Henry County Update - Newsletter

August 7, 2017

Board of

Commissioners

Henry County Finance Department Recognized for Excellence in Financial Reporting

Regular Meetings August 15, 2017 6:30 PM Sept. 5 meeting rescheduled to Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017 9:00 AM 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.

The Henry County Board of Commissioners recognized the county’s Finance Department for their achievement in Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Officers Finance Association.

Pictured in the first row (l. to r.) Assistant Finance Director Lori Lynn Robinson, District II Commissioner Dee Clemmons, Chair June Wood, Finance staff members Danielle Gunn, Gina Vance, Sloane Jinks, Dustin Farron and Finance Director Fred Auletta; Second row (l. to r.) Finance staff members Arica Webb, Rikki Hay, Joy Robinson and District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes; Third row (l. to r.) District I Commissioner Johnny Wilson, District III Commissioner Gary Barham and District IV Commissioner Blake Prince.

The Henry County Finance Department was recognized by the Henry County Board of Commissioners at the August 1, 2017 meeting for recently being awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for the fiscal year 2016 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) and the 2016 Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR).

County manager Cheri Hobson-Matthews made the presentation and detailed the accomplishments to receiving such an honor. She said that Henry County is only one of 38 counties in the state to earn the distinction for its CAFR.

“This is an honor that we are standing here this morning recognizing our Finance Department for a job well done,” said Matthews. “It takes the entire team to pull this report together.”

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August 7, 2017 Published by Henry County Communications & Public Information Department The Henry County Government

Editor Melissa Robinson

Graphic Designer Meredith Butler

Layout Designer Melissa Robinson Meredith Butler

Contributors Melissa Robinson Erika Richards Kevin Williams

Finance Award Continued from page 1

Matthews said that this is the twelfth consecutive year that Henry County has earned the Certificate of Achievement in Financial Reporting for the CAFR, and the eleventh year for the PAFR, both having been judged and evaluated by an impartial panel, meeting high standards and demonstrating a spirit of full disclosure to clearly communicate Henry County’s financial story.

According to a statement issued by the Government Finance Officers Association, “the Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.”

The Government Officers Finance Association is a nonprofit, professional association dedicated to the sound management of government financial resources, which serves approximately 19,000 government finance professionals.

To view the 2016 Henry County Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) and the Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR), visit http://www. co.henry.ga.us/Departments/D-L/Finance.aspx.

Connecting Henry Holds Community Collaborative Meeting

Connecting Henry hosted a Community Collaborative meeting on July 25th in McDonough.

The meeting brought out many community partners which allowed possible solutions to issues within Henry County to be addressed. Topics discussed in the meeting included homelessness, the crime rate, the school absentee rate and the reading level of students being below average.

“The purpose of these meetings are to bring

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Henry County community groups together to improve the well-being of families and children in the county,” said Executive Director, Susan Crumbley. “We have an amazing group of people here and we have to provide solutions to make the county a better place to live in.”

For more information on Connecting Henry, please visit http://www.co.henry.ga.us/Departments/ A-C/ConnectingHenry.aspx.

Henry County PD Promotes Officers

Deputy Chief Mark Amerman, Lieutenant Danny Stapp, Lieutenant Jason Black, Sergeant Steve Rotella, Lieutenant Carl Tippens, Sergeant Aris Thompson and Sheriff Keith McBrayer. Lieutenant Chris Fowler is not pictured.

The Henry County Police Department held a promotion ceremony for six officers on Friday at their headquarters in McDonough.

The following promotions that were made are listed below: • Sergeant Danny Stapp was promoted to Lieutenant • Sergeant Jason Black was promoted to Lieutenant • Sergeant Carl Tippens was promoted to Lieutenant

• Detective Sergeant Chris Fowler was promoted to Lieutenant • Detective Steve Rotella was promoted to Sergeant • Detective Aris Thompson was promoted to Sergeant

For more information, please visit www. co.henry.ga.us/

Wells Fargo Scam Alert The Henry County Police Department wants the citizens of the county to be on alert for a Wells Fargo Scam that involves the stealing of personal information.

The scam is a recorded message informing people that the Wells Fargo Bank has locked down their accounts and calling this 855-804-8470 number is the way to resolve the matter. Once a person calls the number, they are asked to provide their social security number, date of birth, zip code, card expiration date, four digit pin and street number. After the requested information is given the call drops.

