[0:19] Everybody, it's good to have you here. Uh friends, we have arrived at Tuesday,

[0:25] November 4th, 2025, and we're glad to have everybody here in

[0:29] city hall. Um we'll go ahead and begin by having the clerk call roll for us.

[0:34] here. >> Lee

[0:35] » here. >> Taylor

[0:37] » here. >> Wright

[0:39] » present. >> Fisher

[0:40] » here. >> Johnson.

[0:42] » Co Pepper >> here.

[0:44] » Meyers >> here.

[0:46] » Thornon >> ob is here.

[0:49] » Handy >> here.

[0:50] » We have a quorum. >> All right. Thank you, Madam Clerk. All

[0:53] right. Uh we'll begin with the civility pledge that was provided to us by the

[0:56] Georgia Municipal Association and dozens of cities across the state have adopted

[1:00] and that indicates that the way we govern ourselves is often as important

[1:03] as the positions we take. That our collective decisions will be better when

[1:07] differing views have had the opportunity to be fully vetted and considered that

[1:10] all people have the right to be treated with respect, courtesy and openness.

[1:13] That we value all input and we commit to conduct ourselves at all times with

[1:17] civility and courtesy to each other. Um, first formal order of business tonight

[1:22] is approval of the minutes of meetings of Tuesday, October 7th, Tuesday,

[1:26] October 21st, and non- voting meetings of Tuesday, October 14th, and Tuesday,

[1:31] October 21st. Do I hear a motion for approval of those?

[1:34] » So move. >> I've got a motion from Commissioner

[1:37] Thornton. Is there a second? >> Second.

[1:40] » Second from Commissioner Fiser. All in favor, please say I.

[1:43] » I. >> Any opposed? Right. Hearing none. Motion

[1:46] carries. All right. Uh, madam clerk, are there any written communications this

[1:49] evening? >> Yes, sir. Mr. Mayor,

[1:54] on behalf of the transportation and public works department, we'd like to

[1:58] enter into the record notice of acceptance of Britney Way, which

[2:03] includes the right-of-way deed, right-of-way plat, attorney's title opin

[2:07] opinion, lender's release, and owner's affidavit. We also have um

[2:14] for the Athens Housing Authority, North Downtown Athens development, the minor

[2:19] subdivision plat for the Athens Housing Authority. All required improvements and

[2:23] impertinances have been deemed acceptable by Athens Clark County

[2:27] Transportation and Public Works Department.

[2:29] » All right. Thank you, Madam Clerk. I appreciate that. Uh all right, friends.

[2:33] There are going to be several opportunities for public input tonight.

[2:36] Uh there's going to be an opportunity for public input on the consent agenda.

[2:39] Uh then there will be an opportunity for public input on old and new business.

[2:44] There will be separate opportunities for public input on each of the planning and

[2:47] zoning items tonight. And at the conclusion of our meeting, since we're

[2:51] at the first Tuesday of the month in our voting meeting, we'll have an

[2:54] opportunity for general public input on any item that was not on tonight's

[2:58] agenda. The format for public input will be the same for all of these

[3:02] opportunities. Every individual will get to speak for three minutes. You see

[3:06] light in front of the clerk. It will turn green when you begin speaking. and

[3:09] you provide your name and place of residence. That light will turn yellow

[3:13] when you have 30 seconds remaining and then it will turn red when your three

[3:16] minutes is concluded. And I'll thank you for your time with us tonight. Uh so at

[3:20] this point, is there anyone who would like to speak to any item on the consent

[3:25] agenda? Those are items 1 through 12. Is there any member of the public who would

[3:30] speak like to speak to any of those items 1 through 12?

[3:38] All right. Hearing the crickets in the room, I want to turn to the commission

[3:42] and ask, is there any commissioner who would like to remove an item from the

[3:45] consent agenda for discussion? >> No.

[3:49] » Motion to approve. >> All right. I've got a motion to approve

[3:52] the consent agenda from Commissioner Wright.

[3:55] » And I have a second from Commissioner Thornton. I'm going to ask the attorney

[3:59] to read the ordinances associated with the consent agenda for us. Ordinance

[4:03] associated with agenda items 1, two, three, and four. Agenda item one, an

[4:07] ordinance to amend the FY 2026 operating capital budget for Athens, Clark County,

[4:11] Georgia, so as to provide grant funding if awarded from the Georgia Department

[4:14] of Transportation local maintenance improvement grant, Elmeigg for

[4:18] resurfacing roadways and for other purposes. Agenda item number two, an

[4:21] ordinance for establishment of a yellow curbing on Herring Street between the

[4:26] intersection of Peter Street and Derby Street and for other purposes. Agenda

[4:30] item three, an ordinance for the establishment of yellow yellow curving

[4:33] on Reese Street between the intersections of North Poke Street and

[4:36] North Street Church Street and for other purposes. Agenda and item number four,

[4:40] an ordinance to amend the FY2026 operating capital budget for Athens,

[4:44] Clark County, Georgia, so as to provide funding for solid waste charm processing

[4:49] and for other purposes. >> All right, I appreciate that. All right.

[4:54] Uh with the motion from Commissioner Wright, the second from Commissioner

[4:57] Thornton, and reading of those ordinances by Attorney Dre. All right.

[5:01] All in favor of the consent agenda approval, please say I.

[5:05] » Are there any opposed? All right. Hearing none. Motion carries. All right.

[5:09] We're going to move forward to our three planning and zoning items. U first one

[5:14] of those is item 13 regarding 480 South Mill Avenue. Is there anybody here

[5:19] tonight who'd like to speak to 480 South Village Avenue?

[5:24] Good evening, sir.

[5:30] » I'm Brett Thurman, uh, engineer at Armit Matheni Thurman, um, 330 Research Drive

[5:35] Athens. I represent Alpha Z Delta along with Dave Matheni who's here in the

[5:40] audience and I appreciate all the input from staff during this process as as

[5:44] well as unanimous unanimous support from the planning commission. After tableling

[5:49] the project for a month at planning commission, we resubmitted a much

[5:53] improved plan for the site. The fire marshall was very pleased with the

[5:57] increased width of the existing drive aisles to 12 ft, the increased space on

[6:02] the parking lot side so that their ladder truck could put down stabilizers

[6:05] without having to move cars and the three fire department connections we

[6:09] proposed at the front so that the pumper truck does not have to go on the

[6:12] property to fight a fire. We designed a storm water solution under

[6:17] the parking lot to detain the rainfall recharge amount. All larger storms are

[6:21] also contained in the gravel bed so there's no increase in storm water from

[6:26] the site. In fact, we will now be directing that water to the private

[6:29] alley thereby reducing storm water flow into Millage Avenue.

[6:34] There is sufficient parking on site for the number of members living on site

[6:37] plus the house mother. Our parking falls within the range of on-site parking for

[6:42] other fraternities and sororities. For additional parking, Clark Central High

[6:45] School will be approached for an additional 45 spaces for use during

[6:50] chapter meetings and special events. We believe this is sufficient parking for

[6:54] the sororities needs as they have a transportation policy limiting

[6:57] automobile access to the site. Um there are seven variances that we have

[7:02] requested. Mainly are a lot of them are related to the site size and the

[7:06] existing conditions. The site of course was already non-conforming and the

[7:10] planning commissioners agreed that all the variances were acceptable.

[7:14] The front apartment building would be demolished for a larger chapter house.

[7:18] The apartment building just cannot be renovated to provide the space required.

[7:22] The new chapter house design has been before the historic preservation

[7:25] committee and we will receive a certificate of appropriateness. Uh

[7:28] street trees are provided in front of the new chapter house. They're placed a

[7:32] little further back than normal because we have to be 30 feet behind the power

[7:35] lines. Um, also finally, my client agrees with the

[7:40] two conditions in the staff report. We will provide the sidewalk access to the

[7:44] Millage Avenue sidewalk and we will obtain a parking agreement with Clark

[7:48] Central and have it recorded before the project can receive a certificate of

[7:52] occupancy. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Thurman. Is there anyone

[7:56] else here to speak to 480 South Village Avenue tonight?

[8:00] » Good evening. And I'm David Matheni, also with Armen Trap Matheni Thurman at

[8:04] 3:30 Research Drive. Um, basically what I wanted to say and as Brett has already

[8:12] um reiterated said that uh the

[8:18] um the

[8:22] well just lost my words, but um that's I've never had a loss for words.

[8:28] No, Vita will uh will say that, but the actually the historic preservation

[8:34] commission uh did approve our plan with some minor conditions and so just wanted

[8:39] to bring that up again. Also, I wanted to say that um

[8:45] because of the site changes, there's not going to be any new impact on either

[8:52] side of this new uh house. Um either right or left. So I think that's a good

[8:58] thing and I'm very happy that we are at this point and can introduce a new

[9:05] facility for the Alpha Z Delta sorarity who has been looking for a presence on

[9:11] um in Athens. Currently they are just part of the panelic uh building and um

[9:19] so they're anxious to have their visible presence on Millage Avenue. Thank you.

[9:26] Thank you, Mr. Mathem. Is there anyone else here to speak to 480 South Village

[9:31] tonight?

[9:34] » All right, seeing none, I'll go ahead and turn to Commissioner Wright for a

[9:38] motion. >> Motion to approve.

[9:40] » I'll second. >> All right, got a motion

[9:42] » with conditions. >> Commissioner Wright for approval with

[9:44] conditions. >> Second from Commissioner Link.

[9:47] Commissioner Wright, any remarks? >> Uh, no. Just happy to have them um have

[9:52] their presence and out of the tape center. meetings.

[9:56] » I'm ready to vote. >> All right. Any others from the bottom?

[10:00] » All right. Have Ty Drake read the ordinance.

[10:02] » Ordinance to amend the code of Athens, Clark County, Georgia with respect to

[10:05] special use approval in the COM commercial office millage avenue quarter

[10:10] special district overlay for one parcel of land located at 480 South Millage

[10:13] Avenue and for other purposes. All right. Motion and a second are on the

[10:18] floor. All in favor, please say I. >> I.

[10:21] » Are there any opposed? All right. Hearing none. Motion carries. All right.

[10:24] Uh item 14 uh is a request uh to amend section 9-15-16

[10:30] of the code regard regarding home occupations and accessory structures and

[10:35] cottage food industry allowances effectively to come into concert with

[10:39] state code. Uh is there any member of the public who would like to speak to

[10:42] item 14?

[10:47] All right, seeing none, would the commissioner like to place a motion on

[10:49] the floor? >> I'll move to approve.

[10:52] » Is there a second? Second.

[10:55] » All right. Got a motion from Commissioner Link. Second from

[10:57] Commissioner Myers. Commissioner Link, any remarks?

[11:00] » No. >> Commissioner Myers?

[11:02] » No. >> All right. Attorney Drake, I'll have you

[11:03] read this ordinance. >> Ordinance to amend the Code of Athens,

[11:05] Clark County, Georgia with respect to home occupations and for other purposes.

[11:09] » All right. There's a motion and a second on the floor. All in favor, please say

[11:12] I. >> I.

[11:13] » Are there any opposed? All right. Hearing none. Motion carries. All right.

[11:18] Uh item 15 uh regards an amendment to chapter nine of the code of ordinances

[11:23] regarding the definition and permitted locations of veterinary clinics and

[11:26] kennels. Is there any member of the public who'd like to speak to item

[11:29] number 15 tonight?

[11:35] Usually the animals draw a crowd, but not tonight. All right. Would a

[11:39] commissioner like to place a motion on the floor? Commissioner Davenport, I

[11:42] know you have a commission defined adoption.

[11:43] » Yeah. CO um approved. Davenport CDO. All right, I've got a motion from

[11:50] Commissioner Davenport for the commission defined option. Is there a

[11:53] second? >> I'll second because I have a question.

[11:57] » All right, a second from Commissioner Wright. Uh, Commissioner Davenport

[11:59] remarks, you may want to just outline the modification. just slight

[12:03] modification in that keeping a status quo where if you want um

[12:09] uh a vet clinic are not allowed in AR residential neighborhood zones and that

[12:16] if um in AR zones to get a permit for a kennel you have to keep it um you have

[12:23] to go through special use so that's it the rest stays the same

[12:30] » commissioner Right. >> I had a question. It didn't It wasn't

[12:34] clear to me that this went through the planning commission. It didn't have the

[12:37] pink sheet that the one ahead of it did, and I I was curious if this sort of

[12:42] modification might need to loop back through.

[12:45] » Um I I'm seeing from planning director Bruce Lonnie that that this is

[12:49] sufficient to go through. >> Okay. All right.

[12:52] » Any other remarks from the body? Commissioner Myers,

[12:56] » it was he sent it. >> I'm just I know I saw the CDO in our

[13:00] email, >> but I'm looking at the publicly

[13:02] available >> amendment.

[13:06] » He sent it last week. >> No, I know. I saw I saw it there. I'm

[13:10] just saying it's not Is it Is it on the public one as well?

[13:12] » It's It's on the agenda page. >> It's towards the bottom.

[13:17] » It's page 212 starts.

[13:20] » Yeah. I'm I'm just talking about the one that's publicly lit. I just clicked on

[13:23] it. You just want to make sure that it's public

[13:25] » that it's publicly available. Yeah, that's all I just want to make sure that

[13:28] it's there. >> All right. And our understanding is that

[13:32] that's publicly available on the web portal version, which frankly I've not

[13:36] looked at. I just downloaded the version from our internal portal.

[13:39] » No, I'm looking at the web portal. >> So, it's the first page of the web

[13:44] portal version. >> Is that right?

[13:47] » Okay. Perfect. All right. Any other questions?

[13:51] » All right. Uh, I'll have attorney Drake read the ordinance for us.

[13:54] » Ordinance to amend the code of Athens, Clark County, Georgia in respect to

[13:57] veterary clinics, uses in the zoning ordinance of Athens, Clark County,

[14:00] Georgia, and for other purposes. >> All right, we've got a motion, a second

[14:04] on the floor for the commission to find adoption. All in favor, please say I.

[14:08] » I. Are there any opposed? >> All right, hearing none, motion carries.

[14:14] All right, we're going to move on to old and new business. And tonight, that is

[14:18] numbers 16 through 20. And so if any member of the public would like to speak

[14:23] to any item of old or new business, you can go ahead and line up the podium. And

[14:27] uh rules of input are as as described earlier.

[14:46] It's a it's a generous community. Everybody wants to let everybody else

[14:49] go. very polite. Chris Ward, I'm a 140 Beverly Drive. I also picked a terrible

[14:55] day to get my eyes dilated, so I apologize. I did extra large font so I

[15:00] could try to get through this. Uh, good evening, mayor, commissioners. So, when

[15:05] I first looked at the proposal on 295 East Dohy Street, I honestly thought I

[15:10] had opened the wrong file because it looked like it belonged in Chicago, not

[15:14] in Athens. It's big, it's cold, it's boxy, it looks like it's ready for a

[15:18] Starbucks logo. and a Tesla store to move in the bottom of it. But Athens is

[15:22] not Chicago. We build community and we don't specialize in concrete.

[15:28] Anytime we are asked to approve a project like this, we should address

[15:32] three simple questions. First, does this bring well-paying jobs for Athenians to

[15:37] have a future right here at home? Second, does this move the needle to

[15:42] create accessible and affordable housing for working people and professionals who

[15:46] already live here? And third, does this expand the delivery of the exceptional

[15:51] public service that Athens prides itself on and make it to avail available to

[15:55] more citizens? Unfortunately, this project does not hit

[15:59] any of those marks. What this project really builds is a

[16:04] wall, a literal wall between Lelay Park and some of the most vulnerable

[16:10] communities in Athens. It cuts off access for families and kids who rely on

[16:14] that park every day during the summer. It replaces a public space with private

[16:19] parking and asks tax taxpayers to backs stop a project that serves almost no one

[16:23] outside of the tenant list. We are being asked to pay interest over 5% for 15

[16:29] years to finance a parking deck that I cannot see improving mobility. It

[16:33] doesn't expand services. It doesn't create opportunity. And it actually

[16:36] opens new issues that we have done little to make sure our citizens feel

[16:39] welcome using new facilities that this plan purports to address.

[16:45] Even the project itself acknowledges how tonedeaf it is to build something like

[16:49] this when shutting out local Athenians. And this is a wall that we are building

[16:54] and we are paying for. I was talking with my aunt. She worked

[16:59] with Commissioner Thornton back in her days at Head Start and she said, "If

[17:03] we're going to build something here, build something that helps the kids."

[17:06] And she's right. If public money is on the table, let's make sure that this

[17:10] project addresses the needs of the community. Let's make sure that this

[17:13] project builds something like a tech center, a community tech and learning

[17:16] center. Partner with Athens Tech, partner with University of Georgia. Put

[17:20] something in the bottom of this building that's actually going to help the people

[17:22] that need it the most in this community. I'm going to say something a little less

[17:27] serious, but it's still true. The building doesn't look like Athens. The

[17:31] facade is completely wrong. >> Thank you, Mr. Ward. Appreciate it

[17:34] tonight. >> Thank you.

[17:39] » Good evening. Good evening, mayor. Good evening,

[17:43] commissioners. I'm Reverend Dr. Pippen Whitaker. I am the minister of the

[17:47] Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens and I live in Commissioner Co

[17:52] Pepper's district, not far from the congregation off Timothy Road.

[17:57] I am here to speak on item 20 and I want to thank you all for including this on

[18:02] the agenda, the payment or the dispersal of funds to the food bank in the amount

[18:10] of $150,000. As you know, there's a lot of people

[18:15] that are food insecure right now, people that are hungry. There was a recent bill

[18:20] at the national level that could be it's estimated that about three million

[18:25] people across the country are going to go without their food stamp benefits.

[18:30] Food stamps save lives. They are needed. You all know people got to eat.

