Review of June 5 Peachtree Corners City Council Meeting

The Peachtree Corners City Council met Tuesday night, sans Post 1 councilman Phil Sadd. This is the third or fourth meeting he has missed, and we're not even a city yet...Doesn't bode well for District 1.

There were about 30 residents in attendance.  Also present were city clerk Joan Jones, consultant John Kachmar and city attorney Bill Riley and his assistant.

No residents made any public comments, although there was an opportunity to do so. The mayor introduced the city's new 'comment card' which the public will fill out beforehand and then the mayor will call on you...the card includes your name and address and the purpose/ subject of your comment. He explained this is for keeping track of comments for 'open records' purposes.

Next item - the council accepted the invitation to join the Georgia Municipal Association free of charge. Normally, membership would cost approximately $10,000 for a city our size but the GMA offered to waive the first year dues.  Jay Lowe stipulated that they would agree to first year free, but any subsequent years would need to be voted on before committing monies to join. The rest of the council agreed with Jay.

The first and main agenda item was a presentation on call centers from Kirsten, a '311' expert from CH2MHill...The presentation lasted about 40 minutes and it was obvious from the reactions of the council and the residents that it was overkill. She made the presentation based upon her experience running the call centers for Sandy Springs and Johns Creek (big surprise there!) and didn't seem to grasp the concept of 'limited services city'.  During the discussion after the presentation, under pressure from Alex Wright and Jay Lowe, consultant Kachmar finally conceded that CH2MHill's solution would likely cost the city about $150,000/ yr.  Even the mayor seemed a little taken aback at the size of the number.  It also pretty much killed the call center discussion for now.

Next item - consultant  Kachmar updated the council on the search for a city manager, saying they had received 48 resumes so far, many from out of state candidates.

Next item - city hall...the council have visited several sites and had basically narrowed it down to two locations, both in Tech Park.  One site has approx 5000 sq ft of space, and would need a bit of 'build out' to accommodate the council, staff and meeting areas...because of that, the 'rent' would be approx $20/ sq ft.  Site 2 has approx 8000 sq ft of space, but is already configured in a manner such that it requires little build out to meet needs, has better access and infrastructure and is available for $14/ sq ft.  The Council decided on site 2, even though it is a little larger than needed.  The attorney and consultant suggested that the council give the okay for them to negotiate the best deal and authorize the mayor to sign what they present.  Alex Wright and Jeanne Aulbach objected, and the council agreed that they should review any lease proposal prior to the mayor signing it.  Good call on their part.

Next item - The council adopted a fiscal yr to run from July 1st thru June 30.

Last item - The council adopted a set schedule for council meetings, effective June 19th, which will announce the schedule for the next few months...the reasons for this were:

• cheaper to put out one announcement now, instead of a new one every week,
• can always cancel a meeting if not needed,
• eliminates the 'problem' they ran into last week where they couldn’t amend the agenda to allow public comment. 

Meeting adjourned approx 9:15.

Review of the 5-1-12 Peachtree Corners City Council Meeting

The Peachtree Corners City Council had a special “called” meeting yesterday at 11:00 AM at the Peachtree Corners YMCA.  There was only one major item on the agenda: Whether to submit a request to the County for a moratorium on all permitting, zoning applications, business licenses etc.  

The lawyer – Bill Riley - laid out the argument that there is often a rush to the county for permits before a new city takes over.  He argued that folks will get caught having started the process under the county and may have to finish under the city causing confusion.  He recounted stories of troubles between Johns Creek and Fulton County.  Specifically that the county collected permit and inspection fees, but the city had to do the work because of the timing of the takeover.  That work had to be done without the funding because the county refused to turn over the money collected.  Although he says he does not anticipate any issues with Gwinnett officials, he is seeking to avoid this transition trouble through the moratorium.  In addition, he cautioned that without the moratorium, adult bookstores, massage parlors, etc. often try to slip into the area, believing that the county process will be easier than any new city process is likely to be.  

The councilpersons asked some good questions.  Wright, Aulbach, Lowe, and to a lesser extent Christopher and Gratwick all challenged the lawyer on the implications of doing nothing, the burden on businesses unable to get a license during the moratorium, etc.  Phil Sadd was not at the meeting.  The mayor had no questions for the attorney.  The discussion went on for a bout 25-30 minutes before the council was satisfied and voted to approve the request to the County.

Overall, I was satisfied with how the council handled this meeting.  The questions they asked were in my mind as well. I was pleased to see them challenge the lawyer’s recommendation, require examples of when the worst happened in reality, and explore the implications and burdens on residents and businesses that the moratorium may cause.

My dissatisfaction all centers on the speed that the meeting was called.  Most of us had only about 12 hours notice that it would occur.  It gave off the impression of a rushed, “secret” meeting, held at a time when most folks work and cannot attend.  The meetings are supposed to be announced in the Gwinnett Daily Post in advance.  The acting city clerk assured me that she contacted The Post last week.  Myself and others in attendance let her know that we were unable to locate that announcement, finding out through The Peachtree Corners Patch instead.  She promised to investigate the issue.

I talked to a couple of the councilpersons afterward, spending quite a bit of time with Jeanne Aulbach, Post 4.  I let her know that I felt this meeting ran better than the first one because we saw the council explore the implications of the issue before them.  They challenged the guidance they were getting to ensure it was sound and as many sides were examined as possible.  The last meeting was a series of approvals and hires without any feeling that due diligence had been done.  Those of us attending the meetings expect to see our council really engage and vet the issues, but it appeared they simply abdicated their responsibility to a contingent of Johns Creek bureaucrats.  Ms. Aulbach promised to do more to communicate with her constituents – which includes everyone in Peachtree Corners – so we see the due diligence happen and can better understand the trade-offs and ultimate decisions reached.  

Peachtree Corners in the Transition Phase

Gwinnett’s largest city, there will be a “transition” phase.   Section 8.11 of the Charter discusses this phase and what powers and authorities the transition group will have during this period.  Beginning on page 32, it reads:

During the transition period, the governing authority of the City of Peachtree Corners:

(1) Shall hold regular meetings and may hold special meetings as provided in this charter;

(2) May enact ordinances and resolutions as provided in this charter;

(3) May amend this charter by home rule action as provided by general law;

(4) May accept gifts and grants;

(5) May borrow money and incur indebtedness to the extent authorized by this charter and general law;

(6) May levy and collect an ad valorem tax for calendar years 2012 and 2013;

(7) May establish a fiscal year and budget;

(8) May create, alter, or abolish departments, boards, offices, commissions, and agencies of the city; appoint and remove officers and employees; and exercise all necessary or appropriate personnel and management functions; and

(9) May generally exercise any power granted by this charter or general law, except to the extent that a power is specifically and integrally related to the provision of a governmental service, function, or responsibility not yet provided or carried out by the city.

We are particularly alarmed by items 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8 in this list because it provides a means for the transitional group to change the charter, incur debt, and set up all sorts of departments, commissions, etc. that the City will be forced to honor and fund through more taxes, permits fees, and the like.  All the while, they may accept gifts and grants for their favor to whomever is providing said gifts.

Please read the Charter before you vote.  You are not voting on or for the people currently supporting cityhood and their pretty postcards.  You are voting on this document.  It and the politicians using it are what will ultimately rule us.   

Posted by: Ali