Meeting discussionsStart with a topic.

tree for uh bees birds and butterflies and is actually a host plant for several native butterflies so really excited about it will be a um also giving out tree seedlings as part of our adopted tree program we have quite a few available especially red bud trees which are smaller trees um that give off really beautiful flowers so thank you Julie thanks for all you do and your staff and the keeps a beautiful board um everything we do here we try to make sure that we don't disrupt the canopy and we we make sure that we replan and um that's why we've been a tree City for so long so we really appreciate your efforts yeah absolutely thank you so yeah so we have a certificate here for you and you know we love to take pictures so we're going to do that too let's do while they're coming down there what kind of trees seedlings do you have oh we have uh we have Oak pmen um Red Bud American red cedar um yeah we have quite a quite a few we have some map as well yeah so we have the number of trees and then some that are we get in the middle here Julie you get in the middle sure thank you thank you thank you have a good evening all right we don't have any Community Development items or privilege license or show cause hearings so we'll move on to formal business I have three items the first of which is a public hearing and vote authorization of resolution regarding the city of smyrna's intention to opt out of the Statewide adjusted basee adalum homestad exemption this is a public hearing number three of three Mr Ben at the back please thank you Mr Mayor House Bill 581 was passed by the Georgia General Assembly during the 2024 legislative session and an enabling Constitutional Amendment HR 1022 was subsequently approved through a Statewide ballot question during the November 2024 election within House Bill 581 ocga 48-5 d44.1 provides for a Statewide floating homestead exemption which applies to County counties Consolidated governments municipalities and local school districts while the homestead exemption automatically applies to all local governments and school districts these jurisdictions may stop the homestead exemption from becoming effective within their jurisdiction by following certain procedures by March 1st 2025 ocga 48-5 d442 I provides the necessary procedures for local governments to opt out of the house bill 581 Homestead exemption to opt out the local government or School District must adopt a resolution opting out of the exemption after completing the following steps which must be completed between January 1st

2025 and March 1st 2025 the local government must advertise the intent to opt out and conduct at least at least three public hearings on the issue with at least one of the public meetings occurring between 6:00 p.m. and 7 p.m. on a business weekday the local government must place an advertisement in a newspaper of General circulation serving the residents of the political subdivision and post the advertisement on its website of the local government the advertisement must appear at least one week prior to each hearing be prominently displayed be not less than 30 square in and not be placed in that section of the newspaper where legal notices appear the advertisement must also be posted on the local government's website at least one week prior to each Hearing in addition to the advertisement the local government may include in the notice reasons or explanations for its intention to opt out of the homestead exemption simultaneously with the notice the local government must provide a press release to the local media the City of Smyrna has completed all requirements to opt out and this public hearing resolution and vote are the final procedures as required in ocga 48-5 d442 I sta staff recommends authorization of this resolution that was very thorough Mr B anything else you want to add no sir okay uh any discussion amongst Council we're going to have a public hearing is there anybody who wishes to speak for or against this item please come up and be sworn in by our City attorney now nope all right we'll close the public hearing uh and I'll entertain a motion to move approval by Mr Lindley second and by Mr Welch all those in favor please vote Miss Hines how do you vote in the affirmative that's passed uh six to zero and I should mention uh Miss Wilkinson is unable to join us this evening we'll move on to Item B authorization to amend the 2022 spls fund project length budget to increase the camp Highland Bridge Project in the amount of 94 ,200 to $1,594 20000 to meet the cost share agreement based on the intergovernmental agreement with cop County approved by the City of Smyrna on June 17 2024 adopt the amended IGA with the same and authorize the mayor to sign and execute all related documents Mr Bennett the background please yes sir following the approval of the intergovernmental agreement to share cost associated with the camp Highland Bridge bank stabilization cob County solicited bids to perform the work the lowest reliable bid received exceeded the estimated construction cost and cob County and the contractor agreed on a scope reduction that