Wells Fargo has informed the HCPD that they are aware of this scam and advise customers not to provide any information to unsolicited phone calls. If there are questions about certain bank accounts, customers are asked to call the number on the back of their debit/credit cards or visit WellsFargo.com. Individuals who fall prey to this scam should contact Wells Fargo immediately.

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August 7, 2017 Sheriff’s Office Launches New Smart Phone App

Henry County Sheriff’s Office announces a free mobile App for smart phones intended to deliver real-time updates about crime or community events.

The app was launched this week and provides access to many Sheriff’s Office functions and contacts. It is available free at on-line App stores for I-phone and Android products.

Although the app provides most of the common topics available through the Sheriff’s website, it also includes features that are unavailable on the website.

The principal of these new features is an “alert” function. Those who sign up for Sheriff’s Office alerts will receive timely text message alerts for issues specific to Henry County.

The Sheriff’s Office provides the School Resource Officers for Henry County. Therefore should an incident occur in, or in close proximity to, any of the public schools a message will be generated.

Sheriff McBrayer commented, “Anytime there is a lockdown at a school it creates a great deal of anxiety for parents and if they aren’t kept informed it can be concerning. Our goal is to notify parents of the location, level of the concern and to keep them henrycounty-ga.org

updated”.

The Sheriff explained the difference between a “soft lockdown” and a “hard lockdown”. He explained that if there has been an unlawful act committed within the proximity of a school a “soft lockdown” is initiated.

This generally means that law enforcement is in the area dealing with a situation that does not directly involve the school. A hard lockdown is implemented when there is an immediate need for law enforcement at a school”.

Other real-time features available in the palm of your hand include the contact information for School Resource Officers and the Sheriff’s Command Staff, a Confidential Tips Hot Line, Most Wanted information, Inmate search, sex offender information, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), and a “Where Am I” button to help you identify your current location. There are also links to the Sheriff’s Office Facebook page and website.

Sheriff McBrayer added, “If you need to know, get your information straight from the Sheriff’s Office App”. The app is available to download for free at Google Play for androids and The Apple App Store for I-phones.

HCPD Accepts Walmart Community Grant

The Henry County Board of Commissioners approved acceptance of a $1,500 Walmart Community Grant for the Henry County Police Department Community Orientation Policing Services (C.O.P.S.) Unit, after the approval from the regular Board of Commission meeting.

Funds from this grant will go to the Henry County C.O.P.S. Unit’s National Night Out event which is an annual community-building campaign that promotes partnerships between neighbors and law enforcement.

National Night Out is scheduled for October 26, 2017.

Henry County BOC Sets Property Tax Millage Rates

After three public hearings, the Henry County Board of Commissioners voted for the millage to remain at 12.733, in adoption of the 2017 millage rate.

In a 6-0 vote, the action came at an advertised meeting following a final public hearing held Thursday morning, July 27, 2017.

During two earlier hearings, County Manager Cheri Hobson-Matthews and Deputy County Manager Brad Johnson presented a millage presentation with the tax effect, as well as a presentation outlining capital needs for the county.

On May 16, 2017 Commissioners adopted a $154,357,270 budget for fiscal year 2017-2018. The budget called for a 4.3 million dollar increase to employee health insurance premiums and allotted for $500,000 in additional funding for the Henry County Library System. Additionally, the FY 2017-2018 budget calls for $1,764,390 for salaries for Fire Department stations 15 and 16; $282,936 to staff the Bear Creek Senior/ Recreation Center and approximately $482,810 for other new positions and upgrades.

The Henry County Commission set the millage rate to 12.733 ($12.733) per thousand dollars of

assessed valuation) for unincorporated Henry County, 10.551 mills for the City of McDonough, 12.733 mills for the City of Stockbridge, 11.052 for the City of Hampton and 11.052 mills for the City of Locust Grove.

The millage rate is a multiplier that is established to generate tax revenue based on real estate values.

As home values fluctuate, Commissioners may choose to adjust the millage rate to ensure adequate funding for government services. Taxes collected go toward a myriad of services, including, but not limited to, police and fire protection and emergency management, animal control, street construction and maintenance, parks and recreation facilities, community development, planning and zoning, support of library activities, building and inspections, court administration and operations, senior services and transit services.

For more information on the millage rates or your tax bill, please visit www.henrytc.org.

