Henry County Update- Newsletter

May 24, 2019

SPLOST V Project List Presented During BOC Workshop

Board of

Commissioners Regular Meetings.

June 4th, 2019 9:00 a.m.

June 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.

SPLOST IV funds were used to purchase thirty Henry County Police cars in 2014.

Major transportation and capital improvements for public safety are at the top of the next recommended SPLOST project list that is expected to go before Henry County voters this November. Although no official action was taken by the Board, commissioners heard the latest presentation of projects recommended by county staff. The preliminary list also included recommendations from a SPLOST V Committee whose members were appointed by the Board of Commissioners. Since July 2018, the SPLOST V Committee has held 17 meetings around the county, and has elicited public input and worked closely with county staff to formulate the list of recommended projects.

SPLOST Director Roque Romero presented the project list to the Board of Commissioners at the Tuesday morning workshop meeting where commissioners offered their thoughts on the proposed list and recommended several changes. Romero said that projected collections by a SPLOST V are estimated be $245,000,000 throughout a six-year collection cycle. Funds are split between the county and the cities of Hampton, Locust Grove, McDonough and Stockbridge, with the county allocated 75 percent and the cities splitting 25 percent of collections. The estimated county funds will be approximately $183,750,000 and the cities’ portion is an estimated $61,250,000. Romero noted that the project list may change and be updated until final approval from the Board of Commissioners.

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May 24, 2019

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

The proposed SPLOST V project list calls for several countywide projects including: • an Ola police precinct and fire station for $4.5 million • the Fairview police precinct and fire station at a cost of $6 million • a new fire station in District 2 to replace Station #5 for $3 million • a District 2 police station for $1.5 million • a police precinct and new fire station #18 in District 4 for $4.5 million • a $10 million jail pod addition • $17.6 million for a fleet replacement program to replace aging county and public safety vehicles that can no longer be repaired.

Each district commissioner will also be allocated $26.4 million for district-specific projects which include major transportation projects; intersection improvement

SPLOST V List- continued from page 1 and signalization projects, dirt road pavings; sidewalks and paths; road widenings and resurfacings; park upgrades; and senior center improvements.

More than $64.8 million is proposed for major transportation projects throughout the county to include: • $14.5 million Fairview Rd. widening • $7 million West Village Parkway construction • $11.7 million Rock Quarry Rd. widening • $8 million McDonough Parkway construction • $4 million SR 81 widening phase 1 • $4.6 million Flippen Rd. extension

Next steps in the proposed SPLOST V process include BOC approval of the projects list in June. If approve by the Commissioners, there will need to be approval of an intergovernmental agreement between the county and the cities before August 1. Once that occurs, staff will submit the SPLOST V project list to the Elections Office for ballot preparation by August 1 and citizens will have the opportunity to vote on the SPLOST referendum on November 5, 2019. If voters approve SPLOST, then collections will begin on April 1, 2020.

District II Commissioner Dee Clemmons encouraged her fellow Board members to talk with their SPLOST V Committee appointees and make sure they are sending out a positive message about the SPLOST program and its benefits, and discuss how the SPLOST initiative allowed the county to complete needed transportation and capital projects without placing more burden on the taxpayers.

“Without the SPLOST, fire stations don’t get built, police stations don’t get built, road projects don’t move forward, no recreation centers. Everything that is on the projects list doesn’t happen if we don’t have SPLOST. Other than that, we have to raise the millage rate, because regardless we have to get these projects done,” said Clemmons.

SPLOST stands for Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax and is an optional one percent county sales tax, which the State of Georgia allows counties to collect to fund specific improvement projects. SPLOST must be approved by voters in a general referendum in order to be enacted.

SPLOST collections are generated by a one percent sales tax Continued on page 3

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SPLOST V List- continued from page 2

on goods and services throughout Henry County and its cities.

The current SPLOST IV, which is set to expire on March 30, 2019, is projected to collect $190,000,000 and has enabled the county to complete much needed capital improvement and transportation projects that would have otherwise not been completed or would have been paid for through the general fund.

