Jan 06, 2025 City Council

[I. MEETING CALLED TO ORDER]

[00:00:09]

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND WELCOME TO THE JANUARY 6TH, 2025 MEETING OF THE EASTPOINTE CITY COUNCIL.

MADAM CITY CLERK, ROLL CALL, PLEASE. COUNCIL MEMBER SHROPSHIRE. COUNCIL MEMBER FREELY WILL NOT BE IN ATTENDANCE. COUNCIL MEMBER. ATKINS. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER.

ZIEGLER. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER. CUMMINGS. COUNCIL MEMBER. MITCHELL. COUNCIL MEMBER. BUTLER AND COUNCIL MEMBER MARTIN ROGERS. MAYOR. HOLIDAY. INGRAM, WE HAVE A QUORUM. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE. YES. EASTPOINTE TRI CITY CHURCH, RIGHT? YES. IF YOU COULD COME FORWARD, PASTOR, AND PROVIDE THE INVOCATION FOR US, AND THEN WE WILL FOLLOW THAT WITH THE PLEDGE TO THE FLAG. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING. OKAY. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR.

LET'S START WITH WORDS FROM JIMMY CARTER. HIS PRAYER WAS THAT GOD WOULD MAKE HIS LIFE MEANINGFUL IN THE ENHANCEMENT OF HIS KINGDOM, AND THAT HIS LIFE WOULD BE MEANINGFUL IN THE ENHANCEMENT OF LIVES OF HIS FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS. SO IN THOSE THOUGHTS, LET'S PRAY. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE COME BEFORE YOU TODAY WITH GRATITUDE FOR THE PRIVILEGE TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY. WE ASK FOR YOUR KINGDOM, FOR YOUR WISDOM AND GUIDANCE OVER THIS MEETING. AS DECISIONS ARE MADE THAT IMPACT THE LIVES OF THOSE IN EASTPOINTE, WE PRAY THAT YOU'LL GRANT CLARITY, UNITY, AND DISCERNMENT TO EACH COUNCIL MEMBER AND CITY LEADER. MAY THEIR EFFORTS REFLECT JUSTICE, COMPASSION, AND A COMMITMENT TO THE COMMON GOOD. BLESS THIS CITY, ITS RESIDENTS, AND ALL WHO WORK TO MAKE IT A PLACE OF PEACE AND PROGRESS. IN JESUS HOLY NAME WE PRAY. AMEN. AMEN. PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR. ALL. OUR SERGEANT AT ARMS THIS EVENING IS CAPTAIN ROBINSON. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE. AND AS PASTOR JUST MENTIONED, SINCE WE LAST MET, WE HAVE HAD SOME VERY GIANTS IN PUBLIC SERVANTS SERVICE PLANS STARTING WITH DECEMBER THE 22ND. FORMER STATE SENATOR VINCENT FORT TRANSITION FROM LABOR TO REST. AND HE VALIANTLY REPRESENTED STATE SENATE DISTRICT 39, OF WHICH EAST POINT IS A PART. HE WAS SELECTED TO BE THE DEMOCRATIC WHIP, SERVED ON THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE IN THE HOUSE, AND REALLY ADVOCATED FOR ANTI PREDATORY LENDING AND FORECLOSURE LAWS, AS WELL AS REALLY BEING A STALWART IN ADVOCATING FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION. AND SO HIS SERVICE WAS THIS PAST WEEKEND, AND WE ISSUED A PROCLAMATION PROCLAIMING JANUARY THE 4TH AS SENATOR VINCENT FORT DAY. IN THIS APPRECIATION DAY IN THE CITY OF EAST POINT, TO HONOR HIS LIFE AND LEGACY AND ENCOURAGING EVERYONE TO CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR HIS FAMILY, COLLEAGUES, CONSTITUENTS AND FRIENDS DURING THIS VERY DIFFICULT TIME. THEN, ON DECEMBER THE 29TH, WE MISSED THE 74TH GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA. I'M SORRY. YEAH. DECEMBER 29TH, 74TH GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA, WHO ALSO WAS A FORMER STATE SENATOR AND THE 30. FOURTH, 39TH. I'M GETTING MY NUMBERS MIXED UP. 39TH PRESIDENT. OH, I HAVE IT RIGHT HERE. 76TH GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA AND THE 39TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND A NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNER, JAMES JIMMY CARTER JR, PASSED AWAY AND TRANSITIONED. AND PRESIDENT CARTER WAS DEFINITELY A SERVANT LEADER TO OUR COUNTRY, STATE AND STEADFASTLY TO PLAINS, GEORGIA, WHERE HE LIVED HIS ENTIRE LIFE AND TAUGHT SUNDAY SCHOOL AND CONTINUED TO LIVE IN THE HOUSE THAT HE BUILT WITH HIS OWN HANDS. WE'RE TRULY GRATEFUL FOR HIS LIFE OF SERVICE AND TIRELESS HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS THAT WILL CONTINUE TO IMPACT AND BENEFIT THE WORLD FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. SO OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH THE CARTER FAMILY AND HIS FRIENDS AROUND THE GLOBE TODAY AND IN THE DAYS AHEAD. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SERVICES AND THINGS HAPPENING AS IT RELATES TO CELEBRATING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF FORMER GOVERNOR, FORMER STATE SENATOR, FORMER PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER. AND I THINK HE WILL BE IN THE DC SOON. THERE'S LIKE A

[00:05:04]

AND I'VE SPOKEN WITH HIS WIFE AND EXTENDED CONDOLENCES ON BEHALF OF THE FAMILY AND MAYOR.

MACON SERVED ON PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION PRIOR TO BECOMING OUR 31ST MAYOR OF THE CITY OF EAST POINT, AND WHILE HE SERVED AS MAYOR, HE SERVED AS A BOARD MEMBER OF THE FORT MCPHERSON PLANNING LOCAL REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. HE WAS A MENTOR, ADVISOR, ADVOCATE, AND FRIEND TO MANY, AND HE ALSO WILL BE TRULY MISSED. AND SO THE WORK THAT HE'S DONE AND THE LEGACY HE LEAVES TRULY SPEAK FOR HIM AND WILL CONTINUE TO INSPIRE AND PERMEATE THE CITY OF EAST POINT.

SO WE AGAIN ASK YOU TO JOIN US. WE'VE EXTENDED OUR CONDOLENCES. LET'S CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR STRENGTH, PEACE AND COMFORT FOR THE MACON FAMILY AS WE THEY CONTINUE TO GO PROCESS THROUGH THIS DIFFICULT TIME. IN THE CONVERSATION THAT I HAD WITH FORMER FIRST LADY JENNIFER MACON, I SHARED WITH HER THAT THE CITY WOULD DEFINITELY BE IS HERE TO SUPPORT IN ANY WAY THAT WE CAN. AS SHE AND THE FAMILY GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF HIS TRANSITIONING AND HONORING HIS LIFE AND LEGACY. AND SO THERE HAS BEEN A REQUEST MADE TO ME THAT I INDICATED THAT I WOULD SHARE WITH THE FULL COUNCIL A REQUEST THAT THEY BE ALLOWED TO HAVE A MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR FORMER MAYOR JOSEPH, AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN AS JOE MACON, HERE AT CITY HALL. A DATE HAS NOT BEEN SELECTED, BUT THEY'RE LOOKING TO HAVE IT SOMETIME LATER THIS MONTH. HE WANTED A MEMORIAL SERVICE AND A PARTY. SO THEY'RE ALSO PLANNING THE PARTY. PARTY? THEY'RE NOT ASKING THE PARTY BE HERE, BUT THE MEMORIAL SERVICE TO HONOR HIS LIFE AND LEGACY OF SERVICE.

AND SO I INDICATED THAT WITH SHARE IT. I KNOW UNFORTUNATELY, I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN A WHILE THAT I HAD TO GO THROUGH THAT MANY TRANSITIONS IN ONE MEETING, BUT DEFINITELY WANTED TO START WITH THAT. WE'VE ALREADY HAD PRAYER, AND SO IF ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS AT THIS TIME, I WILL ALLOW THAT AT THIS TIME REGARDING ANY OF THOSE TRANSITIONS. AND THEN AGAIN, THE REQUEST FROM FORMER MAYOR JOE MACON'S FAMILY IS TO ALLOW THEM TO HAVE A MEMORIAL SERVICE HERE AT CITY HALL SOMETIME THIS MONTH. COUNCIL MEMBER SHROPSHIRE, THANK YOU. SO THE ASK IS TO UTILIZE THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS FOR MEMORIAL SERVICE? YES, THAT THAT IS THE MOTION. I SECOND THAT IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED. ANY DISCUSSION? HOLD ON A SECOND. IT COUNCIL MEMBER MITCHELL SECONDED. OKAY. IT NO FURTHER DISCUSSION AND I WOULD AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED TO INCLUDE THIS AS A PART OF THE MOTION, BUT THERE MAY BE SOME OTHER ASKS OF THE CITY AS IT RELATES TO THE POLICE ESCORT AND THINGS THAT WE GENERALLY MAY DO OR OTHER REQUESTS WE DO PROBABLY WOULD HAVE ANOTHER MEETING OR TWO. IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT BACK TO COUNCIL. BUT I DID WANT TO INDICATE THAT ON THE RECORD AS A PART OF THIS DISCUSSION. SO THAT'S FINE. BUT SO BASICALLY, SO WHAT IT IS. SO THE MOTION TO UTILIZE THE CITY CHAMBERS, COUNCIL CHAMBERS FOR THE MEMORIAL SERVICE. AND IF THERE IS AN ASK FOR ESCORT FOR THE POLICE SERVICE, OKAY. SECOND, SECOND STILL STANDS. ANY DISCUSSION. COUNCIL MEMBER BUTLER THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR, FOR BRINGING THIS TO COUNCIL ATTENTION. AT THIS TIME. I WOULD LIKE TO SALUTE JOE MACON, JOHN JIMMY CARTER AND VINCENT FORD.

WE DO APPRECIATE ALL THE PUBLIC SERVICE THEY'VE DONE FOR US, IN PARTICULAR EAST POINT AND THIS COMMUNITY, AND THEY WILL BE MISSED. COUNCILMEMBER MITCHELL YES, AND ALONG THOSE SAME LINES, CONDOLENCE TO CONDOLENCE TO ALL OF THOSE WHO HAVE PASSED. IN PARTICULAR, I WANTED TO GIVE MY DEEPEST GRATITUDE TO MISS JENNIFER AND HIS SONS AND FAMILY. CHILDREN. JOE WAS DEFINITELY A FATHER FIGURE FOR ME WHEN I HAD ROUGH TIMES ON COUNCIL. HE'S ONE I COULD

[00:10:05]

COUNCILMEMBER. YES. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR, I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THE COMMENTS OF MY COLLEAGUES AS WELL FOR THE FORD FAMILY, THE CARTER FAMILY, AS WELL AS THE MACON FAMILY, AND SINCERE CONDOLENCES OUT TO JENNIFER, JOHN AND JULIAN ON THE LOSS OF THEIR HUSBAND AND FATHER AND OUR CITY. HE POURED INTO OUR CITY AND HE SERVED IN SEVERAL CAPACITIES, AND I'M SO GLAD THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW OUR GRATITUDE TO THE MACON FAMILY FOR HIS SERVICE TO OUR CITY. SO THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NO OTHER DISCUSSION. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. WE'LL BE SURE TO LET THE FAMILY KNOW. THANK YOU.

[VI. PRESENTATIONS and ANNOUNCEMENTS (Part 1 of 2)]

SO IMMEDIATELY UPON HEARING THAT JUST A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, I REACHED OUT TO CONGRESSWOMAN NIKEMA WILLIAMS OFFICE, AND THEY LOOKED INTO IT. AND JUST AS OF TODAY, I RECEIVED INFORMATION FROM THEM THAT THEY REACHED OUT TO THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS OFFICE AND HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT THE LEASE SO THAT PROPERTY WHERE THE POST OFFICE IS IN EASTPOINT IS NOT FEDERAL PROPERTY, THEY LEASE IT SO THEY DON'T OWN IT. BUT THE LEASE FOR THAT PROPERTY IS NOT SET TO EXPIRE UNTIL DECEMBER 31ST OF THIS YEAR, AND THE AGENCY HAS EVERY INTENTION OF CONTINUING TO EXTEND THE LEASE AT THIS TIME. AND SO THE INFORMATION THAT WE'RE GETTING IS THAT THEY'RE THERE. THE LEASE EXPIRES AT THE END OF THIS YEAR, AND THERE'S EVERY INTENTION OF THE FEDERAL AGENCY TO CONTINUE TO NEGOTIATE, TO TRY TO EXTEND THE LEASE, TO REMAIN IN THAT LOCATION. I'M SURE THEY'VE BEEN I CAN'T ASK THE EXACT DATE THAT THE POST OFFICE OPENED HERE, BUT I KNOW IT'S BEEN A COUPLE DECADES. AND SO AS THEY'VE NEGOTIATED THAT LEASE IN THE PAST, THAT'S THEIR INTENTION AT THIS TIME TO CONTINUE TO NEGOTIATE IT. BUT AGAIN, THE CURRENT LEASE DOESN'T EXPIRE UNTIL DECEMBER 31ST OF THIS YEAR, AND THEY WILL ARE INTENDING TO NEGOTIATE TO CONTINUE TO EXTEND THAT LEASE FOR THE POST OFFICE TO REMAIN IN EAST POINT. SO I KNOW THAT WAS A CONCERN THAT CAME UP. AND SO I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE RESPONSIVENESS ALWAYS OF CONGRESSWOMAN NIKEMA WILLIAMS OFFICE WHEN WE REACH OUT WITH QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS TO BE ABLE TO GET INFORMATION BACK TO US. I DEFINITELY WANTED TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH THE COMMUNITY. NEXT UP. AND I'LL JUST SAY, I MEAN, I THINK IT'S A GIVEN. THE POST OFFICE IS A FEDERAL AGENCY IS OPERATED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, NOT BY OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT, WHICH IS WHY I REACHED OUT TO OUR FEDERAL CONGRESSWOMAN OR ONE OF OUR FEDERAL CONGRESSWOMAN. NEXT, WE

[VI.1. Introducing GRPA 10U State Girls Flag Football Champions]

THE LAST TIME I WAS BEFORE YOU GUYS, WE WERE CELEBRATING OUR YOUNG MEN WHO WENT TO DOTHAN, ALABAMA, COACHED BY THE SAME COACH. WHEN WE PUNCHED OUR TICKET TO THE PRO BOWL. SO VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS. IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY. AND WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND FOR SOME OF THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS OF OUR SPACE AND THE AREA OF FLAG FOOTBALL. BACK IN 2016, WE QUALIFIED FOR A GRANT WITH THE ATLANTA FALCONS TO BE ABLE TO OFFER A FLAG FOOTBALL TO 2017. WE MOVED FORWARD WITH DEVELOPING THE EAST POINT FLAG FOOTBALL LEAGUE. THE LEAGUE STARTED OUT WITH ABOUT EIGHT TEAMS AND NOW WE ARE A SHADE UNDER 60 TEAMS. RIGHT NOW WE ACTUALLY REPRESENT THE LARGEST RECREATION FLAG FOOTBALL LEAGUE IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA. MORE RECENTLY, DWAYNE AND I TRAVELED TO DALLAS, TEXAS TO BE A PART OF THE NFL FLAG CONFERENCES. HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT OUR FLAG FOOTBALL PROGRAM IS ON THE MAP.

