[Ward A Community Meeting on September 22, 2026.]
          [00:00:08]
          GOOD EVENING WARD. A GOOD EVENING, EAST POINT. GOOD EVENING. HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS EVENING? I AM SO GENUINELY EXCITED AND HAPPY THAT WE HAVE SUCH AN AWESOME TURNOUT. MY NAME IS GEOFFREY HEMMING. I SERVE AS ONE OF YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE IN WARD A, ALONG WITH MY COLLEAGUE ERIC FRIEDLI, AND WE HAVE BEEN VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT TONIGHT'S AGENDA. SO WE ARE JUST GOING TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OURSELVES. YOU CAN GET TO KNOW US FOR A FEW MOMENTS. AND THEN AFTER THAT, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE AN OVERVIEW OF DOWNTOWN PROJECTS FROM OUR DIRECTOR OF WATER, MISS MELISSA ECHEVARRIA, AND OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, MR. CORDELL HALL, AND I'LL HAVE THEM COME UP. ALSO, I KNOW YOU HAVE BEEN LOADED DOWN WITH PAPERWORK. IT'S BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVEN IF YOU DON'T HEAR EVERYTHING TONIGHT, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SIT WITH IT AND READ IT AFTER YOU. AFTER WE FINISH WITH MISS ECHEVARRIA AND MR. HALL, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A PRESENTATION ABOUT THE SANITATION ROUTE CHANGES FOR MR. ROBERT WHITEHEAD AND CODE ENFORCEMENT, AND WE ARE HOPEFULLY GOING TO HAVE SOME REPRESENTATION FROM CODE ENFORCEMENT TO TALK ABOUT ISSUES THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE HAPPENING IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. AND THEN FINALLY, WE'RE GOING TO END WITH A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE ELECTRIC RELIABILITY. SO WE HAVE MR. SEAN DOE, WHO'S OUR DIRECTOR OF ELECTRIC THAT'S GOING TO COME UP. AND THEN MR. FRANK WHITFIELD, HE'S HERE, IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE WARD A DOWNTOWN PROJECTS. SO I'M JUST SO ENTHUSIASTIC AND GRATEFUL THAT YOU TURNED OUT TONIGHT ALSO, JUST SO YOU KNOW, IS BEING RECORDED. SO IF YOU HAVE NEIGHBORS FOR SOME REASON WHO ARE NOT ABLE TO BE HERE IN PERSON, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO GO ONLINE AND, OH, I THINK IT'S LIVE STREAM RIGHT NOW. SO THEY'LL BE ABLE TO GO ONLINE. 
          MR. GIDEON IS SAYING YES, AND THEY'LL BE ABLE TO VIEW IT IN REAL TIME. SO JUST A COUPLE OF COMMENTS TO GET US KICKED OFF. I WANTED TO ASK EVERYONE TO BE SURE TO SIGN IN. US HAVING YOUR COMMUNICATION AND CONTACT ALLOWS US TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOU. SO MISS SOPHIA EVANS HAS BEEN WALKING AROUND WITH A PAPER SIGNING OR A QR CODE. PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE SIGNING IN SO WE CAN STAY IN CONTACT AND COMMUNICATION WITH YOU. ALSO, WE HAVE WORKED REALLY HARD ON THAT NEWSLETTER. I HOPE WE HOPE YOU LIKE IT IN THE NEWSLETTER. IT IS FULL OF INFORMATION. THERE ARE QR CODES, THERE ARE PHONE NUMBERS, THERE ARE UPDATES ABOUT PROJECTS. SO WE WILL BE ISSUING THESE NEWSLETTERS ONCE A QUARTER. SO THIS IS THE FALL 2026 ISSUE. 
          YOU'LL GET ONE FOR WINTER 2026. AND MOVING FORWARD. OTHER THINGS THAT I JUST WANT TO QUICKLY COMMENT ON. I WANT TO THANK YOU TO THE DEPUTY CITY CLERK AND HER TEAM, AS WELL AS OUR OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS, WHO ARE AROUND AND SUPPORTING TONIGHT'S ACTIVITIES, AND THEN ALSO ALL OF THE STAFF WHO ARE HERE THIS EVENING. SO JUST BRIEFLY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME. 
          I'M JEFFREY HEMMING. AS I SAID, I'VE LIVED IN EAST POINT WITH MY FAMILY FOR ABOUT TEN YEARS. 
          I EVEN RECRUITED MY SISTER WHO'S HERE, AND MY HUSBAND'S HERE ALSO, AND SHE ALSO LIVES IN EAST POINT. AND OBVIOUSLY MY HUSBAND DOES AS WELL. WE LIVE RIGHT ACROSS FROM CONNELLY NATURE PARK, SO WE ARE YOUR NEIGHBORS. IF YOU'RE        & EXPERIENCING AN OUTAGE, I AM TOO. OKAY. SO WHAT I'M DEALING WITH WHAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH, WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER. 
          TONIGHT'S CONVERSATION AND JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHO I AM AS A COUNCIL MEMBER. I PAY ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS. SO WE ARE GOING TO HAVE DETAILED CONVERSATION AND GET INTO OPPORTUNITY. BUT I ALSO WANT TO HAVE SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT WE'RE HOPEFUL FOR IN THE CITY. I THINK WE HAVE A LOT OF GREAT MOMENTUM, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING A LOT MORE OF IT COME TO FRUITION. SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO HAND IT OVER TO COUNCIL MEMBER FRIEDLY, WHO MIGHT GIVE YOU SOME OPENING WORDS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER HEMMING. THERE'S A COUPLE OF CHAIRS FOR PEOPLE WHO MIGHT WANT TO SIT, AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE MORE THAT WE CAN GET, BUT THERE ARE A FEW UP TOWARD THE FRONT IF YOU'RE NOT FEELING SHY. SO I AM ERIC FRIEDLY. I'M YOUR WARD, A COUNCIL MEMBER ELECTED IN 23, TOOK OFFICE ON JANUARY 1ST, 2024. I HAVE LIVED IN EAST POINT FOR 21 YEARS. I LIVE JUST PRACTICALLY ACROSS THE STREET ON WHERE AVENUE IN FROG HOLLOW. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR FOR COMING TONIGHT. THE. I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH FOOD IS LEFT, BUT THERE MIGHT BE SOME CHICKEN OR SOME PIZZA LEFT, SO PLEASE HELP YOURSELVES. THERE'S SOME CUPCAKES AND I JUST WANT TO ECHO MY MY COLLEAGUES SENTIMENTS OF THANK YOU FOR COMING. THANK YOU FOR THE STAFF WHO MADE TIME OUT OF THEIR DAY TO BE HERE AS WELL. AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM THEM AND THEN TAKING YOUR QUESTIONS 
          [00:05:05]
AS WELL. SO THANKS VERY MUCH. OKAY. WELL, WE'RE GOING TO GET STARTED WITH OUR AGENDA. AND FIRST UP, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MISS ECHEVARRIA AND MISTER CORDELL HALL. WOULD YOU PREFER TO STAND OR BE SEATED. AND OUR ILLUSTRIOUS TABLE YOU WANT THIS PANEL STYLE. WHO'S GOING FIRST. 
          I'M GOING TO SIT BECAUSE I HAVE A BAD LEG. YOU HAVE SLIDES. OKAY. HE'S GOING TO LOAD HIS SLIDES. SO MISS ECHEVARRIA IS GOING TO GO FIRST. YES. BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE SLIDES. OKAY. 
          GREAT. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. AS MISS COUNCILWOMAN INDICATED, MY NAME IS MELISSA ECHEVERIA. I AM YOUR WATER AND SEWER DIRECTOR. IN TERMS OF WATER AND SEWER FOR THE DOWNTOWN AREA. YOU KNOW, THAT WAS A GDOT PROJECT. AND SOME OF THE DELAYS WAS CAUSED BECAUSE ANYTIME GDOT MAKES SOME TYPE OF ENHANCEMENT, WE ARE THERE BY PERMISSION. THAT ROAD IS OWNED AND MANAGED BY GDOT. AND SO IN ORDER FOR THEM TO MAKE THOSE UPGRADES, WE HAD TO REMOVE CONFLICTS. WE HAD WATER AND SEWER LINES THAT CONFLICTED WITH THE DESIGN OF THAT AREA. 
          SOME OF THE ISSUES WE HAD WERE WHEN WE UTILIZED OUR GIS AND OLD PLAT MAPS, THE LINES WEREN'T NECESSARILY WHERE WE THOUGHT THEY WERE. SO I HAVE BEEN COMPLETED WITH MY ASPECT OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. IN TERMS OF THIS WARD, WE HAVE AND UNDERTAKEN A MAJOR SEWER MAIN REPLACEMENT. THAT'S NOT. I'M DONE. YEAH I'M DONE. YEAH, I'M DONE WITH THE DOWNTOWN AREA. BUT RIGHT NOW FOR THE SEWER MAIN WE HAVE WE'LL BE UNDERTAKING A PROJECT AND WE SUPPLEMENTED THE REST OF THAT PROJECT WITH THE MUNICIPAL OPTION SALES TAX. SO IN TOTAL THAT PROJECT CAME TO ABOUT $4 MILLION. WE WILL BE COMPLETED IN FEBRUARY OF 2027. THE STREETS WE HAVE IN OUR LIST RIGHT NOW ARE DUNLAP AND PEARL. 
          WE ALSO WILL BE UNDERTAKING IN THE NEXT 90 DAYS A SEWER TREATMENT WHERE THEY'RE TREATING OUR SEWER LINES FOR ROOT INTRUSION ASPECTS. WE ALSO WILL BE UNDERTAKING A GREAT DEAL OF WATER MAIN UPGRADES, BUT RIGHT NOW WE ARE FOCUSING ON PLANT COMPLIANCE. WE RECEIVED AN ADDITIONAL $1.6 MILLION FROM YOUR SENATORS AND YOUR CONGRESS PEOPLE TO REPLACE THE REMAINING FILTERS WITH GRANULAR ACTIVATED CARBON, WHICH REMOVES PFAS FROM OUR SYSTEM. AS OF LAST YEAR, OUR SYSTEM IS 100% PFAS FREE. BUT AS YOU KNOW, THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PFAS AND THEY'RE ONLY REGULATING SO MANY RIGHT NOW. SO MY GOAL, WHETHER I'M HERE OR NOT, IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PLANT ITSELF IS RETROFITTED FOR ANY TYPE OF COMPLIANCE DOWN THE ROAD VERSUS US TAKING CATCH UP. SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR WATER AND SEWER. 
          I DO HAVE SOME NOTEPADS THAT I HAVE OUR EMAIL ADDRESS AND OUR NEW PHONE NUMBER ON THERE. SO IN THE EVENT THAT YOU NEED TO CONTACT ME OR MY STAFF AT ANY POINT IN TIME, I ALWAYS PICK UP MY PHONE. AND IF I DON'T, I AM GOING TO TEXT YOU OR EMAIL YOU BACK. SO DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? YES. PFAS ARE FOREVER CHEMICALS. AND DURING THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION, AND IT'S COMING FROM LIKE NONSTICK PANS. ANYTHING THAT'S WATERPROOF UPHOLSTERY, FABRIC, DENTAL FLOSS, MAKEUP, TAKEOUT CONTAINERS. AND SO THE PROBLEM IS THOSE CHEMICALS DO NOT BREAK DOWN READILY IN WATER. AND THEY WERE ALSO NOT ON THE COMPLIANCE LIST TO BE REMOVED. AND SO YOU ONLY CERTAIN DIFFERENT FILTRATION SYSTEMS CAN REMOVE THAT FROM OUR SYSTEM. WE HAVE UNTIL 2029 TO COME INTO COMPLIANCE. AND AS OF 2025 OF MARCH, WE ARE 100% IN COMPLIANCE OF THAT. SO THE GOAL HERE AND AND HOW IS WE HAVE TO TRAINING. I ATTEND TRAINING SESSIONS. I COMMUNICATE WITH OTHER MUNICIPALITIES. I DEFINITELY HAVE TO CONTINUALLY GO TO CONFERENCES SO THAT WE CAN KEEP AHEAD OF ANY TYPE OF CHANGES IN THE FUTURE. AND I THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, FOR BEING ABLE TO SUPPORT US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO ATTEND THOSE CONFERENCES, TO MAKE SURE WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE WORLD AND WHAT TO BE PREPARED FOR. YES. GOOD. FIRST, WE ARE WARNING. OH, YES, BUT IT'S EASY IF YOU GO. LET ME EXPLAIN. OKAY. SO, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD REAPPORTIONED IT THE AWARDS. AND SO IF YOU GO TO EAST POINT CITY.ORG, AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE, THERE'S A LARGE RED BAR THAT SAYS NEW WARD MAP. AND WHEN YOU CLICK ON IT, IT'S INTERACTIVE. IF YOU PUT YOUR ADDRESS IN THE SEARCH BAR, IT'S GOING TO TELL YOU IF WHAT WARD 
          [00:10:03]
YOU'RE IN. AND OF COURSE, THAT DEFINITELY IMPACTED SOME PEOPLE WHEN THEY REDISTRICT THE WARDS IN THE CITY OF EAST POINT. OKAY, SECOND POINT. HOW DO Y'ALL SAY, OH, THAT'S GOOD FOR WATER AND SEWER? THAT IS GOOD. EVERY TIME THAT WE GET A WATER AND SEWER COMPLAINT, WE HAVE A WORK ORDER SYSTEM, MEANING WE DITCH PATCH A CREW OR MEMBER. THAT CREW HAS TO PUT DOWN WHAT THE ISSUE IS, WHETHER IT'S A WATER LINE BREAK OR A SEWER LINE BREAK. WE WENT AND WE WENT OVER TEN YEARS OF BREAK HISTORY, AND THAT'S HOW I DETERMINE WHICH LINES ARE SELECTED FOR REHAB. SO WE'VE HAD PROOF. SO LET'S SAY WE HAD 3 OR 4 WATER MAIN BREAKS IN TEN YEARS. OKAY. THAT LINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. AND WE'LL TAKE ONE MORE QUESTION. BUT AND ALSO IT'S ANOTHER, ANOTHER HOW WE DECIDED 2 TO 4 INCH WATER MAINS ARE OBSOLETE. THEY DO NOT PROVIDE ENOUGH WATER PRESSURE TO OUR RESIDENTS OR ENOUGH PRESSURE FOR FIRE FLOW ACTIVITIES. SO IF YOU HAVE A 2 TO 4 INCH WATER MAIN ON YOUR STREET THAT IS ON OUR LIST TO BE REHABILITATED. SO THAT'S HOW WE SELECTED THOSE STREETS. OKAY. BECAUSE. AND BECAUSE ALL THE STREET WE LIVE ON IS, IT'S LIKE WHATEVER'S GOING ON IN. WHICH I WAS TOLD IT'S AFFECTING COMING DOWN HILL STREET. IT'S LIKE GETTING IN. SO I WOULD SAY THIS IF YOU HAVE A ROAD WAY OR STREET AND YOU SEE SOME TYPE OF IMPERFECTION THAT IS AN EMERGENCY AND YOU NEED TO CALL US BECAUSE SOMETHING HAS FAILED UNDERNEATH. SO IF I, AFTER I FINISH SPEAKING, I WILL TAKE YOUR NAME, YOUR PHONE NUMBER, AND I WILL DISPATCH MY CREW TO DETERMINE IF THE STORM DRAIN LINE IS DILAPIDATED OR NEEDS REPAIR, OR THE WATER LINE IS SINKING, OR IF THE SEWER LINE ITSELF IS AT THE POINT OF DETERIORATION. ANYTIME YOU SEE US, WHEN YOU SEE A LOT OF EMERGENCY REPAIRS, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. WE ARE SEEING SINKHOLES FORMING DUE TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE FAILING UNDERNEATH. SO I TELL YOU, IF YOU SEE THAT. SO PLEASE SEND US AN EMAIL OR CONTACT US. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. MELISSA. YEAH, IT'S MY LAST NAME IS ECHEVARRIA. MELISSA. JUST. 
          MELISSA. YES. OKAY. YEAH. YES. CITY COUNCIL. YES. NO. NO. WATER. SEWER. YES. WE STILL HAVE THAT MONEY OR HAS IT BEEN PULLED BACK OR. NO, WE HAVE THAT MONEY. THAT MONEY WAS NOT THAT MONEY CANNOT BE TOUCHED. IT'S AN OFFICIAL ACT. IT'S CALLED EASTPOINT WATER INFRASTRUCTURE ENHANCEMENT ACT. I WOULDN'T BE SO SURE OF THAT. WELL, THE MONEY IS IN THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS HAND, AND THAT'S FOR US TO REHABILITATE OUR WATER MAINS FROM SWEETWATER TO HEADLAND DRIVE. WE ARE MEETING WEEKLY. THEY HAVE. THE MONEY CANNOT BE TOUCHED. AND WE ARE IN THE PLANNING PHASE OF THAT PROJECT IN THE EVENT. YUP. WE HAVE IT. YEP. SO WHAT HAPPENS IS. YES, THEY'RE GOING TO THAT MONEY IS FOR A SPECIFIC PROJECT AND THAT'S TO REHABILITATE. WARM WATER IS THE UNTREATED WATER THAT WE ARE TRANSFERRING FROM SWEETWATER ALL THE WAY TO EASTPOINT. AND SO THEY ARE GOING TO UNDERTAKE THE CONSTRUCTION AND THE SURVEYING OF THAT PROJECT. SO YES. OKAY. YES. OKAY. THIS IS THE LAST QUESTION WE'LL HAVE. I HAVE A FEW MORE SEATS. OKAY. AND I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS RELEVANT TO YOU, BUT ON JANET'S DRIVE, THERE WAS A ROUNDABOUT BEING DONE. AT POINT. THERE WAS THE WHEN THAT WATER MAIN BREAK HAPPENED NEAR PLANTATION OR SOMETHING IS IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S NOTHING BEING DONE. 
          IT'S BEEN KIND OF THE SAME DORMANT. NOTHING'S HAPPENING. SO IS IT DO YOU KNOW IF IT'S A WATER RELATED OR WHAT'S GOING ON? BECAUSE THIS JUST SEEMED LIKE THE CONSTRUCTION HAS STOPPED. OH, THAT PROJECT IS CADDELL'S PROJECT RIGHT HERE. OH, THAT'S. YES. I'M SORRY. 
          ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, I AM. YES, SHOW ME AROUND FOR ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS. GOOD MORNING. GOOD AFTERNOON. SORRY. GOODELL HALL, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. I'LL START BY RESPONDING TO I'LL START BY RESPONDING TO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT JANICE DRIVE. THAT IS A ROADWAY REALIGNMENT PROJECT. SO WE'RE REALIGNING BUILDING BASICALLY A NEW ROAD TO CONNECT TO OLD JANICE. WE'RE STILL ON PACE WITH THE CONSTRUCTION TO FINISH THAT BY DECEMBER. SO THAT'S WHAT IT'S WATER LINES ARE BEING RELOCATED, BUT IT'S 
          [00:15:03]
TO SUPPORT THE ROADWAY PROJECT. YOU'RE WELCOME. SO I GUESS I'LL GET STARTED ON UPDATE ON PROJECTS IN WARD A. I KNOW PARTICULARLY WE WERE SPEAKING ABOUT THE DOWNTOWN PROJECTS, BUT I WANT TO KIND OF GO OVER EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE IN THE PIPELINE FOR WARD. AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE THE GDOT DOWNTOWN MULTIMODAL IMPROVEMENTS. WE ALSO HAVE SOME RESURFACING AND DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS ON WEST TAYLOR AVENUE. WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE CORRECTING SOME OF THE STORMWATER DEFICIENCY WE HAVE, AS WELL AS REPAVING THE STREETS. 
          WE'LL BE DOING REPAVING AND STRIPING THE EAST POINT STREET FROM WASHINGTON ROAD TO VESTA AVENUE, CHURCH STREET FROM WASHINGTON ROAD TO VESTA AVENUE AND ALSO HARRISON ROAD. I THINK THAT'S MAYBE WARD B RIGHT ON THE LINE OF A, BUT JUST WANT TO GIVE AN UPDATE WITH SOME UPCOMING PROJECTS. SO JUST GIVING A VISUAL OVERVIEW OF THE DOWNTOWN CONSTRUCTION PROJECT AND WHAT THE CONCEPT EVENTUALLY LOOK LIKE WITH THE STREETSCAPE, AS YOU CAN KIND OF SEE NOW, THE CONSTRUCTION IS ALREADY TAKING PLACE ON MAIN STREET WITH THE PAVERS AND THE BRICK DRIVE OUT. 
          IT'S GOING TO CONSIST OF REDIRECTING THE TRAFFIC WHITE WAY AND THOMPSON WILL BECOME ONE WAY STREETS, EACH IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS. AND WE ALSO HAVE LANDSCAPING AND BEAUTIFICATION ALONG THE STREETS. JUST AGAIN, THE OVERVIEW IS THE IDEA IS FOR STREETSCAPING AND BEAUTIFICATION. THE PROJECT WAS APPROXIMATELY $4.9 MILLION TOTAL. AND AGAIN, THE MAJOR CHANGE IS THAT WHITE WAY AND THOMPSON WILL BECOME ONE WAY STREETS. A LOT OF WHAT I WAS. THE AWARD AMOUNT WAS APPROXIMATELY $4.9 MILLION WHEN IT WAS AWARDED TO THE CONTRACTOR. SOME OF THE CURRENT ACTIVITIES AND NEXT STEPS. AS ECHEVERRY DESCRIBED, ALL THE UNDERGROUND UTILITIES HAVE BEEN RELOCATED. THE WATER, GAS, THE FIBER, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS THIS PROJECT. ONE OF THE MAJOR THINGS WITH ALL THE UNDERGROUND UTILITIES. SO ALL THOSE HAVE SUCCESSIVELY BEEN RELOCATED. SO NOW THE CONTRACTORS ARE WORKING ON INSTALLING STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE, DEMOING ALL THE SIDEWALKS, PUTTING IN NEW SIDEWALKS, BRICK PAVERS, AS WELL AS CREATING A NEW ALIGNMENT FOR WHITE WAY AND THOMPSON. FOR NOW. YOU SEE ACROSS FROM CITY HALL, THEY'RE WORKING ON INSTALLING STORMWATER PIPES ALONG EAST POINT STREET. THEY'LL BE INSTALLING NEW INFRASTRUCTURE ALL THE WAY FROM HERE AT WEST CLEVELAND, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO WASHINGTON ROAD. THE NEXT STEP, YOU'LL SEE THEY'LL BEGIN INSTALLING SIDEWALKS, DEMOING, INSTALLING SIDEWALKS, BRICK PAVERS, AS WELL AS RECONSTRUCTING DRIVEWAYS ALONG WHITE WAY AND THOMPSON AVENUE. FOLLOWING THAT, THEY'LL START RESURFACING STREETS ALL THE STREETS DOWNTOWN, BUT THEY WILL START WITH MAIN STREET SINCE THAT'S THE FIRST ROAD THAT WAS COMPLETED. THAT PAVEMENT WILL TAKE PLACE OVERNIGHT TO MINIMIZE THE DISRUPTION TO TRAFFIC. PART OF THE BEAUTIFICATION ALSO WILL BE INSTALLING BOLLARDS, WHICH ARE. 
          IF YOU CAN SEE THE NEXT PICTURE, LITTLE BLACK THINGS THAT PROTECT THE CARS PROTECT PEDESTRIANS FROM CARS. SO WE'LL BE INSTALLING THOSE ALONG MAIN STREET AS WELL AS TRASH RECEPTACLES, NEW RECEPTACLES, BENCHES, OTHER THINGS TO ENHANCE THE BEAUTIFICATION. 
          ALSO, THERE'LL BE LANDSCAPING INSTALLED. AS YOU KNOW, LANDSCAPING DEPENDS ON THE MONTH, SO THEY'LL BE INSTALLING THE LANDSCAPING AS IT'S SEASONALLY FEASIBLE SO THAT WE'RE NOT INSTALLING PLANTS AND SHRUBS. AND THEN THEY DIE WITH THE WINTER MONTHS. AND SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION IS SET FOR FEBRUARY 27TH FOR NOW. SO JUST GIVING AGAIN AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT THE IDEA OF THE PROJECT IS SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE WHEN WE FINISH WRAPPING UP CONSTRUCTION. AND I GUESS I'LL OPEN UP FOR ANY QUESTIONS ANYONE HAVE. YES, SIR. FIRST, MY FIRST QUESTION IS WHAT INPUT, IF ANY, DID THE CITY HAVE ON THE NEW CONSTRUCTION ON MAIN STREET WITH THE WEIRD PARKING, THE WEIRD PULL INS AND DRIVE OUTS THAT ARE VERY CONFUSING AND SOMEWHAT DANGEROUS IN AREAS. WHEN YOU PULL OUT, THERE'S A RED LIGHT. YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SEE THE RED. I DON'T KNOW WHO CAME UP WITH THAT IDEA, BUT I THINK THEY HAD THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY IN MIND. AND MY SECOND QUESTION, NO, GO AHEAD. YOU MIGHT REMEMBER. I THINK, THROUGH THE SPRING. OKAY. LAST YEAR, THE YEAR BEFORE LAST ON BLACK STUFF ON THERE, I MADE IT LOOK LIKE NOW EVERY TIME I CUT MY GRASS, I HAVE TO GO OUT IN STREET WITH A WEED EATER AND CUT THE WEEDS OUT OF THE CRACKS OF THE ROAD. THE ROAD HAS NOT BEEN PAID, BUT ONE TIME IN THE HISTORY OF THIS CITY, AND THAT WAS IN THE 30S OR 40S. THAT STREET NEEDS TO BE. JUST 
          [00:20:06]
RIDICULOUS. WE ARE NOT WEEDS, RIGHT? OKAY, OKAY. AND THAT'S ALL YOU ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS. 
          I'M GONNA ANSWER IN REVERSE. SO I DON'T FORGET SPRING AVENUE. WAS THE STREET CORRECT, SIR? SPRING AVENUE. OKAY. SO I CAN TRY TO DO SOME BACKGROUND AND THERE HAVE BEEN SOME UTILITY WORK. SO THAT MAY HAVE BEEN A COSMETIC. YEARS AGO. OKAY. AND THAT WAS TO GO BACK AND REDO THAT AND SPRAY THE LAST COUPLE. WHEN I WALKED ACROSS THE STREET, WHEN IT'S 99 DEGREES OUTSIDE, OKAY, SO OKAY, SO WE CAN, I CAN WORK WITH DIRECTOR ECHEVERRY MYSELF AND WE CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, THE CONDITION OF THE STREET. OKAY, SO MAIN STREET, THIS PROJECT WENT THROUGH A SERIES OF PUBLIC INPUT GOING BACK A DECADE AGO WHEN THEY STARTED THIS PROJECT. SO YES, THE MAIN STREET PROJECT GOING BACK OVER A DECADE WHEN THEY DID IT CALLED LIVABLE CENTERS INITIATIVE, THE LCI REPORT, THAT STUDY WAS HOW TO MAKE THE DOWNTOWN AREA MORE WALKABLE, MORE USABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE TO MARTA STATION. SO IT WAS A SERIES OF PUBLIC INPUT GOING BACK TO THEN MEETINGS, PROPERTY ACQUISITION OVER THE LAST DECADE. SO THERE'S BEEN THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL INPUT FROM THE CITY AS WELL AS THE DOT ON THE DESIGN. AND AGAIN, THE IDEA IS TO MAKE IT MORE LIVABLE FOR EVERYONE, NOT JUST THE CARS ON MAIN STREET. OKAY. EXCUSE. YEAH. 
          YEAH. EXCUSE ME, I WANT TO. SIDEWALK BEND LIKE IT IS. I FIGURED THAT TOOK UP A LOT OF ROOM FOR HIS CARS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A PARKING DECK. I FIGURED, WOULD THAT BE A ONE WAY? BECAUSE OUR CITY. I DON'T THINK I THINK IT JUST SHOULD'VE BEEN STRAIGHT IN. STRAIGHT OUT EITHER. YOU GOT A WAY TO WHERE THEY CAN COME BOTH WAYS, INSTEAD OF GOING ONE WAY AND COME ALL THE WAY BACK AROUND. AND BY THAT TIME, THE BUSINESSES THAT'S IN THAT AREA, YOU DIDN'T PASS IT UP. I MYSELF, I DON'T WANT TO COME BACK THAT DIRECTION. ONCE I GET STARTED, I'M EITHER HEADED OUT OF EASTPOINT OR I'M GOING TO MAKE A U-TURN. BUT I MISSED OUR PIZZA. I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND THAT. WE NEED TO BE A PART. I, I AGREE THE PARKING IS VERY LIMITED IN DOWNTOWN EASTPOINT AS EVERYONE KNOWS, BUT THIS PROJECT ACTUALLY CREATED MORE AVAILABLE PARKING THAN IT PREVIOUSLY WAS. SO I DID MAKE IT MORE FRIENDLY FOR ALL USERS LIKE PEDESTRIANS AS WELL AS ADDED TO PARKING. BUT I AGREE THERE IS NO PARKING SITUATION DOWNTOWN THERE. ANY PARKING DECK DOWNTOWN I THAT I'M UNSURE OF. MAYBE HOW TO SPEAK WITH CITY MANAGEMENT AND OTHER OTHERS ON PARKING THE PARKING DECK, BUT NOT A PART OF THIS PROJECT? NO. THE AUDITORIUM IS PROVIDED. AS WE GROW, WE DEFINITELY HAVE A NEED FOR MORE PARKING, ESPECIALLY AS WE EXPAND THE DIFFERENT DIFFERENT TYPES OF FACILITIES. SO DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT COUNCILMAN. NOTHING DEFINITIVE, BUT IN THE PREVIOUS PLAN FOR THE COMMONS, THERE WAS A PARKING DECK PLANNED. THAT PLAN IS NO LONGER MOVING FORWARD, BUT I EXPECT THAT THERE MAY BE SOME KIND OF A MUNICIPAL PARKING DECK OR SOME SORT OF A PARKING DECK WHEN THAT WHEN THE NEW ITERATION OF THAT GOES FORWARD. SO THAT IS THAT IS A POSSIBILITY AS WELL, BUT NOT OBVIOUSLY IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE. THANK YOU. WE'RE GOING TO START ON SANITATION. I'M GOING TO MISS ROBIN AND THEN GREG. OKAY. SO MY QUESTION IS, IS EASTPOINT GOING TO ATTRACT MORE BUSINESSES? EVERYBODY GOES TO COLLEGE PARK. IT'S SO NICE DOWN THERE. AND I LIVE IN EAST POINT. I LOVE EAST POINT, BUT I THINK EAST POINT IS WAY BEHIND IN A LOT OF AREAS. WE DON'T REALLY HAVE NICE EATERIES, WE DON'T REALLY HAVE NICE BUSINESSES. A LOT OF THE THINGS ALONG MAIN STREET IS, IN MY OPINION, DEAD SPACE OR SPACE THAT MOST OF, I WOULD SAY THE NEIGHBORS WHO ARE HERE TODAY ARE NOT GOING TO. MAYBE OZ. 
          [00:25:07]
OTHER THAN THAT, I CAN'T EVEN REALLY THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE. AND ARE YOU ALL GOING TO ATTRACT, DO YOU THINK OTHER BUSINESSES. BECAUSE THIS, YOU KNOW, LOOKS OKAY, BUT WHO WANTS TO COME WALK OVER HERE IF THERE'S NOTHING OVER HERE TO COME TO? SO I'M GOING TO TAKE THAT AND THEN ALSO DODGE THE QUESTION A LITTLE BIT. ALL RIGHT. SO THE REALITY IS THAT, MR. HALL, THE WORK THAT HE DOES IS THE BUILDING. BUT WE DO HAVE A DEPARTMENT, OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR ATTRACTING BUSINESSES AND BRINGING ACTIVITY IN. WE CURRENTLY HAVE AN ACTING ECONOMIC DIRECTOR, MR. FRANK WHITFIELD, YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM IN A LITTLE WHILE. AND THE THE PROJECTS THAT HE'S BEEN ATTRACTING HAVE BEEN HOUSING PROJECTS. SO IT'S A COMPLICATED ISSUE, RIGHT? BECAUSE PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE PEOPLE IN YOUR CITY TO SPEND MONEY. SO WE'VE GOT TWO PATHS THAT WE'RE WALKING DOWN. ONE IS TO HAVE PEOPLE WITH EXPENDABLE INCOME TO USE THESE BUSINESSES. NOT SAYING THAT WE DON'T, BUT THE REALITY IS THAT IT, IT ALLOWS FOR MORE MONEY TO CIRCLE AROUND. 
          AND THEN THE OTHER PART OF THAT IS THEN ALSO CITY COUNCIL, OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, INCENTIVIZING BUSINESSES TO OPEN AND STAY. SO I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR YOU IS WHAT ESSENTIALLY I'M SAYING. BUT WE DO HAVE AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT WHO IS IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO CREATE NEW OPPORTUNITIES, AND WE NEED TO FIND A PERMANENT DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE THAT'S THEIR FUNCTION. OKAY. WHAT YOU JUST SAID, EVEN THE APARTMENTS THAT THEY'RE BUILDING, I JUST FEEL LIKE THEY ARE. I'M TRYING TO BE CAREFUL HOW I SAY THIS GOING TO ATTRACT A CERTAIN TYPE OF RENTER. THEY'RE NOT VERY NICE. I HAVE FRIENDS WHO ARE LIKE, OH, I LOVE EASTPOINT, BUT THERE'S REALLY NOWHERE TO LIVE UNLESS THEY'RE BUYING A HOUSE OR BUILDING A HOUSE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BUT THE APARTMENTS, THEY JUST THEY'RE REALLY NOT ATTRACTIVE. AND I FEEL LIKE THAT KIND OF. PUTS US BEHIND A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY NEEDS SOMEWHERE NICE TO LIVE, BUT YOU ALSO WANT A NICE LOOKING PLACE TO LIVE. AND THE APARTMENTS THAT THEY'RE BUILDING RIGHT OVER HERE ON IS THAT EAST POINT STREET. THEY JUST LOOK VERY LOW END. EXACTLY. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT COMMENT. JUST CURIOUS, WITH THE BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT, HAVE YOU GUYS DECIDED ON LANDSCAPING? ARE WE CONSIDERING USING PLANTS, TREES THAT ARE NATIVE TO GEORGIA? ARE WE GOING TO TRY TO MAYBE HELP SINCE WE ARE GOING TO BE PLANTING THINGS, CAN WE USE THINGS THAT MAYBE ARE DROUGHT RESISTANT, THAT ARE NATIVE TO THIS AREA, THAT WILL HELP POLLINATORS? AND ALSO, ARE WE GOING TO HAVE, IN ADDITION TO TRASH RECEPTACLES, RECYCLING RECEPTACLES, LIKE MY HUSBAND AND I BUILT A TRASH CAN AT OUR MARTYRS STOP BECAUSE THERE ARE SIGNS THAT SAY DON'T LITTER, BUT THERE'S NO PLACE TO PUT YOUR LITTER. SO LIKE, I CAN SPEAK TOWARDS THE THE PLANTINGS. 
          THERE'S A DETAILED LANDSCAPING PLAN FOR THE PROJECT THAT'S PLANNED OUT BY THE DESIGNERS. 
          NOW ARBORIST, BE MORE THAN WILLING TO SHARE THAT WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS. SO THAT'S PUBLIC WHAT WHAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE PLANTED THERE? BUT YES, ARBORIST WHOSE WORKS FOR THE ENGINEERING FIRM PUT TOGETHER A VERY, VERY DETAILED TREE PLANTING AND LANDSCAPING PLAN. 
          I'LL DEFER TO MY PARTNERS OVER AT SOLID WASTE REGARDING OPTIONS FOR RECYCLING RECEPTACLES OUT IN THE PUBLIC. SO I'LL LEAVE THAT AS A QUESTION FOR MR. WHITEHEAD. AND THANK YOU, MR. HALL AND MISS ECHEVARRIA. THAT WAS A PERFECT TEE UP FOR THE NEXT SPEAKERS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, WHO INCLUDE OFFICER ERNEST MCGEE WITH CODE ENFORCEMENT. SO TO YOUR POINT ABOUT LITTERING, AND THEN WE'RE ALSO GOING TO HEAR FROM THE DIRECTOR OF SANITATION, MR. ROBERT WHITEHEAD. SO THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE ON DOWNTOWN AND WATER. OKAY. MR. MCGEE AND MR. WHITEHEAD. AND THERE ARE TWO CHAIRS IN THE FRONT HERE. IF SOMEONE WOULD LIKE TO BE SEATED, AS OPPOSED TO STANDING IN THE BACK. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M SUPERVISOR MCGEE WITH THE CITY'S CODE ENFORCEMENT. I PASS OUT PAMPHLETS FIRST, AND ALL OUR COMMENTS VIOLATION THAT WE HAVE SANITATION WISE. GRASS, TRASH, LITTER, VACANT PROPERTY PROPERTIES. WE DON'T BURN ANY. 
