South Fulton attorney outlines new MOU/PSA rules; council approves pageant agreements and calls for clearer vendor documents

City of South Fulton officials moved to tighten how the city contracts with event vendors after the city attorney presented new guidance for memoranda of understanding (MOUs), professional services agreements (PSAs), insurance certificates and waivers at the Jan. 28 council meeting.

City Attorney Sarah Kelly explained that PSAs should spell out the scope of work, require indemnification clauses and require vendors to provide certificates of insurance naming the city as an additional insured before providing services. “The reason why this is important is if we had an event and someone happened to twist their ankle,” Kelly said, describing why the city needs clear contractual protections and vendor insurance.

Kelly told council that MOUs are best used for ongoing relationships while PSAs are appropriate for a single event or vendor; entertainers who cannot provide insurance — for example, individual dancers — should sign waivers acknowledging performance risk and agreeing not to sue the city. She also said who signs agreements depends on the content: many standard PSAs can be executed by the city manager or her designee; contracts tied to council‑approved events travel with the event approval for council review.

Council and staff said they will make the process more consistent and transparent. Kelly and staff said PSAs will be required for individual vendors and that certificates of insurance should arrive at least seven days before events. The administration said it will develop standard operating procedures and training for customer service and event staff to improve the quality and traceability of submissions; staff said missing certificates or late submissions may jeopardize an event.

Pageant approvals and vendor details: The council approved a set of agreements related to the Miss City of South Fulton pageant and related activities, including professional services agreements and amendments that clarify which activities and vendors are covered by each PSA and require separate PSAs for certain vendors (for example, the play and individual vendors such as caterers or decorators). Dr. Levy Negron, a resident and pageant organizer, described the pageant’s goals and said organizers had raised more than $25,000 for scholarships and secured a host hotel inside South Fulton; she said more than half the delegates live in the city.

Councilmembers pressed for clearer accounting: Attorney Kelly said an addendum can require pageant organizers to provide an accounting showing that proceeds go solely to scholarships, and that the original PSA language referring to “initiatives” had intended the scholarship fund, not separate sub‑events such as a play. Council members said they want explicit accounting language and separate PSAs for vendors for clarity and public transparency.

What happens next: The city manager and attorney said they will produce templates and checklists for the PSA/MOU process, work with the clerk’s office to ensure a copy of submissions returns to submitting officials, and seek to set an enforceable timeline for required documents. Kelly said staff will integrate these rules in the special events legislation under review.

Taper: Council members praised the policy work as a “good step” and asked staff to schedule training and create records so council members and residents can track event approvals and vendor insurance before events occur.