Consultant says Phase 1 of DeKalb County space study complete; recommends staff, safety and process changes

DeKalb County commissioners heard a presentation Nov. 10 from consultant Kelly on a multi‑phase space and operations study that found widespread space shortages, inconsistent processes and building‑safety concerns across county facilities.

Kelly told the board that Phase 1 of the study is complete and Phase 2 is nearly finished. "Phase 1 is complete," Kelly said, summarizing initial interviews and facility assessments. The team interviewed 27 departments, documented staffing plans and hours, and mapped department interactions to identify which offices work together most frequently.

The consultant said most departments report being "staffed to plan," but about half still face physical space shortages and storage shortfalls. Kelly highlighted several risks: the annex building’s public and custody functions sometimes intermix, a planning-and-building office has holes in the floor and limited public‑facing space, and portions of the courthouse may not meet current ADA access expectations. Kelly also cited maintenance and process gaps; maintenance work is largely reactive, and there is no single, traceable system for tracking building needs and long‑range capital planning.

The presentation recommended organizational and procedural steps: elevate the county maintenance lead’s position (to create clearer accountability and forward planning), develop a county org chart and RACI mapping (responsible, accountable, consulted, informed) for department functions, and create heat maps to show where departments interact most and where space optimization can yield benefits.

Kelly also noted safety and risk‑mitigation issues found during site visits, including basement flood history and limited egress in some buildings, and recommended legal review before final public reporting of some security recommendations. The consultant said the team will continue vetting outdated processes that affect how the public interacts with county offices.

Commissioners and staff asked clarifying questions about next steps and timing; Kelly said the team will provide additional workflow diagrams, the org chart sample and final recommendations in subsequent phases. County staff said they will forward security and risk summaries to the courthouse security working group and asked the consultant to provide a concise risk summary to circulate before that meeting.

The board did not take formal action on the study during the meeting; Kelly said the team will return with more detailed deliverables in later phases and will consult with county legal staff on language for risk items before finalizing recommendations.