[{"_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",6488288,"mediaKeyId","5608985-bf7924a3108a18c6a0500a8458a83948","parentId",5608985,"title","Fulton County proclaims Aug. 20 \"Atlanta‑Fulton County Emergency Management Agency Appreciation Day\"","audioSeconds",161,"startMs",66000,"endMs",227000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5608985-bf7924a3108a18c6a0500a8458a83948&start=66&end=227","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5608985-bf7924a3108a18c6a0500a8458a83948/thumbnail_66000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6488288/Fulton-County/Georgia/Fulton-County-proclaims-Aug-20-AtlantaFulton-County-Emergency-Management-Agency-Appreciation-Day","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6488288-9b660440c369600e662bb61d7ca8bbbc/orig.mp4?Expires=1770998698&Signature=gh2QMO6MRTycpqlQ1~Zil~DsXeAqqxCWT9eZPIKtLRqoJMTE241xJHGBqfEOUoBvnnV5iVcoYnkmoeUThv8Y5S2I~dpUbzSk1Uc3bKuakQ1vP79fmLwWRbOMkIlQR31d3WB6qlKP5n~ChwvQdd7Uh2SQqI9yLXit8ZIHBTSOqNh~mjDORv5POtAUwzQAzA~WTelsbLRb6ojCxbxWWOtTOgKHkwNz-aX4F0DK38sCGDPnxDLxlCoA74E3GTJauSo59U9msPAsL~1RL1quk3h3rOulanioUAZECOhfvayrtB~4gDqaBx8JKS0YGblkD0mpWdPq25kGuxeYS3s7eNqj5w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Fulton County Georgia ","date","2025-08-20T21:28:22.227Z","article","The Fulton County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday issued a proclamation honoring the Atlanta‑Fulton County Emergency Management Agency for 75 years of emergency‑management work and declared Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, \"Atlanta‑Fulton County Emergency Management Agency Appreciation Day.\"

Commissioner Moe Ivory introduced the proclamation and invited former EMA directors, including Ellis Stanley and Will Smith, to the meeting. The proclamation recounted the agency’s history, noting its volunteer origins during World War II and that the agency administered major responses and special‑event safety efforts including the 1996 Olympics, recent national college football championships, Super Bowl LIII and COVID‑19 pandemic operations.

Atlanta‑Fulton EMA representatives accepted the proclamation and thanked commissioners for past support; agency leaders referenced the Mercedes‑Benz Stadium vaccination site and a collaboration with FEMA and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency that county officials said administered more than 300,000 vaccines during the COVID response.

Speakers

- Commissioner Moe Ivory (sponsor of proclamation)
- Ellis Stanley (former EMA director; invited guest)
- Will Smith (former EMA director; invited guest)
- Atlanta‑Fulton County EMA leadership (accepted proclamation)

Provenance

- topicintro: {\"block_id\":\"block_0\",\"local_start\":66,\"local_end\":120,\"evidence_excerpt\":\"This is in honor of our, Atlanta Fulton County Emergency Management agencies...\" ,\"reason_code\":\"topicintro\"}
- topicfinish: {\"block_id\":\"block_205.84\",\"local_start\":0,\"local_end\":90,\"evidence_excerpt\":\"the Fulton County Board of Commissioners commends the Atlanta Fulton County Emergency Management Agency for 75 years...and does hereby proclaim Wednesday, 08/20/2025 as Atlanta Fulton County Emergency Management Agency Appreciation Day\",\"reason_code\":\"topicfinish\"}

