Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Dunwoody update by Councilman Robert Wittenstein
It has been a busy month for the City of Dunwoody. After a year of discussion and investigation, we voted on Monday to contract with ChatComm (the Sandy Springs/Johns Creek joint venture) for 911 call center service. This was a difficult decision and the council was split on this (the vote was 5 to 2). In the end I supported spending additional city funds to get the higher level of service offered by ChatComm. Nothing will change for the next six months; we will use that as transition time. Expect to see us complete a cut-over around October 1.
Also this month we established a long-range transportation plan. It is available on our website: Transportation Plan. (Caution, it is 223 pages!)
We established the following projects as our highest priority items:
Type | Project Description | Estimated Cost |
ATMS | Computer controlled Automated Traffic Management Systems for the Perimeter CID as well as Dunwoody Village and Chamblee Dunwoody Road, North Shallowford Road, and North Peachtree Road corridors: Signal timing, controller upgrades, and signal interconnection. | $1,000,000. |
Bicycle/ Pedestrian | Includes signed bike route and/or sharrows: North Peachtree Road, Tilly Mill Road, Peachford Road, Old Spring House Lane, Dunwoody Park, Perimeter Center East, Valley View Road, Meadow Lane Road,Vermack Road, Peeler Road, Happy Hollow Road, Womack Road, Olde Perimeter Way, Ridgeview Road. | $200,000. |
Bicycle/ Pedestrian | Add crosswalk and refuge island to Mount Vernon Road at North Peachtree Road. (School safety) | $100,000. |
Intersection | Add left turn lane from Mt. Vernon Road to Vermack Road | $500,000. |
Intersection | At Womack Road and east driveway of Georgia Perimeter College, reconfigure on-campus traffic flow to relieve congestion as well as provide alternative access and prohibit left turns from Womack Road into college. | $150,000. |
Intersection | At Mt. Vernon Road and Chamblee Dunwoody Road, convert Nandina Lane to right in/right out only (prohibit left turns from Mt. Vernon onto Nandina). | $150.000. |
Intersection | Mt. Vernon Road at Tilly Mill Road, Change existing left/through lane to a left only lane and existing right only lane to shared right/through lane. | $200,000. |
Intersection | Prohibit left turns from Mt. Vernon Road westbound onto Mt. Vernon Place. | $500. |
Intersection | At Tilly Mill, re-align Mt. Vernon Place to form a “T” intersection with Tilly Mill. | $150,000. |
Intersection | At Womack Road an Vermack Road (in front of Dunwoody High School) add a traffic signal or a round-about. | $1,000,000. |
Intersection | Improve traffic flow and make intersection improvements on Chamblee Dunwoody Road from Vermack Road to North Shallowford. | $1,575,000. |
Intersection | Tilly Mill Road at North Peachtree Road, intersection improvements. Concept report required before specific recommendations. | $3,000,000. |
Intersection | Reconfigure Chamblee Dunwoody Road and Spalding Drive to increase safety. (Three alternative concepts outlined.) | $750,000. |
Reconfigure Roadway | Reconfigure Dunwoody Village Parkway to add bike lanes and sidewalks in coordination with the Dunwoody Village Master Plan. | $2,400,000. |
Study | Dunwoody Village Traffic Study to evaluate options for additional improvements. | $150,000. |
Please keep in mind that we have not budgeted ANY of these projects. We will begin looking for grants and matching funds but none of these improvements are imminent. If we, as a community, want to invest in these projects we will have to collectively decide that they are important enough to funnel our tax dollars into them. That can be done either very slowly using our current tax dollars or more quickly by accepting higher property taxes. That will be a decision made by the community as a whole (not the City Council.)
We also completed work this month on two redevelopment master plans. One is for Dunwoody Village and one is for the Georgetown/Shallowford area. These plans act as conceptual blueprints to encourage the landowners and developers in the area. It allows private developers to see our vision for redevelopment and sends the message that if you follow this plan, you will have community support and the city’s support. It will be many years before the economy creates enough pressure for sizable redevelopment but small pieces are starting to turn over and can be built to follow these new plans.
The most difficult activity we have been engaged in lately has been development of a long-range parks master plan. This plan is still in development. What makes this so hard is the need to balance the needs of the Dunwoody community with the concerns of the neighbors. We have heard over and over through this process, “we Love living next to <
Many of the neighbors want to keep the parks near them just as they are. I am sympathetic to the neighbors’ concerns and I understand that there are pros and cons to living next to a public park but I am reluctant to accept the current status quo. Before this process is over, we are bound to upset quite a few people. As someone who has signed up for public service, that is very difficult to do.
