2/19/2024 Meeting Preview
You’ll see below the agenda highlights for our second meeting in February. I’ve added information from the council agenda memos and background on items that may be of particular interest. You can watch the meeting on the city’s Facebook or YouTube pages. Our meetings are on the first and third Mondays of the month. Workshop session begins at 6:00 pm; regular session begins at 7:30 pm; executive session takes place at the conclusion of the regular session.
You can access the full agenda packets here.
We welcome your attendance at our meetings and public comment is available near the start of the meeting, before any actions are taken. You can sign up to speak if you’re at the meeting in person, or you can submit an e-mail with your name, address, and comment or remark to pcomment@collegeparkga.com no later than 7:30 pm on February 19, 2024. The City Clerk will read your name, address and comment into the official record. If you have feedback for Mayor and Council directly, you can e-mail us.
WORKSHOP SESSION
1. Presentation of the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2023 by external auditors Mauldin & Jenkins, LLC.
I’m still working my way through the full audit (it’s over 100 pages), but I have had a chance to review the presentation that will be discussed at Monday’s workshop.
Over the years, our auditors have been asked to give the City a particular letter grade to assess our finances. I’ve often thought this puts them in an awkward position, as the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report is always a retrospective document, telling us where we were at one date in time - in this case, on June 30, 2023. We passed the audit, essentially. The good news is that there were no material weaknesses or compliance findings reported by our auditors. We had an unmodified (clean) opinion in regard to our Major Federal Award Programs as well. We were fully cooperative with the auditors; they did not have any discussions regarding significant issues.
Our electric fund and the other enterprise funds are performing well overall. Our auditors did note that we have several large enterprise activities, including the Georgia International Convention Center (GICC), the Business and Industrial Development Authority (BIDA) and the Gateway Center Arena that should have our attention in terms of cash flow. While the GICC does itself operate at a net loss (approximately $4.4 million in FY2023), the financing of the facility and its operations was always planned to draw upon the hotel/motel tax and other funds. In short, the idea was that if we had a convention center, we would have more people staying in hotels, which would increase the hotel/motel tax revenue. That has been the case. In FY2023, we collected over $12.6 million in hotel/motel taxes.
As for BIDA, the auditors boiled it down to what most of us know: BIDA needs to sell land. The Six West project is a big part of that. BIDA and Mayor & Council are expecting to hear from Stream Realty about proposals that have been submitted for Six West at a joint meeting on February 26th.
The auditors indicated that “[w]ithout major future operating revenues, the GICC Arena Fund will have to rely on internal financing and transfers in from other funds to cover operating and debt service costs.”
For all three of these funds, the auditors recommended “significant monitoring of these activities and thoughtful planning for cash flow needs in order for the City to avoid any problems with the repayment of all debts (internal and external) and to ensure the financial stability of the City’s funds.”
The auditors are also recommending a citywide operational/performance assessment, especially considering the new leadership on both the elected and administrative sides of the organization.
2. FY2023-2024 Financial Status Update Presentation
This item is a carryover from the last meeting.
From staff:
1. Fiscal Year End 2023 Overview: Overview of FINAL numbers.
2. Three-Year Financial History: · Analysis of past three years' financial performance.
3. Current Year's Budget Highlights: Overview of current year's budget.
4. Comparative Analysis Focus: Comparing revenue and expense outcomes from the previous fiscal year; Evaluation of current fiscal year trends to date.
This summary aims to provide insights into our financial standing, facilitating informed decision-making and strategic planning.
REGULAR SESSION
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6. Other Business
A. Consideration on and action of a request for a Special Event Permit regarding the Spin the District Event to be held on May 5, 2024, from 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. This item is being requested by the City Clerk, Shavala Ames. The event is to be held throughout the City in Wards 1 and 3. This is not a budgeted item.
