The Marietta City Council met on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, at 7:00 PM in the Council Chamber. The meeting included proclamations, a scheduled appearance, approvals of consent agenda, public hearings on rezoning and variance requests, and an unscheduled public comment on employee parking. Key actions included unanimous approvals of two church property rezonings, a variance with a 10-year term for outdoor storage, and a variance for sign modifications. The council also honored three proclamations and observed moments of remembrance.
All items marked with an asterisk on the agenda were approved unanimously (7-0) as the consent agenda. These included:
Presented by Angie Smith, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees. The church requested rezoning of two properties from OI (Office Institutional) to R-3 (Single Family Residential) to allow residential use and potential sale. A variance to reduce minimum lot width from 85 to 84 feet was included for 92 Whitlock. No opposition was heard. The council approved both unanimously (7-0), with Mayor Tumlin abstaining as noted on agenda.
Applicant Jane Hawkins requested variances to continue outdoor storage for automobile sales, waive limits on lot coverage, and allow storage near residential zones and rights-of-way. A previous temporary permit required striping and fence maintenance. Support from neighbor Donald Barth. Council Member Kent made a motion to approve with a 10-year term (until September 2035) or on transfer of title, whichever occurs first, and with stipulations that the fence, paving, and striping be maintained in orderly condition. The motion passed 7-0 after amendments.
Parks Huff represented the applicant, seeking variances for sign height (from 20 to 23 feet) and sign face area (from 160 to 178 sq ft) for two monument signs at a mixed-use development. The council approved with the condition that signs match the design, materials, and dimensions shown in the submitted drawings. Motion passed 7-0.
(NOTE: The transcript did not include discussion on the tabled Sugar Bear Properties items, which were listed as tabled in the agenda.)
I'm not called the city council meeting to order, please. First item of minute so I'd like to call upon Council Member Andy Mars for Board Forward to lead us in the invocation. Thank you, sir. I'll stand, please. I'd like to take a moment to a silent prayer for the uh killing that happened this afternoon for uh Charles Kirk. It was uh very if you were home watching TV, it was very uh emotional and sad thing for him, but we just to take a few just a few seconds to keep our eyes closed and pray for his family. Thank you, dear Heroly Father. We thank you for this wonderful day and for the blessings you bestowed upon us every day. We thank you for our great city and our great state, and we thank you for all the blessings you have given our great country. We ask for you to be with our troops and our family, both here in the United States and our troops overseas. Protect them, bring them home safely and free of harm. We also ask for you to be with our police officers and firemen as they protect our great city. We pray for your wisdom and that you will guide this council and help us make the right decisions for all of Marietta. In your name we pray, amen. And to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Good job. Mr. Kidd at the next item on our generous presentations, we don't have anything, but I'd like to ask Councilman Kent to introduce the first lady of Ward 5 to us tonight and his other special guest. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I'd like to introduce my wife Jocelyn Kent, please, and my sister Thelma Kent. Y'all must be wondering where Carlisle goes on Wednesday night, is that thank you, Ms. Kent. Uh thank you, sir. Proclamation. Uh Chair, will you introduce do the 2025 Public Power and Clean Water Week? I take it there's a proclamation down there from here. Yes. So I have with me today Mr. John Dooley, who's going to receive this proclamation from the city on behalf of the Marietta Power and Water. So whereas Marietta Power and Water was created in 1906 to provide energy and water services to the citizens of Marietta, and whereas water and power are the utilities most fundamental to daily life, and whereas it is vital to advocate the conservation of our shared water and energy resources through education, innovation, and community support, and whereas power and water utilities are valuable hometown assets that are essential to the economic and environmental health of this community, and whereas the dedicated and hardworking employees of Marietta Water and Power have provided continued high-quality service to its customers over the past years in spite of hot humid summertime weather and storms, and now therefore be it resolved that Marietta Power will continue to work to bring safe and dependable power and water service to community homes and businesses, and that the Marietta Board of Lights and Water does hereby proclaim October 5th through October 11th as public power and clean water week in the city of Marietta, and witness whereof I hereto set my hand and cause the seal of the city of Marietta, Georgia, to be affixed this 10th day of September, our Steve Tumblin, the mayor. This is on behalf of the Tiger. I just want to take a moment to say thank you to our uh Mayor Tumblin and the council, along with those on our board of lights and water and our general manager, uh Mr. Ron, uh, for showing continued support and appreciation for those who work in the water and power field here at Barrietta. Really appreciate y'all. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Appreciate y'all. Andre Sims, will you make another special event to present? Good evening, everyone. Um, next up we have our uh 90th anniversary of the Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theater, and I'd like to ask Director Andy Gaines to come down. All right. How are you doing? I'm fabulous, thank you. Oh my god. Yes. All right, so um this proclamation uh from the city of Marietta, whereas the Earl Rachel Smith Strand Theater has stood as a cultural cornerstone and architectural treasure on the historic Marietta Square. And whereas the Strand opened its doors on September 24th, 1935, been around a while, as a premier art deco movie house, seating over a thousand guests and bringing the magic of modern film to the citizens of Marietta, Cobb County, and beyond.