[4:09] Hello, everyone.
[4:13] It's right at 1:00.
[4:18] I'm going
to give the council members.
[4:21] Hello, everyone.
[4:26] I'm going to give
the council members
[4:27] a about another minute
to trickle in
[4:31] so that we can be up to at least
eight.
[4:33] Let's see. Four.
[4:35] That's it. Oh, we have eight.
[4:37] In that case,
we can get started.
[4:39] Yes we can.
[5:01] Okay.
Again. Good afternoon.
[5:02] Today is September 21st, 2026.
[5:05] I am your council president
for the Atlanta City Council.
[5:10] And you are at our full council
in our mark.
[5:14] I was going to say Martin Luther
King in our Marvin Arrington
[5:17] Council chamber and welcome.
[5:20] Madam clerk, please
call the roll.
[5:22] Good afternoon.
[5:24] Madam president,
we have council president
Marcy Color Overstreet present.
[5:27] Council member Michael Julian
Bond, post one at large council
[5:31] member Matt Westmoreland, post
two at large here.
[5:34] Council member
Collins. Post three at large.
[5:38] Councilmember Jason H.
[5:39] Winston. District one here.
[5:41] Council member Kelsey Bond.
[5:43] District two
[5:44] Council member Byron de Amos.
[5:46] District three here.
[5:48] Council member Jason
Dozier, district four present.
[5:51] Council member
Liliana Bakhtiari,
[5:53] district five present.
[5:54] Council member
Alex Wan, district six
[5:57] council member Thomas Worthy,
district seven present.
[6:00] Council member Mary Norwood,
district eight present.
[6:04] Council member Dustin Hills,
district nine present.
[6:07] Council member Andrea
Boone, district ten present.
[6:10] Council member
Wayne Martin, district 11 here
[6:12] Councilmember
Antonio Lewis, district 12.
[6:15] Let's go. Let's get it.
[6:16] Madam president, we do have
a quorum of members present.
[6:18] Thank you.
[6:20] I'll entertain
a motion to adopt the agenda.
[6:22] So moved by Lewis. Second
by Bakhtiari.
[6:25] We can do this
by unanimous consent.
[6:27] Madam clerk, please call
the count for unanimous consent.
[6:30] We have 12 year, 12 year
old nays.
[6:33] This agenda is adopted.
[6:35] That brings us
to our invocation.
[6:37] And today, our invocation
will be delivered by Pastor
[6:40] Patrick Lattimore of Greater
Fair Hill Baptist Church.
[6:45] He and his congregation
were gracious enough to
[6:50] host us
in our second presidential Town
[6:54] hall this past week,
and I want to thank Dustin
[6:57] Hillis for being our guest
speaker there.
[7:01] Thank you so much for partnering
with me.
[7:05] And I want
to thank you, pastor,
for opening up your home to us.
[7:08] And thank you for being here
today to deliver our invocation.
[7:12] Let me turn that on.
[7:17] Good morning.
[7:19] Good afternoon.
[7:20] Amen.
[7:24] We honor
President Collier Overstreet
[7:27] and the council members.
[7:29] Let us pray.
[7:32] O God of wisdom and grace.
[7:36] Lord, we come before you today
with hearts full of gratitude.
[7:40] Thanking you, first of all
for the gift of this city.
[7:43] Call it lanta.
[7:45] Lord, we thank you
for the rich tapestry
[7:47] of our neighborhoods
and for the vibrant history
[7:51] and bright
promise of this dear city.
[7:56] Lord, we thank you
for the leaders
who are gathered in this room.
[8:00] And Lord, we thank you, Lord,
[8:02] for calling them
and choosing them
[8:06] and them yielding to unselfish
service for your people.
[8:11] Lord, we ask that you grant them
[8:13] wisdom
beyond their own understanding.
[8:16] Give them clear minds,
compassionate hearts, and
[8:20] the courage to make decisions
that lift up every resident.
[8:25] Help them, the Lord,
to protect the vulnerable.
[8:28] Support all families
and be good stewards
[8:31] of our resources
with fairness and honesty.
[8:35] Remind us all, Lord,
[8:38] that true leadership is measured
by the lives
[8:41] that are improved
and impacted in our communities,
[8:44] the lives that are strengthened.
[8:47] Unite us, Lord,
in our diversities,
[8:50] bridge our divisions
and guide our hands
[8:53] as we work together
to build our beloved community.
[8:58] Lord, we ask that you root us in
justice,
[9:01] root us in peace,
but also root us in equity.
[9:06] Bless the blessed
of the deliberation today.
[9:09] Guide our steps
and watch over this great city
[9:12] called of lanta and all of those
who call it home.
[9:16] In your holy name we pray.
[9:18] Amen. Amen.
[9:20] Thank
you so much, Pastor Latimore.
[9:24] And with that,
[9:26] everyone, please
rise and join me
[9:28] in the Pledge of Allegiance.
[9:33] I pledge allegiance
[9:34] to the flag
of the United States of America.
[9:38] And to the Republic
for which it stands.
[9:41] One nation
under God, indivisible,
[9:44] with liberty
and justice for all.
[9:47] Thank you.
[9:51] Thank you so much.
[9:51] Thank you very much.
[9:59] And bring the pastor right here.
[10:05] That brings us to proclamations,
[10:07] commendations
and special awards.
[10:11] Will all those here.
[10:13] In recognition of Louise
[10:16] Thornton Hornsby,
please come forward to the desk.
[10:20] Right.
[10:30] Yes. As I echo
[10:31] the comments of our council
president,
[10:33] everyone here for the Honorable
Judge Louise T Hornsby, please
[10:37] make your way to the stage now.
[10:38] We'll make room for you
as we celebrate this great
[10:42] warrior of the law.
[10:46] Southwest Atlanta resident.
[10:57] Okay.
[11:37] As everyone's coming up,
getting settled.
[11:39] Just want to do
a little housekeeping reminders.
[11:42] As per our code,
each proclamation can only last
[11:46] a maximum of 15 minutes.
[11:50] So we'll keep that in mind.
[11:52] And today
we're we have a new process
[11:56] of making sure that our time
clock is not covered by the,
[12:03] any videos that may be running
in the background.
[12:07] This council
did a new resolution to
[12:10] impose a stop clock
that is shown at all times
[12:14] during proclamations.
[12:16] That's why
we have great receptions in our
[12:19] areas throughout the atrium,
upstairs and downstairs.
[12:23] But for this 15 minutes,
we celebrate.
[12:39] All right.
[12:43] Can we take one more opportunity
to give a round of applause
[12:45] for this honorable, woman
in the person of the honorable
[12:49] Judge Louise T Hornsby?
[12:59] It is such an
extraordinary privilege of mine.
[13:02] As a native of Atlanta
[13:04] and a graduate of Atlanta
Public schools and of Morehouse
[13:08] College to recognize
another native of Atlanta,
[13:11] a graduate of Atlanta
public schools, David
[13:13] T Howard High School,
[13:14] where my mentor and hero,
Maynard Jackson, also attended
[13:17] and an alumna of Spelman
College.
[13:20] And this amazing person.
That's right.
[13:22] This amazing person
that we're talking about
[13:25] is the honorable
Louise T Hornsby.
[13:28] We have a proclamation for her
on today.
[13:30] Council member Boone
and I, we know that it is,
[13:34] we have to take the opportunity
to celebrate all of our legends
[13:38] and heroes in this city.
[13:39] And we like to do it
while they're alive
[13:40] and can still smell the flowers.
Is that all right?
[13:42] Yeah, absolutely.
[13:44] Absolutely. In good shape.
[13:45] Looking good. Healthy.
[13:48] So what we're going to do
is start with a quick video.
[13:50] And then we'll move on
with our program.
[13:52] Please play the video.
[14:05] She may be retired,
[14:07] but when Louise Thornton Hornsby
[14:09] walks through the doors
of the practice
[14:10] she shared with her daughters,
Christy and Avis,
[14:14] she's happy to offer the benefit
of her expertise
[14:17] and her treasured
words of wisdom.
[14:20] It has been a great experience
[14:23] to be able
to come into the office and say,
[14:25] hey, I've got this case, can I,
you know, talk to you about it.
[14:31] This Atlanta native
is a mother of five,
[14:34] grandmother of ten, and great
grandmother to two.
[14:38] She's also considered
a trailblazer,
[14:41] but her path to law
was no cakewalk.
[14:43] After graduating
from Spelman College,
[14:45] her initial training came
through a legal apprenticeship.
[14:49] Then came a setback.
[14:50] She didn't pass the bar on her
first attempt,
[14:53] but her fierce tenacity
pushed her to keep going.
[14:56] Hornsby
enrolled at John Marshall
[14:58] Law School, graduating in 1965.
[15:01] One year later,
she passed the bar, becoming
[15:05] the sixth black woman to do
so in the state of Georgia.
[15:08] And initially she screamed.
[15:11] And how I passed
the bar. I passed the bar.
[15:25] Passed a bar
like a drinking establishment.
[15:28] I was like, what's she doing?
[15:30] And when she sat down
and explained what it meant.
[15:34] Pretty much around that time,
[15:36] I decided that
I was going to be a lawyer, too.
[15:40] She did more than just teach me
how to try cases.
[15:43] She taught me how to be a good
person toward other people.
[15:47] Judge Myra Dixon met Hornsby
shortly after being hired
[15:51] at the Fulton County
Public Defender's office.
[15:53] It's been 46
years of friendship.
[15:56] I knew right away
that she had a different
[15:58] kind of love for people.
[16:00] At a time
when the legal profession
[16:01] offered few seats,
if any, to black women.
[16:05] She earned hers
and left the door wide
[16:08] open for others,
including her daughters.
[16:11] I changed my major,
the criminal justice,
[16:13] because I worked in the traffic
court with her and I loved it.
[16:19] Hornsby's
career didn't stop there.
[16:22] Former
Atlanta mayor Andrew Young later
[16:25] appointed her solicitor general
for the city of Atlanta.
[16:29] But Hornsby's vision continued
[16:31] to expand, leading her
to open her own practice.
[16:34] Hornsby and Associates, in 1996.
[16:38] When her youngest, Christie,
passed the bar in 2013.
[16:41] She formed the Hornsby
[16:42] Law Firm, LLC with her
mother and sister, Avis.
[16:46] And I walked over here
and I got my little card,
[16:49] and I was part of the group
and part of the firm.
[16:53] I knew God, it blessed me.
[16:55] I allowed two of my dreams
of my career to come true,
[17:00] to be a public, to family,
and to work with my mama.
[17:04] Over five decades of service
to the community.
[17:07] Her life's work is
the blueprint.
[17:10] It's a legacy that inspires
all of us to keep going.
[17:13] We saw her working.
[17:15] We saw her moving and shaking.
[17:16] And so we always knew
anything was possible
[17:19] for a woman,
a black woman in Atlanta.
[17:23] It's no one like her.
[17:27] And there
will never be anyone like her.
[17:30] Living history.
[17:41] Proclamation
from the Atlanta City Council
[17:44] in recognition of the Honorable
Louise T Hornsby.
[17:49] And it reads.
Whereas Louise Thornton
Hornsby is a native of Atlanta.
[17:52] Distinguished attorney,
civil rights leader, advocate,
[17:56] entrepreneur and devoted mother
whose life reflects
[18:00] a legacy of perseverance,
service and achievement.
[18:03] And whereas Miss Hornsby
graduated from the David T
[18:07] Howard High School in 1954
and attended
[18:11] Spelman College before
pursuing a legal education.
[18:14] During the Jim Crow era,
[18:16] she graduated from John
Martial Law School in 1965,
[18:21] and in 2022
became the inaugural recipient
[18:25] of the law school's
Lifetime Achievement Award.
[18:28] And Whereas, Miss Hornsby
became the sixth black woman
[18:32] to pass the Georgia Bar
examination,
[18:34] and has been a member of the sta
[18:44] Beginning a legal career
spanning more than five decades.
[18:47] And Whereas,
[18:48] Miss Hornsby became the first
[18:49] African-American assistant
public
[18:51] defender in Fulton County, later
serving as a part time judge
[18:54] in the City of Atlanta
Traffic Court
[18:56] before being appointed by Mayor
Andrew Young
[18:59] to serve as solicitor
[19:00] for the City of Atlanta
Traffic Court, and Whereas,
[19:03] Miss Hornsby founded the Victim
Witness Assistance Program
[19:07] in the City of Atlanta
Traffic Court and established
Hornsby and Associates in 1996,
[19:12] later becoming the Hornsby
Law Firm, LLC,
[19:15] where she practiced
alongside her daughters
[19:18] until her retirement,
which is much deserved in 2022.
[19:21] And Whereas
throughout her career,
[19:24] Miss Hornsby has been recognized
for civil rights work
[19:26] and contributions
in the legal profession,
[19:29] including recognition
[19:31] from the
National Bar Association and the
Our Prudence Herndon Award.
[19:34] And Whereas her commitment
to serve to service
[19:37] extends
beyond the legal profession
[19:39] through her leadership
with the Georgia Women's
[19:41] Political Caucus, Pyramid
Recovery Center, Leadership
[19:45] Atlanta, the DHM RF Foundation,
[19:48] and numerous civic, legal,
and governmental organizations.
[19:52] And Whereas
[19:53] Miss Hornsby considers
her greatest achievement
[19:55] to be her five children,
including John Marshall School
[20:00] Law School graduate
Christie Hornsby Battle
and her ten grandchildren.
[20:03] And Whereas, Louise Thornton
Hornsby's life and legacy
[20:08] demonstrates
the power of education,
[20:10] perseverance, public service
[20:12] and breaking barriers
for generations to come.
[20:15] Now, therefore. Yes.
[20:22] Now, therefore
[20:23] be it proclaimed that we,
[20:24] the members
of the Atlanta City Council,
[20:26] on behalf of the residents
of Atlanta, proudly recognize
[20:30] the Honorable Louise T Hornsby
for her life's work
[20:33] and extraordinary contributions
to the legal profession,
[20:36] civil rights, public service,
the Atlanta community.
[20:40] And we celebrate her
enduring legacy of leadership,
[20:43] perseverance, and service
to generations of Atlanta, be
[20:46] it further resolved and proclaim
that this occasion serves
[20:49] as a tribute to the Honorable
Louise
[20:51] T Hornsby's enduring legacy,
steadfast faith, distinguished
[20:55] public service,
and lifelong commitment
[20:57] to empowering young people,
especially women,
[21:00] especially women
especially especially women,
[21:06] through education, mentorship,
and community service.
[21:09] Ladies and gentlemen,
today is Judge Louise
[21:12] T Hornsby Day
in the city of Atlanta.
[21:17] Council member Andrea.
[21:29] Two. This living
[21:30] legend,
this civil rights leader.
[21:33] Thank you for all you have done
for the city of Atlanta.
[21:37] Your work has not gone unnoticed
[21:40] and the history books
will reflect that.
[21:43] You were an unsung hero
in the city of Atlanta, but
[21:48] you will be sung today in your
native of Atlanta, Georgia.
[21:56] At this time.
[21:59] At this
time, we would like to hear
from the Honorable Wanda Dallas,
[22:02] Brandon Wilson, the Honorable
Keith Gammage, and nephew,
[22:06] Frank Rucker, in that order.
[22:13] I got one minute.
[22:14] Okay.
[22:15] Good afternoon. Okay.
[22:17] Distinguished city
officials, honored guest family,
[22:21] friends and colleagues.
[22:23] It's truly an honor
to stand here before you today
[22:25] to pay tribute to a woman
[22:27] who has had an extraordinary
impact on my life,
[22:29] my legal career.
[22:31] Judge Louise Hornsby.
[22:32] My first job out of law school
was at the at traffic court.
[22:37] I'd been a stay at home mom
[22:38] while attending law school,
and I want to volunteer
[22:41] at the City of Atlanta
traffic court, so I came.
[22:43] I wasn't being paid.
[22:45] And then your mom offered me
a job.
[22:48] Paying job.
I said, oh, no, I'm good.
I'll just keep volunteering.
[22:50] She said, go home
and talk to your husband
[22:52] and find out what he said.
[22:54] Well, needless to say,
he said, take the job.
[22:56] So that decision
changed the course of my life.
[23:00] You taught me to believe in
myself, have compassion
[23:03] for others, and to pursue
excellence in everything I do.
[23:06] You created a workplace
that felt like family.
[23:09] Your daughters were there.
[23:10] Everybody I can remember almost
everyone who worked there.
[23:13] We worked hard
because we respected you
[23:15] and because we wanted
to give you our very best.
[23:18] And while we were prosecutors,
you never allowed us to forget
[23:21] that our ultimate responsibility
was not simply to win.
[23:25] It was a seek justice.
[23:27] Now, I learned that when you
walked in the courtroom,
[23:29] everybody rose.
[23:31] Okay. She would say this.
[23:34] If it works like a duck and
like a duck, then what is it?
[23:39] It's a duck.
[23:40] And she would tell the jurors,
don't
[23:42] check your commonsense
at the door.
[23:43] In other words,
no matter what the evidence was.
[23:46] Don't forget
that you can figure this out
[23:48] based on your common sense.
[23:49] So I want to say one last thing.
[23:51] I'm going to make
this really, really short.
[23:54] Your greatest
lesson was respect.
[23:55] You show to every person
who came through
[23:57] the criminal justice system.
[23:58] You taught me that.
[23:59] And as I moved through my career
[24:01] for 33 years,
you've been my mentor,
[24:03] my role model, my teacher,
my family.
[24:07] The greatest
evidence of a mentors impact
is not what they teach you,
[24:09] but what you cared for
because of them.
[24:12] I carry you with me
every single day.
[24:15] The last thing when my mom
passed away, I came to you.
[24:19] And I was very heartbroken.
[24:20] And you said to me,
and I'll never forget this.
[24:22] You said your mother would be
so, so proud of the woman
[24:27] that you have become.
[24:28] And you became the mom
that I lost from that moment.
[24:31] I will never, ever let you out
of my heart, out of my life.
[24:35] And every time
I sit on that bench,
[24:37] I sit there because of you.
[24:38] Thank you so much. Thank you.
[24:41] Brandon Wilson, Brandon Wilson.
[24:55] That's a good afternoon.
My name is Brandon Hornsby
Wilson, and I'm a proud third
[24:59] generation Hornsby attorney,
having followed in the footsteps
[25:02] of my grandmother,
my mother and my aunt.
[25:06] Grandma Louise was a.
[25:09] All right, I got one minute.
[25:11] My Louise was the first
African-American female public
[25:13] defender
in the state of Georgia.
[25:15] So it is no surprise
that I pursued a similar path
[25:18] as her and my mother.
[25:20] And becoming a third generation
Hornsby public defender.
[25:23] Today, I have been tasked with
speaking on behalf of Grandma
[25:26] Louise's grandchildren,
who are here today.
[25:28] And I hate to tell you
all that makes me the favorite.
[25:31] Just for today.
[25:34] I was asked to talk
about the legacy
[25:35] of my grandmother,
and in doing so,
[25:37] I think back to a conversation
I had with my mother.
[25:39] And prior
to starting the Jeep DC,
[25:42] she said, always
introduce yourself as Brandon
[25:45] Hornsby Wilson
unless they don't like us,
[25:48] in which
case you're Brandon Wilson.
[25:51] She explained that people knew
[25:52] that the Hornsby name
in the legal community,
[25:54] and that stood for hard work
[25:56] and legal excellence,
which began
[25:58] with the trailblazing
work of my grandmother.
[26:00] I wear the name Hornsby
[26:01] very proudly,
along with my mother in art,
[26:05] but all three of us
are only afforded the ability
to carry that name with pride
[26:08] because of the pathway path
by Grandma Louise.
[26:10] Growing up always knew
I wanted to be a lawyer,
[26:13] and in the early stages of me
being a lawyer,
[26:15] I had an interaction
with a judge and the judge
[26:20] basically said
[26:21] that, well,
[26:22] I've been I'm
being a little rushed here,
[26:24] so we're
going to skip to the end.
[26:25] The the legacy of
my grandmother, Louise is one of
[26:30] being a great lawyer.
That's further expounded
by the people who are up here
[26:32] today, who carry with her
a piece of the legacy.
[26:35] I just hope that we can continue
her legacy going forward.
[26:38] Thank you.
[26:42] The Honorable Keith, followed by
Frank Rucker.
[26:45] Please come on up, Frank.
[26:47] Good afternoon.
My name is Keith Gammage.
[26:48] I serve as solicitor general
[26:50] just up the street in Fulton
County.
[26:53] I first met the amazing, amazing
Solicitor Emeritus Hornsby
[26:58] through her daughter, Avis
Hornsby, more than 20 years ago.
[27:02] Avis taught me
how to practice law.
[27:05] She taught me
as a young public defender
[27:08] based on the enriching
love of justice and balance
[27:13] that Louise T Hornsby
taught her.
[27:17] And when I was ready
to run for Solicitor General,
[27:20] I followed in the footsteps
of solicitor Meredith Hornsby.
[27:25] And she is the embodiment
of justice that has been smart,
[27:29] that is fair,
[27:31] and that is about public safety
and second chances.
[27:34] We love you. And I wouldn't be
here without you. You're here.
[27:39] Our own Frank Rucker nephew.
[27:43] And then the lady of the hour,
[27:45] the honorable judge
Louise T Hornsby.
[27:49] Well, Madam Counsel,
I want to tell him
[27:52] I had to do this,
but this is easy.
[27:54] I just want to.
[27:55] First of all, this is my honor.
[27:58] And basically, she and my mother
carried the family, you know,
[28:02] and I would say it through
our many years of just hardship.
[28:07] You know, they are,
you know, behind what we all
[28:11] became,
myself, deputy general manager
[28:13] of Hartsfield-Jackson
Atlanta National Airport.
[28:16] And they drove within us
that will to succeed.
[28:19] So we wouldn't be here
without you.
[28:22] And I'm
so glad that you're mine.
[28:24] All right.
[28:24] Thank you.
[28:28] And now the honorable Judge
Louise T Hornsby.
[28:32] If you can stand to your feet,
please stand to your feet.
[28:47] Thank you.
[28:47] Andre. Oh.
[28:55] I'm almost oma whelmed.
[29:00] But I thank you.
[29:01] I think you all for coming.
[29:03] I thank you for coming
[29:06] and honoring me today.
[29:10] I don't know what and I,
I hadn't
[29:13] prepared anything to say, but,
you know, I'm a lawyer.
[29:17] I and I must say so, you know,
that's all I.
[29:22] But anyway, I'm just glad.
[29:24] I'm glad to be here.
[29:25] In fact, I'm glad to be here,
you know?
[29:28] Really, you know,
[29:30] I thank God
first I say I thank God first.
[29:35] Amen.
You know, I thank God that and
and all my friends out here,
[29:38] I see them just out in the in
the crowd, you know,
[29:43] and, and and I'm just thankful.
[29:46] And it is not much to say,
[29:49] but thank God
for letting us all live
[29:52] and be able to do what we do
when we do it.
[29:57] All right.
[29:59] You know,
and we used to not be able to
do it when we wanted to do it,
[30:03] but now we can and thank God
for changing things.
[30:06] And he has changed them.
[30:09] And I thank him.
[30:11] And I know you thinking
[30:14] I didn't
[30:15] plan on
anything and saying anything,
[30:19] you know, and, and,
[30:21] and and that's all I can say is
I am overwhelmed
[30:25] and I'm overwhelmed with,
with with what you're doing.
[30:29] And I never thought
in all my life,
[30:34] that this would happen to me.
[30:37] And I thank you.
[30:44] And I thank my friends
for coming,
[30:48] and and I hope that that
that that
[30:51] that all is well with us
and that we can remember
[30:55] to do unto others as they would
have you do unto them.
[31:00] That's right.
And and that's all I say,
you know.
[31:03] And that's all I can say.
[31:05] God bless you.
[31:11] Let's give it up for Wayne Marx
and a young man
[31:14] who saw fit to honor
the honorable Judge Lewis.
[31:18] Thank you, Wayne Martin.
[31:20] Thank you, Wayne Martin.
[31:22] Also, part
two of this celebration
[31:26] will take place next door.
[31:28] Right next door.
[31:29] We will get a chance
to take pictures and fellowship.
[31:33] So please do not leave.
[31:34] We have a wonderful reception
planned.
[31:37] Today is Louise T Hornsby
Day in the city of Atlanta.
[31:42] And now
[31:44] and now
we will have our official photo,
[31:46] our official photo step right,
right in front of the screen.
[31:52] Thank you.
Stanley Hornsby as well.
[33:43] That's right.
[33:44] I agree 100%.
[33:50] Oh. How you doing?
[34:18] Oh. Our next proclamation
[34:25] is in recognition of coach
Charles Phillips
[34:28] Miles, College Hall of Famer.
[34:34] Presided by the Honorable
Andrea Boone.
[34:37] So she's going to switch out
hatch.
[34:51] You can go that way, too.
[34:53] Oh. You're good.
[34:55] Look, I'm looking
not even at her hand.
[34:56] How about that?
[34:57] Thank you. Welcome.
[35:00] Thank you.
[35:38] Will all those here to honor
[35:41] Coach Charles Phillips.
[35:44] Give ourselves a hand?
[35:45] Oh! Whoa!
[35:48] Come on up, everyone.
[35:50] That's here to honor Coach
Charles Phillips,
[35:54] a legend in the city of Atlanta,
[35:56] Georgia.
[36:00] From Booker
T Washington to Miles College.
[36:04] Come on up, everybody.
[36:06] We got em all here today.
[36:08] Look at this.
[36:09] He brought them out.
[36:10] He brought them out.
[36:13] He brought them out.
[36:16] That's why I came over here
early
[36:18] to say the wheel.
[36:22] You got to describe people, man.
[36:27] Come on, everybody.
[36:29] Come on up.
We got our commissioner,
Doug boss in the house.
[36:32] Come on up, Commissioner.
[36:36] Coach Tracy Alexander.
[36:38] Coach Doug Smith in the house.
[36:42] Cocoa in the house.
[36:44] Raimondo Davidson in the house.
[36:46] We got them all here today.
Look at that.
[36:48] We got pace in the house,
[36:51] y'all.
This is a big deal.
[36:55] Come on, y'all,
y'all fill in right here.
[36:57] Y'all fill in right here.
[37:10] Oh. Hey, you.
[37:16] Some people need to stay.
[38:46] Okay, everyone, please turn.
[38:49] Turn and face the camera.
[38:55] Look at this.
He brought the broader
Atlanta, Georgia out.
[39:00] Yeah, a native of Atlanta.
[39:02] Look at this, y'all.
[39:03] We we we get ready to fill
this city hall atrium up.
[39:06] Well, thank you. Cocoa.
[39:08] Come on.
[39:10] Keep the. Thank you.
[39:12] We have our commissioner,
Doug Voss here with us
[39:14] as well.
[39:21] Is the video ready?
[39:27] At this time?
[39:29] Atlanta.
We honor one of our own coach
Charles Phillips.
[39:39] And now a short video.
[39:46] My name is Jason,
and he's my dad.
[40:51] Dear.
I'm a recreation program
supervisor
[40:53] here at the city of Atlanta.
[40:55] Charles is so deserving
of this proclamation
[40:59] because he is the true
definition of what recreation
[41:03] is. My name is Paul Morgan,
[41:24] and I want to, first of all,
congratulate Charles
[41:27] on being voted into the Mouth
Hall of Fame.
[41:31] I met Charles
when he was about six years old.
[41:34] He was a little general then.
[41:36] He was always obedient.
[41:38] He wanted to participate
in everything.
[41:41] And Charles was one of
the people who came to me a lot.
[41:46] He wanted to learn everything
about everything he recreation.
[41:50] So I'm Simon. You came.
[41:52] I'm here to celebrate my dear
friend, Mr.
[41:54] Charles Phillip
on an outstanding career
[41:58] in football, Parks and rec, etc.
[42:02] so was a great mentor,
a great friend, a great boss.
[42:06] I really love how he embraced us
in the rec world.
[42:11] Well, first and foremost,
I would like to say
[42:13] congratulations
to Charles Phillips on this
[42:16] amazing accomplishment to.
[42:19] I think it's
the highest honor of the city
to receive a proclamation.
[42:22] So congratulations.
[42:24] Hey everybody, name is Nicholas
Clark.
[42:25] I'm the operational director
[42:26] of teen services
for the city of Atlanta.
[42:28] So today, I'd like to say
congratulations, Charles.
[42:31] Congratulations
on your proclamation.
[42:33] I'll tell you all the time
you're the true
[42:35] example of recreation.
[42:46] Special recognition proclamation
recognizing Coach
[42:49] Charles Phillips, the mall's
college Hall of Famer.
[42:53] Whereas Charles Phillips
is a proud native of Atlanta
[42:56] whose life respects
a long standing commitment
[42:59] to his community,
athletics and public service.
[43:02] And Whereas, raised in the John
Egan Homes community,
[43:05] Charles attended Mary Cloud
Bethune Elementary School, John
[43:09] F Kennedy
Middle School, and Booker T
[43:11] Washington High School,
where he distinguished himself
[43:14] as a three sport athlete in
baseball, football and soccer.
[43:18] And Whereas following
his graduation from Booker T
[43:20] Washington High School,
[43:22] Charles earned
a football scholarship
to Savannah State University
[43:25] before transferring to Miles
College in Birmingham, Alabama,
[43:29] where he built an outstanding
collegiate football career.
[43:32] And Whereas a three year
starter in team
[43:35] captain for the Miles College
Golden Bears,
[43:37] Charles established himself
as an exceptional strong safety,
[43:41] earning recognition
as the team's
[43:43] most valuable defensive player.
[43:44] After leading the bears
and interceptions
[43:46] and ranking second in tackles.
[43:48] And Whereas during his college
career,
[43:51] Charles recorded more than 100
tackles, five intersections,
[43:55] ten tackles for loss, 18
pass breakups and eight sacks.
[43:59] Leaving a lasting legacy
[44:00] with the Golden Bears
football program.
[44:03] Whereas in recognition
[44:04] of his exceptional athletic
achievements,
[44:07] Phillips was inducted
into the Mouse College Sports
[44:10] Hall of Fame in October 2025,
and Whereas now serving
[44:15] as Recreation Program
[44:16] Supervisor, Charles continues
to positively impact
[44:20] allow youth, young people,
families and neighborhoods.
[44:24] Now, therefore, be
it resolved that the members
[44:26] of the Atlanta City Council
now hereby proclaim today
[44:30] as Charles Phillips Day
in the city of Atlanta, Georgia.
[44:47] Our speakers
will come in this order.
[44:49] First Speaker Commissioner
Doug Vos, followed by Raymundo
[44:53] Davidson, Commissioner Doug Vos.
[45:03] Thank you.
[45:05] Thank you, Council Member
Boone and Councilmember Martin
[45:07] and all the council members
[45:09] for bringing this
proclamation forward.
[45:11] I've known Charles for 15 years.
[45:13] He never would have told me
[45:14] that he had been inducted
into the Hall of Fame.
[45:16] That's just Charles Humble.
[45:18] Charles is humble.
[45:19] But let me tell you also this
[45:21] Charles is one of the most
passionate, dedicated
[45:24] and driven individuals
I have come to known
[45:26] professionally
in the last 15 years.
[45:28] I'm going to tell you,
[45:30] I think
what's special about that,
[45:31] it has nothing to do
[45:32] with his athletic
[45:34] that has to do with
his personal characteristics
[45:36] that he brings to the table
every single day.
[45:38] I will tell you this
also is that
[45:40] many of us are looking around
the room.
[45:42] Many of us came to Parks and
Recreation through athletics.
[45:46] We did.
We had an athletic background,
Charles.
[45:47] That is only one part
of what he brings
[45:50] to the Department of Parks
and Recreation.
[45:51] Whether it's working with
[45:53] early childhood
development and Grove Park,
[45:55] whether it's working with
[45:57] Coach Michael at Dunbar,
with the teen program,
[46:00] with silk screening,
with sewing, with cooking.
[46:03] He is into all of that.
[46:04] And then I'm going
to just mention
[46:06] where is Charles senior group?
[46:07] Where are the seniors?
Charles Phillips senior group
[46:12] supporting
Aquia and the seniors.
[46:15] Charles, it's
more than about athletics.
[46:17] That's how we come to this.
[46:19] That's how we
we develop our our skills
as Department of Recreation
[46:24] staff members.
But it's a lot more than that.
Charles, congratulations.
[46:26] I am very proud
to be your teammate.
[46:28] Thank you.
[46:32] Davidson.
[46:33] Office of the mayor.
[46:39] Good afternoon.
[46:41] Charles.
[46:42] I hadn't
written the speech, but,
[46:45] I think I just hold up on it
because I.
[46:47] I don't know how valid it was,
but anyway.
[46:50] Congratulations, brother.
[46:51] Thank you for everything
you do in the city.
[46:54] Thank you for what you do
for our young people.
[46:57] You know, you're you're a part
of a brotherhood that you can't
[47:01] pledge in or be invited to or
or pay your way into.
[47:05] You have to be chosen.
[47:07] And you were chosen to be
in that brotherhood, brother.
[47:10] And not many of us have been.
[47:12] So congratulations.
We thank you for what you do.
[47:15] I'm very
proud of you. And I love you.
[47:21] Greg.
[47:22] Favors.
[47:31] Got him.
[47:32] You got me.
[47:34] You right? All right.
[47:36] Okay. That's all I need.
[47:38] I'm gonna be real.
[47:39] I'm gonna be real.
[47:39] I'll be real quick.
[47:42] I'm Charles big cousin.
[47:45] Because I'm proud of you.
[47:49] And reason why I say that
[47:50] a lot of a lot of people up here
know we from the real Atlanta.
[47:55] So being from the real Atlanta,
he experienced,
[47:58] like a lot of us did,
[47:59] saying what we can't do,
what we won't do and saying no,
[48:04] but through perseverance,
through right mentorship,
[48:08] having the right people around
you, keeping you accountable.
[48:12] He's become the man that he's
[48:14] I'm sure he dreamed
and embodied to be all his life.
[48:17] And he's still going because
he's still pointed his kids.
[48:19] He still got a lot to give back.
[48:22] And I just want to start
just by saying that,
because I only have a minute.
[48:24] I can be up here all day
because we're very proud of you
[48:27] and everything you do
and everything
[48:29] you continue
to do and you will do.
[48:37] Rosalind Flanagan.
[48:44] You got to.
[48:45] Okay.
[48:46] Oh, okay.
[48:47] Good afternoon,
everyone, and welcome.
[48:49] We're here to celebrate Charles
today, a great human being,
[48:54] an athlete.
And I been knowing Charles
since he was probably about 8
[48:56] or 9 years old from Kennedy.
[48:58] And my husband coached him,
the late Anthony Flanagan.
[49:01] And we had many shared
many times together.
[49:04] And as far as him
going to college,
[49:06] we followed him to college.
[49:07] And also, congratulations,
Charles, to your Hall of Fame
[49:11] induction and also for the city
of Atlanta recognizing you.
[49:14] It's a lot of stories
[49:15] that I can tell you
about Charles,
[49:16] but I want you to know that
Charles is a great human being
[49:19] and he loves everyone.
[49:20] And, you know,
he gets along with everyone.
[49:23] And so I thank you for
being here today to support him.
[49:27] And I thank you, Charles.
[49:28] And I pray that one day
that your jersey, your helmet
[49:32] or your shirt
will be beside your coach,
[49:34] Anthony Flanagan,
in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
[49:37] Thank you and God bless.
[49:45] Mr. Ali
Wilson, Mao's college graduate.
[49:48] Thank you. Raimondo and Ali.
[49:50] Charles Phillips
kept pushing back on this.
[49:54] These guys said
it's got to happen.
[49:56] It's got to happen.
[49:57] So thank you.
[49:58] Raimundo and Mr.
[49:59] Ali Wilson, native of Atlantans.
[50:03] Good afternoon.
[50:05] We're going
to keep this real shout.
[50:07] You know I tell folks ain't
[50:08] but two types of people
in that letter.
[50:10] Them that went to Washington
High and them they wanted to go.
[50:15] But we're
[50:16] we're really proud of Charles
when I was down there Miles.
[50:19] You know I was telling
we got somebody for you.
[50:21] So it was Charles
and DJ and death.
[50:25] They put us back on the map.
They did that, and they.
[50:27] And they did it the right way.
[50:29] You didn't
have to make them go to class.
[50:31] They went to class willingly.
So we just so proud.
[50:33] And look how he brought
that Lantern together.
[50:35] One Atlanta Hawks and
restoration versus all y'all.
[50:44] Before we
hear from the Honorable Byron
D Amos and Jason Dozier,
[50:46] I would like to recognize coach
Doug Smith, coach Tracy
[50:50] Alexander,
and the entire team in Southwest
[50:53] Atlanta for doing all
you do for the city of Atlanta.
[50:56] Thank you.
[50:57] The Honorable Byron D Amos.
[51:02] Very quickly.
You know, it's it's amazing.
[51:05] They still asking anything good
[51:07] still come out of the West Side.
[51:10] You know
[51:11] the West side
has produced some giants
[51:13] and some legends that our kids
read and hear about every day,
[51:16] but they have no idea
that they are taught and touch
[51:20] and around legends
that they have no idea about.
[51:24] Now they know about a coach,
Charles,
[51:26] because we are telling
the story.
[51:28] A young man that followed the
footsteps of Bethune Elementary
[51:31] that is now closed, Kennedy,
which is now Hollis Innovation
[51:35] Academy, and the Booker
T Washington High School
[51:39] to be able to stay here
[51:40] months, family and friends
and look out of months.
[51:42] And I see people that help
raise me.
[51:43] I see people that help guide me.
[51:45] And we're all still
standing here
[51:47] ready to do the same thing
for the next generation.
[51:49] So thank you.
[51:50] To my colleague, Councilwoman
Boone, for actually allowing me
[51:54] to present
this special recognition award,
[51:57] to coach Charles Phillips
for my old college Hall of Fame.
[52:01] I'm not going to read it all,
but he has an additional award
coming to you, brother,
[52:04] for all the places we've been
in, we can't talk about.
[52:08] Right? Right.
For all the places
we are going to go to.
[52:10] Thank you.
And I love you. Thank you.
[52:17] The honorable Jason Dozier.
[52:20] Good afternoon y'all.
[52:22] I'm going to be brief.
I just wanted to acknowledge
my brother, Coach
[52:24] Charles Phillips,
[52:25] who serves
[52:27] two of my recreation centers
in my district, both
[52:29] at K Scott Recreation
Center, over in mostly Park
[52:31] and then near to my heart
[52:33] because I live
in the Mechanicsville community,
[52:34] Dunbar Neighborhood Center
in Mechanicsville.
[52:37] And to see how this brother
serves our community
[52:41] in so many different ways,
[52:42] whether it's
for the young people
[52:43] at Dunbar, my
[52:44] my oldest daughter
has been in the parks
[52:46] recreation system out there,
and I know that she has someone
[52:49] that she could look up
to every single day
[52:50] putting the work,
giving back in this community.
[52:53] And then I know
I see a lot of my seniors
at CA Scott here today.
[52:56] And so I know that,
you know, as I get older
[52:59] and if you're still working
for the department,
[53:00] Parks and Recreation,
when I'm still out there,
[53:03] I know
I'm going to be in good hands.
[53:04] But I just want to say
thank you. Congratulations.
[53:06] And I look forward to
[53:07] to continuing to serve alongside
[53:09] you in this work
and serving our communities.
[53:10] Also,
this brother puts him work.
[53:12] I see him every every now
and then over at the city hall.
[53:16] Jill.
And so I got a workout partner
over here too.
[53:18] So that's what to say.
Thank you.
[53:19] And ladies
once again, brother. Thank you.
[53:23] Thank you to
[53:26] and the entire team.
Part two of this celebration
will happen in the City Hall.
[53:30] Atrium is going down.
Don't miss it.
[53:32] We are going to honor
Charles Phillips.
[53:35] And now for the man of the hour,
the man of this season,
[53:39] a Booker T Washington
High School graduate, miles
[53:43] College Hall of Famer, a native
son of the city of Atlanta
[53:47] Charles Phillips.
[53:55] Oh, man on TV.
[53:58] Okay.
[54:05] To the member of council.
[54:08] To the to president Overstreet.
[54:10] Thank you.
[54:11] To be a golden bear is forever.
[54:13] Miles College taught me.
[54:15] He taught me
discipline, brotherhood,
[54:16] and to represent something
bigger than myself.
[54:19] But long before Miles
direction of made me,
[54:22] they still shake me. As a kid.
[54:24] They checked my car
before they did me.
[54:26] They taught me respect how
to be on time, how to be a man.
[54:29] They kept me up the street
and showed me a different way.
[54:31] Parts of it saved my life.
[54:33] I want to say this clearly.
[54:35] The staff and I, Wrexham
are the true Hall of Famers.
[54:38] If it wasn't for a wreck sooner,
it wouldn't be a chance
[54:40] to a Hall of Famer
standing here today.
[54:42] I never forgot
where I came from.
[54:44] That is why I brought the Golden
Bear spirit back home for 20
[54:48] plus years.
For 20 plus years,
I stayed dedicated to this city,
[54:52] to our kids and summer camps,
after school
[54:54] and sports,
to my prioritized seniors.
[54:58] A safe, joyful place
to guarantee and be honored
[55:02] to our community.
Keeping doors open for
every family for 20 plus years.
[55:05] I came back to keep the doors
open for that next kid,
[55:08] just like someone
kept the doors open for me.
[55:11] I want to thank my
Park and Rec family, thankfully
[55:14] shaping me and then served
with me for more than 20 years.
[55:17] I also want to thank Ace
Book, Keep Your Brown Knit Club,
[55:22] Ramona, Daisy
Pace Union, Paula Morgan,
Sandra Morgan, and Clyde Wilson
[55:25] for your unwavering support
and belief in me.
[55:27] My sincere appreciation
to Council Member, Boone
[55:30] District ten for your leadership
and honoring me today.
[55:34] Thank you for that.
[55:38] Finally.
Finally this
this this my last. In the last.
[55:40] This is my last one.
[55:43] Thanks to my mother.
[55:45] She she she here today?
[55:48] Yeah.
[55:49] Mom, you put me in that.
[55:50] Rick's in a for a reason.
[55:52] Miles gave me the opportunity.
[55:55] Elena gave me the purpose.
[55:57] But you gave me the foundation.
[56:00] This is for every Golden Bear
pass in future.
[56:02] And this for every Leonard kid
in the rec center right now.
[56:05] Wondering
if someone believes in them.
[56:07] We believe in you.
[56:09] This is also, for every prior
[56:10] time, seeing our sisters
who taught us to keep going.
[56:13] Allowed to. You made me.
[56:15] You saved me.
[56:16] And I would never stop
serving you.
[56:18] Thank you, Golden bears.
[56:26] And now, and now and now we
[56:29] will have a our special picture
presentation.
[56:32] But we would like to recognize
Gina, president of Pace
[56:36] and doctor Thomas Gaucher,
retired educator.
[56:40] APS is here as well.
[56:47] And now
[56:49] coach Charles picture
right here.
[57:01] Okay.
[57:05] Really?
Really.
[57:10] Squeezing one one.
[1:01:11] I love you.
[1:01:17] All right.
[1:01:20] Thank you.
[1:01:21] So to you that.
[1:01:26] And now we're going to celebrate
[1:01:30] small Business Opportunity Week.
[1:01:38] Raimundo.
[1:01:40] That's that's
that's the last one.
[1:01:45] Thank you.
[1:01:46] Let us go on, you guys.
[1:01:49] Everything
[1:01:51] all right?
[1:01:55] Come on down.
[1:01:58] That's how you.
[1:02:13] I think it's been taking us up
there.
[1:02:16] Well, everyone here
for the Small Business Week
[1:02:19] proclamation,
please make your way forward.
[1:02:25] Small business
[1:02:26] opportunity week proclamation.
[1:02:29] Supporters, please come forward.
[1:02:33] Right.
[1:02:35] Congratulations.
[1:02:37] Yes. I guess. How are you?
[1:02:39] Stacy.
[1:02:40] Pleasure.
[1:02:45] Yes, yes.
[1:02:47] How are you?
[1:02:48] Good to see you all.
[1:02:51] Good, good.
[1:02:53] All right.
[1:02:56] Is it right?
[1:02:57] Right.
[1:03:03] We know that
our state of Georgia
[1:03:07] and the city of Atlanta.
[1:03:11] Both have a rich history.
[1:03:23] All right,
[1:03:25] you ready?
[1:03:26] That's it.
[1:03:27] All right.
[1:03:32] This proclamation
will be presided
[1:03:33] by the Honorable Wayne Martin.
[1:03:36] Thank you so much,
Madam President.
[1:03:37] We know that
the state of Georgia
[1:03:39] and the city of Atlanta both
have, rich and storied histories
[1:03:43] in the promotion and celebration
of small businesses.
[1:03:48] Our number one
employer in our state
and within our city.
[1:03:50] And we found it
not robbery to spend time today
[1:03:54] recognizing small business
opportunity week
[1:03:57] in the city of Atlanta
with a proclamation,
[1:04:00] from this city
council of Atlanta.
[1:04:02] And it reads, whereas
[1:04:03] the state of Georgia
is proud to be recognized
[1:04:05] as the number one
state for business,
[1:04:07] supported by a competitive,
business climate and thriving
[1:04:11] community of small businesses,
entrepreneurs across the state.
[1:04:15] And whereas, small business
on the backbone of Georgia's
[1:04:18] economy, representing
more than 1.2 million businesses
[1:04:22] and employing more than 1.7
million Georgians across diverse
[1:04:26] industries and communities,
and whereas Atlanta's
[1:04:29] small businesses, entrepreneurs
[1:04:31] and locally owned enterprises
are essential to the city's
[1:04:34] economic vitality, creating
jobs, driving innovation,
[1:04:38] strengthening neighborhoods
[1:04:38] and contributing
to the unique character
[1:04:40] and prosperous
prosperity of communities.
[1:04:44] And Whereas
Georgia's small businesses
drive innovation, create jobs,
[1:04:47] and strengthen
our local community
[1:04:49] to the state's long term
economic growth,
[1:04:51] resilience and prosperity.
[1:04:53] And whereas organizations like
the Georgia Business Council
[1:04:56] work to develop, convene and
advocate for small businesses
[1:05:00] by helping companies build
capacity, strengthen supply
[1:05:03] chain readiness, expanding
connections and access.
[1:05:06] And Whereas, Georgia's
small businesses,
[1:05:09] entrepreneurs and locally owned
enterprises are essential
[1:05:12] to the city's economic
vitality, creating jobs, driving
[1:05:16] innovation,
strengthening neighborhoods
[1:05:18] and contributing
to the unique character
[1:05:20] and prosperity
of all communities. And whereas.
[1:05:25] Give me one moment here.
[1:05:28] The collaboration
between small business,
[1:05:31] corporate partners, government
agencies and community
[1:05:34] organizations help strengthen
Georgia's business ecosystem,
[1:05:38] support workforce development,
and create pathways for success.
[1:05:41] And Whereas,
Small Business Opportunity
[1:05:43] Week serves as a time
to recognize and celebrate the
[1:05:47] resilience
and economic contributions
[1:05:49] of Georgia's small businesses
[1:05:52] while encouraging
continued investment
in entrepreneurship, innovation
[1:05:55] and business
growth across the state.