WE'VE BEEN THROUGH A LOT OF TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS TO GET TO THIS POINT, BUT I'M SO VERY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT WE DID AND WHAT WE ACCOMPLISHED ON LAST MAY, ABOUT A MONTH, ABOUT A

[00:15:06]

THANK YOU. MISS ARIELLE. MISS CARTER. SYDNEY. HER SISTER SKYLER. AUTUMN. BAILEY, AKA BEBE. WREN. DEMI. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, LONDON. ALL RIGHT, WELL, THIS IS ME.

RIGHT? OKAY. WE ACTUALLY BROUGHT YOU ALL SOME GOODIES AS WELL. I DEFINITELY WANT YOU GUYS TO COME DOWN, TAKE A PICTURE WITH THE YOUNG LADIES. I'M NOT SURE IF I GOT ALL ADULT SMALL UP THERE, BUT. WE'RE GOING TO LET YOU GRAB A T SHIRT, AND I GOT THEM DOWN HERE. NOW, IF WE CAN KNOCK OUT A PICTURE, WE WILL BE OUT OF Y'ALL'S WAY. OKAY? DID YOU WANT TO SAY SOME WORDS, MAYOR, BEFORE WE DO PICTURES, SEE IF ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING. BUT LET ME SAY HOW PROUD AND LIKE Y'ALL ARE ABOUT TO BRING ME TO TEARS. I AM THAT YOU ALL NOT ONLY PLAYED THE

[00:20:02]

YES. THANK YOU, BECAUSE IT TAKES A LOT. MY DAUGHTER PLAYS TRAVEL SPORTS AND SO PARENTS, HATS OFF TO Y'ALL. I WAS JUST FREEZING THIS WEEKEND BECAUSE HER TEAM SHE PLAYS ON A NATIONAL TEAM. SO WE WERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA AT PRACTICE. AND I TELL PEOPLE I DON'T REALLY STAY IN THE SUN TOO LONG UNLESS I'M WATCHING SOFTBALL OR IN THE WINTER OR THE FALL. SO I KNOW THE LEVEL OF COMMITMENT. BUT NOT JUST THAT THE PRACTICE, THE WORK AFTER PRACTICE. BECAUSE YOU CAN'T BECOME A CHAMPION JUST PRACTICING WHEN THEY HAVE PRACTICE. LIKE YOU ALL HAVE TO PUT IN TIME AND REALLY COMMITMENT. AND SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO KEEP UP THIS CHAMPIONSHIP MINDSET NOT ONLY ON THE FIELD, OFF THE FIELD, IN THE CLASSROOM AND CONTINUE TO BE LEADERS AND CONTINUE TO MAKE US PROUD, CONTINUE TO SOAR AND KNOW THAT YOU ALL HAVE THE SUPPORT OF US, THE CITY OF EAST POINT, AS YOU CONTINUE TO GROW AND THRIVE AND SOAR AND BECOME VERY GREAT, RESPONSIBLE, PRODUCTIVE YOUNG LADY. SO I AM EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY PROUD OF EACH OF YOU AND WE WILL COME DOWN, TAKE SOME PICTURES. COUNCIL MEMBER CUMMINGS IS GOING TO SHARE SOME WORDS. SO AT THIS POINT, ALL OF US, ALL OF THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS MAY DECIDE TO SAY SOMETHING IF THEY FEEL LIKE IT'S ALREADY SAID, THEY MAY NOT. SO WE'LL GIVE EVERYBODY AN OPPORTUNITY, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO COME DOWN AND TAKE A PICTURE WITH THE CHAMPS TONIGHT.

WELL, I'LL BE VERY SHORT. FIRST OF ALL, HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE AND CONGRATULATIONS LADIES. I AM SO SUPER PROUD OF YOU. AND JUST FROM YOU GUYS COMING FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THERE WEREN'T A LOT OF GIRL TEAMS TO PLAY WITH. YOU PLAYED WITH THE GUYS WHICH HONE YOUR SKILLS, WHICH NOW THE REASON WHY Y'ALL CAN JUST WHIP ANY FEMALE TEAM THAT'S OUT THERE. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HE SAID THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT, IN COACH DWAN SAID, WAS STUDENT ATHLETES. SO YOU YOUNG LADIES ARE STUDENTS AND YOU'RE REPRESENTING IN THE CLASSROOM AND BOTH ON THE FIELD. AND I THINK THAT IS THAT THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES. PARENTS, HUGE, HUGE SHOUT OUT TO YOU JUST FOR THE TIME THAT IT TAKES. JUST LIKE THE MAYOR SAID, THE COMMITMENT, YOU KNOW, JUST GETTING THESE YOUNG LADIES TO AND FROM PRACTICE AND MAKING SURE, YOU KNOW THAT ALL THE SCHOOLWORK AND EVERYTHING IS DONE AS WELL. SO I'M JUST I'M SUPER PROUD OF YOU ALL. SO CONTINUE, YOU KNOW, TO DO WELL. AND Y'ALL WRAP UP IT'S COLD OUT THERE. ALL RIGHT. IT'S PICTURE TIME. SO PARENTS WE'RE GOING TO DO IT LIKE THIS. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A PICTURE BECAUSE I KNOW YOU ALL WANT A PICTURE OF US IN THE PICTURE. BUT THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ALL YOU ALL GET IN THE PICTURE AS WELL. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE STAFF TAKE A PICTURE OF ALL OF US. SO WE WILL HAVE NOT ONLY OUR CHAMPIONS, BUT THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT SUPPORT, NETWORK AND FAMILY WITH THEM AS WELL. SO WE'LL COME DOWN. WE'LL DO JUST THE YOUNG LADIES FIRST AND THEN WE WILL DO ONE WITH THE YOUNG LADIES AND, WELL, YOUNG LADIES AND COUNCIL, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. AND THEN THE PARENTS AND FAMILY WILL JOIN US THIS. ALL RIGHT, EVERYBODY FACE THIS WAY, FACE THIS WAY. YEAH. OKAY. Y'ALL COME ON IN. THANKS.

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[VI. PRESENTATIONS and ANNOUNCEMENTS (Part 2 of 2)]

WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO GET MORE SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON THAT. BUT WE REACHED OUT A COUPLE TIMES LAST YEAR IN THE FALL OF LAST YEAR, AND NOW AND THEY'RE DOING SOME RENOVATIONS AND WORKING ON SOME DIFFERENT SYSTEMS. SO THAT SHOULD BE OPENING THIS MONTH. THE LAST INFORMATION WE HEARD ABOUT THE EAST POINT LIBRARY SHOULD BE REOPENING. MR. WELL, MISS

[VI.2. HB 581 Property Tax Presentation]

[00:30:09]

ESSENTIALLY, CONTROLLING THIS WILL CONTROL HOW THE VALUE OF A HOME CAN INCREASE ANNUALLY.

HOMEOWNERS ALREADY GRANTED A HOMESTEAD WILL RECEIVE THIS EXEMPTION AUTOMATICALLY. NON HOMESTEADED PROPERTIES, I.E. COMMERCIAL RENTAL, WILL CONTINUE TO BE VALUED AT FAIR MARKET VALUE. HOW DOES THIS NEW FLOATING HOMESTEAD? HOW DOES THIS NEW HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION IMPACT EXISTING HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS? THE NEW FLOATING HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION IS AN ADDITION TO AND NOT IN LIEU OF NON FLOATING HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS. THIS WOULD NOT REPEAL NOR REPLACE EXISTING HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS. IF THERE IS AN EXEMPTION, EXISTING LOCAL HOMES. LOCAL FLOATING HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, THE TAXPAYER WILL RECEIVE WHICH OF THE OF THE TWO EXEMPTIONS IS MORE BENEFICIAL? THIS IS ALSO TRUE IF A LOCAL. IF A LOCAL FLOATING HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION IS ADDED IN THE FUTURE. THIS IS KEY. EXISTING LOCAL EXEMPTIONS SUCH AS THE CITY OF EAST POINT, SUCH AS THE $2,000, SAYS THE VALUE WE HAVE ALREADY WILL BE ADDED AFTER THE FLOATING HOMESTEAD IS CALCULATED. HOW CAN A LOCAL GOVERNMENT OPT OUT OF THE

[00:35:03]

THE DECISION OF WHETHER OR NOT TO OPT OUT WILL NOT IMPACT THE OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. THIS MAY RESULT IN HOMES HAVING DIFFERENT TAXABLE VALUES. IS THE DECISION TO OPT OUT OR OPT IN PERMANENT? YES, THE DECISION WILL BE PERMANENT. NO ACTION IS NEEDED BY THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO HAVE THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION APPLY. ONCE THE OPT OUT PERIOD HAS PASSED. THERE IS NO FUTURE METHOD TO OPT OUT. IF A LOCAL GOVERNMENT OPTS OUT, OPTS OUT.

THERE IS NO FUTURE METHOD TO OPT IN TO THE HOUSE. BILL 581 EXEMPTION. OF COURSE, A SIMILAR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION CAN STILL BE DONE IN THE TRADITIONAL MANNER. HOUSE BILL 581, PART TWO PROCEDURAL PROPERTY TAX CHANGES. CREATING CREATED AN ESTIMATED ROLLBACK RATE, WHICH IS CERTIFIED TO THE TAX COMMISSIONER OR A COLLECTOR BY LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. THE ESTIMATED ROLLBACK RATE IS REQUIRED TO BE INCLUDED ON THE ASSESSMENT NOTICE, REPLACING THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S MILLAGE RATE. THIS IS DESIGNED TO ATTEMPT TO ALLOW LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO GIVE MORE ACCURATE ESTIMATE OF WHAT TAX LIABILITY WILL BE. THIS GIVES LOCAL GOVERNMENT BROAD FLEXIBILITY TO SET THIS RATE WHEREVER THEY DEEM APPROPRIATE. THIS DOES NOT NEED TO BE THE SAME MILLAGE RATE AS THE ROLLBACK RATE FOR A TAXPAYER BILL OF RIGHTS. IF THE ADOPTED MILLAGE RATE EXCEEDS THE ESTIMATED ROLLBACK RATE, THEN THE DISCLAIMER IS INCLUDED ON THE TAX BILL STATING THE NAME OF THE GOVERNOR AUTHORITY THAT EXCEEDED THE ESTIMATED ROLLBACK RATE, AND THAT THIS WILL RESULT IN AN INCREASE OF TAXES OWED. PROCEDURAL CHANGES. MODIFYING THE THREE YEAR LOCK FOR APPEAL SO THE TAXPAYER ONLY RECEIVES THE LOCK IF THEY RECEIVE A VALUE REDUCTION UPON APPEAL. UPDATING THE SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE STATUTE SO THAT IF NEITHER THE TAXPAYER NOR THEIR REPRESENTATIVES PARTICIPATES IN GOOD FAITH, THEN THE TAXPAYER SHALL NOT RECEIVE THE BENEFIT OF THE TEMPORARY 15% REDUCTION IN TAXES OWED AND SHALL NOT BE AWARDED ATTORNEY'S FEES, REQUIRING THAT THE CHIEF APPRAISER ENSURE THAT EVERY PARCEL IN THE COUNTY BE APPRAISED AT LEAST EVERY THREE YEARS. THIS IS AT THE COUNTY LEVEL. THIS IS AT THE COUNTY LEVEL. THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CITY OF EAST POINT.

