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After sharp debate, Stonecrest approves IGA with Lithonia for security services; mayor breaks tie
Summary
The council approved an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Lithonia to provide security and law-enforcement services to Stonecrest facilities and events after extensive debate about vehicle title transfer, insurance and reporting; the approval came after a tied vote and the mayor broke the tie in favor of the IGA.
After extended debate about coverage, reporting and costs, the Stonecrest City Council approved an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the City of Lithonia to provide building-security and law-enforcement services, with the mayor breaking a tie to carry the motion.
Procurement presented the IGA and told council staff had included changes discussed in the work session: clarified definitions for executive-protection services, a one-year cap for certain nonbasic services, transfer of title for a special-service vehicle and reporting requirements. Procurement said council’s requested amendments were included in the agenda packet.
Council members pressed staff on which version of the IGA they were voting on and on operational matters that would shift costs to Stonecrest if title were transferred immediately. “When transferring the title, the way the current one reads... we would take on any insurance premiums, repair costs and fuel,” Mayor Cobble said while asking staff to confirm budget implications. Procurement and Lithonia representatives said those expenses could be discussed and that both cities carry similar risk pools.
Representatives from the City of Lithonia answered questions about staffing and contingencies; a Lithonia official said officers had performed the services for roughly 18 months and could continue but warned that some specialty equipment would need de‑equipmenting before transfer. Major/DeKalb County representatives and Stonecrest’s DeKalb-PD commander also spoke during the hearing about continuity and communications: Major Barron (DeKalb County) urged the council to consider keeping DeKalb County as a partner, warning that splitting services could create reporting and continuity gaps for incident response.
Councilwoman Washington moved to deny the IGA, which resulted in a 2–2 tie and a failed denial; a subsequent motion to approve the IGA passed after Councilman Turner moved to approve and the mayor cast the deciding vote in favor. The clerk recorded the motion as approved with the mayor breaking the tie. The council also approved a resolution to ratify security services to fill any gap between the expired contract and the newly approved IGA; staff will amend the resolution language to clarify the retroactive extension period.
Council asked staff to finalize the vehicle-title/insurance details, to confirm whether Lithonia will continue to cover auxiliary costs during a transition, and to include stronger reporting and incident‑report provisions so DeKalb County and Stonecrest command staff receive timely notifications.
Next steps: legal and procurement will finalize the executed IGA, incorporate agreed reporting requirements, and return any necessary budget amendments for insurance or fuel if the city assumes vehicle ownership or auxiliary costs.