topics\":[{\"name\":\"emergency_management\",\"justification\":\"Proclamation recognizes the county emergency management agency and its role in public safety and large event responses.\",\"scoring\":{\"topic_relevance\":0.92,","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Fulton County Board of Commissioners Meeting - August 20, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The county commission issued a proclamation recognizing 75 years of the Atlanta‑Fulton County Emergency Management Agency and declaring Aug. 20, 2025 as an appreciation day.","taxTitle","Fulton County, Georgia","taxId",2952,"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},6488293,"Public defenders, magistrate judges and arts groups appeal to Fulton commissioners; board tables budget enhancement requests",13938,450000,14388000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5608985-bf7924a3108a18c6a0500a8458a83948&start=450&end=14388","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5608985-bf7924a3108a18c6a0500a8458a83948/thumbnail_450000.jpg","/articles/6488293/Fulton-County/Georgia/Public-defenders-magistrate-judges-and-arts-groups-appeal-to-Fulton-commissioners-board-tables-budget-enhancement-requests","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6488293-2393980467380294130b714b7bdac96d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770998698&Signature=MeRaDpUKpsTFbkEL6VLWg4IQpREMqSsyG~SHumYHW1W9mrA9y6UydNoHymIqaMpqwXqrV9BPuM~aBlB7~FQC0NAt6nh3q-NwAfbpZ0uzBDj8OYjg8A6ihRBLiYAbb-Rsrn6UcFJD7IgA~5lDWXg6cK53BXCvmpuSadKsNSwQtWsdS6Zhmj0J-SKMNCV-XRGAjTwF1pdS~Hx3DSUXFqA-SZy1Aecv6CS4K4pwy9HGJsdW2oKQrke3xd~E2A6grnNCRf0mLsiUZUJW5D5Up3HOfGcfPcDwtXk3OpeJdY1PIMsHqGIwcBgfdjw4NXVMic4KXvAfi3jBQyfHdQHG8xTSgA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dozens of speakers at Wednesday’s Fulton County Board of Commissioners meeting urged the board to approve several mid‑year budget enhancements for courts, the public defender’s office and local arts organizations — but commissioners ultimately voted to file (table) the proposals and return to them later following procedure and further review.

Public safety and courts

Magistrate Court leaders and judges asked the board to fund six mission‑critical magistrate court staff described in agenda item 25‑0617. Chief Magistrate Judge Cassandra Kirk said the magistrate court has been operating under severe staffing stress for years and asked commissioners to fund an item she said would cost $611,939. \"Without the funding offered in agenda item 25 0 6 1 7, average case resolution time will increase by 40%,\" Kirk told the board.

Representatives of the county’s public defender’s office also urged support for a separate budget enhancement (agenda item 25‑0616) to add attorneys and support staff. Maurice Kenner, identified in public comment as the circuit public defender for the Atlanta Judicial Circuit, said the office currently handles roughly 17,500 open cases and has 103 attorneys — a caseload pressure he said leaves many attorneys with heavy case loads, some with dozens of homicide matters. He and other speakers warned turnover and burnout harm clients and the wider court system.

Arts funding and community organizations

A string of cultural leaders and arts organizations pleaded with the board to restore $1.7 million cut from the Fulton County Arts and Culture budget (agenda item 25‑0619). Diane Hawkins Cox of the Metropolitan Atlanta Community Band, Patton White of Beacon Dance, leaders from Synchronicity Theater, the Atlanta Film Society and other nonprofit leaders described programs that serve seniors, students and neighborhoods across the county and said a predictable county grant stream is vital to operations.

Public reaction and procedural questions

The meeting’s public comment period drew long testimony on multiple topics, including jail policy, veteran needs, housing and the arts. Commissioners briefly debated whether to extend or suspend the board’s public comment rules; the board voted to allow all speakers waiting in the assembly hall and online to speak at that meeting.

At the conclusion of public comment, several commissioners raised procedure and budget process concerns. One commissioner argued that changes to the adopted budget should go through the county’s soundings and Finance staff; another countered that earlier budget hearings had promised a return to enhancements in August if revenue allowed. The board divided on whether to approve some or all of the mid‑year enhancements on Wednesday.

Outcome: items filed

Several proposed enhancements were brought forward at the meeting for board action: requests to increase departmental budgets for senior services (25‑0615), the public defender (25‑0616), the magistrate court (25‑0617), community development (veterans funding, 25‑0618), and arts and culture (25‑0619). After debate, the board voted to file (table) the items rather than approve them on Wednesday; filing prevents immediate adoption and keeps the items from returning in the same form without re‑introduction. Multiple filing motions carried at the meeting; board members said they would revisit enhancement requests through the regular budget process and additional dialogue.

