Board of Commissioners - Regular Meeting

Received additional funding, and they came back, they gave me a second grant. So that was really, really helpful for me, with the metal casting work because it's very expensive, and this was my first time casting artwork in bronze. And if not for the Fulton County grant, I would not have been able to do so.

Thank our board of commissioners for allowing us to have the infrastructure that was needed in order to set up the RFP, but also to set up our regional advisory commission or to approve their nominations. From there, we are grateful that our board of commissioners were able to approve all of the selected vendors or the selected agencies that will provide these services. Our regional advisory committee set up our bid or our proposal, our RFP, within the BIDnet system that Fulton County has. And within that, we were able to set up a matrix for scoring. One of the most important parts of that particular matrix, all of the services have to be provided to Fulton County residents, and it also has to be based on opioid use disorders.

That was the mainframe and as a part of that location, the number of clients that would be served, how would they be served in terms of treatment and recovery, of course they are already providing those services, How would they expand the use of those services more people could take advantage of it?

So

I've always been a litigator, and most of my years as a lawyer have been spent in front of judges and so I think that's something that I've gradually aspired to becoming a judge and modeling the judges that I had practiced in front of and who I had worked for and who had mentored me.

I think the Fulton County State Court bench already is doing such a great job. I wanna learn first everything that they're doing well and then just add even more to it. I helped create the first case management process in the history of Fulton County so I can bring in some of that almost government turned business like efficiency. Also, tried a lot of cases, so plan to try a lot of cases. The thing on the civil side is if people people's lives and businesses are just put on hold indefinitely, then that doesn't serve anybody. The cases need to move forward. And on the criminal side, you need to protect the community. So that's what I'll bring.

And what we're most excited about is we have two very well qualified, very nice, very fair minded, individuals who are being appointed. In Fulton County, we have a diverse, fair, hardworking bench, and we're really excited to have Bobby Wolf and Tory Smith come on board to continue that tradition.

I'm so thrilled. It's like a dream come true to have someone who I've known so well and watch grow as an attorney from an associate's role into a leadership role and now into a judge role. And I'm I'm just thrilled and thankful to have been a part of watching his journey through this process every step of

the way. Tory worked for me for, I don't even remember how many years, at least five or six years as my staff attorney. And he was almost like a son to me. And so I would not miss this, and I'm so glad that it worked out scheduling wise. And when he told me that he was being considered, I was very proud that he was even being considered and on the shortlist. But I'm really proud that he's been selected.

Hello, and welcome to Fulton County Library presents the library access. I'm your host, Brianna Botsford. February is a powerful month at the Fulton County Library System, a time for service, storytelling, and celebrating history. Today's episode highlights how our libraries connect community, culture, and learning through impactful programs and partnerships. Let's take a look at what's happening across the Fulton County Library system.

Volunteers play a vital role in supporting our libraries, from assisting with programs to helping create welcoming spaces for patrons of all ages. The Fulton County Library System is proud to highlight the importance of giving back through our volunteer opportunities. Let's take a look at how volunteers make a difference every day.

Volunteers play a huge impact in accomplishing the library's mission, which states that the Fulton County Library System serves as a cultural and intellectual center that enriches community and empowers all residents with essential tools for lifelong learning. It is very important to have volunteers engage with us in this manner because it is a chance for them to see that their work directly impacts patrons and the community at large. There are four ways for volunteers to help in the Bowling County Library system. Shelving, which is our main way for our volunteers to help, and it's help putting books back on the shelf. Clerical tasks, which are things that the staff may need support with, which we will gladly have volunteers help with.

And programming assistance or leading programs if you have knowledge and expertise that you would like to share with the community. Another way for volunteers to make an impact in the library is joining the friends group. The friends group is a primary way for the library to fund programs. Your cooperation with the friends group would enhance their ability to do book sales as well as special events for the library. All the profits from their book sales go directly to community programming as well as to enhancing the library for all patrons.

So when you volunteer for the friends group, you're volunteering for your community. And the last way for volunteers to help out is through special events that may happen at your local branch during throughout the year. For youth who wanting to volunteer for the library, this is a great way for you to gain credit for clubs and school, as well as for building any type of community service record for college applications or resumes. And for adults, they could also use volunteer service information potentially for their own resumes when they apply for other jobs or for references if they know the librarian they worked with at their local library well enough. Volunteers can apply in two ways, either in person at the library or online.

We do require youths to apply in person at the library. Volunteers need to be 13 or older, and their application needs to be signed in the back by the parent and submitted to their local library for approval. For adults, any adult can apply online through our online application or apply in person at your local library. If you have any questions about the volunteer application process or just wanting to know more about the volunteering at your local library, we encourage you to call the volunteer services office. Someone from the volunteer services office will reach out to you once your application has been approved.

This process may take a few business days, but we encourage you to reach out to us if you have not heard back from us. For youths that have additional questions, we encourage you to speak to the youth service librarian at your local branch. They will be able to answer any of the questions you have or provide you the necessary contact to find the answers you're looking for. Every year, the Fulton County Library System honors its volunteers through a volunteer appreciation event. This event is for the Fulton County Library System to celebrate all of the amazing contributions that the volunteers provided to the Fulton County library system throughout the year of 2025.

We will be celebrating volunteers who have met various milestones, including multiple years of service, volunteers who have given certain numbers of years, and more. Volunteer appreciation event serves as a way to recognize the dedication and the volunteers put in both the local library and their community at large. This event also gives a volunteer a chance to meet other volunteers and throughout the library system and learn about their experiences working with Fulton County Library System. If you're interested in sharing your knowledge and experience in the community in the form of leading a program for the Fulton County Library branch, then I recommend you reaching out to the volunteer services office to help you with starting the process and may give you suggestions on how you can help share your skills and expertise with the library and the community at large. To learn more about the volunteer services, we encourage you to visit the Fulco Library website slash volunteer page.

Our volunteers truly help bring the mission of the Fulton County Library System to life. If you're interested in learning more about volunteering and how you can get involved, visit the folcolibrary.org website to explore our volunteer services page. Early literacy is the foundation of lifelong learning, and one of the most impactful initiatives supporting our youngest readers is books for babies. This special partnership between the Fulton County Library System, the Atlanta Fulton Public Library Foundation, and Reach Out and Read Georgia helps place books directly in the hands of families during pediatric well child visits, encouraging reading from birth. Let's take a closer look about this wonderful initiative.

So the Books for Babies initiative is a partnership with Reach Out and Read, the Atlanta Fulton Library System, and the Atlanta Fulton Library Foundation to give books to children starting at birth through three years of age and so we have received funds to provide over 2,300 books to our clinics in Fulton County and provide them with beautiful age appropriate language appropriate books for those first three years where eighty percent of brain development happens. There's so much need for parents to connect with their babies and to find opportunities to have that baby get snuggled on in their lap and to engage and to learn and to have fun and our books provide that those opportunities and we couldn't do it without the Library Foundation and this partnership with the library. It's not only the physical books it's also the information about the library having those resources available to parents so that they can get more books and they can continue that love of reading outside of the pediatric office.

The Books for Babies initiative is something that we have renewed with the Fulton County Library System and it is an effort to get books in the hands of babies and young children to inspire their families to put early literacy on the front burner. If children are not reading at grade level by third grade, it can set them back years and it has impacts on their vocabulary and on all aspects of learning. I hope that it will encourage not only children to read, but parents and caregivers to read as well because parents and caregivers are their children's first teachers and it is very important for them to model that behavior of reading.

It all starts with that trusted relationship. You go to a pediatrician because you trust what they have to say as far as how to take care of your child, what to expect developmentally, and I feel like the program really uses that report to to get that information to that parent and so what they're doing is they're just they're reinforcing the great behaviors that the parents are implementing talking and singing with those babies, giving them books, so they're getting that coaching at every well check you know it's like four well checks in those first six months. I think parents get overwhelmed with all the information but having that kind of visual my baby really loves to be with me, baby loves to to read with me, this is something that I can do at home and I feel empowered to do it that's something that helps like reduce stress and build confidence in a parent and in turn that's going to impact that baby in a really amazing way.

We offer a book to every well visit for the books for babies it's birth through six months and talk to the parents about it how important it is to read to babies even from the very beginning before they can really even look at the pictures and then eventually they will learn more literacy from that but it's a good routine to get into reading to babies is very important. We also give them papers that talk about literacy milestones, and it also has some library resources on there. The other thing that I use the books for is actually a developmental assessment. Babies don't even recognize that they've received a book at the beginning but then by the time they're four months old, six months old, they're really starting to look at the book more. They'll check-in with me or they'll check-in with their family members to make sure that it's okay and these are all developmental milestones that they're achieving and I go through that and tell the parents and point that out to them to say look how much you know your baby's doing now compared to when we just started this whole process.

Partnerships like this helps us sustain give us opportunities to expand our program even more in Fulton County. Having books readily available always a 100% of the time keeps our program at high quality which means parents read to their kids more often and they show up to school with that six month language gain because

Hello, and welcome to Fulton County Library presents the library access. I'm your host, Brianna Botsford. February is a powerful month at the Fulton County Library System, a time for service, storytelling, and celebrating history. Today's episode highlights how our libraries connect community, culture, and learning through impactful programs and partnerships. Let's take a look at what's happening across the Fulton County Library system. Volunteers play a vital role in supporting our libraries, from assisting with programs to helping create welcoming spaces for patrons of all ages.

Alright. Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the first regular meeting of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. This is Wednesday, February 4. It is 10:02 a. M. Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Chairman Rob Pitts. Present. Commissioner Bridget Thorne. Present. Commissioner Bob Ellis.

Present.

Commissioner Dana Barron. Present. Commissioner Mo Ivory. Present. Commissioner Marvin Arrington Junior.

Present.

Vice Chairman Khadija Abdul Rahman. Present. Mister chairman, you have a quorum.

Thank you madam clerk. Please rise for the invocation followed by the pledge of allegiance.

Let us pray. Almighty God, we give you thanks for this day, for your grace and mercy upon our lives. We pray now your blessing upon those who are gathered. Continue now to strengthen our leaders. Give them your direction. It is in your name that we humbly pray. Amen.

Amen. Alright. I pledge allegiance to the flag of The United States Of America. Alright, continue madam clerk.

On page two, consent agenda 20 six-forty five adoption of the consent agenda. All matters listed on the consent agenda are considered routine by the County Commission and will be enacted by one motion. No separate discussion will take place on these items. If discussion of any consent agenda item is desired, the item will be moved to the first regular meeting agenda for separate consideration.

Any items, nothing madam clerk, commissioners, no items. I entertain a motion to approve. Alright, motion to approve by Commissioner Thorne. It is seconded by Commissioner Barrett. Please vote.

And the vote is open. And the motion passes unanimously. Next item. On page four, first regular meeting agenda 26, zero, zero, five, three, adoption of the first regular meeting agenda.

Any items? Commissioners? Alright, motion to approve by Commissioner Barrett, seconded by vice chair Abdur Rahman. Please vote.

And the vote is open. And the motion passes, six yeas, zero nays. Twenty six zero zero five four ratification of minutes. First regular meeting minutes January 7, second regular meeting postagenda minutes 01/21/2026.

Alright motion to approve by commissioner Barrett, seconded by vice chair Abdur Rahman. Please vote.

And the vote is open. And the motion passes unanimously. 20 six-zero-zero-five-five, presentation of proclamations and certificates. The first proclamation is recognizing Shola Ola Ron Sola appreciation day sponsored by Chairman Pitts, Vice Chair Abdul Rahman, Commissioners Thorne, Ellis, Barrett and Ivory.

Thank you.

I want to make sure I say his name correctly. Is it Fasello? Am I saying it correctly? Will all those that are here please come down? Oh, he's not here yet? Okay, so we can move on to the next one.

The next proclamation is recognizing Pedal Forward Foundation Appreciation Day sponsored by Commissioner Ellis with full BOC support.

All right. Ask these guys to come down from pedal forward. And we have a little bit of a not a full theme, but we're going to be recognizing some outstanding youth leaders here in a minute in a different capacity and I've got the opportunity to recognize this trio of young men and the leadership that they are providing in a unique way in using their skills and their talents. So I'm super honored to provide this proclamation with the support of the full board today. So without further ado, whereas Pedal Forward Foundation is a Georgia based five zero one c three nonprofit organization founded in 2025 to address barriers to youth health, health, bike safety, and access to sustainable transportation for children and families throughout the state of Georgia.

And whereas Pedal Forward Foundation was established by Jonathan Tye, who at the age of 16 identified a growing community need following the closure of accessible bike training programs in early twenty twenty five and took initiative to build a community driven youth youth led solution to serve Georgia's families. And whereas the organization provides free bike riding instruction, bicycles and helmets to elementary school children regardless of socioeconomic status, ensuring that financial barriers do not prevent children from learning to ride safely or participating in healthy outdoor activity. And whereas since June 2025, Pedal Forward Foundation has raised more than $25,000 hosted bike training clinics, served hundreds of children, and donated hundreds of bicycles and helmets, delivering meaningful and measurable benefits to communities across Georgia. And whereas Pedal Forward Foundation sustains its work through strong partnerships with numerous other community organizations, including six chapters of the National Charity League and Young Men's Service League across Georgia as well as organizations such as Meals by Grace, North Fulton Community Charities, Bike Alpharetta, Go Georgia, and the YMCA, and also collaborates with municipal and state partners, including the city of Roswell and the Georgia Department of Transportation's safe routes to school.

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Fulton County Board of Commissioners recognizes the Pedal Forward Foundation for exemplifying civic responsibility, collaboration, and youth led service demonstrating how young Georgians can contribute meaningfully to the strength and well-being of the state of Georgia and does hereby proclaim Wednesday, 02/04/2026 as Pedal Forward Foundation today Foundation Appreciation Day in Fulton County, Georgia. Let's give them a huge hand. Jonathan, you want to share a few words about the organization and then how folks can get engaged with you?

