Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.
The Sandy Springs City Council met on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at 7:09 p.m. in the Studio Theatre at City Hall. The meeting included public hearings on the FY2027 budget and the Capital Improvements Element (CIE) annual update, along with approval of eight new business items. Key actions included adoption of a $1.089 billion budget with no tax or fee increases, approval of a school zone speed enforcement camera contract amendment (5-1), and authorization of several infrastructure and intergovernmental agreements.
Much thank you. That will close our work session. I would like to call this meeting of the Sandy Springs City Council to order for Tuesday, June 16th, 2026. Will the city clerk please make the announcements to call the roll? Good evening, Mayor and Council. Just a reminder, everyone, please continue to keep all those cell phones and other electronic devices on silent. Individuals who would like to provide a public comment at a city council meeting are required to complete and submit those public comment cards in advance of the meeting. Public comment cards are always available online and at the chamber entrance. Those providing public comment may be allotted up to three minutes to speak on their single chosen topic. As I call roll, please confirm your attendance. Mayor Rusty Paul. Present. Councilmember John Paulson. Councilmember Melody Kelly. Councilmember Melissa Mueller. Here. Councilmember Frank Roberts. Councilmember Mary Ford. Present. Councilmember Andrew Chinsky. Here. Please join me for the Pledge of Allegiance. Under God. Madam Clerk, have we received any public comment cards? Yes, we've received one public comment card this evening. Mr. Theodore Davis. Mr. Davis. Good evening, Mayor and Council. Theodore Davis III, 272 Summer Drive. As it turns out, Councilman Chinsky, my public comment actually centers tonight on the lack of affordable housing supply. Obviously, you're not the only council member who's raised concerns about this problem to say nothing about the public as a whole. Which is why I want to briefly discuss a possible tool for the city's toolbox. Pre-approved building plans. By having a varied group of designs carefully vetted by city staff to allow a more streamlined process to gain houses built and improving the supply of housing available to the city, which leads to notable time and cost savings for both the city and developers. While it's not the most widespread practice, a number of cities and towns across the country have started going this route to kick-start development of a more affordable housing supply, ranging from the small town of Claremore, Oklahoma to the large city of Seattle, Washington. In the latter case, an analysis by Pugge Heritable Trusts estimated that the program could avoid up to $30,000 in price increases per unit simply due to approval delays. Plus, we're not just talking about one singular style of housing either, as some of the designs used by cities can range from smaller homes that are ideal for young professionals or older couples looking to downsize to medium ones that are perfect for family looking to settle down and even infill options containing two to six residential units each to address the supply of multifamily units. Now, obviously, the first question is whether or not this idea works, but the good news is that evidence suggests it does for those cities that have implemented it. As the Washington Post highlighted in an article published just yesterday. And in the spirit of budget night and funding, it's worth noting that the bipartisan housing bill in Congress contains federal grants specifically aimed towards cities implementing this type of program where the Senate agreed just within the past few hours to consider the bill this week. Of course, it's not a silver bullet since there still be cases that require a more specialized approach. As Councilman Roberts will recall from the last Board of Appeals meeting, the case they discussed involve a property with unique terrain and environmental concerns, and it's hardly been the first case where those have been factors. Plus, there are also factors worth considering that are entirely outside of the city's control. As Mayor Paul noted in February's retreat when discussing interest rates and homeowners' willingness to relocate. However, as Councilman Paulson noted at the time, it's important to see what other cities have done to alleviate their affordable housing crises. I'd say this is as good of a program as any to see if it can be reasonably implemented here. Thank you very much.