Henry County Update - Newsletter

December 23, 2014

BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

Newly-elected Commissioners Take Their Oaths of Office

Regular Meetings January 6th - 9:00 AM January 20th - 6:30 PM Meetings held at: Administration Building Community Room 140 Henry Parkway McDonough, GA 30253 Regular Commission meetings will air Fridays, Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays on Henry TV Channel 180 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99, at 9 a.m. & 7 p.m.

Commissioner-elect Blake Prince is sworn-in by Judge James T. Chafin, III.

The Henry County Board of Commissioners held an inauguration ceremony on Thursday, December 18th to swear-in recently elected Commission members Gary Barham for District 3, Blake Prince for District 4 and Bruce Holmes for District 5.

The ceremony took place in the Community Room of the Henry County Administration Building and was followed by a reception in Conference Room B.

State Court Judge James T. Chafin, III administered the Oaths of Office and served as Master of Ceremonies. The

Henry County Police Department Honor Guard did the Presentation of Colors, Helen Busbin, Regent of the Andrew McBride Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution led the Pledge of Allegiance and Lt. Rodney Brooks with the Henry County Fire Department and Captain Mark Ware with the Sandy Springs Fire Department performed the National Anthem. Bishop Irvine Bryer and Reverend W. Frank Prince gave the Invocation and Benediction, respectively.

The ceremony is available for viewing on Henry TV, Charter Cable Continued on Page 3 the henry county update

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December 23, 2014 Commissioner Honored for Years of Service

Surrounded by his family, District IV Commissioner Reid Bowman accepts a proclamation from Chairman Tommy Smith and the Henry County Board of Commissioners at the December 16, 2014 Commission meeting.

The Henry County Board of Commissioners honored outgoing District IV Commissioner Reid Bowman with a proclamation at his last Commission meeting held on December 16, 2014. Each commissioner also took the opportunity to talk about the impact Commissioner Bowman has had on them and on the County.

Commissioner Bowman took office in 2007 and successfully served two terms where he has been instrumental in many projects throughout the County, including the multi-million dollar, federally funded Eagles Landing Parkway Project, the East Lake Extension project, Fire Station No. 9, the North Police Precinct, Moseley Park, Rock Quarry Rd. Bridge and Kelleytown Park. He was also the first county commissioner to complete certification with the Association County

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Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) for both the County Commissioners Training Program and the ACCG Certified Commissioners Advanced Program.

Fellow commissioners noted his leadership and his knowledge of the building and construction industry as great benefits to the county and its citizens and expressed their appreciation for his service.

“Reid, you are a great leader and I enjoyed working with you over the last four years,” said Commissioner Bruce Holmes. “I’ve learned a lot from you. I’ve molded this job after you and I just want to thank you for your great service to Henry County. We’re going to miss you.”

“Reid, it’s been phenomenal to work with you.

You have been a mentor for me. I’d like to personally thank you for eight years of service to the county,” said Commissioner Bo Moss.

Inauguration from page 1 channel 180 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 12:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., and on demand on Henry County’s website at www.henrycounty-ga.org under “Watch Henry TV Online.”

Commissioner Bruce Holmes is sworn into office by Judge James T. Chafin, III.

Commissioner Gary Barham takes his oath of office at the Henry County inauguration ceremony.

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December 23, 2014 Kelleytown Park Officially Named Bud Kelley Park in Memory of Beloved Resident

District IV Commissioner Reid Bowman presents a proclamation in recognition of Bud Kelley and a park named in his memory. Pictured with Commissioner are members of the Kelley family: front row (l. to r.) Billy Kelley, Buddy Kelley, Commissioner Reid Bowman, Bud’s widow, Jean Kelley, Beau Kelley, District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes, Mary Ann Brisendine, Chairman Tommy Smith and Rudy Kelley.

Second row (l. to r.) District II Commissioner Brian Preston, District III Commissioner Gary Barham an District I Commissioner Bo Moss.

The Henry County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution at the December 16, 2014 Commission meeting officially ratifying the name of the former Kelleytown Park to Bud Kelley Park, in the memory of Edwin Bud Kelley, a lifelong resident of Henry County whose family was instrumental in the establishment of the Kelleytown community in McDonough.

Commissioners also issued a proclamation in honor of Bud Kelley, a former County commissioner from 1969 to 1976, who passed away last year, and affectionately nicknamed the “Mayor of Kelleytown” by area residents. He was the owner of Kelleytown Food Mart for more than 50 years, and was a beloved and respected member of the community.

Through the proclamation, Commissioners recognized the many contributions of Kelley, which

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read in part, “as a native son of Henry County, he thrived on serving people and never wavered in his desire to help others, making great strides for the betterment of Henry County…He served as a Henry County Commissioner from 1969 to 1976, and in this capacity, he was an integral and active member of the Board, and was influential on many matters throughout the county, including the idea to establish the Henry Medical Center in Stockbridge.”

