Meeting discussionsStart with a topic.

1. Updated door hangers for recycling trucks

2. Stickers of accepted/not accepted on trash cans

3. Social media education campaign through KSB

4. Utility billing insert through KSB Improve Collection Process

1. Train staff about additional contamination items and no longer collect them – Emphasis on bagged recycling and plastic bags Timeline: October – April It was asked why glass is not recyclable curbside. Ms. Barwig answered that it is because glass breaks and can contaminate other recyclables, glass is very heavy and more expensive to recycle, and glass tears up the trucks. Contamination could go down 30% if plastic bags were not used to hold multiple recyclable items. Only bright orange Hefty bags should be picked up.

B. COW2025-002 Review of the Parks and Rec Financial Sustainability Report – Richard Garland Richard Garland, Community Services Administrator, discussed the Parks & Recreation Financial Sustainability Report. Purpose Smyrna Parks and Recreation’s Cost Recovery Policy intends to create organizational resilience by way of logical, intentional, and thoughtful guidelines for investment and spending decisions. The strategy encourages tax investment and revenue generation strategies and practices that are fair, equitable, and responsible. This policy is necessary to ensure the department’s financial stability in both the near and long term. The Cost Recovery Policy will guide investment and spending choices as the department responds to economic realities, growth expectations, competing priorities, demographic shifts, evolving community needs and interests, and climate impacts. Policy Statement Smyrna Parks and Recreation’s Cost Recovery Policy grounds cost recovery expectations and the spending of taxpayer dollars in a philosophical underpinning that affirms a commitment to equitable investment, financial discipline, and long-term fiscal health. The department’s annual budget ultimately determines the amount of taxpayer support that can be made available for park and recreation services which results in understanding the degree to which subsidy investment can be made and to which services, and the degree to which user fees will be assessed and to which services. Cost Recovery/Subsidy Cost recovery refers to offsetting the costs (expenses) of delivering services by way of revenues generated from fees and charges, sponsorships, donations, grants, and other alternative revenue streams. Alternatively, subsidy represent a tax source. It is granted by a governmental entity; typically to remove some type of burden, and often considered to be in the overall interest of the public. It is also given to promote a social good or an economic policy. For example, a cost recovery level of 75% simply means that for each dollar spent on a service, 75-cents are generated from a revenue source (i.e., fees) with the remaining 25- cents covered by subsidies (i.e., taxes).

Service Categories The development of categories which include like services are important when it comes to justifiable and equitable allocation of subsidy, cost recovery levels, and assignment of budget and general ledger lines to account for a category’s fiscal performance. The benefits of this type of approach are two-fold. First, it is inefficient for the department to determine cost recovery expectations by each individual service including facility, activity, or event. Secondly, categorizing by “type of service” or “likeness of service” discourages attempts to determine fees and charges (and therefore cost recovery decisions) based upon special interests, age-based services, or individual values. Smyrna Parks and Recreation provides many services annually to the community. The following Service Categories represent the department’s service menu and include Service Category definitions as well as example services. 1. Open Access Activities: Self-directed activities in parks and in or on park amenities. These services do not include supervision by staff and/or volunteers. Examples: Use of Playgrounds, Parks, Bike Trails, Fitness Courts 2. Community Events: Events offered to the community as a whole and not specific to a certain demographic or area of interest. Often, these events require continual or long-term planning due to their size and scope. Registration is typically not required. Examples: Concert Series, Home for the Holidays, Lunch on the Lawn, Markets (Handmade Holiday Market, Kris Kringle Market), College Football Saturdays, and Easter After Dark 3. Drop-In Activities: Self-directed activities which may or may not require registration and/or membership depending upon the location of the activity. These services may not require specific instruction but do involve supervision by staff and/or volunteers. Examples: Open gym, therapy pool, racquetball courts, senior social activities, recreation room 4. Beginner/Intro Level Activities: Activities in which fundamental skills are taught by an instructor/coach and designed to limit an emphasis on competition. Beginner/Intro Level Activities include classes, clinics, workshops, and leagues designed for participants to learn basic skills.