ONLY IF YOU APPEAL THEN THAT GOES TO THE COUNTY LEVEL. AS FAR AS THAT IS CONCERNED, THE PROCEDURAL PROPERTY TAX CHANGES. THE FLOATING HOMESTEAD, LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX, FLOSS. THIS IS PART THREE OF THE THREE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF HOUSE BILL 581. HOUSE BILL 581 MAKES TWO MAJOR CHANGES TO LOCAL SALES TAX. IT REVISES THE PROVISION OF OCGA 40 8-86, WHICH LIMITS THE

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THIS LEGISLATION REVISES THE EXISTING TWO LOCAL SALES TAX CAP. EXEMPTIONS NOW INCLUDE THE EAST BLOCK, WHICH DOESN'T APPLY TO THE CITY OF EAST POINT. UP TO 1% OF THE TRANSPORTATION SALES TAX, WHICH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING. THE REGIONAL TSPLOST. WE DO HAVE A TSPLOST, SO THAT APPLIES TO US SINGLE COUNTY TSPLOST TRANSIT, SLASH AND MARTA, ONE OF THE OTHER SPECIALTIES INCLUDE THE NEW SALES TAX, WHICH IS THE FLOSS WHICH WE DO NOT, WHICH WE ARE NOT ELIGIBLE, AND THE OTHER. SPECIALTY PEONIES SALES TAX ARE FOR COLUMBUS AND AUGUSTA. AND AGAIN, THE MOST FOR ATLANTA AND THE CITIES OF EAST POINT, COLLEGE PARK AND HAPEVILLE. AND THAT APPLIES TO THE CITY OF EAST POINT WHEN IT COMES TO AS AS IT RELATES TO THE TIMELINE OF THIS, WE KNOW THAT IT WAS ADOPTED IN IN NOVEMBER 5TH THAT THE HOME I'M SORRY HOUSE BILL 581 TAKES EFFECT JANUARY 1ST. WHAT FINANCES NEEDS TO BRING BEFORE COUNCIL IS AN ESTIMATED ROLLBACK TO BE CERTIFIED BY MAYOR AND COUNCIL. SO THAT GIVES US ENOUGH TIME TO GET IT TO FULTON COUNTY SO THEY CAN DO THEIR SO WE CAN MEET THE DEADLINE BY MARCH 1ST. AND WE HOPE WE'RE HOPEFUL TO SUBMIT THAT ESTIMATED ROLLBACK TO FULTON COUNTY BY JANUARY 27TH. BUT HERE AGAIN WE CAN PLAY WITH THESE DATES UP UNTIL FEBRUARY. I BELIEVE 28TH IS THE 28TH. THANK YOU. AND THAT'S THE END OF OUR PRESENTATION. AND WE'LL TAKE QUESTIONS AND TRY TO ANSWER THEM AS BEST AS WE CAN.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. COUNCIL MEMBER MITCHELL, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. QUICK QUESTION. SO BEFORE THIS BILL, WERE RESIDENTS PAYING, TAKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE WHOLE 10% OF THE HOMESTEAD. THE CITY OF EAST POINT DOESN'T HAVE A FLOATING EXEMPTION. WE JUST HAVE A LOCAL THE FLAT EXEMPTION OF $2,000. SO THAT'S A 2%. YOU WERE SAYING? NO, IT'S JUST $2,000 FLAT. THE CITY, THE CITY OF EAST POINT HAS FOUR EXEMPTIONS. YOU HAVE AHO1, WHICH IS YOUR REGULAR HOMESTEAD. IT'S $2,000 ACROSS THE BOARD FOR ANYBODY THAT LIVES IN THEIR PROPERTY. THEN YOU HAVE AN HO4, WHICH IS YOUR SENIOR HOMESTEAD. YOU HAVE AN HO5, WHICH IS YOUR DISABLED, AND THEN YOU HAVE AHO6, WHICH IS THE DISABLED VETERAN. WHAT THE WHAT THIS IS SAYING IS WE ALREADY HAVE A $2,000. WE ALREADY HAVE A $2,000 HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION FOR ANYBODY THAT HAS HOMESTEAD ON THEIR PROPERTY. WHAT THAT 2000 WAS SAYING THAT IN THE EVENT THAT THE STATE SAYS THAT THE CPI, THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX IS TWO IS 2%, THAT $100,000 HOME COULD ONLY INCREASE TO $102,000. THAT'S THE TWO EXTRA $2,000. AND IF WE WERE TO, LET'S SAY THAT THEY WOULD COME UP AND THEY SAID THAT THE VALUE OF THE PROPERTY WAS 110, THEN THAT MEANS IT'S

[00:45:06]

CAN WE GET AN ESTIMATE ON THAT. IT'S UNDETERMINABLE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE YOU GOT TO THINK ABOUT THERE'S SOME FACTORS THAT NEED TO BE. LOOKED AT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF EXEMPTIONS OR THE EXEMPTION ITSELF, THE FLOATING EXEMPTION IS ADDING TO THE AMOUNT OF TAX RELIEF. SO THEN IT DECREASES THE REVENUE. BUT WE DON'T WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH IT'S GOING TO DECREASE THE REVENUE BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS AN ESTIMATE AT THIS POINT. WAS THAT EVERYTHING TO THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, EXCUSE ME, WAS THAT INCLUDED OR PROJECTED IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, THIS BILL, THIS WILL TAKE EFFECT IN 25 TAX YEAR, WHICH WOULD BE FY 26 BUDGET. SO WHEN WE BEGIN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING THE BUDGET FOR FY 26, WE WILL HAVE TO DO THE PROJECTIONS FOR REVENUE AND MAKE A, YOU KNOW, PRESENT THAT TO YOU. OH, IT SOUNDS GREAT. I'M JUST I JUST HAD SOME QUESTIONS.

BUT OKAY. THANK YOU. NOW. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO COULD YOU HELP US UNDERSTAND THE ROLLBACK RATE.

THAT'S THE ONE THING THAT WE'RE WE'RE TRYING TO GET CLARIFICATION ON BECAUSE A LOT OF CITIES ARE SAYING THEY'RE GOING TO USE LAST YEAR'S MILLAGE RATE, BUT THEN YOU HAVE CITIES THAT SAY THEY'RE GOING TO USE THE A FIVE YEAR AVERAGE TO USE AS THE ROLLBACK RATE. AND THEN ONCE WE PUT THAT AND THAT'S ONLY FOR THE COUNTY TO PUT ON THE ASSESSMENT NOTICE THAT GOES OUT.

THAT'S NOT SAYING THAT THAT'S WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE. THAT'S SAYING THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO PUT ON THE ASSESSMENT NOTICE. BUT AT THE END WHEN WE FINALLY DO HAVE THAT ROLLBACK RATE, THAT'S WHEN IT'S GOING TO COME INTO PLAY. BUT WE HAVE TO GIVE THEM SOMETHING. AND THAT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, OKAY, OKAY, IF WE DO THE 5% AVERAGE, WE CAN DO THAT. BUT THEY'RE SAYING THAT IT'S BEST TO OVERESTIMATE THE ROLLBACK RATE. THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. THE DO YOU HAVE WHAT OUR CURRENT ROLLBACK RATE IS? IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, IT WAS 12%. LAST YEAR WHEN WE CALCULATED OUT, NOT OUR CURRENT MILLAGE RATE, BUT THE CURRENT MILLAGE RATE IS 13.

OKAY. VERY GOOD. SO WE'RE REQUIRED TO GIVE NOTICE IF WE'RE ABOVE 12% THE 12 MILLS. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? NO. THEY'RE SAYING WE NEED TO GIVE THEM WHAT WE BELIEVE WOULD BE A FAIR ROLLBACK RATE. SO THAT THAT'S THAT'S WHAT MY QUESTION IS. SO CURRENTLY BECAUSE WE'RE ABOVE OUR ROLLBACK RATE, WE HAVE TO GIVE NOTICE TO RESIDENTS WHICH STATES THAT WE ARE ABOVE THIS AND THERE'S AN INCREASE IN TAX. BUT WE'VE BEEN REDUCING OUR MILLAGE RATE IN ORDER TO TRY TO COUNTERACT THE INCREASE IN HOME VALUES. HAVE WE DONE THAT STEADILY FOR SEVEN YEARS, EXCEPT FOR LAST YEAR? I THINK WHERE WE MAY WE'VE MAINTAINED A STEADY MILLAGE RATE. YES. SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS NOW WE GET TO REDEFINE WHAT THAT ROLLBACK RATE IS IN TERMS OF NOTIFICATION OF RESIDENTS. IS THAT YES. THAT'S RIGHT. AND THEN WE ONCE THE ROLLBACK RATE IS DETERMINED THAT'S GOING TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE TO ADVERTISE THOSE THREE YEARS. YES OKAY OKAY. SO THAT'S WHERE THAT IS. AND YOU ALSO SAID THAT THE APPRAISED VALUE WILL BE BASED ON A COST OF LIVING RATE ADJUSTMENT. SO IT'S THAT 2%, AS YOU SAID IN THE EXAMPLE. OR DOES THAT NUMBER VARY IT THAT NUMBER IS GOING TO VARY. IT'S BASED OFF OF THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX. AND THAT'S GOING TO THAT'S BASED OFF OF INFLATION YEAR TO YEAR INFLATION. THAT NUMBER CAN BE 2%. IT COULD BE 3%, 4% DEPENDING ON THE LEVEL OF INFLATION. AND WHEN IT'S CALCULATED. HERE'S MY FINAL QUESTION. AND YOU MAY NOT HAVE THIS ANSWER NOW, BUT IT'S SOMETHING FOR YOU GUYS TO RAISE.

[00:50:08]

LIKE, MY CONCERN IS IF WE JUST TALK ABOUT THIS TONIGHT AND THEN IT'S ON JANUARY 21ST MEETING FOR US TO CERTIFY WE HAVE MISSED THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROBABLY HAVE SOME MORE DISCUSSION AND GET SOME MORE QUESTIONS ANSWERED, GET SOME MORE INFORMATION. SO WE ALL FEEL THAT WE'RE MAKING AN INFORMED DECISION. AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS, IS THAT THE SOUTH FULTON MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION MEETING WILL I THINK IT'S JANUARY 23RD THIS MONTH. I WAS TRYING TO SEE WHAT CITY IT'S IN, BUT THERE'S BEEN DISCUSSION ABOUT POTENTIALLY HAVING A DISCUSSION AT THAT MEETING ABOUT THIS ISSUE, BECAUSE OF COURSE IT DOES IMPACT OUR CITY. SO THAT MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE WE'LL HAVE, OH, IN SOUTH FULTON ON JANUARY 23RD. SO THAT MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITIES TO HAVE A DISCUSSION. AND MAYBE I'M NOT SURE IF THEY'RE PLANNING TO HAVE SOMEBODY PRESENT, BUT IT ALSO MAY BE HELPFUL. MISS JESSIE, IF FINANCE SOMEBODY FROM THIS TEAM, EITHER BOTH OR ONE COULD ATTEND THAT MEETING TO HEAR THOSE DISCUSSIONS BECAUSE STAFF MIGHT UNDERSTAND WHAT'S BEING DISCUSSED AT A DEEPER LEVEL THAN WE MAY. SO THAT'S JANUARY 23RD. AND IN SOUTH FULTON. COUNCIL MEMBER CUMMINGS. YES, I HAD ONE QUESTION ON THE SLIDE THAT SAID ABOUT THE

[00:55:06]

INFLATION PROBABLY INCREASE. BUT IT'S JUST GOING TO MINIMIZE HOW BIG OF AN INCREASE IT IS.

CORRECT I MEAN YES YES. RIGHT. SO I THINK I THINK JUST TO BE CAREFUL IN TALKING ABOUT WHAT A DECREASE IN REVENUE IS, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR, IT WILL BE AN INCREASE IN TAXES. IT WILL BE WE WILL SEE MORE TAXES COME INTO EASTPOINTE. AND, YOU KNOW, THIS REALLY PUTS MORE PRESSURE ON US TO DEVELOP MORE ECONOMICALLY, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THE PRESSURE IS ON HOMEOWNERS TO PROVIDE THAT TAX REVENUE FOR THE CITY. AND I THINK THAT IN PASSING THIS, THAT IT WOULD REALLY PUT PRESSURE ON US TO DEVELOP THE CITY ECONOMICALLY SO THAT WE GET TAX REVENUE FROM FROM THAT SIDE OF THE TABLE BECAUSE THEY ARE EXEMPT FROM THE FLOATING HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. SO I THINK THAT. RIGHT. WELL, THOSE THAT HAVE THE EXEMPTION WOULD BE IT WOULD APPLY TO THEM. SO THE BURDEN WOULD THEN PASS ON TO THOSE THAT DO NOT HAVE THE EXEMPTION. THAT'S YOUR COMMERCIAL, AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIAL. RIGHT. SO YEAH. SO AS THAT INCREASES, YES, YOU WOULD HAVE REVENUE FROM THAT. RIGHT. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

COUNCIL MEMBER ATKINS. YES. SO IF WE HAVE IF THE INCREASE IS TIED TO THE CPI, THEN DO HOMEOWNERS HAVE THE ABILITY TO APPEAL OR DOES THAT ABILITY GO AWAY BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST BASED ON THE COUNTY'S TAX ASSESSMENT. IT'S BASED ON THAT NUMBER THAT IS THE CPI AND NOT NECESSARILY JUST THE ASSESSMENT FROM FROM WHAT WE'RE UNDERSTANDING THAT IS THAT'S PART OF IT. THE APPEAL PROCESS. WE DON'T KNOW HOW IT'S GOING TO WORK. WE ONLY KNOW THAT THE APPEAL PROCESS CHANGES AS FAR AS HOW THE HOMEOWNER, IF THE HOMEOWNER GETS THE 15% REDUCTION, IF THEY BUT THEY CAN STILL APPEAL. BUT THE QUESTION THAT YOU'RE ASKING, WE GOT TO GET CLARIFICATION, BECAUSE I CAN'T SAY THAT THEY CANNOT APPEAL JUST BECAUSE IF IT GOES UP AND THEY FEEL IT'S NOT JUSTIFIED, I CAN'T SAY YOU CAN'T APPEAL, BUT I WILL GET AN ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION FOR YOU. RIGHT.

