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

March 2, 2026

Atlanta City Council Transfers $8M for Team Overseeing
Water, Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements

 ATLANTA — The Atlanta City Council approved the transfer of $8 million from Department of Watershed Management (DWM) reserves to pay for the Project Management Services Team that will oversee execution of the One Water Strategies and Capital Improvement Plans created by the DWM, focusing on critical water and wastewater infrastructure programs (26-O-1116).

Other items approved by Council include:

• An ordinance authorizing execution of the seventh amendment for water distribution system rehabilitation and improvement upgrades at the Hemphill Pump Station, at a cost of approximately $1.5 million (26-O-1155).

• A resolution donating approximately $445,000 to Living Walls The Cities Speaks, a non-profit organization that provides planning, design, production, and implementation of a series of public murals and related public art programming (26-R-3246).

• An ordinance authorizing the execution of a second amendment of the Municipal Court of Atlanta’s contract for its case management system, at a cost of approximately $300,250 (26-O-1146).

• A resolution to execute a lighting services agreement with Georgia Power Company for installation of smart streetlight infrastructure for the “Integrated Atlanta: Wi-Fi World Cup Initiative” for a one-year term with three one-year renewal options at a cost of approximately $400,000 (26-R-3244).

• A resolution authorizing a special procurement agreement with Comcast Cable Communications Management for the “Integrated Atlanta: Wi-Fi World Cup Initiative” for a one-year term with three one-year renewal options at a cost of approximately $263,000 (26-R-3243).

• A resolution asking the Atlanta Police Department to examine its procedures, to express the policy priority of Atlanta, to emphasize community-based diversion for low-level offenses, encouraging the use of citations where appropriate, and requesting transparency reporting on enforcement trends (26-R-3234).

• A resolution requesting that the Atlanta Department of Transportation honor its Summer 2025 public commitment to fulfill the requests outlined in Resolution 25-R-3213, which prioritized the Moving Atlanta Forward Peachtree Safe Streets Project, including a pedestrian crosswalk, before the City-sponsored Atlanta Streets Alive on Peachtree Street on April 19, 2026 (26-R-3242).

• An ordinance amending the Cool Roofs ordinance adopted in June 2025, amending the effective date and providing additional options for reflectivity compliance and incorporating the Cool Roofs Rating Council reflectance standard (26-O-1154).

• An ordinance renaming the Kirkwood Urban Forest Preserve as Williamson Urban Forest in honor of Earl Williamson, longtime chair of the Kirkwood Neighbors Organization’s Environmental Committee, who was a driving force behind these stewardship efforts (26-O-1150).

• A resolution authorizing acceptance of an in-kind donation of a conference room, valued at approximately $1,000, from Zoo Atlanta for use by the Atlanta City Council for its annual retreat (26-R-3231).

• A resolution recognizing the life, leadership and legacy of the Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., a key national leader in the Civil Rights Movement, who passed away on Feb. 17, 2026. This item was an immediate consideration.

Items introduced for consideration include:

• An ordinance prohibiting warehousing, self-storage facilities and distribution centers within the Beltline Overlay District.

• An ordinance authorizing acceptance of approximately $1.1 million in grant funding from the Georgia Department of Transportation to provide preliminary engineering for the Lenox Road Corridor Trail and safety improvements from Phipps Boulevard to Piedmont Road.

• An ordinance leasing approximately 3 acres, currently part of Rodney Cook, Sr. Park on Vine Street, to the Andrew J. Young Foundation, which will use the property for administration, programming and operation of the Andrew Young International Institute for Peace and Reconciliation, including constructing improvements on the property.

• A resolution calling for an approximately $787,000, one-year cooperative agreement for a solid waste route management/route optimization system.

• A resolution to donate $750,000 to the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta in support of community-based capital programs which support eligible Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (“OCA”) identified projects and entities within Atlanta.

• A resolution to establish a partnership with the nonprofit “Funk Not Fight Foundation,” established by musician and cultural icon Bootsy Collins, which promotes peace, creativity, and youth empowerment through music, arts education, mentorship, and anti-violence programming.

• An ordinance approving a $100,000 donation to SafeHouse Outreach to support street outreach, supportive services and rehousing for individuals experiencing homelessness and extreme poverty.

• An ordinance authorizing an approximately $405,000 special procurement agreement for an attorney digital evidence management system for the City’s Office of the Defender, which represents indigent clients.

• An ordinance renaming Fulton Street S.W. from Whitehall Terrace, S.W. to Capital Avenue S.W. to J. Lowell Ware Boulevard, in honor of the pioneering Black journalist, publisher and community activist who co-founded several publications including The Atlanta Voice in 1966, which continues today under the leadership of his daughter, Janis Ware.

• A resolution executing an approximately $138,000 agreement for the Safe Passage Program, a mentorship program to support justice impacted youth and young adults and the Rapid Response Initiative, a hospital-based violence intervention program.

• A resolution to establish a partnership between the City of Atlanta District 12 office, Atlanta Public Schools and key housing and development partners to ensure that data informing school closures and enrollment decisions are accurate, current, and alighted with projected housing development within District 12.

The City Council presented proclamations and recognitions to S.L. King & Associates and Raquel Hill.

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 Council is composed of 12 districts and three at-large posts. Council representatives include: Council President: Marci Collier Overstreet; District 1: Jason Winston; District 2: Kelsea Bond; District 3: Byron Amos; District 4: Jason S. Dozier; District 5: Liliana Bakhtiari; District 6: Alex Wan; District 7: Thomas Worthy; District 8: Mary Norwood; District 9: Dustin Hillis; District 10: Andrea L. Boone; District 11: Wayne Martin; 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 Contacts:

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

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