Dunwoody Mayor Deutsch calls for Special Executive Session to discuss Legal and Personnel matters. - Wednesday 5:30 p.m.

AGENDA

DUNWOODY SPECIAL CALLED MEETING

JULY 01, 2020
5:30 PM – VIA ZOOM

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    Please click this URL to join. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81796983379

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Agenda and City Page

PUBLIC COMMENT
To take part in public comment, please send an email to publiccomment@dunwoodyga.gov. Include your name, your email address, and phone number. You will be placed on a first-come, first-served list for public comment. The first public comment section has a 30-minute time limit. Each speaker is allowed up to three minutes. If time runs out, pre-registered speakers will be called on during the second public comment section toward the end of the meeting. If you don't pre-register, you can use the "raise hand" feature on zoom during the meeting to be added to the public comment list.

Executive Session - For the Purposes of Legal and Personnel Discussions.

Mayor Deutsch has requested a special called executive session meeting of the Dunwoody City Council for Wednesday evening at 5:30 pm via Zoom.  As this is a special called meeting, the agenda is not allowed to be changed once published, and as the only business identified is a closed-door executive session for the purposes of legal and personnel discussions, there will be little for the public to see.  I expect the meeting to start on Zoom with the usual pleasantries of the invocation, pledge of allegiance, and public comment followed by the council excusing themselves to talk privately with attornies and then returning to Zoom at some undetermined point in the evening to officially adjourn the meeting.

When executive sessions are called, I have no specific information given to me before the meeting, nor am I allowed to discuss what happens in such meetings. Still, as this meeting was called for only legal and personnel discussions, I am guessing that it has something to do with a lawsuit and personnel actions?  

The Dunwoody Reporter Newspaper has an article of a lawsuit and various complaints that were filed against the City and the Police Department employees.   

When it comes to these types of matters, Council is tight-lipped, does not jump to conclusions, and acts as an independent and unbiased arbiter.  I can assure you that eventually, all information that is allowed to be shared, will find the light of day.

Dunwoody Chief Billy Grogan discusses Police Accountability

Presentation

At the June 15th Dunwoody City Council Meeting, Police Chief Billy Grogan was coming in front of the City Council to discuss the Department's Use of Force policy.  Based on events taking place in the community and upon requests from the Mayor and Council, the final presentation given by Chief Grogan was greatly expanded to Police Accountability, covering a number of important subjects.

Chief Grogan's initial presentation was published on my blog, but I never updated the community with his expanded presentation on Accountability.   The actual presentation delivered includes an update on the City's Non-Discrimination Ordinance, Law Enforcement Training, and reporting of statistics. There are slides on the extensive and wide amount of police training that takes place. The presentation goes on to discuss policies on the various levels of use of force and investigations that take place after every use of force incident, the statistics on the number of complaints against officers, agency demographics and community engagement activities conducted by the Department.

On a related matter, sometimes I share my thoughts on other platforms like Twitter and those thoughts don't always make it onto the blog.  On June 17th at an hour when most people were asleep, I posted to Twitter about an article on policing that I thought was worth sharing.

As person who thinks about policing and governance in America & my small town of Dunwoody GA; this article by John P. Weiss on love, compassion, human dignity, public trust and policing really touched me.  Thanks.

Link

Residents of the City of Dunwoody are asked to Light the Way for 2020 graduates

Dunwoody residents and businesses are invited to "Light the Way" for all 2020 graduates by illuminating home and business lights on Monday night, June 15, the eve of DHS's virtual graduation. Once darkness falls, turn on your porch light, light a luminary, or light up your building to honor the students who have completed studies during these unprecedented times.

For the Dunwoody High School Class of 2020, I am told there are also preliminary plans being set to have a future Class Picnic at the new pavilion and amphitheater at Brook Run Park.  The date has not been chosen but hopefully it will take place in July before you all go your separate ways.

Dunwoody City Council Meeting for Monday June 15, 2020 - 6 p.m. via Zoom

DUNWOODY CITY COUNCIL MEETING

Agenda
JUNE 15, 2020
6:00 PM – via ZOOM

 Join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84133867619

Or join by phone: US: +1 312 626 6799  Webinar ID: 841 3386 7619

Agenda

PUBLIC COMMENT
To take part in public comment, please send an email to publiccomment@dunwoodyga.gov. Include your name, your email address and phone number. You will be placed on a first-come, first-served list for public comment. The first public comment section has a 30-minute time limit. Each speaker is allowed up to three minutes. If time runs out, pre-registered speakers will be called on during the second public comment section toward the end of the meeting. If you don't pre-register, you can use the "raise hand" feature on zoom during the meeting to be added to the public comment list.

