---
date: 2021-03-18
title: 03-18-2021 Minutes
source: 2021-03/2021-03-18_03-18-2021 _Minutes.pdf
pages: 1
---

Stockbridge
Where Community Connects

COUNCIL RE T REAT
March 18, 2 0 21

Summary inutes

The meeting was called to order
by Mayor Ford.

Randy Knighton gave the invocation; Mayor Pro Tem Alexander called for a Moment of
Silence for the
Georgia Shooting Tragedy.

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited
by all in attendance.

Roll call:
Mayor Ford, Mayor Pro Tem Alexander, Councilwoman
Barber, Councilman Blount,
Councilwoman Gantt, Councilman Thomas all in attendance.

Staff Attendees: Randy Knighton, City Manager Vanessa Holiday, City Clerk, John
Wiggins, City
Treasurer Alan Peterson, Economic
Development Director Decius Aaron, Public Works Director,
Brecca Johnson, Community
Development Director, Quinton Washington & Jeremy
Berry, City
Attorney, Robert Bonds, IT Support.

DAY TWO AGENDA

Facilitated by Randy Knighton
City Manager

Recap of Day One -

Randy Knighton
Mr. Knighton reviewed Day One noting the Financial Update; Unaudited
reporting of FY2020 Budget;
American Rescue Plan with
approximately $9.4 million dollars forthe City; Municipal Court impact and
the foreseen needs of the Court; 8-10 sessions
over 4-5 days per month; update the ordinances; SWOT
exercise as part of the Strategic Plan; Collaborative
Firm UDC update and next townhall
April 6, 2021
at 6pm, addressing concerns in the code, planned development, street
widths, and parking on the
street; and an online survey which is ongoing; there was unanimous
consent on the provisions of the
Henry County Resolution regarding the Aquatic Center to be
brought back to the Council for a vote
information was relayed to the
County Manager and County Attorney and received favorably; and
outlined the items to be presented on
today's Agenda.

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Amphitheater Update -
Kirk Voelkel and Chirag Venkatesan of H.J. Russell Co.
Mr. Voelkel gave a video presentation of the Amphitheater construction
progress; highlighting several
aerial views of the lighted stairs; and sodded seated areas; landscaping, lighting and decorative trash
bins; noted the overhang in the concession areas in the event of inclement weather; noted the Green
Room and features; artists prep areas; food service line and kitchen equipment with
epoxy floors; noted
GA Power has all poles installed and is preparing to install lights; noted sodding an
mulching also being
installed.

Councilman Thomas asked about the plan for security and a buffer between the back parking lot area
and homes on Bryant Street.

Mr. Knighton recommended tall trees with fencing creating a buffer
between the Amphitheater parking lot and the homes on Bryant Street, noting the internal road that has

been created will be a public road accessing the park-like area.

Mayor ProTem Alexander suggested there be no fencing along East Atlanta Road for clean sight lines.

Mr. Venkatesan referenced the ponds noting the sidewalk around the pond and along one side of the

street; noting sidewalks are being installed to handle more traffic.

Mayor ProTem Alexander recommended sidewalks along both sides of the street

Mr. Venkatesan noted he would need to go back to the engineers and architects to add a sidewalk on

the other side, if feasible.

Councilman Thomas asked what the distance is around the two ponds

Mr. Venkatesan estimated it to be around a half mile around the two ponds

Police Services Discussion -
Chief Billy Grogan, City of Dunwoody
Chief Grogan noted he was formerly the Police Chief for the City of Marietta and noted his
experience
starting the Dunwoody police department from the ground up working with the City Manager to develop
the Command Staff and dividing the duties amongst the core team to purchase equipment,
cars, radios,
patches, badges, body armor, records management, etc.; recommended in regards to training to be
clear on the expectations of the City; policy development to cover the high liability areas
noting the goal
is to be state certified; and recruitment of staff; become familiar with high population timeframes; noted

lGA (Intergovernmental Agreement) can be in place for 911 Center and Dispatching; does not
recommend hiring all new officers, and noted seasoned veteran officers can be a challenge; need to
recruit good quality offering competitive salaries and benefits; some of the other incentives
included a take-home car, sign-on bonus, housing, stipend if you reside in the city; advertise on social

media, run ads, host job fairs and noted he met with the Police Chief of newly formed cities for advice.
Chief Grogan noted as soon as the Police Chief is hired, vehicles, ammunition, patches, and
badges
need to be ordered noting the lead time can be significant; recommended the Council not lower the

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hiring standards as this can lead to potential litigation and to hire the right number of officers; strongly
recommended a millage increase so that you can get what you need to be successful because it can

be challenging during budget time and alleviate pressure down the road; and to have the new officers
and staff become very familiar with the city and city services; and addressed questions from the
Mayor
& Council.

