

17:01of the infrastructure challenges at this

17:03site. Um and so we we thank them for

17:06that and are eager to now dive into some

17:09of the engineering to to actually bring

17:11about some of those those uh solutions.

17:14So, thank you for your time.

17:15>> Thank you, Mr. Lane. Any others to speak

17:17to 940 College?

17:20>> All right. This is also [clears throat]

17:22in district two, Commissioner Link.

17:23>> Um, yeah, this is a really beautifully

17:25designed project. Um, the applicant

17:28pointed out that it's, you know, small

17:29to mediumcale buildings offering a

17:31transition from the larger denser scale

17:34of downtown to the, um, you know,

17:36historic neighborhood just down the

17:38block. Um, and it also offers some great

17:41public good in that not only will it be

17:44contributing to the tax allocation

17:46district, but it'll be finally fixing

17:48that trestle [clears throat] that eats a

17:51truck every other month. In fact, while

17:52we were discussing this during our

17:54agenda setting meeting, one of our

17:56officers informed me that yet another

17:58truck had its top chunked up by that

18:02trestle. So, um, I know a lot of folks

18:04out there really look forward to seeing

18:06that aspect of this project get done and

18:08we'll be adding, you know, quite a bit

18:10more housing to our immediate downtown

18:12area. Hopefully, that will lure more

18:14folks um who might settle in our

18:17neighborhoods um bring them, you know,

18:20into some downtown living um in in this

18:23more multif family um kind of

18:26residential area right along the tracks.

18:29It's a difficult site. It's scraped

18:31clean. It was an old concrete plant. Um

18:34we're going to get some trees there

18:35which will be really lovely and um it's

18:38it's a really beautifully designed

18:40project.

18:41>> So motion from Commissioner Link. Is

18:42there a second?

18:43>> Second.

18:44>> Right. I've got a second from

18:45Commissioner Hammy. Commissioner Hamby.

18:47Any remarks?

18:47>> No.

18:48>> Good project. Thank you.

18:49>> Any others?

18:52Right. Let me have Attorney Drake read

18:53the ordinance.

18:54>> Ordinance to amend the code of Athens,

18:55Clark County, Georgia with respect to

18:57reszoning a parcel of land comprising

18:59approximately 7.839 839 acres located at

19:01940 College Avenue from EI employment

19:04industrial to RM-3 PD mixed entity

19:07residential plan development and for

19:09other purposes.

19:10>> Thank you, [clears throat] Attorney

19:10Gray. There's a motion to second. All in

19:12favor, please say I.

19:14>> Any opposed?

19:15>> I uh please Commissioner Taylor opposed.

19:17[clears throat]

19:20>> All right. Uh 18 is

19:25get the address correct. 4320 Atlanta

19:27Highway. And we do have the 10-minute

19:29opportunity reserved for this. I'm going

19:31to call forward Scott Haynes for that.

19:47>> Good evening.

19:48>> Good evening. My name is Scott Haynes. I

19:50work for WNA Engineering. Uh we're

19:51located at 355 Onita Street here in

19:53Athens, Georgia. here tonight

19:55representing Alawine Enterprises and

19:57Dominium. Uh we're here asking for a

19:59straight reszone of a property that's 18

20:01and a half acres. We're asking to take

20:03it from EO to RM3 on a site that's been

20:07vacant for nearly 25 years. Um

20:11although this site and this uh this site

20:14plan will not be binding that's

20:15associated with this application, the

20:17condition that this site and this

20:19project will be affordable will be. We

20:21have uh profered a condition that the

20:23site will be 100% affordable at the 60%

20:26AMI level for 30 years. Um this means uh

20:30over 700 affordable beds for our area.

20:33The developer Dominium has a proven

20:34track record of developing and managing

20:36affordable housing projects. Their

20:39product is very nice and nearly

20:40indistinguishable from market rate

20:42housing. Dominium will be the owner and

20:44on-site manager for this property for at

20:46least 10 years, but likely more than

20:48that, probably more like 15. Uh that's

20:51according to their their track record of

20:53projects like this. Um we know that this

20:56site was formerly a salvage yard. We

20:58have done a phase one evaluation on it

20:59and are underway with the phase two

21:01right now. If any of that testing res

21:03results in some contamination on the

21:05site, the site will be cleaned up per

21:07the DCA's requirement for their funding.

21:10Um the site does require a sewer

21:12extension is not currently fronting

21:14public sewer. Uh this extension itself

21:17is a public benefit. It will help serve

21:19additional adjacent parcels that are

21:21nearby uh many of which are controlled

21:23by ACC and have been earmarked for

21:25economic development. During our agenda

21:27setting, we did talk about access and

21:29since then we have continued to work

21:31with CarMax um to ensure that the safe

21:34usage of the existing shared access

21:35easement between our two parcels is used

21:38appropriately. Um those conversations

21:40have gone well. Uh council for CarMax is

21:43here tonight. I'll let her speak on

21:44their position, but I believe that it's

21:46very very positive and we're looking

21:48forward to continuing working with them.

21:50Uh, in summary, I believe this is a

21:51great project. Uh, has numerous numerous

21:54public benefits such as the sewer

21:56extension, but also most importantly,

21:58the affordability of the project. Uh,

22:00bringing such a large amount of

22:02affordable beds to our community could

22:03make a serious impact to our current

22:05situation. We're in full support of the

22:07conditions that are part of this

22:08application and we ask for your support

22:10tonight. Um, this is a very time iss of

22:13the essence type of situation. The

22:16application for the DCA funding is due

22:17at the end of the month. Those are

22:18annual deadlines. So, being able to move

22:21this forward tonight means bringing

22:22affordable housing to Athens a year in

22:24advance of when it would if it gets

22:25delayed or if we had to go through a

22:27different process. Happy to answer some

22:29questions if you have any. Thank you

22:30very much for your consideration

22:31tonight.

22:32>> Thank you, Mr. Haynes. Is there anyone

22:33else here to speak to 4320 Atlanta

22:35Highway? Good evening.

22:38>> Good evening. Uh, my name is Katessa

22:40Archer. I'm a vice president and project

22:42partner with Dominium. I spoke with you

22:44all a few weeks ago, so thank you for

22:45having me back. Um, I'll just echo what

22:48Scott said. Um, we're really committed

22:50to this project for the long term and

22:51this type of affordability is is is a

22:54onech chance opportunity to bring these

22:56resources both from the federal

22:57government and the state to make a

22:59project like this a reality. Um, so just

23:02a reminder, the project will be 100%

23:04affordable at 60% of AMI, serving

23:07residents in Athens, Clark County,

23:08between 42,000 up to around 68 to

23:12$70,000 a year. Um, we are offering one,

23:16two, three, and four bedrooms on this

23:18site. So, there's a large variability in

23:20the type of housing that's offered. And

23:22as Scott shared, this will be affordable

23:24for 30 years. Uh, the site itself is

23:27incredibly attractive from a funding

23:29perspective. It's a highly amenitized

23:31area in addition to um some incredibly

23:34strong demographics that makes the state

23:37and those really coveted resources

23:39attractive to be used on this site based

23:41on its location and its specific census

23:43tract. Um so I'm also here to answer any

23:46questions. Just wanted to to pop in and

23:48say hello again and and thank you for

23:50considering this project.

23:52>> Thank you, Miss Archer. Is there anyone

23:54else here to speak to? 4320 Atlanta

23:56Highway. Good evening.

23:59Good evening. My name is Caroline

24:01Connorly. I'm here I'm with Chopman

24:02Pepper Lock. I'm here on behalf of

24:04CarMax who is owns the property that is

24:06adjacent to the subject property at 4300

24:08Atlanta Highway. Um we actually

24:11submitted a letter on behalf of CarMax

24:13yesterday outlining our position. And so

24:15I won't bore you and make you listen to

24:17me regurgitate the entire letter, but I

24:19do want to highlight a couple of the key

24:20points. Um CarMax was not made aware

24:23originally of the application until a

24:25few days before the planning commission.

24:27However, as Scott mentioned, since the

24:29planning commission meeting, the

24:30applicant and the developer have

24:32continued to engage with CarMax to

24:34discuss a mutually beneficial access

24:36plan. These conversations are ongoing

24:38and CarMax really appreciates the

24:40applicant and the developers willingness

24:42to engage on the issue. As this project

24:45move moves forward, CarMax intends to

24:47continue participating in these

24:49collaborative efforts with the

24:50applicant, the develop and the developer

24:52to ensure that a final access the final

24:54access preserves CarMax's access along

24:57the drive. Again, while these

25:00conversations are still ongoing, CarMax

25:02truly does appreciate the efforts these

25:04efforts and looks forward to working

25:05collaboratively with all parties towards

25:07an access plan that serves the interests

25:09of CarMax, the developer, and the

25:11broader community. Thank you. Thank you

25:12for coming tonight. Is there anyone else

25:14here to speak to 4320 Atlanta Highway?

25:17>> All right, seeing none, Commissioner

25:19Johnson, this in your district, so I'll

25:20ask you to place a motion on the floor.

25:21>> A motion for approval.

25:23>> All right, there's a motion on floor

25:25from Commissioner Johnson. Do I hear a

25:26second?

25:27>> Second.

25:27>> All right, I've got a second from

25:28Commissioner Wright. Commissioner

25:30Johnson, any remarks?

25:31>> Nope.

25:32>> All right, Commissioner Wright.

25:33>> Um, I appreciate the outreach since our

25:35last meeting because I was concerned

25:37about with CarMax's concerns. So, I'm

25:40glad that uh you guys had that extra

25:42time in there to get that all worked out

25:44and continue to work it out. Thank you.

25:47>> Any others?

25:49>> Attorney Drink, I'll have you read the

25:50ordinance.

25:51>> An ordinance to amend the code of

25:52Athens, Clark County, Georgia with

25:53respect to reszoning a parial of land

25:55comprising approximately 18.57

25:58acres located at 4320 Atlanta Highway

26:00from EO employment office to RM-3 mixed

26:03in residential and for other purposes.

26:05>> Thank you, Attorney Drake. All right,

26:07we've got a motion and a second on the

26:08floor. All in favor, please say I.

26:10>> I.

26:10>> Are there any opposed? All right.

26:12Hearing none. Motion carries. All right.

26:14We're going to move on to item 19, uh,

26:16which is several addresses on uh, US

26:18Highway 29. Is there anyone here to

26:20speak to this item? Item 19.

26:25>> Good evening. Good evening. I'm Jeff

26:28Carter with Carter Engineering

26:29Consultants, 1010 Commerce uh, Drive in

26:32Bogart. Uh, since the agenda set in

26:34meeting, I I did want to just give you

26:36an update. Um, by way of a reminder, um,

26:40the, uh, complete water, uh, in Pinewood

26:43Estates is being, uh, replaced. Uh, all

26:46the permits have been obtained. Uh, I

26:48think last time I, I told you, uh, that

26:51we were just waiting on the pipe

26:52material to get to the site and it was

26:54delivered. It has been delivered today.

26:56So, fortunately, uh, for Pinewood

26:58Estates, the the water will be replaced

27:00as soon as, uh, as soon as possible, as

27:03soon as contractors can get going and

27:04get it replaced. Not only is this

27:06domestic water, but this is also fire

27:08protection, which is a very big part of

27:10it. So, that's um that is imminent. Um

27:12and just just a just a reminder, um

27:15these units um are are very much

27:18affordable. Uh a three-bedroom home is

27:2190 to $120,000.

27:23Uh so very affordable. uh the the

27:26developers uh in this case the the

27:28property owners uh have really been

27:30spending a lot of time and effort a lot

27:33of money on uh revitalizing these um

27:36Pinewood estates and the country corners

27:38estates which we'll talk about in a few

27:40minutes but uh they're doing a really

27:42good job. They're very much hands-on and

27:44we just appreciate your support. I'll be

27:46glad to try to answer any questions.

27:47Thank you.

27:48>> Thank you, Mr. Carter. Is there anyone

27:50else here to speak to the Highway 29

27:52project Pinewoods?

28:06Good evening. My name is Pamela Garcia

28:08and I live at 530 King Avenue. Um I work

28:11alongside the families in Pinewoods and

28:12Country Corners and come to know them as

28:14not just statistics but as our neighbors

28:17and my neighbors. Um but tonight's vote

28:19is way more about z than just zoning.

28:22It's really about dignity. It's about

28:24being able to create being able to give

28:26seven of if this is passed, these

28:28special use permits are passed, 750

28:30families the opportunity to have stable,

28:33affordable housing that it has reliable

28:36infrastructure. That is about making

28:39sure that every child's dream has has a

28:41chance to dream to grow and to build a

28:43lifelong memory in a home where their

28:45basic needs are met. Every family

28:48deserves that opportunity.

28:50This is an issue that is deeply personal

28:52for me. Um, I am a daughter of

28:54immigrants. I was raised here in Athens.

28:56I grew up in a mobile home park that is

28:58now student housing. So, I know what

29:01that looks like to to go back to your

29:02home. And that no longer is. Um, but

29:05owning a mobile home provided my family

29:07the opportunity not only to build

29:09credit, but also to be able to have an

29:10asset to help them eventually purchase a

29:13traditional home. So, I hope that you

29:15all vote yes. I do want to commend the

29:17planning commission as well as the

29:18owners for working together, but the

29:20planning commission for ensuring that we

29:21had the special clause added to ensure

29:24that all the residents that are current

29:25and that would be um also joining the

29:28community to have access to stable uh to

29:30clean water um consistently through sew

29:33uh city water. But so I hope that

29:35tonight you'll vote yes, not just to

29:38expand the affordable housing, but to

29:39help ensure that Athens continues to be

29:41a community that believes in loving our

29:43neighbors and giving every family a

29:45chance to thrive. Thank you.

29:47>> Thank you, Miss Garcia. Is there anyone

29:49else here to speak to Highway 29

29:50tonight?

30:02>> Good evening.

30:03>> Good evening. Uh I'm Mike Warren. I'm at

30:063311 Ivanho 2 30327.

30:10Um thank you all for the opportunity to

30:12speak tonight. Uh on behalf of the uh

30:15management company and the ownership, uh

30:17I'm here to answer any questions that

30:19you might have. Uh we spoke back in July

30:24at the first planning commission meeting

30:26and we said we were going to start these

30:27projects with or without a uh a positive

30:32vote for this special use permit

30:35application because it was the right

30:36thing to do. We needed to do it for our

30:38residents. These are very complicated

30:40projects. You're basically developing

30:42upside down. you you you would never uh

30:47build all your buildings, put in all

30:49your roads and infrastructure, and then

30:50come back and put in the stuff that goes

30:52underground. So, that's what we're

30:53doing. It's going to be an adventure. We

30:56said we were going to start, and as Jeff

30:58said, our materials are there. Uh, and

31:00we have started the projects. So, if you

31:02have any other questions about uh

31:04whether or not we're going to fulfill

31:05our obligations to get these

31:07improvements made for our residents and

31:09put these parks in a position where they

31:11are sustainable for the foreseeable

31:13future, then I'm here to answer those.

31:16Thank you.

31:16>> Thank you, Mr. Warren. Appreciate it.

31:18There anyone else here to speak to

31:19Highway 29?

31:22>> All right. Seeing none, I'll ask

31:23Commissioner Thornton to

31:24>> I have someone speaking to 29. A comment

31:28from somebody else, not me.

31:30>> Uh Well, you got to be here in the room,

31:32but but if you want to read somebody's

31:33comment during your time.

31:34>> Yes. Yes. Oh, yeah. There. I'm reading.

31:36I'm reading.

31:38>> Um to the mayor uh mayor and

31:39commissioners, I regret that I'm unable

31:41to address you in person due to prior

31:44commitments. However, I am writing to

31:46express my support for uh Pinewood

31:49Estates request for a special use uh

31:52permit. I've participated in several

31:54meetings with Pinewood management,

31:56ownerships, residents, and Clark County

31:59staff regarding this ongoing water issue

32:02affecting the community. I recognize

32:04that these water related challenges have

32:07created significant hardship for part uh

32:10for Pinewood residents and have remained

32:13and have remained a matter of serious

32:16concern. Most importantly, this approach

32:18offers an opportunity to address water

32:21infrastructure concerns without placing

32:24unreasonable financial burdens on the

32:27residents, many of whom depend on

32:29Pinewood as a source of affordable

32:31housing. Thank you in advance for your

32:34consideration and for your continual

32:36commitment to the residents of Athens,

32:38Clark County, uh Tracy Smith, uh

32:41Commission Elect District 9. Would you

32:44>> like to place a motion on the floor?

32:45Commission.

32:46>> I so move.

32:47>> Is there a second?

32:48>> All right. Got a motion from

32:49Commissioner Thornton, a second from

32:51Commissioner Fischer. Commissioner

32:52Thornton, any further remarks?

32:54>> Um, the only thing I was going to say,

32:57this has been a long long a long task

33:00and time coming, but I do see um this

33:04has opened the door for manufactured

33:07homes in the future. I sent all of you

33:10pictures that we took when we were

33:13visiting Flamingo Homes to let you see

33:16the kind of homes

33:19that they really look like. And I do

33:21want to acknowledge Benny Coleman. He

33:23sent me the pictures. Uh because we got

33:27to get rid of the stereotype. The other

33:30uh point I want to make to me this is

33:33what uh this is a good example of what a

33:37uh private public partnership looks

33:40like. You have the private entities

33:44doing what they do and we doing what

33:46we're what we're capable of doing. And

33:49lastly, I do want to um

33:54I really really really um want to I I

33:58think that

34:00all the negative things that were said

34:03before

34:04and nobody knew how much work was going

34:06behind um behind the scenes to to get us

34:10where we are tonight. And I do want to

34:13um point out Miss Evelyn who snuck in on

34:16us. Um she's our librarian. um that was

34:19going to speak um before I did, but I do

34:23think this is an awesome opportunity and

34:25it's the beginning of bigger and better

34:28things.

34:29>> Thank you, Commissioner. Anything

34:30further, Commissioner Fisher?

34:31>> No, just no. I want to u commend uh

34:33Commissioner Thornton for the work they

34:35put in to get this done and as she

34:37stated that, you know, it can open the

34:39door for other projects like that. So,

34:41thank you, Commissioner Thornton.

34:42>> Commissioner Myers.

34:43>> Yeah. Um, I just want to take note of uh

34:46some information we got in an email from

34:48one of our um uh someone in the

34:50manager's office this week that with

34:52this project and the Atlanta Highway

34:54project that we have a potential for 529

34:58new affordable units um with what we're

35:01passing tonight. And I think that's

35:02important to highlight and remember and

35:05to realize that this is coming from the

35:08private market and that's where most of

35:10our housing comes from and will continue

35:12to go come from as well. So I'm I'm

35:15happy to support this and and think this

35:17is a good step forward for the uh

35:19community and thank you developers for

35:21bringing these projects forth.

35:24>> Anything further? I'll have attorney

35:26Drake read the ordinance. An ordinance

35:27to amend the code of Athens, Clark

35:29County, Georgia with respect to special

35:30use approval in the AR agricultural

35:33residential district for five parcels

35:36parcels of land located at 1465 US 29

35:40highway north, 1465-

35:42US 29 highway north, 1200 US highway, US

35:4729 highway north, and 1295 US 29 highway

35:50north and for other purposes.

