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College Park City Council
💸 The City of College Park awarded a contract worth nearly $11 million to construction firm Precision 2000 (P2K) to build the Roderick Gay Botanical Garden, which will feature greenspace, walking trails, an educational center, and an amphitheater.
Cristhian Moreno, senior estimator at P2K, presented the firm’s proposal, highlighting the company’s experience, budget, and timeline, estimating that the project could be finished by Thanksgiving 2026. Council members did not question Precision 2000 about the presentation or the project before voting to award the contract, despite ongoing skepticism from the mayor and members of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners regarding, among other things, the ethics of naming a $10 million public project after a sitting council member and the Roderick Gay Conservancy itself, which will receive city funding but seems to lack clear independent oversight.
Also discussed at this meeting:
🫰🏽 Ward 2 council member Joe Carn proposed waiving some city-imposed administrative fees for new housing development applications for 60 days. He called the resolution College Park’s version of a “Black Friday sale” and said that it would show that the City is open for business and spur development at a time of the year when it typically slows. The waived fees would include those for rezoning applications, environmental reviews, and tree-removal permits. The resolution was amended to extend the period to 120 days, through March 2026. Council members were concerned about the potential loss of revenue and asked City Manager Michael Hicks to provide an estimate of the financial impact. Mayor Bianca Motley Broom expressed concern that “the optics are not good.” Council tabled the item until their next meeting.
🕵🏿 College Park Resident Mahersala Howard demanded increased oversight of spending to prevent “grifting behavior.” She suggested all expenditures under $10,000 be documented at each council meeting during the city manager’s report. “If this City can spend it, the City needs to explain it,” Howard said. “If this City can approve it, the City needs to justify it.” Howard’s comments reflect broader frustration with citywide spending, including each council member’s $900,000 in discretionary funds, which critics argue can be allocated without sufficient accountability.
👷🏾 Tanya Wright, a homeowner in the South Park Cottages development, complained of “defective construction” leading to burst pipes and water damage. She requested an independent review of the micro homes and criticized College Park’s “questionable permitting and inspection decisions.”
(Documented by Natalie Pilgeram)
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