The Atlanta City Council voted unanimously Monday to create an oversight committee for the $250 million infrastructure bond program that city voters will decide on Tuesday.
If the two-part referendum passes, the 13-member committee would hold public meetings at least once per quarter to review the status of projects being financed by the bonds, potentially suggest changes to the project list and report its findings and recommendations periodically to the city council.
The $250 million bond referendum, an initiative spearheaded by Mayor Kasim Reed, is broken down into two separate bond requests. Voters will be asked to approve $187.9 million in bond financing for transportation improvements and a second $64.1 million bond for construction, renovation, maintenance and equipping of buildings, recreation centers and other city-owned facilities.
The bond package also is divided between $179.3 million in citywide projects and $70.7 million in local improvements.
The oversight committee will include four members appointed by members of the city council, Atlanta’s public works commissioner, two engineering faculty members from local universities, a member of the Atlanta Planning Advisory Board, a member of the State Transportation Board, a member of MARTA’s Board of Directors, a member of the local chapter of the Georgia Society of Professional Engineers and two utility representatives.
The ordinance forming the committee gives it five years to do its work. After that, it would have to be reauthorized by the city council.
The council also voted Monday to spend up to $500,000 on independent audits of the bond projects to be conducted throughout the life of the program.
Dave Williams
Staff Writer-
Atlanta Business Chronicle