Mayor Ford asked Chief Grogan to confirm that the core officers were hand-picked by him and that
most but not all the officers hired were seasoned/experienced officers.

Chief Grogan confirmed and noted you cannot afford to make any mistakes noting there is a lot
riding
on the roll out of the police department and making a good impression; noted officers need to be well

trained and professional; noted the process of new officers is a long process with 3 months of
training
and then riding with another officer; and noted he initially only hired officers who were POST certified
and hired new officers once the department was established.

Mayor Ford asked Chief Grogan if he agreed the recruitment of officers needs to look like the
community they represent.

Chief Grogan noted the important thing to do is to hire qualified and experienced officers who are
trained with firearms, use of force, emergency management, and a variety of experience from the
police
perspective and for the community; noting it is a challenge and can be a slow process.

Councilman Thomas thanked Chief Grogan for sharing his experience and asked about
screening,
recruitment, civility training, and legislation of an record following them and asked Chief Grogan
to speak to the mentality of recruitment and records following the officer.

Chief Grogan noted there is a recordkeeper and documenting of officers performance that are sent to
POST for GA, NC, SC who are responsible for 40% of police officers revocation in the
country because
of the rigorous standards; noted applicants who apply will have documents signed to pull their file and

POST records; noted police departments need to build trust and you will need to know how
good are
the personal skills; not to hire some very rigid and not flexible, but be professional when
applying the law; and noted body cameras protect the officers and the public and would be highly
recommended.

Councilman Thomas noted Chief Grogan has laid out a great snapshot of a challenging profession and
does not take the risks of the job of a police officer for granted; asked Chief Grogan about the de-
escalation training and his experience with that.

Chief Grogan noted several years ago the governor made it mandatory for all police officers have de-
escalation training every year and has been in place for the last years and can be delivered by the
agency or can be taken online by the Georgia Public Safety Training Center; and noted Dunwoody also
has a Firearms Simulator which allows for practice encounters with the public, noting in many cases,
the outcome is determined by the officer and with the practice by the officers, will lead to a good

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outcome and is required
training; noted mental health crisis, and they are not mental health
workers,
but they do provide
training in this area as well an 8-hour mental health training class as well.

Councilman Thomas asked if
Dunwoody has a citizen review board; Chief Grogan responded
they do
not.

Mayor Pro Tem Alexander thanked Chief Grogan for an excellent
presentation noting Dunwoody is a
model city in terms of economic development and keeping the
public safe and asked what the
recommendation of a good starting would be for
pay officers.

Chief Grogan noted
you need a good benefits package; incentives;
starting pay needs to be in the 75th
percentile and starting pay for Dunwoody officers non-sworn and need to be sent to the academy is a
little over $44,000 and there is a matrix used for
experience and education that could bring it up to the
low noted it is a competitive market and
compared to other agencies around them, they are
in the 50-75 percentile
noting recently changed their hiring matrix Brookhaven with 10
years of
experience will be around $60,000 $70,000.

Mayor Pro Tem Alexander noted body cameras were recommended and
asked if surveillance in the
community and partnering with businesses is also used.

Chief Grogan noted the use of surveillance cameras,
particularly in the parks, license plate reader
cameras as a very effective tool, and noted apartment complexes and subdivisions have installed
cameras which they have access to,
noting Perimeter Mail has 100+ cameras and businesses also
have cameras installed where
they have access to some but not all.

Mayor Pro Tem Alexander asked if there are officers on the interstate.

Chief Grogan responded
yes, as an effort to get motorists to slow down,
noting a lot of the fatalities in
Dunwoody come from in their 3-mile stretch, and noted traffic
officers also patrol for
speeding in
school zones and surface streets, and noted that
as a brand new Police Chief school and is
required
to attend Chief School, and
during the class he learned that 50% of your community will
say you are
doing too much traffic enforcement, and the other 50% will
say your are not doing enough traffic
enforcement.

Mayor Pro Tem Alexander noted aggressive 90-day start up and asked what would have
been the preferred startup timetable.

Chief Grogan noted he would have
preferred 6-8 months following the hiring of the Chief and allow
enough time to become acclimated and note feeling rushed, hire
staff, receive equipment and recruit,
noting with the environment we are in, the biggest challenge will be
recruiting, and retention and you
should do incremental hiring.