In April we will look at folding our newly acquired 16 acre park that stretches from Chamblee Dunwoody Road over to North Shallowford Road (formally the “PVC Farm”) in Georgetown into the parks plan and I hope a revised plan will get passed in May or June. As with Transportation, it will be great to have a plan. The next step will be the community discussion on funding.
Lemonade Days (April 14-17) and The Dunwoody Arts Festival (May 7-8) are both coming up. Both are wonderful events for our community!
Regards,
Robert
DeKalb County Bond Rating goes down the sewer, interest rates and cost of government bound to go up.
AJC article outlining Elaine Boyer thoughts on announcement.
DeKalb County had its bond rating drop for the third time in as many months, leading one of its commissioners to suggest the county's financial position was so bad it was "near junk bond status."
On Tuesday, Standard & Poor’s announced it had downgraded DeKalb’s long-term general obligation debt from AA- to BBB. Appropriation-backed debt was dropped from A+ to BBB, while the county’s water and sewer debt went to a AA- rating. BBB is considered the lowest investment grade, said Robin Prunty, managing director of Standard &Poor’s public finance department. D is considered default.
“Once again the taxpayers will suffer because of poor and ineffective management of DeKalb County,” Commissioner Elaine Boyer said. “Having our bonds downgraded to near junk bond status is embarrassing and unnecessary. We are in a fiscal crisis in this county, and the CEO must embrace some fiscal discipline.”
While Boyer called the downgrading a wake-up call for better management, CEO Burrell Ellis said it was reason to raise property taxes.
“The county is not in junk bond status. Elaine is using inflammatory language to alarm people unnecessarily, but we do have some level of financial instability, which needs to be rectified with a millage increase,” Ellis said Tuesday from his home, where he is recovering from surgery.
DeKalb ended 2010 with no money in its reserves and decreased revenue. In response, Ellis proposed raising taxes by 2.32 mills. Last month, the county commission rejected the tax hike and voted to cut $33.6 million from the 2011 budget.
Standard & Poor’s questioned that decision and cited concerns about “county officials' inability to provide sufficient and consistent information regarding the county's current liquidity position.”
The credit agency also was concerned there were multiple years of deficit operations, a lack of policies on cash management and no structural solutions.
“The county’s reserves have been depleted; they are concerned that we’re not building back,” said Joel Gottlieb, DeKalb's chief financial officer.
Standard & Poor’s issued a warning to DeKalb in January, and then lowered DeKalb’s general obligation debt and placed the county on a credit watch, threatening to make further declines if improvements weren’t made in 30-90 days, Prunty said.
Moody’s Investor Services also dropped DeKalb’s rating for the second consecutive year in December.
Gottlieb said he could not put a dollar figure on the impact, but the downgrade could substantially raise interest rates on DeKalb’s upcoming water and sewer projects. In response to a federal consent decree, the county recently approved rate increases to cover $1.35 billion in water and sewer upgrades. The county planned to sell about $500 million of that debt in June or July, Gottlieb said.
“We feel the water and sewer rating is incorrect,” Gottlieb said. “Our coverage in water and sewer are strong because of the rate increase. This is surprising and we’re working to see if that could be reversed.”
The other downgrades will have no immediate impact because DeKalb does not plan to borrow any other funding in the next few months and existing debt is on a fixed rate. However, it could affect borrowing in the future, officials said.
In addition to a property tax decline, DeKalb has struggled with a loss last year from a police ticket strike, fewer sales tax dollars and pending property value appeals, Gottlieb said.
Despite cutting the budget, commissioners have said they may consider raising taxes in June.
Frivolous Lawsuit
I was once given legal advice to never openly discuss lawsuits when you are, our could be, a party to the suit, therefore I will let others give you the information and/or opinion that may closely mirror my own.
http://www.wsbtv.com/politics/27344588/detail.html
http://www.thecrier.net/articles/2011/03/29/front/brief.txt
http://justgrits.wordpress.com/2011/03/29/only-in-georgia
http://georgiaunfiltered.blogspot.com/2011/03/shameful-reverse-racism-from-joseph.html
http://www.ajc.com/news/lawsuit-seeks-dissolution-of-888729.html
http://clatl.com/freshloaf/archives/2011/03/29/new-cities-hit-little-speed-bump-known-as-lawsuit
Dunwoody Races are a community builder - Dunwoody High 5K coming up.
I try to attend as many Dunwoody events as possible and though I am not the worlds best runner; I ran in the Austin Elementary, Dunwoody Dash as well as participated in the Vanderlyn, Vanderdash. I was really impressed with both events and I would like to thank everyone involved as it is these types of events that truly make this community great.
