---
date: 2020-08-04
title: 08-04-2020 Minutes
source: 2020-08/2020-08-04_08-04-2020 _Minutes.pdf
pages: 1
---

S TO C KBRIDGE
URB AN
REDE V ELOPME N T
ANC
GEY

MINUTES
BOARD MEETING (V A ZOOM)

TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2020 6:00 PM
Board Mem bers Admini stration
S. Fora Chairman Rana Mana er

Thomas VIce-Chalrman
Altphonso
El on Alexander Board Member
Caml aMopre-Ass .CItv
Commumty Deve!opment Ir.
Yolanda Barber Board Member
Mic hael Wllllams-Clty Attorney
John Board Member
Blougt

LaKeisha a ntt Board Member

Vanessa Holiday -

Secretary
The meeting was called to order by Chair Ford.

Chairman Ford noted he would preside as Chairman, and
appointed Alphonso Thomas
to serve as

Invocation by Michael Williams.

Pledge of Allegiance in unison.

Secretary, Vanessa Holiday was asked for a roll call of the board; all members were
present.

Board Member Lakeisha Gantt motioned to
adopt the Agenda; second by Board Member
Yolanda Barber. The motion passed 5-0.

New Business
1. Real Estate matters related to the Amphitheater
Presented by City Attorney Michael Williams
Attorney Williams referenced the recently adopted Resolution by the Council to
serve asURA Board Members due to pending real estate matters
regarding the
Amphitheater and noted an easement was required for Georgia Power to relocate
the power lines for the Amphitheater and the
property for the easement is owned by
the URA.
Attorney Williams noted the Chairman Ford has already executed the easement and
the request is to approve the Resolution
designating the Mayor and Council as the
Board Members of the Urban Redevelopment Agency and ratifying the action of
executing the easement.

Board Member Gantt motioned to ratify the Resolution and action as
presented by
the City Attorney; second by Board Member Blount.

Board Member Alexander asked if the utilities would be
underground; Attorney
Williams responded, yes, that was his
understanding.

Thomas asked for as he referenced the inaugural
board in 2005 noting all members and officers were non-elected officials and
appointed and were not elected officials and asked for the code to associated with
the appointment of members to the board, and asked
Attorney Williams to share the
history.

Attorney Williams stated he could confirm that at that time, the Mayor & Council
appointed members of the community to the board to serve as officers, and would
need to research if the Mayor appointed the officers on that
board, noting the code
states the Mayor should have appointed officers.
Attorney Williams further noted the
URA Board met more frequently back then, and then there was
a gap until 2015
when then Board met to designate the Downtown
Development Authority members
to serve as the URA Board Members to
carry out those functions.

Vice-Chairman Thomas stated he wants to make sure the Board is
acting properly,
and not have to come back and make corrections as there has not been discussion
of how or when the board members are to be sworn
in, having questions about the
process.

Attorney Williams noted under the Urban Redevelopment Act, the powers are
vested in the City and the City is allowed to
designate an entity such as the DDA,
or itself, whereas being elected
officials, an oath has already been administered,
and does not believe an additional
swearing in would be necessary.

Board Member Barber asked if there would be a distinction of how items
are
presented to the Mayor & Council and to URA Board members.

Attorney Williams confirmed yes, and noted the URA was initially in place for the
financing of City Hall, and noted there may be other items to come before the URA
as projects progress, however, no such actions are being recommended at this
time.

Board Member Barber asked for the specific code that allows for elected officials
to serve as URA Board Members.
Attorney Williams noted he submitted an excerpt of the Code, and will follow up
with the entire code that allows for wide discretion on how the URA is set
up, noting
if you designate the DDA, it must be set
up the same way as the Downtown
Development Authority is established.

Chairman Ford called for the vote on the motion: The motion
passed 5-0.

Attorney Williams made a request of staff to complete the boundary survey for the
Amphitheater and referenced the Henry County Tax map of the City
Hall footprint noting the parcels titled in the name of the
URA, referenced
properties acquired by the City since then, and noted his recommendation is to
have the URA convey certain properties
(excluding City Hall) at the appropriate
time and place them all in the name of the
City and create a new parcel to follow
the footprint of the Amphitheater in the name of the
City.

Board Member Gantt suggested
conveying all the properties.

Attorney Williams noted the bond on City Hall would need to be paid off before it
could be conveyed, which would happen
automatically.

Attorney Williams noted there is not currently a separate with legal description for
the parcels in question and recommends the URA reconvenes in a couple of
months once that has happened and authorize the Chairman to execute a Quit
Claim Deed in favor of the City, noting
cleaning up the boundaries will be important
in the financing of the Amphitheater,
noting the transaction will be similar to the
way City Hall financing is structured, meaning it will be titled in the name of the
(PFA) Public Facilities Authority until such bonds are paid off and the
City will be
making annual payments to the Public Facilities Authority to make payments on
the bonds.

Attorney Williams noted this is an overview of the property transactions that would
be necessary to tee up the financing of the
Amphitheater.

Board Member Alexander asked for an explanation of the
reasoning for using the
(PFA) Public Facilities Authority and (URA) Urban Redevelopment Agency as each
is a separate board with the authority to bond.

Attorney Williams noted the General Assembly has granted the PFA the authority
to finance recreational facilities, such as the
Amphitheater. The URA (Urban
Redevelopment Agency) has been granted authority for government buildings
such as City Hall and noted the PFA has specific
authority that includes facilities
such as the Cultural Arts Center and other
City project.

Board Member Alexander recommended
financing the new projects using
the Public Facilities Authority (PFA).
Attorney Williams noted the URA Act provides powers for development in blighted
areas, noting in 2005, the City exercised those powers in the area of where City
Hall was built, and to do that in any area, the City would need to deem it as
blighted
and adopt a Redevelopment Plan for that specific area;
Attorney Williams further
noted the PFA (Public Facilities Authority) was granted
powers by the General
Assembly with a broad scope and does not need to make that determination.

Board Member Alexander requested map of the URA (Urban
a Redevelopment
Agency).

Attorney Williams noted a map would be provided.
Vice-Chairman Thomas made a request of Attorney Williams to provide the
narrative that has been presented to the board for their information
specifically the
difference between the URA and PFA. and asked how the Cultural Arts Center fits
into the footprint, if at all.

Attorney Williams highlighted the location of the proposed Cultural Arts Center on
the map, noting it is already titled in the name of the City, and
assuming the City
finances the property utilize the PFA (Public Facilities Authority) and enter into a
similar arrangement where the City would convey it to them, and lease it back and
lease payments would be the debt service on the bond.

Attorney Williams noted the recommendation would be that the URA request staff
prepare the boundary surveys necessary to effectuate these transactions, noting
he has already conversations with the City Manager and Ms. Moore to
complete.

All members of the board agreed with this request.

. Executive Session (if necessary) Real Estate, Personnel
There was no Executive Session.

Motion to adjourn made by Board Member Alexander; second by Board Member
Gantt. The motion passed 5-0.

Respec s ubmitted by:

Vanessa Holiday, Board Se
% Anthony S. Ford, ChaiW3 n
