Police Records Management System RFP is now Open

The Dunwoody Police Department will begin day to day coverage of the 13-square miles of the city at midnight on April 1, 2009. Initial; staffing consists of 40 sworn officers, including administration, investigative and uniformed personnel.

The Dunwoody Police Department is inviting your company to provide information on services and qualifications for the implementation of a comprehensive and fully integrated Police Records Management System (RMS). These services include, but are not limited to: project management, system design, hardware specifications, software customization, system integration, system maintenance, testing, implementation and training.

This request for proposals initiates a comprehensive records solution for the Dunwoody Police Department. This project includes modules essential to the day-to-day management of law and order and support operations. In the interest of continuity and compatibility, the City reserves the right to contract with the successful bidder, or other qualified firms, for implementation of future phases.

Dunwoody Purchasing Page & Copy of the RFP

Anticipated Schedule

RFP available for distribution: 5:00 PM EST, March 16, 2009

Pre-proposal meeting (Mandatory) 1:00 PM EST, March 27, 2009

Deadline for receipt of proposals: 2:00 PM EST, April 3, 2009

Evaluation/Selection process : First two weeks of April, 2009

Oral presentations/ product : Week of April 09, 2009

Final Evaluation Week of April 10, 2009

Projected award date: April 20, 2009

Dunwoody City Council Meeting Recap for May 11, 2009

Agenda

05112009_audio1.mp3 Start of meeting through J1 Chap 14
05112009_audio2.mp3 Police Records Management System
05112009_audio3.mp3 Farmers Market
05112009_audio4.mp3 New Business to End.

Proclamation: “Kids Day America” (Tabled for further review.)

Ordinance to amend Chapter 25: Water, Sewers, and Sewage Disposal. (Passed)

Appointment of Sustainability Commission. (Passed, all original members w Stacy Harris & Yvonne Williams)

Appointment of Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee. (Passed, list of names read by Mayor. My nominee was Renate Herod, Past PTA Pres at Chesnut Charter and current PTA Pres at Kittredge Magnet.)

Ordinance to amend Chapter 14, Land Development and Environmental Protection, Article 2: Environmental Control. (Passed)

Approval of award of Police Records Management System. (Passed - review document discussed at meeting.)

Farmer’s Market Update. (Permit for St. Pats but moving to Village Post Office soon after.)

Approval of surplus equipment items. (Passed - old items obtained in used furniture purchase.)

FIRST READ: Amendment to Chapter 2: Administration (Discussion: Should committee members have to live or work in Dunwoody?)

Real Time Dunwoody Crime Stats Hit The Web

Police-to-Citizen-Portal

The City of Dunwoody didn't exist a year and a half ago therefore when laying out a data infrastructure we were at an advantage of not having years of data tied up in legacy systems. We decided early on to invest in best of breed interrelated systems whereby the various computer systems would talk to one another and share all related data. For example, we assured that the police citations were electronic, the information could be uploaded wirelessly from the cars, input into the court management software and then tied the court payments into the city's financial system. Though these records management software systems were expensive on the front end, the amount of manpower savings over time will prove that these were wise purchases.

Today the Dunwoody Police Department implemented the latest records management system to come on line, the Police-to-Citizen (P2C) software package now pushes the last seven days of police reports onto the web for all to see. The OSSI P2C Application is a browser-based solution that provides a convenient solution for citizens to perform simple searches and to map the results.  On many of the event searches, residents can easily click the document view icon listed on the right of the results and the complete incident report is downloaded in a pdf document.

In playing with the software, I like what I see but there are a number of improvements that might be able to be made. First the software package doesn't like any browser software except Microsoft Internet Explorer, so I guess you just need to know that on the front end. Second the Daily Bulletin should have an option for daily e-mail delivery, since I know a number of people who would be signing up for that if it was offered. Third, the software allows the printing of incident reports straight from the web but for traffic accident reports it asks that the report be requested from City Hall after paying a $5 processing fee. Knowing that this fee covers the processing cost, I would like to see the city to explore an on-line payment for the accident reports and therefore allow direct access via the web. Finally, my last question regarding the data is why was the access limited to only seven days? Was this a function of the software or was it a city decision programed into the software?

