Founding Dunwoody City Council Member, Adrian Bonser passes away after long struggle with cancer.

Rest in Peace Adrian

Adrian Gendell Bonser DDS, 60, died on Friday, July 20 of complications from metastatic breast cancer in her home in Dunwoody, Georgia. Adrian was well-known throughout Dunwoody as a leading citizen and early proponent of Dunwoody cityhood. She joined the Board of "Dunwoody Yes!" at its inception in March 2008 and helped to establish Dunwoody as an independent city by December 2008.  Adrian became the first female City Council member and served on the Council from 2008 until 2014 even as she was battling the breast cancer that would take her life.

After her illness prevented her from serving actively in the city government, Adrian supported development in Dunwoody through philanthropic gifts. Most recently, she was proud to dedicate a rose garden at the Dunwoody Farmhouse historical site.

Adrian first discovered Dunwoody when she established her private dental practice there in 1992 to provide general and cosmetic dental services. After building a thriving practice, Adrian sold her business in 2001 then worked for DeKalb County Board of Health for five years as a consulting dentist.

Adrian grew up in Wyoming, Ohio near the city of Cincinnati and attended Wyoming High School. She earned a BS in Nursing at Indiana University then practiced as a Registered Nurse for eight years specializing in critical care. She attended dental school at The Ohio State University earning her DDS degree in 1991, followed by a year-long residency in hospital dentistry at Emory University.

She is survived by her husband of 17 years, Brian Bonser. She was proud stepmother to Neil Bonser of Atlanta, GA and Ian Bonser of Gainesville, GA. She was proud grandmother to Emma, Addison, Madison, and Maya. Adrian is also survived by her mother, Marion Gendell of Atlanta, and her siblings Carin Gendell of Great Falls, VA; Jeff Gendell of Greenwich, CT; David Gendell of Westport, CT, Marc Gendell of Atlanta, and Brad Gendell of New York City as well as 14 nieces and nephews. Adrian was pre-deceased by her sister Danna Gendell Korell. A private graveside burial ceremony was held at Greenwood Cemetery, Atlanta, GA on Tuesday, July 24. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to The American Cancer Society.

Dunwoody Founders Park Bench, Brook Run walking trail thru the deep woods to Nancy Creek and Treetop Quest zip lines are under construction.

Children's Playground Entrance - Founders of Dunwoody Bench

In Dunwoody if elected officials want their name on something they do it the "old fashioned way" they pay for it themselves out of their own pockets.  (I wouldn't want it any other way!)

A few weeks ago I lead a group of long time Dunwoody citizens to the most remote, deepest jungles of Dunwoody, along a relatively easy walking trail to view the serine waters of Nancy Creek rolling by.   Now that the Dunwoody Trailway loop is complete and shown on Google Maps, please allow me to share with you a quiet place to experience nature.  At the very back of the park there is a bridge on the trailway crossing a small creek and you will notice a small walking trail at the North West corner of the bridge heading into the woods.  Nature lovers - I suggest you follow it, you can thank me later.

 https://www.treetopquest.com/dunwoody/

Finally, during my walk through Brook Run Park, I discovered a team of men who were about to start putting these Lincoln Log looking items to good use a 100 feet in the air as the Brook Run Tree Top Quest Zip Line Course started construction today.   They should be finished by mid-March and if you want a sneak peek of what will be installed, check out this drawing and map that the construction crew was using.   Prices are still steep. 

Last minute additions to Dunwoody City Council agenda - Ethics Report Review and Request for Reimbursement of Legal Fees by Councilmember Bonser.

There were two last minute additions to the Monday Night City Council Agenda as shown below and the two links immediately below documents the only information provided to Council for the December 9th meeting..

Discussion of Request for Reimbursement of Legal Fees for September 12, 2013 Board of Ethics Hearing. (Dr. Adrian Bonser)

Review of the Final Report from the Hearing Officer Dennis Still and the Board of Ethics Recommendations. (Steven Blaske)

Very similar items were listed on the October 14th meeting agenda but at the start of that meeting Councilwoman Bonser deferred the items pulling them from the agenda and is just now bringing back the reimbursement item and Ethics Chairman Steven Blaske is now bringing back the review of the final report.  The Oct 14th agenda item includes a receipt for legal expenses whereby no receipts were submitted for the December 9th meeting.

Request by Council Member Adrian Bonser for City Council Review of Ethics Board Recommendation Regarding Stephen Chipka Ethics Complaint Against Council Member Bonser Dated 5-21-13. (Adrian Bonser)

     Ethics hearing officer findings in Bonser / Chipka complaint.
     Minutes of Ethics Hearing on 09122013 in favor of Councilwoman Bonser

ACTION ITEM: Request by Council Member Adrian Bonser for Reimbursement of Legal Fees Associated with Ethics Complaint Filed by Stephen Chipka Against Council Member Adrian Bonser Dated 5-21-13. (Adrian Bonser)

      Legal expenses of Councilwoman Bonser defending Chipka Complaint.

