OCT. 28 - NOV. 10, 2016 • VOL. 7 — NO. 22
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Perimeter Business ► Filmmaking frenzy hits northern arc PAGE 4 ► Buyers line up for farms, sport estates PAGE 6
Hoos in the forest?
Residents battle over location for new baseball fields BY DYANA BAGBY dyanabagby@reporternewspapers.net
PHIL MOSIER
Sadie Mann, 4, takes a breather at the Dunwoody Nature Center Trail during the center’s Oct. 15 inaugural Art in the Park event, “Hoos in the Forest.” Sadie was part of a tour led by artist Sally McInerney of 20 creatures the artist created from natural, found materials now installed along the trail. After the tour, McInerney gave a workshop on building sculptures made from natural materials. Read story page 13.►
STANDOUT STUDENT Andi Rozelle
Holy Spirit Preparatory School, senior
The way that the election is conducted makes it very difficult to ‘rig’ an election for many reasons. In DeKalb County alone, there are more than 3,000 pieces of equipment that would have to be tampered with in order to have a substantial impact on the election. H. Maxine Daniels DeKalb County Elections Director
Page 20
See COMMENTARY page 10
Where to build new baseball fields and what kind of athletic fields the city needs are major issues bubbling to the surface as the City Council considers what to do about a land swap agreement with DeKalb schools. Residents and officials representing all sides of the issue debated the land swap at the Oct. 24 council meeting, which also saw Meredy Shortal, wife of Mayor Denis Shortal, blasting the new school as a “business” and the deal as “horse-trading.” The City Council is slated to vote Nov. 14 on entering into an intergovernmental agreement, or IGA, with the DeKalb County School District to swap the land where the current Austin Elementary School sits in exchange for the 10.2acre Dunwoody Senior Baseball fields in Dunwoody Park. The school district See RESIDENTS on page 14
OUT & ABOUT Council approves MJCCA Book Festival $24.2 million Nov. 5-20 Page 17
budget for 2017
BY DYANA BAGBY dyanabagby@reporternewspapers.net
The Dunwoody City Council approved its 2017 budget of $24.2 million at the Oct. 24 council meeting without any discussion. The 2017 budget includes a 3.5 percent salary increase for the city’s approximately 87 employees to go into effect April 1. The budget was approved by voice vote along with several other items as part of the council’s consent agenda. Also approved as part of the consent agenda was a 4 percent merit raise for City See CITY on page 15
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Brook Run theater supporters make dramatic effort to save building BY DYANA BAGBY dyanabagby@reporternewspapers.net
Supporters of saving the theater at Brook Run Park made a dramatic last-gasp appeal to the Dunwoody City Council at its Oct. 24 meeting to save the building from being bulldozed, but it seemed to have no effect on councilmembers. More than 20 supporters of saving the theater and having it renovated into a performing arts and community center filed up the center aisle of the City Council chamber and dropped checks into a manila envelope held by Danny Ross, president of the Brook Run Conservancy. Ross said in an email after the meeting that more than $114,000 was raised by 24 people ranging in age from 3 to 85. City Council members did not respond to the demonstration and city spokesperson Bob Mullen later said the demolition order has not changed. In the past, however, some have said they didn’t believe the park was the right place for a community theater. Others have said that because no money was ever raised to save the building in the yearslong effort to preserve it that they could not justify saving it. The council voted in July to bulldoze the theater and last month approved spending up to $227,000 to demolish the building. Contractors are currently removing asbestos from the site and plans are to tear down the building at any time. Historical stained glass windows from the theater building’s chapel were removed in the past two weeks and are being stored for potential future use. Ross asked people to attend the council meeting and make the donations in response to Councilmember’s Doug Thompson’s quote in an Atlanta Journal-Constitution article about the theater saga that, “If a check came in tomorrow from an outside person, we’d have us a new theater.” “Imagine, in one night — and the fundraising has not yet begun. Just think what can happen if we could all work together,” Ross said in an email sent to the City Council after the Oct. 24 meeting and provided to the Reporter. “There is support in the entire community for this endeavor. And there is also anger in our community that you have made this decision without ever asking a single question or given one reason why you are rushing to demolish this building,” Ross stated in
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the email. “[Monday night’s] show of support is only the beginning of what could happen — if only you would allow it.” “I beg you to please not to tear it down,” Ross said at the council meeting. “Please, please, don’t tear that building down.” Ross said the money would be returned to donors if the theater is torn down. “These are considered restricted funds and can only be used for the purpose they were donated for,” he said.
