During the last election, I sent out a questionnaire to candidates running for city council, and asked them to write short answers to their stands on various issues. I thought it worked well & was a good chance for them to distribute their views on issues that were specific to Doraville. We had a pretty good participation rate.
This year, I wanted to do the same thing & sent out a questionnaire to all of the candidates for city council. I heard back initially from Stuart Anderson, Karen Pachuta, Ginny Calvert, Brian Bates & Donna Pittman. All said they were going to answer the survey, but the only ones who have gotten it back to me so far have been Karen Pachuta & Donna Pittman.
I am extremely busy both at work and school this month, and do not have time to do a lot of follow-up with the candidates, so Ms Pachuta & Council Member Pittman’s responses may be all I get. You can check out the AJC’s candidate response forms at the links below:
District 1
District 2
District 3
Any responses I get to the survey will be listed below.
Update (October 25, 2009): Brian Bates sent in his response and it can be viewed below.
Donna Pittman, District 1
First, please tell the voters about yourself and why you think you deserve a city council seat.
I have lived in Doraville for 29 years and I am a native of DeKalb county. I am married to a former Marine and we have 4 great children. I was a former Officer of the DeKalb County Sheriffs Office one of my last assignments I served as a Community Relations Officer. I currently serve as liaison between the city and Sheriffs Office and do part time security details. I am actively involved with community activities that help enhance our city I serve on the DeKalb County Fire and Rescue Emergency Planning Board developing emergency plans for the county and cities and my main focus is on Doraville. I work closely with the Tank Farm Co-op and participate in emergency drills for our city also recently completing Terrorist Awareness Training. I also sit on the DeKalb County Board of Education Parent advisory Board also serve as liaison between several schools very actively involved in the school reading volunteer programs. I am also the Library commissioner and currently serve as Mayor Pro-Tem. I implemented many programs for our city such as Movies Under The Stars, Cell Phones for Soldiers, Becoming a Tree City USA, Planting trees and flowers at the Hugo Arango bridge on Winters Chapel in Detective Arangos honor also planting trees and flowers at City Hall and the library, Started Doravilles first ever annual clean up day, and our Christmas tree lighting event. My commitment, involvement and great passion for this community is why I would like to continue serving on City Council.
What do you feel is the single most important issue facing our city? How would you handle it on the city council?
The re-gearing of city government to accommodate potential GM redevelopment. As a city Council member I am going to continue supporting re-writes of our planning and zoning documents and staffing of essential functions.
What would you like to see done with the General Motors property? Also do you support redeveloping that property into a sports stadium?
Supporting city documents for a mixed use development live, work, and play; support green space a fire station and possibly a pavilion for community activities. But not to rule out other possibilities something that’s going to enhance the quality of life for years to come for our citizens. The majority of the citizens did not support a sports stadium so no I would not be in support of a stadium.
Are you willing to communicate by phone, email, in person, or in print with residents of your district to ask for their input or to explain why you support or oppose items voted on at city council meetings?
Absolutely! would love to hear from the citizens in any way they feel comfortable communicating in fact would encourage them to communicate with council members
How would you raise Doraville property values.
Keeping our neighborhoods clean and safe actively support revitalization of our parks and supporting continued improvement of our schools.
How should the city be meeting the challenge of declining tax revenue?
Good budget discipline, look for other ideas to bring additional money into our city, Seeking out grants, Collecting pass due taxes surveying our city properties and putting them to good use.
What is your vision for Doraville in four years (at the end of this term)?
By the end of this term the city council will have made a marked impact on the vision of the city with the work that has been done and still to be done such as the zoning ordinance re-writes, architectural standards, marketing plans to encourage new businesses, revitalization of our parks and main entry ways my vision is to see the value of our homes going up and new citizens moving into the city. Good things the council puts into place now will have a positive impact for years to come.
Karen Pachuta – District 3
First, please tell the voters about yourself and why you think you deserve a city council seat.
I am a 10-year resident of Doraville, having bought my home in Oakcliff Estates in August 1999. I graduated from North Carolina State University in 1992 with a degree in Sociology. After college, I worked for both non-profits and corporate organization, gaining experience in legislative and regulatory affairs, marketing and human resources. In 2002, I returned to school full-time at Emory School of Law and I’ve now been a licensed practicing attorney for the past four years. I am dedicated to this City as I have made it my home. Doraville has a lot to offer the community and there are also great opportunities available to enhance the City. I’ve been active in the neighborhoods and in supporting the police department and I would like to utilize my experience and commitment to continue working with residents and the City of Doraville as we move towards the future.
