Douglas County Board of Commissioners Meeting Summary – June 6th, 2023

The Board of Commissioners Meeting on June 6th, 2023 covered various topics, including the approval of appointments to the Personnel Review Board and the Douglas County Housing Authority, the authorization of school flasher systems installation on Riverside Parkway for traffic operations, and the preliminary stages of a construction management contract for electronic security monitoring at the Law Enforcement and Detention Center.

The board expressed concern regarding the 10% fee for project management oversight, tabled the proposal, and emphasized the need for a contract before moving forward. The discussion also touched on the DB (Disadvantaged Business) participation in projects, outreach to Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBEs), and the approval of several grants and agreements. Finally, the meeting discussed challenges in reaching different populations for participation in court programs, and the need for traffic calming measures in Riverside.

The Commission also discussed traffic issues in multi-family dwelling neighborhoods and approved an annual veterans community outreach day. They made announcements regarding the Douglas County Transit Master Plan, probate office hours, and the second annual Juneteenth celebration featuring local artists in dance, music, visual art, and food. Commissioner Robinson also announced his eighth annual HOA Boot Camp event and an upcoming community chat with Commissioner Dobbs on the second Saturday of every month. The commissioners are inviting all citizens to participate in these events to create opportunities for open communication. The meeting recessed until 6 p.m. for a joint BOC and planning zoning meeting.

