May 20, 2016
Board of
Commissioners
Commissioners Adopt Budget for Fiscal Year 2016-2017
Regular Meetings June 7 at 9:00 AM June 21 at 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.
The Henry County Board of Commissioners adopted a $142,560,218 budget for fiscal year 2016-2017 at the regular Commission meeting held on May 17, 2016. The final budget adoption came on the heels of a previous budget hearing, held earlier in the month, culminating from a budget process with staff that began at the start of the new year. County Manager Lyndon Bonner, along with Budget Director Angie Sorrow, presented two resolutions detailing both a comprehensive public safety pay plan and the entire proposed budget, citing the highlights and expenditures for the coming fiscal year. Most notable in the new budget is a long-waited and much-needed public safety reset (pay plan) that carves out a career path and fiscal plan to bring Henry County’s public safety salaries in better alignment with other, similar metro area public safety departments. The plan will help eliminate compression issues that have plagued the public safety departments for several years, while allowing for a career and salary path to commensurate with experience, qualifications and tenure. Continued on page 6
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May 20, 2016
Published by Henry County Communications Department The Henry County Board of Commissioners
Public Safety Holds Peace Officers Memorial Service
Editor Melissa Robinson
Graphic Designer Meredith Butler Samantha Watson
Layout Designer
Captain Spencer Haygood offers words of comfort during Henry County’s Peace Officers Memorial Service.
Samantha Watson
Public Safety officials from the Henry County Police Department, the Henry County Sheriff’s Department and the District Attorney’s Office held their annual National Police Week Memorial Service, on Monday, May 16, 2016 at the Henry County Public Safety Complex, to honor those Henry County officers who lost their lives in the line of duty. Many public safety personnel were in attendance along with friends and family of the fallen officers. Guest speaker was Captain Spencer Haygood from the Georgia Sheepdogs, who along with Henry County Police Chief Keith Nichols, Henry County Sheriff Keith McBrayer and District Attorney Jim Wright, offered words of support, encouragement and remembrance. Henry County officers honored and remembered during the ceremony included Sergeant Jimmy Gilbert, Officer Chuck Haist, Deputy Marvin Scarlett, Officer Jimmy Carter and Officer Elgin Daniel.
Contributors Melissa Robinson Samantha Watson Kevin Williams
henrycounty-ga.org
Animal Care & Control’s “Operation Cool Down” is Heating Up With warm temperatures upon us, Henry County Animal Care & Control is once again stepping up patrols to be on the lookout for pets left in hot cars. To combat this distressing trend, Henry County Animal Care & Control is now in its fifth year of implementing “Operation Cool Down,” and will be employing Oscar, the Hot Dog mascot to remind people not to leave their pets in hot vehicles. Any animal that is found unattended in a vehicle, that is in distress, will be removed from that vehicle by Animal Care and Control officers by whatever means necessary, as permitted under Henry County Ordinance. Violators of the ordinance may face fines up to $1,000 or 60 days in jail. Although since the implementation of Operation Cool Down, calls have been reduced a little each year, Supervisor Vince Farah, Henry County Rabies Control Officer, said that the temperature inside a car on a hot
day spikes higher than what the barometer reads on the outside, for example, on a 90-degree day, temperatures inside a car can quickly reach up to 120 degrees. Farah said officers from Animal Care & Control will be patrolling parking lots for animals that are left in vehicles and they won’t be giving warnings, they will be writing citations. “With more than 160 days of hot weather on average, we will be out daily to ensure that pets are not left in hot cars to suffer and possibly die,” said Farah. Officials at Henry County Animal Care and Control advise residents to keep their pets at home if their pets cannot be with them at all times. In addition, owners should make sure that their pets have a constant source of clean, drinkable water at all times and have adequate shelter from the heat. For more information about Henry County Animal Care & Control, please visit www.hcacc.org.
Free Lunch for Children During Summer at All Henry County Library Branches
Safety and Protection Night to be Held on June 2
Knowing that children rely on provided school lunches, the Henry County Library System will be stepping in while school is out to serve free meals to children Monday through Thursday at various times at all five library branches, starting June 1, 2016. There are no income or registration requirements; any child under the age of 18 may come to any Henry County Library System branch to eat. Meal times at the McDonough and Cochran Library will be from 1-2 p.m. Meal times at the Fortson, Fairview and Locust Grove Library will be from 12:30-1 p.m. The Fortson Library will also be serving snacks from 4-5 p.m. and the Fairview Library will be serving snacks from 3:30-4:30 p.m.
The Annual Commissioner Bruce Holmes Safety and Protection Night will take place Thursday, June 2 in the Walmart Parking Lot, on 5600 North Henry Blvd from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. This community event will feature free food and drinks, family fun, displays, various vendors and music. Henry County families will have the opportunity to meet with local public safety professionals and elected officials to get to know them, ask questions and learn more about the services they provide. For more information contact Sgt. Jimmie Spence at 770-288-7141 or Captain Chuck Simmons at 770-288-8215.
