City of Dunwoody "Retreat" schededuled for Wednesday & Thursday of this week at the Forest Hills Resort & Conference Center in Dahlonega

 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

 

9:30 A.M. - SITE VISIT - ETOWAH RIVER PARK PLAYGROUND

 

10:15 A.M. - CANTON CITY HALL – (CANTON CITY MANAGER)   2:00 P.M. Wednesday – 2023 STRATEGIC PLANNING DISCUSSION – FORREST HILLS RESORT 8:00 A.M. Thursday – 2023 STRATEGIC PLANNING DISCUSSION – FORREST HILLS RESORT

 

EXECUTIVE SESSION - FOR THE PURPOSE OF CYBER SECURITY, LEGAL, REAL ESTATE, AND PERSONNEL DISCUSSION

 

RECESS

 

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.