People packed Council Chambers on Monday night to celebrate those taking oaths to serve the City – many of them to continue doing so, in addition to some stepping up for the first time.

In fact, several swearing-ins were required before the January 5 meeting could officially begin.

Milton Municipal Court Chief Judge Keith Carnesale did the honors, administering the oath first to Mayor Peyton Jamison. Jamison was recently re-elected to a second four-year term. 

Carnesale then swore in Milton’s newest Councilmember Brian Dolan, following Dolan’s recent election to the District 1/Post 1 seat. Past-and-still-present Councilmembers Juliette Johnson and Jan Jacobus took the oath themselves for new four-year terms of their own. Family members accompanied each of the elected officials during their swearing-ins, then for pictures. 

Afterward, these four elected officials posed for a photo alongside current Councilmembers Doug Hene, Carol Cookerly, and Phil Cranmer. All seven then took their seats on the dais. 

Thus convened, the full Council then conducted its first business of the new year.

BIG CREEK GREENWAY TRAIL CONTRACT APPROVED

Their first action was unanimously approving the meeting’s Consent Agenda. This featured agreements between the City and:

• Wilson Construction Management to carry-out construction of the Big Creek Greenway Trail Connection, including the addition of 10-foot-wide concrete multi-use path, stormwater pipes, headwalls, landscaping, and water main work
• BM&K to provide continuous construction administration inspection, oversight, and administration construction inspection services related to the Big Creek Greenway Trail Connection to help ensure compliance with federal requirements (since federal funds will pay for most of the improvements)
• Tri Scapes to install new netting to catch footballs behind the end zones at Bell Memorial Park’s two multi-purpose turf fields
• ProLogics to provide and install emergency equipment, as well as Milton decals, in and on City vehicles such as police patrol cars and fire trucks
• Azimuth Contractors to make improvements in and around the Webb Road and Cogburn Road intersection, including installing a 10-foot-wide multi-use path, adding signalizing turn lanes, resurfacing, and landscaping
• InterDev to extend through the end of March how long its professionals provide information technology and security services to City of Milton team members
• Lori Konen of Tizzy Liz Design to continue doing valuable graphic design work on a project-by-project basis for reports, signage, logos, and other City needs
• Place Maker Design to support Milton’s Community Development Department in the review of private development proposals by evaluating building architecture, site layout, and overall design quality to ensure projects align with the City’s design guidelines, policies, and community character
• JQ AV Techs for its audio-visual professionals to continue overseeing sound and video recordings (as well as livestreams) inside City Hall’s Council Chambers

OUTGOING LONGTIME PRAB CHAIR STACHOWSKI HONORED

Before welcoming new committee members, the Council took the opportunity to honor an individual who served honorably on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB) for the past 15 years.

Scott Stachowski joined this committee just a few years after the City’s incorporation, after having been president of the Hopewell Youth Association overseeing Milton’s established youth baseball program. The longtime Crooked Creek resident soon established himself as a leader on PRAB as well, serving as its Chair for a decade.

Mayor Jamison lauded Stachowski for making a positive impact in many ways, supporting the growth of the City’s parks system and its growing roster of recreational offerings. 

Next, Jamison switched roles to swear-in Carnesale (who’d administered the Mayor’s oath a few minutes earlier) for a full term as Chief Judge of the Milton Municipal Court. 

“He has done a wonderful job,” the Mayor said, lauding how well run Milton’s court is. “And I’m glad to appoint him for the next four years.”  

BOARD AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS APPOINTED

The Council then selected Councilmember Doug Hene as Mayor Pro Tem, meaning he’ll be first in line to fill in for the Mayor at Council meetings and events, such as ribbon-cuttings for new businesses.

This was followed by several rounds of appointments to various committees, in most cases by appointees of the same elected officials who’d just been sworn into new four-year terms (Jamison, Dolan, Johnson, and Jacobus):

• BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS – with new at-large member Josh Rachel, as well as the reappointments of Adam D’Anella, Lauren Holmes, and Billy Carman
• DESIGN REVIEW BOARD – consisting of the reappointments of Ken Warlick, Sam Coker, David Jackson, and Ralph Davia
• The MILTON EQUESTRIAN COMMITTEE – with new at-large and District 2/Post 2 members Greg Rathjen and Kyle Hester, respectively, along with the reappointed Shannon Regan-Quidley and Tony Rich
• The MILTON SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE – where Charlie Lancelot and Ashley Logan earned reappointments, with Beth Korn starting her first term
• The MILTON TRAILS ADVISORY COMMITTEE – on which Jon Lundstedt, Brian Maloney, Keesha Asher, and Neal Papevies are all back to serve four-year terms
• PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD – which will have two new members in Alan Free and Chris McCurdy, along with returnees Allison Katula and Jason Alberici
• PLANNING COMMISSION – with Judy Burds and Sumeet Shah back for new terms, joined by newcomers Stephanie Butler (formerly on PRAB) and AJ Bulot

And, to help Milton update its Comprehensive Plan, the City once again will convene its Comprehensive Advisory Plan Committee. This consists of 16 members, including seven from the Planning Commission and seven Council appointees. The latter group – Mathew Titus, Catherine Marshall, Anne D’Anella, Greg Power, Jamey Rogers, Cheryl Gloster, and Erika Grayson – were sworn-in on Monday.

SETBACK REQUIREMENTS TO BE REVIEWED FURTHER

After approving a pair of alcohol beverage licenses – one for the new ExtraMile convenience store at 13625 Arnold Mill Road, the other for Yum! Thai restaurant in Market District Crabapple – the Council took up four zoning-related text amendments.

The first on “setbacks,” which defines unbuildable areas in front of and behind a residence, generated the most discussion. The proposed text amendment focused exclusively on AG-1 zoned lots within newly developed qualified subdivisions that cannot be pass-throughs or have parcels larger than 3 acres.

The Council had asked City staff to explore the matter after several requests for variances from the current 60-foot front yard and 50-foot rear yard minimum setback requirements on AG-1 properties. The analysis and subsequent proposals, as well as Monday night’s discussion, accounted for several factors like the preservation of tree canopies, having buffers with adjacent neighborhoods, as well as new building trends and preferences. 

Interim Community Development Director Diana Wheeler presented four options to the Council for consideration. One would have maintained the status quo; the other three decreased the front-yard setback amounts while increasing the rear setbacks to varying degrees. 

Ultimately, by a 5-2 vote, the Council did not adopt any changes – at least for now. The consensus view was to take a step back in favor of a more holistic approach, taking into account more data and more public feedback while perhaps looking at all AG-1 parameters (so not just setbacks). City staff will lead that process. 

After this discussion, the Council did unanimously approve two zoning-related text amendments. (Another was withdrawn for further study and work.) 

The first established sign regulations for the Arnold Mill Hamlet Overlay District, which includes the Cox Road and Chadwick activity nodes that, along with the Arnold Mill Area Plan, was approved last May. The ordinance mirrors parameters for signage that is currently allowed in Birmingham Crossroads with one exception – also allowing one internally illuminated door sign containing LED or neon tubing to indicate if a business is open or closed. 

The other approved text amendment allows food trucks in certain instances. Before this, food trucks could not operate in Milton unless as part of a City event. This text amendment changes that to allow such food trucks only when they are on the same property as an active restaurant that has a current business license. The trucks would be considered an accessory to an existing business (and can only function with that business’s permission). 

As there will be no Work Session (as initially scheduled) on January 12 and because of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Council’s next Regular Meeting will be held the evening of Wednesday, January 21.