This event is being hosted by our Destination Marketing Organization (DMO), the ATL Airport District. This series of races has been conducted in Union City, Hapeville and College Park for the last several years (there was a break due to COVID). The route in College Park takes cyclists around the public safety complex downtown and the ATL Airport District has worked to minimize the impact on residents in the two senior apartment buildings in that block. Last year, Spin the District attracted over 200 cyclists representing 31 states and 17 countries. There are opportunities for family fun as well, including a crawfish boil, an amateur race and other entertainment.
There will be police coverage needed for road closures. The ATL Airport District will work with the College Park Police Department to determine the exact number of positions required. They will be responsible for covering the cost of those positions for the duration of the event/time of road closures. They will also pay for any related sanitation costs for additional trash receptacles.
Staff recommends approval.
B. Consideration on and action of a request for a Special Event Permit from Woodward Academy to host an Alumni Event to be held on March 11, 2024 at Woodward Academy from 4:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. This item is being requested by the City Clerk, Shavala Ames. The event is to be held in Ward 3. This is not a budgeted item.
This is a yearly event. The permit is for permission to serve alcohol at the event. It is being held from 4:00 pm - 12:00 am.
Staff recommends approval.
C. Second reading and adoption of Ordinance No. 2024-03 to amend Article VII (City Court of College Park) of the City's Charter to effectively separate the Municipal Court from the Police Department. See attached memorandum, redline comparison, and ordinance from the City Attorney's Office.
This has been a discussion since last year. The court, for various legal reasons, should be separate from the police department, where it is currently housed for organizational and budgetary purposes. We were unable to complete the separation because we did not have a quorum at our meetings at the end of 2023. Because the ordinance requires two readings, we had to start the process again in 2024. We are required by law to have two readings of the ordinance. The first took place at the meeting on February 5, 2024.
D. Consideration on and action of a request to renew services provided by Amadeus, the licensure provider that enables GICC Sales Department users to access our Delphi and Salesforce meeting software. This item is requested by Mercedes Miller, Executive Director of the Georgia International Convention Center, Gateway Center Arena, and the Historic College Park Golf Course This is a budgeted item.
From staff: Amadeus houses Salesforce and Delphi; it is the lifeline of Sales, Catering and Event Services. This is the tool that is used for customer records maintenance. It also enables us to check and block function space for the Arena, GICC and the Golf Course. Additionally, we prepare proposals, contracts, banquet event orders (BEO's) recaps, diagrams, banquet checks, booking checks and all other documents pertaining to securing business, detailing events, and communicating with departments. Amadeus also provides storage for the data. This is the tool that is used for customer records maintenance. The renewal cost is $58,749.31.
Staff recommends approval.
E. Consideration on and action of a request for approval of Resolution No. 2024-03 amending the budget for Fiscal Year 2024 for the General Fund, Special Revenue Funds and Enterprise Funds. This item is requested by Althea Philord-Bradley, Director of Finance.
By law, when we adopt a budget for the fiscal year, we have to stick to it unless we do a budget amendment. Since the start of our fiscal year on July 1, 2023, there have been additional expenditures that have been proposed and some of them have been approved. Our finance director has given a more detailed account that I’ve shared below.
1. General Fund: An appropriation of $2,911,464 for several previously approved initiatives by the Mayor & Council that you can see here.
2. Hotel/Motel Tax Fund - The Hotel/Motel Tax Fund is reallocating $410,685 to the General Fund for the implementation of the Citywide Access Control project, which received prior approval for $145,964. This project is upgrading our card entry systems for city buildings. Furthermore, there is a proposal to install ballistic glass at three Fire Stations (FS) 1, 2 and 3, located in Ward I (FS1), Ward II (FS2) and Ward III (FS3) Total: $219,721.
This transfer does not impact the overall balance of the fund, as it has adequate contingencies to accommodate the transfer.
3. Car Rental Tax Fund: Allocating $920,008 for three projects approved by the Mayor & Council:
a) Phillips Park Basketball Court (Ward IV - $257,348)
b) Barrett Park Restrooms (Ward I - $343,944)
c) Brady Roof Replacement (Ward I - $318,716). This is a transfer to the General Fund.
