City Of Milton: Byrd House, Birmingham Park, Firearms All On Council Agenda

Press release from the City of Milton:

03/12/2022 1:17 PM

Milton’s City Council will meet Monday night to learn about, and weigh in on, a variety of topics ranging from landscaping outside the historic Byrd House to equestrian-related park improvements to a potential ordinance regarding the discharge of firearms.The March 14 meeting is a Work Session, meaning the Mayor and Council members will not take any votes (and, thus, take conclusive actions). But a Work Sessions are great opportunities for the Council to learn about potential City government initiatives and offer direction to City staff.

Monday’s meeting starts at 6 p.m. in City Hall’s Council Chambers at 2006 Heritage Walk in Milton. Citizens can attend in person or watch live online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JAfy2b90QM.

Below are summaries of the “Reports and Presentations” on the agenda:

• Discussion of Proposed Ordinance Changes Regarding:
  A. Discharging Firearms
  B. Regulation of Tobacco Products and Paraphernalia

   Police Chief Rich Austin will seek the Council’s feedback on proposed changes to two elements of the City Code. In both cases, he will explain benefits of alterations that take these matters under local control, rather than deferring to State law.

The first relates to where firearms can be discharged in Milton. Currently, the only related mention is that they cannot be discharged in a City park. Otherwise, the default is to State law that makes it illegal to fire within 50 yards of a public street or on another person’s property without its owner’s permission.

Austin will reference some citizens’ concerns as well as varying approaches taken by neighboring jurisdictions. For example, in Alpharetta you cannot fire a gun anywhere in that city except in the defense of a person or property. Cherokee and Forsyth counties are governed by state law except for county parks.

The Chief will offer for consideration prohibiting the discharge of a firearm onto or across another’s property (with that other property owner’s permission). He will also propose making it unlawful to discharge a gun within 100 yards of any structure capable of being inhabited or occupied. These would all be in addition to state law.

The second matter relates to the sale of tobacco products to people under 21-years-old. Creating a local ordinance on this would contain these cases within the City Court, allow for swifter processing and resolution of pertinent cases, and give Milton to opportunity to offer its own diversionary-type programs. Milton Police are proposing a local ordinance that largely mirrors state law.

As part of the FY2022 budget process, City staff proposed – and, as part of the overall budget, the City Council approved – some funding to address landscaping around the historic, City-owned Thomas Byrd Sr. House on Hopewell Road. The presentation is about what specifically should be done around that property, and at what cost.

The goals of this project are to stabilize the sloping hill outside the house, allow for the possibility of new public art, incorporate plantings native to this area, and beautify the property in ways consistent with the aesthetic of rural Milton and a nearby roundabout where Hopewell meets Birmingham Road.  On Monday, Public Works Director Sara Leaders will lay out a comprehensive approach that addresses all the chief goals within the budget parameters as well as less extensive, and expensive, options.

The highest potential cost for this project (about $70,000 worth) would be to buy and install black-eyed susans, purple coneflowers, fragrant sumac, pink muhly grass, creeping phlox and other native plants across about 17,500 square feet of slope. A new entry sign and wall would cost about $15,000 more.

The City hopes to open the project to bid sometime in the middle of this month, with work ideally beginning in late April and ending in late May. If there is input to change direction and redesign the plans, that could push the project construction out to the fall.

• Discussion of Milton Facilities Dedication Plaque Policy.

  In the coming years, the City hopes to open, dedicate and name a number of facilities, greenspaces and parks. Most of those will feature plaques commemorating the occasion – which is what this presentation is about. The goal is to have a consistent, sensible approach for all City plaques to come.

  Facilities Manager David Bergmaier will start by sharing examples of existing Milton dedication plaques and some from other cities. Then he’ll seek Council’s feedback on what other information to include besides the building name and dedication date – specifically, whose names should be featured. The following are options in that regard:

• Discussion of Creation of a Milton Trails Advisory Committee.

  In June 2019, a Milton Trails Advisory Committee was established to work with City staff to update Milton’s then-trails plan in order to prioritize pedestrian-friendly access and accentuating natural beauty. Their work culminated – and the committee was disbanded – the following year with the passage of the Milton Community Trail Prioritization Plan. That Plan can be found here: https://www.cityofmiltonga.us/home/showpublisheddocument/2859/637329280499070000. The committee, and that plan, focused on the Milton’s Crabapple area, Deerfield area, Birmingham Park, the Cooper/Copper Sandy greenspace, and the Lackey Road greenspace.

  Since then, both the City’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan and 2021-2025 Strategic Plan proposed creating a standing Milton Trails Advisory Committee (MTAC). Monday’s presentation will seek the Mayor and Council’s feedback on the mission, make-up and other details of how MTAC would work.

  On Monday, City staff will propose that this committee participate in bicycle, pedestrian and trail project planning and development that further Milton’s trail-related objectives. MTAC members would advise and assist City staff on an as-needed basis.

  The Council’s feedback will be sought on how members would be appointed to the proposed 7-member committee. One option would be to have the Mayor and each Council member to have one appointee apiece. Another would be for an open nomination process in which interested citizens apply, City staff will identify qualified citizens, and the Council will consider the options and approve the entire committee in a single vote.

   

Milton is proud of its rich equestrian heritage, as well as dedicated to furthering that as best that it can. One opportunity in this regard is providing City trails and other spaces for horses and their riders to enjoy around Milton. This presentation will focus on potential improvements to one already popular place for this in Birmingham Park as well as possibly opening a greenspace for riders’ use.

People already bring their horses to ride the trails around Birmingham Park, for instance. Yet Milton’s 2021-2025 Strategic Plan and 2040 Comprehensive Plan see even more potential to make this park even more of a gem – and destination – for the equestrian community. After getting feedback from the Milton Equestrian Committee, City staff on Monday will propose redoing the parking area to give more room for horse trailer turnarounds, adding lighting around that parking area, creating trails that connect to that lot, installing a water source that horses can drink from, and adding 6-foot high field fencing. More long-term, the City is looking into replacing a bridge in the property and other trail improvements.

The other project would be for 21 acres at the southwest corner of Birmingham Road and Freemanville Road that the City acquired in April 2019 for $1.4 million in greenspace bond funds. The City is proposing adding gravel parking, fencing, gating, and doing some clean-up around that property. After that work is complete, people can bring their horses to ride in the greenspace’s enclosed pasture.

With Council’s consent, City staff plan to seek bids soon for both projects. The goal is that those bids will be returned in April, with the Council potentially voting on a contract for approval later this spring.

This press release was produced by the City of Milton. The views expressed here are the author’s own.