What supporters said — selected points

- Cassandra Kirk (Chief Magistrate Judge): warned of staff shortfalls and said the magistrate court was \"500% above the recommended capacity\" for support staff standards and that increased staff were needed to keep case resolution times from lengthening.
- Maurice Kenner (Circuit Public Defender): said the public defender’s office had roughly 17,500 open cases and 103 attorneys; he said some attorneys carry hundreds of cases and that additional staff were necessary to staff two new state court judges that will be added in January.
- Luana Walsh and other deputy public defenders testified about heavy caseloads, increasing discovery volumes and attorney burnout.
- Diane Hawkins Cox and dozens of arts leaders described arts contracts that support performances in senior centers, schools and the wider county and urged restoration of the FY2025 enhancement.

Why commissioners filed the items

Commissioners who voted to file cited process: they said mid‑year budget changes should follow the county’s soundings and Finance review, and that the county manager and finance department should have had a chance to vet proposed adjustments and to assess fiscal impacts — particularly with large capital questions before the board on the jail plan. Commissioners who supported immediate approval said the county itself reported a mid‑year surplus and that the items had strong public support and were consistent with promises made earlier in the budget cycle.

Implications and next steps

- Filing does not permanently reject the requests; it removes the items from immediate consideration in the current meeting. Several commissioners said they will ask staff to return with fuller analyses and that individual commissioners can reintroduce items consistent with procedural rules.
- The public defender and magistrate court reiterated their operational urgency and indicated they will continue to press the board for staffing resources in future budget deliberations.

Speakers (selected)

- Cassandra Kirk, Chief Magistrate Judge, Fulton County
- Maurice Kenner, Circuit Public Defender, Atlanta Judicial Circuit
- Luana Walsh, Deputy Public Defender
- Raiko Ward, Director of Litigation Support, Fulton County Public Defender Office
- Diane Hawkins Cox, CEO, Metropolitan Atlanta Community Band
- Patton White, Artistic/Administrative Director, Beacon Dance
- Multiple other arts leaders, veterans advocates and residents

Authorities and agenda references

- Agenda items referenced by speakers: 25‑0615 (senior services), 25‑0616 (public defender), 25‑0617 (magistrate court staffing), 25‑0618 (community development / veterans), 25‑0619 (Department of Arts & Culture enhancement). The transcript includes discussion and votes to file on these items; specific motions and vote tallies were recorded on the meeting record and are part of the official minutes.

Proper names

- Fulton County Board of Commissioners; Office of the Public Defender (Atlanta Judicial Circuit); Fulton County Magistrate Court; Metropolitan Atlanta Community Band; Beacon Dance; Synchronicity Theater; Atlanta Film Society; Voices of Note.

Provenance

- topicintro: {\"block_id\":\"block_450.23\",\"local_start\":0,\"local_end\":120,\"evidence_excerpt\":\"Good morning, commissioners. My name is Cassandra Kirk, and I serve as the chief magistrate judge... I rise today to speak in support of item number 25‑0617...\",\"reason_code\":\"topicintro\"}
- topicfinish: {\"block_id\":\"block_14351\",\"local_start\":0,\"local_end\":120,\"evidence_excerpt\":\"The vote is open. And the motion passes. 4 yeas, 2 nays. 25‑0619 request approval of a resolution to increase the departmental budget for the Department of Arts and Culture in the amount of $1,700,000...\",\"reason_code\":\"topicfinish\"}

