Council approves legislation related to Detention Center lease agreement
The Atlanta City Council approved legislation Monday to authorize the mayor to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the Fulton County Sheriff and Fulton County for the temporary housing of adult Fulton County detainees at the Atlanta City Detention Center (Legislative Reference №22-O-1632). As amended, the lease agreement cannot go into effect until a jail population review study is conducted by the Justice Policy Board, a board that was established in an agreement between the City and Fulton County in November 2021.
The detainees include those in the custody of Fulton County who have been charged or convicted of violating federal, state, or local law, or held as a material witness. According to the legislation, the number of detainees will not exceed 700 and the agreement will be for a term of four years with no renewal options. Fulton County will pay the City of Atlanta $50 per detainee daily and receive 65 percent of the phone commissary fees generated at the detention center from housing Fulton County detainees.
Other items approved on Monday include:
• An ordinance to levy the City of Atlanta’s final 2022 millage rates on real and personal property (Legislative Reference №22-O-1389).
• A resolution authorizing an agreement in an amount not to exceed $750,000 annually for on-call Peace Officer Standards Training (POST) Certified Officers to provide security, traffic control, and other necessary functions for various Department of Parks and Recreation programs (Legislative Reference №22-R-4148).
• A resolution requesting the mayor or his designee, through Invest Atlanta, study legacy business programs created in other cities and provide recommendations for implementing similar programs in Atlanta in order to protect and preserve legacy businesses and institutions (Legislative Reference №22-R-4028).
• A resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into Amendment №1 of a contract related to widening Concourse D at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to increase the funding amount by $160 million (Legislative Reference №22-R-4159). In February, the City executed a contract for early enabling work and pre-construction services with an initial authorized budget of $500 million.
• A resolution authorizing the settlement of all claims against the City of Atlanta in the case of City of Atlanta vs. Tanya M. Washington, et al.; civil action file №2016cv282032, Fulton County Superior Court, in the total amount of $1.975 million; City of Atlanta vs. Robert L. Darden and Bertha M. Darden, et al.; civil action file №2016cv282034; in the total amount of $1.9 million; and the matter of the estate of Mattie Jackson, in the amount of $1.473 million. This item was an immediate consideration.
• An ordinance authorizing the transfer of $12.3 million from the uncommitted fund balance to the capital finance fund to support the acquisition of 75 acres of land located at the former site of the Chattahoochee Brick Company from the Conservation Fund to further the City’s goal to increase its parks, greenspace, recreation, and watershed land (Legislative Reference №22-O-1621).
• An ordinance to extend by 180 days a moratorium on the acceptance of any new rezoning applications, building permits for new construction, land disturbance permits, special use permits, special administrative permits, subdivisions, re-plattings, and lot consolidations relating to certain specified uses within the Upper Westside Improvement District Master Plan (Legislative Reference №22-O-1616). In March, the Council approved legislation imposing the moratorium.
• A resolution authorizing the mayor to apply for the Fiscal Year 2022 U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All grant opportunity in an amount not to exceed $30 million for the implementation of the Pryor and Central Safe Street project (Legislative Reference №22-R-4029).
• An ordinance to amend Chapter 150 of the City of Atlanta’s Code of Ordinances to prohibit parking in school carpool lanes during certain hours (Legislative Reference №22-O-1544).
• An ordinance to authorize the execution of a master lease agreement with JPMorgan Chase for the acquisition of three Spartan 1,500 GPM Pumpers on behalf of Atlanta Fire Rescue in an amount not to exceed approximately $2.1 million (Legislative Reference №22-O-1620).
• An ordinance to amend the City’s Code of Ordinances to create the Office of International and Immigrant Affairs as a standalone office within the department of the mayor (Legislative Reference №22-O-1635). The office will have purview and scope over international and immigrant affairs for the City of Atlanta.
