Johns Creek City Council Work Session – January 12, 2026

The Johns Creek City Council held a work session on January 12, 2026, beginning at approximately 5:07 p.m. at 11360 Lakefield Drive, Johns Creek, GA. The session covered e-bike ordinance updates, a fence requirements text amendment, and a proposed dredging grant program. Council members discussed enforcement, equity, and multimodal transportation impacts before reaching consensus on next steps. The meeting adjourned into executive session for one legal and one personnel matter.

Pledge of Allegiance & Mayor's Remarks

• The pledge was led as the first Pledge of Allegiance for America 250. Mayor stated there were no remarks and nothing under strategic priorities.

Discussion Items

E-Bikes Ordinance Updates – 30 Minutes

• Director O'Connor presented follow-up to the December 8 work session on e-bike regulation. Currently, state law controls e-bikes because Johns Creek code does not specifically regulate them. In June 2024, the City Council allowed residents of any age to ride conventional bicycles on all sidewalks. Class 1 e-bikes are currently considered equivalent to traditional bicycles, thus permitted on sidewalks.
• Staff presented two options:
  • Option 1: Revise City Code 54-6 to allow Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes on all sidewalks and trails except within city parks. Class 3 e-bikes on roadways only.
  • Option 2: Allow all e-bike classifications (1, 2, and 3) on sidewalks and trails.
• Staff, in consultation with police and recreation/parks, recommended Option 1. Parks currently follow a policy allowing only Class 1 e-bikes, consistent with Department of Natural Resources regulations, due to safety concerns about throttled Class 2 bikes and pedestrian conflicts.
• Council discussion highlighted:
  • Difficulty distinguishing Class 1 vs. Class 2 visually; Class 3 e-bikes require a license plate, operator over 16, and helmet. All e-bikes built since 2020 must have a classification plaque. Electric motorcycles without pedals are not covered by these classifications and are not allowed on sidewalks.
  • Some council members expressed concern about sidewalk widths and enforcement; others emphasized that speed, not bike class, is the primary safety factor.
  • Councilmember B. advocated for Option 2 (hard yes), arguing the safety issue is speed, not throttle type; that enforcement should focus on higher priority crimes; that Class 3 e-bikes are used by parents with child trailers and disabled individuals; and that simplicity (Occam's razor) supports Option 2.
  • Councilmember A. expressed support for Option 1 but wanted clearer text on traffic-law compliance and public education.
  • Councilmember D. initially favored Option 1 but later shifted to Option 2. Another council member stated preference for Option 1 while supporting a future revisit.
  • A council member suggested that the conversation dovetails with future golf cart policy and multimodal planning. Councilmember Ross questioned whether e-bike misuse is actually a documented problem and asked what feedback police provided. Staff responded that the police traffic enforcement team agreed with Option 1, feeling it gives them the best enforcement opportunity, and that a prior 2024 discussion about speed limits raised enforcement concerns.
• Outcome: No final vote. Consensus that both options are viable; council directed staff to place the item on new business for a future formal vote, with some members seeking continued dialogue and an educational, rather than purely enforcement-focused, approach. Councilmember B. asked staff to share research from the American City Bicycle League on disabled riders.

Fence Requirements Text Amendment – 15 Minutes

• Councilmember introduced a text amendment to the Zoning Ordinance regarding chain link fences. Under current code, chain link fences are not permitted in residential areas, except around stormwater detention facilities, golf courses, and one other specified use. GDOT, during a State Route 120 project, told a homeowner association (identified as Saint Ives) that an existing chain link fence must be removed but could be replaced with the same type. After removal, the HOA discovered the city code does not allow chain link replacement.
• The proposed amendment creates a narrow exception: if a chain link fence existed and was removed as part of a government road project, the property owner may reinstall chain link. Council discussion confirmed the exception is not a blanket for other fence materials or other nonconforming structures. It would not apply to vinyl or other materials and does not cover other types of property takings.
• Several council members noted that without this exception, affected homeowners must install an acceptable fence type (e.g., aluminum pickets, wood privacy fencing), which is more expensive. A six-foot wood privacy fence was estimated at roughly $4,000–$4,500 per 100 linear feet installed. Some members suggested that visible sections might be upgraded voluntarily by the HOA, but the lack of a blanket ensures a standard is maintained.
• Outcome: Council reached unanimous consensus to move the amendment forward. It will go to the Planning Commission next and return to a future council meeting. The item may be placed on the consent calendar.

Dredging Grant Program – 15 Minutes

• Councilmember proposed researching a potential lake dredging / detention pond dredging grant program. This was framed as a precursor to a larger future program. Council was asked only to direct staff to research options and return with parameters.
• Staff noted the fastest path would be to make dredging a component of the existing stormwater grant program, which will be discussed at the council retreat as part of the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and 2027 funding priorities. Staff would also evaluate the ten-year model and available funding.
• Council discussion included support for tying the program to the stormwater grant program, but also concerns about precedent, overall finances, and the need for public conversation. Councilmember Aaron agreed it deserves more informed public dialogue.
• Outcome: Council directed staff to research the dredging program as a potential component of the stormwater grant program and to present options at the strategic retreat.

Key Outcomes

• E-bikes: No formal vote; item placed on new business for future council action. Staff will incorporate council feedback and consider multimodal policy alignment.
• Fence requirements: Consensus to advance the chain link fence text amendment to the Planning Commission; unanimous support at the work-session level.
• Dredging grant: Council directed staff to explore adding a dredging program to the stormwater grant program and report at the retreat.
• Executive Session: Council voted unanimously to adjourn into executive session for one legal and one personnel matter.

Note: Meeting minutes were not available for this session; this summary is based solely on the agenda and raw transcript. The transcript contains no minutes for verification of formal vote counts.