[{"_1":2,"_109":-5,"_110":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86,98],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6224386,"mediaKeyId","3550645-886b652fa6ad2a57dbcee58e416eb0d7","parentId",3550645,"title","Council hears that calls from Station 4 into Atlanta rose; mutual-aid and replacement plans discussed","audioSeconds",2259,"startMs",372000,"endMs",2631000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3550645-886b652fa6ad2a57dbcee58e416eb0d7&start=372&end=2631","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3550645-886b652fa6ad2a57dbcee58e416eb0d7/thumbnail_372000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6224386/Sandy-Springs/Fulton-County/Georgia/Council-hears-that-calls-from-Station-4-into-Atlanta-rose-mutual-aid-and-replacement-plans-discussed","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6224386-8973479136c915bcfd8a9939dc8b18d4/orig.mp4?Expires=1777176606&Signature=lex3O-qnmjNlV4m8UTYkh99c9USacXwvRnV2DFEyMj3WbQnWSeKEA8lL3xm4kEcogOwvBuDwfm-Ed5BuL8ERliKpvRhzcJ72d4FECkBjnumM9x2L36Aqd9NYfXmOTLetBmqwNznRdrGp0Z1j8KnXWeVPcLyIsMIJeCTR1SN-xmBCz1flAIN7OeoCIdwW932b0b1Wx2qqlhz26TnGy8I7PbHVuqpYy6LgC1BlgQilypWLVK9yUNLkpmLJzJFvi8dRUER9GsHpgYA01JPo1UvT76zaDcZ6FY1qSm4cL3-fsM5eRXarH722bTG2RwEBVMrEiwtiQA7RbMpg4GAB3TONgw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-05-28T08:29:23Z","article","Council members pressed staff about increased responses by Station 4 into the city of Atlanta during the budget presentation on May 27.

Tony Mitton and public-safety staff provided a breakdown: overall, Mitton earlier stated that about 14% of Station 4's incidents historically went into Atlanta, but staff later supplied a year-to-date figure for 2025 showing 728 total incidents with 34 of those calls going into Atlanta, which the presenter noted is about 18% year-to-date.

Council members and the fire chief discussed possible reasons for the increase. The chief said a portion of the rise is tied to Atlanta units being out of service (vehicle breakdowns and equipment outages), which led to more automatic responses across jurisdictions. Council members raised the option of seeking changes to the mutual-aid arrangement and discussed long-term solutions; staff noted that the mutual-aid agreement remains in effect and that replacing Station 4 is factored into the planned debt issuance discussed elsewhere in the budget.

Why it matters: increasing out-of-jurisdiction responses affect workload for Sandy Springs fire crews and factor into capital-planning decisions about station replacement and fleet readiness.

Follow-up: staff said they will bring more detail about call volumes and the timeline for equipment replacements from neighboring agencies, and the mutual-aid topic will be part of a separate discussion soon.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","May 27, 2025 City Council Special Called Meeting - Proposed FY 2026 Budget Presentation","oneSentenceSummary","Council members asked about an increase in Station 4 responses into the city of Atlanta; staff said year-to-date calls show 728 incidents with 34 into Atlanta (about 18%) and that vehicle outages on Atlanta'side units contributed to past increases; replacement of Station 4 is included in planned borrowing.","taxTitle","Sandy Springs, Fulton County, Georgia","taxId",2960,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6224390,"City recommends repairing cistern after $340,000 bypass work; estimates $500,000 more and long-term water savings",59,450000,509000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3550645-886b652fa6ad2a57dbcee58e416eb0d7&start=450&end=509","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3550645-886b652fa6ad2a57dbcee58e416eb0d7/thumbnail_450000.jpg","/articles/6224390/Sandy-Springs/Fulton-County/Georgia/City-recommends-repairing-cistern-after-340000-bypass-work-estimates-500000-more-and-long-term-water-savings","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6224390-94508c3360b31049c8e426aa10e18553/orig.mp4?Expires=1777176606&Signature=RbFJtFpiNpYTd7cmYLVJBer--hAYmllv0yTOHKGQa39BHl4~~dus67vvRj1xebm6CCxCa~62q9yHXcgOyY-f8b02dfCn6fYrerRwPDIlk4hPt46WJ~VvlOp2KsYJj6ORU2e2CsDc9HCBgeNXAAZbuvyHoMOuubRZ5BhIELaf2vBIt~GBSfcyiXyghaCNkebaMpyXATDmyydPSF6E7C1QIansG~jrmNDYST6-CQ5YK1zjY8z0zH55FyY5xm-8OUBZbfRAzu0WtPCpKvUHV8t4-Z1OHvSciGTKs85fiunoO7UDH2gQwYkakfINqKuR8ABxWXvimceCZ9Ko1PijjRw7Fw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff recommended moving forward with repairs to a municipal cistern, telling council on May 27 that the city has spent about $340,000 to install a bypass system that allowed crews to access the tank.

