Policy Analysis Report: ACC Commission Activities in October

This is Cole Hendricks, the co-lead for policy analysis at API. This month, our center members looked at the Athens-Clarke County (ACC) Commission’s activities to achieve a better understanding of what the commission did this month as it pertains to the topics covered by API’s other centers. The following is what they found relative to each subject.

Criminal Justice by Max Swain

During the October 7^th meeting, the ACC Mayor and Commission unanimously approved the First Amendment to the 2025-2026 School Resource Officer (SRO) Agreement between the Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD) and the Clarke County School District (CCSD). The amendment updates the existing agreement to cooperate with Georgia House Bill 268, which allows law enforcement limited access to certain student educational records when a potential health or safety threat is identified. This change adds clarity to how SROs may access information during emergencies and continues the joint safety arrangement between the ACCPD and CCSD.

The approval regularizes compliance with new state requirements yet maintains the SRO program’s presence within Clarke County schools, continuing the coordination between local law enforcement and ACC educational institutions.

Education by Max Swain

Education-related policy had an extensive presence throughout meetings and votes, with the general aim being supporting safe and equitable learning spaces. The commission approved an update to the performance metrics for the Neighborhood Leaders Program, operated by the Family Connection-Communities in Schools (FC-CIS) of Athens. FC-CIS partners with local agencies and operates under Athens-Clarke County’s broader Economic Justice and Poverty Reduction Initiative, which focuses on supporting low-income families and improving educational equality. The updated metrics apply to the county’s Service Contract Agreement with FC-CIS, which outlines goals related to resident outreach, student support, and coordination across the county’s sixteen designated zones. The changes approved on October 7^th will adjust how FC-CIS measures outcomes such as family engagement, student attendance, and access to community resources (e.g., housing assistance, food support, early learning programs).

The update ensures that data collected through the Neighborhood Leaders Program displays increasingly accurate and policy-aligned measures of community engagement and program impact, assisting the county and the FC-CIS with more properly tracking what is effective and where more support is needed.

Economic Development by Jordan Smith

The commission plans to consider making updates to the Future Land Use Plan. The plan focuses on Athens’s growing population, which is expected to increase by 30,000 people by 2045.The guide outlines the ACC government’s planning needs, such as capital investments in sewer, water, transit, roads, zoning, and development policy. The plan will decide where new developments can be made, as well as the trade-offs for more efficient use of current land in Athens. There are five core principles: (a) redevelop corridors or nodes that are “ripe for transformation,”, (b) limit sewer expansion, (c) reduce travel distances, (d) focus on incremental growth in neighborhoods served by sewer systems, and (e) support environmental and fiscal sustainability. 

The commission also plans to vote on a request that the Mayor and Commission approve the Intergovernmental Agreement between the Tax Commissioner, the Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County, and the City of Winterville for the purpose of collecting Municipal Ad Valorem Taxes together. These are local property taxes charged by the ACC government, and are a large source of revenue for local governments in Georgia. Before ACC was unified, the Tax Commissioner’s Office collected and disbursed the property and city taxes in both counties. As a courtesy, the Tax Commissioner also assessed and collected municipal taxes for the City of Winterville, an agreement which has been in place since 2012. This vote is to allow the Tax Commissioner to continue to collect taxes and send money to and from Winterville on behalf of the ACC government.

The commission is considering a Development Agreement focused on establishing a public-private redevelopment project to revitalize downtown Athens. The plan includes infrastructure upgrades of surrounding buildings, sewer improvements to support the growth of downtown Athens, and privately funded construction of a public parking deck that holds 425 spots.. The developer will pay over $15 million in project-related payments and contributions to affordable housing and park amenities. The ACC government will facilitate land exchanges/land use adjustments to permit this redevelopment. According to the commission, the anticipated benefits of this project include widened sidewalks, more retail spaces and development on Jackson Street, and more artist/mural components for the public. This project also aligns with the Tax Allocation District (TAD) for East Downtown Athens (one of six TADs in ACC), for purposes of public infrastructure improvements such as public parking, sewer utilities, and pedestrian/biking uses.

A few buildings in Athens are being impacted by this project. The historic Hoyt House is being relocated onto public property. An event venue called “The Foundry” and Hotel Abacus are also impacted, though it has been reported that a portion of the The Foundry will be preserved. The developer, a private company called Core Spaces, of this site aims to redevelop both the Hotel Abacus and the Foundry to input the new parking deck and to build new off-campus student housing. 

The commission voted to fund a Low Income Assistance program for water and sewer utility customers/users via an alliance agreement with Gas South Retail Service. This program aims to assist low-income households in paying water and sewer bills. Gas South has supported other water utilities across Georgia by offering discounted natural gas rates to residents. These alliances aim to alleviate the burden on these households and help expand access to these vital services. Revenue from these deals is reinvested into utility operations or customer support programs that assist vulnerable and low-income customers.

The commission will vote to allow construction work on the North Oconee Sanitary Sewer Interceptor project. This proposal will create a crossing in North Oconee’s river in downtown Athens (North Avenue)  to divert sewer flows from the east side line to the left side line. They will authorize over $3 million for the project starting in November and ending in July 2026. This is Phase II of an ongoing project to redevelop sewer lines in Athens. Phase I passed on October 1st, 2024, which approved the design of the Sanitary Sewer Interceptor, with Phase I occurring at College Avenue. The purpose of this project is to increase sanitary sewer capacities across Athens, specifically at North Avenue and College Avenue.

