OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

City Council Joint Meeting Summary - January 12, 2026

City Council Archive View — Monday, January 12, 2026
BodyMarietta, Georgia
SessionCity Council Archive View
DateMonday, January 12, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 4:26:55

Transcript — Verbatim
0:02

I'd like to call the city council agenda work session order, please.

0:06

First item of business is agenda work session minutes from DC of the 8th, 2025.

0:13

Is there motion to approve?

0:16

All second.

0:20

Nothing looks like discussion.

0:21

All those in favor, please vote you run in.

0:23

All opposed like same.

0:27

Do we extend we have two of the abstain?

0:30

I voted.

0:33

Six four morning stain.

0:36

Wait, wait, that's too many.

0:38

Six zero.

0:39

Six six six six six four.

0:42

Zero against one abstract.

0:43

They say there's not eleven of us.

0:45

I'm sorry.

0:48

Mayor said it was correct.

0:51

I was like with six four.

0:53

That's ten and bodies.

0:56

I'm sorry, Mayor.

1:01

Mr.

1:01

Kitt.

1:02

Your initial voice in the BOW report.

1:06

Yes, sir.

1:07

Thank you, sir.

1:11

I guess we start with the uh audit.

1:14

We had the audit meeting uh prior to the board meeting.

1:19

And the uh the annual comprehensive financial report was uh uh was given and approved by the committee.

1:30

And uh also we um uh came back after lunch and and uh and we open up with um the BOW operating department's Ron Morrow called a meeting.

1:48

Um and Pettina gave the financial report.

1:54

And just trying to summarize, you can correct me if I if I make some mistakes, Bettina, but the Board of Lights and Water continues to maintain a strong and stable financial position.

2:06

Revenues and expendit expenditures are generally tracking in accordance with the adopted budget, and the organization remains well positioned to meet its operation and financial obligations.

2:25

Electric and water utility revenues are consistent with budget expectations.

2:31

Normal seasonal variance and customer usage were noted, but no unusual or adverse trends were identified.

2:41

Customer billing and collections remained steady supporting reliable cash flow.

2:45

Did note that the uh water usage was down, uh which uh caused uh I guess a uh reduction in revenues received from the from the water.

3:00

Umperating expenditures are being managed with approved budget uh parameters, personnel operation and administrative costs were reviewed, and no material budget overruns were identified.

3:15

Continued attention is being given to cost controls, particularly in the areas affected by inflationary pressures.

3:24

I know uh Bettina mentioned that we did because of the raise, there was an increase in amount of uh revenue on uh the cost of water for the month of December.

3:37

Um Ron and his report there in the back of the uh the book there is uh two items that you call to our attention to uh what section was it in special reports.

4:14

Um while you're looking that up, I do have a question related to the financials.

4:19

Is it okay if I ask?

4:21

Okay.

4:22

Um I know that it was reported earlier that the uh share coal plant was on for a long period of time, namely because of the outage for the Wandsley combined cycle.

4:34

Has the combined it said that the outage for the combined cycle should be should have ended in December.

4:39

Has it ended or is it still ongoing at this time?

4:42

The umsley uh nine is back online.

4:48

Um in Shear, like I said, was just overage, so we were only using that in the instance that um we did when the um plant was out.

5:03

So those were brought on, but they are um Shear, I believe, may be committed um coming up later this uh week due to um some of the cold weather that we're expecting.

5:16

So um we're on the lookout for that as well.

5:20

Um if I remember correctly, sh the coal plant generally run um generally runs at higher higher costs as opposed to the Wandsley 9 combined cycle gas combined cycle term with that being usually one of our second lowest outside the nuclear, the two nuclears we have for hatch and fool, correct?

5:40

That is correct.

5:41

The um coal is one of our um highest um resources, so we only utilize them when necessary.

5:48

And we also have the combined and the Addison plant was ever used the single-cycle combined gas that's usually running high, usually also runs higher, right?

5:57

So the Addison plant is our most expensive uh resource.

6:02

That one is a kind of a last resort.

6:05

We have utilized it in a pla in the past when there have been exceptionally high um uh market prices that we were able to um capitalize on via sales, so we would run that plan in the event that the um sales market prices were much higher than the actual cost of running the plant.

6:25

Got it.

6:26

Similar to the event that happened in December 17th, that cold snap that got the market prices up to 145 dollars or so properly.

