OUTLOOK 2017

outlook 2017

albanyherald.com

Section D • Sunday, March 26, 2017

THE

Things are progressing as planned and the $200 million biomass plant is reaching ...

FINAL Major Kelly English of the Albany Salvation Army said he would like to see more residents become certified disaster relief volunteers. (Staff Photo: Mary Braswell)

STAGES

RIDING OUT THE STORMS Nonprofit agencies stay on top of recovery

By Mary Braswell mary.braswell @albanyherald.com

more online Visit albanyherald.com for a photo gallery.

ALBANY — Nofacility received minimal vember and December damage. are typically very busy Despite being tired, months for the Salvation adrenaline-charged Army. The holidays, food English and hundreds of donations, food distribuothers were able to get tion, Toys for Tots, the out in the storm-ravaged annual Red Kettle drive as areas and serve with what well as the day-to-day op- he describes as “the right erations of the thrift store, heart.” Once the adrenahomeless shelter and line wore off, it became twice-daily meal ministry more of just pulling the keep the staff hopping load. That is the time during that time. when “you really have to January usually offers dig way down and find a bit of respite, time to where your character catch a breath, as well as really is. I am so glad we a chance to evaluate the and this community were busy season just comable to do that.” pleted.

Board members (and Such was not the case friends) including Harfor the Albany Salvation old Boling and Charlie Army when the city was Goodroe helped keep the slammed with mindMajor rolling. Every day, boggling winds and rains Boling asked, “What time on Jan. 2. tomorrow?” Goodroe was “We were already on also there every step of the short-staffed side and the way. doing the work of two and Power was restored and sometimes three people,” daily operation resumed. said Major Kelly English It was 10 days before of the Albany Salvation the canteen truck, and its Army. “Along comes Jan. volunteers, was able to 2, and all of a sudden we take a rest. had to fire up that train Then the impossible engine again and get that happened. bad boy moving in a totalA Sunday-afternoon ly different direction.” tornado struck the other Calling upon the side of Dougherty Counpublic, volunteers and ty. Immediately, Boling board members for help called Major English, askrevealed to Major English ing, “What are we going just what sort of people to do?” Not long after, are in the Albany comGoodroe called with the munity. The response was same question. English never “Why?” or “For was with his wife and his how long?” The questions two sons, ages 17 and 20, were “When?,” “Where?” when word came of the and “What do you need?” second round of devastaFrom saving the frozen tion. They climbed aboard food at the shelter to rid- the canteen truck to get a ing the canteen truck, the look at the damage along needs were met. Daily Holly Drive. The young operations were suspend- men have been a part of ed for about a week due to power outages, but the See nonprofits, Page 2D

A hand-written note accompanied a recent donation to Second Harvest of South Georgia. (Photo Courtesy of Second Harvest)

The Albany Green Energy biomass facility next to Albany’s Procter & Gamble, which stands 200 feet tall and has a 300-foot smoke stack, will soon be supplying energy to Georgia Power and steam to both P&G and Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany. (Special Photos)

New facility should be operational within 90 days

By Brad McEwen brad.mcewen@albanyherald.com

ALBANY — After years of assembling some very complex pieces, officials close to the project to build a renewable energy biomass cogeneration facility adjacent to Albany’s Procter & Gamble say things are progressing as planned and that the $200 million plant should begin producing energy and steam for its customers in the next few months.

“The project is in its final stages of completion,” said Brenden Quinlivan, executive director of distributed energy origination for Constellation, the energy company that will operate the facility once it’s completed. “There’s going to be a defined testing period, both for the power and the steam that the project will generate, and that will take its own course over, let’s call it, the next 90 days.

“Then sometime, let’s call it mid-summer, the plant should achieve full commercial operation at which point it would be selling the power that it’s contracted to

James Luckey III, the plant manager of the soon-to-be-completed Constellation biomass facility next to Procter & Gamble, displays some of the chipped wood that will be used to fuel the massive, 50-megawatt system that will, by mid-summer, supply energy to Georgia Power, as well as steam to P&G and Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany.

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sell to Georgia Power under the 20-year power purchase agreement and then the steam that

we’re contracted to sell over a 20year period to P&G as well.”

The agreements Quinlivan mentioned are two of the multiple parts of a massive project that saw See biomass, Page 4D

2 D • Sunday, March 26, 2017

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Albany Sertoma Club President Tyler Adcox, right, presents a check for $5,000 to Brother Larry Hample of the Albany Rescue Mission just a few days after a Jan. 2 storm.

(Special Photo) Dougherty County Commission Chairman Chris Cohilas and Albany Mayor Dorothy Hubbard assist Procter & Gamble Albany Plant Manager Werner Washington in presenting United Way of Southwest Georgia Executive Director Lakisha Bryant Bruce with a $20,000 check to be used by the United Way to assist with Albany storm relief and recovery efforts. (Staff Photo: Brad McEwen)

Tyler Smith, 10, is one of thousands fed by the Second Harvest of South Georgia following two storms in January. (Staff Photo: Mary Braswell)

Representatives of 15 area banks and credit unions kick off the “Banking on the Albany Community” food drive to help Second Harvest of South Georgia food bank assist families impacted by a Jan. 2 storm. After a second storm on Jan. 22, the drive was extended until the end of February. (File Photo)

Nonprofits

•From Page 1D disaster work before, but nothing like what they saw on Jan. 22.

“I could see it in the eyes of my guys,” English said. “They just wanted to fix it. They asked, ‘Dad, can we fix it?’”

As they sat in the truck, English said he asked God, “How, how can we do this? It’s just too big.”

“There was a moment of inner peace when God let me know that He was there and we were not alone,” English said.

“Good people had just proven what they could do earlier in the month.

The answer to the questions of how do we get through this and the impact from what became known as Storm 1 and Storm 2 came from the same source.

“Even amidst the impossible, there was a sense of peace knowing that God has us all.”

An hour or so after seeing the storm victims, dazed and wandering about, many in tears, the division office out of Atlanta called. The Salvation Army’s Disaster Relief Team was being deployed and would arrive soon. A whole other mechanism began to move. Help was on the way.

One of the things the division was able to do was bring in three more mobile units. Instead of one canteen, there were four. At an operating cost of about $500 per day, the additional units’ expenses were covered by the division. Trained staff also were of great assistance to an already tired, already short staff.

The first storm, being more concentrated, was worked by the local Salvation Army unit and its one canteen, which spent 10 days in the field.

Close to 4,000 hot meals were served and well over 5,000 snacks were distributed.

With the help of the three additional canteens, about 6,200 hot meals were served and more than 7,300 snacks and drinks were distributed across the 14 days spent in the field following the tornado. In addition to food, more than 300 blankets were distributed, 458 documented cases of spiritual care (prayer) delivered, and 1,684 cases

of mental health/crisis intervention handled. What made this all possible was a two-storm total of 1,830 volunteer hours.

Amazing things happened through it all.

The team was sitting around a table at the shelter planning for the day’s meals, both at the shelter and by way of the canteens, when a knock came at the door. Outside were some employees from Coats & Clark with a truckload of food.

“It was a God moment, a goosebump moment. On that truck were the very items we had been talking about. We did not have to buy anything,” English said.

Other days, expenses were covered by other generous donors.