Danny Ross (center), accepts checks from Brook Run Park theater supporters at the Oct. 24 Dunwoody City Council meeting.
DYANA BAGBY
Vote on Nov. 8 for president, ballot questions, more The Nov. 8 election will decide a new U.S. president, several local legislative offices and ballot questions. One key ballot question is about the proposed Opportunity School District, which would allow the state to take control of schools deemed “failing.” For the Reporter Newspapers Voters Guide to key local races and ballot questions, see reporternewspapers.net. To check your polling place and to see a customized sample ballot, see the state’s “My Voter” page at mvp.sos.ga.gov.
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DeKalb assures cities that sewer capacity is fit for development BY DYANA BAGBY dyanabagby@reporternewspapers.net
DeKalb County is trying to reassure developers and city governments that its aging sewer lines can take on proposed large developments in cities such as Brookhaven and Dunwoody despite rising concerns from some city officials and residents. In August, five letters were sent to developers from the county warning them the county did not have the sewer capacity to handle their developments. Those letters were a mistake, according to county officials. “We rescinded those letters. The county is constantly conducting a myriad of tests and some results came back and those letters were sent a little prematurely,” said Burke Brennan, spokesperson for the DeKalb County Department of Watershed Development. One of the letters went to the proposed mixed-use development of Solis Dresden in Brookhaven on Dresden Drive, which included 113 apartments. The Brookhaven City Council denied the rezoning request for the development. Brennan said developers typically ask for sewer capacity approval before a project begins and that is likely what happened in this case. Representatives for Terwilliger Pappas, developers of the project, could not be reached for comment. Dunwoody Economic Development Director Michael Starling reported to Dunwoody City Council that conversations with DeKalb County show sewer capacity testing in the Perimeter Center is in good shape. “Right now, Dunwoody is in a good spot as far as sewer capacity, but that could change with new develop-
ments,” Starling told the council in September. The council asked Starling to talk to county officials after news of the letters were made public. One of the sewer capacity letters went to a former Denny’s restaurant in Dunwoody. Starling said a new massage business school was going in the location and that it was not a high-water usage business. Starling also urged developers begin talks with the county Watershed Department as soon as possible in its project. City staff members are providing the county with all known planned developments in Dunwoody so county officials can run the projects through a modeling program that should predict if there is enough sewer capacity available, Starling said. The process takes approximately two months. In Dunwoody, the massive High Street mixed-use development, which includes 400,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, 3,000 residential units and 400,000 square feet of new office space, is set to break ground next year. The development has submitted plans to the Department of Watershed for a preliminary review. The Brookhaven MARTA redevelopment, which includes 200,000 square feet of office space and nearly 56,000 square feet of retail space as well as 547 residential units, should it be approved by Brookhaven City Council, is also expected to break ground next year. MARTA officials have told city officials it is working with the county to ensure there is enough sewer capacity. “[Brookhaven’s] Community Development Department has met with DeKalb County regarding sewer capacity and the ability to receive such information earlier on in the re-
zoning process,” said city spokesperson Ann Marie Quill. “With any rezoning that is contemplated by the city of Brookhaven, staff encourages applicants to request a sewer capacity letter from DeKalb County no later than 60 days in advance of the scheduled public hearing,” Quill said. “The city has yet to encounter a delay in development due to sewer capacity. With the reported significant problems with DeKalb Watershed, the city is extra diligent during review processes concerning sewer capacity and condition.” With the planned MARTA redevelopment, Quill and Brennan said the county is conducting a video assessment of the related sewer main to ensure the additional volume can be accommodated. “This sewer main, and the entire sewer system, is a major concern for all residents, business owners and potential investors in DeKalb County,” Quill said. “The city of Brookhaven hopes the DeKalb County Commission gives this important infrastructure the appropriate attention.” DeKalb County is now in the fifth year of an eightyear program to fix sewer issues and stop spills as part of a settlement with the federal Environmental Protection Agency. If issues arise with a development over sewer capacity, the county works with the developer to find cost-effect ways mitigate the situation, Brennan said, such as onsite treatment and reuse and release of wastewater to the treatment plants during off-peak hours. “While the sewer capacity constraints are problematic, solutions are available and development is moving forward,” Brennan said. “DeKalb County remains open for business.”