[1:05:57] Now, therefore,
[1:05:59] be it
proclaimed that we,
the members of the Atlanta City
[1:06:01] Council, on
behalf of the residents
of Atlanta,
[1:06:02] do hear about recognizing
the important contributions
[1:06:05] of small businesses
[1:06:06] and entrepreneurs
to the economic vitality
[1:06:09] and prosperity of our city
and state.
[1:06:11] Commend
the Georgia Business Council
[1:06:13] and its partners
for their commitment
[1:06:15] to supporting small business
growth and opportunity,
[1:06:17] and designate September
20th 1 to 25, 2026,
[1:06:22] as Small Business Opportunity
Week in our great city
[1:06:25] and we encourage all residents,
business, community leaders
[1:06:29] and organizations to recognize
and support the small businesses
[1:06:32] that strengthen
our communities, create
[1:06:34] opportunities, and help drive
Atlanta's continued
[1:06:37] economic success.
[1:06:38] We celebrate Georgia's
Small Business Opportunity Week.
[1:06:45] Now we will have remarks.
[1:06:48] What's the name?
[1:06:50] Berry love for Mr.
[1:06:51] Berry? Love, right.
[1:06:54] All right.
[1:06:58] Good afternoon.
My name is Barry Love,
and I am the managing director
[1:07:02] of a AI powered technology firm
called Get Real Time Feedback.
[1:07:06] And I'm extremely proud to stand
before you today
[1:07:09] as the chair of the Information
technology group
[1:07:13] within the Georgia Business
Council's Small Business Input
[1:07:18] Committee, it's truly an honor
to join the City Council
[1:07:23] today as we recognize
Small Business Opportunity Week.
[1:07:27] As a small business owner,
I know firsthand
[1:07:31] growing a business
takes more than a great idea.
[1:07:34] It takes perseverance, access
to opportunity,
[1:07:38] strong relationships,
and a community
[1:07:41] that believes in the value
that small businesses bring.
[1:07:44] This is why the recognition
is so important.
[1:07:47] Small businesses are creating
jobs, bringing
[1:07:50] new ideas, innovation
to the marketplace.
[1:07:54] Investing in our neighborhoods
and contributing every day to
[1:07:58] Atlanta's economic strength.
[1:08:01] I also want to recognize the
[1:08:03] small business owners
that are here with us today.
[1:08:06] Thank you for taking the risk.
[1:08:08] Doing the work and continuing to
build your success strengthens
[1:08:13] not only your business,
but our entire community.
[1:08:18] On behalf of the Georgia
Business Council's
Small Business Input Committee,
[1:08:21] thank you
to the Atlanta City Council
[1:08:23] for recognizing Small Business
[1:08:25] Opportunity Week
and for supporting
[1:08:27] an environment
where small businesses
[1:08:30] can connect, grow and compete.
[1:08:34] We appreciate this proclamation
and look forward to continuing
[1:08:37] to work together
[1:08:38] to strengthen Atlanta's
small business community.
[1:08:42] Very proud to stand here
under the leadership
[1:08:44] of several of
[1:08:48] my colleagues
within the organization,
[1:08:51] specifically Vanessa, Sanji,
[1:08:56] Emily.
But our illustrious leader,
Stacey Key,
[1:08:58] who really has done
a phenomenal job in guiding us.
[1:09:02] So for more information on the
organization, please feel free.
[1:09:06] W w w Georgia Council
[1:09:09] and thank you
so very much for this honor.
[1:09:11] Thank you very much. All right.
[1:09:15] Any of my
[1:09:17] colleagues
would like to come forward
and offer brief remarks
[1:09:19] before we move on
to our picture.
[1:09:20] Taking time.
[1:09:22] Councilmember Alex one.
[1:09:27] Thank you, Councilmember
Martin, for doing this.
[1:09:29] I think this is a well deserved
proclamation and time
[1:09:33] to illuminate and highlight
the importance of small business
[1:09:36] businesses here in Georgia.
[1:09:37] Here in Atlanta,
[1:09:38] my father was a small business
owner,
[1:09:40] and I think
the unsung piece of it is,
[1:09:42] and why it's so important,
is I reflecting back now
[1:09:46] on my childhood,
I realized how much he invested
[1:09:49] and dedicated and sacrificed
to make that happen.
[1:09:52] And it is because of that
[1:09:54] commitment
that our small businesses have
[1:09:56] that they become such
an integral part
[1:09:58] of our communities.
[1:09:59] They're there and determined
to weather everything, and may
[1:10:03] not have the same kind of,
[1:10:05] gumption to stick it out that
[1:10:08] an outsider or a large company
may make a different
[1:10:11] have different calculus
on those decisions.
[1:10:13] But I just do think
it's important
[1:10:14] that we continue
to lift and support
[1:10:17] and find ways to help develop
and nurture and foster
[1:10:21] this important part of our,
our economic ecosystem
[1:10:24] and also just respect
all the work
[1:10:26] that all of y'all do,
because it is
[1:10:28] one of the things
that you just have
[1:10:30] to stay through the good times
and the bad times,
[1:10:32] the tough times
and the easy times.
[1:10:34] But just for the small business
community to know that that
[1:10:37] support network
is there from that for them,
[1:10:39] I think is critical to, again,
helping them
[1:10:42] stay committed to their success.
[1:10:43] So, Councilmember Martin,
thank you for doing this.
[1:10:45] Thank you.
Councilmember. All right.
[1:10:49] Let's go down and take a photo.
[1:12:01] You. Okay.
[1:12:06] So that completes our
[1:12:09] proclamations
and special awards section.
[1:12:12] We are moving on to any remarks
by our council members.
[1:12:16] This is the time when
[1:12:20] you can express condolences and
we can take moments of silence.
[1:12:23] Does anyone want to do that?
[1:12:26] Council Member Amos,
[1:12:28] thank you, Madam President.
[1:12:30] I want to make sure we stop
and as a city
[1:12:34] to send our condolences
to the family of,
[1:12:39] Reverend Ella Graham,
[1:12:42] or the Harvey Holmes community.
[1:12:45] We lost Miss Graham, last week,
[1:12:48] a couple of days
after our senior day out.
[1:12:51] Reverend Graham was the warrior
[1:12:54] for the Vale Holmes, community,
[1:12:57] never letting up an opportunity
to advocate for her community.
[1:13:03] We celebrated the community
organization.
[1:13:05] I think it was 65 years
last year,
[1:13:08] and she had been there
for all of the celebrations.
[1:13:12] But more importantly, as we do
this work day to day here
[1:13:14] in the city, Miss Carla
Smith, who actually works in,
[1:13:19] Atlanta.
[1:13:20] Dot you know, the only thing
[1:13:22] Reverend Graham wanted was her
streets paved and her community.
[1:13:26] And I am proud to say that,
Miss Smith,
[1:13:29] you got this done for
Miss Graham so she could ride
[1:13:33] through her streets,
turn into her neighborhood,
[1:13:35] as she say,
without in the pothole.
[1:13:38] So, the work that we do
every day touches the lives
[1:13:41] of individuals
[1:13:42] that we really don't know
[1:13:43] how important it is, but
I just want to bring that up.
[1:13:46] And also, just like I said,
send our words of condolences
[1:13:49] to the family.
Thank you, thank you.
[1:13:51] Any other council members?
[1:13:53] Council member bond.
[1:13:57] Thank you.
Madam President,
I want to add my
[1:13:58] voice of condolences
to the Graham family.
[1:14:00] When I was first
elected to district three.
[1:14:05] One of the biggest issues
in Harwell
[1:14:07] Holmes was putting
a traffic light there,
[1:14:11] what was then
Hightower Road and Harwell Road,
[1:14:14] with several people
coming out of that subdivision.
[1:14:17] We either hit a few were killed,
and of course the
[1:14:21] children leaving Douglas
high schools
[1:14:24] very dangerous
because they couldn't
[1:14:26] didn't have a light
to cross the street.
[1:14:28] Mr. Graham,
when I first was elected,
[1:14:31] sat me down in her home,
and that was issue
[1:14:35] number one, you know,
that she was having him for.
[1:14:39] She just was an amazing woman.
[1:14:42] She cared and loved her
community.
[1:14:46] Was really the
the red blood cells
[1:14:49] and the blood of that community
very intricately.
[1:14:52] And want to extend
my condolences as well.
[1:14:56] Councilmember Amundsen,
thank you for bringing that up.
[1:14:59] But I also want to
[1:15:02] acknowledge
the passing of Gerald, two of my
[1:15:04] my uncle Ronnie Robinson,
who lost his life.
[1:15:10] Saturday before last and will be
funeral ized tomorrow.
[1:15:14] Native Atlanta loved
the city, loved his family.
[1:15:18] And he'll be sorely missed.
[1:15:23] Okay.
[1:15:24] Thank you.
[1:15:25] Any other council members?
[1:15:32] Okay.
For these mentioned today
and others not mentioned.
[1:15:37] Let's take a moment of silence.
[1:15:50] Thank you.
[1:15:53] Okay.
So that brings us to the remarks
by the public.
[1:15:56] We'll now hear
remarks from the public.
[1:15:57] Each speaker will have
two minutes or up to ten minutes
[1:16:01] with donated time
pursuant to our city code
[1:16:05] who have received donated time.
[1:16:07] You'll be placed
at the end of the speakers list,
[1:16:11] but let's get
started on our list.
[1:16:14] We're going to start
with our first three.
[1:16:15] That will be Michael Collins,
Henry Jordan, and Noble Atom.
[1:16:20] L, and you each have
two minutes.
[1:16:24] Please come forward.
[1:16:25] Michael Collins,
you have two minutes.
[1:16:28] Okay.
[1:16:33] We'll start over.
[1:16:34] Okay. Thank you.
[1:16:36] My name is Michael Collins,
and I'm with Etel.
[1:16:39] Etel opposes the proposed
sale of the Atlantic City
[1:16:42] Detention Center
to Fulton County.
[1:16:45] Playfair.
Etel cares about this because
[1:16:47] our coalition came together
around a simple principle.
[1:16:50] Major decisions about Atlanta's
future
[1:16:52] should put communities first
and should be made transparently
[1:16:56] with meaningful public
participation.
[1:16:58] That applies to the World Cup,
the Super Bowl, but also applies
[1:17:02] to decisions about public
safety, public resources,
[1:17:05] workers, and the kind of city
we are building
[1:17:09] with the community over
Cage's coalition.
[1:17:11] We just held a press conference
this morning
[1:17:13] where many people spoke out
against the sale,
[1:17:16] including people
who were directly involved
[1:17:18] in the original process
to reimagine AC, DC,
[1:17:21] that history matters.
[1:17:23] Atlanta asked people to invest
their time and expertise
[1:17:26] in imagining a different future
for this facility,
[1:17:29] and for how our city responds
to people in crisis.
[1:17:32] We cannot simply discard
that work without explaining
[1:17:35] what changed and why.
[1:17:38] It'll
also raised concerns about AC,
DC workers.
[1:17:41] We absolutely care
about what happens to them.
[1:17:44] The reimagining process
[1:17:45] contemplated a transition
for those workers.
[1:17:49] The answer should be a
just transition that protects
[1:17:52] workers, not abandoning
the broader vision.
[1:17:55] I want to applaud Council Member
Amos.
[1:17:59] Great suit, by the way.
[1:18:00] Louis Worthy Collins,
great name, Kelsey Bond
[1:18:04] and Michael Julian Bond.
[1:18:06] Good first and last name
for raising serious concerns
[1:18:09] and asking important questions
[1:18:11] at last week's public
safety meeting.
[1:18:13] I appreciate the council
holding this work session
[1:18:17] so these questions
can be addressed publicly,
[1:18:19] but there is
a major contradiction here.
[1:18:22] At the same time,
the mayor is pursuing this sale.
[1:18:24] The administration is taking
actions that threaten Pad,
[1:18:27] one of the one of Atlanta's
most important alternatives
[1:18:31] to arrest and incarceration.
[1:18:33] It's incredibly frustrating
to watch the city move forward
[1:18:36] towards expanding a jail
approach, while undermining Mr.
[1:18:40] kind of diversion
the city needs.
[1:18:42] Thank you. Thank you.
[1:18:44] Henry
Jordan, you have two minutes.
[1:18:48] United three. Two.
[1:18:49] God, everyone is here.
[1:18:51] Deliver me from my enemies.
[1:18:52] Oh my God, defend me from them
that rise up against me.
[1:18:57] Psalms 59, chapter verse.
[1:19:00] First, though
David was Saul, son in law,
Saul sent me in to kill him.
[1:19:04] I had a vision
when the Lord revealed
[1:19:06] that I was telling you
the truth.
[1:19:08] Then you start returning the
income Jesus created through me.
[1:19:11] Submit yourselves,
therefore the God
[1:19:14] resist the devil,
and he will flee from you.
[1:19:17] James Forbes, chapter
seven verse is this the devil?
[1:19:20] Do not submit
to fear of flee from Satan,
[1:19:23] but saying against him.
[1:19:24] Jesus, give us the power
to stand against Satan.
[1:19:27] I shall not die, but live and
declare the works of the Lord.
[1:19:31] Psalms 118, chapter 17,
verse next, and verses 5 to 18.
[1:19:36] The King
[1:19:38] then leads the problem
in worship
[1:19:41] with himself as the speaker,
though interrupted
[1:19:45] at times by anthropoid reframes
offered by the people
[1:19:51] receive us.
[1:19:53] We have wronged no man's.
[1:19:55] We have corrupted no man.
[1:19:57] We have defrauded
no man's sacraments.
[1:19:59] In seven, chapter 11 verse.
[1:20:01] Jesus desires for me to receive
pay for the work he's
[1:20:04] doing through me.
[1:20:05] It's for the protection
of his people.
[1:20:08] The reason he created
the gift in me.
[1:20:11] Thank Jesus for your cooperation
in this matter.
[1:20:15] Obey Jesus if you're not asked.
[1:20:20] If you do not ask
for destruction,
[1:20:24] a lot of people will die
because you
[1:20:27] because of your grief
for the money.
[1:20:30] When you get money
[1:20:32] that's not really yours
and you take credit for it.
[1:20:35] Then you work in deceit,
defrauded shipping.
[1:20:38] Treachery is the way of
the flesh that leads to death.
[1:20:41] And we want life and not death.
[1:20:44] That's when I try to speak
the Word of God.
[1:20:46] The Word of God has life for us
that we need, and I know I
[1:20:50] need it.
[1:20:52] Thank you.
[1:20:53] Noble and l.
[1:20:57] Greetings.
[1:20:58] I'm noble
at El Moorish American,
[1:21:02] better known as a more.
[1:21:04] And today I'm going to present
my nationality card.
[1:21:07] Because a lot of people act
[1:21:09] or don't know what a national
he is.
[1:21:12] So from nationality card, it
reads,
[1:21:16] American national identification
card societies,
[1:21:22] birth rights and Appalachian
anthem poker el
[1:21:27] and says the national.
[1:21:28] My national domicile
is North America.
[1:21:31] My race is human.
[1:21:33] To be a national.
[1:21:36] You have to be part
of the human race and being part
of the human race.
[1:21:40] That means you have a land,
a nation,
[1:21:42] and as a member of the land,
you are a national.
[1:21:47] My ancestors estate is North
America,
[1:21:50] Central America, and Mexico.
[1:21:53] Another name for Africa.
[1:21:55] Ancient
name for the continent. Africa.
[1:21:57] America. Okay. And,
[1:22:01] I started
[1:22:02] by me and says, all rights
reserved and retained.
[1:22:06] Freehold by birthright
from a gentle and inheritance.
[1:22:10] Aboriginal native American
[1:22:14] heirs of North America.
[1:22:16] National people of the land.
[1:22:18] Divine law.
[1:22:20] United States Code of Law, title
22, chapter two,
[1:22:25] section 141 for one of a general
[1:22:30] and permanent character a 222141
[1:22:34] not taxed by the Constitution
and it says Constitution.
[1:22:39] Article one, section two,
clause three.
[1:22:44] Treaties.
[1:22:45] All officers, department agents,
[1:22:50] employees,
personnel and assigns, etc.
[1:22:54] are bound by oath
[1:22:56] to uphold
and support the Constitution
[1:22:58] for the United States
of America.
[1:23:01] Republic. Thank you.
[1:23:03] That's two minutes.
[1:23:04] Okay.
Thank you so much for coming.
[1:23:07] Our next three speakers, Thomas
Leary,
[1:23:10] Cody Turner, and Jan Rivers.
[1:23:13] You each have two minutes.
You can come forward.
[1:23:21] Everyone,
I'm here to speak
in support of Beltline Rail.
[1:23:25] Council members.
There's no technology
more proven in all human history
[1:23:30] than the train.
Not the car, not autonomous
pods, not pneumatic tubes
[1:23:34] flying in the air,
not whatever it is.
[1:23:36] Elon Musk is trying to do
[1:23:37] in the tunnels
under Las Vegas trains.
[1:23:40] They've tried a million times
to beat trains
[1:23:42] and it just hasn't been done.
You just can't beat them.
[1:23:44] So you can imagine my confusion
and frustration sometimes when,
[1:23:49] elected officials at every level
of government expressed doubt
[1:23:51] towards most efficient
and licensed
[1:23:53] form of transportation
ever yet devised.
[1:23:58] You know,
imagine a senator
rolling their eyes
[1:23:59] at the very concept of indoor
plumbing.
[1:24:01] And how would you react
[1:24:02] if the governor insisted
that we conduct a dozen studies
[1:24:05] before we introduced
this new fangled electricity?
[1:24:08] You know, today we have a chance
to finally do the right thing.
[1:24:12] Let's support rail.
[1:24:14] You know,
instead of entertaining a dozen
[1:24:17] bad ideas, let's instead enact
a good idea.
[1:24:20] The best idea.
[1:24:22] In fact,
let's show the world that Lanta
isn't a city of dithering
[1:24:25] do nothings,
[1:24:26] but rather a city
[1:24:26] that recognizes
[1:24:27] the brilliance
of of common sense
[1:24:30] and when to embrace
in a good idea
[1:24:31] whose time has long since come.
[1:24:33] City council members.
[1:24:34] Mayor Andre
Dickens build this train.
[1:24:41] Thank you.
[1:24:42] Cody Turner,
you have two minutes.
[1:24:46] Thank you.
[1:24:48] My name is Cody Turner.
I'm here to voice my support
for Beltline rail.
[1:24:50] I'll admit, I'm
a newcomer to Atlanta.
[1:24:52] I was born in Georgia,
[1:24:54] but I've only lived in Atlanta
for the last 16 years,
[1:24:57] which is far less time than many
other people in this room.
[1:25:00] But I love Atlanta,
[1:25:01] and I want to live here
for the rest of my life.
[1:25:03] I want to raise a family here,
[1:25:05] but to do that,
I need Beltline rail.
[1:25:08] I live in Atlanta without a car,
[1:25:10] and I can tell you
that it's never been better to
[1:25:12] live without a car in Atlanta
than it is right now.
[1:25:15] But we could make it
even better,
[1:25:17] and we could make that possible
for hundreds of thousands
[1:25:19] of other people
if we build Beltline rail.
[1:25:22] I've been a supporter
of Beltline Rail
[1:25:24] since I attended
my first public meeting in 2014.
[1:25:28] I was inspired by the scope
and the goals of the Beltline.
[1:25:31] It wasn't just a single project
affecting one neighborhood.
[1:25:35] It was a vision
to reconnect a city.
[1:25:39] And so once
I understood that the Beltline
[1:25:41] was going to transform Atlanta,
I was all in.
[1:25:43] I attended every meeting
I could.
[1:25:45] And in 2019, I was asked to join
Beltline University, where Abi
[1:25:50] spent six weeks educating us
into all of the project details.
[1:25:54] And that started
and it ended with Beltline Rail.
[1:25:58] So that's how I know Beltline
[1:25:59] rail is not just a bike
path or a walking trail.
[1:26:02] It is those things,
[1:26:04] but it's a transit corridor
[1:26:05] and the Beltline
is a transit project.
[1:26:08] The mayor said a year ago
[1:26:09] that he wanted to start
with the West Side.
[1:26:11] That sounds great.
[1:26:12] Last year,
I asked Abi when we could expect
[1:26:15] Beltline rail on the west side,
and they said seven years.
[1:26:18] It's a year later.
[1:26:19] Are we a year closer?
[1:26:21] I don't know.
[1:26:22] Abi won't make comments
and the mayor changes his answer
[1:26:26] every time
that I've heard him asked.
[1:26:28] So I don't think this resolution
is asking anything new.
[1:26:31] It's only asking that
the mayor, Abi and Marta
[1:26:36] show the progress
that they've made to deliver
this promise to Atlanta.
[1:26:39] So I thank the City Council
for supporting this resolution,
[1:26:42] and I thank Council Member Bond
[1:26:43] for having the courage
to lead on keeping this promise.
[1:26:46] Thank you. Thank you.
[1:26:50] Jan Rivers.
[1:26:52] You have two minutes.
[1:26:56] Hello, Council.
My name is Jan Rivers. I'm
a City of Atlanta native.
[1:26:59] I live in Kirkwood and Liliana
Bakhtiari district.
[1:27:03] And I also want to thank you
for supporting most of you
[1:27:07] for supporting this resolution.
[1:27:10] Atlanta voters have already paid
multiple
[1:27:12] hundreds of millions of dollars
in taxes via
[1:27:14] the more Marta referendum
past ten years ago
[1:27:18] that went towards this,
and many more projects
[1:27:20] that have not yet
been delivered.
[1:27:22] But good news,
we can still deliver this.
[1:27:26] And so Beltline Beltline
trail is a good idea.
[1:27:30] We want this.
[1:27:31] The people want this.
[1:27:32] Your constituents want this.
[1:27:34] I want to emphasize that passing
this resolution is doing
[1:27:37] what City Council can do
to fulfill the commitment
[1:27:40] made to Beltline
Rail ten years ago.
[1:27:43] The people we have done our part
[1:27:45] ten years ago
by passing the more Marta tax.
[1:27:48] And then more recently
we have connected
[1:27:51] grassroots
wise with everyone in the city.
[1:27:54] And again,
I am that your constituents do
[1:27:58] want Beltline rail.
We know this.
[1:28:00] So now the people have done
our part.
[1:28:03] City council is doing your part.
[1:28:05] I call on Council member
one Worthy and Norwood to also,
[1:28:12] pass this resolution.
[1:28:13] And so now we need for the mayor
and Abi and Marta
[1:28:17] to prepare the plans
and report to council
[1:28:20] to implement the People's
Project Beltline Rail,
[1:28:24] and to present plans
for its funding
[1:28:26] and a timeline to completion.
[1:28:28] Thank you.
[1:28:29] Thank you.
[1:28:32] Our next three speakers
[1:28:35] Clary Mahaffey, Shakti Dias,
[1:28:39] Matt Bass those are the next
three speakers
[1:28:42] who each have two minutes.
[1:28:44] You can come forward.
[1:28:47] You have two minutes.
[1:28:53] I cannot afford a car.
[1:28:55] I'm a DoorDash bike courier
[1:28:56] forced into the gig economy
by Donald Trump's policies.
[1:28:59] I'm an ordinary working at
Lannon, barely making ends meet
[1:29:04] since I first moved out and
got my own place a decade ago.
[1:29:08] My rent has doubled,
my grocery bills have tripled,
[1:29:11] my earnings have only increased
by about 20%.
[1:29:16] Unlike the wealthy business
owners who oppose Beltline rail,
[1:29:18] Marta bike and foot are my
only forms of transportation.
[1:29:23] I spent eight
hours a day on the Beltline
[1:29:25] doing this
exhausting work in all weather.
[1:29:27] Rain or shine. Snow
or heat wave?
[1:29:30] I've worked through heat
indices of over 100 nearly
[1:29:33] every day this summer,
blistering even for Atlanta.
[1:29:36] Time and again I've worked.
[1:29:37] And as I've worked,
I've seen our seniors
[1:29:39] struggling down the beltline,
hunched over walkers as scooters
[1:29:43] zoom around them,
[1:29:44] walking
miles in the dangerous heat
[1:29:46] just to get to
the grocery store.
[1:29:49] I've watched people in
wheelchairs struggle up hills.
[1:29:51] I've watched parents
[1:29:52] with young kids
try and wrangle them in traffic.
[1:29:55] I am lucky enough
I can get around on my bike.
[1:29:57] But not everyone is.
[1:29:59] The Beltline, as it stands,
is not for everyone.
[1:30:02] As a city, we too often fall
short on accessibility.
[1:30:05] I see missing or flooded curb
cuts.
[1:30:08] Buildings with no ramps or
ramps is only an afterthought.
[1:30:10] Streets with missing or broken
sidewalks or walking paths
[1:30:13] unnecessary, unnecessarily
interrupted by a single stare.
[1:30:18] To live is to age.
[1:30:20] One day you too
[1:30:22] will will be unable to drive,
bike or walk long distances.
[1:30:27] Beltline rail will give our
elderly and disabled neighbors
[1:30:32] unprecedented
access to our city.
[1:30:33] The Beltline is a good start,
but by adding light rail,
[1:30:36] we can put other cities to shame
and be a leader
[1:30:39] among American cities
in accessibility.
[1:30:41] Thank you.
[1:30:43] Thank you.
[1:30:51] Good afternoon, Council members.
[1:30:52] My name is Shakti Das.
[1:30:53] I'm a constituent from DeKalb
County.
[1:30:55] Speaking on behalf of the.
[1:30:57] Speaking in support of the
resolution made by Kelsey Bond
for the Beltline Rail.
[1:31:01] My first date with my romantic
partner was possible
[1:31:04] because of Marta.
[1:31:05] We went to Raghuram
and Java Lords
[1:31:07] over in Little Five Points,
and what I did was I took Marta
[1:31:10] over to the park Reynolds Town
station.
[1:31:14] The date ended with me
[1:31:15] sharing a kiss with them
[1:31:16] before they dropped me off
at said station.
[1:31:19] And we have been basically
inseparable ever since.
[1:31:22] There was a point
where I lived up in Roswell,
[1:31:26] and I was part of Atlanta's
burgeoning
[1:31:28] storytelling community,
where I would take bus route 185
[1:31:33] from Roswell
all the way down
to North Spring Station,
[1:31:35] then take that
all the way downtown
[1:31:37] to attend these meetings
and just share stories
[1:31:39] with people
and make a lot of friends.
[1:31:41] And I went there
so often, month by month,
[1:31:45] that I eventually became
someone who would be involved
in creating these events.
[1:31:47] They're no longer held
at the venue anymore,
[1:31:49] but I hold
that community dear to me.
[1:31:54] Not to mention
an endless amount of concerts
[1:31:55] and endless
amount of social experiences.
[1:31:57] And this very city
Council meeting, which I came to
[1:32:00] by walking from five point
stations.
[1:32:03] Here is the gist.
[1:32:06] When you give
people sustainable,
affordable public transit
[1:32:08] that doesn't require
the high cost of gas,
[1:32:10] that doesn't require
a high monthly payment on a car,
[1:32:14] and that doesn't require
putting their life
on the line on Georgia highways.
[1:32:16] Something I'm
sure that all of us,
[1:32:18] everyone in this room
can relate to.
[1:32:19] And don't get me started on how
[1:32:20] I 285 is consistently ranked
[1:32:22] as one of the deadliest highways
in the nation.
[1:32:25] When you give people
sustainable,
affordable public transit,
[1:32:27] they find opportunity
and community.
[1:32:30] I have spent years
defending Marta,
[1:32:32] talking about the experiences
it has allowed me to have,
[1:32:36] while acknowledging that
a desperately needs expansion
in state
[1:32:37] funding and the Beltline rail
is an incredible start to that.
[1:32:41] It will give so many people
[1:32:43] the access and community
they need ASAP.
[1:32:45] I have waited years
to see an expansion to transit
[1:32:49] in Atlanta like this,
so more people can see Atlanta
in a visceral, nuanced way.
[1:32:52] The way
that I see it. Thank you.
[1:32:57] Thank you.
[1:32:58] Our next speaker, Matt Bass.
[1:33:00] You have two minutes.
[1:33:02] Thank you.
Good afternoon Council.
[1:33:03] My name is Matt Bass.
[1:33:05] I'm an attorney here in town.
[1:33:06] Many of you I have known for
going on two decades.
[1:33:10] A couple of you at this point.
[1:33:12] I'm here today
in support of Beltline Rail.
[1:33:15] I'm asking you to build it.
[1:33:16] We, ten years ago
started funding this project.
[1:33:20] And I think it's high
past time that we at least
get started on it.
[1:33:23] I would like to see it
before I die.
[1:33:25] And I don't know about you guys,
but I'm more than halfway
[1:33:27] done at 45.
[1:33:28] I don't know where you are,
[1:33:30] but I would like to see this
before we die.
[1:33:32] So I'm asking you, please
[1:33:34] get started on the Beltline
rail. Now.
[1:33:36] Deliver on the
[1:33:37] the thing we've been funding
for ten years,
[1:33:39] and let's move Atlanta forward.
[1:33:41] Thank you so much. Thank you.
[1:33:45] Our next
three speakers Bentley Hudgins,
[1:33:49] Lucas Carter, Ivan Stack.
[1:33:53] You each have two minutes.
[1:33:54] Bentley. Hudgins two minutes.
[1:33:58] Good afternoon, Council members.
[1:34:00] Thank you all for having us.
[1:34:01] My name is Bentley Hudgins.
[1:34:03] I'm the Democratic nominee
[1:34:04] for Georgia's
90th state house district,
[1:34:07] which covers
the majority of the city
of Atlanta and DeKalb County.
[1:34:10] I come today to support
Councilmember bonds.
[1:34:13] Resolution.
[1:34:14] Joined by many of you here.
[1:34:16] I just want to emphasize
a couple of points.
[1:34:18] We should fund the full 22 mile
loop.
[1:34:22] And in our city,
like has been said before,
[1:34:25] increasing access
through expanding public transit
[1:34:27] is not just an accessibility
issue.
[1:34:29] It's also a way for working
class people
[1:34:31] to be able to get around
and reduce the amount of people
[1:34:34] on our roads and take action.
[1:34:38] Now for the worsening
climate crisis.
[1:34:40] That will just make things
[1:34:41] even more stressful
for our infrastructure.
[1:34:44] Atlanta is a climate refuge,
and being able to anticipate
[1:34:49] an influx of more residents
as our city grows is important,
[1:34:52] and making sure that everybody
in our city can get around.
[1:34:56] Atlanta is behind on transit,
which is wild
[1:34:58] because our city was founded
on public transit.
[1:35:01] If you walk around
the city of Atlanta like I do,
[1:35:04] you can see the echoes
of our history and houses
[1:35:07] that don't have driveways
[1:35:08] on the front of their yards
[1:35:10] because they were originally
built with the streetcars.
[1:35:13] There are so many wonderful
parts of our city
[1:35:15] that I would love
to have celebrated again.
[1:35:17] And when I join the state
legislature, I'll join Mayor
[1:35:21] Keisha Lance bottoms
in her efforts, hopefully
[1:35:24] when she wins, to get state
funding for Marta
[1:35:27] so that we can fund
more projects and expand public
[1:35:30] transit overall.
[1:35:33] The last thing that
I wanted to say is
I wanted to oppose a proposal
[1:35:37] to limit
donated time for public comment.
[1:35:40] We started with a limited then,
[1:35:42] and now it's going to ten
and it could go to eight.
[1:35:44] And I think it's important
that we hear from the people,
[1:35:47] at the state
legislature, as an advocate,
[1:35:50] I've been there for a while,
[1:35:51] and many times
you don't get to donate time,
[1:35:54] and it's just up to the whims
[1:35:55] of whoever decides
to chair the committee.
[1:35:56] And most people,
even if they drive
[1:35:58] from across the state,
get one minute to speak.
[1:36:00] And I would not like to see
that happen here in City Hall.
[1:36:07] Thank you.
[1:36:09] Our next speaker,
[1:36:12] Lucas Carter.
[1:36:13] Two minutes.
[1:36:15] Greetings, Council.
[1:36:16] My name is Lucas Carter.
[1:36:17] I work as a planner over
in DeKalb County.
[1:36:20] First off, I want to say
[1:36:21] thank you to the council members
that have already voted yes
[1:36:24] to get the
belt line resolution up here.
[1:36:28] And to those clapping to,
[1:36:31] it seems like the common theme
with the previous
[1:36:33] comments has been accessibility.
[1:36:35] And that is something,
you know, I'm pretty provision
that I'm able bodied.
[1:36:38] And I can also take time off
work to be here today.
[1:36:40] But it is something I do
think about a lot,
[1:36:42] because I spend almost every day
on the Beltline for one reason
[1:36:46] or another,
[1:36:47] and I see the types
[1:36:48] of people out there
and also who's not out there.
[1:36:51] So I for today's vote,
I think it goes beyond Beltline
[1:36:55] rail, and it's really
a discretion of momentum
[1:36:57] and how seriously the city
wants to take this issue,
[1:37:00] not just beltline
rail isolated, but also
[1:37:03] transits and connectivity
regarding all of the city.
[1:37:06] And also accountability itself
[1:37:10] with how
we administrate the city.
[1:37:12] And that's all I have to say.
[1:37:14] Thank you.
[1:37:15] Thank you.
[1:37:19] Ivan.
[1:37:19] Shutterstock.
[1:37:22] Good afternoon Council.
[1:37:23] My name is Ivan.
[1:37:25] I'm a voter in district two,
district six.
[1:37:27] Alex wants district,
and I want to
[1:37:29] thank you all
for your leadership
[1:37:31] when it comes to Beltline Rail,
for considering this resolution
[1:37:34] and for all of the City
[1:37:36] Council members
who have stepped up
as co-sponsors,
[1:37:38] who have helped to advance
this through committee,
[1:37:39] and who might advance
this today.
[1:37:42] As a disabled person,
[1:37:45] someone
who is visually impaired,
[1:37:46] I know very much how owning
a car, being able to drive
[1:37:50] a car is a privilege
and not a right.
[1:37:52] And I want to make sure
[1:37:54] that our tax dollars
go to support
[1:37:55] everybody who needs access
to our infrastructure.
[1:37:59] I also want to commend
City Council
[1:38:01] for amending the resolution
to tie together
[1:38:04] affordable housing with transit,
and the importance
[1:38:07] for having these two aspects
interlinked.
[1:38:12] Affordable housing and transit
do go together.
[1:38:15] Just last week,
[1:38:16] one of the organizations
that co-founded the anti-trans
[1:38:23] group here in Atlanta
went to Invest Atlanta
and got a $15 million tax break
[1:38:27] while reducing their affordable
[1:38:29] housing that they were going
to have in Amsterdam
[1:38:30] lock at Beltline
adjacent property.
[1:38:32] And it is vital
that we make sure
[1:38:35] that our affordable
housing dollars
[1:38:37] and our public transit dollars
go together.
[1:38:40] Support for one is support
for the other,
[1:38:42] and it's really important
[1:38:43] that you all linked
this together
[1:38:45] and that you maintain
that leadership.
[1:38:47] Supporting transit, supporting
housing is vital.
[1:38:51] Thank you so much
for your leadership on this.
[1:38:55] Thank you.
[1:38:57] Next three speakers, Michael
[1:38:58] Keith, Christie Linz,
[1:39:02] Taryn Hicks.
[1:39:04] You each have two minutes.
[1:39:05] You can come forward.
[1:39:08] Michael Keith two minutes.
[1:39:14] Thank you.
I live in district three,
which is where I vote
[1:39:16] and I am a huge supporter
of Beltline rail.
[1:39:20] I think that this is imperative
that we have this,
[1:39:23] and it's not just district three
that will benefit from this.
[1:39:26] It is every single
part of Atlanta.
[1:39:29] This is connecting us
all together.
[1:39:30] All 22 miles of this.
[1:39:32] This is not
just for one district.
[1:39:33] This is not just for one
piece of Atlanta.
[1:39:36] This is for all of us.
[1:39:37] I'm so excited
to have this built.
[1:39:41] Thank you so much.
I've been paying for this
for the last ten years.
[1:39:42] Let's get it done.
[1:39:45] Thank you.
[1:39:47] Christie lands two minutes.
[1:39:50] I just want to thank everybody
[1:39:52] who has signed on
as a co-sponsor
[1:39:55] or who has supported it
as a committee.
[1:39:58] Especially want to thank Kelsey
Bond for bringing this.
[1:40:02] And Liliana,
[1:40:03] who has been a constant
supporter about unreal and so
[1:40:06] and all the rest of you for
finally getting accountability
[1:40:10] and getting this done
and coming up with a plan
[1:40:13] to really build 22 miles of rail
around our Beltline
[1:40:17] that would not be impeded by
car traffic, that could help
[1:40:20] all of our city transform
into a more equitable
[1:40:24] and accessible place
to be for everyone.
[1:40:26] Thank you.
[1:40:30] Toron hits.
[1:40:31] You have two minutes.
[1:40:33] Hi, my name is Taran Hicks.
[1:40:35] I live in district three.
[1:40:37] Everyone here
has given some really good,
[1:40:41] reasons for why we need Beltline
rail.
[1:40:43] But I want to go over
some things
[1:40:45] that don't make any sense.
[1:40:47] So we're leaving logic behind
[1:40:49] for the next minute
and 47 seconds.
[1:40:53] A lot of people say
[1:40:55] the Beltline will put money
in the pockets of big business.
[1:40:59] And by a lot of people,
I mean a very specific
[1:41:01] group of people
who have kind of cobbled
[1:41:03] together that very interesting
talking point.
[1:41:06] I would like to point out that
[1:41:09] any project takes money
and the money
[1:41:12] gets paid to businesses.
[1:41:14] That's how this works.
[1:41:16] So I don't know what
that's supposed to mean.
[1:41:19] Claim number two,
[1:41:22] the beltline is going to hurt
businesses on the boat line.
[1:41:26] I don't see how that
[1:41:28] would make any sense, given
the fact that millions of people
[1:41:31] being quickly dropped off
in front of your business
[1:41:34] or within very,
very close walking distance
[1:41:38] would do anything
but increase business.
[1:41:41] I don't understand
the argument there.
[1:41:47] And also,
this is the most cynical
[1:41:49] claim that I've heard so far,
and it's one that really,
[1:41:53] as a black person,
is really kind of insane.
[1:41:56] You hear a lot of,
I'll call it fake woke
[1:42:00] from the more moderate
or right wing
[1:42:03] figures in local politics,
but nationally as well.
[1:42:06] When anything good is
about to happen, they say, well,
[1:42:10] it might hurt minorities
in some way.
[1:42:12] The Beltline might worsen
gentrification.
[1:42:16] It's bad for black people.
[1:42:17] Oh, I didn't know that.
[1:42:20] Impoverished minorities,
underprivileged
[1:42:23] folks
enjoy paying more to get around.
[1:42:26] I feel like that's news to me.
[1:42:28] So let's leave behind the bad
arguments and the fake woke
[1:42:33] the posturing
and come back to reality
[1:42:35] where things make sense
and build the rail.
[1:42:39] Thank you.
[1:42:43] Our next
three speakers, Jonathan Hull,
[1:42:47] Gwendolyn Smith, Andy Faber,
[1:42:51] you each have two minutes.
[1:42:53] You can come forward.
[1:43:00] Hello.
[1:43:01] My last name is pronounced
Holly.
[1:43:03] I'm sorry, Miss Jonathan.
That's okay.
[1:43:06] My name is Jonathan.
I'm a resident of Kirkwood
District five.
[1:43:07] I'm here to urge
you all to vote.
[1:43:09] I on Council member bonds
resolution to build
[1:43:13] 22 miles of light
rail in our city.
[1:43:16] Talking points have already
kind of hit you guys.
[1:43:19] Ten years ago,
the city voted 71% to build this
[1:43:23] rail, and construction
has not begun yet.
[1:43:24] That is kind of embarrassing.
[1:43:29] I also just kind of
want to zoom out a little bit
and remind you all that
[1:43:31] this is how cities are supposed
to function.
[1:43:34] If people vote on
something like that,
[1:43:38] you kind of have to do it.
[1:43:39] You can't do it
like zero for ten years.
[1:43:42] So let's please get this done.
[1:43:44] I also just feel sentimentally
[1:43:48] that I should remind
everybody that Atlanta is unique
among American cities, in that
[1:43:51] it has no connection
to a navigable river
[1:43:54] or deep water port.
[1:43:55] There's very,
very few cities in the country
[1:43:57] that are this size
that are like that.
[1:43:59] And the reason that this city
exists in the way that it does
[1:44:02] is because it was founded
as the terminus of a rail.
[1:44:05] Our city owes its very existence
to the concept of trains.
[1:44:09] We should have the best
rail system in the country.
[1:44:12] We shouldn't
have next to nothing.
[1:44:15] So please make this happen.
[1:44:17] That is all.
Thank you very much. Thank you.
[1:44:22] Gwendolyn
Smith, you have two minutes.
[1:44:25] My name is Smith and I'm
going to switch lanes right now.
[1:44:30] I live at 10th and Jennifer
high rise.
[1:44:33] And on Friday
I was beat in front of 10th.
[1:44:39] And Jennifer
about another young lady
that lived in a high rise.
[1:44:43] I'm going to switch lanes
from that,
[1:44:46] letting you know the high rise
attempting.
[1:44:49] Jennifer have a major red flag,
but I'm gonna switch lanes
[1:44:54] a little more.
I asked the mayor
on his second term
[1:44:57] to get me out of harm's way,
and he said I was pussy rag.
[1:45:03] This is the outcome
of the whole idea.
[1:45:07] I've been running and running
and running from this town.
[1:45:10] I've been here all my life.
[1:45:12] I have 15 grandchildren.
[1:45:15] I have five girls.
[1:45:16] I have two boys.
[1:45:19] I worked it for a living.
[1:45:20] I never used drugs, alcohol.
[1:45:23] And this is the outcome
of the bad system.
[1:45:27] And I have been trying
[1:45:29] to get out of 10th and Jennifer
high rise.
[1:45:33] I ask the mayor to step out
on the balcony
[1:45:36] of 10th and Jennifer. High rise.
[1:45:38] I shook his hand
and I asked them from a sister
[1:45:42] to a cousin
to get me out of harm's way,
[1:45:45] and he said I was a pussy rag.
[1:45:49] And this has been
a long journey,
[1:45:52] and this has been
a difficult journey
[1:45:54] to see me at 56 years old,
[1:45:58] with a devastation like this.
[1:46:00] I haven't looked like this
[1:46:01] since I was 19 when I was in
abusive relationship.
[1:46:05] God bless you all
[1:46:07] and I want y'all to
understand this is not over.
[1:46:15] Okay.
[1:46:16] Thank you.
[1:46:18] Andy Farber.
[1:46:21] Good afternoon.
[1:46:22] My name is Andy Faber.
[1:46:23] I use public transportation
every day.
[1:46:26] A few years ago,
while in grad school, working
[1:46:28] unpaid internships
and racking up student debt,
[1:46:30] my car gave out on me.
[1:46:32] Because of this, I am entirely
public transportation dependent.
[1:46:35] I currently live in Decatur
[1:46:37] and I work as a therapist
in Kennesaw.
[1:46:39] This is a six hour
commute round trip.
[1:46:41] I am quite familiar with public
transportation in the greater
[1:46:45] metro Atlanta area,
and I have some stories.
[1:46:48] My favorite one was taking
the 15 to the Decatur station
[1:46:52] and getting stuck behind a train
on the bus packed with people.
[1:46:56] We had moms with strollers,
grocery clerks in uniform,
[1:47:00] students reading textbooks
[1:47:02] all running late
and all stuck in a cramped bus.
[1:47:06] Instead of tempers rising,
someone started singing
[1:47:09] Donna Summer's Bad Girls.
[1:47:10] You know, to to.
[1:47:13] Beep beep.
[1:47:14] Yeah,
we all joined in singing in this
[1:47:18] very silly little human moment.
[1:47:20] And eventually the train passed
and the bus started moving.
[1:47:24] It was a really great reminder
[1:47:25] that if the bus teachers
anything,
[1:47:27] it is that we will get there
when we get there.
[1:47:31] So let's get Beltline
rail there.
[1:47:34] Public transportation
connects us to each other.
[1:47:37] It connects us to our city,
to our jobs, to our joy.
[1:47:41] The sooner Beltline rail is up
and running, the sooner
[1:47:44] we can reap the benefits
of a more united city.
[1:47:47] I am so grateful
for this resolution
[1:47:49] and I am ready
to see some follow through.
[1:47:51] I am ready for Beltline
rail now.
[1:47:54] Thank you.
[1:47:56] Thank you.
[1:47:59] Stephen IMO
[1:48:02] Kelly Draper Deegan.
[1:48:05] Advice.
[1:48:06] You add value and I hope
I didn't butcher that too bad.
[1:48:10] You have two minutes.
[1:48:12] Thank you.
[1:48:14] My name is Steve. An email.
I'm currently
a resident of Old Fourth Ward,
[1:48:15] but I've lived
in both Lenox and Midtown.
[1:48:19] Where you live in Atlanta
affects every part of your life.
[1:48:21] Not just what
you have access to,
[1:48:23] but how stable your ability
to get around is.
[1:48:26] My wife and I have only had one
car since we moved to Atlanta,
[1:48:29] and that means
[1:48:31] that I've had to rely on
public transit at times
where that is very difficult.
[1:48:34] However, that inconvenience
is shouldered mostly
[1:48:36] by the working poor in the city,
and not nearly enough as often
[1:48:40] as people like me.
[1:48:43] But it doesn't have to be
a hassle to use public transit.
[1:48:46] Major cities across this country
[1:48:49] and around the world
have made it
so convenient to ride transit
that the wealthy opt to use it,
[1:48:53] making it a public good
that everyone relies on,
[1:48:56] which is a goal that I believe
at Lanta needs to take on.
[1:48:59] Part of how they accomplish that
is that they continue
[1:49:02] to build more of it
and maintain it.
[1:49:04] But when it comes to expanding
public transit,
[1:49:07] the question is always, how
could we possibly pay for that?
[1:49:13] When every paper published
in every case study points
[1:49:16] to public transit investment
being one of the largest drivers
[1:49:18] of economic equity
and prosperity.
[1:49:21] How can we possibly afford
not to pay for it?
[1:49:26] We have a generational
transit project
[1:49:29] that could be started tomorrow
[1:49:31] and see its first riders
within three years,
[1:49:33] if the mayor wanted
to put his weight behind it.
[1:49:36] Delaying this further
will choke the city in cars,
[1:49:38] and we have seen what building
for the car looks like.
[1:49:40] It looks like our downtown right
now, where some 25% of it
[1:49:44] is dedicated to parking.
[1:49:47] We are tired of being told
that our city of 500,000 people
[1:49:49] cannot have what it needs
and deserves,
[1:49:51] because a few rich donors
and business owners
[1:49:53] believe
that the city should cater
[1:49:55] first to their property values
[1:49:57] and last
to the needs of the city.
[1:49:59] Get Atlanta back on track.
[1:50:01] Push this project forward.
[1:50:02] Build more Marta and build
Beltline rail.
