[IV.12. Council Review and Approval of the Final Invoice for Benchmark Management for Construction Management of LCI Multimodal Project. Services Included Management and Oversight of Phase 1 Roadway Construction and Water Main Installations. Final Invoice Amount from Engineering Fund Account is $74,316.73. ]

THEN NUMBER 12. SO PUBLIC WORKS. GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR AND COUNCIL HERE TO DISCUSS ITEM 12, WHICH IS THE FINAL INVOICE FOR BENCHMARK MANAGEMENT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT OF THE DOWNTOWN LCI MULTIMODAL PROJECT. THIS INCLUDED OVERSIGHT OF PHASE ONE CONSTRUCTION, INSTALLATION OF OUR WATER MAIN INSTALLATION ON MAIN STREET AND EAST MAIN STREET. THE FINAL INVOICE IN THE AMOUNT OF $74,316.73. THANK YOU. WHAT IS YOUR ASK FOR? I ASK THAT WE APPROVE THE FINAL INVOICE FOR THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING. ALL RIGHT. SO WE HAD THIS COUNCILWOMAN COME IN. COUNCILMAN ATKINS AND COUNCILWOMAN HEMMING. THANK YOU.

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR HALL. THE QUESTION I REMEMBER US DISCUSSING BENCHMARK. I THINK IT WAS BACK IN FEBRUARY, MAYBE EVEN BEFORE I THINK IT WAS PROBABLY BACK IN FEBRUARY OR SO, MAYBE MARCH. AND THERE THE COMPANY THAT WAS ALSO DOING THE SCHEDULING FOR THE PROJECT, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. IS THAT CORRECT? YES. OKAY. AND THERE WERE SOME BUSINESS OWNERS WHO WERE IMPACTED BY THE WORK THAT IS BEING DONE DOWNTOWN ON MAIN STREET AND THE SURROUNDING AREA.

AND THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO COME BACK WITH A REVISED SCHEDULE SO THAT WE COULD SEE HOW THEY WERE GOING TO MAKE UP FOR SOME OF THE TIME. SO I SEE THAT THIS IS OVERSIGHT FOR PHASE ONE. IS IT ANTICIPATED THAT THERE ARE OTHER PHASES FOR WHICH WE WILL BE USING THESE SERVICES, OR

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HAVE THEY FULFILLED ACCORDING TO THE CONTRACT, ALL OF THE THINGS THAT THEY NEEDED TO DO AS AS IT RELATES TO THIS MULTIMODAL PROJECT. SO, SO CLARITY BENCHMARK ISN'T THE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY. THEY WERE THE ONES HELPING THE CITY MANAGE THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT.

SO THEY WEREN'T ENTIRELY CONTROL OF ALL THE SCHEDULING. SO THE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY THEMSELVES PROVIDE THE CITY A SCHEDULE. THEY WERE ASSISTING THE CITY WITH THEM STAYING ON SCHEDULE. THIS IS THE END OF PHASE ONE, BECAUSE BENCHMARK IS NO LONGER GOING TO BE HELPING MANAGE THE PROJECT ANYMORE. SO THIS IS THEIR THE INVOICE FOR THE SERVICES THAT THEY'VE ALREADY PROVIDED UP TO THIS POINT. RIGHT. SO WITH THEM BEING THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER, AREN'T THEY MANAGING THE CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES THAT ARE DOING THE WORK? YES, SIR. OKAY.

AND. WITH ALL OF THE DELAYS THAT WE'VE HAD ON, ON THIS MULTIMODAL PROJECT, HAVE THEY EFFECTIVELY DONE THEIR WORK ACCORDING TO THE CONTRACT THAT WE HAD IN PLACE FOR THEM, BECAUSE THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT DELAYS, SO MUCH SO THAT WE HAD TO CREATE A PROGRAM TO HELP WITH SOME OF THE BUSINESSES THAT WERE STRUGGLING. SO, YES, BENCHMARK HAS FULFILLED THEIR OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE CONTRACT. OKAY. AND I GUESS I'M I GUESS IF YOU CAN PROVIDE SOME CLARITY ON EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE ASKING, I GUESS I THINK WHAT YOU'RE ASKING IS THEY FULFILLED THEIR COMMITMENT AS FAR AS THE PROJECT, WHAT ENDED UP GOING BECAUSE OF THE DELAYS, THE MONETARY OBLIGATION HAD EXCEEDED IT. AND SO THE REASON WHY THERE SAYS PHASE ONE IS BECAUSE THAT'S THE REMAINING INVOICE. IN ORDER FOR THEM TO CONTINUE ON, THEY QUOTED US A $500,000. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, THAT TOOK WITH DEPUTY CITY MANAGER RENEE GETTING INVOLVED, ME BEING MORE INVOLVED, AS WELL AS THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS AND KORDELL, WE HAD TO PUT BOOTS ON THE GROUND AND WE JUST WENT AHEAD AND DID OUR ON CALL STAFF.

SO WE HAVE PHYSICAL WATER AND SEWER STAFF FOR THE WATER INSTALLATIONS, MANAGING THE RELOCATIONS. AND THEN HE WENT AHEAD AND DID THE SAME THING. JUST DOESN'T FEEL LIKE WHAT WE WERE GETTING. AND WITH ALL OF THE ISSUES THAT WE WERE ENCOUNTERING, THAT $500,000 WAS WORTH OF PHASE TWO, WE FELT THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE IT APPROPRIATELY. SO THEY WILL NO LONGER BE MANAGING ANY PORTION OF THIS PROJECT, CORRECT? CORRECT. OKAY. BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS 70 IF I HEARD YOU CORRECTLY, DIRECTOR ECHEVARRIA, THAT'S $74,000 FOR THAT FINAL INVOICE. IS, IS, IS A PART OF THE DELAY. AND SO THEY'RE MANAGING THE PROJECT.

THE PROJECT IS DELAYED AND THEN THEY COME AND BUILD US $74,000 BECAUSE OF THE DELAY. BUT THEY'RE THE MANAGERS OF THE PROJECT BECAUSE OF TIME. AND SOME OF THE UTILITY, LOCATING AND RELOCATING REALLY WAS NOTHING THAT ANYONE COULD DO ABOUT IT. WITH SO MANY MOVING PARTS, WATER AND SEWER, AT&T, GAS AND LIGHT, I BELIEVE IT WAS JUST VERY DIFFICULT TO GET EVERYBODY ON BOARD. WE ALSO RAN INTO SOME INACCURATE INFORMATION WITH OUR GIS AND PLAT RECORDS OF LINES THAT WERE ACTUALLY IN USE, BUT WERE SHOWING THAT THEY HAD BEEN ABANDONED. SO WE RAN INTO A LOT OF ISSUES ALONG WHITE WAY MAIN STREET AS WELL DURING THIS INCEPTION OF THIS PROJECT. SO REALLY THAT WAS THE GOAL. THEY WERE OUT THERE AND WE RAN OUT OF TIME AND MONEY. AND AGAIN, TO GO INTO A PHASE TWO, IT WOULD BE A HALF $1 MILLION.

OKAY, SO AND SO THIS IS IT. WE'RE NOT USING THEM BEYOND THIS. CORRECT. FOR THIS PROJECT.

OKAY. THANK YOU. I'LL YIELD. COUNCILWOMAN HEMMING THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO PICK UP WHERE COUNCILMEMBER ATKINS LEFT OFF. AND I DO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO DEPUTY CITY MANAGER TYLER.

AND THEN YOU, MISS ECHEVARRIA. YOU KNOW THAT I FIELDED A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS PROJECT AND WHEN ACTIVITIES WERE GOING TO HAPPEN. AND SO MY QUESTION IS, WERE THEY ALSO SUPPOSED TO MANAGE THE COMMUNICATION OUT TO THOSE PARCEL OWNERS AT THE PROJECT? WAS THAT A PART OF THEIR CONTRACT OR WORK? YES, THAT WOULD BE PART OF A CONTRACT FOR CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT. IS COMMUNICATION WITH AFFECTED PROPERTIES. AND DO YOU HAVE ANY DOCUMENTATION ABOUT WHAT THEIR COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WERE? BECAUSE THE PRIMARY CONCERNS THAT I GOT WAS THAT EVERYONE'S ON BOARD AND EXCITED FOR THE PROJECT TO HAPPEN. BUT AS WE'VE ALL DISCUSSED, THERE WERE DELAYS, BUT THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE WAS RELATED TO THE THE POOR COMMUNICATION. AND THEN AFTER YOU, DIRECTOR DEPUTY MANAGER TYLER AND YOU, MISS ECHEVARRIA, GOT INVOLVED, I DID SEE THE COMMUNICATION IMPROVE QUITE A BIT AND THEN WE STILL HAD SOME CHALLENGES. SO ARE THEY BILLING US FOR COMPLETED SERVICES THAT WE DIDN'T RECEIVE? NO. TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF MR. ECHEVARRIA'S COMMENTS, THERE WAS A LOT OF UNFORESEEN WORK THAT WAS OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF THE ORIGINAL SCOPE OF WORK FOR THE PROJECT THAT BENCHMARK WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR, DUE TO THE URGENCY OF IT, FOR THE SAFETY, THEY STAYED ON BOARD TO HELP

[00:15:02]

OVERSEE THE PROJECT, EVEN THOUGH IT'S OUTSIDE OF THEIR ORIGINALLY SCOPE. SO THIS IS FOR THE ADDITIONAL WORK THAT THEY PUT IN. AND THAT DOES INCLUDE WE HAD TO PROCURE THEIR SERVICES OUTSIDE OF WORKING MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. WE HAD TO WORK LATE IN THE EVENINGS.

THAT WASN'T PART OF THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT, WHICH COMES WITH ESCALATION COSTS, AS WELL AS THEM WORKING ON THE WEEKEND, WHICH ALSO WAS NOT INCLUDED TO WORK AROUND SOME OF THE BUSINESSES. OKAY, OKAY. THANK YOU. AND THEN JUST FOR THE EDIFICATION OF THE COMMUNITY, CAN YOU JUST SHARE WHEN IS THIS PROJECT EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED? SO I, IF I UNDERSTOOD THE RELOCATION HAD TO HAPPEN AND THEN WE COULD FINISH THE PAVING THAT'S HAPPENING. SO COULD YOU JUST QUICKLY SHARE FOR THOSE WHO MIGHT BE WATCHING, WHAT'S THE NEXT PHASE WHEN THINGS MIGHT BE CONCLUDED? SO EXCUSE ME. SORRY. SO YES, THEY'RE CURRENTLY BACK MOBILIZED AND WORKING DOWNTOWN. THE COMPLETION DATE IS SET FOR NOVEMBER 2026. IS STILL SET FOR NOVEMBER. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I YIELD ANY MORE QUESTIONS? OH, COUNCILMEMBER ROGERS. YES. AND MADAM MAYOR, MAY I? THIS QUESTION IS FOR THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT. THE MADAM CITY ATTORNEY. YES, I HAVE A QUESTION BECAUSE I'VE HEARD A FEW TIMES IN OUR MEETINGS AND JUST ALSO OFFLINE, WHEN SOME OF THESE VENDORS AREN'T ABLE TO PERFORM AS WE NEED THEM TO PERFORM, IS THERE SOME LEGISLATION THAT THE CITY CAN PUT IN PLACE AS TO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THEM ANYMORE? IF THE IF THE WORK IS, I WANT TO SAY, SUBPAR OR ISN'T UP TO THE LEVEL OF EXPECTATION. YES. GOOD EVENING. I DO BELIEVE THAT PROCUREMENT MAINTAINS A LIST OF VENDORS KIND OF HAVE A AN X BY THEIR NAME BECAUSE OF POOR PRACTICES, YOU KNOW, POOR WORK LIKE YOU HAVE INDICATED. AND SO YES, AND I DON'T BELIEVE IT REQUIRES LEGISLATION. I THINK IT'S A DETERMINATION MADE BY DEPARTMENT HEAD AND CITY MANAGER TO INCLUDE THESE INDIVIDUALS BASED ON THEIR PERFORMANCE UNDER THE CONTRACT. OKAY. THANK YOU. I'LL YIELD.

