---
date: 2023-07-25
title: 07-25-2023 Minutes
source: 2023-07/2023-07-25_07-25-2023 _Minutes.pdf
pages: 1
---

Where Community Connects

WORK SESS ON EETING
SU MM ARY INUTES

TUESDAY, JULY 25, 2023 6:00 PM.
Mavor & Citv Council Administration
Mayor Anthony S Ford . Frederick Gardiner, Cit Manager
Mayor Pro Tem Y olanda Barber Vanessa} lelday, City Ierk
Councr lman Elton Aiexan der John W! Ins City Treasurer
Councilman John Blo_unt Qumton asningtpn, City Attorney
Councilwoman LaKeIsha Gantt Jeremy T. Berry, City Attorney
Councrlman Alphonso Thomas

Mission: To providelvisionar I eadership and s uperjor mun icipal services that enhance the
quality of life for crtrzenslw I Ie creating _a wel coming busI ness atmosph ere focused on
sustainability and exp ans non of tourism and cultu ral events.

The meeting was called to order by Mayor Ford.

Invocation by Mr. Charles Marshall.

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all in attendance

City Clerk, Vanessa Holiday was asked to proceed with roll call. All members were in

Motion to adopt the Agenda made by Councilwoman Gantt; seconded by Councilwoman
Barber. The motion passed unanimously.

Review of the Minutes No Action
1. Review of the June 12, 2023 Minutes
2. Review of the June 20, 2023 Minutes

PUBLIC COM MENTS

All persons wishing to speak for public comment must sign in with the City Clerk prior to
the beginning of the meeting noting your name, address, and phone number. You will be
allotted three (3) minutes. Speakers must respect all members of the elected body,
officials, and staff. Defamation, unruliness and/or swearing will not be tolerated. None

UNFINISHED BUSINESS
3. Council Consideration and approval of an agreement with the Henry
County Development Authority, along with the County and the cities of
Locust Grove, McDonough and Stockbridge to hire Retail Strategies
Recruitment to work toward the solicitation, development and expansion of
retail facilities in Henry County that will expand commerce, create

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employment, enhance tax revenue and improve the quality of life in each
city and the entire county.
Presented by: Frederick Gardiner
Mr. Gardiner noted the cities of Locust Grove, McDonough, Stockbridge,
and the County want to enter into an agreement to hire Retail Strategies
Recruitment to work toward the solicitation, development, and expansion
of retail facilities in Henry County that will expand commerce, create
employment, enhance tax revenue, and improve the quality of life in each
city and the county; presented a flow chart of for the program and process;
noted if a development comes to the city or county, the city of Stockbridge
would receive 14% of sales tax due to the new population increase.

Councilman Alexander noted adding a non-disparaging agreement and
making sure positive comments are reflected towards the city.

Mayor Ford agreed the city would have to sign a non-disparaging
agreement.

Attorney Washington noted non-disparaging agreements are two party
agreements and both parties would have to sign.

Councilwoman Gantt noted concerns of having interference if a retailer
comes directly to the city and the Henry County Development Authority
having exclusivity and working together with the Development
Authority.

Councilman Thomas noted the initial vote was delayed giving all parties
and opportunity to work through the agreement and iron out the
differences; however, based on the conversation tonight, that has not
happened and should not have been placed on the Agenda.

Mayor Ford noted he supports the process and inquired if the attorney
would be able to inquire on the request and move forward.

Councilwoman Gantt agreed with Councilman Thomas and noted she has
addressed the board with her concerns and there has been no action.

Councilman Alexander noted he reached out to Mr. Marshall to get the ball
rolling and noted conversations have continued; noted he wants the
Retailer to be able to work independently without interference and that the
HCDA would not have exclusivity should be included in the language.

Councilman Blount noted the amount of the agreement is $10,000 and
everyone needs to look at the positive this collaboration would bring, and
not harp on the negative, noting it could be a great benefit to the city.

Mr. Charles Marshall of the Henry County Development Authority spoke
about the accomplishments of Chair Harrell.