[18:38] So I I appreciate that with very little time that you got this on the agenda so

[18:45] that you could discuss this really important issue. I know you're all doing

[18:49] other things to address food insecurity and to address hunger and the spectre of

[18:55] rising hunger and I want to thank each of you for doing this. Thank you for

[18:59] taking care of our community. I don't even know what all of you all are doing

[19:06] but I want to thank you for what you are doing and I want to thank everybody in

[19:09] this room. I hope that you are all doing a little more than you have done because

[19:14] we're going to need all of us in this. We're going to need working across our

[19:18] differences because we have these and other needs

[19:22] that are rising before us. So, thank you for considering this

[19:28] donation to the food bank. I personally am making my own dramatically increased

[19:33] contributions. I hope everybody else can look into

[19:37] that. We can call our elected officials. I know y'all are elected officials, but

[19:42] you can call your elected officials at the state level, too, and ask for them

[19:46] to do more because what we're doing here, what you're

[19:51] looking at is needed. It's impactful, and it's not enough,

[19:56] but keep doing what you can do. I know that's not super inspiring to say

[20:03] what you're doing may not be enough, but the fact is that just because

[20:07] what you can do isn't enough doesn't mean you can't do it. It doesn't mean it

[20:11] isn't needed and it doesn't mean it's not seen and appreciated. So, I see you

[20:16] and I appreciate each one of you. Thank you.

[20:20] » Thank you, Dr. Whitaker. >> Good evening.

[20:25] » Good evening, Mayor and Commission. I am Mocha Jasmine Johnson, PO Box 6713,

[20:31] Athens, Georgia. Um, we're here tonight in support of

[20:38] um, funding the food bank. Thank you guys for bringing this to the table and

[20:42] for taking action in such a short period of time, but we're also here to ask you

[20:46] to do more. Um, we're calling on our local and state

[20:50] leaders to explore every possible solution to protect Athens families

[20:54] impacted by the SNAP freeze and the ongoing government shutdown. As of

[20:59] November 2025, more than 9,100 households in Athens, Clark County rely

[21:05] on SNAP benefits. That's over 18,000 people, including children, seniors, and

[21:11] working families who depend on this assistance just to eat. Yet, Governor

[21:16] Kemp administration has stated that it will not release emergency funds to

[21:20] support food access during this crisis, claiming that the responsibility falls

[21:26] solely on federal relief and private charities. So, what do we do? What do we

[21:32] do after the $150,000 in local aid is spent?

[21:40] What do we do when thousands of Athens restaurant residents still still is left

[21:45] wondering where their next meal will come from? Hunger doesn't wait for

[21:49] political decisions. When families go hungry, it leads to illness, higher

[21:54] stress, poor school performance, and even increased crime and instability.

[22:00] Food insecurity is not just a moral issue. It is a public health and it's a

[22:04] public health and public safety issue. We're urging Athens, Clark County to

[22:09] just do more. We appreciate what you have done, but we're asking you to not

[22:13] just stop here because this is an issue that is going to go on beyond this next

[22:18] 30 days. We're asking you to reach out to Governor Kemp and ask him to release

[22:23] those urg emergency funds. We're also asking you to put a plan of action in

[22:28] place and be prepared to help people that needs to file appeals because

[22:32] there's two things that's going on. One is that the freeze has happened on

[22:37] November 1st, but there's also changes in work requirements and eligibility. So

[22:43] even when the freeze free has even when the freeze has been released, there's

[22:47] still going to be people that is hungry and is going without food. So we have to

[22:52] prepare for this beyond 30 days. So again, we support the food bank. I

[22:57] encourage people to donate, volunteer, and do what they can. This is going to

[23:01] be a problem for the community. So, the community has to rise up and we're

[23:05] asking our local government to do more, to do everything you can to get more

[23:09] money to feed families and to support this community.

[23:16] » Thank you, Mocha.

[23:20] » Good evening. >> Good evening. I'm Jamaia Weidman here

[23:24] with the Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement, which is located on 3700

[23:28] Atlanta Highway, sweet 67. also here to talk about the um um ending of SNAP

[23:34] benefits. So, the end of SNAP benefits just before the holiday season has put a

[23:38] strain on millions of families. In 2022, in Clark County alone, there were 15,853

[23:45] SNAP recipients. And while we're appreciative of the $150,000 being

[23:49] allocated to food banks, the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia feeds about 91,600

[23:54] individuals, which means less than $2 a person.

[23:58] $2 is a is two cans of evaporated milk at Walmart or one rusted potato at

[24:03] Dollar General, one jar of peanut butter at Dollar Tree, or a pack of tortilla

[24:08] shells at Family Dollar. $2 is not a case of baby formula. $2 is not a pound

[24:14] of veggies or a pound of meat. $2 is not a healthy meal. Today, I ask the local

[24:19] government to take immediate and compassionate action by increasing

[24:22] support for the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia and local food providers to keep

[24:26] shelves stocked and food available for families in need. Thank you.

[24:30] » Thank you, Jamaa.

[24:33] » Good evening. >> Good evening. My name is Barbara Dane.

[24:37] Um um I'm coming to ask y'all to not to

[24:42] approve number 16. I'm asking because I know it seems like

[24:49] a lot of money and everything, a lot of stuff going to get done, but I can

[24:54] remember back in 2020, a lot of money got put out then and

[25:01] nothing hadn't gotten done. Um, affordable homes, we still don't have

[25:07] them. Student home, y'all still building them.

[25:13] kids is being pushed away. Not only elder

[25:18] people, middle-aged people, kids, they can't come outside to play because don't

[25:24] have any yard to play in. So, I'm asking y'all to let park stay lay so the kid

[25:32] can have somewhere to go. I'm looking at toward East Athens.

[25:39] We having problem there. Kids can't go there.

[25:44] This I say it over and over again, but I just don't understand why it takes

[25:53] so long for you all to buy to build affordable home for people, lowincome

[25:58] people, but yet you can come out here and build student housing. And every

[26:02] time I come here, that's all I hear is about student housing. My heart is full

[26:10] and it's making me very angry. But I trust and believe in God. And he said,

[26:15] "Stand still and I'll fight your battle." And I believe he will. But do

[26:23] y'all have a heart? Do y'all see what's going on out here? You ask for money for

[26:29] one thing, but you're doing something totally different.

[26:33] Why can't y'all help the poor people? I come up here and say this over and

[26:38] over and over, but it becomes a politic thing.

[26:45] I hear people talk about Democrat and I hear people talk about Republican,

[26:52] but neither one of y'all know better than the other one.

[26:55] So, I can't understand why can't you help people that need

[27:00] help. It's not asking for too much. It taking

[27:05] four and five years to build apartments. People are tired of apartment. Kids need

[27:12] to be in a place that they can run around, have fun, have their own yard.

[27:17] People get tired of being stacked on top of one another. People wants to be able

[27:22] to move around. But you're pushing

[27:26] all the people that were here away out of town and you bring the people from

[27:31] out of town here. When is this going to stop? I don't understand why it's so

[27:37] hard to y'all see this, but you keep talking about student homes.

[27:43] I don't get it, but I know it going to be it going to come pretty soon. Thank

[27:49] you. >> Good evening.

[27:52] » Good evening, Dr. Tuana Smith Maddox. Um, born and raised on Pitter Road. I

[27:57] represent all of Athens and my heart is heavy. Um, it's just a burden for me

[28:03] when I think about how I'm watching people having to move out of Athens,

[28:08] being displaced, and we are seeing watching you all,

[28:13] mayor and commission, you know, going into the business of student housing.

[28:18] That's how I see it. You shouldn't be in the business student housing. should be

[28:22] in the business of making sure that the people who are living here, who are born

[28:26] and raised here, people who've been here for a long time are able to afford

[28:30] housing and they are able to stay here because my main concern is the next

[28:34] generation. And the way that things are going, I

[28:38] don't know where my baby with these babies are going to be able to stay or

[28:40] if they going to even be able to live here and the decisions that you all are

[28:44] making. I just do not agree with that. And I understand, you know, it's a

[28:48] beautiful plan. I understand, you know, about the, you know, the $7.8 million,

[28:53] but to me, that's a slap in the face when you say, you know what, I'd rather

[28:56] give you $7.8 million than your black and poor ass to stay in my

[29:00] establishment. That's how I see it. So, just to have seven, you know, to give,

[29:05] you know, all of this money and we don't even have a plan like, okay, we got

[29:09] seven, we get to $7.8 million, I think we already have $5 million. I would have

[29:14] led with what is the plan? When are we going to start seeing some building some

[29:20] partnerships with you know partners who are building affordable homes? I would

[29:25] have started with that but there's no trust because we don't see any concrete

[29:30] plans for how we're going to keep people and allow people to be able to

[29:34] especially hardworking people to stay in Athens and it's not right. The next

[29:40] point, the next next item, the Tesla project um 2023.

[29:45] I want to say thank you to um Commissioner Link um and Miss Diane

[29:50] Jackson um and others who um had that that meeting. Um you know, it was after

[29:57] the fact, but and we have to do better with that. You know, we too reactive.

[30:01] You know, we have to beg and plead for community meetings. And I'm tired of

[30:04] these sharetses. We need to have actual meetings where people can be educated

[30:08] and we can ask questions. And that was that kind of meeting when it came to the

[30:12] prioritization of these these projects and people from the community were able

[30:17] to ask questions and give their lived experiences because I don't know I I

[30:21] trust the staff but at the same time we have lived experiences and I don't know

[30:26] if if I don't know how many of the staff even live in Athens. So, you're making

[30:30] decisions that impact us in our lived experiences and I want us to have better

[30:34] communication um going forward. But I want to say thank you for for that and

[30:39] for um item number 17. >> Thank you, Dr. Maddox.

[30:44] » Good evening. >> Hello. My name is Shelby Branch. I live

[30:48] at 287 Morning Drive and I represent the Athens clar county Democratic Committee.

[30:55] And we echo the similar uh the remarks made earlier about um food insecurity in

[31:01] Athens and giving funds to the food bank and for the local government to do as

[31:07] much as possible to fill in the gap has the state and federal government fail

[31:11] us. Thank you. >> Thank you, Dr. Branch. Is there anyone

[31:14] else here to speak to any item of old or new business tonight?

[31:19] » Yes. >> Hello. My name is Eric Gistler. Um, I'm

[31:23] actually not a Clark County citizen. Um, but I am running to represent Clark

[31:27] County citizens um in the upcoming election in the state house. Uh, I just

[31:32] wanted to come and make a statement and express my gratitude for the mayor and

[31:37] commission uh for item number 20 uh the the money for the food bank. Um, the

[31:45] truth is that this really shouldn't be on your agenda. this is on your agenda

[31:49] because of a failure of government at the federal and state level. It's not

[31:55] really up to to you guys to have to to bail out the food bank in a time like

[31:59] this. Um so I just want to express my gratitude that you did rush to get it on

[32:04] the agenda and you are considering it. I hope that you you do pass it. Um the

[32:09] truth is people have to eat. We all got to eat. Um and and it really is due to

[32:15] uh dysfunction at the the higher levels of government. Um the only other thing

[32:20] that I'd like to say is uh whether or not I'm in the state house next year, I

[32:24] really hope that the state government will reimburse you and other uh

[32:28] communities around the state for having to do this. Um so thank you again and uh

[32:33] that's everything. >> Thank you, Mr. Yes.

[32:36] » Anyone else here to speak to older new business tonight?

[32:45] Good evening. >> Good evening. Erin Berger. I live here

[32:48] in Athens on Inveris Road. It's an honor to spend just a few minutes with you

[32:53] this evening. Um just would ask everyone in this room to take a deep breath and

[32:58] think about what um hundreds of people are doing right now, which is hopefully

[33:03] sitting around a family table and enjoying meal, talking about their day.

[33:10] thinking about the future, maybe talking about the upcoming holidays. Um, as the

[33:14] president and CEO of the food bank, I can testify not only from the data, but

[33:21] when I look in the eyes of our neighbors who have moved from food insecurity to

[33:26] food emergency, that we are in a dire state. This mayor

[33:31] and commission has been so generous with us. Earlier this year, you supported the

[33:36] food bank of Northeast Georgia. I can definitely testify to you that that has

[33:41] made a critical difference in Athens, Clark County. So, you have moved our

[33:46] neighbors in this area to greater food security and then SNAP cuts entered the

[33:52] picture. Um so to put this in perspective um if you compare year-to-

[33:57] date what the food bank has mobilized um this period in 2025 compared to the same

[34:03] period of time in 2023 we have mobilized 45% more food that was before SNAP

[34:11] benefits were cut this month also our neighbor survey reveals to us that we

[34:17] have moved from food insecurity to actual hunger more than onethird of

[34:23] respondents to our survey earlier this year reported that they are going an

[34:28] entire day without food. 40% of them experience this hardship chronically,

[34:35] monthly or more. So, I really have two things to say to you. Thank you for what

[34:41] you have done. And I think the decision before us tonight is clear. $150,000

[34:47] for the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia has tremendous impact. we will make the

[34:52] very most of it. Uh we have a plan to mobilize an additional 500,000 in

[34:58] resources in the month of November. We issued a call to action last Tuesday.

[35:03] Within 48 hours, we had raised half of that goal. So private philanthropy,

[35:09] corporate philanthropy, everyday people experience hunger and everyday people

[35:14] are working with us to solve this problem. We know that local government

[35:18] plays a role. We see you stepping up to the plate. We thank you and I'm happy to

[35:23] answer any questions that you have. Um, I did share some materials that

[35:27] hopefully put this in perspective. Thank you.

[35:29] » Thank you, Miss Barker. >> Good evening.

[35:33] » Good evening. How y'all doing? My name is Brian Middleton. Um, I'm from 110

[35:38] Irwin Court as Georgia 30607. Um, I think I have two um items on the

[35:45] agenda that I want to speak on. one was the item number 16. Um, Lelay Park is

[35:54] was um a big thing for that community. So, if you're going to get rid of that

[35:59] park, I would hope that you have a plan to do something for the kids that that

[36:06] uh would uh replace it because this this park was a very historical park for them

[36:12] and that that's a place where they went and they played and they was able to

[36:16] learn different things. So, if you're going to take that away, I would hope

[36:19] that you have a plan to um have something in in place of it to to do

[36:24] something about it. Now, the other one was um item number 20, which I I'm just

[36:30] hearing that um they raised uh money more money for the what um food bank.

[36:37] But, um I wanted to say that um in Birmingham City, if y'all check the

[36:41] news, Birmingham City itself had a million dollars in his reserve. Now, I

[36:46] don't know if y'all have a reserve or or anything like that, but um 150,000 for

[36:53] that amount of people is only going to go so far. So if y'all do have a

[36:58] reserve, that's or if y'all don't have a reserve and can create a reserve, that

[37:02] would be something that could be happen in the future where it can be an answer

[37:06] for uh different problems and stuff where if it does arise, you will have a

[37:10] reserve that you could go into and use that as a um a way a means of uh helping

[37:17] things. So, if um my my point is if you have 150,000, they're gonna have to

[37:25] stretch that for the amount of families that's that's going to be uh for the

[37:29] food. They would need more. But since she's saying that they uh raised more,

[37:33] then I think that problem is pretty much getting um solved. But I do think that

[37:39] this uh city should have a reserve and if you can go in the reserve, it'll be

[37:43] much easier. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Middleton. Is there

[37:46] anyone else here to speak to any item of old or new business tonight?

[37:50] » Good evening. >> Hey, Mr. Mayor. Uh Russell Edwards, um

[37:55] Duncan Springs Road. Just wanted to uh speak on item 16 and and raise some some

[38:02] points perhaps to consider. Um, I' I've I've read information about

[38:10] uh the county commission planning to

[38:14] destroy Lelay Park and uh I'm not quite certain where that's founded, but that

[38:20] doesn't that doesn't appear in any of the

[38:24] materials that I'm looking at. Um, one point also I'd like to make is, you

[38:30] know, uh, for we're about 8,000 dwelling units behind where we need to be to

[38:37] currently fit fulfill the demand on our housing market. 8,000 dwelling units.

[38:44] It's a question of supply and demand. We have uh a growing community here. People

[38:50] love Athens. They want to live here. We're we're trying to grow the

[38:52] community. We're trying to increase investment in neighborhoods. We're

[38:55] trying to recruit businesses with high-paying jobs to come here. That

[38:59] means growth. And with growth comes a need for

[39:04] housing. So, if we're already 8,000 dwelling units behind and we have some

[39:08] growing industries, some new businesses coming here, you can imagine that uh

[39:14] folks are competing for homes and it's driving up the price of housing across

[39:20] the county. here. One proposal, 1,400 units in one proposal to help well to

[39:31] help meet that demand. When it comes to UG students, um UG is the number one

[39:37] employer. Uh some students can be annoying, but uh thousands of students

[39:42] are basically what helped keep the economy going here in large part in this

[39:48] community. Uh there's been a lot of hate and shade

[39:52] thrown on students. I would say unfairly. Um

[39:57] 1,400 students living downtown is 1,400 students not competing for housing in

[40:04] other neighborhoods. Maybe something to consider.

[40:08] uh allowing the students to live on private property that pays property tax

[40:15] uh is perhaps superior to having the university acquire more land putting it

[40:22] off of the tax roles and building dormitories.

[40:25] So here we will collect uh funds. uh students living in private housing,

[40:31] they're not going to be going to our elementary schools, but they will be

[40:35] contributing property tax that support those schools. Uh also, uh having 1,400

[40:41] more residents downtown where all of our services exist for the largest part is

[40:46] going to be good for downtown business. It's going to be good for downtown

[40:50] restaurants and venues, the creative culture. uh these folks are not going to

[40:56] be driving cars uh creating more traffic in your neighborhood because they're

[41:00] going to be able to walk uh where they need to go. Something to consider. Thank

[41:03] you. >> Thank you, Mr. Edwards. Anyone else here

[41:06] speak to any item of old or new business this evening before we continue with

[41:09] commission deliberation.

