[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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",[32,75,87],{"_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",6557394,"mediaKeyId","3295775-59e0130b403f52e297ee79de1b8fbb0a","parentId",3295775,"title","DeKalb committee designates 4380 Memorial Drive as urban redevelopment area; county hears $450M water/sewer bond plan and $18M URA financing timetable","audioSeconds",364,"startMs",2876000,"endMs",3240000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3295775-59e0130b403f52e297ee79de1b8fbb0a&start=2876&end=3240","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3295775-59e0130b403f52e297ee79de1b8fbb0a/thumbnail_2876000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6557394/DeKalb-County/Georgia/DeKalb-committee-designates-4380-Memorial-Drive-as-urban-redevelopment-area-county-hears-450M-watersewer-bond-plan-and-18M-URA-financing-timetable","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6557394-a377a3648832c7559da7c62bb6f7f83b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771200399&Signature=Db7Lu4BpAHzT45c1CxmSYvv2JrmG2f2GFpS7pZukkJ2bYi~Jo4S-jMBdA0d8H6oORv9lsJNzLMqzaTmNUWG8uR2aZzCRNwJ4mYSTL-4p-KcdO1Q1T4tskaFaw9I40WwgUiS1PcqO4AprGQ-do56injGNVML~JDUuhIm-iBQ-MmjJtjVz-d1SSlVjtfIyZPLIrF8xQMyHHW-3H5IEpcN58-uGsoPX7Dv6EyS~avPTvYqojMAEXjhwC-r3dTGQRM-BCts7p2WMF5i7w9zeuqO2q0onXM~1~d02YFawN~UFRPVY4MeJ-W7v1wcfKWK0np8chT2ZNQBKUP8noDP3W9yGNg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","DeKalb County","date","2025-05-13T00:00:00Z","article","The Finance, Audit and Budget Committee designated the property at 4380 Memorial Drive in Decatur as an urban redevelopment area and adopted an accompanying urban redevelopment plan. Committee members asked staff to add language specifying a future master planning process with public input; the resolution and plan were approved by voice vote.

County financial advisers from PFM presented the county's preliminary plan of finance for two separate financings: a proposed water and sewer revenue bond (new-money financing to support the water and sewer master plan) and an urban redevelopment agency (URA) revenue financing to acquire the 4380 Memorial Drive property.

PFM's Elyse Lomel told the committee the water and sewer revenue issue is expected to fund projects totaling about $450 million, would be sold in a competitive public offering, and is tentatively scheduled for bid opening on July 8 with a closing near July 22. The offering's structure anticipates annual principal payments through 2055, semiannual interest payments, and a 10-year optional redemption. Lomel said preliminary rating expectations are consistent with the county's existing water and sewer ratings.

On the URA financing for the 4380 Memorial Drive purchase, PFM described a smaller financing of about $18 million secured through an intergovernmental agreement between the URA and the county and expected to be marketed as a direct bank loan (rather than a public competitive sale) because of size and timing. The RFP for bank bids would run for roughly two to three weeks; staff indicated the county needs to close the financing on the property by June 25, and the county will evaluate 10- and 20-year repayment options and choose the most advantageous structure.

Committee members asked for language in the redevelopment plan that commits to a master plan and public stakeholder input before final developer proposals are approved. The committee approved designation of the urban redevelopment area and adoption of the plan with the agreed additional language. The finance schedule provided by staff leaves the water and sewer competitive sale in early July and the URA bank loan to be executed in time to close concurrent with the property purchase in late June.

PFM also reviewed the county's overall debt profile, noting that most outstanding debt is tied to the water and sewer enterprise and that DeKalb County is well below statutory general-obligation capacity limits.

The committee asked staff to prepare the final bond resolution for board approval and to circulate the detailed plan documents to committee members prior to the next meetings.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","DeKalb County - FAB Committee Meeting - May 13, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Finance, Audit and Budget Committee designated 4380 Memorial Drive in Decatur as an urban redevelopment area and approved an accompanying redevelopment plan, and county financial advisers presented plans for a roughly $450 million water and sewer revenue bond and an approximately $18 million URA financing tied to the property purchase.","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},6557399,"Committee forwards superior court appropriation resolution to full board after state bill signed into law",222,2644000,2866000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3295775-59e0130b403f52e297ee79de1b8fbb0a&start=2644&end=2866","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3295775-59e0130b403f52e297ee79de1b8fbb0a/thumbnail_2644000.jpg","/articles/6557399/DeKalb-County/Georgia/Committee-forwards-superior-court-appropriation-resolution-to-full-board-after-state-bill-signed-into-law","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6557399-190b9bf11f55e577ce00005ec4a69753/orig.mp4?Expires=1771200399&Signature=lqD8EYEiCW-mxAxBtvZTSpS3QSbdwMBtatWQ20NS4uD4tNC1fQbIbJmLxuL7B5eCibOf9Iu1BjvpIDJ6UQ6jZqtDkeuuUi59qbL7mgeEoBlCEqeGf67~4tcceuxRzRpew~2aUCif3-tPejJlCRuU5ac37gH1PsCaD6WIyEN-aQiEjTpjztYbq2959HejlLMYZyzQN7qWPRiW6NZwn2TpprZYwBU4YM0KkgeA~2~GlAf1CDw5N4MtE8orE0cFJox~HCJ-eKR-MVn5QWwT7YWbB-5pNfje9bf6pfRYxwa82FSYADgQ-OFbI35qEu4vyWCSENUNt-jXz-ohtbIt6Opzsw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Finance, Audit and Budget Committee agreed to forward a working resolution concerning superior court appropriation measures to the full DeKalb County Board of Commissioners for additional legal and drafting work.

