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Council delays vote on Lethonia law‑enforcement IGA after questions about auto‑renewal and scope
Summary
Council deferred action, 4–1, on an intergovernmental agreement with the city of Lethonia for law‑enforcement services to allow staff and legal to refine contract language around automatic renewal, non‑basic services and executive protection scope; Lethonia representatives said they often provide out‑of‑scope assistance without invoicing.
The Stonecrest City Council on March 9 voted to defer a final decision on an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the city of Lethonia for law‑enforcement services, sending the item back for edits and legal review ahead of a March 23 decision.
Procurement Manager Tanisha Boington presented a packet of invoices and supporting materials intended to clarify executive‑protection costs and show the services Lethonia provides. Council members raised two main concerns: an automatic renewal clause in the draft IGA and an ambiguous definition of "non‑basic" services — the latter referring to requests that fall outside routine stationing of officers at City Hall, parks and other city facilities.
Kyle Jones, assistant to Chief De Janeette of the Lethonia Police Department, told the council the department has on occasion responded to incidents in Stonecrest, including storm response and mutual‑aid calls, even when Decab (the county agency) could not respond promptly. "We provide all types of non‑police services to Stonecrest all the time and he doesn't submit invoices for those services," Jones said, describing ad hoc assistance the partner agency has supplied without charging Stonecrest.
Councilwoman Carisha Smith moved to defer the item to the March 23 council meeting to allow recommended contract changes to be vetted and added; Councilwoman Alicia Washington seconded. The motion passed 4–1, with Councilman Terry Fi voting no. Council members asked staff to return with clearer language that defines executive protection, enumerates non‑basic services and removes or limits automatic renewal so the council can revisit performance benchmarks before a multi‑year renewal.
Procurement staff and the Lethonia representatives said they are available to work with legal and council to draft the clarified language and that Lethonia will document the scope of executive protection and invoicing practices in follow‑up materials.
