There is a lot going on in Dunwoody, all of it good.
We have begun work on master redevelopment plans for Georgetown and Dunwoody Village. Both of these are aging 1970’s strip shopping centers and will be ripe for redevelopment in a few years once the economy recovers. Keeping in mind that we don’t own the property in these commercial centers, this process allows us to develop a community vision outlining what we would like to see. We can then present this to the property owners and say, “if you build this, we will streamline approval.” It is an exciting process and it challenges us to think creatively about what we would like Dunwoody to be like in ten or twenty years. You can find out more, and provide input online, at these two links: Dunwoody Village and Georgetown.
We are deep in the budget process for 2011. We are not planning a tax increase for either homeowners or businesses. This will be the first year in which we have all of our revenue sources in place and we will have completed most of the expense associated with our city’s start-up. These numbers could change because we are still discussing the budget but it looks like we will invest $1.8 million in repaving (up from $750,000 this year), $350,000 in constructing new sidewalks (up from $170,000 this year) and an additional $200,000 in engineering studies to improve problem intersections (actual construction to be budgeted in 2012).
The biggest item for discussion is whether or not to expand the police department by ten percent with the creation of a new four-person unit focused just on traffic enforcement. This plan would ratchet-up the number officers enforcing our traffic laws and issuing citations It would also free up other officers to focus on crime and crime prevention.
Mayor Ken Wright gave a speech earlier this month at the Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce annual dinner and challenged us all to start a dialog on parks. We are horribly underserved when it comes to greenspace. We have Brook Run, which remains largely undeveloped, and the Dunwoody Nature Center/Dunwoody Park ball fields—and that is about it. Our annual budget can provide operational expenses and very modest improvements to our existing parks. However, if we want to create new parks, develop Brook Run, create walking and biking trails and greenways it will require a commitment from Dunwoody residents and commercial property owners. That commitment would be in the form of a parks bond issue.There are quite a few pieces of property available today at bargain prices because of the economy. We may have an opportunity to transform Dunwoody into a place rich in parks and trails. We can also develop and enhance Brook Run, the Dunwoody Nature Center, the Donaldson-Bannister House and the North DeKalb Cultural Arts Center.
No one is talking about putting a bond referendum on the ballot in 2011, but we may want to engage in a discussion and perhaps move towards a voter referendum sometime in 2012 or 2013. Long before that, we will have public forums and develop ways for residents to provide their thoughts. We have started the process of putting together a long-term parks master plan which will help us see where we are and will allow us to look at what we may (or may not) want to implement. This is not something that will be decided by me, the mayor, or the city council; this would be something decided by the voters of Dunwoody.
Regards,
Robert
Robert
2 comments:
Councilman Wittenstein:
The Council's willingness to fund expansion of the police department has got to be curtailed. Starting with a force twice the estimated size, the Council has continued to expand and add officers every year. The proposed 10% increase (4 officers) translates into almost $500,000 a year in incremental cost. That's almost 1/3 the budget allocated for repaving!!!! You'd certainly have to convince me that traffic violations are so epidemic that this increase is justified. In point of fact, the whole issue got created when Chief Grogan and Warren tested the water for the H.E.A.T. grant, then had to retroactively justify their support for it.
As to the parks and a proposed bond issue....let's be serious, Robert. A bond issue for parks is nothing but a tax-increase in sheep's clothing. A bond issue either has to be funded out of general revenue (read, taxes) or against anticipated income from park fees. On an item-by-item basis, fee-based park services like the skate-park and a golf-driving range might have some merit, but the vast majority of parks will not be subject to a usage fee. And, this is before we add an additional item for park upkeep and maintenance. So, any parks bond would involve a commitment on the general revenue side, and that means either a tax-increase, or selectively spending money for parks in lieu of other services.
While many things are good about Dunwoody, not everything you're touting is "all good."
Chip
I echo Chip's comments regarding the significant increase in police staff versus what the planning studies prior to incorporation called for. And now we want to increase the staff by 10% again?
The police officers in Dunwoody are the finest around, but it is not necessary for us to have enough police for every street corner. Creating an improved police coverage over the prior Dekalb coverage should not mean becoming a police state, as the law of diminishing returns applies. The city has other priorites for tax dollars, too.
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