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May 20, 2016 Henry County Arts Initiative Students Recognized Local art students were recognized at the May 17 Commission meeting for taking part in the Henry County Arts Initiative, which is a partnership between Henry County Schools and Henry County Government allowing for the students artwork to be displayed on the walls of the county administration building. For the past five years, art teachers from around the school district have submitted student’s artwork to be displayed. Coordinated by Joni Bowen, art teacher for Henry County schools, selected art has been on loan to Henry County government to be matted and framed in a professional manner and displayed for employees and the public to enjoy. Before the meeting, the student artists, their families, commissioners and county staff members filled the halls of the administration building to view and appreciate the 31 new works of art added to walls. During the meeting the students were verbally recognized and awarded certificates of achievement. The elementary school student artists recognized were Kendal Dow, JoJo Neidlinger, Ella Biffle, Madison Hoffman, Julie Freund, Mason Danzinger, Jonathan Kehn, Gage Osterhout, Shaniya Desears, Chloe Hedge, Gracee Thomas, Santana Bryant, Kara Gladden, Mila Le, Alissa Harmon, Tien Tran, Elliott Gullion, De’Sha Beemon and John Wilkinson. The middle school student artists recognized were Hailey Reed, Ansley Mathis, Abby Mercurio, Joshua Menager and David Thompson. The high school student artists recognized were Jenae Brittain, Laura Davis, Hailey Kuller, Sarah Hensley, Isabella Cormier, Shelby Ferguson and Lacey Brown. henrycounty-ga.org
Memorial Day Service Set For May 30
The annual Memorial Day Service will be held at the Veterans Wall of Honor on Monday, May 30, 2016 at 11 a.m., to honor and remember the men and women in our military who have paid the ultimate price for America’s freedom. The Keynote Speaker will be Colonel Robert Guy, U.S. Army (Retired). Colonel Guy was Congressman Robert G. Stephens’ (D-Ga) first appointee to the United States Military Academy. As a West Point cadet, he marched in the funerals of President John F. Kennedy and General Douglas MacArthur and in the inauguration parade of President Lyndon Johnson. After graduating from West Point with a commission as a second lieutenant in the Infantry, he became Airborne and Ranger qualified and served two tours in Vietnam. His troop and military teaching assignments, including Ranger School instructor, counselor to West Point cadets and commandant of the U.S. Army Inspector General School, prompted him to choose education as a second career. The Memorial Day service will also include various musical interludes provided by bag pipe musician David Gregory, Ralph Guthrie, Sergeant First Class Fred Pedro and Jim Houston, with Bugles Across America, who will close the service with Taps. There will also be a laying of the memorial wreath and a salute to all Korean War Veterans and their families lead by Mrs. Mary Brisenbine. The Veterans Wall of Honor is located in Heritage Park at 101 Lake Dow Rd. in McDonough. For more information, please contact Jim Joyce with Henry County Parks and Recreation at 770-2887300 or visit www.hcprd.org.
Director of Connecting Henry Honored with Spirit Award Susan Crumbley, Director of Connecting Henry, Inc., was honored by Leadership Henry with the Ed Bridges Spirit Award at the Leadership Henry Graduation held at Eagles Brook County Club last week. The Ed Bridges Spirit Award is presented each year to a Leadership Henry alumnus who has demonstrated the highest level of leadership and commitment to enhance the community spirit of Henry County. The recipient has given a significant amount of his/her time, talents, and energy to make our community an even better place to live, work, and play. Crumbley said she was pleased and humbled to receive such a distinctive honor. “I grateful and humbled for this honor. My passion is to help the people of our community, and this award suggests that perhaps I have succeeded in
some measure,” said Crumbley. “I am blessed to be able to serve our community every day through Connecting Henry, and the work we do through collaboration.”
Joyce Bridges-Paul presents Director of Connecting Henry Susan Crumbley with the Ed Bridges Spirit Award at the Leadership Henry graduation ceremony.
National Emergency Medical Services Week is May 15-21 The Board of Commissioners designated the week of May 15-21 as National Emergency Medical Services Week during the May 17 Commission Meeting. The emergency medical services system consists of emergency physicians, emergency nurses, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, firefighters, educators and administrators. As a vital public service, the members of the Henry County Fire Department provide lifesaving care to those in need twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Because of this, the survival and recovery rate of those who experience sudden illness or injury is dramatically improved. The Board of Commissioners wishes to express its sincerest appreciation for the vital contributions that EMS professionals make in our community each and every day.
For more information on the Henry County Fire Department and EMS, visit www.henrycounty-ga.or/fire.
EMS professionals gather at the May 17 Commission meeting to be honored by the Board of Commissioners.
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May 20, 2016 2016-2017 budget from page 1 Commissioner Blake Prince addressed citizens about the public safety reset and thanked them for supporting the public safety initiative. He also asked the public safety chiefs to approach the podium. “We’re finally here gentlemen. We did a complete and total reset with a long-term pay plan that took countless hours. It’s been a long time coming,” he said. Police Chief Keith Nichols said that the public safety reset is a success for everyone and will go a long way in helping to retain dedicated officers. “This is a win-win situation. The citizens win because they get stable employees who want to be here, the agency wins. Everybody wins,” said Nichols. “This is a great step for Henry County.” In the public safety pay plan, Commissioners allocated $2.1 million to reset the pay scale and pay grades for the County’s public safety agencies, which includes the Henry County Police Department, the Henry County Fire Department, the Sheriff’s Department and E-911 Department, as well as the post-certified investigators with the Solicitor’s and District Attorney’s offices. Commissioners also apportioned $1.2 million to fund a four percent, across-the-board raise for eligible
henrycounty-ga.org
full-time and permanent, part-time employees, who are not part of the public safety reset. The raise will take effect at the start of the new fiscal year beginning on July 1st. Additionally, the FY 2016-2017 budget calls for $1,067,435 in funding for new positions and upgrades, $265,031 to staff the upcoming Hampton Senior/ Recreation Center and approximately $800,000 to staff the new fire station No. 15, due to come on-line in October. The budget also allows for $500,000 for a proposed employee health clinic, and commissioners elected to cover a $529,102 increase to employee health insurance premiums. For more information or to view the budget in its entirety, please log onto www.henrycounty-ga.org. Henry County Commission meetings are available on demand through the County website at www.henrycounty-ga.org under the Quick Access links to the left.