Mayor and Council - Regular Meeting

Thank you. Thank you.

I mean, he's not leaving the country or the state. Do you see somebody? Oh, yeah, yeah, gotcha.

Oh, dinner.

I don't know.

Which is still cheaper on fall.

Just my thoughts. Oh, I need to sign. Can you guys both follow? Was this yesterday?

What was this one? Ooh.

Good evening, everybody. We'll go ahead and get started. Welcome. Glad to have you all here. Tonight we have with us Pastor Dyke Verkerk with Life Church Assembly of God, 4100 King Springs Road. Invite you up now. Everybody, please rise for the invocation and pledge.

Let's bow our heads together. Father, in Jesus' name, we come to you with grateful hearts. Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to serve this great city. Thank you for these council members, Lord, and our mayor today. We pray your blessing over them. We pray, Lord, that you will guide this meeting. Your presence will be with us, Lord. Give us wisdom. And we thank you, Lord, for your blessing. In Jesus' name, amen. Would you join me in the Pledge of 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.

Pastor, thank you for being with us tonight. Appreciate you. We don't have any agenda changes tonight. We've got a couple of items on the mayoral report, just kind of a recap of the last couple of weeks. We've had a lot of events, as we typically do, We had our Campbell High School teacher appreciation lunch. We had our excellent Memorial Day ceremony. I know a lot of you were there. Despite the difficult weather that day, it was a tremendous service. Speaking of services, this Sunday at Smyrna First United Methodist, Pastor Derek Porter will deliver his last service. He's moving on, so if you want to come see him, it will be at 1115 on Sunday morning. Coming up on Saturday, this Saturday the 6th at 11.30 the program starts and then the event is at 12.30. This is something spearheaded by Richard Garland, our Parks and Rec Director. We're trying to set the record for the most people in one place dribbling a soccer ball. And they're trying to be in the Guinness Book of World Records. And it's right before the FIFA first matches start being live streamed downtown. We're going to have two screens on the Village Green and then one on the stage facing Still Fire. And we're going to be, I think, airing almost all of the matches throughout the tournament. So if you all want to come out for that, that's 11.30 on Saturday. At 7 p.m. Saturday, we have our first summer concert, concert series, the Guardians of the Jukebox. That's at 7 o'clock on the green. And then just want to wish everybody who's in Smyrna Little League a lot of luck. We've got the nine U sectionals in Peachtree City this week. And I think we're hosting here at Brinkley Park in Smyrna the 8U and the 10U and possibly the 7U also. A lot of kids playing in the tournaments and trying to go win state championships, so looking forward to that. On the mayoral report, we've got also the Smyrna Arts Council. Some of the members are here. If y'all want to come up. Is there anybody here? Yeah, come on up, Vanya. Yeah. If y'all haven't seen, they've got a new exhibit here in our City Hall, a photography exhibit. They've been going in and around Smyrna, taking photographs, and they've really made City Hall look great. We were spending some time with them before the meeting, so sure glad to have y'all here. Vanya, you want to introduce the group? Thank you.

Yes, thank you. We have our wonderful photographers here. They spent a beautiful afternoon in Smyrna, walking and driving around so you can see Smyrna in spring, as we're calling it. And they have some beautiful photos here and at the community center. And on behalf of the Smyrna Arts Council, I would love to thank mayor and council for your continued partnership with this and providing such a wonderful public space for our artists to share their work with the community. So thank you.

We have a lot of talent here in Smyrna, and we sure appreciate all that you all do. And if you haven't seen in and around town, there's a lot of new art, a lot of new public art going everywhere. And I think when we first started this effort, the city was getting in the way, and now we've got a consultant that's helping shepherd it with the committee, and everything's going just great. So looking forward to what you all are going to put out in the community. Thank you for being here, and thank you for the exhibit. So next is a proclamation in recognition of Adventure Outdoors and the Wallace family, 50 years of service here in the city of Smyrna. And I've walked into this room tonight and I said, man, we got a lot of folks here. And then I looked over and look at all the Wallace's that are here. They're filling the room, which is awesome. So Councilman Lindley has the proclamation and then we have a special presentation after.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

And good evening to the Wallace army that is out here. Also want to recognize former

