Sandy Springs releases limited payroll data, digs in on sharing remainder
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The City of Sandy Springs has begun releasing payroll information almost a year after denying Appen Media Group’s Open Records requests for the data.
The reversal comes following months of petitions from the newspaper and interventions from the state Attorney General’s Office.
While the newly disclosed documents show the salaries of highranking officials, Sandy Springs continues to withhold information on the city’s remaining 600-odd employees. By releasing payroll records that
obscure an employee’s identity, taxpayers have no way to know who is receiving their money.
Appen Media routinely requests payroll records for municipalities in its coverage areas, including Dunwoody and other cities in North Fulton and Forsyth County.
The payroll data allows residents to see how many people their local governments are employing, who they are and how much they’re paid.
Sandy Springs Planning & Zoning Manager Michele McIntosh-Ross chats with residents March 13 about the current character of commercial areas and what they want them to look like moving forward. McIntosh-Ross said parks, schools and residential neighborhoods are excluded from the design guidelines, which look to shape the appearance and experience of Sandy Springs.
Media covers which has refused to turn over that information.
Appen Media publisher Hans Appen said the notion that basic payroll information is not public information is absurd.
“The taxpayers of Sandy Springs have a right to know who is on their payroll,” Appen said.
Residents share ideas on building aesthetics
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Sandy Springs is embarking on an 18-month review of commercial design guidelines to ensure six districts within the city reflect its priorities and aesthetics.
Residents can provide their feedback with an online survey through March 31 if they were unable to attend the March 13 open house at City Hall.
About two dozen residents showed up to peruse display boards asking them to identify what they would prefer to see buildings, streetscapes and signage look like in distinct areas of the city.
Display board comments
generally supported contemporary building design, wide sidewalks with trees and shrubs, townhomes with a distinct design for each unit and limited wayfinding signage. Commercial districts in Sandy Springs, excluding City Springs, are hardly distinct from the rest of Metro Atlanta.
One main purpose of creating design guidelines is to make different commercial areas distinct, with a uniquely Sandy Springs feel to them.
The commercial areas include Greater City Springs around City Hall, Central Perimeter along the Dunwoody city limits, Crossroads at I-285,
Sandy Springs is the only city Appen
HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
NEWS TIPS
770-442-3278
AppenMedia.com
319 N. Main Street Alpharetta, GA 30009
HANS APPEN Publisher CONTACT
Contact reporters directly or send story ideas to newsroom@appenmedia.com.
LETTERS, EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Send your letters, events and community news to newsroom@appenmedia.com. See appenmedia.com/submit for more guidance.
ADVERTISING
For information about advertising in the Sandy Springs Crier or other Appen Media properties, email advertising@appenmedia.com or call 770-442-3278.
CIRCULATION
To start, pause or stop delivery of this newspaper, email circulation@appenmedia.com or call 770-442-3278.
Do convention bureaus collect the same revenue from short-term rentals, like Airbnb, as they do hotels?
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
NORTH METRO ATLANTA, Ga. —
Short-term rentals offered through online platforms like Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com pay hotel taxes in Georgia in accordance with a state law signed in 2021.
Just like traditional hotels and motels, the online platforms collect the taxes, along with other taxes, and pay them to the appropriate government entity.
In Georgia, short-term rentals are subject to a 4 percent state sales tax, local sales tax, hotel fee of $5 per night and local hotel-motel taxes that can range up to 8 percent. Guests are often charged the taxes as part of their reservation.
In 2021, Gov. Brian Kemp signed a law requiring short-term rentals pay the tax. The law went into effect in 2022. Short-term rentals have become an increasingly large part of the hospitality landscape since the launch of popular online platforms in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
in Alpharetta, according to the city. Hotel-motel taxes can fund a variety of programs and purposes related to tourism.
Cities and counties often take a portion, leaving the rest for convention and visitors bureaus.
Awesome Alpharetta, Alpharetta’s convention and visitors bureau, is funded by the tax, spending about 95 percent of its dollars on marketing for the city’s many attractions, said Janet Rodgers, president and CEO of the bureau.
The money for marketing goes toward numerous advertisements and marketing campaigns from search engine optimization to traditional advertising.