OKAY. ARE THERE ANY MORE QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL? OKAY. I JUST HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.

SO WITH THE CHANGES THAT WERE MADE IN THE ADDITIONAL WORK THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE, DID THE COMPANY ISSUE LIKE WHAT IS THAT PROCESS? DID THEY GIVE YOU LIKE CHANGE ORDERS OR DO YOU HAVE LIKE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF ROUNDS OF GO AHEAD? SO DUE TO THE URGENCY OF THE SITUATION, THEY JUST CONTINUE TO WORK ON, ON THE BASIS THAT WE NEED THEM. AND THEN WE JUST KIND OF MUTUALLY CALL THIS A FINAL INVOICE. AND PARTING WAYS ON THE PROJECT IS BILLING US FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DID. BUT THERE WAS NO OFFICIAL CHANGE ORDER ISSUED. OKAY. GO AHEAD, COUNCILWOMAN. AND ALSO, WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, IF WE DON'T COMPLETE THE PROJECT IN A TIMELY MANNER, WE CAN FACE ESCALATION COSTS, THE OVERALL PROJECT. AND SO IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE FOR US TO HALT BECAUSE WHATEVER BID THAT WENT OUT HAS ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED, AND YOU WOULD HAVE TO PAY DAILY PENALTIES, AND THAT COULD HAVE RANGE FROM 50 TO 60 TO MAYBE $150,000 JUST FOR US NOT COMPLETING THE PROJECT ON TIME. SO REALLY, WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH GDOT, WE HAVE A TIME FRAME TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT AND GET OUT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT THEY CAN COME IN AND DO THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. OKAY, SO THE GDOT, SO THEY, THEY MANAGE THE PROJECT, MANAGE THE PROJECT. AND THIS IS, THIS IS A YEAH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S PART OF GDOT, SOME OF THE FUNDING. SO WE DO HAVE A TIME FRAME TO COMPLETE THOSE PROJECTS IN TIMELINESS. AND WE WERE ALREADY FACING SO MANY DELAYS. OKAY. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE, YOU KNOW, HER COMMUNICATION, IF THERE WAS ANY TYPE OF PROCEDURE THAT WE CAN INFORM THE PUBLIC ABOUT THAT, YOU KNOW, PROJECT MANAGEMENT, IF YOU HAVE DELAYS, YOU HAVE A CHANGE OF SCOPE OF WORK AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DID OUR DUE DILIGENCE. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. WE'LL MOVE THIS DOWN TO CONSENT FOR THE NEXT.

THANK YOU. NUMBER 12. OKAY. AND THEN NUMBER 13. A NUMBER 13 WAS DISCUSSION. SO I GUESS NUMBER 13 IS FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE ADOPTION OF THE GDOT PROCUREMENT POLICY AND PROCEDURES, A PART OF THE LOCAL ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS. IN ORDER TO RECEIVE FEDERAL FUNDING, THE CITY HAS TO EITHER ADOPT POLICY FOR PROCUREMENT OF DESIGN CONTRACTORS OR REVISE OUR POLICY TO INCLUDE ALL THE LANGUAGE FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. SO THE STANDARD IS PRETTY MUCH GOING TO ADOPT THAT POLICY AND FOLLOW THEIR GUIDELINES PROCEDURES. SO EVERY THREE YEARS WE RENEW THIS AGREEMENT. OKAY. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN ATKINS. I THINK THAT ASSISTANT DIRECTOR HALL ANSWER MY QUESTION. I WAS GOING TO ASK IF THERE WERE NEW COMPONENTS TO THEIR PROCEDURES OR IF THIS WAS A NEW PROGRAM, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S A RENEWAL. SO THEY

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MAKE UPDATES, I GUESS, OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS. AND THEN EVERY THREE YEARS WE ASSIGN. SO I THINK THAT ANSWER MY QUESTION. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN MARTIN ROGERS. YES, THANK YOU. AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO KNOW, TALK TO US JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF GOING WITH THE GDOT POLICY VERSUS THE CITY, WRITING THEIR OWN. THE BIG BENEFIT IS THAT GDOT ACTUALLY FOLLOWS THE PROCUREMENT POLICY THAT JUST VERY EXTENSIVE. IF WE WERE TO GO WITH OUR OWN POLICY, THEY WOULD HAVE TO REVIEW IT LINE BY LINE, WHICH OF COURSE, IF IT'S NOT MATCHING THEIRS, WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET THAT FUNDING. SO WHAT WE DO IS THEY ACTUALLY HAVE US COME AND ATTEND A CERTIFICATION CLASS. I THINK, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, CADDELL AND OUR ENGINEER, MISS FENTON, THEY ARE CURRENTLY CERTIFIED WITH THIS, OUR OUR DEPARTMENT KIND OF FOLLOWS THOSE PROCUREMENT RULES AND REGULATIONS. SO THE BIGGEST THING IS FOR US NOT TO GET IN A BACK AND FORTH MATCH WITH GDOT WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO SECURE THEIR FUNDING. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. SAYING NO MORE QUESTIONS. WE'LL MOVE THIS ITEM TO CONSENT FOR THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING. GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

[IV.14. Council Discussion and Possible Action on Vendor BitNet, from Omnia Partners Cooperative Agreement #R240303, for the Online Platform for Solicitations, NOT TO EXCEED: $60,000 FUNDING SOURCE: Multi-Departmental]

AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE NUMBER 14. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. NUMBER 14 IS OUR BID NET PROGRAM OR I'M SORRY, PLATFORM. THIS IS WHAT WE UTILIZE FOR ALL OF OUR SOLICITATIONS. SO IN THE RECENT AS WE WE ADOPTED BID NET FREE OF CHARGE YEARS AGO. AND I THINK YOU ALL, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET BEFORE WE INCREASED IT TO. WHAT THEY DO IS THAT ONLINE THEY'LL SEND.

IF YOU ALL ARE EVALUATORS, THEY'LL SEND THIS STUFF ONLINE. YOU CAN GET IT DIRECTLY. YOU CAN EVALUATE AND GO THROUGH IT, THAT PROCESS LIKE THAT. SO WE'RE NOT USING PAPER ANYMORE AS WE DID IN THE PAST, BUT BID NET IS IS JUST UP FOR RENEWAL. AND WE'RE BRINGING THIS HERE FOR YOUR CONSENT AND, AND DISCUSSION RATHER. OKAY. COUNCILWOMAN HEMMING THANK YOU.

DIRECTOR DOHRMANN. I'M I'M CURIOUS WHETHER OR NOT BID NET IS THE TOP OF THE STANDARD. IS IT THE GOLD STANDARD FOR ALL MUNICIPALITIES? ARE THERE OTHER OPTIONS THAT WE COULD CONSIDER? LIKE, ARE THERE BENEFITS TO US LOOKING FOR SOME OTHER PLATFORM, OR IS THIS PRETTY MUCH YOUR PREFERRED OPTION BECAUSE IT ALLOWS FOR CONTINUITY. SO IT'S A MIXTURE OF ALL OF THEM. TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THERE ARE ABOUT THREE OTHER COMPANIES THAT CAN DO THE SAME THING. WE WERE ACTUALLY WITH ONE OF THOSE COMPANIES, AND WE WERE PAYING AN ASTRONOMICAL AMOUNT OF MONEY TO BE WITH THAT COMPANY. WE ACTUALLY GOT GRANDFATHERED IN WITH BID NET FOR FREE. SO THE SERVICE THAT WE'RE PAYING FOR NOW IS AN ADDITIONAL SERVICE. WHEREAS IF WE WERE TO TAKE EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING NOW AND GO TO ANOTHER COMPANY, IT WOULD BE WELL INTO THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO TO DO THAT. BUT THEY ALL PRETTY MUCH DO THE SAME THING RIGHT NOW FROM A STANDPOINT OF A OF A PLATFORM, IT'S VERY MANAGEABLE. THE DIRECTORS ENJOY GETTING IN THERE. THEY'RE NOT CONFUSED. SO I THINK IT'S VERY HANDS ON TYPE PLATFORM. AND I THINK WE'RE GOOD WITH THIS PARTICULAR ONE, INCLUDING PRICE. THANK YOU. I YIELD COUNCILWOMAN CALDWELL THANK YOU. I HAD SOME YOU JUST ANSWERED. MAJORITY OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD AROUND. WAS THIS AN INCREASE FROM WHAT WE WERE SEEING BEFORE? IT SOUNDS LIKE YES, BUT THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT IS IS GOING TO BE GREAT. AND THEN BASED ON THE PRICING IN COMPARISON TO OTHERS, THIS IS THE BEST OPTION. SO YOU ANSWER THOSE. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. AND CAN YOU JUST CONFIRM FOR THE RECORD WHAT THE WHAT BEN NET ACTUALLY DOES WITH SERVICE? THEY ACTUALLY PROVIDE. BENNETT IS. SO IT'S A SOLICITATION PLATFORM. SO WHAT THEY DO IS WE TAKE ANY SOLICITATIONS THAT WE GET HERE AT THE CITY. WE ACTUALLY POSTED ON THEIR ONLINE. RIGHT. AND IT SENDS IT OUT TO ALL THE VENDORS. ALL THE VENDORS GET TO REGISTER TO BID NET FOR FREE VERSUS SOME OF THE OTHER PLACES. THEY HAVE TO ACTUALLY PAY A PRICE PER MONTH AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

BUT NET IS UTILIZED BY OTHER COUNTIES AND CITIES AS WELL. SO WE DIDN'T JUST GO WITH, I THINK BEFORE WE HAD A COMPANY CALLED IRON WAVE, NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE ON IT. SO I HAD TO POST IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS FOR PEOPLE TO GET IT. CITY OF ATLANTA, DEKALB COUNTY. WELL, I'M SORRY, CITY OF ATLANTA. YEAH, CITY OF DEKALB, DEKALB COUNTY. THOSE GUYS HAD BEEN NET. AND, AND SO A LOT OF COMPANIES WERE ALREADY THERE. SO ONCE WE PUT IT OUT ON NET, IT GOES OUT TO HUNDREDS OF

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THOUSANDS OF VENDORS ALL ACROSS THE US. AND SO WHEN THEY COME BACK, MY JOB IS TO GO THROUGH SEE WHO'S BIDDING. DEPENDING ON THE ITV, WE GET TO SEE THE LOWEST COST. IT CALCULATES THAT AUTOMATICALLY, IT'S RFP. I GET TO SEND THOSE PROPOSALS OUT TO THE EVALUATORS, RIGHT ONLINE.

