COVID throws water on July 4th festivities
Dunwoody Municipal Court resumes hearings
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J u l y 2 , 2 0 2 0 | T h e C r i e r. n e t | A n A p p e n M e d i a G r o u p P u b l i c a t i o n | S e r v i n g t h e c o m m u n i t y s i n c e 1 9 7 6
Council OKs 5-year contracts for some municipal services
DUNWOODY NATURE CENTER/SPECIAL
Donna Burt, center, is presented the Dave Adam’s Award for two decades of volunteering at the Dunwoody Nature Center. The award was presented by, from left, Founding President Pat Adams, Board Member Su Ellis, Board President Jamie Brown and Executive Director Michael Cowan.
Dunwoody Nature Center honors longtime volunteer By CARSON COOK time supporters surprised Burt with lunch at her home June 18. carson@appenmediagroup.com “She’s very social, and she’s been home by herself, so she was very happy DUNWOODY, Ga. — For the past 20 to see us,” Executive Director Michael years, Thursdays have been known as Cowan said. “We just had lunch in her “Donna’s Day” at the Dunwoody Nature driveway.” Center. To honor her two decades of service, or shine, hot or cold, volun6 66 66 6 66 Rain 6 the nature center board named Burt teer Donna Burt would come by every the recipient of this year’s Dave Adam’s Thursday to help with any task the staff Award, which recognizes a contributor needed, such as sending mail, preparing who greatly furthers the center’s mission supplies for birthday parties or setting to inspire a love of nature. up for educational programs. The award was created to honor the Unfortunately, COVID-19 not only halted programming at the nature center husband of the Nature Center’s foundfor three months, it also forced 85-yearing president, Pat Adams. The award is old Burt to shelter in place at home. usually presented at the center’s spring fundraiser, Monarchs and Margaritas. @ @ @ With @ Burt unable to visit and vol“When I got the award I started cry@ @ unteer, the Dunwoody Nature Center 1 13/4/19 Page11 3/4/1911:16 11:16 AM AM Page @ @ decided @ 03-06-19_HAbannerBlue.qxp_Layout to03-06-19_HAbannerBlue.qxp_Layout come to her. Several nature 03-06-19_HAbannerBlue.qxp_Layout 1 3/4/19 11:16 AM Page 11:16 1 03-06-19_HAbannerBlue.qxp_Layout 1 3/4/19 AM Page 1 @ center staff, board members and longSee VOLUNTEER, Page 7 @ @ @ @
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the city had received no bids. The By CARSON COOK staff plans to rebid later this sumcarson@appenmediagroup.com mer. DUNWOODY, Ga. — The Dunwoody The total five-year cost estimate of City Council unanimously apthe contracts is $29 million, an 11.3 percent increase over the previous proved four contracts June 15 to five years. However, the year-to-year provide city services over the next increase will be gradual, and there five years. will be a slight decrease in costs of Like a number of newer cities in $1,200 from 2020 to 2021. metro Atlanta, Dunwoody outsources “That was important to us, essome of its city services to private companies. These contracts are pecially in these economic times, to awarded in five-year intervals. maintain a flat cost for next year,” As the city’s contracts were set to Linton said. expire at the end of 2020, city staff Mayor Lynn Deutsch pointed out spent six months reviewing vendors the contracts are flexible and could and performing a cost analysis for be scaled up or down depending on bringing services in house. the city’s economic outlook. City Manager Eric Linton said the “That’s the advantage of the bids went through a stringent review contract model,” Linton said. “If for process involving him, the assistant some reason, the workload doesn’t city manager, the chief of police, exist and we need to scale back, we the heads of the departments under have that ability. We also have the study, the mayor and several City ability to cancel these contracts if Council members. needed.” Dunwoody currently has private Last May, Dunwoody’s neighbor, partnerships for seven areas of serSandy Springs, decided to bring most of its service in house, estimating is vice. Of those, three departments — would save more than $14 million public works, parks and recreation, over five years. and information technology — were “Knowing that a city near us renewed with the same vendor. abandoned this method because they Three services — planning and said it was going to save them money, zoning, permitting and inspections, we did a very vigorous review, and we and finance and administration — could not replicate what they came were awarded to a different vender. up with,” Deutsch said. The communications department,> > Jacob’s Engineering was selected two staff members, was determined > >> > to be more cost and operationally ef-> >for finance, Lowe Engineers was > selected for parks and public works, fective to bring> in house. >> > > > > > The city added facilities man> > > > Interdev was selected for IT and Col> > to agement as an> area potentially > > > laborative was selected for planning > > as of >mid-June, > be outsourced, but > and permitting.
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