AND I'M ASKING THE QUESTION BECAUSE I GUESS A PART OF THE APPEALS IS TO GIVE HOMEOWNERS DUE PROCESS. AND IF THEY FELT THAT THIS IS SUBJECTIVE AND APPEAL IS SOMEWHAT SUBJECTIVE, THERE MARKET CONDITIONS THAT WILL DRIVE THAT. BUT THEY FEEL LIKE I THINK Y'ALL ASSESSED ME TOO HIGH. BUT THE CPI IS NOT SO SUBJECTIVE. IT'S THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX. SO THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING IF WE DECIDE TO OPT IN A HOMEOWNER DECIDES, OKAY, THIS WITH THE CPI AND WHAT MY ASSESSMENT IS COMBINED, I WANT TO APPEAL BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS TOO HIGH, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE IT MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE TO DO THAT IF IT'S TIED TO THE CPI. SO THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL JUST TO

[01:00:06]

THIS IS A NEW LAW THAT JUST WENT INTO EFFECT AS OF JANUARY 1ST. CORRECT. SO RIGHT NOW YOU ALL ARE STILL THE OTHER CITIES ARE STILL TRYING TO GATHER THE INFORMATION TO SEE HOW IT'S GOING TO AFFECT THEIR CITIES AS FAR AS AFFECT THEIR TAX, THEIR TAX BASE WHEN IT COMES TO COLLECTING PROPERTY TAXES. SO AND YOU SAID THAT IF A HOME VALUED AT, LET'S SAY, 100,000, THEN THE MOST YOU COULD COLLECT IS WHAT WAS THE AMOUNT IF IT WOULD IF IT'S WHEN IT'S ATTACHED TO THE CPI, WE'RE ASSUMING THE CPI IS 2%. IF THAT IF THAT HOME WAS TO GO UP TO 110,000, THE MAX VALUE THAT WE COULD ASSESS TAXES IS 102. THE DIFFERENCE IN THE 102 AND THE 110 IS THE EIGHT IS THE HOMESTEAD FLOAT. FLOATING HOME IS THE FLOATING HOMESTEAD. SO IF YOU COULD ONLY ASSESS IT AT, LET'S SAY 102, THAT'S WHAT YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD COLLECT, RIGHT? THE 40% OF THE OF THE 102 WOULD BE THE, THE AMOUNT OF THE ASSESSED VALUE. AND THEN YOU MULTIPLY THAT BY THE MILLAGE RATE. SO IF SO, IF SO THAT'S IF WE OPT IN IT WOULD BE AT THAT. SO IT'S LIKE IT'S CAPPED AT THAT PRICE. OR IT'S CAPPED. IT WOULD BE CAPPED AT THAT PRICE BASED ON AND WE COULDN'T COLLECT MORE BECAUSE IT WOULD BE CAPPED AT THAT PRICE. CORRECT. SO IF WE OPT IN AND THE HOUSE IS IF IT'S MORE THAN THAT, WE CAN ONLY COLLECT A CERTAIN AMOUNT. WE COULDN'T COLLECT MORE. BUT IF WE OPT OUT THEN WE CAN COLLECT WE CAN COLLECT THE FULL WHAT WE'VE BEEN COLLECTING. RIGHT. YOU WOULDN'T HAVE A FLOATING EXEMPTION, OKAY. THAT PORTION WOULD BE GONE. OKAY. SO TECHNICALLY WE WOULD LOSE MONEY IF WE OPT IN BECAUSE WE'RE CAPPED AT THAT AMOUNT. BUT IF WE OPT OUT, THEN WE WOULD OUR WE WOULD STILL THE, THE TAX WOULD INCREASE BECAUSE WE'RE COLLECTING AT THE FULL AMOUNT. CORRECT. FULL FAIR FULL OKAY. THAT'S WHAT I OKAY. SO ON WHEN WE DO THE WORK SESSION, YOU ALL ARE GOING TO BRING BACK THE INFORMATION AS TO THE PROS AND THE CONS TO THIS. YES. YES MA'AM. OKAY. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE SO WE WOULD LOSE IF WE OPT IN. AND IF WE OPT OUT, THEN WE'LL STILL HAVE THE FULL MARKET VALUE. THE FULL MARKET VALUE OF THE OF THE PROPERTY ASSESSED PROPERTY. OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER BUTLER. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. I DO HAVE VERBALLY WHAT I WANTED TO ASK. SO SAY FOR EXAMPLE, HOME PRICES DECREASE BECAUSE SOMETHING HAPPENS LIKE IN 2008, WILL THE HOMEOWNER BE LOCKED IN AT THE INCREASED VALUE? NO. IS THIS ONLY IN INFLATIONARY CYCLES WITH THE HOME VALUE IS INCREASING.

WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO IS BRING THAT TAX RELIEF TO THE HOMEOWNER. SO IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY, YOU KNOW, HAVE A BIG SWING UP WHEN IT WHEN YOU HAVE A DEFLATIONARY CYCLE, IT WOULD BE THE VALUE OF THE HOME AT THAT. SO SAY THAT HOME IS VALUED AT 87,000. SO YEAH IT WOULD BE IT WOULD BE THAT FAIR MARKET VALUE OF THE 87,000. EXACTLY. OKAY. SO EXACTLY. AND I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP WITH MY COLLEAGUE. SHE ASKED COULD WE, COULD WE I, I JUST WANT TO MAKE A CLARIFICATION AND I'LL STATE IT THIS WAY. SO WHAT'S BEEN PROPOSED IS THE REASON WHY WE'VE HAD AN INCREASE IN TAXES, PROPERTY TAXES. IT'S NOT BECAUSE WE HAVE INCREASED OUR MILLAGE RATE. IT'S BECAUSE THE ASSESSED VALUES OF THE HOMES HAVE BEEN STEADILY INCREASING. THE FAIR MARKET VALUE, THE FAIR MARKET VALUE. SO AND WE CHARGE. 13 MEALS, 13 MILLS. CORRECT. SO WHAT THIS IS GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO IS AND THAT 13 MILLS IS CURRENTLY HIGHER THAN OUR ROLLBACK RATE. THAT'S CORRECT. SO THEREFORE WE HAVE TO ADVERTISE WHAT THIS BILL ALLOWS

[01:05:07]

CORRECT? YES. OKAY. DO YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? YEAH. OKAY. I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS PUT OUT THERE THAT WE WOULD NOT LOSE MONEY TECHNICALLY IF WE OPTED IN, WE WOULD LOSE IT. BUT IF WE STAY ALIVE, WE WON'T LOSE. I DON'T SO LET'S LET'S GO. LET'S NOT DO THE. THANK YOU. I'M OUT OF WHAT I APPRECIATE. THANK YOU FOR THAT. BUT, COUNCILMAN BUTLER, IF YOU ARE DONE, I'LL GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER MITCHELL. YES, I KIND OF HAD THE SAME QUESTION. SO IF WE OPT IN, WE POTENTIALLY LOSE REVENUE. DID I SEE SOMEWHERE IN THE SLIDE WHERE THEY WERE SAYING IT'S LIKE A POINT A .05. THEY GET A SALES TAX OR SOMETHING, RIGHT. SO THE CITY OF EAST POINT CURRENTLY HAS A MUNICIPAL OPTION SALES TAX. RIGHT. SO BY DEFINITION OF THIS LAW, WE'RE NOT ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FLOORS BECAUSE WE GOT THE MOST RIGHT. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A MOST YOU CAN PARTICIPATE IN THIS FLOAT. WHAT'S CALLED A FLOATING LOSS I'M SORRY FLOATING LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX. AND THE INCREMENT STARTS AT 0.05% AND GOES ALL THE WAY UP TO 1%. IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA, YOU HAVE A MAX SALES TAX OF I THINK 9%. 4% GOES TO THE STATE, 3% GOES TO THE COUNTY, AND THEN WHATEVER THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT MAY HAVE IN SALES TAXES, THE EQUAL UP TO 9%.

BUT IN THE CASE OF CITY OF EAST POINT, WE WON'T EVEN QUALIFY FOR THE LOSS. OKAY, THANKS. COUNCIL MEMBER ZIEGLER. THANK YOU. AND SO THE TIME WHEN YOUR HOUSE GETS REASSESSED OR NOT, I GUESS IT WOULDN'T BE THE HOUSE GETTING REASSESSED AT THAT POINT. IT WOULD BE WHEN THE INFLATION COULD GO UP OR DOWN THAT'S ASSESSED EVERY THREE YEARS IN REGARDS TO HOW MUCH PROPERTY TAX YOU'LL HAVE TO PAY ON YOUR HOUSE. CORRECT. SO WASN'T IT THAT THAT LIKE YOU'RE LOCKED IN FOR THREE YEARS AS A HOMEOWNER? THE ASSESSMENT I MEAN I'M SORRY, THE THREE YEAR THAT'S A THAT'S A FULTON COUNTY. THAT'S ONLY THAT'S ONLY FULTON COUNTY. THAT'S FULTON COUNTY. YEAH.

COUNTY. AND YOU APPEAL IF YOU APPEAL AND IF YOU HAVE A REDUCTION RIGHT NOW IF YOU APPEAL AND IT STAYS THE SAME, THEN YOU WOULD GET THAT THREE YEAR. THAT'S THAT'S NOW WHERE LAST YEAR YOU GET THAT THREE YEAR LOCK. BUT NOW THEY'RE SAYING IF YOU APPEAL AND IT DOES NOT REDUCE YOU DON'T GET THE THREE YEAR LOCK. SO IF YOU IF YOUR BILL IS 100,000 LAST YEAR AND YOU APPEAL IT AND IT COMES BACK 100 AND THEY SAY, OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO REDUCE IT BACK TO 100,000, YOU DON'T GET A THREE YEAR LOCK. BUT IF THEY SAY, OKAY, WE OVERESTIMATED AND IT'S 98,000, YOU GET A THREE YEAR LOCK. THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT THEY SAID OKAY. SO AS AN EAST POINT HOMEOWNER, IF WE OPT IN YOU COULD STILL GET AN INCREASE IN TAX EVERY YEAR. CORRECT. BECAUSE IT WOULD BE BASED OFF OF INFLATION. SO AS LONG AS INFLATION IS INCREASING THEN.

THEN THERE'S A POSSIBILITY THAT EACH YEAR YOU COULD. BUT THERE ARE. THEY ALSO SAY I'M SORRY OKAY. YEAH. GO AHEAD. THEY ALSO SAID THAT IF IT DOES NOT IF, IF, IF THE CPI DOES NOT INCREASE IT STAYS THE SAME OKAY. SO IF IT DOES NOT INCREASE YOUR TAXES DON'T GO UP OKAY. GOT IT. BUT IF IT DOES INCREASE THEN YOU'RE THEN YOU WILL GET AN INCREASE IN TAXES CORRECT? YES. GOT IT. AND IT COULD GO FROM 1% TO ONE. YEAH. IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE ECONOMIC CYCLE THAT WE'RE IN.

WE'RE NOT IN A IT. THE LAW DOESN'T TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE IN ECONOMIC CYCLES WHERE YOU TALK ABOUT STAGFLATION. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT REGULAR CPI, REGULAR INFLATION, OR YOU CAN TALK ABOUT HYPER INFLATION. IT DOESN'T YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T ADDRESS THAT. BUT YOU

[01:10:04]

THANK YOU. YES. SO IN TERMS OF WHEN THE CPI IS PUBLISHED SO THAT WE'LL KNOW WHAT THAT NUMBER IS. BECAUSE WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT BASED ON WHERE THE CPI IS, THEN THAT WILL INFORM US IN TERMS OF WHERE WE MAY NEED TO PLACE THE MILLAGE RATE TO MITIGATE SOME OF THE LOSSES THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE. IF, YOU KNOW, THE CPI IS LOW OR HIGH OR WHATEVER OR WHATEVER THE ASSESSMENT IS. SO THEN MY QUESTION IS IN TERMS OF THE PUBLISHING OF THE CPI AND OUR BUDGETING PROCESS, WE WOULD HAVE TO KNOW WHATEVER THAT NUMBER IS, RIGHT, IN ORDER TO FACTOR THAT INTO ANY OF THE FORECASTING AND PROJECTIONS. THAT'S CORRECT. TO A CERTAIN DEGREE, WHEN PHONE COUNTING GIVES US THE DIGEST, IT WOULD BE IT WOULD BE BASED ON THE CPI ALREADY. THAT DIGEST WOULD GIVE US EVERYTHING THAT WE WOULD NEED TO DO OUR PROJECTIONS. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO A COUPLE OF THINGS I THINK THERE IF WE OPT IN, THIS IS OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE HOMEOWNERS MORE OF A HIGHER EXEMPTION, CORRECT. BY OPTING IN TO DO THE STATE. BUT THERE'S ALSO NOTHING THAT PREVENTS US FROM OPTING IN AND DOING A LOCAL FLOATING HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. THROUGH A LOCAL ACT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, LIKE THROUGH OUR LOCAL DELEGATION, IF WE WANT TO DO THAT AS WELL. RIGHT. OR YOU CAN DO ONE, IF NOT THE OTHER, LIKE IF YOU OPT INTO THE STATE, CAN YOU ALSO DO A LOCAL BECAUSE IT INDICATED YOU CAN'T OPT IN AFTER MARCH 1ST, BUT THERE'S NOTHING TO PREVENT YOU FROM DOING A FLOATING HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION THROUGH LOCAL LEGISLATION. THAT IS CORRECT, RIGHT? BUT CAN YOU DO BOTH? CAN YOU OPT IN AND CAN YOU DO LOCAL LEGISLATION? OR IF YOU'RE CONSIDERING DOING LOCAL LEGISLATION TO INCREASE THE FLOATING HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN DISCUSSION ABOUT INCREASING THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS.

AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT GETTING THE TAX DIGEST TOO LATE TO MAKE THOSE TYPES OF DECISIONS. RIGHT.

IS THERE A WAY TO OPT IN AND STILL BE ABLE TO DO THAT? OR IF YOU OPT IN, YOU CAN NO LONGER DO THE LOCAL? I'D HAVE TO HAVE AN ANSWER TO YOU. NO, NO, THE LOCAL. BUT IT DOESN'T TAKE AWAY THE LOCAL. NO, NOT THAT THE LOCAL. SO YOU CAN DO A LOCAL FLOATING HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION THROUGH LOCAL LEGISLATION. YES. BUT WHEN YOU ALL SHARED THAT YOU SHARED LIKE IF YOU DON'T OPT IN BY MARCH 1ST, THIS DOESN'T PREVENT YOU FROM DOING LOCAL LEGISLATION FOR LOCAL FLOATING HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. CORRECT. BUT IF YOU OPT IN BY MARCH 1ST AND STILL WANT, DOES THAT PREVENT YOU FROM LATER DOING A LOCAL FLOATING HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION? NO, IT DOESN'T, BECAUSE YOU HAVE CITIES THAT HAVE A FLOATING EXEMPTION NOW. AND WHAT MR. JACKSON SAID IN OUR IN THE PRESENTATION IS THAT YOU GOT TO DETERMINE WHICH ONE IS MORE BENEFICIAL, THE ONE SO YOU WON'T GET THE EFFECT OF BOTH. BUT SO IF WE OPT IN AND THEN WE SAY, WELL, WE WANT TO GIVE OUR RESIDENTS MORE AND IMPLEMENT A LOCAL FLOATING HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, THAT'S HIGHER. LET'S JUST SAY THAT THEY WON'T GET THE BENEFIT OF BOTH. THEY'LL GET THE BENEFIT OF THE ONE THAT IS HIGHER. THAT BENEFIT IS HIGH. YEAH. AND IF WE DECIDE NOT TO OPT IN AND THEN WE WERE LIKE, OH, BUT MAYBE WE WANT TO DO IT, WE CAN STILL CREATE A LOCAL FLOATING HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.