Owners of the rentals said they provide an essential service.
At least 89 short-term rentals operate
In Alpharetta, the City Council passed an ordinance in January 2025 regulating the rentals, requiring them to seek city permits after residents voiced concerns. Many residents said they were seeing more and more of the rentals and were worried they would change the character of their neighborhoods.
GEORGIA FARMERS NEED YOUR SUPPORT
(AND YOUR VOTE)
For generations, the farmers you represent have worked, studied, retooled, innovated, and done their best for the land—and the communities you serve benefit from their expertise.
Georgia farmers trust the science and know glyphosate can be used safely. The litigation industry, on the other hand, relies on discredited science in the courtroom to threaten the go-to crop protection tools farmers depend on every day. Experts estimate that without glyphosate to ensure our food supply, inflation at the checkout line will double.
More than 90 organizations in the Modern Ag Alliance are standing up for farmers to sustain the work of feeding America. Will you help us keep glyphosate available to them?
The marketing benefits local hotels, motels, attractions and short-term rentals, which may see an increase in customers as a result, she said.
“We really put the money to work,” she said. “I can’t sell a hotel room, but I can sell a destination.”
DIONNA WILLIAMS/APPEN MEDIA
Region lays strategy to provide more affordable housing
By SARAH COYNE sarah@appenmedia.com
ATLANTA — Members of the Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership and Atlanta Regional Commission met to present the Atlanta Regional Housing Forum to discuss affordable housing in the community.
With potential federal cuts on affordable housing and shortages plaguing the nation, city leaders addressed the concerns with solutions to combat the housing crisis.
Atlanta Mayor and Atlanta Regional Commission Chairman Andre Dickens said that the best way to become successful with affordable housing is by being “creative.”
“The housing crisis requires collective action, something that requires a little bit of something from all of us,” Dickens said.
The City of Atlanta is investing $60 million toward rapid rehousing for the homeless. Under the initiative, the city provides short-term rental assistance and support services to get homeless people back into permanent housing.
“We launched our rapid housing initiatives to do just what the name says, to get more housing built, so we built The Melody,” Dickens said.
The Melody project is one of a dozen initiatives Atlanta is partnering with Partners for Home to combat the housing crisis. The project has provided 40 micro-units crafted from repurposed shipping containers.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens addressed the crowd at the March 13 Atlanta Regional Housing Forum addresses action plan to make costs affordable
According to 2024 numbers from Atlanta Mission, about 2,867 individuals in Atlanta were homeless. Another 337 people outside Atlanta city limits in Fulton County were considered homeless, with 209 sheltered and 128 unsheltered.
Atlanta Regional Commission Executive Director and CEO Anna Roach highlighted points of how the agency is working to build an improved regional market strategy in the next few months.
The strategy will bring forward new market data to provide accessible information for local governments to access.
“I hope you understand that: one, we’ve got an incredible challenge in the region
around affordability, and if we don’t figure out how to address it, our quality of life and our competitiveness as [a] region is going to be challenged,” Roach said.
The Atlanta Regional Commission also provides the Metro Atlanta Housing Strategy, which provides stakeholders and local governments with detailed data derived from the census about communities and their housing profiles.
According to the Metro Atlanta Housing Strategy, Roswell neighborhoods are priced moderate-tohigher in general and consist of mainly singlefamily homes, with a low proportion of residents in poverty. The average home sold in 2023 brought a price of around $480,000 – a 54.85 percent increase since 2018.
The strategy toolkit suggests that the area of Roswell supports smaller homes and ownership opportunities, establishes local housing funding resources and programs, identifies and educates on housing instability and reduces costs of housing near transit and amenities. The strategy blueprint supplies local leaders and stakeholders with more ways to understand and address housing challenges.
Roach said that the region is not providing building permits fast enough to keep up with the growth of Metro Atlanta, contributing to the affordable housing crisis. Roach said 1.8 million people are expected to move to the region by 2050.
HOUSING, Page 13
SARAH COYNE/APPEN MEDIA
Atlanta Jewish Film Festival wraps 25th anniversary season
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The 25th annual Atlanta Jewish Film Festival wrapped another successful year March 5 with its Closing Night celebration, featuring the heartfelt Brazilian dramedy “Cheers to Life!”
