Alpharetta's mayor and city council will spend two days mapping out the city's priorities at a public strategic planning retreat on Thursday, Oct. 15, and Friday, Oct. 16.

Both sessions begin at 8:30 a.m. at Smokejack, Jack's Attic, 29 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009. Residents can attend either day without registration.

Mayor Jim Gilvin and all six council members are expected to participate alongside senior city staff. The council includes T. Kirk Driskell, Katie Reeves, Douglas DeRito, Dan Merkel, John Hipes and Fergal Brady.

The city said the retreat will cover goals, initiatives and the direction of city operations for the year ahead. No votes or formal actions will take place. Discussions from the retreat will help shape items that may come before the council at future meetings.

The City of Alpharetta announced the retreat on its official X account Thursday, Oct. 8. The city also posted the announcement on its Facebook page, noting that separate agendas have been posted for each day. The specific discussion topics on those agendas could not be confirmed as of publication because the agenda documents require a portal login to access.

The October retreat is separate from the council retreat scheduled in January or February as part of the city's annual budget cycle. City budget documents list that earlier retreat as the starting point for the fiscal year 2027 budget process, which runs through budget adoption in June.

Residents who want to observe the discussions can arrive at 29 South Main Street by 8:30 a.m. on either day. The city has not announced a regular council meeting date following the retreat.