Council approves legislation urging action on vehicles parked in bike lanes
The Atlanta City Council adopted legislation during Monday’s meeting to urge the Atlanta Police Department to enforce City Code Section 150–88 (a), which allows for the removal of vehicles or requires the driver or other person in charge of a vehicle to remove a vehicle parked in a bike lane (Legislative Reference №22-R-3251). The legislation notes that vehicles parking in bike lanes create safety hazards and put bicyclists and other road users at risk. In March 2019, the Council approved legislation to establish a $100 penalty for drivers improperly using designated bicycle routes, lanes, and multi-use trails.
Other items approved Monday include:
• An ordinance to amend the City’s Charter to adopt changes to the Atlanta Urban Enterprise Zone Act as approved by the Georgia General Assembly in 2021 (Legislative Reference №22-O-1133). The act authorizes the City to grant abatements to offer incentives to private enterprises to invest in certain areas of the city by developing housing units, creating jobs and trade, providing community amenities, and other economic activities. This was a charter amendment and the third and final reading.
• An ordinance to amend the City’s Code of Ordinances to incorporate the Strategic Urban Enterprise Zone Program, a tax expenditure program providing a property tax abatement to qualifying entities in return for meaningful investment and outcomes for residents seeking affordable housing in areas of opportunity and livable wage jobs in their neighborhood (Legislative Reference №22-O-1134).
• A resolution requesting the chief procurement officer work with the departments of Aviation and Enterprise Asset Management to review and provide a report on the allocation of Task Orders issued for both FC-10640 — Job Order Contracting Services (Large) — and FC-1190033 — Managing General Contractor Services — at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (Legislative Reference №22-R-3257).
• An ordinance authorizing the chief financial officer to consult with the Atlanta Department of Transportation and the Department of Parks and Recreation to identify potential sources of funding for the Atlanta Student Movement Monument, the Martin Luther King Jr. statue pedestal, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial projects (Legislative Reference №22-O-1216).
• A resolution to authorize the 2023 update to the City’s Five-Year Financial Plan for 2023–2027 (Legislative Reference №22-R-3254).
•A resolution requesting the mayor take into consideration and fund the priorities that the Council recommends be included in the Fiscal Year 2023 budget (Legislative Reference №22-R-3256).
• An ordinance to amend the purpose and intent of the Rodney Cook Sr. Park Historic Oversight Committee to provide that the committee is authorized to engage with the community to solicit input and provide recommendations for implementing policies for the future planning, maintenance, improvement, and continued advocacy of the park (Legislative Reference №22-O-1114).
• A resolution to express support for Starbucks employees within the City of Atlanta who are attempting to establish a union (Legislative Reference №22-R-3250).
• A resolution to urge all businesses, nonprofits, and investors based in Atlanta and in the state of Georgia to divest from Russia in solidarity with Ukraine and to support the Ukrainian fight for freedom and democracy until there is a cessation of hostilities. This item was immediately considered.
• A resolution to condemn the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, urge the immediate peaceful resolution of the conflict between the Russian Federation and Ukraine, implore the Atlanta Sister Cities to adopt similar such resolutions and make statements urging an immediate peaceful resolution of the conflict between the Russian Federation and Ukraine. This item was immediately considered.
• A resolution recognizing the cultural and historical significance of Nowruz. This item was immediately considered.
Items introduced to be considered in committee next week include:
• An ordinance to temporarily suspend certain sections of the Atlanta Housing Code for a period of 60 days to impose a moratorium on the demolition of in-rem properties and request the City’s auditor conduct an audit of all processes to ensure the City is not in violation of state law and property owners’ right, to conduct a review of the City’s code based on best practices and provide that the temporary suspension be effective from the date of approval of the ordinance through May 31, 2022.
• An ordinance to temporarily suspend certain sections of the City Code only as they may be applied to short-term licensees or short-term rental operators that have not obtained a license — such that there shall be no authority to take administrative action or to impose any administrative penalties against short-term licensees or short-term rental operators that have not obtained a license, to declare that the suspensions of the Code Section 20–1008(c) and 20–1008(d) shall be in effect only through June 1, 2022 and thereafter the suspension of the Code sections shall automatically end and shall have no legal force or effect beginning June 2, 2022.
• An ordinance authorizing the mayor or his designee, or the chief procurement officer or his designee, on behalf of the City of Atlanta to acquire from the Conservation Fund the over 75 acres of land which was the former site of the Chattahoochee Brick Company for the purposes of increasing parks, green space, and watershed land in the city.
• An ordinance to amend the 1982 City of Atlanta Zoning Ordinance to restrict short-term rentals within Council District 12 boundaries as shown in the legislation’s exhibit “A” to require that no short-term rental may be located within 1,500 feet of another short-term rental.
• An ordinance to honor the life and legacy of Henry Louis Aaron for his accomplishments on and off the baseball field by renaming the Adams Park Baseball Field to the Henry Louis “Hank” Aaron Baseball Complex.
• An ordinance to erect historical markers to memorialize the 1906 Atlanta Race Massacre to be installed at 112 Courtland Street and 35 Gammon Avenue.
