Sunday Night Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch presents a State of the City Address at the Dunwoody Homeowners Association Meeting

Dunwoody City Council Agenda for Monday March 10, 2025 (Short Agenda, City Council "Retreat" is this week in the North Georgia Mountains and the Mayor is giving a State of the City speech on the morning of the 18th).

DUNWOODY CITY COUNCIL MEETING
Monday March 10, 2025
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,
Unfortunately the agenda presented and published was missing this information. Guessing City Staff will republish agenda with this updated information, check this link on Monday.

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

Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance

PUBLIC COMMENTS - Public Comment allows the City Council the opportunity to listen to the public (3 minutes per speaker / 30 minutes total).

City Manager's Report

Funding Authorization for 1421 Mockwell Court Storm Repairs 

Resolution for Budget Amendment for Fiscal Year 2024

Policy change on Green Buildings

Contract Amendment with Lowe Engineers for Stormwater Project Management

Approval of Contracts with AKA Tree Service, Beasley Tree Experts and TriScapes for Tree Trimming and Removal Services

In other news, I have been traveling for work and have had no access to City Emails for over a week but I hope to get that back on Monday.  If you have reached out to me via the City email, I hope to reply soon.  

Wednesday & Thursday of this week, I get the privledge of attending the City of Dunwoody Council "Retreat" where we sit in a room for two days discussing important items like funding / spending policy, project strategy, service delivery with contracts that need to be renewed, Police, EMS and the Turf Field at PCMS.  Not 100% on the agenda as I haven't seen it (if it was sent via email) and it is not published on line for the public either.  I was given a 'save the date' message a few months ago which showed the location of this two day public meeting (in which I am forced to burn work vacation days for), as it will be at the Glen-Ella Springs Inn & Restaurant, 1789 Bear Gap Rd, Clarkesville, GA 30523, USA.  I do not believe this meeting will be live streamed for the internet to view therefore if you would like to attend, please drive the two hours to join us.  News reporters, you may want to get a room so you can watch us make smores over the firepit in the evening and then be onsite for the early morning conversations which might be interesting (in the hopes that you aren't there yet).   I will post more info on the "retreat" as it becomes available.

I noticed on social media that the Mayor is holding a State of the City address in the coming weeks with the business community, but don't know more about it except for what I read there & here? 

2023 Election Guide: Dunwoody Mayor and City Council (Deutsch, Heneghan, Harris vs Ozor, and Seconder vs. Lopez) @RoughDraftATL

2023 Election Guide: Dunwoody Mayor and City Council by Cathy Cobbs of Rough Draft Atlanta

A special thanks to Ms. Cathy Cobbs of Rough Draft Atlanta for asking important questions of the Dunwoody Mayoral and City Council candidates.  Mayor Deutsch and myself are running unopposed whereby Incumbent Stacey Harris is challenged by Chris Ozor, and Incumbent Joe Seconder is challenged by Marianella López.   The questions are as follows ...

What is your vision for Dunwoody for the next four years and beyond, and what role will you play in achieving it?

What makes you qualified to represent the citizens of Dunwoody? 

What are the accomplishments of which you are most proud (either personally or professionally)? 

What do you think are the biggest challenges that Dunwoody will face in the next four years?

Are you opposed to or in favor of the bond referendum?

As you read the article differentiating the candidates highlighted, my answers may be slightly different from the others but then I also have concerns as to the current finances needed to run the city; thereby a close watch of our finances is needed in the coming year.  If you haven't watched the last Dunwoody City Council Meeting, which contains the Budget Hearing, I highly recommend you do so here & here as I outline my concerns and my belief that we need to beef up the police budget in both numbers and pay.

Early voting is available this week at the Dunwoody Library, 5339 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m through Saturday Oct 28th plus they are also open Sunday October 29th from 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.

If you are looking for more information on the $60 million dollar Parks Bond, there is an informational meeting, which is open to the general public, taking place in my neighborhood therefore I was asked to join in to share the facts as I see them.   I will be joining Dunwoody City Councilmember Tom Lambert (and possibly others from staff?) in the discussion taking place on Sunday, Oct 29th @ 7pm at the Dunwoody North Driving Club Clubhouse located at 4522 Kingsgate Dr, Dunwoody, GA 30338.