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Q+A / Can this election be ‘rigged’? In the current presidential election season, candidates and pundits have debated claims of “rigging” an election. Reporter Newspapers asked DeKalb County elections director H. Maxine Daniels to explain how officials prevent fraud and tampering. Daniels has been DeKalb’s elections director since 2009. Q: Is it really possible to “rig” an election? Are DeKalb’s elections secure from tampering? The way that the election is conducted makes it very difficult to “rig” an election for many reasons. First, none of the equipment is ever connected to the internet so to access it, the individuals would have to enter our office. In DeKalb County alone, there are more than 3,000 pieces of equipment that would have to be tampered with in order to have a substantial impact on the election. Multiply that by the 159 counties in the state and the size of any such operation would be impossible to perform in secrecy. Second, every county, including DeKalb, has physical security protocols that make it very difficult for someone to tamper with the equipment undetected. It is unlikely that there is any hidden programming to “rig the election” because it would have had to been placed in the equipment 14 years ago and been undetected by Kennesaw State University Center for Elections which tests every piece of equipment any time it is sent to the vendor or repaired to ensure that the software has not been altered since the original programming. Additionally, each piece of equipment is tested prior to each election here at our office to ensure it counts the ballots as expected prior to using it for an election. Q: What are the main types of poten-
tial election fraud or tampering, and how does DeKalb guard against each of them? Election fraud is usually when someone tries to vote for an elector or a person who is not eligible attempts to vote. Since all in-person voting requires identification with a photograph, there are almost no instances of fraud at in-person voting sites. Most attempts at voter fraud occur in absentee mail balloting. The safeguard to prevent fraud is by requiring a signature of the voter on both the application and the returned ballot. We then compare those signatures against the one we maintain on file. If they do not match, we reject the application or ballot. Election tampering involves attempting to alter ballots or programming to change the outcome of the election. As mentioned before, the fact that the equipment is never connected to the internet makes it difficult to access the equipment and ballots. Prior to the election, we test every voting unit to ensure that it will count the votes correctly. Additionally, there are multiple levels of security during the delivery of the units and before the poll officials actually put the units into service. Finally, there are proprietary handoffs between the voting units and the server that tabulates the election and between the voting units, electronic poll books and voting cards. To tamper with the election at the poll, someone would have to get past our poll officials, who never leave the units unattended, and would have to break through our security levels undetected. To do so in our office would require a break in without our security systems detecting it. Q: Last year, the county had an elections controversy with the LaVista Hills cityhood vote, with an allegedly stray mem-
ory card from a voting machine and a supervisor alleging fraud. Has that investigation been resolved? Were any of those complaints valid?
H. Maxine Daniels
DeKalb County The allegaElections Director tions levied by our former employee are still being investigated by the Office of the Secretary of State and no charges have been made. Election fraud and tampering are both felony offenses.
Q: In your time as director, has the county ever caught anyone tampering with the vote? We have had no instances of vote tampering in my tenure with the department over the last 15 years. Q: If a citizen has a concern about their vote or the way a poll is run, what should they do? Individuals with concerns about their ballots while they are in the poll should immediately contact a poll official before casting the ballot. If there is a problem with the ballot, the poll official can correct it prior to the ballot being cast. Once the ballot is cast, there is no way for the poll official or anyone in our office to determine the problems since the ballots are randomly stored and cannot be attributed to the voter. If there is a general concern about the polling place, the voter should inform the poll manager or call our office to report the concern.
