2018-03-08 · City Council · Transcript · Town Hall Meeting

--- title: Town Hall Meeting date: 2018-03-08 source: 2018-03-08_Town_Hall_Meeting.wav --- [0:00:07, 0:00:16]: Whatever, whatever. 50, whatever it is, whatever next 13 is. Like 60 minutes. Yeah, something like that. [0:00:20, 0:00:23]: I'll take it. [0:00:23, 0:00:43]: I saw a few a few. Okay. So look, we'll call that, right? What are you? [0:00:45, 0:01:05]: Okay. Okay. Are we ready or we technical difference? Ready? Okay. Uh to the fact I'm willing to give some. Okay. Thank you for the people tuning in. Well everyone we [0:01:04, 0:01:24]: We are going to get started momentarily. We are very grateful for your presence tonight. City of Stockbridge is presenting a community town hall meeting providing updates on a legislative process pertaining to an involuntary deannexation proposal by a group of citizens in this area. [0:01:24, 0:01:42]: a lot of people here. Again, we're very thankful for that. If there's someone standing that needs to sit for any medical or physical reason, please raise your hand or come towards us and someone else may give you their seat. If you need to sit down, please motion and we will assist you to get a seat. [0:01:46, 0:01:49]: feel free to do that throughout the process as well. [0:01:49, 0:02:09]: This is a community town hall. We want to hear from you. Um, first we're going to start with a welcome by our city manager, Mr. Randy Knighton. Then we will have a presentation providing some critical updates on what's going on in the legislation, also call to action information, action items you could be doing as citizens throughout this entire [0:02:09, 0:02:29]: Process. We will take question and answer verbally. We will have two microphones rotating, floating throughout the audience. So if you have a question or a comment, please raise your hand and we're gonna do our best to get to you tonight, okay? But we want to hear from you. This is your forum. Lastly, you're gonna hear from your elected leaders. There will be public comments. [0:02:29, 0:02:49]: Comments by our elected leaders, first starting off with Councilman Elton Alexander, followed by Councilman John Blount, followed by Councilwoman Neat Robinson, and then we will have our Councilman Thomas Alfonso Thomas, then we'll have Mayor Pro Tem Lakeisha Gann and Mayor Anthony S. Ford will conclude with public comments. But thank you for coming. [0:02:49, 0:02:55]: tonight we certainly appreciate it and we're gonna kick this event off starting off with City Manager Mr. Randy Knighton. [0:03:01, 0:03:05]: Thank you, Shannon. Before we begin with the welcome, we'll have an invocation by Bishop Breyer. [0:03:06, 0:03:07]: Thank you. [0:03:09, 0:03:12]: Let us go to our strength and our help. [0:03:14, 0:03:17]: Mighty and everlasting God, world without end. [0:03:17, 0:03:20]: We gather here today as citizens of this [0:03:20, 0:03:25]: beloved community as it approaches its hundredth birthday. [0:03:27, 0:03:30]: And like so many places in the world, unfortunately. [0:03:30, 0:03:31]: There's confusion. [0:03:32, 0:03:36]: The confusion comes from a lack of respect. [0:03:37, 0:03:39]: A lact of conscious [0:03:40, 0:03:42]: And a lack. [0:03:42, 0:03:43]: A moral fiver. [0:03:45, 0:03:48]: And it may be unusual to hear those words coming from a clergy person. [0:03:50, 0:03:52]: But I've lived here long enough to be able to say that. [0:03:53, 0:03:56]: That we should be a community of unity. [0:03:57, 0:03:58]: Progress. [0:03:59, 0:04:01]: A places for children. [0:04:01, 0:04:02]: The play. [0:04:03, 0:04:05]: Places for us to walk and shop. [0:04:06, 0:04:08]: places for us to meet together. [0:04:09, 0:04:12]: the plan for a better place called Stockbridge. [0:04:13, 0:04:16]: So we pray that those who are here tonight will [0:04:16, 0:04:19]: Use restrain even when they speak. [0:04:19, 0:04:21]: In spite of the situation. [0:04:22, 0:04:24]: give strength and moral courage to [0:04:25, 0:04:31]: the persons that we have put in an office for the city of Stockbridge and those who are the administrators. [0:04:32, 0:04:35]: Allow them to continue to battle forward. [0:04:36, 0:04:37]: Remember. [0:04:38, 0:04:40]: The worst thing that one could do [0:04:40, 0:04:42]: is to do nothing at all. [0:04:43, 0:04:48]: We ask in the mighty name of God that God would lead, guide and direct our steps. [0:04:48, 0:04:49]: Amen. [0:04:52, 0:05:12]: Thank you, Bishop Bryar, for that invitation. And certainly we want to thank everyone who is here tonight. Thank you so much for joining us on a very important evening. We've come to discuss a matter that is of quite s significance to the City of Stockbridge and to you as citizens of the city and surrounding community. [0:05:12, 0:05:32]: Uh we will seek our best to honor your time. Uh we apologize for for starting a little bit late. Obviously we have a very large crowd here. We also have a little bit of technical difficulty with the screen the screen to my right, uh which is inoperable, but the screen to my left is and I think most people have a hard copy of the presentation. [0:05:32, 0:05:52]: If you do and someone next to you doesn't, please share that with them so that everybody can follow the presentation as it follows. Again, we are here to discuss the proposed de-annexation, creation of a new city by taking a part of the existing city of Stockbridge. I want you to know. [0:05:52, 0:06:12]: uh that your elected officials have been hard at work uh for several months uh trying to halt this legislation from moving forward. Uh we're here tonight to give you a status report and to provide you with the facts. Okay? Obviously uh when something uh of this uh paramount importance [0:06:12, 0:06:13]: Yeah. [0:06:14, 0:06:30]: There are a number of myths and or innuendo conjecture out there in social media and elsewhere. And the purpose of a town hall meeting is to provide you with the facts and allow you to hear from staff who has been working uh very feverishly at the state capitol. [0:06:31, 0:06:51]: uh for several months and also to hear from uh your elected officials. We will try to move uh briskly through the presentation. It's quite a bit of information uh for you and as acknowledged uh your elected officials uh your mayor and council uh will speak to you at the close of this presentation [0:06:51, 0:07:06]: We'll also of course, once the presentation concludes, we'll have ample time for questions and answers to anything that you would like to bring forward in terms of a question or understanding this process and where we stand. [0:07:07, 0:07:27]: And with that, uh I will bring forth uh Camilla Moore, who will go through the presentation. She's the community development director for the city of Stockbridge. She also has extensive experience in incorporation of new cities, and in fact has worked on a number of uh uh new cities, in fact the most recent one, uh South Fulton. So she's been a tremendous [0:07:27, 0:07:39]: tremendous asset to the City of Stockbridge as we have had to navigate through this legislative process. Now before I begin also I want to acknowledge the presence of Representative Sandra Scott who is here. [0:07:45, 0:07:56]: She and Representative Demetrius Douglas and Senator Emmanuel Jones have been working tirelessly tirelessly on the behalf of the City of Stockbridge down at the state legislature. [0:07:57, 0:07:58]: Yes. [0:08:03, 0:08:17]: With no further delay, I'll present Camilla Moore, who will go through the presentation for this evening and will provide you with an update on where we stand as it relates to the House bills and Senate bills which are matriculating through the legislative process. [0:08:19, 0:08:22]: Great, thank you, Mr. Night. Good evening, Stockbridge. [0:08:23, 0:08:36]: Okay, if I was a Georgia legislator and we know that the media is here tonight, we're gonna try this one more time. Good evening, Stockbridge. Okay. There's word under the gold dome that you guys don't care. [0:08:37, 0:08:57]: So we I we want to show them that we do. And your presence here tonight, I think, sends a message to those that are watching that we do care about Stockbridge. This is a very complex process. And many of you have tried to go on the web to try to figure out where are we, what has happened, [0:08:57, 0:09:06]: What does this mean? So I'm going to attempt to take a very complex process and try to simplify it as much as possible. [0:09:07, 0:09:10]: So let's start. Who does not have a [0:09:10, 0:09:12]: Hard copy of the presentation. [0:09:16, 0:09:18]: Everybody has a copy, so if you will follow. [0:09:18, 0:09:20]: Got a couple of copies here. [0:09:21, 0:09:41]: What we're going to talk about tonight is the process for Senate Bill 262, 263, House Bill 638, 639. Now we use the word companion bills, and why do we do that? Because on each side of the chamber, as most of you know, there's a Senate and a House. They have identical bills. [0:09:41, 0:09:47]: in essence. So 262 Senate Bill has a companion bill, 638. [0:09:48, 0:10:00]: 263 Senate Bill has a companion bill 639. So I want you to remember that. The first two bills, 262, 638, are de-annexation bills. [0:10:02, 0:10:21]: two hundred sixty three and six thirty nine are incorporation bills. So historically in the state of Georgia, for the ten cities that have been incorporated under the Gold Dome, they have followed the law of two sixty three and six thirty nine. [0:10:22, 0:10:29]: What none of them have ever done is what 262 and 638 proposes to do in terms of deannexation. [0:10:31, 0:10:32]: So let's go to the first slide. [0:10:36, 0:10:42]: This is just a general overview of how these bills go through East Side. You got two chambers. [0:10:43, 0:10:48]: A bill is introduced in the House and the Senate. So you had 262. [0:10:49, 0:11:03]: And 263 dropping initially on the Senate side. Then you had 638 and 639 dropping on the House side. And then there's a process that each of these bills have to go through. [0:11:05, 0:11:08]: Now let's talk about House Bill 638. [0:11:09, 0:11:15]: You know they always say it's always a twist and how people do things, right? [0:11:16, 0:11:20]: Now six thirty-eight is real interesting. [0:11:20, 0:11:40]: Because typically most bills which have incorporated all of the ten cities came through as general bills. So when bills are introduced, they can be introduced in two ways, as a general bill or a local bill. [0:11:41, 0:11:51]: To introduce it as a local bill, it says it has to be germane to that city and to that city only. [0:11:52, 0:12:03]: So that's why all of the other ten bills from Al Farada, I mean from Sandy Springs to Johns Creek to South Fulton, were all general bills. [0:12:03, 0:12:18]: Well, the people for the proposed City of Eagles Landing, if it's in gray, you can always run with it, right? So there's a local statute, there's a local rule that says, well if you can get five signatures [0:12:19, 0:12:22]: Of five people in your delegation [0:12:22, 0:12:26]: Then you get to make this a local bill. [0:12:27, 0:12:41]: Now why is that disheartening to us? Because when the City of South Fulton came through this process, it didn't come through as a local bill, because it had to go to a subcommittee, and then a committee, and then a 4-4 vote. [0:12:42, 0:12:50]: When it becomes a local bill, it bypasses the entire process and goes directly to the floor for a vote. [0:12:51, 0:13:08]: Which means that none of the legislators in the state of Georgia got to weigh in on the local bill. Only the five signers. So when you look at this, this is what happened with 638. The Eagles Landing people