[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6668620,"mediaKeyId","2220232-6d7a5cee3877a0aeeb1b43bbcd922e14","parentId",2220232,"title","Votes at a glance: DeKalb commissioners approve contracts, defer stormwater master plan and set further review on water-rate items","audioSeconds",819,"startMs",2936220,"endMs",3755740,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2220232-6d7a5cee3877a0aeeb1b43bbcd922e14&start=2936&end=3755","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2220232-6d7a5cee3877a0aeeb1b43bbcd922e14/thumbnail_2936220.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6668620/DeKalb-County/Georgia/Votes-at-a-glance-DeKalb-commissioners-approve-contracts-defer-stormwater-master-plan-and-set-further-review-on-water-rate-items","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6668620-22b2c5577283c1b4a3fcbace9150584d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771172650&Signature=FtKSj6jPgdw37YV~jgvaAHBPwFVoAUWvot1d5ph3ltNhuw-M-39MgdA3HRUvHJeXn-yxVISUlFJTupk5FxgEyoTjTwC9JjGh9~lecb3ftQcJF1ojUTkAzfkwAJ9rD-OkxvLRBJYJuCcgHDoe0ilO91Ig2ugX~NzqcfoDIsnxgRzOobyp5ncqfA0Q2pKwx49joazy1dw8kHDdVEIJvQaMTj6MDBOpAACXiRfYPox7XeFLdZo1hbufzOytd8qRCRLqWNq6S73H9SH026Gtg6tk67L2Y9OfUPebd-vB35fjXMXY5HLWjCr0DmePR7qptY5vQBfe0D8S-6c9etG4d6HJ0Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","DeKalb County","date","2025-02-04T00:00:00Z","article","DeKalb County commissioners moved through a broad package of routine and project-specific actions on public-works, watershed and sanitation items, approving several contracts and authorizations while deferring a stormwater master-plan presentation and reserving further decisions on the water-rate proposal.

Key outcomes (motions approved or otherwise acted on in the meeting):

- Georgia Power easement for EV chargers at 727 Camp Road (agenda item 20205-48): Commissioners authorized an easement to permit electrical distribution work for up to six EV charging stations. The administration said there is no cost to the county. Motion made and approved by voice vote.

- Stormwater master plan (agenda item 202041284): Presentation by staff was deferred to allow a consultant to appear; the board moved to defer the item for at least 30 days to allow a full presentation.

- Engineering and design services change order (agenda item 202041261): Commissioners approved a change order to extend on-call engineering/design contracts through Dec. 31, 2025, and approved an increase to contract funds for several on-call firms with a total not-to-exceed amount discussed at $1,000,000 (audit recommended a $1,000,000 adjustment from an initially larger request).

- Teledyne ISCO sole-source contract increase (agenda item 2024-1301): The board approved a change order to continue vendor support, training, equipment and licenses for sanitary sewer flow monitoring through Dec. 31, 2025, in an amount not to exceed $3,000,000. Watershed staff said the monitors provide near-real-time flow and sampler data used to detect and reduce sewer spills.

- Resolution on protections for seniors, disabled and low-income residents (agenda item 2024-1357): Commissioners voted to defer the resolution for two weeks to allow staff to incorporate its provisions into the broader rate-resolution discussion. (At a later point a separate item was withdrawn by motion.)

- County abatement lot mowing renewal (contract 1307662): The board ratified a renewal and 60-day extension and approved exercise of a renewal option through Dec. 31, 2025, with an amount not to exceed $150,000.

- Rock crushing annual contract (invitation 24-101697): Commissioners awarded a contract to ATL Aggregate LLC for rock crushing and hauling recycled concrete/asphalt to support landfill and road projects in an amount not to exceed $270,000.

- Modular office trailers (contract 1367233): The board approved exercising a renewal option through Feb. 28, 2026, for modular office trailers to support sanitation operations, amount not to exceed $1,041,253.

- Sewer upgrade cooperative agreement (agenda item 2025-0148): The board approved a cooperative financing agreement to allow a private developer (Overlook at Avondale, Lehi, LP) to complete sewer upgrades required for a 66-unit apartment project; the developer contribution was described in discussion as about $169,000 with a county contribution of $25,000; construction must be completed by May 1, 2026.

- GDOT resurfacing partnership (agenda item 20205-151): Commissioners approved participation in a Georgia Department of Transportation resurfacing project on State Route 155 (Candler Road) between I-20 and State Route 10; the resurfacing project was estimated at approximately $166,000 and GDOT will perform relocation/adjustment of county water/sewer lids and appurtenances within the project limits.

Procedure and votes

Most routine items were approved by voice vote after motion and second; the transcript records motions, seconds and approval gestures (\"aye\") but does not contain formal roll-call tallies for each item in the excerpt provided. Several items were deferred or scheduled for committee review where further detail will be provided.

What happened with the stormwater master plan

Staff asked to defer item 1284 so the consultant can give a fuller presentation; the board approved the motion to defer for about 30 days and directed staff to schedule an appropriately longer special-called meeting if necessary.

