Commission - Regular Meeting

Good evening. Hope everyone has had a wonderful day. Welcome to March. Uh we find ourselves at Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026. And given that either uh in the flesh or digitally you are here in the Athens, Clark County City Hall, this must be our monthly voting meeting. Um so uh we're going to begin with a roll call. So I'll ask uh clerk to do that for us. Davenport here. Link here. Taylor here. Right present. Fisher here. Johnson here. Co Pepper here. Myers Thornton here. Hammy I'm here. We have a quorum.

All right. Thank you, Madam Clerk. All right. And uh we uh of course embrace the civility pledge provided to us by the Georgia Municipal Association and we invite everybody in the room to share this in your hearts and minds and actions. And it reads that the way we govern ourselves is often as important as the positions we take. Our collective decisions will be better when differing views have had the opportunity to be fully vetted and considered. All people have the right to be treated with respect, courtesy, and openness. We value all input and we commit to conduct ourselves at all times with civility and courtesy to each other. Uh now the first formal order of business is uh approval of past meetings. And so those include the minutes of meetings of Tuesday, January 6th, Tuesday, January 20th, Tuesday, February 3rd, Tuesday, February 10th, Tuesday, February 20, excuse me, 17th, and non- voting meetings of Tuesday, January 13th, Tuesday, February, excuse me, Tuesday, January 20th, Friday, January 23rd, Tuesday, February 10th, Wednesday, February 11th, and Tuesday, February 17th. Would any commissioner like to make approval, motion for approval of these? And I've got a motion from Commissioner Wright. Is there a second?

Second. All right. And I've got a second from Commissioner Taylor. All right. All in favor, please say I. Are there any post? All right. Hearing none. Motion carries. Uh, Madam Clerk, do we have any written communications this evening? No, we do not.

All right. Thank you. All right, everybody. We are going to have several opportunities for public input tonight. And so I want to outline for you what those will be, when those will happen, and the terms of that public input. Um I believe we have nobody signed up for an extended period for a planning item. Is that correct, Clerk Howard? Okay. So every opportunity for public input tonight will be a threeinut opportunity. You see lovely clock in front of clerk Howard. It will turn green when you begin speaking. It will turn yellow after two and a half minutes and it will turn red when 3 minutes has come and your time has concluded at which point I'll thank you for your time with us tonight. uh because we need to move on to some other folks. Uh so you'll have an opportunity on the consent agenda which are items 1 through nine. Folks will have a separate opportunity on each of the planning and zoning recommendations which are items 10 through 13. You'll then have a separate opportunity on old and new business which are items 14 through 21. And then because this is the first Tuesday of the month, we've got open mic night at the end of the night. you will have a separate opportunity to speak to any item that is not on our agenda this evening. Whatever moves your heart and mind. So, uh, I first need to ask the commission, is there any item that is on the consent agenda you would like to remove for discussion having previously placed these items on the consent agenda at our agenda setting meeting two weeks ago? All right. So, the agenda is as it remains. And so members of the public, is there anybody interested in speaking to any of those consent agenda items? Again, those are items one through nine. Good evening, sir. And for everybody who speaks, if you could just provide us your name, place of residence, which could which could be as generic as Athens, Clark County, and let us know the item to which you are speaking.

Thank you. Thank you, mayor and commission. Um, Russell Edwards. I reside at 400 Duncan Springs Road, Athens, Georgia. I'm speaking to number three, the resolution for the special district overlay over on Atlanta Highway in the mall. Um, I understand that some of our zoning rules uh make it difficult to uh develop and rehab some of these older properties. And I just uh I mentioned this to a couple of y'all previously, but um you probably read that uh myself and some partners had acquired the old clock factory, the West Clocks factory at the intersection of Chase, Barber, and Newton Bridge. Also a very uh challenging redevelopment project there. We're doing everything we can to save it, to divert all of that material from the landfill. It's a 230,000 square foot old clock factory. Um, it was recently put on the places in peril list. One of the things that we're running up against looking through how to make this thing work for the community is a couple of policies here on our on our zoning and planning uh our our parking mandates. Basically, if if we reactivate all of the commercial space within the current footprint of the building, we would basically be required to pave the entire front lawn of the West Clocks to build car parking. And then as part of paving all of this land, uh it triggers greater storm water investments needed because of the impervious surface. So, uh, I would respectfully present to you all that I would, uh, please request a minor amendment to the special district overlay that you're sending to the planning commission to investigate this

and to uh, include uh, the Westclocks property also as a challenging largecale commercial development that folks are trying to reactivate and bring back online for the community. Um it would be much appreciated if we could kind of work together with the planning commission to figure out some small changes that we could work together on particular those parking requirements, the storm water. It it would just be a shame to to cut those magnolia trees and just pave that entire front lawn. We we have other ideas. We'd like to uh activate that space with more of a park type setting, maintain a park-like setting in our future land use map. We're talking about that place being a neighborhood node and to pave all of that into parking doesn't feel neighborhoodike to me. So, thank you for your consideration. If if it can't happen tonight, uh maybe next time, but just a small amendment and then we can talk with the planning commission about it more. Thanks so much.

Thank you, Mr. Edwards. There anyone else here tonight to speak to any of those consent agenda items? Again, those are items one through nine. All right. Seeing none, I'm going to ask attorney Drake to read any ordinances associated with the consent agenda tonight.

Two ordinances, Mr. Mayor, for item agenda item one, agenda item two. to agenda item morning. An ordinance to amend the FY 2026 annual operating capital budget for Matthews Clark County so as to provide funding from airport enterprise fund unrestricted net position for airport fencing project and for other purposes. Ordinance number two, an ordinance to amend the FY 2026 annual operating capital budget for Athens, clar county, Georgia, so as provide grant funding if awarded from the Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council to continue one full-time position in the office. Excuse me. of clerk of superior court and associated expenses to support case processing of domestic violence cases and for other purposes. Thank you, Attorney Drake. Do I hear a motion for approval of the consent agenda?

So moved. All right. Second. I've got a motion from Commissioner Wright and second from Commissioner Thornon. All in favor, please say I. All oppose. Same sign. All right. Hearing none. Motion carries. All right. We're going to move on to public hearing and deliberation regarding recommendations from the Athens clar county planning commission. Uh the first of those is item number 10 regarding 166 West Clayton Street. Is there any member of the public here to speak to that item? May now step up to the mic.

Looks good to me. All right, seeing none, we're going to come to commission deliberation. Uh would a commissioner like to place a motion on the floor? Commissioner Wright. Yes. I make a motion that we approve. Second. All right. I've got a motion from Commissioner Wright, second from Commissioner Hamby. Any further remarks, Commissioner Wright? Uh no. I think it's a good idea. They're just trying to make a um indooroutdoor one space versus two separate. They share the same bathroom. So, it makes sense to me. Anything further, Commissioner Andy? Uh no. I like bars and I like food trucks. So, all right. Uh any any more remarks for members of the body? All right. Need to hear an ordinance.

An ordinance to amend the code of Athens, Tark County, Georgia with respect to special use approval on the CDWD commercial downtown west downtown design area for one parcel of land located at 166 West Clayton Street and for other purposes. Thank you, Attorney Drake. All right, there's a motion, a second on the floor. All in favor, please say I. I. Any opposed? Right. Hearing none. Motion carries unanimously. All right. Item 11 is another planning and zoning item recommended by our uh planning commission regarding 458 East Clayton Street. Is there any member of the public here to speak to 458 East Clayton Street tonight? Good evening, sir.

Uh good evening. My name is David Matheni and I'm representing Armit Matheni Thurman at 3:30 Research Drive. Um, before I start, I was reported that by a commissioner who will go unnamed that sometimes I'm a little too serious up here. So, I'm going to be a little lighter about it and not so that was whatever.

Okay. Um, I I I want to be brief. Uh for those of you who were here for the agenda setting meeting, uh my partner Brett Thurman pretty much answered the questions, but I want to be sure to clear up anything that may have been uh unclear. Uh first of all, this space has been available for lease for nearly 10 years without any success. Maybe a short-term leasing office was there. So, uh it's just not making sense in this location for uh this amount of space for to be leased. And um so therefore, the reason that we're requesting this variance for the amount of square footage, uh necessary on street level uh in downtown. Uh and we think that reducing the square footage will make it a lot more marketable and still achieve uh the whole point of not having residents on street level, which means that we'll still have a storefront. And I heard uh Bruce Lonnie one time talk about it being an animated space. So I think that's great and it still will be. There will be no changes to the storefronts and um this will allow the a better use of that space for residential and there will be uh the plan is to have um three uh apartments. There will be a five bedroomedroom, a fourbedroom and a threebedroom. and their uh off-site parking has been

secured. And I think that that pretty much wraps up what I would want to say and uh would appreciate um approval for that. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Matheni. There anyone else here to speak to 458 East Clayton Street? Seeing none, this also is in District 4. Commissioner Wright, would you like to place a motion on the floor? We have so much fun in District 4, people want to live down here as well. Um I am an advocate for first floor residential. I hope that we can look into that um as we increase options where people especially after being 11 weeks on crutches recently. I think that it's first floor is good and so I make a motion that we approve. Second.

All right. I've got a motion from Commissioner Wright. Second from Commissioner Hamby. Anything further Commissioner Wright? Nope. All right. Commissioner Hamby? No. It's a very serious second. Uh, anything further from members of the body? Right. Let me have Attorney Drake read the ordinance and and I believe we can handle the special use and variance with a single vote. Or do you would you like to see two votes? Attorney Drake, all I see is one ordinance. I I see one ordinance, but but I noted that uh the planning commission separately gave us a recommendation about the special use approval and the variance approval. So, I just want to make sure that one vote is

I believe that's included in the ordinance, Mr. Mayor. We normally do it. I can look real quick though to make sure Bruce, you recall the plan.

Just the waiver of the requirements found in section 9-10-2 of the code of Athens Park County, Georgia, so as to increase the decrease the minimum percentage of leasal commercial facial on the ground floor from 50% to 11%. Yes. All right. We're good. Then send the ordinance. All right. Perfect. An ordinance to amend the code of Athens, Clark County, Georgia, respect the special use approval on the CDE ED commercial downtown east downtown for one par of land located at 458 East Clayton Street and for other purposes. Thank you, Attorney Drake. All right, we have a motion from Commissioner Wright and a second from Commissioner Hamby. All in favor, please say I. I.

Any opposed? All right. Hearing none, motion carries. All right. Uh item 12 is regarding 295 East Dory Street. Uh, and this is a small part of that overall parcel um for transition from CD zoning to G government zoning. Is there any member of the public here to speak to this tonight?

Good evening. Good evening. Uh, my name is Buck Bacon. I'm with WA Engineering. Our office is located at 355 Onita Street here in Athens, Georgia. Uh I'm here speaking on behalf of the uh seller Mallerie and Evans and the owner uh or or buy purchaser uh core spaces uh and in support of this project. I don't probably don't need to belabor anybody with additional information. We just ask that uh you guys approve it and let me know if you have any questions. Thank you, Mr. Bacon. Is there anyone else here to speak to 295 Dy Street? All right. Uh, seeing none, uh, this is in district two. Commissioner Link, would you like to place a motion on the floor?

Yes. Move to approve, please. Second. All right. Got a motion from Commissioner Link. And I have a second from Commissioner Hami. Commissioner Link. Any further remarks? I don't believe so. Commissioner Hamby? No. Any others? All right. All in favor, please say I. Oh, let me get the ordinance. I apologize. We'll do that again a second. or an ordinance to amend the code of Athens, Clark County, Georgia, respect to reszoning a portion of one parcel of land comprising approximately 3.8 acres in total 0.92 acres of which is affected by the reszone approved herein located at 295 East Dory Street from CD commercial downtown to GG government and for other purposes. All those in favor please say I Any opposed? I.

All right. Uh please note commissioners Taylor, Fiser, and Johnson opposed. All right. All right. Uh we're going to move on. Item 13 uh is uh regarding a text amendment for uh title nine of the code of ordinances regarding data centers. Uh I understand to be the kind of will to the body to hold this for a month so we can give some direction to the planning commission and this of course is somewhat associated with a later agenda item uh number 20 which would extend the existing data center moratorum. Uh but we do have public input at this point. So if any member of the public would like to speak to item 13 now is that time

for clarity. I'm sorry. Yeah. Yes. For clarity. So are we talking about putting on if there's a possibility of putting um this one hold and number 20. Correct. So it' be two possible holds. Well, it it would be a a hold and a moratorum. extending more. So, which one are we extending here?

So, so right now item 13 is the hold because what we would need to do, you know, kind of following public input if it was the will of this body is give some direction to the planning commission, which we would do at next month's meeting. And so, we would just put this on ice for the month. Does that help? Hi. Good evening. Good to see you.

