February 11, 2020
Board of
Commissioners
County Breaks Ground on Panola Mountain Greenway Trail PATH Project
Regular Meetings February 18th, 6:30 p.m. March 3rd, 9:00 a.m.
Meetings held at: Administration Building Community Room 140 Henry Parkway McDonough, GA 30253 Regular Commission meetings air daily on Henry TV Charter Channel 180 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99, at 9 a.m. & 7 p.m.
District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes along with county leadership and community partners celebrated the long-awaited Panola Mountain Greenway Trail PATH project with a groundbreaking ceremony last week. The ceremony opened with Holmes greeting guests and thanking them for their presence and support. He further shared with the crowd that it took eight years to get to this phase of the project underway and explained that there was a time he didn’t think the project would come to fruition. Holmes said that with the help and partnership from staff, the Georgia Department of Transportation and the PATH Foundation, the project was made possible. “We hope that one day in the future we’ll be able to bike, ride or even jog to the city of Atlanta,” said Holmes. “We’re hoping that’s going to be a possibility, and with hard work, dedication and with the people that we have around us and the leadership, I believe that it will happen.” GDOT board member Dana Lemon was in attendance and congratulated all who were involved. Continued on page 5
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February 11, 2020 Published by Henry County Communications & Public Information Department Henry County Government
Editor Melissa Robinson
Graphic Designer Meredith Butler
Layout Designer Melissa Robinson Meredith Butler
Contributors Melissa Robinson Erika Richards
Henry County Emergency Management Offering Preliminary Damage Assessment- Individual Assistance Training The Henry County Emergency Management Agency will be hosting a Preliminary Damage Assessment-Individual Assistance training on February 11, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Henry County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) located in McDonough. When a disaster or major emergency occurs, damage assessment must be done quickly and accurately to reduce the impact on people and identify resources needed. The information provided through training enables the direction of emergency response personnel and resources to the most appropriate areas and helps identify the need for additional resources. Public works provides a valuable perspective on the infrastructure in a community. In this course, you will acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills you need to be able to conduct rapid and effective damage assessments in order to save lives, protect property and the environment and to begin the process of recovery and mitigation. To register for this training, please visit training. gema.ga.gov/TRS/broadcastInvite.do?biCofId=36414. The EOC is located at 526 Industrial Blvd. in McDonough. For more information or further assistance, please call 404-624-2262.
Storm Spotter Class Teach Citizens to Spot Dangerous Weather The Henry County Emergency Management Agency is offering a free Storm Spotter class to facilitate the education of individuals who live throughout the county to be the eyes and ears for the National Weather Service, and assist them in spotting storms when they occur. Class will be held on February 13, beginning at 6 p.m. at the Emergency Operations Center. The informative class will focus on how to spot dangerous weather, particularly tornadoes and hurricane henrycounty-ga.org
conditions. Participants will learn what a severe storm is, the structure of a severe storm and how it develops. The Emergency Operations Center is located at 526 Industrial Boulevard in McDonough. Classes are free, but participants must preregister. Those interested in attending the class can contact Jeremy Head at 770288-7875 or jhead@co.henry.ga.us to reserve a space.
Henry County Finance Department Lauded for Excellence in Financial Reporting The Henry County Finance Department was recently awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for the past fiscal year’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). According to a statement issued by the Government Finance Officers Association, “the Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.” This is the 14th consecutive year that Henry County has earned the Certificate of Achievement in Financial Reporting, having been judged and evaluated by an impartial panel, meeting the high standards of the program and demonstrating a spirit of full disclosure to clearly communicate Henry County’s financial story. The Finance Department was also awarded
a Certificate of Excellence for the Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR). The PAFR is an easy to understand financial document that extracts information from the CAFR to provide a high-quality report with readily accessible information. County manager Cheri Hobson-Matthews presented the awards at the February 4 Commission meeting and thanked Financial Service Director David Smith and his financial team, for their outstanding efforts. The Financial Services Division includes finance, grants, budgets and the procurement office. The Government Officers Finance Association (GFOA) advances excellence in government finance by providing best practices, professional development, resources and practical research for more than 20,500 members and the communities they serve. To view the 2019 Henry County Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) and the Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR), please visit www. henrycounty-ga.com/finance.
