Henry County Update - Newsletter by Henry County Government

April 23, 2021

Board of

Financial Assistance for Rent Now Available for County Residents

Commissioners Individuals and families that experienced a loss of income Regular Meetings May 4th, 9:00 a.m. May 18th, 6:30 p.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.

due to COVID-19 may be eligible

Henry County residents are now able to receive financial assistance for rent and utilities through the Henry County COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP.) The ERAP provides financial assistance for rent and utilities which include gas, water/sewer, electricity and internet, and also security deposits to individuals who have lost income due to COVID-19. Landlords and tenants are eligible to apply. Eligibility requirements are as follows: • Your place of residence must be within Henry County • Your place of residence must be a rental property, single or multi-family home, or mobile home lot, or hotel/motel • You must be able to show that you are unable to pay the full or a portion of past due rent and/or utilities or unable to pay security deposit as a result of a recent loss of income (job loss, furlough, reduced work hours to care for child(ren), or medical hospitalization/diagnosis of COVID-19 • You must have qualified for unemployment benefits or experienced a loss of income as a result of COVID-19

Continued on page 2

April 23, 2021

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

ERAP - continued from page 1

• •

•

You must be at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability You must have a current executed lease (signed by both you and the property official/landlord) and, as the applicant, be listed on the lease agreement (unless applying for security deposit assistance – provide welcome/move-in letter) Current household income after March 13, 2020 must be equal to or less than 80% AMI as defined

henrycounty-ga.org

by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Documentation is required for both landlords and tenants, and a checklist of specific documents is provided on the county’s ERAP website. For more information on the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, income requirements or to apply, visit www.henryerap.org. County residents may also email contact@henryerap.org or call (855) 436-7926 for additional questions.

BOC Holds Joint County and City TSPLOST Meeting The Henry County Board of Commissioners held a joint called meeting with the cities of Hampton, Locust Grove, McDonough and Stockbridge on April 15 to discuss the Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (TSPLOST) referendum. Transportation and Planning Director Sam Baker began with a presentation explaining to citizens what a TSPLOST is, statistics about TSPLOST, shared the type of transportation options that can be considered for funding through the TSPLOST and detailed the timeline process. “There are a few activities that must be completed before the November election,” said Baker. “The cities and county need to come to an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) by June 15. By July 15 the Henry County Board of Commissioners needs to pass a resolution calling for a TSPLOST referendum and by August 4, we plan to begin our education outreach to provide information to our citizens on TSPLOST.” Following Baker’s presentation, Financial Services Director David Smith shared information regarding the potential revenue that the county and cities are expected to generate if the TSPLOST is approved, and he stressed the importance of an IGA. He said if the county and cities agree to move forward with an IGA the TSPLOST could expect to generate approximately $210 million over a five-year period, and without it, the county and cities as a whole would lose roughly $52 million. Smith highlighted a comparison of three

options for officials to review that included a 70/30 IGA percentage split, a 75/25 IGA percentage split and figures for each city and the county if an IGA is not approved by all parties involved. SPLOST Transportation Director Roque Romero shared during the meeting a preliminary list of TSPLOST projects by district. Henry County Manager Cheri HobsonMatthews assured officials that the initial project list can be revised and that the county will take into consideration any other projects that can be shared with the county that the cities have identified. “We want to make sure that we have projects that are going to provide much needed relief to our Henry County residents,” said HobsonMatthews. “We’ve also put a big emphasis on making sure that if we have projects that are shovel ready that we can move those projects because the most important thing is getting projects completed.” Following the presentation, county and city officials were able to ask questions and share comments about the referendum. The meeting concluded with Attorney Sam VanVolkenburgh who discussed key items in the IGA that will need to be agreed upon, such as the project list, the distribution of funds and issuance of debt. To view the meeting in its entirety, visit henrycounty-ga.com, log on to the Henry County Facebook page or YouTube page.