Tony Mitton asked public-works staff to confirm numbers and said the city estimates remaining repairs will be about $500,000. Mitton said staff believe repairing the cistern is the right step because returning it to service would allow the city to obtain roughly $350,000 in water-cost savings over the next 10 years; staff also cited potential liability risks if the cistern were abandoned.

Mitton invited Dave (staff member) to weigh in on technical details; Dave was present to assist in that portion of the discussion. Council did not take final action in the meeting but staff recommended moving forward with the repair program and will return with procurement and contract details.","Staff recommended proceeding with repairs to a municipal cistern after installing a $340,000 bypass; staff estimates remaining repairs around $500,000 and projects about $350,000 in water-cost savings over 10 years if the cistern is returned to full service.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6224396,"Council told Racquet Center renovation will be reduced to safety work; $200,000 shifted to performing arts events",194,131000,325000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3550645-886b652fa6ad2a57dbcee58e416eb0d7&start=131&end=325","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3550645-886b652fa6ad2a57dbcee58e416eb0d7/thumbnail_131000.jpg","/articles/6224396/Sandy-Springs/Fulton-County/Georgia/Council-told-Racquet-Center-renovation-will-be-reduced-to-safety-work-200000-shifted-to-performing-arts-events","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6224396-9eb8779f7da2888b029bf85ef1486da8/orig.mp4?Expires=1777176606&Signature=VgJB6GreDZ1VGJDY-ESvHuJ243bnwTBpnnaZ2pMXXa9cH86iiOu7Ny88PkYYdc2gUOvlXZIuZtXZnEH7tW1uzoaqyTj-A6kMerQsHH1XPfUt5JKQRYVLGUq5AOE5uDrV6SEzNx96q0m0GvkSJoqkwmOfhGOcwvp5cQu3EPmTJc5PhruBzqyQ63JhzHsTV9wEpumcErGfeM0g1L1EQ1YMLWeEn2qGPE2j2a25nIkgwWwQfQSqOUSdDi6RGi~JjEUcm2zxRBVbuxxVhcz9MB74GBx4mk0zZjb35kOtcue1gARkcRvsvdLpFzQ0Dl6U9B4JYJ-otpJWONP9eViJDrHoNw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff told the Sandy Springs City Council on May 27 that the Racquet Center renovation project will be narrowed to safety-related items and reduced from ‘‘a little over a million dollars’’ to $511,000.

Staff member Tony Mitton said the revised scope focuses on restroom renovation and expansion, replacement of the existing deck, commercial door installation, sidewalk replacement, soffit and arbor repairs and other safety items. He said the city will not fund interior painting, tile-floor replacement or exterior glass replacement as part of this reduced scope.

Mitton said $200,000 freed by the scope reduction would be used to “provide a subsidy to the performing arts center to help offset the cost of signature events,” and staff will return with a revised presenting-partner program for future discussion. He clarified the subsidy is for the city's signature events—examples cited in the meeting included Sparkle Sandy Springs, the City Green concert series and the heritage concerts at the Heritage Amphitheater—not a transfer to an external production company.

Why it matters: the change narrows capital spending at the Racquet Center to items staff described as safety and ADA-related (Mitton said the restrooms do not meet ADA requirements), and it shifts one-time capital dollars toward programming support at the performing arts center.