Commissioner Massiah (as recorded in committee documents) presented the resolution and said state legislation affecting judicial compensation and benefits—referred to in the meeting as HB 85 and SB 350—had advanced and that the governor had signed the bill on the prior day. \"Since then, and actually yesterday, the governor actually did sign, that particular bill,\" the commissioner said, explaining the committee needed to refine local language to comply with state law while preserving certain local benefits for superior court judges.

Committee members and staff said they wanted to continue drafting and to consult with the law department and court officials so the final language would comply with the new statute and preserve the intended local provisions. The chair recommended moving the working resolution out of committee so legal staff and court representatives could continue wordsmithing ahead of the next board meeting.

A motion to forward the resolution to the full board passed by voice vote; the committee did not adopt final language and asked for further review before a full-board vote.","The Finance, Audit and Budget Committee moved a working resolution about superior court appropriation measures to the full DeKalb County Board of Commissioners for further legal refinement after new state legislation (HB 85) was signed by the governor.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6557404,"Finance committee defers vote on independent CIP monitor to refine scope, add engineering expertise",2530,70000,2600000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3295775-59e0130b403f52e297ee79de1b8fbb0a&start=70&end=2600","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3295775-59e0130b403f52e297ee79de1b8fbb0a/thumbnail_70000.jpg","/articles/6557404/DeKalb-County/Georgia/Finance-committee-defers-vote-on-independent-CIP-monitor-to-refine-scope-add-engineering-expertise","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6557404-468c698d2e6b7fe5228e2df32ab97831/orig.mp4?Expires=1771200399&Signature=aNJKF5M-SyMjuqnTGZ46vJxec9KZuU6Di0095bXaBZO-5qjBuJs4ZqDiEy-m3T8k3TeMFUD6WAMurK98VpeirUGjBtm1-nnRWjVOlZaezk3BQokmxFU2373aA4sqS-bAlRFFQDzv~DFpMo2iedB7vSzmTC8tKMgfFimBGtUB8mZ7zTJn9HEuNe~NxJOFi~7qrnFfCbmPskPGNUUPykuKKjikuwvjkAqTKpTKCyTjwm9uiz4y0VdicQzTGKlFzjyELLh36Vl2MY5d-IwtSnGnnsbQv~btI-kfi7qPaX5XSyj~~go0Lb5vTIwIwHym8NxgtM1g73nIV0928JH6lDm0kg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The DeKalb County Finance, Audit and Budget Committee on an underspecified May meeting date voted to defer action for two weeks on a resolution (item 0240) that would fund an independent monitor to review the county's capital improvement program and related contracts.

The resolution, introduced by Commissioner Maria Davis Johnson as a proposal to establish and fund an independent CIP monitor, was revised during committee discussion to swap the original term \"auditor\" for \"monitor.\" Committee members and the county's Office of Independent Internal Audit warned that the two roles carry distinct authorities, legal constraints and standards.

At the meeting, Director Campbell of the Office of Independent Internal Audit said, \"a monitor is more non audit services\" and warned that leftover wording in the draft resolution still referenced audit authorities, such as subpoena powers and employee-style appointments, that would not apply if the county hires a contractor to provide monitoring services. He recommended the resolution and contract language be edited to reflect a vendor relationship rather than an employee or audit role.

Commissioner Michelle Long Spears said the item's budgetary impact had shifted from an earlier $800,000-per-year estimate to a substantially smaller number under the monitoring model and asked whether the Office of Independent Internal Audit (OIIA) could perform the work if given additional staff. Campbell said OIIA could perform financial monitoring with added personnel but would lack in-house engineering expertise for technical reviews; he said independent engineering assessments would likely require outside specialists.

Committee members pressed for clear contract language obligating CIP vendors to cooperate with the monitor. Director Campbell and the law department noted that the county's organizational act and its contract clauses already require a right-to-audit clause in county contracts, and suggested that future CIP contracts explicitly reference the monitor position so vendors would be contractually required to provide requested materials.

After discussion of the redlined draft resolution and attachment A (scope of services), Commissioner Michelle Long Spears moved to defer the item for two weeks to incorporate Campbell's recommended wording changes and to add explicit engineering qualifications to the scope. The motion was seconded and carried by voice/hand vote; Chair Ted Terry voted aye.

The committee directed the law department to work with staff and the independent audit office to revise the draft so it distinguishes monitoring from auditing, removes references to audit-only subpoena authority where inappropriate, and clarifies that the monitor will be procured as a contract vendor (with any necessary subcontracted engineering expertise).

The item will return to the Finance, Audit and Budget Committee with the updated redlined resolution and a clarified Attachment A that spells out technical/engineering experience requirements and procurement timing.","DeKalb County's Finance, Audit and Budget Committee deferred action for two weeks on a resolution to fund an independent capital improvement program (CIP) monitor. Committee members requested clearer language distinguishing a monitor from an auditor and asked that engineering expertise be added to the project's scope of services.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

DeKalb committee designates 4380 Memorial Drive as urban redevelopment area; county hears $450M water/sewer bond plan and $18M URA financing timetable

Committee forwards superior court appropriation resolution to full board after state bill signed into law

Finance committee defers vote on independent CIP monitor to refine scope, add engineering expertise