Heneghan’s Dunwoody Blog: February 2021

Thursday, February 25, 2021

City of Dunwoody resident Willie Spence looks to be a future star on @AmericanIdol @RyanSeacrest please watch over this talented crooner.

Georgia 21-year-old punches ticket to Hollywood on American Idol

A contestant from Georgia has the chance to become the next American Idol. Willie Spence, 21, earned his golden ticket to Hollywood.

Spence was the last performer of the night and he was shinning bright like a diamond as he blew away Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie with his performance of “Diamonds” by Rihanna on Sunday night.

Spence earned a yes from all three judges. Spence grew up in Douglas, Georgia and stated that he now lives in Dunwoody. I now know who I am rooting for on Sunday nights and I wish Willie much success.

Moondog Growlers hosts food drive, artist market, live music, food truck & great beer this Suturday from 2pm to 6pm

Saturday afternoon starting at 2 pm, Moondog Growlers will be hosting a small gathering at their location & parking lot. They will have live music and local art from several artists including Huelani Mei Fogleman. Food truck Frita Kale-O will be there serving up delicious tacos. Project Love Light will be helping collect canned goods and other pantry items to benefit 'Solidarity Sandy Springs' food pantry. Scofflaw Brewing will also be hanging out with us and pouring $5 Scofflaw pints all night.

The event is scheduled for Saturday February 27th from 2pm - 6pm so please stop by and drop off some caned goods and other items that are needed. Here is a complete list of needs.

Monday, February 22, 2021

Georgia Power reports that most Dunwoody power interruptions ocurr because of weather events, fallen trees & squirrels.

Based on the repeated number of power outages in the City, specifically in the Kingsley and Dunwoody North subdivisions; I raised concerns with Michael Smith our Director of Public Works who met with Georgia Power to discuss the matter. Below is the feedback that was given to the City Council.

Dunwoody has 12 circuits supplied from 4 substations
Kingsley is supplied from the Tilly Mill substation, Dunwoody North from the North Shallowford substation and Redfield from the Spalding substation
Most of the outages that have occurred in the area over the last year have been tree or weather related

81% of the total minutes of outage in 2020 were attributed to weather events (In the city’s own experience the number of trees that fell in the right of way in 2020 was unusually high)
Damage from trees unrelated to a storm were the next most common cause of outages followed by cars running into poles causing 7% of outage minutes. An older developed area like Dunwoody has more trees near the power lines and a lot of the poles are close to the road.
Equipment failure accounted for 3% of the total outage minutes

The causes of the specific outages in Kingsley and Dunwoody North, reported recently on social media were:

11/13- squirrel damage
12/31- squirrel damage
1/26- Tree fell
2/6- squirrel damage

Squirrels chewing on lines and equipment are a common problem. Georgia Power has mitigation strategies but can’t completely eliminate the problem.
Georgia Power has an asset management program for replacement of poles and other components. It is unusual for a pole-mounted transformer to fail and therefore Georgia Power does not replace them on a regular basis but keeps them in service until failure. The loud explosion that people associate with a transformer blowing is actually a fuse in most cases. The fuse is a safety feature that protects the public, Georgia Power and its equipment.
Georgia Power typically performs tree trimming on a 3-year cycle. Trimming is occurring now in the Dunwoody North area and is scheduled for April in the Kingsley area. Georgia Power data shows that outages typically decrease after tree trimming and then gradually increase until the next tree trimming.
The pilot tree trimming program planned in Peachtree Corners involves more aggressive trimming in an attempt to reduce the number of tree related outages. Normally Georgia Power just removes limbs immediately around the lines. In the pilot program they are possibly looking to clear a 15-foot distance on either side of the lines from the ground to the sky.
The Kingsley interruption time has been average compared to other circuits in the region. Dunwoody North is experiencing more interruptions than other circuits in the area. In addition to the typical interruptions caused by weather, trees, vehicles and wildlife, the Dunwoody North circuit is experiencing interruptions due to failures of the old underground lines in Dunwoody Crossing. They are currently working on a project to replace those lines.

Saturday, February 20, 2021

Dunwoody City Council Meeting of Monday Feb 22, 2021 (DeKalb School Board Member Anna Hill, GDOT 285 update, Senior Living, speed limits)

DUNWOODY CITY COUNCIL MEETING
FEBRUARY 22, 2021
6:00 PM – DUNWOODY CITY HALL
4800 ASHFORD DUNWOODY ROAD
DUNWOODY, GA 30338

Zoom https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83925705232

Or join by phone: +1 929 205 6099 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 669 900 6833 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 Webinar ID: 839 2570 5232

Agenda - City Site 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.