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Record of Proceedings

South Fulton Alcohol License and Zoning Public Hearings Special Meeting - July 28, 2026

City Council & Public Facilities Authority — Tuesday, July 28, 2026
BodySouth Fulton, Georgia
SessionCity Council & Public Facilities Authority
DateTuesday, July 28, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 47:07

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:00

Coach Knight, who, if you are a long-term resident of the South Fulton region who grew here and didn't fly here, you know that he is a staple of the community, a staple of Parks and Rec, um, on par with Outlaw and Mr.

0:20

Frank and raising so many of us who grew up in the South Fulton region and took advantage of Parks and Wreck as we were growing up.

0:31

And we wanted to, before you leave out for St.

0:34

Pete, um, for the funeral, wanted to take this opportunity to recognize your father and ensure we are trusting you to take this to St.

0:46

Pete to present to the family, um, since we won't have the opportunity to be there.

0:54

So come right.

0:55

Come on up, you know the routine.

0:58

Okay.

0:59

Where's the mayor?

1:02

Okay.

Unassigned speaker

1:04

Right.

Speaker 1

1:05

Can't nobody see.

Speaker 2

1:11

Okay,

Speaker 1

1:12

so whereas Coach Anthony Knight, known affectionately as known affectionately as Rocket by the youth he has mentored, has dedicated more than 25 years of exemplary service to youth development through parks and recreation programs.

1:28

And whereas Coach Knight faithfully served young people in Fulton County Parks and Recreation and the City of Atlanta Parks and Recreation, where his leadership encouragement and example have inspired countless athletes to strive for excellence on and off the court and track.

1:44

And whereas Coach Knight was the first employee to establish a 17 and under basketball team in the Fulton County Parks and Recreation Department at Boat Rock Gymnasium, creating an opportunity that continues today through his work at Birdett and Sand Town Gym gymnasiums.

2:02

And whereas through his guidance and commitment, the 17 and under basketball and track teams have achieved outstanding success, including multiple GRPA district and state championships, as well as recognition through Coach of the Year honors, and whereas Coach Knight's impact extends well beyond athletic achievement, as he has consistently provided youth with mentorship, discipline, life skills, accountability, and encouragement that have helped shape their character and prepare them for a brighter future.

2:34

And whereas his unwavering dedication has strengthened families, inspired communities, and made a lasting difference in the lives of young people throughout Fulton County, the city of Atlanta, and beyond.

2:46

Now, therefore, be it proclaimed that the mayor and city council of the city of South Fulton hereby honor and celebrate the life and legacy of Coach Anthony Rocket Knight, recognizing his extraordinary contributions to youth development, community service, exceptional leadership, and lasting contributions to the youth and communities he has served.

Speaker 2

3:14

Wow.

Speaker 3

3:15

I'm never one to be speechless.

3:17

So again, on behalf of our family, I certainly thank a mayor and council and staff for acknowledging my father, who has been a steadfast disciplinarian and a truly one to make you earn your keep.

3:34

So I will tell you, I do not do this in earnest.

3:38

It certainly has been ingrained in me since early in my early childhood.

3:42

So thank you very much.

3:58

She kept a secret.

Unassigned speaker

4:25

I can see

Speaker 4

4:27

travel.

Speaker 5

4:30

The next presentation will be a presentation to the swordfish swim team.

4:34

Sponsored by Mayor Gomes and Full Council.

Speaker 4

4:39

They are so cute.

4:42

Now I can't read this, so we're gonna have to.

4:45

Do you have some?

4:46

Because my the prescription is a district three.

4:50

We're gonna start, we all gonna read them.

Speaker 6

4:54

Oh my gosh.

4:55

What is this?

4:55

250?

Speaker 4

4:58

Oh, this is good.

5:01

Look at y'all.

5:02

Congratulations.

5:07

Get these babies a hand.

5:09

Y'all been swimming for a long time.

5:12

All y'all do is win and swim.

5:16

All right.

5:16

So I'm gonna start this off.

5:19

This is one of the highest honors, of course, the city can give you.

5:23

And this is a proclamation honoring the City of South Fulton Swordfish Swim Team.

5:30

Give them a hand again.

