[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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",[32,75,87,99],{"_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",6474691,"mediaKeyId","5739771-927303a8a6e32f38e57b0d1e30eff9b2","parentId",5739771,"title","Votes at a glance: highlights and board actions from the Sept. 9 DeKalb County meeting","audioSeconds",10323,"startMs",5484000,"endMs",15807000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5739771-927303a8a6e32f38e57b0d1e30eff9b2&start=5484&end=15807","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5739771-927303a8a6e32f38e57b0d1e30eff9b2/thumbnail_5484000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6474691/DeKalb-County/Georgia/Votes-at-a-glance-highlights-and-board-actions-from-the-Sept-9-DeKalb-County-meeting","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6474691-07b69a1a8398ca481aba0656991a67a4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450688&Signature=f2fFR5omwk-XJV8~HAIO9m5hjij5HaD-YuLz29IMUz45FqEFwiT2Luq-8PryFmzVfVYXvK7b12VBBUosDRbN~C8VfejAmsJrDCcrVZAIGz3z3yVPC0oh0ep3gFhcqyVV1ftUHEN7ZSB2Jul5FYxo~t0y0p5-hbF92J-gdZfSF~1UJRQzIJ9NT8MySqGuYPbIlqs1zn7j84d-VgaD7fdxVDqQs~23kdOlK1dOk~k9dct~11wkWlOHWo2KoHaTxugCkGmIGi3OLQMFDaFmo37HCdkmqSuBg0T9c6YPuZ4JKY6J1zPKeAQbo4x55F42Y~eUFERWdRwoz4gSSXRiK~UVSA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","DeKalb County","date","2025-09-09T00:00:00Z","article","Here are the principal motions, awards and deferrals taken at the Sept. 9 DeKalb County Board of Commissioners meeting. This roundup lists items with final action on the record (approval, award, or deferral).

Approved

- Momentum firm implementation contract (Agenda item 2025‑1239): Board approved an agreement to retain the Momentum firm to implement and manage operational and performance work and to develop a countywide strategic road map and change management (substitute expanding scope to allow additional department assessments was included). Motion carried in the Ops Committee and ratified by the board.

- Employee Assistance Program (EAP) (RFP 2025‑020): Award recommended to Keystone Peer Review Organization for countywide EAP services; board approved award and a related change order extending the term through Nov. 30, 2025 (item 2025‑1068 and change order 2025‑1201).

- Audio‑visual equipment (Omnia/Region 4 cooperative): Award to B&H Photo & Electronics for DCTV studio upgrades (amount not to exceed $180,187.81) — approved per Ops/IRPS committee recommendation.

- Tree cutting/removal contracts (multiple contractors): Board approved change orders increasing funds to countywide tree cutting and removal services; total increases not to exceed $450,000.

- Truck chassis and bodies (statewide cooperative): Purchase of International MV607 chassis and service bodies for Fleet/Watershed awarded to Rush Truck Centers (amount not to exceed $3,757,877).

- Opioid settlement participation (walk‑on item): Board authorized the county attorney and finance director (or designees) to submit required documents to participate in the national opioid settlements (Purdue bankruptcy master ballot authorization and participation in manufacturer settlements); motion passed.

Deferred or held for additional review

- Text amendment to Chapter 27, minimum unit size (Agenda 2024‑0815): Deferred for decision only to Sept. 23, 2025 (see separate article for background and debate).

- Nationwide fee structure change (Finance/Risk item 2025‑1202): Deferred two weeks to Sept. 23 with a prior stop in the appropriate committee.

- Small diameter sewer cleaning (Invitation 2024‑101685): PWI asked for a two‑week deferral to allow audit review of awards exceeding $3 million; the board deferred to Sept. 23 with a prior stop in PWI.

- Pond & Company change order (Presidential Parkway/Embry Hills small area plan): Deferred to Sept. 23 with prior PECS review.

- SHI software and ancillary services (statewide contract): Deferred to Sept. 23 with a prior stop in Ops.