Yeah. If I can give a short Alright.

Floor is yours.

Good morning and thank you so much commissioner Ellis and the Fulton County Board of Commissioners for this distinguished recognition. My name is Jonathan Tye and on behalf of everyone at Pedal Forward, I am incredibly honored and grateful to accept this proclamation. Today, you are not just recognizing an organization,

but

every volunteer, every donor, every parent, and every child who has contributed to this mission. Thank you especially to my family, my dad who is here today, my teammates and coach Lisa Marshall from the Multisport Explosion Triathlon team for all of their support, and my director of finance, Neil Sharma, and my senior director and best friend, Jake Judge, for supporting this journey every step of the way. We are proud to serve as a beacon of light in service within the community and to deliver this service to every child regardless of background or circumstance. Pedal Forward is beyond just cycling. It's a message to show what is possible.

At this time last year, I was told that an organization with these goals and this mission was too ambitious and that we didn't possess the funds, credibility, or experience to make this possible. So to everyone listening, I encourage you to fight for what you believe in and work harder than those who try to diminish your potential. To the policymakers listening, I ask that you use your positions not merely as offices of authority, but as platforms for servant leadership. No child's sole reason for attending a bike camp should be the promise of food. And to every youth listening, don't let your circumstance define you.

If you want to bike, you can. If you want to lead, you can. And if you want to make change, you can. Your only defining factor is how hard you're willing to work for it and how much you believe that you can. Pedal Forward has just one goal: to teach kids how to ride bikes regardless of their financial circumstances.

But through this selfless act, we are able to achieve so much more. It is Fulton's commitment to service and entrepreneurship that makes this county so great. Thank you for this incredible honor, but we are not done yet. There are still so many kids to teach and families to empower, and with the support of Fulton County, Pedal Forward will keep serving, keep building, and keep proving what's possible until opportunity reaches every child. Thank you.

The next proclamation is recognizing Shola Ola Ronsola appreciation day sponsored by chairman Pitts, vice chair Abdul Rahman, commissioners Thorne Ellis, Barrett and Ivory.

Okay, okay, okay, there we go, there we go. Shola Alaransola earned his bachelor's degree in finance from Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio, and his master of science degree in finance from Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. And, whereas Shola began his career with Fulton County government as a financial systems supervisor in the administrative delinquent tax division of the tax commissioner's office in 1995, and Shola Lee's day to day financial operations for the tax commissioner's office, including cash management, reconciliations, financial reporting, and budget analysis for tax revenues and related funds. And whereas Shola is known as a pillar of the Georgia community and trusted subject matter expert who has guided the county through major events including the nineteen ninety six Atlanta Olympic games, and whereas Shola represents the tax commissioner's office in cross department initiatives, including collaborations with the Metro Atlanta Land Bank Authority, and he is recognized internally as a go to problem solver for complex system and financial questions. And whereas Shola is a committee member and youth adviser in the Nigerian Youth Alliance where he mentors and provides financial guidance, and he also mentors many young professionals, immigrants and students in Georgia sharing his experience in public service, financial literacy and career development.

Now, it is with immense pride that this entire body, be it resolved that the Fulton County Board of Commissioners and all associated with the tax commissioner's office, congratulate Shola on his retirement after thirty years of dedicated service. We do not want to see him go. To the citizens of Fulton County and does hereby proclaim loudly and proudly Wednesday, 02/04/2026 as SHOLA appreciation day in Fulton County. Would you please put your hands together for such a dedicated employee?

Few words.

My dad has asked me to speak on his behalf. My name is Sheba Latito Olarneshala Adeyemi. One of the things that I want everyone to take away today about my dad and what I'd like to be recorded is this. The greatest gift that my dad, I believe, has given all of his children, Yaya Olorunshala, Sajid Alorunshala, Titi Laya Olorunshala, and Rashidatu Olorunshala, is the ability to absolutely love your job. One of the things that I take in my life every day is not just excellence from being who I am and excellence concerning what I do, but is ingratiating what I do in my day to day life.

I My father talks to each and every one of us about what he does every day. A lot of the people who work with him, they know us fondly. We spent summers with him. My dad allowed us to intern with him, teaching him teaching us everything that he knows. You know, you have people like LeBron James who passes basketball down to his children.

You have people like Joseph Jackson who passes down music to a great Michael Jackson. And then, you have people like Shalar Alonshala that passes love down to each and every one of us, that passes faith down to each and every one of us, that passes excellence down to each and every one of us. Supremacy in your domain of education. Supremacy in your day to day work. My father is consistently honored not just here, but in so many different small communities around.

Daddy, you are a great man. You are an excellent giant and on us, on you, we stand. By the special grace of God, every single thing that you have done for us, God will repay you 100 times full. And, for every single person you have come across, may the same grace and blessings that God has bestowed upon you be bestowed upon them. May Fulton County be greater and better because of you and may may Fulton County Right now, is the least this county will ever be. It's greatness going forward in this state for this county going forward. I thank you for everyone for just applauding him. I thank you daddy for all that you've done. I thank each and every one of you guys for serving us. May God bless you and help you.

And, may you do well in what you're doing as well. Thank you.

Thank

you for calling service.

The next proclamation is recognizing Fulton County Department of Registration and Elections Appreciation Day sponsored by commissioners Barrett and Ivory.

I'd like to invite the Department of Registration and Elections down to join us and as they're making their way down, I just want to say that we run exemplary elections in Fulton County that can be Yes. Thank you. Thank you.

If everybody could stand up and clap for our elections for what they've been through this past week, I would really appreciate that because they deserve that and more. Thank you.

Thank you, guys. Thank you guys so much. And thank you for that applause. I think it gets lost that these are real people that work hard every day in this department to do their jobs and they do it not just because it's their jobs but because they believe in this country and this county and this state and of and in being of service. These are they used to be kind of regular administrative jobs and then they turned into what they are now.

So these are brave people that are standing before you and I really applaud them. The proclamation reads, whereas the Fulton County Department of Registration and Elections performs a fundamental role in our democracy by overseeing elections that are secure, accessible, and fair for the voters of Fulton County and whereas the department prioritizes strengthening public trust in our democratic process and works to ensure that every eligible voter in Fulton County can register, vote, and have their ballot counted, and whereas the department works year round to carefully maintain voter registration records, educate voters, and respond to the questions from the public. And whereas the department improves accessibility by supporting voters with disabilities and language needs, operating convenient and secure voting locations, and continuously improving systems to meet evolving needs and legal requirements, and whereas the department's commitment to accuracy, customer service, and public accountability reflects the values of Fulton County and supports the peaceful, orderly transfer of power that is critical to a healthy democracy. Now therefore be it resolved that the Fulton County Board of Commissioners commends the Fulton County Department of Registration and Elections for its professionalism and exemplary public service and does hereby proclaim Wednesday, February 4 as Fulton County Department of Registration and Elections Day in Fulton County, Georgia.

Thank you so much. We sincerely thank the board of commissioners for this recognition. Our department has successfully conducted more than 25 elections since 2020 and will continue to do so. Our responsibility is clear to ensure every vote counts regardless of who the voter supports. And despite criticism, scrutiny of our work, or complex legislation, we will remain focused on serving our voters. And we will not allow a small group of individuals promoting unfounded claims to speak for the more than 700,000 voters that we that depend on us to administer fair, accurate, and secure elections. So we can do this work with the support of the board of elections, the board of Commissioners, Board of Elections, and we thank you so much again for this recognition.

That's it.

Presentation of certificates, youth commission induction ceremony sponsored by the full Board of Commissioners.

Good morning.

At this time, we will begin our youth commission induction ceremony for the 2025 through 2026 youth commissioners. I'd like to ask our youth commissioners to stand and raise their right hand. I would also like to call our chairman who will recite our oath of service.

I state your name. Do affirm. Do affirm. That I will well and truly. That I will well and truly. Discharge the duties of youth commissioner. For Fulton County in all matters which require me to the best of my knowledge and skill to advise the Fulton County Board of Commissioners

To advise the Fulton County Board

Commissioners about how Fulton County best address youth address youth concerns and issues and issues design techniques to prevent at risk situations of teenagers in Fulton County influence policies that impact youth and children I do further solemnly affirm that I will endeavor to discharge my duties in the following manner in monthly meetings and community projects maintain maintain contact with commissioners on youth issues attend board of commissioners meetings plan community service projects that will benefit youth and reflect favorably on Fulton County government and share pertinent information And share pertinent information. With my peers

With my peers.

On youth related issues.

On youth related issues.

I pledge that I will fulfill these duties.

I pledge that I will

fulfill these duties. And I will act in my judgment.

And I will act in my judgment.

Which will be the most conducive.

Which be the most conducive.

To the welfare and best interest

best interest

of the youth the entire county the entire county. These affirmations I hereby make I hereby make on this fourth day in February

this 2620

congratulations.

Congratulations.

Okay. We will pass out our certificates of induction starting with commissioner Thorne, District 1. Vanley Borough, Eshon Kurjal, Sophia Campos. Vera Chamanilian. Andy Liu.

Next up, representing District 2, commissioner Ellis's district.

Alexa

McCarley. Nathaniel D'Silva. Eshon Raj, Joseph Sam Giles, Next, representing commissioner Barrett in District 3, James Lethew, Maya Hollom, Rohan Anand, Roshab Anand, and Claire Collins. Next representing commissioner Ivory in District 4, Tegan Duro, Moses Starben. Abby Alexander.

Olivia Kabamba. Esmini Vasilogu. Next, representing commissioner Arrington in District 5, Miles Creighton. Taylor Walton, Natalia Desire, and Derek Isaiah Reid. Next, representing vice chair Khadija in District 6, Joy Oxon, Leila Patel, Maya Nelson, and also vice chair, Cyra Washington.

And Alexander Chalk. Next, serving at large, representing Chairman Pitts, Youth Commission Chair, Sanae Sipio. Some quick words from my chair. Good

morning. So my name is Sanaa Scipio and I am proud to represent Fulton County Youth Commission's chair this year. First off, I would like to thank our board of commissioners. We are so proud to get this prestigious honor. I cannot thank you enough.

But furthermore, I would like to thank the Fulton County Youth Commission. Every single student that is standing at the top of those stairs has been there for a year or longer working tirelessly for the youth of Fulton County. Every single Wednesday, they come here, we work on all of our projects and we make sure that the youth are properly represented. We work on the aspects of health, of legislation, of the environment, of social progress. We sit here as a committee that is promoting public service.

What we do is we serve our youth. We don't do this for money, we don't do this for recognition, but we do this because we care about the fellow youth in our county. For me, Fulton County Youth Commission has given me one of the greatest lessons I think I will ever learn and that is the greatness of the state of Georgia. I get to see what Georgia looks like in those eyes every single Wednesday. I get to see the diversity that Georgia has. I get to see the strength that Georgia has. I get to see the relentlessness that Georgia has. The persistence to constantly constantly constantly promote what we know is right in the state of Georgia. I cannot be prouder to serve on this commission and I cannot be prouder to serve as chair. So furthermore, I again thank our board of commissioners.

I hope to be one one day. And furthermore, I cannot wait to promote and congratulate all the students standing at the top of those stairs. Thank you so much.

This, in closing, thank you to our Board of Commissioners members for your continuous support. Thank you to our executive leaders. Thank you to the division of youth and community services and external affairs for their support in pulling us all together. And thank you to our clerk. So many people behind the scenes helped make this program and this induction possible. I just want to recognize them all. And to our parents, thank you so much for your support and just being with the program, transporting our students to and from. We are so grateful for your support for this program as well. Thank you all.

Clerk, can we move forward next? On page five, public hearings twenty six zero zero five six public comment. Citizens wishing to participate in public comment will be allowed to appear in person or may choose to participate virtually via zoom video conferencing by registering on the county website www.fultoncountyga.gov. Priority for public comment will be given to Fulton County citizens and those individuals representing businesses or organizations located within Fulton County. Speakers will be granted up to two minutes each.

The public will not be allowed to yield or donate time to other speakers. The public comment portion of the meeting will not exceed sixty minutes. In the event the sixty minute time limit is reached prior to public comments being completed, public comment will be suspended and the business portion of the bill ceding will commence. Public comment will resume at the end of the meeting. Mr. Chairman and members of the Board, we'll start with the speakers here in Assembly Hall. We have received 23 speaker cards. Will the first six speakers please come forward? Steven Dingle, Maggie McCollum, Kyle Gomez, Tonya Wright, Athena Hinney and Dewan Robinson.

Come on down. We have fifteen seconds remaining. I'll say fifteen seconds as to clue clue to begin to conclude your remarks. Thank you.

Okay, it's on. I'm sorry. Good morning Chair, good morning Vice Chair

and good morning

Board. I want to talk about the elephant in the room. I know a lot of people are running for public office on the Board, so this Board is going to look different in a few months and in January no matter the results. But we have to talk about the finances of Fulton County. There are a lot of things we have to pay for, new jail, more healthcare services, arts, our veterans and we don't have the money to pay for it. Now, a constituent of District 6 in Southwest Atlanta and we also have this TAG conversation. So, all these conversations financially, I just want to make sure that no matter what office you're running for that as you're serving currently on the Board of Commissioners of Fulton County, that we're making the best financial decisions for the constituents of Fulton County. That is all and I appreciate your time this morning.

Good morning. Happy New Year to everyone this morning. So glad to see you. My name is Maggie McCollum and I am in support for Atlanta Fulton County seniors. My mission is to promote healthy lifestyles through fun, sports, athletic competition, and health fitness and wellness for active individuals 50 and above.