My brother in law happened to be visiting last week and attended the Vanderdash with me. He was totally blown away at the number of participants (especially the children). His exact words were that "Dunwoody is a very special place and I can truly see that this is a great community to raise the boys." Looking around as he said that, I nodded my head and said that I couldn't agree more.
Mark your calendars for the Dunwoody High 5k at 8 am on Saturday, April 30th! The inaugural Dunwoody High 5k is sponsored by the DHS Class of 2013 and the DHS Cross Country Team. This fundraiser will benefit the DHS Class of 2013, Autism Speaks and the Pulmonary Hypertension Association in memory of Eve Greenstein. Information and registration at Dunwoody High School 5k Race.
My brother in law happened to be visiting last week and attended the Vanderdash with me. He was totally blown away at the number of participants (especially the children). His exact words were that "Dunwoody is a very special place and I can truly see that this is a great community to raise the boys." Looking around as he said that, I nodded my head and said that I couldn't agree more.
Having fun at the Dunwoody Dash
Mark your calendars for the Dunwoody High 5k at 8 am on Saturday, April 30th! The inaugural Dunwoody High 5k is sponsored by the DHS Class of 2013 and the DHS Cross Country Team. This fundraiser will benefit the DHS Class of 2013, Autism Speaks and the Pulmonary Hypertension Association in memory of Eve Greenstein. Information and registration at Dunwoody High School 5k Race.
DeKalb Public Safety Director Questioned
Legislators and commissioners team up to stop budget nonsense
Representatives Tom Taylor and Mike Jacobs
At the request of DeKalb Commissioner Elaine Boyer, this week we will introduce local legislation to help the DeKalb County Commission stop the budgetary games that CEO Burrell Ellis insists on playing.
Lately, the CEO’s answer to every question appears to be “the county needs to raise your property taxes.” When the county commission took responsible steps to cut the county budget and avoid a property tax increase, the CEO irresponsibly charged that the budget cuts would result in a draconian slashing of police services. Of course, it is the CEO - not the commission — who controls whether or not the budget cuts have to be implemented in a draconian manner.
The CEO steadfastly refuses to eliminate the $150,000-a-year job of Public Safety Director William “Wiz” Miller. In a nutshell, Mr. Miller’s job is to make the police chief and fire chief talk to each other. It is such a challenging, important, and necessary job that it enabled Mr. Miller to be absent from work a whopping 82 days in 2010.
By the way, the DeKalb County police chief and fire chief are brothers. They don’t need anyone to “coordinate” their activities, let alone someone who is paid $150,000 annually to do so.
Commissioner Boyer, joined by Commissioner Lee May and supported by all five of their colleagues, has proposed that the General Assembly enable the county commission to break out police services as a separate line item on our property tax bills.
This would not prompt a property tax increase because the police line item would be broken out after the overall millage rate is set for all county services. It’s a mechanism for the county commission to tell the CEO exactly how much tax revenue is to be spent on the police, while constraining the CEO’s ability to spend revenues on positions and services that are less than essential.
The new line item also will not be levied on taxpayers in the city of Dunwoody or in a possible new city of Brookhaven.
We view this police line item legislation as a positive step toward ending the shell game that the CEO continues to play with the county budget. The county commission will be able to bolster the police while trimming the budget in order to hold the line on property taxes.
State Rep. Mike Jacobs (R-North DeKalb) represents Brookhaven and the neighborhoods around Murphey Candler Park and Silver Lake and can be reached at repjacobs@comcast.net or (404) 656-0152. State Rep. Tom Taylor (R-Dunwoody) represents Dunwoody and Huntley Hills and can be reached at tomgetsresults@gmail.com or (404) 656-0152.
DCSS Board Size, Self Preservation and finalists for DeKalb superintendent
Bills in the GA Legislature are known to start as one thing and finish as another. When the DeKalb Delegation can not come to support the recommendations of SACS the accrediting agency on possibly reducing the size of the DeKalb Board of Education as "local legislation"; other options will be found. Watch what will happen to SB 79 (which has already passed the Senate) in the coming days as Rep Jacobs mentions in a comment on the DeKalb School Watch Blog.
Quote of Rep Mike Jacobs on DeKalb School Watch Blog
Favorite quote from DeKalb School Watch Blog regarding Board size: "This isn’t an academic gap problem. This is a political crap problem. And until you deal with the political crap problem, which is identifying the right person for the right time, you won’t solve the achievement gap problem."
Members of the DeKalb County School Board were advised to stop playing politics, stop running for office continually and oversee the business of the school system. Within days of that advice, our school board members apparently met, though without the public notice or openness required by the GA Open Meetings Act, and decided to advocate to protect their own positions regardless of whether it is in the best interest of the students of DeKalb County or not.