topics\":[{\"name\":\"local_budget\",\"justification\":\"Meeting included multiple mid‑year budget enhancement requests and public comment specifically urging funding for courts, public defenders and arts groups.\",\"scoring\":{\"topic_relevance\":0.98,\"depth_score\":0.74,\"opinionatedness\":0.12,\"controversy\":0.78,\"civic_salience\":0.88,\"impactfulness\":0.80,\"geo_relevance\":1.00}}]","Magistrate judges, the public defender's office and dozens of arts and cultural leaders urged commissioners to restore salary and operating funding in the county budget. After extensive public comment the board voted to \"file\" (table) several proposed mid‑year enhancements, postponing immediate action.",{"_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},6488297,"Fulton County commissioners approve plan to build special‑purpose facility and renovate Rice Street jail",1473,9532000,11005000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5608985-bf7924a3108a18c6a0500a8458a83948&start=9532&end=11005","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5608985-bf7924a3108a18c6a0500a8458a83948/thumbnail_9532000.jpg","/articles/6488297/Fulton-County/Georgia/Fulton-County-commissioners-approve-plan-to-build-specialpurpose-facility-and-renovate-Rice-Street-jail","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6488297-a93a59606f598242d140256ca39befb4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770998698&Signature=fof4AVZ~EdQ4uaFLKdJu9r~IPpBdCx28aKI9SbgyZHIp3ff2Inh1wPfIzPJDfTtCsebj0z3RdBVDstHBpTx1JE-i2LYjkWh8jqYntnNnggsjxau8n2pskTjGw4dO3zBSV0C1osX3SpdnfvvIDNLpCs0Jwir~8Tk9sO3eM2pPrdFSlq7gSsSrufzBXdbKHYkJVOzN6A1jRJQNB6mimEC8fc5~QvCk~21GhMIv1IhoYH~CjzQfOYKfQg452dikFX175y8Osmg00YGSKoxQvTPbertZYELG48EeIwERyzENM8FnIxXncrFXcDYi3Z3cRkViqpJcOGPY9tk0vzVoUU6WMw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Fulton County commissioners on Wednesday voted to proceed with a capital improvement plan that calls for construction of a new special‑purpose facility to house medically and mentally vulnerable inmates and a later, multi‑year renovation of the Rice Street Main Jail.

County project managers and consultants told the board the option they recommended — labeled Option 3 in the staff presentation — aims to pull the most pressing behavioral‑care capacity out of the aging Rice Street complex first and, once the special‑purpose building is online, start phased renovations of Rice Street.

Megan Kaczkowski of ACR Partners, the county’s program management team, said the team chose the sequence \"because the estimated cost to address the deficiencies, just for the Rice Street Main Jail alone, greatly exceeds the maximum allowable budget\" the county gave staff last year. She told the commission that the study set a consistent comparative bed figure of 3,200 beds to model the options but that the final design and bed count will be refined during programming.

Consultant Roger Lichtman described the cost tradeoffs the team weighed: building a larger special‑purpose facility first increases early capital needs but, he said, reduces long‑term outsourcing costs the county would otherwise pay while work proceeds. \"The outsourcing can't be financed,\" Lichtman told the board, arguing that funds the county currently spends to house inmates in other counties are sunk operating costs that could be converted to capital spending on new beds.

County Chief Financial Officer Sharon Whitmore outlined financing assumptions the team used, saying the county had identified existing resources and potential future streams to help cover annual debt service. For the motioned option, she said, \"we would need to increase the millage rate by 0.83, a little more than three‑quarters of a mill\" if other offsets are not available; she also pointed to returned TAD (tax allocation district) increments and a projected reduction in a closed defined‑benefit pension contribution as future offsets.

Supporters and critics alike told the board the decision should be driven by data and community engagement. Deputy public defender Raiko Ward and other public defenders urged the board to fund staffing that would address case backlogs; community groups and advocates urged the board to slow the timetable and provide more public consultation. Speakers at the meeting repeatedly pressed for clarity on how the plan would affect staffing, how the county would provide interim housing during construction, and whether the Department of Justice would find the plan consistent with consent‑decree compliance.

After roughly three hours of staff briefing and discussion, the board adopted a motion to proceed with Option 3 — to begin programming for the special‑purpose building, refine design and cost estimates, and return to the board with a detailed plan — and to begin the next steps of vendor solicitation and community engagement.

The motion passed, with commissioners recording four votes in favor, one against and one abstention. The board directed staff to return to the commission with refined scope, schedule, and operating cost estimates and to coordinate stakeholder outreach and DOJ monitoring team updates as the programming phase begins.

What the vote covers and next steps

- Approved action: proceed with programming and planning for Option 3, which includes building a special‑purpose facility for behavioral care and phased renovation of Rice Street Main Jail.
- Immediate next steps: programming to confirm space needs and bed counts; development of operating cost estimates; stakeholder engagement strategy; solicitation of design and construction teams (county indicated vendor solicitations would be issued in Q4 2025).
- Financing snapshot (as presented): estimated annual debt service for the recommended option was presented as about $84.3 million; the county has $10 million in current budget resources and approximately $8.6 million in returned TAD increment currently available and modeled to help offset early debt service; a projected pension funding reduction beginning about 2033 was also cited as a potential long‑term offset. County staff emphasized timing and market risk would affect final structure.