What do you feel is the single most important issue facing our city? How would you handle it on the city council?
One of the biggest issues and of great concern to many residents is the GM plant and its potential redevelopment. The GM plant helped define the City for more than 60 years. Its sheer size and proximity to downtown and major transportation hubs are indicative of its potential to define the future for Doraville for the next 60-plus years. The City needs to be proactive in its vision, set rules and guidelines for zoning and redevelopment standards, and encourage smart and sustainable growth so that the area benefits residents and the City of Doraville.
How would you raise Doraville property values?
Doraville needs to actively market itself. Our real estate is undervalued despite its proximity to major interstates, downtown Atlanta, and other vital areas of metro-Atlanta. Time and again, when I tell folks that I live in Doraville, they comment “Where?” I think an active marketing campaign can help bring new residents to the City. With new residents and homeowners, retail establishments and other economic development will follow. Additionally, creating architectural and construction standards for new development will help improve overall real estate values.
What would you like to see done with the General Motors property; Also – do you support redeveloping that property into a sports stadium?
I don’t believe a full-scale sports stadium is the best use for the property. Also, the area is so large that it does not need to be confined to one use. I believe there should be a mix of residential, commercial, and retail. In addition, the area may also be attractive to educational institutions and, with its proximity to the CDC, research facilities. We need to have strong guidelines in place before any redevelopment begins, such as architectural standards, and also encourage greenspace and streetscapes. I would also like the City to be able to use part of the property, perhaps creating an “amphitheatre” type environment for community events.
How should the city be meeting the challenge of declining tax revenue?
The City should be proactive in seeking out potential new sources of revenue, such as the recent decision to begin processing passport applications. In addition, there should be a comprehensive audit to ensure that our tax digest is correct and that homestead and sanitation exemptions are being properly applied. Furthermore, the City should actively market itself for new residents, which will in turn bring additional retail and commercial development.
Are you willing to communicate by phone, email, in person, or in print with residents of your district to ask for their input or to explain why you support or oppose items voted on at city council meetings?
Yes. I’ve always been a proponent of open government and am easy to reach via phone or email and am always willing to sit down with residents and discuss any issues or concerns.
What is your vision for Doraville in four years (at the end of this term)?
I love Doraville’s diversity, location, and its “small-town” feel. In four years, I expect we will have the building blocks in place for attractive and responsible new development that will enhance our current neighborhoods. I believe we will be well on our way with strong development plans at the former GM plant, which will be a new destination point for metro-Atlanta and will benefit Doraville residents. In addition, I would like to see new economic development in the New Peachtree and other major corridors and more greenspace incorporated into the City. I plan for Doraville to attract more residents to our beautiful tree-lined neighborhoods. I also anticipate that our police department will remain strong with continued council support. Finally, I believe that Doraville can do all of the above while continuing to remain financially sound. Doraville is a great place to live and with everyone working together – residents, businesses and the City – we can only enhance all that Doraville has to offer.
Brian Bates – District 2
First, please tell the voters about yourself and why you think you deserve a city council seat.
My name is Brian Bates. Originally from Denver, Colorado, I went to Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa and moved to Atlanta in 1997 and Doraville in 2001. I co-own a small business that specializes in fraternity and sorority alumni communication programs as well as major capital campaigns. It was my pleasure to be elected in 2007 to fill an un-expired term of office. Over the last 2 years I have learned a tremendous amount and we have accomplished a great deal. Some of those accomplishments include:
- Updating of our zoning ordinances
- Hiring full-time city planner
- Establishing a wide array of community events such as Doraville Days, return of the 5k Road Race, and Movies Under the Stars
- Complete renovation of English Oak Park and restoration of Autumn Park stream bank
- Launching of new city website and city e-newsletter
- Assisted in the establishment of a new Doraville Business Association
- Establishing an officers on bicycle patrol program
These are not the result of one person, but many people working together to make Doraville a great place to live. I am proud to have played an important role in either helping to craft legislation or policy to implement or serving as a volunteer to help make sure the event was a success. My record over the last two years is one of community building and I hope to be re-elected and continue those efforts.
What do you feel is the single most important issue facing our city? How would you handle it on the city council?
There are several pretty important factors including GM redevelopment and city finances. I think of the most important pieces is actually two-fold. Marketing and Economic Development. We must continue to shape the public image of our city and establish a comprehensive plan to actively promote the city as a great place to live, work, and play. That leads into economic development. With the loss of our single largest employer in the city, the city has a great opportunity to re-brand ourselves and encourage new types of companies to invest in our city and provide a new economic base. It is imperative that we promote the city far and wide and help businesses and residents understand that Doraville is located in a prime area and encourage them to take advantage of the many resources we have to offer.