requested their delegation members to introduce the bill. [0:13:08, 0:13:12]: They went to the legislative council who drafted the bill. [0:13:12, 0:13:14]: And then the bill [0:13:15, 0:13:22]: automatically, once it got the five signatures, automatically went to the floor for a vote. [0:13:24, 0:13:27]: So what is the status of House Bill 638? [0:13:29, 0:13:37]: When it went everybody with me? Okay. So when it was introduced, because it was a local bill [0:13:37, 0:13:41]: All local bills go to the Intergovernmental Coordinating Committee. [0:13:42, 0:13:48]: But it should have went to the Governmental Affairs Committee as a general bill, and it did not. [0:13:48, 0:14:08]: So it went as a local bill because you had five folks to sign it. And so here's the process. It went to the Intergovernmental Coordinating Committee as a local bill. It's requested by five individuals. This process bypassed all of the committees. It was listed on the consent calendar for a vote. Vote was held. Vote passed. [0:14:08, 0:14:08]: Done. [0:14:10, 0:14:15]: Bill was done, ready, to be pushed over to the Senate for action. [0:14:16, 0:14:23]: So here are the five signers of the bill. Some of you may want to know, well, your delegation is I think nine people. [0:14:24, 0:14:26]: And here are the five signs of the bill. [0:14:27, 0:14:29]: They are Dale Rutlich. [0:14:30, 0:14:38]: Andrew Andrew Welch, Brian Strickland, Karen Mathis, David Knight, and Jeff Cobble. [0:14:40, 0:14:43]: So those were the five signs of the bill. [0:14:44, 0:14:46]: Who chose to make it a local bill? [0:14:46, 0:14:56]: that put it in the hopper to bypass the traditional process that every other incorporation bill in Georgia had to go through. [0:14:57, 0:14:57]: Okay. [0:14:58, 0:14:59]: So [0:14:59, 0:15:05]: However, fate will always have you that there's a process that you can't get around. [0:15:06, 0:15:08]: Which is House Bill six thirty nine. [0:15:09, 0:15:17]: 639 is the incorporation bill that is required for every community that wants to incorporate. [0:15:18, 0:15:36]: This is the process that Sandy Springs, Johns Creek, Tucker, Brookehaven, and everybody else went through in order to get a decision by the Georgia General Assembly to have a referendum. So this bill has gone to the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee. That's where it went. [0:15:37, 0:15:49]: It was assigned to a subcommittee for consideration, the vote passed. Then it was assigned to the full committee, and the vote passed, but oh the wonderful rules committee. [0:15:50, 0:16:01]: The Rules Committee is comprised of legislators from across the state of Georgia, and they look at bills in terms of how is this going to impact me from Savannah? [0:16:02, 0:16:22]: How is this going to impact me from Delonega? How is this going to impact me from Mariana? How is this going to impact me from Atlanta? And so therefore, they look at this bill not only and what it can do to Stockbridge, they look at what it could possibly do to every other community. [0:16:21, 0:16:41]: Community as it relates to a process of incorporation and having a next-door neighbor. Does that make sense? Because everybody has to have a next-door neighbor, and everybody wants to weigh in whether or not you want a next-door neighbor, right? So when this got to the rules committee, because these two bills are tied together. [0:16:41, 0:16:42]: Rather? [0:16:43, 0:16:50]: You cannot de-annex and if you don't have anything to put the people into, right? [0:16:50, 0:16:56]: So therefore, this bill never made it on the ruse calendar. [0:16:57, 0:17:02]: It was never heard, so therefore it died in the house. [0:17:02, 0:17:04]: Yeah, yeah. [0:17:08, 0:17:14]: So here are again all of your signers on House Bill. [0:17:17, 0:17:19]: We're gonna go to six thirty. [0:17:20, 0:17:25]: Let's see, did I lose my space? Okay. So now we're going to go to the Senate bills. [0:17:26, 0:17:28]: Because here's the sticky ones. [0:17:34, 0:17:54]: So as we talked about, the Senate does the same thing. We just finished how it went through the House, right? Now, on the Senate side, they don't have what they call local bills, because they don't kind of want people to do kind of what happened on the House side, right? So therefore, they treat all bills as general bills. [0:17:54, 0:17:58]: Okay, so now let's look at Cindy Bill 262. [0:17:59, 0:18:19]: This particular bill, again, was a de-annexation bill and of course of course it got over on the on um it it got moved quicker than the companion bill because it didn't have to go through any process. Does that make sense? In the sense that while it was a local bill, it's a general bill, but everybody knows that it's a local bill. [0:18:19, 0:18:22]: But they're gonna treat it as a general deal. [0:18:23, 0:18:24]: Oh with me, right? [0:18:25, 0:18:45]: Okay, it was a when it when it was introduced, it was introduced as a local bill in the House. And even though the Senate treated it as a general bill, the view of those who pushed it, Mr. Brian Strickland, was still talking about it in the language of a local bill. [0:18:45, 0:19:05]: even though it's going to be treated as a general bill. Okay? So when bills deal with incorporation of any type, they have to go to the local government operations committee, which is slow. And many of you went down there and attended this meeting. So it went to Slogo and it went on [0:19:05, 0:19:17]: On the calendar, off the calendar, on the calendar, off the calendar. We had good days, we had bad days, and then the politics came into play, and then it finally came up for a vote and it passed. [0:19:18, 0:19:20]: And then it went to the Rules Committee. [0:19:21, 0:19:27]: Good days, bad days, up and down, politics came into play and it passed. [0:19:27, 0:19:47]: And then once it passes the rules committee, anytime something goes through the rules committee, either on the House side or the Senate side, it then automatically goes where? Can somebody tell me? To the to the floor. No, it has to go to the floor. So remember that process. If it comes out, it goes to committee, to rules, to the floor. Okay? [0:19:47, 0:19:51]: So it came out of rose and now it's on the floor. [0:19:52, 0:20:12]: So now we're all down at the Gold Dome and we're watching the vote. And thank you to Senator Jones. Man, I'm telling you, I don't know how many amendments he tried. I don't know how many times he tried to pull it off the calendar. But at the end of the day, on this particular vote, when it went to a full vote, we were only one vote. [0:20:12, 0:20:13]: Short. [0:20:15, 0:20:33]: That in itself, it did pass, but it passed with one vote short. Okay? And so once it passed, and of course, if many of you know or don't know, this actually happened on the last day of crossover. And so therefore, once this particular [0:20:34, 0:20:37]: Vote took place. Naturally it crossed over, as we say. [0:20:40, 0:20:45]: Let's go on to Senate Bill, his companion bill. [0:20:51, 0:20:52]: Two sixty three. [0:20:54, 0:21:03]: As a matter of fact, this particular bill was still heard together with this companion bill of the de-annexation. [0:21:03, 0:21:07]: And actually they were actually voted on together. [0:21:07, 0:21:19]: And so they took a vote on 262, then they took a vote on 263, we fell short by one vote on one, and we fell two votes short on the other. [0:21:20, 0:21:33]: So where do we stand today? Right now, there's nothing else happening in the Senate because the companion bill of incorporation never made it out of the House. Everybody with me? [0:21:33, 0:21:48]: So the fate of Stockbridge right now rests on the two Senate bills that are where? In the House. Okay. So because they took the local route. [0:21:49, 0:21:57]: When the Senate bill came back over from the Senate, they changed it, the five people, back to a local bill. [0:21:58, 0:22:12]: So two or three days ago, right after crossover, immediately these fine people, five people signed a petition again, made it a local bill, and right after crossover, it had a floor vote. [0:22:13, 0:22:14]: And it's done. [0:22:15, 0:22:15]: Anybody with me? [0:22:16, 0:22:22]: That's what your five people did who don't live in Stockbridge or represent Stockbridge. Okay? Fast tracked it. [0:22:22, 0:22:32]: But here we are for the wonderful rules committee and the other part of the house. Okay. So the companion bill of incorporation. [0:22:33, 0:22:53]: was sitting on the house side and then all of a sudden yesterday we saw it emerge on the calendar which was rather quick so all of us was wondering wow this kind of moved quick because the last time this body didn't move as fast because they didn't like the bill. [0:22:53, 0:22:53]: Um [0:22:54, 0:23:02]: Well, they had a hearing yesterday because the proponents who signed the bill wants homestead exemption. [0:23:03, 0:23:05]: Loss removes. [0:23:07, 0:23:12]: So for all you folks who may be impacted by homestead exemption. [0:23:13, 0:23:25]: What they asked for an amendment on yesterday and was approved to remove the homestead exemption language from the new proposed city of Eagles Landing. [0:23:25, 0:23:33]: So if you go into the new proposed city of Eagles Landing, you will not have homestead exemption language. [0:23:35, 0:23:36]: So you know what that means, right? [0:23:37, 0:23:45]: Okay. So we still got a way to go. So that amendment was passed [0:23:45, 0:23:48]: in the Government Affairs Committee yesterday. [0:23:48, 0:23:58]: And so where we are right now, we are waiting to see if the wonderful and wise members of the Rules Committee [0:23:59, 0:24:05]: We do once again what they did with their own bill and consider this not worthy. [0:24:06, 0:24:12]: of this General Assembly to even give it consideration and not pull it up. [0:24:13, 0:24:25]: So that's where we are. We're watching to see what happens with the incorporation deal and whether or not it would ever show up on the ruse calendar. So let's just talk process. [0:24:26, 0:24:27]: Process is [0:24:28, 0:24:30]: If Ruse hears it. [0:24:31, 0:24:32]: Ruse acts on it. [0:24:33, 0:24:35]: What happens next? Can someone tell me? [0:24:37, 0:24:38]: Goes to the floor. [0:24:38, 0:24:39]: Right. [0:24:40, 0:24:41]: If it goes to the floor [0:24:42, 0:24:44]: And then it passes the floor. [0:24:45, 0:24:54]: Then you now have two bills that really make up could make up a city. You would now have a bill that incorporates it. [0:24:54, 0:25:05]: And then you would then have a bill that de-annexes 50% of stockbridge. At that point in time, they can go to the governor for signature. [0:25:05, 0:25:17]: He has 40 days after the last day to sign all bills, to veto them, or not sign them at all. So [0:25:17, 0:25:31]: Another thing that the five signers did, that none of the other ten cities did in the state of Georgia when they incorporated, every other city asked for a referendum in November of that year. [0:25:32, 0:25:34]: They put it on the general ballot. [0:25:35, 0:25:41]: But the five people who signed this bill, they won an election in less than sixty days. [0:25:42, 0:25:52]: They are asking that this be on the May primary ballot rather than be on the typical November ballot of this year. [0:25:53, 0:26:02]: So that's kinda where we are in terms of the process. So that's how the process goes. So let's talk about the impact. [0:26:03, 0:26:23]: For those of you that may have not been to any of our meetings, this particular proposal takes 50% of the city of Scott Bridge and 50% of our revenues. As you currently know, you right now do not have a property tax. What that will mean is that for