2026-09-15 - East Downtown TAD Advisory Committee

00:00wasn't that

00:01>> and I did it late

00:06and was there

00:16>> he has four he has two daughters

00:20we talked

00:21>> he looks good

00:23>> retirement probably

00:25suit and tie on

00:27>> I know he Excuse me.

00:32>> May we come to order, please?

00:35>> This is the East Downtown Tax Allocation

00:39District Advisory Committee regular

00:41meeting. It's September the 15th, 2026.

00:44The time is 10:08.

00:47And um

00:50I would um before we do the approval of

00:54the agenda

00:56um we have a request to amend the agenda

00:59to include Demetrius Jordan. You guys

01:02know he came last month.

01:04>> Right.

01:05>> So if I could uh if if I could uh get

01:09one of you to put that in motion.

01:12>> So move.

01:13>> Second.

01:14>> Okay. So it has been uh moved and

01:18second. All in favor?

01:20>> I. So Demetrius will come in at the end

01:23of the regular agenda. Okay.

01:27Um approval of the minutes and we just

01:31sketch through those for a second. If I

01:35I can get someone

01:39make a motion. Yes.

01:43Second.

01:45>> So the agenda is approved. I'm sorry.

01:48Everybody in favor?

01:51The agenda is approved. Okay. The of our

01:55August 18, 2026

01:57uh meeting.

01:59We don't have any staff reports. Uh no

02:02old or unfinished business. And the new

02:05business is affordable housing section

02:08with Habitat for Humanity and East Ads

02:11Development Corporation visitors.

02:14So Daniel, is there a lineup for that or

02:19>> um I have Habitat was first.

02:24>> Um so Mr. Charles Smith from Habitat is

02:28muted.

02:30My goodness.

02:35Um, so Mr. Charles Smith from Habitat

02:37for Humanity. Uh, I'm probably I'm not

02:40going to do an introduction, so I'll

02:41butcher it and

02:44>> but uh yes, so this committee uh has

02:46four priorities. All the tags have four

02:48priority areas. And based on public

02:50input received a few years ago, this

02:52committee came together and decided to

02:54make affordable housing uh their main

02:56priority. So, we've invited uh

02:59representatives from different facets of

03:01affordable housing here in Athens uh to

03:03bas basically give this committee ideas

03:05about where TAD funds could be applied.

03:08Um if anybody has the agenda, excuse me,

03:11I don't have enough copies, but the

03:12agenda has a current balance of 1.5

03:14million uh in the east downtown TAD. Uh

03:18we do have a split where 70% goes uh to

03:22properties parcels in the TAD uh west of

03:25the Okone River and then 30% uh excuse

03:28me 30% is west 70% is east. Excuse me. I

03:32said that wrong. Um

03:35Habitat for Humanity is knocking it out

03:37of the park with Micah's Creek and then

03:39you have some videos but if you'd uh

03:41please like to tell this committee what

03:43you're up to and and find maybe

03:45collaborative opportunities.

03:46>> Sure. I brought

03:53and then this as well.

03:58That's all of these.

04:04[clears throat]

04:16Most everybody knows that Habitat

04:17Humanity across the country and around

04:20the world frankly built houses but our

04:22affiliate is a bit more innovative and

04:24creative because of the rel frankly

04:26because of leadership of executive

04:28director Spencer Fry. We are considered

04:30one of the more innovative affiliates in

04:32the country. So we got this together. We

04:35do great things. Run through this right

04:37quick um and then we'll talk about

04:40Micah's Creek. So, as mentioned, we've

04:43always and every affiliate does home

04:45ownership. And in 2008 with the

04:50recession coming, Spencer went to the

04:51our board and said, "We need to get into

04:55apartments. We need to have some

04:56residential rentals." So, we bought in

05:00in in East Athens, it's not in the CAD,

05:03but on East Broad, 1645 East Broad, we

05:05bought 16 apartments then. And then

05:07after that we bought duplexes down

05:09Simmons Street again inside the loop

05:11East Athens in East Athens over to

05:14Branch Street and then eventually a

05:16seven home neighborhood off of Bernie

05:19Street. And so each time we've been able

05:21to help solidify the neighborhood with

05:25these residential rentals. We don't

05:27advertise about these because they are

05:29set at 30% of someone's income. And so

05:32we have some people on a social security

05:34check and they pay they have $1,100

05:37social security check off a hundred for

05:39their utility allowance. 30% of $1,000

05:42is is $300. So we have some of our

05:45tenants who spend $300 a month for a

05:48two-bedroom, one bath apartment.

05:50Generally those people don't leave

05:52because there, as you know, there's just

05:54no residential rentals in the area for

05:57that kind of cost. We have some

05:59partnerships that we've created also in

06:01our apartments. Uh other nonprofits,

06:04Lydia's Place is one of them. They do

06:06foster care, excuse me, they help kids

06:07come out of the foster system, um who

06:10end up want to do secondary education.

06:12And so they provide wraparound services

06:14and then we provide them with some

06:15housing. We've done the same for Family

06:17Promise, which is transition housing for

06:20homeless families. We have currently two

06:22bedroom, excuse me, two apartments that

06:24are two-bedroom, one bath on Magnolia

06:26Terrace behind St. Mary's Hospital.

06:28another apartment on say um on Magnolia

06:30Terrace threebedroom and then we

06:32recently redid a house for them

06:34fourbedroom four bath in Bray Street

06:37which is behind the day center it is

06:39three lots over from the family promise

06:41office so they now have four apartments

06:45four units we have two for project safe

06:48we're going to have one for another

06:50nonprofit beginning the 1 of October

06:52currently we have 54 excuse me 53

06:56residential rentals in Athens

06:58And we keep this as I said at 30% of

07:01someone's income because HUD and we'll

07:05hear more about this probably in a

07:06moment. HUD says if you pay more than

07:0830% then you're housing burdened. And so

07:12again we don't advertise this. We don't

07:14have waiting lists for fear that we

07:16would have folks every day applying.

07:19We also do accessibility and repairs as

07:21noticed here and that's money we get

07:23from the county CDBG can grant community

07:27development block grant money that we

07:29get every year we apply and we do four

07:32of what is called breast with kindness

07:34projects and four build excuse me aim

07:38which is um accessibility improvement

07:40modifications many of those assist east

07:44athens homeowners it has to be a

07:46homeowner we can't do anything on

07:47someone else's house unless they own it.

07:51So, we're not going to go to somebody's

07:52house, put a ramp up, and then the owner

07:54come back and say, "I didn't want that

07:55ramp." So, we have to go through title

07:57searches and that kind of stuff. We have

07:59an attorney on that was on staff just

08:01retired. She still does that work for us

08:02on the side. Um, so we'll do four of

08:05those. Brush with Kindness. Those are

08:07small projects, small repair projects,

08:1010 up to $10,000 as of this year from

08:13housing community development. It was

08:145,000, but now they've bumped it to 10.

08:17And so we'll do four of those and that

08:19could be small repairs for homeowners to

08:21help them age in place. Have to be 30%

08:24of area median income and above. Then we

08:27do uh four of accessibility improvement

08:30modifications. Those are either ramps or

08:34more and more now handicap accessibility

08:37into a restroom in their bathroom step

08:39uh zero entry shower. So we will do four

08:43of each of those between now and the end

08:45of June. We're in the process now. Got

08:47the contract from uh housing community

08:50development. We had a process in the

08:52middle of July for three weeks to

08:53receive applications. We got more

08:56applications obviously than we can

08:57serve. And then um we will now now go

09:01through those applications making

09:02visits, home visits. Is this accurate?

09:05Is this the stuff you've listed here?

09:07Verifying all of that. Uh also on the

09:10sheet you'll see fighting homelessness.

09:12I reference those nonprofits from with

09:15whom we partner and then um rehoming

09:18pets and rethinking housing. That's

09:20inconsequential for this discussion.

09:21It's just something else we do. But on

09:23the flip side

09:26on the flip side you'll see as we've got

09:29a lot going. So, Micah's Creek is um you

09:33have before you another asset.

09:40Great to have you.

09:44>> Um Micah's Creek is in East Athens. It

09:48is not in the TAD, but it is in East

09:50Athens. It is corner of Little Oak

09:53Street, Bernie Street, and on the back

09:54side Branch Street. It is diagonally

09:57behind the racetrack gas station kind of

10:00um from our property at the corner of

10:02Little Oak and Bernie

10:04towards the racetrack 13 lots away. Um

10:09those houses were sold that house was

10:12sold for 600,000. You may know these

10:14these white houses right behind the

10:16racetrack diagonal behind the racetrack

10:18near where Alaska's Land Trust did some

10:20home in Dublin recently. But we will be

10:24selling our houses for

10:26$43,640.

10:28That's $399 a month from principal taxes

10:33insurance on top of that. So for a a

10:36nominal mortgage that will last them 30

10:39years and when they pay the mortgage

10:41every month, they pay it off and the

10:44house belongs to the family from then

10:46on. We call that, we're now calling that

10:48compounded affordability

10:51because the people who get our houses

10:53and it's a process. Um why are you

10:56sharing with um folks the the 50 to 80%.

11:00Let me get this out just so everybody's

11:01on the same page. Sometimes um people

11:06talk about what they're doing and

11:08there's an expectation probably if I

11:11don't

11:14>> this is something that um actually that

11:18miss Lawson.

11:22So the houses the folks who get our

11:24houses have a thorough vetting process

11:27have to fit into these

11:31>> I'm just

11:36>> so you can see they're a family of four

11:39um between $50,000 $50 and $80,100

11:44and we built we were building

11:45threebedroom one bath houses in this

11:48spec on this specific parcel we received

11:51American Rescue Plan Act funding from

11:54this county and we used we've used a

11:58good bit of that money already to go

11:59with infrastructure and then five infill

12:03housing houses. Habitat happened to have

12:06some lots on one on North Peter, two on

12:09Booker, one on Branch and then one on

12:12West Carver. Four of those have been

12:15completed. I'll show show video in just

12:18a moment. Um, and now we're turning our

12:20attention again to Micros Creek. We had

12:23money from the governor, American Rescue

12:25Planet funding, and that money was to go

12:27for infrastructure, but also to build 15

12:29houses for Lydia's place. And so,

12:32Daniel, can we go ahead and look at that

12:34video?

12:36It's a specific kind of construction

12:38that we are doing there that is

12:39sustainable.