The annual Atlanta Jewish Film Festival is one of the largest cultural events of its kind in the world, celebrating the power of film to foster understanding and strengthen connections between Jewish and diverse global communities.
After the 88 in-theatre screenings across six venues in two weeks, some 1,000 patrons packed the Byers Theatre at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center.
Before spending most of the film giggling, reading subtitles and releasing some tears, the audience was treated to a quarter-century celebration of international film in the Jewish center of the South.
Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul, welcoming the audience and film festival organizers, promoted the city’s Performing Arts Center as a hub for exploring different cultures.
In a major announcement, festival organizers revealed an upcoming onenight-only concert Oct. 20 in partnership with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Turner Classic Movies. The concert is at Atlanta Symphony Hall in the Woodruff Arts Center with TCM’s Ben Mankiewicz hosting.
"I've been coming to the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival for years, and I couldn’t be more excited for this extraordinary celebration of film and music,” Mankiewicz said. “Iconic scores from classic Jewish cinema performed live? That’s a night you don’t want to miss.”
A panel of filmmakers, journalists, students and industry experts determine the Jury Awards, honoring outstanding achievements in Jewish cinema across six categories.
The 2025 winners are: “Pink Lady” for Narrative Feature, “Riefenstahl” for Documentary Feature, “The Sacred Society” for Short Film, “Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round” for the Building Bridges Award, “Sapir” for the Human Rights Award and Tom Nesher as Emerging Filmmaker for “Come Closer.”
James Alexander, a marketing executive and the next president of AJFF, announced Coca-Cola’s $250,000 investment in the festival’s Kenny Blank Vision Initiative, a $2.5 million capital campaign designed to expand the festival’s impact beyond its annual programming.
Kenny Blank, AJFF’s executive and artistic director, said the 25th anniversary
HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA Moderator Holly Firfer, at left, conducts a post-film discussion at Closing Night in Sandy Springs’ Byers Theatre March 5 with the cast and crew of the comedy drama “Cheers to Life!”
is a defining moment for the nonprofit.
“We are grateful to our audiences, supporters and partners for making this milestone so special,” Blank said. “We look forward to building on this momentum as AJFF continues to evolve, expand and elevate its impact in the years ahead,”
During the North American premier of the 2024 Brazilian film “Cheers to Life,” the Portuguese language was no hurdle to understanding and enjoying the film’s characters, familial themes and lifeaffirming message.
The 103-minute narrative feature blends a young woman’s exploration of her identity and familial history with comedic missteps and chance revelations during an adventure to Israel.
Audiences meet the main character of the film, Jessica, a disillusioned antique shop employee who finds a locket that leads her to seek out her grandparents living in Tel Aviv.
The film is drama, thriller and comedy all set in the backdrop of Israel. The country is almost a character in the story as Jessica and her companions search from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem for her grandmother.
The Closing Night celebration was in the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center’s Byers Theatre, featuring a post-film Q&A panel with the Brazilian cast and crew, including director Chris D’Amato, producer Júlio Uchoa and three main actors from the film.
Rodrigo Simas, who plays Jessica’s sidekick as she tracks down her grandparents, said his character Gabriel receives the help and companionship he
needed as his character assists Jessica track down her family.
“It’s a pleasure to be here in Atlanta, this is the first time out of Brazil with the movie and it’s a great honor to make a Brazilian movie in Israel,” Simas said. “Watching and learning … with our elder characters, not just in the movie but life too, makes us look forward to life and appreciate it.”
Thati Lopez, speaking Portuguese to the audience, said she grew into her character and said Jessica’s transformation throughout the film attracted her to the role.
The atmosphere of the Byers Theatre
did not change after the credits rolled. The audience, actors and crew laughed through the difficulties of translating in real-time.
Guests leaving the theater overwhelmingly said they loved the film with men and women in the audience split with affection for the leading couple. An all-access streaming pass is available March 7-16 to Georgians who want to follow along from home with 21 feature films and 14 short films from the festival. Some are only available for exclusive in-theater presentation. To learn more and stream, visit https://ajff.org.
