Council approves legislation extending existing permits for e-scooters
The Atlanta City Council approved legislation Monday to amend the City of Atlanta’s Code of Ordinances to update the regulations for shareable dockless mobility devices — commonly known as scooters — to extend existing annual permits (Legislative Reference №22-O-1275). In total, 8,000 permits for scooters across three companies were set to expire. This legislation ensures that the City of Atlanta maintains shareable dockless mobility access for residents and continues to maintain the standards regarding the number of companies and devices deployed in Atlanta while the approach to shareable dockless mobility devices is reconsidered and until a revised permit process is in place.
The Council also adopted legislation to amend Chapter 114 of the City of Atlanta’s Code of Ordinances to add a new subsection regarding hearing procedures for employee disciplinary action (Legislative Reference №22-O-1290). The item provides that if an employee files a notice of appeal with the Civil Service Board objecting to an adverse action, a hearing on the appeal must begin within 18 months of filing the notice or the adversed action will be dismissed.
Other items approved during Monday’s meeting include:
• An ordinance to authorize an amendment to the lease with Invest Atlanta to exclude from the current BeltLine corridor certain portions of land to implement a “BeltLine Marketplace” pilot program to help business owners (Legislative Reference №22-O-1306). In 2014, the City of Atlanta and Invest Atlanta entered into a lease agreement in which certain segments of the BeltLine were leased to the City of Atlanta on behalf of the Department of Parks and Recreation. This legislation would exclude the “Marketplace” locations from the BeltLine lease to allow Invest Atlanta to maintain control over these areas to implement the program.
• An ordinance authorizing amending the City’s Charter to amend the City’s authority to charge and collect taxes and assessments for sanitary and solid waste disposal services, and to establish and collect rates, fees, and charges for those services (Legislative Reference №22-O-1280). The legislation also authorizes the adoption of an administrative process for the resolution of disputes regarding the basis of a sanitary and solid waste tax assessment against a property. Monday’s vote was the second of three required readings for adoption as a Charter amendment.
• An ordinance to erect historical markers to memorialize the 1906 Atlanta Race Massacre to be installed at 112 Courtland Street NE and 35 Gammon Avenue SE in Atlanta (Legislative Reference №22-O-1246).
• A resolution authorizing the mayor or his designee to exercise renewal option №1 for a contract for Canada geese removal services with Atlanta Animal Evictions Inc. on behalf of the Department of Watershed Management for a one-year term in an amount not to exceed $157,550 subject to approval of the Fiscal Year 2023 budget (Legislative Reference №22-R-3443).
• An ordinance authorizing the City of Atlanta to amend the Fiscal Year 2022 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Fund by adding to anticipations and appropriations an amount not to exceed $2.67 million awarded to the City from the state of Georgia to pay public safety officers and first responders who have served the City during the pandemic (Legislative Reference №22-O-1277).
• An ordinance to accept the preliminary engineering design and cost estimate for a Vietnam War monument as provided by Fowler Design Associates Inc. (Legislative Reference №22-O-1272).
• A resolution requesting Wellstar Health System Inc. reconsider closing Atlanta Medical Center South (Legislative Reference №22-R-3406).
• A resolution to urge the City of Atlanta to prioritize and execute recommendations of the Age-Friendly Atlanta Action Plan (Legislative Reference №22-R-3408).
• A resolution to establish a short-term rental commission to provide adequate community outreach and educational materials to promote awareness of the City of Atlanta’s short-term rental policy (Legislative Reference №22-R-3415).
• A resolution to acknowledge, recognize, and congratulate Morris Brown College, President Kevin James, and the entire facility and student body on the momentous accomplishment of regaining accreditation. This item was an immediate consideration.
Proclamations were presented in recognition of the Atlanta Community Schoolyards Initiative, the City of Atlanta’s E-911 Unit for National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, and Professional Municipal Clerks Week.
Items introduced to be considered in committee next week include:
• An ordinance to amend Chapter 74 of the City’s Code of Ordinances to authorize the Municipal Court to order the abatement of a public nuisance established as a result of violent conduct or crime occurring with certain properties through the immediate closure of such properties and to require the Municipal Court to order the abatement of such a public nuisance through the immediate closure of such properties where the Municipal Court has determined such a public nuisance to have occurred twice regarding the same property within 24 months.
• An ordinance to amend Chapter 30 of the City’s Code of Ordinances to create Subsection 30–87 to require that all service stations install continuous video recording systems at each fuel pump located at the station that will integrate into the Operation Shield video surveillance system.
• An ordinance to amend the City’s Charter by amending Part I (Charter and Related Laws), Subpart A (Charter), Article 2 (Legislative), Chapter 6 (City Auditor), Sections 2–603 (Powers and Duties) to provide for subsequent reviews of the implementation of the audit report recommendations.
• A resolution to celebrate the successful passage of House Bill 1013 during the 2022 Georgia General Assembly legislative session, to encourage the state legislature to fully fund the measures called for in HB 1013 during the 2023 legislative session, and to join the national movement to raise awareness about mental health by celebrating “Mental Health Awareness Month” during the month of May 2022.
• An ordinance outlining increased oversight, accountability, resident participation, and a commitment to improved project delivery for the “Moving Atlanta Forward” infrastructure initiative.
• A resolution requesting the Fulton County tax commissioner no longer sell City of Atlanta solid waste service fees for residents 55 years of age and older.
• An ordinance to amend Article III of the City of Atlanta Code of Ordinances related to the In Rem Review Board to modify how board members are appointed so that the board’s composition includes members appointed by the Council.
