Holly Springs City Council Meeting – September 10, 2026

The Holly Springs City Council met on September 10, 2026, at 6:30 PM at the Public Safety Building. Mayor Ryan Shirley presided and was joined by Mayor Pro Tem Michael Zenchuk and Councilmen Kyle Whitaker, Kevin Moore, and Jeff Wilbur. Councilwoman Dee Phillips was absent. The council unanimously approved the consent agenda, denied a conditional use permit for a tattoo establishment, endorsed a transitional housing initiative for homeless single mothers, and approved a series of contracts and financial items including a major hardscape project, a bridge replacement agreement, and lease renewals.

Consent Calendar

• The council unanimously approved the Consent Agenda consisting of the meeting minutes for July 20, 2026, and August 17, 2026. (Motion by Zenchuk, Second by Wilbur. Carried 4-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public signed up or provided comments.

Discussion Items

• Conditional Use Permit – Tattoo Establishment (CUP-03-2026): Community Development Director Nancy Moon presented the request by Nicholas LaPinta for a conditional use permit at 2800 Holly Springs Parkway. The property is zoned General Commercial and is located in a multi-tenant building with a 1,750 sq. ft. suite. The Planning Commission heard the case on August 13, 2026, with no public comments, and recommended denial. Staff concurred. The council voted to deny the permit.
• Text Amendment – Public Notice (ORD-4-2026): The council considered a text amendment to Article 14 of the zoning code to align with state law changes. The state had required a 30-day notice period for variances, which the city adopted, but has since reverted the requirement to 15 days. This amendment brings the city code into alignment.
• Letter of Support – Transitional Supportive Housing: City Manager Rob Logan presented a request from First Baptist Church of Woodstock. The church plans to build a townhome-style transitional supportive housing community for homeless single mothers and their children. An application for grant funding has been submitted to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. The City committed to a 10% reduction in permit fees for the project, and Mayor Shirley will act as a liaison to fast-track the plan review and permitting process.
• Intergovernmental Agreement – Economic Development: The council approved a renewal agreement with the Development Authority of Cherokee County. The city will pay $13,000 annually for three years (due June 30, 2027–2029). This includes $10,000 for the Cherokee Office of Economic Development operations and $3,000 for an online GIS site selection software subscription.
• Town Center Hardscape & Landscape Project Award: Staff reported five bids were opened on July 31, 2026. The apparent low bidder, Complete Site LLC, was deemed a non-responsible bidder following a comprehensive review. The project was awarded to the second low bidder, Ashford Gardeners Inc., for an amount not to exceed $3,062,411.
• City Hall Construction – Change Order #6: The council approved a change order for $48,442 to extend the retaining wall and footings to support structural steel at Column A8 (noted as Column A9 in the spoken transcript). Funds will be drawn from the project contingency, leaving a remaining owner contingency of $178,613.
• Palm Street Bridge Replacement – Right-of-Way Services: Authorized an agreement with LJA for right-of-way services ($23,750, plus additional costs for administrative appeals or condemnation if necessary) for the Palm Street Bridge Replacement Project. This is the city's first TSPLOST project. The design is complete, and the right-of-way acquisition is ready pending a permit from the Georgia Northeastern Railroad.
• Multifunction Copier/Printer Lease and Maintenance: Approved a consolidated lease agreement for three copiers with Great America Bank ($349 per month for 48 months) and a corresponding maintenance plan with Duplicating Products, Inc. (per-page cost for supplies and service).
• Fee Schedule Amendment (RES-20-2026): Adopted a resolution amending the Municipal Services Master Fee Schedule to include a $100 fee for the memorial sign policy and a $100 fee for the two-hour community center/depot rental rate (Monday through Thursday).
• i3 Software and Services Addendum: Approved a pricing addendum to expand the city's online credit and debit card payment processing services to the Probation Department, allowing remote payments. The expansion comes at no additional charge to the city.

Key Outcomes

• Motion 1: Denial of CUP-03-2026 (Tattoo Establishment) carried (4-0).
• Motion 2: Approval of ORD-4-2026 (Public Notice Amendment) carried (4-0).
• Motion 3: Approval of the Letter of Support for the First Baptist Church transitional housing project carried (4-0).
• Motion 4: Approval of the Intergovernmental Agreement with the Development Authority of Cherokee County carried (4-0).
• Motion 5: Approval of the Town Center Hardscape & Landscape contract award to Ashford Gardeners, Inc. ($3,062,411) carried (4-0).
• Motion 6: Approval of Change Order #6 for the City Hall project ($48,442) carried (4-0).
• Motion 7: Approval of the Right-of-Way Services proposal for the Palm Street Bridge ($23,750) carried (4-0).
• Motion 8: Approval of the copier lease and maintenance plan carried (4-0).
• Motion 9: Approval of Resolution RES-20-2026 (Fee Schedule Amendment) carried (4-0).
• Motion 10: Approval of the i3 Software Addendum carried (4-0).
• Motion 11: Motion to adjourn and enter Executive Session for Litigation, Personnel, and Real Estate carried (4-0).