Town Council Meeting

TYRONE TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES March 19, 2026 at 7:00 PM Eric Dial, Mayor Billy Campbell, Mayor Pro Tem, Post 3 Jessica Whelan, Post 1 Brandon Perkins, Town Manager Dia Hunter, Post 2 Dee Baker, Town Clerk Maureen Wheeler, Post 4 Dennis Davenport, Town Attorney Also present: Sandy Beach, Finance Manager Kristie McClenny, Recreation Assistant Scott Langford, Public Works Director, Town Engineer Randy Mundy, Police Chief I. CALL TO ORDER II. INVOCATION III. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE IV. PUBLIC COMMENTS: Comments are limited to three (3) minutes. Please state your name & address. Comments that require a response may not be answered during this time. The Council or staff may respond at a later date. Alvin Todd, who lives on Park Haven Lane, spoke regarding the blast coming from the rock quarry and the damage caused and cost incurred. He asked Mayor and Council if they were holding Heidelberg Materials accountable to federal and state blasting requirements. We want more transparency. Pennie George, who lives on Galic Way, shared her opposition to the data center on Highway 74 and Kirkley Road. She was not aware of the development. It would bring higher utility rates, increased water costs, and energy surges. She hopes that Council will reconsider and that the Town will have a noise and water ordinance for that purpose. Mayor Dial shared that the Microsoft data center was approved in 2024, 10% of QTS in Fayetteville. Staff were not prepared tonight to relay information given by Microsoft regarding the development but would be happy to meet with citizens on the matter at a future scheduled meeting for that purpose. He added that due diligence was completed regarding the development. Ronald Miranda, who lives on Park Haven Lane, asked who passed the development. Mayor Dial stated that Council had passed the development in 2024 through proper legal methods. Mr. Miranda stated that there was a lack of transparency regarding the buildings on Highway 74 and Jenkins Road. He was also concerned about the quarry blasting. Page 1 of 9 The development of Jenkins and the data center would drain the town, offering no jobs. Data centers offer no tax breaks, leaving the land wasted and degrading property values. We are focused on the wrong things. Shirley Lynch, who lives on Roscommon Ct., inquired how the residents were notified of the development of the data center. Mayor Dial shared that the data center would possibly not begin for another two years. Mr. Perkins and Mr. Trocquet shared that colored signs larger than required with a QR code are placed on the property before public hearings. The public hearings are advertised in the legal organ (Fayette County News), and the published packets include all information. Eric Woods, who lives on Park Haven Lane, thanked Mayor and Council for all they do. There continues to be a disregard for residents along Highway 74. He mentioned the possibility of a gun range coming to town 15 or more years ago. Issues appear to be affecting those along Highway 74. Why consider a data center? The Town did advertise, but if citizens want to see change, they need to vote. If we can cancel the data center, let’s do that. Mr. Glen Green spoke regarding placing a berm in front of Highway 74/Jenkins Rd. development, similar to that in front of the rock quarry. He asked that trash along Highway 74 be picked up weekly. He also shared concerns regarding potholes along Highway 74. Renee Jackson, who lives on Gaelic Way, inquired about the benefits of the data center and who would benefit. Mayor Dial reiterated that a meeting could be set to share information from Microsoft. Mavion Fleming, who lives on Park Haven Lane, agreed that he would like to attend a meeting that stated the benefits of a data center. Anjali David, who lives on Stonewyck Drive, shared that she and her family have asthma and that the data center would add to pollution and would affect the health of generations to come. She thanked Mr. Perkins for his newsletter and was surprised that a data center was coming. Consider public health initiatives. Selwyn Hinton, who lives on Wynfield Drive, shared his disapproval of the development on Highway 74/Jenkins Rd. He stated that there were no benefits for citizens by having a data center. What were the contingency plans if Microsoft pulls out mid-build? Vincent McDougal, who lives on Holly Park Lane, spoke regarding the data center. He shared that currently there were eight jobs listed for QTS. If the data center is built within two years, that is when the Georgia Power rate freeze would cease. Signs are difficult to view when traveling along Highway 74. He shared that Microsoft generated $287 Billion, how much was Tyrone getting? A second data center in Fayetteville pulled out after citizen feedback; it could happen in Tyrone. The Tyrone exit indicates a rock quarry, data center, and giant warehouses, which does not reflect, Welcome to Tyrone. Page 2 of 9 V. APPROVAL OF AGENDA A motion was made to approve the agenda with the change to move number five to new business for discussion. Motion made by Council Member Hunter, Seconded by Council Member Campbell. Voting Yea: Council Member Campbell, Council Member Whelan, Council Member Hunter, Council Member Wheeler. VI. CONSENT AGENDA: All matters listed under this item are considered to be routine by the Town Council and will be enacted by one motion. There will not be separate discussion of these items. If discussion is desired, that item will be removed from the consent agenda and will be considered separately. 