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Councilman Blount thanked Chief Grogan for the presentation and asked about the finances and

millage rate in Dunwoody.

Chief Grogan responded residents are paying 2.74 mils in Dunwoody with a 1mil residential rollback
from the County which then equates to a 1.74 millage rate; and the residents pay a reduced millage to
the County for services that were opted out such as helicopters, bombs, and SWAT, but was unsure of
the rate.

Councilman Blount asked how the millage rate determined also noting the insurance was also a high
amount.

Chief Grogan noted the millage rate was set by law by the enabling legislation to establish the police

department in Dunwoody; noted the Carl Vinson Institute referenced the police department as an
expense; and noted the jail was purchased with a bond paid by incorporated and City of Dunwoody
residents and expenses come out of the DeKalb County budget at no cost to the City of Dunwoody.

Councilman Blount asked how many residents; Chief Grogan respond there are approximately 48,000

Councilman Blount asked what services are provided by the County

Chief Grogan responded DeKalb County provides Fire, Library, Voting, and the Bomb Squad, and
noted the City of Dunwoody received a grant and purchased a Bearcat.

Councilwoman Barber asked about the rotating work schedule for the department.

Chief Grogan responded the officers worked in 12-hour shifts, and off every other weekend working 7

days on and 7 days off in a two-week period and the officers love it with a maximum amount of
coverage; noting workers today value time with their families and this schedule works well
administratively.

Mayor Ford thanked Chief Grogan for the information presented.

Mr. Knighton noted he would follow up with Chief Grogan with additional questions.

Councilman Alexander asked what the City needs to do to move this initiative forward with the
process
for bringing forward the police department beginning with the hiring of command staff.

Mr. Knighton noted the application deadline for the Police Chief is April and the City will engage a

hiring firm to move forward with the selection process; noted the expectation will be 2022 for the startup
of the police department; noted questions to Chief Grogan will be where they are buying ammunition

due to the shortage, and the purchasing of equipment due to the long-time frame to get.
items in house; noted there have been conversations with the County Manager, Cheri Hobson-
Matthews regarding the facility, along with meetings with Chief Maddox and Deputy Chief Ireland, and

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is in the process of developing policy, standards and vetting. psychological evaluations, apparatus for

the culture, community policing, shall all be part of the genesis of the beginning of the department.

Mayor Pro Tem Alexander talked about license plate readers and surveillance which he supports and
needs to work with the community technology investments.

Mr. Knighton noted he supports body cameras and noted the expense of storing the data, increased
insurance cost and the increase in Open Records Requests.

Councilwoman Barber asked where the job announcement for Police Chief position was posted other
than the website and asked what happens if the right candidate is not found.

Mr. Knighton noted it was also posted on a law enforcement site and would forward the information and

the job posting would go back out and the search would continue and remains confident a good
candidate can be found.

Councilwoman Gantt referenced the challenge of finding ammunition, and noted in addition to be a

pawn shop, Pawn Shop is a major public safety distributor in the State of Georgia.

Annexation -

Randy Knighton, City Manager
Mr. Knighton noted Ms. Brecca Johnson, the Community Development Director (hire) has joined the
meeting, and noted the topic of annexation has come up previously with respect to closing some of the
surrounding unincorporated pockets and areas and that typically you want to create
compact

jurisdiction, noting that does not exist forthe most part in the City of Stockbridge; referenced the
current map, noting the boundaries not being cohesive and referenced the proposed Phase I including
Red Oak Rd., Hudson Bridge Rd., the hospital, Eagles Landing Pkwy., Hwy. 42, Patrick Henry Pkwy.,
Jodeco, along with some other areas to fill in the primary holes and the proposed Phase II being more
ambitious with more outskirt areas of the annexation proposal; referenced the Annexation Study by the
Carl Vinson Institute which notes different ways to approach annexation.

Councilman Thomas noted he understands the prospect of Phase I, and Phase II and asked what the

percentage of commercial was included in Phase I.

Mr. Knighton presented an additional map which highlighted the unincorporated areas along Eagles
Landing Parkway area much of which was commercial and noted he would obtain a report from the
County to show the percentage of commercial and residential areas.

Mayor Pro Tem Alexander noted the discrepancies in the boundaries and stated it just makes sense
for the hospital and medical offices to be in the boundaries to clearly define the area and be
contiguous, especially moving forward with public safety and along the Jodeco project site and noted
this would be a great move for the budget.

