Sep 16, 2024 City Council

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GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO THE SEPTEMBER 16TH MEETING OF THE EASTPOINTE CITY COUNCIL. MADAM DEPUTY CITY CLERK, ROLL CALL, PLEASE. PRESENT. WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER SHROPSHIRE. NO. CALL THE CALL EACH OF THEIR NAMES AND NO COUNCIL MEMBER. SHROPSHIRE. PRESENT COUNCIL MEMBER. FRIEDLEY COUNCIL MEMBER. ZIEGLER. COUNCIL MEMBER. CUMMINGS. COUNCIL MEMBE. MITCHELL. COUNCIL MEMBER. BUTLER COUNCIL MEMBER MARTIN ROGERS. MADAM MAYOR, YOU HAVE A QUORUM. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OUR SERGEANT AT ARMS THIS EVENING IS OFFICER. SET YOUR, TITLE. I KNOW YOU ALL HAD A LOT OF PROMOTIONS, SO I DON'T WANT TO MESS IT UP. NAME AND TITLE. WHAT IS THE CURRENT NAME? LIEUTENANT, I KNOW WE HAD A LOT OF PROMOTIONS, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE THIS EVENING. PLEASE DO WE HAVE.

LET ME SEE IF I HAVE ANY MEN WHO PASTOR MOBLEY. PASTOR MOBLEY, BE YE ALSO READY AGAIN. WOULD YOU WOULD YOU MIND PROVIDING AN INVOCATION? THIS EVENING, FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE TO THE FLAG. IF WE COULD ALL STAND, PLEASE. THERE THAT'S RIGHT. WE ARE BLESSED BEYOND THE MEASURE OF ALL THE THINGS YOU'VE DONE FOR US. JUST THE MOMENT THAT WE HAVE IT. THIS LIFE. SO WE WANT TO BE OF SERVICE. THANK YOU FOR THIS, MAYOR. AND THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING TO MAKE OUR LIVES BETTER HERE IN EASTPOINTE. BLESS THEM. BLESS ALL THE EMPLOYEES OF THIS CITY. BLESS THEIR EFFORTS AS THEY SERVE US TO MAKE IT BETTER FOR US AND HELP US AS CITIZENS TO RECOGNIZE AND RESPECT THE WORK, THE UNTIRING EFFORTS THAT THEY DO FOR US.

IT'S IN THE NAME OF OUR GOD. WE PRAY. AMEN. AMEN. SO WE HAVE A VERY SPECIAL,

[VI. PRESENTATIONS and ANNOUNCEMENTS]

DOCTOR KELSEY. SO, THE ROAD TO 100. CAN YOU TURN AROUND SO THE PEOPLE MAKE SURE THE CAMERAS GET, WHAT, 99 LOOKS LIKE? I KNOW RIGHT? SO. SO DOCTOR KELSEY, IN RECOGNITION OF YOUR ROAD TO 100, WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION PREPARED. AND AFTER THE PROCLAMATION, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE PICTURES WITH THE FAMILY. WE'LL ALL COME DOWN, BUT AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, FOR SOMEONE WHO IS REACHING A CENTURY APPROACHING A CENTURY, THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE VOLUMINOUS, THERE ARE MANY. BUT NOT ONLY ARE THEY IMPRESSIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS, THEY'RE IMPACTFUL. AND I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY FOR ALMOST A CENTURY. WE GREATLY APPRECIATE YOU. WE GREATLY VALUE YOU AND KNOW THAT, YOU MOVE TO EAST POINT WITH YOUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN, AND WE ARE GLAD TO HAVE SOMEONE LIKE YOU WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. SO IN RECOGNITION OF DOCTOR MORIBA, RICHARD C KELSEY. WHEREAS DOCTOR RICHARD C KELSEY HAS ALWAYS BEEN PASSIONATE ABOUT SERVING HIS COMMUNITY AND HELPING TO UPLIFT PEOPLE WHEREVER HE HAS LIVED. BORN AND REARED IN THE PITTSBURGH COMMUNITY OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA, DOCTOR KELSEY LEARNED EARLY THAT LIFE, THE LIFE OF A

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AND WHEREAS ALONG HIS PATH, HE HAS ALSO GROWN TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF RESPECTING AND HONORING HIS ELDERS AND ANCESTORS AND WORKING TOWARD UNITY IN OUR COMMUNITY AS HE LIVES HIS LIFE. WITH THESE UNDERSTANDINGS AND GUIDING FORCES. AND WHEREAS AFTER MATRICULATING THROUGH ATLANTA'S KROGMAN ELEMENTARY AND BOOKER T, WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOLS, DOCTOR KELSEY COMPLETED A TOUR OF DUTY IN THE US ARMY AIR CORPS DURING WORLD WAR TWO AND LATER ATTENDED TUSKEGEE INSTITUTE UNIVERSITY, WHERE HE WAS A CAMPUS LEADER AND A CHARTER MEMBER OF GAMMA PHI CHAPTER OF ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, INCORPORATED IN 1948. HE LATER EARNED GRADUATE DEGREES FROM KENT STATE UNIVERSITY AND THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY, WHERE HE EARNED A PHD IN COUNSELOR EDUCATION. AND WHEREAS DOCTOR KELSEY'S PROFESSIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS CONTINUED LONG AFTER HIS RETIREMENT AS A LICENSED PSYCHOLOGIST AND CLINICAL COUNSELOR, HE PROVIDED ONGOING CLINICAL SERVICES AND PRIVATE PRACTICE, AND HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN A COMMON THREAD THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE. PRE AND POST RETIREMENT.

RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF STRONG INSTITUTIONS IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY. DOCTOR KELSEY HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN THE DEVELOPMENT, SUPPORT AND OPERATIONS OF SEVERAL, INCLUDING THE FOUNDER FOUNDING OF UMOJA SASA SHULE, AN AFRICAN CENTERED INDEPENDENT SCHOOL IN COLUMBUS, OHIO. IN 1971. AND WHEREAS, AS AN EXTENSION OF THE AFRICAN CENTER IN 1988, DOCTOR KELSEY CO-FOUNDED THE AFROCENTRIC PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT SHOP, INC, A. S, A BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CENTER THAT SPECIALIZES IN PREVENTION, TREATMENT AND RECOVERY OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INTERVENTION, EDUCATION, AND THE TAHI FAMILY VILLAGE, WHICH BEGAN IN 2002, IS ANOTHER EXTENSION OF THE AFRICAN CENTER THAT CONDUCTS STUDY GROUPS, CULTURAL CELEBRATIONS AND COMMUNITY EVENTS FOR ALL AGES. AND WHEREAS APD'S AND THE TYREE FAMILY VILLAGE HAVE CONTINUED EVEN SINCE HE AND HIS WIFE RELOCATED TO ATLANTA, GEORGIA IN 2010 TO BE CLOSER TO THEIR GRANDCHILDREN AND IN EAST POINT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, LAKESIDE PRESERVE. WHEREAS DOCTOR KELSEY HAS PLAYED AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THE AFRICAN NATIONAL NATIONAL RITES OF PASSAGE UNITED COLLECTIVE, IN WHICH HE SERVED AS A TRAINER OF TRAINERS AND PRESIDING ELDER FOR MANY YEARS, WHILE ALSO BEING AN ORDAINED ELDER IN THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. ELDER KELSEY HAS BEEN A LONG TIME MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATION OF BLACK PSYCHOLOGISTS, FORMERLY SERVING AS A NATIONAL TREASURER AND ON ITS COUNCIL OF ELDERS. AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF CLASSICAL AFRICAN CIVILIZATIONS. SINCE ITS 1984 FOUNDING. HE CURRENTLY SERVES ON ITS COUNCIL OF ELDERS AND AS CHAIR OF ITS BUILDING FUND COMMITTEE. AND WHEREAS DOCTOR KELSEY SERVES ON SEVERAL LOCAL AND NATIONAL BOARDS AND IS THE RECIPIENT OF NUMEROUS AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS FOR HIS PERSONAL, PROFESSIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE. AT 99 YEARS OF AGE, HE CONTINUES TO WORK AND PROVIDE HIS WISDOM TOWARDS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A STRONG AFRICAN COMMUNITY, AS HE BELIEVES AND IS FREQUENTLY KNOWN TO SAY THAT WE WILL WIN. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT I, DENA HOLIDAY INGRAM, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF EAST POINT, ALONG WITH THE CITY COUNCIL, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM SEPTEMBER 16TH, 2024 AS DOCTOR MARIBA RICHARD C KELSEY'S ROAD TO 100 DAY IN THE CITY OF EAST POINT AND JOIN WITH HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO HONOR AND CELEBRATE AND EXTEND OUR HEARTFELT WELL WISHES ON HIS UPCOMING CENTENARIAN. 100TH BIRTHDAY AND WISH HIM MANY MORE HAPPY AND FULFILLING YEARS. HAPPY ROAD TO 100.

AND.

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I INTEND TO DO THINGS IN THIS COMMUNITY, TOO. AND I HOPE THAT AS YOU HEAR ABOUT THOSE THINGS THAT EVERYBODY WILL BE IN SUPPORT, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN BE A STRONG COMMUNITY WHEREVER WE ARE AND WE CAN BE. WE CAN BE THE BEST THAT WE ALL CAN BE. IF WE JOIN TOGETHER IN UNITY AND IN STRENGTH. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS RECOGNITION, AND I HOPE THAT I CAN LIVE UP TO THE WHAT YOU'VE SET SET UP FOR ME. ABSOLUTELY. YOU ALREADY HAVE. YOU HAVE. MY YOUNGEST ONE GRANDCHILD RIGHT THERE. ALL RIGHT. WE WILL NOW MOVE TO THE PRESENTATION REGARDING THE 2024 BENEFIT PROGRAM CARRIER RENEWAL RENEWALS. MR. BROWN.

YES, MADAM MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. THIS ITEM, PARTICULARLY, IS A GO OVER OUR GROUP HEALTH INSURANCE BENEFITS. IF MISS. I'M SORRY. IRIS, I WAS LOOKING AT MICHELLE. I'M SORRY IF MISS JESSIE COULD REALLY TAKE US THROUGH ASYLUM. THANKS. GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR. MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, WE ARE VERY HAPPY TO BRING TO YOU INFORMATION ON THE 2025 BENEFITS, THE RESEARCH AND THE REVIEWS THAT HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED BY THE STAFF OF ANALYTICS. OUR BENEFITS BROKER.

YOU ALL MAY RECALL, IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, WE MADE A SWITCH FROM HUMANA TO AETNA. AETNA ALREADY HAS SOME OF OUR BUSINES. BUT HUMANA, IF YOU REMEMBER WE INFORM YOU THAT THEY WERE GETTING OUT OF THE GROUP INSURANCE BUSINESS. AND OF COURSE THAT INCLUDED VARIOUS MUNICIPALITIES SUCH AS EASTPOINTE. WE WERE FORTUNATE TO PUT OUT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL WHERE WE DID AND OUR BROKER DID. AND AFTER MANY SUBMISSIONS, YOU APPROVED OF US ENGAGING WITH AETNA. SO TONIGHT, STAFF FROM ANALYTICS WILL GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF AN OVERVIEW OF HOW OUR PLAN HAS BEEN WORKING THUS FAR, REMEMBERING THAT WE ONLY STARTED THIS IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, SO IT TOOK A BIT OF TIME TO GET SOME REPRESENTATIVE INFORMATION FROM AETNA ON HOW THE PLAN WAS PROGRESSING. I'M GOING TO CALL UP JOHN YUHAS AND NORMA ROBERTSON, WHO WILL GO OVER THEIR REVIEW WITH YOU OF THE PLAN AND ALSO SOME INFORMATION OF WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING FOR 2025. SO NORMA AND JOHN. GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE. JUST TO GET RIGHT, I'LL NEED YOU TO TALK IN THE MIC FOR ME. OKAY. YEP I NEED SOME PULL UP. WE HAVE A PRESENTATION WE'D LIKE TO SHARE. SO, DEPUTY CITY CLERK, IF YOU COULD STAY THERE AND HELP THEM AND CLICK SO THEY CAN TALK THROUGH IT. YEAH. THIS ONE RIGHT HERE. YEAH. PERFECT CAN YOU PUT IT IN SHARE. SO THIS SLIDE, CAN WE PUT IT IN THE SLIDE. SLIDE. IS IT JUST. THANK

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WE HAVE A HIGH OPTION AT 85% COINSURANCE, A LOW OPTION AT 80% COINSURANCE. AND IN THIS CHART TO THE LEFT, YOU CAN SEE THE EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTIONS ON A MONTHLY BASIS THAT IS NOT PER PAY PERIOD, BECAUSE THOSE CAN VARY. SO WE ALSO HAVE SOME DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE CONTRIBUTIONS FOR FIRST RESPONDERS AND ALL OTHER EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OF EAST POINT. OVER TO THE RIGHT IS THE MOST RECENT SURVEY DATA AS A BAROMETER TO MEASURE THE COMPETITIVENESS OF THOSE CONTRIBUTIONS. AND AS YOU CAN SEE PRIMARILY ON THE EMPLOYEE, ONLY COVERAGE, YOU ARE LOW COMPARED TO THREE DIFFERENT BENCHMARKS. THE FIRST BEING THE SIZE OF YOUR EMPLOYEE POPULATION, THERE'S A SLICE FOR 50 TO 499 EMPLOYEES. THE SECOND IS THE GOVERNMENTAL SECTOR. THAT'S STATE AND LOCAL. AND THEN THE SOUTHERN REGION, WHICH ARE, YOU KNOW, THE SOUTH SOUTHERN STATES. AND IN ALL THREE SLICES FOR EMPLOYEE ONLY. THE CONTRIBUTIONS TODAY ARE VERY COMPETITIVE. YOU CAN SEE THE MONTHLY COST TODAY. AND WHAT SURVEY DATA FOR 2023 SHOWS FOR COMPARABLE COVERAGE. FAMILY YOU'RE PROBABLY AT THE 50TH TO 60TH PERCENTILE, DEPENDING ON WHICH SLICE OF THE BENCHMARK DATA IS EVALUATED. SO THERE IS SOME ROOM THERE AS WELL TO BE MUCH MORE COMPETITIVE THAN SURVEY DATA. NEXT, WE'LL TALK ABOUT TWO ALTERNATIVES. AND ACTUALLY THERE'S THREE ALTERNATIVES. IF I CAN TURN TO MY PAGE, THE FIRST IS YOU DON'T HAVE TO CHANGE EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTIONS AT ALL. AND WITH THAT EMPLOYEES NO CHANGE TO THE PLAN DESIGN ITSELF. BUT THE BUDGET FOR THE CITY OF EAST POINT WILL INCREASE 833,000, OR IN EFFECT, GOING FROM. 4.946 MILLION TO 5.78 MILLION.

