Downtown Development Authority Meeting

Downtown Development Authority Meeting Monday, February 02, 2026 at 6:30 PM City Hall, 875 Main Street, Stone Mountain, Georgia 30083 Minutes I. Call to Order Carl Wright called the meeting to order at 6:37 p.m. • Members Present: Carl Wright, Robert Witherspoon, Denise Phillips, Anita Bass and Sarah Hage. Thom DeLoach and the DDA Attorney attended the meeting virtually. Mayor Linder also joined the discussion. Michelle Dunbar was absent from the meeting. II. Approval of the Agenda: Sarah Hage made a motion to amend the agenda to include discussions regarding the TAD, DDA members’ terms, and a message from Mayor Linder. The motion was seconded by Anita Bass and was unanimously approved. III. Approval of Minutes: Motion by Anita Bass to approve the DDA Regular Meeting Minutes for December 10, 2025, seconded by Sarah Hage. Unanimously approved. IV. Citizen Comments: no comments. V. Director's Report: the DCA monthly report for December 2025 was provided. VI. Council Report: Council Member Bass provided an update on the latest Council meeting. VII. Old Business 1. Approval of the FY2026 DDA Budget: Motion by Denise Phillips to approve the proposed budget, seconded by Anita Bass. Unanimously approved. 2. Approval of the CITY/DDA IGA for FY2026: Motion by Denise Phillips to approve the proposed City/DDA IGA for FY2026, seconded by Sarah Hage. Unanimously approved. VIII. New Business 1. Discussion Item: Mayor’s Remarks on Council Vision and DDA Collaboration: Mayor Linder joined the DDA meeting and led a discussion regarding the City Council’s vision and mission for the City. He emphasized the important role the Downtown Development Authority plays in supporting economic growth and shaping the City’s future development. Mayor Linder expressed his interest in coordinating a joint meeting between the DDA and City Council in the near future to discuss shared priorities and key projects the DDA would like to accomplish. 2. Commercial Grant Application / Hilda Wells / 955 Main Street: The DDA requested a copy of the lease agreement between the business owner and the property owner. Thom DeLoach made a motion to approve the $25,000 commercial grant request, contingent upon receipt of all required permits. The six-month project completion timeline will begin once the permits have been issued. The motion was seconded by Anita Bass and was unanimously approved. Unanimously approved.  3. Commercial Grant Application / Georgia Stars Academy / 1054 Main Street: The DDA requested a copy of the lease agreement between the business owner and the property owner, as well as a signed consent form from the property owner. Denise Phillips made a motion to approve the $25,000 commercial grant request, contingent upon receipt of all required permits. The six-month project completion timeline will begin once the permits have been issued. The motion was seconded by Anita Bass and was unanimously approved. Robert Witherspoon recused himself from the vote, as he is a business tenant at Stone Mountain Plaza, where Georgia Stars Academy is also located. 4. TAD Discussion: the discussion was postponed till another meeting. 5. DDA Members’ Terms: The DDA Chair confirmed the current terms of office for each board member. IX. Executive Session to Discuss Personnel, Legal, and/or Real Estate (if needed): there was no executive session. X. Adjournment: Motion by Sarah Hage to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Robert Witherspoon. Unanimously approved.