Congressman Bob Barr, who's joining us here tonight, longtime friend and one of my first bosses, so he's nice to me now. You can laugh, Bob. All right, everybody get comfortable because the Wallaces have done a lot, and I joked upstairs that this was like reading War and Peace aloud, so bear with me. A proclamation by the mayor of the city of Smyrna in recognition of Adventure Outdoors and the Wallace family 50 years of service. whereas adventure outdoors was founded in nineteen seventy six bob brothers jay wallace and david wallace whose entrepreneurial spirit strong work ethic and commitment to the city of smyrna laid the foundation for what would become one of the southeast most recognized outdoor sporting goods businesses and whereas the business first opened as the scavengers nest dealers in unburied treasure in belmont hill shopping center beginning with humble resources but guided by a vision of hard work, customer service, and dedication to the community. And whereas through perseverance, innovation, and decades of dedication, the business evolved into Smyrna Pawnbrokers and later became Adventure Outdoors, a landmark business that now welcomes customers from across Georgia and beyond while contributing significantly to the economic vitality and dignity of the city of Smyrna. And whereas Jay Wallace and the Wallace family have generously supported numerous local organizations and causes, including the American Legion, Support Smyrna, Truth in Nature, and the Smyrna Public Safety Foundation, demonstrating an enduring commitment to veterans, youth, public safety personnel, and the overall well-being of the community. And whereas the Wallace family's dedication to entrepreneurship, community involvement, and family values has allowed Adventure Outdoors to thrive across generations with Jay, his wife Cecilia, and their sons continuing the tradition of service, integrity, and local investment established five decades ago. And whereas the city of Smyrna recognizes and celebrates the Wallace family not only for the building of a successful business, but for their enduring contributions to the character, growth, and community spirit of Smyrna, inspiring future generations of local entrepreneurs and community leaders now. Therefore, Derek Norton, Mayor of the City of Smyrna, do hereby honor and congratulate Adventure Outdoors and J. Wallace on the occasion of the company's 50th anniversary.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I'll just add, we celebrated at the last council meeting, and unfortunately I had some travel, but those who had been in business in Smyrna for 15 and 20 and 30 and 50 and I think even 70 years. But this one is super special to me. Personally, I've been there when Jay Wallace and the family paid off all the debt at the Smyrna American Legion. They burned the debt documents. I've seen them participate and support Smyrna. They're active in the Smyrna Public Safety Foundation. They were at the Smyrna Business Association not too long ago sponsoring kids for scholarships and helping our veterans. The list goes on and on and on. Y'all love this community, and it shows, and this community loves you back. We have a special presentation in addition to the proclamations. We are going to name Glendale Place on the west side of South Cobb, right next to the store, J. Wallace Way. I'd like you and the family to come up and get a photo with this, if you would. Pretty good. Yeah, that's pretty cool. Jason, we've been working on this for a minute, haven't we? So you need to hold this. Y'all need to hold this. We'll get in the middle here. We'll have to see you in the background. So y'all just get around this thing.

How about that?

Come on over here, Jay and Cecilia.

Y'all get up front.

Yep, y'all come on up here. Y'all get to keep this one. And then we'll put one up here.

I was going to say, I was going to have her hold the proclamation maybe. Would that be okay? You want to open it up?

Sure. And we'll get the sign up on the video.

There we go. And we'll drop this down a little bit. There we go. That's right. Yeah, you got to hold that. There we go. Very good.

Okay, one, two, three. Let's do one more. One, two, three.

Anything you want to say?

Thank you very much. I never expect anything like this, and it's a wonderful thing to be alive to see it. You used to get these things after you're gone. Thank you. Thank you very much. Very gracious.

We appreciate all you do for Smyrna.

Thank you.

Glad to be here.

Now, this is the part where we say you can stay for the rest of the meeting, but you don't have to. I'm glad to see you. All righty. Thank you.

Thank you so much. Thank you.

