Policy Analysis Report: ACC Commission Activities in December and January

This is Cole Hendricks, the lead for policy analysis at API. In 2026, center members are continuing to look at the Athens-Clarke County (ACC) Commission’s activities relative to each subject covered by API’s policy centers. This month, they focused on the shorter December session and the January session.

Criminal Justice by Zoe Cannon

In December 2025, a local oversight board discussed ICE policy with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD) to establish the details of their cooperation and guidelines surrounding immigration enforcement going forward. Local law enforcement has worked with ICE in accordance with state and federal laws. ACC police are obligated to take undocumented immigrants into custody for up to 48 hours past the normal point of release following a crime to provide time for ICE agents to detain the arrested. ACCPD stated that they would provide ICE with local tools and information such as surveillance feeds upon request but were rarely in direct communication with the agency.

In terms of major crime, an arrest was made on December 19, 2025 in relation to the murder of Anargyros Mantas that occurred the day prior. Jamarioun Clark, 22-year-old male of Madison, GA, was arrested on charges of Aggravated Assault, Felony Murder, Possession of Firearm by Convicted Felon, and Possession of a Firearm During Commission of a Crime.

Education by Max Swain

During this period, the Commission approved a Development Agreement impacting Lay Park during the Mayor & Commission Regular Session on January 6th, 2026, which includes provisions for the relocation and reconstruction of the Lay Park playground under the direction of Leisure Services. The agreement requires the developer to contribute $275,000 toward playground reconstruction, with future funding options through SPLOST, General Fund Capital, or East Downtown TAD funds. Because Lay Park hosts youth programs, summer camps, and community programming, these changes directly affect public educational and enrichment services administered through Leisure Services.

These policy efforts maintain county-level support for youth recreational infrastructure and ensure that playground and program facilities remain structurally supported as redevelopment occurs.

Economic Development by Jordan Smith

A TSPLOST project discussed in December aims to improve connectivity between Newton Bridge Road to Prince Avenue, including the construction of a 7,230 foot two way separated bike facility. It also includes 5 foot sidewalks and upgrades to the intersections at North Chase Street, Oneta Street and Boulevard. There are improvements to ADA accessibility, crosswalks and push button stations to enhance the safety and connectivity of residents, cyclists, and businesses in high density areas.

The commission is considering providing $50,000 in funding for the ACCA Meals on Wheels program which delivers meals to senior citizens. It delivers over 68,000 meals per year to older adults with disabilities in Clarke and Barrow counties. The program costs $3000 per senior and receives funds from the ACC government, federal Older Americans Act grants, and private donations. As of 2025, the program has been confronted with funding gaps, specifically from federal funds, and further require $4000 for their emergency food pantry. The waitlist for the program has 40 seniors and requests for aid in food, rent, and emergency support has risen. To provide resources for everyone on the waitlist would cost $120,000 annually.

The commission completed the 2025-2029 transit development plan which reviews the bus services in the county. The commission must now decide if they want to approve the use of $924,293 in TSPLOST 2023 Project 19 funds to hire an on-call Florida planning firm RS&H to produce a transit comprehensive plan for the county. Even with the transit development plan in place, this subsequent plan will fund a larger review to address bigger issues in ACC’s transportation system. This includes making improvements to inefficient routes, facility upgrades, reviewing funding sources and improving route/service optimization.

Healthcare by Jordan Smith

The commission plans to waive $147,243 in water and sewer connection fees for the SPLOST 2020 Project 28 which includes a new 24 unit mental health recovery facility. It aims to give residential housing for individuals who have addiction and mental health conditions. The facility will be placed at 240 Mitchell Bridge Road and will receive a $4 million Behavioral Health grant.

Housing by Tanish Karnala

A major focus was the Future Land Use Map (FLUM), which is a 20-year plan for Athens's development. The Commission plans to make zoning changes to about 6% of the county’s land. These zoning changes will likely be debated in future meetings. The largest impact is that FLUM identifies the Atlanta Highway/Hawthorne Avenue area as the primary growth corridor where the county will house ~30,000 residents over the next two decades. These areas are where new neighborhoods and mixed-use developments are being planned in order to serve the new influx of residents.

Anticipating the additional strain on transportation and infrastructure developments is where the Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (TSPLOST) debate begins. TSPLOST is an important source of funds for the Unified Government’s infrastructure funding. Funds come from an additional sales tax that ensures visitors to Athens and the University of Georgia contribute to the infrastructure they use. In the most recent January 20th meeting, the Mayor and Commission approved the final list of proposed projects for an upcoming referendum. This cycle of investments includes expansion of the greenway, building new sidewalks, and bike infrastructure. The trail investments will include the completion of the Firefly Trail and the expansion of the North Oconee Greenway. Many investments will be focused on the Westside, where residents have been calling for transportation improvements. As it is also a growth corridor, these investments seem timely to ensure safety as these areas grow.

The allocation of these funds was a major source of debate for the recent Commission meetings. The main questions were whether Athens should prioritize quality of life (trails and greenways) or transportation safety (bike lanes and sidewalks). The main difference was how the funds would focus on investing in the newer Westside instead of the older and more established Eastside. Eastside investments will primarily focus on improving transportation safety in areas near campus. The Eastside Athens Complete Streets Redevelopment Project allocates 11 million dollars for increasing walkability and creating protected bike lanes on College Station Road. Some critics point out, however, that these areas have historically received more funding compared to the Westside. Commissioners representing the Westside have pointed out the lack of basic sidewalks and crosswalks on Atlanta Highway and other growth corridors in West Athens.

In terms of Greenway expansion and investment, the Commission has allocated 7 million dollars to the Middle Oconee Greenway. Community groups like the Friends of the Greenway clashed with critics who advocated for safety investments. The main argument was that while the Greenway expansions would be nice to have, sidewalks on a busy road could be a matter of life and death. Some argued that by the time the Westside gets developed and people start moving in, funds would be used up on greenways and other less important projects, leaving the new residents without safe sidewalks.

One topic from the last blog post demonstrates some of the challenges the commission has been facing. The Homewood Village development is the kind of modern project that a growing Athens needs. As FLUM suggests, it is a mixed-use and high-density development in a new growth corridor. However, like community groups and critics pointed out in previous Sessions, there is an infrastructure gap: aging sewers, increased traffic, and a lack of sidewalks. If the local government does not use TSPLOST and other funds to fix utility issues, these new developments will struggle to connect with the rest of the county, slowing growth and much-needed development. Furthermore, the recent restrictions on short-term rentals in multi-family zones help ensure that housing is protected from becoming investment assets while the county promotes growth along western growth corridors instead of in existing areas.

Recent Commission sessions have debated balancing growth with current needs and ensuring that the right investments are made. The discourse of investing in basic infrastructure vs quality of life investments will likely continue into future sessions.

Sustainability by Max Swain

As outlined in the January 6th, 2026 Regular Session Agenda, redevelopment plans for Lay Park include tree removal associated with construction of a retaining wall and pedestrian bridge. These activities will occur under the supervision of the Community Forestry Coordinator in accordance with the Community Tree Management Ordinance, and ACC anticipates funding future reforestation efforts.

The Commission also considered broader land-use and redevelopment impacts, including pedestrian connectivity, infrastructure modifications, and environmental adjustments within Lay Park. While some of these measures are administrative or development-driven, they contribute to the framework through which ACC balances urban redevelopment with environmental management and sustainability objectives.