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Councilman Thomas asked about the work stoppage of the hotels along Country Club Drive and Patrick

Henry Parkway that had been under construction and report back the status.

Mayor Ford noted he wants to make sure the City reaches out to citizens and businesses who would
be in the proposed annexed area and asked if there was any anticipated pushback from the County.

Mayor Pro Tem Alexander agreed there should be discussions with the residents and businesses and
continued to say that the City could control its own destiny and has the option to annex via local
legislation and being proactive.

Councilman Thomas asked the Community Development Director and Economic Development Direct
to offer their thoughts regarding proposed annexation.

Mr. Peterson noted he supports the proposed annexation and stated that when he speaks with
developers, a larger part of the conversations evolve around whether or not an area is in the city limits
of Stockbridge or in unincorporated Henry County, and asks how they can get the property annexed
into the City; and agrees with Mayor Pro Alexander with this being great for the budget,
and regarding the new Jodeco Development, the annexation would not only be nice, but
necessary for
economic development.

Ms. Johnson noted she agrees with Mr. Knighton, Mayor Pro Tem Alexander, and Mr. Peterson that
the City should close the gaps and have the disjointed areas go away and eliminate the confusion with

public services; noted the Community Development Department would work with the legal team
and engage the public on what their thoughts are on the process, noting that based on the comments
from Mr. Peterson, there is a desire and interest to close the gaps.

Councilwoman Barber noted during the cityhood fight the message was tailored based on which side
of the street you were on and to fill in the holes and supports the proposed annexation.

Councilman Thomas thanked Mr. Peterson and Ms. Johnson for their ideas and suggestions which will
be critical to the success.

Mr. Peterson noted that the developers want clarity about who they should be dealing with, City or
County, noting it would be great to have new developments be in the city limits of Stockbridge where it
would be so much easier and investor friendly.

Councilwoman Gantt noted with Phase l there is a concern about the Walt Stephens Rd. area, which
is more residential, and agrees the City should speak with businesses and homeowners and wants
clean boundary lines to prepare for Districts; noted during the early phases of the Jodeco Rd. project,
she suggested Hardees be annexed into the City noting it is imperative to fill in the
remaining holes.

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Mr. Knighton noted he understands there is a consensus to move fon/vard and referenced the new
census numbers as it relates to districts, and in either
case, the City would move fon/vard with the best
legal path.

Mayor Pro Tem Alexander noted the legislators would like to have the City submit a Resolution for
annexation

Councilwoman Barber agreed with the Resolution for local
legislation and agrees with speaking with
the residents and businesses who would be affected
by the proposed annexation.

Projects Update -
Adam Price, Skip Layton, and John Palmer -
Falcon Design Consultants
Mr. Layton gave an update on the LMlG 2020
project noting all roadways are complete except Country
Club Dr. noting the milling was done and they are
trying to get the contractor to move the construction
to the weekend; Reeves Creek Trail Phase I from Tye Street to Memorial park is almost
complete,
Phase ll from Tye to Flippen will start immediately following the completion of Phase I, bridge parts
have all been fabricated; noted they met with Mr. Aaron
regarding old trees that are dead/dying that
need to be taken out and await the cost toremove them; anticipates re-opening in
approximately 3
months; noted there were culverts that needed to be installed and that citizens have been
walking
through the construction zone; noted the new bridge is a beautiful aluminum structure that can now
handle 9500 pounds, and will be grounded
electrically in case of static electricity or lightning.

Mayor Pro Tem Alexander asked when the LMlG 2021 resurfacing would start.

Mr. Layton noted it was up to the City as the bid date is March 25th and the
start date would be 30 45
days from the executed contract, noting it is in the hands of the Procurement office; Mayor Pro
Tem Alexander asked the City Manager when he
proposes the project will begin and the response was
July.

Councilman Thomas asked if there would be re-sodding and it was confirmed that
there would be re-
sodding around the edges.

East Atlanta Rd. & Lee Street Road
Widening Projects Mr. Price noted the specifications and
landscape plans were permitted; Mr. Layton noted he was advised earlier in the day by TSW the
Specification Plans were due to them today, and the Landscape Plans are due to their office
today; Mr.
Knighton noted he would follow up with TSW this afternoon.

Councilman Thomas asked if the Rideshare Plans had been included in the
design.

Mr. Price noted they were not, however but did have a
Concept to present. Mr. Palmer noted there
were two options: 1) no new construction and using an existing area and 2) a little extra asphalt, curb,
sidewalk, landscaping and centrally located and away from the normal traffic.

Mayor Pro Tern Alexander asked if there were sidewalks on Lee Street included in the plan.