My vision is to bring the Atlanta to host the twenty thirty one National Senior Games in 2031 and have at least 2,000 Georgia participants. I appeal in my quest of helping bring in the National Senior Games to Atlanta to increase the numbers of active participant in all senior centers. I currently work at Betsy Brannen Park Atlanta and I actually have started power lifting there. And through that from the coach that taught me, O'Kane Sutherland, as a result he now have nine seniors doing powerlifting, strengthening muscles, and building brain power, and just doing things to keep them from falling. We need to actually help them to do this.

We need updated equipment in all the centers for shuffleboard, things like that, yoga, pilates, and shooting skill and power walking and swimming. I'm asking for your assistance.

Fifteen seconds.

You can

help them enjoy life, stay healthy, and do the things. I will actually send you a copy of this appeal. Job's twenty two twenty eight if I don't finish. Read it. You will succeed in what you do. If you choose to do, light will shine on you.

Okay.

Thank you. Thank you.

Good morning. Good morning. My name is Kyle Gomez Lineweber, and I'm speaking on behalf of Common Cause Georgia and our more than 15,000 members across the state who care deeply about fair, secure, and accurate elections. I wanna thank you for the proclamation recognizing the County Department of Registration and Elections workers who serve this community and do an increasingly thankless job. Across the country and in our state, election professionals have faced conspiracy theories, harassment and even threats of political violence simply for doing their job.

But these are not political actors, they are public administrators. They're our neighbors. They're people trying to serve their communities and make sure every eligible voter can participate. My first job out of college was actually with Fulton County processing passport and notary applications and helping residents who needed assistance navigating government systems. It wasn't glamorous work but it was important to the people who walked through those doors.

During my time at the county which included part of the COVID nineteen pandemic, I saw firsthand the level of sacrifice and dedication local level public servants provide to their community. That's the same spirit election workers bring to their jobs every day, steady professional service to the public. Actions like the recent FBI raid and seizure of the 2020 election materials in Fulton pull attention and resources away from the vital work election workers do and irresponsibly sow mistrust at a time when confidence in elections is already fragile. The seizure of these records is particularly concerning given known incidents of carelessness with American's personal data including social security information being shared with third party systems. The public deserves transparency.

Fifteen seconds.

As we look towards 2026, we must support the professionals who run elections and protect their ability to do their job because at the end of the day, democracy doesn't run on conspiracy theories, it runs on trained public servants who show up every day to do their jobs and do their jobs well. Thank you.

Good morning, everyone. My name is Tanya Wright. I stand before you today to sound an alarm regarding a catastrophic failure of oversight that has left my community, South Park Cottages, in a state of construction and financial peril. For two years, I've brought these grievances before the city of College Park mayor and council with zero resolution. I'm now appealing to this body for an immediate investigation into what can only be described as a death trap development sanctioned by local officials.

Homeowners are navigating electrical instabilities, non labeled circuit boxes, unsafe balconies, water intrusion, poorly insulated walls that fail to meet basic habitable standards, hot water tanks installed outside, and furnace enclosed under stairways with no means of removal for maintenance. These are clear violations of standard mechanical codes. The infrastructure at South Park Cottages is not merely substandard, it is hazardous. As I speak, homeowners are dealing with bursting suppression lines. Our main water lines are above ground PVC piping merely wrapped in low grade insulation.

Rather than being properly buried or routed. This isn't just a plumbing issue. It is a life safety failure. If a fire breaks out, our suppression systems will fail because they were never installed to code. Consequently, these pipes freeze and burst every winter, leaving homeowners in fear and financial setback. I have repeatedly demanded to know who approved these plans and signed off on the certificates of occupancy. There's documented instances where COs were signed and dated after homeowners had already moved in and living in the home.

Fifteen seconds.

When I presented these concerns to College Park City Council, I was served with the cease and desist by the inspection operations manager Sabrina Walters. This is blatant attempt to silence and count concealed departmental negligence. The developer Booker T Walters

is operating

Thank you, thank you.

Good morning. My name is Athena Henry and I am also a homeowner at South Park Cottages located in College Park and I will be completing the rest of the writing here. The developer, Busher Booker T Washington operating as South Park Cottages LLC dissolved said entity on 06/24/2025 leaving a trail of liens and lawsuits followed by him stepping away as the association declarant leaving the community in financial ruin. He continues to operate under the name techie homes. The pattern here is undeniable.

A developer is being allowed to bypass safety codes, dissolve entities to escape liability, and misappropriate homeowner funds, all while city officials provide cover through silence or intimidation. Myself and Tanya are pleading for an investigation into the unethical and potentially criminal intersection of South Park Cottages LLC and the City Of College Park's building department. We humbly request that the county intervene where the city has failed. We thank you so much for your time and service.

Next six speakers please come forward Regis Johnson, Mindy Reed Morris, Rachel Glover, Marissa Pyle, Julian Binet, and Maggie Goldman.

I'm Commissioner. My time shouldn't be started because she was speaking when I stepped to the mic. Thank you. I've been recently watching what's going on over here with the constant grandstand and I have an issue with it as a citizen. Some of the same people that asked Mo Ivory to run for office to take Nelly Hall out, no I'm sorry, Nelly, some of the same people that's going against her, which I don't understand why we play these games and do that in the public, but we got the youth up here that we're celebrating, but not one of these youth when they graduate would be able to get a job from this Fullerton County board.

You don't see Bob Ellis and Dick Anderson out there speaking about Trump, and I don't know why we don't ask them what their thoughts are. You know what I'm saying? Let's see what their thoughts are. Many people say many things, but we gave a proclamation to the Florida county election. I'm sure they do a good job, but what about giving them raises?

Often times, we pat each other on the back and we so content with taking pictures and proclamations. That's a bunch of BS, man. And, I think, and I want to speak to the people out there who are representing the FBI and Trump. I don't think the Fulton County Commissioner are doing a disservice, but I do know that the Fulton County Tax Commissioner Arthur Fernardan is what a real dead bodies are laid where the crooks are, Mr. Marvin Arons.

I think that's where it at. So, when y'all said y'all ain't got no money on Miss Khadija, but we keep giving Arthur Ferdinand a raise every year. Now, how the hell is he the highest paid man in the land, but nobody is saying nothing about that? Dick Anderson, I think you being the man that run the county, mean we want hear what you got to say about Trump and all this going on. Like, y'all stop falling on the sword and making a target for yourself. Let the white republicans stand up there. We got to stop being scared and just stop playing these games.

Fifteen seconds.

And, the real problem we got in Fulton County is Arthur Ferdinand and the Tax Commissioner Office. So many black folks are losing their homes, you know what I'm saying, because of the criminal activity that's going on in the Fulton County Tax Commissioner Office.

Good morning. I'd like to give a brief introduction. My name is Regis Orlandis Johnson, veteran, United States Navy, American native, business owner of Fulton County DEFCON II Tech LLC. I look forward to supporting leadership and growth and development of Fulton County in the state of Georgia. That is all.

Good morning. My name is Mindy Reed Maurice, and I have been a Fulton County resident and voter here for the past ten years. And I just wanted to publicly share my appreciation for all of our election staff. Over the years, voted during a pandemic, during early voting, in person, and each and every time I have seen firsthand how hard our election staff work to ensure that we are all able to exercise our right to vote. And this is during each election, you know, no matter how big or small. They deserve our gratitude and support, so thank you to the commissioners for bringing forth the resolution today. Thank you.

Hi. My name is Rachel Glover, and I'm the associate director of voter access with the ACLU of Georgia. And I'm also just here today because I'm a Fulton County voter and have been for more than ten years. And again, we just wanna thank you for bringing forth the Fulton County registration and election official staff appreciation day. They worked tirelessly to ensure that every voter has the right to vote and is able to exercise that right. And as many if you've heard many say here today, they don't often receive the gratitude that they deserve. And so I really love seeing a board of commissioners appreciate their election staff in this way and we'd love to see this happen more broadly. Thank you.

Hi commissioners. My name is Marissa Pyle. I'm here on behalf of All Voting Is Local Georgia. I'm here to echo the appreciation for Fulton County's election staff and department. Right now more than ever, it's really important to show appreciation and support for election workers who are on the front lines of administering our elections in every year, every election, every day.

They work behind the scenes to plan, train for, administer elections, and work incredibly hard to ensure voters have the access to the elections that they deserve. On the heels of what we saw the unprecedented federal raid in Fulton County, it's even more important to make sure that Fulton's Election Department and their poll workers feel supported and valued by their county government. This proclamation is a good signal that the county stands behind them and I really thank you for offering it. As we move through 2026, we urge you to continue the support both through communications but also through material support, resources, funding, legal counsel. In 2026, every like every major recent election year, the focus will be intense.

Election staff are the experts in the work that they do and keeping the focus squarely on that expertise and the voters they serve helps build trust and maintain confidence. Raising rising above the noise to reassure voters that the elections will be trustworthy, safe, and fair is an imperative for local governments and voters continue to look to your leadership in these times. Thank you.

Chairman commissioners, Julian Benet. Thrilled to learn that the board of assessors has voted to appraise data center buildings at true market value. It's great news. It is economic justice for the world's most profitable corporations to pay what they owe, and it would raise tens of millions of extra property tax for county, schools, cities in 2026. And if data center servers and GPUs are also fully appraised, we'll see over a $100,000,000 extra into in 2026.

And as the wave of new data centers comes online in Fulton this decade, that figure would multiply, easing budget pressures. The county will need the outside legal help that you are lining up to make fair values stick. Chairman Pitts and commissioner Ellis, I witnessed your dedication and persistence in meetings with the assessors. You made this happen as did Lee Morris's strong leadership on this matter at the board of assessors. County residents owe each of you a lot.

The appraisal staff is to be applauded for accepting that data centers are very expensive structures, not run of the mill warehouses. Now other trophy commercial segments, prestige offices, hotels, luxury apartment towers, have big valuation gaps also with hundreds of millions in revenue opportunities. So it's good that you're planning to bring in a third party expert to review those. So there's still a lot of work to do to ensure the tax burden is fairly shared to fund our public services properly, But thanks to Commissioners Pitts, Ellis and Morris, we're now getting started. Thank you.

Maggie Goldman in District 1. Commissioner Thorne, in your testimony to the Georgia Senate Committee hearing in December 2020, you expressed a concern about no formal procedure, no oaths and no chain of custody in your observations of the counting. Your lack of concern for these legal procedures today after the FBI raid is alarming and hypocritical. I have been advocating for case management for our homeless community for the last four years. A warming center is just one element of keeping them alive so we can get them into the case management process and no longer living on the street.

One individual we assisted this weekend was evicted from the economy hotel in Roswell, lost his job at the Red Lobster when it closed. He was sleeping in his car at the Mansell Walmart. Now when we did the point in time count a couple Fridays ago, we offered hot food at that Walmart to entice those people to come out of their cars and talk to us. And this individual did come and get a hot meal at that Walmart. He then engaged with us this weekend and we got him into a hotel for the weekend.

He stayed after checkout and was able to engage with case management services, Fulton County coordinated entry, completed a homeless assessment and left with resources. That is the point, the case management. We need to be able to engage this community to a point where we can get them off of the street and into our case management program. That's what the warming center can do. It can draw them out and bring them to us.

That is what counting people in hotels can do. Bring them to us and get them into the case management system. Now we do need more case managers and that will be a separate discussion. But that is the point of what we're Not just warming centers. How do we help them come to us so that we can help them get off of the street? Thank you.

Next six speakers please come forward. Angeline Payne, Katherine Pierce, Ricky Price, Brandon Pierce, LA Pink, and Demetrius Bure.

Repeat those, madam clerk.

Angeline Payne, Katherine Pierce, Ricky Price, Brandon Pierce, LA Pink, and Demetrius Bure.

What's the first one? Pain? Pain? Alright, go to the next. What's the second one?

Is this okay? Can you hear me okay?

Yes, ma'am.

Okay. Good morning. My name is Angeline Payne and I'm here today

oh my gosh,

to formally call for a criminal investigation into organized deed theft and real property title fraud occurring across the state of Georgia under the Georgia Rico Act. Just a few weeks ago, Georgia arrested nine individuals in Hall County for operating a title fraud ring involving vehicle registrations. Authorities determined the scheme used corporations, licensed insiders, and fraudulent paperwork targeted in vulnerable individuals operated for years and generated significant illegal profits. The state currently called it what it was, organized crime. Now I ask for you to consider one simple urgent question.

If fake car titles are a crime, why aren't fake home deeds being treated the same? Because deed theft follows the very same pattern. Georgians has already acknowledged through prosecution that paper fraud is real crime. Family lose generational wealth, stability is shaken, public trust in our property system is eroded. Therefore, I urge this body and our state leaders to formally recognize d theft as organized criminal activity, not a civil inconvenience.

The question before us is Fifty no longer seconds, ma'am. Whether this is happening. The question is whether we are willing to treat it with the seriousness the law already demands. It's not okay to steal from us just because we share ancestry. Thank you.

Next speaker.

Hi, my name is Brandon Pierce. I'm here on behalf of my little brother Ricky Pierce. We just want to play a little short video that he's speaking. This is also speaking out about the police investigations and brutality in the communities, and particularly in brown black and brown neighborhoods that we are concerned about. This has to stop. We're we're over it, completely over it. The amount of cameras they put in our neighborhoods, but we're gonna just I'm gonna hold this up.

And locked in those rooms while the fire is burning in the ceiling. I run-in the office, grab one of the fire extinguishers and run back in the hallway by this kind of sergeant and unlocked the door with his key, and I've quieted now with the fire extinguisher.

That's the end of the video,

but he saved a lot of inmates in Fulton County Jail. There was a fire that broke out of his dorm. Officers would not go in to assist him. He had to go out and grab a fire extinguisher to rush back in there. He's now just been taken to Grady Hospital. He has damage to his lungs. They have they're holding him for a crime for we don't even know what the crime is about yet, but he assists the level of assistance that he gave these people at this jail, it would counterbalance what they're saying he's down there for. So we need them to look into this and investigate this properly and release him. Thank you. Thank you.

