The UDO steering committee selected Robert Alverson as vice chair and reviewed an aggressive timeline to produce a Unified Development Ordinance, while staff said consultant funding is contingent on the fiscal‑year 2026 budget going to city council.

The committee approved the minutes from its June 9, 2025, meeting by voice vote and then moved to nominations. After a nomination and a second, Robert Alverson said, “I accept,” and the committee approved his selection by voice vote.

The committee spent most of the meeting on the UDO project plan. A committee member summarized the three phases: (1) setting the UDO foundation and recruiting legal/planning expertise; (2) creating the UDO, identifying “quick wins” and compiling all existing zoning, land‑use and development documents; and (3) finalizing the UDO with a consultant and presenting drafts to city council. The committee member said the steering committee began in November 2024 and that the target completion date is December 2026, adding, “December 2026 is still gonna be very aggressive for us to hit.”

Staff said it has requested budget funding for a contractor to provide legal and planning consulting on the UDO and that the funding request “will be going before council, I believe, next month in August for council to approve their budget.” Staff and committee members agreed the project is large — the steering committee’s rough table of contents already exceeds 100 pages — and that breaking the work into smaller pieces is necessary so council and the public can review changes in manageable sections.

Committee discussion repeatedly distinguished discussion from formal action. The committee did not adopt ordinance text at the meeting; members described a sequential approach to making recommendation packages to city council rather than one single, final packet. A committee member said the UDO work will follow the required hearing process for textual ordinance changes and that staff will present incremental recommendations to city council so elected officials and the public can digest changes over time.

The committee identified next steps and public engagement requirements: staff said it plans at least two rounds of public education sessions and multiple presentations to city council, with a planned council update in November 2025. Committee members discussed “quick wins” to prioritize early, including considering standards for electric vehicle charging stations; one member requested presentation materials from a recent Georgia Power briefing as reference information. Staff also noted an administrative item: adding the committee’s planning email address to the city website.

Members discussed the steering committee schedule and noted the committee can adjust meeting cadence if the FY26 budget decision or document compilation produces no near‑term milestones. One committee member referenced the planning commission’s second meeting of August 25 as a possible date the steering committee might use for its next meeting.

Minutes approval and the vice‑chair appointment were formal actions taken at the meeting. No ordinance or UDO textual changes were approved; staff said any consultant hire and substantive ordinance recommendations will go to city council for approval.