          CITY. OH, OKAY. THANK YOU. THE DERELICT VEHICLES WE HAVE. THEN WE ADDED SOME NEW THINGS ONTO 
          [00:30:08]
OUR CODE VIOLATION. THE SIDEWALK INSTRUCTION THAT MEAN IF YOU PARK, YOU PUT HALF OF YOUR CAR ON THAT SIDEWALK, THAT YOU WILL GET A NOTICE AND LET YOU KNOW YOU CANNOT BLOCK THE SIDEWALK. THE SIDEWALK IS FOR PEDESTRIANS TO WALK EVERY DAY. INSTEAD OF STEPPING OUT IN THE STREET AND GET HIT BY A CAR COMING DOWN THE STREET, DOING 4 TO 5, 50 MILES AN HOUR. THE SECOND SHEET THAT WE HAVE IS THIS IS OUR NEW SHEET THAT WE GOT A NEW PHONE NUMBERS ON. WE HAVE MY NAME PHONE NUMBER NOW, GOT THE COMPLAINT LINE, THE THE NON-EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBER FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. WE HAVE FULTON COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL NUMBERS ON THERE. AND WE HAVE EACH OFFICER WHICH IS IN THAT ZONE WARD THEIR NAME AND NUMBER THAT'S THAT'S ATTACHED TO IT ALSO. ANY QUESTIONS? YES, SIR. APPRECIATE IT. AS SOMEONE WHO HAS LIVED HERE FOR 31 YEARS TO BE REACTIVE, INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR MY NEIGHBOR AND CAUSING ANIMOSITY BETWEEN MY NEIGHBORS, Y'ALL. Y'ALL CAN PROBABLY. DOWN THE STREET AND SEE THE THINGS. SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE ANY US. YES, SIR. I MEAN, THESE DAYS WITHOUT HAVING TO BE IN DISAGREEMENT. YES, SIR. WHEN THE SECOND QUESTION. OKAY, EXPLAIN TO ME WHY. CODE ENFORCEMENT NOW IS DIVIDED IN TWO SEPARATE DEPARTMENTS, ONE FOR REGULAR CODE ENFORCEMENT, ONE FOR SANITATION. WHEN PEOPLE LEAVE THEIR TRASH CANS OUT ON THE STREET, ARE WE? Y'ALL CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT. AND CALL SANITATION COMFORTABLE. MAKES NO SENSE. AND WASTE OF MONEY. A WASTE OF RESOURCES. 
          WHY CAN'T YOU? WHY CAN'T YOU TELL THE PEOPLE WITH, SAY, THERE'S A GUY DOWN OFF THE STREET FOR FOUR HOURS OUTSIDE ON THE STREET, INSTEAD OF HAVING FROM OTHER PARTS? IS THAT SAYING THAT GIVEN THAT VIOLATION, THAT'S SOMETHING Y'ALL NEED TO WORK ON? YES. SO. 
          THE SECOND PART, AND YES, ON THE FIRST PART, IF YOU CALL IN ON A COMPLAINT, WE DO NOT TELL THE NEIGHBORS THAT YOU CALLED IN ON THAT COMPLAINT ABOUT ABOUT GRASS OR A, A DERELICT VEHICLE OUT ON THE STREETS. WE WOULD NOT TELL. SAY IT AGAIN. YES, SIR. YES, SIR. WE ALL. YES, SIR. AND THE SECOND PART, IF YOU CALL CODE ENFORCEMENT OR YOU PUT IT IN SEECLICKFIX SAYING SOMEONE LEFT A GARBAGE CAN OUT ON THE STREET, A RECYCLE CAN OUR EMAIL OVER TO THEIR SANITATION INSPECTOR, OFFICER COLLINS AND LET THEM KNOW THAT IT'S OUT THERE. SO HE'LL COME OUT AND HE WILL KNOCK ON THE DOOR AND TALK TO THE TO THE OWNER OF THE HOUSE OR WHOEVER THE HOUSE OR HE'LL PUT A, A PIECE OF PAPER ON THE GUY. CAN'T LET HIM KNOW HE GOTTA BE REMOVED. AND TURN AROUND AND CALL SANITATION. YES, SIR. ANY OTHER QUESTION FOR CODE? YES. HUM. I'M, I LIVE ON DILLO DRIVE AND THERE'S AN. I HAD A NEIGHBOR SHE PASSED SEVERAL YEARS AGO AT 2156 DILLO DRIVE, AND NO ONE HAS LIVED IN THAT PROPERTY. IT'S VERY OVERGROWN BY FEET AND THERE ARE LARGE TREES THAT SCARE THE BEJESUS OUT OF ME. AND I'VE CALLED CODE ENFORCEMENT SEVERAL TIMES. I THINK MY NEIGHBOR ACROSS THE STREET HAS CALLED SEVERAL TIMES, AND I KNOW WHEN A DECEASED PERSON, THERE'S A DECEASED PERSON, THE CODE ENFORCEMENT LADY, SHE WAS VERY CONSIDERATE AND I UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT NOW I'M SCARED FOR MY LIFE BECAUSE THAT TREE IS SO TALL, EVEN THOUGH I'M TRIMMING THE TREES THAT I NEED TO IN MY YARD, THAT TREE IS DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME. AND IF IT FALLS AND IF I'M IN THAT HOUSE, I'M GOING TO DIE. SO MY CONCERN IS BECAUSE I'VE CALLED ABOUT IT, WHAT CAN BE DONE? SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE BECAUSE IT'S ONLY GETTING WORSE. THE LIMBS ARE SO BAD THAT THEY'RE FALLING. THEY'RE POINTING TO THE GROUND. SEVERAL OF THEM ARE POINTING TO THE GROUND. SO I'VE CALLED ABOUT THIS. I'M SCARED TO DEATH, AND I THAT'S A MAJOR REASON WHY I CAME. SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE BECAUSE THIS YARD IS GROSSLY OVERGROWN AND NOTHING'S BEEN DONE ABOUT IT FOR YEARS. YES, MA'AM. I KNOW ABOUT THAT. 2150, 60 LOW DRIVE. THE OWNER AND HER DAUGHTER, THEY PASSED IN YEARS AGO. WE CALLED DOWN TO FULTON COUNTY. FULTON COUNTY SAY THEY 
          [00:35:01]
DO NOT DO PROPERTY TAX BEING SOLD TO THE PEOPLE CALLED INVESTO. INVESTO IS A THIRD PARTY. THEY GO OUT AND BUY PROPERTY TAX. THEY PUT. THEY'LL PUT A LIEN ON THE HOUSE. AND THEN IF THE CITY OF CITY OF ATLANTA DECIDE TO AUCTION THAT HOUSE OUT, THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO BUY THAT HOUSE. THEY. THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO MAINTAIN THAT HOUSE. BUT THINK ABOUT IT, BECAUSE YOU BUY SOMEONE TAXES THAT DON'T GIVE YOU, THAT DON'T GIVE YOU THE PERMISSION TO GO THERE AND DO THE PROPERTY MAINTENANCE ONTO THAT HOUSE. THAT'S THE WAY FULTON COUNTY LOOK AT THAT. SO YOU CAN BUY ANY PROPERTY TAX. IT IS EILEEN BY PROPERTY TAX OUT THERE UNTIL THE 365 DAY PLUS ONE BEFORE FULTON COUNTY WOULD TURN IT OVER AND SAY IT'S YOURS BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN PAYING THE PROPERTY TAX ON THE HOUSE. IT MIGHT BE FIVE YEARS, IT MIGHT BE SIX YEARS BEFORE THEY EVEN TURN THAT HOUSE OVER. TO YOU. AND. IT'S. YES, MA'AM. SO. CHECK ON THE STREET THAT. THAT THAT IS THAT IS PRIVATE PROPERTY. THEY WILL NOT GO ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. 
          THEY WILL COME ON YOUR PROPERTY. IF YOU SAY, HEY, CAN YOU COME AND CHECK MY HOUSE AND SEE IF MY TREE DEAD, THEY'LL COME ONTO YOUR PROPERTY AND DO IT. YES. THE ANSWER IS YES. AND MR. SHAWN IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT WHEN HE'S UP NEXT. SO THE ARBORIST PROGRAM, IT HAS TO BE INSPECTED, POTENTIALLY A AN ELECTRIC LINE, BUT HE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT. NEXT. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE TWO MORE COMMENTS QUESTIONS AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM SANTA. OKAY. MY NAME IS SHARON. I LIVE ON ON THE LOW FOR 38 YEARS. AND I'VE ALWAYS HAD A PROBLEM WITH CODE ENFORCEMENT. THEY GO UP AND DOWN THE STREET. A LOT OF THE NEIGHBORS THAT'S ON THE LOW FROM MONTROSE TO BEAN HILL ROAD DON'T TAKE CARE OF THEIR GRASS. THEIR HEDGES ARE UP TO THE ROOF. 
          AND THEN IF I CALL ON THEM, THEN THEY GO AND TELL THEM THAT I SAID IT. AND THEN SOMEBODY COME AND MESSING WITH ME, AND I. THEN I GOT A PROBLEM. AND THAT SHOULDN'T BE. BUT IT'S BEEN LIKE THAT FOR REAL. IT'S I'M SERIOUS NOW. I'M STRUGGLING TO KEEP MY GRASS CUT. AND THEY CAN DO THAT TOO. BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR BECAUSE YOU ALL HAVE THAT AS ONE OF THE STIPULATIONS. 
          ALL PREMISES AND EXTERIOR PROPERTIES SHALL BE MAINTAINED FREE FROM WEEDS OR PLANT GROWTH IN EXCESS OF SIX INCHES. AND I'VE GOTTEN A CITATION YEARS AGO, LIKE I SAID, DECEMBER WILL BE 39 YEARS I'VE BEEN HERE. NEVER BEEN WITH ANYBODY THAT LONG. YOU GO, YOU LOVE. SHE'S A LOVE. OKAY, I THINK I GOT YOU BEAT 43 YEARS. THIS PROBLEM I SEE BUNDLE THESE A LOT OF THESE HOUSES AND SO MANY PEOPLE DIE AND COME IN AND THEY DON'T MAKE ANY PROPERTY AND THEY PUT PEOPLE IN, THEY THEY KICK THEM OUT. AND I CALL REPEATEDLY AND IT'S OVERGROWTH AND YOU START TO SEE RATS. AND SO THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO. I KEEP CALLING AND CALLING AND CALLING. 
          WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WHEN YOU HAVE INVESTORS DOING THIS? US. WELL, WHEN INVESTOR COME IN, THEY BUY THE PROPERTY WE MAKE. WE MAKE THEM DO THE SAME THING AS A HOMEOWNER. IT'S MAINTAIN THEIR PROPERTY. THEY MUST MAINTAIN TO CUT THE FRONT IN THE BACKYARD THAT IF THE HOUSE HAVE A BROKEN WINDOW, BROKEN OR ANYTHING, THEY MUST BE SECURED. THEY GOT IT'S A PROPER WAY. 
          THEY GOT TO BOARD THEIR PROPERTY UP. I CALLED SUPPORT ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR THE CITY SAID, OH, THE GRASS, THAT'S JUST A BUFFER. AND I RECORDED. I'M NOT GOING TO CALL IT ABOUT. IT JUST GOT WORSE AND WORSE EVERY TIME. WENT UP AND KNOCKED OUT POWER ONE TIME. BUT THIS IS ONGOING THAT WE DON'T GET. WE DON'T ANY SERVICE FROM VIOLATIONS DEPARTMENT ABOUT THESE PROPERTIES. THANK YOU. AND GOOD NIGHT. ON THE EAST ONE. THAT'S ALL WE SEE NOW, MA'AM. 
          PART OF THAT CHALLENGE IS CITY COUNCIL NEEDS TO PUT SOME TOUGHER OPTIONS ON THE BOOK TO LIMIT THAT BEHAVIOR. ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. SO ENFORCEMENT OBVIOUSLY HAS RESPONSIBILITY. BUT TO YOUR POINT, THAT'S SOME LEGISLATION THAT THE COUNCIL NEEDS TO PUT FORWARD TO SLOW THAT DOWN ONE MORE TIME FOR SANITATION. GOOD EVENING. I THINK MY QUESTION WILL POSSIBLY. LIKE IT WILL 
          [00:40:08]
POSSIBLY CATAPULT US INTO TALKING TO THE NEXT PERSON, WHICH IS SANITATION. I HAD AN OLD SHED IN MY BACKYARD AND PULLED IT ALL DOWN AND CALLED AND SET UP A TIME FOR A SANITATION BULK PICKUP, AND THE SANITATION BULK PICKUP WAS FORGOTTEN BY THE SANITATION DEPARTMENT. THEY RESCHEDULED ME FOR TODAY. RIGHT NOW, IF YOU DRIVE DOWN MY STREET AND LOOK ON MY LIKE, LOOK AT MY HOUSE, I WOULD BE IN VIOLATION OF THE CODE BECAUSE I HAVE LARGE AMOUNTS OF DEBRIS IN THE FRONT OF MY HOUSE. AND SO I JUST WANT TO KNOW HOW, AND MAYBE THIS COULD BE A GOOD WAY TO SEGUE INTO SANITATION. I DON'T WANT TO BE CODE ENFORCE, LIKE HAVE A ISSUE, BUT ALSO WHAT SORT OF SYSTEM DO YOU GUYS HAVE IN PLACE? THIS IS A QUESTION FOR SANITATION TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN AN APPOINTMENT IS SCHEDULED, THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT SENDS US SOME SORT OF CONFIRMATION. I CALLED YESTERDAY AND ASKED HIM WHAT HAPPENED. THEY RESCHEDULED IT FOR TODAY. THE STUFF IS STILL THERE TODAY AND I DON'T KNOW OTHER THAN ME CALLING. AND THEN WHEN I CALLED, IT JUST DOESN'T HAVE A VOICEMAIL MESSAGE OR ANYTHING. TODAY WHEN I CALLED TO FOLLOW UP, IT JUST KIND OF LEAVES YOU IN THIS LIKE, WEIRD, UNANSWERABLE VOICEMAIL MESSAGE SYSTEM. SO THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME SORT OF LIKE CONFIRMATION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT SO THAT THERE'S A FOLLOW UP OTHER THAN ME HAVING A CALL OVER AND OVER AGAIN, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW I'D BE A BIG CODE VIOLATION. AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENS, RESIDENTS WHO ARE CALLING FOR A BULK PICKUP, TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING. IF YOUR DEPARTMENT HAPPENS TO RIDE DOWN MY ROAD, I COULD BE IN VIOLATION OF ONE OF THE RULES, BUT IT'S BECAUSE SANITATION HASN'T FOLLOWED THROUGH. SO JUST WANT TO FOLLOW UP WITH SANITATION ON THAT PRESENTATION TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ROBERT, DIRECTOR OF SANITATION. I'LL ANSWER YOUR QUESTION FIRST AND THEN WE'LL GET INTO IT. SO USUALLY THEY WON'T GIVE YOU A VIOLATION BECAUSE OF THE FACT WE DO HAVE A SCHEDULE. AND IF THE TEAM MISSED, THEY USUALLY COME BACK THE NEXT DAY TO PICK IT UP. 
          TODAY WE HAD A LARGE VOLUME, SO THAT COULD HAVE BEEN THE REASON WHY. AND THEN WITH THE ROUTE CHANGES THAT KIND OF INTERACT WITH EVERYTHING. BUT WE DEFINITELY WILL PICK YOU UP. 
          AND IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS EMAIL OR A WHITEHEAD AT EAST POINT, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, AND YOU'LL GET ME DIRECTLY AND I DEFINITELY WILL MAKE SURE THAT WE PICK IT UP. 
          NOT A PROBLEM. DID Y'ALL GET THAT EMAIL? HE SAID OUR WHITEHEAD WRITE IT DOWN. 
          SANITATION. EMAIL HIM. NOT ME. NO I'M JOKING, I'M JOKING. OKAY, ALRIGHT. GO AHEAD NOW. NOW I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO BE HONEST THAT I KNOW THAT THE ROUTE CHANGES WERE FRUSTRATING. IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU PASSED OUT A LETTER, BUT COULD YOU TALK TO US ABOUT THE PURPOSE OF THE ROUTE, CHANGE THE COMMUNICATION ABOUT IT AND ALL THAT SORT OF STUFF. AND I'M REALLY GOING TO GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ROUTE CHANGE. SO, MR. WHITEHEAD, AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, WE'RE A LITTLE BIT BEHIND SCHEDULE, SO I'M GONNA SPEED IT UP. ALRIGHT? THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF ME PASSING OUT THE PAMPHLET SO Y'ALL CAN HAVE ALREADY READ IT AND I WOULDN'T HAVE TO TALK THAT LONG UP HERE. BUT THE PURPOSE OF THE ROUTE CHANGES WAS BECAUSE WITH MY TEAM TRYING TO WORK WITH ONE ANOTHER, THEY HAD TO GO ACROSS EAST POINT. SO THE WHOLE THING WAS TO CONGEST THE ROUTE SO THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO GO ACROSS EACH OTHER. THEY'RE RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO EACH OTHER SO THEY CAN COME. AND IF I BREAK DOWN, THE NEXT TRUCK IS RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO ME. SO WE CAN JUST HELP EACH OTHER. AND ALSO A LOT OF THINGS YOU DON'T SEE AS FAR AS MY TEAM, ESPECIALLY IN THE SUMMERTIME, SUMMERTIME, WHEN THEY'RE OUT THERE BUSTING THEIR TAILS, TRYING TO GET THIS GARBAGE UP AND DOING WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO, THEY COME IN WITH ATTITUDES, AND ESPECIALLY IF THEY DON'T RUN 4 OR 5, SIX HOURS TRYING TO GET THAT GARBAGE UP AND THEY HAVE TO STOP AND GO HELP ANOTHER TEAM THAT'S CROSS THE CITY. IT THEY COME IN WITH ATTITUDES AND THAT'S WHERE THE ANGER COME IN AT. SO IT'S MY JOB TO NOTICE EVERYTHING, TO TAKE CARE OF THE WHOLE CITY OF EAST POINT, EVERY WARD, AND TO TAKE CARE OF MY TEAM AS WELL. SO ME TAKING CARE OF MY TEAM MEANT REROUTING, CHANGING THE ROUTES. THAT'S WHAT IT DID. THAT'S WHAT I DID. I'M NOT GOING TO BLAME NOBODY ELSE. AS FAR AS THE COMMUNICATION, THE COMMUNICATION PART CAME AS EVERYBODY KNOW, THE CITY AND THE DEFICIT. SO WE HAD TO DO WHAT WE HAD TO DO. I HELD TWO TOWN HALL MEETINGS. FIVE PEOPLE SHOWED UP TO BOTH OF THEM. JUST FIVE. I PUT IT OUT TO CITY COUNCIL. I PUT IT OUT HOWEVER I CAN. SO WE MADE FLIERS, PUT FLIERS OUT WHEREVER WE HAD. WE DID WHAT WE CAN DO. WE TRIED TO PUT IT OUT SOME. WHEN I SAY FIVE PEOPLE SHOWED UP TO TWO TOWN HALL MEETING. THE FIRST ONE WAS FIVE, SEVEN WAS FOUR. SO THE LITTLE BIT WE HAD, WE USED ALL THE INK UP IN THE 
          [00:45:03]
PRINTER, THE WHOLE NINE YARDS, 500 FLIERS TO GO, OVER 34,000 CUSTOMERS. THAT WAS AN ISSUE. 