Councilmember Bonser has a $3,000 expense account for City expenses but defending yourself in an ethics hearing could easily be deemed outside the typical expense, especially whereby the decision of the hearing officer stated that the complaint was a frivolous, unjustified, derogatory and brought to be a nuisance to Councilmember Bonser.

That being said, the annual expense account as outlined in the Charter states that ...

The mayor shall be provided an annual expense allowance of $5,000.00 and each councilmember shall be provided an annual expense allowance of $3,000.00 for the reimbursement of expenses actually and necessarily incurred by the mayor and councilmembers in carrying out their duties as elected officials of the city.   

I wish a memo was provided by Councilmember Bonser outlining the basis of her request as well as a full accounting of the reimbursement being requested.   There is no other language in the charter or otherwise that allows reimbursing expenses in excess of the $3,000 amount prescribed.  But that being said, it could be a fair request for the city to cover the charges of defending a frivolous complaint that probably should have been squashed on the front end of the process. 

I believe Council has the power to expend the funds to cover the expense if it decides to do so.

I believe that Council would be well served on Monday night to flip these two items whereby Mr. Blaske reviews the final report before Councilmember Bonser discusses possible reimbursement.

In the final paragraph of the report, the recommendation of the ethics board was that Mr. Steven Chipka should be forced to pay the reasonable costs of processing his frivolous complaint.   That raises the issue, can the city legally charge Mr. Chipka with the expenses of the process and hearing and if so, does that include Councilmember Bonser's legal expenses in excess of her allowed $3,000 expense account?  

Section 2-262 of Dunwoody code says yes but I question; Mr. Chipka is not a "public servant" therefore I do not see applicability of the Article (Article VIII - Ethics in Chapter 2 Administration of City Code) as outlined in Sec 2-209 Declaration of policy, Sec 2-210 Purposes of article, Sec 2-211 Applicability of article or furthermore an allowance to collect such sanctions against Mr. Chipka in Sec 2-213 Penalties.

I look forward to the discussion and questioning all parties involved.

Dunwoody City Council Agenda for Monday December 9th, 2013 - busy night last meeting of 2013.

Monday, December 9th
Dunwoody City Hall
41 Perimeter Center East

Dunwoody, GA 30346

5:00 pm - Exec Session

7:00 p.m. - Voting Meeting

Watch Live at 7 pm

Agenda

Proclamation Recognizing Mayor Dr. Eva Galambos.

Proclamation Recognizing Council Member Dr. Adrian Bonser.

Update on Dunwoody Independent School System Financial Feasibility Study. (Robert Wittenstein)

SECOND READ: Approval of Amendments to Chapter 6, Animals (Nuisance).

Discussion and Approval of 2014 City Council and Community Development Boards Meeting Schedules.

Approval of Updated Concept Plan for Renaissance 5 Acre Park on the 19 Acre Property.

• Not in the memo but my thoughts after discussions with neighbors as to why we would have three children's playgrounds so close together? Why not remove some more of the children's play structures and focus this specific park on activities for adults & seniors? Keep the splashpad, the sports courts and a very limited amount of playground but find activities and community gathering places that are not available elsewhere.
•  Several Pickleball courts could be installed and the facility could house a league, the same could also be said for Shuffleboard courts, Horseshoe pits, an artificial putting green and maybe a chess pavilion could be built into the hillside on the corner allowing a shaded peaceful place to congregate between the two trail heads overlooking the park. I'm thinking that the band shell needs to go to Brook Run but we need to be creative with the hillside in this park concept.

Approval of Award of Brook Run Park Multi-Use Trail Phase II Construction Contract.

Approval of 2014 Website Redesign Contract Award - Jesse James Creative.

• RFI, questions, responses, examples of work http://visitpagosasprings.com http://edinamn.gov http://www.cityofcheney.org http://unicefinnovation.org

Update on the CAD-to-CAD Interface Project.

Approval of Contract 13-10 Brook Run Dog Park Construction.

• Discussion of current Dog Park Situation, Proposal by BRDPA and Dec 2nd Meeting

Approval of Contract 13-11 Dunwoody Nature Center Renovation.

Approval of Contract 13-04 Parks and Right of Way Maintenance.

Approval of Contract for Installation of Electrical Conduit for Camera System at Brook Run Park.

Approval of ARC-MARTA Offset Funds Intergovernmental Agreement for Dunwoody VillageParkway.

Approval of Agreement with Georgia DOT for PCIDs Commuter Trail System Study.

Approval of Agreement with Georgia DOT for the Georgetown Area Multimodal Improvements Project.

Discussion of Amendment to the City of Dunwoody Comprehensive Transportation Plan.

Dunwoody City Council Meeting Agenda for Monday October 14.

