---
date: 2021-06-14
title: 06-14-2021 Minutes
source: 2021-06/2021-06-14_06-14-2021 _Minutes.pdf
pages: 1
---

StOCkbridge
Where Community Connects

COUNC L MEETING
SUMMARY M NUTES

MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2021 6:00 PM.
Ma or 8: Ci Coun c il Adm inist ration
M ayor Anthony S. Ford
Mayor Pro Tem Elton Alexand er Randy Kni hton, City Man ager
Vanessa qllda City Cler k
Council woman Yolanda Barbe r ,

Council man John Blount John Wi Ins Ity Treasu rer
Councilwoman LaKeisha Gantt
Qumton ashington, City Attorney
Councilman Alphonso Thomas Jeremy T. Berry, City Atto rney

Mission: To rovideyision a I eadership and
qua l'ty
I o f lfe for
superjor municipal services that enhance the
cutgzens _
Ie
welcomgng busmess atmosph ere focused on
sustainabll a nd expanSIon of tounsm and
cultu ral event s.
The meeting was called to order
by Mayor Ford.

Invocation by Mayor Ford.

Pledge of Allegiance was recited all in unison.

City Clerk, Vanessa Holiday was asked to
proceed with a verbal roll call. All members
were present for roll call
except Councilman Blount and Councilwoman Gantt
Ford noted Councilman Blount (Mayor
advised him of a personal
Councilman Blount joined the
family medical emergency).
meeting at 6:15 p.m.; Councilwoman Gantt joined the
meeting at 6:35 pm.

Mayor Pro Tem Alexander inquired about am
ending the Agenda to add an Ordinance
amending the formula for Small Box Retail Di stance;
action would require a vote of the
Attorney Washington noted the
Council tu3 suspend th e rules with a vo te
the Charter calls for the count, noting
request to be made a i n writing. a nd furth er
consensus of the
noting the requ ired
Council to have any item
pl aced the Agenda, and reco mmende d
following the proc ess of obtaining a consensus of the Council
for the Agenda prior to requesting an item

Mayor Pro Tem Al exander Motion to place the Small Box
Retail Distance Ord inance o n
the June 2 9, 2021
, meeting Agenda and appro ve the agenda as presented Al
Second by Counci lwoman Barber. The exander '

motion passed

Mayor Pro Tem Alexander Motion to adopt the Minutes for
the following
Second by Councilwoman Barber. The meetings
motion passed 3-0.
1. 3/17/21 2. 3/18/21 3. 3/19/21 4. 4/12/20201 5. 4/27/2021

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CEREMONIAL -
Proclamations presented by Mayor Ford
6. Caribbean Heritage Celebration -
Presented to Samantha
Samuels, President of the Caribbean Association of GA and
Stockbridge resident who thanked the Mayor & Council on behalf
of the Executive Team for recognizing the contributions
of the Caribbean community
locally and

7. Alzheim Awareness Month Presented to Sylvia Dennis Wray

who the nke d the Mayor & Council for
bringing
attention to
Alzheim ; noted GOV lD-19 brought on more
challenges for
patients; asked that we keep everyone lifted in prayer; noted the
annual Walk will take place in
person on 9/18 at Alexander Park;
and referenced the recent FDA
approved medication while not a
cure, does slow down the progression of the disease.

8. Juneteenth Celebration -

Presented to Councilman Thomas who
noted Juneteenth as a historical celebration and the first for
the
City of Stockbridge noted his goal was to educate, unify and
celebrate citizens of all races and learn about each
culture;
Mayor Pro Tem Alexander thanked Councilman Thomas for his
leadership and spearheading the Juneteenth celebration.

PUBLIC COMMENTS
All public comments must be submitted to the Clerk
no later than one hour
prior to the meeting
The Public Comment Form can be found on the
City's webpage on the City page at
https://stockbridqe.seamIessdocs.com/f/200kdz4mo7xb and the form must include your name
phone, and email contact information. Comment s are limited to
(3) three minutes and will be read
by the Cler k dun'n g the m eeti ng, res pecting all members of the elected
body, officials, and staff.
Comments includi ng defa mat ion, un ruliness an d/or swea
ring will not be accepted.