District IV Commissioner Reid Bowman made the creation of the Kelleytown Park a priority under SPLOST IV. The property is located at 1605 Kelleytown Road and consists of approximately 123 acres that will feature over two miles of walking trails on eight-foot wide paths, as well as pavilions and a playground.

Officials expect to break ground on the approximately $2.1 million project early next year.

Commissioner from page 2

Commissioner Brian Preston noted Bowman’s success in business, as well as in his family life and most importantly, his spiritual life in his walk with Christ, and thanked him for his service to the citizens.

“You’ve been a mentor to everybody on this board…It’s been a pleasure to work with you. We are going to miss you tremendously and don’t be surprised when we call to ask your advice on some things,” said Commissioner Preston.

Commissioner Gary Barham said, “We have learned so much from you. You always gave us another side to look at and some direction and we’re going to greatly miss that. It’s been an honor for me to have worked with you.”

Chairman Tommy Smith noted Bowman’s service to the county and his expertise in the construction field, which helped to save money in the completion of several major projects.

“He was very instrumental in the completion of

many major projects and I think it’s safe to say that in his eight years based on his expertise and extreme knowledge of contracting business that he has saved Henry County if not hundreds of thousands of dollars, probably up in the millions…I thank him for his outstanding service to the County,” said Chairman Smith.

Commissioner Bowman thanked the citizens and his family and credited his faith for his success.

“All the good things and worthwhile things I’ve done, all the credit to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who is the author and finisher of my faith. I can never talk about what Christ has done for me without getting emotional,” said Commissioner Bowman. “At the end of the day, I appreciate the citizens of Henry County and District 4. I love this county. I live here because I choose to live here. It’s a great place to live and I want to say thank you to the citizens of Henry County.”

The Henry County Police Department is now using YouTube! The purpose is to work in partnership with our citizens in solving and reducing crime.

www.youtube.com/user/HenryCountyPoliceDpt

The Henry County Administration Building will close at noon on Wednesday, December 23, 2014 and will reopen Monday, December 29, 2014 at 8:00 AM.

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December 23, 2014 Firefighters Brighten Christmas for Residents at Haven House

Thanks to community generosity and the efforts of the Henry County Fire Department with their recent toy drive, Christmas will be a little brighter for the children and women who are residing at Haven House over the holidays this year.

Haven House is a shelter for victims of domestic abuse. Since opening its doors in 1999, Haven House has protected more than 4,500 victims of domestic violence and their children, plus assisted an additional 15,000 people through various outreach programs.

This year, organizers with the HCFD were able to collect several box loads of toys, games, dolls, puzzles, books, personal care items and gift cards to give to the residents of Haven House and make Christmas a little brighter. The Henry County Fire Department would like to thank the community, HCFD employees and the City of McDonough Fire Department for supporting this year’s Haven House Toy Drive. Officials said it was a great success and will bring smiles to the faces of those who need it most.

Employees with the Henry County Fire Department collected toys and gifts for residents of Haven House to enjoy on Christmas.

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New Park in Henry County to be Gateway into Fairview Commercial Corridor

Plans for a new park in District 5 have switched gears slightly, with Henry County Commissioner Bruce Holmes announcing that a new parcel of land will be purchased, replacing the proposed site of what was going to be Bellamy Brothers Memorial Park.

Holmes said he made the decision based on several factors, including the fact that the former site has not yet been vacated, along with the incentive of saving taxpayers money by purchasing 23 of the proposed 35 acres from the Henry County Board of Education, resulting in a savings of $20,000 per acre on that part of the land, compared to the purchase price of the original tract of land.

“The money that we pay for the school district’s land will go back into the coffers of the school system and allow them to remodel and enhance the facilities they already have,” said Commissioner Holmes. He added that another huge benefit is that an environmental study has already been completed on the land by the BOE, saving taxpayers both time and money in seeing this SPLOST IV project to completion.

The site of the new park is located at Cook and

Fairview roads and extends down to Anvil Block and Fairview Road, encompassing nearly 35 acres of land.

The new, larger park site will allow for all of the previously planned amenities, which already included two fullsized fields to be utilized for various sports in different seasons, as well as feature volleyball courts, walking trails, pavilions, a playground and a splash pad with fountain, along with additional soccer and lacrosse fields and extra running and walking trails throughout the park.

The new park is expected to revitalize the area in terms of both economic growth and beauty by creating a venue that will attract tournaments and large sporting events to the north side of Henry County.

“The location is perfect as it will be a gateway into the Fairview Commercial Corridor from I-675 and the Fort Gillem redevelopment,” said Holmes. “The new park will also be located closer to the new medical-retail development and adds to the area aesthetically, making the area even more appealing to potential business parks and companies looking to locate in North Henry.”

Holmes expects the County to close on the property by mid-January.

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