[1:50:05] Thank you. Thank you.
[1:50:10] Kelly
Draper, you have two minutes.
[1:50:14] Hello.
Thank you so much for bringing
this resolution forward.
[1:50:17] Council member Bond
and my council member
[1:50:20] Bakhtiari and everyone else
who has done so.
[1:50:24] This resolution
being voted on today
[1:50:25] in support of Beltline
Rail gives me hope for Atlanta.
[1:50:28] And I urge you to vote yes.
[1:50:30] This long range
vision is exactly
[1:50:32] what every generation needs.
[1:50:33] I learned about Ryan Gravel
[1:50:35] Beltline Vision soon
after moving here 21 years ago.
[1:50:38] I saw it as key to Atlanta
becoming an equitable,
[1:50:42] sustainable and great city
where all could prosper.
[1:50:46] In fact,
hope of Beltline rail
coming to fruition
[1:50:48] actually kept my husband
and I here
[1:50:49] when we considered
moving out of state.
[1:50:52] We voted to increase our own
tax burden to chip in
[1:50:54] toward
the crucial long term goal.
[1:50:57] The mismanagement
of funds we longtime
[1:50:59] Atlantans have been helping
[1:51:02] Marta save up
for has been a big blow
to our confidence in the city.
[1:51:06] But seeing this resolution
to support rail in the Beltline
[1:51:08] has given us hope
that Atlanta can make it right.
[1:51:11] We didn't vote for more, Marta,
[1:51:13] just so that more Atlantans
could enjoy
[1:51:14] a blissful morning jog
with a beautiful view.
[1:51:17] We didn't vote for more Marta,
so that only those
[1:51:20] who are able to enjoy
walking and biking everywhere
[1:51:22] could get more places safely.
[1:51:24] These things are important,
but do not even come close to
[1:51:28] serving the needs of the most
vulnerable people in the city.
[1:51:31] Not everyone can walk
in the worsening heat, much less
[1:51:34] walk for and be on time,
[1:51:35] or walk far and be on
time for work or an appointment.
[1:51:40] So everyone should
write a bike, then write.
[1:51:43] What about people with
disabilities, chronic health
[1:51:45] conditions, old age, or too many
small children to pile onto?
[1:51:50] A bike
[1:51:51] rail is not antiquated.
[1:51:53] We didn't get rid of rail
[1:51:54] because it was no longer
a good idea.
[1:51:57] We decided to build society
[1:51:58] around cars
and the consequences of that.
[1:52:00] You hopefully
already understand.
[1:52:04] Vote yes to get Atlanta back
[1:52:06] on track toward an equitable,
sustainable future.
[1:52:09] Thank you.
[1:52:10] Thank you.
[1:52:14] Decant at.
[1:52:21] Hello.
My name is Deegan and I'm
a resident of Ponce Highland.
[1:52:24] I just wanted to share
some thoughts on on support
[1:52:28] and of belt Iron Rail.
[1:52:30] Atlanta poisons itself to be
a world class, global city.
[1:52:34] And one of the major crux
of any such city
[1:52:37] would be to have robust
public transit infrastructure.
[1:52:40] And it's disappointing
[1:52:41] that Atlanta has struggled
with this for so long.
[1:52:45] It's very important
that we get Beltline rail going.
[1:52:49] For the mere fact that it is
[1:52:51] a graded form of public transit
that's high capacity
[1:52:55] in a city that's so plagued
with the ills of car centrism.
[1:53:01] The goal
of the city should be to reduce
the amount of cars
[1:53:04] that are circulating
around the city at all times.
[1:53:08] I mean, we've seen it
in other parts of the world
[1:53:10] where this path just leads
to a dense fog of,
[1:53:15] smog all over the city.
[1:53:17] I'm originally from Los Angeles
myself, and I
[1:53:20] was a young child when the air
in that city was terrible.
[1:53:24] It was just a perpetual haze,
[1:53:25] and I don't want to see
that happen to Atlanta.
[1:53:28] So, I'm just resting my support
for Beltline rail.
[1:53:32] I understand
building the entire 22
[1:53:34] miles of rail
will take a while, and,
[1:53:38] maybe
I don't even get to write it,
[1:53:40] but that doesn't matter,
because I think, a society
grows great when old men.
[1:53:46] Plant trees under the shade.
[1:53:47] They may not sit. Thank you.
[1:53:49] Thank you.
[1:53:52] Our next three speakers,
[1:53:55] Kenneth Colvin, Hans Klein.
[1:53:59] Barn.
[1:54:00] Ivan.
[1:54:04] Irvan, Kenneth
[1:54:05] Colvin, you have two minutes.
[1:54:12] Madam president, council members
and members of the public,
[1:54:14] thank you for allowing me
to speak.
[1:54:16] I currently work at Martinsville
Control Center before Atlanta.
[1:54:20] I worked in rail control
center in DC.
[1:54:23] I had a full career
in air traffic control.
[1:54:26] On speaking tonight
in my personal capacity,
[1:54:28] not on behalf of Marta,
[1:54:29] because I believe Atlanta
has reached an important moment.
[1:54:33] I want to start
with the number 48,
[1:54:35] approximately
48 miles of heavy rail
[1:54:37] that is the backbone
of the system we have today,
[1:54:40] an extraordinary investment
by generations before us.
[1:54:43] But, Elena, today
is not the Atlanta of 1979.
[1:54:47] Our population is larger.
[1:54:48] Our employment centers have
changed, our suburbs have grown.
[1:54:51] Our economy has become regional.
[1:54:53] So ask you, can we build Atlanta
[1:54:56] the next 50 years
on a transportation footprint
designed for the last 50?
[1:54:59] I don't believe we can.
[1:55:01] That brings me to the Beltline.
[1:55:03] I strongly support
moving forward the high capacity
[1:55:05] transit rail on the Beltline,
[1:55:06] but I believe the Beltline
has to be about more
[1:55:10] than building another rail line.
[1:55:11] It has to be about building
a regional network.
[1:55:14] For too long,
we have looked at transportation
[1:55:17] through individual
jurisdictions,
[1:55:18] individual projects
and individual interests.
[1:55:21] But our residents do not live
their lives that way.
[1:55:24] They cross city limits,
they cross county lines.
[1:55:27] They travel to jobs,
schools, hospitals, airports.
[1:55:29] They experience one region.
[1:55:31] So our transportation system
[1:55:33] should reflect the region
we have become.
[1:55:35] Lana cannot do this alone.
[1:55:36] Our surrounding counties
cannot do this alone.
[1:55:39] The economy doesn't
stop at the city limits.
[1:55:41] Traffic doesn't
stop the county line,
[1:55:43] and neither should
our transportation.
[1:55:46] So we ask.
The council will use
the Beltline as a catalyst.
[1:55:47] Bring and build a transportation
network,
[1:55:50] not a collection of projects
that generations
[1:55:52] before us
built the footprint of Atlanta.
[1:55:54] Now it's our turn
to build the footprint of ours.
[1:55:56] Atlanta has the pieces. Now.
[1:55:58] We need the vision,
the courage to connect them.
[1:56:00] Marta can be the backbone,
[1:56:01] the beltline can be
the connector,
[1:56:03] and the region
must become the network.
[1:56:05] Thank you. Thank you.
[1:56:10] Hans Klein,
you have two minutes.
[1:56:15] Hello.
My name is Hans Klein.
I'm a professor at Georgia
Tech School of Public Policy,
[1:56:17] and I serve as the president
of Better Atlanta Transit.
[1:56:20] All Atlanta agrees
[1:56:22] that we should
invest in transit, but
we need to invest intelligently.
[1:56:25] We need to get the most mobility
for the least cost.
[1:56:28] We need to promote equity,
[1:56:30] and we need to deploy transit
on routes that serve demand.
[1:56:33] Rail on the Beltline does not do
this.
[1:56:38] Beltline rail is not a good
transit solution.
[1:56:42] The Beltline circumferential
route does not serve demand.
[1:56:45] We need transit routes
that criss cross the city.
[1:56:48] Rail technology
is overly expensive.
[1:56:51] A better option is street
based transit.
[1:56:53] Like bus rapid transit,
[1:56:55] the Beltline circumferential
route is also not equitable.
[1:56:59] It does not reach outlying
neighborhoods.
[1:57:02] Beltline rail would damage
our wonderful linear park.
[1:57:06] It would compromise Atlanta's
emerald necklace.
[1:57:10] In summary, yes,
[1:57:11] let's invest in transit,
but let's do it intelligently.
[1:57:15] We need cost effective
technology on appropriate
[1:57:18] routes.
That's not beltline rail.
[1:57:21] And that went a lot
faster than I expected.
[1:57:23] So I'll add one more thing.
[1:57:25] I'm concerned.
[1:57:26] I'm concerned
that the current debate
[1:57:28] is distracting us
from the real issue
[1:57:30] on the Beltline,
and that is safety.
[1:57:32] People are getting seriously
damaged and injured on the
[1:57:36] on on the Beltline right now
because we're mixing high speed
[1:57:40] bicycles and and micromobility
with pedestrian
[1:57:45] people walking around.
[1:57:46] We've got to separate
these two modes of transport.
[1:57:49] We've got to separate heels
and wheels.
[1:57:51] It's a matter of time
before somebody gets killed.
[1:57:53] And when that happens,
everybody sees it coming.
[1:57:57] The responsibility
[1:57:58] for that horrible
event will be on the shoulders
[1:58:01] of this government
and this city council
[1:58:03] and on Atlanta Beltline Inc..
[1:58:05] So safety is really what
[1:58:07] we should be talking about
when it comes to the Beltline.
[1:58:09] Thank you very much,
[1:58:11] and I appreciate the opportunity
to speak with you. Thank you.
[1:58:16] Barn.
[1:58:18] Ervin.
[1:58:23] Two minutes.
[1:58:24] Hello.
[1:58:25] My first time here.
[1:58:28] I've been here 40 years.
[1:58:29] I am an economist by
[1:58:32] training chartered accountant.
[1:58:34] But most importantly, I spent
21 years in the transit industry
[1:58:39] helping
special needs transportation
[1:58:42] for 500 agencies
across the nation.
[1:58:46] So I hate to be spoiled
the party,
[1:58:50] but there's this thing
called, costing and money.
[1:58:55] And if we are going
to give transportation
[1:58:59] and transit
to as many people as needed.
[1:59:02] We have to make sure that
transportation on a per trip
[1:59:07] basis is within reasonable
norms,
[1:59:11] a reasonable norm,
rule of thumb, like,
[1:59:15] you know, going to a restaurant
costs you $25
[1:59:18] or takeaway
food is ten, or a t shirt is 12.
[1:59:23] When it comes to transit,
a transit right generally
[1:59:27] rule of thumb is $10,
[1:59:30] of which a city should pay 30%,
[1:59:33] $3, $7,
[1:59:36] and the rider pays 30%,
so the fare is 30%.
[1:59:41] City pays subsidize
transportation.
[1:59:43] That is what transit is, is
subsidized.
[1:59:46] Transportation is phenomenal.
[1:59:48] It changes people's lives
and the lives of the person
[1:59:53] that it changes.
When you say, what do you think
of transportation?
[1:59:56] I would say, yeah, a
[2:00:00] single woman
who comes home after work
has three children,
[2:00:04] three miles to the next,
[2:00:08] supermarket.
[2:00:09] And, she needs it, right?
[2:00:12] She can't go and get fresh food.
[2:00:14] I have a lot of sense
that I've written out here.
[2:00:17] Actually, not a lot. One page.
[2:00:19] And I very much like to leave it
behind with you in order to,
[2:00:25] have further discussions.
[2:00:26] But please look at cost.
[2:00:28] What is the cost of the right
[2:00:29] and what is the cost
that the fair pays?
[2:00:33] Thank you.
Councilmember Bakhtiari is
coming to grab those from you.
[2:00:37] Okay.
Our next three speakers.
[2:00:42] Jay Miller,
[2:00:43] Chris, Donda, Dada, and y'all.
[2:00:47] Agathon,
[2:00:49] you each have two minutes.
[2:00:52] Jay Miller two minutes.
[2:00:54] Thank you.
[2:00:54] Good afternoon.
[2:00:56] Yes, I support
public transit, but
[2:00:58] has has already been said
smart public transit.
[2:01:02] Not just any public transit.
[2:01:04] This 3 to 4 to perhaps
$5 billion proposal
[2:01:10] of having rail around
the Beltline goes in a circle.
[2:01:14] There's no indication
that that's going to reduce
[2:01:17] the transit issues.
[2:01:18] We have people
who are out in the suburbs.
[2:01:21] They're not going to
[2:01:23] get into town somehow
and then take a circular track.
[2:01:27] People who are going through
town are not going to take this.
[2:01:30] People who are going
to get their groceries,
[2:01:32] for the most part, aren't
going to go around in a circle
[2:01:36] to procure
what they need to have.
[2:01:39] There are issues with people
who are physically disadvantaged
[2:01:44] or otherwise,
and we need to address
those concerns, but we can do so
[2:01:48] with customized vehicles,
shuttle vehicles and so forth
[2:01:51] that get people from point A
to point B
[2:01:54] without going around in a circle
and endangering the Beltline
[2:01:58] as it is now, as it's already
been pointed out.
[2:02:02] All you have to do is go to
the Beltline on any weekend day.
[2:02:06] Nice day and you will see
numerous mishaps
[2:02:09] or near mishaps that occur
all the time.
[2:02:12] You had rail right
next to it with a fence.
[2:02:15] Since you're
hemming these people in
[2:02:18] and there's
going to be a tragedy
at some point, there's
[2:02:20] already been serious injuries,
so that needs to be addressed.
[2:02:23] We should look to the future,
not to pass for solutions.
[2:02:29] What are those?
What's being done
at Hartsfield-Jackson?
[2:02:31] What's being done
in the Cumberland district?
[2:02:33] There are already experimented
with shuttles.
[2:02:36] They're heavily
trafficked areas.
[2:02:38] We as I said, we need to address
these separate paths to
[2:02:43] enhance safety.
Finally, let's look at who's
going to be paying for this.
[2:02:46] We're looking at Siemens or HDR,
or what DSA would call fat
[2:02:51] cat corporations
who are going to build this rail
[2:02:54] and they're going to make
a profit.
[2:02:57] Who's going to pay?
It's going to be the
Atlanta citizens. Thank you.
[2:03:02] Thank you
[2:03:03] Chris Dada.
[2:03:07] You have two minutes.
[2:03:12] Good afternoon,
[2:03:12] honorable council members.
[2:03:15] I am here to tell you
that proposals to study
[2:03:19] and implement streetcars
on the Beltline are absurd.
[2:03:23] Suppliers of mass transit
should have done their homework
[2:03:27] to get Atlanta business
[2:03:29] expecting the city
to pay for studies as ludicrous
[2:03:33] in private industries
like automotive,
[2:03:38] suppliers
do their own R&D and their own
[2:03:42] proposals and expenses.
[2:03:47] As good stewards of taxpayer
[2:03:49] dollars,
I would expect that you would
[2:03:51] make the right choices
[2:03:52] for mass transit
for our great city of Atlanta.
[2:03:55] My research and humble opinion
streetcars are the
[2:03:59] most ineffective, inefficient
means of mass transit.
[2:04:03] I have seen data
that the cost per passenger mile
[2:04:07] runs between $24 a mile
[2:04:11] to $98 a passenger mile.
[2:04:14] That's an order of magnitude
greater
[2:04:16] than other means of mass
transit.
[2:04:19] Moreover, there's
no feasible way to build rail
[2:04:23] all around the Beltline.
[2:04:24] It's impossible
to go past Ponce Krog
[2:04:29] north of Piedmont Park
or South Memorial Drive,
[2:04:32] just to name
a few of the literal,
[2:04:35] physical roadblocks that exist
to putting streetcars up.
[2:04:41] I belong
as stewards of taxpayer dollars.
[2:04:44] I would expect you to make the
right choices for mass transit.
[2:04:49] I belong to an organization
called Bat Better
[2:04:52] Atlanta Transit,
which looks for ways to improve
[2:04:55] our city's
public transit system.
[2:04:58] Thank you for your attention.
[2:05:01] Thank you.
[2:05:02] Next speaker y'all I
[2:05:06] g pong.
[2:05:08] Please pronounce your name.
[2:05:12] I got it.
All right,
so hello and good afternoon.
[2:05:14] My name is Yao,
and I live about, like,
[2:05:16] a six minute bike ride from here
near Grand Park.
[2:05:19] And today,
I want to attempt to make
[2:05:21] a simple economic argument
in support of Beltline rail.
[2:05:25] I believe if you want to see
Atlanta grow,
[2:05:28] if you want to expand
the tax base of of the city,
[2:05:31] then we must build public
transit.
[2:05:35] Cars.
Autonomous or not,
are not a mass transit solution.
[2:05:38] Cars do not scale.
[2:05:40] I would go as far as to say
that car dependency is
[2:05:43] what's choking Alina's growth.
[2:05:47] Let's use
[2:05:48] New York City
as an example, right?
[2:05:51] If New York City was as car
as Atlanta,
[2:05:53] they would have had to demolish
half the city
[2:05:55] just to build all the
[2:05:56] the streets, the highways
and the parking for it all.
[2:05:59] Imagine ten lanes of traffic
[2:06:01] coming right
through the middle of your city.
[2:06:03] That would
be kind of crazy, right?
[2:06:06] The space we dedicate to
[2:06:07] cars could instead be dedicated
to housing and businesses.
[2:06:11] Roads don't pay property taxes.
[2:06:12] People do.
[2:06:14] Small businesses thrive more,
[2:06:15] more when there is consistent
foot traffic.
[2:06:18] We need alternatives
to cars in traffic.
[2:06:20] We need expanded public transit.
[2:06:22] We can start with public.
[2:06:23] We start with Beltline rail.
[2:06:25] Before we paid into a V,
a more martyr, right?
[2:06:29] With that said,
thank you to the council members
[2:06:31] who've already signed on
for this resolution.
[2:06:33] And thank you for your time.
[2:06:39] Thank you.
[2:06:42] Our next three speakers,
Megan Gordon,
[2:06:45] Jonathan O'Brien,
and Paul Susanna.
[2:06:54] Megan Gordon.
[2:06:56] You have two minutes.
[2:07:02] My apologies.
[2:07:05] Good afternoon.
[2:07:06] My name is Megan Gordon,
[2:07:07] and I'm the policy director
at Care Georgia,
[2:07:09] the state chapter
of the nation's largest
[2:07:11] Muslim
civil rights organization.
[2:07:13] We provide free legal support
to Muslims
[2:07:15] facing religious discrimination
[2:07:16] and advocate for policies
that support Georgia muslims.
[2:07:20] I'm here today
to share my appreciation
[2:07:22] for the City
Council's recent introduction
[2:07:23] of community control
over police surveillance,
[2:07:26] and to share how important
this is to Atlanta muslims.
[2:07:29] To understand
exactly how important, though,
[2:07:31] you must understand
[2:07:33] the unique Muslim experience
of state surveillance.
[2:07:36] Ever since nine over 11,
[2:07:37] all Muslims have been viewed
a suspect.
[2:07:40] The federal government began
spying on mosques, tracking
[2:07:43] who was part of the faith
community
[2:07:44] and questioning them
about their theology.
[2:07:46] Since President Trump
returned to office,
[2:07:49] the federal government
has used everything in its power
[2:07:52] to punish people who protest
the genocide in Palestine.
[2:07:56] At a time
when the government
is abusing its power
[2:07:58] by targeting individuals
with opposing views,
[2:08:00] a black box of technology
allowing authorities to identify
[2:08:03] and track us across
city streets is terrifying.
[2:08:07] The federal government began
by saying it would only
[2:08:09] spy on terrorists,
[2:08:10] and the city says that
it will only spy on criminals.
[2:08:13] But what we have learned
is that these definitions
[2:08:15] can stretch over time to include
disfavored groups.
[2:08:19] Experience warns us
to be extremely skeptical,
[2:08:22] which is why we are so excited
about
[2:08:24] see cops and the opportunity
to have information
[2:08:26] about these technologies
and input into how they're used.
[2:08:30] If the city wants to use
surveillance technology,
[2:08:32] all we ask is that you give us
[2:08:34] the information necessary
to understand how it works,
[2:08:37] that you trust us.
[2:08:39] Lanterns
to assess the pros and cons,
[2:08:41] and to make an informed decision
[2:08:42] about what we can support
and to allow us to have input.
[2:08:46] Thank you so much for C cops
for addressing this urgent
[2:08:49] and relatively new issue
and technology and in city life.
[2:08:53] Let's get it done.
[2:08:54] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
[2:08:57] Jonathan O'Brien.
[2:08:58] You have two minutes.
[2:09:06] Good afternoon.
[2:09:07] In September 2024, my now wife,
[2:09:10] and I bought a house
in the Washington Park area,
[2:09:13] and we was hoping to hoping it
would be our forever home for,
[2:09:17] you know, ourselves
and our now growing family.
[2:09:19] We just had a baby,
but currently,
[2:09:21] there's an abandoned house
next door to us that has weeds
[2:09:25] so high that you can barely see
the front of the house.
[2:09:29] And there's like, literally
piles of trash in the backyard.
[2:09:33] And with the baby.
[2:09:35] I don't want my kid
growing up next door to trash.
[2:09:38] And you all wouldn't either.
[2:09:40] We've contacted
code enforcement.
[2:09:43] We've been emailing back and
forth for the last two years.
[2:09:47] They've taken the homeowner
to court.
[2:09:49] He ever fails to appear
or just pays out a simple fine.
[2:09:54] And at this point, like, we're
just asking for enforcement.
[2:09:58] Like we don't care that
they're squatters in the house.
[2:10:03] They don't bother us.
[2:10:03] We don't bother them.
[2:10:05] Everyone should be housed.
[2:10:06] Who cares about that?
[2:10:08] We care about the trash.
[2:10:09] We care about the upkeep.
[2:10:11] Like on our street, we have
brand new sidewalks installed.
[2:10:17] Great.
Y'all just installed sidewalks
in front of an abandoned house.
[2:10:21] With that
you can barely see and like,
[2:10:25] can I show you all the pictures
[2:10:26] of the house like that
I just took this morning
[2:10:30] so y'all can see
the piles of trash and the
weeds as tall as those flags.
[2:10:36] Yes. No.
[2:10:36] Maybe so. Okay. Who cares.
[2:10:39] But also like since I'm here
we should definitely expand
[2:10:43] like Beltline rail
and we should expand Marta.
[2:10:45] Like why is that a question.
[2:10:48] Like,
[2:10:50] I don't know if you all
have ever been to Barcelona,
[2:10:52] but in Barcelona
[2:10:53] you can literally get anywhere
in the city on train.
[2:10:58] They have rail
built out everywhere
except like by mentioning ruins.
[2:11:01] And Mexico City
[2:11:02] has the second largest
rail network in North America.
[2:11:05] Why don't we?
[2:11:09] Thank you.
[2:11:11] So, so so can I
show some of these pictures?
[2:11:14] Oh, sorry.
[2:11:15] I'm sorry. Your time is up.
All right. Cool.
[2:11:17] Can I show some of these
pictures?
[2:11:19] Sir, someone from my office
is on the way to see you.
[2:11:22] Thank you. They'll meet you.
[2:11:24] Paul.
[2:11:25] Chill. Sano,
[2:11:27] please pronounce your last name.
[2:11:28] My name is Paul. Okay.
[2:11:31] I'm here to speak in support
of resolution
[2:11:34] 26 R 3999,
[2:11:38] calling on support for light
rail transit along
[2:11:42] the full 22 miles of the Atlanta
Beltline corridor.
[2:11:46] Just a couple of points
I want to make.
[2:11:49] I think we can all agree
everyone in the city can agree
[2:11:53] that Atlanta would be a better
city if we had fewer cars.
[2:11:58] Atlanta would be a better city
if we had fewer cars.
[2:12:02] When I moved to Atlanta in 2014,
[2:12:05] there was a lot of discussion
about the Atlanta Beltline.
[2:12:09] Some people were for it
[2:12:12] and some people were opposed
to it.
[2:12:15] However, once 1 or 2
segments of the walking
[2:12:19] trail were built,
a lot of opinions changed.
[2:12:22] A lot of people saw it and says,
hey, I like that.
[2:12:25] I want that in my neighborhood.
[2:12:27] I believe light rail on the
Beltline will be the same way.
[2:12:32] Right now,
some people are for it.
[2:12:34] Some people are against it.
[2:12:35] But I honestly believe
once we build a little bit of it
[2:12:39] and people see it,
they're going to say,
[2:12:41] I want that in my neighborhood.
[2:12:43] I want it now.
[2:12:44] So I urge you to vote for
this resolution.
[2:12:48] Thank you.
[2:12:51] Thank you.
[2:12:52] Our next three speakers, K
and Paris.
[2:12:56] Marcus. Lamar. Emmett. Lump.
[2:12:59] You each have two minutes.
[2:13:01] Please come forward.
[2:13:05] Hello?
[2:13:06] K and Paris.
[2:13:08] I'm a resident of district 12,
Antonio Lewis's district.
[2:13:12] I've been there for the past
eight years.
[2:13:14] I was in district five before.
[2:13:17] For five years.
[2:13:17] I went to college at Emory.
[2:13:20] And graduate school at Emory
as well.
[2:13:23] I'm here because I believe
there are matters
[2:13:26] involving the city of Atlanta
that deserve greater oversight.
[2:13:29] I also had a joke.
[2:13:30] I'm also a proud city of Atlanta
water bill payer,
[2:13:33] unlike many of the corporations
that are anti beltline rail.
[2:13:36] So, one concern
around the contracts
[2:13:41] that are given out
around the Beltline,
[2:13:43] specifically
the spoke bus trolley.
[2:13:45] The city has given $3 million
of our dollars to the pilot,
[2:13:49] which ended up
costing about $180 per rider
[2:13:52] because no one takes it.
[2:13:53] It averages about one
and a half riders per day,
[2:13:56] and the low ridership is
[2:13:57] because it doesn't go along
the Beltline.
[2:14:00] I'm also concerned that
[2:14:03] there is a push for expanding
tags when the money has not been
[2:14:07] spent appropriately.
From the 2016 infrastructure
and rail initiatives
[2:14:10] that the city approved
overwhelmingly.
[2:14:13] Rail is one of the safest modes
of transportation.
[2:14:15] Two years ago.
[2:14:19] Fatal car
crashes surpassed homicides
in the city of Atlanta, and
[2:14:22] I wanted to have Beltline rail
to keep Atlanta safe.
[2:14:27] A recent report estimates
that the Beltline generated
[2:14:29] 23 billion in economic output
for Atlanta,
[2:14:32] with 31 million in tax revenue
for the city
[2:14:34] and over 100 million
to the state of Georgia.
[2:14:37] Last year, rail
would bring even more money.
[2:14:40] Ryan Bell's 1996
thesis for the Beltline
[2:14:43] was for rail
in an updated evolution in 2005.
[2:14:48] He specifically said
the Beltline
[2:14:49] thesis was focused on transit
[2:14:51] as an infrastructure tool
designed to encourage
[2:14:53] economic development in town
neighborhoods.
[2:14:57] While transit remains the key
[2:14:58] ingredient to the project
has continued to evolve
[2:15:01] and now includes a significant
and exciting new component.
[2:15:05] Parks and trail.
[2:15:08] Thanks. Thank you.
[2:15:11] Our next
speaker is Lamar Marcus.
[2:15:14] Lamar, you have two minutes.
[2:15:25] Good to see you.
[2:15:27] Council president,
members of the council
and the people of Atlanta.
[2:15:31] I said before
and I said again, Elena, water
[2:15:34] crisis is not the only it's
not about old pipes.
[2:15:37] It's about old systems.
[2:15:39] Systems
that allow billing errors,
[2:15:42] mis coding of accounts,
weak enforcements,
[2:15:46] and slow response
to problems in the fields.
[2:15:49] And when employee
raised concerns
[2:15:51] about safeties and operations
and accountabilities,
[2:15:54] those complaints cannot get
stuck between departments
[2:15:58] and the mayor's office.
[2:16:00] This is how small problems
become citywide failures.
[2:16:04] So here's where I'm calling for
you as a council to do.
[2:16:08] Number one is to have one
[2:16:11] reconcile number
and a public dashboard.
[2:16:14] The council and the public
deserve a single audit
[2:16:19] deficiency figure
and an agency schedule
[2:16:22] and a quarterly performance
metric collection disputes,
[2:16:26] resolution
and time and write offs.
[2:16:28] Number
two fairness with enforcement.
[2:16:31] Protect hardship.
[2:16:33] Households
with structured payment plans.
[2:16:35] Target assistance
but enforce collection
[2:16:38] on large commercial
and institutional accounts
[2:16:41] and stop classification errors
that distort accountabilities.
[2:16:46] And number three
a repair and response standards
[2:16:49] that the public can see
published the
[2:16:53] the backlog as published
response times and report on
[2:16:58] and weekly reports and work open
versus work completed.
[2:17:02] This is not about blaming
workers.
[2:17:04] This is not about leadership.
[2:17:06] It is about building a city
that can account
[2:17:08] for every dollar
and every mile of pipe.
[2:17:11] Because every dollar we fail
to collect, and every week
[2:17:15] and every week
we fail to fix becomes
[2:17:17] becomes a cost to the resident
that pays.
[2:17:20] Later, I'm back to partner
with the people of Lanta
[2:17:24] and and be a watchdog
for results.
[2:17:27] If we can measure it,
we can manage it.
[2:17:30] If we can manage it. Thank you.
[2:17:32] We can fix it.
And I'm back for a higher seat,
George, and we will fix it.
[2:17:35] Thank you.
[2:17:37] And can you guys claim this?
[2:17:38] Next speaker is emit lamp
[2:17:42] or loop.
[2:17:48] Hi, my name is Emmett Lumpy.
[2:17:50] I live in Capital View.
[2:17:52] I work in the power industry
and I'm here to talk
[2:17:53] about data centers again.
[2:17:55] As you might be aware,
the Georgia Public Service
[2:17:58] Commission unanimously approved
Georgia Power's
[2:18:00] plan to add 9.9GW
of new generation capacity,
[2:18:03] this primarily
to meet the projected demands
[2:18:07] of the data centers.
And I want to emphasize that
that is projected,
[2:18:10] not actually approved.
[2:18:11] There's no,
[2:18:12] much of it is not being backed
by fully executed contracts.
[2:18:16] The construction
of this generation
[2:18:17] expansion is estimated at $16.5
billion.
[2:18:22] We know who's going to be
paying for that.
[2:18:24] But as part of the agreement,
[2:18:25] the PSC included some
stipulations for Georgia Power,
[2:18:29] such as allocating significant
costs for the portfolio
[2:18:31] portfolio to the large load
customers in its next
[2:18:35] base rate change,
[2:18:38] sufficient to ensure incremental
revenue from the large load
[2:18:41] customers has downward
pressure of at least eight
[2:18:43] and a half dollars per month
to the typical resident.
[2:18:47] Starting in 2029.
[2:18:50] So basically we'll
be paying for the upfront cost
[2:18:53] and then maybe see
some benefit from it in 2029.
[2:18:57] If all of the data center
demand materializes.
[2:19:02] I understand that many aspects
of this,
[2:19:04] of the financial aspects
of the data center conversation
[2:19:08] are out of the control
of the Atlantic City Council,
[2:19:11] such as the sales tax exemption
that the state provided.
[2:19:14] That is going to cost us
about $2.5 billion
[2:19:17] worth of revenue in 2026
and 3,000,000,000 in 2027.
[2:19:21] But there are some things
that you guys can do.
[2:19:24] For example,
Fulton County recently
changed their appraisal methods
[2:19:26] for data centers,
and that will generate about $87
[2:19:28] million worth of revenue.
[2:19:29] Virginia was able to claw back
[2:19:31] $600 million in 2026 with
an electricity consumption tax.
[2:19:35] Similar taxes
could be implemented here
[2:19:37] at a local level for high volume
[2:19:39] electricity and water
consumption.
[2:19:41] Regardless of what
the mayor comes back with
[2:19:43] and his data center strategy.
[2:19:44] I think that the city council
needs to be proactive
[2:19:46] about this stuff and start putti
[2:19:52] Thank you.
[2:19:54] Next we speakers Dan Phillips,
Sheila.
[2:19:57] Louder.
[2:19:58] Mikayla.
[2:20:00] Harvey,
you each have two minutes.
[2:20:01] Please come forward.
[2:20:04] Dan Phillips two minutes.
[2:20:12] Good afternoon, city council.
[2:20:14] My name is
and I am a Georgia Tech student.
[2:20:17] Excuse me, is Dan Phillips
not here?
[2:20:21] My apologies.
[2:20:23] Okay, just one second.
[2:20:24] So he's not here.
[2:20:25] What about Sheila? Louder.
[2:20:29] Okay. She.
[2:20:30] Louder is number 48.
[2:20:32] She would need to go next.
[2:20:37] And we will see you directly
after.
[2:20:39] Mashallah.
[2:20:42] To council.
[2:20:43] I'm here again. Sheila. Louder.
[2:20:47] Yes, again.
After appearing at your council
meeting a few weeks ago
[2:20:51] about the incompetence of Sharon
Johnson, an investigator
[2:20:54] in the city's law department.
[2:20:57] Thank you, Councilwoman
[2:20:58] President Overstreet,
for trying to get me assistance
[2:21:03] with resolving
the issue of my son's car
being damaged by a city forestry
[2:21:06] truck while he was at work
on City of Atlanta property.
[2:21:10] And thank you, Councilman Bond,
for attentively and I say
[2:21:15] attentively, listening to each
speaker, unlike some on this
[2:21:21] council.
[2:21:22] While the
Beltline transit is important.
[2:21:25] Why can't my son, as a black man
get his car claim resolved
[2:21:30] after seven months?
[2:21:31] Sharon Johnson
can't be a paid employee.
[2:21:34] And I repeat,
she can't be a paid employee.
[2:21:37] She must be a volunteer.
[2:21:39] She is slow to return calls
[2:21:41] and follow up on her claims
in writing or telephone.
[2:21:45] She does, however, make my son
aware when they do speak, that
[2:21:49] the claim will be depreciated
because of the age of his car.
[2:21:54] My son has been unable
[2:21:56] to get the process
and procedures for processing
[2:21:59] claims, only to be told
to go to the city's website.
[2:22:03] Really Sharon, why can't this be
mailed or email
[2:22:08] when it is asked for?
[2:22:12] Instead?
[2:22:14] Valuable
time has been wasted by my son
[2:22:17] and I paying parking fees
[2:22:19] and using gas to come down here
and speak before you.
[2:22:23] Fortunately, today
[2:22:24] I spoke in person
with Miss Raphael Johnson,
[2:22:27] who tried to give me assistance
and I thank her for that.
[2:22:31] Will my son claim be resolved
before the Beltline is built?
[2:22:35] Thank you.
[2:22:42] Michelle.
Harvey, you have two minutes.
[2:22:44] I apologize for the rush.
[2:22:46] Start to reintroduce myself.
[2:22:48] My name is Michelle Hart,
and I am.
[2:22:50] And I am a Georgia Tech student.
[2:22:51] I am come in
support of the Police
[2:22:53] Transparency Ordinance
by Council member Dozier.
[2:22:56] Being a Georgia Tech
[2:22:57] Yellow
Jacket has made me prideful
[2:22:58] to be a proud resident
of the city of Atlanta.
[2:23:01] But today
I won't be using my speaking
[2:23:03] time to talk about myself,
[2:23:04] but about a fellow student,
Kayden Chow.
[2:23:06] Kayden Chow is a freshman
at Georgia Tech
[2:23:09] that is studying
computer science.
[2:23:10] Caden is part of the test
and math club on campus,
[2:23:13] and Caden, just like the rest
of the students on campus, are
[2:23:18] and kind.
And exactly one week ago,
Caden had gone missing
[2:23:20] and it took nearly 72 hours
to locate him safely.
[2:23:24] It took him three days, 20
[2:23:25] 4:00 cameras on campus,
and a police department
[2:23:29] managing a city
with the greatest number
of security cameras
[2:23:31] in the entire country
to find Caden.
[2:23:33] And while I admire the hard work
and coordination
[2:23:36] of the Georgia Tech
in Atlanta Police Department,
[2:23:38] I see, agree and echo
[2:23:40] the concerns of the still rising
[2:23:41] numbers of technology
across the city,
[2:23:43] each flawed camera able
to record people's faces,
[2:23:46] cars, and able to coordinate
data in certain organizations
[2:23:50] with loose privacy regulations
and able to congregate and
[2:23:54] redeem private, all without
our permission and spite it all.
[2:23:57] It did not speed up
the search for Caden.
[2:23:59] And while we wait
for an explanation
[2:24:01] for why this search
of a system of high tech cameras
[2:24:05] were not able to increase
the speed of the search,
[2:24:07] I see headlines of how
these cameras are being used.
[2:24:09] Otherwise,
Georgia police officers
[2:24:12] would rather spend
their precious time
[2:24:13] stalking their ex-girlfriends
and chasing
[2:24:15] in personal fights
on tax dollars we are funding.
[2:24:18] So that's why I'm in support
[2:24:19] of the community control
over police surveillance.
[2:24:22] Sea cops initiative,
introduced today in the city,
[2:24:25] is serving to its people
[2:24:26] to listen to the concerns
of the public and build
[2:24:28] trust
that the APD is not abusing
[2:24:30] Master Valence technology
that we, the Residents fund.
[2:24:33] If AP truly echoes their model
in creating a faster
[2:24:37] and safer city.
The app must involve
communities, needs and opinions
[2:24:39] when it comes to making
the city safe. Thank you.
[2:24:45] Thank you.
[2:24:48] Our next three speakers Rachel,
Janet,
[2:24:52] Carol.
[2:24:52] Kane, Kelly.
[2:24:55] You each have two minutes.
[2:24:58] Rachel. Janet
[2:25:01] two minutes.
[2:25:02] Good afternoon.
Members of the City Council.
[2:25:04] My name is Rachel Young
[2:25:05] and I am a fourth year student
at Emory University.
[2:25:08] I'm here today to emphasize
the importance of a community
[2:25:11] input provision
in ordinance 2601401.
[2:25:15] While the legislation is a much
needed step
[2:25:17] forward in cementing
[2:25:18] surveillance technology
safeguards into city law.
[2:25:21] Citizen engagement
a core component of a well
[2:25:24] functioning democracy,
must be properly incorporated
[2:25:27] despite Atlanta's
expansive flock network.
[2:25:30] We, the ordinary residents,
the various subjects
[2:25:32] of mass surveillance,
currently have no say
[2:25:35] in how these cameras
are being used.
[2:25:38] In order
to prevent
these powerful technologies
[2:25:39] from being misused, infringe
upon our rights and privacy.
[2:25:42] Public oversight
in the form of the opportunity
[2:25:45] to meaningfully participate
at public hearings
[2:25:47] before surveillance
technologies are employed
[2:25:50] and proper authorization
from our elected officials
[2:25:53] should be codified
into city law.
[2:25:55] This ensures community
input remains lasting
[2:25:58] and is not subject to removal
[2:25:59] from by future administration
changes.
[2:26:02] I'd like to draw on my personal
background for a second.
[2:26:06] My parents
grew up in mainland China,
where surveillance technology
[2:26:08] spanned every corner
of the country,
[2:26:10] and citizens aren't provided
a say in their implementation.
[2:26:13] And growing up with
this awareness
[2:26:15] has taught me
the importance of laying down
[2:26:17] fundamental democratic
safeguards around technology.
[2:26:21] I'm urging that
the important decisions
[2:26:23] impacting all of us
not be made unilaterally behind
[2:26:27] closed doors.
As you consider this ordinance,
I ask that you give Atlanta's
[2:26:30] residents
a permanent seat at the table
[2:26:32] in making decisions about
[2:26:34] the surveillance technology
being deployed in our city.
[2:26:36] Thank you.
[2:26:39] Thank you.
[2:26:41] Carol
Kane, you have two minutes.
[2:26:47] Beltline rail may fit in
well in areas
[2:26:50] that have not
fully been developed
[2:26:51] or are not easily accessible by
Marta, but it's not a one size
[2:26:55] fits all project for an area
like the East Side Trail.
[2:26:58] Could be a death sentence.
[2:26:59] The area has
[2:27:00] already been heavily developed,
[2:27:02] and there's very little room
for a rail system,
[2:27:04] especially under the Highland
Bridge.
[2:27:06] I've lived there for 38 years
[2:27:08] and have seen the proposed area
flood every time it rains.
[2:27:11] There's actually a creek
where the rails would be built.
[2:27:14] This means that area
would have to be dug out,
[2:27:16] drainage pipes installed,
[2:27:18] and green space
in front of homes destroyed.
[2:27:20] In typical Atlanta fashion,
this will probably take years.
[2:27:23] While businesses
and residential homes
[2:27:25] are negatively impacted
as they were
[2:27:27] during the streetcars
construction.
[2:27:29] Years of heavy construction
to force rail in what is serves
[2:27:33] as a green space for pedestrians
and cyclists could destroy
[2:27:36] what has already taken years
to build.
[2:27:39] What really needs to happen
is an expansion
[2:27:41] of the existing trails
that pedestrians
[2:27:43] are not being run over
by e-bikes and scooters,
[2:27:46] especially in the segment
between
[2:27:48] Krog Street and Pond City
Market.
[2:27:50] The terrain of this area
[2:27:51] presents challenges
that autonomous vehicles
[2:27:55] may better support.
I'm not sure how you would take
rail through the Krog Tunnel.
[2:27:58] Join it several blocks
through Cabbagetown.
[2:28:01] Perhaps a Marta station
in the old CSX
[2:28:03] yard would be a possibility
to connect that area.
[2:28:06] Then there's the question
is who's going to maintain it?
[2:28:09] Is it going to be better
maintained than Marta,
[2:28:11] or is it going
to become a filthy,
[2:28:12] urine smelling
train that nobody wants to ride?
[2:28:15] Are people going to ride it?
[2:28:16] More people are going to ride it
[2:28:17] than the seemingly
always empty streetcar.
[2:28:20] Knowing the area well,
I would say
[2:28:21] keep the vibrant park setting
[2:28:23] that is working on the East Side
Trail.
[2:28:25] Allow pedestrians and cyclists
to have one area to enjoy
[2:28:28] without a train
right on top of them.
[2:28:30] Build beltline rail in the areas
that still have room for it,
[2:28:33] that truly benefit for it,
and connect it
[2:28:35] with autonomous vehicles
where that makes sense.
[2:28:38] Thank you.
[2:28:41] Thank you.
[2:28:46] Kelly.
[2:28:54] Okay, not seeing Kelly,
[2:28:56] we're going to move on
to our next three.
[2:28:58] Andrew
[2:28:59] Damian Harper and Kevin Cryan,
you each have two minutes.
[2:29:04] You can come forward.
[2:29:11] Good afternoon.
[2:29:12] My name is Andrew.
[2:29:14] I'm an Atlanta resident
and a student at Georgia Tech.
[2:29:18] I'm here to support
community control over
[2:29:20] police surveillance.
[2:29:23] We all know that AI surveillance
[2:29:25] is being used by abusers
to harass women.
[2:29:28] We know it is
being used to attack immigrants.
[2:29:30] Monitor women seeking
reproductive care.
[2:29:33] Punish people
for speaking out in protests,
[2:29:36] and that community members
[2:29:37] have no say in how
this technology is being used,
[2:29:40] or who can access the data
they collect.
[2:29:45] Atlanta residents
need to have a guaranteed right
to weigh in before the city
[2:29:48] signed surveillance contracts
that affect us all.
[2:29:50] These decisions have no right
[2:29:52] to be made behind closed doors
without a public vote.
[2:29:55] Not when it is actively harming
our communities.
[2:29:58] I'm with Georgia Tech Students
for Democratic Society,
[2:30:01] and we're giving a tour
of all the flock
[2:30:03] cameras on campus on Wednesday,
October 7th.
[2:30:07] Come out if you want to learn
more about mass
[2:30:09] surveillance technology
and how it harms all of us.
[2:30:12] And also as a city
planning student,
[2:30:14] I can't go without saying
build Beltline rail already.
[2:30:22] Thank you.
[2:30:24] Damian Harper.
[2:30:29] Have two minutes.
[2:30:33] Thank you, council members.
[2:30:34] And I'd also like to especially
thank,
[2:30:38] Kelsey Bond, Jason Dozier
and Liliana Bakhtiari
[2:30:41] for their commitment
to making this city
[2:30:45] more safer for pedestrians
and also for the focus
[2:30:48] on our poverty issues
within the city.
[2:30:52] What I'm speaking about today
is going to be the proposed sale
[2:30:55] of the Atlanta City Detention
Center to Fulton County.
[2:30:59] I want to begin
with the principal.
[2:31:01] The people with the least power
should have
[2:31:03] the strongest
institutional protections.
[2:31:05] That principle matters
most inside a detention system,
[2:31:09] because the people affected
by its decisions often
[2:31:12] have the least ability
to influence them.
[2:31:16] Atlanta has spent years
reimagining AC, DC.
[2:31:20] The center for Diversion
and Services now operates
[2:31:23] within the facility,
providing an alternative to jail
[2:31:26] for people experiencing mental
health issues, substance abuse,
[2:31:29] abuse, homelessness
and extreme poverty.
[2:31:33] The proposed sale already
preserves space for that center
[2:31:37] and allows Atlanta's
municipal detainees to continue
being housed at AC, DC.
[2:31:41] So I'm not asking
for the council
[2:31:43] to pretend those protections
don't exist.
[2:31:45] I'm asking
what more can we preserve
[2:31:48] before we transfer
this institution?
[2:31:51] Fulton County has identified
a need for this facility
[2:31:55] that gives Atlanta
[2:31:56] an opportunity to negotiate
the terms of the transfer.
[2:31:59] Use that opportunity.
[2:32:01] Establish measurable standards
for length of stay,
[2:32:04] use of force deaths
and serious medical incidents,
[2:32:07] mental health and substance
[2:32:09] abuse, substance use, treatment,
diversion, rehabilitation,
[2:32:13] and connections
to housing and employment
that make those results public.
[2:32:16] I'm not asking for Atlanta
[2:32:18] to dictate the sheriff's lawful
authority.
[2:32:20] I'm asking the city attorney
and the administration
[2:32:22] to determine
what additional protections
[2:32:24] can legally be incorporated
into the sale
[2:32:26] and intergovernmental agreements
before
[2:32:28] this transaction is finalized.
[2:32:30] Because $68 million
is the price of the property.
[2:32:34] It should not
automatically be the price of
Atlanta's future influence.
[2:32:38] Thank you.
[2:32:41] Kevin
Kline, you have two minutes.
[2:32:48] Good afternoon, fellow citizens
[2:32:49] and members of the City Council.
[2:32:51] My name is Kevin Judith Criner.
[2:32:52] I live in Midtown
district three,
[2:32:54] and as a African-American
student
[2:32:56] studying at Georgia Tech,
[2:32:57] I walk, scooter and drive
through our city
[2:32:59] almost every single day
under the shadow
[2:33:02] of persistent
digital monitoring.
[2:33:05] We are often told
that automatic license plate
readers are a PR like.
