8/19/2024 Meeting Preview

You’ll see below the agenda highlights for our second meeting in August. 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 August 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.

7. Public Hearings

A. Consideration of and action on a request to approve a conditional use permit for a foster care support services facility at 1699 Phoenix Parkway in a BP district. This is a public hearing. Ward 3 Tracie Arnold.

There is no supporting documentation in the agenda packet.

8. Consent Agenda

As I noted in an earlier post, “[a]ccording to the Georgia Municipal Association’s Handbook for Mayors and Councilmembers, a consent agenda can be a useful tool when a governing body has a lot of business to cover. It typically includes noncontroversial items or those previously discussed and needing final approval, such as permit issuances, street closures, or bill authorizations. While a consent agenda can save time, it should never be used to bypass public participation or stifle open dialogue.

We regularly utilized consent agendas in 2023. The items on the consent agenda were part of the workshop session for discussion and then approved in the regular meeting. Any member of the body could pull an item off of the consent agenda in the regular session for individual consideration. This process ensured each elected official understood the business at hand before a vote.”

Eighteen items are on this consent agenda. There is no place for discussion of these items in the workshop or earlier on the agenda. That being said, I have some questions.

I. Consideration of and action to approve a proposal for a Chess Pavilion at Charles E. Phillips Park. This item is requested by Councilman Roderick Gay. This is a budgeted item. This item will serve Ward 4.

I cannot tell from the agenda packet if this has been put out to bid but I am unsure if it would necessitate such a process.

J. Consideration of and action on a request to approve payment of the Facade Grant in the amount of $10,000.00 to McKenzie Brother Realty, LLC. This item is being requested by Subretha Beasley. This items is a budgeted item.

From the supporting documentation, I am uncertain that this will go to facade improvement. I do not see a plan for same.

O. Consideration of and action on a request to approve a citywide services contract with Favor House for annual back to school activities in the budgeted amount of $15,000.00. This is a budgeted item. Serves all wards.

Favor House was on the agenda to receive $50,000 at the August 5, 2024 meeting for food distribution. I think some of the services outlined in the contract duplicate the city’s contract with Ignite Resource Center as well. This is the first of three items proposed with a member of the Business and Industrial Development Authority (BIDA) on the agenda. I also am unclear why the Mayor Pro Tem is listed as the signatory on behalf of the city on this contract. We’ve also already gone through back-to-school season so I’m unsure if this is somehow reimbursement for services provided.

Q. Consideration of and action on a request of the reconstruction of Hole #4 Green at the College Park Golf Course. This item is requested by Yanous Barner. This service is in Ward 2

There is no supporting documentation.

R. Consideration of and action to approve a proposal from Emergent Life Skills and Education Consulting for a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Empowerment Zone in Ward 1. The project cost is $30,000 and is budgeted through the Community Enhancement Community Initiative for 2024-2025. Sponsored by Councilwoman Jamelle McKenzie.

The proposal doesn’t have a budget attached, so I’m unclear how the project cost has been determined to be $30,000. I don’t know specifically what the city’s funds will support for this project, when we could expect it to launch, or how we would measure deliverables. This is the second item on the agenda that proposes a contract with a member of BIDA.

9. Other Business

A. Consideration of and action for the approval of a Down Payment Assistance Homebuyer's Workshop. This item is requested by Selissa Jefferson and Jennine Hunter. This item will serve all Wards.

I am still unclear about the ask of the requesters from the city in regard to this program. This is the third item on the agenda involving a member of BIDA.

C. Discussion of Millage Rate, approve recommended Millage Rate for FY 2024- 25. Advertisement and Press Release. This item is requested by Karen Slaton-Dixon, Interim Director of Finance & Accounting.

I am in favor of rolling back the millage rate to 11.608 mills. This would result in property tax bills remaining the same as last year. Based upon my conversation with our financial advisor, this would still result in slightly more property tax revenue than was anticiapted in the 2024-2025 budget.

E. Our citizens and guest has been asking for wireless access more and more as we prepare all of our locations for citizens access. Wireless upgrade city wide using Fortinet our firewall provider for better Cyber Security. This upgrade will be for all buildings and some outdoor locations. This request is from Michael Hicks, Chief Information Officer.

I do not know if there has been a solicitation for bids for this service.

D. Consideration of and action on a request to increase the city employee utility credit amount from $200.00 per month to $400.00 per month for fulltime employees and from $100.00 per month to $200.00 per month for part-time employees. This increase applies to city employees who live in College Park. Consideration request on behalf of Councilman Joe Carn.

There is no supporting documentation. I do not believe this has been budgeted; there is no information about the financial impact to the city of this initiative. I would also be curious what percentage of employees exhaust their utility credit now.