August 5, 2016
Board of
Commissioners
Henry County 4-H Shines at State Congress
Regular Meetings August 16 at 6:30 PM September 6 at 9:00 AM 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. Henry County 4-H was well represented at the 2016 State Congress. Pictured (l. to r.) Suzanne Palmertree, Piper Brown and Camilla Stegall.
Congratulations to Henry County 4-H members Suzanne Palmertree, Camilla Stegall and Piper Brown. The three young women represented the community at the 74th Annual 4-H State Congress. They competed in the following categories respectively: 1) Science of Engineering & Mechanics; 2) Performing Arts – Other Instrumental; and 3) Dairy Foods. Henry County 4-H is excited to announce that Suzanne placed third in the Science of Engineering and Mechanics with her speech on different types of bridge construction; Camilla placed third in Performing Arts – Other Instrumental with her performance of the theme song from Pirates of the Caribbean; and Piper placed first in the Dairy Foods category, which also earned her the title of Master 4-H’er, which is a life-long designation. Another highlight of the week was the recognition of 4-H member Mayah Waltower. Earlier this year she applied for the 4-H Achievement Scholarships, and Continued on page 3
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August 5, 2016
Published by Henry County Communications Department The Henry County Board of Commissioners
Editor
County Approves Professional Services for Advocacy at State Capitol
Melissa Robinson
Graphic Designer Meredith Butler Samantha Watson
Layout Designer Samantha Watson
Contributors Melissa Robinson Samantha Watson Kevin Williams
New Speed Humps on Moye Drive Speed humps are being added to Moye Drive in McDonough after more than half of the property owners on the road signed a petition in accordance with the Henry County Speed Hump Ordinance. Commissioners approved the installation of two new speed humps to the road at the August 2 Commission meeting. Funding for the installation is available in the Department of Transportation’s budget. To learn more about Henry County’s D.O.T., log on to www.henrycounty-ga.org/hcdot. henrycounty-ga.org
The Henry County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution to execute a professional services agreement with On Point Strategies, LLC for lobbying services on behalf of Henry County. County attorney Patrick Jaugstetter presented the item at the August 2 regular Commission meeting and said that the county can make good use of these services to ensure that the citizens and the county are afforded every opportunity for available funding and services at the state and federal level. The contract for professional services will cost $2,000 a month for a one-year term. District IV Commissioner Blake Prince echoed his support for the professional services agreement, citing transportation issues as the main reason for employing a lobbying service. “We’ve had a lot of complaints about transportation and some of the things we need help with are up at the Capitol. We need to get more funding down here in Henry County,” said Prince. “It’s becoming a major issue, traffic and transportation, so what we are doing is hiring a lobbyist who will go to the Capitol and fight for Henry County and make sure we are getting the monies that are going out to the other counties. It’s very important to be represented at the Capitol.” District III Commissioner and Vice-Chair Gary Barham read an email from David Gill, President and CEO of the Henry County Chamber of Commerce, in support of the action. Gill’s email detailed the traffic and congestion issues in Henry County and encouraged the Commissioners to approve the agenda item.
4-H Competition from page 1
and was selected as the recipient of the Wooten Scholarship which is sponsored by the Georgia 4-H volunteer Leader Association. Mayah was recognized during the opening assembly of State Congress, and this most recent accomplishment makes Mayah a Double-Master 4-H’er as she placed first in her project category at State Congress in 2015. The event was held at the Crowne Plaza Ravinia in Dunwoody, July 26-29. All regions of the state were represented at the contest in which competitors earned the opportunity to participate by earning top honors at the district qualifying event in their area of the state. Participants either presented a 10-12 minute illustrated speech, gave a four-minute musical or dance performance, or completed a one-and-a-half hour food demonstration lab. Participants also submitted a portfolio (resume) with documentation of the work related to their presentation over the past 12 months, Competitors were also interviewed twice – once by project judges and once by portfolio (resume)
judges. The announcement of winners was held at the Crystal Pistol in Six Flags Park. 4-H’ers along with staff and volunteers filled the auditorium to learn who earned top honors in the state. 4-H State Congress was capped off with the Annual Banquet sponsored by the Georgia Electric Membership Corporation. Henry County 4-H’ers are already preparing for the 2017 competition where fifth through eighth grade students can advance to district competition with a 4-H project. High school students have an opportunity to advance to the state event, and those winners are invited to National 4-H Congress. 4-H is open to public, private and homeschool students. 4-H for middle school students is conducted as a county-wide monthly meeting, and County Council is the regular 4-H meeting for students in grades 7-12. Visit www.ugaextension.com/henry to view photos of recent 4-H events.