1. Approval of the February 19, 2026, minutes. 2. Contract approval for The Andrews Brothers Dueling Pianos for the Tyrone Spring Festival on April 18, 2026, at an amount not to exceed $4,000. 3. Consideration appointing Daphne Bousquet to the Tyrone Public Facilities Authority to fill a term ending 12/31/2026. 4. Consideration to appoint Carl Schouw to the Tyrone Public Facilities Authority to fill a term ending 12/31/2028. A motion was made to approve the consent agenda with the change. Motion made by Council Member Campbell, Seconded by Council Member Whelan. Voting Yea: Council Member Campbell, Council Member Whelan, Council Member Hunter, Council Member Wheeler. VII. PRESENTATIONS VIII. PUBLIC HEARINGS IX. OLD BUSINESS 5. Approval of a tree species to replace the recently removed cedar tree at Veterans Park. - Brandon Perkins, Town Manager Mr. Perkins reminded everyone that late last year, Council approved the removal and replacement of a dying cedar tree at Veterans Park. As part of downtown planning, a landscape architect recommended the trident maple for its color, weather tolerance, and shade. The cost would be $300-$500 coming from the Tree Fund. Page 3 of 9  A motion was made to move forward to replace the tree with a Trident Maple. Motion made by Council Member Campbell, Seconded by Council Member Hunter. Voting Yea: Council Member Campbell, Council Member Whelan, Council Member Hunter, Council Member Wheeler. X. NEW BUSINESS 6(a). Consideration of a revision of the Town's Fee Schedule to include deposit and rental fees for Town facilities. Mr. Perkins shared that currently, the Town offers spaces for event rentals, and it was time to include the Shamrock Stage Pavillon. It was also noted that the ordinance needed to be updated regarding county and non-county residents, and the fee schedule needed to be updated. Mr. Perkins reviewed the proposed fee schedule. Council Member Whelan shared her concerns. The first was to include rental fees for the Veterans Park gazebo. This began a discussion regarding whether the park remains a passive park or changing the status to active. Ms. McClenny shared that the Boy Scouts had a reservation on the books. Through discussion, it was decided that Council wished to keep the park a passive park as its initial use was to be a place for reverence for fallen and active military members. It was also decided that following the Boy Scouts’ event, the park should not be rented or used as a place for parties. Mayor Dial added that more details could be discussed later. A motion was made to make Veterans Park, including the gazebo, a passive park. Motion made by Council Member Whelan, Seconded by Council Member Wheeler Voting Yea: Council Member Campbell, Council Member Whelan, Council Member Hunter, Council Member Wheeler. Council Member Wheeler began a discussion regarding how rentals are monitored regarding renters, trash, and noise. Ms. McClenny shared that the renter would sign the agreement with terms for times, noise and trash among other terms. There was also a board indicating who was renting on which date and time, so there would be no discrepancies. Mr. Perkins shared that if rules were being followed, folks usually would call the police department after hours. The discussion also included that the rental schedules would be shared with staff, public works, public safety, and Council moving forward. Council Member Whelan then opened the discussion regarding how to rent to and charge Fayette County residents, and out-of-county residents. Also how to ensure renters were from Tyrone or the county. Council Member Hunter reminded everyone that SPLOST funds paid for some facilities. Council Member Whelan shared her concerns regarding protecting the integrity of the new pavilion and keeping rentals private instead of public (except for Town events). Council Member Campbell shared that he wanted to see the facilities only rented to Tyrone residents. Mr. Perkins stated that the ordinance currently did not allow out-of-county rentals. Page 4 of 9  Ms. McClenny shared that Peachtree City requires a permit, rental, and deposit fees. Discussion then turned to video monitoring. Mr. Trocquet shared that cameras were part of the AV upgrades. Ms. McClenny suggested only using the pavilion for performances, picnics; and family reunions should be held at the Roger Spencer Center. Mr. Perkins recalled that Fayette County gives money to Tyrone annually for parks and recreation, so the town must allow county residents the use of