Candler Park

Neighborhood Organization

Monthly Minutes – February 2026

By

Candler Park Neighborhood Organization

General Meeting Minutes — February 16, 2026

Call to Order: 7:00 PM | Presiding: Chris Spruell, President
Location: Hybrid (in-person and virtual) | Recorded: Yes

Committee Meeting Minutes

Minutes of committees are available in this document as meetings are held and committees have minutes to report.

Adoption of Agenda and Approval of Minutes

Agenda adopted and January 2026 minutes approved by unanimous consent.

Guest Speakers

APD Zone 6 — Sergeant Smart

Sergeant Smart joined on behalf of Major Webster and Captain Davis. He reported that crime in the Candler Park area is down 22% over the past year and that car break-in stats have been stable.

Chris Spruell raised a member report about stolen tires. Kerry Remlinger (1266 Euclid Ave NE) provided details: her tenant Sarah Fain had wheels stolen off her car, and a vehicle on Mansfield Avenue was also hit the same night (Feb 9–10, between 12:30 and 4:30 AM). Kerry shared video footage with Officer Duncan showing a white 1990s-era car, possibly a LeSabre, scoping the street. The suspect returned the following day, suggesting more cars may be targeted. Kerry urged neighbors with footage to share it with APD. Sergeant Smart provided his contact info (kasmart@atlantaga.gov, 470-426-2486) and Officer Duncan’s email (duncan@atlantaga.gov), and committed to following up with the criminal investigations division. He confirmed similar thefts have occurred north of the neighborhood.

Safety Officer Report (Matt Johnson — absent)

Chris relayed two items: the tire thefts (covered above) and a warning about email phishing scams impersonating CPNO board members. Bad actors have identified board members from public sources. Legitimate CPNO emails only come from @candlerpark.org addresses — forward anything suspicious to president@candlerpark.org and safety@candlerpark.org.

Announcements

Expanded Spring Fling & Egg Hunt — Sydney Boggess

The annual egg hunt is being expanded into a Spring Fling on March 29 at 3:00 PM in Candler Park, with more activities and a longer timeframe to encourage families to stay and enjoy the community. Volunteers needed for setup, event management, and cleanup; sign-up link shared in slides.

Black Maternal Health Walk & Community Fair — Wanja Ngugi, BMMA

Wanja Ngugi presented on behalf of BMMA (Black Mamas Matter Alliance). The walk and community fair is planned for Saturday, April 11, 9:00 AM–1:00 PM in Candler Park. The walk is approximately 1.5 miles with a rolling APD closure (no full street closures). The community fair includes health screenings, family entertainment, and yoga as an alternative for those unable to walk. Expected attendance is 150–250. This year’s theme is “Rooted in Justice and Joy.” Permit paperwork has been filed with Parks & Rec; the item will come before membership for a vote at the March meeting.

Little Five Points Events — Kelly Stocks

Kelly provided a rundown of upcoming events: Fat Tuesday parade on Feb 17 (step-off at 7 PM from the L5P Community Center); Looking for Leprechauns all-ages event March 15; Leprechauns Bar Crawl (21+) March 17; Little Vibe Fest March 28; and a new Parade of Artists series launching March 29 at 2:00 PM in partnership with the L5P Community Center, featuring sculptor Rob Brett.

Membership & Donations

Reminder to renew memberships. Venmo and PayPal Credit are now available as payment options on the website, thanks to Roger Bakeman.

Items for Vote

AfroXFest in Candler Park — Amir James

Amir James presented the African Experience Festival (AfroXFest), scheduled for June 26–27 (June 26 is setup only, 5–10 PM). The festival runs 11 AM–9 PM Saturday and Sunday. It is a free event with one music stage, no fencing, and no street closures. Security is led by Captain Derek Jones. Amir also organizes Atlanta Hip Hop Day (17 years running). Amy Stout confirmed the site plan is consistent with prior Candler Park events. Placed on the online ballot.

2026 Budget — Chris Spruell (on behalf of Treasurer Alyssa Ozer, absent)

Chris presented the proposed 2026 budget on screen. Starting balance is approximately $107,000 (down from ~$125,000 last year). Revenue line items now include Fall Fest income, which was not budgeted previously. Fixed expenses are expected to increase modestly due to inflation, particularly insurance and PayPal fees; the board is investigating ways to reduce payment processing costs.

Notable changes from prior year:

  • New Neighborhood Fun Fund capped at $4,000 for community events such as catered meetings, block parties, and porch parties
  • Spring Fling/Egg Hunt budget increased from $150 to $1,500 to support the expanded event
  • Candler Park Conservancy and Freedom Conservancy donations doubled from $1,000 to $2,000 each
  • Little Five Points Alliance, Aging in Place, Candler Park Forever, and biracial history donations maintained at prior levels
  • $1,300 discretionary donation fund for smaller donations that would not require membership approval; any donation over $500 would come before the membership

Layout changes: other expenses have been separated from negative income items for clearer reporting.

Discussion:

Kerry Remlinger asked about the CPLC Patrol line item. Chris explained the patrol uses off-duty APD officers providing approximately 64 hours of additional neighborhood patrols per month, now in official police vehicles. The CPNO donation was increased from $1,000 to $2,000 in this budget.

Rebecca asked whether CPLC patrol officers would ever cooperate with ICE. Chris said this had not come up in discussions with CPLC leadership and he had no information suggesting any such interaction, but committed to following up with Matt Johnson. He asked Rebecca to email president@candlerpark.org and safety@candlerpark.org so the question can be tracked.

Amy Stout noted that past practice has been to introduce the budget one month and vote the following month. Mark concurred, citing pre-pandemic tradition of allowing the membership a full month to review. Chris acknowledged the feedback and committed to reviewing the bylaws; he indicated the budget vote may be deferred to the March meeting.

Adjournment

Meeting adjourned. Next general meeting in March 2026.

Minutes prepared by Allen Broyles, Secretary — secretary@candlerpark.org