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--- title: Regular Council Meetings date: 2025-12-08 source: 2025-12-08_Regular_Council_Meetings.wav --- [0:00:00, 0:00:20]: Vanessa, we're live for the end. [0:00:20, 0:00:40]: Okay. That's another glorious day in the city of Stockbridge, ladies and gentlemen. So uh I have a proclamation I'd like to read here. Uh to Psy Alpha Omega Chapter Day, actually for Alpha Alpha Swordy Incorporated. Do I hear get a ski weed here? No ski? Ah, no ski! [0:00:39, 0:00:48]: Oh no. Oh you followed that one. [0:00:48, 0:01:05]: Whereas the city of Stockbridge probably recognizes organizations who show service and leadership, strengthen the community, and improve the quality of life for its residents. And whereas Alpha Kappa Alpha Sowarty Incorporated, the nation's first Greek letter organization founded by African American college women in nineteen oh eight. [0:01:05, 0:01:10]: has a long distinguished legacy of advancing education, civil engagement and community service. [0:01:10, 0:01:30]: Whereas in 2004, two visionary women, Tamika Clemens, if I got the pronounced fine, is she here? Is she not here? Okay. I know Kalicia O'Neill's here. How are you doing, Pastor? All right, all right, amen. Sought to extend the legacy of the Southern Crescent area of Metropolitan Atlanta, organizing members uh from the Southern Crescent Pearls Interest Group with the [0:01:30, 0:01:45]: focus on meeting the needs of Henry and Clayton counties, whereas the group quickly became a force for good, establishing literacy, financial education programs, supporting youth in development, engaging in senior outreach, and providing critical assistance to families and schools throughout the community. [0:01:45, 0:02:05]: Whereas on December 10th, 2005, their efforts culminated with the charting of the Psi Alpha Omega chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Alpha Kappa Alpha Sword Incorporate. I'm sorry about the link. I was just flowing. I'm sorry. Incorporate. And whereas for the past 20 years, Psi Alpha Omega has continued to exemplify the [0:02:05, 0:02:25]: Service to all mankind through ongoing initiatives that align with the needs of Stockbridge and surrounding area, including mentorship programs, voter education, health awareness events, partnerships that uplift women, families, and youth. Whereas today, with more than 330 active members, Psy Alpha Omega chapter stands as a pillar of leadership and service and a [0:02:25, 0:02:45]: Valuable partner in advancing the city of Stockbridge Vision, Unity, Opportunity, and Community Pride. Now, therefore, I Anthony S4, by virtual authority, invested in me as the mayor of the city of Stockbridge, Georgia. And on behalf of City Council members, Elton, Alexander, Elanda, Barber, Kyle, Berry, Lakeese Gannon, and Afonso Thomas, do hereby proclaim December 10th, 2025, as Psi Alpha Omega Chapter Day in the City of [0:02:45, 0:03:05]: Stockbridge, Georgia, and encourage all residents to join me in celebrating Alpha Kappa Alpha Sword Incorporated, Psi Alpha Omega chapter for two decades of sisterhood, scholarship, and service that have left a lasting impact on our city and beyond. And witness thereof, I have hereunto sat my hand in the great seal city of Stockbridge, Georgia, on the eighth day of December, year of our Lord. [0:03:05, 0:03:25]: 2025 and I signed a proclamation law in law crypto Vanessa Holiday. Congratulations, ladies. Thank you. Okay. Now you're a president, right? There you go. All right. Normally when this happens, whoever gets a problem, you have the floor. So whatever things you want to say, the floor is yours. Okay. Well, thank you so much, Mayor Ford and the city council. [0:03:25, 0:03:45]: We appreciate you. We've been working with Stockbridge. We're known as the Stockbridge chapter. So we have been working with Stockbridge for obviously twenty years, and we appreciate your so continued support and we look forward to working with you in the future. Thank you so very much. Okay. So ah you Ms. Delta said, Hey, okay. [0:03:45, 0:03:47]: Oh you got some? Okay. Okay. [0:03:47, 0:04:07]: I, as Councilman Nelson Alexander, want to say thank you for all the tremendous work that you're doing in the community. And I can attest you've been on the front line in the fight against hunger. Your support for community development for real people has been essential, especially during the federal shutdown, where we were trying to grab. [0:04:07, 0:04:21]: food from e any which direction. Your support was critical in us being able to serve the rush that we had from the shutdown and uh the fight for hunger. So thank you all so much for what you do. Thank you. Thank you. [0:04:25, 0:04:33]: You just joined us. Do you wanna say anything at all? Okay, fine. So we're uh I don't wanna block anybody, so let's go up there. [0:04:33, 0:04:44]: You wanna go up there? That'd be bad. Let's give them print. Okay, well, I don't wanna you all right? I wanna Okay you good? Okay, let's see. [0:04:49, 0:04:57]: All right. So we'll go back here, ladies behind here, with crests in the background spread out. Okay. Okay. So we'll walk up. [0:04:57, 0:05:05]: That's a clear shot. [0:05:06, 0:05:08]: You're going to say with us. [0:05:15, 0:05:20]: Well what it is we'll we'll send her right here and then we'll continue on. [0:16:59, 0:17:00]: Uh offline. [0:18:06, 0:18:07]: Right, yeah. [0:19:05, 0:19:07]: Uh Madam Clerk. [0:19:26, 0:19:26]: Yeah. [0:19:27, 0:19:29]: Are you going to give it? [0:19:35, 0:19:53]: Madam Clerk, we're good. All right. All right, ladies and gentlemen, we'll get it started with our council meeting. Uh this is December 8th, 2025, and I'll have 612. On that note, I'd like to give the invocation to Mr. Charles Marshall, please. If please stand if you can, ladies and gentlemen. [0:19:54, 0:19:57]: And make sure the mic is on the screen there, sir, for you. [0:20:02, 0:20:03]: Is it buddy's green? [0:20:04, 0:20:05]: That's where I [0:20:15, 0:20:16]: Have to move down to earn it or [0:20:17, 0:20:19]: We don't cover the price. [0:20:20, 0:20:21]: You're allowed to see him. [0:20:22, 0:20:25]: We pray now, Father God, for your your [0:20:25, 0:20:34]: overwatch of this meeting tonight we pray Father God for clean hearts and civil tongues so much Father God as we engage in the business of this city. [0:20:35, 0:20:47]: pray for a special blessing on the mayor and the council members and all of that are here. We thank you, Father God, and we send this prayer in full thanks, asking you to receive this prayer, Father God, and let all the saints say. [0:20:48, 0:21:02]: Amen. Okay. Pledge allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. [0:21:03, 0:21:05]: Roll call, Madam Clerk. [0:21:08, 0:21:16]: Good evening. Evening. Mayor Ford. Present. Mayor Pro Tem Gantt. Present. Councilmember Thomas. [0:21:16, 0:21:31]: Let the record reflect. Councilmember Thomas is not in attendance. Councilmember Berry. Present. Councilmember Barber. Present. Councilmember Alexander. Present. Mayor Ford, you have a quorum. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Appreciate that. Mayor Pro Tem Gantt, uh we have some amendments to the agenda, please. [0:21:32, 0:21:42]: Uh yes, Mayor. Um I'd like to make a motion to amend the agenda to remove n item number seven at the applicant's request. [0:21:42, 0:21:56]: to amend uh uh also make a motion to amend the agenda to defer item number ten, item number eleven, and item number twelve to the February ninth, twenty twenty-six meeting. [0:21:57, 0:22:00]: A motion to amend the agenda to add [0:22:01, 0:22:02]: Item number twenty-four. [0:22:03, 0:22:06]: The city's health insurance renewal. [0:22:07, 0:22:14]: A motion to amend the agenda to add item number twenty-five, a wayfinding contract renewal. [0:22:15, 0:22:22]: And a motion to amend the agenda to add item number twenty-six. [0:22:23, 0:22:30]: It's the soccer field resolution, however, we would like to move that to the item number seven slot. [0:22:31, 0:22:35]: Thank you very much. Is there a second to the motion? Sir. Okay, Mr. Dallas, I say all in favor, please indicate. [0:22:37, 0:22:51]: Okay, so so some in favor, okay, unanimous decision on that on that. Now any motion to uh amend excuse me to approve the rest of the agenda, please? So moved. Is there a second? Second. Mr. Berry second that all in favor please indicate. Thank you, Council. Appreciate that. [0:22:51, 0:23:11]: Okay, madam clerk. Um oh wow let me back up for a second. Uh ceremonial review, ladies and gentlemen, we had a ceremonial review. The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sword Psi Alpha Omega chapter located here in Henry County and also cover uh Clayton County had their 20th anniversary celebration at Porsche Center just a couple days ago. So we honor them with our [0:23:11, 0:23:15]: a proclamation honoring their twenty years of service to this particular community. [0:23:16, 0:23:19]: And that's the only proclamation we did road read this evening. [0:23:19, 0:23:21]: And on that note, uh [0:23:21, 0:23:23]: Madam Clerk, are there any public comments at all? [0:23:23, 0:23:25]: Yes, Mayor, Mr. Charles. [0:23:26, 0:23:46]: Okay. Let me read this. Ms. Marshall, if you want to come to the podium and state your name, but let me read this here first. Public comments, all persons wishing to speak, or public comment must sign in as with the city clerk prior to beginning of the meeting. You must sign your name, address, and phone number. You'll be able to address the mayor and council for three minutes. Speakers must respect all members of the elected body. [0:23:46, 0:23:54]: Officials and staff. Defamation, unruliness, and swearing will not be tolerated while meeting is in session. Mr. Marshall, please, sir. [0:23:56, 0:23:57]: Happy holidays, you too, sir. [0:24:04, 0:24:06]: the statement so stop working. [0:24:11, 0:24:22]: Okay. You need me to repeat all of that. I once again make sure that the clerks got that on. You got it. Okay. I come to you this evening as a president of the Henry County Coalition Committee, thanking you and the council members [0:24:22, 0:24:28]: For your commitment in developing our wonderful city of Stockbridge and to the great community that it is. [0:24:29, 0:24:35]: In the fourteen years that we have lived here, we have seen this city grow and expand into a vibrant community. [0:24:35, 0:24:39]: With great places to live, shop, work, and play. And we thank you for that. [0:24:40, 0:24:42]: We thank you for all that you do. [0:24:42, 0:24:44]: And that you continue to do [0:24:45, 0:24:46]: as a city government. [0:24:47, 0:24:54]: Now we have an opportunity to continue that growth by looking at our quality of life standards in developing areas of green space. [0:24:55, 0:24:58]: We think that the development of a brand new first class family park [0:24:59, 0:25:08]: within the city of Stockbridge would be a great addition to the city's commitment of developing green space areas and improving the quality of life standards. [0:25:09, 0:25:19]: The offer of the FIFA organization to include two new soccer fields within the new park we feel only enhances the city's green space development efforts. [0:25:19, 0:25:31]: Therefore, the Henry County Coalition Committee strongly supports this effort to include the two new soccer fields within the planned new family park and would ask for your consideration to approve. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. [0:25:32, 0:25:35]: Thank you, sir. Appreciate it. Uh any other public comments? [0:25:37, 0:25:42]: Okay, thank you very much. Okay. On that new [0:25:44, 0:25:54]: We I believe we have a presentation. What is next? Oh adoption excuse me, adoption of the minutes. Council I need approval of the council city council meeting minutes on November tenth. [0:25:55, 0:25:58]: Approval of the city council work session minutes on November eighteenth. [0:25:59, 0:26:04]: And approval the hometown connection and Leslie meeting minutes uh for November twenty eighth. Need a motion to accept those, please. [0:26:06, 0:26:11]: So moved. Is there a second? Not second. Ms. Barber seconded that from Miss Gantton, Miss Barber, all in favor please indicate. [0:26:11, 0:26:27]: Thank you very much, unanimous decision there. And what is next? We have a presentation, uh tree giveaway event, uh grant for re-life re-lift, presented by representative uh Regina Lewis Ward. Please, representative. [0:26:28, 0:26:48]: And welcome to Stockbridge, by the way, which is obviously uh your home as well. And uh ladies and gentlemen, if you didn't know, many years or so ago, uh Representative Lewis Ward was actually a member of the city council, and then she decided to believe me and broke my heart and went on to do the other things. But welcome back. [0:26:48, 0:26:49]: Representative. [0:26:49, 0:27:09]: District five years good evening, Mayor and Council. How's everybody doing tonight? Okay. So I'm here formally to um talk about a tree giveaway event that's going to take place in my district, which comprises Stockbridge and Stonecrest. Um the [0:27:09, 0:27:15]: The purpose of the event is to increase tree canopy, which will um eventually [0:27:16, 0:27:22]: increase the overall health of the residents in the city of Stockbridge. Um before I introduce the [0:27:23, 0:27:42]: sustainability scientist who is also the manager of the program. Let me just share with you um and el everyone in Stockbridge is not eligible. It's only on a certain track um that the residents will be eligible. And there's a site called Arborday dot event. [0:27:43, 0:27:46]: Arbiday.eventbright.com [0:27:47, 0:28:07]: You go onto that site and you sign up, you put your address in, and you'll be notified whether or not you are eligible for the free tree um giveaway. And the event will take place on Aubur Day, on Georgia Arbiday, which is February twentieth, twenty twenty six. And I want to thank Mayor Ford for um his comments and his blessings for allowing us to [0:28:07, 0:28:15]: work with the residents in Stockbridge to give away free trees. The funding is provided by [0:28:18, 0:28:21]: До ЮСДА ФОРОСЕРВИСИН ПАРНСРІПИД [0:28:22, 0:28:25]: The Georgia Tree Council and the Georgia Forestry Commission. [0:28:25, 0:28:31]: That's where the funding is coming from. So let me introduce Charlotte King, who is a sustainability scientist. [0:28:31, 0:28:37]: And the also the manager of the project, and she will answer any questions and give you more information about the benefits. [0:28:38, 0:28:50]: Welcome. And by the way, I want to mention to you, Council, you there should be two documents right in front of you on the dias here that was handed out uh by the clerk for you representing uh this particular presentation as well. Go ahead, ma'am. [0:28:50, 0:28:57]: Good evening. My name is Charlie King. I'm a sustainability scientist, but I live here in Stockbridge. [0:28:57, 0:28:59]: Um in Eagles Landing, so [0:28:59, 0:29:01]: The community is very important to me. [0:29:02, 0:29:06]: I created the handout for you as a easy reference so that you understand. [0:29:06, 0:29:12]: The importance of trees in our community. Stockbridge used to be a tree city USA. [0:29:12, 0:29:17]: But with this giveaway, what we're trying to do is to reinforce. [0:29:17, 0:29:20]: The importance of tris and their connection. [0:29:20, 0:29:22]: to the growth of Stockbridge. [0:29:22, 0:29:23]: Where [0:29:23, 0:29:35]: Um it is being disproportionately impacted by stormwater, runoff, infrastructure costs, energy costs, but also public health impacts. So as we look at [0:29:35, 0:29:43]: um tree plantings, whether they are part of this giveaway or urban initiatives or even Stockbridge Public Policy. [0:29:44, 0:29:45]: I wanted to [0:29:45, 0:29:48]: Биказ і ям а сустайнибелі сієнтист танця. [0:29:48, 0:29:50]: How important this is. [0:29:50, 0:29:51]: In addition [0:29:51, 0:30:01]: Stockbridge is well positioned to emerge as a model tree smart city and consistent with the priorities for the state of Georgia. [0:30:03, 0:30:16]: Finally, keep in mind that both this event as well as additional trees in urban communities, it reduces stormwater infrastructure costs, it lowers heat-related medical emergencies. [0:30:17, 0:30:18]: It suppresses peak. [0:30:18, 0:30:20]: Energy demand [0:30:21, 0:30:24]: strengthens climate climate resilience and public safety. [0:30:25, 0:30:26]: And it delivers visible [0:30:26, 0:30:29]: Voter trusted action. [0:30:29, 0:30:31]: So with this event [0:30:31, 0:30:33]: Ви хір то трі тобі а ресурс? [0:30:34, 0:30:38]: to the city of Stockbridge and to answer any questions that you might have. [0:30:39, 0:30:41]: Well thank you for that. Council, any questions that you may have? [0:30:42, 0:30:43]: At all? Anybody? [0:30:44, 0:30:48]: So once again, so this is um Arbor Day, February twenty sixth, if I got it right. [0:30:49, 0:31:05]: Is that right? February twentieth will be the first one. Februet, okay. And then there's a website that we have to go on and and log on to be a recipient of of a tree free tree, is that correct? Yes. Um we have given you this information, but on the orange handout that I created specifically [0:31:06, 0:31:07]: Форстот брідж. [0:31:07, 0:31:17]: It will give you references at your fingertips to answer any questions that you need about resources. And many of the resources that I gave you are free. [0:31:19, 0:31:29]: And so do we need to coordinate anything like our Clark Park or any place like this for it to be distributed to folks? Yes, um I think earlier you and I had spoke we were looking at um [0:31:29, 0:31:49]: Clark Park in one of the pavilions. One of the pavilions, okay. And Clark Park, yeah. The the website is arbaday.eventbright.com. Okay. And we we encourage volunteers to also sign up because we up we need folks to help give out the trees. But number one, as city council, anything you can do to promote this give out. [0:31:49, 0:32:03]: We're only as good as homeowners and landlords and other um eligible individuals come and take these trees. For them not to be um [0:32:04, 0:32:15]: uh received would be a huge waste. Remember that trees contribute to the canopy for the entire um city. Okay. Good to hear. Well I was yeah go ahead sir. [0:32:15, 0:32:35]: Thank you so much for the bringing this forward. Certainly we've been trying to be supportive as possible. Thank you, Representative. We certainly want to make sure we're doing the things certainly we have gone above. I know one of the things that we've done we we sought out to plant trees in the medium. And that's something that we haven't seen a lot on this side of town. So I see homeowner [0:32:35, 0:32:37]: Everybody else, or what if the city wanted some of the trees? [0:32:38, 0:32:46]: Yes, we do want the we we do want the city to contribute. We would love it if Stockbridge became again a Tree City USA. [0:32:47, 0:32:50]: But also, even though you're planting trees in the median, [0:32:50, 0:32:56]: There are other things that we would like to see you do. A tree inventory would be really great. [0:32:56, 0:32:59]: Planting native species, all of those things will [0:32:59, 0:33:02]: Help overall. Air quality, storm water runoff. [0:33:03, 0:33:05]: And the infrastructure for the city. [0:33:05, 0:33:20]: Well certainly,'cause we do the community cleanup every quarter, like to plant some of these trees. Well, you could also cut back on treetopping as well. But um my job is to try to answer your questions and to be a resource. So absolutely. Thank you. Sure. [0:33:21, 0:33:28]: Any other digital uh print media that we can share on our social media platforms and things of that nature? [0:33:28, 0:33:46]: Um you can share the the sign up site and we can get you something. And anything else that you need on the reference sheet that I gave you, those are are tremendous uh resources and I always like to emphasize that those resources are your tax dollars at work. [0:33:47, 0:33:53]: But if you need anything specific to Stockbridge, we're happy to create that for you. And we do have [0:33:54, 0:34:04]: four months before this event, but we are in the holiday season. So whatever we can get you to do to help us promote it would be um an added bonus. [0:34:05, 0:34:07]: Okay. Good it will do that. [0:34:08, 0:34:13]: Okay. And that's it? No more questions? Okay. Representative, thank you very much. Happy holidays to you. [0:34:14, 0:34:17]: Okay. Council what we have now is consent agenda. [0:34:17, 0:34:37]: It deals with a course of 2026 event calendar, events, city events, Main Street events, mayor council initiatives, along with the renewal of board committee appointments on the Main Street Advisory Board, Willie Hopkins, Anika Pox, Crystal Park, Camilla Mason, Vanessa Gibson. The term ends on 31 December 2027. [0:34:37, 0:34:57]: Downtown Development Authority, Kenya Cook, Jerry Mays, Toskika, Toshika, Thomas, December 31st, 2029, Youth Council Advisory Council, Youth Council Advisory Council, Dr. Frida Gordin, Danita Memis, Candace Jones, and Shakara Sellers, December 31st, 2029. [0:34:57, 0:35:17]: 2029, Ethics Board, Mary Scott, Angela Jenkins, term ends on 31 December 2029. And then Voda City's Police Advisory Council, District 1, Carmen Reese, District 2, Thomas Smith, District 3, William Daniels, District 4, Paige the Third, Paige Jones, the third, District 5, Raymond Martin, the Mayor Large. [0:35:17, 0:35:35]: is Pastor Lavelle Sanders, Bishop Lorray Tillman, the faith-based community representative, Reggie Savane, Business Community Representative, Neat Robinson Zone 1, Nathan Banks Zone 2, Judy Neal Zone 4. So all during the police chief's selection there. And those terms end on the 31st of December 2027. [0:35:35, 0:35:40]: All right, that's all part of his uh consent agenda. If I have a sec uh motion to approve in a second, please. [0:35:42, 0:35:48]: So move from Mr uh uh Berry. Is there a second? Second. Mr. Alzheimer's a second. All favor, please indicate. [0:35:52, 0:35:52]: Yes. [0:35:53, 0:35:58]: Mayor Ford. Yes, ma'am. On this consent agenda. [0:35:58, 0:36:04]: There's just the calendar of events that we're approving, correct? [0:36:06, 0:36:10]: Yeah, the calendar I'm sorry, I didn't read that there calendar. I didn't go through each event on the calendar. [0:36:12, 0:36:20]: Uh you know what in in if my question is to the mayor. Well go ahead. What's what's go ahead. I just want to make sure that we are just approving. [0:36:20, 0:36:24]: just the calendar, the dates for [0:36:24, 0:36:28]: These sitting events support the budget. [0:36:29, 0:36:49]: For the city events. Yes, the city events, all the events are the city events, Main Street events, and all the initiatives for the mayor and council. That's right. So in your favorite May Mayor, let me say this before she will approve, sir. I'm I'm gonna take my vote back, okay? This is what I say we should do. We should revisit this at the end once we finish, because I have a [0:36:49, 0:37:02]: couple of changes that I want to put in the budget. One of the events is the African American History Month uh event, which is not on the schedule of the calendar. So probably we should come back to revisit. On on this speci on the calendars only or not the top [0:37:03, 0:37:06]: On the calendar. We're just referring to the calendar. On the calendar. Yeah. [0:37:06, 0:37:25]: Okay, so you're talking about uh s uh the overall calendar when it comes to city events, main street events and mayor council initiatives. Right, there's a there's a couple of changes that I'm gonna suggest. So let's fall let's let's fall back and bring that back after we approve the budget with the changes and then we'll have a motion originally, is that correct? So you accept that, sir? [0:37:26, 0:37:30]: Yes, so you want to make a motion to amend it and move that backwards? Yes. [0:37:30, 0:37:35]: All right, so I was saying that original and no it's not. Thank you. [0:37:36, 0:37:56]: So I will rescind that original and then make a motion that we move agenda item three to the end of the agenda. Let me let me make up make sure I don't know if there needs a whole item three. You just talking about one point piece of Well, we're voting on all of them together, so you you you would think totally may Mayor clarification. So there's two items. [0:37:56, 0:38:13]: on the consent agenda. One is the calendars and then the other are the renewals. Are you only asking that the calendars be removed from the consent agenda? That's that's what my assumption is. That's what that's why only only the account only counter events. So everybody else, everything else can get approved. We just deal with the counter events. [0:38:14, 0:38:18]: Yeah. The the two s the two separate so two separate. So we'll remove the calendar. [0:38:18, 0:38:38]: Okay. So you wanna ru So let me make a motion to move from consent agenda item three, uh only the two thousand and twenty six calendar events to include city events, main street events, mayor and council initiatives to the end of our agenda and uh [0:38:38, 0:38:43]: Leave uh the appointments as they are stated. [0:38:43, 0:38:44]: I'd take it there. [0:38:44, 0:38:59]: Okay, from okay, Miss Berry to Miss Barber. All in favor of that? Please indicate. Okay, we got that move. Okay, so we'll we'll put that uh thank you, ladies and gentlemen, so we'll put that at the end of the old business here. See here. [0:39:05, 0:39:09]: Twenty seven, Mayor. Twenty seven. All righty then. [0:39:11, 0:39:15]: Okay, one second here [0:39:19, 0:39:32]: Thank you for that. Okay. Okay, old business. Uh council consideration to approve revised copy SSD special services district map. Mr. Edmondson, please. [0:39:54, 0:39:57]: Yeah, you can quite you can just knock it out. I hope that. [0:39:58, 0:40:13]: Uh good evening, Mayor and Council, community. As we recall, back in October of last year, uh the Mayor and Council did approve the SSD map. Um however during the budget retreat, there was some modifications to the map. Uh [0:40:14, 0:40:18]: And this is what this the new map indicates uh these particular changes. [0:40:29, 0:40:30]: Got it. [0:40:31, 0:40:32]: Okay. [0:40:34, 0:40:47]: So the 2026 uh SSD map includes uh 1,134 parcels that are primarily concentrated along North Henry Boulevard, uh Rock Quarry Road, and Eagles Landing Parkway, and State Route 138. [0:40:48, 0:40:58]: Um, it's important to note that these parcels contained in the city's entertainment district are also in the SSDs. This includes the downtown village near North Henry Boulevard and East Atlanta Road. [0:40:59, 0:41:04]: Uh the bridges of Jodoko at the exit two twenty two of I seventy five along Jodoko Road. [0:41:05, 0:41:12]: Um the S uh the twenty twenty five and a twenty twenty six S SSDs are remarkably similar in geographic area. [0:41:13, 0:41:20]: Uh the concentration of these parcels in the SSD also remains consistent with the 2025 to 2026. [0:41:20, 0:41:28]: One of the key differences between the two versions is the total number of parcels and the geographic extent of those parcels. [0:41:29, 0:41:34]: Uh whereas the total number of parcels constitutes in the twenty twenty-five SSD is eight hundred and sixteen. [0:41:35, 0:41:43]: Whereas in the 2026 proposed uh new map is once again 1134, which is a difference of 318 parcels. [0:41:44, 0:41:52]: Um some of these parcel boundaries in the SSD have been expanded or reduced since 2025, thus resulting in a ge geographic variation. [0:41:53, 0:41:54]: In select regions of the city. [0:41:56, 0:42:10]: It is also important to note that the adjustments from 2025 map to the 2026 middle affects a recent update in the city's zoning district boundaries that sought to align the city's parcel data one with that of Herring County. [0:42:12, 0:42:17]: During these updates, some of the parcels were split to align with current plat records for recent development. [0:42:18, 0:42:25]: As a result, these new parcels were technically added to the SSD, even though the geographic area of the SSD did not expand. [0:42:26, 0:42:36]: Uh other parcels were merged together. As a result, some of those portions of the updated parcels were in twenty twenty five and other portions were not. So this just m uh basically [0:42:36, 0:42:42]: um update that particular amount with those particular changes to align definitely with the hearing county parcels and development. [0:42:42, 0:42:45]: So we asked uh approval of the new SSD map. [0:42:46, 0:42:47]: Questions council. [0:42:53, 0:43:07]: I have the no question. Is this any motion to to make that approval? Make that adjust adjustment and adding those additional parcels? So moved. Okay. From Mr. Alexander's a second. Mr. Sir Berry, second. All fair, please indicate. [0:43:09, 0:43:10]: Ms. Barber? [0:43:11, 0:43:14]: Okay. You have a com you you approve? [0:43:14, 0:43:15]: Uh hopes. [0:43:16, 0:43:17]: Okay. [0:43:20, 0:43:28]: She said he opposed? She opposes. Okay, opposes. Okay, so it all right. So right now the Let me do this. Let me make a motion to table. [0:43:28, 0:43:32]: And then return back, rescind my motion, motion to table. [0:43:33, 0:43:36]: Okay, is there a motion to the table? You made a motion is there a second to that? [0:43:38, 0:43:46]: The table. He wants the table. We need to get this approved, uh certainly. I don't know where Miss Gantt went to, but certainly we need this approved. Yeah. [0:43:48, 0:43:51]: Is there a second to table mo uh to table this? [0:43:53, 0:43:55]: Commission Berry second, all favor of the table. [0:43:58, 0:43:59]: [2640.7, 2641.6]: Good Barber? [0:44:02, 0:44:06]: Mayor Ford. Yes, ma'am. Um I know we have a very heavy agenda. [0:44:07, 0:44:09]: And I wanna keep things moving along. [0:44:10, 0:44:10]: Um [0:44:10, 0:44:16]: I know that um there may have been a consensus of the council to add this item to the agenda. [0:44:17, 0:44:18]: I don't know what's driving this. [0:44:19, 0:44:21]: So I'm not going to support it. [0:44:21, 0:44:23]: Because I have not been a part. [0:44:23, 0:44:26]: of any discussions regarding this. [0:44:28, 0:44:30]: This new map [0:44:31, 0:44:31]: Um [0:44:32, 0:44:35]: It involves a large portion. [0:44:36, 0:44:37]: Of the district. [0:44:38, 0:44:38]: That I represent. [0:44:39, 0:44:40]: The district. [0:44:40, 0:44:42]: in which I am duly elected. [0:44:42, 0:44:43]: To represent. [0:44:43, 0:44:45]: But no discussions or conversations. [0:44:46, 0:44:47]: Prior to right now. [0:44:48, 0:44:49]: have been had with me. [0:44:50, 0:44:50]: And no. [0:44:51, 0:44:52]: I'm not going to call staff. [0:44:52, 0:44:54]: And talk to them behind the scenes. [0:44:55, 0:44:55]: No. [0:44:56, 0:44:58]: Not gonna have any of those kinds of discussions. So [0:44:59, 0:45:05]: Um if the consensus of the council voted in in support of adding this item to the agenda. [0:45:06, 0:45:11]: I expect that the consensus of the council will support it all the way through. [0:45:11, 0:45:20]: So I won't be supporting this. All right. Thank you, sir. Right now the motion uh motion. We don't we don't we don't have a vote. I rescinded my motion to to approve. [0:45:21, 0:45:41]: So there's no vote. We'll just leave it there and move on to the next one. That's exactly what's gonna happen. Okay. All right. Second reading for the uh there's no vote on it. Second reading for the council consideration to approve the FY twenty twenty-five budget amendment ordinance in amount of eight thousand eight hundred and fifty-two eight million eight thousand eight fifty fifty eight million eight. [0:45:41, 0:45:45]: eight hundred fifty two thousand nine hundred and thirty five dollars. mister Mulazi, please. [0:46:24, 0:46:44]: Good evening, Mayor, even council. Uh this is twenty twenty five budget that we are trying to amend. So we amend the budget when you have uh less or more revenues than expected, or you have more expenditures than revenue than expected. [0:46:44, 0:47:04]: So that the budget is in balance. So as we said in the past two public hearings, the 2025 budget, there were some funds that were not budgeted for, but there were some expenses. [0:47:04, 0:47:16]: So we are bringing all active funds into balance whether into budget, whether there is zero or there are some activities taking place. [0:47:17, 0:47:37]: So in the first place we have general fund that was adopted uh with twenty nine million two hundred and ninety thousand three hundred and eleven. That was the adoption of the budget on revenue side. But we are amending we expect revenues in twenty twenty five. [0:47:37, 0:47:49]: To move from 29.2 million to 32.1 million. And we have corresponding expenses as stipulated, general fund. [0:47:49, 0:47:52]: uh expenses we start with governing body. [0:47:52, 0:48:12]: A city clerk, executive, finance, non departmental, business services, information technology, human resources, governing, government buildings, municipal courts, police administration, public works, city events, parks, permitting, planning and zoning, economic. [0:48:12, 0:48:32]: Economic development, Main Street, GIS and other funding, financial funding, for a total of twenty nine point two that what was budgeted for. So with the revision of revenues, the corresponding expenses are also [0:48:32, 0:48:36]: [2917.4, 2918.6]: That's general fund. [0:48:40, 0:48:42]: Then we get into other funds. [0:48:45, 0:49:05]: Other funds still the same as you see. There are some funds, for example, fund number one, which is confiscated assets. We budgeted nothing, but you see that their expenses there are three hundred and thirty-eight. That's the wisdom of making adjustments for active funds. Um property and everything. [0:49:05, 0:49:25]: Again, budgeted nothing, but you see we have 9,000 there. Uh APA, we budgeted zero, but we have 1.9 million in the budget because we still have got obligations to meet until upper funds end. [0:49:25, 0:49:26]: Yeah. [0:49:27, 0:49:34]: in the twenty twenty six, December twenty twenty six. So that's why you see upper there, but you cannot bring any [0:49:35, 0:49:55]: New expenses for Apple because it's closed. We just have to meet those obligations. Then you have grants, hotel, Splas 5, which is the winding up, Splassi, T S Plus, urban development, citywide projects, downtown development. [0:49:54, 0:50:07]: citywide development, uh public facilities, impact fees, cemetery, water, sewer, sanitation, conference center and amphitheater. [0:50:07, 0:50:10]: So total of those ones we [0:50:10, 0:50:21]: adopted twenty twenty five budget were thirty four point three million. We anticipate that it will be forty point four million. [0:50:24, 0:50:26]: Then you have a summary. [0:50:27, 0:50:32]: At the end of general fund, that's the one that we said thirty two point one million. [0:50:33, 0:50:34]: than those other funds [0:50:35, 0:50:55]: Uh for a total of seventy two million that is anticipation for twenty twenty five. However, the budget was adopted at sixty three point six million with a difference of eight point eight million. That's the one we are asking Council to consider for [0:50:54, 0:51:02]: adoption to make sure that we are in line and in balancing revenue eco expenses. [0:51:07, 0:51:15]: Well, go ahead. So otherwise we need a motion to accept this adjustment for this amendment. Unless there are any questions, additional questions. [0:51:17, 0:51:37]: Okay, I do I have some additional statements. So certainly what has really happened in what you have described is uh increase in revenue and uh in order to balance the budget. And certainly we have projections that we have made throughout the year, but certainly there's some good news in this, and there's some not so good news in this. [0:51:37, 0:51:55]: And that the the expenses were up, but the the the the the good news or even better news is that it the revenue was up and we're gonna be able to cover this. That's correct. Yeah, budget amendment you have to have revenue to amend the budget. So there's the revenue [0:51:55, 0:51:59]: corresponding with expenses. However, there are some funds that they don't have [0:52:00, 0:52:20]: Revenues, enough revenues, so you have to move revenues from other funds. But at the end of it, you are making the budgets to be in balance. Right. So generally this is a standard customary practice by every city and county government that they have to endure they have to seek budget. [0:52:20, 0:52:27]: Amendments to make sure that the balance the budget is balanced because the state requires a balanced budget. Is that correct? That is correct, sir. [0:52:27, 0:52:47]: Okay. Now as we go down these lines and you have come in, you've done a tremendous amount of work in order to make sure that the budget was balanced and that uh we previously uh you made several uh announcements that we needed to make a rather large adjustment, which was the thirty t thirty million dollars. [0:52:47, 0:53:07]: uh to correct the budget. So we hear a lot of misstatements out there about oh thirty million dollars was missing. Thirty million dollars was never missing. We simply needed to do the transfers in order to correct the process in order to move the amounts to the right accounts. As you had indicated, the money was pretty [0:53:07, 0:53:27]: Pretty much in the SPLOSS accounts, but we had paid for those uh uh SPLOSS projects out of the general fund, which where they should have been paid out of the SPLOS. So basically you had to m move those SLOS funds uh in order to uh correct or to put the um things in the right account. And I and I kind of summarized this by [0:53:27, 0:53:47]: By saying if you look at your household and you had the money in your checking account, your savings account, and the money should have been in your checking account, or you had it in your IRA, or you had it in your CD, and it needed to be in your checking account in order to pay bills, it was simply in the wrong accounts. [0:53:47, 0:53:57]: because those accounts should have can in order for it to be in the right accounts, they should have come to council, the council would have voted on it and we would have put it in the right account. [0:53:57, 0:54:07]: 'Cause we would have taken it out of the C D and we would have put it in the checking account to pay the bill originally had the process been followed correctly uh in the years that were adjusted. [0:54:08, 0:54:16]: That is correct, sir. Um what we are doing here was being done in the past, but it was being done [0:54:17, 0:54:34]: behind the scenes that he did not have authorization of the council, because still money was being moved from one fund to the other. There were some funds that they didn't have enough revenues. So the movement and the balancing can only be authorized by the governing body. [0:54:34, 0:54:54]: Right. Now to to to put a pen in this, if the individuals who were serving at commission serving in the finance and in the um leadership position of the city have brought the money brought those transfers to the council uh in order for us to transfer the money to the correct account, we we we wouldn't have been [0:54:54, 0:54:57]: Internet position in the first place, would we? [0:54:57, 0:55:17]: No, it wouldn't be. Um, but here we are now that you know, uh we just have to do diligence. We can't spend more than what we bring in, but so far it's doesn't show that the city's blocked. But we are just making sure that the all funds are in balance, whether there's money or not, whether we move [0:55:17, 0:55:28]: move money, it should be transparent that he this is what we are doing. So we are putting all active funds for you to know what is happening in this fund, every fund. [0:55:28, 0:55:40]: Right, and because of the substantial work that you have done and that you have gotten these books balanced, is we're actually gonna submit or been submitted for an award. Is that correct? [0:55:40, 0:56:00]: That is correct. Absolutely. So thank you. I appreciate it. And everybody should hear that loud and clearly. The city's up for a financial award, Mr. Malazzi is, because of the outstanding work that has been done to put the city books back into uh accordance with what should have been done initially in the first place. Kudos to you, sir. [0:56:00, 0:56:10]: in your department for making sure that we are uh doing what I we need to do to make sure that uh the books balance and that we're looking for a brighter future. So thank you. Thank you. [0:56:11, 0:56:15]: All right. Any other comments? Surrey if not, yeah. Go ahead, please. [0:56:16, 0:56:33]: Mr Melazi, this ten thousand dollars for a cemetery, can you tell me what is that a revenue, expense? It's both. It's revenue and expenditures. So cemeteries there are no revenues there. If they are there very minimal, but there are maintenance to be done. [0:56:34, 0:56:54]: And we have also to remember that the cemetery has got funded. There were some people that gave in, we have uh money. Now it's about twelve thousand that is in that has been invested. So every year we have to take ten thousand. This year we have take twenty twenty six we have taken in [0:56:54, 0:56:57]: twenty thousand from general fund. [0:56:57, 0:57:00]: to put cemetery for developments that will be there. [0:57:01, 0:57:19]: But every year we take ten thousand, ten thousand, but twenty twenty six they feel like that ten thousand will not be enough. So we have budgeted you will see it in the transfer, that is only um temporary forty four w where there are those transfers. [0:57:19, 0:57:29]: Thank you, sir. One more question. The amphitheater. I know that we budgeted um two point six million dollars in twenty twenty five. [0:57:30, 0:57:36]: This budget amendment, um, the four point four million that's in addition to [0:57:36, 0:57:56]: What was originally approved in a budget? That is correct. That's what we are anti spetting. As of now we have uh four point three, but uh we still have got some bills to pay. So we are expecting to be uh four point four. But should that be less, we will because we still have budget amendment, final budget amendment. [0:57:56, 0:58:07]: amendment for twenty twenty five is is there to come. So this is not this is a mid year budget amendment, even though it's coming late. So there will be one final to close twenty twenty five. [0:58:07, 0:58:10]: Okay. Can you explain why this [0:58:10, 0:58:13]: Portion of the budget amendment is coming to us so late. [0:58:14, 0:58:15]: And we have another one. [0:58:15, 0:58:16]: For this year. [0:58:17, 0:58:18]: Logistic [0:58:21, 0:58:22]: Thank you, sir. Yes, sir. [0:58:24, 0:58:35]: If no other question in the motion to accept his proposal to make this adjustment, was it adjustment? Some is there a second? Second. Mr. Berry's second that from Mr. Alzheimer's and Mr. Berry Alfred, please indicate. [0:58:36, 0:58:36]: Okay. [0:58:38, 0:58:47]: I will oppose and if I can Mayor Ford. Three three one motion passed. Go ahead with your comments. Really quick. Um so I know with [0:58:47, 0:58:53]: At least one of these items, the amphitheater