Monday, October 14th
Dunwoody City Hall
41 Perimeter Center East

Dunwoody, GA 30346

6:00 p.m. - Work Session

7:00 p.m. - Voting Meeting

Watch Live at 7 pm

Agenda 6 PM (CAD to CAD)

Agenda 7 PM

Update on the CAD-to-CAD Interface Project. (employees in training)

SECOND READ: Ordinances Amending and Readopting Chapters 27, Zoning, and 16, Land
Development, and all Previous Amendments Thereto.

     Staff Memo of Changes
     Chap 16 Clean     Chap 16 track changes
     Chap 27 Clean     Chap 27 track changes
     CC & PC Minutes

Approval of Revised Intergovernmental Agreement with DeKalb County for the Provision of Election Services.

Discussion of Dunwoody Village Parkway Construction Contract.

Discussion of 2013 Amended Budget, 2014 Annual Operating and Capital Budgets, and Proposed Fiscal Year 2014 Budget.

Discussion of 2014 Legislative Priorities. (Independent Schools & ??)

Discussion of 2014 Town Hall Meeting Program.

Discussion of Amendment to the Development Agreement for Project Renaissance.

Discussion of Spruill Center for the Arts Ground Lease.

FIRST READ: Amendment to the Project Renaissance Quitclaim Deed regarding the Reversionary Interest.

Discussion of Amendment to the Project Renaissance Declaration of Easements.

Approval of Agreement with GDOT for Year 2 of the Perimeter Traffic Operations Program

Request by Council Member Adrian Bonser for City Council Review of Ethics Board Recommendation Regarding Stephen Chipka Ethics Complaint Against Council Member Bonser Dated 5-21-13.

     Ethics hearing officer findings in Bonser / Chipka complaint.
     Minutes of Ethics Hearing on 09122013 in favor of Councilwoman Bonser

ACTION ITEM: Request by Council Member Adrian Bonser for Reimbursement of Legal Fees Associated with Ethics Complaint Filed by Stephen Chipka Against Council Member Adrian Bonser Dated 5-21-13.

      Legal expenses of Councilwoman Bonser defending Chipka Complaint.

Dunwoody City Council Agenda for Tuesday June 25th

Tuesday, June 25th
Dunwoody City Hall
41 Perimeter Center East

Dunwoody, GA 30346

6:00 p.m. - Full Meeting Packet

7:00 p.m. - Full Meeting Packet

Watch 6 pm meeting on City Agenda Page
Watch 7 pm meeting on City Agenda Page
 

Simple Agenda 6 PM  & Simple Agenda 7 PM

Recognition of Rebecca Keefer for Obtaining her Masters' Degree in City and Regional Planning
from The Georgia Institute of Technology (GA Tech).

Introduction of New Dunwoody Police Officer Chris Patrick

Discussion of Ethics Complaint Filed by Council Member Adrian Bonser Against Assistant CityAttorney Lenny Felgin.  (6 pm)

Approval of Construction Agreement with Georgia Department of Transportation for Dunwoody Village Parkway

Approval of Streetlight Agreements for Ashford Dunwoody at I-285.

Adoption of Resolution to Amend 2013 Budget.

SECOND READ: Ordinance to Approve the Lease of the Property Located at 4470 Shallowford Road.

PUBLIC HEARING & SECOND READ: Ordinance to Establish the Ad Valorem Tax Rate for 2013.

FIRST READ: RZ 13-051: Pursuant to the City of Dunwoody Zoning Ordinance, Applicant,
HDP Acquisitions, LLC c/o Hotel Development Partners, LLC, Seeks Permission to RezoneProperty Currently Zoned Office-Commercial-Residential Conditional (OCRc) to Office-Commercial-Residential Conditional (OCRc) to Allow For a Change of Previous Conditions.

FIRST READ: SLUP 13-051: Pursuant to the City of Dunwoody Zoning Ordinance, Applicant,
HDP Acquisitions, LLC c/o Hotel Development Partners, LLC, Seeks a Special Land UsePermit For a Change in the Maximum Allowable Building Height of Two-Stories to Six-Stories.

Consideration of Recommendation of Board of Ethics Regarding Ethics Complaint Against Council Member Adrian Bonser.  Hearing officer report - board recommendation.

City of Dunwoody Elections and the Electoral District Map

 Dunwoody Electoral Map

Local election year - only elected by residents in the district in which you live.

2013 Election Information

The City of Dunwoody will conduct a general election on Tuesday, November 5, 2013 for the purpose of electing three (3) members of City Council. The City Council posts to be voted on are Post 1, Post 2, and Post 3. The qualifying fee for the office of City Council is $360.00 (three hundred sixty dollars), which is 3% of the total gross salary of the preceding year (Georgia Election Code 21-2-131). The qualifying dates will be Monday, August 26, 2013 through Friday, August 30, 2013. The hours of qualifying will be from 8:30am to 4:30pm and shall be conducted in the Office of the City Clerk (Georgia Election Code 21-2-132).  

