Remarks by Kelly Girtz
286 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 8 of 12
- Play at 3:38:18
“Bruce, do you want to talk about kind of how this correlates with our STR regulations?”
Commission · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 3:39:37
“Commissioner Taylor, I guess I'm just thinking in practical effect, you might have a 500 square foot home that's smaller than what current code allows, and every football game weekend you decide to go stay with your sister and rent that out. So that would be allowed under code? Commissioner Thornton.”
Commission · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 3:41:29
“Thanks, Commissioner. All right. Everybody ready to move on to old and new business? Yes. All right. I'm going to relocate so that we may do that. all right everyone uh we had uh two items removed from the consent agenda to move to discussion those were items 12 and 13. so now is the time we're taking public input on 12 and 13 and 23 through 30. so if any member of the public would like to speak to 12 13 or 23 3 30 now is that time Good evening.”
Commission · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 3:45:03
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
Commission · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 3:46:28
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
Commission · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 3:48:37
“Last call for older new business public input. All right, we're gonna go ahead and come to discussion. And Commissioner Link, you asked that items 12 and 13 be removed for brief comment, and so I'll hit you up for number 12.”
Commission · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 3:49:28
“Any other input on 12? Everybody okay with that back on consent?”
Commission · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 3:49:33
“All right. I guess that summarized your 13 input as well?”
Commission · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 3:49:37
“All right. Any other comment on 13? Everybody okay with that back on consent?”
Commission · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 3:49:42
“Let's do it. All right. Moving forward to old business. We have a couple items of old business. 23 is the oft-discussed naming of the East Broad Street Bridge over the North Coney is the Weaver Dees Bridge, automatic for the people. Any input on that item? Commissioner Wright?”
Commission · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 3:50:35
“All right, 23 is hitting consent. All right. Item 24 is an intergovernmental agreement with UGA regarding the North Coney Access Road, and I know there's a meeting of residents that's coming up regarding that. Any input on that one?”
Commission · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 3:50:55
“Well, it's already pulled. Okay, that's fine.”
Commission · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 3:51:23
“Commissioner Myers, Commissioner Wright speaking and I'll call you right after that.”
Commission · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 3:52:27
“All right, we're gonna have her follow up via email.”
Commission · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 3:52:34
“All right, we're gonna move on to item 26. This is the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing.”
Commission · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 3:53:02
“Commissioner, I'm about to move on to the next item, unless you want to go ahead and begin speaking.”
Commission · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 3:55:17
“Thanks, Commissioner. I appreciate it. We'll leave that off consent. 25 is a proposal from the local Georgia Initiative for Community Housing group that would clarify the way that affordable housing funds that come through the Athens-Clarke County's general fund are provided based on family size. Any questions about that?”
Commission · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 4:01:59
“And Commissioner, just so we don't belabor this, I think what you're recognizing is that you need a whole toolbox of solutions and of course we're gonna get to that in just a little bit.”
Commission · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 4:04:09
“26 is partnership application to GDOT to collaborate with the University of Georgia regarding roundabout at the entrance to the botanical gardens. Everybody good with consent there?”
Commission · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 4:04:44
“Yep. All right. Longstanding SPLOST or TSPLOST project. All right. 27 is consent as well. Appreciate that. All right. 28 and 29 in some ways take two different tools toward the same challenge of homelessness. 29, excuse me, 28 we'll get to first. I want to thank Commissioners Davenport and Myers, who are not here with us in the room tonight, and Commissioner Fischer, who were on the right-of-way committee. Sometimes you find that plans that you initially make need to be revised somewhat, and so this body adopted some ordinance update language a few months ago that, through working with the…”
Commission · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 4:06:44
“So, questions about 28 before we get to 29. Commissioner Wright?”
Commission · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 4:06:50
“No. Let's give it a moment, just so that everybody can absorb it. No, I'm tired. We'll be back here in two weeks, taking care of business.”
Commission · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 4:08:39
“more options and better options than just going to jail or to the hospital because they're going to end um right back out on the street what you're identifying commissioners 29 and just to make it clear that i don't believe there's anybody from pd here but it's my understanding that this would not compel initial enforcement as jailing”
Commission · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 4:13:40
“All right, so moving on really to kind of another facet of the same conversation, 29, I want to give a lot of credit to Commissioner Thornton and certainly a lot of our homeless service providers, some of whom have been in the room tonight and some of whom aren't here tonight, for recognizing that really there is this keen unmet need uh it's a need that i know i've talked to a couple of service providers about for probably a decade or more and that is that we don't have some of the specific kinds of spaces that we need to transition people into healthier lives and healthier environments very…”
Commission · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 4:17:18
“All right. Thanks, everybody. Commissioner Link?”
Commission · Jul 21, 2026