You, too. Hello, mayor and commissioners. Um, I say this loud and clear. No more data centers in our black and workingclass neighborhoods. Industrial zone. This county is too small to bear the burden of these facilities. The tax revenue, roughly 200,000 so far, does little for the communities paying the true cost. Often owners break get breaks and incentives while we show their higher energy bills, drained water, noise, and environmental risk. And when these centers close, what's left? Empty buildings, wasted land, broken neighborhoods. If you're thinking, "But they create jobs." Let me be clear. Very few permanent positions exist, if any. The last data center that snuck up on on us, those people were not from Athens. If you're thinking, "But they increase tax revenue." Ask yourself, does it reach the people living next door? Impact without reinvestment is extraction. We cannot trade our health, our water, our air, our neighborhoods for corporate profit. Athens is too small, too proud, too connected to allow our neighborhoods to become industrial sacrifice zones. People over profits, please. Community over corporations, health over harm, no more data centers, not here, not ever. Thank you.

Thank you, Dr. Maddox. Good evening.

All right. Hello, everyone. I'm Olivia Asher. I live at 105 College Station Road and I'm here to support the general consensus of the commission to hold voting on this ordinance until the planning commission and others have more chance to go over it. I second what Dr. Matics said, and I ask that in the ordinance going forward, we do what we can to ensure that there will be energy use auditing for data centers, working with the public service commission, or potentially looking into audits from outside sources. I also ask that there be language that ensures there will be community benefit agreements considered for any proposed data center and that data centers will not be clustered in the same regions. And I also ask that there be a plan for what happens when a data center is no longer in use. So, thank you for all the work that has been done so far in the ordinance and I think it can definitely be improved moving forward and I hope you all will decide to do that. Thank you.

Thank you, Miss Asher. Good evening. Good evening. Uh my name is Daria Kentari. I live at 120 Winter Circle. Um I'm here to support uh again the extended moratorum. I was here a couple weeks ago during the um agenda setting session. Um and especially the two speakers before me. they're much more knowledgeable. I agree with everything they said. Um so I just emphasize and I support that. So please consider that um everything they they said already. Thank you so much. Thank you, Daria. Good evening.

Good evening. I'm Gail Chimo 245 Millstone Circle and I'm here also to comment on the amendments for the ordinances for the data centers. I think that we need to ensure that these ordinance protect the public health, safety, and our natural world, the environment, because these data centers have a huge impact on our environment. They do not align with Athens Clark County's clean and renewable energy plan. Also, I would like to have it in the amendments that we use more clean and renewable energy so that it does align with us. There's new technologies coming out and we need to have time to research those so that we don't end up with a lot of fossil fuels being uh brought into our community here. Um, and I also want this done to for everybody to look at the equity of this that we don't have data centers clustered in one area that's going to impact people living near the industrial zone. They've already been impacted enough and it is an equality issue. Um, so we want these data centers to be powered in a way that meets our Athens, Clark County clean and renewable plan and centering everything around equity for our people, our citizens in Athens, Clark County. I have been here now eight years and I can tell you I love Athens, Clark County because of all the work you are doing with the renewable energy here. I think it's very important. We need to continue moving forward with the

plan. So, thank you for listening to me. Thank you, M. Chima. You're welcome. Good evening.

Hi, commissioners. My name is Summer Blanco. I live at 135 Garden Court. Um, first I just wanted to take the time to thank the planning commission for their hard work. Um, they were really attentive to the input from the community and so I again they did an amazing job. I really appreciate everything that they've done. Um, one thing in particular that I really liked about this was the integrated feedback requiring that all data centers regardless of size require a special use permit which limited by right approval for data centers. I think that's a huge win. That's a great step forward. Um, I'm also really proud that they valued our voice and they really strongly supported implementing a community oversight board which they said that this body would be the one to actually put in place. Um, I think that makes sure that everybody has a voice in what happens with data center development, especially those who have been directly impacted by that development here in Athens. Um, one thing that there remains ambiguity around is the energy use auditing. So, I would like to uh give the planning commission more time to look to the research and work that's been done in other counties to make sure that our water and power are not being uh sucked dry from data center development. Um, I think that would a moratorum to push past March would give them the time to do so. So, I'd love to see this body consider extending that. Thanks y'all.

Thank you, Miss Blanco. Good evening. Good evening. My name is Willie Thomas. I live at 170 Carter Street. I also am stressing that I am against any more data centers in Aston because they will be in our black communities name mainly around P road, Spring Valley, East Asen, and Winterville. We should not weigh in on the burden of the environment issue. For that, I'm saying no more data center. I think

Thank you, Mr. Tommo. Good evening.

Hi, how are you? Um, my name is Grace Holmes. I'm a student at UG and I'm very involved with the sustainability on campus as well as outside of the campus. Um, in alliance with the rest of the speakers, I also am proposing that we extend the moratorum. Um, as a younger student that also is very involved in the data, climate data specifically, and everything that's going on with data centers in our world, I just really want the time expended to collaborate with other people, have an interdisciplinary committee or advisory committee to review what is happening with these data centers. The depletion of our resources and our energy is extremely concerning. as a younger person who's trying to grow up in Georgia and I just want everything that can be done with the Athens clean energy and renewable plan to be followed through on with these data centers. And I just I want transparency with these matters and I also want to do everything that we can to ensure the health of our community as well as the health of our environments in the area. Thank you.

Thank you, Miss Holmes. Good evening.

Hello. My name is Eli King. I live on 100 Fox Road here in Athens. I'm a member of the Young Democrats of UG and Citizens Climate Education. Uh oftentimes young people do not come to these kinds of meetings. I see that's not the case tonight. Uh hello Grady students. Uh but as students it is our due diligence to learn to serve to inquire into the nature of things not to prompt chap chat GBT and not to watch places like the industrial zone get clustered with data centers. So I find myself here advocating not for just not just for my classmates but for my community. Data centers and their proliferation in the state of Georgia are a new phenomenon that the government has not caught up with yet. Though they may seem like an economic gold mine, data center demand projections inherently contain uncertainty and systematic upward bias. I urge you to extend the moratorium in Athens, clar county for a further 3 months to allow for further development of the ordinance. And while I hold my cautious optimism that this commission will see through to that, I further urge you to take these three months as a time to actually develop the ordinance. I hope you'll consider safeguards such as banning NDAs and data center development, creating renewable energy requirements that align with the Athens clean and renewable energy plan, and including language that ensures community benefit agreements are evaluated in the special land use permitting process. Public comments made to this commission tonight have expressed concerns over data centers, environmental impact, and economic instability. I hope this commission takes this opportunity to seriously address the consequences of data centers in Athens. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Kaine. Is there anyone else here tonight to speak to item number 13 before we begin commission discussion? Right. Uh all right. Uh we're going to come for discussion deliberation. Uh would a member of the body like to place a motion on uh the floor to hold this for one month? Um mayor, I would like to make that motion. Um but do I have an opportunity to hold it until the moratorum?

We um we don't have that opportunity legally. we have to hold it for one month and then send it back to the planning commission with some direction. Okay. Um but the moratorum can go on for the entire duration of the deliberation on the planning commission end and it's returned to us.

And so I do I just want to be clear um each month until we get to the end of the moratorum. We can hold this each month. So we only have to act once and so by us holding it this one time and then next month giving some direction to the planning commission then it's in the planning commission and planning department's court and then they'll return to us for further action. So it'll be about three or so months. So it'll be a few months before it comes back to us. But we only have to hold it once and then send it back to them next month with some direction. Okay. I I would like to make a motion to hold it that one month.

All right. Got a motion from Commissioner Thornton and a second from Commissioner Taylor. Any further remarks, Commissioner Thornton? Um, I just wanted to speak to um the meeting that was held at um New Grove that was facil facilitated by uh uh Dr. Maddox with our public service commissioner um what's his name?

Hubbert. Hubbert presented um and and and it was interesting because the data center that he's talking about is in district nine and they did a chart and it says things we don't know and they're talking specifically about district 9's data center. The cooling the cooling system utilized which impacts the likelihood of potential runoff water is a concern. whether the developer of the 244 acres behind the data data center will pursue data another data center or expanding open records requests reveal contradictory message and subject so uh I'm will be reaching out to you uh Bob about that what util what utility really means how the co- ownerships of the facility impacts our zoning ordinances. So, these were shared about um specifically about the uh data center that has already been built and um and for that reason, I am asking to hold and maybe we can get some answers to these questions.

Thank you, Commissioner. Commissioner Taylor, any follow-up? Um no, I just I echo um what Commissioner Thornton just said. Great meetings last week. Thank you, Commissioner Fischer, and then Commissioner Link. Yeah, thank you, Mayor. And I want to follow up at our agenda setting. Want to make sure and Bob, this is coming to you too, whether or not um can utility companies though by right come in and put a data center in without our knowledge and I'd like to know where we stand on that. So, I like get that clarity. Also,

we're working on the answers. If there was a list of questions and we're working on writing the memo, that's one thing I want to do is provide you the guidance. so that y'all can understand some of the questions that were asked by various commissioners and the mayor before y'all send it back to the planning commission. Thank you. Thank you. I think the two parts that you'll talk about is given us one set of questions and that's what the attorney just spoke to and we'll be providing a response to those. But if this is actually tabled to the next meeting and sent back to the commission, we'll if though based on that memo, we'll also be looking for are there other instructions or directions to the planning commission so that they know how to adapt to it and stuff.

Thank you, Commissioner Link.

Yeah. Um I attended the uh meeting in Winterville last week. Uh Commissioner Myers was there as well. Um and it was a packed house and in the Marold auditorium, a couple hundred people at least. Um there is an extreme concern in throughout our community about this and um I think we need to make it as ownorous as possible. Um this is a brand new technology and um you know it's it's a rapidly changing technology. These centers use more energy often than tens of thousands of households. Um but it's a really unique industry. they um and we I I feel like we need some serious schooling as we move forward um to develop an ordinance that's that's appropriate. We're the smallest landwise. We are the smallest county in the state of Georgia and um you know, our industrial land is precious and it should go to industry that's actually going to benefit the community and provide plenty of well-paying jobs for our community. And I want to thank the young people that are here today. Um, particularly the young men that stood up and and warned about using chat GPT and other AI technologies. Um, it's on us as citizens of of this planet um to not take advantage of this technology except where it's absolutely ne necessary. Um, it certainly provides great advantage um, in the sciences, but um, we need to use our brains more when we're sending an email and use our brains when we're making art um, and and encourage those around you to do the same and um, reject this technology which is quite literally destroying our planet and our societies.

Thank you, Commissioner. All right. Uh given that we do have an ordinance on the agenda, I'm going to go ahead and have uh attorney Drake read that even even though the motion is to hold an ordinance to amend the code of Athens, Clark County, Georgia with respect to Red Lane data centers as an industrial use and for other purposes. And this is to hold to the next meeting. Correct, Mr. Mayor? Because it may be longer than 30 days. I think there's an extra It will be uh it'll be under 40 days. So the motion is to hold until our next voting meeting. All right. So we have a motion, a second. All in favor, please say I.

Any opposed? All right. Hearing none. Motion carries. All right. As uh earlier mentioned, uh we have now an opportunity for public input on all old and new business. And so those are items 14 through 21 on our agenda. So if any member of the public would like to speak to any of those items 14 through 21, now is that time with the same threeminut opportunity.

Good evening. Hey, good evening. just uh state your name and place of residence and then you may begin.

Yes. Uh Alvie Co here representing Athens Chamber of Commerce, Athens, Georgia. So uh well, first off, good evening, mayor and commission. I would like to first start by thanking this body for um your continued support of the uh important workforce initiative known as Athens Achieves. And because of your investment, proud to say that we have supported over 250 individuals uh through early literacy, career exploration, pre-apprenticeship training, and industry aligned workforce programming. And this Friday, we are prepared to host our first uh inaugural Wonders of Work event that will expose our Clark County ETH graders to high demand careers right here in our community. I'm also want to acknowledge that the past couple of weeks have been very active as you all know with emails, calls and discussions regarding the ARPA recapture process and what it means for our subgrantees. This entire process has truly been a learning experience for all parties involved and we've learned far more than we have anticipated. Um we understand perhaps more than anyone that these funds have an expiration date and must be spent in accordance with established guidelines and that has truly always been our commitment. I want to note though that the challenge we are facing is not the performance of any one specific entity and I want to make sure that point is clear. Um the bottleneck is simply the reimbursement process itself. Funds must first be spent by the organization, submitted to the chamber, reviewed and approved by the chamber, reimbured to the organization, and then submitted to the county for final reimbursement. um that multi-step process just creates a lag time in reporting what is technically defined as spent. For example, and I want to use one of our subgrantes, Goodwill was awarded a 242,000 um contract based strictly on funds spent, submitted, approved, and reimbursed through the full process. Approximately 34,000 has been or is currently reflected. However, Goodwill

has already incurred roughly 138,000 ineligible expenses that are under review and not yet reflected in the official total. A proposed recapture of 51,000 when calculated against the pending reimbursements could leave them with only about $19,000 remaining. And once their January and February expenses are processed, this could potentially place them at a deficit. So a premature recapture would negatively impact their program budget and service delivery. Therefore, our request is simple. We respectfully ask that the vote be tabled to allow us time to complete the review and approval of all outstanding reimbursement requests. We are glad and more than willing to work with our economic development team to do a one-time catch up on all outstanding requests in order to get final approval. And this will provide a more accurate reflection of what has actually been expended and what remains in the balance and help us to ensure fairness, transparency, and responsible stewardship of public funds.