Ending note

The meeting concluded after adjournment motion and a reminder of the two public town halls at 6 p.m. (Tucker Library tonight; Porter Sanford tomorrow) on the county's water-rate discussions and associated proposals.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","DeKalb County - PWI Committee Meeting - Feb 04, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","During the meeting commissioners approved a series of contracts and authorizations for public works, watershed monitoring and site improvements; they deferred a stormwater master-plan presentation for at least 30 days and set further committee review for the county's water-rate package.","taxTitle","DeKalb County, Georgia","taxId",3571,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6668624,"DeKalb officials propose 10% annual water-rate increase for 10 years, add customer-advocate office and affordability protections",1419,8240,1427850,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2220232-6d7a5cee3877a0aeeb1b43bbcd922e14&start=8&end=1427","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2220232-6d7a5cee3877a0aeeb1b43bbcd922e14/thumbnail_8240.jpg","/articles/6668624/DeKalb-County/Georgia/DeKalb-officials-propose-10-annual-water-rate-increase-for-10-years-add-customer-advocate-office-and-affordability-protections","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6668624-675245ea43308906511b6b0ca9016e62/orig.mp4?Expires=1771172650&Signature=DQ6F1t1tmx~PfO6E~s5B7XHUR9S5JjtYBzkQ4~6nHDehLMyvr3-Yk2NsgKqr1mnGkcX7RDr1WMR5oRGpJrFnOHDSsjWT1p9GExINZe-Ac5xRa2F5ofJXK378MLXba0J0mEdfWd4cALdH8meT5lh-qH3hqzXDOPesd9jIdtDNBagglO-eqtwfTrvF9TRQ~nikOoudZ3nJK32HrF1rF2zwhJsnlzAYq5nl~mBV3yFqI18sCxjMtzppEofnAbA3iMV72jbrY~tJ5vO-UE9BX3p1QgAayna-LGeuqmmLpvd9gyDjyJqZlYNpCzCLniuH30FDn-gEnyjZHKH8y5ZKwv6KKA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","DeKalb County officials outlined a plan to increase water and sewer rates by 10% a year for 10 years to fund work tied to the county's consent decree and long-standing water system needs.

County staff described the \"10 by 10\" plan as intended to provide predictable funding for contractors, improve the county's bond rating and cover capital improvements including upgrades at the Scott Candler water treatment plant, replacement of aging transmission mains and new trunk sewers. A staff presenter said the sewer work alone would require funds for trunk sewers \"currently estimated at a cost of over $450,000,000 a year.\" The presenter concluded, \"Our proposal of implementing a 10 by 10 rate increase makes sense for all of those reasons.\" (Attributed in transcript to an administration presenter.)

Why it matters: The county is under a consent decree that requires major sewer-system repairs and monitoring. Officials said delaying investment has increased the scale and cost of required projects; predictable revenue could also help secure additional state and federal funding and support a 10-year capital improvement plan.

Board discussion and next steps

Commissioners and staff discussed how to implement affordability measures alongside any rate change. Several commissioners urged that protections for seniors, disabled residents and low-income households be written into the rate resolution rather than left as a separate document. Commissioner Long Spears introduced a separate resolution (identified in the record as relating to policy changes to protect seniors, disabled individuals and low-income residents) but said she would be comfortable folding that language into the main rate resolution.

Commissioner Terry and others proposed creating a county Office of Water Customer Advocacy to assist residents with billing appeals, investigation of customer issues, equity and accessibility, and oversight and continuous improvement measures such as audits and performance metrics. Commissioner Terry said the customer advocate idea came from \"a member of the board, but the customer advocate,\" and that the county should include the role in the rate resolution'either as an appendix or added language in Section 1.

Town halls and public engagement

County staff said two public town halls were scheduled to continue outreach and transparency: one at Tucker Library and one at Porter Sanford, both starting at 6 p.m. The administration emphasized that public hearings and \"open honest dialogue\" are important to build public trust as the capital-improvement program moves forward.

Affordability measures and repair funding

Commissioners discussed several targeted programs staff proposed to lessen impacts on economically challenged customers, including discounts, limited amnesty programs and a repair program that pays for household plumbing repairs. Commissioner Terry said the repair program has relied on federal funds (CARES/ARP) that have declined, noting an initial $5,000,000 allocation that has fallen to about $500,000; he urged including funding for the repair program in the rate resolution.

Oversight and timing

Commissioner Dawn Davis Johnson said she is drafting a separate resolution to create an independent inspector general to oversee procurement, contracting and the use of large sums tied to the plan, and that she would share a draft with commissioners by the end of the week. She said the county would be asking constituents to shoulder increased costs and wants independent oversight \"to ensure there will be no waste of money, no fraud.\" She stated a $4,500,000,000 figure in the discussion when describing the scale of expected spending over a multi-year program.

Committee process and schedule

Commissioners discussed logistics for moving the rate resolution through committee and board votes. Options included coupling the rate vote with bond authorization and sending debt questions to the Finance, Audit & Budget (FAB) committee; or holding a special called meeting to give commissioners more time to review proposed language. Administration staff said they could return revised documents at the next Board of Commissioners meeting but acknowledged many commissioners wanted additional time to review legal redlines.

What the board did and did not decide

The transcript records robust discussion and direction to staff to incorporate customer-advocate language and affordability protections into the main rate resolution, schedule additional public meetings and coordinate committee review. No final board vote on the 10% x 10-year rate was recorded in the transcript excerpt provided; commissioners discussed deferral, additional drafts and the potential to take votes at an upcoming meeting.

Ending note

Commissioners and staff repeatedly framed the matter as time-sensitive because of consent-decree deadlines and the county's capital plan, and they asked chiefs of staff to coordinate a special-called meeting so commissioners could consider revised language, bond timing and the affordability provisions.

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Votes at a glance: DeKalb commissioners approve contracts, defer stormwater master plan and set further review on water-rate items

DeKalb officials propose 10% annual water-rate increase for 10 years, add customer-advocate office and affordability protections