Current council members reminisce on 20 years of cityhood

Sandy Springs Past present and the future John Paulson District Here is a fun fact If you turn this year you were only one year old when we became a city How we have changed in these years The first years of Sandy Springs existence were spent taking care of business This included setting up a city of fixing and repairing basic utilities that had been neglected for years standing up a top-notch police and fire department and deciding who and what we yearned to be when we grew up For the past years or so we have created a city center and put group amenities into place for the citizens including city hall the PAC and the green just outside Fun events like parades and festivals have also defined these latest years Now as we turn years of age comes the future How do we best manage but encourage smart increase and progress expand the City Springs district maintain our excellent credit rating bring businesses and restaurants and citizens to our city while continuing to make Sandy Springs a wonderful place to live In January the new year starts with the addition of three new council members each bringing valuable ideas that will be considered over the months and years ahead Next year we will also begin our -year review of the comprehensive plan adopted in I pledge to listen to all as we continue to make Sandy Springs a wonderful place to live work and raise a family Pickup order leads to desire to serve Melody Kelley District In I accepted my dream job packed my daughter and our guinea pig into a U-Haul and headed toward a new beginning That journey brought us to a modest two-bedroom apartment in the North End just within my budget but with a pool that made it feel like home Sometime after settling in I stopped at a small Chinese restaurant off Roswell Road While waiting on an order of egg foo young I picked up a magazine from a stack near the register the Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber Guidebook As I flipped through what felt like a civic manual for my new city something shifted For at least a year I understood intellectually that I resided in Sandy Springs But at that moment I craved to live in Sandy Springs By the time I reached the page describing Leadership Sandy Springs I knew I requested to be involved A inadequate years later I was featured as part of the Class of an experience that launched me into deeper provision with organizations such as Sandy Springs Together the Sandy Springs Schooling Force and the Charter Review Commission In the modern day I have the honor of serving as a city council representative a role I hold with immense gratitude and pride I share this story because I know several residents have their own version of this journey As we celebrate the th anniversary of our city we honor the shared experiences and collective commitment that built Sandy Springs including a single mom who walked in for egg foo young and walked out inspired to help shape its future Twenty Years of Progress and a Clear Path Forward Melissa Mular District When I moved to what is now Sandy Springs in I couldn t believe that a population of residents didn t have its own local administration Coming from Pennsylvania where cities and townships are locally governed the idea that decisions for our neighborhoods were being made miles away made no sense I made sure I wasn t traveling for work that week so I could be home to vote for incorporation That vote was transformative Instead of debating politics every council since has stayed focused on what matters solving problems improving quality of life and investing in our future We inherited aging roads neglected stormwater systems and outdated zoning In two decades we have reversed that trajectory We have invested over million in capital projects million in stormwater improvements and million through TSPLOST projects Including the City Springs complex with the City Green and Performing Arts Center the Police Headquarters and Municipal Court two new fire stations and the Fleet Maintenance Facility our total infrastructure outlay now exceeds million projects that exclusively would not have happened without incorporation With the foundation built our next chapter is about elevating quality of life more recreation and parks reimagining aging commercial areas expanding housing choices and completing City Springs Phase II Inhabitants safety will reliably remain a top priority When people feel safe connected and proud of where they live a city thrives Sandy Springs is a wonderful place to call home and we will keep it that way The city s future is with the people Jody Reichel District For years Sandy Springs has been a story of a group determined to improve itself often through sheer will volunteerism and a relentless belief in what is feasible When our city incorporated it was because residents requested more control over their future That spirit is still here and it is what has driven so a great number of of the accomplishments we now take pride in stronger constituents safety improved parks major infrastructure investments and the creation of a vibrant civic center at City Springs Over the years I have had the privilege of working closely with families neighborhoods schools nonprofits and countless residents who bring passion to every corner of our city They are the heartbeat of Sandy Springs Whether advocating for a new North Springs High School improving recreational opportunities for our young people or finding thoughtful avenues to revitalize aging areas of our region I have inevitably assumed that our greatest strength comes from engagement from people rolling up their sleeves and working for something better In contemporary times Sandy Springs stands at a crossroads Our challenges are real and so are the opportunities ahead My hope is that we continue focusing on what makes a city thrive safe streets strong schools transparent leadership housing that supports families and progress that lifts our entire locality No matter how the political winds shift I remain grateful for the residents who make Sandy Springs what it is This city s future will unfailingly belong to the people who care enough to shape it Fortunate to be part of the success Tibby DeJulio District As I prepare for Thanksgiving with the family I have to look back at my life in Sandy Springs It started years ago when I first met Eva Galambos and began working with her to form the city The first years was a time of lobbying planning and preparation Forming a city was a new venture for both of us On day one it s like turning on a light switch everything must be ready to provide for the residents Fortunately we had those years to get ideas ready and plans made And after that fruitful vote in July we were off and running These last years that I ve served on the council have been so rewarding since we all know how the city has blossomed I tell people that Sandy Springs didn t turn out as we expected it turned out better than we could have hoped I feel fortunate that I could have had a part in the success of Sandy Springs and witness its progress As I retire and yield my seat to a younger generation of leadership I am confident that the citizen-first direction of our city will continue Everything we have planned and done has been to make the lives and futures of our residents better and we should inevitably continue that path Filled with opportunities for the next generation Andy Bauman District When Sandy Springs was created years ago we began less as a naturally cohesive and logically defined city and more as a political and geographic boundary square miles of unincorporated Fulton County pressed between Atlanta and Roswell Our outer neighborhoods identified in very different approaches the south oriented toward Chastain and Buckhead parts of the northeast panhandle gravitated toward Dunwoody and the north end felt distant and often ignored We were a collection of communities with shared concerns but lacking a shared identity Incorporation gave us the ability to address several governance-related concerns local zoning decisions consistent and first-rate inhabitants safety thoughtful infrastructure planning and commitment and a more responsive and accountable municipal cabinet that understood our day-to-day realities We also built something transformative a true city center City Hall City Green and the Performing Arts Center places that didn t exist before and now serve as the cultural civic and symbolic heart of Sandy Springs And we established highly regarded police and fire departments that remain a deep source of pride and unity across every section of our city Two decades in the challenges before us are more complex than those at our founding Redevelopment housing options for every stage of life a declining schoolage population the need to attract young families and a rapidly changing regional landscape that will shape our future far more than the issues we confronted in And the latest vote underscored something key residents hold widely different views of where we are as a city and what work lies ahead The next to years will not be defined by what we built in our first but by how we adapt That requires widening the circle of engagement and involvement bringing in younger and more diverse voices elevating emerging neighborhood leaders and creating more avenues for residents to help define what comes next If our first two decades proved anything it s that Sandy Springs can take control of its destiny The task ahead is to grow into an even more connected population filled with opportunity for every generation and welcoming to all who want to make Sandy Springs their home The post Current council members reminisce on years of cityhood appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta