Henrycountyupdate 081513 update

August 15, 2013

BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Called Meetings August 19th at 6:00 p.m.

August 29th at 6:00 p.m.

Regular Meetings August 20th at 6:30 p.m.

September 3rd at 9:00 a.m.

September 17th at 6:30 p.m.

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 14 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99, at 9 a.m. & 7 p.m.

Henry County Names Finance Director, Interim County Manager The Henry County Board of Commissioners held a called meeting Monday during which they elected to make several changes in personnel and the organizational structure of the County.

Effective immediately, County Manager Fred Auletta will shift into the position of Finance Director and will now report directly to the Board of Commissioners.

“Fred will do an excellent job as Finance Director,” said Henry County Commission Chairman Tommy Smith, and referred to Fred’s extensive finance/accounting background.

Planning & Zoning Services Division Director Michael Harris will step into the role of Interim County Manager until a County Manager is appointed. Harris has been with the County since 1998, at which time he served as an Engineer in the Building Department, and was promoted to the Director of Development Plan Review in 2000. He has since provided leadership over several different divisions during his tenure.

The Commissioners are looking to retain the services of the Carl Vinson Institute of Government to help in what will be a national search and selection process.

The Institute is currently back-logged and is not expected to begin the process until September. Under this time frame, it is anticipated that a new County Manager

Michael Harris is now Henry County’s Interim County Manager

could be named by the beginning of 2014.

Angie Sorrow, who has been filling in as Interim Finance Director since February, was named Assistant Finance Director/Budget Analyst. She will report directly to the Board of Commissioners as Budget Analyst to help keep Commissioners apprised of how the budget is tracking expenditure-wise, and to the Finance Director as the Assistant Finance Director for all other finance issues, such as payroll, accounting, accounts receivables, etc.

The Purchasing Department, which had reported directly to the Finance Director, will now report to the County Manager. the henry county update

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Ribbon-cutting Ceremony Scheduled for Henry County Airport Runway Extension Project Later this month, the Henry County Board of Commissioners will host a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of Phase I of the Henry County Airport Runway Extension Project, improving both the safety and accessibility at the airport.

The total cost of the expansion project was $3,044,664.78, with Henry County paying just a little more than five percent of that cost, or $163,105.78. The balance of $2,881,559 was funded entirely by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT).

The airport was acquired from Clayton County in 2011 at a cost to the County of $2.7 million, and even with its

portion of the cost of the runway extension project, Henry County has still invested well under $3 million total for infrastructure that is expected to be a major impetus for economic development in the community through the creation of high-paying jobs in airframe, mechanical system and

avionics repair.

The improved airport will also better equip Henry County to attract the growing number of corporations which require nearby airfields for their operations or executive travel. The county is also expected to benefit directly from increased ad valorem taxes for aircraft housed at the airport, as well as fuel sales and other aviation investments that will add to the local tax base.

The public is invited to attend the celebration, which will be held at the Henry County Airport located at 474 Speedway Blvd. inHampton, on August 29, 2013 at 10 a.m. Light refreshments will be served.

Focus will be on Small Business & Entrepreneurs Toni Davis, Organizational Leadership Consultant, will discuss Implementing a Business League Servicing Areas South of Atlanta. Marc Parham and Dan Barnes, Partec Consulting Group, will discuss developing a business plan, gaining access to capital, and development for small business owners.

August 24, 2013 • 9am Cross Road Christian Church

• 5365 North Henry Blvd. in Stockbridge Across from the QT

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Commissioners Approve Short Term Lease for Filming The Henry County Board of Commissioners approved an amendment to the County Code to allow for short-term leases for renting property when it’s deemed beneficial to the County. The Board approved a recommendation that a provision be added to the ordinance, giving the Board of Commissioners the option to approve short-term leases with the duration not to exceed twelve months. The action came at the regular Commission meeting held on August 6, 2013.

A request by a television production company, currently filming a television show for ABC called Resurrection, to rent the former bank building located at 530 W. Highway 20/81 in McDonough brought to light the need for a provision in the ordinance that would allow for short term leases of Henry County properties. The building is vacant and will eventually be removed or modified as it lays in the right-of-way of an upcoming road project.

Before the amendment, the code required that properties available for lease be put out to bid, and for the Board of Commissioners to approve the offer. The provision is intended to make it more attractive for the film and television industry to consider locations in Henry County for their production needs.

“Bringing the movie and television industry to Henry County helps to boost our local economy, because the cast, crew and other staff dine in our restaurants, stay in local hotels and shop locally, not only for professional needs such as set and costume design, but for personal needs as well,” said Julie Hoover-Ernst, Henry County’s Communications Director and board member of the Henry County Convention & Visitors Bureau.

In a related item, Commissioners approved the short-term lease of the former bank building at 530 W. Highway 20/81 on a monthto month basis, to FTP Productions LLC, to conduct filming, storage, casting, writing , rehearsing and related activities, for a rental fee of $5,000 per month.

It’s been reported that the Georgia Film/TV production industry spending generated nearly $700 million in the state of Georgia in 2011, and Henry County wants to be considered a viable option when production companies are scouting sites. County officials are working to create policies and procedures that make filming in the community easier and more appealing, which includes amending the code to allow for the short-term use of properties to be used as filming locations.

Commissioner Bo Moss to Hold Town Hall Meeting District I Commissioner Bo Moss will hold a Town Hall Meeting on Saturday, September 14 at 9 a.m. at the Locust Grove Recreation Center. Scheduled guest speakers will be Trea Pipkin, Henry County Solicitor General, and Bert Brantley, Executive Director with the Georgia Road and Tollway Authority (GRTA).

Pipkin will give citizens an overview of Henry County’s criminal justice system and Brantley will discuss the plans for the I-75 Express Lanes. Light refreshments will also be served.

The Town Hall Meeting is open to the public and all are encouraged to attend. The Locust Grove Recreation Center is located at 10 Cleveland St. in Locust Grove.

Sign up for the Henry County Emergency Notification System http://tinyurl.com/lnqzh5q

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Henry TV Receives Honor for Television Program Garden Delights

Henry TV’s production team stands with the Friend of the Extension Award in their studio. They are, from left to right Broadcast Producer Kevin Williams, Broadcast Production Specialists Nathan Monroe and Ed Gore, and Communications Director Julie Hoover-Ernst.

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The staff of Henry TV, Henry County's government access television station, was honored by the Georgia Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (GEAFCS) at its 2013 State Professional Development Conference held last week in Henry County.

Henry TV was presented the Friend of Extension Award for its work helping to promote the programs and services of the Extension Office. The award highlighted in particular Garden Delights, the original gardening and cooking show Henry TV produces each month in partnership with the Henry County Extension Office.

Henry County Communications Director Julie Hoover-Ernst was on hand to accept the award on behalf of the TV14 production team, including Broadcast Producer, Kevin Williams, and Broadcast Production Specialists, Nathan Monroe and Ed Gore.

Garden Delights airs daily at 12 noon and 4 p.m. on Henry TV, channel 14 on Charter cable and Channel 99 on AT&T U-Verse.