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Public commenters urge more city oversight, question Botanical Garden planning and raise safety, CID and sanitation concerns
Summary
At the May 29 meeting, residents asked the council to hire an internal auditor, press for clearer goals for the Botanical Garden, address homelessness and trash on Panola Road, and objected to the proposed Stonecrest Industrial Council/CID boundaries and use of tax dollars.
Several residents used the May 29 public-comment period to press the council on oversight, parks planning, public safety and proposed CID boundaries.
David (Dave) Marcus told the council the charter requires an internal auditor and that the city has not had a regular internal auditor for several years; he asked the council to “do something about this” and said audited ACFRs have not been regularly provided. Marcus also asked to meet with the city engineer and requested clear goals and objectives for the botanical garden before design and costing begin.
Jeremy Scott, a resident on Valleys Path, urged action on homeless encampments and litter around Panola Road, recounting recent safety incidents and saying the situation is worsening following Atlanta Medical’s closure. He suggested a citywide trash campaign or expanded street sweeping and recommended discussing school uniforms with the county school board to reduce distractions and bullying.
Marie Colson spoke in opposition to the Stonecrest Industrial Council/CID process and asked that residents decide how tax dollars are used. She said her business and residential area were excluded from a proposed CID map and urged better-funded emergency services and policing where she lives.
City Manager remarks in response: the manager said the city recently hired an arborist, Roy Mathis, to support Botanical Garden planning and that staff plan a fall presentation on garden planning and goals. The manager said the city has been recruiting a public-safety director for nearly a year and is working with DeKalb County on police and emergency services via the intergovernmental agreement; the city remains reliant on county-provided law enforcement while pursuing its own public-safety staffing. On trash, the manager said the city does not yet have public-works capacity and currently relies on DeKalb County for street cleaning, but council has approved augmentations and staff will consider additional budget options for FY26.
No formal action resulted from the public comments; council members and city staff said they would follow up where possible.
