Planning Commission - Special Meeting

Good evening, Stonecrest. Welcome to our special call meeting. Today is Thursday, May 28th. The time is now 614. Madam City Clerk, can you please be so kind and do the roll call?

Yes, ma'am. Good evening, everyone.

Mayor Jasmine Cobble.

Mayor Pro Tem Tara Graves. Here. Council Member Alicia Washington.

Here.

Council Member George Turner.

Here.

Council Member Carmisha Smith. Present. We have a quorum.

Thank you so much. The first item on this agenda is presentation by Mayor Pro Tem. Recognition of dedication and service. Today on behalf of Council we would like to recognize Deputy City Manager Michael McCoy for his outstanding dedication and willingness to step up during this time by taking on additional responsibilities for the betterment of the City of Stonecrest. His flexibility and commitment to service have truly been made a difference and have not gone unnoticed. We sincerely appreciate all that he has done and continue to do for the City of Stonecrest. Again, we sincerely appreciate all that he has done and to continue to do for the City of Stonecrest. As a token of our gratitude and appreciation, we are proud to present Deputy City Manager Michael McCoy with a crystal award in recognition of his hard work, dedication, and unwavering service to our community. As well as, so Mr. Michael McCoy, if you could step up front. as well as a supplemental payment from the City of Stonecrest to show our appreciation. Councilman Turner, would you like to go take a picture with Mr. Michael McCoy?

You told me not to go.

I'm going to, I'm going to have the honors when the event is over. Thank you so much. If we can give a round of applause to Mr. Michael McCoy, our Deputy City Manager. Next on the agenda is the appointment of the City Manager. Before calling the candidate forward, I would like to provide some content regarding this process. As many of you know, our previous city manager last day with the city was January the 8th, 2026. As of today, Stonecrest has operated without a chief administrative officer for four months and 20 days, which has significantly impact operation, including hiring, contract, budgeting, procurement, project management, and the progress of several important initiatives. Despite those challenges, because of the strength and dedication of our department directors, their staff, deputy city manager, and our newly appointed finance director, Ms. Franklin, along with the leadership of this council, placing Stonecrest in a state of emergency was able to continue moving forward in some capacity despite the leadership gap. In February of 2026, council voted to move forward with hiring a search firm to conduct a national search for our next city manager and selected Sumter Consulting to lead the process. Sumter Consulting conducted the national search, reviewed resume, categorized candidates into tier and presented the top five candidates for council to consider. Council then reviewed the report and collectively selected the candidate to move forward in the process with Councilman Fye serving as the lead liaison and the point of contact with Sumter Consultant. As this process continued, one candidate withdrew from consideration and Council proceeded with interviewing on the remaining four candidates. Sumter consultant later provided video interviews for council review, after which council selected the top three candidates for the second round of the interview process. During the scheduling, another candidate withdrew from consideration, leaving the two finalists to move forward in this process. This national search process was conducted carefully and thoughtfully, with the understanding that selecting the right city manager is one of the most important decisions facing the City of Stonecrest. The qualifications we sought were clearly outlined in the recruitment package. However, I do know some people are visual, so I am passing out or having our constituents representative Carla to pass out documentation for your review. That includes a parallel chart comparing our candidate experience to the city manager role. So I'm gonna give her a moment to pass out the documentation before I address the elephant in the room.

Don't you see it? See it? Ooh. Anymore?

Thank you, Carla. It has been publicly discussed that this candidate is a friend of mine, that she served as my campaign manager during my first election and that our daughters know each other and spend time together. Yes, those things are true and none of the information has ever been hidden. I am proud to be aligned with a friend of her statue. What has often been left out of those conversations, however, are her qualifications, her professionalism, her leadership experience, and her proven ability to serve. This candidate bring more than 20 years of leadership experience managing teams, operation, budget, and complex projects across multiple industries, including government, finance, insurance, technology, travel, manufacturing, nonprofit organization, and customer service sectors. She has extensive experience managing regulatory compliance, contract audits, government matters, risks, remediation, and vendor relationship. She has successfully led cross-function teams, managing capital projects, and demonstrating the ability to navigate complex issues while building senses among diverse stakeholders. She holds a Master of Business Administration degree and possesses one of the highest certificate in project management. She has proven expertise in strategic planning, operations, execution, accountability, and organizational leadership. In addition to all that, she currently serves as the president of a HOA representing more than 400 Stonecrest residents. demonstrating both her commitment to this community and her ability to lead at a local level. Most importantly, she has consistently demonstrate integrity, professionalism, transparency and a willingness to serve. Again, she have consistently demonstrate integrity, professionalism, transparency and a willingness to serve. Every decision I have made since serving in this role has been based on the information presented, listening to the constituents, and what I believe is the best choice to move Stonecrest forward. That commitment has not changed. My goal, my vision has not changed. My goal then, as it is now, has always been to move Stonecrest forward. This candidate has partnered with the city on several occasions, stepping up to assist when help was needed, when one of our own elected officials would not. Katherine Turner demonstrated willingness to serve, and one thing I know she will bring to Stonecrest is leadership, relationship building, and the ability to help unify and strengthen this team. Stonecrest has faced challenges, and that time has been viewed in a negative light. To be transparent, we know there are still challenges ahead, but the one thing that keeps circling back is trust. I believe trust is built through direction, transparency, consistent, and service. And I know this council is committed to all four. A wise woman once told me, Before people want to know how much you know, they first want to know how much they can trust you. So this evening, it is my honor and privilege to ask Katherine Turner to please come forward to the podium. I move to appoint Katherine Turner as the City Manager for the City of Stonecrest.