operations. Um, those discussions were had. [0:58:54, 0:58:56]: In executive session in which [0:58:56, 0:59:07]: The council authorized Mr. Malazzi to proceed with the expenses of the operation of the amphitheater in the twenty twenty-five concert season. [0:59:08, 0:59:08]: Um [0:59:09, 0:59:10]: They authorized approval. [0:59:11, 0:59:12]: Already. [0:59:12, 0:59:20]: We're disapproving this now to just codify that decision that was made. There are certain discussions. [0:59:21, 0:59:23]: Regarding our city's operation. [0:59:23, 0:59:25]: And the amphitheater. [0:59:25, 0:59:28]: that must be had in the public meeting. [0:59:28, 0:59:30]: Not behind closed doors. [0:59:31, 0:59:33]: Tea splast, splast, and [0:59:33, 0:59:35]: The amphitheater operations. [0:59:35, 0:59:38]: А дискуссия да мас би. [0:59:38, 0:59:39]: in the public meeting. [0:59:40, 0:59:45]: I just wanted to say that for the record, sir. Thank you. Mayor, I I want to respond to that. [0:59:45, 0:59:45]: Okay. [0:59:45, 1:00:05]: Certainly it is never no one would ever vote in executive session. That's legal. You can't do that. We don't vote in a leg executive session. And first of all, everything that we discuss in executive session is privilege. You couldn't come out here and say it on the microphone because that's the way that's what we do. But to s to insinuate that [1:00:05, 1:00:25]: We have voted back in executive session is an insult to us. It's not true. And none of us vote. We have to come out here to vote in front of you all. No votes can be taking place uh in executive session. No no one has ever done that. And so you understand what the treasurer is doing. It is required by Georgia state law [1:00:25, 1:00:45]: That every community have a balanced budget. Should we not balance this budget, we'll be in violation of said state law. So Mr. Malazzi is doing what's necessary as city and county governments do. The county does budget amendments. Every city around here does budget amendments. That's what they do. [1:00:45, 1:01:05]: Because all you can do is forecast the budget. No one is Nostradamus where you can say this is going to be exactly this or this is going to be exactly that. What you have to do is you have to make these adjustments in order to make that happen. Tune in to the Henry County Commissioners meeting and see budget adjustments. Tune in to Hampton, Locust Grove, and McDonald, and see if we've got to be able to [1:01:05, 1:01:25]: See the same things, except you can watch these meetings on Facebook because we wanted to make sure it's important that the community knows what's going on. Nothing has been hidden from you here. And certainly that's insinuation uh would be totally improper that we did anything that uh in executive session that we voted. We certainly would not. [1:01:25, 1:01:42]: ever vote in executive session and that certainly would never be legal that we could um vote uh in executive session. But so you understand the process here. If we did not take this vote, we would violate the state law by not balancing the budget. Is that correct, Mr. Malazi? [1:01:44, 1:02:04]: That is correct. Exactly. So what are we to do? We to sit here and say, Oh, we're not gonna do that because we are on our high horse and we don't wanna make sure. But if three people up here did not vote, we would be in violation of state law right now. He's telling us the course that we need to take in order to make this happen. So three [1:02:04, 1:02:11]: We members up here did what we had to do in order to comply with state law to make sure that the budget was balanced. And we just did that. Thank you. [1:02:12, 1:02:32]: Second reading, Council consideration approved an ordinance to amend Title III of the Stockbridge Code of Ordinances regarding finance to amend chapter three point two zero thereof entitled credit card payments to provide for convenience fees for certain transactions citywide effective one January twenty twenty six. Mr. Malazi. [1:02:32, 1:02:33]: You're back up, sir. [1:02:40, 1:02:41]: Sorry, Mayor. [1:02:43, 1:02:45]: Good evening, everybody. [1:02:46, 1:03:02]: This was before you previously as um an ordinance, um a text change. Um however, upon further investigation, um it is my belief um that this does not need to be an ordinance change. Um this is currently what is listed in Municode. [1:03:02, 1:03:22]: Um, I've been searching um to no avail, unfortunately, through all the minutes Miss Holliday and Miss Lester have been helping me find the initial motion that council passed in order to waive the convenience fees during the pandemic. I cannot find it. Um Miss Holliday did point out um one um a mention of it in a December twenty twenty two. [1:03:22, 1:03:34]: two meeting to rescind that uh waiver of the fees. Uh that motion failed though, and we've not been able to find anything else. So what I would propose instead is drafting a resolution that [1:03:35, 1:03:43]: um rescinds any prior motion um and reinstates those uh fee that those convenience fees if that's council's wish. [1:03:44, 1:03:47]: Okay. Stand by. Go ahead, Mr. Eisender. Mm-hmm. [1:03:48, 1:03:53]: Every day that matters. Mm-hmm. So is that something that we could do tonight? [1:03:53, 1:03:54]: Yes. [1:03:54, 1:04:14]: Okay. So certainly uh this so everybody understands what we're trying to do. During the pandemic, we know that so many people were laid off, people lost their job. We suspended the credit card fee for paying any type of city fees uh during the city. Uh so if you called or you paid your water bill, you paid your [1:04:14, 1:04:34]: um, you know, your business license fee or whatever that was. We tried to give people a break, just like many governments did, so that we could take a little bit off of your plate in order to make sure that your budget dollar stretched when people were unemployed and in food lines. That was the the the the tenor or [1:04:34, 1:04:54]: Or the circumstances of which did we did that. But every time you pay uh your utility bill or your business license, uh we get part of that fee. But it is said, right, the credit card fee charge the credit card companies charge the city a fee. So if you paid a hundred dollars uh [1:04:54, 1:05:04]: for your business license, for example, uh if you use the credit card, uh we got what, like ninety five dollars or or Mr. Walazzi, you explained that little portion right there. [1:05:04, 1:05:24]: So different credit cards they charge differently. Some is two percent, some is a flat fee of seven dollars. So it depends. The there's no free because they are not charged, we absorb it. Right. So when we absorb it, it doesn't uh give us the true picture of our [1:05:24, 1:05:31]: uh revenues because if we have uh zoning there is a fee of uh two hundred dollars. [1:05:31, 1:05:38]: And they pay by card which is seven dollars. So that means instead of getting two hundred, we get one ninety three. [1:05:38, 1:05:58]: So that one nine so in essence we're shorting ourselves on these fees because again in your your example, the the city fee was actually two hundred dollars. But we're not gonna be receiving that city fee, we're gonna be receiving one ninety-three. But you have to multiply that times every person that pays a bill with a credit card or [1:05:58, 1:06:18]: a debit card, you know, certainly it would be our desire or hope that these credit card companies don't do that, but you know they do. And they also charge you twenty eight, twenty-nine percent interest, which we have no control over either. But certainly, uh, you know, you you will still be able to uh come in and pay the bill, you know. [1:06:18, 1:06:38]: and then not have that fee if you choose, but so if you choose to use a credit card, the city is losing thousands of dollars with these various fees that are being charged, and we're paying the credit card company for you. And certainly we can't continue to do that with this circumstance. [1:06:38, 1:06:52]: And that's pretty custom. Every time you use a credit card at any merchant, that merchant charges you that fee. Right. So uh in that aspect, I'd like to make a motion if that's appropriate, or you to [1:06:52, 1:07:12]: That's your recommendation I'm pushing. To make a motion as counsel has suggested to uh reinstate or to have these fees be effective with credit card transactions uh in the city when credit card payments are used to pay city uh invoices or city uh ex city [1:07:12, 1:07:13]: Taxes or events. [1:07:13, 1:07:20]: My question for just clarification on that would be an effective date. Um the pr prior proposal was January one. [1:07:20, 1:07:29]: Okay. That's the predictive date you like. January one, please. And this is a resolution as well. Yes. Okay. All right. Is there a second to that motion? [1:07:30, 1:07:33]: Second. Mr. Berry, second item. All favor please indicate. [1:07:33, 1:07:53]: Okay, now it's decision. Thank you very much. Thank you. Yes, sir. Go ahead, please. Also, it's important for us to add too that that is strictly just for credit card fees. If you pay with money order or check, you still will not incur those fees. So that is strictly only for those who decide to make their payments with credit cards where those fees will be applicable. So we don't [1:07:53, 1:08:05]: don't wanna make sh make the message known that we're charging fees on other forms of payment. There are no other fees on traditional forms of payment, which is cash, money orders and checks. [1:08:06, 1:08:15]: That is correct, only that we don't receive cash, so it's all other forms of payment. But should you decide to use a credit card, you absorb the fees. [1:08:17, 1:08:37]: Okay, well good there. All right. Thank you very much. Okay, what's next? We made an adjustment in the in the agenda. So we're gonna have some conversations here in reference to the soccer field resolution. All right, and that's gonna be item number seven. And so uh the sir, the individuals they're gonna come to uh it seems like you're in a sling here. [1:08:37, 1:08:52]: Playing soccer so hard you fell down and s broke your Somebody got a red card. Yeah. Okay. Pop pop my tendon out. But anyway. Good to see you, Mayor, ladies and gentlemen. It's good to be back. I think it was April when I was here last. We first discussed [1:08:53, 1:09:00]: I'm sorry. It's uh my name is Eric Morrison. I'm the president of the Southern Crescent Soccer Foundation. Okay, thank you. [1:09:01, 1:09:08]: I'm excited. We were here in April, had a discussion about moving forward with how we would look at, you know, the soccer fields becoming part of the new park. [1:09:08, 1:09:10]: At um Eagles Landing. [1:09:10, 1:09:30]: Um we've we've progressed pretty good. We've had quite a bit of work done. I we had we did have a grand opening for our facility in McDonough. I know Mr. Alexander was there. Uh Atlanta United put on one heck of a show. It was it was really good. Um they said it was the largest grand opening they've ever had. So there's definitely a a a thirst for soccer in this county. Um [1:09:30, 1:09:38]: And you know, the idea of putting two fields in Stockbridge makes a lot of sense. There's only on the whole north end of the county, there's two fields in Ellenwood, and there is nothing else here. [1:09:39, 1:09:42]: So um that we could be part of this and to help the city grow. [1:09:43, 1:10:02]: And to help that provide the community, you know, wonderful access is great. So where we've progressed so far is you know, we now we're gonna have a better feel for the park. You know, I know you guys are working the background and are working on how to how the how the park itself is gonna go. Um as far as building the fields. [1:10:03, 1:10:12]: Yeah, I sent forward uh the initial proposal we have from a contractor. I will say that I think we need to bid this out further, but that initial proposal is enough for me to provide our grant request. [1:10:13, 1:10:14]: Um I do think we should get [1:10:15, 1:10:18]: some additional vendors to provide proposals'cause we do have time. [1:10:19, 1:10:26]: That that vendor is enough for me to provide a grant request. And that's really what we want to get done is I want to get that grant in before Christmas. [1:10:26, 1:10:27]: Um [1:10:27, 1:10:31]: So to do that right now the proposed would be about six hundred thousand dollars. [1:10:32, 1:10:34]: Um, we'll be able to come up with 200 of that. [1:10:35, 1:10:55]: So whatever whatever the delta is left and it may come in at less than six. You know, like I said, we need to get a additional contractors looking at it. Um but I think it could come in less than six, but whatever the the difference is, you know, we're gonna need help from the city or if or if the city has as donors they like to help contribute, you know, to build the rest of it. Um [1:10:55, 1:10:57]: But it's still gonna be a wonderful facility. [1:10:58, 1:11:18]: You know, it's it's gonna be full. I mean, it's gonna be full of kids. It's gonna all the restaurants are gonna be full. We have tournaments, the hotels are gonna be full. We're gonna be able to bring teams in. Um, you know, everybody every talks about World Cup 2026, they just had a big drawing on TV. Well, Women's World Cup 2031, which arguably in the US is bigger than the men's. [1:11:18, 1:11:19]: Yeah. [1:11:19, 1:11:32]: is is twenty thirty one right here in Atlanta. So we really need to p position ourselves ahead as a city to have have some facilities that we can get those teams to come to and train at. And I think with the uh proposal we have, we're gonna be there. [1:11:33, 1:11:37]: Um so what all do you have for me? Questions, counsel. [1:11:39, 1:11:59]: Yes, sir. Go ahead, please. Not so much of a question, but I do want to um add to what Mr. Eric has stated, with with this being primarily in District Three, that this is an awesome opportunity for the city of Stockbridge to be a part of something great in the movement with the soccer fields and to create the green space and to create the live. [1:11:59, 1:12:19]: workplay environment that we all talk about uh so much, uh, and also to foster programs for our young people, our youth, so that they can have a uh a place to play and a place to belong and a place to be a part of. And so I'm I'm excited about the partnership and excited about um what we're on the ground, groundbreaking precipice of doing. [1:12:19, 1:12:22]: We are able to, you know, support this event that [1:12:23, 1:12:25]: We have the World Cup coming right here at our feet feet. [1:12:26, 1:12:46]: And just found out tonight that the Women's World Cup is coming a few years, five years after that. And that if if we can be uh one of the players in this, this would definitely put Stockbridge in a in a strategic place that we could uh help not only grow the sport but grow our local economy as well, as well as provide our neighborhoods and our communities and our parents with something that their kids [1:12:45, 1:13:01]: can be a part of and be proud of. And so uh I stand I stand in support of it, specifically uh in District Three that we can have this great park, this great green space and this great athletic facility. Uh and so I'm I'm I'm definitely in favor. [1:13:01, 1:13:05]: Okay. Any other comments? [1:13:05, 1:13:06]: Yeah for it. Yes, ma'am. [1:13:07, 1:13:08]: But [1:13:09, 1:13:12]: Okay, so I do support the soccer field project. [1:13:12, 1:13:13]: However, [1:13:14, 1:13:17]: The city council approved a park's master plan. [1:13:17, 1:13:21]: I think it's a great idea considering the World Cup is coming to Atlanta. [1:13:21, 1:13:25]: My only concern is we made a financial commitment. [1:13:25, 1:13:29]: And entered into a contract to make upgrades to our current [1:13:29, 1:13:30]: and existing parks. [1:13:31, 1:13:33]: including the new park. [1:13:33, 1:13:37]: I do want to ask a couple of questions of mister Aaron. [1:13:37, 1:13:39]: Because he presented [1:13:39, 1:13:46]: um the park's master plan to us. Mr Aaron, I have a couple of questions for you, please, sir. [1:13:47, 1:13:48]: Um [1:13:50, 1:13:52]: I support the new part. [1:13:53, 1:13:56]: But because there's been a mismanagement. [1:13:56, 1:13:59]: А трьоті тупот на мільйон долар ін тоні твар. [1:14:00, 1:14:02]: That has set us back on completing [1:14:02, 1:14:05]: various capital improvement projects. [1:14:05, 1:14:10]: The overspending of the amphitheater operations and free city events in twenty twenty-two. [1:14:10, 1:14:20]: 2023, 2024, and 2025 are examples of misguided priorities and how our capital projects are delayed. [1:14:21, 1:14:22]: due to wasteful spending. [1:14:23, 1:14:25]: The park's master plan has been delayed. [1:14:25, 1:14:28]: Just as the rollout of the master trail plan. [1:14:29, 1:14:32]: Mr Aaron, I believe the execution of the park's master plan [1:14:32, 1:14:34]: As was approved. [1:14:34, 1:14:36]: is outlined in phases. [1:14:36, 1:14:41]: And was approved during the council retreat in March of this year. Is that correct? [1:14:42, 1:14:47]: Well the park master plan was approved prior to that, but it was discussed at the retreat. [1:14:47, 1:14:48]: Okay. [1:14:49, 1:14:55]: The park master plan does it also include the new park for the Eagles Landing area. [1:14:56, 1:15:03]: Yes, ma'am, that was included. They were asked to do some designs and include some um projects for the new park in Eagles Landing. [1:15:04, 1:15:09]: Okay, and we paid um a consultant for those design concepts. [1:15:10, 1:15:13]: Uh T S W that did the master plan. Okay. [1:15:13, 1:15:15]: What's the status of [1:15:15, 1:15:16]: The rollout. [1:15:17, 1:15:19]: Of the parts master plan to include [1:15:20, 1:15:23]: the current and existing parks because I have two parks. [1:15:23, 1:15:24]: In my district. [1:15:25, 1:15:26]: Um that needs to be addressed. [1:15:27, 1:15:30]: So they are currently finalizing there was uh [1:15:31, 1:15:42]: The council agreed to close the transfer station. And so we're gonna add a new entrance to Memorial Park and additional parking. So the transfer station closes and [1:15:42, 1:16:02]: Is scheduled to close in May of 2026. And so they're currently surveying that property. So once it closes, then we'll start a project where we'll be out. Part of it was being phased where we're going to do new restrooms at Clark Park along with new pavilions. We're going to do new restrooms. [1:16:02, 1:16:21]: rooms at Gardner Memorial Park and also redo the entrance to uh Memorial Park and we're also looking at restroom at the trailhead at Reed's Creek Trail as part of phase one. And then phase two, we were doing uh it was a green space, I think, at the new [1:16:21, 1:16:41]: Eagles Landing, because that was one of the things that were mentioned during the charred that they had, that the residents wanted to see green space and just open areas where people can congregate and play and things of that sort. So there's a whole schedule of items that's included in the master plan projects that have been identified. [1:16:41, 1:16:48]: That would enhance all of the parks from pickleballs to open spaces to uh [1:16:49, 1:16:51]: tennis courts and things of that nature. [1:16:52, 1:16:53]: Thank you, sir. Um [1:16:54, 1:16:56]: So I know that [1:16:57, 1:17:04]: With this new well parks master plan, it covers all of our parks, including this new park. [1:17:04, 1:17:07]: Вот I am concerned about із. [1:17:07, 1:17:11]: Our existing parks and the improvements that are needed to those. [1:17:12, 1:17:17]: We are very much aware that the nю the existing парks. [1:17:18, 1:17:21]: Габенвай форсел є. [1:17:21, 1:17:32]: for the upgrades or improvements to'em. Picture this um at Gardner Park. The swing that people swing on, I believe it's standing or [1:17:33, 1:17:36]: It's being held up by P V C pipes. [1:17:37, 1:17:42]: So we need improvements at the existing parks. There are two parks. [1:17:42, 1:17:43]: In my district. [1:17:43, 1:17:45]: Gardner Park and Clark Park. [1:17:46, 1:17:48]: What I don't want is for us to neglect. [1:17:48, 1:17:50]: Our current parks [1:17:50, 1:17:54]: And then just skip right over and focus on a new part. [1:17:54, 1:17:57]: А супорт олим, вчера. [1:17:57, 1:17:59]: The park's master plan. [1:17:59, 1:18:01]: With the timeline. [1:18:01, 1:18:03]: That you just mentioned. [1:18:03, 1:18:05]: Um I have concerns about [1:18:05, 1:18:07]: What's driving this? [1:18:07, 1:18:13]: When we already have two parks um that we know need improvements and upgrades. [1:18:14, 1:18:25]: Let's stick with the schedule as has been approved by the council and allow Mr. Aaron to execute the plan. [1:18:25, 1:18:27]: That's all. Thank you. [1:18:27, 1:18:33]: Yeah, go ahead please. Uh stand by msoup. Don't go anywhere, Mr. I need both of you there. Let let's say this, okay. [1:18:33, 1:18:53]: See, when you have vision and you understand the direction that we're going, in 2021, when we were discussing the plan for parks in the city, long before the parks master plan, the city manager made a recommendation that we should put two million dollars aside for park improvements in the f in the future. [1:18:53, 1:19:13]: To take care of the items that were just described to you. Certainly those items are very important. I hate to see this described as an either-or scenario because it's not. Because what really happened is we were going to put$2 million in the SPLOS to cover park improvements. [1:19:13, 1:19:33]: Because there wasn't a thought at that time that there were going to be a new park. So I spoke up because I saw the vision coming. And I said, let's make that number four million dollars. So we would have two million dollars for a new park in the Eagles Landing area of the city, the south side of the city. So the number was increased. [1:19:33, 1:19:53]: Increase from the initial the initial recommendation of$2 million to$4 million to cover the new part that would come forward or improvements that we needed. That was the discussion that we had. So understanding that is to understand how we got here. It doesn't have to be an either-or scenario. [1:19:53, 1:20:13]: I certainly suspect and I certainly support that all the improvements that will be made. I sit down and Councilman Thomas and I had many discussions about moving the transfer station and having that new entrance established. I was the one that made the motion for the parks master plan. We were on a Zoom call. [1:20:13, 1:20:32]: During um the pandemic with uh TSW, and we were talking about how to move forward with this. So what we did was we decided to do a parks master plan. But understand this, and Mr. Morrison will tell you this as well.$200,000 is on the table right now, right, Mr. Morrison? Let him back come back to the mic dish. [1:20:34, 1:20:37]: Two hundred thousand dollars is on the table right now, right? Yes, sir. [1:20:38, 1:20:42]: Two hundred thousand dollar grants don't just pop up out of the blue, do they? No. [1:20:43, 1:21:03]: They don't. This is a one of the opportunities of a lifetime. And Mr. Morrison is very humble in his statements about what's going on. But you could go see the field in McDonough today, the mini pitch that they did. And when we spoke with the Atlanta United people there on the ground that day, they were very excited about having full [1:21:03, 1:21:23]: Full-size fields all over here. I spoke with a young lady named Lee. Lee is Van Jakes, who used to play for the New Orleans Saints. He lives here in Eagles Landing Country Club. She's his daughter. She works for the Atlanta United. She's very excited about potentially seeing professionals. [1:21:23, 1:21:43]: professional level soccer fields right here in our community. And as our discussions that we've had with Mr. Morrison is that we have fields here, but we don't have professional level quality fields that need that that that would be the requirement for a World Cup or a Women's World Cup or a men's World Cup that we will be able to fulfill. [1:21:43, 1:22:03]: So understanding where we are now, there's$4 million that's being collected through SPLOS 6 over the next few years. And like I said, initially there was a$2 million budget. We increased the budget so that we could have this new park and some additional green spaces in the city to acquire others by$2 million. [1:22:03, 1:22:15]: We're asking for four mi four hundred thousand dollars in this iteration right here. Without that grant, this would be a six hundred thousand dollar project and two hundred thousand additional dollars would would be [1:22:15, 1:22:22]: uh would come out of the city coffers. But by approving this and making this a priority, uh talk about the schedule. [1:22:22, 1:22:27]: Yeah, let's say we did approve this. What would the schedule look like, Mr. Morrison? [1:22:27, 1:22:36]: I mean the hope is we would break ground in spring, mm-hmm. You know, and be once we break ground it's it's a month or two and it's done. [1:22:36, 1:22:56]: Right. So in essence, we could have we we we basically would have a shovel ready project ready to go and the fields could actually open uh by the summertime if all went well if we take advantage of this opportunity right now. With two hundred thousand dollars, which is you know it's a third of the project cost would be covered. [1:22:56, 1:23:16]: By the Atlanta United. And when the Atlanta United partners with you and they're sitting at the table, they don't just sit there, they work with you and they'll help you actively promote the facility and uh to the rest of the community because they're actively talk about their their their involvement in youth soccer in the area and what that will bring to us. [1:23:17, 1:23:19]: Well, so we work with the Atlantic United. [1:23:20, 1:23:40]: In some of our youth programs, we provide some they provide some free clinics for us. Primarily what they provide is funding. You know, they they really helped us with the mini pitch. Um we're currently in negotiation with them. We also run a free after schools program. Um we're currently in nine schools. We want to be in 29 by the fall. We're working that you know with the schools. [1:23:40, 1:23:41]: Um [1:23:42, 1:23:56]: And within that we're working with the landed for additional funding for that, because nothing, although it's free to the kids, it's not free to administer as as you as everyone here knows. Everything costs money. Um so we're we're trying to find ways to continue to fund that, to continue to grow it and provide children in the community. [1:23:57, 1:23:59]: You know, opportunities. Um [1:24:00, 1:24:03]: You know, but Atlanta United, they give us a big platform. [1:24:03, 1:24:13]: You know, they anybody anybody saw what happened at at the McDonough mini pitch, I mean, that blew up. I mean, that was unbelievable and s it just went viral on social media. [1:24:14, 1:24:17]: It it was it was fantastic. And that's really what they bring. They bring a lot of [1:24:18, 1:24:20]: They bring a lot of attention to the community. [1:24:20, 1:24:25]: And and that's necessary'cause you need that attention in order to get the funding you need in order to get [1:24:25, 1:24:27]: Your community excited? [1:24:27, 1:24:34]: And then they help us with some of the program. Like I said, they help us with some of the free clinics and things such as that. But but they've been wonderful to work with. [1:24:37, 1:24:57]: Thank you. Now, Mr. Edmondson, uh certainly you you've been through numerous projects as our city leader right here. I don't think this is a either-or scenario. I think that you can carry the weight of fixing the um fixing the existing parks because we have a new position. [1:24:57, 1:25:06]: come on the board that will manage these projects, that will be able to manage the existing parks improvement at the same time that we do this new project, bringing it in. Is that correct? [1:25:08, 1:25:28]: Um yes, sir. Um the biggest thing for us is uh with that four million that you uh talked about, it comes in over the next six years. So if we do move forward with this project, we have to think seriously about bonding um to get these projects underway. And uh as Councilmember Barber said as well, going with the park uh improvement plan, because we want to make sure [1:25:27, 1:25:47]: That we stay on target with that. But I believe that with the funding that we do have, if we bond, um, we will be able to to accomplish all that we desire. So right, even if we did what the payback basically would be out of the SPLOSS program. So basically we'll be advancing the funding uh that we already know is coming. The same thing. [1:25:47, 1:26:07]: That we did with uh the amphitheater, the same thing that we've done with numerous city projects uh that we moved forward. We paved Walt Stevens Road, we paved Eagles Landing and several others uh that we moved along when we started the police department. We took out a bond for that. But the idea is we didn't take out a bond to be paid out of the gym. [1:26:07, 1:26:27]: General fund, we took out a bond that would be paid for out of the um out of the spLOS dollars that we knew were coming. But at this point right now, certainly what's the issue is right now, there's no money needed today, correct, Mr. Morrison? The money is needed when the project moves forward, the commitment is needed. [1:26:27, 1:26:47]: today where we would go come back to the microphone. You don't need the four hundred thousand dollars to do that. That is correct. We need a commitment for it. You need a commitment for the four hundred once the grant is approved and we're approved to begin construction, then of course we'll need the funding to pay for the construction. Right. So today we don't need that today. We need that maybe March, April [1:26:47, 1:27:07]: when that when the fund when the grant is approved. And certainly the Atlanta United want to know that we're serious because they want a commitment from us that we're going to build these fields in partnership with them. And we certainly can do that. Please understand as FLOS 6 goes, and Mr. Evanson, I want you to, as we talk about this too, rights first [1:27:07, 1:27:27]: SPLY 6 is being collected at about$700,000 a month, coming in every single month. And that one penny that you pay, 1% sales tax on every dollar you pay, you pay a one cent sales tax that goes into the SPLY 6 program. So what happens is that money comes in a little bit at a time,$700,000. [1:27:27, 1:27:31]: thousand dollars a month. But what what are we just going through now? [1:27:31, 1:27:51]: Black Friday, November, we're going through December. So in November and December, the allotments for those particular funds, that could be a million dollars with the sales that we're seeing. Cause it's not like it's even every single month, it's based on the sales. And we know what happens with the sales in November in December. So I think [1:27:51, 1:28:00]: In essence, what will really happen is every project is not going to be shovel ready at the same time. The transfer station project first [1:28:00, 1:28:20]: When we're starting this project, the transfer station is still going to be open. The transfer station is not going to close until what? April, you said, Mr. May. May. It's not going to close till May. So the fields will be under construction by the time the transfer station closes. All of that process moves through. We get to the point where we're going to move forward. [1:28:20, 1:28:31]: with that. So sometimes you gotta make adjustments to the schedule depending upon the uh logistics on the ground. And the logistics on the ground tell us right now, get the two hundred thousand dollars. [1:28:31, 1:28:51]: That's what it tells us to do. That's available right now that we won't have to pay because if we do wait, that two hundred thousand there's no guarantee that that two hundred thousand dollars is gonna be on the table because there's communities all over Metro Atlanta. This is a grant process, right, Mr. Morrison, where we're putting our hat in the table right now. So that money [1:28:51, 1:28:56]: money's gonna be given away because the grant closes at the end of the year, right? [1:28:57, 1:29:04]: Right. So when the grant closes at the end of the year, we can't say, Oh, we'll go back and get that two hundred thousand dollars that was on the table. [1:29:04, 1:29:07]: It won't be on the table because this cycle will be closed. [1:29:08, 1:29:11]: And with the economy and everything that we got going. [1:29:11, 1:29:31]: Do we want to take a chance on another$200,000 being available six months from now or a year from now? I think we can juggle all of those balls at the same time. And I think we could do this in understanding that one of the things that we did here is we said we were gonna, in the parks master plan that I made the motion for, is that we're [1:29:31, 1:29:51]: Going to attempt to make sure that we provide these resources in all the community. When I sat on this board in 2016, there was no park on the south side of this of the city. There's still no park on the south side of the city. And this is an opportunity for us to put in process a park as the park's master plan outline as. [1:29:51, 1:30:00]: Is having a park facility within a mile or two of everybody in the city. Right now, the closest park for me is 15 minutes away. [1:30:01, 1:30:21]: which is Memorial Park. I gotta get through traffic from Jodeco Road up here. That's how long it takes me to get there. So that's not within a mile. But this park will be very close to within a mile from where I live and the residents who live in district three, different four district four and district five. But residents all over the city will be using the particular park. [1:30:20, 1:30:31]: Sometimes you gotta take the vision by the horn and move forward because this is a visionary opportunity of a lifetime that the city can seize upon to make it happen. Thank you. [1:30:31, 1:30:47]: Uh sir, I I would like to add though, um if we do accept this uh opportunity tonight that I would like to understand what the ten-year agreement, maintenance agreement, and other things that may be associated with the build of this park, i.e. the stands, the [1:30:47, 1:31:07]: The building itself, the uh so I mean maybe he can share some light on that so we understand what that total cost is because I wanna make sure that we that relies on us. The f this is a soccer field agreement right here. This agreement is for the soccer field. Now whether we build the rest of it and being out of that is up to the city to make [1:31:07, 1:31:27]: And that's why we have four million dollars in park improvements and we would need to seek other partners in order to build the rest of the park out uh in phases. But when you have two hundred thousand dollars sitting on the table to you right now, you've got to take that two hundred thousand dollars sitting on the table to you to be able to do what we gotta do because we know that we have four. [1:31:27, 1:31:37]: four million dollars coming to us over the next five years in order to complete the project. And as you said, um because [1:31:38, 1:31:52]: Honestly, a lot of these projects could have been done already. You see that. The money's been sitting there, they just didn't have the priority. The issue was as you have created a new analyst position that will actually manage the project, is that correct? Yes sir. [1:31:53, 1:31:59]: with the analysts on board to be able to manage the projects, instead of sitting here waiting on project one to move forward. [1:32:00, 1:32:07]: When there's nothing going on, nothing going on, we'll be able to work on multiple projects at the same time. Thank you. [1:32:09, 1:32:11]: All right, good. Any other comments? [1:32:13, 1:32:17]: Go ahead, please. So it's not that I don't support the new park. [1:32:17, 1:32:18]: Because I do. [1:32:18, 1:32:36]: My concern is the mismanagement of thirty-two point nine million dollars in twenty twenty four. And then again the overspending of the operations of the amphitheater this year has set us back on capital improvement projects that we all support. [1:32:36, 1:32:43]: Um I believe the Splassix distributions, um, those funds have already been allocated. [1:32:44, 1:32:45]: To other projects. [1:32:45, 1:32:48]: So if we move this ahead of [1:32:48, 1:32:50]: Other capital projects. [1:32:51, 1:32:57]: When will we realize the other projects that we've already prioritized? [1:32:57, 1:32:59]: Ам'яс конд. [1:33:00, 1:33:00]: Just [1:33:01, 1:33:02]: It just seems like [1:33:03, 1:33:05]: Ви нари фоловing аплан. [1:33:06, 1:33:08]: This is really based on [1:33:08, 1:33:09]: What? [1:33:09, 1:33:12]: Individuals may want at a certain time. [1:33:13, 1:33:15]: But we're not following the master [1:33:15, 1:33:17]: plan that we paid for. [1:33:18, 1:33:20]: And I believe the master [1:33:21, 1:33:22]: Park's plan [1:33:23, 1:33:24]: Mr. Aaron mentioned it. [1:33:25, 1:33:27]: The council approved it. We paid [1:33:28, 1:33:30]: more than two hundred thousand dollars for that plan. [1:33:31, 1:33:35]: So are we just paying for plans and consultants just to say? [1:33:36, 1:33:48]: We got a plan but we're not gonna execute the plan. Those are my concerns. I know that Splost six already has projects that those funds are allocated for. [1:33:50, 1:33:51]: It just makes it complicated. [1:33:52, 1:33:53]: Now we are [1:33:53, 1:33:58]: Реасigни доз фонс ту бизпроект. [1:34:00, 1:34:03]: And I also wanna know if um [1:34:05, 1:34:08]: If the council so chooses to support this [1:34:09, 1:34:11]: Venture. Um [1:34:11, 1:34:15]: When will the two parks in the district that I represent before? [1:34:16, 1:34:18]: When will those improvements be made? [1:34:21, 1:34:25]: Those are questions I have. If you can answer those, Mr. Edmondson, I appreciate it. [1:34:26, 1:34:46]: Uh yes, ma'am. And as looking at the plan and it's part of the addendum of the budget, they actually have a schedule uh how much money is allocated for this entire plan in regards to infrastructures and park parts upgrades. Um what was happening is I guess it was kind of going back and forth in between the years. So and that's another reason as council member [1:34:46, 1:35:06]: Alexander said the importance of bringing in the management analyst because we were trying to do a whole bunch of different things. And as I always say, if you're trying to do everything, you get nothing done. And I think that's kind of where we at. But with the uh master plan, with the right people in place, we are literally looking at the funds and seeing how much we have available. Do we have to bond to start [1:35:06, 1:35:26]: Screenlining some of these projects. And right now we wait for that money to trickle in. As you say, it comes in monthly. And with most of these projects, um, if you're not phasing them out or have a plan, we just sitting on time and money and resources instead of saying, hey, we anticipate in the next six months to get$1.2 million. [1:35:26, 1:35:45]: That can at least get us started with phase one. We can walk into bubblegum. And the problem is we haven't been proactive in regards to this money trickling in monthly. But if we're trying to streamline some things, that's another reason why I say, hey, we have options to maybe bond to expedite a lot of the things that's been in the pipeline. So I'm just uh [1:35:46, 1:36:06]: motivated at the fact that we do have people on the ground now that's paying attention to those projects to ensure these projects get off the ground because they are badly needed. We have the resources. We it's not like we don't have the resources. So that's the frustrating part for my administration because we see in things that people are saying over and over again. It's just time to put things [1:36:06, 1:36:13]: So we are screenlining a lot of these projects as we speak now, and we anticipate 2026 to have dust fly. [1:36:15, 1:36:18]: Uh if I if I may be a floor. Go write it please. So [1:36:19, 1:36:22]: Again, I support the new park. [1:36:23, 1:36:26]: It would be different and very easy for us. [1:36:26, 1:36:27]: For me. [1:36:27, 1:36:29]: To support this and approve this tonight. [1:36:30, 1:36:31]: If we have the funds. [1:36:32, 1:36:34]: In our hands right now. [1:36:34, 1:36:39]: And not relying on the distributions from Splas to pay for it. [1:36:39, 1:36:43]: But because we don't have the funds in hand right now. [1:36:43, 1:36:55]: That's why I mentioned the$32.9 million that was mismanaged and again the$4.4 million that was spent on the amphitheater in excess of what was budgeted. [1:36:55, 1:36:56]: All of those [1:36:56, 1:37:01]: Оверни єр автоє афер є. [1:37:02, 1:37:04]: If those funds were available. [1:37:04, 1:37:05]: Absolutely. [1:37:06, 1:37:14]: I would be supporting this right now. But because we don't, and we're relying on SPLOS distributions every month that's coming in. [1:37:15, 1:37:22]: I don't wanna I don't want us to function that way anymore. I don't want to. I just don't I can't support that. [1:37:22, 1:37:25]: If we had the funds right now to to pay for this [1:37:26, 1:37:27]: I would support it. [1:37:28, 1:37:30]: But we're waiting for funds to do it. [1:37:30, 1:37:37]: Right. I can't support it. And those funds have already been allocated to other projects. So one what projects is now gonna be [1:37:37, 1:37:40]: Андерфундек звермовин фонс. [1:37:40, 1:38:00]: That we anticipate to receive from SPLOS to this. Well, I would like to add, and this this also is on the agenda later on tonight. We're talking about the tag, we're talking about SSD, we got flaws, we got a lot of different other resources coming in. So I believe we can we can get a lot of this done. I just want to make sure that we've been intentional and mapping out a plan, a solid plan, and report back. [1:38:00, 1:38:20]: to you all what that plan looks like as we start mapping this out. So um with the management analysts on board now, we are laying out that thing and actually coming up with a plan based off the mat the the master plan for the parks and what that looks like in funding. And uh these are priorities as y'all stated going into 2026. So we are [1:38:20, 1:38:40]: Really, really focusing on getting these things done and also leveraging ourselves for additional funding to come in that we have positioned ourselves to start getting a lot of this stuff done. Because, oh, by the way, that's the whole point for establishing the SSD and a lot of these other tasks that we have in the pipeline to also help with these projects and things that we have been taught. [1:38:40, 1:38:42]: [5924.4, 5926.5]: All right. If you're done, Miss Barber. [1:38:47, 1:38:47]: What's it? [1:38:48, 1:38:48]: Um [1:38:50, 1:38:53]: If so, Mr. B yes, sir. I I don't support bonding. [1:38:54, 1:38:59]: For any of this, what I do support is us being more fiscally responsible. [1:39:00, 1:39:01]: And tightening the bills. [1:39:02, 1:39:03]: of our spending. [1:39:03, 1:39:04]: Yeah, that's what I support. [1:39:05, 1:39:05]: Not bonding. [1:39:06, 1:39:07]: Because these projects [1:39:08, 1:39:12]: We just need to be more responsible. That's all. Mr. Berry Gwait, sir, please. [1:39:12, 1:39:32]: Yeah, Mr. Edmondson and uh also to Mr. Velazzi, just just wanted to uh echo some of the things that Miss Barber said, but also to try to come up with um some balance. I know uh her concerns are the existing plan and what are we gonna do strategically to make sure that that stuff stays on schedule and that we're doing the repairs and things that that are [1:39:32, 1:39:52]: That are already in place. And so my question to you guys, to you both, is with the opportunity that's presented with us, which is funding that we normally would have to pay for ourselves, this is a unique opportunity for us to save the city some money. But also, can we also put something in place? [1:39:52, 1:40:12]: place to rectify her concerns to make sure that we have the existing park plan in place to line out all of the things by a calendar, by a set date of what we're doing first, second, third, fourth, fifth, so that by the end of today we can have our cake and eat it. [1:40:12, 1:40:32]: it too for the sake for the sake of the discussion that we're saying. It's not an either or, but we do need to have a plan of what it is we're going to do. And so and the uh um Mr. Eric has already stated we don't have to have a financial commitment tonight. Our commitment doesn't have to come until April 2026. However [1:40:32, 1:40:40]: However, in in that interim, we need to do is have everything lined out so that this [1:40:40, 1:40:57]: plan and this commitment also is included in the rest of the park plan and commitment so that we have a schedule for two thousand and twenty six for what we know what we're doing with all of our parks and to not miss this opportunity as well. I think that's kind of the next [1:40:57, 1:41:17]: Right. Move. And that's fair. Um, and so what our proposed tonight is we will have a full plan and a full schedule before we come back to to start solidifying this other stuff. So right here, so we can make that commitment and I can commit that my team will bring back a plan, a solid plan to include funding and phases to address those things that [1:41:17, 1:41:20]: that you have concerns about. We definitely could do that ma'am, no problem. [1:41:21, 1:41:41]: So before before you go right now, so if you're talking about a commitment, the time frame for that, but also I thought tonight we're looking at the uh uh yeah, the grant the the commitment for the t two thousand dollars, I think it is, right? I mean uh two hundred thousand dollars I believe it is, right? That we wanna make a commitment, even though it's not needed till several more months from now, but the commitment tonight on that, along with [1:41:40, 1:41:59]: a time timeline that you're gonna present to us overall. Yeah we good. All right, you can make it happen. So if we're we're yes sir. Yeah let me just say this real quick and certainly to come into flux so everybody understands. The Park Master Plan, which I made the motion for, is a hundred and ten million dollar plan. [1:41:59, 1:42:19]: There's never there's never any thought that everything was going to be done at the same time in a$110 million plan. It plot it plotted out what we were going to do for the next 20 years. That's what it is. It's a document, it's not an execution plan, and that's what Mr. DeC. [1:42:19, 1:42:39]: City manager is gonna have to come up with when to execute what. But the plan is$110 million that covers the entire city and a green space parks plan for the next 20 years. It is not a 2026 plan. So there's not an indication on what we're [1:42:39, 1:42:59]: When is gonna be what is gonna be done when? But it's your job to test the new and the new analyst to come up with the plan to prioritize which projects will move first and which projects are ready to go first. And certainly none of us up here wanna sit here and say that we're not gonna uh do the existing parts. So your job would be charged with. [1:42:59, 1:43:15]: We move forward with this tonight that you will come back to us with a plan that will be inclusive of this of the soccer fields and a execution of the existing parks uh at the same time. Now part of that would be to include uh [1:43:15, 1:43:33]: Uh the part of that would be to include the special service districts. The special service districts acts to uh help to be able to bring together funding for additional funding to support infrastructure projects is one of the things that you can use for the uh special service. Talk about that a little bit. [1:43:34, 1:43:54]: Oh yes, as as we talked about it in the the budget retreat, and that's another reason why we was trying to get uh the map approved because we added uh Stockbridge Lakes or something like that. I have the meeting uh minutes from the uh budget retreat um because that was the only issue with the map at the time. It was kind of small, and then it was some areas that was missing. And as Mr. Wall [1:43:54, 1:44:14]: And Mr. Ernst said, hey, listen, we need to update the map, and then we need to also adopt the map based off some recommendations that we had got from the budget retreat, which we did. We were trying to get that map approved there at the budget retreat. That did not happen. But we were trying to get this map approved before December 31st. And then thereafter, we would definitely have to sell. [1:44:14, 1:44:34]: A millage rate for that based off the amount of the projects amounts that we are anticipating. So once again, we have to do this plan anyway because once we identify how much these projects are gonna cost, dealing with the SSD, um, and that's including parks, maintenance, and things of that nature, then we have to understand. [1:44:34, 1:44:51]: what that millet rate would look like for that particular plan, then come back here to get permission to install that. We already got all the documentations and plans. We already got everything from the county in place. They just waiting on us to to move the ball forward in regards to establishing a map and also setting a millet rate for the SSD and going from there. [1:44:52, 1:44:52]: Yes, sir. [1:44:53, 1:45:13]: We we've had plenty of discussion tonight in order to make this happen. Certainly this is the opportunity of a lifetime. Uh you have committed that you will bring the plan back to us. Yes sir. That you will in implement these fields along with the improvements in the park, along with working with your analysts. That's your commitment to us tonight, correct? [1:45:13, 1:45:29]: Yes, sir. I want to make a motion to move forward with the plan has been acclimated in a partnership with the Southern Crescent Soccer soccer organization to bring two professional quality soccer fields to uh the city of Stockbridge. That's my motion. [1:45:29, 1:45:49]: What does the two hundred thousand dollars need to be? That'll be the total it'll be two the grant is two hundred thousand dollars. Our commitment is four hundred thousand. The difference, the difference in what it is. The difference might be less than that because as Mr. Morrison has indicated, what's gonna happen is he's putting together he's got a bid on the document on to go into [1:45:49, 1:45:56]: to the grant. But what's gonna happen is it'll be bit out when it's time to actually do the construction so that we get the best deal. [1:45:57, 1:46:17]: Okay, so restate restate your your motion then make sure we got understood. Okay, I'm gonna let m you know what I uh I'm gonna I'm gonna let the district representative make the motion because it's his district. I don't want to overstep my vowel. Let me let Mr. Barker uh so I would like to make a motion again based [1:46:17, 1:46:37]: That's what's been stated from Mr. Morrison as well to show our good faith and support of the Green Space Family Park area with the two soccer fields, with their commitment of the grant funding of$200,000 and the city's commitment of the difference not to exceed$400,000 with no financial. [1:46:37, 1:46:44]: financial commitment today only to be done by the team and the city manager's directive to come up with that plan. [1:46:45, 1:46:53]: In the ne in the near future. I won't put a timeline on it. Motion, second. Second. Okay, there we go. Mr. Our favor, please indicate. [1:46:53, 1:46:56]: opposed abstain. [1:46:57, 1:46:58]: Ms. Barber, we should vote. [1:47:00, 1:47:07]: I was hoping in the motion you would make reference to the existing parks. [1:47:09, 1:47:29]: And to and to add the discussion and the follow-up directive of the staff to put together a plan of action and timeline for the existing parks and to see what that plan is. Okay. Mr. I said you some. [1:47:29, 1:47:49]: Once again, revise Miss uh Ms Vanessa, I'm sorry, Holly, you you have all that? So okay, so you got all that, right? All right, all all in favor, please indicate. Okay, unanimous decision. Okay, thank you very much. Thank you, fantastic, thank you, sir. Happy holidays to you, by the way, as well. No, what I [1:47:49, 1:47:52]: I have it here, executive session next. [1:47:52, 1:47:55]: Is is this the case, we're going to second session now? [1:47:56, 1:48:16]: Okay, so I I got a motion to I need a motion. Well you must go exactly session for legal personnel. Hold hold on Mayor. I wanna revisit the special districts. Um it we didn't have a vote on it because we did not have a we did not I rescinded my motion. So let's visit revisit that and let's go ahead and because we need that funding in order [1:48:16, 1:48:26]: to provide funding for um the city uh in additional projects. And this relates to businesses. It's not residential at all. It's only businesses. [1:48:27, 1:48:31]: And and and for clarification, this is the special district that Mr. Edmondson just spoke of. [1:48:32, 1:48:33]: Okay. [1:48:33, 1:48:45]: So you're talking about it was item number four, council consideration approved the revised company SSD special services district map that Mr. Edmondson just talked about. That's what you're referring to. Yes. Mayor Ford. [1:48:46, 1:48:52]: Stand by one second. So Mayor Ford. Yes, stand by one second, please. Okay, so that's what we're coming back for just in case. All right, if we need questions on that. [1:48:53, 1:48:54]: Yes, sir. Yes ma'am, go away, please. [1:48:55, 1:48:55]: Go ahead. [1:48:56, 1:48:56]: Ms. Barber? [1:48:58, 1:49:00]: We did vote on this. [1:49:00, 1:49:20]: We voted. Um sir, we have a public hearing item. What you vote? Um that's in my district. Well uh uh public hearings just yet. We're gonna get the public hearing. Wait, Mayor Ford. There are members of our community and homeowners who are here for the public hearing item regarding [1:49:20, 1:49:22]: Valley Hill Road. Okay. [1:49:23, 1:49:27]: They're sitting here, okay waiting. Oh wait. I think it is unfair. [1:49:27, 1:49:29]: For us to na after [1:49:29, 1:49:33]: This presentation that is coming back a second time. [1:49:34, 1:49:37]: We'll move then we will go into executive session. [1:49:37, 1:49:42]: We are just delaying this public hearing and these homeowners are here for us. [1:49:43, 1:49:45]: Please let's consider [1:49:45, 1:49:47]: That we have homeowners here. [1:49:48, 1:49:51]: All right. So [1:49:51, 1:50:04]: Otherwise, in in ref we're back to to the SSD. We'll answer that. We'll take care of this first, okay? We'll get to your point. All right. So on on SSD, sir, do you anything else you need to add on SSD here? [1:50:04, 1:50:16]: No sir. All right. All right. So once again I read the I read that particular motion. All in favor of the SSD, the pr uh Pestal Services District, the revised map that he presented earlier. All in favor, please indicate. [1:50:16, 1:50:35]: Oh I'm sorry, excuse me. Is there a motion? I'm sorry. Excuse me. Is there a motion? So move. So move. So move. Is there a second? Mr. Barber uh Mr. Berry second that. All in favor, please. All in favor, please indicate. All right. And Miss Barber, you were you sustained? I will oppose again. Okay. Three. Three one motion passed. Three one and motion passed. Now. [1:50:36, 1:50:40]: What's on the agenda next was executive session. Uh Mr. Ebbison back, please. [1:50:41, 1:50:58]: Was on here in executive session. I wasn't sure why the executive session was moved up to this p particular point. I think that was a mistake, sir. That was from the last time. We just didn't catch it. So I mean we fine to move it down. Or it I mean that's completely up to you. Well, oh let me stand by a second, please. So the attorneys, what was the reasoning for what what was the reason here? [1:51:00, 1:51:03]: Come come to the mic, please. Does it have anything to do with a polar hearing? [1:51:09, 1:51:29]: We had initially had the Rennell Hay matter that was in litigation that we were going to be discussing. That matter has been rescinded as of this morning. Right. And then we had the second litigation matter that we were we were originally having folks come in to speak to us that we were trying to get out of here. That one has been rescinded and then the other one we [1:51:30, 1:51:50]: Oh so if so if you would like to um do the public hearing and then on on the Valley Hill matter and then executive session, that would be that would be fine. Thank you. All right. Yeah, I don't know. Well let's see here. Uh that da da da da okay, so eight nine [1:51:50, 1:51:55]: Alrighty, so executive session is going to go [1:51:56, 1:51:57]: What is this? [1:51:58, 1:52:01]: Said after the valley hill this uh K. [1:52:05, 1:52:10]: That is number uh eight. That's number eight. Number nine. [1:52:14, 1:52:18]: Well that's what that's what I'm looking at. Battle Hill number is number nine. [1:52:18, 1:52:19]: Is nine. [1:52:19, 1:52:26]: And so and then we go always okay, so it have to be after we're gonna do that to have to be so looking, I'm looking to put the [1:52:26, 1:52:28]: The executive session after [1:52:29, 1:52:31]: Number nine, then if that's the case. [1:52:31, 1:52:36]: 'Cause I believe the attorneys need to have someone here for us another issue. So we'll go exec session after number nine. [1:52:38, 1:52:50]: Which will be the Valley Hill issue. Now what's gonna have to happen, now you realize that once we do that, we gotta close out the public hearing. Then I gotta open it back up again because other things are on here for a public hearing. You realize that. [1:52:51, 1:52:52]: So we have to open the public hearing twice. [1:52:52, 1:52:53]: Well you have it. [1:52:53, 1:52:55]: We dare well. [1:52:55, 1:52:58]: There's a several different items here for public hearing. [1:52:58, 1:53:01]: You got items number eight nine [1:53:02, 1:53:03]: Thirteen. [1:53:03, 1:53:04]: Fourteen. [1:53:04, 1:53:05]: Fifteen. [1:53:07, 1:53:09]: Sixteen all the way down to nineteen. [1:53:10, 1:53:11]: Or all public hearing items. [1:53:12, 1:53:30]: Mayor. Yes sir. Well, I I think that we should move the executive session to the end like we usually do. Okay. And then do our public hearings according to the schedule that we normally would do with we could do that. But just move the move it like we would normally go and then and and go ahead and move and do our public hearing. [1:53:31, 1:53:37]: All right, so that's if that's the case then the second session will come after uh twenty seven. [1:53:38, 1:53:44]: Gosh, that's a long night. All right. [1:53:53, 1:53:55]: All right, so we'll go into public hearing. [1:54:01, 1:54:13]: Public hearing rules. Please mute your cell phones and other electronic devices. If anyone wishes to speak tonight on a public hearing item, please fill out the form available on the table and hand it to the city clerk before approaching the podium. [1:54:13, 1:54:24]: After each case is called, the council will hear from the city staff, followed by the applicant and their representative regarding the proposed plans for a property along with or any other relevant information. [1:54:25, 1:54:28]: the council will be free to ask questions at any time before the vote. [1:54:28, 1:54:34]: Following an applicant, anyone who wishes to speak in favor or opposed to the case will have an opportunity to do so. [1:54:34, 1:54:40]: East side will be allotted ten minutes total. Additional time may be extended in at the discretion of the council. [1:54:40, 1:54:53]: Please keep comments presentation professional, referring only to the facts that are pertinent to the case. We will not allow comments or personal attacks toward any individual group. Please refrain from any applause or comments from the audience during the public hearing. [1:54:54, 1:55:07]: After the presiding officer recognizes the speaker, he or she shall direct all comments to the presiding officer and never to the members of the council, staff, or audience. All comments will be made from the podium where you'll be required to state your name and address for the record. [1:55:08, 1:55:28]: Please note that these hearings are not a debate. Fair to comply will cause you to be removed from the chamber and the buildings by law enforcement if you deviate from these proceedings. Other than the applicant, no person may speak more than once. The applicant may reserve part of his or her speaking time as a rebuttal and may speak next and last and may use the [1:55:28, 1:55:31]: the entire ten minutes allowed for the pro side of the applic application. [1:55:32, 1:55:52]: Questions are raised, the council may ask the applicant to address questions and/or concerns. Presiding officer will call for the motion and a second to the motion and have any necessary discussion. If the matter is not tabled, the presiding officer will call for the vote and recommend approval or denial of the request. First item up in a special uh public hearing. [1:55:52, 1:56:01]: Hearing would be special use permit number eight, by the way, special use permit case sp two zero two five-04 Council District Four. [1:56:01, 1:56:05]: Consideration of a request uh to a special use permit. [1:56:05, 1:56:25]: for a portion of pr a portion of property on forty four ninety eight North Henry Boulevard to allow for development and operation of the quick serve restaurant and drive through window and or lanes. Property owner, City of Stockbridge applicant Royal THL L C Agent Battle Law PC proposed business Tim Wharton's a coffee restaurant, [1:56:25, 1:56:42]: Son in District C two General Commercial. The property is located on land lot sixty one of District twelve within the city of Stockbridge city limits. And it contains one point three two acres. The applicant intends to develop a only zero point eight acre portion of property. Miss Anderson, please. [1:56:42, 1:57:02]: Good evening, Mayor and Council. Uh this is a this is a project that has been in the in the works for well over a year. Uh one of the original impediments for this project was that the downtown village overlay district prohibited uh drive-thru restaurants. Uh staff came before council about a year ago and we presented an ordinance that council adopted to allow uh drive-thru restaurants [1:57:02, 1:57:22]: uh with approval of a S special use permit from uh city council. Um on the screen we have an aerial view of the site and it's located in the downtown village overlay district along a major corridor. To the west is the bridge village shopping plaza and to the south are Miss Winner's Chicken and Biscuits. [1:57:22, 1:57:28]: and the reserve. Uh the proposed site plans uh are on the screen now. [1:57:30, 1:57:31]: Um [1:57:32, 1:57:39]: Pedestrian and vehicle m uh movement are separated with ADA ramps and sidewalk connections leading to the right-of-way. [1:57:39, 1:57:59]: Access from uh North Henry Boulevard and the plan includes a monument sign, uh front parking and a screen dumpster. Overall the site meets the downtown village overlay standards for layout and connectivity. Uh here's um another um view of the map of the property on the city of Stockbridge map. [1:58:03, 1:58:08]: Here is proof that the signs were posted on November the fifth and November the twenty-fifth with the legal ads. [1:58:11, 1:58:19]: Here's the City of Stockbury zoning map. As you can see, the by the star in the in the pinkish color that uh is compatible with the surrounding zoning. [1:58:21, 1:58:41]: Here's the city of Stockbridge future land use map indicated by the properties is indicated by the star, and you can see it's surrounded by lavender, which means that it's compatible with the surround surrounding land use. Um so basically, um I'm not gonna go through all this, I'm just gonna sum it up. The applicant is requesting um a special use permit from um [1:58:41, 1:58:52]: city council to develop a Tim Hortons restaurant. Uh the applicant received approval from the Planning Commission on December the second and staff uh recommends approval of this project. [1:58:54, 1:58:54]: Oh. [1:58:55, 1:59:05]: Okay, listen, it says battle group. I don't see Michelle Okay, there we go. Okay, you you have any yeah, no questions? What's what? Any questions in the all right. [1:59:05, 1:59:09]: Sir, if you wanna represent your the attorney peer, represent your client. [1:59:14, 1:59:34]: Good evening, Mr. Mayor, Council members. My name is Josh Mahoney. I'm an attorney at Battle Law PC, 3562, Haber Shaman North Lake in Tucker, Georgia. I'm here this evening on behalf of the applicant to discuss this. Well, what's really an economic development opportunity for the city of Stockbridge? Uh it's coming to you in the form of a special use permit this evening. That special use permit will [1:59:34, 1:59:43]: Allow for a Tim Hortons, uh Tim Hortons coffee shop here at 4498 North Henry, just uh a little bit down the road here. [1:59:44, 2:00:04]: And what I'd like to focus on this evening is really the kind of value that this could bring to the city. Um as you all know, this property is currently owned by the city of Stockbridge. Um and for my client to move forward with this development would have to purchase the property or at least lease it from the city. So we're talking about some immediate funds. [2:00:04, 2:00:09]: for the city, either in the purchase and sale or lease however you're going about it. [2:00:09, 2:00:27]: as well as uh new um a new business in the city of stockbridge contributing to its um to its uh taxes um as well as offering up a couple new jobs and doing this with a property that has sat vacant for almost twenty years [2:00:28, 2:00:41]: Um we've got existing curb cuts here, so it's ready to be used and it's just sent uh been sitting since about two thousand six when uh I I don't know the I there was another business there that was demolished uh around that time, but it's just been waiting. [2:00:41, 2:00:49]: Um and so now we're looking to reactivate that site and and get it up and running and contributing to the city's economy. [2:00:52, 2:01:12]: Um the great the great part about this plan is that you can do this, you can accomplish this reactivation in a way that advances the city's vision in its comprehensive plan. Um Mr. Day uh told me, or excuse me, I'm sorry, Ryan Day, Mr. Day. Uh he he laid out that this is in con in conformity with the uh [2:01:12, 2:01:32]: uh city's plan. Uh we're bringing a neighborhood scale business. So we're advancing that plan, bringing us a little bit closer, even it's just one step, a little bit closer to uh reaching the city's visit there. We've got C2 zoning on the ground already. We're in full compliance and full conformity with that. The only thing we need the special use permit for [2:01:32, 2:01:52]: Is the drive-thru portion of this business. Which is great. There are other drive-through businesses in the area already, just south of the property. You've got uh Mrs. Winters, and I think Asonic is still over there. So you've got, we're not introducing anything new here. This is all there already, so um, no surprise. [2:01:51, 2:02:01]: prizes. Another part that works for that is that there's no residential zoning immediately adjacent to the property that my client would be looking to develop. [2:02:01, 2:02:08]: So we wouldn't be bothering anybody, we wouldn't be um, you know, being a nuisance to any any residents or anything like that. [2:02:12, 2:02:16]: And then we've also got a pretty logical traffic flow coming off of North Henry Boulevard. [2:02:16, 2:02:28]: You've got a uh as you come in, you've got a one way traffic flow, counterclockwise. That's gonna bring you through the drive-thru and back out onto North Henry Boulevard. Or if you wanna sit and uh chat with some friends for a while, it'll [2:02:29, 2:02:30]: Um naturally [2:02:31, 2:02:34]: dump you into a uh parking spot. We've got twenty four parking spaces. [2:02:35, 2:02:36]: А пер код. [2:02:36, 2:02:37]: So you'll come in. [2:02:37, 2:02:54]: Hit a spot, you can back out and head right back out onto North Henry Boulevard. Real easy. Um we've got enough space to stack cars if there's a line, um about eight cars. And so we don't anticipate any traffic congestion or anything like that coming from this from this business. [2:02:57, 2:03:09]: Uh but with that I will ask that you all vote this evening to approve this application. We've got um recommendations of approval from the planning staff as well as the planning commission, so I hope that you can uh vote accordingly. [2:03:09, 2:03:29]: Sure. Okay, thank you. Really quick. Yeah, I was gonna say any questions here. Yeah, real quick. So, Mr. Mahoney, what we understand here is that Tim Hortons is a direct competitor for Starbucks and Seven Brew in those areas. We wonder why there had never been a Starbucks here, but we don't decide winners and losers here. We decide whether you have an opportunity. [2:03:29, 2:03:49]: Opportunity with a similar project like yours. Certainly the building that you see there is very attractive. I think, Mr. Anderson, we're gonna get brick. We're gonna get some bricks, right? We're gonna get 100% how much brick we get? At least 75%. At least 75% brick. So it's gonna be a nicely designed and [2:03:49, 2:04:09]: And then again, guess what? What happens is right, Seven Brew comes and you come, then what Starbucks looks over the corner and says, wait a minute, we need to be over there. That's how economic development takes place. So certainly I want to make sure that whatever you do is that you're consistent with what we got going on here and the quality uh is represented. [2:04:09, 2:04:24]: that we uh that we move forward with the project in keeping with what we have uh going on in the area. Uh the monument sign is very attractive and that it uh enhances the area as well, correct? Yes, yes. [2:04:24, 2:04:27]: Yes, the monument sign will enhance the area, yes. [2:04:27, 2:04:36]: Thank you. Any other question question? Yes, um we recommend an approval with conditions. I'd like to read the conditions into the record. Go right, please. [2:04:48, 2:04:50]: Um we have um [2:04:51, 2:04:55]: Several conditions. Um staff recommends approval of the special use permit. [2:04:55, 2:05:02]: Special use permit for construction and operation of a Tim Hortons coffee shop with drive-through facilities subject to the following condition. [2:05:02, 2:05:22]: Number one, site plan conforms. The development shall be constructed in substantial conformance with the site with the plan entitled Site Plan for Tim Horton's Coffee Shop 4498 North Henry Boulevard. Prepared for Royal THL LLC by Falcon Design Consultant LLC dated june thirtieth, twenty twenty five. [2:05:22, 2:05:39]: and received by city staff on June 30, 2025. Any major deviation from the approved site plan, including changes to the building footprint, drive-thru layout, or access configuration, shall require review and approval by the Community Development Department and if and if applicable, the City Council. [2:05:39, 2:05:59]: Uh condition number two relates to building design and materials. All building facades shall be constructed of a hundred percent we saying a hundred percent brick, but we might wanna well they got to have some glass on the front, so we we wanna have to we won't have to lower that. Consistent with um section two point five three HX, I mean H two of the down [2:05:59, 2:06:19]: Downtown village overlay district. The use of ethos, corrugated metal or other non-permitted material shall be prohibited. Accent features may include black anodized aluminum trim, canopies, and decorative glass consistent with approved elevations. Three, access and circle deals with access and circulation. Vehicular access shall be provided via. [2:06:19, 2:06:23]: A single full access driveway connection to North Henry Boulevard. [2:06:25, 2:06:33]: SR 138 US 23, subject to Georgia Department of Transportation approval. The internal driveway shall be a minimum of twenty-four feet wide. [2:06:33, 2:06:38]: and the drive through lane shall accommodate a minimum stacking capacity of eight vehicles. [2:06:38, 2:06:56]: Number four, the fourth condition relates to pedestrian connectivity. The applicant shall install sidewalk connections and ADA accessible ramps linking the building entrance to the existing public sidewalk along North Henry Boulevard, consistent with the downtown village overlay district requirements. [2:06:56, 2:07:02]: Condition number five has to do with landscaping and screening. The development shall provide all required perimeter buffers. [2:07:03, 2:07:22]: foundation planning and street trees in accordance with the UDC and the DT in the downtown village overlay district. All mechanical equipment transformers and refuse areas shall be screened from the public view using materials consistent with the principal structure. The dump the dumpster enclosure shall be constructed of four brick matching the building. [2:07:23, 2:07:42]: Condition number six involves lighting and signage. All exterior lighting shall be downward facing and fully shielded to prevent glare or light spillover. Signage shall comply with Chapter five sign regulations of the UDC and the Downtown Village Overlay District. Any monument sign shall include a brick base matching the principal structure. [2:07:44, 2:07:45]: Uh that's it. [2:07:45, 2:08:05]: Yeah, go ahead, sir. Now, North Enry Boulevard is in the highway corridor plan, right? Downtown. This yeah. Yeah, but it's along the highway. This portion is in the downtown village. The existing sidewalk is five feet. Our goal is to have a ten foot multi-use path. Rock quarry row ends right there where their business starts at. [2:08:05, 2:08:25]: And we're trying to get to the amphitheater. This connection, it's a brand new bill from the ground up. There needs to be a 10-foot sidewalk in front of it. It needs to be a 10-foot sidewalk along their frontage, which is required by the highway overlay corridor, so that the next phase, we're trying to get to the amphitheater. [2:08:25, 2:08:44]: Theater and City Hall. We got a project coming up, I hope, with the rest of it from North Lee Street to uh East Atlanta Road being widened. Now the highway corridor plan requires a ten foot multi-use path along North Enry Boulevard and all major highways. This is a major highway, so that needs to be included. [2:08:44, 2:08:45]: Okay, but [2:08:46, 2:09:06]: I don't mean to correct you, Councilman Alexander, but this is in the downtown village. I I know, but it's the High Lake corridor plan run the parkway corridor runs right through there. Okay. But as a part of our plan to establish ten foot multi-use pass so that people can ride their bike and all of that, you Josh m Michelle knows, she knows. This is what [2:09:06, 2:09:23]: we do. We want to make sure that there's a wide sidewalk there. A new sidewalk. This is new construction. We don't want an old second hand sidewalk out there. We want the 10 foot path and then the next business to come along. We want that because we want to be able to get all the way to East Atlanta Road where the 10 foot paths are right now. [2:09:23, 2:09:27]: Well let me ask you this. Is there can it be both or not? Or can only have one? [2:09:27, 2:09:32]: Is it downtown d a part of the downtown piece or part of the highway? Is it one or the other or is it both? [2:09:33, 2:09:43]: It's in the downtown but the st uh the the requirements are similar, Mr Ford. So um Yeah the Parkway corridor covers the whole city and every major highway. [2:09:45, 2:09:53]: So, um based on this side l plan they may be able to expand the ten feet on the sidewalk. Um [2:09:55, 2:09:58]: But then we'll have to re may have to reconfigure the site plan. [2:09:58, 2:10:05]: Five feet is not gonna make that much of a difference. Come on now. [2:10:06, 2:10:08]: We'll look into that, Councilman Malizander. [2:10:08, 2:10:21]: That'll be a condition. Okay. All right. Michelle knows. Yeah, I'm trying to I'm just trying to read the site plan right now to see if they've accounted for it already. Um we'll we'll expand. [2:10:23, 2:10:26]: I'll have to work with my engineer to mi to confirm that this can happen, but I [2:10:27, 2:10:31]: I think you're right. We may be able to make it work, but it would be it might be a little tight. [2:10:32, 2:10:32]: Sure. [2:10:32, 2:10:38]: Might need to do eight foot right there where it's a little tight and then do ten the rest of it. But we want a wide sidewalk right there. [2:10:39, 2:10:44]: Are you meanable t before that, sir? Do check that out and have that in part of the recommendation? [2:10:45, 2:10:50]: Okay. Let's do it. You're good with that? [2:10:51, 2:10:59]: Repeat it. I was reading this and and talking. Can you repeat exactly what you said so I can make sure I'll ask myself that and repeat it. Are you good with that, sir? [2:10:59, 2:11:16]: The sidewalk? Yeah. The ten or that you said eight foot in in some minimum eight foot? Minimum eight foot, ten foot requirement. If it's the tight area there can be eight, but it needs to be ten for the majority of it. Yes. All right, thank you. So Miss Holliday Ms. Holliday, you have that ma'am? [2:11:22, 2:11:24]: So only additional one that's the ones I already there. [2:11:24, 2:11:25]: Yeah. [2:11:29, 2:11:30]: True. [2:11:31, 2:11:34]: From the frontage. The frontage. The frontage. [2:11:38, 2:11:39]: Council, anything else? [2:11:40, 2:11:42]: Is decorative street lights required right there? [2:11:43, 2:11:47]: We gon c we and we gotta ask for it all. The decorative street lights are are they required right there? [2:11:49, 2:11:53]: Let's yeah, that's w I thought we updated the code to include decorative street lights. [2:11:54, 2:11:57]: I mean we can add it as a condition around along the front. [2:11:57, 2:12:16]: Okay, decorative street lights to make it look nice and to be up front. The uh the metal poles a little with the candles at the top. Is this along the front edge? The front edge along the front edge because we've got downward facing lights inside you're talking about for the street. Yeah. How many? Is there a is there a regulation pertaining to that? Um [2:12:17, 2:12:37]: There's not a specific regulation pertaining to how many, but um um we'll figure it out. So it has maybe two or three. I mean it has to match the poles that are already out. Probably about four of'em, maybe like every twenty feet or something. Or whatever you require. What's the normal distance you normally have that rhyme for what is it? What's considered normal? [2:12:37, 2:12:41]: Probably w uh one h every one hundred m well could you get on the mic, please, sir? [2:12:41, 2:13:01]: I mean normally they'd be uh anywhere between fifty and a hundred feet apart. It all depends on No, we we're not talking about a real street like we're talking about the pole, we're talking about the little black ones with the little incandescent thing on the top. Like along East Atlanta. Yeah, okay. The decorative street like four would be cool. Would be good. Yeah. Just the the little small ones right out here. Four. So [2:13:01, 2:13:03]: Are you good with four? [2:13:05, 2:13:20]: Okay. I'm not I don't want to spend too much of my clients' money without them knowing about this. So with between the sidewalk and the lights, I would feel more comfortable if I could chat with them, make sure they're on board with that. Uh if that means we have to defer it. [2:13:20, 2:13:28]: Man, call Michelle on the phone. She's gonna agree to it. Well, I gotta call my client. Michelle. Michelle's won Michelle's my boss, but she can't say yes or no to this. [2:13:30, 2:13:31]: We're making conditions. [2:13:33, 2:13:33]: I'm sorry. [2:13:34, 2:13:40]: We're gonna make it a condition. I understand. So it's part of the condition of the Are you gonna do it anyways, then [2:13:40, 2:14:00]: Then go ahead and put it on. Yeah. And I I don't think it'd I mean it's a c I don't think it'll be a a problem. Uh it's what we want for our downtown and for our No, I under I understand the area. I understand. My client has to make sure that the numbers will work though. And right now they haven't accounted for the sidewalk and lights, so they would have to just adjust their numbers. I don't [2:14:00, 2:14:05]: I don't know what that looks like for them. I don't know how tight this deal is for them. Um [2:14:06, 2:14:11]: So that's all I'm saying. But if you're gonna do it anyways, regardless. Yeah. [2:14:12, 2:14:15]: I mean I'll prove it with those conditions. Sure. [2:14:15, 2:14:31]: I I don't think it it it will um I mean the sidewalks are are non negotiable for us in general and that's for any development because we're trying to uh tie in a master plan and we have a plan in place. [2:14:31, 2:14:51]: I understand. Yeah. For connectivity. Miss Holliday, you have all that? All right. Ryan, you good? Yeah. All right. What else, Council? That's it? Okay. This is a public hearing. So um I'd like to open this up. So anybody on my left, anybody that's against this particular project, comment [2:14:51, 2:14:53]: [8094.7, 8097.0]: In the middle, anybody's against the project in the middle. [2:14:57, 2:15:00]: My far right. Anybody guess this particular project? [2:15:01, 2:15:10]: Anybody additional comments for the project on my far left? Anybody in the middle? For the project in my in the middle here. Anybody my far right? [2:15:11, 2:15:14]: Okay, no no one against, no one uh for, close that out. [2:15:15, 2:15:17]: So council on that note with all the recommendations, additional [2:15:18, 2:15:18]: Conditions [2:15:19, 2:15:28]: Any emotion to approve this project please? Mayor Ford. Yes, ma'am. This is the district that I am duly elected to represent. Okay, fine. I'd like to speak to this item. [2:15:29, 2:15:31]: Um since it is in my district. [2:15:32, 2:15:40]: Mr. Anderson, is this the um area I believe the URA is this the land that the URA [2:15:40, 2:15:56]: Yes. Yes ma'am. Okay. I just wanted to remember okay. Um I do support this project and thank you, sir, for your presentation. I had a question about the access point or entrance way into this drive through. [2:15:56, 2:16:00]: Um are you able to make your picture larger? [2:16:06, 2:16:09]: Are you able to blow up the site plan map? [2:16:12, 2:16:14]: Uh let's see. [2:16:15, 2:16:25]: That's as large as you can get. Okay. Yes. Um so the entranceway is right off of North Henry. Yes. So it's kind of at a [2:16:26, 2:16:30]: angle um if someone who is coming off a rock query road [2:16:31, 2:16:34]: And turning left on to North Henry, he said. [2:16:36, 2:16:39]: They'd have to make a quick right in the entrance here. [2:16:40, 2:16:51]: Yes. I can't tell, but once you access the entranceway, what is the um the length? Um [2:16:52, 2:17:01]: Um the entrance point all the way up to I guess the drive through speakers or where they place their orders. Oh, we're requiring the width to be twenty four feet. [2:17:01, 2:17:03]: Twenty four feet. Yes. Okay. [2:17:03, 2:17:23]: Um so then where would the drive through window be for people to pick up their order? So they have a lane where they can can vet uh where eight car eight cars can queue. Uh this is not a good illustration, but there is a lane where at least eight cars can be there. I see the arrows. [2:17:25, 2:17:26]: So um [2:17:27, 2:17:34]: But I can't really tell. I mean and and it's and with it being twenty four feet wide, if they have to, they can pull over to the side. But they uh um [2:17:36, 2:17:40]: Let me try to get out of uh slow. Can you answer that question, sir? [2:17:42, 2:17:46]: Only because I'm just concerned about maybe, you know, there being a [2:17:47, 2:17:48]: Back up. [2:17:48, 2:17:55]: Or some type of bottleneck. I'm concerned about the bottleneck along North Henry Boulevard. Sure. [2:17:56, 2:18:01]: So what we've got here is the access point off of North Henry Boulevard. You could come in through can you see my cursor? [2:18:02, 2:18:17]: Yep, got it. Go ahead. We gotta see it. You come along this lane here, which turns into this is this is one way. You've got double lanes here that that loop around and do a single lane. You've got your um it's my understanding, I think the [2:18:17, 2:18:22]: Speakers are out this way and then you've got your window over over on this side. So [2:18:22, 2:18:25]: That's what I need. [2:18:26, 2:18:40]: So that folks are not backing out onto North Henry Boulevard. So there's i there's quite a distance here for folks to line up. Um and then even coming down this way it'll pull you right back out into the exit lane so you can get right out of line when you're done. [2:18:41, 2:18:45]: Um okay, so anyone who is trying to turn left. [2:18:47, 2:18:49]: out of that access point. [2:18:49, 2:19:00]: Mm-hmm. It's gotta be very difficult. So are you all just making it a right turn only? This plan has full access. So right now you can go right or left. [2:19:01, 2:19:10]: Okay. Um I am concerned about the safety of that, considering the amount of traffic someone who would turn left out of there. [2:19:14, 2:19:24]: Okay. So I don't know if it's at this point, Mr. Anderson, that we add a condition that this only be a right term out of [2:19:25, 2:19:31]: The driveway of this establishment, right turn only. [2:19:31, 2:19:41]: It's been it's been vetted by uh our s engineer and our transportation person. And have a traffic study. And G D dot that this is safe. [2:19:41, 2:19:42]: They did. [2:19:42, 2:19:43]: I mean it's been it was approved. [2:19:46, 2:19:49]: Okay. Can you show me where that is? [2:19:50, 2:19:53]: Where their study is in the documents that you gave us. [2:19:54, 2:19:55]: Maybe not even a lot of things. [2:19:57, 2:20:07]: Maybe not even here, um, but during the due diligence project process, our civil engineer looked at it, Mr. Whitley, and he uh he approved it, so [2:20:11, 2:20:14]: It's not in this staff in his uh report, um [2:20:16, 2:20:26]: But the recommendations that we included as it relates to uh traffic flow were recommendations based on um coming from our civil civil engineer, Mr. Mark Willie. So [2:20:27, 2:20:30]: Uh, we feel like these conditions will address that. [2:20:31, 2:20:46]: would address those concerns, but I mean, basically an anywhere on North Harry Boulevard you can you can