[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6671581,"mediaKeyId","2157810-a6c7715ff9b6a353a26e657e89ee4a29","parentId",2157810,"title","DeKalb commissioners approve petition process for Clifton Road traffic-calming plan after contentious public hearing","audioSeconds",1449,"startMs",6317000,"endMs",7766000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2157810-a6c7715ff9b6a353a26e657e89ee4a29&start=6317&end=7766","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2157810-a6c7715ff9b6a353a26e657e89ee4a29/thumbnail_6317000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6671581/DeKalb-County/Georgia/DeKalb-commissioners-approve-petition-process-for-Clifton-Road-traffic-calming-plan-after-contentious-public-hearing","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6671581-1cd7a2f0c303280cec54cec650bbfa34/orig.mp4?Expires=1771046133&Signature=YF8oV5MvVP-kqfGAAFeq1Br~32CAmvIraJHqhUZNaj08okMt26HPssUC3~YrhOY4xfnt0fBgSQ6VMqzjeTneJ53K6v40UAM987y9lRM5YhUKOvUYlCkhnHnTg3GLnHdivTHH-IPgDJA5YvJoyNHjOlqQ3IRBO6X298ikF8kxlmFVIX~1AArIzFAgRTVX3vnBaQyp6o8QuU-lKsA8IrVE7bzITOr0khfq3GLoSucEvfBSAJ3~ecwRytPc6dvv1BzRFPaIJkBHKZyaa-EtQgLmhlrVpnDVaI7Z53Vf72KCMxTiVr1g4UMUmtDozmsEgh7MRAQjd0tokh3I1NGHPYkT7Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","DeKalb County","date","2025-01-28T00:00:00Z","article","The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 28 approved a substitute agenda item to begin the county\u0000\u0000\u0000's 90-day petition process for traffic calming on Clifton Road between Ponce de Leon Avenue and North Decatur Road. The petition, if successful, would allow residents to hold a binding vote on installing speed tables and related measures across a 1.5-mile stretch of roadway that links Emory/CDC areas to neighborhoods.

The vote followed more than an hour of public hearing testimony from residents and petition organizers. Doug Rollins, who identified himself as the petition\u0000\u0000\u0000 initiator, said his group followed the county\u0000\u0000\u0000s codified traffic-calming process for more than two years and collected initial signatures indicating neighborhood support. \"We started that process over two years ago. We have followed that process to the letter,\" Rollins said, urging commissioners to let residents demonstrate support by petition.

Opponents said the plan as designed would harm emergency response and impose unwelcome traffic impacts. William Helms, who described himself as a near-49-year resident of Clifton Road and a longtime health-care worker, said speed tables could add seconds to ambulance response times and cause pain to patients being transported. \"If the patient is under cardiac arrest, he has three to five minutes to make it to the hospital,\" Helms said.

Supporters and opponents disputed technical points: petitioners and county staff said the traffic-calming design uses 22-foot-long speed tables (not smaller humps) and cited a 2011 county study that estimated roughly three seconds of delay per table for emergency vehicles. Opponents asked for additional professional study to examine effects on Emory University Hospital traffic and ambulance routings.

County staff told commissioners the substitute had been revised to remove two parcels owned by homeowners' associations, leaving 122 parcels eligible for the petition, and to add one additional speed table on Clifton Ridge. Staff recommended approval of the substitute dated Jan. 28, 2025.

Commissioner Michelle Long Spears, whose district includes the street, said her office had held meetings with both sides and that the petition process is the county\u0000\u0000\u0000s established method for resolving neighborhood traffic-calming requests. \"This is the traffic calming petition process, not necessarily the project itself,\" she said, and added that she was in support of moving the petition step forward so residents could vote.

After discussion, the board approved the substitute that starts the 90-day petition process. The board noted the petition process itself is separate from final design or installation: if the petition succeeds, the county will return with a vote on installation; if approved and installed, measures must typically remain in place at least one year before a new petition could be filed to remove or change them.

The county also said alternate calming treatments exist (for example, speed cushions) and that transportation staff is beginning a broader review of the traffic-calming program\u0000\u0000\u0000which has not been substantially updated in decades. Several commissioners and staff said they expect additional study and outreach, including the potential for new design alternatives, before final installations.

What happened next: the board approved the substitute motion to begin the petition process. The motion was made on the floor during the public hearing and approved by machine vote; the transcript does not record individual yes/no tallies.

Community impact: the petition affects residents of Clifton Road and nearby neighborhoods that use the street as a cut-through to Emory and Midtown. Supporters said the measures will protect walkers, children and older adults; opponents cited emergency-response risks and asked for more study of alternative calming measures.

The county will now run the 90-day petition process. If enough valid signatures are gathered within the 90 days, the matter moves to a neighborhood petition vote under county rules; if the petition vote succeeds the board would then consider implementing the approved calming measures. The design and final installation remain subject to subsequent engineering review and budget availability.

