April 17, 2020
Board of
Commissioners
Henry County Elections Keeps Citizens Informed on Voting and Upcoming Election
Regular Meetings April 21st, 6:30 Cancelled. May 5th, 9 a.m.
Meetings held at: Administration Building Community Room 140 Henry Parkway McDonough, GA 30253 Regular Commission meetings air daily on Henry TV Charter Channel 180 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99, at 9 a.m. & 7 p.m.
Timelines for major and minor events have changed due to the coronavirus pandemic and the Henry County Elections and Registration Department wants to keep citizens informed and up to date with the latest information regarding voting and the upcoming election. The March 24, 2020 Presidential Preference and the May 19, 2020 General Primary / General Non-Partisan Election has been postponed to June 9, 2020. The voter registration deadline for the election will be May 11, 2020 and early voting will begin on May 18, 2020. Citizens who have previously cast ballots for the March 24 Presidential Preference Primary will be counted and are also eligible to vote in the June 9 General Primary/Non-Partisan General Election. Those who did not cast a ballot for the March 24 Presidential Preference Primary will have the opportunity to vote in the Presidential Preference Primary, the General Primary, and the Non-Partisan General Election on June 9. For more information on the Henry County Elections and Registration Department, please visit henrycounty-ga.com/elections or call 770-288-6448.
1
April 17, 2020 Published by Henry County Communications & Public Information Department Henry County Government
Editor Melissa Robinson
Graphic Designer Meredith Butler
Layout Designer Melissa Robinson Meredith Butler
Contributors Melissa Robinson Erika Richards
County Recognizes Recent Retirements The Henry County Board of Commissioners recognized three employees on their recent retirements, during the April 7 Commission meeting held via videoconference. Deputy County Manager Brad Johnson made the presentation and thanked employees for their dedication to the citizens of Henry County. Employees recognized were: Chief Barry Cooper for 30 years with the Henry County Fire Department Tommy McClain for 23 years with the Henry County Fire Department Sharon Gronau for 22 years with the Henry County E-911 Department For more information on Henry County Government, visit henrycounty-ga.com.
Board Approves Purchase of Ambulances and Fire Safety Equipment The Henry County Board of Commissioners approved the purchase of six Ram ambulances, seven auto pulse systems and five AirPak systems for the Henry County Fire Department at the scheduled April 7 Commission meeting. Deputy County Manager Brad Johnson gave the presentation and explained to the Board that the County Management and HCFD team have a future goal to begin a replacement-remount plan for county ambulances. “We are behind on our replacement plan and it has been about two years since we have ordered ambulances,” said Johnson. “Our goal is to get into a replacement plan for all our vehicles. For the henrycounty-ga.org
replacement-remount plan, it is just a matter of taking the unit back and replacing the box with a new one, refurbish it and send it back for half the cost.” The price of the Braun custom ambulances is $1,359,240; the auto pulse systems from the Zoll Medical Corporation cost $99,540; and the AirPak systems cost $44,765. Equating in a total amount of $1,503,545 for all the fire safety equipment apparatuses. For more information on the Henry County Fire Department, logo on to henrycounty-ga.com/fire.
Board Approves Hazard Pay for Front-line Employees Two-tiered system to determine benefit
Henry County Manager Cheri Hobson-Matthews gave an update to the Board of Commissioners at the April 7th video-conference meeting, where she discussed the need for hazard pay for front-line employees. Board members quickly amended the agenda to approve a two-tier approach to compensating employees on the front line amid the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis. Hobson-Matthews said that some employees will receive hazard pay at a tier1 pay scale of $2.50 extra an hour; and some will receive tier 2 pay at $1.50 extra an hour. She said funds for the hazard pay will come from fund balance not to exceed $800,000. Level 1 employees include some individuals from E911, Fire, Police, Sheriff, Animal Control, Code Enforcement, Transit, Building inspectors, Facility Maintenance, those who deliver Meals on Wheels, Risk Management, Stormwater, DOT, Tech Services and Parks and Recreation grounds crews. Level 2 employees include Human Resources, Building, Courts, Finance, Airport, Communications, Facility grounds crews, Elections, Tax Commissioner, Tax Assessor, Senior Services, Community
Development and Parks and Recreation Administration. Hobson-Matthews noted that not all employees from all of the departments listed will be compensated with hazard pay. She said that those employees who are on the front lines and taking risks to continue providing necessary services to the citizens will be compensated. Employees who have been out working in public and those who have had to work in the office will be eligible for hazard pay. She said the pay will be retroactive from March 17, when county buildings closed, through April 21 which is the expected date for the county’s Shelter in Place to be lifted. She also provided a comprehensive update regarding the work status of Henry County employees including that many are teleworking, and several are inoffice performing necessary functions. She detailed that the Building and Plan Review Department is currently conducting inspections twice week and processing permits through the week. Transit drivers are providing trips necessary to medically fragile patients for needed treatments and Senior Service employees continue to provide Meals on Wheels to seniors in need.
3
April 17, 2020 Online Searches Now Available for Courts Records After a management system overhaul, court records can once again be searched online, providing a quick and convenient way to access records and conduct land and background searches. Citizens can search land and real estate web search records that date back as far as 1822. Additionally, businesses and companies have the ability to conduct background searches for new hires and attorneys are able to search case management dockets. The websites listed below are now active: Case Management Web Searches Superior Court https://micropact.co.henry.ga.us/SuperiorSearch/ https://micropact.co.henry.ga.us/SuperiorSearchImages/ State Court https://micropact.co.henry.ga.us/StateSearch/ Magistrate Court https://micropact.co.henry.ga.us/MagistrateSearch/ Land Records System Web Search http://micropact.co.henry.ga.us/LRSSearch Magistrate Civil E-filing LIVE SITE Public Filing - https://civilefiling.co.henry.ga.us/Public/Disclaimer.aspx Clerk Site - https://civilefiling.co.henry.ga.us/Clerk/Login.aspx For more information on Henry County Courts, visit henrycounty-ga.com.
SEE CLICK FIX henrycounty-ga.com/SeeClickFix
henrycounty-ga.org
Henry County Recognizes Fair Housing Month with Proclamation The Henry County Board of Commissioners recognized April as Fair Housing Month with a proclamation at the April 7 Commission meeting. The Fair Housing Act is a national policy prohibiting discrimination concerning the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. The Fair Housing Proclamation read in part, “our commitment to fair housing is a living commitment,
one that reflects the needs of America today and prepares us for a future of true integration, the Board of Commissioners of Henry County, Georgia, do hereby join in the national celebration by proclaiming April 2020 as National Fair Housing Month and encourages all agencies, institutions and individuals, public and private, in Henry County, Georgia to abide by the letter and the spirit of the Fair Housing law.�
Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/HenryCountyBOC
5
April 17, 2020
henrycounty-ga.org