YES. CORRECT. SO WE HAVE AN OPTION WHETHER WE OPT IN OR NOT, TO DO A LOCAL FLOATING HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. THE QUESTION IS, DO WE WANT TO OPT IN TO I MAYBE GET STARTED BUT THEN LATER CAN INCREASE. RIGHT. NOTHING PREVENTS US FROM DOING THAT, CORRECT? YES, MA'AM. THE OTHER THING I MEAN, THE REALITY OF IT IS WHENEVER WE ARE PROVIDING ADDITIONAL EXEMPTIONS, THERE IS AN IMPACT ON WHAT WE'RE GOING TO RECEIVE FROM THE RESIDENTS WHO ARE ABLE WHO QUALIFY FOR THE EXEMPTION. YES. SO THERE'S GOING TO BE A DECREASE IN REVENUE FROM THAT PROPERTY. WHILE IT MIGHT BE OFFSET BY COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TAXES, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FULL LIKE SO WE'RE COLLECTING 200,000 AND THIS YEAR 120,000 IS COMING FROM COMMERCIAL AND 80,000 IS COMING FROM RESIDENTIAL. IF WE DO THIS, MAYBE 75 IS COMING FROM RESIDENTIAL AND 125 IS COMING FROM COMMERCIAL. SO THERE'S A POTENTIAL LIKE THE TOTAL AMOUNT COLLECTED MIGHT BE THE SAME. IT'S JUST WHO'S PAYING IT. BUT THERE WILL BE A REDUCTION. YES. AS IT RELATES TO THE RESIDENTIAL. AND I THINK THIS DISCUSSION IS HELPFUL, BUT I THINK IT ALSO LENDS TO POTENTIAL EXAMPLES THAT YOU ALL CAN SHARE.

[01:15:04]

QUESTION IS IMPACT ON REVENUE. AND IF IT OFFSETS, HOW DO WE KNOW IT'S GOING TO OFFSET.

RIGHT. LIKE HOW DO WE KNOW WE GET TO WE KEEP GETTING THE 200,000. IT'S JUST A DIFFERENT FROM BOTH, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT AMOUNTS COMING FROM EACH BUCKET. LIKE HOW DO YOU SHOW THAT.

BECAUSE I THINK THAT CAN HELP AROUND THE DISCUSSIONS. RIGHT. WE HAVE A LOT OF COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE WORKS, RIGHT? WE HAVE SEVERAL THAT ARE GOING TO BRING IN ADDITIONAL REAL COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE TAXES. RIGHT. SO LIKE HOW ARE WE THINKING ABOUT. YEAH. WELL IF WE MIGHT WANT TO, YOU KNOW, DECREASE WHAT THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNERS ARE PAYING AND IT NOT NECESSARILY HAVING AN OVERALL DECREASE. WHILE THEY WILL PAY LESS IT WON'T OVERALL DECREASE OUR REVENUE. LIKE I NEED TO SEE NUMBERS. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING. AN EXAMPLE. YES I THINK THAT WILL HELP KIND OF ADDRESS SOME SOME OF THE QUESTIONS. AND AGAIN THIS SEEMS LIKE A REALLY BIG DECISION TO HAVE TO MAKE BY JANUARY 21ST. WHAT I JUST THOUGHT ABOUT IS THE SOUTH FULTON MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION MEETING IS AFTER THAT. WELL, AND IS THERE A WAY TO POTENTIALLY AND I KNOW WE HAVE TO DO THIS BY MARCH 1ST. I'M NOT TRYING TO TAKE THAT OPTION OFF THE TABLE, BUT IS FEBRUARY 3RD TOO LATE? SO THAT COUNCIL WOULD HAVE THE BENEFIT OF THAT POTENTIAL DISCUSSION AT THE SOUTH FULTON MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION MEETING FOR THOSE WHO ATTEND, BECAUSE THEN THAT'S A REGIONAL DISCUSSION RIGHT AROUND THIS AND IMPACTING KIND OF HAVE THAT CONVERSATION BEFORE WE MAKE THE DECISION. YES, YES, WHAT I HAD ON THE PRESENTATION IS JUST A PROPOSED DATE. YEAH. SO IT GIVES US ENOUGH TIME. WE JUST WANTED TO START THE CONVERSATION. ABSOLUTELY. AND GIVE US ENOUGH TIME. SO THEN EVEN IN FEBRUARY 3RD OR THE NEXT WORK SESSION IN FEBRUARY, WE CAN COME TO A CONCLUSION. SO WHEN DO WE TRIGGER. OH, THAT'S FOR THE FLOSS SALES TAX WHERE YOU HAVE TO DO THE THREE PUBLICATIONS. WHEN IS THAT? THAT'S WHAT I WAS GETTING READY TO SAY. YEAH. THE THREE PUBLICATIONS IS THE KEY. BECAUSE WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE SAME WAY WE DO THE MILLAGE RATE, MILLAGE RATE. YOU HAVE TO HAVE TEN DAYS BETWEEN EACH, TEN DAYS BETWEEN EACH MEETING. AS FAR AS GETTING TO DISCUSS IT FOR PUBLIC, FOR PUBLIC, FOR THE PUBLIC, AND THEN IT HAS TO BE DONE. ONCE AGAIN, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THREE. SEPARATE PUBLIC HEARINGS TO DECIDE IF YOU'RE GOING TO OPT OUT. OKAY. IF YOU'RE GOING TO OPT OUT, YOU GOT TO HAVE THREE PUBLIC HEARINGS BEFORE FEBRUARY 28TH, BECAUSE WE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THEIR INFORMATION BY THEN. YEAH. AND MARCH 1ST IS A SATURDAY. THAT'S WHY THEY'RE SAYING FEBRUARY 28TH. RIGHT. AND SO AND I KNOW YOU ALL KEEP GETTING TIRED OF ME SAYING WE'RE UNDER THE GUN. BUT THAT'S HOW THEY GET HERE. I KNOW IT SOUNDS LIKE EVERY TIME I COME HERE WE ARE UNDER NO, NO, NO, THAT'S HOW THEY GIVE IT TO ME IS STATE LEGISLATURES, COUNTY AS A WHOLE, A WHOLE BUNCH OF THINGS KIND OF OUTSIDE OF US THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH. BUT. YOU KNOW, I AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS AT THE WORK SESSION, BUT AND I'LL TRY TO CONFIRM WHAT THE AGENDA IS GOING TO BE AT THE SOUTHWEST MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION, LIKE IF WE'RE IN FACT GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT, BECAUSE, I MEAN, THERE STILL WOULD BE A WAY TO DO IT, RIGHT? WE JUST PROBABLY END UP WITH A SPECIAL COURT MEETING TO MAKE IT HAPPEN, IF THAT'S WHAT COUNCIL DECIDES. SO I'LL I'LL REACH OUT TO THE MAYOR TO SEE IF THAT'S GOING TO BE A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION, BECAUSE IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO DISCUSS IT, THEN IT'S NOT GOING TO REALLY IT WOULDN'T MAKE SENSE TO WAIT. RIGHT? SO I KNOW THAT BY MONDAY. BUT IF YOU ALL COULD GET US SOME EXAMPLES AND YOU KNOW, THE DECREASED REVENUE THAT WE'LL GET FROM THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNERS, HOW IT MIGHT BE OFFSET AND WE'RE STILL COLLECTING THE SAME MONEY LIKE THAT DISCUSSION, BECAUSE IT IS A DECREE. THERE'S GOING TO BE A DECREASE, BUT IT'S JUST TO WHOM AND WILL IT BE AN OVERALL DECREASE? I THINK THAT COUNCIL MEMBER SHROPSHIRE, THANK YOU. AND I WAS GOING TO SAY MAYBE DO YOU THINK IT'S HELPFUL IF OUR STATE REPS CAN COME IN AND HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS AS WELL? I KNOW WE USUALLY HAVE MEETINGS AND THEY WILL GIVE US UPDATES ON WHAT HAS PASSED ON THE STATE LEVEL, AND THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL IF TO HAVE THEM TO COME IN BECAUSE THEY THEY ARE THEY PASS IT. YEAH, I DEFINITELY THINK IT MAY BE HELPFUL, BUT SOMETIMES THEY DON'T GET INTO THE NUMBERS EITHER. AND SO IF WE ARE GOING TO DO THAT, IT PROBABLY WOULD BE GOOD TO DO IT LIKE THE 21ST OR SOMETHING AFTER

[01:20:04]

AND THAT WOULD BE GOOD, BECAUSE I KNOW WE USUALLY DO A ROUNDTABLE WITH THEM, SO THIS PROBABLY WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO DO THAT. AND IF WE HAVE ANY OTHER ITEMS THAT WE HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT AS WELL. YEAH. SO, MADAM CITY CLERK, IF YOU CAN PUT ON THE 13TH WORK SESSION, THE LEGISLATIVE ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION AROUND THAT, IF WE WANT TO TRY TO HAVE IT, LEGISLATIVE SESSION STARTS SOMETIME THIS MONTH. I DON'T I CAN'T REMEMBER THE DAY FOR AT THE STATE LEVEL, BUT THE SOONER WE HAD THOSE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHAT THEY MAY NEED TO MOVE FORWARD FOR US AT A LOCAL LEVEL OR JUST WHAT MIGHT BE COMING UP BETTER. SO. WE CAN PUT IT ON FOR MONDAY AND THEN MAYBE TALK TO THEM TO KIND OF BOUNCE AROUND SOME DATES THAT MIGHT WORK FOR THEM THIS MONTH. ONCE SESSION STARTS, THEY KIND OF GET PULLED IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS, BUT THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO SHARE SOME DATES FOR THAT. I THINK WE GENERALLY DO IT IN THE EVENING, BUT IT IS A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING. SO, MADAM CITY CLERK, IF YOU COULD DO THAT. FOR THE WORK SESSION DISCUSSION, WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT IT. ANYONE ELSE? SO THIS HAS BEEN A VERY ROBUST DISCUSSION AND I KNOW THIS IS NOT THE END OF IT. NOT EVEN MY QUESTIONS FOR SURE. PROBABLY OTHERS. SO MONDAY WORK SESSION, HAVING MORE EXAMPLES, HAVING MORE INFORMATION FOR US WOULD BE HELPFUL IF WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO STICK WITH THE 21ST TIME. YES, MADAM MAYOR, I WANTED TO SAY WE HAD NO EXPECTATION THAT TONIGHT WOULD BE ANY DECISION MAKING OR WHAT HAVE YOU, BUT WE WANTED TO GET IT BEFORE YOU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT WE COULD START TO GET AN IDEA OF THE QUESTIONS YOU HAVE. WE HAD ACTUALLY TALKED PREVIOUSLY ABOUT SOME EXAMPLES OF WHAT IT WOULD BE AND MADE UP NUMBERS, BUT WE DECIDED WE SHOULD WAIT, PUT THIS OUT, AND THEN SEE WHAT QUESTIONS YOU HAVE. STAFF ALSO AGGRESSIVELY TRIED TO GET INTO SESSIONS THAT MAY BE GMA OR ACC OR THOSE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WERE HAVING, BUT THEY WERE VERY SCARCE. AS THE MAYOR SAID, THIS WAS NOT DATE SET BY US. THIS IS BEING DRIVEN BY THE STATE AND THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. SO WE HAD TO TAKE WHAT THEY OFFERED US AND BROUGHT IT TO YOU AS AS SOON AS WE COULD.

BUT WE'LL BRING BACK ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND FEEL FREE TO SEND WHATEVER QUESTIONS YOU HAVE AS SOON AS THEY COME UP AND THEY CAN START TO WORK ON THOSE. YEAH, I THANK YOU, MISS JESSIE.

AND AGAIN, I THANK STAFF. I GENERALLY WE'RE LIKE, WELL I WE'RE JUST GETTING I GET WHY WE'RE JUST GETTING THIS NOW. LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF MOVING PARTS AND A LOT OF INFORMATION TO TRY TO DIGEST. I APPRECIATE YOU ALL BRINGING IT TO THIS MEETING. I THINK THAT BECAUSE THAT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE MORE DISCUSSIONS AND MORE TARGETED BASED UPON WHAT WE DISCUSSED TONIGHT VERSUS YOU ALL KIND OF SPECULATING. SO I DO APPRECIATE IT BEING PRESENTED TO US AT THIS FIRST OPPORTUNITY POST JANUARY 1ST. RIGHT. SO WE CAN MAXIMIZE THAT TIME PERIOD.

BUT LET'S JUST AND LET'S KEEP THINKING NOT BUT BUT AND LET'S KEEP THINKING ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES TO BRING IT FORWARD. OPPORTUNITIES TO GET QUESTIONS ANSWERED, OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES, OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A REGIONAL DISCUSSION. RIGHT. LIKE FOLDING ALL OF THAT INTO A TIMELINE SO THAT WE CAN MAKE THE MOST INFORMED DECISION. BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE IF WE DON'T DECIDE TO OPT IN AND WE LATER WANT TO DO A LOCAL FLOATING HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, WE STILL CAN, RIGHT? LIKE SO. WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY HAMPERED UNLESS WE DECIDE THAT WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING LESS THAN THE STATE. SO IT SOUNDS LIKE WE STILL HAVE OPTIONS, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE FULLY UNDERSTAND AND DISCUSS IT SO WE CAN MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION AS TO WHICHEVER WAY WE DECIDE TO GO. SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR

[01:25:06]

[VI.3. Facade Grant Funding Distribution]

[01:30:04]

THIS WOULD REQUIRE PROGRESS REPORTS FROM RECIPIENTS, ADDRESS THE ECONOMIC AND ESTHETIC IMPACTS OF THE PROJECTS. AND OF COURSE, WE USE THESE INSIGHTS TO GUIDE FUTURE FUNDING DECISIONS.