Hello, I'm Katherine. I'm Catherine Pierce speaking on behalf of my son Ricky Pierce who has been unboutfully arrested, sent from a phone call how the police ram the the camp camp police ramboated my mother my mother house, beat my son Ricky, he has bled out of the That was an incorrect arrest that violated his his United States constitutional right constitutional rights. The incorrect arrest valid his rights under the United States constitution. Anything that when an arrest is violated on the that goes against the United States constitution, charge or charges are null and void or whatever else follows that. My son is being held has been held, like, kidnapped.

He was totally violated. His constitution right here was totally violated. We're asking for my son to be released and also his.

Do like

somebody to investigate the situation in down at

Fulton County Jail as well?

The judge at Superior Court House

So document that into his

case that he's down there for as well.

The spirit could have judge that he no longer handled my assigned case but he's just sitting there and the judge hasn't released because he said he don't have the power to even have Thank

you. Thank you.

So, here we are back again with more corruption, more corruption. As you just heard, the mother and the brother of Ricky Price from Fulton County that had saved the jail, they had led him collapsed. A hit dog will holler. You guys are down here talking about voter fraud, we've been telling you all about voter fraud for how long? Didn't you do a coat of corruption pits? Ain't that what you called? What was that for? Was that not for the corruption that's going on down here? Haven't we been down here with inmates, with homeless, fraud deed? Janet been down here a thousand times for fraud deed.

That's that's that's that's got something to do with the election and everything else that's going on, they want her property. They they they have violated her. This stuff that's happening down here with the FBI and Bob, you owe them nothing. You know why? Because this is a demon rat problem.

This ain't a republican problem. You know why it's not? Because when they went down there to the FBI to the building, there was nothing but demon rats down there talking, hit dogs, hollering, Ike Arrington. All of y'all, just down there hollering about stuff we've been down here over and over and over Just because I ain't been listening, that don't mean it ain't been going on. 2,000 at the church across the street, registered to vote homeless.

What is that? That's voter fraud. We got abandoned houses, 132 people that have been registered to vote there. That's voter fraud. So when you say perfect, nothing's going on. We don't know why. Bringing in Trump

Fifteen seconds.

Talking all this stuff about what the Republicans ain't saying and doing. This paid Negro, y'all don't wanna listen to him. Get out here in

these streets. You'll know what's going on.

Good morning, board of commission. Demetrius Brewer, you all see what I'm standing out here representing, not only guard, but inmates' live matters. I walked over there myself. I don't I stay in the blow. I stay in the blow. So District 3 really is mine because I don't see any ones of y'all out there in the streets happy, doing anything. So, again, I'm here speaking on issues that really matters. Me and my wife, miss McClain, we have slept on the sidewalk. Y'all noticed that. Y'all seen most of our videos.

Y'all y'all seen this. But being registered on on the individuals and invisibles and not knowing what we even signed up for, but people say that for voting. But when we check again, our name is somewhere here in another county up on the voting registration, and we aren't even we're not even citizen resident in other counties. So we're trying to figure out where going wrong with this paperwork and why our name is over here in Clayton County and in, what was it, Lorneville, Suwanee. So we're trying to figure out what's going on.

I ain't trying to step on our toes, but some of the eyes need to be opened and see what's really real and what's going on because who is a part of that

group out there?

Emmalee King and Shirley Clark. So, again, my sister ain't making this up. Can't lie on that. That's voting fraud. Our name went on there ourselves. We know this. So get it right for me. Okay? Y'all get it right.

Fifteen seconds. Matters too.

It made lives matters. There's fluid over there in that jail. Why don't y'all take Jefferson Street and make it a full shelter, restructure it, or do something? I know y'all getting tired of people coming out here getting on y'all. Look at what we're looking at. I stay right there.

Thank you. Thank you. Last

speakers in Assembly Hall, Janet Hill, Maria Guardio, Robbie Caban, Carolyn Smith and Jamar Fitz.

Good morning. I'm Ms. Hill. I'm here now for more than the tenth time respectfully demanding that you do your job as public servants to put an end to the deed fraud crimes. Thank you Ms.

Payne for speaking up and requesting an investigation. If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. We are demanding again return of our stolen private and personal properties. We want restitution, some form of prosecution, a third party audit of these fraudulent records that are under the control of our clerk of the court, Shay Alexander. We demand dismantling of this so called alert system that is non performing.

It's a redundant system and it needs to be replaced with a system that allows us to report this fraud in the form of a hotline that goes directly to law enforcement. Deed fraud is a state and federal crime, it violates our constitutional rights and you have a duty to protect our rights. Some good news, we have recovered more properties since I was here in December. We will continue to support our seniors, our women, minorities, veterans and disabled for humane treatment for all. Thank you.

Maria Gaudia, Fulton County. So a proclamation for the BRE. The only thing missing was the crime scene tape. It shouldn't take five years of gaslighting, obfuscation, and three years three court orders, accrued $10,000 per day fines to review the twenty twenty federal election doc federal election. Election.

That means that Hello? Thank you. So that means that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had every right to come in. You've had many warnings. Those ballots belong to us, not to you.

And we want our ballots reviewed by somebody who's competent and capable. Even November 2, there's still cheating going on. I was poll watching at Roswell High School and saw 13 violations in a matter of minutes. Four of you had to run down there and get behind the crime scene tape. Now keep in mind, crime scene tape is for criminals.

Why did you have to go down there? If you trusted your clerk of court with the chain of custody that was taking place, why didn't you why why are you lying and saying there was no chain of custody? Shay Alexander was there, or is she not to be trusted? Mommas, don't let your babies go to Emory or Georgia State law schools. These two are the ones who were chasing you over a cliff.

Ten seconds.

Mamas, don't waste your money on Georgia State or Emory Lawsuit. Thank you.

Thank you.

Am I allowed to start without the clock? Okay. So I'm here to voice again concerns regarding the government or lack of government in Fulton County. I'm supporting the street groomers, LA Pink, and her advocacy for homeless residents, the incarcerated awaiting trial, the inhumane conditions in our jail. Also, think it's repugnant that the Fulton County sheriff alleges he put an accidental TPO on a resident for advocating for people who need it.

That is insane. An accidental TPO doesn't happen. You have to put someone's name, address, etcetera. That is ridiculous and y'all need to investigate it because an assault on one is an assault on all and I will stand with her because she's doing the right thing. An assault on one is an assault on all and you all should be investigating it.

Those people in our jail deserve humane treatment regardless they're awaiting trial they're not even guilty and if they were if potentially if they were guilty they would still require humane treatment. Additionally I'm voicing my support for Janet Hill who has been here over and over and over for the residents who are experiencing deed fraud. She is absolutely correct that the current system does not protect residents. In fact I'm a real estate broker and to admit this in terms of real estate I've submitted to the city, the county, all of you potential solutions and none of you have responded. You don't respond to your emails. In fact, those who do respond in a meeting then claim they're attacked. Let me tell you what an attack is. An attack is I can't walk out of my home because they're loose animals. An attack is I can't walk into animal control without being harassed. That is an attack.

Not simply holding someone accountable for what they promise. Again, this is two minutes so there's limited information that I can provide here. However, you are increasing our millage rate more than likely but where are you cutting the waste? You're making us pay for services un rendered. Specifically the Fulton County Animal Services County contract animal control contract with Lifeline Animal Project. There are still problems you haven't remedied the problems. You haven't even done an audit, an audit. I'm not attacking anyone asking for an audit.

Know, sitting sitting back here listening to everybody come up here, I'm hearing a lot of issues going on. I'm hearing a lot of issues going on in Fulton County and it seems as if nobody on this panel is actually doing their jobs. You were elected as public servants. It's not about lobbyists, whatever, whoever whoever money is coming from, you're supposed to do your jobs. That lady came up here and talked about what's going on in College Park, how many of you actually been there? You asked somebody else to come up and talk about those jails, how many have been there? And we start talking about election integrity, that's a major major thing for anybody. I don't care about a Democrat, don't care about a Republican. I care about election integrity. Stop blaming people.

People always complain about politics and everything like that. Politics does not trickle down from the president. Stop blaming the president for everything. Every single issue that was talked about today ain't got nothing to do with Trump. It has everything to do with every local official elected here. What exactly are you doing for your constituents? That's a problem. I'm so sick of partisan don't want to hear about liberal, conservative, none of that. We are American If you're not protecting them, you're not doing your job. If you're not doing your job, you shouldn't be here. There's no reason for empty buildings to have registered voters there. Where are they at? That's a major problem, it's a major issue, and if you don't want to do your job, just step down. Down.

Mister chairman, members of the board, we have 17 speakers on Zoom.

Good morning commissioners.

So, we've got a few more minutes. Let's go.

Next person to speak is Kevin Modowney.

Good morning. Chair Pitts, your recent press conference alongside alongside Sherry Allen was a master class in irony. You claim election records are no longer secure, conveniently forgetting that the only reason these records still exist is a 2021 lawsuit that luckily blocked you from destroying them. Let's address the chain of custody you suddenly value. SEB complaint 2325 describes tens of thousands of ballots arriving at State Farm Arena in unsecured mail mail mail carts with zero chain of custody.

Over 1,000,000 ballot records are allegedly missing. If the FBI investigation concludes what many suspect, the record keepers, not the records, will be the primary chain of custody problem. Your hand wringing over PII exposure is equally laughable. Fulton willingly hands voter data to Eric and Salesforce, a third party cloud cloud vendor with a track record of major hacks. Your security concerns are a transparent political shield.

Finally, after years of hiding behind very expensive criminal defense attorneys and trying to squeeze $400 out of the SEB, your promise to surrender records on February 9 carries no weight. Furthermore, by claiming you personally run election court election headquarters, you aren't showing leadership. Be careful, though you could be hand handing Dana Barrett the evidence needed for a medical ethics complaint regarding undue influence. The area the era of obfuscation is over. The results of the investigation should be very telling. Thank you very much.

Next speaker.

Hello? Hello?

Hello?

Hello? Hello?

I can hear you. Can you hear me?

Yes. Chad, would you would you check on what's going on, Chad, please?

Good morning. I'm here to request clarification and oversight regarding ethics, accountability, and the use and protection of taxpayer funds. Intellitrix LLC thousand dollars in attorney's fees paid with public funds based on litigation filings and positions taken by defendant's counsel at the time, the Fulton County attorney's office while representing the defendant in his official capacity. My questions are, was the board of commissioners made aware of these sanctions immediately? From what county fund were they paid, and were all commissioners informed or only certain members?

Second, the board frequently speaks about ethics and accountability. How does the county reconcile that commitment when misuse of a county procurement card by high level executives appears to result in no discipline while similar conduct by lower level staff would typically result in termination or referral even though the financial risk falls on taxpayers. Third, after employees participated in a protected investigation through the DCRC, adverse actions were taken against staff members involved.

Chad, can you hear me?

Has the board reviewed whether adequate safeguards exist to prevent retaliation and whether the DCRC related investigation and subsequent audit review were conducted independently and thoroughly? Finally, is it appropriate for an audit matter involving misuse of a county procurement card and taxpayer dollars to be idea was it.

I'm gonna go to the next caller now. The next caller is Matt Roanzak. Matt Roanzak. Matt Roanzak. Good

morning, commissioners. Can you hear me?

Yes.

Thank you. As there was a proclamation this morning applauding the elections department, my question is, do election workers also count? Like the election workers that submitted sworn affidavits under penalty of perjury that they handled thousands of counterfeit ballots in the twenty twenty election, are they included in that proclamation, or you just get to selectively pick who counts? Director Nadine Williams says all the accusations are essentially baseless. And chairman Pitts, you said last week that you are now concerned with chain of custody.

So if everything is baseless, then why did the attorney representing Fulton County elections last month admit that 315,000 votes were not signed off on by election workers, which is required by law, and actually three election workers. So is that another clerical error? 315,000 votes, just another clerical error? What happened to that chain of custody, chairman Pitts? You continue to also mention the three counts, but we now know from Fulton County Communications that those counts did not match and they knew it.

So chairman Pitts, you also said Fulton County was planning on turning over the election records in a few weeks. If that's the case, then what's the difference if it's a few weeks earlier? The county's only been obstructing using our taxpayer dollars for more than five years, but sure, you're going to send them over in just a few weeks. And commissioner Barrett, since it appears that chairman Pitts runs Fulton County elections, then I would expect you to immediately file an ethics complaint against your commissioner for election just like you did with commissioner Thorne. So I wanna make sure that you're consistent.

And then we also have commissioner captain Crunch who was losing her mind last week saying they are coming for your vote. How exactly is reviewing records from a previous election stealing your

Alright. Next speaker.

The next person to speak is Sean White.

How are you doing today?

We can hear you.

Okay. Good afternoon, chair and commissioners. My name is Sean White. I'm a former resident of Fulton County. I'm here today not to relitigate a criminal case, but to raise a structural concern about law oversight and due process in Fulton County.

In my case, I was arrested by, with an arrest warrant that was issued by a county clerk. I never raised my right to probable cause. Whether one agrees with the outcome of my case or not, this raises structural concerns about who who has the right to exercise the jurisdictional power in Fulton County and under what authority. Today, I speak today just merely because I used to be a juvenile. I used to be one of your former youth.

And today, y'all speak of safety, but we're not safe. We're not safe from prosecution. Keith Gambit say that he wants us to think we are safe. We are not. We are all in danger by the general solicitor's office in the way in which they maliciously prosecute us. My request to the board is simple, ensure that the policies practices align with our constitutional requirements and that the staff actually practices their position and they don't exceed their their lawful authority. I thank you for your time and this, time to present myself.