 The last day for voter registration in the 2013 Municipal General Election and, if necessary, Runoff Election, is Monday, October 7, 2013.  Registration forms are available at Dunwoody City Hall, 41 Perimeter Center East, Suite 250, Dunwoody, Georgia 30346, through the Chief Registrar of DeKalb County, Georgia or through the Georgia Secretary of State website:

www.sos.georgia.gov/Elections. 

The polls will open for the November 5, 2013 Municipal General Election at 7:00 a.m. and will close at 7:00 p.m. at your designated voter precinct.  If no candidate receives a majority vote, then a runoff election will be held on Tuesday, December 3, 2013 at the same precinct locations. 

2013 Candidate Information

The qualifying period opens on Monday, August 26, 2013 at 8:30 a.m. and closes on Friday, August 30, 2013 at 4:30 p.m. The hours of qualifying each day are 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Any person desiring to run for office shall qualify in the Office of the City Clerk (Georgia Election Code 21-2-132).

The qualifying fee for a Council post is $360.00 (three hundred sixty dollars), which is 3% of the total gross salary of the preceding year (Georgia Election Code 21-2-131).

The qualifications to run for office include: candidate must be a resident of the City of Dunwoody for a continuous period of at least 12 months immediately prior to the date of the election; candidate must continue to reside in the City of Dunwoody during their period of service; candidate must continue to be registered and qualified to vote in the municipal elections for the City of Dunwoody.  

In addition, no person will be eligible to serve as a Council Member representing a council district unless that person has been a resident of the district they seek to represent for a continuous period of at least six months immediately prior to the date of the election and continues to reside in their district during their period of service.

For questions or for more information please contact Sharon Lowery, City Clerk, at 678-382-6711 or

Sharon.lowery@dunwoodyga.gov.

Dunwoody Council Video - 6pm public comment, Chattcom changed the system, serious accusations, new ethics charges, no HUD, Marta / CBS Outdoor ad shelters are for eyeballs - little else.

Video - 7 pm

Video - 6 pm

We had two meetings this evening, not one vote was taken and I don't think I could do a recap justice without great effort and more hours than I want to spend on the subject.   Both videos above are worth watching till the very end!

Very serious accusations were filed by Councilwoman Bonser at the vary start of the 7 pm meeting and my hope is that Georgia Attorney General Mr. Sam Olens and his staff will be able to watch the video to verify as to what was said.  As a member of council since the very begining of incorporation, I can tell you that legal council was always present, many times advice was questioned, second opinions were sought (even from Sam Olens office), and then advice was followed.

Rick Callihan already has his recap of the 7 pm meeting up here.
http://dunwoodytalk.blogspot.com/2013/06/dunwoody-council-recap-june-10-2013.html

Joe Earle of the Dunwoody Reporter has several articles up.
Dunwoody councilwoman announces she’s filing new ethics complaints &
Dunwoody fire tax plan drawing fire

Sue Stanton of the Dunwoody Crier was in the room, as was Pat Fox of the AJC both of whom I am sure will be following up.

Dunwoody Patch article - Councilwoman Adrian Bonser Files Ethics Complaints

All that being said, watch the videos for yourself.

Dunwoody Council discusses DeKalb Schools, transportation safety and ethics.

Long night at the Dunwoody City Council, started at 6 and ended about Midnight.  We honored Dunwoody School Crossing Guards, discussed Dunwoody Schools, convention and visitors bureau budget, city staffing, paving, sidewalks, transportation safety around schools and ethics.

Video
Tom Taylor discusses DeKalb School Board and Dunwoody Schools

Video
Dunwoody School improvements & ethics discussion

City of Dunwoody, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

Clint Eastwood Autographed Baseballs
Being sold by Dunwoody PD for Charity

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Peachtree Charter Middle School is looking for corporate and family sponsors now for the CV Classic 5K run which will take place on Saturday October 20th.  The funds are designated to replace the track therefore if you know of someone interested in sponsoring please help spread the word.  Corporate Sponsor, Family Sponsor and Race Registration Forms are available and need to be turned in soon.

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Movie on the Lawn – We Bought a Zoo on Wed July 25th at Dunwoody Baptist (great family movie!)

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DeKalb school board approves higher tax rate - AJC from a week ago.
DeKalb County Schools face even deeper cuts, teacher layoffs - CBSAtlanta - Video

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Council infighting embarrasses Dunwoody residents who expected better - AJC

Councilman John Heneghan, speaking at a June 26 City Council meeting, said he wants the whole matter put behind him.  "I'm disheartened with the money wasted on this process," he said, "and even more disappointed that this subject has distracted this city government from actually doing the people's work."

