Milton City Council adopts 2023 budget, reroutes funds | Milton News | #citycouncil


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By AMBER PERRY

amber@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — The Milton City Council adopted the fiscal year 2023 Budget at the Sept. 19 City Council meeting, which included new modifications to funding.

Milton City Manager Steve Krokoff presented changes to specific personnel items, following concerns raised by some council members regarding the new initiatives.

“The budget process is a critical time for us,” Krokoff said. “It’s when we weigh competing priorities to determine which to accomplish now and which to defer until later.”

Krokoff suggested deferring consideration of several new positions, including the police records clerk, part-time public safety ambassadors and staff for Milton City Park and Preserve. Combined funding for the deferred positions totals $294,363, which will be rerouted to the Fire Station 45 construction project.

If the City Council approved the recommendations brought forth, Milton Assistant City Manager Bernadette Harvill said there would be a reduction in Maintenance and Operating initiatives, which would consist of funds that go into Interfund Transfers Out.

The overall spending and fund balance would remain the same, Harvill said.



Milton City Manager Steve Krokoff introduces the last public hearing for the new budget at the Sept. 19 City Council meeting, listing several recommendations regarding personnel. The council approved the recommendations, which included deferrals for a full-time police records clerk, part-time public safety ambassadors and Milton City Park and Preserve staff. The deferrals total $294,363 and will be repurposed for Fire Station 45 construction.




Budget expenditures for 2023 stand at around $30.6 million. Revenues total around $37.9 million.

Fire Station 45 is in the budget’s capital improvement plan and has a total projected cost of nearly $4.4 million. Milton city staff expressed a need for the new fire station, citing over 400 new residents in the slated location and the new City Hall down the street.

The station will sit around Ga. 372 and New Providence Road, outside of Insurance Services Office-required road miles to Fire Station 41 and 43.

The budget book states that future residents in the area will see improved response times and ISO ratings which can affect insurance costs.

The full-time police records clerk was originally proposed to reduce the burden associated with fingerprinting and open records requests.

But, Krokoff noted alternative ways to mitigate demand for fingerprinting. He proposed changing some of Milton’s regulations that require fingerprinting and referring those who seek fingerprinting services unrelated to city business to private providers.

He also said the city is researching open records redaction services with private providers for assistance during times of high demand.

Questions on park safety

The part-time safety ambassadors were intended to patrol the city’s parks and trails. The total for those positions, including bicycles and one vehicle, has a price tag of around $157,000.

Krokoff recommended keeping the positions but leaving them unfunded. He suggested that the city eventually hire a patrol officer to test the program and reevaluate mid-year.

City Councilman Rick Mohrig questioned whether the position is necessary. To understand the full usage of the position, Mohrig asked if the city’s parks have a safety issue, if other cities have similar positions and if there are less costly options.



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Milton Police Chief George Austin answers questions about the public safety ambassadors, who would patrol the city’s parks and trails. Austin agreed with Milton City Manager Steve Krokoff’s recommendation to test the program by hiring one patrol officer.




Milton Police Chief George Austin said there have been some issues with “entering autos” at parks.

“One of the concerns I have as your police chief is that parks are particularly vulnerable areas,” Austin said.

Roswell did have parks police at one point, Austin said. After conferring with Milton Parks and Recreation Director Tom McKlveen, Austin said that a park officer could also look out for safety hazards along the trail.

Krokoff mentioned a recent incident at Roswell Area Park, in which a man was found critically injured. Head injuries led the victim to have difficulty recounting what happened, but investigators are treating it like an assault until proven otherwise.

“I’d like to at least get somebody out there to start getting a feel for what’s going on,” Krokoff said.

In other action at the Monday night meeting, the City Council approved an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) among Fulton County cities regarding costs associated with educating the public on local option sales tax, or LOST, negotiations. The maximum liability for the city is around $8,000.

Council defers conflict waiver

The City Council deferred a conflict waiver presented by City Attorney Ken Jarrard.

The waiver would authorize Jarrard’s law firm to represent Forsyth County, Cherokee County and the City of Milton in an anticipated intergovernmental agreement related to a new development within Milton and Fulton County. The agreement would allow Forsyth County to provide water services to the development.

There was discussion surrounding Forsyth County’s position but also Jarrard’s position as representing all parties involved. Jarrard also serves as the Forsyth County Attorney.



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Milton City Attorney Ken Jarrard presents a conflict waiver regarding a new development that straddles parts of Forsyth County, Cherokee County and the City of Milton. The anticipated intergovernmental agreement would allow Forsyth County to provide water services to the entire development. After much discussion, the City Council chose to defer the item to the Oct. 3 City Council meeting.




Council member Carol Cookerly asked Jarrard if he has a built-in peer review process to ensure best practices.

“I want to be very transparent and honest with you,” Jarrard said. “If/when you approve these conflict waivers, the only people reviewing this from an attorney perspective is my office.”

Jarrard said he supposes that the best peer review would be the City Council.

“I’m going to have to bring this IGA to you in an open session,” Jarrard said. “You’ll be able to read it. And assuming that you don’t like it, or if you find a provision of it to be a problem, then I’ll get out of it.”

Cookerly said she’s not sure if she’s qualified to do that.

“We don’t know what we don’t know, counselor,” she said.

Councilman Rick Mohrig asked Jarrard why Fulton County couldn’t supply water services, if most of the development is in Milton.

Jarrard said it could be that Fulton County doesn’t have the water infrastructure. He also said that it makes the most sense that one party supplies water for the entire development.

“Looks like we’re going to have a debate in the future,” Mayor Peyton Jamison said.

The conflict waiver will be re-introduced at the Oct. 3 City Council meeting.


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