15th Annual Tennis Clinic to Be Held on August 6 The 15th Annual Jac Roth Free Tennis Clinic will be held on Saturday, August 6 from 9 a.m. to noon at Richard Craig Park in McDonough with registration starting at 8:15 a.m. The clinic is free to everyone and open to all age and experience levels. Participants will learn the basic fundamentals of the serve, volley, forehand and backhand from experienced volunteer tennis instructors. Equipment will be provided by the Henry County Parks and Recreation Department as well as the instructors themselves. Participants will be split into age groups ranging from Elementary up to Adult and will have the opportunity to win prizes during court lessons. Ball machines will be set up for more experienced players
who wish to focus on consistency. The clinic will be followed by a free weenie roast/cook out provided by clinic sponsors such as the McDonald family, Legacy Ford, Herman and Joeann Compton, Union Grove Tennis Camp and many more. Jac Roth was the founder of the Free Tennis Clinic. Herman and Joeann Compton and the McDonald family honor his memory by continuing the clinic 15 years after his passing. Special thanks to the 30 volunteers and 17 sponsors of the Jac Roth 15th Annual Free Tennis Clinic. For more information about the clinic or the Henry County Tennis Association contact the Recreation Department at (770) 288-7300.
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August 5, 2016
Citizens Police Academy Now Accepting Applications The Henry County Citizens Police Academy is now accepting applications for its 11 week class session that meets every Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. from September 6 through November 15. The goal of the Citizens Police Academy is not only to help local residents better understand police work in their community, but to develop stronger ties between our community and police agencies in an effort to better address crime issues. Community Based Policing is an important and vital aspect of crime control in any community. It is through community cooperation and planning that we can best ensure quality police services in an organized effective crime prevention effort. The instruction provided at the Citizens Police Academy will include topics relevant to Henry County crime problems, such as crime prevention and community based policing, drugs, gangs, DUI and traffic enforcement, investigations, the Use of Force Model and use of force, firearms safety and the law and a tour of the Henry County Jail. Classes are free of charge, but involve a commitment to attend an 11-week session. Students
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that participate in the range class will be required to purchase a certain type of ammunition for the range weapon. Most of the classes are held at the Henry County Police Department Training Room. Potential candidates for the academy must be at least 21 years of age, live or work in Henry County, have no prior felony arrests and no misdemeanor arrests within six months of the application. To apply, visit www.henrycounty-ga.org/police and print the application and background consent form and submit them both in person or by mail to Henry County Police Department, 108 S. Zack Hinton Pkwy, McDonough, GA 30253. For more information on the academy, please contact Joni Miller in the Uniform Patrol Division at 770-288-8285 or by email at jmiller@co.henry.ga.us.
Additional Operating Hours at Cochran (Stockbridge) Library Through a donation from the City of Stockbridge City Council, Henry County Library System will open the Cochran Public Library in Stockbridge on Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. from August 2016 through December. Hours for the McDonough, Fortson, Locust Grove and Fairview libraries will remain the same. Cochran Public Library is located at 174 Burke Street, Stockbridge, GA 30281. For more information call the library at 678-432-5353, ext. 7 or log on to www.henry.public.lib.ga.us.
New Position Approved in Growing Transit Department
Henry County Transit was approved to add an additional Scheduler to their staff at the August 2 Commission meeting. The new position comes at a much needed time with the implementation of new scheduling software by the Department of Human Services and the increasing demand for transportation within Henry County. A budget amendment of $50,834.13 was approved to fund the salary and benefits for the new position. To combat its growing pains, the Transit Department has also accepted two grants from the Georgia Department of Transportation 5311 Rural Transportation Program, which the department has been a participant in for the last 27 years. The first is a Capital Assistance grant in the amount of $153,230.05 for the replacement of four existing buses that have become outdated. A local match of $19,153.76 will be met by the county and a separate match of $19,153.75 will be met by the State of Georgia for the purchase of four 16-passenger Goshen II vehicles with wheelchair lift. The second is an Operating Assistance grant that will allow the department to collect up to $192,067 in operating assistance reimbursements. A local match of $192,067 is required and is already included in the annual departmental budget. For more information on the demand response transportation available with Henry County Transit, visit www.henrycounty-ga.org/transit.
