City of Milton recently issued the following announcement.
Mayor Joe Lockwood and two outgoing Council members offered heartfelt goodbyes from the dais Monday in their last meetings – then joined the rest of the Council in tackling a full, complex slate of topics.
The Council meeting capped 2021 as well as the tenure of Lockwood, Milton’s first and, until January, only ever Mayor. Led by Peyton Jamison – a Council member, Mayor Pro Tem and, in a few weeks, the City’s next Mayor – every Council member read part of a proclamation honoring Lockwood.
The Mayor also spoke, referring to Monday night as “bittersweet;” thanking citizens, past and present Council members, and “awesome” City staff; and insisting that credit for Milton’s successes goes well beyond him.
“Milton is the place that everybody wants to live,” he said. “I’m proud to have been a small part of a big team.”
Before his own honors, Lockwood celebrated Council members Laura Bentley and Joe Longoria – both of whom are also stepping down and were surprised by family members in attendance Monday at City Hall.
The Mayor noted Bentley has “been involved with the city since day one” as an engaged citizen, school volunteer, and Equestrian Committee leader who captured her Council seat four years ago.
“My service here has been such an honor, to represent the citizens and make a contribution in a small way to keep this place special,” Bentley said. “And it’s been a privilege to sit up here.”
Longoria has been on Council for the past 12 years, unable to run again due to term limits. He’d been active as a Boy Scout leader and in his Crooked Creek neighborhood before winning his first Council race in 2009 (then re-election twice afterward).
“The job of a Council member is to contribute to building something that is never finished…,” Longoria said. “I leave with the knowledge that our city is thriving, and in the hands of individuals that share a common desire to see our progress continue.”
MILTON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT CELEBRATED
Just prior to these tributes and remarks, the Council approved a Consent Agenda that included:
- Renewing the City’s contract with DocuSign for electronic documenting services
- An agreement to continue Milton Municipal Court’s use of eCourt case management software
- A change order related to architecture and engineering services for building a new structure to replace Fire Station 42
- Dividing a 14.21-acre plot off Long Hollow Lane and Blue Heron Way into two parcels – one 3.14 acres and the other 11.07 acres
Georgia Recreation and Park Association Executive Director Steve Card next addressed the Council in part to recognize Milton’s Parks and Recreation Department being named his organization Agency of the Year in Georgia’s 7th district. (You can read more about that here: https://www.cityofmiltonga.us/Home/Components/News/News/1040/1351/.)
Card noted how Milton’s award application emphasized collaboration, innovation, transformation and especially service to its community. He elaborated on the City Department’s many recent advancements such as taking over existing “passive” areas like Birmingham Park, opening new ones such as the Lackey Road greenspace, and expanding the number of available programs.
“Milton is second to none in what they have going on,” said Card. “As many people have been slowed down by the pandemic and everything that’s happened, Milton Parks and Rec have taken monumental strides.”
3 OF 7 ZONING-RELATED TEXT AMENDMENTS LEFT FOR LATER DISCUSSION
The Council spent a significant chunk of time Monday exploring seven potential zoning-related “text amendments” to City Code.
They voted to withdraw the first and last of those, at City staff’s recommendations. The first had to do with a zoning item pertaining to alcohol-related businesses, a general topic that City staff is tackling at Council’s direction in the coming weeks. The last focused on special events, which City staff similarly are working through with an eye on presenting something to Council early next year.
Three of the text amendments discussed Monday pertained to farm wineries (although they could not have affected farm wineries that now exist in Milton, only future proposals).
Members discussed City staff’s recommendation that prospective farm winery applicants go through the “public hearing process” (of several boards and, ultimately, Council) rather than be allowed “by right.” Council members appeared receptive to this idea, though there was less unanimity on one point – the minimum lot size for a farm winery.
The Council initially voted 4-3 against a 10-acre minimum, then came back to vote 4-3 in favor of a 20-acre minimum (with Bentley, Cookerly, Mohrig and Moore in favor).
The other text amendment was to eliminate Community Unit Plan (CUP) zoning as an option in Milton. This category – which is more dense than AG-1 -- has only been used once in Milton’s history. And after Monday’s unanimous vote, it is no longer an option for future developments.
SENIOR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS PROPOSAL ADVANCED
In other business, the Council approved alcohol beverage licenses for:
- The Nest Café, a breakfast and lunch restaurant planned in downtown Crabapple. This establishment is expected to have a similar menu as its Alpharetta location (including mimosas), with 90 of its revenues expected to come from food and 10 percent from alcohol.
- The Iron Horse Golf Club, which is the current name for the LLC planning to soon close on and operate the golf club in the Crooked Creek subdivision in east Milton.
The other substantive item related to local homestead exemptions for seniors, acting upon a request last fall by Council.
Near the end of the meeting, the Council acted on an issue that they and City staff have been working on extensively – homestead exemptions for seniors.
Council had asked staff in August to compare Milton’s approach to such exemptions to neighboring locales, then offered direction at an October Work Session on how the City might adjust going forward.
“The full Council wanted to look into this and do all we can,” Mayor Lockwood said.
On Monday night, Assistant City Manager Bernadette Harvill presented proposals based off those recommendations for a vote.
As Harvill explained, homestead exemptions only apply to property owners who own and occupy a primary residence as of January 1 of a given tax year. City staff did not recommend changes to the Basic Homestead Exemption” of $15,000 plus a 3% “floating homestead,” based on initial Council guidance but did offer a plan to positively impact Milton property owners age 65 and over.
In agreeing to staff’s recommendation to combine the Senior Basic and Senior Additional exemptions, Council supported an increase in the income amount that all 65+ seniors would be exempt from (from $15,000 to $25,000) as well as applying that amount to both maintenance and operation (M & O) and bond (such as for the greenspace bond) for seniors.
The Council also voted in favor of a proposal to raise the qualifying income threshold for the homestead exemption for those age 70 and over from the Social Security-based qualification (currently $72,264) to $100,000. This would open this exemption to additional taxpayers while ensuring those who qualify now would remain eligible under the new structure.
Council’s unanimous vote now paves the way for the State of Georgia’s General Assembly to consider and approve the proposal in 2022. If that happens, Milton citizens would vote on the measure and – if they approve – it would be enacted.
Milton’s City Council is next scheduled to convene in a Regular Meeting on January 3, 2022, with three new members and a new mayor, Jamison.
Original source can be found here.
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