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Braselton council approves code amendments, pickleball moratorium and appointments
Summary
At its Jan. 12 meeting the Town of Braselton council approved development-code amendments and a temporary moratorium on pickleball court conversions near residences, adopted a nuisance ordinance, approved a regional water/sewer agreement and made interim appointments; council also entered executive session on personnel.
Mayor Kurt Ward presided over the Town of Braselton council meeting on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, where members approved several ordinances and appointments and enacted a temporary moratorium on new or converted pickleball courts near residences.
The council approved the minutes from Dec. 8, 2025, and voted to change the regular voting-session start time to 5:00 p.m. Councilmembers Becky Richardson, Richard Harper, Tom Logan and James Murphy voted with Mayor Ward on all recorded motions.
Councilmember Becky Richardson successfully moved to adopt the Grass Height and Bush Ordinance, aimed at clarifying property maintenance standards; the motion carried unanimously. Richardson later moved to table the Vehicle Parking in Residential Zoning Districts Ordinance until the February meeting; that motion to table also passed unanimously.
Mayor Kurt Ward moved for a temporary moratorium prohibiting conversions of existing pickleball courts and the siting of new pickleball courts within 250 feet of a residence until the council's February voting session. Councilmember Tom Logan seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.
The council approved the GDOT Barrow, Gwinnett, and Hall Counties Water and Sewer Facilities Agreement, voting to authorize the town's participation in the multi-county intergovernmental agreement as presented by the mayor. The council also approved amendments to the Town of Braselton Development Code: an amendment to Article 5, Section 5.2 (Allowed and Prohibited Uses) recommended by the Planning Director and amendments to Article 14 (sections 14.4, 14.5 and 14.7) recommended by the Planning Commission; each motion passed unanimously.
Mayor Ward moved to appoint Councilmember Becky Richardson as mayor pro tem for calendar year 2026; Councilmember James Murphy seconded and the motion passed unanimously. The council also voted to leave the Town Manager, Town Clerk, Town Attorney and the Braselton Visitors Bureau Authority representative in their roles until the February meeting, when the council will make formal appointments.
At 6:11 p.m. Mayor Ward moved to enter executive session to discuss personnel matters as contemplated by O.C.G.A. § 50-14-3; the motion passed unanimously. The council exited executive session at 7:29 p.m., and Mayor Ward moved to adjourn at 7:30 p.m.; the motion to adjourn passed unanimously.
Votes at a glance: - Approval of Dec. 8, 2025 minutes — Mover: Richard Harper; Second: James Murphy; Outcome: approved unanimously (Ward, Richardson, Harper, Logan, Murphy). - Change voting-session start time to 5:00 p.m. — Mover: Tom Logan; Second: Richard Harper; Outcome: approved unanimously. - Grass Height and Bush Ordinance — Mover: Becky Richardson; Second: Tom Logan; Outcome: adopted unanimously. - Vehicle Parking in Residential Zoning Districts Ordinance — Mover: Becky Richardson; Second: Tom Logan; Outcome: tabled until February (unanimous). - Pickleball court moratorium (no conversions or new courts within 250 feet of a residence until Feb.) — Mover: Kurt Ward; Second: Tom Logan; Outcome: approved unanimously. - GDOT Barrow, Gwinnett, and Hall Counties Water and Sewer Facilities Agreement — Mover: Kurt Ward; Second: James Murphy; Outcome: approved unanimously. - Development Code amendments (Article 5 §5.2 and Article 14 amendments) — Movers: Kurt Ward (Article 5) and Kurt Ward (Article 14); Seconds: Tom Logan (Article 5) and Richard Harper (Article 14); Outcomes: approved unanimously. - Appointment of Becky Richardson as mayor pro tem — Mover: Kurt Ward; Second: James Murphy; Outcome: approved unanimously. - Continuation of Town Manager, Town Clerk, Town Attorney and Braselton Visitors Bureau Authority Representative until February — Mover: Kurt Ward; Second: Tom Logan; Outcome: approved unanimously. - Executive session on personnel under O.C.G.A. § 50-14-3 — Mover: Kurt Ward; Second: James Murphy; Outcome: approved unanimously (entered at 6:11 p.m.; exited at 7:29 p.m.).
The meeting record indicates no citizen comments were received at the session.