The stories that English tells also include one about a lady sitting in her car. The canteen workers asked her if she needed anything or wanted something to eat, and she took something. Dead tired and finally facing the end of another long day, the truck was pulling out from the area. Suddenly English said he was compelled to go back and pray with the lady in the car. She was receptive and in just a short time, both were in tears.

“You know, that ugly face boo-hooing,” he said. “I was tired, she was tired, but what needed to be done was done.”

Fast-forward four days, and the two crossed paths at Sam’s Club. The lady just wanted to thank English for the prayers, something she said she needed much more than the food.

“It was a worth-it-all moment,” he said.

The Salvation Army leader cannot say enough about how the community, individuals and businesses stepped up to help after the Jan. 2 storm. Just 20 days later, many of the same people dug a little deeper and did it again.

“It is such an honor to be a part of this community,” English said.

“Events such as what happened in January knit a community together in ways you cannot see.”

Looking ahead, the Salvation Army plans to offer disaster relief training so that those wishing to volunteer can have the credentials to do so.

Once the state steps in at

the site of a disaster and issues of security arise, officials will not allow volunteer workers into the area unless they have credentials showing what agency they represent.

The training will be offered free and dates will soon be announced.

Along with that training comes the development of relationships. English strongly encourages people to take the training and start volunteering right away. In fact, it is not necessary to have disaster training to began volunteering at the shelter simply by serving meals.

Next door at A-Place4-Hope, work can be as simple as helping a homeless person do his or her laundry. Serving those in need now makes disaster relief work easier for all concerned.

For those not able to physically volunteer with the Salvation Army, there are many other needs.

Items that most people take for granted are used daily at the shelter. Such things as soap, shampoo, laundry detergent, towels, pillows and pillowcases, deodorant, toothbrushes and toothpaste, combs, brushes and on and on goes the list of items needed.

As for the Albany Rescue Mission, a home for men on North Monroe Street, Director Larry Hample, best known as “Brother Larry,” said daily operations have slowly returned to normal. The Rescue Mission also serves a women’s residence in an undisclosed location. Many of the women are victims of domestic abuse and frequently have children with them.

It was the Mission’s sale barn on Roosevelt Avenue that took the brunt of the Jan. 2 storm.

The 100-year-old warehouse, as well as its contents, was a total loss. The Thrift Store, just yards away, was untouched.

Brother Larry said plans are to clear the building debris as quickly as possible with the men who live at the Mission providing the labor. All of the insurance money has been placed in a separate account for rebuilding.

The vision is to have a smaller, but much more modern, metal building with heating and air conditioning placed at

the site. Hoping to use salvaged lumber, plans are to build a sheltered area in front and possibly allow vendors to set up flea market tables on Saturdays.

Meanwhile, the store continues operations and donations are being accepted.

“We have a large storage trailer out back for appliances and furniture.

The sale of such large items provides a sizable portion of the operating budget, and often things go out as quickly as they come in. We want people to know we are still in business and to keep donating,” Hample said.

As for the financial state and outlook for the Albany Rescue Mission, Hample says the organization takes it one day at a time. Many regular donors have increased their contributions. The Sertoma Club had already planned a $5,000 donation before the storm, which was presented just a few days after the barn was demolished. MillerCoors and Sabal Trail have also made $5,000 donations.

Meals are served daily at the Rescue Mission, a total of more than 7,000 per month. Any person who walks up can get in line for a hot meal.

Residency is not required.

With the back-up supply of canned goods buried in the sale barn, the everpresent need for nonperishable food items has increased.

“Through tribulation, God teaches us patience.

With patience comes compassion,” Hample said. “The two things needed to continue the work of the Mission are patience and compassion.”

The United Way of Southwest Georgia partners with numerous agencies to provide a wide array of services. Whether it be the Boys and Girls Clubs or the SOWEGA Council on Aging, United Way serves as an umbrella agency assuring the distribution of donated funds go where they need to go.

As with other nonprofits, the effects of the two storms in January have changed the lives of those working for, volunteering with and being served by United Way. Donations, a tally of

which is ongoing, have continued to pour in from individuals, corporations, benefit concerts and other sources.

“All of the funds donated to disaster relief will support recovery programs,” United Way CEO LaKisha Bryant Bruce said. “The only funds released in the short-term recovery efforts were for medication replacement, a need that simply could not wait.”

Bruce said it is hard to predict how the disaster will affect annual giving.

Other United Way affiliates report that the annual campaigns can go either way, up or down, following a disaster.

In observation of Albany’s response to the immediate needs from the storms and the continued recovery, Bruce said, “Our community was impacted, back-to-back, in a devastating way. We didn’t wait for someone else to come in and rescue us. We worked together to help ourselves. We went back to the basics of what being neighbors means.

We took care of each other. We rolled up our sleeves and did the hard work to make sure someone else could be comfortable. We showed love towards one another.”

As for the future, United Way plans to release guidelines on how recovery funds can and will be released into the community. The agency wants to make the best use of the generosity of donors and assure that, while the needs are met, there is no duplication of services.

Second Harvest of South Georgia has been feeding the hungry since it was first organized as Unity Food Bank in 1982.

Now the agency, based in Valdosta, has branch locations in Albany, Douglas and Thomasville, and its service area includes 30 counties.

Following the tornadoes in January, Second Harvest’s mobile pantry and its team were in the field, on the sites of extreme damage, for five days feeding children, adults, volunteers and anyone else who wanted something to eat. Non-perishable food items went out by the thousands. Cereal, chips, crackers, ready-toeat meals and oceans of water were given freely

in Albany and throughout South Georgia. In places where the mobile pantry could not reach, food was loaded on ATVs and taken to the victims and workers. Also distributed were items such as blankets and hand-crank flashlights.

Chief Marketing Officer Eliza McCall said that the people in the stormravaged areas were so grateful and “blessed us just as much as we were able to help them. Most were almost hesitant to take what we were offering because they were so concerned that they might take something another family needed more. Many offered their excess supplies back to us so that we might share with those who weren’t so fortunate.”

Following the first storm, 15 Albany-area banks and credit unions kicked off a food drive for Second Harvest. Before the drive could be completed, the second storm slammed the area. “Banking on the Albany Community” was extended until the end of February.

Such projects as this one are how the food bank shelves can be restocked after a disaster causes an unexpected reduction in inventory.

According to the Feeding America network, of which Second Harvest is a member, a total of 15,500 hot meals were served across South Georgia the week following the second storm to people staying in shelters provided by the American Red Cross.

Second Harvest plans to carry on the agency’s mission of feeding the hungry. Whatever the cause, the work remains the same. Disregarding disaster relief, throughout the more than 400 partner agencies across the 30-county service area, Second Harvest routinely distributes more than one million pounds of food — totally free — each month.

McCall shared one last story.

“We received one financial gift for disaster relief in particular that stuck with us,” she said. “A former area resident donated her entire net paycheck to Second Harvest with a note saying we had helped her after her house burned. It was extraordinary.”

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Above left, this series of conveyors, along with the stacker/reclaimer in the center of this fuel yard, also seen above right, will carry chipped wood fuel to the new Albany Green Energy biomass facility now located next to Procter & Gamble. At all times the fuel yard will hold roughly 15 days worth of fuel to ensure the plant has a steady supply of the 100 tons of fuel it will use daily. (Special Photos)

•From Page 1D several entities come together to bring the 50-megawatt cogeneration biomass facility to Albany, where it will produce energy for Georgia Power, steam for P&G and steam that will be converted to energy for Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany.