Here are the three finalists for the DeKalb superintendent:
* Dr. Gloria Davis
* Arthur R. Culver
* Dr. Lillie Cox,
Quote of Rep Mike Jacobs on DeKalb School Watch Blog
DeKalb School Watch article on Board Self PreservationSenator Millar and I have worked with the House Education Committee and Mary Margaret Oliver to amend Senate Bill 79 to shrink the DeKalb BOE to seven members as a matter of general statewide law. The bill passed full committee this afternoon and is now in the House Rules Committee. The bill also addresses problems in Savannah-Chatham County and the Atlanta Public Schools.
Favorite quote from DeKalb School Watch Blog regarding Board size: "This isn’t an academic gap problem. This is a political crap problem. And until you deal with the political crap problem, which is identifying the right person for the right time, you won’t solve the achievement gap problem."
Members of the DeKalb County School Board were advised to stop playing politics, stop running for office continually and oversee the business of the school system. Within days of that advice, our school board members apparently met, though without the public notice or openness required by the GA Open Meetings Act, and decided to advocate to protect their own positions regardless of whether it is in the best interest of the students of DeKalb County or not.
Here are the three finalists for the DeKalb superintendent:
* Dr. Gloria Davis
* Arthur R. Culver
* Dr. Lillie Cox,
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Dunwoody switching to Chatcomm for 911, deferred Parks Plan for more review and passed all other master plans.
It was a long night for the Dunwoody City Council and the citizens in attendance as Monday's meeting lasted over 7 hours, going past 1 in the morning. Public comment was heavy against the parks plan for a possible swap of the baseball fields at Dunwoody Park (Nature Center) for open green space, a playground, a picnic pavilion and room for the Dunwoody Nature Center to expand, in exchange to use the back of Brook Run for 3 ball fields. The motion on that item was deferred to assure that we are exploring all options but expect it to come back at some point in a month or two.
911 services will soon be handled by ChatComm and the master plans for Transportation, Dunwoody Village, Georgetown were all approved as was everything else on the agenda.
Video links are below.
Work Session (1 hour) poor quality - sorry.
Voting Session pt. 1 (3 hours)
Voting Session pt. 2 (3 hours)
911 services will soon be handled by ChatComm and the master plans for Transportation, Dunwoody Village, Georgetown were all approved as was everything else on the agenda.
Video links are below.
Work Session (1 hour) poor quality - sorry.
Voting Session pt. 1 (3 hours)
Voting Session pt. 2 (3 hours)
Friday, March 25, 2011
Dunwoody City Council Agenda for March 28th
Monday, March 28th
Dunwoody City Hall
41 Perimeter Center East
Voting Session at 7:00 p.m.
Watch Live
Dunwoody City Hall
41 Perimeter Center East
Dunwoody, GA 30346
Work Session at 6:00 p.m. Voting Session at 7:00 p.m.
Watch Live
Work Session Agenda - Link to City provided agenda.
Voting Session Agenda - Link to City provided agenda.
Discussion of Dunwoody Volunteer Coordination Committee Nominees.
(Anyone interested in serving as my rep?)
Discussion of Increase in Residential Streetlight District Assessment
Discussion of E911.
Discussion of E911 Consultant.
Presentation of Department of Natural Resources Partnership for Sustainable Georgia Bronze Level Certification.
Proclamation - Recognizing Bill Tobin of Dunwoody Volunteer Coordination Committee.
Proclamation - Recognizing Sharon Lowery as 2010 City of Dunwoody "Employee of Distinction."
Approval to Declare Certain Confiscated and Unclaimed Property as Surplus.
Resolution to Increase Residential Street Light Fees.
Approval of Art Festival Special Event Signage Request.
Resolution to Approve and Authorize Intergovernmental Agreement with the Chattahoochee River 911 Authority for the Provision of 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Services.
PUBLIC HEARING Ordinance to Amend the Budget for Year Ending December 31, 2010.
PUBLIC HEARING Ordinance to Amend the Budget for Year Ending December 31, 2011.
PUBLIC HEARING Amendment to Chapter 10 re: Pain Management Clinics.
PUBLIC HEARING Amendment to the Zoning Classification and Map for Zoning Conditions of Land Lot 366, District 18 (5528 Chamblee Dunwoody Road).
Convention & Visitors Bureau of Dunwoody Update. (Brad Sturgeon)
Convention & Visitors Bureau of Dunwoody First Quarter Financial Report. (Bob Cottle)
Convention & Visitors Bureau of Dunwoody First Quarter Marketing/Promotional Report. (Katie Brenckle)
PUBLIC HEARING Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan.