Next person to speak is Birdell Jackson. Birdell Jackson. Next person to speak is Virginia Duke. Virginia Duke. Next person to speak is Craig Weil.

Craig Weil. Next person to speak is Francis Seagars. Francis Seagars. Next person to speak is James Niemek. James Niemek.

Next person to speak is Jen Simmons. Jen Simmons. Next person to speak is Nicholas Burrows. Nicholas Burrows. Next person to speak is Randy Hubbell.

Randy Hubbell. Next person to speak is Tom Kibler. Tom Kibler. And this concludes the Zoom public comments.

Alright. Continue, madam clerk.

Continuing on page five, county manager's items under open and responsible government. Twenty six zero zero five seven, real estate and asset management request approval of the lowest responsible bidders in the total amount of $300,000 to provide fire sprinkler protection system maintenance services.

Alright. Motion to approve by commissioner Barrett, seconded by commissioner Thorne.

And vote is open. And the motion passes. Six yeas, zero nay. Twenty six zero zero five eight requests approval of the lowest responsible bidder for a new US Custom and Border Control building project at the Fulton County Executive Airport in the amount not to exceed $5,117,347.18.

Motion to approve by commissioner Ivory, seconded by commissioner Thorne. Commissioner Erickson, you have the floor.

Yes. Mister manager, if you can just explain. I want people to understand that this is for customs at the airport and this is not money for ICE or any of that.

Yes, sir. This is to construct a customs facility at the airport to meet incoming aircraft. I see David Clark coming down. It's a 5,000 square foot come on, Dave. 5,000 square foot facility, I believe, and David can correct me if I'm wrong. Think we were noticed in 2017 to begin this planning. We have both been planning as part of our master plan and then also working with the FAA and GDOT and due to David's good work and others have secured a 3,500,000.0 grant I think against this David. But if you'll comment on how this is used when an international flight comes in, that would be helpful.

Sure. David Clark, public works director. The current wave that international flights are cleared at Hartsfield is they're cleared on the ramp itself of the company that is flying in. Instance Home Depot is based at our airport. If they're flying in internationally, about an hour out they call Homeland Security, they drive up from Hartsfield, meet the plane at Home Depot's hangar, clear the plane, clear the passengers and let everybody go on their way.

Back in 2017, FAA nationwide started sending out letters to all airports saying that Homeland Security was going be changing their responsibility of how they clear aircraft, and no longer allowing it to do it in what they consider an unsecured location at someone's hangar. So instead they moved to a common building that Homeland Security customers will operate out of. Cobb County was the first Metro County to actually build one of these facilities. It's been in operation for about ten years. PDK which is in DeKalb County and us were notified in 2017 and we're starting to work through this.

These buildings aren't going to be staffed twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. The Homeland Security staff is still going be based out of Hartsfield. And when an international flight is set to land at Fulton County, they will still drive up from Hartsfield, open up the building, clear the plane and its passengers at that secure location and then allow the plane to continue on wherever it needs to go.

Okay. So but this facility, what I want to make sure that we let the public know is that ICE will not be used in this facility.

I've never heard ICE would be used in this facility. No, sir.

Alright. And this is simply a normal customs building for international flights flying into our Charlie Brown Airport.

That is correct.

Alright, thank you.

Commissioner Ivory? Thank you so much for this information and thank you also Commissioner Arrington for asking about the ICE question. We get a lot of questions. I too have been receiving a lot of questions about ICE. I'm not sure, Mr.

County Manager, or if you can answer this question. But with the World Cup coming and we know that this is on time for all of the traffic that's going to be coming through the Fulton. I know this was happening before that but it's just going to be right on time for all the private international flights that are going to be coming in. Have we been, what are we proactively doing to deal with a request from ICE that they be present at our airports or any of our facilities. So to make sure that everybody is safe from the attack that's happening right now.

David you can comment on, we haven't received any request from ICE to my knowledge. David you can comment on the air and just clarify this facility won't be ready for FIFA. They'll continue their clearing of aircraft as they do today.

That is correct. We've already confirmed that with customs that they're still gonna be clearing it at the airfield at the hangars themselves and not at this facility.

Okay. Thank you. And and you haven't gotten any requests from ICE presently? No, ma'am. Okay. Thank you so much.

Alright. Motion on the floor is to approve. Let's vote please.

And the vote is open.

Thank you.

And the motion passes. Six yeas, zero nays. On page six, twenty six zero zero five nine, registration and elections. Request approval of a statewide contract in the amount of $240,000 to purchase mandated watermark security ballot paper.

Alright. Motion to approve by commissioner Ivory, seconded by commissioner Barrett. Commissioner Thorne.

Yeah. I had a question for purchasing. Dominion has been bought by Liberty Vote. So with Liberty Vote or still do we still use Dominion? I'm confused.

Currently. Good morning, commissioners. Currently, the state of Georgia has not sent us information that we need to change. Contract hasn't changed, it's still with Dominion Voting. Once they make the change then we will make the change.

Okay and then good morning. I just had one other question. Is this just for this year, this amount of paper will just cover this election cycle? I know in the past we've purchased for a number of years and we had to throw out a bunch of paper because of law changes. So I was wondering if we were just covering the immediate elections or is this for multiple years?

It's to cover the immediate elections.

Thank you, that's all I need.

Motion is to approve, let's vote.

And the vote is open. And the motion passes. Six yays, zero nays.

Next item.

20 six-zero-zero-six-zero request approval of a statewide contract in the amount of $210,346.07 to provide printing services.

Alright, motion to approve by commissioner Barrett, seconded by commissioner Thorne.

And the vote is open. And the motion passes. Six yeas, zero nays. Twenty six zero zero six one requests approval of a statewide contract in the amount of $136,000 to provide security seals.

Motion to approve by commissioner Ivory, seconded by commissioner Thorne.

And the vote is open. And the motion passes. Six yeas, zero nays. Under justice and safety, twenty six zero zero six two, police request approval of the lowest responsible bidder in an amount not to exceed $130,000 to provide uniform, footwear, and duty gear for police personnel.

Alright. A favorable motion by commissioner Thorne, seconded by commissioner Barrett.

And the vote is open. And the motion passes. Five yeas, zero nays commissioners action items twenty six zero zero six three request approval resolution affirming the protection of constitutional rights at the Fulton County facilities and limiting ICE enforcement activities sponsored by commissioner Arrington.

Alright. Is there a motion?

I wanna hold this because the resolution was not ready with all that was going on with the election, I'm gonna bring it back at the next one so that everyone can have time to review the resolution.

No objection. Next item. Twenty six zero zero six four, request approval resolution reaffirming the total allocation of an amount not not less than $4,800,000 for permanent supportive housing in fiscal year twenty twenty six directing the county manager to present a proposed budget for fiscal year twenty twenty seven that includes an amount not less than $4,800,000 for permanent supportive housing and for other purposes sponsored by commissioner Ivory.

Motion to approve by commissioner Ivory, seconded by commissioner Barrett. Commissioner Ivory, you have the floor.

Thank you, mister chairman. I'm bringing this resolution. I mean, we heard in public comment a lot about permanent supportive housing and, our unhoused population. I'm bringing this resolution because we've made a commitment to our constituents who are experiencing homelessness and we must keep it. Permanent supportive housing saves lives.

It gives people stability, dignity and a chance to rebuild. Without predictable long term funding, the programs that serve our constituents cannot operate effectively. Providers cannot plan, hire staff, secure housing units or deliver wraparound services when funding is uncertain. Lives are at stake. This resolution reaffirms our fiscal year twenty twenty six funding of $4,800,000 for permanent supportive housing and directs the county manager to include at least $4,800,000 in the fiscal year twenty twenty seven proposed budget.

Stable funding allows providers to operate effectively plan ahead and ensure constituents receive consistent high quality services. Permanent Supporting Housing pairs affordable housing with flexible wraparound services including case management, medical care and mental health support to help residents live independently and avoid repeated episodes of homelessness. These programs require a consistent funding to function properly. Providers cannot hire or retain staff, secure units, or deliver critical services if the county allocates funding on a short term or uncertain basis. Without this stability, constituents experience interruptions in housing, interruptions in case management and behavioral health support putting their progress towards stability at risk.

Permanent supportive housing has proven outcomes that matter. Improved housing stability, better health and reduced public costs. Fewer hospital visits, fewer shelter stays, fewer encounters with the justice system. Consistent funding allows programs to scale, plan ahead and provide meaningful lasting impact rather than temporary fixes that leave constituents vulnerable. The difference between stable housing and returning to homelessness often comes down to a long term planning and county commitment.

Stable funding is not just a line item, it is a promise to constituents that we will not abandon them. This resolution ensures that our programs are able to operate predictively and effectively, honoring our commitment to the City Of Atlanta and to the people who rely on these services throughout Fulton County. Thank you.

Commissioner Ellis?

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Commissioner Ivory, I believe that you had shared with us previously in other discussions on this that you sit on the board of Partners for Home. That's correct? Yes. Okay. And you served in that capacity as a private citizen. You weren't on there in terms of that's not a county advocated role.

Yes it is. I took the seat of the former commissioner who was in this role.

But it's not a role that this county appoints seat onto.

I'm not on that board in my role as a commissioner.

Well this, well I'll just ask and I think the chair, this is not a role that we appoint into.

I don't think so.

Right, we don't have a seat on the continuing care in the city of Atlanta. City of Atlanta may choose to select some one that might be a Fulton County Commissioner but we don't appoint as a board a representative to that continuum of care.

That's correct.

Okay. All right. So I just want to share that because I just it's and you bringing us forward as a representative of that board in a different capacity as accounting commissioner, it touches close upon, you know, where our ethics code stands related to conflict of interest. And I'm not accusing you of breaching ethics or anything of that nature. I just our code reads pretty strict in terms about appearance of conflict of interest, personal interests are often defined as board membership, businesses are included entities, non profit entities, etcetera which non profit entities deliver this service, Partners for Home.

You know, so I don't think it's proper necessarily for you to be bringing these types of resolutions forward. I've been in these situations before where I've been on nonprofit boards early in my tenure here where organizations were receiving funds and I abstain from those and I think in the spirit of what our ethics code is, you bringing this forward is not necessarily proper. But furthermore, I will say that it's not needed. There were three people up here on this board when we entered into this contract in 2019 precisely for the reasons that you had noted. Those all continue.

Fulton County honors our obligations. We've consistently honored our obligations before you were here and we will continue to do so. And so therefore for multiple reasons, but principally this is not needed. We enter into our obligations, we meet our obligations and I'm going to offer a substitute motion to file.

Second.

Alright. Substitute motion to file. Do you want to be heard on the substitute motion to file?

Yeah, I would like to.

Motion on the floor is to file.

You know, I think it's unfortunate that every time something comes up on this board that some of us don't like the reaction is to file it instead of having a robust conversation and letting our colleagues have their say. I would add that I would be certainly happy to substitute my name for yours, Commissioner Ivory, to avoid any appearance of a conflict. And while I hear you, Commissioner Ellis, that we meet our obligations, I certainly don't think there is anything wrong with us making a statement right now that we are willing to meet that obligation in 2027 and beyond, certainly up until we find some other source. Know the correct me if I'm wrong, Mr. County Manager, but I know the plan was to look for alternative funding from the state and what have you.

Is that correct?

Yes, ma'am.

Yeah. So I think it's I appreciate that. I think it's really unfortunate that we are going to file a conversation about something as important as permanent supportive housing when we have a clear homelessness crisis. And restating our commitment I think is worthwhile. I think the conversation around whether or not there's a conflict of interest is as I learned from my own personal experience, if there is no financial gain then our ethics board will not not hold it as an ethics violation.

So there's no financial gain for Commissioner Ivory serving on a nonprofit board. She's not paid to be there. So I don't think that's a valid argument. That said, I will not support a motion to file and I think we should do everything in our power to support our obligation to our partners so that they can continue these programs without fear that their funding is going to go away.

Commissioner Ivory, motion on the floor is to file.

Okay. Thank you Mr. Chairman. I do not support the motion to file. And let me just make clarity out of this nonsense today.

I am principled in all of the things that I do. And this resolution would not be included in the agenda if I was not able as a commissioner to bring forth a resolution about permanent supportive housing services in the midst of a homeless unhoused crisis in Fulton County. Not just in the city of Atlanta, but in Fulton County. But once again, we hear from the majority on this board about finding workarounds to do their job. So this has nothing to do with my role whether I was appointed by you or the other three here or not.

I sit on this board to serve because it is important for Fulton County to be at the table of conversations surrounding the unhoused population and I'm proud to be on that board. And whatever I learn from my participation in any of my duties whether that is a board I've been appointed to on this commission, in my numerous town hall meetings, talking to people on the street or anywhere else informs what I want to do as a commissioner. And then I come to my team and we write the resolutions that we are allowed to submit just as you are to the commission for discussion. But there is never discussion because the moment that anybody who's not in the majority on this board wants to have discussion, it's a motion to file immediately. Because what you like to do is take people's ideas and then bring them back as your own in your own resolutions and we'll see that later on in this meeting.

So I won't stop, can't stop, won't stop bringing important items that need to be discussed in this forum. And certainly, unhoused, permanent supportive services to the unhoused when we just came off of the most cold week that we've had in Atlanta, past two weeks that we've had in Atlanta, is really shameful actually. That you want to turn this into an ethics issue. I mean, there's about nothing I could bring to this commission, not about children, seniors, veterans, unhoused, homeless, anything that you four would not have a problem and try to file. And that is shameful.

So thank you Commissioner Barrett for willing being willing to step in where I'm not able to do things because of how you feel commissioner Ellis. But this is an important issue that the constituents have asked me to bring to the table and to secure and make sure that this money is in the 2027 budget is important because originally it was not in the 2026 budget. Dollars 2,100,000.0, Mr. Chairman, was not in the 2026 budget. It wasn't until pressure was applied that you then put it back into the budget.