Each line in the puzzle below has three clues and three answers. The last letter in the first answer on each line is the first letter of the second answer, and so on. The connecting letter is outlined, giving you the correct number of letters for each answer (the answers in line 1 are 5, 5 and 4 letters). The clues are numbered 1 through 7, with each number containing 3 clues for the 3 answers on the line. But here’s the catch! The clues are not in order - so the first clue in Line 1 may (or may not) actually be for the second or third answer in that line. Got it? Good luck!
WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN GOLD
1. Unit of measurement. Gold__ (do nothing). Poker pot.
2. Gold __ (commendation). Barber shop request. Box.
3. Ambrosia. Destroy. Gold __ (Krugerrand).
4. Eye color. Hate. Gold __ (49er’s adventure)
5. Campus building. Gold __ (person of avarice). Police action.
6. Gold __ (dentist’s implant). It’s overhead. Armada.
7. Hawaiian dance. Season. Gold __ (tank resident).
Worth Its Weight In Gold
1 Unit of measurement. Gold ___ (do nothing). Poker pot.
2. Gold ___ (commendation). Barber shop request. Box.
How to Solve: Each line in the puzzle above has three clues and three answers. The last letter in the first answer on each line is the first letter of the second answer, and so on. The connecting letter is outlined, giving you the correct number of letters for each answer (the answers in line 1 are 4, 5 and 5 letters). The clues are numbered 1 through 7, which each number containing 3 clues for the 3 answers on the line. But here’s the catch! The clues are not in order - so the first clue in Line 1 may (or may not) actually be for the second or third answer in that line. Got it? Good luck!
3. Ambrosia. Destroy. Gold ___ (Krugerrand).
4. Eye color. Hate. Gold ___ (49er’s adventure)
5. Campus building. Gold ___ (person of avarice). Police action.
6. Gold ___ (dentist’s implant). It’s overhead. Armada.
7. Hawaiian dance. Season. Gold ___ (tank resident)
To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.
GRIZZLIES 16, RAIDERS 7
Creekview lacrosse takes down Riverwood
By ANNABELLE REITER annabelle@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga —
Visiting Creekview High defeated Riverwood lacrosse 16-7 Mar. 6 with a fourthquarter flurry of goals and a solid defensive performance.
With Creekview out to a four-goal lead after the first period, Riverwood fought back in the second quarter to get within one score at halftime.
Midfielder Owen Parham led the Raiders, logging a hat trick which included two of the goals that helped Riverwood tie it up briefly in the third quarter.
“Tough loss, but we’re just gonna try and build on it,” Parham said. “Practice better, so hopefully we can get a win next game.”
Parham is committed to Hampton University to further his academic and athletic career with the first HBCU to compete in Division I lacrosse.
He will be joined by a club teammate from 3D Georgia, Blake Martin, who plays for Lassiter High School.
Sophomore attackman Cole Parham added two goals to his brother Owen’s three. The Raiders’ other two goals came from Riverwood’s offensive regalia, senior Connor McDuffie and sophomore Noah Gatch. Raiders head coach Mark Horton reflected on a tough matchup and how his team has been faring this soon into the season.
“These guys fight and fight, they don’t give up easily,” he said. “I always tell them, it’s not about the mistakes that happen, but how you respond to those mistakes.”
Note: MaxPreps has the final score listed as 147, seemingly missing two Creekview goals in the first and fourth quarters.
JOIN US
Memberships is now opendon’t miss out on this exciting new chapter! today and become part of a dynamic network that’s shaping the business landscape
ANNABELLE REITER/APPEN MEDIA
Riverwood senior Owen Parham works his defender on his way to the hole at Riverwood High School Mar. 6. The Hampton University commit notched a hat trick in a losing effort.
Protect Your Assets, Your Home, And Your Family In 3 Steps
Reserve Your Seat For A FREE Estate Planning Workshop
• Does my Will protect my “stuff”? (It does not.)
• Should I upgrade my Will to a Trust?
• What do I need to know about Revocable Living Trusts?
