Mayor and Council - Regular Meeting

test. Test Oh, there it is. Council member Oglesby, if you can hear us, please go ahead and let us know we can hear you.

All right, good evening everybody. We'll call this meeting to order. Um, appreciate you all being here. Uh, we have tonight with us Pastor Derek Porter with Smyrna First United Methodist Church, 1315 Concord Road. My pastor, come on up and lead us in the invocation and pledge. Everybody, please rise. Let us pray. Almighty God, we ask for your presence here tonight to be with these leaders, to be with these community public servants, guide their direction, guide their steps, not just tonight but throughout the year. And gracious God, as a member of this community, I want to thank you for their service. Thank you for their detail. Thank you for their kindness, their graciousness and leadership. And thank you for their willingness to step into vision to serve this community to the best of their abilities. Gracious God, we ask for protection of all of our public servants tonight, of our safety, our safety leaders, police officers, firemen, fire women, our EMTs. Gracious God, be with them and help them continue to provide the safety that we enjoy here. Gracious God, we pray for all who are coming into our community that they will know that they are welcome and that they will be a part of this community and the blessing that it provides. In Christ's name we pray. Amen. Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, liberty and justice for all. Thank you, pastor, for being with us. Uh, Heather, on our monitors, it says the meeting will begin shortly. I don't know if that's been started or if that

can get the feed working for those who are not here. There we go. Thank you. Um, we have one agenda change tonight. Um, it's approval to add an item to formal business related to the appointment of an interim public works director. That'll be added as item G. May I have a motion to add that to the agenda?

So, moved by Mr. Lindley, second by Miss Hines. All in favor, please vote. Miss Wilkinson. See, Paul, there's already issues with your vote.

Nothing like a little suspense. Bear with us just a moment. We're having a technical issue. Okay. Uh, so we have Councilman Og's votes in the affirmative, right?

We have six votes here, I know. And then we just need confirmation of Ricky's vote. Councilman Oglesby couldn't be here in person tonight, so he's joined us virtually. And I should also mention uh our city administrator Mike Jones had a family emergency and could not be here this this evening either. All right. Then then that has been added to the agenda by a vote of 70. Um I don't have much on the mayoral report tonight. Uh this is the first time we've met since December. Hope everybody had a good uh Christmas and holiday season. Um I do want to mention one thing. Um we had uh had a difficult day yesterday. Uh went to the funeral of our u of our public works director, Eric Randall. Many of you know knew Eric. Uh Eric had a long tenure with the city. Uh he was our city engineer for years and then he left and then we lured him back. Um and he ended up becoming our public works director. Uh Eric was a good man and and by you could just see by the crowd yesterday and all the testimony given from from some of the folks there what a lasting impact he had and what a what just what a tremendous human being he was. So we're going to miss him a lot. We're going to miss his his uh his terrible puns that he was so proud of and um just uh just sad to see him go. Really good addition to the city of Smyrna. And I don't know if any of my colleagues have anything they'd like to add.

I would uh would echo that, Mr. Mayor. He was a a dedicated public servant. It was a very hard time for his family and for our city staff, some of which who are here tonight. So, we continue to remember him and uh his family.

They often say um that let the works that I've done speak for me. And um We can definitely say here in the city of Smyrna that the work that Eric did during his tenure, both tenurs, um really spoke to to what a wonderful um dedicated part of our family he was and also for his dedication to his family. That was that was another aspect that we got a chance to see yesterday. So, um don't take it lightly. He will definitely be missed. And so just prayers, continued prayers for his wife and his stepdaughter and his the rest of his family.

Be very brief, but I want to echo the same thing that everyone else has said. I I work with Eric both terms that he was here and uh he was very well fitted to be a city engineer, public works director uh and all the roles that he ever filled here. And as the mayor said, the turnout for the funeral yesterday and the things that were said by the individuals that were there were remarkable and continue to pray for for and stepdaughter just time. So, I had the privilege and um to work with Eric early also when he was here the first time and was very um happy when he returned to the city. I enjoyed working with Eric a lot and um one of the things I've said about him is how um he never mind minded explaining things and I always like a a lot of um explanations and ask a lot of questions and he was always very good and kind um about that explaining things and also um you know want to keep his family and his wife and his stepdaughter and his parents as well that he was um he was taken care of and keep them in our prayers. And just also add that um I had forgotten that Eric had mentioned this to me, but he had moved his parents uh down here from I think it was North Carolina when they had the hurricanes up there and the home that they were living in was flooded and Eric had moved his parents down here and they were I don't know if y'all know but they were at Delmare Gardens here in Smyrna and they they're still there. Um, so and I had talked to his sister yesterday and she's uh planning she likes the the home that