resulted in a revised construction cost of 3,145 10777 and keeping with the intent of sharing the cost for the project the city and the county amount will be 1,572 55388 the intergo intergovernmental agreement also stipulates that the cost for engineering and design Services related to the project in the amount of $ 41,7 c0 would be cost shared 5050 between cob County and the city meet this an additional $94,200 needs to be added to the allocation for the project in the 2022 spast for a rounded total budget of 1, 15942 thank you Mr Bennett this is in U Mr oglesby's Ward I know uh this bridge has been in focus for him and um glad to have the necessary repair is done to make sure it's safe uh Mr Oglesby I'll entertain a motion yeah uh motion U to approve as written do I have a second second second by Mr G all those in favor please vote Miss Hines how do you vote how do you vote she's not she's not I don't think we've got her anymore so we just close the vote and that's approved 5 Z thank you item C is something we do every year this is authorizing uh the City of Smyrna to continue as a subrecipient of the cob County Community Development block grant cdbg program in 2025 to Reser to receive the grant amount of $188,800 cents for the public facilities project and administration and planning and authorize the mayor to sign and execute the 2025 subrecipient agreement documents pretty self-explanatory yes sir any other background okay any discussion may I have a motion motion due pass by Mr Lenley seconded by Mr Pickins all those in favor please vote and that's approved 5 Z next is the consent agenda Mr Bennett can you please read the short consent agenda for Council approval yes item A Min 2025-the 2025 Committee of the whole meeting minutes Item B min 202-292-2882 [Music] to operate a beer Wine and Liquor mobile bar with sales during the 2025 Annual Pride Festival by Smyrna is fabulous on Saturday June 28th 2025 from 12:00 p.m.

until 6: p.m. and authorize the vendor to seek required special event permit through the community development office and the alcohol sales approval through the state of Georgia finally item e 2025-the Saturday March 15th 2025 starting at 10:00 a.m. with rolling road closures on Atlanta Road and police presence from Campbell Middle School to Brinkley Park following the attached route thank you Mr benett do I have a motion to approve the consent agenda so moveed by Mr Gould second by Mr Oglesby all those in favor please vote and that's approved 5 Z and if you have haven't been to the um little league parade they've got over 1,200 kids playing this year it is um the largest ever and um it's awesome I hope you can come out and support uh the little Leaguers all right we'll move on to citizen participation Miss Jill do we have anybody signed up to speak nobody signed up for public comment we'll move on to Ward and staff reports Mr Pickins thank you mayor uh I just like to thank everyone that came out to our town hall uh Thursday night it was just a good uh evening to hear everyone's feedback and comments and questions Mr Lindley thank you I'd Echo uh Mr Pickins it was good to see um Community engagement and lots of lots of exciting stuff rolling out uh I think in the last five years it would put us somewhere around 25 or 26 Town Hall meetings so uh we are trying to be open and transparent thank you Mr Welch thank you Mr Mayor um I again I thank everybody for coming out to the meeting as well I do think it was very informative and U hopefully we U made everybody feel comfortable about the decisions that we're making up here that a Mr G thank you Mr Mayor just two quick things number one want to thank the SM of fire department for taking care of a uh a neighbor had a lightning strike in their house early Sunday morning and smart fire they were out there quickly took care of an attic fire and and then uh our victim's response contractor was there uh within within the hour and helping them assist go through the recovery process so kudos to uh Chief Marcos and his staff and then secondly is we have the Education Foundation discussion for all the spurn area schools on Thursday March 6th so it's an opportunity for the foundations to come together and share some best practices looking forward to that meeting thank you Mr Mayor Mr Osby thank you Mr Mayor got a couple of things

today uh first off our uh public art committee we're currently working on the artery so if you are a artist or an inspiring artist we have about 14 fire hyr that we would love to be painted beautifully for the spring uh so the RFQ is out now so reach out to the C ofner and submit your uh your art also we are in the middle of Black History Month 2025 and with that being said the city of smer celebrates Black History Month with our black history dinner that is coming up February the 28th so if you have not got a ticket yet they're $20 please come to please visit the city of smers website we have something really special this year we'll be we'll be uh hosting Atlanta play playright kingra Smith as the featur speaker and they will do some some uh acting from their play all right live in smer City Community Center uh we will also have a nice dinner so we like to eat here so we'll feed you too so please visit our website purchase your ticket thank you I'll you back Mr Bennett anything for us Mr Cochran Miss J all right if there's no other business to be brought before this body we'll say good evening from the jonell city see you next time we're Jed