Alpharetta council appoints new assistant city administrator, fire chief and police chief in unanimous votes

The Alpharetta City Council unanimously approved three staff appointments Wednesday, naming John Robison assistant city administrator and confirming Brad Deckinger as fire chief and Trent Lindgren as police chief as part of a reorganization of public safety leadership. The appointments were presented by City Manager Chris Lagerbloom and carried by unanimous roll-call votes. Council members said the changes are intended to sharpen department focus and create a succession path after a review of the city’s public safety model. Lagerbloom told council he wanted to “appoint John Robison into that assistant city administrator role,” noting Robison has worked for the city since February 2017 and that the appointment would help set staff strategy to execute council priorities. The motion to appoint Robison was made by Mayor Pro Tem Merkel and seconded by Councilman DeRito; the motion passed unanimously. As part of the same agenda sequence, Lagerbloom said he recommended eliminating the single public-safety director position and creating separate leadership for fire and police. He described the change as an efficiency and organizational-identity move: “in certain size organizations… it’s very difficult long term to force two very respected disciplines together into a model where they kind of lose some of their own identity,” he said. The council then approved the appointment of Brad Deckinger as fire chief. Lagerbloom described Deckinger’s experience in the fire service, noting he has been full-time with Alpharetta since February 2001 and has served in hazmat and special-events roles. Council members praised Deckinger’s experience; the motion was approved unanimously. Lagerbloom also recommended Trent Lindgren for police chief, recounting Lindgren’s 23 years in law enforcement, degrees in communications and public administration, and leadership roles in training and operations. Council members described Lindgren as steady and operationally adept. The motion to appoint Lindgren passed unanimously. The council and staff said the reorganization aims to preserve institutional knowledge while providing distinct executive leadership for police and fire. Council members repeatedly thanked outgoing leaders and emphasized continuity: several speakers noted Chief Robison’s role in leadership development and said the reorganization allows him to work across departments. What’s next: the council did not vote on additional personnel changes at the meeting. The appointments were effective upon adoption and the council directed staff to proceed with implementation steps tied to the reorganized public-safety structure.