EASY PLATFORM, VERY, VERY USER FRIENDLY. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU'RE WELCOME. SEEING NO OTHER QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME, WE WILL MOVE THIS ITEM AS WELL TO THE AUGUST 17TH REGULAR MEETING. ALL RIGHT. IS THIS. YES, IT IS CONCERNED. NUMBER 15, MADAM

[IV.15. Council Discussion and Possible Action on Vendor Plante Moran, TIPS Cooperative Agreement #250601, for Temporary Financial Services Assistance, NOT TO EXCEED: $150,000 FUNDING SOURCE: ACCOUNTING]

MAYOR, IS WE'RE PLANNING. WHAT WE'RE DOING IS THE PREVIOUS ENGAGEMENT LETTER FOR THE TEMPORARY FINANCIAL SERVICES ASSISTANCE HAD EXPIRED. AND OF COURSE, WE WANT TO BRING FORTH THE NEW ENGAGEMENT LETTER. THIS IS WITH OUR TIPS COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT. AND WE'RE DOING THIS FOR YOU. ALL'S APPROVAL. COUNCILWOMAN MARTIN ROGERS. YES, DEPUTY CITY CLERK, CAN YOU BRING UP THE EMAIL THAT I SENT TO YOU, PLEASE, AND PUT IT ON THE SCREEN SO THAT WE CAN GO THROUGH IT? THANK YOU. AND HERE'S WHAT I WANT TO SAY AS FAR AS IT STARTS WITH ACCOUNTABILITY. ACCOUNTABILITY NEEDS TO START WITH THIS COUNCIL. BACK IN APRIL, I REMEMBER US HAVING A MEETING IN WHICH COUNCIL MEMBER MITCHELL, SOME OF US WERE ON BOARD WITH AN EMERGENCY PROCUREMENT FOR THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, FOR EMPLOYEES, FOR THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT TO HAVE WHAT THEY NEEDED IN THAT DEPARTMENT. THE MOTION LACKS SUPPORT. WE TOOK IT OFF THE TABLE. THAT WAS IN APRIL. HERE IT IS AUGUST, AND WE'RE TRYING TO ENGAGE PLANT MORAN. BUT WHAT I FIND MOST INTERESTING IS THAT JUNE THE 8TH, THERE WAS A MOTION MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER HEMMING. THEN I DID A A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT. SHE ACCEPTED IT AND THE MOTION PASSED. LAST WEEK WE GOT SOME LETTER FROM PLANT MORAN WHICH JUST GAVE SOME SORT OF GENERAL RUNDOWN. BUT THE MOTION WAS THIS. AND YOU CAN GO BACK AND LOOK AT ANY OF THE MEETINGS, NOT THE MEETINGS, BUT THE JUNE 8TH MEETING. IT SAYS MOTION IS THAT THE CITY MANAGER WOULD BRING BACK AN EMERGENCY PROCUREMENT THAT WOULD ASSIST WITH RECONCILIATION, CASH FLOW ANALYSIS, RESERVE VERIFICATION, AND A REVIEW OF OUR UTILITY FUNDS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ON SOLID FOOTING BEFORE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE BUDGET. I COME IN WITH A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, AND I SAY I AM ALL ON BOARD WITH AN EMERGENCY PROCUREMENT FOR A FINANCIAL OR BUDGET ANALYST CONSULTANT, BUT THEY NEED TO REPORT DIRECTLY TO THE CITY COUNCIL ABOUT THE BUDGET PROCESS. THAT WOULD BE MY FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, BUT THAT WE ALSO DIRECT THE MAYOR TO ALSO CONTACT GMA FOR THREE FIRMS OR CONSULTANTS WITH DEMONSTRATED EXPERIENCE SUPPORTING GEORGIA MUNICIPALITIES THROUGH BUDGET DEVELOPMENT, DEFICIT MITIGATION, ENTERPRISE FUND ANALYSIS AND INDEPENDENT FISCAL REVIEW. HOW COUNCIL MEMBER HEMMING ACCEPTED THE AMENDMENT. SHE SAID I WOULD ACCEPT COUNCIL MEMBER MARTIN ROGERS AMENDMENT WITH THE CLARIFICATION THAT THE INTENTION WOULD BE FOR THEM TO MAKE PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS TO COUNCIL ABOUT THEIR FINDINGS, THAT THE CITY MANAGER AND THE INTERIM FINANCE DIRECTOR WOULD ASSIST THEM TO DELIVER THOSE RESULTS TO COUNCIL DIRECTLY IN SUPPORT. THE COMPLETION OF THESE AUDITS. SO THE MOTION IS TO AUTHORIZE AN EMERGENCY PROCUREMENT TO ASSIST WITH RECONCILIATION, CASH FLOW ANALYSIS, RESERVE VERIFICATION, UTILITY FUND REVIEW IN THE POOL CASH SYSTEM, AND THE AMENDMENT FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ROGERS WAS THAT IT WOULD INCLUDE PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS TO THIS BODY. I'M NOT GOING TO SUPPORT THIS $150,000 OF TAXPAYERS MONEY, BECAUSE ALSO THE CITY MANAGER, WHEN ASKED WHEN WE WERE HAVING THIS HEARTY DISCUSSION, HE SAID THAT I BELIEVE WE HAVE A CREDIT WITH PLANT MORAN FOR 25 TO $30,000. DO YOU HAVE THE EMAIL UP? I JUST SENT IT FROM MY PERSONAL EMAIL ADDRESS. IT SAID AUDIT. I SENT IT TO YOU AND MISS MCAULIFFE. CAN YOU SEND IT TO HER? DO YOU HAVE IT? SO I'M NOT GOING TO BE SUPPORTING TAXPAYERS DOLLARS BECAUSE WE

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ATTEMPTED IN APRIL. AND I THINK AT THIS JUNCTURE, PEOPLE NEED TO BE HIRED IN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT. I BELIEVE THAT WE ARE KICKING THE CAN. THAT WAS IN APRIL WHEN WE FIRST HAD THE DISCUSSION. THEN JUNE 8TH, WE GAVE THE DIRECTIVE, AND HERE WE ARE. IT'S AUGUST 10TH, SO I WILL NOT BE SUPPORTING $150,000 OF TAXPAYERS MONIES TO GO TOWARD THIS PLANT MORAN INITIATIVE. WHEN THE MOTION IS CLEAR, THE DIRECTIVE IS CLEAR AND IT WAS NOT FOLLOWED. AND NOW THEY'RE BACK ON OUR AGENDA FOR $150,000. SO I'LL YIELD BECAUSE THAT EMAIL NEEDS TO COME UP AND BE READ INTO THE RECORD. THANK YOU. OKAY. MADAM MAYOR? YES. I BELIEVE THAT THERE'S A LITTLE. LET ME GO. MICROPHONE. EXCUSE ME. MICROPHONE. I BELIEVE THERE'S A LITTLE CONFUSION AS TO THE ITEM BEFORE US. THE TEMPORARY FINANCIAL SERVICES ASSISTANT THAT RELATES TO THE RECONCILIATION WORK THAT PLANT MORAN HAS BEEN DOING WITH THE CITY. AND SO THIS IS JUST TO CONTINUE THAT WORK THAT IS SEPARATE FROM THE EMERGENCY.

THE EMERGENCY PROCUREMENT PROCESS THAT WAS ON THE BUDGET, WHICH IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS BEING DESCRIBED EARLIER. DO YOU HAVE IT? THESE ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. ALRIGHT. ARE YOU BRINGING IT UP? OKAY. WE HAVE. COUNCILMAN, DO YOU WANT TO ASK YOUR QUESTION WHILE THEY BRING IT UP OR DO YOU WANT TO WAIT? SURE. WHILE THE DEPUTY CITY CLERK IS LOOKING. MR. LAWRENCE, I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK IF YOU COULD JUST, UNDER THIS COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT, IF YOU COULD JUST TELL US THE SCOPE OF SERVICES. AND IT SOUNDS LIKE FROM THE CITY MANAGER THAT PLANT MORAN HAS ALREADY BEEN ENGAGED IN THE SCOPE. AND THIS IS TO CONTINUE THAT WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING. BUT CAN YOU JUST GO OVER BECAUSE I DID NOT SEE THAT IN THE PACKET, WHAT THE ACTUAL SCOPE OF WORK IS. SO IT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT HAVING IT BEING IN FRONT OF ME IS EXACTLY WHAT THE CITY MANAGER JUST STATED. IT WAS IN REFERENCE TO THE RECONCILIATION. SO FROM MY REMEMBRANCE, THIS ALL STEMMED FROM AFTER THE WHEN PLANT MORAN WAS ENGAGED THE FIRST TIME THAT THE FORENSIC AUDIT. FROM THAT POINT IN TIME, COUNCIL HAD THEM DOING SOME TEMPORARY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND THAT THOSE TWO ENGAGEMENT LETTERS, YOU KNOW, WENT EXPIRED. NOW WE'RE AT THE THE END OF IT. AND SO NOW WE'RE COMING UP TO JUST RENEW THAT THEIR NEW ENGAGEMENT LETTER FOR THOSE SERVICES. SO THE CITY MANAGER'S POINT, THIS IS NOT DEALING WITH THE EMERGENCY THAT WAS BEING MENTIONED EARLIER. OKAY. THANK YOU. THIS PARTICULAR ITEM THAT IS OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN COMING. AND THEN COUNCILWOMAN HENNINGS.

THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. SO I KNOW YOU GUYS SAID THAT THE 150,000. THAT'S TO CONTINUE WHAT IT IS THAT THAT THEY ALREADY ENGAGED IN WITH THE CITY. CORRECT. SO YOU SAID THE RECONCILIATION IS THAT FOR THE 2024 AUDIT, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON, OR THE. THERE WAS A FINDINGS, IF YOU RECALL, THERE WERE SOME FINDINGS IN THE FORENSIC AUDIT, RIGHT, ABOUT OUR RECONCILIATION PROCESS PLANT. MORAN WAS RETAINED AT THAT TIME TO HELP US THROUGH GETTING OUR RECONCILIATIONS. I, I, I, IF I RECALL, WE WEREN'T DOING RECONCILIATIONS AT ALL, WHICH IS, IS, YOU KNOW, A PRETTY BIG DEAL. AND SO GETTING US BACK STARTED, PLANT MORAN DID THAT AND THEY'VE BEEN HELPING US GET CAUGHT UP. SO IT WILL ULTIMATELY AFFECT SOME AUDIT AUDIT WORK BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THE AUDITORS ARE GOING TO REQUIRE RECONCILED DOCUMENTS TO BE ABLE TO REVIEW. SO THESE ARE THINGS THAT THEY'RE STILL TIDYING UP FROM THE FORENSIC AUDIT. THERE WERE SOME THINGS THAT WERE HIGHLIGHTED IN THE FORENSIC AUDIT. BUT THEY AFFECT THEY AFFECT ALL OUR AUDITS MOVING FORWARD TO OKAY. AND SO WE WE SAID THAT'S FOR THE EXISTING SERVICES. NOW, I KNOW YOU HAD MENTIONED BEFORE FOR

[00:35:03]

PLANT MORAN, WE HAD LIKE A $25,000 CREDIT THAT WAS KIND OF SITTING IN, IF MY MEMORY SERVES ME CORRECT, DID WE NOT? WAS THERE NOT? THERE WAS A CREDIT, BUT I BELIEVE WE USED IT. IT WAS RELIEVED ALREADY. IT WAS RELIEVED ALREADY THROUGH THESE SERVICES HERE. SO AGAIN, THIS IS JUST TO GET THE ENGAGEMENT LETTER RENEWED FOR THOSE SERVICES THAT WE HAD ALREADY HAVE BROUGHT TO COUNCIL. THAT, AS A MATTER OF FACT, AS HE SAID, WAS TOLD BY COUNCIL TO MOVE FORWARD WITH. SO. GIVEN THE AUDIT IS STILL IN PROCESS, I WOULD I WOULD THINK THAT WE WANT TO CONTINUE THAT. BUT AGAIN, I'M JUST IF WE LOOK AT THE THE PLANT MORAN ITSELF COMPANY HAS BEEN WORKING WITH SINCE THE FORENSIC AUDIT. SO I DON'T SEE THE PROBLEM. SO YOU ALL. OKAY. THANK. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. AND I THINK WE HAVE COUNCILWOMAN HEMMING AND THEN COUNCILWOMAN CALDWELL. BUT JUST FOR THE RECORD, WE UNDERSTAND THAT NOW THE THE 25,000 IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. AND THEN FOR THE EMERGENCY. REVIEW OF THE BUDGET. AND NOW WE'RE GOING WITH THIS MONEY IS FOR PLANT MORAN TO COMPLETE THE REVIEW OF THE AUDIT. RIGHT. JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THIS IS SEPARATE FROM WHAT YOU ALL TALKED ABOUT WITH WITH COUNCILWOMAN. YEAH. THE EMERGENCY THIS WAS A PREEXISTING SERVICE. THAT PLANT MORAN WAS ALREADY DOING PRIOR TO BUDGET OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. SO AGAIN, HERE WE ARE. THE ENGAGEMENT LETTER HAS EXPIRED.

AND PER THE ORDINANCE, IT HAS TO COME BACK BEFORE YOU ALL. SO THEY'RE ISSUING ANOTHER ENGAGEMENT LETTER, AND WE'RE BRINGING IT BACK FOR YOU ALL TO REENGAGE FOR THOSE SERVICES.

OKAY. SO THE QUESTION FOR COUNCIL OR THE REQUEST OF COUNCIL IS TO APPROVE THE LETTER FOR RE-ENGAGEMENT OF SERVICES FOR PLANT, EXCLUSIVE OF THE EMERGENCY BUDGET.

CORRECT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. COUNCILWOMAN CALDWELL, THANK YOU. A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. SO IS THERE A NEW ENGAGEMENT LETTER? YES, THERE'S A NEW ENGAGEMENT LETTER FOR THIS SERVICE. AND THAT WASN'T ATTACHED TO THE AGENDA OR A PART OF THE PACKET THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THERE. OKAY. SO WE DEFINITELY WOULD NEED TO SEE THE NEW ENGAGEMENT LETTER. THE LAST ENGAGEMENT LETTER HAS SPECIFIC THINGS IN IT LEASES, SUBSCRIPTION BASED IT ARRANGEMENTS, COMPENSATION AGREEMENTS. IS THERE PROGRESS? LIKE CAN WE SEE WHERE WE STARTED, WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH AND WHERE WE ARE TODAY TO UNDERSTAND WHY WE WOULD NEED TO REENGAGE FOR ANOTHER $150,000. YES, I WOULD, I WOULD DEFER TO FINANCE DEPARTMENT OR, OR THE CITY MANAGER. IT WAS CERTAINLY TRY TO HAVE THAT FOR YOU BY NEXT MONDAY. AND THE OTHER THING I WANT TO KNOW IS HOW RELEVANT ARE THESE ITEMS? NOW, YOU MENTIONED THAT THIS CAME OUT OF BY WAY OF THE FORENSIC AUDIT, BASED ON THE THINGS THAT WE KNOW ARE PRIORITY TODAY. WHAT'S THE IMPACT OF THE COMPLETION OF THESE ITEMS? SO WE CAN KIND OF UNDERSTAND HOW WE SHOULD PRIORITIZE OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS.

SO THE PROCESS OF RECONCILIATION IS, IS A PRETTY IMPORTANT STEP IN ANY AUDIT PROCESS. AND SO UNTIL WE ARE UP TO SPEED ON ALL OF OUR AUDITS, RECONCILIATION HADN'T HAPPENED HERE FOR SOME YEARS. SO IT'S NOT JUST ONE YEAR OR A LITTLE BIT OF WORK. IT WAS A LOT OF WORK TO ESSENTIALLY DO KIND OF A ARCHEOLOGICAL DIG, IF YOU WILL, IN OUR FINANCES TO GET OUR RECONCILIATIONS UP. SO UNTIL WE'RE UP, UNTIL WE'RE UP, CAUGHT UP, WHICH WE DON'T ANTICIPATE UNTIL APRIL OF NEXT YEAR, WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO NEED THE WORK OF PLANT MORAN OR SOMEONE LIKE THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR RECONCILIATIONS ARE CAUGHT UP.

SO I THINK WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS A TRUE SCOPE OF WORK, BECAUSE WE ARE APPROVED. IF WE WERE TO APPROVE 150 ZERO ZERO $0, NOW, WHO'S TO SAY WE DON'T RUN OUT OF THAT MONEY IN THE NEXT MONTH AND WE HAVE TO COME BACK BEFORE, OR YOU HAVE TO COME BACK BEFORE US AGAIN WITH ANOTHER REQUEST. SO I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THE SCOPE OF WORK. AND THEN ALSO FOR CITY MANAGER, THESE ARE TEMPORARY SERVICES. SO THEY'RE MEANT TO FILL IN THE GAPS. WHAT IS THE OVERALL PLAN TO ADDRESS THIS. LIKE CAN THIS BE ADDRESSED BY HIRING THE RIGHT PERSONNEL? AND AT WHERE ARE WE IN THE PROCESS FOR THAT? WELL, WE HAVE WE HAVE REINSTITUTED

[00:40:07]

OUR RECONCILIATION PROCESS. SO WE'RE WE'RE DOING OUR CURRENT RECONCILIATIONS. THIS IS GOING BACK AND, AND BRINGING THIS FORWARD. SO THE PROCESS ITSELF HAS BEEN ADDRESSED. WE ARE DOING RECONCILIATIONS CURRENTLY. WE JUST HAD A HUGE GAP. I THINK IT WAS TWO YEARS OR MAYBE THREE WHERE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY RECONCILIATIONS PROCESS HAPPENING. RIGHT. I'M ASKING MORE FROM AN EMPLOYEE PERSPECTIVE. SO WE'RE WE'RE FILLING IN THE GAP BY HIRING TEMPORARY SERVICES TO ASSIST US. BUT I'M WONDERING, CAN THIS BE DONE THROUGH FULL TIME STAFF, A FULL TIME EMPLOYEE? AND AT WHAT POINT ARE WE GOING TO HIRE SOMEONE FULL TIME TO COME IN AND NOT ONLY DO CURRENT RECONCILIATIONS, BUT ALSO ANY PREVIOUS RECONCILIATIONS? WE HAVE A FULL TIME EMPLOYEE WORKING. I THINK MY MY RESPONSE WAS, WAS THAT WE PICKED UP AND WE'RE CURRENTLY MOVING FORWARD. OKAY. BUT WE, WE STILL HAD A DEFICIT OF TIME WHERE, WHERE PLANT MORAN HAS HELPED FILLING IN AND GETTING US UP. SO WE HAVE A FULL TIME EMPLOYEE DOING RECONCILIATIONS NOW AND WE'RE. AND WE'RE KEEPING CURRENT WITH IT. AND WE HAVE BEEN DOING IT FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF. OKAY. OKAY. SO I GUESS FOR ME TO GET COMFORTABLE WITH THIS, THIS IS JUST THE LAST THING. OKAY, LAST QUESTION FOR ME TO GET COMFORTABLE, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE SCOPE OF WORK TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS LEFT. AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE PROGRESS SINCE THIS WAS STARTED. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN HEMMING. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION THAT'S HAPPENED TODAY. AND I THINK PART OF THE PROBLEM IS WE DON'T HAVE THE ENGAGEMENT LETTER ATTACHED. AND SO WE HAD TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT OLD ENGAGEMENT LETTERS. BUT I'D ALSO BE CURIOUS TO UNDERSTAND IF WE AND MAYBE THIS IS BETTER DIRECTED AT THE CITY MANAGER. IF WE WERE TO SOMEHOW STOP THIS PROCESS, WOULD IT HAVE WOULD IT CREATE MORE OF A CHALLENGE FOR US TO COMPLETE OUR AUDITS? LIKE, WHAT'S THE RISK IF WE DON'T SUPPORT THIS? YES, MA'AM. IT IT WOULD COMPLICATE OUR CONCLUSION OF OUR AUDITS. AS I KIND OF ALLUDED EARLIER, MIGHT BE A LITTLE MORE CLEAR. AUDIT AUDITORS NEED TO HAVE RECONCILIATION, RECONCILE RECORDS TO BE ABLE TO REVIEW. AND IF THE RECORDS THEMSELVES AREN'T RECONCILED, THEN THAT HAS TO BE DONE BEFORE THE AUDITOR CAN EVEN DO ITS REVIEW.

SO THAT GOES IF WE RECALL, THE AUDITORS MAKE REQUESTS AND THEY GO THROUGH A RANDOM PROCESS.