[41:12] » Good evening. >> Uh Alan Jones, uh Xavier Drive. Uh thank

[41:16] you, Russell. I echo those thoughts. I'm going to speak on one of the less sexy

[41:20] items that are up uh for a vote and it sounds like it's going to get pushed off

[41:24] until next time, but the board and commission uh issue. I serve on the

[41:29] Athens in motion uh and the Tesla oversight uh committees and I also have

[41:34] a day job. Uh I work with the Department of Defense. I'm in the some of the

[41:40] leadership that's uh modernizing some of their bureaucratic systems and it to me

[41:45] it's kind of important but I make time for my community and I drive down to

[41:51] these uh the the T-Loss meeting in the late afternoon take off work early show

[41:57] up and over half the time we don't have a quorum so it's a worthless drive so I

[42:02] go home there's another meeting right after the T-splast in the same building

[42:06] for the splast group and they have a hard time getting quorum. So I thank you

[42:12] uh for this uh proposal where you would be combining those groups and making it

[42:17] so that the citizens of the community can participate in the process wi

[42:23] without it being a an undue burden. Um so thank you for that. Uh I may be

[42:30] retiring early so I may be able to be more involved and not have to worry

[42:34] about that but that's yet to come. Um, I also appreciate that that cottifies the

[42:39] Athens in motion and the land bank and local ordinances making them permanent.

[42:44] So, that is great. Patrick and the rest of the GOC people. Uh, you've done a

[42:49] great job with that. And Patrick, you also mentioned at one of the last

[42:54] meetings, speaking of Splast and Tesla, about the fact that we fund those

[42:58] backward, which I wholly agree with. We wait until we have all the money for

[43:04] these T-Loss projects before we do anything with them because we don't want

[43:09] to do bond funding because there's there's interest. Well, 10% interest on

[43:14] a loan to get something moving right now is a whole lot more effective than

[43:19] waiting five years for the price of that asset to over double due to inflation

[43:25] because we wouldn't pay for it earlier. The community wants these things that

[43:30] are on splast and t-plast built during the period that they are paying for

[43:36] them, not 10 to 20 years down the road. So please um support the the BAC

[43:44] commission and when it comes around time for the next bloss

[43:47] reconsider the funding mechanisms. >> Thank you Mr. Jones. Is there anyone

[43:52] else here to speak to any item of old or new business today?

[43:56] Good evening. >> Good evening. Uh I'm Michael McClendon.

[44:01] I live at 2011 Hamilton Road, Athens. Um I'm here to encourage you to table item

[44:06] 16, attending adequate commission and public works sessions to fully address a

[44:12] range of really significant issues and questions. And I note Russell Edwards

[44:18] brought up four or five policy issues in what he was suggesting which have never

[44:22] been yet talked about. Uh this proposal was born in secrecy over a period of

[44:29] months then advertised as being about parking when it's really about

[44:34] consequential unreoverable uh actions that will impact Athens Clark

[44:41] County for years. Uh we just learned last week that this has actually been in

[44:45] work for a year. And when you look at that and you look at when the property

[44:50] was transferred uh just a few months before that, it makes one wonder what

[44:55] the real game plan is here and who's been involved in this. And uh last week

[45:00] at the uh what I call a showand tell. You know, there were a lot of questions,

[45:06] a lot a lot of brochures, posters, but there's no accountability for those

[45:10] things. And it reminded me very much of we've been here before.

[45:16] We were here with the mall fiasco 31 months ago.

[45:21] We've been here with the arena where a parking deck was promised and now we are

[45:26] millions and millions of dollars in debt. So it sounds like Athens Clark

[45:31] County kind of ignores red flags then presses ahead without competent due

[45:36] diligence and without a care as to the consequences. In my view we are

[45:41] repeating behavior here. If this proposed agreement cannot withstand

[45:46] being tabled for a comprehensive scrutiny by commissioners and the public

[45:52] in open forums, then it does not merit any consideration.

[45:57] What's the secret? What are people trying to hide? There are a lot of

[46:02] policy issues with this. I won't go into all of them, but let me just hit a few.

[46:06] This is a sole source agreement to give public land to a developer without any

[46:11] competition. ACC has no business enabling one

[46:16] developer over another to gain a competitive advantage in the real estate

[46:20] market. This also sets a bad precedent. ACC is telling two contradictory

[46:27] stories. On the one hand, you want to enable them tearing down a hotel, but on

[46:33] the other hand, the classic center authority spends money to go do hotel

[46:39] studies that continue to show that there's a shortage of hotel space in

[46:44] Athens. So, the question I would ask to you is what's Athens, Clark County

[46:49] government's policy on hotel capacity and the needs? Seems like here you're

[46:54] you're you're taking action that's against what Classic Center is trying to

[46:58] do. ACC's own data shows that 19,464 beds have been added in the Clark County

[47:08] since 2018 through August of this year. >> Thank you, Mr. Clinton.

[47:16] Is >> there anyone else here to speak at any

[47:18] item of old or new business before we come to commission deliberation?

[47:23] Hello, my name is Tammy Foot and I'm at 223 Fairvy Street. I'm here in regards

[47:27] to the item number 16. Um, as Mr. McClennon stated, the public needs the

[47:33] opportunity to find out and see what is really going on with this development.

[47:38] Um, the the liquidation or the tearing down of the playground for the kids and

[47:43] everything. As Mr. McClennon stated, that is not being totally clear to the

[47:47] public. We need to table this and do a work session with the public so we can

[47:52] know what's going on as well. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Foot.

[47:56] » Any other input on old or new business tonight?

[48:05] » Good evening. >> Good evening, commissioners. I'm Andy

[48:07] Seavoy with Core Spaces. We are the developer um uh that is um doing the

[48:14] development at 295 East already item 16 on tonight's agenda. This is my fourth

[48:18] time in front of you guys, and typically I go through a spiel of different public

[48:24] benefits, millions of dollars of public benefits, off-site sewer work, all that.

[48:27] Tonight, I'd like to talk about something a little different. It occurs

[48:31] to me that many of you may not understand what makes this vote such an

[48:35] urgent one for us, and that's that's on us because we haven't really messaged

[48:39] it. Um, and so I believe we've been pretty forthcoming about the majority of

[48:45] the residents uh in this project are expected to be students at UG. Because

[48:50] of that fact, we need to deliver in the summer and the current target is the

[48:55] summer of 2028. Um,

[48:59] in order to deliver in the summer of 28, we need to start construction of in

[49:03] March of next year. And in order to start construction in March of next

[49:06] year, we need to start our plan review pretty much now because that takes about

[49:10] four and a half months. And so for that reason, we're pushing up on a point

[49:17] where if it goes much further than this, we'll have to delay an entire year. So

[49:21] that's a year delay on all of that public benefit on the off-site sewer

[49:25] work on the $7.8 million, which would be a shame.

[49:29] And uh that's not it because a lot can happen in a year. Um tariffs can happen

[49:35] in a year. Wars that cause shortage of material can happen in a year. Um there

[49:39] are you know agreements with the hotel operator that we would need to sort

[49:43] through. So worst case scenario the whole deal could die and we could be

[49:46] forced to pursue more of a buy option. And so I wanted to just make that clear

[49:51] to everybody about why this is all of the sudden so urgent. We plan to be here

[49:55] in September. It's November. everything takes longer than you think, right?

[49:59] That's not that's not your fault, but here we are. And so, I just wanted to

[50:03] put that out there. Um, and just kind of reinforce to you guys that, uh, this is

[50:09] kind of an urgent matter for us. We'd like you to I'd like to humbly ask you

[50:13] to approve this agreement or short of approving it, um, if you can't find it

[50:18] in yourselves to do that, can you do whatever you can to keep us on track? Uh

[50:22] that would include selecting a precise date for a public workshop that is soon.

[50:28] Uh allowing for the resoning of the butterfly lots to proceed and also um

[50:34] allowing staff to start reviewing our plans uh while all of that goes on. That

[50:39] would keep us on track. Thank you very much.

[50:41] » Thank you, Mr. Seavoy. Any other input tonight on older new business?

[50:47] » Good evening. >> David Ellison, 2500 Daniels Road. uh

[50:51] here to speak on behalf of item number 16. Uh we welcome any opportunity to

[50:57] answer any questions or explain the benefits of this project and how they

[51:00] exceed what we can do by right. Uh this is our ninth uh uh meeting public

[51:05] meeting for opportunity to answer those questions. We welcome any opportunity to

[51:08] do so. Uh while we request that you please uh approve the development

[51:13] agreement, we understand there is a commission define option uh on the table

[51:17] tonight and we would request uh two revisions to that in order to give this

[51:23] project an opportunity for success. Uh the first one is the elimination of the

[51:29] condition that this is tabled until all related staff and mayor authorizations

[51:34] indefinitely until the satisfaction employment conditions that is subsection

[51:39] A3 of the CDO. Uh the reason why we're asking for that is two reasons. Uh one

[51:47] is uh Mr. Seavoy referenced uh we need to get concept review and plans review

[51:51] going now to give this project a chance of success.

[51:55] The second issue is that there are several title defects that have been

[51:59] identified in the development agreement and we want to get those resolved before

[52:03] any development agreement is signed. If that those title defects do not get

[52:07] satisfied that any closing will be delayed indefinitely and that will delay

[52:11] this project. By omitting that section that gives uh this project an

[52:18] opportunity for success by allowing plans review, concept review, but also

[52:23] allows us to try to get these title issues cured. Uh so we request that you

[52:27] eliminate that and authorize uh staff and andor the mayor whoever to at least

[52:33] allow us to proceed through that and specifically allow us to cure all title

[52:37] titled effects identified in the development agreement. Uh the second

[52:41] issue is the elimination of the uh condition that the mayor and commission

[52:46] have approved the resoning of the ACC conveyed property in the manner

[52:51] necessary to allow for the implementation of the development

[52:53] agreement. That is subsection A lowercase B. And the reason why we're

[53:00] asking for you to eliminate that is that um your hands are tied under your local

[53:06] code and state law as to zoning procedures. uh y'all have complete

[53:10] discretion as to if you're going to approve the development agreement and

[53:14] when you're going to approve the development agreement. However, under

[53:17] the zoning procedures law, you have certain timelines in which there any

[53:21] kind of zoning action can occur. Under your ordinances, every sort of zoning

[53:26] action has to go before the planning commission. And so if you condition a

[53:32] table on requiring the reszone of the ACC convey property, it has to go

[53:37] through the planning commission first and you could have the planning

[53:40] commission tie up this project definitely and kill it and take it out

[53:43] of your hands. And so we ask that you please eliminate that subsection B

[53:49] because no matter what, if this project's going to be approved, this

[53:53] property has to be reszoned. But if you approve that, it takes it out of your

[53:57] hands and we ask that you please revise it.

[53:59] » Thank you, Mr. Alison. >> Anyone else here speak to any item of

[54:03] old or new business before we continue with commission deliberation?

[54:07] » All right, seeing none, we'll go ahead and move on to old business number 16.

[54:11] Somebody like to lay a motion on the floor.

[54:14] » I'll make a motion that we'll approve the um CDO um development agreement for

[54:20] the redevelopment of public and private properties around 295 East Dory Street.

[54:24] um along myself, Commissioner Johnson, Meyers, Taylor, and Thornton.

[54:30] » A motion for the CDO as written. Is there a second?

[54:36] » Right. Second from Commissioner Johnson. Commissioner Fischer, any remarks?

[54:40] » Yes. Um you know, we've been going back and

[54:44] forth um with this development project. And let me say a couple things so the

[54:48] public will know. Um Tom Lelay is not going to be torn down. Um that's not

[54:54] that's not nowhere. Um Mr. Edwards made that I'm coming and that it's not going

[54:58] to be torn down at all. Um where I'm going with this and and the developer

[55:04] made a point, you know, it took them a year to come up um with this um

[55:10] particular agreement. Um, we finally got it um several months ago and um and I

[55:17] think and I said this in our general city that um for us as um elected

[55:22] officials, we owe it to our public first of all for them to understand what we're

[55:27] doing, what impact this is going to make on the Tom Lace Center and and and the

[55:33] benefits that we're going to um get from this particular development. Keep in

[55:37] mind now the developer by right can build student housing. So my question is

[55:43] if you can build student housing why do you need you know actually why would you

[55:48] need delay if you want to build student housing build it.

[55:52] My thing is when we talking about requiring um public property to um to

[55:57] get into the student housing building business um I don't think that's a role

[56:01] that we should play as a government. However, um I'm willing and I I said

[56:07] this in the um CDO for the um developer and our staff to come before the public

[56:14] with a work session and get all these things lay them out on the table and and

[56:18] and it bothers me that people got a problem that we want the public can know

[56:22] exactly what we're getting and what we're not getting. And that's all I'm

[56:26] asking for as elected official for the people who voted to put me here. Say,

[56:30] "Hey, this is what's going on in this community. this is what development is

[56:34] going to provide. This is what is going to happen and what impact it's going to

[56:38] have on Tom Lake. There's going to be some impact. Um when we look when I read

[56:42] that um agreement, you know, there was some negative things that we talked

[56:46] about what was going to impact, but one thing that was left off there was

[56:50] programming. We talked about parking, talked about drop off, but we didn't

[56:54] talk about programming. So how is that Tom layer going to affect programming

[56:59] for those young people and the elderly who go there? What's going to be the

[57:03] impact on that? Is it going to decrease um demand there um for the people in

[57:08] that community or even for the community for that matter? So again for me um and

[57:13] I'm one commissioner but for me I think we put all the cards on the table. Let's

[57:18] hear all the information and the mayor assist the um work session. he can do it

[57:22] as fast as he want to do it. But um you know the timetable um is not on us.

[57:29] Our thing is to this public and to this community what we should be providing

[57:34] and how what we should be delivering. So that's sort of my spill on this and why

[57:38] I did the co to table it to get public input get all the commissioners on

[57:43] questions answered then we can move forward.

[57:46] » Commissioner Johnson followup. I have I do have followup tonight. I

[57:52] however I would allow I want to allow someone else to speak until I um am

[57:56] ready to do so. Please >> Commissioner Co Pepper.

[58:02] » So the CDO as it's written um does it allow y'all allow staff to move forward

[58:10] with everything? um you know with the title work for uh plans review um and

[58:18] all that I think time I want the public to have a chance to be heard but I also

[58:24] don't want to delay this project >> as I understand how the CDO is prepared

[58:30] at this pointing

[58:34] because incorporated in the CDO is the the discussion of the resolution in

[58:38] order to allow the the reasoning to proceed seed, which would effectively

[58:43] have um a piece of the resoning coming back if everything stays on schedule in

[58:47] January and another piece of it coming back in February or March um with it. Um

[58:53] and that was consistent with the original timeline or what was in

[58:56] envisioned in that in that piece of it. So the work session that's referenced

[59:00] would fit in between today and then. Um and um as far as as far as I know and as

[59:06] far as what I'm anticipating is during that time plan review can can occur and

[59:11] take place. It it occurs at risk that obviously they're spending the money on

[59:16] preparing those plans and those plans proceed forward and the project is not

[59:20] approved which of course then the plans don't have any meaning at that point. As

[59:24] far as the title piece, I'm probably going to look to the attorney because I

[59:28] don't know I don't know what the defects in the title that are attempting to be

[59:31] cleaned and how those may or may not be inhibited by by the action.

[59:35] » Attorney Drake, any perspective on the title piece?

[59:38] » Well, the defects the title relate to the fact that there's currently a

[59:41] covenant on the property uh with the with the federal agency saying

[59:47] that we're about to get their approval to remove that so

[59:51] uh so this project can go forward. And uh

[59:56] I mean I I respectfully wish that attorney for

[1:00:00] developer had contacted me before tonight to share all this because I

[1:00:03] don't I'm not sure how exactly that plays out, you know, because I mean I

[1:00:06] think the development agreement has to be approved. I mean for y'all to be able

[1:00:09] to release that, you know, I wouldn't do that. I wouldn't allow the mayor I don't

[1:00:12] think mayor has authority to do that. I think it has to come to y'all, you know,

[1:00:15] and this development agreement gives that authority, you know, to do that.

[1:00:18] And so uh >> and you'd earlier you were indicated

[1:00:21] that at at least in concept federal agency had said that that would proceed.

[1:00:26] » Yeah. But I I read those emails to say they wanted something they wanted the

[1:00:30] development agreement approved before they would release it, you know, but so

[1:00:34] I I'm not sure what the attorney for developer is

[1:00:39] asking for is going to move this forward any quicker to be honest with you. But

[1:00:44] Mr. Co Pepper, anything else? Um, is it possible to put dates around uh,

[1:00:52] you know, for us to put a date for a work session for us to be able to vote

[1:00:55] on January 6? >> If if this motion passed, I would

[1:00:58] schedule the work session for a week from tonight.

[1:01:03] » Say again, mayor. How do you >> If this motion passed, I would schedule

[1:01:05] the work session for a week from tonight.

[1:01:10] » And it would actually be >> so

[1:01:12] » Tuesday, >> Wednesday. It would be Wednesday because

[1:01:15] of the holiday. >> Wednesday. I apologize. Yeah, Veterans

[1:01:18] Day holiday is Tuesday. So, >> week from tomorrow

[1:01:21] » because initially we thought that the vote we would do a work session in

[1:01:24] December with the work session. Um, but again, you said that you set the work

[1:01:28] session. So, that's that's your prerogative from that perspective. So,

[1:01:35] » Commissioner Myers. >> Yeah. Following up on this, um, I've

[1:01:38] been out of town and my name's on this and and I can also hear I have a cold

[1:01:42] here. Uh, but I do want to ask a question about that B on that. I guess

[1:01:48] it's a, you know, the one about the the appro the version I saw which I don't

[1:01:53] know if it had it in here yet about approving the resoning of the ACC

[1:01:57] conveyed the reasoning and not moving forward to that. I was wondering if the

[1:02:01] manager could speak to what the norm I mean I think for many of

[1:02:08] us it's you know the the you know we usually have those done first earlier.

