Council approves legislation to update Tree Protection Ordinance
The Atlanta City Council approved legislation during Monday’s meeting to amend Chapter 158 of Part II of the City’s Code of Ordinances to make several updates related to the Tree Protection Ordinance and to amend the City’s Land Development Code to make an associated change in the Land Subdivision Ordinance (22-O-1829). This legislation represents the first phase of revisions to the City’s Tree Protection Ordinance to include new definitions, parking lot requirements, variations, penalties, removal criteria, and changes to appeal.
The Council also adopted legislation authorizing the execution of an intergovernmental agreement with Invest Atlanta for a five-year term with an option to renew for an additional five years to effectuate the City of Atlanta’s support of grant programs to assist faith-based organizations in developing affordable housing (22-O-1871). The City desires Invest Atlanta to design and administer a faith-based housing development microgrant of $500,000 and a “missing middle” grant program of $4 million.
Other items approved include:
• An ordinance to temporarily suspend Atlanta City Code Sections 20–1008(c) and 20–1008(d) until March 5, 2023 so that no penalties or administrative actions will be imposed against short-term rental operators lacking a license (22-O-1878). This legislation seeks to give the short-term rental community more time to be compliant with the short-term rental ordinance.
• A resolution authorizing the execution of a special procurement agreement with City Forest Credits on behalf of the City of Atlanta for a term of 40 years in an amount not to exceed $392,500 for the Lake Charlotte Nature Preserve Carbon Credit Program (22-R-4700). This legislation will help enable the City to participate in a revenue generating and unique carbon credit pilot program at Lake Charlotte, which was purchased by the City in 2020 and covers 216 acres.
• A resolution authorizing a special procurement agreement with Carbyne Inc. on behalf of the Atlanta Police Department for a term of five years with two one-year renewal options in an amount not to exceed approximately $1.56 million for software related to the E-911 Caller Information System (22-R-4781). The software seeks to enhance the E-911 Center, including helping provide first responders with more specific pre-arrival instructions when responding to calls for service.
• A resolution requesting that the commissioner of the Atlanta Department of Transportation amend the administrative regulations for shareable dockless mobility device operators to allow device operation between 4 a.m. and midnight (22-R-4521). The legislation includes language that the availability of the dockless device fleet will be reduced 60 percent during the extended hours of 9 p.m. to midnight.
• An ordinance to amend the City’s Code of Ordinance to establish the mayor’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience and to authorize the chief financial officer to create the appropriate department organizations and anticipate and appropriate the necessary funding in connection with the office’s creation (22-O-1872).
• A resolution amending 22-R-4256 to authorize the mayor or his designee to issue a task order for a contract with Rubio and Sons Interiors Inc. for the construction of the Center for Diversion Services to add additional funding in an amount not to exceed $512,345 on behalf of the Department of Enterprise Asset Management (22-R-4717).
• A resolution authorizing the City of Atlanta to donate Housing Trust Funds to the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta in an amount not to exceed $600,000 to support the foundation’s mission of helping with the relocation efforts of Forest Cove residents, including with utility cost assistance (22-R-4720).
• An ordinance authorizing the acceptance of grant award funds and an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2023 Intergovernmental Grant Fund budget by adding to anticipations and appropriations from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity, or RAISE, grant in an amount not to exceed $900,000 for the funding of a planning study for “The Stitch,” a proposed three-quarter mile platform spanning the I-75/I-85 Downtown Atlanta Connector between Ted Turner Drive and Piedmont Avenue (22-O-1881).
• An ordinance authorizing an agreement with the Georgia Department of Human Services for the City’s Department of Watershed Management to accept and apply federal funds from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act to assist eligible low-income households with current balances or past due water bills through the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (22-O-1874).
• An ordinance to authorize the acceptance of reallocated Emergency Solutions Grant Program CARES Act funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and to add approximately $1.7 million to anticipations and appropriations for the budget of the 2021 Annual Action Plan of the 2020–2024 Consolidated Plan in support of homeless assistance and homeless prevention activities to mitigate the impacts created by the COVID-19 pandemic (22-O-1846).
• A resolution to authorize the City to apply for, accept, and enter into any necessary agreements as co-applicant with Atlanta Housing for the Fiscal Year 2022 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant Program (22-R-4702). The legislation also expresses the City’s commitment to an investment of $10 million over eight years in public infrastructure and other projects in the Bowen Choice Neighborhood Area should the grant be awarded.
• A resolution to declare the City of Atlanta as a “Human Rights City” and to urge government officials at all levels of government to more fully and effectively implement policies that serve to protect the human rights of all citizens (22-R-4708). The “Human Rights Cities” initiative was launched by the People’s Decade for Human Rights Education in the wake of the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna.
• An ordinance to authorize the naming of the Bellwood Quarry Pumping Station, located at 900 Lois Street NW, as the Shirley Clark Franklin Pumping Station and Reservoir (22-O-1802). Franklin served as the 58th mayor of Atlanta and made several significant contributions to the city, including her commitment to watershed management as mayor.
Proclamations were presented in recognition of the Corporate Volunteer Council of Atlanta, Derrick Boazman, Dr. Bob A. Holmes, and the Midnight Basketball League.
Items were also introduced to be considered in committee, including:
• A resolution requesting the mayor’s Office of Violence Reduction create and implement a biennial comprehensive crime reduction plan in the interest of promoting safety in Atlanta.
• A resolution to request and authorize the city auditor and audit committee to conduct a performance and financial audit of the City’s Municipal Court from 2018 to present to include but not be limited to budget, staffing, case load and bench time per judge, number of administrative days, number and types of cases, amount of fines and forfeitures per each case category per year, number of failures to appear, number of failure to appear warrants signed and input into the Georgia Crime Information Center, number and type of cases bound over to state courts, an estimate of associated revenue losses from unresolved failures to appear and state court bind overs, utilization of pre-trial intervention for each case type, and any other subjects the auditor finds appropriate and necessary to assess the performance and financial status of the Court.
• A resolution requesting the mayor’s Office of Violence Reduction and the Atlanta Police Department develop a program to provide firearm safety storage, or lock boxes, free of charge to qualifying Atlanta residents to deter accidental shootings and reduce the theft of unsecured firearms and related crimes.
• A resolution urging the 117th Congress to re-introduce and approve the Youth Promise (Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education) Act to fund and support programs and initiatives that will assess, develop, and implement evidence-based practices to deter juvenile delinquency, youth violence, and criminal street gang activity.
• A resolution authorizing the creation of a study group to review national best practices and provide recommendations for the creation of an e-bicycle rebate program for Atlanta.
• A resolution authorizing the mayor or his designee to apply for and accept a total of $250,000 in Local Maintenance Improvement Grant funding from the Georgia Department of Transportation for the reconfiguration of Bill Kennedy Way between the BeltLine’s Eastside Trail and Southside Trail.
• A resolution authorizing the mayor or his designee to enter into a project framework agreement with the Georgia Department of Transportation and a project management agreement with the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District for the I-75/I-85 capping study — The Stitch — and to authorize the execution of all agreements related to The Stitch.