IF OR TO COME UP AGAIN WITH RESPECT TO ANY FUNDING ALLOCATIONS THAT WE MIGHT HAVE FOR THIS TYPE PROJECT OR OTHER SIMILAR TYPE PROJECTS THAT WE MIGHT HAVE FOR CITY CITY INITIATIVES. AND THEN FINALLY, PART OF THIS EQUATION CONSISTS OF A SHARED PRIORITIZATION FOR DOWNTOWN, GIVEN AGAIN, THE VESTED INTEREST IN DOWNTOWN THAT COUNCIL SPOKE OF AT THE LAST MEETING. THE SHARED INTEREST ACROSS DOWNTOWN WOULD CONSIST OF WARDS CONSIDERING OR MAYBE WISHING TO CONTRIBUTE PART OF THEIR INDIVIDUAL ALLOCATION TO DOWNTOWN PROJECTS. IF THERE IS A SHARED PROJECT INTEREST, FOR EXAMPLE, EACH WARD MIGHT CONTRIBUTE A CERTAIN AMOUNT, AND THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF 10 TO 20% OF THE ALLOCATION TO DOWNTOWN PROJECTS. IF THEY SEE A SHARED BENEFIT, WE DON'T HAVE AN ACCOUNT AS TO WHAT THE RESPONSE WILL BE FOR THIS INITIATIVE, BUT WE VERY INTENTIONAL WITH OUR MARKETING EFFORTS IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATING AND GETTING THE WORD OUT. AND SO WE ANTICIPATE A GOOD DEGREE OF PARTICIPATION FROM THE COMMUNITY. BUT I DON'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION TO SHARE WITH YOU BASED ON THAT AT THIS POINT, BECAUSE WE HADN'T LAUNCHED THE INITIATIVE AT THIS TIME. BUT BASED ON THE SHARED PRIORITIZATION FOR DOWNTOWN, THERE'S THIS EXAMPLE RIGHT HERE. SO THE BREAKDOWN BREAKDOWN COULD BE AS SUCH DISTRICTS ONE OR WARDS I SHOULD SAY ONE THROUGH FOUR. GET THE FOR EXAMPLE, BASELINE OF $100,000. AND THE BASELINE FOR DOWNTOWN IS 180,000. IF THERE IS A SHARED INTEREST WITH RESPECT TO PARTICIPATING IN A DOWNTOWN PROJECT OR PROJECTS A WARD MIGHT DESIRE TO CONTRIBUTE A PORTION OF ITS ALLOCATION TO DOWNTOWN. IN THIS CASE, WE JUST THROW IN $15,000 FROM EACH WARD THAT TAKES YOU TO $90,000 EACH. IT ADDS AN ADDITIONAL $60,000 TO THE DOWNTOWN AREA. THAT TAKES THAT AREA TO 240,000. JUST AS AN IDEA THAT YOU COULD MAYBE CONSIDER FOR DOWNTOWN, BENEFITS OF THIS APPROACH WOULD BE BASICALLY ENSURES EQUITABLE BASELINE DISTRIBUTION WHILE ADDRESSING UNIQUE, UNIQUE NEEDS. SOME OF THE NEEDS WITH WITH RESPECT TO DOWNTOWN MIGHT BE HISTORICAL IN NATURE, WHEREAS YOU WANT TO PRESERVE THE AUTHENTICITY OF A DOWNTOWN LOCATION BASED ON, AGAIN, ITS HISTORIC NATURE. IT WOULD PROMOTE COLLABORATION AND SHARED INVESTMENT IN DOWNTOWN DISTRICT, MAXIMIZE THE IMPACT OF FUNDS THROUGH MATCHING CONTRIBUTIONS AND STAKEHOLDER INPUT, AND THEN, OF COURSE, MAINTAIN FLEXIBILITY TO PRIORITIZE URGENT OR HIGH IMPACT PROJECTS. ONE REASON FOR PUTTING THIS IN IS BASED ON COMMUNITY BENEFITS AND OPPORTUNITIES. FOLLOWING SOME OF THE OR CONSIDERING SOME OF THE EVENTS THAT WILL BE COMING TO ATLANTA STARTING THIS YEAR. THE 2025 NCAA WOULD BE THIS YEAR IS RIGHT UPON US. THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP, THE 2025 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ALL STAR GAME, THE FEDERAL FEDERATION,

[01:35:02]

I BELIEVE THAT IT'S CALLED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF WASHINGTON ROAD. YES, MA'AM. BUT I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE WAS THIS HAS TO BE AN AGGRESSIVE APPROACH. LIKE IT REALLY, REALLY DOES. I LIKE THE MEETINGS AT CUPCAKERY, BUT MAYBE PUTTING IN A TELEPHONE CALL, MAYBE GOING ON SITE SPEAKING WITH SOMEONE WILL ALSO BE BENEFICIAL. BECAUSE I THINK THAT WE'RE PUTTING FORTH A LOT OF EFFORT HERE. BUT I ALSO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE RETURNING FROM THE HOLIDAYS. PEOPLE MAY BE BUSY, BUT JUST INSISTENCE WITH TELEPHONE CALLS AND WITH FOLLOW UP, BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY DECENT PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE. IT'S A FACADE IMPROVEMENT. IT'S GOING TO BEAUTIFY EVERY WARD.

BUT I ALSO THINK THAT THE PROPERTY OWNERS OR THE BUSINESS OWNERS NEED TO KNOW THAT THIS IS IMPORTANT TO THE EAST POINT CITY COUNCIL. THIS IS IMPORTANT TO OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. WE NEED TO GET THEM TO BUY INTO THIS. YES MA'AM, I TOTALLY AGREE. NEXT WEDNESDAY, A WEEK FROM THIS WEDNESDAY, WE WILL BE OFFICIALLY LAUNCHING THE INITIATIVE. SO WE WILL POST THAT

[01:40:07]

COUNCILMEMBER COMMENTS. AND THEN IF YOU ALL CAN RELEASE SO THAT HER COUNCILMEMBER MARTIN ROGERS, WILL BE ACTIVE. YEAH, I MEAN, THAT WAS THAT YOUR QUESTION? OH, OKAY. THIS IS IT. WHAT IF THE PLAZA DOESN'T OR WHAT IF SOMEONE DOESN'T TAKE SHOULD WE HAVE A PLAN B FOR ANOTHER PLACE IN WARD D IF THIS PERSON OR IF EITHER WARD YOU CAN'T. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. I HAVE MY ANSWER.

OKAY. COUNCILMEMBER ATKINS. YES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. ROGERS. SURE. CAN YOU GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE OF A SHARED BENEFIT? SO I KNOW YOU TALKED ABOUT A LOT OF THE MAJOR EVENTS THAT WILL BE COMING TO THE AREA. SO IF THERE'S HOW HOW WOULD THAT WORK EXACTLY? YEAH. SO THERE MIGHT BE, SAY A LONG WHITE WAY. WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE THOSE BUILDINGS ALONG THAT STRETCH OF ROAD RIGHT DOWN IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN OR BASICALLY HISTORIC IN NATURE. AND THERE COULD BE A SHARED INTEREST FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WANT TO SEE THAT ENHANCED MORE THAN, SAY, WHAT, YOU KNOW, THE ALLOCATED FUNDING AMOUNT WOULD BE. AND IF THAT IS AN INTEREST, THEN WE WOULD TAKE YOUR CONTRIBUTION AND APPLY IT. TOWARDS OR EQUALLY TOWARDS THOSE PROJECTS THAT YOU WOULD HAVE AN INTEREST IN. NOW, IF YOU DO HAVE INTEREST, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD JUST BE A MATTER OF EXPRESSING THAT WE WILL TAKE THE APPLICATIONS AND SEE WHO RESPONDED. BUT IF THERE IS AN

[01:45:03]

IF THAT'S AN INTEREST THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO PROCEED WITH. OKAY. AND I WAS ASKING THE QUESTION ABOUT THE CHRONOLOGY, BECAUSE IF A WARD DECIDES TO GIVE 10% UP FRONT BECAUSE THERE'S A SHARED INTEREST SPECIFICALLY FOR THE FACADES ON WHITE WAY, BUT THEY DON'T EVEN APPLY. SO NOW WE'VE GIVEN UP 10%. SO DO WE GET THAT MONEY BACK BECAUSE WE MAY HAVE AN AWARD MORE INTEREST AND NOW WE NEED THAT MONEY BACK. SO THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING ABOUT THE PROCESS. SURE. ABSOLUTELY. SO BASED ON THE DEADLINE, WE WILL KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE FOLLOWING WEEK WHO HAS RESPONDED. AND WE CAN CERTAINLY LET YOU KNOW. NOW, OF COURSE, WE WOULDN'T HAVE MADE THE EVALUATIONS AS TO WHO WOULD BE A RE A RECIPIENT OR AN AWARDEE, BECAUSE THE EVALUATIONS WOULDN'T HAVE TAKEN PLACE AT THAT TIME. BUT BEFORE ANY ANYTHING GOES OUT, WE CAN CERTAINLY COMMUNICATE WITH THE LEADERSHIP WHO SUBMITTED AND OF COURSE, WHO WAS AWARDED. AND IF THERE IS. YES, A DESIRED INTEREST OF ALLOCATING A PORTION OF THE FUND. IF YOU HADN'T DONE THAT AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WE CAN CERTAINLY DO MAKE THE ADJUSTMENTS BEFORE ANYTHING IS AWARDED, IF THAT IS THE DESIRE. ALL RIGHT. SO WE COULD GIVE, BUT WE COULD ALSO TAKE IT BACK IF THE MONEY IS. THAT IS TRUE. I MEAN YOU CAN BECAUSE AGAIN, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THE FUNDING IS EXHAUSTED. AND IT MIGHT BE THEN THAT WE GO BACK AND LOOK AT SOME OF THE APPLICATIONS THAT PERHAPS DIDN'T GET AWARDED, AND NOW WE MIGHT LOOK AT HOW WE CAN CAN GET THAT PARTICULAR APPLICANT ACROSS THE FINISH LINE AS WELL. BUT I DON'T THINK WE'LL HAVE THAT PROBLEM. I COULD BE WRONG, BUT I'M PRETTY. I'M FAIRLY OPTIMISTIC THAT WE'LL HAVE A GOOD RESPONSE FROM THE EFFORTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO PUT OUT. AND I THINK THE FUNDING WILL WILL BE EXHAUSTED. JUST IN IN QUICK TIME. AND SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOWNTOWN, I KNOW IN THE APPLICATION YOU SPEAK OF THE CENTRAL DOWNTOWN DISTRICT, RIGHT? YES. YES, SIR. SO THAT'S A DEFINED AREA. SO DO WE ALSO JUST SO THAT BUSINESSES WILL KNOW WHETHER THEY ARE INSIDE OF

[01:50:02]

AND WE'LL TAKE THOSE APPLICATIONS. AND AS THEY COME IN, IF THEY LAND IN WARD A, THEY GO TO WARD A AND ETC. AND THEN WE LOOK AT WHAT THE RESULTS ARE IN TERMS OF WHO APPLIED AND HOW MUCH THEY APPLIED FOR. AND IF THEIR PROJECT, IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING TO DO, WARRANTS THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THEY'RE ASKING. OKAY. GOTCHA. AND ARDEN'S GARDEN IS DOWN TO THE COLLEGE PARK LINE IS WARD B, SO THERE'S PARTS OF A AND B IN DOWNTOWN. OKAY. YES.

AND SO I'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT MAP AGAIN IN TERMS OF THE, THE ACTUAL BOUNDARY. BUT YES, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT WHAT IS DOWNTOWN. AND BASED ON WHAT THEY PUT ON THEIR THEIR APPLICATION IN TERMS OF THEIR ADDRESS, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE VERIFYING THAT INFORMATION. OKAY. TWO OTHER QUICK QUESTIONS. THE INFORMATION THAT YOU SENT OUT, I BELIEVE IT WAS ON THE 13TH OF DECEMBER.

THERE WAS A SECTION THAT TALKED ABOUT ELIGIBLE PROJECTS. AND WHAT I NOTICED IN THERE IS THAT AN ELIGIBLE PROJECT IS THE RESURFACING OR THE STRIPING OF A PARKING LOT. IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY. SO IF I'M A BUSINESS AND I'VE BEEN WORKING ON MY FACADE AND I FEEL LIKE, WELL, I DON'T NEED MONEY, BECAUSE IN MY MIND I THINK OF A FACADE AS THE FRONT OR THE FACE OF A BUILDING THAT I DON'T NEED MONEY FOR, THAT I'M ONLY APPLYING FOR THE PARKING LOT, SO THAT'S COMPLETELY PERMISSIBLE. THEY CAN ONLY APPLY FOR THE PARKING LOT AND TOUCH NONE OF THE FACADE. THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. AND THEN THERE WAS ALSO AND ONE OF THE OTHER SECTIONS, I BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS A THRESHOLD $10,000. SO THE PROJECT MUST BE A MINIMUM OF $10,000. YES. IT'S AND THAT'S JUST BASED ON, YOU KNOW, THE DATA THAT WE RETRIEVED FROM THE RESEARCH THAT WE DID, THE EVEN FOR JUST PRESSURE WASHING, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GETTING UPWARDS OF $10,000 EASILY. AND SO IF YOU WERE GOING TO GOING TO DO ANYTHING IN ADDITION TO THAT, IT COULD BE SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS TRIMMING YOUR BASEBOARDS AROUND YOUR WINDOW FRAMES OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. AND BASED ON THE CALCULATION, YOU WOULD YOU WOULD EASILY GET TO THAT PARTICULAR POINT BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT WE'VE RETRIEVED FOR THIS TYPE WORK. BUT YES, YOU CAN CERTAINLY DO. AND OF COURSE, THE WHOLE IDEA WOULD BE TO ENCOURAGE, TO DO MORE THAN JUST SAY, A $5,000 IMPROVEMENT, YOU KNOW, IF THEY IF THEY, IF THEY APPLY. SO I'M THINKING ABOUT THAT ALSO IN THE FLIP, I'M A BUSINESS, A SMALL BUSINESS, I HAVE A BUSINESS. I'VE BEEN WORKING ON MY FACADE AND I'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK. I HAVEN'T FINISHED, BUT I'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK AND I ONLY HAVE ABOUT $7,000 MORE WORTH OF WORK TO DO, SO I'M COMPLETELY INELIGIBLE BECAUSE. BECAUSE WHAT I HEAR IS THAT THEN IF IT'S A THRESHOLD OF $10,000, I MIGHT MAKE UP SOMETHING ELSE TO BE DONE FOR $3,000 JUST SO THAT I'M ELIGIBLE, WHEN THAT $3,000 COULD MAYBE GO TO ANOTHER BUSINESS THAT MAY NEED IT. SO THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT. HOW YOU CAME UP WITH THE THRESHOLD. YES. SO WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT CRITICAL NEED IN TERMS OF VISIBILITY. I MEAN, THERE ARE LIKELY BUILDINGS THAT WOULD BE AND I WOULDN'T SAY CONSIDERABLE DISREPAIR, BUT THEY COULD BE REALLY IN, IN, IN GREAT NEED FOR THAT. AND SO WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THAT APPLICATION. AND IF THEY'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT, WE'VE PROBABLY NOT LOOKED AT

