[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6234852,"mediaKeyId","3409595-e9d4a39c0484266798c100663d01e401","parentId",3409595,"title","City Planning director warns permitting revenue, staffing and fee rules complicate FY26 budget","audioSeconds",4191,"startMs",68000,"endMs",4259000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3409595-e9d4a39c0484266798c100663d01e401&start=68&end=4259","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3409595-e9d4a39c0484266798c100663d01e401/thumbnail_68000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6234852/Atlanta/Fulton-County/Georgia/City-Planning-director-warns-permitting-revenue-staffing-and-fee-rules-complicate-FY26-budget","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6234852-6b06fefdd7d46f59065bc23461f7c6ac/orig.mp4?Expires=1775495582&Signature=mUE3CY7KCf0fHSb9SBweaWZcQxn7IY1GB1mJ~-3C0GZ~QGNpxA5zPSNOD5QAAWqNsUMZB0qVXyq9C7bAxtd~aj9hUf9rKWbEm9onMzCZApl0CY5ccypCRGBknqk6zPg9dJdJQsHmWv~0yJkHaTlMVYFXKCF5rAtlAR4ysl3Od~mA1HmD~rJPIYr6dM3KS-RoNcoOJ3~k8vYvUZLEgepI1P~eP0ITLnp5e0QPqI-o0Ou2ibEssH72MsqTm8gEDU1XiHkWtiDQIiDHeTW45SZ3InG~3eCgKeL8w9IgLlsPKMOFQKJJZq6flHIZlj53WCLhk0fJtrLDY83Oz7FQiNGMRg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-05-20T20:56:06.53Z","article","Commissioner Janae Prince, Commissioner of City Planning, told Atlanta City Council during a June budget review session that the Department of City Planning (DCP) is completing the city’s comprehensive development plan and preparing a rewrite of the zoning ordinance while adjusting its permitting operations and staffing for fiscal year 2026.

Prince said the department completed the comprehensive development plan and “we have reduced our multifamily permitting times from a hundred and 75 days to 58 days, and we’ve improved our single family permitting times down to 33 days.” She told council members the department has 4,150 affordable units permitted toward the mayor’s 20,000-unit goal and that community engagement around the CDP included about 7,000 unique participants.

The department is shifting how it finances permitting work. Prince said an earlier enterprise fund that once held permitting revenues was dissolved and the city has been drawing from a remaining committed fund balance each year. “This year, there’s 1,200,000.0 left in that account that will go towards OPAL, our new enterprise platform,” she said, referring to the city’s planned Oracle permitting and licensing platform. Prince warned that once those reserves are used for the OPAL rollout, the department will “rethink” permitting functions and how services are delivered.

Why this matters: Council members pressed for clarity on whether current permitting revenues and the proposed DCP budget comply with recent state limits on fee use. The issue affects how much of permit revenue can be applied to DCP operations and whether vacant positions should be funded or held for future project surges.

Permitting revenues and House Bill 461

Council members asked for specifics on permit-fee revenue and compliance with House Bill 461, the state law that restricts use of regulatory fees. In response, Prince and analysts estimated recent permitting revenue near $35 million–$38 million in the most recent year, with DCP projecting roughly $33 million–$35 million for the coming year. Prince and the city’s legal and finance representatives said they are working to ensure compliance.

Amber A. Robinson, City of Atlanta Department of Law, told the council the statute “essentially codifies case law surrounding what you can use fees, regulatory fees to fund” and that the city “is in compliance” with those requirements as they apply to activities tied to permitting, enforcement and administrative review.

Staffing, contracting and operations

Prince said DCP has 95 vacant positions as of February (mostly in the Office of Buildings for inspectors) and that the department’s vacancy rate has fallen from 35% to 27% since she took office. She told council members the department intends to reduce reliance on a supplemental staffing contract with Nova Engineering that currently supplies residential inspectors; Prince said the Nova contract has been about $4,500,000 and that bringing inspectors in-house should save money over time.

Council members expressed concern that the proposed FY26 personnel and contracted-services lines may not match the department’s workload, noting DCP’s role in major initiatives including zoning rewrite (Zoning 2), short-term rental enforcement and World Cup public‑realm coordination. Council member Juan (first name used in the hearing) said he was “worried” the request “is woefully under resourcing you for the next year” given DCP’s expanding workload. Prince and staff said they are balancing year‑to‑year variations in workload — large pushes for the CDP and zoning rewrite followed by quieter years — and are trying to retain flexibility without abolishing positions that may be needed when major projects resume.

Upcoming projects and small-area planning

Prince said DCP will test the new zoning ordinance over the summer and expects to bring the ordinance forward for adoption early next year, with small-area plans to follow. She noted an Atlanta Regional Commission LCI grant will support planning around the Ashby MARTA station and that the department received a $5 million grant for an urban forest master plan in coordination with the parks department. DCP is also coordinating World Cup public-realm work and launching neighborhood-level dives as the city is approximately 136 square miles and the CDP is intentionally high level.