I have been quiet on the blog regarding the Ethics issue but received several emails from people that were very surprised to learn that I too was accused of an ethics violation.  As this is now front page news, including the AJC; I need to acknowledge on the blog that this is going on. An ethics counter charge against myself, the Mayor and other Council Members was filed by Councilwoman Adrian Bonser and then was publicized widely by her and is posted on her website.

Because of the charge against me, I need to reply to the ethics charges within 30 days - my reply will clearly state that the compliant filed against me quotes no violation of any section of Article VIII Ethics in the Dunwoody Code as it is required in section 2-258(a) of Dunwoody Code, instead the complaint states that I violated Georgia State law.  Complaints 1 & 2 against myself and the others should be immediately dropped in Dunwoody as it the wrong jurisdiction and raised instead with the State Attorney General by filing a petition in superior court.  Once that is done and formal discovery is had, I am guessing that the Attorney General will decide that that when a single real estate transaction is both buying and selling simultaneously whereby the transactions could not be divided that this transaction is allowed to be discussed behind closed doors.  Also if a City Attorney is in the room and he already verified those circumstances, then should the people in the room for those supposed violations be held individually liable or would the city be liable as a whole as the individuals might have been acting within the scope of their duties acting upon advice of a trained professional?  By a coincidence, I was also not in attendance at the Feb 3rd meeting therefore it is just another reason that complaint number 1 against me, should be dropped.

This matter needs to come to a close and if I could find a way to settle this, I surely would.  Our ethics code was written very restrictively and placing the responsibility of reporting supposed ethics violations on the elected officials, otherwise we would be in violation for not reporting.  It was because of this requirement that I, and am guessing the other members of council, signed the complaint so that the ethics board could review the Wilson Report and air it out because it was the only legally appropriate method available to have that done.

As I have said previously, this whole process is a waste of time, energy and money whereby even if I or someone else was found guilty as charged, I am guessing the penalty for this would likely be a slap on the wrist admonishment or a very small penalty ($500) if levied by the State.  That being said, there is a legal process in place and everyone has the right to use it (even is flawed).  In the mean time, we pay through the nose for "justice".

Look for changes to be proposed to the ethics ordinance in the near future.

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Thoughts on this design, please tell us.

City staff just released the proposed signs for branding the City and I haven't heard one positive comment yet, therefore I am putting the documents out there, along with the official email address to provide the comments on how we should go forward.  Please let us know, both positive and negative comments are welcome.  Thanks.

"A successful Wayfinding system is also fueled by citizen involvement. Join with the City to help create a signage plan which assists in telling our story to visitors, new residents, friends and family. Be a part of guiding their experience into and through our dynamic City. Follow this link to artist renderings and images within the current proposed sign family. Please provide us with your constructive thoughts and opinions by sending an email to WAYFINDING@dunwoodyga.gov"

City signage plan gets cold response  - Dunwoody Reporter

Detailed invoices document the Dunwoody Ethics investigation as well as $50,000.00 in expenses.

27 pages documenting $50,000.00

After numerous news stories regarding the investigation into the breach of executive session, a resident asked me if the details of the billing would ever become public therefore I took the liberty of filing an open records request on the residents behalf.  This afternoon the City Clerk fulfilled the request within the allotted time and sent three documents both to me and the resident via email.  I have taken the liberty of combining all three documents into the one linked above.

The invoices provide names and dates which gives insight into the investigation and the preparation of what is now the final ethics report written by Wilson, Morton & Downs. 

The Ethics Board has been given the complaint which references the Wilson report and soon Councilwoman Adrian Bonser will be able to officially give her rebuttal to the Wilson accusations.

Media Statement of Dunwoody Councilwoman Dr. Adrian Bonser on the Investigative Report of Bob Wilson

May 24, 2012

I am writing this statement as my initial response to the “investigative” report commissioned by the City of Dunwoody and the events that led up to it.

I fundamentally disagree with the findings and believe the integrity of the investigation itself is highly questionable and, the expenditure of an estimated $50,000 of Dunwoody taxpayer monies on said report wasteful.

1. As to the report itself, I am troubled by the lack of transcripts, recordings and other source material so the Council and people of Dunwoody can make judgments based on actual evidence, rather than a subjective interpretation of selected “evidence”.

2. As noted in media sources, this investigation was sloppy at best and politically motivated at worst. A demonstration of that is on Page 13 of the report which states “there was nothing acrimonious or hostile about the meetings.” Yet later Mr. Wilson attempts to describe me as “angry” and “unhappy”. He can’t have it both ways.

3. As to polygraph tests, the investigators seemed to hone in on the City Attorney Brian Anderson and myself from the outset. We were the only two asked to submit to a polygraph examination. If this investigation were a search for truth, at least 10 people in the room should have been asked to submit to a polygraph test. I initially agreed to take the test, but Investigator Wilson himself suggested my health issues may make me a poor candidate for such testing (he implies I avoided the test in his report, which is untrue).

