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Commissioners take up substitute for SPL0ST 2 resident review committee; committee defers to give all commissioners time to review
Summary
A substitute resolution creating a SPL0ST 2 resident review committee and adding an equity-analysis provision was presented; commissioners asked for wider distribution and more time and deferred consideration to the June 3 Operations Committee meeting.
The Operations Committee considered a substitute resolution that would replace the citizens oversight committee for SPLOST 2 with a resident review committee charged to review revenue collection, spending and project impacts and to develop an equity‑analysis process. The substitute—drafted with input from commissioners and central staff—adds language urging committee members to employ equity analysis when reviewing projects.
Why it mattered: Residents and commissioners told staff that the existing SPLOST oversight structure lacked clear structure, meeting cadence and reporting; the substitute adds monthly meeting requirements, minutes and a role for an equity analysis to evaluate geographic or demographic imbalances in project distribution.
Discussion and concerns: Commissioners and staff discussed who should take minutes (administration vs. committee), whether meetings should air on DCTV/Ustream, meeting frequency (monthly vs. bimonthly), whether the equity analysis could be interpreted as a veto over projects, and the need for better early engagement so the review committee can advise before projects are finalized. Staff said project selection is primarily needs‑driven—e.g., road repairs prioritized by worst-first scoring and fire‑station siting determined by system response needs—and committed to producing data and “heat maps” showing geographic distribution of completed and proposed projects.
Outcome: Commissioners asked that the substitute be circulated to all members; the committee deferred the resolution for two weeks and directed the law department to receive comments from individual commissioners and report back at the June 3 Operations Committee meeting.
Provenance: The substitute was presented during the meeting packet and discussed at length; commissioners and staff made numerous suggested edits and asked for a deferral to allow full review.