8|Page
Mr. Palmer responded there is a section near the church where
they were unable to include wide
sidewalks but did include them where they were able to along the realigned section of Lee Street.

Mr. Price recommended the Municipal Court area as the proposed Rideshare location and will
require
very little work such as signage and has easy access to the Amphitheater entrance; the second
proposed Rideshare location would be the city hall entrance location on East Atlanta Rd where the city
previously held Food Truck events, and would require new paving and sidewalks, noting turning left
may be an issue.

Councilman Thomas expressed his concern with a bottleneck of traffic in option 1 at the court
building

Mr. Price noted there are 21 spaces at the court building and sees more of a bottleneck at the East
Atlanta Rd. location

Mr. Knighton recommended devoting the entire area behind the court building for carpooling and
specifically dedicated to ridesharing.

Mayor Pro Tem Alexander commended Councilman Thomas for his forward thinking on bringing the
Rideshare recommendation to the City.

Councilwoman Gantt commended Councilman Thomas for suggesting the Rideshare recommendation
and agrees with the proposed location behind the court building.

Mayor Pro Tem Alexander noted as you enterthe Amphitheaterfrom Lee Street via the new road, there
is only one proposed sidewalk on the left side of the street and recommends sidewalks on both sides

of the street of the new road for better connectivity.

Mr. Knighton noted he would need to speak with TSW regarding noting it to be a design change

Councilman Thomas asked if there would be crosswalk striping for pedestrian
crossing

Mr. Knighton noted there would be crosswalk striping and/or
pavers; Falcon Designed confirmed

Councilwoman Barber noted there appears to be a consensus to dedicate the court area as the
Rideshare location.

Mayor Ford asked about the use of approximately 3 acres of greenspace along Lee Street where the
three homes previously existed.

Mr. Palmer stated that the original use was parking spaces, however, the former Community
Development Director, Ms. Moore, changed the plans to remove the parking spaces.

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Mayor Ford, Mayor Pro Tem Alexander and Councilman Thomas noted they were unaware of the
change noting the City needs every parking space they can get.

Mr. Knighton asked Falcon Design about the
potential number of parking spaces that could be installed
in the area along Lee Street; they confirmed
approximately 50 spaces.

Councilman Blount asked if the sidewalks along Lee Street would be installed all the
way down to
Bryant Street with new lighting as part of the beautification and not at the
stop Amphitheater.

Mr. Palmer noted the scope of work that was
approved in the design did not include sidewalks beyond
the new road.

Mr. Knighton confirmed the scope of work and
design was inclusive of the property and does not
own the property beyond that.

Councilman Blount suggested beautification with sidewalks,
proper drainage, and lighting to Bryant
Street; Mayor Pro Tem Alexander agreed.

Mayor Ford noted the property does not belong to the City and would also need for the
sidewalks.

Councilman Blount asked when Falcon could come back with cost to continue the sidewalks and
lighting to Bryant Street.

Mr. Palmer noted Georgia Power would be
responsible for the lighting and would need to provide the
cost estimates; and there looks to be a 50' there now, and a new design plan to include
construction, storm drainage, curb & gutter and the sidewalk would need to come back to the
City.

Mr. Knighton asked the Council to allow Falcon Design to come back with an estimate.

Mr. Price expressed concerns not to hold
up the bidding on the current design with the new request,
but rather bring back the information on the
proposed section later; Mr. Knighton strongly recommended
getting the bid out for the new road construction.

Councilwoman Barber asked if the new street alignment would include left and
right turn signals.

Mr. Palmer confirmed, noting the signals were
part of the bid package.

Mayor Pro Tem Alexander suggested the mast black arm signals to showcase the area; Mr. Layton
stated they would make suggest the new black arm
signals in the traffic plans.

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Mr. Palmer noted the Alleyway Project plans ready 4-5 weeks ready to go; finishing
up the Wayfinding
drawings with the footings and all the details requested and will be ready within the week to include the
cost of each sign.

Procurement Policies & Procedures -Jeremy Berry, City Attorney

Attorney Berry thanked the Mayor & Council for the opportunity to work with the City; noted he plans
to present basic information regarding procurement; noted that he had spoken with Lindell and read

the procurement manual; noted in the future looking at revisions to the Code; referenced his 18
years
of procurement experience with MARTA and the City of Atlanta; reviewed the State of Purchasing
Act O.G.G.A.