[01:55:05]

THE DEGREE OF VISIBILITY THAT IT HAS FROM THE STREET IN TERMS OF MASS APPEAL. SO THE WHAT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT WILL BE SCORING BASED ON SOME OF THOSE, THOSE PROPERTIES THAT WILL ATTRACT THAT KIND OF. ADDITIONAL TOURIST ATTRACTION. FOOT TRAFFIC BUSINESS TO GENERATE REVENUE. SO I JUST I JUST SAY THAT MISTER ROGERS, BECAUSE MY BUSINESS COULD BE ON MAIN STREET, HIGH TRAFFIC, HIGH VISIBILITY. I'VE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD. I DON'T NEED MUCH, BUT I DON'T NEED $10,000. AND THEN I FEEL LIKE I CAN'T APPLY FOR IT. I FEEL LIKE I'M PENALIZED. NO, NOT NOT TO SAY THAT AT ALL. I MEAN APPLY BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT AND WE'RE GOING TO SCORE THE APPLICATIONS AGAIN BASED ON MERIT, BASED ON WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN THE PAST. SO NO, NO ONE IS ELIMINATED FROM THE OUTSET AT ALL. WE WILL BASE IT TOTALLY, 100% ON THE MERIT. OKAY, I ASK BECAUSE THE THAT INFORMATION SAID PROJECT MUST BE A MINIMUM OF $10,000. WELL, YEAH. AND THAT'S THE BEGINNING POINT. I MEAN, AGAIN, WE HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE. AND THAT WAS BASED ON THE DATA THAT I COLLECTED WITH RESPECT TO COMPANIES THAT DOES THAT KIND OF WORK. AND IT WAS LIKE, WELL, YOU KNOW, 10,000 IS NOT A HIGH BAR TO REACH, BUT IF THERE ARE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN DOING THINGS ALREADY, CERTAINLY I WOULD ENCOURAGE TO CONTINUE. IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO HELP BASED ON THE FACT THAT THEY ARE APPLYING, WE WILL CERTAINLY CONSIDER IT. SO NO ONE IS GOING TO BE JUST TURNED AWAY FROM FROM THE EFFORT THAT THEY'VE PUT INTO IT. BUT WE WILL HAVE A CRITERIA THAT WE WILL GO BY AND WE WILL JUST LOOK AT THE PROJECT AND, AND, YOU KNOW, BASE IT ON BASE BASED IT ON ITS MERITS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU'RE WELCOME. COUNCILMEMBER. THANK YOU. I HAVE A QUESTION. DO. SO HOW DO YOU DETERMINE IF A COUNCIL PERSON DON'T WANT IF THEY WANT TO GIVE THEIR MONEY, WOULDN'T THAT WOULD BOTH COUNCIL PEOPLE HAVE TO MAKE THAT DECISION? YES, IT WOULD BE A SHARED INTEREST BROUGHT BACK TO COUNCIL FOR A VOTE. NO I DON'T I DON'T THINK IT HAS TO. YES YES IT WILL. OKAY. SURE. WHY CAN'T MAKE DECISIONS OKAY. ABOUT APPLICATIONS WITHOUT THE VOTE OF THE ENTIRE COUNCIL. OKAY. I UNDERSTAND THE CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE BEING HAPPENED, BUT I MEAN THAT IDEAS THAT ARE BEING DISCUSSED ARE JUST CROSSING PEOPLE'S MINDS. EVEN IF IT MAKES MAKE THAT DECISION. THAT HAS TO BE A VOTE OF THIS COUNCIL. LIKE, WE CAN'T JUST DO THIS BY EMAIL, BECAUSE THEN WE GET OURSELVES INTO SITUATIONS OF VIOLATING OPEN, OPEN MEETINGS, ACT BY MAKING DECISIONS BY EMAIL, AND THEY HAVE TO BE MADE PUBLICLY. SO YES, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE BY BY THE COUNCIL. THANK YOU. AND SO MY NEXT QUESTION IS THIS. SO WHAT IS THE EXACT AMOUNT THAT EACH WARD WOULD GET? BECAUSE I KNOW WHEN WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION WE NEVER SAID, TAKE ALL OF THIS MONEY AND PUT IT INTO DOWNTOWN. WE SAID EQUALLY DISTRIBUTED YES MA'AM, AND DEPENDS ON WHAT THE AREA WAS AND WHAT THE NEED WAS. AND FROM WHAT I'M HEARING, I SEE THAT YOU ALREADY SET UP A MEETING AND

[02:00:01]

THERE WE ARE. SO RIGHT NOW, COUNCILWOMAN, OPTION ONE, WARD WOULD GET 100 PER 100,000 PER WARD. THAT'S CORRECT. WARD WOULD GET 100,000, OR EACH WARD WOULD GET 105,000. THAT IS CORRECT. AS AN OPTION TO BE DIVIDED. SO WARD A WOULD GET 105,000 AND AB OKAY. AND IF AND YOU'VE ALREADY SAID IT'S ALREADY BEEN DETERMINED THAT IF A WARD WANTS TO GIVE THEIR MONEY TO DOWNTOWN, IT HAS TO COME BACK BEFORE COUNCIL TO VOTE ON IT, BECAUSE NOT ALL COUNCIL PEOPLE MIGHT AGREE TO THAT. YES, BECAUSE THERE ARE THERE ARE PLAZAS IN WARD THAT REALLY NEED FIXING UP. SO I'LL COME BACK TO THE QUESTION, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO NOTIFY THEM? BECAUSE I SEE THAT YOU Y'ALL ARE AGGRESSIVELY WORKING TO PUT IT DOWNTOWN, BUT YOU STILL HAVE PLAZAS THAT'S IN WARDS THAT NEEDS ATTENTION. SO WHAT ARE Y'ALL DOING TO NOTIFY THEM? SO OUR FIRST WAVE OF COMMUNICATION WENT OUT EARLIER TODAY. WE HAVE POSTED IT ON THE CITY'S CALENDAR OF EVENTS, NOTIFYING THAT WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8TH WILL BE THE FIRST IN-PERSON COMMUNITY MEETING. FEBRUARY 5TH WOULD BE THE SECOND IN-PERSON COMMUNITY MEETING. WE PUT IT OUT ON ALL OUR SOCIAL PLATFORMS FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, SO YOU WILL HAVE THIS ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE AS WELL. AS WE PUT IT OUT IN OUR FIRST INITIAL NEWSLETTER. SO LET ME ASK YOU THIS. HOW DID YOU KNOW THE FACT THAT BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN ABOUT THE MEETING RIGHT NOW, THROUGH THE NEWSLETTER AND THE WEBSITE, THAT INFORMATION JUST WENT OUT TODAY. SO HOW DID Y'ALL DETERMINE THAT THE MEETING WOULD BE AT CUPCAKERY? SO THERE THERE HAD TO BE SOME KIND OF CONVERSATION. NO, WE DETERMINED THAT BECAUSE WE THE CUPCAKERY WE'VE BEEN DOING FIRST WEDNESDAY MONTHLY MEETINGS FOR THE LAST TWO, THREE YEARS. YES. OKAY. SO DO HOW MANY BUSINESSES AT THE PLAZA ATTEND THE MEETING. THOSE MEETINGS, IT VARIES. AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE A TRACKING OF THAT. BUT WE THESE ARE REOCCURRING MEETINGS AND WE DO IT AT CUPCAKERY BECAUSE OF ITS KIND OF CENTRALIZED LOCATION. AND WE HAVE THAT ONGOING MEETING ALLOCATED TIME FRAME IS CONSISTENT. THERE'S NO GUESSWORK. IT'S THE FIRST WEDNESDAY, 830 TO BASICALLY 1030, AND WE'VE BEEN STEADY WITH THAT SINCE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS OR SO. SO I'M GONNA HAVE TO PIGGYBACK OFF COUNCIL MEMBER MARTIN THE PLAZA. IS WHERE SAMMY CHEESECAKE IS. HOW ARE YOU ALL GOING TO NOTIFY THEM? BECAUSE IF Y'ALL ARE HAVING A MEETING EVERY MONTH AT CUPCAKERY, THEY'RE OUT ON WASHINGTON ROAD. THEY HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT THIS MEETING. THEY HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT THIS, THIS MONEY. SO HOW ARE YOU ALL? WHAT HAVE YOU ALL GOING TO DO? BECAUSE I HEAR YOU SAYING, YOU'RE GOING TO GO ON SOCIAL MEDIA, YOU'RE GOING TO DO THIS. AND I KNOW WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT IT, WE TALKED ABOUT BETTER WAYS OF NOTIFYING THESE BUSINESS OWNERS. SO WHAT ARE YOU ALL GOING TO DO TO MAKE SURE THE OWNERS OF THESE PLAZAS ARE AT THE MEETING AND THEY KNOW ABOUT THIS MONEY. SO ADDITIONALLY, WE WILL TAKE ALL OF THE EMAILS THAT WE HAVE OF THE BUSINESSES THAT WE HAVE ON FILE, AND WE WILL BE MAKING A STRONG PUSH TO SAY, PLEASE RESPOND TO THIS. I CAN CERTAINLY TRY AND RECRUIT

[02:05:07]

WHAT'S THE DEADLINE FOR? THE DEADLINE IS FEBRUARY 14TH. YES. SO WE ARE OVER A MONTH. THEY START RUNNING NOW. THEY'LL MAKE THE FULL CYCLE. RIGHT. LIKE WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT WE GOT THE WORD OUT EQUITABLY, FAIRLY, AND ALL THE OTHER WORDS THAT HAVE BEEN USED AS A PART OF THIS PRESENTATION. BECAUSE IF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW, WE'RE WASTING EVERYBODY'S TIME AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT WE GOT TO EXTEND IT BECAUSE WE DIDN'T GET THE WORD OUT. SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE HAVE OUTSIDE OF JUST SOCIAL MEDIA AND POSTERS. I MEAN, OUR WEBSITE, I MEAN, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE CAN REACH OUT TO PEOPLE, AND WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE WE DO THAT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IF WE START USING THE UTILITY, BUSINESSES ARE GOING TO START TALKING. WHEN THEY GET THEIR BILL, THEY'RE GOING TO LOOK FOR IT, RIGHT? LIKE THERE'S A THERE'S A WAY TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE KNOW, AND IT CAN'T JUST BE BASED UPON WHETHER OR NOT WE DIRECTLY LIKE, CONTACT AND GO TO EACH BUSINESS. LIKE I DON'T THINK ANY WE'RE IN 2024. LIKE THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE CONCERN IS LIKE. IT'LL BE A CONCERN. IT'LL BE AN ISSUE FOR ALL OF US IF WE IF WE DON'T MAKE EFFORTS. AND WE CAN'T SAY THAT THESE ARE THE EFFORTS WE MADE THAT WOULD HAVE MADE IT AVAILABLE AND ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYBODY. SO IF YOU COULD. YES, MA'AM. WORK WITH THAT. YES.

AND THANK YOU. AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY. JUST LIKE WE ARE AGGRESSIVELY WORKING DOWNTOWN, WE NEED TO AGGRESSIVELY WORK THESE PLAZAS, THE PIGGLY WIGGLY PLAZA. THE PLAZA ON WASHINGTON ROAD WHERE THE FAMILY DOLLAR IS, THE PLAZA WHERE SAMMY CHEESECAKE. THE PLAZA WHERE WE FEEL IS THE PLAZA WHERE THE FAMILY DOLLAR IS AT. AND THE PLAZA ON BAYARD AND THE PLAZA ON SYLVAN ROAD. AND IF I MISSED ANY, LET ME KNOW. YES, MA'AM. AND WE CAN DO PHONE CALLS IF YOU HAVE THE PHONE NUMBER, BECAUSE I'M SURE THEY HAVE TO APPLY FOR BUSINESS LICENSE OR SOMETHING. THERE'S SOMETHING ON FILE THAT YOU CAN CONTACT THEM AND LET THEM KNOW. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. SO A COUPLE OF THINGS. FIRST THING I MY PAIN I THINK WE'RE PUTTING. WAS IT THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE? WE REALLY DON'T KNOW WHO'S GOING TO APPLY FOR THE GRANT SO TO SAY. WELL HOW MUCH MONEY WILL BE ALLOCATED IN EACH WARD? I, I GET THE OPTIONS AND I THINK THEY'RE COOL. WE CAN KIND OF, YOU KNOW, FIGURE OUT WHO IT IS. BUT I THINK IF YOU HAD ALL OF THE APPLICANTS IN, THEN YOU'LL KNOW EXACTLY. AND THEN YOU PUT EACH ONE IN THEIR A, B, C, D IN DOWNTOWN POWELL, YOU'LL KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE FOR EACH PARTICULAR WARD. BUT THE THING

[02:10:04]

