Dunwoody Music Festival Coming October 22

Not many of my recent projects have had a need for video.  The Dunwoody Music Festival is an exception.
Oktober Productions created a 30-second spot that is airing on CBS Atlanta during their news broadcasts.  I happened to catch it on Tuesday when it started running.

Stay for the end of the video.  I'm happy to say my corporate logo made it onto the final slide!

So now that video has joined the project, there naturally has to be a YouTube channel for SDOC.  Don't know how much I"ll be adding to it or when, but subscribe and check it out once in a while.

See you on October 22!  I'm bringing my kids to play on the rides!

Dunwoody Elections 2011 - Rick Callihan

Next up, Mr. Rick Callihan, also running for District 1 at-large.  His campaign website is at http://www.rickcallihan.com/

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1)    What one qualification do you have for elected office that exceeds those of your opponents?

I started my own business, from scratch, and then grew that business to become an industry leader.  The skills used to start and grow a business are similar to the skills needed to make decisions for a city: proper planning, disciplined spending, excellent service, and a great product.

2)    The City’s Economic Development Department’s stated purpose is “The City of Dunwoody Economic Development Director is responsible for leading efforts to retain, expand and attract businesses that support a broad array of employment opportunities; strategically grow its knowledge-based economy; and expand the City’s tax base.”  What should be this department’s next priority task to accomplish this purpose?

The city should create a new overlay district for the Perimeter area, allowing the PCID to have its own sign ordinance.  And of course, the city should not be buying property zoned O & I.  Our Economic Development Director needs all the tools he can get.  It does not make sense to convert prime real estate to green space. 

3)    What was the City’s best business decision to date?  (Any level or department, since operations started.)

Instead of directly hiring employees, I am glad the city opted to follow, to a degree, the Sandy Springs model of contracting with different companies to provide city services. 

4)    What was one business decision made by the City (at any level, since operations started) that should not have been made?  If you were given the chance, what would you have recommended be done differently?

The city should not have taken over the stormwater system from DeKalb.  In years to come this has the potential to be as expensive as our police department on an annual basis.  The taxpayers in Dunwoody will see the stormwater fee on their tax bill rise steadily year after year.  I would have kept the stormwater system in the hands of DeKalb, and made sure they kept up with repairs as needed. 

5)    As a member of City Council, you will be able to appoint or recommend members of various commissions.  Besides an interest in the subject, and a desire to serve, what qualifications do you want to see in a potential commission member?

I want to see people dedicated to the success of our city, and I will seek out people with real-world experience they can bring to committees.  I also feel all committee members should be residents of Dunwoody or owner/manager of a business in Dunwoody. 

6)    Which City department or commission (besides the Police) is the most critically important in developing the future of Dunwoody?

Zoning Board of Appeals 

7)    Which City department or commission do you feel is underserved and needs more attention in terms of funding and other resources (including personnel)?

Code enforcement.  We have one guy responsible for inspecting apartments, removing illegal signs, and general code enforcement.  If elected to council, I would suggest adding at least one more full-time person to code enforcement. 

8)    In what ways should the City and Chamber of Commerce (or any other private entity) collaborate and in what ways should they be working separately to grow the City’s economic base?

The Chamber has its own mission, as does the city.  The city’s Economic Development Department needs to focus on bringing jobs to the city.  Once here, the Chamber plays a key role in helping new (and existing) businesses get involved in city events.  The Chamber can play a pivotal role, using current members to help develop leads for the Development director. 

9)    Elected officials are constantly contacted with requests to have specific issues addressed by local citizens.  If elected, how will you prioritize what issues get on the Council agenda, what will get further private discussion, and what will be tabled?

Managing a business, I deal with major industry distributors, and I deal with the end-user of the company’s products.  Both need treated with respect.  Major issues need directed to the appropriate city department.  In these departments we have experts that help council determine the next step.  There are countless situations in regards to contact between residents and council members, and each need handled differently.  There can be no set policy as to what does and does not get brought before council.  As a small city, we can handle individually with all requests. 

10) Open Mike Question:  Make any statement you like on what issue or action will be most important to you as an elected official.

I am opposed to the urbanization of the Perimeter area.  I am also opposed to Transit Oriented Developments that have Federal set-asides for low income housing.  We need a council that will defend the homeowner, yet work with the PCID on job growth. I believe it is in the best long term interest of Dunwoody to maintain the current ratio of jobs to housing units in the PCID. 

Home Occupation Updates from Planning Commission

Last night was the perfect storm from Hell.  Husband gets home late from a meeting and I leave my carefully crafted notes on a table by the door as I rush out to City Hall, arriving half an hour late. 

Then discover that I am the only representative of The Public in attendance.

John's blog outlined the changes that were being made in the Zoning ordinance (which is temporary anyway, more on that later) that would affect home-based businesses and employees.

The bottom line is, most of the changes are being accepted as is - that home occupations may allow customer or employee contact, with some limitations.  The verbage regarding home-based daycare centers is being removed due to the fact that day care centers are going to have several "customers" in the home for several hours a day, with several parents picking up and dropping off in a short spurt each day.  Since I'm not familiar with all of the licensing and regulations and logistics of a home-based day care center, I'm going to hold comment on that one.  If someone out there is familiar with home-based daycare and would like to comment, the floor (comments area) is yours.

However - there still is a hearing process in place for any home-based work/business that will receive customers or employees and there was enormous resistance to any changes at all.  My friend Heather was dragged through FIVE meetings because the City staff had trouble reading their own regulations.  It was only supposed to be three.  After some verbal arm twisting the Commission whittled the number of hearings down to one (in front of Planning Commission) so that "the public can be notified".

In an ideal world, neighbors would talk to each other and bring issues to each other without dragging City Hall into it.  However we do not live in an ideal world and some neighbors would rather whine to the DHA or email nastygram blasts than talk to the person and attempt to resolve whatever questions they have.

There's some pros and cons to the recommendations.

Pro:  the business owner/employee has some protection in that they will get a fair hearing in public and can bring supporters to speak on their behalf.  Their fate is not at the mercy of an individual with an axe to grind, Internet access, and too much time on their hands.

Con:  for those business owners with irregular or occasional customer contact (as described in earlier posts) the process is the same.  There has to be public notification, additional expense, additional time spent, all to casually meet a single person - who may be visiting anyway in a non-business capacity - every few months or so.

Con:  Loophole City.  The zoning code places a greater burden on a homeowner for a "nuisance" allegedly caused by a business enterprise, than a "nuisance" allegedly caused by a social event. 

Is this the outcome that I believe will benefit the City in the long run?  No.  Is it a step in the right direction?  Yes, and I credit the PC with that because redefining the nature of a "residential neighborhood" is a huge question and there is a lot of persuasion involved in convincing some sectors of the public that they will not be harmed by it.  In addition, the Zoning Code as we see it today is not long for this world.  An RFP was recently awarded (but not linked on the City site) to completely revamp Zoning.  As I said at Community Council not long ago, the first step in setting up a comprehensive Zoning code is to clearly define "nuisance" - when do you have a problem that should involve City Hall, when you should talk to your neighbor, and when you should put on your grownup underpants and just deal with it - then use that definition as a uniform standard for any and all activity in a particular zoned area.

The question for "casual business visitors" is whether to go to the trouble of obeying the law.  Is it more trouble than it's worth to drag your case of one-visitor-every-three-months through public hearings?  Or do you feel safe under a "don't-ask-don't-tell" philosophy?  I'm usually in favor of obeying the law to the letter.  But do I submit the extra money and time into a process, or do I invest in doing the work I'm paid for?  For many entrepreneurs that's going to be a tough call for a while.