35:51>> Thank you, Attorney Drake. All right,

35:53there's a motion and a second on the

35:54floor. All in favor, please say I. I

35:56>> there any opposed? Hearing none, motion

35:58carries. All right, we're [snorts] going

35:59to move on to item 20. Sort of the

36:01cousin project to the one we just heard.

36:03Uh would anyone like to speak to this

36:05item?

36:11>> Evening.

36:12>> Good evening. Jeff Carter, uh 1010

36:14Commerce Drive in Bogart. And I just

36:17there are a ton of similarities uh

36:20between this and Pinewood Estates. uh

36:22Country Corner is already um uh

36:24connected to domestic water. Uh but

36:27outside of that, they are almost

36:29identical except in name. So, appreciate

36:31your support. This will this will bring

36:32the same three-bedroom uh affordable

36:34units uh that we just talked about with

36:36Pinewood. So, thank you very much.

36:38>> Thank you, Mr. Carter. Anyone else here

36:40to speak to Country Corners?

36:44>> All right, Commissioner Thornton.

36:46>> So, move.

36:47>> Second.

36:48>> All right. I've got a motion from

36:49Commissioner Thornton, second from

36:51Commissioner Fiser. Anything further,

36:52Commissioner Thornton?

36:53>> No, I I do want to um piggy back on what

36:58Commissioner Meyers um stated about how

37:01how many affordable homes are that we're

37:03looking at. I think we're heading in the

37:05right direction.

37:07>> Thank you, ma'am. Anything further,

37:08Commissioner Fischer?

37:10>> All right. Appreciate everybody who

37:11worked on this. Worked with a lot of

37:13young folks in both these neighborhoods

37:14and glad for better days ahead. Um,

37:17anyone else from the body? Want to go

37:20ahead and have attorney Drake or an

37:21ordinance to amend the code of Athens,

37:23Clark County, Georgia with respect to

37:24special use approval in the A-R

37:26agricultural residential and C-R

37:28commercial rule district for three

37:30parcels of land located at 1495 US 2129

37:34Highway North, 1499 US Highway 29 North,

37:37and 1525

37:39US Highway 29 North and for other

37:41purposes.

37:42>> Thank you, sir. All in favor, please say

37:44I.

37:44>> I. Are there any opposed?

37:47All right, hearing none. Motion carries.

37:50All right, friends, we're moving on to

37:51the next segment of the meeting. This is

37:53old and new business. Um, old and new

37:56business includes items one and 21 to

38:0030. Item one and 21 to 30. So, if you

38:04are moved by any of those items, step

38:06right up and let [clears throat] us hear

38:08from you.

38:11just let us know the item to which

38:12you're speaking and again uh your name

38:14and place of residence.

38:17[snorts]

38:17>> Good evening.

38:18>> Good evening. Um Fred Smith. I live at

38:21425 Rivermont Road. I'm here to speak on

38:24agenda item uh 21. Uh first I want to

38:28thank mayor and commissioner for

38:30approving our contract. we uh was

38:32involved in the affordable housing or

38:34we're still involved in the affordable

38:36housing uh funds through opera and uh I

38:41feel that we have uh done a great job

38:44and I would love for all of you to get

38:46an opportunity for those of you who have

38:48not seen those houses etc and and

38:51they're rented and so uh everything that

38:53we plan to do uh we're doing. Uh one

38:57thing about this project that made it

38:59make it um a little unique from a lot of

39:02project is the emphasis on moving family

39:05out of poverty rather than having them

39:08stuck in poverty. So there's a number of

39:10features in this project. One the uh the

39:14rent is below market. Okay. And we went

39:17to great extent to uh make sure that we

39:21had uh quality uh construction. uh a lot

39:25of emphasis on um on uh efficiency, you

39:29know, high efficiency star rated uh

39:32appliances and and and and heating and

39:36air systems

39:38uh in addition to that um uh solar

39:41panels, right? So again, the idea is

39:44that families uh who many families who

39:48are in this community and probably in

39:50other communities, they're paying a a a

39:52large percentage, maybe more than 50%

39:55some sometime higher of their income,

39:59monthly income on rent. And so that put

40:02them in a a pretty tough position if

40:04they're trying to uh move out of

40:06poverty, move up the the uh up out the

40:08lad up the ladder, so to speak. So this

40:11project again uh the rent is low lower

40:14than the market and in addition to that

40:16we will escrow a portion of the we are

40:20[snorts] escrowing because most units

40:22are rented a portion of the rent we're

40:24going to rebate it back to the families

40:27when they buy a house. And so this

40:30agenda item here is in keeping with

40:32that. It will lower uh the family

40:36utilities because right now there is a

40:38septic pump there that that that we

40:41would like to remove and connect the uh

40:44the uh sewage directly to to the county

40:47sewage and we own both lots and so of

40:51course we will do uh a legal easement to

40:55to allow that but again I ask for your

40:58uh positive vote for this agenda item.

41:00Thank you.

41:01>> Thank you Mr. Smith. others to speak to

41:03older new business tonight. Good

41:05evening.

41:05>> Good evening. Uh my name is Buck Bacon

41:08and I'm here to uh request your support

41:11for option number one of agenda item

41:14number 21, 228 Fairview Street, allowing

41:17an exception to public utilities policy

41:20WS1.

41:22Uh my interest in the project is

41:23twofold. Uh I uh have the honor of

41:26providing program management and

41:28engineering services to EADC

41:31and uh and also my family and I share a

41:34personal interest in EADC's mission. Uh

41:37our office, WA's office is located at

41:40355 Onita Street here in Athens. Um

41:43thank you for being willing to to rehear

41:46EADC's request to allow a gravity sewer

41:48line in lie of the current sewer pump.

41:51In 2008 and 2009, EADC acquired two

41:55tracks along Fairview Street with the

41:57intention of preserving these parcels

41:59for affordable housing opportunities. In

42:022023, WNA on behalf of EADC recombined

42:06the previous two tracks to create three

42:09single family tracks in an effort to

42:11maximize the affordable housing

42:12opportunities for EADC by creating a new

42:16third track and thus a third potential

42:18affordable home. In 2025, EADC

42:23uh completed the construction of two

42:24homes on the two of the three new tracks

42:27that that uh thanks to support uh from

42:30this body and the American Rescue Plan

42:34Act. Uh one of EADC's guiding principles

42:37as Mr. Smith discussed is the design and

42:40construction of these homes that would

42:41ensure energy efficiency. So they were

42:44both designed with efficient HVAC

42:46systems, lighting, appliances, and

42:48supplemented with solar power. Uh in

42:51order for 2028 Fairview Street to have

42:53gravity sewer to the public sewer main

42:56fronts on Fair View Street, the home

42:57would have needed to been elevated,

42:59meaning that we would needed to build

43:01higher retaining walls or foundation

43:04walls along the back of the property.

43:07This would have in turn made it

43:09difficult if not impossible to ensure

43:11that these homes were accessible to

43:13those with different abilities. And

43:15beyond the accessibility concerns, uh,

43:17retaining our fidel foundation walls of

43:20that height would not have fit the

43:21character of East Athens and would have

43:24diminished opportunities for open yards

43:26and connectivity with neighboring

43:27properties. Uh, because of these

43:29existing topographic challenges and

43:31public utilities policy, uh, we had to

43:34install the sewer pump that Mr. Smith

43:36referenced in order to progress the

43:38project uh to meet ARPA deadlines. So

43:41approving this request is consistent

43:44with ACC's plan to foster, maintain, and

43:46expand decent, safe, and accessible,

43:49affordable housing in our community, and

43:51the exception to PDUD's policy does not

43:53create an adverse condition that

43:56prevents the department from continuing

43:57to provide sustainable infrastructure

43:59nor adding any additional cost to

44:01rateayers. So, I thank you for your

44:03support tonight and uh please let uh us

44:06know if you have any questions.

44:07>> Thank you, Mr. Bacon.

44:13>> Good evening.

44:14>> Good evening.

44:15>> Michael McClendon, 2011-9 Hamilton Road,

44:18Athens. Excuse me about losing my voice

44:20here.

44:22>> Start of dog days. Um I previously

44:25submitted you comments on items 22, 23,

44:2926, and 28. Let me just briefly touch on

44:3328 and uh 23. Um

44:38as I read that proposal to sell that

44:40property, it's very obvious when you

44:42read the details that all the promises

44:45the Classic Center has made about

44:47financial performance and their ability

44:49to cover their bonds is not completely

44:52true. And so it appears to me that the

44:55whole reason for selling this property

44:57is to make them liquid to be able to

44:58cover their bonds and get them out of

45:00the red. That is not my responsibility

45:03as a citizen. It's responsibility of the

45:06Classic City Authority and the manager

45:09of the Classic City Authority. And if

45:11they can't manage their own house, then

45:13they need to go somewhere else where

45:15they can manage something adequately.

45:17It's just time for change. And I say you

45:19stop it. Now I want to really focus on

45:22uh item 23. I submitted you a detailed

45:26set of comments on the proposal that

45:29came before the commission and then I

45:31submitted you a detailed lengthy review

45:34of the actual grant proposal. I want to

45:37ask for a show of hands of how many who

45:39read it. But [clears throat] having been

45:42a fed for many years and reviewed many

45:44grants and signed off on many grants, I

45:46cannot in all honesty say that there's

45:48integrity in this grant application.

45:51As the review pointed out, there are

45:53fundamental flaws in what's being

45:55asserted, what's being assumed, and

45:58what's being claimed for which there's

46:00no data to support. In fact, there's no

46:02data to support there's a problem

46:05whatsoever. So, I think it would behoove

46:07the commission to retract that grant

46:10because it paints you in an unfavorable

46:12light and paints people in this county

46:15in an unfavorable light. So, I'd hope

46:18you would consider that. Thank you.

46:19>> Thank you, Mr. McClendon. Is there

46:21anyone else here to speak to any item of

46:23old or new business this evening?

46:30>> Good evening.

46:31>> Good evening. I'm Michael Bean. I reside

46:34in district 5 in Athens, Georgia. I'm

46:37the executive director of the Athens

46:38Homeless Coalition. I'm here to speak on

46:40item number 23.

46:42It is a grant that we've applied for uh

46:45for HUD. Uh it's called the Youth

46:47Homelessness Systems Improvement Grant,

46:50and I just like to talk about it for a

46:52few minutes and make myself available to

46:54answer any questions.

46:57Um, I've emailed summaries of uh what

47:00this program is to all of you and also

47:03texted and emailed conversations with

47:05many of you and phone conversations with

47:07some of you. Uh, the truth of the matter

47:10is that young adults experiencing

47:11homelessness are less understood than

47:13the general homeless population. They

47:16are harder to identify, harder to

47:19engage, and less likely to access

47:22services and exit homelessness. In

47:24Georgia, 40%

47:26of children aging out of the foster

47:28system exit directly into homelessness

47:31by the time they are 19. That is twice

47:34the national rate.

47:38Why is this grant a fit for the homeless

47:39coalition? Well, it's a strong fit for

47:42our mission and for our systems focused

47:45work that we do. uh coordinated entry uh

47:48which is our data system is the

47:52foundation of one of the main components

47:54of this grant. So we already have the

47:56database infrastructure in place. In

47:59addition uh our organization operates

48:04with a strong foundation in lived

48:06experience the experience of

48:07homelessness either present or formerly

48:09experiencing homelessness.

48:11So the program overview this is a high

48:13level

48:15uh view but uh there are two components

48:17to this program. Uh it is not shelter

48:20space it is not bed space it is not

48:23direct service but I'll explain it best

48:25I can in my time. We're partnering with

48:27Lydia's Place in the University of

48:29Georgia to develop a youth action board

48:32made up of young people uh who are

48:34experiencing homelessness or with the

48:36experience of homelessness.

48:38The role is for them to share their

48:40experiences navigating service systems,

48:42propose solutions to gaps and barriers

48:45in existing systems and also they

48:48receive compensation for their time and

48:50we decided to go extra um and provide

48:53educational and employment support to

48:55any board members. We're expecting three

48:58to five possibly eight young people

49:00serving on this board at any one time.

49:03The second component is a data component

49:05led by the Athens well-being project.

49:07Their role is to analyze program data,

49:09help strengthen our coordinated entry

49:12system to better serve young adults, and

49:14to provide evaluation for the program,

49:16how well we're doing, whether it's

49:18succeeding, and how well it's working.

49:21The expected outcomes include a lasting

49:23structure for youth with lived

49:24experience to shape homeless policy and

49:26program design, better information on

49:29how young people experiencing

49:30homelessness, what they need and where

49:33they fall through the cracks,

49:35expanded coordinated entry access

49:37points, and direct compensation and

49:39professional development for youth

49:40experiencing homeless.

49:41>> Thank you, Mr. Bean.

49:42>> Thank you.

49:43>> Is there anyone else here to speak to

49:44any item of old or new business tonight?

49:49>> Good evening.

49:51Good evening. Um, I'm Ely Stangle. I am

49:54here tonight to speak on item 22, the

49:58continuum of hair of care homeless

50:00assistance grant application. I am here

50:03in my position as vice chair of the

50:06Athens COC. Um, and I'm happy to answer

50:09any questions you might have. I've been

50:11involved with the COC um for about five

50:14years now and have been involved in the

50:17grant acceptance and ranking process uh

50:20since then. So, as one of the um people

50:25involved who's not in an agency that

50:26gets any funds, I've been one of the

50:28instrumental people in helping organize

50:31um that grant application each year. Uh

50:34these are funds that have been

50:36traditionally very um stable and good

50:40for programs such as shelter plus care

50:43advantages program that supports people

50:46who with severe and persistent mental

50:49illness that would probably not be able

50:51to live independently. Um so they're

50:54always going to need some sort of

50:55support. Um we're also excited. So, a

50:58lot of the funds are going to programs

50:59that have been in place for a while, and

51:01this would continue it. To not have

51:03these funds would risk people who are

51:06currently stably housed being back out

51:08on the streets. Um, we're also excited

51:11to have some new programs this year.

51:13Sparrow's Nest has applied um for

51:15additional supportive funds and we're

51:17excited to see them join us for this. Um

51:20the COC exists primarily to I would say

51:23two of our biggest goals are to help

51:26Athens clar county be eligible for these

51:28funds. One of the requirements is that

51:30we have a COC and the other one is to

51:33provide coordination between partner

51:35agencies in Clark County. Um so one

51:38thing that we do as uh the COC is we

51:41have a weekly meeting between service

51:43providers. It's quick and virtual.

51:45people are able to give updates on

51:47whether or not which organizations have

51:49beds, if someone has electric box fans

51:51that they're giving away, if you know,

51:54Bigger Vision still needs seven nights

51:56of dinners covered for this upcoming

51:58month, we can share that information.

52:01Um, so we do talk to each other quite a

52:03bit. Uh, we are all volunteers at the

52:05COC. Um, and so this is an additional in

52:10addition to our main duties. Um, it is

52:13something that I personally put put a

52:17lot of time in and care a lot about. I

52:18think we do a pretty good job

52:20organizing. Um, our agencies here in

52:23town, it's not always visible, but

52:25behind the scenes, a lot of stuff is

52:27happening and our weekly meeting is one

52:29of those that, um, like we've been

52:32talking about with the day center

52:34closing, what kind of options we may

52:35have. Um, so we are there to try and

52:39coordinate and make the best of the

52:41funds we have and this grant is one of

52:44the things that really helps us do that.

52:46Um, and I would please ask that you vote

52:49to approve this and continue our funding

52:51for these programs. Thank you.

52:52>> Thank you, Mr. Stangle. Is there anyone

52:54else here to speak to any item of old or

52:56new business tonight?

53:00>> Good evening.

53:01>> Good evening. Lauren Blae, 140 Englewood

53:04Avenue. Um chair of the Athens emotion

53:07commission speaking to item 27. On the

53:10agenda, the Athens and Motion bike

53:11pedestrian master plan update. So um one

53:14in nine households in Athens does not

53:16have access to a vehicle.

53:19Since the Athens emotion bike and

53:21pedestrian master plan passed in 2018,

53:24there's been a surge in the use of

53:26micromobility devices like ebikes and e-

53:28scooters that are efficient and

53:30economical ways to get around town uh

53:33much cheaper than a new car or even a

53:35used car these days. And these have only

53:38underscored the need for safe separated

53:40bike lanes, multi-use paths, and

53:42sidewalks. and the more than two dozen

53:45projects currently in progress can't be

53:47built soon enough. Athens continues to

53:51grow with 30,000 additional residents

53:54expected to be living, working, and

53:55moving through our city in the next two

53:57decades. And we also must find a way to

54:01deal with the anticipated traffic.

54:03Adding another 12oot lane for car travel

54:06sounds great until it is in our own yard

54:09or it is our own business adjacent to

54:11the widening road.

54:13While sidewalks and bike lanes are not

54:15always without property impacts, staff

54:17can often work with existing rideofway,

54:20finding creative ways to accommodate

54:21this influx of people requiring much

54:23less space than a new automobile lane.

54:27This updated bike and pedestrian master

54:29plan allows for that creativity and

54:32flexibility both in facility choice and

54:35selection of projects. It is both

54:38strategic and adaptable,

54:40but always leads with a need for safety.

54:45There are no surprises in this plan.

54:48Millage Avenue, it's still on there, as

54:50is Lexington Road, Atlanta Highway, and

54:53Barnett Scholes. Danielsville Road needs

54:56help. And after a number of recent

54:57fatalities, Thomas Street downtown is

55:00now on the list along with Morris Grove

55:03Road.

55:04So, as we said in the forward to this

55:07plan, combined with thoughtful policy

55:09updates, this new infrastructure will

55:12create a transportation system to serve

55:14every user moving across Athens. And the

55:19plan will reduce deaths and serious

55:21injuries and improve everyone's quality

55:23of life in ways tangible and intangible,

55:26making Athens an even better place to

55:28live. And we want to thank our

55:30consultants tool design group for their

55:32time working with this plan. I can tell

55:35no part of it was done by AI. You

55:37probably saw a couple little typos in

55:38the draft and I love seeing that

55:40actually. Um and I really want to thank

55:42transportation and public works staff

55:44who spent a lot of late nights not just

55:47figuring out how to produce the plan but

55:49going through it um compiling comments

55:52and making sure that it was um the best

55:55it could be. and thank you all in the

55:57commission for responding to um our

56:00request to reach out and chat about the

56:02plan. We appreciate that.

56:04>> Thank you, Miss Blaze.

56:06Any other comments on old or new

56:07business tonight?

56:13>> Hi, uh Alan Jones, 195 Xavier Drive. I'm

56:17also here tonight to ask you to accept

56:19the 2026 Athens in motion plan update.