[1:02:13] So what is how does this fit into a development cycle where this would come

[1:02:18] afterwards? >> Yeah. So the way this is envisioned in

[1:02:23] conversation with um Mr. Fiser is that there are two pieces of property that

[1:02:29] need to to be reszoned for this to occur. The first are the ACC gov owned

[1:02:34] properties parking lots. Those need to go from um currently G to CD. And then

[1:02:40] there is property that is currently zoned and owned privately CD that needs

[1:02:44] to be turned to G. That would be the future parking deck. So the way this is

[1:02:47] structured currently is there would be consideration of the reszoning by the

[1:02:51] planning commission of the two ACC gov owned properties and that would come

[1:02:55] back to you all for decision. If that resoning were approved then you would

[1:03:00] move to step two which is consideration of the development agreement. The reason

[1:03:04] for that is because the other reszoning since it's on private property really is

[1:03:09] is meaningless if the development agreement doesn't get approved because

[1:03:12] you would not reszone the property to G government on privately owned property.

[1:03:16] So right now that's how this ultimately gets structured. the big picture kind of

[1:03:23] » one of the things that development agreement, one of the things that

[1:03:25] complicates this a little bit is part of the reason I think for the um the

[1:03:29] sequencing of it is the development agreement in this case is actually

[1:03:33] spelling out what it would require for you all to be comfortable in

[1:03:37] transferring the ownership of the of the two parking lots. And so you're spelling

[1:03:41] out a lot of items relative to what the design would look like, what the

[1:03:45] requirements of the the development itself and so on because what's going to

[1:03:50] be requested in the resonings are straight resonings. These are not

[1:03:53] planned developments. And so um that that does create a little bit of an

[1:03:59] issue because there's resonings being considered that are independent of the

[1:04:03] development agreement. The planning commission clearly can see what the

[1:04:07] intent is associated with it. Um, but it will be a straight resoning from Gzoned

[1:04:12] property to CD just as the rest of their property is. So, I think that was

[1:04:15] playing into some of the sequencing is to get some of these details worked out

[1:04:19] to where you all were comfortable in making that transfer. That's why they

[1:04:23] were arranged that the way the way that they were.

[1:04:25] » And I would add we actually the manager communicated with Commissioner Fiser to

[1:04:30] allow that resolution so we could begin the process to try to to keep it moving

[1:04:34] forward. uh trying to balance the interests of those

[1:04:40] who support the project and those we know who don't, you know. So, and

[1:04:44] Commissioner Fischer agreed to that. >> Yeah. Correct.

[1:04:46] » Yeah. And that and that's though you can't see that in B that is

[1:04:50] actually embedded in that in item B is kind of that sequencing. So that the

[1:04:55] resolution the benefit of the resolution and moving forward with the ACC gov

[1:05:00] initiate reasonzoning is it shortens that time frame back to what was

[1:05:03] envisioned. And again, that's why I say it would come back to you all in January

[1:05:07] and then February or March for that next piece of that and trying to fit that

[1:05:11] work session in between those with it. >> So, so, so to clarify that for me. So,

[1:05:17] if the if we went to home ahead with this as B is laid out here, would we be

[1:05:25] voting on the resoning and the development agreement at the same time?

[1:05:30] You would >> and on Janu But it would have to

[1:05:34] by January, could it? I mean, doesn't it have to go the

[1:05:36] » the resoning the resoning of the two parking lots? So, of the butterfly lots,

[1:05:41] if you will, will go through the planning commission cycle under this

[1:05:44] scenario and will be in front of you all in January. So, yes, that that piece the

[1:05:49] the benefit of initiating the resoning is it accelerates the process because

[1:05:54] the staff's been actually reviewing aspects of this project for quite some

[1:05:57] time. So, yes, that piece would come back as soon as January. Right now

[1:06:01] you're saying that if we approve this, we would be coming back with the work

[1:06:06] session and the approval in January. >> Work session would happen before it

[1:06:11] » works session and it would get to the planning

[1:06:15] commission and go through them and then come to us in January.

[1:06:18] » Assuming Yeah. Assuming the planning commission forwards a recommendation,

[1:06:21] you would then consider >> So it must be on their agenda right now.

[1:06:24] it. >> No,

[1:06:25] » no, it's not yet because it it really can't be until

[1:06:29] » Okay. Okay. Got it. I got it. >> When y'all initiate a reasoning, it

[1:06:33] allows for a quicker time period. >> Commissioner Lincoln and Thor. Um,

[1:06:40] » so I I would ask that we consider the developers attorney's request to

[1:06:46] eliminate that A3 condition, the the all related staff and mayor authorizations

[1:06:53] indefinitely until the satisfaction of the following conditions. To me, that

[1:06:56] sounds like, you know, to pass this CDO would prohibit this even moving on for

[1:07:02] reasonzoning consideration. I mean, I'm I'm unclear about the title

[1:07:08] specifics. I don't know a whole lot about that, but that is such a broad

[1:07:11] statement that that seems to just freeze this right where it is.

[1:07:17] » Yeah, I think if I would could offer up one piece to that to kind of clarify

[1:07:21] because again I want to make sure everybody kind of understands what's

[1:07:24] what the expectations of how we would interpret this piece. I think under that

[1:07:27] section since we're specifically referring to authorizations,

[1:07:31] those would be effectively legal actions. So there's this would preclude

[1:07:36] understandably the mayor or staff actually doing any kind of final

[1:07:41] signatures if you will any kind of final legal approvals of documents until these

[1:07:45] steps have taken place. There are many many steps in between that that don't

[1:07:49] carry that same weight of authorization that we would be doing. That's why I

[1:07:52] don't feel limited in what we can have staff reviewing in terms of the plan

[1:07:57] review because there isn't any authorization attached to that prior to

[1:08:02] any any vote by the commission stuff. So I think to your point, yes, it is

[1:08:06] limiting, but I think what it is limiting is fairly narrow. And so, you

[1:08:10] know, manager Cowell, you know, it's something like the difference between

[1:08:13] saying, "Hey, here's your final stamped copy of where your inflow and outflow of

[1:08:18] storm water management would be versus, hey, we're going to look at the plans to

[1:08:22] figure out just functionally what makes sense in terms of water flow."

[1:08:25] » Correct. Now, the the catch to that again could be this discussion of the

[1:08:27] the title issues because I don't know what you know what authorizations would

[1:08:31] be necessary for that, but that's really tied to the development agreement

[1:08:35] anyway. So, >> anything further, Commissioner Link?

[1:08:41] I just I I'm Yeah, I was just kind of put it back by that broad statement and

[1:08:45] wondering if that could end up kind of being a poison pill.

[1:08:49] » Well, he Well, he he that is what what manager Cowell said was is what was

[1:08:52] intended by that. If you looked at the original agenda item, it it each one of

[1:08:56] the items, you know, like approve the development agreement says and allow the

[1:09:00] mayor the staff mayor and staff the authorization to take any other actions

[1:09:04] related there too. And it talks about the IGA with the ADA, it says the same

[1:09:08] thing. So rather than repeat that long thing, I was trying to just encapsulate

[1:09:12] what the mayor just said by making applicable all you know.

[1:09:16] » And so the AB statement that refers to the conveyed property

[1:09:22] um you don't see that as upholding this moving through the resoning process at

[1:09:26] all. >> AB is uh

[1:09:29] » the the >> the mayor approved resoning. I mean we

[1:09:33] we looked at that is speeding the process up. Uh

[1:09:36] » no no the a lowercase B the approve approve the reasoning of the conveyed

[1:09:41] property in the manner necessary to >> that was put in there trying to

[1:09:47] like I just said previously to allow it to kind of stay on the same track. So

[1:09:51] even if the devel approved and y'all approve the agenda

[1:09:56] item with the action items as they are all the reasonzonings have to come back

[1:10:00] here. If you don't approve those, the deal's dead anyway,

[1:10:02] » right? >> Yeah. I I think that's a good

[1:10:04] observation that, you know, a final action is not until vote by the mayor

[1:10:08] and commission around a zoning question, but initiation, hearing, discussion,

[1:10:14] evaluation, review by staff, all of that is preliminary to that final act. So, um

[1:10:20] got uh anything else, Commissioner Link, before I turn to Commissioner Thornton?

[1:10:24] » Um no, not right now. Commissioner Thornton,

[1:10:27] » I just want to be um clear and I kind of was whispering the mic to make sure I

[1:10:32] understood. Um attorney Drake, so the

[1:10:39] suggestions that came before us, some possibilities from the developers. This

[1:10:45] was probably the first time you heard some of this tonight.

[1:10:50] » That was the It was the first time I heard it. I mean,

[1:10:53] » so >> and we did share the CDO as soon as it

[1:10:56] went public yesterday afternoon. I sent it to the attorney, Mr. Ellison, but I

[1:11:00] agree with the manager. I'm not sure I don't I'm not sure I I agree the

[1:11:07] necessity of the changes at all, you know, but

[1:11:10] » so >> without hearing more perception from

[1:11:12] him, I can't just sit here and try to figure out all the details of what

[1:11:16] they're trying to accomplish, you know. That's why you Anyway,

[1:11:20] » so I guess my next question is and I think uh the mayor alluded well he

[1:11:27] didn't allude. He made a statement about when the um work session should be. So

[1:11:34] it can't be no later. It cannot be in December and still meet these

[1:11:38] benchmarks. Yeah, I think you have you currently have two two work sessions we

[1:11:43] anticipate having. Next Wednesday is the soonest and then December 9th

[1:11:49] » n correct right now we anticipate just

[1:11:55] just so you kind of know in terms of workload on for you all on those. So at

[1:11:59] your work session next week we anticipate two items. Um, one of those

[1:12:04] being the presentation and discussion of the capital delivery system followup and

[1:12:10] the other is the discussion relative to the collective bargaining agreement with

[1:12:14] fire and compensation. So that's November right now. December we have

[1:12:18] only one item currently scheduled and that's the the joint hopefully will be

[1:12:21] the joint meeting with Winterville and Bogart for the TOSS 26 discussion. So,

[1:12:27] but both of those are currently regularly scheduled work sessions before

[1:12:31] an item would come back to you all tied to the to the reszoning.

[1:12:35] » So, again, if we meet next

[1:12:41] » Wednesday, >> Wednesday,

[1:12:43] » Wednesday is Tuesday. >> Yeah. So, again, if we had that meeting

[1:12:49] in December, that is too late for for what

[1:12:54] what we're for trying to No, either one of those would be

[1:12:58] available and still meet the timeline that we've talked about, meaning you

[1:13:02] would have the work session before you were asked to actually consider any

[1:13:06] items. So, either one of those dates would accomplish that

[1:13:08] » in December December December 9th or the November the December the 9th. Okay. I

[1:13:14] you know I I I I think that next week, you know, it's just fast. If we're going

[1:13:19] to have a work session, give us the time. So, if December the 9th would give

[1:13:23] offer us the same opportunity, I especially with um Attorney Drake

[1:13:29] hearing some new information, I would I would support the work session for the

[1:13:34] December the 9th. >> I mean, I know that's but that's where I

[1:13:39] stand. >> Commissioner Johnson, were you prepared?

[1:13:50] » I do. I support this CDO and I actually worked with Dexter on the language. It

[1:13:56] was really important to me to draft this language because there is

[1:14:02] a process or standard that we should expect. I know that there are certain

[1:14:07] processes or or process orders that aren't required or our or our um say so.

[1:14:16] But at the same time, we also have the right to say we don't want, you know, we

[1:14:20] don't want to review something that we receive so quickly. And I do appreciate

[1:14:25] the 12 13 14 months of work you put into it and the conversations that you've had

[1:14:29] with the commissioner with one commissioner. However, um Bob, I will

[1:14:33] disagree with you that this none of this makes us feel none of the communication

[1:14:37] that your office has provided and I know you y'all are just trying your best has

[1:14:42] made me feel more comfortable at all. I it's made me actually read this document

[1:14:47] 550 pages three times. That's why I just didn't know how to start because there's

[1:14:53] so much in my head. I would like to know though if the maybe I the mayor, can you

[1:14:59] answer this question? When the applicant submitted the propos the submission to

[1:15:05] the planning department, was there a subsequent meeting, a follow-up meeting

[1:15:09] to talk about expanding the vision of what they originally submitted?

[1:15:16] Can you restate that question, Commissioner?

[1:15:17] » Yes. When the core group originally submitted their plans agreement, was

[1:15:25] there a subsequent meeting with you and staff or maybe you not you and or other

[1:15:30] staff members about expanding their project concept?

[1:15:37] » Was there a meeting about expanding >> their project concept? Um, no. I I'll

[1:15:42] say that uh as I noted in the prior meeting when we had agenda setting a

[1:15:46] couple of weeks ago uh really this project is largely a byite activity and

[1:15:51] really this is just talking about swapping two triangles for a rectangle

[1:15:55] um so that we can both produce a public parking deck that's been sought by the

[1:15:59] downtown development authority since 2019. Uh as well as have a better layout

[1:16:04] that does the things that are outlined in the agenda report such as preserve

[1:16:09] the foundry building. Um, so it's it's really as simple as that. Um,

[1:16:14] » how did the conversation come about to have to consider the swap if there

[1:16:19] wasn't a subsequent meeting after after the submission?

[1:16:25] » The the anticipation from the very outset of the downtown development

[1:16:29] authorities's interaction with the Athens clar county commission in 2020

[1:16:33] was that there would be public parking on both triangles.

[1:16:39] Given that that proved fiscally infeasible, then we immediately

[1:16:44] went to the prospect of some property collaboration with the neighbor. Uh the

[1:16:50] prior owner of the property wasn't able to collaborate given the ownership

[1:16:56] structure that they had. They had this property packaged with a couple of dozen

[1:17:00] other properties and they weren't able to peel it out of that ownership. But

[1:17:03] when the property sold immediately they approached the now development authority

[1:17:08] and said hey we understand that you've been seeking this public parking deck we

[1:17:13] would be happy to engage in in this property exchange.

[1:17:16] » So you're saying that core development group knew about this

[1:17:22] adjacent owner and then on the record you're saying

[1:17:27] that they approached ADDA and said if they can't we can. Is that what you're

[1:17:31] saying? >> Yes. Uh those downtown development

[1:17:33] authority meetings were public and uh we already had the development agreement

[1:17:37] with uh between the downtown development authority and the Athens clar county

[1:17:41] unified government. >> I want to share a conversation I had

[1:17:46] this morning with a developer who stated that he presented a he presented plans

[1:17:53] for a project. today his group and when they presented plans they were invited

[1:17:57] into the office into a an Athens clar county office I want us to think about

[1:18:03] the the overarching picture here there's nothing for free

[1:18:09] 7.9 millions million dollars is generous this development agreement it benefits

[1:18:16] both sides but at the end of the day there's nothing for free Dexter Fischer

[1:18:21] Commissioner Fischer asked last week is there any debt that the response was no.

[1:18:25] That is completely untrue. The debt is up to 8.1 million if the partner decides

[1:18:33] not to continue. There's a lot of skepticism when it's when it's

[1:18:37] convenient. Someone mentioned earlier about

[1:18:41] something negative and then the mall project but the negativity came from the

[1:18:46] debt and someone said something about not incurring debt but we didn't have a

[1:18:51] problem incurring debt with classic center and there are still conversations

[1:18:55] about incurring debt about the classic center. No, this free money is not good

[1:19:01] money. One, the end of the the the conversation the

[1:19:05] gentleman group, the development group shared with me this morning is that when

[1:19:09] they submitted their document, they were invited in and then they were courted or

[1:19:14] there there was a conversation about enhancing the vision of their project

[1:19:19] that they submitted. That was a year ago. That slowed this that slowed it

[1:19:24] down. That slows projects down. But no one should speak on their behalf. they

[1:19:30] have a a liaison. One thing they also said was that their

[1:19:36] local because they're from out of town, their local representative from the

[1:19:40] design firm that they hired promised them a unanimous vote from the planning

[1:19:46] commission that he promised he said it'll pass. These are challenges that I

[1:19:52] have. There is there is a reason why this is presented to us with four days

[1:19:58] notice and then 19 days review after it's been worked on. I started

[1:20:03] this with skepticism and I really try not to do that but I don't see any

[1:20:09] benefit or reason why someone would be so philanthropic to just give the this

[1:20:15] additional money. But last I'm going end with this. We have people come through

[1:20:19] the podium every single Tuesday to speak. And especially for the people who

[1:20:24] aren't talking or who never talk, they are asking us to care about them. We we

[1:20:30] want them to care about us when we're running for an office, but they are

[1:20:33] asking us to care about them. And when it comes to housing, affordable housing,

[1:20:37] we don't have anything appreciable to show for it. And she is right. That one

[1:20:40] person that spoke about it, we had 57 million 57.1 million in COVID relief

[1:20:46] funding. And we still have a housing pro. Affordable housing. Yes. One

[1:20:51] gentleman talked about we still need 8,000 homes. We We need affordable

[1:20:56] homes, too. >> Commissioner, do you need additional

[1:20:58] time? >> I I do. Thank you.

[1:21:01] » Commissioner Johnson, I have additional time.

[1:21:03] » Just a few more seconds. Not only do we need houses,

[1:21:09] we need affordable houses. We do not have a plan. You're right. We don't have

[1:21:13] a plan. We don't have a meeting. We don't have a discussion. We have a

[1:21:16] department, but at the end of the day, the priority is to do to produce single

[1:21:23] family homes for the low and moderate income individuals. We don't have

[1:21:27] appreciable numbers to brag about, but we do. We are the I have a I don't have

[1:21:32] a problem with a business person being a business owner. You buy land and you

[1:21:36] want to build, I don't have a problem with that. I don't have a problem if

[1:21:39] it's student housing. But what I have a problem with is the county engaging with

[1:21:44] something to add to it to swap but not give us any time. Anyone that's asked

[1:21:50] for a meeting about affordable housing, they push us down. They kick that can

[1:21:55] that kick that can that tells me it's not a priority. It's a priority to

[1:22:00] developers from out of town. The developers from out of town get treated

[1:22:05] from treated better than the developers in town.

