Newspaper Page Text
SANDY SPRINGS
Mayor Rusty Paul shares third term priorities
BYBOBPEPAUS
As he heads toward a third term as San
dy Springs mayor, Rusty Paul said his prior
ities include tackling water issues, expand
ing City Springs, improving transportation,
starting an arts program and spurring revi
talization in the city’s North End.
At the Nov. 2 election, Paul won almost
70% of the votes over his challenger Dontaye
Carter. Voters also reelected four incumbent
Sandy Springs city councilmembers, along
with two new councilmembers (see our full
coverage online at reportemewspapers.net).
One of Paul’s first priorities is to work
with the next Atlanta mayor to get the wa
ter system in Sandy Springs under the city’s
control.
Sandy Springs officials say they are be
ing overcharged for water because Atlanta
still runs and owns most of its water system.
The dispute has been brewing for a while,
and the pandemic has slowed negotiations.
“I’d hope in the first six months to be able
to sit down with the new mayor of Atlanta
and talk about some amicable settlement
on water,” Paul said the morning after the
Nov. 2 election.
Another priority for Paul in his next term
includes expanding the town center project
City Springs. The city owns a block of prop
erty south of the project and is underway on
a master plan update to generate ideas.
“We’ve done some preliminary studies,
but it’s really just kind of taking City Springs
and moving it south ... and then creating
new restaurants and shops and other things
in that area,” Paul said.
He added that a new plan to use the Her
itage Building site for the location of the
Georgia Commission on the Holocaust and
its Anne Frank in the World exhibit will be
integrated into the city’s broader plans for
its City Springs district.
Transportation improvements will also
be top of mind for Paul, as voters just ap
proved an extension of the transportation
sales tax (TSPLOST), which will fund major
upgrades in Sandy Springs. That includes
widening Hammond Drive.
“Hopefully, we’ll get a big chunk of the
Hammond Drive project done over the next
few years,” he said. “There are a lot of trans
portation initiatives that need to be fin
ished.”
Paul also looks forward to creating a ro
bust arts program in Sandy Springs. The
city recently acquired the Abernathy Arts
Center from Fulton County and now is con
sidering what to do.
“I’ve been the arts mayor, between the
performing arts, the Arts in the Open sculp
ture contest. So, this will be just another ex
tension of what we’ve been doing,” Paul said.
He also said the city is focused on spur
ring revitalization in the North End after a
lot of planning and thinking.
“Now we’re beginning to change the
building codes and land codes up there to
facilitate those plans. So I’m hoping in the
next two, three years, we’ll have some proj
ects that will begin there and they’ll begin
that revitalization,” Paul said, adding that
while the city has a lot of underutilized re
tail, some developers are ready to revamp it.
Paul expects the North End development
code changes to come before the city coun
cil in December.
Lastly, Paul said he plans to ensure San
dy Springs remains Georgia’s safest city,
which he said voters voiced as a major pri
ority.
If you have Medicare and Georgia Medicaid...
You can choose a Plan
with extra benefits
Anthem#® 1
$0
• Monthly plan payment
• Copay for primary care doctor visits
• Copay for online doctor visits
As a local Anthem Medicare Representative, I can help you choose a
plan with the benefits you deserve for the coming year.
Join us at a FREE Medicare seminar near you:
DEC 1
10:00 AM
GRAND CHINA
2905 Peachtree Rd NE
Atlanta, GA
DEC 6
11:00 AM
J. CHRISTOPHER’S
3070 Windward Plaza
Alpharetta, GA
DEC 7
9:00 AM
ANTIOCH URBAN
MINISTRIES
456 Northside Dr NW
Atlanta, GA
DEC 13
10:00 AM
GREENBRIAR MALL
2841 Greenbriar Pkwy SW
Atlanta, GA
DEC 14
DEC 17
1:30 PM
9:00 AM
10:00 AM
JOHNNIE B. MOORE
ANTIOCH URBAN
PRINCETON COURT
TOWERS 1 & II
MINISTRIES
3633 Howard Drive
840 Center Hill Avenue
456 Northside Drive NW
College Park, GA
Atlanta GA
Atlanta, GA
1 -30 PM
DEC 21
DEC 16
GREEN PASTURES
9:00 AM
10:30 AM
5185 River Road
OAKLAND CITY
BETMAR VILLAGE
Ellenwood, GA
1400 Lee Street SW
345 Ashwood Ave SW
Atlanta, GA
Atlanta, GA
DEC 18
100 PM
12:30
10:00 AM
ANTIOCH MANOR
THE HELLENIC
BIG BETHEL VILLAGE
ESTATES
TOWER
500 Richard Allen BlvdSW
4711 Bishop Ming Blvd
8450 Roswell Road
Atlanta, GA
Stone Mountain, GA
Sandy Springs, GA
12:00 NOON
DEC 22
1:30 PM
PALMETTO SENIOR
10:30 AM
ALICE WILLIAMS
CENTER - PALMETTO
MAXWAY
TOWERS 1 & II
510 Turner Avenue
2044 Campbellton Rd SW
5470 Hillandale Drive
Lithonia, GA
Palmetto, GA
Atlanta, GA
DEC 23
10:00 AM
KROGER CASCADE
3425 Cascade Rd SW
Atlanta, GA
AEP Online
Webinars
Register at
470-522-8815
1-on-1 help
in person, online,
or over
the phone
CONTACT
MICHAEL KIM
470-512-4147, TTY: 711
GA Lie. #861031 Authorized Agent
MICHAELKIM3@ANTHEM.COM
Hay disponibles servicios de traduccion; pongase en contado con el plan de salud o su agente. For costs, exclusions, limitations, terms, and complete details of coverage, please contact your agent or the health plan. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue
Shield is the trade name of Blue Cross Biue Shield Healthcare Plan of Georgia, Inc. Independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Anthem is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc.
6 DECEMBER 20211 REPORTER NEWSPAPERS
reporternewspapers.com
BH