56:23The 2018 plan gave Athens a vision,

56:28establish priorities, helped create

56:30dedicated staff and a permanent

56:32commission, and move projects from lines

56:35on a map toward actual streets and

56:37trails. It's been eight years. Athens

56:40has changed, transportation has changed,

56:43and we've learned quite a bit from

56:45actually trying to build the network. As

56:48Lauren says, we're we're seeing a surge

56:50in ebikes and other forms of

56:52micromobility that simply weren't a

56:55major part of the transportation

56:56conversation in 2018.

56:59Ebikes in particular make longer trips

57:02and Athens Hills like Baxter, College

57:05Station, North A Avenue much more

57:07manageable.

57:09The updated plan recognizes that today's

57:13network has to serve more people, more

57:16types of vehicles, and more kinds of

57:18trips.

57:19We also now have vision zero, a safety

57:22action plan, a high injury network,

57:25better information about transportation

57:28disadvantage, new infrastructure, and

57:30eight years of experience with what's

57:33relatively easy to build and what turns

57:35out to be neither easy nor particularly

57:38relative. But thank you all for those

57:41contributions that you've made over the

57:42years in your tenure here. That's been a

57:45great help. The new plan takes these

57:47lessons seriously.

57:49Safety now receives the greatest weight

57:51when projects are prioritized. That

57:54makes sense when people walking and

57:55biking account for only 2% of crashes

57:58here in Athens, but 22% of the

58:01fatalities and serious injuries.

58:05The update also gives us more ways to

58:08actually build the network. We still

58:10need major capital projects, but we

58:12won't have to sit patiently waiting for

58:14every multi-million dollar project to

58:16make its stately journey through

58:18funding, design, right-of-way

58:21acquisition, and construction. The plan

58:23lets us make progress through

58:25resurfacing, maintenance, private

58:27development, traffic calming, and small

58:30gap closing projects as those

58:32opportunities come up. It also raises

58:34the standard of what we're trying to

58:36build. It's a network that's comfortable

58:39for people of different ages, abilities,

58:41and levels of confidence. And the new

58:44plan gives us concrete ways to measure

58:47whether we're succeeding. Fewer serious

58:49crashes, more sidewalks and bikeways,

58:52better accessibility, and regular public

58:54reporting on our progress. We've spent

58:58years collecting better data, building

59:00infrastructure, and learning from

59:02experience. It seems only reasonable to

59:05use what we've learned. I hope you

59:07accept the Athens in motion update plan

59:09tonight. Thanks.

59:10>> Thank you, Mr. Jones. Any other old or

59:13new business tonight?

59:17>> All right, we'll go ahead and move to

59:18commission conversation and action. Uh,

59:20Commissioner Johnson, you asked that

59:22number one be removed for discussion. Go

59:24ahead and turn it to you.

59:25>> Thank you. I had a question about the

59:27numbers. So the packet the agenda packet

59:30describes 5200 contribution as a

59:33mandatory 10% to match but 5200 is not

59:37equal to 10%

59:39um of the stated 56,264

59:43federal award nor is it 10% of the

59:4661,464

59:48total project amount. So I was just

59:50wondering if someone could explain the

59:52math

59:55>> I will have to find out because yes that

59:56does not add up. So, the only thing I

59:58can think of is that perhaps there are

1:00:00some inind components to it, but I'll

1:00:02find out from the chief um and follow up

1:00:04because that does not add up to that

1:00:0610%.

1:00:19Commissioner Johnson, would would you

1:00:22either want to place this on hold for a

1:00:23month or would you like to go ahead and

1:00:25make a motion and then just get the

1:00:27information as a follow-up?

1:00:28>> If it's if then if it's easily

1:00:31explainable, the short answer is I would

1:00:33be more comfortable with holding it for

1:00:3530 days or to the next time we vote. But

1:00:38if it's easily explainable

1:00:40>> and it would be fine to hold it. the

1:00:41application is already is filed. So, as

1:00:45long as it's addressed before we

1:00:46actually if we receive it, that should

1:00:48be fine. That is easy enough to do. So,

1:00:50>> I would like to make a motion to hold

1:00:51for 30 days.

1:00:52>> All right. So, a motion to hold till the

1:00:54next cycle. Is there a second?

1:00:57>> Second. [clears throat]

1:00:58>> All right. Got a motion to hold from

1:00:59Commissioner Johnson,

1:01:01second from Commissioner Taylor. Any

1:01:04followup? Commissioner Taylor?

1:01:05>> No.

1:01:06>> Anything from anyone else? All in favor,

1:01:09please say I.

1:01:10>> I.

1:01:10>> All right. We'll see this next month.

1:01:12All right, move on.

1:01:12>> I'll actually I'll actually follow up

1:01:13with a number before that as well, just

1:01:15so you know.

1:01:16>> All right. Uh, item 21 is the

1:01:19affforementioned Fair View Street

1:01:21Sanitary Sewer Service Project. Do I

1:01:23hear a motion regarding this?

1:01:25>> Motion for option one.

1:01:28>> Second.

1:01:30>> Motion from Commissioner Wright, second

1:01:32from Commissioner Link. Commissioner

1:01:33Wright, any followup?

1:01:34>> Um, I I appreciate the extra time. I I

1:01:37needed to have a little more information

1:01:39about it and so I appreciate that.

1:01:41>> Anything further, Commissioner Link?

1:01:42>> Um, no, not really. I'm I'm glad to hear

1:01:45that those homes were getting solar

1:01:48energy. They'll be saving a lot of

1:01:50money. I have solar panels and I'm

1:01:52saving a lot of money on my electricity

1:01:54bill in this heat.

1:01:56>> Anyone else?

1:01:59>> I I do have a coming. I have to recuse

1:02:00myself um because of my personal

1:02:02relationship with EADC. Um, but I don't

1:02:05want to stand in the way and I um I

1:02:08totally understand the the policy as to

1:02:11why it was put into the agenda

1:02:13originally. I I understand um that the

1:02:16policy says that lots have to be

1:02:19subdivided by a certain time and um it

1:02:22wasn't these are new developments, but I

1:02:24don't want to stand in the way of

1:02:26getting um another affordable house um

1:02:29next door to me. So, yeah. Thanks,

1:02:33Commissioner. Anyone else? All right.

1:02:36Uh, please note, uh, Madame Clerk, that

1:02:39Commissioner Taylor will recuse herself.

1:02:41Uh, there's motion in a second. All in

1:02:43favor, please say, "I."

1:02:44>> I.

1:02:45>> Any opposed?

1:02:47>> Hearing none. Motion carries. Item 22 is

1:02:50the 2026 continuum of care homeless

1:02:52assistance grant application. Do I hear

1:02:53a motion?

1:02:54>> I move to approve. Second.

1:02:56>> All right. Motion from Commissioner

1:02:57Link, second from Commissioner Wright.

1:02:59Commissioner Link, any follow-up? Um, I

1:03:02just want to thank the folks on the COC

1:03:04for all their hard work. Um, they are

1:03:07truly doing some of the hardest work in

1:03:10our community. Um, and

1:03:13we need these funds desperately. Um,

1:03:16and from what I understand, um, these

1:03:18will assure that existing services

1:03:21continue. We also have that new facility

1:03:24out there on Talis Road. We need to make

1:03:26sure that that is adequately staffed.

1:03:28Um, Sparrow's Nest is in line to get

1:03:31some of this funding. Um, it's just

1:03:34crucial that we uh take every

1:03:36opportunity we possibly can to get some

1:03:39dollars into our homeless coordination

1:03:43services. Um, because we don't have a

1:03:46lot of private dollars available, we we

1:03:49need to seize these public dollars

1:03:51wherever we can.

1:03:52>> Anything further, Commissioner Wright?

1:03:54>> No, just make sure it's A and B.

1:03:57>> Any others?

1:03:58Is there an ordinance with this,

1:03:59Attorney Drake? All right. Uh,

1:04:02Commissioner Thornne,

1:04:03>> I I actually was going to um make the

1:04:06motion um to to recommend um the COC. Um

1:04:12I know we got totally or maybe it was

1:04:16just me all kind of wrapped up at the

1:04:19agenda setting meeting, but I'm very

1:04:21familiar and understand the continuum of

1:04:24care. I served on the state board for

1:04:26years. So, it it wasn't complexity

1:04:31um by by uh well, it wasn't complexity

1:04:38that was mentioned, but I do think that

1:04:40the continuum of care um and most of the

1:04:43folk are volunteers. You don't even hear

1:04:46about their work like like you should.

1:04:49Um I think this is probably one of

1:04:55I think this is a good program and I

1:04:57highly support it.

1:04:58>> Thanks, Commissioner. Anyone else?

1:05:01>> All right, there's a comment.

1:05:02Commissioner Johnson.

1:05:04>> So, at the last meeting, several

1:05:06commissioners asked for information from

1:05:08the housing and community development

1:05:09and did not receive anything. Um, that's

1:05:12a I have a problem with that. I

1:05:16just want to say one of the things that

1:05:18I would really like to know is for

1:05:20number four under the projects, you

1:05:22know, I think our community needs

1:05:23transitional housing more than anything

1:05:26and that's the one loophole that that

1:05:28would solve a lot of problems,

1:05:29especially um people that don't have

1:05:32anywhere to go. But there's no detail

1:05:36included in the agenda that says that

1:05:41gives us any context to how many

1:05:44how many beds, the population, the

1:05:47length of stay, the the program that

1:05:49will be implemented to get the

1:05:51individuals from being need needing

1:05:54needing services to being sustainable

1:05:58and stable. Uh, and what that time

1:06:00length looks like that like there has

1:06:03not been any significant change to the

1:06:06agenda and it looks like our requests

1:06:09were ignored. That's um my comment.

1:06:12Manager Cow, did you have some

1:06:14>> three days after that request was made,

1:06:15you were provided that information

1:06:17through the update from Deputy City

1:06:19Manager Andrew Saunders, both the Nofos

1:06:22and the links to all of those grants.

1:06:24>> Well, I apologize. I was expecting it

1:06:26from the director because she she said

1:06:28it, so I haven't seen it, so I accept

1:06:31that.

1:06:31>> Yeah, it went out that Friday. So,

1:06:33>> I accept that. I'm sorry,

1:06:35>> Commissioner Myers.

1:06:36>> Yeah. Um, I'll say it was a little

1:06:38difficult to find. I knew it was in

1:06:40there because I'd seen it and I went and

1:06:41looked for it today and this afternoon

1:06:43and I found it and I um it was in one of

1:06:46those weekly updates and it was inside

1:06:48of it wasn't an attachment. It was in

1:06:50the links were inside the document. I

1:06:52might ask that the manager's office when

1:06:55there's something that's really gets a

1:06:57lot of attention that there be a subject

1:07:00line and that links be in the body of

1:07:02the email um so that they're more easily

1:07:05accessible because it there was a lot of

1:07:07stuff in there but it did take me a long

1:07:09time to find it.

1:07:09>> I did print it. I just didn't see that.

1:07:11>> Yeah. No, that was that was in

1:07:14>> Yeah. And that's fine to do. I think the

1:07:15the links are always going to be easier

1:07:17than the actual documents just because

1:07:18of the size. So, but we can certainly

1:07:20extract those in those instances out of

1:07:23the body of the update and pull them up

1:07:24to the other portion of it

1:07:26>> or putting putting in a separate email

1:07:28if it's attached to an agenda item. That

1:07:30would that would be help because there's

1:07:32in there. But this is um which one are

1:07:34we doing now?

1:07:35>> COC.

1:07:37>> Okay. I'm looking at the other one. So,

1:07:38yeah. Anyway, but I appreciate that, but

1:07:40I think it does need to be easy a little

1:07:42easier to find.

1:07:44>> I want to recognize Commissioner

1:07:45Davenport, who hasn't spoken yet, and

1:07:47Commissioner Thor. Yeah, I didn't I just

1:07:48not found that email. Sorry. Um Friday

1:07:51the weekends are pretty busy, but um

1:07:54yeah, just if we can improve that, that

1:07:56would be, you know, help us out a lot.

1:07:59Thank you,

1:08:00>> Commissioner Thornon.

1:08:01>> I just want to go on record and and and

1:08:04saying because I have been involved

1:08:06statewide with COC's, I I I knew this

1:08:09stuff. So, it it no um

1:08:14that's all I want to say is that I

1:08:17didn't see the document either,

1:08:19[clears throat] but um but I know the

1:08:20work and I know how they work locally.

1:08:23>> Thank you, Commissioner. All right, we

1:08:24have a motion, a second on the floor.

1:08:25All in favor, please say I.

1:08:27>> I.

1:08:27>> Any oppose?

1:08:30>> Abstain.

1:08:31>> All right. Uh please note an abstension

1:08:33from Commissioner Johnson. All right. Uh

1:08:35item 23 is the youth homeless system

1:08:37improvements program that we discussed

1:08:38at the agenda setting meeting. Do I hear

1:08:40a motion here?

1:08:41>> Move to approve.

1:08:43>> Second or one A, B, and C.

1:08:47>> Commissioner Wright, did you make the

1:08:48motion or did Commissioner?

1:08:51>> I I made the motion. Okay. Commissioner

1:08:53Wright clarify

1:08:54>> details like I like to do.

1:08:56>> Thank you. All right. Motion from

1:08:57Commissioner Link. Second from

1:08:58Commissioner Wright. Commissioner Link,

1:09:00anything further? Um yeah, this is just

1:09:02another opportunity for us to um get

1:09:04some federal grant funds to help our

1:09:07homeless population. And this one is

1:09:08particularly targeted towards young

1:09:10people, which apparently is an

1:09:12overlooked demographic in in

1:09:15homelessness. And they do have unique

1:09:16needs. And I mean, I I personally feel

1:09:19like um you know, the any opportunity

1:09:22that that we can have to get folks out

1:09:25of homelessness as soon as possible, as

1:09:27young as possible while they're still

1:09:28healthy before they've been broken by

1:09:30the streets, um all the better. And um

1:09:34I've spoken with folks on the COC who

1:09:37have a lot of insight into this. And um

1:09:39I'm hoping we can procure these funds

1:09:42and help some of the young folks in our

1:09:44community um live Commissioner Wright.

1:09:48>> Uh yeah, this one I have a a

1:09:50[clears throat] little bit of experience

1:09:51as far as um in 96 when my husband and I

1:09:55became therapeutic foster parents for

1:09:5716-year-old. Nothing like being parents

1:09:59to a teenager right off the bat. Um, our

1:10:02work with DeFax was really focused on

1:10:04his ability to m get his independence

1:10:09for when he was no longer in the foster

1:10:11system so that he would have the skills

1:10:13that he needed to not be without um type

1:10:18things and it was it was the focus of

1:10:20his care plan. So I understand that the

1:10:24specifics because of the programming and

1:10:27the and the things that we uh were

1:10:29connected to from Vax as his foster

1:10:32parents. And so um I I can relate

1:10:35completely to how it needs a its

1:10:38separate specific connectivity. So I

1:10:41appreciate and I hope this grant goes

1:10:43through.

1:10:43>> Thank you, Commissioner. Commissioner

1:10:44Fischer.

1:10:45>> Yeah, I'm going probably push back a

1:10:47little bit. Um, and to Commissioner

1:10:49Johnson's point,

1:10:50>> we had asked to see this and now I

1:10:52understand it was in a document that we

1:10:54did, you know, that we didn't know about

1:10:55or we didn't, we got it but didn't know

1:10:57it was in the document. I guess my

1:11:00concern is it's a duplication of

1:11:01services. I'm trying to figure out,

1:11:04okay, if we're tracking people in the

1:11:06homeless system, why not we not tracking

1:11:09everybody? That's what I don't

1:11:11understand. Somebody need to explain to

1:11:13me

1:11:15from a category standpoint why we not

1:11:18tracking everybody. Why do we need to

1:11:21try to get another million dollars?

1:11:22Actually, I would have felt better to

1:11:24say we need to improve the system that

1:11:25we got instead of saying we need to get

1:11:28another million dollars to track 18 to

1:11:3024 year olds. Um, so I I I wrestle with

1:11:33that and I I feel like it's a

1:11:35duplication of services. And the reason

1:11:37I wanted to see a grant was I want to

1:11:39see the data that was in that grant and

1:11:41I'm not sure what that data was that was

1:11:43in the grant that said that we need to

1:11:45get this $1 million. So that's why I

1:11:48want to see the data. I want to see the

1:11:50grant then have opportunity to look at

1:11:51the grant. Um and again I'm a big

1:11:55advocate of homeless um populations

1:11:58especially our young people. I've worked

1:12:00with the the Lydia place done a lot of

1:12:02work with them and they do great work.

1:12:05Again, my issue is with the

1:12:07duplications. I think it's a duplication

1:12:08of services. So, if somebody can tell me

1:12:11what data was in that particular grant

1:12:15for us to go and get, you know, this

1:12:17extra million dollars, maybe I feel a

1:12:19little bit better about it. But until I

1:12:20see stuff like that, I'm not going to

1:12:22support this.

1:12:23>> Um, measure Cal, is there anything you'd

1:12:25like to highlight? Um, actually I

1:12:26probably would ask the folks from the

1:12:28COC or the homeless coalition to

1:12:29actually um respond to that because

1:12:32they're going to know the the data um

1:12:33components of it and and the basis for

1:12:35the request.

1:12:37>> Uh, Elise or Michael, do do either of

1:12:39you want to provide some context for the

1:12:42components of this grant that would be

1:12:44additive to our current array of

1:12:46services?

1:12:48>> Yes, I'm happy to address these

1:12:50questions. Um, there were a number of

1:12:52questions from Mayor Elect Fischer, so

1:12:54I'm going to try to respond to them all

1:12:56that I can remember. Um, your first, uh,

1:12:59question was about duplicating services.

1:13:03Um, I think that is a valid question. I

1:13:06think it it makes perfect sense to

1:13:10understand what the services are and

1:13:11what the needs are and to identify

1:13:14whether there's a surplus of services.

1:13:16Um, we do have several partner service

1:13:19providers. Uh there are two big shelters

1:13:21in town, but they both operate at close

1:13:23to capacity. We have two family shelter

1:13:25programs and they both offer they both

1:13:27operate at complete capacity. So I think

1:13:30we do have several partners that do

1:13:31similar things, but it's because that

1:13:33it's because there's a need that even

1:13:35even uh outweighs some of these

1:13:38resources. Um I'd also say that this

1:13:40grant does not provide services. So it I

1:13:43don't think it's related to your

1:13:45concern, although I'm more than happy to

1:13:46talk to you offline about this question,

1:13:49but this is to gather information and

1:13:52empower young people experiencing

1:13:54homelessness who have experienced

1:13:55homelessness to share their experiences

1:13:58and guide policy and also programming.