Letter to the Editor In his recent commentary here, (“Opinion: The Mexican community’s contribution to Georgia’s economy,” Sept. 30-Oct. 13) Javier Díaz de León, the consul general of Mexico in Atlanta, had a lot to say about what he calls “immigrants” and “migrants.” And he outlined what he says are hardships they encounter here in the Peach State. We fear readers with little independent knowledge of actual facts on immigration and the sovereign nation of Mexico may take away a very inaccurate and distorted view of reality without some knowledgeable balance to the Mexican diplomat’s presentation. According to the federal government, “immigrants” are people who enter the
United States lawfully with the intention of permanent residence. The word “immigrant” should be sacred to, and defended by, all Americans. Illegal aliens are not immigrants. It must be noted that real immigrants have zero problems with any of those benefits in Georgia. What he means is that life can be difficult for illegal aliens in Georgia. It is much easier for average Georgians to grasp the motivation and agenda of the Mexican diplomatic corps if we all note that Mexico uses huge amounts of U.S. dollars sent home by its “migrants” to prop up the Mexican economy. In February, the Mexican central bank reported that money sent home by Mexicans over-
seas hit nearly $24.8 billion in 2015, overtaking oil revenues for the first time as a source of foreign income. Get it? The Mexican consul general to Atlanta assures us that Mexican “migrants” possess “a very high resilience and capability for integration with the members of the communities where they live.” Most of us have doubts about that statement when we see the never-ending marches in the streets of Atlanta by angry and illegally present “victims of borders” screaming that we must end enforcement of American immigration laws. Respectfully: No sale, Mr. Díaz. D.A. King President, Dustin Inman Society Marietta DUN
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On earrings and phone rings When my daughter was nearing the end of her high school career and had a Senior Day Off, we did a mother-daughter thing. We got our ears pierced. She had held out for 18 years, and I had held out for, um, longer than that. We went to Claire’s and perched on high-top chairs facing each other, hugged teddy bears and waited for the big staple gun to power through our lobes. It’s how memories are made. I never really wanted to get my ears pierced. I didn’t see a need to have any more holes in my body. And I probably wouldn’t have done it otherwise, but piercing in tandem with your daughter is one of those rare opportunities that you don’t pass up — like when your son asks you to go shopping with him, or your husband wants to schedule a sitting for a family photo. Aside from the unwanted extra orifices, my biggest aversion to the whole piercing process was the fact that I knew that once I did it, there would be earrings. I would start buying earrings, and people would give me earrings for birthdays and Christmas and Mother’s Day, and I would begin to like that. I would learn to linger at the jewelry counter over a selection of dangling objects that never interested me beRobin Conte is a writer fore. It would just be another way to spend 30 bucks a pop. and mother of four who It would be unavoidable. lives in Dunwoody. She That’s essentially the same reason that I didn’t want an can be contacted at iPhone. I knew that once I entered the world of smartThrobinjm@earthlink.net. ings, I would be opening a floodgate to a constant river of distractions and apps for distractions. And there would be no turning back. I had a phone I was happy with, much to the chagrin of anyone who tried to communicate with me on it. It was like a 1992 Subaru. It was reliable, yet old and outdated and not much coveted. It had a warped keypad that I used occasionally to text “k” and “here,” and nothing more. But I could drop it roughly 42 times a day (and I did), then literally pick up the pieces, slam them back into place, and redial. It was a 10-year-old Nokia, and it didn’t do much of anything but make calls. It didn’t give me directions, get my emails, take pictures or answer any burning questions I had about Bastille Day. It didn’t even “flip” or “slide.” It just sat there, easily, in my back pocket with its indestructible self, giving me a serendipitous jolt whenever someone buzzed me with a phone call. But as it creaked on in its years and lost parts through my constant dropping of it, it also slowly lost its ability to function, even as a phone. And I eventually had to admit that no one could hear on it very well, not even me. So a few years ago, when my husband presented me with a snazzy new iPhone4S (because I wasn’t worthy of a 5) complete with the promise of a new service provider, I laid my trusty Nokia to rest in my bedside table and entered the world of Distracted Adults. Sure enough, now I’m playing with Pandora when I should be working. I’m checking emails while I’m supposedly exercising. And I’ve joined my peers in relentless texting. We’re all like a bunch of delinquents who are passing notes in class. Texts come in while I’m brushing my teeth or paying bills or making dinner, and like a passel of whining children who are yanking at my legs, they beg for attention. I’ll glance at my screen and find a pressing question or an irresistible Bitmoji staring back at me, so I stop what I’m doing to text back — taking the time to correct the self-correct and choose just the right emoji — and a flurry of exchanges ensues that completely spins me off task. For all of our “live in the moment” advocacy, the smartphone is the ultimate antithesis. I’ve devised a system though, a type of positive reinforcement designed to limit myself from the tantalizing distractions that this device provides: If I can go through an entire day without messing with my phone while working or cooking or eating or exercising ... I’ll buy myself a new pair of earrings.