Mr. Blount called for a point of order

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Mayor Ford addressed the point of order

Mr. Marshall noted he was attempting to give context of how Retail

Strategies came to this point, noting he has contacted councilmember, the
Mayor and the City Manager, and that officials of the city represents
36,000 constituents; noted he has express concerns raised by the Council
to Mr. Culpepper and asked that the board have a discussion with
Mr. Fenn, and ultimately track with Retail Strategies.

Councilwoman Gantt noted she wants to make sure the interest of the City
of Stockbridge is protected in the agreement, and that this is not about
$10,000, but rather the result could be millions in retail with Stockbridge
being overlooked.

Councilman Alexander agreed.

Councilman Blount agreed with Councilman previous statement
noting all these issues could have and should have been ironed out before
bringing this item to the Agenda.

Attorney Washington noted he would add language on page 3 HCDA
shall serve as a coordinator of the Project and shall provide the Mayor and
Council periodic progress reports of the activities of the Consultants on at
least a quarterly basis. This agreement and all contracts as contemplated
still allows for businesses and retailers to work directly with the City."

Councilman Alexande made a motion to approve this Agreement with
amendments to page 3, No.2 to include the amended language: The
HCDA shall serve as a coordinator of the Project and shall provide the
Mayor and Council periodic progress reports of the activities of the
Consultants on at least a quarterly basis. This agreement and all contracts
as contemplated still allows for businesses and retailers to work directly
with the City; seconded by Councilwoman Gantt. The motion passed
unanimously.

NEW BUSINESS
4 Council consideration to approve a request from Vulcan Materials for their
team at Vibra Tech and Aimone-Martin Associates to study quarry blast
induced structure response at the City of Stockbridge Elevated Water
Tank. The study will be at no cost to the City. Presented by Matt Pilz with
Vibra Tech.
Presented by: Decius Aaron
Mr. Aaron noted he is seeking approval for Vulcan Materials and their
team at Vibra Tech and Aimone-Martin Associates to conduct seismic

activity and monitoring the 1-million-gallon water tank; noted they are
currently having seismic instrumentation located within the ground around
the water tank to see what the effect of the quarry has on the water tanks
and noted data would be provided.
Motion to approve made by Councilwoman Gantt; seconded by Mayor Pro
Tem Barber. The motion passed (Thomas was not present).
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5. Council consideration to approve the repurposing of $2,242,160.00 from
TSPLOST for resurfacing Walt Stephens Road and Mt. Zion Parkway
Presented by: Decius Aaron
Mr. Aaron noted prior to the meeting, he found out there is another option
available which is the Reeves Creek Trail extension; noted funding from
the project could be used by the developer who will be extending the trail;
noted that since the city has become the custodian of both roads, there
has been a few complaints from citizens; noted the city has fixed 67
potholes on Walt Stevens Rd. since January 1, 2023, and 47 potholes on
Mount Zion Pkwy since April 7, 2023; and noted underthe Service
Delivery Strategy, the roads were maintained by the county, but seeing
they have been annexed into the city, the roads and maintenance are now
the responsibility of the city.

Councilwoman Gantt inquired on the estimated cost to permanently
complete both roads.

Mr. Aaron noted $2.2 million

Councilman Thomas asked Mr. Aaron if funding was still in place to
complete the sidewalks along Davidson Parkway and Old Atlanta Rd

Mr. Aaron confirmed, noting the recently approved Flippen Road

Development will install sidewalks along Flippen Rd.

Councilman Alexander noted that he has spoken Interim District ||
Commissioner Robinson about meeting with the City Manager to discuss
funding for the repair and maintenance of the former county roads that
were recently annexed into the city, noting there are several roads and are

very costly.

Motion to approve made by Councilwoman Gantt; seconded by
Councilman Alexander. The motion passed unanimously.

6. Council consideration to approve the renewal of Request For Proposal

RFP) Number 2022-0006, On Call General Engineering Services, for the
City of Stockbridge with Falcon Design Consultants, LLC.
Presented by: Decius Aaron
Mr. Aaron noted Falcon Design Consultants, LLC. is one of the On-
Call engineers who currently oversees 30 projects and manages
TSPLOST projects,

Motion to approve made by Councilwoman Gantt; seconded by
Councilman Alexander. The motion passed unanimously.