March/April Workshops:
Thurs., Mar 20 – 12 pm (lunch and learn)
Tues., Apr 1 – 4pm
Thurs., Apr 3 – 12pm (lunch and learn)
Tues., Apr 15 – 4pm
Thurs., Apr 17 – 12pm (lunch and learn)
Tues., Apr 29 – 4pm
Thurs., May 1 – 12pm (lunch and learn)
• How do Irrevocable Trusts work?
• Medicaid. What’s true and what’s not?
• How do I protect my assets for my family and legacy?
• How do I remain in control?
• How do I avoid losing everything to nursing home costs?
• How can my family avoid probate?
Attend our FREE Educational Workshops. Reserve your Spot and Get a FREE Consultation for attending the Workshop (a $500 Value) CODE: herald2023
1100 Cambridge Square | Suite B | Alpharetta, GA 30009 | 770.209.2346 | lisa@gklawgroup.com
Essential Trusts for minor children
Brought to you by - Estates Law Center USA
When it comes to planning for the future of your children, establishing trusts for minors can be an invaluable tool. These specialized trusts are designed to manage and protect assets for young beneficiaries until they reach adulthood, ensuring their financial security and stability. Minors can never receive ANY assets while minors. A Will where you name a guardian for minor children has nothing to do with your assets if you should pass away leaving your children without any protections. Probate takes control of the assets until the children reach age 18, which basically leaves your children to fend for themselves and is a Disaster, even when they turn 18, they receive a lump sum from Probate court after years of fees by the court administrator. Children at age 18 are not equipped to receive large sums of money or assets without the necessary protections.
There are several types of trusts tailored for minors, each serving unique purposes. Custodial accounts, for instance, allow a custodian to manage
assets on behalf of the minor until they come of age. Irrevocable trusts can provide long-term protection, as the assets placed in the trust are safeguarded from creditors and can offer tax benefits. Revocable living trusts allow for flexibility; while the trust can be altered during the parent’s lifetime, it still ensures that assets are distributed according to the grantor’s wishes upon their passing. It also ensures a family member can be appointed by you to oversee the assets in the trust in the event you pass away while the children are minors.
To learn more about how to protect your children if minors or disabled, book your free initial consultation now or sign up for one of our workshops and take the first step toward securing your legacy and ensuring peace of mind for the future!
HOLLY GEERDES Estate Law Center USA Top 5% Super Lawyer in Georgia
ATTENTION LEADERS
BASED ON A TRUE ATLANTA STORY
Noting how time has changed shape at top of mountain
My daughter and I were talking yesterday about music. She told me she had heard good things about the new Bob Dylan movie. I replied to her that I had too.
We then moved on to other topics including how young people today make friends and socialize. I said that I know of young adults who have substituted online for in-person. I am sure we all know young people like that. The daughter of a friend of ours – an engineer with a degree from Purdue I think – lives 100 percent online our friend told us, really, 100 percent.
“She goes to work and then comes home and stays in front of her computer until it’s time to sleep. She doesn’t have any friends. She doesn’t go out. She just works and lives online,” she said.
She told us that her daughter recently commissioned an avatar for her online persona and was spending serious money, like thousands.
Our friend’s daughter lives at home with our friend in the same house where she grew up, the same town. She lives near the kids she went to school with, went to movies with, probably dated and went to football games with. Yet, her only friends are her online friends now – and if I am to understand it correctly – most of those friends are virtual friends, like avatars and such and not even actual people. Huh?
She recently quit her job and admitted herself to some sort of recovery program. From?
I am treading into space about which I know so little. I know what I don’t see. But I am not sure what it is that I actually do see.
I had a conversation with another friend’s daughter who recently moved to Atlanta. I told her that I could relate to moving to another place and struggling to meet people, make new friends and get one’s bearings. I told her that in another life, I had moved to Chile for two years and knew how isolated and at times lonely it made me.
She looked at me with a quizzical look and shook her head.
Photo by Andy Henderson
RAY APPEN
OPINION
Change:
Continued from Page 10
“I don’t have that problem” she said. “Last night I went to dinner with one of my Facebook group friends. I don’t have problems meeting or finding people; I find them on Facebook or via (something to do with) TikTok. It’s not a big deal,” she shrugged her shoulders.
Like what planet did I live on or how dumb could I be - she intoned, without malice.