Second.

This motion has been properly moved and seconded by Councilwoman Smith. Are you ready for the question? All those in favor of the motion, please respond with yay. All those opposed, nay. Starting with District 3.

Yay.

District 4.

Nay.

District five.

Yay.

District one is yay. This motion carries three to one. Congratulations. Ms. Catherine Turner. Yes. Councilman Turner.

As a dissenter. May I have a moment?

Absolutely. Yes, sir.

Um, My vote of nay is based on what we had advertised, and that was experienced municipal leader possessing a strong understanding of the local government operation. I know the candidate standing before us, all the city managers standing before us now, and I know she has great qualities, and I know one of those qualities is leadership. I liken this appointment to hiring a great basketball coach to manage a football team. Can it work? Oh, absolutely, it can work. It is not going to be easy, but I understand that the council wanted to shake things up a little bit and do things a little bit differently, and that this council has spoken, and I fully respect that. And I pledge to you and to this council that I will do everything within my power to make your tenure a success. Mayor Pro Tem.

Mayor Pro Tem. Councilwoman Smith. Good evening, Stonecrest family. Tonight is more than a moment. It's a marker. A turning page, a turning of the page, a reminder that progress doesn't always come in leaps, but it's steady. Intentional steps forward. President Obama once said, the best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. And Stonecrest, we have been getting up, we have been doing something. This year, we have seen change sweep through our city like fresh wind a new council person in district five a new mayor pro tem a new director of finance and now the appointment of our new city manager miss turner these are not isolated incidents they are signs signals evidence that stonecrest is stepping boldly into a new season Because this council has a vision, a vision rooted in transparency, collaboration, and a shared determination to build the stone crest we all deserve. A city where every resident feels seen, valued, and uplifted. A city where our systems work, our neighbors thrive, and our future is shaped in intention. And at the center of the work stands the city manager. The role is a quiet engine behind the scenes, the one who turns policy into practice, vision into structure, and structure into service. The city manager ensures that our procedures, our processes, and our standards elevate our quality of life, strengthen public safety, and drive economic development that lifts every resident. Dr. King reminds us that all labor that uplifts humanity has dignity. And Ms. Turner, the work you are stepping into, the work of shaping a city's daily life, is labor that uplifts humanity. You are not just filling a role, you are stepping into purpose. John Lewis taught us to make good trouble necessary trouble. And while your job may not call for protest lines, it will call for courage. Courage to challenge our systems, to ask hard questions, to build better pathways, to make challenging yet needed decisions. and to lead with both strength and compassion. Ms. Turner, you are a key piece of this puzzle, the missing piece that helps the picture finally come together. Now let me speak plainly. The role of city manager is no small feat. It requires wisdom, resilience, and a steady spirit. It requires the ability to stand firm when the winds of challenge blow strong. The council has determined you are our successful candidate, and we are here to support you in the best way we can while staying in our lane and honoring the structure that keeps the city strong. Heavy is the crown, but know you are not carrying it alone. God is with you, the council is with you, and Stonecrest is with you. In the coming weeks, you will meet your supporting cast, our incredible city staff, the backbone of the government they are dedicated talented and ready to help ensure that stonecrest receives the service innovation and excellence our residents deserve and let me leave you with this Stonecrest has been through seasons. We've had challenges. We've had victories. We've had moments where it looked like the city might bend, but we did not break. Because we are a city built on resilience, faith, and a deep love for our community. And now with you stepping into this role, Ms. Turner, I believe we are entering a new chapter, one marked with alignment, accountability, acceleration, and an unwavering belief in what Stonecrest can become. So tonight we celebrate you, we honor you, we welcome you, and we look forward to building together the Stonecrest that our residents not only expect but deserve.

