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 Joness 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Withdrawn items

- A handful of board-sponsored resolutions and ordinances were withdrawn by their sponsors during the meeting (for example, a resolution about sustainability funding and a governance/appointment authority item).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.