Thank you, Mr. Coz. Thank you.

Good evening.

Good evening. Thank you, mayor, commissioners. My name is Ellen Cochran and I am here representing Quality Care for Children. We are one of the agencies that was funded through the ARPA funds. Um, and I'm here today just to talk a little bit. Quality Care for Children is a statewide nonprofit that's been serving the child care community for over 45 years. And I felt so strongly today that I wanted to come and have just a few minutes to talk to you that we have had a grant and are grateful for the ARPA funds that we have received to support child care providers in the community. And I'm going to have my colleague Monnique Reynolds speak a little bit about what we've done and are doing with those funds. What I'm here today is to ask you to reconsider. One of the recommendations was to recapture 43,000 of the 300 that we are using to serve the childare providers around sustainable child care here in Georgia. Um, part of that is because it's a two-year program and in our original proposal, we indicated we would be spending more in year two than in year 1, but the recommendation is based on what was spent at a 50% rate. And so, we were told that this would be the time to come and speak about why that was a challenge for us. Um, we made lots of purchases in January for the laptops that we give to providers who have gone through the program. And so by 18 months, we will be at that 75% spending mark to get to the 100 100% of expended funds by the end of December. And so we feel confident that by asking of this, we're actually putting those dollars to the childare providers who have not yet enrolled in the program. Without that, I I'm afraid we wouldn't be able to finish the program because there are staffing dollars connected to those funds. And so, while we've spent them on laptops, I'd either have to return or figure out um it really puts us at the opportunity to not be able to serve the providers that we hope are still interested and we're working with here um in in uh in Athens. And so wanted to make sure to ask you of that and turn it over uh to my colleague to talk a little bit about what the program is just to emphasize how important it is to the child care community which as you know has really struggled with sustainability and access

um over the last few years and so this program in particular I think you'll find is really helping to make sure that we have sustainable child care here in the community. So thank you for your time. Thank you Miss Cochran. Good evening.

Good evening. I'm Monique Reynolds. again um with Ellen. I'm with Quality Care for Children and I'm the vice president of business support services. So my team comes to Athens to make sure that we are on the ground and we go to the child care centers on a regular basis to make sure that we give them all the resources and tools they need to be financially stable. This is so important because our children need to stay in high quality programming and we're so grateful to have this grant where we can go in. There's about 39 when we first started programs, childcare programs in Athens. There have been two that have already closed. And so it's very important that the child care providers in this community have the financial um resources so that they can operate their business efficiently. Um and then it saves them time and money. I do want to say as we have 20 enrolled and we will be um recruiting for 16 more in um Athens, the results are outstanding. So far, the providers that we're working with, about four that are completing the modules that we're going through, they already have increased their enrollment by 24%. We have eliminated their bad debt and we have restructured their program where they are generating revenue up to 24%. without our assistance providing business coaching. They've come into this field because they love children, not necessarily that they have the business acrement to know how to properly operate. We all seen what happened in COVID. We want to save these child care um pro programs. And so we are pleading with you and requesting that you do not take these funds that we can continue the program. We're on track as uh Ellen has mentioned to be at our

75 mark and our first year budget was actually what we submitted we were over budget. So it was going by the total totality of the 300,000. So we would like for you to reconsider so that we can provide uh the services for the child care programs here in Athens. Thank you Miss Reynolds. Good evening. Hi everyone. Olivia again. I just wanted to say that I support the extension of the moratorum. Thank you. Thank you Miss Asher. Good evening. Hi everyone. Summer again. I also just want to say that I support the extension of the data center uh ordinance. Thank you.

Thank you Summer. Good evening.

Good evening. Gail Chimo again and I just want to say that I support the extension of the moratorum for the data center. Um and just to give the mayor and the commissioners time to really research and take in consideration all the comments from this evening and what you have heard from recent uh town halls and so forth. And uh the new technologies are on the horizon and data centers may not end up needing as much energy that the Georgia Power has requested and has they've been actually approved for 10 gigawatts of power for data centers which is humongous and it will be a lot of it fossil fuel dirty energy. So, I'm just saying please research um get some professionals in if you need them. This data center thing is a big confusing mess and thank you very much for your time.

Thank you, Mr. Gmail. Good evening.

Good evening, Mayor and Commission. I'm Kirk Dominic. I'm the interim CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Athens, 7054th Street. On behalf of our board, our staff, and most importantly, the families we serve, I first want to thank you for your service and for the longer long-standing partnership that we have with Athens Clark County government. I, like Alvie and others, I'm here to talk about item 16, the ARPA recapture, particularly as it relates to our subrant from the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce that supports our youth force workforce development initiative. This funding is critical in helping us pursue our mission of helping young people achieve their full potential as responsible, caring, productive citizens. And we would respectfully ask that you vote against the recommended recapture of $130,456 of our subgrant funds. I'll share quick three brief points that I think would be important in terms of bringing you up to date. First, our reporting challenges from 2025 have been have been corrected. Leadership transition and staff transitions during the year created a disruption in timely reporting and forced untrained staff to take on ARP ARPA reporting. That has been corrected. Reports are current and up to date and will remain so. Item two, I would tell you as you've heard before, this is a reimburseable grant, which means the $130,000 in question is money that we have already expended from our budget to provide the services outlined in the contract scope of work. Through December 31st, we have documented just over $123,000 in eligible expenses that have been preliminarily approved by the chamber. in our January and February of 26 reporting that brings the total documented to date to $145,745 or 49% of the full subgrant award. And third, I would point out we have a clear and actionable plan to spend the money

well within the contract period. We've shifted to a full-time staffing model to enhance our recruitment, our partnership development, and our program delivery. And now with a more full understanding of the concerns about expenditure timing, we've further revised our budget since the one in your packet to expend the funds by October 31st, a full two months before the end of the contract period. At the end of the day, this is not about reporting. This is not about dollars. As a former Boys and Girls Club child myself, I can tell you it's about the impact that's being driven. And so I'll share with you that in 2025 alone through youth work through youth force 186 young people were impacted directly and nearly a hundred more were impacted indirectly through inschool workshops and hiring fairs. I'm going to point out one small subset. the 27 graduates of our future force, which is a six-w week intensive cohort training designed for 17 to 24 year olds who are either not in who are not enrolled in school and not employed. Of those 27 graduates in 2025, 25 of them are now either gainfully employed, have gone back to school, are enrolled in a certification or GED program, and in some cases have started their own businesses and entrepreneurs.

Thank you, Mr. Dominic. Thank you so much for your consideration. Good evening.

Good evening. I'm Allison Rash. I'm the executive director of the Clark County mentor program. We're at 2350 Prince Avenue. Um and I just want to speak very briefly also to um item 16, the recapture of the Athens Achieves um ARPA funding. And I I chose to speak today even though we're a small subgrantee recipient and our recapture amount may seem minor, but it's very significant to our program. And also like others, it reflects money that's already been spent. In fact, our situation is pretty straightforward in that um it reflects exactly our funds that we requested reimbursement for for November and December um work. We do career exploration mentoring in the schools and we're proud to say we've already had 90 um career exploration mentoring um activities and things completed. So our program is well underway and our initiative is moving along as intended. Um our money for um November and December that was requested. It's really just a question of as Mr. Co mentioned timing with the reimbursement process. So for example, if we submit for work completed by December, uh that's not going to be reviewed and reimbursed by the chamber until January. So we actually in terms of our work completed through the end of December 31 had over 50% of our allotted expenses reported. So we're actually on target. It's really just the process. Um, so I would like to suggest that we um, you know, that those funds not be recaptured because they've already been spent and the work has been done as planned and as budgeted.

Thank you. Thank you, Miss Raj. Good evening.

Good evening. Uh, my name is Ria Sucha and I'm here to speak on items 13 and 20. Uh I'm here to advocate for the extension of the data center moratorum and emphasize requiring energy audits of any data centers that are built in Athens in the future. Um this is because our electricity bills are going to go way up when we add a data center to Athens. This requires care careful consideration as I've said at one of these meetings before and extending the moratorum will give us more time to make the most efficient and beneficial decision for our community. Um the people of Athens are going to be the ones bearing the price as these outside companies pocket the profits and it's just not advisable to go forward with something in such a rash manner. That's also why I think it's really important to demand energy audits from the data center. Whether it's a self-report or the government of Athens does it themselves. I think that these are extremely valuable and essential to improving the efficiency and reducing that burden on our community when it comes to the data centers. data centers currently use up approximately like 80 80% of the water that they take in which is which which is going to have a terrible impact on the amount of water that we have available for our community. So, if we can find ways to make this more efficient and if we can use these energy audits to be able to mitigate the impacts that the data centers have on our community, then that will be crucial to whether we could have one in Athens, whether it's feasible, and whether it will um and protecting our community if

that is indeed the case. So I want to once again emphasize like a required energy audit no matter who does it. If the energy audit is done by the company then it's essential that it's properly enforced. Um just so that they don't you know fudge the numbers make sure that everything looks fine on the surface when it clearly isn't. And uh I'd like to just advocate for the extension of that moratorium so we can workshop the policy and make it the best possible. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Sha. Good evening.

Good evening. My name is uh Rick Dunn or Richard Dunn legally. Uh I live at 252 Cavalere Road here in big city of Athens, Georgia. and I am one of the uh subcontractors with the uh chamber of commerce through the uh Athens Achieve program. And like everybody else, we're concerned about the uh recapture of the funds. um my particular organization like the lady from I believe it was from the tutorial program we haven't been reimbursed since uh November we but we spent money in November we spent money in December if you recapture based off your figuring what we spent through October you're cheating us out of uh $10110 $1043, which for a small nonprofit is crippling. Uh I've done work in this community for over 16 years working with the youth in this community, and it's always been a struggle for the smaller nonprofits to generate the funds we need to do the quality work that we do. And we just uh encourage you to just go back and reconsider looking at what we spent already in totality versus looking at what we got in back in October, our October reimbursement. By the way, we've turned in our um request for reimbursement for November, December, and here it is March the 4th, and we're still waiting to get reimbursed, which means this month, uh March, I can't I couldn't even make payroll. because we're still waiting to get reimbursed. The system that you have in place is just so cumbersome. I've gotten

funds through HCDC in the past through CDBG funds and opera funds and it was so efficient, but why this one is not working is beyond it's beyond my ability to figure it out. There's always seem to be a struggle in this community when it comes to truly wanting to support youth development. I remember when the offer of money is first was announced. Uh was it 2022? You said it was $7 million for youth development and you weren't even going to let the money go until December. You said it in the spring. Summer was getting ready to come and we was like, well, what we going to do with the children in the summer? So, we advocated and you you provided some money for the summer. We had a good summer. We served a lot of children. Then there was a debate about taking youth development funds and putting it into uh uh infrastructure. If you don't c you can have capital improvement, but if you don't invest in human capital, then what good is it to fix the dog on streets?

All right. Thank you, Mr. D. Good evening.

Hello again, Toana Maddox. Amen. to what he just said. Um before I talk about the moratorum, I do um I work with um Athens Land Trust. I don't see my executive director here tonight, but he spoke with you all the last time and as one who just care about the community, care about affordable housing. We do the work at Athens Land Trust. We steadily um paving the grounds as we speak, and we're putting people into homes, creating generational wealth. Not just generational wealth in terms of money but generational wealth in the mind because as I see people who are coming from no housing or you know lowincome housing to an affordable home what that does to a child what that does to their family it provides hope it provides guidance and a sense of confidence that they can then continue that for generations to come. So, I ask that you not recapture those funds for Athens Land Trust. Next, I want to um say that I support the moratorum on new data centers um in our black and workingclass neighborhoods. Um these areas have carried the heaviest burden for too long. This pause gives us a chance to what I hope will lead to no more facilities in our sacrifice zones. We do appreciate the data tax amendment where you know um the special permits will take place for every um data center that is applied for but a moratorum alone isn't isn't enough. We need professional support to guide the right decisions. We need a community oversight committee that looks not just at data centers but also integrate the renewable energy plan. Making sure our energy future benefits the people, not just corporate profits. This is a way to reestablish the trust that has been broken from the

boys road data center popping up with no communication like a thief in the night. We need sciencebacked monitoring. We need to know potential water but also the energy uses the young lady who spoke before me. Please again people over profits, community over corporations, health over harm. No more data centers. Not here, not ever. Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Maddox. Good evening.