Welcome.

Mayor Pro Tem.

Councilwoman Washington.

Here we are, another chapter of history. Some say we should dissolve the city, but we say we shall march on. We shall march and we shall be resilient. As a 96% black city, some would even be waiting for us to fail. But God, Stonecrest, is the rock of the cornerstone that he speaks about in the Bible. He used a man, Jason Laurie, to envision the city and he will continue to use others to build it as we move forward. Stonecrest strong and Stonecrest proud. It would be recorded in history that we fought a good fight. Just as John Lewis has said, we would say that we don't get to throw in the towel and walk away. Our ancestors, they went through that and more. Just, I'm sorry, I admonish every employee, every elected official, constituent, and stakeholder to be open to supporting and working with our new city manager, Ms. Kathy Turner. God has used so many visionaries, Bishop Eddie Long, Mr. Bill Allen, Pastor Jamal Bryant, Mr. Von Arns, our CEO Lorraine Cochran, Congressman Hank Johnson, State Rep Angela Moore, Mr. Hall, and many more of the staff and so many of the people that I can go on and on on this list. Just as we say, we will not go back. We will not look back. We will look forward. Congratulations, Ms. Kathy Turner. Thank you.

Madam City Manager, would you like to say a word? Yes.

Yes, I can. I first want to thank you for this appointment and this opportunity and your confidence in me. Mayor Pro Tem, I would like to face the entire audience. Is it okay if I move to the other podium?

Yes, ma'am.

