North Fulton Today

City of Milton recently issued the following announcement.

City Council unanimously made two significant extensions Wednesday night – one for a moratorium on certain requests for new alcohol-related businesses and the other Milton’s relationship with its longtime City Attorney firm.

The 120-day moratorium applies to new alcohol applications for many types of establishments (but not others such as BYOB locales, golf courses, or special events facilities). It combines two separately issued moratoriums – one for new alcohol license applications and regulations, and the other for permitting, zoning, licensing and similar requests for those wishing to sell alcohol in their businesses – into one with a common end date in late spring.

Assistant City Manager Bernadette Harvill explained the consolidated moratorium will “give [City] staff time to address Council feedback” as well as for any changes to work through their way through the months-long board and committee process. Council will get two opportunities to dig into prospective changes to the City Code regarding alcohol-related businesses, starting with a Work Session that could occur in February and culminating in a potential final vote in late May or June.

After a “Public Hearing” at which one resident spoke in favor of the moratorium, the Council approved it unanimously.

CITY ATTORNEY RELATIONSHIP CONTINUES AT NEW RATES

There was a similarly unanimous vote approving a resolution appointing Jarrard & Davis, LLP, as Milton’s City Attorney at a modified rate structure – although this matter engendered more discussion.

Ken Jarrard, one of his firm’s founding partners, explained that he and his office have represented the City of Milton since 2007 – so very soon after its incorporation – and have only adjusted its rates once in that time. (That was an increase, in 2017, from $150 for an hour of representation to $175 an hour.)

In December 2021, Jarrard notified the City of Milton of what he (on Wednesday) called a “notable rate increase” to between $275 and $240 an hour for an attorney’s service, depending on the lawyer’s level of experience (plus $150 an hour for a paralegal). Jarrard cited “inflationary forces” and competitive pressures as recruiters’ continually seek to hire away staff.

No one spoke adversely of Jarrard and Davis or the suggested rates. Council member Rick Mohrig did request a general breakdown of the City is spending money for legal services.

“I don’t think we’re spending money foolishly,” Mohrig said. “… It’s more for education to understand where we’re spending legal fees.”

City Manager Steve Krokoff said that information would be collected and shared with Council.

Council member Carol Cookerly commended Jarrard and his firm for doing a “spectacular job,” saying he’s “been spot on [regarding litigation] every single time since I’ve been on Council.”

“I’m very supportive of where you need to be,” Cookerly said. “… It’s still a big bargain to taxpayers.”

Mayor Peyton Jamison added, “What can be the most costly [for] a City is having a bad attorney… I think [the rate structure] is reasonable. And you’ve done a great job.”

BRIAN HANSFORD SWORN IN TO CONTINUE AS CHIEF JUDGE

Earlier in Wednesday’s meeting, the Council approved a Consent Agenda that included:

• A contract with Top Shelf Concession to provide food, drinks, and service at Bell Memorial Park’s concessions stand, sharing 15% of revenues with the City (compared to 3% with Milton’s past concessionaire)
• An agreement for the Milton Fire-Rescue Department to use First Due software to efficiently manage and improve its operations by consolidating several programs (including records management) in one system
• The Milton Police Department’s acceptance of a $39,000 grant from the State’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council to continue its de-escalation and defensive tactics education, building off a $219,000 grant awarded last year by the same agency

The Council then approved Brian Hansford to continue as the Chief Judge of Milton Municipal Court, a position he’s held since 2013.

“He has done a wonderful job representing the City since he’s been serving,” Mayor Jamison said.

HALFWAY ‘CHECK-IN’ ON LOCAL ROAD SAFETY PLAN

Public Works Director Sara Leaders led the Council through a “check-in” of the City’s efforts to create a Local Road Safety Plan – a strategic, actionable document guiding efforts to make Milton’s roadways safer for drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians.

After explaining what a Local Road Safety Plan (LRSP) is, Leaders stated its mission: “The City proactively strives through our Local Road Safety Plan to chart a strategy to make improvements to Milton’s transportation network through engineering, education, and enforcement that respect Milton’s rural heritage, enhance its quality of life, and make our roadways as safe as possible.”