A sampling of projects completed under the current SPLOST include: • Three new fire stations and one replacement fire station including full apparatus and vehicles • Village Park in North Henry • Bud Kelley Park on Kelleytown Rd. in McDonough • The Bear Creek Senior and Recreation Center in Hampton • 30 new, fully-equipped police vehicles

• Locust Grove Senior Center kitchen renovation • $5 million to the Southern Crescent Technical College Henry Center • North Ola Park improvements • Numerous transportation projects, intersection improvements, road paving and resurfacings, roundabouts and bridge repairs and replacements.

For more information on Henry County SPLOST, to see past SPLOST projects or to view the SPLOST V committee recommendations, visit henrycounty-ga.com/SPLOST.

Commissioners Adopt Budget for Fiscal Year 2020

staffing levels. He also relayed that the new budget is based on actual spending trends opposed to projections as in years past and said that it creates a truer picture of a balanced budget that still meets the needs of the citizens.

For FY 2020, with the exception of public safety, some vacant positions have been removed from this year’s budget, however the county management team and department heads will revisit department staffing needs mid-year to determine if adjustments need to be made to staffing levels.

During the budget process, Commissioners expressed the importance of filling public safety needs. The FY 2020 budget includes $2.1 million in funding for 20 new police officers for the Henry County Police Department, and $250,000 for three new positions for the District Attorney’s office. Other public safety positions added in this year’s budget include additional E-911 operators, and new positions for the Sheriff ’s Office and the

The Henry County Board of Commissioners adopted a $163,045,000 general fund budget for Fiscal Year 2020 at the May 21 Commission meeting. The final budget adoption came after a third public hearing on the heels of two earlier public budget hearings, culminating from a budget process with staff and leadership that began at the beginning of the New Year.

County Manager Cheri HobsonMatthews, Deputy County Manager Brad Johnson and Financial Services Director David Smith presented a resolution detailing the proposed budget, citing the revenues and expenditures for the coming fiscal year.

Johnson addressed questions and concerns that Board members raised in earlier meetings regarding overtime expenses and how county management is working to reduce overtime for public safety agencies, by addressing

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May 24, 2019 Adopted Budget- continued from page 3 Solicitor General’s Department.

The FY 2020 budget also includes funding for a two percent COLA (cost of living adjustment) and a one percent longevity increase for eligible employees. The raises will take effect at the start of the new fiscal year, which begins on July 1.

With some health insurance premiums rising every year, Commissioners also elected to cover the cost of a $2.7 million increase to employee health insurance premiums.

The county will cover 75 percent of the premium increase for all employees and 100 percent for employees who participate in a biometric health event.

Additionally, the FY 2020 budget calls for a newly created Transportation Planner for the Department of Transportation to assist with the transportation planning needs throughout the county.

District IV Commissioner Vivian Thomas thanked county management and the finance department, acknowledging the hard work that went into this year’s budget.

“I know I asked them a 100 questions, and sent emails at 1 o’clock in the morning in reference to this budget, and in reference to trying to be sure we support the departments that needed support, and I want to thank you for your time, publicly,” said Thomas. “Thank you for your temperance with me and thank you for making sure we found those dollars for public safety, for the Solicitor, for the DA and other departments that really did need it.”

June Wood thanked the management team and staff, along with her fellow commissioners and the citizens for participating in the budget process.

“I want to commend the county management team, the staff, and the department heads and all of the others who spent some countless hours preparing this budget. And more importantly responding to a lot of questions that have come from our Board,” said Wood.

Wood also said she was encouraged by the creation of a Transportation Planner position. henrycounty-ga.org

“It’s good to see that we have a transportation planner that is included in this budget. We have a Comprehensive Transportation Improvement Plan that needs to move forward and I commend Commissioner Holmes for the fixed route that is mostly in District 5, but we need something countywide and we heard that through the CDBG presentation,” said Wood. “Again we have to begin thinking futuristically about every aspect of our transportation needs.”