[1:22:10] I would like it to be stated very clearly. Be aware. Just pay attention to

[1:22:16] the people who are not talking about poor, who are not talking about

[1:22:19] affordable, who are not talking about equity, who don't engage in those

[1:22:23] conversations, who don't ask questions and and keep helping me ask and and this

[1:22:30] the woman that spoke about it, she's been on channel 2, 5, and 11, but can't

[1:22:34] get up here and get some change here in in Athens, clar county.

[1:22:39] So, yes, we need housing, but there are poor people that live in Athens, too.

[1:22:43] Thank you. >> Thank you. And uh I'm gonna

[1:22:49] I appreciate everybody being here, but we need to proceed with the the business

[1:22:52] of the unified government. Um before I turn to Commissioner Hamby uh to be

[1:22:57] recognized, I do want to note uh for the record just that the uh the the number

[1:23:02] that would be contributed to the affordable housing fund isn't an ad hoc

[1:23:06] number or a matter of negotiation. Uh it's a number that's baked into an

[1:23:10] ordinance that this commission uh approved for inclusionary zoning uh in

[1:23:15] which for a density bonus uh dollars can be contributed to that affordable

[1:23:19] housing fund. So it's it's it's formulaic and it's laid out in code. So,

[1:23:23] just want to make that clear for everybody. Uh, Commissioner Hamby.

[1:23:26] » Sure. Mayor, I'm going to make a substitute motion that we approve the

[1:23:29] agenda item A B C D E F. How many there were letters are in the alphabet?

[1:23:35] » I've got a substitute motion from Commissioner Hamby and a second from

[1:23:39] Commissioner Link >> and two.

[1:23:42] » Option two. Thank you. >> Commissioner Hamby remarks.

[1:23:45] » Well, my remarks are this, y'all. Um, I know this is a lot of angst and um and

[1:23:51] um I um I see this as a as a not only a housing project. Sorry, sorry, Allison,

[1:24:00] I'm not speaking loud enough. Um I see this not only as a housing project, but

[1:24:05] it's also an economic development project. And Mayor and and Commissioner

[1:24:09] Ryan, I think y'all were both on board when Caterpillar came to town. Uh

[1:24:14] Caterpillar came to town. Um, and this government, the state gave us uh gave a

[1:24:21] $45 million incentive to Caterpillar. Uh, the local government gave um between

[1:24:26] us and Okone County, uh, $30 million. We built a sidewalk for them. We built a

[1:24:31] road for them. We put sewer lines out there for them. Uh, we did all sorts of

[1:24:35] things. With this project, the exact opposite is happening. They're they're

[1:24:40] they're providing for our affordable housing fund. They're providing for the

[1:24:47] next 15 years to the TAD for inner east Athens. It'll generate uh roughly a

[1:24:53] million dollars uh each year and it'll grow over those 15 years because we know

[1:24:59] property taxes grow over year after year. Um so, you know, I I'm just trying

[1:25:06] to I'm just trying to understand there's been there's been um 13 meetings so far

[1:25:12] on this project. uh we don't have that many meetings when we talk about our

[1:25:16] budget. So, there's been 13 meetings on this project. Uh there's going to be

[1:25:21] there's going to be four more opportunities to talk about two

[1:25:24] different zoning items uh as they come up. So, you know, the information's

[1:25:30] there. Uh I I see the benefits. I hope y'all do, too. And I hope you know if

[1:25:36] the motion to hold it u passes I hope you know at the end of the day you know

[1:25:43] that you know you have an open mind about approving this because I think it

[1:25:47] I think at the end of the day it is going to be good for the community. Uh

[1:25:51] and and so that's all I've got to say right now.

[1:25:56] » Turn to Commissioner Lincoln seconder and then Commissioners Taylor and

[1:25:59] Thornton. Um, yeah. I mean, I'm I'm pretty appalled at the amount of

[1:26:04] misinformation and conspiracy theory and outright lies that are circulating out

[1:26:09] there in about this project. I mean, they're they're

[1:26:13] » the the agreement's been out there for a few months now. Anybody can read it.

[1:26:18] Anybody with a law degree can read it and come forward and tell us what in

[1:26:22] there is not legal or whatever. Lay park is not going anywhere. Um, this project

[1:26:31] brings $8 million towards our h affordable housing fund, which is the

[1:26:35] number one strategy of our affordable housing strategic plan, which we did

[1:26:41] have a work session update on in August. So, I mean, that wasn't all that long

[1:26:46] ago. We did get a rundown of all the affordable housing projects that have

[1:26:50] hit the ground recently that we've contributed to that are in the works and

[1:26:55] and the strategy for implementing funds to invest in more. Take a drive down

[1:27:01] Dublin Street. We'll see where some of our ARPA money went towards single

[1:27:05] family homes for families. Um, I was walking down the Firefly Trail last week

[1:27:10] and vast acres of woodlands have been scraped for a large single family home

[1:27:17] development, Micah's Creek, through the Habitat for Humanity. And we've

[1:27:21] contributed quite a bit to that as well. And I'm hoping that these portions of

[1:27:26] these $8 million can contribute more. Um, we have hundreds of bedrooms right

[1:27:31] around the corner at NOTA um that have been moved into just in the past few

[1:27:36] months. And there are hundreds of more that are waiting to break ground. And

[1:27:40] they can't break ground unless that sewer line is updated. And this project

[1:27:44] will get that sewer line updated so those homes can be built quicker. Um,

[1:27:50] you know, I'm I'm all about getting all this information out there in public in

[1:27:56] a work session. I, in fact, I had asked for one early on months ago. Um, but the

[1:28:02] sooner this project gets off the ground, the sooner those public benefits can be

[1:28:07] paid out and reach the people that desperately need them.

[1:28:12] » Commissioner Taylor. >> Um, yes. I first want to apologize. I

[1:28:16] was stuck on 316, y'all. It's a lot of traffic. Yeah. So, breathing. Um,

[1:28:22] secondly, I support um Fiser CDO. Um, because I was on the telephone um on my

[1:28:29] way down here. I had to hang up before I got on county lines to obey the law. But

[1:28:34] a lot of things that have been said was that if we build this, students are

[1:28:39] going to leave inner east Athens or other residential neighborhoods and

[1:28:43] they're going to move and live in this. Well, that's a lie. That's a lie. Those

[1:28:47] children are not going to leave the privacy and the freedom of living in

[1:28:52] single family neighborhoods to come and live on top of somebody. And I'm sure

[1:28:56] that that was the selling point for the mark, for the ramble, for the whatever

[1:29:00] else and the whatever else and the whatever else. Because every time a new

[1:29:04] developer from outside of Athens, Clark County come in and and show us big

[1:29:08] pretty pictures, we fall on the sword for it. We we make the phone calls, we

[1:29:13] get the votes, we have the private meetings, and we push it. And at the end

[1:29:17] of the day, even if the money does go go into inclusionary um zoning, we are so

[1:29:24] overwhelmed with students living in our community that it ain't even going to be

[1:29:28] anywhere for us to build affordable housing because private developers are

[1:29:32] buying up those parcels five at a time every day. Investment companies coming

[1:29:37] in and buying it up. So that money will be there. It will be there. And then you

[1:29:42] know what we'll do? we'll find something else to do with the money because for

[1:29:45] the for in the beginning it was for affordable housing but now there isn't

[1:29:50] any room for affordable housing and then we put people our people who put us in

[1:29:55] these seats in apartments and another thing this this development coming in is

[1:30:00] nothing but studentification park is going to be overran with

[1:30:05] students and there isn't going to be any places for the children in Bethlea homes

[1:30:09] the the residents in Bethlea homes right Now we have so many residents that's

[1:30:14] falling in between the cracks who have lived in squalor who have lived with

[1:30:19] rats who's lived in mole who's lived who's had to find alternate places to

[1:30:25] get downstairs because the stairs literally fell and people who lived

[1:30:30] upstairs had to get alternative. But we don't talk about that. We don't talk

[1:30:33] about people having to step over somebody else's sewer when they walk out

[1:30:37] their door in downtown. But we can pat ourselves on the back for a development

[1:30:41] that does not have a playground for the children, that don't have grass, and

[1:30:46] then to to add insult to injury, the little um place where people are

[1:30:51] supposed to congregate, it's locked. So the residents, the black residents who

[1:30:56] lived who live over there, who who's lived through the squala, who's lived

[1:31:00] through the conditions, they don't get any of the things that we're patting our

[1:31:04] backs back, patting ourselves on the back to say, "Oh, well, we did this for

[1:31:08] the poor blacks." No, we ought to be ashamed of ourselves, honestly, because

[1:31:12] we let everybody else come in here and tell us what it's going to be, and then

[1:31:15] can I have some more minutes because I ain't been here.

[1:31:18] » Everybody okay with Commissioner Taylor some additional time? So we let

[1:31:21] everybody come into Athens, Clark County, and tell us how to live. Tell us

[1:31:25] what they're going to do for us as a government. It is our responsibility

[1:31:29] with the money taxpayers pay with the splice, the T- splice, the E splice, the

[1:31:33] W splice, the whatever splice to to upgrade the sewer and to finish NOA

[1:31:38] because that was a a project between Athens, Clark County, and whoever else,

[1:31:43] Columbia residential. I know what I'm talking about. I'm just I'm tired,

[1:31:46] y'all. But give me a minute. So, um, to say that students are going to move out

[1:31:52] of East Athens, to say that students are going to move out of East Hancock, to

[1:31:56] say that students are going to move from Fourth Street, First Street, Third

[1:32:00] Street to go and live on top of somebody else is a lie. That is not going to

[1:32:05] happen. What is going to happen is we're going to have another big old building

[1:32:09] just like this building beside the multimmobile that is only student

[1:32:13] inclusive with a nice big old rooftops and and we can't even feed people. We

[1:32:18] don't even have plan for four um warming stations when it get cold outside for

[1:32:22] the unhoused. We are we are pro we we are putting the cart before whatever. We

[1:32:31] are not taking into account the people who live in Athens, Clark County. I went

[1:32:35] to Kroger today. Ground beef is $16. By the grace of God, I was able to get that

[1:32:41] $16. But I think about the the people that I represent, the people that

[1:32:45] Melissa Link represent who um didn't put her in her team cuz they didn't vote for

[1:32:50] her. But who is she supposed to represent by saying this does not make

[1:32:54] it this does not fit this area in my community. Um,

[1:32:59] our community deserves better. They they deserve better representation. Um, they

[1:33:05] deserve people who's going to fight for them whether it causes you to lose your

[1:33:09] seat or whatever because that's why we was put here. The core group does not

[1:33:13] belong in Athens, Clark County, and nobody like it belongs in Clark County.

[1:33:17] Um, the University of Georgia alumni, they're going to do what alumni do.

[1:33:21] They're going to build, they're going to come in, they're going to live in it,

[1:33:24] they're going to go off, and they're going to rent it out. That's what it is.

[1:33:27] But we don't need big big people coming in like the core group making a economic

[1:33:33] donut. And what an economic donut is the the halves are in the inside and the

[1:33:38] have knots are on the outside. And if we are if we are vigilant and if we are

[1:33:42] paying attention to what's going on in Athens Clark County today, the fact that

[1:33:46] we are building so much out on Highway 29, guess who gonna go Highway 29? The

[1:33:52] blacks, >> the poor whites.

[1:33:55] » Huh? the the senior citizens. >> That's right.

[1:33:58] » Um it it won't BE MOST OF US. IT'LL PROBABLY BE ME BECAUSE I'M STILL AROUND

[1:34:01] THEM, but most of us are not. We'll still be in the center, but we're

[1:34:05] allowing people to come in and push us out willingly because it does not affect

[1:34:11] us at our front door. And that's a shame.

[1:34:14] » I'm done. >> Commissioner Thornton. And then want to

[1:34:17] recognize everybody. I appreciate you being here, but we just need to go ahead

[1:34:21] and continue with deliberation. Got Commissioner Thornton and then

[1:34:24] Commissioner David. The only thing I want to say if if the C um if the CDO

[1:34:29] passes the table, I would like to add to commissioner or our CDO that we have

[1:34:37] that work session December the 9th.

[1:34:42] » I think the mayor has a right. Well, I'm just requesting. I'm requesting.

[1:34:49] » Commissioner David, >> just want everybody to take a deep

[1:34:51] breath. >> Okay. Um I just got um general questions

[1:34:56] to Bob or to the mayor or um any staff. So, currently they can build by right.

[1:35:03] What could be built there? Um and

[1:35:10] yeah, just start with that. >> Yeah. on on the properties that they

[1:35:13] currently own. So, independent of the of the butterfly lots, if you will, they

[1:35:18] are currently zoned CD and they can um place nearly as many you want to say

[1:35:26] nearly nearly as many rooms as what are being talked about. I I don't I think it

[1:35:29] falls slightly short of the number of rooms. Um but essentially that that

[1:35:34] number of rooms can be placed by right um assuming you know it's constructible

[1:35:39] and all those kinds of things um associated with it.

[1:35:42] » And we'll lose a density bonus. Correct. >> No. In order for them to exercise that

[1:35:47] number um they would I think still be taking advantage of the inclusionary

[1:35:51] zoning component um associated with with it.

[1:35:56] » Okay. So, um, just come back to me, please.

[1:36:03] » Right. I've got, uh, Commissioner Wright and then, uh, Fisher.

[1:36:06] » Um, yeah, this is a very passionate um, topic, but the topics are also covering

[1:36:13] things that are outside of the bigger than the agenda item in particular that

[1:36:18] was on item 16. Um I I feel bad that people feel like they're getting the

[1:36:25] information in different phases. Um, if we can nail down how this process can be

[1:36:32] improved, I think that will help us move on because as a member of the arena

[1:36:37] steering committee and we're about to undertake a facility um,

[1:36:45] facilitator for us to have these private public partnerships for a higher better

[1:36:53] use for the unifi unified government's land surface parking parking lots are

[1:36:58] not the best use of the land and this allows us to get parking which is uh a

[1:37:05] challenge and it's going to continue to be a challenge in the arena district

[1:37:10] area and those parcels are going to come before us in a very

[1:37:15] similar way for a public private partnership

[1:37:20] as well as with an authority. So this is one of many things that are going to be

[1:37:26] coming before us and we need to work as a team I think to understand how the

[1:37:33] information and when the information comes forward um so that we're all

[1:37:40] absorbing it together and as well as uh the accurate information. I it's very

[1:37:46] clear that people are um having different interpretations of the

[1:37:52] details. Um I'm I can't I'm going to say it again. Lelay Park is not going

[1:37:57] anywhere. It's a gem of our community. It's one of our properties that is uh

[1:38:02] like some of our other parks, love to death, and we're going to protect that.

[1:38:07] And this project, in my opinion, protects that. Uh the surface parking is

[1:38:12] another topic. But um I think that um we need to learn no matter which of

[1:38:21] these um moves forward the process that we need to do to be partners and and

[1:38:28] embrace partnerships that we need in our community

[1:38:32] um authorities, private, public partnerships. We need to make sure that

[1:38:36] everybody understands how how to move forward with those.

[1:38:40] » And I'll be I'll be um mayor if I may I want to give some specificity to the

[1:38:46] question that Commissioner Davenport asked. So Andrew just kind of pulled

[1:38:49] those numbers. So byite 760 760 rooms on the property they own. If they used the

[1:38:56] inclusionary zoning that goes up to 950. So those would be the by right numbers

[1:39:02] um under the property currently owned privately zone CD in comparison to

[1:39:07] what's proposed when you combine all the lots together.

[1:39:11] » Commissioner Fischer, >> thank you. Thank you, Commissioner

[1:39:14] Wright for that. And again, and that's my only point here. And I don't know why

[1:39:18] um people get in a tizzy because you want

[1:39:22] to sit down and have a work session, put all our cards on the table. And I know I

[1:39:27] I said this earlier and just have a conversation while we, you know, why we

[1:39:32] doing this again and and what's the really and and again I think the $64,000

[1:39:37] question is what really is going to be the impact on Tom Lake? Cuz I did some

[1:39:44] research in the state of Georgia. There's not a

[1:39:48] parking deck nowhere that sits in front of community center in the state of

[1:39:53] Georgia. Nowhere. So just think about that from my colleagues perspective.

[1:39:59] Just think about that. Okay, we're putting a park in that there that serves

[1:40:02] the community and and again um to the developers it's it's a good project. I

[1:40:09] appreciate y'all want to build student housing and by right you can do that.

[1:40:12] But I for me though what what really going to be the impact and again I said

[1:40:17] this our agenda setting um 10 years down the road what is um that's going to look

[1:40:23] like um what's Tom Le going to and we don't even

[1:40:27] had even talked about the lending house. >> I mean how all that's going to be impact

[1:40:32] um by parking and and the parking that even in the study the parking deck is

[1:40:36] going to be so big that you know sunshine is not even going to shine on

[1:40:42] the Tom Lake Center. So again so from that perspective I know my colleagues

[1:40:47] got a motion on the floor Mike you want to go ahead and put that out there.

[1:40:50] » That's fine. I just I just want to make one more point to

[1:40:53] » Commissioner Fisher you finished? Yeah, I'm good.

[1:40:55] » Thank you. Thank you, Commissioner Fischer. I just want to make one more

[1:40:58] point. I mean, you know, it just seems to me and and you know, if we if you got

[1:41:03] us that are supporting it and those that are opposing it, if we already know how

[1:41:07] we're going to vote, let's just go ahead and vote on it and move on.