4. MOST (Municipal Option Sales Tax) Fund: A reduction of $750,000, transferring the budget to the Water & Sewer Fund where revenue and expenses should be accounted for. This is strictly a reclassification of funds.
5. Water & Sewer Fund: Appropriating $5,500,000 and recognizing collected revenues to date.
6. BIDA Fund: Appropriating $700,000 for the Six West land acquisition, previously approved by the Mayor & Council. Funded by the General Fund.
Staff has identified General Fund revenue sources to cover the $2,911,464 budget modification. These include:
a) An increase in revenue from Business Licenses, which generated over $4 million in FY2023, leading to a conservative budget increase of $550,000.
b) Exceeding revenue from the Ad Valorem Motor Vehicle Tax by $431,124 compared to the 2024 budgeted amount.
c) Additional revenue from sources like Local Option Sales Tax and interest earnings, exceeding budgeted figures, providing further financial support.
d) Moreover, the budget amendment for the General Fund is backed by transfers from the Hotel/Motel Tax and Car Rental for one-time expenses.
The budget amendment will result in an increase in the City's total budget from $170,883,362 to $180,164,834.
Staff recommends approval.
F. Consideration of and action on a request to approve the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City of College Park and Fulton Atlanta Community Action of Authority (FAACAA).
From staff: LIHEAP is a Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps to keep families safe and healthy through initiatives that assist with utility costs. This Partnership Agreement is tailored to facilitate LIHEAP application processes exclusively for eligible seniors aged 65 and older residents of College Park, located in Fulton County. This initiative calls for firm requirements, mandating the assignment of a dedicated staff member to aid applicants in completing all necessary forms. We will designate Melissa Lamour, who is presently overseeing the administration of the COVID-19 Utility Assistance Grant, for this task. This project involves meticulous reviews of relevant documents, adhering to strict HUD compliance standards. Ms. Lamour brings valuable expertise in social services and extensive experience working with federal grants. This is not a budgeted item. However, funds are available in the Power Fund to finance Melissa Lamour's contractual services.
In talking with staff, because of the short-term nature of this agreement (it ends July 31, 2024) and the limited amount of funds available for this program, the expectation is that Ms. Lamour’s contractual services would not exceed $15,000.
Staff recommends approval.
G. Consideration on and action of a request for the Emergency Remediation Expenses for Water Backup at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) building, located at 1701 Columbia Avenue. This item is requested by Brecca Carter, Director of Airport & Governmental Affairs. This is not a budgeted item. This affects Ward 3.
From staff: On January 17, 2024, Colliers International Real Estate Management discovered stormwater coming through the drainpipes in the auditorium. Water was coming up the drain in the air handler room and the personnel offices on the 1st Floor of the main building. Water had to be cut off in the main building to prevent any further damage. Federal Aviation Administration/Georgia Services Administration (FAA/GSA) officials and the City of College Park were immediately notified of the situation and Colliers’ actions. FAA notified their employees at which time telework went into effect immediately. The water problem did not affect the Daycare Center and the Campus Building (Phase II). Intercontinental Commercial Services (ICS) was the first company brought in to vacuum up the water and start drying out the carpet, via blowers, dehumidifiers and fans to prevent mold. Thereafter, Gene’s Plumbing Company helped to locate the clogged drain. It was determined that the clogged pipe was outside of the building around power lines, and communication lines. On Sunday, January 21, 2024, the clogged pipe was dug up by hand for safety & preventative reasons. FAA was notified that the drain had been cleared and they reopened the building on Monday, January 22, 2024.
The total cost for the work is $20,837.00 ($14,687.00 for the plumbing work and $6,150 to dry flooring & walls). The cost of the remediation will come from the Repair & Maintenance expense of the FAA Fund, which is currently available to cover all costs of this emergency project.
Staff recommends approval.
H. Consideration on and action to approve collateral assignment of station agreement by Clean Energy to Riverside Credit Management LLC. This item is requested by Hugh Richardson, Director of Power. This affects all Wards throughout the City.