12:42We've turned the volume

12:50See, it's ICF. It's insulating concrete

12:53forms. And they're like Lego blocks. And

12:55we our crew stacks them up. As you can

12:58see,

13:00you see the top left or in green there's

13:03captions tell about it. Thomas concrete

13:05is sorry.

13:08Um rebar put is put in vertically and

13:11horizontally. We've got actually this is

13:13occurring tomorrow if you want to come

13:15by. the two more houses.

13:19So as this is completed requestering I

13:23mean sequestering the carbon is

13:25environmentally safe keeping stuff out

13:28of the landfill.

13:30But it's a fascinating process.

13:34This vibrating tool like when you put

13:38sand in a mason jar and you shake it to

13:40air bubbles. That's essentially what

13:42that thing does.

13:47It's not really heavy unless you've been

13:48out there all day.

13:51Um, can we go ahead and look at that? Is

13:53that a video too?

13:54>> Yes, sir.

13:55>> I'm talking on this with the subject of

13:57sustainability.

13:59Both of these are relatively short. That

14:01was just over a minute. This one's not

14:03quite two, I think.

14:06This is an infill house on North Peter.

14:10Stick built.

14:15Thank you.

14:17>> Um, and we're trying to solarize the

14:20neighborhood, too.

14:21>> Good.

14:21>> We did receive, excuse me,

14:23congressionally directed spending from

14:25Senators Alsaf from Waro. Significant

14:27portion went to um infrastructure

14:31>> and I'll talk about the longitudinal

14:33study in a moment. This is a

14:35three-bedroom, one bath house, and we

14:38were able to put solar on this through

14:40private donations. There was no grant

14:42money involved in the solar on this

14:44house.

14:44>> Awesome.

14:46>> You know, Community Foundation

14:46[clears throat] has a

14:48>> Yes, ma'am.

14:49>> a grant

14:50>> recent

14:50>> program, right?

14:51>> Yes, ma'am.

14:56>> This was dedication day and the guys

14:58were still working.

15:02>> Yeah. Stained glass. Hey,

15:04>> Miss Helen Mills is a local and she's

15:06doing stained glass for every one of our

15:08houses. Who is

15:10>> Helen Mills?

15:12Oh,

15:13the professor.

15:15>> No, her husband worked for the county in

15:18some capacity. No, no, no. He was a shop

15:20teacher. Seed Cedar Road. Cedar Scholes,

15:22excuse me. That's the kind of houses

15:25that we are we have been building. Um,

15:28so I want to just put that in front of

15:30everybody. But the ICF construction, we

15:33were one of 16 affiliates chosen by the

15:35National Ready Mix Concrete Association

15:38postcoid for this kind of construction.

15:39We built a house out in Stonehenge.

15:42>> Um because no one knows how to build

15:44this around here because no one does

15:47this around here.

15:47>> Hurricane proof.

15:49>> Yes. So the the lady out in Stonehenge,

15:52her homeowner's insurance is only $549 a

15:55year because it doesn't blow over, burn

15:59down, or get eaten by termites. So $50 a

16:02month for her escrow. We service all our

16:04mortgages. So $3.99 for her plus $50 a

16:07month for her escrow for in um insurance

16:11and then the taxes which we have nothing

16:12to do with obviously but her her home

16:16her annual excuse me her monthly

16:17mortgage payment of principal tax and

16:20insurance is less than $600

16:23which is fascinating

16:25>> for a threebedroom one bath house and

16:27she's benefiting from the 60% energy

16:29reduction because these houses once they

16:31get cold they stay cool once they get

16:34warm, they stay warm. It's also like

16:37you're walking into a Yeti cooler.

16:40[laughter]

16:41It's very quiet. Spencer, the story he

16:44tells, he was on a executive director

16:46Spencer Fry was on a job site in Rome to

16:49learn about this construction. He saw a

16:50guy outside on ladder and the ladder

16:53would move, but he never heard the

16:54ladder hit the house. He never heard the

16:57guy outside because these walls in this

16:59neighborhood, the walls are 11 in wide.

17:02So we we are finished stacking blocks

17:04today for houses

17:07uh four and five and those actually

17:09number five those um and tomorrow Thomas

17:12Concrete comes and does the pouring for

17:15two other houses. We've already done

17:17footers for three other houses. So we

17:19will build 15 of these between now and

17:22Halloween. It goes faster.

17:24>> What's the square footage?

17:26>> 6 those little Those little ones are

17:27just 600 square feet

17:29>> with the three bedrooms.

17:30>> No, no, no. The ones we're building

17:32right now are 600 ft²bedroom two bath

17:34for Lydia's place.

17:35>> Okay.

17:36>> The three bedroomedroom one bath house

17:38will be 1,100

17:40and they'll be in phase one we're doing

17:42five of those.

17:43>> This is the families in Micah's Creek.

17:45Sorry. So now we'll go to this document.

17:46Um so we did the as I mentioned we did

17:50the off-site construction.

17:53Four out of the five homes I didn't say

17:54that part. Four out of five homes were

17:56brought up by by truck placed on the

17:59foundations by crane. And we thought

18:01that was going to be the fastest way to

18:02go and it was fast, but it's not

18:06efficient. And it's not this ICF

18:09construction is so much more faster and

18:12frankly more efficient because our guys,

18:14our crew stacks the blocks and then we

18:17have other subs to come in and do the

18:20fra do the framing and all the stuff

18:21that we expect folks to do, electrical,

18:23plumbing and all that. We still have

18:25volunteers. Someone in our home

18:27ownership program, as you probably know,

18:28have to do sweat equity is what we call

18:31it, $500.

18:32>> And so they help build the house they

18:34buy, buy the house, they build,

18:36they uh the ability to pay 50 to 80%.

18:39And so the document

18:41>> that I passed around and we just made

18:44went ahead and made this 50 to 80. And

18:46that's based upon um some conversation

18:49with Miss Lawson and others with Gick.

18:52There's we don't go above 80 but I know

18:54that's going to be something I don't

18:55know if it's mentioned today but anyway

18:57to give you an idea of this is um the

19:01income when someone says AMI that means

19:03nothing to most people certainly meant

19:05nothing before I came to Habitat so I

19:07want to have this in front of you um we

19:10will build 11 tiny homes in this

19:12neighborhood so be as you see on the

19:14document 42 single family homes that's

19:17five on the infill lots 37 in this

19:19neighborhood for families and With that,

19:22if you flip over, you'll see uh the

19:25third paragraph, understanding the link

19:27between housing, education, and

19:28prosperity. The congressionally directed

19:31spending money we received from Senators

19:32Oaf and Waro are doing a longitude

19:35paying for a longitudinal study.

19:37University of Georgia family consumer

19:38sciences has partnered with us and

19:41they're talking to all the homeowners

19:43about lots of things, but primarily

19:46academic improvement. Gaines Elementary

19:49is the is the school zone one of the

19:51lowest performing schools in our

19:53district. Our preliminary data says 90%

19:57of families living in Habitat homes say

19:59their children do remarkably better in

20:01school. It does. I think that could be

20:03said for Laz land trust a development

20:06corporation the stability provided. So,

20:08we're going to do this study with the

20:10families to show that home ownership

20:13really does make a a distinct difference

20:15in academic improvement, solidifying

20:17people's budgets. So, if they're paying

20:1913, 14, $1,500 a month, and now they're

20:23for their just for housing, and then

20:25they're going to be paying um 700 would

20:28probably the high end for now. Taxes

20:30continue to go up. The 700 would be

20:33their mortgage including the escros. And

20:35then they have the savings on the

20:37electrical bill because of 60% more

20:38energy efficient and because if we can

20:42solarize them then potentially then the

20:45homeowner will only have to pay fees to

20:48cause because everything else should be

20:49taken care of. Also tangentally uh you

20:53have property taxes that get paid by the

20:55homeowners which is good for the

20:56community as well as a reduction in

20:59public assistance and that's more at the

21:01state and national level. 70% of Habitat

21:04homeowners say they reduced their need

21:06for public assistance. 50% said they

21:08came off welfare altogether because

21:10their budgets are stabilized.

21:12>> So, we think we've got a great product,

21:14a great option. It's going to keep us

21:15busy for the next couple of years, but

21:18we're already thinking about what can we

21:19do after Micah's Creek. I came on board

21:23in December of 19 as a development

21:25director. I interviewed and I was I got

21:29a call on Friday from Spencer. He said,

21:31"Hey, we're going to hire you. want you

21:32to start on Monday. If you got a minute,

21:34come on by. I got a guy coming over to

21:36the office and we're going to be talking

21:37about something. And that's the day I

21:39met Fred Smith. We talked about a parcel

21:41at 437 Little Oak Street. And then four

21:44year, three years later, we were able to

21:46purchase that piece of property. So,

21:48this is the crown jewel what we've done.

21:51>> Hey, Taylor.

21:53How you buddy? We um we were able to

21:57secure the property. We're making

21:59payments on it now because there's no

22:01grant funding. We convinced the board to

22:03go ahead and say yes and we're servicing

22:05that debt every month utilizing the

22:09money from the mortgages to pay that

22:11down. Do you have any I mean I've talked

22:13t talk t talk t talk t talk t talk t

22:13talk t talk t talk t talk t talk t talk

22:14t talk t talk t talk t talk t talk t

22:14talk t talk t talk t talk t talk t talk

22:14t talk t talk t talk t talk t talk t

22:14talk t talk t talk t talk um and while

22:17currently we don't have any property in

22:20the east Athens or east downtown tad

22:25correctly in east downtown tad we

22:27certainly are hoping to do something

22:29after Michael's creek um we just don't

22:31know what that's going to be yet

22:34thank you for the invitation you

22:36>> thank you for coming I'm exhausted

22:39>> yes ma'am every night

22:41>> you talked about the the housing where

22:43you ship it in. Are you going to be

22:45shifting to this approach?

22:46>> Yes. I'm sorry. Yes, ma'am. Yeah. So,

22:48all the houses in Micros will be ICF and

22:51it will in 63 homes in Microsate

22:55concrete form construction and it will

22:58be the largest residential ICF

23:00neighborhood in the country.

23:03>> Share with me what I would know of

23:05that's around Micas Creek because when

23:07you say racetrack, I think of seven of

23:09them.

23:10>> Yeah, I'm just kidding. Yeah. So, come

23:11past Mama's Boy.

23:12>> Oh, okay.

23:14>> Go to the Dairy Queen.

23:15>> The one on Okoney.

23:16>> No, ma'am. No, ma'am. The one Yeah. On

23:18Okoney Street County. Yeah.