• 00:05:00 In this section of the commission meeting, the board discusses amending the agenda to add the Personnel Review Board appointment back onto the list, which had been removed without the board’s knowledge. There is a motion to amend the agenda, followed by a discussion to table Item 20 until the meeting date of June 20th. Although the motion receives a second, some members are hesitant to table Item 20, which concerns approval to enter into a construction management contract for electronic security monitoring at the Law Enforcement and Detention Center. They argue that the procurement process was conducted properly and want it to remain on the consent agenda.
• 00:10:00 In this section, a board member expresses concern regarding a premium fee for project management oversight and requests more data and justification before making a decision. They suggest removing the premium fee from the consent agenda and delaying the decision until more information can be obtained. Another board member voices their concerns about not having a contract to review before making a decision and suggests tabling the decision until a contract can be uploaded. Despite these reservations, the board ultimately agrees to move forward with item 20.
• 00:15:00 In this section, the Board of Commissioners discusses new business, specifically a motion to reflect their votes accurately in the meeting minutes. There is confusion about a bid for an electronic security memo award and whether it’s a solid $10,000 or up to 10%. The commissioners clarify that the $70,000 bid is a cap and the contractor will evaluate and assess the complexity of the security system, which could raise the price up to 10%. The board has not yet drafted a contract and is in the period of notice of intent to award, awaiting approval to negotiate with the vendor and finalize the particulars of the contract.
• 00:20:00 In this section, the board discusses the proposed construction management contract but expresses confusion about how the pricing will be handled. The main concern is whether the 10% fee for oversight is reasonable or not. They worry that it may set a precedent for future contracts. The attorney notes that, without an official contract, they cannot approve the proposal. The sheriff’s office has not made a request for the $70,000 yet, and the attorney advises that any contract must be included in the minutes of the board to be accepted.
• 00:25:00 In this section of the BOC Commission Meeting 060623, a commissioner questions if there is anything in writing for a $70,000 contract that needs to be signed to begin a project. It is clarified that once a vendor submits their bid, that amount is the price they are held to and evaluated on. The commissioner makes a motion to table the contract until further details are provided, and the motion carries. Later, the meeting begins with an invocation and the Pledge of the Flag.
• 00:30:00 In this section of the BOC Commission Meeting, Mr. Edwin Daniel speaks about the Personnel Review Board and how they need a new member to be appointed in order to elect a chairman and vice chairman. He also discusses the history of the Merit system, which was originally a state law and later became a part of the county ordinance. Daniel emphasizes that the Merit system can be changed, including the election process.
• 00:35:00 In this section, the board discusses various meeting minutes and a public hearing for a 45-day comment period regarding the 24 through 26 disadvantaged business Enterprise goal as required by the Federal Transit board. Though no one was present to speak during the public hearing, the board takes time to explain the process and the methodology used to arrive at the 2.63 for their DB for the next three years. They also discuss the need for Commissioners to meet with the Personnel Review Board to air out any concerns.
• 00:40:00 In this section of the BOC Commission Meeting, the focus is on the DB (Disadvantaged Business) participation in projects. The report shows that certain projects such as shelter installation and automatic personnel counters for buses and support vehicles do not have a lot of DB participation. In some cases, there was zero participation in DB. However, the commission has scheduled outreach to DBEs through working with consolidated firms and organizing meetings with Marta and Georgia D.O.T. Additionally, they discussed the small business DBE plan, which is a program that goes above what the FTA is asking and includes assigning staff to support and permanently uplift DBE representation in government contracts. Finally, the commission made appointments to the Personnel Review Board and the Animal Control Advisory Board.
• 00:45:00 In this section, the Douglas County Commission Meeting discusses various topics such as approving appointments for the Douglas County Library Board and the Douglas County Housing Authority, as well as authorizing the acceptance of several grants and agreements. Deputy clerk Sherry Mathis reads the items on the consent agenda, including the approval of infrastructure grants and independent contractor agreements for juvenile programs. The Commission also authorizes the approval of an MOU with Pine Lake MHP and the Douglasville Water and Sewer Authority outlining the obligation and responsibilities of each party. These items were all approved with a 5-0 vote.
• 00:50:00 In this section, the BOC Commission Meeting covered several authorizations, including granting construction ownership and operation of public and private infrastructure with no impact on the budget, authorizing the installation of school flashers on Riverside Parkway to facilitate traffic operations, and accepting right-of-way dedication on Highway 78 Veterans Memorial Highway. Additionally, the meeting discussed a collaborative agreement with Faithful Guardian LLC to provide SOE MsT and the C-A-A-H-E-P approved paramedic education at no cost to the county. A data report was submitted by the Chanceum Court, showing the success of the family treatment court and the demographics of those being served.
• 00:55:00 In this section of the BOC Commission Meeting, the discussion focuses on the challenges of reaching different populations in the county to participate in court programs offered due to mistrust in the court system. The demographics of those participating in the program are primarily minimum wage-earning women and minorities with low participation rates from men. The discussion also covers how to select individuals for the program and the importance of buy-in within the program. The conversation then shifts to mobile home communities in Douglas County, of which there are 14, and the need for traffic calming measures in Riverside due to its dense population.
• 01:00:00 In this section of the BOC Commission Meeting, the commissioners discussed traffic issues in multi-family dwelling neighborhoods, and how they have taken steps such as putting up flashing lights and stoplights in certain areas to ensure safety and awareness. The Board of Commissioners also approved an annual veterans community outreach day, scheduled for June 10th, with various veterans organizations attending to assist with benefits, homelessness, job placement, and more. Additionally, there were announcements regarding the Douglas County Transit Master Plan, probate office hours, and the second annual Juneteenth celebration, which will feature the work of seven local artists in dance, music, visual art, and food. Finally, Commissioner Robinson made an announcement about his eighth annual 808 boot camp event, which invites community members to discuss important matters such as code enforcement, air b2bs, HOA litigation, and conflict resolution.
• 01:05:00 In this section of the video, two commissioners announce upcoming events for constituents to participate in. The first is the 8th Annual HOA Boot Camp, which will take place on the last Saturday of August. The second is a community chat with Commissioner Dobbs on the second Saturday of every month, beginning on June 10th, to discuss important topics and concerns. The commissioners want to invite all citizens to participate in these events and create opportunities for open communication. There was no need to go into executive session, and the meeting recessed until 6 p.m. for a joint BOC and planning zoning meeting.