New Details Emerge for Woodstock City Council Meeting February 9, 2026: Wastewater Plant Performance, Tree Fine Reduced, E-Bike Rules Debated

WOODSTOCK, Ga. - This story updates and expands on Woodstock Community News's earlier preview of the Woodstock City Council's regular session scheduled for Monday, February 9, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. at The Chambers at City Center, 8534 Main Street. The full agenda packet, now available, contains supporting documents - including a December 2025 wastewater treatment report, discharge monitoring data, and minutes from three recent meetings - that provide additional context for items the council will consider.

As Woodstock Community News previously reported, the council will be asked to approve minutes from three recent meetings: the regular session of January 26, 2026; a joint meeting of the Mayor, Council, and Downtown Development Authority held January 30, 2026; and the Mayor and Council Retreat held January 30, 2026. The full packet includes the draft minutes for all three, and they contain several items of public interest.

At the January 26 regular session, the council took action on a long-running tree removal violation case. Staff had recommended maintaining a $50,100 fine against IDC Development, LLC for the removal of 50 protected trees at 1000 Churchill Court without approved plans or permits - a case that had been tabled from the December 15, 2025 meeting. After hearing from the appellant and deliberating, the council voted 6-0 to reduce the fine to the amount of the original permit fee. The draft minutes do not specify the dollar amount of the reduced fine.

Also at the January 26 session, the council received a presentation on potential regulations for e-bikes and micro-mobility devices and provided staff with guidance. According to the draft minutes, council discussion covered a range of issues including trail signage and striping, speed limits on trails, the distinction between Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes, parental responsibility, and the role of speed detection signs. Council members expressed differing views on whether to limit devices by type or by the age of the rider. Police Chief Roland Castro suggested speed detection signs as one tool; some members supported the idea while others cautioned that such signs could encourage younger riders to increase their speed near them. Staff will use the guidance to develop a potential amendment to the city's Code of Ordinances.

The January 26 minutes also reflect that Mayor Michael Caldwell invited residents to a State of the City Address at Woodstock City Church, and that the council entered and returned from executive session without taking action.

The draft minutes from the January 30 Mayor and Council Retreat note that Parks and Recreation Director Brian Borden provided an update on the park bond, including progress on Little River Park, the Rubes Creek project, Buckhead Trail Crossing, future park bond projects, and the Dobbs to Neece Road connection. No executive session was held at the retreat. City Manager Jeff Moon announced at the retreat that the originally scheduled continuation of the retreat on Saturday, January 31, 2026, was cancelled due to forecasted inclement weather. The draft minutes from the January 30 joint meeting of the Mayor, Council, and Downtown Development Authority reflect that the session concluded with a 13-0 vote to adjourn.

The agenda packet also includes the Emergency Operations Management monthly report for December 2025 - the same report that City Manager Coty Thigpen is scheduled to present at the February 9 meeting. The report covers operations at the Rubes Creek Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) and the city's lift stations.

According to the report's executive summary, maintenance work completed in December included repairing a chemical feed bleach line, replacing a valve and blower housing on Aeration Blower No. 3, and replacing Aeration Blower No. 2 entirely. At lift stations, crews replaced a gasket at Brookshire No. 3, a phase monitor at Creekview, and a controller at Oakhurst. The report does not describe the condition of Aeration Blower No. 4 - the unit identified in the consent agenda as requiring emergency replacement - but the December work orders show that two other aeration blowers also required significant repairs or replacement during the same month.

The packet includes the Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) for the Rubes Creek WPCP covering December 1-31, 2025, submitted under Georgia permit number GA0026263. The facility is located at 228 Arnold Mill Rd, Woodstock, GA 30188. The data show the plant operated well within its permitted limits during the month. Average daily flow was approximately 1.54 million gallons per day (MGD), against a permitted monthly average limit of 2.5 MGD - representing roughly 61 percent of permitted capacity. The plant achieved 99 percent removal of five-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and 100 percent removal of total suspended solids, both well above the permit's minimum 85 percent removal requirement. Effluent pH ranged from 6.6 to 7.2 standard units, within the permitted range of 6.0 to 8.5. Fecal coliform levels in the effluent averaged 3.5 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters, far below the permitted monthly geometric mean of 200 per 100 milliliters. Dissolved oxygen in the effluent measured 6.6 mg/L, above the permitted minimum of 6.0 mg/L. Total sludge solids produced during the month were reported at 55.2 dry tons.

A capacity utilization chart included in the report shows that the plant's monthly average flow has ranged from approximately 60 to 71 percent of its 2.5 MGD permit limit over the course of 2025, with December coming in at approximately 61 percent.

As previously reported, the February 9 meeting will also include recognitions, a consent agenda covering parking revenue and wastewater blower budget amendments, a public comment period, and a possible executive session on personnel, litigation, and real estate matters. The February 16 Work Session remains cancelled due to Cherokee County School District Winter Break. The city's free tree seedling giveaway is scheduled for Friday, February 20, 2026, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Woodstock City Hall Annex, the William G. Long Senior Center, and the Woodstock Visitor's Center at Dean's Store.