23:20>> Yes. Methodist Church.

23:22>> Yes, ma'am. Come a little farther.

23:23You're going to see Dairy Queen on the

23:25right.

23:25>> Okay.

23:26>> The Cafe Racer on the left. Okay.

23:28>> Take a left there

23:29>> at the racer.

23:30>> Also over the Firefly Trail.

23:32>> Oh,

23:32>> take an immediate right.

23:34>> Lovely.

23:34>> And our third our 11 almost 12 acres is

23:36right on the Firefly Trail.

23:38>> Oh, awesome. We got it just ahead of the

23:41gentrifying developers.

23:44>> Talk about bike pedestrian options for

23:47families. Um,

23:48>> and it'll be able to take hopefully our

23:50some of our Micas Creek homeowners will

23:53be able to work at Mesner because you

23:55can take I've been told you can take the

23:59once it gets all the way out take the

24:01firefly trail to go to work.

24:03>> Awesome.

24:04>> It's the hope. I'm remembering ancient

24:08work that my garden club did on Lydia's

24:09place behind it St. Aries or you know

24:12and you think about these phenomenal

24:14neighborhoods that become villages

24:16>> but without landscaping

24:18>> if we don't plant a tree for five trees

24:21for every individual there gardens is

24:24that in the works

24:25>> yes ma'am so we have to have part of the

24:27it's a plan development to do the tiny

24:29houses because you can't do well excuse

24:31me you can now but before we made the

24:33presentation in 2023 you couldn't do

24:35tiny homes so we have to pay for all the

24:37infrastructure and with that comes a

24:40tree canopy plan and that had to be

24:43approved by the county. But on top of

24:46that, to your point, we have a landscape

24:48architect from OKone who's who said

24:51she's going to give us her services.

24:52>> Fabulous.

24:53>> And so, she's planning that out right

24:54now. We have um two garden clubs who

24:57have come to me saying they want

24:58assistance. The Founders Garden Club and

25:02the

25:04Rosendale.

25:04>> That's us.

25:06>> I mean, I think all of them would be

25:07interested.

25:08>> Yeah. And there was there's um one more

25:10on my desk

25:11>> is one I don't know of other garden

25:13clubs but you think about all the

25:14nurseries why wouldn't everybody every

25:16nursery every club want to adopt

25:20>> yes one

25:21>> these neighborhoods

25:24>> so there right now we're doing erosion

25:26control that's mandatory it's a very

25:30challenging piece of property from the

25:31top of the property down to the creek

25:33it's an 80 foot drop and so that's a

25:36reason it stayed on the mark it so long

25:38because it was so challenging. It was

25:40full of rock. The creek didn't have a

25:42name and so we named it Micah's Creek

25:46for Micah 68 which reads what's required

25:49of you human but to act justly, love

25:51mercy and walk humbly with your God.

25:54>> Awesome.

25:54>> Three different entrances to Micah's

25:56Creek development and all of them will

25:57say, "Welcome to Micah's Creek. Act

25:59justly, love mercy, walk." It's awesome.

26:03>> Thank you for your question. Anybody

26:05else have a question?

26:08Taylor, I'm sorry you got here on this

26:10side of this presentation. [laughter]

26:12That is probably

26:15it later.

26:17>> That's all good. Sorry about being late.

26:19Uh had something come up at

26:23glad I'm here though.

26:28>> You did great.

26:30All right. So,

26:33any more questions? Well, that would

26:37>> where we sign up.

26:39>> Well, and I'm going to on the back of my

26:42business card

26:44that shows where you're not sign up.

26:48[laughter]

26:54>> I have one for you.

26:55>> Yes, ma'am.

26:56>> Uh the homes, the one that's up there.

27:00Yes, ma'am.

27:00>> Are they environmentally friendly? Are

27:02these houses green or

27:05you understand what

27:06>> Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. Absolutely are.

27:08So,

27:10this the concrete that goes inside these

27:13these um blocks, we call them I call

27:15them Lego blocks, pulls the carbon out

27:20and it's the fly ash that is a byproduct

27:23of making electricity that ends up going

27:25to landfills gets put in this stuff. So

27:27it sequesters it and it doesn't get

27:30released and it's 60% more energy

27:32efficient. So they will use a lot less

27:35electricity

27:36and once they as I said once they stay

27:38cool once they get cool excuse me in the

27:40summertime they stay cool.

27:41>> You have to back up for me. Uh, so let's

27:45talk about the carbon and explain to me

27:48what are you saying about that because

27:50it's not

27:52not real clear to me. And I will confess

27:55that I don't know specifically how that

27:59works except that Thomas Concrete has

28:01told us that this is environmentally

28:04friendly concrete and it produces so um

28:09we call it stick built construction

28:10which is what we've always done with

28:12lumber. There's still with stick built

28:14construction, you still are having to

28:16cut down trees and reducing that as well

28:19as the timber market being volatile,

28:22especially with tariffs since most

28:25timber places in Georgia are owned by

28:28Canadians. And so we're going to see

28:31unfortunately a significant rise in

28:33timber prices real soon.

28:38>> You didn't answer my question, but

28:39that's okay.

28:40>> Yeah. And I I wish I could tell you the

28:42science of it.

28:43>> I would love to know the science,

28:45>> but I I would be glad to if I can have

28:47your email address. I would be glad to

28:49have our communications director to send

28:51that to you because he's the one who

28:52knows that.

28:53>> I give my ACC gold.

28:55>> Okay. All right. Thank you for the

28:58question.

29:01I appreciate your presentation,

29:02[clears throat] Mr. Smith. Um

29:06so we'll go into uh East Athens

29:08Development Corporation. Uh, next. Okay.

29:11[clears throat] Uh,

29:13I'm Fred Smith and that's Charles Smith.

29:17But anyway, uh, uh, I brought uh, along

29:22with me uh,

29:24my two um,

29:27I don't know how to describe them except

29:31uh, superb people

29:34who who work along with me. But so I'm

29:37I'm gonna start it out by saying that um

29:41uh at East Athens Development

29:43Corporation, I've been there about six

29:45or seven years and it's like the it's

29:48the front line, right? We're right in

29:51the community. Uh we're right at it be

29:54so we see a lot of people and we were uh

29:57I came there just before the pandemic

30:01and so I got to see uh how difficult

30:05life is although I generally know and I

30:08came from a difficult situation myself

30:11but how difficult it is for these

30:14families day by day and um I I

30:18discovered how high the the rents are. I

30:22discovered uh how high and I was kind of

30:25surprised how rent how high the rents

30:27are even in public housing and and so we

30:31also were dealing with with food issues,

30:34health issues, etc. And um and I'm like

30:38um

30:40then I got a a a good orientation to how

30:45terrible the housing situation

30:48in terms of the crisis, right? I learned

30:52about those uh um

30:55um weekly hotels places where people

30:59are, you know, it's a no man person

31:02place where nobody talks about and and

31:06again uh um

31:10cut it kind of short here. uh the um

31:14offer money became available and we

31:17applied

31:19and uh and so uh Dr. Ilen and I and

31:23others um got to design something that

31:27we thought would be very helpful for

31:30families and of course Charles and I had

31:33talked and Spencer had already talked

31:35about the impact of housing on people

31:38upper mobility and and and

31:42just

31:44it's just hard to um describe what that

31:48means in terms of uh now We even we talk

31:52about the school system. Um that's one

31:55of the struggles that the school systems

31:58the school system has is that families

32:01are moving

32:02>> right all the time, right? And so uh and

32:05so that you know that's that's trauma.

32:07And so we de we designed something that

32:10uh is that is designed to get people out

32:16of poverty [clears throat] because we

32:18feel like that a lot of programs uh

32:21entrapp people in poverty. Uh and so I'm

32:25going to kind of give you an overview of

32:27what we designed. So, uh, we received,

32:31um, a $800,000,

32:34uh, grant or contract through Athens,

32:37Clark County to build a couple houses.

32:41At that time, we only had a couple of

32:43lots so that we could we could only

32:45apply for enough money to build uh, a

32:48couple of housing through some

32:50creatility.

32:52Uh, during that process, we turn uh, uh,

32:55two lots into one, so we got an extra

32:57lot. But anyway, but but uh but again,

33:02so the the main features of of this

33:05program is one uh the three there are

33:08several main features, but one below

33:11market rent, right? Because again, um we

33:16three bedroomedroom modern house um you

33:19know and you talk about how much the

33:22they sell for you know half million

33:24dollar house, right? So we are renting

33:26it for $750

33:29with the idea being that you keep the

33:31rent low enough and you keep the utility

33:34low enough these family can accumulate

33:36some money over time so they they can

33:39come home owners. Okay. So in addition

33:42to that, we we rent it for 750, but we

33:46also set up uh an incentive uh where the

33:50part of that can be rebated back to the

33:53family when they get ready to buy

33:55houses, right? And so each month we

33:59escrow $250

34:02a month into this account. So it's

34:04growing. One family has been there since

34:07uh uh January of this year. So it's

34:10right around $2,200. They're in that

34:12escrow. The other family that they're

34:15there now only been there a couple

34:17months. So it's like $500. But but

34:19that's the way that work. And at the

34:21same time, we uh like I say that the

34:24grant was to start uh was home

34:29construction, but also housing

34:32education. So, we uh were lucky enough

34:35to run across uh Miss Lawson, who is a

34:40certified uh housing counselor in

34:43Athens. And so, we we contracted with

34:47her to to help start that process and we

34:52uh did a couple of uh trainings, one at

34:55at uh Gains, right? And uh so that

34:59that's kind of where we are. And so,

35:01Mrs. Mrs. Um um Miss Lawson, she's

35:06working with those families uh along the

35:09way,

35:09>> right, to they get the literacy training

35:14to to work with them with them just to

35:17prepare them to get them to a point

35:19where eventually they would buy a house.

