Mayor & Council Retreat - Lanier Islands — Minutes
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April 25, 2025 09:00 AM City of Smyrna Mayor and Council Meeting Lanier Islands Legacy Lodge & Conference Center 7000 Lanier Islands Pkwy Page 3 of 4 Strategic Focus Area: Employee Excellence • The City’s wellness program was re-imagined. • Employee evaluation process has been automated. • The Safety Committee was relaunched. • Mineral training platform was launched. • We have continued to reduce overall employee turnover (CY 2024 + 14.98%). Strategic Focus Area: Quality of Life • 30-year water main replacement and sewer rehabilitation plans have been completed. • Lead service line inventory has been completed (We are Lead Free). • Community Development has continued conducting occupational tax certificate checks on existing businesses. • King St. has been closed from Friday – Sunday until Daylight Savings Time to facilitate a safer downtown. Councilmember Rickey N. Oglesby, Jr. – has concerns about the number of unhoused people. Councilmember Latonia P. Hines – has concerns about the lack of affordable housing. Councilmember Charles Welch – unhoused issues and affordable housing is an investor issue. There is a mentality of NIMBY (Not In My Backyard). Scott Cochran, City Attorney – From his experience through the Cobb Housing Authority: • The property is taken off the tax digest through a private enterprise agreement • Best case scenario, take an existing apartment complex not in the best condition to avoid rezoning issues - Work with investors to improve the complex - Deed restrict it to certain income level for a certain amount of time Andrea Worthy, Economic Development Director – added that it will probably take some changes to zoning code. She also discussed the following – Church Redevelopment Project: • First Phase is on track • There will be a booth at the Jonquil Festival • Community meeting on Monday night • 714 people signed up for updates via email • This process is about public input and also public education • It would be good for Mayor and Council to visit different communities for ideas Kristin Robinson, Deputy City Administrator / CFO • The next COW meeting – budget presentation • CIP process – November – February - $3.26M was added to the wish list which was cut - Good financial position, but have to look at anticipated revenues, anticipated expenses, balances, reserves, etc. • Two positions approved: HR – Risk Management Specialist, Parks Technician (devoted to downtown greenspace) • Several reclassifications were approved • $376K deficit - Committed funds for debt service and retirement - $1M set aside previously - $50K contingency – balances the budget • Property Taxes projection 2% growth in digest - Last year was the first year Smyrna was below Cobb County projection - Anticipating 1% out of caution