6:35

Um the report from um the meeting earlier today, the BLW report, we did see spikes up um upwards of a hundred and seventy dollars um for the market pricing, so we were able to um get some sales from from those um opportunities.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Personnel Matters███████████████████████████████31%
Pending Litigation████████████████████████████28%
Procedural█████████9%
Zoning and Land Use████████8%
Budget Equity Analysis██████6%
Fiscal Sustainability█████5%
Energy Management████4%
Water And Wastewater Management██2%
Public Safety██2%
Summary of Proceedings

City Council Joint Meeting Summary - January 12, 2026

This meeting served as a joint session of the City Council and the Board of Lights and Water (BLW) to review financial reports, discuss utility operations, receive the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR), and handle various public hearings and appointments. Key topics included the BLW's stable financial position, a significant nuclear tax credit refund received by MIAG, several annexation and rezoning requests involving density negotiations with Cobb County, and the appointment of a new prosecuting attorney and deputy.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved minutes from the December 8, 2025 (DC 8) meeting (Motion carried 6-4 with one abstention, later clarified as 6-0).
  • Approved delegates for the Cobb Municipal Association (CMA), Georgia Municipal Association (GMA), and National League of Cities (NLC) with specific voting members and alternates appointed.
  • Moved forward for Wednesday agenda approval: One-year term for the Pension Board (referred as "Historic Board of Review" in transcript, corrected to Pension Board).
  • Reappointed Johnny Walker to the Board of Review (Historic) for a two-year term.
  • Moved forward for Wednesday agenda approval: Fiscal Year 2025 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR).
  • Moved forward for Wednesday agenda approval: Second modification agreement to extend the Laurel Park Tennis Center operating agreement with Tennis Dynamics through December 31, 2029, including language confirming no further renewal periods remain.
  • Granted public hearings for eight items (annexation, rezoning, and claims) and three special meetings.
  • Tabbed the annexation/rezoning requests for Rose Lane and Bells Ferry pending further negotiation.
  • Moved forward for Wednesday agenda approval: Denial of claim for Creek Carrier Corporation, Eric T. Umbeck (OMGBA), and Amadeo Manuel Reyes Barrios (added to agenda via suspension of rules).
  • Moved forward for Wednesday agenda approval: Appointment of Ben Smith as Prosecuting Attorney.
  • Moved forward for Wednesday agenda approval: Appointment of a Chief Assistant (Deputy) Prosecutor, with an amendment adding the name Courtney Brewbaker (Motion carried 5-2).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Parks Huff (Applicant Representative): Provided a summary of the history regarding the Powder Springs Road annexation, emphasizing a willingness to negotiate for lower density (4 units per acre) and confirming the applicant's commitment to a 43-unit plan to remove the need for variances, despite Cobb County's ongoing arbitration objection.
  • Mr. Moore (Applicant Representative for Trayton LLC): Submitted an updated stipulation letter agreeing to implement a crosswalk over Rose Lane into the M2R trail and to meet minimum right-of-way (25 feet) and pavement width (22 feet) standards.
  • General Public/Staff Discussion: Members of the public or staff noted the availability of Girl Scout cookies for sale to council members and discussed the logistical scheduling for executive session appearances.

Discussion Items

BLW Operations and Financials

  • Ron Morrow and Bettina (BLW): Reported that the BLW maintains a strong financial position with revenues and expenditures tracking the budget. noted a seasonal decrease in water usage and corresponding revenue. Discussed the Wandsley 9 combined cycle plant returning online and the temporary activation of the Shearer coal plants due to cold weather. Clarified that the Shearer coal plants and Addison plant are high-cost resources reserved for specific market conditions or outages.
  • Mr. Griffin (Water Authority): Reported that November water sales (7.27 million gallons/day) slightly exceeded the budget. Noted year-to-date net income exceeded the budget by $5.1 million. Discussed eight unfunded EPA mandates and capital projects, including a $50 million facility on Robbie Road. Addressed the low water sales in December, attributing it partly to drier weather (39.9 inches vs. 47.6 inches average) and potential metering issues on the Cobb side.
  • Financial Presentation (Ms. Brown): Detailed power costs, supplemental revenues (sales within the MIAG family), and spot market prices. Noted a reduction in operating margins from 42% to 40% for the month of December due to increased wholesale electric costs, despite retail rate increases. Confirmed reserves are at $30 million.

Nuclear Tax Credit Refund

  • Mayor: Announced that MIAG received an $84,796,909.05 tax refund related to tax credits for the Vogtle nuclear units (3 and 4). This was the first such refund for the state; the city's share (approx. 13%) is expected to be applied toward future fixed costs or debt reduction rather than variable costs.

Annexation and Rezoning

  • Staff & Council Discussion (Powder Springs Road): Discussed a proposal for 60 detached homes (10.9 acres). To facilitate the withdrawal of Cobb County's arbitration objection, the City's position was set at a reduced density of 4 units per acre (approx. 43 units). Council debated whether to vote on the reduction as a binding offer or wait for the arbitration outcome. Staff advised that the City retains full control to withdraw the application if the arbitration panel mandates a density the City finds unacceptable.
  • Rose Lane and 63 Trammel Street: Discussed rezoning requests. Stipulations were accepted regarding street widening and crosswalks. The Trammel Street case involves three variance requests (lot width, lot size, setbacks) similar to previous cases.
  • 40 Car Parkway South: Discussed rezoning for auto storage. Clarified that an occupation license is required by code regardless of the zoning motion and noted the distinction between passenger vehicles and large trucks.
  • 1611 (Partial Annexation): Discussed a request for 20 townhomes on 2.335 acres. Confirmed Cobb County did not object. Density noted at 8.57 units per acre, with comparisons made to existing developments in the area (e.g., Gramacy Park, Sessions Walk).
  • Denial of Claims: Moved forward for approval of denial of claims for Creek Carrier Corporation, Eric T. Umbeck, Amadeo Manuel Reyes Barrios, and a previously listed Morgan Wells claim.