35:22And then uh uh our goal is to uh support

35:26is to promote self-sufficiency

35:30and to uh to support the family in that

35:35life. Uh uh my slogan is is it sounds so

35:40old but helping people help themselves,

35:43>> right? you you know people got that we

35:47they got to help themselves and then we

35:49help them and and people do want to help

35:51themselves and so uh so that that's our

35:54that's that's the overview and I'm going

35:57to let um Dr. Hilton who is uh who who

36:02worked with me uh so many hours on this

36:05uh day and night

36:08morning and midnight. We met this

36:10morning at one of the houses before 8:00

36:13to do some things. I'm let her uh uh

36:16talk a little bit and then we'll talk

36:18have uh Miss Lawson to talk about the

36:21housing counseling part of this which we

36:23also once after we started the this

36:26program uh we were able to get first

36:29initially a $25,000 grant to start a

36:33housing counseling program and then it

36:37uh the next year it went to 40 and now

36:41this year it's gone to 60 and again I

36:44mean let me say this, you can't run a

36:46housing counselor program over $25,000,

36:51[clears throat]

36:51>> but you you but we can do it because we

36:54got we got the right people who got the

36:56passion

36:57>> and and you know and doing it we're not

36:59you know we're not doing it for the

37:01money although we can all use money and

37:03but so we make it work and so again

37:06we've been very successful with the and

37:09with the local government of course

37:11because it's the program is growing and

37:13we headed towards becoming a certified

37:17she's a certified uh housing counselor

37:20but we are on the way towards becoming a

37:23certified housing counseling agency.

37:26Okay, Dr. Hilton.

37:28>> Thank you.

37:29>> Okay.

37:32>> Okay. Um thanks. And this is actually uh

37:36WKA's uh presentation. So, if you

37:38wouldn't mind [clears throat]

37:41or why don't we let you go first since

37:43yours is up.

37:49>> Oh, either way.

37:51>> You tell me.

37:52>> Yes, go ahead and switch it. Okay.

37:58>> And

38:12One second.

38:16[clears throat]

38:28>> Okay, that's great. Thank you. Okay. Um,

38:32thank you all for allowing me to be here

38:34today and share a little bit with you um

38:37about the work that we're doing at East

38:40Athens Development Corporation. It's the

38:43East Athens Affordable Housing and

38:45Education Program that Mr. Smith so

38:48wonderfully discussed um that we had put

38:52together and there's a couple components

38:54to it. Thank you.

38:58Thank you.

39:05All right. So then I guess I don't need

39:06this one. Okay. Um and again I'm

39:10Christina Hilton and I do the consultant

39:14for East Athens Development Corporation.

39:17So this is one of our lovely houses.

39:20Um okay. So the project at a glance here

39:23we have this affordable housing and

39:25education program which promotes

39:28equitable housing stability and I think

39:31we've already talked about the

39:32importance of housing stability um and

39:36preservation by addressing

39:38gentrification concerns in the East

39:40Athens district specifically 302

39:44um and we do this through financial uh

39:46literacy and housing education classes.

39:49Um this program really strengthens the

39:52um financial stability, supports housing

39:55affordability

39:57and advocates for long-term economic

39:59mobility, upward mobility. Okay. So um

40:04this project was supported through ARPA

40:06funds. Um and out of that we have two

40:09newly constructed homes. Um we received

40:13$800,000

40:14in ARPA funds.

40:16um we have three sustainability um

40:20components to it which I'm going to

40:22share with you and then we have a

40:23fabulous self-determination

40:26uh escrow program.

40:31Okay, so a little bit of background. Um

40:35one is I'm going to have to open this

40:36because I don't even have my glasses

40:37with me, but I can really kind of

40:39[laughter] talk. It's okay. I'm very

40:41familiar with the program also talk off

40:44the cuff with it too.

40:48>> Yeah. So um again we have the funding uh

40:52was federally funded from the American

40:54Rescue Plan Act to ARPA funds.

40:56>> Let me make a comment there.

40:58>> Because they were ARPA funds there was

41:01greater flexibility.

41:04>> If they were HUD funds we never could

41:06have done this. Yes. and ARPA's Treasury

41:11Department treasury. Right.

41:12>> Right.

41:14Okay. So, again, we constructed two

41:16newly um houses uh single family homes

41:21um that would qualify for the 80% AM at

41:2580% AMI or below um with preference to

41:3065% of the AMI.

41:34Uh we have um we're happy to say that

41:37this program is designed to promote this

41:39long-term stability. Um and again, this

41:42directly goes into education and the

41:45importance of uh families being stable

41:48in a home that you know allows people to

41:51feel settled um and can be able to focus

41:55more on their studies and their

41:57education. Give them a sense of

41:59belonging um etc.

42:02>> Stress. Yes. um you know and that really

42:05adds to the well-being of a community,

42:08right?

42:10And then we have a sustainability

42:12feature here where we're looking to help

42:14reduce energy burdensome on houses. So,

42:17both of the homes have, which I'll talk

42:19a little bit about, but both of the

42:21homes have solar panels uh on the south

42:24side of the home, and they also have all

42:28energy efficiency, and even like some of

42:31the shading in the house, the the window

42:33shades are also used for energy

42:35efficiency. Um the house also has um you

42:39know, some really great uh HVAC systems.

42:42Uh insulation, the attic is also

42:45insulated. So again, this is helping to

42:47reduce um energy costs uh for the

42:50tenants who are there. Um and then of

42:53course we have a next part the equity

42:55and self-determination in which we have

42:57an escrow program. Um and um we have a

43:02program that we are calling that was

43:04lovely named by Mr. Smith the pathway to

43:07prosperity. And so through this program

43:11which uh Miss Lawson will discuss

43:13further but just to give you a little

43:15idea is that we um have these

43:19educational programs and classes,

43:21financial literacy classes, uh certified

43:24HUD counseling classes and persons then

43:28who also get one-on-one counseling are

43:30sort of uh channeled into our homes. Um

43:34and then they work with Miss Lawson. um

43:38and on some financial goals and then are

43:40able to hopefully be purchase ready

43:43within, you know, a couple years of

43:45staying there. So, it's sort of like a

43:47transition into home ownership in which

43:49we support them.

43:51>> So, these programs give you an an in to

43:54be

43:55>> That's correct.

43:56>> Shortlisted for housing.

43:58>> Uh well, shortlisted to be a tenant in

44:02in the house. And of course, you know,

44:04we also do not promote this widely

44:07because we would have it's such a great

44:09program and we don't have we only have

44:12two currently and we hope to you know at

44:15least triple that. So um this is what we

44:18are doing and it's wildly successful

44:22um so far. So we work with the folks who

44:26are part who are taking the classes and

44:29then become sort of clients of EADC

44:32um housing education program and then we

44:36uh widen the

44:38>> right to follow.

44:39>> Right.

44:40>> It's awesome.

44:42>> Yes.

44:43Um, and so here we are at the framing of

44:45the house, and these are the two

44:47completed houses at 228 uh uh Fair View

44:51Street and 224 Fair View Street. And

44:53these are finished. And on the south

44:55sides of the homes, we have the on the

44:58back side um the solar panels. Um this

45:02is before the landscaping um in which we

45:05will be putting in edible um you know,

45:08landscaping around here. So, a few fruit

45:12trees, some more native ones like the

45:14mulberries and things like that. So, we

45:16can also address some, you know,

45:20self-sufficiency in terms of uh fruit

45:22bearing trees as well and probably some

45:26um nice pollinating plants that are also

45:28edible like herb garden.

45:31>> Okay. But, you know, substantial trees

45:34that pro that certainly can provide any

45:37of the number of things. I mean,

45:39obviously everything you're describing

45:40matters, but

45:41>> right,

45:42>> uh, you I remember 25 years ago on plane

45:45a friend saying, "I'm so excited to land

45:47here at Hartsfield because apparently

45:49this is the city in the world in the

45:53forest."

45:54>> Yes. and so many

45:58>> uh several of our children who've moved

46:00into the Decatur area over the last 10

46:02years, the Atlanta tree ordinance team

46:05shows up

46:07>> and you know just means it and I love

46:10love the idea certainly edible

46:12>> uh plants and and fruit bearing trees

46:15but oaks

46:16>> right?

46:17>> Yeah.

46:18>> Make it a grove,

46:19>> right? Yeah. All of those are um

46:21wonderful canopy trees, but you know for

46:24our homeowners, we do want to put in

46:25edible trees and also giving the

46:28capacity of the land. You know, an oak

46:30tree is really big, so we don't want to

46:32put it right next to the sidewalk there.

46:34>> But um yes, these are also the edible

46:37trees are also uh edible bearing trees

46:40are also great pollinators as well and

46:42important for you know the local

46:44ecosystem.

46:45>> Absolutely. And beautiful.

46:47>> Great.

46:48So, we have these modern uh floor plans.

46:51Again, we talked about the importance of

46:54the insulation and the way in which the

46:56house is laid out. It's uh three

46:58bedrooms and uh two and a half baths,

47:03right? Um

47:05>> close to 1500 square,

47:08>> right? Little

47:10>> Yes.

47:11Um, and then again, here's the quality

47:14construction that we uh collaboratively

47:17designed. Uh, the solar roofing, the

47:19picture didn't quite get on here, but

47:21over here we also have like uh, you

47:24know, some of the latest technology. We

47:26have the Tesla inverters. Um, and so

47:29those are really very efficient. We'll

47:32also be hooking up some batteries as

47:34well. Um so that um you know working

47:38families are able to benefit from it in

47:40the evening as well.

47:42>> Um again energy code compliance uh a lot

47:46of that is working with our HVAC system,

47:49the windows, you know, having weathering

47:52strips. Um again the shading, the

47:55insulation, foam insulation in the in

47:57the attic. Um all of that is, you know,

48:00great. We also have uh water efficiency

48:03appliances in the bathrooms, in the

48:05toilets uh in and in the faucets as

48:08well.

48:10Um and then over here, sorry, we have

48:13right our design for nature again.

48:16That's going to be what we are still

48:18continuing to close this.

48:20>> Okay. Uh we are continuing to um work on

48:25now is that edible landscaping.

48:28>> Okay. And then just a little bit about

48:30the solar energy. Again, you know, it's

48:33really important in terms of

48:35affordability with our um energy crisis

48:39that we're all facing, you know,

48:41globally. Um, you know, our goal is to

48:45eventually once we have those batteries

48:47to get the light bill, the power bill

48:50under $100 a month. Um, ultimately it

48:53would be amazing if we could build out a

48:55system with a net zero, right?

48:59Okay. And I'm going to cut it short

49:01right there. Um, and save some time for

49:04Miss Lawson here. But that is what we

49:07have in terms of our project.

49:09Um, and we look forward to doing some

49:13more.

49:16>> It's exciting.

49:37why they're doing that. So we we

49:39somewhat blended both programs, the

49:42housing counseling uh because we talk

49:45about the two families coming through

49:48the housing counseling program. But uh

49:51in addition to that, now we are

49:53preparing others in the community uh for

49:56home ownership uh and just having the

49:59faith and hope that uh uh the homes

50:04[clears throat] will be available,

50:05right? We just got It's gonna happen,

50:09>> but they will be prepared.