From staff: In 2008, the City entered into an agreement with Clean Energy to provide a compressed natural gas (CNG) station to be located on City-owned property on Edison Drive. The City receives a royalty payment, paid quarterly, for $.05 per gasoline gallon equivalent of natural gas pumped at the station, or $1000 per month minimum. Since 2008, the City has received over $300,000 in royalty payments and currently receives around $4000 per month. Clean Energy is pursuing a credit arrangement for the facility on Edison Drive and since the City owns the property, a collateral assignment is necessary. In case of default on the credit arrangement, Riverside Credit Management LLC will have ownership of the CNG station.
The collateral assignment agreement will have no impact on revenue or expenses.
Staff recommends approval.
I. Consideration of and action on a request to purchase a 2024 Ford F-150 truck and a Transit Van from Wade Ford in the amount of $ 109,815. Requested by Michelle Johnson, Director of Recreation and Cultural and this will benefit Wards 1, 2, 3, and 4 in the City of College Park and is a budget item.
From staff: Recreation and Cultural Arts wishes to purchase a 2024 Ford F-150 from Wade Ford in the amount of $44,725.00 and a Transit Van in the amount of $64,090. The 2024 F-150 would replace a 1997 F-150 that was sold last year because it could not pass emissions and parts for the vehicle were increasingly difficult to obtain. The 15 passenger transit van would be used for programming. The additional van will assist with the three recreation centers’ needs for outings for seniors, transportation for participants and event support.
$90,000 of the funding would come the from Hotel/Motel Fund and with the additional $20,000 to come from the Recreation Capitol Project fund for sports lighting project. Wade Ford has a contract with the State of Georgia, so we are able get the same pricing by piggybacking on their contract.
Staff recommends approval.
J. Consideration of and action on a request to purchase a Fire Department Command Vehicle. See memorandum dated January 29, 2024 from Fire Chief Wade Elmore recommending purchase of a 2024 Chevy Silverado at state contract pricing from Hardy Fleet Group in the amount of $49,542.80, plus $20,000 to complete the 1st responder's package. Also, see attached background information. This is a partially budgeted item.
Fire Chief Wade Elmore has requested this item be removed from the agenda.
K. Consideration of and action on a request for approval to purchase two (2) power stretchers for the new transport capable ambulances being manufactured. See memorandum dated January 30, 2024, from Fire Chief Wade Elmore in the amount of $57,405.26. This is a budgeted item.
From staff: These stretchers are equipment for the two ambulances currently being manufactured. The power stretchers are utilized in assisting the EMTs with lifting and transporting patients to and from the transport capable ambulance units.
Staff selected Stryker, the provider of the equipment, through Sourcewell. Sourcewell is a local government unit and service cooperative that offers cooperative procurement solutions to government entities. Sourcewell issued a public solicitation for Critical Care and EMS Equipment from which Stryker was awarded a contract. This process eliminates the need for the City to issue an RFP and allows staff to address the city’s needs faster.
The funding for these power stretchers would come from the Car Rental Fund.
Staff recommends approval.
L. Consideration of and action on a request to review Hemsworth contract renewal. This is a request from the Chief Information Officer Michael Hicks. The scope of this contract affects all wards, city wide. This is a budgeted item.
Hemsworth Communications, the city’s public relations and crisis management firm, has prepared an Executive Summary for the work they performed on behalf of the City in 2023. Since beginning their work in February 2023 through December 2023, they reported the following data:
Number of Placements: 153
Impressions: 1,332,130,743
Advertising Value: $12,353,421.47
The Georgia International Convention Center, the Gateway Center Arena and the ATL Airport District all use Hemsworth for PR services, and the synergy between the organizations has been helpful to successfully brand and promote the city.
Hemsworth’s contract expired January 31, 2024. Renewal of the contract is a budgeted item through the communications department and the cost would be $45,600.
Staff has recommended review of the contract.
M. Consideration on and action of a request for Funding Approval: Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act – Environmental Protection Agency Community Grants Program Application for Storm Water Upgrades. This item is requested by Mohideen F. Buharie, City Engineer. This affects all Wards throughout the City.