ALTERNATIVE ONE SAYS THAT THE PLAN GOT A 14.3% RATE INCREASE. LET'S SHARE THAT EQUALLY WITH THE EMPLOYEES OF EAST POINT, AND YOU CAN SEE THE INCREASES VARY DEPENDING ON WHETHER, YOU'RE IN THE 85% OPTION OR THE 80TH, AS WELL AS WHETHER YOU ARE COVERING YOURSELF OR YOUR FAMILY. ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE IS ALSO SHOWN IF LOOKING AT 14.3% INCREASE, WE'VE ALSO RUN AN INCREASE TO EMPLOYEES OF THE PLAN OF 7.5%. TO THE RIGHT YOU CAN SEE THE IMPACT, WE STARTED. IF WE DO NOTHING AT $833,000 INCREASE, THE FIRST ALTERNATIVE, WHICH IS SHARING EQUALLY REDUCES THAT FOR THE CITY OF EAST POINT TO 707,000. OR IF WE TAKE A MORE MODERATE, STEP. 767,000. JOHN, YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE? CAN WE CONTINUE ON OR. OKAY, THE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM IS THE MEDICAL COVERAGE THROUGH MEDICARE ADVANTAGE THAT THE CITY OFFERS TO RETIREES AS WELL AS SURVIVING SPOUSES AND OTHER DEPENDENTS THAT WOULD QUALIFY FOR THAT. THE CITY PARTIALLY FUNDS THAT PROGRAM AND HAS AT THE SAME LEVEL FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. TYPICALLY, THESE PROGRAMS GO UP AND DOWN IN COST. WE HAD A BIG CHANGE, THOUGH, THAT IS EFFECTIVE ONE ONE 2025 WITH THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT. SO ESSENTIALLY THE GOVERNMENT IS SHIFTING COSTS FROM THE GOVERNMENT OVER TO PRIVATE INSURERS FOR THESE PROGRAMS. BUT IN RETURN, THEY'RE MAKING THEM A BETTER PROGRAM FOR A MAJORITY OF THE PARTICIPANTS. THE BIG CHANGE

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THERE WAS ALSO A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE FEDERAL INSURANCE SUBSIDY. IT'S LESS SO THE INSURANCE COMPANIES THAT WERE BEING SUBSIDIZED TO SOME DEGREE ARE BEING SUBSIDIZED LESS. AND THEN THERE WERE CHANGES TO THE PHARMACEUTICAL DISCOUNT BENEFIT PROGRAMS WITHIN THESE PLANS. SO THERE WERE A LOT OF FACTORS THAT CAME INTO PLAY. AND THE END RESULT WITH THE CURRENT PLAN, YOU HAVE AETNA, WHICH YOU'VE HAD FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AND GET VERY GOOD REVIEWS FROM RETIREES WHO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PLAN WAS A 20.8% COST INCREASE. AND AGAIN, ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE MIDWAY, YOU CAN SEE THE CITY CURRENTLY FUNDS AND HAS APPROXIMATELY 61% OF THE COSTS FOR THE RETIREES AND LESS FOR SPLIT DEPENDENTS AND SUCH. THE LOWER LEFT SHOWS THE 20 FOR THE CURRENT YEAR, AND THEN THE 2025 COST AND THE CITY COULD PASS ON THE ENTIRE INCREASE TO EMPLOYEES. OR THEY COULD SHARE IN THE COST. AND BECAUSE A 20% INCREASE ON THE RETIREE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE IS SIGNIFICANT TO RETIREES CONSIDERATION, YOU MAY WANT TO GIVE CONSIDERATION TO SHARING THAT INCREASE, WHICH WOULD REPRESENT A LOWER COST TO THE PARTICIPANTS OF $26.50 PER MONTH. SO OVER ON, THE RIGHT IS REALLY JUST A SUMMARY OF THE 2020 FOR THE CURRENT RENEWAL COE TOTAL ANNUAL COST FROM ON THE ON THE LOWER RIGHT IS THE TOTAL INCREASE BASED ON THAT 20.8%? INCREASE RENEWAL INCREASE AND THEN THE COST SHARE, IF THE CITY WERE TO SHARE THAT THE BUDGET INCREASE WOULD BE THE 47 382 AMOUNT. WE DID LOOK AT COMPETITIVE PRICING. WE WENT TO THE MARKET AND WE LOOKED AT THERE'S REALLY FOUR MAIN PLAYERS AND THREE OF THOSE, PLAYERS WERE HIGHER IN COSTS. SO WE DID VALIDATE THAT THE AETNA RENEWAL WAS FAIR. COMPARING APPLES TO APPLES ON PLAN DESIGNS. SO WE DID TAKE A LOOK AT THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE IN LINE WITH THE MARKET. AND THEY WERE ACTUALLY VERY FAVORABLE. AND AGAIN TO MENTION YOU DO GET A LOT OF VERY GOOD REVIEWS FROM RETIREES REGARDING THE AETNA PROGRAM, WHICH HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. NEXT SLIDE. THE NEXT PAGE IS THE DENTAL INCREASE. AND THIS IS A SMALL INCREASE. THAT'S OCCURRING. THE DENTAL PROGRAM IS PARTIALLY FUNDED AND PARTIALLY CONTRIBUTORY FROM EMPLOYEE. IT'S A 5% INCREASE THIS YEAR. AND AS NORMA MENTIONED ON MEDICAL TREND BEING ABOUT 11%. DENTAL IS A LOWER NUMBER. BUT THE MAJORITY OF THIS INCREASE IS A RESULT OF DENTAL TREND. THERE'S INDUSTRY FACTORS THAT HAVE CHANGED IN THE DENTAL MARKET TO A LOT OF DENTISTS HAVE RETIRED EARLY COVID PUSHED A LOT OUT. THERE'S BEEN, RELUCTANCE FOR THEM TO EXPAND OUT OF NETWORK COVERAGE. SO THERE ARE A LOT OF COST DRIVERS IN THIS INCREASE AS WEL.

AND THE TWO, THE TWO, TWO CHARTS, TOP LEFT SHOW THE CURRENT RATES. AND THEN THE NEW INCREASED RATES AND THEN THE LOWER CHART ON THE LEFT. AND I'M SORRY. I'LL ALSO MENTION THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT DENTAL PLANS THAT EMPLOYEES HAVE OPTIONS TO THE DMO, WHICH IS AN HMO TYPE PROGRAM. AND THEN THERE'S A LOW AND A HIGH OPTION. BUT THE CHART ON THE LOWER LEFT SHOWS IF THE CITY PASSES ON THE FULL INCREASE TO THE EMPLOYEES, THE COST IMPACT PER MONTH, OR IF YOU WERE TO SHARE IN THAT COST, WHICH IS AN OPTION. BUT THESE ARE RELATIVELY SMALL INCREASES.

BEING A DENTAL PREMIUM. AND THEN OVER ON THE RIGHT SIDE AT THE BOTTOM, YOU CAN SEE THE COST DIFFERENCES. IF THE TOTAL IS PASSED ON TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN THAT PLAN, OR IF THE CITY WERE TO SHARE IN THOSE COSTS. DID I MISS ANYTHING? NO OKAY. SO IN SUMMARY, THESE ARE ESSENTIALLY

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SO THAT COULD BE WHERE THE URA IS KIND OF OPERATING ON ITS OWN TO, OWN TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THOSE DELINQUENT PROPERTIES AND DO THINGS LIKE PUT OUT AN RFP OR, YOU KNOW, DO SOMETHING WHERE YOU ARE SOLICITING PROPOSALS FOR DEVELOPMENT THAT THE CITY WOULD LIKE TO SEE WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. SO IT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT THE CITY KIND OF HANDLES ON ITS OWN. IT COULD ALSO BE SOMETHING THAT'S DONE THROUGH A PARTNER. SO LIKE THE METRO ATLANTA LAND BANK, WHERE THE LAND BANK WOULD ULTIMATELY HAVE CONTROL OF THE PROPERTY, AND THEY WOULD BE THE ONES KIND OF DOING THAT LEGWORK OF LOOKING FOR A DEVELOPER SO THAT GOAL, KIND OF THE STRATEGIES THERE RELATE TO WHAT TYPE OF PROCESS THE CITY WOULD LIKE TO SEE. AND THEN DOING SOME EXPLORATION OF IF DESIRED, PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LAND BANK. BUT EVENTUALLY WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE IS WHEN THERE IS A DELINQUENT OR ABANDONED PROPERTY, THE CITY WOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF IT AND THEN PUT IT BACK OUT INTO THE MARKET. WORKING WITH DEVELOPER PARTNERS. IN TO PUT IT OUT AS HOUSING THAT THE CITY WANTS TO SEE. SO THIS REPORT DOESN'T NECESSARILY PRESCRIBE A SPECIFIC PRICE POINTS OR THINGS LIKE THAT. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN KIND OF WORK ON AS YOU ARE DOING AN RFP. BUT YOU SEE FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHAT FOLKS DO WANT TO SEE THERE. THE SECOND GOAL THAT WE IDENTIFIED WAS WAYS TO REPAIR HOUSING THAT IS IN POOR CONDITION. SO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE EXPANDING THE LIFESPAN OF EXISTING HOUSING. SO ONE OF THOSE ALREADY A STRATEGY THAT THE CITY HAS IN ACTION THAT KIND OF HAPPENED AS WE WERE DOING THIS PROJECT. BUT, ADVERTISING AND IMPLEMENTING THE ARPA FUNDED MINOR HOME REPAIR PROGRAM AND MAKING SURE THAT INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO APPLY GETS TO RESIDENTS AND THOSE LEGACY NEIGHBORHOODS. BUT ONWARD EXPLORING PARTNERSHIPS WITH NONPROFIT HOME REPAIR ORGANIZATIONS, THINGS PERHAPS LIKE HABITATS BRUSH WITH KINDNESS PROGRAM. THERE ARE A FEW OTHERS OPERATING IN METRO ATLANTA THAT I THINK WE HAVE LISTED IN THE REPORT. SO EXPLORING POSSIBLE PARTNERSHIPS THERE AND WHAT THOSE MIGHT LOOK LIKE, ALSO AS MAYBE A LONGER TERM STRATEGY LOOKING AT WORKING WITH A LOCAL BANKS WHO COULD PROVIDE SOME INITIAL CAPITAL FOR A REVOLVING LOAN FUND. SO HELPING FOLKS, NOT A GRANT TO MAKE HOME REPAIRS, BUT A NO OR LOW INTEREST LOAN THAT WOULD HELP THEM DO THAT, THEN WE HAVE SOME STRATEGIES FOR WORKING WITH EXISTING AND FUTURE HOMEOWNERS.

AND I THINK THESE IS WHERE THESE ARE WHERE WE ARE REALLY TRYING TO BRING IN EXISTING RESOURCES.

SO TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR EXISTING HOMEOWNERS, WE HAVE SOME STRATEGIES ABOUT WORKING WITH, LEGAL SERVICE AGENCIES. SO, ATLANTA LEGAL AID OR GEORGIA LEGAL SERVICES KIND OF REACHING OUT TO THEM AND SEEING WHAT SOME PARTNERSHIP MIGHT LOOK LIKE FOR SOME, WAYS TO FACILITATE SERVICES TO RESIDENTS. SO THAT COULD BE THINGS LIKE HELPING FOLKS APPLY FOR A TAX ABATEMENTS, HELPING THEM APPEAL PROPERTY TAX INCREASES THAT THEY FELT SHOULD BE APPEALED, AVOIDING HOME PURCHASE SCAMS. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I KNOW IN SOUTHERN PARTS OF ATLANTA. AND I THINK, THE COUNTY AS WELL, THAT A LOT OF TIMES EXISTING HOMEOWNERS GET TARGETED FOR PURCHASE SCAMS. SO HELPING FOLKS RECOGNIZE AND AVOID THOSE, WHAT TO DO IF YOU'RE FACING FORECLOSURE, KIND OF HOW YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO WORK OUT YOUR LOAN, KIND OF HOW COULD THOSE LEGAL, LEGAL SERVICES, GET INTO TO NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS? SO THAT MIGHT LOOK SOMETHING LIKE A SEMIANNUAL WORKSHOP. IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE A QUARTERLY EVENT WHERE THERE'S SOME INFORMATION LIKE THAT PROVIDED, OR AN ANNUAL HOUSING FAIR COULD BE A VARIETY OF, OF AVENUES TO DO THAT. AND I THINK THAT ALL OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS SEEMED PRETTY INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH THE CITY AND EACH OTHER TO DO THAT. THAT FOURTH GOAL IS RELATED TO SUPPORTING, RESIDENTS

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OKAY, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTIN ROGER, THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, I AM AWARE OF THE INFORMATION THAT YOU COLLECTED DURING THIS TIME, BUT I GUESS MY QUESTION IS FOR THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER. OFTENTIMES WE GET THESE REPORTS, BUT HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD? BECAUSE I'VE BEEN ASKING ABOUT HOUSING FOR POLICE OFFICERS. COUNCIL MEMBER SHORT SHIRE HAS HAD SOME ITEMS ON THE AGENDA IN THIS. THIS PRESENTATION APPEARS TO BE IN DIRECT CORRELATION OF WHERE EVERYONE IS TRYING TO GO WITH THOSE ABANDONED HOUSES OR THE BANK OWNED PROPERTIES, OR JUST OUR PROPERTIES THAT SHE IS TALKING ABOUT IN THIS REPORT. BUT HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD, AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? I SEE THAT THERE IS NO ACTION TONIGHT, BUT IF YOU COULD JUST GIVE A BRIEF, BRIEF SYNOPSIS, IT'S NO ACTION REQUIRED TONIGHT. BUT WE HAVE THE INFORMATION. WE KNOW WHAT'S ON HAND. WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE REPORT NOW THAT WE HAVE IT? YES. THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. SO THIS IS THIS IS HISTORY, SO I GUESS TWO YEARS AGO OR IN 23, WE DID A SOLICITATION TO LOOK AT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND LOOK AT ESTABLISHING SOME PRIMARY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES SO STAFF COULD GET A ROADMAP ON HOW TO LINE UP OUR RESOURCES HERE INTERNALLY WITH THAT. AND SINCE THAT TIME, WE'VE HAD SOME DIRECTIVES, INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATIONS FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND SO THAT IS THE CHALLENGE TO TAKE THE PREVIOUS DIRECTION. THE PREVIOUS INFORMATION AND BRING IT ALL TOGETHER WITH WHAT WE'VE HEARD FROM THE COUNCIL INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY, AND PUT TOGETHER A PLAN. THIS IS JUST A PRESENTATION AND A DELIVERABLE, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THAT THAT WAS A RESULT OF THE RFP, WHICH WAS TO PROVIDE THIS INFORMATION TO THE COUNCIL. SO NOW OUR CHALLENGE WOULD BE TO GET STAFF ENGAGED SO THAT WE CAN TAKE EVERYTHING THAT WHAT WE'VE HEARD FROM THE DAIS AND TO INCLUDE IN THIS REPORT AS WELL. SO. ALL RIGHT. SO THIS WAS A REPORT. THANK YOU FOR AGAIN A THOROUGH REPORT AND THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE WITH OUR COMMUNITY, THROUGH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PROVIDING INFORMATION WITH US, THAT CAME FROM THE COMMUNITY IS ALSO FROM YOUR, EXPERTISE AND RECOMMENDATIONS AS IT RELATES TO HOW WE CAN LOOK AT OUR AREA OF REVITALIZATION FOR EAST WASHINGTON RIVER PARK AND CENTER PARK, I KNOW THAT'S A COMPONENT OF THE GIG WORK GEORGIA INITIATIVE FOR COMMUNITY HOUSING. AND SO, AT WEST NEXT STEP, I GUESS I SHOULD SAY. SO NEXT STEPS ACTUALLY WOULD