THAT'S THEIR METHODOLOGY. THEY COULD REQUEST SOMETHING THAT'S NOT BEEN RECONCILED. AND SO THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO RECONCILE THAT BEFORE WE CAN EVEN RESPOND TO THE AUDITOR. AND THAT TAKES TIME. SO SO YEAH, THIS WORK IS, IS IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TO HAPPEN. AND WE HOPE THAT IT WILL BE CLOSED OUT. I WOULD EXPECT THAT IT SHOULD HAVE HAD A SCOPE OF WORK IN THERE. WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT'S THAT'S IN THERE. AND WE'LL ALSO TALK TO THEM TO SEE IF THEY CAN GIVE US SOME KIND OF VISUAL PICTURE OF WHERE THEY STARTED. DID THEY MAKE IT THROUGH WHAT YEAR, WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, GIVE US SOME TIMELINES OF WHAT THEY WERE ABLE TO COVER AND WHAT IS YET TO BE DONE AND WHAT, WHAT FISCAL YEAR ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? BECAUSE I RECALL FROM OUR LAST MEETING THAT MR. MILLER SHARED WITH US AN AUDIT UPDATE. AND AT THAT TIME, HE SAID THAT THERE WOULD NOT ANY ADDITIONAL REQUESTS COMING FROM THE AUDITORS. AND THAT FY 24, THAT WE WERE JUST WAITING ON THEM TO DO THEIR ANALYSIS, COMPILE EVERYTHING AND DEVELOP THE FULL REPORT. SO THIS ENGAGEMENT LETTER IS IT FOR FY 25 RECONCILE RECONCILIATION ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES, FY 26. WHICH FISCAL YEAR ARE THEY RECONCILING? NOT KNOWING THAT I WOULD ASSUME. 25 SINCE I, I CAN ATTEST TO, YOU KNOW, US BEING ON THE RIGHT TRACK ON. 26 SO IT COULD, YOU KNOW, I CAN MAKE THE ASSUMPTION THAT IT'S A YEAR MISSING THERE BECAUSE WE COULDN'T GET AS FAR AS WE HAVE WITH 24 WITHOUT THOSE RECONCILIATIONS. SO I'M ASSUMING THAT 24 IS, IS SOLID AND 25. WE, WE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO BE ENGAGING ON THAT AS SOON AS WE WRAP UP. 24, WHICH IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO. SO I WOULD SUSPECT WITHOUT TALKING TO FINANCE AND IT'S JUST KIND OF GOING OFF MY HEAD. SO, YOU KNOW, PLEASE, YOU KNOW, GIVE A LITTLE LEEWAY THERE. BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE 25 YEAR NEEDS TO BE RECONCILED. GOT SOMEBODY WHO ACTUALLY KNOWS. SO THANK YOU. CITY MANAGER JONES, COUNCILWOMAN MARTIN ROGERS OH, I DIDN'T I'M SORRY. CAN SHE CAN HE FINISH THAT ANSWER? AND I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION. SURE. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. JUST A LITTLE UPDATE

[00:45:02]

ON THE 150 000 FOR PLANT MORAN. SO THAT IS WITH REGARD TO IT'S EVERYTHING ACTUALLY. SO I'VE SPOKEN WITH JOSEPH. SO ACTUALLY INCLUDES EVERYTHING, WHETHER IT'S BANK RECONCILIATIONS. AND THEY JUST INCLUDED A. IT'S A HIGH ESTIMATE. SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY. WE'LL SPEND THAT WHOLE 150 000. SO BUT IT DOES INCLUDE BANK RECONCILIATIONS DATING BACK BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN BEHIND, I GUESS ON BANK RECONCILIATIONS FOR OVER FIVE YEARS. AND SO THEY'RE STILL CATCHING UP IN THE REAR ALSO. OKAY. AND THEN MY FINAL STATEMENT SLASH QUESTION IS I AM, YOU KNOW, HAPPY THAT WE'RE CATCHING UP AND FIGURING OUT HOW TO RESOLVE PROBLEMS. BUT ALSO WHEN YOU LOOK BACK AT THE HISTORY, WE'VE ENGAGED THIS CONTRACTOR AND THEN WE'VE HAD SEVERAL LIKE CHANGE ORDERS. NOW A NEW ENGAGEMENT LETTER. SO I'D BE CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT OUR TOTAL ENGAGEMENT WITH THEM HAS BEEN. HOW MUCH HAVE WE SPENT AND HAVE WE GOTTEN BACK IN RETURN WHAT WE WE NEED. AND I HAVE HUGE APPETITE TO CONTINUE IN THIS DIRECTION, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING PRUDENT WITH OUR FUNDS AND THAT WE'RE GETTING, IN RETURN WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE GETTING FROM THEM. AND ALSO, IF I MAY, THE GOAL IS TO ALSO CROSS-TRAIN STAFF SO THAT WE'RE DOING THOSE BANK RECONCILIATIONS OURSELF AND NOT HAVING TO ENGAGE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT, COUNCILWOMAN, THANK YOU. AND A FEW THINGS. ON JUNE 8TH, A DIRECTIVE WAS GIVEN TO THE CITY MANAGER, AND IT WAS NOT FOLLOWED. THAT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE RESOLVED A LOT OF OUR HEARTBURN. SO PLEASE LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT. I'VE READ THAT. I'VE READ THAT DIRECTIVE INTO THE RECORD. BUT NUMBER TWO, WHAT IS VERY CONCERNING, WHAT I JUST HEARD IS WE HAVEN'T HAD BANK RECONCILIATIONS FOR FIVE YEARS. I'M GOING TO NEED THE PROOF. I KEEP HEARING ALL OF THESE THINGS, BUT WHEN I ASK FOR THE INFORMATION OR THE PROOF, IT IS NOT PROVIDED. I READ THE 2023 AUDIT AND I AM SORRY, BUT I JUST CANNOT BELIEVE THAT THIS CITY IS BEHIND ON BANK RECONCILIATIONS FOR FIVE YEARS. OKAY, I'M GOING TO NEED THAT INFORMATION AS SOON AS YOU CAN GIVE IT TO ME. BUT CAN YOU LOOK AT THIS EMAIL? YOU DON'T HAVE TO COME UP BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO BELABOR THE POINT. I'M SORRY, MADAM, THE CLERK'S OFFICE, WHAT I DID A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO WAS GO ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THIS EMAIL, BECAUSE THIS NEEDS TO BE READ INTO THE RECORD. GO DOWN.

I REACHED OUT TO MICHELLE MCHALE, AND THIS WAS THE EMAIL THAT I SENT TO HER. COME ON BACK UP RIGHT HERE. I SAID, I HOPE THAT YOU'RE WELL, I'M WRITING IN REFERENCE TO A STATUS UPDATE FROM YOUR OFFICE IN REFERENCE TO THE CITY OF EAST POINT'S AUDIT UPDATE, AND THAT WAS SENT TO HER ON JULY 30TH. SHE RESPONDED, THANK YOU FOR REACHING OUT. PLEASE KNOW WE DELIVERED OUR FORENSIC AUDIT REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL IN 2025 AND HAD NOT BEEN ENGAGED TO PERFORM ANY ADDITIONAL WORK. THAT WAS ALSO JULY 30TH. SHE RESPONDED. GO ON DOWN, PLEASE, OR UP? I SAID, HELLO, MICHELLE. I WANT TO EXTEND BECAUSE PRIOR TO THAT, SHE SAID SHE HAD DEATH IN THE FAMILY. I WANT TO EXTEND MY SINCEREST CONDOLENCES TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY AT THIS TIME.

ON JULY 20TH, 2026, THERE WAS A MEMORANDUM SENT FROM PLANT MORAN IN REFERENCE TO A REVIEW OF THE 2027 REVENUE ASSUMPTIONS. IT WAS SIGNED BY BRIAN J. CAMILLA, WHAT WAS THE COST OF THIS REVIEW? THE CITY MANAGER STATED ON RECORD THAT THE CITY HAD A 25 K TO 30 K CREDIT WITH YOUR COMPANY. CAN YOU VERIFY THAT INFORMATION THAT WAS SENT ON AUGUST THE 10TH? SHE SAID, THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND WORDS. I'VE COPIED BRIAN ON THIS EMAIL AS HE IS A PARTNER FOR THAT ENGAGEMENT. AND THIS IS FROM BRIAN. BRIAN SAYS GOOD MORNING. THE CITY DOES NOT HAVE A CREDIT WITH US. ACTUALLY, WE HAVE THREE OUTSTANDING INVOICES DUE FROM THE CITY TOTALING 27 K.

THE FEE FOR THIS REVENUE ASSUMPTION WORK WAS $6,047.50 AT 14, A LITTLE OVER FOUR, CLOSE TO 15 HOURS AT $410 AN HOUR. HAPPY TO GET ON A CALL TO DISCUSS IF NECESSARY. AND THAT WAS JUST ME FORWARDING THE INFORMATION TO MYSELF. HEREIN LIES THE PROBLEM. YOU ALL CAN SIT HERE AND DENY, DENY, DENY. BUT ACCOUNTABILITY BEGINS WITH THIS COUNCIL. YOU SAW THE EMAIL.

[00:50:03]

I'VE READ THIS MOTION INTO THE RECORD, AND AT THIS POINT, WHAT ARE WE DOING? HE WAS GIVEN A DIRECTIVE ON JUNE 8TH, CAME BACK WITH SOMETHING HERE, JULY 20TH, TALKING ABOUT THE GENERAL OBSERVATIONS OF THE 2027 BUDGET. JUST HEARD THEY WANT TO REENGAGE PLANT MORAN FOR ANOTHER 150 000 UP TO $150,000 OF TAXPAYERS DOLLARS. AND WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.

I WILL NOT BE SUPPORTING THIS, AND I'M JUST NOT GOING TO SUPPORT IT. NOTHING IS ATTACHED IN OUR AGENDA WITH THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT THEY ARE GOING TO BE DOING. WE ALREADY OWE THEM $27,000. I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO AT LEAST LOOK AT ALL OF THE INVOICES THAT PLANT MORAN HAS PROVIDED TO THE CITY FOR PAYMENT, SO THAT WE COULD HAVE SOME GENERAL IDEA OF WHAT IS GOING ON, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, I DON'T KNOW. SO I'M GOING TO GO ON THE RECORD AND ASK FOR ALL OF THE PLANT MORAN INVOICES AT THIS TIME, BECAUSE THIS. NO, TO ME IT DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT. IT MIGHT BE OKAY FOR SOME OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, BUT FOR ME, NO, WE'RE IN THE HOLE WITH PLANT MORAN FOR 27,000. THERE'S AN AGENDA ITEM FOR UP TO 150,000.