In fact, that the project came together at all, Quinlivan said, is a testament to the power of private and public partnerships between multiple entities forged over several years, all with the purpose of meeting multiple energy needs.

“This project is very unique,” said Quinlivan, who typically focuses his efforts on Constellation’s solar power production projects but has been involved with the biomass facility since the project’s inception. “This is not an off-theshelf typical, you know, backyard renewable energy project. It is absolutely something that was tailored, customed to several different needs.”

Those needs, Quinlivan explained, first surfaced when Georgia Power began looking for power produced from biomass renewable systems roughly five years ago. A developer involved in the project, Sterling Energy, ultimately won what Quinlivan called “the Georgia Power RFP (request for proposal)” and began looking for a place to build a facility that could produce the requested energy.

Because the sale of the power alone would not be sufficient “to support the economic construction of such a facility,” Quinlivan said, “a steam off-take needed to be identified.”

“That’s when we stepped in alongside Sterling Energy, and that’s really when the pieces of the pie came together so fast,” he said.

“They had the Georgia Power RFP, of course, for the power itself, and we and they and P&G negotiated to bring P&G to the table to, No. 1, host this facility at P&G’s site and then, No. 2, contract for a 20-year steam service agreement to take all the steam that we were producing and that they needed.”

Procter & Gamble’s steam needs turned out to be not only an important piece of the puzzle, but one of the major drivers of the project coming to fruition.

According to P&G Global Product Supply Systems Leader James McCall, who helped pull the project together, P&G’s commitment to reducing its global footprint by increasing its use of renewable energy is at the heart of the biomass cogeneration plant project.

“We kind of spearheaded the project,” said McCall. “P&G has a long-term goal to be 100 percent renewable across all of our manufacturing sites. That’s really kind of our long-term vision. In the short-term, though, we’ve made a commitment to be 30 percent renewable by 2020, which is significant because it’s both on our electrical and our thermal energy.

“So to make sure we can be 30 percent renewable by 2020, we needed to be able to do both small, on-site projects around the world and then also make some really big bets. Albany is one of our really big bets.”

McCall said the steam produced by the biomass facility, which will provide 100 percent of the plant’s renewable energy, combined with the energy produced from a wind farm project the company is involved with in Tyler’s Bluff, Texas — where the company makes some of it’s Fabric and Home Care products like Tide and Swiffer — will get the company about halfway to its 2020 goal.

“Basically, between Albany and a recent wind partnership we just launched in Texas, those two large-scale projects basically double P&G’s use of renewable energy,” said McCall. “So it’s going to take us from our current 10 percent to nearly 20 percent as

Biomass in a unique location because there’s such a high abundance of an underutilized resource. If you think about all the pecan shells, peanut hulls, the forest residuals like the forest tree tops, the tree limbs, we’re able to get sustainably sourced waste material to run this facility all from a very local range.

“All of the fuel is going to come from 50 to 100 miles of the facility, so for us, we already had the experience of the biomass there, we had the opportunity of a locally abundant supply. We have one of P&G’s largest global facilities, with a very high heat load, so it’s the ideal situation.”

The fuel sourcing also brings additional players into the project as Constellation has contracted with a supplier, Georgia Renewable Supply, which has in turn negotiated deals with local and regional haulers to provide the scrap wood.

“We’ve hired a fuel supplier that is going to be working with many local and regional haulers and fuel suppliers within about a 100-mile radius of the plant, and they’re all going to be pulling wood out from the forests,” said Quinlivan. “And some of these forests are already being used by other companies that are using, I would say, the core of the wood.

“They’re using that for higherquality needs for wood. And then, in many cases, the tree limbs and tree roots are just ground up and decompose on the forest floor.

So opposed to letting that occur, these haulers are processing the waste wood and then it is drying for certain periods of time with the haulers and also then onsite in our fuel yard.”

In addition to the economic The piping in this picture will be used to carry steam, created by the new Albany Green Energy biomass boost the plant will produce in plant, to Albany’s Procter & Gamble plant, where it will be used in the production of Bounty and Charmin. terms of creating work for those (Special Photo) haulers, the biomass facility is generating jobs in the area as well. those two projects come online. size and the scale?’ We wanted of its type in terms of business Quinlivan said once operational, The wind came online at the end to expand our use, and we could structure, but it is one of the few the plant will employ roughly 30of the year, and Albany’s due to either do that internally or we that has that type of business 35 workers on a full-time basis. come up this summer.” could go out and look for innova- structure in North America. We He said part of that employee While the Texas wind project tive partners to help. That’s where don’t know if it’s the only one or base will be made up of P&G’s is certainly an important piece Constellation comes in.” not, but it’s one of the few.” existing biomass facility staff, of P&G’s sustainability goals, With Constellation involved, Interestingly, Quinlivan pointed while other jobs will be filled by McCall did say that the Albany that meant P&G was now working out, biomass in and of itself is not existing Exelon Energy (Constelproject stands apart based on its with multiple partners, including overly unique, having been in ex- lation’s parent company) staff who scope.

Georgia Power. Additionally, both istence for decades, as evidenced will be brought in to work. Out“We do have some other large McCall and Quinlivan pointed

by P&G’s original biomass side of the full-time staff, however, projects, but Albany is unique in out that the project could not have system. Biomass systems can be Quinlivan said the biomass facility the sense that it is P&G’s singlemoved forward without additional fueled by many different types will create additional job opportulargest renewable energy project support from local entities like of products, Quinlivan said, with nities throughout each year. globally,” he said. “Albany is by the Albany-Dougherty Economic the plant in Albany being fueled “In terms of overall staff, which far the largest, and it’s our single- Development Commission and mainly by using scrap wood from we call our O and M, our operabiggest renewable energy commit- the Albany-Dougherty Payroll area forests. tions and maintenance staff, that’s ment in our company.”

Development Authority, which In fact, that fuel source played going to be in the range of 30-35 Although locating the biomass helped bring the deal together on a hand in bringing the project to folks, full-time over the next 20 facility in Albany also strengthens the P&G property.

Albany, which is nestled in the years,” he said. “And about 50 the long bond the company has Other entities, like the World heart of what Quinlivan described percent of those folks are local with the community, Albany was Wildlife Fund and DCO Energy, as one of the most fertile “wood hires, and 50 percent of them are actually “hand-picked” to be the which is the company building the baskets” in the country. specialized positions that are gosite of the project for multiple biomass plant, played key roles “I don’t know if you’ve heard ing to be transferred in from other reasons. as well, as did MCLB, in helpof the term ‘wood basket,’ but it’s Exelon Energy plants.

One such reason, McCall said, ing to bring what McCall called a a phrase that I learned about dur“In addition, these types of is the fact that the Albany site had “multi-leg project” together. ing my time on this project,” he plants have to be shut down during already been operating an on-site “The long and short of it, this explained. “The ‘wood basket’ in the year. This facility will be shut biomass plant for nearly three deal would not have occurred if it that several hundred-mile region down twice a year, and during the decades. That on-site facility had wasn’t for the public and private of Georgia (which includes the shutdown there’s going to be a sigbeen supplying roughly 30 percent partnership,” said Quinlivan. “I area where the biomass plant nificant amount of local contractors that are hired for manpower of the energy needed for the plant mean, you’re talking about Procter wood will come from) is one of to manufacture its Bounty paper & Gamble, Georgia Power, Conthe most productive and resource- support for all the maintenance that will occur during those twicetowels and its Charmin toilet stellation, Marine Corps Logistics abundant wood baskets in the a-year shutdowns.” tissue. So bringing in the new Base, the development authorUnited States.