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AND THEN THERE ARE A FEW OF THEM THAT ARE STILL EXISTING BUT NEED A LITTLE CARE TO BRING THEM BACK INTO CODE COMPLIANCE. YEAH, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF WE COULD GET AN UPDATE ON ALL OF THE INVENTORY OF THOSE PROPERTIES, WHAT THEY ARE, WHAT TYPES OF PROPERTIES THEY ARE, WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED. OKAY, SURE. WELL, I DON'T SEE ANYONE ELSE CHIMED IN. SO THANK YOU AGAIN SO MUCH. AND COUNCILMEMBER MITCHEL, YES, DO WE HAVE A FIGURE OF HOW MANY PROPERTIES ARE ON THE 50? WORST. IT'S STILL OVER 200 THAT ARE ACTIVE. OKAY, WE'RE SLOWLY BUT SURELY WORKING THROUGH THE LIST. IT CHANGES REGULARLY BECAUSE SOME PROPERTIES ACTUALLY COME INTO COMPLIANCE. WE HAVE A FEW. WE'RE WORKING WITH FULTON COUNTY NOW ON CDBG BECAUSE WE DID MENTION THE BLIGHT TAX AND DELINQUENT PROPERTIES, WHICH THE BLIGHT TAX IS BEING ASSESSED ON. THE PROPERTY TAX BILLS, BUT I WILL MAKE A NOTE THAT ONCE THE STRUCTURE IS DEMOLISHED, WE DO HAVE TO REMOVE THAT BLIGHT TAX BECAUSE THE TAX CAN ONLY BE APPLIED IF THERE IS A STRUCTURE ON THE PROPERTY. BUT IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY REMOVE THE LOT FROM THE 50 WORST PROPERTIES PROGRAM. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

THANKS SO MUCH, OUR LAST PRESENTATION FOR THIS EVENING IS NATIONAL SEARCH FOR PERMANENT CITY MANAGER. SO I AND I'M SURE ALL COUNCIL, A LOT OF COUNCIL MEMBERS, IF NOT ALL, HAVE RECEIVED SEVERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT WHERE WE ARE WITH THE HIRING OF OUR PERMANENT CITY MANAGER. SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE SHARE THE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THE NATIONAL SEARCH ENTAILED,

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[01:05:03]

YES. AND I WOULD LIKE TO GO ON TO SAY THAT WE WORKED VERY HARD TO HIRE A CITY MANAGER. IT STARTED IN THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY, I BELIEVE. WE GOT ALL THE WAY TO ABOUT JUNE. AND WHILE A MAJORITY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE READY TO MOVE FORWARD FOR A HIRING OF A CITY MANAGER, A SMALL MINORITY PREVENTED THE DECISION FROM BEING FINALIZED. I'VE BEEN ASKED FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS NOW. WHAT IS THE HOLD UP? SO WE SHOULD I WANT TO GO ON RECORD AS SAYING IT'S A VERY SMALL MINORITY THAT PREVENTED US FROM HIRING A PERMANENT CITY MANAGER. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER FREELY. YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO ADD A LITTLE BIT ON THE PROCESS THAT THE MAYOR EXPLAINED SO THAT THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS. AM I NOT? OH, SORRY. SORRY ABOUT THAT. IN THE EXERCISES THAT THE MAYOR ALLUDED TO, THAT DEVELOPMENTAL ASSOCIATES, LED, THERE WERE AS, AS THE MAYOR DESCRIBED A NUMBER OF SEGMENTS TO THAT. AND THOSE ALL INCLUDED, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER THE EXACT NUMBER. IT WAS ABOUT 5 OR 6 LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WHO VOLUNTEERED THEIR TIME TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESS AND FACILITATE THE ROLE PLAY AND THE ASSESSMENTS AND SO ON. AND WE RECEIVED, I DON'T KNOW, A 2.5 HOUR LONG VIDEO OR SOMETHING OF ALL OF THEIR FEEDBACK AND SO FORTH. SO IT WAS A VERY IMPRESSIVE AND THOROUGH PROCESS.

I I FELT AND IT WAS VERY USEFUL TO HEAR, PARTICULARLY THE FEEDBACK FROM NOT DEVELOPMENTAL ASSOCIATES, NOT FROM US, BUT FROM OTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WHO ACTUALLY INTERACTED WITH THESE CANDIDATES AND WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE A LOT OF A LOT OF REALLY SOLID FEEDBACK. SO WHILE THERE HASN'T BEEN A DECISION MADE THUS FAR, THERE ACTUALLY HASN'T BEEN A DECISION MADE EITHER WAY. SO WE STILL HAVE TWO FINALISTS. TO BE CONSIDERED FROM THAT NATIONAL, THE NATIONAL SEARCH THAT WAS CONDUCTED. AND SO I'M HOPEFUL AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE WILL GET TO A LEVEL OF DECISION MAKING AS IT RELATES TO OUR PERMANENT CITY MANAGER. THE CITY MANAGER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS AND ALL OF THE STAFF IN THE CITY, EXCEPT FOR THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE AND THE MUNICIPAL COURT AND SO IN THE IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT. SO THAT'S ABOUT 600 OR SO EMPLOYEES. AND THE LEVEL OF LEADERSHIP, GUIDANCE, SUPERVISION, MANAGEMENT, COACHING, ACCOUNTABILITY, THAT IS NEEDED, YES. WE AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, CAN HOLD THE CITY MANAGER ACCOUNTABLE, BUT THAT ACCOUNTABILITY HAS TO TRICKLE DOWN. AND WE NEED A PERMANENT LEADER TO FOR THAT VISION AND LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORT WITHIN THE CITY. AND SO HOPEFULLY WITHIN THE NEAR FUTURE, WE'LL BE MAKING A DECISION. COUNCIL MEMBER SHROPSHIRE, THANK YOU.

AND, LET ME JUST SAY I, I REALLY HOPE THAT WE CAN COME TO SOME KIND OF CONSENSUS OR AGREEMENT TO HIRE A CITY MANAGER, IT WAS A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT PUT INTO THE WHOLE PROCESS, AND,

[01:10:09]

I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY FOR THE RECORD THAT THE CURRENT INTERIM CITY MANAGER RECEIVED THE MOST VOTES. HE RECEIVED MORE VOTES THAN ANY OTHER CANDIDATE. AND ALLOW ME TO TELL YOU WHY. HOWARD BROWN IS NOT AFRAID TO TELL PEOPLE NO, WE NEED THAT TYPE OF LEADERSHIP AS OUR CITY MANAGER, HE BRINGS AN EXPERIENCE BASE WHERE HE HAS SERVED AS CITY MANAGER ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.

THAT IS THE REASON WHY HE RECEIVED THE MAJORITY OF THE VOTES TO STAY AS INTERIM, AND WE WOULD LIKE TO GIVE HIM THE AUTHORITY TO DO MORE. AND LET ME TELL YOU WHY THIS WOULD NOT BE UNCOMMON. RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE A CITY ATTORNEY WHO'S NOT PRESENT. WE KNOW SHE'S NOT PRESENT BECAUSE SHE WORKS IN MULTIPLE CITIES. AND WE HAD THAT AGREEMENT. WE HAD A HYBRID AGREEMENT WITH HER WHERE SHE WOULD COME IN, TRAIN A DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY AND TRANSITION THAT PERSON INTO THE POSITION PERMANENTLY. THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE WHO VOTED FOR HOWARD TO STAY PROPOSED THE SAME PROCESS BECAUSE A CITY MANAGER, DESPITE THE QUALIFICATIONS AND THE EXPERIENCE IT HAS TO BE A PERFECT FIT. AND WE'VE KNOWN FROM HISTORY THAT SOMETIMES IT'S DIFFICULT TO FIND THAT FIT. BUT IF YOU HAVE A CITY MANAGER WHO BRINGS IN A DEPUTY CITY MANAGER TO MAKE SURE THEY TRAIN AND THE CITY HAS THEM ON AN INTERIM BASIS, IT'S LESS HEARTBURN FOR EVERYONE. SO TO SAY THAT THERE WAS A MINORITY, IT WASN'T FIVE VOTES, BUT IT WAS THE MAJORITY OF THE VOTES FOR HOWARD BROWN. SO LET ME JUST STATE FACTS. HOWARD BROWN WAS NOT ONE OF THE 23 APPLICANTS. HE DID NOT APPLY TO BE THE PERMANENT CITY MANAGE. TO DATE, THERE HAS BEEN NO VOTE ON THE FINAL LIST, NOR HOWARD BROWN AND THREE IS NOT THE MAJORITY OF SEVEN. SO I THINK OTHER COUNCILMEMBERS, NO, I DON'T SEE ANYONE ELSE CHIMED IN. AND WE DON'T NEED TO BELABOR THIS POINT, BUT FACTS ARE, HOWARD BROWN DID NOT APPLY, SO HE CAN'T BE ONE OF THE CANDIDATES. THERE'S BEEN NO VOTE ON AN INTERIM CITY MANAGER, A PERMANENT CITY MANAGER OUT OF THE TWO FINALISTS, AND THERE'S ABSOLUTELY BEEN NO VOTE ON HOWARD BROWN. AND AGAIN, THREE OUT OF THREE OUT OF SEVEN IS NOT A MAJORITY. SO WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR COMMITTEE REPORTS. WE HAVE, THE BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING IS MEETING TOMORROW, THE HR COMMITTEE HAS AN UPCOMING MEETING AS WELL. AND HR TALKING ABOUT GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE AS WELL AS EVALUATION AND REVIEW OF OUR DIRECT REPORTS. AND IN BUDGET, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BUDGET CALENDAR AS WELL AS VARIANCE REPORTS. IS THERE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE COUNCIL AGENDA? MADAM MAYOR? SO AT THE TIME THAT I MOVE FORWARD, I DOUBLE CHECK AND TRIPLE CHECK TO MAKE SURE NOBODY'S LIGHTS WERE ON. SO THERE WERE NO LIGHTS ON, BUT UNDERSTANDING THAT NOW COUNCIL MEMBER LIGHT IS ON AND I'M NOT SURE IF SHE WANTS TO MAKE THE MOTION ON THE ADOPTION OF THE COUNCIL AGENDA OR WOULD

[01:15:02]

BUT REST ASSURED, I CHECKED MY SCREEN SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE I MOVED FORWARD TO MAKE SURE NOBODY ELSE WAS IN. I'LL GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER CUMMINGS COUNCIL MEMBER, SHROPSHIRE, AND THEN I'LL COME TO YOU. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR, AND MY STATEMENT, MY COMMENT WILL BE WITH REGARDS TO THE NATIONAL SEARCH FOR THE CITY MANAGER. AND JUST TO KIND OF ECHO SOME OF THE SENTIMENTS OF MY COLLEAGUE, BUTLER. TRUE. WE DO NEED TO, HAVE A PERMANENT CITY MANAGER IN PLACE, AND ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE WERE IN SUPPORT OF, INTERIM CITY MANAGER, HOWARD BROWN WAS BECAUSE, NUMBER ONE, HE IS HE IS NOT AFRAID TO SAY NO. BUT NUMBER TWO, WHEN WE TALK, WHEN WE I'VE POLLED JUST, A LOT OF THE EMPLOYEES HERE, THEY ARE COMFORTABLE WITH MR. BROWN, WITH HIS EXPERIENCE THAT HE BRINGS. I THINK IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY. I THINK IT PUTS THE CITY IN A GOOD POSITION. WE DO HAVE A LOT OF VOIDS IN THE CITY THAT DO NEED TO BE FILLED, AND I THINK IT'S, BECAUSE MR. BROWN HAS BEEN HERE, HE'S SEEN SOME OF THE PROBLEMS, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THE CITY NEEDS BECAUSE OF THE EXPERIENCE THAT HE DOES HAVE. I THINK THAT HE CAN HELP US TO FILL THOSE VOIDS, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S UNFAIR TO BRING ANYONE INTO THIS SITUATION WITH ALL THE AMOUNT OF VOIDS THAT WE HAVE THAT KNOWS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT THE CITY AND AT LEAST IF MR. BROWN COULD KIND OF PUT US IN A POSITION WHERE WE CAN GET A MAJORITY OF THESE POSITIONS FILLED, IT ALLOWS THAT NEW CITY, THAT NEW CITY MANAGER TO COME IN AND TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH A WELL-TUNED MACHINE, AS OPPOSED TO COMING IN AND HAVING TO PLUG ALL THESE VOIDS FOR A CITY THAT HE KNOWS THAT HE OR SHE KNOWS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT. SO I AM IN SUPPORT OF MR. BROWN STAYING ON. AND NO, HE DID NOT APPLY FOR THE POSITION. BUT EVEN IF WE KEPT HIM ON ON A SIX MONTH BASIS AT LEAST TO GET US TO A POINT THAT WE CAN SORT OF THAT WE CAN GET THESE POSITIONS FILLED AND GET THE CITY ON THE RIGHT TRACK. IT'LL BE A SMOOTHER TRANSITION FOR A PERMANENT PERSON TO COME INTO THIS POSITION. THE APPLICATION PROCESS WAS OPEN. NO ONE WAS PREVENTED FROM APPLYING. MR. BROWN DID NOT APPLY FOR THE PERMANENT CITY MANAGER POSITION, AND IF YOU SEARCH HIS NAME, YOU'LL SEE HIM CONNECTED WITH ANOTHER CITY. ALSO, THERE HAS NOT BEEN A VOTE, I'LL SAY THAT AGAIN. THREE IS NOT THE MAJORITY OF SEVEN. I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING AT THIS POINT. I MEAN, WE WILL BE HAVING EXECUTIVE SESSION DISCUSSIONS REGARDING, SOME STAFFING OR PERSONNEL ISSUES TONIGHT, BUT IF ANYONE ELSE WOULD LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING ON THE NATIONAL SEARCH, PLEASE MOVE FORWARD. MR. BROWN IS NOT EVEN BEING CONSIDERED BECAUSE HE DIDN'T APPLY AND THE APPLICATION PROCESS WAS OPEN TO EVERYONE, AND HE WAS NOT PREVENTED FROM APPLYING. THE APPLICANTS WHO WENT THROUGH A VERY RIGOROUS PROCESS AND WERE ASSESSED, AND WE USED OVER $32,000 OF TAXPAYERS DOLLARS TO CONDUCT THIS THOROUGH, SEARCH TO NOW SAY THAT SOMEONE WHO DIDN'T GO THROUGH THE SEARCH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AND TRUMPED ALL OF THAT WORK. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN SAY IS MOST RESPONSIBLE. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTIN ROGERS. YES. AND I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE, WE CANNOT TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT'S UNFAIR. WHAT IS UNFAIR IS THAT THE MAJORITY OF US WERE A PART OF THAT HIRING PROCESS. THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROCESS, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD, WE TALK ABOUT TRANSPARENCY. $34,000 WAS PUT UP FRONT, NOT TO MENTION WHAT WE ARE CURRENTLY PAYING MR. BROWN TO BE IN THE CITY OF EAST POINT PART TIME. IF YOU DO GOOGLE HIS NAME, HE COMES UP AS BEING EMPLOYED IN ANOTHER CITY. SO WHERE'S THE JUSTIFICATION OR THE FAIRNESS IN THAT? WE WERE UNDER THE I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT WE WERE HIRING SOMEONE FULL TIME AND HERE I HAVE TEXT MESSAGES FROM RESIDENTS THAT ARE ABLE TO SHOW ME AND VALIDATE THAT HE'S WORKING IN EAST POINT PART TIME. SO WHERE'S THE FAIRNESS IN THAT, AGAIN, HE DIDN'T APPLY FOR THE JOB. WE ARE STILL CURRENTLY WAITING ON THINGS. I FEEL AS THOUGH I AM A FULL TIME COUNCIL MEMBER BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE LEADERSHIP WITHIN THE CITY. WE DON'T. I'VE ASKED FOR ITEMS NINE MONTHS AGO AND DUE TO US NOT HAVING LEADERSHIP OR PROPER DIRECTION IN THE CITY, I STILL DON'T HAVE THOSE ITEMS. MY CONSTITUENTS ARE WAITING AND IT'S JUST A CONSTANT RIDE ON A HAMSTER WHEEL. SO NO, WE NEED TO