In this day of high tech computer databases and instant information; how much do we really want to know about our neighbors and those who live around us?  How much is needed for public safety and how much is just voyeuristic curiosity?   I guess I enjoy having my DeKalb Mugs emailed to me daily based on the offenders home address and then I'm very capable of checking the status of all criminal and civil cases on the DeKalb OJS (Online Judicial System) when ever I feel I have the need to do so.  The real question is what do the residents of the City of Dunwoody want published on this database and for how long should it be available?  When my wife, or your son little Johnny gets a speeding ticket, should it still be able to be found on our public access website a month or two later after the matter has been settled?

I don't know the answer, but I will be asking my wife in the morning.

Away for a little time with the family and various updates to hold you over.

With school starting next week and with me being between houses, the family and I have escaped into the wilderness of South Georgia. I will be returning sometime over the weekend and hope to post the agenda for Monday night's City Council meeting but in case I am unable, please check the city calendar item for this coming Monday which should be updated on Friday evening.

Today prior to leaving town this afternoon, we registered all three of my boys at three different DeKalb County schools (New Dunwoody Elem, Chesnut Elem & Coralwood Pre-K) and all of the registrations went smoothly due to the numerous PTA parents who worked tirelessly on behalf of the community. Thank you.

At Dunwoody Elementary I toured the new school to view the finished product and was mostly pleased with what I saw. The classrooms were completed and furnished, the library, computer lab and music rooms were fully equipped and the playground was finally being installed. My only minor issues were related to the decorative fencing that was promised to the neighbors and the School Garden at the rear of the property that appears to be blocked off by the chain link fencing that I believe is suppose to be removed?

With the day off work, I saw the City of Dunwoody Public Works staff cleaning the overgrown gutters in front of Peachtree Middle School and noticed the School Crosswalk signs were already in place at Chesnut. I am expecting a number of other school related public works projects taking place all over the city this week, most of which will be pavement striping and paint related but our crews are also testing the flashing school zone blinkers and verifying that all of the intersection crosswalk indicators are working properly so that our children walking to school can do so safely. I am also told that if all goes well there is a chance that the radar speed limit signs may also be installed prior to the start of school, or very soon just after.

The Dunwoody Police took another bad guy off our streets but please remember that the police can not be everywhere and that it is the responsibility of each of us to watch out for our neighbors where possible. I am aware of several day time home burglaries and without a vigilant community looking out for such activity, these thieves will be difficult to catch (though I know our police are actively trying).

Have you seen the Dunwoody Police Department newsletter, here is the August 1, 2009 inaugural edition and I would like to encourage you to do a Police ride along as well as invite your teenager to check out the Police Explorers. With school starting please watch your speeding in Dunwoody, 102 mph on Peeler and 108 mph on Mount Vernon are pushing the limits of common sense.

Talking of speeding tickets, the City of Dunwoody is aware of this issue and is working to get it under control. I believe the Police Records Management System will also speed up the over all process and improve the accuracy of the crime statistics.

New Garden website - Dunwoody Community Garden at Brook Run

Here are a few up coming events that I wish I could attend, but I may not be able to make them all.

Thur Aug 6th - Dunwoody Zoning Board Appeals - 7 pm
Sat Aug 8th - Dunwoody Elem Dedication & Tour - 11 am
Sun Aug 9th - Dunwoody Homeowners Meeting - 7:30 pm
Mon Aug 10th - Dunwoody City Council - 7 pm
Thur Aug 13th - Dunwoody Community Council - 7 pm
Mon Aug 17th - Dunwoody City Hall and Police Open House - 4 to 7 pm
Wed Sept 2nd - DCCK Parent Council Meeting @ Dunwoody HS - 9:15 am with Dr. Crawford Lewis speaking. Notes of end of year speech.

I found a new Dunwoody related blog (or should I say it found me), a daddy named Gil cracked me up with two examples of DeKalb County efficiency that I would like to share, the first is the library fine and second is the DeKalb County Marriage License sign.

Enjoy the last week of Summer.