Why this matters

Fulton County has been under intense public scrutiny for deaths and conditions in its jail facilities. The board’s choice shifts the county away from only patching Rice Street and toward creating a new facility designed for people with medical and behavioral health needs, then renovating the older facility. Advocates and legal observers told the board they will continue to press for transparent data on staffing plans, the sourcing of interim beds during construction, and whether the plan aligns with the DOJ consent‑decree requirements.

Speakers

- Steve Naraki, County strategy office (presentation lead)
- Megan Kaczkowski, ACR Partners (program management/consultant)
- Roger Lichtman, ACR/consultant (options summary)
- Jackie Hadobas, ACR Partners (facility condition assessment)
- Joe Davis, director, DREAM (county partner — presented with PMT)
- Sharon Whitmore, Chief Financial Officer, Fulton County (financing overview)

Authorities cited

- County staff referenced the board’s July 2024 directive to limit near‑term options to a previously defined maximum budget envelope. No statute or ordinance was cited as the legal basis for the decision; the presentation focused on programmatic and financial options.

Actions

- Motion (summary): \"Proceed with planning of Option 3, which includes construction of a special‑purpose building to serve vulnerable populations and offset the future need for outsourcing of inmates to out‑of‑county jail facilities and renovations at the Rice Street Main Jail.\" (Mover/second: not specified in transcript.) Outcome: approved. Vote tally recorded in the meeting: 4 yes, 1 no, 1 abstain.

Discussion vs. decision

- Discussion: staff presentations on facility condition assessments, comparative cost estimates, outsourcing risks, and financing options; public comment urging more transparency, more social‑service alternatives and attention to consent‑decree obligations.
- Direction: staff were instructed to begin programming for the special‑purpose facility, refine cost and schedule estimates, solicit design and construction vendors, and carry out stakeholder engagement.
- Decision: board approved proceeding with Option 3; the final construction approvals and bond issuance remain to be developed and will return to the board.

Clarifying details (as presented at the meeting)

- Comparative modeling used a working bed count of 3,200 to compare options; that number will be refined in programming.
- Consultants showed Option 3 would complete an initial tranche of approximately 1,800 new beds within the first five years of the program and complete both new construction and Rice Street renovation within nine years in their baseline schedule.
- Consultants and staff repeatedly flagged the cost and scarcity of outsourcing beds, and noted Fulton now spends tens of millions annually to house inmates outside the county — an operating cost the team modeled against capital spending.

Proper names

- ACR Partners (program management team), DREAM (county partner), Rice Street Main Jail, Atlanta City Detention Center (ACDC), Fulton County Board of Commissioners, Sharon Whitmore (Fulton County CFO).

Provenance

- topicintro: {\"block_id\":\"block_9357\",\"local_start\":0,\"local_end\":120,\"evidence_excerpt\":\"We are before you today to provide an update and recommendation on the plan to move forward with the Fulton County Jail Capital Improvement Program.\",\"reason_code\":\"topicintro\"}
- topicfinish: {\"block_id\":\"block_11005\",\"local_start\":0,\"local_end\":90,\"evidence_excerpt\":\"Upon favorable approval, we will begin our program activities for the special purpose facility...The team can take any questions.\",\"reason_code\":\"topicfinish\"}

topics\":[{\"name\":\"jail_infrastructure\",\"justification\":\"Directly describes a multi‑year capital plan to build a new facility and renovate an existing county jail.\",\"scoring\":{\"topic_relevance\":1.00,\"depth_score\":0.86,\"opinionatedness\":0.10,\"controversy\":0.80,\"civic_salience\":0.95,\"impactfulness\":0.92,\"geo_relevance\":1.00}}]","After months of study and public pressure over jail conditions, the Fulton County Board of Commissioners voted to move forward with a plan that builds a new special‑purpose facility for vulnerable inmates and later renovates the Rice Street Jail. The board approved the plan despite continued questions about costs, outsourcing and timing.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Fulton County proclaims Aug. 20 "Atlanta‑Fulton County Emergency Management Agency Appreciation Day"

Public defenders, magistrate judges and arts groups appeal to Fulton commissioners; board tables budget enhancement requests

Fulton County commissioners approve plan to build special‑purpose facility and renovate Rice Street jail