At its last full council meeting of 2018, the Atlanta City Council voted unanimously to place greater regulations on the booting industry as well as improve the design and coherence of private parking signs around the city.
The bill, drafted by Council member Amir Farokhi, was co-sponsored by Council members Jennifer Ide, Marci Collier Overstreet, Carla Smith, Howard Shook, Matt Westmoreland, Natalyn Archibong, Andrea Boone, Dustin Hillis, and Michael Julian Bond.
“Predatory booting isn’t a problem that we can fix overnight, but this bill is an important first step,” Farokhi said. “Provisions requiring stricter background checks and clear identification for booting company representatives will improve safety. The new signs will be easier for residents to understand and be easier on the eye. These and other provisions are important wins, but we must remain vigilant to ensure residents and visitors are not being taken advantage of.”
The bill was introduced in February. A 10-month debate has taken place in the Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee, including multiple stakeholder work sessions, before a legislative package that all parties could agree to was reached.
“We’re very happy with the final product. It’s a true testament to the power of transparency and engagement,” Farokhi said. “We heard from property owners, booting companies, industry associations, and multiple constituents in the course of building out the final framework. Hopefully this kind of collaborative process becomes the norm for future legislation.”
The ordinance now moves to the mayor’s desk. If approved, it will go into effect immediately, with the signs required to be installed by April 1, 2019.
Other legislative items the council approved:
- An ordinance by Council member Carla Smith as substituted by the Finance/Executive Committee authorizing the Chief Procurement Officer to sell the Confederate Avenue, East Confederate Avenue and Confederate Court street signs to the Georgia State Patrol, Atlanta Preservation Center, Oglethorpe University Library Archive and the Atlanta Historical Society (Legislative Reference No.18-O-1737).
- An ordinance by Council member Howard Shook, Andrea Boone, Andre Dickens, Natalyn Archibong, Matt Westmoreland, J.P. Matzigkeit, and Jennifer Ide requesting the Chief Financial Officer to engage an independent firm to review the Fulton County property tax digest (Legislative Reference No. 18-R-4430).
- A resolution by Council member Howard Shook as amended by Finance/Executive Committee urging the 2019 Georgia General Assembly to support the City of Atlanta’s 2019 legislative package (Legislative Reference No. 18-R-4425).
- A resolution by the Transportation Committee authorizing the mayor to award and execute an agreement with MTI Limousine and Shuttle Services, Inc. for curbside management services at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport for an initial three-year term in an amount not to exceed $7.6 million (Legislative Reference No. 18-R-4064).
The Council also gave a proclamation to Atlanta United FC and declared Dec. 3 as Atlanta United Day in the City of Atlanta. Hundreds of soccer fans crowded the Council Chamber to cheer on the team, who clinched the Eastern Conference last week and will play in the MLS Championship game this Saturday.