County Manager Cheri Hobson-Matthews thanked Commissioners for asking questions and staff for their work during the budget process.

“I want to not only thank our Board but also the entire leadership team for a job well done in making sure that we have a budget that we feel comfortable with and a budget in which we can continue to the provide the high level of service that we are providing as a county government,” said Matthews.

For more information or to view the budget, please log onto www.henrycounty-ga.org.

Henry County Commission meetings are available on demand through the County website at www. henrycounty-ga.org.

Henry County Looks to Address Growing Judicial Needs

Option to utilize courthouse for Administrative County Employees could enhance public safety and be a boon for downtown McDonough

While Henry County officials are looking to find solutions for court overcrowding and the court’s lack of space to conduct daily operations, Henry County District II Commissioner Dee Clemmons is advocating for workable solutions to address the growing concern.

Clemmons said she has been busy answering constituents questions after a recent capital projects discussion at a Board of Commissioners meeting in which an idea was mentioned regarding building a new judicial center and moving county offices to the courthouse on the McDonough Square. Although there has been no official action by the Board of Commissioners on addressing the issue, Clemmons

is advocating for a master plan that will build new judicial space near the jail and move county administrative services to the courthouse on the McDonough Square—a move that will serve two purposes.

For both county government and the courts, the problem is simply a lack of space, particularly for the courts, whose caseload has grown exponentially along with the growth of the county.

Responding to these trends, in 2016, the Henry County Commission voted to have the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) conduct a comprehensive study of the court system’s human resources and facilities needs Continued on page 6

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May 24, 2019 Addressing Judicial Needs - continued from page 5 through 2046. In March of 2017, after consulting with all local community stakeholders, the NCSC delivered its Final Report to the Henry County Commission. This report recognized the need for expanding facilities and that the growth in case filings suggested that Henry County “may benefit from the immediate seating of an additional judge.”

In February of 2019, Superior Court Judge Brian J. Amero appeared before the commission and requested that they prioritize the findings made in the report. He also noted that Georgia’s Judicial Council Workforce Assessment Committee (JWAC) had recently released a report which underscored the NCSC findings. JWAC’s report stated that current case filings in Henry County indicated that Henry County’s three superior court judges were currently doing the work of four judges. Amero commented that this level of resourcing was “not sustainable.”

Amero said that Henry County’s current court system is in dire need not only of a new superior court judge but also more prosecutors, more public defenders, more clerk’s office employees, more courtroom security as well as space for them to work. Judge Amero further stated that the current superior court facilities could not accommodate these pressing needs.

Upon hearing that the commission was seriously discussing new space for the court system, Judge Amero said “we are grateful that the Henry County Commission is now looking to find solutions and we support the Commissioners in whatever decision they make that will mitigate our current problem.”

Amero said that with growth in the county population comes growth in the court system and notes that not only are cases increasing, but the nature of the crimes are becoming more serious.

Clemmons has introduced the idea of building a judicial center on county property near the Henry County Jail which she believes is not only a safer option but a smart budgeting decision.

Henry County Sheriff Keith McBrayer, whose office oversees the operations of the Henry County Jail, the transport of prisoners back and forth to the various courts around downtown McDonough and staffing the court system with deputies for security said that safety is always a primary concern. His deputies transport nearly 5,000 inmates a year, sometimes several times a day to the 14 courtrooms in downtown McDonough at times sitting in traffic. He said any scenario that puts the courts and jail in the same vicinity would be supported by law enforcement.

“I think what some people don’t realize is that we transport an average of 40 to 50 inmates a day to the McDonough Square, which takes many deputies and a great deal of planning and effort,” said McBrayer. “Security is always a primary concern and I think any Sheriff would tell you that they would rather have the courts close to their jail.”

Clemmons agrees that safety and security are paramount.

“Safety is first and money is second, but both are important, and as our county grows, the need continues to grow. Years ago, the county purchased land knowing that the continuing growth of Henry County would bring a need for more facilities and more space. As an elected board, we can’t continue to simply maintain our services for today. We have to think five, ten, twenty years out to ensure that Henry County stays a safe, economically viable and highly-desired place to live and do business.”