1:14:03So there aren't any services to

1:14:05duplicate. um to your question about

1:14:10um

1:14:12we had a question about oh about the

1:14:14system and about why not improve the

1:14:16system. Well, that's exactly what this

1:14:17is. It is to improve our existing data

1:14:20system to better refer young people

1:14:24experiencing homelessness to available

1:14:26services. Um, one example is we learned

1:14:29through reaching out to partners for

1:14:31this grant uh of the University of

1:14:34Georgia Office of Student Care and

1:14:37Outreach. Now, I know UG has students

1:14:39experiencing homelessness and I know

1:14:41they offer services to their students,

1:14:42but before we before this process, I

1:14:45wasn't even familiar with uh the Office

1:14:47of Student Care and Outreach and the

1:14:48services they provide. So now that's

1:14:50something that we can put in our toolbox

1:14:53uh and and refer and leverage uh that

1:14:57partnership. Um, in terms of data, I

1:15:00mean it it was a long uh application and

1:15:02we spent weeks on it and uh I think if

1:15:05you review the application itself,

1:15:08you'll find that it is supported by

1:15:09data. Even though youth homelessness is

1:15:13particularly challenging to uh enumerate

1:15:17and to get data on and to understand the

1:15:20challenges because they are less

1:15:22visible. Uh they are less likely to take

1:15:25surveys. they are less likely to engage

1:15:28services.

1:15:32>> Yeah. Yeah. Just one followup. So, um

1:15:35the Athens well-being, they done this

1:15:37study.

1:15:39The data is there with them because I I

1:15:40I met with Grace and that stuff is

1:15:43already out there

1:15:44>> for how we deal with 18 to 24 year olds.

1:15:46So, again,

1:15:49I appreciate you all putting that um out

1:15:52there, but the data is there. If you go

1:15:54back and look at a well-being when they

1:15:55look at 18 to 24 year olds, it's out

1:15:58there. It's saying what what you just

1:16:00saying what they need. So again, this

1:16:03just one man's opinion, Michael, and

1:16:05it's nothing personal. I just think it's

1:16:06a duplication of services that stuff

1:16:08that we already got in place.

1:16:10>> Yeah, and that's all I'm saying. And I I

1:16:12think

1:16:14>> that million dollars can be spent well

1:16:16on doing some other stuff

1:16:18>> um in order to help our young people.

1:16:20But again, just one man's opinion. So,

1:16:22you know, make it right or wrong, you

1:16:24know. So,

1:16:24>> may I respond?

1:16:26>> Uh, please.

1:16:27>> I I I appreciate your feedback and just

1:16:28the fact that we're having a thoughtful

1:16:30dialogue about this, um, you know, makes

1:16:32me feel good. I appreciate all of your

1:16:34time and all of all of your input on

1:16:35this. Um, I would disagree. Uh, in terms

1:16:38of Athens Well-Being Project, I think it

1:16:40is similar. They do collect data on

1:16:42different populations. Uh however, their

1:16:45data collection model for most of their

1:16:48existence was door-todoor survey uh

1:16:51implementation and so that um completely

1:16:55disregarded uh people experiencing

1:16:57homelessness. Now recently in recent uh

1:17:00postcoid um

1:17:03uh phases of that study, they have

1:17:05included people experiencing

1:17:06homelessness. And to be clear, we we

1:17:09already collect data. We already track

1:17:10this information for anyone experiencing

1:17:12homelessness and Athens Homeless

1:17:14Coalition uses an extremely broad

1:17:16definition of homelessness. So, we're

1:17:17not excluding people who are HUD

1:17:19homeless from those who are not HUD

1:17:20homeless. So, we we already do so. Um,

1:17:23but there are certain populations that

1:17:25are particularly vulnerable or tend to

1:17:28fall through the gaps more likely uh or

1:17:30or have additional resources available.

1:17:33Uh veterans, families with children, and

1:17:36young adults are some examples. And so

1:17:38we're already doing this with veterans

1:17:40and we work closely with the VA and with

1:17:42our a system to identify people who uh

1:17:46who identify as as veterans and allow

1:17:49the VA to cross reference that list with

1:17:51their list of veterans. I know this is

1:17:53uh this is getting off topic, but the VA

1:17:55locally had identified 10 veterans

1:17:58experiencing homelessness, but uh in our

1:18:00work through ACE, we've captured 40

1:18:03>> veterans experiencing homelessness. So

1:18:05my point and then uh on the tail end we

1:18:08work with street outreach to reach out

1:18:10and engage these individuals and say

1:18:12where are they staying at? Have you seen

1:18:14any of these people and then refer them

1:18:16transport them back to the VA for those

1:18:18services. So uh we we do track everyone

1:18:21experiencing homelessness but we've also

1:18:23chosen to focus on particular

1:18:25populations.

1:18:27>> Thank you Mr. Bean. I appreciate it. Um

1:18:29I I I will say just before I kind of

1:18:31note other folks because I continue to

1:18:33do some kind of youth support work. uh

1:18:36the clar county school district in the

1:18:37most recent full academic year had

1:18:39somewhere on the order of 460 homeless

1:18:41students who were part of what federally

1:18:43is called the bikini vento program

1:18:45generally speaking usually about

1:18:46threequarters of those are doubled up or

1:18:49because of economic challenges living

1:18:51with other family members which means a

1:18:53quarter of them are somewhere north of a

1:18:54hundred are either living in hotels or

1:18:58or in uh habitats not really meant for

1:19:01habitation cars or the streets. So I

1:19:04mean certainly recognize that we have a

1:19:06volume problem that that deserves a sort

1:19:10of layered nuanced and deep dive such

1:19:13that we can provide services requisite

1:19:16to those needs. So I think I had

1:19:19Commissioner Myers and Commissioner

1:19:20Taylor.

1:19:21>> Um yeah um since I was able to find this

1:19:25but not till this afternoon I do want to

1:19:26share some of the stuff that I I learned

1:19:28because it was um you know they that the

1:19:33the

1:19:35application the grant itself is a

1:19:37federal application and it makes it

1:19:39really clear. I looked at the grant

1:19:41application and it said is not to be

1:19:43used for housing or direct services to

1:19:45youth. The same time that I you know I'm

1:19:47like it's not services it's this this

1:19:50other creating a a a um a structure and

1:19:54a system for gathering information and

1:19:56moving forward. It was also interesting

1:19:58that HUD said that they didn't want to

1:20:02give grants that were less than a

1:20:03million dollars. They were like, you got

1:20:05to be go for a million dollars a year as

1:20:07well. Um, so, so that was interesting.

1:20:10And I just want to reiterate that this

1:20:12is not a this is just an application for

1:20:15the grant. Um, and it was what I clearly

1:20:20some works gone into it because they've

1:20:22not only talked to the continuum of care

1:20:24board, but there was a letter of um in

1:20:27the application, there's a letter of uh

1:20:29support from Lydia's place, the Athens

1:20:31well-being project, which actually is

1:20:33very involved in this because they're

1:20:34getting a big chunk of money for more

1:20:36data gathering um if it's approved. U

1:20:40United Way and Athens achieves and

1:20:42Athens Chamber of Commerce. One thing

1:20:43that that came up in the grant

1:20:46application materials was tying the

1:20:49youth programming and homelessness to

1:20:52workforce development as well. So there

1:20:54was a lot of mention of building the

1:20:57connections there, making the

1:20:58connections through Athens Tech, through

1:21:00UG and and having the system work

1:21:02together. I mean, I will say that a

1:21:04million dollars seemed like a lot, but

1:21:06then I saw that the federal government

1:21:07said you can only apply for a million

1:21:09dollars in here and there is a budget in

1:21:11there. So whether or not we get it is

1:21:13one thing. It's been put there. Um I

1:21:16have to, you know, I I I looked again

1:21:18after our discussion last week um about

1:21:21the homeless coalition uh because I was

1:21:24a little surprised at the um extent of

1:21:27our conversation with the last couple of

1:21:29weeks and I pulled out our old uh

1:21:32homeless plan. Remember that one that we

1:21:34spent, you know, spent a lot of time

1:21:36discussing about three years ago and

1:21:37accepted that. And of the first five

1:21:41strategies or three are the ones that

1:21:43the homeless coalition is doing which

1:21:45was staffing the coalition, increasing

1:21:48participation for people with lived

1:21:49experience which they've been doing. So

1:21:51I want to give them credit for the stuff

1:21:53that they've done because this would

1:21:54also get more youth in there. Improve

1:21:56the coordinated entry policy. This was

1:21:58in our book. establish comprehensive

1:22:00street outreach and organizing housing

1:22:03surges, which I know that they they've

1:22:05worked with some the other things that

1:22:07have to do with actually getting more

1:22:09spaces and more services were not ones

1:22:12that were particularly outlined in our

1:22:14original CDO with the homeless coalition

1:22:17if I remember correctly. But anyway, I'm

1:22:19supportive of this. It's a grant

1:22:22application. Who knows if we'll get the

1:22:24money?

1:22:25>> Got uh several lined up. I've got

1:22:27Commissioner Taylor

1:22:29Yeah. Um, thank you, Mr. Bean, for um,

1:22:33all that the continuum of care does. Um,

1:22:36my my question um, are we're referring

1:22:40to 16 year olds, right? 16 to 24 year

1:22:43old 18

1:22:44>> or 18. 18. Okay. Because I was like at

1:22:4616, they should be, you know, they may

1:22:49be an unhoused family, which is a

1:22:52different category. The 18. So with

1:22:56that, I I it causes me pause only

1:23:00because the last thing that I I want to

1:23:03see is for um us to get the grant. And I

1:23:07don't want us not to get the grant, but

1:23:09for the unforeseen consequences of now

1:23:1318 year olds who weren't Athenians now

1:23:17coming into Athens because of this

1:23:19grant, which is what we see on North

1:23:21Avenue today, like right now. Right.

1:23:24right now uh unhoused people that are

1:23:26aren't from Athens that have come here

1:23:28because of resources only to find out

1:23:32when they get here those resources don't

1:23:35exist or they're very very very finite

1:23:39um to the point where um you know

1:23:41they're now addicted they don't have the

1:23:44stuff that they came with and they're

1:23:45sleeping outside and the mental health

1:23:48of that is is gotten a lot bigger than

1:23:51prior to being dropped off so I just

1:23:53want want to ensure that you know I I

1:23:56listen to everything that you said and

1:23:58it is going to be a group of young

1:24:00people comprised together who has

1:24:03experienced homelessness at one point to

1:24:08make a plan to in the future

1:24:11combat homelessness for people who are

1:24:14aging out of foster care to a certain

1:24:17extent. I don't want to put words in

1:24:19your mouth. I just want to understand

1:24:20>> foster care

1:24:22>> or or

1:24:24>> well if well it was brought up that they

1:24:26age out of homeless out of foster care.

1:24:28I mean I just heard the words. I'm just

1:24:31trying to get an understanding because

1:24:32the last thing that I I want to see is

1:24:34young people who come here thinking that

1:24:37they're going to get an opportunity and

1:24:38they're, you know, now they're a problem

1:24:41downtown. Like I don't want I don't want

1:24:44there to be any unintended consequences

1:24:47again again again because it's bad. U

1:24:51Mr. Bean like as as an elected official

1:24:53and I know you know we ain't talking

1:24:55about it but we serve there are a few

1:24:57commissioners that serve homeless

1:24:59families out of our pocket. I know.

1:25:02>> And I just don't want, you know, it to

1:25:06get bigger because we applied for a

1:25:08grant and we got the million dollars,

1:25:09but now we got a lot of 18 to 24 year

1:25:12olds trying to find a place.

1:25:13>> Yeah. Michael, is there any other

1:25:15context you want to add?

1:25:18>> Well, I think that's a familiar

1:25:19sentiment, and I I appreciate your

1:25:21thoughtful question and and your uh

1:25:25critical approach of of what we're

1:25:27doing. um

1:25:32th this grant is very narrow and very

1:25:34limited on what we're providing and

1:25:36we're not promising any services or

1:25:38housing or or or anything along those

1:25:41lines. And to be clear, it's uh our

1:25:42grant is for under a million dollars

1:25:45over the course of three years. Um, so

1:25:49I don't I don't know what to say except

1:25:51for the the the confines and the scope

1:25:54of this don't really extend into that

1:25:57territory that you're saying. Um, now if

1:25:59someone reads a headline and and

1:26:01misunderstands it, I I don't know how to

1:26:03comment on that.

1:26:03>> And again, just to reiterate, this isn't

1:26:05a service provision grant. It it's an

1:26:07analysis. It's

1:26:08>> not providing services or homes. It's

1:26:10just a group.

1:26:11>> I've got uh Commissioner Johnson.

1:26:16Thank you, Mr. Bean, for being here and

1:26:18answering questions.

1:26:21I also will not be supporting this this

1:26:24grant in particular. I think with the

1:26:26data that you collect, you you know,

1:26:28just like I know that our greatest need

1:26:32is for transitional housing. Nobody's

1:26:35talking about that. And just just now, I

1:26:39mean, there is a proposal for advantage,

1:26:41but there's no detail.

1:26:43I imagine whatever they put together is

1:26:45still not enough. And just last month,

1:26:49you know, we voted down approving the

1:26:52the agenda item to actually move

1:26:56unhoused individuals from outside of the

1:26:58downtown area if they were sleeping. And

1:27:00it was um a hard decision to make

1:27:03because there businesses to protect

1:27:05everywhere. But I think the people who

1:27:08voted against it wanted a solution and

1:27:10not just a a sub a submitt. And the

1:27:12solution is um a a plan. And I think you

1:27:16have the data to show that. I would

1:27:18rather you source grants that speak to

1:27:21transitional housing which is the

1:27:23greater need. When I look at the number

1:27:26of foster individuals in the Athens Park

1:27:28County area, it is it was 335 on average

1:27:32last year. This year it's um around 270.

1:27:35That's a that's a large number. But the

1:27:37number of individuals downtown on the on

1:27:40the west side behind UPS on um North

1:27:44Avenue at 240 North Avenue. It's a it's

1:27:49a lot greater there. That is a solution

1:27:52for individuals who do not want to be

1:27:54outside. That is a solution for

1:27:56businesses who do not want people sta

1:27:58standing or sleeping outside. I would

1:28:00rather um support

1:28:04grant projects for transitional housing.

1:28:07We need to start that conversation. This

1:28:10seems like a one-off. Oh, this is

1:28:11available. Let's apply for it. Let's see

1:28:13if we get it. I agree with Commissioner

1:28:15Fiser. I'm looking on the Athens

1:28:18well-being website. They collect the

1:28:20data. They can actually parse it down to

1:28:22that demographic of 19 to 25.

1:28:25I agree in some some components that

1:28:28there are duplications of services and I

1:28:31have um as an advocate reached out to

1:28:34nonprofits and not received the best

1:28:37response.

1:28:39I I it was merely dismissed in in most

1:28:42of those scenarios. I I would like us to

1:28:46look at solutions strongly look at

1:28:48solutions.

1:28:49>> Commissioner Davenport next.

1:28:51>> Yes. So thank you Mr. Bean. Thank y'all

1:28:53for and and I'm not speaking for my

1:28:56colleagues, but I think there's a

1:28:59sentiment amongst us, especially when we

1:29:01listen to our constituents and people in

1:29:02the community, that we may be not

1:29:05necessarily solving a problem, but

1:29:07funding a problem. And um and I think um

1:29:12you know I think I'll be voting to

1:29:14support this this project this grant but

1:29:17just

1:29:20you know like um three things when you

1:29:22think about a 18 or 24 year old that's

1:29:24an adult you know um a job housing and

1:29:27some support you know will you get them

1:29:30out of homelessness. I just don't want

1:29:33us to get into a spot at get into a

1:29:36place where we're constantly accepting

1:29:38grants for let's study this, let's study

1:29:40this, but then in the end of the road we

1:29:42see this this large amount of homeless

1:29:45people not getting service cuz what we

1:29:47really need is just more housing. you

1:29:49know, I I'll take my I take my fault in

1:29:52not approving some of these housing

1:29:53projects, but um we need more housing,

1:29:56especially we need better capacity at

1:29:59our um at our COC when it comes to

1:30:02wraparound support when it comes to um

1:30:05transitional housing. So, it just I just

1:30:07don't want us to get into a point. It's

1:30:09not against the work y'all do that we

1:30:11continue to do these studies and do more

1:30:13studies. you got to say these got to

1:30:15let's get more money because I'm more

1:30:16concerned about where that money is

1:30:17going to how that budget breakdown is

1:30:19and Dr. Myers I'll read that tonight. Um

1:30:22and to my colleagues I read that tonight

1:30:24but I I just want us to get to a point

1:30:25where we're actually providing services

1:30:27where we can see people reduction in

1:30:30homelessness not just from 18 but you

1:30:32know from zero to 100.

1:30:36Um, just to the last two speakers,

1:30:38Commissioners Davenport and Johnson. Um,

1:30:41Commissioner Johnson, uh, I agree with

1:30:43you 100%. I think transitional housing

1:30:45is deeply needed and should be a top

1:30:47priority. And really at the Homeless

1:30:49Coalition, what we say is housing is the

1:30:51solution to homelessness. So, don't

1:30:52think that we're not focused on

1:30:54solutions. I think our role at the

1:30:56coalition is limited based on our

1:30:59capacity and our number of staff on on

1:31:02what we can and cannot provide. We're

1:31:04not real estate developers. We don't

1:31:06purchase land, but we do uh generate

1:31:09data and work to improve that data to

1:31:11inform

1:31:13um

1:31:15policy and and what the needs are and

1:31:17transitional housing. And to say that

1:31:19nobody's talk about talking about it,

1:31:20people are talking about it. And I'm

1:31:22working with a group of community

1:31:23leaders who are talking about that exact

1:31:26subject and how to utilize data to

1:31:29justify transitional housing downtown.

1:31:34Commissioner Lincoln.

1:31:35>> Yeah. Um I I I want to encourage

1:31:38everybody to take a look at the HUD

1:31:40document that you know is calling for

1:31:42these grant application. It is very

1:31:44narrow in scope and it is specific to

1:31:47youth homelessness. Um you know beggars

1:31:50can't be choosers. This money is out

1:31:51there. We certainly have a need um for

1:31:54more funding. Um you know we don't have

1:31:56the big corporate donations that some

1:31:59communities get. you know, in other

1:32:01communities, their local university

1:32:03helps contribute to solutions to

1:32:05homelessness. We don't have that

1:32:06situation here. Um, but these dollars, I

1:32:10mean, that from what I understand, and

1:32:12think about yourself when you were 18 to

1:32:1524 years old and the adults in your

1:32:18life, the parents, grandparents, etc.

1:32:20that that helped you out, whether it was

1:32:22monetarily or with with a little bit of

1:32:25information or just a little bit of

1:32:26emotional support. These kids don't have

1:32:29that. And I can very much see how the

1:32:32programming that that is intended for

1:32:34this funding could help them with that.

1:32:36They that it could give them just the

1:32:38nudge they need to become

1:32:39self-sufficient and and find the

1:32:41housing, get the job, get the education,

1:32:44or even just have the um the confidence

1:32:48to go seek those things. Um you know,

1:32:50that kind of group that that this grant

1:32:53foresees. Um, you know, people of that

1:32:57age rely very heavily on social

1:33:00structure. Um, I I feel like this is an

1:33:03extremely valuable program that is is

1:33:06being um foreseen with with this kind of

1:33:09funding and it is a three-year grant.