While under construction, the biomass facility serves to increase ity, who enabled the use of the “So this project is also only facility also generated more than that renewable energy percentage. land (with) appropriate financial viable because there has to be an The new biomass facility will accommodations for building the abundance of this waste wood that 400 jobs for contractors working to put the facility together so it produce 100 percent of P&G’s project. we’re using to fuel the system. could be operational by the 2017 steam needs and up to 60 to 70 “I know I’m probably missing And in many other places in the target date that was set. percent of the total energy needed folks. You’re talking about seven country, we just don’t have that.

That target has been met with to run P&G’s Albany paper facil- to eight key partners that had to We don’t have the fuel supply that James Luckey III, the plant manity. That translates into 425,000 negotiate a $200 million plant. is needed to produce such a sigager of what is formally called pounds per hour of renewable pro- That’s a lot of moving parts, but nificant portion of the power and the Albany Green Energy plant, cess steam and 385,000 megawatt we’re proud it was accomplished.” steam that we’re doing here.” saying staff planned to fire up the hours of electricity annually.

Part of that pride comes from The presence of readily availboiler for a test run March 15.

“We’ve had an on-site biomass the fact that the structure and con- able fuel is something McCall If everything works as it should facility there for the better part of struction of the biomass facility touched on as well. He said P&G and the biomass facility begins 30 years,” said McCall. “So if you project, which includes a power takes a certain pride in knowing producing its contracted energy look at the Charmin and Bounty off-take with a local utility, a that the company’s sustainability plant there, we have been using steam off-take with a commercial measures and its drive to diminish and steam this summer, it will renewable biomass variable steam industrial customer and a steam its environmental footprint expand stand, thanks to the 200-foot boiler facility with a 300-foot to make our products for 30 years. off-take with a federal customer, outward and are not just somestack, as a testament to cooperaSo sustainability is not a new thing is “exceptionally unique,” said thing that impact the company. tion and teamwork and what can for them there.

Quinlivan.

“In this case, we’re really be achieved through public and “What we said was, ‘How do “I don’t want to go so far as focused on a lot of the renewable private partnerships. we take that and increase the saying that it’s the only structure aspects,” said McCall. “Albany’s

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outlook 2017 New hospital tops list of Lee County developments

By Brad McEwen brad.mcewen @albanyherald.com

LEESBURG — Growth and progress have long been the watchwords of Lee County leaders, and that notion is more pertinent than ever in 2017 as the county prepares for multiple expansion projects and — with the construction of a new state-ofthe-art private hospital on the horizon — possibly the biggest development the county has seen in years.

For the better part of the past year, Lee County residents and officials have been buzzing about the new $50 million hospital expected to locate on the property formerly occupied by the Grand Island Golf Club. It now looks like the project is nearing one of its most important phases.

It was announced in June of last year that the County Commission and the County Development Authority had entered into preliminary agreements with a group of investors and developers to construct the hospital and, in the process, bring an end to long-simmering frustrations throughout the county about the Grand Island golf course that had been losing money since the county took over its operations some 12 years prior.

Since that time, the project has steadily moved forward, while the golf course’s operations were shut down late last year.

The county’s recreation authority prevailed in a lawsuit filed by the Grand Island Homeowners Association to stop development of the hospital project in November.

With those hurdles crossed, the project is now nearing perhaps its most important step as the group of investors is preparing to request a Certificate of Need from the Georgia State Board of Health. If that is granted, the expectation is that Freese Johnson LLC, a Marietta construction firm, will build the hospital facility and could break ground on the project some time in the next six months.

“Within the very near future, we will be sending notification to the Georgia State Board of Health that our formal CON request will be coming in 30 days thereafter,” said Lee County Development Authority Executive Director Winston Oxford. “If all goes well, we are hoping to break ground on our hospital in the third quarter or early fourth quarter of this year and be open for business in early 2019.”

In addition to those timeframe details, Oxford expounded on other recent developments surrounding the project and how the

Although designs for the proposed Lee County hospital have not yet been finalized, Marietta-based developer Freese Johnson LLC has provided this rendering that shows the hospital’s general location on the Grand Island property, as well as images of similar hospital facilities the company has built in other locations. (Image courtesy of Freese Johnson LLC)

construction of the hospital will serve as an economic engine for the county.

“It’s true that investment on the properties of our once Grand Island Golf Course will definitely serve as a catalyst for other investments in that part of Lee County, including additional medical facilities as well as more commercial investments,” he said. “But frankly, this new hospital is just simply a good fit for our Southwest Georgia community.”

Oxford said that the hospital plans have changed slightly since the project was first announced, with the number of beds actually being more than 50, as was originally reported.

“Our hospital will have 60-plus beds, expandable to to maybe 80,” Oxford said.

The Development Authority director also said that the hospital will be a full-service facility, at which 10 of the beds will serve as intensive care beds and another 10 as overnight stay beds.

Although he did not share further details, such as whether the hospital will handle trauma calls or whether or not it will have a birthing center, Oxford did say that the facility would handle some indigent care, which is an area around which there has been much speculation.

Henry Johnson, chief strategy officer of Freese Johnson, filled in some other details about the project, including noting that while final designs are not completed, he expects the hospital building itself to be multiple stories and measure north of 100,000 square feet.

“We’re really just still in the early phases of the design work,” Johnson said. “My guess is it will probably be two stories and probably, roughly 120,000 to 130,000 square feet. Like I said, we’re still early in the process, and we haven’t gotten any approvals.”

Johnson also said that his company has been working through the land surveys and that he has a good idea of where the hospital will sit on the Grand Island property. According to a graphic Johnson provided, the hospital proper will likely be situated slightly northwest of the existing clubhouse and southwest of Grand Island Drive on property that was formerly part of the golf course’s front nine.

The graphic also showed images of similar hospital projects the company has built around the country, which gives some idea of the design elements that might go into the Lee County facility. Additionally the graphic showed images of certain landscape designs and pictures of walking trails, which is something that will be included on the property surrounding the hospital once it’s built.

Both Oxford and Johnson, as well as Lee County Commissioner Rick Muggridge, have maintained that the hospital design will tie in with the overarching vision of the entire development of the golf course property, which Oxford said will include development to draw other medical investments, such as doctors’ offices.

While the full range of the hospital’s services, or what company will handle the facility’s operations, has not yet been determined, Oxford did address some speculations.

“I like to think of this new hospital as being the Emory, Navisant or Piedmont of Southwest Georgia,” he said. “The only existing hospital in our area, Phoebe (Putney Memorial Hospital), is staffed for trauma and has now contracted with Grady Ambulance Services to deliver our area’s emergencies to their facilities.

I am certain that this will continue.

“However, just like Emory and Wellstar and

the other hospitals that I mentioned, our Lee County Hospital will be supplying some indigent care.”