I know one of the many concerns over the proposed bond is the paths in general and when it comes to the North Peachtree Path connecting the apartment complex where many students live, connecting it to Chesnut, Peachtree Middle and Brook Run; there are even more questions on that segment of path in this neighborhood.  

Besides a new Hawk Crossing Light that is already scheduled to be in front of Chesnut in early 24, the proposed North Peachtree path is preliminary designed to be on the West Side (School Side) which means that it will not directly improve the safety of walkers that are primarily on the East Side unless additional crossing guards are added at the apartment complex and a few other places.   Then there is the timing of this improvement which looks to be in phase two on the priority list, if this measure moves forward you would think the path directly adjacent to public schools would have top priority.  If this bond referendum passes, I will be pushing this topic and guess it will also be up for discussion on Sunday. Join us.

Dunwoody City Council Meeting Video - 2024 Budget & Beyond Conversation

https://vimeo.com/875221798

The Dunwoody City Council met on October 16th to have the first 2024 Budget hearing and handle other business. As most residents only learn of what happens at Council meetings via second hand news reports, I thought I would highlight what I thought was an important meeting, primarily as we discussed the future financial plans of the city.  The second read and scheduled vote on the 2024 Budget will be happening at our next meeting, Monday October 30th.

Here is a link to the proposed 2024 Budget that cleared the budget committee.
https://jkheneghan.com/city/meetings/2023/Oct/10162023_Budget_Hearing.pdf

I have uploaded the meeting video to my server space and I will highlight a few conversations that I think you should watch; not that I am purposely skipping any other topics, participants, Mayor or Council-member statements or other public commenters as not being relevant; please do watch the entire meeting.  Mayor Deutsch and Stacey Harris both gave touching remarks regarding the horrific events happening in Israel, the support of the community and the Dunwoody Police Department.

Please go to the Vimeo page to watch the meeting video, and if you click the "Read More" link you will see the same description and text as I state below, but the beauty is that the meeting time stamps are active and you can watch that segment without scrolling through.  Closed Captioning is also available, just click the CC in the bottom right corner.  I hope this is recap is informational.

In Public Comment, at 6:22 Bob Hickey highlights the need to prioritize police spending and asks us how we are going to rectify deficit spending not only this year but in the coming future. This gentleman's public comment was very germane to the 20224 Budget Hearing and discussions that we were going to have later in the evening on what the Council's plan is for addressing the long term structural deficit.

At 09:20 residents Michael Rock and Erika Harris (both people I know and respect) gave two very different pro-bond statements with Erika asking for the city to spread more bond information with a direct mailer to every resident.

In the City Manager report there is an item where a resident waited an hour for emergency transport and after waiting an extended time, the mother decided to drive their child to the hospital.  Deputy Chief addressed my concern and a bit later at 40:49 Mayor Deutsch followed up with the Deputy Chief regarding an additional dedicated ambulance.

At 45:52 Finance Director Richard Platto starts his presentation and discusses the budget process and the numbers. At 1:09:47 Council member Stacey Harris, who served as this years Budget Committee Chair, described what the budget committee (Harris, Seconder & Heneghan) did and our thoughts on expanding the police department and providing raises in 2024 (that are not currently budgeted). Council member Robert Price asked a follow up question and we discussed the assessor's valuations and estimated tax digest when released in May.

At 1:17:40 Councilman Tom Lambert discusses the budget, the need for community investment, an analogy to the Atlanta Beltline which raised the tax digest in that area was made, with the thoughts that same tax digest bump could happen here in Dunwoody thereby, slowing or reversing the structural deficit.

At 1:27:30 Councilman Heneghan questions the Finance Director on revenue breakdowns (Residential / Commercial / Office). Heneghan discusses the city financial outlook as he sees it, locked revenue streams, concern over office vacancy rates, police funding (both the lack of raises and the additional number of officers needed as per professional analysis), the anticipated administrative contract raises in 2026, and finally his concerns over the $3.3 million dollars in the 2024 budget (on top of what might be approved in the $60 million dollar bond) being banked to fund multi-use (10 - 12 ft) paths in front of single family homes. Council member Heneghan agreed with investments in the community are needed especially as related to parks but wishes that Council split the bond referendum into two questions.  He like the Finance Director has concerns moving forward and he stated that we have work to do.