Use of Force Presentation - Chief of Police - Billy Grogan
                   Officer Anwar Silliah on CNN
                   Become a Dunwoody Police Officer

Award of Municipal Court Probation Services Contract 

Amendment of the City Position Allocation and Compensation Chart - Communications Director

FIRST READ: Text Amendment Regarding Bicycles on all Sidewalks

Approval of Contract Extension for Stormwater Easement Acquisition Services

Resolution Calling for Legislature to Pass Hate Crimes Bill

Award of Contract - Athletic Field Lights at Peachtree Charter Middle School Football Field

Resolution to Surplus Items for the Police Department - two police vehicles

Resolution Amending the Temporary Moratorium on the Acceptance of New Applications For Special Use Approval, Permitted Use Approval, or Building, Land Disturbance, Site Plan and Design Review or Other Permits for Any Construction in the Dunwoody Village Overlay District


Rebidding of Municipal Contracts - City Manager Analysis

Approval of Municipal Contract for Parks and Public Works - Lowe

Approval of Municipal Contract for Information Technology - Interdev

Approval of Municipal Contract for Finance and Administration - CH2M Hill / Jacobs

Approval of Municipal Contract for Community Development - The Collaborative Inc.


Discussion - Construction Contract with SD&C for the Georgetown Gateway Project 

Discussion - Neighborhood Sidewalk Program

Discussion - Establishing 2020 Millage Rate - 2.74 the same as it has been for the last 11 years.

 PUBLIC COMMENT
To take part in public comment, please send an email to publiccomment@dunwoodyga.gov. Include your name, your email address and phone number. You will be placed on a first-come, first-served list for public comment. The first public comment section has a 30-minute time limit. Each speaker is allowed up to three minutes. If time runs out, pre-registered speakers will be called on during the second public comment section toward the end of the meeting. If you don't pre-register, you can use the "raise hand" feature on zoom during the meeting to be added to the public comment list.

Executive Session

Congratulations to Anna Hill, the newly elected DeKalb County School Board Member for District 1, replacing Stan Jester who is stepping down.

Congratulations Anna on your presumed election victory to the DeKalb County School Board and thank you to Stan Jester for representing our community for so many years on the DeKalb School Board.  Kudos also to Andrew Ziffer for running a good campaign and putting his name forward to serve.

Based on the DeKalb County Unofficial published results with 22 of 24 precincts reporting (91%) of all votes, it appears that Anna Hill has defeated Andrew Ziffer by almost a 2 to 1 margin.  I know the votes are not final and certified but it would be very difficult to swing the final numbers away from Anna.

Anna's campaign and contact information can be found on her various websites.

https://www.annahill.org

https://www.facebook.com/anna.hill.12914

voteannahill@gmail.com

404-307-4679

News Stories.

 https://www.reporternewspapers.net/2020/05/01/voters-guide-anna-hill/

https://www.ajc.com/news/local-education/dekalb-board-education-gets-two-new-members/ZJVafk0PaRM5RD4j5JALnI/

Dunwoody North Subdivision is loved by current residents, enough so that over 30 couples have moved to a second home within the boundaries.

Video

The Dunwoody North community sitting close to the southeast boundary of the City of Dunwoody is one of the largest and oldest subdivisions in Dunwoody, with over 1,000 homes situated on large lots with mature trees. It offers a wide variety of housing stock.  The neighborhood has I-285 and Peachtree Industrial less than a mile away, a wonderful swim/tennis social community, we are directly adjacent to Brook Run Park and with both Chesnut Elementary and Peachtree Middle School being on North Peachtree Rd, many of our children walk to school until they enter high school.  Dunwoody North is truly a tight-knit community and a great place to raise a family.

When Kristin and I purchased our first home in 1996, we didn't know that we would eventually have three, 6 foot 4 boys living with us; therefore, after our third child, we decided to move to a larger home just two blocks away.

When neighbor and Real Estate Agent Matt Weber called to talk about our story of buying a home in Dunwoody North and then selling to buy a second home in Dunwoody North, he laughed when I named at least ten other couples who had done the same thing.  Eventually, after numerous conversations, Matt counted over 30 different families have lived in Dunwoody North and then because they loved the area, amenities, and schools, decided to buy their second home just blocks away from their first.

Matt shoots some nice video on the subject and has a home on the market in case you are looking to buy your first home in the community.

Dunwoody community prayer service at Brook Run Park, Thursday evening, front lawn, 4-7 pm.

 Please wear a mask if joining in this service & practice social distancing.

“We never know how God will answer our prayers, but we can expect that He will get us involved in His plan for the answer. If we are true intercessors, we must be ready to take part in God’s work on behalf of the people for whom we pray.”   ― Corrie ten Boom

Early Voting ends Friday 6 pm at the Dunwoody Library - numerous polling location changes for June 9th - vote early!

Early voting continues Thursday, June 4 & Friday, June 5 from 8 am to 6 PM

Dunwoody Library

5339 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd.

Dunwoody, GA 30338

I also recommend taking advantage of early voting during this election because of COVID-19, there are several polling place changes for Tuesday, June 9th, that were announced by DeKalb County. 

If you use to vote at Kingswood United Methodist Church - you now vote at Dunwoody High School.

If you use to vote at Dunwoody Pines Retirement - you now vote at Peachtree Middle School.

If you use to vote at St. Lukes Presbyterian Church - you now vote at Dunwoody High School.

If you use to vote at Congregation Beth Shalom - you now vote at Kingsley Elementary School.

The Dunwoody City Council pays for the early voting location for every election to be here in the Dunwoody Library because we see value in you being able to easily choose your elected representatives, please take advantage of it.  With all the changes, I see the possibility of confusion for a large number of Dunwoody residents heading to the polls on June 9th.