Other committee business recorded

- Multiple consent agenda appropriations and community grant items were approved as part of the consent package (items included art and community program appropriations, routine leases, and minutes approval).

Why it matters: The approvals include both change‑management work to implement previously issued operational assessments and several multi‑million‑dollar procurement actions for public‑works equipment. Deferrals show commissioners moving items to committee stops and audit review when awards exceed statutory thresholds or when additional vetting was requested.

If you need a copy of a specific agenda item number or supporting reports (procurements, contracts, or audit memos) referenced above, the board clerk's office lists the materials as part of the Sept. 9, 2025 meeting packet.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","DeKalb County - Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners carried multiple consent and committee items, approved a contract to an implementation firm for prior operational assessments, approved participation in national opioid settlements, and deferred several items for additional committee review. Below are key outcomes recorded at the Sept. 9 business meeting.","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},6474696,"DeKalb proclaims September Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month after judge, residents share personal accounts",1190,1371000,2561000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5739771-927303a8a6e32f38e57b0d1e30eff9b2&start=1371&end=2561","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5739771-927303a8a6e32f38e57b0d1e30eff9b2/thumbnail_1371000.jpg","/articles/6474696/DeKalb-County/Georgia/DeKalb-proclaims-September-Suicide-Prevention-and-Awareness-Month-after-judge-residents-share-personal-accounts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6474696-f7ec2545fce2e584723e81760424099e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450688&Signature=fsFkzqqKf2tGVAL9ImV1a3YlPT3WR6r0Jp-swA7j3TRi1UY40XVevcwquWZNBLAEpCh7urrTtCBkyO4bVaE7BacNXJ84hlfxPiZrSiFiQlLLuNidQj4V1KeTMJa33VU6zq1fbgJSM9RPQRwEgQSTh7e5dvzhc3PEhcKU8urIz6vKvroL7EvBhfuw8rQKadOspTtcG0Xpc5WVxv6zbXw3xYGI2tlYNJfqyb-blJ4xNlwLFjFf7tVXEWROJ1v2ltORD7O6MeT3-YG-b1PV4gjAlvwEGX3kl6m7jU-rpqMe09wnuJgkMD-BJO05owNhUMq5Ee5GPbcC825Oo55-X1kk2A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners proclaimed September as Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month during its Sept. 9 business meeting.

Presiding Officer Michelle Long Spears read the proclamation and invited Chief Judge Shadena Cruz Morris to speak about the personal and community impacts of suicide. Morris, who chairs the State Bar Suicide Awareness and Prevention Committee and described herself as someone who has lost family to suicide, urged residents to destigmatize mental‑health treatment and to check in on neighbors. \"It is okay to say I'm not okay today. It's okay to see a therapist,\" she said.

The text of the proclamation included local data: the document stated that DeKalb County records \"over 100 reported cases annually\" and referenced a ClariTel Behavioral Health assessment that listed disorder prevalence percentages and county crisis‑center follow‑up activity. The proclamation also cited actions by local providers, saying ClariTel had conducted more than 9,000 follow‑up calls, created nearly 18,000 safety plans, and provided suicide‑prevention training to more than 500 staff members.

Speakers and commissioners highlighted the personal reach of the issue: Presiding Officer Long Spears described a family history of suicide and urged simple interventions—asking \"Are you okay?\"—and community vigilance. Chief Judge Morris detailed her own experience, recalling that her family initially concealed her father's death as a stroke, and implored residents to remove stigma and to reach out to those who may be suffering.

The board's proclamation directs county officials and residents to observe the month with outreach, education, and support resources; commissioners encouraged citizens to use the month to contact neighbors and loved ones and to connect people who show signs of distress with support services.