Dunwoody City Council Meeting - May 11, 2009

Dunwoody City Council Meeting
May 11, 2009 at 7:00 p.m.
Dunwoody United Methodist Church
1548 Mt. Vernon Road, 30338

Agenda

Proclamation: “Kids Day America”
Approval of Minutes April 13, 2009 City Council Meeting.
Approval of Minutes April 20, 2009 City Council Work Session Meeting.
Approval of Minutes April 27, 2009 City Council Meeting.

SECOND READ: Ordinance to amend Chapter 25: Water, Sewers, and Sewage Disposal.

Appointment of Sustainability Commission.

Appointment of Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee.

PUBLIC HEARING
SECOND READ: Ordinance to amend Chapter 14, Land Development and Environmental Protection, Article 2: Environmental Control.

ACTION ITEM: Approval of award of Police Records Management System.

Farmer’s Market Update.

Approval of surplus equipment items.

FIRST READ: Amendment to Chapter 2: Administration

EXECUTIVE SESSION for the purposes of legal, real estate, and personnel discussions.

Agenda for Dunwoody City Council - Monday April 27 at 7:00 pm

Monday April 27, 2009
7:00 p.m.
Dunwoody United Methodist Church
1548 Mt. Vernon Road, 30338

Agenda

Proclamation: “Building Safety Week”

Stormwater Utility Fees and Credits.

Stormwater Utility Fund Budget.

Chapter 14 Land Development and Environmental Protection, Article 2: Environmental Control. (reverting back to original DeKalb County Stream buffer requirements)

Chapter 15: Business Occupation Tax, Licenses, and Regulation. (Proof of tax return.)

Presentation of proceeds from the Bicycle Ride Around Dunwoody (BRAD) by the Dunwoody Preservation Trust.

PUBLIC HEARING
Chapter 27: Zoning - An amendment to the text of the Zoning Ordinance, specifically Section 1.17 Definitions; Section 4-36 Places of Worship, Convents, Monasteries, Temporary Religious Meetings, General Requirements; and Section 4-50 Temporary Outdoor Sales, Seasonal.
- Presentation and Recommendation by Public Works & Public Comments (Vote next week.)

Chapter 25 Water, Sewers, and Sewage Disposal. (Requirement to fix water leaks.)

Resolution to petition State EPD to amend its water restrictions in the State of Georgia. (car wash restrictions)

Award of Records Management System Contract. (Police RMS System)

Appointment of the Sustainability Commission.

Appointment of Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee.

EXECUTIVE SESSION for the purposes of legal, real estate, and personnel discussions.

I made a promise for Dunwoody Crime Stats & Maps and we will deliver.

Where are the Crime Stats?

The Dunwoody Police Department is up and running and a records management system will be selected very soon and once that happens the City will be looking for the best solution to post city crime information online. I have heard a complaint (just one) that we (the City) have not made this a priority as we moved away from the DeKalb County Police but I wanted to reassure you that it is most definitely a priority that I and other members of the Council feel very strongly about.

The reason I bring this up is because the AJC has a nice article on crime statistics that I thought was worth reading and I just wanted to reassure the the Dunwoody citizens that we will be bringing forward an electronic, no cost solution to publicize general crime statistics.

AJC - Obtaining crime information can be a challenge

Uncontested Dunwoody Council Members Deutsch & Heneghan respond to the @AJC & @LWVGA voter guide. #gapol

Link to Lynn Responses & Link to John Responses

What experience do you bring to the job to set policy for your city and what is your motivation to serve? 

Lynn Deutsch I am completing my first term as a Dunwoody City Council Person. Prior to my service on Council, I was a member of the Dunwoody Planning Commission. I earned a master’s degree in City Planning from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a graduate certificate in Gerontology from Georgia State University. I also earned bachelors' degrees in Government and Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin. When asked to set or review existing policies, I dig deep into the core issues. I am a consummate researcher with a passion for best practices. I believe that we can learn from other cities and they can learn from us. While one size never fits all, there is an abundance of information available to judge how policies have worked for other communities. When a challenging problem arises, I look for outside of the box solutions. I decided to run for re-election because I want to continue my efforts to make Dunwoody a better and stronger community. My priorities for my next term include will include paving, parks, increasing citizen engagement opportunities, and making careful zoning decisions that protect the character of Dunwoody’s neighborhoods. I will continue to make decisions within the context of both what is right for now and what we need for the future. I value my interactions with Dunwoody residents and look forward to continuing to work with our citizens to make our city a better place.

