The Atlanta City Council voted Monday to approve spending $1.7 million for more security at the controversial public safety training center site. The approval came after the council first voted against the legislation.
The training center, known as “Cop City” by opponents, is set to open next month. The $90 million budget for the training center has ballooned to $115 million since the council approved funding for the project last year. City officials have blamed vandals for much of the increase.
The legislation waives the procurement process and awards the $1.7 million contract to Brasfield & Gorrie, the general contractor for the training center project. Atlanta Police Department officials say the funding is needed due to “the continued threats of violence.”
The legislation first failed in a 7-4 vote. Eight votes are needed for legislation to pass.
After the council concluded its regular agenda and members began introducing new proposals, Councilmember Andrea Boone, chair of the public safety committee and sponsor of the legislation, made a motion to reconsider the additional funding for the training center.
The council then voted 9-4 to approve the $1.7 million contract to Brasfield & Gorrie.
Voting against the funding were council members Jason Dozier, Alex Wan, Howard Shook and Antonio Lewis. Council members Amir Farokhi and Byron Amos did not vote the first time the legislation was considered, but voted in favor when it was proposed again.
There was no discussion by council members.
The legislation says the funding will be used to “install all necessary security provisions” but does not detail what that would include.
Marshall Freeman, chief administrative officer for the Atlanta Police Department, told the council’s public safety committee at its Nov. 12 meeting the additional funding was needed “due to the continued threats of violence.”
“We sit in a space today where there are some changes and modifications that are needed to the physical site itself, as well as some technology enhancements,” Freeman said. He provided no specifics.
Because Brasfield & Gorrie is the general contractor for the public safety training center, the city cannot go through a bid process to hire another general contractor to make the security modifications, Freeman said.
The legislation says the procurement process must be waived “due to the unusual or unique situation that exists which make the application of all requirements of competitive sealed bidding or competitive sealed proposals contrary to the public interest” and that “Brassfield & Gorrie is the only logical choice as to a contractor to provide the goods or services necessitated by the special procurement requirements.”
In January, city officials said the $90 million budget had jumped to $110 million due to vandalism.
At the Sept. 23 public safety committee meeting, members were told the budget was now up to $115 million.
A previous version of this story published on Nov. 18 indicated that the Atlanta City Council had denied funding for the additional security at the public safety training center. This story has been updated to reflect a second vote by council that approved the funding.