Oxford keyed in on the fact that, once the hospital is built, operators will focus on trying to pull in patients who otherwise might have gone outside of the community to have certain surgeries and procedures done. Priority also will be given to the area’s independent doctors, many of whom Oxford said he believes will leave the community in the future should a new hospital not locate in the area.

“I am told by local independent surgeons of a particular specialty that, presently, over 40 percent of all surgeries performed on our area’s residents are performed outside of Albany,” Oxford said. “This will be our target market, thus bringing dollars back to our community which otherwise would leave our

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“On another note, our hospital will cater to and prioritize local independent doctors. If a hospital is not built in our area in the very near future, I predict that you will see local independent doctors relocating to areas where they will have a prioritized relationship with a hospital or our existing doctors, as they retire, will not be replaced by new independent physicians.”

In fact, concern over a future lack of physicians in the area is something Oxford said is of the utmost importance, possibly even more important than the hospital serving as an economic engine.

“It is my understanding after visiting with numerous local independent doctors in our area, that over the last half dozen years, they simply cannot recruit new doctors to join them in private practice,” Oxford said. “If something doesn’t change, I foresee erosion of health care in Southwest Georgia because of the lack of independent doctors.

“Like I said, this hospital is going to be good for the citizens of Lee County, for the entire region.”

While the hospital project has certainly grabbed most of the headlines, the Chamber director said other big projects loom on the horizon in Lee County.

One such project is the expansion of Woodgrain Millwork on U.S. Highway 82. Oxford said the company, which specializes in the production of moulding, prefinished moulding, door shop products and window parts, recently announced it would build a 25,000-square-foot warehouse and expand one of its production lines.

Oxford said the roughly $2 million investment will create approximately 60 area jobs.

“This is good news for the whole community,” he said.

The development authority director also said local businessman Terry Ho has procured three acres of land in the county’s industrial park, next to the newly built Flint Ag & Turf facility, where he is building a plant for manufacturing Terry Ho’s Yum Yum Sauce.

Oxford said Ho, who popularized the sauce at his Hibachi Express restaurants, had been contracting with another producer to make the sauce and decided it was in his best interest, and in the best interest of his home community, to produce the product here.

“There’s no one who cares more about this community than Terry,” Oxford said. “He’s a good guy, and he’s always looking for ways to help the community. This is going to be a good project.”

While he admits there are a few deals he was hoping to secure for the county that have not yet come to fruition, Oxford said there’s no doubt things are moving in the right direction for Lee County.

“There’s no doubt we’ll get more development,” he said. “You just have to find the right projects. I think this hospital is really going to have an impact.

“I expect to totally get inundated with calls from investors looking to do something with the rest of that (property). Like I said, the hospital is going to be a heck of a catalyst for more health care entities there.”

albanyherald.com

Sunday, March 26, 2017 • 7 D

outlook 2017

Storms will test our economy’s strength The 2017 economic outlook for Albany still holds promise despite our early challenges.

Momentum was building as the combination of low gas prices and a resurgent housing market percolated economic activity in 2016. Then we were hit with two devastating storms in January that threaten to slow our progress.

While the storms revealed an enduring strength in our community’s character, it is difficult to measure their impact on overall economic activity. Certainly, the impact will drag down economic activity, even though federal and insurance dollars will be spent rebuilding structures, replacing trees and installing power lines that are in desperate need of repair. Thankfully, those dollars will create temporary jobs and boost retail spending as workers from in and outside our area clean up the damage.

On the other hand, we must not dismiss the collateral damage that changed the lives of people and businesses. We have seen people have to abandon their neighborhoods and develop a plan to return to normalcy. That might restrain spending on items that do not involve necessities. It could also mean abandoning Albany altogether and starting a new life elsewhere.

Either of those two outcomes will negatively

seeing more activity and people have more income to spend on goods and services.

It also helps that the state economy continues to expand at a rate greater than the national average. If gas prices remain Aaron Johnson relatively low, tourism activity should be healthy affect local businesses, as Georgians travel to our which might then be reregional hub that offers luctant to expand operadiverse cultural and shoptions and add more jobs. ping attractions. Also, more economic developA LOOK FORWARD ment activities in Atlanta Even with those means the potential for aspects in mind, it is more opportunities in still expected that the Southwest Georgia.

Albany area will create We can also be encour1,100 jobs at a growth aged by future jobs and rate of 1.7 percent during investments planned for 2017. Even though it is this year. Thrush Aircraft not much different from has promised to expand 2016, there are three its production with a favorable conditions that $500,000 investment that support this estimate. will create 100 jobs. The The housing sector Department of the Navy has rebounded well from and Georgia Power have 2015. Over the last year, coordinated with a largewe have seen the median scale solar facility that sales price rise by almost will entail a $75 million 3 percent, compared investment. Then there’s to 1.8 percent in 2015. the plan to hire 40 new The volume has also technicians at Procter increased by 13.6 percent & Gamble that was the in dollar value. This sug- result of the Albanygests that financial condi- Dougherty Industrial tions are getting better, so Roundtable. consumers are willing to spend more dollars with A LOOK BACK local businesses.

Reflecting back on Correspondingly, 2016, we saw that Albany wages have been rising outperformed its regional at a relatively robust rate. peers in many categoBased on the latest data ries. Over the course of collected, seasonally ad- the year, our area expejusted wages for the third rienced job growth of quarter of 2016 grew by 1,200 (or 1.9 percent).

3.3 percent over the last That placed us fifth out year. Higher wages mean of 13 metro areas in that local businesses are Georgia. That is a signifi-

cant climb from last year, when we experienced zero growth.

Most of the jobs occurred within the services industry of the private sector. That would entail occupations in business and financial operations, management, and office/ administrative support.

We also saw an increase in the goods producing sector, too.

Though many experts predicted little to no job growth, we exceeded all of our regional peers. In order, Brunswick (400 jobs or 0.9 percent), Valdosta (100 jobs or 0.2 percent), and Dothan, Ala. (0 jobs or 0 percent) all lagged behind Albany.

While it was true that Albany’s unemployment rate remains high relative to its peers, it actually masks the improvement we have seen in the local labor market. The unemployment rate remained steady at 6.1 percent and remains the highest among our regional peers. However, we can attribute some of that to more robust participation in the labor force that offsets previous periods of decline.

When previously discouraged individuals start re-entering the labor market, that suggests they see better prospects in landing a job. However, this segment might have trouble finding work due to gaps in previous employment, thus deceivingly raising the unemployment rate. That can

explain why we did not see a dip in the unemployment rate despite the addition of 1,200 new jobs.

greater collaboration with local business leaders in addressing the technological demands of a new economy.

Our local K-12 eduLOOK TO cational system reflects THE FUTURE historical trends. AcAny projection beyond cording to the Georgia 2017 must examine our Department of Educalocal work force in meet- tion’s College and Career ing the requirements of Ready Performance the new economy. Our Index, Dougherty County challenges are not unique remains below the state where the combination of standard, though iman aging work force and provement has been seen less-than-desirable educa- in the middle schools. tional attainment figures On the other hand, Lee are indicative of many County continues to communities outside perform above the state large cities in the South. standard after they also We must capitalize on saw gains at the middle local resources to reschool level over the last verse those two troubling year. trends.

