City Council

PUBLIC HEARING & REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING OF MAYOR AND COUNCIL CITY OF SNELLVILLE, GEORGIA MONDAY, JULY 27, 2026 Summary Publication Date: July 29, 2026 Present: Mayor Barbara Bender, Mayor Pro Tem Norman A. Carter Jr., Council Members Richelle Brown, Catherine Hardrick, Kerry Hetherington and Shaunt’e Pitt. Also present City Manager Matthew Pepper, Assistant City Manager Mercy Montgomery, City Attorney John J. Crowley with Tallant Howell, Captain Zach Spahr, Code Enforcement Officer Johnny Greene, Planning and Development Director Jason Thompson, Public Information Officer Brian Arrington, IT Administrator Erika Fleeman and City Clerk Melisa Arnold. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Bender called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. INVOCATION Council Member Brown gave the invocation. PLEDGE TO THE FLAG Mayor Pro Tem Carter led the Pledge of Allegiance. CEREMONIAL MATTERS None MINUTES Approve the Minutes of the July 13, 2026 Meetings Mayor Pro Tem Carter made a motion to approve the July 13, 2026 minutes, 2nd by Council Member Brown; voted 6 in favor and 0 opposed, motion approved. INVITED GUESTS None COMMITTEE / DEPARTMENT REPORTS None APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA Council Member Hetherington made a motion to approve the agenda as published, 2nd by Mayor Pro Tem Carter; voted 6 in favor and 0 opposed, motion approved. Mayor Bender explained the public hearing process including the order and time limits. PUBLIC HEARING 2nd Reading – SUP 26-01 – Consideration and Action on application by Shane Swezey, Principal, Parkview Christian School (applicant) and John Weldon, Pastor, Westside Baptist Church (property owner) requesting a Special Use Permit to operate a Private K-8 Christian School within the existing Church facility on the 4.402 +/- acre site; and variance from Sec. 206-4.1.J. (Use Standards) of Article 6 Chapter 200 of the Snellville Unified Development Ordinance for the property zoned RS-30 (Single Family Residential) District, 2925 Main St W, Snellville, Georgia (Tax Parcel 5007 004A) Council Member Hetherington made a motion to approve ORD 2026-05/SUP26-01 with the requested variances, 2nd by Council Member Brown; voted 6 in favor and opposed, motion approved. 2nd Reading – CIC 26-01 – Consideration and Action on application by SPG Planners + Engineers (applicant) and Shifa Real Estate Investments LLC (property owner) requesting a Change in Conditions from the 7/22/2024 approved rezoning and Special Use Permit (RZ 24-03 SUP 24-01) for a 171-unit multi-family Towne Center Flat development to increase the number of units for a total of 239 units on a 2.677 +/- acre site, zoned TC-R (Towne Center Residential) District for a proposed 5-story, Towne Center Flat residential building with 239 mix of one-, two-, three-bedroom units located in the Towne Center Overlay District at 2380 Wisteria Dr, Snellville, Georgia (Tax Parcel 5038 133) Council Member Hetherington made a motion to table until the August 10, 2026 meeting, 2nd by Council Member Brown. City Attorney Crowley explained that the public hearing is complete so only the final vote is being tabled to the August 10, 2026 meeting. The motion was voted 6 in favor and 0 opposed, motion approved. CONSENT AGENDA (Please see *Note) None OLD BUSINESS None NEW BUSINESS City Manager Pepper explained that Georgia Fund One is an investment pool that allows the City to earn a higher rate of interest on their money. Mayor Bender explained that each fund must have its own resolution to authorize participation in the fund. Consideration and Action on RES 2026-04 - Approval of the General Fund Participation in the Georgia Fund One Program [Bender] Council Member Hetherington made a motion to approve RES 2026-04, 2nd by Mayor Pro Tem Carter; voted 6 in favor and 0 opposed, motion approved. Consideration and Action on RES 2026-05 - Approval of the 2023 SPLOST Participation in the Georgia Fund One Program [Bender] Council Member Brown made a motion to approve RES 2026-05, 2nd by Mayor Pro Tem Carter; voted 6 in favor and 0 opposed, motion approved. Consideration and Action on RES 2026-06 – Approval of the School Zone Safety Fund Participation in the Georgia Fund One Program [Bender] Council Member Hetherington made a motion to approve RES 2026-06, 2nd by Council Member Brown; voted 6 in favor and 0 opposed, motion approved. Consideration and Action on RES 2026-07 – Approval of the Tree Bank Fund Participation in the Georgia Fund One Program [Bender] Council Member Brown made a motion to approve RES 2026-07, 2nd by Council Member Hetherington; voted 6 in favor and 0 opposed, motion approved. Consideration and Action on RES 2026-08 – Approval of the Confiscated Assets Fund Participation in the Georgia Fund One Program [Bender] Council Member Hetherington made a motion to approve RES 2026-08, 2nd by Mayor Pro Tem Carter; voted 6 in favor and 0 opposed, motion approved. COUNCIL REPORTS The following Council Members each gave a report: Hardrick, Brown, Pitt, Hetherington, and Mayor Pro Tem Carter. MAYOR’S REPORT Mayor Bender gave a report. PUBLIC COMMENTS The following people came forward to speak: Tricia Rawlins, 2088 Harbour Oaks Drive, Snellville. Nwene Ogwu, 3173 Newtons Crest Circle, Snellville. Gaye Bruce, 17101 Woodberry Run Drive, Snellville. Khari Dixon, Scooters Coffee Hwy 78, Snellville. EXECUTIVE SESSION None ADJOURNMENT Mayor Pro Tem Carter made a motion to adjourn, 2nd by Council Member Hetherington; voted 6 in favor and 0 opposed, motion approved. The meeting adjourned at 9:35 p.m. *Note: Items on the Consent Agenda may be read by title only. Upon the request of any Council Member, any item may be removed from the Consent Agenda and placed on the Regular Agenda prior to the adoption of the Regular Agenda. The Consent Agenda, or the remainder thereof omitting the challenged items, shall be adopted by unanimous consent.