Hi, my name is Jeremy Smith. I live at 150 Feeasant Run, Bogart, Georgia. I am a regional manager for Goodwill of North Georgia's workforce development programs here in Athens and for the surrounding counties. Uh we are grateful to have been awarded funds as part of the Chamber of Commerce's Athens Achieves program. Goodwill's work uh under this program has been focused on helping Clark County residents with justice involvement to receive skills training, job placement assistance, case management, and supportive services. The program has been highly successful and we consider it an honor to be able to do this work. I want to thank Mayor Girtz and the entire commission for the support that you have given Goodwill over the years as well as for your attention to our current situation. I especially want to thank Dr. McConnell and her team for their assistance. We had the opportunity to meet to meet with them today and we are extremely grateful to have been given that chance. Um, as has been mentioned by some of the other, um, agencies, um, we have very nearly exhausted our total funding for this program. Through February, we have spent over $225,000, a testament to the great need for this work here in Athens. We've exceeded many of the goals that we set forth, and especially after today, I feel certain that we are now on a solid path to process remaining reimbursements in a timely manner. Um, Goodwill of North Georgia has benefited greatly from y'all's support over the years, and I want to thank you all for your continued partnership. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Smith.

Good evening.

Some cables over here. Um, Russell Edwards, 400 Duncan Springs. Um, I ju I just wanted to salute the the GI committee for these affordable housing recommendations. You know, we've been talking a lot in this community about the housing crisis and how we're six or 7,000 units behind. And I think it's pretty cool that the GT committee has come forward and is going to send some recommendations to the planning commission attacking uh the availability and affordability of a housing. Um looking at allowing accessory dwelling units, greater use of single family attached units, smaller and less expensive homes such as manufactured homes, reduction or elimination of minimum street frontage, smaller lot and home sizes, and reduction of parking minimums, which I mentioned earlier. um you know, in this community, we had racial covenants that would block uh black folks from buying houses in certain neighborhoods. And that was struck down by the Supreme Court in 1948. And then we got all these zoning rules that uh made it hard for people to build houses and kept uh poor folks and black folks out of neighborhoods by using these arbitrary capriccious rules like lot size and home size. So, I think it's great that the Git Committee did their work and uncovered some of that unfortunate history and now 75 years later, hopefully we can correct that and address our housing crisis. Uh, a crisis brought to us by the status quo zoning and planning regulations that we currently have. The status quo brought us to this crisis. So, it's natural that the GT committee has recommended some changes to the status quo. So, I'm looking forward to those changes coming before y'all and for ultimate adoption. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Edwards. All right. Thank you to everyone. Good evening, sir. This is Will Thomas again. I live at 170 Carter Street and I do support the commission on this extension of the data data center. Thank

Thank you, Mr. Thomas, and thank you to everyone who spoke tonight. Appreciate y'all coming out. means a lot to us to have your voices here in city hall. We're going to go ahead and move to commission action beginning with item 14. And Commissioner Thornton, you provided a commission defined option uh regarding our kind of examination of these two homes on Puritan Lane and Mon Highway uh recommending that we not move these homes, but we provide some marching orders to staff for development of some affordable housing options uh and their desired return to us uh by the June vot voting meeting. Um, I'm going to make a motion to table this. I'm been working with the count uh the manager and some out outside sources along with uh Commissioner Link. Uh, we found some new information that might be a little bit more palatable. Um, and we know we have a deadline now. Is Right, Mr. Bob?

We Well, don't you ain't got to say it, but we got a dead. It's coming fast. It's coming fast. So, I'm asking the table um motion to table item 14. Is there a second? Second. All right. There's second from Commissioner Link. Uh anything further, Commissioner Thornon? Um no, that was my my comments and my motion.

Anything, Commissioner Link? Um yeah, uh uh Commissioner Thornton and I met with manager Bob and um we've been in communication with the Athens Land Trust and there's interest in um them taking possession of these homes for um affordable housing and and we found some new information about the historic value of the homes and the actual structure of them themselves. um that and and we feel like there are some options that will make it much much more coste effective to move these structures to um to um hopefully the Athens Land Trust land where they can quite quickly be converted to livable structures.

We've got a motion to table and a second. Any further remarks? Commissioner Wright, quick question. Um, in your all's um, research that you're doing, who who is expected to pay for this relocation, we're we're looking at the same outline of of payment, but it would hopefully I mean, we're still getting information and new estimates and um, manager Cowell's um, waiting on some more information, but um, we're looking at the same payment source, but hopefully it would bring different numbers. Much different numbers. Yes. Then that's why we need to extend this a little bit. Commissioner Davenport, a motion to deny.

Is there a We've got a substitute motion to uh deny allocation of funds for this purpose. Is there a second? Second.

I've got a motion from Commissioner Davenport and a second. Commissioner Davenport, any further remarks? Yeah, I think the work that my colleagues are doing are very commendable, but for a million bucks, we can provide more housing for more individuals and um this project has been delayed since last year. And um it I find it very commendable and respectful for the work that's been done, but I believe that when I spoke with the developer that their deadline is fastly approaching and they're ready to put boots on the ground, but not boots on the ground, buildings on the ground. Um, and just there just a lot of questions about who's going to sell these homes, where they're going to be placed, um, these two homes and, um, how much it's going to cost to rehab them. Um, but just out of respect for my colleagues, I would just prefer that we allocate that money to actual to other affordable housing needs. We're going to provide more assistance to more people than just these two homes.

Commissioner Wright is the secondary substitute motion. You have any remarks? And in in respect to that deadline, I I feel like the sooner if we have a majority that agrees, the sooner we let somebody else take this on as a the same result could happen, but with a private entity taking it on. I think that would be a the sooner we let go of this idea that someone else will pick it up. Anyone else before I return to Commissioner Link? Commissioner Fischer.

Yeah. Um, I don't see why we can't put this on hold. Just again, if we trying to get more information, I think it it won't hurt us for one cycle to um just get the information, make sure all the um tees are cross and eyes are dotted and then then make a decision. I don't I don't agree with um denying until we have all the information. If another entity is considering taking that, I think we need to get the opportunity at least give them the opportunity um to do that. So that's P, you know, and then we still can vote whatever where that vote may go, but at least let's look at the opportunities that may be on the table. Uh, Commissioner Link, follow up.

Yeah, I mean, that's all we're asking for is the the time to get more information and we've been in communication with the developer. Um, you know, we do have about a month or so um before they really need to get moving on this. And you know, we're in ongoing communication with Athens Land Trust um who have the resources to um turn these over much more quickly than if we were to just plop them on um ACC own land. Um you know, and next month, you know, or in even in two weeks, we might come back to this and decide that it's not feasible, but at least we're buying a little bit of time. These are really historic structures and it would be a shame um to to just sacrifice them without even making that effort. Um and we believe that with the new knowledge that we've found out about the actual construction of these homes um we can bring this $536,000 allocation down significantly. that would um actually enable the land trust to take over from there and um utilize minimal expenses to turn these into affordable homes at an affordable cost.

Anything else for Commissioner Thor? I said that I wasn't going into my moral speech, but I found out um from our uh ACC gov meeting that this is my personality through the uh emergenics um thing. So, you're just going to have to bear with me. I think all of us need to have that uh uh survey done. Did I miss that? Yes, you did. Um personality service.

I am I'm very disappointed that housing providing housing for two families maybe you wouldn't give it 30 days. I'm very disappointed. Um, a million dollars is nothing compared to somebody's life. And my colleagues that are against this, we've had housing money since 2023 and none of you have stepped up. You want to do this stuff and then you No, I don't want to do that. I don't. And we don't we don't even make a move. You know why? because you don't know about poor people. You don't know about uh folk on the street. When I saw that lady when I spent the night at Thomas Lane, that lady had two little cute little girls. They would have appreciated one of those homes. I've invited you to come out and look for yourself. You don't come and look. And then you have an opinion that is contrary to just trying to help somebody. Now, a million dollars is a bunch of money, but get sick and go into the hospital and get a bill, it'll be a million dollars plus sometimes, depending on what's going on. How y'all going to put a dollar amount on trying to help somebody no matter how small it is? Now, I had already said I wasn't even going to go down that path. I did, didn't I? I'd said I wasn't. But I'm so I'm shocked that you won't even give us 30 days to try to work it out. I am totally dismayed. I'm not going to say embarrassed or or ashamed, but I am dismayed. 30 days that

we could possibly help somebody. And I've been working on this too long and you haven't done a thing to help with housing. Nothing personal. I'm I'm thorough. We have a substitute motion on the floor. We'll do a roll call beginning with Commissioner Davenport. Davenport? Yes. Link? No. Taylor? Yes. What are we voting for? What we right? Yes. Oh, what we voting? We're voting on the substitute motion. Oh, Fisher, no. Johnson, no. Co Pepper. No. Thon. No. Hammy. Yes.

No. Four. Yes. All right. So, we return to the original motion to hold. Uh, if we do a roll call beginning with uh Commissioner Thornon, yes. Hamby, yes. Davenport, yes. Link, yes. Taylor, yes. I'm sorry. It was in there. Right. Yes. Fisher. Yes. Johnson. Yes. Co. Pepper. Yes. None. Yes.

All right. We'll return to this in the future. Right. Um item number 15 is a longaited land bank authority appointments and you have the list of nominees in front of you. Um but uh entertain a motion regarding those items. So move to approve. Motion to approve the slate from Commissioner Link. Is there a second? Second. All right. Got a motion from Commissioner Link. I've got a second from Commissioner Fiser. All right. Any further any remarks? I have remarks. Uh, Commissioner.

Yes. Thank you. I was curious where information can be found on the Athens Park County Unified Government website about the land bank authority because I tried to find information about who actually makes the recommendation for the committee because some of the some of the committee members are recommended by they go through an evaluation process and interview process and are selected by the commissioners or recommended by commissioners and some are appointed by yourself. I it is unclear. I could not find it and I queried online on our own website and I even looked back at the BAC proposal report that was submitted the most upto-date. It did not include anything about who recommends who makes this recommendation.

I I and I would like to know that I think you make a a good observation. Um, this is embedded in Munich code because it's part of the ordinance that the body adopted to establish the land bank authority. And so, uh, in the case of this, it asks that the mayor bring a nominating slate to the commission.

I have two more questions. There there are several um boards, authorities and commissions that are embedded in Munichode, but the the ability to determine how they are how the committee is formed has been brought forward in on the website. So, it's been extrapolated from Unicode. It hasn't been done in this situation. And my last question is how did you determine come to the determination of these five individuals? Could you give us like was it based on their background? Was it based on um something else?

Yeah, there were a number of folks who were recommended uh by the git committee who of course have been engaged in kind of a variety of the components of affordable housing. Uh and so they had sort of a longer list. Obviously, not everybody was available. Um and so this was sort of an associated set of professionals who were available and um so they're in front of you now. But I I agree it would be good if we had uh sort of a duplicative element from the sort of MUN code ordinance that was just on the website in the space where we describe the land bank authority be helpful. Uh so we have a motion and a second just uh get a vote on the slate.

Um yeah I just have a quick comment. Um the government operations committee spent quite a bit of time going through land bank authority and coming going through um processes by which um you know we would a land bank authority would be nominated and what the activities they would be engaged in would be um and this body voted on that um it couldn't have been more than five or six months ago so it should be very in October. It was in October so it was definitely less than six months ago. Um, so yeah, I mean we we had that information before us just a few months ago, so we know how these that the mayor had the authority to appoint these individuals.

Uh, recognize you again, Commissioner Johnson.

I actually pulled up the October report and I I queried on land bank and there were only two instances where it was mentioned. I I don't want to say it's wrong if it's if it's right. I'm just saying that when I tried to find it, it wasn't easy to find. That's simply what I'm saying. It's what I always say is the information on the website is not easy to get to and so I'm having to go to old reports not knowing if it's the oldest report because that I do remember that particular agenda item was pushed um and forwarded three or four cycles. So I looked at the Octobertober report and I did not see mention of that but if it's in there it's in there but it should be on the website. It hasn't even been added to the Athens clar county unified government boards, authorities, and commissions and committees website as one as an entity yet even p even post the approval.

