February 6, 2015
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Regular Meetings February 17th at 6:30 PM March 3rd at 9:00 AM 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.
County Commissioners Approve Design Firm for District 2 Senior Center Henry County is another step closer to having a Senior Center in Hampton, after the Henry County Board of Commissioners approved award of a bid for architectural design services for the Hampton Senior and Recreation Center in the amount of $187,500, to Flynn Finderup Architects of Marietta, GA, at its February 3, 2015 regular Commission meeting. The County solicited qualifications and then proposals through various outlets, and of the 16 vendors that responded, Flynn Finderup Architects was the overall highest rated vendor. The Senior and Recreation Center will be located in District 2 at 56 McDonough St. in Hampton. Currently budgeted under SPLOST IV, the Senior and Recreation Center has been more than a decade in the making, having originally been on both SPLOST II and SPLOST III project lists. “This has been decades in the making,” said District II Commissioner Brian Preston. “I appreciate Ron [Burckhalter], your help with this, I appreciate the Chairman’s help with this,
our Board of Commissioners who worked on this and the SPLOST Committee that put together this project list. This is a pretty exciting thing and you’ll probably hear more about this project as we go forward in getting this long, overdue promise fulfilled and given to the citizens of District 2.” Officials expect to break ground on the project in late summer of this year. For more information on any SPLOST project, visit www.henrycounty-ga.org/splost.
the henry county update
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February 6, 2015 Bob White retires from the Henry County Development Authority wishers attending a farewell reception in his honor, held Thursday at the Henry County Chamber of Commerce. White was issued a proclamation by the Henry County Board of Commissioners for his 20 years of service to the community. The proclamation detailed some of White’s accomplishments during his twodecade tenure, including him receiving the 2010 Visionary Award at the South Metro Development Outlook Conference in recognition of his extraordinary vision for quality growth in South Metro Atlanta, as well as the several positions he held with the Georgia Economic Developers Association including being named Chairman in 2011. The proclamation read in part, “Under his leadership, Henry County has been able to attract a plethora of businesses to our community and promote economic development in Henry County through the attraction of new investment and jobs and the retention and expansion of existing industries through strategic Henry County Commission Chairman Tommy Smith presents Bob marketing and outstanding service.” White a proclamation at a retirement reception held on January Charlie Moseley has been selected as the new 29, 2015, recognizing his service to the county. director of the Henry County Development Authority. Bob White, a longtime figure in the Henry Moseley comes from the Georgia Department of County business community, retired from his post as Economic Development. Executive Director of the Henry County Development For more information on the Henry County Authority, with many friends, colleagues and well- Development Authority, visit www.choosehenry.com.
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
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Henry County Stormwater to Offer Free Guided Tour of South River Watershed What better way to spend a sunny Saturday than to tour some of Henry County’s lovely creeks, streams and rivers? The Henry County Stormwater Department is offering residents an inside glimpse into Henry County’s waterways with a free, guided tour of the South River Watershed, to be held on Saturday, February 21, 2015. This is a great opportunity for homeowners, small and beginning farmers and others to see some of Henry County’s pristine waterways and hear about how land uses impact water quality in the community. Participants will also learn valuable information about available resources such as RC&D Grant for Best Management Practices and NRCS EQIP Grants, HOA Workshops and outreach events and septic tank
maintenance practices. Check-in starts at 8:30 a.m. at Salem Park at Salem Baptist Church located at 1724 Highway 155 in McDonough. Departure will be at 9 a.m. and the tour should end at approximately 12:30 p.m. Sponsored by the Henry County Stormwater Management Department, the Upper Ocmulgee River RC&D Council, Inc. and the city of McDonough, the tour is free, however space is limited and reservations are required. Reserve your spot by February 20 by visiting www.henrycountyga.org/stormwater and click on the registration button to the right, fill in the contact form and choose South River Tour from the dropdown box. For more information, call 678-376-9518.
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February 6, 2015 Commissioner Bruce Holmes To Host Town Hall Meeting
Focus will be on Economic Development in Henry County and the City of Stockbridge and State of the County District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes, in collaboration with the City of Stockbridge, will hold his monthly Town Hall Meeting on Saturday, February 21, 2015 at 9 a.m. at the Merle Manders Conference Center. This month’s meeting will feature presentations on the state of the county and economic development in the county and the city of Stockbridge. Special guest speakers include County
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Manager Jim Walker who will give a presentation on the State of the County, Stockbridge Councilman Alphonso Thomas, who will discuss economic opportunities and development in Stockbridge, and the newly appointed Director of the Henry County Economic Development Authority, Charlie Moseley, who will discuss his vision and ideas for economic development throughout the County. The Town Hall Meeting is open to the public and all are encouraged to attend. Merle Manders Conference Center is located at 111 Davis Rd. in Stockbridge.