April 23, 2021 Board Approves Agreements, Purchases and More The Henry County Board of Commissioners approved several resolutions at the April 20 Commission meeting. Items approved include: • Emergency Management Agency resolutions- approved Statewide Mutual Aid Agreement between Henry County BOC and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency. The agreement gives local governments of the State the authority to make agreements for mutual aid assistance in emergencies; and approved an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Georgia Department of Public Safety for the use of communications tower space for communications systems. • Leisure Services resolutions- awarded the bid purchase of lighting, audio and visual at the Locust Grove Recreation Center to PDH Systems in the amount of $45,730 using Capital Improvement funds; and approved two leases for tractor

equipment for: • Cotton Fields Golf Course- from AG PRO LLC for a five-year term in the amount of $44,882.20. • Parks and Athletic facilitiesfrom AG PRO LLC for a five-year term in the amount of $24,396.80. • Funding for both expenses is available in the Parks and Recreation budget. • Public Works resolutionapproved an ordinance to adopt regulation governing decorative signposts and the placement of decorative signpost within county rightof-way. • County Attorney resolutionapproved setting a qualifying fee in the amount $1,050 for the June 15, 2021 Special Election and authorized publication of the same. For more information or to view the meeting in its entirety, visit co.henry.ga.us/watchTV or log on to the Henry County Facebook page.

New Healthcare Provider to Establish In Henry County Services to Focus on Adolescents and Teens Henry County District IV Commissioner Vivian Thomas continues to make strides in benchmarking the district as a health and wellness community, with the recent commitment of Behavioral Institutes of America (BIA) to open a behavioral health facility to address the needs of children, teenagers and adolescents. Thomas has been in yearlong conversations with the healthcare provider to return an important service to the community. BIA will occupy a previously empty facility that offered similar services to children and adolescents. And although the facility is not located in unincorporated Henry County, Thomas said she understands the importance of collaboration with the cities in order to benefit the whole community. The new healthcare facility will serve children and families who are at risk or currently in the juvenile court system for behavioral issues. Thomas has been working with BIA and the Henry County judicial system to bring this important service back to the county, in order to help young people who are in need of behavioral, emotional and mental health services. “District 4 continues to stay focused and develop as the health and professional hub of Henry County. Having the ability to initiate this business venture with Ms. Federica Ford and her team at Behavioral Institutes of America to provide a critical service is a win-win for the community. As Commissioner of District 4, in working with BIA, we are providing a muchneeded service and adding professional jobs to the community. We are moving forward with stakeholders and community leaders to finalize a Certificate of Need in support of this facility,” said Thomas. She said that next steps include obtaining the Certificate of Need and she is working with county and

community stakeholders and partners to help facilitate and finalize the process. Behavioral Institutes of America (“BIA”) is a private company led by seasoned healthcare executives with an extensive knowledge of the behavioral health and addiction landscape. Espoused in the name “Institutes” they offer multifaceted programs and service while teaching, learning, growing, and delivering in healthcare services. Their philosophy is innovations in behavioral healthcare taking a truly holistic approach in delivery of behavioral healthcare services, offering a wide range of behavioral health services utilizing technology, innovations in service delivery and environment, improved access for services and strong focus on patient quality and outcomes.

April 23, 2021 Speer Rd. Remains Closed During Construction to Replace Failing Pipes Roadway will be resurfaced once construction is complete