Commission Chair June Wood also expressed her desire to find a solution for the space challenges facing county government, particularly the judicial system.

“As Henry County continues to rapidly grow, something must be done with our Judicial Center,” said Wood. “We’ve heard proposals, discussions and concerns about expanding the Judicial Center in its current location or exchanging the Judicial Center with the Henry County Administration location, so I look forward to the Board of Commissioners’ final discussion and vote on what’s best for Continued on page 8

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Commissioner Holmes’ Hosts Second Power Breakfast

Continues initiatives to bring healthcare experts and the community together for better health and quality of life

District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes held his second Power Breakfast and Health Fair at the Hidden Valley Senior Center in Stockbridge this past Saturday, where guests enjoyed a delicious healthy breakfast and had access to free health screenings and important health information offered by a variety of vendors and healthcare providers.

Dr. Tope Fapohunda, Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Physicians expressed her excitement to partner with Holmes for the event and explained to the audience that the health fair is a platform to educate the community and make citizens healthier. Dr. Leo Ovadje addressed causes and symptoms of kidney diseases and gave a presentation on the importance of prevention. Dr. Aaron Fletcher discussed the common types of allergies, its symptoms and how to treat them.

Healthcare and civic organizations were in attendance to offer information and answer questions, including representatives from Piedmont Henry, Eagles Landing Diabetes and Endocrinology, Caduceus

Occupational Health, Ankle and Foot Centers of Georgia, WellCare, Kaiser Permanente and several other healthcare providers. Walton’s Home Cooking sponsored the breakfast.

Holmes designed the Power Breakfast Series as a quarterly event designed around healthcare access and healthy communities. Holmes has made health awareness one of his top initiatives and often takes the opportunity to tell his own compelling story as well as works to bring top healthcare experts to meet with community member in a relaxed setting where they can ask questions and receive valuable information for better health and increased quality of life.

For future announcements or more information on county events, please visit www.henrycounty-ga.org or visit Henry County Government on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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May 24, 2019 Addressing Judicial Needs - continued from page 5 our Judicial Center now and into the future.”

Clemmons said she has heard a few negative comments about relocating staff, but believes that the secondary benefit of relocating judicial staff closer to the jail and county government administrative employees to the courthouse will result in a revitalization of the McDonough Square and downtown area. She said that relocating employees from not only the administration building, but surrounding county facilities will fill the Square with daily foot traffic and boost the economy for its merchants, the city and the county. She wants to reassure those concerned that McDonough will remain the county seat for Henry County and the downtown area will thrive if the change occurs.

District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes agrees that moving offices currently located at the Administration Building would infuse the downtown area with hundreds of employees who would eat lunch and shop on the square, both at lunchtime and after work hours, as opposed to occasional jury pools and visitors who are only downtown for a few days during the week. He said the potential move would ensure that downtown McDonough stays strong and continues to grow the business community surrounding it.

“This could be a game changer for bringing great economic development to the businesses on the Square,

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improving local businesses’ profit margin and infusing activity to the area,” said Holmes. “Not only would employees be able to walk out to the Square for lunch and shopping during their lunch break, but employees would stay around for dinner and evening events. We’re not just talking about employees, but the hundreds of people who visit the Tax Commissioners’ Office and other citizens who visit the various administrative offices, like the Planning and Zoning and Building departments. This could be a whole new dynamic for downtown McDonough.”

Although the new judicial center complex could be several years away, Clemmons said she looks forward to continuing the conversation with fellow commissioners, the county management team, constituents and employees to provide a solution that is in the best interest of the citizens and those who serve them.

“Change can be difficult at first, but we as elected officials sometimes need to make tough decisions in the best interest of our county and our citizens to ensure that our future is safe, secure and vibrant,” said Clemmons. “We need to make those decisions now to facilitate smart growth and be prepared for a steadily increasing population.”