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TOWN HALL MEETING TONIGHT!
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Greenway PATH - continued from page 1 “Commissioner Holmes, again, I just want to say congratulations to Henry County and the leadership of Henry County. We appreciate the opportunity to work with you guys towards this park and the trail,” said Lemon. “I love Panola Mountain Park and this trail. We look forward to partnering with you on future projects so we can get an entire trail network within Henry County
that connects to this one.” The PATH project is the Henry County tiein to the trail network and will cost $2,724, 673.91 to construct. Contractors have a year to complete the project but expect it to be finished by late summer. For more information on the Panola Mountain Green Trail project, visit pathfoundation.org.
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February 11, 2020
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February 11, 2020 HCWA Recognized for System Excellence
Awards for Water and Sewer rate the utility among the best in Georgia The Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP) has recognized the Henry County Water Authority (HCWA) for operating the highest rated Collection System, Water Distribution System and Wastewater Lab in the state. During the GAWP Year-end Fall Conference in Athens, the HCWA received the Platinum Award for Wastewater Collection System Excellence, another Platinum Award for Water Distribution System Excellence, and a Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) Award for its Wastewater Laboratory. The Collection System Excellence Award recognizes those utilities that strive to continually improve their systems through proper management, maintenance, and operation. The criteria for the award follow the practices the utility implements through its CMOM – or Capacity, Management, Operation and Maintenance – program. That includes preventative maintenance, system evaluation, rehabilitation programs, and training, among others. To obtain a Platinum Award, the HCWA achieved a score of 95% or higher on its Collection System review by industry judges for five consecutive years. The Water Distribution System Award recognizes excellence in a utility’s management, operation, and maintenance of its water distribution system. To achieve Platinum status, the HCWA achieved a score of 95% or higher on the annual review of its water distribution system by industry judges for five consecutive years. An added benefit of the GAWP Distribution System Awards process is that such a comprehensive review better prepares the
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HCWA for its Georgia EPD Sanitary Survey, which is an overall assessment of every aspect of water system operations, conducted by the regulatory agency every three years. According to GAWP officials, recognition for system excellence also demonstrates to HCWA customers the quality of their water/sewer utility. By striving to earn these annual industry awards, the Authority improves its overall water and sewer system operations. In addition, through the judging process, the HCWA is able to collaborate and learn from the successes of other utilities across Georgia. The Laboratory QA/QC Award recognizes those utilities who are demonstrating outstanding quality assurance/quality control programs, while promoting the professional advancement of laboratories within Georgia. The awards process provides an avenue for water professionals to exchange ideas, circulate technical expertise, and offer productive feedback. In doing so, judges recognize those laboratories that are demonstrating outstanding quality assurance programs. “These most recent industry awards reflect the dedicated service and professional skills of our employees, who have proven year in and year out to operate our water and sewer systems to the point where we are recognized among the best of the best in the state of Georgia,” says Lindy Farmer, HCWA General Manager. Media contact: ,Chris Wood, Ph.D., P: 770757-1681, E: chris@jwapr.com or john.wood@gcsu. edu.
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February 11, 2020
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:
REMEMBER TO BRING: A valid, official photo identification (you and your spouse, if filing jointly) Social Security Number (SSN) card for everyone on your return Previous year’s tax return All W-2s for current tax year Joint returns require both filers to be present to sign the return Voided check or account number card to direct deposit your refund (This is optional, but allows you to get your refund fast.)
Form 1095-A if you purchased health insurance through the marketplace Form 1098-Mortgage Interest, property taxes, closing statement If you had child care or dependent care expenses, please bring the name, address and tax ID or SSN/ITIN of the care provider
Free Tax Preparation Henry County Government Administration Building 140 Henry Pkwy. McDonough, GA 30253 Friday March 6, 2020 9am-3pm Appointments are required and will be scheduled on a first come first serve basis. To schedule your appointment, please contact Kayla Correa via email or by phone at: kcorrea@co.henry.ga.us or 770.288.6082 [Call. Click. Connect]
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