In the same meeting that we took money out from the consent decree and from registrations and elections. So let's be accurate in our recollections when we are talking about facts because that would be what would serve the constituents the best if we told the truth.

Commissioner Ellis? Yeah. We can tell the truth. And I will. First off, as I noted before, as I noted before

Commissioner Ellis, I'm to remind you that the motion on the floor is to file, but if you can discuss

Yeah. I 'll just add just a comment, okay? Go ahead. And I'll be brief on this. I don't need you to up here and just preach on a subject where you are in a sense of politicized homelessness, Okay?

This agreement was entered into in 2019. Three of us up here were we voted for at the time. I personally went over and I lobbied for money at the state to get what little bit we could to help that effort. I didn't go out and publicize that, preach on that, anything of that nature. I believe in this issue and I'm going work my darndest to make sure that we are able to not only meet our obligations, but do other things that support that effort.

And I have done that and I have consistently done that. And I don't need a resolution to tell me that the county needs to meet its obligations that I signed on to and that we will enter into and that we will continue to meet. At the end of this year, we only got notification. We don't put the full amount. We didn't put the full amount of 4.8 in our budget or whatever the number was because we didn't know until late in the game that this thing was going to reach that 500 number or $5.50 number or whatever it was because it had been pacing along at a different pace.

So we had to pause, we already had a budget set, react, reset and find the way to reallocate funds so that we can meet this obligation. We've done this in the past and we will continue to do it in the future.

Vice Chair, Abdu Rakban.

Chairman, I know that we're supposed to be speaking towards the foul, but since everybody's gonna have their bite at the apple, I am too. With all due respect, a lie don't care who tells it. A lie don't care who tells it. You can change and say whatever you want, but at the end of the day this board has been functioning for quite a while and it has been doing what it needs to do. At the end of the day, the procedure down here, the norm, and when it comes to ethics, if you sit on a board, especially if there's a monetary ask, you are to recuse yourself from the vote.

That is the posture, the protocol of this board. It was like that before I was here, and it should continue to be that because all seven of us sit on some type of board. All seven of us sit on some type of board. And so, the protocol and procedure, especially when there is monetary gain, is for the elected official to recuse themselves from the vote because in our ethics code, it says the appearance, it doesn't say the vote, it's the appearance that it may be unethical should always wait in our mind to recuse ourself. I don't have anybody that knows my history, my family's history, I have always been a fighter for the less of these.

But I'm also a fighter for protocol, I'm a fighter for equality. I don't serve just one mayor, I serve all 15. This is why I cannot and will not support this.

Commissioner Ivory?

I want to apologize to constituents who are watching this meeting. This board is again spending time on baseless claims in an inappropriate forum which distracts from the work that we were elected to do. And this continues to happen over and over. The commissioner raising this concern and the commissioner to my right voted for a specific ethics process but is now ignoring it. That process requires a good faith one on one meeting, a second mediated meeting if unresolved, and only then filing with the board of ethics.

None of these steps are happening in prior meetings or happening today. So I will refer the commissioners who continue to bring up ethics issues with me to refer to their own legislation which directs them on how to deal with ethics issues. I could provide a copy for you if you needed.

Commissioner Thorne.

I guess you're talking about the resolution that I passed. Did Commissioner Ellis, have you filed an ethics complaint?

No. Nor do I attend to.

Has anybody filed an ethics complaint? No one has. It's just before you file an ethics complaint, you have the conversation. It's the process in filing the ethics complaint. It's not sitting up here questioning that maybe your process of bringing forth a resolution asking for money for a nonprofit that you sit on the board.

We are making you aware that there could be a conflict of interest and a private citizen can go ahead and file an ethics complaint. It's a fairly easy straightforward process. With that being said, I haven't talked to anybody on this board. I actually wanted to listen to the debate before I made my own decision and after listening to the debate, I really feel like this is not the proper place. Otherwise, everybody would ask me to be on their board and then, oh, come to the county and we'll get ask for a million dollars because you're on the board.

All of us sit on boards, all of us need proper protocol when bringing expenditures forward. There is not one person on this board when we talked about expanding our budget, adding that $2,000,000 at the last minute, not one person was against it, it was a matter of how. How can we do it? How can we help those homeless people in our community? It took some creative, financial move around in the budget to get that funding, But none of us were against it and any implication to say that we were, that it wasn't in there and that we didn't want it in there is false.

It's an absolute lie. I just wanna speak up because no, I didn't know how I was gonna vote. I'm coming here with an open mind to listen. I haven't talked to any of my fellow commissioners about this. I just think it's improper the way it's been brought forward and it is a perception of misconduct and I cannot vote for something that has that perception unfortunately but I do support having the funding moving forward to help the homeless in our community.

Commissioner Barrett.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Commissioner Thorne for your at least willingness to have the dialogue and being supportive of permanent supportive housing going on. Mr. County Manager or Doctor. Rochelle, can you just for folks who are not really aware of what this whole thing is about, just kind of talk about briefly who the partners are in this program and the commitment that we do have and have made and what that commitment looks like. Is there an MOU? Is there a contract? Can you just kind of give us the highlights for folks?

Yes ma'am. So in 2019, the Board of Commissioners did enter into an IGA with the city of Atlanta, specifically their COC, which is Partners for Home. So the agreement is with Partners for Home and the county. It is a 30 agreement for support of up to five fifty supportive permanent supportive housing units. It is for the provision of service so there's no actual exchange of finances.

The program is managed through our Department of Behavioral Health. They contract with two vendors Step Up and River Edge who provide case management services for the units that are occupied by individuals who have had long standing issues with maintaining housing that will keep them safely housed. And so permanent supportive housing is low barrier entry. It provides wraparound services and the county's commitment and support has been for those wraparound services specifically behavioral health support.

Thank you very much for explaining that, Doctor. Rochelle. So I think I just want to bring us back to reality a little bit here and just be clear that there is no monetary issue at all here. We're not passing money to Partners for Home. Partners for Home is directly connected to the city of Atlanta.

It's not just a random nonprofit that somebody sits on the board of. This is about us having agreed over, as you said, a thirty year period to provide services. I think the key of course is up to five fifty units. I certainly understand what Commissioner Ellis was saying about the ramp up being perhaps faster than we expected based on what had been the history thus far. I don't know exactly when we were sort of notified that they were going to ramp up so quickly this year and I don't know that it's really relevant to our ongoing support.

I am very grateful that the governor wants to provide more funding for homelessness and I think you know we are well within our bounds and our rights to try to alleviate some of our costs by going there. I'm not quite sure and maybe you could explain this Mr. County Manager or Doctor. Rochelle. If we were able to obtain some of some funding from the state for this, would it come through as a grant to us? How would that work or would it go straight to COC of Atlanta?

So currently the county does receive $500,000 annually from the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. This is an actual cash support and we provide the services it's back on now. Thank you, mister manager. We do actually receive a grant, and that is 500,000. So I would I believe that if the county pursues any of the resources made available by the governor, those would be county resources that we would have to invest in this effort.

Okay so in theory if we got more money in from the state we would still honor that obligation through that IGA in the same way by providing services. We would just essentially be getting more reimbursement from the state to do it. Is that correct?

Yes. So not only are we pursuing any of the resources made available by the governor, we also are in conversation with the state behavioral health and developmental disabilities to increase the $500,000 of support that they currently provide.

Okay. So, I'm obviously in support of all of that work and of having some additional help from the state. I think I probably am among those who have accused the state on occasion of not doing enough on the behavioral health front. So I think it's great that they want to do this. And it is very tied to homelessness, of course very tied to behavioral health in many ways as we all know.

So think this is all great. I don't I think it does not preclude a yes vote on Commissioner Ivory's underlying resolution because at the end of the day all we're saying is we would include the funding that we now know is going to be necessary if the five fifty units do come online this year as expected that we would have some minimal funding of at least $4,800,000 going forward and still do everything in our power to recoup some of those funds through granting from the state or wherever else we can get it. So again, I think stepping back from this accusation of ethics whatever and politicization, easy for me to say. This is not political. Homelessness is not political.

Behavioral health is not political. It should not have a party. It should not be about a majority who doesn't want somebody to get something done because they might be running or whatever else. The people who are going to suffer most if we don't move forward and meet our obligations and take a strong stance saying that we care about and want to do our part per our agreement to fund and provide services for permanent supportive housing for up to five fifty units, which I think is only a small part of what really needs to be done. I mean, in theory, we need far more units than that.

But at minimum, we agreed to that and we should honor that and I don't think there's anything wrong with Commissioner Ivory asking that we do that in particular because and correct me if I'm wrong and maybe this is a Madam CFO question, but we did agree to the 4.8. Did we agree to that as a recurring expense or is it in the budget as an enhancement at a one time expense?

Commissioner Barrett, honestly I would have to go back and look to see when we funded it initially, how we funded it, if we funded it as recurring or not. We did put money in the budget originally that was repurposed in 2020 into school based therapy. I believe those funds were placed in the budget initially on a recurring basis. But I would really need to go back and verify.

So I guess, Mr. Chairman, and I'll let you respond to you. But I think that if it's in the, if it's recurring in the budget then we don't need this. If it's not then again I stand by what Commissioner Ivers trying to do here.

Okay. Let me let you all finish and I'll tell you what the facts are here. If you read the legislation you would know. Go ahead. I mean I can respond if you like. Listen, I signed that legislation in 2018 to 2019. Two things about it. One is and the main thing is and I support it and we'll support it next year and this first and foremost, this is a 2027 budget issue. We'll start working on the 2027 budget issue later on this year. That's point number one.

Point number two, in the legislation itself, this funding is a clear line that everybody seems to overlook which says subject to the availability of funds. That's crystal clear. And thirdly is concept in government, whether it's city government or county government, one commission, one council cannot bind another. We've talked about that before. It's a difficult concept to understand, but it's there. So those are the comments that I would make for it. It's there. It's subject to the availability of funds, one council one commission rather, or one council. In this case, it's the commission. It's us.

That was signed in 2018 or 2019. Tired of a different body here today. So it actually ends up being, even though it was for thirty years, it ends up being a year to year contract. But I think the sentiment is here is to continue to fund that program. But, it's not now is not the time to do it. It's when we talk about the 2027 budget, period. Commissioner Iver, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I respect that we are not in the cycle of talking about the 2027 budget, but it is important for the partners that work in the homeless community to be able to plan, to be able to know what resources they are going to have. It is very hard to, as you saw when there was the fear that this money was not going to be provided in 2026 budget, people began to scramble and worried about what they would or wouldn't be able to do for their projects moving forward. So I am not asking for any more money than we have already agreed to in this county and made a commitment to.

This me being on this board doesn't have anything to do with any of this because I'm not asking for any new money. I'm asking to reaffirm what we agreed to in 2026 which is the $4,800,000 and to affirm that we will provide that same $4,800,000 in 2027. So our partners can begin to plan for the things that they want to do which they could very much begin to plan now knowing that they would have that money in 2027. So, is no new money being asked for. If it's going to be recurring then like Commissioner Barrett said, it is not an issue.

But if it is not, this is the reason for this resolution. And I'd like to say that if the only issue is about me being the presenter of it and you all support it like you have said in your comments, then I have no problem with switching it into Commissioner Barrett's name and it moving forward.

Vice Chair Abdulrahman.

Chairman, I'm not gonna belabor the issue. I can't support this for a number of reasons. First of all, starting out what it looks like on the surface of it and how that sends the incorrect message. Two, when we deal with budgetary issues, I am never going to go to one agency. We have non profits in all 15 cities.

We have individuals like Elizabeth Omolami and others that struggle every year to get money for their organization. And so, I'm not going to give the appearance that we are going to favor one particular organization even if that is not meant to be the appearance, that's what it is from my personal opinion about it. We have several non profits, Drake House and others that are doing great work. All of them are important to me, all of them need some type of funding. I will not, cannot and will never put one before the other because of the connections that one may have to an elected official.

I will never do it, I won't start doing it and I I think it sets a very unhealthy precedent. Thank you, chairman.

Alright. The motion on the floor is to file. Let's vote.

And the vote is open on the motion to file. And the motion passes, four yeas, three nays.

Next item.

On page seven, commissioners full board appointments, twenty six-sixty five, Region three Emergency Medical Services Council. Commissioner Thorne has nominated Jeffrey Johansson for a full board appointment to an unexpired term ending 06/30/2026.

Motion to approve by commissioner Thorne. It is seconded by vice chair Abdul Rockland.

And the vote is open. And the motion passes six yeas zero nays.

Continue.

County managers presentation and discussion items open and responsible government twenty six zero zero six six external affairs presentation twenty twenty six state legislative session update.

Good morning, mister chairman and commissioners. Jessica Corbett, director of external affairs. We are just ask the team to please pull our slides up. We are now in our fourth week of the legislative session. Thank you, Jasmine. And I have a few updates for you today. And we'll kind of go through these quickly. So before we begin, I just wanted to also share some good news. Yesterday, over the weekend, Congress has been working out their budget. The House approved it.

The President signed it. And one very positive thing was about $2,000,000 in a federal earmark for Fulton County senior centers for some facility improvements. So I want to thank Senator Ossoff and his team for that support. We're very excited to bring those dollars home to Fulton County seniors. We also have some smaller earmarks as well for the medical examiner and sheriff's office, so we'll be sharing all those details.

But back to the state. Again, this just for the viewing audience is our 2026 legislative priorities, and we're gonna not go through all of these today but hit a few highlights of very impactful bills for local government. Next slide, please. Just a quick update about our delegation. They held their first meeting last week.