Why it matters: Commissioners and presenters framed the proclamation as both memorial and prevention, linking local behavioral‑health statistics to concrete outreach and training work by providers. Officials urged decriminalizing mental‑health help‑seeking and increasing community awareness and check‑ins.","The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 9 proclaimed September Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month. Chief Judge Shadena Cruz Morris and Presiding Officer Michelle Long Spears framed the issue with personal testimony and county behavioral‑health statistics cited in the proclamation.",{"_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},6474701,"Union and residents urge DeKalb to tighten procurement rules, flag vendor with federal convictions",1159,3140000,4299000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5739771-927303a8a6e32f38e57b0d1e30eff9b2&start=3140&end=4299","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5739771-927303a8a6e32f38e57b0d1e30eff9b2/thumbnail_3140000.jpg","/articles/6474701/DeKalb-County/Georgia/Union-and-residents-urge-DeKalb-to-tighten-procurement-rules-flag-vendor-with-federal-convictions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6474701-9c2e0510faf51b227bff54b04af86192/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450688&Signature=I1zLVpKR0EtKb7PCxpbw0rRtx~DnpfD85lwtOXkh12Nee2hunbwWSc1b74EiKYxjzsP0NjwK54-5XCvn6TUjWv4V9Hxg1XV05hbdZktiNwHc~sA9pi-qwzO5JHYxZkKoq5Xt7BN5~NMC2j5XFoniaPaoLikNN8~-12uo6igAWBj5IO5KvW1huQCL3CtApPZ36tWa~Bc7~VPnqmIPrOsiw~29FJEYMYiXFjPeZ1HKIAviKK9acFRS9JydoEsu7oYrZ6qEHyijI~2KkCLmazGI0dpHNRmYH-obJZwzDuDlcQvAWGGPhEsQ4-M5kSLQ3c9u251jwQ3OBEgfkcuU-7663g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Speakers at the Sept. 9 DeKalb County Board of Commissioners meeting pressed the county to revise procurement scoring to favor contractors that use registered apprenticeship programs and to apply stronger responsibility screening to vendors on major contracts.

Miguel Magana, representing International Union of Painters and Allied Trades DC 77, told commissioners that labor brokers are being used on water‑tank painting and related contracts. He said brokers frequently recruit out‑of‑state crews, pay cash, misclassify workers, and avoid workers' compensation and other protections while exposing workers to safety hazards on high scaffolds and near toxic coatings. \"It's wage theft, it's misclassification, and it puts lives at risk,\" Magana said.

Magana recommended that the county require QP‑1 and QP‑2 qualifications (contractor prequalification tiers) to ensure companies have trained workers and documented compliance. He said properly qualified contractors will produce longer‑lasting coatings and protect taxpayer dollars.

Candace Ramensiak, political director for the same union, proposed a procurement point system that awards bidders for participation in registered apprenticeship programs. Ramensiak said apprenticeships create career pathways and retain local economic benefit, and she urged the board to meet with union representatives to discuss implementing the change.

Meanwhile, in public comment, a longtime civic speaker identified as Benney urged commissioners to remove the Renee Group from a pending $7.3 million watershed contract (agenda item 2025‑0573). Benney cited a county contract performance audit (final draft AIA2023‑128‑DWM) and said the firm's founder was convicted for PPP fraud and the company has been decertified elsewhere. \"How does that work?\" he asked the board, calling for the administration to reassign the work to another vendor.

The record shows both types of appeals were addressed only through public comment at the Sept. 9 meeting; no formal procurement policy change was adopted that day. Commissioners and staff acknowledged the concerns and noted staff follow existing procurement rules; several commissioners asked for follow‑up and meetings with labor and procurement staff.