1:33:11So, you know, that million dollars is

1:33:13for three years. Um, this HUD document

1:33:16talks about how um folks in this age

1:33:19category are more likely to be sex

1:33:22trafficked. Um, that's a very complex

1:33:25issue that I'm sure that um this funding

1:33:28could be used to prevent some of that

1:33:31activity. Um, I I I I really think it

1:33:35would be ridiculous and irresponsible

1:33:38for of us to turn down to to not apply

1:33:41for this funding. We have a dedicated

1:33:45continuum of care community. Um, and we

1:33:49certainly have a problem in this

1:33:50community and we need to find our

1:33:52funding wherever we can find it.

1:33:55>> Okay.

1:33:55>> Commissioner Thornton.

1:33:57>> Um,

1:33:59during the work session I said all money

1:34:00is not good money. Shame on HUD. Shame

1:34:04on HUD.

1:34:06They should have been putting out money

1:34:08or you should be looking for money that

1:34:11provides direct service. Uh, no. I'm not

1:34:14going to support this and I'm not

1:34:15irresponsible. That's just my personal

1:34:18opinion, Commissioner Link. Um because I

1:34:22see too many studies not just with the

1:34:24homeless. I see all of these studies

1:34:26studies studies. So because um it's very

1:34:31competitive

1:34:32um and this body um

1:34:36um

1:34:38and this passes tonight, which I'm sure

1:34:40it will. um hopefully that this body

1:34:44will stay engaged because we vote on

1:34:47stuff and then when it gets out of

1:34:49control then we up here looking at each

1:34:52other. So, um for those who vote for

1:34:56this tonight, stay on it. Stay on it and

1:35:01then we won't have to be dealing with

1:35:02stuff like we had to deal deal with

1:35:04ARPA.

1:35:06>> Got uh Commissioner Wright. Um, yeah, I

1:35:10I um

1:35:13I can I see the need for this and um

1:35:18Commissioner Davenport, I really like

1:35:19what you said that it might be finding a

1:35:21problem. I think what we're having a

1:35:23hard time finding is the 18 and 24 year

1:35:25old homeless

1:35:27>> uh couch surfing. I think it's probably

1:35:29a little bit easier for them to not be

1:35:31in the category. I think um Mr. Mayor,

1:35:34you mentioned some of that data from the

1:35:36school district level, but that age

1:35:39bracket, it seems to me that going to

1:35:43the uh those of that age that experience

1:35:46it, they're going to be the help.

1:35:48They're going to be the outreach.

1:35:49They're going to be the connectivity

1:35:52uh on the street that uh is going to

1:35:55help the specific services. And I

1:35:57thought that your example from the

1:35:59veterans uh was a good one that the ACE,

1:36:03if I heard you right, your ACE program

1:36:07identified 40 veterans that are homeless

1:36:09in our community, but the veterans

1:36:11outreach list was a 10. And I don't know

1:36:14if that 10's a subset of the 40. We

1:36:16don't need to know, but it is a big

1:36:18difference. And so targeted this as a

1:36:20targeted outreach um is good. And I do

1:36:24hope that it does pass. But I I do as we

1:36:27all should respect everybody's

1:36:29difference of opinion and I regret that

1:36:32y'all didn't um see that the details

1:36:35that you asked for were given so that

1:36:38that was studied. And again, we're not

1:36:42delaying the application, right? Didn't

1:36:44we learn last meeting that the the

1:36:46grants are in? This is just getting to

1:36:48the uh acceptance of a point of and and

1:36:52also I hope that they're looking at it

1:36:56to see um that we need it. And I

1:36:59appreciate that you've already learned

1:37:00more about UG's um

1:37:03what was that called? The student care

1:37:05and outreach. Um the um student

1:37:08government association at UG started a

1:37:11food pantry closet and it grew and the

1:37:15demand for it was so much that they now

1:37:16have a full-time student that works a I

1:37:20don't know how big the space is. You

1:37:21might know but it's they didn't realize

1:37:24how much the food pantry was needed. Um

1:37:26and and also Commissioner Link uh what

1:37:29Savannah has is a private university.

1:37:31It's a big difference than what we have.

1:37:33It's public. You probably know,

1:37:35Commissioner Wright, the Fanning

1:37:36Institute has a specific project around

1:37:39those youth who are aging out of foster

1:37:40care as well. So, it's a another unit of

1:37:43working the same way. I've got a couple

1:37:44more and then I'll get back to you. Got

1:37:46Commissioner Myers.

1:37:47>> Yeah. Yeah. Just I I I just want to say

1:37:49again that this to me this looks like a

1:37:51if it was granted it would be a grant to

1:37:54help prevent homelessness in that 18 to

1:37:5724 year category by reaching out to some

1:38:00of the places that are we're not just

1:38:03talking about service providers where

1:38:04we're they're doing the coordinated

1:38:06entry. We're really getting out there

1:38:07and making the connections in the

1:38:09schools and the programs and such. So,

1:38:12uh and gathering the youth. But I also

1:38:13want to say that the the grant before

1:38:16this and afterwards add up to close to

1:38:19$9 million for housing whether it's

1:38:23permanent supported or transitional

1:38:25which is in the first one. So there this

1:38:27is one grant among this package of

1:38:30grants we're looking at.

1:38:32>> Got uh Commissioner Fischer. Yeah, I

1:38:35think we probably need to go ahead and

1:38:36vote. But let me be clear for the public

1:38:40because I don't want somebody to put

1:38:41this on social media,

1:38:42>> right?

1:38:43>> I am not against homeless youth in this

1:38:46community.

1:38:48Uh to Commissioner Taylor's point,

1:38:51we are I have poured hundreds hundreds

1:38:53of dollars into young people, probably

1:38:56thousands of dollars into homeless um

1:38:58youth and the homeless families. So I'm

1:39:01not against homeless youth. So I don't

1:39:03need people going on social media saying

1:39:05commissioner fish is against homeless

1:39:06youth. I'm not. The issue I'm having

1:39:09[clears throat] again Michael is it's

1:39:12the duplication of services and what

1:39:14really impact is really going to have if

1:39:16it's going to really help us move the

1:39:18needle and it may help us move the

1:39:20needle. I just want people to understand

1:39:22that I'm not against um our homeless

1:39:26youth in this community. I think is

1:39:28needed from a workforce um perspective,

1:39:30from an educational perspective. Matter

1:39:32of fact, I probably know better than

1:39:34anybody cuz I work with hundreds of

1:39:36young people. So, I understand that. So,

1:39:38I'm not against that. Again, it's just

1:39:40it I'm more against the application. Let

1:39:42me just say that more so than but I

1:39:44think about what is going to be the

1:39:46impact if we do get the million dollar.

1:39:48What impact is going to have? Is it

1:39:50really going to move the need for the

1:39:52for us for this community? I hope if it

1:39:54does, great. I'll be the first one to

1:39:56champion. did a great job. I want to

1:39:58make sure it's going to move the needle.

1:40:00Again, too many times we get grants.

1:40:03Sometime it moves the needle, sometime

1:40:04it doesn't. And that's all I'm saying.

1:40:06So, I just want to be clear about that.

1:40:08>> Turn to Commissioner Taylor and then

1:40:09we'll vote.

1:40:10>> I got one. I um I had a comment, but I

1:40:15at this point um Mayor Garvis, because

1:40:17I'm I'm not against um

1:40:20unhoused 18 year olds to 24. Um the

1:40:24students at the University of Georgia,

1:40:26they came to Athens to go to school and

1:40:29the housing fell through. And so it is

1:40:31up to that school to ensure um that

1:40:34their students have a place to lay their

1:40:35head. I would expect the same thing for

1:40:37Daniel's school where he's attending

1:40:39now. um if he if his housing fell

1:40:42through. So, I'm I'm not against that.

1:40:45Um but to to you know, Commissioner um

1:40:49Alex, Mayor Elect's point, let let's

1:40:52just see how the how the cards fall. So,

1:40:55>> yeah. Yeah, I'm good.

1:40:56>> Commissioner Johnson,

1:40:58>> I just want out to say that I'm going to

1:41:01just chime in. I got an email like

1:41:04several times back to back to back very

1:41:06unhappy individual about a comment I

1:41:09made and after my explanation they

1:41:11apologized but you know I don't want

1:41:13anyone to think that anybody up here is

1:41:16against that demographic. I there's a

1:41:19duplication of services. I'm going be

1:41:21honest with you Michael. It's really

1:41:22hard to feel like a decision maker and I

1:41:24actually won an election and it feels

1:41:27like I appreciate the fact that you're

1:41:29talking to individuals and nonprofits

1:41:31about it, but I would really like some

1:41:33updates and to know that you're talking

1:41:35about it because I'm asking for it and

1:41:37how do I know that you're talking about

1:41:38it? So, I think they're connecting that

1:41:41conversation would be helpful. Um,

1:41:44because it is really hard to feel like

1:41:46we make the decisions. the decisions are

1:41:48thrown on us and we have to when we are

1:41:51in the position to actually vote and

1:41:53then we are the ones that get phone

1:41:57calls and emails and and stopped in the

1:41:59grocery store and admonished or I'm

1:42:01disappointed all that stuff. I can

1:42:03handle it. But the thing is we get that

1:42:06and I just want to say just like

1:42:08everybody else I volunteer three days a

1:42:10week. I ride, I drive, I volunteer at

1:42:13and I teach a class. I've actually

1:42:16testified against one of our nonprofits

1:42:18for not doing something and I've

1:42:20actually um I know how it works and how

1:42:24and what happens and I want to see more

1:42:26positive outcomes and if there are

1:42:30conversations going on I just would like

1:42:33it to be upfront with us instead of

1:42:36brought to us and if maybe having a

1:42:38couple of commissioners be a part of

1:42:40some of your meetings. It doesn't have

1:42:41to be me. I'm okay with that. But I

1:42:44just, like I said, it's really hard to

1:42:45feel like the decision maker up here.

1:42:48That's all I have.

1:42:52>> Thanks for your work, Michael. I

1:42:53appreciate it. All right, we're going to

1:42:54begin with a vote with Commissioner

1:42:55Link.

1:42:55>> Mr. Mayor,

1:42:57>> let me go ahead and read that.

1:43:04>> Go ahead.

1:43:06>> FY27 operating capital budget.

1:43:08>> Mayor, I ask for equal time.

1:43:12>> I'm sorry. We have a vote to take. Thank

1:43:14you. Go ahead.

1:43:16>> An ordinance to amend the FY2027

1:43:18operating capital budget for Athens,

1:43:20Clark County, Georgia, so as provide

1:43:21grant funding if awarded from the

1:43:22housing urban development HUD youth

1:43:24homelessness system improvement program

1:43:26and for expenses related to response

1:43:28systems for youth homelessness and for

1:43:30other purposes.

1:43:31>> Usually everybody speaks.

1:43:32>> Thank you. Attorney Drake,

1:43:33>> Commissioner Lake.

1:43:35>> I

1:43:36Taylor.

1:43:38>> Oh, I

1:43:40>> Wright. Yes.

1:43:41>> Fisher. No

1:43:43>> Johnson. [clears throat]

1:43:43>> No

1:43:44>> Co. Meyers.

1:43:46>> Yes.

1:43:48>> Thornton.

1:43:48>> No.

1:43:50>> Hamby.

1:43:50>> Yes.

1:43:52>> Davenport.

1:43:53>> Yes.

1:43:56>> Six. Yes. Three. No.

1:43:58>> All right. Thank you, madam clerk. All

1:44:00right. Uh item 25 is the

1:44:05>> uh excuse me, 24 is the HUD uh pathways

1:44:08to removing obstacles grant application.

1:44:10This is the longer term one. Uh, do I

1:44:12have a motion?

1:44:13>> So move.

1:44:13>> Second.

1:44:14>> Second.

1:44:14>> All right. I've got a motion from

1:44:15Commissioner Thornton. I have a second

1:44:17from Commissioner Meyers. Commissioner

1:44:18Thornton.

1:44:19>> No, this was one that I did see um when

1:44:24it was first um put out by HUD and I do

1:44:28believe I sent it to

1:44:31um HCD. So, I'm glad to see I'm not

1:44:35saying they're doing it because I sent

1:44:36it to them. I'm sure they seen it also.

1:44:38Um but I am glad um this is more of what

1:44:44I think

1:44:45that is direct services that really

1:44:48could help. So yeah,

1:44:50>> Commissioner Myers.

1:44:51>> Yeah. Um likewise a lot of direct

1:44:54services. Um this is over I think six

1:44:57years um at $ 8.5 million. Be excellent

1:45:01if we get it. And this is one I really

1:45:03would uh suggest reading it when I did

1:45:05find it. Um, it's going to work with

1:45:08housing developers to reduce

1:45:10construction costs by accelerating

1:45:12timelines. There's new construction for

1:45:15affordable single family units. There's

1:45:17expanding de down payment assistance.

1:45:20There's preserving existing affordable

1:45:23owner occupied stuff through some of the

1:45:25programs that we have to help owner

1:45:27homeowners. And there's some fair

1:45:28housing education um information money

1:45:31as well. So um this would be like

1:45:34fabulous if we got this. So happy to

1:45:36support it.

1:45:38>> Any others? Commissioner Link?

1:45:40>> Yeah. So from what I understand, this

1:45:42grant um allows us to invest in like

1:45:47staffing to

1:45:50follow up on some of our our affordable

1:45:53housing challenges

1:45:56>> associated [clears throat] with

1:45:58predominantly to monitor any funding

1:46:00that actually takes place. So for the

1:46:02projects that were just mentioned for

1:46:04like down payment assistance or uh

1:46:06construction of other homes, the

1:46:08exception to that is there is also staff

1:46:10time that is in the application tied to

1:46:12policy assessment. Um so are there other

1:46:15things we can be doing with zoning or

1:46:16other kind of housing policies, but for

1:46:18the most part it's for compliance

1:46:19purposes.

1:46:20>> Okay. So there is there is funding for

1:46:22staffing for policy assessment. Okay.

1:46:25Thank you.

1:46:25>> And attorney Drake, is there an

1:46:27ordinance associated with this given

1:46:28it's a funding item?

1:46:29>> Yes, sir.

1:46:31An ordinance to amend the FY2 2027

1:46:34annual operating capital budget for

1:46:36Athens, Clark County so as to provide

1:46:37grant funding if awarded. Grant funding

1:46:39if awarded from the US Department of

1:46:41Housing and Urban Development, HUD

1:46:42pathways to removing obstacle obstacles

1:46:45program

1:46:47to the Housing and Community Development

1:46:48Department for three full-time grant

1:46:50positions and expenses in support of a

1:46:52in support of affordable housing

1:46:54development preservation planning and

1:46:56policy activities and for other

1:46:58purposes.

1:46:59>> Thank you. All in favor, please say I.

1:47:01I.

1:47:02>> Any opposed?

1:47:03>> Hearing none. Motion carries. All right.

1:47:05Uh, item 25 is our recurrent 5339

1:47:08program grant for transit fleet

1:47:09replacement. Do I hear a motion?

1:47:11>> So move.

1:47:12>> Second.

1:47:12>> All right. Got a motion from

1:47:14Commissioner Taylor. Second from

1:47:15Commissioner Fiser. Commissioner Taylor,

1:47:17any remarks?

1:47:18>> Yes. I would just like to give a big

1:47:20shout out to our director, Mr. Pope.

1:47:23He's so awesome. He's he's doing great

1:47:25things um with transit. um reaching out

1:47:28to residents um with all of the changes

1:47:32via radio [snorts] commercials, showing

1:47:35up to events. And so um and the fact

1:47:38that um to um Athens emotions point, a

1:47:43lot of residents don't have cars, can't

1:47:45afford cars, don't want cars. I'm not

1:47:47one of them. I got three. But you know,

1:47:50to each his own. Um the transit with it

1:47:53being free, it is allowing residents to

1:47:55get to work.

1:47:57um our CCS students to get to school if

1:48:00they miss the bus. And so anything to

1:48:02help um transit be great, I'm I'm all

1:48:06for it. So,

1:48:09>> Commissioner Fischer, any followup?

1:48:11>> Yeah, just um I appreciate the fact that

1:48:13we have expanded

1:48:15>> our routes. Um we started earlier,

1:48:17>> doing late. So I again I want to thank

1:48:20um the support for doing that as we

1:48:23continue to look at different routes how

1:48:25it's going to impact

1:48:26um our community and helping people get

1:48:29um either to work to school. And one

1:48:32thing I do want to suggest and I think I

1:48:33mentioned this to Mr. Pope

1:48:36um some while ago up in Greensboro,

1:48:38North Carolina, they did a combination

1:48:40with the school district and transit

1:48:42working together to get people from

1:48:44point A to point B. That may be

1:48:46something that we may want to look at in

1:48:47the future. see how that works and see

1:48:49whether or not we can use something like

1:48:50that here in our community.

1:48:53>> Thank you, Commissioner. Anything else

1:48:54on 25?

1:48:55>> If I may, I also want to acknowledge

1:48:57that um we have been in conversations

1:49:00obviously as mentioned here with UG and

1:49:02that partnership we think actually will

1:49:04make this application much stronger. So,

1:49:05I certainly want to acknowledge their

1:49:07support in what we're doing with this as

1:49:09well.

1:49:09>> Thanks, man. Uh Commissioner Davenport.

1:49:11>> Yeah, just a side question for county I

1:49:13mean u um county manager. So um um just

1:49:18the transit the transfer station where

1:49:20are we on

1:49:22>> the two

1:49:23>> the remote transfer station. So the west

1:49:25side it is actually still um ultimately

1:49:28to follow after you all review and

1:49:30consider the overlay um request for the

1:49:32zoning. If that overlay request goes

1:49:35through then it'll be a partnership with

1:49:36the developer kind of on their timing

1:49:38>> with east side east side and

1:49:40>> yes and that is in early conversations

1:49:42of design um parts of it but still still

1:49:45a ways um still a ways off on it.

1:49:47>> All right,

1:49:48>> but yes, those two are are kind of more

1:49:51or less in the same spot. East side

1:49:52slightly um slightly ahead.

1:49:54>> Okay,

1:49:55>> thanks Manager Cal. All in favor, please

1:49:57say I.

1:49:57>> I.

1:49:58>> Is there an ordinance associated with

1:50:00this attorney Drake? No. Okay. All

1:50:02right. Uh 26 is our comprehensive

1:50:05performance audit of the emergency

1:50:06management function. Do I hear a motion?

1:50:08>> So moved. Second.

1:50:10>> I've got a motion from Commissioner

1:50:11Wright and I've got a second from

1:50:12Commissioner Fischer. Anything on this

1:50:14Commissioner Wright?

1:50:15>> Yeah. Thanks for the good work and it's

1:50:16again we're accepting the report.

1:50:19>> Yeah. And again,

1:50:22Commissioner Wright, I think it's a

1:50:23great report. Want to thank the audit

1:50:26committee and audit department

1:50:28organization analysis for putting this

1:50:30together. I think it's going to start

1:50:32building up our emergency management

1:50:34team and also helping us as if we have

1:50:37to deal with emergency, we'll be

1:50:39prepared and ready to to respond.

1:50:41>> Thanks, Commissioner. Anyone else?

