ATLANTA — Fulton County Commissioners held a heated, nearly five-hour-long, special-called meeting Monday that ended with an unexpected conclusion.
Charmain Robb Pitts told 11Alive the board was set to remove the remaining two board members of the Fulton County Housing Authority who did not resign after the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development found evidence that the county Housing Authority's board is partially responsible for the mismanagement and misuse of funds. Plus, a member was accused of sexual harassment.
However, it didn't go smoothly.
Housing Authority Chair Attorney Antavius Weems and newer board member Dr. Lamar White disagreed about being removed. Over a dozen people, including former employees, tenants, and community members, stood before the commissioners to speak to Weems's character and fight to keep the current board and give them more time.
Even Commissioners Marvin Arrington and Natalie Hall stood up for Weems. Hall said she appointed Weems to the board.
"Us voting to take action to remove board members in less than 30 days when they came down here begging us to take action for over seven months," Arrington said.
Arrington argued that the Board of Commissioners could have done more to address this before the investigation happened.
The entire Housing Authority board was asked to step down following the allegations, but White and Weems did not.
Weems said the department was on a 75-corrective action plan where they brought in experts to turn things around. He said he needed more time. He asked the board to let him stay in office until Sep. 30, which is earlier than the end of his term
"We, then, took things into our own hands and started working directly with HUD," Weems said.
Weems also continued to deny any sexual harassment allegations against him and named the board member the allegations were about.
Hall made a motion to allow him to stay in office, but it failed.
Fulton County Chief Operating Officer Pamela Roshell went over HUD's investigation and said she'd been in conversations with their representatives. She said HUD recommended a reset. And despite their efforts, the board still needed several documents, financial statements, and an accountant.
"It is unlikely that they will successfully complete a turnaround in a reasonable amount of time," Roshell said.
Weems' attorney argued that Weems did not receive notice about the special meeting. Fulton County Attorney Y. Soo Jo and the county clerk confirmed that the notices were sent to the addresses on file. Then, Weems' attorney argued that someone should have confirmed receipt and there weren't enough days to prepare. Jo explained that the county is not required to give them reasonable notice. The clerk confirmed that Weems' notice was sent to his P.O. Box and White's notice was sent to his forwarded address.
During the meeting, Weems' attorney also presented Jo with an emergency motion for injunction and declaratory judgment to try to stop the vote. Jo determined that the board could move forward.
Hall also made a motion to table and hold this decision to give White and Weems time to make their arguments. It failed.
Commissioners went back and forth with each other, Weems, Weems' attorney, and White for several hours.
When it was all said and done, four out of the five Housing Authority board slots were filled with new members: Steven Davis, Holly York, Lauren Waits and Felicia Moore.
East Point Mayor Earnestine Pittman was also nominated, but her nomination failed, leaving one spot open. Board members argued that because Pittman was previously on the board, it wouldn't be fair to reappoint her. Commissioner Khadijah Abdur-Rahman nominated her and said Pittman "blew the whistle" and deserved a fair shot.
Moore was sworn in immediately. She is the former president of the Atlanta City Council, a former Atlanta mayoral candidate, and has a background in real estate. She said the first order of business is to understand more about where the department is and get them in compliance with HUD.
"There are people out there who really depend on these housing vouchers. And so, we need to get them whole," Moore said.