We were fortunate enough to receive Community Project Funding last year through Congresswoman Nikema Williams’s office in the amount of $800,000 for storm water upgrades. In order to draw down the funds, we need to approve a resolution. As is the case with lots of federal funding, there are a number of hurdles we have to overcome to actually receive the funds. The process is a long one that usually spans at least six to nine months.
As an example, one of our federal priorities for the FY2024 Congressional budget was the Finding the Flint project. On behalf of the City, I conveyed our priorities to Congressman David Scott and our other federal representatives nearly a year ago, in March 2023. We didn’t find out until July 2023 that Finding the Flint, and our request for additional water storage, had made it through committee. The $500,000 in Community Project Funding for Finding the Flint and the $959,752 for the water storage project are still contingent upon Congress passing the FY2024 budget. I am not aware of any other efforts to secure federal funding for the Finding the Flint project other than the efforts that have been in the works since early 2023 through our city staff and our lobbyists in Washington, D.C., The Ferguson Group.
I am still hopeful my colleagues will revisit the decision to exit the contract with MARTA for the purchase of the seven acres at the Flint River Headwaters — and that they do it quickly. I am concerned about our ability to secure future federal funding if we are not in a position to accept the Community Project Funding that is currently on the table for that project because we do not own the land. I also want to ensure we maintain our strong relationship with MARTA, which could potentially be strained in a situation such as this.
Staff recommends approval on the resolution for the storm water upgrades. There is a 20% match requirement, so the City would need to contribute $160,000 at most. The City funding for the storm water project will be secured through the Storm Water Fund and specifically designated storm water infrastructure and improvements over the coming years.
N. Consideration on and action of a request to approve vendor "MKC Enterprise A Clean Earth" as the City of College Park's 2024 Hazardous Waste Collection and Removal vendor. This item is being requested by the Sanitation Superintendent, Cedric Hand. This service will be available at the division of Public Works for the City. This is a budgeted item.
This contract is for hazardous waste collection and removal during the annual household hazardous waste collection day. It is scheduled for Saturday, April 13, 2024, from 8:00 am until 3:00 pm. MKC Enterprises A Clean Earth was the lowest bidder by about $250. They’ve worked with the City in the past.
The cost to the city is $12,611.96.
Staff recommends approval.
O. Consideration on and action of a request to pay Jewel of The South Inc. for an emergency repair of a 8-inch’ sanitary sewer system & 6-inch sewer service line in the amount of $38,225.00. This Item is requested by Water & Sewer Superintendents, Timothy Lewis & Antwan Dorsey. This is a budgeted item. This affects all Wards in the City.
From staff: The existing 8-inch sanitary sewer main & 6-inch sewer service line located at 1808 Cambridge Avenue collapsed causing a void in the road. Our on-demand contractor, Jewel of The South, has made the necessary emergency repairs.
The cost to the City is $38,225.00.
Staff recommends approval.
P. Consideration on and action of a request to approve and review the "updated version" for the Intergovernmental Agreement for the Provision of Animal Control Services between the County of Fulton, Georgia and the City of College Park, Georgia. This item is being requested by City Manager, Dr. Emmanuel Adediran, Interim City Manager. This agreement will service Wards, 1, 2, 3 and 4. This is a budgeted Item.
We approved an earlier version of this contract in January. Instead of charging each city a flat rate for the duration of the contract as was the case in the earlier version, this contract says “[t]he cost to the City will be based on classification and location of calls received by the animal control services vendor during the month of service. Each City will pay their percentage use of the total cost to operative the service based on the call information.” We are one of the less frequent users of Fulton County Animal Control Services because we have a staff member, Mike Antol, who is our in-house Animal Control Officer.
The cost to the City will vary depending upon level of use of Fulton County Animal Control Services.
Staff has recommended approval.