Instead of replying, I nodded and thought about what she said. I wondered how different she was – her life was – from the engineer whose friends were primarily virtual. Surely, I thought, she was navigating somewhat differently. I mean, she actually went out and did something with another person. But, I thought, how often does that really happen for her as opposed to a relationship only with screens?
My daughter listened to me and thought for a moment, then she told me a brief story. She said she’d recently watched a documentary on the Dylan movie. They played an interview that someone did with Dylan and asked him how he felt about the availability of music – all music –
today at the tip of your fingers, access to every song, every symphony, every note via Spotify and the like on a smart phone.
She said Dylan replied that back in the day, when he was just starting out, there was no TV, just radio. So, when he would hear a song that struck him, he might not hear it again, but he would listen for it on the radio and would hope that it got played. She said that he would try to find out where the musician was playing or lived so he could go hear him or her. He said he would network to try to find the music; he would search for it and try to track it down –like he did with Woodie Guthrie.
My daughter then threw out an idea that struck me – like being hit in the face or head with something hard, cold, and unforgiving.
“What,” she pondered, “what happens to the top of the mountain? How does the top of the mountain change when you no longer have to work to get to it?”
I had no clue, just the weight of a great big rhetorical 800-pound gorilla standing on my chest.
Anyone who reads my columns knows that I have always said that everything important that I know, I have learned from my children. And that only continues. Indeed.
Owner John Hogan & Designer Bobbie Kohm
Owner John Hogan & Designer Bobbie Kohm, re-imagining how bath & kitchen remodels are done.
Complete Remodeling Design and Installation Services. We even remove walls!
Guiding you through the whole design process. Ask about our 3D Renderings.
Making bath & kitchen remodeling fun, easy and affordable.
Design:
Continued from Page 1
Neighborhood Village at the Atlanta city limits, North End along Ga. 9 before the Chattahoochee River and Powers Ferry near the Cobb County line.
The March open house introduced the public to the project and its goals while ensuring guidelines reflect the community’s wishes.
The purpose of design guidelines is to let developers know what the city is looking for, not necessarily change city codes.
Sukirti Ghosh is a principal and urban designer at Rhodeside Harwell, the city’s consultant on the design guidelines.
The city selected Rhodeside Harwell as consultant on creation of the 2017 Next Ten Comprehensive Plan and its five-year update in 2022.
Ghosh said his team’s familiarity with the city gives them a jump on the project.
He also said his team is mindful of advice from elected officials like City Councilman Andy Bauman and Mayor Rusty Paul to keep guidelines flexible and encourage new projects.
In a Feb. 26 letter to the editor of The Crier, Sandy Springs resident Greer Henderson observed that there is plenty of space for development, referencing the City Springs downtown district.
“A quick look at the downtown area using a satellite program like Google Earth reveals how much land is taken up by surface parking lots,” Henderson wrote. “The city government isn’t to blame for this surplus, as they’ve already
CITY OF SANDY SPRINGS/PROVIDED
A map shows the six commercial areas in Sandy Springs, including North End, Greater City Springs, Perimeter, Powers Ferry, Crossroads and Neighborhood Village. The city’s urban planning and design consultant, Rhodeside Harwell, is kicking off an 18-month process to develop design guidelines for each mixed-use district.
eliminated the downtown parking minimums which predated the city itself. However, the challenge now is how to transform these parking lots into valuable businesses and homes.”
Metro Atlanta commercial developers have flocked to mixed-use developments and highquality, Class-A office buildings in recent years. That means older office stock is a likely candidate for redevelopment in the city. Sandy Springs wants to ensure it has design guidelines in place before developers bring plans to the city.
Another resident and frequent attendee of city meetings, Theodore Davis, said he came to the open house to hear what his neighbors think about different design elements.
For building facades, Davis said he was not a fan of traditional brick mid-rises, opting instead for more contemporary, glass and open-air design.
City Councilwoman Melissa Mular, who represents District 3 surrounding City Springs, looked at display boards and chatted with residents. She said a part of the work is finding out what the community wants areas to look like in the future.
“How you would describe the North End today is certainly not how you want it to be tomorrow,” Mular said.