the roadway. “Metal pipes eventually rust so we are replacing with concrete. During an inspection, one of the pipes was discovered to be in poor shape, indicating the need to replace all of the older pipes,” said SPLOST Transportation Director Roque Romero. County manager Cheri Hobson-Matthews said that although the road is predominantly in the city, the county has taken on the responsibility to repair the entire roadway, as the project was approved prior to the Service Delivery Strategy agreement. With an SDS now in place, future repairs to city roads will be the fiscal responsibility of the city. According to records, 59 percent of Speer Rd. lays in the city of Stockbridge. “The Board of Commissioners approved full depth reclamation resurfacing for this road in December of 2019, however in order to move forward on the road improvements we had to ensure that the road would remain safe for future travel,” said District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes. “I’m hoping that we can Speer Road in Stockbridge is closed to traffic complete the stormwater and drain work in the coming while necessary repairs are made to the stormwater weeks so we can finally resurface the road and make pipes underneath the roadway. Currently, the decades the necessary improvements in the area.” old metal pipes are being replaced with concrete Design for the replacement project was done culverts, including a three-barrel culvert in the center by Falcon Engineering and construction of the project of the road for stormwater control. is being completed by Southeastern Site Development. Earlier it was discovered that the metal pipes The road will be resurfaced by Pittman Construction were in need of replacement and in danger of failing once the replacement is completed. under

BOC Approves Resurfacing of County Roads Ninety-six county roads will soon be resurfaced after the Henry County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution awarding a bid to ER Snell Contractor Inc. The action came at the April 20 Commission meeting. SPLOST Transportation Director Roque Romero made the presentation listing each road that’s henrycounty-ga.org

slated for resurfacing by district. The project cost is $27,433,685.70 and will be funded through SPLOST II, III, IV and V respective district resurfacing accounts; Department of Transportation LMIG funds; and the General Fund if necessary. To view the 96 roads that will be resurfaced, visit henrycounty-ga.com/SPLOST.

The Henry County 4-H Annual Geranium Fundraiser On sale now! 8” pots for only $8.00 each Monday-Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM 97 Lake Dow Rd. McDonough Additional sale dates: After Office Hours Sale on April 19th 5:00 PM-7:00 PM Saturday Sale, April 24th 8:00AM-2:00 PM Saturday Sale May 1st 8:00AM-12:00 PM

April 23, 2021 Henry County Boards Kick Off Bicentennial with Day of Service

Board of Education, Board of Commissioners call on community to unite to beautify county on birthday Henry County Board of Education Chair Holly Cobb and Board of Commissioners Chair Carlotta Harrell, along with their colleagues on each respective board are joining together in a call to service of all Henry Countians on Saturday, May 15 for a Henry County Day of Service in conjunction with the county’s bicentennial celebration efforts this year. This year, Henry County will celebrate its 200th birthday, and May 15, 1821, is the official date the Georgia Legislature granted the county its status through the Georgia Land Lottery Act. That means the date designated for the Day of Service falls on the county’s actual birthday, and county leaders are looking to this special event to be a unifying kickoff to a variety of celebrations planned throughout the year. “Both Chair Harrell and I have a strong desire to work together on many important issues to benefit the citizens and families of Henry County, and this is a perfect opportunity to have our community come together in service to the place we call home by working to make it a beautiful, clean place to live,” said Cobb. A list of beautification projects has been designated for this day of service, and interested volunteers can go to the special 200th birthday website

henrycounty-ga.org

at www.henrycounty200.com to see the list and register to volunteer. “This is a wonderful way to kickoff Henry County’s Bicentennial, with collaboration between the schools, the county, and all of our stakeholders and citizens,” said Henry County Commission Chair Carlotta Harrell. “Giving back to our community through service is a great way to start, and I look forward to other exciting events going forward to celebrate our beautiful county and this prestigious anniversary year.” The Henry County Day of Service will take place from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at each of the designated project areas. The projects cover all parts of the county, providing easy access to a project no matter where a volunteer resides. Each project’s scope of work also allows for volunteers of all ages to be able to take part. Both Cobb and Harrell know this kickoff event is the perfect way to start the official year of celebrating Henry County’s 200th year in existence. “It’s a great thing to be able to celebrate this important moment in our county’s history by coming together to continue to make it one of the best counties for citizens to work, live, be educated, and enjoy a variety of social activities,” added Cobb. For more information on the Henry County Day of Service, visit www.HenryCounty200.com.

https://bit.ly/3wcddkk

April 23, 2021

henrycounty-ga.org