Picnic Table project makes splash throughout city ► PAGE 4
O c t o b e r 1 5 , 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
Charter Commission adopts emergency powers amendment By CATHY COBBS newsroom@appenmediagroup.com DUNWOODY, Ga. — The Dunwoody Charter Commission voted unanimously Oct. 5 to propose an addition to the city charter allowing for the implementation of emergency powers by city officials. Charter Commission Chairman Robert Wittenstein offered some context for the proposal, using as an example the killing of Armaud Aubrey. Arbery, a 25-year-old unarmed Black man, was pursued and fatally shot by while being pursued by three White residents near Brunswick, Ga. The killing and delayed investigation sparked debates and unrest in many cities in the United States. “When Ahmaud Aubrey was killed in south Georgia, there were a whole bunch of demonstrations, and a bunch of cities around Dunwoody started implementing curfews, and we found ourselves in a position where there was no one who could authorize a curfew to be imposed,” said Wittenstein. “So, what we are trying to accomplish is a process by which the city council can acknowledge there is an ordinance and in a short time, can implement some rapid changes to deal with the emergency.” According to the resolution, the city, with the vote of three council members, can enact a state of emergency for up to 30 days. The declaration would not allow the city to raise taxes, rezone property,
grant a franchise, change zoning regulations or borrow money using those emergency powers. The law would allow the mayor to suspend normal city operations and, working with the city manager and police chief, issue and implement procedures to deal with the stated emergency. In other action at the Oct. 5 meeting, commission members voted to allow for the salaries of the mayor and the council to include a pay increase equal to costof-living adjustments, and changed the expense rate from a stated amount to a reimbursement method. Currently, the mayor is paid $16,000 annually, with a $5,000 discretionary fund for reimbursements. Council members receive $12,000, with $3,000 allowed for expenses. The council also voted to change the date for the swearing in of new city officials from the first Monday of the year to the first regularly scheduled meeting of the year. The recommended changes to the charter must be approved in the Georgia General Assembly in order to set up a voter referendum. Residents would then have final say on all changes. The commission also discussed proposed agenda items for an upcoming charter commission meeting, including changes to the calendar as it relates to passage of the city’s budget, and revisiting the plurality-vs.-majority issue regarding the election of the mayor.
JEFFREY ALBERTSON/CRIER
A pedestrian approaches the crosswalk on the south side of Mount Vernon Road near Stratham Drive. The City of Dunwoody is considering options to improve safety along the stretch, which carries a hefty volume of vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian traffic.
Dunwoody weighs ugrades for Mount Vernon corridor By JEFFREY ALBERTSON newsroom@appenmediagroup.com DUNWOODY, Ga. — It’s a tough trek for bicyclists and pedestrians on Mount Vernon Road at Corners Drive, where the sidewalk ends. The lack of a sidewalk on the south side leaves pedestrians and bicyclists clinging to a narrow shoulder or onto the edge of front yards. Pedestrians can access a signaled crosswalk between Stratham Drive and Forest Springs Drive to cross Mount Vernon. Bicyclists may travel on, battling a high-traffic thoroughfare without a designated bike lane. It’s no picnic for motorists either. There are no left-turn lanes or traffic signals, and motorists must always be on the lookout for pedestrians and cy-
clists. Foliaged trees and short vantage points don’t help. The potential dangers have spurred Dunwoody city officials to develop three improvement options for the area. The proposals would affect the section of Mount Vernon between Corners Drive east to Mount Vernon Place. The three proposals would conclude the city’s multi-year plan to improve a road that connects commercial and residential sections of the city. Plans include a shared use path for bicycles and pedestrians on the north side and a new sidewalk on the south. The three options have some variation. The first calls for adding leftturn lanes on Mount Vernon Road at Vernon Lake and Meadowlake Drives.
#1 Agent Coldwell Banker Atlanta 40 Years Experience 770.804.6226 • 404.403.6561 (cell) www.robinblass.com • robinblass@blassprop.com
5591 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd Bldg 1300, Ste 100 Dunwoody, GA 30338
See ROAD, Page 2