1:50:44>> Commissioner Myers. Yeah, I just uh want

1:50:46to say thank you to the um office for

1:50:49operational analysis, another great

1:50:51audit, and also for the the smooth way

1:50:55that the office is working with the

1:50:56manager's office to implement some of

1:50:59these changes. Um everyone might not

1:51:03realize, but the the audits, all these

1:51:06have a year review. So, a year from now,

1:51:09there'll be another analysis of how

1:51:11these uh recommendations have been

1:51:12followed through and addressed. And I

1:51:14think that's a really important part of

1:51:16the process and and the public needs to

1:51:18be aware of that.

1:51:20>> All in favor, please say I.

1:51:22>> I.

1:51:22>> Any opposed? Hearing none. Motion

1:51:24carries. Uh item 27 is the Athens in

1:51:27motion uh plan update. And of course, we

1:51:29got a work session on this. Do I hear a

1:51:31motion?

1:51:31>> Move to approve. Second.

1:51:33>> It's accept.

1:51:34>> I mean accept. Sorry.

1:51:37>> Motion from Commissioner Link. Second

1:51:38from Commissioner Myers. Uh Commissioner

1:51:40Link, anything on this?

1:51:41>> Yeah. Um, I want to thank the Athens

1:51:43emotion commission profoundly for all

1:51:46their hard work. Um, you know, this is a

1:51:49really detailed document and what I

1:51:51really like about it is it addresses

1:51:52policy. It talks about um bringing

1:51:56private developers in. Um, I've had some

1:51:59conversations with commission members

1:52:01and you know this this is an amendable

1:52:03document. I had some concerns about um

1:52:06seeing to it that MLK Avenue gets some

1:52:09proper crossings so folks who live in

1:52:13Ruth Street and Ruth Drive can access

1:52:16the greenway which is the pedestrian

1:52:18thoroughfare along MLK. Um I I know that

1:52:22TPW I've I've you know reached out to

1:52:25transportation and public works in the

1:52:26past concerns about um the need for

1:52:29traffic calming on that that road. Um,

1:52:32so I'm hoping as we move forward and

1:52:34especially as the North Avenue project

1:52:36moves forward, we can do some

1:52:37reassessments of that corridor.

1:52:40>> Um, but overall, um, it's it's just

1:52:44really invaluable to have a document

1:52:46like this. I can attest, you know, my

1:52:47first couple years on the commission, I

1:52:49was advocating for this commission and

1:52:51for this kind of document because we

1:52:53would spend hours and hours behind the

1:52:57rail assessing these projects when, you

1:53:00know, none of us were necessarily

1:53:03qualified or knew, you know, deeply the

1:53:05particular areas. We have a whole

1:53:07commission of of citizens who have some

1:53:09expertise in transportation issues who

1:53:12look at these on a project by project

1:53:14basis. Um and we have dedicated staff

1:53:17for this now. Um so it's just been a

1:53:21tremendous burden um you know lifted

1:53:24from us to have this document to have

1:53:26these prioritized projects um and um

1:53:30assure that there's a citizen commission

1:53:32that can assess them.

1:53:34>> Commissioner Myers.

1:53:35>> Yeah. I also want to thank the staff uh

1:53:38TPW and our bike uh pedestrian um

1:53:42leader. I forget what the official name

1:53:44is. Um but and also the commission for

1:53:47the work they did on this update to this

1:53:49plan. I think it's important to realize

1:53:51that this is a living document. It

1:53:53changes. This is a little bit changed

1:53:55from the the one that was approved um

1:53:57before I came onto the commission and

1:54:00it's um I'm and also I'm really thankful

1:54:03for staff to follow up on the couple of

1:54:06things that I pointed out. Um very minor

1:54:08things that they did add to this

1:54:10addition. were able to get in the

1:54:12addition of the East Side Library as a

1:54:14destination on one of the maps. And I

1:54:16think the they also added something into

1:54:18the report itself. There's kind of a

1:54:20followup on the our our links to those

1:54:22those um grant applications and such

1:54:26that the further embedded all these

1:54:28links are, the harder it is to follow

1:54:30the information. And the way the the

1:54:34projects are all lined up and

1:54:36prioritized, they look at safety for

1:54:3740%, connectivity for 30%, uh ability to

1:54:41[snorts] implement and encouragement,

1:54:42which is a harder one to explain in

1:54:45three minutes here, which is 10 only

1:54:4710%, and equity, which is 20%, and I ask

1:54:49that the criteria for the equity

1:54:52actually be laid out in the plan rather

1:54:54than linked to um to see where this

1:54:57comes from. Very concrete information in

1:54:59there. And I really appreciate um you

1:55:02responding to that and getting back to

1:55:04that. Um you know, right now in Athens,

1:55:07I think I saw that we have almost 13,000

1:55:09miles of roads. Um I think we have 235

1:55:13miles of sidewalk. This plan, if it's

1:55:16implemented, which would take way more

1:55:18money than we have anywhere available,

1:55:21would add another 76 uh miles of

1:55:23sidewalk for 311 miles of sidewalk. and

1:55:27the bike is uh right now we have 47

1:55:29miles. It would add 120 for 167 which is

1:55:32about half of what the sidewalk is. Um

1:55:35but but this is actually this plan

1:55:37doesn't come without with any money and

1:55:39I think that's important for us all to

1:55:40know. This is a plan that enables us to

1:55:43get the money whether it's a Tesla

1:55:45project. uh this plan was referred to in

1:55:47a lot of the Tesla applications and also

1:55:50the federal monies that are out there

1:55:52that we have it there and it's up to us

1:55:54as a body or this the the public as well

1:55:57to decide where we want to put the

1:55:59emphasis you know whether we want to put

1:56:00it on sidewalks a mixture of this a

1:56:03mixture of that um anyway I'm very

1:56:05appreciative of the work that went into

1:56:07this um we are just accepting it we're

1:56:10not putting any money with it and I hope

1:56:12my colleagues will um join me in uh

1:56:14approving this acceptance of the plan.

1:56:19>> Commissioner Davenport.

1:56:21>> Yes. Um

1:56:23uh

1:56:25>> no, I'm I'm I'm approving this. I just

1:56:27lost my train of thought. So

1:56:29>> accepting

1:56:29>> Yeah. accepting this um um

1:56:33>> so one of So um Okay.

1:56:36And first of all, I want to thank my

1:56:38colleagues who um put in T- splash

1:56:42projects and some of those projects

1:56:43didn't get funding. and I apologize for

1:56:45that. Um um one of the roads that came

1:56:50up that I have concerns about is um Win

1:56:54um Winterville Road, the one that goes

1:56:57by the airport. Um there a lot of people

1:57:00walking on the sidewalk, but it is not

1:57:02on the the list. I just want to make

1:57:05sure that my colleagues are aware um

1:57:08that there have been a lot of near miss

1:57:11incidences of people walking. I that is

1:57:15close to the the trail but it's going in

1:57:17the opposite direction towards um Spring

1:57:19Valley Road. I just wanted to make

1:57:22mention of that and um there's a lot of

1:57:25bikers on Morton Road. I was a little

1:57:30uh make sure I got that right. Um yeah,

1:57:33little disappointed that there was no

1:57:35future plans for Morton Road and Robert

1:57:38Hardin Road. Um, I see about 50 60 of

1:57:41them pretty every week, but you know,

1:57:44just the I know it's way out there, but

1:57:47they're driving 50 mi an hour out there.

1:57:49Um, and there's a lot of deer, but you

1:57:52know, it would have been nice to to

1:57:54incorporated something for for those

1:57:56individuals, especially a connection to

1:57:58Bonnet Shows Road up to um White Hall

1:58:02and whatnot. But other than that, just

1:58:04want to mention that.

1:58:05>> Appreciate you highlighting all these

1:58:07corridors, Commissioner. I I I hope for

1:58:09the day when all of our arterials are

1:58:12served by bike and bed facilities. I

1:58:14think about Winterville Road a lot and

1:58:16of course we now have quite a bit of

1:58:17property adjacent to there and so my

1:58:19hope is that as the uh reservoir

1:58:21develops that there will be a lot of

1:58:23amenities in conjunction with that.

1:58:25>> Commissioner Johnson

1:58:27sir and I did speak with commissioner

1:58:29today. we really should make a priority

1:58:32for Talis Road at that school because

1:58:35there's no sidewalks out there and um a

1:58:38lot of residents and I'm not trying to

1:58:40steal other commissioners thunder but um

1:58:42it was uh when I [clears throat] read

1:58:45this plan that was the first road that

1:58:47popped in my mind. I was like wow okay

1:58:49but anyway that's it.

1:58:51>> Yep. And and hopefully we can leverage

1:58:53the money that we've already dedicated

1:58:55but not spent on Talis toward Right.

1:58:57That's right. Okay.

1:58:59Commissioner Johnson.

1:59:00>> Thank you. I want to thank you, U

1:59:03Commissioner Navenport. I want to

1:59:05advocate for those individual family

1:59:07subdivisions that live on Talis Road

1:59:10that don't have that fall in a gap where

1:59:13they are within one and a half miles of

1:59:15the school. And if they're within one

1:59:16and a half miles of the school, the

1:59:18school does not have to provide um

1:59:21transportation to school. And this is an

1:59:25area that after you pass the arterial

1:59:27and go past the some subdivisions that

1:59:31the speed limit picks up to 45 miles per

1:59:34hour. And as you approach it, you don't

1:59:35really notice a school that is there

1:59:37until you get right up on it. And it's

1:59:39directly across from a a very large

1:59:42subdivision. There is one sign that says

1:59:46speed zone, but the speed limit is 45.

1:59:50That's I I I don't know how that was

1:59:52passed, how that is possible. Um, every

1:59:55other school I drove to all the other

1:59:58schools, took me two days. Um, they all

2:00:01say 25 or 30. They all have beacon

2:00:04lights. They all have crosswalks. They

2:00:06have sidewalks. This one to be in the

2:00:09list in the 80s is very surprising that

2:00:12people know about it, but nobody like on

2:00:16staff or with the project with the um

2:00:20with AIM thought it was important enough

2:00:23to meet their number one priority of

2:00:27safety. These are children. I have um

2:00:30parents that speak um to me. I I get at

2:00:33least two to three phone calls or emails

2:00:36every month about this. And what are you

2:00:38doing, Commissioner Johnson? This road

2:00:41as well as Lavender Road. 30 years 31

2:00:44years ago, my classmates's little sister

2:00:46was hit by a car, Marquita Star, and

2:00:49there are no sidewalks. Both roads need

2:00:52sidewalks and she and attention. The

2:00:56concern right now, the most pressing

2:00:58concern is the road across the street

2:01:01from the school. I would love to see at

2:01:03the very minimum crosswalk crossing

2:01:05guard, a beacon light,

2:01:08and if funding is there, sidewalks to

2:01:12link all of the the subdivisions

2:01:14together so that they can cross um

2:01:16safely across the street to get to

2:01:18school.

2:01:19Manager Kell, could you see if staff has

2:01:20any provisions in place that they've

2:01:23contemplated for that stretch near

2:01:24Bernie Harris Lions Middle School?

2:01:27>> Sure.

2:01:27>> Appreciate you all being here tonight

2:01:30and yes, Commissioner Johnson, we've

2:01:32received your request. Uh we're in the

2:01:34works and we should get back to you with

2:01:36some ideas on how and what what can we

2:01:39do. We have some funding. We have some

2:01:41ideas. So, just be patient with us. A

2:01:43little bit more time.

2:01:44>> Great. Thank you so much.

2:01:46>> No problem.

2:01:48All right, we have a motion, a second on

2:01:50the floor. All in favor, please say I.

2:01:52I.

2:01:52>> Any opposed? Hearing none. Motion

2:01:54carries. Uh 28 is the Arena District

2:01:57Steering Committee recommendation to

2:01:58authorize sale of a Kelly ver

2:02:00diversified Willis Street property.

2:02:02Couple quick notes on this. Uh one is

2:02:05that um if this is successful, there

2:02:07will be a second agenda item that's an

2:02:10intergovernmental agreement about the

2:02:12actual use of these funds. Among the

2:02:14things that [snorts] we've talked about

2:02:15in prospect is having those funds

2:02:17essentially set aside through 2028 and

2:02:192029 so that we could ensure that those

2:02:22years kind of before the development

2:02:25goes vertical and produces revenue uh

2:02:27can ensure our payment of the bonds. Um,

2:02:30and the second note directly connected

2:02:31to that is that I just want to remind

2:02:33everybody that if you go all the way

2:02:34back to 2019 and 2020 in the original

2:02:37funding planning for the arena, it was

2:02:40always contemplated that those public

2:02:42properties would be monetized uh for

2:02:45supporting that that bond repayment. So,

2:02:47this has kind of been in the works for a

2:02:48very long time. Um, so I want to ask for

2:02:50a motion on this.

2:02:51>> So moved.

2:02:53>> Second.

2:02:53>> All right. I've got a motion from

2:02:54Commissioner Wright. I've got a second

2:02:56from Commissioner Meyers. Commissioner

2:02:58Wright as a member,

2:02:59>> a couple things I wanted to highlight

2:03:00out of the agenda item, which is very

2:03:03thorough with a it encompasses a lot of

2:03:06different topics that we've been dealing

2:03:07with for for a while. And first, my

2:03:10favorite being the property committee

2:03:12chair is that it was in 2007 that this

2:03:15was surplused. So, the opportunity to

2:03:18follow through with the surplus is

2:03:20happening now. The other opportunities

2:03:22were listed uh in in the agenda item in

2:03:252020 and 2023. those didn't materialize.

2:03:28And um being on this committee, it's

2:03:32it's a the move forward. And just as a

2:03:35reminder, there's two commissioners, two

2:03:38downtown developmental authority uh

2:03:40board members, and then two classic

2:03:43center authority members, and then Mr.

2:03:45Mayor is the chair. Um and then Ilka is

2:03:49leading it quite well as with her role

2:03:52in it. And then um

2:03:55what I wanted to say about that was that

2:03:58this is allowing Accenture that we are

2:04:01working with to focus on the properties

2:04:04that are continuously inconnected and

2:04:06have uh the boundaries that they and

2:04:08they did not envision this as being a

2:04:10part of that. Um I did want to just

2:04:12piggy back back to my foster son. Uh

2:04:16Kelly Diversified was a vocational

2:04:18training. um I don't know how long it

2:04:21was there. And Kelly, you might remember

2:04:22when it quit being there, but that was

2:04:24part of his vocational work was us

2:04:26getting him down to Kelly diversified

2:04:28for part of his um some of the

2:04:30vocational training that they had there.

2:04:32But um so kind of interesting that it's

2:04:36it hasn't been in service in a long long

2:04:38time.

2:04:39>> Full circle.

2:04:40>> Full circle.

2:04:40>> Commissioner Myers.

2:04:42>> Yeah. Um I I think that you and

2:04:44Commissioner Wright have made um all the

2:04:46important points. I just want to

2:04:48emphasize again to the public and give

2:04:50it to myself that this was this plan

2:04:53this is part of a plan that started

2:04:55before I joined the commission in 2021.

2:04:59Um this was part of the original

2:05:01financing. So at this point even though

2:05:03it's getting out in the public and some

2:05:05people are like what's going on? This is

2:05:07what's been there. We built that arena.

2:05:10Now we got to pay it back and we really

2:05:12can't go back. I can't I I can't go back

2:05:15to when I was not a commissioner and

2:05:17make this not happen. So here we are

2:05:19here. I look forward to what comes out

2:05:21of this uh committee to see how it's

2:05:23going to be uh developed. The one thing

2:05:26is with it was always a plan, but the

2:05:28plan to develop it got um delayed.

2:05:31That's just a little short version

2:05:33delayed some and so it's taking a little

2:05:36longer to do what was being planned

2:05:38along all the time. I look forward to

2:05:40seeing what happens as that plan um gets

2:05:43uh presented to us I think at more at

2:05:45the end of this year. Thank you.

2:05:48>> Thanks, Commissioner.

2:05:50>> Commissioner Fischer.

2:05:51>> Yeah, thank you. Thank you, Mayor. And

2:05:53um do we know maybe can I answer? Do we

2:05:56know what the U price tag might be on

2:05:58that sale?

2:05:58>> Uh we we don't know yet. I mean, we're

2:06:00going to have to get a formal

2:06:01evaluation.

2:06:02>> Okay. Okay. Thank you.

2:06:05>> All right. Uh got a motion, a second.

2:06:07All in favor, please say I.

2:06:08>> I. Any opposed?

2:06:10>> All right.

2:06:10>> Opposed.

2:06:12>> Please note uh opposition from

2:06:13Commissioner Johnson.

2:06:15>> All right. Uh we need a motion for

2:06:17suspension rules because we have two

2:06:18doom business items.

2:06:19>> So move.

2:06:20>> Second.

2:06:21>> Second.

2:06:21>> All right. Got a motion from

2:06:22Commissioner Hamby, second from

2:06:24Commissioner Taylor. All in favor,

2:06:25please say I.

2:06:26>> I.

2:06:26>> Any opposed?

2:06:28>> All right. Um we have a nominating

2:06:30committee report that's in front of

2:06:31commissioners for board authority and

2:06:33commission placements. Uh do I hear a

2:06:36motion? So, get motion from Commissioner

2:06:39Hamby. Get second from [laughter]

2:06:41>> Commissioner Fiser.

2:06:43>> All right. All in favor, please.

2:06:44>> Wait a minute.

2:06:46>> Commissioner Taylor motion and I'll

2:06:47second.

2:06:48>> Okay. [laughter]

2:06:50>> Commissioner Taylor and Commissioner

2:06:52Fischer. All in favor, please say I.

2:06:55>> All right. All right. So, I do want to

2:06:57thank these fine folks who have stepped

2:06:59up. And so, uh, Kim Matthews will have a

2:07:02two-year term on the Industrial

2:07:04Development Authority. David Lynn will

2:07:06have a six-year term on the board of tax

2:07:07assessors. Sakonda Sturdivant will have

2:07:10a a term on the depart division of

2:07:12family and children services. Kamisha

2:07:14Pet uh will have partial term on the

2:07:17department of behavioral [snorts] health

2:07:18and developmental disabilities region 2

2:07:20advisory council. Chris Gazzley will

2:07:23serve on the hearings board. Shaka McCoy

2:07:26and Stephanie McMullen will serve on the

2:07:27human relations commission. Elizabeth

2:07:29Swift and Samuel Stabler will serve on

2:07:31the joint development authority of

2:07:33Athens, Clark County in the city of

2:07:34Winterville. Tory Sandberg will serve on

2:07:36the public safety civilian oversight

2:07:38board. Joe Weisenbacher will serve on

2:07:40the residential care facility for the

2:07:42elderly authority. And Taylor Maline

2:07:45Meyers, Stars, and Susie Nels will serve

2:07:48on the solid waste advisory council. So,

2:07:50thanks to all of them and the letters in

2:07:53the mayor. All right. Uh item 30 uh is

2:07:56is just a kind of in some ways uh uh

2:08:00sort of text update that we just needed

2:08:02given that we are now using the um

2:08:05appbased parking system downtown. Um and

2:08:08so this the ordinance update associated

2:08:10with that. Do I hear a motion?

