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January 18, 2013
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Regular Meetings February 5th at 9:00 a.m. February 19th at 6:30 p.m.
Meetings held at: Administration Building Community Room 140 Henry Parkway McDonough, GA 30253
Commission meetings will air on Henry TV Channel 14, at 9 a.m., 2 p.m., & 7 p.m. on these days:
Tuesday Meetings: Thurs, Sat, & Mon
Commissioners Clarify Appeals Process In order to make the appeals process more clear to builders and developers desiring to rezone or develop a property, the Henry County Board of Commissioners moved to update the ordinance on the appeals process to provide greater detail and clarity. The action took place at the Board’s regular meeting on Tuesday. The updated ordinance makes it clear that the Board of Commissioners shall hear and decide appeals where it is alleged by the appellant that there is error in any approval, denial, written interpretation, or decision made by the Zoning Advisory Board (ZAB) or the Planning & Zoning, Building or Environmental Compliance/Plan Review Departments, based on the interpretation or enforcement of the Unified Land Development Code (ULDC). The ordinance also limits those who can file an appeal on such matters to those who have legal standing in the challenged action. Those wishing to appeal a decision
must file a letter of intent containing the following information along with the application for appeal: • Written documentation specifying the alleged errors in the approval, denial, interpretation, or decision of the Zoning Advisory Board or the administrator; • Citation of the section(s) of the ULDC pertaining to the action of the administrator; and • A statement of the specific relief requested by the party appealing. Such appeals shall be filed with the Planning and Zoning Services Division Secretary. All appeals will then be scheduled to be heard by the Henry County Board of Commissioners no later than thirty (30) days from the date of filing. A $300 application fee is also required at the time the appeal is filed. This fee, which did not change, is comparable to other metro counties and is required to help cover staff time for review and research regarding the appeal, and for Continued on Page 3 the henry county update
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Severe Weather Awareness Week Observed February 4th through 8th The Henry County Board of Commissioners is joining the Henry County Emergency Management Agency (EMA), Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA), the State of Georgia, and the National Weather Service in proclaiming February 4-8 as Severe Weather Awareness Week. This annual observance is designed to educate Georgians about weather-related topics, including family preparedness, NOAA weather radios, thunderstorms, tornadoes, lightning and floods. Such severe weather is dangerous and can strike with very little warning, which is why it’s important to get ready in advance. “During severe weather, emergency workers might need at least three days to open roadways and restore utilities,” said Don Ash, Henry County Emergency Management Agency Director. “If you are prepared to survive independently, it not only helps your family, it also frees up our resources to quickly deal with the most urgent threats.” Severe Weather Awareness Week is a great time to make sure you and your family are prepared in cases like these. Each day of Severe Weather Awareness Week focuses on a different type of threat faced by Georgians. • February 4: Family Preparedness/NOAA Weather Radio Day • February 5: Thunderstorm Safety • February 6: Tornado Safety • February 7: Lightning Safety • February 8: Flooding The week’s activities begin with Family Preparedness Day on Feb. 4, when households are encouraged to purchase and program a NOAA Weather Radio and visit ready.gov, where they can create a customized checklist of emergency supplies and a tailored family communications plan. Another valuable new tool is the Ready Georgia smartphone app. This free app, available for both iPhone and Android devices, provides mobile
access to a variety of emergency preparedness tools. On Wednesday, when tornado safety is emphasized, a statewide tornado drill will be issued by the National Weather Service. If there is a threat of severe weather on that day, the drill will be held Friday, February 8. For drill purposes, please assume that a Tornado Watch is in effect when the day begins and do what your emergency plan specifies during an actual Tornado Watch. At 9:00 a.m., the NWS will issue a Routine Weekly Test (RWT) on NOAA Weather Radios only. The RWT will serve as the Tornado Warning. To determine when the drill begins, monitor the display screen on your NOAA Weather Radio to see the RWT scroll. Some weather radio models sound a tone alert for RWTs. Other models do not. If your receiver does not sound a tone alert for RWTs, proceed with your notifications and the drill at 9:00 a.m. Everyone should seek shelter immediately. There will be no all-clear message when the drill concludes at 9:30 a.m. For more information about how to prepare for weather emergencies, please visit www.henrycountyga.org/911 or the Ready Georgia website at www.ready.ga.gov.
OFFICE CLOSINGS Henry County offices will be closed on Monday, January 21st, 2013 in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.
www.henrycounty-ga.org
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Commissioners Accept Donation on Behalf of the Police Department
Henry County Police Chaplain Ralph Easterwood, along with his wife Gwen, presented a donation to the Henry County Police Department at Tuesday evening’s BOC meeting. Pictured are: back row (l. to r.) Major Mark Amerman with the HCPD, Commission Chairman Tommy Smith, District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes and District II Commissioner Brian Preston; front row (l. to r.) District IV Commissioner Reid Bowman, Chaplain Ralph Easterwood, Gwen Easterwood, District III Commissioner Gary Barham and District I Commissioner Bo Moss.