Discussion vs. decision

Council discussion focused on whether the FY26 proposed budget captures costs tied to the OPAL rollout, the distribution of permitting-related costs across multiple departments (DCP, Watershed, ATL DOT, Atlanta Information Management and others), and how House Bill 461 requirements will affect future budgeting. Commissioner Prince said the department will bring a fee ordinance to City Council to restructure permits for projects under $75,000 to comply with House Bill 461 after completion of a fee study.

What’s next

Prince said the zoning rewrite will be tested in public sessions beginning next month in the Arborist Conference Room through the end of the year, with a formal adoption package presented early next year. Council members asked the Department of Law and Finance to provide a written legal and budgetary opinion on House Bill 461 compliance and for DCP to provide more detailed staffing plans aligning in-house hires with reductions in contracted services.

Closing note

During the hearing several council members urged continued monitoring of permitting timelines and review quality as workloads rise; Prince and staff said they will return with more detailed fiscal and staffing analyses as they finalize the fee study and OPAL implementation schedule.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","#Atlanta City Council FY2026 Budget Briefings Afternoon Session May 20, 2025 #atlpol","oneSentenceSummary","Commissioner Janae Prince, Commissioner of City Planning, told Atlanta City Council during a June budget review session that the Department of City Planning is completing the comprehensive development plan and a zoning rewrite while adjusting permitting operations and staffing for FY26.","taxTitle","Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia","taxId",2959,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6234843,"Public Defender seeks staff funding as caseloads and community outreach grow",679,7506000,8185000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3409595-e9d4a39c0484266798c100663d01e401&start=7506&end=8185","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3409595-e9d4a39c0484266798c100663d01e401/thumbnail_7506000.jpg","/articles/6234843/Atlanta/Fulton-County/Georgia/Public-Defender-seeks-staff-funding-as-caseloads-and-community-outreach-grow","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6234843-d8db708f92e94efae9e2fdd19459802c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775495582&Signature=GlhUQ4MX5IlDuONrDS8YKkKRw18WiYKM-vKwW-CTIROuD2~4Agr0C-u5OJ-XklqFWwwjH3~NKKjYMc9iFvtDXi6ShFS0uRy5biJGUzwSCYWZJI~rr0LuucW3eP8y2Jg0ZagufKZD3ly3ZEKwZrePw9FlP7R5dVhkvWuo~2Y98bWxgC5FEFgHcHz~aEGH8~bb0LI-V7MTKQFfvhWx6ubODbiRCidetiBQHQW6M1tOr7KiOGVwRADY8-8vbdK5o~e-8LZi7nmPPvVBN58ewZm3fMB0vsi0PS20-3PjrmMPLNYLURZamtWmR-52bpBHkxJkURstU2TdraBbby80Yj5MtA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kenneth Days, Director and Chief Public Defender for the city of Atlanta, told council the Office of the Public Defender expects continuing growth in appointed cases and seeks additional FY26 funding to maintain staffing ratios and community programs.

Days told council the office has a full-time staff of 43 with a total authorized position count of 50 and seven vacancies. He said the office “has handled a little bit more than 6,000 cases this year” and has disposed of “just under 1,000” DUI backlog cases; the office also reported representing roughly 2,000 clients and connecting about 526 individuals to social services including housing, employment and substance‑use treatment.

Budget request and staffing rationale

The office’s adopted FY25 budget was $5,484,000; the proposed FY26 budget is $6,058,000, an increase of about 10 percent, driven mainly by personnel costs. Days said roughly 93 percent of the office’s budget is personnel. He and deputy staff told council they are balancing recruitment and retention pressures while aiming to meet American Bar Association guidance on attorney–client ratios.

Community outreach and diversion work

Days emphasized that about 40 percent of the office’s work is outside the courtroom through legal clinics, Know-Your-Rights presentations and community appearances; he said staff have made about 312 community appearances to date in the fiscal year. The office also cited reductions in backlog and described a continuing need to connect clients with social services as some community providers face funding cuts.

Why this matters: The public defender’s budget affects access to counsel, courtroom schedules and community services that can divert people from repeated system involvement. The office asked council to approve the proposed increase to maintain staffing and service delivery.

Discussion vs. decision

Council members asked about differences between FY25 adopted and FY25 projected amounts and about positions and compensation adjustments tied to the city’s compensation study. Finance staff explained that projections in the packet were based on December run rates and that third‑quarter projections will refine the numbers; Days said the office experiences routine attrition and has used some emergency funding previously when needed.