[2:33:09] Cameras exist to keep us safe.
[2:33:11] But this safety, built on
some automated, unfettered
[2:33:13] dragnet surveillance
is neither safe nor just.
[2:33:16] To keep this brief,
I only have two points.
[2:33:18] First,
the technology is fundamentally
[2:33:20] ineffective at addressing
the root causes of harm.
[2:33:22] Independent civil liberties
research from the ACLU
[2:33:25] and Electronic Frontier
Foundation
[2:33:28] shows that well
under 1% of scans are linked
to criminal activity, hot lists,
[2:33:30] or any criminal investigation
at all.
[2:33:32] Instead of solving
violent crimes,
[2:33:34] these systems track
millions of innocent people
[2:33:36] going about their private
routines,
[2:33:37] visiting family, attending faith
services, or glowing the class
[2:33:42] a la me
and several other Atlanta
students as we've just sown
[2:33:44] and including children and their
parents, my own included.
[2:33:48] My father was falsely
flagged in a hit and run case.
[2:33:52] They flagged his own license
plate
[2:33:54] instead of the man who hit him.
[2:33:55] Second flock
infrastructure creates profound
[2:33:57] discriminatory risks
for black residents
[2:33:59] in Atlanta,
as shown for racial bias
[2:34:02] training
with every other form of AI.
[2:34:04] When surveillance networks
are layered in historically over
[2:34:08] corridors, they will reinforce
existing racial
[2:34:10] disparities under the guise
of neutral algorithms.
[2:34:14] Across Georgia,
we have already seen
[2:34:15] how unchecked access leads
to abuse.
[2:34:17] But officers facing
criminal charges
[2:34:19] and internal audits
for treating these systems
[2:34:21] like personal tracking databases
[2:34:23] and dragnet deploy
without community consent
[2:34:25] means that black motorists
bear the brunt of these pretext.
[2:34:28] Stops and digital monitoring.
[2:34:30] True public safety
[2:34:31] requires genuine
community investment,
[2:34:33] accountability,
and traditional oversight.
[2:34:35] I urge this cancel to pass
the Cops ordinance and establish
[2:34:40] enforceable community control
over police surveillance.
[2:34:43] Thank you. Thank you.
[2:34:46] Our next two speakers,
[2:34:48] Marjorie McLeod
Katz Leatherwood.
[2:34:52] You each have two minutes.
[2:34:57] I don't see Margie.
[2:34:59] Excuse me.
[2:35:00] Oh, yes, I do.
[2:35:07] Which?
McLeod. You have two minutes.
[2:35:09] Were you asking me
a question? Yes.
[2:35:16] I was going to donate my time
to Nicki.
[2:35:19] To two minutes.
[2:35:21] Okay, that's.
[2:35:22] Is she already here? Yes.
[2:35:25] Okay, I'll add it over there.
[2:35:28] So our next is Caps Lock.
[2:35:30] Leatherwood.
[2:35:40] Hello.
I like being plural.
That's cool.
[2:35:42] My name is Kat Leatherwood and I
am a resident of East Atlanta.
[2:35:46] I wanted to thank you
for signing on to
[2:35:47] and voting for the resolution
to follow through on
[2:35:50] building the Beltline rail
that is funded,
[2:35:52] land set aside
and has been promised.
[2:35:55] When I first moved to Atlanta,
[2:35:56] I was actually able to afford
to live on the Beltline
[2:35:59] and it was an incredible
opportunity for me
[2:36:01] being new to Atlanta.
[2:36:02] I was very excited
to learn about the history
[2:36:04] of my new home,
and I learned that the Beltline
[2:36:06] was a reconstruction era effort
to connect factories
[2:36:08] around Atlanta,
and was the engine
[2:36:10] for the industrialization
and growth of Atlanta.
[2:36:13] And I really enjoyed getting
[2:36:16] to see the effort
to revitalize the Beltline
as a transit corridor
[2:36:18] with a walking path and light
rail path.
[2:36:20] When I was physically able,
[2:36:22] I was I loved
being able to hop on my bike
[2:36:24] and use the Beltline
and other paths
[2:36:25] that connected our city
and explore
[2:36:27] different areas of the city.
[2:36:29] As more of the Beltline
expanded,
[2:36:31] the more of the city
I could see,
[2:36:32] the more people I could meet.
[2:36:34] I found a similar experience
on Marta hopping on the train
[2:36:37] and busses to help me access
parts of the city
[2:36:40] where it's
prohibitively expensive
[2:36:42] when enough parking isn't
available.
[2:36:43] Traffic will throw me behind
or I don't have access to
[2:36:47] my vehicle
has all been a linchpin
in being access all of the city.
[2:36:49] As someone who grew up
in rural Mississippi,
[2:36:51] you don't appreciate public
[2:36:53] transit until you have to ride
15 miles to work on your bike,
[2:36:56] especially when you have
the knees, I do.
[2:36:58] I think any and all efforts
to connect the city and provide
[2:37:01] a sensible transit for everyone
is always a worthy cause.
[2:37:04] It's also a worthy cause to
protect Atlanta for the future.
[2:37:07] As the planet heats up,
I think it's appropriate
[2:37:09] we provide
safe transit for our residents
[2:37:12] and start putting a dent
in climate change
to prevent further damage.
[2:37:15] Instead of leaving residents
[2:37:16] vulnerable
to pipeline explosions
[2:37:18] hitting our wallets
and depending on dangerous cars.
[2:37:20] It's an investment
far more important
[2:37:21] to our children
and our children's children.
[2:37:23] The building a bigger jail
or cop city structures spared
[2:37:27] no expense building
or destroying forests,
[2:37:29] as 1.16 people die in Atlanta
from being struck by vehicles,
[2:37:32] there is no price tag to pulling
and polluting dangerous cars
[2:37:35] off the road.
[2:37:36] There is no price tag
[2:37:37] on reducing the need for parking
[2:37:38] garages and lane expansions
that damage
[2:37:40] more green space
than light rail, I think.
[2:37:44] Thank you.
And it definitely isn't s
on here, so it's just cat.
[2:37:48] All righty.
[2:37:49] Our next two speakers.
[2:37:51] Last two of the two minute
speakers.
[2:37:54] Doctor Dewayne Robinson,
you have two minutes and Curtis
[2:37:58] Harrison,
you'll have two minutes.
[2:38:03] Anyone see doctor DeWine?
[2:38:07] I did earlier.
[2:38:10] He's on the way.
[2:38:12] Well, why don't you come on
forward, then?
[2:38:15] Mr. Harrison, you do not.
[2:38:18] You get two minutes,
[2:38:21] and that'll give doctor Dawn
[2:38:22] time to get in here.
[2:38:28] Amen.
Praise the Lord, everybody.
[2:38:30] Me being a prophet of God,
I come in Jesus name.
[2:38:32] So everybody mentioning God,
but nobody mentioned in Jesus.
[2:38:37] Well, I'm I'm here to talk about
[2:38:39] the transit,
but in a different way.
[2:38:41] Gwinnett transit that there's
there's no busted running
[2:38:45] with that county
on Sundays at all.
[2:38:49] And I think I spoke
with the mayor about
[2:38:52] possibly putting mortar there,
[2:38:54] but they say, because, you know,
[2:38:55] I'm a very educated type person,
that they don't want to.
[2:38:59] Many folk
on the train to support crime
come off the bus and train.
[2:39:03] But I see more cars than people
with more crime
[2:39:06] through the cars.
[2:39:08] So they're saying,
which is a bias statement,
[2:39:10] you know, that
they don't want no martyr
[2:39:14] busses
in Gwinnett County, because
[2:39:18] be more people
walking up and down the streets.
[2:39:20] But I'm like, we're 2026. And
[2:39:24] that's kind of like pastime,
you know,
[2:39:27] that you don't want
people in your city.
[2:39:30] And we got all this technology
and stuff.
[2:39:32] So that's
what I came to talk about
[2:39:34] was that, that,
that that trains the bus.
[2:39:38] There's no bus at all.
[2:39:39] No transportation
at all on Sundays
[2:39:43] from Gwinnett County to Atlanta.
[2:39:47] So I did speak with the mayor
[2:39:48] about this,
and I spoke with Annette County
[2:39:50] about this as well, that how,
how and why
[2:39:55] I have to get stranded
[2:39:58] in when that county and can't
leave their until Monday morning
[2:40:03] from Saturday night
because the last, the last
[2:40:05] the last bus comes from,
[2:40:09] I think Snellville
[2:40:10] to Indian Creek Saturday
at the time of 9:00.
[2:40:15] And that's it.
And I think that's real bias
if I must use that word.
[2:40:17] I don't think it's racial bias.
[2:40:19] I think it's biased
[2:40:21] or prejudiced,
[2:40:22] but I don't think it's prejudice
like against black.
[2:40:24] I think it's present
is against people, period.
[2:40:27] So I will leave it like that.
[2:40:30] Thank you, doctor Dawn.
[2:40:36] Okay.
That'll take us to our
[2:40:38] yielded time paper.
[2:40:40] I mean little time speakers.
[2:40:42] And our first yield at time
speaker is Matthew Nursey.
[2:40:46] You have four minutes.
[2:40:48] Is Benjamin Perrine here?
[2:40:52] Okay.
[2:40:53] Thank you.
[2:40:58] Matthew, you have four minutes.
[2:41:02] Special.
[2:41:06] All right.
[2:41:07] Thank you. Council.
[2:41:07] My name is Matthew Nursey.
[2:41:09] I'm with the Housing Justice
League.
[2:41:11] I live in district
five in Kirkwood.
[2:41:15] Relatively easy
walk to the Beltline.
[2:41:17] I walk to the Beltline
quite often.
[2:41:19] It would be really nice
to be able to
[2:41:22] have some real, meaningful
transit on the Beltline as well.
[2:41:26] And so that's what we are here
to speak in support of.
[2:41:29] I want to say thank you
to all the council members
[2:41:33] who have already signed on.
[2:41:34] Got to say, I'm actually
like really pleasantly surprised
[2:41:37] with, with the support
that this has gotten us,
[2:41:42] I, you know,
I wanted to keep it
positive today, but I will say
[2:41:46] some previous comments
got me a little round up.
[2:41:48] So I want to be very clear.
[2:41:50] There is no organized opposition
to this project.
[2:41:54] That's not me saying that.
[2:41:55] That's the Secretary of state,
actually, you know, and so
[2:42:01] how I'd
like to know also how many
[2:42:04] tragedies are occur in Charlotte
[2:42:07] where they also have
a streetcar.
[2:42:09] And I want to say I traveled
around a lot this summer so far.
[2:42:13] And this year I've been to,
you know, D.C.
[2:42:18] twice.
I've been to New York City,
Chicago twice, Boston.
[2:42:23] One thing that
all those places have in
[2:42:24] common is it's really easy
to get around.
[2:42:27] And no matter what
class you are,
[2:42:29] people are taking the train,
people are taking the busses.
[2:42:33] And I, you know,
every time I leave Atlanta
[2:42:35] and come back, I'm, you know,
I'm happy to live here.
[2:42:38] This is a great city.
[2:42:40] But we really we could
we we consider ourselves to be
[2:42:43] in that class of those cities,
those other cities, you know,
[2:42:46] hosting
World Cups and Super Bowls,
[2:42:48] wanting
to have Democratic conventions.
[2:42:50] We need to expand our transit.
[2:42:53] And so it's
only getting hotter and hotter.
[2:42:56] I was out at the press
conference today,
[2:42:59] you know, it's almost October.
[2:43:00] It's still like 90 degrees
outside.
[2:43:03] Elena.
Notoriously bad with traffic.
[2:43:05] But, even apart from the
[2:43:08] the sense
this project makes with climate,
[2:43:12] I really in particularly,
[2:43:15] I, I was in food service
and hospitality
[2:43:18] for a long, long time.
[2:43:20] And so to me, in the modern
economy, food service workers
[2:43:24] are, are really like
the backbone of the economy.
[2:43:27] Right.
[2:43:28] And they don't
really get the respect
[2:43:30] they deserve.
You know, a lot of times
[2:43:32] their needs
aren't really catered to.
[2:43:34] And I can say that
a lot of people
[2:43:36] who work on these restaurants
[2:43:38] and in these stores and shops
along the Beltline,
[2:43:42] I'm sure they would love
to have transit
[2:43:44] to be able to take affordable.
[2:43:47] Public transit options.
[2:43:49] And so,
[2:43:52] you know,
it was mentioned earlier,
the scooters that are dangerous.
[2:43:53] I agree,
[2:43:54] I think a lot of people
on their scooters are,
[2:43:56] you know, they're trying
to get to work in time.
[2:43:58] So that kind of makes my point,
right?
[2:44:01] The Waymo's that's definitely
something that's not, like,
[2:44:04] as prevalent in every other city
as it is here in Atlanta.
[2:44:07] And, you know,
I also think that those
[2:44:09] are dangerous
for a number of reasons.
[2:44:11] It's not something that we've
really voted on or asked for.
[2:44:14] Whereas this beltline rail is
a project that we all voted for,
[2:44:18] we've been paying into
for quite a long time.
[2:44:20] And I want to say that
Housing Justice
[2:44:21] League was part of the Beltline
for all campaign.
[2:44:24] I just want to emphasize
that this was not just about,
[2:44:28] you know, beltline rail.
[2:44:30] The beltline was also supposed
to be an affordable
[2:44:33] housing, you know,
infrastructure project as well.
[2:44:37] And so we really need
to get back to
[2:44:39] when we and I'm hoping Beltline
[2:44:41] rail can help spur
some of this development.
[2:44:43] We've heard the mayor
[2:44:45] say a lot recently
that development doesn't
necessarily mean gentrification,
[2:44:48] and I believe that.
[2:44:49] But we got to work
to make it happen.
[2:44:51] So along the Beltline,
when we have this transit,
[2:44:55] it can connect
people who are living there,
[2:44:56] hopefully in units
that are deeply affordable. 30%.
[2:45:00] Am I below?
[2:45:02] And another thing
that I noticed in New York
[2:45:04] that we don't have here,
that's public housing.
[2:45:07] We got to start talking
about it. Public housing.
[2:45:10] Thank you, thank you.
[2:45:15] Our next
speaker is Matthew Sampson.
[2:45:18] You have eight minutes.
[2:45:20] Let's see.
[2:45:21] Is Isabel Philip here?
[2:45:26] Okay.
Just want to be sure
you're here.
[2:45:30] Benjamin Bynum,
[2:45:32] it's Benjamin Bynum here.
[2:45:34] Do you see him, Mr.. Matthew?
[2:45:38] Benjamin bynum.
[2:45:39] Okay, what about Nathan?
[2:45:42] Okay, that will give you
[2:45:44] six minutes instead of eight.
[2:45:48] All right.
[2:45:49] Unless I'm missing
Benjamin Bynum.
[2:45:54] Oh, yeah,
it seems like he might have
[2:45:57] had to head out, which is.
[2:45:58] And I'll go ahead
and start my comment.
[2:46:00] But, yeah,
seems like he had to head out,
[2:46:02] which is why it's so important
that we,
[2:46:03] you know, make it, more flexible
for people's ability to,
[2:46:06] you know, support
doing public comment.
[2:46:09] Right, so we can exercise,
[2:46:11] and make our voice heard
as constituents.
[2:46:14] So, like a lot of other folks.
[2:46:15] Oh, introduce myself real quick.
[2:46:17] I'm not you, Samson.
[2:46:19] I live in old Fourth Ward,
was born and raised in Atlanta.
[2:46:22] So I'm really familiar with the
Beltline.
[2:46:24] I remember when,
[2:46:26] I live over by Boulevard and
[2:46:27] when they used to be
just kind of nothing over there.
[2:46:29] You know, we had the abandoned,
[2:46:32] like, City Hall East,
[2:46:33] you know, the the big Sears
store and everything.
[2:46:35] And I remember when it all like,
it feels like
[2:46:36] it got came to life so fast.
[2:46:39] But it was a thing that was
really kind of alienating for me
[2:46:42] as someone from a, you know,
family is not that wealthy.
[2:46:45] And, if you go to City Market.
[2:46:47] Now, you know, it's
not you kind of
[2:46:49] got to make a lot of money
to be able to shop there.
[2:46:51] I would say,
[2:46:52] and that's why,
[2:46:56] you know,
getting back
to the original vision
of the Beltline and building
belt is so important.
[2:46:58] I'm really, really happy
with all the support
[2:47:00] this resolution
has gotten so far.
[2:47:03] And I feel really confident that
it's going to pass today. So,
[2:47:06] you know, I just want to
[2:47:08] talk a little bit more about why
I believe it's so important.
[2:47:12] You know, I think this is
[2:47:13] probably the most transformative
public transit
[2:47:15] project that we can do right now
in recent history in Atlanta.
[2:47:20] Right.
We're talking about reconnecting
all these neighborhoods
that have been divided
[2:47:23] with redlining and, like,
literally physically bulldozed
[2:47:26] and had highways
put in between them.
[2:47:28] And this is something
that can bridge,
[2:47:29] you know,
rebuild those connections.
[2:47:32] We have the opportunity
to do something
[2:47:33] that I think
is almost unprecedented.
[2:47:35] And even the history of not just
that land in the state, but,
[2:47:38] probably in this country,
we talk about
[2:47:40] actually committing ourselves
to investing in,
[2:47:44] something for the public good
[2:47:46] and to go against, I would say,
what has otherwise
[2:47:49] been like a gentrifying force
for so long.
[2:47:51] You know,
there are some speakers earlier,
[2:47:53] I was kind of surprised
by the rhetoric they were using.
[2:47:55] You don't say it out
loud, usually,
[2:47:56] but talking about the Beltline
as an emerald necklace, like,
[2:48:00] yeah, the Beltline
has been a park of sorts, right?
[2:48:02] It has been a destination
for people
[2:48:05] that some folks get to go to.
[2:48:06] And a lot don't.
[2:48:08] And a lot.
It's just straight up
can't. Right.
[2:48:11] But the Beltline is something
[2:48:12] that's
supposed to be for everyone.
[2:48:13] So with transit and with us
investing in affordable
[2:48:17] housing on it too,
you know, I'm happy to see that
get added to the resolution.
[2:48:20] I, I feel really optimistic
that we can have something
[2:48:23] wonderful in, you know,
ten, 20 years down the line.
[2:48:27] Something else I wanted
to talk about is just, you know,
[2:48:30] there is so much support
from the public
[2:48:33] for Beltline Rail and again,
[2:48:34] for the original vision
of the Beltline.
[2:48:36] In my own experience,
[2:48:38] you know, reaching out
to folks in district 58,
[2:48:40] which goes from old fourth Ward
to southwest Atlanta.
[2:48:42] In a lot of these
Beltline neighborhoods,
[2:48:44] when people get pitched on
the concept of Beltline rental
[2:48:47] because a lot
haven't even heard of it
because it's been so long
[2:48:48] since we voted
on the referendum.
[2:48:50] You know, we're seeing like 70%
of people
[2:48:52] are supportive of the idea
of the full loop, right?
[2:48:57] Something else is,
you know, there's this petition
that has 1600 signatures,
[2:49:00] but also something really cool,
that it got back
[2:49:03] today is a poll that I did
with this, progressive
[2:49:07] think tank called the center
for Strategic Politics.
[2:49:09] It just got
those results back. And so,
[2:49:13] we found
with 520,
25 likely municipal voters
[2:49:17] that 83% are supportive
of Beltline rail.
[2:49:20] And then there are only 3%
that were against.
[2:49:22] And that the last
the remaining percentage
[2:49:24] of just people
who were neutral on the issue.
[2:49:26] So, there is overwhelming
support from the public
[2:49:29] for Beltline rail.
[2:49:32] Let's see,
[2:49:34] that's
I think that's all I got again.
[2:49:36] I'm really happy to see,
you know,
[2:49:38] I feel really confident
that y'all are gonna
[2:49:40] we're going to pass this today.
[2:49:42] We're going
to get back on track.
[2:49:43] And commit
to the original vision
[2:49:45] of the Beltline, as, you know,
[2:49:47] something for everyone
that's equitable, in part of a,
[2:49:50] you know, just better future
for Atlanta going forward.
[2:49:54] So thank you all.
[2:49:56] Thank you.
[2:50:01] Our next speaker is Tiffany
Roberts.
[2:50:03] You're going to have ten
minutes.
[2:50:06] Let's see is
Ashley Conyers here.
[2:50:09] Okay. Marty Cowart.
[2:50:14] Devin Franklin.
[2:50:18] And connect King.
[2:50:20] Thank you. You have ten minutes.
[2:50:24] Thank you.
Council president Overstreet.
[2:50:26] For the benefit of the public.
[2:50:28] My name is Tiffany Roberts.
[2:50:29] I'm the director
of public policy
[2:50:31] for the Southern Center
for Human Rights. And,
[2:50:35] we are a nonprofit
law firm here in Atlanta
[2:50:37] committed
to decriminalizing race
[2:50:39] and poverty in America's
deep South.
[2:50:41] We've been doing this
for 50 years.
[2:50:45] We lament the necessity
of offering these remarks today
[2:50:50] in preparation
for the work session
that is scheduled for this week
[2:50:53] to discuss the particulars
of the proposed sale
[2:50:56] of the Atlantic City Detention
Center to Fulton County.
[2:50:59] We lament it. Yet here we are.
[2:51:01] As a former public defender,
it really did my heart.
[2:51:04] Good to see the Hornsby legacy
honored today.
[2:51:09] Mr. Franklin
and I had the benefit of working
[2:51:12] under the tutelage of people
like Avis Hornsby
[2:51:14] when we were public
defenders in Fulton County.
[2:51:17] And it's important for us
to give folks their flowers.
[2:51:20] We must honor our legends
while they are still here.
[2:51:24] And honoring our legends
also means honoring their legacy
[2:51:30] and what they taught us
this morning.
[2:51:33] We presented flowers
to Miss Marilyn
[2:51:35] when the founding executive
director of women on the rise.
[2:51:38] We gave her her flowers
and appreciation
[2:51:41] for being the trailblazer
who who started the campaign
[2:51:45] to repurpose and closed the
Atlanta City Detention Center.
[2:51:49] Miss win is somebody I met
when I was a baby organizer,
[2:51:53] right after she was released
[2:51:54] from prison
for the seventh time,
[2:51:57] and she
imagined a better way for her
because she knew the services
[2:52:00] that were unavailable to her
when she was being processed
[2:52:03] in the criminal legal system,
until she said that she had
[2:52:06] an addiction problem,
which she actually didn't have.
[2:52:08] She just knew that
that was the only way to get
[2:52:11] help,
was to say
that she had an addiction
[2:52:13] so that she could receive
services
[2:52:15] from the criminal legal system.
[2:52:17] I met Miss Win
as a member of an organization
[2:52:19] called Building
Locally to organize
[2:52:21] for community safety,
[2:52:22] building locally to organize
for community safety,
[2:52:25] also known as blocks.
[2:52:26] Blocks is where Pad came from.
[2:52:28] Blocks is where bill reform
champions came from.
[2:52:32] Blocks is where the the fight
against the ban of sex workers
[2:52:35] from the city came from.
[2:52:37] Blocks is where the marijuana
reclassification came from.
[2:52:40] And so many other initiatives
blotches who lobbied to
[2:52:44] to disband
the Red dog unit, for example,
[2:52:46] we are a scrappy little group
founded in a living room.
[2:52:50] But we came together
because we believed in the city.
[2:52:52] We believed in young people.
[2:52:53] We believed in ourselves.
[2:52:56] I share this not because
[2:52:58] I want any fanfare,
but because I need for you
[2:53:02] all to understand that
for every promise
[2:53:05] that this city breaks,
there is a human face.
[2:53:09] There is a human story.
[2:53:13] Every time
the mayor convinces you
[2:53:15] to break a promise,
whether it be Beltline rail
[2:53:18] or the repurposing of the
Atlanta City Detention Center.
[2:53:22] There are human beings
who suffer.
[2:53:26] For example,
we urge you to look at the RFP
[2:53:29] that was just published
[2:53:31] for mobile diversion services
and police assisted diversion.
[2:53:35] The RFP that obviously seeks
to replace Pad.
[2:53:40] I think it is a disaster.
[2:53:42] Not only would it open the city
to a lot of litigation,
[2:53:45] because the vendors
that the city seeks
[2:53:47] may or may not be paid
[2:53:49] based on a formula
established by the city,
[2:53:51] but it also rolls back
some of the progress we've made.
[2:53:54] You all had a problem
with office hours
[2:53:56] for Pad being at one point 7
a.m. to 7 p.m..
[2:53:59] Well, this RFP requires
that the Dickens administration
[2:54:03] is the face of the dismantling
of so much hard
[2:54:07] work of civil society
to make the city
[2:54:10] a kinder place to people who are
marginalized and need help.
[2:54:17] We are
calling upon you to order to
[2:54:19] to honor the moral obligation
to keep your word.
[2:54:24] The moral obligation, MLK, Carol
said,
[2:54:29] hide nothing from the masses
of your people.
[2:54:33] Tell no lies to our people.
[2:54:36] Claim no easy victories.
[2:54:39] We have some handouts for you.
[2:54:41] Miss Conyers will provide to you
that we hope can help shape
[2:54:45] what the work session
looks like this week
[2:54:47] for the Atlantic City
Detention Center.
[2:54:50] Talk.
[2:54:51] We've also emailed
those attachments to you in PDF.
[2:54:54] The first handout is called
beyond 901 Rice Street,
[2:54:58] and it's about how
this conversation
[2:55:01] about the humanitarian crisis
that we told you
[2:55:04] was a misplaced conversation
four years ago
[2:55:09] is still right for conversation.
[2:55:12] On the back,
you'll see the human rights
abuses that have occurred during
[2:55:15] the term of this lease
outside of 901 Rice Street.
[2:55:19] And the one I want to lift up
the most is that 17
[2:55:23] year olds children in sheriff
custody are being held
[2:55:27] in a separate building,
where the windows are boarded up
[2:55:31] and they are being held
[2:55:32] in solitary confinement
for up to 23 hours a day.
[2:55:36] These are children
[2:55:38] in pretrial detention, enjoying
the presumption of innocence.
[2:55:43] What is the year of the youth
[2:55:46] when we are willing to hold
[2:55:48] 17 year olds and torture
chambers for months on end,
[2:55:52] while our criminal legal system
[2:55:54] moves at a shell
at a snail's pace?
[2:55:56] The second handout that you have
is about the staffing crisis.
[2:56:00] Staffing at the Fulton County
[2:56:02] Sheriff's
Department is at about 50%.
[2:56:05] And what the monitor
[2:56:06] has repeatedly said is
if the sheriff does not address
[2:56:10] the staffing crisis,
there is little that you can do
[2:56:13] in the way of space to remediate
[2:56:15] because all of the human rights
[2:56:17] abuses we talk about,
whether it's use of force,
[2:56:20] unsanitary conditions,
inedible food,
[2:56:23] all of those issues come back
not only to culture,
[2:56:28] but to staffing.
And there must be questions
posed in this work session
[2:56:31] about what the sheriffs plan,
what the
[2:56:33] what the county's plan is
when it comes to staffing.
[2:56:36] They added fewer than 20 people
[2:56:38] to the staff
since the monitors last report.
[2:56:41] We recommend that you do
a population review,
[2:56:45] the legislation that you passed.
[2:56:47] We raised concerns
that you did not have
[2:56:50] power to request certain data.
[2:56:52] And so we help to establish the
[2:56:54] the Jail Population
Review Committee.
[2:56:56] We are not aware of anyone
[2:56:58] other than Southern Center
and our partners doing robust
[2:57:01] open records
requests to review data
[2:57:03] during the term of this lease.
[2:57:05] And so we ask that you formalize
the collection of data.
[2:57:09] We ask that you collect data
regarding specifically
[2:57:12] the treatment of 17 year olds
in the county's custody.
[2:57:16] We ask that you collect data
regarding if you are
[2:57:20] willing to do a lease back
with Fulton County,
[2:57:23] and Sheriff Libert
will have absolutely any power
[2:57:26] over people in Atlanta
who are mostly held
[2:57:29] on disorderly conduct and
driving on suspended licenses.
[2:57:32] Charges
on a based on the last report
[2:57:34] from the Department
of Corrections.
[2:57:36] That you have some assurances
that there will actually
[2:57:39] be services
provided to those people
[2:57:41] who are being held
on crimes of poverty,
[2:57:44] that there are services
and protections
[2:57:46] actually available
[2:57:47] to those people who are there
because they can't afford
[2:57:50] to renew
their driver's licenses.
[2:57:53] It is your responsibility.
[2:57:55] For years ago, you said that
you needed more information.
[2:57:59] Four years ago,
you said you were going
[2:58:01] to get people off of floors,
but they are still there.
[2:58:05] And there are some of you
who are willing to hold up
[2:58:08] the fact
that there are still people
[2:58:10] sleeping in boats
[2:58:11] on the floors of the jail
to say, we must respond.
[2:58:15] Four years ago we told you
that was not the response.
[2:58:18] We also provided
you with the Policy
[2:58:21] Working Group report
from the Task Force
[2:58:23] to Reimagine the Atlantic City
Detention Center.
[2:58:26] I was one of those
working group members,
[2:58:28] and there are
[2:58:29] legislative proposals
that you can pass,
[2:58:31] regardless of what you do
with the building.
[2:58:34] And we believe that you owe it
to your constituents to minimize
[2:58:37] the number of people
who find themselves
[2:58:39] incarcerated in a jail,
especially under the under
[2:58:43] the control of a sheriff
who conservative judges
[2:58:49] have critiqued, has critiqued,
[2:58:52] asking how he sleeps at night.
[2:58:58] Council Member Martin,
you aptly said last week
[2:59:02] that the people in the Atlantic
City Detention Center and 901
[2:59:05] Right Street are our neighbors,
and that is true.
[2:59:09] But I think Southern Center can
do you one better.
[2:59:11] As the only law firm
who has successfully
[2:59:13] sued Fulton County four times,
one four times,
[2:59:16] and we're in current
active litigation
[2:59:18] over his treatment of women
in your detention center.
[2:59:21] They are not only our neighbors,
they are our clients
[2:59:24] and our friends.
[2:59:26] It is our investigators
who are in our jails talking to
[2:59:30] these folks.
Before we came today, Mr.
[2:59:31] Franklin went to his mailbox
and he pulled out a letter
[2:59:34] from someone incarcerated
in Fulton County.
[2:59:37] Single space,
handwritten three page letter
[2:59:41] documenting all of the existing
human rights abuses
[2:59:45] under Patrick Libert leadership.
[2:59:48] We are hopeful that this work
session provides an opportunity
[2:59:51] for you to collect data points
for you to get that data for you
[2:59:56] to honestly interrogate,
for you to honestly
[2:59:59] interrogate that data.
[3:00:02] This is not hypothetical for us,
[3:00:06] and I know that you all find
that we come here too much.
[3:00:09] And I promise you,
if you saw my docket,
[3:00:13] you would know that there are
a million places we could be.
[3:00:15] But we promised the community
that we would not abandon them
[3:00:18] in this fight. And we won't.
[3:00:21] And we thank Councilmember Bond
for honoring the legacy
[3:00:24] of Maryland women
and women on the rise.
[3:00:26] Thank you so much.
[3:00:27] Thank you.
[3:00:32] Our next speaker is
[3:00:35] Nicki Bugs.
[3:00:36] Nicki bugs.
[3:00:37] You have minutes because Margie
[3:00:41] McLeod actually
gave you two more minutes, and.
[3:00:47] I need to see if
Kip car is here.
[3:00:51] Kip, I thought I saw him
earlier, I don't see.
[3:00:55] Oh. Hey.
[3:00:57] And Ron Z
[3:01:00] is Ron Z here?
[3:01:04] Miss bugs? Yes.
[3:01:05] Is Ron Z here?
[3:01:06] He was here, I don't know.
[3:01:08] Okay,
so I can give you six minutes.
[3:01:11] Okay. That's fine. Thank you.
[3:01:14] All right.
[3:01:15] I am here
[3:01:17] speaking on the
behalf of homeowners
at the landmark condominium.
[3:01:21] We've been completely abandoned
[3:01:23] to a severe public safety
catastrophe.
[3:01:26] An epidemic,
if you will, a critical,
[3:01:29] unmitigated crisis.
[3:01:32] August 1st was a six year.
[3:01:35] And we fighting this cause
six years. Six.
[3:01:40] And like the young lady
just said that just spoke.
[3:01:44] Been here so many times.
[3:01:45] So you know exactly who I am.
[3:01:47] And you know exactly
what this fight is for.
[3:01:53] This is past the juncture
[3:01:55] of an unlicensed manager
[3:01:58] and an HOA dispute.
[3:02:00] It's past that this is well
beyond a civil matter.
[3:02:05] But here we are.
[3:02:08] The city
constantly talks about home
affordability.
[3:02:11] Well, the landmark was once
the cornerstone
[3:02:13] of affordable homeownership.
[3:02:15] It was.
[3:02:18] But here we are
[3:02:20] paying over $1,300 a month for a
[3:02:24] for gas, electricity,
spotty internet
[3:02:27] and a double building of water.
[3:02:31] That's what we have.
[3:02:34] Now because of unchecked
[3:02:36] chaos and government neglect,
[3:02:39] our property values
have plummeted.
[3:02:42] We have lawsuits.
[3:02:45] We're forced to live
in a state of constant danger,
facing endless abuses, threats
[3:02:48] and absolute terror
in our very own homes.
[3:02:55] On July 4th,
[3:02:58] two women were shot.
[3:03:01] Two this is part of what we deal
[3:03:05] with on a daily basis.
[3:03:10] August 10th
[3:03:12] an assault rifle.
[3:03:13] The guy walked straight
into the building.
[3:03:14] We don't have security anymore.
[3:03:16] We have somebody that kind
of maybe sits at the desk.
[3:03:20] And 1847, this is what we have.
[3:03:23] That's what we deal with.
[3:03:30] Syringes, people
[3:03:32] sleeping in the hallway,
homelessness,
[3:03:36] all of that.
[3:03:38] That's what we deal
with on a daily basis.
[3:03:41] But we're held
by the stringency of the law
[3:03:44] to make sure
that we follow the law.
[3:03:49] This is our home.
[3:03:50] And I know, I know, you're
sick of hearing it.
[3:03:52] I'm sick of talking about it.
[3:03:55] Where your constituents,
we are your constituents,
[3:03:59] we pay the taxes here,
[3:04:02] but no one seems to care
what is happening with us.
[3:04:05] And on every corner,
every block,
[3:04:07] there's a new building
being erected.
[3:04:13] The landmark was affordable.
[3:04:16] That he was now more higher
than than the monthly,
[3:04:20] than your mortgage.
[3:04:23] That's absurd.
[3:04:27] This is Judy Clement.
[3:04:29] Judy Clement started this fight.
[3:04:32] She died
[3:04:34] without resolution.
[3:04:37] Judy Clement.
[3:04:39] Yeah.
[3:04:40] Hi, Lily.
[3:04:41] So, yeah.
[3:04:43] If there's any way
that we can help you, help us.
[3:04:47] This will not only just help us
[3:04:48] at the landmark,
it'll help other homeowners.
[3:04:52] It'll help other homeowners.
[3:04:53] Something has to go in place.
You have an ordinance.
[3:04:56] If that were enforced,
we will be in a different spot.
[3:04:59] We'll be talking to you
about something
[3:05:01] completely different right now.
[3:05:02] I would actually be up there
saying,
[3:05:03] I want to work with you and hire
me and let's figure this out,
[3:05:08] okay?
Instead,
we're fighting for our homes.
[3:05:11] We have foreclosures, lawsuits.
[3:05:13] That's all we've been dealing
with since I last saw you.
[3:05:17] That's
all we've been dealing with.
[3:05:21] And that's where we are.
[3:05:22] Yeah.
[3:05:24] Something's gotta give.
[3:05:26] And it's not us.
[3:05:27] I'll be here every day,
[3:05:30] every hour, every meeting.
[3:05:33] This has been my home
for the last six years.
[3:05:35] I just might as well added in
as as, This.
[3:05:39] The prior street address is my
my second home.
[3:05:43] This has got to change.
[3:05:45] You now have another ordinance.
[3:05:47] Something has got to change.
[3:05:49] And as you drive down
the street, instead of driving,
[3:05:52] get out and walk the streets.
[3:05:54] Find out what's
really happening out there.
[3:05:56] This is where we are.
[3:05:58] This is your constituent.
[3:06:01] Just one person.
[3:06:02] But I'm speaking for many.
[3:06:04] If you can fix this in your
backyard, which is the landmark,
[3:06:07] it'll help
the rest of the homeowners.
[3:06:09] But we have to be our priority.
[3:06:12] We can't be about a dollar sign.
[3:06:14] We can't be something,
a negotiating factor.
[3:06:19] We supported you.
[3:06:21] Please support us.
[3:06:23] Thank you.
[3:06:25] Thank you.
[3:06:31] Our next yield at time
speaker is Christopher Bruce.
[3:06:34] You have six minutes.
[3:06:39] Let's see here.
[3:06:42] Gail in Zamana,
[3:06:46] are you here?
[3:06:49] Christopher, do you see Gail?
[3:06:52] Gail Gallo,
[3:06:55] did you just walk out?
[3:06:58] Let's bring Gallo back in.
[3:07:00] Okay. That is not a. About.
[3:07:02] We did just walk out to Ali.
[3:07:05] Ali. It's right there.
[3:07:07] Alrighty. Good.
[3:07:09] We'll add in,
[3:07:11] Council president I'll use for.
[3:07:14] In fact,
I'm not going to use all six.
[3:07:15] I'm going
to give you all your time back,
[3:07:18] but I will produce Gail.
[3:07:21] Okay.
[3:07:22] Okay.
[3:07:25] Good afternoon.
May I begin? Yes, please.
Thank you, Council president.
[3:07:27] Good afternoon, Council members.
[3:07:30] My name is Christopher
Bruce, deputy executive
director of the ACLU of Georgia.
[3:07:32] I want to point out that
Atlanta is at a turning point.
[3:07:36] This is when we are deciding
on surveillance technology.
[3:07:40] This conversation is not simply
about flock cameras,
[3:07:43] software or data.
[3:07:45] It is about every resident
who calls Atlanta home,
[3:07:48] in every person who comes here
to work, worship, study,
[3:07:53] receive medical care, attend
a convention,
[3:07:57] visit family
protest, or enjoy this city.
[3:08:02] A person should
[3:08:03] not surrender
their right to privacy
[3:08:06] simply because they cross over
to the city lines and limits.
[3:08:11] So for months,
the ACLU of Georgia,
[3:08:14] our coalition partners,
[3:08:16] the mayor's office, and members
of the City Council have worked
[3:08:19] in good faith
toward a workable ordinance.
[3:08:23] We appreciate your time
and openness.
[3:08:26] And city leaders who brought
about this conversation.
[3:08:30] Our goal has been
to help develop
[3:08:32] an ordinance
that the city can implement.
[3:08:34] The council can oversee,
[3:08:35] and the community can understand
and trust.
[3:08:38] We know different versions
of this ordinance exist,
[3:08:42] and we support
the one that we all know
[3:08:45] is what we've always asked for.
[3:08:48] And that's community
input standards and audits.
[3:08:51] So this is when I do count out.
[3:08:54] Council Member Jason Dozier,
[3:08:55] thank you
for putting this forth.
[3:08:57] Thank you for the changes
that have been made.
[3:09:00] We're happy to work with you
on that.
[3:09:02] Council Member Bond,
thank you for
[3:09:04] being a steady hand
and all the others.
[3:09:06] Council member
Winston Amos, all of you again,
[3:09:11] Council President Overstreet,
I know you laughed at me
[3:09:13] last time
[3:09:14] for pointing out things
[3:09:15] and for the ones
that we haven't talked to.
[3:09:18] We will be in your district, so
you'll be hearing from us soon.
[3:09:24] Principles.
[3:09:25] That's what we're here for.
[3:09:27] Before surveillance technology
is purchased, deployed
[3:09:30] or significantly expanded, the
the city should explain its
[3:09:34] purpose, cost, capabilities
and supporting evidence.
[3:09:37] The public should know
what information it collects,
[3:09:40] how long the information will be
retained, who will access it,
[3:09:43] and whether it will be shared
with other agencies,
[3:09:46] the company or government.
[3:09:49] The ordinance should include
protections
[3:09:51] against discriminatory
and unauthorized use.
[3:09:53] It should require meaningful
audits, public reporting,
[3:09:56] independent review
and consequences
[3:09:58] when established rules
are violated.
[3:10:01] Basically, this ordinance
should reflect our democracy.
[3:10:06] It should be transparent.
[3:10:08] It should be something
that we all can upheld
[3:10:10] because transparency
[3:10:12] after deployment tells people
what has already happened.
[3:10:16] Community participation
before deployment
[3:10:19] gives the people a voice on
what will happen in their city.
[3:10:25] This distinction
is particularly important
[3:10:28] in the city of Atlanta.
[3:10:29] We all know Doctor Martin
Luther King was surveilled
[3:10:33] with unchecked government.
[3:10:35] Law enforcement
wiretapped is telephones.
[3:10:38] Place
listening devices in its rooms
[3:10:40] monitored his relationships,
collecting information
[3:10:43] as part of a campaign
to discredit him.
[3:10:46] Doctor King's history reminds us
[3:10:49] that surveillance does
not always remain limited to
the people subjected of crimes.
[3:10:53] It can be turned against
people who challenge power.
[3:10:58] An ordinance developed
for the people of Atlanta
[3:11:01] should also be developed
with the people of Atlanta.
[3:11:06] Now, to be clear, this is not
directed at our mayor.
[3:11:09] Past mayors, future mayors.
[3:11:11] This is directed to all of you
at city council
[3:11:15] and saying that
[3:11:16] the power belongs to the people
[3:11:18] and that you should hear
from them.
[3:11:20] Atlanta can support
public safety and innovation
[3:11:22] while maintaining transparency,
[3:11:24] accountability,
and meaningful public input.
[3:11:28] The most surveillance
[3:11:29] city in the United States
can now lead this country
[3:11:32] with passing the most sweeping
legislation, which includes
[3:11:35] community input and transparency
for its residents.
[3:11:37] And I pledge to you, the ACLU,
[3:11:39] coalition partners
and community members
[3:11:41] will help you within there.
[3:11:43] There are three things
that we have, and I'm done.
[3:11:46] One, we we are at a turning
point on surveillance.
[3:11:49] We are at a turning point on A,
C, D, C, the Atlantic City
[3:11:54] Detention Center.
And we are at a turning point
for the Atlanta Falcons.
[3:11:56] You can
change two of those three.
[3:12:07] Our last
speaker
for today is Damian Harper.
[3:12:10] You have four minutes.
[3:12:11] Is Jason Woods here also.
[3:12:15] Jason Woods.
[3:12:18] Is Damian Harper still here.
[3:12:23] Play. Did
[3:12:25] he just used his two minutes
just without.
[3:12:27] Okay.
[3:12:28] So that is it.
[3:12:32] That is it for our public
speaking.
[3:12:41] Madam clerk.
[3:12:46] Now I'm looking for him
on this other list and wondering
[3:12:48] why is he on both of them? Yep.
[3:12:56] All right.
So in that case, that concludes
our public speaking time.
[3:12:59] We will now.
[3:13:03] Have to go into committee of
the whole.
[3:13:04] Is the administration here
to give us the FIFA update?
[3:13:09] But first
I want to thank everyone
[3:13:10] for coming for public speaking.
[3:13:12] Let's let me clear that up.
[3:13:14] I do appreciate your voice.
[3:13:17] I do appreciate your voice.
[3:13:19] And it is always good to hear
from the community
[3:13:22] about what we could be doing
different or better,
[3:13:25] or what we're doing real good.
[3:13:27] So glad you can let us know.
[3:13:29] I would like to ask that
you give all of the entities
[3:13:32] that are associated with public
speaking in our general
[3:13:36] jurisdiction, the same energy
that you give us.
[3:13:39] Go and speak with APS
Fulton County.
[3:13:43] Marta.
Ask them
why don't they do donate a time
[3:13:45] like we do here
at the city of Atlanta?
[3:13:48] Because I believe
our voices need
[3:13:49] to be heard on all platforms
everywhere.
[3:13:52] So thank you very,
very much for always engaging.
[3:13:56] I really do appreciate
[3:13:58] the engagement from from each
and every one of you.
[3:14:02] And I see that, that,
[3:14:05] the administration is
here to give us our FIFA update.
[3:14:08] I would like to go
into committee of the whole.
[3:14:10] But I would need one of
so moved by one.
[3:14:13] Is there a second? Second
by Norwood?
[3:14:16] This can be done
by unanimous consent.
[3:14:18] Madam clerk, please
call the account for unanimous
[3:14:22] consent.
[3:14:23] 13 years, 13 years.
[3:14:25] And we are in committee
of the whole.
[3:14:28] And our.
[3:14:30] Could you please come forward?
[3:14:32] This is our COO LaShawn Burks
with that ministration.
[3:14:35] And anyone that's here to speak
with FIFA, just come on down.
[3:14:42] To speak about our FIFA update.
[3:14:45] FIFA World Cup update,
because it was a tremendous
[3:14:50] success and I'm happy
to hear about this report.
[3:14:58] All right.
[3:15:05] Good afternoon,
Madam President and members
of the Atlanta City Council.
[3:15:09] Thank you for giving us
this opportunity to come.
[3:15:12] Just to give a quick update
on FIFA World Cup.
[3:15:16] We had committed to coming back
and doing a debrief.
[3:15:19] We have been given a charge
to make it as quick as possible
[3:15:23] today, and we are going to do
just that.
[3:15:26] But again,
my name is LaShawn Burton.
[3:15:28] I have the privilege of serving
[3:15:29] as a chief operating officer
for the city of Atlanta
[3:15:32] in just a few months ago.
[3:15:33] We welcome the world to Atlanta.
[3:15:36] And I want to just stop
[3:15:38] while everybody will not be able
to present today,
[3:15:41] but to thank each and every
one of you and all of our staff
[3:15:45] who help to make this
[3:15:46] an unforgettable
chapter in Atlanta's history.
[3:15:50] The world
experienced our hospitality,
the experienced, our people,
[3:15:54] and the people we have
who call Atlanta home.
[3:15:58] So I ask you to join me
in thanking yourselves.
[3:16:01] And everybody who's represented
may still be here
[3:16:04] and every city department.
[3:16:06] Just a huge
thank you for the work
[3:16:08] that you did during
FIFA World Cup.
[3:16:10] It was the longest 40 days
and 40 nights we have ever seen,
[3:16:14] but we enjoyed
every minute of it.
[3:16:17] So you have to give yourselves
a hand.
[3:16:19] I have to give you all here.
[3:16:22] So as we mentioned before,
[3:16:24] we had right at 21 departments
who had dedicated people
[3:16:28] working on FIFA,
[3:16:30] but on today we were only going
to hear from four very quickly.
[3:16:34] We're going to do four of them,
[3:16:36] and then we're going
to leave you with a keepsake
[3:16:40] that you can take,
that you can review
[3:16:41] if you have
additional questions.
