Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

Welcome to this our regularly scheduled first of two meetings tonight for city council.

It's January the 5th, 2026.

This is the uh call it the Pat Ferris the Pat Ferris Council meeting.

All right.

Um if you would please stand for an invoction and uh, would you lead us in the pledge following?

Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day.

It's a great opportunity for us to say thank you and farewell to our friend Pat Ferris, and pray Lord that you bless him and what's next.

Bless this council, and may we continue to do the work of the city and the work that you would have us to do.

Please, Lord and bless us all.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

And if you will be speaking tonight, no, with that, the meeting is called to order.

If you're speaking tonight, please stand and be sworn in.

Yes,

if you'll be making any kind of public comment or presentation before this council this evening, would you please stand and raise your right hand?

Do you swear or affirm that the presentation or comment that you'll be making before this mayor and council this evening will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

If so, say I do.

Thank you.

You may be seated.

Right.

All right.

Um the floor for public comment is open, and this is for anything that is on the agenda.

Hearing none and seeing none, the floor for public comment is closed.

There are no public hearings.

The consent agenda looking for a motion to approve the consent agenda in gross.

So made.

Thank you, Councilmember Vyers.

Have a second.

Thank you, Councilmember Ferris.

All

those in favor of approving the consent agenda in gross signify by raising your right hand.

That's five.

Those opposed, nil.

Motion is approved by unanimous vote.

Public comment.

The

floor for public comment is open, and this is for anything that is on your heart.

And if you would state your name and your address for the record and turn the mic on to all it's red.

There you go.

Hello.

Uh my name is Steven Lauchens.

I am uh at 3840 Giles Road, uh, the uh Havana apartment complex.

Um good evening, Mayor Easterling and Council members.

Uh I am the owner of Conservation Landscaping LLC, a Kennesaw-based company dedicated to restoring habitat and biodiversity through responsible functional landscaping.

I've

lived in Kennesaw since I was six years old.

I attended Hayes Elementary, Pine Mountain Middle, and Kennesaw Mountain High School.

And I just recently graduated this last semester from Kennesaw State University with a bachelor's degree in business management.

Like all of you, I've watched Kennesaw grow and development brings opportunity, but it also brings responsibility.

Traditional land development often removes entire wildlife communities at once.

Fragments habitat and can degrade our soils and replace functioning ecosystems with non-native landscapes that no longer support wildlife.

And my work focuses on helping landowners and developers manage land in ways that reduce long-term costs and improve our water quality and control erosion while still maintaining a professional and intentional appearance.

Our native plants are a practical tool.

They're deep and fibrous root systems, stabilize soil, filter stormwater, and reduce runoff, which accounts for nearly 70% of the pollution in our creeks, rivers, and lakes.

When designed and installed correctly, systems such as bioswales and bioretention areas don't just look good, they function.

Native plantings also reduce maintenance costs.

Turf grass alone uses nearly two-thirds as much water as crops do in America.

Yet lawns serve no functional purpose.