2:08:11>> So move.

2:08:12>> Second.

2:08:12>> All right. I've got a motion from

2:08:13Commissioner Hamby, second from

2:08:15Commissioner Meyers. Commissioner Hamby.

2:08:17>> Sure. Thank you, Mayor. I appreciate it.

2:08:19And then like the mayor said, this is

2:08:21just a text amendment and u it's

2:08:23actually uh working out fairly well. Um

2:08:26and I think folks are getting used to it

2:08:28and um it's very easy to use and if

2:08:31you've got the if you get the you don't

2:08:33necessarily have to have the app to use

2:08:34it. You can make phone a phone call or

2:08:36something like that. But if you do have

2:08:37the app, you uh get a little time uh

2:08:41update as you're as you uh put the meter

2:08:44money onto your app. And I've got about

2:08:4715 minutes left on my time, so y'all

2:08:50need to hurry up.

2:08:52>> Oh, you can you can update it.

2:08:55>> I'm not going to update it. So,

2:08:57>> Commissioner Myers, I

2:08:58>> guess. Well, Commissioner Hamby, I

2:09:00noticed one of the points on the

2:09:02ordinance was about um you know,

2:09:04government employees, you know, not

2:09:06having to follow use that thing. So, you

2:09:08know, you'll be take we'll take care of

2:09:09you afterwards on that.

2:09:10>> I've lost my tag.

2:09:12>> Okay.

2:09:13I bet the clerk will help you there. Um,

2:09:16I did want to ask I'm I'm supportive of

2:09:18this. It's really just changing the

2:09:20language to match the technology. But

2:09:21since I have Commissioner Hamby here, I

2:09:24wanted to ask him something. I saw the

2:09:26there's a part of this on defacing

2:09:27parking equipment or signage. And unless

2:09:30I was imagining it, it seemed like on

2:09:33actually it might have been right out

2:09:34here somewhere. It seemed like a lot of

2:09:36these little signs had been pushed over

2:09:38all the time.

2:09:39>> Yeah, we got some folks that are, you

2:09:42know, vandalizing government property

2:09:44basically. But we are um putting up um

2:09:47the taller signs.

2:09:49>> Okay.

2:09:49>> That that most communities use anyway.

2:09:52So um those taller signs that you can

2:09:55easily take a photo of. So

2:09:57>> yeah, it it um it seemed really public.

2:10:00I felt why are they doing that? Why are

2:10:02they doing that? Anyway, thank you.

2:10:04>> It's unfortunate.

2:10:05>> Yeah.

2:10:07>> Uh well, [clears throat] I think I

2:10:09wanted to recognize Commissioner

2:10:10Davenport. I saw his hand.

2:10:11>> Yeah. I just want to um I parked in

2:10:13Savannah and it was the same company and

2:10:16um I went to the I just came back from

2:10:19vacation and they went so if you don't

2:10:21pay your tab um they'll charge it to

2:10:24your bill. So make sure you you know

2:10:29make sure you pay attention to

2:10:31>> appreciate you staying between the

2:10:32lines. Commissioner

2:10:33>> just want to [snorts] let people know.

2:10:34>> Uh we'll go ahead and hear the ordinance

2:10:36recon there. Clark County, Georgia with

2:10:38respect to parking regulations and for

2:10:40other purposes.

2:10:41>> All right. All in favor, please say I.

2:10:43>> I.

2:10:43>> Any opposed?

2:10:44>> Hearing none. Motion carries. Now is the

2:10:46time of the evening when we have public

2:10:48input on any item that was not on

2:10:49tonight's agenda. And uh so the same

2:10:52threeminut opportunity as described

2:10:53earlier is in effect right now. Is there

2:10:57any member of the public who would like

2:10:58to speak to us?

2:11:06Good evening.

2:11:08>> Good evening. Uh Tim Densson, 483

2:11:11Quailwood Drive. Um I just wanted to

2:11:14speak really briefly uh about

2:11:18my concerns and I think the community's

2:11:20concerns on our continued usage of flock

2:11:23cameras here in Athens, Clark County.

2:11:26Um, at this time we have about 150 or so

2:11:29cameras that are actively working and

2:11:34uh, as we've seen with uh, the firing of

2:11:37the intelligence analyst supervisor who

2:11:39was running uh, that system um, plus the

2:11:43dozens of firings across the state of

2:11:45Georgia for improperly using flock

2:11:48camera systems. Um, I believe that

2:11:52instead of us asking the community that

2:11:54we need to trust the flock corporation

2:11:57that we need to trust that the flock

2:12:00cameras are going to be used correctly.

2:12:01Instead, this community needs to start

2:12:03to trust the people of Athens, Clark

2:12:04County that we don't need to be

2:12:05surveiled 24/7 and keep going down the

2:12:08slippery slope that this is opening up.

2:12:11Um, honestly, I think that if y'all

2:12:14don't cease using these soon, I think it

2:12:16will happen inevitably as you've seen

2:12:18now hopefully uh the state of Florida,

2:12:20state of Texas now barring the usage of

2:12:22these cameras across the entire state.

2:12:25uh because of these concerns. So, we can

2:12:28either be on the forefront of this and

2:12:29doing what our community is asking us to

2:12:31do or I think we can keep on having

2:12:33mistakes happen and inevitably having to

2:12:35do it once we've already damaged the

2:12:37trust of this community further. Thank

2:12:38you for your time.

2:12:39>> Thank you, Mr. Densson.

2:12:42>> Good evening.

2:12:44>> Good afternoon. No, good afternoon,

2:12:46Commission. My name is Hampton Barono. I

2:12:48live at 255 the preserved lane. And at

2:12:516:22 today, Atlanta News 4 was reported

2:12:54that a Georgia Department of Corrections

2:12:56special agent was arrested Tuesday for

2:12:57allegedly misusing flock license plate

2:13:00reading system. There has been dozens of

2:13:02stories about this kind of abuse

2:13:04happening in the state of Georgia just

2:13:06this summer alone. And as we are in the

2:13:09city hall, there was another arrest.

2:13:12There is over 149 cities that are taking

2:13:15action either by cancelling project uh

2:13:19cancelling contracts

2:13:21banning ALPRs

2:13:24and turning off cameras because of the

2:13:27continuous stream of news coming out

2:13:29about the abuse of the flock system.

2:13:33I want to state that this is more than

2:13:36given individuals that this is a

2:13:37systemic issue. In the same way that

2:13:39white supremacy leads to things such as

2:13:42police brutality, a increase in

2:13:47an increase in wrongful convictions.

2:13:51Patriarchy results in stalking. It

2:13:54results in under reportported

2:13:57essay and rape. And we got to make sure

2:14:01that we are make have systems and tools

2:14:04that are truly accountable to those that

2:14:06they serve and not being used and

2:14:10frankly not supervised so that women are

2:14:12being stalked in our cities. I think

2:14:15that is a shame that it was the former

2:14:17partner of the person who was recently

2:14:19fired here in Athens who had to come

2:14:20forward with this, not that our city was

2:14:23the one to find it. And I think it is

2:14:25clear and looking at the many of other

2:14:27cities in Georgia that have these same

2:14:29problems that we need to take a change.

2:14:31I think that our commission and our city

2:14:33should take steps to get a flock out of

2:14:36Athens. Thank you.

2:14:37>> Thank you, Mr. Bernau.

2:14:41>> Good evening.

2:14:42>> Good evening. Uh my name is Yas Simin

2:14:45and I live at Thank you. 310 Rogers Road

2:14:48and University Housing. And thank you

2:14:50for having me. And the reason why I'm

2:14:53here because I'm a part of initiative to

2:14:56connect researchers like me with local

2:14:58policy makers in countries in sorry in

2:15:02counties across United States and the

2:15:05project our project covers any child any

2:15:07family problems uh that you are facing

2:15:10in our country and here's a bit about

2:15:13how it works. First, I'm visiting to

2:15:16introduce myself like I'm doing right

2:15:18now. And after the meeting, I will send

2:15:20follow-up emails describing the

2:15:22initiative and include this email will

2:15:25include a way to sign up to meet with me

2:15:28via Zoom or face to face. And I will

2:15:31also ask you to forward it to other

2:15:33people who also do work related to

2:15:35children and family

2:15:37uh problems in our country. And for

2:15:40those who respond, I will have a short

2:15:42meeting to learn about the child and

2:15:45family policy problems you have you are

2:15:47focusing focused on and where you think

2:15:50research would be helpful

2:15:52and then based on that based on this

2:15:54meeting I will create a Taylor's

2:15:56research brief with the relevant source

2:15:58shared it with you and then offer the

2:16:00talk through it and how you might apply

2:16:03it in your work [clears throat]

2:16:05and all of this is free to you and our

2:16:07work is funded by the William T. Grant

2:16:09Foundation uh which shares our

2:16:12commitment to straining connections

2:16:13between research and policy. Thank you.

2:16:16>> Thank you. Yes.

2:16:20>> All right. Um going to come to uh

2:16:23>> one more.

2:16:23>> One more.

2:16:24>> Good evening.

2:16:26>> And Mike, I think you have this prestige

2:16:29parking lot off to the side.

2:16:31>> [laughter]

2:16:32>> But uh

2:16:33>> uh I'm Alan Jones again in district 7

2:16:37and I work locally in healthcare

2:16:39technology and more and more in AI

2:16:42enabled workforce education. Um over the

2:16:45summer I sent y'all several emails about

2:16:48responsible AI usage and uh I'm not sure

2:16:52everybody completed their summer

2:16:53homework reading assignments. There was

2:16:55a there was a lot in there. But it's

2:16:57something that we as a as a city and

2:17:00y'all as a body really need to take very

2:17:02seriously coming up because we're we're

2:17:05seeing very big changes in the way the

2:17:07technology is moving and our city needs

2:17:10to be ready for those. I I realize our

2:17:13city is doing a lot already. Um it has

2:17:17provided AI use guidance for everybody

2:17:19in the the government. There's a

2:17:21standing data governance committee. The

2:17:24public safety c Civilian Oversight Board

2:17:28is is looking at the Real Time Crime

2:17:30Center. Um, also learned that recently

2:17:33uh y'all have uh found a new chief

2:17:36information officer that begins this

2:17:38week with an initial work plan that

2:17:40includes a comprehensive review of

2:17:42organizational AI use uh and to update

2:17:45the the company's or the the county's

2:17:48policy. That's great. Uh Andrew

2:17:51Saunders, I appreciate some of the

2:17:52updates on that. So my question isn't

2:17:55whether our government is is looking at

2:17:58AI, but it it is what comprehensive will

2:18:00include, who will participate, and what

2:18:03interim safeguards apply as we're kind

2:18:06of ramping up and getting this new CIO

2:18:09in uh into place. Suppose someone copies

2:18:12a resident's email into a personal chat

2:18:14GPT or Gemini account to summarize their

2:18:17overflowing inbox. Sounds reasonable,

2:18:20but that reasonable shortcut transmits a

2:18:22public record and personal information

2:18:25outside of ACC government systems,

2:18:27raising privacy retention, security, and

2:18:30record management questions.

2:18:33AI is already being added to vendor

2:18:35platforms, software updates, automated

2:18:38decisions, and public safety systems

2:18:41like lock. Uh, and it's not separate.

2:18:44It's being moved more and more into

2:18:45decisions relating to housing,

2:18:47homelessness, transportation, workforce

2:18:49development, and public safety. It's

2:18:53getting into all of them, and it's

2:18:54really impossible to stay ahead of it.

2:18:57Without clear governmentance, AI could

2:19:00consume a significant share of this

2:19:03commission's attention next year because

2:19:05something went wrong, leaving almost

2:19:07nothing, no time for anything else the

2:19:10community needs.

2:19:12So my request for now is is simple. I

2:19:14realize you have the new CIO coming up,

2:19:16but please ask current leadership to

2:19:19provide a brief public update on or a

2:19:21work session on the AI safeguards and

2:19:24that the government already has in

2:19:26place, identify who's responsible, and

2:19:29prepare a clear handoff for the incoming

2:19:31CIO. It can't wait.

2:19:33>> Thank you, Mr. J.

2:19:34>> Thank you.

2:19:36>> All right, we'll um come for reports

2:19:38from charter officers, myself and the

2:19:40commission. Um do uh want to thank

2:19:43everybody associated with Clark County

2:19:45School District for great start of a

2:19:47year from Superintendent Scott down to

2:19:49every cafeteria worker and parapro. Been

2:19:51several schools already and seems like

2:19:53the year is going really well. Um very

2:19:56excited that uh we have our first home

2:19:58football game weekend this coming

2:20:00Saturday and I'm eager for everybody to

2:20:03experience the um rapidly completing new

2:20:07college square. uh that seems like last

2:20:09time I saw it this afternoon, it had all

2:20:11but a few bricks in place. Uh so I think

2:20:13that's going to be a wow factor for all

2:20:15of us. Um and and certainly on the

2:20:17matter that's uh been in the press about

2:20:19automatic license plate readers. I mean,

2:20:21I'll say to the public just very

2:20:23clearly, I'm not an absolutist about

2:20:26decrying uh technology of this sort, but

2:20:29I'm also not an absolutist about using

2:20:31it all the time, everywhere, under every

2:20:33circumstance. And um so I wanted to have

2:20:37manager Cowell talk a little bit uh in

2:20:40the wake of uh recent report of the

2:20:42firing of the Realtime Crime Center

2:20:44manager um about the provisions that

2:20:47have been put in place in the wake of

2:20:49that um and what the path forward looks

2:20:51like.

2:20:51>> Sure. And I'll talk real quickly and

2:20:54generically and then if you have

2:20:56specific questions, Chief is here to be

2:20:58able to answer any of those. And even

2:21:00more importantly, remember next week at

2:21:03your work session, we have a we just

2:21:05happen to have a public safety um update

2:21:07from both the fire uh chief and the

2:21:09police chief. So, we'll also have a time

2:21:11to dig deeper into any of these um

2:21:13topics topics as well. So, um each of

2:21:15you should have received um and this

2:21:17came in a couple of different emails

2:21:18from me. Um one of those was accompanied

2:21:21my Monday um update because I didn't

2:21:24push send on Friday. So it was um in

2:21:27Monday and then um I believe um today um

2:21:30I think or sorry yesterday I sent you

2:21:33some additional information and so what

2:21:35you've received and and I should say

2:21:36everything that you've received you

2:21:38should feel free to distribute however

2:21:39you choose to do so. There's nothing

2:21:41that I have provided you that is

2:21:42confidential by any means um as well.

2:21:45And so part of what we have shared with

2:21:47you is the um I had requested of the

2:21:51chief um after we learned of the

2:21:52incident and after they dealt with the

2:21:53personnel matter and initiate the

2:21:55criminal investigation. I had asked the

2:21:57chief to provide for me a an overview of

2:22:01what the vulnerabilities of the system

2:22:03were at the time that this in these

2:22:04incidents occurred, which was roughly a

2:22:07year ago, and what was no longer um the

2:22:11same uh in terms of policies and

2:22:13vulnerabilities as we brought the

2:22:15real-time crime center online. Even

2:22:17though we've been talking about the

2:22:18real-time crime center and the

2:22:19individual involved, the incidents

2:22:21actually occurred before we had a

2:22:22real-time crime center. So when the real

2:22:24time crime center came on board, we

2:22:26actually changed a whole series of

2:22:27policies and and frankly flock actually

2:22:30created some options that didn't exist

2:22:32before that. So one of the documents you

2:22:34have shows here what the here's what the

2:22:36vulnerabilities were at the time that

2:22:38this occurred and here's what was

2:22:40already in place that arguably would

2:22:43have at least caught what was what was

2:22:45happening if not have prevented what was

2:22:46happening. So that was one um one

2:22:48product I asked of the chief that he has

2:22:50delivered that you all have copies of.

2:22:52Um the second was that um I wanted um in

2:22:56my very technical terms to lock down

2:22:59access to the data that these license

2:23:02plate readers were doing until he and I

2:23:04could be assured and that we could

2:23:06assure you and the public that uh if

2:23:08there were any remaining vulnerabilities

2:23:10that those vulnerabilities had policy

2:23:13responses attached to them as well and

2:23:14additional standards. So the second

2:23:16piece of information that I sent out to

2:23:18you all is a um version two of the

2:23:21executive order from the chief. Um the

2:23:24reason it's version two is because one

2:23:26already existed of how to use the

2:23:27license plate readers and how not to use

2:23:29those. This is the second version that

2:23:31really scales back when it can be used

2:23:34and by whom it can be used and only

2:23:36during which um additional approvals

2:23:39attached with that. The second piece of

2:23:41that was his formation of an internal

2:23:44team that my instructions have been

2:23:46within the next two to three weeks I

2:23:47need to know what those if any exist

2:23:49remaining vulnerabilities and additional

2:23:51steps that the chief would u would

2:23:53recommend. It is very likely that some

2:23:55of the things that are in that executive

2:23:57order will become permanent um and it

2:24:00may be that they become even more

2:24:02restrictive as we move forward. That's

2:24:04the work that we'll bring in the next

2:24:05couple of weeks. So those are the

2:24:06products that you have and again you

2:24:08should feel free to to share and

2:24:10distribute those um as well. Again,

2:24:12there is a criminal investigation going

2:24:14on, so we can't get too deeply into the

2:24:16individual circumstances with with the

2:24:18person, but certainly wanted to make

2:24:19sure that you had that um that

2:24:21information. And we will continue um the

2:24:24chief has, you know, literally the day

2:24:26after the report took place, the action

2:24:29with the personnel was taken, we

2:24:30released the information of what had

2:24:32occurred and taken place and what steps

2:24:34have been taken. And that's the

2:24:35approach. We want to try to be as

2:24:36transparent as we possibly can in what

2:24:38has occurred, where those

2:24:40vulnerabilities might have existed, what

2:24:42we can do, and and frankly at the end,

2:24:43we'll probably still identify some

2:24:45vulnerabilities that are there, and what

2:24:46we can and cannot do um regarding those.

2:24:49I've also provided you because it was

2:24:50requested, I think, by Commissioner

2:24:52Davenport and somebody else, I can't

2:24:54remember who, um Commissioner Link, um

2:24:57the the contracts. So there's there's a

2:25:00fairly straightforward contract for

2:25:01services, not a very elaborate contract

2:25:03for services and then there's an

2:25:04attached and theou is what actually

2:25:07details sort of how um data is or is not

2:25:11shared. Um so that's also um with you as

2:25:13well and I think someone had asked in

2:25:15that exchange if any of that was

2:25:16confidential. Again, it's not

2:25:17confidential. So you should feel free to

2:25:19to share that with whomever you whoever

2:25:21request or whoever you feel appropriate

2:25:22as well. So that that's my quick

2:25:24overview of that piece. Um and again if

2:25:26you have any specific questions

2:25:28certainly the chief is here to answer

2:25:30those and or um we will have the the

2:25:32work session item also next week that

2:25:34we'll we can dig deeper into it's not

2:25:36the subject of the presentation but we

2:25:37knew these questions would come up um in

2:25:39that at that time as well.

