Mayor and City Council Regular Session

Mayor and City Council Regular Session Tuesday, October 01, 2024 at 6:30 PM City Hall, 875 Main Street, Stone Mountain, Georgia 30083 Minutes Mayor and Council: Dr. Beverly Jones – Mayor | Post 3 :Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Smith Post 1: Council Member Anita Bass | Post 2: Council Member Mark Marianos Post 4: Council Member Gil Freeman | Post 5: Council Member Shawnette Bryant Post 6: Council Member Teresa Crowe Staff: Shawn Edmondson - Interim City Manager - City Clerk | Danny Mai - Assistant City Clerk | Jeff Strickland - City Attorney City of Stone Mountain, GA Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CityofStoneMtn/ Link to join Webinar: [https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82926013751] Call to Order The meeting was called to order by the Mayor at 6:34 PM. Determination of Quorum PRESENT Council Member: Post 1 Anita Bass (Online) Council Member: Post 2 Mark Marianos Mayor Pro Tem: Post 3 Ryan Smith Council Member: Post 4 Gil Freeman Council Member: Post 5 Shawnette Bryant Council Member: Post 6 Teresa Crowe Mayor Beverly Jones Invocation and Pledge The Mayor led the Pledge of Allegiance at 6:36 PM ET, followed by the invocation at 6:36 PM ET. Citizen Comments – Including comments from public/stakeholders (3 minutes per comment) Comments from the Public The public comments are reserved exclusively for comments from the public and not for immediate reply. The purpose of public comment is to allow the public to voice city related requests, concerns or opinions only during the public comment portion of the City Council meeting. I. The Mayor and City Council reserves the right to extend or limit the length of public comments based on: (1) the issue under discussion; (2) the number of items on the agenda; and (3) the extent to which the speaker remains constructive in their comments and questions. II. The public may not directly confront the public speaker but must direct all comments and questions to the Mayor and City Council. III. Public harassment of or confrontation with a public speaker will not be tolerated. Members of the public violating tenets two or three will be asked to sit down or leave the premises. Citizen Comment #1 – A. Williams: Williams emphasized the urgent need for the repair of the speed sign at the intersection of Mountain View and Stone Trace. He stressed that this action is critical for enhancing traffic safety in the area. Citizen Comment #2 – Cheryl Dudley: Dudley spoke on the vital importance of voter participation, stressing the need for continued awareness and advocacy to ensure individuals' voting rights are protected. She outlined various strategies aimed at preventing disenfranchisement. Citizen Comment #3 – Joan Monroe: Monroe raised concerns regarding the availability of crime reports, advocating for the publication of these reports online to increase transparency. She also expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of Mainstreet, citing issues with its visibility and condition. Citizen Comment #4 – Shante Lewis: Lewis addressed the ongoing challenges faced by the community in the aftermath of the recent hurricane, particularly the lack of timely trash collection and disruptions to mail services. She called for immediate attention and resolution of these issues to restore normalcy for residents. Citizen Comment #5 – Kay Nunez: Nunez expressed her appreciation for the Council’s efforts in advancing safety measures throughout the city. She commended the progress made and acknowledged the positive impact these initiatives have had on the community. Citizen Comment #6 – Ms. Thomas: Thomas voiced concerns regarding the proposed bond, cautioning against the potential risks associated with bonding the funds. She urged the Council to thoroughly evaluate the long-term liabilities and financial implications before proceeding. Citizen Comment #7 – Clint Monroe: Monroe highlighted the importance of maintaining comprehensive incident response plans, including the need for a reliable backup generator. He inquired about the type of fuel source being used for the generator and reiterated the importance of voter registration and participation in upcoming elections. Review of the Journal (Interim City Manager & City Clerk Edmondson) 1. Request Minutes from City Council Meeting [09.17.2024] be approved (Pages 4-10) MOTION TO APPROVE Motion made by Mayor Pro Tem: Post 3 Smith, Seconded by Council Member: Post 2 Marianos. Voting Yea: Council Member: Post 1 Bass, Council Member: Post 2 Marianos, Mayor Pro Tem: Post 3 Smith, Council Member: Post 6 Crowe Voting Nay: Council Member: Post 4 Freeman, Council Member: Post 5 Bryant MINUTES APPROVED Reading of Communications Adoption of The Agenda of The Day MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA FOR TODAY'S MEETING Motioned by Mayor Pro Tem: Post 3 Smith, Seconded by Council Member: Post 6 Crowe. Voting Yea: Council Member: Post 1 Bass, Council Member: Post 2 Marianos, Mayor Pro Tem: Post 3 Smith, Council Member: Post 4 Freeman, Council Member: Post 5 Bryant, Council Member: Post 6 Crowe City Manager’s Report 2. Interim City Manager - Shawn Edmondson (Pages 11-26) The report can be found in the Agenda Package and on the City Website. Council Policy Discussion Topics Unfinished Business 3. Discussion on the soft quotes (quotes may vary upon inspection) received from Forensic Audit Firms: IAG Forensics & Valuation, Forensic Brothers Investigative Services investigators, Moore Colson. (Interim City Manager Edmondson). (Pages 27-70) Interim City Manager Edmondson provided an overview of the quotes included in the agenda package and clarified the accompanying information. No action was taken. 4. Discussion on DDA (CM Gil Freeman) The item has been postponed to the next session. New Business 5. Discussion and approval of an agreement between Pond & Company and the City of Stone Mountain for additional services related to the schematic design of the Baptist Lawn property and adjacent Georgia Military College property, aimed at developing a public greenspace for special events. The scope includes two tasks: Task 1 – Existing Conditions Assessment (including survey) for $19,950.00 and Task 2 – Concept Design for $35,550.00, totaling $55,500.00. (Interim City Manager Edmondson) (Pages 71-74) There are no action items. 6. Discussion and Approval of Procedures for City Contracts; in order to, review and approve the proper procedures for managing and signing City Contracts. (MPT Ryan Smith & CM Teresa Crowe) There are no action items. 7. Discussion and approval to pursue a Bond Counsil to guide the process in applying and receiving a bond for SPLOST II. (Interim City Manager Edmondson) There are no action items. New Ordinances and Resolutions  8. Discussion and Approval of Resolution 2024-06, A resolution to allocation the remaining ARPA Funds (Interim City Manager Edmondson) Interim City Manager requested that this item be struck from the agenda and removed. Remarks of Privilege Announcements by The Mayor Executive Session to Discuss Personnel, Legal, Cyber Security and/or Real Estate MOTION TO MOVE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION Motion made by Mayor Pro Tem: Post 3 Smith, Seconded by Council Member: Post 2 Marianos. Voting Yea: Council Member: Post 1 Bass, Council Member: Post 2 Marianos, Mayor Pro Tem: Post 3 Smith, Council Member: Post 4 Freeman, Council Member: Post 5 Bryant, Council Member: Post 6 Crowe MOTION APPROVED MOTION TO APPOINT MAGGIE DIMOV AS ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER: Motion made by Mayor Pro Tem: Post 3 Smith, Seconded by Council Member: Post 2 Marianos. Voting Yea: Council Member: Post 1 Bass, Council Member: Post 2 Marianos, Mayor Pro Tem: Post 3 Smith, Council Member: Post 6 Crowe Voting Nay: Council Member: Post 4 Freeman, Council Member: Post 5 Bryant MOTION PASSES Adjournment