[1:41:09] » Yeah, >> I agree.

[1:41:11] » Y >> I'm good.

[1:41:12] » Yes or no? And don't don't waste our time. Don't waste staff's time with with

[1:41:15] a work session. >> Commissioner Myers.

[1:41:19] » Well, I tend to agree with that as well. Um

[1:41:23] although I would like some more there are more things that have come up the

[1:41:27] more we've dealt with this. Um my uh concern with this development is not the

[1:41:34] student housing part. It's the use of public lands and the swap and the

[1:41:38] parking deck. Um, I perhaps I'm ignorant about how parking decks are used

[1:41:44] downtown, but I assume if I'm ignorant on how they're used downtown for for

[1:41:49] student parking, then I assume much of our county is is ignorant on that. In

[1:41:55] terms of us financing this parking deck for that, I am also concerned about the

[1:41:59] impact on lay park. It's not going away, but it'll affect the usage. It

[1:42:04] definitely affects the usage. I'm not going to go and drop my kids off or go

[1:42:09] swimming or go camp and have to go up and down a swimming, you know, go up

[1:42:13] parking deck. Um there are there are other choices there.

[1:42:18] So, it has that and it has a budgetary effect on on lay park and it has the

[1:42:22] financing of the parking deck. There are things I have to ask about and and I

[1:42:26] don't you know right now actually it is not core that owns this but the Athens

[1:42:31] hotel partnership. So I assume like I I just don't even know what that role

[1:42:37] their role has been and how that they've you know who's been working who's been

[1:42:42] working on this development. And I do hope what with whatever's going on next

[1:42:46] with with the arena that um those of us who aren't involved in that get an

[1:42:52] update on that sooner than later just so that we can get with it and understand

[1:42:57] everything as that development goes through and the partner private partner

[1:43:01] uh public partnerships in there. So, um I I do and in in some ways I yeah, I do

[1:43:08] would like a workshop work session and more details on this, but I'm not sure

[1:43:12] how it will change anything. Um my concerns are out there. I've laid

[1:43:18] them out to my constituents as well as the benefits of the project. I've

[1:43:22] probably heard from more people who are against it. Um but I it's not I'm not

[1:43:29] being overwhelmed with emails on it to be honest. Um anyway, those are my

[1:43:34] points.

[1:43:38] » Let's go. >> Okay. Commissioner Taylor as a she's got

[1:43:42] a second opportunity. Sorry. >> Commissioner Johnson in Davenport.

[1:43:45] » I'm sorry. >> And again, I'm not against the student

[1:43:48] housing either. As long as it ain't in my district, I'm fine. The students can

[1:43:52] come up here and be married and live. My my concern is about lay park as well

[1:43:59] because having this parking deck in front of lay park and children our

[1:44:04] children are at lay park it is a it's a slap in the face. It's a

[1:44:11] slap in the face to say to any parent who drops their child off because we

[1:44:16] have heard and Bob me and you met um they leisure services is going to have

[1:44:20] to come up with a plan on student drop off right

[1:44:27] taxpayers are going to have to worry about how I'm

[1:44:31] going to drop my child off because of this parking deck and what if we don't

[1:44:34] have money to be able to even park in the parking deck to be able to go to lay

[1:44:39] park and then We talked about well people can park at at the linen house.

[1:44:43] The linen house will be available but what is there if there is a um program

[1:44:48] going on at the linen house. Um I failed to believe that if this wasn't in a

[1:44:56] predominantly black marginalized community that this parking lot wouldn't

[1:45:00] even be a a concern. Um, it's sad that we are collateral damage when it comes

[1:45:08] to what outsiders want to have in Athens Clark County opposed to the people who

[1:45:14] live on College Avenue and the residents in Betha Holmes because that is their

[1:45:20] only leisure. Um, we talk about gang violence. This body or the previous body

[1:45:24] put $9 million into a pot for youth violence and development. Well, whose

[1:45:30] child is going to go to lay park? Um, when it's crawling with students and

[1:45:37] students don't feel comfortable with the little black boys and girls who have

[1:45:41] dreadlocks and ski masks on because that's the style, then what is this body

[1:45:46] going to do? Are we going to talk to leisure services about making a plan to

[1:45:49] have the children kind of wear uniforms into lay park? Because every every

[1:45:55] finish has a beginning. This is the beginning of of

[1:46:00] gentrification in this area. Um, with NOTA coming up and people being

[1:46:09] pushed out of NOTA, which we whether we want to say it or not. Um, and I know we

[1:46:13] say, well, that has nothing to do with this project. Well, the core group can

[1:46:17] build outright. They don't have to have lay parts parking. Um, but we're going

[1:46:22] to give them that because we need them to do something for us.

[1:46:27] We should think about our residents and know they probably don't show up to

[1:46:33] these meetings, but this why they put us in these seats. Um,

[1:46:38] in 10 years, College Avenue is going to be predominantly white students. Black

[1:46:44] people are not going to be over there. And then another body, maybe not this

[1:46:48] body, is going to say, "Well, look at what what good came out of it." But the

[1:46:53] collateral damage will be in 305.

[1:46:58] » Commissioner Johnson, Commissioner David.

[1:46:59] » Think about that because it's not our children

[1:47:02] » for the core group. I just want to say that this isn't different from at any

[1:47:06] other voting meeting. This is, you know, the comments are not directed at your

[1:47:12] group. Personally, there is there is um some disenchantment amongst

[1:47:19] some members of the of the commission because there are issues that are

[1:47:25] permeating in our community. It's not it's not your problem. It's not it's

[1:47:29] it's not your issue. But we're fighting so hard and it seems like you know one

[1:47:34] someone said going off topic stay on topic or rather stay on topic and why

[1:47:38] can we just vote? It's really important to talk to keep reminding people that

[1:47:42] you're not doing what you said you were going to do. So, no one I don't think

[1:47:47] behind the rail means anything personally about the project. We support

[1:47:51] the project, but we want the people that like the mayor, we want people that are

[1:47:56] in other in the manager's office to actually come up with the plan for the

[1:48:00] housing, the affordable, the children. We don't have plans. Y'all have a plan

[1:48:04] and that's great. And we and we all seem to approve it. I guess we all of this

[1:48:09] motion is circling the drain of frustration of in in

[1:48:16] adequate just you we just don't have a plan and and that's an embarrassment.

[1:48:21] I've been in office eight months and we took 12 11 months and we still don't

[1:48:25] have a plan to address those issues. We give money to nonprofits and we have

[1:48:30] some nonprofits that that that fail us and that's the reality. Most do not. But

[1:48:36] I wanted to speak to a couple of comments. You know, I heard someone say

[1:48:39] misinformation, conspiracy theorists. Um,

[1:48:44] I would ask there are a couple of people saying

[1:48:48] nothing's going to happen to Lelay Park. Okay, that's great to say. Tonight, I

[1:48:53] would ask I believe there was a commissioner years ago that fought so

[1:48:58] hard about a church and wanting to create a historic designation. I would

[1:49:02] ask that commissioner if they nothing is going to happen to lay part put us at

[1:49:06] ease create a historic designation work on that start that process would you be

[1:49:12] willing to do that to to say that we have projects going

[1:49:17] all over the place is doing a great job the thing is it takes forever to build

[1:49:23] single family homes for the low and the moderately income not the middle class

[1:49:30] above middle class. That's I'mma pause for a second. That's

[1:49:35] it. Not hundreds of bedrooms. That is not correct. Hundreds of bedrooms are

[1:49:42] not available for Athenians. I have seen letters.

[1:49:47] I we we are not talking about I am not talking about misinformation,

[1:49:52] conspiracy or or a theory.

[1:49:58] You know, the 1400 beds, nobody has talked about traffic.

[1:50:04] » The arena steering committee right now is talking about I got I got 20 seconds.

[1:50:09] The arena steering and I promise I'll hurry up. The arena steering committee

[1:50:12] right now is talking about um possibly another another bond. There's it's just

[1:50:18] discussion. But I just want you to hear that out loud and why we're talking

[1:50:22] about this. And I why we can't just go ahead and vote. Why not? You know, you

[1:50:27] want to vote. The thing is some of us have experienced

[1:50:31] being thrown away by our government and we hope that you hear it and you

[1:50:38] understand the emotion that is real. It's not emotion anymore. We've lived

[1:50:43] that life. We hope that you hear it and you hope that we hope that you have

[1:50:47] compassion to just make a decision to just hold for a second. Thank you,

[1:50:53] » Commissioner Davenport and then Thorton and then I'll say a few words and we'll

[1:50:55] vote. >> Okay. So my concern well just want to

[1:51:00] let everybody know just buy right bill. So I just want to make sure Bob can you

[1:51:05] repeat those numbers on those two lots in the CD it's 750 and 950

[1:51:11] » 760 and 950 >> 950 so they can

[1:51:16] I I would just hope that we will just tone it down just a little bit. So cuz

[1:51:20] like these developers can pull out now and we're going to lose um the Hoy

[1:51:25] house. Yeah, >> we're going to lose a hotel and that,

[1:51:27] you know, that could be perfectly fine. We're going to lose a parking deck.

[1:51:31] » Um we're going to lose um going to um lose the foundry.

[1:51:36] » We're going to lose um >> sewer.

[1:51:38] » The sewer. And and I get that we do um that people in the public want to, you

[1:51:44] know, to have some time to absorb it, but just some of the comments that have

[1:51:49] been made, you know, I just want to make sure that, you know, we we just stay

[1:51:54] professional, stay on topic. Um but just a and this will be a Kelly question or

[1:52:00] Hami right link because I think y'all was on commission at the time. Um years

[1:52:05] ago downtown um there was going to be a Walmart and um Walmart with retail a lot

[1:52:13] of people pushed back on that >> and that was um they pulled out and what

[1:52:18] we got was what we are arguing with about now. We also had an um we got this

[1:52:25] big blocky thing that's that's there. But we also had um an agreement or

[1:52:31] thought we may have had agreement. is what I need correction on with the

[1:52:35] classes center with a corporate office and a swap of land and that was denied

[1:52:42] and now we have a a parking debt that's not there and we have these $50 million

[1:52:48] $70 million well $100 million boom that doesn't have appropriate funding because

[1:52:53] we denied that. My theory is that they're going to build by right these

[1:52:59] student housing and um I I would just like for us as a community to come

[1:53:05] together and say how can we work together and instead of denying these

[1:53:11] public private partnerships that literally have get benefits and that

[1:53:16] hopefully the future bodies will be able to follow through with some of the

[1:53:19] concerns that people have in our community about lay park and about

[1:53:24] gentrification ation and some of that cuz I'm not going to be here for 10

[1:53:27] years. God bless it. I'm not. Um but um just want to just put the put that out

[1:53:32] there about by right and what we have done in the past and deny some of these

[1:53:36] projects and what went into those places when we deny them.

[1:53:41] » Got uh Commissioner Thornton and then we'll wrap.

[1:53:44] » The only thing I was going to say um yeah if I voted tonight it would

[1:53:51] definitely be a no. Um no doubt. um because I got too many questions and if

[1:53:56] they can't get answered tonight, it would be a no. Um I do think that um a

[1:54:03] work session would be in order. Next week is too too soon. I just think it

[1:54:09] should be December the 6 just because one of the things that I would you know

[1:54:13] we do all of these studies but we don't implement them. Um, I would have liked

[1:54:19] to see how the recommendations of the disparity

[1:54:24] study could have fit into this. You know, we're talking about

[1:54:30] um economic development, >> but why we we do a study and we don't

[1:54:36] even connect it to opportunities. So, that would be one of

[1:54:41] my things uh I would like to talk to about at a work session. Um, and I and

[1:54:48] guess what? People haven't even thought about the disparity study. No,

[1:54:51] » but it's there and we did it and we paid for it. My next thing Commissioner

[1:54:58] um Johnson kind of alluded to and I was going to wait to the end of um our

[1:55:04] meeting to ask the mayor if he would put on the agenda

[1:55:09] um to looking into plans to make Thomas Lelay historic a historic site. I've

[1:55:17] already talked to Tommy Valentine. Once that becomes a historic site, all

[1:55:23] this misinformation >> um

[1:55:28] » could subside and none of us are going to be here forever. But if it's a

[1:55:32] historic site, even those um town homes, if we could make it a historic district,

[1:55:39] I think we protect people because five years ago, someone from this go

[1:55:44] government connected those residents that own those town homes and they

[1:55:49] wanted to buy that property and they brought up imminent domain. It never

[1:55:54] came up. They never did it. But guess what? Once you start doing that, we

[1:55:58] already see what imminent domain can do. I could see them coming back and and

[1:56:03] taking that whole college avenue. So, we got to protect

[1:56:08] we've got to protect what's ours. Um and I think that um I'm go back to I still

[1:56:17] think that we need a work session. I would like to see about the dis how

[1:56:21] disparity study fits in. Uh I'm disappointed it wasn't even thought

[1:56:26] about for such a big project. Um, and um, if the mayor will consider that for

[1:56:34] next month's agenda or even January about considering

[1:56:40] Thomas Lake becoming a historic site, that would be my thought.

[1:56:45] » Uh, Commissioner Link, this your third. >> Yeah, just quickly, I just want to um

[1:56:50] urge everyone to go back and revisit our affordable housing investment strategy

[1:56:55] and and look at it in the context of of this project. you know, I mean, you can

[1:56:59] just flash quickly to pages 17 and 14, which identifies local funding sources

[1:57:06] um and and asks us to invest $5 million a year um towards our our local housing

[1:57:14] fund. Um that money's got to come from somewhere. It's not going to be coming

[1:57:18] from the federal government anymore. Um and it specifically calls out

[1:57:23] inclusionary zoning. We've passed an inclusionary zoning ordinance. We have

[1:57:28] folks who are willing to take advantage of it to pad that local housing fund. Um

[1:57:34] those monies can go towards down payment assistant for people to own their own

[1:57:39] homes. Um they can go towards owner occupied repair for people to stay in

[1:57:44] their homes. Um they can go towards building more single family infill like

[1:57:49] we've seen on Dublin Street. And they can go towards building litech projects.

[1:57:53] Um you know we've got to get that money from somewhere. We have an ordinance on

[1:57:57] the books that bakes a funding source in. Um we haven't had that in the past

[1:58:03] and we we have a lot of leverage in this project in in that there is a land swap

[1:58:08] deal on that can be leveraged to get more public benefits. So

[1:58:15] » that's where I'm going with. >> Thanks everybody for your input and

[1:58:17] fervor. Appreciate that a lot. Uh I I understand that sometimes when you've

[1:58:22] got a project uh that that seemingly has a sort of simple path, it raises lots of

[1:58:27] questions about adjacent issues uh kind of whether directly pertinent or not. As

[1:58:33] has been stated, Llay Park is a gem. I I can't count the hundreds of times I've

[1:58:38] visited Park over the last 15 years as a trash picker and a reader to elementary

[1:58:44] students. Uh and most of all as a parent um where I drop my son off on almost a

[1:58:50] weekly basis for um free basketball play um I'll note that just from a social

[1:58:56] perspective kind of one of the most beautiful scenes that I get to see on

[1:58:59] the outdoor courts is when you really have a multigenerational multi-racial

[1:59:03] pickup basketball game uh that includes uh black and white and brown young

[1:59:08] people and some college kids who show up and hang out. So, I I I love that

[1:59:13] experience and I I'm intent on continuing to have that experience. If

[1:59:19] that means that lay park becomes designated an historic monument, uh ever

[1:59:24] the better. Uh we've of course through this body contributed many hundreds of

[1:59:27] thousands of dollars to lay park over the last few years in Wi-Fi upgrades in

[1:59:32] the context of COVID, a new computer lab for teens, uh and a new floor for the

[1:59:37] gymnasium and as well as a new exterior shell. And so we want to make sure that

[1:59:42] those investments are protected. Uh absolutely. Um do want to thank the core

[1:59:47] group in almost 20 years of working as a policy maker in this room. Can't tell

[1:59:51] you the many uh investment interests that I've engaged with. Um some come in

[1:59:58] good faith and gracefully, some a little bit less so. Um but but they've been

[2:00:03] easy to engage with uh and have recognized that they can bring some

[2:00:07] benefits to the community that also benefits their mission space of u

[2:00:11] producing student housing which we know is going to be a continued need uh given

[2:00:15] the material that everybody's had access to. Thank you to the clerk for um

[2:00:19] passing along UG's enrollment plan to everybody just so that they've got that

[2:00:23] in front of them at their fingertips. Um, and I'll say should the substitute

[2:00:27] motion fail and we move to a work session, glad to engage in a work

[2:00:32] session. I think Commissioner Wright often makes the point that people have

[2:00:35] different learning styles and while we've had a written document in front of

[2:00:39] you, an oral description from the manager, uh, a pictorial set of displays

[2:00:44] last week, um, if we want to do a, uh, a stage play, uh, Ho Street parking deck

[2:00:50] the musical, I'm happy to do that as well. Um, so, uh, looking forward to our

[2:00:54] continued conversation and ultimately the success of this project. So, I'm

[2:00:59] going to move to a round table. >> Quickly, they said the the live feed had

[2:01:03] I'm getting a text message that the feed has gone that they can't the public

[2:01:06] can't see our >> So, I'll just I'll just ask the

[2:01:12] technology crew in the in the shop to make sure they check on that. Thank you.

[2:01:15] Okay. Um, so we'll move to substitute motion uh round table roundroin vote

[2:01:20] beginning with Commissioner Hamby. Cami. >> Yes. To approve.

[2:01:25] » Davenport. >> No.

[2:01:27] » Link. >> Yes.

[2:01:28] » Taylor. >> No.

[2:01:30] » Right. >> Yes.

[2:01:32] » Fisher. >> No.

[2:01:34] » Johnson. >> No.

