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Resident alleges off‑record coordination on 1,500‑acre annexation and data center during public comment
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Summary
A resident alleged calendars and retreat audio show council coordination with the Fayette County Development Authority on a possible 1,500‑acre annexation and data‑center interest and accused council members of using '2 by 2' meetings that he called a violation of the Georgia Open Meetings Act.
During the public‑comment period James Clifton of Fielding Ridge Precinct told the council he obtained city council and staff calendars and audio from a recent Kennesaw retreat, and concluded the materials show a coordinated plan involving the Fayette County Development Authority for annexing about 1,500 acres in neighboring Coweta County and pursuing a potential data center. "Thanks to a recent open records request, I now have the calendars of Peachtree City Council and staff leading up to the Kennesaw Retreat where the Fayette County Development Authority spoke with our city council about annexation of 1,500 acres ... a possible data center," Clifton said.
Clifton said council members and the Fayette County Development Authority discussed timing and next steps in late January, including a presentation at the retreat and follow‑up meetings. He said the development authority's head described an opportunity west of Falcon Field Airport in Coweta County and urged the council to consider annexation and to tie the site "into your light industrial portfolio." Clifton further alleged that city staff and council members used multiple "2 by 2" meetings — two council members meeting at a time — to build consensus outside public notice and that such meetings "are a violation" of the Georgia Open Meetings Act. "For those that don't know, 2 by 2 meetings are a loophole for government officials to subvert the Georgia Open Meetings Act," Clifton said.
Clifton told the council the annexation study later passed on Feb. 12 by a 5‑0 vote and tied that outcome to the timeline of meetings and a reported property purchase by the developer. He also said the QTS developer had previously been recruited to Fayetteville with $75,000,000 from the development authority.
The meeting transcript records no formal response from council members or staff directly refuting Clifton's account during public comment. City Manager Justin Strickland is named in the transcript as having suggested "special 2 by 2 meetings" during the retreat sequence Clifton described; the council later conducted its regular agenda.
Clifton's statements are recorded as public comment in the meeting transcript. The transcript does not include supporting documents (calendar screenshots or audio excerpts) or a staff presentation verifying the sequence of events he described. Council did not take immediate action or make a formal statement on the allegations during the meeting.
Because Clifton raised potential legal implications tied to the Georgia Open Meetings Act, the council or staff could choose to review the records he cited and report back in a future session.