          SO WE TRY TO DO IT ON A FRIDAY WHERE WE HAD THE TIME TO PASS THEM OUT. I CAN'T TELL YOU EVERYBODY GOT FLIERS, BUT WE TRIED TO FLOOD THE NEIGHBORHOOD SO WE CAN PUT THE WORD OUT. WE PUT IT ON THE WEB, WE DID EVERYTHING WE CAN. I'M NOT ASKING FOR SYMPATHY. I'M JUST SAYING FOR UNDERSTANDING. BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, THIS IS THE THIRD WEEK AND THE THIRD WEEK ONLY PHONE CALLS WE ARE GETTING NOW. WHAT DAY IS MY SERVICE? THAT'S IT. BUT THE TEAM COMING IN HAPPY. NO ATTITUDE, NO NOTHING. WE WORK THROUGH STORMS, SNOW. WELL, WHEN IT'S 20 BELOW OR 18 NIGHT, WHATEVER DEGREE WE HAVE TO BE THERE, WE CAN'T GO TO THE PARTIES OF EAST POINT. 
          EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION. WE HAVE TO GRIND THROUGH ALL THIS. SO IN ORDER FOR MY TEAM TO HAVE THAT HAPPINESS TO COME, ONE, I HAD TO CHANGE THE ROUTES. I'M NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE WEAR AND TEAR ON THE TRUCKS. I'M JUST GOING TO EMPHASIZE ON MY TEAM, AND THAT'S MY JOB TO WORRY ABOUT MY TEAM AS WELL AS TAKING CARE OF EAST POINT. ANY QUESTIONS? I'M SORRY. GOOD LORD. 
          OKAY. ALRIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO I'M GOING TO LET SOME OTHER RESIDENTS HAVE A CHANCE. HI, MY NAME IS PATRICIA IVY AND I HAVE BEEN AT MISS IVY. HE WAS TRYING TO SAY SOMETHING. 
          I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY. DID YOU JUST TALK TO. OKAY. OH, OKAY. RIGHT NOW, I'M PROPOSING ON THE ORDINANCE, THE 24 HOURS. SO AFTER GARBAGE COLLECTION OF CITY. THAT GARBAGE COLLECTION TODAY, YOU HAVE 24 HOURS, WHICH IS 7:00 THE NEXT NIGHT TO HAVE EVERYTHING PULLED BACK. THE REASON IT'S 24 HOURS TO GIVE YOU TIME TO TELL YOUR NEIGHBOR, HEY, I'M GOING OUT OF TOWN. 
          WOULD YOU HELP ME PULL MY CAN BACK SO I WOULDN'T BE A VIOLATION? THE VIOLATION AFTER THREE WARNINGS. THREE WARNINGS. THEN IT GO. YOU GO TO COURT AND YOU CAN GET UP FINE. UP TO $25. 
          SO THE JUDGE MIGHT SAY, IMMA GIVE YOU $5. IT DOESN'T MATTER, BUT IT'S UP TO $25. WE'RE HAVING A LOT OF PROBLEMS. AS Y'ALL HEARD WITH NEIGHBORS LEAVING. HERBIE KIRBY'S OUT, AND IT'S AN AREA I COME THROUGH ON MY WAY TO WORK. AND THE CANS OUT ALL WEEK. WE DONE GAVE THEM NUMEROUS WARNINGS AFTER WARNING, AFTER WARNING, AFTER WARNING, AND THEY STILL THERE BECAUSE IT'S NOTHING WE CAN DO. SO I'M TRYING TO CHANGE THAT ORDINANCE. OH, AND ANOTHER THING FOR THE RULE CHANGE. THEY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH FUNDING FAR AS RAISING Y'ALL RATES. NONE OF THAT. ALL THAT IS TOTALLY FREE. AND THE ROUTE CHANGE WAS JUST FOR MY WEAR AND TEAR AND MY PEOPLE. YES, MA'AM. YEAH. OKAY. AS I SAID, MY NAME IS PATRICIA IVY. I HAVE BEEN A RESIDENT OF EASTPOINT SINCE. OH, YEAH. GOTTA TALK INSIDE. OKAY. I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF EASTPOINT FOR 38 YEARS AND MY TRASH HAS BEEN CHANGED. WHEN I MOVED HERE, WE WERE. WE GOT SANITATION TWICE A WEEK ON A MONDAY AND A WEDNESDAY. AND THAT WAS CHANGED. WHY NOT JUST DROP OFF MONDAY OR WEDNESDAY? BUT THAT WAS CHANGED TO TUESDAY. SO THAT'S FINE FOR ALL THE REST OF THESE YEARS. 
          NOW WE ON THE LOW DRIVE. I KNOW THE 2700 BLOCK. WE NEVER RECEIVED ANY NOTICE THAT OUR DAY WAS CHANGING. AND SO WE JUST BEEN PULLING THE CAN OUT AND PUTTING IT BACK AND HOPING WE CATCH SOMEBODY ON WHATEVER DAY IT IS GOING TO SHOW UP. SO WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, ARE WE GOING TO EVER GET A NOTICE TELLING US WHAT DAY SO WE DON'T HAVE TO KEEP PULLING THAT, CAN WE? OH, AND IT TAKES A MINUTE GETTING THAT CAN BACK AND FORTH. THANK YOU. I WILL HAVE THEM BRING FLIERS BACK ON THE LOW DRIVE FRIDAY, SO THAT WAY WE'LL BE ON POINT. 2754 THE LOW. THE LOW WILL BE I'M GOING TO FLOOD THE LOW. I PROMISE YOU. FRIDAY THEY'LL COME OUT AND PUT OUT MORE FLIERS. SO. YES, MA'AM. YES, MA'AM. I WILL. OKAY. I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM. Y'ALL CAN JUST EMAIL ME ALL WHITEHEAD AT EAST POINT CITY.ORG. AND I HAVE EVERYTHING. YEAH. SO THIS IS AN. 
          EXECUTION THAT REGARDS TO. PLANNING ON HOW THAT WAS ROLLED OUT WITHIN ONE. THE OTHER THING 
          [00:50:03]
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY, YOU KIND OF MENTIONED THAT, YOU KNOW, HOW THAT YOU MANAGE THE ATTITUDES WHEN THEY CAME IN, RIGHT? I WOULD SAY LIVING HERE FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW, THAT THAT'S NOT WHAT'S SHOWN IN THE IN THE COMMUNITY. YOU HAVE A VERY, AT LEAST FROM MY EXPERIENCE, SO NOT MINIMIZES ANYONE ELSE'S EXPERIENCE. YOU HAVE A VERY CARING STAFF. YOU HAVE A STAFF THAT WAVES. IF YOU'RE SITTING IN YOUR WINDOW OR ON YOUR PORCH LIKE MYSELF. 
          BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, LIKE WE HAVE A SMALL FAMILY OR A FAMILY DOWN THE STREET. IT WAS JUST BEAUTIFUL TO SEE HOW THEY INTERACTED WITH THE KIDS. AND SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT YOUR LEADERSHIP, THAT WHATEVER YOU'RE DOING BEHIND THE SCENES, IT IS ACTUALLY FLOWING OVER IN HOW YOUR TEAM INTERACTS WITH THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. OKAY. NEXT QUESTION HERE. 
          THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS MICHELLE. I'M ON BEACH DRIVE BEECH. I CALLED LAST WEEK BECAUSE MY TRASH HAD NOT BEEN PICKED UP FROM THE WEEK BEFORE. I WAS TOLD THAT MY NEW DAY WAS MONDAY. NO NOTIFICATION WHATSOEVER ABOUT THE CHANGE ON BEACH DRIVE TWO DATE TWO DATE. 
          MY RECYCLING STILL HASN'T BEEN PICKED UP. I'VE PUT IN A SEECLICKFIX. NOTHING. I SEE YOU NODDING. I'M GOING TO SPEAK ONCE YOU FINISH. I ALSO HAVE PUT IN A SEECLICKFIX AND THIS MIGHT BE THE USER. I'M SORRY. I'M NOT SURE WHO'S GOING TO GET THIS ONE AT THE END OF BEACH DRIVE BY THE POWER TOWERS. THERE'S A FIELD. I REPORTED ILLEGAL DUMPING MAYBE THREE WEEKS AGO. NOW NOTHING'S BEEN DONE. I KNOW HOW HARD YOU ALL WORK. I KNOW THAT I HAVE A DIRECT LINE TO BOTH OF OUR MY COUNCIL, MY AT LARGE, AND MY MAIN ONE. I CAN GO THAT ROUTE AND I CHOOSE NOT TO. I CHOOSE TO DO WHAT YOU ALL ASK US. IF WE SEE SOMETHING YOU WANT US TO SEE, CLICK FIX, I USE IT. I HAVE NO PROBLEM CALLING IF I HAVE TO CALL. I AGREE WITH THE YOUNG LADY WHO IS IN FRONT OF ME A COUPLE OF ROWS WHO SAID, WE NEED FOLLOW UP. WE NEED TO KNOW THAT WHEN WE CALL OR WE COMMUNICATE THAT IT HASN'T GONE INTO A VOID, WE NEED TO KNOW THAT SOMEONE IS GOING TO FOLLOW UP WITH US. PLEASE DO NOT CITE ME BECAUSE I WILL LOSE MY EVER LOVING MIND. BUT THE THE THE SANITATION CHANGES WERE JUST THE THE INFORMATION JUST DIDN'T GO OUT. SIR, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ON BEACH DRIVE. WE HAVE LITERALLY BEEN DOING LIKE THE PEOPLE ON THE LOW. WE'RE JUST TAKE IT OUT AND BRING IT BACK AND TAKE IT OUT AND BRING IT BACK. I'M NOT DOING THAT. IMMA JUST LEAVE IT OUT THERE TILL Y'ALL GET AROUND TO IT. BUT I, I BEG, PLEASE FIGURE OUT A WAY TO COMMUNICATE WITH US. AND I'M WONDERING WHY FLIERS DIDN'T GO OUT IN OUR MONTHLY BILLS, RIGHT? WELL, THEY DID, TO BE HONEST ON OUR PART, I, I CAN'T, I CAN ONLY EXPLAIN WHAT WE DO. OKAY, SO WHAT WE DID, WE DID PAPER FLIERS TO BE IN EVERYBODY. BILL. 
          NOW, THE FLIERS ARE SUPPOSED TO COME OUT ON THE FIRST WAY BEFORE WE EVEN MADE THE CHANGES. 
          WHAT HAPPENED THERE? I DON'T KNOW, BUT I KNOW ON MY BUDGET, THEM FLIERS WAS PAID FOR TO GO OUT. AND THAT'S WHERE I'M AT. BUT AS FAR AS THE SEECLICKFIX, WE ARE WORKING ON THAT. I DO HAVE A YOUNG LADY, MISS BOSTON. IF Y'ALL AIN'T NEVER SEEN HER NAME, SHE ALWAYS CLOSED EVERY SINGLE DAY. SHE'S TRYING TO GO IN AND CLOSE OUT THE SEECLICKFIX. SO WE TRYING TO STAY ON TOP OF THAT AS WELL. BUT I DEFINITELY WILL GET ROUND TO IT. YOU WILL NOT HAVE A CITATION AGAIN IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY CITATION, BECAUSE I DO NOT WANT YOU COMING TO MY DEPARTMENT LOOKING FOR ME. JUST AND EMAIL ME AND I GUARANTEE YOU WE'LL TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING. AND AT THE END, I'LL GET YOUR ADDRESS SO WE CAN MAKE SURE WE PICK UP. AND I'M NOT TRYING TO BE RUDE, Y'ALL. WE HAVE A LOT OF STAFF WHO HAVE PRESENTATIONS FOR US. SO THIS IS GOING TO BE THE LAST COMMENT SLASH QUESTION. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO GO TO ELECTRIC. AND I TOLD MR. DOW TO BE READY FOR Y'ALL BECAUSE I KNOW WARD WE GOT SOME CHALLENGES. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS WHITE. I'VE BEEN IN EASTPOINT FOR OVER 27 YEARS. FIRST COMMENT MY SANITATION DEPARTMENT HAS ALL THE GUYS THAT COME THROUGH HAVE ALWAYS BEEN WONDERFUL, VERY COMMUNITY. YOU TALK TO THEM AND EVERYTHING. MY QUESTION WOULD BE, WHY IS IT THAT WE CLICK FIX? YOU SAY YOUR PERSON GO IN EVERY DAY AND CLOSE THEM. WHY ARE YOU CLOSING THEM IF IT THE ISSUE HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. SO I'M SORRY, JUST ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT YOU HAVE RECEIVED IT. IT'S NOT THE ISSUE HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF BECAUSE SOMETIMES THAT CAN SLIP THROUGH AND YOU THINK YOU 
          [00:55:03]
HAVE HANDLED IT WHEN YOU HAVE NOT NOT SAYING YOU'RE NOT DOING WHAT YOU NEED TO DO, BUT THAT CAN HAPPEN. HUMAN NATURE, HUMAN ERROR. THE OTHER THING IS REGARDING OUR KIRBY'S, IS IT POSSIBLE WHERE WE GET A WARNING, BECAUSE YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE OF WHAT THE CITATION OR WHAT THE ORDINANCE IS FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT AND EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN PULL IT BACK. AND THEN WHEN YOU SAY OUT OF SIGHT FOR ME, MY FENCE AND HOW IT'S MADE AND BEING SENIOR, IT'S KIND OF EASY FOR ME TO HAVE MINDS IN FRONT OF MY FENCE. I BUILT A PODIUM AT THE TO MY HOME, WHERE I PULL IT OUT NEATLY AND PUT IT BACK, RATHER THAN IT BEING BEHIND THE FENCE WHERE I HAVE TO GO IN THE GATE AND THEN TRY TO PULL ALL THAT OUT. SO IF YOU CAN ADDRESS THAT, I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. OKAY. THAT WAS A WHOLE LOT. I'M TRYING. ALRIGHT. WHAT IS THE TICKETS TO SOON AND THEN WHAT? WHAT IS THE THAT'S WHAT LOCATION THAT'S OUT OF SIGHT. OKAY, SO CLOSING OUT THE TICKET TOO SOON. I DO SEE WHERE SHE PUT IN CLOTHES AND THAT IT'S ACKNOWLEDGED. SO I WANT I WILL MAKE THE CHANGES TO THAT. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HANDLE THE SITUATION BEFORE WE EVEN PUT CLOTHES GOING THERE AND THAT WAY, I KNOW WE DID SOMETHING THAT CLOSED THAT. AS FAR AS THE KIRBY, THE KIRBY IS HALFWAY TO YOUR MIDDLE OF THE HOME, BACK TOWARDS THE BACKYARD. 
          I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOUR FENCE AT, BUT IF YOU PUT IT, IF IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR HOME, IF IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HOME, THAT'S FINE, BUT IT HAS TO BE OUT OF SIGHT, MEANING JUST THE MIDDLE OF THE HOME, BACK TOWARDS THE BACKYARD. SOME PEOPLE HAVE SLOPE, SO AS FAR AS THEY CAN GO IS TO THE MIDDLE OF THE HOME OR RIGHT AT THE END OF THE HOUSE. OKAY. AND I HAVE A. 
          RIGHT HERE FROM MY HOME, AND MY CURTAIN SITS RIGHT HERE ON THE PLATFORM. BUT BASED ON THE FACT THAT THEY ARE. TAKE OUT AND THEN PUT BACK ON THE PLATFORM, IT'S OKAY. BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT THAT'S. I'M HAVING AN ISSUE. CAN I GET I'LL GET YOUR ADDRESS SO I CAN HAVE SOMEBODY COME OUT AND THEN WE CAN SEE WHERE IT'S AT. AND THEN WE CAN GO AHEAD AND TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT IT IS. 
          YES, I UNDERSTAND. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. MISTER OFFICER MCGEE AND MR. WHITEHEAD. WE ARE NOW GOING TO TRANSITION INTO MR. SEAN DOE, WHO IS OUR DIRECTOR OF POWER. IS THAT OKAY? ELECTRIC IS THE OFFICIAL TITLE, AND HE'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE RECENT OUTAGES. AND THEN ALSO WHAT WE'RE DOING TO SLOW AND SLOW THEM DOWN, CURB THE OUTAGES. SO THANK YOU. I. I MONICA IS GOING TO MAKE. HI. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. FIRST OFF, I REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU KNOW, COUNCILMAN FRIDLEY AND COUNCILMAN HARMON BECAUSE I'VE BEEN HERE TEN YEARS AND THIS IS THE MOST PEOPLE I'VE EVER SEEN TO TOWN HALL MEETING. OKAY. THANK YOU. YEAH. SO THAT'S AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S A GREAT THING THAT YOU GUYS ARE GETTING INVOLVED, RIGHT? THE MORE INFORMATION THAT WE CAN PUT OUT, YOU KNOW, THE BETTER YOU GUYS CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON AND THAT TYPE OF STUFF. SO. AND ONCE AGAIN, I'M SEAN DOW, I'M THE ELECTRIC DIRECTOR. I'VE BEEN THE DIRECTOR FOR THE PAST EIGHT YEARS WITH THE CITY. AND BEFORE THAT I WAS A SYSTEMS ENGINEER FOR THE VIRGIN ISLANDS WATER AND POWER AUTHORITY. SO I'VE BEEN AROUND POWER FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS. EVEN I MIGHT LOOK LIKE I'M 20, BUT I'VE BEEN. SO IN EASTPOINT, WE HAVE SIX SUBSTATIONS, AND WHEN I'M FINISHED, EVERYONE IS GOING TO GET A DEGREE. YOU'RE GOING TO BE AN ENGINEER AS WELL. SO I TURN TO THE SIDE A LITTLE BIT HERE. OH, PERFECT. YES IT'S FINE. IT'S FINE. HAS SIX SUBSTATIONS, 20 DISTRIBUTION CIRCUITS, 18,000 PLUS ELECTRIC CUSTOMERS, AND SIX THE 600 TO 1200 PER CIRCUIT. SO GIVE OR TAKE. YOU KNOW, EVERYONE'S NOT ON THE SAME CIRCUIT. THE SUBSTATION THAT SERVES YOU GUYS. IT'S OUR GROVE SUBSTATION. AND THAT'S LIKE ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE FILTER, THE WATER FILTER PLANT. BY WAY, THE OLD PUBLIC WORKS BUILDING USED TO BE IT'S BACK THERE. SO THERE'S FOUR, THREE CIRCUITS THAT COME OUT OF 
          [01:00:03]
THAT SUBSTATION AND, YOU KNOW, GOES ALL THROUGH THE WHAT A COMMUNITIES. SO SOME SOMETIMES YOU'LL SEE I'M OUT OF POWER, BUT MY NEIGHBOR IS NOT OUT OF POWER, THAT TYPE OF STUFF. IT'S BECAUSE OF HOW THE CIRCUITS ARE DESIGNED. SO WHAT DRIVES OUTAGES? BELIEVE I, I PROMISE YOU, I PROMISE, I PROMISE YOU, WE DON'T NEVER WANT THE POWER TO EVER GO OUT LIKE EVER. SO THE POWER, THE POWER JUST DOESN'T GO OUT BECAUSE JUST, HEY, IT'S RAINING. THE POWER WENT OUT. NO, THAT'S LIKE COMPLETELY FALSE, RIGHT? IF IT'S IF IT'S ONE, ONE STATEMENT IN THE WHOLE ENTIRE OF THE POWER WORLD THAT DRIVES ME CRAZY IS, HEY, THE POWER JUST WENT OUT JUST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S RAINING NOW. THINK OF IT. IF YOU KNOW A TREE FALLS AND THE POWER DOESN'T GO OFF, RIGHT? THAT'S A FIRE WAITING TO HAPPEN IN YOUR HOMES, RIGHT? IT'S A PROTECTIVE DEVICE. IF A TREE FALLS ON THE LINES, YOU KNOW, THE POWER GOES OUT. IT'S PROTECTING EVERYTHING. DOWNLINE OF THAT TREE. IF WE LEAVE THAT POWER ON, THEN IT'LL BE CHAOS. 