When business leaders That is why the sucare contemplating movcessful consolidation of ing their jobs to our comAlbany State University munity, they will closely and Darton State College monitor our educational is so vital. By combining outcomes, which serve as those institutions, it is a proxy for an available hoped that administrative labor force equipped to savings will be achieved handle good-paying jobs. and passed down to stuTherefore, it is imperadents in the form of lower tive that our local leaders tuition and fees, along work together in findwith making it easier to ing solutions that will attain associate’s and enhance our viability for bachelor’s degrees. If we further job and investcan get community buyment commitments. in, there is the prospect Aaron Johnson is an of a more unified, coorAssistant Professor of dinated effort in meetEconomics at Albany ing the local economic State University. In this development needs of our role, he is also the community. university’s EconomAlbany Tech has been ics Spokesperson. He very aggressive in formcontributes to TV, newsing partnerships with papers and community the local business comgroups as a resource conmunity. Under President cerning local, regional Anthony Parker’s stewand national economic ardship, we have seen trends.

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8 D • Sunday, March 26, 2017

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Sunday, March 26, 2017 • 9D

albanyherald.com

outlook 2017

Albany storms a boon for contractors

By Jon Gosa

jon.gosa@albanyherald.com

ALBANY — The powerful storms of January, which damaged much of the city, have been an economic boon for Albany’s construction industry, according to officials and local contractors.

“The city had in the neighborhood of 3,500 structures that were damaged. That’s homes, businesses, buildings, etc., that suffered some sort of damage from the January storms,” Albany Fire Chief Ron Rowe, who also serves as the county’s Emergency Management Agency director, said. “It could turn out to be as many as 4,000.

That sounds like a lot of error in that figure, but it is difficult to count how many roofs are damaged as opposed to a tree all the way through a house.

There have also been a lot of outbuildings, pool houses and garages that were in

“We are doing twice as much business as we were this time last year,” said A Plus Roofing owner Jason Myler. “So many homes were damaged that we are going full speed and are still six weeks out. Hopefully, customers will be patient and stay positive.

Your house may have been damaged, but we are going to get it fixed.”

According to Myler, dealing with storm damage Employees of A Plus Roofing install a new roof on a storm-damaged home in Albany. and insurance claims can be difficult.

(Special Photo: Jason Myler) “If you need help with that damaged structure that 3,100 number dramati- for Storm 2,450 permits, your insurance claim, we category.” cally.” representing a construction can help,” he said. “It can According to Rowe, a According to city of value of $7,340,200 have be confusing. A lot of street-by-street assessment Albany Development been issued. These figures people are skeptical about was done post-storm to Services and Code Enforce- are for building and roofing bringing us their insurance determine the extent of the ment Director of Planning permits only and do not re- information or claim and devastation.

Paul Forgey, more than flect any electrical, mechan- may not know that we can “We did an actual physi- 1,100 building and roofing ical or plumbing work.” help. It is possible that the cal inspection, street by permits have been issued as Many contractors, build- insurance company could street, and visited 3,100 of March 8. ers, roofers and construction have missed something, and of those structures,” the “So far, for Storm 1, companies were already the homeowner is sitting EMA director said. “The 715 permits, representbusy before the storms hit, there thinking they don’t other numbers are based ing a construction value but now find themselves have enough money for the on permit requests, etc. of $13,568,400, have been covered up by the sheer repairs. We can help with The outbuildings increase issued,” Forgey said. “And volume of business. that process.”

Other contractors, like Michael Pittman of Pittco Woodworks, are worried that customers will eventually become frustrated because repairs, after two major storms, can take longer than expected.

“We were already busy when the storms hit,” said Pittman. “Now, we are two months behind, because there is so much work that needs to be done. We have actually had to turn away a lot of business.

“I know that there are a lot of contractors from out of town that have come to Albany because of the work that’s here, but repairs are still going to take time. I am worried that customers are going to become frustrated.

I mean there are some homes that have been damaged so badly that those people will be displaced for long periods of time. That can be frustrating, but we can only do what we can do. Just give us a little time, and we will get it fixed.”

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10D • Sunday, March 26, 2017

albanyherald.com

outlook 2017

Local health care landscape to see changes

By Jennifer Parks jennifer.parks @albanyherald.com

The future of the Phoebe North campus on Palmyra Road is likely to be impacted by the storm that tore through the area on Jan. 2.

That weather event damaged buildings surrounding its nearby sister facility, Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital.

(Staff Photo: Jennifer Parks)

State College. The former Darton, now ASU West, is home to the ASU health degree programs.

While efforts to enhance medical education opportunities in Southwest Georgia are ongoing, a severe storm on Jan. 2 caused damage to dozens of Phoebe properties. As evaluation of the storm impact has continued in the weeks that followed, the devastation sustained caused officials to rethink how they use Phoebe resources.

“We are evaluating alternative uses for properties around the (Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital) campus that (suffered) damage with Storm 1,” Wernick said.

Storm 2, which spawned an EF3 tornado that hit southeast Albany on Jan. 22, had minimal impact on Phoebe’s facilities.

Phoebe’s finance building at West Second Avenue and North Monroe Street was among those most severely impacted on Jan. 2. A tree fell on the

building, damaging not only the roof but cutting a water line that flooded the building and destroyed much of what was inside the structure.

What could be saved from the building, and the employees who normally work there, were relocated to Phoebe North. Assessments have indicated that there are several Phoebe buildings needing to be torn down, which may mean some displaced departments could be relocating to Phoebe North — a facility on Palmyra Road that still has ample space.

“The storm changed a little bit about what we were thinking about doing,” Wernick said.

Officials had announced shortly after Phoebe North’s acquisition that the campus would eventually be transitioned into a women’s and children’s center. While that option is still on the table, that is a scenario Wernick indicated is becoming less likely.

“There are fewer births,” he said. “While (the drop)

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is not dramatic, we have continued to have (a lower number of) babies being born.”

Phoebe is also recovering from flooding on the behavioral health floor of the main campus due to a patient damaging a sprinkler late last year.

Repair to the damage is ongoing, but Wernick told The Herald that the service line might potentially be relocated.

While storm recovery remains a priority, another issue weighing heavily on the minds of Phoebe officials is the proposed Lee County hospital on the former Grand Island Golf Course property. The hospital is anticipated to be built in a county for which Phoebe provides $9 million of charity care, and the proposal has caused frustration for officials at Phoebe due to the limited amount of information they have been able to obtain about it.

On the general lack of information from Lee County officials for the planned hospital, which is now likely to have up to 80 beds and provide some level of indigent care, Wernick expressed some of that frustration at a recent Hospital Authority of Albany-Dougherty County meeting.

“If that is the case, and the plan is to step forward and provide that care, then we could spend that $9 million on other things,” the CEO said last month.

Phoebe Putney Health System has 300 providers, including more than 30 primary care providers.

There are still a significant number of people in Southwest Georgia without primary care providers, and Phoebe recently added five in Albany alone.

“We look at primary care providers as vital to fulfilling our mission of making sure we are relevant to our community,” said Phoebe Physician Group President Dr. Suresh Lakhanpal.

The idea, Lakhanpal said, is to put the doctors where the patients are, prompting proactive steps in expanding access to primary care. Online doctor office appointment scheduling has been piloted at Phoebe as a way to encourage wider access

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by making it easier for patients to plan a physician visit.

“We are trying to find ways to increase access,” he said.

