South Fulton City Council Work Session – July 14, 2026

The City Council of South Fulton, Georgia, held a work session on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, from 4:00 PM to 4:53 PM at City Hall. Mayor Carmalitha Gumbs presided, and a quorum was established with all seven council districts represented; Councilmembers Bell, Pritchett, and Williams-Brown attended virtually. The council returned from summer recess and welcomed Councilmember LaTonya Toni Wright of District 3 to her first meeting. The session included the City Manager’s monthly report, two presentations, and no executive session. No formal binding votes were taken; the meeting was adjourned by unanimous consent.

City Manager Monthly Report

• City Manager Sharon D. Subadan presented the monthly report, inclusive of Finance and Public Works reports. She reported that purchase card (PCARD) compliance had improved from 79% a year ago to 93%, with an external auditor reviewing every mayor and council transaction. She said most compliance issues were administrative errors, such as failure to upload supporting documents, and that Nextdoor complaints referred by council members were reviewed by the auditor with no findings.
• Subadan reported that the CDBG-funded senior housing program had received almost 900 applicants as of the prior Friday, against more than $700,000 in allocated CDBG funding. She explained that the program uses a two-step process: an initial screening for city residency and age, followed by a detailed application for the first 50 qualified applicants, with applications date and time stamped. She said the large response was being used to quantify community need and pursue additional funding.
• Councilmember Natasha Williams-Brown requested a future report on the results of the business amnesty program and a plan for bringing approximately 8,000 businesses that remain noncompliant into compliance, including recovering uncollected past taxes. City Manager Subadan agreed to provide it.
• Councilmember Catherine Rowell asked about district event funding figures on page six of the report. Subadan clarified that the figures were carry-forward balances from prior allocations, that no district had exceeded the $20,000 event funding allocation, and that the Mayor’s allocation was $30,000. Rowell praised the senior rehabilitation program and cautioned that federal money cannot be used for district-based selection, while urging the city to pursue additional funding.
• Councilmember Linda Pritchett raised equity concerns about the first-come, first-served approach and asked that recipients be balanced across districts so no district is left out. Councilmember Jaceey Sebastian agreed that distribution should consider need, adding that equity does not necessarily mean equal distribution. He also mentioned a possible weatherization program being explored with private funders. Mayor Gumbs noted that Fulton County’s senior rehabilitation program was only able to serve about 40 seniors, showing the scale of demand.
• Councilmember Keosha Bell asked about month-by-month and department-level PCARD compliance rates. Subadan explained cutoff deadlines for submitting supporting documents and said the program was operating within proper parameters. Councilmember Rowell encouraged council members to lead by example on compliance.

Presentation: Greenway and Trails Net Plan Update

• Carlos Perez of Perez Planning + Design, LLC, joined by General Services Director Gregory Dyson, presented an update on the Greenway and Trails Network Plan. The purpose is to update the pre-incorporation Fulton County trail plan, identify priority projects in each council district, seek federal and regional funding, and develop a phased implementation strategy.
• Existing conditions include 3.6 miles of existing trails, more than 2.5 miles of planned trails, and over 200 potential corridors. Perez presented analyses of demographics, zero-car households, a socioeconomic opportunity and needs index combining 10 factors, level of traffic stress, and bicycle and pedestrian mobility demand.
• Proposed next steps include an online engagement map, four public meetings, one-on-one interviews with council members, corridor prioritization, probable cost estimates, 10% design for high-ranking projects per district, and a funding and implementation strategy for council approval.
• Councilmember Rowell asked whether private trails, including the Southeast Trust for Parks and Land project at Butner in Camp Creek and the Camilton Nature Preserve, were included. Perez said he would confirm. Rowell expressed strong support for the plan, noting that the city has a large biking community that has sought these facilities for years. Councilmember Sebastian referenced the Metro Atlanta Cycle Club’s 10th anniversary, raised the question of how trails will cross South Fulton Parkway given GDOT development, and said he looked forward to public engagement. Councilmember Bell said she was excited about the walking trails and connectivity.

Presentation: 2026–2027 Employee Benefits Renewal

• Tammi Starkey, Senior Vice President at Alliant, presented the employee benefits renewal effective October 1, 2026. The health plan is partially self-funded through Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield; the prior change from Cigna saved over $2 million. The claims projection required an 8.5% increase, or $656,000, with enrollment on the plan up 26% over the last 24 months.
• Recommended plan design changes include increasing the individual out-of-pocket maximum by $1,000, generating about $136,000 in savings; adding 20% coinsurance to emergency room visits after the $150 copay, generating about $30,000 in savings; introducing the Know the Cost radiology and outpatient program, projected to save about $100,000; and offering virtual physical therapy for musculoskeletal care, projected to save about $124,000. These changes reduce the net projected increase to $267,911, or 3.46%, with no change to employee contributions.
• Ancillary benefits include no change to vision coverage; a switch of life and disability coverage to Symmetra, saving $110,000 and adding a line-of-duty death benefit equal to annual salary for public safety officers; voluntary term life with no health questions during open enrollment; an enhanced employee assistance program; and no change to AFLAC supplemental plans. Open enrollment education, including webinars and benefits fairs, will run through August 21, 2026, for an October 1, 2026 effective date. Council members had no questions.

Key Outcomes

• No formal resolutions or ordinances were adopted at the work session.
• City Manager staff were directed to prepare a report on business amnesty results and a strategy for approximately 8,000 noncompliant businesses.
• Perez Planning + Design was asked to confirm that private trails are included in the greenway network plan; public engagement and council interviews are expected to proceed.
• The employee benefits renewal proposal will be considered for council approval; open enrollment is scheduled through August 21, 2026, with an October 1, 2026 effective date.
• No executive session was held. The meeting was adjourned at 4:53 PM by unanimous consent.
• Discrepancy: The minutes state that the Alcohol License and Zoning meeting was adjourned, but the agenda and transcript identify this session as the City Council Work Session; this appears to be a typo in the minutes.