WHAT ARE WE PAYING FOR? AND I YIELD. THANK YOU. SO COUNCIL, FOR THIS ITEM. DO YOU WANT TO MOVE THIS TO CONSENT? IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU'D LIKE TO ADD TO THIS ITEM FOR ITEM 15 AMENDMENT. OKAY. GO AHEAD. SO I WOULD I KNOW THAT WE DON'T MAKE MOTIONS AT WORK SESSION, BUT I THINK THAT IT IS FAIR TO GET A REVIEW OF THE COMPLETED ITEMS, THE OUTSTANDING AND PAID INVOICES, SO WE CAN HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE VIEW OF THE SERVICES THAT HAVE BEEN RENDERED TO THE CITY. SO MY QUESTION WOULD BE, MR. CITY MANAGER, WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD HAVE PREPARED FOR A PUBLIC PRESENTATION AT OUR NEXT MEETING, OR WOULD YOU NEED ADDITIONAL TIME TO PULL THOSE DOCUMENTS TOGETHER SO THAT COUNCIL CAN GET A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT THE STATUS OF THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DELIVERED TO US AND ARE REQUESTING FROM US? YEAH, WE CAN PROVIDE SOMETHING. I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED AS TO WHAT SERVICE OR YOU WANT ALL SERVICES BECAUSE ALL ITEM ITEM. THE ITEM THAT WE'RE SPEAKING OF IS TEMPORARY SERVICES. YES. SO WE'VE ENGAGED IN AT LEAST THAT I UNDERSTAND A FEW TIMES WE'VE BEEN ENGAGED IN ORIGINALLY FOR THE FORENSIC AUDIT, WHICH WE KNOW WAS COMPLETED. WE THEN ENGAGED THEM FOR THESE TEMPORARY SERVICES. WE ALSO HAD THAT ENGAGEMENT RELATED TO THE RECONCILIATION, SORRY, THE REVIEW OF THE FY 27 BUDGET. SO I THINK WHAT I'M ASKING FOR IS LOOKING AT THE HISTORY OF THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM, THE STATUS OF COMPLETED, WHAT'S STILL OUTSTANDING THAT WOULD JUSTIFY AN ADDITIONAL $150,000 OR EXCUSE ME, UP TO $150,000.

SO THAT COUNCIL HAS ENOUGH INFORMATION TO DECIDE IF WE WANT TO CONTINUE ENGAGING PLANT MORAN FOR THEIR SERVICES. THAT WOULD BE MY REQUEST. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE COUNCILWOMAN CUMMINGS. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. SO. SO MY QUESTION WELL, MY REQUEST IS GOING TO BE SOMEWHAT THAT OF WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER HEMMING ASKED, JUST THAT WE CAN SORT OF GET A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT IT IS, THE SERVICES THAT THEY'VE PROVIDED, WHAT IT IS THAT WE PAID THEM FOR, BECAUSE I KNOW WE'VE SAID THAT THE $150,000, IT WAS NOT TO EXCEED $150,000 FOR RECONCILIATION, THOSE SERVICES THAT THEY WOULD BE PROVIDING FOR US. BUT NOW, JUST LOOKING AT THE EMAIL THREAD FOR THAT, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTIN ROGERS JUST READ THROUGH WHEN I THOUGHT WE DID HAVE THE CREDIT. I KNOW YOU SAID WE HAVE ABSOLVED THE CREDIT. LIKE I SAID, I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE WE'RE WE'RE PAYING FOR. I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER ATKINS DID ASK FOR THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT WOULD BE ENTAILED IN THE, YOU KNOW, THE $150,000. BUT I THINK IF WE COULD JUST HAVE SOMETHING TO SEE WHAT THOSE SERVICES ARE THAT THEY'VE PROVIDED FOR US THUS FAR. AND WHAT IT IS THAT WE'VE PAID FOR, IT'LL GIVE US A BETTER UNDERSTANDING, BECAUSE IN ONE OF THE EMAILS, THEY SAID THAT THE FORENSIC AUDIT WAS COMPLETE, BUT YOU ALL ARE SAYING THAT THEY'RE STILL DOING SOME WORK ON THE FORENSIC AUDIT.

SO I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT IS THEY'RE DOING FOR US ANYMORE, OTHER THAN, I GUESS, WAITING FOR US TO PAY THE THE $27,000 INVOICE. I GUESS THAT WE STILL HAVE OUTSTANDING WITH THEM. SO

[00:55:03]

LIKE I SAID, IF WE CAN JUST GET SOMETHING THAT STATES EXACTLY WHAT IT IS, THOSE SERVICES, THAT PLANT MORAN HAS PROVIDED FOR US THUS FAR AND WHAT TYPE OF PAYMENTS WE'VE MADE. I THINK WE CAN. ALL RIGHT. SO COUNCIL, WOULD WE LIKE TO ADD CONSENSUS FOR HIM TO COME BACK DURING THE NEXT. OKAY. WHAT IS BECAUSE. NO, I'M SAYING DO WE NEED TO DO A MOTION? BECAUSE I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CLEAR WITH THE ASK. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I NOTICED WITH THE PLANT. MORAN.

THE REVIEW OF THE ASSUMPTIONS IS VERY VAGUE. I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT AN ANALYSIS WOULD INCLUDE NUMBERS AND MORE DESCRIPTIONS AND DETAILS AROUND HOW THEY GOT TO THE ANSWER, VERSUS JUST A GENERAL, VERY VAGUE AND GENERAL CONSENSUS. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE ARE GOING TO PUT THIS REQUEST IN, THAT WE GET THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED IN ORDER TO MAKE A DECISION ON HOW WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PARTNERSHIP WITH MORAN. YES, MA'AM. I'M SORRY. OKAY.

MAY I ASK A QUESTION? NO, I CANNOT, ALL RIGHT.

SO WE HAD A BRIEF RECESS. LOOKS LIKE EVERYONE HAS RETURNED. SO WHERE WERE WE? COUNCIL. THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING TO ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY. DO WE NEED A MOTION FOR CONSENT? I MEAN, DO WE NEED A MOTION FOR THE CITY MANAGER TO COME BACK WITH A DIFFERENT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION? TO ADD TO ITEM NUMBER 15, OR DOES IT GO ON CONSENT TO BE SENT TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING? IT WOULDN'T GO. SOUNDS LIKE DISCUSSION FOR ADDITIONAL ITEM.

THAT WOULD BE THE ITEM. SO THAT. OFFERS TO BRING BACK WHATEVER WAS PASSED ON. OKAY. AND WE NEED A MOTION FOR THAT TO HAPPEN. OR DO WE. CAN WE ADD THAT TO THE ACTUAL ITEM NUMBER 15 MOTION TO MAKE IT MORE EFFICIENT? I THINK THE MINUTES AND AN ANNOUNCEMENT FROM MAYOR THAT IS REQUIRED FOR THIS ITEM TO CONSIDERATION NEXT MEETING THAT COUNCIL. OKAY. SO SINCE WE ARE REQUESTING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS ITEM NUMBER 15, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE THIS ITEM TO THE NEXT REGULAR SCHEDULED MEETING AND COMPLETE A PROPER OR VOTE IF NECESSARY, IN THE NEXT REGULAR SCHEDULED MEETING, ITEM NUMBER 15. SO CAN WE JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE ASKING TO BRING BACK? YES. I THINK, MADAM MAYOR, IF YOU DON'T MIND JUST STATING WHAT OUR EXPECTATIONS ARE, WE'D LIKE A REVIEW OF KIND OF THE TOTAL INVOICES. TOTAL WORK COMPLETED. OUTSTANDING WORK THAT JUSTIFIES THE 150,000. SO THAT COUNCIL MAY BE MAY BE ABLE TO CONSIDER THE TOTAL PICTURE, NOT JUST THIS ENGAGEMENT LETTER IN ISOLATION.

OKAY. AND THE CURRENT ENGAGEMENT LETTER. I HAVE A MOTION IF YOU WANT. MAYOR. OKAY.

SO THIS HOPEFULLY ENCOMPASSES EVERYTHING. I MOVED TO DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO PROVIDE COUNCIL WITH A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT OF ALL PLANT MORAN ENGAGEMENTS WITH THE CITY, INCLUDING THE DATE OF EACH ENGAGEMENT, SCOPE OF WORK CONTRACT AMOUNT AND TOTAL AMOUNT PAID, WORK COMPLETED, DELIVERABLES PROVIDED, AND OUTCOMES ACHIEVED. THE REPORT SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE ANY PROPOSED FUTURE SCOPE OF WORK, INCLUDING THE PROPOSED COST SPECIFIC GOALS, DELIVERABLE AND TIMELINE FOR COMPLETION. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOTION AND SECOND, ALL THOSE IN. DO WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION? GO AHEAD. YES. COUNCILMEMBER CALDWELL, YOUR MOTION STATED ALL. AND TO ME, THAT'S ABSOLUTE. SO I HAVE NO IDEA, AND I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE MR. LAWRENCE CAN SPEAK TO IT. ARE WE TALKING ABOUT WORK THAT WAS DONE IN 1987, 1986, 1970? SO IF WE SAY ALL, THEN I DON'T KNOW IF THAT. SO I, I DON'T WANT US TO IF THEY'RE GOING DOWN LOOKING FOR ALL OF THE WORK, IT MAY NOT BE GERMANE TO THIS. SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANT TO GO BACK TO THE FORENSIC AUDIT AND THEN FROM THAT POINT TO PRESENT OR HOW FAR BACK WE'D LIKE TO GO. 2025. YEAH, IT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW WHEN WE ENGAGE THEM. I WOULD THINK EITHER THE FORENSIC AUDIT OR THE LAST OFFICIAL AUDIT. THAT WASN'T. NO. JUST YEAH, JUST WE CAN GET A CONSENSUS POINT OF CLARIFICATION. WE, WE ENGAGED THEM FOR THE AUDIT, SPECIFICALLY FOR THE FORENSIC. HOWEVER, SUBSEQUENTLY AFTER THAT, WE ENGAGED THEM FOR THESE

[01:00:06]

SERVICES. BUT DID WE ENGAGE THEM BEFORE THE AUDIT? WHEN WHEN DID WE FIRST ENGAGE THEM? BEFORE THE FORENSIC AUDIT. I'VE NEVER HEARD OF BEFORE THE FORENSIC AUDIT. SO YEAH. SO 2025 NO FORENSIC AUDIT TOOK PLACE IN 2023, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. SO YEAH, WE CAN I'M OKAY WITH 2023. IT'S THREE YEARS. YOU WOULD NEED TO AMEND AMEND YOUR MOTION AND ALSO INCLUDE THE DATE YOU WANT THIS DELIVERABLE. OKAY. SHE DIDN'T SAY THAT. SO THE THE MOTION WOULD STILL STAND BECAUSE I MEAN, IT'S ALL WE WOULD STILL GO BACK TO DAY ONE. YES. THE ONLY THE ONLY REASON THAT I BROUGHT UP THE DATE CERTAIN. MR. LAWRENCE HAS SAID THAT HE DOESN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING BEYOND THAT. BUT BEFORE HIS TIME THERE COULD BE SOMETHING.