During one of last summer’s May budget workshops, Mular proposed a facade improvement fund for commercial properties along Roswell Road (Ga. 9) corridor. She said Community Development staff told her the city would need to develop design guidelines before property owners sign up for any façade improvement program.
“The facade changes are about the exterior, like your awnings, decks and paint,” she said. “This kind of like the first step … that’s the tie in between the two.”
To complete the online survey, visit surveymonkey.com/r/sandyspringsvps.
Records:
Appen Media first requested payroll records for the City Council and the City Manager’s Office March 15, 2024.
In the responsive documents, the city redacted every person’s name and employee ID.
The response showed individual checks, but not who they were made out to or how much money each role received.
In one example, the document lists three payments with the job title City Manager and another three with the role Assistant City Manager. With names and employee IDs redacted, it’s unclear how many people the city has in each position and how much they are paid.
The Sandy Springs City Attorney’s Office argued the names of employees are exempt from disclosure because it “would compromise security against sabotage or criminal or terrorist acts.”
After receiving a complaint from Appen, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Settlemire questioned the city’s legal rationale April 2024, saying it was unclear how the cited exemptions apply.
When Sandy Springs offered its explanation to Settlemire, the Attorney General’s Office rejected the argument and directed the city to turn over the records to Appen Media by Aug. 1. The city did not comply with that order.
It would be five months later – after Appen hired private attorneys and top brass at Attorney General’s Office got involved – that the city handed over payroll information for the City Council, mayor and City Manager’s Office.
The city’s doggedness runs counter to its own city manager’s advice and prolongs a costly battle that has rung up thousands of dollars in legal expenses for the publishing company and Sandy Springs taxpayers.
During a May 14 budget workshop, weeks after the city defended its position to the attorney general, City Manager Eden Freeman responded to a question from Councilman Tibby DeJulio about the city’s responsibility to honor open records requests for personnel or human resources information. DeJulio said city officials discuss topics like pay in executive session, where the public is prohibited.
“Under Georgia law, an employee’s personnel file is not privileged information with the exception of certain information in there,” Freeman said. “If someone requests an employee’s disciplinary file or pay history, under Georgia law, we have to disclose that.”
When the Aug. 1 deadline passed and it appeared Sandy Springs had disregarded the AG’s directive, Appen Media enlisted the help of legal firm Hull Barrett to continue petitioning the city for the records.
During this time Chief Deputy Attorney General Wright Banks also met with City Attorney Dan Lee about the issue, according to documents obtained by Appen Media.
A year after it received an Open Records Request for all employee payroll information, Sandy Springs and its City Attorney’s Office continues to defy requests from Appen Media Group. Despite releasing payroll information for elected officials and the City Manager’s Office, the city has yet to share records for all employees.
understanding is that the City is going to produce the spreadsheet with the names shown,” he wrote.
Two days later, the city sent the records to Appen Media, including the names of elected officials and everyone in the City Manager’s Office.
Now the city is retreating back to its original position, continuing a year-old stance against releasing records relating to the remaining 600-odd employees.
Appen Media had also submitted an open records request March 21, 2024, for the payroll records of all Sandy Springs employees. The city’s response mirrored the administrators’ list – all names were redacted.
As of March 13, the city has yet to release the names of its estimated 600 other municipal employees on the public payroll.
Responding to questions about the matter March 11, Mayor Rusty Paul said the city fully agrees that the public has a right to access information.
“The city has always been transparent in responding to open records requests, never withholding payroll or financial data,” Paul wrote. “However, considering today’s evolving security threats, there are compelling reasons to consider the release of certain records.”
He said Sandy Springs is committed to protecting employee privacy, citing risks from recent doxing incidents.
For its part, Appen Media has found no record of a city employee being doxed based on limited access to Sandy Springs Police Department records.
The city is extending state guidance protecting the identities of public safety personnel to everyone receiving a paycheck from Sandy Springs.
Council members Tibby DeJulio, Andy Bauman, Melody Kelley and Melissa Mular did not respond to requests for comment on the city’s refusal to release all payroll records.
City Councilwoman Jody Reichel, who is running for mayor this year, said she respects the importance of protecting employee privacy, particularly public safety personnel, but thinks open records laws exist for a reason.