[3:16:43] So we'll hear
from Atlanta Police Department,
[3:16:46] the Atlanta Fire
Rescue Department,
[3:16:48] Parks and Recreation.
[3:16:49] And then our communications team
will come and share with you,
[3:16:53] the living legacy of documents
that we have
[3:16:55] for you all to review.
[3:16:58] So this time, I'm
going to turn it
over to Assistant Chief Hampton
[3:17:01] of the Atlanta Police Department
to go through APD.
[3:17:06] Final numbers, chief Hampton.
[3:17:12] Good afternoon.
[3:17:13] Thank you, Chief Burks.
[3:17:16] I have the task.
[3:17:18] I was then deputy chief
of leading our special events
[3:17:22] division, and I was tasked
with overseeing the planning
[3:17:26] and execution of the FIFA
World Cup.
[3:17:31] Chief Sherburne
gave me four task,
[3:17:34] and that's the actually gave
[3:17:35] the entire department
for task fight crime.
[3:17:40] Execute the FIFA
plan, respond to all
[3:17:43] 911 calls and keep the peace.
[3:17:47] And I can say that
we accomplished the mission.
[3:18:01] So we
had eight matches
to include the semifinal match.
[3:18:05] That was England
versus Argentina,
[3:18:09] and each with the attendance
of over 68,000 people
[3:18:14] that were inside Mercedes
Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
[3:18:18] We managed 19
[3:18:20] fan festival days that were held
at Centennial Olympic Park,
[3:18:25] where we were able to
welcome visitors.
[3:18:30] Host citizens and residents
[3:18:33] and really to showcase a lantern
[3:18:36] inside Olympic Park, our south
downtown area,
[3:18:40] as well as our downtown area,
underground areas.
[3:18:44] I can report that there were
zero critical incidents
[3:18:48] that occurred during the FIFA
and within that footprint.
[3:18:53] Many of you did not know that.
[3:18:55] We did have to mitigate
two elevated
[3:18:58] threat assessments
that came down from the FBI,
[3:19:02] and we were able to do that
with our all of our partners,
[3:19:06] our federal, our state,
as well as our local partners
[3:19:09] and many city departments
that assisted us
[3:19:12] to make sure
that the games remain safe.
[3:19:16] We operate at two e 911 centers,
[3:19:19] where we handled over
19,911 calls.
[3:19:24] We had the primary location
at 180 Peachtree Street,
[3:19:30] and then
we also had the backup center
at the Atlanta Police Safety
[3:19:33] Training Center.
[3:19:35] Our during all this time,
we were able to reduce crime
[3:19:39] 21%. I think it's important
to celebrate our wins. So,
[3:19:51] but again
we had a lot of partners.
[3:19:54] So we utilize over at our at
[3:19:57] a height over 681
[3:20:00] officers in this FIFA footprint.
[3:20:03] But what was unique in this
that we used a scalable
[3:20:06] deployment model, and we use
that based on the intelligence
[3:20:10] that we were given.
[3:20:11] So there were some days
[3:20:12] that we were able to drop
very low and put those resources
[3:20:16] back into the neighborhoods
and then with others.
[3:20:20] We again
deployed over 600 officers.
[3:20:25] We couldn't have done this
without our partnership.
[3:20:27] So we did utilize over
361 officers
[3:20:32] from outside jurisdictions
who came to assist us in this.
[3:20:36] And then as well, we were able
to use our technology.
[3:20:40] I know there's a lot of
conversation about technology,
[3:20:43] but we
were able to use technology.
[3:20:48] To mitigate 83 drone mitigation.
[3:20:50] So there was a temporary flight
[3:20:52] restriction during this time
period with the technology
[3:20:57] equipment that we were able
to secure through the grant.
[3:21:00] Our officers did a attend
training through the FBI.
[3:21:03] So normally with drone
mitigation,
[3:21:07] that is left
to the federal government.
[3:21:09] But during FIFA, municipalities
were able to use the technology
[3:21:14] and we were successfully able
to mitigate 83
[3:21:17] drone mitigations.
[3:21:21] Also, just some other highlight
numbers.
[3:21:23] We partner with Georgia State
University.
[3:21:26] To assist us, we use their
cafeteria, their dormitories,
[3:21:30] as well as their shuttle.
[3:21:31] There's shuttles
provided us with 640 shuttle
[3:21:36] riders a day from the footprint
to the cafeteria and back.
[3:21:40] We serve over
36,000 meals at their cafeteria.
[3:21:46] We issued over 30,000 water
bottles.
[3:21:49] Bottles of water,
sorry, 35,000 sport drinks
[3:21:53] and 25,000
pounds of ice of many.
[3:21:58] You know,
the heat
was definitely a factor,
[3:22:00] but we had a hydration plan
to make sure
[3:22:02] that not only our members
of Atlanta Police Department,
[3:22:06] but our support agencies
also were taken care of.
[3:22:11] As stated
before, we handle over 19,000
mercy calls as well as
[3:22:15] 20,000 chat
by inquiries were also resolved.
[3:22:19] We responded
to 340 unattended bats.
[3:22:23] And then we utilize
many of our drone pilots
[3:22:27] who are assigned to the drone
unit as well as our pilots.
[3:22:31] Where we conducted over 1900
[3:22:34] drone flights
to provide this aerial support.
[3:22:37] And that averaged over
almost 640
[3:22:40] drone flight hours.
[3:22:45] And so lastly, again,
the impact that we had.
[3:22:47] Uninterrupted police service
delivery throughout citywide,
[3:22:53] 901 answer cause during that
time period was 5.74 seconds.
[3:22:58] Again, as I said before,
we were able to reduce crime 21%
[3:23:03] and we had the full mobilization
of the department.
[3:23:07] We did suspend nonessential
administrative functions.
[3:23:11] And, again,
we were happy to report
[3:23:14] that we had a very safe
and enjoyable FIFA World Cup.
[3:23:19] I have now turned over the mic
over to the fire department
[3:23:22] Chief Smith.
[3:23:28] Good afternoon.
Council members,
Council president
[3:23:30] Ross Smith, fire chief,
for the duration
[3:23:34] of the FIFA events
for Atlanta Fire Rescue.
[3:23:37] We worked alongside our partners
with APD
[3:23:39] and our local departments
within the city of Atlanta
[3:23:43] to ensure that the services to
our citizens
[3:23:46] were on uninterrupted
or during this time, as well
[3:23:50] as ensuring that we are working
to welcome the world to ATL.
[3:23:56] During
this time, AFB was tasked with
[3:23:59] providing coverage
for the match locations as well
[3:24:03] as EMS coverage during FanFest
and community activities.
[3:24:09] We also had our drone
unit up and operational
[3:24:12] to ensure that we could meet
all the logistical challenges,
[3:24:15] as well as making sure
that we were capable of managing
[3:24:19] and detecting any chemical
[3:24:22] outbreaks that we may have
had during this period.
[3:24:24] As well as working
with the Office of Constituent
[3:24:28] Services to ensure
we had hydration stations
[3:24:31] that were set up around the city
for the citizens of Atlanta.
[3:24:35] And to that effect, we
[3:24:39] had a
dedicated effort where
we stood up to on site medical
[3:24:43] treatment facilities
over at the FanFest event.
[3:24:47] And here you can see the numbers
where we were very busy
[3:24:51] in that space, to the tune of
just under 1200 patient contacts
[3:24:56] in that space
and the perimeter area,
[3:24:59] with calls
ranging from heat exhaustion
[3:25:03] all the way through heat
challenges, where we did
[3:25:05] IV therapy directly on site
[3:25:08] to chest pains
and difficulty breathing.
[3:25:11] Ultimately,
the end result is that we
[3:25:15] limited the number of transports
that we had to have to
[3:25:18] the hospitals, therefore
limiting the context that we had
[3:25:23] in our emergency room.
[3:25:27] During this effort,
when we were working
[3:25:30] to protect through our unified
stance and posture.
[3:25:35] We are very proud
of the partnerships,
the external partnerships with,
[3:25:38] like the likeness of Grady, GW
[3:25:41] Police Department, our state
and our regional partners,
[3:25:44] as well as continuing to work
with APD and a c, D to ensure
[3:25:48] that the events that we
had were memorable and safe.
[3:25:53] In addition to
[3:25:54] that, we ensured that we were
[3:25:58] in a posture
[3:25:59] where our drone coverage
would provide the special
[3:26:02] operations capabilities
that we needed,
[3:26:05] as well as our fire suppression
activities were in place.
[3:26:08] A drone unit.
[3:26:11] Had a roughly 400,
excuse me, 341 events
[3:26:15] where they took flight, ensuring
that we were covering the city
[3:26:20] as a whole,
especially special events area.
[3:26:23] And during the activity periods,
we had a minimum
[3:26:26] of 35 to 40 medics
that were trained to the EMS
[3:26:31] and paramedic level that were
dedicated to this footprint.
[3:26:35] In addition to continuing
to make sure that we were
[3:26:38] keeping
the rest of the city safe
[3:26:41] and the innovative care
that we provided at our on site
[3:26:46] clinics, where we had volunteer
doctors, volunteer nurses
[3:26:49] that were working side by side
with, afraid
[3:26:53] we could not have made this
possible.
[3:26:55] And lastly,
you will see, some pictures
[3:26:58] of some of our hard working
members of Atlanta Fire Rescue.
[3:27:03] They were out day in, day out.
[3:27:06] For the entire period.
[3:27:07] On bicycles, on foot, on carts,
[3:27:11] interacting in the clinic,
making sure that they made
[3:27:15] the city
of Atlanta proud of the services
that they were providing.
[3:27:19] And with that,
I will turn it over to Doug with
[3:27:22] Parks and Rec.
[3:27:30] All right.
[3:27:32] Good afternoon.
Doug Vos, Department of Parks
and Recreation.
[3:27:33] I'll keep my comments short.
[3:27:35] We actually had a number
of items that we offered
[3:27:38] during FIFA.
We left it to about six.
[3:27:40] First off, we offered community
watch parties.
[3:27:42] We did that at five locations,
[3:27:43] including CT Martin
Atlanta memorial.
[3:27:46] We partnered
with the YMCA, Carver, YMCA
[3:27:49] Candler,
as well as Sarah Gonzalez Park.
[3:27:52] We offered a new sport.
[3:27:53] We offered foot golf.
[3:27:54] It's basically a golf, a sport
that's played
[3:27:56] much like golf with your foot,
[3:27:58] with your feet, and that's
provided on the bottom.
[3:28:00] And what's interesting
about that
[3:28:03] is that we've actually
had more people
[3:28:06] sign up for T
times and Candler
during the hours
[3:28:08] that we offer it
than we had come for golf.
[3:28:10] So that's been actually
a really nice takeaway,
[3:28:12] allowing the course
to be both the golf course
[3:28:14] and it doesn't have any impact
with with golfers,
[3:28:17] but it does provide for this
new sport.
[3:28:20] Thrown labs.
We've talked much
about those recently.
[3:28:22] That was always a program
that the department
[3:28:24] wanted to offer more restrooms
in our city,
[3:28:26] but FIFA trying to make sure
they had them in place before
[3:28:29] FIFA was absolutely the goal.
[3:28:31] We added ten new sites,
[3:28:32] and in the first month
we had 15,000 visits.
[3:28:35] At those ten.
[3:28:36] We've actually added two more
[3:28:37] since that time, one here
at City Hall
[3:28:40] and one at John Calhoun Park.
[3:28:42] And I'll have more to say
about that in one minute.
[3:28:44] We've also offered staff
watch parties.
[3:28:46] We haven't traditionally done
[3:28:48] that when large events
come to the city.
[3:28:50] We wanted to make sure that they
felt a part of those events.
[3:28:52] So we did a staff picnic.
[3:28:54] We offered an opportunity
to do a potluck
[3:28:56] watch party
at our office up the street,
[3:28:58] and those were really well
received. Camp best friends.
[3:29:01] Our theme of the entire summer
was one world, one Goal.
[3:29:05] We distributed over 3000 soccer
balls to all of our children
[3:29:08] that were participating in that,
for the summer.
[3:29:12] And then we also offered
enhanced maintenance.
[3:29:13] So we did come up with a plan
[3:29:15] to make sure that mainly
our downtown parks,
[3:29:17] but not just our downtown,
[3:29:18] our parks, we're serviced on
[3:29:20] a more frequent basis
than we normally do.
[3:29:23] And we think we've got
pretty good results out of that,
[3:29:26] out of all of these.
I think the thing that was most
surprising for parks
[3:29:28] is how many of these things
actually are sustainable.
[3:29:31] I'll give you three examples.
[3:29:33] Number one is the programing
[3:29:34] we mentioned about the foot golf
that continues to this day.
[3:29:37] You can still register for a
tee time to play foot
[3:29:39] golf at Candler.
Are going to continue to do so.
[3:29:42] And then integrating the
[3:29:43] the event FIFA into our campus
friends actually was a
[3:29:46] was a tremendous success.
[3:29:48] The kids loved it, staff
bought into it
[3:29:50] and we really enjoyed that.
[3:29:51] A second has to do with
the restrooms. As I mentioned.
[3:29:54] As I mentioned, we had
15,000 visits the first month.
[3:29:57] Last month
we had over 10,000 visits.
[3:30:00] That's still a very high number
and shows a high demand
[3:30:03] for restrooms.
[3:30:04] And what really surprised me
[3:30:05] is two of those restrooms,
one at Walton Springs Park,
[3:30:07] which is on international,
[3:30:09] and one at Hardy ID Park,
which is on Peachtree.
[3:30:11] We were thinking maybe
after FIFA, those will move.
[3:30:14] They are still amongst
our highest restrooms
[3:30:17] to get the most visits.
[3:30:18] And so that learning
[3:30:19] curve has been really great
and we continue to do that.
[3:30:22] And then the third
as I mentioned, was enhanced
[3:30:24] maintenance.
That is absolutely replicable.
[3:30:27] When we have another large
event,
[3:30:28] we're going to initiate
that same program
[3:30:31] to make sure
that all of our services
[3:30:32] can be at the highest extent
when needed.
[3:30:36] The last item
I'll say that's absolutely
[3:30:37] replicable
has to do with our staff.
[3:30:39] Our staff absolutely
bought in to having FIFA here.
[3:30:43] They enjoyed
being a part of the process,
[3:30:45] the planning of it,
trying to find out
[3:30:46] what works best
with their their sites.
[3:30:49] And these are just
some of the pictures.
[3:30:50] It didn't matter
if you were in aquatics,
[3:30:52] if you're a park rangers
[3:30:54] working with the camp
program across the board,
we'd say it was very successful
[3:30:56] and something
we look to integrate
[3:30:58] with other future events
in Atlanta.
[3:31:00] With that,
I will hand it over to chief.
[3:31:08] Good afternoon, Council
[3:31:10] Alison, future chief officer
for the City of Atlanta.
[3:31:14] So what good is all of this work
and what good is all of this?
[3:31:20] A large scale event
[3:31:21] welcoming the world
if we don't communicate properly
[3:31:24] or we don't recap the good work
that's done here.
[3:31:28] So with the wrong way.
[3:31:31] So from this,
some of our departmental
[3:31:35] highlights include we had a
we stood up a virtual GIC.
[3:31:40] So we met every day
[3:31:42] with all of the comms
leads across the organization
[3:31:45] so that we can make sure we were
[3:31:47] synchronized in our media
and our public safety,
[3:31:50] transportation
and our executive communications
[3:31:53] so that we can ensure that
[3:31:54] everyone one band, one sound,
everyone saying the same thing.
[3:31:58] So from that call,
we produce daily readiness
[3:32:02] content, messaging,
media coordination.
[3:32:05] We were able to speak in
one voice through all of the
[3:32:09] various departments we created.
[3:32:11] Graphics at all, could share
so that we were
[3:32:14] communicating the same message
across cohesively.
[3:32:18] We also deployed on the days
that got hot.
[3:32:21] It was a several several days
that people were standing in
[3:32:25] line and couldn't
get into FanFest.
[3:32:28] We deployed mobile digital
messaging trucks.
[3:32:30] I don't know if y'all saw
[3:32:32] they were broadcasting the Game
and Broadcasting FanFest.
[3:32:35] So as people
were waiting in lines for
[3:32:39] FanFest, they could also view
the games at the same time.
[3:32:43] From this,
we also published 55 FIFA
[3:32:47] related stories on ATL direct,
we had close to 2
[3:32:51] billion impressions in media,
and we also had over
[3:32:55] 200 million
social media impressions online.
[3:32:59] So one another thing that we,
[3:33:03] drew from
this is we are one message.
[3:33:05] The communications function
[3:33:07] became the connective tissue
between
[3:33:09] what was going on in the field,
[3:33:11] what was going on
with executive leadership
[3:33:13] in the media, in the public.
[3:33:15] So since we are one message,
we became clearer, faster,
[3:33:19] broader and stronger.
[3:33:23] So key takeaway
we stood up a website.
[3:33:25] So if you take your phone out,
you can scan the QR code
[3:33:28] and there's a website ATL
and beyond
[3:33:32] that lists
everything that every department
[3:33:35] contributed to during
this activation of FIFA.
[3:33:39] So and we also had a booklet,
[3:33:41] I don't know
if everyone has a booklet
[3:33:43] that is a Leave Behind booklet
that was given to you.
[3:33:47] We also created that as well.
[3:33:49] Lastly,
I want to say we also received
[3:33:53] some very exciting recognition
coming out of FIFA.
[3:33:57] Our efforts, FIFA efforts
and Lana along with Boston,
[3:34:02] will have been selected
to receive the 2026 US Sports
[3:34:07] Diplomacy Award from the Public
Diplomacy Council of America.
[3:34:13] That.
[3:34:17] This award recognizes
how it welcomed the world
[3:34:20] and the tremendous citywide
effort that made FIFA a success.
[3:34:25] With that, I will hand it back
over to Chief Burks.
[3:34:32] Thank you, thank you, thank you.
[3:34:34] I hope we met our time
limit, Madam President, but
each of you will receive a book.
[3:34:38] We did it.
[3:34:40] And while we were not able
to highlight
[3:34:42] every department today,
this book does that.
[3:34:47] And we still have some other
[3:34:49] commissioners
and all who are here.
[3:34:50] So we are open for questions
if there are any.
[3:34:53] But it's at your discretion.
[3:34:55] Madam president, I don't mind.
[3:34:57] I don't mind at all
because they know
[3:34:59] that they are deciding
how long this goes.
[3:35:01] Okay.
[3:35:03] Don't mind one bit.
[3:35:05] Any council
members with the question?
[3:35:09] Look at
their council member, Alex Wine.
[3:35:13] Thank you, Madam President.
[3:35:13] Thank you, madam, CCOO.
[3:35:15] I did want to echo
[3:35:17] my appreciation and accolades
for a job really well done.
[3:35:20] I, I think as you walked around
the community, the city,
[3:35:23] the residents, the business
owners, everybody,
[3:35:27] just comment
about how well executed it was.
[3:35:29] And it was because of everybody
on your team
[3:35:33] and the partners we had that
that made it successful.
[3:35:36] I also wanted to just extend my
thank you, because it went past
[3:35:40] that last match all the way
up to the final viewing party
[3:35:43] in Piedmont Park.
[3:35:44] And I think folks
[3:35:45] forgot about that,
that your officers
[3:35:47] and all that had to stay on
for those extra days.
[3:35:49] And, just wanted to
[3:35:51] thank you all for that as well
as the how successful that was,
[3:35:55] I think
gave us a lot of best practices
[3:35:57] in terms of how the city does
big events really well
[3:36:00] and what we can learn for future
special events there.
[3:36:03] As transportation chair,
[3:36:04] I just wanted to put out there
and not for today.
[3:36:08] And I've already mentioned
this to the commissioner
as well as the CFO.
[3:36:11] There's a lot of great work
[3:36:12] done downtown on infrastructure
through the Auburn,
[3:36:15] but I understand that there was
still resources left in that.
[3:36:18] And I'd like to at some point
do a reconciliation of that.
[3:36:22] If there are extra funds.
[3:36:23] Let's talk about how we can
continue deploying those
[3:36:27] in a really efficient way
that ATL Dot was doing.
[3:36:30] So like look forward
to having that conversation.
[3:36:33] Sure. Thank you.
We are still reconciling
the books on that one.
[3:36:36] I think that was mentioned
[3:36:37] in transportation
[3:36:39] during the quarterly
presentation last week,
[3:36:41] but we'll make sure we bring
that to council when it's done.
[3:36:47] Council member Lewis.
[3:36:52] And I
echo Council Member one
and extending my congratulations
[3:36:54] to the mayor's entire team
on the efforts done during FIFA.
[3:36:59] Even unlike the Olympics,
we felt FIFA
[3:37:02] in as far down
as Jonesboro and Southside.
[3:37:05] So when you come down to Parks
and Rick
[3:37:08] and the Department of Fire
and the Fire and Fire Department
[3:37:12] and the police,
the a PD all working together,
[3:37:15] it was an amazing time
period for us.
[3:37:18] We truly felt FIFA
in my community multiple times.
[3:37:23] I want to also say that
I heard Commissioner Voss
[3:37:26] say that they're not
going to move the restrooms,
[3:37:29] but part of the plan.
[3:37:31] I think what we talked about
[3:37:33] was that you were going to
look at parks, some of the parks
[3:37:35] that in the South Side
don't have restrooms
[3:37:38] to look at moving
some of those restrooms.
[3:37:40] I know that they've
[3:37:41] they may get a lot of use
right now, but
[3:37:44] put them in a park like South
Bend in the summertime
[3:37:47] and see the type of usage
that it would get as well.
[3:37:50] So I want to still look at
moving the restrooms down south
[3:37:53] at other areas.
[3:37:57] Boom.
If I may, just on that point,
I'm sorry if I wasn't clear.
[3:38:00] We are we're excited to leave
the restrooms that they are
[3:38:02] and buy more restrooms
for all those sites.
[3:38:04] What I was surprised did.
[3:38:05] I didn't know if all those sites
[3:38:06] would be as popular
as they were.
[3:38:08] They have proven they are,
[3:38:09] which just means we need to add
[3:38:10] additional restrooms,
not take any way
[3:38:13] that are functioning well, and
I know you'll make it happen.
[3:38:15] I just know that when you have
[3:38:16] fee for money,
it happens for real.
[3:38:18] And the plan
was to move them to other areas.
[3:38:22] So I want to make sure
that the areas that don't have
the restrooms currently, right,
[3:38:24] they get moved down there.
[3:38:26] Because if you look at today,
I'll be introducing legislation
[3:38:29] looking at
some of the disparities around.
[3:38:31] But if you can look at moving
the restrooms to the places
[3:38:34] that they were.
[3:38:35] Lastly, I love the trash cans.
[3:38:37] I love walking around the FIFA
sites, seeing the trash cans.
[3:38:40] I felt like I was in D.C.,
I was in D.C.
[3:38:43] this weekend.
I counted more trash cans
[3:38:45] and I see on Cleveland
Avenue on one corner.
[3:38:47] And so if you could look
at some of the trash
[3:38:49] cans that we have down in the
[3:38:50] the area that does
not have as many people after
[3:38:54] after the World Cup
[3:38:56] leaves, can we look at
[3:38:57] other parts of the city
to put more trash cans?
[3:38:59] I've seen my good council member
[3:39:01] Byron Amos actually spend
funding,
[3:39:03] spend some of his resources
on putting trash cans.
[3:39:06] I did as well, but if you can
look at moving the trash cans.
[3:39:09] Last thing the a p d didn't.
[3:39:12] Amazing job.
Want to give him a huge, huge
huge shout out to my major Major
[3:39:15] Woolfolk out of zone three
who was borrowed over
[3:39:19] to help manage
and run this faction,
[3:39:23] and glad to have him back
on the ground his own.
[3:39:27] Three we do know that it was a
well run, so efficient,
[3:39:32] so effective
because you all had one
of the best majors in the world
[3:39:35] down there
getting that stuff done.
[3:39:36] Major Woolford from zone three.
[3:39:38] Morehouse brother Lana bread.
[3:39:40] Thank you again.
[3:39:41] So Council
[3:39:43] member Lewis
we definitely want to give kudos
to Major Woolfolk.
[3:39:46] But every major
I said all the AP first
[3:39:49] every then I know what major
for a little while.
[3:39:51] Yes they took my major
[3:39:53] for the entire time period and
and we suffered in that area.
[3:39:57] We are already
[3:39:58] being innovative again
now that we got them back.
[3:40:01] And so I know he was gone
[3:40:03] that in time
period, entire time period,
[3:40:05] because the community
knew it too.
[3:40:06] It was like he was gone.
[3:40:07] But now we got him back
and we've been able to
[3:40:09] fix some stuff again.
[3:40:10] So huge, huge shout out to APD
[3:40:13] and thank you for sending Major
Woodford back to zone three.
[3:40:17] Thank you, Councilmember Lewis.
[3:40:21] Council Member Collins,
[3:40:23] no, thank you so much for this
presentation
[3:40:25] and the book as well.
[3:40:27] Also,
just wanting to, extend a deep
[3:40:31] thanks for every, you know,
for everyone that may be for,
[3:40:36] successful
having my having an opportunity
[3:40:39] to take advantage of something
that was on my bucket list
[3:40:42] and seeing how
[3:40:43] everyone just enjoyed
the city was really something
[3:40:47] truly admirable.
So thank you
to all the departments, to all
[3:40:50] volunteers, everyone in the city
that really made this happen.
[3:40:54] And so I do I do have just
a couple of questions,
[3:40:58] in terms
of just kind of next steps.
[3:41:00] So I know Commissioner one,
I not commissioner
[3:41:02] council member one
[3:41:03] talked about like the funding,
the grant funding piece.
[3:41:06] No, no, no immediate response
now, but in terms of,
[3:41:10] any the status and updates
on those that will go with that
[3:41:14] go through FEC
or will they go through CVS?
[3:41:18] Probably FEC.
[3:41:20] Okay.
And if we
need to do something with CDs,
[3:41:22] we will work with council
president
[3:41:23] on which the which committee
is the appropriate committee.
[3:41:27] And now that the event is over.
[3:41:28] Do we have any do we
[3:41:30] are there any funding
[3:41:32] restrictions like do
we need to spend the money down
by a certain period.
[3:41:36] Is there could you know
only things that we could use it
[3:41:39] for that was tied to FIFA
infrastructure.
[3:41:42] Any limitations.
[3:41:44] So the infrastructure bond
not as much as the grant
[3:41:47] funding for public safety. Okay.
[3:41:49] We have a deadline for the grant
funding for public safety.
[3:41:51] It only paid for the 40 days.
[3:41:56] Well,
it did go back to July 1st
the previous year for equipment,
[3:41:59] but from staffing perspective,
it only pays for the time
[3:42:04] that our public safety personnel
worked within those 39 to
[3:42:08] 40 days.
But they are a bond
has a little more flexibility.
[3:42:12] Okay.
And so part of the grant report
[3:42:13] will have those pieces in there.
Yes, ma'am. Okay, great.
[3:42:16] And then my last question,
which is probably a bigger
[3:42:19] question, I definitely want to
I definitely just want to uplift
[3:42:23] and thank you all and thank the
thank the administration
[3:42:27] and the and and the city
leadership and departments for
[3:42:33] and I don't think we realize
that this is what I learned
[3:42:35] through fulfilling
in truly the gaps
[3:42:39] of whether it was showcase ATL
the things that Parks and Works
[3:42:43] did, the things that fire
and public Safety did, what I
[3:42:47] learned through this process
and asking, you know,
[3:42:50] being those, I'll say asking
questions was realizing the,
[3:42:57] how a lot
of the major things
were streamlined through FIFA
[3:43:00] as an organization
and through the chamber
[3:43:02] and through the Atlanta
Sports Council
[3:43:04] and those things
that were not met that we know
[3:43:07] as a city, we needed to have
the city administration
[3:43:11] stepped,
you know, stepped up to feel
[3:43:13] that the impotence of showcase
ATL knows things.
[3:43:16] So I just want to applaud
[3:43:18] you guys and give you guys
your shine and glow for that.
[3:43:21] And so my question
is moving forward
[3:43:24] as Atlanta has become a
the city of,
[3:43:28] you know, like we're on a radar
now for a lot of great events.
[3:43:32] Any glow grows or anything
that you all are thinking about.
[3:43:37] What what's next
[3:43:39] coming from what we,
you know, learn from from FIFA.
[3:43:43] And the second part today is how
we as a council in our time
[3:43:46] could be able to support
just that.
[3:43:50] Because you all did a lot.
I don't think people realize
like showcase ATL, the spaces
[3:43:54] and events that, you know,
[3:43:56] we probably got criticized
as a city.
[3:43:59] Like those are things
[3:44:00] that the administration,
LinkedIn and provided that
[3:44:04] when we compare
[3:44:06] other cities, whether
it's the Austin or the New York,
[3:44:09] I pushed back
and I said, let's be clear,
[3:44:12] like we the city stepped in and
and close the gap will provide
[3:44:16] an opportunity when it wasn't
even at the table.
[3:44:20] So I do want to
just give you all that shine,
but want to just
[3:44:21] kind of your responses on
what's next. Sure.
[3:44:24] Thank you for that.
[3:44:25] Councilmember Collins,
[3:44:27] I can tell you
[3:44:28] and each of the department
can tell you that
[3:44:31] we put together our successes.
[3:44:33] We also put together
we have an operational manual
[3:44:36] where we have what things
are lasting impact for the city.
[3:44:40] So we have those listed out
by department as well as
[3:44:44] what were some takeaways
that we could do better on.
[3:44:47] And as we prepare for now, Super
[3:44:50] Bowl in 2028
and any other large scale event.
[3:44:54] So it is definitely
by department.
[3:44:56] The teams have worked
really, really hard on that.
[3:44:59] We celebrated,
but then we also went back
[3:45:02] in a very short period of time
[3:45:04] and put together,
I call them Glows and Grows.
[3:45:07] So what are the grows
and what are the lasting impacts
[3:45:10] for each department
that we're leaving in this city?
[3:45:13] That will never change
as a result of World Cup.
[3:45:16] What last question.
[3:45:17] And Madam Chair,
[3:45:18] I defer in terms of
[3:45:19] just piggyback and often at
what would be the
[3:45:22] what what would be
the roadmap for us to,
[3:45:25] you know, as council members to,
[3:45:28] you know, to to
[3:45:29] keep consistent knowledge
of that information or,
[3:45:33] or track or see
so that it's not the ramp up
[3:45:36] like when we get to Super Bowl.
[3:45:37] It's not the ramp
up of all the things,
[3:45:39] but it's a continuing
conversation.
[3:45:41] Would that be through Office
of Entertainment will that will
[3:45:44] showcase ATL continue
as a continuing effort?
[3:45:48] Like what does that look like
for us to stay informed
[3:45:50] so we can continue to inform
the city, our constituency?
[3:45:54] Yes. So Showcase Atlanta
is intended to stay around.
[3:45:58] It is in the process of forming
[3:46:01] the final stages of a 501 C3.
[3:46:04] So it will be around for us.
[3:46:06] We hope forever
[3:46:07] is another lasting legacy,
and it is the venue
[3:46:10] that we can take in order
to showcase Atlanta in ways
[3:46:15] that whoever is hosting an event
may not do it, and we know how
[3:46:19] we want it done in Atlanta.
[3:46:20] It does give us that
avenue and venue to do it.
[3:46:24] You're welcome.
[3:46:25] Thank you.
[3:46:29] Now we will hear
from Kelsey Bond.
[3:46:32] Thank you.
[3:46:34] I just a similar short question.
[3:46:36] Kind of a relaxing with council
member Collins, I think,
[3:46:40] during FIFA,
there were questions
[3:46:43] about, you know, how much
city dollars we were spending.
[3:46:46] I don't know if that's something
y'all have put together.
[3:46:48] That's something we're going
to hear about in fiqh,
[3:46:51] but have you all put together
anything like that?
[3:46:56] Absolutely.
That will also be presented
in FSE as we do our close out.
[3:46:59] So every department.
[3:47:00] Well, we had a fee for tracking
numbers set up by finance
[3:47:05] for every department.
[3:47:06] So you'll probably see
public works,
[3:47:09] a couple of other departments.
[3:47:10] But most of the funding actually
was on the public safety side.
[3:47:15] And everything we could put with
[3:47:16] the grant is where
we're putting that.
[3:47:18] So yes, there will be
an overview of that as well.
[3:47:22] Okay.
So city dollars
plus the grants we received.
[3:47:25] Absolutely. Okay. Thank you.
[3:47:28] That's it.
Thank you, Councilmember bond.
[3:47:30] Council member Andrea Boone.
[3:47:32] Thank you, Madam President.
[3:47:34] Just wanting to commend,
public Works
[3:47:38] for making sure
that we had a clean, sanitary
[3:47:41] and very, very clean community
during FIFA.
[3:47:46] Our communities did not suffer.
[3:47:48] Thank you to Commissioner
Turner Solomon cavernous
[3:47:52] our a dot commissioner.
[3:47:54] Commissioner
de Vos, chief of fire.
[3:47:56] Smith.
[3:47:57] None of our activities suffered.
[3:47:59] Chief bomb
[3:48:01] also to the thousands
of employees that helped
[3:48:05] with our FIFA activities.
[3:48:07] With your leadership, madam
COO and Mayor Andre Dickens.
[3:48:11] FIFA was a well
[3:48:12] planned, well executed project
for the city of Atlanta
[3:48:17] and we so appreciate
you all's attention to detail.
[3:48:20] Thank you.
[3:48:24] Thank you.
[3:48:25] And this book will show
how many tons of trash
we collected during World Cup.
[3:48:30] Special
thanks to all those departments.
[3:48:32] And Councilmember Boone,
you actually gave us
[3:48:34] a recommendation
that helped us with that.
[3:48:36] And one of the recommendations
[3:48:38] you gave us very early
on was to look at supplementing
[3:48:42] our public works team with,
some companies
[3:48:46] who were supporting
people who were unsheltered.
[3:48:50] And we had an opportunity
to do that during World Cup,
[3:48:54] which made a world of difference
and a good support to
[3:48:57] our public works team, so that
they could continue to make sure
[3:49:00] that trash was picked up
every day, in our neighborhood.
[3:49:04] So thank you for that suggestion
[3:49:05] and recommendation
very early on.
[3:49:14] Council member Wayne Martin,
thank you, Madam
[3:49:16] President, to Madam CEO
[3:49:18] and the mayor's
entire administration,
[3:49:20] you all put on a first class,
[3:49:23] execution
of this kind of world event.
[3:49:26] I had some friends that attended
[3:49:27] events
in New York and Philadelphia,
[3:49:29] and they also attended
events here.
[3:49:31] They said second to none.
[3:49:34] They just saying
you all's praises.
[3:49:36] And I took some of the credit
because they gave it to me.
[3:49:39] But I also put it right,
right back
[3:49:41] on, on you all
where it belonged.
[3:49:43] Because you all did
a yeoman's task
[3:49:45] and a phenomenal job
from our police department.
[3:49:47] Our fire.
[3:49:49] You know, Commissioner Turner,
Commissioner cabinets,
[3:49:52] the folks that I called.
[3:49:53] But I want to give a special
shout out to the Parks and Rec
[3:49:55] for what took place at Cty.
[3:49:57] Martin, with our young people
and our kids,
[3:49:59] we kind of brought soccer
to them
[3:50:01] and brought FIFA to them,
which is a new world
[3:50:04] for a lot of kids
in Southwest Atlanta.
[3:50:05] But it's really taken off now.
[3:50:06] So y'all able to get ready
for us
[3:50:08] to really roll out
some real soccer programing.
[3:50:10] Because I think I got a feeling
you're going to see a lot of,
[3:50:12] you know, Johnson's
and Jackson's
[3:50:14] in soccer jerseys real soon
from southwest Atlanta.
[3:50:17] And, and I also wanted
to finally shout out
[3:50:19] Showcase Atlanta.
We had an amazing Juneteenth
[3:50:22] viewing party
in Cascade Heights.
[3:50:24] That was just amazing.
[3:50:26] The mayor came out
and gave a ticket
[3:50:29] to a little boy, and that child
lit up like it was Christmas.
[3:50:34] Yo, Burks.
And so that just shows
what's possible in Atlanta
[3:50:36] when we all come together.
[3:50:37] And I'm looking forward
to continuing
[3:50:39] to these kind of events
into the future.
[3:50:40] So I just want to say thank you
[3:50:41] again on behalf of district
11 and our residents.
[3:50:44] Thank you. Thank y'all.
[3:50:47] Thank you.
Council member Martin, council
member Michael Julian Bond.
[3:50:50] Thank you, Madam President.
[3:50:52] Madam chair.
[3:50:53] And to all the mayor's staff.
[3:50:55] I want to add my athletes
to you for,
[3:50:58] of course,
an exceptional Atlanta.
[3:51:01] Job well done.
[3:51:03] But I really want to emphasize
[3:51:06] that away from the stage,
away from the lights,
[3:51:11] the services that were still
provided to residents
[3:51:14] went off without a hitch.
[3:51:17] And so it is extremely important
to always
[3:51:19] take care of our guests and do
[3:51:24] the phenomenal hosting job
[3:51:27] that we can only do here
in Atlanta, right?
[3:51:30] Nobody does it like Atlanta, but
[3:51:34] unlike during the Olympics
[3:51:37] or some or some Super Bowls
[3:51:41] where people say, oh,
they only care about the people
[3:51:43] who come to town.
[3:51:44] And I didn't get my garbage
picked up or something
[3:51:48] didn't happen.
[3:51:49] You know, in the hinterland,
[3:51:51] the everyone in the city
was happy and were satisfied
[3:51:56] and pleased with the services
that Sydney allowed
[3:52:00] city government provided
not only to our
[3:52:04] our honored guests,
but for the everyday residents.
[3:52:07] And I think that that really
is the highest compliment,
[3:52:11] because with everyone's
many departments
[3:52:15] going above and beyond
[3:52:16] to accommodate
all of our international
[3:52:19] visitors or, you know, visitors
from across the country
[3:52:23] or region,
[3:52:24] the citizens who live here
every day
[3:52:26] operate their businesses
every day.
[3:52:29] Right, Marta, come to town.
[3:52:32] They receive the same level
of superior service.
[3:52:35] And for that, I want to give you
[3:52:37] my highest compliment
at this government worked.
[3:52:40] And it not only worked
when in front of the lights
[3:52:43] and on the stage,
but worked backstage.
[3:52:46] So highest compliments to.
[3:52:49] Thank you, Councilmember.
[3:52:51] Thank you.
[3:52:54] Thank you.
[3:52:55] And just to
[3:52:56] first of all, is that all
[3:52:57] of the council members
that like to speak
[3:53:00] and to close it out,
I just want to also say
[3:53:03] thank you and congratulations,
because it really was an award
[3:53:08] winning 40 days
and 40 nights here in our city.
[3:53:12] And I just want to make sure
everyone knows
[3:53:14] that Showcase
Atlanta is still alive, right?
[3:53:17] Because they are here for
[3:53:19] our other events
that we will be hosting.
[3:53:22] And I just, you know, at work
[3:53:26] throughout DPW,
not only did the wellness,
[3:53:31] but again,
the trash and I even saw them
in a security capacity,
[3:53:34] you know, making sure
that there will be no,
[3:53:37] bombarding of our streets
and our guests.
[3:53:40] So we were just innovative and
and very fluid throughout.
[3:53:44] And I just want to thank you all
for all of that good work.
[3:53:47] And I know it took a long time
and a lot of coordination.
[3:53:50] Let's give them a hand.
[3:54:05] Thank you.
Did you want to say
anything else before we leave?
[3:54:07] Committee of the whole.
[3:54:09] No, ma'am.
Thank you, everyone, for coming.
[3:54:12] Thank you all so much.
[3:54:13] I move to move by one second by
[3:54:18] Michael Julian Bond
to exit committee of the whole.
[3:54:21] And we can do that
by unanimous consent.
[3:54:24] Madam clerk 1208120 nays.
[3:54:27] We have exited
the committee of the whole.
[3:54:29] And that takes us to the report
of the Journal.
[3:54:35] Madam Clerk,
good afternoon, Madam President,
and members of Council.
[3:54:37] I, Linda, municipal
clerk of the City of Atlanta,
[3:54:40] do hereby certify
that the minutes
[3:54:43] of the regular meeting
held on Tuesday, September
8th, 2026, or to and correct.
[3:54:48] Oh thank you.
Is there a motion to adopt
the report of the Journal?
[3:54:50] So moved by one second
by Collins.
[3:54:54] Madam clerk,
please prepare the vote.
[3:54:59] We can do this by unanimous.
[3:55:00] Unanimous consent
[3:55:02] is 08120 nays.
[3:55:05] The report of the journal
is adopted.
[3:55:10] That takes us to communications.
[3:55:11] Thank you, Madam President.
[3:55:13] I'm number one is 26.
[3:55:15] C 5085 is a communication
from council members
[3:55:18] Thomas Worthy, district seven,
[3:55:19] Mary Norwood, district eight,
and Matt Westmoreland,
[3:55:22] post two at large,
reappointing Mr.
[3:55:24] Earl young to serve as a member
of the Water and Sewer
[3:55:26] Appeals Board.
[3:55:28] Disappointments
for a term of three years.
[3:55:29] Staff recommendation
to refer to City Utilities
[3:55:32] Committee
and Committee on Council.
[3:55:33] Let it follow that course.
[3:55:35] Andrea two was 26 C 5886. Mr..
[3:55:38] Communication for Mayor Andre
[3:55:39] Dickens appointing
Miss Alicia Smith to serve
[3:55:41] as a member of the Civil Service
board.
[3:55:43] This appointment
for a term of three years.
[3:55:45] Staff recommendation
to refer to finance executive
[3:55:47] Committee
and Committee on Council,
[3:55:49] let it follow that course.
[3:55:50] Item number three is 26585.
[3:55:53] This one.
[3:55:54] Mayor Andre
Dickens appointed Mr.
[3:55:55] Chuck to serve as a member of
the Human Relations Commission.
[3:55:59] This is pointless
for term of three years.
[3:56:01] Staff recommendation to refer
to Committee on Council.
[3:56:04] Let it follow that course.
[3:56:05] I'm. Number four is 26 C 588.
[3:56:08] This is a communication
[3:56:09] for Mayor André Dickens
reappointing
[3:56:11] Doctor Annie Adams and serve
as a member of the Midtown
[3:56:14] Community Improvement
District board of directors.
[3:56:16] Disappointment is for a term
for four years, to begin
[3:56:19] retroactively on June 6th, 2026,
and expire on June 5th, 2030.
[3:56:25] Staff recommendation
to refer to Community
Development, Human Services
[3:56:27] Committee and Committee
and Council
[3:56:28] let it follow that course.
[3:56:29] Item number five is 26 C 5089.
[3:56:33] This is a communication
from Chief Procurement Officer
Chandra Houston,
[3:56:37] submitting the Department
of Procurement
[3:56:39] Monthly report
August 1st to August 31st, 2026.
[3:56:43] Staff recommendation
to accept and file.
[3:56:46] Okay.
I'll entertain
a motion to accept and file
[3:56:49] move by one second by Hillis.
[3:56:52] Madam clerk, please
prepare the vote
[3:56:55] a moment.
[3:56:56] The vote is open.
[3:57:02] Will everyone please vote?
[3:57:10] The was closed.
[3:57:15] 1312 years.
[3:57:18] Nays.
Councilman Westmoreland,
what is your vote?
[3:57:22] 13 years.
[3:57:23] There are 13 years, zero nays.
[3:57:26] That item is accepted and filed.
[3:57:29] Consideration
of vetoed legislation.
[3:57:32] What about unfinished business?
No thank you.
[3:57:35] I just remind everyone
that October 5th, 2026
[3:57:37] is the last day to register to
vote for the November election.
[3:57:42] Thank you for that.
[3:57:43] Now that takes us to consent
agenda section one.
[3:57:47] These are the items that receive
[3:57:48] unanimous votes
in our committees.
[3:57:53] Are there any items that need
[3:57:55] to be removed from consent
agenda section one
[3:57:58] okay. Yes, madam.
[3:57:59] Council Member Martin.
[3:58:01] Yes. I would like to remove on
page seven,
[3:58:04] item 13260-1451.
[3:58:12] Okay.
[3:58:17] Give me the item number again
please.
[3:58:19] Item number 13 on page seven.
[3:58:22] And the legislation
number is 26.
[3:58:25] Dash 01451
[3:58:29] okay okay.
[3:58:32] Council member Kelsey Bond
[3:58:34] I'd like to remove resolution
[3:58:37] number 260 1490.
[3:58:40] That's a number 16.
[3:58:48] I am going to that right now.
[3:58:50] Just a second.
[3:58:55] You say 26 old Dash 1490.
[3:58:58] And for public
[3:59:01] safety.
[3:59:08] Okay okay.
[3:59:11] Council member one
thank you, Madam President.
[3:59:15] Might as well finish out
that whole section.
[3:59:16] So I'm going to take off on page
7142601488, which is item 14.
[3:59:23] And then I am 15,
which is 2601489 on page eight.
[3:59:28] So page 72601488
[3:59:31] on page eight 2600 1489.
[3:59:34] Sorry, Councilmember Boone.
[3:59:35] Okay, so that's three items
to be removed
[3:59:39] from public safety for.
[3:59:42] Yes, for items
to be removed from PS la.
[3:59:50] Item 13, 14, 15 and 16.
[3:59:55] Moved by one
to adopt the consent agenda.
[3:59:58] Section one. Is there a second?
[4:00:01] Second by Council Member Hillis.
[4:00:03] Madam clerk, please
prepare the vote.
[4:00:11] The voters open.
[4:00:18] Well.
Everyone please vote.
[4:00:33] The most closed 13 years.
[4:00:34] There are 13 gays, zero nays.
[4:00:37] Consent agenda section one with
those items removed is adopted.
[4:00:42] Any items for posthaste? Yes.
[4:00:45] Council member Westmoreland.
[4:00:47] Oh, great. Yes,
I remember Collins.
[4:00:49] Yes. Page five, item number 26.
[4:00:52] Dash. Oh, and I have a few.
[4:00:54] 26-01496 number three.
[4:01:00] 1496.
[4:01:03] Is that okay?
[4:01:06] Only the parent.
[4:01:07] I'm gonna leave the one to you.
[4:01:11] Let me go ahead.
[4:01:12] Page nine,
[4:01:14] item number 18 at a CD h s
[4:01:18] as electric car drive
as electric vehicle user
[4:01:21] 26014931493 okay,
[4:01:29] look at that. Page ten
[4:01:31] resolution 26-R-4015
[4:01:37] Construction of concourse D,
[4:01:42] page 11.
[4:01:43] Item number 26-R, dash 4021.
[4:01:50] Drawing down federal grant funds
as we enter
[4:01:52] a new fiscal year
start of October 1st.
[4:01:56] Page 12, item number 26R-3994.
[4:02:01] Number 14.
[4:02:06] Victim witness assistance.
[4:02:08] And then last is page 15.
[4:02:12] Resolution 26R-399326.
[4:02:19] Moving forward
with acknowledging the Just Us
[4:02:22] neighborhood and colleagues,
I just went ahead
[4:02:24] and just did the details
so you guys just would know.