NEXT THING PARAMETERS SET IN PLACE I KNOW I READ THE EMAIL THE APPLICATION AND IT SAYS UP TO $10,000. SO LIKE MY COLLEAGUE SAID I MAY ONLY NEED $3,000 WORTH OF WORK. BUT IF IT'S A GRANT THAT'S AVAILABLE, IF I CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT, IF IT'S $4,000, IF I PUT IN 1000 AND I NEED THREE FROM THE CITY, WELL, OKAY. THAT'S JUST FOR THAT COMES OUT OF THAT POT. SO I THINK WHAT WOULD BE GOOD IS BECAUSE I LOOK AT IT, I'LL TAKE THE CHOCOLATE PLAZA AND LET'S JUST SAY THAT'S TEN ZERO ZERO ZERO SQUARE FEET, AND IT MAY BE A CERTAIN DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO GET THAT WAY. YOU TRY AND GET AS MANY PEOPLE TO IF WE JUST PUT SOME BASIC STUFF OUT THERE. SO IT MAY BE SOMEBODY THAT THE CHOCOLATE PLAZA PERSON AND THEN THE YOUNG FELLOW, THE YOUNG MAN THAT OWNS THE SNOW CONE PLACES RIGHT ON WASHINGTON ROAD, THAT THE BLUE AND YELLOW. WELL, MAYBE HE CAN GET THOSE TREE STUMPS OUT OF THE PARKING LOT, BUT I MEAN, BUT HE AND HE MAY, BUT HE MAY NOT NEED $10,000 TO GET IT DONE. SO I THINK JUST MAYBE FOR THAT PARTICULAR MAYBE A BUSINESS, THAT'S ONLY BECAUSE I THINK IT MAY BE IF IT'S 800FT■!S, MAYBE R SOMETHING UP TO 2000FT■!S OR WHATEVER, MAYBE $5,000. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAY, IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING, EVERYBODY WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET A PIECE OF, YOU KNOW, TO GET A PIECE OF THE PIE. SO YOU HAVE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUSINESSES. AND WHERE I MAY NOT BE A IN A PLAZA, I MAY BE A STANDALONE MOM AND POP BUSINESS. AND I WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS. SO I THINK IF WE PUT JUST SOME BASIC PARAMETERS SO IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT IT IS, BUT IF WE DO SOMETHING BASED ON SQUARE FOOTAGE, I THINK THAT'S LIKE THE ONLY THING THAT I COULD JUST KIND OF THINK OF THAT WOULD BE EASY AND ASSESS A DOLLAR AMOUNT TO IT THEN. AND ONCE YOU ONCE EVERYBODY HAS THE INFORMATION, EVERYBODY THAT WANTS TO PARTICIPATE. BECAUSE STILL AT THE END OF THE DAY, I MEAN, IF EVERYBODY KNOWS, THEN THEY KNOW. AND IF THEY CHOOSE TO APPLY, THEN THEY CHOOSE TO APPLY. WE MAY SAY THAT THE SAMI PLAZA, THE SAMI CHEESECAKE PLAZA IS A DUMP. AND IF WE PUT IT OUT THERE TO THE BUSINESS OWNER AND IF HE DOESN'T WANT TO FIX HIS BUILDING UP, THEN THAT TAKES HIM OUT OF IT. BUT I MEAN, AT LEAST HE CAN'T SAY THAT HE CAN'T COME BACK AND SAY, WELL, I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT. SO ONCE THEN YOU HAVE EVERYBODY THAT THAT THAT'S GOING TO PARTICIPATE AND YOU PUT THEM IN A DIFFERENT POTS IN A DIFFERENT WARDS IN DOWNTOWN. YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT IS YOU HAVE. AND THEN BASED ON THAT, I THINK IT WOULD BE COOL TO COME BACK AND JUST SORT OF GIVE US, HEY, WE HAD $100,000 FOR WARD A, AND IT MAY ONLY BE THAT WARD B ONLY HAD $80,000. SO WARD B TECHNICALLY HAS $20,000. AND EITHER THEY CAN, IF IT WAS TO GO TO HELP SOME STUFF DOWNTOWN, OR MAYBE WARD C HAD $120,000, MAYBE THAT MONEY CAN GO THERE. BUT I MEAN, AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DEFINITELY SPEND ALL OF THE MONEY. SO I THINK REALLY IT'S 100 DIFFERENT WAYS THAT THIS THING CAN GO. BUT I THINK REALLY, UNTIL YOU ACTUALLY SEE WHAT IT IS THAT YOU HAVE. BUT IF WE PUT JUST SOME BASIC STUFF, YOU KNOW, JUST SORT OF WHAT SOME PARAMETERS, YOU KNOW, CAN BE BASIC, NOTHING REALLY HARD AND PUT IT OUT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY GETS IT. AND I THINK NUMBER ONE IS GOING TO THE BUSINESS OFFICE BECAUSE EVERYBODY HAS TO APPLY FOR A BUSINESS LICENSE AND A TAX ASSESSOR BECAUSE WE'RE ALL SUPPOSED TO THEY'RE ALL SUPPOSED TO PAY TAXES. THAT WAY YOU'LL GET YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO LOCK IN ON EVERY BUSINESS. AND THEN TO PIGGYBACK ON TOP OF THAT, YOU HAVE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA, BECAUSE MOM AND POP HAD A PRINTING BUSINESS FOR 40 YEARS. THEY PROBABLY NOT ON INSTAGRAM OR ANYTHING. I MEAN, THEY MAY BE, BUT I MEAN, IF THEY JUST IF IT'S A DRY CLEANERS AND THIS IS WHAT THEY'VE DONE, THEY MAY NOT FEEL THE NEED THAT THEY'RE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WHATEVER. BUT THAT WAY YOU REACH OUT TO THEM. BUT I'M SURE THEY'LL READ THEIR UTILITY BILL. THEY'LL READ THE LETTER

[02:15:01]

WHATEVER WE SHARE, IT SHOULD BE WHAT'S BEEN SENT BY THE CITY, THE LETTER, THE FLIER, LIKE ALL OF THAT INFORMATION SHOULD BE EMAILED TO COUNCIL. AND IF YOU'RE OUT AND YOU SEE A BUSINESS OWNER, LIKE, HAVE YOU GOTTEN THIS? LIKE HERE'S THE INFORMATION ON IT, LIKE THAT KIND OF STUFF. RIGHT? BUT IT IS ALSO, I THINK, DECIDING ON AN OPTION COMMITS THIS COUNCIL TO SOMETHING VERSUS LIKE IF WE GET THEM ALL IN AND THEN WE'RE LIKE, OH, WE WANT THIS TO GO HERE OR THIS TO GO THERE. LIKE IF WE COMMIT TO SOMETHING UP FRONT AND THEN WE HAVE TO ADJUST. I THINK THAT HELPS WITH FAIRNESS. AND, YOU KNOW, TAKING THE PERCEPTION, I WOULD SAY PERCEPTION OF POLITICS, I DON'T THINK THAT'S OUR INTENT, BUT THE PERCEPTION OF THAT BECAUSE WE COMMITTED TO SOMETHING, THEN WE PUT IT OUT. THIS IS WHAT WE GOT. AND SO WE'RE MAKING ADJUSTMENTS BASED UPON WHAT WE RECEIVE. BUT WE I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE COMMIT TO ONE OF THE OPTIONS TO JUST START WITH AND THEN MAKE A DECISION DOWN. YOU KNOW, ONCE WE GET THEM IN, THERE WAS A OTHER I DON'T KNOW IF THE OTHER PART OF WARD'S CONTRIBUTING MORE TO DOWNTOWN, LIKE IF THAT'S AN OPTION THREE OR IF THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WE, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, CAN DECIDE TO RECOMMEND THE COUNCIL TO DO FOR THEIR WARD FOR EITHER OPTION. IS THAT FOR EITHER OPTION? YEAH, IT'S JUST AN IF THERE IS A WISH FOR DOWNTOWN. RIGHT. BUT THIS THESE OPTIONS ALREADY ACCOMMODATE DOWNTOWN.

YES THEY DO OPTIONS RIGHT. PROVIDE MORE MONEY TO DOWNTOWN THAN THE WARD'S. ALSO INITIALLY WHEN IT WAS $350,000 AND WE DECIDED TO GO WITH. SO WE DECIDED IT'S GOING TO BE 25% MATCH. WE DECIDED IT WAS GOING TO BE THE FOUR WARDS PLUS DOWNTOWN AS A SEPARATE AREA. SO FIVE WARDS, AND WE MADE SOME DECISIONS TO GET TO THIS POINT. SO 350,000 DIVIDED BY FIVE IS 87,500. RIGHT. SO EITHER OF THESE OPTIONS INCREASES THE AMOUNT THAT'S GOING TO GO TO THE WARD AND INCREASES THE AMOUNT THAT'S GOING TO GO TO DOWNTOWN LIKE ALREADY. RIGHT. SO I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FROM A PROCESS PERSPECTIVE IF COUNCIL AGREED TO A CONSENSUS AROUND ONE OF THESE JUST AS A STARTING PLACE UNDERSTANDING BASED UPON APPLICATIONS. IF NOBODY APPLIES IN A WARD, THEN THAT'S A WHOLE POOL OF MONEY THAT WE GOT TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH. RIGHT? BUT WE'RE DEALING WITH IT BASED UPON AFTER WE LET EVERYBODY KNOW AND EVERYBODY HAS OPPORTUNITY, AND THEN WE RESPOND TO THE APPLICATIONS THAT WE GET. SO YES, TONIGHT IS A MEETING WHERE WE CAN TAKE ACTION. I GUESS THE AMOUNT PER APPLICANT ISN'T CHANGING. SO THAT'S HOW THEY CAN GO AHEAD AND ADVERTISE. AND IT'S STILL UP TO THE 10,000. BUT THIS WILL KIND OF JUST HELP WITH ANOTHER DECISION POINT TO START FROM AN OBJECTIVE PLACE AND THEN ADJUST BASED UPON WHAT WE RECEIVE SO COUNCIL CAN MAKE A DECISION. COUNCIL CAN DECIDE EITHER TO MAKE THAT DECISION TONIGHT, TO MAKE IT LATER, BUT I THINK IT SHOULD BE MADE BEFORE THE APPLICATION CLOSES SO THAT

[02:20:04]

THERE'S A MOTION TO GO TO OPTION TWO. COUNCIL MEMBER MITCHELL SECONDED. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL THOSE OPPOSED? NO. NO. ROLL CALL PLEASE. SORRY. COUNCIL MEMBER.

SHROPSHIRE. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER. ATKINS. COUNCIL MEMBER. ZIEGLER. NO. COUNCIL MEMBER. CUMMINGS.

YES. COUNCIL MEMBER. MITCHELL. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER. BUTLER. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER. MARTIN.

ROGERS. YES. THE MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, SO WE HAVE A STARTING POINT. THE LAST THING.

I DON'T THINK WE NEED ANOTHER HOUR AND A HALF. TWO HOUR PRESENTATION, PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION BEFORE WE GET THE APPLICATIONS BACK. BUT WE DO NEED TO KNOW THE COMMUNICATION STRATEGY AND THEN GET THE INFORMATION ONCE THOSE APPLICATIONS ARE. YES, MA'AM.

WE'LL GET THE COMMUNICATIONS INFORMATION OUT TO YOU THIS WEEK. ALL RIGHT. COUNCIL MEMBER ROGERS. YES. AND LAST THING, INTERIM CITY MANAGER. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ALSO IS A WHAT IF OR A BACKUP PLAN, LET'S SAY SAMMY'S CHEESECAKE PLAZA. THEY'RE UNREACHABLE. WHAT WOULD BE ANOTHER OPTION IN WARD D OR WHAT ELSE COULD WE USE THESE MONIES TO ALLOCATE FOR? SO I GUESS WE NEED A PLAN B, C AND A D. JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT. THANK YOU. THE NEXT MEETING AFTER THE. ARE WE OPEN ON PRESIDENT'S DAY? YES. SO OUR MEETING WILL BE ON FEBRUARY 17TH. THAT'LL GIVE STAFF ALL DAY TO GO THROUGH AND AT LEAST FIGURE OUT HOW MANY TOTAL APPLICANTS ARE PER AREA TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH COUNCIL. AT THE MEETING ON THE 17TH, ON THE 17TH. 17TH. OKAY. SO COUNCIL START THINKING ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT ANY ADJUSTMENTS NEED TO BE MADE. THE. OKAY, THAT'S A GOOD ONE. I DON'T SEE ANYONE ELSE ON. DOES. AND I ASKED THIS BEFORE THE MOTION WAS MADE. THE OPTION TO GIVE MORE TO DOWNTOWN OR ALLOCATE TO A SPECIFIC AREA FROM A WARD IS THAT THAT'S STILL AN OPPORTUNITY, BUT THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE BROUGHT BEFORE COUNCIL, RIGHT? OKAY. YES, MA'AM. ALL RIGHT. NEXT UP, DO WE HAVE ANY COMMITTEE REPORTS? WE HAVE

[VII. COMMITTEE REPORTS ]

[VIII. ADOPTION OF THE COUNCIL AGENDA]

[IX. APPROVAL OF CITY COUNCIL MINUTES]

[XI. PUBLIC COMMENTS]

[XII.4. Council Review and Approval of a Resolution for the General Circular for the City Of East Point]

[02:25:03]

THIS IS JUST THE RESOLUTION THAT IS DONE YEARLY FOR OUR GENERAL CIRCLE CIRCULATION WITHIN THE CITY. SO THE SOUTH FULTON NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS IS DISTRIBUTED TO RESIDENTS FOR FREE. AND IN THE EVENT OF EMERGENCIES, WE USE THE ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION OR THE DAILY REPORT FOR TIME, TIME CONSTRAINTS AND EMERGENCY CIRCUMSTANCES. ALL RIGHT, QUESTIONS FOR THE CITY CLERK. IF NOT ANY FURTHER ACTION ON THIS ITEM. THERE'S A REQUEST THAT WE APPROVE THE RESOLUTION FOR THE GENERAL CIRCULAR FOR THE CITY OF EAST POINT. IS THERE A SECOND SECOND? IT'S BEEN MOVED IN PROPERLY. SECONDED. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED? MOTION

[XIII. COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL]

ANY OTHER COMMENTS? AGAIN, HAPPY NEW YEAR EAST POINTERS FROM MY FAMILY. YOURS. WISHING AN ABUNDANCE OF LOVE, JOY, PEACE, HEALTH AND PROSPERITY IN 2025 AND THE YEARS TO COME. AND I INVITE YOU TO JOIN ME IN FAITH AS WE CONTINUE TO EVOLVE, ELEVATE AND THRIVE IN 2025. MAY THIS BE YOUR ABSOLUTE BEST YEAR EVER! DO WE HAVE ANY EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS TONIGHT? CITY

[XIV. EXECUTIVE SESSION]

MADAM MAYOR. YES. SO MOVED THERE A SECOND. SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED. ANY DISCUSSION? A

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.