Woodstock Mayor and Council Cover Traffic, Finance and Parks at Jan. 30, 2026 Retreat

Woodstock's mayor and city council gathered Jan. 30, 2026, at New Ground Farm in Canton for their annual retreat, working through five substantive presentations covering traffic operations, retail economics, city finances, capital projects and parks before adjourning without the need for a closed-door executive session.

Following the agenda items Woodstock Community News previewed ahead of the retreat, the session convened at 2 p.m. - the separately noted afternoon start time listed on the published agenda - with Mayor Michael Caldwell, all six council members and a full complement of department directors in attendance. Deputy City Manager Coty Thigpen was the only listed attendee absent.

Public Works Director Jeremy Parker and a representative from Metro Trafix opened the presentations with a look at traffic signal timing, outlining enhancements to signals throughout the city.

GIS Manager Greg Docekal followed with an analysis of the city's retail economic impact, comparing Woodstock's contributions to those of other Cherokee County municipalities. The presentation examined SPLOST and TSPLOST allocations, retail sales intensity, and what Docekal characterized as a gap between the city's economic contribution and its share of funding distribution.

Chief Financial Officer Ron Shelby and Deputy Chief Financial Officer Crystal Welch then presented a finance overview that included fund balances, revenue highlights, SPLOST funds and the city's bond rating.

Capital Improvement Plan Administrator Chris Luly and Parker returned to the floor to deliver updates on all current capital projects across the city.

Parks and Recreation Director Brian Borden closed the presentation portion of the retreat with an update on the park bond, covering 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. The agenda had included a standing provision for a closed session covering personnel, litigation and real estate matters if needed, but officials determined none was necessary.

Before adjournment, City Manager Jeff Moon announced that a second retreat session that had been scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, was cancelled due to forecasted inclement weather.

Mayor Pro Tem Colin Ake moved to adjourn, seconded by Council Member David Potts. The motion carried 6-0.