2:25:41>> Manager Cal one helpful piece I think

2:25:43would for be for the public and

2:25:45certainly everybody on the commission to

2:25:46understand uh the the more narrow

2:25:48circumstances under which data can be

2:25:50accessed at this point. So, I don't know

2:25:51if the chief is ready.

2:25:52>> Yeah, the chief is going to be best at

2:25:53answering that because he'll he'll be

2:25:54able to tell you specifically at what

2:25:56for what reasons and at what rank and

2:25:58what kinds of approvals require access

2:26:00to that data at this moment.

2:26:02>> Chief, thank you for being with us

2:26:03tonight. I really appreciate it. Um,

2:26:06obviously we've had an incident that

2:26:07none of us wished for. Um, but can you

2:26:09talk a little bit about uh kind of the

2:26:11contours of any access to the ALPR

2:26:15system now?

2:26:16>> Yeah, absolutely. One, I want you to

2:26:18know that I'm very disappointed. My

2:26:19leadership's team and the amazing men

2:26:21and women of the Athens Clark Police

2:26:22Department are very disappointed that

2:26:24this occurred. Uh, but with that in

2:26:26mind, they are all understanding and

2:26:28understand that we have public trust as

2:26:30our number one priority. And so, we've

2:26:32got some work to do and we've got to

2:26:33tighten up this system. With that in

2:26:35mind, the restrictions are if it's a

2:26:37missing or endangered person,

2:26:39Alzheimer's, something of that nature,

2:26:41then only a lieutenant

2:26:43has access to the system, but they have

2:26:46to get approval from a captain to even

2:26:48search the system to include felonies,

2:26:52uh, major felonies. So, if we have

2:26:53something really bad happen in our

2:26:54community and that technology would help

2:26:56us to get that person off the streets or

2:26:58solve a major crime, kidnapping, then

2:27:01the lieutenant would have to call the

2:27:02captain and say, "Is this approved? This

2:27:04is the case." Of course, there have to

2:27:06be a case number in there. We'll

2:27:07reference the CAD. We'll have everything

2:27:09so that we can show strict

2:27:11accountability during this work uh this

2:27:13this kind of shutdown time, if you will.

2:27:16I want to thank the manager for for his

2:27:18support in working through this and

2:27:21being there. And we will also be looking

2:27:24I've got two work groups going. I ask

2:27:27them the same questions about what's the

2:27:29vulnerabilities, what more

2:27:30accountability, who should have access

2:27:32to system when and for what crimes. And

2:27:35so they'll be working through that

2:27:36independently and we'll bring it back

2:27:37together, look at best practice and make

2:27:39that recommendation to the manager.

2:27:41>> Thank you, Chief. As long as Chief

2:27:42Salters is here, does anyone else have a

2:27:44question for him? Commissioner

2:27:46Davenport,

2:27:46>> just one quick one. Um, so when it comes

2:27:48to like a federal crime, um,

2:27:50>> you said a lieutenant would have to

2:27:52contact a chief.

2:27:54>> No, no.

2:27:55>> Captain,

2:27:56>> if it's a felony, then the lieutenant,

2:27:59say it happens at 2:00 in the morning,

2:28:00then the midnight's lieutenant would

2:28:02then have to call a captain and wake him

2:28:03up and say, "Hey, this is the crime

2:28:05we've got, confirmed it through central.

2:28:07Everything's here, and we need to put

2:28:09this in the flock. Can we check flock?"

2:28:11And it's either approved or not

2:28:13approved. Is that is that cumbersome for

2:28:16a situation like that? Like a felony,

2:28:17something really bad?

2:28:20I

2:28:20>> I don't think it is. I think at the end

2:28:22of the day, we need to show that we are

2:28:25accountable to this community and this

2:28:27body and so that's the things have been

2:28:29put in place until we can come back and

2:28:31show that uh we can do better.

2:28:33>> All right, Commissioner Link.

2:28:36>> Yeah. Do we have any means of assessing

2:28:39how much energy this artificial

2:28:42intelligence system is using? You know,

2:28:44our community spoken out about data

2:28:46centers. Um, all of this data involved

2:28:49in this system is going to data centers

2:28:52being processed by data centers. Um, you

2:28:55know, I have a hard time reconciling our

2:28:58opposition to data centers while we, you

2:29:01know, support these systems that require

2:29:04those processing. Do we have any means

2:29:06of assessing that?

2:29:08>> We do. All of this information from

2:29:10Flock and other systems are held in a

2:29:12cloud. Um I wouldn't be the person to

2:29:15answer that technical, but I can

2:29:17definitely get you a better response for

2:29:18that and get it sent through the

2:29:20manager.

2:29:20>> Thank you,

2:29:21>> Commissioner Fischer.

2:29:22>> Yeah, [clears throat] just want to thank

2:29:24the chief and the team for putting these

2:29:27um um safeguards in place. I think it's

2:29:30a start. Um, and I want to remind

2:29:33everybody, um,

2:29:35you know, everybody say we being

2:29:37surveiled. Well, you being surveiled

2:29:38when you go to the grocery store and buy

2:29:39stuff. You know, when I go to Kro and

2:29:41buy stuff, I get coupons on what I buy.

2:29:44You know, everywhere we go, we get

2:29:46surveiled and and I want us to be

2:29:48reminded of that. Um, but I do want to

2:29:50make sure we got the right safeguards in

2:29:53place that this community trust what

2:29:56we're doing and we need to also make

2:29:58sure we trust the men and women um who

2:30:01sort of serve and protect this

2:30:02community. So I want to um thank y'all

2:30:04for putting those in place. Um and again

2:30:08every organization sometime have a bad

2:30:10apples. I mean, you can't there's

2:30:12nothing you can do sometime about that.

2:30:14Those things happen, but you know, we

2:30:17we're going to um show improvement. I

2:30:19appreciate that we're trying to show

2:30:20improvement and I think as we go forward

2:30:24um we'll see how um effective we are

2:30:26with all the um safeguards that we put

2:30:28in place and hopefully that's going to

2:30:30restore trust among our community and

2:30:33what we're doing to make these things

2:30:34happen. So, thank you, Chief.

2:30:35>> Thank you, Commissioner Myers. Yeah,

2:30:38first of all, I want to say thank you

2:30:39for responding so quickly. Um, when I

2:30:42saw the timeline and the uh incident

2:30:44from the ex-wife had been reported just

2:30:46last Thursday and you've done all these

2:30:49responses since then, um, I, you know,

2:30:52unfortunately we had that email delay

2:30:55there. Um, that one of the documents I

2:30:58didn't see till um, yesterday, I guess

2:31:01it was. Um, but I also had the

2:31:04opportunity to listen to Deputy Chief

2:31:06Daniel at the U Peace meeting last uh

2:31:09Wednesday. So, and then I was like

2:31:11putting it all together and when I saw

2:31:13the timeline at that point, you hadn't

2:31:15even had the complaint from the that was

2:31:19all after the fact, huh? So, I mean that

2:31:22was and then also the incident was I'm

2:31:24just trying to put all this together.

2:31:26The incident was last year. So some of

2:31:28the auditing

2:31:30and evaluation reviews that were

2:31:33discussed at the peace meeting weren't

2:31:35necessarily all in place yet when the

2:31:38incident happened.

2:31:39>> That's correct.

2:31:40>> So I mean those I when did all those

2:31:43those that new auditing go into effect?

2:31:46That was

2:31:47>> so

2:31:49late last year. We as a leadership team

2:31:52seen incidents across the country. I

2:31:54wanted to ensure that we were doing the

2:31:55right thing. So, I then started the

2:31:58audit process and we changed the policy

2:32:00on December 15th of 2025.

2:32:03Uh, we had a few mixups there with

2:32:05Lieutenant that wasn't getting the

2:32:07report that I needed to ensure that

2:32:09accountability. Uh, so we I changed

2:32:11positions there. Um, and then we started

2:32:14our audit going backwards. And to your

2:32:16point, as soon as we learned about this

2:32:18on Thursday afternoon, I assure you this

2:32:20this was number one priority for us.

2:32:22within just a few hours uh we had had

2:32:24sufficient evidence to move forward

2:32:25termination.

2:32:27>> Well, thank you for being so prompt and

2:32:29getting us those documents as well and I

2:32:31look forward to seeing what happens as

2:32:33we move forward. I think this this

2:32:35incident like Commissioner Link was

2:32:37pointing out um you know the the the

2:32:42technology that you're all using to try

2:32:45to do your job better is also at the

2:32:49time that we have all this artificial

2:32:50intelligence and everything linking

2:32:52together and our previous um public

2:32:55speaker talking about AI. It really

2:32:58brings us into a new um world that we

2:33:00have to um get ahead of and and you

2:33:03know, a lot scarier than short-term

2:33:06rentals.

2:33:06>> I'm glad you brought that up because as

2:33:08we're looking at our AOPR, it's not just

2:33:11that. We're going to be looking at all

2:33:12of our technologies to ensure that we

2:33:13have the highest level accountability.

2:33:16>> Thank you,

2:33:16>> Chief. Thank you for coming with command

2:33:18staff. I really appreciate it.

2:33:20>> Mayor, [clears throat] I have one one

2:33:21other sorry,

2:33:22>> one other quick item um as well.

2:33:25>> [laughter]

2:33:25>> um that you all you all may recall it's

2:33:28been a couple weeks now. It was a pretty

2:33:30horrific construction um accident um

2:33:33that our um folks responded to. And I

2:33:36just want to acknowledge um the the

2:33:38folks that were involved because it was

2:33:39a um large response um that required

2:33:43some medical work being done in the

2:33:44field. It isn't typically done in the

2:33:46field. And so, um, certainly want to

2:33:48acknowledge our 911 telecommunicators,

2:33:51National EMS, which was on the scene

2:33:53doing things, Pedmont Hospital, which

2:33:55had surgeons and others, um, on the

2:33:57scene as well. But but more

2:33:58specifically, I want to recognize by

2:34:00name um Scott Durand with rescue 4,

2:34:03Jacob Lrod with engine 22, Jacob Wright

2:34:06with engine 22, Chase Crawford with

2:34:08engine 22, Nick Trippy with engine

2:34:11number 22, Julie Fuchcher uh with rescue

2:34:144, Joshua Kerry with who's a battalion

2:34:16chief with battalion one, Zachary

2:34:18Reddish with engine 24, Aaron Clauss

2:34:20with engine 24, Jeremy Wall who's a

2:34:23battalion chief with battalion 2, Drew

2:34:25Peavey uh with engine 24, Don Scasari

2:34:27with engine 24, Brent Irwin with

2:34:30battalion one, and Joshua Allen with

2:34:32medical one. Those were all the folks

2:34:34that were responding to that scene and

2:34:36that were on scene aiding the surgeons

2:34:38um as they did things in the field that

2:34:40they don't normally do outside of

2:34:41surgery rooms um and stuff, but because

2:34:43of that and because of the action of

2:34:45these folks, that person survived um and

2:34:47probably would not have been otherwise.

2:34:48So, certainly want to acknowledge their

2:34:50commitment and the work that they did as

2:34:51well. So, thank you.

2:34:52>> Thanks to all of them. Uh Mr. Auditor,

2:34:56anything tonight? One quick thing,

2:34:57Mayor. Thank you. It's that time of year

2:34:59again where our staff is preparing for

2:35:01the FY28 audit work plan. And so in the

2:35:04coming days, just look for an email from

2:35:06us asking for any topics of

2:35:08consideration for uh next year's audits.

2:35:11Thank you.

2:35:12>> Thank you. Anything, Mr. Attorney? All

2:35:14right. We'll begin with the need to

2:35:16needing to depart uh District 10,

2:35:18Commissioner Hamby, and then we'll move

2:35:19around to Commissioner Davenport.

2:35:21>> Good for the night.

2:35:24Yeah, I'm I'm kind of good for the night

2:35:25and uh you know, special thanks to staff

2:35:27for dealing with a lot of uh really

2:35:29stressful situations this past uh week.

2:35:35>> Uh thank you. I want to thank um staff.

2:35:37I've had multiple town town halls in the

2:35:40last five weeks and um I want to thank

2:35:43Bruce Lani from the planning department

2:35:45who participated in two town halls,

2:35:47Steven Bailey and Kyle Dalton of

2:35:49transportation and public works. And

2:35:52there was a big town hall where more

2:35:54than 80 residents showed up from the

2:35:55village at Jennings Mill. And I want to

2:35:58thank them for caring about their

2:35:59community. And in that town hall, I had

2:36:02guests from Athens Park County that I

2:36:04would like to thank personally. The our

2:36:06DA Cocky Yalaman Chile, our police

2:36:09chief, Jerry Salters, Jack Reic of code

2:36:12enforcement,

2:36:13um Cap Captain Derek Scott, and our

2:36:16county manager. Thank you so much. There

2:36:18is an officer, a female officer that's

2:36:20the most engaged. Her name is Kylie. I

2:36:22don't know her last name, but I wanted

2:36:23to thank her. Keely, excuse me. Um, as

2:36:26well. That's it.

2:36:27>> Thank you.

2:36:29>> Thank you, mayor. Again, thank the staff

2:36:31for your hard work and what you do. Um,

2:36:34I want to acknowledge um unfortunately

2:36:38one of my um former employees passed

2:36:40away um on last night, Bailey Davenport,

2:36:43um who spent um close to 40 years at

2:36:46University of Georgia. And after she

2:36:48made history, she was the first woman

2:36:51and the first African-American woman to

2:36:53um actually lead a department um that

2:36:55she worked for me for over 20ome years

2:36:57that she um passed away. But um just

2:37:00want to acknowledge to her and her

2:37:02family. Um but she was a great woman um

2:37:05great person for this community. Born in

2:37:07Green County, but spent most of her life

2:37:09here in Athens Clark County. but um um

2:37:12somebody who's going to be missed, but

2:37:13she did a lot of great things, not only

2:37:16for UG, but um for this um community. Um

2:37:19also um just for FYI, I am meeting um

2:37:23with my colleagues um oneonone. We

2:37:25started that today and we'll be meeting

2:37:28um with them up until the um our um

2:37:32staff staff retreat, commissioner

2:37:34retreat. So, um, thank you for most of

2:37:36y'all agreeing to meet with me oneonone

2:37:39and, um, get some good information

2:37:41coming out of there. So, want to thank

2:37:42my colleagues for, um, agreeing to meet

2:37:45with me oneonone. Thank y'all.

2:37:47Appreciate it.

2:37:49>> I want to know what department she was

2:37:50in. She's head

2:37:52>> Okay.

2:37:52>> She was head of

2:37:53>> building services.

2:37:54>> Building services.

2:37:55>> Yeah. That was off campus.

2:37:56>> Okay.

2:37:57>> Yeah. Thank you. Um, I want to thank um

2:38:00the manager's office and the staff that

2:38:02dealt with so much in the last couple

2:38:04weeks. The updates were um kind of, you

2:38:09know, there's a lot going on. So, I

2:38:11appreciate the communication of the

2:38:13events, the professionalism that was uh

2:38:16underway in many areas. I don't have

2:38:18names and areas, but I think that we can

2:38:21all imagine how much um went on with

2:38:24that. And um

2:38:27because of that, I just forgot something

2:38:29else that was a little more

2:38:30light-hearted, but so we'll move on.

2:38:33>> Tiffany, your turn.

2:38:35>> Yeah. [clears throat] Um yeah, so I want

2:38:37to send condolences to my family as

2:38:39well. Um Auntie Betty will be missed. Um

2:38:43thank staff. Like I know it's hard

2:38:45dealing with I'm I'm take accountability

2:38:47for myself. Um I know it's hard dealing

2:38:49with me. I ain't even going to hide it.

2:38:51But I appreciate all of the hard work

2:38:53and dedication. We have four more years

2:38:55that we haven't even touched yet. So,

2:38:58just buckle up. Bob, don't turn red.

2:39:00It's going to be fine.

2:39:02[laughter]

2:39:04Um, yeah, that's all that I have.

2:39:08>> Um, yeah, I want to thank staff, too.

2:39:10There's been a lot going on this past

2:39:12couple weeks. Um, I had a question for

2:39:15the chief about the flock system and AI

2:39:18and energy use and I' I'd really like us

2:39:22to investigate like the whole

2:39:24organization as far as, you know, how we

2:39:27use AI and and what those environmental

2:39:29impacts might be. Um, you know, I mean,

2:39:33do we really need to use it for every

2:39:35ugly flyer and slideshow or whatever? Um

2:39:38there there are real environmental

2:39:40impacts and we you know we've spoken

2:39:41loud and clear about our feelings about

2:39:43data centers but we're just perpetuating

2:39:45the issue if if we turn to that

2:39:48technology regularly especially when

2:39:51it's unnecessary. Um so I'm I'm hoping

2:39:54that we can have that conversation as an

2:39:56organization.

2:39:58>> All right. Just just a clarification.

2:40:01[clears throat] if you park in a park

2:40:03mobile parking lot with a camera and if

2:40:06you don't pay if you go to another one

2:40:09that won't let you out. I had I had to

2:40:11find out the hard way. Um

2:40:13>> Um

2:40:15I would like I did not know there was a

2:40:17county baseball team. So different

2:40:19departments get together and they play

2:40:21baseball on Mondays which is pretty

2:40:24cool. So you know um staff thank y'all

2:40:28for that. I think it's a great way for,

2:40:31you know, staff to get together and um

2:40:33it was at Bishop Park yesterday. I was

2:40:35just like, "What the world?" Um, so you

2:40:37gota tell Bruce Lani to aim for that

2:40:40ball cuz he was swinging for that air.

2:40:43But anyway, um, go dogs. Um, we do have

2:40:47a retreat at the end of the month.

2:40:48Hopefully the manager can give us a

2:40:50update on where, when, and all that fun

2:40:53stuff

2:40:53>> on it.

2:40:54>> You'll start getting stuff tomorrow and

2:40:57then shortly after that. We don't know

2:40:59yet where we we've had a couple of uh

2:41:01locations. We're still working on that,

2:41:02but you'll start getting agenda

2:41:03information stuff going next this week

2:41:05and next week

2:41:06>> and that will be in town for everybody.

2:41:08>> Okay. Just for us working folks, I just

2:41:10need to y

2:41:10>> to know the date um that the place.

2:41:12>> It's definitely the 28th and 29th and

2:41:14it'll be

2:41:14>> I got that

2:41:15>> 9 to 4 pretty much both. And we'll be in

2:41:17town.

2:41:18>> Um I did not know we had a new CIO.

2:41:20Thank you for telling remind me of that.

2:41:23>> We don't we don't yet.

2:41:25>> Well um I didn't know the old one left.

2:41:27I didn't We've been hired the hiring

2:41:29already.

2:41:30>> Um and um just want to thank staff and

2:41:32ILA for the ride along with code

2:41:35enforcement. It was really informative.

2:41:37And motion to adjourn.

2:41:39>> All in favor of adjourning, please say

2:41:41I.

2:41:42>> Any opposed? Hearing none. Motion

2:41:45carries. Thanks everyone.

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