March 24, 2017
Board of
Commissioners Regular Meetings April 4, 2017 9:00 AM April 18, 2017 6:30 PM Meetings held at: Administration Building Community Room 140 Henry Parkway McDonough, GA 30253 Regular Commission meetings air daily on Henry TV Channel 180 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99, at 9 a.m. & 7 p.m.
Commissioners Appoint New County Manager The Henry County Board of Commissioners appointed Cheri Hobson-Matthews to the position of County Manager, to begin serving immediately. The action came during a called meeting held this morning. Hobson-Matthews,from McDonough, GA, earned her Masters of Urban and Regional Planning and her Bachelor of Science Degree in Community Planning and Urban Studies, both from Alabama A&M University. She has been with Henry County Government for the past 15 years, and most recently held the position of Assistant County Manager. In her new role she is responsible for overseeing the management of approximately 1,700 employees. Hobson-Matthews began her career in Henry County Government as a Planner II in the Planning and Zoning Department, moving up the ranks to Planning and Zoning Director, then becoming a Division Director. In 2014 Hobson-Matthews was promoted to the role of Assistant County Manager and during her tenure, also served as Interim County Manager. In her role as Assistant County Manager, she has assisted with the preparation and administration of a $137 million budget, as well as aided in planning, managing and directing the activities of the county government and its various departments. The county manager search was conducted internally and initially attracted 15 candidates for the position. For more information on Henry County Government please visit www.henrycounty-ga.org.
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March 24, 2017 Published by Henry County Communications Department The Henry County Board of Commissioners Editor Melissa Robinson Graphic Designer Meredith Butler Melissa Robinson Layout Designer Melissa Robinson Meredith Butler Contributors Melissa Robinson Kevin Williams
Commissioners Adopt Highway Corridor Overlay District
Support innovative move to set high standards in Henry County In what has been described as a big and innovative move, the Henry County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution to set high standards for those wishing to develop and build in highly visible corridors in unincorporated Henry County. Commissioners approved a resolution at the March 21 Commission meeting to update the County’s ULDC (Unified Land Development Code) to include a Highway Corridor Overlay District which now sets a standard for aesthetic elements such as street lighting, sidewalks, building facades and landscaping.
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The purpose of the new overlay district is to establish consistent design standards, encourage innovative development projects that set standards for landscaping, open space, community design and public amenities, as well as to create attractive gateways that are both appealing and environmentally responsible. District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes voiced his support of the overlay district. “I want to say great job. We’ve needed something like this in place for a very long time,” said Holmes. District IV Commissioner Blake Prince also lauded the plan and said that not only does this set the standard for developers to bring their A-game but sets a precedent that will impact future development for years to come. “This is big. This is a major thing for Henry County. This is probably one of the biggest things that this Board will do for many, many years,” said Prince. “Twenty years from now we will all look back and say what a nice, cohesive area Henry County is. So I’m really proud of staff for this. Thank you.” Daunte Gibbs, Planning and Zoning Director, presented the item and said that the overlay district is a rare and innovative plan that not many counties have put into place yet. For more information on the Henry County ULDC, please visit www.henrycounty-ga.org.
County Cuts Ribbon on New Park in District 5 Commissioner dedicates fields to longtime families
Sunny skies prevailed as District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes, along with fellow Commissioners, County officials and members of the community, cut the ribbon on the new park in Fairview called Village Park at North Henry. The ribbon cutting ceremony took place on March 16. Commissioner Holmes addressed the crowd and presented proclamations to two longtime families from the area, the Bellamy family and the Bowden family. In the proclamations he detailed the leadership and contributions each family has made to the community and dedicated the East Athletic Field of the park to the Bellamy family and West Athletic field to the Bowden family. “Both of these families have been wonderful to the Fairview community, so I thought the best thing to do would be to honor both of these families that have been around this area for years and have done so much
for this community,” said Holmes. “We have dedicated both athletic fields to both of these families so that their names can live on.” The Village Park at North Henry, located at 750 Fairview Road in Ellenwood, is 34-acres and features an event lawn, an interactive fountain, a community building, a concession stand, score tower, restrooms and meeting room, along with multi-purpose sports fields to accommodate a variety of different team sports, including football, soccer and lacrosse, paved walking trails and pavilions with picnic tables. The new park will also feature a Par course fitness circuit and a playground. Village Park at North Henry was made possible through the SPLOST IV initiative. For more information on this or any SPLOST project, please visit henrycountyga.org/splost.