Q. Consideration on and action of a request to approve replacement purchase of Sanitation Unit #498 for a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 4x4 1500 from Griffin Chevrolet under State Contract in the amount of $48,760.00 which includes the delivery charge of $160.00. This item is being requested by Sanitation Superintendent, Cedric Hand. This request will support sanitation services throughout the City in Wards, I, II, III and IV. This is a partially budgeted item.
From staff: The vehicle this truck is replacing is a Ford F-350 that is 18 years old and has been out of service for over a year due to engine failure. Griffin Chevrolet of Sylvester has a contract with the State of Georgia, so we are able get the same pricing by piggybacking on their contract.
There is $40,000 budgeted for this purchase. The remaining balance of $8,760 will need to be identified.
Staff has recommended approval.
R. Consideration on and action of a request to approve a Moratorium on warehouses and any projects including semi-truck storage, drop yard and or trailer parking. This item is being requested by Councilman Carn. This is not a budgeted item. This affects all Wards throughout the City.
This is the only supporting documentation for this agenda item. If we are to enact a moratorium, we have to be clear about the circumstances that warrant it and the time frame of the moratorium. That is best done through a resolution. There is not a proposed resolution in this packet.
S. Consideration on and action of a request for the naming of the “new” streets in the Six West development after the Ivy League HBCU's. This item is requested by Councilwoman Tracie Arnold. This is not a budgeted Item. This affects Wards 1 and 2.
From Councilmember Arnold: The origins of streets of College Park center around the names of non HBCU's Ivy League Colleges and Universities. Therefore, it is proposed that the naming of the new streets within the Six West development be named after the high-performing or affluently HBCU's that are consider to make up the Black Ivy league, listed below:
· Dillard University
· Fisk University
· Hampton University
· Howard University
· Morehouse College
· Spelman College
· Tuskegee University
· Clark Atlanta University
· Claflin University
It is my understanding from looking at the proposed street name map (see above) Councilmember Arnold attached in an e-mail that these are not new streets, but rather new names for existing streets.
If we are to rename streets in the Six West area, I think we should take the opportunity to rename them after prominent members of the community who once lived there. We took a step in this direction with the renaming of Rhodes St. to Lottie Miller Boulevard. There are many people who were instrumental in the development of the Black community in College Park and this could be yet another way to honor their legacy.
It is also imperative for us to consider the impact any street name changes would have on current residents and businesses on these streets. For instance, the change from College Street to Fisk Road would, based upon the above map, impact Aye Tea Elle and Cycle Gang. The conversion of John Wesley Ave. to FAM University Drive would affect Odyssey Family Counseling.
Staff has recommended consideration and approval.
T. Consideration on and action of a request to for modification to the annual contract for Warren Bond Photography in the amount of $20,000. This Item is being requested by the Interim City Manager. Dr. Emmanuel Adediran. This is not a budged item. This affects all Wards throughout the City.
From Staff: Warren Bond Photography has served as the official photographer of the city since 1963. They are requesting a mid-year modification from $68,499.96 to $88,499.96 for several reasons:
1. The majority, if not all the events are now covered by Warren Bond Photography.
2. Over the past year and a half their requests have grown exponentially.
3. The cost of business has increased significantly due to inflation, labor, and materials.
They serve not only as the photographer at city events, but also do crime scene photography and are available 24/7/365.
This is not a budgeted item. Staff did not provide a funding source.
Staff recommends approval.
U. Consideration of and action on a request for direction on the selection of a date and location for the Mayor & City Council 2024 Retreat. This item is being requested by Interim City Manager Dr. Emmanuel Adediran. This is not a budgeted item.
The governing body has said on multiple occasions that we think a retreat is a good idea. I’m not certain why getting dates and a location is on the agenda. This seems like something that could be handled administratively.
V. Consideration of and action on a request to revise the Family & Medical Leave (FMLA) Policy, Section 7.4. This request is sponsored by the Office of the City Manager. This is not a budgeted item. This does not affect any Wards.
At least one of my colleagues has requested a review and update of our FMLA policy. It is important our policies align with all applicable laws.