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“I’ll never look at a stick the same way.” That is what executive director of Dunwoody Nature Center Alan Mothner overheard from one visitor to the art installation at the center. The exhibit, titled “Hoos in the Forest,” presents a series of creatures made out of organic materials, including sticks, by South Carolina-based artist, Salley McInerney. McInerney, 61, of Columbia, S.C., lives adjacent to a pond and wooded area. When she takes her retriever, Boo, on walks around the pond, he loves to swim. Rather than standing idly by, waiting for him, she started fidgeting around with fallen branches. It wasn’t until two local boys stopped by, curious about what she was doing, that they said the creation looked like a dragon. From there, she started creating creatures in the woods, and the kids seemed to enjoy it. Word spread about her work. “We chose Salley because we felt that the installation she did in South Carolina was a natural fit within our mission to inspire a love of nature,” Mothner said. McInerney’s art blends seamlessly into the environment, almost turning the exhibit into a game of find-and-seek along the DNC’s various trails. McInerney used materials from the DNC, as well as from pre-made pieces at her home, for her 24 creatures. She only had a week to put the installation together. All the materials are organic and natural, save for the creatures’ bottle cap eyes, which gives the art an environmental message of sustainability and new uses for found objects. “For the children, it’s a way to show them that you can create something from nothing, from the woods [and] unexpected materials and have fun doing it,” McInerney said. Each creature takes about two or three days, including gathering and assembling the materials. Her favorite piece is Harry, which was made from worn pine straw leading into the DNC. It also appeared to be a fan favorite, delighting the children and their imaginations. McInerney encourages the kids to make View “Hoos in the Forest” at the Dunwoody Nature Center, 5343 Roberts Drive, through Nov. 20. Guests are encouraged to post their experiences on social media with the hashtag “Hoos in the Forest.” Contributors will be entered to win a two-year membership to the Dunwoody Nature Center. DUN
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their own creatures from nature, to get out into the woods and create on their own. “Look around you, and you will find things to do and create,” she said. “Use your imagination and have fun.” She spoke proudly of when Mothner sent her a photo of a boy who made his own tiny creature creation on a rock, influenced by the animals and the nature he had seen.
McInerney’s next project involves creating angels out of sticks cut by beavers. In addition to creating art, McInerney is a writer for a paper based in Columbia and has published her own novel, “Journey Proud.” The installation with Dunwoody Nature Center marks the first time McInerney’s work has been featured in the Atlanta area.
On the Cutting Edge of “Nice Moves, Nana!”
A
B
C
D PHIL MOSIER
A. Harry, a creature made of pinestraw, is one of 20 pieces made by artist Salley McInerney using natural, found materials. B. McInerney and her helper Sophie Mann, 9, lead guests on a tour of her work on display on the trail and in the meadow at Dunwoody Park C. One of McInerney’s pieces. D. McInerney leads a workshop on creating sculpture from nature.
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Residents battle over location for new baseball fields Continued from page 1 would then build a new 900-seat Austin Elementary School on the land where the fields are. As part of the deal, the school district would also pay the city $3.6 million to be used toward constructing new baseball fields on approximately 8 acres at Peachtree Charter Middle School for the Dunwoody Senior Baseball league and to be used by PCMS students during school hours. The city would also rehab PCMS’s football fields and track area, giving the city access to the football field for the next 25 years when not in use by the school. The 9.8 acres where the current Austin Elementary sits would then be owned by the city to use for park space or other public amenity. Public meetings and public comments about the tentative agreement between the city and DeKalb schools have taken place in the past two weeks. During that time, major disagreements between Dunwoody Senior Baseball supporters and Austin Elementary parents have emerged. Dunwoody Senior Baseball’s board and also several Peachtree Charter Middle School parents oppose the city building new baseball fields at PCMS
and are urging the city to build them at Brook Run Park instead. PCMS parents argue the school needs multi-use fields at the school rather than baseball fields. Board members for Dunwoody Senior Baseball, a league for boys ages 13 to 29 with more than 1,000 players a year, say their program won’t survive at PCMS due to, among other issues, traffic and lack of parking. They also argue lack of complete control of the fields will hamper league play. Austin Elementary School parents are also speaking out, saying the new school is desperately needed to alleviate severe overcrowding not only at Austin but also at other city elementary schools. There are approximately 700 students enrolled at Austin Elementary School, a facility designed to hold only about 600 students. The new Austin Elementary is being funded with taxes raised when voters approved a 2011 ESpecial Purpose Local Option Sales Tax and was originally slated to open in August 2018. The current IGA already approved by the school district and preliminarily approved by the City Council was negotiated to have no disruption of services for Austin Elementary or Dunwoody Senior Baseball and also have the