[4:02:27] I appreciate that big time.
[4:02:30] Thank you.
So thank you.
I have those all written down.
[4:02:32] How about you all?
[4:02:33] Is everybody okay?
[4:02:34] Yeah. Yes
[4:02:37] I see I, I have six.
[4:02:40] Is that all of them.
[4:02:41] Does anyone else have any
[4:02:42] that they'd like
to move posthaste to the mayor.
[4:02:45] Council member Winston.
[4:02:46] Thank you. Council president
I have three items.
[4:02:48] First is on page six.
[4:02:50] Number 112601506.
[4:02:55] And I have two on page
12 versus item
[4:02:58] number 1326R-3989
[4:03:02] and then
number 1626R-4 thousand.
[4:03:12] Okay.
I already had your three,
so thank you for that.
[4:03:16] Anyone else any items to be sent
[4:03:19] posthaste?
[4:03:23] Okay.
Moved by one
to moved these items posthaste.
[4:03:28] It's 12345678, nine items.
[4:03:32] Is that what you have?
[4:03:34] And second by Bakhtiari.
[4:03:36] Posthaste.
To the mayor's office.
[4:03:40] Any discussion?
[4:03:43] This can be done by unanimous
consent, madam clerk.
[4:03:46] 14 years
there, an age 14 years or nays.
[4:03:49] All of these items are sent
to the mayor's office posthaste.
[4:03:52] Council member Westmoreland.
[4:03:54] Thank you, Madam President.
[4:03:55] Just a quick comment,
because it's on consent.
[4:03:59] I wanted to
acknowledge that we just
unanimously updated the city's
[4:04:02] paid parental leave policy
for the first time in a decade
[4:04:06] so that starting on
July or January 1st.
[4:04:13] January 1st, 20th January first.
[4:04:15] Yeah.
All all city of Atlanta
employees
[4:04:17] will have the opportunity
to take 12 weeks of paid leave,
[4:04:20] at the time that they would like
to take that leave
[4:04:22] during their child's
first year of life.
[4:04:25] And the city
[4:04:26] took that
first step in the region
[4:04:29] a decade ago,
and now
we're making advancements
[4:04:30] on that benefit
to our employees.
[4:04:32] And just wanted to
thank everybody
[4:04:33] for their work on that.
Thank you.
[4:04:37] Thank you.
And with that, that will take us
to consent agenda section two.
[4:04:46] I want you to
move by Allen to tame a motion
to move to approve
[4:04:51] consideration of section two.
[4:04:52] Second by.
[4:04:54] Was that Martin? Yes. Okay.
[4:04:57] Madam.
Clerk. Yes. Okay.
[4:05:00] These items are to be referred
back to committee.
[4:05:05] Council member Itchy Collins,
would you like to speak?
[4:05:08] No, ma'am.
[4:05:11] Okay, so we have a move
[4:05:14] to refer these items back
to committee by one second.
[4:05:19] By Hill, by Martin.
[4:05:21] Madam clerk,
this can be done by.
[4:05:25] No. Please open the vote.
[4:05:26] The vote is open.
[4:05:27] Yeah.
[4:05:32] Well, everyone please vote.
[4:05:42] 14 years.
There are 14 days
there on these items are adopted
[4:05:45] to be sent back to committee,
to referred to committee.
[4:05:49] And now we move on
to our transportation,
[4:05:52] our standing committees. We'll
start with our transportation.
[4:05:55] Chair one all right.
Thank you, Madam President.
[4:05:57] Colleagues, we are on page
40 of your agenda.
[4:06:00] We have one item
and that is 26 R 3999.
[4:06:04] This is a resolution by council
members Kelsey Bond, Liliana
[4:06:07] Bakhtiari, Michael Julian Bond,
Antonio Lewis, Jason Dozier,
[4:06:10] Wayne Martin, Jason H Winston,
Byron D Amos, Matt Westmoreland
[4:06:13] Collins, Thomas Worthy,
and Dustin
[4:06:15] Hillis is substituted
and amended by Community
[4:06:17] Development
Human Services Committee
[4:06:19] and amended by Transportation
Committee,
[4:06:21] affirming the City of Atlanta
support for light
[4:06:23] rail transit along the full 22
mile Atlanta Beltline corridor.
[4:06:27] Recognizing light rail
transit as a central component
[4:06:29] of the adopted
Lana Beltline vision,
[4:06:31] affirming the use of existing
Beltline transit right of way
[4:06:34] supporting rails on grass design
where feasible.
[4:06:37] Requesting
coordinated inflammation
[4:06:38] and funding updates from Mayor
Dickens's administration.
[4:06:41] Marta Atlanta
[4:06:42] Beltline, Inc., and other
[4:06:43] relevant city departments,
and for other purposes.
[4:06:46] This came out of committee
[4:06:47] favorable,
as amended by understand
[4:06:49] that there is additional action
[4:06:51] being desired
by a council member.
[4:06:53] Okay, so you you want to
move to adopt, but there is
[4:07:01] correct.
The motion from the committee
is to adopt as amended. Okay.
[4:07:02] So motion to adopt by one
[4:07:05] is no second is needed
because it's favorable.
[4:07:08] But I would like to hear
from Councilmember Amos.
[4:07:11] Yes, I like to make a substitute
motion to amend this paper.
[4:07:16] Second substitute motion
to a man by Amos.
[4:07:19] Second by one.
[4:07:21] Did you pass the substitute
out to everyone? Yes.
[4:07:24] It should have been emailed out
to everyone.
[4:07:25] Please read it.
[4:07:29] We need to know
what that substitute is.
[4:07:31] Actually, substitute
removes, language
[4:07:34] that actually spoke about
in the transportation meeting.
[4:07:38] One of the clauses,
that I seek to remove is,
[4:07:42] be it further resolved that
the Atlantic City Council
[4:07:45] wishes
to express his disapproval
[4:07:47] for any potential use of Atlanta
Beltline transit right away,
[4:07:50] which would preclude in in pair
or materials
[4:07:53] materially increase the cost
or difficulty
[4:07:57] of future light
rail implementation.
[4:08:01] The other piece of language
I like to strike out is in the
[4:08:06] be it further resolve
clause, including
[4:08:08] but not limited
to the remaining Beltline
[4:08:11] tax allocation
district through 2030.
[4:08:14] And then the other piece
that will
[4:08:17] the words
and we all have a red line
[4:08:20] and does not compete
with other transit, parties.
[4:08:24] Those three things would
definitely pulled me in line.
[4:08:27] I'm in full support
[4:08:28] of the paper,
but with those three changes,
[4:08:30] I think I will be
in full support
[4:08:32] and my district
will be in support as well.
[4:08:38] So we have a substitute motion
on the floor.
[4:08:40] And a second,
any other discussion?
[4:08:46] Kelsey Bond?
[4:08:48] Yeah. Thank you.
[4:08:49] Council member Amos,
I appreciate the,
[4:08:54] intention to
[4:08:56] improve the paper.
[4:08:58] I will be voting
no on the amendment,
[4:09:02] solely because, well,
I definitely see where
[4:09:05] the council member
is coming from.
[4:09:07] The clause about the right of
way directly speaks to how.
[4:09:12] I mean, for example,
in my district, there are
[4:09:15] restaurants
who have built out their patio
[4:09:18] in the Beltline right of way.
[4:09:19] And, you know, it's
these restaurants
[4:09:22] and property
owners in particular
[4:09:23] that have organized
against transit expansion
[4:09:26] because it impacts their own
personal interests,
[4:09:30] and having to remove structures
that are built in the right
[4:09:33] of way overall increases
the cost for everybody involved.
[4:09:37] In terms of moving forward
on transit on the Beltline.
[4:09:40] So I'll be voting against it.
[4:09:43] But your amendments are taken
in good faith,
[4:09:45] and I look forward
to voting on the full paper.
[4:09:48] Thank you, Councilmember bond.
[4:09:49] Councilmember Collins.
[4:09:52] Yes, thank you.
Thank you so much for both.
Both of you.
[4:09:54] I know we've been really
talking about this, so just
[4:09:58] not thinking about this.
[4:10:01] So right above the strike out
language, it says be
[4:10:06] it further resolved,
that the Atlanta City Council
affirms is strong belief
[4:10:09] that the existing Atlanta
Beltline transit right away
[4:10:12] should be preserved
for the construction
[4:10:14] of light rail
along the full 22 mile loop.
[4:10:17] So Celt member bond does that.
[4:10:22] Does keeping that in actually
[4:10:25] kind of aligns
with the strike out language.
[4:10:30] So what you know,
[4:10:31] so that's why
I didn't have any issue
[4:10:33] with the strike out language,
because we are still affirming
[4:10:36] our belief
[4:10:38] that the right of way
should still be preserved
for the full construction
[4:10:42] of the Beltline.
I think the second one that's
that the the strike out language
[4:10:46] is wishes to express is
disapproval is very subjective.
[4:10:49] And I can see where
Council Member Amos may
[4:10:52] where you may feel that way,
but Council member Amos
[4:10:56] may feel differently.
[4:10:57] So that's I,
I'm thinking about like the
[4:11:00] is still a chief
keeping that the that
[4:11:03] fur that resolution clause
and still affirms what we are
[4:11:11] in terms of
our belief without taking away
with removing
[4:11:15] that resolution
cause does not take away
[4:11:18] our full intent
for ensuring the belt.
[4:11:21] The transit right away
is still preserved.
[4:11:23] So I just wanted to put out
put that out there.
[4:11:27] What I do have Council Member
Amos in question
[4:11:29] for you is the second strike out
that says, pursue
[4:11:33] all legally available
[4:11:34] funding resources
necessary to compete, complete
[4:11:37] the full 2122 mile corridor,
including but not limited
[4:11:42] limited to the remaining
Beltline tax allocation district
[4:11:45] through 2030.
[4:11:47] I see that that phrase
has been striked out and was,
[4:11:51] just curious as to why.
[4:11:54] Because the Beltline tax
allocation district was created,
[4:11:58] was intentionally created
to fund the Beltline.
[4:12:03] So why would we not consider
that as a funding resource
[4:12:07] in the planning
[4:12:08] when that is the impetus is what
why that tab was created?
[4:12:14] That's
more than happy to answer that.
[4:12:17] Since we started conversations,
I have been very clear
[4:12:20] that even when we talk
about extending tasks
[4:12:22] and not extending tasks
for the last 20 to 25 years,
[4:12:26] other areas of the city
has enjoyed the financial
[4:12:30] or the business
[4:12:32] improvement
that the Beltline tat brings.
[4:12:35] Since we decided
not to extend the beltline tag,
[4:12:38] you're telling the west side
of the city of Atlanta
[4:12:40] that we only have four years
to 2030 to enjoy the things
[4:12:43] that other people have endured
over the last 20 to 25 years.
[4:12:48] So when you're talking
[4:12:49] about a major development
like the Beltline rail,
[4:12:53] I don't think that you
that it equitably speaking,
[4:12:56] that we should allow
the few funds that are left
[4:12:59] to be looked at as possibly
funding, that project.
[4:13:05] And you're right,
it was designed
[4:13:06] to help the Beltline rail.
[4:13:08] I mean, the Beltline trail.
[4:13:09] So this is Beltline rail.
[4:13:11] So being equitable,
even when my colleagues spoke
[4:13:15] about the different patios
that have been built out
[4:13:19] adjacent to the
the wonderful projects
around the rest of the city,
[4:13:22] after we have stood together
as a neighborhood, as a district
[4:13:27] to fight off
the homeless shelter,
[4:13:28] we need the the economics
that everyone else have enjoyed
[4:13:32] to actually be able
to finance the things
[4:13:34] we want
to see down on the West side.
[4:13:35] So that is why I would not like
to see the Beltline, that,
[4:13:40] allocation district actually
be considered as of a part
[4:13:43] of actually being able
to develop the Beltline trail.
[4:13:46] I mean, the Beltline rail, even
funding to support planning,
[4:13:50] even funding to support
planning, surveying efforts
[4:13:53] and all of like the
the the engineering pieces,
[4:13:57] even though we
you know, because 2030.
[4:13:59] I mean, you're talking about
we really only have three years
[4:14:02] like even any funds
to support those efforts.
[4:14:05] As we think about Beltline
[4:14:07] as a comprehensive strategy
and real being part of that,
[4:14:10] you want that you want
that excluded that totally.
[4:14:13] That tab bucket
[4:14:15] is automatically excluded
from it,
[4:14:17] automatically excluded from it.
[4:14:20] Because once again,
not only we're looking at the
last four years, in actuality,
[4:14:23] we need to be looking
at the last 20 to 25,
[4:14:26] in which these things
[4:14:27] would not have to be spoken
about for the rest
[4:14:29] when the rest of the city
was developing.
[4:14:31] Now we have four years
to bring about
[4:14:33] the equity of the Beltline
to the west side,
[4:14:36] and we should be able to enjoy
all of the economic advantages
[4:14:39] that everyone else have enjoyed
over the last 20 or 25 years.
[4:14:43] Oh, okay.
And my last question
and I defer Mr..
[4:14:45] I do for Mrs. chair.
[4:14:47] Just excuse me, Madam Chair.
[4:14:50] Just okay.
[4:14:52] I get I get what you're saying.
[4:14:54] I once it closed in 2030
any of the
[4:14:58] any of the revenue
and any other revenue
[4:15:02] benefits that come from
the Beltline
[4:15:03] is going
to go to the general funds
[4:15:04] unless we dedicated
someplace else anyway.
[4:15:07] So we need
we're going to have that.
[4:15:09] We're going to continue to have
the equitable conversation
[4:15:12] of what that looks like
to ensure equitable development,
[4:15:14] but also equitable transit
throughout the city.
[4:15:17] That is the only one
that I don't
[4:15:18] necessarily agree
with because of the the Beltline
[4:15:22] tagged in, its
and what the law allows it to do
[4:15:27] could really help in
terms of the funding strategy.
[4:15:30] But the other strikeouts
I'm I'm open to it.
[4:15:33] So I don't know how
we handle that.
[4:15:35] But thank you, Madam Chair.
[4:15:36] I defer okay.
[4:15:38] Anyone else? Any.
[4:15:39] Oh. Council member Lewis.
[4:15:42] Super supportive
of Councilmember Amos's
[4:15:44] legislation. Councilmember
bond when?
[4:15:47] Councilmember.
[4:15:48] Councilman,
when I first introduced you
to the Beltline,
[4:15:49] I would have brought
these recommendations to you
[4:15:52] had you kept me
in a part of that conversation.
[4:15:55] This would have been in
the first piece of legislation.
[4:15:57] My district has not saw
the same fruits of the Beltline.
[4:16:01] Pittsburgh Yards Pittsburgh
has a business community
[4:16:05] that will flourish
once they receive the funds.
[4:16:08] After we built up Pittsburgh
[4:16:10] yards,
after we built up the trail.
[4:16:12] When you look at the
[4:16:13] The Perch restaurant
[4:16:14] that we just did
on, on on Metropolitan
[4:16:18] Parkway, it will flourish
after the after this happens.
[4:16:21] When you look at the hospital
we're trying to bring,
[4:16:23] we look at other things
in our area.
[4:16:25] We will need these resources.
[4:16:26] As the Beltline is on
two of my streets.
[4:16:28] One more thing
I would like to add
[4:16:30] is that the map that we put out,
it includes the spur
[4:16:33] to Buckhead.
[4:16:34] What I would have made sure,
[4:16:36] like I've been loud
with Beltline Rail.
[4:16:38] Now about making sure
[4:16:39] to include the spurs
to the south side as well.
[4:16:41] We already have the funding
for that already done.
[4:16:44] And so the if you look at ATL
dot map on the on their website
[4:16:48] right now, you'll see spurs
that are already there
[4:16:51] that we could have included
in the map
[4:16:53] that came out, but super
supportive of of both pieces.
[4:16:56] But I always would have included
everybody a part of this.
[4:17:01] That's why
I made sure I came to you
because I wanted to work with
[4:17:04] you in particular on this,
because when the Beltline
[4:17:07] rail folks came to me,
they it was not moving.
[4:17:11] I knew
that you would be innovative
to help us grow even more.
[4:17:13] But I want to make sure
that Councilmember Amos,
[4:17:17] his voice is heard,
and I want to make sure
[4:17:19] that the original person
that brought everybody
[4:17:20] together, voices,
heard it, too. Thank you again.
[4:17:27] Okay.
Anyone? Council member Martin.
[4:17:29] Yes. Thank you, Madam President.
[4:17:30] I will be supporting this
amendment.
[4:17:34] Councilmember Amos,
because this entire conversation
has been about equity.
[4:17:37] And I signed the legislation
originally Councilmember Bond
[4:17:41] in support of it
because I think the spirit of it
[4:17:44] is absolutely correct.
We need to be moving forward
in thinking about what
[4:17:46] our next phase of belt
non development looks like,
[4:17:48] whether it's rail trails,
housing or economic development.
[4:17:52] But it is time for the south
and west side of the city
[4:17:54] to get the investment
[4:17:56] that largely the belt line
was really built upon.
[4:17:58] As we think about the
[4:18:00] the taxpayers
of the city of Atlanta
[4:18:02] and those that have allowed
the development
[4:18:03] to go forth
in their communities.
[4:18:04] As we think about 30 years ago,
25 years ago,
[4:18:07] when I first got to the city as
an intern, this was a concept.
[4:18:10] And to Councilmember Point,
Councilmember Amos's point,
[4:18:14] we are past time
[4:18:15] having conversations
about doing work on the Beltline
[4:18:18] without beginning
[4:18:20] and ending on the south
and west sides of the city.
[4:18:23] And so I will be supporting
[4:18:24] the legislation doesn't
touch my district at all,
[4:18:26] but it comes very close.
[4:18:27] And so I appreciate you
taking some leadership on that.
[4:18:30] Councilmember
Amos and I will be voting. Yes.
[4:18:32] Thank you, Madam President.
[4:18:36] Councilmember Lewis
[4:18:38] and I want to be loud on saying
I am the loudest belt,
[4:18:41] loudest, loudest voice
since the mayor said
[4:18:43] the Beltline will be on Murphy
Spur since he said that the spur
[4:18:47] will happen on the south side
and southwest side.
[4:18:49] First, I made sure to reach out
to Beltline Rail.
[4:18:51] Now, I'm super appreciative
[4:18:52] of all the meetings
that we've had and attaining and
[4:18:56] and making sure to assign
a staffer to be a part of.
[4:19:00] I've been able
to talk to my colleagues.
[4:19:02] We knew that,
that some stuff was coming.
[4:19:05] We just wish
we were always included
and not kicked out the room
[4:19:08] after the introduction
that happened.
[4:19:10] Black folks have always dealt
[4:19:12] with this type of thing
[4:19:12] where
they bring people to the table
[4:19:14] and they kicked them out
the room at another point.
[4:19:16] So I want to say I appreciate
this legislation moving
[4:19:19] how it is, but the mayor
has said it's going to happen.
[4:19:23] We want to make sure it happens.
[4:19:25] We want to make sure
that the South side
[4:19:26] and south West side
not left out.
[4:19:28] Councilmember Amos
had dealt with the Beltline,
[4:19:31] the councilmember,
those have dealt
with the Beltline
[4:19:32] in different ways
than any other council member,
[4:19:34] because they've had it all
[4:19:35] throughout their district
this entire time.
[4:19:37] And so I would like to make sure
that we are still loud
[4:19:42] on this. And thank you,
Councilmember Amos,
again for these amendments.
[4:19:48] Councilmember
Collins,
did you mean to do that?
[4:19:51] Yes. Okay.
[4:19:54] Colleagues,
I think for I think I'm unclear
[4:19:56] on what we are
[4:19:58] this let this resolution,
this resolution is making a
[4:20:03] is this resolution focuses
[4:20:06] on the importance of us
getting the
[4:20:11] getting the conversation,
but also the strategic planning
[4:20:16] and direction of Beltline rail
[4:20:19] throughout the entire city
going.
[4:20:22] Am I not right?
[4:20:24] Okay.
[4:20:25] The Beltline in its entirety
has been shared
[4:20:28] with us is five years ahead
of schedule and development.
[4:20:33] So the Beltline will be fully
completed
[4:20:37] by the end
of the closure of the Tad.
[4:20:41] Am I correct on that?
[4:20:45] That has been shared
multiple times
[4:20:48] through the Beltline
as an organization.
[4:20:52] So while I understand
[4:20:54] and so we have multiple plans
in place,
[4:20:57] we have trails ATL that overlaps
with the Beltline rail
[4:21:03] in terms of the spokes
that comes out to the comes out
[4:21:06] from Beltline that we still need
to have a conversation on.
[4:21:10] On the funding on that piece.
[4:21:13] We have the transition at Marta
[4:21:16] where that conversation
is going to pick up in terms of
[4:21:20] more Marta and what
that looks like in planning.
[4:21:24] So I just want to
I just don't want us to lose
[4:21:27] what is before us today,
which is what is not what
[4:21:32] has happened over
the last 25 years with beltline
[4:21:36] rail, not with Beltline real,
with beltline as an entity,
[4:21:40] and is not focused on
[4:21:43] grand izing
and not grand eyes on
[4:21:46] what has or what not
has happened in the community.
[4:21:49] When we know the Beltline
as a structure is subject
[4:21:52] to be completed by 2030, what is
before us is a resolution.
[4:21:57] In terms of do we firmly believe
[4:22:00] in the vision of building
Beltline rail
[4:22:03] as a central transit corridor
for the entire city,
[4:22:07] but more importantly,
[4:22:09] moving towards
what is the strategic direction?
[4:22:13] Where's the funding?
[4:22:14] We finally have an opportunity
[4:22:16] to at least
have the conversation.
[4:22:18] And the planning started
to understand in one document,
[4:22:23] in one space, what it
looks like to achieve that.
[4:22:30] And so
I want us to get centered on
what's in front of us
[4:22:33] and not the Beltline
[4:22:36] as in the city,
which is why I am continuing
[4:22:39] to advocate for the inclusion
of that clause back,
[4:22:43] because that's the additional
funding that we would need
[4:22:45] to ensure that we can get
the proper surveyors, engineer
[4:22:49] whatever we choose to do.
[4:22:51] So I'm going to call to question
[4:22:53] your motion and Byron
Amos for us.
[4:22:56] Go ahead and move to vote on Mr.
[4:22:59] Amos substitute,
and I'm going to leave it there.
[4:23:02] Okay. We have a call to question
by Collins.
[4:23:04] There's a second by Hillis.
[4:23:08] Madam clerk, please
repair the vote.
[4:23:10] If none. Debatable.
[4:23:12] Two thirds required.
[4:23:15] Of all ten votes.
[4:23:18] Oh. I'm live.
[4:23:20] Well, everyone please vote.
[4:23:39] The votes close.
[4:23:39] 12 years, two nays.
[4:23:41] 12 years. Two nays.
[4:23:45] The call.
[4:23:46] The question is adopted.
[4:23:49] So you said no to your call.
The question.
[4:23:50] No. I'm sorry, Madam Clerk.
[4:23:53] Let me.
I meant yes
on the call to question yes.
[4:23:57] My apologies.
[4:23:57] 13 years, one nay, 13 years.
[4:24:00] One nay call.
[4:24:01] The question is
[4:24:04] just one second.
[4:24:06] So Council Member Lewis
[4:24:08] would like to change his vote
to no.
[4:24:11] Yeah. Let's move forward.
[4:24:12] 12 years, two nays. 12 years.
[4:24:15] Two nays.
[4:24:16] Called to question is carried.
[4:24:19] That brings us back
to our legislation of voting to,
[4:24:25] bringing forth the substitute.
[4:24:27] Yes, that's what
[4:24:29] I thought.
[4:24:30] Is there a motion
to bring forth substitute?
[4:24:33] So, so moved by Bakhtiari,
second by Lewis.
[4:24:36] Madam president,
we have a motion.
[4:24:37] So we're
just going to open the vote.
[4:24:39] He started the that the correct.
[4:24:42] Yeah. So it's Amos in one.
[4:24:44] Madam clerk,
please open the vote for
[4:24:47] the substitute forward.
[4:24:51] The vote is open.
[4:25:00] Will I boom!
[4:25:01] Please vote.
[4:25:09] The votes close. 12.
[4:25:11] Two nays.
[4:25:13] 12 years, two nays.
[4:25:14] The substitute is before us.
[4:25:17] All right.
So with that,
the motion
is to adopt on substitute
[4:25:19] the motion
to adopt on substitute by one.
[4:25:22] Is there a second? Second by.
[4:25:24] Martin, please prepare the vote.
[4:25:28] Is there any more discussion?
[4:25:33] One moment.
[4:25:36] The vote is open.
[4:25:37] Yeah.
We can't just. We're having.
[4:25:39] The system is tired now,
so we all.
[4:25:42] How is that?
[4:25:45] Aren't we all? Oh.
[4:25:48] Will everyone please
vote, madam?
[4:25:51] Madam chair, I have a question.
[4:25:56] The voters open.
[4:26:00] So the vote is open.
[4:26:01] But I didn't ask for discussion.
[4:26:04] So would you like to have
I should have.
[4:26:06] Yes. Okay.
Council member Collins.
[4:26:12] I mean, that's, you know, I just
[4:26:13] I mean, it's I terms of I,
you know, borrowing.
[4:26:18] I didn't support your
I didn't support your motion
to bring forth a substitute.
[4:26:22] I mean, I don't think that
what you're, you know,
[4:26:25] the admissions is causing me
heartburn.
[4:26:29] Heartburn to not still support
this resolution.
[4:26:32] Just going for the record that
these will still be questions
[4:26:36] that I continue
to advocate for, particularly
on the funding updates.
[4:26:39] And we'll continue to push
for the for tax allocation
[4:26:43] dollars, knowing that Beltline
is our largest generating
[4:26:47] to be dedicated
to the to this effort
[4:26:51] in whatever time
frame that we have.
[4:26:53] So I'm going to support
the motion in its entirety.
[4:26:57] Even though the even though
the changes
[4:27:00] I still have issues with doesn't
give me heartburn, though.
[4:27:04] Council
member Michael Julian Bond.
[4:27:08] Thank you, Madam President.
[4:27:11] I would just be quick.
I just want to remind everyone
this is just a resolution.
[4:27:14] It's it's not an ordinance.
[4:27:17] Thank you for saying and and
yeah, the quiet part out loud.
[4:27:22] But the
the concerns of the gentleman.
[4:27:25] But we have to understand
how how we got here as a city.
[4:27:29] This beltline was never intended
to be a park.
[4:27:32] Never. Right.
[4:27:35] Never say it again.
[4:27:36] Never was it intended to be used
the way that it is being used.
[4:27:42] And the reason why
the real part has been delayed
[4:27:45] is because of the politics of
how it has been used as a park,
[4:27:50] because people got used to it
being used as a park,
[4:27:53] and they don't want it to stop
being used as a part.
[4:27:56] But it was always
intended to be a transit lane.
[4:28:02] And it is
also has the dubious distinction
[4:28:06] of being the only train route
on planet Earth
[4:28:11] in the history of planet Earth
to be built in reverse,
[4:28:16] meaning that the the
the adjacent land
[4:28:21] is built out
before any rails are laid.
[4:28:25] That has never been done
on planet Earth before.
[4:28:29] And so we're here basically
[4:28:31] with a mop bucket and a mop,
[4:28:34] trying to realign the process
[4:28:37] to build this light rail train.
[4:28:41] And when we get to
[4:28:42] and as some of the speakers
pointed out,
[4:28:44] particularly
the lady with the shades
[4:28:46] and the fly hat, there portions
of this route that are not
[4:28:51] large enough or expansive enough
to put a train on.
[4:28:57] So all of this will have to be
worked out at some future point.
[4:29:02] So no one should have.
[4:29:05] Just my opinion,
[4:29:07] too much heartburn or
consternation about the wording
[4:29:13] or what is in this resolution,
[4:29:15] because it's a it's
a general policy statement
[4:29:19] that we're all supportive
and we want to see it happen. So
[4:29:23] going forward in the future,
they're going to be real
[4:29:27] architectural and engineering
[4:29:29] concerns
that have come before us.
[4:29:32] The high probability is
there might be sections
[4:29:36] that may have to be either
rerouted or maybe
[4:29:40] service interruption,
or maybe the train only goes in
[4:29:43] one one way on certain sections.
[4:29:46] Just depends
on the actual geography
[4:29:49] of what is actually there.
[4:29:52] But because we've taken
so long to do this
[4:29:55] correctly,
we find ourselves here today.
[4:29:59] But we do support it.
[4:30:01] I hope everybody will vote
unanimously for it.
[4:30:06] As we step into the bright
[4:30:09] future together
for the Beltline rail.
[4:30:13] And we should do so holding
hands because we're fixing,
[4:30:19] what others
[4:30:22] didn't do as well.
[4:30:24] So let's step into the future
together,
[4:30:27] little children.
[4:30:30] Council member Kelsey Bond.
[4:30:33] Thank you everyone.
[4:30:35] I want to second a lot of what
[4:30:36] other council member bond
just said.
[4:30:39] You know, there are other cities
looking to build right
[4:30:41] light rail right now
looking to Atlanta and trying
[4:30:45] to not repeat our our mistakes.
[4:30:49] The Beltline has not turned out
as it was originally intended.
[4:30:52] It was meant to be
a public asset that we all paid
[4:30:55] into with public housing,
public assets.
[4:30:59] And instead we've seen
a lot of gentrification.
[4:31:01] We've seen a lot of
[4:31:03] development on the Beltline
that is not geared towards
[4:31:06] people who need affordable
housing most. Right.
[4:31:08] And these are mistakes
and policy decisions
[4:31:12] that were made by previous
[4:31:13] administrations over the course
of multiple years, in decades.
[4:31:18] But I truly do believe that,
you know, Beltline rail has the
[4:31:21] potential to be a transformative
project for the entire city.
[4:31:26] And I am really
excited about what comes next
[4:31:30] after this and collaborating
with all of you
[4:31:34] to determine
what is the path forward.
[4:31:37] But ultimately,
you know, Atlanta is far behind
[4:31:41] where we need
to be on public transit.
[4:31:44] This is a major investment
that has the the potential
[4:31:47] to transform
the future of our city,
[4:31:50] our commitment to climate
resiliency and sustainability
[4:31:54] and affordability
[4:31:55] in a city that is becoming
increasingly expensive.
[4:31:59] So really excited about this
kind of renewed commitment to
[4:32:04] build towards a beltline
that actually works
[4:32:06] for everyone,
that is truly affordable,
[4:32:08] that is truly inviting
for everybody,
[4:32:11] and to move forward
in that direction,
[4:32:14] regardless of previous policy
decisions that have led
[4:32:18] the Beltline to where it
is today. So thank you all.
[4:32:22] Council Member Amos.
[4:32:24] And very clear.
[4:32:25] Just just want to stay.
[4:32:26] I'm in support of creating
the plan for the Beltline, rail.
[4:32:31] But here's the reality
of a district council member.
[4:32:35] We move forward, use beltline
[4:32:38] tag to develop this plan.
[4:32:41] What stops on the south
side, west side,
[4:32:44] and part of the northwest side
with this rail stop?
[4:32:47] And what part of money would be
left to develop the Beltline
[4:32:51] along the west side
[4:32:52] that all the other sides of
the city has enjoyed?
[4:32:56] That is where I stand.
[4:32:58] That is where my community looks
for me, for leadership,
[4:33:02] to ensure
that we're able to enjoy some of
the same economic advantages.
[4:33:05] Because there was
this thing called the Beltline,
[4:33:07] this dream called the Beltline,
that has been proven
[4:33:10] to bring economic vitality
to the things that it touch,
[4:33:13] and we simply have not been able
to enjoy that.
[4:33:17] So I must begin to protect
all the economic advantages
[4:33:22] that it
that everyone else have utilized
to bring to realize
[4:33:25] that dream.
So, thank you for everyone
that is supporting this, this
[4:33:28] amendment.
[4:33:32] Council member Martin,
I'd like to call the question
[4:33:35] on councilor excuse me.
[4:33:39] By Martin.
[4:33:39] Second by.
[4:33:41] You scared me out
before, Councilmember Martin.
[4:33:43] My. I was the next speaker.
[4:33:45] How'd that happen?
[4:33:46] You just clicked.
That's why he's come up.
[4:33:48] Okay, then go ahead.
[4:33:50] Council member Martin, you.
[4:33:52] Just two more seconds.
All right.
[4:33:54] Council member Lewis
and I am super,
[4:33:58] super happy about the Beltline
coming to the city of Atlanta.
[4:34:01] The south side did not know
anything about this stuff.
[4:34:05] The moment that the mayor got
loud about Murphy spear spur,
[4:34:09] my community got loud.
[4:34:11] Last week,
I was in church to hear
some folks
[4:34:13] walk up on me and talk about
getting on the train.
[4:34:15] And doing a circle around
the Beltline is an amazing
[4:34:18] thing to me.
So the Beltline real
is going to happen.
[4:34:21] We've here.
It was built for real.
[4:34:23] I am loud on it.
[4:34:24] We need to.
[4:34:26] What we've heard
today is we want to make sure
that we get it to.
[4:34:29] The mayor said that the goal
is to get people to work,
[4:34:32] get people to things right.
[4:34:34] The that's what we that's
what I think we voted on today.
[4:34:37] Just getting this across.
[4:34:38] So super happy about this
and super happy
[4:34:40] about
we're going to do in the future.
[4:34:43] Thank you.
[4:34:44] And looks like.
[4:34:49] Looks like I'm sorry,
Councilmember
[4:34:50] Martin, please
repeat what you just said.
[4:34:51] Oh sorry.
[4:34:54] You you you still on
call the question, but.
[4:34:57] Yes, ma'am.
No one else is waiting.
So here we go. It's cleared out.
[4:34:59] Then we don't have to do it.
Okay, great.
[4:35:01] Okay, so we have a motion
and a second on.
[4:35:04] Oh, there's no second yet
[4:35:07] getting employees or something.
[4:35:10] Check out.
You know, we don't have
[4:35:11] to call the question
because there's no.
[4:35:16] Yeah.
So we have a motion on the table
to adopt on substitute.
[4:35:23] Yeah.
But we we we pause the, the vote
because we deliberated.
[4:35:28] So now we need to actually do
the vote.
[4:35:32] So, Madam Clerk, please
open the vote.
[4:35:34] Got it. Thank you.
[4:35:37] Currently in the charter
we can't even though it's
[4:35:40] either an act of God
or a glitch on our side.
[4:35:42] Okay. The vote is open.
[4:35:45] Strong regulations on.
[4:35:48] All right.
[4:35:52] Well, me.
[4:35:52] And please vote.
[4:36:05] The most
close 14 days
there on eight, 140.
[4:36:08] This item is adopted
as substitute.
[4:36:11] Madam President,
if I may, I did want to.
[4:36:12] I have a message.
[4:36:14] Oh, sorry.
[4:36:17] Makers who signed up to speak.
[4:36:19] I believe
I don't see any speakers.
[4:36:22] Oh, I don't see it there.
But I do see it here.
[4:36:24] Council member
Michael Julian bond.
[4:36:28] Thank you, Madam President.
[4:36:31] Well,
I want to explain my vote and
make a motion to mayor's office.
[4:36:35] As I explained my vote,
[4:36:38] one of the things I wanted
to point out and respond to that
[4:36:41] is this,
[4:36:43] and I,
[4:36:45] I want to just comment.
[4:36:47] Council member Abramson,
the rest of the council,
[4:36:49] I mean, this will often sales
tax obligation
[4:36:52] or authorization
with the state runs out in 32.
[4:36:56] That generates on average,
about $100 million a year.
[4:37:00] And it's not just paid by
residents, it's paid by everyone
[4:37:04] who purchases an item, buys
a Coca cola, groceries
[4:37:08] shops, buys the sporting ticket
that comes to Atlanta.
[4:37:12] There's no reason
[4:37:14] we have legislation
pending, and finance Committee
[4:37:17] set up a committee to decide
how to use a petition.
[4:37:21] The state for the future use
of municipal option sales taxes.
[4:37:25] That's one part of money
that everyone pays into.
[4:37:30] Doesn't create
a burden on a particular part
of town or a particular district
[4:37:33] that could be used to build out
this and other projects.
[4:37:37] So that's my plug
knowing for my legislation,
[4:37:40] but for the future of funding
of this and similar projects,
[4:37:44] whether it is
building facilities
[4:37:47] and the south side of town or
[4:37:50] whether it's used for parks
or what have you.
[4:37:53] The state gave us
the authorization to use it
[4:37:56] to satisfy
our obligation with the,
[4:38:01] consent decree.
[4:38:03] I'm sure they'll give us
the authorization to use it
[4:38:05] for the projects of our choice.
[4:38:07] Susan, if we go back to them,
petition them early on
[4:38:11] similar projects like this.
[4:38:13] And that's why
I support the legislation.
[4:38:20] Thank you, Councilmember
Michael Julian Bond.
[4:38:22] And with that, we want to
[4:38:24] your motion to send this item
to the mayor's office post.
[4:38:28] Hayes. Second by Amos.
[4:38:30] Madam clerk,
sound of unanimous consent
[4:38:33] on sending this item
to the mayor's office.
[4:38:35] Poses.
[4:38:40] With no objections.
[4:38:44] 13 years.
[4:38:45] There are 130 nays.
[4:38:47] This item is sent to the mayor's
office posthaste.
[4:38:51] Chair one.
Madam President and colleagues,
I did want to pass along
[4:38:53] a message from Vice
Chair Worthy,
[4:38:55] who wanted to be here
and would have made this
[4:38:57] unanimous passage, but
he did change his flight time.
[4:39:00] He was going to try and be here
and changed it
[4:39:02] late,
but did not expect all of the
[4:39:04] public comment
speakers on a topic
[4:39:06] that on a resolution
that was destined to pass.
[4:39:09] So he tried,
but he's here in spirit.
[4:39:11] Thank you. Thank you for that.
[4:39:14] Our next standing committee
finance
[4:39:16] exit,
the honorable Jason Winston.
[4:39:23] Thank you.
[4:39:23] Madam president.
[4:39:24] Will be way faster
than you should.
[4:39:26] Transportation.
[4:39:29] My first is a communication
[4:39:31] 26C-5079 communication
[4:39:35] from Donald T Panov,
CPA chair, Audit Committee,
[4:39:38] submitting the Performance
Audit.
[4:39:40] 2606.
[4:39:41] Moving
Atlanta for 2026 Annual Review.
[4:39:44] The FEC recommendation
is to accept and file okay.
[4:39:48] There's a motion by Winston
to accept and file
[4:39:51] 26 that see that's 5079.
[4:39:54] It's coming out
of committee to file.
[4:39:56] So no second is necessary.
[4:39:57] Madam clerk, please
prepare the vote.
[4:40:00] The vote is open.
[4:40:06] Will everyone please vote?
[4:40:10] You're welcome.
[4:40:18] Okay,
[4:40:20] vote is closed.
[4:40:21] 120. Nays.
[4:40:22] 120 nays.
[4:40:23] This item is accepted and filed.
[4:40:26] Thank you.
Moving on to resolutions 26.
[4:40:28] Dash R4116A resolution
by Finance
[4:40:32] Committee authorizing the mayor
or his designee to enter
[4:40:34] into Special Procurement
Agreement
[4:40:36] number listed with Frontline
Mobile Health for the purchase
[4:40:39] of a qualified medical services
provider for the department's
[4:40:43] comprehensive
annual medical evaluations
[4:40:45] on behalf of the Atlanta
[4:40:47] Fire Rescue Department
for three years,
[4:40:50] with two one year
renewal options in the in
[4:40:52] an amount
not to exceed $918,871.00.
[4:40:57] All contracted work
will be charged to
[4:40:59] and paid from the fund,
department, organization
[4:41:01] and account number listed here
in and for other purposes.
[4:41:05] This came out of committee
[4:41:06] favorable with four years
and one extension.
[4:41:08] The FEC
recommendation is to adopt a
[4:41:11] motion to adopt by Winston.
[4:41:14] Doesn't require a second
Madam clerk, in any discussion.
[4:41:18] Madam clerk,
please repair the vote.
[4:41:21] The vote is open.
[4:41:28] Will everyone please vote?
[4:41:31] They took my folder.
[4:41:34] The votes close.
[4:41:35] 1208120 nays.
[4:41:37] This item is adopted.
[4:41:38] Thank you. That concludes
my report.
[4:41:40] Excellent, excellent.
[4:41:41] Our next,
[4:41:45] next standing committee.
Committee on council,
the honorable Byron Amos.
[4:41:51] Chair.
We have four items coming for us
today.
[4:41:54] Communications
26-C-5076A communication
[4:41:58] from Council member
Dustin Hillis, district
[4:42:00] nine reappointing
[4:42:02] Miss Joanne Powell
to serve as a member of
[4:42:04] the Atlanta Commission on Women.
[4:42:05] This appointment is for a term
of two years, to begin
[4:42:08] retroactively on February
5th, 2026,
[4:42:11] and to aspire February
4th, 2028.
[4:42:15] Madam Chair,
I should have a second,
[4:42:17] which we can take
as a block. Yes.
[4:42:18] It's 26-C-5077.
[4:42:22] A communication from Council
member Antonio Lewis.
[4:42:24] District 12 reappointing Mr.
[4:42:27] Shields to serve
as a member of the Atlanta
[4:42:29] Commission on Women.
[4:42:30] This appointment is for a term
[4:42:32] of two years, to begin
retroactively on May 6th, 2026,
[4:42:35] and to aspire May 5th, 2028.
[4:42:39] Both items come favorable
[4:42:40] out of Committee
on Council motion to approve.
[4:42:42] Motion to approve by Amos
does not require a second.
[4:42:45] Madam clerk, please
open the vote.
[4:42:48] The vote is open.
[4:42:53] Will everyone please vote?
[4:43:17] Councilmember bond,
[4:43:18] what is your vote?
[4:43:21] The votes close 12 years ago.
[4:43:23] Nays. 12 nays.
[4:43:24] These items are adopted.
[4:43:26] Next to a resolution is 26.
[4:43:28] Dash r, dash 4026.
[4:43:30] A resolution by Community
Development
[4:43:32] Human Resources
Committee appointed Mr.
[4:43:34] William
Clark to the City of Atlanta
[4:43:36] Special Event Technical Advisory
Group as the City Council
[4:43:40] appointee
representing Piedmont Park event
[4:43:42] security coordination experience
and for other purposes.
[4:43:46] This comes out of the Community
[4:43:48] Development Human Resources
Committee.
[4:43:49] Favorable
and out of COC favorable.
[4:43:54] Motion to approve.
[4:43:55] Motion to approve by Amos.
[4:43:56] It's not required. Second,
[4:43:59] madam clerk,
please prepare the vote.
[4:44:01] The vote is open.
[4:44:18] The first class, 13 year
[4:44:20] council member. Collins,
what is your vote?
[4:44:22] Yes, I said yay!
[4:44:23] A 14 year old name
14 years. Zero.
[4:44:27] This item is adopted.
[4:44:30] Thank you.
Resolution 26 R 3985
or resolution by Finance
[4:44:33] Executive Committee
[4:44:35] appointed Miss Felicia
More to the Ethics Board
[4:44:38] as the representative
of the Atlanta Plan
[4:44:40] and Advisory Board
for a term of three years,
[4:44:42] say a term to commence upon
[4:44:44] approval of this resolution
and for other purposes.
[4:44:47] This item is came out favorable,
[4:44:48] out of Committee on Council
and this committee of purview.
[4:44:52] I'd like to make a motion
to approve.
[4:44:53] Motion to approve by Amos
[4:44:56] does not require second.
[4:44:59] Madam clerk,
please repair the vote.
[4:45:01] The vote is open.
[4:45:08] Please vote.
[4:45:09] The votes close 14 years on 814
years.
[4:45:12] Ronnie's is item is adopted.
[4:45:15] Thank you, Madam President.
[4:45:16] It's my report.
[4:45:17] Thank you. Chair. Amos.
[4:45:20] Chair Mary Norwood for zoning.
[4:45:23] It's our next committee.
[4:45:25] Thank you, Madam President.
[4:45:27] I have one item.
[4:45:28] It's 260-1509.
[4:45:32] This ordinance is to establish
a 180 day moratorium
[4:45:35] on the acceptance
of any new applications
[4:45:38] to subdivide properties
into three or more lots
[4:45:42] in district eight,
my own district.
[4:45:45] And my motion
is to approve motion to approve
[4:45:49] by Mary Norwood.
[4:45:51] A second is not is not necessary
because it's favorable.
[4:45:55] Any discussion?
[4:45:56] Council member one
thank you, Madam Chair.
[4:45:58] Thank you. Chair.
[4:45:59] Norwood. My question is actually
for law on this one.
[4:46:03] I just want to make sure
I understand on the
on the moratorium situation
[4:46:07] when this goes into effect
after the mayor signs it,
[4:46:10] if you had an application
[4:46:12] for a subdivision
already in the process,
[4:46:14] you were grandfathered right
there. That's not in jeopardy.
[4:46:18] Good afternoon, Amber
[4:46:19] Robinson, City of Atlanta
Department of Law.
[4:46:21] That's correct.
[4:46:23] If there was a application
[4:46:25] already
submitted, would not be subject
[4:46:27] to the moratorium, pursuant
to this ordinance.
[4:46:32] All right.
So it's contingent
on the application date,
[4:46:34] not on a permit approval or
even a permit rescission date.
[4:46:38] Correct.
[4:46:39] It's contingent
on the date of the submission
[4:46:42] of a completed
application. Okay.
[4:46:44] And if a permit was rescinded,
but then being challenged
[4:46:48] and that falls back
in favor of the applicant,
[4:46:51] that would still be
grandfathered. Correct.
[4:46:53] If a permit is being
if a decision concerning
[4:46:58] a permit is being appealed
at the time of the moratorium
[4:47:03] that permit, if
if it were resolved in favor of
[4:47:07] the applicant, would also not
be subject to the moratorium.
[4:47:11] All right.
Thank you for the clarification.
[4:47:15] Thank you.
Any other discussion?
[4:47:18] So we have a motion.
[4:47:19] Madam clerk, please
prepare the vote.
[4:47:21] The vote is open.
[4:47:24] I'll try and do.
[4:47:29] She. She never.
[4:47:30] She didn't.
[4:47:32] She got.
[4:47:33] Well, everyone, please stop.
[4:47:37] That was closed 13 years.
[4:47:38] One day, 13 years. One nay.
[4:47:41] This item is adopted.
[4:47:43] Thank you.
Thank you. Chair. Norwood.
[4:47:45] Moving on to public safety.
[4:47:47] Legal administration.
[4:47:49] We have several items.
[4:47:50] Pull up of consent.
[4:47:53] The honorable chair.
[4:47:56] Boom!
[4:47:57] Presiding.
[4:48:08] Thank you, Madam President.
[4:48:10] We will have five items
on our report, beginning
[4:48:13] with our ordinance for second
reading.
[4:48:16] Item 12601478.
[4:48:20] An ordinance by Council Member
Byron
[4:48:22] D Amos to amend the charter
[4:48:24] of the City of Atlanta,
Georgia, 1996.
[4:48:27] Georgia lost four four, six
nine.
