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| Dunwoody Mask Extension through end of October |
In a special called special meeting set for Friday morning at 8 am, the Dunwoody City Council will review (and probably approve) an extension to the mask ordinance requirements setting the end date to the end of October. There are no changes to the requirements or exemptions except that the expiration date has been modified.
Emergency Ordinance Requiring the Use of Masks or Face Coverings in Public
Dunwoody voters will see a number of ballot questions. All of them got strong bipartisan “YES” votes in the state Legislature, but would need the OK from voters to become law.
There is a good explanation from @maggie_a_lee the political reporter over at the Saporta Report. Click the link below for the full analysis.
https://saportareport.com/georgias-2020-ballot-questions-explained/
Other analysis on the referendum questions are also available on the following links.
Tonight at 6 p.m.on the Great Lawn at Brook Run Park as #Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch hosts Dunwoody Police Department Chief Grogan for her first Mayor's Meetup. In light of the recent death of George Floyd and the resulting civil unrest, Chief Grogan will share information about the Dunwoody Police Department and answer questions from the audience.
If you would like to learn more about the demographics of the department, how use of force investigations are completed, get info about the department's use of force policy, learn about the process for filing a complaint, be educated about how officers are trained, or how they are selected, then this meeting is for you.
Mayor Deutsch and Chief Grogan are looking forward to having this important conversation with the community tomorrow night. Bring folding chairs and/or blankets. You can even bring a picnic dinner.
On a related note - on June 30, 2020 I posted a police presentation by Chief Grogan on Police Accountability, Use of Force, and the Complaint Process. Please check out the link below to possibly get a preview of some of the things that Chief Grogan may be covering.
DUNWOODY CITY COUNCIL MEETING
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2020 6:00 PM
4800 ASHFORD DUNWOODY ROAD
DUNWOODY, GA 30338
and via ZOOM https://us02web.zoom.us/s/82102738100
Or join by phone: +1 312 626 6799 or +1 929 205 6099 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 669 900 6833 or +1 253 215 8782 Webinar ID: 821 0273 8100
PUBLIC COMMENT
To take part in public comment, please send an email to publiccomment@dunwoodyga.gov.
Include your name, your email address, and phone number. You will be
placed on a first-come, first-served list for public comment. The first
public comment section has a 30-minute time limit. Each speaker is
allowed up to three minutes. If time runs out, pre-registered speakers
will be called on during the second public comment section toward the
end of the meeting. If you don't pre-register, you can use the "raise
hand" feature on zoom during the meeting to be added to the public
comment list.
Proclamation in Recognition of National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Month
Presentation of Intersection Improvement Recommendations on Perimeter Center West
Presentation from Stage Door Players (Debbie Fuse) - Current Use Agreement - Letter Sep 20
Presentation of the Comprehensive Plan Update Draft
Resolution Amending the CARES Budget
Resolution Appointing Member to Serve on Discover Dunwoody Board - Cher Breslin
Contract with Outside Legal Counsel (Eric Linton, City Manager) - document not yet available.
Discussion of the Athletic Association Manual
The proposed Athletic Association Manual is being presented to the full City Council (and the public) for the first time on Tuesday for discussion purposes only. I was not on the developing committee, therefore I will need to thoroughly review the pros and cons of the proposed changes and see what benefits it will bring. As a City we need to review the costs related to using our park facilities, set up a sinking fund to slowly save for the replacement of the turf fields, the financial charges to the organizations using the facilities, the availability of the facilities to organizations or groups that are not part of a use agreement (like Dunwoody High School teams), the allowance of rentals to outside organizations by the various Athletic Associations, the historical agreements that may have been in place for years and how these proposed changes will affect the established users. One of the possible changes being proposed is allowing the Baseball Fields and Soccer Fields to a wider more diverse group of users who are not currently using the fields. At the moment those uses are not organized, as the open time on some of the fields does not envision a wider use than what is already there.
Council has received a number of inquiries from Dunwoody Senior Baseball (and the residents who participate in this activity) asking for clarification of the modifications and opposing any change in the current financial agreement between that organization and the city, therefore I am guessing at the Tuesday meeting we will be hearing from that organization and possibly others.