turn left if you're coming out right. Mm-hmm. So, uh even like coming out of the amphitheater park a lot of coming out from the court, people do it all the time. Mm-hmm. [2:20:47, 2:20:48]: So but [2:20:49, 2:20:55]: I think that would have to be a a G Dot requirement. I don't I don't know if we have the authority to um to regulate. [2:20:56, 2:20:58]: Um that type of access. [2:20:58, 2:20:59]: I think that's [2:20:59, 2:21:01]: Would have to come from the from the state. [2:21:06, 2:21:11]: require that there only be a right turn out of this establishment. [2:21:12, 2:21:30]: Oh, that I would have to I would have to research that Council Member Barber, but um if we did that we w we would be we would be uh limiting that restaurant while limiting no other business on um North Harry Boulevard. That would be the only somebody's only restaurant subjected to those criteria to that criteria. [2:21:30, 2:21:40]: Well, this is the only establishment that is closest to the red light. And considering the um traffic volume [2:21:40, 2:21:41]: In that area. [2:21:42, 2:21:43]: I believe it [2:21:43, 2:21:48]: May pose a safety concern for anyone who might try to turn left. [2:21:50, 2:21:55]: I understand, yes. So can we please um sounds like the council supports this um [2:21:56, 2:22:12]: venture as well, I support it, but I have to think in terms of safety. Otherwise if we can add maybe in the condition that they um explore or you do more research on the safety aspect of the traffic and [2:22:12, 2:22:18]: Yes. That's w we'll be glad to do to uh research that some more, to look into that uh more in depth. [2:22:19, 2:22:20]: Thank you, sir. [2:22:21, 2:22:33]: Yes, ma'am. I I had something similar in um my district. Well we can't do that's a state road. It's it's regulated by G Dot and uh [2:22:33, 2:22:44]: like you said, there are other stores, other f commercial faciliti buildings that don't have that it doesn't apply to. Interesting enough, is is a light gonna be right there? [2:22:44, 2:22:57]: Is there a light right there or is it South Rock Quarry. Um sor it's Alpha Rock quarry. How how is it right there? Yeah. I thought it was Alpha Rock Quarry. It's a rock quarry. It's an traffic light. [2:22:57, 2:23:06]: Is it right across from that traffic light?'Cause if it is, that's like the perfect place for that's to turn. [2:23:06, 2:23:11]: Yeah. Where's the light? It's right behind Sherman William, right there at the traffic light. [2:23:11, 2:23:31]: But it's it's not directly in the intersection. It's not adjacent. What it is what it is is that you got the Sherman Williams, then you got this building, and then right next to it, you got the intersection, where the stockbridge branding side is. Well even even if whatever the case, oh the right by the little brand the little um stop bridge thing. [2:23:31, 2:23:50]: Yeah. So what I'm trying to say about that is I had an issue, um, and I was looking at solutions with businesses and th you can't do it for one and and it's state regulated. It's it's G dot. So [2:23:51, 2:23:53]: I don't think we're gonna get far with that. [2:23:55, 2:23:55]: Yes, sir. [2:23:56, 2:24:16]: Yeah. Certainly you can ask, but again, this is a state highway. We can't control that. Yeah, I'll say that. It's G Dot State Highway. They are very strict about what they do as Ms. Gann has indicated. The same thing happened on Highway 138. They made it very clear, and you know that. That's how the law is. Certainly you can act go to ask G Dot what the [2:24:16, 2:24:33]: they would do, but as indicated, you can't do for one business that you don't do for the rest. You would put them at a competitive disadvantage when you can come out of Sonic or you can come out of the gas station or you can come out of the subway and do the same thing, but you can't do the they would be at a competitive di uh disadvantage. [2:24:33, 2:24:33]: No. [2:24:36, 2:24:43]: So I would say make a suggestion to go to G Dot and see what they say, but in essence we can't do that here. Yeah. [2:24:43, 2:25:03]: Yeah, I th that's actually what I was going to propose. Um so Councilwoman Barber, maybe in it sounds like the concern is safety. So we could agree to work alongside the planning staff and GDOT um to take their recommendation on what is safe for this point of ingress and egress, and we can move forward with that. [2:25:04, 2:25:20]: Thank you, sir. I appreciate it. I know, um, and of course I don't want to put them at a disadvantage. This would be the first new business with new standards um here. All the other businesses have been here decades. So of course we can't [2:25:21, 2:25:23]: impose any changes on [2:25:24, 2:25:28]: their entrances, but this one, I certainly want to look at the safety aspect of it. [2:25:28, 2:25:48]: Yeah, I understand you there. And I and the reason I think we should go with this plan is I don't know what you do for a living. I'm not a traffic engineer. So I don't know if a write-in, right out is is is safe here or not, but um GDOT certainly would. So I think if we can work with them and work with the planning staff and go with uh GDOT's recommendation for this, then we could come up with a safe solution. [2:25:48, 2:25:49]: [8749.8, 8753.7]: Thank you. I just want just ask the question. That's all. Thank you. [2:25:54, 2:25:55]: Any other questions, Council? [2:25:56, 2:26:10]: And if not, then I need a motion to us with all the recommendations or conditions, a motion to approve this, please. Mayor Ford. Yes, ma'am. I'd like to make a motion to approve uh the request for a special use permit. [2:26:11, 2:26:11]: Mm. [2:26:12, 2:26:25]: This is number eight, right? It is number eight, yes. Special use permit for a portion of the property at forty four ninety eight North Henry Boulevard to allow the development and operation of a quick serve restaurant with drive-through windows in our lanes. [2:26:27, 2:26:32]: In addition to all of the conditions that staff have recommended [2:26:33, 2:26:34]: А звел а [2:26:35, 2:26:37]: Staff and [2:26:37, 2:26:56]: The applicant will consult with G Dot on the safety aspect as far as the right and left term safety. Yes. Mayor. Yes, ma'am. I would ask the the condition for the sidewalk, the wide sidewalk and the street light, decorative street lights. [2:26:56, 2:27:10]: And also the s the sidewalks at ten feet. Yes. Eight feet minimal. Eight ten. Yes. And the street lights. The decorative street lights. She has okay. [2:27:11, 2:27:31]: Second. Second that motion. All favor, please indicate. Okay, now she says, thank you very much. Thank you. Appreciate it. And tell Miss Battle we miss her, huh? We do. Okay, absolutely. All right, so any modification case uh ZM two zero two five-03 council district four. Consideration request. [2:27:31, 2:27:51]: For zoning modification and rezoning case RC two zero two three-02 for the property of two five eight and two six four Valley Hill Road plus parcel S080102000 for purposes of one increasing the number of subdivision lots from 16 to 28. [2:27:51, 2:28:07]: And two, changing the location of the types of amenities to be included within the subdivision. Sony District SR, Suburban Residential, Property Owners, Claudia Perez Gargandos, For the 258 Valley Hill Road and Arlentro. [2:28:07, 2:28:09]: Okay, korretos. [2:28:09, 2:28:29]: Yescentis. Hey, I'm sorry about my Spanish here, but uh two sixty-four Valley Hill Road. Approximately number S08 010200. Applicants, Claudia Perez Granitos, Granitos, and Alorando Granitos, Elensis. [2:28:29, 2:28:32]: Agent Jacqueline Fosella. [2:28:33, 2:28:44]: And the property is located in Land Lot 92 of District 12 within the city's uh Starbucks city limits, and it contains 17.02 uh total acres within three parcels as described below. [2:28:44, 2:29:04]: 258 Villy Hill Valley Hill Road, parcel number S09-0601000, contains 2.2492 acres. 264 Valley Hill Road, parcel number S0801010000, contains 6.582548. [2:29:04, 2:29:24]: acres an unaddressed parcel number S zero eight dash zero one zero two zero zero zero zero contains eight point two eight seven four acres presented by Mr Al uh Alice Anderson excuse me Anderson it's a tongue twister here anyway sir please okay before I begin mayor I'll [2:29:24, 2:29:44]: I like to stress that this is not a rezoning. Uh the zoning is already in in um in place. Um this is just uh uh what we call a major modification. Uh it exceeds uh the threshold that the community development director can do as far as an administrative modification on the site plan. The applicant is basically requesting to [2:29:44, 2:29:47]: increase the number of units from um [2:29:47, 2:29:54]: 16 to 28. Um the property is located along Valley Hill Road and is presently undeveloped. [2:29:55, 2:30:00]: Or and one of the lots is developed with a single family residential dwelling. [2:30:00, 2:30:06]: The parcel at two fifty eight v uh Valley Hill Road contains an existing single family home while the n northernmost parcel [2:30:07, 2:30:08]: Remains vacant and woody. [2:30:09, 2:30:18]: The current zoning is SR Suburban Residential and it will remain suburban uh residential. The current future land use designation of the property is low density residential. [2:30:19, 2:30:39]: Even if we approve the um the zoning modification, it will still remain low density residential. The proposed number of units per acre is one point one six one point six four units per acre, which is way below our threshold of uh low density development. Our current um low density tops out at 3.9 [2:30:39, 2:30:53]: nine units per acre. Uh the sign was and legal ad was posted November the fifth and November twenty fifth, twenty-fourth, twenty twenty five. The CZIM was held on November the twelfth and the Planning Commission was held on December the second and the Planning Commission recommended approval. [2:30:54, 2:30:57]: Here's an aerial photo of the three parcels in question. [2:31:01, 2:31:05]: Here's uh indication and proof that the zoning signs were were posted. [2:31:07, 2:31:22]: Here's the zoning map. As you can see highlighted by the yellow stars in the in the um yellow, you can see that it's compatible with the existing zoning. Most of the community is uh low density residential, and this property is low density residential. [2:31:23, 2:31:43]: Uh zoning uh information. Property to the north, we have the pine grove subdivision, which is PUD. Property to the south, single family residence, R R and S R. Property to the east, single family residential and suburban residential. Property to the west, single family residence and rural residential land use. [2:31:43, 2:31:47]: Use futures City of Stockbridge future land use map. [2:31:49, 2:31:55]: You can see that it's low density and then all the surrounding property properties are um are low density. [2:31:57, 2:32:17]: The surrounding land use designations of the surrounding properties. Um to the north you got the Pine Grove subdivision, it's low density residential. Proper to the south, you got single family residences, and they're low density residential. Proper to the east, you got single family residences, low density residential, low density residential. Proper to the west, single family residential. [2:32:17, 2:32:26]: Family residence since and the land use is low density. As you can see, that this project is compatible with the surrounding land use. [2:32:29, 2:32:32]: Here's the um City of Stockbridge subdivision map. [2:32:33, 2:32:36]: Indicating all the surrounding subdivisions. You got um [2:32:37, 2:32:57]: Pine Grove has 276 units with a density of 2.55 units per acre. You got Pine View with 78 units with a density of 4.22 units per acre. You got Cactus Ridge with 12 units with a density rate of 1.27 units per acre. You got Spring Valley, Springwood Valley, 58 units with a density of 1.28. [2:32:57, 2:33:15]: point nine four units per acre and you got Century Oaks, 30 units at one unit per acre. And this project with 1.64 units per acre is compatible with the s com compatible with the surrounding land use densities. Matter of fact, it would it would be the um the third lowest density [2:33:17, 2:33:18]: In the area. [2:33:19, 2:33:39]: Uh the zoning history. Um this um property was associated with uh uh rezoning about two years ago, where the property was rezoned from rural residential and neighborhood commercial to suburban residential. Uh that approval allowed a 16 lot single family subdivision subdivision with amenities such as a clubhouse. [2:33:39, 2:33:42]: Pool, cookleball court, walking trail, and dog park. [2:33:45, 2:33:45]: Mm-hmm. [2:33:46, 2:34:04]: And that rezoning was approved by City Council on October the 9th, 2023, on the RZ 2023-02 with the following condition. Amenities, locations, community amenities shall be located at the front of the development to maximize visibility, accessibility, and integration with the subdivision interest. [2:34:05, 2:34:09]: Home construction. All homes shall be constructed on a slap, foundation, basement. [2:34:09, 2:34:21]: Shall not be permitted. A multi use path, a ten foot wide multi use path shall be constructed along the frontage of the development, integrated into a gated entrance design and connected to internal pedestrian circulation where [2:34:21, 2:34:22]: Right. [2:34:23, 2:34:25]: Landscaping and screaming, evergreen trees. [2:34:25, 2:34:28]: Well supplemental land landscaping shall be installed. [2:34:28, 2:34:48]: Insurance, maritime policy liability shall be provided to the adjacent property owner in the event of damage to their home resulting from development activities. Site conformance, the subdivision shall be developed in accordance with the City of Stockbridge Unified Development Code. Architectural standards, all homes shall comply with section 4.4.2 of the Unified Development Code. [2:34:48, 2:34:58]: Development code and plat recording. No land disturbance or building permits will be issued until the recombination has been plat has been submitted to the community development department. [2:35:02, 2:35:10]: This is a um a site plan of the previous previously approved uh in 2023 site plan that was approved by Mayor and Council. [2:35:16, 2:35:36]: Here's the summary of the uh proposed request a summary of the requested modification. Um currently it's 16 single family detached lots. The applicant is proposing 28 single family detached lots, and the uh applicant gives as a reason connection to the municipal sewer system eliminates the need for individual [2:35:36, 2:35:44]: Septic tanks, allowing increased density of 1.64 units per acre, still below the maximum of 3.9 units per acre. [2:35:45, 2:36:05]: Two, this is the second requested change, amenity area located near the subdivision entries. Amenity area relocated to the rear of the subdivision. Relocated to improve accessibility, functionality, and integration with open space, connects directly to a walking trail, pund, and pedestrian bridge. [2:36:05, 2:36:13]: On he also want to make changes to on-site septic system. Uh the proposed modification would be connection to the municipal sewer. [2:36:15, 2:36:32]: Uh the City of Stockbridge Water Authority approved sewer services eliminating the need for septic and supporting increased lot year. Uh is also requesting a change to the uh approved amenity package. The original amenity package included a pool, clubhouse, pickleball, [2:36:33, 2:36:52]: Pickleball court, dog park, and walking trail. He's proposing now a grass open space, picnic area with gazebo, playground, and walking trail with bridge, simplified and reconstruct reconfigured amenity package to reflect smaller scale neighborhood recreation areas and cohesive open space design. [2:36:53, 2:37:13]: The previous approved site plan established a six foot sixteen lot single family detached subdivision on three parcels containing 17 units with access from Ballyhill Road and the use of on-site septic tanks. The original layout included a central amenity area featuring a pool, clubhouse, pickleball court, dog park, walking trail. [2:37:13, 2:37:33]: And generally located near the subdivision entrance. The current request, the current zoning modification request proposed a revised site plan, increasing the total number of units to 16 single-family detached lots while maintaining the same overall acreage, resulting in a gross density of one. [2:37:33, 2:37:53]: 1.64 units per acre, well below the 3.9 unit per acre maximum permitted under low density residential future land use designation. All lots meet or exceed the minimum lot and setback requirements established by the UDC. Comparison of approved versus proposed. [2:37:53, 2:38:06]: The original proposed has 17 acres. The current plan has 17 acres. The original zoning approval has 16 lots. The current has 28 lots. [2:38:07, 2:38:15]: Um 12 lot increase for a 75% increase. The gross density of the original project was 0.94 units per acre. [2:38:17, 2:38:37]: The new density is 1.64 units per acre. The increase is due to the municipal sewer connection. Utility service, on-site septic tanks. Now they got connection to municipal sewer and water. Eliminates need for individual septic tanks. Access, only one entrance on Valley. [2:38:37, 2:38:41]: Bella Hill Road, that remains the same, one entrance off Bella Hill Road. [2:38:41, 2:38:53]: A minute to location front of subdiv in original it was a front of subdivision near entrance. Now they're proposing rear of subdivision adjacent to the detention pond, relocated for better connectivity and safety. [2:38:54, 2:39:02]: Amen to components. Originally they pro the uh the original approval mandated a pool, clubhouse, pickleball court, doll park, and walking trail. [2:39:02, 2:39:21]: Now the applicant is proposing a grass open space, picnic area with gazebo, playground, walk and trail with pedestrian bridge, simplified, lower intensity recreational package. Originally there was a centralized pocket park and trail. Now he's proposing an integrated rear open space and trail system. [2:39:22, 2:39:26]: Open space redesigned and connected to stormwater area. [2:39:26, 2:39:40]: Roadway layout. One internal loop street. Now he's proposing two connected internal street for improved circulation and lot access. Lot size configuration. Originally were proposing eighteen thousand square feet. [2:39:41, 2:40:01]: Lot area on septic tanks. Now the size will be ten to twelve thousand square feet lots on sewer, smaller uniform lots consistent with SR zoning, storm water management, detention pond near entrance, detention pond relocated to the rear with pedestrian bridge, repositioned for better drainage and visual. [2:40:01, 2:40:01]: Buffering. [2:40:03, 2:40:08]: Here's this the new site plan on the screen consisting of twenty eight units. [2:40:09, 2:40:22]: This slide shows the detailed engineering plan for the proposed 28 lot subdivision. It highlights the lot layout, internal street network, relocated amenity area, and the stormwater facility proposed at the rear of the site. [2:40:26, 2:40:30]: Here's the city of Stock Bridge, uh the site plan on the City of Stock Bridge map. [2:40:35, 2:40:55]: This slide right here shows the proposed sanitary sewer easement across fourteen fifty-two Gallups Drive. The easement allows the municipal sewer line to extend both north to serve the subdivision. The alignment m max minimizes impact on existing homes and complies with all clearance and engineering standards. It has been reviewed and approved by [2:40:58, 2:41:00]: Stock Bridge Water Authority. [2:41:01, 2:41:06]: Here's a rendering of the proposed subdivision, rendering of the homes. [2:41:10, 2:41:12]: Uh [2:41:12, 2:41:14]: Staff analysis, um [2:41:21, 2:41:25]: Uh staff recommended approval with um thirteen [2:41:26, 2:41:46]: Conditions. Um the first condition is site plan conformance. Development shall substantially conform to the concept plan title concept plan for two fifty-eight and two sixty-four Belly Hill Road prepared by Survey Land Express dated October the third, twenty twenty-five, except as may be modified by these conditions. [2:41:46, 2:42:06]: or required by the city council during the engineering and permitting process. Minor adjustments to lock configuration, dimensions, dimensions, or infrastructure placement may be approved administratively by the Community Development Director to accommodate field conditions or regulatory compliance. The maximum number of units, the subdivision shall be limited to a maximum of 28 single family detectives. [2:42:06, 2:42:16]: attached lots as shown on the approved concept plan. Any future increase in the number of lots shall require an amendment to this major zoning modification and city council approval. [2:42:17, 2:42:37]: Amenities location. Community amenities shall be located at the rear of the subdivision adjacent to the stormwater detention pond to improve accessibility, safety, and integration with the open space and trail system. Home construction. All homes shall be constructed on slab foundations, basement, and basement shall not be permitted. Multi-use path. [2:42:37, 2:42:57]: A ten-foot wide multi-use path shall be constructed along the Valley Hill Road frontage and connected to the internal sidewalk and trail system. A gated entrance shall not be required. Landscaping and screening. Evergreen trees and supplemental landscaping shall be installed along all property. [2:42:56, 2:43:00]: Property boundaries together with a continuous [2:43:00, 2:43:04]: privacy fence to provide effective screening from adjacent properties. [2:43:05, 2:43:07]: Номер севранс. [2:43:08, 2:43:13]: A marine policy liability or equivalent coverage acceptable to the city. [2:43:14, 2:43:20]: shall be provided to the adjacent property owner in the event of damage to their home as a result of development activities. [2:43:21, 2:43:28]: Site Development Compliance. The subdivision shall be developed in com in accordance with the City of Stockbridge Unified Development Code. [2:43:28, 2:43:34]: And the SR district standards, except as otherwise [2:43:35, 2:43:41]: Condition. Architectural standards. All homes shall comply with section four point four two of the Unified Development Code. [2:43:41, 2:44:01]: including facade articulation, exterior materials, roof pitch, and garage design requirement. No land disturbance permit or building permit shall be issued until the applicant has recorded a recombination plat, merging the three existing parcels and submitted a copy of the recorded plat to the community development department. [2:44:01, 2:44:02]: Yeah. [2:44:02, 2:44:16]: Condition number 11: Open space and infrastructure maintenance. All common open space stormwater and amenity areas shall be maintained by a homeowners association. All public utilities and stormwater improvements shall be designed, permitted, and constructed. [2:44:16, 2:44:18]: Constructed in accordance with the city of Stockbridge. [2:44:19, 2:44:24]: Engineering and Environmental Service Department requirements prior to the issuance of any certificate of Aquici. [2:44:25, 2:44:45]: Perimeter fencing. A wrought iron fence shall be installed around the subdivision to provide a defined boundary and enhance neighborhood aesthetics. The fence shall be located along the Valley Hill Road frontage and alone any subdivision boundaries adjacent to existing residential properties. [2:44:45, 2:44:46]: Just [2:44:46, 2:45:06]: As shown on the approved concept pan. The fencing shall be supplemented with evergreen landscaping for additional screen, screening, and visual appeal. The final fence design height and placement shall be reviewed and approved by the community development department prior to the issuance of a land disturbance permit. All street lighting and entrance lighting [2:45:06, 2:45:12]: within the subdivision shall be decorative in design and consistent with the architectural character of the homes. [2:45:14, 2:45:14]: That's it. [2:45:15, 2:45:20]: Okay, all thirteen con recommendations for those conditions. Uh council any questions, concerns thus far? [2:45:22, 2:45:26]: I was going to see if Ms. Barber had any questions before I asked questions. [2:45:27, 2:45:31]: I will hold my comments until after the public. [2:45:32, 2:45:43]: Yeah, you got a question too? Yeah, my question is, what did the old houses look like? They were Craftsman style homes. Okay, do you have a picture of what they look like? Uh no, I don't ha I don't think we have a a picture of the old um [2:45:44, 2:46:04]: No, we don't have it in this presentation. So from reviewing this, it looks like they shrank the size of the homes. They did. Okay, why why would you do that? From eighteen thousand square feet lots to ten to twelve thousand feet. I know, but I'm saying the s the actual size and the footprint of the house, not not the not the lot. So there's they got the size, I see that the [2:46:04, 2:46:24]: They put again the size of the homes. Uh the lots obviously were smaller lots, but you know, you could build a 3,000 square foot house on a 12,000 square foot, 12,000 square foot lot. That's what my house is. So I don't see, I'm trying to understand why they shrank the size of the houses to [2:46:24, 2:46:37]: To to they could still have built the same product on the same lot, just they would have had more of them, but they would have been a bigger, bigger home. So maybe I don't know. You was there any discussion of that? [2:46:37, 2:46:43]: N not not it no, no, no, sir, not exactly. But uh the price points, uh [2:46:44, 2:46:48]: The applicant stated the price points would be around three hundred and seventy five thousand. Story. [2:46:48, 2:47:08]: Okay, that's what I'm saying. I but I just want to know if maybe I can ask them when they get up here, is that when they shrink the what was the price point of the original homes that they were building? They were and what was the price point of the homes that they're building now?'Cause I mean, we need houses in all price points and certainly if I'm living in the area, I want to get the [2:47:08, 2:47:13]: The best quality home built possible so that it maintains my property value. [2:47:13, 2:47:24]: Originally the homes were uh in the fours. Mm-hmm. In the four hundreds and up. What was the square footage? Uh I think like um three thousand in a row. [2:47:25, 2:47:31]: Right. So that was they was big, nice size homes. So I'd be interested to see why they decided to shrake the size of the homes. [2:47:31, 2:47:32]: Yeah. [2:47:33, 2:47:34]: Okay, thank you. [2:47:36, 2:47:37]: It's very great question right now. [2:47:37, 2:47:38]: Yep. [2:47:39, 2:47:43]: All right. The applic the actual uh applicant or representative of the applicant? [2:47:44, 2:48:04]: Look one on before you come up there. No, I thought we had uh on these homes I thought we had a brick requirement of the minimum amount of brick uh that we would have on each home.'Cause I I see almost no brick on these homes. Uh I see a water table on one, I think. And then like [2:48:04, 2:48:15]: Just a little bit of stone on one. What happened to this is just for conceptual purposes. Uh when he submit he would this house went when um went past the test, it would have to have more brick on it. [2:48:15, 2:48:34]: Is it also identified in the thirteen conditions? No, that's just standard code. That's just in the code. So uh the whole front side would need more brick or stone. And then water tables around three sides. Right. So so uh [2:48:35, 2:48:50]: The closest one that that that that Mike could muster would be this one right here, but it's it would still require more bricks. So I'm thinking I think they make the changes to comply with our code requirements, these homes these homes would be in the four hundred thousand dollar price range. [2:48:51, 2:48:55]: Also otherwise make the requirement to the cost factor to go up. Yes, sir. [2:48:56, 2:48:57]: I see. Okay. [2:48:58, 2:49:18]: Yes, please. You you you're the the owner or the developer representative. And um please pronounce your name and excuse me for mispronouncing your names. I'm sorry about that. No worries. Okay, but go ahead. My name is Alejandro Granados and I'm one of the developers in this project. [2:49:18, 2:49:37]: Uh in this case uh just uh she's uh Jacqueline Frenchello and she can assist me in my English is not the best one, okay? For that reason I need her her assistance. Yeah, I appreciate it, no problem. Okay, I have a uh presentation here. [2:49:50, 2:50:10]: And it certainly was a good condition that we were able to switch these homes from septic to sewer. At every opportunity when we get an opportunity to switch homes, or if that's and I think that's a policy of the H Henry County, if they have close access to sewer, they should be mandated to connect to it. Yeah. [2:50:10, 2:50:11]: Good deal. Absolutely. [2:50:13, 2:50:33]: Okay, this this is uh our project. Um we have approval for sixteen lots and uh amenities in the front of the of the property, including a pool, uh clubhouse, uh pickable courts and a playground. [2:50:33, 2:50:53]: When we receive the authorization from the city of Stockbridge to connect to the sewer lines to the public sewer lines, we can uh redesign our project to increase or to [2:50:53, 2:51:13]: To remove the septic tanks and connect to the sewer lines. And we made a studio of the market and to the to have the opportunity to offer more houses to more of the [2:51:13, 2:51:33]: average people in or possibilities of the average people live in this area can buy a houses uh more more cheaper than we offer in the first layout, you know? Because we in the first layout in this layout we offer uh houses around [2:51:33, 2:51:53]: Thirty three square uh through square foot and the price range initially is around fifty fifty thousand, five eighty thousand, around sixty six hundred. [2:51:53, 2:52:13]: thousand dollars and for that reason we m talk with a lot of people a possible customers and some neighbors and the best option is uh development uh custom houses [2:52:13, 2:52:20]: Uh with a good size lots and [2:52:20, 2:52:38]: For that yeah, principal that that is the reason we rescheduled everything. We talk with a a lot of people and um for that reason and with the opportunity to to connect to the sewer is is better um [2:52:39, 2:52:54]: You think for that reason there was better use uh to be able to utilize the land a little bit better, now having that um opportunity to connect directly to the sewer system. [2:52:55, 2:52:55]: Mm-hmm. [2:52:56, 2:53:16]: Okay this this uh is the our sewer uh ismin connection is approval for my neighbor and and we already have the the the plan to connect uh our property to to the public server [2:53:17, 2:53:26]: In the in this in this layout you can see our proposal is uh twenty-eight lots [2:53:27, 2:53:28]: Um [2:53:28, 2:53:30]: como para acercar esto. [2:53:31, 2:53:51]: On the back area you we have the detention pump, same like and in the first layout. Just uh modify the amenities, remove the pull and the pickable core to preserve a good relationship with the neighbors and just keep. [2:53:51, 2:54:08]: Keep a barbecue area with a gacibo, a playground, green area and a walking trail with a dock trail in the right side of the north of in the property. [2:54:16, 2:54:28]: So so as mentioned, um these are the proposed amenities. Um there's gonna be a children's playground, uh barbecue area, gazebo, and a walking trail uh slash dog par dog trail. [2:54:33, 2:54:37]: Uh this is a rendering of uh the new subdivision. [2:54:41, 2:54:47]: And um also the the model homes, uh what they uh the proposed model homes, what they look like. [2:54:48, 2:54:50]: Uh quiero resolver la duda de él. [2:54:51, 2:55:01]: About your your question, sir, uh you say if you can see the this the the white area [2:55:02, 2:55:13]: And the requirements say we we need preserve uh trifets, stone or or bricks. We leave uh a stone design. [2:55:15, 2:55:20]: Today around five fits or or more. [2:55:23, 2:55:24]: In our design. [2:55:27, 2:55:31]: Same in all of the proposal. [2:55:33, 2:55:47]: Maybe in this render you can see the the the stone area until the door garage side is in the same for the whole house. [2:55:52, 2:55:57]: And this one is the one forward uh proposal. [2:56:01, 2:56:03]: Quiere seguir es [2:56:05, 2:56:10]: And this is just a um a proposed m model of the interior of the house. [2:56:13, 2:56:33]: So the big question is why are we requesting these modifications? And as stated before, the approval to the uh sewer system with the City of Stockbridge Water Authority, of course, um they allowed us to be able to add up to 30 homes for the capacity of the existing infrastructure. Um so that's why we [2:56:33, 2:56:43]: we were able to do at least twenty-eight. Um we've we have already secured an easement that will directly connect to the sewer lines and the subdivision to the north of the project. [2:56:43, 2:57:03]: Uh the cancellation of the septic septic systems allows us to build more homes and smaller lot homes lot sizes, still within the maximum density per acre of the city of Stockbridge. The market study in the area supports building a neighborhood with homes with comparable square footage ranging anywhere between three fifty, three eighty um, or up to the four hundred. [2:57:03, 2:57:23]: With brick, more brick. Our market study supports building homes for families with a median household income of 70-80,000. We are proposing moving the amen amenities to the back of the project for the following reasons. There are safety concerns. Valley Hill Road is a major road with constant traffic. [2:57:23, 2:57:24]: Traffic. [2:57:24, 2:57:29]: We're proposing moving the plate areas for the safety of the children to avoid high traffic areas. [2:57:29, 2:57:48]: Um amenities are being modified to reduce noise and preserve good relations with neighboring properties. Um and for this reason we have removed the pool, clubhouse, and pickleball courts. Of course, this minimizes the impact um to the land back there. And the proposed amenities will be surrounded by a landscaping [2:57:48, 2:58:02]: green areas to meet the requirements of the city of Stockbridge. And all amenities and properties will follow the city's requirements for setbacks and buffer zones. Any lighting in the amenity areas and throughout the subdivision will be directed downward to not shine into neighbors' homes. [2:58:05, 2:58:06]: That's it. [2:58:08, 2:58:12]: Okay. Questions, concerns thus far? [2:58:14, 2:58:34]: I will hold my questions until after the public. Anybody down here? Yeah. Go ahead, please. So in in in the development, I certainly applaud the opportunity to increase the sewer. Uh certainly at every opportunity, I think Ryan, that needs to be a code. If if sewer is a winning of [2:58:34, 2:58:52]: close proximity, it should be required for them to connect to the sewer. That is the direction, certainly, of a modern city that we should be going. Nobody should be on Celtic unless it's absolutely necessary. And most areas are in close proximity to s uh sewer. Now [2:58:54, 2:59:10]: Why i my my asser my thing would have been you giving you the twenty-eight lots, but m build the same house. Don't shrink down the size of the houses. Build the same product that you were gonna build originally. [2:59:10, 2:59:30]: But build that on the twenty-eight lots instead of trying to shrink down the house in because on a twelve thousand lot you could still do a three thousand square foot house. Or maybe even do a combination. Do some of the smaller houses for the affordability and then do larger houses too. So do both [2:59:30, 2:59:32]: In one plan, some of the of the twenty eight [2:59:32, 2:59:34]: Some of them would be three thousand square feet. [2:59:35, 2:59:55]: Some of them might be twenty four hundred square feet or a smaller size, so you offer a variety in the neighborhood instead of just offering all small homes, which basically what'll happen is the larger homes will pull up the value of the smaller homes because they're in close proximity. So is that a possibility? [2:59:56, 3:00:16]: Yes sir, is that a possible uh our target is uh offer a product uh he wants something that's more accessible to the community. So that's that's his main goal and why he had um gone for a small [3:00:16, 3:00:36]: Smaller um the some smaller homes. What you're getting at. Exactly. Right. My point is that certainly you could have the echo smaller economical homes, but you could also have some larger homes as well. So you could split it uh between the two. So you would have you would have smaller homes and you would have larger homes. [3:00:36, 3:00:56]: Okay. Yeah. That's my second suggestion. And certainly we'd be interested to see what everybody else would have to say. Because I always, you know, we always advise people, you might not want the better house in the neighborhood, right? You want someone else. So if you're if I'm in a smaller footprint house and somebody next to me [3:00:56, 3:01:16]: has a 3,000 square foot, it's gonna have that pulling effect. It's gonna raise help raise my property values and it's gonna help maintain the neighborhood. So mixed income neighborhoods are really a good thing where you have mixed income neighborhoods. And uh it's is is always a great thing, I think. So if something could be worked out in that that aspect. [3:01:16, 3:01:31]: certainly applied again connecting to the sewer, but you'd have more homes and then you would have, and for you, for your standpoint, you would have a bigger price point on a smaller lot, which would include increased profitability on some of the homes which are the larger homes. [3:01:32, 3:01:33]: Right. [3:01:33, 3:01:33]: Yes, sir. [3:01:34, 3:01:40]: You know questions from the council thoughts. Hey Ryan, in reference to could you come back to polling, please? [3:01:43, 3:02:03]: In reference to Mr. Alexander's suggestion and I unless the council has any other questions, I guess we'll we're talking about a mixture of smaller homes and larger homes. If they're amenable to that, then and then I guess we'd probably have to look if it's looking at twenty eight, what would that number be? I I think we now gotta figure out a number per se, or what makes sense here. [3:02:03, 3:02:05]: Maybe twenty five percent larger homes. [3:02:05, 3:02:07]: Twenty five percent you think? Yes. [3:02:07, 3:02:13]: Is that first of all I guess Mr Alexander, does that make sense to you and whether or not they're agreeable then that's another thing. [3:02:13, 3:02:28]: Yes, it makes sense because you have the affordability which is the much desirable, but you also have folks who just want to live in a neighborhood where you got mixed income neighborhoods. Those neighborhoods work out best than having all one price point in the neighborhood. [3:02:30, 3:02:50]: Yes, sir. We don't have any problem with that. We can include one one design. We have right now four designs for the small houses. We can include one design for the bigger lots, you know, because we have one or two, yeah, one w different designs to to offer uh different [3:02:50, 3:02:52]: options or more bigger uh [3:02:52, 3:02:58]: All right. So this needs to be in the r in the in w add to the the other the other recommendations or conditions, I guess. [3:03:00, 3:03:03]: Okay. You noted it and I guess Ms. [3:03:04, 3:03:08]: Yeah. I mean when we make the rep when when we yes. [3:03:09, 3:03:15]: We'll add it if it's if it's approved. You have twenty five percent with three thousand, minimum three thousand square feet. [3:03:15, 3:03:17]: Mm-hmm. Yeah. [3:03:17, 3:03:37]: Gotta open up for the public hearing. Okay, we added that and you're good with that as well. Okay. Okay. Okay, then I'm going to open up the well, I don't need to read this. I already read that. I'm going to open up the public hearing then. Okay, so any comments for this uh this development, you can have a sit down for just a brief moment. For a brief moment, yes. Anyone on that's for this development, the comments for [3:03:37, 3:03:48]: positive comments on my very left, any in the middle, my far right. Any comments that are having negative comments or comments against this particular development, far left. [3:03:48, 3:03:49]: In the middle. [3:03:50, 3:03:55]: What what what's stand up and line up on the side? Anybody else in in the middle or far right? [3:03:56, 3:04:00]: All right. So otherwise if you're the only one, I need you to come up and give your name and [3:04:01, 3:04:05]: And address please one at a time. Name and address. Any comments. [3:04:08, 3:04:13]: My name is Susan. I live at three ten Valley Hill Road on Stockbridge. Okay. [3:04:14, 3:04:24]: I'm the largest landowner. I've said this until the I'm blue in the face. I don't I can't scream loud enough about this project, but I'm the largest landowner adjacent. [3:04:24, 3:04:26]: to this project. [3:04:26, 3:04:29]: In two thousand and twenty three. [3:04:29, 3:04:32]: Which was two years and three months ago. [3:04:32, 3:04:36]: They came to y'all and they asked y'all, Hey, can we build this? [3:04:36, 3:04:38]: And now said, Yeah. [3:04:38, 3:04:42]: You can build it under these stipulations. [3:04:43, 3:04:46]: The first stipulation was [3:04:46, 3:04:50]: He had to move over all the amenities up to the front of the subdivision. [3:04:51, 3:04:52]: Here's the two maps. [3:04:53, 3:04:54]: He hasn't done that, said [3:04:55, 3:05:01]: Only thing he's done is replaced the pickleball court and the swimming pool and the clubhouse with a playground. [3:05:02, 3:05:04]: And added more houses. [3:05:05, 3:05:07]: He's taken it from a sewer. [3:05:07, 3:05:10]: to a septic. I know why they did that. [3:05:10, 3:05:13]: Because the whole project is sitting on rock. [3:05:14, 3:05:16]: Rock. Whenever I say rocks [3:05:17, 3:05:19]: Аз біг єзмакар. [3:05:20, 3:05:21]: They're huge. [3:05:22, 3:05:23]: And you go back. [3:05:24, 3:05:25]: You pick up a rock. [3:05:26, 3:05:31]: Three days later after it's been rained real good, guess what happens? There's another rock there. [3:05:32, 3:05:34]: It does not you're you're sitting on rock. [3:05:35, 3:05:44]: I'm gonna have damages to my house. The 270 houses that went back behind mine in that big subdivision. [3:05:45, 3:05:49]: Everybody had a little bit of damage to their house. Me [3:05:49, 3:05:58]: I got lucky. I didn't have cracks in my foundation or anything like that, but it knocked stuff off the walls whenever they were blasting. [3:05:58, 3:06:01]: My dad went over there while he was still alive. [3:06:02, 3:06:10]: And he said, Hey, these these people you're damaging their houses. So they quit putting this um basements in. [3:06:12, 3:06:15]: And they quit blasting like really close to our homes. [3:06:18, 3:06:20]: The трафік [3:06:21, 3:06:35]: I can't scream enough about the traffic. This place is already so saturated it's not even funny. The co the townhomes up here by Rico's, everybody's cutting through Valley Hill Road to go to Highway forty two to go into town. [3:06:36, 3:06:44]: Okay. Then you got the