[4:48:30] Adopted under and by virtue
[4:48:32] of the authority
of the Municipal Home
[4:48:33] Rule Act of 1965, OCD,
a section 3635,
[4:48:39] as amended by amending part
one chapter and related law.
[4:48:43] Sub subpart
A charter amended appendix.
[4:48:47] Citizen Review Board, section
three appointment of members
[4:48:51] to revise
the appointing authority
[4:48:53] for one young adult
member of the Atlanta Citizens
[4:48:56] Review Board by replacing Street
Smart Youth Project, Inc.
[4:49:00] with the Georgia Association
of Latino
[4:49:03] Elected Officials,
and for other purposes.
[4:49:06] This charter amendment is before
[4:49:08] the body for its third
reading and final adoption.
[4:49:13] Motion to approve.
Motion to approve by Boone
this coming out of committee.
[4:49:17] Favorable for approval.
[4:49:19] Madam clerk, please
prepare the vote.
[4:49:22] The vote is open.
[4:49:35] Please vote.
[4:49:46] 12 years, one day,
[4:49:48] 12 years, 1st May.
[4:49:52] Norwood's.
[4:49:55] This item is adopted.
[4:50:01] Oh, Council member Lewis,
would you like to speak?
[4:50:05] And just because of the work
I've done with the organization,
[4:50:09] with the Atlanta Citizen
Review Board,
[4:50:12] I just didn't understand
the reason to choose that one
[4:50:16] particular organization
of Latino elected officials
[4:50:20] to be the leaders of that one
appointing person.
[4:50:23] So I just didn't understand
that.
[4:50:25] I even asked the Atlanta
Citizen review board about it.
[4:50:29] So just finish my vote.
Thank you.
[4:50:32] Thank you.
[4:50:34] This item is adopted.
[4:50:35] We can go to the next.
[4:50:36] Thank you, Madam President.
[4:50:37] We will now take action
on the items we moved off
[4:50:40] of the consent agenda
starting with 2601451.
[4:50:45] Item 13, page seven.
[4:50:47] An ordinance by council members
Wayne Martin and Andrea
[4:50:50] El Boone,
as amended by Public Safety
[4:50:53] and Legal Administration
Committee to amend chapter 78,
[4:50:56] article three, section
7857, entitled Fire Prevention
[4:51:01] Code adopted incorporated
by Reference Amendments
[4:51:04] for the purpose of increasing
and otherwise adjusting existing
[4:51:08] fire inspection fees, fire plan
review fees, and fire
[4:51:14] permit fees
such that they more closely
approximate the cost to the city
[4:51:18] for performing the regulatory
services related thereto,
[4:51:22] pursuant to a phased approach
and for other purposes.
[4:51:26] This item was pulled off
consent agenda by Council
[4:51:29] Member Martin, district 11,
and we will make a motion
[4:51:32] to refer this item
back to committee.
[4:51:36] Motion to refer by Boone.
[4:51:37] Second by Martin.
[4:51:38] Is there any discussion?
[4:51:41] See you now.
Madam clerk, please
prepare the vote
[4:51:43] to refer back to committee.
[4:51:44] The vote is open.
[4:51:52] Well, everyone please vote.
[4:52:12] 14 days and 814 nays.
[4:52:15] This item is referred
back to committee.
[4:52:17] Thank you, Madam President.
[4:52:19] Next item 2601488.
[4:52:24] Item 14, page seven
and Ordinance by Public Safety
[4:52:28] and Legal Administration
Committee
[4:52:29] to waive the procurement source
selection provisions
[4:52:33] contained in Division
four of chapter two
[4:52:36] article of the City
[4:52:37] of Atlanta code and audiences,
[4:52:38] as well as any other
conflicting code provisions
[4:52:41] to authorize the mayor
or his designee
[4:52:43] to enter into amendment
seven for agreement.
[4:52:45] FC Dash 9423 citywide clean
enclosed services with Askew
[4:52:51] Construction
and Home Inspection, LLC
[4:52:54] on behalf of the Atlanta
Police Department,
[4:52:56] to extend the term
of their agreement
[4:52:58] on a month to month
basis for a term of one year
effective from December
[4:53:01] 16th through December
15th, 2027, in an amount
[4:53:05] not to exceed
1,400,000 and $0.00.
[4:53:10] All contract at work to be
charged to and paid from account
[4:53:13] numbers listed here
and for other purposes.
[4:53:16] This was
moved from consent agenda.
[4:53:21] We will make
a motion to refer this item
back to committee.
[4:53:24] Motion to refer back.
[4:53:26] Are you making the motion?
Was that the motion?
[4:53:28] Oh, I'll second that motion
to refer back by Councilmember
[4:53:31] Boone. Second by, one.
[4:53:36] Would you like,
just for clarification,
the reason why it's going back
[4:53:37] is to the account
string needs to be corrected
[4:53:40] and then to shorten
the extension period of time.
[4:53:43] So thank you. Okay.
[4:53:45] Thank you.
Next item will make a motion.
[4:53:48] And second he's seconded.
[4:53:49] Yeah.
We have a motion and a second.
[4:53:50] Madam clerk,
please prepare the vote
[4:53:52] for refer back to committee.
[4:53:54] The vote is open.
[4:54:03] The was closed 14 years.
[4:54:05] There are 14 years.
[4:54:07] Zero nays is items being
referred back to committee.
[4:54:10] Next item.
[4:54:11] Item 2601489.
[4:54:15] Item 15. Page eight.
[4:54:16] An ordinance by Public Safety
and Legal Administration
[4:54:19] Committee waving
the competitive source selection
[4:54:22] provisions
containing section 21187
[4:54:26] of article of the Procurement
and Real Estate Code of the City
[4:54:30] of Atlanta.
Code and audiences to ratify
services rendered in connection
[4:54:33] with S, SPS123005 6 million.
[4:54:38] Technology,
Maintenance and services
[4:54:40] with Millner Technologies, Inc.
[4:54:42] and to authorize the mayor
or his designee
[4:54:44] to execute the Third Amendment
[4:54:46] to the agreement
on behalf of the Atlanta
[4:54:48] Police Department
to extend the term
[4:54:50] on a month to month basis
[4:54:51] for a period
not to exceed 18 months
[4:54:54] retroactively effective
from April 1st, 2026
[4:54:57] through October 1st, 2027,
and amount not to exceed
[4:55:01] $345,364.00.
[4:55:05] To remove the Department
[4:55:07] of Finance and Atlanta
Information Management aim,
[4:55:10] as usual, agencies
leaving the Atlanta
[4:55:12] Police Department
as the sole user agency.
[4:55:15] All contracted work
will be charged to
[4:55:18] and paid from the fund,
department, organization
[4:55:20] and account numbers listed here
and and for other purposes.
[4:55:26] What is the motion?
[4:55:28] Council member one
[4:55:30] move to refer this back
to the committee again,
[4:55:32] to shorten the extension
period of time from 18 months
[4:55:36] down to something
more reasonable.
[4:55:37] Moved by one second by Martin.
[4:55:40] Any discussion?
[4:55:42] CNN madam clerk, please
[4:55:43] prepare the vote
to refer back to committee.
[4:55:46] The vote is open.
[4:55:49] You're going to have to
give her your
[4:55:51] before you vote.
[4:55:53] Okay, 11.
[4:55:56] Please vote.
[4:56:04] 14. Is there on 8140.
[4:56:07] This item has been referred
back to committee.
[4:56:09] Next item.
[4:56:10] Item 26 says 01490.
[4:56:14] Item 16. Page eight.
[4:56:17] An ordinance by Public Safety
and Legal Administration
[4:56:20] Committee authorizing
the mayor on his designee,
[4:56:22] to enter into amendment number
six for agreement.
[4:56:25] SPAPD22121230170.
[4:56:31] Body camera
police equipment and services
with Axon Enterprise, Inc.
[4:56:35] on behalf of the Atlanta Police
[4:56:37] Department, for the purpose
of adding funds to increase
[4:56:40] the total number of fleet
cameras and body worn cameras.
[4:56:43] Due to the increased number
of sworn personnel in an amount
[4:56:47] not to exceed $40,041,840.90
[4:56:53] over the remainder of the base
term,
[4:56:55] all contract at work
will be charged to and paid
[4:56:58] from the accounts listed below
and for other purposes.
[4:57:02] Motion to approve.
[4:57:03] Motion
to approve by Boone and well,
[4:57:07] doesn't require second,
because it came out of committee
[4:57:11] from consent agenda favorable
any discussion.
[4:57:15] Council member Kelsey bond.
[4:57:18] Thank you.
I just wanted to explain
my vote on this.
[4:57:21] You know, during budget session,
y'all heard me talk a lot
[4:57:24] about the size of the APD budget
in comparison
[4:57:28] to other city departments.
[4:57:30] And just looking
at this contract extension
[4:57:33] for $40 million,
that's that's more money
[4:57:35] than some city departments
get all year.
[4:57:39] That's about 16 times
the amount that we pay
[4:57:42] for pad services annually.
[4:57:45] So just because of the
[4:57:48] the size
and scope of this contract, and,
[4:57:50] you know,
the current blow of APD is
budget, I'll be voting on this.
[4:57:53] Okay. Thank you.
[4:57:54] So motions on the floor,
[4:57:58] madam
clerk, it came out of committee
favorable for approval.
[4:58:03] Please prepare the vote.
[4:58:05] The voters open.
[4:58:13] Well, everyone please vote.
[4:58:23] The first class.
[4:58:23] 12 years, one day, 12 years.
[4:58:26] One nay.
[4:58:28] Who didn't vote?
[4:58:32] Bakhtiari left.
[4:58:33] Okay, 12 year.
[4:58:34] One a, this item is adopted.
[4:58:38] Colleagues,
we will have to enter into
[4:58:40] committee of the whole
to take action on our next item.
[4:58:44] Motion to enter.
Committee of the whole motion
by Boone, second by Martin.
[4:58:49] Colleagues.
[4:58:50] We are that this can be done
by unanimous consent.
[4:58:55] Madam clerk,
what's the count of unanimous
consent
[4:58:56] to enter into committee
of the whole 13 years?
[4:58:59] There are 13 gays their own age.
[4:59:01] We are now in the committee
of the whole colleagues.
[4:59:04] We are bringing forward
item number three on page 57.
[4:59:08] The caption reads 2601401.
[4:59:13] Item three, page 57
and on is by council members
[4:59:16] Jason Dozier, Wayne Martin,
Byron De Amos, Michael,
[4:59:19] Julian Bond, Liliana bateria,
Kelsey Bond, Jason H.
[4:59:23] Winston, Andre L Boone,
Dustin Hillis, and Antonio Lewis
[4:59:27] to provide for a process
that ensures transparency
[4:59:31] with respect to surveillance
technologies
[4:59:33] used to monitor public right of
way and for other purposes.
[4:59:38] Madam president,
we do have our Chief of staff,
Courtney English,
[4:59:41] who isn't in attendance,
to speak to the substitute.
[4:59:46] Absolutely.
[4:59:46] Please
come forward, chief. English.
[4:59:52] Good evening, Madam President.
[4:59:54] Madam chair, members of council.
[4:59:58] Council member Dozier,
first want to start off by
thanking you for your leadership
[5:00:01] and collaboration
on working on this paper.
[5:00:04] Obviously,
there is a serious need
[5:00:08] in the city to address our use
of surveillance technology.
[5:00:13] Over the past few months,
we've worked with your office,
[5:00:15] as well as an entire team
of folks within City Hall to
[5:00:20] within City Hall and external
to City Hall.
[5:00:22] A number of partners, like ACLU
and others who have informed
[5:00:26] what we believe is a strong
first draft of of this paper.
[5:00:30] Obviously,
[5:00:32] this is
an incredibly important topic,
and I just
[5:00:34] really wanted to highlight
[5:00:36] a few key areas
that are within this paper.
[5:00:41] Number one,
we believe in Atlanta
that we can create a system
[5:00:45] that allows us
to protect our civil rights,
[5:00:47] to protect our civil liberties,
to protect our privacy,
[5:00:50] and allow us to ability
to use this powerful technology
[5:00:55] to protect our citizens.
At the same time, we can walk
and chew gum at the same time.
[5:00:58] We believe that this draft does
just that.
[5:01:02] The premise of this legislation
is pretty straightforward.
[5:01:05] Powerful technology
requires powerful oversight,
[5:01:08] transparency, and ultimately,
remedy.
[5:01:11] Earlier tonight,
you heard from earlier today,
[5:01:13] I should say,
[5:01:14] you heard from Chris Bruce,
[5:01:16] who talked
about a number of things
[5:01:17] that have to be present
in a good paper.
[5:01:20] And we believe that
in working with Council Member
[5:01:22] DOJ's office
and a number of you,
[5:01:24] we've arrived at that thing.
[5:01:25] So this paper mandates the
[5:01:27] creation of surveillance impact
reports.
[5:01:29] Surveillance
use policies and disclosures for
[5:01:32] how long technology is used for
for what purpose and by whom.
[5:01:36] The paper establishes
a mechanism
[5:01:38] for public input and public
and in public transparency
[5:01:41] before technology is deployed
or expanded in mandates, regular
[5:01:46] independent
audits, and mandatory
[5:01:49] independent investigation
into potential wrongdoing.
[5:01:52] It also establishes
strong protections
[5:01:54] around the data
we collect, including specific
[5:01:56] prohibitions on vendors
who use our data.
[5:01:59] Of course, the mayor has called
for call for an audit.
[5:02:03] You all have received the
initial findings of that audit
[5:02:07] that is going to lead
to ongoing further exploration
by APD over the next 60 days.
[5:02:11] We're asking for the ability
to work with you
[5:02:13] all, as well as the public
in both a public,
[5:02:16] both a public hearing
as well as a work session
[5:02:19] to perfect this paper.
[5:02:20] So we give folks the opportunity
to chime in.
[5:02:24] And so
thank you for the opportunity
to speak this evening.
[5:02:26] And again, I want to thank you,
Councilman Dozier,
[5:02:28] for your collaboration.
[5:02:31] Councilman, I saw your name.
[5:02:33] Thank you, Madam President,
to speak.
[5:02:35] Firstly, I just want to echo
what you shared, Chief English.
[5:02:39] I want to give kudos to you
and to the administration
[5:02:42] and to the ACLU
[5:02:43] for coming at this
through a spirit
[5:02:45] of collaboration
and partnership.
[5:02:48] I know when we
initially did the legislation
a couple of months ago,
[5:02:50] we introduced the legislation
largely in response
[5:02:53] to just broader discourse
around the prevailing
[5:02:57] use of surveillance
technologies,
[5:03:00] not just in Atlanta,
but in cities across the metro
area, cities across the country.
[5:03:03] And I've been very appreciative
that the mayor and his team,
[5:03:07] including you,
have been very proactive
[5:03:10] in reviewing our existing
surveillance standards
[5:03:14] and working to make sure
that we can be forward
[5:03:18] leaning on this, on this topic.
[5:03:21] One thing I will add,
[5:03:22] just for what you shared about
what the substitute does, this
[5:03:26] does bring existing systems
under this new framework.
[5:03:29] I know we just adopted
legislation
[5:03:31] related to body worn cameras,
and I know we as a body
[5:03:34] have had conversations
[5:03:37] about flock
and other
surveillance technology
[5:03:38] that we have in use
at the airport.
[5:03:40] And so I think this framework
will put Atlanta
[5:03:45] on the map in terms of trying
to think about how we protect
[5:03:48] citizens rights and privacy
and Fourth Amendment protections
[5:03:51] in ways
that other municipalities
[5:03:52] are still trying to grapple
with.
[5:03:53] So, once again,
thank you for the collaboration,
[5:03:56] and I look forward to
[5:03:57] working together
with you, with the ACLU
[5:04:00] and other partners
to make sure that this could be
the best legislation it can be.
[5:04:02] And thank you to my colleagues
who have been willing to
[5:04:05] co-sponsor at least the earlier
version of this legislation.
[5:04:08] This is something that we get
a lot of concerns
[5:04:11] about from our constituents,
especially, you know, it's
[5:04:13] not our police officers who've
been in the news for illegal,
[5:04:19] use of this technology.
[5:04:20] But we got to make sure
we're able to respond to
[5:04:24] the topic of the day
in a way that we need to.
[5:04:26] And I think this legislation
does that.
[5:04:28] So thank you all. And,
[5:04:32] with that,
I will yield the floor.
[5:04:36] Thank you,
Councilmember Collins.
[5:04:38] Thank you. So thank you so much.
[5:04:40] I think for me,
just kind of getting clarity
[5:04:42] on the process moving forward.
[5:04:44] If we
if we move it out of piece.
[5:04:48] But it goes to finance
committee.
[5:04:50] What is the window.
[5:04:51] It looks like we would need
to have a work session,
[5:04:56] to review.
[5:04:57] You know, like you all stated
in the notice, the, the,
[5:05:01] the operational, legal
and technical
[5:05:03] and technological provisions,
but then also a public hearing
[5:05:07] to receive input.
[5:05:08] So I am so I am thinking,
[5:05:14] is it a is it,
[5:05:15] is it proper for us to move
this forward?
[5:05:19] Is it proper for us to move it
forward to FEC, knowing that
[5:05:23] the work session and the public
hearing in those pieces,
[5:05:26] it should it
stay with public safety
[5:05:28] right now
until those things have happened
[5:05:30] and then come back before us
[5:05:32] to have it fully move,
to fully move to FEC.
[5:05:36] Since from my under
just question, tell me the time.
[5:05:40] What is the timeline in between?
[5:05:42] Oh, I can answer that.
[5:05:44] Councilmember Collins,
my apologies for not clarifying
[5:05:47] that in my initial remarks,
but that's exactly the intent.
[5:05:50] The for this particular portion,
we're going to substitute,
[5:05:53] my or my request of you
and other colleagues
[5:05:55] is to substitute
this legislation.
[5:05:58] And then we will refer back to a
for further,
[5:06:01] revisions discussion,
especially since many of the
[5:06:05] stakeholders
that will be impacted by this,
[5:06:07] especially a PD,
[5:06:08] that's the form
that's best available
[5:06:10] for them to provide feedback.
[5:06:12] And then the intent
is to have a work session
[5:06:14] and additional discussion
from there.
[5:06:15] But this my request of
the committee is or
[5:06:18] this body is to both adopt
the substitute
[5:06:22] or not adopt a substitute to
[5:06:24] to support the substitute,
[5:06:25] but then refer
to this legislation
[5:06:27] back to slay for further
discussion.
[5:06:28] Okay. Sorry about that I did
I miss I'm sorry.
[5:06:31] No, I was just say
I didn't mention
in my initial report, Mark.
[5:06:33] So thank you for asking that
question cuz I think it helps.
[5:06:35] Okay. Great.
Sounds so we would
okay. Got you.
[5:06:38] All right I'm following.
Thank you.
[5:06:41] Thank you.
And that's
why we had to go into community.
The whole because it's
currently held at a.
[5:06:44] But I don't know
if you've seen the
[5:06:46] a lot of conversations in the,
[5:06:49] the press release
that the mayor's office put out
[5:06:51] last week, but the intent
is to move this forward and,
[5:06:56] and to share what, what we kind
of came up with together.
[5:06:59] And so,
[5:07:02] from a
sort of time last stand point,
that's what's going to happen
[5:07:05] in the short term.
We'll substitute in this
anybody else
[5:07:07] for further conversation
as if it were a new ordinance.
[5:07:12] Okay.
[5:07:14] Thank you.
[5:07:15] Okay.
[5:07:17] Council member.
[5:07:19] Council member. Martin.
[5:07:21] Yes. Thank you to Council
member.
[5:07:23] Dozier was sticking with this.
[5:07:25] I remember
the legislation we had
[5:07:26] that was before us
with the airport.
[5:07:28] I kind of prompted all of this.
[5:07:30] We needed to get
that contract renewed.
[5:07:32] And you agreed?
[5:07:35] They congenial
to hold the legislation
[5:07:37] so that we can have
this meaningful conversation.
[5:07:40] So I'm
thankful to the mayor's office
as well, and the administration.
[5:07:43] And thank you, Chief English,
for making the comments about,
[5:07:46] you know, having that
intersectionality and balance
[5:07:48] in between privacy guardrails
and protecting people
[5:07:51] from abuse
[5:07:53] of these kinds of technologies,
but also acknowledging
[5:07:55] the fact that these technologies
make our city safer.
[5:07:58] I live in and represent
a district, an area where these
[5:08:02] these cameras have saved lives.
[5:08:03] They have helped to solve
crimes, violent crimes.
[5:08:07] And I'm grateful that we're
having this conversation now
[5:08:10] to put up the guardrails
to make sure that the
[5:08:12] the technologies are not abused
and to make sure that they are,
[5:08:16] just doing their job, which is
making, let's say, safer city.
[5:08:18] And so I'm excited about it
coming to committee.
[5:08:21] And it's working out
all of the other areas
that need to be discussed there.
[5:08:25] But hopefully coming out
with a piece of legislation
[5:08:27] that really, really makes us
one safe.
[5:08:28] Atlanta
while protecting civil liberties
[5:08:31] and also having guardrails
for overreach and abuse.
[5:08:33] So thank you. Thank
you, madam. Madam president.
[5:08:38] Thank you.
Said everyone that would like
to speak about the legislation.
[5:08:42] Okay.
Madam president, I would like to
bring forth the substitute
[5:08:46] move to bring forth substitute
by Councilmember Boone.
[5:08:49] Second by Martin.
[5:08:51] Any discussion?
[5:08:52] Madam clerk,
please open the vote
[5:08:54] to bring forth the substitute.
[5:08:56] The vote is open.
[5:09:06] Will everyone please vote?
[5:09:12] 13 years, zero eight, 13 years.
[5:09:15] Their own age.
[5:09:15] The substitute is before us.
[5:09:18] 14 years.
[5:09:19] There are 14 years.
[5:09:22] Nays.
The substitute is before us.
[5:09:25] Move to refer back
to committee by Dozier.
[5:09:28] Second by Bakhtiari.
[5:09:31] Any discussion?
[5:09:33] Madam clerk,
please open the vote to refer
[5:09:37] O. First week in order to write.
[5:09:39] Council members Jason Dozier,
Wayne Martin, Byron
[5:09:42] D Amos, Michael Julian Bond,
Liliana
[5:09:46] Bond, Jason H.
[5:09:47] Winston, Andrea L Boone,
Dustin Hillis, and Antonio Lewis
[5:09:51] as substituted
by Atlanta City Council
[5:09:53] to promote informed decision
making, transparency,
[5:09:57] accountability, public
[5:09:58] safety, and civil
rights, and civil liberties
[5:10:01] protections with respect to city
[5:10:04] surveillance technologies
and for other purposes.
[5:10:09] The vote is open to refer.
[5:10:13] To refer to public safety
[5:10:15] since the store referred.
[5:10:20] Well.
Everyone please vote.
[5:10:41] The was closed 14 gays.
[5:10:43] There are 140 nays.
[5:10:45] This item is referred
back to public safety.
[5:10:48] Madam president, motion
to executive exit
[5:10:51] Committee of the whole motion
to exit.
[5:10:55] Committee of the whole by Boone.
[5:10:56] Second by Martin.
[5:10:59] This can be done
by unanimous consent. No.
[5:11:02] Yes, it can be done by unanimous
consent, madam clerk.
[5:11:05] 13 years. Zero nays.
[5:11:07] 13 years. Euro.
[5:11:08] Nays.
We have exited
committee of the whole.
[5:11:11] Thank you to the chief. He's
gone.
[5:11:13] Madam president,
[5:11:14] we would like to approve
all actions
[5:11:16] taken in the committee
of the whole motion to approve
[5:11:19] all actions taken in committee
of the whole by Boone.
[5:11:24] Is there a second?
[5:11:25] Second by Hillis.
[5:11:27] Any discussion?
[5:11:29] Council member Martin
or you still want to discuss?
[5:11:34] Okay.
[5:11:38] Got it.
[5:11:40] We have a first and a second.
[5:11:41] Madam clerk, please repair
the vote to adopt all items
[5:11:45] on gross in
from the committee of the whole.
[5:11:50] One moment.
[5:11:54] All actions.
[5:11:57] The voters open.
[5:12:08] Please.
Thought. The votes closed.
[5:12:11] 14 years on a 14 years,
zero nays.
[5:12:14] The item is adopted.
[5:12:17] Announce for the Safety and
Legal Administration Committee
[5:12:22] will hold a work session
and public comment on Wednesday,
[5:12:26] September 23rd at 1:00
pm in the Marvin
[5:12:30] Arrington for Council Chambers
to discuss the resolution.
[5:12:34] 26-R4001 and the proposed sale
[5:12:38] of the Atlanta City Detention
Center to Fulton County.
[5:12:42] The work session will provide
an opportunity to discuss
[5:12:46] the proposed purchase and sale
and lease agreements,
[5:12:49] including the continued
housing of city Detains
[5:12:51] at the facility
and the continued operation
[5:12:54] of the center
for Diversion and Services.
[5:12:57] Please send all questions.
[5:13:00] Concerns to Mark Overton.
[5:13:03] Madam president,
this concludes my report.
[5:13:06] Thank you, Chair Boone.
[5:13:09] Thank you.
[5:13:10] Our next committee is utilities.
[5:13:13] The Honorable
Dustin Hillis presiding.
[5:13:19] Thank you, Madam President.
[5:13:21] Would you drop your ID? Okay.
[5:13:24] Hopefully you know who I am.
[5:13:29] First item is a communication
[5:13:31] 26 C 5080 communication
from Donald
[5:13:35] Novi CPA chair,
[5:13:36] Audit Committee
submitting the performance
[5:13:37] audit of DWM water
billing and collections.
[5:13:41] Follow up
[5:13:42] motion of the committee
is to accept and file motion
[5:13:46] by Hillis to accept
and finally comes out
[5:13:47] of committee favorable to file
so no second is needed.
[5:13:51] Madam clerk, please
prepare the vote.
[5:13:54] The vote is open.
[5:14:01] 11. Please vote.
[5:14:05] Justify just to file.
[5:14:08] Yeah.
[5:14:10] The first close 14 years there
on 814 a zero.
[5:14:14] This item is filed.
[5:14:16] Next item
[5:14:18] 2601464
an ordinance by City Utilities
[5:14:22] Committee
to waive the procurement source
[5:14:23] selection provisions
contained in the Division
[5:14:25] four of chapter two, article
ten of the City of Ordnance,
[5:14:27] as well as any other
conflicting code revisions.
[5:14:30] Otherwise,
the mayor has designee
[5:14:31] to execute the Fourth Amendment
to agreement number listed,
[5:14:36] he had to be
hauling and a version program
with Tag Grinding Services, Inc.
[5:14:39] on behalf of the Department
[5:14:40] of Public Works and Parks
and Recreation
[5:14:42] to extend the term
of the agreement
[5:14:43] on a month to month basis
retroactively active effective
[5:14:46] August 18th, 2026
through February 14th, 2027,
[5:14:50] to add funding in an amount
not to exceed $370,000.00.
[5:14:55] All contracted work
to be charged to
[5:14:56] and from account
numbers listed here in.
[5:14:59] To ratify
payment of outstanding invoices
for the services provided
[5:15:02] through the expiration
of the agreement
[5:15:04] on August 17th, 2026,
and for other purposes.
[5:15:08] The wind condition with
five years and one abstention.
[5:15:12] The motion is to adopt.
[5:15:15] The motion to adopt by Hillis
doesn't require.
[5:15:19] Second.
Madam Clerk, please
prepare the vote.
[5:15:22] The vote is open.
[5:15:29] Will everyone please vote?
[5:15:33] So the conditions were met.
[5:15:41] Well, everyone please vote.
[5:15:47] The votes closed 140140.
[5:15:50] Nays is item is adopted.
[5:15:52] Thank you, Madam President.
[5:15:54] And that completes my items.
Excellent.
[5:15:56] We are moving on to community
development.
[5:16:00] The honorable Matt Westmoreland.
[5:16:03] Thank you, Madam President.
[5:16:04] We have three items
on our agenda.
[5:16:07] The first is an ordinance
for second reading, 2600 1510
[5:16:11] Ordinance by Councilmember West
[5:16:12] Matt Westmoreland is adopted
by CCDs
[5:16:15] to amend the City of Atlanta
code.
[5:16:16] Part two, section two, part 20,
[5:16:19] section 21004
to update the City of Atlanta
[5:16:21] short term rental policy
and for the purposes is coming
[5:16:24] favorable,
as amended, with three days,
[5:16:26] zero nays and three abstentions.
[5:16:28] So I will make a motion
to approve on substitute motion
[5:16:30] to approve on substitute
by Matt Westmoreland.
[5:16:33] Is there a second
second by Martin?
[5:16:35] Is there any discussion?
Council member Amos.
[5:16:39] Yes. Just like some
[5:16:41] clarification on the language.
[5:16:44] So removing this language
means that anyone,
[5:16:48] no matter how many residents
they got,
[5:16:50] they can all be converted
into short term rentals.
[5:16:55] Okay.
What if,
if I may, this language,
[5:16:59] you know, because we were here
in March of 2021
[5:17:03] when we passed the initial short
term rental legislation
[5:17:06] that was slated to take effect
in September of that year
[5:17:08] and then March of 2022,
it has never been enforced.
[5:17:11] Which led to to your paper
for Home Park last year.
[5:17:15] And so based on the planning
department's
[5:17:19] different
than is an amendment view
[5:17:21] in terms of what they are
and are not willing to enforce,
[5:17:24] this change will make it
so that we can enforce
[5:17:28] the entire rest
[5:17:29] of the existing short
term rental ordinance,
[5:17:31] because right now
we're not enforcing any of it,
[5:17:33] and so none of the protections
are eligible.
[5:17:36] And that was my biggest concern.
[5:17:38] Absent of any enforcement
at all, we're about to unleash
[5:17:41] the possibility
of anyone having a residence or,
[5:17:46] place
can do a short term rental.
[5:17:48] And then
the other piece is also,
[5:17:51] where is it?
[5:17:53] You also talk about
not only the property owner,
but any long term rental can now
[5:17:58] create that space
to be a short term rental.
[5:18:01] So now we are allowing renters
[5:18:02] to rent out other people
property and short term rentals.
[5:18:05] Am I reading that right?
[5:18:08] You are reading that
in such a way that it's
[5:18:10] what's always been in the code
that's never been enforced,
[5:18:15] so that has been on the books
since 2021.
[5:18:18] Okay.
[5:18:19] I just wanted clarity.
Thank you.
[5:18:22] Thank you.
[5:18:23] Council member Kelsey Bond.
[5:18:26] I have a an amendment for this.
[5:18:28] I'm not sure
if it got emailed out.
[5:18:31] But my proposed amendment
was to add
[5:18:35] after the portion
that is struck,
[5:18:40] to add for up to two
total dwelling units.
[5:18:44] And where that's coming from is
there there was a discussion in
[5:18:49] committee about the potential
[5:18:50] for completely striking
that line, to open it up
[5:18:55] for unlimited amounts of short
[5:18:58] term rentals per person.
[5:19:02] And opening
that up gives me pause.
[5:19:06] I know that there is other
potential legislation
[5:19:09] in the works before
this would go into effect.
[5:19:12] That would be additional
controls to short term rentals.
[5:19:16] But I personally don't
feel comfortable
[5:19:18] voting on the full legislation
[5:19:20] without some type
of protections.
[5:19:23] So I'm not sure the, the process
[5:19:26] if the amendment got set out,
[5:19:27] but I would like to put forward
that amendment,
[5:19:29] and I would like to make sure
that they everyone
[5:19:33] has a copy of that amendment.
[5:19:36] Was it emailed?
[5:19:37] It's from Jasmine. Okay.
[5:19:39] I'm seeing a lot of knots.
[5:19:41] And yes. So the amendment is
[5:19:45] circulated and
can repeat what it says again.
[5:19:48] Yes, please.
[5:19:49] So after the part
that is struck,
[5:19:51] the part that is struck reads
for their primary residence
[5:19:54] and up to one additional
dwelling unit.
[5:19:58] And my amendment proposes
adding for up to two
[5:20:00] total dwelling units.
[5:20:02] And my understanding
is that the legal reason
[5:20:05] for striking
the primary residence portion is
[5:20:08] that that has potential
to be contested.
[5:20:11] And in other states, we have
seen a lawsuit lost over that.
[5:20:17] However,
[5:20:19] my proposed amendment
does not have to do
[5:20:21] with primary residence.
[5:20:23] So my understanding is
that would be less of a concern
[5:20:26] legally.
[5:20:28] Okay. Got it.
[5:20:29] So there is an amendment
[5:20:31] before you,
a motion to amend before us.
[5:20:34] Is there a second?
[5:20:38] Okay.
You have a question about what
[5:20:39] the legislation
or the amendment.
[5:20:46] Okay.
Council member Lewis.
[5:20:49] And just around the
that one striking out
[5:20:52] line was the part of the reason
[5:20:54] why I supported
this legislation from the start.
[5:20:56] I've seen my community
have affordable housing,
[5:21:00] three bedroom housing right now
for $1,200 in district 12.
[5:21:04] I lived in it
when I was a part of.
[5:21:06] I've lived in it throughout.
[5:21:07] I got family members who paid
[5:21:08] 12 to $1600 for three bedroom,
two bedroom homes, three
[5:21:13] three bedroom, two restroom
bath homes in our district.
[5:21:17] I think that
if this legislation passes
[5:21:20] with removing that,
I can foresee
[5:21:23] more folks
switching their homes to that
[5:21:26] they used to rent out
to regular people.
[5:21:28] To Aron be the moment
that the lease is up.
[5:21:31] And so I think that we need
a little bit more conversation
[5:21:34] around this because of this.
[5:21:36] But thank you again.
[5:21:39] Any other discussion?
[5:21:41] Council member
Michael Julian Bond.
[5:21:44] Oh, I'm sorry,
I forgot about you a minute.
[5:21:49] Sad Council member I'll go after
Councilmember Bond.
[5:21:52] After Councilmember bond. Yes.
[5:21:54] Thank you, Madam President.
[5:21:56] I guess my question.
[5:21:59] Even though I sat through
the discussion in committee,
[5:22:02] you know,
I've stayed in committee.
[5:22:05] But even with the amendment
[5:22:08] that's proposed
that I will support.
[5:22:12] I'm really kind of unsure
[5:22:13] that I would support the paper
as a whole.
[5:22:17] You know, we had the young lady
who came down here
[5:22:23] from the landmark who's
come down on a regular basis and
[5:22:28] their condominium building,
[5:22:30] it really is
just become pimped out
[5:22:33] the short term rentals.
[5:22:34] And it's no longer operating
as a condominium, but a,
[5:22:40] you know, almost a crack hotel.
[5:22:43] And what would have been, you
know, one of the first and most,
[5:22:47] but used to be one of the most
prestigious property locations
[5:22:52] in the city of Atlanta,
has now been severely perverted,
[5:22:57] by short term rentals
[5:23:01] that they their rules allow
internally to that building.
[5:23:06] And my fear is
[5:23:09] even with
the amendment was two things.
[5:23:12] Even if you restricted to,
[5:23:16] just two additional properties,
you know,
[5:23:19] that might be one property
too many.
[5:23:21] You're
talking about the entire city.
[5:23:23] And we're trying to create
an environment where people
[5:23:27] live, work, play
emphasis on live
[5:23:32] in our cities
and our neighborhoods.
[5:23:37] I guess I'm wondering,
[5:23:40] Council member, Mr.
[5:23:41] Chair Westmoreland,
because I don't really recall
[5:23:45] and I apologize that I did
request and the commissioner
[5:23:49] more thoroughly in committee.
[5:23:51] But why this piecemeal approach?
[5:23:54] Why the need to enforce this
[5:23:57] or attempt
to put these rules in place?
[5:24:00] And yet we still have
to wait on the rest of it.
[5:24:06] What is the rest of it?
[5:24:07] Well, I thought you said that
this was a part
[5:24:10] that we're putting this forward
and that other legislation
[5:24:14] is still coming,
and this is what the department
[5:24:17] is, quote unquote,
willing to enforce.
[5:24:21] Yeah.
So I have a question for law
that might tie
[5:24:25] in to the question
that you are asking it.
[5:24:27] It's not that
something else is to come
[5:24:29] is that we've had an ordinance
on the books
[5:24:31] for the last four years
that has never been enforced.
[5:24:35] That's what he's asking.
And I personally would like
for this city
[5:24:38] to have a short term rental
ordinance that we are enforcing
[5:24:42] so that it better protects
[5:24:43] residents than what we have now,
which is something
[5:24:46] that is not being enforced
at all.
[5:24:49] And Council member
Kelsey Bond asked a question
to committee that led
[5:24:52] to the conclusion
of the conversation that once
[5:24:55] this nine word
phrase were removed.
[5:24:58] So, to wood, the legal concerns
that the planning department
[5:25:02] has around litigation.
[5:25:04] And so I have a question for law
that's related to your
[5:25:07] I haven't really thought
about it. At some point.
[5:25:09] I would like to hear from law,
if you believe
[5:25:13] this proposed amendment
could also invite litigation,
[5:25:16] because if your answer is yes,
[5:25:19] then we're going to be
right back to
where we were at the beginning,
which is an ordinance
[5:25:21] that isn't going to be enforced
well in the city.
[5:25:24] Well, I'll do it
[5:25:26] before I yield for you
to ask your question of law.
[5:25:29] So I still have the floor.
[5:25:30] So I, I'd still like to have
my concern addressed
[5:25:34] because I, like you, want to see
the city enforcing something.
[5:25:41] But, you know,
is this the something
the city should be enforcing?
[5:25:45] You know what I mean?
[5:25:46] I mean, we've gone all this time
waiting,
[5:25:50] I guess, presumably
on the department, waiting for
[5:25:53] on the law department
to give us something to enforce.
[5:25:58] So I guess I'll anticipate
part of your question
[5:26:01] and I'll ask
a lot of departments something.
[5:26:03] Why is this legislation
long department and why now?
[5:26:08] And what actually does this
[5:26:11] entail
in the way of enforcement?
[5:26:17] Good afternoon, Amber
[5:26:19] Robinson, City
of Atlanta, Department of Law.
[5:26:21] I can not advise
concerning the timing
[5:26:24] of the legislation
that is before you.
[5:26:27] In so far as the legislation,
not the amendment
[5:26:31] that is before you,
[5:26:32] how does that address
enforceability?
[5:26:35] It removes
the residency requirement
[5:26:38] that is currently in the code,
which, as discussed,
[5:26:43] has been the subject
of successful challenge
[5:26:47] in other jurisdictions
and has been of concern,
[5:26:53] in land, and
[5:26:56] it has been of concern
[5:26:58] by the Department of City
Planning
[5:27:02] as inviting, challenge.
[5:27:07] So once that is removed,
[5:27:09] that concern is removed.
[5:27:12] And so follow up on that.
[5:27:13] So other than the
removal of that,
[5:27:17] what is currently on the books
is would still be on the books
[5:27:22] that's not being enforced.
[5:27:26] That's correct.
But the other language is
not was not of concern.
[5:27:31] And do you recall
[5:27:34] why they are not enforcing
[5:27:38] what is on the books currently?
[5:27:40] Is it all tied to the residency
requirement or.
[5:27:43] There are other issues
[5:27:45] though I'm you're asking me
to speak for the Department
[5:27:49] of City Planning.
There were concerns
about the enforcement
[5:27:50] of the entire ordinance due
to the residency requirement.
[5:27:54] And the removal of the residency
requirement would
[5:27:59] remove those concerns.
[5:28:02] Okay.
[5:28:04] Well,
[5:28:06] I know you can't speak entirely,
[5:28:10] for them, but does anyone know
who can respond to us
[5:28:14] when enforcement
is likely to begin?
[5:28:17] Do you know, Mr.
[5:28:19] Chair,
have they counseled you on that?
[5:28:24] Based on the comments
we heard in C, D, s upon
[5:28:27] this ordinance becoming
effective on January 1st, 2027.
[5:28:32] So all legal
[5:28:35] notice and advice or what
have you been done by January?
[5:28:39] Okay.
[5:28:41] Well I'm not going to
I'm not going to belabor it.
[5:28:43] I support the,
[5:28:45] amendment as proposed
and look forward
[5:28:47] to voted
to support the amendment.
[5:28:52] And I was drawn.
[5:28:54] So, Council Member Westmoreland,
you are next.
[5:28:56] Thank you.
[5:28:58] My question is for the law
department.
[5:29:01] The goal,
[5:29:03] at least from the beginning of
this conversation,
is to have an ordinance
[5:29:06] that would be enforced.
[5:29:07] There have been concerns about
the or the code as currently
[5:29:12] written, leading to potential
legal challenges in the future.
[5:29:18] Can you please
opine on whether this amendment
could lead
[5:29:23] to potential legal challenges
in the future?
[5:29:29] The the proposed amendment,
[5:29:31] by nature would exclude persons
[5:29:34] who may own property in may
[5:29:38] wish to utilize their property
for a short term
[5:29:42] rental from the ability to do
so, as it limits
[5:29:46] a license to two dwelling units,
and therefore persons
[5:29:51] who find themselves excluded
may seek to challenge that.
[5:29:57] Appreciate it.
[5:29:59] That's my question.
[5:30:02] Okay, moving on to Council
[5:30:04] member Wayne Martin.
[5:30:09] Okay.
[5:30:10] That leaves council member
Lewis and I feel really good
[5:30:14] about the legislation
that we have at first,
[5:30:16] and changing it
with what Councilmember Bond
[5:30:18] has suggested.
[5:30:19] Looking across the country,
New York City has a two
[5:30:22] limit, has the same residency
requirement, right?
[5:30:26] Los Angeles has it. San.
[5:30:27] San Francisco has it.
[5:30:29] San Diego has created
a different route, similar
[5:30:32] to what Councilmember Bond has
presented in Seattle as well.
[5:30:36] They have the two unit limit,
which means
[5:30:38] the primary residence
plus one other.
[5:30:41] So I would like to
look at this legislation
[5:30:44] a little bit more,
only because I know
[5:30:45] who Councilmember was
more than it is.
[5:30:47] I know he's super.
[5:30:49] If he's open to it,
I know who he is.
[5:30:50] But if he's open
to looking at these very,
[5:30:54] the cities
that are very progressive
on this, and Councilmember Bond
[5:30:57] did present a very good piece
of a resolution amendment
[5:31:01] that I think
would put us in line
[5:31:03] with the cities
that have done it right.
[5:31:06] I'm a I'm nervous that if we do
allow this to happen.
[5:31:10] I'm concerned
that the short term
[5:31:13] rental owners
will rush to remove
even more housing from the long
[5:31:16] term market
[5:31:17] the moment
this legislation happens,
[5:31:19] and I have specific examples
in district 12,
[5:31:21] I can give you the addresses
[5:31:23] where people used
to live one year ago
[5:31:25] and after the lease was up,
it became a short term rental.
[5:31:29] Thank you.
[5:31:34] Council member Amos.
[5:31:37] Yes, Madam President,
[5:31:39] I think a motion
has been made already. Yes,
[5:31:41] I can make a substitute motion
to refer back to committee.
[5:31:45] Okay.
[5:31:46] Motion to refer back
to committee by Amos.
[5:31:49] In second by Lewis.
[5:31:52] So any discussion on that?
[5:31:57] Madam clerk, please
[5:31:58] prepare the vote.
[5:32:02] So, Madam Chair,
I do have one question.
[5:32:05] What's the substitute motion
that we are voting on?
[5:32:08] It's amendment.
It's an amendment.
[5:32:11] Oh, to affirm now.
We're now we're voting on
to refer the paperback.
[5:32:15] Period. Yes.
[5:32:16] Not amended yet. Okay.
Thank you.
[5:32:19] But the refer takes precedence
over the amendment.
[5:32:25] The vote is open.
[5:32:27] I would love for you all
to do that work in committee.
[5:32:30] Thank you.
[5:32:34] Love you.
[5:32:34] And please vote.
[5:32:50] No. We want to do it right now.
[5:32:54] Madam clerk,
[5:32:56] please call that four years.
[5:32:59] Nine names for nine nays.
[5:33:02] This item is fail
to be referred.
[5:33:07] So we still have before us
an amendment that we're voting
[5:33:11] on. Councilmember Collins,
thank you.
[5:33:15] So you during the committee,
this was a bit part of
[5:33:18] the conversation and questions
that I had as well.
[5:33:22] And so just breaking down
how it was,
[5:33:25] how with my questions,
interpreting,
[5:33:28] removing this strike here
[5:33:31] a lot gives the enforcement
for the city
[5:33:36] to push anyone that has a short
term rental in this city.
[5:33:41] Right.
And, and in terms of make sure
they have a license right now,
[5:33:45] the answer to Madam President.
[5:33:48] Mayor, respond to the question.
Yes, please.
[5:33:50] The I believe the answer to
your question is yes,
[5:33:53] because it would remove
the legally the legal
[5:33:57] the primary residence
requirements. That's right.
[5:34:00] And thus allow us to enforce.
[5:34:02] So right now what you have is
if the if I live in new
[5:34:06] if I live in North Carolina,
I have property here,
[5:34:10] I decide to use my property
as a short term rental.
[5:34:14] My neighbor may say, hey,
[5:34:16] I have this person
does not have a permit
[5:34:19] to operate their short term
rental.
[5:34:21] As a property owner
where I live in North Carolina,
[5:34:24] I am going to push back and say,
well, right now say
[5:34:28] I'm not subjected
to this ordinance
[5:34:31] because that's not
my primary residence.
[5:34:33] So that's what
this does is remove
[5:34:35] the primary residence
requirement and allow.
[5:34:40] Now, if I live in North
Carolina, I have to get my
[5:34:44] I have to register
and get my short
[5:34:46] term rental permitted
without any challenge.
[5:34:49] Right now I can challenge it.
[5:34:51] And so, yes, the policy
position of this will force
[5:34:56] any short term rental owner
and or long term
[5:34:59] tenant of a short term rental.
[5:35:01] They have to
get the permits or whatnot.
[5:35:06] And removing
this, the enforcement piece
is a whole nother conversation.
[5:35:09] And Council member Amos,
as I thought about this,
[5:35:12] I always think about your paper
in terms of the,
[5:35:16] you know,
creating the enforcement piece
because it still has
[5:35:19] to be enforced.
[5:35:20] But right now,
what I think is what's before us
[5:35:22] is truly removing the barriers
that makes this challenge,
[5:35:28] which makes this enforceable
to everyone in the city
[5:35:31] that has a short term rental,
whether you live in the city or
[5:35:35] city or not.
[5:35:36] So I'm using that example
[5:35:38] because that's the example
that was
[5:35:40] that was shared to help me
also understand
[5:35:44] the fourth piece is a
is another piece
[5:35:46] to the second piece
that I want to bring to
[5:35:49] my colleagues at help
me work through understanding
[5:35:52] standing this is also
regular is also ordinance.
[5:35:55] At the top of this ordinance
is the reference of ordinance
[5:36:00] 1656, which was before
I was on this Council,
[5:36:03] and that provides
the actual guidelines
[5:36:06] and of course, rules
for the short term rental piece.
[5:36:09] So this is if you look at this,
this is part one.
[5:36:12] There's another part
[5:36:14] and then there's the other
pending the other pending part.