Registration for Rock Eagle Summer Camp for Henry County 5th Graders Set for March 7 An amazing adventure awaits Henry County 5th grade students at the Rock Eagle 4-H Center, to be held this year from June 22-26, 2015. The Henry County 4-H staff will travel with students for a 5-day residential camp, where opportunities will abound during a funfilled week at the 1,500 acre camp located just north of Eatonton – about 60 miles from McDonough. The camp is situated around a 110-acre lake and campers have the opportunity to canoe as well as engage in fun and educational activities, such as archery, conservation, entomology, forestry, herpetology, lake ecology and the study of wildlife. Campers will also enjoy periods of free-time where they can visit one of two swimming pools, play miniature golf or visit the canteen and hang out with friends. All 5th grade campers take part in a hike to the actual Rock Eagle mound – a stone effigy measuring 120-feet from wingtip to wingtip. It is made entirely of milky quartz rocks and is believed to have been built about 2,000 years ago by Native Americans,and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Camp sessions are led by energetic counselors who have passed a rigorous selection process and completed multiple training sessions. Camp chaperones include Henry County 4-H staff members along with volunteer leaders that are trained to meet the requirements for camp. Knowing that physical activity and good nutrition
Campers learn the Native American history of Rock Eagle.
are so very important for everyone, Rock Eagle offers the “Health’s Our Pledge” (HOP) Class during the week of camp. Students learn about the value of always being active and eating well. A week of residential camp is an opportunity to gain independence, with emphasis placed on: • The importance of being early for each session. • The value of being responsible for one’s belongings. • The benefit of making new friends. • The merit of learning to work as part of a team or group. Counselors and chaperones keep safety as the top priority while striving to help participants have great fun during a “technology-free” week. Camp registration for Henry County 5th graders will open at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 7, at the Henry County 4-H Office, which is located in Heritage Park at 97 Lake Dow Road, McDonough. The camp registration form is distributed to all Henry County 5th graders. It can also be found at www.ugaextension.com/henry. Full payment can be made at time of registration or in three installments. To view a video of camp highlights, go to the Georgia 4-H website, click on “activities & events”, then summer camp, and then Cloverleaf Camp Videos – Rock Eagle. The direct link is http://georgia4-h.wistia.com/medias/wzux86tm02.
Friends and fun abound at 4-H camp.
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February 6, 2015 Henry County Commissioners Recognize Severe Weather Preparedness Week The Henry County Board of Commissioners recognized the importance of Severe Weather Preparedness Week by issuing a proclamation at the February 3, 2015 regular Commission meeting, encouraging residents to become more aware of severe weather safety measures and the resources available to citizens in order to prepare for weather-related emergencies. Emergency Management Agency Director Don Ash accepted the proclamation on behalf of the County. Ash addressed Commissioners and urged citizens to be aware of the resources available to them, stressing the importance of early warning in the event of an emergency
and announcing that his agency will be working this month to reach out to members of the community to educate citizens about severe weather. “We are working to educate and inform our citizens to be prepared for disasters, with the number one issue being early warning,” said Ash. “We encourage all of our citizens, if they can, to purchase a NOAA weather radio, because we know that early warning saves lives.” For more information on severe weather preparedness or to sign up for Henry County’s Emergency Notification System, please visit www.henrycounty-ga.org/911. For more information on the NOAA weather radio, visit www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/.
EMA Director Don Ash accepts a proclamation from Henry County Commission Chairman Tommy N. Smith, during the February 3 BOC meeting. Pictured in the front row (l. to r.) District IV Commissioner Blake Prince, Audrey Thomas, Shelita Broomfield, Chairman Tommy Smith, EMA Director Don Ash and Jeremy Head. Second row (l. to r.) District III Commissioner Gary Barham and District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes; back row (l. to r.) District I Commissioner Bo Moss and District II Commissioner Brian Preston.
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Commissioner Bo Moss To Host Town Hall Meeting
Focus will be on Public Safety and County Finances District I Commissioner Bo Moss will hold his first town hall meeting of the new year on Saturday, February 28, 2015 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Locust Grove Recreation Center. This month’s meeting will feature a discussion on the county’s finances as well as presentations regarding public safety. Special guest speakers include Henry County Finance Director Fred Auletta, who will discuss the county’s financial outlook, and Henry County Police
Chief Keith Nichols and Deputy Fire Chief Brad Johnson, who will each give presentations on public safety in District 1 and throughout the County. There will also be an opportunity for a question and answer session. 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.
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