About Dunwoody reporter. (Sandy Springs, GA) 20??-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 15, 2013)
COMMENTARY Our/in, i, lion if to proride our reader t with fresh and engaging information about life in their communities. Published by Springs Publishing LLC 6065 Roswell Road, Suite 225 Sandy Springs, GA 30328 Phone: 404-917-2200 • Fax: 404-917-2201 Brookhaven Reporter I Buckhead Reporter Dunwoody Reporter I Sandy Springs Reporter www.ReporterNewspapers.net Atlanta INtown www.AtlantaINtownPaper.com CONTACT US Founder & Publisher Steve Levene stevelevene@reporternewspapers.net Editorial Managing Editor Joe Earle joeearle@reporternewspapers.net Intown Editor: Collin Kelley Assoc. Editor/Digital Content Manager Dan Whisenhunt Staff Writer: Melissa Weinman Copy Editor: Diane L. Wynocker Creative and Production Director of Creative & Interactive Media Christopher North chrisnorth@reporternewspapers.net Graphic Designer: Walter Czachowski Advertising Director of Sales Development Amy Arno amyarno@reporternewspapers.net Mayor Mike Davis: With the elections over, we’ll continue making the city a great place for all The city of Dunwoody just finished another city election, and residents selected representatives to occupy the three City Council seats up for election this year. I congratulate all of the candidates who ran for office. Win or lose, running a campaign is hard work. I personally know the election and campaign process is one which takes tremendous effort, drive and energy to undertake. I’d like to thank each of the candidates for their contributions and for work ing to create a better Dunwoody. I believe that by re-electing two incumbents and adding a new member to council this election has shown we are headed in the right direction, but we have more work to do. Over the past 10 months and throughout the election cycle, many residents have made their voic es heard on a number of projects and issues. Some of the issues and planned projects have brought varied levels of both support and resistance, which we as a City Council must listen to and address. As city leaders, we must take the opportunity to continue our efforts at engagement, and broaden our set of outreach and communications tools. What we want to encourage is interest in, and atten dance at, our various public meetings and open assemblies to foster a better understanding of the kinds of projects and decisions being put forward. A perfect example of engaging ideas and discussion with the public around a project was realized in creating the new Georgetown Park. The city held public meetings, which not only amassed the various ideas and needs of what residents wanted from the new park, but those discussions guided the design and amenities which the park would contain when complete. I realize a zoning code meeting (as compared to a brainstorming meeting around a new city park) may not appeal to every resident, as was evident by the dozen or so committed attendees who took part in the zoning code rewrite process. But it’s these types of opportunities the city will continue to host and promote which bring citizens to the table and help collectively struc ture a vision for a better Dunwoody. I don’t believe any city always reaches a complete consensus on direction of future projects or developments. Each citizen has their own opinion, and hopefully through ongoing participation in public meetings and town halls, residents can better under stand what’s being created or implemented. The opinions of the public were expressed in the voting booths and should contin ue to be expressed to the elected representatives who are charged with the responsibility of bringing community needs and de sires to reality. Participatory engagement is part of the reason the city has continued to put forth efforts for increased public involvement. These efforts are found in initiatives such as the 2013 Citizen Pulse survey, multiple project open house events, email news alerts reaching more than 10,000 subscribers, site tours, information booths at community events, and more. To further the opportunity for listening and engagement, we’ve established plans to conduct quarterly Town Hall events so we may expand and promote ongoing dialogue with residents. What’s clear moving forward is that citizens have re-elected two incumbents and brought in a new council representative where a seat was being vacated. What’s also clear is now that the voters have spoken, it’s time to continue our focus as an elected body and set our efforts to the work at hand. We’ve got a better Dunwoody to create, and with the input and guidance from its citizens, it will be a great place for everyone. "* — « MIKE DAVIS GUEST COLUMN Mike Davis is the mayor of Dunwoody. Senior Account Executive Janet Porter Account Executives Susan Lesesne Lenie Sacks Sales Consultants David Burleson, Linda Howell Office Manager Deborah Davis deborahdavis@reporternewspapers.net Contributors J.D. Moor, Phil Mosier Free Home Delivery 65,000 copies of Reporter Newspapers are delivered by carriers to homes in ZIP codes 30305,30319, 30326,30327,30328,30338,30342 and 30350 and to more than 500 business/retail locations. For locations, check "Where To Find Us" at www.ReporterNewspapers.net For delivery requests, please email delivery@reporternewspapers.net. © 2013 With all rights reserved Publisher reserves the right to refuse editorial or advertising for any reason. Publisher assumes no responsibility for information contained in advertising. Any opinions expressed in print or online do not necessarily represent the views of Reporter Newspapers or Springs Publishing, LLC. 8 | NOV. 15-NOV. 28, 2013 | Don’t trust experts To the editor: Dunwoody Mayor Mike Davis re cently wrote an email response to a sup porter of the dog park at Brook Run. The dog park fan asked the mayor how he responds to conflicting reports by certified arborists about the condition of the trees in the off-leash dog park. In his email, Mayor Davis stated, “One thing I’ve learned as mayor is to not trust the experts.” By making such a bold statement in regard to expert tes timony, the mayor has made his deci sion a personal one, and not one based on what is really good for the commu nity. By stating that he doesn’t trust any of the expert testimony, he negates even the testimony of his own experts. In the legal arena, experts are hired to challenge the opposing side’s position so that a balanced and fair decision can be made. The city hired a tree expert to support the position of the City Coun- www.ReporterNewspapers.net LETTER TO THE EDITOR E-mail letters to editor@reporternewspapers. net cil. Two supporters of the dog park sim ply hired experts to challenge Dun- woody’s experts. The purpose was to provide expert opinion for both sides so that it would not be a one-sided debate. Shouldn’t the city be given the op portunity to see both sides of the ar gument before making a decision that affects the city’s budget, the taxpayers’ dollars and the dogs and their owners, whose interests are involved? Both sides are presenting arguments so that the cit izens can be informed. The mayor’s decision was based on his own admittedly non-expert obser vations, including soil compaction, ero sion and tree damage. Soil compaction occurs when ground is trod upon. Is this why the city in stalled cement trails, so that the people walking them won’t compact the soil? As to the tree damage, the only be ings who are destroying trees are those hired by the city to chop down trees in order to make a concrete sidewalk. And more trees will be destroyed in order to create the new dog park. You must chop down trees so that the dogs won’t de stroy them? Really? How does this make sense? The dog park association is the most proactive group of people I have ever known. They do not rely on city fund ing for the upkeep of the park. They pay for and do the work of the park’s upkeep themselves. There are people out there tirelessly working on a vol untary basis picking up waste, spread ing ground cover (purchased with do nations by dog park patrons), clearing walking paths throughout the park, and making sure the water stations are clean and in working order. Donations have paid for all the seating in the park (hand-made by devoted volunteers). CONTINUED ON PAGE 26 DUN