4. In the report, it states that I “admitted” only after being confronted, about discussing the meeting with fellow Councilman Nall. First, I had forgotten that Mr. Nall had called me until, Mr. Wilson reminded me of it. At the time Terry called, I was busy packing for a three week trip overseas early the next morning. Secondly, the implication in how this “evidence” is presented is that I broke Executive Session rules. That is not possible as Councilman Nall was in the meeting as well, and people in attendance at the meeting can obviously discuss it after the fact. So through innuendo, the report is impugning my integrity.

5. Fundamentally, under O.C.G.A. §§ 50-14-3 paragraph 4, discussions of the sale of a property are not eligible for the exclusion from open meetings. The report simply ignores the law on this point. The City of Dunwoody had the second piece of land involved in these discussions under contract. This fact had not only been made public, it had been advertised by the City during what eventually became a failed Parks Bond Referendum.

6. The e-mail I sent in response to two constituents’ questions is cited as another example the investigators believe I broke executive session. In the report, the date of the e-mail is omitted. I was responding to questions based on information that by that time (8 days later) were in the media and public domain.

7. The only “direct” implication that I broke executive session procedures is an “anonymous source” of DeKalb County employee Bob Lundsten. This gentleman has a history of opposition to myself and some positions I have taken on Council. An even-handed investigator would know this and discount such uncorroborated testimony. Further, the information he released on his blog from this “source” was, in most facets, incorrect. Another point not noted in the report.

8. According to the report, Nall and Lundsten spoke to each other about the executive session meeting. One would think such an admission from Mr. Nall would make his discussions suspect as well. However, the investigator delved no further.

9. The investigator makes reference to several interviews with me where my recollections “evolved”. We had two interviews. The first being one hour and the second being an hour and a half. In each, Mr. Wilson never asked the same questions, so there was no avenue for my story to evolve.

10. Finally, the outlines and characterizations of the meetings were taken from interviews. Mr. Wilson’s subjective judgment was used to essentially supplant the meeting minutes, which exist and, were seemingly ignored by the investigator, as they are never referenced in the report.

Given these facts, I believe it is obvious that the investigators did not approach this as a search for truth. Mr. Wilson and his associate had a specific agenda and set of targets. The language throughout the report illustrates this. They state as a “fact” that I was “not truthful” in my responses, with no evidence to support it. The only support of their contention is their opinion.

In a broader sense, I am concerned that the executive sessions and the issues surrounding the “PVC Farm” have taken us to this point. As we began our city in 2008, we managed to avoid “politics” and focused on getting things done and making Dunwoody an even better place to live.

As we have moved forward, many in Dunwoody are watching what we are doing and, are becoming disenchanted with how we are conducting City business. All of us on the Council are grown ups, each with different life experiences and skills. We should have been able to talk to one another and work this out without drama and $50,000 expense.

The investigation was needless and, used as a tool to try to discredit and defame my character. This investigation was no more than a nicely typed, biased regurgitation of essentially he said/she said ad hominem attacks.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many Dunwoody residents who have taken their time to call, write and email their support. It is truly heartening to know, that even under such circumstances, there are so many of you out there who support my efforts on the Council to continue to make Dunwoody an even better place for our people, businesses and families. I look forward to this unnecessary chapter in our city’s short life being put behind us and, the Mayor and Council working together to do the people’s business.

Dunwoody Executive Session Leak Report Released - Councilwoman & City Attorney named.

Full Report

Rebuttal to the findings?  That can be presented to the Dunwoody Board of Ethics but the final outcome of this report or further investigation by the Ethics Board has no bearing on the resolution presented by the Mayor last week to let the City Attorney go for a lack of confidence.

That resolution can be brought back up at any time.

One click to email Mayor Mike Davis and the entire Dunwoody City Council

Click here for Win PC

Click here for Mac

Brook Run - Update by Councilman Robert Wittenstein

 Huge Flat & Grassed over for Open Play

The Dunwoody City Council has been kicking around a proposal to modify the Dunwoody Parks Plan by properly grading and grassing over the open field at the back of Brook Run to allow a wide range of activities.  This change will improve drainage issues at Brook Run as well as reduce the number of trees that will need to be removed if the proposed baseball fields were to remain at that location.  It appears that Councilman Robert Wittenstein just sent the e-mail below to a number of residents that have been writing us on a regular basis, therefore I thought I would share.

All,

I wanted to provide those of you who have expressed interest in the Parks Master Plan with a brief update.

Several of us, led by Councilwoman Bonser, are working on an alternative proposal for the Parks Master Plan that removes all three ball fields from Brook Run and replaces them with an open, level field with terraced steps down for theater style viewing (without lighting). Care will be taken to ensure that any changes are runoff-neutral or result in a net reduction in runoff.

Our revised proposal will call for the three ball fields to be placed at another location to be acquired by the city. 