At 1:34:33 Mayor Deutsch confirmed with the Finance Director that the $3.3 million being set aside for paths in front of single family homes in this budget is from Capital funds and not Operational funds, therefore can not be used to fund additional police or provide raises.  She then went on to discuss if there was ever a drastic downturn (worst case scenario) that budget cuts could be made, she stated that we will take care of our police officers, she would hire 10 more officers tomorrow if we could, she discussed using more non-sworn officers.  She discussed the work she is doing at the State Capital regarding EMS & ambulance service rules to free up officer time.  She discusses police hiring, retention as a priority, as hiring officers is very difficult. Mayor Deutsch discussed office vacancies, she too has concerns but also sees glimmers of hope.

At 2:08:05 Councilman Seconder outlines how the City staff will work with residents directly affected by City projects. He read a statement from a homeowner who wants the 10 - 12 foot shared use path in their front yard.

At 2:13:30 the Mayor closes the meeting with comments that if the HOST & SPLOST ballot items don't pass, that your tax bill will go up.  She had an interesting comparison between Sandy Springs and Dunwoody Tax bills which shows the differences of Fulton vs DeKalb and then the special financing requirements placed on Dunwoody during incorporation.  The Mayor said that we will need to look closely at the fiscal reality that the City is in, reviewing the restrictions of incorporation and the promises made at the start of the city.

A few Dunwoody Tidbits to share - objection over proposed Dunwoody Village buffers.

Greetings, I hope everyone is well and trying to stay safe as we enter another period of transition with the school year upon us and most schools starting off with remote learning.  Parents and families with numerous young children do not have it easy juggling work and their children's education.   My home is still full with three young men, ages 20, 18 & 14 with them working, going to college locally at GSU, with only my youngest now entering his freshman year at Dunwoody High School.  My bride who is a preschool teacher, wrangling 4 year olds, will be going back to the classroom full time and I on top of my full time job will be taking on the day time oversight activities of my freshman.  

Kudos to Mayor Deutsch who has arranged the new DeKalb County School District (DCSD) Superintendent Ms. Cheryl Watson-Harris to participate in a Zoom meeting with the community on Thursday Aug. 13 at 6 p.m. Ms. Watson-Harris will discuss DCSD’s back-to-school plans, virtual learning, safety protocols and related subjects. The meeting can be accessed on Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85392976766 or Facebook Live on City of Dunwoody Government’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CityofDunwoody.

You may have noticed I haven't been blogging much outside City Council activities as the city is doing such a great job with the weekly newsletter and various Facebook groups seem to fill the void.  I've been spending more time with family and working out on a regular schedule attempting to lose a few lbs.  As a side note, getting a 14 year old a Fitbit tracker has done me well to try to keep up with him who is doing a minimum of 20K steps a day.  Today he walked 11 miles with ankle weights on top of doing an hour long boxing class. I can't compete with those numbers but he also refuses to go to Cyclebar with me; so I guess we are even?

As far as Dunwoody tidbits, at Monday night's City Council meeting there was a mention of an objection and possible lawsuit from one of the land owners regarding the proposed buffers for the Dunwoody Village rezoning and because of that, city staff will attempt to meet with all interested parties to find a compromise solution as to appropriate buffers protecting the privacy of the single family homes.  We as a Council also objected to an unlimited amount of residential being allowed in the plans therefore there were talks of residential caps and what they should be?  Monday was the first read from Council and I believe it will take some time to flesh out the issues and get appropriate community feedback before the actual rezoning is approved.

In these difficult times the service industry is trying to survive with social distancing in effect and with the office towers operating at a greatly reduced capacity, restaurants and retail are feeling the pinch at the typically busy lunchtime.  New restaurants are opening but old standbys like California Pizza Kitchen are closing therefore please try to patronize those establishments that you want to survive.  The new Lidl grocery store at Mount Vernon and North Peachtree Rd will be opening on Wednesday Aug 26th. 