Healthcare by Jordan Smith

The commission will be voting on whether to allow Boulevard Animal Hospital to convert commercial office space on 600 Oglethorpe Avenue into a Veterinary Clinic. This letter from the Animal Hospital outlines the need for relocation assistance for their current practice on Prince Avenue in order to expand their services and “better serve the needs of the Athens community.” This is a special use request to gift more space and a better-suited site for this hospital to provide quality care. With this building and land, the hospital reports that it could increase the number of exam rooms, offer more surgical services, and improve its administrative capabilities. The space is currently zoned for C-O (commercial-office) use, as it originally was a dental office, and offers parking, landscaping, and office spaces. Its location near local dog parks makes it ideal for their community services. 

Additionally, on October 7 the commission considered a request to update the Neighborhood Leaders Program performance metrics. This is a request to revise the performance metrics of the ACC government's Neighborhood Leaders Programto better address the needs of the public post-COVID-19. This program employs 16 individuals in the community and two neighborhood leaders to focus on SNAP outreach. Their roles are to help residents gain access to resources such as education, employment, SNAP benefits, civic engagement, and health services. Their four priority areas are food insecurity, housing insecurity, physical and mental health, and employment. Regarding health, they aim to provide healthcare information and/or screenings to a minimum of 250 residents a year (instead of the original goal of 7200 residents) and provide assistance in finding/renewing access to healthcare providers to a minimum of 10% of residents (instead of the original goal of 25%). 

These changes are due to the agreement that during COVID-19, when the program’s goals were first set, the health targets were too high; these changes now reflect a more feasible approach. The plan also has the goal of hosting health-related community-wide events such as health fairs, Narcan and CPR trainings, and wellness screenings. Alongside physical health, the program focuses on mental health resources, including training these leaders on topics in substance use disorders, health equity, and men’s mental health.

Housing by Tanish Karnala

The commission is considering a proposal for waiving 30% of water and wastewater connection fees for an affordable housing development. The request is predicated on a 2019 update to the code for mayor and commission-approved fee exemptions in developments that are in the public interest (e.g. job creation or affordable housing). A 2024 revision of the code resulted in a cap of 30% for waivers. In July 2025, the developer of the affording housing development in question requested a 30% waiver of $37,549 and outlined previous waivers approved by the Commission. The developer partnered with Athens Land Trust, a non-profit organization expanding access to affordable housing, and both groups have proposed that the units in the development shall be restricted to residents earning 50-70% of the median income in Athens. 

Updates to state policy regarding cottage industries resulted in Item 11 at the most recent agenda setting session, a recommendation from the planning commission for updating the Code of Ordinances. The Georgia General Assembly passed House Bill No. 398, which removed language regarding the use of homes for cottage industries. The commission unanimously passed an amendment that allows ACC residents to use up to 25% of their homes and 100% of other accessory structures on their land.

The commission is also considering a 500-page proposal for future development in Athens. While this proposal was presented in the past, the report outlines specifics of a public-private redevelopment that requires 2 rezonings, 2 new parks, funding for affordable housing, and expansion of sewer lines. Another point of discussion is the creation of a new parking deck on Hoyt Street. New and large developments like these must have units for low-income residents. This developer, however, is already building to the maximum density possible for this property, and elects to pay a fee to the government rather than fight the bureaucratic battle of rezoning and additional construction. This payment-in-lieu fee must be settled before the developer can begin making money from the profit. Therefore, ordinances require $7.8 million, with half going directly to affordable housing projects in the nearby area, and the remainder going towards low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC).

Sustainability by Zoe Cannon

Athens-Clarke County implemented local park improvements and littering programs this month, in line with the Sustainability Department’s stated mission of protecting natural resources and fostering stewardship of public resources and lands. The Ordinance for the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) Grant for Southeast Clarke Park was approved by the commission at the beginning of October. These funds would be used to build a paved surface trail in Clarke Park to increase park accessibility and trail usage. Additionally, the commission approved a grant for the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program (GOSP) Memorial Park Plan. This plan focuses on funding improvements across Memorial Park, such as upkeep and services that will be determined going forward. Athens-Clarke County’s Solid Waste Department also announced a new Bulky Waste Collection Program on October 20th that is designed to help residents dispose of large household waste to limit illegal dumping and pollution, as well as support sustainable recycling practices. Further, the Athens community held a Waterway Cleanup event on October 11, rallying volunteers to clean up local rivers and creeks to limit pollution and litter. 

Finally, a land rezoning and data center construction proposal was rejected by the commission this month, paving the way for a possible new data center sustainability policy. Several members of the Athens community spoke out against the rezoning request at the October commission meeting, citing concerns such as the land's proximity to a local middle school, the preservation of natural resources like the Greenway, and the Planning Commission’s rejection recommendation. This led to the commission blocking the rezoning request and calling for an investigation committee to examine the environmental and economic impacts of data center construction in Athens-Clarke County. One commissioner even proposed a moratorium on new data center projects, a tool used to suspend activities and give the local government time to learn more about the effects. The construction of data centers is a growing concern for communities due to their strain on local power grids, production of air and noise pollution, and high water usage. Athens-Clarke County Commission will soon have to determine its course of action in the face of continued data center construction requests.