Council questions and follow-up: council members asked for details about the Racquet Center restroom accessibility and the arbor/soffit scope; staff said they will include the Racquet Center changes and the revised presenting-partner program in upcoming work sessions for further review.","City staff proposed trimming the Racquet Center renovation to safety-related work only and transferring $200,000 of the project funds to subsidize signature events at the Performing Arts Center.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":102,"_47":103,"_49":104,"_51":105,"_53":106,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":107,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":108,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6224401,"Sandy Springs presents budget with planned $50 million debt issuance for fire-station projects",0,1942000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3550645-886b652fa6ad2a57dbcee58e416eb0d7&start=1942&end=1942","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3550645-886b652fa6ad2a57dbcee58e416eb0d7/thumbnail_1942000.jpg","/articles/6224401/Sandy-Springs/Fulton-County/Georgia/Sandy-Springs-presents-budget-with-planned-50-million-debt-issuance-for-fire-station-projects","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6224401-6eeb393425b9fbf5e40c64bbb2110091/orig.mp4?Expires=1777176606&Signature=X0IC~-uoqFkteyJRNjhbf~jS63LBDcCYxl98cVWlsfz3C1XLGFOP0ysv8f44m~pIkjFTfHq2GW0HnTMepFcNt1V2WEwQR9hvvuI0p80qTZ9a9wu0ioZkXnajRLJ1QINGKAgWcPiUedjI~YOgTN8u7HeCvNYOAsyz5UBnbzLgHNJ0J9p75K9FgbchJGCf8uDSnT8GtjpRUpu5O8O-cQ0o~rwU1gCTLvEikcb4iR7xZog7fXDYHIg5Pc8uGwWH2Rx2p1SAlp7BbNwJ9CKWZmTWPHd5~3bftvdp3dNu8rJP3kUqM8DBUKK1aqj982-wPmAKSlQkk8i6kZ1tPcjQTcFhKA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sandy Springs city staff presented the city’s formal recommended budget on May 27, saying revenues are projected to rise about 5% while general-fund expenditures are expected to rise roughly 2% over the current year.

The presentation, led by staff member Tony Mitton to the mayor and council, said the proposal includes a planned debt issuance of about $50,000,000 that would fund replacement of Fire Station 4 and Fire Station 1 and an addition to Station 3. Mitton said the city has built those borrowings into capital assumptions and that debt-service costs were offset in the proposed spending plan.

Why it matters: the planned debt issuance is the largest new borrowing in the proposed budget and would enable multi-year capital work on public-safety facilities that staff told council are priorities.

In addition to the fire-station borrowing, the proposed budget continues the city’s long-standing conservative fiscal practice: “We always overestimate our expenditures and underestimate our revenues,” Mitton told the council, and staff reiterated the council’s adopted financial policy to keep a 25% general-fund reserve. Mitton said the budget is balanced under those constraints.

Supporting details and other capital items: the capital improvement program in the proposal retains the addition to Station 3 and maintains funding assumptions for a five-year CIP. The budget book shows multiple funding sources for capital projects, including transfers from the general fund, grants, and potential debt issuance. Staff said the traffic-calming contribution was removed from this year’s capital line and that a separate policy review of the program will be returned to council.

Transportation and TSPLOST: staff said the next transportation referendum will be informed by a transportation master-plan update currently being rebid after earlier bids came in over budget. That master plan is scheduled to be complete in time to inform a T-SPLOST (transportation special-purpose local-option sales tax) referendum likely to appear on the November ballot next year, not this fall.

Other funds and projects called out in the presentation include impact-fee projects (Old Riverside Drive Park and Boylston Road among them), an impact-fee contribution toward a medical response unit for the fire department, and a capital-project line for the City Center and other public-facility authority (PFA) projects. Mitton noted that the city must account for PFA-related debt in an “all funds” total and that the PFA fund will span multiple years of expenditures.

Revenue and contingency: the presentation included a breakdown of general-fund revenue streams (taxes, licenses and permits) and noted a total projected increase of roughly $6,012,941 in general-fund revenues. Staff also described a general-admin contingency line (used historically for special consulting or unexpected costs) that has been used in prior years; council members asked for examples of prior uses.

Process and next steps: council will hold a first public hearing on the budget at next Tuesday’s meeting at 6 p.m., followed by a final public hearing and adoption scheduled for June 17. Staff said they will return with follow-up details on specific items (for example, additional schedule and funding detail for the master plan and the PFA amortization schedule) when asked by council.","City staff presented a proposed fiscal-year budget that increases revenues about 5% while planning a roughly $50 million debt issuance to finance two new fire stations and an addition, keeps a conservative reserve policy, and holds several capital and operating decisions for later council action.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council hears that calls from Station 4 into Atlanta rose; mutual-aid and replacement plans discussed

City recommends repairing cistern after $340,000 bypass work; estimates $500,000 more and long-term water savings

Council told Racquet Center renovation will be reduced to safety work; $200,000 shifted to performing arts events

Sandy Springs presents budget with planned $50 million debt issuance for fire-station projects