[01:20:05]

IT DOES NOT SAY PART TIME OR CONSULTANT COUNCIL MEMBER, I JUST WANTED TO ADD, I MEAN, I COMPLETELY RESPECT COUNCIL MEMBER, BUTLER AND COUNCIL MEMBER CUMMINGS. APPROVAL FOR MR. BROWN'S PERFORMANCE, AND I RESPECT THAT. I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY, MR. BROWN CAME TO US BECAUSE, YES, A MAJORITY DID VOTE WHEN WE WERE DOING THE INTERIM PROCESS. MR. BROWN WAS THE CANDIDATE IN THE INTERIM SEARCH. BUT AS THE MAYOR HAS STATED MULTIPLE TIMES, MR. BROWN WAS NOT PART OF THE PERMANENT SEARCH. HE WAS NOT A CANDIDATE UP FOR CONSIDERATION. SO COUNCIL MEMBER BUTLER IS CORRECT. WE DID VOTE TO BRING HIM ON AS OUR INTERIM, AND THAT WAS THE MAJORITY DECISION. HOWEVER, HE WAS NEVER PART OF THE CONSIDERATION FOR OUR PERMANENT CITY MANAGER. YES, MADAM MAYOR. YES, MR. BROWN? YES, I'D JUST LIKE TO RESPOND TO SOMETHING I HEARD EARLIER, I APPRECIATE YOUR YOUR CANDIDNESS AND BRINGING FORTH THAT I AM A CONSULTANT AND I AM WORKING AS A SUBCONTRACTOR FOR THE CONSULTANT THAT THE CITY OF EAST POINT HIRED, I CAN JUST TELL YOU THAT I DON'T THINK THIS JOB IS A PART TIME JOB. IT'S NOT BEING HANDLED AS A PART TIME JOB. AND, YOU KNOW, IF, IF, IF THERE'S AN ISSUE WITH, YOU KNOW, MY ATTENDANCE, THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT NOW, BECAUSE I'M EXPECTED TO BE HERE AND PERFORM AND ANSWER CALLS AT NIGHT ON WEEKENDS. AND I'M MORE THAN WILLING TO SIT DOWN AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT. BUT I HEAR THE WORD PART TIME, AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S A FAIR REPRESENTATION OF MY ATTENDANCE.

IF THAT'S AN ISSUE, JUST WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT NOW. IF YOU'D LIKE. BUT IN ALL FAIRNESS, I DID NOT APPLY FOR THE FULL TIME JOB. I AM NOT APPLYING FOR THE FULL TIME JOB. I AGREED TO STAY ON, TO HELP YOU GUYS GET TO HIRING A PERMANENT PERSON, SO WHATEVER THAT TAKES, IT, THAT'S WHERE I'M AT. SO I JUST WANT YOU GUYS TO KNOW THAT. YEAH. I THINK WHAT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER IS THAT THERE IS A MAJORITY OF COUNCIL WHO SUPPORTS MR. BROWN CONTINUING. SO COUNCIL MEMBER FRIEDLI, YOU ARE CORRECT IN THAT WHEN WE MADE THE DECISION TO HIRE THE CONSULTING FIRM THAT BROUGHT IN MR. BROWN, THAT DECISION WAS MADE BY A MAJORITY VOTE OF COUNCIL, IF NOT UNANIMOUS. I DIDN'T LOOK AT THE MINUTES ON THAT, BUT THE THERE HAS NOT BEEN A DECISION OR VOTE TAKEN AROUND WHETHER OR NOT OR HOW LONG MR. BROWN WILL CONTINUE OR A MAJORITY VOTE FOR HIS CONTINUANCE IN THAT ROLE. AND MR. BROWN HAS JUST INDICATED HE'S NOT LOOKING TO SERVE IN THAT ROLE, THE, THE LEAD OF LEADER OF THAT CONSULTING FIRM SHOULD BE HERE SHORTLY. AND WE'LL PROBABLY TALK ABOUT THAT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. ALL RIGHT. CAN I GET A MOTION TO ADOPT THE

[VIII. ADOPTION OF THE COUNCIL AGENDA]

[IX. APPROVAL OF CITY COUNCIL MINUTES]

MADAM MAYOR. YES COUNCILWOMAN SHARP, A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION FROM SEPTEMBER THE 9TH. SO MOVED. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL THOSE OPPOSED? MOTION

[X. PUBLIC HEARING]

[01:25:03]

SPEAKERS MAY GIVE A TOTAL OF THREE MINUTES TO ANOTHER SPEAKER. AFTER ALL OF THOSE PRESENT HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, RESIDENTS WILL BE GIVEN FIRST PRIORITY TO SPEAK.

AFTER ALL, RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. NON RESIDENTS MAY SPEAK BY MAJORITY VOTE. THE COUNCIL MAY INCREASE THE TOTAL TIME FOR EACH SIDE OF THE SUBJECT TO A TOTAL OF 30 MINUTES PER SIDE. EACH SIDE WILL BE GIVEN THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME. SPEAKERS MUST ADHERE TO THE RULES OF DECORUM. THANK YOU. AND CAN I GET A MOTION TO OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPERTY TAX MILLAGE RAT? COUNCIL MEMBER ROGERS MOTION TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPERTY TAX MILLAGE RATE. COUNCIL MEMBER FRIEDLI. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL THOSE OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. THE FLOOR IS NOW OPEN. MR. BROWN, IS FINANCE STAFF HERE, YES, MADAM MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, IF WE CAN GET MR. JACKSON AND SHANNON GOLDEN TO COME UP AND GIVE US AN OVERVIEW OF THE TAX MILLAGE RATE. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. MY NAME IS JEFFREY JACKSON. I'M THE TAX COORDINATOR FOR THE CITY OF EAST POINT. I'M HERE TO PRESENT THE MILLAGE RATE PRESENTATION TONIGHT. STATE REQUIREMENTS. OFFICIAL CODE OF GEORGIA 48 FIVE DASH 32 REQUIRES EACH LEVYING AND RECOMMENDING AUTHORITY TO ANNUALLY PUBLISH THE ASSESSED TAXABLE VALUE OF ALL PROPERTY BY CLASS, AND IN TOTAL, THE PROPOSED MILLAGE RATE FOR THE LEVYING AND RECOMMENDING AUTHORITIES PURPOSES FOR THE CURRENT CALENDAR YEAR, AND ASSESSED TAXABLE VALUES AND MILLAGE RATES FOR EACH OF THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING FIVE CALENDAR YEARS. THE ADVERTISEMENT MUST ALSO INDICATE THE PERCENTAGE INCREASE AND TOTAL DOLLAR INCREASE FOR EACH YEAR ADVERTISED. OFFICIAL CODE OF GEORGIA 48 FIVE DASH 32.1 REQUIRES EACH LEVYING AND RECOMMENDING AUTHORITY TO COMPLETE A ROLLBACK MILLAGE RAT, SHOWING NOW, IS THE 2425 FISCAL YEAR. AND THE PRECEDING. FIVE YEARS. THE REAL AND PERSONAL THAT WE HAVE IS $2,295,748,371.

WHEN WE ADD MOTOR VEHICLE OF 4,052,630, WE ADD MOBILE HOMES OF 76,119. THAT GIVES US A GROSS TOTAL OF $2,299,877,120. WE HAVE A TOTAL, EXCEPT WE HAVE EXEMPTIONS. TOTALING $132,690,908, WHICH GIVES US A NET TOTAL OF 2,000,000,161, $7,186,212, WITH A MILLAGE RATE THAT WE'RE PROPOSING AT 13. THAT GIVES US A NET TAX LEVY OF. $28,173,421. THAT'S AN INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR. OF $2,409,970, A 9.35% INCREASE WITH THE ROLLBACK MILLAGE RATE AT 12. AND OUR PROPOSE OF 13 MILLS. THAT'S A ROLLBACK. THAT'S AN INCREASE OVER THE ROLLBACK MILLAGE RATE

[01:30:09]

THAT'S GOING TO TAKE THOSE TAXES TO TWO $2,227.26. THAT'S AN INCREASE OF $173.26 A YEAR, $14.44 PER MONTH, AND $0.47 A DAY. THE NEXT SLIDE SHOWS THOSE SAME VALUES AT $300. AND AS IT, $300,000, THE ASSESSED VALUES SHOW. AND THEN IF WE GO TO 24, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE 8.3 INCREASE TAKES A $300,000 HOUSE TO $324,990, WITH AN ASSESSED 40% VALUE, -2000 BRINGS IT TO $127,996 AT THE 13 MILL RATE THAT MAKES THE TAXES INCREASE BY $129.95 TO $1,663.95, WHICH IS AN INCREASE OF 10.83 PER MONTH AND $0.36 PER DAY. AND THAT CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. AGAIN. SHIFT OVER THERE. ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO COME AND SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE. TAX MILLAGE, PROPOSED TAX MILLAGE RATE. PLEASE COME FORWARD AT THIS TIME. IF THERE'S ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR, ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR. IS THERE ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK AGAINST THE PROPERTY TAX MILLAGE RATE COME FORWARD AT THIS TIME? GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS ANNA ADAMS, 2187 NOONAN STREET IN WARD V. FIRST, I'D LIKE TO THANK MR. JACKSON FOR CALCULATING AND PRESENTING DIFFERENT MILLAGE RATES THIS YEAR. IT IS GREAT TO HAVE THESE OPTIONS TO DISCUSS AND EVALUATE. THAT BEING SAID, I SPEAK IN OPPOSITION OF THE PROPOSED MILLAGE RATE OF 13 AND IN FAVOR OF THE MILLAGE RATE OF 12.75, 12.75 MILLS WILL SUPPORT THE CITY, WITH THE ADDITIONAL $1.6 MILLION NEEDED TO SUPPORT THE ADOPTED BUDGET THAT WAS JUST PASSED. 12.75 MILL IS AN INCREASE OF 6.25% OVER THE ROLLBACK RATE OF 12 MILLS, BUT I DO SUPPORT THAT INCREASE BECAUSE THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 25 HAS BEEN EXTENSIVELY DISCUSSED AND PROJECTS AND EXPENSES HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED AND JUSTIFIED IN 154 PAGES, I OPPOSE A RATE OF 13 MILLS, BECAUSE TODAY IT WAS NOT PRESENTED. HOW WE ARRIVED AT THE PROPOSED NUMBER OF 13 MILLS. WHY 13 MILLS IS NECESSARY FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR, AND WHAT EXACTLY THE MONEY WILL BE USED FOR? THERE IS ALWAYS THE POTENTIAL FOR ECONOMIC DOWNTURN AND LOW TAX COLLECTION RATES. HOWEVER, I'D EXPECT THAT THERE IS SOME SLACK BUILT INTO THE BUDGET AND THERE ARE RESERVES TO MAKE UP FOR SOME LEVEL OF UNCERTAINTY AND FLUCTUATION, SOMETHING KEEPS

[01:35:04]

I DON'T ARGUE THAT MONEY IS NEEDED FOR THE SERVICES, AND ALL THE IMPROVEMENTS ARE DESPERATELY NEEDED. I DO HAVE CONCERNS THOUGH ABOUT THIS ONE TWO PUNCH APPROACH. FIRST, THERE IS AN INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAXES THROUGH THE BUDGET, AND THEN COMES THE INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAXES AS PER MILITARY DISCUSSION WHERE WE CONTINUE TO STICK WITH THE MILLAGE RATE AND NOT THE DOLLAR AMOUNT AS PER ADOPTED BUDGET. AND IN MY OPINION, WE ARE NOT TRYING HARD ENOUGH TO JUSTIFY AND QUANTIFY THIS DECISION. I'M ALSO NOT YET CONVINCED ABOUT THAT BY THROWING MORE MONEY PROPERTY TAX MONEY AT THE PROBLEM. WE ARE CLOSING TO QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS AND AGAIN, I'M IN FAVOR OF 12.75 MILLS AND HOPE FOR THE CITY TO WORK ON DELIVERING THE ADOPTED BUDGET.

FINISH THE FISCAL YEAR 2023 AND 24 AUDITS, FILLING THE INTERIM POSITIONS AND OTHER VACANCIES, AND FIX THE ISSUES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN PRIOR AUDITS. THANK YOU. SO I'D LIKE TO SPEAK AGAINST THE PROPERTY, AGAINST THE PROPERTY TAX MILLAGE RATE. GOOD EVENING. I'M JEFFREY HEMMING OF 2197 PRIMROSE. I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT OUR CITY HAS ENJOYED A VERY FIRM FINANCIAL FOOTING FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS UNDER THIS LEADERSHIP AND THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS, MY NEIGHBOR AND I HAVE CAREFULLY REVIEWED THE MOST RECENTLY AVAILABLE AUDIT REPORTS TO UNDERSTAND NOT FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, BUT FROM THE EXPERTS PERSPECTIVE. WHAT IS THE FINANCIAL HEALTH OF OUR CITY, EACH AUDIT REPORT INCLUDES A SECTION CALLED THE GENERAL FUND.