          THE FIRE CHIEF WILL HAVE A FIELD DAY IN THE CITY. LIKE IT'LL BE FIRE ALL OVER. SO IT'S AS MUCH AS YOU KNOW, WE DON'T LIKE IT. IT'S A PROTECTIVE DEVICE. SO 95% OF THE CITY'S POWER OUTAGES ARE TREE RELATED. 95%. THE OTHER. SAY, SAY THAT AGAIN. YEAH. 395% OF POWER OUTAGES ARE TREE RELATED. WE DO HAVE SOME, BUT NOT A WHOLE LOT. AND I'LL GET TO THAT IN JUST A FEW MINUTES. BUT THE OTHERS ARE MECHANICAL FAILURES, BROKEN POLES, CAR ACCIDENTS, AGING EQUIPMENT, YOU KNOW, WILDLIFE. SOME ARE PLANNED OUTAGES, YOU KNOW, AND WHAT WE COULD DO A WHOLE LOT BETTER DOING SOME WORK. HE FELL OUT THE BUCKET AND HE WAS HANGING ON. WE HAD TO TURN THE POWER OFF TO SAFELY GET HIM OFF. SO YOU AS A PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT, BUT ALL YOU SEE IS YOUR POWER IS OFF. YOU KNOW, SO WE COULD DO A WE COULD DEFINITELY DO A BETTER JOB OF COMMUNICATING. SO WHAT THE GENTLEMAN WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT. RIGHT. LIKE UNDERGROUND POWER LINES, RIGHT. UNDERGROUND POWER LINES IS BECOMING POPULAR MORE MORE SO IN NEW DEVELOPMENTS. BUT ANY OLDER CITY, RIGHT? FOR THE MOST PART, YOU'RE GOING TO FIND THE POWER LINES ABOVE GROUND ON POLES. THAT'S THE CHEAPEST, MOST THE QUICKEST WAY. RIGHT. 
          PUTTING LINES ON THE GROUND. IT TAKES A WHOLE LOT OF TIME, A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY. WE'VE BUDGETED 1.5 TO 2 POINT, LIKE ABOUT 2.2 MILLION PER CIRCUIT. RIGHT. AND THAT'S MATERIAL. THE THE GUYS TIME THAT THEY'RE DIGGING AND THE WAY THAT WE'RE GOING ABOUT PUTTING THE LINES ON THE GROUND, WE LOOKED AT ALL OUR DATA AND LOOKED TO SEE WHICH CIRCUITS AND WHICH SUBSTATIONS HAD THE MOST TREE RELATED POWER OUTAGES. RIGHT. AND EVEN THOUGH YOU GUYS THINK IT'S A LOT OVER HERE IN THE WORLD, A, IT'S ALMOST THE LEAST AMOUNT THROUGHOUT THE CITY FOR REAL. SO SO WE'VE STARTED, WE'VE STARTED THAT PROJECT AND WE'RE ALMOST, WE'RE ALMOST FINISHED WITH OUR. NOT ONLY. I CAN'T, I CAN'T BRING THE NAME OF THE SUBSTATION RIGHT NOW, BUT WE'VE, WE STARTED AND WE'VE ALMOST FINISHED THAT PROJECT WITH THAT SUBSTATION PUTTING ALL BURYING ALL THREE CIRCUITS ON THE GROUND. THE PIPES ARE IN THE GROUND. WE'VE STARTED PUTTING THE WIRES AND NOW IT'S JUST CONNECTING CONNECTING THEM. SO WE'RE HOPEFULLY WE'RE HOPE TO BE FINISHED BY NEXT JULY. AND WE'LL MOVE ON TO ANOTHER SUBSTATION. AND EACH YEAR WE HAVE IT PLANNED THAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO DO LIKE ONE CIRCUIT PER YEAR. SO IT TAKES A LITTLE WHILE, BUT IT'S IT'S COMING, TRUST ME. SO I WORK FROM HOME. I LIVE IN WARD. I 
          [01:05:07]
LIVE ON SAINT STREET AND WE GET A LOT OF. IT DOESN'T GO OUT, BUT WE GET A LOT FLICKERING OR LIGHTS. FLICKERING. YEAH. THAT'S NOT A TREE FALLING. NO, NO. AND AND AND ACTUALLY, I SPOKE TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER AND I'LL, I'LL GET YOUR ADDRESS AND WE'LL SEND SOMEONE THERE. 
          BECAUSE NORMALLY THAT FLICKERING IS EITHER LIKE AN IMBALANCE SOMEWHERE IN THE LINES, OR IT COULD BE YOUR SECONDARY LINES. THERE'S A LOOSE CONNECTION, THAT TYPE OF STUFF. SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A ONE SIZE FITS ALL TYPE OF THING. IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF STUFF. SO THE LINEMEN WILL COME OUT, TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR SERVICE, THAT TYPE OF STUFF, AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S SAFE. A LOT. ON YOU. KNOW. OKAY, ON THE BACK OF THIS NEWSLETTER, THERE'S A NUMBER NINE, FOUR, THREE, 220, 30. THAT'S THE NUMBER YOU NEED TO CALL WHEN THERE'S FLICKERING. BUT I'M GOING TO I'M YOU'RE GOING TO BE THE FIRST ONE TO GO. I WANT HIM TO FINISH HIS PRESENTATION BECAUSE HE IS TRYING TO HELP US ALSO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS BEING FIXED. SO IT MIGHT ANSWER SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS. SO YOU FINISHED BECAUSE THEY WANT TO TALK TO YOU, BROTHER. OKAY. SO HERE'S, YOU KNOW, THE THE BEN HILL SUBSTATION IS WHAT I WAS TRYING TO REMEMBER. BUT HERE IS THE, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS APPROVED BY THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL IN 2023. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STARTING WE'RE FINISHED THE FIRST PHASE FROM BEN HILL SUBSTATION TO HEADLAND DRIVE. AND PHASE TWO IS FROM HEADLAND DRIVE TO GROVES SUBSTATION. SO, YOU KNOW, THAT WILL TAKE CARE OF SOME OF YOU GUYS, NOT ALL. BUT AND WE'LL CONTINUE ON WITH GROVES SUBSTATION AND KEEP PUTTING LINES ON THE GROUND UNTIL WE'RE COMPLETED WITH THE WHOLE CITY. THAT'S AT LEAST THAT'S THE GOAL. THAT'S THE PLAN. AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST SOME, YOU KNOW, HELPFUL INFORMATION ABOUT UNDERGROUND PRIMARY LINES AND WHAT'S WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS. YOU NEED TO. WELL, I WANT KNOW, I WANT TO SPEAK ABOUT THE, THE, THE LITTLE THING THAT I GAVE YOU GUYS WITH THE PICTURES. YEAH. 
          SO, SO EVERYONE CAN, YOU KNOW, KIND OF GO THROUGH THIS ALL TOGETHER AND WE'LL GO THROUGH IT TOGETHER, RIGHT? SO THIS IS THE BASIC ELECTRICAL GRID STARTING FROM THE POWER PLANT ALL THE WAY TO YOU, THE CUSTOMER. RIGHT. OUR POWER PLANT IS ABOUT 3 TO 4 HOURS AWAY. IT'S FAR LIKE OUT IN THE BUSHES. FAR. I FORGOT WHAT'S THE NAME OF THAT? IT'S OUT IN LIKE STATESBORO OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. IT'S CALLED. BUT IT'S A LONG DRIVE WAY. YOU DON'T HAVE ANY SERVICE, THAT TYPE OF PLACE. SO IT STARTS WITH GENERATION, RIGHT? AND THEN THE BIG, BIG, HUGE TOWERS THAT YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THE TRANSMISSION LINES. 
          THOSE LINES ARE JUST BRINGING POWER FROM THE GENERATION PLANT TO THE SUBSTATIONS, RIGHT. AND THE SUBSTATIONS BREAK DOWN THE POWER SO THAT WE CAN DISTRIBUTE THE POWER TO YOU GUYS FROM THE SUBSTATIONS. THEN IT GOES TO THE LINES AND IT GOES TO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S TRANSFORMERS. THE TRANSFORMERS STEPS DOWN THE POWER ONCE AGAIN SO THAT YOUR HOMES CAN ACCEPT THE POWER FROM THE TRANSFORMERS. LIKE I SAID, IT GOES INTO YOUR LINES, INTO YOUR HOUSES. SO THIS THE SECOND ONE, THE SECOND PAGE IS LIKE WHEN OUTAGE OCCURS, RIGHT? WHEN OUTAGES OCCUR, WE HAVE A TREE HIT THE LINE. WHEN THAT TREE HITS THE LINE. WE GET. SO OUR SYSTEMS, OUR SYSTEM IS AUTOMATED, RIGHT? SO AS SOON AS THERE'S AN OUTAGE, LIKE EVEN EVEN BEFORE THE HUMAN SEES IT, RIGHT, WE GET, WE GET NOTIFIED, RIGHT? THE SYSTEM OPERATES IN MILLISECONDS. THE AVERAGE HUMAN OPERATES IN MINUTES, HOURS, THAT TYPE OF STUFF, RIGHT? SO AS SOON AS IT HAPPENS, IT NOTIFIES US. WE'RE ALREADY GETTING GUYS IN ROUTE, THE GUYS GETTING OUT, AND THEY HAVE TO 
          [01:10:05]
COME AND THEY'LL TAKE A LOOK AND SEE, HEY, OKAY, THERE'S A TREE HERE. WE NEED A TREE CREW. 
          WE NEED A SUBSTATION CREW. YOU KNOW, WE NEED ALL THESE GUYS TO COME IN AFTER THEY COME IN. 
          WELL, BEFORE. WELL, ONCE THEY COME IN AND IDENTIFY WHERE THAT ISSUE IS, THEN WE START ISOLATING, RIGHT? SO THAT'S WHERE SOMETIMES YOU'LL SEE THAT WE'LL CUT LINES. BUT WHEN WE CUT THOSE LINES, WE'RE ONLY CUTTING THOSE LINES SO THAT WE CAN TURN THE POWER ON FROM THE SUBSTATION, RIGHT TO WHERE WE CUT THAT LINE SO THAT THE GUYS CAN WORK ON THE THE TREE, REMOVING A TREE, PLANTING POLES, SETTING POLES, DOING ALL OF THAT WORK. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE'LL EVENTUALLY GET COMPLETED WITH THAT AND TURN THE POWER BACK ON. BUT THE MORE PEOPLE THAT WE CAN TURN ON WHILE THE GUYS ARE WORKING, THAT'S ALWAYS THE GOAL, RIGHT? SO IT'S NEVER A GOAL TO, HEY, I WE TURN BACK THE POWER OVER HERE, BUT WE DIDN'T TURN IT BACK ON OVER HERE. YOU KNOW, THERE'S TRUST ME, THERE'S A REASON FOR THAT. AND TO DO IT SAFELY. YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY. SO IF YOU SEE WHERE IT SAYS LIKE ISOLATING A CIRCUIT, RIGHT. 
          SO RIGHT THERE, THE SECTION, THE SECTION FROM THE ISOLATING CIRCUIT TO THE RIGHT WILL BE TURNED ON WITH POWER, WILL HAVE THE POWER BACK ON. AND FROM WHERE IT SAYS THAT TO THE LEFT, THE POWER WOULD REMAIN OFF. IF WE WOULD LEAVE THAT POWER ON, THEN THAT'S THE FIRES I WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER. SO EAST POINT POWER DOESN'T TURN OFF THE POWER FOR NO REASON. PLEASE, PLEASE BELIEVE THAT THAT'S I, I PROMISE YOU. SO YOU KNOW, FROM THAT I'LL TAKE, YOU KNOW, ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU GUYS MAY HAVE. YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT THERE. CLEVELAND AVENUE, CLEVELAND AVENUE AND EAST POINT. IS THERE A UNDERGROUND LINE IN THAT AREA? CLEVELAND AVENUE, RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE CITY HALL HERE, CLEVELAND AVENUE. NO, NO WE DON'T. OKAY. THANK YOU. WE DON'T HAVE. WELL, SO WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT ELECTRICAL UNDERGROUND LINES, RIGHT? WE DON'T HAVE NO WE DON'T DOWNTOWN AREA. WE DON'T HAVE NO UNDERGROUND LINES RIGHT NOW CURRENTLY. HI, MY NAME IS TONY DERUBEIS. NEWLY APPOINTED PERSON TO THE ELECTRIC UTILITY ADVISORY COMMISSION. I PROMISE EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM IT IS MY GOAL AS ONE OF NINE TO IMPROVE THE IMAGE OF ALL OF OUR UTILITIES. THESE PEOPLE DO A LOT OF WORK. THERE'S A LOT OF BEHIND THE SCENES. AS HE'S EXPLAINING RIGHT NOW, I AM GOING TO WORK DILIGENTLY WITH THESE FOLKS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SOMETHING GOES WRONG. THAT'S THE BEST I CAN SAY. I WAS COMPLIMENTING MY WIFE. I WAS TELLING MY WIFE WE HADN'T HAD AN OUTAGE IN MY HOUSE FOR TWO YEARS PRIOR TO THE BIG OUT, PRIOR TO THE BIG OUTAGE. YESTERDAY, SO I DON'T KNOW. 
          PERSONAL QUESTION. I'M NOT SURE IF THE CITY IS PAYING ANY TYPE OF INVESTMENT IN THE ELECTRIC OR GRANT PROGRAMS. USING AN HARBORS TO MOVE THOSE TREES. I KNOW THAT FROM MY HOUSE. WITHIN ONE. YOU WAIT. YES. HAVE YOU EVER TRIED? SECOND QUESTION IS I ONE SECOND, ONE SECOND I, I, I TEND TO FORGET. SO I, I JUST WANT TO ANSWER YOUR FIRST QUESTION. 
          RIGHT? SO WE DO HAVE AN IN-HOUSE ARBORIST, RIGHT? HE'S IN CHARGE. HE'S A SUPERVISOR FOR THE TREE TRIMMING DEPARTMENT. HE GOES OUT AND HE LOOKS AT TREES RIGHT NOW. AND I'M NOT TRYING TO MAKE AN EXCUSE OR ANYTHING, BUT IT'S, IT'S REALITY, RIGHT? HE'S ONE PERSON, RIGHT? THERE'S A MILLION TREES THAT'S ROTTING. THAT'S NO GOOD IN EASTPOINTE. 
          SO HE'S TRYING TO GET TO, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE TREES. IF YOU, YOU KNOW, LET US KNOW, RIGHT? LIKE EARLIER, SOMEONE MENTIONED A TREE THAT'S GOING TO FALL. I, IT WAS LIKE BY THE 21560, I WROTE DOWN THAT ADDRESS AND I SENT IT TO HIM TELLING HIM TO CREATE A WORK ORDER AND HAVE IT CHECKED TOMORROW, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE A, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT HAPPEN LIKE, AND I. FUNDING OR 
          [01:15:09]
ELECTRIC FUND FUND THOSE PROJECTS IN THE BEGINNING. SO SORRY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE MICROPHONES. THERE'S A PROGRAM THROUGH THE GEORGIA ARBORIST ASSOCIATION. 
          YOU. IT'S NOT OUR SENIOR CITIZEN UNDER A CERTAIN INCOME. GEORGIA ASSOCIATION WILL COME AND THEY WILL INSPECT THE TRUTH IF IT IS DISEASED OR DYING. I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THIS MICROPHONE. 
          IF IT'S DISEASED OR DYING, THEY WILL REMOVE THE TREE. THE ONLY THING YOU HAVE TO DO IS PAY THE $40 PERMANENT TO THE CITY OF EASTPOINTE. SO EVERYBODY NEEDS TO GO LOOK UP GEORGIA ARBORIST ASSOCIATION AND HAVE THEM COME INSPECT YOUR TREES. THEY HAVE A GRANT PROGRAM THAT'S ACTIVE RIGHT NOW THAT CAME IN, DID A PRESENTATION TO COUNCIL. I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU YOUR QUESTION. 
          I'M COMING TO YOU NEXT. ONE MORE ONE MORE PART TO THAT. RIGHT. ALSO, IF YOUR TREE IS WITHIN THAT 10 TO 15 FOOT RANGE OF OUR MAIN POWER LINES, RIGHT, WHERE IF IT FALLS ON THE POWER LINES, IT'S GOING TO TAKE OUT 3000 PEOPLE, RIGHT? THEN WE BUY, YOU KNOW, UNDER THE POWER OF THE STATE THAT THOSE LAWS, WE CAN REMOVE THAT TREE OR PART OF THAT TREE THAT'S GOING TO DAMAGE THE POWER LINES. THAT'S A QUESTION I KNOW THAT GRACE TOLD POWER. I'M NOT SURE WHAT GEORGIA POWER, BUT THEY'RE ON THEIR WEBSITE. HOW DO WE GET THERE IS A POWER OUTAGE. THEY HAVE A SYSTEM WHERE THEY HAVE A ESTIMATED TIME OF RECONNECTION. SO I'M NOT SURE IF WE HAVE THAT BECAUSE WE'RE ON OUR OWN POWER FOR OUR FUTURE PLAN THAT WE. COMMUNICATE TO THE RESIDENTS, BUT WE JUST LOG ON TO THE WEBSITE AND THEN TO ESTIMATE TIME. SO, YOU KNOW. AND WE KNOW THAT. SO THAT'S A, THAT'S A GREAT, GREAT QUESTION. OVER THE NEXT THREE DAYS, OVER THE NEXT THREE DAYS, I'M MEETING WITH WE HAVE FOUR DIFFERENT COMPANIES OVER THE NEXT THREE DAYS THAT WE'RE MEETING WITH. WHO DOES THAT TYPE OF WORK, RIGHT? WE'RE AT A POINT NOW WHERE WE CAN WRITE BEFORE YOU GET INTO THOSE OUTAGE MAPS AND THAT TYPE OF STUFF, THAT INFORMATION, THEY RELY ON INFORMATION FROM YOUR METERS, RIGHT? SO WE'RE COMPLETED WITH OUR ARMY SYSTEM, AND NOW WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE SECOND PART OF THAT TECHNOLOGY. SO WITHIN, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, WE'LL BE SELECTING A VENDOR AND MOVING FORWARD WITH PROVIDING OUTAGE MAPS AND THAT TYPE OF STUFF. RIGHT HERE. OH, I HAVE A REQUEST AND I HAVE A QUESTION. 