County Approves Memorandum of Understanding with Developer of Mixed Use Development Feasibility Study for a Convention Center Site is next step

Henry County Commissioners approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for a contingent agreement with the Forest Development Group for property located near I-75 and I-675 in the north end of Henry County in which the developer would donate approximately 80 acres to the county for development of an arena/convention center as part of a mixed-use development.

The action came at the May 7 commission meeting in a 4-2 vote with District I Commissioner Johnny Wilson and District III Commissioner Gary Barham in opposition.

District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes said that the developer originally submitted a DRI (Developments of Regional Impact) for millions of square feet of warehouse space because the land was originally planned as a warehouse development, however the developer changed plans to a

mixed-use development to include retail, residential and office space. The developer will donate land to the county for the purpose of an arena/convention center if a feasibility study indicates the parcel is an appropriate location.

“They have committed to moving away from the entire warehouse type development to build a quality of life development that would pretty much change the entire landscape of I-75 and the type of businesses that we would attract to that particular area,” said Holmes. “We’ve talked about diversifying away from warehouses and I think this would be an awesome way to do so.”

Both Wilson and Barham expressed concerns about a burden to taxpayers.

“I think this is a great project, and I would rather see this than a warehouse development. I just can’t commit any Continued on page 10

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May 24, 2019 Convention Center- continued from page 8 county money. It’s going to cost us something regardless,” said Barham.

County attorney Patrick Jaugstetter presented the item and said that as part of the MOU, the developer will conduct a feasibility study and will present its findings to the county. The feasibility will be conducted at the developer’s expense, however if the study comes back with the recommendation that the site is appropriate for a convention center development and the county chooses to go in a different direction, the county would be responsible for the cost of the feasibility study in an amount not to exceed $100,000.

Jaugstetter said that the county does not have any obligation at this point and the potential public -private partnership would be contingent on several factors, including that the developer is granted proper rezoning from the Board of Commissioners and funding is available for the project.

He added that the county has the right to determine if the county’s portion of the project is economically feasible and if it is the proper use of resources. He said the MOU simply allows staff the authority to proceed in looking into the possibility of the project.

HCPD Recognized for MADD Honors

Commissioners recognized members of the Henry County Police Department for winning several awards at the 2019 MADD Golden Shield Honors /Conference held at the Cobb Galleria Center last month. The annual Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) event recognizes law enforcement agencies across the State of Georgia for DUI enforcement during the previous year. HCPD was recognized with the following honors: • The Henry County Police Department received the MADD Agency DUI Hero award for Category 5 for 587 DUI arrests in 2018. Categories are determined by the agency’s size in manpower.

• Officer Kenneth Palmer received the MADD Achievement Silver pin for 97 DUI arrests as well as the DRE (Drug Recognition Expert) Achievement White pin for 25 Drug / DUI evaluations.

• Officer Tyler Stone received the MADD Achievement Silver pin for 95 DUI arrests.

• Officer William Parks received the MADD Achievement Bronze pin for 37 DUI Arrest.

• Several other HCPD Officers attributed to the total 587 DUI arrests made in 2018.

Henry County Police Chief Mark Amerman

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Henry County Commissioners recognized the achievements of Henry County Uniform Patrol for honors received from Mothers Against Drunk Driving for their efforts to keep intoxicated drivers off the roads.

presented the information during the May 7 Commission meeting.

“These guys in the Uniform Patrol Division who worked very hard this past year, they’re all to be commended for making Henry County roads safer for the amount of D.U.I. arrests they made this year,” said Amerman.

Commission Chair June Wood thanked the officers for their service to the community.

“Congratulations and that’s amazing,” said Wood.

“Again, we appreciate the work and service that you’re doing in keeping our roads safe.”

Henry County EMA Hosts Delegation from Countries around the World

Henry County hosted a delegation, one of many within the past ten years, of foreign officials who were in the United States to learn about emergency communication and management. Delegates from Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Liberia, Nigeria, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, India, Indonesia, Myanmar and Pakistan made the trip to see firsthand how emergency communications are handled on a federal, state and local level.