all of those that are left, [0:26:23, 0:26:36]: You're gonna have to pay the debt, which means that these good folks behind me more than likely would have to institute a property tax, one which you have not been used to paying. [0:26:37, 0:26:57]: And in addition to that, they cherry-picked the best portions of the city of Stockbridge. They went in and took the high-end commercial, they went in and took what they thought was a high-end residential because they needed those properties in order to make themselves viable. There's a website link in the package. [0:26:57, 0:27:17]: That you got, I would encourage you to go to that website because it will have all of the data that deals with this annexation process. And I think for the record, it needs to be clear. There is an assumption out there that it was these folks back here. [0:27:16, 0:27:20]: Here, who annexed Eagles Landing? [0:27:21, 0:27:27]: and that it is these folks back here who are attempting to do a land grab. [0:27:27, 0:27:29]: These folks just got here. [0:27:30, 0:27:35]: Eagles Landing came in, start being annexed in the late 1990s. [0:27:35, 0:27:38]: And none of these folks were here. [0:27:38, 0:27:49]: So all the complaints that people are having about the annexations that that are occurring, they are occurring by the same people who put forth the bill. [0:27:50, 0:27:51]: I need you to hear me. [0:27:52, 0:27:54]: The request [0:27:54, 0:28:10]: to become a city is coming from the same people who annexed all of Eagles Landing into Stockbridge who after they got it in now want to pull it out to create a separate city now that they're no longer here. [0:28:11, 0:28:12]: Everybody with me. [0:28:13, 0:28:14]: So that's kind of where we are. [0:28:15, 0:28:28]: That last sheet shares with you where we are in terms of the impact and I want you to look at that. We have no municipal property tax. Uh the economic impact on us will be tremendous. [0:28:28, 0:28:47]: Um the contractual obligations for this building, one of the things I think is of major concern to the General Assembly is that we have bond debt. We have bond debt of about$20 million. So if you're gonna take 50% of the city, shouldn't you take 50% of the debt? Right? [0:28:48, 0:29:08]: Right? And should you not continue to have to pay us for years to compensate for what you've taken from Stockbridge. I mean that's one of the reasons why there was never a county of Milton, because when they start looking at what they had to pay for Grady and Martha, they said it's cheaper to keep it, right? [0:29:08, 0:29:16]: Okay? So if you're gonna take something, you can't leave us with all the debt. You're gonna take it, you need to take the debt too. [0:29:17, 0:29:33]: So it it impacts our entire growth pattern, it deals with our economic corridors, and in essence it's just a bad deal. If the legislature approves this, it will not be on sound policy because deannexation [0:29:34, 0:29:41]: of property from an existing city has never happened in the history in the state of Georgia. [0:29:42, 0:29:48]: This will be the first time that members of the General Assembly ever allowed [0:29:48, 0:29:54]: a community to take any parcels from an existing city [0:29:55, 0:29:56]: Fifty percent at that. [0:29:57, 0:30:00]: to create itself has never been done. [0:30:00, 0:30:02]: So what do we need you to do? [0:30:03, 0:30:06]: We met with one of the chairmen of a committee. [0:30:07, 0:30:09]: And he said [0:30:09, 0:30:29]: The proponents of the bill are saying that the majority of the people in Stockbridge don't want to keep the people. They want to let them go. And the people who want to go, they want to go. And they're telling us that they have the facts to prove it. So we're like, okay, so where are the facts? [0:30:29, 0:30:30]: [1832.5, 1850.3]: They couldn't produce any. They just said this is what the legislators are telling us, what the people want to do. And then they say the people just want the right to vote. Now I would tell you, starting with Sandy Springs, all the way to Brookhaven in the city of South Fulton, that was our cry. [0:30:51, 0:30:53]: We said, give us the right to vote. [0:30:54, 0:31:06]: But we were talking about voting on unincorporated areas, right? So we weren't leaving anybody out of our vote. Everybody that voted to become a city in those areas, they should have voted. [0:31:06, 0:31:17]: But what they're asking in this legislation, if a bill was passed and we went to vote tomorrow, fifty percent of you in here would never get a chance to vote. [0:31:17, 0:31:26]: All of you will be disenfranchised because the way that the bill reads today, only if you are in the bubble. [0:31:26, 0:31:28]: Do you get the vote? [0:31:28, 0:31:30]: But all of you who are left [0:31:31, 0:31:35]: Who are gonna be impacted, that the folks in the bubble may be gone? [0:31:35, 0:31:37]: You shouldn't have a say-so? [0:31:38, 0:31:40]: Because you're going to be impacted? [0:31:40, 0:31:42]: That's kind of where we are today. [0:31:43, 0:31:44]: So [0:31:45, 0:32:05]: Let's see, could you tell them about that property they are proposing? We get oh thank you. Uh in their bill, they said we're going to give the city of Stockbridge some parcels, and we think that it's an even swap. And if you go to the website, it will show you that. Well, the parcels that they thought they was [0:32:05, 0:32:25]: giving us they couldn't give us anyway. I mean you can't give me your property, right? I mean you gon tell me you gon give me your property and then the properties that they were talking about in the land s swap were nowhere near the value of what they were taking. So therefore we had to have UGA go back and do another study [0:32:24, 0:32:33]: based on those parcels to basically show that what they were saying was again another untruth. [0:32:34, 0:32:36]: So this is what we need for you to do. [0:32:36, 0:32:39]: We either step up to the plate [0:32:39, 0:32:41]: And do what we say we're gonna do. [0:32:42, 0:32:44]: We can either be the victim [0:32:45, 0:32:46]: Or we can walk in victory. [0:32:47, 0:32:49]: So this is what we're gonna need to do. [0:32:49, 0:32:59]: We have promised them that we're going to bring them petitions from residents of Stockbridge who say they don't want this. [0:32:59, 0:33:06]: We're gonna put them in a notebook and we're gonna take them to everybody and let them see for themselves. [0:33:06, 0:33:26]: We have door hangers out there. We need for everybody to sign up for a walk list, get some petitions and some door hangers, and we need to cover Stockbridge. And let me tell you why. If this pass and we have to vote in less than forty-five days, we got to start work like yesterday. [0:33:26, 0:33:26]: Yeah. [0:33:27, 0:33:29]: So it's going to take all of us in here. [0:33:30, 0:33:50]: To educate the voters on what it is they will be facing. So we have petitions, we have door hangers. We need for you to email. Why we say email? Because they really can't handle the phones because there's only one secretary for every 10, right? But they do all read. [0:33:49, 0:33:51]: their emails. [0:33:51, 0:33:56]: We need for you to email every member of the rules committee. [0:33:57, 0:34:17]: And let them know how you feel. And then we need for you to email every representative of the House of Representatives. And we need to let you know, let them know how you feel. This link at the bottom is the same link that gets you to the rules, folks, and get you to the house, folks. [0:34:17, 0:34:37]: folks. Time is of essence. We're having another town hall meeting on next Thursday. We've got to spread the word. And we really have to inform our citizens of what could possibly happen because this could for the first time devastate [0:34:36, 0:34:38]: [2078.9, 2082.9]: We can be insolvent not because we want manage well. [0:34:43, 0:35:03]: Because we are more physically sound than any other city in the state of Georgia and don't have a property tax. It will be because they stripped us of our ability to economically survive, and then they would have taken people who are viable to our community that have been here, some of them for [0:35:03, 0:35:23]: For generations. Do y'all know in two years we'll be a hundred years? And when I read something that says we want to change or the charter of the city of Stockbridge and what you want to start the clock over? I mean, uh those ninety eight, doesn't that mean something? And so we're gonna have to fight for our heritage, we're gonna have to fight [0:35:23, 0:35:43]: for our survival and all hands are gonna have to be on deck. We can't do this individually. This is a collective fight for our survival. Now at this point in time I'm gonna close and then we will try to the best of our knowledge answer questions and I think is is the attorney here [0:35:43, 0:36:00]: Yeah, right here. Okay, so we're gonna try to and the city manager, we're gonna try to answer your questions. And I know Mr. Douglas is here who is actually on the house side. So when it gets real tricky, oh I let me just tell you, if you guys Miss Scott, would you come on up? [0:36:04, 0:36:07]: These two, Miss Scott and Mr. Douglas. [0:36:07, 0:36:17]: Y'all need to stand up. No, stand up and give y get up and give them an applause. Y'all have no idea what these two people have gone through. [0:36:27, 0:36:30]: And to both of you, we wanna thank you. [0:36:30, 0:36:34]: From the bottom of my hearts because if you guys had stayed on top of it. [0:36:34, 0:36:41]: Who knows where we would be at this problem. We'll probably be moving to California. Okay, we'll answer questions. [0:36:44, 0:36:49]: Let's keep the microphone. I'm just gonna take this. You wanna take it? [0:36:49, 0:36:56]: Can you can you hold on just one second? We want to make sure everybody hears the question. We have handheld mics. We'll get to everybody as soon as we can. Thank you. [0:36:57, 0:37:01]: Since they say that the other co con other [0:37:01, 0:37:04]: Oh what is it? Cities that we're in next. Yes. [0:37:05, 0:37:07]: Waited until an election came. [0:37:08, 0:37:21]: You know, the regular election. Okay? Yes ma'am. Cannot we file an injunction to say, hey, we deserve that right too. Okay? Well I I'll let the attorney come and speak to those wonderful things. [0:37:21, 0:37:24]: I mean it only takes five people to do it, right? [0:37:25, 0:37:45]: Yeah, um good evening. I'm Mike Williams, the city attorney. Um we're still hopeful that we will not see this legislation passed, but if it does, I can guarantee you there will be a lawsuit and we will seek to enjoin any further action to carry out this legislation. We have a number of concerns about the legislation. [0:37:45, 0:37:58]: legislation that we've communicated time and time again about the constitutionality, about the impact on voting rights. You know, this is one of the rare times where you've seen an actual attempt to uh [0:37:58, 0:38:02]: make it impossible for a group of people to vote. [0:38:03, 0:38:17]: And that's exactly what they're doing. You know, the the the majority of people who are impacted by this don't get the right to vote. So we will seek to file an injunction and unfortunately if it comes to this it will be a very costly litigation for the state of Georgia. [0:38:23, 0:38:43]: Hi. Um I have a really important question and I come from the unincorporated area of Stockbridge. How is this going to impact me? Because right now I'm not included in any of the voting because I didn't vote for anybody in here, obviously, because I'm unincorporated. So how is that going to impact me and my neighbors? Because that's important. Bottom [0:38:43, 0:38:45]: Bottom line is is I don't get all the services. [0:38:46, 0:38:49]: Yeah, but I wasn't. [0:38:50, 0:38:50]: Yeah. [0:38:51, 0:38:52]: Time to go answer. [0:38:55, 0:39:07]: I in part it depends on exactly where you live. If you're in the area that would be part of Eagles Landing, then you know uh so you're not gonna be able to full time. [0:39:08, 0:39:09]: Oh, why is there any impact? [0:39:10, 0:39:14]: any benefits or anything for being important to doctors, even though I add that. [0:39:15, 0:39:29]: So how is all of this going to impact me and my family and my neighbors if we have to turn around and we're going to start paying more taxes or we can make it a lesson. You you will be in Eagles Landing and you won't have homestead exemption. [0:39:30, 0:39:50]: No? No, no, no. I'm I'm off of off of Pinehurst. So I'm between Old Conyers and 138. Okay. So bottom line is I'm a mile away from Cotton Indian, but bottom I just need to know where it's going to impact us because we've been here for 18 years. [0:39:50, 0:39:57]: Well well let me tell you what traditionally happened. When Sandy Springs incorporated [0:39:58, 0:40:02]: All of Fulton County was pretty much unincorporated. [0:40:02, 0:40:13]: Right? There is no unincorporated area of Fulden County today other than FIB. So if you look at McDonough is annexing. [0:40:14, 0:40:17]: Locust Grove is annexing. [0:40:17, 0:40:37]: Hampton is annexing. So the feeling is that every county within the 15 area MSA will no longer have unincorporated areas. So while you may be in the country today, you're probably going to be in somebody's city tomorrow. And so what you're going to have [0:40:37, 0:40:57]: have to find out is that who's close to you and when they decide to annex, then you're gonna have to decide what your issues are and whether or not you can resist that annexation. But incorporation of most areas is happening in the metro. That's why there's a bill right now a Green Haven. [0:40:57, 0:41:17]: It would take up every portion of the Cab County that is not in a city today. 350,000 people. There will be no other areas of the Cab County that's unincorporated. There's a building there now from Fasythe County. One city takes up 30%. [0:41:17, 0:41:37]: percent of Fassife County. So again, while you may feel where you are today, this may not impact you today, but I can assure you that these same impacts will impact you tomorrow. Well that's what I'm worried about is that they are going to impact us. So and I do have another side note and just a quick question. [0:41:37, 0:41:50]: What is the impact on the stock or the Henry County Stockbridge and Clayton County border? Because Clayton County has part of Stockbridge. So how is that impacting that? [0:41:51, 0:41:58]: I'm gonna just one thing. Well, I mean at this point in time, there are cities that cross [0:41:59, 0:42:06]: Counties, right? So right now Stockbridge, the city of Stockbridge itself is only [0:42:06, 0:42:08]: in Henry County. [0:42:08, 0:42:10]: But once this bill is open [0:42:11, 0:42:14]: It doesn't stop Jonesborough. [0:42:15, 0:42:17]: from coming into Henry County. [0:42:17, 0:42:37]: It doesn't stop Griffin from coming over into Henry County. It doesn't stop Buckhead from leaving Atlanta. It doesn't stop surrounding communities from Savannah. So once this gate is open, it's Pandora's box. And the sad thing about it is that the bond rate. [0:42:37, 0:42:57]: Of Georgia will hit rock bottom. We've become the number one movie industry in the head of California. But if Stockbridge can't get anybody to lend us money, Atlanta can't get anybody to lend them money, Savannah can't get anybody to lend them money, and the reason [0:42:57, 0:43:17]: Why it's like well your people could be gone tomorrow. I mean we're gonna loan you fifty thousand or fifty million dollars. Next year, half of the folks that was supposed to pay for the fifty million dollars in debt is now gone. We're not gonna take that risk. And that's why the bond issue is one of those issues that we continue to keep before the governor did. [0:43:17, 0:43:23]: because it's not just about Stockbridge, it really is about the state of Georgia. [0:43:23, 0:43:43]: Real quick, one more one more thing related to unincorporated that I did want to mention. If you're unincorporated and not in the bubble, unincorporated Henry County, the creation of a new city could and likely would impact local option sales tax and splost revenues of how they're divvied up because it's based on a proportion of [0:43:43, 0:43:50]: population at other factors, so one more city then takes a portion away from unincorporated Henry County. [0:43:53, 0:44:01]: Yes, my question was where do the geographical locations of Eagles ending l Eagles Landing, where does it start and where does it end? [0:44:02, 0:44:04]: What's the president? [0:44:05, 0:44:19]: And it and I mean if you were look at these two maps, that's the proposed city of Eagles Landing and all of those areas that are in red are in Stockbridge and the let and the area that's green is Stockbridge proper. [0:44:21, 0:44:23]: I think it's very strict. [0:44:23, 0:44:35]: Well if you go right now our maps for the map for the city is interactive, okay? So if you go to this web link that's on this page, type in your address and you'll find out where you are. [0:44:38, 0:44:47]: Okay. Right. It i it it just goes in and out. And if you go to you have to actually go to the website to try to figure out where the streets are. [0:44:47, 0:44:51]: Because to name all of those areas would take that name. [0:44:52, 0:45:00]: I I have lived in s not in Stockbridge, but in Henry County for forty-eight years. [0:45:01, 0:45:07]: When Eagles Landing was started, it was supposed to have been another uh [0:45:08, 0:45:13]: Peachtree City. They had five years to incorporate. [0:45:14, 0:45:17]: Why now do they get the right to decide otherwise? [0:45:20, 0:45:40]: They had the time. They were supposed to put in their own stuff, everything in that five-year time. They did not meet their quota. So why should they now be allowed to? Because the property is worth more money now than it was back then. Well you still got the same s uh rich snobs that moved in. [0:45:40, 0:45:41]: to begin with ya. [0:45:46, 0:45:49]: Another another thing too is [0:45:50, 0:45:53]: By going down Jodyco Road. [0:45:54, 0:46:00]: Jodico Road was supposed to have been widened 25 years ago. [0:46:01, 0:46:10]: It is only getting widened now because they found a route that does not go through flipping. This splits flipping in half. [0:46:11, 0:46:13]: Flippin is a historical [0:46:14, 0:46:16]: uh town. It is not [0:46:17, 0:46:19]: incorporated, but it is historic. [0:46:20, 0:46:24]: There is a White House on the historical list. [0:46:24, 0:46:27]: You are splitting a subdivision. [0:46:28, 0:46:31]: You are also splitting a church. [0:46:31, 0:46:37]: The cemetery will be on one side, the church will be on another. I'm sorry, this is wrong. [0:46:47, 0:46:54]: I I'd like to know why why isn't it a conflict of interest [0:46:54, 0:47:14]: if that's the right term, for the same people who wanted Eagles Landing to be a part of Stockbridge now have the same right for it not to become the city of Stockbridge and they don't even live here. And and I got one more question. We talk about this petition. I live I [0:47:14, 0:47:33]: I guess you call incorp in the unincorporated or the county. But I'm here for the fight. So how far reaching can I go in taking petitions to my subdivision? You know, am I gonna have the right to vote? Uh it [0:47:33, 0:47:52]: It's you know what how how will signatures be validated? What we've asked is that those folks who are in unincorporated Henry County who object to this, if you email us, we will draft you a petition that is similar to ours to be presented directly to the General Assembly. [0:47:57, 0:47:59]: Oh the lady over there asked my question. [0:48:00, 0:48:03]: She actually put okay. [0:48:04, 0:48:05]: You got a question right here. [0:48:09, 0:48:21]: Okay, my question is what happened with all the hard form uh petitions that we signed and the electronic ones that was also sent out that was signed? [0:48:22, 0:48:42]: What was the value of that if nothing's happen? Well, we're compiling them right now. As a matter of fact, we're committed. Okay, this is what we needed to do. We were waiting for the appropriate moment in which we thought they would have the most impact. So all day today, uh for the last two days, we've been getting all of those petitions together. [0:48:42, 0:48:47]: and we've been putting them in binders so that we can take them down to the capital next week. [0:48:47, 0:48:52]: Okay, and you're looking for yet more petitions? Yes, sir. Okay. [0:48:52, 0:48:55]: All right, that was my primary question because I'll [0:48:58, 0:48:59]: Hello. [0:49:00, 0:49:01]: Hello everybody. [0:49:03, 0:49:08]: Okay. My question is that and this lady with her question is the one that started it. [0:49:09, 0:49:09]: Okay. [0:49:10, 0:49:13]: Is flipping getting cut in half? Yeah, yeah. Okay. [0:49:14, 0:49:25]: You got a church on one side, cemetery on the other side, right? What about the National Historical Society from Washington, D.C.? What the hell are they sitting their hands on for? [0:49:26, 0:49:28]: I'm I'm sorry, you know, but it just [0:49:29, 0:49:37]: You can't go in if you got five people that came in and signed a petition, I can get five people to sign another petition saying no. [0:49:38, 0:49:42]: You know, but what about getting the the National Historical [0:49:43, 0:49:47]: society involved. You know, if you're split you can't be splitting [0:49:47, 0:49:49]: The church in half. [0:49:50, 0:49:58]: I mean church and state are separate, I understand that. But now you're s you're still talking money. It all comes down to money. [0:50:00, 0:50:20]: That's my question. Can we get them involved to help us? Listen, anyone that can come and help us in this fight, we welcome everyone to the table. Yes, ma'am. And I will like to add that we sent out a request to our sister cities from across the state of Georgia, and we have more than a hundred resolutions all the way from North Georgia City to [0:50:20, 0:50:30]: South Georgia cities, from east and to the west, that have sent their resolutions and have called their legislators to say don't do this. [0:50:32, 0:50:34]: Excuse me, excuse me. [0:50:35, 0:50:55]: Uh my question is uh I've been I've been tracking this and last week they came up with some uh a bill four fifty-three. Can y'all expound uh to the body about this bill? What well four fifty-three is a state bill, it is not a um stock bridge bill. And what I mean [0:50:55, 0:51:15]: By that, for those of you that have been around for a long time, you know that for 30 years Sandy Springs attempted to become a city. Well, they couldn't quite become a city because there was language in the bills that said you had to have a three-mile radius between you and the creation of your [0:51:15, 0:51:28]: yourself in an existing city. And it was only upon the removal of that language was Sandy Springs able to become a city. With the cityhood thing and everybody rushing to get gold. [0:51:29, 0:51:49]: and not having a chance to show whether or not they're able to sustain itself, the legislature is a little bit concerned that too many cities may emerge and in a couple of years they may be insolvent. So what they're attempting to do is to slow down this train. And what 453 would do, it would [0:51:49, 0:52:09]: would reinstate the old rule that said you cannot become a city if you