Before We Invest
Monday night's City Council agenda reflects the wide range of responsibilities local government must balance in a single meeting.
We'll consider routine operational items that keep the City running, appointments to volunteer boards and commissions, land use and zoning requests, transportation planning initiatives, public safety, parks and recreation, and other issues that affect our community every day.
That's why I often say good local government has to be able to do more than one thing at a time. Our job isn't to focus on one issue while ignoring others. It's to thoughtfully evaluate many important priorities and make informed decisions that serve the long-term interests of our community.
One item on Monday's agenda is a presentation on a proposed SWAT equipment storage and training facility.
According to the published agenda materials, the proposal would construct a new building on City-owned property adjacent to the North Shallowford Annex. The facility would provide secure storage for North Metro SWAT vehicles and equipment, including Dunwoody's BearCat, and include indoor space for police training and physical agility testing.
I appreciate the Police Department identifying operational needs, and I fully support providing our officers with the facilities and equipment they need to keep our community safe.
As City Council considers this proposal, I think it's important that we look beyond the building itself. As elected representatives of our residents, our responsibility isn't simply to determine whether a project has merit. It's to ensure the important questions are asked and answered before City Council commits taxpayer dollars to a major capital investment.
Every major capital project should answer three broader questions:
Why this project?
Why this location?
Why now?
I'll be looking for answers in several key areas:
How this project fits within the City's overall capital priorities.
Project costs, funding sources, and long-term operating expenses.
Alternative locations and approaches that were considered.
Compatibility with the City's long-range planning, including future transportation connections, redevelopment opportunities, preservation of green space, and environmental impacts.
The planning and decision-making process, including work completed to date and any future Council actions.
The operational need for the facility and the regional partnership it supports.
These are the same questions I believe City Council should ask before making any significant capital investment.
Good local government can do more than one thing at a time. One of the primary responsibilities of elected officials is ensuring that every major investment is thoughtfully evaluated, appropriately prioritized, and transparently funded. The question isn't whether we should invest in public safety or other community priorities. It's whether this is the right project, in the right location, at the right time, within the context of all of our capital needs.
I look forward to Monday night's presentation, the discussion that follows, and asking questions that will help us make the best long-term decisions for Dunwoody.
Appendix: Questions I'll Be Asking
Big-Picture Questions
How does this project rank among the City's other unfunded capital priorities?
Why should this be one of the City's next major capital investments?
Why is this the right time to move forward?
What process was used to determine that this project should advance ahead of other capital needs?
Should this proposal first be considered as part of a broader City Council capital planning work session?
Project Scope, Cost & Funding
What is the estimated total project cost?
How much has already been spent on planning, engineering, permitting, and design, and from what budget?
What funding source is proposed for construction?
What financial commitments, if any, are anticipated from the other North Metro SWAT partner cities?
What are the anticipated long-term operating and maintenance costs over the life of the facility?
Planning & Site Selection
Why was this site selected?
What alternative locations were evaluated?
Does this proposal preserve—or limit—future transportation connections, redevelopment opportunities, or other potential public uses of this property?
Has Community Development reviewed the proposal for consistency with the City's long-range planning goals?
Has staff considered preserving some of the remaining green space for a future pocket park if adjacent properties redevelop?
What impacts will the project have on tree canopy, impervious surface, stormwater runoff, and heat island effects, and how will those impacts be addressed?
Is the additional parking shown on the site plan necessary given the existing parking available at the Annex?
Process & Transparency
The published project schedule indicates that design, permitting, and other preliminary work have been underway for several months. What work has already been authorized, and what approvals remain subject to future City Council action?
Why was permitting initiated before City Council had an opportunity to discuss the proposal and provide feedback?
When is this project expected to come before Council for a formal vote?
Operations
What North Metro SWAT vehicles and equipment would be stored in this facility, and where are they currently stored?
What alternative approaches were considered for meeting Dunwoody's storage needs?
If this project were deferred for one or two years, what operational impacts would result?
Is there any time-sensitive reason this project needs to proceed now?