This work session of the Marietta City Council covered approval of minutes, detailed reports from the Board of Lights and Water (BLW) on finances and operations, a discussion on capacity for large loads and data centers, adoption of the FY2027 budget, and previews of pending rezoning and code amendment public hearings scheduled for the regular meeting on June 10, 2026.
BLW Monthly Report (April 2026):
Mayor's Report – Large Loads and Capacity:
Tree Replacement Fund – Enforcement: Councilmember expressed concern that a property owner who cut down trees without permits was only required to pay into the tree fund, which may not deter future violations. Staff explained that the contribution was larger than a typical municipal court fine, and the property remains under a stop-work order. Code enforcement has addressed overgrowth issues.
SPLOST 2028 Intergovernmental Agreement: The IGA with Cobb County was approved, subject to final project list approval at the regular meeting. The 2028 SPLOST (if approved by voters on November 3, 2026) would generate $13.038 million annually for Marietta. Councilman Richardson disclosed his position on the SPLOST board and partially abstained.
Rezoning Previews:
Home Occupation Code Amendment: Proposed amendment to prohibit alcoholic beverage manufacturing for commercial sale as a home occupation and make cleanup changes. Council discussed removal of annual recertification for business licenses; staff noted it hasn’t been common practice.
Executive Session: Council entered executive session for real estate acquisition (motion carried 6-0).
Agenda work session to order, please. First item is the May 11th agenda work session minutes. You have motion? Make a motion to approve. Wait, is there edit? There was an edit. Um around, come around with the edit. What edit did you have? This one. Yeah, there was an edit on the last page. I think there was another one. Right. There should be another one on page seven. It's on the way. Okay, so yes, on page six, there should be another edit. Uh no, this is from the meeting. On the agenda work session on page six. My disclosure that Miss Renfro is a client. Although I was able to vote, my disclosure needs to be on here. Okay. Um it is number it doesn't really say an item number. It's not an item number is added via suspending the rules. Right. It's the last item on the minutes. You lost me. So does uh Mr. Mayor ask one question. Um Councilman Richardson, you've already submitted you've already submitted that's the written disclosure in this into the city clerk. I disclosed it at the meeting. I didn't write it, I can write it. It didn't keep me from voting. It's just a disclosure that she's a client. Um I will sit down and write it right now. We can accept the verbal. Okay. Um for the sake of moving the forward moving this forward. I make a motion to approve the um May 11th, 2026 agenda work session minutes with the changes noted as revised here and with the additional disclosure that Cheryl is currently writing and was verbally disclosed at the meeting. Second. Motion carries. One, two, six. Six. Six, oh nine attendance. I mean, motion carries. Mr. Kent, BOW report, please, sir. Yes, sir. We had a very good BLW meeting today. Started out with uh Kim Holland, who's the director of water and sewer. I'd never met her before, so that was uh pleasure. She introduced three of her supervisors, Brian Bickers, who's a sewer supervisor, Josh Onby, who's the water supervisor, and Chris Reed, who's a meter maintenance supervisor.