4-H Open House Set For August 15 Is your child social? Do they like to have fun while learning how to have a happy, healthy life? Are they interested in dogs, horses, archery or camp activities? If so, you should load up the minivan and head to the Henry County 4-H Kick-Off “Meet and Greet” Open House for students in 5th through 12th grade. On August 15 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. the Henry County Extension Office kicks off its 4-H initiative at 97 Lake Dow Road, McDonough with fun activities for all ages, incentive drawings, information about clubs for children in 5th through 12th grade and local 4-H’ers to meet. In true 4-H form, a service project in the form of a canned food drive will be taking place during the event. The goal for the evening is to collect 1,000 canned and dry food items, so please come with generous donations. 4-H t-shirts, bags and other swag will also be on sale for $5 to $10. Clubs open for new 4-H recruits include County Council Club (7th-12th), 4-H Middle School Club (6th8th), Hoof Beats Horse Club (5th-12th), Dog Club (5th-12th) and Shooting Sports Team (6th-12th). The Archery Team is currently full. Additional events open to incoming members include 4-H district and state weekend events and contests as well as summer activities, field trips and camps. For more information, or to RSVP, please contact the Henry County UGA Extension Office at 770-288-8421 or log on to www.ugaextension.com/henry.
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Henry County Receives Special One-Time Return From ACCG Insurance Programs
Henry County officials accept the one-time return of funds from the ACCG. Pictured (l. to r.) ACCG-GSIWCF Chairman and McDuffie County Commissioner Frederick Favors; Henry County Finance Director Fred Auletta; Henry County Risk Manager Vincent Scott; Henry County District III Commissioner Gary Barham; ACCG Executive Director Ross King; Henry County District V Commissioner and Board of Trustees member Bruce B. Holmes; Henry County Assistant County Manager Cheri Matthews; and ACCG Director of Property and Casualty Insurance Programs, David Uhlman.
Henry County recently received a check in the amount of $56,600, representing its share of a $5 million one-time special return from the ACCG - Group SelfInsurance Workers’ Compensation Fund (GSIWCF). ACCG is Georgia’s county association and works on behalf of county officials and their communities by providing public policy and legislative advocacy, leadership development, civic and community engagement initiatives, insurance and retirement programs that specialize in local government needs and other cost-saving programs. “We welcome the opportunity to recognize our loyal program participants and reward longevity in our programs,” said ACCG Executive Director Ross King. “Over 166 counties and authorities trust ACCG to provide for their workers’ compensation insurance
needs through our well-established and respected program that specializes in the needs of Georgia county governments.” The ACCG - Group SelfInsurance Workers’ Compensation Fund (GSIWCF) was established in 1982. Organizations participating in the workers’ compensation insurance program since 2014 are eligible for the special one-time return. Each year, premiums are collected from the membership and the workers’ compensation benefits are paid to the injured workers. While some injuries are minor and benefits are paid quickly, benefits for more serious injuries may be paid over the course of ten or more years. The portion of the premium that is not immediately needed results as investment income to the program. “This action underscores the benefit of participating in a county-owned program,” said ACCG President and Elbert County Chairman Tommy Lyon. “We have the flexibility to share a portion of these gains with the membership whereas a commercial carrier would likely have kept the profit or distributed it to its shareholders.” Recently, the Board of Trustees determined that it was in the best interest of the fund to eliminate one of the three money managers that manage an investment portfolio on behalf of the program. The investments from the terminated money manager were sold in order to transfer the portfolio to the remaining managers which resulted in an influx of realized gains. After assessing the strength and stability of the program with external consultants, the Board of Trustees agreed that a portion of these gains could be returned to the participating organizations. “We are very excited to have the opportunity to allot this special one-time return to the membership,” Continued on page 7
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ACCG Insurance from page 6
said GSIWCF Board of Trustees Chairman and McDuffie County Commissioner Frederick Favors. “This is an excellent example of one of the many benefits of participating in county-owned insurance programs that are administered by ACCG.” ACCG Executive Director Ross King presents Henry County District V Commissioners with a onetime return to the County in the amount of $56,600. Counties have the flexibility to use this funding as needed; however, ACCG encourages counties to consider investing at least a portion of this special onetime return to implement programs or practices that can reduce the number and severity of future accidents. In turn, this can potentially lower future workers’ compensation premiums as insurance premiums are impacted by the claims history. Although ACCG - GSIWCF has returned a
dividend 27 times over the life of the program – and every year since 1996 – the dividend has historically been returned in the form of a premium credit. A $3.75 million dividend was distributed statewide as a premium credit in January 2016. The premium credit is beneficial to the membership as it reduces annual premium costs. The special one-time return is being offered as the result of eliminating one of the program’s money managers. It is not intended to replace the premium credit, which will continue to be evaluated on an annual basis. ACCG provides workers’ compensation insurance to more Georgia county governments than all other insurers combined and manages assets of approximately $219 million. Since 1985, the program has returned more than $60 million in the form of premium credits.
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