We are all working on crafting this proposed change in the interest of building a consensus on moving forward.  We have a lot of work to do to work out the specifics but my hope is that we will have a revised plan prior to our city council meeting on May 23^rd.  Stay tuned for more information, which we will share as the plan changes get worked out.

Regards,

Robert

Robert Wittenstein

Dunwoody City Council

robert.wittenstein@dunwoodyga.gov

Gifts for the Earth - a free family event this Saturday at the Dunwoody Nature Center from 10 to Noon.

John,

Thank you for inquiring about the Gifts for the Earth event at the Dunwoody Nature Center. Here is the history behind it. For more than a year, I had been wanting to give a gift to the new City of Dunwoody. When I learned of the "Gifts for the Earth" event and that it would cost money for each child who wanted to participate, I decided this was the gifting opportunity I had been searching for. Earlier this year, I made a donation to the Dunwoody Nature Center from my family's Foundation (The Gendell Family Foundation) in honor of my mother. Brian and I tripled that donation with a gift of our own for the "Gifts to the Earth" event so that families could make "gifts to the Earth" for free. Nature is very important to us. Brian and I are both avid birders and have several busy bird feeders in our back yard. We wanted to share the joy of birds and nature with the children in our community. It is our pleasure to give this gift to the citizens of Dunwoody.

Thank you for the opportunity to share our story.

Adrian and Brian Bonser

Gifts for the Earth

Saturday, December 4

10 am - Noon

FREE

A Family Program Sponsored by Adrian and Brian Bonser and the Gendell Family Foundation

Turnabout is fair play: make something special for the earth that gives us so much. Create natural animal feeders and other gifts for the creatures who call Dunwoody home. Make one for Dunwoody Park and take one home to share with people you love.  Walk the trails, explore the wetlands along our boardwalk, and enjoy the fall foliage from our treehouse learning pavilion.

This FREE family program is sponsored by Adrian and Brian Bonser and the Gendell Family Foundation. Marion Gendell and her late husband, Gerald Gendell, established the foundation to make philanthropic contributions supporting Jewish organizations, the arts, education and medical research.  Their daughter, Adrian Bonser, continues the family’s support of education, including the environmental education programs of Dunwoody Nature Center.  Councilwoman Bonser and her husband Brian chose to sponsor Gifts for the Earth because they believe in the mission of the Center and wanted to make a gift to the City of Dunwoody. As a result, there is no charge for participating in this fun family event.

Dunwoody Nature Center is located on the grounds of Dunwoody Park.

5343 Roberts Drive, Dunwoody

www.dunwoodynature.org

Video of the newly installed Dunwoody Speed Tables on Village Creek Drive.

Councilwoman Adrian Bonser informed me that the City had installed the new traffic calming devices (speed tables), on Village Creek Drive, just off Womack. This morning I watched about six cars go by and as the video below shows, several of them were going pretty fast but most did slow to cross over the device. Video.

Dunwoody Council intact for another two years.

Friday afternoon came and went and only the incumbents of Denis Shortal (Dist 1), Adrian Bonser (Dist 2) & Tom Taylor (Dist 3) qualified for the November 3rd Dunwoody City Council election. Since each appears to be running unopposed (barring a write in campaign), the council will remain intact until the 2011 election of the at-large-posts; currently filled by Mayor Ken Wright, Councilmen Robert Wittenstein, Danny Ross and John Heneghan.

Dr. Adrian Bonser to seek re-election for Dunwoody District 2

www.adrianbonser.com

Councilwoman Adrian Bonser announced her candidacy for re-election to Dunwoody City Council.

Prior to her election to the city council Dr. Bonser was an early proponent of cityhood, engaging in organization, fundraising, and legislative meetings in support of the effort. Dr. Bonser joined the Board of “Dunwoody Yes!” at its inception in March 2008 and has been helping to lead Dunwoody forward since then.

“Serving on the inaugural council for our city is a great honor” said Bonser. “We are practicing what we preached - providing an exemplary police force, keeping costs low while providing better city services, and taking control of zoning issues. I am implementing the skills I learned as a small business owner every day and working hard to be sure our customers, the citizens, are happy” added Bonser.

Dr. Bonser has eight years experience as a registered nurse working in critical care and 18 years of experience working as a general and cosmetic dentist. She started a private dental practice in Dunwoody in 1992. After building a thriving business, she sold it in 2001. Dr. Bonser then worked for more than five years for the DeKalb County Board of Health and is currently working in the private sector as both a consultant and general dentist. She has served on the Dunwoody City Council since her election a year ago.

“We have a plan and we’re governing with open ears. My door is always open and I want to be around to continue making our vision a success,” said Bonser.

Help name the new Dunwoody Elementary School.

What should the name of this School be?
Any Suggestions?

As a Chesnut Elementary School Parent I received the following e-mail which I think should be shared with the entire community. Any good suggestions out there?

