Committee of the Whole Meeting - A. MAX BACON CITY HALL, HR TRAINING ROOM — Minutes
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September 04, 2025 6:00 PM City of Smyrna Mayor and Council Meeting 2800 King Street SE Human Resources Training Room Page 2 of 4 wondered how it is decided how many respond to an accident. Chief Marcos stated any number of factors are used to decide who responds to an accident from health concerns - cardiac arrest, administered drugs – to communications and traffic safety, safety of personnel on scene, and safety of those involved in the accident. 4. Formal Business and Presentations A. COW2025-077 Racial Trust Building Initiative Discussion – Bridges Holmes Mayor Norton explained that the Racial Trust Building initiative began around four years ago modeled after a program in Lagrange, GA. There have been several workshops, but attendance has diminished. It is time to move onto the next phase. Chief Marcos introduced Bridges Holmes who spoke at a recent Small Business Association event who made an impact with his presentation. Bridges Holmes is from Smyrna (Kenwood neighborhood) and attended UGA where he experienced his first encounter with racism. He is launching a practice around professional coaching and leadership development, Moray Advisors, which will help people learn how to communicate again. Mr. Holmes presented the following: Why are we here? Original Smyrna Racial Trust Building Initiative • Intended to bridge relationship gaps among the many diverse communities within Smyrna • Began during pandemic, continued through early 2025, with updates ahead • Initiative included a racial workshop series and a breakfast fellowship that spotlighted guest speakers • Gain great insights gathered from participants, but attracted a very small subsection of citizens • Felt siloed and awareness was not widely visible There is a better way to activate more participation among our citizens.... What’s new? Smyrna Connects: A New Way of Community Engagement With this more integrated approach, we intend to: 1. Embed the concepts of cultural competence, courageous conversations and community trust building into established programs – Smyrna Youth Council and Smyrna Citizens Academy 2. Create a new Smyrna Connects Action Committee • Structured forum for a diverse cross-section of residents and select leaders • Designed to inform key community insights to Mayor in biannual luncheons • Will leverage insights to fuel engagement efforts by the Smyrna Youth Council and Citizens Academy, as well as develop potential new strategies to address community needs as they arise What’s next? 1. Formation of the Smyrna Connects Action Committee • This involves drafting the committee's mission, identifying solicitation channels, managing the selection process, and finalizing membership • Recommend beginning with two (2) committee meetings and two (2) Mayor-led luncheons in the 2025-2026 fiscal year 1. Involvement with Smyrna Youth Council and Citizens Academy • Begin joining scheduled meetings to become familiar with mission, strategies and participation levels of each channel