“Transparency in government is critical … if we are legally required to provide this information, we should do so — just as other cities have,” Reichel said. “Public companies, universities, and government agencies routinely disclose salary information because taxpayers, shareholders and stakeholders deserve to know how funds are spent.”
Councilman John Paulson referred questions to the city manager, saying, “I suggest Eden [Freeman] is the best person to provide official city comments on the topic.”
Neither Freeman nor the Sandy Springs Communications Department responded to requests for comment.
According to the city’s fiscal year 2025 budget, the city is set to pay an estimated $70.8 million for personnel and benefits. That’s 46 percent of the city’s operating budget.
The Sandy Springs budget also allocates to its legal department $280,000 for personnel, $700,000 for legal services and $500,000 for litigation.
Appen Media is continuing to work with the Attorney General’s Office and paying out of pocket to pursue the release of the remaining records. Continued from Page 1
Then, on Jan. 21, 2025, Banks sent an email to Lee: “Coming back to this that we discussed previously, our
Housing:
Continued from Page 4
“We are building far too little in Metro Atlanta to keep up with our growing population,” Roach said.
“The Attorney General has supported privacy protections for public safety employees, and the city’s policy is to protect our employees,” Paul wrote. “As technology and cyber threats continue to evolve, statutory exceptions, designed to protect sensitive personal information, must also adapt.”
The Forum also featured three local panelists. Tiffany Wills from Decide Dekalb, Matt Elder from Gwinnett County Planning & Development and Gray Kelly from Marietta Housing Forum discussed how they address affordable housing in their community.
“The federal government changes are
going to come, no questions there at all,” Elder said, adding that all they can do is to work with their neighbors “one day at a time, one step at a time.”
Gwinnett County recently announced it will begin to work with the Gwinnett Housing Corporation and officials from Peachtree Corners to transform a 73-unit
extended stay hotel into an affordable housing development.
“When I say we’re just getting started, I mean we’re literally just getting started,” Elder said.
To stay updated with affordable housing updates check out www. atlantaregionalhousingforum.org.
Full-Time Vice President of Community Engagement
Will finance big or small guaranteed. A+ rating at BBB. Kitchen, bath, tile, pavers, more. Free visit/ estimate. Big discount! 205-907-1749
Handyman
Matthew the Handyman - Carpentry, painting, drywall, plumbing. Electrical and small jobs. 404-547-2079.
passed away on March 4, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Joann Doyle, 82, of Alpharetta, passed away on March 4, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Maye Eaton, 86, of Alpharetta, passed away on March 11, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
John Horn, 82, of Alpharetta, passed away on March 5, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
NFCC is seeking a qualified candidate to fill the fulltime Vice President of Community Engagement position. The Vice President of Community Engagement (VPCE) is a senior leadership role responsible for developing and implementing strategies to build meaningful relationships with the community, donors, and stakeholders.
The VPCE will lead initiatives to increase awareness, partnerships, and financial support for the organization’s mission. This position oversees community engagement, marketing, public relations, and volunteer programs to ensure alignment with organizational goals.
If this sounds like the role for you, we’d love to hear from you! Please submit your resume to jobs@nfcchelp.org
Part-Time Thrift Shop Associate – Bilingual Preferred
NFCC is seeking a qualified candidate to fill the part-time Thrift Shop Associate position. One of the primary responsibilities of this role is to provide a high level of customer service in the Thrift Shop. The associate is responsible for all cash register and client clothing program transactions and keeping the merchandise in the store neat, clean, and organized. The role requires a friendly and customer-focused demeanor where all shoppers are treated with dignity and compassion.
If this sounds like the role for you, we’d love to hear from you! Please submit your resume to jobs@nfcchelp.org
To place a classified ad, email classifieds@appenmedia.com Deadline is Thursdays by 3pm
Mamie Jacobus, 91, of Alpharetta, passed away on March 4, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Viktor Kurenkov, 55, of Roswell, passed away on March 7, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Steven Lauder, 79, of Roswell, passed away on March 12, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Deacon Kevin Tracy, 70, of Roswell, passed away on March 5, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