What’s next

Days said the office will continue recruitment and retention efforts, maintain community legal clinics and monitor caseloads to calibrate staffing needs. The mayor’s office, Human Resources and Department of Finance participated in budget planning to align the proposal with citywide compensation and hiring guidance.","Kenneth Days, director of the Office of the Public Defender, presented a FY26 budget request that increases personnel funding to support rising appointments, DUI backlog work and community clinics; the office reported roughly 6,000 cases handled this year, 2,000 clients represented and expanded community programming.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6234847,"Atlanta solicitor outlines expansion of nuisance enforcement, liens and special properties team",2748,4406000,7154000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3409595-e9d4a39c0484266798c100663d01e401&start=4406&end=7154","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3409595-e9d4a39c0484266798c100663d01e401/thumbnail_4406000.jpg","/articles/6234847/Atlanta/Fulton-County/Georgia/Atlanta-solicitor-outlines-expansion-of-nuisance-enforcement-liens-and-special-properties-team","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6234847-45751cba4a84c11086b911863851b214/orig.mp4?Expires=1775495582&Signature=O7Y~o4orY6l5NBvG8h2r6y4IdoOrFWE3HMK1KxX40atYeDUXvFwKckfWE7-hLsVLhwhV72iaf3KK3epqlhBdYZsI4IghWl96L~PrHHKQtY7Fvs3vXhHxSFWhAdz2y~TKetfFUebknCP3VtSLP~Whhd2u--JaWFW-UCafELjkUIVoPvT1bT5vZLyAolpu1ReaLzzemybmPQxJUtopeELg96nBDEcFdOqULuzEFMexq03Ff-RskQQjQuEzAMtV35sa53MyxLMpFBf9lVLJZDdHozyuFFCNlaPe2TCc0kd4nNJE5GK5ipR74924pB~OmfVLqgwlEj1W2ozsdVfJOUMpEw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City Solicitor Raines Carter told Atlanta City Council that the solicitor’s office has expanded its Safe and Secure Housing Initiative into a broader special properties team that pursues injunctive relief and enforcement actions against “bad actors” who operate nuisance or dangerous properties.

“With some of these multifamily dwellings and property owners, we’re now getting penalties up to… and we’ve brought in over $300,000 in civil penalties that were related specifically to the multifamily properties that we have been tackling,” Carter said, describing recent enforcement and the office’s use of civil penalties to balance remediation and compliance work.

Carter said the office has used temporary injunctive relief and liquor-license enforcement to close venues tied to repeated criminal activity and nuisance conditions, and that some operators “play games” and reappear under new names or fight closures in appellate courts. He told council the office currently has multiple appeals pending and that litigation costs are rising as the office pursues injunctions in superior court.

Diversion, community prosecution and outreach

Carter highlighted expansion of diversion and community prosecution work. He said the diversion program and its chief, Nania Burnett, have increased participation, including adding Spanish translations and updating educational materials. Carter said the diversion program generates fees and program participation, reporting about a doubling of participants in an early-quarter comparison (from 2,700 participants in one period to over 4,000 in the first three months of the later period) and that diversion-related work “brings in over $3,000,000 a year in fees.”

Carter also described community prosecution initiatives — legal education, youth programs, senior outreach, “Know Your Rights” events and drug‑awareness efforts — and thanked council members and partner departments for supporting the work.

Commercial blight and Operation Double Victory

Council members asked about commercial blight and foreclosure or lien strategies. Carter said the office and a special properties team member, Jordan Williams, are building cases against commercial properties with chronic violations and are coordinating with code enforcement, the mayor’s policy office and other partners. Carter and Jordan Williams said the office has a set of commercial cases in preparation for FY26 and is evaluating tax and remediation paths.

Carter described “Operation Double Victory,” a coordination effort with the Fulton County Solicitor’s Office intended to match charging and case-handling across jurisdictions to improve efficiency and manage misdemeanor calendars across city and county systems.

Why this matters: Carter said expanding enforcement beyond municipal court to superior court yields stronger remedies against repeat offenders but increases litigation expense and appellate exposure. Council members commended the office for reducing blight in specific corridors and asked that the special properties work remain fully funded.

Discussion vs. decision

Council discussion focused on funding for litigation and superior‑court enforcement, coordination with Fulton County and other agencies, and strategies for tackling nuisance uses and illegal gaming machines. Carter asked for continued council support for litigation and staffing to sustain the expansion of the Safe and Secure Housing Initiative.

What’s next

Carter said the solicitor’s office will continue to pursue injunctive relief and liquor-license enforcement against repeat bad actors, proceed with commercial blight cases identified for FY26, and work with the Department of Law to resolve procedural issues where ordinance wording caused evidentiary or service problems in court. The office also asked council to support budget adjustments that reflect litigation and implementation costs tied to superior‑court enforcement.","City Solicitor Raines Carter told council the office has expanded a Safe and Secure Housing Initiative into a Special Properties Team, obtained civil penalties tied to multifamily enforcement and is pursuing injunctive relief, liquor-license revocations and other actions against repeat offenders.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City Planning director warns permitting revenue, staffing and fee rules complicate FY26 budget

Public Defender seeks staff funding as caseloads and community outreach grow

Atlanta solicitor outlines expansion of nuisance enforcement, liens and special properties team