5:31

They are they got some proud moms and pops and grandmamas and granddaddies out there.

5:39

All right.

5:40

So whereas the city of South Fulton is committed to fostering youth development, athletic excellence, and community pride.

5:48

And whereas the swordfish swim team, under the leadership of aquatic supervisor, coach Alysia Raina Bashir has exemplified these values through their outstanding dedication, teamwork, and sportsmanship throughout the 2026 summer swim season.

6:09

You want me to read it on?

6:11

Whereas at the 2026 Georgia Recreation and Park Association, District Four Championship Swim Meet held on June 27, 2026, at the Spaldon County Aquatic Center in Griffin, Georgia, the Swordfish Swim Team delivered a dominating performance, earning a remarkable total of 26 gold.

6:40

And seven bronze medals with the largest number of swimmers from any team qualifying to advance to the state championship.

6:50

Whereas at the GRPA's A State Championship held on July 17th through the 18th, 2026 at Boundary Waters Aquatic Center in Douglasville, Georgia, the Swordfish Swim Team represented the city of South Fulton with distinction, bringing home three gold, five silver, four bronze medals, and ten ribbons for fourth through eighth place, an extraordinary feat accomplished by only nine dedicated athletes.

7:25

And whereas these outstanding young athletes, Akesi Akisa Bashir, I hope I didn't mess your name.

7:53

Heidi Heard, and Dylan Irby demonstrated exemplary exemplary commitment, skill, and sportsmanship, representing their team, coaches, and our beloved city at the highest level.

8:08

And whereas special recognition is due to Safia.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Data Center Regulation██████████████████████████████████34%
Parks and Recreation█████████████████████████25%
Procedural█████████████████████21%
Budget Equity Analysis████4%
Community Engagement████4%
Public Engagement████4%
Zoning And Land Use████4%
Technology and Innovation████4%
Summary of Proceedings

City of South Fulton Special Meeting - July 28, 2026

The City of South Fulton convened a Special Meeting on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, advertised to start at 5:00 PM but called to order at 6:25 PM by Mayor Carmalitha Gumbs. All council members were present, constituting a quorum. The meeting featured a public hearing on a proposed Data Center Zoning Ordinance (TA26-003), several proclamations and awards, and concluded with the transition into the regular council meeting.

Proclamations and Recognitions

  • Municipal Leader Certificate: A certificate was presented by Councilmember Pritchett to Freddie Broome for the Municipal Leader Community and Workplace Culture Course.
  • Swordfish Swim Team: The team was recognized for their dominant performance at the GRPA District 4 Championship (26 gold, 7 bronze medals) and the A State Championship (3 gold, 5 silver, 4 bronze medals, 10 ribbons). Coaches and athletes were celebrated for representing the city with distinction.
  • Finance Department: Recognized for receiving the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the first time. City Manager Super Dan praised the budget staff and public affairs team.
  • Unity in the Community Award: Presented to Mayor Gumbs by Dr. Christy T. Jones of the South Fulton National Day of Prayer Committee.
  • Anthony "Rocket" Knight Proclamation: A posthumous proclamation was presented to his family for his over 25 years of dedicated service to youth development through Fulton County and Atlanta Parks and Recreation, mentoring countless young athletes.

Discussion Items

  • Data Center Zoning Ordinance (TA26-003): The council held a public hearing on a proposed text amendment to repeal and replace the existing data center ordinance.
  • Staff and Planning Commission Recommendations: Staff recommended approval. The Planning Commission recommended approval with several conditions, including restricting data centers to M-2 districts, reducing minimum lot size to 10 acres, requiring utility capacity letters, infrastructure repair requirements, screening for utility towers, and provisions for solar power and glycol cooling.
  • Public Testimony:
    • No speakers signed up in favor.
    • Attorney Michelle Battle (Battle Law) spoke in opposition on behalf of clients including Amerigold. She stated she supports "guardrails" for data centers but argued this ordinance was overly restrictive. She criticized the population cap of one data center per 30,000 residents (effectively preventing new centers due to 6 existing/pending sites consuming the capacity for the ~112,000 population), the risk of certificates of occupancy being withheld if population drops, the impractical 2,640-foot setback from residential areas, and the lack of tiering for different data center sizes and types.
    • Written comments were submitted by Doris Clark.
  • Council Deliberation:
    • Councilmember Johnson questioned the city attorney on the mechanics of the population cap and its impact on existing and future projects.
    • Councilmember Sebastian expressed strong concern that the ordinance was overly stringent, potentially pushing development out of the city while regional impacts remain. He advocated for a more balanced revision.

