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JULY 2019 • VOL. 13 — NO. 7 reporternewspapers.net Sandy Springs Reporter -A DUNWOODY SALUTES AMERICA WITH ANNUAL FOURTH OF JULY PARADE See pull-out section pages 15-18 ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT PBS to air local singer’s documentary ps COMMENTARY GDOT chief: ‘Benefits of express lanes are proven’ P10 COMMENTARY Reporter wins 15 Georgia ®|§j| Press awards P10 im o Podcast Check out our podcasts and Facebook Live Streams Springs Reporter is mail delivered to homes on selected carrier routes in ZIPs 30327,30328, 30342 and 30350 For information: delivery@reporternewspapers.net Si# uuxied VO ‘eojuo|A| aivd e6eisod sn SSMU03 aislysyd y3i/\ioisno ivisod North end plans include new business district, shopping center studies and trail Chattahoo* Hannovi Grand Charter Mid. School Mr e a\ea 1 iwm herokeeTown& ^ Cuntryclub .... | V V ° Wen " \ A map illustrates possible routes for a “Greenline” trail. Is city’s privatization shift a big risk or no big deal? BY JOHN RUCH johnruch@reporternewspapers.net The city’s shift away from its “public- private partnership” system of outsourced, privatized government services in May was done in low-key fashion, presented as a mathematical cost-savings move. But it was a dramatic change for city that touted many other benefits to privatization and pitched itself in books and magazines as an ideal, revolutionary “model for the 21st century municipal government.” Has the notion of Sandy Springs excep- tionalism and its privatization philosophy been proven false? Does the shift put the city at risk? Did the particular system ever real ly matter as much as the people running it? Some of the most expert opinions differ. “In no way do I see this decision as a re- BY EVELYN ANDREWS evelyn@rejjorternewspapers.net The city is weighing creating a Community Im provement District to help fund projects on the north end as it moves forward with recommendations from task force plan, in cluding mapping the possi ble route for a “Greenline” trail and requesting pro posals for shopping center redevelopment. The city’s studies came out of recommendations from the North End Re vitalization Task Force, which last year drafted a report with ideas ranging a new multiuse trail similar to the BeltLine to a massive city-supported “catalyst” project that could inspire other devel opers to build the north end. A Community Improvement Dis trict is a self-taxing group of commer cial business owners that funds infra structure projects. By law, CIDs cannot tax any residential owners or proper ties, including single-family homes, condos or apartments. Worthy said in a presentation at the June 18 City Council meeting that the city is doing the CID review internally to see if businesses are interested and to determine which properties “could be impacted.” The presentation also revealed a map of the Greenline trail’s possible route. The trail is proposed to run to the upscale Huntcliff neighborhood, Chat tahoochee River, Roswell Road and Sandy Springs Charter Middle School.