[2:01:35] » Co. Pepper. >> Yes.

[2:01:38] » Myers. >> No.

[2:01:40] » Thornon. >> No.

[2:01:44] » Or yes. Six. >> All right. We'll return to the original

[2:01:48] motion beginning with Commissioner Fischer.

[2:01:50] » Yes. Johnson,

[2:01:53] » yes. >> Paul Pepper,

[2:01:55] » yes. >> Meyers,

[2:01:57] » yes. >> Thornon,

[2:01:59] » yes. >> Handy,

[2:02:00] » no. >> Davenport,

[2:02:03] » yes. >> Le,

[2:02:04] » yes. >> Taylor,

[2:02:06] » yes. >> Wright,

[2:02:08] » no. >> Yes.

[2:02:12] » Thank you, Madam Clerk. I appreciate it. All right. We will be seeing this down

[2:02:15] the line. All right, we're going to move to item 17, which is the TBLOS 2023 uh

[2:02:20] project 26, the rest broad and Hancock neighborhood pedestrian improvements. I

[2:02:24] know Commissioner Link, you'd worked on that, so I'd ask you to place a motion

[2:02:27] on the floor. >> Yeah. Um

[2:02:29] » I'd like to move to approve. >> Second.

[2:02:33] » All right. Any further remarks, Commissioner?

[2:02:35] » Yeah. I want to thank staff and thank all the folks in the neighborhood who

[2:02:39] came out to our meeting. And I want to thank the um the T-Bloss project user

[2:02:43] group um who identified projects and then we were able to um kind of hone in

[2:02:48] on them and prioritize them and and come up with a couple more um areas that need

[2:02:53] some attention and um I look forward to this stuff getting on the ground ASAP.

[2:03:00] » Anything further, Commissioner Wright? >> Oh, no. Ready to vote.

[2:03:03] » Any further input? >> All in favor, please say I.

[2:03:07] » I. Are there any post? Hearing none. Motion carries. All right. Uh item 18 is

[2:03:13] the Hawthorne Avenue Nothorp Avenue intersection improvement rightway

[2:03:16] acquisition. Is there a motion anyone could place on the floor?

[2:03:20] » So, um motion to approve. >> Motion to approve from Commissioner

[2:03:23] Fischer. Is there a second? >> All right. I've got a second from

[2:03:26] Commissioner Link. Commissioner Fischer. Anything else on this?

[2:03:28] » Yeah. Um as you all know, I was I was somewhat reluctant, but I know hadn't

[2:03:32] got a chance to um get in touch with the owner based on everything. So, but I

[2:03:37] think we need to go ahead and from a just from a safety perspective that um

[2:03:40] highway I mean that particular section need to really be improved from a safety

[2:03:44] standpoint. So, >> Commissioner Link.

[2:03:47] » Yeah, I mean this intersection is long overdue for improvements. It's really

[2:03:52] really scary and um I I cross it on foot from time to time and it's it's pretty

[2:03:57] terrifying. So, I hope we can really improve it and make it safer considering

[2:04:01] how many pedestrians we are losing in our crosswalks these days.

[2:04:05] Anything else from the body? All in favor, please say I. I.

[2:04:09] » Any opposed? Hearing? None. Motion carries. All right. Uh, item 19 is the

[2:04:13] go report regarding our board's authorities and uh, commissions. I know

[2:04:17] there's a request to hold to December 2nd. Commissioner Davenport, would you

[2:04:20] like to place that motion on the floor? >> Motion to hold till December 2nd

[2:04:23] meeting. >> Second.

[2:04:25] » All right. Got a motion from Commissioner Davenport to hold. Second

[2:04:29] from Commissioner Taylor. All right. Any remarks from anybody? Just real quick,

[2:04:33] um, got a new clerk of commission starting Thursday and she would like to

[2:04:36] review it and we have a meeting in two weeks for GOC. If she has any the new

[2:04:42] clerk of commission has any suggestions, we will address it then and then bring

[2:04:46] it up for a final vote in December. Also, um, at the bottom of the agenda

[2:04:53] packet, you have two options. One option is to fund um, well, everyone all BAC's

[2:04:59] will um, BAC participants will get paid. Um, one of the options unfolds

[2:05:05] um combines all tabs for 46,000 and the other option is option two which keeps

[2:05:12] the tabs individual for 66,000 um well $25 per person per meeting. So

[2:05:20] just keep that in mind. >> All right. Some more food for thought

[2:05:23] for next month. Uh anything further? All right, the motion is to hold. All in

[2:05:28] favor, please say I. >> I.

[2:05:30] » Any opposed? All right. Hearing none. Motion carries. All right. Uh we're

[2:05:33] going to move on. We've got one item of new business. Could I get a motion for

[2:05:37] suspension of rules since this is its first hearing?

[2:05:40] » So move, mayor. >> Second.

[2:05:41] » All right. I've got a motion from Commissioner Fiser. Second from

[2:05:44] Commissioner Taylor. All in favor, please say I.

[2:05:48] » Any opposed? All right. Uh this is a motion for supplemental funding in the

[2:05:52] amount of $150,000 for the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia. Uh is there a

[2:05:58] ordinance associated with this as a budget matter? Yes, mayor. Ordinance to

[2:06:01] amend the FY 2026 operating capital budget for Athens, clar county, Georgia,

[2:06:06] so as to provide funding for the for financial support of the food bank of

[2:06:09] Northeast Georgia and for other purposes.

[2:06:11] » Thank you, Attorney Drake. Somebody place a motion on the floor, please.

[2:06:14] » Move to approve. >> Got a motion from Commissioner Link, I

[2:06:19] think. Uh second was Commissioner >> Boy, they were quick.

[2:06:22] » Second was Commissioner Taylor. Quick on the draw. All right. Uh Commissioner

[2:06:26] Link, any remarks? Yeah, thank you mayor for getting this on the agenda. Thanks

[2:06:30] staff for um you know finding these funds. Um this year for the first time

[2:06:35] that I can remember we um we gave some of our regular budget money to the food

[2:06:40] bank and it's dire that they get even more. Um, I want to urge everyone out

[2:06:46] there to please reach out to our Congressman Mike Collins and urge him to

[2:06:53] do his job and get back to DC and um, open the government and get people fed

[2:06:59] and also make sure people maintain their health care. Um, I want to urge everyone

[2:07:04] to reach out to your state reps and to the governor's office and urge them to

[2:07:10] use some of, I believe, the 14 billion dollar in surplus funds that the state

[2:07:16] of Georgia has to fill in the gaps where the federal government is failing the

[2:07:20] citizens of this nation. Um, and I I hope we can bring more money to our our

[2:07:29] local folks who are going hungry in these really ridiculous times.

[2:07:36] » Commissioner Taylor, any any further? >> I couldn't have said it better myself.

[2:07:40] » Anything else from the body? All right. Uh, appreciate everybody

[2:07:45] being willing to consider this on such short notice. Uh, of course we live in

[2:07:50] some uncertain times. Um, sadly I I'm not certain this will be the last time.

[2:07:55] We've got a similar discussion. Um, you know, we could have chosen obviously any

[2:08:00] number of amounts and and and I'll just be transparent and say we don't know

[2:08:04] what next month holds or the following month or the one after that. Um, and so

[2:08:08] we wanted to retain some opportunity for the future. Uh, thus the specific

[2:08:12] $150,000 amount that that I've placed on the agenda tonight. Um

[2:08:18] do uh do want to keep in our hearts every family who is out there struggling

[2:08:23] of of which there are very many. Uh mission of my life has been to support

[2:08:28] kids and their families and um we know it's a hard time in which to make that

[2:08:32] true. So I appreciate you taking a little step toward making that just a

[2:08:36] little bit easier. So we have a motion a second on the floor. All in favor please

[2:08:40] say I. I. >> Any oppose? All right. Hearing none.

[2:08:43] Motion carries. All right. Uh now is that time. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Now

[2:08:48] is that time uh when we get public input on any item that was not on tonight's

[2:08:53] agenda. So this open mic night. Uh there any member of the public who would like

[2:08:57] to speak to any item not on tonight's agenda? You have that same threeminut

[2:09:01] opportunity as I described at the beginning of the meeting.

[2:09:07] » Hello. >> How you doing?

[2:09:09] » Good evening. >> Can you hear me?

[2:09:10] » We can. >> All right. Um I'm

[2:09:16] whether on the agenda or not, I just ask that you, you know, move with a open

[2:09:20] mind, a open heart on any decisions that you uh are making. I'm a new resident

[2:09:26] here and uh coming from the north, I'm I'm I'm a little kind of sideswipe and

[2:09:31] disappointed in some of the decisions that are being made um as it relates to,

[2:09:37] you know, public housing or whatever it is. just just consider the families in

[2:09:42] the districts that you guys represent because that's more over important than

[2:09:46] anything. So whether it's an agenda item that's mentioned or not, all of it is

[2:09:51] important. You guys are a lifeline. We voted you in those seats. So, with that

[2:09:56] being said, you know, I I I I look forward to speaking with you on the

[2:10:01] sidelines and um you know, get every family fed and get everybody house

[2:10:07] because, you know, it's getting ready to get cold. Uh I'd love to volunteer and

[2:10:11] see what the warming stations look like because I can't hold anybody in capacity

[2:10:16] in my apartment. It just won't happen. But uh if we all get together and

[2:10:24] people over power is important to me, people over power because again, you

[2:10:32] would not sit where you sit if it wasn't for me.

[2:10:36] » Ma'am, can I just get your name for the record?

[2:10:38] » Oh, I'm so sorry. My name is Jacqueline Austin.

[2:10:42] with uh Athens anti-discrimination movement and I just like to say I'd like

[2:10:48] to see us move forward in some um things you guys are working on.

[2:10:54] » Thank you, Miss Austin. >> If it affects you, it affects me as

[2:10:56] well. >> Thank you. Is there anyone else you'd

[2:10:58] like to speak to? Any item that was not on the agenda tonight?

[2:11:07] » Hi, uh Alan Jones. I think this is my my first time double dipping. So, I

[2:11:13] celebrate that. But, uh I uh I live in John C Pepper's district and want to

[2:11:19] speak uh about that district, which is Timothy Road and the Timothy Road shared

[2:11:25] use path that was on the Tesla agenda and uh did not get um funding at least

[2:11:32] recommended by the the board. Uh I do want to I did speak on this last time. I

[2:11:37] did want to clarify. I started at the beginning mentioned that you guys had

[2:11:41] spent $2 million to um plan this path and then toward the end my mouth got

[2:11:46] excited and I said 200 million. So um just going to take that one back. But $2

[2:11:52] million that you have spent, not just allocated, but spent to design to get

[2:11:58] architects or whomever this is to in to spend lots of time and citizen time to

[2:12:05] plan this from the end of Timothy all the way to the end of Mitchell Bridge,

[2:12:10] seven miles. Um, we have funded one mile of that currently. And, uh, I know Mike

[2:12:17] had to step out, but he was a big part of that and I appreciate that. But we

[2:12:21] have the Berkeley Hills to skyline section that should be going in next

[2:12:25] year. That's going to be great. But that does not get the people from Berkeley

[2:12:30] Hills to anything that they could use by bike because it's a little bit far to

[2:12:36] walk from from Berkeley Hills to get to other things. So what we put the

[2:12:40] multi-use path in. That was the plan. um connect it to Epsbridge, connect it so

[2:12:46] they can get to the groceries there, that they can get to Walmart, that they

[2:12:50] take it a little bit further next time, maybe so that Timothy Elementary is

[2:12:54] included. We submitted five projects for the the Timothy shared path. None of

[2:13:00] them got any love from the uh commission uh choices for the the T-Boss

[2:13:07] selections. So whether it's uh reallocating some of the money or

[2:13:12] allocating some money from the money that you pre-desated, please consider

[2:13:16] that. This is for the west side. The west side didn't get anything. Uh the

[2:13:22] west side does not have city sewer. The west side does not have city trash. All

[2:13:26] the west side really gets is city homeless. Um John,

[2:13:33] uh please do something. Stand for something. Champion something. do your

[2:13:38] job. Represent your district. You have really done nothing today. You spoke for

[2:13:44] 37 seconds, which might be close to a record. Um, please use your words. And

[2:13:49] for the rest of you, geographic equity with these T-Losts is important.

[2:13:54] Everybody contributes. Everybody should get something from them. It shouldn't

[2:13:59] just be the commissioners that speak the loudest. There are already enough people

[2:14:03] running for mayor. I don't think you need another one.

[2:14:07] Thank you, Mr. Jones. Is there anyone else here to speak to any item not on

[2:14:10] tonight's agenda? >> All right, we'll go ahead and move uh

[2:14:15] behind the rail. Uh I've got a couple items of input. We'll hear from the

[2:14:18] manager, the auditor, the attorney, and then the commission. Um three quick

[2:14:22] items tonight. Um do want to thank uh Commissioners Thornton and Fiser uh who

[2:14:27] came out to the ribbon cutting at the 190 unit affordable housing complex uh

[2:14:34] immediately adjacent to what we colloquially know as the Space Kroger on

[2:14:38] Highway 72. Um they are completely leased. Uh there it's 60% AMI Litec

[2:14:47] project. Three-bedroom unit is $1350 a month. uh significantly less than you're

[2:14:52] going to pay at a market rate uh development. Um very attractive uh

[2:14:57] units. I wish I had that swimming pool myself. And it's to the credit of uh the

[2:15:03] private development partner, certainly this body who's approved the payment in

[2:15:08] le of tax structure as well as the affordable water and sewer connections

[2:15:11] and our partners at the Athens Housing Authority. Um, we have two more of those

[2:15:15] comparable projects in the pipeline and I'm looking forward to actually getting

[2:15:20] some more uh kind of on deck in the months ahead. I believe we can do that

[2:15:24] uh given the resources that we have. Secondly, um I'm going to be naming a

[2:15:30] very um short-term ad hoc committee tonight that I will chair uh and that

[2:15:36] I'll uh serve on with uh commissioners Meyer, Thornton, and former commissioner

[2:15:40] Edwards, all of whom served as mayor's prom

[2:15:43] um prior to kind of the current year. Uh and what I'm going to ask them to do is

[2:15:48] examine and make a recommendation to the full body for the compensation and time

[2:15:53] expectations embedded in the charter for both the mayor and the mayor prom. Uh

[2:15:58] examining both the unified governments in the state and those counties who have

[2:16:02] a chair uh who are of over 100,000 in population. Uh it has long been the case

[2:16:07] that I believe that we've not sort of evolved those definitions sufficient to

[2:16:12] both the scale and complexity of this government. uh have a great benefit in

[2:16:16] this job of interacting with peers across the state and across the country.

[2:16:20] Uh and for the good of all future mayors and mayors prom I just want us to

[2:16:24] modernize our expectations. Um uh third thing uh want to apologize to the Neely

[2:16:30] family. I do know that very recently um they attempted to get into their uh

[2:16:34] private cemetery uh that you have to access through Athens clar county

[2:16:38] property and had challenge in doing so. I'm sorry that that was the case and I

[2:16:43] do appreciate uh management leisure services staff working so quickly with

[2:16:46] them uh to ensure a uh permanent situation in which they won't face the

[2:16:51] same challenge that thanks uh everybody for sitting down with the knee. Uh I'm

[2:16:55] going to go ahead and begin with commissioner actually I'm going to go

[2:16:57] ahead and turn first to the manager. Anything tonight, Mr. Manager?

[2:17:00] » Uh the only thing I wanted to acknowledge was obviously as you all

[2:17:03] know we had a a missing person um case a week or so ago and sadly that didn't end

[2:17:08] the way any of us had hoped that it would. but certainly want to acknowledge

[2:17:11] the work that was done um by the folks involved and that was the police

[2:17:14] department, the sheriff's um office as well as the fire department and a number

[2:17:19] of volunteers. Um they mobilized very quickly and if you remember how

[2:17:22] miserable the weather was over those couple of days. Um they were out doing

[2:17:26] all that they could um with it. And so again, even though it didn't end the way

[2:17:29] any of us would have hoped, I certainly want to acknowledge their um their

[2:17:32] efforts in in trying to um bring that to a successful conclusion. So thank you.

[2:17:37] Thank you for the efforts of everybody on staff and I know folks we're working

[2:17:40] overtime to try and resolve that challenge.

[2:17:45] Mr. >> Nothing from the

[2:17:46] » attorney. No, anything from the auditor's office. No report.

[2:17:50] » All right. Begin with Commissioner Thornton and then I'll have close with

[2:17:53] Commissioner Davenport who will adjourn us.

[2:17:56] » Thank you, Mayor. Um I did I was going to talk about the ribbon cutting, so

[2:18:00] I'll scratch that since you got it covered. Um I will say what was

[2:18:06] significant um that it's 100% occupied in 120 days

[2:18:14] and there's a 700 um application list

[2:18:19] » waiting list >> 12. So that speaks to how badly we need

[2:18:25] affordable housing. And they're beautiful. They're beautiful. I I wasn't

[2:18:30] at the last meeting and I I but I did hear about

[2:18:36] people concerned about Pinewood and the dirty water. Uh and it it bothered me a

[2:18:43] little it bothered me a lot because I have been working and talking and

[2:18:49] with one of the owners for over a year. I didn't even know what maybe two years

[2:18:55] ago two and a when I think Commissioner Thorn uh Commissioner Thor Commissioner

[2:19:00] Taylor and uh Commissioner Fiser told me about it. So that's been almost two

[2:19:05] years now. So it really kind of bothered me that this came up um because I

[2:19:11] thought things were working out. But I did ask the owner to send a detail

[2:19:18] and he has been working. Let let me be clear. He has been working. Uh but I

[2:19:22] asked him to send a detailed list of everything that they've tried to do um

[2:19:29] to uh our manager and county manager, assistant manager, and I am so pleased

[2:19:36] that you know you guys have taken it up and are looking into what we can do to

[2:19:42] help fix this. It's it definitely is going to need our help, but it's going

[2:19:47] to be difficult. But they are working very diligent. They've been working very

[2:19:51] diligently. I don't think that came out um with some of the uh folk that spoke.