Appointments

  • Prosecuting Attorney: Council voted to move forward to Wednesday with a recommendation to appoint Ben Smith as the Prosecuting Attorney (Motion carried 6-1). A new item was added to appoint a Chief Assistant (Deputy) Prosecutor; an amendment added Courtney Brewbaker to the motion (Motion carried 5-2).
  • Discussion on Compensation: Noted that while appointments can be made, a salary structure must be established via ordinance.

Key Outcomes

  • Votes:
    • Approved minutes from Dec 8, 2025 (Vote count corrected during meeting).
    • Appointed delegates to CMA, GMA, and NLC.
    • Moved forward ACFR and Tennis Center extension for Wednesday approval.
    • Appointed Johnny Walker to Board of Review.
    • Moved forward Denial of Claims for three applicants.
    • Appointed Ben Smith as Prosecuting Attorney (6-1).
    • Appointed Courtney Brewbaker as Chief Assistant Prosecutor (5-2).
  • Directives:
    • Staff directed to draft the proper motion/stipulation for the Powder Springs Road annexation to formalize the 4 units/acre offer to the county.
    • Stipulations accepted for the Trayton LLC (Rose Lane) project regarding street improvements.
    • Application for the 63 Trammel Street rezoning tabled until variance conflict is resolved or confirmed.
    • Motion to go into Executive Session for personnel matters and legal advice regarding litigation carried.
  • Next Steps:
    • Final votes on the listed consent items and new appointment motions are scheduled for the Wednesday agenda.
    • Further engineering and design analysis required for the Rose Lane crosswalk and sidewalk connections.
    • Ordinance development pending for the compensation of the new Chief Assistant Prosecutor.

Meeting Transcript

I'd like to call the city council agenda work session order, please. First item of business is agenda work session minutes from DC of the 8th, 2025. Is there motion to approve? All second. Nothing looks like discussion. All those in favor, please vote you run in. All opposed like same. Do we extend we have two of the abstain? I voted. Six four morning stain. Wait, wait, that's too many. Six zero. Six six six six six four. Zero against one abstract. They say there's not eleven of us. I'm sorry. Mayor said it was correct. I was like with six four. That's ten and bodies. I'm sorry, Mayor. Mr. Kitt. Your initial voice in the BOW report. Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. I guess we start with the uh audit. We had the audit meeting uh prior to the board meeting. And the uh the annual comprehensive financial report was uh uh was given and approved by the committee. And uh also we um uh came back after lunch and and uh and we open up with um the BOW operating department's Ron Morrow called a meeting. Um and Pettina gave the financial report. And just trying to summarize, you can correct me if I if I make some mistakes, Bettina, but the Board of Lights and Water continues to maintain a strong and stable financial position. Revenues and expendit expenditures are generally tracking in accordance with the adopted budget, and the organization remains well positioned to meet its operation and financial obligations. Electric and water utility revenues are consistent with budget expectations. Normal seasonal variance and customer usage were noted, but no unusual or adverse trends were identified. Customer billing and collections remained steady supporting reliable cash flow. Did note that the uh water usage was down, uh which uh caused uh I guess a uh reduction in revenues received from the from the water. Umperating expenditures are being managed with approved budget uh parameters, personnel operation and administrative costs were reviewed, and no material budget overruns were identified. Continued attention is being given to cost controls, particularly in the areas affected by inflationary pressures. I know uh Bettina mentioned that we did because of the raise, there was an increase in amount of uh revenue on uh the cost of water for the month of December. Um Ron and his report there in the back of the uh the book there is uh two items that you call to our attention to uh what section was it in special reports. Um while you're looking that up, I do have a question related to the financials. Is it okay if I ask? Okay. Um I know that it was reported earlier that the uh share coal plant was on for a long period of time, namely because of the outage for the Wandsley combined cycle. Has the combined it said that the outage for the combined cycle should be should have ended in December. Has it ended or is it still ongoing at this time? The umsley uh nine is back online. Um in Shear, like I said, was just overage, so we were only using that in the instance that um we did when the um plant was out. So those were brought on, but they are um Shear, I believe, may be committed um coming up later this uh week due to um some of the cold weather that we're expecting. So um we're on the lookout for that as well.

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