John Heneghan As a founding member of the Dunwoody City Council where I have served for the last seven years, I am proud to say that I have had a hand in setting all policy from startup to current day operations. Prior to Cityhood, I served on the Citizens for Dunwoody Committee where I was the Transportation Chair and prior to that I was President of my neighborhood civic association representing over 1,000 homes on governmental matters. With a degree in Public Administration, I have dedicated myself to public service where I hope to fulfill two ideals, the first is that when I have the ability to make a difference, I have a responsibility to do so and second, transparency in Government breeds self-corrective behavior. Seven years ago, I made transparency and open government a keystone of my governance policy therefore I have personally published every agenda, every public document and even live streamed meetings to my personal blog (Heneghan’s Dunwoody Blog) documenting actions taken by the city. My motivation to continue serving is that I believe I have the ability to continue making a difference in making Dunwoody a better community for all who live and work here.

The 1% Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) is levied by counties and shared with cities therein based on a formula agreed to at least once every 10 years. LOST is used for annual operational expenses and reduces property taxes. Do you support or oppose the formula which is currently used to determine your city’s share? Why or why not? 

Lynn Deutsch Dunwoody, because it is in DeKalb, does not participate in the LOST. DeKalb has the HOST. Regardless of the tax levy, my preference is for a formula based distribution that is clear, concise and easy to understand. Cities should be able to estimate their portion of the tax levy with ease, so they can plan accordingly each year.

John Heneghan DeKalb County currently has Homestead Option Sales Tax of 1% (Host) and the County Commission decides the percentage that can be used for tax breaks but typically it has been 80 percent of these funds go to provide tax relief for property owners and the other 20 percent goes towards infrastructure projects. Based on the decisions by the DeKalb County Commission to not put the entire 1% sales tax towards property tax relief, Dunwoody typically gets 5 to 6 million dollars for city infrastructure projects. With the passage of HB215, DeKalb County may be proposing to the citizens a referendum to raise the overall County sales tax another 1% from 7% to 8% in order to put the additional funds into County wide infrastructure projects including Dunwoody. I am very happy with the current formula to share the sales tax revenue and if DeKalb proposes changes to the sales tax rate, it would then be put in front of all the citizens to approve or deny via a referendum. If approved, it would guarantee Dunwoody a consistent tax flow for infrastructure improvements and therefore it would not subject to the whims of the DeKalb County Commission who decide the percentage to be put toward to tax relief vs infrastructure improvements. If rejected, I believe the current HOST agreement would stay in place and the current 1% sales tax could be used for either homestead tax relief and/or a combination of tax relief and infrastructure improvements.

In Georgia 1.8 million people currently live in poverty, including 137,000 working families and nearly 651,000 children. What policies would you support to address inequalities that exist in your city?

Lynn Deutsch This question is a difficult one because it presumes inequalities that exist simply because of city policies, when the reality of poverty is much more complex situation. The biggest impact on poverty is likely education level, which is part of the reason I am a strong supporter of smaller school systems and the efforts to make this a reality in Georgia. I will point out that Dunwoody has a strong economic development department which continues to bring 1000s of new jobs to Dunwoody. Because these employment opportunities are nearby, some of the burdens facing the working poor, in terms of access and transportation, are removed. Dunwoody has strong code enforcement policies which force landlords to maintain their properties and provide a safe places for residents to live.

John Heneghan By most accounts, the City of Dunwoody is a wealthy area but that does not mean that we also have citizens that are struggling financially. As per the 2010 census, 6.2% of Dunwoody families and 7.9% of our population were below the poverty line, including 10.2% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over. As far as policies, it is my belief that a strong city economy & new job opportunities raises the prosperity and over all opportunities of the entire community. New buildings create construction jobs and will eventually bring higher paying office jobs to that building and that in turn will spur development of the area to include hotels, dining and retail employment opportunities. The City values all of our citizens and we have worked hard with our multifamily housing code enforcement program to ensure that everyone has a safe place to live no matter where it is located within our City. The city’s police department works very close with available social services in the area to be the first level of a protection when they find those in need. As an elected official tasked with serving all 50,000 residents, I take my responsibilities to improve everyone’s living conditions very seriously.