BUDGETARY HIGHLIGHTS. AS REPORTED BY SEVERAL OTHER CITIES, THIS SECTION PROVIDES THE BUDGET TO ACTUAL COMPARISON STATEMENTS THAT OUTLINES THE ORIGINAL BUDGET. THE AMENDED BUDGET, THE ACTUAL, THE ACTUAL AMOUNTS AND ANY VARIANCE BETWEEN THE FINAL BUDGET AND THE ACTUAL AMOUNTS YOU COLLECTED IN OUR AUDITS. IT GIVES A PRECISE NUMBER OF HOW MUCH REVENUE WE GENERATED, WHAT PERCENT OF OUR PROJECTED REVENUE WE ACTUALLY COLLECTED, AND FINALLY, WHAT PERCENT OF OUR ADOPTED BUDGET WE SPENT AS REPORTED IN THE AUDITS BETWEEN FY 2019 AND FY 22, THE CITY ON AVERAGE GENERATED MORE REVENUE THAN IT SPENT. IT HAS SUCCESSFULLY CAPTURED ON AVERAGE, 101.2% OF THE PROJECTED REVENUE. HOWEVER, ON AVERAGE FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS OR THE LAST FOUR YEARS, WE HAVE ONLY SPENT ABOUT 88.1% OF THE BUDGET. SO STATED DIFFERENTLY, THE CITY IS BRINGING IN MORE THAN IT IS ACTUALLY SPENDING. WHILE THIS ANALYSIS THAT WE DID CANNOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE FY 2023 BUDGET YEAR BECAUSE THAT AUDIT REPORT IS NOT AVAILABLE, WE HAVE SOME CONFIDENCE THAT YOU ALL CAN DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REEVALUATE OUR MILLAGE RATE BEFORE PUSHING OUR CITY RESIDENTS TO DIG IN OUR POCKETS TO GIVE YOU ANY MORE MONEY. WE'RE NOT CLOSE TO FINANCIAL DISREPAIR, AND WE ASK YOU NOT TO ASK FOR ANOTHER DOLLAR FROM US. LAST YEAR, YOU ALL KEPT THE MILLAGE RATE AT 13, WHICH LIKELY RESULTED IN ADDITIONAL $4.4 MILLION IN TAX REVENUE. GIVEN THE CONSISTENT REVENUE CAPTURE THAT AVERAGES AGAIN 101.2 ACROSS THE PREVIOUS YEARS, IT'S LIKELY THAT OUR CITY, IN FACT, HAS RECOUPED AGAIN MORE MONEY THAN YOU'VE SPENT. SO THAT'S ROUGHLY ABOUT $500,000 THAT YOU PROBABLY HAVE IN YOUR COFFERS, COFFERS THAT'S NOT YET SPENT, MOREOVER, WE'RE STILL WAITING ON PROMISES FROM THAT $4.4 MILLION TO BE MATERIALIZED. YOU TOLD US THAT WE WERE GOING TO GET THE COMPENSATION STUDY. WE KNOW THAT WE'RE IN PHASE TWO OF THAT. THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO RESULT IN SALARY INCREASES AND PROMOTIONS AND OTHER PLANNED EXPENDITURES TO BOOST EMPLOYEE MORALE IN THIS

[01:40:04]

AND THEN ALSO WE ARE EXPERIENCING WHAT FEELS LIKE A DEFICIT, AS EVIDENCED BY ALL THE RECENT POWER OUTAGES AND MANY OTHER THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING. WE HAVE ENOUGH TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO, AND WE'RE ASKING YOU NOT TO ASK US TO DIG INTO OUR POCKETBOOKS OR WALLETS FOR ANY MORE MONEY UNTIL YOU DELIVER 100% OF THE SERVICES THAT WE'VE ALREADY PAID AND INVESTED INTO THIS CITY, PLEASE DO NOT ADOPT A 13 MILL MILLAGE RATE. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION TO THE PROPERTY TAX MILLAGE RATE? GOOD EVENING, MY NAME IS DANA RENDER.

I'M IN WARD B, I'M AT 2937 BLUNT STREET AND, I BELIEVE OUR SENTIMENTS, AT LEAST MY SENTIMENTS, ARE THAT WE'VE LOST A LOT OF FAITH IN WHAT'S BEING SAID TO US. FROM THE POWER OUTAGES TO THE LACK OF SAFE, PEDESTRIAN CORRIDORS. WE'VE BEEN PROMISED SIDEWALKS ON CERTAIN PLACES FOR YEARS NOW, TO THE LACK OF DEVELOPMENT FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, TO LOSING OUR HOSPITAL TO THE POSSIBLE LOSS OF ANOTHER SCHOOL THAT OUR PROPERTY TAXES SHOULD BE HELPING TO FUND. TO HEARING ABOUT AN EIGHT MONTH VACANCY FOR OUR CITY FOR A PERMANENT CITY MANAGER WHERE WE'VE HAD $32,000 TO SPEND AND WE'RE NOT REALLY CLOSER TO GETTING THAT. WE'RE TIRED. I'M TIRED. I'M MOVED TO THE CITY. IN 2018, I BOUGHT MY HOUSE BECAUSE I JUST THOUGHT THAT HIS POINT WAS SO CHARMING AND THAT THERE WAS SO MUCH POTENTIAL IN THIS CITY, AND I'M LOSING FAITH IN THAT. I AM A RESIDENT THAT HAS THE MEANS TO GO WHERE I WANT, BUT I WANT TO STAY HERE BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT CAN'T. SO I WANT TO SPEAK FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY CANNOT. WE HAVE A LOT OF LEGACY RESIDENTS THAT WANT TO STAY IN PLACE. THIS MILLAGE RATE AND WHAT YOU'RE TELLING US, IT DOESN'T SEEM THAT IT'S GOING TO PROVIDE WHAT WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR. THAT COMMUNITY STUDY THAT WAS DONE IN MY COMMUNITY AND TWO OTHERS IN MY MIND, THAT WAS A GREAT THING TO DO. BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYTHING IS REALLY GOING TO BE DONE ABOUT THAT. I DON'T BELIEVE IT. AND I, FOR ONE, AM TIRED OF SEEING SUCH A WONDERFUL PLACE JUST GO DOWNHILL. WE HAVE PRIME REAL ESTATE TO THE AIRPORT. IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. AND THE LAST THING THAT I WOULD WANT TO SEE IS THAT THE CITY OF EAST POINT GET ANNEXED BY THE CITY OF ATLANTA, BECAUSE WE HAVE MISMANAGED WHAT GYM WE HAVE HERE. SO I'M ASKING YOU ALL THAT MILLAGE RATE TO INCREASE IT. IF YOU'RE GETTING THE MONEY. I'VE SEEN THAT YOU'RE GETTING MORE PROPERTY TAXES. MY PROPERTY TAXES GO UP EVERY SINGLE YEAR AND I PAY THEM IF WE'RE GETTING IT. IT NEEDS TO BE ALLOCATED PROPERLY AND WE WANT TO SEE THAT PROGRESS. WE WANT SAFE STORES TO SHOP AT. I WANT TO BE ABLE TO CALL 911 WHEN I HEAR A GUNSHOT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND NOT HAVE THE PHONE RING FOREVER. I THINK ABOUT THAT BABY THAT WAS KILLED ON NEW YEAR'S EVE. COULD THERE BEEN A FASTER RESPONSE? WE'RE TIRED AND WE DON'T WANT THE LIP SERVICE ANYMORE. ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION TO THE PROPERTY TAX MILLAGE RATE. ANYONE. WHO ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION TO THE PROPERTY TAX MILLAGE RATE. ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK IN

[01:45:01]

WE HAVE REDUCED THE MILLAGE RATE BECAUSE WE WANTED TO TRY TO MITIGATE THOSE INCREASES IN YOUR PROPERTY TAXES, BECAUSE MAJORITY OF US HERE PAY PROPERTY TAXES TOO. SO NOT ONLY DO WE PAY THE TAXES, WE UNDERSTAND HOW YOU FEEL BECAUSE OUR TAXES INCREASE TO IN ORDER TO DELIVER THOSE SERVICES, WE HAVE TO HAVE REVENUE. AND IF YOU HAVE, EVERYBODY KNOWS IN BUSINESS YOU DO NOT DECREASE REVENUE. WHEN YOU ARE INCREASING EXPENSES. SOME OF YOU, BECAUSE YOU'VE DONE THOROUGH HOMEWORK, SPOKE ABOUT THE INCREASE IN EXPENSES, THE DISPARITY STUDY, THE INCREASE IN SALARY TO KEEP PEOPLE HERE. THAT'S POINT TWO. POINT THREE IS, FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE HAVE SIDEWALKS GOING FROM CLEVELAND AVENUE TO 25 DOWN TO WASHINGTON ROAD. WE ARE DOING ROAD PROJECTS ON THE LOW AND HEADLAND AND BEN HILL PLACES WE'VE NEVER DONE. OUR CITY IS STARTING TO COME TOGETHER WHERE IT IS A WALKABLE COMMUNITY, AND THAT'S WHERE YOUR MONEY IS GOING TO INCREASE THOSE TYPE SERVICES FOR YOU. WE HAVE A PATH PROJECT PLANNED. WE HAVE NEW DEVELOPMENT COMING IN THE BUGGY WORKS AND THE WAGON WORKS. WE HAVE BUSINESSES COMING IN HERE LIKE THE BREWERY ON MARTIN.

THIS IS HOW WE ATTRACT THOSE PEOPLE TO YOU. SO I HEAR YOUR RETICENCE. I FEEL WHAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH BECAUSE I HAVE AN INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAXES, TOO. I JUST DON'T WANT THE CONVERSATION TO BE ONE SIDED WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING ALL OF THE FACTS. THERE'S. I'LL CLOSE WITH

[01:50:01]

[01:55:04]

THERE'S CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT. THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS. AND I THINK ONE WAS THE POWER OUTAGE.

THAT'S A WHOLE SEPARATE FUND. THAT'S ENTERPRISE FUND. AND A LOT OF POWER OUTAGES ARE NOT DUE TO THE LACK, THE LACK THAT THE CITY IS DOING. A LOT OF POWER OUTAGES ARE HAPPENING BECAUSE ONE TREES ARE FALLING. PEOPLE ARE HITTING THE POLES. THINGS THAT YOU CAN'T CONTROL. WHAT HAPPENS. SO THE CITY IS WORKING ON THAT ISSUE AND HAS BEEN FOR QUITE SOME TIME. WE'RE STARTING TO PUT THE POWER LINES UNDERGROUND TO HELP STOP SOME OF THE POWER OUTAGES. SO, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON, BUT I, I WILL SAY THIS AGAIN, THE SCHOOL ISSUE, THAT'S THE SCHOOL BOARD. COME GO TO THE MEETING ON THURSDAY AT FLETCHER ROAD IN UNION CITY SO WE CAN ALL STAND AND LET THEM KNOW HOW WE FEEL. THAT'S YOUR PROPERTY TAX PAYING FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD. THANK YOU, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO SPOKE DURING THE PUBLIC HEARING TONIGHT, MADAM DEPUTY CITY CLERK, IF YOU COULD TURN THAT MIC OFF FOR ME, IT AFFECTS HOW WE PROJECT. I JUST NEVER MIND. THANK YOU. MR. GOLDEN. SO IN JANUARY 15TH, 16 AND 17, THE MILLAGE RATE WAS 15 MILLS, WE CAME IN AND HAD TO HOLD STEADY TO ENSURE THAT WE WERE NO LONGER USING THE TAX ANTICIPATION. NOTE A PAYDAY LOAN TO BALANCE OUR BUDGET. THE LAST WE CAME IN IN 14, IN THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL VOTED TO USE ONE FOR THAT YEAR. BUT AT THE END OF 14, WE DID NOT VOTE TO CONTINUE A PAYDAY LOAN. RIGHT, AND SO THEN IN 18, IT WENT FROM 15 TO 13.89. WHAT I DON'T HAVE HERE. SO I DON'T WANT TO OVER SPEAK, IS WHETHER OR NOT THAT WAS THE ROLLBACK RATE, BUT THE NUMBER WENT DOWN RIGHT. THEN WE WENT IN 19 TO 13.45, SO IT WENT DOWN AGAIN. NOT SURE IF IT WAS A ROLLBACK MILLAGE RATE. SO I'M NOT GOING TO OVERSTATE THAT. BUT FOR TWO YEARS WE HELD AT 13.45 THEN WENT TO 13.25. AND MY MEMORY IS PRETTY GOOD FROM THE RECENT YEARS. WE WENT TO 13. BUT THAT WAS NOT THE ROLLBACK MILLAGE RATE RIGHT. SO ALTHOUGH THE NUMBER HAS DECREASED BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING BACK TO THE ROLLBACK, WE HAVEN'T GONE WE HAVEN'T APPROVED THE ROLLBACK MILLAGE RATE OR GONE BACK GONE TO THE ROLLBACK MILLAGE RATE. THAT IS CONSIDERED AN INCREASE. AND WE HAVE TO ADVERTISE IT AS SUCH. I THINK EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1ST, THERE'S GOING TO BE A CHANGE IN THE STATE LAW THAT'S NO LONGER GOING TO REQUIRE THAT TO HAPPEN. AND SO WE'LL SEE WHAT NEXT YEAR LOOKS LIKE, BECAUSE WE WON'T HAVE TO DO THAT IF WE DON'T ROLL BACK RIGHT. BUT NEVERTHELESS, THAT'S WHERE WE ARE. I THINK THE POINTS AROUND HOW WE ARRIVED AT THE 13, WHAT STAFF HAS SHARED IS BASED UPON THE NUMBER IN THE 24, 25 BUDGET. COLLECTIONS ARE NOT GENERALLY 100%. AND SO IF YOU THINK IT'S AROUND, WHAT, 90, 94%. SO IF WE TAKE 94% OF THE VALUE AT 13 MILLS, IT'LL STILL BE A LITTLE LESS THAN THE BUDGETED AMOUNT OF REVENUE FROM TAXES. THAT'S HOW STAFF ARRIVED AT IT. NOT SAYING NOT TAKING A POSITION EITHER WAY, BUT THAT'S HOW THAT NUMBER CAME ABOUT. THEY'VE SHARED THE ROLLBACK RATE AND THEN THE MIDDLE RATE OF 12.75, WHY IS IT NECESSARY? I THINK IS A GOOD QUESTION THAT WE NEED TO ASK. IN THE LAST, LAST TIME LAST YEAR, WHEN WE WERE DOING THE TAX PROPERTY TAX MILLAGE RATE, I SAID WE NEED TO EXPLAIN WHAT WE'RE GOING TO USE. THE INCREASE IN FUNDING FOR. I THINK LAST YEAR WE TALKED ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, SALARIES, WHICH WAS A LARGE PORTION OF THAT AND SOME. BUT WE WERE AND I THINK IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT WITH THE COMMUNITY AS TO WHAT WE THINK THAT ADDITIONAL FUND, ASSUMING WE DO GET 100% WHAT IT WILL BE USED FOR. THE NOT SPENDING OR BEING ABLE TO HAVE A RESERVE. I MEAN, I THINK THERE'S A FINANCIAL PRACTICE THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE ABOUT IS IT SIX MONTHS OF YOUR EXPENSES IN RESERVE? AND SO THERE IS THIS RESERVE FUND BALANCE THAT WE

[02:00:06]

MAYBE AT THAT, HOPEFULLY AT THAT MEETING THERE WILL BE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SHARED ABOUT HOW THE MONEY WILL BE SPENT, AS WELL AS IF WE CAN GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE RESERVE FUND AND WHERE WE ARE WITH THOSE RESERVES, BECAUSE I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND AS WELL, FOR US TO BE ABLE TO KNOW HOW MANY RAINY DAYS WE COULD, BE ABLE TO SURVIVE AT THIS POINT.

AND SO AND THERE IS A STANDARD AS IT RELATES TO THAT. AND SO AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR, COMING TONIGHT. THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE WHO IS I DON'T KNOW, THEY CAN'T SEE US ONLINE ANYMORE BECAUSE OF THE MIGRATION OVER TO A NEW SYSTEM THAT, OVERRODE OUR CURRENT SYSTEM. AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE NOT ON FACEBOOK LIVE AS WE USED TO BE. BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THE LINK ONLINE DOES THAT TAKE YOU TO A VISUAL OR JUST AUDIO IS BOTH. OKAY SO THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO IS HERE AND WATCHING ONLINE AS WELL. WE WILL NOW MOVE TO OUR NEXT PUBLIC HEARING. YEAH, WE CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. WE WERE ON DISCUSSION PUBLIC HEARING. MOTION TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE ALCOHOL LICENSE FOR CONSUMPTION ON PREMISES AT JAMAICAN JERK BEERS.

