City Council Approves Bond Referendums; Contractor Feels Slighted

At Monday night's meeting, the Dunwoody city council did the expected and unanimously voted to add the controversial parks' bond referendums to this November's ballot.  While councilman John Heneghan spoke passionately about his support for both bonds (one bond would raise up to $33 million dollars for parks' acquisition, the other would raise up to the same amount for parks' improvements) councilman Denis Shortal said he is voting 'no' on each.  However, Shortal did agree that both should be placed on the ballot to allow the citizens of Dunwoody to ultimately decide. 
Each bond would raise property taxes on a home valued at $350,000 about $105 per year, for a total of $6,300 over the course of the 30-years of the bond. 
During the meeting's public comments, former state senator Dan Weber said passage of the parks' bonds were important in attracting new community-minded businesses and families to Dunwoody.  I won't debate the former senator, but I will say that lack of parks didn't stop any of the current businesses or residents from moving to Dunwoody.
I am against the bonds, as written.  I can certainly be talked into the land acquisition bond, especially if I knew that future purchases would be confined to property zoned for high-density living (this would not only give us more greenspace, but prevent further overcrowding of our roads and schools).  However, the second bond seems excessive (read the Parks Master Plan, see if you agree).

Lowe's Engineering Upset With City

By Dick Williams
Crier Editor

The Dunwoody city council was set Monday night to award four new contracts with outside vendors who manage much of the city’s operations. But a letter from a losing bidder threw a monkey wrench into the gears.
Lowe Engineers, the city’s public works contractor since the city began in 2008, lost the contract for planning and zoning, public works, parks and recreation and permitting and inspections to Clark Patterson Lee.
Lowe charges that the city failed to give it an opportunity to negotiate, even though it was ranked the highest vendor by a committee of three council members and some city officials.  Click on The Crier to read full story.

Will Dunwoody Lose Post Office?

A couple of years ago, it appeared that the United States Post Office would pull out of Dunwoody.  But the public outcry went a long way towards preventing that from happening.  However, USPS is once again talking about post office closures.  Will Dunwoody be one of them?  Councilman Robert Wittenstein forwarded the link for the locations in danger here in Georgia, and Dunwoody is not on the list.
Click Post Office to read full story of closures.