Examples: Pre-School Session Gymnastics, Twinkle Toes, Beginning Tae Kwon Do, 20-20-20 Fitness, Beginner Yoga, Beginner Swim Lessons 5. Special Events: Events designed for a specific target market or market niche’ and include consideration of age, gender, skill, and/or personal interests. Special events require registration or tickets and often have a maximum number of participants. Examples: Daddy Daughter Dance, Mother Son Nerf Wars, Galentine’s Day, Senior Casino Trips, Girls Night Out, Parents’ Night Out, Spooky Festival, 12 Cocktails of Christmas 6. Educational and Enrichment Activities: Classes, courses, trips, or other activities led by an instructor or guide and designed to enhance knowledge and personal development through education-based instruction. Examples: Photography Class, Cooking Class, Defensive Driving Course, Day Camps, Educational Senior Trips (museum trips, historic site tours) 7. Competitive Level Activities: Activities and leagues in which participants develop skills in a competitive environment. These activities tend to include designated coaches and/or instructors who work to further develop participant skills. These skills are then applied through regularly scheduled competitions with officials and scorekeepers. Examples: Adult Athletic Leagues, Tae Kwon Do (advanced), Dance Teams 8. Rentals: Exclusive use of spaces and places by an individual or group restricting public and open access use. Examples: Facility Rentals, Park Rentals, Room Rentals, Gymnasium Rentals, Pavilion Rentals, Sports Field Rentals, Vendor Booth Spaces at Markets 9. Private/Semi-private Activities: Activities in which participants receive individualized instruction and guidance in a private or small group environment. These activities are designed to focus on the unique needs and/or interests of individuals. Examples: Piano Lessons, Santa Stops By, Private Swim Lessons, Wolf Center Membership Status 10. Resales: Food, beverages, and other goods available for purchase at various parks, facilities, and events. Examples: Concession Items, Vending Items Mr. Garland spoke specifically about the associations that use Smyrna fields and cost recovery. He has had two meetings with soccer and one meeting with baseball. Soccer: • Their payment to the city based on existing fee schedule was $15/resident,.$40/non-resident.

• There is no resident vs non-resident fee going forward. • Total collected was around $75K in FY 23 at about a 46% cost recovery. • Expenses the city paid direct and indirect were around $180K. • Beginning July 2025, they have agreed to monthly payments of 1/12 of $97K which will be increased by 10% each year for at least three years. • They will reassess each year. Baseball: • They have had a similar with baseball. • Expenses the city paid were around $270K. • The city collected around $44K in FY23 which is an 86% subsidy. • They will propose a similar schedule as was proposed to soccer. • They are waiting to hear back from them. • There is no resident vs non-resident fee going forward. Mr. Garland explained that there is a 60% ceiling for cost recovery this year. Mayor and Council would like to see a spreadsheet of proposed breakdowns percentage-wise. Councilmember Lindley stated that he would like to look at a prohibition on associations charging fees for parking on city-owned property. He said that he was made aware that swim team charges for parking. Councilmember Hines asked that if these fee changes move forward, that Community Relations have ample messaging. Parks & Recreation Commission members present: Kennall Mond (Ward 7), Barrett Carter (Mayor’s Appointee), Nicholas Bergeron (Ward 1), Tobi North (Ward 3), Meg Perry (Ward 5) – they spoke about their decision after consulting with the outside organization and studying the numbers. Their conclusions about increasing fees included: • Fairness, equality • Policy removes the “blame” from politicians • There is documentation to support fee changes Mayor Norton thanked staff and the Parks & Recreation Commission members for their hard work and dedication.

4. Review of Current M&C Agenda

A. COW2025-005 Review of the January 21, 2025 Mayor and Council Meeting Notice and Agenda CHOR2025-002: Eric Randall, Public Works Director, stated that the dates are going to change to January 31, 2025 – February 3, 2025. ATH2025-020: Paul Osburn, Deputy Public Works Director, stated this request is based off the current circumstances that our current vendors cannot currently get replacement poles that match existing. The replacement parts are also becoming obsolete and are very expensive to replace as the HPS fixtures and poles are phasing out. The city will maintain ownership of the lights themselves. This will be a maintenance-based only agreement with GA Power.

5. Other Business / Staff Comment Joe Bennett, City Administrator, updated the Mayor and Council in the following: • Snow closure – crews did an outstanding job • Multiple meetings with Mitch Leff and is team concerning items discussed at the mini- retreat • Mayor Norton – Citywide town hall to discuss project pivots, etc. Attempt to tie it into a council meeting, maybe Feb. 3. • Councilmember Lindley – signage with a QR code • Smyrna 311 issues – IT is addressing those issues, Changes should be coming on the app. • CIP Departmental meetings have concluded • Potential committee for the Georgia Power building • Ward 7 splashpad – $2.268M • Village Green bathroom – $1.371M Paul Osburn, Deputy Public Works Director, updated Mayor and Council on the following: • Electrical around the fountain, outlets around market village, lighting around the walkways are actually housed in the private electrical rooms that belong to each of the two parallel buildings. • Moving the meters out of the buildings that are in the private buildings. • HOA is not paying common area electric. • Cost to repair that problem is $145K for eight weeks of work. • This will go on the Feb. 3 agenda. Kristin Robinson, Deputy City Administrator / CFO: • HB581 – required scheduled meetings • There will likely need to be at least one special called meeting • It has to be advertised, hold meetings, and be approved by March 1 (February 17 Mayor and Council meeting) Councilmember Welch – KSB cleanup this weekend. He will be absent for the May 5 council meeting. Councilmember Hines – Black History Month event is February 28. Thankful to Smyrna PD and local law enforcement partners for their work during today’s incident. The Cobb NAACP’s MLK program will be on Monday before the parade. Councilmember Pickens – Thanked PD for their work today during the incident. Councilmember Oglesby – Public Art Committee meets tomorrow. Hoping to nail down the remedy to repair the crosswalks. Tomorrow afternoon he has a stakeholders meeting about the 285 corridor. Martin Luther King, Jr. parade will be on Monday. 6. Executive Session (As Needed)