spaces. Peachtree City voted to reject the funding so they can charge more for out-of-city residents. He added that the Town should either rent or not rent spaces for private events. Mayor Dial shared that it should be up to Recreation staff currently to be a filter for what events should be allowed. Council Member Whelan also shared that she wanted to name the stage specifically. She suggested, The Shamrock Park Barn or The Barn at Shamrock Park. We could have five names for the public to vote on. Mr. Perkins shared that fees for the 881 Senoia Road rental spaces would be discussed later. Mayor Dial shared that in- county and out-of-county could also be discussed later, as it would be an ordinance change. A motion was made to approve the fee schedule as written. Motion made by Council Member Hunter, Seconded by Council Member Whelan. Voting Yea: Council Member Campbell, Council Member Whelan, Council Member Hunter, Council Member Wheeler. 6. Consideration to adopt a committal and sponsorship resolution to the Atlanta Regional Commission as part of the 2026 TIP solicitation for project TYRONE-01. Phillip Trocquet, Assistant Town Manager Mr. Trocquet shared that the Town completed the Livable Center’s Initiative plan and applied for federal transportation funding as part of the Atlanta Regional Commission’s (ARC)2026 Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) solicitation cycle. Council approved the application in January, but ARC required a sponsorship resolution that commits to the required matching funding. He added that the Town’s 20% match would be $2,586,000 from the 2023 SPLOST fund. Council Member Hunter thanked Mr. Trocquet for his creative efforts in going after $10 Million and stretching taxpayers’ money for services they deserve. A motion was made to adopt the committal and sponsorship resolution to the Atlanta Regional Commission as part of the 2026 TIP solicitation for project Tyrone-01. Motion made by Council Member Campbell, Seconded by Council Member Wheeler. Voting Yea: Council Member Campbell, Council Member Whelan, Council Member Hunter, Council Member Wheeler. Page 5 of 9 XI. PUBLIC COMMENTS: The second public comment period is for any issue. Comments are limited to three (3) minutes. Please state your name & address. Comments that require a response may not be answered during this time. The Council or staff may respond at a later date. Mayor Dial clarified that discussions were had several times regarding berms and trees along Highway 74; he did not want someone to come to Council saying Mayor Dial lied if they do not see a berm in front of the new development. Eric Woods asked the Town to schedule a community meeting within thirty days to discuss the data center for its disapproval. Glen Green asked for beautification funding to build a berm along the Highway 74 development. Mr. Trocquet shared that a 4ft berm is required, along with the landscape plan, and a line of site study was also completed. Mr. Green asked if the berm was higher than the sign. Mayor Dial stated that he was willing to meet with citizens to discuss the data center. Any other questions can be directed at staff during business hours. La’Shawn Dudley, who lives off Farr Road, spoke regarding the data center. She shared that our infrastructure could not maintain something of that size; it was a death sentence. Do your research, the intentions are far greater than you can imagine, think of the children. We are going to be cancer alley. Have conversations with your citizens, think twice about it. Mayor Dial shared that they would share the facts with the citizens. Eric Woods returned and asked what made you approve the data center? Jonathan Bonner, a native Tyrone citizen running as a Representative for Georgia State House 68, shared that he was attending a food drive tomorrow, along with a Farmers Market for Seniors that were food-deprived, in Atlanta. He invited citizens to attend more Council meetings and to stay informed. He believed in data center moratoriums, and if citizens came out in the beginning, this would never have happened. La’Shawn Dudley thanked Mayor Dial’s willingness to meet with citizens because they were now realizing the implications it could have on Tyrone. She stated that she had placed an open records request two weeks ago and had not heard back. She shared that there should always be a health impact assessment with development to measure the impact for years to come. Alvin Todd asked for a date and time for the data center meeting with citizens. Mayor Dial shared that it was early and that he would need to meet with staff and Council Members and notify the citizens. XII. STAFF COMMENTS Chief Mundy shared that the officer involved in the accident was doing well at home. He added that Tyrone made the Safeguard Safest Cities list again at number 6. Page 6 of 9 Ms. Baker reminded everyone that early voting would begin on April 27th for three weeks, including two Saturdays at Town Hall for the General Primary Non-Partisan Election, which would be on May 19, 2026. On Election Day, check