Johns Creek City Council Work Session Summary - September 14, 2026

The Johns Creek City Council met for a work session at 5:01 p.m. on September 14, 2026, at 11360 Lakefield Drive. The mayor reported no remarks, and no strategic priorities were presented. The council discussed the 2027 meeting calendar, the 2027 renewal of employee health and other benefits, landscaping at the Medlock Bridge pedestrian tunnel, and Town Center monument signage. A routine non-discussion item, the Service Delivery Strategy Resolution with SDS Form 4 Certification, was listed but not discussed. The meeting concluded with an executive session for land, legal, and personnel matters.

Consent Calendar

• 2027 Meeting Calendar: Council reached consensus on date changes and asked staff to bring the calendar back on the consent calendar.
• Annual Renewal of Employee Health and Other Benefits: Council agreed to advance staff's renewal recommendation, including a $6.6 million not-to-exceed authorization, to the consent agenda.
• Service Delivery Strategy Resolution and SDS Form 4 Certification were listed as routine non-discussion business and were not discussed.

Discussion Items

2027 Meeting Calendar

• Staff presented a draft based on the 2026 calendar: meetings every three weeks, shifting to every two weeks during budget season, with accommodations for holidays and school breaks. The June meeting was left open as either a regular meeting or a possible mini-retreat.
• Council moved the February 1 meeting to February 8, adjusted March dates to March 1 and March 22, and agreed to decide the June format at the January retreat. Council also planned to discuss retreat details in January.

Annual Renewal of Employee Health and Other Benefits

• Director Papu presented the 2027 renewal recommendation of approximately $6.6 million, compared with the $7.5 million anticipated in the proposed FY27 budget.
• Medical: Cigna came in at a 4 percent increase, far below the assumed 16 percent. Staff attributed the lower rate to wellness investments and preventive care and negotiated a 100 percent surplus return for 2027, up from 50 percent in the current plan year.
• Dental: Cigna's renewal was 31 percent; Guardian offered a self-funded plan at 24 percent. Staff recommended switching to the Guardian self-funded dental plan for lower cost, more plan control, and as a low-risk step toward possible future self-funded medical coverage.
• Vision: no cost increase. Basic life came in at 17 percent, short-term disability at 9 percent, and long-term disability had no increase.
• The HRA introduced in 2026 is being used by employees, and its 2 percent renewal increase was due mainly to headcount.
• Councilmembers praised the result, asked about maintaining the roughly 80/20 cost share, and discussed using surplus funds and the 100 percent surplus return as seed money toward a future self-funded medical plan. GLP-1 drug coverage was confirmed as already included through the plan's formulary rider, with the HRA helping with out-of-pocket costs.
• No formal vote was taken; the item was directed to the consent agenda as a $6.6 million not-to-exceed item.

Landscaping and Tree Replanting Policy Implementation - Pedestrian Tunnel

• Director O'Connor reported that the council approved the roadway landscaping and tree replanting policy on August 24, 2026, and asked for direction on three potential additional landscape areas on the west side of the Medlock Bridge pedestrian tunnel.
• Funding options included the previously authorized tunnel contingency or TSPLOST II revenues assigned to the landscape/streetscape bucket. Rough staff estimates for the enhanced planting were about $65,000 to $75,000, and about $400,000 remained in the tunnel contingency, though invoices were not final.
• Several council members expressed support for more shade trees, including full-sized oaks in areas one and two, and some suggested crepe myrtles, boxwoods, or ornamental plantings in area three. Others said the tunnel area already looks good and wanted to preserve TSPLOST funds for other priorities such as the boardwalk and other projects.
• Staff said they would synthesize the council's direction and, after final consensus, develop a layout and send the plan out for installation bids to complete planting in the fall.

Monument Signage - Town Center

• City Manager Grear continued the previous work session discussion on the first Town Center monument sign. Staff reviewed the Medley sign design: painted neutral brick base, painted aluminum dark teal elements, and white channel letters.
• Council discussed the gray option C color versus blue, and three locations along Medlock Bridge: north of Johns Creek Parkway, near the pedestrian tunnel, and at East Johns Crossing.
• Council reached consensus on the gray/option C sign and on placing it on Medlock Bridge at Johns Creek Parkway, with design work allowing appropriate setback and scale so it would not be lost in the terrain and would preserve future right-of-way options. Some members preferred a more prominent or larger sign, and staff agreed to prepare additional renderings.
• A council member said they did not want more than one sign and wanted the funding to come from tourism product development dollars.
• Staff also recapped earlier archway marker concepts at the pedestrian tunnel; road-spanning arches were previously eliminated because of high cost, and side markers were estimated at $400,000 to $500,000 each, with the topic available for future discussion.

Key Outcomes

• The 2027 meeting calendar dates were revised to February 8, March 1, and March 22; the June format was deferred to the January retreat.
• The employee benefits renewal was directed to the consent agenda with a $6.6 million not-to-exceed authorization and guidance to keep employee cost share near 80/20 while building reserves toward self-funded options.
• For pedestrian tunnel landscaping, no formal vote was taken; staff were expected to incorporate council comments, refine costs, and return for fall installation, with funds kept within allowed TSPLOST/tunnel sources.
• For Town Center monument signage, consensus was for a gray option C sign on Medlock Bridge at Johns Creek Parkway, with additional renderings and right-of-way/setback considerations to follow.
• After the work session, the council moved into executive session for land, legal, and personnel matters. Upon returning, the council reported handling four real estate items, one personnel item, and one legal item, then adjourned.