The Dunwoody City Council at its Oct. 27 meeting heard loud and clear that citizens want sand volleyball courts at Homecoming Park.
During the public comment session held before the meeting, high school students, coaches, and other interested parties spoke in favor of installing sand volleyball courts with some of the $5 million in surplus funds allocated for building out the park, which is located on Vermack Road.
Other additions to the park will include a wildflower meadow, a community space building with solar panels, an open play field, a nature trail, a restroom pavilion, a 12,000-square-foot inclusive playground, and a sensory garden.
Originally, the plan called for the installation of pickleball courts, but it was modified after council and staff agreed that the city has many different options for pickleball in public areas, as well as with privately owned entities.
The costs associated with installing and maintaining both courts are roughly comparable, staff said.
The council had discussed, in an earlier meeting, spending about $7 million of its reserve funds for a variety of upgrades, including funding police equipment, safety improvements, and sidewalk installation. The remaining reserve fund of $17 million will include more than six months of reserve funds, well above the city’s four-month mandated margin.
About $800,000 will be delegated to police for a drone, ballistic windows for marked police cars, an electric vehicle, and upgraded bulletproof vests.
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Safety improvements, to the tune of $800,000, will be spent on installing safety enhancements at crosswalks, and about $1 million for sidewalks at Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Spalding Drive, Vermack Road, and Peeler Road.
After a second public hearing, the revised budget passed 6-1, with Council Member John Heneghan the sole dissenter. Heneghan said he objected to several items in the budget, including the Peeler sidewalk installation because of its width, and the costs associated with building a new storage facility at Brook Run Park, which exceeded initial cost projections.
“I wish some of these things were not in the budget,” Heneghan said before casting his vote.
Almost 40 percent of Dunwoody’s budget is directed to police services, according to a staff presentation made before the vote. At 13 percent, parks and recreation come in second, with public works third, at nine percent of the budget.
The 2026 budget also includes a 3.9 percent across-the-board raise for all city employees.
In response to some public comments about funding police, Council Member Tom Lambert said the department has added nine positions in the 2026 budget.
“We’ve never compromised on public safety, and we will never will,” he said.
Deutsch said she is proud that Dunwoody has the lowest millage rate in the county, and “the services that we deliver to the citizens.”