Resolution to Adopt Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan.
PUBLIC HEARING Comprehensive Transportation Master Plan.
Resolution to Adopt Comprehensive Transportation Master Plan.
PUBLIC HEARING Dunwoody Village Master Plan.
Resolution to Adopt the Dunwoody Village Master Plan.
PUBLIC HEARING Georgetown / North Shallowford Master Plan.
Resolution to Adopt the Georgetown / North Shallowford Master Plan.
Resolution to Submit Projects for Transportation Investment Act Funding.
Approval of Lemonade Days Special Event Signage Request.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
All Saints, World Famous Friday Fish Fry - limited time engagement.
The Knights of Columbus, Council # 11402 based out of All Saint's Catholic Church in Dunwoody, GA serves the “WORLD FAMOUS” FISH FRY offering over 1,000 dinners every Friday night during Lent.
Adult meals are $8 (except salmon $9) with child meals only $4. Seniors (60+) get an “early bird” $1 discount between 5 & 5:45pm only. Fried & baked Icelandic cod, baked salmon, & fried shrimp with cole slaw, green beans, red potatoes or fries, and hush puppies complement meals. Special Knight recipe clam chowder at $2 per bowl. Numerous desserts & adult beverages too.
Take-out is available but come join in the fun, take the family out for a great meal, let the children play on the playground as the weather on Friday will be beautiful.
All Saints Catholic Church - Social Hall
Friday from 5 pm to 8 pm
2443 Mount Vernon Road
Dunwoody, GA 30338
Dunwoody Business Expo nominees interviewed on Atlanta Business Radio
On today's show we shined the spotlight on the first annual Dunwoody Business Expo. Craig Caldwell with The Cosmo Group and Bill Mulcahy CPA started us off and then we moved on to some of the nominees for the featured awards being given out at this year's expo.
Jay Kapp with Kapp Koncepts and Jennifer Howard with Edward Jones were nominated for the Rising Star Award.
Alison Norris with Alison's Restaurant and Matt Wright from The Wright Gourmet Shoppe were nominated for the Good Eats Award.
Ben Feingold with Fabricare Center Cleaners was nominated for the Growing Green Award
Jon Craymer with The Buzz Promo was nominated for the Small Business of the Year Award.
And Drs Jeffrey Priluck and Albert Nordone with Dentistry with a Difference were nominated for the People's Chopice Award.
Congratulations to all the nominees and be sure to see them all at the Dunwoody Business Expo held on April 21, 2011 at the Crowne Plaza Atlanta Perimeter at Ravinia, 4355 Ashford Dunwoody Rd, 30346.
Chesnut Charter Students Do Math for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
45 Chesnut Charter Elementary students recently took part in the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Math-A-Thon. For more than 30 years, Math-A-Thon has been America's largest education-based fundraiser. Math-A-Thon is a free, education-based fundraising program for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The program includes a free math curriculum supplement for grades K-8 that students complete after obtaining sponsorships from family and friends. The funds raised by the students benefit St. Jude, where doctors and scientists work to eradicate childhood cancer and other catastrophic childhood diseases.
St. Jude designed Math-A-Thon to supplement a teacher's existing curriculum, while also teaching students the importance of helping others. To participate, students ask family and friends for pledges to solve math problems in the Math-A-Thon Funbook.
Chesnut students earned a total of $2,261.80 for St. Jude's. Chesnut faculty and staff also donated a total of $235. The contribution will be used to help St. Jude pay for outpatient care.
Way to give back to others Chesnut Cougars!!!
Pebble Tossers Inc. has hundreds of fun service projects for children - yes even babysitting bunnies.
Did you ever think giving could be...
ADORABLE?
Laffy & Chrystal
Got an animal-lover or future vet in your house? Share some bunny love! Consider volunteering or fostering a bunny at the North Fulton House Rabbit Society. Yes, cute little bunnies can even be a meaningful part of your child's or teen's spiritual celebrations this spring by volunteering to help protect and care for these sweet creatures!
Much like dog or cat shelters, The House Rabbit Society saves and finds homes for thousands of bunnies every year who are unwanted, mistreated or injured. They need volunteers to help feed, exercise, pet, and care for the bunnies, work in the "Hop Shop", and keep the shelter grounds tidy.
Considering a new pet? You can foster a bunny (or two!) for 3-6 months for free, which includes a crate and other bunny-care necessities. You just supply plenty of love and fresh veggies!
More info on opportunities with the House Rabbit Society of North GA are listed at www.pebbletossers.org . Warning -- once your children visit their website, they'll be dying to go -- ours were! Just went last week!