ANY DISCUSSION? SO MOVED. SO MOVED. OKAY BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED THAT WE OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE APPLICATION FOR ALCOHOL. LICENSE FOR CONSUMPTION ON PREMISES AT JAMAICAN JERK BEERS. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL THOSE OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. MR. BROWN, IS THERE A STAFF OVERVIEW OF THIS ITEM BEFORE I OPEN IT UP TO SPEAKERS, YES, MADAM MAYOR. COME ON IN, CORPORAL, AND WALK US THROUGH THIS ALCOHOL LICENSE. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. CORPORAL JESTER WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. I HAVE MISS AYANA CHAMBERS. SHE'S APPLYING FOR AN ALCOHOL LICENSE FOR CONSUMPTION ON PREMISES. IS A TYPO HERE. IT SHOULD BE AT A NEW BUSINESS. JAMAICAN JERK BIZ, LOCATED AT 3630 MARKETPLACE BOULEVARD. MISS CHAMBERS IS THE REGISTERED AGENT OF A NEW BUSINESS, JAMAICAN JERK BIZ, AND HAS NO HISTORY WITH THE CITY OF EAST POINT. MISS CHAMBERS PASSED THE BACKGROUND PROCESS, ADHERED TO ADVERTISEMENT REQUIREMENTS, AND OBEY ALL BY LAWS REQUIRED AS A NEW APPLICANT. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDS THE ISSUANCE OF ALCOHOL LICENSE FOR CONSUMPTION OR PREMISES OF BEER, WINE AND LIQUOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. CITY ATTORNEY, CORPORAL JUST MENTIONED THAT IT IS A NEW BUSINESS. I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S MATERIAL ENOUGH. THE MOTION WAS FOR THE NAME OF THE BUSINESS. DO WE NEED TO? I DON'T KNOW, DO WE

[02:05:06]

THANK YOU, MAY I HAVE THE APPLICANT BACK, PLEASE? YES. YES, MA'AM. YOUR BUSINESS IS LOCATED RIGHT THERE OFF OF CAMP CREEK. CORRECT? YES. CAMP CREEK PARKWAY. YES, MA'AM. AND I SEE YOU'RE DOING SOME EXTENSIVE RENOVATION NOW. YES. OKAY WELL, WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOU INVESTING IN EASTPOINTE AND I'VE SEEN THE WORK THAT YOU'VE PUT INTO THAT PROPERTY. THANK YOU SO MUCH, I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTIN, YOU WANT TO MAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE? YES, I'D LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE ALCOHOL LICENSE FOR CONSUMPTION ON PREMISES OF AN EXISTING BUSINESS. THE JAMAICAN JERK BEERS LOCATED AT 3630 MARKETPLACE BOULEVARD. COUNCILMAN EIGHT 22ND. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. CONGRATULATIONS. NEXT UP IS, MADAM CITY ATTORNEY, I NEED YOU TO READ THE ZONING PUBLIC HEARING ROOM. CERTAINLY.

IT'S FOUND IN SECTION TEN, DASH 2219 OF THE ZONING CODE. BEFORE ADOPTING ANY CHANGE TO THE ZONING MAPS OR TEXT OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE, THE CITY SHALL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING FOLLOWING THE PUBLIC HEARING BY THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION, WHERE A RECOMMENDATION WAS MADE ON THE PETITION. PUBLIC HEARINGS BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL SHALL BE CONDUCTED AS FOLLOWS. THE PRESIDING OFFICER WILL CALL FOR A MOTION TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE HEARING. THE PRESIDING OFFICER OR HIS OR HER DESIGNEE WILL INTRODUCE THE PROPOSED ZONING AMENDMENT BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL. STAFF WILL THEN BE CALLED UPON TO PRESENT THE PLAN. THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION, AND SUMMARIZE THE STAFF'S WRITTEN REPORT. PERSONS BOTH FAVORING AND OPPOSING THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT WILL THEN BE PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL. THE APPLICANT FOR THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT, OR THE APPLICANT'S DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVE IF ANY, WILL BE ENTITLED TO SPEAK FIRST, FOLLOWED BY OTHER SPEAKERS IN FAVOR OF THE PROPOSAL, FOR A TOTAL OF 15 MINUTES. THOSE WHO OPPOSE THE PROPOSED ZONING AMENDMENT WILL THEN BE PERMITTED TO SPEAK, FOR A TOTAL OF 15 MINUTES BY MAJORITY VOTE OF THE COUNCIL. BY MAJORITY VOTE, THE COUNCIL MAY INCREASE THE TOTAL TIME FOR SPEAKERS, PROVIDED THAT EACH SIDE IS GIVEN THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME. IF THERE IS MORE THAN ONE SPEAKER FOR A SIDE, THE PRESIDING OFFICER MAY LIMIT THE TIME ALLOTTED TO EACH INDIVIDUAL SPEAKER OTHER THAN THE ZONING APPLICANT. THE ZONING APPLICANT MAY RESERVE A PORTION OF HIS ALLOTTED TIME FOR REBUTTAL.

[02:10:05]

THE NEXT SLIDE IS A SITE PLAN RENDERING OF THE PROPOSED 96 NEW APARTMENT HOMES TO BE LOCATED.

THE PROPOSED AMENITIES FOR THIS PROJECT ARE A CLUBHOUSE, A ART ROOM, A FITNESS CENTER, ARTS AND CRAFT ROOM, A YOUTH COMMUNITY CENTER, ON SITE LAUNDRY, OFFICES, A COMPUTER ROOM, A PLAYGROUND WITH BENCHES, A GARDEN, ENHANCED LANDSCAPE AREAS, AND OUTDOOR GAZEBO WITH A GRILL AREA AND SEATING, A DOG PARK AND A WALKING TRAIL AND BIKE RACKS, THESE ARE RENDERINGS OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT. THESE ARE ADDITIONAL RENDERINGS AND FACADES. AND LASTLY, THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF CASE NUMBER P 2024 RC DASH 007-07. THE REZONING.

THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED AT 2382 LOW DRIVE FROM R3 MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL TO MIXED USE DISTRICT WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS. THE FIRST CONDITION APPLICANT MUST ONLY BUILD A MAXIMUM OF THE PROPOSED 96 APARTMENT UNITS. CONDITION NUMBER TWO ENSURE THAT THE BUILDING ELEVATES VARY IN STYLE AND DESIGN. COMPOSED OF BRICK AND CEMENTITIOUS BUILDING

[02:15:08]

[02:20:04]

AT THE TOP OF MY PRESENTATION, WE DID TAKE THAT FIRST STEP OF MAKING THE CITY, AND ANYONE WHO WAS LISTENING TO THAT LAST MEETING AWARE THAT THAT WAS HAPPENING, AND THAT THE INFORMATION THAT WAS BEING DISTRIBUTED WAS FALSE. WE FOLLOWED THAT UP WITH WRITTEN NOTICE TO THE RESIDENTS LAST WEEK, AND IT CULMINATED IN AN IN-PERSON, ON SITE MEETING JUST THIS AFTERNOON AT 430, TO OUR PLEASANT SURPRISE, THAT MEETING WAS FAIRLY WELL ATTENDED. THERE WERE ABOUT 40 RESIDENTS WHO ATTENDED THAT MEETING ON THE SITE THIS AFTERNOON. AND JUST LIKE YOU, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THEIR QUESTIONS WERE ABOUT, WELL, YOU KNOW, WHAT AM WHAT DO I HAVE A RIGHT TO EXPECT? YOU KNOW, WILL I BE ABLE TO COME BACK? WHAT HAPPENS IN THE MEANTIME? AND AS WE SHARED WITH YOU LAST WEEK, WE EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT EVERYONE WHO IS ON THE PROPERTY NOW LIVING IN ONE OF THOSE UNITS WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME RIGHT BACK.

AND OCCUPY A UNIT IN THE NEWLY REDEVELOPED DEVELOPMENT. THEY JUST NEED TO YOU KNOW, PUT THEIR NAME ON A REGISTRY, TO INDICATE THEIR INTEREST, AND SO THEN THAT IS, THE WAY THAT WILL WORK. AND THEN WE MADE THEM AWARE OF THE FACT THAT A AND DP'S PARTNER IN THIS REDEVELOPMENT, LAUREL STREET RESIDENTIAL, IS HANDLING ALL, ALL ASPECTS. EXCUSE ME OF MOVING THAT RESIDENTS HAVE TO DO TO MAKE WAY FOR THIS REDEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY. AND THAT INCLUDES HIRING AND PAYING FOR MOVERS, COORDINATING RESIDENT RELOCATION, FINDING TEMPORARY HOUSING NEARBY FOR EXISTING RESIDENTS, SUPPLYING ALL NECESSARY PACKING MATERIALS THAT RESIDENTS NEED TO MOVE FOR THAT TEMPORARY MOVE AND, COVERING THE COSTS OF TRANSFERRING THEIR UTILITIES. SO AGAIN, WE HAD A VERY GOOD CONVERSATION THIS AFTERNOON, AND WE THINK THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, DONE AN EFFECTIVE JOB OF REBUTTING THAT MISINFORMATION THAT WAS THAT WAS BEING SPREAD, IF WE CAN JUST HIT THAT, THIS IS AN IMAGE FROM, THE FRONT OF THE DEVELOPMENT. SO YOU CAN SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, THOSE BUILDINGS THAT I DESCRIBED, THE 12 BUILDINGS ACROSS THE SITE, THOSE ARE TWO STORY BUILDINGS.

THAT ARE ROUGHLY 60 YEARS OLD. I MEAN, THE DEVELOPMENT IS VERY WELL MAINTAINED, BUT OBSOLESCENCE IS OBSOLESCENCE. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE'S LIVING STANDARDS TODAY ARE NOT THE SAME AS THEY WERE 60 YEARS AGO. AND SO WE REALLY WANT TO UPGRADE THIS PROPERTY, TO MEET THE MODERN NEEDS OF A HOUSEHOLD. THIS IS A VIEW FROM INSIDE THE DEVELOPMENT IN THE MIDDLE, YOU CAN SEE TO THE RIGHT OF THAT IS THE SMALL PLAYGROUND THAT IS THERE NOW, IN THE, IN THE SITE PLAN, YOU CAN SEE THE PLAYGROUND THAT WILL REPLACE IT, WHICH IS IN THE LEFT, SORT OF COMMUNITY GREEN. I WILL DESCRIBE THAT AS, SO INSTEAD OF HAVING 12, TWO STORY BUILDINGS SCATTERED ACROSS THE SITE, WE'RE GOING TO CONSOLIDATE THAT INTO TWO, THREE STORY BUILDINGS THAT ARE FOCUSED MORE ON THE INTERIOR OF THE PROPERTY. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WILL DO IS PULL THOSE BUILDINGS AWAY FROM THE PERIMETER OF THE SITE. FOR MOST OF OUR BOUNDARY, THAT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER, BECAUSE LOOKING AT IT THE WAY IT IS NOW, TO THE RIGHT OF THAT SITE PLAN IS COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT. TO THE REAR OF IT IS THE INDUSTRIAL EAST POINT WATERWORKS. AND THEN SORT OF TO THE REAR IN LEFT, UPPER LEFT IS A NATURE PRESERVE. SO OUR ONLY RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORS ARE DIRECTLY TO THE LEFT OF THIS IMAGE. THERE, ARE HOUSES THAT THAT ARE NEXT TO US AND BACK UP TO US. PULLING THAT THOSE THE BUILDINGS AWAY FROM THE PERIMETER OF THE SITE IS GOING TO ALLOW MORE PRIVACY FOR OUR RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORS, SO WE THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IN ADDITION TO IMPROVING THE EXPERIENCE, OUR RESIDENTS HAVE ON THE SITE, THAT WILL PROVIDE

[02:25:06]

CAN I GET A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES COUNCIL MEMBER SHROPSHIRE. MOTION TO WAIVE THE FIRST READING. MOTION TO WAIVE THE FIRST READING SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE ALL THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES, THE MOTION TO APPROVE AND ADOPT AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE OFFICIAL ZONING MAP OF THE CITY OF EAST POINT BY REZONING PROPERTIES LOCATED AT 2382 LOW DRIVE FROM R3 MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT TO MIX MIXED USE DISTRICT WITH CONCURRENT VARIANCE. COUNCIL MEMBER SHROPSHIRE SO MOVED COUNCIL MEMBER FREELY WITH THE CONDITIONS. YES. THE CONDITIONS AND ORDINANCE SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR. ALL THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION

[XI. PUBLIC COMMENTS]

QUESTIONS FROM THE SPEAKERS MAY NOT BE ADDRESSED DURING THE PUBLIC SPEAKING SECTION OF THE AGENDA. EAST POINT RESIDENTS WILL HAVE PRIORITY OVER OTHER SPEAKERS. THERE WILL BE A TOTAL OF NOT MORE THAN 60 MINUTES FOR THE PUBLIC SPEAKING SECTION OF THE AGENDA, SPEAKERS MAY ONLY ADDRESS THE PRESIDING OFFICER. SPEAKERS SHALL OBSERVE ALL RULES OF DECORUM. NO DEBATE, DISRESPECT OR OBSCENITY SHALL BE TOLERATED. THE PRESIDING OFFICER SHALL RULE ANY SUCH INDIVIDUAL OUT OF ORDER THAT FAILS TO COMPLY WITH THE FOREGOING, YOU MAY CALL THE FIRST SPEAKER, MADAM DEPUTY CITY CLERK, THE FIRST SPEAKER. WE HAVE DOCTOR LAUREN MORET.

HELLO. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR. EXCUSE ME. HOLD ON JUST A MOMENT. DON'T START YOUR TIME YET. PRESS THE BUTTON. RIGHT? YEP I'M SORRY. I SHOULD HAVE SAID THE BUTTON ON THE. I'M SO NEW. NO WORRIES. IF I HAD SAID THE BUTTON ON THE MIC, THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN

[02:30:05]

IF YOU DON'T CARE FOR THE CANDIDATES, PLEASE OPEN YOUR SEARCH AGAIN. THE MILLAGE RATE AGAIN, THESE ARE THINGS THAT I DON'T KNOW A TON ABOUT. I JUST MOVED TO THE CITY IN 21. BUT I'D, REPORTS ABOUT THEIR REPORTS ABOUT HAVING ADDITIONAL FUNDS FROM LAST YEAR. I DEFINITELY LOVE THE IDEA OF A RAINY DAY FUND AND HAVING MONEY IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. WITH THE MILLAGE RATE STAYING THE SAME OR INCREASING, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR SERVICES IN THE CITY? I'D LIKE TO SEE THE SURPLUS OF MONEY FROM PROPERTY TAXES MATCH A SURPLUS OF SERVICES IN THE CITY.

PLEASE ADD SIDEWALKS. I SEE MY STUDENTS AND MY NEIGHBORS DANGEROUSLY TRAVELING TO GET TO WORK OR SCHOOL OR THE GROCERY STORE, AND IT IS HARD ON MY HEART. PLEASE GIVE US SIDEWALKS.

