Dunwoody City Council Agenda for Monday August 12, 2024

DUNWOODY CITY COUNCIL MEETING
Monday August 12, 2024 - 6:00 PM
DUNWOODY CITY HALL - DUNWOODY HALL
4800 ASHFORD DUNWOODY ROAD
DUNWOODY, GA 30338

Agenda 6 pm  - City Site Agenda 

City Council meetings are live-streamed on the City of Dunwoody’s Facebook page. 

They are also available for viewing (no two way communication) on Zoom,
https://dunwoodyga-gov.zoom.us/j/84919972403 or  phone +14703812552,,84919972403#

You can access the video after the meeting on the City of Dunwoody’s YouTube page.

Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance 

Public comments - in person 3 min each / 30 min max with additional at end of meeting if needed.

City Manager's Monthly Report

Presentation of Dunwoody Preservation Trust Lemonade Days Festival Unsung Hero Award

FIRST READ: Review and Consideration of a Text Amendment to Amend Chapter 16 to Provide Streetscape Design Standards for Certain Areas of the City

Award of a Contract to KCI Technologies to Provide Preliminary Design for the Chamblee Dunwoody-Village Crossroads Project

Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plan Update

Department of Energy Grant Award Received  - 2 EV Ford Mustang's

Funding Authorization to Develop a Stormwater Master Model for the Marsh Creek Basin

Holiday Lights Contract Award

Veterans Memorial Design

Wildcat Park Restrooms

Dunwoody City Council Agenda for Monday July 22, 2024

DUNWOODY CITY COUNCIL MEETING
Monday July 22, 2024 - 6:00 PM
DUNWOODY CITY HALL - DUNWOODY HALL
4800 ASHFORD DUNWOODY ROAD
DUNWOODY, GA 30338

Agenda 6 pm  - City Site Agenda 

City Council meetings are live-streamed on the City of Dunwoody’s Facebook page. 

They are also available for viewing (no two way communication) on Zoom,
https://dunwoodyga-gov.zoom.us/j/86390235645 or  phone +14703812552,86390235645#

You can access the video after the meeting on the City of Dunwoody’s YouTube page.

Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance

Class 2024-004 Teen Police Academy Graduates

Economic Development Update - 2nd Quarter

Comprehensive Plan Kickoff Public Hearing and code rewrite

Resolution Appointing a Member of the Sustainability Committee

SECOND READ: An Ordinance to Define Community Residences and Recovery Communities and Create Use Regulations for Such Uses, Chapter 27

Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plan Update

Contract Amendment with Practical Design Partners for Final Design of Happy Hollow Sidewalk from Kingsland Court to Peeler Road

Department of Energy Grant Award Received - Police Electric Vehicles

Dunwoody City Council Agenda for Nov 9th - Welcome Pam Tallmadge

Monday, November 9, 2015

Dunwoody City Hall

41 Perimeter Center East

Dunwoody, GA 30346

6 pm Agenda - Watch Live at 6:00 p.m.

• Administer Oath of Office to Council Member-Elect Pam Tallmadge. 
• Update on CAD-to-CAD Interface Project. 
• YTD Financial Report for September 2015. 
• Presentation of 3rd Quarter Internal Audit Report. 
• Award of Municipal Court Probation Services Contract. 
• Authorization to Apply for REBC Grant Funding
• Approval of CVBD FY-2016 Budget. 
• Approval of Contract 15-12 Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan 5 Year Update.
• Approval of Contract 15-13 Parks and Right of Way Maintenance. 
• Bunkey Way Stream Restoration Contract Approval. 
• Consideration of Pole Attachment Agreement with Mobilite. 
• Consideration of Pole Attachment Agreement with Crown Castle. 
• ADA Transition Plan.

Dunwoody High School Roundabout

Full Design of Roundabout

The City of Dunwoody held an informational meeting at Dunwoody High School on September 20th to discuss possible intersection improvements at Womack Rd and Vermack Road. Three options were presented, do nothing, install a signalized intersection with dedicated turn lanes or install a single lane roundabout.

City engineers are recommending the roundabout because the signalized intersection would have more impact on adjacent properties, cost more, and be less safe for travelers. The roundabout provides individual crossing locations with middle of the road refuge islands whereby the pedestrian only has to look one way at a time to cross the street therefore it is deemed the safest design for pedestrians. There is a lower average speed though the intersection as compared to a signal which means less severe crashes and with the constant circular movement it eliminates turning conflicts and therefore crashes.

I attended the September 20th meeting and talked to a number of people.  Some were immediate neighbors who lived on Womack or Vermack, some were Dunwoody High School Parents who were in the building for Senior Night and poked in to see what was up and others were general community people who wanted to be informed.  I listened to both Pro and Con but there was a consensus that the signalized intersection was overkill and completely out of character.  Then there were those who liked the roundabout but had individual concerns over a specific topic within the design and others who wanted no change what so ever to the intersection.  These folks believed that this improvement would do little for Dunwoody residents and would only increase the Gwinnettians cut through traffic to Perimeter Center.

