Henry County Update - Newsletter

January 21, 2016

Board of

Commissioners

Severe Weather Awareness Week is February 1-5

Regular Meetings February 2 at 9:00 AM February 16 at 6:30 PM Meetings held at: Administration Building Community Room 140 Henry Parkway McDonough, GA 30253 Regular Commission meetings air daily on Henry TV Channel 180 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99, at 9 a.m. & 7 p.m.

(Back l. to r.) District IV Commissioner Blake Prince, District III Commissioner Gary Barham, District II Commissioner Brian Preston, District I Commissioner Bo Moss and District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes present (front l. to r.) Emergency Management Director Don Ash, Chairman Tommy Smith, Emergency Management Specialist Kevin Johnson, Emergency Management Officer Shelita Broomfield and Emergency Management Coordinator Jeremy Head with the Severe Weather Awareness week proclamation at the January 19, 2016 Commission meeting.

Commissioners issued a proclamation on January 19, 2016 recognizing February 1 through February 5 as Severe Weather Awareness Week in Henry County.

The board hopes that this proclamation will encourage citizens to become more aware of severe weather safety measures and to participate in the various awareness programs scheduled during Severe Weather Awareness Week. Such programs will include Family Preparedness Day on February 1 and the statewide Tornado Drill on February 3.

To keep up with severe weather alerts and news, visit www.henrycounty-ga.org/911.

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January 21, 2016

Published by Henry County Communications Department The Henry County Board of Commissioners

Editor Melissa Robinson

Graphic Designer Meredith Butler Samantha Watson

Layout Designer Samantha Watson

Contributors Samantha Watson Melissa Robinson Kevin Williams

henrycounty-ga.org

Public Meeting to Discuss a Special Tax Allocation District for Dam Repairs tonight!

Henry County Stormwater officials are hosting a public meeting to shape the ordinance for the Special Tax Allocation District on Thursday, January 21, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. in Conference Room B at the Henry County Administration Building in McDonough.

This meeting is open to the public to help Henry County and its consultants, Schnabel Dam Engineering, Inc. and Ecological Solutions, discuss the viability of the Special Tax Allocation District as well as begin to create it. The ordinance will define eligible parties, the boundaries of the district, funding mechanisms, rate methodologies, cost allocation and tax rate.

Topics to be discussed at the meeting include a summary of Category I and II Dams, process and procedures for the tax allocation and a preliminary rate study. Citizens will be encouraged to share their ideas and concerns and will be prompted to leave comments for review.

Currently, some privately owned lakes in Henry County have major structural issues in the dams with high hazard potential. The Georgia Safe Dams Program routinely inspects the dams and finds that some have repair needs that have been neglected, bringing them to a Category I damage status. This status refers to the possibility of a threat of loss of human life downstream in the event of a dam failure.

In many instances homeowners and their associations do not have the funding or reserves to complete necessary repairs, so officials are taking a proactive step in drafting an ordinance to help guide communities who are interested in creating a special tax district to collect funds to make necessary repairs.

Henry County Transit Applies for Funding

Henry County Transit was approved to apply for rural transportation funds from the Georgia Department of Transportation Grant for Public Transportation Operating and Capital Assistance at the January 19 Commission meeting.

The grant would allow for up to $475,747 in operating assistance reimbursements and provide ten new 16 passenger Goshen II vehicles with wheelchair lifts, which are valued at $450,000, for a small co-pay of $45,000.

The grant would require a local match of $520,747 that will be included in Henry County Transit’s annual departmental budget.

For more information on Henry County Transit, visit www.henrycounty-ga.org/transit.

Funding for the Resurfacing of Bill Gardner Parkway in Place

Commissioners approved a budget amendment on January 19 that would transfer funds received from the Georgia Department of Transportation’s Local Maintenance Improvement Grant out of the Henry County Department of Transportation General Fund and into the SPLOST IV District 1 and District 2 Bill Gardner Parkway Resurfacing projects accounts.

This transfer of $301,856 in the District 1 account and $301,856 in the District 2 account will allow for funding to resurface Bill Gardner Parkway, which runs through Districts 1 and 2. The project will cost $1,397,126 to complete.

Contractor on the project is E.R. Snell, Inc.

Small Fruit Plant Sale Benefits Extension Programs

The Henry County Extension Office wants to remind residents that warm weather will be here before you know it, which means spring planting and enjoying fresh fruit all spring and summer long. With that in mind, be sure to order your small fruit plants from the Henry County Cooperative Extension Office’s “Small Fruit Plant Sale,” with proceeds going to support various extension programs. The plants available for sale this year include pear, blackberry, blueberry, muscadines and raspberries, as well as fig trees.

