DECEMBER 17 BOC MEETING SUMMARY
Tim McMillan spoke during public comment. He stated he was an attorney for the juvenile court of Douglas County. He stated there are six attorneys that were paid on an equal basis as cases are presented randomly.
Then someone started piping the audio of the meeting over the speakers. It was quickly remedied.
McMillan continued. He stated they talk about issues with the Juvenile Court with other attorneys. He stated the budget that was provided was $415,000 and three will be offered $60,0000, one offered $55,000, one offered $90,000 and $85,0000. He stated that it is of “grave concern” to him as “we all do the same work.”
McMillian stated they should all be paid equally. He stated if there were discrepancies, the descrepancies “should be specifically outlined.” He stated the contract attorneys have multiple jobs in multiple counties because “$60,000 is not enough.”
Commissioner Jackson-Jones thanked him for “coming in and expressing your concerns.”
Commissioner Raxton made a motion to remove items 7 and 10 from the agenda, then amended to remove just item 10, which is election of vice chair of the BOC. A request from the County Attorney was also made to add a right of way for DC Blox onto the agenda.
Chief of Staff Tiffany Stewart Stanley then gave a year end review. She stated the leadership of the Board of Commissioners this year has been “momentous.” The year end review listed additions and renvoations to the county such a a new building for the coroner and a new DDS facility.
A highlight video of the past year featuring photos and videos was then shown, including clips from patriots day, state of the county, election night coverage, pink out ceremony, public safety, the Christmas tree lighting, ribbon cuttings, community engagement events, senior citizens, the swearing in of the new probate judge, the new film and entertainment logo, the Douglas Forward Reinvestment Plan, among others.
The BOC then stood and applauded Stewart-Stanley. The audience was invited to stand but did not.
The meeting minutes were approved.
The financial report was approved.
4. Approval of a contract with Motorola for a 3-Year Public Safety Radio Maintenance Support Agreement in the amount of $881,328.00 for maintenance of the public safety radio cache, accessories, and peripherals, to be funded by ARPA, and authorize the Chairman to sign all related documents pending final legal review.
Chairman Jackson Jones asked for a vote. Commissioner Kenner Jones told Jackson Jones that Katrina Harley needed to give a presentation. Harley then gave the presentation. Harley stated that things will “need to be upgraded” "and “will always incur some costs”.
Commissioner Kenner Jones asked if it covers the radios for the coroner and parks & rec. Harley stated that it does.
APPROVED
5. Approval of a contract with Motorola for a Radio Dispatch Console Upgrade for the Primary E-911 Center and the Back-Up E-911 Center for radio dispatch redundancy in the amount of $2,498,500.00, to be funded by the E-911 fund balance $2,372,573.45, and ARPA $125,926.55, and authorize the Chairman to sign all related documents pending final legal review.
Harley stated that Motorola will be increasing their prices in 2025 and that approval now will save about $250,000.
APPROVED
The citizen who missed speaking during public comment showed up so Chairman Jones allowed her to speak.
Amber Walden, one of the countract attorneys for Douglas County Juvenile Court, stated that there are “huge disparities” with the contract attorneys in Juvenile Court. She stated that there is not justification for the different salary amounts. She asked the BOC to consider it and “be aware of this disparity.” She stated she practices in other counties as well. She asked that everyone “be paid equally across the board.” She stated they have not gotten any notification as to why the salaries are different. She stated the higher salaries are going to two newer attorneys. She stated other counties offer bonuses.
Chairman Jones thanked her for “bringing this matter to my attention.”
6. Approval of Intergovernmental Agreements with the City of Douglasville, the City of Austell and the City of Villa Rica for the Douglas County Tax Commissioner to provide tax collection services for each city and authorize the Chairman to sign all related Documents pending final legal review.
APPROVED
7. Resolution to establish the charges for street lighting in each Street Light District to be collected by the Tax Commissioner.
Commissioner Whitney Kenner Jones stated that street lights cannot be charged. Tax Commissioner Gre Baker disagreed. He stated he “called around today” and stated that he “can charge a fee.”
Commissioner Whitney Kenner Jones then stated that it was alluded to that a resolution was voted on 30 years ago. Baker stated no one has shown him a resolution. The County Attorney stated that street lights on tax bills is not illegal. She stated if someone is deliquent, you cannot add the fees into deliquent tax collection. The County Attorney is not sure when tax bills go out.
”I don’t want to do anything we can’t do.”—Tax Commissioner Greg Baker
DEFERRED TO JANUARY 6 WORK SESSION AGENDA
8. Authorization for the Chairman to Execute the 2025 Annual Agreements with: Juvenile Contract Attorneys: Daysha Scott, Jana Evans, Tim McMillan, Anais Lopez Brown, Marcea O'Brien, and Amber Walden; Part-time Appraisal Agreements: Lynn Weathington, Angela Smith, and Donnette Chapman; and District 1 Legislative Aide, Charrelle Pennamon pending final legal review.
When the authorization for contract attorneys, appraisal, and District 1 legislative aide came up for approval, a motion to suspend the agenda was agreed and the appraisal and legislative aide items were proposed to be moved to the consent agenda. BOC Commissioner Alcarez stated this wasn’t on the agenda yesterday. It was explained that it was “left off.” BOC Alcarez asked for an explanation. None was given. The last two items were approved to be moved.
Funds have been allocated to make the District 1 Legislative Aide a full-time position.