The City has finalized all of the improvements in Brook Run Park and if you haven't seen the new fields, pavilions and the band shell please do, they are all beautiful.  Soon the field lights will be installed on the Peachtree Charter Middle School football field as the City has a long term contractual agreement to control the use of those fields after school hours. 

Today there was a ground breaking for all of the improvements about to take place along Peeler, including new sidewalks, curb, gutter, stormwater, several crosswalks, Marta bus stop improvements & probably lighting improvements.  I have attached the plans in a link down below.

Video and Project Plans

The Dunwoody Nature Center is hosting a week long Butterfly Experience starting Aug 15th.  Buy your tickets now as they are only available on-line.  Prime spots are going fast.

Finally, I saw a video on Leadership and Accountability where a U.S. Marine Drill Instructor was addressing his recruits for the first time and as it touched me, I figured I would share.

Video

Dunwoody community prayer service at Brook Run Park, Thursday evening, front lawn, 4-7 pm.

 Please wear a mask if joining in this service & practice social distancing.

“We never know how God will answer our prayers, but we can expect that He will get us involved in His plan for the answer. If we are true intercessors, we must be ready to take part in God’s work on behalf of the people for whom we pray.”   ― Corrie ten Boom

Wings and Wheels / Children's Event at the Dunwoody Library - Saturday 10 am to 2 pm

Join us for We Love the Library Day celebrating Wings & Wheels! This free event will be filled with activities for kids and for the inner kid in everyone, including operating model trains, exploring a police car, getting to know some colorful birds, and a book reading by Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch.

There will be refreshments, crafts, a silent auction and photo opportunities, including one with a giant balloon biplane. Everyone also will get to take home a souvenir.

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES

10:15 – 10:45 Story time with Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch

10:30 – 12:30 Model train exhibits presented by the North Atlanta O-Gauge Railroad Club

11:00 – 12:00 Explore a police car from the Dunwoody Police Department

11:15 – 12:15 Create a beautiful pinwheel to take home

1:30 Parrot show by ParrotPro Productions

This event is sponsored by Friends of the Dunwoody Library and is free and open to the public. For more details, visit our website    https://www.friendsofdunwoodylibrary.org/

Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch and the 2020 City Council has been sworn in.

2020 Dunwoody City Council

Happy New Year. As we start 2020, I wanted to share with you how to reach your City Council, how to report infrastructure problems and how to report code enforcement issues.  You can always email me at Lynn.Deutsch@dunwoodyga.gov

You can email all of the council (Including me) at councilmembers@dunwoodyga.gov

To report infrastructure problems https://seeclickfix.com/…/yKmSSnCaBBDzYx2iN…/report/category

To report code enforcement issues:  https://www.dunwoodyga.gov/index.php…

The City of Dunwoody has a weekly newsletter that is fantastic. If you don’t already receive it, you can sign up here:   https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/1rwJdWf/spring

*Individual email address for council
Pam.Tallmadge@dunwoodyga.gov District 1
Stacey.Harris@dunwoodyga.gov District 1
Jim.Riticher@dunwoodyga.gov District 2
Joe.Seconder@dunwoodyga.gov District 2
Tom.Lambert@dunwoodyga.gov District 3
John.Heneghan@dunwoodyga.gov District 3

Please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or concerns. Again, best wishes for a happy and healthy 2020.

Dunwoody to swear in Mayor Lynn Deutsch and Councilmembers Stacey Harris, Joe Seconder and John Heneghan tonight at 6 p.m. - City Hall.

DUNWOODY CITY COUNCIL MEETING

JANUARY 02, 2020
6:00 PM – DUNWOODY HALL

4800 ASHFORD DUNWOODY ROAD

DUNWOODY, GA 30338

Administration of Oath of Office to Mayor-Elect Lynn Deutsch, Council Member-Elect Stacey Harris, and Council Member-Elect Joe Seconder (Honorable Judge Stacey Hydrick )

Election of Mayor Pro Tempore. (Mayor Deutsch)

Cake ??

Dunwoody Mayor Denny Shortal was honored with a proclamation at volunteer appreciation dinner.

PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS, Denny Shortal has been an involved member of the Dunwoody community for 36 years, including volunteer Athletic Director for eight years at St. Jude the Apostle Catholic School, a community pitching coach at St. Pius High School, has participated in athletic activities at the Shepherd Center, served as a member and current president of the Marine Corps Coordinating Council of Georgia, and as a faithful volunteer building homes for Habitat for Humanity with the Knights of Columbus; and 

WHEREAS, Denny Shortal served an integral part of the development of the City of Dunwoody. He was a founding board member and co-chairman of Citizens for Dunwoody, Inc., leading the organization and providing strategic direction that ultimately culminated in the community’s overwhelming approval of the incorporation of the City of Dunwoody; and

WHEREAS, Denny Shortal was elected during Dunwoody’s first municipal election on September 16, 2008, and served with distinction as one of the first Councilors of the City of Dunwoody until January 2015, when he was elected as Mayor. During his tenure on council he spearheaded initiatives that have provided a strong foundation for the City of Dunwoody by balancing competing projects and priorities while maintaining the tax millage at 2.74 mills; and  

WHEREAS, as Mayor, Denny Shortal is known for staying true to his principles,  working through critical issues by careful consideration of all angles and relevant information, he is also  known for his quick wit and astuteness when the occasion warrants, an "Oorah!" for his beloved U.S. Marine Corps; and

WHEREAS, in addition to his exemplary performance as  Mayor of the City of Dunwoody, Denny Shortal has demonstrated his commitment to the community through his influential membership in civic organizations in Dunwoody and across metropolitan Atlanta; and 

WHEREAS, after leading the City through incorporation and laying a strong foundation for the future, Denny Shortal’s decision not to seek re-election will allow him the opportunity to spend more time traveling and enjoying life with his family.  In all these pursuits, the City anticipates that Denny Shortal’s devotion of his time, talents, and energy will continue to be to the betterment of his community; now

NOW THEREFORE, I, Lynn Deutsch, Mayor Pro Tempore of the City of Dunwoody, Georgia, do hereby recognize and commend Denny Shortal for his selfless service to the City of Dunwoody.  I hereby proclaim November 14, 2019 as

DENNY SHORTAL DAY

in the City of Dunwoody and urge all citizens to join me in recognizing Mayor Denny Shortal for  his accomplishments, his professionalism and contributions to the community are an example and inspiration to his colleagues, his friends, and to his family. 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the City of Dunwoody, Georgia, to be affixed, this 14^th day of November 2019.

                                                                            

                                                                             City of Dunwoody

___________________________

                                                                      Lynn Deutsch, Mayor Pro Tempore

City of Dunwoody Election breakdown by Precinct for November 5, 2019 #gapol

Above are the Dunwoody Mayoral election stats broken down by precinct, which shows that Lynn Deutsch won 12 of the 13 precincts with the only the Dunwoody Library precinct being won by Terry Nall which mostly covers the Branches Neighborhood.    Turnout numbers were low citywide in this election at about 25%, with a large discrepancy between some of the single-family precincts voting as high as 39% with the multi-family precincts voting as low as 10%.   Imagine what the turn out numbers would have been without early voting being so easy?

Comparing turnout numbers from this election to last year's gubernatorial election is quite striking as 20,000 people voted last year, and only 7,000 voted in the Mayoral election.

Looking below at past citywide elections where there are no other state-wide elections, I guess the 25 percent turnout was to be expected but the jump of 7,000 additional registered voters between 2015 and 2019 is interesting as I do not believe the City has added that many residences except for a few townhome developments and the new single-family homes off Vermack as well as Shallowford.  I guess voter registration in anticipation of the 2018 election garnered quite a bump?

Update from Ms. Bev Wingate, the 2008 City Charter turnout was 43% with 24,239 registered voters and 81% voted yes for incorporation. (Thanks Bev!)

Dunwoody Election Results - Congratulations Mayor elect Lynn Deutsch and Councilmembers Stacey Harris and Joe Seconder

I look forward to working beside you.

Last week of early voting at the Dunwoody Library from 8 to 5:30 through Friday

The polls are open the next four days for early voting for Dunwoody Mayor and the at-large City Council races at the Dunwoody Library, through Friday from 8:00 to 5:30 p.m.  Skip the lines on November 5th and vote at your convenience at the Dunwoody library on or before before November 1st.