Blueberry bushes are $10 each; blackberry bushes, fig trees and muscadines are $8 each; raspberry plants are $7; and 5-gallon pear trees are $16 each.

Plant orders are being taken from now until Friday, March 11, for pick up the following week at Heritage Park. Order forms may be found online at http://www.caes.uga.edu/extension/henry/ from the menu on the right. Checks should be made payable to Henry County Extension- 4-H.

The Extension Office is located at 101 Lake Dow Rd. in McDonough. For more information, contact the Extension Office at 770-288-8421.

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January 21, 2016 Commissioners Welcome Students from Dutchtown Middle School

Commissioners welcomed a special group of young men from Dutchtown Middle School to the January 19 regular commission meeting.

Brothers of Virtue were in attendance to learn more about local government and several members had an opportunity to address the Board, their teachers and their mentors. Middle school students Michael Hernandez, Sayden Moore and Garrison Madden took to the podium to thank their teachers and the Board of Commissioners for the opportunity to be recognized during the meeting.

According to teacher and group moderator Amber Meeks, the mission and vision of the Brothers of Virtue Adolescent Mentoring Program is to strive to provide encouragement for adolescent males from 6th to 12th grades. She said the program aids the students academically, behaviorally and socially in order to empower, motivate and educate the young men to become self-sufficient and confident members of the community.

Founder Sonja Bowman-Gillison said that mentors worked diligently with the students on learning about the members of the Board of Commissioners and the boundaries of the five districts, as well as key workings of local government.

The young men represented their school proudly, and thanked principal Dr. April Madden, their teachers and mentors, including Meeks, Anita Evans, Reggie Ross, Reggie Crews and Warren Mitchell.

henrycounty-ga.org

Henry County DOT Applies for State Funding

The Henry County Department of Transportation (HCDOT) is submitting a project application to the State Road and Tollway Authority through the Go! Transit Capital Program (GOTCP) for the construction of a park and ride facility near the Jonesboro Road/I-75 Interchange (exit 221).

The GOTCP can potentially fund millions of dollars for this project, which would serve and be managed by the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority.

The GOTCP application stated that “A stronger hard match of funds and the inclusion of local matching dollar will be given greater consideration since it clearly demonstrates the local commitment to and desire for the project.”

In an effort to receive better consideration, Commissioners approved a budget transfer of $100,000 from HCDOT salary savings to a grant match fund that would be used to match the GOTCP funds, should they be awarded.

The GOTCP is a competitive funding program designed to address some of the critical capital related public transportation needs throughout Georgia and any existing public transportation operators that are government units are eligible to apply to the program.

To learn more about the GOTCP please visit www.georgiatolls.com/gotransit. To keep up with the County’s application progress, continue to visit www.henrycounty-ga.org.

Commissioners Recognize HCPD’s 25th Anniversary

The Henry County Board of Commissioners recognized the 25th anniversary of the creation of the Henry County Police department at the January 19 Commission meeting, with a Certificate of Congratulations.

The Henry County Police Department was officially established by BOC approval on January 8, 1991 and began actual policing duties later that same year.

Former Chairman James Joyner, along with Former Commissioner Dave Crawford were on hand for the recognition. Former Commissioner Andrew Calhoun was unable to attend but sent his heartfelt appreciation to the board and the officers.

(l. to r.) Field Training Officer George Padgett Field Training Officer Joe Hencely Retired Major Mac Nale (Now Reservist) Detective Sergeant James Peaden Major Robbie Savage Field Training Officer Roger Pike Detective Tom Stott Chief Keith Nichols Sergeant Roger Stubbs

Commissioner Bruce Holmes To Host Town Hall Meeting Focus will be on transit opportunities and the Comprehensive Transportation Plan in Henry County

District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes will hold his first Town Hall Meeting of the new year on Saturday, January 30, 2016 at 9 a.m.at the Merle Manders Conference Center in Stockbridge. The town hall meeting is being held in cooperation with the Stockbridge City Council and will feature a discussion and workshop on the feasibility of fixed route transit in Henry County. Officials will also present an overview of the County’s Comprehensive Transportation Plan.

Special guest speakers include Michael Kray, transportation planning expert and senior planner with Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc., who will discuss Henry County’s Transportation Plan and the possibility of fixed

route bus service in Henry County. Other speakers include Planner for Henry County Stacey JordanRudeseal and Emily Ritzler with the Jacobs group, along with Grady Smith and Maggie Maddox from VHB (an engineering and planning firm). Participants will also have an opportunity to ask questions and voice opinions and concerns in helping the county update its transportation plan.

The Town Hall Meeting is open to the public and all are encouraged to attend. The Merle Manders Conference Center is located at 111 Davis Rd. in Stockbridge, GA 30281.

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