Would you support a “Pay to Play” ordinance which could ban or limit municipal candidates from receiving campaign contributions from holders and/or seekers of City contracts? If yes, please explain the parameters you would support, in terms of dollar limits, time limits, and ease of access for public review. If no, please explain.

Lynn Deutsch I do not think it is appropriate for candidates to receive contributions from those wishing to do business with the city and I personally have not accepted any. Contribution records are public records and should be available on the Internet.

John Heneghan I would welcome such an ordinance but some would say that is self-serving because as a Federal Government Employee serving under the requirements of the Hatch Act; I have never accepted a single dollar of campaign contributions. If a “Pay to Play” ordinance were enacted it could also be seen as providing an advantage to those already seated as it would tie the hands of those looking to overturn the incumbent. The City of Dunwoody ethics ordinance that I helped draft currently requires all zoning applicants to publicly disclose if those involved have ever provided campaign contributions to those who may influence the decision. Besides complying with Dunwoody’s ethics ordinance, elected officials also need to report all campaign contributions as per state regulation and all of that information is public information open to critical review. In short, I believe the City of Dunwoody has sufficient protections in place and we do not need to put forward a specific “Pay to Play” ordinance.

Every city elects council members through at-large voting, at-large with a district residency requirement, district voting or a combination. What do you believe is the best method of electing city council members to ensure proper representation for your citizens? 

Lynn Deutsch Each of the three districts in Dunwoody has one representative elected locally and one who is elected citywide. This works well because each resident has two council members residing in their district, who should have a strong understanding of their district's unique needs. However, because the Mayor and half of the Council is elected city-wide, there is always an understanding that decisions must be made in a manner which benefits the entire city. This works well for our city.

John Heneghan The City of Dunwoody uses a combination of both district and at-large representatives on our City Council. We have three voting districts whereby each district has both a district representative and an at-large representative living within each district. This system allows maximum representation as every citizen would be voting for 5 of the 7 representatives on the Council whereby they would be voting for the Mayor, three at-large representatives and their own district representative. With Dunwoody being 13 square miles and having 50,000 residents, this system forces the elected officials to be geographically diverse in order to equally serve all communities within the city.

Cities across the country are embracing aggressive goals to reduce carbon pollution. What do you believe your municipality should do to support cleaner air? 

Lynn Deutsch A traffic light timing system and a traffic management system have been recently installed in the Perimeter Center area. One of the goals of these improvements is to keep traffic flowing as efficiently as possible. Additionally, with the same goal of improving traffic management, the city is embarking on several major intersection improvement projects. Dunwoody has installed miles of sidewalks and is installing bike lanes. These infrastructure improvements allow residents and visitors alternatives to driving to their destinations. The city has also acquired acres of new green space and is working on enhancements to our zoning code that would require new large developments to include green space in their plans.

John Heneghan As a member of the Dunwoody City Council, I was instrumental in setting initial green policies into place whereby we achieved Gold level certification under the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Green Communities Program but we continue to strive to reduce our impact. We currently require new city-owned buildings to achieve LEED certification and will attempt to do the same for all renovations. We have conducted energy audits on the city’s buildings, implemented an Energy Star purchasing policy, installed LED bulbs in traffic signals and adopted a lights out/power down policy for all city employees and facilities. The city has adopted a no net loss of trees policy for city properties and we are designated as a Tree City USA. We optimized traffic signals throughout the business district to improve traffic flow. We actively participate in the city’s Safe Routes to School program and we conducted walking audits to identify long-term and short-term infrastructure needs to improve the walking and biking environment around the schools. At my request, our Dunwoody Sustainability Committee is currently exploring solar energy equipment bulk purchasing opportunities for our citizens very similar to what “Solarize Tybee” initiated. The city is pushing forward with biking and walking trails to attempt to reduce vehicle traffic. We reduced the number of garbage trucks on the roads and we are investing heavily on intersection improvements to improve traffic flow and safety.