FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Council Communications
Atlanta City Hall
55 Trinity Ave. SW
Atlanta, GA 30303

Oct. 6, 2025

ATLANTA—The Atlanta City Council approved a resolution appointing members to the City of Atlanta Reparations Study Commission. The commission was established to research and document the City of Atlanta’s historical role in the legal discrimination of African American residents, and to recommend potential remedies to address the resulting economic, educational, health and social disparities (25-R-3899).

Other items approved by Council include:

• Two resolutions on behalf of the Department of Watershed Management executing contracts for on-call major electrical repairs, one for $17.1 million, the other for $2.25 million. Both contracts are for a three-year term with two one-year renewal options (25-R-3778, 25-R-3779). These items were sent to the Mayor’s Office post-haste.

• An ordinance authorizing an agreement to add approximately $4.7 million for continued construction of the Cascade Road  Complete Street project, including streetscape and signal installation (25-O-1528).

• A resolution donating $250,000 to the George State University Research Foundation, the fiscal agent for the Atlanta Regional Collaborative for Health Improvement (ARCHI), to support emergency home repairs for legacy residents to help prevent displacement (25-R-3901).

• An ordinance halting acceptance of new applications for permits relating to outdoor vending on public or private property, permits which may impede upon the right-of-way or require closures, and permits authorizing the conduct of large gatherings and outdoor festivals between June 11 and July 19, 2026 (the FIFA operational period) (25-O-1537).

• Confirmation of Cyril Turner as Department of Public Works Commissioner. Turner most recently served as senior vice president of Delta Connect for Delta Airlines. He simultaneously earned a Bachelor of Science in applied physics from Morehouse College and a BS in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology before completing his Master of Business Administration in finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania (25-C-0111).

• A resolution supporting members of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA), including the Atlanta Dream, and urging the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) to negotiate equitable contracts that provide fair compensation, benefits, and working conditions for its players. This item was an immediate consideration.

Items introduced for consideration include:

• A resolution donating $1.5 million from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to Mercy Housing Southeast to deliver affordable housing units in the Old Fourth Ward by supporting the Henderson Place redevelopment.

• An ordinance establishing that unsecured, undeveloped property that remains vacant for more than 60 days and that poses a public nuisance or public safety risk, endangers the public health, safety and welfare of City citizens and requiring owners to install and maintain a secure perimeter fence or other approved barrier.

• An ordinance requiring all Atlanta Fire Rescue Department engine companies and ladder/truck companies to be staffed with a minimum of four personnel per apparatus per shift.

• A resolution requesting that the City designate or acquire property within Gilbert Gardens for development of affordable housing, conduct a feasibility study and develop an implementation plan.

• A resolution launching the “It Starts With Me” campaign to help Atlanta achieve and maintain 50 percent average tree cover and encouraging every city resident to employ the Front Yard Tree Program which will plant up to three trees, for free, on their property.

• An ordinance requiring primary pedestrian entrances to provide push-button activators where relationship of the building to street is required.

The City Council presented proclamations and recognitions to Judge Winfield Murray, ATL311 Customer Service, 2025 Senior Games, and Delta Airlines.

About the Atlanta City Council

The Atlanta City Council is the chief policy-making body for the City of Atlanta. It acts by considering and enacting all laws that govern the City. The Council also approves the operating and capital budgets for the City as recommended by the mayor, and it continually monitors revenues and expenditures for local government operations. The Atlanta City Council reviews and has final say on many land-use and zoning matters. Major economic development projects for the City also fall under the council’s jurisdiction.

The City Council is composed of 12 districts and three at-large posts. Council representatives include: Council President: Doug Shipman; District 1: Jason Winston; District 2: Carden Wyckoff; District 3: Byron Amos; District 4: Jason S. Dozier; District 5: Liliana Bakhtiari; District 6: Alex Wan; District 7: Howard Shook; District 8: Mary Norwood; District 9: Dustin Hillis; District 10: Andrea L. Boone; District 11: Marci Collier Overstreet; District 12: Antonio Lewis; Post 1 At-Large: Michael Julian Bond; Post 2 At-Large: Matt Westmoreland; and Post 3 At-Large: Eshé Collins.

To learn more about the Atlanta City Council, please visit http://citycouncil.atlantaga.gov/. For the latest updates, follow the Atlanta City Council on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Office of Council Communications Contact:

 Zena Lewis
zolewis@atlantaga.gov
404-330-6309

Bill Doughty
wdoughty@atlantaga.gov
404-330-6056

Tiffanie Kelly
trkelly@atlantaga.gov
404-330-6014