City Council voted Monday night to eliminate the “Festivals” use from Milton’s Unified Development Code, a measure to remove an underutilized option that will not prevent special events from enriching our community.

“This amendment is really about aligning uses with the most appropriate permit category, and not about eliminating event-related activities,” Zoning Manager Robyn MacDonald explained.

The now eliminated UDC language was a holdover from when what is now Milton was part of unincorporated Fulton County.  It allowed for permanent facilities for certain special events such as carnivals, horse shows, music festivals, dog shows, and Renaissance festivals.

The impacted UDC text’s removal will not affect the one operating facility in Milton that currently utilizes this Use Permit. Rather, it prevents new applications going forward.

Those wishing to have special events continue to have many avenues to do so within City Code. These include seeking and obtaining Use Permits for a Rural Event Facility, Assembly Hall/Event Facility, and Outdoor Auditorium – in addition to submitting requests through Milton’s Special Event permitting process.

The Council on Monday unanimously approved the corresponding text amendment, which incorporated some minor modifications recommended by Milton’s Planning Commission.

POLICE, PUBLIC WORKS, MEMORIAL DAY PROCLAMATIONS

Immediately prior to this discussion and vote, Mayor Peyton Jamison read three special proclamations.

The first formally recognized this upcoming May 25 as Memorial Day in Milton. The City welcomes all to join veterans and local leaders that Monday, starting at 10 a.m., on the Green in downtown Crabapple for Milton’s annual Memorial Day ceremony.

The next proclamation recognized Police Week in Milton. Before reading that proclamation, Mayor Jamison made a special point to laud Milton’s exceptional law enforcement team.

“We are very fortunate to live in such a safe city, all because of the dedicated men and women of our Police Department,” the Mayor said.

The third and final proclamation established May 17-23 as Public Works Week in Milton. Jamison praised Milton’s Public Works Department team for their “work behind the scenes everyday to provide the essential programs, projects, and services that keep our community running smoothly.”

MULTIPLE TRANSPORTATION PROJECT ITEMS ON CONSENT AGENDA APPROVED

Most of the items voted on Monday night lived under the meeting’s Consent Agenda. This is the place for routine items that the Council considers collectively – so a single yes-no vote that covers all the included items.

After a pair of public comments, the Council unanimously approved a Consent Agenda that included several agreements related to TSPLOST-funded projects to improve Birmingham Highway/State Route 372 intersections with Batesville Road and New Bullpen Road. Now, with this vote, professionals from Practical Design Partners will provide engineering design services while National Data and Surveying Services will collect current traffic data related to both projects.

The same Consent Agenda also included agreements between the City and:

• Blount Construction to undertake the City’s annual systematic pavement management program of reconstructing and resurfacing of public roads, from asphalt patching to full-depth reclamations
• Columbia Engineering to expand its services related to two ongoing projects – the construction of a roundabout at Cox Road and Etris/Ebenezer roads and the addition of a traffic signal at the intersection of Arnold Mill Road/State Route 140 and Green Road
• Hasbun Construction to create a temporary 2,200-foot gravel walkway along Highway 9 between Bethany Bend, the Crooked Creek subdivision, and the Starfish Scholars of Milton preschool
• Brenda Holley, a respected business and career coach, to administer 360-degree evaluations and related leadership development services for the City’s leadership team
• The National Center for Safety Initiatives to reflect a new pricing and frequency structure in connection with background checks it conducts for volunteers and program providers involved in Parks and Recreation activities
• RM Concrete Specialists to install safety countermeasures at two Hopewell Road roundabouts -- one at Thompson Road and the other at Bethany Bend – so that their efficacy can be evaluated and potentially replicated elsewhere in Milton
• White Columns Gated Community Association to allow for a phased disbursement of State funds for engineering, design, and permitting associated with upgrades to the Glenover Drive Lake Dam

As part of the same Consent Agenda, the City of Milton opted into a national opioid settlement with six pharmaceutical/drug distributors. The Council also approved the City’s official project list for TSPLOST III, a potential continuation of a 0.75-cent added sales tax that will be a referendum for voters to consider on the November 2026 ballot.

The City Council’s next Regular Meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 1.