AGENDA
DUNWOODY CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL CALLED MEETING
MARCH 22 & 23 2023
ETOWAH RIVER PARK PLAYGROUND
600 BROWN INDUSTRIAL PARKWAY
CANTON, GEORGIA 30114
CANTON CITY HALL
110 ACADEMY STREET
CANTON, GEORGIA 30114
AND
FORREST HILLS RESORT
CONFERENCE CENTER
135 FORREST HILLS ROAD
DAHLONEGA, GEORGIA 30533
Wednesday Call-In Information - starting at 2 pm.
Join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device:
Please click this URL to join. https://dunwoodyga-gov.zoom.us/j/82809829280
Or One tap mobile:
+14702509358,,82809829280# US (Atlanta)
+14703812552,,82809829280# US (Atlanta)
Or join by phone:
US: +1 470 250 9358 or +1 470 381 2552
Webinar ID: 828 0982 9280
Thursday Call-In Information - starting at 8 am.
Join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device:
Please click this URL to join. https://dunwoodyga-gov.zoom.us/j/89255205932
Or One tap mobile:
+14702509358,,89255205932# US (Atlanta)
+14703812552,,89255205932# US (Atlanta)
Or join by phone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 470 250 9358 or +1 470 381 2552
Webinar ID: 892 5520 5932
DUNWOODY CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL CALLED MEETING
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Wednesday & Thursday of this week the Dunwoody City Council and Staff will be meeting for two days to discuss high level planning topics in order to set future work topics. Council gets no read ahead documents but I am guessing many of the same topics from last year will be covered this year. The agenda published at the moment is only for Wednesday but it does include a Zoom link to watch (or maybe just listen) but I am unsure if that same link will work for Thursday too?
The retreat conversations really start at 2 pm on Wednesday in Dahlonega and I would expect the day to be done by 6 pm therefore with only four hours, I am guessing we will be talking about everything but finances. Council spends the night there and guessing we start the Thursday meeting at 8 am kicking off the topic of finances and future project funding, followed by other topics not completed on Wednesday.
The Zoom link is different each day as shown above, see the city agenda page details on each day.
These meetings are open to the public and the press, and hopefully we will have both in attendance to report on what we are discussing. There is always a slim chance that even though we plan to stream the meetings that there may be technical difficulties with the internet, therefore having in person reporters to report these events is a feather in the cap to the news agencies who cover. Last year, the Crier had a reporter there both days and probably stayed close overnight. PS: even if the streaming system were to crap out the meetings are recorded by the City Clerk and could be obtained immediately after the meeting.
Read the retreat recap document from January 2023 to see what we accomplished in 2022 but also note what we have put off or kicked down the road. In 2022 we put off a call for a General Obligation Bond for Capital Projects and a Special Tax District for Parks & Police for operational expenses. I believe both topics may be back on the retreat agenda for council to come to a consensus about possibly adding these items to the ballot in November of 2023?
Immediately below I am re-posting document links from the May 23, 2022 meeting where city finances and possible bonds were discussed.
City of Dunwoody Millage and Bond Rate Discussion and comparable rates in DeKalb the possible list of projects - Bond FAQ - Steps to Bond Referendum
Remember how just a few months ago I said our 2023 budget looked like an ugly baby? We need to determine the capital desires of the community and the correlating operational expenses (more parks/more maintenance expenses) vs (fully staffed Police Department at appropriate salary / benefit level is an expense we can not compromise on) with inflationary pressures on a tax digest that has limited escalating raises. Because Dunwoody was one of the first cities to break away from a County to incorporate, we were given very tight financial constraints that other newer cities do not have. 14 years after incorporation we have rising inflation, rising costs but also have a home valuation freeze, a 1 mil tax reduction that was a replacement for a credit that was given back, but the reduction stuck, and we are now at our maximum ad valorem tax rate on real property of 3.04 which by my reading of the Charter would need the approval of the Citizens to increase that general tax rate. Tough decisions & discussions on finance are coming.
All of these conversations will be taking place in the future as I am always concerned of the viability of our many office towers as leases come up for renewal and the pressures to have employees work from home seems to grow. A vibrant office district in Perimeter Center is what we all desire as it is an economic engine that also fills the restaurants, the stores, raises demands on housing and also adds to the tax base which lowers the burden on the residents who live here. We need a vibrant mix and the Mayor and City Council have been working on that goal since day one of incorporation.
No formal votes are typically taken at retreats, therefore no matter what happens at the retreat, Council will be holding public hearings or informational meetings before any final policy is enacted while at a formal city council meeting in the future.
2 comments:
Thanks John for this info.
I have protested that this remote meeting is held with only 3 working days notice to Dunwoody Citizens and that the meetings are not held in our local hotels. Our local hotels through "Discover Dunwoody" collect millions per year in tax revenues and our elected officials ignore them. SHAME on them.
I am looking forward to this years "Wish List" of wants. The list last year totaled over $450 million , produced a tax hike , wished for City Bonds and revealed that our Mayor & Council want to remove our property tax freeze and raise taxes with NO citizen vote!!!
THANK GOD the Retreat only lasts 2 days!!!
Posted by Bob Hickey , a Dunwoody Citizen for 40+ years
Bob Hickey:
I agree with you, and I know a number of people who also agree. We're sitting here saying "What the hell happened" over the last several years, and I think if John were not still on council, we would be in deeper trouble.
Also, I wonder how much of our woes are made worse by city staff. I was told that a staff member (last name begins with "V".... figure it out) was criticizing the original council because they had only budgeted $350K for Brook Run, and because of that, they didn't know what they were doing. Well kids, Dunwoody did not own, nor was it clear at the time that they ever would own, Brook Run Park. If we have people on staff with that kind of arrogant, (and ignorant) attitude, shouldn't we take a closer look??
I've thought about keeping silent about that, but I'm over it. I've disconnected for quite awhile, but this seems like a good time to speak up.
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