OKAY. AND SO I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ASKING THEM TO GET INFORMATION THAT IS GERMANE AND RELEVANT TO THE REQUEST SO THAT IF SOMETHING IS MISSED, NOT INTENTIONALLY, BUT JUST BECAUSE HE HASN'T BEEN HERE OR KNOWN ABOUT PLANT MORAN, THEN IT DOESN'T FULLY FULFILL THE DIRECTIVE. AND SO I THINK THAT THERE WAS A REFERENCE IN THE EMAIL THAT COUNCIL MEMBER MARTIN ROGERS READ THAT SPOKE TO THE FORENSIC AUDIT, AND THEN THE GENTLEMAN TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT'S HAPPENED SUBSEQUENT TO THAT. SO I THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS SORT OF A STARTING POINT, WHICH WAS SORT OF REALLY GERMANE TO OUR CONVERSATION. I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW OFTEN OR HOW LONG AGO OR HOW MANY TIMES WE'VE ENGAGED PLANT. MORAN. OKAY. QUESTION.

20. SO WE HAVE AN AMENDMENT. WE YOU WANT TO MAKE THE AMENDMENT. WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT. YEAH. THAT'S FINE. WE CAN DO THE AMENDMENT. SHOULD I READ IT ALL OVER AGAIN OR JUST TELL US WHAT THE AMENDMENT, THE AMENDMENT WOULD BE? OH, A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT OF ALL PLANT MORAN ENGAGEMENTS STARTING FROM 2023 TO DATE AND. THE TIMELINE FOR COMPLETION WOULD BE WE SET THE NEXT MEETING. WHEN IS THAT? AUGUST 17TH. OKAY. SO IS THERE A SECOND AND A VOTE ON THE MAIN MOTION SO YOU CAN DO IT? IF THERE'S NO MORE DISCUSSION ON THE MAIN MOTION? AND ALL IN FAVOR. AND THEN THE AMENDMENT AS SHE JUST READ IT A SECOND AND A VOTE ON THAT. OKAY, OKAY, SECOND, SECOND. NO, NO, WE NEED A VOTE ON THE MAIN MOTION. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF YOUR OTHER ORIGINAL MOTION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED? OKAY. THE MOTION PASSES. COUNCILWOMAN CALDWELL, CAN YOU JUST STATE ALL THOSE IN? NO. A SECOND, THE SECOND ON YOUR AMENDED MOTION. SECOND. OKAY. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. THOSE OPPOSED? THE MOTION PASSES. SO WE'RE GOOD. YES. SO? SO NOW YOU HAVE A YES TO THE MAIN MOTION, A YES TO THE AMENDMENT. AND NOW TOGETHER. RIGHT NOW THEY'RE TOGETHER. AND SO. JUST MAKING SURE I GOT THE ORDER RIGHT. LET'S GET AN ALL IN FAVOR FOR THE COMBINED MOTION. RIGHT NOW YOU'VE GOT THE RESTATED MOTION RIGHT. LIKE WITH EVERYTHING YOU VOTED ON PART ONE, YOU VOTED ON PART TWO. NOW TOGETHER THEY MAKE A WHOLE WE NEED TO VOTE. ON THE WHOLE, I THOUGHT WE NO, YOU YOU VOTED ON THE AMENDMENT. OKAY, OKAY, I. OKAY, SO SO THIS IS REALLY WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RESTATEMENT OF NOW THE ENTIRE MOTION. OKAY. GOTCHA.

OKAY. COUNCILWOMAN CALDWELL, CAN YOU SURE. GO AHEAD, PLEASE. I MOVE TO DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO PROVIDE CITY COUNCIL WITH A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT OF ALL PLANT MORAN ENGAGEMENTS STARTING 2023 TO DATE, INCLUDING THE DATE OF EACH ENGAGEMENT, SCOPE OF WORK CONTRACT AMOUNT AND TOTAL AMOUNT PAID, WORK COMPLETED, DELIVERABLES PROVIDED, AND OUTCOMES ACHIEVED. THE REPORT SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE ANY PROPOSED FUTURE SCOPE OF WORK, INCLUDING THE PROPOSED COST, SPECIFIC GOALS, DELIVERABLES, AND TIMELINE FOR COMPLETION BY AUGUST 17TH, 2026. SAY IT AGAIN. YEAH, I MENTIONED THE. THE REPORT SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE THE PROPOSED FUTURE SCOPE OF WORK AND INVOICES PAST INVOICES. YEAH. WELL, IT SAYS TOTAL AMOUNT PAID. YES. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, WE GOT A SECOND. YOU FINISH WITH YOUR MOTION. WE

[01:05:08]

HAVE A SECOND. THANK YOU. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED? THE MOTION PASSES.

THANK YOU. YEAH. ON ITEM. WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO ITEM NUMBER ONE AND THEN WE'LL PROCEED DOWN

[III.1. Council Discussion and Possible Action on the FY 2027 Budget]

THE LIST. OH NUMBER ONE. OH. DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. SHE HAD A QUESTION FOR NUMBER ONE FOR THE COUNCIL DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE FY 2027 BUDGET. I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN PULL UP THE THE DOCUMENT, THE PUBLIC FACING DOCUMENT THAT WAS SENT TO US. CITY MANAGER OR MISS CARTWRIGHT. THE. IT WAS THE PROPOSED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE BUDGET. LET ME SEE IF I CAN PULL IT UP. OKAY. YEAH, YEAH. I WASN'T PREPARED FOR THIS ITEM. SO IT'S JUST ONE THING. THE OFFICE OF EQUITY INCLUSION. THE REQUEST WAS TO REINSTATE THE OFFICE OF EQUITY INCLUSION, FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL DISCUSSION ON THE NAME AND LEGISLATION. IT ALREADY HAS THE NAME CHANGED IN THE FORMAL DOCUMENT. WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT DISCUSSION YET. SO THAT'S AND I DURING THE LAST MEETING, WHEN WE WERE GIVING THESE OR KIND OF DISCUSSING THIS, I ACTUALLY CAME UP AND CHANGED THE DOCUMENT TO STATE JUST THAT. AND SO I'M NOT SURE HOW IT GOT CHANGED BACK, BUT THAT WAS THE DISCUSSION THAT WE CONSENTED AND AGREED TO. I DON'T KNOW IT.

I JUST THINK WE NEED TO VOTE ON IT. SHOULD WE VOTE ON IT? WE VOTE ON THE LEGISLATION. NO. SO THERE YOU SEE, IF YOU GO DOWN TO. LINE ITEM 37, THAT'S WHAT THE BUDGET SHOULD SAY. BUT IN THE UPDATED VERSION THAT WAS JUST PROVIDED. IT DOESN'T SAY THAT, OKAY, OKAY. THAT'S IT.

YEP.

YES. OKAY. COUNCILMAN MITCHELL HAS NOT ARRIVED. SO WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON FROM THAT ITEM. IT IS MONDAY. OKAY. WE CAN MOVE THAT ITEM TO ITEM. TO THE 17TH. YES, MA'AM. IT WOULD NEED TO GO. MADAM MAYOR WOULD NEED TO BE WORK SESSION IF SINCE IT'S A COUNCIL MEMBERS ITEM. OKAY, SO IT NEED TO GO TO SEPTEMBER'S WORK SESSION. OKAY. MADAM MAYOR. YES. HENRY WAS IN FOR ONE. THAT DEPUTY CITY CLERK HAD THAT CHANGE, AND THEN SHE WAS IN FOR ONE. BEFORE YOU MOVED ON. SHE WAS IN FOR NUMBER ONE. ITEM, ONE AGENDA. OH, YES. I HAVE ONE QUESTION ABOUT THE LETTER. NO PROBLEM. OH, OKAY. MADAM MAYOR, I STAND CORRECTED. CORRECTED. THE ITEM FOR COUNCIL MEMBER. MITCHELL HAD BEEN ON THE AGENDA PRIOR TO TODAY. AND SO IT IT QUALIFIES FOR HAVING ALREADY BEEN DISCUSSED. AND SO IF YOU WANT TO PUT IT ON THE 17TH, YOU CAN. ALL RIGHT. NO, WE'RE NOT DOING THAT. SO ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, ITEM NUMBER TWO. CAN WE JUST NEED TO CONFIRM THAT THIS CAN. WELL WE HAVE CONFIRMED THAT IT IS ON THE WORK SESSION FOR NUMBER FOR NEXT MONDAY. ITEM NUMBER TWO. ISN'T A COUNCIL MEETING NEXT MONTH. SORRY. THE REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING FOR AUGUST 17TH. THANK YOU KNOW. YES AUGUST 17TH. THANK YOU. I SAW THAT, BUT I

[01:10:15]

DON'T KNOW THAT THAT THEY HAVE THAT WE HAVE THAT HAPPENS ANYWAY. YEAH. YOU HAD A QUESTION. YES. OKAY. I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON THE LETTER THAT WE RECEIVED FROM MR. BRIAN. CAMILA, CAMILA ON THE SECOND PAGE OF THE LETTER UNDER THE SECTION THAT SAYS INTERFUND TRANSFER RECONCILIATIONS, THERE'S A STATEMENT THAT SAYS BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE TRANSFER ACTIVITY REMAINED UNDER REVIEW AT THE TIME OF OF PROCEDURE. AT THE TIME OUR PROCEDURES WERE INCLUDED. THEY RECOMMEND COMPLETION OF ALL THOSE TRANSFER RECONCILIATIONS PRIOR TO FINAL BUDGET ADOPTION. AND SO MY QUESTION TO YOU, MR. CITY MANAGER, IS WILL THOSE RECONCILIATIONS BE DONE IN ADVANCE OF OUR MONDAY MEETING? SO THOSE ITEMS HAPPEN AS A PART OF OUR CLOSEOUT. SO THAT THAT KIND OF HAPPENS ANYWAY. WOULD IT BE IT WOULD IT WOULD BE WOULD IT BE TECHNICALLY BEFORE THE 17TH? NO, BECAUSE WE WOULDN'T HAVE IT CLOSED OUT BEFORE THE 17TH. SO WE'RE CERTAINLY UP TO DATE ON EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE HAD AS FAR AS TRANSFERS GO. BUT THEN TO CLOSE OUT THE YEAR, THERE MAY BE SOME ADDITIONAL TRANSFERS. AND JUST TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND, THE INTERFUND TRANSFERS ARE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE WE ARE REIMBURSING THE CITY FOR WATER OR REIMBURSING THE CITY FOR ELECTRIC. IS THAT WHAT IS THAT? IS THAT WHAT AN INTERFUND TRANSFER IS THAT? YEAH, THAT IS THAT IS AN EXAMPLE OF ONE. IT COULD ALSO INVOLVE AN ENCUMBRANCE THAT WE WE MAY HAVE THAT REQUIRES INTERFUND TRANSFER, BUT COST ALLOCATION WOULD BE AN EXAMPLE OF ONE. SO WHILE WE'RE UP TO DATE, OF COURSE GOING INTO EXTRA MONTHS, THAT REQUIRES SOME ADDITIONAL CLOSEOUT. AND WE TALKED ABOUT CLOSING OUT COULD BE ANYWHERE FROM 30 TO 90 DAYS. OKAY. OKAY. ANY MORE QUESTIONS, COUNCILWOMAN HEMMING? NO, I GUESS WHEN WE HAVE THE PRESENTATION NEXT WEEK, IF YOU COULD JUST ALSO BE PREPARED TO DISCUSS THE CONTENTS OF THIS LETTER THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, ALLOW COUNCIL TO CONTINUE UNDERSTANDING THE SCOPE OF WORK AND NEEDED STEPS. THANK YOU. OKAY, SO WE ARE NOW MOVING ON TO. WHERE ARE WE? ITEM SIX IS CHIEF. I'M SORRY, I KEEP GOING BACK TO ITEM SIX. ITEM EIGHT.

