Saturday, September 24, 2016

Dunwoody Mistakes

In 2008, when the City of Dunwoody was incorporated, UN Agenda 21 implementation had arrived. The founders filed for a Manager-Council form of government and outsourced staff.  ICLEI training was offered to all city and county elected officials. Obama offered grants to get cities and counties to hire ICLEI Consultants to install the same “cookie cutter” ordinances and zoning codes. Dunwoody bought the scam. Municipal Consulting firms were ready to supply temp staff to take city and county staff positions. Dunwoody hired them.

The “cookie cutter” ordinances included a few land mines that city staff insisted had to remain in the Code. The City Council agreed.

“Care Homes” had been added to Residential Zoning and city staff insisted that it remain.  This allowed a medical treatment facility to land in the middle of a subdivision in Manget Way. “Care Homes” need to be removed from R-100 and added back to Commercial zoning or this abuse could continue to occur.

Also, the minimum lot size in R-100 was lowered to 15,000 square feet, allowing lot splits by builders in established subdivisions like Dunwoody Club Forest. The minimum lot size in R-100 needs to be raised to 22,000 square feet to protect homeowners from this abuse.

In 2011, Dunwoody voters made the mistake of voting to grant the city Redevelopment Powers to be given to an appointed board.  The city hired a consulting firm to gather “public input” to their “Master Plans” by having participants choose between A and B, using the Delphi technique that predetermines the results.

Prior to 2008, cities and counties didn’t hire engineering firms to design their roads and intersections.  The cost of milling and resurfacing 1 mile of 2 lane asphalt road was $150,000. My T-SPLOST analysis showed that roadwork costs were double what they had been in the previous year. 

Price gouging had arrived.  Federal subsidies will always double the cost.  Dunwoody didn’t adopt a low-bidder with a performance bond method of approving bids. They concocted a point system that allowed amateur cronies to get these bids and they did a poor job.

Storm sewer pipe replacement and asphalt road restoration costs in Dunwoody were the highest priority investments, but were ignored until 2016. $Millions were wasted on lower priority distractions and price gouging.

Road restoration costs double if the roadbed is deteriorated. Dunwoody roads were already over 25 years old in 2008. This should have given the city the incentive to budget $4 million a year for roads, but they only budgeted $2 million a year. We seem to finally be on the right track on roads.

Tax abatements have been high projects on the deck at PCID are sure max out our road capacity with economic development. Lawsuit settlements have been high and we hope these lawsuits will subside.


Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader

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