Mr. Char les Mars hall, President of the
Henry County Coalition Committee noted his support of
the upco ming TS PLO ST Referendum and is
en courag ing others to the item
support as wel I;
thanked the Mayor & Counci l for their continued
comm itment and support of the beautific a(io n
and infrastru cture improveme nts around the
city and surrounding areas.

NEW BUSINESS
9. Council Consideration to approve the Main Street
Program 2021 -2022
Classic Main Street MOU (Memorandum of
Understanding)
Presented by Kira Harris-Braggs Main Street
Program Manager
Ms. Harris-Braggs made a
request to renew the Classic Main Street
MOU (Memorandum of
Understanding) with the Georgia Department of
Community Affairs for the 2021-2022 year noting the Main Street
Advisory Board has continued its work with establishing new
partnerships with First Reader5 of Henry County and Henry County
Arts Consort Show which also
strengthens the curren tpartn ership with
Cochran Library, Stockbridg e
Elementary School, SPDC and Operation
Hope. Mrs. Harris-Braggs also noted throughout the pandemic the Main
Street Advisory Board has kept small business owners
informed about
funding opportunities and has helped inform the public of business re-

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openings through the Stockbridge is Open campaign; noted the
success of the recent joint
Planning Session of the Main Street
Advisory Board and Downtown Development Authority; and thanked
the Mayor & Council for their continued
support of the program.

Councilman Thomas noted the Main Street
Advisory Board has met all
(5) five articles of the Main Street Program and motioned to approve
the Main Street Program 2021-2022 Classic Main Street MOU
(Memorandum of Understanding): Second by Councilman Blount. The
motion passed (Councilwoman Gantt was not present for the vote).

10. Council Consideration to
approve the renewal of RFP (Request for
Proposal) 201508-02, Sanitation Collection Services Contract Renewal
with GFL (formerly Waste Industries) in the amount of
$1,100,000.00.
Funding Source: Sanitation Department Budget.
Presented by Lindell Miller Procurement Manager and

Decius Aaron Public Works Director
Ms. Miller noted staff is requesting approval to renew the term
contract
for sanitation collection services which is used for collection and
transportation of all residential solid waste.

Councilman Thomas gave accolades to the impeccable service
Mr. Dwayne Isaac, representative for GFL has
provided for citizens.

Mayor Ford noted he has contacted GFL, and they have always been
very responsive.

Mayor Pro Tem Alexander thanked Mr. Isaac for their quick response to
bumping back the service for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday.

Councilwoman Barber inquired about annual increases and asked if the
renewal includes an increase.

Mr. Isaac noted the contract calls for a
yearly GDP increase, exce pt for
2020 there was no i ncrease due to Covid and noted the Pl. rates
were
pulled back for disposal after having a discussion with Mr. Aaron and
noted the increase would have been $60/ton and a new P.l.
was of 3%
was added back June 1St which is based on the GDP and noted GFL is
always looking for ways to improve service.

Councilwoman Barber noted the contract calls for a renewal
with (5) consecutive years, and noted Sanitation is a
huge
infrastructure item of over a million dollars and questioned if the item
had been bid out; and referenced an increase
approved by the Council
last year to GFL for additional costs due to COVID and citizens
being
home generating more trash and
cleaning out garages and basements
resulting in GFL needing more equipment and labor.

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Councilman Blount motioned to approve the renewal of RFP
(Request
for Proposal) 201508-02, Sanitation Collection Services Contract
Renewal with GFL in the amount of $1,100,000.00: Second
by
Councilwoman Gantt. The motion passed (Barber Abstained
noting she did not have adequate information on the item).

Mr. Isaac requested a meeting with Councilwoman Barber to address
her concerns and thanked Mrs. Holiday for her professionalism and
assistance in working with them.