How would you raise Doraville property values?
Assuming this is in reference to residential property values, we must increase home-ownership. This is no slight against renters, but typically, home-owners take better care of their property and are typically more involved and vested in their community. In order to increase home-ownership, we must do a couple of things. 1. Enhance our public amenities, mainly our parks. These should be our pride and joy, encouraging public gatherings and making sure we have safe and enjoyable facilities for children of all ages. These become a symbol of the neighborhood and we want residents to take pride and encourage people to use our public spaces. 2. Create a balanced shopping and work environment. Back to the previous question, we need a balance in work and retail options. With new professional offices comes new and greater demand on homes that are relatively close to work. Having a wider assortment of retail and restaurant options creates an environment that encourages people to spend more time and invest in the community. 3. Schools. While we don’t have any direct impact on the schools within and around Doraville, we must take greater interest and have more involvement. Celebrate the successes of schools such as Oakcliff and their $100,000 grant that they recently received for their excellence in math and science. But we must also challenge the school board to do better. As an example, 2/3 of Doraville students will eventually go to Cross Keys Highschool. Nothing wrong with Cross Keys, but they are over 6 miles away from Sequoyah Middle School when Chamblee High School is just over 3 miles, Lakeside just over 4 miles away and Dunwoody and Tucker High Schools are both just over 5 miles away. There are 4 high schools closer to Doraville and yet we have most of our children travel well over 6 miles to attend high school. Something just doesn’t seem right about that.
What would you like to see done with the General Motors property; Also – do you support redeveloping that property into a sports stadium?
I think the Comprehensive Land Use Plan as well as the Georgia Tech proposed design are highly desirable suggestions. Recent discussions about bio-tech research, life sciences, and other medical or technological research facilities should be considered, especially considering our proximity to the Chamblee CDC center. What I truly want to see is a facility that provides a balance of activities throughout the day. We need to ensure that we have a strong professional office (including any research facilities) environment during the day and events, activities, and restaurants to draw people to our city at night. Of course a strong residential component is necessary and required to ensure that we can attract those strong restaurant and retail components and provide employees with close living spaces to help encourage a walkable and bikable environment.
With regards to a stadium, I have not and do not support a large sports stadium. I do however, believe that a small multi-purpose arena that could be used for concerts, basketball, hockey, etc. would be a valuable addition and create that environment to attract people from inside and outside of our city. Additionally I believe some consideration should be made about putting a softball/soccer/flag football complex for local athletic teams to use. The region is hard pressed to find facilities that can accommodate local, regional, and national amateur tournaments. These types of activity centers will also help encourage a great mix of restaurant and retail centers.
There are many options to consider, the challenge is creating the right mix and balance that creates a vibrant center and encourages growth and redevelopment beyond that site.
How should the city be meeting the challenge of declining tax revenue?
We need to be as frugal as we possibly can, tightening our belt and looking for cost saving options without cutting services or jeopardizing our growth. New revenue streams should be evaluated such as the proposed passport center as well as looking at some of our existing services for opportunities to reduce cost and improve efficiencies. Additionally we need to follow-through with audits on several services to ensure that records are being properly sent to the city and we are accurately collecting the taxes and fees that are appropriately due.
The recent permit audit should have some positive impact on the tax base and then returning to question 2, marketing our city as a great place to live, work, and play, encouraging new businesses to open up here and residents to make Doraville their home will also positively impact the tax base and digest.
Are you willing to communicate by phone, email, in person, or in print with residents of your district to ask for their input or to explain why you support or oppose items voted on at city council meetings?
Absolutely. My phone number and email is on all my correspondences.
What is your vision for Doraville in four years (at the end of this term)?
That Doraville becomes a destination for people and not just a MARTA stop or using “Buford Highway” as a place to get from point A to B. I want people to want to come to Doraville for a wide variety of reasons and not just for our great ethnic restaurants. We have tremendous opportunity with a terrific professional staff, engaged community, and active business partners to make a statement. I have said that I want Doraville to be not just a good place to live, but a GREAT place to live, work, and play.
I want our government facilities, public spaces and parks, our business centers, and our neighborhoods to be areas that we can all be proud of. Where they are clean and inviting and encourages, through effective marketing and promotions, people to move to our city and set up shop as a great place to do business. We can do this by working together, holding each other accountable, and using our energies to promote the positive aspects of our city versus dwelling on the negative or the past.