[5:36:17] I just want to put that there
in terms of understanding
[5:36:21] the implications
of removing this
[5:36:24] of removing this language
for consideration.
[5:36:27] The third part to this,
and I understand
[5:36:29] we've had examples
of individuals or homeowners
[5:36:33] that choose
to lease out their property
[5:36:35] and then convert it
to a short term rental.
[5:36:39] We have to understand that
a person's
[5:36:42] one of the highest rates
[5:36:43] a person have is their person
and their property.
[5:36:46] So if I choose
to lease out my property
[5:36:48] and I'll say, well,
I don't want any long
[5:36:50] term tenants, I want to now
create a short term
[5:36:53] rental piece
as in a neighborhood.
[5:36:57] Now I will be subjected
to get a permit.
[5:36:59] I have to and I am.
[5:37:02] I interpreted
[5:37:04] that example correct
[5:37:06] if I choose not to do a
[5:37:08] long term lease,
but now I want to convert it
[5:37:10] to a short term rental.
[5:37:11] Removing this, I have to get a
I have to get a permit
[5:37:15] to operate it as a short term
rental.
[5:37:17] Correct.
[5:37:19] Under the City
of Atlanta Code of Ordinances, a
[5:37:22] license is necessary
in order to operate a short term
[5:37:26] rental within
[5:37:28] a license is necessary
[5:37:30] to operate a short term rental
within the city of Atlanta.
[5:37:33] So, Councilman Lewis, using
your example of the long term
[5:37:36] tenant now becoming a short term
rental, you now have that.
[5:37:40] If this goes through, you
now have that cover to enforce
[5:37:44] to say,
hey, your shirt term rental,
[5:37:46] you have to have a license
to operate.
[5:37:48] You have to have a license
to operate it.
[5:37:50] Right now,
the reason why that practice
[5:37:52] is allowed to happen
in your neighborhood
[5:37:54] is because there is no parameter
to actually enforce it.
[5:37:57] So I'm just sharing with you
all the information that I
[5:38:00] that helped me work through
to get to why I will be
[5:38:04] supporting this, this removal,
knowing that this is only a part
[5:38:09] of the continuing conversation,
but the true piece of
[5:38:12] what this will push in terms
of an enforcement piece.
[5:38:16] So with that,
Madam Chair, I defer.
[5:38:19] All right.
[5:38:20] And we will move
[5:38:21] on to Kelsey Bond.
[5:38:24] Do you want to say something?
[5:38:26] Okay.
[5:38:28] Yeah,
[5:38:30] I was I was actually hoping
this would get sent back
[5:38:34] to committee.
Because it I my personal
preference would be for us to,
[5:38:39] you know, the primary issue here
is the city
[5:38:43] is not enforcing it right now.
[5:38:45] And removing this original line
[5:38:47] would help to make enforcement
easier.
[5:38:50] I would have loved to package
[5:38:52] this original legislation
with additional protections,
[5:38:56] in particular
to set an upper limit for
[5:38:59] how many Airbnbs short term
rentals one person can operate.
[5:39:05] Personally, I would love to ban
short term rentals,
[5:39:07] but I figured at least
keeping this net neutral
[5:39:11] going from 2 to 2
properties was at least fair,
[5:39:15] at least for last minute
consideration of this.
[5:39:18] And I do want to clarify.
[5:39:21] When I sent this to legal, I'm
just going to read the,
[5:39:24] the opinion
that I got back over email.
[5:39:29] Just to clarify.
[5:39:31] Oh, can I not do that?
[5:39:32] No. Oh. I'm sorry.
[5:39:35] Oh, okay.
[5:39:36] I'm sorry.
[5:39:37] I, I hate to jump in.
[5:39:40] However, we would advise
that, privileged communication
[5:39:44] not be read.
[5:39:45] Got it. On on on on. Yes.
[5:39:49] Apologies, apologies.
[5:39:51] I was making sure
that the answer was no, but no.
[5:39:54] Okay. Got it. Thank you.
[5:39:56] Did not realize that, can I can
I summarize?
[5:40:00] I just, Amber, if you could,
we would prefer that
[5:40:03] it's a privileged legal opinion.
[5:40:05] We cannot share it.
[5:40:06] Cannot summarize
it. Okay. I'm sorry.
[5:40:08] I did not know that that
thoughts are important, though.
[5:40:10] Whatever you think, my thoughts
as not a liar.
[5:40:14] Yeah.
Are, the understanding
is that, like. Yes.
[5:40:19] Maintaining the
[5:40:20] the the maximum of two
[5:40:23] units per person, two short
term rentals per person,
[5:40:26] could, you know, prompt somebody
to sue the city?
[5:40:31] That's true
with a lot of things.
[5:40:34] But my understanding
is that in court cases
[5:40:38] where this was challenged
in other cities,
[5:40:40] the city was likely
to win the lawsuit.
[5:40:44] So I just wanted to
to put that out there.
[5:40:47] And yeah, so that was
the intention of the paper.
[5:40:51] I, I'm
not sure that it's responsible
[5:40:53] to just leave this open ended
by striking this language today.
[5:40:57] So if my amendment does not
pass,
[5:41:01] I will be voting
no on the full legislation.
[5:41:05] Okay.
[5:41:08] Alex. Juan.
[5:41:08] Thank you, Madam President.
[5:41:10] My goal is to get
a piece of legislation
[5:41:14] to amend it and create
another set of liabilities
[5:41:18] I don't think. Makes sense.
I'm going to call the question
on on the amendment.
[5:41:20] Call the question by one second
by Hillis.
[5:41:23] Madam clerk,
please prepare the vote.
[5:41:34] The. Was smaller.
[5:41:39] And what is?
[5:41:48] 12 years?
[5:41:49] One nay 12 years, one nay.
[5:41:52] Call to question is adopted.
[5:41:54] The item is before us.
[5:41:56] The amendment to the item
is before us.
[5:42:02] Madam clerk, please
prepare the vote.
[5:42:05] The vote is open.
[5:42:16] Will everyone please vote?
[5:42:27] The seven years?
[5:42:30] Six nays.
[5:42:32] Yeah.
This motion is not carried.
[5:42:35] Seven years.
[5:42:36] Six nays.
[5:42:37] This item fails.
[5:42:40] You have any more
[5:42:42] items on your agenda, chair?
[5:42:46] Oh, that's the amendment.
[5:42:47] The amendment fail.
[5:42:48] Okay, well,
let's vote on the motion.
[5:42:54] Do you have a motion
coming out of committee?
[5:42:58] Favorable.
Three A's, zero
nays, three abstentions.
[5:43:00] So that's the motion, okay.
[5:43:03] Council member Westmoreland
moved to
[5:43:07] pass to adopt the motion.
[5:43:09] It actually out of committee.
[5:43:11] It doesn't require second.
[5:43:12] Madam clerk,
please prepare the vote.
[5:43:16] And actually, this is a time
[5:43:18] when you could deliberate again
if you want, but.
[5:43:24] Oh, now everybody's saying
they don't want to deliberate.
[5:43:27] Really?
[5:43:28] You've been deliberating
for an hour and a half.
[5:43:31] Okay.
[5:43:44] Madam clerk.
[5:43:54] Yep. The vote is open. Yes.
[5:44:12] I. Nine
[5:44:23] years, 599, five nays.
[5:44:27] This item is adopted,
and I recognize
[5:44:31] Councilmember Bakhtiari.
[5:44:32] Thank you.
[5:44:35] I am very sorry.
Meeting has run longer
than I expected it
[5:44:37] to, and I had to run back
from a meeting.
[5:44:42] I want to explain my vote.
[5:44:44] I appreciate Councilmember Amos
trying to appreciate
[5:44:47] Councilmember Bonds
attempted amendment.
[5:44:48] I appreciate Councilmember
for this.
[5:44:50] Back to committee.
[5:44:51] Simply the reason I am a no,
as I do believe I do.
[5:44:54] Thank Councilmember Westmoreland
for bringing this forward.
[5:44:56] I am a no,
because this does not cap,
[5:44:59] and I do believe that that's
why the legislation was
[5:45:01] created, was to prevent people
from owning
[5:45:02] and having a monopoly
on these things.
[5:45:05] So I understand that
this will be finally enforced.
[5:45:07] But that is
that is why I will not be.
[5:45:10] That's why I'm unsupportive.
And I just wanted to clarify.
[5:45:13] Thank you, Councilmember Lewis.
[5:45:18] Once again,
I agree with everything
Councilmember Bakhtiari said.
[5:45:20] And my hope was that
we can have more discussion
[5:45:23] around this
because I know that it did move
[5:45:25] pretty fast
[5:45:27] from our first conversation 2
or 3 weeks ago
[5:45:29] with Councilmember Westmoreland.
[5:45:30] And so my vote on this was.
[5:45:32] I'm nervous
that more houses, more homes
[5:45:36] that are currently used
for affordable housing,
[5:45:39] particularly in the portion
I was driving around.
[5:45:41] The most of my colleagues
will no longer be
[5:45:44] affordable housing, but
will become what they would call
[5:45:48] Airbnbs or short term rentals.
[5:45:50] So that's why I voted no
[5:45:52] to keep more affordable
housing in the city of Atlanta.
[5:45:54] Thank you again.
[5:45:55] Thank you,
Councilmember Collins.
[5:46:02] Thank you.
Just to add to just to add
to the conversation,
[5:46:05] we did discuss and I did
you know, we did discuss
[5:46:08] in terms of caps
and also potential boundaries.
[5:46:12] And what we're finding is
that they're still legally
[5:46:16] those challenges
our cities are not prevailing in
[5:46:20] because it gets
into a conversation
[5:46:23] in terms of exclusivity
and what's the best way
[5:46:26] to do those things.
[5:46:27] So what I anticipate
by removing this first step
[5:46:30] with the enforcement,
we are at least able to gather
[5:46:33] data in terms of the,
the, the, the, the, the, the,
[5:46:39] the actual short
term rentals that are permitted
and with the legal bounds,
[5:46:43] those that are operating
illegally that we could
[5:46:46] truly enforce and shut down.
[5:46:48] And then exploring what
that looks like to, to
[5:46:51] to create spaces or those limits
caps create a conversation
[5:46:57] opens up a conversation of who
when in a rush
[5:47:02] to get those
that are registered.
[5:47:05] Then you do have
geographical boundaries
[5:47:07] where you have a short term
overlays.
[5:47:10] You have geographical areas.
[5:47:13] We already have a
parameter in place now
where if your area, your street
[5:47:18] or your community,
you all advocate for that ban,
like what we see at Home Park.
[5:47:22] So there are there
[5:47:24] I, I feel that
all is not lost in this space,
[5:47:27] but this is the start
of a conversation.
[5:47:29] This is the start of other
ordinances and actions to at
[5:47:33] least give us the opportunity
to capture this right now.
[5:47:37] We right now, based on what
Planning Department of Planning
[5:47:41] is telling us, is the fact
they're not even able to enforce
[5:47:45] those
that are illegally operating
[5:47:48] if they just didn't do
it, are they good?
[5:47:49] Will illegally operating short
term rentals because they
[5:47:54] they are Italian and say, well,
it's not my primary residence.
[5:47:57] And so I just want to keep
you guys optimistic and hopeful
[5:48:02] that all is not lost.
[5:48:03] But we do have some work to do
to continue to layer this.
[5:48:06] And I really hope
[5:48:07] that we all work together to do
just that.
[5:48:10] Thank you.
[5:48:11] Council Collins.
[5:48:12] Councilmember Dozier,
thank you, Madam President.
[5:48:15] I just want to
[5:48:16] encourage colleagues
to who are seeking additional,
[5:48:22] constraints or restrictions
on the Atlanta short
[5:48:25] term rental economy to consider
standalone legislation.
[5:48:28] I'll be happy to join you
in that fight.
[5:48:31] I know
with this particular paper,
[5:48:33] I've been very clear
since my days of being a chair
[5:48:39] that I've been very frustrated
by inability to enforce anything
[5:48:42] related to our 2021 short term
rental legislation.
[5:48:45] This has been the closest
[5:48:47] we have been to
[5:48:48] actually enforcing anything,
[5:48:49] which is why I've been
supportive of this effort.
[5:48:51] However, I do recognize
their needs
[5:48:53] to be more guardrails and places
to support our community,
[5:48:56] to protect affordable housing,
to protect our residents,
[5:48:58] to prevent situations
like we've been seeing
[5:49:00] in buildings like the landmark.
[5:49:02] I know the Department of City
Planning has legislation
[5:49:04] that they presented to this body
[5:49:05] that considered districts
requirements, that considered
[5:49:08] caps on the percentage of short
[5:49:10] term rentals
in multi-family buildings.
[5:49:13] And I'll be happy
to revisit those conversations.
[5:49:15] But for this legislation,
[5:49:18] I was a yes vote,
because I want to make sure
that we got to a point
[5:49:20] in which we can enforce
something so that we know
[5:49:24] or have even better protections
than we have
[5:49:26] have had over the last
five years.
[5:49:28] All the things,
all the worst case scenarios
[5:49:29] that have been described
[5:49:30] in this meeting
[5:49:31] have already been happening
because we
[5:49:33] haven't been enforcing anything.
[5:49:34] So I just wanted to put that out
there or support any further
[5:49:38] efforts to add restraints
into this industry.
[5:49:43] But I want to make sure
that we got something
[5:49:46] over the finish line today
so that we can actually get
to supporting our communities
[5:49:48] in the way we know
they need to be supported.
[5:49:50] That's what I wanted
to say, and I'll be yield.
[5:49:55] Thank you.
Councilmember Dozier
[5:49:56] Bakhtiari, I do think you have
at least a minute left.
[5:49:59] Thank you.
So I'll be very quick
because I ran in
[5:50:02] a little out of breath.
[5:50:03] But I just wanted to say
[5:50:04] because there's
been so much conversation
[5:50:05] and I think people are probably
lost in the details.
[5:50:07] What I wanted to clarify is
I am absolutely for enforcement.
[5:50:11] We have very bad actors.
[5:50:12] We have people that are
monopolizing these properties.
[5:50:14] I simply would be like,
as I said before,
[5:50:16] I'm simply voting against this
[5:50:17] because I believe
that most important
[5:50:18] part of the legislation
should be capping.
[5:50:20] That is why I believe
this does go somewhere
[5:50:22] not far enough, but to the point
of Councilmember Dozier.
[5:50:26] I will be trying
to look at other ways,
[5:50:28] and I hope my colleagues
will join me, because the
[5:50:31] proliferation of short term
rentals is a problem,
[5:50:34] and I do hope that some of our
partners, like Airbnb and Vrbo,
[5:50:37] will begin
bringing more staff down here
[5:50:39] to actually support
these initiatives.
[5:50:41] So that is all. Thank you.
[5:50:43] Thank you,
Council Member Winston.
[5:50:46] Thank you. Council President.
[5:50:48] Colleagues, I just want to
thank you for supporting this.
[5:50:50] The ones that have helped
push this over,
[5:50:53] Councilmember Westmoreland,
I now represent the landmark.
[5:50:56] And, you know, we had
someone that came in today.
[5:50:59] This is the first step at being
to help people at the landmark.
[5:51:02] Right now, there are bad actors
who are operating illegal.
[5:51:06] Airbnb units are short term
rental units in that building.
[5:51:09] And so this allows us to
[5:51:11] really start being able
to enforce this
[5:51:13] and start
being able to help people,
[5:51:15] not just there, but around
the entire city of Atlanta.
[5:51:17] And so I think this
is an important first step.
[5:51:21] I also
want my colleagues to know
[5:51:24] in Cedar Chess
last week, we talked about
making the next step,
[5:51:26] working to put more guardrails
in multifamily units.
[5:51:30] I've been working with our chief
[5:51:31] housing officer on legislation,
and we hope to be able
[5:51:34] to get something before you
in the next couple of weeks
[5:51:37] so that we can continue on this
path of increasing enforcement
[5:51:41] of our STR. So thank you.
[5:51:44] Thank you. Council Member
Winston.
[5:51:45] That's everyone.
[5:51:47] Madam president,
[5:51:48] I to all the people
who are standing up,
[5:51:50] you'll be excited to know you
have two more things to vote on.
[5:51:52] On the on the.
[5:51:56] Report.
[5:51:57] He did not save the best
for last,
[5:52:01] ordinance to move all the carry
forward to post two at large.
[5:52:05] First one is 26
r 3997 resolution by Norwood
[5:52:09] requesting the Chief
operating Officer to coordinate
[5:52:12] with the Department of City
Planning
and Invest Atlanta,
the Atlanta Beltline, Inc.,
[5:52:14] Atlanta Housing, and the Metro
Atlanta Land Bank to create
[5:52:16] a comprehensive inventory
of vacant, under utilized
[5:52:18] privately owned properties
within the City of Atlanta,
[5:52:20] which may be developed
for housing and other uses,
[5:52:23] which and which
shall identify properties
[5:52:25] which are nonresidential.
[5:52:26] Non publicly owned or vacant,
abandoned or neglected
[5:52:30] may qualify as nuisance
properties and are 30% forested
and for other purposes
[5:52:33] it comes favorable for yeas
one day one abstention.
[5:52:36] That's a motion to approve.
[5:52:38] Motion
to approve by Westmoreland.
[5:52:41] It comes out favorably
[5:52:42] from committee,
so it does not require second.
[5:52:44] Madam clerk,
please refer to the vote.
[5:52:47] The vote is open.
[5:52:48] Lewis. Yes. Amos. Yes.
[5:52:54] Lebanon.
[5:52:54] Please vote.
[5:53:13] 12. Closed 13 years.
[5:53:15] There are 13 year old.
[5:53:17] Nays is item is adopted.
[5:53:18] Final item 26 R 3998.
[5:53:21] Resolution requesting
the mayor is designee.
[5:53:23] To establish a process
whereby persons and entities
[5:53:25] who apply for permits
related to the installation
[5:53:27] repair
of any impervious surfaces
[5:53:28] necessary to traverse
lots of size one
[5:53:29] third of an acre or larger
[5:53:30] in the district Council member
[5:53:32] in the location
where
in the proposed installation
[5:53:33] of repairs to occur,
[5:53:34] may have an opportunity
to attend a joint conference
[5:53:36] with the residents
from the city departments
[5:53:37] and officers
charged with reviewing
[5:53:38] such applications
and enforcement
[5:53:40] of Atlanta stormwater
ordinances,
[5:53:41] state law,
and the state regulatory
[5:53:44] standards applicable
to the installation of repair
of the impervious surfaces
[5:53:45] necessary to traverse larger
lots prior to the
[5:53:47] any final decision
[5:53:48] related to this application,
[5:53:49] and for the purposes
of the motion
[5:53:50] coming out of committee,
is to file.
[5:53:52] Motion is to file
by Westmoreland.
[5:53:55] It's coming out of committee
to file favorably.
[5:53:58] So no second is needed.
[5:53:59] Madam clerk, please
prepare the vote.
[5:54:01] Lewis. Yes. The vote is open.
[5:54:08] Please vote.
[5:54:18] For $5.
[5:54:22] Councilmember Amos,
[5:54:23] what is your vote? Yes.
[5:54:26] Lewis. Yes.
[5:54:33] The first class, 13 years.
[5:54:35] There are 13 years
there on this item is filed.
[5:54:40] That concludes my report.
[5:54:42] Thank you, Chair Westmoreland.
[5:54:46] All right.
That brings us to personal
papers.
[5:54:49] Personal papers.
[5:54:52] 41250,
an ordinance by Councilmember
[5:54:57] Mary Norwood
authorizing the chief financial
officer to amend the 2027
[5:55:00] Water and Wastewater
Renewal and Extension
[5:55:02] Fund budget in the amount
[5:55:04] not to exceed $1,000,000.00
to encumber committed funds.
[5:55:09] In the event that the Atlanta
memorial Park Conservancy
[5:55:12] receives the grant of $3 million
from the Georgia Outdoor
[5:55:17] Stewardship Program,
and for the purposes
[5:55:20] for 1250 to be referred
to city utilities.
[5:55:23] Thank you, Elms for 1253.
[5:55:27] An ordinance by Council Member
Mary Norwood to amend the City
[5:55:30] of Atlanta Code of Ordinances
at chapter 158.
[5:55:34] Vegetation article
two tree protection to increase
[5:55:38] the tree preservation
standards in a manner
[5:55:41] which will support the city's
goal of 50% tree canopy cover
[5:55:46] and for other purposes
for 12533 referred to seeds.
[5:55:50] Thank you, thank you, thank you,
[5:55:54] Councilmember Lewis.
[5:55:55] Thank you.
[5:55:57] Elms ID
[5:55:59] 41246 and ordinance
by Councilmember Antonio Lewis
[5:56:03] authorizing the mayor
or his designee,
[5:56:05] on behalf of the City
of Atlanta,
[5:56:07] to abandon a public street
known as True Street Southwest,
[5:56:10] being more specifically
depicted in the attached is a
[5:56:14] and lying
and being in landlocked 119
[5:56:18] of the 14th District of Fulton
County,
[5:56:20] Georgia, and for other purposes
for one two, four, six
[5:56:22] to be referred to.
Transportation.
[5:56:24] Elms 41261 resolution
[5:56:28] by council member
Antonio Lewis, council member
[5:56:32] Wayne Martin, council
member Andrea Boone, council
[5:56:35] member Liliana
[5:56:36] Bakhtiari, council member Byron
Amos, council member.
[5:56:39] Westmoreland Council
member Collins council member.
[5:56:41] Hillers Council member.
[5:56:43] Bunn Councilmember one
Council member.
[5:56:46] Dozier council member Winston
Council member, one council
[5:56:50] member Amos and both bond
[5:56:54] a resolution
to create a commission
[5:56:57] to determine
an appropriate manner
[5:56:59] in which to honor the late
[5:57:01] Horace Julian
Bond and for other purposes
[5:57:04] for one,
two, six, one to refer to KDS.
[5:57:07] Elms 4125 for a resolution
by Councilmember Antonio Lewis,
[5:57:12] Council member
Matt Westmoreland, Council
[5:57:14] member Collins, and Council
member Michael Julian Bond.
[5:57:17] A resolution requesting
that the commissioners
[5:57:20] of the Department
of Transportation,
[5:57:22] Department of Public Works,
[5:57:23] Department of Parks
and Recreation conduct
[5:57:25] a comprehensive order
and inventory
[5:57:27] of all public trash
cans under the respect
[5:57:31] under their respective
jurisdictions in district 12,
[5:57:34] requesting that the departments
identify the number, location,
[5:57:38] condition, ownership,
and service frequency
[5:57:41] of such trash cans.
[5:57:43] Requesting that the departments
identify areas
[5:57:46] that are underserved
by the public,
[5:57:48] trash cans and district 12,
and for other purposes for one,
[5:57:51] two, five, four to be referred
to city utilities.
[5:57:55] Oh, Council member Amos.
[5:57:58] Yes, madam
president, ams ID 412458
[5:58:02] Ordinance by Councilmember
Brian Amos authorizing
[5:58:04] Mary's designee on behalf
of the City of Atlanta,
[5:58:06] to abandon the portion
of the public street
[5:58:07] known as Shirley Place
Northwest specifically depicted
[5:58:10] in the attached as a and line
and being in landlocked 179
[5:58:14] of the 14th
District of Food and County
[5:58:16] Georgia tax parcel listed
and for other purposes
[5:58:19] for 124, five
to be referred to transportation
[5:58:24] Council member Hillis,
[5:58:25] one item Elms ID 41212
[5:58:29] run us by Councilmember
Dustin Hill
[5:58:30] to waive the procurement source
selection
[5:58:32] provisions contained in Division
four of chapter two, article
[5:58:35] ten of the City of Atlanta Code
of Ordinances, section 21292.
[5:58:39] The City of Atlanta code
warrants to extend applicable,
[5:58:42] as well as any other
conflicting code provisions
[5:58:44] throughout the rest
of the mayor,
[5:58:45] his destiny to execute amendment
[5:58:46] number for each of the six
agreements under RFP listed
[5:58:50] Architectural Engineering,
Design
[5:58:51] and Construction Management
Services
[5:58:53] on behalf of Department
Watershed Management
[5:58:55] to extend the agreement
for an additional 12 months,
[5:58:57] effective October 15th, 2026
through October 14th, 2027,
[5:59:02] and to provide additional
funding in an aggregate amount
[5:59:04] not to exceed
$20 million in $0.00
[5:59:07] for use
under the six agreements.
[5:59:09] All contract would work
to be charged to and paid from.
[5:59:12] The account
number is listed here and
and for other purposes for 121,
[5:59:15] two to be referred to city
utilities.
[5:59:17] Please
my and make a motion to suspend
[5:59:19] general remarks
to the next scheduled.
[5:59:25] Council member
one thank you, Madam President.
[5:59:27] Melton's ID 41233
[5:59:29] A resolution by Council Member
Alex one authorizing
[5:59:31] the mayor's designee to enter
into a cooperative agreement
[5:59:33] pursuant to section 21221602
at the City of Atlanta
[5:59:37] Code of ordinances,
with Boucher, I Hope.
[5:59:40] Municipal North America, Inc.,
[5:59:42] utilizing source
well contract number listed
for the purchase
[5:59:44] of a battery electric, medium
and heavy duty vehicles
[5:59:47] in an amount
not to exceed $506,099.00.
[5:59:51] All funds to be charged
to and paid from the account
[5:59:54] numbers listed here
and for other purposes
for one, two, three,
[5:59:56] three to be referred to city
utilities.
[5:59:58] Elms ID 41234 resolution
by Councilmember Alex
[6:00:02] one authorizing the mayor
or his designee to enter
[6:00:03] into cooperative agreement
pursuant to section 261602 at
[6:00:07] seek of the City of Atlanta Code
of Ordinances
[6:00:09] with Daimler
through their authorized Dealer
[6:00:11] State Truck Centers, LLC,
[6:00:12] utilizing source
while contract number listed
[6:00:14] for the purchase of battery
electric, medium and heavy duty
[6:00:17] vehicles, and an amount
not to exceed $902,042.00.
[6:00:21] All funds to be charged
to and paid from the account
[6:00:23] number is listed here
and and for other purposes
[6:00:25] for one, two three, four to be
referred to city utilities.
[6:00:29] 41251.
[6:00:30] In Orange
[6:00:32] County, member Alex
one authorizing a donation
in amount
[6:00:33] not to exceed
blank dollars and cents
[6:00:35] pursuant to section six
[6:00:37] 306 of the City of Honor charter
from the district six
[6:00:39] carry forward to the Morningside
Community Foundation,
[6:00:41] specifically allocated
to support
[6:00:43] Friends of Sidney Marcus Park
[6:00:44] and its planned
improvements to Sydney. Marcus.
[6:00:46] Parking for other purposes 41251
[6:00:51] to refer to FEC Elms 41252
by Councilmember Alex one,
[6:00:55] authorizing the nation
in an amount
[6:00:57] not to exceed blank pursuant
to section six 306 of the city
[6:01:00] of a charter from the district
six Carry
[6:01:01] Ford account to the Virginia
Highland Security
[6:01:03] Troll, Inc.,
[6:01:04] specifically allocated to
[6:01:05] support the erection of a statue
in John Howell Park
[6:01:08] honoring John Wolfinger
and for other purposes for 125,
[6:01:11] two to be referred to FEC.
[6:01:13] Elms 41260.
[6:01:15] An audience by council members
[6:01:16] Alex Wan, Jason Dozier,
Dustin Hills
[6:01:18] Collins, Byron Amos, Thomas
Worthy, and Jason H.
[6:01:20] Winston, authorizing
donation in an amount
[6:01:22] not to exceed $4,000 in $0.00
to the Alma Domestic Violence
[6:01:26] Foundation
from various Atlanta City
[6:01:27] Council carry forward accounts
to support the 2026
[6:01:30] Land of Purple five K one mile
walk pursuant to section six
[6:01:33] 306 of the City
of Atlanta Charter
[6:01:35] and for other purposes
for 1260 to FEC.
[6:01:40] Thank you.
Thank you,
Council Member Winston.
[6:01:42] Thank you.
Council president.
[6:01:43] First is elms ID 41248.
[6:01:47] The resolution by Councilmember
Jason H.
[6:01:48] Winston authorizing the city
of Atlanta to donate an amount
[6:01:51] not to exceed $325,000.00
to the Gateway Center 247, Inc.
[6:01:57] pursuant
to the section number list
[6:01:58] of the City of Atlanta Charter
[6:01:59] to authorize the mayor
or his designee
[6:02:01] to amend the donation agreement
signed pursuant to resolution
[6:02:04] 26, R 3303, to
[6:02:07] authorize the Chief
Financial Officer
[6:02:08] to make the donation payment
from the account
[6:02:10] number listed here
in, and for other purposes.
[6:02:13] 41248 to be referred to FEC
[6:02:16] Elms ID 41156,
in order by Councilmember Jason
[6:02:20] Winston waving the charter.
[6:02:21] Chapter two, article
[6:02:22] ten, vision
eight, section number listed XX.
[6:02:25] Supplies and Disposition
of surplus of Supplies
[6:02:29] of Procurement and Real Estate
Code of the City of Atlanta.
[6:02:32] Code of ordinances to authorize
the mayor or his designee,
[6:02:35] pursuant
to the section of Melissa
[6:02:36] of the charter
of the City of Atlanta
[6:02:38] to donate used surplus
City of Atlanta on computers to
[6:02:42] to inspire you to you, Inc.,
a nonprofit for distribution
[6:02:46] to the underserved community
to help develop digital skills
[6:02:50] and execute
any necessary agreements
[6:02:52] for the donation
and for other related purposes.
[6:02:54] For 1156
to refer to FEC, EMS, ID
[6:02:58] 41195, a resolution
by Councilmember Jason H.
[6:03:01] Winston
authorize the Commissioner
[6:03:02] of the Department
of Watershed Management
[6:03:06] to adjust
water and sewer service charges
on certain customer accounts
[6:03:08] in accordance with Atlantic City
Code section number
[6:03:11] listed in the amount of dollars
and cents given later
[6:03:14] and for other purposes
for 1195 to be referred to FEC.
[6:03:19] Thank you.
[6:03:21] What about 401262?
[6:03:23] Where is that?
[6:03:24] Okay.
[6:03:25] All right. Okay.
[6:03:30] Okay.
Madam president,
first legislation elms ID 41231
[6:03:33] an ordinance by Councilmember
Liliana Bakhtiari
[6:03:35] to zone various parcels
having frontage
[6:03:37] on Glenn Drive southeast
of the R-4 zoning district.
[6:03:40] Upon annexation
into the corporate limits
[6:03:41] of the city of Atlanta
from unincorporated
[6:03:43] to Cap County
and for other purposes.
[6:03:46] Meeting
[6:03:48] 41231 to be referred to zoning.
[6:03:50] Elms ID 41235.
[6:03:52] An ordinance by Councilmember
Liliana Bakhtiari to provide
[6:03:54] for the annexation of properties
having frontage
[6:03:56] on southeast
and unincorporated to Cap County
[6:03:58] to the corporate boundaries
of the city of Atlanta,
[6:04:00] Georgia, pursuant to the 60%
method
[6:04:02] to extend the boundaries of the
independent school system.
[6:04:04] To notify the Georgia Department
of Community
[6:04:05] Affairs of such annexation
and for other purposes.
[6:04:09] Which one was that?
This was for one, two, three,
five should also be zoning
[6:04:13] for one, 2315.
[6:04:17] Oh okay for 12352 FEC.
[6:04:23] I have FSE.
[6:04:23] Oh yeah that's fine okay.
[6:04:25] Yeah that's right. Yes.
[6:04:28] Elms ID number 41236 naught
[6:04:31] by Councilmember
Liliana Bakhtiari
[6:04:32] to amend the Land Use Planning
Section of the 2025 Plan City
[6:04:36] Comprehensive Development Plan
so as to designate
[6:04:38] various parcels
having frontage on Glenn Drive
[6:04:39] southeast to medium
lot single family land
[6:04:41] use development pattern
designation upon annexation,
[6:04:44] and to the corporate limits
of the City of Atlanta from
[6:04:45] unincorporated to Cap County
and for other purposes
[6:04:47] for one, two, three, six
to refer to CDA test
[6:04:51] Elms ID 41257, an ordinance
by Councilmember Liliana
[6:04:55] Bakhtiari to rename Walker Park
to Rose Hill
[6:04:57] Park to waive certain provisions
[6:04:58] of section
one, 38, eight and two
[6:05:00] two of the City of Atlanta Code
and Ordinances,
[6:05:02] and for other purposes for one
two, five, seven two seeds.
[6:05:07] Elms id four.
[6:05:08] Oh, actually, let's do this
one first.
[6:05:10] Elms ID 41258 A resolution
by Councilmember Liliana
[6:05:15] Bakhtiari, Councilmember Winston
Kelsey Bond, Amos Dozier,
[6:05:19] Norwood, Hillis, Boone, Martin,
Lewis Westmoreland, and Collins
[6:05:23] supporting worker
centered retail
[6:05:26] and service practices
to encourage the responsible
[6:05:28] use of automation to promote
quality jobs and small business
[6:05:30] vitality and land,
and for other purposes
[6:05:32] for one, two five,
eight to be referred to F, E, C,
[6:05:35] Elms, ID 41259
and ordinance by Councilmember
[6:05:39] Liliana Bakhtiari,
Winston Kelsey bond,
[6:05:42] Amos Dozier, one Norwood,
Hillis, Boone, Martin, Lewis,
[6:05:45] Westmoreland, and Collins to
amend chapter 154, article two
[6:05:49] so as to add a new definition
[6:05:51] for recorded usage, spikes
and recorded usage
[6:05:55] and recorded usage spike errors
to revise the Commissioner's
[6:05:59] Authority
related to billing adjustments.
[6:06:00] To update the procedures
of the Water and Sewer
[6:06:02] Appeals Board
and for other purposes for 125,
[6:06:05] nine to be referred to city
utilities.
[6:06:08] Is it? Thank you, thank you
[6:06:11] Kelsey.
[6:06:11] But all right.
[6:06:13] Elms ID 41256 A resolution
by council member Kelsey Bond.
[6:06:18] We are firming support
for closing
[6:06:20] and repurposing the Atlanta City
Detention Center,
[6:06:22] affirming support
for the community over cages.
[6:06:25] Path to 1000 report
recommendations.
[6:06:27] Apologizing to the task force
to reimagine AC, DC
[6:06:30] for failing
to communicate a departure
[6:06:32] from the task force
recommendations.
[6:06:34] Reaffirming Atlanta City
Council's belief
[6:06:36] that any proceeds from the lease
or sale of AC, DC
[6:06:39] should be used exclusively
for the purpose of
[6:06:41] constructing a center for equity
[6:06:43] and transitional housing
and for other purposes.
[6:06:45] For 12567 referred
to sell a Councilmember.
[6:06:50] Boone.
[6:06:51] Thank you, Madam President.
[6:06:52] First item owner's
ID number 41265.
[6:06:56] A resolution by Council Member
[6:06:58] Andrea Boone requesting that
[6:06:59] the City of Atlanta Department
of Public Works
[6:07:02] assist with the trash
and litter collection
[6:07:05] at Marta rail,
bus stops and bus shelters.
[6:07:08] Due to ongoing safety
[6:07:10] and public health hazards,
and for other purposes.
[6:07:14] I'm sorry, I don't have that one
on my list. What?
[6:07:16] What was that again?
[6:07:18] A resolution by Councilmember.
[6:07:19] Oh. What number?
[6:07:20] (412)654-1265.
[6:07:23] I don't have that,
but it sounds like it goes to.
[6:07:26] Is that transportation?
[6:07:28] Utility city.
[6:07:29] Utility utilities.
[6:07:30] City utilities, city utilities.
[6:07:34] We just did it.
[6:07:35] Public works. City.
[6:07:36] Utility. City.
[6:07:37] Utility.
[6:07:42] 41265 to city utilities.
[6:07:48] ID number 41238 a resolution
by Councilmember Andrea
[6:07:53] El Boone
authorizing the mayor,
his designee, to enter
[6:07:54] into a cooperative agreement
pursuant to section 21602
[6:07:59] of the City of Atlanta Code
and Ordinances
[6:08:01] with Georgia Kenworth, LLC, dba
MHC Kenworth Atlanta,
[6:08:06] utilizing Source World
contract number 0328424K2C
[6:08:12] for the purchase of battery
electric, medium and heavy duty
[6:08:16] vehicles and electric vehicle
supply equipment, and amount
[6:08:20] not to exceed $1,190,699.84.
[6:08:26] All funds to charge to
and paid from the count numbers
[6:08:30] listed here
and and for other purposes
[6:08:32] for one, two,
three, eight to city utilities.
[6:08:36] Next item a resolution
by Councilmember Andre Boone
[6:08:39] authorizing the mirror,
[6:08:40] his designee, to ensure
[6:08:41] to a cooperative agreement
pursuant to section
[6:08:44] 21602 of the City
of Atlanta Code ordinances
[6:08:49] with Highland Electric Fleets,
Inc., dba H.F.
[6:08:53] operations, LLC,
utilizing Source Well contract
[6:08:56] number 021825 for the purpose
[6:09:00] of purchasing electric vehicle
supply equipment,
[6:09:04] an amount not succeed
$734,867.00.
[6:09:10] All funds to be charged
to and paid from the account
[6:09:13] numbers listed here
and for other purposes
[6:09:16] for 1239 to City utilities.
[6:09:20] Elmes ID number 41240.
[6:09:24] An ordinance by Councilmember
Andrea Boone authorizing
[6:09:27] the mayor, his designee,
or the Chief Procurement Officer
[6:09:31] designee on behalf of the City
[6:09:33] of Atlanta, to purchase
approximately 12.60 acres
[6:09:37] of real property
[6:09:38] located on the west
side of Hamilton Holmes Drive,
[6:09:41] Atlanta,
Georgia Fulton County, Texas.
[6:09:44] Parcel ID numbers
0207707057140270013, 0353, 14,
[6:09:56] zero two, 070007, 0294,
[6:10:02] 14, zero two, 077007, 0286,
[6:10:08] 14, zero two, 070007, 026, zero,
[6:10:14] 14, zero two, 070007, 0278,
[6:10:20] 14, zero two, 0700081002
[6:10:26] for development as a park
in City Council District,
[6:10:30] authorizing
the mayor, his designee,
[6:10:32] or the Chief Procurement Officer
or designee
[6:10:34] on behalf of the city
to execute all documents
[6:10:37] necessary
to acquire the properties
[6:10:39] authorizing acquisition, due
diligence, closing costs,
[6:10:43] signage, demolition, site
stabilization, and other site
[6:10:47] development
costs to be paid from the park.
[6:10:49] Impact the West Account and Park
Improvement Fund in the amount
[6:10:53] not to exceed $2,340,658.39,
[6:11:00] as indicated in the account
listed below, amending the 2027
[6:11:05] General Government
Capital Outlay
[6:11:08] Fund budgets in the Department
of Parks and Recreation
[6:11:11] and Finance Parks West Service
District by transferring to
[6:11:15] and from various accounts.
[6:11:16] Waiving section 21541
[6:11:20] of the Procurement
and Real Estate Code of the City
[6:11:23] Code and Ordinances article,
and for other purposes
[6:11:27] for 12402 CDs.
[6:11:31] Elmo's ID number 41263
on ordinance by Councilmember
[6:11:35] Andre El Boone to amend
chapter 162 vehicles for hire.
[6:11:39] Article five
[6:11:41] Vehicle and Mobilization
Services of the City of Atlanta.
[6:11:44] Current ordinances
to update vehicle booting fees
[6:11:47] and for other purposes
for one two, six, three.
[6:11:51] To refer to PS
[6:11:53] papers read on behalf
of the Honorable Wayne Martin.
[6:11:57] A resolution
by Council Member Andre
[6:12:00] El Boone and Wayne
Martin requesting
the Atlanta Police Department
[6:12:02] and the Department of City
Planning
[6:12:04] to prepare the necessary drug
related crime report and maps
[6:12:07] for the potential designation
of a drug free commercial zone
[6:12:11] generally encompassing
the Myrtle Drive, Southwest
[6:12:15] Allison Court and the Low Drive,
and the area along
[6:12:17] Campbellton Road from Pinehurst
Drive
[6:12:20] to Willis Mill Road southwest,
and for the area generally
[6:12:23] bounded by Bakers Ferry Road,
Martin Luther King Junior Drive,
[6:12:26] Lyndhurst Drive, Cascade Road,
and Rogers Avenue Southwest,
[6:12:30] and for other purposes for one,
two, five, five to sell a.
[6:12:36] Elmes ID number 41247,
[6:12:40] and on its by Councilmember
[6:12:41] Andrea Boone and Wayne Martin,
[6:12:43] authorizing a donation
and amount.
[6:12:45] Not to exceed $2,500.00
from the district.
[6:12:49] 11 care
for two count to City employees.
[6:12:52] Friendship Club, Inc., pursuant
to section 6-306 of the City
[6:12:57] of Atlanta's charter to assist
City of Atlanta employees
[6:13:00] who may face financial hardship
and for other purposes for 124,
[6:13:04] seven to FSG Elmes, ID
number 41201
[6:13:10] and audience by council member
Wayne Martin and Andrea Boone.
[6:13:13] A resolution by Councilmember
Martin to amend resolution
[6:13:17] 2603664,
which designated the portions
[6:13:22] of the Utah Creek watershed
[6:13:23] within the city of Atlanta
as the Utah Creek Urban Forest.
[6:13:27] To clarify language in a B,
it further resolved clause
[6:13:32] all other parts of the
legislation to remain unchanged
[6:13:36] and for other purposes for 1201
to be referred to see DHS.
[6:13:41] Thank you,
Madam President. Thank you.
[6:13:44] Chair.
[6:13:46] Boone.
Council member Dozier
thank you, Madam President.
[6:13:48] I only have one item
number 41202,
[6:13:52] in order by Councilmember
Jason Dozier to waive
[6:13:54] certain provisions in section
1618 and section 1628.
[6:13:59] Other.
See if Atlanta
Code of Ordinances to permit
[6:14:01] and animated
flashing and changing sign
[6:14:03] not to exceed 60ft to record
at 540 Atlanta Student Boulevard
[6:14:07] southwest and for the purposes
for 12022 zoning.
[6:14:12] That's all I have.
Thank you, thank you.
[6:14:13] Last but certainly not
[6:14:14] least, Council member
Michael Julian Bond.
[6:14:22] Thank you, Madam President.
[6:14:24] I have ID number (412)934-1249
[6:14:30] and ordinance by Councilmember
Michaels Julian Bond,
[6:14:33] authorizing a donation in amount
not to exceed
[6:14:37] $600.00 pursuant to section
[6:14:44] 6306 of the City
of Atlanta charter
[6:14:48] from post one at large carry
forward account to the Metro
[6:14:52] Atlanta Youth Football
League, LLC in support
[6:14:57] of the Atlanta Vikings
2020 sixth season,
[6:15:00] and for the purposes
for 1249 to be referred to FEC.
[6:15:05] That concludes my paper. Okay.
[6:15:08] That brings us to the end
of our personal papers
[6:15:11] and brings us to the beginning
of general remarks.
[6:15:14] I'm going first.
[6:15:17] I would like to
[6:15:19] give a warm happy birthday
to Council
[6:15:22] Member Andrea Boone,
whether she wants it or not.
[6:15:26] We love you.
[6:15:31] Thank you so much.
[6:15:32] President and members
[6:15:33] of the Atlanta City Council,
thank you so much.
[6:15:35] Thank you for allowing us
to just eat cupcakes today.
[6:15:40] I think they're almost gone.
There's four left.
[6:15:43] There's four left.
[6:15:44] So if anyone would like
a cupcake, love.
[6:15:47] But happy, happy,
happy birthday.
[6:15:49] May you have plenty more days
[6:15:53] to love on our city
the way that you do.
[6:15:55] Thank you for everything
[6:15:56] and a happy birthday
to Frank Haywood as well.
[6:16:00] That's tomorrow. Yes.
[6:16:01] Happy birthday to Frank Haywood.
[6:16:03] That's my chief of staff.
[6:16:05] His birthday is tomorrow,
[6:16:07] so that's all I wanted
was birthday wishes.
[6:16:10] Council member. Bartley.
[6:16:13] Council member.
[6:16:13] Boone.
[6:16:14] Council
president stole my thunder.
[6:16:16] But I also wanted to wish you
a happy birthday
[6:16:18] and take a page out of your book
and say they were cupcakes.
[6:16:20] But happy birthday, and I hope
that you had a wonderful day.
[6:16:22] Thank you for always
celebrating all of us.
[6:16:24] Yes. Happy to celebrate you.
[6:16:27] Council member Antonio Lewis
[6:16:30] and I would like to wish a happy
birthday to all the Virgos,
[6:16:34] but particularly
my Virgo at home.
[6:16:36] My wife, Ashley Fogle Lewis,
who celebrated her
[6:16:39] birthday last week at our home
and we showed off our garden.
[6:16:42] So happy birthday to my wife
and a large super happy birthday
[6:16:49] to super running back key
one Brown junior of key one.
[6:16:53] Brown of Louisville plays
for the Louisville Cardinals,
[6:16:57] who went to Southland
High School today.
[6:16:59] He was announced as the ACC
running back of the year.
[6:17:03] Okay, I'm running back of the
week, running back of the week.
[6:17:06] We hope he gets the year
in which he had over 160
[6:17:10] yards and two touchdowns,
two carries over 50 yards.
[6:17:14] Some people don't get one of 50
[6:17:16] yard carry
over the entire season.
[6:17:17] So super proud of you key
one Bama Brown.
[6:17:21] And to see you do it with long
live tick man shows
[6:17:25] how much you love our community.
[6:17:26] So congratulations.
[6:17:28] Happy birthday to the young man.
[6:17:29] Key one Brown from from South
Atlantic High School
[6:17:33] who attends Louisville
right now.
[6:17:35] Thank you, thank you.
[6:17:37] And with that, that brings us
to our adjourning roll call.
[6:17:40] Madam clerk,
thank you, Madam President.
[6:17:42] We have council president
Marci Color Overstreet present.
[6:17:45] Council member Michael Julian
Bond, post one at large
[6:17:50] council
member Matt Westmoreland, post
two at large
[6:17:53] council member Collins
post three at large
[6:17:57] council member Jason H.
[6:17:58] Winston, district
one council member Kelsey
[6:18:01] Bond, district
two Council member Byron D Amos.
[6:18:05] District three.
[6:18:09] Council member
Jason Dosa, district four,
[6:18:12] council member Liliana
Bakhtiari, district five,
[6:18:15] council member
Alex Wan, district six,
[6:18:19] council member Thomas Worthy,
district seven, council member
[6:18:22] Mary Norwood, district eight,
[6:18:24] council member Dustin Hills,
district nine, council
[6:18:27] member Andrea Boone,
district ten,
[6:18:30] council member Wayne Martin,
district 11,
[6:18:32] council member
Antonio Lewis, district 12.
[6:18:35] Let's go.
Let's get it.
[6:18:36] With that, we are adjourned.
[6:18:39] Thanks, everyone.
[6:18:44] Thank you, Madam President.
[6:18:45] No thank you.