Eighteen months before the first pitch at SunTrust Park, and with more than $100 million in transportation infrastructure projects pending around the ballpark, Cobb transportation director Faye DiMassimo has announced her plan to resign effective Dec. 4.
DiMassimo, who makes $146,500 a year, has been with the county since January 2010. She is leaving for the city of Atlanta, to become administrator of the city’s infrastructure bond program.
It is unclear what DiMassimo’s new salary will be; she did not respond to questions from the The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday or Tuesday. Likewise, an Atlanta spokeswoman did not respond to questions sent by the AJC.
DiMassimo made the announcement Monday in a five-paragraph letter to commissioners and county manager David Hankerson. DiMassimo initially said her last day would be Nov. 20. But a county spokeswoman said DiMassimo agreed to stay an extra two weeks so deputy director Jim Wilgus could work alongside her during that time.
The resignation letter recites a laundry-list of accomplishments during DiMassimo's tenure — including the passage of two special purpose sales tax levies, an update of the county's comprehensive transportation plan, start of construction for the Windy Hill diverging diamond interchange, re-branding of Cobb Community Transit and initiation of a flex bus service.
“With so much accomplishment and plans poised for implementation, the timing was favorable to consider an extraordinary career opportunity in another public role,” DiMassimo’s letter says.
Her resignation does not come at the best time for the county. Officials are considering expanded transit service to seven days a week; is waiting on a federal ruling related to environmental impacts of the proposed $500 million bus rapid transit project; is trying to secure funding for a bridge over I-285 to SunTrust Park; is studying a start-up transit service to move people around the Cumberland area where the ballpark is being built; and is engaged in several studies related to the new stadium, including how the county will keep pedestrians safe on game days.
There are currently more than 18 on-going projects in the ballpark area.
Commissioner Bob Ott, who represents the area where SunTrust Park is under construction, said he hopes the county takes its time and conducts a national search to find DiMassimo’s replacement. Ott said the resignation came as a surprise to the county’s leadership.
“I don’t think it’s the best of times for somebody to leave with everything that’s going on,” Ott said. “I’m a little bit disappointed with that. Faye needs to do what is best for her, but a little bit more notice would have been nice.”
Retired businessman Larry Savage called DiMassimo “probably the most intelligent person working for the county.” Savage is a frequent county government observer, who ran an unsuccessful campaign for county chairman in 2012 and unsuccessfully argued at the Georgia Supreme Court that the county’s plan to issue bonds for stadium construction was unconstitutional.
“Her work ethic is something most cannot match,” Savage said.
DiMassimo has also seen her share of controversy. A $10 million federal grant application, and a key environmental study for bus rapid transit, contained incorrect information when they were submitted to the Federal Transit Authority this year. The county found out last week that it was not awarded the grant.
And during a commission meeting at which the county approved its long-term transportation plan, DiMassimo allowed commissioners to vote thinking that the plan required a public referendum for rapid transit when it did not.
Commission Chairman Tim Lee has subsequently promised a referendum before moving forward with rapid transit. Lee expressed confidence Tuesday that the county will be able to complete all of the necessary transportation projects before the stadium opens.
“The transportation team is extremely talented and capable,” Lee said in a statement issued through his spokeswoman. “They are well prepared to usher the county through the next 18 months leading up to first pitch.”
Staff writer Katie Leslie contributed to this article.
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