townhomes that's going in at the end of Valley Hill Road, right down there by forty two. [3:06:45, 3:06:48]: And then you got this subdivision going on right here. [3:06:48, 3:07:05]: Do you n I don't I don't I have no idea what way y'all go, okay? But I I am mad, okay? I was upset whenever this first came about and I'm like, okay, you know, uh it change is good sometimes, roll with it. [3:07:06, 3:07:23]: Two and a half years ago. I thought they dropped the project. I have asked, I don't know how many people, can you tell me how long they have to revise a map? No one, not one person has given me a definitive answer of yes. [3:07:24, 3:07:29]: They have forever. Now you're talking about doing a whole nother [3:07:30, 3:07:31]: А whole nother uh [3:07:31, 3:07:46]: I don't even know what you call it. I'm just a dumb country bumpkin that's been here for twenty five years that has built my house that I wanted to die in and taken it and turned it upside down. [3:07:46, 3:07:56]: Okay, I know you got pretty mad at me at Merle Manders the other night, but now I'm gonna kinda address your comments to me, please. No need to address comments to you. Okay. [3:07:56, 3:07:57]: So [3:07:57, 3:08:14]: As far as distances and everything, I'm gonna show you what the distance is from my house to the property line where they're wanting to put this playground and the retention pond. We all know what comes with retention ponds. Mosquitoes, okay? [3:08:15, 3:08:29]: And I I understand that they're gonna need that. I'm standing on the property line. Give me for a second. That's my house. You never started a clock, by the way. Oh did that's okay, I don't see it. Okay. I don't have not that okay, I can't see it. Okay. Go ahead, please. Sorry. [3:08:30, 3:08:32]: That's how close that it's gonna be to my back door. [3:08:34, 3:08:35]: Easy and it's the idea. [3:08:37, 3:08:40]: I don't know how you can see it on the phone, but [3:08:46, 3:08:47]: Okay. [3:08:54, 3:08:55]: That's how close is it gonna be on that four? [3:09:01, 3:09:07]: He gets up here and he talks about how he's contacted neighbors and stuff like that. [3:09:07, 3:09:10]: I've never once been contacted. [3:09:10, 3:09:13]: My neighbors back behind me that are sitting here. [3:09:13, 3:09:15]: They've never been contacted. [3:09:18, 3:09:20]: What might be good for him? [3:09:21, 3:09:24]: Is not good for your old timers that have been here. [3:09:26, 3:09:27]: You're taking [3:09:27, 3:09:44]: Whenever wh whenever he first came, he says, We're gonna do this. It's gonna be a fenced in property. It's gonna be really nice, sixteen houses. We're gonna have this, this, this, this, this, and this. And y'all can come and y'all can enjoy our amenities. We'll give y'all passes to come in. [3:09:46, 3:09:54]: That I mean, everything is flip flopped so much. Who is held accountable? [3:09:54, 3:09:58]: Whenever this flip flops once again, once this is already passed. [3:09:59, 3:10:01]: Who's held accountable then? [3:10:03, 3:10:08]: Whenever the houses get damaged, you talked about having, you know, insurance. [3:10:10, 3:10:14]: Well, if you've got insurance, you must be thinking there's gonna be some damages. [3:10:16, 3:10:20]: It's like you're sitting there saying, Oh, okay, there's a train wreck that's fixing to happen. [3:10:21, 3:10:23]: Why not just stop the train wreck? [3:10:25, 3:10:29]: You're talking about the train on the end of Valley Hill Road. [3:10:29, 3:10:32]: That thing stops on the railroad tracks. [3:10:33, 3:10:34]: All the time. [3:10:35, 3:10:36]: You want to talk about backed up? [3:10:37, 3:10:41]: I can't e sometimes I can't even get out of my driveway because of it. [3:10:43, 3:10:46]: You're adding so much more congestion. [3:10:47, 3:10:50]: to erode that is already saturated. [3:10:50, 3:10:57]: You cannot pour six gallons into a five gallon bucket. It's gonna overflow every time. [3:10:58, 3:11:08]: I d I've I've said this until I'm blue in the face, and I don't understand how this project keeps flip-flopping all over the place. [3:11:09, 3:11:10]: I don't get it. [3:11:11, 3:11:12]: I don't get it. [3:11:14, 3:11:18]: I wish I I I pray that y'all do the right thing. [3:11:18, 3:11:19]: I really do. [3:11:20, 3:11:22]: It's not about just me. [3:11:23, 3:11:24]: It's about [3:11:25, 3:11:27]: All of these people back here too. [3:11:29, 3:11:32]: I'm partial to my property because it's my home. [3:11:34, 3:11:35]: Just like they are. [3:11:36, 3:11:42]: But whenever they you whenever you tell them that this project passed under these stipulations. [3:11:42, 3:11:53]: And then I hear them coming up here and saying, this project has already passed. This project is already passed. But you don't talk about the stipulations that was put on that for it to pass. [3:11:55, 3:11:59]: I thank you for your time. [3:12:00, 3:12:03]: No, that's fine. You're fine. You you've done I think you want to speak mail? [3:12:04, 3:12:06]: I don't know how it's done. [3:12:07, 3:12:07]: All right. [3:12:08, 3:12:10]: Your name and address, please. [3:12:11, 3:12:21]: My name is Judy Hill. I live at sixty-one North Davis Drive. I'm a very short street that connects Valley Hill Road with Davis Road. [3:12:22, 3:12:25]: Everybody comes by my house sooner or later. [3:12:26, 3:12:28]: And here lightly it's constant. [3:12:28, 3:12:35]: 24 hours a day we have traffic. If you put the subdivision in, it's only gonna make it tenfold worse. [3:12:37, 3:12:46]: I've lived in my at my property for sixty eight years. My mother and daddy brought that property when I was seven years old. [3:12:48, 3:12:50]: When their house burned down. [3:12:50, 3:12:53]: I built mine on the other end of our property. [3:12:54, 3:12:57]: And I've lived in my home for forty seven years. [3:12:58, 3:13:00]: I know what she means. [3:13:01, 3:13:02]: The traffic is terrible. [3:13:03, 3:13:04]: The train does back up. [3:13:05, 3:13:06]: Constantly. [3:13:07, 3:13:08]: On my road. [3:13:08, 3:13:10]: The speed limit is twenty five. [3:13:12, 3:13:17]: I bet we don't have one out of fifty cars that goes twenty-five miles an hour. [3:13:18, 3:13:21]: On Valley Hill Road, the speed limit is thirty-five. [3:13:22, 3:13:26]: I bet there's not one car out of fifty that goes thirty five miles an hour. [3:13:27, 3:13:32]: And now we're going to add twenty-eight more homes in there to put more traffic on our road. [3:13:34, 3:13:41]: I'm like Susan. Isn't there a limit to the amount of time that someone can have to modify [3:13:42, 3:13:44]: their original request. [3:13:45, 3:13:49]: Or could he have waited five years and then asked for another modification? [3:13:50, 3:13:52]: Or if y'all approve this tonight. [3:13:52, 3:13:54]: In another year can he say [3:13:54, 3:13:57]: I've decided I want to do fifty houses. [3:14:00, 3:14:03]: Nobody's been able to tell us what the time limit is. [3:14:04, 3:14:07]: Nobody's been able to answer the question of [3:14:08, 3:14:17]: How are the roads gonna take care of all this? How are the schools gonna take care of all this? We're overcrowded as it is. Our roads are in horrible conditions. [3:14:20, 3:14:23]: Okay. Cathy, you want to give her more time? [3:14:24, 3:14:24]: Yeah. [3:14:25, 3:14:27]: I understand. Anybody else? [3:14:27, 3:14:41]: Any more time? Do you want more time? Yeah, I just wanna ask y'all a question. Would would y'all like people coming by y'all's house twenty four hours a day? I have one of the darkest roads around, I think. [3:14:42, 3:14:46]: And I have foot traffic around my road constantly. [3:14:48, 3:14:53]: I can go out on my front porch at one o'clock in the morning and there'll be somebody coming by my house. [3:14:55, 3:14:58]: Now we're talking about somebody that [3:14:58, 3:15:03]: When they first moved here, there wasn't a paved road around us. [3:15:07, 3:15:13]: I was I was one of the first classes that ever graduated from Stockbridge High School. [3:15:14, 3:15:20]: My children graduated from Stopridge High School. I've had grandchildren going to Stockbridge High School. [3:15:21, 3:15:23]: I've seen this community change. [3:15:24, 3:15:26]: And not all of it's been for the better. [3:15:28, 3:15:30]: And I think it'll be a bad mistake. [3:15:31, 3:15:33]: to allow this subdivision to go in on Valley Hill Road. [3:15:34, 3:15:35]: I think you will [3:15:36, 3:15:39]: It will be to the detriment of all the neighborhood. [3:15:40, 3:15:45]: Thank you for your time. Mr. Anderson, could you come back to podium please? Not not too ma'am. Mr. Anderson. [3:15:53, 3:16:04]: Okay, so the it the went the increasing the houses, what I understood it was it was d based on uh actually based going from septic to sewer. So requirement that we made. So that's I think that's one of the reasons why. [3:16:04, 3:16:24]: I if I understand correctly and we already agreed for the conditions that twenty five percent will be larger homes versus the smaller homes. Um the revised map, there's a t a time frame. Can you address the time frame in reference to this map and how it's changed? I think they're referencing to a um a zoning action. [3:16:24, 3:16:27]: Should it be should a zoning action expire? [3:16:27, 3:16:39]: But there's no um there's no time limit unless one of the council members or somebody make a motion to um have that since there was no action, there's a certain amount of time that before an [3:16:40, 3:16:51]: Like if something gets rezoned uh in like a a year or so, you have to take some type of action or counsel can come back and ask that that rezone and be rescinded. But no one did that. [3:16:51, 3:17:11]: Okay. So it's over overdue. I mean it's it's it's it's no it's it's it's just remains the same. Same, right, okay. And then the amenities, if I understand correct, amenities were changed based on the loc different houses uh the number of houses increased, I guess. Is that some kind of concern? It's not my understanding. But due to the number the increase of the houses and the location and everything, is that correct? That that first [3:17:11, 3:17:17]: um zoning um rezoning that occurred in twenty twenty three. Um [3:17:18, 3:17:37]: That was just kinda like fantasy land. I uh I I don't think that ever would have uh happened. To have sixteen homes and to have that many amenities, a pool and a gazebo and all the other stuff it w was was would have been very difficult for HOA to support all those amenities. So uh [3:17:39, 3:17:42]: Okay. For only sixteen homes that would have been a r a a real tough one. [3:17:43, 3:17:44]: Okay, you had a comment? [3:17:45, 3:17:45]: I do. [3:17:46, 3:18:06]: That I'm glad you said that'cause uh when you said sixteen homes, so this is a different owner. Is that what's going on? Because Yes, the a different uh applicant, yes. Okay. I now it it brings clarification because uh the first one was kinda like smart homes where and then there was like a runoff on the the [3:18:06, 3:18:06]: Yeah. [3:18:07, 3:18:18]: the um where the water would drip down or it was uh a different type of water system and everything correct? Yes, yes. Okay, so and that particular [3:18:20, 3:18:26]: Um, I remember that and and that brought me to wondering [3:18:26, 3:18:30]: what is the difference now? So they're asking [3:18:30, 3:18:32]: To change from what we voted for. [3:18:33, 3:18:53]: Um and what we had requested because at that time we did require, which I I didn't agree with, insurance. But I I thought that was a little bit of uh that was a uh council uh condition at the time. Okay, so they sold the property over to someone else. Yes. But we had already zoned it [3:18:53, 3:19:00]: for a a specific way and now they're coming and asking for it to be modified modified. [3:19:00, 3:19:02]: Got it. So [3:19:03, 3:19:21]: Or also also council also council member Gantt, um they didn't have um access to sewer, but now the city has decided to run an ex sewer extension to the property. So if it originally if it had had sewer access, they probably would have came in with a similar project. [3:19:21, 3:19:23]: Okay. Well [3:19:24, 3:19:28]: Everyone needs to be on sewer. Yeah. [3:19:29, 3:19:40]: Um and and I no offense, but that's uh we talked about that. The Hun the Henry County Award Authority talked about it, as as well as our public works department. I mean [3:19:41, 3:19:49]: It's something that if it's available, it needs to be required. Um and and that's where I'm leaning. [3:19:50, 3:19:51]: At all times. [3:19:52, 3:20:01]: Now, in regards to things changing and there are some concerns with the rock blasting and there were some basements. Were were any homes built? [3:20:01, 3:20:11]: No on the on the in the area? No, no homes were built off that project. Okay. And so And we're conditioned on the fact that they can't have basements. [3:20:11, 3:20:21]: They cannot have basements because they they w wouldn't be able to bla did they blast at all trying to create basements? Because if no if there was no construction [3:20:21, 3:20:30]: So I d I mean I guess they're assuming because a another project in the area um was sitting on rock and they had to do a lot of blast. [3:20:30, 3:20:43]: But it wasn't that project. No, it's not this project. That land was just it still wasn't is not developed at all. It hasn't been touched, but there was disturbed. Mm-hmm. Okay. So no disturbance at all. Yes. All right. And in addition to that [3:20:46, 3:20:57]: The plan originally was for the amenities, the the playground, the swimming pool to be up front. Are they taking away a swimming pool or are they gonna put it in the back? [3:20:58, 3:21:00]: They're removing the swimming pool altogether. [3:21:01, 3:21:06]: But they want they they're removing it, but they want to add more homes. [3:21:06, 3:21:07]: Yes. [3:21:08, 3:21:17]: Yes. A swimming pool, a pool. So what would be the amenity? Um a barbecue pit, uh dog park. Let me get back to it. [3:21:18, 3:21:23]: That I guess the uh the gazebo I think is it's in there. You had it all on uh you you showed it to us earlier. [3:21:23, 3:21:40]: Yes, sir. Walking trail. Uh yeah, walking trail. Uh uh even with with twenty eight homes, a swimming pool uh would be it that would be costly for twenty eight homes. So the the standard for uh having a a swimming pool is usually a hundred a hundred units or more. [3:21:43, 3:21:59]: If I understand correctly, what we what we were first talking about these amenities was with the first particular developer. This is the second developer. Right. So this is why the change occurred. I guess part of the reason why change occurred. Right. Well I just I was curious at what that change was, but I remember I recall [3:21:59, 3:22:08]: the vision of the sixteen homes and I thought it was like I was like, gosh, I might want to move there myself. Like it was beautiful. It was three three level modern homes. [3:22:08, 3:22:23]: absolutely gorgeous homes. I mean who wouldn't want to live there? And the average price was about five hundred thousand dollars. And these homes are are have reduced some um in design. Um [3:22:25, 3:22:26]: And um [3:22:27, 3:22:34]: I can understand reducing the amenities, but people have a right uh to uh [3:22:35, 3:22:46]: It's it can be hard. You know, we understand that everyone has a right to use and enjoyment of their property. Um, the old neighbors and the new. [3:22:47, 3:22:53]: 'Cause they bought it too and I I respect um the constituent who's an old neighbor who came up and said, you know, [3:22:55, 3:23:09]: She understands that some change has to be made, but let's be reasonable. Um, septic. Um wouldn't happen. It would definitely be sewage, right? But um [3:23:14, 3:23:20]: the the amount of the properties the the the uh one point six four per acre [3:23:20, 3:23:30]: I don't know. I I'm just kinda looking at the design of it. Uh and uh just w what exactly are the concerns. Because he they have a right to if they own the properties they have a right to [3:23:30, 3:23:50]: I think they're mostly concerned about the um the buffering. Uh she says that the property is real close to our property line, but Cole would prohibit that um uh SR, the SR would be a 25 foot buffer and then they have the rear yard setback of 40 feet. So the property would be almost 65 feet away. [3:23:50, 3:23:51]: [12232.7, 12251.3]: W would there be anything to um a fence. A fence and evergreen trees. Evergreen trees. And additional shrubbery. Okay. All right. But it would not be that close.'Cause that was close in from Ukraine. I mean that's the property line, the property line, but the houses will not be that close. Code prohibits that. [3:24:11, 3:24:12]: Okay. [3:24:12, 3:24:14]: All right. I have enough for the questions right now. [3:24:16, 3:24:21]: Is Barber you ready to for your comments? I am, thank you. Um so [3:24:24, 3:24:28]: А like the concepts and designs of the home. [3:24:28, 3:24:29]: I do. [3:24:30, 3:24:32]: I have some concerns though. The blasting. [3:24:33, 3:24:36]: Um that's one of the issues that I know that in [3:24:40, 3:24:46]: Uh I know that blasting in rocks are a issue. [3:24:46, 3:24:47]: Um [3:24:47, 3:25:06]: In fact, there's an area right across the street from Monarch Village where the mayor and councilwoman Gantt live. Um it's full of rocks. That area has remained undeveloped for that very reason, because of the rocks. Um so that poses in my [3:25:06, 3:25:09]: My belief. Uh health, safety and welfare. [3:25:09, 3:25:10]: Kinsar. [3:25:11, 3:25:27]: in which I have spoken with the homeowner who lives right next door to it. Um she expressed these same concerns with the original proposal for sixteen homes. Um I noticed that the square footage, the original proposal [3:25:27, 3:25:29]: For the sixteen homes it was [3:25:30, 3:25:31]: Average eighteen thousand square foot. [3:25:32, 3:25:40]: Was it eighteen thousand square feet? Yeah. The lots now it's been reduced to ten thousand to twelve thousand square feet. [3:25:40, 3:25:51]: Yes, that's still in compliance with the with the suburban residential uh zoning district, the SR zoning district. That still meets the minimum requirements of that district. Okay. Um [3:25:53, 3:25:54]: So [3:25:57, 3:26:03]: The amenities for all new subdivisions. Um, it has been said by this council. [3:26:03, 3:26:13]: Um Councilman Alexander has mentioned it multiple times. For all new residential developments, we do want a pool and clubhouse. [3:26:14, 3:26:20]: All new residential developments. And I'm surprised that those amenities, the major ones, have been. [3:26:20, 3:26:22]: removed from this project. [3:26:22, 3:26:25]: So what are you gonna use to attract? [3:26:25, 3:26:28]: um potential homeowners here. [3:26:28, 3:26:29]: Um [3:26:30, 3:26:33]: That is another concern. Um [3:26:42, 3:26:50]: The brick requirement. Okay, never mind. The price point. [3:26:52, 3:27:10]: It is now the three hundred and fifty thousand to three hundred eighty thousand is what they project. Uh currently, but after we impose all our city standards and requirements regarding the elevations, I'm anticipating the price point to jump at least about fifteen percent. [3:27:12, 3:27:13]: Another fifteen percent. [3:27:14, 3:27:15]: Fifteen to twenty percent to be actual. [3:27:17, 3:27:18]: That's interesting. [3:27:18, 3:27:18]: Um [3:27:20, 3:27:24]: It seems as though this so one of the issues that I have. [3:27:25, 3:27:29]: Because these proposals that are being presented from our district is affecting [3:27:29, 3:27:32]: Um all of the homeowners around it. [3:27:34, 3:27:41]: So what I'd like to see is for all developers who present proposals in my district. [3:27:41, 3:27:44]: Please have conversations. [3:27:44, 3:27:51]: with the home o the existing homeowners in the area. So it doesn't create, you know, conflict right off the bat. [3:27:51, 3:27:56]: I'd like to have all of that resolved or discussed up front. [3:27:57, 3:27:58]: Um [3:27:58, 3:28:05]: Cause I don't want to pit neighbors against each other over developments such as this. The property owner has a right. [3:28:06, 3:28:07]: To build. [3:28:08, 3:28:13]: Ми канат deny the right for them to build sell their land. [3:28:14, 3:28:14]: I get that. [3:28:15, 3:28:18]: I have the responsibility of determining whether or not [3:28:18, 3:28:19]: This proposal [3:28:20, 3:28:22]: is something that I believe will benefit [3:28:23, 3:28:24]: That particular area. [3:28:25, 3:28:26]: Because my district [3:28:26, 3:28:28]: Has been drawn the w [3:28:28, 3:28:31]: Because the council drew my district the way they did. [3:28:31, 3:28:34]: Ма дистрик аз унік не [3:28:34, 3:28:36]: One area of my district [3:28:36, 3:28:38]: may be able to handle. [3:28:39, 3:28:42]: um a residential proposal like this. [3:28:42, 3:28:52]: Where another area may not, I don't believe this proposal is suitable for that particular area, not this amount of density on that particular line. [3:28:52, 3:28:54]: Because um [3:28:54, 3:28:55]: The railroad track is there. [3:28:56, 3:29:03]: You have the railroad. Um and considering the fact that uh they've increased [3:29:03, 3:29:06]: the density and the number of units on the property. [3:29:06, 3:29:08]: With no added amenities. [3:29:08, 3:29:11]: Із алсом да із концерми. [3:29:12, 3:29:14]: А вам та сайм стандарт. [3:29:15, 3:29:22]: That each one of the council members expects in their district. I want the same standards in my district. [3:29:22, 3:29:25]: So if you approve developments in my district. [3:29:26, 3:29:31]: Make sure the amenities include a pool and clubhouse. [3:29:31, 3:29:34]: Нас пак-нинт. [3:29:36, 3:29:38]: So th those are concerns that I have. [3:29:39, 3:29:40]: Um I like [3:29:40, 3:29:41]: The concept. I do. [3:29:42, 3:29:43]: It's the density. [3:29:43, 3:29:44]: The blasting. [3:29:44, 3:29:48]: That is really a huge concern of mine. [3:29:48, 3:29:49]: That's all. [3:29:50, 3:30:10]: I would think that um I believe what you said, Mr. Anderson earlier that a pool is more c beneficial if you have a hundred plus homes or something along those lines, is that correct? Yes, that's the standard, Mayor. That's the standard, okay. And and I've also thought uh understood that these were going to be uh uh well actually they're they're on they're on the ground so there's no basements to in any of these homes or [3:30:10, 3:30:11]: [12611.8, 12631.8]: Yes, that's the con zoning condition of approval that there be no basements. Okay. Which means that if there's no basements, there'd probably be little to no, little to no blasting per se. Not much if you're gonna put it's gotta level the ground out. Um and then of course when it comes to new developments, we can't deny a new development for what we think would [3:30:31, 3:30:51]: Would be a school situation or in uh uh infrastructure situation with roads and things of this nature. That's something that have to we can't deny that. That by state law, we can't deny for those type of reasons. Those things have to kind of come along as as time comes, comes in a sense. That's correct, Mayor. Okay. We can't deny based on those factors. Right, right. Um things that [3:30:51, 3:31:03]: staff does is contrast uh an applicant's proposal or request against our code, the UDC and the comprehensive plan, and this project met all that criteria. [3:31:04, 3:31:05]: Okay. [3:31:05, 3:31:15]: Including the density. The density is only one point six four units per acre. That district allows up to three point nine nine units per acre. Got it, appreciate it. [3:31:17, 3:31:36]: That was a concern of mine. I mean, if it if the density already allows at three point nine units per acre, um it's changed ownerships. There i you just I was about to say testified. You didn't testify. You you presented to us the fact that [3:31:37, 3:31:53]: there was no land disturbance. Like that wherever the blasting was from did not come from that particular development. No. And it's under a hundred homes. The regulation and the requirement um [3:31:55, 3:32:06]: of a pool and a g a gazebo, a clubhouse, we have a a certain amount of homes and that's when we require certain amenities. Um so we have to be realistic. [3:32:07, 3:32:11]: Um, it's not town homes, right? Thank God. [3:32:11, 3:32:25]: We I mean I I don't want to say thank God, but it it's not town homes and it's not um it's not fifty or sixty homes. We're talking less than thirty homes. Um so I think that's within reason. Again, people have a a right [3:32:26, 3:32:32]: to earn a living and they have a they they bought the property, it's already zoned for that particular area. [3:32:34, 3:32:42]: besides me loving the three story designs of the sixteen homes, other than that, I I you know [3:32:44, 3:32:46]: Who am I to [3:32:47, 3:32:48]: Deny it. [3:32:49, 3:32:50]: I I can't. [3:32:53, 3:32:57]: I I see the design. I mean we've got walking trail paths. [3:32:58, 3:33:05]: I I do have some concerns. I wanna make sure that there's a nice buffer between the neighbors home. [3:33:05, 3:33:08]: It's a it's a conzoning condition of approval. [3:33:08, 3:33:19]: Right. But uh you know y I don't want her to have to go look at a playground or whatever it is. It'll be heavily screened and buffered. Yeah. And separated by a fence. [3:33:19, 3:33:24]: Yeah. But other than that, um, there's no blasting. [3:33:25, 3:33:35]: Testify that there's not been any blasting. Not for that particular area, that land disturb that the person, the previous owner, didn't do any work. So I [3:33:36, 3:33:39]: I don't I don't have anything else to say. [3:33:40, 3:33:45]: I mean, I think we're following the rules and regulations and y let me be clear, [3:33:46, 3:33:58]: you know, yes, everybody wants certain standards, but if if sixteen to twenty something homes are in my area and they're nice houses [3:33:59, 3:34:05]: I can't require a a swimming pool. It's on it's not realistic. Who's gonna keep it up? [3:34:09, 3:34:16]: So, that's all. I may think about a HOA for twenty eight homes with a swimming pool and a clubhouse. [3:34:16, 3:34:36]: Uh we pay we got nine hundred homes, over nine hundred in Monarch Village, the largest subdivision, and we are paying four hundred and something quarterly. Isn't that right, Mayor? It's four No, it's not quite semi annually, but it's but it's it's a little over six hundred dollars. Yeah, something something how about that? [3:34:36, 3:34:42]: With over nine hundred homes. So come on now. I mean, can you imagine doing that with twenty eight homes? [3:34:44, 3:34:49]: You gotta be realistic and you gotta be educated and and and be like I don't wanna say educated, but you gotta be [3:34:50, 3:34:53]: You know, comp I mean, really think about common sense things. [3:34:54, 3:34:54]: So [3:34:55, 3:34:57]: Mr. Azzan, go ahead, please. Yeah. [3:34:57, 3:35:05]: This neighborhood sounds very similar to the neighborhood that we did on Highway Forty Two across from Eagles Landing First Baptist Church. [3:35:07, 3:35:26]: Right. It was a smaller neighborhood where I certainly I fought for brick on the homes in order to get that. But basically what it came down to is that we had so few homes that the amenity package was scaled back. I know Councilman Berry was fighting for the brick on those homes over there too. [3:35:27, 3:35:32]: uh in order to try to make that happen. But what it really comes down to is that [3:35:33, 3:35:53]: Uh and I think all of us up here agreed that we needed single family detached. And that hearing I heard that a hundred times cause I was trying to push for hundred percent brick uh on some of the homes. But every person up here said I would do anything to have single family detached homes in my district. Well guess what? These are single family detached homes. [3:35:53, 3:36:06]: Homes in your district. And there are various sizes, and we agreed that we're gonna do 25% larger homes, 75% of those will be smaller homes, and you've already indicated that. [3:36:06, 3:36:26]: The standard for building those homes would be brick front, water table on the side, and that would kind of hold down the cost on a smaller home, but there would be larger homes that are required. And I echo what Miss Um Gantt has attest has as has argued here, which is we were talking about 16 homes, we're adding 12 more. [3:36:26, 3:36:46]: And understanding this, and I sympathize with the neighbors, but the state is spending$50 million on Highway 42 right now. They're spending$50 million to widen it so that it'll have provide better access for Valley Hill and the surrounding area. When it's finished, it's gonna have four lanes of traffic. [3:36:46, 3:37:06]: Traffic gonna be a uh a reconfiguration of the Valley Hill Road exit. I've seen the plan. It's very well thought out, it's very well laid out uh in order for you know to move forward. And I think that I think it was mentioned that the townhome plan on highway [3:37:06, 3:37:26]: 42 that actually fell through, right? Yes. So the the the the ma'am, the the town home project that you were talking about on Highway 42 at Valley Home, that actually it did not move forward. So and you could you rush right the I'm not saying that something might not come there because things move forward, but that's some news that you probably [3:37:26, 3:37:46]: Sounds like you didn't know that the town home project at Highway 42 in Valley Hill is not moving forward at this point. So that's kind of where we are. But the city needs single family detached homes. We do. And uh, you know, as Miss as we've said, we had a lot of townhome communities, but certainly we want to offer variety. And the last [3:37:46, 3:38:06]: Thing that I'm gonna close by saying is listen, in 2021, it was a different situation when we're in 2021-2022. Interest rates were two percent, right? So, as a builder, you might have built a very expensive house at two percent interest rate, and but now [3:38:06, 3:38:26]: Now at 6% interest rate, the payment would in some instances be double. So I can understand why there's been changes to the program because affordability is a real issue. Because a$500,000 house at 6% interest is double the payment it would be at 2% interest. So understanding that [3:38:26, 3:38:38]: the affordability in building the smaller homes while maintaining some of the larger homes at five percent interest rate. That's kind of where we are now. So uh single family detached is what we need. Thank you. [3:38:39, 3:38:39]: Ms. Berry. [3:38:41, 3:38:50]: Thanks, Mayor. I I just has follow up questions for Mr. Anderson as well as the uh the builder, uh based off some of the uh public comments. [3:38:52, 3:39:12]: So the amenities now include walk and trail, playground, bridge, picnic area, and some of the uh legacy residents stated that the previous developer was willing to give them access to the amenities. Is that something that you guys um meanable? [3:39:12, 3:39:13]: Yeah. [3:39:21, 3:39:41]: Uh yes sir. The the amenities is in the back side but it's open community, you know? And the amenities is open for the whole neighbors. And the first layout we have a gated community. In the first layout on with 16 lots is a gated community. [3:39:41, 3:39:50]: Community for that reason, the community don't have access to the amenities. And one of the reasons to to [3:39:50, 3:40:06]: to move the amenities to the front is for the gated community. We remove the gated community, we leave a open uh open road. Uh and the amenities is for the whole neighbors and the community. So you don't you don't have a problem with that at all? [3:40:06, 3:40:26]: No sir. All right. And then my next uh concern was um one one person brought up the proximity. I know Mr. Anderson you talked about the uh setbacks and and and and the footage and so you also talked about a fence being set up as well. So if if if they would have access, how how [3:40:26, 3:40:38]: How would they gain access with the fence and the and and the they will come through the main entrance through the front. The f it it will not be gated but it will be fenced just to separate the property. The property, yes. [3:40:40, 3:40:40]: Yeah. [3:40:42, 3:40:44]: Thank you. [3:40:44, 3:40:56]: Okay, there's no other questions then I guess in a sense I need a um a motion to approve or deny. So moved. To approve. To approve. Is there a second? Second. Okay, from uh Miss Gantton, Mr. Azzan, all in favor, please indicate. [3:40:57, 3:40:59]: Can uh post? [3:40:59, 3:41:19]: I oppose therefore. At 3 1 the motion pass. Comment. Go ahead, please. Um I'm opposing this because I'm listening to the concerns, desires of the neighbors who live close to this. Um I believe there is a health, safety, and welfare concern as the neighbors. [3:41:19, 3:41:21]: [13281.6, 13282.6]: Privacy. [3:41:23, 3:41:24]: For the adjoining [3:41:24, 3:41:34]: Um homeowners is also a concern. Um I believe that this development, although the concepts are very nice, um [3:41:35, 3:41:39]: I believe the density, the number of units, it is [3:41:40, 3:41:41]: Too high. [3:41:41, 3:41:42]: In my opinion. [3:41:43, 3:41:43]: Um [3:41:44, 3:41:46]: Those are my thoughts. I'm listening. [3:41:46, 3:41:50]: And I'm addressing the concerns of the neighbors who live there. [3:41:51, 3:41:54]: As the district representative of the area. [3:41:54, 3:41:55]: I had hope. [3:41:55, 3:42:02]: that my councilmates would consider the fact that I represent the area and I don't support [3:42:02, 3:42:06]: This particular development with this amount of density, I'd hope. [3:42:07, 3:42:09]: Та дай вода аліст редут. [3:42:10, 3:42:30]: The amount of units. They did not. So I digress. Thank you, sir. All right. So on the make sure we we had that condition in there that was 7525. Yes, we we added it. Okay, thank you. All right. All right. So on that note, once again it passed three one and we'll move on. So I [3:42:29, 3:42:44]: Items number 10, 11, and 12 have been deferred till 9 February 2026. So we'll go to item number 13, which deals with the final reading and adoption proposed 2026 operating budget capital improvements plan. [3:42:44, 3:42:47]: Mr. Evanson and Mr. Malazi. Gentlemen. [3:42:53, 3:42:58]: And I guess congratulations in a sense to the d develop developer on your new project. [3:43:01, 3:43:01]: Yeah. [3:43:13, 3:43:14]: Okay. [3:43:19, 3:43:22]: Uh good evening once again, Mayor Council and Community. [3:43:23, 3:43:27]: As we convene the final public hearing this evening, I'm pleased to present [3:43:27, 3:43:32]: For you consideration the physical year 2026, proposed operating and capital budget. [3:43:33, 3:43:48]: The final budget balance budget totals$74.1 million across all funds, including general fund budget of 34.7, and reflects your priorities for responsible growth, core service delivery, and long-term financial stability. [3:43:48, 3:44:02]: This plan continues our commitment to stable governance on a millis rate of 3.77 mils, maintained since 2023, without an increase to our residents, while building on the progress documented in recent annual comprehensive financial reports. [3:44:03, 3:44:23]: The fiscal year 2026 budget advances a balanced set of investments across organization, enhanced public safety resources, scrinted public works and infrastructure with combined budgets increasing to approximately$6.4 million to address roads, sidewalks, facilities, and parks. Targeted technology upgrades to modernize [3:44:23, 3:44:30]: Systems and cybersecurity, continued support for events and community programming that drive engagement and economic activity. [3:44:30, 3:44:38]: A four point uh four percent cost of living for all city employees, which is a critical investment in our workforce to help offset influence. [3:44:40, 3:44:49]: Inflationary pressures maintain competitive compensation in a tight labor market and support retention, morale, and continuity of high quality service to our residents. [3:44:50, 3:44:51]: In addition [3:44:52, 3:45:03]: This budget positions the city to advance major SPLA 6 capital projects, including the Community Development Center, City Hall, Murr Manders Improvements, and the public, the new public. [3:45:03, 3:45:04]: Maintenance facility. [3:45:05, 3:45:14]: While sustaining a fund balance above best practices thresholds and leveraging the financial flexibility created by fully retiring the amphitheater bond. [3:45:14, 3:45:27]: Collectively, the physical year 2026 budget is a forward-looking map roadmap that protects our financial health, invests in core services and infrastructure, and support a safe and vibrant, prosperous stockbridge. [3:45:28, 3:45:34]: I respectfully recommend adoption following tonight's final public hearing and stand ready to answer any questions you may have. [3:45:35, 3:45:55]: I would also like to thank city staff for their hard work and their dedication throughout the last three months and adopting this budget, specifically the finance department. Where every change, we understand that we have to go through the full budget and figure out where those adjustments are coming from. So we want to just thank staff and their hard work and their time for their flexibility. [3:45:55, 3:45:59]: and responsiveness to this budget. So without further ado, uh Mr. Malazzi. [3:46:16, 3:46:18]: So I don't struggle. [3:46:22, 3:46:26]: Mayor, this is our third and final [3:46:28, 3:46:40]: budget public hearing and we will at the end of it request for your consideration to adopt the budget that will be due january one, twenty twenty six. [3:46:43, 3:47:03]: Nothing has changed in our general fund. That's thirty-four million seven hundred and sixty eighty six hundred and ninety. And at the end of my summary, that's the amount with all the changes that we have been having in the uh public hearing one. [3:47:03, 3:47:16]: two and three, uh that amount is derived from the revenue that is projected. So unless there's corresponding revenue somewhere else, our expenses will be within that amount. [3:47:18, 3:47:38]: And then the general total funds comp that is general fund plus other funds, the total one is seventy-four million hundred and sixty-five thousand six hundred and eighty-four. There are two reductions that we have done in the enterprise that will talk down the line. [3:47:38, 3:47:56]: Um so revenues expenses for general fund 34 million seven sixty-eight six ninety and all funds seventy-four million one hundred and sixty-five six hundred and eighty-four. Then I want to take time to [3:47:56, 3:47:59]: say on the revenues. [3:48:00, 3:48:07]: But I want to focus at the bottom of it, second page from the bottom where there are transfers. [3:48:08, 3:48:10]: There's two point two [3:48:11, 3:48:13]: Marian, that's one time. [3:48:14, 3:48:15]: Transfer. [3:48:15, 3:48:34]: And this one time transfer, um Councilman Alexander touched it during the discussions. This is the money that is coming from other funds and specifically from SPLUS. SPLAS projects are for six years. [3:48:35, 3:48:55]: So if we don't track it properly, we found out that we want projects to be done in two years, three years. For those projects to be done, that means you have to take money from somewhere else. And most of the time it's general fund. Unfortunately, we don't account for that. We don't go back to see how much money we have borrowed for those projects. [3:48:55, 3:49:05]: to be finished. That's where that transfers are coming from, 2.2. So just know that next year that money will not be there. So [3:49:06, 3:49:07]: It's a one time. [3:49:08, 3:49:24]: Just want to make sure that you we are aware of that. So that money is there, but it's one time source of revenues. That makes our budget to thirty two seven sixty eight six ninety. Otherwise our budget would have been on thirty two million. [3:49:26, 3:49:46]: Uh that's the distribution of revenues. It's the same that you have seen, but this is just on the pie chart. And then this is the past history of where we have come from in that twenty twenty two we were fifteen million budget, fifteen point three. Twenty twenty three it was uh twenty four point. [3:49:46, 3:50:06]: And 2024 is the 26.7, 2025, 29.2, and now we are talking about 2026 is the thirty-two, thirty-four. So that is showing the growth of the city. Revenues are going [3:50:06, 3:50:26]: up because there are a lot of things that are taking place within the community, which is to the positive side. And then we have the distribution of that 34.7 million where it's going, it's going to do the task that have [3:50:25, 3:50:40]: been listed here starting from uh governing body through other financing uses. I want you to look at that amount of how much uh it's in there. [3:50:43, 3:51:03]: Then that's a general fund distribution, which is the same that we have come from. And then we have uh other funds, including general fund thirty-four point seven, then we have uh total of seventy-four point one million. And you see here [3:51:03, 3:51:12]: there are some uh funds. These are active funds. All these ones are active funds, but you will see some have zero amount. [3:51:13, 3:51:32]: Zero amount confiscated assets is zero. But during the course of the fiscal year there may be activities. So when you approve all this council, uh whatever may happen, we don't need to do budget amendment as we have been doing because they are there. [3:51:32, 3:51:33]: So [3:51:33, 3:51:42]: Even you see the zeros, that means there are no ac uh activities, but you never know twenty twenty six something will happen there. [3:51:44, 3:52:04]: Uh these are the priorities that the council has, community center, TIS plus projects, downtown development we're finding, I think is on the agenda today again, city municipal building. Then we have uh highlights for 2026, a road and sidewalks, improved. [3:52:04, 3:52:22]: improvements, public safety enhancement, that's the satellite location for our public safety PD. No increase in property tax. Uh that's for this year. We can't talk about next year. 3.7 mils that has been since 2023. [3:52:22, 3:52:42]: Community development fee schedule proposal for twenty twenty six that has passed. S uh uh tw um fees have been dormant for us. So we are expecting come January one uh fees will increase from services of community [3:52:42, 3:53:02]: Development. Then there is a 4% caller for our employees. Public works new facility is under construction. Symmetry improvements, that's the reason why they have asked additional 10,000. So there's 20,000 for that. [3:53:02, 3:53:15]: allocated from general fund to that fund. Credit card payments fees to be installed. Thank you, Council. You have installed that one. So that you will be out of this one. [3:53:16, 3:53:36]: Uh then we have uh we went through this one first, second, the duties. Please do read this one. Even after the budget has passed through, when we hear about governing body, what do they do? Um that's our elected officials you see here. Uh they are [3:53:36, 3:53:56]: job, uh that's the plan, strategic plan. They give directions, they make the legislation for this city, and then you have the city manager and other appointed and staff to implement those