50:10>> Home will be the easy part,

50:12>> right?

50:14>> Okay. Good morning everybody.

50:16>> Hi, my name is Lawson and I'm just here

50:20to talk about the Pathway to Prosperity

50:22program, which is one of EABC's newest

50:24initiatives. Um, and so what do we do?

50:27We are really just assisting lowealth

50:29Clark County residents. um trying to get

50:31them financially stable, putting them on

50:33a path to financial stability, growth.

50:36So, we want them to do things like

50:37accumulate savings, work towards home

50:39ownership, managing debt, things like

50:41that. And so, how do we do that? Really,

50:43three things mostly. Uh home buyer

50:45education. So, we do offer the eight

50:47hour uh HUD certified course. And the

50:50home buyer education piece is really

50:53just an overview of what the home buyer

50:56process is like. How do you work with

50:57real estate agents and and mortgage

50:59companies? what does the closing process

51:01look like? Let's talk about credit and

51:02budgeting. So, it's an overall thing.

51:04What really makes a lot of difference is

51:06that one-on-one housing counseling

51:08because just the course by itself

51:09doesn't necessarily get people across

51:10the finish line. And so, we meet with

51:12people oneonone. We take a look at their

51:14situation. So, how do we get you from

51:16where you are right now to get you

51:18purchase ready? So, we're looking at

51:19your budget, what's going on with your

51:22savings, what's going on with your

51:23credit, all the things that need to be

51:25in place so that you can buy a home. And

51:26that's what we do on the one-on-one

51:28housing counseling sessions. Uh we also

51:30offer financial literacy courses. So

51:32just individual courses um sometimes on

51:35credit, on budgeting, on banking. We do

51:37foreclosure prevention. Uh we're going

51:39to be doing ones soon with the residents

51:40of Columbia Brookside talking about

51:42healthcare financing. People a lot of

51:44times once you get into that Medicare um

51:47time of year when they have to figure

51:49out what to choose and things like that.

51:51So we'll talk about some of that.

51:52Tenant, landlord, disuse. Uh so we just

51:54have a lot of different classes that we

51:56offer and those are smaller um one-hour

52:00courses really. So what is the goal is

52:03really creating a pipeline for future

52:05opportunities. So sometimes a lot of

52:07places you uh they're building homes. So

52:10like Habitat is building homes, Land

52:12Trust is building homes, uh private

52:14developers or they're they're coming up

52:16with programs. But the thing is

52:18sometimes you can get to the end of that

52:19process and not have the people ready to

52:22purchase. And so we want to create the

52:24pipeline so that as people have program

52:27people are ready to purchase. And so

52:29that has been um that has been kind of a

52:31problem sometimes with some of our

52:33programs that you created them and then

52:35you find out wait who's who can qualify

52:39and so we want already that pipeline

52:40created so that people can just walk

52:42through the doors.

52:45>> So where are we headed? So, we're

52:47heading to agency certification

52:49um and uh we're doing a lot of that um

52:53actually this month and so hopefully by

52:56the end of the year EADC will be a

52:58HUDcertified housing counseling agency.

53:01Um, home buyers club. One of the things

53:04we need to do is take it bit by bit with

53:07people. And so what we really try to

53:08come up with is home buyers club that

53:10allows people to meet like have a

53:12cohort. It all comes on together and we

53:15meet just maybe one hour a month and we

53:17talk about a specific topic. And so then

53:19the next one we do another topic. Maybe

53:21we get some field trips in there and

53:22stuff. And so what we're doing in club

53:25two is encouraging um savings. And so

53:29ask for part of home buyers club. We

53:31need you to start saving. Try to get

53:33some matching funds from uh for you the

53:36IDAS. Um and people haven't talked about

53:38that a lot. Um and these used to be very

53:41popular back then the individual

53:43development accounts where you match the

53:44funds that people are saving. And so

53:46doing something like that um on some

53:49scale. One of the things that well we're

53:52really looking for funding for now is a

53:54counselor training program. So one of

53:57the things that's happened in happening

53:59in this area um so northeast Georgia is

54:02composed of 12 counties um that's the

54:05county surround us uh Madison Barrow

54:08Elward Jackson um all the counties pony

54:12a lot of the counties around us one of

54:14the things that's happened that when

54:15people can't find things in their county

54:18Athens Clark County is really the hub so

54:20they come into Athens for services and

54:22what a lot of people don't know there

54:24currently only 200 HUD HUD certified

54:26counseling agencies in all of Northeast

54:29Georgia and both of those are in Athens.

54:32And so if somebody's looking for a HUD

54:34uh certified counselor, um

54:38the only two agencies that exist in

54:40Northeast Georgia are Athens Land Trust

54:43and Hancock Community Development. Uh so

54:46you don't have a lot of

54:49certified um counselors either. And so

54:53probably in all of northeast Georgia, we

54:54only have about three or four of us. And

54:57so one of the problems is there's a high

54:59demand, but there are not enough people

55:01to actually do the work. And so one of

55:03the things we really want to do is to

55:05create a council training program uh

55:07where I would train um people to become

55:10counselors. And so a lot of times what

55:13happens is people try to get the HUD

55:15certification which is just content

55:17which knowing certain thing get your HUD

55:19certification but they would not know

55:21what to do the second they got in front

55:23of somebody in a counseling situation.

55:25So actually having a training program

55:27that gets you certified but that also

55:29provides you practicum so that you

55:30actually learn how to become a

55:31counselor. So that's that's something we

55:34kind of trying to put on the forefront

55:36looking for funding for right now.

55:40Um, and so what is our vision? It's just

55:42to create healthy communities. And we're

55:44doing that by alleviating wealth

55:46disparities, creating home owners,

55:49advocating for policies that build

55:50assets. And so what we're trying to do

55:52is help borrowers access mainstream

55:55financial services. And that's big

55:57because what we find out with a lot of

55:59our clients is they are not doing what

56:01we call normal things, which is just

56:03having a regular bank account. um

56:05borrowing from a credit union or a bank.

56:09They're doing a lot of payday loans and

56:11purchasing stuff on buy here pay lots of

56:14stuff that's not even on their credit

56:15file. So, they're doing things uh on

56:18credit, but it's an invisible credit

56:20that's not helping them. And so, we're

56:22helping them a lot of little indicators.

56:24We're helping them um get second chance

56:26banking that they've had problem before.

56:27Let's get access to credit cards. Let's

56:29build your uh your credit score. And

56:32then creating quality loan applications.

56:34That's um I find that a lot of people

56:36and I've seen this year after year,

56:38they're not good with paperwork and so a

56:40lot of times they're being denied doing

56:41things because they don't have to fill

56:43out an application. Um and so that's

56:45some of the things we're working on with

56:47people and we wanted to create um an

56:49economically empowered financial

56:51literate community. So it's not that I

56:53just want to know things and tell you

56:55stuff. I want to teach you things so

56:56that you don't necessarily have to come

56:57back to me every time. I want you to

56:59learn how to learn, you know, and so

57:02doing things that do that, providing the

57:03tools nec necessary so you can manage

57:06your own finances um so that you can

57:08become homeowners. We want to create

57:10resources and opportunities for people.

57:12So going back to the uh days of

57:14individual development accounts where

57:16we're matching funds, so we're

57:17encouraging you to save. We're having

57:19these home buyer clubs and these

57:21different programs and exploring other

57:23options. And then for our renters uh and

57:27our buyers really furthering that idea

57:29of fair housing um letting the tenency

57:32be informed. What are your rights? What

57:33are the rules? Things like that. And so

57:38just educating people in general

57:41and so that is pretty much how our

57:43program is structured. Any questions?

57:48>> Do you work with uh the university the

57:50family and consumer sciences? We have um

57:54we we're trying to develop a stronger

57:57relationship with them, but we do have

58:00some um relationship with them now. Um

58:04um they have some type of center that

58:08they opened last year and we went to the

58:11open house. So that's a resource that we

58:14are going to tap into more so that we

58:16can do more of these classes more.

58:18Aspire. I'm thinking about the program

58:21Aspire. Um and there's a lady actually

58:24strangely I met yesterday for the first

58:26time professor Ammerita from family and

58:28consumer sciences who teach Esther

58:31Maddox okay

58:32>> is the name um and teaches a 10week

58:37class that the lady who owns Sally Pat

58:40Williams if that name sounds owns a fan

58:43Athena property management

58:46is a lady I'd love for

58:48>> well yeah that's a great untapped

58:50resource

58:50>> you all uh to me. I I mentioned Sally

58:54Pat Bruce Williams was her former

58:56husband who died a number of years.

58:58Athena property management number of

59:00years. Um but apparently this 10-week

59:04class

59:06um

59:08a colleague of mine took and said and

59:11she owns Athena Property Man said it was

59:15so enlightening.

59:17[clears throat] Um but it's this

59:18financial literacy just empowering

59:21just break that cycle

59:24>> because um usually when um Miss Lawson

59:28does a class and I do my little spiel uh

59:32I understand that a lot of them don't

59:35even believe that they can be homeowners

59:39>> and u and in this society

59:42uh that it's just not the lowwealth

59:45people who think like that but But it's

59:47it's it's a general feeling, right? So I

59:50tell them that and 47 years ago I bought

59:55my first house, right? And it was

59:58$30,000.

59:59[clears throat]

1:00:00>> And I guess that's a used car today,

1:00:02right? And that sound like, oh man, but

1:00:07but 47 years ago, $30,000 was a lot of

1:00:11money. And so I say that's probably like

1:00:15$300,000 today. So don't don't fall for

1:00:18that. People uh people are buying houses

1:00:21all the day, all the time. So that thing

1:00:24I want them to understand that it's

1:00:26possible. You got to believe first,

1:00:28>> right?

1:00:30>> But you know another thing uh the

1:00:32experiential credit that is required of

1:00:34all graduates of the University of

1:00:36Georgia. I mean the family consumer

1:00:38sciences college is outstanding as I

1:00:40understand it. And what a partner here.

1:00:43And if their students could be trained

1:00:48in this counseling world, what what an

1:00:51opportunity

1:00:52>> some of them have and from some family

1:00:55and consumer sciences uh have

1:00:57volunteered with us in the past.

1:00:59>> Yes.

1:01:00>> Students. So again, we need to just

1:01:02develop that relationship more. Uh we

1:01:05have a a a great working relationship

1:01:08with the uh school of social work as

1:01:11well.