within three miles of an existing city. Now I would tell you, we love that. But again, that is a, it was a Senate uh produced deal. It is now in the House. I think the thing that uh it's disheartened [0:52:09, 0:52:29]: to us before it crossed over, uh there was an amendment that would exclude all of the cities that have been in the two-year pipe, which is about four of those. So we're hoping that on the house side, these two right here, as wonderful as they are, will make sure that that amendment is stricken and with that [0:52:28, 0:52:30]: Back to the old rule. [0:52:32, 0:52:39]: Uh not if they're successful in what needs to be done, it we it'd be great. [0:52:41, 0:52:43]: [3163.4, 3174.4]: Hi, I was wondering, could you tell us who these five people that is putting this together? Who are they? Where they come from? Why are they doing this? [0:52:56, 0:53:01]: It's actually in your presentation, so no, show her the other one. [0:53:01, 0:53:03]: But if they don't live here [0:53:04, 0:53:09]: What right do they have to walk into Stockbridge and say, I'm gonna [0:53:10, 0:53:11]: You know, take fifty percent of your life. [0:53:13, 0:53:14]: Did it disappear? [0:53:15, 0:53:18]: Yeah. [0:53:20, 0:53:21]: You could. [0:53:22, 0:53:42]: Here they are right here and they're up on the screen. Right there. They are Dale Rutlich, Andrew Welch, Ryan Strickland, Karen Matthews, David Knight, and Jeff Cobble. And the reason why they can do that is essentially portions of their district touch Henry County so they become a part of the Henry County. [0:53:42, 0:53:58]: Henry County delegation in terms of legislation. Therefore, the total members of the Henry County delegation, they needed five in this case to make it a local bill, and because their boundaries touch Henry County, they're part of that delegation of this delegation. [0:53:59, 0:54:08]: Yeah, it was begun by ref uh Senator Rick Jeffries that owns three acres. I think three acres touch are actually in Stockbridge. [0:54:09, 0:54:15]: Good evening. I think um if this bill passed, can you explain the impact on our schools? [0:54:16, 0:54:23]: Well actually the way this bill is because uh Henry County only has one school system. [0:54:24, 0:54:44]: It won't have an impact unless Clayton County decides, one of their cities decides to cross over to Henry County and take some of those kids into their city. Then you may have two school districts. [0:54:44, 0:55:04]: other side of the street it goes to city Fulton County. So we don't know where this will end and what the long-term ramifications are, but today there is no impact on the educational system. And then here, here and here. [0:55:04, 0:55:15]: This gentleman is sparing the answer to this question. He's really spread his own hand. Can I address you guys before the next question? Just hold your question. You're next coming up. [0:55:16, 0:55:19]: Um first of all I want to say thank you guys for showing up. [0:55:20, 0:55:26]: I've never seen a a better group uh of looking people uh in in the same room. Thank you guys for showing up. [0:55:29, 0:55:39]: Uh for those of you who don't know who I am, I'm State Representative uh Demetrius Douglas and uh this is my colleague uh Sandra uh Scott Representative Scott. [0:55:43, 0:55:48]: I just wanna leave y'all with a few words. I got some some kids at home that uh I need to get home and [0:55:48, 0:55:49]: Party. [0:55:50, 0:55:56]: Pat on a little bit'cause they've been acting up. So I just want to say a few words. We're we're still in this fight together, all of us. [0:55:56, 0:56:01]: Uh we we just came into some interesting news today. [0:56:01, 0:56:07]: So the fight is not over. We found some more information that we're going to use uh tomorrow. [0:56:08, 0:56:11]: to hopefully make this thing, put this thing to bed. [0:56:11, 0:56:13]: All right. [0:56:20, 0:56:24]: I know everybody in the room prays to some God. [0:56:24, 0:56:25]: Okay. [0:56:26, 0:56:26]: But dude. [0:56:27, 0:56:28]: Together. [0:56:29, 0:56:31]: Okay, together we are. [0:56:31, 0:56:32]: had to stand together and pray. [0:56:33, 0:56:36]: Okay. He said, pray and then do. [0:56:37, 0:56:41]: So we're going to pray first. All right? Standing together on one accord. [0:56:42, 0:56:45]: Moving together. One sound, one beat. [0:56:46, 0:56:47]: If we pray together, we'll stay together. [0:56:48, 0:56:50]: But now he says pray and then do. [0:56:51, 0:56:53]: So we're gonna do down at the Capitol. [0:56:54, 0:56:56]: And y'all take care of this back home. [0:56:56, 0:57:00]: And we're gonna make this thing victory. Okay, victory. [0:57:08, 0:57:15]: I heard some questions asked earlier uh in committee. Uh I was there yesterday and I spoke. [0:57:15, 0:57:20]: I just want to tell you guys what they did yesterday really hurt their cause. [0:57:21, 0:57:23]: Because when you take out the homestead [0:57:24, 0:57:27]: The bill was passed out of the Senate. [0:57:28, 0:57:29]: illegally. [0:57:30, 0:57:32]: Okay. That's number one. [0:57:33, 0:57:36]: Uh number two, when it got over on our side [0:57:37, 0:57:39]: They pulled the homestead exemption out. [0:57:40, 0:57:41]: Okay. [0:57:42, 0:57:45]: And let me tell you how important this is. I've been a mortgage broker for over 20 years. [0:57:46, 0:57:51]: Homestead exemption is basically the breaks that we get as being homeowners. [0:57:51, 0:57:59]: to our mortgage, okay? And depending on the size of your house, depends on how much money that you get a break on. [0:57:59, 0:58:05]: But it's anywhere from two or three hundred dollars to your mortgage. So this will affect the people. [0:58:05, 0:58:06]: That's still left. [0:58:07, 0:58:10]: Your mortgage may go up two or three hundred dollars. [0:58:10, 0:58:13]: And and most of us are on fixed incomes. [0:58:13, 0:58:14]: Okay? [0:58:14, 0:58:16]: And we can't handle that. [0:58:16, 0:58:17]: So [0:58:18, 0:58:19]: I want you to do one thing for me. [0:58:20, 0:58:24]: And this is one thing that they don't like down at the Capitol. [0:58:24, 0:58:28]: Those phones ring. I want you to call the governor's office. [0:58:31, 0:58:32]: And uh [0:58:33, 0:58:34]: I'm gonna give you the number. [0:58:35, 0:58:40]: I'll the number should be in there. [0:58:41, 0:58:42]: Uh uh. [0:58:43, 0:58:45]: Let me know when everybody's ready. [0:58:47, 0:58:49]: Uh it's four four. [0:58:51, 0:58:54]: Four zero four six five six [0:58:55, 0:58:56]: One seven. [0:58:57, 0:59:06]: Seven six. Alright. And I want you to call it three, four times a day. All right? [0:59:06, 0:59:12]: And tell the governor that you want this bill vetoed if it was to if it's to come out. [0:59:13, 0:59:15]: you were asked him to veto the bill. [0:59:16, 0:59:19]: And call that office between now [0:59:20, 0:59:22]: Oh the number again is four oh four. [0:59:23, 0:59:25]: Six five six [0:59:26, 0:59:27]: 1776. [0:59:31, 0:59:32]: Seventeen seventy six. [0:59:35, 0:59:55]: It's a myority to that. And uh I just wanted the one you gave us the number? Yes. Please. Uh all of them. All of them. Yes, ma'am. [0:59:55, 1:00:12]: All of'em. Um fax number. I don't have a fax number. I just have the phone number. Just call'em. I don't care. Not just one time, just keep calling. We'll put this up on the website. Oh they're gonna put it on the website. If you don't have the website, I just gave you the number. Just keep calling. Till they block your number. How about that? [1:00:15, 1:00:24]: Three or four times a day. Three or four times a day. Three or four times a day until this thing goes away. They do not like their phones to ring. [1:00:25, 1:00:27]: And I want to thank you guys for coming out tonight. [1:00:27, 1:00:28]: I really do. [1:00:29, 1:00:30]: Where does it [1:00:31, 1:00:31]: Yeah. [1:00:34, 1:00:38]: They're trying to divide us, but this will bring us closer together. [1:00:38, 1:00:44]: All right. So you guys have a blessed evening and together. [1:00:44, 1:01:02]: Everyone achieves more. So let's stick together on this guys. And the question, he was up on the mic for a question. Then we're gonna go over here and I'm gonna see y'all. I'm gonna keep fighting a good fight. We found something. I don't wanna tell you what it is because the news camera's back here. I don't want them to try to save it. [1:01:03, 1:01:05]: Yeah, yeah. [1:01:09, 1:01:15]: Can we take a few more questions, please? A few more questions. This gentleman right here. This gentleman right here first. [1:01:16, 1:01:19]: Go ahead just go ahead and t just go ahead and ask your question. [1:01:20, 1:01:40]: Okay. All right. We didn't spot three for twenty-one years. And we came here with like a cow path. [1:01:40, 1:01:50]: [3720.0, 3721.0]: And uh [1:02:08, 1:02:13]: You may be you may be hearing more about that homestead exemption as uh Representative Douglas mentioned. [1:02:16, 1:02:35]: Thank you. This over here, right over here. Oh, so I'm sorry. Over here. Over here. Over here. Right here. Right here. Representative Douglass. Uh I just want to make a comment. I saw you uh present to the the House yesterday and I was so proud of you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. [1:02:35, 1:02:36]: Mm-hmm. [1:02:37, 1:02:38]: I want [1:02:39, 1:02:50]: I want two questions answered first, uh Miss Moore. Um were the residences in um Eagles Landing [1:02:50, 1:02:54]: Behind the country club. Were they in Stockbridge? [1:02:55, 1:03:15]: Let me say this. We have pulled all of the records and all of the minutes on the website. Again, the same people who want to pull out these properties make sure that those parts, those properties behind the gate that are in Stockbridge, they make sure that they brought those properties in Stockbridge. [1:03:15, 1:03:35]: And now they want to pull them out after they brought them in. So they started this in the late 90s, ma'am, and they finished up around 2005. But what percentage of the houses and uh residences are now in Stockbridge? Uh on that map over there, and if you go to the website, we're not for sure. I think the country club is [1:03:35, 1:03:51]: kind of split in half. The country club itself, the actual building, is actually located within the city. I've been here twenty seven years in Winsong and my understanding was they had to extend the property line in the villages when the uh [1:03:51, 1:04:11]: For m Rudy Kelly moved in so that he would be considered in Stockbridge. And then they annexed in of course the annexed the uh country club had already been annexed in so that they could sell liquor. Right. Uh but the rest of the residences were not a part of Stockbridge. [1:04:11, 1:04:31]: Right. Ma'am, what I would encourage everyone to do to go to the website because we posted all of the minutes that basically explain exactly what you said. You know, they couldn't sell alcohol so they asked to come into Stockbridge because we allowed alcohol and so they came in and then they can serve alcohol at the clubhouse. [1:04:31, 1:04:51]: uh and other properties came in because they wanted to sell alcohol. It's not true that Stockbridge went out and asked anybody to come into the city. Just like you said, what the gentleman was, when you came here was a cow pastor, you know, they weren't looking to do annexation. It was developer. [1:04:51, 1:05:11]: And homeowners and special interest groups that came to the city of Stockbridge and asked the city to annex them in. So there was never a mass land grab by the electoral. Well, I was one of those. I was in phase one of Winsong, and I asked to be annexed into Stockbridge. [1:05:11, 1:05:15]: That's correct. [1:05:15, 1:05:23]: I have another question. What is it? Senior