The Henry County Board of Commissioners approved acceptance of a donation in the amount of $2,010 to be used by the Henry County Police Department. The action came at the January 15, 2013 regular meeting. The donation came from Henry County Police Chaplain Ralph Easterwood and Grace Bible Sunday School of Glen Haven Baptist Church in McDonough, and will be
used for the purchase of two United Level III A Ballistic Shields. The shields will be used by officers of the SWAT Unit during tactical entries and extractions. The generous donation allows the police department to purchase the equipment without using any county or seized funds. For more information, visit www.henrycountypolicedepartment.org.
APPEALS From Page 1 advertising the public hearing on the appeal. However, under the revised ordinance, should the Board of Commissioners overturn the decision of staff or the Zoning Advisory Board, up to 75 percent of the fee would be reimbursable. Applicants would have 30 days from the date of the public hearing to request the refund. For those desiring more information about the County’s building codes, a complete copy of the ULDC can be found on the County’s website at www.hcpz.org.
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Get Alarmed Henry Fire Fatalities in Georgia are Double Today What They Were on This Day in 2012 With the recent fire fatality here in Henry County and the four fatalities that followed in our neighboring county, we feel it is important to re-emphasize that many fire deaths and injuries are preventable The fire problem in the United States is an ongoing and continuous battle for the fire service and the public alike. Too many Americans die and/or are injured each year in fires. Many of them might be alive today if they had only learned what to do if there is a fire. According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), 81 percent of all fire deaths and 76 percent of all fire injuries occurred in residential buildings. Each year there is an estimated: 365,500 residential building fires reported to U.S. fire departments, 2,560 deaths, 13,275 injuries, and $6.6 billion in property loss. As of today, the USFA is reporting 127 fire fatalities in the U.S. in just the first fourteen days of 2013. In the same time period, Georgia is reporting 9 fire fatalities; double what it was on this same day in 2012. In many of the fires reported thus far in the U.S. and in Georgia, there were no working smoke alarms in the home. Whether installed or whether the battery had been removed, the results were the same; People Died! Henry County Fire Department is urging citizens to take action to ensure their family, friends, and neighbors do not become a statistic. Having a working smoke alarm lowers the chance of dying in a fire by fifty percent. Having an escape plan that everyone in the home knows and has practiced, greatly improves the likelihood that everyone will escape. Of course there are many other fire safety tips to prevent the horrific tragedy of losing your home and loved ones to fire. Follow these fire safety tips and help prevent the fire from starting: • Space heaters need space. Keep items at least three feet away from each heater. • When buying a space heater, only buy one with a safety feature that automatically shuts off the power if the heater falls over. • Carefully follow manufacturers' set up and maintenance instructions. • If you use a kerosene heater, only use the type of fuel listed in the instructions. • Allow your heater to cool before refueling and only refuel outdoors.
• Keep the fire inside the fireplace by making sure you have a fireplace screen large enough to stop flying sparks and rolling logs. • Have your chimney inspected at least once a year. Tar build-up inside of the chimney can cause the chimney, roof, and the whole house to go up in flames. • For wood stove fuel, use only seasoned wood never use green wood, artificial logs, or trash. Seasoned wood looks dark, or gray when compared to green wood. Seasoned wood is white on the inside. And: • Never take smoke alarm batteries out to put into other items like games or remote controls. • Teach children what the smoke alarm sounds like and what to do when they hear the alarm sound. • If there is a fire, leave the home right away by crawling low under the smoke and Never go back inside. • Keep matches and lighters out of the reach of children. “This is a call for action Henry County. We must join together to help reduce the number of home fires, and the resulting deaths, injuries and loss of property in our communities. We rely on our firefighters to fight fires once they occur; however, the prevention of fires is up to all of us...Fire is Everyone’s Fight…Before you lay your head down on your pillow tonight, be sure you have a working smoke alarm in your home,” stated Captain Sabrina Puckett. Henry County Fire Department has a smoke alarm program to assist residents. If you or someone you know needs assistance with obtaining and/or installing a smoke alarm in their home, please call 770-288-6619.