All right. So, uh, Slate is on the floor. All in favor, please say I. I. Any opposed? Right. Hearing none. Motion carries. All right. Well, I I want to give a great thanks to Heather Benham, Jessica Ford, Jeff Green, Greg Oonnell, and Grant Witworth for their willingness to serve. Uh, all right, moving on to item 16. This is the ARPA funding recapture and reallocation report uh in commission conversation. Understand there's interest in holding this so we can do uh additional uh inventory of those items that are already spent. So, I want to make a motion to hold. Uh, entertain a motion to hold from Commissioner Thornton. Is there a second for a hold? Second.

All right, we've got a second from Commissioner Link. Commissioner Thornton, any remarks?

Yes. Um, and I'm I am going to be brief. I am going to be brief. Um, I my concern each of these groups that spoke to us tonight and and last month I know do excellent excellent work um in their own capacity. Um, and I don't and and and it's not just this ARPA money. It's money in in the past which seems to get stuck somewhere and the nonprofits that awarded these um dollars um don't get them in a expeditious way and I keep playing back in my mind.

Oh, hell yeah. Okay. Um, I keep playing back in my mind when we did the housing money and um, a whole year had passed, a whole year and then we expect them to work under our deadline. I really just need to know and then I think I think Commissioner Fiser told me that we're still doing paper checks. Did you tell me that?

I did. Um, that's a that'll slow you up a little bit a lot. So, I need to know um Bob, where is the problem? Because if we if we even if we table this and we do not fix whatever that glitch is for people to get their funding, we're going to be right back here again. Where is the problem and what is the solution? Yeah, I think thinking this and this one's a little bit unique because it's dealing with ARPA funds that are passing through multiple entities before reimbursement. So, wait a minute. Why is it passing through? Because the the contract you have, the contract we have, who created the contract?

That's with the chamber. That's what you all approved was you provided a uh you authorized the program with the chamber. The chamber then has arrangements with these subgrantees, all that you heard from today. So, as they do the work, what they're doing, and and a couple of folks said that what they're doing is they're submitting their requests for reimbursements to the chamber because that's who they have the agreement with is the chamber. The Chamber of Commerce has to go through and validate that those expenditures are all genuine, that they've actually met the obligations. They then in turn have to submit those approvals for reimbursement to to us to to AC.

And how long when it gets to us, how long does it take since we're doing paper checks? Well, actually before the check's even issued, we have to also validate that what the chamber has turned in actually meets the requirements of the of the program that probably the the check issuance is probably this is probably the least timely part of it. Um, we cannot we can I I don't feel comfortable saying I'm going Don't worry y'all. I'm still going to say I want to hold. Okay. But I don't feel that good if we can't take out some of that minutia and let these folk get paid. It don't make no sense for these small um nonprofits to have to wait um what what did Rick say? Um 3 months and four months, but we have heard this before, not just because of ARPA money. This has happened with other nonprofit uh other funding sources. And I'm just referring in this case to to the

well whatever the problem is it's not unique. So yes I am going to ask us to table it but I surely would like to see how we can cut down the maneuver the minutia stuff. Well and in this case it what will move it fastest is timely processing of the request for payments. So it's the chamber's fault.

No timely processing of the request for payments on all the parties. That's what would accelerate it. So, making certain that the the folks that are the subgrantees get everything they need into the chamber in time, make sure the chamber reviews everything in time, and then make sure our folks review everything in time to be able to issue. That has not happened through the process of this this request. There's, as has been shared with you all, there were over 90 meetings that were held by staff to try to help get some of this stuff moving forward. But I genuinely believe the reason these folks are as far as they are right now and getting reimbured is because it's sitting in front of you all right now for potential recapture. I think that's what has kind of lit the fire with it. I mean, you could take an alternative motion as well. You have another checkpoint. You all have established kind of checkpoints along the way so that you can check to make sure progress is being made. You actually could rather than table it, you could actually say you're not going to recapture the funds because you have another checkpoint coming up in July except there are a couple items. There's G, H, and I that you would still want to act on because G actually um is what is allowing some internal maneuvering tied to the dirt road program. H is actually allowing some funds to be shifted for the Boys and Girls Club so they can actually spend some money in a different way. And I is just the the technicality piece of it. What that would do is then everybody has their chance to get all of their reimbursements submitted, everything done and and out, and you would have another check back again in July, which is your next scheduled check. So, that's another way to do it instead of coming back. Um, and I mean, it sounds like everybody's progressing in getting their reimbursements submitted, everything getting checked and done.

It may it may be unnecessary to come back in another 30 days. You could just say take action on GH and I and actually the other ones will get checked back. Would you like to withdraw your original? I'd like to withdraw my motion and um replace it with So what you would be doing is you would be rejecting the request for any um reclaiming of dollars and approving what's identified as GHNI associated with that. That that's my motion.

All right. Is uh is is there a second? Well, I was going to second it because I was going to ask for a merger of motions that was covering I thought what would be needed is the reallocations and the reclassification, not the recapturing, which to me I had E I had E, F, G, H, and I. Do those need to move ahead? No, because we would not be reallocating any money because we're not actually recapturing any money. So if you don't recapture those dollars, everybody continues to march on with the programs and we'll check back in in July. Yeah. GH

GH and I GHI allows some internal maneuvers. They give some flexibility to the Boys and Girls Club to spend some unspent dollars associated with it and hopefully everybody gets all of their requests in. They get all verified by the chamber. The chamber gets all their requests in. They get all verified by the staff. Funds are issued. Come July, we say everybody's whole and and paid off. and then you'll probably have another checkpoint after July because you do have kind of that final final wrap-up associated with it. So, um but that I I think that's going to move it faster than actually spending more time coming back. So, I second.

All right. So, there's a motion in a second uh to not recapture uh but to continue to pursue those internal reallocations with GH and I um Yes. So, there is a budget ordinance. We need to hold off on this then. We do need to do our committee back with a revised ordinance that reflects GH and I in the next. Okay. Yep. And that was because in the budget amendment we had that reallocation of dollars which we're not recapturing any longer. So it'll only move the piece that is associated with that that one item that we talked about with the dirt road program.

So this is giving direction to staff without the budget ordinance which we'll see in a month. Okay. And uh and the last thing I'll say is we will continue obviously back to the original question which is we will continue to work with all of those partners to accelerate those payments once we're able to validate that those are all payments that should be made. So yeah, I I do want to recognize Commissioner Link who was the original seconder and had her hand up and then I've got Commissioners Johnson, uh Fiser, and Taylor. Um I don't think I have anything to add. Thank you the manager for explaining things.

Commissioner Johnson. Thank you. I I want to say thank you to all the SEP recipients that came out to speak um on behalf of the service that they provide in the community to the individuals that they that they help. I also want to state that we learned about we learned about this delay from subreients. We have an agenda sitting in front of us that was presented I think two weeks ago at the agenda setting meeting and it if we had not been contacted by our subreients it might have just gone through you know just smoothly. The problem is subreients have to get to the point of desperation to then let us know that this is happening before a vote. That's a problem. The second thing is um this is this is not the first time, second, third, fourth time this has happened. We've learned of situations like this often. You know, there are some subreients on the list that have not received a reimbursement since June. That's eight months, eight and a half months. So, it's not two or three months. And what I do know is that subreients know how to how to submit the documentation that is asked for. What I also know is that the professionals that should know how to process in time on in a timely manner are our economic development department as well as well as our housing and community development department. That's what they do. That's what they provide as a service. And we've heard from subreients who've said that they said they had everything that they needed and then all of a sudden they say up. Oops. you know, when when they find out, we find out that that they there's something else. There's a there's an additional signature, right? It is very frustrating and it sends a bad tone across the community and it shouldn't be like this. Everyone has a job to do and if this is your job, I

don't understand why we're eight months behind because I've talked to six, three or four sub recipients in the last two days and they said all they had to do was contact us and let us know exactly what they needed. we'd have it to him in two days. And I I don't see it being hard if that's what you do for a living. You know, these two departments and I found it confusing that the two departments were combined in the recommendation. That was unclear to me. Um and the last thing I want to say is that I noticed that there is a conflict of interest. Um that I I perceive a conflict of interest. There is one subreient who's actually a a board member on the chamber and I was curious about that because I don't think we do that here, you know, in Athens Clark County. I think some people would actually resign from a board in order to apply for funds. But in this case, this um individual um nonprofit was a board member and did receive funds. And so my question is um are there any conflict of interest safeguards? And if the board and organization receive funds, are is there recusal documentation? That's a very important thing.

I want to provide staff an opportunity to kind of follow up on that question, but one process note that I do have to make, commissioner, is that this body approved the recapture calendar and so we knew that we were going to be seeing an item at a regular clip and of course all those recipients and subreients were also aware of that calendar too. news. I just want to make it very clear that that calendar of recapture observation uh was transparent. I think everybody recognizes that, you know, there's now uh very fervent effort to make sure that that sequence of documentation transfer is happening. And so I'm I'm glad for that. And I want to turn it to staff um about the conflict. Can I Can I address what you just said?

Well, I'm going to turn to staff first to address the uh conflict of interest uh observation.

Yeah. I think the the two pieces Oh, you want to you want to come up too? Um the the two pieces I want to touch on are tied to um this agenda report is not the first time that the commission has been made aware of where the subreients and the reimbursements were and the submissions coming from the chamber. Um that information has been consistently provided to you all along the the process. Um, it's been provided as an early warning system because we have been early warning you that we were going to get to this point with this program. We knew that. That's why we've had so many meetings with the chamber to try to continue to get this information processed. That's one. Second is yes, it is the responsibility of our staff to aid in this effort. It is also the responsibility of the chamber and their staff to aid in this effort because the subreients get paid by the chamber, not by us. That that passes through through that process. the conflict of interest piece. I'll let ILA talk a little bit more about that, but I will say that that piece really is the responsibility and should be answered by the the chamber and the folks that are involved in and what you've identified.

I do agree that should be answered by the chamber. Anything further, Dr. McConnell, or does that cover it? No. Okay. Commissioner Johnson, you had a followup. I do. I am saying that I talked to subreients who who said that they submitted documents for June, July, August, September to the chamber

to to the chamber. Correct. And um I I I'm not in between the chamber and the economic development department, housing and community development department. I'm not in between that. But I'm just saying it's unacceptable. Um in some places it's okay to say we don't have the capacity. we got this big grant and we really don't know how to administer. That's okay to say to that, too. But we're not hearing that from anyone. We received a barrage of of blame game, you know, type of emails. But we should do right by the people that that actually received the funding for to for the service and to have some of these weight. It is really crushing because as Mr. I think Dunn mentioned $10,000 is may not be a lot to some some of those bigger agencies, but it's a lot to shut his program down until he gets the reimbursement check.

Yeah. So, yes, it may have come between come before us, but that does not mean it's our responsibility because we don't have a part in it. We see it. Yes, we see it. But we're still wondering because we also hear from CDBG subreients. This is not just ARPA. be here. This this is a yearround dialogue with subreients. So it's it's that's all I wanted to say.

And again, I will I will say that the CDBG rules, all the other rules are are extremely complicated. Not for our folks, but for the folks that are actually doing those those programs. And the only reason I mentioned what I mentioned is because all of the parties are responsible for making sure that those subreients get paid on time. The chamber as well as our two departments. You isolated our two departments. I don't want to leave the chamber out of that mix. That was that was simply what what I I respect that. But I think if I worked at the unified government as in a director position, I would I would reach out to the chamber to say, "Hey, can you can you let me know what's going on?" More than you do more than 90 meetings worth of reach out. Oh, that's what the 90 meetings manager McConnell

had the staff tally the number of meetings and phone calls with the chamber to provide technical assistance to them over the last year since the contract has been in place. It's been 90. That doesn't count all the emails back and forth to provide technical assistance. We've provided written documentation for the process of how a subreient should manage. We've sat down with them side by side. To be fair, they've had some staff turnover and who's been managing the grant from from uh from their end. And also chambers tech, you know, usually are not in a compliance role. and you know to give them some grace. That's also difficult sometimes to have member organizations that they're also running running compliance on. Um so maybe that gives a little bit of context. When we heard that things with goodwill had been backed up, our team met today with Jeremy and um and walked through as a one-time to help the chamber catch up on some of those reimbursements.

Thank you.