moment, please. [1:05:26, 1:05:27]: Oh dear, dear. [1:05:28, 1:05:34]: I apologize. I'm so glad I came tonight, Miss Moore, because this has been most informative. [1:05:38, 1:05:39]: This question over here. [1:05:39, 1:05:50]: Good evening. I'm in the uh Eagles Landing proposed area and I'm trying to find out of course I good to learn about uh the homestead exemption drop. That's something that has not been well [1:05:50, 1:06:10]: publicized. I I hope we can get the word out. But the thing I want to ask is what have you gotten an opinion from the uh municipal bond underwriters or the investors uh in writing and if so as far as what kind of actions they'll have to take if you're split up and if so has that been collected and provided to uh [1:06:10, 1:06:30]: It it is if you actually go to our website, I hate to keep saying that, uh, but actually an independent bond counsel, a firm, actually did an opinion, an analysis of not only the impact that it will have on Stockbridge, so he starts out by talking about the impact on Stockbridge and then he moves. [1:06:30, 1:06:47]: moves from Stockbridge to the remainder of the state. And so if you go on the website, it stands out by itself as the letter from the bond firm that talks about the impact on municipal bonding, not only for Stockbridge, but the 536 cities in the state of Georgia. [1:06:48, 1:06:49]: Mrs. Moore. [1:06:50, 1:07:06]: Yes. We want to take a couple of more questions and we want to make sure we you hear from your elected officials which is extremely important. Yes? Mrs. Moore, alluding to what you've already spoken about, uh the script, is there a written script that we can take home tonight to using our emails? [1:07:07, 1:07:27]: Well what we can say the same thing? Well what we will do is give uh if you will go on the website tomorrow, we will have some bullets. Some bullet points, right? Because we do want it to be in your own words. So we're going to tell you the bullet points that you need to put in your email and then arrange those in your own words to submit it. But give me [1:07:27, 1:07:29]: [4050.0, 4065.0]: All right. That's fine. Thank you very much. We're going to get this question. Before you get this question, though, if anybody has to leave early, we want you to stay because we want to hear from your elected officials. We do have some sheets out there. We want you to sign with your name and email address before you leave here tonight. Okay? Yes. [1:07:45, 1:07:51]: Uh this uh question is for the leadership. I know that you are new, particularly the mayor. [1:07:52, 1:07:53]: Well I hope that you're strong. [1:07:53, 1:07:58]: You know,'cause I've been hearing we we've been talking very reactionary. [1:07:58, 1:08:11]: But I want to hear some proactiveness if this does, if we do split, you know, do we have the vision to bring in developers and contractors to build a business di district in this part of Stockbridge? [1:08:11, 1:08:12]: Because we got you know [1:08:13, 1:08:32]: We need we need that that vision to to move forward if it if this does happen. Right. You'll hear from your elected officials in a moment. I can tell you this, in my tenure here in the five months that I've been here as city manager, I'm blessed to serve in that role. This has been an extremely hard-working mayor and council. They have spent countless hours down at the Capitol. [1:08:33, 1:08:53]: Down at the Capitol, there were some nights we were there till past 11 o'clock at the Capitol. They have been on the phones to their sister cities throughout the state of Georgia. They've been working the phones, they've been working emails, they have been working extremely hard to fight for you. Obviously you'll hear from them in just a moment, but I as a city manager wanted to convey that to you. [1:08:54, 1:09:03]: Yes, over here. Yes. Uh Cynthia Johnson, I live in uh unincorporated part of Stockbridge. Um I would say this [1:09:03, 1:09:07]: I saw I really keep up with the meetings and so forth like that on Facebook. [1:09:07, 1:09:23]: However, a lot of people aren't on Facebook. And I did see yesterday that there was gonna be uh bus going to the state capitol building and that it was only like thirty-three seats available. [1:09:24, 1:09:40]: So my question is, is it possible we can get some gray line tour buses? Because this room here is way more than thirty-three people, so we can make a uh serious impact on uh meeting at Governor Dill's uh office. [1:09:40, 1:09:44]: And I would say this to Governor Deal. I say this to you, Governor Deal. [1:09:45, 1:10:05]: You want Amazon to come here. You want Facebook and all these other corporations to come here. But we have voices and we have pens too. And we can get a hold of those corporations and let them know this is what you're allowing in this state. Because those people that are working for those companies are going to want to buy homes. [1:10:05, 1:10:12]: And this is the possibility that this would happen to them. Let me see. Okay, we we can only [1:10:13, 1:10:33]: We can only contact you if we have your information, okay? So if you want to be contacted, because whether we get a bus or not, if we don't know how to contact you won't be on it, right? Okay. So we can only relate and respond to you if we have correct phone number, emails, and all of that. [1:10:33, 1:10:53]: I would suggest that you go to the website and sign a petition because a lot of times when you write, we can't read your writing. I'm being for real. I'm not gonna joke with you. So whether you live in Stockbridge now or not, go do a petition. [1:10:53, 1:10:59]: but at least it's legible and we'll figure the rest out. Okay? Question right here, sir. [1:10:59, 1:11:12]: Uh thank you. My name's Rusty Dobbs. I l I've lived in Stockbridge for forty years. And I do want to commend that young man there for for his proactive uh attitude of you know, what's our what's our plan A if this does go through. I hope it doesn't, but how are we going to recoup the loss? Um [1:11:13, 1:11:33]: This young this young man here is the only person that I've heard who who actually lives in the in the affected area. Um maybe I I don't know, but I I'm just wondering if maybe those folks down there I'm looking at this map and I see half the city going away. Do any of our elected officials live in this affected area? Two. Okay, very good, very good. One second. Um [1:11:33, 1:11:33]: [4293.9, 4308.9]: Would would it be a possibility because I know that we adjusted uh the rules on how we elect the mayor our the last election cycle, would it be feasible to divide Stockbridge into districts so that the the citizens have a [1:11:49, 1:12:07]: particular representative that they can hold a little more accountable, hold the feet a little closer to the other. Okay, look, w we're we're already beyond that. That was one of the things that Stockbridge did. We've done everything possible. Is it the possibility at some point before maybe the next election cycle to divide? Well let me finish,'cause I'm gonna give you your answer, right? [1:12:07, 1:12:27]: I'm guessing it's no. No, no, the answer is yes. We were asked, would we consider creating council districts so that everybody can do have representation? We have submitted that to the Georgian legislature. It consists of seven council districts. [1:12:27, 1:12:32]: We have not heard back from Mr. Welch. [1:12:32, 1:12:38]: We submitted that to the Georgia General Assembly, so the answer for us. [1:12:39, 1:12:59]: We submitted it, yes. But if you can get an answer from Mr. Welch in reference to what we've submitted to those seven council districts that not only includes Scott Bridge, it includes both part both all the parcels, the portions from Eagles Landing, as well as existing. [1:12:58, 1:13:18]: Missing Stockbridge, making one beautiful city with seven council districts. And we have not heard a response from Mr. Welch or the other four. Ladies and gentlemen, uh, I would just simply like to say uh you asked for a comment from the election. [1:13:18, 1:13:30]: body. All of us were elected to represent our constituents, to make sure that we did everything possible to defeat this measure. [1:13:31, 1:13:33]: The question is, have we done that? [1:13:33, 1:13:39]: I don't know what the the answer is amongst the s the citizenry, but let me tell you this. [1:13:39, 1:13:50]: I'd like to see us have billboards. I'd like to see us have um road signs, I'd like to see us have flashing road signs, I would like to see us have television. [1:13:50, 1:13:57]: I would like to see us have radio. All of the above. The question that came over here was on point. [1:13:57, 1:14:00]: Um everybody is not on Facebook. [1:14:00, 1:14:07]: Everybody's not, right? So why is it that we can't mail every single person in here? [1:14:07, 1:14:10]: The the meeting date, the time. [1:14:10, 1:14:21]: everything that we need to do in order to do that. That's the reason that um you know and and I said this and I walked around this room because this is a fight for our lives. [1:14:22, 1:14:26]: I live in the Eagles Landing area. I do. Okay? [1:14:27, 1:14:45]: I would no longer be in the city of Stockbridge. I would be in the city of Eagles Landing because we would be removed from that. But as again, no one came to me and said, Mr. Alexander, 309 homes in Winslow at Eagles Landing. What do you think about this? [1:14:45, 1:14:46]: Now the soul did that. [1:14:47, 1:14:52]: They did not ask us my neighbors and scratching their heads saying, what is it that's going on? How did this happen? [1:14:53, 1:14:56]: And what is it that we can do to stop it? [1:14:56, 1:15:01]: I think Demetrius Douglas hit right on the head, okay? You gotta fight. [1:15:02, 1:15:17]: You gotta fight and you gotta take this battle to the governor, you gotta take this battle to the legislature, and you gotta ring those phones, the email, and personally, I would like to see us march on the Capitol. [1:15:22, 1:15:29]: Absolutely. You know, you understand one thing, right? Well, we can go around Stockbridge and uh collect all the petitions. [1:15:29, 1:15:33]: But those petitions haven't even made it down to [1:15:33, 1:15:45]: The state capital as of yet, right? We got you got we gotta do better and you gotta do better in order to make this happen on an extended basis. You got to do that. [1:15:45, 1:16:05]: I don't care about the fact that the governor would get upset, okay? They came for our throat, okay? They came to take us out. And I tell you right now, and I'll say this and I'll close by saying this, okay? I'm gonna be in the new city of Eagles Landing, right? I'm not fighting this battle for myself because [1:16:05, 1:16:13]: Because in the end, I might be in a situation where, okay, it might be better off of me. I don't know. [1:16:14, 1:16:26]: But I'm doing it for you, okay? Because I do not want senior citizens to be on a fixed income and have to turn around and get taxes to be paid. I'm not [1:16:26, 1:16:43]: A staff member. Okay? I'm your elected official. And let me tell you this, as your elected official, I want to make sure that you get every opportunity to feet defeat this bill. Because if we don't, we're gonna look back [1:16:43, 1:17:02]: And we're gonna say, listen, what happened? What did we do? I'm gonna be in a new city. Right? I'm gonna be in a new city today. You're gonna be in a new city. You're gonna have let me let me explain something else to you. I wanna say one more thing, sir. I'm gonna say one more thing. And we'll close by saying this. Thank you. Right. I'm gonna say one more thing. [1:17:03, 1:17:23]: I would not be in the city of Stockbridge