[2:19:57] Uh one of the big biggies was is um fire hydrants. That area does not have fire

[2:20:06] hydrants. Um so they've been working through that. Now

[2:20:11] I don't know, but I just want people to know we're on it. Everybody that spoke,

[2:20:16] I appreciate it. Bring it back, you know.

[2:20:19] to the community. I think that is awesome. My other thing I want to holler

[2:20:25] out to the police department and the sheriff's department for their awesome

[2:20:30] job that they did with the Halloween events. Um I didn't go to the police. I

[2:20:35] think uh Commissioner Fischer went to that when I went to the sheriff um

[2:20:39] event. And I I think seeing our police our our public safety um staff in these

[2:20:48] community events helps to promote morale. Bless you. Bless you. Bless you.

[2:20:53] Um promotes morale. So I wanted to make because that's something they don't have

[2:20:58] to do, but I do think it's it's good for community and community morale. And the

[2:21:04] last thing, I've already briefly said it, but I'll say it again, is uh mayor,

[2:21:11] I would like to see what it would take to um um get Thomas Lake designated as a

[2:21:19] historical designation. Um I I I'll leave that to you and or we'll all work

[2:21:26] together on it, but I think if it's not core, it's going to be

[2:21:32] something else. So, let's go ahead and solidify and make sure those um

[2:21:39] institutions, those buildings that are historic in the um black community

[2:21:45] remain. I I hate it when I stopped going on those tours when Rosa Thurman was

[2:21:50] doing them, and she would say, "Well, this was where the black barber shop was

[2:21:53] at, and this was where the black grocery store was at. Everything was was." So, I

[2:22:00] do think that this would be a good step to um start with Thomas Le um and and we

[2:22:07] don't want to lose it no matter who the new neighbors are around that area.

[2:22:12] Thank you. >> Yeah. Um I just have one thing and that

[2:22:16] is that uh district 8 we're going to have a town hall uh next Monday,

[2:22:19] November 10th from 5:30 to 7:00 over at the firehouse, 7 on Barnard Schills by

[2:22:24] the vet school and uh by east side residents. I don't know if it'll solve

[2:22:29] anything, but we have someone from Georgia Power coming to talk about the

[2:22:32] outages that happen all the time. Um, our new county manager will be coming

[2:22:37] and then as well to introduce himself and um have a little update on the

[2:22:42] future land use map and east side development and our upcoming Tesplas

[2:22:47] 2026 projects.

[2:22:51] » Um, yeah. Is there a way and there was a lot of conversation about affordable

[2:22:55] housing. Can we get a report on the number of affordable housing units that

[2:22:59] we have brought online in the past 12 months and then what's approved already?

[2:23:05] Um because you know y'all talked about the development the ribbon cutting that

[2:23:10] you had last week was affordable housing. Um and I don't know if

[2:23:14] everybody was aware of that. It'd be nice to see the amount number of units

[2:23:17] that we've got that have come online and that we've got approved. And you know,

[2:23:22] with that, we've got money that we put aside for affordable housing, but we're

[2:23:26] having trouble with the avenues of how to spend that money. And I think we need

[2:23:31] to come up with, you know, we can't just tell developers to build affordable

[2:23:35] housing when the numbers don't work for them. So, we've got to come up with

[2:23:39] creative ways for developers to use that and be able to use that money to create

[2:23:44] more affordable housing. this project that we talked about today, core project

[2:23:49] is going to um create money that's going into that uh affordable housing fund and

[2:23:54] I we need to create we need to make sure we have ways to build those units. Um I

[2:23:59] think the core development project is going to be a positive thing for this

[2:24:02] community. It is going to give some money for that affordable housing fund,

[2:24:05] but it's also gives some give us the sewer capacity we need for other things

[2:24:09] downtown. And I hope that um we can get all the questions answered and we can

[2:24:14] meet the timeline um that they have proposed um with the zoning, the

[2:24:19] reszones and all that to uh move it forward. But I want to make sure we get

[2:24:23] the questions answered for the community and the commissioners that are on um

[2:24:26] that are here that have some questions about it.

[2:24:31] » I think August was the reference with it. So and that was tied back to the um

[2:24:37] housing affordability implementation strategy. So, yes, we'll update those

[2:24:39] numbers. >> Thank you.

[2:24:40] » And and in in our gig meeting that's coming up November the 10th,

[2:24:45] » um there's going to be some recommendations and um numbers presented

[2:24:49] at and it's all of our meetings are open. All of them are open. So, it's

[2:24:55] going to be November the 10th at 10:00 at the Athens Housing Authority, but

[2:24:59] they're going to come up with numbers and some recommendations to come back to

[2:25:02] this body. >> How to spend that money?

[2:25:06] » Yeah. besides >> 10th.

[2:25:08] » Yes, sir. The 10th, >> Monday.

[2:25:10] » What time is that? >> Uh, Athens Housing Authority. 10

[2:25:13] o'clock. >> Mr. Johnson.

[2:25:18] » Thank you. I want to apologize to those watching and those that attended tonight

[2:25:24] and the people behind the rail about

[2:25:30] my professional talking in voice character

[2:25:35] talking in character voice. I'm not proud of that and I'm surprised

[2:25:40] I did that. I that's totally atypical to my behavior, but

[2:25:45] I it did happen and I want to I want to for the record apologize to everyone. It

[2:25:51] was not professional. I want to share with you what I'm dealing with. I'm

[2:25:55] frustrated. I am very frustrated. I know that I can

[2:25:59] only control my, you know, my own my own district and my own actions. You know,

[2:26:05] there are things that happen be someone alluded to things happening behind the

[2:26:09] scenes. This is this is not, you know, a conspiracy, a theory, or a lie, but some

[2:26:16] of my colleagues get phone calls from the mayor about certain items. I I've

[2:26:20] not ever yet received a phone call from the mayor to make a decision about an

[2:26:26] agenda item. So when I So when I know that and some of you have admitted it to

[2:26:31] me, it is hard to come into a meeting and and

[2:26:36] fight for something that we want that we see as equitable

[2:26:43] after you've already made your mind up because you you've agreed to the ask.

[2:26:49] That is frustrating because I I try to read, I try to engage, I try to talk, I

[2:26:54] try to answer the phone, I try to take down notes and and bring questions with

[2:26:57] me. And when the opposite happens, because you've already agreed to the

[2:27:01] ask, that is frustrating. And that's what I experienced tonight. This is not

[2:27:05] the first time, but I want to apologize. I also want to state that there is a I'm

[2:27:14] going to host a town hall on November 20th and no and December 8th. It's a

[2:27:19] proposed development located at the corner of Whitehead and Jefferson Road.

[2:27:24] It's going to be located at fire station number eight on Jefferson Road. Um, and

[2:27:29] the time is 5:30 to 7:30 and additional information will be

[2:27:34] provided on my social media pages later this week.

[2:27:40] Uh, really quickly, uh, someone made a comment, uh, didn't think it was a joke

[2:27:45] about why I'm late to meetings. I just wanted to just share because it is

[2:27:49] obvious. I I come in about two or three minutes after. I am actually coming from

[2:27:53] class and most of the time I'm changing in the truck. So, forgive me. I I try my

[2:27:58] best to get here as quickly as I can. Um,

[2:28:03] so for those that are affected by the government closing and the reduction of

[2:28:08] benefits, I want you to know that I I'm empathetic. I hear you. I see you. I've

[2:28:14] reached out to people who've made comments that are not in my district,

[2:28:17] but just made heartfelt comments on Facebook um to coordinate or match them

[2:28:22] with some of the services that they that they may not know about. And I will

[2:28:27] continue to do that if I receive a message. I I just don't want you to

[2:28:31] think that those out there that they don't have an have any options if your

[2:28:36] needs are beyond food. Um, I also want to brag about how well our Athens clar

[2:28:42] county departments in partnership with the mall hosted a tremendous trunk

[2:28:48] retreat. I I think I counted four or 500 people on Thursday night and it was a

[2:28:54] very cold night, but it was well attended. All of the ACC departments

[2:28:59] should be proud. They hosted a great event.

[2:29:04] The coop, the next one is the cooperative extension. I sent an email

[2:29:08] today, but I wanted to uh separate from the email, but tangentally related. I

[2:29:14] was watching the Decap County and South Fton Council meetings over the weekend,

[2:29:18] and I heard a request from um a commissioner in both meetings about a

[2:29:23] landscaping schedule. So, I wanted to inquire to see if it's possible to get a

[2:29:28] landscaping schedule um for a couple of reasons. one for predictability, but the

[2:29:33] second one is because I had a conversation with someone that thought a

[2:29:38] certain area was Athens Clark Countyy's responsibility and I wasn't sure and so

[2:29:45] I couldn't have an intelligent conversation, but just to have just to

[2:29:49] know what the standards are if it's four is it if it's three feet or two and a

[2:29:53] half feet away from the the the road, whatever that criteria is. if that could

[2:30:00] be provided to me, I would um certainly appreciate it. And that's all I have.

[2:30:04] Thank you. >> Thank you, mayor. And uh I do want to

[2:30:08] thank um first of all, thank our staff, Bob, Andrew,

[2:30:14] Jud, for um putting the CDO together. And again, um just want to bring the

[2:30:18] community together, want to bring us together, get whatever questions we need

[2:30:21] to get um answered. And um may um again, because I did ask about the schedule,

[2:30:26] too, and I respectfully ask if you consider um the December um work

[2:30:31] session. But again, I respectfully ask you for that. Um

[2:30:36] Veterans Day is next Tuesday. I want to thank the men and women who have served

[2:30:41] this country and and really um give us the freedoms um that we have and for us

[2:30:46] to get up here and say what we want to say and and debate among each other and

[2:30:50] stuff. And uh I don't ever take that for granted. um having had a brother who

[2:30:55] served and uncles and that ser in the military. Um it makes me proud that

[2:31:01] those men and women who um help protect this um country and so I just want to

[2:31:06] know Veterans Day is next Tuesday. So I want to give a shout out to all the

[2:31:09] veterans um in Ashton Clark County um both men and women that have served um

[2:31:15] with the food bank. Um my wife and I have always been a supporter of the food

[2:31:20] bank and I appreciate um CEO Erin Barger. There was a list of mobile

[2:31:26] pantries um and I won't I won't name them mayor but there's a list of mobile

[2:31:30] pantries for the month of November that's going to be going on around

[2:31:34] pretty much all around um Athens and stuff. So hopefully people will take

[2:31:37] advantage. And this is when, you know, I I this is when a community comes

[2:31:42] together um to to um to take care of the ones that um less fortunate than we are.

[2:31:48] And for people to chip in and that's what partnership looks like. That's what

[2:31:52] we should be doing as a community, you know, and I get it with the federal

[2:31:56] government and on the state level, but it's it is um we should take it upon

[2:32:01] ourselves though to take care of people in our community. So, um, whatever

[2:32:05] anybody can give, especially the food bank, all their dollars, I can say that

[2:32:08] all these dollars go towards providing food in in in in a 19 county area, um,

[2:32:14] not only in Clark County, but 19 county area. So, anybody that's listening, um,

[2:32:19] want to donate or even take food. I know many churches um, got food pantries and

[2:32:25] things. So, so I I I'm just proud that live in this community and the people in

[2:32:29] this community always kick in when when things are going bad and and help our

[2:32:34] fellow men and women. So, just want to say that, mayor, and again, thank staff

[2:32:38] so much for what you all do. And, you know, I know at time we put a lot of

[2:32:42] pressure on you guys, but thank you u for coming through and answering the

[2:32:46] call whenever we ask you all to um to give us some information, but thank you

[2:32:50] all again. I appreciate it. >> All right. Um,

[2:32:55] I missed your committee, Kelly. Did you say it was you, Meyers, and Edwards?

[2:33:01] » Uh, and Thornton. Thornton. >> Thornton. Thank you.

[2:33:03] » Yeah. >> The three uh mayors prompt prior to the

[2:33:07] » Yeah. No, I get it. I get it. I >> I'm glad you didn't notice it. I missed

[2:33:11] her. >> No, I noticed it.

[2:33:15] » I was just paying attention to my name. >> There you go. Thank you. Well, thanks

[2:33:19] for not throwing something at me, forgetting your name on there. Anyway,

[2:33:22] I'm I'm glad that you're um having that looked into uh with such a committee.

[2:33:26] And then if we if there's any updates on your other ad hoc committee and the

[2:33:31] November there was a November potential that we might see something. Is that

[2:33:36] going to be agenda in November? >> It it certainly won't be obviously we're

[2:33:40] we're in the November uh voting meeting, but but I think the anticipation was

[2:33:44] that they'd finish uh at least a first recommendation in November. Is that is

[2:33:49] that what we anticipate? So it might be on the

[2:33:52] » could be December or January. Yes. >> Yeah. No. Well, that's first sight for

[2:33:57] those of us who want to make sure it gets in the public realm so that we can

[2:34:01] all study it and understand uh what's underway and also to anticipate making

[2:34:07] sure those that have been um emailing us and contacting us about those issues

[2:34:12] will know uh it's estimated time coming forward. All right, that's all I have.

[2:34:17] Thanks. Um,

[2:34:21] first off, I would like to thank staff.

[2:34:26] Um, for all of the hard work that you guys do. Um, also I would like to also

[2:34:31] shout out um, Sheriff Williams for the trunk or treat

[2:34:36] fall festival that they had. It was so awesome. And the commissioners had like

[2:34:41] special parking so we didn't have to we >> I didn't get special parking.

[2:34:48] I saw you walking. I starting to BLOW MY HEART, BUT like

[2:34:55] we had so much fun and it got cold, but it was awesome. A lot of families. So

[2:35:01] awesome. Um I would like to shout out the um people in belonging. They had 400

[2:35:06] cupcakes at a cakewalk and the children, they were so excited about the music

[2:35:14] that, you know, they just gave them cupcakes. So, shout out to people and

[2:35:18] belonging. You guys are the real rock stars. My kids was hyped up. Um, I also

[2:35:22] want to shout out the police department. Um, thank you Chief Salters for um and

[2:35:26] and manager call. Can I call you Bob? >> Yes, you can.

[2:35:30] » Okay, please do. >> Bob for um keeping in contact with me

[2:35:35] with um Miss Lily being missing. Me and Miss Lily worked at Walmart together. Um

[2:35:42] » and so yeah, I know her her family really well. And so it's very

[2:35:46] unfortunate, but thank y'all for keeping in contact. Um,

[2:35:50] that's all I have. >> Yeah, that's all.

[2:35:54] » Um, I want to reiterate the request for a list of our affordable housing units

[2:36:00] that have been built recently or on the way or are funded. Um, and I know it,

[2:36:06] you know, not everybody wants to read a whole giant sheet of text. if we could

[2:36:11] somehow get something formatted similar to to how the food bank has formatted

[2:36:17] the information that they gave us. Um, >> one pager,

[2:36:20] » a one pager, you know, maybe with a list on the back. Um, you know, a lot of

[2:36:26] people digest stuff better in graphic form. Um,

[2:36:32] it would just really be nice to have something that we could share with our

[2:36:34] constituents to to let them know the hard work and the tremendous amount of

[2:36:39] dollars that are going into this effort. You know, we kind of got a late start

[2:36:44] and you know, um, and we have been trying to get ahead of the ball. Um,

[2:36:49] this affordable housing crisis was kind of a long time coming and it's only been

[2:36:54] in recent years that we we've started to really tackle it. But we are making

[2:36:58] progress and you know it you can't just wave a

[2:37:02] magic wand and affordable housing sprouts out. You can't just throw money

[2:37:06] at it and it sprouts. It takes a long time of gathering the different sources

[2:37:10] of funding and finding the property and finding the partners and you know the

[2:37:16] infrastructure and the building and you know when it's a public project there

[2:37:20] are often folks who don't want it anywhere near them. So you know goes

[2:37:23] through the process. There are a lot of hurdles to overcome and we have had some

[2:37:28] success. Um, and you know I I I think we need to tell that story better. Um, and

[2:37:35] you know tell that story better so we can hopefully attract more. Um, so yeah,

[2:37:40] if we can get a nice palatable pretty picture version of the work that we've

[2:37:46] been doing and and you know ask everybody to revisit that strategy, that

[2:37:50] plan that we I think we spent like a quarter million dollars on it and it

[2:37:54] went through a year of public input and meetings um to get it out there. So we

[2:37:59] do have a plan. We have been trying to execute that plan. We just need to tell

[2:38:04] our story better. We definitely need to do more work, but we we also need to

[2:38:08] tell our story better. >> All right.

[2:38:12] Pay compensation study and step plan. Where are we um on that? And space

[2:38:16] allocation. Mova Thornton is having a brunch with Bob this Saturday at

[2:38:22] » I'm sorry she didn't mention it. >> Is Bob on the menu or

[2:38:27] » Bob is the menu? >> So I'm wondering

[2:38:30] » 11:00 at New Grove and that's in Winterville. Um, just want to thank the

[2:38:35] police department and the sheriff for the awesome truck. It's a great

[2:38:38] community event. Welcome Christine. Um, God bless her. Um, happy, it's a little

[2:38:46] early, but I'm going to just throw this out there. Happy birthday, Mayor. Um,

[2:38:49] happy Thanksgiving. Um, and thank the North Georgia Food Bank and thank all

[2:38:54] the vets. >> Motion to adjourn.

[2:38:56] » There a second. >> Second.

[2:38:58] » All in favor, please say I. >> Any opposed? All right. at 8:40. We urge

[2:39:04] you

[2:39:09] » session on your birthday.

11-04-2025 Mayor & Commission Meeting Upload

Transcript