11.Council Consideration to approve the Surplus
Inventory List for MMCC
(Merle Manders Conference Center) kitchen equipment.
Presented by Lindell Miller Procurement Manager, Decius Aaron

Public Works Director and CieCie McGhee -
Conference Center Mgr.

Councilwoman Barber inquired if the items have been replaced.

Mr. Aaron noted the items that have been requested for
surplus have
outlived its useful life and have been replaced and
upgraded.

Councilman Blount motioned to approve Surplus List and
place items
on Gov.Deals for the appropriate timeframe: Second by Councilwoman
Gantt. The motion passed 5-0.

12. Council Consideration to appoint the
Stockbridge representation to the
Henry County Council on Aging Board.
Presented by Quinton Washington City Attorney

Mayor Ford noted Council normally goes into Executive Session to
vote.

Item to be heard following Executive Session.

13. Council Consideration to approve the HB317 -

Collecting Tax on Short-
Term Rentals effective July 1, 2021.
Presented by Quinton Washington -

City Attorney
Attorney Washington noted staff is asking for the participation and
support of HBB17-Collecting Tax on Rentals which would
be effective July 1, 2021, and would be for the revenue listed for the
hotels/motels within the city limits.

Mayor Pro Tern Alexander motioned to approve the HB317 -

Collecting
Tax on Short-Term Rentals effective July 1, 2021: Second
by
Councilman Blount. The motion passed 5-0.

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DISCUSSION
14. Council Discussion of the proposed TSPLOST Project List.
Presented by Randy Knighton -

City Manager
Mr. Knighton presented the Council with a proposed TSPLOST Project
List and referenced the proposed percentage formulas for
certain City/County Joint Projects, and referenced the options:
1) Council has no desire to make any changes
2) Council desires to contribute a partial amount for the proposed
projects
3) Council desires to contribute the full amount for the proposed
projects.
Mr. Knighton noted the TSPLOST formula, which the cities in Henry

County favor are based on population at 70/30, unlike the SPLOST
formula of 75/25; and further noted the list is due to the County at the
end of this month, and the expectation is to have a finalized list for
approval at the June 29th Council Work Session meeting.

COMMENTS FROM THE MAYOR
Mayor Ford noted June 14th is Flag Day which was established by the Continental
Congress on June 14, 1777 and is 244 years old today; noted he attended the
Stockbridge Youth Senior Banquet where Youth Council seniors, Brittney
Browne, Caidyn Carr and Jayden Williams were presented with of
Completion and Jayden received a Letter of Commendation for his efforts in the
community during his tenure, and noted all three would be attending college in the
fall, and noted the program has received 15 applications for the upcoming year;
noted we are still in a pandemic and COVlD-19 is still with us, although getting better
with hospitalizations and death numbers going down, the virus is still here, noting if

you still need to get tested you will be able to do so at the Henry County Heritage
Center only until June 30th and to call for an appointment 800-847-4262 from 9am -

3pm Mon Fri and 9am
noon on Saturday, after June 30th you should contact the

National Health Department line at 888-457-0186; noted vaccinations ended at the
Atlanta Motor Speedway last Tuesday, and to find a location to administer the
vaccines to call the National Health Department line at or contact your

local CVS, Walgreens, Walmart or other clinics for vaccine information, noted you
will be asked for your demographics, race, medical history, past ailments, COVID
testing and vaccinations; asked everyone to be vigilant and we will conquer this
virus; noted the upcoming Juneteenth celebration also known as Jubilee Day and
Emancipation Day where Union General Gordon Grainger declared went to Texas
on Monday, June 19, 1865, 2 1/2 years after the Presidential Emancipation
Proclamation had been signed by President Abraham Lincoln that freed all slaves,
and noted the City would celebrate with a drive-thru giveaway on Thursday, June
17th at the Merle Manders Conference Center from 5:30 pm -
8:00 pm. and noted
local restaurants This is It BBQ & Seafood -
El Granero -

@ Brentwood -

FishFry ~
Mrs. Winners Silver Bay Seafood
Country Cooking Depot -

Country Cooking who would be participating in the Juneteenth celebration
for the week of June 14th -
June 19th and asked that you take pictures when visiting
these restaurants and send to the Public Information Shana Thornton

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at sthornton@cityofstockbridge-ga.gov as she will would be posting pictures
submitted at these participating restaurants on the social media during the
week of June 20 -
June 2th and to also check the social media outlets for
additional education and information regarding the history of Juneteenth.

