DeKalb County committee forwards watershed oversight resolution to PWI after audit review

DeKalb County’s Finance, Audit and Budget (FAB) Committee voted to forward Resolution 0240 — which changes the oversight language from an auditor to a monitor for the county’s watershed functions — to the Public Works and Infrastructure (PWI) committee for a June 3 hearing and to the Board of Commissioners (BOC) for consideration on June 10.

The committee acted after the law department and the Office of Independent Internal Audit provided red-line feedback on the draft resolution. Attorney Wells, speaking for the law department, said the watershed department has completed a cursory review but wants a deeper review of the monitor’s scope. “While the department has done a cursory review, they would like to do a little deeper dive on the scope,” Attorney Wells said, adding that the deeper review could be completed before the June 10 BOC meeting if the committee advanced the item.

Why it matters: The resolution alters how county oversight of watershed activities is described in committee materials — the chair said the title had been misleading and the draft moves the role away from an “auditor” designation toward a “monitor” designation. That change affects how the county frames its supervisory role over watershed work, and the committee voted to pass the item along so affected departments can finalize technical edits.

At the start of the meeting the committee approved minutes for item 0780 by voice vote. The committee then considered item 0240. The chair noted that Mr. Lavoy Campbell of the Office of Independent Internal Audit had supplied red-line comments and that the law department had consulted Reggie Wells, director of the watershed department, for input. After discussion, a committee member moved to send item 0240 to PWI for June 3 and to the BOC on June 10; the chair seconded. The motion carried by voice vote.

Clerk and central staff confirmed that, because the committee chair was present, the item will be added to Tuesday’s PWI agenda. “We’ll go ahead and add that to Tuesday’s PWI agenda,” a clerk said.

A separate speaker raised an operational question about meeting format, asking whether future meetings must be in person or could continue by Zoom; the speaker requested that the law department be prepared to discuss that issue at PWI. The committee did not take further action on meeting format at this session.

Next steps: Attorney Wells and the watershed director were directed to continue working with the law department and committee staff to resolve final edits before the June 3 PWI hearing and the June 10 Board of Commissioners meeting. The committee adjourned after the motion to forward the resolution carried.

Votes at a glance: Item 0780 — Approval of previous meeting minutes — moved and seconded; carried by voice vote. Item 0240 — Referral of resolution revising auditor-to-monitor language for watershed oversight to PWI (June 3) and BOC (June 10) — motion moved and seconded; carried by voice vote.