This mission was recently updated to reflect citizens’ input (specifically the mentions of “rural heritage” and “quality of life”). Leaders noted this reflects the priority of ensuring that this Plan is citizen-driven throughout the process, including upcoming Public Forums to share information and solicit feedback scheduled for Jan. 31, Feb. 2 and Feb. 3. (For details on those engagement forums and the Local Road Safety Plan process generally, go to www.cityofmiltonga.us/RoadSafety.)

Andrew Antweiler from KCI Technologies, the City’s partner in this effort, pointed to data that will be assessed as part of the Plan’s formation. For example:

• An online survey conducted in early 2021 in which respondents cited distracted drivers, vehicle speeds and bicycles as the three top roadway conditions that made them feel unsafe
• Another question from that survey identifying Freemanville Road, Birmingham Highway and Hopewell Road as the streets with the most safety concerns
• An analysis that revealed over 60% of all crashes were intersection-related, 42% were rear-enders, and a vast majority led to property damage only (and not injuries)

Having roughly completed the first two of four tasks involved in the Plan’s creation, six “emphasis areas” – which Leaders explained “set the foundation and the groundwork to create … strategies and solutions” – have been identified. They are:

1. Vehicle speeds
2. Distracted drivers
3. Roadway and shoulder conditions
4. Pedestrians, bicyclists and equestrians
5. Intersection safety
6. Wildlife/deer

The Council engaged with the presenters, asking about gravel roads (such as Wood Road), how and where Milton Police are writing tickets, the types of intersections where crashes are occurring and more.

ROSWELL FIRE OK’D TO FUEL UP AT MILTON STATION 41

In other matters, Community Development Director Bob Buscemi gave an update on goings-on in his Department. Two new members – Permit Technician Rema Abdelfattah (a Milton resident) and Planner II Michael Cadamon (who most recently worked in Roswell) – introduced themselves to the Council.

Buscemi discussed the roll-out of CityView, an online portal helping make Milton’s permitting and plan review process more efficient and effective. (The public – namely those seeking permits and plan reviews – can access this system at www.cityofmiltonga.us/CityView.) Buscemi also shared information on three private and two City construction projects, the latter being the renovation of the former Milton Country Club’s clubhouse (which is just waiting on interior doors and finishing touches to be complete) and the new Fire Station 42 (which the City could get pricing on final construction bids in the next few weeks, a key step before building can begin).

The Community Development Department also recently won two honors:

• The Construction Management Association of America South Atlantic Chapter’s “Project Achievement Award” for Milton’s Public Safety Complex
• A first-ever Silver Green Communities distinction for the City government’s environmentally-friendly initiatives aimed at approving residents’ quality of life.

Conservation Project Manager Teresa Stickels pointed out that City staff had set 2025 as the goal for achieving “Silver” Green Communities status – meaning Milton is ahead of schedule. The new goal, then, is to achieve “Gold” status that could be done through initiatives pertaining to things like electronic vehicles, solar power, composting, a community garden, and more, explained Stickels.

At another point during Wednesday’s meeting, the Council approved allowing Roswell firefighters based nearby to fuel up at Milton’s Fire Station 41.

Deputy Fire Chief Matt Marietta noted that Milton and Roswell have an “automatic aid agreement,” so “they respond to [Milton] fires and we respond to theirs.” But while Milton has fueling facilities at each of its stations, Roswell vehicles fuel in one place off Maxwell Road. This is approximately 6.5 miles from Roswell’s Fire Station 6 on Cox Road, whose firefighters are most likely to respond to Milton firefighters.

The Council voted to allow Roswell’s Station 6 equipment to fuel up at Milton Fire Station 41. (Roswell would pay for all its fuel.) Marietta said this measure “allows us to play with a neighbor who is playing nicely with us [and] keeps another piece of apparatus in the Crabapple-response territory more often.”

“It sounds like a no-brainer,” Mayor Jamison said of the intergovernmental agreement. “Roswell has been a great partner.”

The City Council is next scheduled to convene in a Regular Meeting on February 7.

Original source can be found here.