CITY OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED FRIDAY, JUNE 18TH IN OBSERVANCE OF THE
JUNETEEN HOLIDAY CELEBRATION.

UPCOMING MEETINGS & ANNOUNCEMENTS: Meeting will be held via Zoom until
further notice. Meeting dates and times are subject to change. Please visit the website
www.cityofstockbridge.com for the meeting invitation link, Facebook page or contact City
Hall offices at 770-389-7900 for updates.

> City Council Work Session at 6:00 pm. Via Zoom Last Tuesday of each
month unless otherwise noted (June 29).

> Main Street Advisory Board Meeting, 2nd Friday of each month 9:00 am
Via Zoom -

(Jul 9)

> City Council Meeting at 6:00 pm. Via Zoom 2nd Monday of each month
(Jul 12)

> Downtown Development Authority Meeting, 6:00 pm. Via Zoom -
3rd
Tuesday of each month (Jul 20)

> Youth Council & Advisory Meeting, 6:30 pm. Via Zoom 3rd Tuesday of each
month (Jul 20)

> Planning Commission Meeting, at 6:30 pm. Via Zoom 4th Thursday of each
month (Jul 27)

CITY EVENT -
Please join the City of Stockbridge for a Juneteenth Celebration -

Various Activities June 14
(see -
June 19 the
City's website for details
www.cityofstockbridge.com ) and referenced the restaurants who will be participating
in the Juneteenth celebrations: This is It -
El Granero -
Pizza -
Jen's Fish Fry
Mrs. Winners Silver Bay Seafood Country Cooking Depot Country

Cooking; and noted the Public Information would be posting pictures
submitted at these participating restaurants on the social media during the
week of June 20 -
June 2th.

Councilwoman Gantt noted she is spearheading a Get Back to Food
Truck Council Initiative on Tuesday, June 22nd from 5:30
pm. to 8:00 pm. at Clark
Park and thanked sponsors Dr. Sylvain and the Eagles Landing Longevity Center
and the Mercy Group who will be administering free COVID vaccinations and
signing
kids up for free healthcare along with other giveaways and free ice cream.

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Mayor Pro Tem Alexander announced Walgreens will be administering the
Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccinations free to
everyone age 12+ at
Mt. Olive Baptist Church, Stockbridge from 10am -

2pm on tomorrow, June

Mayor Ford noted the group CORE was working with churches and other
organizations in the community to assist with educating and administering and
underserved communities to get the word out on vaccinations.

EXECUTIVE SESSION
Councilwoman Gantt motioned to convene Executive Session for Personnel,
Litigation and Real Estate: Second by Councilman Blount. The motion passed 5-0.

Mayor Pro Tem Alexander motioned to reconvene the meeting: Second by
Councilwoman Gantt. The motion passed 4-0 (Councilman Blount was not present
for the vote).

Mayor Pro Tem Alexander motioned to appoint DeRitha Barber as the
Council on Aging Representative to an unexpired term: Second by

Councilwoman Gantt. The motion passed 3-0-1 (Councilwoman Barber Abstained,
noting she is not related to the applicant, and due to the last name being the same,
she prefers not to vote; Councilman Blount was not present for the
vote).

ADJOURN
Mayor Pro Tem Alexander motioned to adjourn: Second by Councilwoman Gantt.
The motion passed 4-0 (Councilman Blount was not present for the
vote).

Respectfully submitted by:

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

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