they're in and has been happy with them there and she's planning to continue having them live there in in Smyrna in Delmar Gardens. So anyway, with that I yield. Mr. Pickkins. Thanks, Mayor. Oh, yeah. Um, it was a hard day yesterday and I'd say he's gone way too soon and enjoyed working with Eric over the last few years and he was a great addition to the city and always happy, full of joy and I think we'll all miss his uh terrible jokes. So, thank you.

Um, yeah, like um likewise Eric was a a pleasure pleasure to work with and as a as a maybe I had a affinity for his sense of humor as being another dorky engineer, he was uh I found his uh found his jokes surprisingly funny. So, [laughter] and he was uh he was yeah, great guy and he was never worried about giving you a very detailed answer. And as you said earlier, Mr. Mayor, he had a time was maybe not on his top of his mind, but he sharing information and and uh you know, explaining his thoughts and telling jokes really that was his priority. I think it was described yesterday by somebody close to him as they were poking a little bit of fun in a in a dark moment was he had a a laid-back lacadasical relationship with time,

right? And I thought that was well put. I thought that was great, too.

I had uh the opportunity in December to go to the u the department head breakfast over at the Reed House and u that's the last time I spoke with Eric and we were in the in the back getting food. We're the only two back there and he told me about how hard his year had been, but we both at the end of the day said we were very blessed and we were certainly blessed to have him in our lives. So he'll he'll be missed. We lost Eric on New Year's Eve to a heart attack. So, with that, um, we will move on to our the rest of our agenda. We don't have any proclamations or presentations tonight. Um, we have no community development items, but we do have a privilege, license, and show cause hearing. Uh, this is item A. This is a new request for beer and wine pouring and Sunday sales at 1385 Highland Ridge Road, Sweet D Southeast, Smyrna, Georgia 300082. Curry Thai LLC doing business as Curry Curry with Uban Davis as the agent. Um, and I'm gonna since Mr. Oglesby is not here, Mr. Gould is going to handle this issue. Will the applicant come on up?

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Is the applicant here with us tonight? Can you come on up?

Thank you. Would you like to introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your business, please? Oh, my name is Ubunwan Davis, but call me Bayan. Um, I'm pretty new in this area because I'm a new partner. I have the restaurant in Atlanta, South Carolina, and mainly a Thai food.

So, we the curry curry was in there almost years if you drop and the owner of previous owner she retired and just step in to help them because of the recreation chain all the time and um as u I mean I'm think I'm old generation because new generation they not really like to do this business as much so I step in as the one of the partner so we got a hard time to get the license last year because we changed the partnership Good. Well, thanks for helping keeping open is one of my wife's favorite restaurants in Smyrna for when we look for a tie. So, thank you for helping keep it open. We appreciate that.

Yes. Because u most of restaurant I open right now. This is me. Um I myself have my children and I I believe in God. I don't know how I can open five location different in South Carolina in Atlanta and most of the time I think this job AI cannot take it and a lot of who not good at school come to work with me and a lot of kids who are instead of they they don't have a lot of opportunity because uh this kind of labor type job and most of the time I think a lot of American kids um is uh become drug addiction and this job even server or this watch shower in the kitchen a lot of them want to give them opportunity and make them feel good about it. At least they have a job. Even though not a it's not a big job, but I just keep it run. It's not about making money anymore because it's hard work to train them to come to the point that they feel good about themselves. This I don't know how I can do it. It's still working for me. It's the tough business, but it just keep it running.