school open by August 2019. Any kind
ed will take away from learning space needed for the school to achieve STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) certification. She also said lack of input from PCMS taints the entire deal. “We are very concerned about the lack of parent and teacher input [from PCMS] requested for this IGA,” she said. “DeKalb school [officials] came to our campus after the IGA was DYANA BAGBY made public. Our camDunwoody Finance Director Chris Pike discusses pus is shrinking … and plans for a land swap with the DeKalb County School District at an Oct. 17 public meeting. for us to have baseball fields is not conducive to learning. When you conof change to the agreement set in mosider this deal, please consider academtion now could delay opening the new ic instruction … for now and the next 25 school in Fall 2019 and also postpone years.” league play for some time. League play Dan Drake, director of Planning runs from mid-February every year and and SPLOST Programming for DeKalb ends in mid-November. schools, said the school district could At a public hearing during the Oct. not discuss the IGA agreement with 24 council meeting, PCMS parent JuPCMS before it went public because the lie LeDoyen, chair of the school’s Pardeal was being negotiated in executive ent Teacher Charter Council, asked the session. State law allows for real estate council to not build the baseball fields matters to be discussed behind closed at PCMS because the acreage needdoors. Drake acknowledged PCMS’ governing bodies said they do not want the baseball fields built at the school. “The school district has provided the requests to the city and it will be up to the city of Dunwoody for consideration,” Drake said in a statement. An Austin parent pointed out the deal to build the new school was already delayed a year to accommodate the Dunwoody Senior Baseball league. Another Austin parent praised the potential partnership between the Dunwoody Nature Center and the new elementary school. “For me, the priority is Austin opening in the fall of 2019 – no later,” said City Councilmember Lynn Deutsch at the Oct. 24 meeting. “That’s the goal we need to be working backwards from. Everything needs to fit in that goal. We have multiple surrounding elementary schools that also benefit [from a new school].” Mayor Denis Shortal, whose home backs up to Dunwoody Park, recused himself from discussion and the vote on the IGA after he said someone pointed out a potential conflict of interest. His wife, Meredy Shortal, however, voiced fierce opposition to building a new school in Dunwoody Park. “Call the school what it is – a business,” she said. “It’s a business being plunked down into a neighborhood where people thought they were investing in park property. When did the city get into horse-trading?”
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Council approves $24.2 million budget Continued from page 1 Clerk Sharon Lowery, bringing her salary to $101,920, and a $10,000 merit raise for City Manager Eric Linton, bringing his salary to $181,260, both effective Jan. 1. Lowery has been with the city since 2009 and Linton since 2014. The approved budget is slightly more than the $23.9 million proposed in September. The only significant change from what was proposed in September is lowering rebranding funding from $80,000 to $15,000. City Council members balked at spending $80,000 to hire a firm to create a new city logo, updating one creating in 2010. Based on council policy, the 2017 budget anticipates maintaining a reserve sufficient to cover government operations for four months and upholds the city’s original 2.74 millage rate and does not anticipate an increase in that rate, according to City Manager Eric Linton and Mayor Denis Shortal in a memo to council members. “As operational levels and residents’ expectations for services gradually rise on an annual basis, along with added facilities and services not originally part of the city’s assets or functions when incorporated, maintaining the 2.74 millage rate remains both practical and pragmatic,” Linton and Shortal stated.
The 2017 budget includes a $778,000 transfer in General Fund dollars to pay debt associated with Project Renaissance land purchases. The land is owned by the city’s Urban Redevelopment Agency. “These debt payments will be offset with revenue generated from the sale of lots related to Project Renaissance. The city anticipates paying off all variable debt for the Project Renaissance land purchases by the end of 2017,” according to the budget. The Project Renaissance mixed-use development was begun in 2012 and is being built on two pieces of property on North Shallowford Road. One parcel is the 16-acre property known as the “PVC Farm” that City Council purchased for $5 million in 2011. The other is the 19-acre site of the former Emory Dunwoody Hospital. The 2017 budget also includes $2.1 million in General Fund transfers and $5 million in HOST Fund transfers to the Capital Projects program for the development of city assets, infrastructure projects and public safety enhancements. The Capital Projects list for 2016 includes street resurfacing, sidewalk construction, intersection improvements, trailway connections, park improvements and public safety equipment.