Specialties such as gastroenterology and neurology are also expansion priorities. Cardiology was a particular area of focus last year, and that specialty is still being refined while plans are in the works to bring a new gastroenterologist to the area in the next year.

“We see patients willing to come from other parts of Southwest Georgia,” Lakhanpal said. “We are keeping people from having to leave the region.”

Outside of Albany, a cardiologist was added in the last year at Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus. Several specialists in pulmonary disease have been added in Southwest Georgia over the last year, and there may be more manpower added in the coming months.

“We see that practice (of pulmonary disease) expanding rapidly,” Lakhanpal said. “The high-intensity ICU, they are part of that also.

“There are physicians at each ICU for at least 12 hours a day. They are eyes-on, hands-on in taking care of patients.”

Lakhanpal said Phoebe Sumter is expected to add a urology service line to its resources while expanding on its primary care base. The health system is also looking to implement growth of its hospitalist program.

Officials said one of the best ways to improve on less-than-ideal hospital ratings, including the “C” grades Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital has gotten from Leapfrog, is to establish a renewed focus on quality measures.

Hospital officials said they have 20 such measures they track as part of a constant process that involves reporting back and forth between physicians.

“The values (come) down to quality and to cost,” Lakhanpal said. “(The goal is) as the cost goes down, we bring the quality up.”

While re-emphasizing the goal of access, the physician group president said: “What we are trying

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ALBANY — The storms in January that affected Phoebe Putney Health System will likely play a role in altering the health care landscape in Southwest Georgia over the next several months, including what the future may have in store for the Phoebe North campus.

The Southwest Georgia Medical Student Housing Complex is expected to be ready to receive occupants this summer and is anticipated to fill up its first phase fast. The Phoebe Family Medicine Residency, meanwhile, is expected to grow in ranks from 18 to 24 slots.

A key factor in continuing physician recruiting efforts is Phoebe maintaining its relationship with the Medical College of Georgia, which has a satellite campus based at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, and the Georgia South Family Medicine Residency program based at Colquitt Regional Medical Center in Moultrie.

Phoebe is taking part in the latter program by contributing to the residents’ education during their first year.

“That is an important stepping stone for recruiting future physicians in this part of the state,” Phoebe President and CEO Joel Wernick said.

“Medical manpower is an important part of what we are doing and continue to do.”

Another recent development expected to have an increased impact on the Southwest Georgia health care landscape is the merger of Albany State University and Darton

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to do is provide a network so patients don’t have to leave the region. We think we are close to realizing that.

“There are people in rural areas who can’t drive in; we are trying to determine access points.

We see that as a significant component of what we will be doing in the future.

We, like the rest of the state, are trying to determine (how we can) ensure patient access.”

A big development for the Phoebe system as a whole is the establishment of the electronic medical records system known as Meditech, which is meant to take away some of the burden of communication between health care facilities and decrease errors in patient care.

Phoebe is constructing primary care centers in Ellaville and Camilla, both of which are expected to come online this year.

Growth at Phoebe Sumter has demonstrated a need for additional office space, which is in the initial stages of being brought to reality, Wernick said.

For Albany Area Primary Health Care, the year 2016 saw the opening of its Behavioral Wellness Center, relocation of the Mirian Worthy Women’s Health Center into a larger space, the opening of the Hotz Scoggins Family Medical Center in the former Mirian Worthy building, along with the expansion of its school-based health center presence.

Growing at a tremendous pace last year in order to improve access to care, the focus of AAPHC in regards to expansion this year will be to take a breather over the next few months and see where the opportunities lead.

“We want to make sure we get our feet grounded good before we continue to spread,” said AAPHC CEO Shelley Spires.

On a national scale, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price has a background in medicine and as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives — facts that offer some sense of comfort for hospital officials in the state, including at Phoebe, that the needs specific to health care facilities in Georgia may be advocated for.

“This is someone who understands not just medicine, but Georgia medicine,” Wernick said.

As for the threatened repeal of the Affordable Care Act, there remain many unknowns. One of the options being discussed is replacing or modifying the elements that don’t work while keeping the ones that do.

But there are many moving parts — including the potential impact on Medicaid expansion opportunities.

“It will take a while before anything happens,” Wernick said. “I don’t know that the state can do much until the federal government decides what it is going to do.”

The tax credit program for rural Georgia hospitals was implemented last year as a means to fill some funding gaps. House Bill 54 was proposed to the General Assembly to increase the tax credit from 70 to 90 percent for individuals and corporations that donate money to rural hospitals The bill failed to make it to the state House for a vote by Crossover Day, but the Atlanta JournalConstitution has reported an avenue may be pursued by state Rep. Geoff Duncan, R-Cumming, who proposed the measure, to revive the proposal by tacking it onto legislation sponsored by state Sen. Dean Burke, R-Bainbridge, involving rural hospital rules.

albanyherald.com

Sunday, March 26, 2017 • 11D

outlook 2017

MCLB-Albany focuses on recovery, green projects

By Jennifer Parks jennifer.parks @albanyherald.com

MCLB-ALBANY — The Jan. 22 tornado that directly hit Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany has kept officials there busy with the roughly $100 million in repairs that need to be done, but there are other developments to look forward to onboard the installation.

The EF3 tornado that hit southeast Albany cut through the industrial area of MCLB-Albany, which includes the production plant attached to Marine Depot Maintenance Command.

MCLB-Albany Installation and Environment Division Director Fred Broome said the damage estimate has been calculated at $100 million. One of the points of impact was the solar farm for which ground was broken at the base in April 2016 after the Department of the Navy and Georgia Power, a subsidiary of the Southern Company, signed a real estate outgrant to develop the $75 million facility at the base.

The facility has been under construction on a 150-acre corner of the installation visible from South Mock Road and was set to include about 138,000 fixed panels powering up to 5,000 homes on the Georgia Power grid.

The project was a few weeks from coming online when the tornado took out some panels.

“There was a bunch of damage,” Broome said.

“East of Johnson Road, (we lost) all of them, and west of Johnson Road we lost 10 percent.”

About 7,200 panels were lost to the storm, and repairs have to be made before the switch is turned on. The solar farm is now expected to go live in July, Broome said.

Another green project on the horizon is the biomass project at Procter & Gamble, which is being brought to life through a contract with Constellation Energy and will supply all the steam for P&G’s paper manufacturing facility and generate an electrical supply at MCLBAlbany.

With this project, the “Net-Zero” energy milestone will be realized for the base.

“This will make us no longer dependent on the grid for power,” Broome said.

Crews repair damage to a 150-acre solar farm that has been under construction at Marine Corps Logistics BaseAlbany. The farm was expected to begin operation this month, but is now set to go live in July following damage from a Jan. 22 tornado. (Staff Photos: Jennifer Parks)

The biomass plant comes in addition to other efforts to decrease the installation’s energy footprint, including a project bringing in gas energy to the base originating from a nearby Dougherty County landfill.

The second generator for the landfill gas system has been installed but is not currently running. When both are operational, they will be able to run independently of each other, and the production plant will remain operational even when there is a power outage.

Broome said the biomass system should be coming online within the next year.

Another significant development at MCLB is the relocation of the Georgia National Guard armory from its facility on North Monroe Street to the base. A former maintenance facility at MCLB was renovated for the armory’s needs, but it too sustained damage during the tornado.

