July 2025 Council Meeting Recap
- Jimmy Furst
- Jul 22
- 5 min read
Below is my recap of the latest Council Meeting with my thoughts, which don't represent the Mayor or the rest of the Council.
Click HERE for the agendas and videos for this month's Council meetings.
Announcements and Presentations
Council Dog of the Month
2024 Audit Results Presentation
Chamblee conducts yearly audits to ensure transparency, accountability, and responsible use of public funds. These audits confirm that our financial statements are accurate and that spending follows approved budgets and legal requirements. They also help detect any mismanagement, fraud, or inefficiencies—giving residents, elected officials, and oversight agencies confidence in how the City manages its resources.
The bad news: The City’s 2024 audit found a significant issue with how we tracked spending on a major construction project. Around $726,000 in costs were left out of the City’s records, which led to the value of our assets being underreported. The auditors caught the error and made the necessary correction. They also recommended improving our review process to ensure all project spending is properly recorded going forward. This is the first issue identified during my time on Council.
The good news: The issue was easy to fix, and it caused no further problems.
FY 2025 Mid-Year Budget Review
Staff presented the 2024 Mid-Year Budget Review, and overall, the City is on budget and in line with historical trends. The only area of concern is the property tax remittance from DeKalb County, which collects these taxes on the City’s behalf and then returns the funds to us.
This year, we’re currently trending toward a 90% remittance rate—a historic low. Typically, anything below 95% raises concerns. We don’t yet know the reason for the drop, but we’re actively investigating. One possible explanation is a higher-than-usual number of appeals on assessed home values.
Staff Action Items
Annexation of 2816, 2820, 2822, and 2824 Chamblee Tucker Road into the City of Chamblee.
The Council voted on the proposed annexation and rezoning of 2816, 2820, 2822, and 2824 Chamblee Tucker Road, which includes two hotels and two Waffle House locations. As a refresher, the property owners had requested to join the City of Chamblee. Council APPROVED the annexation.
We used the 100% method for this annexation, and I'm excited to welcome these businesses into the city! This move will also support our efforts to improve and revitalize the surrounding area.
Re-zone 2816, 2820, 2822, and 2824 Chamblee Tucker Road.
Once the properties were annexed into the city, we had to zone them to the appropriate zoning for Chamblee. Council APPROVED the rezoning of the properties.
FY 2025 Q2 Budget Amendment
In 2023, the City received a $240,000 federal grant to help create our Safety Action Plan, a key step in making our streets safer for everyone. The City also committed a $60,000 match, which was already included in the FY2025 budget passed last December. That brings the total project budget to $300,000.
To keep everything organized, City staff is recommending we move the $60,000 match from the General Fund into the Multiple Grants Fund. This shift won’t change how the money is used—it just puts all the funding for the project in one place. The amendment is budget-neutral and simply makes it easier to track the project’s progress. Council APPROVED the amendment.
MOU for SWAT Equipment
The Chamblee Police Department is part of the North Metro SWAT (NMS) team—an important regional partnership that includes four police agencies working together to respond to high-risk situations.
With the recent departure of Sandy Springs and Johns Creek from the group, the remaining departments identified the need for a shared equipment vehicle to transport vital SWAT gear. Each city will contribute to the cost based on population size, and Chamblee’s share comes to approximately 21%, or $41,419.56.
The vehicle will be registered and maintained by the Brookhaven Police Department and will ensure our NMS team is fully equipped and ready to respond when needed. Council APPROVED the MOU.
5509 New Peachtree Road
A new development project is moving forward featuring a five-story condominium building totaling 40,183 square feet. The plan also includes an accessory retail building, as well as both structured and surface parking.
Residents will have access to 28 parking spaces located in an underground garage, which will be screened with decorative metal panels. An additional 20 surface parking spaces will be available behind the retail building.
As part of the project, new streetscapes will be constructed—33 feet wide along New Peachtree Road and 23 feet wide along West Hospital Avenue—enhancing the pedestrian experience and overall look of the area.
This is the first time I’ve seen for-sale condos proposed since I’ve been on Council, and I’m genuinely excited to see this kind of transformative investment happening in this part of the city. Council APPROVED the project.
4166 Buford Highway.
Plaza Fiesta is located on a corner lot with frontage along Buford Highway and Clairmont Road is requesting a variance to install a wall sign on the third side of its building. City code currently allows wall signage on no more than two façades, but the applicant is seeking an exception to this rule. Staff has reviewed the request and is recommending denial of the variance, which would have allowed signage on more than two façades in violation of Section 260-9(a)(6). Council DENIED the sign.
5621 Peachtree Boulevard with two friendly amendments.
The applicant proposed a project that involved demolishing the existing structure at 5621 Peachtree Boulevard (Wendy's) and combining that property with 5647 Peachtree Boulevard (Kia) to expand the inventory parking lot for the existing car dealership. The expansion added approximately 14,944 square feet of surface parking.
In addition, the applicant enclosed 10,500 square feet of an existing two-story deck at the rear of the property to create 12 new service bays. No interior renovations were made to the primary existing building.
The applicant also completed the remaining section of the streetscape along Peachtree Boulevard, creating a continuous sidewalk from Broad Street to just north of Green Industrial Way, which improved walkability in that area. Council APPROVED the project. I like this project because we were able to close two driveways on Peachtree Blvd. Predestined safety will improve dramatically with the sidewalks and the elimination of the curb cuts.
Chang v. City of Milton Multi-City Amicus Brief
The Chamblee City Council has APPROVED participation in a multi-city amicus brief related to the *Chang v. City of Milton* case, which is currently before the Georgia Supreme Court. The case stems from a 2016 vehicle collision involving a fixed planter located outside the travel lanes on City of Milton property. A jury awarded \$35 million in damages, and the ruling was upheld by the Court of Appeals.
This case raises important questions about municipal responsibility and liability for objects located off the roadway. Chamblee and other cities are concerned that the decision could set a precedent that holds municipalities liable for longstanding fixtures that have never previously caused harm or complaints. The potential financial implications for cities across Georgia are significant.
By joining the amicus brief, Chamblee supports reversing the Court of Appeals’ decision and seeks legal clarity to protect local governments from undue liability.
2750 Meadow Mere East
This item was removed from the agenda due to technicalities in the application.
Please send me your questions, comments, or concerns.
Email: Jfurst@chambleega.gov
Mobile: 770-901-1121
The legal stuff: The views expressed represent the views of the author and may not reflect the views of the Chamblee City Council. Comments posted in response to a Councilmember-initiated communication may be subject to public disclosure under the Open Records Act. If you are a resident of Chamblee and would like to discuss city business, please go to chambleega.gov or contact me at the email above.
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