The delegation made their stop in Henry County to learn and gain a better understanding on how the United States manages emergencies on various levels and the specific strategies utilized for coordination at the county level.

Henry County EMA Director, Don Ash shared various techniques, such as the National Incident Management Systems or NIMS, a comprehensive, national approach to incident management that is applicable at all

jurisdictional levels and across functional disciplines.

Henry County has gained a reputation for outstanding emergency preparedness and as a result, the county has been a frequent stop for such tours, hosting a previous delegation from China, as well as groups from Thailand, the Republic of Georgia and South Korea in recent years.

For more information about Henry County’s Emergency Management Agency, please visit henrycountyga.com/e911

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May 24, 2019 New Clinic Aims to Improve Employee Health for Henry County Government

Henry County and Healthstat, Inc. Open New Henry Cares Employee Wellness Center

Henry County and Healthstat, Inc. held a ribboncutting ceremony this month to announce the Grand Opening of the Henry Cares Employee Wellness Center, a new onsite health clinic to provide easily accessible health care with no out-of-pocket cost to its full-time and part-time employees. All employees will now have access to chronic disease management services, episodic care and an onsite dispensary for many of the most commonly prescribed medications.

County Manager Cheri Hobson-Matthews, who spearheaded the efforts to bring the clinic to the county for employees thanked the Board of Commissioners for their support, along with staff and the Healthstat team. Matthews and several county officials spent the better part of a year researching and visiting similar clinics to ensure the best fit for the county. She said not only will the clinic be a great benefit for employees, but over time she expects it will reduce claims, thus reducing ever-increasing healthcare costs.

“What a wonderful morning for us to be here with our Board of Commissioners and our county staff for our grand opening of the Henry Cares Wellness Center. The name speaks for itself, Henry Cares, because we truly care about our employees,” said Matthews. “This Wellness Center

is going to be a benefit not only to our employees, but also to the taxpayers by reducing some of our claims and reducing our premiums. I want to thank our Commissioners for their support and Team Henry staff members. I also want to thank the Healthstat team for coming on board, making the process an easy one for our entire team, and most importantly, I want to thank our Facilities Maintenance team for making this happen. They came in and took this space and turned it into a jewel.”

Henry County Commission Chair June Wood said she is grateful to staff for making the Employee Wellness Center happen and looks forward to the benefits it will bring to the employees and the county.

“This is another great day in Henry County. The county management team has worked very hard to open up this wellness facility and it is a great investment for our employees and our citizens,” said Wood. “We look forward to the benefit of healthier employees and down the road hopefully our premiums will go down and claims will go down, making this something that is in the best interest of everyone.”

The Henry Cares Wellness Center will provide employees with an evidence-based care model that focuses on preventive health care as well as behavior modification programs to provide convenient access to care for improving employee wellness and productivity. Full-time and parttime employees will benefit from educational programs for managing their health. The clinic also includes lab services and prescription dispensing, and is supported by Healthstat providers including a family nurse practitioner and a medical office assistant.

The partnership will also include a healthcare strategy and planning guidance to meet workforce and budget goals, enabling Henry County to reduce overall health plan costs Continued on page 14

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Board Approves Purchase of Public Safety Equipment

Henry County Public Safety agencies will soon have more resources at their disposal to respond to serious public threats and urgent safety matters after the Henry County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution to purchase a Lenco BearCat, 30 3M PELTOR ultra-light weight helmets equipped with technology and 10 night vision goggles for the Henry County Police Department. The action came the May 7 Commission meeting.

The BearCat, an armored multi-use vehicle will be used for high risk calls like an active shooter or barricaded gunman, and will allow HCPD SWAT to engage, neutralize or eliminate a threat on the scene while increasing survivability and visibility for other officers. The helmets have push to talk capabilities that allow SWAT officers to speak to one another and not be heard by suspects or the public and the night vision goggles that are also being purchased will allow officers to see images in total darkness.

Deputy County Manager Brad Johnson presented the resolution to the Board, talked about planning and implementation stages to attain capital equipment for HCPD and referenced both the county’s extensive week-long FEMA training last summer and the recent police standoff that took place last month.

