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Record of Proceedings

Kennesaw City Council Regular Meeting – February 2, 2026

City Council — Monday, February 2, 2026
BodyKennesaw, Georgia
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, February 2, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Unassigned speaker

4:55

February 2nd, 2026.

Speaker 1

4:58

Groundhogs Day.

4:59

Thank you for being here.

5:00

If you would please stand for the uh pledge, invocation, and then uh swearing if anybody's going to speak.

5:09

Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day.

5:11

We thank you for the opportunity to serve and pray that you watch over this meeting and bless everyone here.

5:17

Jesus' name we pray.

5:18

Amen.

5:19

Andrew.

Speaker 2

5:21

Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic.

5:27

For which it stands

Speaker 1

5:28

one nation

Speaker 2

5:29

under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Unassigned speaker

5:34

If

Speaker 1

5:35

you're going to speak tonight, or if there's if you're if you have anything to say, please stand and be sworn in by Mr.

5:40

Hensley or city attorney.

Speaker 2

5:42

Thank you, Mr.

5:43

Mayor.

5:43

If you will be speaking or making any sort of presentation before this council this evening, would you please raise your right hand?

5:49

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

5:55

If so, say I do.

5:56

Thank you.

5:57

You may be seated.

Speaker 1

5:58

All right.

5:59

The floor is open for public comment on any item that's on the agenda.

6:06

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

6:10

The first item is a public hearing.

6:13

It's uh item 10A Alpha, it's ordinance with chapter 22 amendments.

6:25

Hello, Anna.

Speaker 3

6:26

Good evening.

6:28

Um, Anna Trapp assistant to the city manager.

6:31

So staff is proposing amendments to Chapter 22 and title businesses of the City of Kinnesaw Code of Ordinances.

6:37

The public hearing for these amendments was advertised in the Marietta Daily Journal, and the amendments have gone through legal review.

6:44

Their primary purpose for these amendments is to ensure the city remains compliant with GBI and FBI standards related to background checks for certain privileged business licenses.

6:53

Specifically, the GBI has advised this that the city must obtain separate originating agency identifier or ORI numbers for each type of privilege license.

7:04

The city already holds an ORI number for alcohol licenses, and the proposed amendments will allow the business license department to request additional ORI numbers from the FBI for Bell Bondsmen, flea markets, and massage therapy businesses.

7:17

These are all privilege licenses which require the applicants to undergo background checks and fingerprinting.

Unassigned speaker

7:23

In

Speaker 3

7:23

the red light document, you'll see language added within each of those three license articles to meet the GBI and FBI standards.

7:32

So that the language that was added is actually very similar to language that was existing in section 22-9, which walks through what the city does to conduct background checks for these privileged licenses.

7:45

However, the GBI advised us that that language needed to be included in each article for each privilege license article.

7:56

So simply we took the language in section 22-9, updated it per the GBI's comments and recommendations, and added it to each of the articles.

8:08

So the added sections are 22-76, which is under Article 3 Bell Bondsman, Section 22-169 under Article 7, Flea Markets, and Section 22-232 under Article 9, Massage Therapy Businesses.

8:25

Also, per the GBI's recommendations, we updated some definitions within those articles.

Unassigned speaker

8:31

So

Speaker 3

8:31

once these amendments are approved by Mayor and Council, the next step will be for staff to submit the revised ordinance articles to the GBI and FBI, who will then review the city's request for additional ORI numbers.

8:43

Additionally, while incorporating the GBI recommended language, staff also identified some outdated and inconsistent verbiage within the chapter, and those updates are included in the red line as well.

8:55

I'll give it over to Meredith to discuss those updates.

Unassigned speaker

9:05

No.

Speaker 1

9:06

No questions.

9:08

Thank you.

Speaker 3

9:08

I'll pass it on to Meredith for the other changes.

Unassigned speaker

9:13

Hey

Speaker 1

9:13

Meredith.

Speaker 4

9:14

Good evening.

9:15

How are y'all?

9:16

All right.

9:17

So there were a few language adjustments that I made throughout the document.

9:21

Most of it is just clarification to update some of the language, make sure that it's consistent throughout, and just grammatical changes really.