We'll give them a minute. All right. Next on our agenda, we have a proclamation in recognition of LGBTQ Plus Pride Month, June 2026. And I'll turn that over to Councilman Oglesby.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. In recognition of LGBTQ Plus Pride Month, June 2026, whereas for more than 50 years, June has been celebrated as LGBTQ Plus Pride Month nationwide, in honor of LGBTQ plus citizens that rose up and fought discriminatory laws at Stonewall and whereas the historical riot at Stonewall in New York City on June 28, 1969 is considered a turning point for LGBTQ plus liberation in the United States. And whereas the city of Smyrna cherishes the value and dignity of each person and appreciates the importance of equality and freedom. And whereas all are welcome in the city of Smyrna to live, work and play. And every family in any shape deserves a place to call home where they are safe, happy, and supported by friends and neighbors. And whereas the city of Smyrna denounces prejudice and unfair discrimination based on age, gender identity, gender expression, race, color, religion, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, or physical attributes as an affront to our fundamental principles. And whereas the city of Smyrna appreciates the cultural, civic, and economic contributions of the LGBTQ plus community, and whereas it is imperative that young people in our community, regardless of sexual orientation, gender, identity, and expression, feel valued, safe, empowered, and supported by their peers and community leaders. Therefore, I, Derrick Norton, Mayor of the City of Smyrna, do hereby proclaim and recognize June 2026 as LGBTQ Plus Pride Month in the City of Smyrna, Georgia, and urge residents to recognize the contributions made by the members of the LGBTQ Plus community and actively promote the principles of equality, liberty, and justice. I yield back, Mayor.

Awesome. Anybody want to come up? We've got a whole group here. We've been very intentional in this city, making sure everybody is included. And let me tell you something. That's one of the favorite weekends. It's awesome. It's awesome. Anybody want to say anything?

Yes, we are very excited. Thank you for the proclamation today. We're excited to hold our festival June 13th. It's going to be our biggest festival yet, over 70 vendors, and for the first time ever, a main stage with entertainment, dancing, music, and a lot of joy. So we're looking forward to seeing you all there, and thank you for supporting our community.

How many vendors? 70. What does that compare to the past events? It's our largest by far. Double, right? Double. Yeah, that's awesome.

Yeah, food trucks this year, live music. It's going to be amazing. DJs.

We even got a brewery you can go have a beer at afterwards. Well, awesome. Can we get a photo with the proclamation? Let's do that.

in the middle of this land?

Yeah, pink is another pink. That isn't pink.

Y'all got to hold that.

Okay. You want to hold the other side?

No.

Okay. I don't want to hold it myself. Okay. On the count of three. One, two, three. Let's do one more. One, two, three. And look there. Everywhere. Everywhere.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Oglesby. We'll move on now to the rest of our agenda, our formal business. We don't have any community development items or privilege, license, or show cause hearings, so item A on formal business is approval of the fiscal year 2027 budget.

All right.

Ms. Robinson.

The required public hearing for the FOI 2027 proposed budget was held on May 18, 2026. The total budget as proposed is $122,710,365. The general fund is $73,584,427. Special revenues are $9,999,990. Capital project funds are $3,553,000. Internal service fund is $1,874,000. And the enterprise funds are $33,698,948. In comparison, last year's revised FY26 budget was $126,131,514 to date. Finance and administration recommend approval of the FY27 budget.

Council, we've been over this and presented and presented again. Y'all have asked questions. Y'all have any final questions before we act on this budget?

No questions, just a comment to thank our finance team that guides us, Kristen and Landon and everyone else involved. It is a laborious process, but they keep the city running and in fine fiscal shape. So a huge thanks to both of them.

I don't know if you noticed, but Landon wore a tie tonight in this meeting. Landon.

And most importantly, we'll spend less money than we did this year. I know. So that's a good move.

I know. That's a good thing. All right, if there's no questions, Mr. Budget's here. I'll entertain a motion.

Motion do pass as presented.

Do I have a second? Second by Mr. Pickens. Everyone please vote. And I should note that Mr. Gould is traveling with his family tonight and won't be with us. That's approved 6-0. Thank you. We'll move on to item B, adoption of City of Smyrna Public Art Master Plan and approval of public art policy updates. Ms. Robinson.

All right. The City of Smyrna Public Art Master Plan serves as a vital guide for expanding and implementing Smyrna's growing public art program over the next decade. Informed by both national best practices and extensive community input and developed in partnership with designing local LLC, city staff, and the community, the plan provides strategic recommendations and creative activations that reflect the city's past, present, and future. It captures Smyrna's needs and community desires for public art at a specific moment in time. It is intended to function as a living roadmap designed to cultivate community connection, activate gathering spaces, and support a sustainably funded program while showcasing Smyrna's unique identity and enlivening its public spaces. It is a direct result of community input reflecting the aspirations for public art and its role in shaping Smyrna's future. Staff recommends the adoption of the Smyrna Public Art Master Plan.

I took a look at this and we were presented this in our committee meeting on Thursday. This is a long time coming and they've done a fantastic job putting it together. Ricky Oglesby chairs our arts committee. Ricky, anything you want to say?