“We have developed an executive committee that consist of the police chief, the EMA director, myself, training officers and have been working for about eight months to develop a team approach to mitigate any issues that might come about in Henry County,” said Johnson. “Sadly enough, on April 4 we had a casualty to hit Henry County that we were not prepared for.”

Henry County Police Chief Mark Amerman was also on hand during the presentation and explained the reasoning behind the requested purchase of these items.

“After the incident that happened on April 4 that was so Continued on page 15

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May 24, 2019 Parks and Recreation Offers Full-Day Summer Tennis Camp

Is your child looking for something fun to do this summer? Henry County Parks and Recreation is offering four sessions of a new allday Summer Tennis Camp at Richard Craig Park in McDonough.

The Tennis Camp will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the first session beginning on May 28 and ending on June 7; the second session will start on June 10 and run through June 21; the third session is from June 24 through July 12; and the fourth session is from July 15 through the 26.

Boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 18 with all skill levels are eligible to participate and the

program cost is $125 per child per week. Fees include a t-shirt and lunch is also provided.

In addition to learning tennis skills, campers will learn self-reliance and time management skills amid developing other life principles.

Register for the Summer Tennis Camp at any recreation center in the county between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. or visit www.hcprd.org.

For more information, contact Henry County Parks and Recreation at 770-288-7300.

Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/HenryCountyBOC

Employee Clinc- continued from page 12 and absenteeism and engage county employees to participate in proactive preventive healthcare to increase productivity and quality of life.

“We’re thrilled to play a role in Henry County’s journey toward better health,” said Crockett Dale, CEO, Healthstat, Inc. “Giving employers and providers the keys to henrycounty-ga.org

engaging their populations in preventive ways, rather than reacting to disease and illness, is fundamental to helping populations make lasting changes and adopt healthier habits that are sustainable in the long run.”

Public Safety Equipment- continued from page 13 widely televised and talked about, I sat down with Mr. Johnson and we came up with a list,” said Amerman. “Things on the list included an armored vehicle.”

He further stated that the HCPD had to call for assistance from several surrounding counties and relied on them for their resources. Amerman said that it is a necessity that the county owns an armored vehicle.

“It is unfortunate we had to wait for this kind of incident to happen but the county is in desperate need of having an armored vehicle for the safety of its officers, its SWAT team and the citizens of Henry County,” said Amerman.

The BearCat from Lenco Armored Vehicles cost $294,934; the 30 ultra-light weight helmets purchase will be from Botach Tactical in the amount of $52,740; and the night vision goggles from the Georgia Department of Public Safety cost $35,500. Money for this equipment will be allocated from the Fund Balance account.

For more information on the Henry County Police Department, visit henrycounyt-ga.com/police.

Henry County Judge Hosts Foreign Delegation for a Day at Court

Henry County State Court Chief Judge Ben W. Studdard hosted a foreign delegation from the Republic of Georgia earlier this week where they learned about courtroom efficiency and how to revise their current legal process.

Studdard, along with Cobb County’s Superior Court Senior Judge James Bodiford and Superior Court Judge Ann Harris, have been participating in an exchange training program that helps teach and guide the delegates the procedures of jury trials.

“Jury trials in the Republic of Georgia have only been in place for about a decade,” said Bodiford. “The delegates are currently learning and observing our practices. We

obviously don’t have all the answers but we can help them and guide them in the most useful way.”

Studdard said that it often takes months to try a case in the Republic of Georgia and one of the things that the judges are encouraging the delegates to do is to streamline the process and only present the evidence.

“We have seen a real measure of progress in the people who have come over and learned from us. We are truly making a difference,” said Studdard. “Delegates who have visited in the past went back to the Republic of Georgia and have become our biggest cheerleaders, sharing with their colleagues what they learned here about court proceedings.”

For more information about Henry County Courts, please visit henrycounty-ga.com/courts.

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SEE CLICK FIX henrycounty-ga.com/SeeClickFix

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