IF 50% OF OUR TAXES GO TO SCHOOLS AND I'M IN THE SCHOOLS EVERY DAY. I, I SEE THAT WE NEED SOME MORE SUPPORT. I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THAT MONEY OR HOW IT'S BEING SPENT. I'LL BE AT THAT MEETING ON THURSDAY. I DON'T WANT TO SEE PARK LANE CLOSED, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO AS RESIDENTS TO HELP KEEP THE POWER FROM GOING OUT? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? DO WE NEED TO BE TRIMMING TREES MORE? I'D LOVE TO KNOW WHAT I COULD DO TO HELP AND BE SUPPORTIVE REGARDING THE LOSS OF POWER. I'D LIKE TO ALSO TAKE A LOOK AT. IS THAT MY TIME? OKAY. I WAS GOING TO ADDRESS A LACK OF BUSINESS, BUT I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU. AND SAY, COME ON DOWN AND SEE A WAY TO GO. SOMEONE TALKED ABOUT MORE PUBLIC ARTWORKS, I'M THE ART TEACHER, ONE OF THE TWO ART TEACHERS. I RUN THE VISUAL ARTS PROGRAM AT TRI-CITIES AND SEE ME SOMETIME. THANK YOU. I HAVE TO BE FAIR. YEAH. VERY MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NO, I APPRECIATE YOU COMING, THOUGH. PLEASE COME BACK. OUR NEXT SPEAKER. NEXT WE HAVE BARBARA BOYCE. AND MAYOR AND COUNCILMAN, MY NAME IS BARBARA BOYCE. I LIVE AT 1356 SAINT MICHAEL AVENUE, EAST POINT IN COLONIAL HILLS. I WAS HERE LAST MONTH COMPLAINING ABOUT THE ENTRANCE AND THE EXITS THAT COME INTO EAST POINT AND GO OUT OF EAST POINT. THEY NEED TO BE PAID. ALSO, I WAS COMPLAINING ABOUT THE LIMBS THAT ARE FALLING IN AND INTO THE STREET. ON MY STREET IS SEVEN TREES THAT NEED TO BE CUT BACK THE THEY DID WHAT YOU ALL DID WAS THE GUY DID COME OUT AND CUT THE LIMBS OFF THE STREETLIGHT, BUT NOW I NEED FOR SOMEONE TO COME AND CUT THE LIMBS BACK. SO SINCE YOU ALL HAVE EXTRA MONEY PRAYFULLY, YOU

[02:35:04]

[02:40:01]

VILLAGES OF EAST POINT. SO I STAND BEFORE YOU WITH A CRUCIAL MATTER THAT AFFECTS THE HEART OF OUR COMMUNITY. AND THAT'S THE PROPOSED CLOSURE OF PARK LANE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. SO PARK LANE ELEMENTARY IS MORE THAN JUST A SCHOOL. IT'S A HISTORIC LANDMARK IN OUR CITY WITH A RICH HISTORY OF DEDICATION TOWARDS EXCELLENCE. SO ESTABLISHED IN 1956, PARK LANE ELEMENTARY HAS BEEN A BEACON OF LEARNING AND A PILLAR OF SUPPORT FOR GENERATIONS, AND STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES. AND OVER THE DECADES, IT HAS GROWN TO BECOME ONE OF THE LAST REMAINING COMMUNITY SIZED SCHOOLS IN OUR AREA, SERVING AS A NURTURING ENVIRONMENT WHERE STUDENTS THRIVE ACADEMICALLY AND SOCIALLY. WHAT SETS PARK LANE APART IS ITS OUTSTANDING SUPPORT FOR SPECIAL NEEDS. IT IS RENOWNED BEING PREFERRED, BEING THE PREFERRED SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM, OFFERING SPECIALIZED PROGRAMS THAT CATER TO THEIR UNIQUE NEEDS. THIS DEDICATION TO CREATING AN ACCOMMODATING AND SUPPORTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IS NOT SOMETHING EASILY FOUND OR SOMETHING THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO REPLACE. SO THIS ISSUE IS PERSONALLY DEEP, DEEPLY PERSONAL TO ME AS THIS IS A SCHOOL THAT I HAVE SHOWN UP FOR IN RECENT YEARS, MOST RECENTLY BEING THE RESTRUCTURING OF THE PLAYGROUND AT THAT SCHOOL FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN. SO I AM ONE WHO'S RECENTLY ENGAGED AND MY FIANCE'S SON, WHO'LL BE MY SON AS A CHILD WITH AUTISM. SO THOSE SERVICES ARE ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO ME AT PARKLAND SCHOOL. SO FOR US, PARK LANE ELEMENTARY ISN'T JUST A SCHOOL. IT REPRESENTS SUPPORT AND A COMMUNITY THAT UNDERSTANDS THE NEEDS THAT LEO, THAT'S HIS NAME, THAT LEO WILL NEED. SO HOWEVER, WE FACE A SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO THIS CHERISHED INSTITUTION. SUPERINTENDENT DOCTOR LOONEY HAS PROPOSED A CLOSING PARK LANE ELEMENTARY DUE TO NEW ENROLLMENT STANDARDS. SUCH A DECISION WOULD NOT ONLY DISMANTLE A HISTORIC INSTITUTION, BUT ALSO DISRUPT THE LIVES OF COUNTLESS FAMILIES WHO DEPEND ON PARK LANE FOR ITS EXCEPTIONAL SUPPORT AND SENSE OF COMMUNITY. SO THE VOTING ON THIS PROPOSAL IS SET TO TAKE PLACE IN FEBRUARY OF 2025, AND UNTIL THEN, WE MUST TAKE ACTION. AND THE WAY WE DO THAT IS BY EMAILING DOCTOR LONELY AND THE FULTON COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD, AND IN THE COMMUNITY MEETING ON THURSDAYS AND SPREADING THE WOR. SO I'M ASKING THAT WE ALL COME TOGETHER AND SUPPORT PARK LANE BECAUSE WE CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE THIS SCHOOL CLOSING. THANK YOU.

NEXT, WE HAVE AN ADAMS. GOOD EVENING, ANNA ADAMS, 2187 UNION STREET. FIRST, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR RESPONSES TO THE MILLAGE RATE COMMENTS, I HAVE A FEW MORE OTHER COMMENTS. WHILE A WHILE BACK, COUNCIL HAD STARTED DISCUSSING HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION IN GENERAL BEFORE OTHER TOPICS TOOK OVER. MY TAKEAWAY FROM THAT DISCUSSION WAS THAT IT IS ACTUALLY QUITE AN INVOLVED PROCESS, AND MORE INVOLVED THAN IT IS. IT APPEARS. SO. MY QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE ALL THE CRITICAL MILESTONES AND DEADLINES? IF COUNCIL WERE TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION? SO I'M JUST IN GENERAL ASKING, WHERE TO GO TO GET CLARITY ON THE PROCESS AND THE TIMELINE, THE SECOND ALSO RELATED TO, HOMESTEAD AND THAT IS THE GEORGIA HOUSE BILL, 581 THAT WAS PASSED THIS YEAR, IN I DON'T KNOW IF, IF THERE IS A PLAN TO EDUCATE EAST POINTERS ON WHAT THAT BILL ACTUALLY MEANS FOR US. I TRY TO READ IT, BUT I GET LOST IN THE DETAILS, THE LANGUAGE, ALSO. BUT I DO UNDERSTAND THAT IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS CAN OPT OUT OF THAT BY MARCH 1ST, AFTER HOLDING THREE PUBLIC HEARINGS, HEARINGS. AND SO MY QUESTION IS WHAT COUNCIL STANCE IS ON THAT TOPIC, THIRD, REGARDING DEPARTMENTAL VACANCIES, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK DOCTOR MARTIN RUTGERS FOR PURSUING THIS TOPIC, AND I HOPE THAT, THERE ARE SOME MORE SPECIFIC NUMBERS AND PLANS AND UPDATES, THAT WILL BE SHARED WITH THE PUBLIC AS WELL. AND THEN FOR MY FINAL COMMENT, I WISH THE COUNCIL, GOOD LUCK AND WORKING ON FIGURING OUT THE PERMANENT CITY MANAGER. I LIKE, THE INTERIM MANAGER, BROWN, VERY MUCH, BUT IF HE HAS NOT APPLIED, I HOPE THAT WE CAN MOVE QUICKLY FORWARD TO FIND A GOOD CANDIDAT.

AND I WISH THE COUNCIL BEST OF LUCK, BECAUSE WE NEED A PERMANENT CITY MANAGER, AND WE NEED TO, AS A PREREQUISITE FOR FILLING THE OTHER LEADERSHIP POSITIONS. THANK YOU. NEXT, WE HAVE DOCTOR JEFFERY HEMMING, AND SHE WAS GIVEN TIME BY A CASTLE. GOOD EVENING AGAIN. I'M JEFFREY HEMMING, I TRY TO FOLLOW THE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT MONEY AND LEADERSHIP. AND SO I DO HAVE A FEW ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ABOUT THE MONEY AND ALSO A FEW ABOUT LEADERSHIP, I APPRECIATE MISS

[02:45:04]

ALSO, THANK YOU, DOCTOR MARTIN ROGERS, FOR CALLING TO TASK THE CITY. THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER TO BRING FORTH THAT VACANCY REPORT. WE HOPE TO SEE IT. BUT YOUR COMMENTS SUGGESTED THAT IT WAS TROUBLING AND MAYBE A LITTLE BIT SCARY BY MY NEIGHBOR. AND OUR BEST ESTIMATION. THERE ARE 19 LEADERSHIP VACANCIES IN CRITICAL DEPARTMENTS. WE ARE MISSING. OBVIOUSLY, A CITY COUNCIL PERSON MEMBER, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE OUTCOME OF THE NEW ELECTION. WE'RE MISSING FOLKS IN THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE. IT GOES ON AND ON AND ON LIKE THIS. AND FINANCE. WE DON'T HAVE A DIRECTOR, A BUDGET MANAGER, A GRANT MANAGER, A GRANT COORDINATOR AND CUSTOMER CARE. WE DON'T HAVE A DIRECTOR OR A DEPUTY, WE'RE MISSING LEADERSHIP AND CONTRACTS AND PROCUREMENT. WE DON'T HAVE AN IT DIRECTOR. AND THIS IS ESPECIALLY TROUBLESOME GIVEN THE RECENT IT GATE WHERE WE LOST ALMOST $1 MILLION TO SOME SORT OF CYBER CYBERSECURITY HEIST, I'M NOT GOING TO READ ALL THESE NOTES, BECAUSE I THINK WHAT I'M TRYING TO REALLY ARTICULATE IS WE DON'T HAVE THE LEADERSHIP IN THE CITY TO MOVE THINGS FORWARD. AND YET YOU CONTINUE TO ASK US FOR MORE. AND THAT JUST DOESN'T THAT DOESN'T COMPUTE OR MAKE SENSE TO ME. I HEAR ALL THE THINGS YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT THE FULTON COUNTY TAXES. THEY OVERTAX US TOO, SO IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE THEN TO DOUBLE DOWN AND CONTINUE TO TAX US, SO I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR, WE CAN CELEBRATE THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE AND WE CAN ALSO ASK YOU FOR BETTER AND WE HAVE GENUINELY BEEN ASKING FOR BETTER FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW, YEARS NOW, I'M NOT GOING TO SAY MONTHS FOR YEARS. AND WE'RE NOT SEEING IT, SEEING IT. AND THEN I LASTLY, JUST WANT TO SAY YOU RAN ON MANY OF THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS RAN ON A PLATFORM OF CHANGE AND PROGRESS. AND SO TO HEAR THAT PEOPLE ARE BEING OBSTACLES IN THE WAY OF CHANGE IN PROGRESS IS SO DISHEARTENING.

I MEAN, TRULY DISHEARTENING. I ASK YOU TO GET LASER FOCUSED ON THE TASKS AT HAND, REPRESENT US WELL, DO THE WORK OF APPOINTING THE LEADERSHIP AND WORK TOGETHER THE POLITICAL ALLEGIANCES THAT WE HEAR ABOUT AND ALL THAT. IT'S NOT WORTH IT TO US BECAUSE IT'S NOT DOING US ANY SERVICE. SO I REALLY, REALLY ASK YOU TO GET VERY CLEAR ABOUT THE INCREASE OR ABOUT MAINTAINING THAT. 13 MILL MILLAGE RATE AND WHAT IT DOES TO US. AND I ASK YOU TO GET VERY CLEAR THAT IF MR. BROWN DOESN'T WANT THE JOB, THEN WE NEED TO HIRE THE PEOPLE THAT DO WANT THE JOB AND WHO ARE GOING TO BE HERE FOR THE LONG HAUL. WE DESERVE BETTER. WE'RE ASKING YOU FOR BETTER. WE HIRED YOU AND ELECTED YOU BECAUSE YOU PROMISED THAT YOU WOULD GIVE US BETTER. SO PLEASE GIVE US BETTER. NEXT WE HAVE BERNARD EDGECOMB. ELAINE FRAZIER. DANA RENDER. OKAY. THANK YOU ALL AGAIN, JUST

[02:50:32]

[XII. CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS]

YES, COUNCILMAN. CAN I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS EIGHT THROUGH 20.

IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE ALL THOSE

[XIII. AGENDA ITEMS]

IS THERE A SECOND? IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL THOSE OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. MR. BROWN, I SEE MR. YES. YES COME ON UP, THOMAS, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, STAFF IS REQUESTING, COUNCIL DISCUSSION, POSSIBLE ACTION TO ALLOW MAYOR TO ALLOCATE EXCESS CAPACITY FOR SALE TO DEFICIT PARTICIPANTS.

THE ALLOCATION WILL SERVE AS A SUPPLEMENTAL CAPACITY AT A RATE OF $6,161.49 KW. THROUGH THE YEAR. IN ADDITION TO HOURLY ENERGY MARKET PRICES, STAFF RECOMMENDS ME TO ALLOCATE THE EXCESS CAPACITY. HOW MUCH EXCESS EXCESS CAPACITY DO WE HAVE CURRENTLY WE? MY APOLOGIES.

CURRENTLY WE HAVE AN EXCESS OF 2.713, 2.7MW. WE HAVE, I'M SORRY, WE HAVE 19.7 IN RESERVE, BUT WE'RE REQUIRED TO KEEP 15% IN RESERVE. I WAS JUST ABOUT TO SAY, WHAT IF WE GET ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT? SO WE HAVE 19IN RESERVE. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 19.7 IN RESERVE. YES MA'AM. SO THAT'S IN THE 2.7. IS OVER THAT 19? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. I SEE ANY COUNCIL MEMBER. WHAT IS THE THREAT OF US HAVING A SHORTAGE IF WE SELL THIS SURPLUS OFF? IF WE WERE TO GET. IT'S A VERY SLIM CHANCE. UNLESS WE GET, LIKE, A DATA CENTER COMING IN, THAT WOULD TAKE UP THE MAJORITY OF THAT. AND THEN WE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO GO INTO THE MARKET, REACH OUT TO ME AND ECG AND GO INTO OPEN MARKET TO PURCHASE, ENERGY. HOW LONG ARE WE OR DO YOU PROPOSE WE SELL THIS EXCESS, IT'S RIGHT NOW. IT'D BE AT FOR, FOR THE NEXT YEAR. SO NEXT YEAR WE'LL GO BACK OUT AND MEET. WE'LL REACH BACK OUT TO US AND REQUEST, WHAT DO WE WANT TO DO WITH OUR EXCESS LOAD? IF WE HAVE ACCESS TO LOAD NEXT YEAR? OKAY. SO THIS IS, ONLY FOR ONE YEAR. YES. EACH YEAR WE HAVE TO COME BACK AND THEY'LL SEND US A REQUEST. WE'LL GO OVER IT AND THEY'LL LET US KNOW HOW MUCH WE HAVE AND HOW MUCH EARNINGS DO YOU THINK WE WOULD GET FROM SELLING THIS EXTRA? I DON'T HAVE THE DATA FOR THAT. I DON'T HAVE THE INFORMATION FOR THAT. NO, SIR.

OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER FREELY, JUST A QUICK QUESTION. IS THIS SORT OF A TYPICAL REQUEST OR IS THIS AN UNUSUAL, THIS IS A TYPICAL REQUEST THAT, YOU KNOW, EACH POINT HAS ALWAYS BEEN LONG IN POWER. SO THIS IS FOR US TO IF WE DON'T MAKE IF WE DON'T DO ANYTHING, WE GET

[02:55:04]

DO WE KNOW HOW LONG THE SECOND PHASE IS GOING TO BE? SO IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE UP TO 6 TO 8 MONTHS BECAUSE OF THE WE HAD TO THE FIRST PHASE, MADAM MAYOR, THEY HAD TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS COMPATIBLE WITH OUR CURRENT SYSTEM, WHICH IS CONTRACT WORKS. AND SO ONCE WE FOUND THAT OUT, NOW THAT WE'RE MOVING TO THE SECOND PHASE, THEY SAID IT WAS GOING TO BE A LOT FASTER, BUT THERE WERE DOCUMENTS, THAT HAD TO BE LIKE PUT ASIDE, WHEREAS THE OTHER DOCUMENTS ARE JUST BEING SENT BACK TO US. ALL RIGHT. CAN WE GET A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER 22? SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, ALL THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. NEXT UP IS ITEM NUMBER 23. MOTION CAN WE GET A MOTION TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION? IS THERE A SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR. ALL THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. THE FLOOR IS OPEN. MR. BROWN, I SEE MR. GOLDEN. YEAH. MR. GOLDEN, ITEM NUMBER 23, PLEASE. YES, SIR. GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR AND COUNCIL, WITH THIS ITEM. THIS ITEM ADDRESSES, THE FINDINGS THAT WE HAD IN PREVIOUS AUDITS REGARDING THE FIXED ASSETS. SO WE'VE SELECTED A VENDOR THAT WILL, COMPLY WITH THE CITY REPORTING REQUIREMENTS AND MAINTAIN ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTROL OF THE CITY ASSETS. SO THEY WILL ASSIST WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE, CITY WIDE FIXED ASSET INVENTORY FOR THE CITY AND IDENTIFY, THOSE ASSETS AND PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE, ACCURATE, FIXED ASSET INVENTORY SO THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO REPORT THESE REQUIREMENTS AND MAINTAIN ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTROL OF THE CITY ASSETS. CAN I GET A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER 23? SECOND, THE MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED ANY DISCUSSIO? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR. ALL THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. NEXT UP IS ITEM NUMBER 24. MOTION TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION

[03:00:05]

MR. BROWN. IT SAYS HUMAN RESOURCES. SO I'M ASSUMING THIS IS COMING FROM MISS JESSIE? YEAH. MISS JESSIE, ITEM NUMBER 24, PLEASE, MADAM MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, THIS IS PHASE TWO OF THE PAY AND CLASSIFICATION STUDY. YOU ALL GENEROUSLY APPROVED IN PHASE ONE. THE, INCREASE IN OUR BEGINNING HOURLY RATE FOR $20 AN HOUR. PHASE TWO WILL TAKE A LOOK USING THE SAME PROCESS THAT THEY USED INITIALLY TO LOOK AT ALL OF THE OTHER POSITIONS IN THE CITY.

THOSE WOULD BE POSITIONS THAT THE CITY CURRENTLY USES. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF POSITIONS. ON OUR PAY PLAN, BUT NOT ALL OF THOSE POSITIONS ARE FILLED. SOME OF THEM HAVE JUST, BEEN THERE FOR SEVERAL YEARS. AS DIFFERENT NEEDS ARISE. BUT THEY ARE NOT CURRENTLY ASSIGNED TO A SPECIFIC DEPARTMENT. SO EVERGREEN SOLUTIONS WILL CHARGE US THE SAME AMOUNT THAT THEY CHARGED FOR PHASE ONE. AND THAT IS $38,000. THEY WE'VE STARTED TO SEND THEM SOME OF THE DATA, SAME TYPES OF DATA THAT WE SENT IN PHASE ONE. AND UPON APPROVAL OF THIS WE CAN START WITH A CALENDAR OF THE MEETINGS AND THE EMPLOYEE SESSIONS THAT ARE NECESSARY TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.

I DON'T SEE ANY LIGHTS GOING TO GET A MOTION TO APPROVE. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED THAT WE APPROVE. ITEM 24. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, ALL THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION

[XIV. COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL]

[03:05:06]

SO I WANTED EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A SEPARATION IN FUNDS. YES. WE ARE FULLY AWARE OF WHAT IS TAXPAYERS DOLLARS, WHICH IS THE GENERAL FUND. BUT WHEN YOU MENTION POWER OUTAGE AND, WHAT POSSIBLY CAN MAKE CAN DO BETTER, THAT'S A SEPARATE FUND WHICH IS CALLED THE ENTERPRISE FUND, SO I JUST WANTED TO CLEAR THAT UP ON OCTOBER TO OCTOBER THE FIFTH, THERE WILL BE A VOTER REGISTRATION RIGHT HERE AT CITY HALL, AND THERE WILL ALSO BE A KID FRIENDLY ZONE, AS WELL AS OTHER THINGS, THAT WILL BE TAKING PLACE TO GO ALONG WITH THAT. WE DO WANT EVERYBODY TO REGISTER TO VOTE. IF YOU HAVE NOT VOTED, IF YOU ARE NOT REGISTERED TO VOTE AND IF YOU NEED TO UPDATE YOUR ADDRESS, NOW IS THE TIME TO DO IT. WE'RE IN A CRITICAL, CRITICAL ELECTION, RIGHT NOW. AND WE NEED EVERYONE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE. IF YOU DON'T KNOW YOUR POLLING PLACE, YOU CAN GO TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S WEBSITE TO FIND OUT WHERE YOU ARE TO GO VOTE. BUT WE DO NEED EVERYONE REGISTERED TO VOTE, AND WE NEED EVERYONE TO GO VOTE. SO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THOSE THINGS IN PLACE. I'M NOT SURE. I THINK EARLY VOTING STARTS LIKE ON OCTOBER THE 7TH. NO IT ENDS OCTOBER. THE 15TH. BUT REGISTRATION ENDS ON OCTOBER THE SEVENTH. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET EVERYBODY REGISTERED TO VOTE AND MAKE SURE THAT YOUR ADDRESS IS UP TO DATE AND, YOU KNOW, YOUR POLLING PLACE TO VOTE, SO I WILL SAY THAT, BUT, LOOK FOR THE FLIER TO COME OUT IN REFERENCE TO THE VOTER REGISTRATION ON OCTOBER THE 5TH, RIGHT HERE AT CITY HALL. THANK YOU.

SO, HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH STARTED ON YESTERDAY, IN SEPTEMBER 15TH AND WILL GO THROUGH OCTOBER. THE 15TH. AND SO THIS IS OUR TIME TO CELEBRATE THE MANY VALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS OF OUR HISPANIC, RESIDENTS, AND NOT ONLY IN THE CITY OF EAST POINT, BUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND THE IMPACT THAT THEY HAVE MADE ON OUR COUNTRY. AND SO I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO CELEBRATE THIS YEAR. I'M TRYING TO FIND THE THEME, FOR THIS YEAR. LET'S SEE. I DON'T SEE IT ON THERE PAGE, BUT PLEASE, CELEBRATE THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF HISPANIC HERITAGE DURING THIS TIME PERIOD. SEPTEMBER 15TH OCTOBER 15TH, ALSO. OH, I CLOSED MY LAPTOP. I WANTED TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT ON SEPTEMBER THE SIXTH OF THIS YEAR, SENATORS OSSOFF AND WARNOCK ANNOUNCED OVER $37 MILLION IN BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW FUNDING FOR SAFER STREETS AND OF THAT, THE CITY OF EAST POINT RECEIVED A $400,000 GRANT TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE SAFETY ACTION PLAN. SO THANK YOU TO OUR SENATORS, SENATORS OSSOFF AND WARNOCK FOR THEIR CONSISTENT,

[03:10:06]

CELEBRATION DINNER, WITH THE TOP INCENTIVE EARNERS. ON RECENTLY AND DURING THAT, DINNER AND DISCUSSION, THERE'S A DESIRE THAT WE HAVE MORE ACTIVITIES AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT DOING MORE MEANT TO LOOK AT THE DATE, BUT SOME TIME AGO, COUNCIL APPROVED THE HEALTHY POINT HAS BEEN A YEAR ROUND INITIATIVE. AND SO WE ARE LOOKING TO KICK OFF THE HEALTHY POINT MIND, BODY AND SOULFUL CIRCUIT SATURDAY, WHERE WE WILL HAVE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES SO PEOPLE CAN HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO YOGA, PILATES, AEROBICS, HAVE MENTAL HEALTH SESSIONS, STRENGTH TRAINING, EVEN ALSO HAVING SOME HEALTH RESOURCES AS WELL AS LUNCH AND LINE DANCING WITH OUR SENIORS AND MAYBE EVEN AN ART COMPONENT. SO WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING THAT. AND I WOULD LIKE TO IN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION. AGAIN, THE HEALTHY POINT IS A YEAR ROUND INITIATIVE, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A MOTION FROM COUNCIL TO APPROVE, THE HEALTHY POINT USE OF CITY FACILITIES FOR CIRCUIT SATURDAYS. SO MOVED. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED. ANY DISCUSSION? DISCUSSION COUNCIL MEMBER. BUTLER. YES, MA'AM. I JUST HAD ONE QUESTION. HOW MANY SATURDAYS DO YOU NEED, WE HAVEN'T DECIDED YET WHETHER IT'S GOING TO BE MONTHLY, BI MONTHLY OR QUARTERLY, BUT, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE DATE. I MEANT TO PULL IT. COUNCIL HAS ALREADY APPROVED THE HEALTHY POINT AS A YEAR ROUND, INITIATIVE WITH THE GOAL OF PROVIDING MORE FREQUENT ACTIVITIES IN ADDITION TO THE 90 DAY HEALTH INITIATIVE. BUT JUST AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION, I'M MAKING THIS SPECIFIC ASKING FOR THE SPECIFIC MOTION. WOULD IT BE AT THE. I'M SORRY IF I MISSED IT. ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE IT AT JEFFERSON PARK? WE'RE LOOKING AT JEFFERSON PARK, ALSO, IT MIGHT BE AT THE ANNEX AT SOME POINT, BUT THE PARK WILL GIVE US THE ABILITY TO PROMOTE THE NEW THE GYM MEMBERSHIPS AS WELL AS THE WEIGHTLIFTING EQUIPMENT THAT'S THERE AND A LOT OF PEOPLE TO SEE THE WHAT WE HAVE IN THE AS IT RELATES TO HEALTH AND WORKOUT ACTIVITIES WITHIN OUR REC CENTE. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES, AS IT RELATES TO THE PARK LANE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CLOSURE, I'LL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME ON THE BOARD ARE CHARACTERIZING ACCOUNTABILITY AS FORCE AND HAVE SAID THAT THEY WERE FORCED TO BUILD CONLEY HILLS, AT THE MEETING ON THURSDAY, I'LL BE RECOUNTING A HISTORY OF ACTUALLY WHAT HAPPENED, AND FULTON COUNTY SCHOOLS ACTUALLY TOLD ALL OF THE VOTERS THE RESIDENTS IN FULTON COUNTY IN 2016, THAT THEY WERE GOING TO REBUILD CONLEY HILLS AND THEN TRIED TO RENEGE ON THAT PROMISE. AND SO, IF ACCOUNTABILITY IS CONSIDERED FORCE, THEN THE FORCE OF ACCOUNTABILITY, ACCOUNTABILITY WILL BE WITH THEM, IT WAS IT'S STILL NOT BUILT, AND THEY ARE NOW CHOOSING TO BUILD A SCHOOL A FEW BLOCKS AWAY FROM ANOTHER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ON LAND THAT THEY ALREADY OWN. AND IF THEY WERE GOING TO DO THAT, THEY COULD HAVE DONE THAT IN 2016. BUT CATHERINE MADDOX, WHO, WAS A STRONG ADVOCATE AND CHAMPION FOR OUR COMMUNITY, WOULD BE IN OUR SCHOOLS, ADVOCATE FOR OUR SCHOOLS, SPEAK UP AND STAND UP FOR OUR SCHOOLS, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE VOTES WERE THERE OR NOT. THAT WAS A PART OF HER WORK. AND TO DATE, THEY STILL HAVEN'T BUILT THE SCHOOL. AND NOW THEY'RE TRYING TO BUILD IT ACROSS NEAR ANOTHER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. SO IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT SOME WOULD CHARACTERIZE THAT AS FORCE WHEN LITERALLY IT'S ACCOUNTABILITY AND ENSURING THAT THEY DO WHAT THEY TOLD THE VOTERS THAT THEY WOULD DO IN 2016. BUT ASIDE FROM THAT, THAT CONVERSATION, A CONVERSATION ABOUT CLOSING PARK LANE HAS CONTINUED TO, COME UP OVER THE YEARS. AND, YOU KNOW, WE GET THE COMMUNITY ENGAGED AND THEN IT GOES AWAY. AND THEN SO THIS WHOLE NOTION OF LOW ENROLLMENT, AND IF THEY CLOSE THE SCHOOL IN THE SOUTH, THEY GOTTA CLOSE THE SCHOOL IN THE NORTH. IF THEY CLOSE THE SCHOOL IN THE NORTH, THEY GOTTA CLOSE THE SCHOOL AND SOUTH, LIKE, WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR EQUALITY ON THIS, WE ARE LOOKING AT, I THINK THE LOW ENROLLMENT IS PRETEXT FOR WHAT THEY'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO, THE SCHOOL HAS NOT BEEN WELL MAINTAINED AND IT HAS NOT BEEN

[03:15:02]

THIS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER, THE 19TH SOUTH LEARNING CENTER, 4025 FLAT SHOALS ROAD, DO WE HAVE ANY

[XV. EXECUTIVE SESSION]

FOR LITIGATION IS TWO REAL ESTATE. I HAVE FOR LITIGATION. TWO REAL ESTATE. TWO REAL ESTAT.

I KNOW WE DEFINITELY HAVE AT LEAST ONE PERSONNEL. ANYTHING ELSE FROM COUNCIL? ONE. SO THAT'S TWO PERSONNEL WE HAVE ANY OTHER PERSONNEL? OKAY. TWO PERSONNEL. OH THERE IS TWO, THREE, THREE PERSONNEL? YES, THREE PERSONNEL. YEAH, WE DEFINITELY HAVE TWO. AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER. SO THE COMMENTS HAD ANOTHER ONE. SO THAT'S THREE PERSONNEL FOR LITIGATION AND FOR REAL ESTATE. SO SAY THAT AGAIN THREE PERSONNEL THREE PERSONNEL FOR LITIGATION AND THREE REAL ESTATE FOR REAL ESTATE. FOR REAL ESTATE. DID I SAY IT RIGHT? WAIT, DID I SAY IT RIGHT? YEAH.

JUST PUT MOTION ON THE FRONT OF IT. OH, I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE RECESSED THAT WE RECESS INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THREE PERSONNEL. FOR REAL ESTATE AND FOR LEGAL LITIGATION LITIGATION.

SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. ALL THOSE

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.