Thank you. And uh System Manager Saunders. Um, I'm one of the few people in this room that's seen this process both from a beneficiary standpoint and our work with transit and pursuing federal funds and then also on the other side of the table and the oversight and I hear a lot of frustration and I think we all share in that frustration. We we've been hearing this from our partners, from staff for for quite a while. And so I'm going to offer you a few things to chew on as you approach these decisions in the future. If you want this process to go smoothly, subgrantees just adds a middleman. We've had two contracts with subgrantees. The chamber, which has been discussed tonight, Boys and Girls Club that were another both of those were commission to find options. We have staff that are capable. It will cut down on review by at least two weeks. I think the critique around paper checks is 100% fair and we'll continue to work with our staff on how to get past that, especially given our mail service, federal funds. That's what we're not actually speaking to here. How many people have you seen come in this room with these con these these levels of concerns around the community partnership program? Those are local dollars. we can have a bit more grace, but we have the federal government come in and audit us on these things and they hold us to an even higher level of accountability and this organization has paid back federal funds because we didn't have the evidence we asked for. Um, and so, and then the last thing is, and this is not universal, but even our own staff and on on the grantee side of the table don't understand the compounding issues that occur. So, let's say you're busy. You're running a nonprofit. You're supporting children. That's great. And you don't get in your June report. You don't get in your July report. And then in August, you hit all

three. Great. Except for if the June report has an error, and your July report and your August report banked on the math from June, all three reports are dead in the water until you fix your original problems. And so, there's a lot of reasons why this is what it is. Some are within our control. Should y'all seek it, we'd be happy to turn over a timeline of staff review so you can see the timeliness in which this is engaged, but the reality is it's a complex environment, and the less complex we make it, the happier we'll all be.

I I like the idea of making things less complex. So, I appreciate everybody's uh encouragement of that approach. Um uh I've got uh Commissioners Fischer and I think Commissioner Taylor, you you No, Commissioner Fischer. So yeah, ju just let my colleagues know I will be recusing myself on from this vote because my son works for the Boys and Girls Club. I want to be totally transparent about that. But I do want to say this. Um since I've been on this commission and Bob, you wasn't here. So I'll give you some grace on this one. When we got those ARPA dollars, um I think one of the things that I think one of the mistakes we made, we tried to make our ARPA dollars for how we put out CBDG money. And I think we were trying to use that same type of process. And when ARPA dollars was given to us, these were for emergency funds and we should not have been so cumbersome for our nonprofits to get those dollars. So again, and I'm not going to criticize our staff um because they do a wonderful job, but I think sometime we get so caught up because we're trying to be so technical with when the offer dollars came and I read and I read the the regulations. uh we could we had a lot more leeway to make sure that our nonprofits could get those dollars and could function. And I think what we did was we made it too hard for them. And on the paper check and Andrew, you're right. I want to see that corrected. It makes no sense in 2026 that we still giving out paper checks. We do everything electronic. And one of the things I heard in the past was from a nonprofit check got lost in the mail. then you wait another 30 days to wait for a check. Now, we're better than that. We can do electronic stuff. So, I'm gonna um put the owners on our staff um hopefully by next budget cycle that any nonprofit that we do that we deal

with in the future that we do electronic payments. We should not be doing paper and it cost us money to do paper. So, I just want to put that out there, but I won't be voting on this. But we we we can do so much better. Um and the opera dollar is going to go away in December. I just think our process was so cumbersome when it came to the opera dollar. It just made it difficult um for our nonprofits um to get their payments and and and and that and that's you know and that's bad on our part. So I'll leave it at that. Clerk Howard, please just note a recusal on the part of Commissioner Fischer. And the motion on the floor is to not recapture the dollars, but pursue the internal reallocation uh that are enumerated in items G, H, and I in the agenda report. So, there is a motion. There is a second. We will be seeing a budget ordinance next month. So, I don't need the attorney to read that. All in favor, please say I.

I. Any opposed? Recuse. All right. Recuse, of course, from Commissioner Fischer. Thank you, sir. Appreciate that. All right. Uh moving on to a uh cyclical activity that we see annually. This is uh 17 is our pavement maintenance project that's awarding approximately $8.8 million. I was listening. Is we read we read is there is there a motion second? All right. We've got a motion a second. I believe I've got a motion from Commissioner Taylor. I've got a second from Commissioner Hamby. Commissioner Taylor, do you like pavement? I do and I can't wait to get speed bumps on Fair View. Check me camera. You see me? Got pavement first. Commissioner Hamby, fan of pavement.

I'm good. All right. Any other remarks? All right. Uh we've gotten a budget ordinance. No, your honor, there's not. Oh, this is just allocation based on existing budget. All right. Uh any further? All in favor, please say I. Any opposed to pavement? All right. Hearing none. Motion carries. All right. Uh number 18, we didn't have a contract award for at the agenda setting meeting, so we had to leave this on old business. This is for the Athena Drive Culvert head wall replacement. Do I hear a motion? So move. Second. Motion from Commissioner Hamby. I've got a second from Commissioner Link. Commissioner Hamby, any remarks about head walls? Nope. Good. Commissioner Link? Nope. Nothing. Anybody else?

All right. All in favor, please say I. Any opposed? hearing none. Motion carries.

All right. Uh item 19 of course pursues uh work uh from our January work session and this is a resolution related to geick affordable housing recommendations. Uh just to make very clear to everybody how this proceeds. Uh these are all conceptual at this point and we are saying to the planning staff and the planning commission we would like you to take these concepts and consider them and convert them into ordinance language and these then will return to us probably not as a package but probably one at a time given that some are very simple and some are very complex. Um and so we are simply uh kicking the football over to planning commission in item number 19. Just a quick question.

Yes. Are we going to be getting some more reports though from a good committee? Are we going to be getting some more information moving forward? I thought we had a presentation. The rental group, they did um a presentation for the Git committee. So, it should come before this group at some point.

So, I Well, and I say all that to say then, should we go ahead and move forward with this or should we wait? My recommendation is that we move forward with these again given that they are going to take some time for the planning staff to to to develop into ordinances and again that will come back to us most likely one at a time. We we we may see parking as a standalone matter for example that may come back to us. We may see ADUs separately come back to us. So So is there a motion? I'm not going to make a I'll let the motion be I'm not going to make a motion but I do have a comment about it. I'll make the motion and so I'll speak to it. All right.

I've got a motion from Commissioner Thornton and I have a second from Commissioner Taylor. Commissioner Thornton. Um, you know, I'm kind of struggling too with the because I've talked to the mayor about why we needed a resolution. But if these pieces are going to come back in PE, you know, in pieces, that's fine. If this helps us to get moving, I'm okay with it. This has been on the docket since 2023. This is the most movement that this commission has seen. So, I don't know how it's all going to roll out, but at least it's moving faster than it has been doing for the last three years.

Commissioner Taylor.

Yeah. Um I I think that the work that the get committee is doing is um with your charge, mayor, looking at all um of the different pieces of housing. Um my subcommittee is um preserving affordable rental units. So um learning about how we can preserve what we already have um and all of the things that goes into that. Um, I'm excited about passing this one and the other two that's going to come before us. um so that it all comes together as well as some of the other um like housing petitions and things of that nature that's going to come before us. Um having a a bit of language um because to somebody's point earlier com um just confining us into the ordinances and policies that kind of stagnates the growth of Athens puts us in a kind of iffy spot when we talk about affordable housing. So, I'm excited to see um this go forward and um you know other housing measures that come to us to put together as one big housing affordable plan if we already have one. We probably already got one.

Thank you, Commissioner. I'm going to turn to Commissioner Hamby and then Commissioner Davenport.

Sure. Thank you, Mayor. I appreciate it and I'm I you know I I appreciate what the resolution is trying to do and moving stuff forward. But you know, unfortunately I'm not going to be able to support it because I don't think the resolution adds enough guidance to the planning commission about what it is uh that uh that we we would hope to achieve. Uh, for example, some of the items in there I know would have a a really big impact um I mean on on on my district in particular and and on others districts as well because when we start messing about with a lot of this stuff I mean it's you know it's it's it's not it's not necessarily the the homes and five points and boulevard that they're going to come after and try to redevelop and try to do some things with. So, I I think we just need to tread carefully and offer more uh guidance to our planning commission so that we don't box ourselves in so that we don't uh so that we don't, you know, bring up um bring up expectations that we won't be able to meet. So, or that we shouldn't meet. So, thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Commissioner Devonport. Um just u sorry lost Commissioner Hammy threw me off, but um you want me to turn to you? No, I'm ready. So, um GLC is charged with tenant tenant rights. Um hopefully we'll be taking on that soon. So, hopefully that'll align with rental um with the gigs rental recommendation as well. Just want to to let my colleagues know.

Thank you for that reminder. It's it's been hanging out there for a while, so I forgot myself. Commissioner Link. Um, yeah, I I share some of Commissioner Hamy's concerns, but um I I plan to reach out to planning commissioners to um give them a little indication of the reality on the ground in some of our neighborhoods, particularly our older, really densely packed neighborhoods that do not have the infrastructure to sustain much more density. There's certainly plenty of room in many neighborhoods throughout our community, but there there are some and you know, particularly our traditionally African-American in town neighborhoods that have really gotten swamped um and primarily swamped with student housing. Um so I think we do need to tread carefully on some of these issues, but I also think that there is a great deal of opportunity um throughout our community. Commissioner Taylor.

And so I I agree um with Commissioner Hamby as well as link um because we do in in the third whereas it is spelled out um for the allowances of certain things and it is it is a major concern. Um, and so my question is when we vote on this, are we voting um, like for the totality of like whereas with the accessory dwellings? Because, you know, to Mike's point, you know, district 3 ain't too far off from from hell, we we in it. So in sort of plain language, what we're saying is, hey, planning staff, planning commission, we want you to consider these concepts and spend some time crafting ordinances. Invariably, there's a continuum for every one of these. Uh there's a continuum around what you could do with ADUs. There's a continuum around how much or how little you allow um street frontage reduction, for example. They're going to land somewhere on that continuum with each one of these items that are mentioned here. And then they're going to come back to us with each one. And then we of course, as is always the case with a text amendment to our zoning code, would be able to say, well, we feel somewhat we feel exactly like you feel, planning commission, we want to adopt that exactly as you recommended. or hey, we feel somewhat differently and we would like to provide some different language in in much the same way that um when we were talking about short-term rentals or some other items, we have said, hey, we want to do something somewhat different than the planning commission recommended to us. So, does that help a little bit?

Yeah. I just don't want us to start something that we ain't ready for and then, you know, I'm getting voted out.

Commissioner, right? Um, yeah, I I had these same questions of the mayor before the meeting and he assured me they're coming back all a cart, so to speak. And because for me, you know how detail- oriented I am, I didn't want us to be asking them how we could do manufactured because I think that um the modular which meet code is the direction to go versus but but that's not what this is getting into those details. Um, and my district has issues. Uh, one of the biggest ones is where are we supposed to park? So, I'm not in favor of us changing residential um, parking requirements because of the stress it puts on um, those areas, the businesses and places that people are going to go to because it's their neighborhood node or their attraction that they're going to get to, not necessarily by driving. Those parking requirements to me are another story. But this is all about residential and housing. And after Ovita got mad at me already today, I'm definitely not going to not be able to support this one. We're going to reverse that. We're going to turn that frown upside down. Were you a frowning back? Commissioner Thornton, I'm

I was going to say my um I did not agree with the resolution when I talked to the mayor, but he explained it the way uh Commissioner uh Wright Alakart kind of thing. I don't think there's going to be this big document that's going to come with all of these ordinances in there. I don't I don't I don't foresee that at all. this I'm about moving forward all the time. Maybe we move slowly, but one of the things that my colleagues heard at the presentation that we had at the work session, a lot of the zoning that we have are discriminatory. They were written to be discriminatory. They were written to be racist. So, um I think colored lines, is that the name of the book, Kelly?

The the color of law. Color of law. We need to read that. We come in here and I me too. We come in here with our, you know, with our just our narrow viewpoint. So, but any way we can attack racism, um, and if it makes some other folk uncomfortable, we've been uncomfortable for a long time.

So, um, I think that again, this is just moving very slowly and I am not going to suggest that anybody who doesn't support the resolution is racist. I may think it, but I ain't gonna say it. But um no, but um um but it like I said, I'm not expecting a big document with all of these rule and you know how we change stuff. So what

Well, that's why you one of Oh, you the main one, huh? So I do support this. Um, I did not, like I said, I didn't think it was necessary, but this is one of the times I am working with the mayor because it's not, it's not a big package. It's it's given the planning department some direction. After one comment with a director who said to me, "Nobody ever told me to do that." I will never forget that. So we need to tell the planning department and whoever of what we want them to do. That's all given direction.

No. And that's that's a I think a good summitative statement. That's what a resolution does. It gives direction. It says, "Hey folks in departments, please go begin to work on this." So that's what this is. All right. So, uh, we've got a motion from Commissioner Thornton, second from Commissioner Taylor. So, we'll begin the roll call with Commissioner Thornton. Yes. Andy, no. Davenport, yes. Link, yes. Taylor, yes. Bryce, yes. Fisher, yes. Johnson, yes. Co, yes. Eight, yes. One, no.