I'm just so humbled and proud of the city of Smyrna and how we've come together to support public art and our local artists. Public art is supposed to make us feel good, which is what City of Smyrna is all about. So I'm really excited about the future of public art. I think you will be too. With that being said, I would like to make a motion to approve, to adopt ATH 2026-051 public art master plan for the City of Smyrna.

I have a motion seconded by Ms. Hines. Everyone please vote. The one thing that's happened through this process is we've got so much talent, so much talent in the city. It's really unbelievable.

All right, so that's approved 6-0.

Thank you.

We'll move on now to item C. This is authorization to approve acquiring a 20-foot sanitary sewer easement and a 15-foot drainage easement from the Saunders residence located at 1216 Bank Street, for the city of Smyrna to be able to access and maintain its sanitary sewer and storm drainage infrastructure that crosses this property in multiple locations and authorize Mayor to sign and execute all documents. That sounds pretty thorough. Is there anything you need to add? All right. This is in Ward 3. Mr. Lindley. Mr. Mayor, a motion to pass is presented. I have a motion. Do I have a second? Second. Seconded by Mr. Welch. Everyone, please vote. And that's approved 6-0. Item D, authorization to update and amend the fee schedule for sanitation and water administration fees effective June 2, 2026. Ms. Robinson, in the background, please.

Yes, the fees for water administration need to be revised to establish fees for the new meters the city is implementing and to add and revise existing fees for price changes and add items that were previously admitted from the schedule. In addition, new fees were established with an ordinance change related to yard waste requiring the sanitation fee schedule to be updated as well. All of these fees will be included in the new budget book for FY27 that's posted online. If anybody has any questions, Public Works, Finance, and Administration recommend approval of this item.

Any questions or discussion? Council. All right. I'll entertain a motion, please. I have a motion to approve and second by Mr. Lindley. Everyone please vote. And that's approved 6-0.

We're making pretty good time, Mr. Welch.

Item E, authorization for the approval of One Digital Investment Advisors as the city's 338 investment manager for the city's 401A and 457B retirement plans and authorize the mayor to sign and execute all related documents. Background, please, Ms. Robinson.

Yes, One Digital has been our Empower 401A and 457 retirement plan advisor since 2021. under an investment advisory agreement, and this is just changing it from the current agreement to a 338, which gives them fiduciary control of the plan. Still going to consult with the city for decisions, but this gives them a little bit more ability with the plan. More options and flexibility. More options. It's going to provide better investments for the employees and better administrative for the city staff as well.

Very good. Any questions or comments from council? All right. I'll entertain a motion on item E. Move approval by Mr. Pickens. Do I have a second? Second. Second by Mr. Lindley. Everyone in favor, please vote. That's approved 6-0. And the last item on formal business, item F, authorization to enter a new agreement with Incisive, 2275 Marietta Boulevard, Atlanta, Georgia, 30318, for a one-year strategic communication agreement and the amount of $102,000 to be paid from the general fund and authorize the mayor to sign and execute all related documents. Ms. Robinson, any background, please?

Yes, the City of Smyrna is seeking to enhance and strengthen its communications, marketing, branding, and public engagement efforts through the engagement of Incisive, a strategic communications, marketing, brand, and public affairs agency. They're going to provide comprehensive communication support services to assist the city in delivering timely, accurate, and engaging information to residents, business, stakeholders, and the media. The scope of service is going to include strategic communication council, content planning and development, media relations support, social media and newsletter support, development and production of the city's look ahead publication and crisis communication. We're hoping this partnership improves city's overall communication strategy and community engagement. Administration recommends approval of this agreement.

I think everybody would agree we've got a great story to tell in the city of Smyrna. A lot of great things going on right now. So this will enhance our ability to not only get the word out with what we're doing to our residents, but also tell the story more broadly. And I'm really looking forward to incisive joining our team. Any comments or questions from council? All right, I'll entertain a motion. Motion to pass from Mr. Pickens. Second by Mr. Lindley. Everyone please vote. And that's approved unanimously 6-0. Consent agenda. Ms. Robinson, can you please read the consent agenda for council approval?