Follow the Henry County Fire Department on
www.co.henry.ga.us/Fire/Facebook
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Henry County Partners with American Red Cross To Host Blood Drive Every day, medical professionals in hospitals, clinics Piedmont Henry Hospital. All blood types are needed, and surgery centers utilize donated blood to save the lives particularly Type O negative. Those with Type O negative are universal donors, because their of countless patients in Henry blood can be safely transfused County and across the state, to patients of all blood types. and blood donations of all Individuals who are 17 years types are always needed. of age or older, weigh at least To help support the 110 pounds and are in generally life saving measures of good health may be eligible to providing blood, plasma and donate blood. Walk-ins are platelet donations, Henry welcome but to avoid waiting, County Government, in donors may schedule an association with the American appointment online at Red Cross, is hosting a blood www.redcrossblood.org and drive on Friday, February 15 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. in enter the sponsor code hcgvt. Conference Room B of the The Henry County Administration Building, with Administration Building is the theme “Give From located at 140 Henry Parkway in the Heart.� McDonough. If you have Citizens are urged to give the gift of life by donating questions about eligibility, please call 1.800. RED CROSS. blood to the Red Cross, which supplies blood donations to
I am a sweet and loving soul that needs a lifetime companion to give me the home that I deserve. I was picked up as a stray, so my friends here at the shelter do not know anything about my past. If you would like to meet me, then please call my friends at (770) 288-PETS. My I.D. # 1/11-0110 please refer to this number when inquiring about me. Lost and stray animals are held at the Henry County Animal Care and Control Shelter for four (4) calendar days (excluding Sundays and county holidays) in order to give their owners a chance to reclaim them. After that time period, adoptable animals are held as long as space allows.
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Commissioner Bruce Holmes to Host Town Hall Meeting Focus will be on Legislative Updates
District 5 Commissioner Bruce Holmes speaks with his constituents at a Town Hall Meeting. Holmes holds monthly meetings to help citizens stay informed about county projects and initiatives.
District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes will hold his monthly Town Hall Meeting on Saturday, February 23, 2013 at 9 a.m. at Light of the World Church in Stockbridge. The February Town Hall will offer residents an opportunity to meet returning and new representatives, who will give legislative updates on happenings across the State, in the County and in District V. Special guest speakers include Senator Emanuel Jones and State Representatives Pam Stephenson, Sandra Scott, Demetrius Douglas and Brian Strickland. The Town Hall Meeting is open to the public and all are encouraged to attend. Light of the World Church is located at 5883 Hwy. 155 North in Stockbridge.
Henry County Parks and Recreation Offers Mid-Winter Break Camp hours are from 7:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. for ages 5 to 12. Camps will be held at the Fairview Recreation Center in Stockbridge, Heritage Park in McDonough and the J. P. Moseley Recreation Center in Stockbridge. Additional camps will be held at Locust Grove Recreation Center and Nash Farm Park if the two locations have at least 10 campers registered by February 7. As always, there will be fun games and activities, arts and crafts, and this year includes an exciting field trip to the World of Coke in Atlanta. Registration will be held Monday through Friday, from January 22 through February 15, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Heritage Park or any of the recreation centers mentioned above. Campers may also register online Campers enjoy a group activity at last year’s Mid-Winter Break Camp. at www.hcprd.org. Hurry, because space is limited. For more information, call Henry County Parks and The Henry County Parks and Recreation Department Recreation at 770.288.7300. is offering a Mid-Winter Break Camp February 18 through 22 during the week of winter break for Henry County schools. The cost for the camp is $100 per child and camp
www.henrycounty-ga.org
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Henry County Fire Department Haz-Mat Team Provides Mutual Aid Response to Butts County Water Treatment Plant Just after 12:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 12, 2013, the Henry County Fire Department (HCFD) Hazardous Material (Haz-Mat) Team was requested to respond to 1835 Stark Road in Butts County, to a Chlorine Leak at the Butts County Water Treatment Plant. The plant manager and only employee on duty, had stated that he heard a "Boom" and as he was exiting his office, he got a hit of chlorine in the face from the direction of the chlorine room, a room which housed one-ton chlorine cylinders. Henry County Fire and Haz-Mat units from Station Number 1, Station Number 11, Rescue Number 10, and members of the Haz-Mat Team, responded to the mutual aid call. Henry County Fire Captain Jonathan Burnette and member of the HCFD Haz-Mat Team, was one of the first on scene responding with Butts County Fire. Burnette established command and began with the gathering of vital information for the Haz-Mat Team, from the plant manager. HCFD Operations Chief Brad Johnson and Battalion Chief Tom Gardner arrived on scene and Chief Gardner, working with Butts County Fire, took over command setting up the command post while Burnette, moved to operations. Zones were established, a decontamination area was set up, a plan of attack was formulated, and hazard mitigation ensued. Teams in suits made entry with monitors to check chlorine levels within the structure. Although, levels detected were low, appropriate precautions were followed. The structure was ventilated, and air quality was verified before personnel were allowed to return. No further leaks were detected. No injuries were reported. "A potentially very dangerous situation was safely mitigated through interdepartmental cooperation and actions of highly trained responders," stated Captain Sabrina Puckett.
BLACK FRIDAY Each Friday is Black Friday at Animal Care & Control, where all solid black dogs, cats, puppies and kittens are only $30! If you adopt a black dog or cat on any of our September "Black Friday" adoption days, you will become an exclusive member of our "Black Dog Club" or "Black Cat Club" and will receive this shirt!