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City Council Minutes
<br />January 20, 2022
<br />Page 1
<br />City Council of Peachtree City
<br />Meeting Minutes
<br />Thursday, January 20, 2022
<br />6:30 p.m.
<br />The Mayor and Council of Peachtree City met in regular session on Thursday, January 20, 2022. Mayor
<br />Kim Learnard called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. Others attending: Gretchen Caola, Frank
<br />Destadio, Mike King, and Phil Prebor.
<br />Announcements, Awards, Special Recognition
<br />None
<br />2022 State of the City Address
<br />I'm Kim Learnard and I've been Mayor for two weeks.
<br />I ran for Mayor because I'm passionate about preserving our Peachtree City quality of life. The five of
<br />us on Council have been busy meeting, getting to know each other, and making plans.
<br />It's important to remember we have a weak Mayor form of government, which means it is this body of
<br />five that makes the decisions. This is a knowledgeable, highly qualified Council and we are already
<br />collaborating on our priorities for this year and beyond.
<br />This is not my first term on Council, it is my third. I served as a PTC Council Member for eight years, from
<br />2010-2017, before I term -limited out at that time. Starting in 2010, 1 worked hard to balance our City
<br />budget following the Great Recession. My fellow Council members and I scrutinized every line of every
<br />department, made cuts, froze hiring, raised the millage rate, and, later, restructured or paid off every
<br />one of our debt instruments. That paved the way for today's reasonable millage rate, 49 percent
<br />reserves, and zero debt. We are in a strong budget position.
<br />Our most valuable city asset is our employees, and this evening Council will be considering a new,
<br />comprehensive pay and benefit structure that brings Peachtree City into a strong competitive position
<br />among Georgia peer cities. With this proposal we have the opportunity to standardize our job
<br />classifications, increase minimum and maximum pay ranges to industry norms, and provide internal
<br />equity and external competitiveness. We intend to stay competitive in our pay and benefits.
<br />In my first few weeks as Mayor, my number one priority is to reach out to meet with the people and
<br />organizations that keep Peachtree City safe, healthy, green, productive, educated, and prosperous.
<br />I have enjoyed orientation with the CM and all department heads. I have met with my fellow Fayette
<br />County Mayors, each of our County Commissioners, school leaders, the Chamber, the Rotary Club,
<br />and the SCT. I have our Development Authority and GDOT on the calendar. I intend to forge positive,
<br />mutual relationships that work for all of us communitywide.
<br />By March I plan to host a municipal summit in Peachtree City, and welcome elected officials and City
<br />Managers from all five Fayette cities, as well as our near neighbors to the west, Newnan, Sharpsburg
<br />and Senoia. I don't think this has been done before, but we all have a lot in common and have a lot
<br />to learn from one another. To share just one example, Newnan sustained a devastating tornado that
<br />tore through their historic district in March. Their storm disaster recovery was exemplary, and they have
<br />agreed to lead a brief discussion about storm disaster recovery. Fayetteville can speak to how they
<br />created a new City Center, other communities may focus on paths and trails; and every community
<br />has something to share.
<br />But at the end of the day, it's all about the citizens. My philosophy is I cannot represent citizens if I don't
<br />hear from you, so with that in mind I've scheduled two Town Hall meetings to get us started.
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