9:31

Um I can certainly go through and give specific examples and you know, even show you the sections in which those examples take place if y'all are interested.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Miscellaneous█████████████████████████████████████████████69%
Parks and Recreation████████13%
Cannabis Regulation████████12%
Public Safety████6%
Summary of Proceedings

Kennesaw City Council Regular Meeting – February 2, 2026

The Kennesaw City Council met on February 2, 2026, at 6:30 PM in Council Chambers. All six council members were present. The meeting included a public hearing on business license ordinance amendments, approval of a consent agenda, several action items related to purchasing and alcohol licensing, and general public comment. All votes taken during the meeting were unanimous (5-0). The meeting adjourned at 7:02 PM.

Consent Calendar

The council approved the following items en bloc (motion by Gutierrez-Leon, second by Viars):

  • Minutes of the January 12, 2026, work session.
  • Minutes of the January 20, 2026, regular meeting.
  • Authorization for the Mayor to sign a cemetery deed for a lot purchased by Kendra Hughes in Kennesaw City Cemetery.

Public Hearing: Chapter 22 Amendments (Business License Regulations)

Assistant to the City Manager Anna Trapp presented an ordinance amending Chapter 22 ("Businesses") to comply with GBI and FBI requirements for background checks on privileged license categories. The amendments authorize the Business License Department to request separate ORI numbers for bail bondsmen, flea markets, and massage therapy businesses. Assistant Director of Administration Meredith Staton noted language updates for consistency. City Attorney Sam Hensley commended staff for clarifying ambiguous language regarding business licenses versus occupational tax certificates. After a public hearing with no comments, a motion by Mayor Pro Tem Jones, seconded by Councilmember Viars, passed 5-0.

General and Administrative

  • Resolution: HGAC Interlocal Contract – 911 Director Nikki McGraw presented a resolution authorizing an agreement with the Houston-Galveston Area Council for cooperative purchasing of dispatch consoles, software, and vehicles. The contract will be corrected to reflect the fiscal year October 1, 2025 – September 30, 2026. Motion by Orochena, second by Viars. Unanimous.
  • Alcohol License: One Stop Gas – Meredith Staton confirmed the applicant, Dalbag Singh, met all requirements. A distance survey showed no conflicts. Prior to the vote, Councilmember Viars disclosed a prior professional relationship with the landlord; Mayor Easterling and City Attorney Hensley confirmed no conflict existed. Motion by Viars, second by Jones. Unanimous.
  • Alcohol License: Kennesaw Mart – Staton presented the application for Zoheb Bhayani (new ownership of formerly Hi-Hello Mart). A distance survey placed the business within 300 ft of a private residence and 600 ft of a religious assembly; the council waived the distance requirements as allowed by ordinance. Motion by Jones, second by Orochena. Unanimous.
  • Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Adjustments – Finance Director Jennifer Gordy presented the year-end budget realignment, covering overruns in group insurance, transfers for museum/gardens/street lights, increased opioid and hotel/motel revenues, and final ARPA expenditures. Motion by Viars, second by Bothers. Unanimous.

Public Works and Building Maintenance

All three projects were presented by Building and Facilities Director Robbie Balenger and funded with SPLOST dollars.

  • Southern Museum Classroom Refresh – Gordian proposal for painting and flooring replacement, $24,496. Motion by Viars, second by Bothers. Unanimous.
  • Southern Museum Restroom Flooring Replacement – Gordian proposal for restroom flooring and fixtures, $42,019. Motion by Jones, second by Viars. Unanimous.
  • Ben Robertson Community Center Flooring Replacement – Gordian proposal for lobby flooring (third phase), $37,815. Motion by Jones, second by Bothers. Unanimous.

Recreation and Culture

  • Chalker Park Guaranteed Maximum Price – Parks and Recreation Director Bill McNair presented a resolution amending the contract with Gay Construction (CMAR) to establish a GMP of $1,254,662.52. City Manager Jeff Drobney clarified that playground equipment is not included and will be brought forward separately. Motion by Bothers, second by Jones. Unanimous.