Thank you, madam clerk. I appreciate it. All right. Um, we have to move on to new business, which uh because this is a first hearing needs to be considered under suspension of rules. Do I have a motion for suspension of rules? All right. I've got a motion from Commissioner Fischer. Is there a second? Second. All right. All right, I've got a second from Commissioner Davenport. All in favor of suspending the rules, please say I. I. Any opposed? All right. Hearing none. Motion carries. All right. As you have uh seen in front of you in your agenda and then we've previously discussed uh number 20 extends the data center moratorum and so I would entertain a motion for approval of that extension.

I make a move motion to extend the uh All right. We'll go ahead and give a motion to Commissioner Thornon and the second to Commissioner Link. All right, Commissioner Thornon. Any further remarks? No comment.

Commissioner Link, anything else? Um, I'd just like to see us get some experts in here to give us more detailed information on the impacts of these centers and and more legal information on our ability to um possibly ban them from our community or or um make it mandatory that they report energy. Just a whole list of issues that were addressed at that meeting last week. Um, there are a lot more questions and the technology is changing rapidly. Any further remarks? I'll read the ordinance, Mr. Mayor. I may have attorney Drake read the ordinance.

An ordinance to impose continuing extend a temporary emergency moratorum on the establishment of new data centers in Athens, Clark County, and for other lawful purposes. All right. All in favor, please say I. I. Any opposed? All right. Hearing none. Motion carries. Uh item 21 is to confirm the nominating committee report that you have in front of you and appreciate everybody who was able to conduct those interviews. Got a motion from Commissioner Hamby and I have a second from Commissioner Taylor. All right. All in favor please say I. I.

Any oppose? All right. Hearing none. Motion carries. So I want to thank Douglas Yarn for uh fulfilling a term at the board of elections that'll expire the end of the year 2028. um Michelle Mason for fulfilling a term on the human relations commission that will expire on 4:3028 and Michael McClendon for fulfilling a term on the vision committee that'll expire on 6:3028. So, thanks to all of them. Uh now is that time as announced earlier for public input on any item that was not on tonight's agenda. Um, terms of public input are the same as previously discussed. A 3minut opportunity and please just state your name and place of residence and then the 3 minutes is yours. All right, we made it.

Good evening. Trying to give him a moment.

Uh, good evening. Broadick Flanigan, PO Box 295, Athens, Georgia. I'm here tonight to talk about affordable housing and some work I've been working on with uh Athens anti-discrimination movement. Um we've been um working on some affordable housing policies we want to present to the mayor commission. Uh we understand that many of the ideas that we have in our set of ordinances and policies we want to push uh with you all um are not allowable at present at the local level. And so that's why we have an intent clause within some of the policy language that we are developing to uh have this body agree to collaborate with us and to advocate at the state level and talk to state legislators so that they will allow us to use some of these tools like rent control. Uh non-discrimination on source of income like section 8 vouchers and things of that nature which uh investment companies came and some of the private companies stopped taking those section 8 vouchers. um non-discrimination against uh criminal history and certain offenses. Um of course not sex offenders and people that um have those type of violations. Um but there there are certain things within the set of ordinance or the ordinance ideas that are are allowable at present um on the local level like a overlay district. And so there are ideas in there like creating special use districts and overlays in each commission district. So you can do things special uses like pot communities to get the unhoused people out of the elements. Um we had a crisis this winter um of several uh unhoused people lost their lives. Um that should never happen in any community. Um housing is a human right. And so there are ideas that we want to continue to push and again collaboratively work with you all at the state and local level to get these ideas done. Um we're collecting signatures um from residents from registered voters who support these ideas and we do want to u put a timeline I guess as a response from you all. I

think the the the idea package or the outline of these um proposed ordinance ideas was sent to you all today if I'm not mistaken and I know you may not have had a chance to read over it yet. Um but we do um hope to hear back from you at least before the next uh voting meeting so that we can start to talk about some of these ideas. As was just mentioned um the ideas that the get committee uh just presented to you all. You all are going to start to explore some of those one by one. And so we're looking to do something similar to that. Um but you have to ask yourself in your heart of hearts, do you think some of the zoning changes that you are making are going to get us where we need to be in terms of the crisis situation that we are in? You have to ask yourself that like some of the things that you all are doing um is considered lowhanging fruit in some cases or you know these reactionary things but is that going to get us to where we need to be? Thank you.

Thank you Mr. Flanigan. Good evening.

Good evening Mayor and Commission. This is Miss Naha Clayton of Barrow Street 30601 following on from Mr. Brick Flanigan's appeal just now. I am here to ask you to collaborate and advocate with AADM and the Athens community at large on the affordable housing ordinance. Start starting by placing it on the agenda for your next voting meeting on April 7th, which I'd like to remind you is also fair housing month. Since 2016, uh, the Athens Clark County Mayor and Commission has proudly passed some key resolutions and ordinances signaling a commitment to social and economic progress that has often been, as is the Athens tradition of democracy driven by community advocacy such as this. Some key resolutions, as a reminder, include the resolution for racial inequalities, inequities, economic justice, April 2025, Black Lives Matter, July 2020, um 100% clean and renewable energy, uh May 19 2019, climate change resolution, May 2022. in addition to community governance, homeless shelter strategies, voter access, Athens emotion, civility in ACC, uh also uh community tree management ordinances and non-discrimination ordinance of 2016 uh which was the first ordinance prohibiting discrimination in bars and clubs based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin and various others. For these and more breakthrough policies for the region, we thank you. This kind of political courage has made Athens an

outlier in the region that uh poses that punches well above its weight in the movement for social and economic justice. Nonetheless, we the electorate we the electorate will continue requesting that our elected officials practice democratic governance by adopting a collaborative approach with us on this issue. It would be in perfect alignment with your previously passed revol resolutions for the most part and ordinances and will signal your con continued commitment to the best interests of the Athens electorate as a whole and not just a few vested interests who may hold outside economic, social, and political power. This affordable housing ordinance that will help homeless, low-income, seniors, and other increasingly marginalized Athens residents is not just a technical proposition, but a values proposition that will reap benefits for current and future residents. We ask that you continue to align with your values as a whole and place this initiative on next month's agenda, which is fair housing month.

Thank you, N. Good evening. Good evening.

Good evening, uh, mayor and commission. My name is Mocha Jasmine Johnson. I'm the executive director for the Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement. Last year, this body passed a racial inequities resolution. It was a critical step towards addressing systemic disparities. To give this resolution, specifically the housing portion, more teeth, I am asking the mayor and commission to explore ways to support the Athens affordable housing ordinance drafted by the Athens anti-discrimination movement justice and accountability committee. They spent a year on studies, research, speaking with attorneys. We had um an attorney look at our final draft and they were the one that to help to construct this um ordinance that we submitted to y'all. We have strong community support with over 500 signatures from various districts backing these policy recommendations. We understand that some of the some of the solutions are outside of your jurisdiction. So tonight we have a simple and reasonable request that the mayor and commission add this topic to the April's agenda and to work collectively to turn our draft into policies that expand affordable housing in Athens clar county. Athens has doc has a documented history of housing discrimination and redlinining. Multiple studies commissioned by the government confirm the urgent need for equitable housing solutions. SPLA's funded projects included Bethl redevelopment show that when we work together progress is possible. The work of the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing. Thank you, Miss Avita Avita Thornton for inviting us out to that meeting to speak. That was um an extension of a collaboration. The advisory process made this clear. The Georgia Initiative for Georgia housing advisory process made this clear. The committee identified the need

for zoning reform, expanding housing access, and reduce regulatory barriers to make housing more attainable in Athens. We ask that this item, the Athens affordable housing ordinance that we have been working on for over a year, be placed on April's agenda to and to consider collaborating with local organizations and state legislators to use your influence to expand available tools and begin drafting and passing policies, starting with the overlay district and zoning changes that allow nonprofit partners to develop affordable housing. using existing housing funds. This is about partnership and progress. We all know that families are desperately in need of stable and affordable housing. So, we look forward to the mayor and commission honoring your commitment from a year ago and working to turn these ideas into action. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Johnson. Good evening.

Hello again. My name is Daria. Uh I'm I live at 120 Winter Circle and I'm also here along with the rest of ADM in support of this ordinance and I do ask for your help with this. Um we have so many studies that have been done for many years now if not decades. We have the information, we have the data and we know that there is a housing crisis and and I think a time where many of us are divided over many issues. Housing and homelessness seems to be two things that we can all agree on are major issues in our community and they are also interconnected. As the housing crisis continues to grow, our our homelessness grows. So, we need to address both, but also we really need to address our our housing. So, please take a look at this ordinance. Please help us with it. I also ask you to work with our state legislature. I know that a lot of rules and laws prevent us from doing some of the things we ask for. And so, please, if you could just talk with them, see what is kind of going on right now in the general assembly. We're about halfway through, what uh what laws that we can keep an eye out and call our representatives to support and what you can also help kind of push them um to help these measures be doable in the local sense. Um I appreciate your time. Thank you so much, y'all.

Thank you, Daria. Good evening.

Hey, uh, mayor, commission, thank you for your time. Uh, my name is Stephen Webb. I live on Savannah Avenue. Um I am just here really to bring about some awareness and I came before the commission four months ago uh with the same issue but um I have started a recovery group here in Athens uh forratom addiction and the product is being sold in all the local gas stations. Um they're now uh pedalling a purifi purified version of it that would appear to be something like a 5-hour energy drink at your local store. It's a highly addictive drug. Um, I've I've had the opportunity over the past four months to speak with and um attend some meetings with the local treatment centers here um on Mitchell Bridge Road. The commencement center medical staff is seeing people coming in and they're treating clients withratom addiction with the same measures they use to treat people that are addicted to heroin oxycodone or fentanyl or crystalmethamphetamine. Uh it's a highly addictive substance. Um it's uh been to the University Health Center uh UG. They're younger people are getting large quantities of it and drinking it like they would alcohol, but what they're drinking is an addictive opiate drug. And uh the addiction rates are three times or the number of people in treatment is three times what it was four months ago. So the problem is on the rise. I'm trying to get to the state level um to speak with some people about the way it's being handled legally in

the state of Georgia. But here in my community in Athens, I'm just trying to help people that are that have addiction issues. And I do have some um information that I've brought forth to uh submit to the to submit to you about what I found um in the cratom addiction and the meetings that I've attended and the people that I've been able to speak with and get their personal testimony on what they've done what they've been through and how it's destroyed their lives and how they're trying to repair their lives. Um, but like I say, I'm I'm just here to help people that are struggling with it and um and trying there again to just bring about some more awareness to what's going on out there. So, thank you for your time.

Thank you, Mr. Web. Appreciate that. And and attorney Drake can grab that from you, Jud. Right there. Good evening.

Hello. My name is Iva King and I will keep this short, but I'm here to support AADM's suggested resolution. Um, I've followed I've not actually been involved that much in helping write it, but I have been following the process as they have talked about it in meetings and I feel like they've done a lot of research on it and and we need to be seriously considering some of the policies that they are suggesting that the commissioners pass. Um, it really distresses me to think about how many people work here in Athens, Clark County, but can't live here, can't afford housing here. And with the price of gas going up, it's going to be that much difficult, more difficult for them to have to go back and forth from their homes to their workplaces when they can't afford it. And then, of course, there's the homeless situation, too. So, I hope that you will take a close look at the policies that are being suggested. And as has been mentioned before, we realize that they cannot all be implemented at present given the restrictions put us on us by the state of Georgia, but we hope you'll work with them and really work to make affordable housing in Athens Clark County. Thank you.

Thank you, Miss King. Good evening.

Hi. Uh, okay. She started my uh thing now. Um, my name is Jacqueline Austin. I'm with Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement and I'm the community outreach uh person. We meet bi-weekly at the uh Athens library to speak about the things that we just proposed to you guys earlier. The only thing I'm asking is that we look to the future by being uh the change that we want to see as it comes to housing, as it comes to uh affordable housing and all the pleser things that we've gotten on this plate for us to chew on. So, with that being said, like a net at a barbecue, this thing will not go away until we add some sauce or something to it. I just say we get involved. I say we get into it. Uh I say we meet with state, local, and federal legislation. It can be done if we just put our minds to it. Get together. I'm willing to meet with every one of you under the sound of my voice to get this thing done. Uh, let's be that beacon that we say we are for those that are downtrodden, that need stability, that want stability. I'm sure someone right now probably wishes that they were in our shoes just to have somewhere to rest and lay their head at night. If you know what that feels like, Amen.