Since I attended the meeting to see the possible designs for the first time, I too walked into the door with concerns and my main one was pedestrian safety in a roundabout.  How would it work and how would an influx of pedestrians at one time be able to safely cross the streets?  If there was an influx of pedestrians (say a intermittent stream for 20 minutes), how would that affect the traffic flow of the intersection?  Could a parent rightfully allow an older elementary student to use this intersection to walk to school?  Could my slow walking elderly neighbor or someone in a wheelchair safely use this civic improvement intended for all?

After reviewing the refuge island designs, I had a better feel for the safety of some pedestrians but the system is still completely reliant on the fact that all drivers must "Yield to Pedestrians".  This week a resident forwarded a letter to the City with concerns in the design and asked us to go back to the drawing table but in doing so she also forwarded us wonderful research on pedestrian safety in roundabouts. 

Intersections need to be made not just for cars, but for people on a personal scale (including children, elderly and those in a wheelchair).  I had a long conversation with our Public Works Director who is now researching what added safety devices (be it Flashing Yellow beacons or in-pavement flashers or a combination of the two activated by a pedestrian push button, raised or bricked crosswalks; or just improved markings) which could be included in the final roundabout design up for consideration.  I believe that new city infrastructure should always foster improved walkablity for all residents and at the very least we should strive to never be a hinderent to our own mobility so that may we all age in place to enjoy this wonderful community.

At the meeting the participants were told that the Womack entrance (Western driveway near intersection) to Dunwoody High School would be closed and the traffic flow onto and off that parking lot would have to change.  I talked to both Dunwoody High parents as well as Womack residents who live adjacent to the current exit out of that parking lot, both of whom saw this as the biggest obstacle to having a safe intersection design as this change is directly related.

For your information the City is exploring various options and I believe they are presenting preliminary plans at the next City Council meeting (moved off the regular date) on October 15th.  I look forward to seeing an updated, pedestrian friendly roundabout design while also working with the DeKalb County School System where we can adequately find a solution to serving the school safely too.

The City is still taking public comment on this intersection so please give us suggestions.  Give us feedback if you love it, hate it, or if you believe we shouldn't do it at all.

Thanks.

John

Dunwoody City Council - long meeting / short update

Dunwoody City Council work session started at 7 and executive session ended around 11:15, so it was a long evening.

Key updates - upset to learn that my video failed about 50 minutes into the recording but here is the start of the meeting. I do know that people (including Chris Pike the City Finance Director) were watching online for some if not all of the session.  I am really looking forward to someday having the City take over the recording and streaming video of all meetings with a possible replay on Comcast.  (I'm told that day is coming but it can't get here fast enough for me.)  I would also love to have the streaming video of all Community Council, Planning Commission and ZBA meetings but we will wait to see what the city staff recommends.

Doug Thompson qualified on Monday for the district three City Council seat and I'm interested in seeing if anyone else will step forward.  Someone said I scared off anyone who was semi-interested with my blog from yesterday and my reply was if they were only semi-interested then they shouldn't be applying.

Was told that Gov Sonny Perdue signed HB203 into law on Friday allowing the transfer of parks and bond money to Dunwoody. Expect conversations between the city and residents regarding Dunwoody's park and recreation priorities to begin soon.  Expect a fight with the County over the funds promised to Brook Run.  My first priority for the parks is the safety of the facilities and I was reassured that this is also a priority of the staff once we take over.

Was told that our Safe Routes to Schools grant application that the City and Kingsley Charter Elementary School submitted when the city was less than 30 days old was just approved and it may mean up to $460,000 in capital improvements around the school; i.e. sidewalks.  Look at our original application.

In other Safe Routes to Schools news, the next time you drive down Peachford near Peachtree Charter Middle School; take a look at the new ADA ramps that now line the street.  Perfect for strollers, little kids on bikes, wheelchairs and those who can't deal with the curbs.

The city's first quarter financial statement looks good and on track.

Improved 911 services could cost the city up to an additional $500,000 to switch to a flat fee service offered by John's Creek and Sandy Springs.  Starting our own, could cost even more?

The Dunwoody Comprehensive Land Use Plan was to be discussed but there wasn't the time available to do it justice therefore Council will have a special called meeting for next Monday to discuss just that.

Maybe it's just me but I don't understand the passion that some members of the community have over signs.  I missed last meeting where the issue was discussed for two hours and will need to listen to that prior to next meeting where I will be voting on the issue.  Tonight's discussion regarding the Art Festival Signs seemed silly to me and would have been completely mute if we the City Co-Sponsored the event as I now believe we should have.  That being said, I am interested in hearing from the business community adjacent to the festival as to their personal financial success at the event.  Everything I saw and heard from the event was positive but am looking forward to a full analysis.  I do know that my family really enjoyed the event.

Dunwoody seeks bidders on Comprehensive Transportation Plan.

