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DeKalb Committee reports: PWI accepts $800,000 federal funds for greenway; PECS defers housing trust and donation-box resolutions
Summary
Commissioners summarized committee items including approval of $800,000 in Safe Streets funding for the North Fork Peachtree Creek Greenway, committee deferrals of multiple housing trust and donation-box items, and a preview of the executive agenda that includes several grants and contract items for the Jan. 28 meeting.
Commissioners on Tuesday reviewed recent committee activity and a preliminary executive agenda for Jan. 28, reporting approvals, deferrals and several items slated for committee review.
Public Works & Infrastructure (PWI)
Commissioner Robert Patrick said the last PWI meeting considered 20 agenda items; 13 were approved and 7 were deferred. Approved items included acceptance of $800,000 in Federal Highway Administration Safe Streets and Roads for All funds for the North Fork Peachtree Creek Greenway and approval of a contract for right-of-way beautification. Patrick noted the county did not hold a PWI meeting on Jan. 21 and that a new committee formation will follow.
Employee Relations & Public Safety (IRPS)
Commissioner Ted Terry said IRPS handled carryover contract items related to police and fire. The committee received a handout from the 911 director and deferred a 911 presentation until a later meeting. Terry also said audit staff recommended reducing a fire-rescue engine and aerial accessories request from $5,200,000 to $2,900,000 and that those items were subsequently passed at a prior board meeting.
Planning, Economic Development & Community Services (PECS)
Presiding Officer Michelle Long Spears (chair of PECS) reported the committee recommended approval of an appointment — Hillary Gardner — to the DeKalb County Public Library Board of Trustees and recommended approval of a contract for tree cutting and removal services. Several long-standing housing items, including the Housing Trust Fund discussion and a resolution designating 1% of the 8% hotel-motel tax for an Affordable Housing Trust Fund, were deferred to give new commissioners time to review consultant materials. The committee also deferred a resolution addressing blight from unattended donation boxes; a Housing First model discussion continued in committee with speakers including Fabio (Claretel) and Alan Mitchell (Community Development).
Executive agenda preview
Chief Operating Officer (Mister Williams) reviewed preliminary items for the Jan. 28 executive agenda. Highlights included an airport reimbursement agreement with FAA for runway improvements costing $177,648.76; two HUD congressional grant awards of $850,000 each for Kittredge Park and County Line Park renovations; an acceptance of up to $70,000 in WIOA rapid response funds for dislocated workers; and a $3,000 assistance award from Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security for police EOD K9 expenses. A Georgia Power easement request on county property (727 Camp Road in Decatur) will be routed to PWI with a site map. Several items were designated for PECS review or consent placement.
Appointments and minutes
The agenda preview included reappointments to the magistrate court bench (Judge Bethel, Foxworth, Harvey and Sachs through Dec. 31, 2028), reappointments to advisory bodies and a recording in the minutes of district-level appointments. Commissioners also filed a walk-on zoning-board appointment.
What’s next
Staff said the substitute water-rate item will be discussed in PWI and that other preliminary items will be posted for committee consideration next week. No final Board votes on these preliminary items were taken at the Jan. 21 meeting.