In case you are not aware, the Dunwoody City Council has made this local early voting opportunity available to you the residents by funding this service through the DeKalb Board of Elections to a tune of $15,000.  We believe this is a wise investment in democracy ensuring that everyone has an opportunity to help decide the future of this fine city.  Other cities in DeKalb opt out of providing this service and we are happy to offer it.

Please research the candidates (in the links down below) and take advantage of this early & local voting opportunity.  For you die hard political wonks out there, you may be interested in the Dunwoody Campaign Finance website to see who is donating to whom and where the candidates are spending those politicial donations.  As far as I know, there are no official polls on where these races are headed, so please go cast your ballot.

The Heneghan's are voting for Lynn Deutsch, Stacey Harris and Heyward Wescott to lead the City of Dunwoody forward.

I recommend that you vote No on the Ethics question as it weakens ethics rules, not improves them.

Mayor

Lynn Deutsch   Lynn4Dunwoody.com

Terry Nall   TerryNallForDunwoody.com

City Council At-Large (District 1)

Stacey Harris   StaceyForDunwoody.com

Robert Miller   RobertMillerTime.com

City Council At-Large (District 2)

Joe Seconder   Joe4Dunwoody.com

Heyward Wescott   HeywardForDunwoody.com

City Council At-Large (District 3)

John Heneghan   Heneghan's Dunwoody Blog

The Heneghan's are voting for Lynn Deutsch, Stacey Harris and Heyward Wescott to lead the City of Dunwoody forward. #GaPol

Having the pleasure of serving on the Dunwoody City Council for the last 11 years has given me the unique experience of witnessing a behind the scenes view on those currently running for Mayor as well as opportunities to work closely with the various leaders in the community willing to run for the vacant city council positions. With this election the dynamics of the council will shift, elections have consequences and leadership matters. Vote wisely.

Every Dunwoody citizen will be able to vote for the city-wide elected seats as well as vote on an ethics referendum, which may sound positive on the surface but is really a wolf in sheep's clothing, therefore, I am recommending that you vote no. Finally, the polls are already open for early voting at the Dunwoody Library, Monday - Friday from 8:00 to 5:30 so skip the lines on November 5th and vote at your convenience at the library prior to November 1st.

Lynn Deutsch for Mayor of Dunwoody

I have been a huge fan of Lynn Deutsch for many years, going back to her service working with the DeKalb School System. In 2009, when staffing the first Planning Commission, which is the committee that sees all zoning applications prior to their arrival to the City Council. I nominated Lynn to be my Planning Commissioner as she was the most qualified and dedicated person I could find as she has bachelor's degrees in government and journalism as well as a master's degree in City Planning from Georgia Tech.

Eight years ago, when Lynn decided to run for City Council, I broke from my usually stoic stance of not endorsing any candidates in order to endorse her for City Council. At that time being responsible to assist in leading this city forward, I saw the need to recommend Lynn over her opponent and for just the second time in 11 years, I am again breaking from my shell to inform you that I believe Lynn Deutsch's vision of progressive change mirrors that of myself and that I along with Kristin will be voting for Lynn to be the next Mayor of Dunwoody.

Stacey Harris for City Council District 1

Kristin and I have known Stacey Harris for over 10 years - through kids' activities as well as involvement in numerous community organizations. Stacey and I have sat in countless meetings together both working to make a Dunwoody a better community. Whereas I have always been on the city council, Stacey has been involved with many volunteer boards, including her current position on the Zoning Board of Appeals. Her leadership with the Dunwoody Homeowners Association was instrumental in continuing great Dunwoody traditions such as Light Up Dunwoody and 4th of July parade, and she also collaborated with Red Bird Events and the city to begin Food Truck Thursdays.

We all have kids in Dunwoody schools, and we know Stacey will continue to advocate and collaborate with other groups to push for progress in our schools. As past President of the Dunwoody Homeowners Association, I also know Stacey has a common-sense approach to development in our city. We've seen her question land use attorneys and developers to ensure their plans are the best for the community.

Most importantly, we know Stacey is a leader in our community with a strong desire to actively contribute to making Dunwoody a better place to live and work. The main leadership qualities I see in Stacey after numerous meetings with her are her ability to collaborate with others, followed closely by her integrity, commitment and passion. Kristin and I have enjoyed a friendship with her and Jack for a decade and we look forward to working even closer together in the near future.