If you don't know what that feels like, Amen. But in light of that, I'm just asking that we work together. I say a a no to me is a yes in disguise. You tell me no, we can't do it, I'mma say yes, we can. And we're coming up to an election, I'm going to say yes, we can. We can do this. But with your help, I I can't do it without you. Help me help you help your districts. if if we can't work together divided we you know the we'll we'll just be lost and I don't I don't want to be lost. I came here from the north and I enjoy myself here but what I'm finding out that the same things that go on in Detroit, Michigan are going here. It's not going anywhere until we take care of it. So now that like I said we got that plate filled. It's gonna take one little bite at a time, but we can do it. I like to eat. Don't y'all like to eat? So, let's do it. One bite at a time. Amen. Amen.

Amen. Thank you, Miss Austin. Anyone else here tonight? Good evening.

Hey, Russell Edwards. Glad to see the Gick uh proposals pass. You know, one thing that struck me thinking about it is, you know, some of the most desirable things in our neighborhoods in this community, uh, areas of Boulevard, areas of Five Points, downtown, you know, they have these multifamily dwellings, duplexes, triplexes, quadriplexes that aren't allowed right now. You know, some of the most expensive real estate in this county is around apartments, is around duplexes. So, I think it's great that Gick, you know, doesn't it strike you as a the most valuable real estate in Northeast Georgia, downtown Athens, the grid there, the tall buildings, we couldn't build that today under our current planning and zoning. Seems kind of crazy, right? So, glad that passed through. You know, if we if we don't allow for the construction of more housing in our city, we're just going to drive more sprawl, right? People are coming here. We've got a great city. Uh they're going to be pushed to the outer areas. Uh Madison County, Jackson County, explosive growth. People are going to be pushed out. We're going to be building more sprawl, which is the opposite of what we need. And when you build sprawl, bad things happen in many ways. Like uh this gentleman on February 21st, Kamal Chalkall, struck by a drunk driver while riding his bicycle home from work. struck by a drunk driver who had been arrested for DUI five times.

And then he ran over Kimal, who is married with a four-year-old son.

He He ran over Kimal, killed him, and then he was arrested for his sixth DUI. So these choices that we're making with housing have ripple effects throughout the community. If we're not going to allow people to live in this city, they're we're pushing them out. We're accelerating more sprawl and creating more devastating circumstances like what we had today. Kamal the second road fatality this year. Uh one a month. We had 14 road fatalities last year. We had 10 fatalities in 2024, 21 road fatalities in 2023. Uh people are dying on our roads and uh I think it highlights the need for road safety. We heard about speed bumps on Fair View. We need traffic calming all over this city. People drive too fast and they're striking and they're killing people. So protected areas, pedestrian safety, speed bumps. Uh right now we're on track to have a dozen more fatalities this year. So, um, I just thought it'd be important to bring up Kimal tonight. Uh, somebody died on Athens roads recently and we can do something about it. It's a policy choice.

Thank you, Mr. Edwards.

All right. Thank you everybody for joining us tonight. Uh just uh one report tonight from me and uh uh that is to thank uh Triad Consulting Solutions for uh adopting Athena Drive between Old Hole Road and Olympic Drive a distance of a mile. Uh nothing frustrates me from an aesthetic perspective more than seeing litter on the roadways. And so uh very much appreciate them taking care of at least part of my regular route to the big box version of a grocery store that I sometimes visit in that part of the county. And uh uh I have been intending to and will be in the coming couple of weeks uh reaching out to some neighbors so that they could adopt some of the adjacent segments because uh we could do better. Uh I'm going to go ahead and uh turn to the manager or anything tonight. Manager Cowell.

Um just three very quick um acknowledgements that I just want to raise up. Um each of you are familiar with with these but certainly want to um mention it publicly. Um the federal fiscal year 26 transportation, housing, urban development, and related agencies appropriation bill, which was signed into law recently, included uh about $3.5 million coming to um the county for the Howard Park Community Center expansion. And that will enable completion of a gymnasium um project at the community center. And I want to certainly thank um Senator Oaf and his office um and the help in doing that, but also the interim leisure service director, Alex Bond, and the leisure service department grant coordinator, Sherah Sarah Shropshshire, who um were instrumental in getting that um funding coming in to our community. Second one is um the raise grant. So we um received notice recently from the Federal Highway Administration that the raise grant deadlines have all been extended um pretty substantially. And the significance of that is that will enable us to probably take advantage of the full um funding um for that. We'll be talking more once we get kind of details about how that has to move forward about the next steps in that process. But um similarly want to acknowledge um TPW director Steven Bailey and the assistant director Ronnie Katr who were instrumental in constantly working with federal highway to get those um answers um from them. So I want to acknowledge that. And the last one I want to acknowledge um we had a pretty horrendous crime this past weekend that take place on the edge of downtown involving a UG student. And um and I want to note that while we certainly raised up the work that the real-time crime center enabled and we could not have solved the the issue or the crime without that um without that technology. But I don't want to lose sight that that technology and that solution there was an arrest made. This was an individual who was unknown to the other person

involved. There was no knowledge of who had committed the crime and less than a day there was an arrest made of an individual using the technology that the real time crime crime center enables. but more importantly with really solid detective work by our police department and by the officers in the department and the partnerships that we have with UG and with the state um as well in doing that and certainly um while we celebrate the use of real time crime center I don't want to lose sight that it's only a valuable tool because of the work that the uh the officers in the department do. So wanted to acknowledge that. So thank you. Thank you Bob. Uh Auditor Hassamer anything tonight? No report, Mayor.

Attorney Drake, anything tonight? All right, we'll uh we'll begin commission remarks with Commissioner Thornton and then we'll have uh Commissioner Davenport adjourn.

I'm um golly, I'm so excited about the raise grant. Um that's that's huge. Um yeah, that's very huge. I um I've been getting a lot of comments about the homeless encampment on Freiedman Drive that we've cleaned up. I do think and I'm listening to people. Oh, let me say this first. I really want to thank everybody that came out, students and speakers. We really appreciate um your your presence. I do think there's a lot of opportunity for working together. Again, like I struggled with the resolution a little bit, but I'm good. But also on the state level, there's a committee that is uh and uh Spencer Fry, state representative Spencer Fry isn't on that committee. They also have like a sixpoint housing plan. Um I think that we should try to get all of this together in one place. I don't know how to do it, but I do know people know and are trying to address the housing uh uh situation. So, those are my comments. I again, I'm really excited about the raise grant and um yeah, thank you.

Um I just like to say I'm glad that we're uh not taking back the ARPA money and giving these nonprofits an opportunity to do their work. Um it seems like there's some things get caught up in a bottleneck, but I'm glad we're giving them a chance to uh get everything u get everything finished up. And I do commend the uh police for um apprehending the individual rapidly this this um over the weekend. I hate that it happened, but maybe that'll deter other people from doing that. Fact that we apprehended somebody so quickly. Over the past few weeks, I had the opportunity to attend promotion and employee recognition programs at the police department and the sheriff's office. And I want to congratulate those who were recognized and thank all the men and women who continue to serve Athens Park County with dedication. Also, I want to recognize the the Athens anti-discrimination movement had their 10-year anniversary of their social justice awards over the weekend, and they recognized 10 individuals. Uh, I hate that I couldn't make it, but I was told that it was standing room only, and they had to bring chairs, you know, from everywhere. And last, I want to thank our county manager, Bob, who made an in-person um visit to one of the neighborhoods in my district. And the neighbors were they're still I think I I received a third a third thank you today. They were they're very grateful and I am as well. He provided um sound advice and the things that were on their list that they wanted to change. He really provided practical ideas and and examples why it's not going to happen. So it really set the tone for better expectations and um we're we're moving forward with solutions now. So his visit to that neighborhood made a big difference. So thank you.

Thank you mayor. Um just want to again always thank our staff for the job that they do. Also u the mayor and myself we had the opportunity to meet with our constitutional office start the budget process and want to thank the county manager and his team for working with us. And I say I say sort of to remind our colleagues that we'll be soon getting into our budget process soon as the mayor submits his budget to us and look like what we're going to be doing as we move forward as we sit our budget for the next fiscal year. So just want my colleagues to be mindful of that and that we will be having three to four public hearings on our budget and I hope the um community will come out have these budget meetings to really understand what we're trying to do and and you know without me saying it's going to be a tight budget year um based on um what we seeing coming from the federal and from the state. So, we going to have to um really um lace up our bootstraps and really, you know, figure out what we need to do and make sure we provide the basic needs for this community and make sure we're doing right by the citizen who want to pay taxes in this community. So, I just want to share that information, Mayor.

So, you're saying the break's over? Well, um I I also want to thank staff and um it's it's always challenging when you come in for the voting meeting and you miss the agenda setting and um I do appreciate the dialogue and the information exchange tonight that happened. So that um when just I think it's it's a it's a good feeling in here when we can share what we're thinking and honestly um express our thoughts and um and get unanimous votes most of the time for that. Um I guess I'm a little distracted. U beating Alabama right now. So sorry. So, traffic traffic uh traffic's going to be rough getting out uh and trying to get back uh past stigma and getting out here in a little bit. But anyway, um thanks everybody.

Yeah. Um thank you um to staff for all of the hard work. I really appreciate um the University of Georgia students coming out and sitting in also for your advocacy because I think it's very important um that our young people speak to the climate of today to kind of lead us um because as one young lady spoke, she's going to be an adult when you know we know what the effects of data centers and what it does to our communities as an adult. Um and so I appreciate you guys being here. um also to the nonprofits who um advocated for the recapture of the funds. I think it's very important um that you also come to the Mary Commission um and kind of tell us where you are um because I think a good bit of us, myself included, thought that it was a ACC issue and not because it was a sub. Um so we all learned something tonight. Um, also I have a volunteering um, meet and greet this Saturday at the Iron Triangle because I am seeking re-election. Thought I'll put that in there. Y'all have a great night and be blessed.

Oh, it's at 2:00 from 2 to 4. I forgot to let y'all know. Where was it? It's at the Iron Triangle. Okay. Come on. See,

um, I want to thank staff for being very persistent in ensuring that that North Avenue raise grant um, is extended. Um, that's kind of miraculous. We really thought it was dead in the water. Um, and I'm I'm hoping that Commissioner Thornton and I can start meeting with staff very very soon to kind of discuss a way forward um, and and community involvement in um, you know, explaining the boundaries of that grant. And um, you know, one of those deaths that occurred this year was on North Avenue. Um, a young woman was killed I believe near Strickland Avenue. Um, so yeah, the sooner we can get that money and make improvements to that corridor, the better. Um, I also want to um maybe ask the mayor if um our state reps, you know, they're in the thick of the legislative session right now, but um it wraps up later this month and um could we possibly schedule a meeting with them and start to discuss some of these issues that we have particularly with preeemption? Um, Commissioner Davenport and Commissioner Myers and I met with a representative from the Southern Poverty Law Center who's um working with local communities and advocating to change some of these state laws that preempt us in local government from making positive changes for our community. And some of them definitely have to do with housing. Um, some of them have to do with road safety. And it would be great if we could um get that representative and and some of our state legislators in the same room and start to discuss a way forward um on on changing some of these state rules and giving some of our local governments more autonomy um data centers as well. You know, there's some things we can't do as a local government when it comes to regulating data centers. Um so that I I feel like it's

time that we we sit down. We do have a fairly new state representative um who's showed up at that data center meeting last week and and had a lot of um very um worthwhile input on behind the scenes how things go under the gold dome. So the, you know, the sooner we can open up dialogue with those folks and start to discuss, you know, our own individual needs as a community, um, and and how they can fit in with the priorities of our local legislators.

All righty. Happy Women History Month to all the lovely women out there in the community and bound. Also, um, happy St. Patrick's Day. Um, we got new leaf and limb. So, please check that out on ACC.gov. Always thank staff for all the hard work y'all do. Um, if the mayor can sign the tree ordinance to committee, that'd be great. Um, Clark County Police Department is going to start another police academy soon. So, people who are interested in the police department, please go to the ACC gov website to sign up. Um there's a a neat tool that um a lot of people in my district are not aware about, but it's called water smart. So you go to accgov.com as well, and it checks your water leakage. So over the summer, we had a lot of water leakage in my district where a lot of people complain that, hey, you know, I got a $1,000 bill. What's going on? Sign up for the water smart. It will notify you and let you know. And I wish I would have gotten gas Sunday because when I went and filled it up today, I was very disappointed. Motion to adjourn.

All right, I've got a motion, a second to adjurnn. All in favor, please say I. I. I do want to acknowledge next Monday 5:30 library. It will be the first conversation. I don't want to say too big. It is a first conversation with the commissioners that will be running sponsored by ABM. I will be there.