T e der ngpu posesa dpo i
cesof a re :

(1 ) To permit the continued development of cenuailzed procurement policies and practites;

(2) To control and reduce the cost of purchasing. leasing, renting, or otherwise procuring suppnes. materials.
services, and equipment through the use ofcenlralized purchasing

(3) To ensure openness and accessibllity by all vendors to the state's purchasing processes so as to achieve
the lowest possible costs to the state through effective competition
among such vendors;

(4) To provide for timely. effecLive, and service [0 using agencies and to vendors doing business with the

state;

{5} ca su e he fair an e uita e armen ai ersons who ea w E] epoc
r U em sys E en 0 f[ esae;

(6}T pmvdefo in c ease ubic on de ceint epr cedu es foilawe in pub C OUF amen
c a d

7) T0 rov de safegua d for he man a ante ofaproc ement sys n q a {ya :1 n t eg rty

Attorney Berry noted the City adopted its Procurement Code in March 2013 and should be commended
as it was put together very well; noted the purpose of the Purchasing Ordinance is to
Stated purposes of the Purchasing Ordinance:
obtain the best value in terms of quality, service and price when expending public
To foster effective, fair and competition for public procurement within the free
enterprise

provide safeguards for the maintenance of quality, integrity and equity, as defined
b y Section 3.30.060 of this chapter, in the purchase and disposition of city

Attorney Berry note the Methods of Purchasing Goods or Services
Informal purchase (less than $50,000)
Competitive Sealed Bidding (Buying products everyone competes for same product)
Competitive Sealed Proposals (RFP process best interest/value for the City)
Sole Source Purchase (Only one to provide the good/service)
Emergency Purchase (Need to purchase, fix, repair immediately)
Cooperative Purchase (Piggyback off their existing contract previously bid out)
Governmental and Affiliated Entity Purchase (purchasing from other governments)

11|Page
Attorney Berry noted it is always the lowest bid that should be selected noting there is a technical
component and while you may pay more, you will receive product or services with better quality and
the company is financially viable and you get the best value for the
City.

Attorney Berry referenced a few codes for discussion:
Source Purchase. A sole source procurement
may be used when only one (1) vendor or supplier

is able to fill requirements forthe intended use."
(Section 3.30.080(D))
Should have requirement to prepare memo
justifying sole source?

-lnformal Procurements that involve amounts fifty thousand dollars
($50,000.00) or less
do not require a formal sealed bid/proposal
process. However, the processes used for this type of
procurement will include as much competition as is consistent with the anticipated cost of the
procurement and the best interest of the (Section 3.30.090(A))
user department is granted the authority, at the discretion of the department director
or city manager, to handle purchases where the cost is less than five thousand dollars
(Section 3.30.090(E)(1))

Sealed Bidding. . ..
Generally, the following conditions must be met: Three (3) or

more responsible bidders are willing to participate in the (Section 3.30.080(B)(2))

Attorney Berry noted any sole source award should include a memo stating the reason.

Councilwoman Barber noted Attorney Berry had stated he has reviewed the Procurement Code
and asked if he has had an opportunity to review the Procurement Manual as it
gives a briefdescription
of sole source but does not provide the steps or actions to be taken.

Attorney Berry responded he has started reviewing the Procurement Manual and needs to compare it
to the Procurement Code, noting the manual can be
changed at any time and the Code would need to
be adopted by the City, and if it is the will of the Council, the
changes can be included in the Code.

Councilwoman Barber asked if the Procurement Manual needs to be
approved by the Council and
noted Resolutions approved by the Council that are not included in the manual.

Attorney Berry responded the Code currently does not; however, the Code 3.30.340 does
authorize the purchasing department to publish a manual of
procedures annually and may be revised
as necessary; noting the Code could be changed at any time.

Mayor Ford asked if an RFP is issued and bids are received, and only one bid is received, is that
considered sole source

Attorney Berry responded no; there was only one company who responded in that case and was
opened to competition; noting with sole source, only one company can provide that one thing.

Councilwoman Barber noted the Charter dictates policy that is
approved by the Council, asked if that
would not also apply to the Procurement Manual.

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Attorney noted that was a good question and noted he was that he was looking at the
Code and if that is the case, the Code would be inconsistent with the Charter and would need to review
and advise.