          MY REQUEST IS THAT THAT $40 FEE THAT RESIDENTS WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO EASTPOINT, ELDERLY RESIDENTS, THAT THAT WOULD BE WAIVED. I THINK THAT SOMEONE ON A FIXED INCOME, $40 COULD BE WHAT THEY SPEND ON THEIR GROCERIES FOR THE MONTH. SO I WOULD REQUEST THAT A COUPLE DOZEN OF THOSE WAIVERS CAN HAPPEN ONCE A YEAR. MY QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE THE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS? WHAT IS THE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS LOOK LIKE? OBVIOUSLY, THE WEATHER IS GETTING SIGNIFICANTLY HOTTER, SIGNIFICANTLY COLDER. WE KNOW IT'S JUST GOING TO GET WORSE. 
          ABOUT AN ESTIMATED 9000 PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY HAVE DIED THIS YEAR, JUST FROM HEAT RELATED INSTANCES. SO WHAT IS THE PREPARATION AND THE PLANNING TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR ELDERLY RESIDENTS AND OUR RESIDENTS THAT CAN'T AFFORD TO JUST PAY TWO GRAND TO AN A C COMPANY TO COME OUT THE NEXT DAY? WHAT WHAT IS YOUR PLAN AND YOUR YOUR PREPAREDNESS FOR THEM? SO CURRENTLY MOVING FROM IT WAS FROM LAST WEEK MOVING FORWARD, RIGHT? WE HAVE NORMALLY THE GUYS ARE ON CALL, RIGHT. AND THEY AT THEIR HOMES WAITING FOR, HEY, THEY GET A CALL AND THEY COME IN. RIGHT. SO WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS WE'VE RAMPED THAT UP AND WE PUT LIKE A BACKUP PERSON ON CALL AS WELL, BUT HAVE THEM HERE IN THE CITY, RIGHT? NOT JUST THEY AT THEIR HOMES, IT'S GOING TO TAKE THEM 45 MINUTES. IF THE WEATHER IS CRAZY, IT IT'LL BE MORE THAN THAT. SO THAT WHOLE TIME YOU GUYS ARE WAITING, RIGHT? SO THEY'LL BE HERE IN THE CITY, YOU KNOW, READY TO, YOU KNOW, POUNCE ON WHATEVER ISSUES THERE IS. ALSO, WE HAVE WE'VE ALREADY SELECTED OUR CONTRACTORS WHO HELP US OUT WHENEVER THINGS GET REAL BAD. THEY'VE WE'VE ALREADY SELECTED BOTH VENDORS. AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE JUST SENT IT OUT FOR ROUTING. SO THAT WILL BE ON THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING FOR THEIR APPROVAL. I SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE TASK FORCE. LIKE IF SOMEONE NEEDS THEIR INSULIN REFRIGERATED. OH, OKAY. SO SPECIFIC NUMBER FOR THAT. IS THERE A TEAM THAT PEOPLE NEED THAT EDUCATION IF THOSE THINGS EXIST? YES. GOT YOU. SO YES. 
          [01:20:08]
CORRECT. SO OUR, OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT NORMALLY HANDLES THAT. AND SO LIKE, IF MY LINEMEN GO OUT AND THERE'S AN OUTAGE AT THE HOME AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S THAT RESIDENT NEEDS ANY OF THAT STUFF, THEN WE CONTACT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT COMES, THEY EITHER GET THEM, TAKE THEM TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, BRING THEM THE NECESSARY MEDICINE MACHINES, WHATEVER THEY NEED. AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HANDLES THAT. AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. WILL DO THIS. AND OUR NEWSLETTER SHOULD BE SENT TO THE VESSEL NEWSLETTER AS PROVIDING INFORMATION. SO I HEAR YOU ON PREPAREDNESS AND THAT'S GREAT INFORMATION, THOUGH I HAVE NO IDEA. YEAH. WE'RE TALKING. BUT THEY ARE VERY RESPONSIVE AND USUALLY THEY ASSOCIATION. YES. 
          SO WE'RE GOING TO TAKE TWO MORE COMMENTS AND I PROMISE. THIS. I SAID ONE, WE'VE HAD SUCH A ROBUST CONVERSATION AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE. I JUST LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING. SO WE GOT A QUESTION HERE AND I'M COMING TO YOU IN THE BACK THIS MARCH. AND THEN THE LAST QUESTION, ACTIVIST MARSHA. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM. I WANT TO THANK YOUR DEPARTMENT FOR WORKING WITH TREES. ATLANTA. WHEN THEY GOT CAUGHT AT PLANNING TO REMOVE 300 TREES FROM CONLEY CONLEY NATURE PARK. ANYWAY. SO I WANTED TO, BUT I. WILL PROVIDE TRAINING AND I HAD THEM DO THAT YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS ON COUNCIL. SO THEY WOULD TRAIN ANY, ANY DEPARTMENT, PARKS. AND THE PROBLEM THAT WHEN YOU PUT. LIKE A CHAIR, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT A PROBLEM BECAUSE IT'S NOT THAT IT'S GOING TO BE MORE LIKELY TO FALL LATER BECAUSE IT'S NOT BALANCED. AND THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE ALL CAN DO TO HELP PREVENT THAT FROM TREES FROM FALLING OFF ON TO TREES IN THE CITY. AND I'M TRYING TO DO IS. OFFER TO WORK ON IT. BUT THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT. PROBLEM IN THIS CITY. AND IT WOULD TAKE AN HOUR EVERY FEW MONTHS AND YOU CAN GO AGAIN. SO PLEASE GET. THERE. BUT PLEASE, YOU. OUT THERE BECAUSE IT'S THE TIME. 
          THANK YOU, THANK YOU AND I'M YOU ALL. YOU WILL LEARN. I JOKE A LOT. IT'S NOT. I HOPE IT'S NOT OFFENSIVE. I LIKE TO KEEP THINGS LIGHT. OKAY, MISS MARSHA, I'M COMING TO YOU. HELLO. I LIVE ON NORTH CLARK DRIVE AND THE. I CALL IT THE POWER ALLEY WHERE THE TRANSFORMERS IS BEHIND MY HOUSE. WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING IT? IS THAT EASTPOINTE? IS IT THE MUNICIPAL. IS IT GEORGIA POWER? BECAUSE IT. NO, IT GETS TO BE A JUNGLE BACK THERE SOMETIME. YES, IT'S CURRENTLY A JUNGLE. YOU SAY YOUR YOUR TRANSFORMER WAS SPARKING. NO, I'M I LIVE IT'S THE POWER ALLEY BEHIND ALL THE HOUSES ON NORTH CLARK. I THINK THAT'S SO I WAS AT WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING IT AS FAR AS CUTTING THE THE. YEAH. OH. THAT'S ACTUALLY THAT'S IT'S IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE GEORGIA POWER. OKAY. BUT I'LL GET I'LL GET I'LL GET WITH THEM AND SEE. 
          SO YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO GO, YOU KNOW, AND PLAY AROUND OTHER POWER COMPANIES. EXACTLY. WE ALL HAVE OUR OWN AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY. BUT OF COURSE THAT'S LIKE A FORGOTTEN AREA. 
          YEAH. FOR THEM. SO I'LL GET WITH THEM AND SEE, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE OKAY WITH US, YOU KNOW, MAYBE EVEN TAKING OVER THAT EASEMENT OR, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THEY'RE NOT, I, I'M, I GET WITH THEM AND SEE WHAT CAN BE DONE. SO IT'S BEEN CUT BEFORE, BUT I'M SURE SOMEBODY IT WAS CONTRACTED, I DON'T KNOW WHO. BUT AND GEORGIA POWER CAME THROUGH ONE TIME AND NOT TOO LONG AGO BECAUSE THEY PUT IN FIBER OPTIC LINES, BUT THEY ONLY CUT IT A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW. SO BUT IT'S KIND OF WILD BACK THERE. OKAY. YEAH. AND IT'S THE LAST TIME WE'RE GOING TO TALK TO. I JUST WANT TO SAY IF YOU SEE DANGEROUS TREE, I MEAN, TREES 
          [01:25:03]
THAT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING TO IMPEDE ON THE POWER LINES OR WHATEVER. I WOULD RECOMMEND GO TO SEE CLICK FIX. THEY ARE VERY RESPONSIVE. I GIVE OUR CITY HANDS DOWN, APPLAUD FOR HOW FAST AND HOW QUICK THEY ARE RESPONSIVE. I KNOW WE ALL USED TO PICKING UP THE PHONE AND CALLING SOME PLACE SOMEWHERE, BUT SEECLICKFIX THEY HAVE BEEN A JEWEL FOR ME AND I WANT TO THANK THE CITY. THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR THAT. INSIDE OF YOUR NEWSLETTER THAT WE OFFERED YOU. IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH SEECLICKFIX, I THINK IT'S ON PAGE 2 OR 3. THERE'S QR CODES AND THERE'S ALSO INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO DOWNLOAD SEECLICKFIX. THAT IS THE WAY THAT YOU COMMUNICATE ELECTRONICALLY WITH THE CITY. GO AHEAD, MR. DEATH. NO, THIS THIS YOUNG LADY HAS ONE QUESTION. YES, I HAVE A QUESTION. I LIVE ON ROMAINE WAY. 
          WE HAVE TREES THAT HAVE GROWN UNDER THE POWER LINES AND THE BRANCHES ARE IN THERE IN THE TREES ARE STILL GROWING. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE OR DOES EASTPOINTE HAVE A PROACTIVE PROGRAM WHERE THEY CAN TOP THE TREES OR MAINTAIN THAT? BECAUSE AS THOSE TREES CONTINUE TO GROW AND MINGLE WITH THOSE POWER LINES, YOU'RE LOOKING AT OUTAGE AND LINES DOWN. AND WE HAVE HAD WHERE TREES HAVE COME DOWN AND TAKEN THE LINES DOWN. SO CORRECT. SO WE, WE GET, WE GET A LOT OF THESE. RIGHT. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S NO FAULT OF ANYONE, RIGHT. BUT SO THE FIRST SET OF LINES THAT YOU SEE ON A POLE, RIGHT, THE, THE MOST, THE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS LINES ARE WHERE YOU CAN YOU YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO REACH THEM. RIGHT? THE LINES THAT YOU SEE, THOSE ARE ALL COMMUNICATION LINES, RIGHT? WHETHER INTERNET, PHONE, CABLE, AND THOSE LINES ARE MADE RIGHT FOR TREES TO HIT THEM, FOR THEM TO GO THROUGH TREES. IT MAY NOT LOOK GOOD, IT MAY NOT BE RIGHT, BUT THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE MADE FOR. THAT BLACK THAT YOU'RE SEEING IS JUST PURELY RUBBER AND THEY'RE LINES THAT REALLY IS A COMMUNICATION. THE FIBER OPTICS ARE INSIDE OF THAT, RIGHT? ONCE WE SEE THEM START GETTING TOO HIGH, THEN WE DO, WE DO CUT AWAY FROM THEM, BUT WE TRY NOT TO. WE TRY NOT TO TAP OUT. YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE TREES, SOME PEOPLE DON'T LIKE THAT WE GET A BAD REP THAT WE'RE CUTTING DOWN, YOU KNOW, OUR NICE PLANT, THAT TYPE OF STUFF. SO WE WE TRY NOT TO, BUT IT'S NOT THE FIRST TIME THEY HAVE ACTUALLY GONE THROUGH TO, OKAY, SO I'LL GET YOUR ADDRESS AND I'LL HAVE SOMEONE, THE NEIGHBOR WHO'S TREES THEY ARE. 
          SOME OF THEM SAID THAT THEY WERE INFORMED NOT TO CUT THEM, THAT THIS ONE HAD TO HANDLE THAT. SO THAT'S WHAT I'M WONDERING. OKAY. THEY WERE TRYING TO. OKAY, LOOKING AT THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE GONE THROUGH THE LINES AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT PROACTIVE AND PROACTIVE. YES, MA'AM. IT'S GOING TO TAKE THE LINES DOWN. YES. AND I'M GOING TO BE AROUND SO YOU GUYS CAN, YOU KNOW, ASK ME ANY QUESTIONS. I'M GOING TO BE HERE UNTIL THE END BECAUSE MY COUNCIL MEMBERS GAVE ME THE DAY OFF TOMORROW. SO I'M GOING TO BE HERE. LOOK. AND ALSO A LOT OF OUR STAFF HAVE STAYED AROUND SO GENUINELY. NOW YOU SEE THE PEOPLE'S FACES THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES YOU'RE DEALING WITH. THEIR PEOPLE REACH OUT TO THEM. AND THEN ALSO IN THAT NEWSLETTER, WE'VE GIVEN YOU PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT HOW TO CONTACT THE CITY AND MULTIPLE WAYS TO ACCESS THAT. SO WE'RE GOING TO END ON A HIGH NOTE. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THANK YOU, MISS WHITE. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. GIVE US AN UPDATE, TALK ABOUT WHAT'S THE FUTURE OF THE CITY. AND THEN PLEASE AT THE END OF THE MEETING, CONNECT WITH ALL OF THESE GREAT STAFF MEMBERS WHO ARE TRYING TO MAKE YOUR LIVES AS BEAUTIFUL AND JOYOUS AS THEY ALREADY ARE. OKAY. THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN HEMMING, AND THANK YOU TO COUNCILMAN FREHLEY. YOU SET THE BAR HIGH, SAM. IT'S GOING TO BE A HIGH NOTE. I WAS SITTING NEXT TO ONE OF OUR RESIDENTS HERE, AND SHE WAS LIKE, MAN, I'M READY TO GO. AND I'M LIKE, SHE DIDN'T KNOW I WAS UP. AND I SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M UP NEXT. SO SO I, I KNOW THAT PIZZA HAS KICKED IN AND I CAN SEE IT IN YOUR EYES. 
          I'M GONNA TRY MY BEST TO GET THROUGH THIS AND NOT OVER OVER POWERPOINT Y'ALL. IMMA TRY NOT. 
          SO IMMA START OFF WITH A QUESTION FOR Y'ALL. SO IF YOU HAVE ONE BUSINESS AND ONE LOCATION WHERE YOU WOULD WANT THAT BUSINESS AWARD, WHAT WOULD THAT BUSINESS BE? IF THERE WAS A CERTAIN TYPE OF BUSINESS YOU WOULD WANT IN YOUR WARD? WHAT TYPE OF BUSINESS AND WHERE? SO WE'LL GO THERE, JUST SCREAM IT OUT. I'LL REPEAT IT THERE AND THEN THERE. WASHING A DOG WASHING STATION. HEALTHY FOOD, HEALTHY FOOD ACCESS. WHERE YOU CAN WORK LIKE RESTAURANT, COFFEE SHOP, OKAY. AN INCUBATOR SPACE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, GOOD STUFF, GOOD STUFF. ALRIGHT, SO 
          [01:30:10]
SOME OF THAT STUFF WE ACTUALLY WORKING ON. SO I MIGHT, THIS MIGHT BE A HIGH NOTE. SO SO YEP. 
          AND HE'S CAPTURING ALL THIS. WHAT'S THAT? OH, A NAIL SHOP. A NAIL SHOP. OKAY. SOCCER IN THE STREET DOES NOT CLOSE. DID I HEAR THAT? YEAH, YEAH. WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT WE'RE GOING TO TALK WITH THEM ABOUT THAT. WE GOT THAT THAT THREAD GOING. ALRIGHT, LET ME GET THROUGH THIS DECK NOW. I GOT Y'ALL ENGAGE. I WOKE UP A LITTLE BIT. ALRIGHT. SOME OF THE STUFF I MIGHT ANSWER. SO THE, THE QR CODE YOU CAN SCAN IF YOU WANT TO DOWNLOAD THIS PRESENTATION, IT'LL COME UP AGAIN AT THE END. YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND PROCEED TO THE NEXT ONE. SO WHAT'S UP IN WARD EIGHT? THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT. SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT, BUT IF YOU DON'T KNOW, THE VILLAGE IS BEING REDEVELOPED. 
          IT'S BEING DEMOLISHED AND REDEVELOPED AND IT WILL BE AND WE'LL GO INTO DETAIL ON THAT. 
          BUT THAT'S A PROJECT, A MAJOR PROJECT THAT'S HAPPENING IN YOUR WARD. HABITAT FOR HUMANITY ON THAT SAME BLOCK IS PLANNING TO BUILD TOWNHOMES PROJECT DOWNTOWN. THE 55. I HEARD YOUR COMMENT EARLIER ABOUT THE 55. AND ARE YOU BASING THAT BASED ON THE VISUAL THAT'S ON THE. 
          BECAUSE IT'S NOT BUILT YET, IT'S STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION. SO YOU'RE BASING IT ON THE THE VISUAL ON THE FENCE. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. SO I THINK THERE'S STILL ROOM TO INFLUENCE THAT. SO I APPRECIATE IT. AND I'LL SHARE THAT FEEDBACK WITH THEM. AND THEN A PART OF MY ROLE, I DIDN'T EVEN INTRODUCE MYSELF. I'M FRANK WHITFIELD. MY ORIGINAL ROLE HERE WAS HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. SO MY FOCUS IS ON HELPING SENIORS STAY IN THEIR HOMES THROUGH OUR HOME REPAIR PROGRAM, HOPING TO WORKING TO INCREASE HOME OWNERSHIP IN THE CITY AND HELP INCREASE AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT. SO THAT WAS MY ORIGINAL ROLE HERE IN THE CITY. 
          AND THEN IN THE PAST FOUR MONTHS, I'VE BEEN THE ACTING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR. 
          SO A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT. AND THEN LAST THING I'M GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IS THE FACADE GRANTS WHAT'S HAPPENING AND WHAT'S ABOUT TO HAPPEN. ALL RIGHT. SO I MENTIONED THAT THE VILLAGE REDEVELOPMENT THAT IS TAKING THAT DEVELOPMENT FROM 64 APARTMENTS TO 96 APARTMENTS, AND THOSE WILL BE AFFORDABLE APARTMENTS. SO I THINK WE SOMETIMES WE HAVE A MISNOMER ABOUT WHAT AFFORDABLE MEANS IN OUR CONTEXT. THE AMI, THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME IS MUCH HIGHER BECAUSE WE'RE IN THE SAME BRACKET AS SANDY SPRINGS. SO THE TYPICAL FAMILIES THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THESE SORT OF APARTMENTS ARE PEOPLE WHO WORK HERE AT THE CITY OF EASTPOINTE. 
          IF YOU'RE A SINGLE PERSON MAKING LESS THAN 6000, YOU'RE ELIGIBLE FOR THOSE APARTMENTS. 