• An ordinance authorizing the chief financial officer to amend the Fiscal Year 2023 budget by transferring funds from the Department of City Planning’s private property demolition fund to the Atlanta Police Department’s private property demolition fund in the amount of $3 million to provide for in-rem demolition of dilapidated structures (Legislative Reference №22-O-1619).
• A resolution requesting that during the 2023 session of the Georgia General Assembly, the legislature grant local governments with the ability to utilize their police powers to enact regulations for gas stations, service stations, and convenience stores through requiring the installation of surveillance cameras and to permit integration of cameras into the local police department’s public safety program networks (Legislative Reference №22-R-4039).
• A resolution authorizing the City to make a donation in the amount of $500,000 to “Choose Atlanta 2024” in support of the Democratic National Committee’s consideration of Atlanta as a host city for the 2024 Democratic National Convention (Legislative Reference №22-R-4037).
• An ordinance to amend the Fiscal Year 2022 intergovernmental grant fund budget in the amount of $508,176 for the purpose of funding Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation Program rentals at Santa Fe Villas to benefit low-income families and individuals (Legislative Reference №22-O-1571).
• An ordinance to amend the Fiscal Year 2022 intergovernmental grant fund budget in the amount of $199,503 for the purpose of funding Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation Program rentals at Washington Street Apartments to benefit low-income families and individuals (Legislative Reference №22-O-1572).
• An ordinance to amend the Fiscal Year 2022 intergovernmental grant fund budget in the amount of $345,447 for the purpose of funding Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation Program rentals at Vanira Village Apartments to benefit low-income families and individuals (Legislative Reference №22-O-1573).
• An ordinance authorizing entry into a Housing Assistance Payments Contract, on behalf of the Department of Grants and Community Development, with G&S Santa Fe LLC for 100 units at Santa Fe Villas in an amount not to exceed $401,280 for a term retroactively effective January 1, 2022 and ending on December 31, 2022 (Legislative Reference №22-O-1576).
• An ordinance authorizing entry into a Housing Assistance Payments Contract, on behalf of the Department of Grants and Community Development, with 949–953 Washington Street LLC for 16 units for low-income families at Washington Street Apartments in an amount not to exceed $182,400 for a term retroactively effective January 1, 2022 and ending on December 31, 2022 (Legislative Reference №22-O-1577).
• An ordinance authorizing entry into a Housing Assistance Payments Contract, on behalf of the Department of Grants and Community Development, with 8 Vanira LLC for 28 units for low-income families at Vanira Village Apartments in an amount not to exceed $315,516 for a term retroactively effective on January 1, 2022 and ending on December 31, 2022 (Legislative Reference №22-O-1578).
The Council presented proclamations in recognition of Frederick Douglass High School’s Class of 1970, Nayana Ferguson, Checkered Cab, and the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council.
Items were also introduced to be considered in committee next week, including:
• A resolution urging Congress to adopt the Medicare for All Act of 2021 (H.R. 1976) to provide universal, comprehensive health coverage with zero cost-sharing for patients.
• A resolution requesting the mayor or his designee initiate a study to examine the potential of expanding the summer youth employment program as a year-round City of Atlanta youth employment program that will provide employment, mentoring and volunteer opportunities for students, in partnership with local businesses, youth organizations, and the Atlanta Public Schools.
• A resolution urging the Georgia General Assembly to review and amend its statutes (Title 17, Chapter 7 of the official Code of Georgia) to specifically limit using rap lyrics as evidence in criminal trials.
• A resolution authorizing the City of Atlanta to donate a total amount not to exceed $50,000 to the Atlanta Technical College to support the college’s program to provide education and training services to certain youth participants.
• An ordinance to amend the City’s Fiscal Year 2023 General Fund, Watershed Management, and Aviation budgets by transferring appropriations to provide funding that will contribute to a tuition reimbursement program for City of Atlanta employees.
• An ordinance authorizing the chief financial officer to provide funding from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to the Fulton County/City of Atlanta Land Bank Authority Inc. in a total amount not to exceed $400,000 for the public purpose of returning property to an effective utilization status in order to provide affordable housing opportunities.
