Atlanta City Council Approves Legislation to Begin Scanning and Public Disclosure of Submitted Forms Related to the Referendum Petition
During Monday’s meeting, the Atlanta City Council approved legislation to begin scanning the submitted forms related to the referendum petition to repeal ordinance 21-O-0367 and to make them available to the public. The item was an immediate consideration.
Other items approved include:
• A resolution authorizing the mayor to apply for the fiscal year 2023 U.S. Department of Transportation Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods discretionary capital construction grant in an amount not to exceed $250 million for planning, design, and construction of the first phase of The Stitch (23-R-4047).
• An ordinance to amend the rules of the Council to utilize inclusive and gender-neutral language (23-O-1494).
• A resolution requesting the Georgia General Assembly to enact legislation banning cashless retail establishments or to grant local governments, including counties and municipalities, the authority to mandate retail establishments operating within certain jurisdictional boundaries to accept cash as a form of payment for goods and services. The item was an immediate consideration. The legislation was sent post-haste to the mayor’s office.
• An ordinance authorizing the Chief Financial Officer to accept proceeds from the Princeton Lakes Tax Allocation District fund on behalf of the Department of Enterprise Asset Management for reimbursable expenses related to the construction of Fire Station 36, in the amount of $4.1 million (23-O-1461).
• An ordinance to adopt the Thomasville Heights Neighborhood Plan as a guide for future development in the community and to incorporate it into the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP), a document that outlines the City’s long-term vision for growth and land use (23-O-1272). The CDP includes information on zoning, housing, transportation, and other neighborhood elements with the aim of ensuring coherent and sustainable development in the community.
• A resolution authorizing the expansion of emergency on-call debris removal services with Ceres Environmental Services, Inc. on behalf of the Department of Parks and Recreation and add additional funding not to exceed $1 million (23-R-4045).
• A resolution authorizing the United Way of Greater Atlanta as fiscal agent to accept donations on behalf of the City of Atlanta to support the Atlanta Youth Fund (23-R-4030).
• A resolution authorizing the City of Atlanta to donate $700,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta to support the level-up program group mentorship opportunities for high-risk youth (23-R-4043).
• An ordinance to accept shelter and services program funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in an amount not to exceed $3.7 million (23-O-1491).
• An ordinance to establish and approve implementing an open-market commercial property-assessed clean energy initiative for the City of Atlanta and to designate the Downtown Development Authority, as the program administrator to develop, implement, monitor, and provide reporting on the program. (23-O-1481).
• A resolution authorizing the Department of Watershed Management to enter into an agreement with the Wellspring Living Women’s Academy for $35,000 for each year of the partnership to help provide graduates with apprenticeships to establish a career, networking opportunities, mentorship programs, skill development, and financial resources (23-R-4136).
• An ordinance authorizing the chief financial officer to accept a $2.2 million grant award from the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget, on behalf of Department of Enterprise Asset Management. The funds will be used for the Dunbar Neighborhood Center repairs and renovations. (23-O-1464).
Items were introduced for consideration in committee, including:
• A resolution requesting the commissioner of the Department of Human Resources implement a pay incentive plan for officers assigned to the specialized motors unit of the Atlanta Police Department.
• An ordinance authorizing the chief financial officer to amend the fiscal year 2024 budget by adding to anticipations and appropriations the 2023 LMIG grant in the amount of $4.6 million on behalf of the Atlanta Department of Transportation.
• A resolution encouraging the Georgia General Assembly to amend the official Code of Georgia to allow counties and municipalities the ability to regulate rent to be charged for privately owned single-family or multiple-unit residential properties.
• A resolution authorizing the chief financial officer to allocate and pay $11.6 million from the affordable housing trust fund for housing production, housing-related programs, public-land development, supportive housing production, contingency reserves, and related transfers to Invest Atlanta.
• A resolution requesting the inclusion of baby changing stations in City-owned buildings in the City of Atlanta, including women’s, men’s, and gender-neutral restrooms.