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March 24, 2017 GDOT to Hold Public Information Meeting on April 13
The Georgia Department of Transportation will be hosting a Public Information Open House on the widening project for Rock Quarry Road from Eagles Landing
Parkway to SR 42/SR 138. The GDOT meeting will take place on Thursday, April 13 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Stockbridge Elementary School located at 4617 N. Henry Blvd., Stockbridge, GA 30281.
Community Smoke Alarm Blitz Set for Saturday Fire professionals to hand out smoke alarms door-to-door Henry County firefighters will descend on the Lake Cindy Estates in Hampton on Saturday, March 25, 2017 for the first Smoke Alarm Blitz of 2017. Starting at approximately 10 a.m. firefighters from Battalion 1, Company 1 and Company 5, Division of Fire Prevention will be going door-to-door offering free smoke alarms, and checking to ensure every home in the
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neighborhood has a working smoke alarm for those residents who request assistance. The fire department also plans to schedule additional blitzes throughout the year. For more information on the Henry County Fire Department, please visit www.henrycounty-ga.org/fire.
HCPD partners with Stockbridge to provide Safe Zone
In an effort to keep citizens safe when buying and selling goods in person-to-person transactions, the Henry County Police Department has partnered with the city of Stockbridge to provide a “safe zone” within the city for those transactions. Safe Zone is a project created by law enforcement officers and funded by the city of Stockbridge to provide the citizens of Stockbridge with a secure location in which they can exchange, buy or sell items and feel safe in doing so. The Safe Zone location can also be used to conduct custody exchanges.
The new Safe Zone selected as the exchange location is the front of the HCPD’s North Police Precinct, located at 4545 North Henry Boulevard. A video camera surveillance system has been installed to observe and record exchanges. The surveillance camera can be observed remotely and does not require an officer to be there to witness the exchange. This will give citizens the assurance that their transactions are being recorded and provides law enforcement with a record of the activity if needed in the future for investigations. For more information on this program contact Captain Hillard M. Ireland at 770-288-8260.
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March 24, 2017 Deal: Luxottica Group to create 1,000 jobs in Henry County Governor Nathan Deal today announced that Luxottica Group, a leading eyewear designer, manufacturer and distributor, will create 1,000 jobs with the expansion of its North American distribution facility in Henry County by the end of 2017. “Georgia has had great success in attracting manufacturing and distribution operations to our state,” said Deal. “Luxottica Group’s decision to expand in Henry County will build upon this momentum and allow the company to quickly and efficiently provide products to customers, suppliers and businesses. I am confident that our extensive distribution resources will support Luxottica Group’s continued growth.” The expansion will use the company’s new lens service model in which both frames and lenses are assembled and distributed from a single location. “Luxottica has been part of the Atlanta community for 20 years and this is a particularly exciting time for us,” said Fabrizio Uguzzoni, president of Luxottica Wholesale N.A. “Growing our footprint here represents a new step in serving our wholesale customers – we will soon be able to produce and deliver a complete pair of prescription frames of the highest quality and perfect fit anywhere in the U.S. within 24 to 48 hours. We’re proud to be a global company innovating right here in Atlanta.” The new jobs will include positions in administration, production and distribution. “We are thrilled with Luxottica’s decision to expand in Henry County. The job creation and investment associated with this expansion represent a tremendous addition to the community,” said Henry County Development Authority Executive Director
Charlie Moseley. “We are particularly excited to bring so many manufacturing jobs back to Henry. Luxottica has been a great corporate citizen for years, and we appreciate their continued commitment to the community. Teamwork was critical to this location decision, and we thank all our partners at the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), Georgia Department of Labor, Georgia Power, Metro Atlanta Chamber and EY.” GDEcD Director of Existing Industry and Regional Recruitment Lindsay Martin represented the Global Commerce division in partnership with EY, the Georgia Department of Labor, Georgia Quick Start, the Henry County Development Authority, the Metro Atlanta Chamber and Georgia Power. “Luxottica’s expansion is a testament to the impact that Georgia’s logistics network has in both recruiting new business and helping existing Georgia companies grow,” said GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson. “Since the e-commerce boom, customers and businesses’ logistical and distribution expectations have risen tremendously, and Georgia is the ideal location to meet those demands as our transportation infrastructure is unrivaled.” About Luxottica Group S.p.A. Luxottica is a leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of fashion, luxury and sports eyewear. Its portfolio includes proprietary brands such as RayBan, Oakley, Vogue Eyewear, Persol, Oliver Peoples and Alain Mikli, as well as licensed brands including Giorgio Armani, Burberry, Bulgari, Chanel, Coach, Dolce&Gabbana, Michael Kors, Prada, Ralph Lauren, Tiffany & Co., Valentino and Versace. The Group’s Continued on page 7