Well, you keep working and you must be good at it. You had five successful restaurants. So, congratulations. Um, so for the privilege license, have you taken the classes and are aware of the requirements? Yeah, I did. Some might some of the city not required, but this one I I took it. Okay. And you're you're aware that the city may period periodically check if you're Yes. Yes. It's often up. It's up. Is that that the way it should be? In other location, they do the same thing. So I now I think I need to train them and then come and get uh the ser the server permit. Right. Right. Okay. Okay. Thank you very much. So with that, Mr. Mayor, I'd like to make a motion to approve item 8A, uh, the privilege license as previously read.

Have a motion. Do I have a second? Second by Miss Hines. All those in favor, please vote. Miss Wilkinson votes in the affirmative. Mr. Oglesby.

Say that again. In the affirmative. Okay. And that's pass 70. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you for letting me come here. Of course. Thanks for being here. All right. We'll move on now to formal business. Um item A, authorization for a proposal for the services of WEC technologies, a proprietary proprietary technology platform to be implemented by the department for the management and registration of facilities and programs throughout for an initial cost of $49,700 and authorize the mayor to sign and execute all related documents. I think this meant to say parks and wreck department. Um, Miss uh, Heather, the background, please.

Yes, mayor. The parks and recreation currently use utilizes an online service system to manage reservations, programming, and the such. This is a new system that is more progressive and userfriendly and does offer a lesser cost for the city for these services. The initial cost is $49,700 that will be paid in specific increments. Thank you. Is there any discussion on this item? All right, I'll entertain a motion. Motion to approve. Motion to approve by Mr. Welch,

second by Mr. Pickkins. Everyone, please vote. Miss Wilkinson votes in the affirmative. Mr. Oglesby, that's approved. 70. We'll move now to item B, authorization to approve the reclassification of the water and sewer director and assistant director positions and incorporate the water and sewer department back under the public works umbrella and authorize the mayor to sign and execute all related documents. That's pretty straightforward. Miss Heather, anything to add background? No, sir. Other than this will create two new positions in the engineering department, uh, construction project manager and construction inspector.

Okay. Um, any discussion? May I have a motion?

Moved to pass by Mr. Lindley, second by Mr. Pickkins. All in favor, please vote. And that's approved. 70. Then item C, authorization to approve the contract based off RFQ26-014 to CW Matthews Contracting Company in an amount not to exceed $4,94,5467 to be paid from the Elme funds in 2022 Splast. This is a resurfacing line item for the milling and overlay of city streets and authorize the mayor to sign and execute all related documents. Miss Heather, any background, please? The only background for this would be this is approximately 30 city streets as part of our citywide annual resurfacing and there is a list um attached to this item in the background if the citizens would like to review.

Resurfacing has been a focus of this council to make sure that we keep up with the needs and allocate resources accordingly. So u this is just another way that we are doing that. Uh is there any discussion? All right, I'll entertain a motion. Motion to approve. Motion to approve by Mr. Welch, second by Mr. Lindley. Everyone, please vote. Council member Oglesby votes in the affirmative.

All right. Well, then that's approved. 70. Item D, authorization to approve contract based off RFP 26-012 to Georgia Waste Systems LLC Waste Management and authorize the mayor to sign and execute all documents. Miss Heather, the background, please. Yes, sir. The city received eight responsive bids to this item and those were evaluated by our appointed evaluation team. Based on the outline criteria, Waste Management, Georgia Waste Systems LLC was chosen.

All right. Any discussion? All right. I entertain a motion. Motion do pass by Mr. Lindley. Do I have a second? Second by Mr. Pickkins. All those in favor, please affirmative. That's approved. 70. Item E, authorize and approve a quick claim deed conveying a segment of land that parallels the rear of the property at 24 2641 Brown Circle Southeast parcel segment to be deed. Mcgriff Street is a portion of an of an old road never constructed and previously abandoned but is shown on the recorded subdivision plat and authorized mayor to sign and execute all documents. That's pretty straightforward, Miss Heather. Any more background on that?

No, sir. This is pretty straightforward.

This is in ward three. Travis good with that. All right, we have a motion do pass. Do I have a second? Second by Miss Hines. Beat you out, Mr. Gold. All those in favor, please vote. That's approved. 70. Also item F, appointment of Deputy Fire Chief Dustin Davyy and Special Projects Manager Carson Haney to serve as alternate members of the License and Varian Board starting February 1st, 2026. Uh, may I have a motion, please? Motion by Mr. Lindley, second by Mr. Pickkins. All those in favor, please vote.