your polling place on myvoterpage.com. The Tyrone polling location will be at our Library, 143 Commerce Drive. For more information, please contact the Fayette County Elections office. This information is on our website, and flyers in the lobby. This election was for Governor, Secretary of State, Judges, and many more. Mr. Trocquet informed everyone about the emergency sewer spill in the River Crest subdivision last week. The emergency response plan was put into place, and the leak was stopped within one hour. The crew, which also included our public works staff, engineer staff, and environmental staff, worked from 3:00 pm to midnight. He stated that pipes were repaired, and Trickum Creek showed no signs of water or public health impairment. Monitoring would continue for a year. Mr. Trocquet informed everyone that the Comprehensive Plan 5-year update was due this year. That is when future land use is reviewed, including zoning. There will be public engagement meetings, public hearings, three open house meetings, online surveys, and informational mailers will be sent, and he would personally meet with five HOA’s. Mr. Langford thanked staff for their great work on the sewer emergency while he was out of the country. Mr. Langford shared that they had a candidate for hire to fill Cody Kelley's position. He was coming to Council tonight, saving two weeks, allowing Mr. Dominique Trifilo to begin as soon as possible following his two-week notice. A motion was made to approve the hiring of Dominic Trifilo for the Public Works Maintenance Tech I position. Motion made by Council Member Hunter, Seconded by Council Member Campbell. Voting Yea: Council Member Campbell, Council Member Whelan, Council Member Hunter, Council Member Wheeler. Mayor Dial asked why departments come to Council for new hires? All agreed that it was not common practice. Mr. Perkins explained that the past Council voted for new hires to be appointed by Council and that it was a policy. He added that he could update the policy to return the responsibility back to the Town Manager. Council Member Hunter suggested another salary survey to keep and retain good employees. It seemed folks were being trained by Tyrone and moving on for better pay elsewhere. Page 7 of 9 XIII. COUNCIL COMMENTS Council Member Wheeler shared that she believed Mr. Alvin Todd would be open to him meeting with the River Crest HOA for the Comp Plan updates. Council Member Campbell thanked everyone for attending and emphasized the importance of expressing their opinions. He then asked for an update on the emergency exit within Shamrock Industrial Park. Mr. Langford stated that the final design came in today. Mr. Trocquet added that the next step after review would be the bidding process. Council Member Hunter shared that the emergency gate was left open on the Dogwood Road side of the Industrial Park. Mr. Trocquet stated that Georgia Power was doing work and must have left it open. Council Member Wheeler inquired about the reopening of Spencer Lane. Mr. Trocquet shared that it should be open next Wednesday. Council Member Whelan echoed Council Member Campbell, stating that she also thanked the public for their engagement and comments and the Mayor with his flexibility with the protocols for the agenda. Council Member Whelan inquired about the frequency of sewer failures in subdivisions surrounded by quarries. Mr. Trocquet stated that the Georgia EPD, Surface Mining Unit, was the overseer of quarry blasting. He added that the department was not well-staffed, however, he could schedule another meeting with the Town’s contact to escalate our concerns. He shared that among the Town’s concerns, when the sewer lines were first installed by John Wieland Homes would not have met Town standards. The sewer force main and lines were also installed on a ridge, which was not ideal. Mayor Dial updated everyone regarding the federal post office located in Tyrone. He shared that Congressman Jack spoke with the Postmaster General of the United States Postal Service. Congressman Jack stated that the post office located in Tyrone burned two years ago and had not reopened. The Postmaster General stated that he would personally investigate the situation. Mayor Dial thanked Congressman Jack for his efforts once again. XIV. EXECUTIVE SESSION A motion was made to move into Executive Session for one real estate item. Motion made by Council Member Campbell, Seconded by Council Member Whelan. Voting Yea: Council Member Campbell, Council Member Whelan, Council Member Hunter, Council Member Wheeler. A motion was made to reconvene. Motion made by Council Member Campbell, Seconded by Council Member Hunter. Voting Yea: Council Member Campbell, Council Member Whelan, Council Member Hunter, Council Member Wheeler. Page 8 of 9 XV. ADJOURNMENT A motion was made to adjourn. Motion made by Council Member Campbell. Voting Yea: Council Member Campbell, Council Member Whelan, Council Member Hunter, Council Member Wheeler. The meeting adjourned at 9:04 pm. By: Attest: Eric Dial, Mayor Dee Baker, Town Clerk Page 9 of 9