Councilwoman Barber referenced her 20+years of procurement experience, and as the Mayor just

questioned, she also has a concern when the recommendation to award a contract was coming to the
Council with one responsive bidder and she began to ask questions to understand if there was
only
one responder or did others respond and were disqualified and is trying to understand the operations
of the procurement processes of staff which has been challenging because the procurement
manual does not offer step by step guidance on the processes the procurement staff is
taking, and the
step by step processes are not in the Code; noted the Council approved a Resolution, which is also in
the procurement manual that states if less than (3) three bids are received the bid deadline would be

extended noting the length of time is at the Procurement Managers discretion and good faith effort,
and if the after the extension there are less than (3) three bids, the process would move fonNard with
the recommendation to award as staff had completed its due diligence with the bidding
process; noted
her concern is there have been inconsistencies in the process.

Attorney Berry noted there can be processes put in black and white, noting every procurement can be
different depending on the item and that you could have companies who refuse to bid; and cautioned
to be mindful of extending deadlines when proposals are in hand, and noting he understands
Councilwoman intent is to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to bid and advertise in
a variety of locations.

Councilwoman Barber noted the goal is to increase vendor participation, and making sure the City is

making every effort possible without compromising the integrity of the process and advertising and
reaching as many potential vendors as possible noting advertising had previously been limited to (3)
three sources and just wants to understand the outreach and inviting more potential vendors,
and understands the City has rolled out a new database for vendors, however, without the
expanded
outreach, you would be recycling the same vendors and also believes the recommendation to award a
contract should come to the Council to make the decision to award as opposed to just
receiving 1-2
bids.

Attorney Berry responded there may be bids that receive 2 responders and others that receive 5 and
noted there are times when bids go out and there is an opportunity for questions to be asked and
answered, noting some vendors may be out.

Councilwoman Gantt noted she appreciates the presentation and noted her concerns as well with the

receipt of one bid and having represented small businesses, it would appear that you would be
shopping around and prefers the City model after the Georgia Code, and while only one vendor may
respond, they may be the only one interested; and agrees with Councilwoman Barber on advertising,
noting most businesses know where to look for bids; noted her concern with these changes in the
process is prolonging the efforts of getting things done and asked if Ms. Miller was present to address

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questions, she was not. Councilwoman Gantt then asked Councilwoman Barber if the new advertising
measures were in place as she does not believe this to be the normal process and looks suspect.

Councilwoman Barber stated when she joined the City Council, she expressed her concerns with the
one responsive bidders and asked what staff was doing to increase participation, noting it is not always

alarming to receive one bidder, but it was consistently happening here with one bidder and that was
alarming noting she has been asking the questions; and asked Mr. Knighton and/or Mr. Wiggins to
address what steps are in place by staff now to increase vendor participation.

Mr. Knighton noted the use of a vendor registry program recently launched in the last month or
so to connect vendors to our site; advertising was expanded to GLGA for certain items, and per the
Resolution, there were two that were extended; noted he asked Attorney Berry to address procurement
due to his extensive experience in the area and to also present a fresh set of eyes and look at our

current situation and make recommendations for ongoing thorough processes to run and operate
smoothly.

Attorney Berry recommended placing bids on the social media accounts; and do an analysis of
how many vendors are downloaded the RFP and only two submit, could also show why vendors are
not submitting.

Councilwoman Barber noted as far as extending the deadline of the bid, the Procurement office had

already been extending bids prior to the Resolution being approved, noting the Resolution was to bring
about consistency.

Councilman Blount noted with the exception of Councilwoman Barber, Council has seen what was and
what is now and how departments have evolved for the better of the City and commended
Councilwoman Barber for wanting to make it better and agrees with the expanded advertising; noted
some bids with this process of extensions could be out there up to 100 days; and stated the elected
officials should not be involved in the bidding process as it looks like bid rigging before a bid is awarded.

Attorney Berry noted problems when anyone starts to exert themselves into the process and problems
can unfortunately occur, noting he has not seen an elected official involved in the process before.

Councilman Thomas noted Attorney Berry has reviewed the Code and whatever it takes to move
fonNard efficiently, please do so to make us better and to make the modifications following review of
the Code and the manual.

Attorney Berry stated the Code and Procurement Manual are good and from what he can tell,
and the system is working well, noting absolutely, improvements can be made and will work with staff

to make improvements and referenced an example in the code that needs to be revised: Section
3.30.080 (b) (2) as an example that needs revision and also recommended campaign contributions
being disclosed and a Bid Protest process that currently does not exist in the policy or manual where if

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a bid is not awarded, the only current remedy is the vendor taking the City to court which can be
quite

Councilman Thomas noted the elected body is charged with policy creation and adoption of
legislation
that moves the City fonNard, and asked Attorney Berry to look at the deficiencies,
short-comings, and
improvements to make us better.

