The Dunwoody City Council at its April 14 meeting debated about whether economic conditions and government uncertainty should slow the city’s committing to fund local federally funded projects.
The conversation began when the council discussed a $782,000 contract with Practical Design Partners for a preliminary engineering phase to develop the final design of Phase 2 of the Winters Chapel Path.
About $1.5 million in federal funding was committed earlier from the Atlanta Regional Commission, according to a staff memo.
“Earlier this year, the ARC approved an additional $600,000 to complete the design. The city currently has allocated in the FY2025 budget $700,000 in local SPLOST [Special Purpose Local Sales Tax] funds which will cover the balance of the final design costs and satisfy the 20 percent local match required for federal funds,” the memo said.
The remaining SPLOST funds will be rolled into the right-of-way and construction phases of the project.
Mayor Lynn Deutsch said her first query about the funding “is going to be a real downer question.”
“My contacts at ARC [Atlanta Regional Commission] say they are really struggling to get reimbursed for money they have already outlaid money for projects on,” she said. “And I’m very concerned because this is a large amount of money.”
Deutsch said her concern is that once the contract is signed, the city will be obligated to pay for the project, whether or not it is reimbursed.
“To start down the path with this project with so much uncertainty, I just don’t know how to proceed,” she said.
As it was a discussion item, the council did not take action on the expenditure and will revisit it at a later meeting.
The council also heard Dunwoody City Manager Eric Linton’s April report on activities within the city, including a collaboration with the city’s economic development staff to install a large-scale mural near the Stage Door Theatre entrance of the Dunwoody Cultural Arts Center.
The mural, according to a staff memo “is meant to seek celebration of the connectivity of theatre and draws inspiration from Stage Door Theatre’s brand.” The city’s request for qualifications opened March 24, with the mural expected to be installed by June.
The council deferred a decision on spending $100,000 for a six-month trial period with Flock Safety for a drone for the Real Time Crime Center.
“The use of drones provides real-time aerial surveillance, allowing the RTCC to assess incidents as they unfold,” a staff memo about the proposal said. “By streaming live video footage, drones offer valuable intelligence to responding officers and help coordinate these responses more efficiently and safely.
Throughout the trial period, the police will determine the effectiveness of this technology before renewing for another six months for an additional $100,000.
During discussion, the council wanted clarification about the terms and length of the trial contract and the opt-out process, and voted to defer the matter until the April 28 meeting.
In other action, the council:
- Swore in Dunwoody’s latest police officer, Luis Flores;
- Proclaimed April as Lemonade Days Month in honor of the festival’s 25th anniversary;
- Talked about possible modifications to a multi-use path between Eidson Road and Cherry Hill Lane.
The council retired to executive session to discuss litigation and personnel matters, but did not take action after it concluded.
