On January 29, I held a town hall at City Hall. During that town hall, I reviewed the significant accomplishments that the City achieved in 2023. Below is what I reviewed, plus some, and it's not a quick read! Please reach out to me if you have any questions.
Mayor and City Council
City Council adopted or amended seven ordinances in 2023:
1. The Short-Term Rental Ordinance was adopted in January to establish the
regulatory process for property owners to lease a residential dwelling for up to
180 days.
2. The Alcohol Ordinance was amended in March to prepare for the
implementation of a Downtown Entertainment District. This entailed the creation
of a "Downtown Activity Establishment," which would allow businesses within this
the district that offers simulated sports experiences, billiards, arcade video games, or
similar amusement activities to serve wine, beer, and distilled spirits. It also
included the creation of a "Downtown Eating and Drinking Establishment," which
would allow certain businesses within the district to sell distilled spirits, wine, and
beer without needing to meet a 50% food sales minimum. In October, the
ordinance was amended again to require consumption on premises (COP)
establishments that remain open after 12:30 AM to provide an affidavit stating
the establishment has a camera system that records activity everywhere that is
accessible to patrons, including entrances and the parking lot.
3. The Alternative Parking Ordinance was adopted in April to regulate the practice
of vehicle immobilization of vehicles on private property located within the City.
In addition, vehicles that provide these services must have a registered permit to
operate within Chamblee. The ordinance also limits the fees that can be
charged for removing the vehicle immobilization device.
4. The Rideshare Parking Ordinance was adopted in May to define "rideshare
loading and unloading spaces" and to designate purple markings on the
roadways and signage depicting these spaces for the use of rideshare drivers to
load and unload passengers.
5. The Low Impact Film Ordinance was adopted in July to define high and low
impact filming, create specific permitting requirements for both high and low
Impact filming is to be administered by the Economic Development Department.
6. The Massage Ordinance was amended in July to comply with FBI requirements
pertaining to fingerprinting and criminal background checks for massage and
spa establishment licenses.
7. The City made critical revisions to the Unified Development Ordinance.
Other city-wide accomplishments in FY2023:
• Council adopted a resolution to join the Sister Cities International Program and
formalize their relationship as a sister city with Kovel, Ukraine. This relationship
allowed the City to partner with the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America
Georgia Branch (UCCGA) to collect and distribute English language books to
Kovel for their library.
• The City of Chamblee was recognized as a Platinum Green Community by the
Atlanta Regional Commission.
• The City of Chamblee joined the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing
(GICH) and established the GICH Housing Team.
• The City of Chamblee was recognized as a City of Civility by Georgia
Municipal Association
• The City Council adopted a resolution condemning antisemitism in July.
• SPLOST II was approved through a voter referendum in November 2023 and will
go into effect in April 2024. The extension of this sales tax allows the City to
continue to invest in transportation infrastructure projects and provide
additional funding for parks and public safety.
Through an iterative strategic planning effort, the Mayor and Council established a new
vision and mission statements for city operations:
Vision: Chamblee will foster a vibrant and inclusive community that thrives on the principles of sustainability, innovation, and excellent quality of life.
Mission: We strive to create an environment where all residents, businesses, and visitors feel
welcomed, engaged, and empowered to contribute to the betterment of Chamblee.
The Mayor and Council also developed a new Strategic Framework for the City,
establishing new priority areas for city operations with an emphasis on
moving Chamblee forward as:
o An Active and Healthy Community
o A Safe and Prepared Community
o A Sustainable Community
o A Government of Excellence
o An Engaged and Connected Community
o An Economically Prosperous and Resilient Community
City Manager's Office
• The City contracted to develop a Sustainability Roadmap aimed at fostering
actionable sustainability initiatives and driving measurable impact within the
community.
• The Downtown Special Services District and Entertainment District were created
with an emphasis on attracting business and patrons to enjoy activities in
downtown Chamblee. The SSD provides additional funding in the downtown
area to ensure proper maintenance, public safety services,
parking/transportation, sanitation, and beautification.
• The City entered into a contract for interior design services in the new City Hall
building and began implementing the plan at the end of the year.
• The City hired GMC to develop a concept design for the Broad Street
Streetscape project.Complete design and engineering of the concept design will
begin in 2024.