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Luxotica Continued from page 6 global wholesale distribution network covers more than 150 countries and is complemented by an extensive retail network of approximately 8,000 stores, with LensCrafters and Pearle Vision in North America, OPSM and LensCrafters in Asia-Pacific, GMO in Latin America, Salmoiraghi&Viganò in Italy and Sunglass Hut worldwide. In 2016, with more than 80,000 employees, Luxottica posted net sales of over Euro 9
billion. Additional information on the Group is available at www.luxottica.com. For more information on Luxottica Group, contact Jane Lehman, Luxottica Group Corporate Communications, at jlehman@us.luxottica.com, 646335-5200. Jen Talaber Ryan - jen.ryan@georgia.gov Alyssa Botts - abotts@georgia.gov
Commissioners Recognize March as Women’s History Month
The Henry County Board of Commissioners proclaimed March as Women’s History Month. Pictured in the first row (l. to r.) District II Commissioner Dee Clemmons, Fire Chief Nish Willis and Chair June Wood; Second row (l. to r.) District III Commissioner Gary, District IV Commissioner Blake Prince, District I Commissioner Johnny Wilson and District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes. The Henry County Board of Commissioners recognized the month of March as Women’s History Month with a proclamation at the March 21 Commission meeting. The proclamation read in part, “WHEREAS, American women from all walks of life served as early leaders in the forefront of every major progressive social change movement…Now be it resolved by the Henry County Board of Commissioners that March
is designated as Women’s History Month and they recognize the countless, outstanding contributions women have made to our county, our country and the world.” District II Dee Clemmons asked for Henry County Fire Chief Nish Willis to come forward to receive the proclamation. Willis is the first female fire chief in the history of the Henry County Fire Department.
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March 24, 2017
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Delaware-based Burris Logistics purchases 55-acre parcel at 350 King Mill Road in McDonough, Georgia The new property, located outside of Atlanta, to become Public Refrigerated Warehouse.
Burris Logistics, a provider of public refrigerated warehousing and freight consolidation services, announced today that it has successfully completed the purchase of a 55‑acre property at 350 King Mill Road in McDonough, Georgia (Just 33 miles south of downtown Atlanta). The Delaware‑based logistics company will soon begin construction of 250,000 square foot, public refrigerated warehouse (PRW) with 28,000 pallet positions, and an attached office on the property. The facility will create over 75 local jobs for Phase I when construction is completed in January 2018. “I attribute the strong growth of Burris Logistics to the family values and commitment to excellence shared by our team with all customers,” comments Brian Kyle, President, PRW Plus at Burris Logistics. “The Burris Team makes it happen and have enabled us to consistently expand our market to better service our customers.” License to Chill Burris Logistics a nationally‑recognized industry leader in temperature‑controlled logistical solutions, is expanding their distribution network. The Georgia warehouse will allow the Company to further enhance a growing network of refrigerated warehouses, strengthening customer service. “Burris continues to evolve to meet the needs of our current and potential clients,” shares Donnie Burris, CEO of Burris Logistics. “Our expansion into the Greater Atlanta region highlights the growth, popularity and diversification we are experiencing throughout our entire operation. We are selected for our commitment to service, leading‑edge technology and solid core values. We welcome new and expanded relationships.” About Burris Logistics Established in 1925, Burris Logistics operates an expanding network of temperature controlled
warehousing and distribution centers from Florida to Massachusetts. This fifth‑generation, family owned enterprise provides leading‑edge logistics, transportation, and supply chain solutions coast to coast through four distinct operating divisions: Burris Custom Retail Distribution, Burris PRW Plus (Public Refrigerated Warehousing), Burris Freight Management and Honor Foods (a redistributor of frozen, refrigerated and dry food service products). For more information about their trend‑setting logistics and deep‑rooted values® please visit www.burrislogistics.com. About Burris PRW Plus At Burris’ PRW Plus Division, the “Plus” is all about the customer. It is about their needs, desires, requirements and expectations. In this pursuit, we have been assembling a world‑class organization that is dedicated to our people, our customers and our culture. The PRW Plus customer is a food manufacturer, processor, retailer or distributor, with a regional supply chain challenge that can be handled in a cost efficient and effective manner by capitalizing on our technical expertise, our locations and our team member commitment to service excellence. We provide a wide variety of services with flawless execution. While we offer the standard services expected of a PRW company, the differentiator is we complement those services with the special requirements of our customer’s…customer! Our service goal is to exceed the level of service expected from our customers by their customers…while being transparent in the process. Our competitors strive to be like us however, that cannot happen, as our Team Members and their dedication to service and continuous improvement cannot be duplicated. Experience the “PLUS” in PRW Plus!
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