2017 BUDGET EXPENDITURE HIGHLIGHTS PAVING / INFRASTRUCTURE 2017 road resurfacing and paving........................................................................$3.6 million Mount Vernon at Vermack intersection Improvement.............................$1.25 million Tilly Mill Sidewalk, Womack to North Peachtree - Phase I.............................$500,000 Perimeter traffic management system construction management ..............$35,000 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road improvements..............................................................$50,000 North Peachtree traffic calming.................................................................................$100,000 MARTA bus shelter replacement at Brook Run Park...........................................$25,000 Right of way acquisition for sidewalks and multi-use trails..........................$200,000 PARKS Park improvements based on Master Plan.......................................................$3.5 million Dunwoody Trailway – Georgetown to Perimeter Connection...................$1.5 million Recreation Programs supervisor..................................................................................$45,000 POLICE DEPARTMENT/PUBLIC SAFETY One sworn officer, one prisoner transport officer and two police service representatives....................................................................$274,000 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Livable Centers Initiative study with Peachtree Corners for Winters Chapel area.............................................................$30,000 BREAKDOWN OF THE BUDGET: General fund.................................................................................................................$24,262,300 E911 fund...........................................................................................................................$1,050,000 Hotel excise tax fund...................................................................................................$2,700,000 Vehicle rental excise tax fund......................................................................................$100,000 Grants fund..........................................................................................................................$776,983 Debt service fund.............................................................................................................$800,000 HOST fund.......................................................................................................................$4,704,500 Capital projects fund...................................................................................................$3,500,000 Stormwater fund...........................................................................................................$2,038,222
7TH ANNUAL SANDY SPRINGS
Join the City of Sandy Springs As We Honor Our Nation’s Veterans This year’s celebration will take place at the Veterans Memorial located at the Concourse with the keynote address given by CWO5 Edwin E. Harman III, USMC
Nov. 11 • 11:30am
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22 | Public Safety
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Police Blotter / Dunwoody From Dunwoody Police reports dated Oct. 17 through Oct. 23.
Road. On Oct. 18, two men were caught trying to steal two pairs of gloves from Nordstrom. Both men were arrested.
The following information was pulled from Dunwoody’s Police2Citizen website and is presumed to be accurate.
4700
B U R G L A RY 2200 block of Dunwoody Crossing On
block of Ashford-Dunwoody Road. On Oct. 18, woman arrested without incident for shoplifting from Walmart. 100 block of Perimeter Center. On Oct.
Oct. 19, burglary reported; no sign of forced entry. Miscellaneous items such as cash, jewelry and electronics missing.
18, several Target employees were arrested for shoplifting.
6700 block of Peachtree Industrial
rimeter Center. On Oct. 18, an IBM Thinkpad reported stolen from a hotel.
Blvd. On Oct. 20, there was a forced entry to a residence by an ex-boyfriend. 11000 block of Perimeter Trace. On
Oct. 21, a TV was stolen during a forced entry burglary. 2500 block of Mount Vernon Road. On
Oct. 21, forced entry burglary reported. 5100 block of Lakeside Drive. On Oct.
21, forced entry burglary reported.
L A R C E N Y / S H O P L I F TING/ THEFT 700 block of Ashford Dunwoody Road.
On Oct. 16, an offender was charged under the city ordinance violation of disorderly conduct. He was transported to jail without incident. Police were called in for a larceny charge at Brio Tuscan Grille. 6700 block of Peachtree Industrial
Blvd. On Oct. 17, a nail gun was stolen from a car. 100 block of Perimeter Center On Oct.
18, shoplifting reported. 4400
block of Ashford-Dunwoody Road. On Oct. 18, a man was arrested for marijuana possession and attempting to steal a pair of Beats headphones from Apple. 4400
block of Ashford-Dunwoody
4700
block of Ashford-Dunwoody Road. On Oct. 22, a man was arrested for a dispute involving unpaid alcohol at Chili’s.
A S S AU LT 12000 block of Madison Drive. On Oct.
16, woman arrested for simple assault. 4700
block of Ashford-Dunwoody Road. On Oct. 16, man charged with family battery for a domestic dispute.