• The City hosted the Alliance for Innovation Big Ideas workshop at city hall in
September. This program focused on innovations in sustainable infrastructure with
attendees from several metro Atlanta communities.
• In October, Chamblee hosted a Model ARC meeting.
• The City hired a facilities manager position to oversee all city facilities. The position was filled in July 2023.
• The Budget and Strategy Manager was hired and started in December.
City Clerk
• The City Clerk's Office implemented new software for the management of
council agenda records.
Police Department
• The City contracted with Axon for the purchase of fleet in-car and body-worn
cameras.
• The department worked with McGrath Consulting to conduct an operations
analysis of the police department. This aided leadership in developing new
policies and programs to run PD administrative operations more efficiently and
effectively.
• The department established a K-9 unit with the help of K-9 Officer Robin and his
handler, Officer Luna.
• PD was awarded funds through the Governor's Office of Planning and
Budget/ARPA allocation to implement a real-time crime center and hire
additional support for the City's co-responder program.
• In September, City Council voted to increase the salary for all sworn officer
positions by $10,000 per year.
• A new Police Chief was hired in October 2023.
Planning and Development
• The Planning and Development Department secured one of two national
American Planning Association "It Takes a Planner" events. Chamblee hosted
statewide leaders in August to showcase the City's planning and
development accomplishments.
• Staff also began a small area plan for the Dresden Drive area to align with the
city's vision, housing goals, and Department of Community Affairs (DCA)
requirements that contribute to leveraging a LIHTC point application to support
affordable housing.
• The department also prepared and released RFPs for two central planning
projects:
o 2024 Comprehensive Plan Update
o Major revisions to the Unified Development Ordinance
• Code Enforcement completed a comprehensive Code Enforcement Guide for
residents and businesses.
• City Council approved two additional code enforcement officer positions to
offer extra support and the department is currently working to hire for the
positions.
Economic Development
• Wylly Harrison was hired as Economic Development Director in March
• The City Council, City Manager, and Economic Development department staff
worked with Goodwyn, Mills, & Cawood to re-envision the concept plan for the
town center through a series of iterative design workshops in the summer of
2023. In September, Council voted again to move forward with the GMC
concept and massing.
• The Economic Development department staff successfully hosted its first Small
Business Reception
Parks, and Recreation & Arts
Chamblee made significant developments in its parks and recreation offerings in 2023,
including:
• Construction at Arrow Creek Park was completed with a Ribbon Cutting in
November 2023. The park features several firsts in Chamblee's park system
including a large outdoor fitness area, dedicated pickleball courts, artificial turf
pitch field, and shared basketball and volleyball courts.
• City Council voted to adopt the Chamblee Trails Master Plan, the Keswick
(Upper Area) Master Plan, and the Huntley Hills Master Plan.
• City Council voted in March to authorize the City to move forward with
engineering and construction design of Dresden Park.
• Chamblee contracted with the Trust for Public Land for a feasibility study on
parks and recreation funding options.
The City also hired a Public Arts Coordinator and completed or started multiple arts
projects, including:
• 11 Public Utility Box paintings
• "Max" painted piano on the Rail Trail
• SEFAA Pollinator Weaving on Peachtree Road Bridge
• Rail Trail Mural with Chamblee High School
• Purchase of five sculptures to be installed in Q1 of 2024
Public Works
The Public Works Departments completed a variety of assessments and plans,
including:
• Re-organization and effective hiring, which allows the department to plan new
ways to approach its work and increase the impact on the attractiveness and
sustainability of the City.
• Public Works Sanitation implemented a four-day sanitation schedule.
• Public Works initiated a rebranding effort for the City's leaf and limb program
and stormwater utility program.
• Comprehensive plan to replace expired plant material along the Peachtree
Road streetscape.
• Inventory of pedestrian lights that were not working and ordered 20 new
pedestrian streetlights.
• Completed analysis of Pond data for stormwater assessment and identified 33
critical projects and developed a plan to update the existing assessment.
• Public Works also implemented the City's Stormwater Improvement Program
(SWIP) program.
• In collaboration with Planning & Development, Public Works developed a
stormwater plan review checklist to ensure consistent application of stormwater
development regulations and swifter plan review turnaround.
• The department entered into two new contracts for city-wide landscape
maintenance.