Jeni Stephens & Jen Guynn
Co-Founders, Pebble Tossers Inc.
Pebble Tossers is a Dunwoody based non-profit organization serving the Atlanta Metro Area. The Pebble Tossers mission is to ignite a passion for volunteerism in children by matching their talents, abilities and interests with the needs of their community.
Philosophy: As a tossed pebble can create expansive ripples of water, a child's act of service can create ripples of giving that span their community and lifetime. The key is letting the child choose their own "pebble".
As a child, what did you love to do most? Were you a Puddle Jumper? A Block Builder? A Doll Dresser? What excited you?
Pebble Tossers believes the way to engage kids in volunteer activities is to match the things they are good at or like to do with real world needs. A Puddle Jumper can pick up trash from a local creek. A Block Builder can stack jars at a food pantry. A Doll Dresser can collect outgrown baby clothes from neighbors to donate to a shelter.
Allow your children to start their own ripple of giving, register today.
Dunwoody Vanderdash this Saturday morning with race day registration available.
Vanderlyn VanderDash
5K @ 7:30 a.m. 1 Mile Fun Run @ 8:30 a.m. Tot Trot @ 9:00 a.m.
Bring the whole family, enjoy the fun and stay for the festivities after the race!
Race begins and ends at Vanderlyn Elementary, 1877 Vanderlyn Drive, Dunwoody
For more information including race maps go to www.vanderlynpta.com
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Dunwoody's own, Emily G's Jam of Love wins Top Prize as the Flavor of Georgia!
Emily and Gina
I was thrilled to hear that Dunwoody's, Emily G's Jam of Love won the Flavor of Georgia contest today! Their Pear Honey Jam won Best Jam and was also named the overall Grand Prize Winner!
I personally enjoy the exquisite tastes these ladies concoct and highly recommend you pick up a jar or two from these respected chefs when the Dunwoody Green Market starts in April. Jams are also available at Artichoke Designs - 2482 Jett Ferry Road, and D'Vine Wine Bar and Shop - 5486 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, as well as online.
Here is a video of Emily & Gina receiving the award from Georgia Department of Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black.
Congratulations Ladies and watch out Smuckers !!
Dunwoody Management Position Available - Director, Information Systems and Technology
The City of Dunwoody started 2 1/2 years ago from scratch without the tedious legacy computer systems that most cities and governments currently need to deal with. Dunwoody decided early on that the IT infrastructure put in place would be best of class and seen as a long term investment. If you think you have the chops to handle the complex cutting edge technology able to run the city's Police Department, Courts, Business Licenses, GIS, Public Works and all the other back end services, please go ahead and apply. Be forewarned, this ain't your grandfather's City Hall and hurry up as the job announcement, currently open though the City's administrative contractor, closes on April 1st.
Director, Information Systems and Technology
Dunwoody, Georgia
Posted: Tuesday, March 22, 2011
End Date: Friday, April 01, 2011
Calvin, Giordano & Associates is accepting applications for the position of:
Director, Information Systems and Technology for the City of Dunwoody
Exempt Salary: $75,000 -$85,000 Annually DOQ
JOB SUMMARY:
This position is responsible for overall strategic and operational planning, implementation, and direction of the City's information services such as central systems operation, systems/application development, procurement of system hardware; desktop support; experience with enterprise-wide software; and telecommunications management for all departments to include Public Safety and Court Operations. This position also participates in improvement initiatives in departments above and beyond IT only roles.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Bachelor's Degree in Business, Computer Science, Engineering, Public Administration or related field; plus four (4) or more years of progressively responsible information system experience, three (3) of which must have been in a senior administrative/management capacity; network systems administration, programming, software applications/support, hardware/software troubleshooting, telecommunications, project management, budget administration, and management; or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
Resumes must be submitted to jobs@calvin-giordano.com
Apply by 04/01/2011
Doraville approves GM redevelopment and plans new connection to Dunwoody
We all knew the redevelopment plans of the GM site was coming, but the connection to Dunwoody probably to North Peachtree Road and 285 was something that piqued my interest. If I get a map or drawings, I will post them in the future.
Kingswood UMC KidStuff & More Consignment Sale - Starts Thursday in Dunwoody
The Kingswood UMC KidStuff & More Consignment Sale is a biannual event hosted to raise money for our missions programs. This sale features children's spring and summer clothing plus toys, books, baby equipment, and much more!
