Tucker, GA — The Tucker City Council at its Oct. 10 meeting voted to add a leash law to Tucker’s city code.

The new law will require that animals be restrained to the owner’s property and controlled via a leash or other means when not at home or in a designated off-leash area. Healthy free-roaming cats will not be impounded unless they are causing damage or unsanitary conditions.

The law also regulates ownership of “hazardous” animals, including venomous snakes or constrictors over 10 feet in length, among others.

Animal control for Tucker is provided by DeKalb County.

Mayor Frank Auman said the new law will allow leash rules to be consistently enforced at Henderson Park. 

In other business:

— The council discussed rezoning some properties along Lawrenceville Highway, Steel Drive, Woodbriar Circle, Weston Lane, Sheridan Street, Lexington Road, Stockton Drive, and Brockett Road.

Community Development Director Courtney Smith said that the city is in the process of creating a special zoning district along the Lawrenceville Highway corridor.  N

A list of new zoning designations was adopted in September. The city is now considering rezoning the parcels.

Public comment was primarily focused on the designations of specific parcels. 

Kimberly Kulak said that while she understands that 2140 and 2134 Brockett Road are currently single-family homes with a lot of land, she does not think changing their designation from LH1 (Lawrenceville Highway Residential) to LH2 (Lawrenceville Highway Neighborhood) was appropriate to the neighborhood. LH2 would allow cottage homes, town homes, and two or three family dwellings.

Kulak lives across the street on Archdale Drive and says she is concerned about traffic mitigation along that stretch where there is a lot of pedestrian use.

Joel McKie spoke as an attorney representing PPG Paints, which owns property at 3658 Lawrenceville Highway.  McKie said that the most recent proposal changes the designation of that parcel from LH3 (high-density residential and adaptive reuse) to LH4  (industrial). McKie thanked the city for being responsive to his client’s concerns.

City council members and staff acknowledged that changes to zoning make people wary.

“The word density sometimes sends shockwaves through people,” Councilmember Alexis Weaver said. 

However, Weaver pointed out that the new zoning includes types of housing that the city’s housing study pointed out were missing, cottage homes,  town homes,  and two and three family residential housing that will create more affordable housing.

Mayor Pro Tem Anne Lerner said that this kind of change is essential to the health of the city.

“Cities that don’t develop new or redevelop old die…We need to think about regeneration and renewal,” Lerner said.

— The council conducted the first read of an ordinance that would change city purchasing policies to reflect Federal requirements for the use of Federal funds.

Finance Director Beverly Hilton said that requested changes to the purchasing policy would raise the self-certification purchasing threshold from $10,000 to $50,000 in accordance with Federal regulations and reduce confusion by making the city’s practices conform to Federal requirements.

“It makes Federal purchasing requirements part of our policy,” HIlton said. Weaver said that the update will make more Federal funding sources available.

Second reads and votes on the ordinances will occur in November.

— Tucker received a $2,500 health promotion and wellbeing grant from the Georgia Municipal Association and Local Government Risk Management Services. The grant was presented by health promotion services manager Sherea Robinson and is intended to help Tucker conduct health and wellness programs for city employees.

— The city’s new Human Resources Manager Lolita Brown hired a broker, Tommy Hayes of MSI Benefits Group, Inc. to secure a benefits package for city employees.

— The council approved revisions to the city code to conform to the Tucker Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan approved in June 2023. The changes removed inconsistencies and changed the names of some designations.

— The council approved a five-year contract for lease and installation of 15 Flock license plate reader cameras and associated software. The contract will cost $44,000 in Fiscal Year 2024 including installation. In FY 25-28 costs will be fixed at $37,500.

— The council approved the purchase of a retractable bleacher system at the Tucker Recreation Center gymnasium for the amount of $37,788.

— The council also approved a contract in the amount of $45,000 with Root Design Studio, LLC, to complete design and engineering for Lord Park, located at 5525 Smokerise Drive. 

City council member Roger Orlando called it a good first step towards developing what will be a beautiful and useful park.

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