Heyward Wescott for City Council District 2

I have also known Heyward Wescott for over 10 years. I met him soon after I got on the Council and recognized he cared deeply about Dunwoody and cared how we were going to make our new city thrive. One of the reasons why I am supporting Heyward is that I have watched him be very engaged in our community for the past two decades. He served on his swim & tennis club board as President and helped them raise their renovated clubhouse. Lemonade Days didn't have a dunk tank until Heyward came along. He thought it would be a great opportunity to raise funds for the Dunwoody Preservation Trust, and he convinced all of the Council to sit in the tank on a very cold spring day. The event raised over $3,000 to help the Dunwoody Preservation Trust. He has always wanted every organization in our community to thrive. Heyward is a leader in the business community and he cares about Dunwoody in many ways that I do. He is very approachable and helps starts community dialog on important issues that affect our community.

This summer I reached out to Heyward because we have a Dunwoody Police officer that lives in Dunwoody with his family. I thought it would be a neat idea if our swim clubs could discount their memberships for officers that live in our community. The next time I heard back from Heyward, he had presented the idea to the Kingsley Racquet & Swim Club board. Not only did he take that idea and run with it, but they expanded on it too. They approved waving all initiation fees ($1,200) for all first responders and active military who live in the community. He also just recently help form the Dunwoody Police Foundation.

In closing ...

Dunwoody is now over 10 years old, and we've seen a lot of community growth therefore our vision of Dunwoody needs to also expand with the needs of that community. We need continued stable leadership on the Council to help make our community the best place to live and raise a family.

Lynn Deutsch is our choice for Mayor, and Stacey & Heyward would be great additions to the City Council, therefore Kristin and I will be voting for this block to ensure that well thought out, sustainable, progressive change happens.

Thanks

John & Kristin Heneghan
Dunwoody North Subdivision

Early Voting Has Started!
Monday through Friday*
Dunwoody Library
8:00-5:30 PM

Through Nov 1st

City of Dunwoody Mayoral and Council Election Slate Finalized - John Heneghan is unopposed and elected to a four year term. #gapol

To the residents of Dunwoody, I am truly honored that I can continue my service to the community as it is a privilege I take very seriously.  I will strive to represent and work hard on your behalf as I believe I have done for the last eleven years, doing so humbly yet diligently with passion while ensuring that the City of Dunwoody operates transparently and fairly for all involved.   Thank you,   John Heneghan 

DUNWOODY CANDIDATES LIST

NOVEMBER 5, 2019 GENERAL ELECTION

OFFICE OF MAYOR
Lynn Deutsch
Terry Nall

CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT 1, POST 4
Stacey Harris
Robert Miller

CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT 2, POST 5
Joe Seconder
Heyward Wescott

CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT 3, POST 6
John Heneghan (Incumbent)

Petition to stop proposed toll lanes on 285 through Dunwoody is just a start as the City may need specialized environmental legal assistance.

Video

I've signed, have you?  Still more to do.

The toll lanes are proposed by GDOT to directly impact our community, and to date, we know few specifics as the formal informational meetings haven't yet begun.  That being said, people are rightly worried, and a petition has been directed at the "decision makers" of GDOT and six local city councils, including the Dunwoody City Council.  In this case, the Dunwoody City Council does not get a vote for thumbs up or thumbs down but there may be ways during the public meetings for us as a community to influence the direction of the project to mitigate impacts on our citizens and I know the City Council will be fighting towards that end.

A couple of days ago, after seeing the petition cross my desk several times, I decided to add my name.   The author, Mr. Travis Reid immediately reached out to see if I had indeed signed the petition or did someone just spam my name.  Below was my reply...

"Yes Travis; I did sign your petition as I have taken public transportation almost every working day of my life since high school and I truly believe in it over just expanding the interstate. The plan being presented is additional lanes, and then there is a small chance of mass transit if the cities want to fund it. I believe this process is backward whereby mass transit should be the first discussion followed by other options like additional lanes after that.

