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Council conditions approval of $1 million amendment for Atlanta Streets Alive security amid procurement questions
Summary
The Transportation Committee approved, on condition, an amendment to add up to $1 million for security services at Atlanta Streets Alive events but required a procurement code waiver and supporting documentation before full council, after members questioned whether the amendment exceeded the 10% administrative amendment threshold.
The Atlanta City Council Transportation Committee on a conditional vote approved an amendment to a security-services contract intended to cover Atlanta Streets Alive events, while instructing staff to add a procurement-code waiver and supporting documentation before the item goes to full council.
Committee members said the discussion matters because the amendment increases the contract enough that it may exceed the 10% administrative amendment threshold in the city procurement code, which triggers additional disclosure and justification requirements.
Committee chair Atlanta City Council member Byron Amos moved the agenda item forward and discussion focused on whether the added funding required a formal waiver. "That exceeds the 10% limit and should be require a code waiver. Am I incorrect?" Council Member Juan asked, pressing the law and procurement questions. John Sexton, mobility planning director at the Atlanta Department of Transportation, described the practical need: security for an individual Atlanta Streets Alive event ranges between $50,000 and $100,000, and the amendment was intended to allow coverage for multiple events in the coming year.
Atlanta Department of Transportation Commissioner Solomon McCavins told the committee the department altered its approach to contract administration for the program and was converting to direct security-service contracts. Stephanie Grant of the law department said staff would review the original contract documents and advise whether a waiver is required and what supporting documentation would be needed.
After discussion, Council Member Juan offered a motion to approve the amendment on condition that a floor amendment for the procurement-code waiver language and the supporting procurement documentation be added before full council consideration. The motion was seconded and the committee recorded the item as "favorable on condition." The clerk announced the vote as five yays, zero nays, one abstention.
Several members requested more detailed budgeting and program documentation. "A million dollars sounds like it was just pulled out of the sky," Councilwoman Marcy Collier Overstreet said, requesting a clearer line-item justification and a program budget that shows per-event estimates and overall ceilings. Vice Chair Overstreet and other members asked the department to provide a breakdown of historical event costs and a written explanation of the $1 million figure; the department agreed to provide a detailed budget and a presentation at a later date.
The committee also debated contractor selection and public-safety staffing. Council Member Dustin Hillis raised concerns about relying on a contractor whose work was connected to corrections contracts, and said he preferred using off-duty Atlanta Police Department officers or contractors with demonstrated law-enforcement experience for public-event security. Hillis said he would abstain from the final vote pending further information about contractor vetting.
Next steps: the committee approved the amendment conditionally and required staff to prepare a floor amendment adding explicit procurement-waiver language and to supply procurement and user-department justification documents and a detailed Atlanta Streets Alive budget before the City Council takes final action.