Affirmative for Council Member Oglesby. And

that's approved. 70. And then the last item under formal business is item G. This is the approval of the appointment of Deputy Public Works Director Paul Osman as the interim public works director for the city of Smyrna. And let me just tell you something. Paul has uh his dedication to this city and the amount of work that he does uh in in all kinds of lanes in in in this town. Uh we are so lucky to have you here. Uh we appreciate you a lot and um this is this is uh this is the right thing at the and and the opportunity. Uh you're the right person to fill this opportunity at this moment and we're we're really glad that you can do that. Um Miss Heather, any more background that you have or anything we need to say? Anything anybody wants to say

other than congratulations? Yeah. Well, he hadn't been voted in yet. We have a motion do we have a motion do pass and a second by Miss Hines? Beat you. Uh, all those in favor, council member Oglesby votes in the affirmative. Vote, man, you barely made it. 70. Congratulations. Congratulations again. [applause]

All right. Item 10 is the consent agenda. May uh, Miss Heather, please read the consent, read the consent agenda for council approval.

Yes, sir. This evening, we have just a few items. Um, item A is the minutes from the December 11th committee of the whole meeting. Item B, minutes from the December 15th pre-consil meeting. Item C, December 15th mayor and council minutes. Item D is item ATTH 2026-004 approval to use the council chambers for two meeting on Thursday, January 22nd, 2026 from 6 to 8:00 p.m. for council member Hines. Item E, authorization ATTH206 005 authorization of the closure of the south side of the West Spring Street traffic circle circle for the installation of public art on Thursday January 22nd from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 pm for council member Lindley. Item FTH 2026-00007 approval to use council chambers for Concord Lake Village HOA meeting on Sunday, February 1st, 2026 from 4:30 to 5:30 for council member Lley. May I have a motion to approve the consent agenda? Moved by Mr. Lindley, second by Mr. Welch. All those in favor, please vote. And that's approved. 70. Also, and I just want to note, item E. If y'all have seen all that construction activity outside of Zuka in that little space that we couldn't grow any grass and has looked terrible for a long time, there's going to be a great piece of public art put there on the 22nd and we'll do a ribbon cutting at the end of the month. I think you all will be very excited about what's going there. I sure am. All right, we've u reached the citizen participation uh portion of our meeting. Uh is there anybody signed up for public comment? Okay, please come forward. Miss Burns, it's been a while.

Happy New Year to you. Thank you.

Good evening. My name is Pat Burns. I live on Concord Road at the confluence of Smyrna and Mapleton. I am a Smyrna property owner. It's been said, "The greatness of a nation is not measured by whom it casts out, but by whom it gathers in." I'm from Minnesota. Lately, my heart is there grieving. Grieving the shooting death of Renee Good. Renee Good died on Portland Avenue, a street I know well. I worked on Portland Nav as at a social service agency when I was a student at the University of Minnesota. That era, the late 60s, was also a time of community and national turmoil. Today's upheaval is brought on by a sanctioned masked gunmen searching our homes, our schools, our businesses, kidnapping mothers, teenagers, and fathers based on their color. We've done this before. We rid Cobb County of the Cherokee. Here in the south, hooded marauders terrified people of color. We've done this before. Neighbors one day became brown shirts, the next betrayed their Jewish friends and other vulnerables. Uncensored history books in the future will write about today's mass government agents and students will ask why. Modern Smyrna, like this nation, is built on the back

of Hispanic laborers. Today, they are vilified, afraid, hunted. Smyrna's strong police department can take care of violent criminals, immigrants or otherwise. I witnessed an ICE workplace raid on Concord Road with the building of Bentley Park. The raid was frightening, depraved, immoral. I'm asking you to pass a resolution to oppose and keep these sanctioned mass marauders known as ICE out of our city. Protect our neighbors. Protect our community. History has its eyes on us. Thank you, Miss Burns. Anybody else wants to speak this evening? All right, we'll close the public comment period. Um, we'll go on to ward and staff reports. We'll start tonight. Mr. Glenn Pickkins. Thanks, Mayor. I'd like to thank everyone that came out to our town hall last weekend. It was a good turnout and a good way to start out the year each each time. Thank you,

Miss Hind.