1:01:11>> Yes.

1:01:12>> Uh and that's been ever since I've been

1:01:14there, but the the the one with family

1:01:18and consumer sciences emerging. So we're

1:01:21getting there.

1:01:22>> You know, you neglected to mention the

1:01:24third Smith in the room and that's Smith

1:01:26Wilson,

1:01:26>> right? And we have a a friend at um our

1:01:30church, First Presbyterian, who is the

1:01:33founding director of the office of

1:01:35service learning.

1:01:36>> Okay.

1:01:36>> And in uh Wilder Brooks

1:01:40>> and I'm thinking, boy, she would love to

1:01:42meet with you all and look at partnering

1:01:45with that college and those students and

1:01:48those experience. You can't graduate

1:01:50without your experiential credit just

1:01:52like your environmental credit.

1:01:54>> Thanks to Odum.

1:01:58That sounds so exciting though.

1:02:01[clears throat]

1:02:01>> All right. I know we kind of probably

1:02:03short on time. So

1:02:07>> I'm not going to say anything else.

1:02:09Appreciate that sightful

1:02:12presentation.

1:02:17So now we'll go into Mr. Jordan

1:02:22follow. I'll try to be uh brief here. Um

1:02:26when we last met we said that um we

1:02:29talked a little bit about uh obviously

1:02:31some of the work that Athens Land Trust

1:02:32is doing and has done. I think one of

1:02:36the things that um is worth noting here

1:02:38today

1:02:40um for this Athens Clark County

1:02:42community, I mean it really is a

1:02:46blessing of the organizations that we

1:02:50have who so focused on the issues of

1:02:53affordability. Um and that is uh it's

1:02:57not in every community. uh folks are

1:03:00passionate about how it should be done

1:03:02sometimes but but folks really care

1:03:04about it and so so one I just wanted to

1:03:06highlight having just hearing the

1:03:08presentations just reminded of that. But

1:03:11when we were here last we talked a

1:03:13little bit about um uh that we would go

1:03:17out and that we would sort of learn more

1:03:20about the TAD um the east downtown the

1:03:24community what was going on. uh we

1:03:27wanted more information [clears throat]

1:03:29um to see how in fact even collectively

1:03:33we could think about um some

1:03:35opportunities in um in the district. And

1:03:40so um so we came back with a couple

1:03:42things. So I wanted to share this. I'll

1:03:44pass this uh around um and sort of walk

1:03:48through it. I think it'll be helpful.

1:03:50And I

1:03:52can't believe I actually printed enough

1:03:54copies. I think I did. So if I if I miss

1:03:58someone then um

1:04:02actually it might even be more here than

1:04:04I anticipated.

1:04:07Um

1:04:10so let's see if in fact um

1:04:15we can get um yes.

1:04:20>> [clears throat and cough]

1:04:21>> So um so one we we we drove around the

1:04:25neighborhood um and we began to look at

1:04:28various properties and and parcels and

1:04:31um and then we did a little bit more

1:04:33investigation. So um there are certainly

1:04:37as you know certainly several properties

1:04:40uh available

1:04:42um and like a lot of things we know that

1:04:45land

1:04:47is uh is a very limited and finite

1:04:51resource. I mean this is what our

1:04:52conversations are often time about. And

1:04:55so uh the idea that again there's there

1:04:59is a sense of urgency and that there are

1:05:01properties available and the private

1:05:04sector the market is certainly um um hot

1:05:08on the trail. I mean folks are looking

1:05:10at it just like we are. We we are we are

1:05:12all scrapping for opportunities to

1:05:15provide more affordable housing. And so,

1:05:18so this is sort of a again just kind of

1:05:21a proposed framework um uh for some of

1:05:25those properties. There were uh two

1:05:27specifically that are listed that were

1:05:30identified. Um there's the 524 Vine

1:05:34Street. So, if anyone is curious, it's

1:05:37referred to as

1:05:38>> the Phoenix,

1:05:40right?

1:05:41>> Yes.

1:05:42>> I heard a rumor. I don't know whether

1:05:44it's true or not. Yes. Yes, but someone

1:05:45told me over the weekend that the

1:05:47university had purchased their

1:05:48properties.

1:05:49>> Um, so let me just tell you how

1:05:52providential this moment is. Um, the

1:05:55reason why the only reason why I know I

1:05:57I'm not aware of that, but even the

1:06:00listing agent

1:06:03whose name was familiar to me and I

1:06:05found it in my personal phone number and

1:06:08I reached out to him. Um, it has not

1:06:11been purchased um, as I understand it.

1:06:14Uh but when he texted me back and said,

1:06:17"Of course I remember you. In 2011,

1:06:20your son prayed for my son who was going

1:06:23through health issues."

1:06:25>> Oh wow.

1:06:25>> And I just wanted to tell you how much

1:06:27that meant to me. And I just couldn't

1:06:29believe that. So literally just reaching

1:06:31out to find out about this property and

1:06:33I say this is maybe

1:06:36we'll we'll see.

1:06:37>> That's a link.

1:06:38>> That is a link. Um, and so that area,

1:06:41that space

1:06:43really can capture the identity of the

1:06:48East Athens community. It has that

1:06:51opportunity and that maybe it's it has a

1:06:55different name than the fence, but

1:06:57something that is again very aspiring

1:06:59and moving forward. So anyway, so that's

1:07:02524. It's got the uh it's an active

1:07:04listing, 28 units. Uh we've had some

1:07:08some again very preliminary

1:07:10conversations concept uh and and again

1:07:15providing affordable ownership and

1:07:17perhaps even rental in that space. It's

1:07:19a lot more space than folks realize.

1:07:21It's an acre and a half essentially. And

1:07:24then there's 130 uh McKenley Drive um

1:07:27which is also an active listing which is

1:07:29one that again

1:07:32we'd love to evaluate it and give it

1:07:34some more thought around. uh perhaps um

1:07:38an acquisition that that puts it in

1:07:40permanent um affordability. And then

1:07:43there are some additional offmarket uh

1:07:45properties that we would certainly we

1:07:48can look at as time moves on, but for

1:07:51right now uh we wanted to to really be

1:07:54mindful of our focus. So what's most

1:07:58important um is is really its community

1:08:02partnership. I mean the community

1:08:04partnership is most important and this

1:08:08has to be a communityled

1:08:10and driven opportunity. So you see here

1:08:14sort of how partnerships could possibly

1:08:16work um again on the land stewardship

1:08:19the affordability our you know community

1:08:22land trust u expertise and model there

1:08:26uh you know what Fred and Mr. Smith and

1:08:30and the and EADC doing in the community

1:08:33is absolutely key and and important

1:08:36relevant to this. And so uh uh having

1:08:40that potential partnership would be

1:08:42great. And then other partners in the

1:08:44area, development partners

1:08:46uh ACC gov and TAD and so on that TAD

1:08:51could possibly provide catalytic again

1:08:53pre-development and potential

1:08:55acquisition support. So,

1:08:58so even with these opportunities here,

1:09:01so our you know again ask of the

1:09:03committee would be to simply endorse

1:09:07development of community informed

1:09:10acquisition and preservation plan. And

1:09:12that simply means

1:09:14support is going out and getting more

1:09:16information, talking to a community,

1:09:17hearing what folks want, uh what folks

1:09:19are desiring for their community. um

1:09:22support from uh again staff um for work

1:09:26with uh EADC and so on to look further

1:09:30into um the Bond Street and and Finley

1:09:34uh properties

1:09:36and then develop a pre-development

1:09:39funding proposal for I mean

1:09:41[snorts and clears throat] of up to

1:09:42$100,000 again for approval and so on

1:09:46that is to simply build out the plan to

1:09:49move forward and then the last here.

1:09:52I'll just I'll just say before just

1:09:54again pausing for any questions. Uh just

1:09:56just going back to the urgency, you

1:09:58know, the the the time as it is right

1:10:01now. Uh just as Willlet just mentioned,

1:10:05you know, hearing that it was already

1:10:07sold. Well, I'm saying I didn't hear

1:10:10that as of this as of this morning when

1:10:14I received all the information, but it

1:10:17could be. I mean, it could have

1:10:18happened. I mean, these things happen

1:10:20all the [clears throat] time. Um and so

1:10:23um so we want to know that we are active

1:10:25and engaged in that. Um and then

1:10:28certainly the trust. I mean that's

1:10:29that's the thing you know when engaging

1:10:31community uh community has got to be the

1:10:34voice that actually says and determine

1:10:36what it is that it wants who it wants to

1:10:39be its own identity. And so we just have

1:10:42the privilege of of serving um that um

1:10:46that voice. And so,

1:10:49[clears throat] so with that said, um

1:10:51you know, of course certainly our work

1:10:53um in Dublin, we uh the five houses we

1:10:56recently completed. We've got some

1:10:57additional homes over there in that

1:10:59area. Uh we've been in the East Athens

1:11:02uh community for some time. Uh while

1:11:05it's, you know, a bit further away, but

1:11:07certainly we've got the five new homes

1:11:09on Hawthorne that are that are um that

1:11:12are just about complete. And so um but

1:11:16also just again the desire to partner

1:11:19and engage with other organizations uh

1:11:22who are doing this amazing work as well

1:11:24is really important. So, so I just

1:11:27finish here with the idea again first

1:11:2890-day deliverables uh would be again

1:11:31due diligence on on grime uh and uh

1:11:37affordability again sort of analysis how

1:11:39we can make that work for McKenley

1:11:42u and then developing comm community

1:11:45engagement plan u for um again for these

1:11:50u uh for in the TAD area with these

1:11:54particular particular properties uh

1:11:56moving forward. So with that said, it's

1:12:00a lot in a very small amount of time. Um

1:12:04I have enjoyed getting out and spending

1:12:06more time and and learning more about

1:12:08the answers. I've got more conversations

1:12:10this afternoon with the folks from

1:12:11community, but I just wanted to pause

1:12:13there and just see what questions you

1:12:16might have and is this insane? Are we

1:12:18going in a totally wrong direction? But

1:12:21I also remember you wanted us to come

1:12:23back with something and here we are.

1:12:28>> Yes.

1:12:31>> I love love love the idea of find out

1:12:34what the community wants.

1:12:36>> Yes.