\"We started that process over two years ago,\" petition organizer Doug Rollins told commissioners. \"We have followed that process to the letter, and now we respectfully ask this board to let us demonstrate the support of over 65% of our neighbors.\"","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","DeKalb County - Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting - Jan 28, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 28 approved a substitute agenda item to begin the county's 90-day petition process for traffic calming on Clifton Road between Ponce de Leon Avenue and North Decatur Road.","taxTitle","DeKalb County, Georgia","taxId",3571,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6671572,"Votes at a glance: DeKalb commissioners approve appointments, contract renewals and routine business; several items deferred",2237,3307000,5544000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2157810-a6c7715ff9b6a353a26e657e89ee4a29&start=3307&end=5544","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2157810-a6c7715ff9b6a353a26e657e89ee4a29/thumbnail_3307000.jpg","/articles/6671572/DeKalb-County/Georgia/Votes-at-a-glance-DeKalb-commissioners-approve-appointments-contract-renewals-and-routine-business-several-items-deferred","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6671572-227e12925cf158e6ab123af51ac37b42/orig.mp4?Expires=1771046133&Signature=TofwdgRJzSU-WTXTAyvSQT9eHnkULl8KHdSf5LYiTNxSPuQBdxUpc0gIVDAzL3y7sF1vUQbugLh4ML~ccXueFmqVTW0B8ju3CnRU0X3GOxT0I422eRng-4G-h7GL7y29aPWHwfA~VOhytKvE8ekjGdyKbA8FuYiNTFZQtrVBteBFqg2i6FsBYjKD0RIfuasbj~ZDiJogAtN71l2B63chwSBPNT4~6ztnPsMBbg3nAIowlT~ZVmv~JpIcwF097BNc8KL4r2LkQF0RCqOs1OvWO4KCUStXmRNzeSMMiOCE0TlbRNyq-1mqReH-iNxuSk-k8ncFrib0mDn0p7cIr3W5-Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 28 completed a number of routine and substantive votes. Below are the key formal actions recorded on the agenda during the meeting; each item lists the motion outcome and the most important detail captured in the meeting record.

Votes at a glance

- Appointment: Hillary Gardner to the DeKalb County Public Library Board of Trustees (CEO 24-1657). Motion approved by machine vote. (Appointment recorded on the agenda; clerk opened machines and vote recorded.)

- Magistrate court: Request to reappoint senior magistrate court judges (Item 2025-0069). Motion approved; clerks prepared the vote and motion passed.

- Reappointment: Ruben D. Jones to the DeKalb County Airport Advisory Board, District 7 (Agenda 2025-0128). Motion approved; commissioners praised Jones\u0000\u0000\u0000s service and confirmed the reappointment.

- Reappointment: Edward Patton to the Planning Commission (Agenda 20129). Motion approved by machine vote.

- Tax office appointment: Nicole M. Golden, Chief Deputy Tax Commissioner (Tax Commissioner 0050). Motion approved by machine vote.

- Consent and grant approvals (consent agenda items included minutes, grant acceptances and homeland-security grant items): The board approved the consent package after a short procedural comment and a request to streamline future agendas.

- Contract/action approvals:
- Trench/pipe rehabilitation cooperative agreement (contract 1177081 / cooperative Savannah contract): Change order approved to continue sanitary sewer line rehabilitation; amount not to exceed $11,897,964.10 (motion passed after audit review).
- Tree cutting and removal services (multiple vendors; first renewal option exercised): Motion to approve the first renewal option was approved (total amount not to exceed $450,000).
- Print and mail/e-billing services (contract renewal change order for electronic billing and statement processing): Motion to extend and increase contract funds (amount not to exceed $1,328,219.68); approved.

- Ratifications and deferrals:
- Multiple contract items and capital procurements were deferred to committee (PWI or FAB) or to the next BOC meeting following committee review. Notable deferrals included the watershed rate/bond substitute (to a special PWI meeting), several purchasing and facilities contracts (to FAB), and items requiring further staff or audit follow-up.

Withdrawn items

- A handful of board-sponsored resolutions and ordinances were withdrawn by their sponsors during the meeting (for example, a resolution about sustainability funding and a governance/appointment authority item). Sponsors said they would refile or revise the language and return the items when ready.

How the votes were recorded

Most votes were recorded by the county's voting machines; the transcript records motions, seconds, and machine vote confirmations, but in many minutes-only approvals the transcript does not print the roll-call tallies. Where members named mover/second in the public record, that information is shown above; where the transcript did not show a named mover, entries list the recorded motion as \"not specified.\" The board repeatedly used committee stops (PWI, PECS, IRPS, FAB) to route complex items for additional analysis.

What to watch next

- Special PWI session (Jan. 30): watershed rate/bond substitute and related financial details. Staff committed to supply redlines, project lists and customer-bill impact tables before that meeting.
- Clifton Road traffic-calming petition process: 90-day petition window now open, per the board substitute approved during the public hearing.
- Numerous purchasing/contract items that were deferred for audit or committee review; the board asked for clearer procurement summaries prior to final votes.