Thank you to commissioner Ivory and commissioner Arrington for attending. We presented our legislative priorities. Tomorrow, we will be at the Capitol. We have a lunch, and we will have as part of our kind of annual a new annual Fulton County Day some displays in the South Wing Of The Capitol. So hope you can join us for that.

Next slide, please. We again, this bill is one we worked on last year regarding the Superior Court resources that we've discussed in the past. Also want to say that unfortunately the governor's budget does not include an additional judgeship for Superior Court unfortunately, but we are continuing to make sure folks are aware of how much we need that judicial support in our system. We are pursuing the judicial officer legislation and our team has been talking with legislators about that. Next slide please.

Don't have a lot of an update about our legal notice need but this is an ongoing issue. We'll come back with more updates. Next slide. So this is a bill that what has is currently in rules to pass out of the house, and this bill is one that we believe ACCG took a position on. This was live legislation last session and it essentially would in certain cases if a government is perceived to not provide a certain service or not maintain certain maintenance or things like that, that local governments could be sued by residents.

This has some implications and as it says here, sovereign immunity would be waived to allow these claims. This poses a lot of risk for local governments, both counties and cities, just in terms of getting that financial risk and otherwise. So we're tracking this. It is still on the House. It has not crossed over, but we're keeping an eye on it.

Next slide. This is senate bill three eighty two passed the senate yesterday. This bill, one impact there's a lot of tax reform. Tax reform is a huge issue in this session. And so this bill, one, would require all local governments to opt into the new floating homestead exemption.

So Fulton County government is not affected by that provision because we did opt into that floating homestead but both school systems in Fulton County, APS and Fulton Schools opted out. Most school systems around the state opted out. About 20% of counties also opted out. City Of Atlanta and some other cities in Fulton County also opted out. So they would be affected and as the, you know, as the provider administrator of property tax homestead exemptions, we would have some work to do there.

There's other cleanups in this bill. This one seems to be tracking quickly, so we will continue to provide updates, but that is really the rollback rate implementation is also one part of that and how that is revised. So if there's any questions on that, I will take them and get better answers for you than I can provide right now. Next slide, please. So this is really a hot bill for local governments and House Resolution eleven fourteen.

14. This bill is really seeking to, frankly, radically change the way property tax collection works in this state. And I'm sure many of you have received these handy dandy fact sheets. And there's two pieces of adjoining legislation, House Resolution eleven fourteen and House Bill eleven sixteen. So this is very complex legislation.

Essentially, together these bills pave a way for the elimination of property tax collection on homesteaded properties. That would have a very, very, very significant impact on our revenue picture and so we're working closely with ACCG to get more information. What's not as clear is the trade off of that in terms of revenue opportunities. So Jocelyn, I don't know if you want to speak to any of that.

Yes. Good morning, everyone. So some options in house bill eleven sixteen, there will be grants provided by the state and the amended fiscal year 2026 budget did pass Appropriations Committee this morning, and they included $850,000,000 for that purpose. So we're that still has to go to the senate, of course, but we're tracking that. And there's also going to be different types of sales taxes that are available.

For local governments, it's gonna be a 3% max. For school systems, it'll be a 2% max. For Fulton County, we're already at the maximum allowed by the state. So we're not sure if we will be able to add the additional 3% or if we're already not gonna be able to. But this bill is by house leadership and we really think this is gonna be several versions of this. I feel like this is something that's gonna go to sine die probably. So this is just the first version and has not had a hearing yet and ACCG is collecting data from all 159 counties and we provided our data.

And thank you Jasmine. Just one other comment, think the board is certainly acutely aware of this that Fulton County has a higher, a very high percentage of revenue from property taxes, very little revenue today from sales taxes and we because we have MARTA, because we have a TSPOS, we have ESPOS, we have a LOST, we have very limited flexibility to operate within these caps. So that's the conversation we're having. This would affect every jurisdiction as significant as it would be for Fulton County. Imagine a county that has almost no commercial tax base or something like that.

So it is very impactful around the state for all local governments and we're very actively engaged with ACCG in these conversations. I'll just go on to the next one. Again, I think these are companion next slide, please. These are companion pieces of legislation. So we're working with Doctor.

Ferdinand and his team to get some analysis put together specifically for Fulton County. But and we will be sharing that with you all and also scheduling some more in-depth conversation with our ACCG partners. Next slide. House Resolution eleven oh four, this again has some, I guess modifies or modifications to the sales tax process. Again this for us directly is not as impactful unless we were able to get out of the cap that we're currently under.

So this but there's a lot of changes overall to the sales tax and many, guess, competing, you could say, proposals on tax relief or we many varieties, maybe that's a better word. Next slide. The Senate Bill four zero six, this is a very interesting piece of bipartisan legislation with Senator Brass and Senator James requiring property owners associations to register with the Secretary of State. This is an issue that Commissioner Arrington has been interested in as long as I've known him, so I think that and again, these are Senator Brass is no longer a part of our delegation, but he has previously been and Senator James Senator Donzella James certainly is a member. So again, this is one that we have it makes some modifications to the process for property owners associations.

So if the board would like to take a position on this, let us know. We can keep going. Next slide, please. Again, just a reminder, these are the public events for tomorrow. We'll have the Fulton County Mental Health Mobile Unit.

We'll be Capitol Square for most of the day, so I hope you can drop by and see that. And again, we'll have some informational displays and again, some opportunities for our elected officials that you already have on your calendar. Next slide. Just, will be April 2, so we're gonna keep charging through, and you'll hear from us a lot over the next couple of months. With that Mr. Chairman, we are done and we can take any questions.

All right. Commissioner Ellis. Thanks Mr. Chair. I'll be real quick.

No real questions. Just sort of I know this obviously the property tax, state income tax discussions are going to there's going to be a lot of sausage making on it. So I think it's sort of premature to get deep down on any particular component of it. But the one piece I do think that it would be might be wise for us to make this comment to mister Conley, who I see up at the back, and our accounting manager and and finance team. This notion that they potentially may force the, you know, everybody to comply with the cap, you know, I think it would probably be wise for us to at least contingency plan around that in terms of just the way we're thinking about so it doesn't, if that were to come down the pike, our ability to execute on it and it not, you know, kind of throw off our schedule that we've sort of, you know, set forth.

So I think on that aspect, there's probably no harm in, you know, doing some contingency planning around that. We've already done it for certain jurisdictions before, so it was a piece of it. So I think just looking at that and making sure that if it were enacted it wouldn't necessarily throw us off our schedule for our release of assessments and then on path to bills and collections. That's all.

Thank you Commissioner Ellis. I will say that in our most recent tax team meeting we did discuss that to some extent. The one challenge I think that all of us are concerned about is the implementation date for this to pass this tax year and be implemented for this tax year would be challenging. Also there's different base year, so on and so forth. But our vendor who handles that is certainly aware of this conversation and is having those early, I guess, review of that system.

Maybe just adding one thing to what Ms. Corbett is saying. The two things that I think this cast at least some question over is the renewal of T SPOS which we need to begin discussions with our cities. That is almost a penny and then MARTA is pressing for an extension of their amendment for another thirty plus years which of course is a penny. So I think the board will need to factor the likelihood of this, how it progresses.

Now hopefully we will know something as the legislature ends, but at the same time when something of this significant is introduced by the speaker, I don't know that it's just decided in one session and doesn't come back in the next. So as you're, as we collectively I guess should say with our cities are thinking about again renewing sales taxes for transportation, I would keep this in mind.

To that point Mr. Chair and maybe this is a dialogue that the chair can have with the county manager, I think it might be worth reaching out and just having some conversations with some of the cities, particularly in the T SPOS one, cities outside of Atlanta, and just say, hey, before we start getting into deep dialogue, maybe we just sort want to pause and sort of let this play out. I think that might be wise so we're not darting down one path to sign and find that something's going to pass that really might want to cause all of us to kind of rethink that. So maybe if you all could have that conversation collectively with those mayors, I think that might would be good. And then kind of when we want to kind of start bringing it up in earnest and how long we want to wait, etcetera.

Yes sir.

Mr. Narrington.

Yes, if you will give me a copy of SB four zero six. Certainly, I'm supportive. It it seemed as if it was from the slide, it seemed if if it was only for property owner associations and and not inclusive of traditional HOAs and or condo associations. And so I'm sure that whatever protections that the POAs need, the HOAs and condo associations need even more. POAs are a limited subset of the broader community associations.

Most of them are actual HOAs and condo associations and there are a lot There is a big movement to convert HOAs to POAs because the POA is a lot more like a condo association, right? It has a specific statute. Right? The condo association condominium act. The Georgia property owners association act.

But most HOAs were created twenty, thirty years and not subject to those acts. And so we want to be inclusive of those to really have impact on it's got to go broader and wider than just property owner associations.

Thank you for that feedback, Commissioner. We will get a copy of that to you.

Thank you. All right. Vice Chair of Dirakban.

Are you all aware of the funding that the governor is going to make available to fight homelessness and when they're actually going to put that information out?

Thank you, Madam Vice Chair. So yes, we are very much aware of that. We've asked our grant writing team and our lobbyists both to track it. It would be part of the budget which, as Jasmine said, has just passed the House today. And so it still has to pass the Senate and then be signed to by the governor.

So typically, that will take a minute for that process. I I have been following that in the news and in kind of various, I guess, various circles. And one of the things that people have talked a lot about is the timing of that because of the the immediate need and of course the some of the initiatives to address homelessness in Downtown Atlanta with the World Cup coming and that was something the governor talked about when he spoke about this at the Eggs and Issues Breakfast. So the answer is yes, we do not have all those details yet but we're very much aware of it and very closely tracking that.

My resources at the state says that funding will come from the supplemental budget and that the tentative date that they will be looking for it to open up will be sometime in March. So if you could kind of keep your ear to the ground and let Doctor. Rochelle and the county manager know what you all are hearing. So as commissioners, we can translate that information to the community because I understand quite a bit is going to be available. However, it's going to be a limited amount of time that's going to be opened to the non profits and it's going to have certain stipulations. But, I believe sometime mid March it's going to be opened up and so please keep us abreast of everything that you find out.

Thank you very much Madam Vice Chair, we certainly will. We, as you know, we have an external grant writing team and so we've already made them aware that this is one thing that we are going to want their help with this year.

Thank you.

Yes ma'am.

Commissioner Barrett.

Thank you Mr. Chairman. Just briefly can you add my name to the Sure.

We'll share that with all of you.

Yeah, the homeowners association issue and thank you for describing that so well Commissioner Arrington is one that I've been following very closely as well and would love to see what's going on and make sure that it's as inclusive as it can be and that we're lobbying for that. On the elections front, I feel like there's been a lot of discussion about legislation this year, this session. Can you give a quick update on what pieces of legislation are relating to our elections?

I'm going to ask Jasmine to pinch hit with me on that. As you see, we didn't there's been things introduced, hearings have been scheduled and canceled and things like that. So Jasmine, do you wanna give a quick recap on that?

Right now, Senate Bill two fourteen, we're expecting a substitute that's in the House Governmental Affairs Committee. And the substitute is going to address removal of QR codes, which the deadline for that is 07/01/2026. The house will start working on the fiscal year 2027 budget next year. I'm sorry. Not next year. Next month next week. Sorry. Next week. So right now, in the governor's proposal, there wasn't any money for the Secretary of State's office to handle that. So we're watching to see if the house makes changes for that based off of any legislation that passes.

Those committee hearings have gotten canceled. There is a governmental affairs committee meeting this afternoon. It's not on the agenda but it also says the agenda subject to the chairman's discretion so we'll be going to that meeting or I'll be going to that meeting and seeing if it comes up. But we didn't include it just because there hasn't been any hearings or movement from any bills from last year yet.

Was there anything else in sorry, was there anything else in 02/14 that or was it just about the QR code?

Well, the substitute it's mainly focusing on the QR code but if you look up the version right now that's online that version did deal with other elections changes.

Okay. We just want to make sure we're kept up on anything specific to elections and kind of have our our radar up for that.

Yes. Thank you for that, Commissioner. I did want to mention that in addition to all Jasmine's hard work, we have and some of your staff participate, we have a weekly legislative liaison call. You're all welcome to join us, where we discuss that if many of our departments are also parts of professional organizations that track that including the elections department, working with Georgia election officials around the metro area. Things that are challenges for Fulton County can create challenges for other counties too, and we think it's very important to coordinate with other counties on that issue.

Alright. Anything else?

No, Thank you.

Thank you. Madam Clerk, continue.

On page eight, commissioner's presentation and discussion items. Twenty six zero zero six seven, discussion, warming centers, sponsored by Chairman Pitts.

Okay. So, doctor Rochelle, this is this is the election season and everybody knows that. Elected officials wanna be elected officials. Everybody's trying to create issues when when there are no issues. And this issue came up over the last weekend weekend in North County about warming centers. There's a lot of misinformation about the county's role in warming centers. So madam doctor Rochelle, would you explain to the board so we all have the same information and hopefully we will repeat it the same way?

Thank you, mister chairman. So first let me say that warming centers are actually an emergency management discretionary protective action specifically targeting vulnerable populations. The county's role in this action is one of coordination, But I think it's important to note that when we think about vulnerable populations that the county does have a demonstrated commitment to vulnerable populations beyond warming centers. And we do this in a variety of ways. One, we certainly have already talked about permanent supportive housing and that commitment.

We also have a commitment through our coordinated entry program through our COC. We also provide other behavioral health services. We commit $1,800,000 to homelessness and economic security. So we provide these services in a variety of ways beyond warming centers. But specifically as it relates to warming centers, the county's role again is coordination and that is through a couple of ways.

The structure for emergency management is just that, emergency management and that's where warming centers fall as a discretionary protective action. So when we look at the statutes regarding service delivery strategy, when we look at the emergency management planning structure, warming centers are a concept and an actual action that are carried out primarily by cities, primarily by nonprofit organizations, and other partners in the community. And so, what the county has done, and we have done this over the last couple of years as it relates to not only warming, but cooling centers, we provide transportation through our Department of Community Development. We partner with Dream. We use our MTI transportation service.