Thank you, Mayor. Um, and I want to let you guys know we're getting ready to come up to uh Black History Month um in February and we have our Taste of Black History Month program. That's what we're going to do this year. We're celebrating 100 years of celebration of black history and all the contributions of um the African-Americans in this uh in this nation. So, uh additionally, in kind of segueing off of that, although it's not here in the city of Simrna, it is something that is attended by um people from all over Cobb County, it is the NAACP's um MLK program that will be this um Monday coming up. and uh they've been great supporters um for a lot of the different programming that we've had here. So, mayor, I thank you so much for supporting um supporting us when we we do those types of programs and partnerships.

If this year if this year is half as good as last year, [laughter] that was so good.

Well, we're trying we're trying something different. Um but uh we're bringing food into the equation and that's something that's definitely been a big thing a part of our culture. Um the other thing is I'm going to have a ward meeting uh next week on the 22nd here. Um it'll be our first of the uh year. So um please if you're able please come and attend. And then also um I want to mention Live Safe Resources. It's an organization um that is a domestic only domestic violence uh shelter um here in Cobb County. And they also helped with elder abuse as well. And um they usually have one of their main fundraisers here in the city of Smyrna. And um they have a recognition that they do for uh life life um their achievement women of achievement recognition that they do uh for women who've made a major impact um in the community. And I'm blessed to have been one of the uh honores and I know that um Tim Gold uh his wife Judy Fitzgerald was actually one of the honores and recognized as woman of the year. And I have the pleasure of being able to say that our first lady Laura Norton is one of the nominees this year. And then also Kathy Young who's one of our former council women is also a nominee honore. So wonderful thing. Thanks. without a yield.

Thank you for that. You know, I know I'm front and center on a lot of things, but but nothing happens without without Laura, and she does a lot for this community. I'm proud of her and just like Tim would agree, our wives make us look a lot better. We out coverage for sure. Yeah, there you go. Mr. Lindley.

Uh thank you, Mr. Mayor. Just to echo uh Councilman Pickkins, he and Mr. and I had our I think we're close to over 20 uh town hall meetings. We had one the first uh Sunday of the uh year had a good response and um today we had the traffic calming committee. We continue to make good headway there. There'll be some updates online on that front. With that, I yield.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Just a reminder to everybody out there that is interested. I believe this weekend is Beautiful community cleanup if it's something they're interested in. I don't know the exact location, but put a call in to the beautiful recycle center and they will give you the details, but it's Saturday morning. It usually starts by 9:00. Just not sure where they're meeting you. Thank you, Miss Wilkinson.

Thank you, Mayor. Um, I want to wish everyone out there a happy new year and I think this is our this is our first meeting this year. So, happy new year. And I also want to recognize um Paul for um uh jumping in and helping us uh with the current situation. It's uh you've been done a great job and thank you so much for helping us get through this time. With that, I Mr. Gold.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um we just had a trafficcoming meeting earlier tonight which is a uh important committee for the city and as of course was one of the main topics of discussion at our recent ward meeting and you know our our we passed a vision and mission statement which essentially says you know we want to as part of the mayor and council's uh goal is to ensure we have safe uh safe streets, safe sidewalks and uh and uh keep our ne neighborhoods very livable. So that essentially is really the high level mission of the of the traffic company committee and and uh pleased to be a part of it and I think staff is doing fantastic work uh moving forward with these projects. Thank you Mr. Mayor. Jeffrey, thanks for filling in for Mr. Cochran tonight. Anything you have? No report, Mr. Mayor.

Miss Heather, I have Mr. Oglesby's board report. He would like to mention the town hall meeting he is hosting tomorrow evening which is the 13th at the public safety training center and it begins at 7 pm. He also would like to invite the community to his new restaurant, The Indigo Room, to listen to local jazz vocalist Mary Katherine on Wednesday during the Wednesday. And live music will start at 700 p.m. And he wants also to mention that they are now open for lunch starting at 11:30 and Sunday breakfast and brunch starting at 9:00 a.m.

Very good. Um if there is no other business to be brought before this body, we are adjourned from the Jonquil city at 7:32.