Milton’s summer interns starred at Monday’s City Council meeting, detailing the wide-ranging, positive, meaningful ways they contributed to the community and its government over 10 busy weeks.

Community Outreach Manager Emily Salerno introduced Luke Netto and Maddie Flores, explaining how they “exceeded every single expectation” in their capabilities, enthusiasm, thoughtfulness, and output.

“The 2025 interns have been exceptional members of our team,” said Salerno. “… They jumped into their work with curiosity, professionalism, and the true tenacity of a bulldog. “

Both Milton residents and University of Georgia students, Flores and Netto interacted with – and learned from – every City department as the latest members of Milton’s Comprehensive Summer Internship program. Through experiences like police ride-alongs, fire station tours, and meetings with community members, the pair gained valuable perspectives into how the City works, what drives key decisions and actions, as well as the ideals, skills, and attitudes of its team members.

“One thing I’m going to be taking away is what real-life government looks like,” said Netto. “It’s not a desk job. We have been moving around every single day… I don’t think any classroom can teach you that.”

He and Flores outlined specific projects they tackled during the part-time internship, namely:

• Bolstering the City’s relationships with Homeowners Associations to help facilitate sharing more pertinent Milton communications with neighbors
• Producing a robust, reframed, easy-to-understand online presentation of the City’s progress in accomplishing elements of its Strategic Plan as seen here: https://city-milton-ga-cleardoc.cleargov.com/15135/517552/d
• Fine-tuning the goals and curriculum of the Milton Youth Government Leadership Program for high schoolers
• Creating an interactive “Scavenger Hunt” featuring 50 tasks and clues around Milton parks and greenspaces to help citizens celebrate Park and Recreation Month
• Sharing their thoughts and experiences on the City’s official “Milton and Mane” podcast, which you can hear here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2421511/episodes/17318835
• Cataloguing amenities and other features in Milton parks and trails as part of a GIS mapping project
• Creating a spreadsheet with details on possible development proposals for Deerfield area parcels, with fields for impact fees, potential zoning changes, and other elements
• Helping organize the City’s July 4^th Red, White, and YOU event – including coordinating with different departments and collecting businesses’ donations for prizes

Mayor Peyton Jamison and City Councilmembers lauded Netto and Flores, with Councilmember Phil Cranmer saying, “The amount of work you got done  in 10 weeks is remarkable.” The duo also offered articulate answers to several questions, including what traits the City should look for in its next interns (“a can-do attitude” and “project management skills”), opportunities for future projects (Deerfield and deepening connections with businesses), and how this internship experience might influence what they do next.

“The citizens got their money’s worth,” said Mayor Jamison, before concluding. “… Thank you on behalf of all our citizens.”

EXPERTS TO ASSESS HISTORIC HOUSE’S STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY

Earlier in Monday’s meeting, after three general public comments, the Council unanimously approved a Consent Agenda that included several agreements.

One of them was with Bounce House Inflatables of Atlanta to provide a bounce house, toddler playland, slide, obstacle course, and an 8-player game – all of them inflatable – for the City’s popular Touch-a-Truck event on Saturday, September 6.

Under a different agreement within the same Consent Agenda, Palmer Engineering experts now will assess the structural integrity of the historic McConnell-Chadwick House, as well as develop plans for necessary stabilization measures that a future contractor can undertake.

The Consent Agenda also contained an Intergovernmental Agreement with Fulton County that specifies the City will be reimbursed for new installations, adjustments, and relocations of water lines as part of the construction of a multi-use trail along Green Road and Crabapple Road/State Route 372 in southern Milton.

FISCAL YEAR 2026 BUDGET, MILLAGE RATE PRESENTATIONS

While corresponding votes won’t happen until future meetings, Deputy City Manager Bernadette Harvill made two presentations Monday to help decision-makers and the general public be well-informed on two City finance fundamentals: Milton’s next millage rate as well as its next budget.

Both take effect in Fiscal Year 2026, which will run from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026.

Harvill’s Monday presentation was her second related to the FY26 budget, this time focused on the City’s five-year operating forecast. Specifically, she shared information on the core categories of revenues and expenditures.

The revenue discussion touched on projections from Fiscal Year 2026 through Fiscal Year 2030 on City collections for things such as property taxes, sales and use taxes, business and other taxes, licenses and permits, charges for services, fines and forfeitures, and investment income.

Harvill then dove into projected City government expenditures covering the same period. She went department-by-department, pointing out a handful of possible future outlays such as bringing aboard new firefighters to staff the planned Fire Station 45 as well as expenses related to a still-to-be-built active park off Deerfield Parkway. That full presentation can be viewed at https://www.miltonga.gov/home/showdocument?id=8593.

Later, Harvill presented the second of three public hearings related to Milton’s millage rate. While the City could approve a rate up to a maximum of 4.731 mills, a rate of 4.139 mills has been advertised which supports the proposed balanced budget for FY 2026. If that latter rate is approved, it would be the lowest ever adopted in Milton since its incorporation.

Harvill went step-by-step on how different millage (or “ad valorem tax”) rates would affect residents’ property tax bills. She explained how the City would take in different amounts of money depending on the rate. Another part of her presentation compared the City of Milton with nearby cities in terms of average and per capita revenues, spending, and debt issued for Fiscal Year 2018 through Fiscal Year 2024.

To view Harvill’s millage rate presentation, click HERE: https://www.miltonga.gov/home/showdocument?id=8579.

A third and final public hearing on Milton’s millage rate will be held on August 11. The Council is set to vote on adopting Milton’s next millage rate that same evening.

REVISED USE PERMIT APPROVED FOR LITTLE RIVER FARMS

The items that took up the most time Monday evening pertained to Little River Farms.

The Batesville Road-based small business had approached the City about altering its Rural Event Facility Use Permit to reflect its diminished overall footprint – a reduction in size from 47.7 to 35.7 acres. There were no requests to alter functional details about the Use Permit, such as maximum number of attendees or allowable event hours.

City staff, officials, and the company’s representatives pointed out Monday night that there have no complaints, nor code violations, in Little River Farms’ entire 11 years of operation.

Yet there was extensive discussion Monday on the precise language that should be in the updated Rural Event Facility Use Permit related to allowable noise. This included back-and-forth on taking an opportunity to offer greater clarity as well as potential consistency citywide as to exactly where noise levels are measured.

Ultimately, the City Council approved an updated Use Permit that alludes to required compliance with the City’s existing noise ordinance except for lowered allowed levels (to 45 dba) one hour prior to an event’s closing. That exception conforms with the same rules in place for the last decade-plus for Little River Farms.

In subsequent votes, the Council rescinded the previous Use Permit for Little River Farms as well as a Bed and Breakfast Use Permit (since there’s no longer an operating on-site bed and breakfast).

The Council’s final vote of the night was an Intergovernmental Agreement with Fulton County to conduct Milton’s upcoming municipal election. (For details, visit www.miltonga.gov/Elections.) This will be at no cost to the City unless there’s a runoff election.

On September 3, there should be a vote to formally adopt precincts and voting locations for this same general election.

Before then, the Council will convene August 11 for a Work Session and Special Called Meeting at which they’ll vote on the millage rate.