100 block of Pe-
4800
block of Happy Hollow Road. On Oct. 18, police responded to a domestic violence call.
4600 block of Rid-
geview Road. On Oct. 18, more than $2,300 worth of personal items stolen from a hotel. block of Ashford-Dunwoody Road. On Oct. 19, man arrested for shoplifting $15 worth of groceries at Walmart.
4300 block of
Ashford-Dunwoody Road. On Oct. 18, man arrested for simple assault.
4700
4400
block of Ashford-Dunwoody Road. On Oct. 20, a shoplifting incident was reported at H&M. 4600 block of Peachtree Place Pkwy.
On Oct. 20, automobile theft reported. 4700
block of Ashford-Dunwoody Road. On Oct. 21, man stole $300 worth of groceries from Walmart. 4400
block of Ashford-Dunwoody Road. On Oct. 21, two men stole four pairs of RayBans from Sunglass Hut.
8000
block of Azalea Garden Drive. On Oct. 19, a simple assault reported. 4400
block of Ashford-Dunwoody Road. On Oct. 20, a customer and employees broke into a fight in Forever 21. 4700
block of Ashford-Dunwoody Road. On Oct. 23, woman arrested for simple assault in a domestic dispute.
ARRESTS 100 block of Perimeter Center Terrace
On Oct. 16, a 70-year-old man was arrested for disorderly conduct. 100 block of Perimeter Center. On Oct.
16, man arrested for damage to property and another for disorderly conduct. 100 block of Perimeter Center. On Oct.
17, man arrested for marijuana possession. 4600 block of Peachtree Place Pkwy.
On Oct. 18, man arrested for loitering and prowling. 4400
block of Ashford-Dunwoody Road. On Oct. 18, man arrested for credit fraud as well as providing false information and attempting to elude an officer. 4400
block of Ashford-Dunwoody Road. On Oct. 18, man arrested for fraud. 4700
block of Ashford-Dunwoody Road. On Oct. 18, man arrested for credit card fraud, evading arrest, and possession of meth at Hobby Lobby. 4400
block of Ashford-Dunwoody Road. On Oct. 19, man arrested at The Pub for disorderly conduct when he refused to pay for his meal and had been given a trespass warning. The arresting officer recognized him from a prior arrest a few days before, doing the same thing. 7200 block of Azalea Garden Drive.
On Oct. 19, police responded to a call in regards to criminal trespass. A TV was damaged and a woman was arrested. 4700 block of Peachtree Road. On Oct.
20, man arrested for disorderly conduct under the influence.
4800 block of Happy Hollow Road. On
Oct. 22, a cellphone was stolen from a vehicle.
VOTE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH! Vote For
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OCTOBER 28 - NOV. 10, 2016
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Public Safety | 23
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5500 block of Chamblee Dunwoody
1800 block of Savoy Drive. On Oct. 18,
Road. On Oct. 21, man arrested for impersonation.
a woman’s car was impounded after she was pulled over for incorrect lane usage, suspended registration and driving with no insurance.
I-285. On Oct. 22, man arrested for
marijuana possession and driving with expired license and tag. 4400 block of Ashford-Dun-
woody Road. On Oct. 23, man arrested for disorderly conduct under the influence for using loud and profane language outside of the Cheesecake Factory.
INCIDENTS 2200 block of Dunwoody
Crossing. On Oct. 17, report of criminal trespass. 1200 block of Ham-
mond Drive. On Oct. 17, credit card fraud reported. Women arrested; another for disorderly conduct. 1500 block of Springfield Court. On
Oct. 18, motor vehicle theft. 4400
block of Ashford-Dunwoody Road. On Oct. 18, officer ran tag plates of a Honda and saw that it did not have valid insurance. The vehicle was impounded and towed.
4700 block of Ash-
ford-Dunwoody Road. On Oct. 18, hit and run incident involving many cars. 3900 block of Lake Ridge Lane. On Oct. 19, police responded to a dispatched call of juvenile delinquents possibly smoking marijuana. When officers arrived, a group of approximately 20 young males and females started quickly dispersing from the park bench area inside of the complex. Multiple criminal trespass warnings were issued. 100 block of Perimeter Center. On Oct. 19, police responded to a family dispute, which was not violent. 2200 block of Dunwoody Crossing.
On Oct. 22, police responded to the Dunwoody Village apartments for a report of harassing phone calls by a Styles Taxi driver.
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