This summary lists the principal formal actions recorded in the meeting transcript; agenda numbers are included where the board cited them during the session.","At the Jan. 28 DeKalb County Board of Commissioners meeting, members approved a series of appointments, reappointments, and routine consent items, ratified several contract renewals and cooperative agreements, and deferred multiple high-profile items for committee review. Several items were withdrawn by sponsors.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6671576,"DeKalb delays vote on proposed 10%-for-10-years water rate plan; bond proposal to be reviewed at special PWI meeting",1124,11247000,12371000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2157810-a6c7715ff9b6a353a26e657e89ee4a29&start=11247&end=12371","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2157810-a6c7715ff9b6a353a26e657e89ee4a29/thumbnail_11247000.jpg","/articles/6671576/DeKalb-County/Georgia/DeKalb-delays-vote-on-proposed-10-for-10-years-water-rate-plan-bond-proposal-to-be-reviewed-at-special-PWI-meeting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6671576-36057867f5e9709777b1299fa19f58b9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771046133&Signature=EyUa~vIJidevL9FXAj-~qb1iWgVGEmsjudQHT-XFlfOGT1pEzNaMa5NgDSwAzlktERjVXtgGtYRp-Z4A0SZM3vO1e6Uy1C~wUbJgYyWf4jYH05RQEMNur0~2nOH4wtQpZTxI3KP4I18uTrndLw9XS5hkA0U8RHBtZVXrgZKzL9cgI4Td6CUYyt1njAT4WYoIGVHlzc0rCCBUdv3qTdm7pOE2kIzm9rGhiXf2lE3zXvnsRDa7mLl355jx5xWTOOqrrY16qxLTcp~j7hgiBFNhuKg~SELlLzRxXW6Cak166-7FoiIOHTcxEYha8AJ1s~SUdrndKcQu9TT6C-g8S2qP~w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 28 deferred consideration of a substitute resolution that would raise water and sewer rates and authorize a bond issuance for major infrastructure work. County Chief Operating Officer Zach Williams presented a revised plan on behalf of the Department of Watershed Management proposing a 10% annual rate increase for 10 years paired with a bond program; staff said the substitute would enable borrowing to support rehabilitation and upgrades to the county\u0000\u0000\u0000s water and wastewater system.

Williams said the administration\u0000\u0000\u0000s substitute replaces the earlier plan that had proposed an 8% annual increase; he described the revised approach as a 10-year program and told commissioners the financing plan would permit a larger bond issue than previously discussed. \"The substitute, in fact, is approving a 10% rate increase, for 10 years,\" Williams said. He added that the administration would provide a redline of the substitute and run public outreach, including three town halls intended to cover north, central and south DeKalb.

Commissioners pressed staff for more details before a vote. Requests included: projections of how the increase would affect the average residential bill over time; breakdowns of the impact on residential versus commercial accounts; the anticipated role and size of assistance programs (for example, the county\u0000\u0000\u0000s CARE/assistance programs); and an item-by-item catalogue of projects and costs the proposed funding would pay for. Several commissioners also asked staff to document alternatives and non-rate funding sources that the county is pursuing.

Commissioner Robert Patrick moved to defer the substitute and have staff present the item at a special-called Public Works and Infrastructure (PWI) meeting scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 30, and to provide the additional materials requested by commissioners. Commissioner Ladina Bolton seconded the motion; the motion passed by machine vote.

What the substitute would have done: As described on the meeting record and by county staff, the substitute changes earlier language to a proposed 10% annual increase for a 10-year period, and it would be paired with a bond issuance to fund capital work to rehabilitate the Scott Candler water treatment facility and other watershed capital projects. The original resolution text on the published agenda referenced a bond not to exceed $375 million; the COO told commissioners the revised financing approach would permit a higher bond issuance level (administration comments referenced $450 million as a potential level), and staff said they would clarify the exact par amount and financing plan at the special PWI session.

Public outreach and mitigation: Williams said the county will schedule at least three town-hall sessions and that the administration will provide an insert/mailer for customers and other outreach. Commissioners asked for information about: projected average-bill impacts under the proposed schedule, an expected timeline for bond issuance, the proposed structure and staffing of a customer-advocate office, and the scope and funding level of assistance programs for low-income and disabled customers.

Next steps: The substitute will be discussed at a special-called PWI meeting; the administration will provide more-detailed cost breakdowns, bill-impact tables and program design proposals requested by commissioners ahead of that meeting.

Direct quote: \"Our objective would be to formally make this substitute, present at the... special called PWI committee meeting,\" COO Zach Williams said. \"We will ensure that you get a red line version of that so that you can track along to ensure that everything that we've talked about is continues to be included.\"","The board deferred action on a substitute resolution proposing a 10% annual water-and-sewer rate increase for 10 years and a large bond issuance, sending the item to a special PWI session for further detail and public outreach.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

DeKalb commissioners approve petition process for Clifton Road traffic-calming plan after contentious public hearing

Votes at a glance: DeKalb commissioners approve appointments, contract renewals and routine business; several items deferred

DeKalb delays vote on proposed 10%-for-10-years water rate plan; bond proposal to be reviewed at special PWI meeting