South Fulton City Council Regular Meeting – September 22, 2026

The City of South Fulton City Council held a regular meeting on September 22, 2026, at 7:00 PM at City Hall. Mayor Carmalitha Gumbs presided. All councilmembers were present (Councilmember Linda Pritchett arrived at 7:12 PM). The meeting included the second public hearing on the FY2027 budget, adoption of the budget ordinance, approval of a consent agenda, and votes on seven rezoning cases. The meeting adjourned at 8:12 PM.

FY2027 Budget Public Hearing & Adoption

• CFO Althea Philord‑Bradley presented the FY2027 proposed budget, noting a stable millage rate of $12.399. The general fund total was set at $186,746,521, and the citywide budget at $391,394,455. An additional $250,000 for facade grants was added from fund balance.
• The public hearing yielded no speakers in favor or opposition.
• The council adopted the budget ordinance by unanimous consent.

Consent Calendar

• The council approved the entire consent calendar (Items VIII.A–F) by unanimous consent. This included:
  • Proclamations for Tameka Tiny Harris, Judson Leon Grant, Ali A. BaaQar, and Officer Danielle McClendon.
  • Reappointment of Benny Crane to the Downtown Development Authority and appointment of Cortez Carter to the Development Authority.
  • Confirmation of the final plat for Raymonds Walk (60 single‑family lots on 17.5 acres).
  • Ratification of in‑kind services for the Shockwave 5K Run on September 26, 2026.
  • Approval of three District‑3 events (Community Food Distribution, Soul Bingo, and date change for Tea with Toni).
  • Submission of a grant application to the Georgia DNR for accessible playground equipment at Wilkerson Mill–Farris Park ($300,000 total, $150,000 match).
  • Ratification of a USDA Healthy Food Financing Initiative grant application to establish a community market with GOODR ($1,000,000 request).
  • Acceptance of a BOOST grant from the Georgia Recreation and Park Association, Georgia Department of Education, and Georgia Statewide Afterschool Network ($61,000 for parks and recreation programming).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Shawn Filus (Catawita Road resident) described recurring tree‑fall incidents and expressed frustration with the lack of transparency from the city and Microsoft about planned development on approximately 150 acres owned by Microsoft near his neighborhood. He called for earlier community notification.

• Jill Lindsey requested documentation and clarification of city expenditures under the BrightView landscape contract, questioning whether controls were in place to verify that work was performed before payment.

• Jane Williams (District 7) urged the council to adopt a telephone reassurance and wellness check program for seniors, citing an incident where a senior was unable to call for help. She supported the proposed pilot program.

• Shani Drake Duncan (via Zoom) voiced strong opposition to the data center development on Plumber Road, citing negative health, water, and environmental justice impacts, and requested a moratorium on new data center permits.

  Response: The Interim City Attorney noted that the council recently adopted a comprehensive data center ordinance requiring special use permits and that the referenced data center had already been approved.

Additional comment cards were received from Dr. Gloria Milow (in person), and Dr. J. Jazz Thomas‑Jones and Ivory Wilson (online), whose remarks were not captured in the transcript.

Rezonings and Land‑Use Cases (Second Reads)

All seven cases received second‑reading votes.

• IX.A – Z26‑020 (District 2): Rezone approx. 193.67 acres at Enon Road, Vandiver Road, and Merk Road from CUP, R‑4, and AG‑1 to R‑5 and TR. Approved as revised, 7‑0.
• IX.B – Z26‑001/CDP26‑003 (District 1): Bridge Logistics’ request to rezone 157.86 acres from SUB‑A to M‑1 and amend the future land use to Industrial to build a warehouse campus. Staff recommended approval conditional; Planning Commission recommended denial. The council approved as amended, reducing the square footage from 1,600,500 to 745,688. Vote: 7‑0.
• IX.C – Z26‑011 (District 4): Dianne Lloyd’s request to rezone from R‑6 to AG‑1 to subdivide 10.68 acres into four residential lots. Staff and Planning recommended approval. Approved 7‑0.
• IX.D – Z26‑018 (District 5): Dwayne Parrish’s request to rezone from O‑I to C‑1 to operate a restaurant and lounge at 5440 Old National Highway. Staff and Planning recommended approval. Approved 7‑0.
• IX.E – Z26‑017 (District 6): Yeruchem Lipszyc’s request to rezone from AG‑1 to R‑6 for a duplex at 2300 Flat Shoals Road. Staff and Planning recommended denial. Approved 7‑0.
• IX.F – Z26‑014/CDP26‑004 (District 5): Taliya King’s request to rezone from AG‑1 to R‑4 and amend the land use plan to develop two single‑family homes at 5250 Northfield Blvd. Staff and Planning recommended denial. Approved 6‑1 (Councilmember Rowell dissenting).
• IX.G – Z26‑013 (District 4): SDH Central Georgia’s request to rezone from AG‑1 to CUP to develop 72 single‑family homes at 7000 & 7050 Bishop Road. Staff and Planning recommended approval conditional. Approved with conditions 7‑0, including a requirement to install traffic‑calming devices in consultation with the Public Works Department.

Agenda Items: Administration and Procurement

• Professional Services Agreement (Paramount Consulting Group) – Not to exceed $140,000. Approved 5‑2 (Councilmembers Rowell and Bell voting no).
• Other Administration Items (A.2–A.5) – Approved by unanimous consent: Official international travel to the Elevate Africa Annual Convening in Ghana (Councilmember Williams‑Brown); a resolution supporting the “COSF Tribute Trees” initiative in partnership with Trees Atlanta; a resolution opposing certification of service delivery strategies with Fulton County; and a resolution establishing a six‑month pilot Telephone Reassurance and Wellness Check Program for seniors.
• Procurement – BrightView Bridge Extension – A 90‑day extension (October 1 – December 29, 2026) for landscape maintenance services, not to exceed $500,000. Adopted by unanimous consent.
• Procurement – GDOT Supplemental Agreement – For preliminary engineering on streetscape enhancements along SR70/Fulton Industrial Blvd, with a maximum reimbursable amount of $525,000. Adopted by unanimous consent.

Key Outcomes

• Adopted the FY2027 budget (citywide $391,394,455; general fund $186,746,521; millage rate unchanged at $12.399).
• Approved consent calendar in its entirety.
• Approved all seven rezoning cases, including one with an amendment reducing floor area, one with a traffic‑calming condition, and one with a single dissenting vote.
• Approved the Paramount Consulting agreement (5‑2).
• Approved international travel, Tribute Trees resolution, opposition to county service delivery strategy certification, and senior wellness check pilot program.
• Approved the BrightView landscape bridge extension (up to $500,000) and the GDOT streetscape agreement ($525,000).
• Meeting adjourned at 8:12 PM.