Update from Councilman Shortal
I'm a day late in getting out Councilman Shortal's update, but it is below and a good read, nonetheless. Nice to see DeKalb County drop the charge for recycling!
My fellow citizens …, the following is an update of some items of interest ...
1. Recycling Fees ... The DeKalb County (DC) Commission voted last week to remove the $30 recycling fee thus making recycling free. The Blue Box Recycling Brigade should now grow by leaps and bounds. You still must sign up for recycling so that DC can properly route the truck to you area on "recycling day." To sign up for recycling service call 404-294-2900 or email to ... sanitation@co.dekalb.ga.us. It takes about a week or so for DC to drop off your Blue Recycling Box and a 100 Blue bags. A 100 bags should last you about two years and when you start to run low on bags just call DC and reorder. I am a late convert to recycling but I can tell you it is a win/win situation. Your current annual DC sanitation fee is $265 - this has been the fee since 2006 and as you know you pay this when you pay your annual property taxes.
2. Zoning Rewrite Update Public Meeting ... This meeting will take place tonight night, 2 OCT, at your City Hall at 7 PM. I strongly believe that the Zoning Rewrite is the most important task we have undertaking since becoming a city. This is all about what we want our city to be in the future. Very honestly I think the attendance at our public meetings is rather poor but tonight night I hope you will come out and pack the Council Chambers. Don't worry about all the formal zoning language ... just come out and write down your bullet item in layman's terms. By getting involved early you will know what is going on prior to us passing the new City Zoning Ordinance ... if all goes according to plan the ordinance should be voted on in 2013. For me, protection and preservation of our residential areas is high on my list.
3. Walk to School ... Tomorrow, Wed - 3 OCT, is a walk to school day. I will be walking with my usual group to Austin School ... this group leaves Mellow Mushroom in Dunwoody Village at 7:15 AM. Walking to school is a win/win situation. More exercise for our children, helps curb the obesity problem of our youth, less traffic and thus less car pollution. Wherever you live I highly recommend joining the children and parents who are walking in your area. FYI, walk to school is always the first Wednesday of every month.
4. City Council (CC) October Meeting Dates ... As a reminder, the CC meetings have been changed to the 15th and 29th of OCT (the 3rd and 5th Monday) ... this was due to a scheduling conflict.
5. Security ... Remember you are the "eyes and ears" of our Dunwoody Police. Recently in our neighborhood an alert neighbor saw two suspicious men pull into his neighbor driveway and walk around to the back of the house. He knew the neighbors weren't home and called 911 .... after a foot chase our outstanding police officers arrested both of the suspects and they are now in jail. These suspects have been implicated in other burglaries in Dunwoody and surrounding cities. The key to security is all of us should know when our neighbors are normally not home and when they are out of town. Then if you see something going on that doesn't pas the "smell test" call 911 ASAP ... don't hesitate as you will not be bothering our police but rather assisting them keeping the "bad guys" out of our area.
6. More Security ... While major crimes have decreased in Dunwoody, car break-ins are on the rise. Folks, I have hit this issue many times in my updates. By my estimate we can reduce car break-ins by 50% if we just took a couple of extra seconds to ensure we have nothing of valve in our cars that can be seen from the outside. All that the predators are looking for when they walk by your car is something of value .... if they don't see something they move on but if they do see something of value they will break into your car and are gone in a few second ... and you will be the victim. Fellow citizens, please help our Dunwoody Police, and yourselves, by enacting this security tip in your everyday actions.
7. 2013 Budget ... The Dunwoody Budget Committee - I am one of the three members — met last Friday to discuss the 2013 City Budget. Although I believe we made some good decisions there are areas that I believe are of high expenditure concern. Some of these areas of concern are:
Completing Phase II of the Brook Run Park Trail in 2013 ... If we wait until 2014 there is a better possibility of our $7 million park bond suit be adjudicated making these funds, that can only be used in Brook Run, available
The size of the increase in the police budget ... approx. $735,000 ... some of these increases I agree with as necessary ... other increases are excessive
The size of pay increase for city employees ... I firmly believe we can give our employees a pay increase for the fourth straight year ... but I think a 4% increase is excessive
The budget is on our city website (dunwoodyga.gov) for your review and the budget public hearing will take place at the CC meeting on 15 OCT with the final vote at the CC meeting on 29 OCT
8. Dunwoody Woman's Club (DWC) Home Tour ... This annual event, which takes place tomorrow, 3 OCT, raises money for many charity causes in our area. For complete information about the Home Tour go the DWC website at ... http://www.dunwoodywomansclub.org. You can buy a tickets from DWC members, various shop around town and at the door of the homes on the tour. Advance tickets are $25. At one of the homes you may know the folks that are parking cars.
9. Home Owners Associations (HOAs) .... I will be speaking at a HOA on October 8. I will be glad to speak to any HOA in Dunwoody ... just let me know a time and place.
10. That is all for today. Please pass this on to all your friends, neighbors, members of your HOA or anyone else you think maybe interested. If anyone would like to be added to my email list please let me know and I will make that happen. Thanks for your continued support and input.
Let Us Continue To Build Our City Together
Denny Shortal
Dunwoody City Council, District One, Post-1
Mayor Pro Tem
denis.shortal@dunwoodyga.gov
PH (O) 678-382-6700 (C) 678-246-9006
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