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7. Council consideration to approve the IGA (Intergovernmental Agreement)
between the City of Stockbridge and the Downtown Development
Authority.
Presented by: Kim Allonce, Quinton Washington
Mr. Allonce noted the agreement outlines the relationship with the
Downtown Development Authority (DDA), funding provided to the DDA
and revitalizing the downtown area; noted clauses in the agreement are
already being fulfilled.

Councilman Alexander noted the DDA Board has had constant
conversations about being the conduit to move transactions through in the
downtown.

Councilwoman Gantt recommended revising the agreement by changing
the to as it relates to the city providing funding.

Councilman Blount inquired on the budget; noted the city has given
the DDA startup funding and the needs to become self-sufficient.

Mr. Allonce noted the budget is $45,000 with $20,000 for operations and
$25,000 for Facade Grants.

Mr. Gardiner noted Mr. Allonce serves as the Staff Liaison on the board to
assist and guide the DDA; and noted the DDA is going to be in a good
position, referencing the TAD and parking deck; and noted the upcoming
budget is looking at the same level of funding as in past years; and noted
with the sale of properties, the DDA will split a percentage of the proceeds
with the city.

Councilwoman Gantt noted the DDA has not issued many Facade Grants

Councilman Alexander noted the DDA Board has revised and revamped
the program to include more opportunities for business owners, and noted
the DDA is doing more now than they have ever done before as a board
and does not want the city to starve them at this point and time.

Motion to approve made by Councilman Alexander with the amended
language to change give the DDA to
give the DDA
seconded by Councilwoman Gantt. The motion passed
unanimously.

8. Council consideration to amend the City of Stockbridge Code of
Ordinances to provide for a Stockbridge Business Partnership Board.
Presented by: Kim Allonce
Mr. Allonce noted the Stockbridge Business Partnership Board was an
item approved as a part of the BRICS initiative that was approved in June

by Council; noted hosting a small business meet and greet in May and
wants to create the board to provide opportunities for businesses to
nurture relationships.

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Motion to approve made by Councilwoman Gantt; seconded by
Councilman Blount. The motion passed 4-0 (Councilman Alexander was
not present for the vote).

9. Council consideration to amend the City of Stockbridge Code of
Ordinances to provide for a Keep Stockbridge Beautiful Board.
Presented by: Kim Allonce
Mr. Allonce noted the Economic Development Department was tasked to
research opportunities for the city to consolidate and find affiliations with
Keep Georgia Beautiful and Keep America Beautiful; noted the board
would be the first steps.

Councilwoman Gantt noted the city is already a part of Welcoming
America; referenced the Keep Stockbridge Beautiful and Trash
Stockbridge initiatives and asked the purpose for creating the board.

Mr. Allonce noted being tasked with finding ways to consolidate; noted to
use the Stockbridge the city must be affiliated with Keep
America Beautiful foundation and must be a community wide effort; Noted
creating a 50103 or 50103 city board.

Councilwoman Gantt noted making sure all boards have representation
from each district.

Councilman Blount inquired about staggering of members.

Councilwoman Gantt noted to add to the next agenda an across-the-board
way board members are appointed; noted creating a policy.

Mayor Pro Tem Barber requested to have two members on the board for
District 4 due to the land mass.

Motion to approve to amend the City of Stockbridge Code of Ordinances
to provide for a Keep Stockbridge Beautiful Board made by Councilman
Alexander; seconded by Councilman Thomas. The motion passed 4-0-1
(Mayor Pro Tem Barber Abstained).

10. Council consideration to fill a vacancy and appoint a member to the

Planning Commission to fill an unexpired term through 12/31/2024.
Presented by: Frederick Gardiner

Mayor Ford noted normally taking appointments into Executive Session

Frederick Gardiner noted having one applicant that would like to serve on
the board.

Ms. Holiday stated for the record Mr. Williams is currently an intern with
the city with his last day being July noted not being in conflict during
the as a board member.

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Motion to appoint Jayden Williams made by Councilwoman Gantt;
seconded by Councilman Alexander. The motion passed unanimously

11.Council consideration to fill a vacancy and appoint a member to the
Downtown Development Authority Board to fill an unexpired term through
12/31/2023.
Presented by: Kim Allonce
Mr. Allonce noted the applicant is the owner of Frozen Smokes located in
the downtown district.