In Feb of 2020, the internal auditor for the City provided a review of the Dunwoody Senior Baseball program which I believe is driving some of these proposed changes especially as it relates to the current use agreement.
Update on CARES Not-for-Profit Efforts
https://us02web.zoom.us/s/82450568551
US: +1 929 205 6099 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 669 900 6833 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 Webinar ID: 824 5056 8551
Administration of Oath of Office for Officer Bailey Henson
Approval of a Contract Amendment with AECOM for Additional Stormwater and Sidewalk Design at Chamblee Dunwoody Road and Womack Road
Approval of a Contract to Construct Sidewalk and Bicycle Lanes on Tilly Mill Road between North Peachtree Road and Womack Road - Plans.
Resolution Appointing Sana Coleman on the Alcohol License Review Board - Resume, Application
Resolution Appointing Tara Targovnik on the Board of Zoning Appeals - Resume, Application
Contract Award for the Demolition of the former Austin Elementary School
Approval of Replacement Computers Under the C.A.R.E.S. Act - Quote
Resolution to Surplus a Vehicle in the Police Department
Presentation of Bicycle Facility PlanPresentation of Draft Public Art Implementation Plan and Presentation
CITY OF DUNWOODY BUDGET MEETINGS
WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY - 9 A.M.
4800 ASHFORD DUNWOODY ROAD
DUNWOODY, GEORGIA 30338
and via Zoom
The City of Dunwoody Budget Committee is comprised of three current council members that are on staggered three year terms. This year the Budget Committee is comprised of Council Members Jim Riticher, Pam Talmadge and Tom Lambert. Budget committee recommendations will be brought forward to the full Council later in the month.
Wednesday Agenda - 9 a.m. Start
Please click this URL to join.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88330163051
Or join by phone:
US: +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 669 900 6833 or +1 929 205 6099 or +1 253 215 8782 Webinar ID: 883 3016 3051
Thursday Agenda - 9 a.m. Start
Please click this URL to join.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88523953430
Or join by phone:
US: +1 669 900 6833 or +1 929 205 6099 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 346 248 7799 Webinar ID: 885 2395 3430
Two Day Meeting Packet - Highlights of the report are stated below.
2021 Budget is without a doubt that the most challenging one to put together in the history of the City. However, it can also be said, that prudent planning by this Council, and Councils before it, have put Dunwoody in a better position for this event. This budget, in conjunction with the midyear adjustments, allows for the following:
Creates a budget that combines strategic reductions in current operating efforts and uses fund balance to create an operating budget still meeting constituent needs and desires. It prevents reductions in department operations from what would have been extreme cuts by judicially planning a draw down of fund balance over two years,while still maintaining a healthy four-month reserve at the end of 2021.
This budget is submitted with a strong caveat for the City Council. The City must engage in a robust discussion about revenue and expenses prior to development of next year’s budget. The current status of most all residential property values being frozen severely hampers the City being able to maintain high service levels in all operations.
If the Council passes this budget as is, the City will have kept the same rate of 2.740 since inception (1.740 for homesteaded properties). That rate means Dunwoody residents have one of the lowest city tax bills in the metro area. Your typical home of $450,000 pays only $286 for the year.
While having this low a tax rate has been a matter of pride for many years, the City must revisit this decision, especially in light of reductions in businesses licenses, commercial property values, and hotel/motel taxes. This in combination with the current citizens of Dunwoody asking for more services does not work in the long term. The City was designed to reduce residential taxes by subsidizing them from a robust commercial tax base. That base has been dramatically affected by recent events.
One of the biggest challenges in this budget is that overall revenue of $20.1 million (a 21.4% decrease from 2020’s original level) is closer to the revenue of a decade ago.
This feat of maintaining service delivery without a tax increase in this proposal is accomplished through using the City’s rainy day fund, both in 2020 and 2021. While this budget shows a diligence in financial planning, the budget should be reviewed with warning that this structure is not sustainable over the long term.
