Berkeley Lake Beacon
The purpose of this site is to shine a light on issues facing the City of Berkeley Lake.
This site is owned and operated by delicia reynolds, and unless otherwise specified, all content is the opinion of delicia reynolds.
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Announcements and Content
Three new and one returning council member were sworn in at the January 20226 meeting.
New City Council
Three new and one returning council member were sworn in at the January 2026 meeting. Skip Dahlstrom, Bill Lacy, and Bill Lyons are new while Chip McDaniel is returning. Rebecca Spitler and Mayor Lois Salter continue to serve with terms expiring in 2027.
Other business conducted at the January meeting included approval of a new fee schedule (licenses, permits, etc.) and affirmation of the city code of conduct. Rebecca Spitler was elected mayor pro tem, a position she has held about 20 years. View the agenda for more details.
Mayoral Appointments
The mayor has finally filled the vacancies on the Conservancy, along with the other annual appointments. The list was included in the January agenda and is excerpted here.
I am interested to see what actions the Conservancy may take regarding the greenspace.
Communications
I'm happy to report some improvements in the City's efforts to communicate with the citizens. Unlike the past, the most recent meeting of the Finance Committee was announced on the City website. You've probably noticed an increase in the frequency of the Mayor's Newsletter. Unfortunately, this avenue of communication consists of the mayor's spin on the issues.
- Update the city website to a mobile-friendly layout
- Create a social media presence
- Advertise all meetings on all media
See my post about Georgia's Sunshine Law for more.
Overpopulation of Deer
Most people realize we have a serious deer problem in Berkeley Lake. Symptoms of the problem include the following:
- Overgrazing in greenspace
- Eating ornamental shrubs
- Fearlessness and aggressive behavior
City Council Meetings
City Council usually has a work session at 7pm before the Council Meeting at 8pm. It seems most of our citizens are unaware that the work session is open to the public. Current and historical agendas with supporting documents are on the City website under City Council and Historical Archives.
If you want to know what is going on, attend the work sessions because that is where council discusses any issues. The actual council meeting consists primarily of motions and unanimous voting.
See more about Georgia Sunshine Law and how it applies to Berkeley Lake.