Good evening, Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, member of council, staff, residents, community partners, and guests. It is truly an honor to stand before you today as the new City Manager for the City of Stonecrest. I want to sincerely thank the Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, and the City Council for their confidence and trust you have placed in me to serve this community in such an important role. First and foremost, I want to thank God for blessing me with this opportunity and guiding me throughout this journey. I also want to thank my husband, my daughters, mother, aunt, brothers, sisters, grandsons, niece and nephew and all my family who couldn't be here today and my friends for the love, encouragement, support and prayers because none of this would be possible without them standing beside me. More than five years ago when I began volunteering my time for various initiatives in the city of Stonecrest, I quickly realized what an amazing city this was and the tremendous potential it has to continue to grow. I also recognized that it was a community where my husband and I wanted to raise our youngest daughter. While the city has faced challenges throughout the years, I always believe that with the right leadership, vision, collaboration, and commitment, Stonecrest would truly thrive and become a place where people enjoy living, work, and invest. Over the last several months, I saw an opportunity to become a part of the solution rather than saying change was needed. That is what led me to put my name in the hat for the role of city manager. I am a person who generally loves people and loves to serve. In fact, serving is one of my spiritual gifts. I knew that with strong leadership, a positive spirit, a compassionate heart, and a willing to listen, as well as a commitment to excellence, I could work alongside the team and the city councils to help move the city forward. I understood that this would not be an easy responsibility. However, because I deeply cared for the community and worked tirelessly within the city where I live, I felt it was the right thing to do. With the support of my family, friends and faith guiding me throughout this process, I was confident that I could serve the city with dedication, integrity and with purpose. Some people have questioned whether I could do this or wonder, who is she? But my response is simply, why not me? If we truly want change, we must be willing to become part of the solution rather than continuing to contribute to the problem. We can sit back and complain what is wrong, but without action, nothing will ever change. I often think about leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. who sacrificed so much to help make this country better for the future generations. That perspective challenged me to say to myself, why can't I be a part of the change? Why can't I make a difference in my own community? And so here we are today, I am deeply humble, grateful and honored for the opportunity to serve and help move this city forward. I do not take this responsibility lightly. Stonecrest is a city filled with opportunity, growth, diversity, resilience and pride. I recognize that strong communication and strong communities are built through collaboration, transparency, accountability and a shared vision for the future. I am excited to work alongside the elected officials, the city staff, residents, business and community stakeholders to continue to move Stonecrest forward. Throughout my organization and project leadership, I have learned that successful organizations are built on communication, teamwork, strategic planning and trust. My goal as city manager is to help ensure that the city's operation is efficient, responsive, fiscal responsible, focus and delivering excellent customer service to the residents of stonecrest i've already shared with the mayor mayor pro tem and the city council my strategic plan for the next 30 60 90 and 365 days that plan is focused on stabilizing operations strengthening communication improving service delivery supporting staff and building a strong foundation for the future of the city I will also be meeting 101 with each city council member to better understand their expectations and priorities for this community while also discussing my 30 60 90 365 day plan in greater detail. It will outline the initiatives, objectives and measurable goals that will guide our work together as we continue to position the city for long term growth and success. As we move forward, my focus will continue to include strengthening operation effectiveness, supporting economic growth and development, maintaining financial stewardship, improving customer service, and fostering a culture of professionalism and accountability throughout the organization. As part of this effort, I will be scheduling an all staff meeting with all city employees so we can discuss how we can work together as one to unify the city to move forward. Our employees are essential to the success of this organization, and I believe that it's important that we build a culture rooted in collaboration, professionalism, accountability, communication, and mutual respect. Additionally, within the next 60 to 90 days, we will host a citywide community meeting where our department leadership team and I will fully be available to engage directly with our residents. This forum will provide an open and transparent opportunity for citizens to ask questions, share concerns, offer ideas, and learn more about the operation and services that support the city each day. our goal is to strengthen communication enhance community customer service and ensure that every resident feels informed valued heard and connected to their local government together we will continue to work to ensure that our city operates efficient effective and in a manner that reflects the needs and expect and the expectations of the community that we proudly serve I also want to be honest and realistic with our community. Rebuilding and strengthening any organization takes time. There will be challenges and there is important work ahead of us. However, I can assure you that we are committed to doing the work necessary to move the city in the right direction. I simply ask for your patience. I ask for your support and I ask for your partnership as we continue to build together. If you give us a little time, we will get there. I am a Stonecrest Proud resident. I know that local government works best when people feel heard, respected, valued, and informed. I look forward to serving, listening, learning, and understanding the Council's priorities so that we as a community can work together to create a meaningful solution that positively impacts our community. I also want to acknowledge the dedicated city employees who work every day to serve this community. I look forward to working alongside each of you and supporting the important work that you do on behalf of Stonecrest residents. This is an exciting time for our city, and I am confident that we can build the city and work together to build a strong, vibrant, and thriving community for current and future generations. Thank you for this opportunity to serve. I am honored to be here, and I look forward to working with each of you as we begin our new chapter together. In closing, I would like to share with you all one of my favorite songs, and that's Michael Jackson, Man in the Mirror. The song says, I'm gonna make a change. For once in my life, it's gonna feel real good. I'm gonna make a difference, and I'm gonna make it right. So today, I'm asking each one and every one of us, each and every one of you, to make a difference. When you go home, take a look at the man and the woman in the mirror. Let's put the past behind us. Let's build on the good. Let's make it even better. If you see a colleague with an assignment and too much work on their workload and yours is light, help them. That's how we build teamwork. If you see your neighbor's garbage can that's sitting in the middle of the street, put it in their driveway. Small act of kindness and service really matters. So we will all work together as one. We can make a difference in our community. So as Michael Jackson says, I'm starting with the man and the woman in the mirror. I'm asking him and her to change their ways. And there is no message that could be any clearer. If you want to make Stonecrest a better place to live, work, and play, we must first take a look at ourselves and make a change. I'm starting with the man and the woman in the mirror. I'm asking each and one of us, let's change our ways, because there is no message that could be any clearer. If we want to make the city of Stonecrest, if we want to make the city of Stonecrest a better place, we must take a look at ourselves and make a change. Thank you, and may God bless each of you.

Thank you, Madam city manager, if you can please stay at the podium, I also want to thank all of the elected officials that's here with us today, I really appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to join us. I can't see everybody, but I know I see miss Angela more. I think I see Doreen Carter. She's in the back. I don't know why she's all the way back there. Oh, okay. I thought I saw Mr. Johnson. I'm not sure. Oh, hey, how you doing? If I miss anybody, thank you so much for being here today. I also want to take a moment to invite our Director of Finance, Ms. Keisha Franklin to come up front. I want everybody to meet our Wonderful director of finance miss keisha Franklin. And I know we already. Everybody he already stood up, but if our deputy city manager can come up front as well. And I just want everybody to get a look at all three madam city manager can stand beside the director of finance. I want to introduce for the first time. Our leadership team.

Yes.

This has concluded this agenda. We are going to Ask everyone to join us. Across the hall for a meet and greet of our wonderful leadership team and our directors and staff that's in the building. We have provided some food as well, since we're here this evening, because this is a new chapter and we're here to celebrate and counsel, I will entertain a motion.

Mayor Pro Tem. Councilwoman Smith. I move that we adjourn this meeting. Second.

The motion has been properly moved and second by Councilman Turner. Are you ready for the question? All those in favor of the motion, please respond with yay. All those opposed nay. Starting with District 3.

Yay.

District 4.

Yay.

District 5.

Yay.

District 1 is yay. This meeting is now adjourned. Thank you so much for being here Stonecrest and enjoy your evening.