Attorney Berry agreed to review the manual and Code and offer improvements to the process

Councilwoman Barber noted as she came on board last year, she used her level of expertise in

procurement to be her guide and to understand the operations of the City, and as she tried to follow
the solicitations they were so inconsistent, tell if they were being posted for 30 days and being
closed, she tell if they were being posted for 45 days and being closed, and referred to the
procurement manual and the Code and see if the bids were being posted for 30 or 45 days
and resigned to watching the process and the deliverables and once she saw the recommendations to

award, the processes seemed inconsistent, so it was her intent to streamline and offer suggestions to
better improve the processes; and noted she understands bid-rigging which is illegal and that just
because you understand procurement, ignorance ofthe law around procurement does not
exempt
you from prosecution or any liabilities and that she is very much aware of that and will not compromise
herself in that way and is why she began to answer questions about the single
responder and asking
questions about the process and noted there needs to be accountability from the City Manager and
City Treasurer and looks fonNard to working with Attorney Berry with improvements.

Councilman Blount noted Attorney Berry stated the policy and manual are good and agreed the
elected body makes policy and needs to stay out of procurement and not interject,
noting the perception
is not good, and noted Attorney Berry is not aware of anywhere that the elected officials are involved
and looking like they are involved directly bid award process.

Attorney Berry noted officials are charged with making policy and changes to the policies and asked to
clarify his earlier statement that elected officials should not be involved in procurement with the

awarding of the bid process or literally selecting vendors, but that elected officials can and should be
involved with policy decisions.

Councilwoman Gantt stated there had not been a problem before with procurement and
perhaps need
to revert and not be in conflict; agrees with Councilman Thomas to make it
right; and know our roles as
councilmembers and allow staff to do theirjobs.

Councilman Thomas suggested recommendations be brought back to the Council.

Councilwoman Barber asked Mr. Knighton and Mr. Wiggins forthe number of vendors who are
already
established in the new vendor database by NIGP Codes and wants to see if that number increases
over the month as it should if we do our due diligence and reach out to perspective vendors,
noting her
interest is vendor participation.

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Mr. Wiggins noted there were approximately 50 vendors who signed up to the program following the
vendor registration rollout and noted the information would be retrieved and provided as requested.

Councilman Blount asked Attorney Berry to review the procurement Resolution approved in October
and offer a legal opinion as to whether the Resolution could be problematic for the City as has been

suggested and wants everything clean and not have a bad perception for the City especially with the
anticipated growth coming to the City.

Councilwoman Barber noted the Resolution that was approved was drafted by the former City Attorney
and should have the same language as the Ordinance that was vetoed by the Mayor at the City
discretion; Mayor Ford noted he vetoed the Ordinance at his own discretion.

Mayor Pro Tem Alexander noted the topic of procurement has been thoroughly discussed with the
Attorney noting the process appears to be legally sound with improvements needed and will review the
Code and Procurement Manual and bring recommendations as directed.

Review of Day 2 -

Randy Knighton, City Manager
Mr. Knighton noted the presentation by Kirk Voelkel showed the progress of the Amphitheater by H. J.

Russell, noted the request for an additional sidewalk, and needs direction and recommendations from
the Council for the fencing/barrier between the Amphitheater parking lot and residents; Police Dept.
presentation from Chief Grogan who recommended hiring experienced officers first following the hiring
of the Chief and command staff, purchase equipment early, noted 6-8 month startup time is preferred
in early 2022 and to make sure training and policy development are key along with offering hiring
incentives such as bonus and take-home cars, recommended a millage tax, body cameras and Police
Chief job advertised until April 30th; Annexation presentation included a proposed Phase I to be

completed first and then proposed Phase ll following conversations with the public and business owners
in the proposed areas and staff was tasked with reporting the percentage of commercial and residents

in the proposed areas; Falcon Design Consultants gave an update of current projects with focus on the

Lee Street/East Atlanta Rd. road widening projects with decorative traffic signals with black arms in the

intersections; Rideshare location to be behind the court building with signage; adding an estimated 50
parking spaces on N Lee Street (cost to be submitted for design revision); and an additional request to
extend the sidewalk on N. Lee Street and lighting to Bryant Street, noting Falcon will respond with an

proposal; Alleyway project plans will be ready in approximately four week and the Wayfinding quote will
be ready in the next week or so; Procurement overview by Attorney Berry and the Council tasked staff

with providing vendor database numbers and NlGP Codes.

The m was adjourned at 3:18pm

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Vanessa Holiday, City Clerk MMC Anthony 8. Ford, ayor

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