[IV.8. Council Discussion and Possible Action on Vendor Green Heart Enterprises, from ITB 2026 1919, for Renovations of the LEC Main Lobby, NOT TO EXCEED: $267,447.00 FUNDING SOURCE: Red Speed Fund]

MOVING ON TO ITEM EIGHT. WE'LL WAIT. HELLO EVERYONE. COUNCIL, MAYOR, CITY ATTORNEY, CITY MANAGER. HOW ARE YOU DOING? SO REAL QUICK, WE PUT OUT A BID TO REDO OUR LOBBY. WE HAVE ADA COMPLIANT EQUIPMENT IN OUR LOBBY. THE COURTS CURRENTLY IS UNDERGOING A RENOVATION. AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE DO FOLLOW BEHIND THEM AND FOLLOW SUIT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE.

ORIGINALLY, WE PUT OUT A BID. WE THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE ABOUT $100,000 TO GET THE WINDOWS FOR THE JAIL, FOR THE CASHIER'S OFFICE, AND ALSO FOR OUR D. BUT ONCE WE GOT THE RFP BACK FOR THE WHOLE RENOVATIONS, ABOUT 260, I BELIEVE. SO WHAT WE WANT TO DO, INSTEAD OF IMPACTING THE BUDGET, WE WANT TO USE OUR RED TO A RED SPEED SCHOOL ZONE CAMERA FUND BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT CAN BE USED FOR IN TERMS OF THOSE THINGS THAT ARE IMPACT POLICING AND IT DOESN'T IMPACT THE BUDGET. SO I THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE A GOOD USE OF THAT FUND. THANK YOU CHIEF. COUNCIL COUNCILWOMAN CUMMINGS. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. AND FIRST QUESTION WOULD BE, WELL, I GUESS IT'LL BE CHIEF BUCHANAN OR THE CITY ATTORNEY. SO WITH REGARDS TO THOSE FUNDS, IS THERE ANYTHING LIKE LISTED OR WRITTEN THAT SAYS WHAT THOSE FUNDS CAN BE ALLOCATED FOR FOR THE RED SPEED? I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COMPLIANT. WE ARE. I, I DEFINITELY DOUBLE CHECK, BUT WE ARE ALRIGHT. AND IT'S DEFINITELY HAS TO DO WITH POLICE TECHNOLOGY EQUIPMENT, REFURBISHING THINGS OF THIS NATURE. AND BECAUSE WE GET HIT ACROSS THE HEAD, EVERY COUNCIL MEETING DURING PUBLIC COMMENTS, IS THERE SOMETHING THAT'S

[01:15:05]

PRINTED WITH REGARDS TO LIKE THE THE MONEY FROM THE THE RED SPEED THROUGH THE THE CAMERAS? I THINK PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT LIKE WHAT THOSE FUNDS ARE USED FOR. I MEAN, WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF DIFFERENT AMOUNTS THAT'S IN THAT PARTICULAR. I CAN KIND OF TELL YOU, OKAY, I MEAN, JUST I'VE BEEN HAPPY TO TELL YOU. A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE SPEAKING. I'VE HEARD THEM AS WELL. RIGHT. I ACTUALLY TRIED TO SET UP MEETINGS WITH PEOPLE BECAUSE I THINK THEY DON'T HAVE A TRUE UNDERSTANDING. OKAY. SO INITIALLY WE HAVE THREE SCHOOLS FOR RED SPEED. A LOT OF CITIES HAVE TEN SCHOOLS, 15 SCHOOLS. SO OUR FUNDS ARE A LOT LESS THAN OTHER CITIES. FIRST OF ALL. SECOND OF ALL, YOUR FIRST YEAR IS WHAT I CALL YOUR BIG YEAR BECAUSE IT'S A KIND OF A SHOCK TO THE CONSCIENCE AND PEOPLE NOT REALIZING THE SLOW DOWN IN SCHOOL ZONES. FROM THERE, IT DRASTICALLY DECREASES JUST BECAUSE EVERYONE KNOWS THEY'RE ACTIVE. WE HAVE SIGNAGE, THERE'S LIGHTS, AND PLUS THE RESIDENTS NO LONGER SPEAK TO THOSE AREAS. WE'VE HAD THE PROGRAM SINCE JANUARY 2025. I ACTUALLY GAVE HER A MEMO TO THE CITY MANAGER. WE HAD SINCE JANUARY 2025, WE TOOK A THREE MONTH HALT FROM AUGUST, BASICALLY THE END OF AUGUST TO DECEMBER OF 2025 TO COMPLY WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. SINCE THAT TIME, I THINK RIGHT NOW WE PROBABLY HAVE $450,000 IN THE ACCOUNT.

OKAY. AND JUST FOR 50. YES. OKAY. SO IT'S FOR AND WHAT ARE WHAT WHAT WERE YOU JUST FOR THE PUBLIC'S EDIFICATION? SO I'LL TELL YOU WHAT WE USE IT FOR. OKAY. SO WE GOT WITH TRI-CITIES HIGH SCHOOL, HAMILTON HOLMES WOODLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL, AS WELL AS PARTY WEST. WE BOUGHT ALL THE SCHOOLS DEFIBRILLATORS. WE ALSO BOUGHT OUT, BOUGHT ALL OUR SERGEANTS DEFIBRILLATORS JUST IN CASE WE BEAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THERE. WE CAN USE ADD EQUIPMENT. THAT WAS ABOUT $45,000 SPENT FROM THAT FUND. WE ARE CURRENTLY USING IT FOR REPLACING DRONES AT THE FOOD BANK, AND ALSO WANTED THE FIRE STATION NUMBER FOUR AT BEN HILL, THAT THE INFRASTRUCTURE HAS TO BE BUILT. EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE THE DRONES TO SEAL, THE INFRASTRUCTURE HAS TO BE BUILT.

THAT'S GOING TO BE ABOUT $100,000 JUST TO DO ALL THE WIRING AND PULL UP CONCRETE AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. AND THAT'S ABOUT $100,000, AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ALL WE'VE USED IT ON. I THINK SOME RENOVATION PROJECTS IN THE BUILDING. AND THAT'S IT. OKAY, SO JUST JUST AN ASK AND I GUESS IT WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE CITY MANAGER, BUT I KNOW WE'RE DUE FOR OUR WARD C COMMUNITY MEETING THAT'S COMING UP SOON. IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE CAN GET SOME SORT OF PRINT OUT? YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF A REPORT, JUST A ONE SHEETER AND JUST KIND OF WHERE WHERE IT IS JUST BECAUSE, I MEAN, WE'VE HAD RESIDENTS COME UP, Y'ALL GOT ABOUT $2 MILLION IN THERE. YOU LET SOME PEOPLE TELL. SO I JUST, I MEAN, JUST SO THAT THE PUBLIC WILL KNOW, I MEAN, AND EVEN FOR THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE JUST MENTIONED, I MEAN, THEY'RE ALL WORTHWHILE THINGS, BUT BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW AND THEY COME BEFORE US AND THEY ASK US AND, YOU KNOW, JUST EVEN I, I, I WAS ON THE PHONE, A RESIDENT AND I TRIED TO FIGURE OUT SHE WAS TRYING TO GET HER TAG. AND NOW LET ME ASK YOU, DOES THAT IMPACT THE TAG IF YOU'VE RECEIVED A TICKET? SO A RESIDENT JUST REACHED OUT TO ME TODAY. I THINK IF YOU GET SO MANY CITATIONS AND YOU DON'T PAY, THAT IMPACTS YOUR REGISTRATION, ALRIGHT? BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT IT'S NOT 1 OR 2. RIGHT? AND THEN WE WERE TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT AND THEN TRYING TO GET A NUMBER ONCE SHE, YOU KNOW, TO SEE WHO THEY, WHO THEY NEEDED TO SPEAK WITH, WITH THE TAG NUMBER. I MEAN, AND WE WERE ON, WE WERE ONLINE TRYING TO FIGURE IT ALL OUT. SO I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF IT DOES. SO IF YOU HAVE SO MANY, IF YOU GET IF IT'S THAT GREAT, I KNOW WHO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE I SPOKE. ALRIGHT, SO, SO I ACTUALLY HAD THE COURT DEPARTMENT CALL HIM TODAY. I THINK HE LEFT A MESSAGE FOR YOU. I TOOK CARE OF IT. OKAY. I HAD THE COURT DEPARTMENT CALL HIM AND GAVE HIM A RESET COURT DATE FOR THIS THURSDAY. OKAY. THAT'S FINE. THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO AND THEN LIKE I SAID, IF WE COULD DO SOMETHING JUST LIKE A ONE SHEET DEAL AND IT'LL BE SOMETHING GOOD TO PUT IN OUR OUR NEWSLETTER, OUR WARD NEWSLETTER. OKAY. IF YOU YOU WANT. IS THAT OKAY? YEAH, BECAUSE I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY THAT CHIEF JUST WORKED ON A MEMORANDUM AND TO PUT INFORMATION TOGETHER. I WASN'T SURE IF SHE FORWARDED THE COUNCIL OR NOT. I WAS JUST TRYING TO CHECK REAL QUICK. I DIDN'T IT'S READY. AVAILABLE. IF YOU HAVEN'T GOT IT, WE'LL GET IT OUT TO YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU, I YIELD. COUNCILWOMAN HEMMINGER, I THINK YOU KNOW MY QUESTIONS, WHICH ARE SIMILAR TO THE QUESTIONS YOU JUST HAD. ONE OF THE CHALLENGES IS, AND I KNOW THIS IS PROBABLY NOT DIRECTED AT YOU, BUT PROBABLY MORE SO FOR THE CITY MANAGER. IS THAT IN THE BUDGET BOOK, YOU JUST STATED THAT THERE'S ABOUT $450,000 IN THE THE BALANCE OF THE READ SPEED. BUT I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN LEARNING IS THAT NOT EVERY DOLLAR WE HAVE IN THE BANK IS REFLECTED IN THE BUDGET BOOK. SO WHEN RESIDENTS ARE LOOKING AT THE BUDGET BOOK AND THEY SEE A BALANCE THAT IS LOWER THAN THE 450 000, THE QUESTION IS, WELL, WHERE THEN DOES THE MONEY