1:12:36>> Because for so many years, the last 60

1:12:38or 70 years, no one wants to know what

1:12:41the community wants. They just want to

1:12:43come and put something on us and that's

1:12:45not what we need. I pray and I hope that

1:12:48we have passed that phase of

1:12:50communication where the community is

1:12:53uninvolved

1:12:54>> and you work up a plan and then you give

1:12:57us this plan and you look at us crazy

1:13:00and we don't like the plan. So, I pray

1:13:03that we're at the stage now where we

1:13:05absolutely have to get the community

1:13:08involved or at least the community

1:13:10leaders

1:13:11>> because they do have organizations in

1:13:13that community that represent the

1:13:16community. You know, we're not talking

1:13:18about, you know, hauling in everybody

1:13:20from the community,

1:13:21>> but and and some of these organizations

1:13:23meet regularly with the community, so

1:13:26they have a pretty good idea of what

1:13:27people need and want.

1:13:29>> That's great. Thank you. Yes. um from

1:13:32the beginning, right? That's the idea.

1:13:34We want to start at the very beginning.

1:13:39>> Well, this sounds, you know, obviously,

1:13:43um

1:13:45this has been one of the golden hours of

1:13:47all of our years here. This is precisely

1:13:49what we envision Ted would be all about.

1:13:52>> Daniel's ready to write the check.

1:13:55[laughter]

1:13:56>> Yeah, he's been itching that pen. He's

1:13:58been practicing his signature for so

1:13:59long. Um and obviously AADC all of the

1:14:03parties to the table now do you see

1:14:05Habitat involved at all in this

1:14:09initiative or is this even at the

1:14:11consulting level is one one comment just

1:14:14because I'm across the table from both

1:14:16of you but the other is if in fact UG if

1:14:19Jerry Moore had just just bought that

1:14:21parcel

1:14:23would the $100,000 go to moving beyond

1:14:27the next level of you know the Third

1:14:30category after McKinley was additional

1:14:33privately held potential tab. So, as you

1:14:37as you leave here today and determine

1:14:39that, oh, wow, there's a there's a a

1:14:41contract on it. You know, it'll be it's

1:14:43a 90day pending certain contingencies

1:14:46that I would I would ask as a member of

1:14:48the TAD committee that you move forward

1:14:51with full earnest on the next best

1:14:55>> possibilities moving down the inventory.

1:14:58the the vine as I looked at it on my GPS

1:15:01looks very interesting,

1:15:03>> you know, and I we we've been thinking

1:15:05about our metro markets and you know, it

1:15:08looks like it might have the potential

1:15:10to be really a hub u border by fence

1:15:15kind of thing. But that would be the

1:15:16that would be my only caution there. um

1:15:19in addition to EADC

1:15:22and this and the staff um it it may be

1:15:26impractical or you know unrelated or

1:15:31to look at habitat but we have just been

1:15:33listening to what a brother you two are

1:15:36you three are in that regard so that's

1:15:39my

1:15:39>> yeah so so

1:15:40>> we're all on the same table

1:15:41>> I was going to say the short answer is

1:15:43yes I mean we we are I mean that is the

1:15:47uh Even as amazing as all of us are

1:15:51together, even the need sort of outpaces

1:15:55absolutely our individual capacities to

1:15:58to address and meet those needs. So the

1:16:00the short answer is yes. and and so and

1:16:03we even say it's it's really all part

1:16:06anyone who is concerned about

1:16:09affordability

1:16:10in in in east downtown Tad district in

1:16:15particular and then Athens Clark County

1:16:18in general. So the answer is yes. uh as

1:16:22well as you know housing authority. I

1:16:23mean there are multiple folks who have

1:16:25been engaged in the area for a number of

1:16:27years and it it behooves us to act to

1:16:31engage right as many folks as we can.

1:16:34Now, as it as it relates to planning,

1:16:36this is designed actually this is the

1:16:39idea in mind is looking at all of the

1:16:42TAD opportunities. As I mentioned, there

1:16:44are an additional six really actually

1:16:47and and possibly more of a six u uh

1:16:52off-market um properties as well.

1:16:55>> Okay,

1:16:55>> that would have to be in in

1:16:57consideration, but but I have again

1:16:59reference to, you know, the private

1:17:01owners and so on. We just didn't want to

1:17:03sort of mention those just now sort of

1:17:06name them publicly. But but that said uh

1:17:10yes um because that's you know those

1:17:13properties are still there. Um we don't

1:17:16know how long they'll be there. Um if uh

1:17:20President Morehead has already

1:17:23found a way to um it would be strange

1:17:27for one but u

1:17:34interesting

1:17:36and so but um um but I I do want to

1:17:42highlight the the the

1:17:45sense of urgency and that

1:17:48prudent, transparent urgency, but again,

1:17:52not foolish rush urgency, if that makes

1:17:55sense.

1:17:56>> Right.

1:17:57>> And feeling like you could you could

1:18:00determine the entire inventory of

1:18:03potential projects that can be done

1:18:05within the confines.

1:18:06>> I believe so. I believe so. is asked.

1:18:09>> Yes.

1:18:14And it's kind of um in line with some of

1:18:18the conversation that uh the EADC

1:18:22housing committee uh members are having,

1:18:26not so much with focus on on that

1:18:30particular property, but those second

1:18:32two areas of actively looking in the

1:18:35community to see what's being listed and

1:18:37looking at for things that are not

1:18:39listed. So we are building to think

1:18:42about that as well. So, uh, I I commend

1:18:46you for bringing it put it on the table,

1:18:50>> Daniel. And this is this is a way that

1:18:53we can legitimately spend our funds. I

1:18:55know you spoke of the Newton Bridge

1:18:57um, monies that were spent to do a

1:19:01study,

1:19:03>> I think. So I I think um I would want to

1:19:06clarify that. So

1:19:09guys clarify your questions and and

1:19:12I think this is reasonable within the

1:19:15scope of the law.

1:19:16>> Okay.

1:19:18>> Anything else before I make a motion?

1:19:25>> I would proudly make a motion that we

1:19:26proceeded with this gentleman's meeting

1:19:29you twice now and I want to give you

1:19:30$100,000 after an hour and a half. Be

1:19:33careful. [laughter]

1:19:42>> We make a motion that we proceed with

1:19:44this study. There are 10.

1:19:49>> So we have a motion on the

1:19:55>> So we got So we got a motion on the

1:19:56floor.

1:19:57>> I do. Absolutely.

1:19:59um

1:20:01proceed with a study for

1:20:05average land trust up to 100,000. Is

1:20:08that what you're saying?

1:20:09>> Yes.

1:20:11>> I want to digest that. I'm sorry. I will

1:20:13not be voting for that. I want to digest

1:20:15that.

1:20:16>> Okay.

1:20:16>> Because I need to speak to the people

1:20:18that's in my community.

1:20:20>> Fabulous.

1:20:22Um, if if I may, as bit of just making a

1:20:25motion to

1:20:27release funds, that's [laughter]

1:20:31maybe a motion to draft the memo on

1:20:34behalf of the committee. You know, you

1:20:36come back and vote on on the approval of

1:20:38the memo that suggests

1:20:42recommending to the mayor committing to

1:20:44make a motion. Um, well, what fine have

1:20:47a second? I don't have a second. I do

1:20:49actually have to go to internet rank and

1:20:51zoom 15 minutes, but um how urgent, in

1:20:57other words, we meet once a month, but

1:20:58we can certainly meet on a dime by Zoom

1:21:02if we need to. How urgent are you seeing

1:21:06the need for these funds?

1:21:08Well, again I so the urgency uh really

1:21:13becomes the will of the committee, but

1:21:16um again as you will probably hear that

1:21:19there will be interest in the property,

1:21:22for example, you're going to hear folks

1:21:25who will want to put a contract on it,

1:21:27folks will want to lock it up if they

1:21:28can. And so um so that's why we're we're

1:21:32at least having conversations. I don't

1:21:34know that uh um I don't again I would

1:21:39say I don't know that the funds

1:21:42uh they are important. I don't know that

1:21:44they are as urgent right this second. Um

1:21:47I think I think taking the time to

1:21:50digest it um between now and the next

1:21:54meeting should be I think should

1:21:56[clears throat] be fine. But you know

1:21:57again I like to sort of respond to that.

1:22:01I I want to provide something a little

1:22:02more. I want to go ahead and second per

1:22:07because I do understand that it's little

1:22:10it's a complex process anyway but to uh

1:22:14to kind of keep it moving uh I would

1:22:18second motion that we

1:22:22advocate or or start the process however

1:22:26want to word

1:22:28advocating alloc allocating um the

1:22:31funding to start this study.

1:22:34And like I say, I understand that

1:22:36Daniel, there's a complex process there

1:22:39with me and this back and but again uh I

1:22:44think this this may help

1:22:47u move it forward a little quicker by

1:22:50having

1:22:51a motion and maybe hopefully u the votes

1:22:56to move it forward. And I might add that

1:22:59this says a development predevelopment

1:23:02funding proposal of up to 100,000

1:23:05subject to approve scope

1:23:07>> right

1:23:08>> which in budget

1:23:09>> that give us time plan

1:23:12>> we don't know until something's down

1:23:16whether the community will like it.

1:23:20Well, how do you get it going? Well, you

1:23:22approve what we're talking about today

1:23:24to get it to a point where you can take

1:23:26it to

1:23:27>> then we start the engagement piece so

1:23:29that the community can come in and and

1:23:32say what they want and give the input

1:23:35because

1:23:37>> so I think Athens Land Trust knows all

1:23:39this. I think they're familiar with it

1:23:41all and they engagement is

1:23:46part of their name,

1:23:48>> right?

1:23:52So the the generating

1:23:55what what all of us on the on the board

1:23:58seek for clarification would take about

1:24:00how long for you to you know name the

1:24:03parties name the process

1:24:07>> probably about two weeks.

1:24:08>> Okay.

1:24:11Okay.

1:24:16So I got a motion. The motion is I just

1:24:18want to be clear on what the motion is

1:24:20for. It's a motion to

1:24:24have the memo to allocate funds to the

1:24:27Athens Land Trust.

1:24:30Is that what the motion is?

1:24:32>> Well, the motion is to proceed. I'm

1:24:34sorry.

1:24:35>> Demetrius Jordan. Yes. Jordan

1:24:39is is is is

1:24:41to take this position paper

1:24:45>> um and move forward with all due haste

1:24:49to um

1:24:52um

1:24:54consider

1:24:55uh finalizing this $100,000 request with

1:24:59this partnership. U pending right

1:25:03subject to the approval approval of the

1:25:06engagement

1:25:07at seven.

1:25:10>> So what do we have in between that layer

1:25:13in between what we're trying to do now

1:25:16and where does the community come in?