          SO SO I THINK SOMETIMES WE THINK AFFORDABLE MEANS NO INCOME. EVERYBODY'S JUST GETTING A VOUCHER LIVING THERE FOR FREE. BUT ACTUALLY IT'S, IT'S WORKING FAMILIES THAT ARE GETTING OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE QUALITY LIVING. SO THIS GIVES YOU A LITTLE TIMELINE OF WHERE WE'RE AT. THEY'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON MAKING SURE EVERYBODY GETS RELOCATED. WE'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY IS DONE RIGHT AND TREATED FAIRLY, AND THEN THEY'LL BEGIN DEMOLITION, HOPEFULLY IN THE NEXT 60 DAYS OR SO. AND SO WE'VE HAD CONSISTENT MEETINGS WITH THEM. MISS ANITA HAS KEPT ALL OF US HONEST, AND MAKE SURE WE HOLD THOSE DEVELOPERS ACCOUNTABLE TO MAKE SURE THEY DO RIGHT BY THE NEIGHBORS IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD AS WELL. IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION, GO TO VILLAGE.COM AND YOU CAN GET MORE INFORMATION ON THAT DEVELOPMENT. ALL RIGHT. THE FACADE GRANT PROGRAM. SO THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT INITIALLY WAS USING AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUNDS. THERE WERE 600,000 $600,000 ALLOCATED TO THIS. THIS IS ONE BUSINESS WHO CAN IDENTIFY THAT BUSINESS. IT'S A UNIQUE COMPANY. 
          YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO SAY, Y'ALL LET THEM. IT'S THE SNOW, ICY SNOWBALLS. IT'S WASHINGTON ROAD. SO THEY WERE ONE OF THE RECIPIENTS. YOU CAN SEE THEY TOOK IT FROM THE TOP PICTURE, JUST KIND OF BLAND, KIND OF, YOU KNOW, NEEDED SOME LOVE. AND THEY USED IT TO DO AN UPGRADE OF THEIR PAINTING. SO YOU CAN SEE THAT PROJECT THERE. CITY COUNCIL LAST NIGHT. THANK YOU. 
          APPROVED TO MOVE THOSE FUNDS TO MAKE SURE WE GET THOSE FUNDS SPENT. WHAT Y'ALL TALKING ABOUT OVER THERE? WHAT Y'ALL TALKING ABOUT? NO, NO, HE'S WORKING ON IT DOWN THERE. YEAH. GO, GO DRIVE BY IT ON WASHINGTON ROAD TONIGHT AND SINCE YOU'RE OFF THE CHAIN, MAN, OFF THE CHAIN. 
          SO, SO, SO ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS GOING TO, I'M GOING TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IS WHEN I HEARD THE COMMENT EARLIER ABOUT SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESS AND, AND WANTING TO SEE MORE BUSINESSES HERE. ONE OF THE KEY THINGS THAT'S GOING TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN IS WE GOTTA SUPPORT THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE HERE. WE GOTTA SUPPORT THE, THE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE HERE, BECAUSE THAT ALSO SENDS A SIGNAL TO OTHER BUSINESSES WHEN THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT EASTPOINTE IS HOW ARE THE CURRENT BUSINESSES BEING SUPPORTED BY THE RESIDENTS? SO AGAIN, TO THAT IN A SECOND. YEAH, THE NEWSLETTER, THERE'S A PAGE SIX WHERE I WE HAVE 
          [01:35:01]
INCLUDED SOME OF THE NEW BUSINESSES THAT HAVE JUST RECENTLY OPENED. SO PLEASE CHECK SOME OF THESE BUSINESSES OUT. AND EACH TIME WE DO A NEWSLETTER, WE'RE GOING TO PUT MORE OF THE WARD EIGHT BUSINESSES. SO YOU ALL KNOW, CUZ MEAT MARKET, IT'S NOT TECHNICALLY NEW, BUT IT'S NEW ENOUGH IF YOU HAVEN'T SHOPPED THERE, THEY GOT GREAT LAMB CHOPS, THE SOUL FOOD CULTURES, THEY GOT A GOOD FRIED FISH SANDWICH AND THE DEVILED EGGS ARE GOOD. THEN SUE IN SUE SMOOTHIE. SHE'S GOT GREAT SMOOTHIES. AND THEN VESPER THEATER HAS JUST OPENED AND THEY HAVE SPACES WHERE YOU CAN RENT AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO THE TOP OF THIS PAGE SAYS DINE, SHOP, PLAY LOCAL. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT, COUNCILWOMAN. AND SHE'S RIGHT ON PAR. SO THOSE ARE TWO OF THE BUSINESSES WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT HAVE JUST RECENTLY OPENED IN WARD A, THE THEATER AND ALSO SOUL FOOD AND CULTURE. SO RIGHT NEXT TO ACCUSE ME MEAT MARKET AND RIGHT NEXT TO CHICK AND SUE SMOOTHIE, THAT CARRIAGE STATION PLAZA RIGHT DOWN THE STREET. DELICIOUS. YEP. AND THE ADDRESS IS RIGHT THERE AS WELL. SO YEAH, DEFINITELY SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES AND THEN RAISE THE PLUG IN. WE HAVE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITIES. SO ABIDA, OUR BUSINESS AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, WE HAVE A DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. SO YOU'RE ALWAYS WELCOME TO COME TO THOSE MEETINGS AND SHARE YOUR IDEAS, SHARE YOUR INPUT. WE GOT SOME OF OUR MEMBERS HERE TONIGHT. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. WE ALSO HOST A MONTHLY DOWNTOWN BUSINESS MEETING ON THE FIRST WEDNESDAY OF EVERY MONTH AT CUPCAKERY AT 830. AND WE FEED YOU. SO YOU YOU'RE GOING TO GET SOME FOOD TOO. SO PLEASE COME AND YOU'LL GET UPDATES FROM POLICE FROM PUBLIC WORKS AND YOU'LL HEAR WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE CITY. ALL RIGHT. YOU CAN KEEP GOING. SO WHAT WAS JUST PASSED IN THE BUDGET? SO THE BUDGET JUST RECENTLY PASSED. YAY. AND IN THAT BUDGET BUDGET, THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY AMAZING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE BUDGET IS FUNDING TO DO POWER WASHING AND DEEP CLEANING ON DOWNTOWN, INCLUDING LITTER PICK UP. 
          THERE'S A OF FUNDING AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT THE BUSINESSES WHO HAVE BEEN NEGATIVELY IMPACTED BY THE CONSTRUCTION THAT'S HAPPENED DOWNTOWN. THERE'S MONEY IN THERE TO DO BEAUTIFICATION AND DECORATIONS DOWNTOWN, AND THEN WE HAVE MONEY TO DO ANOTHER ANOTHER ROUND OF FACADE GRANTS AS WELL. SOME THINGS, AGAIN, AROUND SUPPORTING YOUR COMMUNITY. HOW MANY OF Y'ALL HAVE BEEN TO THE FARMER'S MARKET IN THE PAST YEAR? THE ONE OKAY, GREAT. THE ONE IN EAST POINT. YOU KNOW, I'M WINNERS AGAIN FOR THOSE WHO GOT THEIR HAND OUT. WHEN IS IT? OKAY, WEDNESDAY. LOOK AT Y'ALL. 4:00 ON WEDNESDAYS. WE WANT TO SEE Y'ALL DOWN AT THE FARMER'S MARKET EVERY WEDNESDAY. AS Y'ALL KNOW, EATING THIS FOOD IN THESE FROM THESE STORES IS MESSING US UP. SO COME TO THE FARMER'S MARKET, GET SOME LOCAL FOOD, GET SOME FRESH FOOD, SUPPORT YOUR FARMER'S MARKET. AND THERE'S A LOT OF RESOURCES IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET TO REALLY HELP US TAKE THE FARMER'S MARKET TO ANOTHER LEVEL. SO I REALLY WANT YOU ALL TO PLEASE COME DOWN AND SUPPORT THAT BECAUSE ONCE THE VENDORS COME AND THEY SEE THE PEOPLE DON'T COME, SAME SORT OF DYNAMIC. IT'S CHICKEN AND EGG WHEN THEY COME AND THEY SAY, WELL, WE'RE ALL THE RESIDENTS AT THEY'LL BE HERE. THEN THEY SAY, WELL, NEXT WEEK I CAN'T AFFORD TO COME. 
          COME OUT HERE AGAIN. I'LL I'LL GO TO ANOTHER MARKET. SO PLEASE SUPPORT THE FARMER'S MARKET. 
          I'M GONNA COME BACK TO YOU. AS FAR AS EVENTS ARE CONCERNED, WHAT HAPPENED TO WEDNESDAY WIND DOWN. ARE YOU HOW DID WE GET. HOW DO WE GET A MICROPHONE? OVER THE MIDDLE OF PRISON? LET ME. I'LL. IT'S LIKE IT'S LIKE, HOW DO YOU GET A MICROPHONE? ALL RIGHT, LET'S KEEP GOING. 
          I'M GONNA GET MY MIC. GET TO THAT. WE'LL SEE. BUT THE 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION THAT IS PLANNED, THAT'S IN THE BUDGET THIS YEAR. AND THEN THE FIRST WEDNESDAY OF EVERY MONTH, WE DO A COMMUNITY DAY AT THE FARMER'S MARKET, LIVE MUSIC THINGS FOR THE FAMILY, FOR KIDS. SO PLEASE SUPPORT THAT. AND THEN THE LAST THING THAT'S IN THE BUDGET IS WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING WORKSHOPS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. WE'RE STILL GOING TO BE PROVIDING SMALL BUSINESS INCENTIVES. AND THEN, AS I SHARED WITH YOU BEFORE MY WORK, PRIMARILY HERE WHEN I WAS HIRED HERE TO DO IS SUPPORT OUR SENIORS AND HELPING THEM OUT. SO WE STILL HAVE OUR NO COST MINOR HOME REPAIR PROGRAM. MY CONTACT INFORMATION WILL BE ON THE LAST SLIDE. IF YOU KNOW OF A SENIOR WHO'S IN A HOUSEHOLD THAT NEEDS REPAIRS, HAVE THEM GET ON OUR WAIT LIST. IF IT'S SOMETHING EMERGENT, LIKE WATER COMING THROUGH THE HOUSE, WE CAN SEND SOMEONE OUT TO HELP ADDRESS THAT IMMEDIATELY. AND THEN ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT HAS COME UNDER OUR OFFICE THIS YEAR IS THE SENIOR YARD MAINTENANCE PROGRAM. SO THIS IS FOR SENIORS WHO MAY BE IN DANGER OF BEING VIOLATED BECAUSE THEY CAN'T MAINTAIN THEIR YARD. CITY COUNCIL IS GRACE, YOU KNOW, STAFF TO BE ABLE TO HELP THOSE SENIORS BY DISPATCHING OUT FOLKS TO HELP KEEP THOSE THE YARD AT A LEVEL WHERE THEY WON'T BE CODE ENFORCED SO THAT THAT PROGRAM WILL BE ANNOUNCED. 
          WE WE'RE OUT. YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY ON ON THOSE SLIDES. SO WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS THAT PROCUREMENT CLOSED TODAY, I THINK. SO WE WILL BE GOING THROUGH THE LIST OF PEOPLE WHO SAID THEY CAN DO THE WORK VETTING THEM. AND THEN WE'LL WE'LL ANNOUNCE THE PROCESS TO SIGN UP. THE LAST THING IS WE GOT A $500,000 GRANT FROM DCA TO DO HOME REPAIRS, NOT JUST FOR SENIORS. SO WE'RE WAITING FOR DCA TO GIVE US GUIDANCE BECAUSE WE HAVE A WAITLIST OF OF A LOT OF SENIORS WAITING ON 
          [01:40:03]
HOME REPAIRS. SO, YOU KNOW, WE WANTED TO SEE COULD THIS MONEY BE USED TO HELP THEM OR DO WE HAVE TO OPEN IT ALL THE WAY BACK UP TO EVERYBODY? SO WE'RE WAITING TO HEAR THAT GUIDANCE FROM DCA. AND ONCE WE DO, WE'LL MAKE SURE EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT PROCESS AND WAIT TO HEAR FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. YOU KNOW, WE SEND OUT A NEWSLETTER AGAIN, OUR EMAILS WILL BE ON THE LAST SLIDE. COMING TO THESE MEETINGS IS IMPORTANT. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. AS I MENTIONED IN DOWNTOWN, BUSINESS MEETINGS ARE IMPORTANT. WE HAVE THE WARD MEETINGS LIKE TONIGHT. AND THEN WHEN WE HAVE PROJECTS, WE OFTEN HAVE MEETINGS IN THAT COMMUNITY AROUND THOSE PROJECTS. BUT IF YOU FOLLOW EASTPOINT ON OUR OUR COMMUNICATION, THEY HAVE A NEWSLETTER NOW. SO THAT'S ANOTHER WAY TO STAY CONNECTED AND LOOPED IN. AND THEN THE LAST SLIDE HERE IS OUR CONTACT INFORMATION. AGAIN, THE QR CODE. IF YOU WANT TO DOWNLOAD THIS PRESENTATION. WE DO HAVE ONE SPECIAL GUEST. ALL Y'ALL ARE SPECIAL. BUT WE DO HAVE ONE SPECIAL GUEST IN THE IN THE ROOM THAT IS ACTUALLY DOING A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR DEVELOPMENT HERE IN THE CITY OF EASTPOINT. THEY'RE NOT IN THE WAR, BUT IT'S RIGHT ACROSS THE TRACKS FROM THE WAR. AND THAT'S MISS TANYA WOODS. SO IF YOU COULD COME UP AND TALK A LITTLE BRIEF COMMERCIAL ABOUT THE EASTPOINT EXCHANGE AND WHAT'S HAPPENING OVER THERE, THEN, THEN I'LL OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. 
          AND HEY, HEY, SEAN, WE'VE BEEN EMAILING BACK AND FORTH BOTH. IT'S VERY NICE TO MEET YOU. SO THANK YOU GUYS. I AM TANYA WOODS AND I AM A DEVELOPER. WE HAVE 20 ACRES RIGHT BEHIND EAST POINT MARTA STATION, AND WE ARE WORKING WITH EASTPOINT TO DEVELOP A MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT. 
          WE'RE EXTREMELY EXCITED ABOUT IT. WE HAVE HISTORIC PRESERVATION, WE HAVE ADAPTIVE REUSE, AND WE HAVE NEW CONSTRUCTION OPPORTUNITIES. WE ALREADY HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY WHO HAS BEEN AMAZING. EVERYBODY I'VE WORKED WITH, EVERYBODY THAT I'VE BEEN TALKING TO AND CONNECTING WITH HAS BEEN AMAZING. FROM PARKS AND REC TO ELECTRIC TO THE COUNCIL TO EVERYBODY HAS BEEN AMAZING. AND TRY TO HELP US UNDERSTAND, ESPECIALLY WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ON WHAT ARE THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY, WHAT CAN WE DO WITH THIS 20 ACRES? HOW DO WE CONNECT WITH THE COMMUNITY? HOW DO WE PRESERVE THE CULTURE OF THE COMMUNITY? A LOT OF DEVELOPERS COME IN AND JUST WANT TO LEVEL IT OUT AND START NEW. MY OPPORTUNITY IS TO GET IN, UNDERSTAND THE COMMUNITY, UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY HERE IN EASTPOINT AND PRESERVE IT. SO WHOEVER DOES COME HERE, THEY'RE GOING TO LEAVE WITH A LITTLE BIT OF EASTPOINT. WE ALREADY HAVE A P3 AGREEMENT FOR A PATH, SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE PATH CONNECT FROM NORMAN BERRY TO THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE. WE'RE EXTREMELY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. 
          WE'LL HAVE POLICE CALL STATIONS ON THERE. IT'S GOING TO BE 12FT WIDE, SIMILAR TO THE BELTLINE. 
          SO WE ARE WORKING WITH THE CITY ON GETTING THAT AGREEMENT SQUARED AWAY. THE CARE AND MAINTENANCE. I HAVE NOT GONE LIVE YET BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO GET MY DUCKS IN A ROW, BUT I CAME HERE AS A JUST TO COME AND MEET YOU GUYS. BUT I ALSO WANTED TO COME AND LET YOU GUYS KNOW THE COUNCIL HAS BEEN AMAZING. EVERYBODY. THE CITY HAS BEEN AMAZING THUS FAR WITH WANTING TO MOVE US FORWARD, WITH WANTING TO HELP WITH US, WITH PERMITTING, WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. AND JUST TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW, THERE ARE SOME THINGS IN THE WORKS FOR THE COMMUNITY, SMALL BUSINESSES. WE WANT TO KEEP IT LOCAL. WE WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FACT THAT WE'RE TWO STOPS FROM THE AIRPORT, SO WE CAN TAP INTO AN INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE. AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR A PARKING DECK. I HEARD THAT EARLIER. WE HAVE A OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT ON OUR SITE. WE ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR AN EVENT CENTER. 
          WE HAVE RETAIL, HEALTH AND WELLNESS MARKET. MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE IS MY TENANT, SO WE REALLY WANT TO FOCUS ON THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS OF THE COMMUNITY. WE WANT TO ATTRACT WITH ARTS. ARTS IS A HUGE PART OF WHO I AM, AND I THINK THAT IT'S SELF-EXPRESSION AND INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY ATTRACT A LOT OF PEOPLE. SO YOU REALLY WANT EASTPOINT TO BE A DESTINATION? OH YES. AND WE HAVE ANSLEY SCHOOL. WE JUST ARE. 