policies and procedures. [3:53:58, 3:54:18]: Uh governing body is still there. Uh we have supporting staff from the governing body for the governing body to function. We have staff, we have executive assistant, we have administrative assistant. Uh they provide initiatives and various other duties for the council to function as it will be. [3:54:18, 3:54:27]: That is supported by um administration appointed the staff and the all staff of the city of Stockbridge. [3:54:28, 3:54:37]: Then you have the City Clerk's office. Uh you have the City Clerk's office again for 2026 overview. [3:54:39, 3:54:52]: Then you have the city manager, the job of the city manager. Go through we read through these ones, but uh I'm just going in over uh what's the city city manager's office do. [3:54:54, 3:55:03]: Then you have the City Treasurer's Office, what do they do? What takes place their finances under the City Treasurer's Office? And then you have community development. [3:55:06, 3:55:13]: We have human resources. What is the job for that department which is um [3:55:14, 3:55:34]: Municipal court. Most of us we know municipal court, but if you know to some highlights, you can get them on the 2025 year in review. Then you have what is the what are the goals for 2026. You have PD, Department Overview. [3:55:34, 3:55:40]: Uh this is public safety as again public safety OPD. Uh then you have the [3:55:41, 3:55:56]: The twenty twenty six proposal funding, what are the activities that they are planning to do? And that's the establishment of again, you know, we have a new satellite that the satellite office will be part of the initiatives or goals for twenty twenty six. [3:55:58, 3:56:00]: Uh public works. [3:56:01, 3:56:02]: Uh [3:56:02, 3:56:05]: IT, information technology, [3:56:07, 3:56:27]: Then the last one we'll have will be the events. Um we have just passed the calendars, or it's going to be passed or discussed. Uh the events, we have free events that are taking place throughout, and be informed of what the Department of Events. [3:56:27, 3:56:28]: [14190.4, 14191.6]: Then [3:56:32, 3:56:34]: I want us to also know [3:56:34, 3:56:36]: The four million [3:56:36, 3:56:44]: This four million is the one that is being transferred from general fund to fund other funds for operations. [3:56:46, 3:56:54]: Semitary is twenty thousand. We discussed that one. Then you have uh uh s um [3:56:56, 3:56:57]: You have C DA. [3:56:58, 3:56:59]: Andy [3:57:01, 3:57:03]: Downtown Development Authority? [3:57:04, 3:57:21]: A total of three four thirty-five, where we have three hundred and thirty-six for uh D for C D D A, and then you have uh sixty-eight thousand for C DA for a total of four hundred and thirty-five. [3:57:21, 3:57:26]: URA, you know that is for our debt payment one point two. [3:57:27, 3:57:31]: Then you have also PFA, that's for debt. [3:57:31, 3:57:32]: Another [3:57:32, 3:57:34]: One point five. [3:57:36, 3:57:39]: Then the last one is the eight hundred and forty. [3:57:39, 3:57:43]: This is the transfer from general fund into amphetre. [3:57:44, 3:57:49]: If you saw the budget for amphetre is three million. [3:57:49, 3:57:52]: And out of that three million there are [3:57:52, 3:57:55]: projecting to get revenues. [3:57:56, 3:57:58]: And the shortfall will be eight hundred and forty. [3:57:59, 3:58:00]: If [3:58:00, 3:58:03]: The expenses will be limited to that three million. [3:58:04, 3:58:09]: If the expenses will be three million, then that will be different. [3:58:09, 3:58:24]: But the as of now projected the transfer from general fund for twenty twenty six is eight hundred and forty. For a total of four million that is being transferred from general fund to fund other funds for operations. [3:58:25, 3:58:29]: then a summary. On summary you have general fund. [3:58:29, 3:58:49]: Which is the three hundred and thirty-four point seven million. Proposed expenses, including additional expenses or changes to expenses, cannot be more than thirty-four point seven million. This is the now under council's consideration for approval. [3:58:49, 3:58:57]: Approval. If there will be additional expenses to general fund, then we need to get corresponding expenses. [3:58:58, 3:59:07]: Number two, all other funds, including general fund, all fund 2026 proposed budget are in balance. [3:59:08, 3:59:28]: Stormwater expenses have been reduced by 173,500 to be in line with estimated revenues. Water expenses have been reduced by 487,940. Stormwater and stormwater [3:59:28, 3:59:36]: Water budget had revenue from reserve. So I'm discussing here, we have already discussed with the um [3:59:38, 3:59:45]: public works director of how we are going to resolve these ones because you cannot budget [3:59:45, 4:00:05]: Operations from reserves. Just know that reserve is always one-time funding. Next year it will not be there, next year it will not be there. So we have gone through if they will have problems with the capital projects, yes, we can use because capital projects funding. [4:00:05, 4:00:25]: either from reserve or others still will be one time. So my request is to approve the consider approving the general fund 34.7 and all other funds totaling 74.7 [4:00:24, 4:00:25]: Eight. [4:00:27, 4:00:30]: Ah seventy-four point one million. [4:00:31, 4:00:35]: Not seventy four point eight million. [4:00:38, 4:00:39]: All right. [4:00:41, 4:00:45]: Question Council for Mr. Malazzo or Mr. Edmondson? [4:00:46, 4:00:47]: Go ahead, sir, Mr. Baird. [4:00:48, 4:00:51]: Mr. Emms No, Mr. Malazi. [4:00:52, 4:01:09]: You talked about the amphitheater fund on a couple of different um touch points. You said the initial budget was three million, but then you spoke on a transfer of shortfall of eight hundred and forty thousand dollars. [4:01:10, 4:01:27]: So Ampheatre they are projecting that what they need in 2026 will be three million. Out of that they will have uh expenses, uh revenues that's from tickets, from um [4:01:28, 4:01:39]: Sponsorships and remember the seat manager said that this will be year round activities. So there are some activities where they'll get money. [4:01:39, 4:01:52]: Have have we ever hit that number? We've always exceeded that number in the past, correct? Um that's the city manager standing just uh beside me here. I think uh he may explain and uh we have yeah. [4:01:54, 4:01:57]: Yeah. Help me. [4:01:59, 4:02:01]: Make that make sense. [4:02:04, 4:02:05]: Do we have [4:02:07, 4:02:14]: I'm not in agreement with shortchanging. We're not gonna I I say we do what is expected. [4:02:15, 4:02:18]: to do. If it's at four point five, it's at four point five. It's a [4:02:19, 4:02:22]: It's a a facility that if you do the data. [4:02:22, 4:02:25]: Or a statistics on what it takes to run something. [4:02:26, 4:02:35]: I don't wanna shoot us in the foot and and go back with this mismanagement of funds on a budget that we c yes, we can amend it and people [4:02:37, 4:02:40]: you know, use campaign stuff or or smoke screens. [4:02:41, 4:02:41]: But [4:02:43, 4:02:46]: make sure that it's the ample amount of money. [4:02:46, 4:02:49]: that is needed to run the facility. [4:02:50, 4:02:52]: without someone saying oh [4:02:53, 4:02:56]: They're just spending all this money on an amphitheater. [4:02:56, 4:03:03]: And and the reason I say that is because it take it cost money to run facilities. Cost money to run any facility. [4:03:04, 4:03:06]: So I don't want to shortchange us. [4:03:06, 4:03:09]: And if it costs four point five normally. [4:03:10, 4:03:11]: Then that's what it needs to be. [4:03:12, 4:03:16]: If it if if that's the case and it's not oh they're breaking a bank they're [4:03:16, 4:03:21]: You know, they're just spending all this money on the amphitheater. Now you have a plan in place [4:03:22, 4:03:22]: To have [4:03:23, 4:03:28]: shows that might sell more or based off of the studies of of what you look at. [4:03:28, 4:03:34]: But I don't want us saying over just trash and money, oh look, they went over budget again. [4:03:35, 4:03:35]: You know [4:03:36, 4:03:36]: And [4:03:37, 4:03:44]: I'm gonna make it really clear again, budgets, no, they're not meant to go over. They're they're a map. [4:03:44, 4:03:49]: a roadmap, but they're not illegal and nobody's doing anything criminal when they do go over. [4:03:50, 4:03:53]: It it's scaling like any other business or any other [4:03:54, 4:03:55]: thing that people do. [4:03:55, 4:04:10]: Or when they buy stock and sometimes it goes down and sometimes it goes up and sometimes it doesn't do what it's supposed to do that year. Or, you know, somebody in the higher ups of of government says one thing and then all of a sudden [4:04:12, 4:04:16]: uh you know all the stock is flat. It's the same thing with a budget. [4:04:17, 4:04:24]: So we need to stop that narrative and the drama behind it. [4:04:26, 4:04:31]: And if it's four point five million or whatever it's cost to run [4:04:31, 4:04:34]: Professionally, the way we need to do. [4:04:34, 4:04:36]: Ветер билдин ми хав. [4:04:36, 4:04:40]: And that's what we need to do, so long as we're not going broke doing it. [4:04:43, 4:05:03]: Mr. Add Sound Quick, please. Let me say this. I want to 100% echo, and I know where Mr. Berry was trying to go. We're going to set ourselves up for a$3 million budget, knowing that that's not adequate. And then in the end, all we're going to hear about is, ah, they went over budget again. No, we know that. [4:05:03, 4:05:04]: Last year [4:05:05, 4:05:06]: We spent what [4:05:07, 4:05:12]: Mr. Malaze, what we spent on the amphitheater budget four point four I think I see here. [4:05:12, 4:05:27]: So last year, if you say last year, that's two twenty twenty-four, we spent eight point one. No, say in twenty twenty five. Twenty twenty-five is projected uh four point four. Right, four point four. The four point four schedule was a scale back. [4:05:27, 4:05:37]: did about how many shows did we do? How many shows did we do? Miss Webster, can you come up? Is that okay, Mr. Pilot? Mr W Mr Emerson. Miss Webster, can you come up? [4:05:47, 4:05:55]: Do you know how many shows that we did even f this year, period? Just how many paid concerts did we do? [4:05:56, 4:05:57]: I think about ten. [4:05:57, 4:06:00]: Right. We did ten paid concerts. [4:06:00, 4:06:03]: There's three hundred and sixty five days in the year. [4:06:04, 4:06:24]: We only did 10 and we spent what$4.4 million on the 4.4. I think we could have gotten more out of the 4.4 than the 10. And I'm not pointing the figure at you, Miss Webster. I and you can have a seat now. I just wanted to get that clarified. Is that on a scale-back schedule? [4:06:24, 4:06:44]: Where we only did 10 concerts all year at a$20 million facility, we spent 4.4. What I want us to do is to get ahead of the game. I want us to spend the necessary dollars to book the maximum amount of concerts that we can do based on this budget that we did in the previous year. We've never [4:06:44, 4:07:04]: Been under that number. That's the lowest number that we've had. And how did we get there? We really kind of damaged our reputation by canceling concerts and then uh you know going back, changing the schedule. That's not what we want to be known for. We want to be known for booking the shows, standing behind our [4:07:04, 4:07:24]: commitment. It was unfortunate that we had, you know, a changeover in the middle of the year. Whoever the provider is that we bring in, we're going to give them this budget. They're going to stick to this budget and that's it. That's what we're going to do. I want everybody coming back to us saying, well, this happened or that happened. When the reports are supposed [4:07:23, 4:07:43]: To come two weeks after the show. We expect the reports to come two weeks after the show. Mr. Malazzi and his team will be responsible for the finances just like they were this. It's amazing. When Mr. Malazzi was in charge of the expenses this year, they actually came down, right? They came down because we had a [4:07:43, 4:08:03]: We had a solid uh you know plan where he was following up on the money that was going out, who was getting paid, what was going to happen. Those vendors need to be vetted as we've agreed to do, right, Mr. Malazzi? Every city vendor will be vetted. We'll make sure that those uh amounts are going out or or appropriate. [4:08:03, 4:08:18]: But we we did make progress this year where the budget came down. But Mr. Edmondson, uh you have said to me, and and I believed in it, I bought into it a hundred percent, which was the halo effect. [4:08:19, 4:08:39]: Of the amphitheater. We have no idea, but we went to Burlington. We went to the Ribbon Cuddy. We have no idea, but we went to the first watch ribbon cuddy. We have no idea, but Tim Horton's Coffee is coming here. Seven Brew is coming over there. Crown Pizza is thriving. Frozen Smoke is doing well. ABA therapy. [4:08:39, 4:08:51]: We just had a brilliant ribbon cutting at Burn Boot Camp, right, Mayor? Absolutely. Absolutely. Those businesses aren't happening by accident. They are a halo effect of the money that we're spending. [4:08:51, 4:09:11]: Now, I look at it on a macro scale to look at look at Truest Park, right? A$700 million project that the County invested Cobb County invested$400 million in, right? Now, the Halo effect around that has been a billion dollars in economic development created. Of course, we're marketing. [4:09:11, 4:09:15]: Micro. [4:09:16, 4:09:24]: At what is happening right all around us with the new businesses that are populating our area. And we have a ribbon cutting now almost every week. [4:09:25, 4:09:43]: When we first started, and I know you all, when y'all first started, ribbon cuttings were a rare occurrence when they were very rare. They were very rare. Now we have'em all the time and people are knocking on the door at economic development. Ryan is as busy as possible and he tells us all the time his department is driving the revenue, right? [4:09:44, 4:09:47]: His department is making revenue right and left. [4:09:47, 4:09:58]: And so many more businesses are coming. So I want to do the appropriate thing. I call it investment. We invested in ourselves in the twenty-two point five million dollar facility. We paid it off. [4:09:58, 4:10:07]: We have got the economic momentum now. I don't want to do anything to step on it. Ten concerts stepped on it this year. [4:10:07, 4:10:27]: We want to use that amount, but we want to get a better deal based on what we're paying the artists and the requirements. And we understand now with the way the economy is going and ticket sales are going, these artists should be charging less. They should they should be charging less based on the way ticket sales are going, not just [4:10:27, 4:10:46]: With us, but with all the facilities that are not selling out because of the ticket prices have really gotten out of hand. So let's look at it, examine it, and whoever the provider is that we bring in from the RFP, we need to hold them to this budget that we had this past year at about 4.5. [4:10:46, 4:10:49]: Yeah. That would be my recommendation. [4:10:53, 4:10:54]: Get it commentary. [4:10:55, 4:11:00]: Okay, go ahead, Mr uh Mr. Ebbinson. What what you gotta respond to, I guess. [4:11:03, 4:11:05]: So um [4:11:06, 4:11:26]: When we was going over this trying to find the funding, um we was going back and forth and Mr. Malazzi was able to find the funding uh for that particular budget. Um but what we did, we kind of looked at it and all those points that y'all made are are valid. Uh those points are valid. Um but another thing that we looked at, we looked at the approach that we have been using. [4:11:25, 4:11:45]: For the last three years, and we just thought that approach was not sustainable. For instance, we did a flat ticket pricing for all acts. Same price used regardless of the artist profile, the demand, the day of the week, high-demand acts was underpriced. [4:11:46, 4:11:52]: Uh we lost revenue on that. Um enterprise in name, but general fund in practice. Um we d had dedic [4:11:53, 4:12:13]: The whole intent was to create an enterprise, but the model that we were currently using did not produce the enterprise amount of money that we were trying to produce. So, what we're trying to do is something a little bit different this year, well, completely different this year, to drive that revenue in that we've been talking about while still maintaining the quality of. [4:12:13, 4:12:23]: the shows and things that we do have. So we understand the two point six that have been budgeted previously has been insufficient um because it uh it just [4:12:23, 4:12:26]: wasn't a way to kick start an enterprise fund. [4:12:27, 4:12:47]: Um so one things that we have been doing and considered, uh for instance, we are switching um our ticketing from fresh ticks to uh ticketmaster. We understand that in itself is is huge when it comes to identifying shows and acts in the region. We believe that's gonna be a game changer. Uh tier uh [4:12:47, 4:13:07]: Uh tier ticketing, multi-year promoter agreements, uh clear revenue, risk sharing, uh structured sponsorships, being intentional about those things, making sure that forty percent of the ticket sales and tickets cover all the costs of the amphitheater, why we are looking at the other sixty percent as revenue. So just [4:13:07, 4:13:12]: Just different models in itself for that way and just the approach to it. [4:13:12, 4:13:17]: g gain more momentum than we had before, just string uh changing the model. [4:13:25, 4:13:45]: We are being very intentional about the acts and things that we bring in back. We looked at historical things, some shows that's very successful. We looked at things that in the area, uh doing samples and looking at different uh recommendations. Uh we came up with a proposed list for 2026, um, just based off the responses and things that we get. [4:13:45, 4:13:55]: And we believe that if we bring in the right people and market it well, align ourselves with great marketers and the industry that we can get to where we're trying to go. [4:13:55, 4:13:56]: Um [4:13:57, 4:14:17]: Marketing killed us. Um, our approach to it and being intentional and and getting follow up on what those numbers look like. Um, we bel we believe now that we have a uh a definitely a plan for that when it comes to marketing and getting the word out um and getting the community involved in that. That's a big big approach that we're taking this year that we believe uh [4:14:17, 4:14:29]: have tremendous return back on that. Um just breakdown, if we talk uh look at the actual breakdown of 3,600 seats, that aperture that's in there, it removes 20, 250 seats. [4:14:29, 4:14:35]: So right now we are investing in removing that so we moving that area lower so that [4:14:35, 4:14:54]: The audio and the production thing is lower and it's it's level set with the seats so that we can open up additional 250 seats. Um through the last rental that we had, that was a big, big thing, and that's another reason why I didn't sold out because of the tent that we had that blocked the view, obstruct the view. So that in itself [4:14:55, 4:15:15]: Adding those additional 250 seats is game changing. So it's small things, it seems small on the surface, but it it's a huge return when we're talking about the approach that we're trying to do this particular year and trying to bring in some of those revenue, sponsorships, things of that nature, and getting the word out. Um, once again, we talk about, hey, you know, why are people not hearing [4:15:15, 4:15:35]: About us, if people don't understand and you're not reaching those audiences, by being on those platforms that market concerts and things of that nature, you'd never reach the level to enterprise. You know, and we just think that those different measures that we're talking about, the tier system, changing our ticketing uh system, bringing in real good sponsorships, partnerships. [4:15:34, 4:15:42]: that long-term investments, just like we did with ViStar, we think is a definite way to go to bring in some of that revenue that we're talking about. [4:15:43, 4:15:43]: Um so [4:15:44, 4:16:04]: That's just kind of the approach that we was thinking about, looking at doing the numbers, uh, crunching the numbers and saying that, hey, if we do this model right here, this is the return that we anticipate to get um just by this particular model. Um so we we talked every scenario. Um once again, um I only could go by what uh [4:16:06, 4:16:15]: Stuff that we do have available in r in in regards to finance. I've been working closely with Mr. Malazzi on trying to find additional funding, but we just believe with [4:16:15, 4:16:28]: This method right here where we at right now can do it. And once again, this is something that we never done before. But once again, it's trying to do something different that we never done before to get a better return back. [4:16:28, 4:16:48]: But once again, um if that's the the the wish of the council, we go back to the drawing board and figure that out. Uh something for you. It mentioned about the production set, the production sound team and lower and everything. Yes. I I I uh I'm assuming well no, I shouldn't assume. I mean I'm I'm thinking along the lines that uh that AC Russell and Company built the [4:16:48, 4:17:08]: the force, so I'm assuming uh here I go assuming again, that that you would go them to to get the to get the right folks I guess to reduce it or shrink it or whatever the case, because reconstruct it. Since they built the force, I would imagine they have all the you know the right uh personnel or contacts to do that with. Right. [4:17:08, 4:17:28]: A couple of uh engineers and people come out and look at it and they thought, hey, digging down versus you know up is the is the best course of action. Of course, there are some issues talking about the runoff, looking at the different piping that we have. Um, but we believe the amount of that we can invest in doing that one particular change would be a good return because you open up an additional 200. [4:17:28, 4:17:48]: So that's a big thing. Also, the rentals, we was renting equipment every single show instead of owning that equipment. So that's a huge turnaround as well, because when we're talking about the 360 model that we are proposing, which opens it up to other venues, uh rent it out for graduations, uh [4:17:48, 4:18:08]: different organization having they they official uh events here is what we're marketing. There's a demand for it. Right now, Atlanta is oversaturated with area and space. People are looking for different venues to rent out. So that's a different model that we're looking at as well. But we have to own the stuff that we've been renting, which is a lot of money just in rentals. [4:18:08, 4:18:22]: year after year after year. We bought it ten times over. So this time we just trying to do something different and looking at the expenses and things that we have spent money on and saying let's invest it, let's buy it, and then just make that a part of package. So when people do rent it out, it's a package deal. [4:18:23, 4:18:25]: And it and it's a return on your investment. [4:18:26, 4:18:42]: So the equipment that you need we need to buy is not part of this potential forty five No, we have it in the budget, in the in this budget as well. Okay. All right. Not a part of the three million. Three million. We have a maintenance budget that's dealing with infrastructure and building. Correct. [4:18:43, 4:18:47]: I'm sorry, back up. I said that I asked was it strictly operational? [4:18:48, 4:18:49]: Right, this right here, yes. [4:18:51, 4:19:07]: Yeah. Well I'm a little confused right now. I thought you m you talked about originally three million, but what what what we've been d recently discussing probably needs to be something similar to what had happened last year about forty five about four point five million, I thought. That's what I thought I was I heard. [4:19:08, 4:19:16]: Qua question. Yes. So if if this is operational, what is the uh line item for the anciller? [4:19:16, 4:19:36]: What is the line items for the ancillary materials? Building building and maintenance facility. Okay. Yeah, because we understand that of course it it requires upgrades. All our facilities require that maintenance upgrade. So we did look at uh the cost that it would cause to kind of do some minor uh adjustments and upgrades and that and that's gonna be a [4:19:36, 4:19:41]: part of it uh outside of this three million which is strictly operating um cost for that. [4:19:42, 4:19:44]: But you keep saying three million, sir. [4:19:45, 4:20:05]: We we we need four point five. But let me can I speak real quick. Go ahead, sir. Let me just say this. We want to set the target high. But the one thing that we've been missing, I I I don't know. Do we need to put our RLP out for somebody to find sponsors? With the great press and everything that we have gotten for the [4:20:05, 4:20:25]: this facility and the type of acts that we came in, we should have m a multitude of sponsors for this event. And then I think even for the city events team, we need to have somebody out there working on sponsorships because we're not getting it done. I'm sorry, we're not. [4:20:25, 4:20:30]: And somebody should have their name on the Fourth of July event with ten thousand people. [4:20:31, 4:20:51]: If we talk to the right people, somebody will put their name on that 10,000, somebody will put their name on Bridge Fest, right? These Juneteenth, I honestly say, by starting out with Councilman Thomas and the counts we had with the previous administration to bring it from the park to uh the amphitheater. [4:20:51, 4:20:59]: That was that that that is the one of the best Juneteenth events in the country. Somebody will sponsor that. [4:21:00, 4:21:20]: All of it, not us. And that's where the key is gonna be at right there. So uh that and that was the I think was the biggest downfall in our previous model is that we we had tried to do this one shop stop shop thing where every the one person or the organization was in charge of everything, including marketing, marketing with the ticket manager. [4:21:19, 4:21:39]: Master will be better, but we need to have a dedicated organization out there chasing down sponsorships for us. Maybe they get paid on part of the sponsorships that they bring in. But the sponsorship money is the big X that's missing from the quotient. And I and I'll assure you, those dollars are out there, especially with all the employees that we're bringing. [4:21:39, 4:21:59]: In the town. And the one thing that I would like to see us do, and I see Clayton County doing it all the time. I see Clayton County government and the uh Jonesboro amphitheater working together all the time. That's a relationship that we need to get going with Henry County. So that Henry County is having shows and [4:21:59, 4:22:19]: At the amphitheater uh as well through the IGA agreement, uh and then partnering with us because the tourism benefits all of us, not just the city of Stockbridge. So those relationships need to happen. So whatever we need to do to make that happen, but I'm committed tonight. We're not leaving here with a three million [4:22:19, 4:22:27]: budget after we've been failed at two point six, which is so close. We gotta have an adequate budget to make that happen. [4:22:31, 4:22:45]: Mr. Edmundson looked to choose there, Mr. Frank, so I don't know you n need something you need to add. He called me to speak, so I'm going to speak. Excuse me? He asked me to speak. Yes, yes, sir, I'm asking you to speak. I I'm thinking where to start from. [4:22:45, 4:22:46]: He's planking what now? [4:22:47, 4:22:48]: I'm thinking where to start from. [4:22:49, 4:23:08]: What you know, you got one word after another. That's what So three million out of the three million that he he proposed, um with the four hundred uh three million, that means the amphitheatre was to generate two point one million. [4:23:11, 4:23:14]: Plus eighty four, it was coming to three million total. [4:23:16, 4:23:22]: which you are saying is not realistic, seeing with what has happened, it will not be [4:23:24, 4:23:29]: That means the general fund has to come up with two point three. [4:23:31, 4:23:33]: I would request [4:23:33, 4:23:34]: This is my suggestion. [4:23:35, 4:23:45]: I would request you approve the budget as it is, with your intention to go to four point five. Then let him rework [4:23:46, 4:23:48]: massage, where to move money. [4:23:49, 4:23:55]: To make up for that difference of one point five. Cause now we are short of one point five. [4:23:55, 4:24:15]: And the money that they have now, if he was asking for the year, definitely by mid of the year he will still have that. But I think it will take time to sit down and see how we can move money because we are not increasing revenues. They have to come from [4:24:15, 4:24:17]: general fund to fund that. [4:24:17, 4:24:37]: Okay, so if we happen to agree to that and happens to be agreed approved to, you would set we have to have another formal meeting to to make that adjustment or not? We we have to see where to move money to make up for that one point, because as you say, it's not realistic three million. Uh with the standards that you want, but you have to [4:24:37, 4:24:50]: give up something to come up with. So it will be priorities that he has to which other projects can be delayed or where he can move some money to make up for that. [4:24:51, 4:25:10]: Okay. Which also brings to my point again, to do that I would say we would have to have a s some type of special call meeting to to to see that No, you you'll pass this. You pass you if that's if that's the desire to council. Yeah, yeah. Okay. You will pass this one because you what you have is uh more than a half a year [4:25:10, 4:25:19]: of the entire project. So what you are looking for is an additional one point five million to finish the f the whole fiscal year. [4:25:20, 4:25:24]: Okay. To make it five point uh four four point five. [4:25:24, 4:25:32]: But with the understanding that this budget will be changed to make it to four point five. [4:25:34, 4:25:41]: Right, because as of now, I'm sure he will not have w will not have that available money'cause we have to give up something. [4:25:45, 4:25:46]: All right. Well [4:25:47, 4:25:47]: Okay. [4:25:49, 4:25:55]: With the understanding that it that three is not enough, we will need additional. [4:25:55, 4:26:00]: So if we pass that one, that means we are passing unbalanced budget. [4:26:01, 4:26:21]: 'Cause we have uh expenses that are, but we don't have corresponding revenues. Oh okay, let me ask you this. What about the money that we had discussed about the hotel m t motel tax money that's coming in? That's my point of can you hold on on this? So we can [4:26:21, 4:26:28]: We don't want to get in a position where we're doing a budget amendment and again in twenty twenty six. We want budget amendment, you have to do it. [4:26:29, 4:26:34]: Okay. You have to even this twenty twenty five come January, February you have to do it. [4:26:34, 4:26:54]: Okay, so what you're saying is uh understanding and we pass in the budget uh as is at its balance, but certainly we'll be endeavored of looking for that additional funding to go to with the understanding we're gonna go and and the message is clear, we're gonna endeavor to get to four point five and the city manager is gonna be looking [4:26:54, 4:27:10]: for the additional funding, whether that be the special service district, whether that be the other uh income from hotel motel because we had several hotels come online so that number should definitely be going up. So hotel motel [4:27:11, 4:27:11]: Mm-hmm. [4:27:12, 4:27:16]: has got three sources of expenses. [4:27:16, 4:27:27]: And our hotel motel revenues are growing, are are going up. For instance, now we have budgeted four four hundred and twenty-four thousand to go to general fund. [4:27:27, 4:27:32]: But in actual sense we are going to expect not less than nine hundred thousand. [4:27:32, 4:27:35]: Now you may wonder where does the other money [4:27:36, 4:27:37]: Where does it go? [4:27:38, 4:27:42]: So General Fund has a portion of that eight percent. [4:27:43, 4:27:45]: Then we have to give it to Chamber. [4:27:46, 4:27:47]: Henry County Chamber. [4:27:48, 4:27:51]: Then we have to give it to [4:27:52, 4:27:56]: tourist development within our city. So those are three. [4:27:57, 4:28:02]: So until you decide to say that we are going to have our own [4:28:03, 4:28:04]: Body here. [4:28:05, 4:28:13]: That means you don't have to send that money to chamber. But until that one is put in place, we'll still continue sending that money. [4:28:14, 4:28:16]: And over the years. [4:28:16, 4:28:27]: We have not been utilising for tourists here, so we have in general uh in a reserve over two million that we have to take it to general fund. [4:28:29, 4:28:39]: that has been over the years they have not been accounted for. So that one has to come to general fund. Now when it comes to general fund you have to decide [4:28:39, 4:28:43]: It's general fund. What do we do with this one? Will it be [4:28:44, 4:28:50]: But we have to follow procedures. That money is there. We're going to move it. [4:28:51, 4:29:02]: So we so we have additional funding coming, we just gotta move it. General fund, but it'll you have to decide what to do with it. But that's one area I'm saying there will be something. [4:29:03, 4:29:10]: Okay. So we just basically we we we should have it. We just gotta do amendments w um [4:29:10, 4:29:20]: We have to do the amendment and I don't think he he will have finished the um ampheatre by March. Come March, I don't think he will have finished the whole three million. [4:29:21, 4:29:30]: We do budget amendment whenever there is more revenues or less revenues so that at least it's in a balance. [4:29:31, 4:29:39]: You can do as many there's no limitation of budget amendment, but if you do as many times as that means that lack of planning at the same time. [4:29:40, 4:29:45]: So at least minimum of two budget amendments, but you can do as many as you can. [4:29:46, 4:29:48]: Okay. All right, thank you. Ms. Barber, go ahead, please. [4:29:50, 4:29:57]: I am trying to wrap my mind around the discussion that we're having regarding the amphitheater and funding it. [4:29:57, 4:29:59]: At the start of this meeting [4:30:00, 4:30:02]: We talked about funding for a new park. [4:30:03, 4:30:04]: And Socophiles. [4:30:07, 4:30:11]: Ви дик родин маніфори сокрофілд. [4:30:12, 4:30:15]: Інстейво сугested that we bond the money. [4:30:16, 4:30:21]: bond the money to complete these capital improvement projects. But yet right now [4:30:22, 4:30:28]: We're having all these discussions about how we're going to fund the operations of the amphitheater. [4:30:29, 4:30:30]: That's wasting money. [4:30:32, 4:30:40]: It is wasteful spending. I'd much rather$4.5 million go towards this new park. [4:30:40, 4:30:42]: In the existing parks. [4:30:42, 4:30:44]: На то фун. [4:30:45, 4:30:47]: The operations of the amphitheater. [4:30:47, 4:30:50]: In twenty twenty one [4:30:50, 4:30:53]: I brought to the table a major name and right sponsor. [4:30:54, 4:30:59]: who was willing to pay for all of the upfront cost, including [4:30:59, 4:31:01]: Paying for the cost of the artists. [4:31:02, 4:31:05]: paying for the speakers and lighting and sound and [4:31:06, 4:31:09]: All of the things that we needed for the operations. [4:31:09, 4:31:12]: Not one dime would have come from the city. [4:31:12, 4:31:19]: However, my councilmates didn't want to proceed with the negotiations. They'd much rather use the tax dollars [4:31:20, 4:31:21]: To fund the operations. [4:31:22, 4:31:25]: It makes no sense. We are a municipality. [4:31:26, 4:31:27]: We're a government entity. [4:31:28, 4:31:32]: We are not a nightclub. We're not a business either. [4:31:33, 4:31:36]: I am bothered because na only [4:31:36, 4:31:43]: are these tax dollars from residents, it's my money too. And that is not how I want to spend my money. [4:31:43, 4:31:48]: I'd much rather see us execute the master trail plan. [4:31:48, 4:31:55]: That was one of the priorities that I had when I first got on the council in twenty twenty. [4:31:55, 4:32:02]: Not one trail has been put together since then, but we have wasted year over year. [4:32:02, 4:32:04]: Says twenty twenty two. [4:32:05, 4:32:06]: Milions. [4:32:06, 4:32:07]: Not hundreds. [4:32:08, 4:32:11]: Not thousands, milns of dollars. [4:32:11, 4:32:12]: Every year. [4:32:13, 4:32:15]: on the operations of this amphitheater. [4:32:15, 4:32:18]: Absolutely it's gross mismanagement. [4:32:20, 4:32:27]: I wanna be real clear about how I see my fiduciary responsibilities as an elected official and a member of the governing body. [4:32:28, 4:32:31]: While I cannot and will not speak for the other members of the council, [4:32:32, 4:32:39]: What I will say is that I take the budget adoption and adhering to the city's approved operating budget very seriously. [4:32:40, 4:32:43]: Equally, I take this city's charter seriously as well. [4:32:44, 4:32:53]: Residents of our city are not looking for handouts. They're looking for an equitable return on their investment of their tax dollars. [4:32:53, 4:33:02]: The arrogance and the lack of care and concern that has been exhibited as the governing body has made decisions that have benefited the very few. [4:33:03, 4:33:06]: rather than the collective is something that we all will have to answer for. [4:33:07, 4:33:13]: That's why I've been asking questions since I was sworn in, and six years later, I have not stopped. [4:33:14, 4:33:20]: I understand the weight of the responsibilities that my position carries. I understand that my role is to save money. [4:33:20, 4:33:22]: Cut cost. [4:33:22, 4:33:24]: Настмоні. [4:33:25, 4:33:37]: As elected officials, we each took an oath to act in the best interest of our city and to provide oversight of each and every taxpayer dollar that comes in and goes out. [4:33:38, 4:33:45]: The governing body approved a finance policy and agreed to follow the processes and procedures in that policy. [4:33:46, 4:34:00]: And we unanimously agreed to a two to three year plan to follow the recommendations by the city treasurer and the city's financial advisor to rebuild the city's fund balance, our savings account. [4:34:00, 4:34:01]: I hope. [4:34:02, 4:34:09]: That the governing body will fulfill its obligation and to not use the city's fund balance or general funds. [4:34:09, 4:34:12]: Except and only in case of emergencies. [4:34:13, 4:34:23]: On October 28th of this year, the city manager made a request to add new positions and reclassify current positions with new titles and pay grades. [4:34:23, 4:34:30]: The city's charter section three point zero four dash zero six zero requires [4:34:30, 4:34:32]: That when a new position is created [4:34:32, 4:34:40]: The ordinance shall include the new job description, a new pay and classification, and a new organizational chart. [4:34:40, 4:34:43]: including the new and reclassified positions. [4:34:43, 4:34:45]: On october twenty eighth, [4:34:45, 4:34:47]: None of those documents were included. [4:34:48, 4:34:51]: and presented to the governing body as required. [4:34:51, 4:34:58]: I opposed the vote to approve the new and reclassified positions, not because I disagreed with the positions. [4:34:59, 4:35:06]: But my opposition referenced the charter, which requires those documents, and they had not been included. [4:35:06, 4:35:09]: Members of the governing body should also question [4:35:09, 4:35:12]: Why the documents were not attached? [4:35:12, 4:35:20]: Members of the governing body should also question why the city's legal counsel did not advise on the requirement of those specific documents. [4:35:21, 4:35:27]: This is not the first incident of when new positions or reclassified positions have been created. [4:35:28, 4:35:33]: So there is a history of adhering to the process and the charter by doing it this way. [4:35:34, 4:35:35]: The right way. [4:35:35, 4:35:44]: On November 10th, the city manager presented the first reading of the FY 2026 operating budget and capital improvement plan. [4:35:44, 4:35:47]: The mayor opened the public hearing portion of the meeting. [4:35:47, 4:35:48]: And gate. [4:35:49, 4:35:53]: And members of the council gave their input and responses to the budget that was presented. [4:35:54, 4:35:56]: I read a statement into the record. [4:35:57, 4:35:58]: Where I made it known. [4:35:58, 4:36:02]: That I had gone through every single line item of the proposed budget. [4:36:03, 4:36:06]: What was missing from the first reading of the proposed budget was [4:36:06, 4:36:08]: was funding for the amphitheater. [4:36:08, 4:36:10]: The required job descriptions. [4:36:10, 4:36:12]: Paying classification. [4:36:12, 4:36:14]: and city organizational chart. [4:36:14, 4:36:17]: For the new and reclassified position. [4:36:17, 4:36:20]: Making the budget as presented incomplete. [4:36:21, 4:36:26]: I questioned several budget line items and various departmental budget amounts. [4:36:27, 4:36:38]: I also recommended that the council adopt an ordinance regarding the use of contingency funds, which are only to be used in the event of an emergency such as a natural disaster. [4:36:40, 4:36:48]: The mayor and members of the council did not support moving forward with the approval of a contingency fund ordinance that night. [4:36:48, 4:36:54]: And said that our city's legal council needs to review and bring back an ordinance. [4:36:54, 4:36:57]: I forwarded my email to all members of the governing body. [4:36:57, 4:37:03]: the city's legal counsel, the city manager, city treasurer, and the city clerk. [4:37:03, 4:37:04]: To date [4:37:04, 4:37:06]: The city's legal council. [4:37:06, 4:37:08]: Has not prepared an ordinance. [4:37:08, 4:37:09]: For contingency funds. [4:37:10, 4:37:13]: Nor have I received a response following their review. [4:37:14, 4:37:17]: On November seventeenth, twenty twenty five. [4:37:17, 4:37:24]: City staff submitted some, but not all, of the documents that I requested during the November tenth meeting. [4:37:25, 4:37:33]: City staff submitted some, but not all, of the job descriptions for the newly created and the reclassified positions. [4:37:33, 4:37:36]: City staff submitted an incomplete [4:37:36, 4:37:38]: Paying classification. [4:37:38, 4:37:39]: And responded. [4:37:39, 4:37:46]: To some but not all of the questions and concerns that I raised regarding the FY twenty twenty six budget. [4:37:47, 4:38:00]: During the second reading of the proposed FY twenty twenty-six budget on november eighteenth, again, I requested that all job descriptions, the paying classification, and organizational chart. [4:38:00, 4:38:02]: be attached to the budget as required. [4:38:03, 4:38:07]: by the charter section three point oh four dash oh six oh [4:38:08, 4:38:28]: I requested the amphitheater marketing plan, the sponsorship plan to understand