uh uh any longer and I would be in the city of Eagles Landing. I w I want to make sure that you know what that I take care of you. I ran to commit myself to making sure that I did everything possible to defeat this measure and I [1:17:23, 1:17:30]: And I want to fight and I hope that you all will join me marching on the Capitol and saying we're not going to stand for this. [1:17:31, 1:17:38]: All right. Um we're gonna hear from our council now, we're gonna hear from our elected officials. I we're gonna hear from our elected officials now, Councilman John Blount. [1:17:40, 1:17:48]: I wanna say then I wanna ch I wanna be really quick and and and brief because I I don't want this to be a long night, but I would be affected by this proposal. [1:17:49, 1:17:55]: And one of the things I committed myself and along with other council members that we're down in the state capitol. We have a plan for Stockbridge. [1:17:56, 1:18:01]: And once the people see your plan for Stockbridge, they see the progression and they see the progress we're we're making. [1:18:02, 1:18:03]: People want that. [1:18:03, 1:18:06]: They want that and they will come with excuses to do that. [1:18:07, 1:18:09]: I believe we're gonna be victorious in this fight. [1:18:11, 1:18:12]: I truly believe that. [1:18:13, 1:18:24]: And I say that because of my faith as an associate minister, I say that it's my faith that I believe we're gonna be victorious. But can I tell you, it's a sad day in Stockbridge. [1:18:24, 1:18:26]: That we have to go through this battle. [1:18:27, 1:18:40]: Because this battle is what it is doing is separating our city in ways that they could never imagine. See, one of the things they we have to understand, whatever happens, they'll still in the gate with a guard behind the walls. [1:18:41, 1:18:47]: They'll still in a gate behind the behind the walls with a guard. And so we have to stay in this together. [1:18:47, 1:18:49]: We're united here. [1:18:49, 1:19:08]: But we need you all to come in and support this and move about and make this happen because one thing that is gonna happen is stop bridge is gonna be stop bridge today and it's gonna be stop bridge tomorrow. And I'm so elated to see all of you here tonight because when people say we don't show up when we don't come out, look around this room. [1:19:09, 1:19:11]: Progress doesn't have a colour. [1:19:12, 1:19:22]: Progress doesn't have a color. A fight doesn't have a color color to it. We're all here standing for one cause and that's to keep stop bridge right where it is and to progress together. Thank you all for coming. [1:19:23, 1:19:24]: You [1:19:26, 1:19:39]: Good evening everyone. Thank you all so very much to for coming out. I'm Councilwoman Neat Robinson. This team of council members, we've been working extremely hard on your behalf. We can't do it alone. [1:19:39, 1:19:50]: Um we have the addresses um for your emails. P please make sure that you print those so that way we can know who you are. [1:19:50, 1:20:07]: Because we're gonna need you. I heard a lot of them say we're gonna need some buses. Guess what? We're ready to take you on a bus. We're ready. We're ready to take you on a bus. Not just one bus, several buses. This is your community. [1:20:08, 1:20:28]: And your voice needs to be heard at this time. So but we can't do it without you. So we need you to spread the word with your neighbors, go whatever social media. We've got a lot of handouts. I mean our community development director and our city manager and staff have been working extremely hard. [1:20:28, 1:20:48]: So we have a lot of information that you can take with you on tonight. But please, again, don't sit down on this. We can't sit down on this. I know we have some seniors in here. Reach out to us. We're there to help you. If you're saying I can't get there, we'll come and get you. But we're here to save. [1:20:47, 1:21:07]: Our city. We had a lot of cities through Georgia Municipal Association with over 100 cities that oppose this, that are standing with us. But they just can't stand with us if we don't stand for ourselves. So we're gonna need you at this time. We're gonna need every single body in this room to get [1:21:07, 1:21:20]: the word out and guess what call city hall bug this phone as well call it if you need us call it because we're here to serve you [1:21:21, 1:21:29]: Thank you guys so very much for coming out. And like Demetrius Douglas Representative Douglas said, along with Sandra Scott, Representative Scott. [1:21:31, 1:21:32]: We have to do [1:21:32, 1:21:34]: And it's our time. [1:21:35, 1:21:41]: So I thank you guys so very much. God bless you all. And whatever we can do, thank you so very much. [1:21:44, 1:21:45]: Thank you. [1:21:46, 1:21:48]: Citizen of Stockbridge. [1:21:48, 1:21:53]: This is a great showing tonight. Personally, I just want to thank all of you. [1:21:53, 1:21:58]: for coming out and staying united with this municipality. [1:21:58, 1:22:11]: I was asked earlier to give this number, so let me give this number now before I uh finish my conversation. It is the fax number, 404-657-7332. [1:22:14, 1:22:15]: Four oh four. [1:22:17, 1:22:18]: Six five seven. [1:22:19, 1:22:20]: Seven three. [1:22:21, 1:22:22]: Three, two. [1:22:24, 1:22:27]: That's for the governor. That's the governor's fax number. [1:22:29, 1:22:30]: Okay. Um [1:22:31, 1:22:38]: I want to commend this council and some of your questions for the passion that have been expressed tonight. [1:22:39, 1:22:58]: I wanted to respond to a couple of questions. There was a gentleman here and there was a gentleman over here about the vision for the city of Stockbridge and how we're going to impact the quality of life of all citizens, including those citizens that live in the city of Eagles Landing. [1:22:59, 1:23:08]: And we have been working on that vision. We have a comprehensive plan that is very inclusive of all of these things that we've been talking about. [1:23:08, 1:23:14]: But it's hard for us to actually to work on that vision for we're being attacked. [1:23:15, 1:23:28]: So I just want to say to the gentleman here, if you would just reach out to me or anyone on this council, we'll be able to share some of the things that we're working on right now to move this city forward and to create a better city for all of us. [1:23:29, 1:23:35]: I'm not going to repeat what was said here tonight, but I want to commend this council for that information. [1:23:35, 1:23:46]: Please take heed to that information. Let's move this city forward. I know you've been here a long time and I see a lot of folks are leaving, so I'm not going to prolong this and I'm going to let um the mayor and [1:23:47, 1:23:50]: Uh Mayor Pro T M Gantt have a comment. Thank you. [1:23:53, 1:23:54]: Look, get a eating. [1:23:56, 1:23:57]: Ladies and gentlemen. [1:23:59, 1:24:01]: Again, thank you for coming out. [1:24:02, 1:24:22]: And there are six of us, there are twenty seven thousand of y'all total with us. And together we can spread the word, whether it's Facebook, knocking on doors, talking to your neighbors, do what you have to do, because I'm not gonna give up. And to answer your question, sir, we've been planning. [1:24:21, 1:24:41]: When I came here in 2014, when I was elected in 2013, I came here and they by at that time we didn't know what our finances were. Audits hadn't been done in four years. We didn't know whether or not we had property. It had been deeded to a DDA. We didn't we fought that for two years. [1:24:41, 1:24:47]: We now have the top financial award that a municipality could get. [1:24:51, 1:24:52]: We had to do that. [1:24:53, 1:25:12]: We had to bring things back. We are concerned. I have two daughters, and I know it's important that we build a strong community together. So yes, we're still working towards those goals on th doing things for the city and for the community. I also want you to know. [1:25:12, 1:25:16]: that it is important that you understand again [1:25:17, 1:25:19]: The people that voted [1:25:19, 1:25:37]: Okay, these d these the the the delic those five people who did this, who signed that bill, and it started off with um sent the former Senator Rick Jeffries, he's now running for lieutenant governor. Remember that. Remember that. But I I what I really want you to know [1:25:37, 1:25:40]: Well I really want you want you to understand. [1:25:41, 1:25:44]: is that three of the cities [1:25:44, 1:25:46]: In Henry County. Well we have four, right? [1:25:47, 1:25:50]: Three of the cities signed resolutions and send them. [1:25:51, 1:25:57]: to these people to to the delegation and told them we don't want another city. [1:25:58, 1:26:17]: Now if the city officials who represent the citizens of the majority of who they represent are telling you that they don't want this and a select few can control the outcome and they continue to sign this bill, someone needs to be held responsible. [1:26:20, 1:26:24]: You have got to learn the facts. [1:26:25, 1:26:39]: A lot of times people put things out on Facebook. They talked about annexations and said Stockbridge didn't give us the right to vote when they took our properties when they annexed in Eagles Landing. And tonight you learned you can go back to any minutes. [1:26:39, 1:26:45]: From 1992 to 2002, they were voluntarily annexed in by those developers. [1:26:46, 1:26:47]: Those owners. [1:26:48, 1:26:58]: The same thing is yesterday at the hearing they said 17,000 citizens of Stockbridge will have the right to vote out of the 27,000. Again, misleading. [1:26:59, 1:27:14]: There's 9,000 citizens of Stockbridge and the other 8,000 are for the unincorporated area. But as you can see, we have had to overcome every twist and turn. And I want to applaud the staff. [1:27:14, 1:27:16]: They have been here. [1:27:17, 1:27:19]: From slim up to slim down. [1:27:20, 1:27:23]: Eight o'clock in the morning to eleven o'clock at night. [1:27:25, 1:27:27]: Our colleagues, we have stand unified. [1:27:29, 1:27:30]: Heal the pay. [1:27:31, 1:27:38]: But what you hear, what you hear a lot of times, you hear that oh they're bickering, they're arguing. [1:27:38, 1:27:58]: Don't let the smoke screens fool you. Everybody up here wants a viable city. Everybody cares about Stockbridge. I want you to care about. I'm so overwhelmed. I'm so proud to be, and I love Stockbridge, so proud to be here, so proud to see you out tonight here, Concerned. We ask for your continued prayer. [1:27:58, 1:28:01]: And we ask for you to fight with us. [1:28:02, 1:28:06]: Because we're fighting for you. Thank you. [1:28:11, 1:28:31]: Well citizens, how are you doing this evening? I'll tell you what, it's uh it's a great thing to see you out here as you well know I'm Mayor Anthony Ford. And um I'm scared to give the final comments, but uh, I have a couple things obviously I want to share with you. First of all, it's great to see you here. I've never seen uh the chambers so filled, so packed. Do this all the time. Whenever we have meetings here, come. [1:28:31, 1:28:51]: Come, because we you elected us and we're doing your business, right? So come at all times. Um the other day we gave a press conference and out of that press conference uh more publicity about this issue came up. And out of that press conference I was very proud of several different citizens got interviewed, and I'm not gonna name their names, but they got interviewed and they're [1:28:51, 1:29:11]: They were on 46 and did an outstanding job because they came, they spoke from the heart with passion. And even when we end tonight, you may very well be one of the select few and possibly be interviewed. So if you do