1:25:22>> I I heard I I heard what he said. I

1:25:25would think immediately

1:25:26>> if they're going to be through in if

1:25:27they're going to be through in two

1:25:28weeks, somebody need to be trying to uh

1:25:31meet with the community in a week, you

1:25:35know, to even let them know about it

1:25:37because I'm telling you, when you're

1:25:38talking about $100,000 out of the tab

1:25:41funds, you and and

1:25:44a lot of people not understanding it,

1:25:45you going to have a lot of people angry

1:25:47people in these stats

1:25:50>> cuz they might not even understand this

1:25:52process. Let's hold off on the dollar

1:25:54amount until we can say what we're

1:25:57actually trying to do and let them weigh

1:26:00in on that.

1:26:04>> Well,

1:26:06you know, I think I think we we have

1:26:08that flexibility. I mean, obviously you

1:26:10want the the people you represent

1:26:12>> to be heard, you know, at the at the at

1:26:15the summits. Absolutely. But I think

1:26:17until we have, you know, the inventory

1:26:21to the degree that you're able to share

1:26:22it with us and the scope of work,

1:26:27you have that in two weeks and you can

1:26:29take that, we can all take that to our

1:26:31constituents and then

1:26:34finalize, you know, some decision about

1:26:38it and be prepared to actually pull the

1:26:41trigger at next month's meeting. I think

1:26:43is what would I don't think we're

1:26:46>> threatening our funds.

1:26:47>> Yeah, this is starting the process. I

1:26:49don't we'll look for off and write in

1:26:52the chat. I think this will start the

1:26:54discussion and then we'll have we'll

1:26:58have something to discuss. will have um

1:27:02>> are we able to discuss that without the

1:27:04$100,000

1:27:09>> and because we all have in mind we

1:27:12hitting we here are sitting here we all

1:27:15have that $100,000 in mind but trust me

1:27:20it will be like you're pressing up on

1:27:22the community when you make this

1:27:23official and you vote on it

1:27:26>> it will be like you're pressing that on

1:27:28the community and I have a idea that uh

1:27:32they're going to likely take it as if

1:27:36that money is going out like right now

1:27:40or like uh it's a done deal. I mean, I I

1:27:46don't want confusion to come up because

1:27:48of that $100,000 because if it does, you

1:27:52will never get them back again, right?

1:27:54>> You will be fighting a losing battle.

1:27:56They'll be sitting in this meeting 30D

1:27:59and every other meeting 30D opposing

1:28:02something that

1:28:04you know really in my opinion should not

1:28:07be opposed

1:28:08>> right but because

1:28:10of history

1:28:13we have a problem

1:28:14>> right and I think because of that I mean

1:28:17don't mention the 100 thousand but when

1:28:18Demetrius comes to speak with your

1:28:21constituents about the scope of work as

1:28:24he envisions

1:28:26I think it's not that. I promise you

1:28:28it's not that. It's the fact that we're

1:28:30trying to vote on this.

1:28:32We do not need to vote on this because

1:28:35if we vote to the way uh the motion

1:28:39that's on the floor,

1:28:40>> okay,

1:28:41>> you're going to have a bunch of angry

1:28:42people talking to him when he come to

1:28:44our community.

1:28:46>> How would how would you adjust the

1:28:48motion?

1:28:49>> I would not adjust it. I would not touch

1:28:51it today. He needs to meet with the

1:28:54community. You all need to meet with the

1:28:56community. Okay. If we can have a town

1:29:00hall or something like that.

1:29:04>> Yes, ma'am.

1:29:05>> So, um I know I'm not I'm just a

1:29:07visitor. I just want to get a point of

1:29:10clarification. So the motion is to

1:29:13approve bullet three under the committee

1:29:16action requested which means that this

1:29:19body would be allocating $100,000 so

1:29:23that Athens Land Trust can put together

1:29:25a proposal to be able to engage with the

1:29:28community to be able to buy this

1:29:30property. Is that correct? Is that

1:29:33correct?

1:29:34>> Yes. So such again subject to the body

1:29:38would have to actually approve the scope

1:29:42of work, the budget, the engagement

1:29:46plan. So that's the plan to right to it

1:29:50with community leaders

1:29:52uh any other deliverables and any

1:29:55reporting requirements. So, so the

1:29:59100,000 up to is only accessible

1:30:04if the plan is uh the scope in the plan

1:30:08is approved.

1:30:10>> Great. Thank you.

1:30:11>> My fear is we bring a a meeting together

1:30:16with the community, they're going to say

1:30:18the first thing, well, how many you

1:30:19going to put there, Demetri? Is it going

1:30:22to be a threetory? Is it going to be one

1:30:23story? Is it going to be 50 homes? Is it

1:30:25going to be 75?

1:30:28This is what the money is for is to come

1:30:30back with a plan, a preliminary plan

1:30:34>> with engagement to that community and

1:30:37they can ask they can have these

1:30:39preliminary questions.

1:30:43>> And I do hear what you're saying because

1:30:46uh yes um rumors going to go all kinds

1:30:50of ways, right? So, uh, the rumor that

1:30:54we hear about the university bought it,

1:30:57you know, all the rumor we hear about

1:31:00what happened with the housing authority

1:31:02and let it be. I mean, and so I I I know

1:31:06that will take on a life of it own. But,

1:31:10um, I'm just hoping that somehow we can

1:31:13move forward um,

1:31:16in spite of that because if we don't, I

1:31:18mean, yeah, I I hear you there. It's

1:31:21it's going to be that we gave the land

1:31:24trust $100,000 today. That's going to be

1:31:27what people, you know, people gonna say

1:31:28that. I know because they get a little

1:31:31bit and they just they run with it. But

1:31:34again, uh we uh need to try to kind of

1:31:40stay uh uh logical and and kind of kind

1:31:44of work through it. If we can, if we

1:31:47believe that this is uh a a good thing,

1:31:51then we're gonna have to um um we're

1:31:55going to have to kind of force out some

1:31:58of that some of that noise to keep

1:32:00moving. But um and and we're not saying

1:32:04we're going to give the land trust

1:32:06$100,000.

1:32:08>> And I understand that.

1:32:09>> But I understand what you're saying,

1:32:10too.

1:32:12>> I know what's going to happen. I totally

1:32:14understand that.

1:32:16>> Um

1:32:18I just giving y'all phone number.

1:32:19>> Well, you know that's that's what I'm

1:32:22gonna do.

1:32:23>> So y'all go ahead and vote.

1:32:24>> But I mean it is it's awesome.

1:32:27>> I think it's awesome.

1:32:29>> But I am not the community.

1:32:31>> I think it's awesome.

1:32:32>> That's why that piece that engagement

1:32:34piece is a a crucial piece of this

1:32:37process.

1:32:37>> I understand that. But let's

1:32:40[clears throat]

1:32:40>> let me say this one other thing. Well,

1:32:42you got some extremely credible partners

1:32:45in this motion. Why are you even saying

1:32:47that? Like I don't understand that

1:32:49>> you yourself are witness I'm I'm not I'm

1:32:53not a monolith. I'm not the community.

1:32:55you yourself are are witness to the

1:32:58dynamics of this of this conversation.

1:33:00>> And and if I leave here, then I'm going

1:33:03to have to explain to at least three or

1:33:07400,000 people

1:33:09what it's about, how it's doing. My

1:33:12phone will never stop ringing. And I'm

1:33:14just not saying that for my personal

1:33:16comfort, but it's going to happen.

1:33:19Absolutely. Mhm.

1:33:20>> But but in addition to that, there are

1:33:23so many guard rails here against any

1:33:25misuse of the funds. But what is most

1:33:29credible to me is we look at all of the

1:33:30TAD activity and Daniel

1:33:33is present at all of them. One of the

1:33:35most successful has been the one that's

1:33:38spent their seed money on a study of

1:33:42that side of the river that we've been

1:33:44talking about for years now.

1:33:49Okay. So, I'm good.

1:33:50>> Okay.

1:33:51>> Uh, so I'm I'm going to abstain so I

1:33:55won't get any phone calls, but I'm not

1:33:58abstaining because I don't like the

1:34:00idea. I'm I'm abstaining for my own

1:34:03personal comfort and I deserve that.

1:34:07>> We will take it.

1:34:10>> All right, Taylor. What do you think?

1:34:12>> All right.

1:34:14So, um,

1:34:16we got a motion for we got a motion on

1:34:19the table and a second. Uh, is there any

1:34:21more discussion on that?

1:34:24Uh, and the motion is to

1:34:29develop allows land trust to develop a

1:34:33proposal of up to $100,000

1:34:37>> subject to

1:34:38>> subject to

1:34:39>> five things. subject to item three

1:34:44of

1:34:45>> bullet three

1:34:46>> bullet three

1:34:48uh this

1:34:50affordable housing acquisition

1:34:53preservation

1:34:54initial action framework

1:34:57document

1:34:58>> subject to approving the scope the

1:35:01budget engagement plan deliverables

1:35:03reporting is that the bottom one on the

1:35:05right

1:35:05>> yeah right yeah I was just reading the

1:35:08name of the document Oh yeah.

1:35:11>> But uh

1:35:14in those subjects approve scope budget

1:35:17engagement plan deliverables and

1:35:19reporting requirements. Um

1:35:22all in favor say I.

1:35:25>> I.

1:35:27[clears throat]

1:35:27>> Those opposed.

1:35:32>> I'm sorry. I'm

1:35:33>> all right. So motion passes.

1:35:37>> Your vote. Oh, I didn't think I was

1:35:39supposed to move as chair breaks a tie.

1:35:44>> Okay.

1:35:47So, motion patent.

1:35:49>> Thank you.

1:35:50>> Thank you. Thank you.

1:35:52>> Oh, thank you.

1:35:54>> Thank you, Fred, for bringing your two

1:35:56special people and will for being our

1:35:59firewall.

1:36:01>> No, I'm not. I just got a couple of

1:36:04texts already.

1:36:07cut my phone off.

1:36:10[clears throat]

1:36:10>> Well, thank you all so much. I have to

1:36:15>> That was a great presentation.

1:36:18>> It was I feel like

1:36:28>> you know our next meeting is October the

1:36:3020th. Uh

1:36:33Daniel

1:36:36setting everything up for us. Daniel,

1:36:41>> can we get a motion to turn to me?

1:36:43>> No, but

1:36:55>> just as a point all these things I'll be

1:36:58we'll be presenting this. in the next

1:37:01couple of weeks.

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