the next steps to offset costs associated with the concerts and free city events, as was discussed during the retreat. I also requested the building maintenance plan for the Merrill Manders Conference Center to understand the [4:38:28, 4:38:33]: necessary steps to increase revenues as discussed during the budget retreat. [4:38:34, 4:38:49]: I asked for an update to the Assistant Public Works Director position as it relates to the engineering services as discussed during the retreat, along with other documents and questions relating to the proposed FY 2026 budget. [4:38:50, 4:39:10]: I specifically asked during the November 18th meeting if the documents were attached as requested. Point of order. And it was confirmed. Point of order they were in case. We're talking about the budget. We're going down this list that has nothing to do with the budget. We're talking about the 2026 budget, how much money we're going to [4:39:10, 4:39:25]: spin this documentation trail has nothing to do with what we're talking about tonight. We're talking about the assistant uh d director of the public works and back in November. We're talking about the 2026 budget, what we're gonna do. [4:39:26, 4:39:46]: To move forward. Now we as a rule we have five minutes to speak on any topic for any subject. How much to much time does Miss Barber need? Mayor May I please finish. How long how much longer do you want to be able to do that? Stand by a second. Okay. Well I'll tell you what. Uh uh what I understand that these these parties conversation deal with [4:39:46, 4:39:50]: positions that are in new positions that are in this twenty twenty six budget. Is that correct? [4:39:50, 4:40:08]: If that's the correct, it's still somewhat budget related. That's the way I look at it. Correct. So I'm gonna let it continue on and then you we'll get some other times to to speak additionally if we need to do so. So continue on. Go ahead. Okay. Um I specifically asked during the November eighteenth meeting if the documents were attached as requested. [4:40:08, 4:40:14]: And it was confirmed that they were included in the governing bodies, agenda books, and agenda binders. [4:40:14, 4:40:21]: However, all of the requested documents and responses were not included and had not been submitted. [4:40:21, 4:40:25]: When I stated that the information was not there, I was attacked. [4:40:25, 4:40:26]: As you see. [4:40:27, 4:40:33]: I was attacked by Councilman Alexander for asking the city manager to respond to the budget questions raised. [4:40:33, 4:40:53]: And I was attacked by Mayor Pro Tem Gantt, who insisted that the information had been submitted by staff and was included in the agenda books. And it was Mayor Mayor Pro Tem Gantt accused me of not reading the information prior to the meetings to accuse me of gaslighting. [4:40:53, 4:41:00]: For asking questions of staff and vo and she again violated the city's code of conduct when she called me crazy. [4:41:01, 4:41:03]: Which can be clearly heard on the mic. [4:41:03, 4:41:04]: during our public meeting. [4:41:05, 4:41:10]: What is interesting is whenever I bring up questions regarding the amphitheater [4:41:10, 4:41:22]: funding of the amphitheater, putting the amphitheater services out for bid, or turning the amphitheater over to a third party management company, these two council members become argumentative [4:41:22, 4:41:26]: and want to shut me down for simply asking questions. [4:41:26, 4:41:28]: During the budget retreat in Macon [4:41:29, 4:41:49]: Mayor Pro Tem Gantt also by the city's code of conduct when she called me a bitch during the public meeting. Point of order. Of course. Totally on the relaxed council. Conversation. Can you relax for a second, please? Ms. Barber. You can't use it. Hold on a second. [4:41:49, 4:42:00]: Barber, when we do public hearings, it's it states in the comments and I've stated in the comments that we don't have this disparaging type of comments. She called me. I but I will I will refrain from using profanity. [4:42:00, 4:42:05]: Thank you, sir. That'd that'd be good. Thank you. Um, during the budget retreat and making Mare Protein Gan. [4:42:05, 4:42:09]: Also violated the city's code of conduct when she called me the B word. [4:42:09, 4:42:10]: During the public meeting. [4:42:11, 4:42:13]: Of course, the conversation was about amphitheater funding. [4:42:14, 4:42:34]: During the budget retreat in September of this year, Mayor Pro Tem Gantt again. We're not supposed to do that. We're not supposed to attack our fellow members. That part of what we're doing. These are code of conduct violation. We're not supposed to be attacking each other up here. [4:42:34, 4:42:42]: That's wrong. Talk about the budget. Don't talk about Miss Gantt. Don't talk about me. Talk about the budget. Care for it. Now finish, please, sir. [4:42:42, 4:43:02]: I understand that. But that goes for everybody. It goes for everybody across the board. It does. Okay. During the budget retreat in September of this year, Mayor Pro Tem Gantt once again violated the code of conduct. [4:43:02, 4:43:10]: When the conversation centered around the amphitheater funding and the operations, she called me the B-word for the second time during a public meeting. [4:43:11, 4:43:18]: There was no consequences for any of these code of conduct violations, even after I reported it to the mayor and [4:43:19, 4:43:21]: The coun the city's legal council. [4:43:22, 4:43:33]: Attorney Washington, I am requesting an investigation of all three of these incidents where Mayor Pro Tem Gantt violated the code of conduct with name calling in public meetings. [4:43:34, 4:43:37]: With action to be taken by the governing body. [4:43:38, 4:43:53]: The next day after the last meeting of the governing body, on november nineteenth, the mayor and council received a series of emails from city staff that included attachments and documents that two members of the council and the city manager [4:43:53, 4:44:04]: had said the night before that the documents were in the council agenda books and binders. There were no explanations or apologies for their false accusations towards me [4:44:04, 4:44:06]: during the last meeting of the council. [4:44:07, 4:44:19]: Following the second reading of the proposed budget, I asked for clarification on additional budget line items and again requested all job descriptions. The pay and classes in the original. [4:44:19, 4:44:35]: Chart as required. I sent an email to the entire governing body legal that allowed the biggest. Now I I understand she has every [4:44:35, 4:44:55]: Yeah, uh I will make a motion to end her comments, but she has went she has gone far beyond the scope and it's pinpointing different things. And and no one I'm I'm not here to say any of her actions, but the videotapes will speak for themselves. And I'm not here to defend any actions. I'm very confident. [4:44:55, 4:45:00]: in that. Um I I know the law and I'm very aware [4:45:01, 4:45:10]: of uh I'm I'm actually shocked that she would even have something to say at this point. But this is about our budget. So I make a motion that we end [4:45:11, 4:45:26]: Councilwoman Barber's speech or her testimony in regards to b uh her her code of conduct, if it's not pertaining to the budget. This is this is a budget hearing meeting and she's talking [4:45:28, 4:45:47]: Like she's laying on the couch somewhere expressing her feelings. And I I'm not trying to be funny, but you know, it's um ten thirty-seven tonight and we need to s talk specifically about the budget. And so therefore, I make a motion that we stop [4:45:49, 4:45:53]: The comments of Councilwoman Barber, if you look at [4:45:53, 4:46:06]: The rules and regulations in our resolution, after so many minutes of speaking that she's had well over her time and my time and the whole council's time at this point. So So is there a second to that motion? [4:46:06, 4:46:15]: I second the motion because the rules have been violated. All favor the motion please indicate. Mayor Ford. Stand by stand by all favored motion, please indicate. [4:46:15, 4:46:20]: Mr. Beary, please allow me to finish. Okay. Okay. I'll pose. [4:46:21, 4:46:30]: The mo the motion does not pass. The motion doesn't pass. Motion doesn't pass. What's the vote? [4:46:31, 4:46:38]: Well two well actually only two votes for the motion. The motion failed. [4:46:38, 4:46:40]: Is it two to vote? [4:46:40, 4:47:00]: See Thank you, Mayor Ford. Is it um here if I may start here still? Make su make sure specifically Mayor Ford budget. So what what now budget I am going to finish my statement but now um sir, I think you are being unfair and unreasonable. [4:47:00, 4:47:20]: Because every member of this council gets to fe speak freely, with no interruption. I sat here. I sat here as those two down there went back and forth making their comments, having discussions with staff. I said nothing. I want to finish all of my comments because [4:47:20, 4:47:35]: Everything that I am reading here happened during the public meetings and public hearings regarding the budget adoption. Mayor for I don't need anyone to try to dictate to me [4:47:36, 4:47:53]: We are talking about the book we're talking about the actual budget. The numbers on the budget. Understand. Not mayor. And we have tapes. The mayor has given me like actual video. [4:47:54, 4:48:14]: Thank you. Following the second reading of the proposed budget, I asked for clarification on additional budget line items and again requested all job descriptions, the paying classification, and the organizational chart as required. I sent an email to the entire governing body, the city's legal [4:48:14, 4:48:18]: Council, City Manager, City Treasurer, and City Clerk. [4:48:18, 4:48:22]: on Friday, december fifth at ten forty eight PM. [4:48:23, 4:48:31]: Some, but not all, of the information was emailed to the governing body with a final reading and adoption on Monday. [4:48:32, 4:48:36]: This is exactly why I make my comments and requests publicly. [4:48:37, 4:48:39]: Coincidentally or not, [4:48:39, 4:48:44]: The job description for the new events director position was not submitted. [4:48:44, 4:48:45]: Why is that? [4:48:46, 4:48:55]: I have been publicly requesting monthly, quarterly, and semi annual financials since twenty twenty two because I knew the math wasn't mathing. [4:48:56, 4:49:06]: Two members of the council and former council member directed the former city manager at the time via email not to release financial information to me. [4:49:07, 4:49:08]: It's on record. [4:49:08, 4:49:15]: I had to use my own personal monies to retain an attorney as a way to obtain information from our city. [4:49:15, 4:49:26]: And I had to file a complaint with the Secretary of State's office for a violation of the Open Records Act when documents were not given to me as requested as an elected official. [4:49:28, 4:49:45]: The operations of the amphitheater went millions of dollars over budget in twenty twenty-two, twenty twenty-three, twenty twenty-four, and twenty twenty-five. I was sounding the alarm each of those years, and I'm sounding the alarm now. [4:49:45, 4:49:59]: Our city spent nearly a million dollars of free events just last year and is proposing the same in the 2026 budget. Again, I am sounding the alarm. [4:50:00, 4:50:05]: There is no municipality that would allow their city to repeatedly [4:50:05, 4:50:10]: Year after year go milions of dollars over budget. [4:50:10, 4:50:14]: Летло оверс о фрі івент. [4:50:14, 4:50:15]: In an amphitheater. [4:50:16, 4:50:18]: It is wasteful spending. [4:50:18, 4:50:38]: And fiscally irresponsible. The governing body approved a city tax, and the residents were told that the city tax would be used to cover expenses associated with public safety and public works to cover the additional areas as a result of the 2023 annexation of approximately six. [4:50:38, 4:50:39]: Sixty seven hundred. [4:50:41, 4:50:54]: residents and businesses. However, we've been continuously spending millions of dollars over budget on free city events and the amphitheater every year since 2022. [4:50:55, 4:50:57]: Not thousands, but millions. [4:50:58, 4:51:18]: I have pleaded with the governing body and the city managers to outsource the operations of the amphitheater to a third-party venue management company who would bear all of the cost to run the shows, including booking the artists, et cetera. And the city would receive a [4:51:18, 4:51:20]: [17481.4, 17494.5]: My repeated recommendation has fallen on deaf ears with the governing body who insists on maintaining control of the amphitheater by spending millions of tax dollars to fund the operations. [4:51:34, 4:51:41]: Even though we have in our face four solid years of overspending and losses. [4:51:44, 4:51:57]: In 2024, we exceeded the approved budget by$32.9 million. City staff decided that although there was an overall budget of$43 million, a total [4:51:57, 4:52:00]: Overall, seventy six million dollars was spent. [4:52:01, 4:52:16]: City staff didn't come before the governing body to request an additional thirty-two million dollars as required. During a public hearing where the full governing body would be present and a vote of approval was required, they just spent it. [4:52:16, 4:52:18]: Unauthorized and unapproved. [4:52:19, 4:52:20]: This year. [4:52:21, 4:52:23]: Ба секін квар о тише. [4:52:24, 4:52:33]: Mr. Malazzi was given instructions to fund the remaining of the shows for this year. He did that in executive session. [4:52:33, 4:52:42]: There is no vote of record of the council authorizing him to spend the money. Why? Because that was a decision. [4:52:42, 4:52:43]: That was made. [4:52:43, 4:52:45]: In executive session. [4:52:45, 4:52:49]: Those are decisions that should be made right here in the public meeting. [4:52:50, 4:52:52]: Not behind closed doors. [4:52:54, 4:53:14]: Nobody was listening to me on the bullhorn as I was continuously sounding the alarm that something was not right with the finances. That thirty two point nine million dollars should and should still be available in the different accounts that it was pulled from and spent, but it's no longer there, and that is why there was a thirty-two point nine million dollar. [4:53:13, 4:53:23]: Mayor, I'm gonna make another move. I am trying to prevent that from happening to our city ever again. I had hoped that there would be a lesson learned. [4:53:24, 4:53:26]: And the members of the governing body. [4:53:26, 4:53:45]: The leadership and the decision makers of our city would wake up and pay attention. There needs to be on now for thirty minutes. We will be in the same budget with another budget amendment. I'm making a motion to end the amendments to continue the meeting until the well runs dry. [4:53:46, 4:53:55]: There are those who said that they didn't know that. Stand by Ms. Barbie, stand by their knowledge. [4:53:56, 4:54:16]: You you're making another motion to do what? We've been going on 30 minutes. You're making a motion to do what? I'm making a motion to end these comments so we can move on with the meeting. We've been going on 30 minutes now. Now we've been talking about a lot of stuff but the budget. There's been plenty enough time to talk about the budget issue, but we've been talking about personnel issues. [4:54:16, 4:54:23]: [17664.2, 17668.2]: You made a motion for that. I second. All in favor of motion, please indicate. [4:54:28, 4:54:31]: Well okay. [4:54:32, 4:54:41]: Mayor Ford. Hold a second. This is one on two She said that twin twenty minutes ago, Miss Burr. [4:54:42, 4:54:43]: It's just constant. [4:54:44, 4:55:04]: No. This has been going on 30 minutes. We got five minutes to speak on any one issue. Five minutes. And we've been going on 25 minutes. For the record, I am going to email this inform. I'm going to email this statement because it is for the record. I'm sorry, Ms. Holliday. I will email this statement just as I did with [4:55:04, 4:55:05]: With the other two? [4:55:05, 4:55:19]: to the full governing body, the city attorney, the city manager, the city treasurer, the city clerk. I don't need a response for this. I want all of this on record. If I can finish, sir, without any interruptions. [4:55:19, 4:55:25]: From my councilmates. I appreciate it. I'm sorry. What do you have left here? [4:55:25, 4:55:36]: I'm sorry. What do you have left? I have a page and a half left. A page and a half left? Uh-huh. Yes. Mayor. If you allow me to finish, I could have been finished by now. Hold on, please. [4:55:36, 4:55:56]: So so you realize you realize you've been going you have been going on very long. I want to focus strictly on the budget now on this aspect. And then we're supposed to have to do that. And this is all of this pertaining to the wh why don't you hold stand by please. [4:55:56, 4:56:06]: No, all everything that I'm saying is in regards to the budget and the public, especially those who elected me to represent them. [4:56:06, 4:56:26]: They want to hear what I have to say. So I think it is unfair that you would cut me off from speaking my truth. Each of us get to speak our truth. Whether or not you agree with me, that's one thing. This is not for a vote. This is me and my statements. [4:56:26, 4:56:29]: My comment, if you allow me to finish, sir, I promise you [4:56:30, 4:56:42]: You probably won't hear from me for the rest of the night, but it just bothered me to hear we're making all these concessions for the operation of the amphitheater, for the parts. We got a bond for that. [4:56:43, 4:57:02]: So let me finish if you would please, sir. With with no interruptions. Um I have not interrupted anyone. I've been very respectful. Please. I've been very comfortable. Thank you, I appreciate it. Mayor. Yes. Um now I don't know where I stopped. [4:57:02, 4:57:05]: So I'll have to start. [4:57:06, 4:57:26]: I don't know where I start. I don't know where I stop. Okay, there are those who said they didn't know the city's funds was were being spent without their knowledge, even though I was sounding the alarm and asking for financial reporting too many times to count. And it has been suggested that I ask my questions and address my concerns behind the scenes. [4:57:25, 4:57:27]: Just as they're doing right now. [4:57:28, 4:57:48]: Well, the behind the scenes conversations have cost us millions. The city has overspent over the approved budget for four consecutive years. This makes no sense. All discussions of funding sources such as SPLOST, T SPLOS, General Fund, and other revenue streams should be discussed publicly. [4:57:48, 4:57:48]: Quickly. [4:57:48, 4:57:54]: Not behind closed doors in executive session and or via text message and emails. [4:57:55, 4:57:57]: But I continue to raise questions and ask [4:57:57, 4:58:17]: uh raise concerns and ask questions publicly, I was censored. I was admonished because I was raising red flags, asking for budget documents, contracts, and other financial records during the public meetings and email. No one listened. I was ignored and talked over with numerous attempts to drown me out. [4:58:17, 4:58:20]: So that you couldn't hear what was really happening. [4:58:21, 4:58:26]: The truth has since unfolded and been brought to the forefront. [4:58:26, 4:58:29]: Finally, however, the truth has not [4:58:32, 4:58:35]: been accompli accompanied by an apology. [4:58:37, 4:58:49]: And further review and discussions by the governing body. This is public money. And whenever we talk about city funds, those conversations need to take place in the open for public knowledge. [4:58:49, 4:58:54]: The governing body is fully aware of what happened as it relates to the twenty twenty four [4:58:55, 4:59:10]: $32.9 million amendment and the previous years of millions of dollars of overspending. Our city went over budget in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 over budget. [4:59:10, 4:59:16]: Our city's ethics board recommended that an independent firm review the claims for dereliction of duties. [4:59:17, 4:59:28]: Has the governing body acted on any of the ethics board recommendations? No. Tonight this council is being asked to approve the 2026 budget for$34 million. [4:59:28, 4:59:34]: City staff asked the council to approve the budget at this time last year for twenty nine million. [4:59:35, 4:59:38]: And tonight we have a twenty twenty-five budget amendment. [4:59:38, 4:59:44]: That the council approved for eight point eight million dollars so far. So far. [4:59:45, 4:59:52]: Staff has not provided all of the job descriptions in paying classification or a complete city organizational chart. [4:59:52, 4:59:56]: There is still one job description that is missing. [4:59:56, 4:59:58]: An event director. [4:59:58, 4:59:59]: Position. [4:59:59, 5:00:00]: Is missing. [5:00:01, 5:00:08]: There have been three meetings in which I have asked for all the job descriptions for new and reclassified positions. [5:00:08, 5:00:23]: including the paying class and the new positions of the events director, who will be responsible for overseeing the contractor, who will manage all aspects of the operations of the amphitheater. It has not been submitted prior to the meeting tonight. [5:00:24, 5:00:29]: Why is it being withheld? Members of the council should be asking that question too. [5:00:30, 5:00:32]: My requests tonight are not complicated. [5:00:32, 5:00:38]: There needs to be proper reporting of spending and oversight by the governing body, frequently. [5:00:39, 5:00:44]: Turn the amphitheater over to a third-party venue management company who has the capital. [5:00:44, 5:00:48]: to cover the cost of operations of the venue at a hundred percent. [5:00:48, 5:00:52]: without relying on taxpayer dollars to subsidize the operations. [5:00:53, 5:00:56]: Редус the budget for free city events. [5:00:57, 5:01:03]: Ensure sufficient funds are available to complete the downtown utility relocation project. [5:01:04, 5:01:08]: Allocate adequate funding to the Rock Crayon Road extension project. [5:01:08, 5:01:12]: Ensure sufficient funds are available to complete the wayfinding project. [5:01:13, 5:01:13]: Mm. [5:01:13, 5:01:17]: Ensure adequate funding is available to execute the master trail plan. [5:01:18, 5:01:28]: Ensure adequate funding is available to execute the parks master plan. We need an update to the capital improvement plan and the LCI list. [5:01:28, 5:01:32]: Those dates and projects need to be updated. [5:01:32, 5:01:35]: What we have in our books is not [5:01:35, 5:01:36]: Akron. [5:01:37, 5:01:42]: Currently, the priorities of our city are not adequately ru reflected in the budget. [5:01:43, 5:01:52]: Also, the governing body should pass an ordinance for the city's contingency fund, assuring those funds will only be used in an emergency, as I mentioned, [5:01:53, 5:01:54]: On november tenth. [5:01:54, 5:02:08]: The governing body should provide proper oversight and must fulfill our fiduciary responsibilities as we swore to when we took the oath of office. When the budget is approved and adopted, that amount is what staff should adhere to. [5:02:09, 5:02:23]: Of course there may be a need to make adjustments that happen, but never again should overspending be in excess of millions of dollars. Millions of dollars. This is not just a couple of hundred thousand. [5:02:23, 5:02:27]: millions of dollars that is being overspent. [5:02:28, 5:02:31]: Not on my watch. I'm not going to just sit here. [5:02:32, 5:02:34]: And act like this is just okay. [5:02:35, 5:02:41]: It's okay for us to continue having budget amendments in regards to the operations of the amphitheater. [5:02:42, 5:02:44]: That is not a priority of our city. [5:02:45, 5:02:50]: What is priority are the services that we're supposed to be providing the residents. [5:02:52, 5:02:57]: I will continue to ask for documents and it is my right. [5:02:57, 5:02:59]: And my responsibility. [5:02:59, 5:03:11]: Members of the governing body must allow staff to do their jobs without interference and without fear of losing their jobs simply because they are choosing to do what is right. [5:03:11, 5:03:14]: And staff needs to do the job they've been hired to do. [5:03:15, 5:03:17]: Our city will be better for it. [5:03:17, 5:03:21]: Based on my GMA training, if the council does not approve [5:03:21, 5:03:22]: And adopt the budget tonight. [5:03:23, 5:03:24]: It's not a big [5:03:24, 5:03:24]: Deal. [5:03:25, 5:03:27]: Our city will just continue operating. [5:03:28, 5:03:35]: using the twenty twenty five budget until a new budget is adopted. Is that correct, Mr. Malasi? [5:03:40, 5:03:41]: If you have money. [5:03:42, 5:03:48]: Because twenty twenty five budget, as we have mended, we are mended because some they run out of money. [5:03:49, 5:03:51]: So until there's funding. [5:03:53, 5:04:00]: It may be very difficult or almost impossible to provide some services. I would really urge you. [5:04:00, 5:04:10]: to approve the budget and make some changes that ever may be applicable. That's the reason why I requested general fund is balanced. [5:04:11, 5:04:12]: The problem may be to other funds. [5:04:13, 5:04:14]: Approve the budget. [5:04:15, 5:04:18]: Additions, reduction can be done thereafter. [5:04:18, 5:04:32]: Well, I will I will support approving the FY twenty twenty six balanced budget as it has been presented in the amount of thirty four million seven hundred sixty eight dollars. [5:04:34, 5:04:54]: $768 and$669. That's general fund. That's general fund.$34768690 when all of the required documents are provided per the city's charter when adopting a budget. If there are any changes made to this budget, it should not exceed thirty-four million seven hundred. [5:04:54, 5:05:03]: $668,690. The bottom line is the general fund should remain as it has been presented. [5:05:03, 5:05:08]: All of the added positions requested by mister Edmondson are not included. [5:05:08, 5:05:09]: in this budget. [5:05:10, 5:05:12]: So they are included. [5:05:12, 5:05:15]: Um s they are included. Well what about the events [5:05:16, 5:05:17]: Director. [5:05:17, 5:05:27]: position because he requested that la uh before even this one, before the budget. It was part of the ex um positions that he requested. [5:05:28, 5:05:35]: But the requirements is factored it's it's factored it's factored in the General Fund. [5:05:37, 5:05:37]: I'm sorry. [5:05:38, 5:05:45]: Those positions are factored in the general fund. Okay, so you funded the positions even though the process wasn't followed? [5:05:45, 5:05:53]: But you approved the position before the budget was even presented. Those positions he presented them. [5:05:55, 5:05:58]: You appro you approved them, council approved them. [5:05:58, 5:06:00]: The council approved [5:06:00, 5:06:06]: Without the paying class for all of the positions. [5:06:06, 5:06:25]: There are some that have been added now that is to to do with public works, they have come. They were not they were not part of that. That's public works, we're not part of that. But if you remember he presented those requests before the budget was presented. [5:06:26, 5:06:27]: Okay, well [5:06:27, 5:06:30]: So not approving the budget. [5:06:33, 5:06:33]: Well [5:06:34, 5:06:36]: Thank you, Sarah. I [5:06:37, 5:06:42]: Okay, so then the purchase of vehicles. I see that there is [5:06:43, 5:06:50]: The vehicles were approved by council during the retreat. What was re remaining was funding and the [5:06:51, 5:07:02]: We talked about the funding that there was a source of fund and the vehicles are not for twenty twenty six. The vehicle council council's vehicles will be for twenty twenty five. They will be bought in this year. [5:07:03, 5:07:08]: For twenty twenty six or twenty twenty five? Twenty five. Okay. So they shouldn't be in the budget. [5:07:09, 5:07:10]: I [5:07:10, 5:07:30]: Now I um the council agreed to purchase four vehicles which will replace the older vehicles to Ford Explorers and adding a passenger van and a large XUV to the So there are four council vehicles. You have the fifteen-seater vehicle, you have the [5:07:30, 5:07:33]: Suburban, you have two explorers. [5:07:36, 5:07:40]: At first you said you need you needed the Tahoe, but Tahoe is smaller than the Suburban. [5:07:42, 5:07:53]: Well we didn't say we just said four vehicles, including a large SUV and passenger van. Um we wanted to add that to the governing bodies fleet. [5:07:56, 5:07:57]: Say it again. [5:07:58, 5:08:15]: The city council agreed to purchase four vehicles which will replace the older vehicles, correct. Which is two Ford Explorers. Yes. And adding a passenger van and a large SUV to the governing body's fleet. The larger SUVs, the suburban suburban. [5:08:16, 5:08:31]: Okay. Then the fifteen seater. That's when we have youth council we have to we have to book for them. So if you have here they can use it. And council if you are traveling as a group you can use the fifteen seater. [5:08:32, 5:08:39]: Now it was said that we would transfer the vehicles that are being replaced to other departments, one being Main Street. [5:08:40, 5:08:42]: I support moving the other vehicles to Event. [5:08:42, 5:08:51]: But I don't support purchasing another sixty thousand dollar vehicle when we already have a vehicle that can be transferred once the new vehicles are received. [5:08:51, 5:08:54]: The six sixty thousand that's for the event. [5:08:55, 5:08:57]: Right. [5:08:58, 5:08:59]: But [5:09:00, 5:09:09]: The four vehicles that the city manager can address that the four vehicles that the council has already approved and agreed on. [5:09:12, 5:09:18]: The new vehicles that we get, the older ones, we had agreed that one would go to events. [5:09:19, 5:09:21]: One would go to Main street. [5:09:22, 5:09:24]: So I just want to make sure that we're not just [5:09:25, 5:09:28]: Every department is just buying vehicles just [5:09:29, 5:09:30]: Whatever. [5:09:30, 5:09:39]: When we already had a plan and agreement on how we were gonna do this. I asked because I noticed that the Fort Explorer, that the city manager drive still doesn't have. [5:09:39, 5:09:43]: City decals and it he can if [5:09:44, 5:09:49]: That vehicle on it. And if [5:09:50, 5:09:53]: That vehicle can be transferred to another department. [5:09:53, 5:09:56]: I just don't understand why we need to buy another [5:09:57, 5:10:00]: vehicle when the council has already [5:10:01, 5:10:02]: Addressed [5:10:02, 5:10:06]: The need for vehicles in the governing bodies fleet. [5:10:07, 5:10:08]: So [5:10:09, 5:10:11]: Please help me understand. [5:10:11, 5:10:14]: Why why we need another vehicle? [5:10:16, 5:10:18]: For events or main street. [5:10:20, 5:10:22]: Because it wasn't discussed during the budget retreat. [5:10:27, 5:10:29]: You asked on a question? I mean I [5:10:29, 5:10:31]: So the understanding for the [5:10:32, 5:10:42]: governing body vehicles was these vehicles was dated and we need to turn turn those in and trade those in to get newer vehicles. So the goal was to trade those vehicles in. Trade'em in. [5:10:42, 5:10:45]: Yes. Or to to sell them. [5:10:46, 5:10:55]: 'Cause putting them back into the fleet, I mean, we're gonna have to replace the vehicles in a few years anyway. Cause they've been sitting there. So the understanding was to sell those vehicles. So if you're saying don't sell those vehicles [5:10:56, 5:10:58]: then do something else with'em, then that's a different guidance. [5:10:59, 5:11:05]: But it was our understanding that we was gonna sell those vehicles to offset the cost for the new vehicles. [5:11:05, 5:11:11]: Oh, okay. I thought they were being transferred. That's what I understood that [5:11:11, 5:11:14]: The governing body's current fleet would be transferred. [5:11:14, 5:11:27]: to other departments. I didn't know that they were gonna be sold or traded in. Yes, ma'am. Okay. Thank you. Thank you for that. Okay. Budget for the unhoused. Um Mr. Edmondson, you did say during the hometown connections meeting [5:11:27, 5:11:34]: You confirmed that there was funding in the budget to partner with agencies in support of the unhoused population in our city. [5:11:34, 5:11:36]: What is that account number? [5:11:36, 5:11:38]: Can you tell me where it is in the budget? [5:11:39, 5:11:50]: For twenty twenty six. For the unhoused. They can go under different several different lines, uh professional services. Which line item that is? So I can make a note of it and what [5:11:52, 5:11:56]: What is it? [5:12:00, 5:12:05]: for the uh ten thousand for the uh housing thing that we're doing for uh the county. [5:12:20, 5:12:27]: Okay, so then while he is looking for that, Mr. Malazzi, um I know funding to the D DA budget [5:12:27, 5:12:32]: Has increased from forty five thousand to over three hundred thirty six thousand. [5:12:32, 5:12:46]: The full council is unaware of why the budget has increased to this amount. The DDA did not present their 2025 year-to-date expenses for or during our budget retreat. [5:12:47, 5:12:58]: Can you or Mr. Edmondson or maybe the council liaison to the D DA can explain um all the expenses? So during the retreat they provided the [5:12:58, 5:13:03]: The presentation. [5:13:03, 5:13:23]: Yeah the discrepancy question in the spending. They get they g they gave the presentation about the Congress. She's and after the after they gave the presentation, they submitted their budget request for 2024. And that budget was incorporated in here. It is as [5:13:23, 5:13:27]: As it is, it's up to the governing body to say we are giving forty five [5:13:27, 5:13:30]: We can't give three hundred, we'll stick to forty five. [5:13:31, 5:13:34]: Oh, we need to give hundred, two hundred is up to [5:13:35, 5:13:55]: You to rejoice or to leave it as they requested it. So I'm making a point of order. I'm making another motion to end this so we've been can continue with the meeting. We've been going on now for almost an hour because the presiding officer would not stand up. What plead I'm making a motion to end these comments. [5:13:55, 5:13:55]: [18836.2, 18856.2]: First of all, you're you're not right. I'm not not the fact that I'm not standing up. She's asked specific questions. It's been going on an hour. You don't have an hour to do that. Well, she's asking specific questions about he's responding to her. She had an hour to do that, Mayor. Now we're doing something else. Now she had an hour to do that. Well, no, we've been going on an hour now. Well of that all the other stuff wouldn't have been. [5:14:16, 5:14:23]: I'm making a motion to end these comments so we can move on with the meeting and passion. Is there a second to the motion? [5:14:23, 5:14:24]: There's a second to the motion. [5:14:26, 5:14:33]: You sec you second the motion. All right. All in favor of the motion. To end comments. A need. [5:14:33, 5:14:41]: Mayor Ford, may I finish? No, we just made a we had a vote. I have questions that I may have to do. We have a vote. [5:14:42, 5:14:59]: You still have questions of reference to the budget itself. I do. We had a vote to end comments. Okay. You had a vote to end comments. Who favor who's in favor of the motion? Who's in favor? You're in favor to end it? Are you in favor? Hold on. You're in favor or you're in favor to end it. You're in favor to end it? [5:14:59, 5:15:01]: You second, are your favorite Indians? Yes. [5:15:01, 5:15:11]: You're in favor to end it? Okay. All right. Anybody else? You're in favor to enter too? Okay, so the motion passed. We're not gonna go any further with these comments right now, which is budget related. [5:15:12, 5:15:13]: Motion did pass. [5:15:13, 5:15:15]: You have that clerk? [5:15:16, 5:15:18]: You ha you have that? All right. [5:15:18, 5:15:24]: Now, so if that's the case, if we're not talking any more about the budget, is that correct? I wanna make a motion. [5:15:24, 5:15:43]: The micro motion, what's your motion? To pass the budget as described by Mr. Malazzi at the amount that he ascribed with uh three million dollars for the amphitheater with the endeavor or to go understanding that uh we were to look for additional funding uh in the budget as described. [5:15:44, 5:15:46]: Is there a second to that motion? [5:15:47, 5:15:49]: All right, all favorite motion, please indicate. [5:15:51, 5:16:00]: Oppose. I will oppose and I wanna add a comment Okay, so motion's passed three to one. We've ha we've pl have plenty of time for comment. Motion to adjourn. [5:16:01, 5:16:01]: Second. [5:16:02, 5:16:04]: All right. Motion be made to adjourn. [5:16:05, 5:16:21]: It's been secondary. Now you realize you realize there's plenty of other things we have not finished tonight yet. What what is it that we have on the Wells we got this public hearing but we got several more things that that we have to finish today. But if we don't finish tonight, we have to make a have a special call meeting something. What public hearing do we have? I'm not going this year's over. [5:16:22, 5:16:42]: I'm not coming to the public. What public hearing is that? What the all this is part of public hearing. I thought we could have a good idea. And matter of fact you know what? I just thought about this. Since a public hearing, I didn't ask the public in reference to this budget anyway. I just gotta go through that. I'll just realize that. There's a public hearing. There's several more items on the public hearing. But if you end the meeting, I'm gonna tell you if you end the meeting tonight. Go ahead. I forgot about that. [5:16:41, 5:16:45]: All right. So in reference to the budget. [5:16:46, 5:16:51]: Let's hold on a second. So in reference to the budget and the and the budget itself from um [5:16:51, 5:16:53]: From a public hearing standpoint [5:16:53, 5:17:02]: Everybody said that's in favor of the budget from the standard uh for the public standpoint on my left side. Any comments in the middle? Any comments from my right. [5:17:03, 5:17:11]: Any comments a against the budget from our left side, in the middle, and my right. Oh, you have a comment you wanna make? [5:17:12, 5:17:16]: This is this is against the b the particular budget. Name and address please. [5:17:19, 5:17:24]: My name is Alicia Moore, 509 Country Club Drive, Stockbridge. Um I'm not [5:17:25, 5:17:26]: А гесма концерн із [5:17:27, 5:17:31]: А like алато резидент або це амфатеатр. [5:17:32, 5:17:32]: I [5:17:33, 5:17:33]: Um [5:17:33, 5:17:39]: When Councilwoman Barber is speaking out for uh the residents, it does seem like she's being [5:17:39, 5:17:41]: Ignored and overlooked. [5:17:41, 5:17:46]: And it seems to me, and probably a lot of other residents, like [5:17:46, 5:17:49]: Um it's kind of a personal [5:17:49, 5:17:50]: Um [5:17:51, 5:17:56]: thing for you for you guys like for you guys to enjoy and get perks from and it does not benefit [5:17:57, 5:17:58]: Most of the residents had been [5:17:58, 5:18:18]: Um at all the concerts, you guys are backstage or up on the stage, and so that's great for you and for people who can afford it. But there are a lot of people who can't afford the tickets, who would prefer roads, sidewalks, trails, and parks. And you're so dead set on keeping the amphitheater with [5:18:18, 5:18:31]: Within the city, when you don't have the skill sets to run it, it's been proven. It can be uh bedded out to a management company. This is a municipality, it's not a um [5:18:31, 5:18:34]: A a party plan or or uh [5:18:34, 5:18:45]: promoter or anything like that. It's a it's an actual municipality. You should be working on roads and sidewalks and things that benefit all of the city. And I know I speak for a lot of residents, but I feel like [5:18:46, 5:19:05]: And then my voice is trembling because I'm pissed off. But I feel like you guys aren't listening. And you you brush it off and you act like and you make all these excuses about the thirty-two million dollars. That's a lot of money. And I work in finance. I know a little ba bit about budgeting, so you can't fool me. [5:19:05, 5:19:12]: The mu the money w she was has been asking for years for budget amendment meetings to go over the budget. [5:19:12, 5:19:30]: uh mid year budget reviews, you brush her off and then when everything blows up, it's well, we didn't know, but now we have a process in place. The process already should have always been in place because she has been asking for these types of financial reviews since she got here. [5:19:30, 5:19:32]: So make no mistake. [5:19:33, 5:19:44]: The public sees through it and the fact that you all are so adamant on keeping this uh amphitheater in house, I'll tell you it smells to high heaven. [5:19:44, 5:19:46]: Ісвій суспіш. [5:19:47, 5:20:07]: That's my uh thanks for coming. All right, so the motion was already made prior to this about ending uh or about approving the budget as been stated. So I don't think we have to do that again. I'll close the public hearing on that aspect. Now, if you want to cl we close the meeting, but splendor there's plenty more things for us to cover. So if we close [5:20:07, 5:20:15]: The meeting, all right. There's several things to cover. So we're gonna have to have before the end of the year, we're gonna have to have a special call meeting to do go through this. No, we don't. [5:20:16, 5:20:23]: Oh y there's I mean we got we can approve the budget and we don't have to do these other things this year, do we? What else do we have to do? [5:20:23, 5:20:43]: No, well I'm I'm serious. I'm not gonna have another special call meet I'm you got a second reading of text amendment. You got second reading t couple second meeting of text amendments on here. Well yeah that's on your agenda. It's not what I'm getting. We haven't we haven't voted, but Mayor, if I may, because I haven't really talked about the budget and I do wanna address a comment about that. Well hold hold a sec hold a second. No, don't [5:20:43, 5:21:03]: Talked about the budget area. If we cancel if if you close the meeting now, you got several other text amendments here. You got one, two, three, four, six text amendments, and some new business items to cover. You know, three new business items to cover, as well as a health insurance, the way finding contract, and then you still got the cot the the actual [5:21:03, 5:21:11]: Uh contra uh the the actual what is it called the all the city events. All the city events that are on there. Now those will still need to be approved. [5:21:13, 5:21:23]: A grant that needs to be I I only want to lose. We got several things still to do. Let me just say this. I own we we sat here and listened to somebody talk for over an hour. I only want [5:21:23, 5:21:34]: to address the things that we have to get. We have our our staff here. Some of them don't even live in the city. A lot of them don't live in I mean, we have people who have to travel. [5:21:34, 5:21:36]: And I'm not trying to be funny but [5:21:37, 5:21:43]: We have been sitting here for an for a a long time. [5:21:46, 5:21:59]: And I'm trying to uh what what I'm looking at here is let's look at the agenda on what items that we have to get done for twenty twenty five and anything that needs to go on that can wait to twenty twenty six. [5:22:00, 5:22:03]: When the meeting can be controlled, let's put it on that. [5:22:04, 5:22:07]: Because I'm not I'm not gonna sit here [5:22:08, 5:22:10]: And constantly go through. [5:22:11, 5:22:13]: Another hour or two of this. [5:22:14, 5:22:34]: Like we we work too. We I've been up since eight, seven thirty this morning. I haven't went home. I had a mountain dew for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. All right. I'm not trying to be funny, but uh uh what I'm saying is some of this was unnecessary. And let me address the amphitheater real quick. Let me address the budget because I haven't had my chance. [5:22:34, 5:22:37]: at all. I haven't talked about the budget at all. [5:22:37, 5:22:38]: When [5:22:39, 5:22:57]: No one else when we get up here, we we don't want to talk negative. And it's okay if we talk to our city manager and our staff and ask questions. It's not necessarily behind the scenes. It's so we don't waste time and we're not out here all night to one, two o'clock in the morning. [5:22:58, 5:22:59]: That's not a secret. [5:23:00, 5:23:13]: We're not attacking either. We're not saying y'all and we're not saying, oh, they drew a district line. They drew the map when we didn't. We've said it over and over again. And we hear this every single month. [5:23:13, 5:23:16]: We hear it all the time. Accusations. [5:23:17, 5:23:23]: And none of them can be proven'cause it did not happen in that way. At least it didn't happen from my my perspective. [5:23:24, 5:23:27]: And what I'm saying to you is we can move forward. [5:23:29, 5:23:32]: Ви євен експлуашен. [5:23:33, 5:23:52]: Just because and I'm not ignoring Councilwoman Barber's comments. I'm tired of them because they've been the same comments. And just because a person says them, I could say something and the council won't agree. If they don't agree, they just don't agree. We have to move on. That's democracy. [5:23:52, 5:23:54]: The majority wins. [5:23:54, 5:24:03]: That's it. And if they don't like it, oh well. But just because someone says it to their blue in the face doesn't mean we're gonna change our minds. [5:24:05, 5:24:07]: It it doesn't mean we're wrong. [5:24:10, 5:24:16]: At what point is it that there's a line where it's not about friendships? It's about it's the truth. [5:24:18, 5:24:20]: It is adult is adulting. [5:24:21, 5:24:25]: It's it's professionalism, it's it's common sense. [5:24:27, 5:24:30]: It is what it takes. Yes, it's professionalism. [5:24:31, 5:24:35]: Ітсернь да чіф і дон агри ви. [5:24:36, 5:24:38]: Just'cause you said it don't mean it's gonna happen. [5:24:42, 5:24:44]: And so that was you know [5:24:45, 5:24:47]: Everybody has their opinion. [5:24:47, 5:24:54]: And if the majority agreed with that opinion, then it was show. But that's not the way it works. [5:24:56, 5:25:09]: It's not showing that way. So there's nothing we can you you can't get mad because it that doesn't mean we're not listening. That means we're tired of hearing the same thing over and over and we're tired of being attacked every every week or accused. [5:25:10, 5:25:12]: That's all that is. [5:25:14, 5:25:16]: Moving on. [5:25:16, 5:25:36]: What Mayor, I would like for us to really look at this the rest of this remaining of the agenda and get Mr. Edmonds of Edmonds Edmondson's opinion on what we have to get done for this year as you go out tonight at 12 o'clock mid. [5:25:36, 5:25:41]: at night or whatever time it is after listening to a filibuster for over an hour. [5:25:43, 5:25:48]: Well you can give your opinion, sir, but there are several different things I would imagine that we need to make sure. [5:25:48, 5:25:51]: Well you got you got six text amendments, you got several. [5:25:52, 5:26:12]: Six text amendments, one second, six text amendments on here, three different business items. You got health insurance issues, wayfinding contract, and once again the actual actual uh 2026 calendar of events and things that you said you wanted to make sure to make some adjustments on because some additional budget items or [5:26:12, 5:26:16]: percent of some m additional funding in the budget per se. You mentioned that earlier. [5:26:16, 5:26:36]: So it's a bunch of things still to go through here. We gotta approach that. And now I would think all these items, I would think all these items would have to be approved before the end of the year. I would think that that's why they're on the agenda first. Oh, I'm saying I'm not done. You know, so if I I'm as my thought process is simply this: if we don't approve them tonight, I would think we still have to have a special call meeting sometime for the end of the year. [5:26:36, 5:26:56]: No, w they just said we can amend the bud we're gonna have to amend the budget anyway. And so I'm okay with amending it and ch and making those changes as needed. A lot of them are events that we wanna give to the city to handle instead of us having that we've already done'em and we can spearhead. Uh if it's not [5:26:56, 5:26:58]: It's not that urgent. We've sat here [5:26:59, 5:27:05]: Right, this entire time. If if you want the agenda done, then you should have stopped it. [5:27:06, 5:27:11]: Yeah, well I'm I'm ready to move forward. I've I've I haven't moved out much. [5:27:11, 5:27:20]: An hour. Second reading, Text Amendment case, TX two zero two five dash zero four facade building materials citywide. [5:27:21, 5:27:27]: Consideration of the ordinance to revise section four point four point four of the United uh the Unified Development Code, UDC. [5:27:28, 5:27:48]: To establish updated requirements for building f file materials and non resistant, non residential and multifamily structures. Proposed ordinance outlines, material standards to promote architectural consistency, durability, neighborhood compatibility. Mr. Anderson, please. Uh yes, uh we we heard this uh at the first reading at the last um [5:27:48, 5:27:56]: City Council work session at the end of November. There there have been no changes to the uh document since. So I just request the vote. [5:27:57, 5:28:08]: All right. Is there a motion to accept this, please? So move. Is there a second? Second. From Mr. Alessander, Mr. Barrett. All in favor, please indicate. So it passes. [5:28:10, 5:28:26]: Second reading text amendment case TX two zero two five. Oh went hold on a second, I forgot something. This is still public hearing aspect. I'm sorry about that. Okay. So in reference to this text amendment is this made any comments for for this on my very left side. [5:28:27, 5:28:27]: Four in the middle. [5:28:28, 5:28:33]: Four and on my right, and you comments against from my left side, the middle. [5:28:34, 5:28:54]: And all right. So no no uh no comments one way other for or against. Okay. Second uh reading, Text Amendment case TX two zero two five-05 for two car garages citywide. Consideration of an ordinance to amend section four point two, excuse me, four point four point two F two of the United of the Unified [5:28:54, 5:29:00]: Development code UDC to require two gar car garages for all single family. [5:29:02, 5:29:16]: Homes, townhomes, and each unit with duplexes. This amendment updates octal standards to promote adequate off street parking and consistent residential design. Once again, Mr Anderson, please. Okay. Uh from uh last [5:29:18, 5:29:37]: At the end of Nov November twenty ninth, uh city council work session, um there be there has been no changes to this document. Uh this document originated from a sc scribner's error in the code. Uh so we just wanna make sure we correct that, uh to make sure that no one car garages are allowed, only two car garages for townhomes. [5:29:38, 5:29:38]: Mm-hmm. [5:29:38, 5:29:40]: Any questions from the council? Yeah. [5:29:41, 5:30:01]: Okay, qua anybody from the public that wants to make any comments for this on my far left. In the middle, my far right. Any comments it gets, far left, the middle, far right. No comments one way or the other. So now council in the emotion to accept this, please. So moved. Is there a second? For Miss Gantt to uh to uh [5:30:01, 5:30:05]: Mr. Barrett, all favor, please indicate. Four oh passes. [5:30:12, 5:30:21]: Second reading, Text Amendment case, TX 2025-06 for the Entertainment District, Council Districts 4 and 5. [5:30:22, 5:30:34]: Consideration of ordinance to adopt Title nine, chapter two hundred of the municipal code of ordinance for the city of Starbury to establish regulations for entertainment districts within the city. The ordinance outlines operational standards, I'll call permitting [5:30:34, 5:30:54]: Smoking establishment requirements and enforcement provisions to provide to to support safe environment public spaces. Ms. Anderson, please. Uh there have been no changes to this document since the last presentation. So I ask for approval. Okay. Any questions, Council? If no questions, I need to open this up. Any any concerns for [5:30:54, 5:31:14]: This um for this particular uh text amendment from the public on the far left in the middle far right in the gets far left middle far right no response whatsoever in the motion to accept this particular thing. Mr. uh do you have the other the additional entertainment districts on [5:31:14, 5:31:17]: Highway one hundred thirty eight and the others covered two. [5:31:17, 5:31:29]: Uh n no we haven't we haven't but we still have room for those, but um when when we um come back to create some additional ones we'll include those areas. So we're just doing two this time. [5:31:30, 5:31:34]: Okay. And how hard is it to just create the other ones when we're ready? [5:31:34, 5:31:40]: I mean you can just think uh wanna make a condition of approval. But that's that's not it's not that's not the [5:31:42, 5:32:02]: Uh due to council's previous recommendation, we remove the restriction on the number of entertainment districts. Okay. Yeah, but that's not so it's unlimited. Okay. Okay. It's the next item. Okay. This for the is there a motion to accept this uh text amendment. [5:32:02, 5:32:08]: So move. Is there a second? I second. All right, from Alexander to uh again, all favor please indicate. [5:32:09, 5:32:11]: Case an advanced decision, thank you very much. [5:32:12, 5:32:12]: Okay. [5:32:13, 5:32:33]: Second reading, Text Amendment case TX 2025-07 for outdoor festivals citywide. Consideration of ordinance to revise Title IX, Chapter 28, Sections 040 of the Municipal Code of Ordinances for the City Stockbridge to establish updated permitting requirements for outdoor festivals and temporary special events. [5:32:33, 5:32:42]: Events within the city. The proposed ordinance outlines application procedures, public safety measures, and fee structure to ensure responsible event management. [5:32:42, 5:32:47]: Mr Ryan, please. Okay, yeah d there have been no changes to this one, uh either, Mayor. [5:32:47, 5:32:48]: Okay. [5:32:48, 5:33:08]: Co council any questions? I would like I would I I just want to clarify this certainly I want to set the downtown fee lower for the Yeah we did we did on on on that one. We we lowered what is it? It's it's three hundred dollars. And uh I I spoke to some of the businesses down there. They felt like three hundred dollars was fair and I'll [5:33:08, 5:33:13]: so you can get a a a year a year pass for a thousand dollars. [5:33:13, 5:33:23]: Okay, so y the fee's not a thousand dollars anymore, it's three hundred dollars. Three hundred dollars for per event. Okay. And a thousand dollars for annual. Okay. [5:33:25, 5:33:45]: Okay, no questions from the council need to open this up for the public. Any questions four? Any concerns four from the far left in the middle? Far right. Any questions or concerns against far left, the middle, far right. No concerns from the public at this point. I need a motion to accept this, please. So moved. Is there a second? [5:33:44, 5:33:49]: Okay, Ms. Gantt to uh Mr. Berry, all fair, please indicate. [5:33:50, 5:33:51]: Yes, unanimous decision. [5:33:53, 5:34:00]: Second reading Text Amendment case TX two zero two zero two five-zero eight for temporary alcohol licenses citywide. [5:34:01, 5:34:21]: Consideration of an amendment of Chapter 9.04, Section 5, 95.1 of the Municipal Code of Ordinances for the City Starbucks to establish permitting process for temporary alcohol sales at outdoor events and special events within the city. The ordinance outlines application procedures, fees, structures, and other [5:34:21, 5:34:41]: Criteria for both nonprofit and commercial applicants. Mr. Anderson, please. Yeah, um, there have been a change to this one where we lowered the fee from um$1,000 per event to$300 per event, and you can get an annual pass for$1,000. Uh, those were the concerns from council. [5:34:40, 5:34:47]: Council was um about the cost of the of the permit. So we lowered the event to three hundred dollars. [5:34:47, 5:34:49]: Okay. Council, any questions? [5:34:50, 5:34:53]: If not open up to the public once again. Any questions for [5:34:53, 5:35:06]: On my far left uh right side, excuse me, left side, in the middle, my far right. Any questions against of concerns? Far left, middle, far right. I see none. Council need a motion to accept us? [5:35:07, 5:35:08]: Stop it. [5:35:09, 5:35:10]: Must all move for Miss Gantt. [5:35:11, 5:35:13]: Second for Mr. Berry. All in favor, please indicate. [5:35:15, 5:35:19]: I'm we're on number eighteen. It's the Text Amendment case T X two zero [5:35:20, 5:35:21]: Uh two five dash zero eight. [5:35:23, 5:35:25]: Say all fair for syndicate. [5:35:26, 5:35:28]: Okay, you now have decision, thank you. [5:35:30, 5:35:38]: Second reading Text Amendment case TX two zero two five dash ten for container-based commercial buildings district four. [5:35:39, 5:35:59]: Consideration of ordinance to amend sections two point five point three E and two point five point three H of Stockbridge Unified Development Code to allow container-based commercial buildings as a type of special use within the downtown village overlay district. Mr. Anderson, please. Uh there have been no uh changes to this one since the last presentation. [5:35:59, 5:36:01]: So I asked for approval. [5:36:01, 5:36:03]: All right. Any questions, Council? [5:36:03, 5:36:10]: No. You gotta do a public hearing. Is this asking if you I know one public hearing is next. Any questions? Go write it, please. [5:36:11, 5:36:12]: I'm so tired. So moved. [5:36:14, 5:36:15]: Go ahead. [5:36:15, 5:36:30]: You have you have a question? No. I said so moved. Oh well I've got open to the public. For for the left hand side, any comments for left hand side. The middle or far right. Any public comments against from our left, the middle, far right. [5:36:30, 5:36:32]: No comments whatsoever. Now I need a motion. [5:36:33, 5:36:36]: I moved. Is there a second? Mr. Barress for Ms [5:36:37, 5:36:39]: Bobber to Mr. Berry, all favor please indicate. [5:36:39, 5:36:42]: All right. Pass four. [5:36:42, 5:37:02]: New business. Thank you, Mr. Anderson. New business. Council consideration to improve the public works maintenance shop. Phase two interior built-out for the prime contractors incorporated an amount of two million two hundred forty-one thousand four hundred fifty-five dollars. Funding source is PLOS six. Mr. Aaron, please. Yes, Mr. Mayor. This is for the uh build out of the new public works. [5:37:02, 5:37:11]: Maintenance building is scheduled to start on January the 5th, 2026, and scheduled to be completed on September 7, 2026. [5:37:11, 5:37:15]: So we're asking council to approve. Okay. Council any questions? [5:37:18, 5:37:20]: No questions? Any emotion to approve? [5:37:21, 5:37:22]: Some [5:37:23, 5:37:26]: Mr. Kant. Mr Mr. Barrett, second hand, all fair, please indicate. [5:37:27, 5:37:29]: Unanimous decision, thank you very much. [5:37:31, 5:37:51]: Council consideration approved change order number two for the twenty twenty five L Meg paving project with Blount Construction Company, an amount of one hundred one hundred and million, excuse me, hundred nine thousand nine thousand six hundred eighty nine dollars and twenty cents. Funding source T Splos. Mr. Aaron, please. Yes, Mr. Mayor. Uh the city of [5:37:51, 5:38:09]: See three hundred and seventy five thousand one hundred and eighty-three dollars and ninety seven cents in supplemental LMEG funds, and we paid some additional roads. We paid Spivey Road and Adrian Drive, and it exceeded what the estimate was for the amount of tons for asphalt. So we're asking council to approve the change order. [5:38:09, 5:38:10]: Questions council. [5:38:11, 5:38:12]: Some will [5:38:13, 5:38:20]: Okay, from Ms. Gantt, second. Mr. Bear, second. Now off fair, please indicate. Now this is here four oh. Okay, thank you. Thank you, sir. [5:38:21, 5:38:41]: Council consideration to approve change order number three for the Walterway Pine View and Memorial Park left station. Force main rehabilitation project with sold sold construction LLC, an amount of two hundred fifty-six thousand two hundred sixteen dollars. Funding sources from Splot 6. Mr. Aaron, please. Yes, Mr. Mayor. Staff and the city manager. [5:38:41, 5:38:56]: We had a meeting with EPD and they're requesting us to add bypass pumps to each of these lift stations so that in the event we lose power or some event like that, we can bypass the pumping stations and not have sewer spills. So we're asking council to approve this. [5:38:57, 5:38:57]: So [5:38:58, 5:39:12]: Okay, so no. Okay. Mr. Every time these projects come forward, they're coming out of the newsfly six, there's no there's no fund to pay for any of these projects? Yeah. [5:39:13, 5:39:33]: You would have to take it out of the budget, but these are alloc funds are allocated in splot six for water space. No, but we got so many other things to do in splot six. You all of your projects are coming out of the new when you have funds to pay for these. Not in this amount, sir. And this is [5:39:33, 5:39:40]: something that EPD is requiring us to do it. Uh and it's a capital project and most time capital projects are not taken out of the operating budget. [5:39:41, 5:39:57]: Right. But I'm saying isn't isn't doesn't isn't there general what what uh this pump there's there's not like like there's a isn't there a particular fund for not particularly you could do it out of the the sewer budget, but most of the time like I say capital projects, that's why you include'em in splash because of the expenditures. [5:39:58, 5:40:13]: I I just wanna understand that every time this comes forward, this is less money that we have in Splot Six when there is some funds that you could take this projects out of that asking for the new funds every time. So how much Mr. Malause, come up here. [5:40:15, 5:40:17]: How much money is in the water sewer fund? [5:40:22, 5:40:24]: So if you recall [5:40:25, 5:40:34]: We had it to reduce the water and sanitation because of depression of uh fund balance. [5:40:34, 5:40:54]: And we don't have to balance our budgets using the funds. But they have been doing that. So barely there is enough. And we had also to postpone. We don't even know how much there is some money that the project. [5:40:54, 5:40:56]: [20456.9, 20460.5]: Is it a water for upper yeah yeah. So [5:41:02, 5:41:02]: Uh [5:41:03, 5:41:06]: It it it's it's not enough. [5:41:07, 5:41:11]: Remember water if anything happens, it's a [5:41:14, 5:41:22]: It's capital projects that you are talking about. It should be anything if we can completely stay without a good fund balance, we may be in trouble. [5:41:24, 5:41:40]: Understand everything that comes forward is out of splash six and we're trying to do other projects. That's the issue we have with this plus six with just Splassix plus six because all splas six we have not clearly just the same like is we said four million for [5:41:41, 5:41:41]: Uh [5:41:42, 5:41:59]: We can't do anything. We didn't define that's what I'm working with them that we should define it to see which are there. So if there will be some projects that we can defer, let's defer. But otherwise plus six plus six. Uh remember we get six. [5:41:59, 5:42:08]: hundred thousand a month. And already here we have taken that we we have just approved here two million for [5:42:09, 5:42:10]: For the project. [5:42:11, 5:42:13]: uh building for the [5:42:13, 5:42:15]: public works building. [5:42:15, 5:42:35]: Six two million, that is you're talking about more than four months or six months actually, six, six, six, about four months. But that's exactly what I'm saying is that all the money is going to the public works out of this fly six. We never gonna get any other project done. All the the it is like these particular projects keep coming forward. So [5:42:35, 5:42:55]: I'm asking to see are there alternatives to taking all of the new money as it comes in in the budget. So not you don't have to answer that tonight, but send us the documentation on how much money is in these various funds and alternatives to taking the new money all the time. Next pro neck next meeting will even before the next meeting. [5:42:55, 5:43:08]: We'll keep you posted. Okay. Yeah. If you email to you gotta email to everybody of course, right. All right. So anyway, so I need a motion to approve. It was. I just need to vote on it, right? [5:43:09, 5:43:12]: Okay, well all in favor all in favor of the motion please indicate. [5:43:13, 5:43:14]: [20595.5, 20598.2]: Mr Holliday, you have the the motion [5:43:19, 5:43:22]: being approved and and a person that mo made a motion second it. [5:43:23, 5:43:24]: Okay. [5:43:26, 5:43:46]: All right. Council consideration to approve the award of Governor's Office for Highway Safety Heat grant, an amount of two hundred sixty-eight thousand nine hundred and twenty-eight dollars. The effective date of the grant is one December twenty twenty-five through September thirty third uh twenty twenty-six. Allow for costs incurred within this period are reimbursable at the rate of one hundred percent [5:43:46, 5:44:05]: percent of the approved federal funds allocated above Mr. Malazy, I guess Assistant Chief Godfrey here. Yeah, even though my name is there, but uh I would leave that one to our Grant Writer. Unfortunately she has left. So um Chief Deputy will do that on her behalf and on behalf of the PD. [5:44:06, 5:44:07]: Okay. [5:44:08, 5:44:28]: Good evening, Mayor and Council. Evening. As you just read, we have been awarded a grant amount of$268,928 from the Georgia Governor's Highway Office of Highway Safety. This grant will fund uh two additional uh police officers dedicated to traffic enforcement as well as two [5:44:27, 5:44:44]: Ford interceptor patrol vehicles and all the associated upfitting equipment. These resources will be dedicated exclusively to enhancing traffic enforcement and addressing traffic related violations within the city of Stockbridge. As you know, there were delays in the federal funding to the state. [5:44:45, 5:45:05]: Uh that pushed the grant award back to December of this year. Uh the award actually went effective on December 1st. Uh this grant terminates uh September the 30th of 2026. So we have about nine months to uh comply with the effectiveness of this grant. Uh if a passed, uh the resolution [5:45:05, 5:45:25]: Will read as follows: a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the city of Stockbridge to accept the grant from the Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety in the amount of$268,928 to authorize the city treasurer to amend the budget where necessary to reflect an appropriate revenue source, authorizing the city manager to approve all necessary purchases required to fulfill the requirements. [5:45:25, 5:45:45]: of this grant not to exceed the total amount of the grant award, authorizing the city clerk to attest the signatures that fix a seal of the city of Stockbridge as necessary, repealing all inconsistent revolution uh resolutions, providing for an effective date and for other purposes. Some second. Okay, uh from Ms. Gantt. [5:45:45, 5:46:05]: to Mr. Um Berry. All very please indicate. It's unanimous decision. Thank you very much. What is next deals with health insurance. I would imagine this is Mr. U Sean. Who's going to talk about oh Frank's going to talk about health insurance here? Okay. [5:46:11, 5:46:31]: So here see we have uh two health insurances. We have what we have now Cygna, then we have uh um United Health Insurance, then we are trying to look for the other one. All of them there were two, even if we get uh [5:46:31, 5:46:45]: uh united it will still expire in April. So the agreement or the discussion was why don't we just have to have what we have in place now, Signa, then come um [5:46:46, 5:46:56]: April, by that time uh United will have presented, whoever we have again they will have presented. So here's just for you to [5:46:56, 5:47:10]: approve what we have already in place signal signal which we have already factored in our budget that you have just approved. Okay. So move. It's not changing. [5:47:11, 5:47:18]: But we have fact that we're going to be able to do every time we change this or there's always a hassle. Why are we why would we consider changing? [5:47:19, 5:47:20]: Okay. [5:47:21, 5:47:24]: Any additional any additional information jumping? [5:47:25, 5:47:31]: Yeah, the thing is the Mr Manager is talking about the um United is the lower. [5:47:32, 5:47:37]: That's why if even if his law were united, we will have to end it by [5:47:39, 5:47:44]: April, but at the same time it's not what we have factored in the budget that you have approved it. [5:47:45, 5:47:49]: So wanted it to have more than just one uh united. [5:47:52, 5:47:57]: Well we currently have sigma though right now. We have one. Okay. Because the [5:48:00, 5:48:02]: What's the what's the what is the recommendation? [5:48:03, 5:48:04]: With [5:48:05, 5:48:17]: What's the recommendation right now? Recommendation is to continue with what we with Signa. Yes. Okay, so move. Then uh United will come, we'll have also to present here if it should be, we'll present that one with others that [5:48:18, 5:48:38]: In April. Yes. Right. No before April because it will be effective that time. Yeah. Okay. All right. And that'll be for the following year or for the following year. Because this one wanted to end December, but it has not worked. We couldn't wait and end it in December. And maybe Signal will compete or something once we they realize well [5:48:38, 5:48:58]: What that we have a another thing. Yeah, the quotation of United Health, the way they quote it is uh lower than Cigna. But it's not yet implemented. I got it. But we keep going back and forth, back and forth every other every the every other year and people you have to change. Sometimes you have to change your provider. I mean it's just too much. [5:48:58, 5:49:06]: And right now, if y'all are recommending that we stay with who we got, let's stay with who we have. I'm relying on the experts. So moved. [5:49:07, 5:49:13]: Is there a second? Second, because every time we change there's always some drama. Okay, Miss Ms. Gantty, Ms. Allison, arm free, please indicate. [5:49:16, 5:49:21]: But uh it's um two hundred and sixty eight thousand nine hundred and twenty eight dollars. [5:49:22, 5:49:23]: Two six eight. [5:49:23, 5:49:24]: nine two eight. [5:49:25, 5:49:33]: I'm sorry, no, excuse me, excuse me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm sorry, excuse me. That's wrong. Health insurance, I'm sorry. What I don't know what to no I don't have that in front of me. [5:49:33, 5:49:35]: What's the amount? I'm sorry. [5:49:36, 5:49:40]: Why do you know why do we need them out right now? She wasn't po she was posting a record. [5:49:41, 5:49:44]: Is it on the is it in the in your packet? [5:49:45, 5:49:52]: I I'll give you the amount. Can I give I'll give you the amount. [5:49:54, 5:50:03]: I mean I'm not against it. The public needs to know it, but I'm just asking was it something that was a requirement? Normally, I mean we've been mo making these motions. [5:50:04, 5:50:05]: I gotcha. [5:50:06, 5:50:12]: All right, you'll get you'll Frank will get that to you. All right, the wayfinding con uh contract. [5:50:12, 5:50:13]: Who's handling that? [5:50:15, 5:50:19]: The city management. So important. Priority. [5:50:20, 5:50:21]: Really? [5:50:25, 5:50:27]: Are you presenting? No. Okay. [5:50:30, 5:50:50]: Uh good evening once again. Uh this contract was already pre-approved. Uh last year we trying to go into phase two and three. Um the option was a uh five year contract. I think this is going into year two. Um and we uh they want to go ahead and get started. They have already prepared the way finance signed it. Um they just waiting for the contract to be renewed so they [5:50:50, 5:50:57]: we could go ahead and start putting up the uh wayfinder signage that we got to start phase three. [5:50:57, 5:51:03]: Phase three. So do we need a f financial aspect? How much is how much is left on this? Yes, we have the breakdowns in the packet. [5:51:20, 5:51:21]: I mean it's fun. [5:51:23, 5:51:25]: Every time. Mm-hmm. [5:51:25, 5:51:27]: Every time so [5:51:32, 5:51:34]: [21125.1, 21126.2]: Yes. [5:52:10, 5:52:13]: It's almost nearly I don't know. [5:52:16, 5:52:20]: I got it right here. Okay. Uh nope. Yeah, I'll that's right. [5:52:21, 5:52:24]: It was a breakdown though. I had it. I just gotta pull it up. [5:52:24, 5:52:30]: I'm not to exceed two point one. Phase two is okay. [5:52:31, 5:52:45]: Okay, so we had phase one, which was uh a hundred and fifty seven thousand nine hundred and uh two dollars and seventy-five cents, which has already been paid. Phase two is four hundred thousand, and phase three is one point four million. [5:52:46, 5:52:54]: So phase three you're referring to is assigned to this uh presentation night is one point four million. Mm-hmm. All right. And that's coming out of what what fund? [5:52:55, 5:53:05]: So a portion of this had came out of ARPA, um, but now they are saying Splas six. Splash six as well. Correct. [5:53:06, 5:53:07]: One point four million S plus six. [5:53:08, 5:53:26]: Right. And these are the city limit signs that we've been waiting on to go up and uh various other signs to go as part of the package we've already presented with, right? Yes, sir. Okay. And the funding is uh been identified. Yes, sir. So move. I second. Okay, for Ms. Alexander and Miss Ken, all favor please indicate. [5:53:28, 5:53:41]: Okay, so unanimous decision. All right, now what was left here thus far deals with the consent agenda item that we moved then to 2026 calendar events, city events, main street events, and mayor council initiatives. [5:53:41, 5:53:43]: That we put at the very end here. [5:53:43, 5:53:44]: On a general. [5:53:44, 5:54:04]: So and and that was based, I guess, Mr. Alexander, you have some concerns about that and how affected some of these events affected the budget or need to be budget related? Yeah, uh that uh certainly I think a couple of things need to happen. Certainly, uh we I run the Women's History Month event as a council initiative. The budget has been a significant [5:54:04, 5:54:24]: Significant amount. It um now tops 12, sometimes up to 15 million dollars. That's an amazing event that needs to go up under the city auspices to be able to run it, to be able to continue it at the same standard. And also Councilman Thomas's event, uh, which is the African American History of Month. [5:54:24, 5:54:44]: event. That event was amazing to see all the participation and the room filled with so many positive stories and to see the kids performed. I had spoken with um Mr. Cloud, uh counsel elect from District 2. Uh he says he's willing and able to step in and partly work on that. But [5:54:44, 5:55:04]: But certainly he you don't want to have to place all the burden of raising the funding on him. So the African American History Month and the Women's History Month events would then become city events where uh the whole city would participate. And uh not just myself, I certainly would contribute, but everybody would be able to participate and lead that event. [5:55:04, 5:55:06]: [21307.5, 21311.2]: I but uh do you do that we have to make some adjustments in the budget, is that correct? [5:55:11, 5:55:12]: Uh that's correct. [5:55:12, 5:55:14]: And the ball festival. [5:55:14, 5:55:15]: I'm sorry? [5:55:15, 5:55:35]: I want the Fall Festival to be a city event as well. Uh we we've done well, but I think we so which event that was, ma'am? The Fall Festival that I sp that I've um sponsored. Um I think it'll be a great event for the city to take over as well. [5:55:35, 5:55:55]: Um the line dancing classes are doing great and I have some other things that are going the kickbacks are are gonna be my thing. Um and so there's other things that uh we have in store. Uh we really don't have to, you know, as a council person and members, we I wouldn't and we can [5:55:55, 5:55:59]: can talk about that more during the retreat, but we should consider [5:56:00, 5:56:17]: you know, whether we're spearheading and participating and joining in with the events team more, but allowing the events team to handle the events. And we handle it with them, but I um I wanna I want to push I want to send that along with it with as well. [5:56:17, 5:56:37]: I I certainly support that. You've done an amazing job, that event, and to see the kids out there enjoying themselves. And we want to maintain those events at that uh particular level. So I certainly uh do support that. And these events, when they grow and we start them, they start off in their emphasis. We carry them through. Certainly the council [5:56:37, 5:56:57]: Council member would be able to steal with that event on a committee or what have you to be able to continue to guide it. But of funding them appropriately is what we need to do. And certainly, as I mentioned, uh Mayor Council elect uh Mr. Cloud would step in uh in the African American history event. All of us will participate, but since it was a district two event. [5:56:57, 5:57:08]: event certainly I think he should get first dibs to be able to uh participate in it. But those three events are magnificent and they need to be carried on with full funding by the city. [5:57:08, 5:57:16]: So how do we go about that? Because if if that was funded by the council, it's council initiatives, somehow that money needs to be reallocated to a different spot. [5:57:17, 5:57:24]: Correct. So we'll take that funding that's in the governing authority budget and move that over to [5:57:24, 5:57:44]: No. No, sir. No, no. You say. Oh, so you say add an additional. Yes. We need to find new funding for that to be able to uh acqui to to do this appropriately, to make the funding appropriate uh for these particular events. And this is where sponsorships come in. When you have three hundred women sitting [5:57:44, 5:58:04]: in that room and you're honoring all the women who have had their head down. Man, somebody is willing to put their name on that particular event, the African American History Event, and certainly the NAACP or someone would probably be willing to help with those particular events. So we're charging you with finding the additional funding. [5:58:04, 5:58:06]: uh for this particular endeavor. [5:58:08, 5:58:12]: All right, so if that's the case without understanding, I need a motion to uh approve that. [5:58:13, 5:58:23]: We we don't have a budget for it, but w that we need to consider that. And d didn't Mr. Matlasia say we're gonna be amending the budget like in January or February anyway? [5:58:23, 5:58:27]: Yeah, are we amending But that'll be f that's for twenty twenty five funds? [5:58:27, 5:58:38]: For what? That's that's for twenty twenty five funds. For the funds that are coming in? Correct. Yeah. When we do that, we can still am what's the crime in amending when we need to? [5:58:38, 5:58:39]: What's the crime? [5:58:40, 5:59:00]: No, so what we can do, I mean that's kinda early to amend a twenty twenty six budget, but at the end of the day, if we're saying that we need to find funding for that, that will be the time to do that as well, just to make that amendment to show to find the funding for the events. For the events they're later in the year. There's when May and then you got October. [5:58:59, 5:59:11]: February. You got f oh you do have February. Right. So if we put it in the budget to now. And we can wait till mid year. I mean Well we can do I mean I mean we can add some funds now, but I just Oh we have the retreat, right? I mean when and we have a retreat. [5:59:13, 5:59:14]: Correct. There you go. [5:59:14, 5:59:32]: But you gotta plan the event. African Americ African American History Month event is in February, the women's history month is in Mar March. So certainly we've discussed additional funding and those events certainly were qualifying to some type of tourism or some type of community support market in the city. [5:59:38, 5:59:39]: All right, so what action we need to do here? [5:59:40, 6:00:00]: Well we have instructions to find the money and then we'll find the best way to do a vote on this, is what you're telling me? Correct I think what we could do is go ahead and approve the calendar with the charge that these three events are gonna be added and then you will endeavor to find the money and then go ahead and vote.'Cause we wanna put the the [6:00:00, 6:00:18]: the events in there so we have to have a budget and a vote in order to do it. So I'm gonna go ahead and make a motion to approve the calendar as recommended with the three events that I said the women's history month event, the African American history event, and the fall festival becoming city events. [6:00:19, 6:00:32]: Is there a second to that motion? I second. For to Miss Ganttz second and all favor, please indicate. C and that's decision. Thank you, gentlemen. Citywide Development Authority meeting second Tuesday of each month, six PM, City Hall. Yeah. [6:00:33, 6:00:35]: Which one was that? [6:00:37, 6:00:39]: Thought we voted on it. [6:00:40, 6:00:47]: Then you vote then we came back and did that. But let me see. I have motion to take for Alexander McCurry. [6:00:47, 6:00:49]: And we came back on the case. [6:00:55, 6:01:15]: Community zoning information meeting. You don't want to read all this? No, I don't think that's necessary tonight. Let's just go ahead and forego that, please. Well actually what I I did tell the I did tell the uh police department that they need to mention this to shop with a cop for the fourth year with Stockbridge Police Department. [6:01:15, 6:01:19]: and uh was Saturday, December 6th with 40 kids. [6:01:19, 6:01:39]: Roughly two hundred kids two hundred dollars per child, income based. These are several people that applied online or Stockbridge Elementary School and uh also Department of House of Children's Services in Henry County suggests these individuals. And uh four thousand dollars were all were sponsored by Vice Star Credit Union and between the two Walmart. [6:01:39, 6:01:59]: uh Hudson Bridge and North Henry Boulevard, they gave six thousand dollars to help uh support these 40 kids to have a wonderful Christmas. So uh thank you for uh police department doing this for the fourth year and and having a successful event this past Saturday. And um happy birthday Mr. Malazzi. You had a wonderful uh surprise uh [6:01:59, 6:02:19]: uh luncheon today. Uh once you'll be safe during the holidays. Happy holidays to everybody in this aspect and make sure you get your cobalt shot and your flu shot. And of course look forward for a very prosperous new year. And uh since this in a sense is considered my last meeting as an elected official and want to tell you when [6:02:19, 6:02:39]: It's been a wonderful 12 years. It's been exciting. Never a dull moment in this aspect as well. Um, but uh I will tell you that I wish this the city and the Leslie body, along with the new administration, all the staff wonderful, move forward and do great things, continue to make smart, logical decisions, have a listener for the public. [6:02:39, 6:02:59]: and continue to move forward as we continue to grow. And guaranteed I'll be watching. I'll be right next. I won't be far. I'm not moving out of the area. And I look forward to doing other things with the city and being somewhat of an individual that can help out with any type of other events and things that are happening within our city itself along with the city government. [6:02:58, 6:03:18]: Uh I look forward to uh a bright future for everybody. A bright future for myself as well and my family. I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here. So I look forward to actually I look forward to even coming to the concerts. I just come in a different way and I'll spoil, so I'll be sitting in a pit somewhere with my wife. But we'll look forward to that too as well. But God bless you all. [6:03:18, 6:03:38]: and uh wish you well and I look forward to uh doing what I can to this for the city and with the citizens and the community itself. It's been actually a great twelve years. But I ain't done yet. I know the good Lord's got something else in mind for me as well. And I gotta end tonight with this. Stockbridges where community connects. God bless you on thank you. [6:03:40, 6:03:47]: And on but I and I I actually I said that, but now I said we're supposed to have a Zeker session, I'm assuming. We still gotta have a still. [6:03:48, 6:03:58]: See, we still have a zeker session, ladies and gentlemen. So I need a motion to go to the zeker session, please. Mayor I move we'll go to executive session for real estate personnel, litigation and cybersecurity. [6:03:59, 6:04:05]: Okay, is there a second? All right, Ms. Alison. All in favor, please indicate. Okay, let's go to the second session. [6:04:06, 6:04:11]: We should we invite them in too? Oh, well these shirt. [6:04:11, 6:04:19]: All right, Mr. Berry to Miss Gantt. All in favor, please indicate. Now I need a motion to reconvene our council meeting. So moved. [6:04:20, 6:04:29]: Is there a second? Okay, from Ms. Gantt to Mr. Please indicate. And from our executive session, there are a couple of things that we need to make public. Um Mr. Berry, please. [6:04:29, 6:04:49]: Yes, Mayor. I want to make a motion to approve a conditional settlement of GRPLC litigation in place uh on agenda for reconsideration at the one twelve twenty-six meeting. So moved. Is there a second? Second. All right, Miss Gantt and Mr. Style Zenter. All favor, please indicate. Thank you very much. Uh [6:04:49, 6:04:50]: Mr Berry, you got another one, please? [6:04:50, 6:04:59]: Yes, Mr. Mayor. Uh secondly, I'd like to make a motion authorizing the city treasurer to open an account with fund one, state of Georgia. [6:04:59, 6:05:11]: I second. Okay. Is there a second? She second. Oh s okay. I'm sorry. Excuse me. Mr. Berry to Miss Gan Offrey, please indicate. Okay. Now I need a motion to end our meeting. So moved. [6:05:12, 6:05:20]: Fantastic. Okay, for Mr. Berry, Mr. Gand, all favor, please indicate. Thank you. God bless you. Good night. And have a blessing. Prospero New Year. [6:05:22, 6:05:23]: Yeah.