“It was a building we moved out of so they could move in,” Broome said. “It was on the western edge of the storm, and it (sustained) some roof damage.”

Gov. Nathan Deal’s supplemental FY 2016 budget included $1.1 million to allow for the relocation.

Officials with the city of Albany and Dougherty County soon acted to jointly fund the remaining $400,000 needed to move forward with the project.

Broome said repairs are taking place, and the

Two landfill gas generators are in place at Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany. When both begin running, the production plant on the base will be able to keep operating in the event of a power outage.

National Guard is expected to occupy the building this spring.

The base has accomplished $35 million of its storm recovery efforts with the help of Southwest Georgia subcontractors and base personnel working around the clock. This has included debris removal, forestry services and temporary fixes.

Officials are looking toward Headquarters Marine Corps to help secure more money, much of which is going toward roof repairs.

“We expect to have the most critical repairs done by summer,” Broome said.

“This time of year, if there is no A/C (air conditioning), it

is no big deal. It will be a big issue in May and June.”

The struggle to continue serving the nation’s military after a severe storm is not a struggle unique to MCLB. The Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Parris Island, S.C., is still putting the pieces back together after Hurricane Matthew hit in September, and Naval Air Station Pensacola sustained a substantial impact from Hurricane Ivan in September 2004.

“These things happen,” Broome said. “Thankfully, we have a team that can quickly respond.”

Emergencies are something military installations

are constantly preparing for.

In the case of the tornado, personnel were volunteering to come in on their own that Sunday afternoon and do what they could to help.

“Some did not get called in, they just showed up,” said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jason Boatright, the public works officer at MCLB-Albany.

Ski Smigelski, deputy director for the base’s Installation and Environment Division, said four air compressors at the production plant will be changed out to run on landfill gas if needed — further decreasing the dependency on other forms of energy.

Boatright also made note

in a recent interview with The Albany Herald of a heating and air conditioning communication system that adjusts the amount of energy needed based on temperature and facility workload.

He also discussed an effort to diminish the base’s role as “energy hogs” by resetting infrastructure through the repurposing or demolishing of what is not being properly utilized.

“This is one of the things we are going through right now,” Smigelski said of the infrastructure reset.

Lt. Jose Centenorosado, director of the MCLB-Albany Facilities Engineering and Acquisition Division, added there will soon be an overhaul of MCLB’s gas line system.

“We will have a brand new one very soon,” he said.

Centenorosado said that expansion is continuing on the Cold Borehole Thermal Energy Storage system brought to MCLB in 2015, through which cold water is stored underground during the fall, winter and spring months and harvested each summer to reduce the cost of air conditioning.

The system was introduced at the Marine Corps Logistics Command headquarters building and is being implemented to other structures at the base, an effort that will be ongoing this year, Centenorosado said.

The overall goal, Smigelski said, is to support the warfighter and increase stability. Even with plans in place to move forward with that mission, committing fully to projects is hard without knowing the money will be in hand to follow through.

“All our projects are in support of the warfighter, for the guy on the end in Afghanistan,” he said. “If we don’t have the adequate facilities to work out of, it is not good for the warfighter.”

MCLB-Albany Commanding Officer Col. James Carroll III, summed up ongoing projects at the base: “The ongoing development at Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany will serve as an anchor for longterm installation viability, ensuring ready facilities, infrastructure and a range of tailored support services that enable our tenant activities to accomplish their assigned missions in support of the warfighter and enhance their quality of life.”

DCSS social workers track down ‘our children’ after storms

By Terry Lewis terry.lewis@albanyherald.com

ALBANY — January was an interesting month for the Dougherty County School System.

Superintendent Butch Mosley said he would step down in late June with a year remaining on his contract. Assistant Superintendent Jack Wills announced he would retire at the same time. Assistant Superintendent and Chief Financial Officer Ken Dyer was selected by the school board to replace Mosely, and negotiations are currently underway on Dyer’s contract. Two storms swept through the county on the Jan. 2 and 22, and subsequent closures cost the DCSS 12 instructional days. And the Commodore Conyers College and Career Academy picked up the pace on renovations at its new home at Southside Middle School.

January did not offer many “just another days” at the office for the DCSS. Lost in the shuffle, however, are some unsung heroes. Down a long hallway at the Walter F. Judge Complex, DCSS lead social worker Marion Stevens and a cadre of five staff members have been working since early January to help nearly 4,000 students and their families get back on their feet after being displaced by the

“If they had not shown up yet, then we had to go out there and look for them,” Stevens said. “And with the process that the school system used, we were able to find them.

But we learned from the first storm and were better prepared for the second one.”

When school reopened after the storms, the district counted more than 1,100 absences that day. That number quickly dropped to 600 and steadily declined as the students were found, many of them at new locations.

“When Jan. 22 came, we knew what to do.

Considering what all we’d been through, the fact that we only had 600 absences when we reopened is amazing,” Stevens said.

Dougherty County School System lead social worker Marion Stevens displays some “Every day after that, the of the gift cards donated to the district after January storms. (Staff Photo: Terry Lewis) numbers would consistently go down because our storms. we had to walk to get to good majority of them,” social workers remained in “We had 130 famithe trailers. Those were she said. “After the storm, contact with the families.” lies who completely lost the ones where most of we weren’t even sure how Stevens said that in their homes; they lost our Hispanic population many we were looking for many ways the storms of everything they owned,” lived. Those are the ones because we didn’t have a January were much worse Stevens said. “But over we wanted to find first. number. But we knew if than the Flood of 1994 the past months, we have Sometimes they get fearful we went into the shelters, that devastated the comserved close to 4,000 who when things happen, and it would give us a general munity. were without power. That we don’t know which ones idea. We had to wait until “We had almost a included storms 1 and 2. are documented or not.” they went back to school week’s warning that The second storm hit on a Stevens said her group on Jan. 30; then we could the flood was coming,” Sunday, and at 8:30 Mon- found and identified a compare our names to the Stevens said. “So a lot of day morning we were out number of DCSS students school rosters.” people were able to get trying to find our kids over in the area.

After school resumed, some of their stuff out in east Albany.

“It took a little time, but teachers had to pull their of the house, and when “The first place we we hit every single site classroom rolls to see if they got back they just could get into was a trailer we could looking for our they were missing stuhad to rebuild. But with park off Highway 82. But children, and we found a dents. these storms, there was no

prewarning. Those people had to run and didn’t have time to move their stuff, and they lost everything at one time. And that’s the biggest difference.”

Currently, the system is looking at fewer than 1,000 students who remain basically homeless.

“We’ve identified them, and we know where they are,” Stevens said. “We’ve moved on to Phase 3. We have been giving them gift cards and we have new bedding, but we don’t know what FEMA is going to do. We’ve been giving out everything; if you can name it we’re giving it out. The people that have helped us have been fantastic.”

Stevens said the group’s biggest need is finding shelter for 138 displaced families.

“I’ve checked around with some of the rental agencies and there are apartments available, but these people can’t afford $600 a month in rent,” she said. “If they were staying in Paradise Village, they were out there for a reason. Their rent was affordable at $325, but how are you going to go from $325 to $600?

“Right now, a lot of them are in hotels or somewhere else, stacked up with family members or friends because they have nothing and don’t have anywhere else to go.”

12D • Sunday, March 26, 2017

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