Public Comments & Testimony (General)

From 6:50 to 6:51 PM, four residents addressed the council:

  • Andrew Bramlett (city resident) shared the history of Sardis Missionary Baptist Church in recognition of Black History Month.
  • Steven Luitjens (owner of Conservation Landscaping) advocated for using native plants as green infrastructure to manage stormwater, reduce maintenance costs, and restore habitat. He urged the city to incorporate native plantings in parks, roadsides, and public spaces.
  • Chris Deimer (city resident, 2260 Wysong Square) requested a sanitary sewer easement through Fairfax Park to connect his property to the county sewer system, citing the impracticality of replacing his failing septic system. He noted the easement would run 130 ft in an isolated wooded area and would not affect park usability. City Manager Drobney noted that staff would follow up on the request.
  • Mary Miller (city resident, 3905 Collier Trace) thanked the Kennesaw Police Department for supporting high school students' First Amendment rights and asked the city to formally support proposed state legislation to curtail ICE actions, advocating for due process and accountability.

City Manager's Report & Mayor's Report

  • City Manager Jeff Drobney recognized city staff for their work during recent weather events, noting that public safety, 911, facilities, parks, and public works teams were on duty.
  • Mayor Derek Easterling announced the 2026 Concert Series at the United BankShares Amphitheater: Night Ranger (March 28), Boy Band Review (May 2), Rumors ATL (August 22), and Dancing Dream: A Tribute to ABBA (September 26).

Key Outcomes

  • All votes were unanimous (5-0).
  • No executive session was called.
  • The meeting was adjourned at 7:02 PM.
  • The next work session is scheduled for February 9, 2026, at 6:30 PM.

Meeting Transcript

February 2nd, 2026. Groundhogs Day. Thank you for being here. If you would please stand for the uh pledge, invocation, and then uh swearing if anybody's going to speak. Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day. We thank you for the opportunity to serve and pray that you watch over this meeting and bless everyone here. Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Andrew. 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. If you're going to speak tonight, or if there's if you're if you have anything to say, please stand and be sworn in by Mr. Hensley or city attorney. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. If you will be speaking or making any sort of presentation before this council this evening, would you please raise your right hand? Do you swear or affirm that this presentation you'll be making 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. All right. The floor is open for public comment on any item that's on the agenda. Hearing none and seeing none, the floor for public comment is closed. The first item is a public hearing. It's uh item 10A Alpha, it's ordinance with chapter 22 amendments. Hello, Anna. Good evening. Um, Anna Trapp assistant to the city manager. So staff is proposing amendments to Chapter 22 and title businesses of the City of Kinnesaw Code of Ordinances. The public hearing for these amendments was advertised in the Marietta Daily Journal, and the amendments have gone through legal review. Their primary purpose for these amendments is to ensure the city remains compliant with GBI and FBI standards related to background checks for certain privileged business licenses. Specifically, the GBI has advised this that the city must obtain separate originating agency identifier or ORI numbers for each type of privilege license. The city already holds an ORI number for alcohol licenses, and the proposed amendments will allow the business license department to request additional ORI numbers from the FBI for Bell Bondsmen, flea markets, and massage therapy businesses. These are all privilege licenses which require the applicants to undergo background checks and fingerprinting. In the red light document, you'll see language added within each of those three license articles to meet the GBI and FBI standards. So that the language that was added is actually very similar to language that was existing in section 22-9, which walks through what the city does to conduct background checks for these privileged licenses. However, the GBI advised us that that language needed to be included in each article for each privilege license article. So simply we took the language in section 22-9, updated it per the GBI's comments and recommendations, and added it to each of the articles. So the added sections are 22-76, which is under Article 3 Bell Bondsman, Section 22-169 under Article 7, Flea Markets, and Section 22-232 under Article 9, Massage Therapy Businesses. Also, per the GBI's recommendations, we updated some definitions within those articles. So once these amendments are approved by Mayor and Council, the next step will be for staff to submit the revised ordinance articles to the GBI and FBI, who will then review the city's request for additional ORI numbers. Additionally, while incorporating the GBI recommended language, staff also identified some outdated and inconsistent verbiage within the chapter, and those updates are included in the red line as well. I'll give it over to Meredith to discuss those updates. No. No questions.

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