          WE ARE UNDER CONTRACT FOR BUGGY WORKS. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO AREN'T FAMILIAR, WE HAVE BUGGY WORKS ALL THE WAY DOWN TO JEFFERSON STATION, WHICH IS RIGHT BY DAIRY QUEEN AND TRI-CITIES HIGH SCHOOL. SO WE JUST SOLD BUGGY WORKS. WE'RE UNDER CONTRACT WITH THEM TO THE ANSLEY SCHOOL, AND THE ANSLEY SCHOOL IS AN AMAZING SCHOOL THAT FOCUSES ON FAMILIES WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED HOMELESSNESS. THEY ARE INCREDIBLE, THEY HAVE BEEN TREMENDOUS, AND THEY HAVE A HUGE BACKING. SO IT REALLY WORKS WITH THE ECOSYSTEM OF MOREHOUSE HEALTHCARE. THEY ALREADY ARE IN CONTRACT WITH THEM TO HELP SERVICE THE NEEDS OF THEIR FAMILIES. THEY'RE WORKING WITH PARKS AND REC. THEY'RE WORKING. THEY REALLY CHOSE EASTPOINT BECAUSE THE THE HEAD OF SCHOOL LIVES IN EASTPOINT. AND WE REALLY WANT TO FOCUS ON HOW DO WE SERVE THE FAMILIES WHO ARE HERE. AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE FRIENDS, I CALL THEM MY LITTLE FRIENDS, THAT THEY HAVE A SCHOOL AND A BUILDING THAT IS MADE FOR THEM SO THEY DON'T 
          [01:45:01]
FEEL LIKE THEY ARE AN AFTERTHOUGHT. THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, TUCKED AWAY IN A BUILDING LIKE THEY ARE RIGHT NOW. NOW WHEN THEY GET OFF OF MARTA, THEY CAN WALK ACROSS THE BRIDGE AND THERE'S A SCHOOL THAT'S FOR THEM, AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE A PART OF A WHOLE DEVELOPMENT. SO I FEEL LIKE IN OUR COMMUNITY, IN ORDER TO, YOU HAVE TO SEE IT IN ORDER TO BELIEVE IT. SO WE WANT TO JUST START. WE HAVE 100 BLACK MEN. THAT'S MY TENANT. WE HAVE TEACHERS CLOSET. THERE'S A LOT OF TENANTS WHO ARE ALREADY ON SITE. SO NOW I WANT TO BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THEM AND BE ABLE TO OFFER OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERYONE ELSE. SO THANK YOU GUYS. MISS WOODS, CAN YOUR WEBSITE, YOU HAD A WEBSITE AT ONE POINT. IT'S UNDER CONSTRUCTION AGAIN. I HAVE NOT EVEN GONE LIVE WITH THIS, BUT I WILL. AND IN THE FUTURE I'LL BE WORKING WITH EACH COUNCIL BECAUSE YES, I'M TECHNICALLY IN WARD B, BUT I DON'T LOOK AT IT LIKE THAT. I FEEL LIKE WE ARE AN EXTENSION OF DOWNTOWN, SO WE ARE WANTING TO REPRESENT ALL OF THE WARDS. SO I WILL BE WORKING DIRECTLY WITH COUNCIL, SO I'LL BE WORKING WITH FREELY AND WITH COUNCIL MEMBER HEMMING TO MAKE SURE THAT I WILL COME TO YOUR MEETINGS IN THE FUTURE, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE OUR WEBSITE, AND I'LL HAVE A PRESENTATION TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON. THANK YOU. OKAY, SO I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M SAYING THIS, BUT IT'S 1818. SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A FEW WORDS FROM OUR DEPUTY CITY MANAGER AND WE'RE GOING TO TAKE FOUR QUESTIONS. THAT'S MY FAVORITE NUMBER ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR QUESTIONS ONLY. 
          BUT MISS DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, IF YOU WANT TO CLOSE US OUT BECAUSE SOME FOLKS GOTTA LEAVE. 
          I REALLY APPRECIATE JUST THE ENTHUSIASM AND HOW EVERYONE HAS STAYED TONIGHT. I'M OVERWHELMED. 
          WE ARE OVERWHELMED. SO THANK YOU, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER. AND THEN ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. WE'LL CLOSE OUT LIKE THAT. HI. GOOD EVENING. I HAVE TO START BY SAYING THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING. THIS IS AMAZING CROWD LIKE THIS IS WE DON'T GET THIS MANY PEOPLE IN COUNCIL. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING AND SHOWING THE COMMITMENT AND INTEREST AND INVESTMENT THAT YOU HAVE IN THIS COMMUNITY. I ALSO WANT TO THANK COUNCIL PERSON HEMMING AND FREELY. I DON'T KNOW IF COUNCILMAN AKINS IS STILL HERE, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S AMAZING. I'M I SAID IN THE BACK I LISTENED AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND IS THE NEED FOR US AS SERVANTS OF YOU ALL TO BE MORE PROACTIVE. AND WE ARE WORKING ON THAT. WE REALLY ARE. YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT ENOUGH THAT I GET IT, BUT THE GARBAGE PAILS AND THEY'RE OUT IN THE STREET AND HAVING TO CALL. AND THESE ARE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S CHANGING MINDSETS. IT'S CHANGING HOW PEOPLE DO THINGS. I HEARD A LOT OF THINGS THAT STAFF SAID TONIGHT THAT WAS ACTUALLY VERY INSPIRING BECAUSE WE ARE CHANGING, WE ARE LISTENING, BUT I AND I CHALLENGE YOU TO IF YOU SEE SOMETHING WRONG, PLEASE CALL ME. I TELL PEOPLE ALL THE TIME, CALL ME, CHECK ME, LET ME KNOW. WHAT DO YOU WHAT ARE YOU HEARING? WHAT ARE YOU SEEING? WHAT'S GOING ON WITH YOUR SERVICE? BECAUSE WE ARE HERE TO SERVE YOU. WITHOUT YOU THERE IS NO US. AND WITHOUT YOU THERE IS NO EASTPOINT. SO I'M CUTTING IT REAL SHORT. I SHE ASKED ME TO SAY SOMETHING. I LOOKED AT HER LIKE, ARE YOU SERIOUS? BECAUSE I'M. I'M KIND OF DRAGGING. BUT I DO APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO JUST WELCOME YOU AND THANK YOU AND JUST LET YOU KNOW WE ARE HERE FOR YOU. AND FURTHERMORE, IF YOU RUN INTO ISSUES WITH GETTING IN TOUCH WITH FOLKS IN THESE DEPARTMENTS, I'M LISTED, MY PHONE NUMBER IS LISTED. I GET EVERYBODY'S CALLS. 
          CALL ME BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU DON'T GET VOICEMAILS AND YOU DON'T GET RETURN CALL. 
          NOT COOL. IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WHEN PEOPLE TAKE YOUR CALL, THEY ACTUALLY HEAR YOUR HEAR YOUR ISSUE, HEAR YOUR CONCERN, AND WE TRY TO GET ON IT. THERE WILL BE INSTANCES WHERE WE CANNOT GIVE YOU INSTANT SOLUTIONS. BUT I DO FEEL LIKE IF WE WORK TOGETHER, WE CAN DO BETTER. SO THAT'S MY PLEDGE. AND I'M SO HAPPY TO SEE Y'ALL TONIGHT. AND JUST FRANK GET QUESTIONS. I DON'T GET QUESTIONS. OKAY. FOR FRANK HERE. YO, FRANK. I'M GOING TO START WITH. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS LISA MINER. FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MR. WHITFIELD. I WORK FOR A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION CALLED UPS. SO WE HAVE WORKED WITH BATMAN AND COUNCIL PERSON ATKINS. WE ARE A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION. OUR MAIN MISSION IS TO BRIDGE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE BY PROVIDING DIGITAL ACCESS BY LAPTOPS AND INTERNET SERVICES. WE HAVE GIVEN AWAY OVER 100 LAPTOPS IN THE EASTPOINTE AREA JUST LAST MONTH. LAST YEAR WE DID OVER TEN 000 IN GEORGIA AND NATIONWIDE. SINCE OUR INCEPTION, WE'VE GIVEN AWAY OVER 200,000 FREE LAPTOPS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO COME HERE TONIGHT TO SHARE WITH YOU IS THAT WE HAVE BEEN PROVIDED 
          [01:50:01]
FUNDING TO AWARD EASTPOINTE RESIDENT RESIDENTS ONE YEAR OF FREE INTERNET SERVICES. AFTER THAT YEAR, THAT FREE YEAR. IF YOU WANT TO REMAIN ON OUR PROGRAM. THAT'S OKAY. AS LITTLE AS $20 A MONTH, I USE IT AT MY HOUSE. ONE THING THAT WE KNOW IS THAT INTERNET IS NO LONGER A LUXURY IF YOU'RE WORKING FROM HOME, LIKE I HEARD, SOME OF THE INDIVIDUALS ARE, I WORK FROM HOME. IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN IN SCHOOL, IF YOU'RE MAKING DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS, YOU CAN'T DO ANY OF THESE THINGS WITHOUT INTERNET SERVICES. AND NOW INTERNET CAN COST YOU UPWARDS OF 100 $150 A MONTH FOR HIGH SPEED INTERNET. SO WE ARE HERE TO OFFER 5G INTERNET SERVICES FOR RESIDENTS OF EASTPOINTE FREE OF CHARGE FOR ONE YEAR. I DO HAVE FLIERS HERE. 
          WE HAD AN EVENT AT EAST POINT LIBRARY A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO WHERE WE GAVE AWAY FREE LAPTOPS AND FREE INTERNET. WE'VE BEEN TO SOLOMON'S TEMPLE TO HELP THE RESIDENTS THERE. WE'VE BEEN TO IMPACT CHURCH. WE GAVE AWAY LAPTOPS AND FREE INTERNET SERVICES. SO YOU MAY SEE OUR TRUCK OR THE BLUE SHIRT, OR WE HAVE A BOX TRUCK IN A VAN. WE'RE AROUND TOWN. SO JUST SO IF YOU SEE US, WE ARE. WE. WE'VE BEEN IN BUSINESS ALMOST 20 YEARS. WE HAVE FIVE BRICK AND MORTAR LOCATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. AND SO WE NOT ONLY DO THIS IN WE'RE IN TEXAS, WE'RE IN ARIZONA, WE'RE IN 121 CITIES AND 21 STATES. SO IF YOU WANT TO RECEIVE A FLIER TONIGHT, PLEASE JUST SEE ME BEFORE YOU LEAVE. PLEASE GET A FLIER, SIGN UP THIS AND ALSO REGISTER TO RECEIVE A FREE LAPTOP AS WELL. SO, SO WHILE, WHILE WE'RE GETTING TO THE NEXT QUESTION, THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS THAT WAS MENTIONED THAT I WANTED TO REPLY TO. SO Y'ALL MENTIONED THE COFFEE SHOP. Y'ALL MENTIONED THE DOG WASHING STATION. JUST TWO THINGS I WANT TO SHARE. ONE, IT'S NOT, IT'S RIGHT NEXT TO YOUR WARD ON MAIN STREET. WE JUST HELPED A GROUP GET APPROVED FOR ANOTHER HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, MIXED INCOME. SO IT'S NOT JUST A CERTAIN INCOME BRACKET. IT'S ALL INCOME BRACKETS, INCLUDING MARKET AND AND THE GROUND LEVEL. 
          WE NEGOTIATED TO HAVE A, A PET WASHING STATION ON THAT GROUND LEVEL. AND THEN THERE'S A COFFEE SHOP THAT SHOULD BE OPEN BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR ON WASHINGTON ROAD NEAR A LITTLE BIT DOWN FROM THE PIGGLY WIGGLY. IT'S CALLED BOHEMIAN COFFEE, SO WE HOPE THAT Y'ALL SUPPORT THAT. 
          AGAIN, FOLLOW US WHEN THEY COME. WE WANT TO SEE THAT THE THIS PACKED OUT LIKE THIS AT THOSE PLACES AS WELL. SO THAT WAS WHAT I WANT TO MENTION. YES. SO MY, MY INPUT IS REALLY NOT A QUESTION, BUT THE MORE SO ADVOCATING PIGGYBACK OFF OF THAT BECAUSE I AM, YOU SEE, WITH THIS CAMERA, I DO LIKE CONTENT, BUT I ALSO DO LIKE KIND OF SCHOOL WORK WITH GOOGLE DOC, GOOGLE CERTIFICATES AND STUFF LIKE THAT, JUST TRYING TO GET THE BASICS OUT OF THE WAY. 
          SO THIS IS ONE OF THE COMPUTERS THAT I GOT FROM THE COMPUTER DOT EVENT THAT JUST HAPPENED RECENTLY. AND YEAH, AND THIS IS ALSO THE 5G THAT I WAS JUST USING TO MAKE CONNECTIONS AROUND THE CITY BECAUSE I POP UP AT SOME OF THE, THE RESTAURANTS, I VOLUNTEER, SOME OF THE PLACES I, I CAME ON TO CITY HALL THROUGH THE, THE WORLD CUP. SO I DO KNOW MOST OF THE INSIGHT THAT EVERYBODY WAS SAYING ABOUT THE TYPES OF EVENTS THAT WE WANT, HOW TO PUSH THAT TO PEOPLE AND TO STAY CONNECTED. BECAUSE THE MAIN THING THAT I GOT FROM ONLY BEING BACK FOR A YEAR, I GREW UP IN GEORGIA, BUT BEING BACK AFTER TEN YEARS FOR THE FIRST YEAR, BEING BACK, IT'S A LOT OF COMMUNICATION ISSUES. AND I'M SEEING THAT, YOU KNOW, THE THE OLDER FOLKS WILL SAY THAT THEY USED TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF PHONE THING. THEY'LL CALL PEOPLE AND GIVE WEEKLY UPDATES OR SOMETHING. THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE USED TO. YEAH. THE ROBO CALLS. 
          AND THEN THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT LIKE A, LIKE A PHYSICAL, PHYSICAL THINGS THAT THEY PUT OUT, LIKE SOMETHING IN THE MAIL THAT THEY WOULD SEND OUT WITH. YEAH. SO IF ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, IT'S 2026, BUT IF WE CAN CATCH UP AND ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT SOME OF THE STUFF THAT WE ARE TRYING TO PUT ON THESE DATA CENTERS AND ALL THIS, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE 5G AND EVERYTHING, LIKE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE MOST OF THAT STUFF BECAUSE EVEN ONCE YOU GET IT, YOU GOTTA, YOU CAN GO IN AND FINE TUNE IT AND SET IT UP BECAUSE I USE IT FOR CONTENT GAMING. YEAH, SENDING FILES, MAKING SURE I'M UP TO DATE WITH PAYING MY BILLS BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS PAID ONLINE NOW FOR SURE. BUT IF YOU TAKE IT. THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT. YOU'RE A GREAT EXAMPLE OF TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE. SO PLEASE, THE REST OF Y'ALL DO THE SAME. 
          OKAY, IT'S 826. SO THIS IS GOING TO BE OUR LAST QUESTION. I'M GOING TO BE REAL QUICK AND I'M STICKING AROUND BECAUSE I'M HUNGRY. ME TOO. BUT MR. WHITFIELD, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR A FANTASTIC PRESENTATION. IT IS SO GOOD TO HEAR GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE GOOD THINGS COMING TO EAST POINT. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I GET WHEN TALKING TO NEIGHBORS AND LOOKING AT OUR FACEBOOK GROUPS, OUR QUESTIONS ABOUT A GROCERY STORE, YOU KNOW, THE ONES THAT COME ABOUT ALDI AND LIDL, RIGHT? LET'S FORGET ABOUT TRADER JOE'S BECAUSE WE'RE NOT IN THAT INCOME BRACKET. COULD YOU JUST FOR THE SO WE DON'T GET THIS 
          [01:55:03]
AFTERWARDS. YEAH. TALK ABOUT WHERE WE ARE AND WHAT'S HAPPENING REGARDING GROCERY STORE AND FOOD ACCESS. YEAH, THAT'S SUCH A BIG QUESTION. SO, SO I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS GROCERY CONVERSATION PRIOR TO EVEN TAKING ON THIS ROLE. AND SO I'LL GIVE YOU A COUPLE THINGS. THE CITY OF ATLANTA HELPED US, BUT ALSO HURT US A LITTLE BIT. AND HERE'S WHY. 
          THEY PUT OUT A PROGRAM THROUGH INVEST ATLANTA THAT PROVIDED SOME GRANT MONEY TO INCENTIVIZE GROCERY STORES TO BE BUILT. SO ONE OF THEM WAS THE OLD WALGREENS DOWNTOWN, AND THE OTHER ONE WAS ON CAMPBELLTON. AND SO WE MET WITH THE THE GROCER THAT SAID, HEY, COME TO EASTPOINT. AND THE QUESTION WAS, WELL THEN WHAT TYPE OF RESOURCES Y'ALL GOING TO PUT OUT? BECAUSE THEY JUST GAVE THESE. SO A PART OF WHAT I SEE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE GROCERY, THERE'S THREE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE IN PLACE IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. ONE IS THE INCOME. WE GOTTA HAVE THE INCOME, THE DISPOSABLE INCOME IN THE LOCATION. THE OTHER IS WE HAVE TO HAVE THE INCENTIVES. WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME SORT OF INCENTIVE TO SWEETEN THE POT FOR THEM TO COME AND INVEST AND, AND TAKE THE RISK. AND THE LAST IS WE HAVE TO HAVE AN INFRASTRUCTURE. SO IN THE CITY OF ATLANTA, THEY HAVE INVEST ATLANTA, WHICH IS A COMBINATION OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITIES. AND THEY ARE THE VEHICLE THAT IS ABLE TO DO THESE GRANTS AND THESE DEALS. SO PART OF WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING IS WORKING WITH OUR DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITIES TO GET US UP AND RUNNING SO THAT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IS STRONG. AND THESE COUPLE PROGRAMS WE'RE RUNNING IS HELPING WITH THAT, SO THAT WHEN WE GET THAT GROCER, BECAUSE THEY'RE WAITING ON US RIGHT NOW, THE GROCERY STORE, LITERALLY WE'VE LOOKED AT SITES ON WASHINGTON ROAD, WE'VE LOOKED AT SITES DOWNTOWN, AND THEY'RE LIKE, AS SOON AS Y'ALL HAVE A SIMILAR INCENTIVE TO MAKE, HELP US COME HERE, WE'RE HERE. SO A PART OF IT IS BUILDING THAT INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THEM RIGHT NOW. AND, AND HOPEFULLY Y'ALL WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT WHEN, WHEN CITY COUNCIL IS, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO THEM FOR THE DECISION TO CREATE THESE INCENTIVES, THAT THERE'LL BE SUPPORT FOR THEM AS WELL. BUT THE PIECES ARE LINING UP. SO JUST KEEP HOLDING US ACCOUNTABLE, KEEP OUR FEET TO THE FIRE, KEEP TALKING ABOUT IT. AND YOU KNOW, WE'LL DO OUR PART TO TRY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. SHOULD KNOW HOW TO DO THIS BY NOW. THANK YOU, MISTER WHITFIELD. 
          AND THANK YOU EVERYBODY. IT IS 830 AND MY COLLEAGUE IS PRESSING THAT. WE WRAP THIS UP ON TIME. SO THANK YOU AGAIN ALL FOR COMING. THANK YOU TO ALL THE STAFF FOR BEING HERE. IF STAFF ARE HERE, STILL HERE, WE'D LIKE TO TRY TO GET A PHOTO UP HERE IF YOU'RE AROUND. ALSO, IF YOU HAVEN'T SIGNED IN ON THE SIGN IN SHEET, PLEASE DO SO AT THE BACK SO THAT WE HAVE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION SO THAT WE CAN REACH OUT TO YOU AS WELL. AND WHAT ELSE WAS I SUPPOSED TO SAY? NEWSLETTER. SO ALL THESE VARIOUS CONTACT NUMBERS ARE ON THE BACK OF THE NEWSLETTER, SO PLEASE GRAB ONE. AND WHEN YOU HAVE VARIOUS ISSUES OR QUESTIONS, YOU CAN REACH OUT TO PEOPLE DIRECTLY. BUT OF COURSE, YOU CAN ALWAYS REACH OUT TO ME OR COUNCIL MEMBER HEMMING. SO THANK YOU AGAIN AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR INPUT. I THINK THIS WAS A GREAT TURNOUT, SO WE APPRECIATE IT. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.