Key Outcomes

  • Public Hearing Concluded: The hearing for TA26-003 was formally closed.
  • Ordinance Revision Direction: With the Mayor acknowledging this was a first reading, council direction implied significant revisions were needed to the population cap and setback requirements before a final vote.
  • Transition to Regular Meeting: The special meeting was adjourned. The regular council meeting was immediately called to order with the full council.
  • Regular Meeting Agenda Adopted: The council adopted the July 28 regular meeting agenda with several additions, including events for Randolph Elementary and the film industry, a $6,000 donation from DOVES for school supplies, and the appointment of Jane Williams to the Code Enforcement Board.

Meeting Transcript

Coach Knight, who, if you are a long-term resident of the South Fulton region who grew here and didn't fly here, you know that he is a staple of the community, a staple of Parks and Rec, um, on par with Outlaw and Mr. Frank and raising so many of us who grew up in the South Fulton region and took advantage of Parks and Wreck as we were growing up. And we wanted to, before you leave out for St. Pete, um, for the funeral, wanted to take this opportunity to recognize your father and ensure we are trusting you to take this to St. Pete to present to the family, um, since we won't have the opportunity to be there. So come right. Come on up, you know the routine. Okay. Where's the mayor? Okay. Right. Can't nobody see. Okay, so whereas Coach Anthony Knight, known affectionately as known affectionately as Rocket by the youth he has mentored, has dedicated more than 25 years of exemplary service to youth development through parks and recreation programs. And whereas Coach Knight faithfully served young people in Fulton County Parks and Recreation and the City of Atlanta Parks and Recreation, where his leadership encouragement and example have inspired countless athletes to strive for excellence on and off the court and track. And whereas Coach Knight was the first employee to establish a 17 and under basketball team in the Fulton County Parks and Recreation Department at Boat Rock Gymnasium, creating an opportunity that continues today through his work at Birdett and Sand Town Gym gymnasiums. And whereas through his guidance and commitment, the 17 and under basketball and track teams have achieved outstanding success, including multiple GRPA district and state championships, as well as recognition through Coach of the Year honors, and whereas Coach Knight's impact extends well beyond athletic achievement, as he has consistently provided youth with mentorship, discipline, life skills, accountability, and encouragement that have helped shape their character and prepare them for a brighter future. And whereas his unwavering dedication has strengthened families, inspired communities, and made a lasting difference in the lives of young people throughout Fulton County, the city of Atlanta, and beyond. Now, therefore, be it proclaimed that the mayor and city council of the city of South Fulton hereby honor and celebrate the life and legacy of Coach Anthony Rocket Knight, recognizing his extraordinary contributions to youth development, community service, exceptional leadership, and lasting contributions to the youth and communities he has served. Wow. I'm never one to be speechless. So again, on behalf of our family, I certainly thank a mayor and council and staff for acknowledging my father, who has been a steadfast disciplinarian and a truly one to make you earn your keep. So I will tell you, I do not do this in earnest. It certainly has been ingrained in me since early in my early childhood. So thank you very much. She kept a secret. I can see travel. The next presentation will be a presentation to the swordfish swim team. Sponsored by Mayor Gomes and Full Council. They are so cute. Now I can't read this, so we're gonna have to. Do you have some? Because my the prescription is a district three. We're gonna start, we all gonna read them. Oh my gosh. What is this? 250? Oh, this is good. Look at y'all. Congratulations. Get these babies a hand. Y'all been swimming for a long time. All y'all do is win and swim. All right. So I'm gonna start this off. This is one of the highest honors, of course, the city can give you. And this is a proclamation honoring the City of South Fulton Swordfish Swim Team. Give them a hand again. They are they got some proud moms and pops and grandmamas and granddaddies out there.

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