that, speak from your heart and speak with a lot of passion and do that. But all the efforts that we need for you to do, welcome, appreciate the fact you're here, we do, and that we [1:29:11, 1:29:18]: We need you to continue to help out this process. We're not giving up this battle at all. I will tell you in a sense that um [1:29:19, 1:29:20]: Even if [1:29:20, 1:29:22]: Governor Deal gets this. [1:29:22, 1:29:42]: and signs off of it or don't sign off on these bills. If you don't sign on forty days it becomes law, even if you decided to sign off on them, the battle is not over. And you gotta and you gotta excuse me,'cause I'm a retired military officer, so sometimes I use military military jargon. So I said mention battle. This is actually a war we're in. Okay? And our city attorney lose [1:29:42, 1:29:55]: to this earlier, if push come to shove, we're strategically looking at right now a counterattack. Okay? There's something we're planning to do as we speak to you tonight that we will do without a doubt. [1:29:55, 1:30:00]: No funds are spended on it. We will without a doubt. Continue to fight on. [1:30:00, 1:30:20]: We live here, you you voted for us, we serve you, and we'll continue to do that. The battle is not over. The war is not over. And at the end, we will win this war. The city of Stoppers will remain whole, complete. Now, the issue that we will have once we win this particular war, then I, the council and you as citizens will have to work toward [1:30:20, 1:30:40]: mending the community. That we have to mend the community and bring it back together and let them know and let us all know and work together with the council and your citizens of moving the city forward. Period. Now granted I understand and I'm pretty sure you understand this next comment, you're it's highly unlikely that you're going to satisfy 100% of the people 100% of the time. Okay? [1:30:40, 1:31:00]: But we were going to go for the majority. 99.9. How's that? Okay? Now, the thing of it is, is this once this war is won, we will bring it the community back together. And to answer this gentleman's question over here, we have a budget. We have some plans, strategic plans out there to do certain things for the community without a doubt. It's on and it says kind of on hold. [1:31:00, 1:31:20]: because we're a little busy now dealing with this crap. Oh, did I say that? I'm sorry. Okay. Well listen, so what it amounts to is that uh we'll get back on track and you'll see. You know, I'm originally from St. Louis, Missouri. Missouri's a show-me state. And when I was a young kid, my father said, son, stop running your mouth and show me by [1:31:20, 1:31:40]: your actions and I said okay dad so what I'm telling you now we're gonna show you by our actions we're gonna work for you untirously until we get this right get it straight win this war and then we're gonna show you by the things we're gonna do together as a team for the citizens and for the city itself and we're gonna grow we're gonna build the downtown area we won't work with [1:31:40, 1:31:44]: Joder Couth, we're gonna get the things necessary that you want. [1:31:45, 1:31:46]: Absolutely. [1:31:49, 1:31:57]: We will work for that. And we want to have a listening ear. We want to have transparency. And we want you to come and engage with us all the time. [1:31:57, 1:32:03]: We we at least meet at least twice a month. At least twice a month. Sometimes we're more than that. Come and see us here. [1:32:04, 1:32:24]: Come and see us. Talk to us. Send us those emails. Communicate. I also want to let you know the other day I received a couple messages from citizens who wrote letters to Governor Deal. And there were outstanding letters and messages. The other day, Camilla mentioned to it, besides calling, write to Governor as well. Let him know what's on your mind. Send him a letter. [1:32:24, 1:32:38]: Email that bad boy to him, right? Flood him on that and let him know. Because I want to tell you, I'll say again, if he signs anything against what we want here in the city of Stockbridge, we will continue to fight on until we win this war. [1:32:39, 1:32:40]: Guaranteed. [1:32:40, 1:32:41]: Guaranteed. [1:32:42, 1:32:43]: Guarantee. [1:32:44, 1:32:44]: Thank you. [1:32:45, 1:32:46]: God bless you all. [1:32:48, 1:32:53]: And I bless y'all and keep stop together. We will continue to move the city forward. [1:32:53, 1:33:00]: Thank you very much. Real quick. Real quick. We're almost ready to leave. There were two people who wanted to ask questions real quick. This lady right here. [1:33:01, 1:33:03]: You wanna answer that words? Yes. [1:33:04, 1:33:05]: Yeah. [1:33:06, 1:33:26]: Thank you. Um a real quick comment. Um all of the things that you guys were saying I appreciate. I appreciate the work that you guys are doing. But my husband and I we just relocated here about three years now. We're a military family and there were things that drew us to Stockbridge. Um one of the things I want to say is [1:33:26, 1:33:43]: suggestion, more and better communication to your s con constituents. Um we haven't been inundated with the information that we need as citizens of this uh city and county even. And I say that because even Eagles Landing [1:33:44, 1:33:55]: They don't even know. And I'm trying to let my people know. My husband's getting upset with me because I'm inundating all my friends on Facebook. I'm on the the website. Everything. [1:33:55, 1:34:14]: And we can't we don't this is the most information I think anybody's gotten since this whole process started. And even with the meetings, um among the email, I get a notification the day before that there's a meeting tomorrow. And a lot of us work. So the only thing I would suggest to the board [1:34:16, 1:34:34]: Drown us with information. Because we can even talk to the people in the city of Atlanta. You never know what your resources are if you don't put the information out there. Thank you. We received it. Thank you. Thank you. That gentleman right there. One more question and we're about ready to go for the evening. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. [1:34:35, 1:34:55]: regarding social media uh a number of people of over city they get on pursuing uh what's called next week and I would advise everybody else what's happening on social media because they they actually push a lot of information that's actually lost. [1:34:55, 1:35:15]: how we have to progress going on. But next door is actually your site so you need to keep your exam in your own network tonight. It's important to slightly or you know snakes or whatever the case is, you definitely want to be on next uh next door. But secondly I want to go to various doctors. [1:35:14, 1:35:33]: for 18 years, they do oversee for 21 years. And one thing I did not hear mention is the possibility, if this happens, the property values more than likely to protect it. Because we already have people heard things to say they want to move, we have other people trying to get out. [1:35:33, 1:35:46]: That means that's going to be an abundance of inventory which will provide the back we found. So it's very important that people, when we're talking to people, we let them know that potential in as much as we let them know about the tax system. [1:35:46, 1:35:57]: Right. Thank you so very much, sir. That's a very important comment to make. Yes, ma'am. I just want to say something to the citizen here concerning our leadership. [1:35:58, 1:36:18]: Actually they do communicate quite well with the communities as far as meetings. They're consistently they're consistently sending emails out. I myself as am a HOA president in this community. My community get all the correspondence coming from the city well ahead of time. I make sure that I forward them to [1:36:17, 1:36:37]: our neighbors, I have our neighbors support them to the neighbors in the neighborhoods next door. I have those people to even send them to people who have nothing to do with Stockbridge. Because I'm actually trying to make sure that everyone knows. But this particular council, regardless of what people say in the news, whatever they say in the media, I can assure you that [1:36:37, 1:36:46]: They are professionals, they are working hard for this city, and I can promise you this fight won't be over until we get what we want. [1:36:47, 1:37:07]: Thank you so very much. Thank you all for coming tonight. Thank you for the mayor and council. Please go to our website. Please visit the tables outside to so show how you can become more involved in in receiving our petitions. Thank you so much. If you can hear my voice before you leave, if you can hear my voice. [1:37:06, 1:37:26]: There are three important things to remember. One, our next town hall meeting will be Thursday, March 15th, 2018 at 7 o'clock. Please mark your calendars. Next town hall meeting, next Thursday, March 15th. The second important thing, if you're here tonight, please see the ladies at the table to the left. [1:37:26, 1:37:46]: They want you to help volunteer, get petitions, get door hangers, please help us in this battle to save what's ours. And last but certainly not least, visit our website. Please visit our website, city of stockbridge.com, city of stockbridge.com. When you get to the website, hit the red ribbon and you can sign in. [1:37:46, 1:37:53]: online petition and share with friends. Please visit our website and tell a friend. We hope to see you next Thursday. [1:37:57, 1:38:17]: If I've already filled out because I filled out one online. You already you have to do it again. Yeah, because it's duplicated and throw it out. Because when we send it officially that's in separate. So you have the new setup. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You have to have it. I was gonna make sure. Yeah, I think you would. [1:38:16, 1:38:25]: Thank you my body. Thank you. I'll show you that yellow flag. [1:38:35, 1:38:45]: Like I would tell you. No, it's a lot of people. [1:39:29, 1:39:49]: Thank you for your comments. Thank you. Thank you so much. Shane there, the public information officer for the city. Okay. Oh no, thank you. Well, one of our legislators at last yeah. [1:39:49, 1:39:55]: Um yeah, it was similar, but he had similar. He wasn't local. He's not a local. [1:39:55, 1:39:58]: [6021.2, 6023.2]: No worries coming in. [1:40:23, 1:40:43]: I I've never heard any of you speak before but I was really impressed with all of you. Thank you. I wanted you guys to know that. We want to get the board. Thank you so much. And I will be volunteering. Thank you, please, one there. Thank you, Mr. Picker. Thank you. Thanks for coming out. [1:40:43, 1:40:47]: I wanted to make sure they got more of the lights on it. [1:40:49, 1:40:50]: [6060.0, 6080.0]: Are you with that anything? Oh no, no. They mentioned, I mean, the people said the existing board that is really working hard. Yes. [1:41:20, 1:41:30]: created all the things and she wall right [1:41:33, 1:41:34]: Yeah. [1:41:34, 1:41:54]: There's a former mayor that I can. This battery, I mean I'll give it a clock because I'll just thank you. She runs the camera. That's why I'll do it. [1:41:54, 1:41:55]: Yeah. [1:41:55, 1:42:15]: Yeah. Uh-huh. I thought I thought this last week I want all of the men here of the mediums community has been she's been on that board 12 years. Nobody stays on it more than two. She's been she's been [1:42:39, 1:42:41]: Now you see what they inside of that. [1:42:42, 1:42:50]: Yeah that was that was reporting. I posted it on Facebook and then I got a letter from JC Moss. [1:42:51, 1:42:57]: The next day from Cathy threatening the lawsuit because I get close to the threatened here.