Mayor & Commission Meetings

GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES Monday, October 21, 2024 Committee Members Present: Committee Members Absent: Commissioner Patrick Davenport, Committee Chair Commissioner Mike Hamby Commissioner Tiffany Taylor Commissioner Melissa Link Commissioner Dexter Fisher Staff: Andrew Saunders, Interim-Assistant Manager Shemekia Armstrong, Deputy Clerk Sherrie Hines, Deputy Chief Attorney Melinda Lord, Interim HCD Director Austin Jackson, Senior Assistant Attorney Jeff Montgomery, Communications Director Courtney Davis, Senior Assistant Attorney Jean Spratlin, Clerk of Commission (Phone) Chinesia Thompson, Recorder Sarah George, Assistant to the Manager Committee Chair Davenport called the meeting to order at 1:02 p.m. A. Approval of Minutes: Commissioner Link made the motion to approve the Minutes of the September 16, 2024 meeting. Commissioner Fisher seconded the motion and it passed by unanimous vote. B. Commission Identified Items of Interest: Develop a plan to restart the Land Bank Authority (Mayor Girtz assigned to GOC on October 3, 2023) The meeting began with Interim Assistant Manager Andrew Saunders providing an introduction on the topic of the Landbank Authority. He shared that the committee would be discussing questions they had about setting up a Landbank authority. Saunders then turned the meeting over to Melinda Lord. Melinda Lord started by briefly reviewing the state laws that currently govern landbank authorities in Georgia. She provided a brief history of the ACC Land Bank Authority and shared the resolution that established it, noting that the resolution was specific to addressing nuisance properties and transforming them into tax-generating assets for the county. Melinda discussed the powers invested in the land bank authority regarding properties, as well as the bylaws that were adopted, which incorporated everything allowed under Georgia law for a landbank authority. Melinda mentioned that the committee has an opportunity to hear from a guest speaker, Shawn Edwards, who is the executive director of the Augusta Georgia Land Bank Authority. Edwards is willing to meet with the committee at the November 18th meeting. Prior to that November meeting, Melinda asked that any questions from the committee members be submitted to staff so that Mr. Edwards can prepare accordingly.  The committee discussed the creation and composition of the executive board for the land bank authority. Melinda Lord mentioned that it is encouraged to have board members with expertise in areas like real estate, property management, and development. The committee raised concerns about whether the land bank authority would compete with existing non-profit organizations working on affordable housing. Melinda stated that the land bank authority would actually expand access to affordable housing rather than reduce it. The committee asked if the land bank authority would be sufficient if it focused solely on affordable housing. Melinda responded that she would not want to limit the authority's scope, as it is capable of addressing a wider range of issues beyond just affordable housing. There were also questions about which department the executive director would be housed in and to whom they would report. Melinda explained that the board members would not be county employees, but rather an independent authority reporting to their own board. Andrew Saunders noted that the most successful land bank authorities have dedicated resources, including staff and the ability to engage legal and financial services. He stated that staff intends to present the committee with what an operational budget could look like. Andrew suggested potential funding sources, such as using existing housing dollars, transferring suitable county-owned properties to the land bank, or a general fund contribution in the FY26 budget cycle. The committee expressed interest in staff bringing back a list of ACC-owned properties that have been identified as suitable for affordable housing or revenue generation. Recommend updates to BAC procedures as recommended by Manager’s Office, Public Information Office and the Clerk of Commission (Mayor Girtz assigned to GOC on July 19, 2022) Regarding Boards, Authorities, and Commissions (BACs), Andrew Saunders informed the committee that there have been key questions around compensation, staff involvement, and other issues. Today, he wants to take a deeper dive where staff can get direction for resolving some of those questions. He mentioned that any significant changes would be added into the BAC manual and recommended to the full Mayor & Commission body. Andrew stated that the committee would touch on all BACs today and discuss whether there is any desire to combine or eliminate some. He reminded the committee of the different tiers of BACs, noting that they would be mostly focused on tier 2 BACs, which the committee has the most control over. Andrew then asked the committee how they might change the application and interview process for BACs. He mentioned several key points to consider, such as whether the Mayor and Commission should be involved, the format of BAC interviews, reappointments, and allowing applicants to specify primary and secondary interests rather than being open to serve on any BAC. The committee discussed these questions and expressed interest in conducting virtual interviews. However, Attorney Sherrie Hines noted that if interviews were done virtually, there would need to be less than a quorum of both Commissioners and committee members participating. Government Operations Committee Meeting Minutes Page 2 10212024  The committee also discussed the process for making recommendations on applicants. Andrew brought up the topic of reappointments, asking the committee if they wanted to continue the current "all call" approach or instead check with members about their interest in reappointment and do a quick screening before the open application period. The committee debated reappointments, term limits, and other related issues. Andrew shared that staff recommended having applicants list their primary and secondary interests, rather than indicating they are open to serve on any BAC. The committee agreed. They also discussed tailoring the application questions to be specific to each BAC, with Jeff Montgomery noting this would be straightforward for his department. The committee discussed the training requirements for BAC members. Currently, the training is conducted through the Learning Management System (LMS) and requires an ACC email address. Staff recommended to the committee enforcing mandatory training and giving BAC members approximately 180 days to complete the training. If the training is not completed within the allotted time, staff recommended automatic removal from the BAC. The committee also discussed having BAC members sign a form to ensure they understand the training and the open meetings act. Staff recommended updating the policy and manual to state that BAC members can only serve on one committee. The committee discussed allowing BAC members to serve on one committee, but they were not opposed to them serving on a mayor-appointed committee. The committee then discussed whether ACC employees should be allowed to serve on BACs. The staff recommended that full-time employees not be allowed to serve on BACs. The committee also discussed that some BACs were formed by resolutions and some by ordinances. The staff asked if they should prepare general ordinances for Tier 2 BACs, and staff agreed to prepare ordinances for those that do not have one. The committee then talked about whether BACs should receive stipends. Andrew mentioned that there is a cost associated with stipends and recommended a unified stipend policy limited to one per month, to ensure equity across BACs. He also recommended no stipends for ACC staff or commissioners and that stipends be set as part of the ACC fee schedule. The committee discussed either paying everyone equitably or no one, and agreed to further discuss this once they decide which BACs will be combined. Andrew then addressed the process for removal, mentioning that the committee may want to automate attendance, training, and location, and recommended an appeals process. The committee agreed with the recommended process. Towards the end of the meeting, Andrew mentioned that he will send out a survey to Government Operations Committee (GOC) members on whether to retain, combine, or discontinue the BACs. The committee came to the consensus that the next meeting will be scheduled on November 18th at 12:00 PM. Commissioner Link made a motion to adjourned the meeting. Commissioner Taylor seconded. The motion passed by unanimous vote. The meeting adjourned at 2:39 p.m. Government Operations Committee Meeting Minutes Page 3 10212024