Public Sale Hours
Thursday, March 24 from 5pm - 9pm(No children under 10, please)
Friday, March 25 from 9am - 2pm
Saturday, March 26 from 8am - 1pm
(many items 1/2 price)
Presale for Volunteers
Thursday, March 24 from 3pm - 5pm Where:
Kingswood United Methodist Church - Click here for directions
Community Life Center Gymnasium
5015 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, GA 30338
(Use North Peachtree entrance)
Sellers earn 2/3 of the selling price on items that sell.
Items selling at $50 or more earn an additional 10% of the selling price.
Volunteers earn an extra 5% on sales.
Seller registration fee is only $5.
No children under 10 are permitted during public sales hours on Thursday, except newborns in baby slings.
No shopping bags will be permitted on the sales floor. You may bring laundry baskets or other open bins
Sellers:
Click here to read our complete seller instructions, including how to get a seller number or register for this sale if you already have a seller number. The deadline to register is Friday, March 18th.Returning sellers: Some of our seller instructions have changed. Please read the complete seller instructions and follow the instructions to register for this sale! New or changed information is highlighted in yellow!
Volunteers:
Would you like to shop the Thursday afternoon presale? Simply volunteer to work one 3 hour shift or two 2-hour shifts the week of the sale by emailing kidstuff@kingswoodumc.org or by calling Korrie at 770-220-0381. We have a variety of shifts available from Sunday, March 20th through Saturday, March 26th. Click here for details.
Dunwoody Green Market opens April 13th and needs a few volunteers.
We are located in the parking lot next to the Dunwoody Village Post Office
1551 Dunwoody Village Parkway
Dunwoody, GA 30338
Open: April thru December - Every Wednesday 8am to 12pm
Want to volunteer? Send an email to Info@DunwoodyGreenMarket.com
Dunwoody Art Festival needs volunteers - May 7 and 8
Volunteer, click here
Plans for Dunwoody Art Festival 2011 are in full swing. The Festival will be Mother’s Day weekend, May 7 & 8. This year, we’re hosting 180 local, regional and national artisans who create fun and whimsical work.
Looking toward this year’s Festival, we can’t help but remember the success of last year’s event. Volunteers were certainly one of the big reasons that Dunwoody Art Festival was just named “Best New Event” by the Southeast Festivals and Events Association. The Mother’s Day show picked up the gold medal among festivals from Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. We truly feel we won this prestigious honor because of all of you – our wonderful volunteers who helped present this colorful and whimsical show to the Dunwoody community. Without your support and generosity, the Festival would not have reached this level of success. We share this award with you!
Get Your Free T-shirt
Dunwoody Crier readers voted and decided that the whimsical owl by Karen Fincannon will grace the front of the official Dunwoody Art Festival t-shirt. All volunteers will receive one of these colorful shirts, which they will wear during their volunteer shifts at the event.
Chamblee Dunwoody Road will close between Mt. Vernon Road and Dunwoody Village Parkway and will be transformed into Main St. with thousands of visitors and volunteers. We hope to see you there!
Win Gift Certificates To Our Fabulous Dunwoody Restaurants
Over 350 volunteers are needed to produce this fun and exciting event that Dunwoody friends and neighbors can call their own. As a thank-you, we’re having a weekly drawing for a $25 gift certificate from some of our local restaurants. Three lucky volunteers will each win one of these treats every week. To win, you must be signed up to volunteer:
- There is no limit on the number of times you can win.
- The more positions you sign up for, the more chances you have to win.
- The earlier you sign up, the greater the chances you have of winning.
- Winners will be drawn each Wednesday through May 4 and will be announced weekly.
- Winners may pick up their gift certificates during the Festival at the Volunteer Check-in tent
Thank you for your wonderful show of community spirit in the great City of Dunwoody. If you have any questions regarding volunteering, please feel free to contact me at DunwoodyArtFestival@gmail.com.
Kathy Koenigsberg
Volunteer Chairman
Sunday, March 20, 2011
State Rep. Taylor asks medical professionals for donations of Potassium Iodide for Japan
Rep. Tom Taylor of Dunwoody spent a number of years in Japan while in the military and now wants to help the residents of the pending nuclear disaster by collecting Potassium Iodide. Mr. Taylor is asking that if you are a medical professional or have a supply of this drug available for donation that it be forwarded to his office for a pending shipment to Japan's affected area.
Rep Tom Taylor
401 Coverdell Legislative Office Building
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
Dunwoody High 5K Race - Saturday, April 30th benefiting Autism Speaks and the Pulmonary Hypertension Association
Inaugural Dunwoody High 5K Race - Saturday, April 30th
Mark you calendars for the inaugural Dunwoody High 5k race to be held at 8 am on Saturday, April 30th! The Dunwoody High 5k is sponsored by the DHS Class of 2013 and the DHS Cross Country Team. This fundraiser will benefit the DHS Class of 2013, Autism Speaks and the Pulmonary Hypertension Association in memory of Eve Greenstein.