Motion to appoint Warren Washington made by Councilman Alexander;
seconded by Councilwoman Gantt. The motion passed unanimously.

ANNOUNCEMENTS OF UPCOMING MEETINGS & EVENTS

UPCOMING MEETINGS & ANNOUNCEMENTS: Council meetings will be held in the

City Council Chamber. Meeting dates, locations and times are subject to change.
Please visit the website www.cityofstockbridge.com for the meeting invitation link,
Facebook page or contact City Hall offices at 770-389-7900 for updates.

Meeting of the Council for a Public Hearing for the Millage Rate at 9:00 a.m.- City
Hall Council Chambers (July 27)

Planning Commission Meeting, 6:30 pm. City Hall Council Chamber 4th

Thursday of each (Jul 27)
Citywide Development Authority Meeting, 2nd Tuesday of each month 6:00 pm.

City Hall Levi Meeting Room (Aug 8)
0 Main Street Advisory Board Meeting, 2nd Friday of each month -
Welcome
Center located at 130 M L King, Sr. Heritage Trail at 9am (Aug 11)

City Council Meeting, 2nd Monday of each month at 6:00 pm. City Hall Council
Chamber (Aug 14)
. Youth Council Meeting, 6:30 pm. 2nd Monday of each month

City Hall Levi

Meeting Room City Hall (Aug 14)

0 Downtown Development Authority Meeting, 3rd Tuesday of each month
Welcome Center 130 M L King, Sr. Heritage Trail (Aug 15)
Youth Council Advisory Committee Meeting, 6:30 pm. 3rd Tuesday of each

month Levi Meeting Room City Hall (Aug 15)

Planning Commission Meeting, 6:30 pm. City Hall Council Chamber 4th

Thursday of each (Aug 24)
City Council Work Session Meeting, last Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m.
City Hall Council (Aug 29)

UPCO MING CITY EVENTS/INITIATIVE

. Join us for Food Truck Tuesday from 5:30 pm. to 8:30 pm. at Clark Community
Park 111 Davis Rd. Lots and great food and activities for everyone. Greek Night
tonight!
Join Mayor Pro Tem Barber for FREE Zumba every Saturday at 8:00 am.
beginning May 6th at Gardner Community Park on E. Atlanta Rd.

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0 Join Councilman Thomas for the Trash Stockbridge initiative centered
around education highlighting the causes and effects of Littering and Illegal

Dumping. More information to follow.
0 Councilman Thomas is honoring Veterans with a Continuous Salute all year long.
Please send your pictures of Veterans with their name, branch, rank and years of
service to
Join Councilman Blount for Bingo Bash, Wednesday, August 16th from 10am
noon at the Merle Manders Conference Center located at 111 Davis Rd.
Join Mayor Ford for Meet the Mayor on Monday, August 28th from 10am noon.

Please contact Rosalynd Rawls to schedule an appointment at 678-833-3348 or
via email at rrawls@cityofstockbridge-ga.gov

Get your tickets for the upcoming 2023 Stockbridge Concert Series by visiting
stockbridgeampcom or in person at the ticket office located at 4650 North Henry
Blvd. Thursday Saturday from 1pm 5pm. August 5th will feature the
the Whispers and Johnny Gill; August 12th will feature Patti LaBelle and
Envogue; and August 19th will feature Tower of Power and the Ohio Players; and
This past weekend was a fantastic show featuring The City, Zapp and Cameo;
and the Sunday show featured Brownstone and Boyz II Men.

COMMENTS

Mayor Ford noted we are still in COVlD-19 and reminded everyone to get vaccinations
and boosters to stay healthy; noted the Back-to-School event in partnership with the
Youth Council was a success supplying bookbags and supplies to students; and noted

July 29th the Henry County Schools will be praying for all schools at 9:00 am.

Motion to adjourn made by Councilwoman Gantt; seconded by Councilman Alexander;
The motion passed unanimously.

Respectfully submitted by:

VFW
Vanessa Holiday, City Clerk thony 8. F0 Mayor

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