That being said, I don't think a petition alone will stop the I-285 Top End project, it is not formal communication to the decision makers, therefore I believe more effort needs to take place at formal meetings once they occur.

As a local elected official, I currently have the same amount of information as the general public, whereby there may have been meetings with Mayors, but the information doesn't always flow downward.  I am looking forward to learning more.

As a Dunwoody City Councilman, I will fight to work with the project stakeholders to look for options to mitigate the effects on my community and I plan on being heavily involved where allowed to do so. We also need to carefully analyze the environmental impact statement as I believe this is the main way to effect the plans if not stop it completely."

What I didn't say in my reply is that I believe the City of Dunwoody needs to hire our own independent environmental impact attorney working on our behalf to guide us through the NEPA process and that on Monday I will be requesting the City Manager and Mayor to add targeted funds in the 2020 budget for this possible future expense.

City of Dunwoody, GA offers strong opposition to Georgia #HB302 & #SB172 violating Home Rule and jeopardizes residential safety. #gapol

Full Press Release

Dunwoody’s Mayor and City Council voted unanimously Monday night to oppose Georgia House Bill 302 and Senate Bill 172, which would prevent local governments from enforcing and regulating building design elements for residential homes. Members of Dunwoody City Council have been in close contact with our elected State Representatives, Senator Sally Harrell, Representatives Mike Wilensky, and Matthew Wilson, all of whom have taken strong stands against these proposals. The City has been in discussions with the Georgia Municipal Association, the DeKalb Municipal Association and has been in constant contact with our lobbyist in opposing these proposed actions.

Ten years ago the City of Dunwoody was created to allow us the right of self-determination and it is my opinion that this over reach proposed by the State Legislature not only erodes the home rule doctrine in the Georgia Constitution, which allows municipalities to have self-government over building and housing codes; but it completely eliminates the municipalities allowance of home rule.

Dunwoody Council Member Lynn Deutsch introduced a resolution respectfully requesting that the General Assembly oppose the bill. The Council voted unanimously to approve the resolution during Monday night’s City Council Meeting.

“We do not take this decision lightly. Most housing in the City of Dunwoody would be impacted by this,” said Council Member Deutsch. “This is an issue of local control. We have set minimum building standards that protect the safety of our residents and enhance the quality of construction.”

“This is an encroachment that is unbelievable to me,” added Dunwoody Mayor Denis Shortal. “We became a city to keep decisions close to home. This bill strips us of the rights to keep Dunwoody the way the citizens want it.”

Council Member Pam Tallmadge encouraged concerned residents to e-mail lawmakers who are backing the bills (Georgia House Bill 302 and Senate Bill 172.

Scoutmaster Barry Deutsch honored for life saving good deed.

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I can not say with certainty that my friend Mr. Barry Deutsch actually saved a man's life but I can tell you that Barry routinely goes beyond call of duty serving his community as a leader with Boy Scout Troop 477 where he has taught leadership & service to hundreds of young men within our community.  Barry and his wife Councilwoman Lynn Deutsch took it upon themselves to search for the missing man and Barry acting on a hunch, climbed down a deep ravine where he found the man injured by the fall seven hours previously.

Though the Dunwoody Police Department and the Boy Scouts of America honored Mr. Deutsch for this specific act, in my book Mr. Barry Deutsch is an everyday hero who unselfishly gives of his time and talents to make this a better community. 

Thank you Barry for saving this man's life and thank you for all you do in our community!!

PS:    Lynn - you rock too!

‘Visit a Mosque Day’ in Dunwoody brings cultures together at Masjid Uthman

Members of Masjid Uthman welcomed approximately 20 visitors on March 11 as part of “Visit a Mosque Day.” (Dyana Bagby)

Members of a Dunwoody mosque say the city’s elected officials and leaders have welcomed them warmly into the community and say they feel safe despite threats to other metro Atlanta mosques in recent weeks.

Several local residents, including Councilmembers Lynn Deutsch and John Heneghan, took advantage of “Visit a Mosque Day” on March 11 to check out the Masjid Uthman mosque located in the Dunwoody Park office complex and learn more about Islam.

Read more at the Dunwoody Reporter

Dunwoody Election Results - Mayor Elect Denis Shortal Acceptance Speech

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