Sponsorships are also available. See the links below for registration and sponsorship information.
Registration information
Sponsorship information
Race Map
Friday, March 18, 2011
30 years of the Georgia Gang - Dick Williams has left an indelible mark on Atlanta Journalism & Politics
Dick Williams
I have been a resident of Dunwoody for about 14 years but it has only been within the last 10 that I have really had the pleasure to get to know the Publisher of the Dunwoody Crier, Mr. Dick Williams. Being the man behind the scenes of a small weekly newspaper, means that Dick has his hands on, around and in most local topics. Little did I know that Dick was the past executive editor of the AJC whereby I am guessing he wielded the influence of his typewriter within in the City of Atlanta. His experience as a long time columnist with the Atlanta Business Chronicle and the fact that he authored a book on a possible future Presidential candidate; still makes this small town newspaperman relevant to the Atlanta landscape. But if Dick's history as a newsman makes him relevant, it is what he has been doing every Friday morning for the last 30 years, that still to this very day, makes him one of the most influential journalists in Atlanta. Every Friday Dick Williams tapes the "The Georgia Gang" television news program where he moderates the discussion of weekly Georgia news stories of interest. The show airs Sunday morning, whereby it is the main local Atlanta news program watched (now also DVR'ed) by those who still respect the commentary they have read and trusted (or read and despised) for the last 30 years.
I'll readily admit that I am one of those who watch, but I also do it with a new media flair that is becoming very popular with advent of laptops and Ipads. Every Sunday morning, I sleep in until 8:30, grab a cup of coffee, open the laptop to Peach Pundit and turn the TV to Fox 5. For a political geek who reads the daily fish wrapper as thoroughly as the political blogs, it is the combination of the old media along with the new media's running commentary being offered of Peach Pundits live blog of the show which I truly enjoy.
Since there is now a permanent seat open with the departure of Jeff Dickerson maybe one of those politically savvy bloggers may just jump the shark and land on TV to have the privilege of bantering with Dick and his gang. I really enjoy the addition of Jim Galloway the Political columnist of the AJC for the facts and insight he brings but what makes the show fun for me is the tit for tat, back and forth
The AJC TV & Radio reporter, Mr. Rodney Ho did a nice piece on the Georgia Gang's 30 years and I highly recommend you read it.
WAGA-TV’s ‘The Georgia Gang’ a stable force on TV over three decades
Congratulations Dick, may you continue to be force in the Atlanta media and the political landscape for a long, long time.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Miscellaneous Dunwoody news items
Happy St. Patrick's Day
DeKalb & Fulton Mayors call Transportation Act unfair
“All of us mayors have spent considerable time discussing our position,” Sandy Springs Mayor Eva Galambos said Monday at a news conference on the state capitol steps. “We are all very supportive of the need. However, we are very aware the people of Fulton and DeKalb have already been paying one cent for 35 years, so in the year 2012, Fulton and DeKalb will be paying two cents.”
Music hall authority to pick location March 31 - Dunwoody? Will new members break deadlocked board?
Census Numbers coming Thursday - What will Dunwoody's official population be?
Dunwoody Rain Barrel Workshop - $35 for a 60 Gallon barrel on March 22nd.
I had the pleasure of sitting in the gallery of the Georgia Legislature on Wednesday (Crossover Day) watching our political system in action. I got to hang out with Tom Taylor in his State office, Rep Buzz Brockway mentioned my name on the House floor, I met a bunch of fine public servants and watched Fran Millar vote for the passage of the Sunday alcohol sales item. It was good day for a political geek like me.
The City of Peachtree Corners (which will border Dunwoody on the East) legislation passes the House and is now on the way to the GA Senate.
Dunwoody High School visits Glee & American Idol in Hollywood Check out how Twitter documents the trip.
What Dunwoody establishment serves 1,000 meals per night but only on Friday's? It's the All Saints Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus “World Famous” Fish Fry. Meal service from 5:00-8:00pm in the Social Hall. Take Out is available. 2443 Mt. Vernon Rd. Dunwoody, GA 30338
Dunwoody United Methodist Consignment Sale starts today -Thursday, Friday and half price Saturday plus if you would like to help them build two Habitat for Humanity houses in April they would welcome the help.
Do you know who invented the plastic 2 liter Coke bottle? A Dunwoody resident, Mr. Al Alberghini that's who!
Bike ride to the Capital - Tuesday March 22nd departs Dunwoody Village and all are invited.