• The department held a DNR Rivers Alive event in partnership with Keep
Chamblee Beautiful, Peachtree Creek Greenway, and Highwood Properties.
• The department also hired a new Grounds & Greenspace Manager, Stormwater
Manager, and Sanitation Manager.
The City Council also voted to authorize the Mayor to contract with Kimley-Horn for support
in application development for Safe Streets and Roads for All funding. The grant would
go toward the development of a Safety Action Plan. The City was notified that it had
successfully been awarded the grant in the fall of 2023 and will begin developing the
Safety Action Plan in 2024.
Communications
• The Communications Department was established in 2023, and the City hired a
Director and Videographer.
• In addition to relaunching the Signal newsletter, E-signal, and the Annual Report,
the department launched a new city website in August.
Community Engagement
• In April, the Community Engagement Department offered a variety of events,
including the launch of the Live on Your Block program, an event series to
convene community members for small-scale events located in various pocket
parks and greenspaces.
• The Department also offered Third Spot events in the Downtown District and
kicked off the Neighborhood Engagement Program.
• The department also brought on a Cultural Affairs Program Coordinator to help
support its vision to celebrate diversity, promote equality, and have respect for
all of Chamblee's residents.
• The department successfully relaunched all city events post-pandemic, including
expanded concerts at the new city hall and greenspace, and the highest-
attended "A Taste of Chamblee" event in event history.
• The City anticipates receiving a Visionary City award through the Georgia
Municipal Association for its Non-Profit Partnership Program, which is facilitated
by the Community Engagement department.
Technology and Facilities
• The department hired additional staff to create depth and increase support,
including a Facilities Manager, a Network Engineer, a Systems Administrator, and
a GIS Manager.
• Information Technology implemented dual factor authentication system to
strengthen the City's security measures.
Human Resources
The Human Resources Department added a new HR Generalist position to provide
support to the department.
• HR implemented the first full year of the Employee Engagement Team, which
meets monthly. This volunteer team of employees represents all city departments
and work collaboratively to support employee engagement efforts, including
staff appreciation events, wellness initiatives, diversity, equity, and inclusion
efforts, and other employee programs.
• HR hosted an Employee Farmer's Market in partnership with Peachtree Benefit
Group and Cigna
• HR created an employee "Zen Den" at City Hall to serve as a dedicated
employee wellness space for staff.
• HR and the Employee Engagement Team worked with the Georgia Municipal
Association to host Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging training for
employees.
• HR and the Employee Engagement Team hosted the inaugural "Chamblee
Cup" as a staff appreciation day event in October.
• HR staff developed new employee welcome boxes to enhance the City's
employee onboarding experience.
• HR worked with Georgia College to develop a local government leadership
training program for Chamblee employees. Representatives from each
department were nominated to participate in the three-day training, which
offered budgeting, presentation skills, and other career-growth training lessons.
Municipal Court
• In March, Chamblee launched an amnesty program for outstanding traffic
tickets.
• The Municipal Court and Chamblee City Council continue to champion
diversity by appointing Judge Tracey Moran and Judge Judith Nusch to the
bench in 2023.
• The Municipal Court received a $40,000 grant award by the National Center for
State Courts will conduct participatory researchexploringe factors impacting the public's mistrust of the court. Work will continue on this grant in
2024 in partnership with the City's Community Engagement department.
• Municipal Court also purchased camera equipment to live stream and record
court sessions, allowing greater accessibility and transparency.
Finance
• The City had no audit findings in its 2022 financial reporting.
• The Finance Department's Licensing Division assisted in operationalizing the new City
ordinances passed in 2023.
o Short-Term Rental Ordinance
o Massage Ordinance
Capital Projects:
Several Capital Projects were started or completed in 2023, including:
• Dresden Park Streambank Restoration
• Rideshare Park on Peachtree Road
• Enhancements to the Peachtree Road Bridge
• Completion of Rail Trail segments 4, 5, and 6 and Pierce Drive
• Design and engineering of Fishbolt Park
• Chamblee-Tucker Multi-Use Path Concept Plan
• Rail Trail Segments 7-12 design and engineering (started in 2022)
• Several projects with the CID, including pedestrian enhancements on Peachtree
Road, Chamblee/Doraville East-West Connection feasibility study, and the bids
for the Peachtree Road Realignment project.
• Design and engineering of Dresden Park
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