Mableton council approves sustainability, code and court ordinances; hires auditors and HR consultant

The City of Mableton City Council on May 12 approved a series of routine and policy items: sustainability and electric‑vehicle resolutions, code enforcement changes, a nuisance/noise ordinance, creation of municipal‑court provisions, a multi‑year audit services contract and an HR consulting agreement. The council also appointed a member to the Board of Zoning Appeals.

Votes at a glance (approved at the May 12 meeting) - Appointment: Jojoki (also recorded as Chagogy) Eves — Appointed to the Board of Zoning Appeals. Mayor announced the appointment; the council voted “ayes” with no opposition. (Record: motion called by mayor; vote voice‑approved.) - Consent agenda (approved): Resolution adopting City of Mableton sustainability policies and standards (sustainability, waste and beautification); resolution promoting adoption of electric vehicle use in the community. (Passed on voice vote; no recorded opposition.) - Professional services — Audit: Council authorized the mayor to negotiate and sign an agreement with Malden and Jenkins LLC (vendor name appears with small variations in the packet and on the floor) for financial audit services. The motion as made on the floor specified $94,500 and five successive annual renewals ending with the FY2029 audit; the motion was approved on voice vote. Finance staff had described a tiered fee schedule in the packet. (Mover: Councilwoman Keisha Jeffcoat; second: Councilwoman Deborah Herndon.) - Ordinance — Code enforcement (second read): Approved ordinance updating Chapter 2 (administration) to enhance code enforcement operations. Motion passed by voice vote; no changes had been made since first read. - Ordinance — Nuisance / noise (second read): Approved creation of Chapter 13, Nuisance Article 3 (noise), to provide a city code mechanism to address repeated or excessive noise. Council discussed enforcement procedures and education; staff said procedures and interagency coordination with Cobb police will follow. Motion passed by voice vote. - Ordinance — Municipal court (second read): Council approved creation of Chapter 6 establishing municipal‑court provisions for Mableton. The ordinance limits certain fines and provides that the city manager or the manager’s designee will set the court schedule; council discussed schedule oversight and staffing. Motion passed by voice vote. - Professional services — HR consulting: Council approved a master consulting agreement with Local Gov HR Guru LLC to provide third‑party HR services on a written‑request basis (contract language requires written authorization by the city manager for work assignments and caps hours without additional written consent). Staff emphasized the contract is for occasional third‑party investigations, trainings or advice rather than to replace in‑house HR staff. The council approved the agreement on voice vote. - Other approvals: The council approved a resolution authorizing a regulatory intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Cobb County (motion taken after executive session) by voice vote.

What the council said and staff context - Finance Director and staff said the audit agreement is intended to provide audit continuity and possible cost savings through a multi‑year arrangement; packet materials included a tiered schedule and noted an additional charge only if a federal single audit were required. - Director Farrell and code enforcement staff said the new code enforcement and noise rules are intended to improve quality of life; staff described an education‑first enforcement approach and plans to coordinate with police for repeat or criminal matters. - City Attorney Amelia Walker noted some ordinance and IGA items are being adopted to align with service delivery negotiations and to ensure consistent enforcement when county departments (animal control, water and sewer) provide services under an intergovernmental arrangement.

Procedural notes and recorded motions - Most votes were recorded by voice (“ayes have it”) rather than roll‑call tallies; formal recorded tallies by member name were not provided in the transcript for these items. - Where the packet and floor discussion contained inconsistent contract numbers or dollar amounts, staff said the council votes adopted the amounts as articulated on the floor; staff indicated they will finalize contract language before execution.

Ending - Staff will return with finalized contract documents, the ordinance language for formal adoption steps if needed, and implementation details (court scheduling, enforcement procedures and collection logistics) where applicable. The council identified follow‑up items for finance, legal and departmental staff to implement the approved actions.