Yes. Item A, MIN 2026-105, approval of the May 14, 2026 Committee of the Whole Minutes. Item B, MIN 2026-107, approval of the May 18, 2026 Pre-Council Meeting Minutes. Item C, MIN 2026-109, approval of the May 18, mayor and council minutes. Item D, authorization 2026-072, approval of the new tower LLC vertical asset lease agreement, Hawthorne Cemetery, to use of the cell tower site located at New Smyrna Cemetery. 4021 Hawthorne Circle, Smyrna, Georgia 30082 to enhance the ability of city's public works department to monitor residential water usage through the installation of AMI metering base station infrastructure and authorize the mayor to sign and execute all related documents. Item E. PH 2026-027, approval of an intergovernmental lease agreement with Cobb County and the city for the use of the county's Camp Highlands 800 megahertz tower site located at 4900 Camp Highlands Road, Smyrna, Georgia 30082 to enhance the ability of Smyrna's Public Works Department to monitor residential water usage through the installation of AMI metering base station infrastructure and authorize the mayor to sign and execute all related documents. Item F, Authorization 2026-067, authorization for the closure of West Spring Street in the lower portion of the Market Village to King Street on Saturday, November 7th, 2026 from 7 a.m. to 11.59 p.m. for the Smyrna Public Safety Foundation and Vineyard Wine Market Jazz under the Gazebo private event and council to approve to serve beer and wine.

Thank you.

Do I have a motion to approve the consent agenda? So moved by Mr. Lindley. I have a second. Second. Second by Mr. Welch. Everyone, please vote. And that's approved 6-0. Now we're on to the citizen participation portion of our meeting. I don't have anybody signed up for public comment. Is there anybody here that wants to make any comment? You always got something to say, Josh, always. Not tonight. Okay. We'll move on to ward and staff reports. Mr. Pickens.

Thank you, Mayor. No report this evening.

Ms. Hines. Mr. Lindley.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Just to echo your comments and the mayor's report, this coming Sunday will be Reverend Derek Porter's final sermon and final week at Smyrna First United Methodist Church. He's done a lot in his near decade at Smyrna First. truly transformed the church but now part of the long 188 year history of the church a neat neat and very proud as a member and a friend of his that he has gotten an absolutely awesome opportunity in his next appointment he will be the new senior pastor at Roswell United Methodist Church, which is the second largest Methodist congregation in the state and the tenth largest congregation in the nation. So a huge, huge opportunity for his ministry, and we're very proud. I'm claiming that Smyrna trained him. So with that, I yield.

Mr. Wells. No report this evening. Ms. Wilkinson.

No report.

Thank you. Mr. Oglesby.

I got a couple reports. First and foremost, I want to recognize our upcoming Juneteenth Festival, which will be hosted by the City of Smyrna on June 19th. All right. Starting at 6 p.m. following the soccer tournament. World Cup tournament where USA is playing, I believe, Australia. So stay seated. We're going to continue the party, right? We're going to have a great festival event. For those who are interested in sponsorship, please contact Jody Mills, Cedar Smyrna Parks and Rec. If you want a VIP table, please go to our Cedar Smyrna Parks and Rec website. We have added a VIP tent this year. It's going to be hot. We have a tent that's going to be full of food and drinks and obviously great networking. You can also purchase tickets for that tent on the website. There are still slots available. I want to recognize, well, okay, so not long ago we recognized a group of four beautiful young ladies who basically were highly decorated by the state of Georgia in swimming from Vinings Estates. Ward 7, well, their new season starts, actually starts today, June 1st, starts their new season at Viners Estates at 6 p.m. Their next match will be at 8 p.m., June the 8th, at Viners Estates, and that starts at 6 p.m. So if you're interested in checking those young ladies out, who I believe will probably be future Olympians, here's a good time to do it and maybe do it for a little cheaper, cheaper rate, right? All right, I yield back to you, Mr. Mayor.

Thank you, Mr. Oglesby, and thank you for all the time and effort you've put in, not only to the Arts Committee, but also to the Juneteenth planning. I know that's no small feat, and that's going to be another awesome event. Ms. Kristen, anything?

Nothing tonight, thank you.

Mr. Cochran. Ms. Heather?

Yes, sir. I'd like to give the residents an update on advance voting for the general primary runoff election. That begins this Monday, June 8th, and runs through Friday the 12th from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Smyrna First Baptist Church here in downtown. There will be Saturday voting as well on the 6th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. And the county is hosting approximately five locations that you may vote on Sunday, June 7th from 12 to 5. Again, the reminder is that the election is on June 16th. Please vote in your precinct on the general election day.

Thank you. If there's no other business to be brought before this body, we'll say good evening from the John Quill City at 732.