Link to Sidewalk Map

The City has released the RFP for the Comprehensive Transportation Plan and it will only be with citizen input that this process creates a strategy for funding future capital infrastructure improvements wanted by the citizens therefore I recommend that residents need to be involved and vocal about exactly what they want.  The plan will do the following ...

Inventory and Plan Development

• Inventory existing conditions including roads, bicycle facilities, pedestrian facilities, transportation services, development policies related to transportation and transportation demand management policies or programs.
• Develop plans and recommendations for bicycles, pedestrians and other alternative forms of transportation.
• Develop a prioritized list of transportation projects with estimated costs and recommended funding sources.
• Produce deliverables including GIS data files and mapping printed at 24” x 36” to summarize existing conditions and show future improvements. Specific maps should include at a minimum:
• Depiction(s) of existing conditions
• Road Improvement Plan
• Sidewalk Improvement Plan, including ADA upgrades
• Bicycle/ Pedestrian network plan

I guess when it is all over we should be expecting a document much like this that was created for Sandy Springs.

Prior to the City being formed, I served on the Transportation Task Force which worked at putting together a very similar document which outlined the basic needs of the city. For those working on this project, here is most of what we came up with other documents located in the Task Force link above.

Transportation Service Analysis Dunwoody Final.doc

Dunwoody_Sidewalks.pdf

Sidewalk_Data.xls

Dunwoody_Resurfacing.pdf

Map of Dunwoody tied to Plat Maps

City-of-Dunwoody-Pavement-Evaluation (Jan 2010)

I hope the company who wins this project will listen to the residents while also visiting and documenting the conditions on their own to backup and validate the statements of the residents.  Many streets in Dunwoody need sidewalks but my little culdesac isn't Valley View or Happy Hollow where the need is much greater, therefore they shouldn't be ranked the same.  Please be vocal on where your future Dunwoody tax dollars should be spent.  Thanks.

The City of Dunwoody presents Georgia Accessibilty Code 101 discussion with Tim Bromley, Sr. ADA Architect

Pack a lunch for Monday Night's Dunwoody City Council Work Session. PS: I'll take a Turkey and Swiss on Rye, thanks.

Monday July 20th, 2009
City Hall @ 7 p.m.

Agenda

Boyken update.
June financial report.
Sanitation.
Update on city website.
Grants update.
Street parking at Marcus Jewish Community Center.
Reverse 911.
Discussion of Dunwoody Convention and Visitors Bureau.

• Resolution, Contract, By Laws and Board Appointments

Mid-year vendor contract discussion.

• Lowe Engineers
• Calvin, Giordano & Associates
• Clark Patterson Lee

Sustainability Commission Refocus.
Discussion of traffic calming policy.
Resolution to approve traffic calming on Village Creek Drive.
Update on ADA.
Discussion of Taxi Cabs.
Chamber of Commerce matters.
Discussion on the elimination of a voting meeting for Mayor and Council.
Discussion of public comment periods during meetings.

Note - The Dunwoody City Council will be a little less formal for Monday nights work session as we will be experimenting with the small conference room in the back of the council chambers and we will be talking to each other vs the audience. I believe microphones will be available so any seat in the chambers should be able to hear us but the best seats for viewing will be at the back of the room towards the Right hand side as you walk in.

Dunwoody needs to access compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Is Dunwoody handicap friendly?

At least one resident wants me to review this aspect of the City because she believes we can do better and because of her, I have started asking myself a few questions and these questions will roll down to City Management in the very near future.

What is the Americans with Disabilities Act, what does it mean to the newly created City of Dunwoody and who has the city designated to oversee compliance? Is Dunwoody in compliance as an employer and is there a formal grievance procedure that our employees should follow if needed? Has our police force been trained in the ADA requirements for the special circumstances in which they may face in dealing with the citizens of Dunwoody?

Are our (or still DeKalb's) public spaces like City Hall, the parks, library, cultural center and other public buildings friendly for all users? Are the current sidewalks wide enough to get a wheel chair though or maybe we just need to maintain what was originally installed? Are the known missing handicap ramps & curb cuts scheduled to be upgraded? If not, when, and on what schedule? Do our ordinances mandate enough parking spaces where needed in shopping centers and do we as a community need to do a better job of enforcing the laws currently on the books? Are the City ordinances on handicap parking effective enough to allow for proper enforcement on private property?

I believe that the City of Dunwoody needs to conduct a complete self evaluation for ADA compliance. Then the city should schedule a community input workshop to discuss the findings and allow the residents the opportunity to discuss existing needs and share ideas and concerns with staff. Finally the city should set forth a transition plan for both immediate and long range capital improvements describing any necessary structural or physical changes needed to make all required areas accessible and compliant with ADA.

We owe it to ourselves to do this and do it right.

Related - Chesnut ADA Renovations Scheduled.

Reminder: Comprehensive Land Use meeting, Tonight at 7 pm, details here.