DISTRICT 1 LEGISLATIVE AIDE APPROVED 3-2
Ashley Rogers stated the attorneys have never been paid the same amount. Rogers stated the attorneys have to take contracts in other counties to pay their bills. This results in “cases not moving” because lawyers are in other counties. Rogers stated they have dropped one contract and it was allocated to two attorneys who will be “exclusive to Douglas County.” She stated that was the purpose of the larger salaries. She stated there are three attorneys who support Family Treatment Court. She stated Judge Harrison’s calendar is being “clogged up".”
Judge Harrison stated that “an abundance of children” were lingering in foster care. She stated there are not a “wide selection of lawyers.” Judge Walker decided to give contracts instead of paying attorneys hourly. Judge Harrison stated that they allocated more funding to the family treatment court attorneys because “they spend more time in court.” Judge Harrison stated that because attorneys are taking cases are taking cases in other counties, “we can’t move our cases along” because attorneys are in another court. Judge Harrison said the goal was to “narrow down” the attorneys that could exclusively serve Douglas County. Judge Harrison said she would be happy to help Rogers talk to the contract attorneys.
BOC Commissioner Whitney Kenner Jones stated that a court administrator needed to manage the contract attorneys instead of Rogers, which Rogers agreed to.
BOC Commissioner Whitney Kenner Jones asked how did the two attorneys come to be contract attorneys. Rogers stated that “they approached me.” BOC Commissioner Whitney Kenner Jones asked why the existing contract attorneys weren’t approached. She stated she didn’t ask them. BOC Commissioner Whitney Kenner Jones asked what the supplement for the contract attorneys are. She stated $60,000. BOC Commissioner Whitney Kenner Jones asked why that language was not added to the contract because there was no language in the contract stating that the attorneys were exclusive to Douglas County.
Judge Harrison then stated they use conflict lawyers when contract attorneys are not available.
Ashley Rogers stated the contracts were sent to legal who approved them.
Judge Harrison stated that Tim McMillan was “committed to work in another county.”
BOC Commissioner Whitney Kenner Jones stated that attorneys were handling cases in other counties and asked what was the wind down for those cases. Rogers didn’t know.
BOC Commissioner Whitney Kenner Jones made a motion stating that “compensation needs to be fair” and was not happy with explanations provided. McMillan and O’Brien have been contract attorneys since 2014 and 2015 and she recommended their salaries be $69,000 a year. She then stated that Amber Walden should be paid $65,000. She stated Janet Evans should be paid $65,000. She stated Lopez-Brown and Scott have been there the shortest amount of time and should be paid $60,000.
BOC Mitchell asked for the numbers and asked what the language would entail.
There was a discussion about family treatment court attorneys needing to be paid an extra $5,000.
”You throwing all these numbers around, I’m getting a little lost here.”—BOC Commissioner Henry Mitchell III
Rodgers stated she is concerned about the numbers and “how they fit into our budget.” BOC Commissioner Whitney Kenner Jones stated that the total of the contracts was originally $415,000 and with the new proposed numbers they are under the $415,000. Rodgers is concerned about funding juvenile programs.
Rogers stated she wasn’t able to pay the contract attorneys last year because the budget was adopted late.
It was stated that Scott does not do family treatment court and so her salary is now proposed for $55,000.
Judge Harrison stated they would lose the opportunity to have attorneys working exclusively in Douglas County.
”We’re still sharing these attorneys with other counties.”—Judge Harrison
The County Attorney stated they needed to vote on each attorney separately.
Rogers stated she would make the edits and resubmit.
BOC Commissioner Whitney Kenner Jones then made a proposal for Deja Scott at $55,000.
The County Attorney stated this was one of the county exclusive attorneys.
”We’re taking that out,” BOC Commissioner Whitney Kenner Jones stated.
SALARY APPROVED 5-0
BOC Commissioner Whitney Kenner Jones then made a motion for Anais Lopez Brown at $60,000.
SALARY APPROVED 5-0
BOC Commissioner Whitney Kenner Jones then made a motion for Janet Evans at $65,000.
SALARY APPROVED 5-0
BOC Commissioner Whitney Kenner Jones then made a motion for Amber Walden at $65,000.
SALARY APPROVED 5-0
BOC Commissioner Whitney Kenner Jones then made a motion for Dr. Marcia O’Brien at $69,000.
SALARY APPROVED 5-0
BOC Commissioner Whitney Kenner Jones made a motion for Timothy J. McMillan at $69,000.
SALARY APPROVED 5-0
BOC Commissioner Whitney Kenner Jones stated this was a $32,000 saving back to the Juvenile Court’s budget.
9. Resolution to approve proposed Local Legislation to the Georgia General Assembly regarding vacancies on the Board of Commissioners pending final legal review.
BOC Commissioner Martin Raxton asked that several sections mirror each other.
The County Attorney stated that there were two different proposals that were submitted by Commissioner Raxton and supported by Commissioner Kenner Jones and then one submitted by Commissioner Mitchell. The County Attorney stated she is not sure which proposal made it to the agenda. There was a brief discussion in which they attempted to figure out whose was whose and then adding a section in which it states the applicant has to live in the district for which they' are applying.
APPROVED 4-1 VOTE of amendment
APPROVED entire document
DC Blox road rightaway was brought up. The land had been donated.
APPROVED
”Please prepare to cast your electonic votes.”—BOC Chairman Jackson Jones
It was stated there would have to be a hand vote.
”I wanted to engage in technology”—BOC Chairman Jackson Jones
CONSENT AGENDA APPROVED
ANNOUNCEMENTS READ
MEETING ADJOURNED
”Merry Christmas to the citizens of Douglas County and we will see you in 2025.”—BOC Chairman Jackson Jones