You have the opportunity to participate in the naming process as well as choosing a mascot and school colors for the new 4/5 school opening this summer. The information below states policies regarding the naming process. You have until February 28, 2009 to make your submission. Your idea and supporting reason can be sent to schoolnaming@gmail.com. Please read through all the information below so that you understand the process. Our Chesnut representative is Sarah Borcherding. Any questions can be sent to her at slborcherding@hotmail.com.

Description and timeline:
We are extremely excited about the opportunity to select the name, mascot and school colors for the new school that will serve 4th and 5th grade students in the Dunwoody area. This is such an incredible opportunity to provide something for the community that will last for generations.

The DeKalb County School Board Policies establish procedures for creating the name, school color, and mascot so that the process is an open one that involves as many people as possible and truly represents the heritage, culture, and wishes of the local community. Please find links to the board policies listed below in this document. The School naming Committee has been established using these policies and chaired by our district Board Member, Mr. Jim Redovian. The other members on the committee and their affiliations are listed later in this document and you may also find them on the school's website at www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/dunwoodyes.

This process will begin January 26, 2009 and be open for public submission of ideas and supporting reasons until February 28, 2009. The school website has an established email account where individuals may submit their ideas. The email address is schoolnaming@gmail.com. General notification will go out to the public through a variety of methods including the Dunwoody Crier, local school newsletters, calling posts, web pages, and community and informational blogs. For an idea or submission to be considered for approval, it is required that all ideas must be submitted through the email link on the website and have accompanying reasons and supporting information indicating relevance and significance for our community.

If you are not able to submit your ideas and supporting reasons to the website, the School Naming Committee will be hosting a public forum at Peachtree Charter Middle School at 7:00 pm on February 17, 2009. All submissions must be in by the close of day of February 28, 2009. At that time, the submissions will be collected, counted, analyzed and a final selection of three possibilities will be presented to the local communities through the feeder elementary schools on Monday, March 9, 2009.

All ballots will be due back to the local feeder schools for approval by Friday, March 20, 2009. The local schools will collect the ballots and return them to the Region Assistant Superintendents office. The final selection of the school name, colors and mascot will be presented to the DeKalb County School Board for approval at the board meeting on April 13, 2009.

This is such a wonderful opportunity for the community. We are very excited to participate in this process and hope that all of you will embrace this chance and enthusiastically play your part as well. We look forward to seeing all of your submissions and working to serve the community in this capacity. Please do not hesitate to contact your local representative that is serving on the School Naming Committee if you have any questions.

Board Policy Links
School Naming/Renaming Committee - BYLAWS https://eboard.eboardsolutions.com/ePolicy/policy.aspx?PC=FDC&Sch=4054&S=4054&RevNo=1.04&C=F&Z=P

School Naming/Renaming Committees - Board Policy Descriptor Code: FDC https://eboard.eboardsolutions.com/ePolicy/pdfs/dekalb/School%20Naming-Renaming%20BYLAWS%20FINAL%209-17-08%202.pdf

Existing names, mascots and colors:

School Mascot Colors
Austin Elementary Eagles Red and Blue
Chesnut Elementary Cougars Red, White, and Blue
Hightower Elementary Indian Chiefs Green and White
Kingsley Elementary Comets Red, White, and Blue
Vanderlyn Elementary Vikings Blue and Yellow
Peachtree Charter Middle School Patriots Red, White, and Blue
Dunwoody high School Wildcats Red, White, and Blue

Timeline:
• 1/26/09 - 2/28/09 the email link is public for individuals to submit ideas and support evidence. All ideas and supporting evidence must be presented by the end of the day on February 28, 2009.
• 2/17/09 a public forum will be held at Peachtree Charter Middle School(PCMS) for feedback and presentation of ideas for those not presented to the web email account
• 3/09/09 ballots presented to the feeder schools that will highlight the top three choices for name, mascot, and color options. Individuals will have two weeks to complete and return their ballot by the end of the day on March 20, 2009.
• 3/20/09 ballots are due to the Dekalb County School System Area Assistant Superintendent - Mrs. Heckman for counting and summarizing.
• 4/13/09 The name, colors, and mascot selection will be presented to the Dekalb County School Board for final approval

Members on the Committee and affiliation:
Robin Burch Dunwoody Homeowners Association
Adrian Bonser Dunwoody City Council
Sarah Borcherding Chesnut Elementary School
Johnathan Clark Dunwoody 4/5 Principal
Elizabeth Heckman Region 1 Assistant Superintendent
Lisa Gill Austin Elementary School
Libba Morris Vanderlyn Elementary School
Donna Pittman Hightower Elementary School
Jim Redovian DeKalb County School Board member
Danny Ross Dunwoody City Council
Pam Speaks DeKalb County School Board member
Gregg Vandewiele Kingsley Elementary School
Kay Weber Community Representative