Why it matters: DeKalb pays for maintenance and capital projects that affect public infrastructure and safety. Speakers argued that procuring solely on price can produce short‑lived work, worker exploitation, and higher lifecycle costs. Unions pushed the county to use procurement policy to promote workforce development and safer contracting practices.","Union leaders and residents urged commissioners to redefine 'lowest responsible bidder' to reward apprenticeship programs and to block a proposed Watershed contract with the Renee Group, which public commenters say has a history of fraud convictions and performance problems.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6474706,"DeKalb commissioners defer vote on zoning change to allow smaller single‑family homes",2520,5268000,7788000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5739771-927303a8a6e32f38e57b0d1e30eff9b2&start=5268&end=7788","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5739771-927303a8a6e32f38e57b0d1e30eff9b2/thumbnail_5268000.jpg","/articles/6474706/DeKalb-County/Georgia/DeKalb-commissioners-defer-vote-on-zoning-change-to-allow-smaller-singlefamily-homes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6474706-211372db185cf9b0c4a94393676985c2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450688&Signature=JU3xLtLcn6NEH8qiF32GGcqUqtgYbbShiHq7NQc~eZvwwTaQy6t8ewM~zRnHbNh7G2OvPeZ7e4gW4M5uzQde7EYT~0rK0re40b7fkNGPPxo2TkNVUH3VVjPyzumOKXjPZjWIrFWXeQ6QshPVx40keTQPtRHI7nyDdNMDxxkraAjbPDVJHXXN1LVHi4ctY1SGChWjFnX8yJmf2gpElXU8GoywgZCW3k5ecJfwbipO-qxan0LJippjf7-ijlKb~WQq-6wQ9KNCXeOfog11QYAxcZ8yeG2SLIT-SU4IKoH9ssJLKf41LeqT9Cf~DVbzSOKyu03zFZqEkxwsg9Nan1UqQA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Presiding Officer Michelle Long Spears and the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 9 deferred action for two weeks on a proposed change to Chapter 27 that would reduce minimum single‑family dwelling sizes in two residential zoning categories.

The proposal would lower the minimum home size in R‑75 zoning from 1,600 to 1,400 square feet and in R‑85 zoning from 1,800 to 1,400 square feet, allowing certain infill homes to be built “by right” without a variance. Planning staff and several affordable‑housing builders urged the board to approve the change; others urged caution and suggested conditions requiring income‑restricted sales.

Proponents said the change is a narrow tool to increase housing supply on small infill lots and accelerate construction of lower‑cost homes. “By continuing to require 1,600 square feet or more, it prohibits us from building anything affordable,” said Thomas Billups, president of Billups Homes Inc., who provided examples of completed and in‑progress infill projects built under 1,600 square feet.

Opponents and some commissioners cautioned against a blanket reduction without safeguards. Commissioner Davis Johnson said she would support the change only if the ordinance included an affordability or income‑based requirement. Commissioner Messiah and others emphasized that the variance process exists to protect neighbors by providing notice and a public hearing; they warned that removing that review could deny neighbors a chance to comment on impacts.

Planning staff described an administrative alternative the county has previously proposed: an expedited administrative variance tied to specific criteria so builders who meet program tests (for example small lot infill or nonprofit builders) could avoid the full zoning‑board variance process. Builders said long variance timelines add cost and delay that make small homes impractical. Staff also said community councils and the planning commission have already recommended the original text amendment, and county planners are prepared to present a refined substitute that would add programmatic safeguards.

After discussion, Commissioner Terry moved to defer the item for two weeks for a decision‑only vote; the motion carried. The board scheduled the decision for the Sept. 23 business meeting and asked staff to circulate the proposed substitute language and any administrative‑variance options before the next vote.

Why it matters: County officials said the change is one of several tools to address rising housing costs, alongside a housing trust fund and community land trust. Supporters argued the smaller‑size option will help nonprofits and small builders complete affordable infill projects more quickly; critics said the county should require price or income limits or keep the variance process to preserve neighbor input.

The board asked planning staff to provide the substitute language and additional analysis, including how the change would interact with the DeKalb Land Bank and existing infill projects, before the Sept. 23 decision.","After hours of public comment and commissioner debate over housing affordability and neighborhood process, the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 9 deferred a text amendment that would reduce minimum single‑family house sizes in some zoning districts. The item was postponed for two weeks for a decision-only vote.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: highlights and board actions from the Sept. 9 DeKalb County meeting

DeKalb proclaims September Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month after judge, residents share personal accounts

Union and residents urge DeKalb to tighten procurement rules, flag vendor with federal convictions

DeKalb commissioners defer vote on zoning change to allow smaller single‑family homes