And during the last inclement weather, just this past week, we provided over 38 trips to the six warming centers in Atlanta. We have budgeted annually over $100,000 for that service. We also assist COC partners with coordination in any planning and that is actually our role. As it relates to emergency management specifically, again coordination is our role but we do also provide specific support by way of COTS. Believe it or not COTS, COT, are in high demand during these types of inclement weather events.

And so the emergency management team makes it a priority to make sure that any city that is standing up a warming center has the proper cots, and they deliver those to those centers.

And

so we looked at not only the emergency management framework, which again specifically points to the county's role as a coordinator, not an operator of these services. We also reviewed our service delivery strategy to make sure that we understood where the provision of this discretionary service lies and it is not a provision of service delivery strategy that the county has a role in actually being an operator. And we then of course looked at our federal regulations. And so our federal regulations state that as a recipient of federal dollars, our role is planning and coordination. It is not one of actually standing up and operating warming centers or cooling centers, but to assist with any coordination to provide support for gaps that are identified and the gap that we're currently providing above and beyond what we do annually for vulnerable populations is transportation.

All right, thank you for that. I hope we all heard what you said. And let me just say that I spoke with most of the 15 mayors within Fulton County or their representative about this warming center issue. Every one of them is satisfied with what Fulton County is doing. Everyone.

Now let me talk specifically about Roswell. Now someone's trying to raise $5,000 on behalf of the city of Roswell and an organization that services Roswell and Alpharetta. And thank God, mister Manor, you did not provide any county money because my question would be, what would have happened to that $5,000? The mayor of Roswell didn't want $5,000, didn't ask for $5,000, The Drake House didn't want $5,000 and didn't ask for thousand dollars and sent a letter saying that. So you have a copy of that letter I believe mister mister manager.

So there's so much nonsense that's going on now. I hope that this will put this to rest. We have we do what we're supposed to do with respect to warning centers and none of those northern cities requested any money from Fulton County, period. Commissioner Arrington.

Thank you doctor Rochelle for your eloquent response. However, I've been here long enough to remember when we did provide warming centers. I was elected in 2014 and took office in 2015 and Fulton County is responsible for health and human services. I remember when we made Jefferson Place available and operated warming centers in Jefferson Place. Is there a county resolution? Has the has this board adopted a resolution saying that we are not going to provide warming centers, doctor Rochelle?

No, sir.

Thank you. I know we haven't because I've been here since 2015. So, we can provide warming shelters if we so choose. I got a text from the deputy COO of the city of Atlanta saying that they had over That they were 79 people over at their warming center. They had 79 more people than capacity at their warming center and he texted me asking for assistance.

I also got a call from Maggie Goldman and from the continuum of care. And, yes, they were looking for $5,000 to provide hotels for people, for homeless and unhoused people that might have needed them in the city of Roswell. And, so, am proud that I made that call to the county manager asking for that help and I will do it again.

Commissioner Ivory.

Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman. Thank you so much, Doctor. Rochelle for all I know there were a lot of phone calls, lot of diligent work, a lot of explaining the role that the county plays. And so, want to thank you and also Latrina Foster for jumping in and asking about it. I did hear you to say that we provide the transportation and that that has been our role. We all know that warming centers save lives when it's cold outside. Nobody should be freezing in Fulton County. And so, if we provide transportation services but there's nowhere to take the people to, then our transportation services are really not needed. Nobody can just go, well here's a bus to take me to nowhere.

So if we don't play a role in trying to figure out what that place is where people are going to go, then our transportation services really mean nothing. I was in the North Fulton Point in time Count Gathering Room when this discussion began. And this discussion started when someone from Roswell did ask, well isn't it the role of the county? I immediately sent a text through my chief of staff to our county manager who text back and said it is not the role of the county to provide the warming centers. That's where this conversation began and there was a lot, Commissioner Thorne was there, there was a lot of just back and forth concern in that room about whose role it was.

So every mayor was not clear. Every count there were council people from Roswell in that room that day. And they were not clear about whose role it was. There was Mr. Kelvin Thompson who is on the continuum of care board. I'd like to ask him to come down here quickly because I would like to make some clarification about what was asked of the county because he was really the person that took on the role of

Point order. Is your discussion item

that you brought forward. Are you looking to have this you know, this kind of discussion can play out? I didn't know where you were looking to go with this.

No, not really, but let him come on. Come on down.

Thank you. Thank you so much for allowing a constituent to speak, Mr. Chairman.

Come on, speak briefly, sir.

Mr. Thompson, thank you so much for

It was just simply to clarify what our role is in Yes.

Thank you.

If you have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for clarifying that. Mr. Thompson, thank you so much for being here, and first of all, all your work that you did to make sure that many, many people were not sitting out freezing in Fulton. So can you just describe your role on the Continuum of Care Board and what you're doing to help constituents during these recent freezing temperatures?

All right. So good morning, well good afternoon. I do want to say I just got appointed, thanks to Commissioner Barrett as her representative on the COC. I think with the exception of Commissioner Abdulrah Rahman, all of you know me. I am a citizen of Alpharetta for thirty years.

What did

you do? What's your question?

What you requested of the county during these

Yes.

Essentially what we did was thanks to some dialogue including Commissioner Thorne, etcetera, etcetera, follow on from point in time count. We knew there was a weather crisis upon us. And there was a back and forth, as was indicated, on the availability of a warming center. When it was all kind of born out, we found out that the warming centers that exist in North County, Sandy Springs, it closes at five or 6PM, and Mountain Park, close at five or 6PM. You can go do the So that's what was published and was explained to us.

And so we citizens got together, citizen advocates said, we need a solution. And there was a dialogue. We were able to engage council folks from Roswell about what was a warming center and that's where the back and forth. Thank you Doctor. Rochelle for clarifying, we had that understanding and after a few days of back and forth, we still didn't have a warming center solution.

So what we did, we in about twelve hours, we stood up a citizen led command center, alright, with primarily citizens who drove it. One of the things that I've heard today is about the end to end services, what they call in the world, Doctor. Rochelle, we've been in is all the wraparound things that are important to the least of these, we provided that. Right? Citizen led.

Now, by the way, it was not without the collaboration with municipalities. So I want to be clear, fire and police and EMS folks in Roswell and Alpharetta were tightly coupled with the work we did. Alright? It wasn't perfect, but we took some folks off the street. There's a lady right down the street right now at Gateway as a result, doctor Rochelle, the reference you gave us. Alright? So we solved some problems. That's what this was about. We're all citizens, none of us are elected officials, we solved problems. And I thank you.

Should we have a as I go, should we have a warming center? It is an emergency provision, as I've heard it articulated. We do need a warming center. And let me be clear, chairman Pitts, if it closes at 6PM, the coldest part of the last four days, and I was on the street doing wellness checks at ten and fifteen degrees. Alright?

That was at twelve midnight, and eight and nine in those encampments, alright, that we visited on Holcomb Bridge and Alpharetta Highway. Alright? So, there needs to be some dialogue, just dialogue. Right? That's what your citizens did.

I didn't know most of these folks. And, our non profits, yes, Drake House was invaluable. I did not personally make a request for funding, but to commissioner Arrington's point, there was some back and forth. We hadn't agreed on who was going to pay. The transportation that was referenced, I went to my church, mister Anderson, in Roswell, Georgia, Zion, and got the church van, alright, to get folks out of those encampments, Alright?

To some place to stay warm, and we took them back the following day. We had an exit strategy. So this wasn't some willy nilly engagement. Alright? Very smart folks, citizens of this county banded together. We got the data to back it up. There'll be some communications forthcoming to let you exactly know what was accomplished. But I want I'm just here as the face, those volunteers back in Roswell and Alpharetta and Sandy Springs, they are to get the applause. Thank you.

Thank you for your hard work and for getting the freezing people out in Fulton out of the cold. Thank you.

Commissioner Barrett, and I want to state again what the mayor of Roswell said. They did not need assistance. They got it. Mister Barrett, you have it for.

Thank you, mister chairman, and thank you mister Thompson for being of service to your community and representing me on the Continuum of Care Board. Appreciate that. I hear what you're saying with our role Mr. Chairman. I also honor what commissioner Arrington is saying about what we can do versus what we are doing and what we you know that we are not stopped by anything legislative to prevent us from standing up warming centers.

And then I just want to add, you know, once again there is no reason for any of this to be political. There were citizens who seemed to be trying to do good work and were confused about the best way to do it. And I think if we are going to say that our role, Doctor. Rochelle and Mr. Chairman, is one of coordination through emergency management then I would argue and I'll say this to Ms.

Corbett as well, I mean part of the conversation here needs to be communicating that effort more clearly to the public. So maybe there's something we could look at standing up across departments from emergency management and external affairs to sort of when these when we see these are coming we do a lot about weather warnings and things like that. If we also said we know there are going to be people looking for warming centers, here are all the resources we know about, here are the various churches, here are the various non profits, here are what the various cities across the county are doing. And just making sure that gets out to all of the folks or that when someone does call confused we can point them directly to something. And that we you know when needed and if needed that we do have some kind of ability to stand in the gap if there are overcrowding in Atlanta for example or if there are rides needed other than in Atlanta but maybe in North Fulton or what have you.

So I think to your point I think and it's fair Mr. Chairman that there was a lot of to do about it and maybe in some cases more than was necessary. On the other hand, if anybody was out in the cold who shouldn't have been in that moment who didn't have a place to go, we should care. And so I'd rather have us have a little more fuss than necessary maybe if it gets everybody into a warm place on a freezing cold night or into a cool place on a very hot night to your point Doctor. Rochelle.

So I think you know I appreciate that our stance right now is one of coordination. But if the people don't know we got to make it easy for them to know. And know and we may have and I may have missed it if I did please excuse me. We may have sent out some sort of an email specifically. But if we didn't we should and we should maybe have a landing page or something where we can direct people who are calling in the moment with concerns. So I think let's do the coordination and up our game on that front.

Commissioner Ellis.

Thanks Mr. Chair. And I've also had some communication with some of the volunteers that did some work this weekend and thank them for that work. I think we're all definitely called to love our neighbor and do that in a way that is in line with our talent and treasure and I applaud that work. I do think one thing that would be helpful certainly for, and I shared this with one of the individuals that I communicated with, that, you know, like this EMA function in the way it works, right, I mean cities and they're designed to be that arm of first responder.

That's the way that our structure works. I mean there are places in other counties where there are large unincorporated areas where the county acts as a city. We don't in Fulton County. And I'm not going to be critical of any of our individual functions. What I think would be more helpful and constructive in particular with some of the groups that are interested and have some insights is to go back and share with those individual cities in their EMA function and identify if there are if there is an alternative approach that is warranted.

And there may or may not be you know, because there may be, hey, we have the ability to get people to a location where there are is a facility. In emergency management, you know, and correct me if I'm wrong, Mr. Manager and Doctor. Rochell, there's this sort of concept of, you know, cooperating agreements with, you know, other jurisdictions. When you need solve for a problem, people know what's available in maybe a neighborhood jurisdiction, could be outside the county, could be inside the county, could be a neighborhood city, correct?

And that's what that's what they all do. That's their expertise. That's not, you know, our expertise as elected officials. You know, they've got plans stood up and, you know, I think it it would probably be helpful to have those kind of discussions with those individual cities' EMA functions so that there's sort of a clear understanding of their protocols and where they think they have things solutions for. And if a facility is necessary and one of them wants to do that, then that's great.

Right? And you think about where why and where they are the ones that are principally setting up a facility, it's because we don't have those types of facilities anymore throughout the county. I mean our buildings are largely administrative buildings. We don't have gyms, that sort of thing, you know, anymore based upon generally what we do. So, you know, there are also sort of a better avenue for identifying, you know, more appropriate facilities and the requirements that come along with that, they've got to ensure that they meet in that rule.

I think good discussion. And I think it's highlighted some opportunity to engage in further conversation and collaboration with the cities. And we can share that feedback also with our EMA folks so that they're working with their partners and they feel like, hey, if there are modifications and changes that need to be made relative to communication that those occur.

Vice chair Abdur Rahman.

Chairman, with

all due respect, I'm going to repeat what I have said over and over again. A lie don't care who tell it. A lie don't care who tell it. A lie don't care who tell it. When you have a warming center, you must have a behavior health person on staff in order for it to have the designation as a warming center.

There are a lot of organizations from one end of the county to the other that offer services and they are not classified as a warming center. It's unfortunate that the current chair of the COC wanted to say he's met everybody but me, but I know the chair before you and the chair before her was my actual appointee. And, what I learned with dealing with the COC that government cannot do it by itself. Hence, why in South Fulton, and I speak to South Fulton because that's where I get most of my calls. Even when they have warming centers, it is not enough.

With the city of South Fulton, Catherine Rowell and others, I have had to personally take families from behind the cascade Kroger and put them in a hotel for a week at my expense. Only reason I say that is because we've got to stop using a need as a political stunt. I know for a fact that commissioner Arrington has put people on the South Side in hotels at his own expense. And we have warming centers. I know for a fact that it's a lot of the non profits and the city council people and I deal with city council people on the North and South, but I'm gonna talk about the South right now.

You have niece, everything from a pregnant woman with her kids out to a teenager who's been put out by their parents, and they can't get any help. And the next call is usually made to a city council person or to a commissioner. And so, we rise to the occasion, but we don't come down here and broadcast it. There are organizations that are not considered warming centers that are doing quite a bit, but they cannot carry that designation. And so, to blatantly keep saying, there's no Warming Centers and no Fulton, there's no Warming Centers and no Fulton, you're given a negative connotation and I personally don't appreciate it, chairman.