To view any of the millage rate public hearings, as well as the regular Commission meetings, please log on to www.co.henry.ga.us/Government/ AgendaMinutes.aspx.

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August 7, 2017 Georgia Tech Students Presents Capstone Project to Henry County DOT

Students from the Georgia Institute of Technology presented their senior Capstone Projects to Wade Stroud, the Director of the Henry County Department of Transportation, on July 31, at the Henry County Administration Building in McDonough.

The Civil Engineering students, who were grouped into two teams, gave presentations of a mock RFP (request for proposal) project that was sponsored

by Henry County. One team assisted the county in providing a design for a proposed construction and

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storage yard for DOT equipment and materials. The second group provided preliminary design work on the realignment and safety improvements for South Laney Drive.

“Both groups showed remarkable progress and potential in tackling something that pushed beyond their classroom experiences,” said Stroud. “Henry County is honored to be selected in this partnership with Georgia Tech to invest in the development of our future engineers.”

Officials Urge Road Safety with School Back in Session

As Henry County public schools set to reopen for the coming school year, Henry County law enforcement agencies are urging caution on the roadways, and the Henry County Sheriff’s Office along with other public safety agencies are working together to keep children safe, especially when it comes to school bus safety.

According to the Henry County Board of Education, approximately 24,000 Henry County students take the bus to school daily. That means 24,000 school children from kindergarten through 12th grade will be standing beside a roadway waiting for the school bus or exiting the school buses every weekday.

Buses run from 6:30 until 9:00 a.m. and then again from 2:30 to 5 p.m.

A serious concern for public safety has been motorists passing stopped school buses while the buses are picking up or dropping off students. The Henry County Sheriff’s Office wants to warn and educate drivers on school bus laws, because risking the life of a child is never acceptable.

When a bus driver turns on the lights, extends the stop sign arm and stops for passengers to get on and off the bus, drivers must stop! If not, they are in violation of the law. Under state code there are two ways motorists can be cited for illegally passing a school bus while loading or unloading students

The stop arm cameras, which are the primary source for citations, and law enforcement traffic

citations, which are those written by public safety, such as police, deputy sheriffs, state patrol and other law enforcement officers.

Drivers who violate the law will have to pay a fine ranging from $300 to $1,000. Additionally, points on their license could accumulate for each offense depending on the source of the citation. Fines can go as high as $1,000 and in some cases, possible jail time.

Once a school bus stops, all traffic in both directions are required to stop as well.

The only exception is for drivers on the opposite side of the road, when that roadway is divided by a concrete median.

For added security in catching drivers who break the law, motorists are being warned that many school buses are now equipped with stop arm video cameras to record drivers that don’t stop when they are required to. Over the past year, 362 citations have been issued to drivers who have not stopped for buses while picking up and dropping off students in Henry County. There have been too many close calls where students could have been injured or killed due to the recklessness of drivers not following the law.

To view an informational video regarding school bus safety, visit or www.henrycounty-ga.org or https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8lwQt6L8sI&feature=yo utu.be.

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August 7, 2017 BOC Remembers Henry County Heroes

The Henry County Board of Commissioners issued proclamations recognizing heroes T. C. Carter and J.J Quinlan from the Camp Creek Train Wreck of 1900. Pictured in the front row (l. to r.) McDonough Councilwoman Sandra Vincent, John Quinn, Holly Quinn, Barbara Frazier, Henry County Chair June Wood, District II Commissioner Dee Clemmons, BOE member Annette Edwards and NAACP President Eugene Edwards; Second row (l. to r.) District I Commissioner Johnny Wilson, District III Commissioner Gary Barham, District IV Commissioner Blake Prince, McDonough Mayor Billy Copeland and District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes.

The Board of Commissioners recognized the contributions of T.C. Carter and J.J. Quinlan each with a proclamation on August 1, at the regular Commission meeting.

Carter and Quinlan were both a part of the June 23, 1900 devastating Southern Engine No. 7 Camp Creek train wreck where 39 souls were lost and only seven survived.

The train caught fire near McDonough after crashing into the waters of Camp Creek. Carter and

Quinlan’s bravery helped save the lives of many others on that fateful night nearly 100 years ago.

The proclamations read in part, “WHEREAS, T.C. Carter’s bravery showed not only the men and women of his day, but also us today, that heroism knows no race, gender, religion, orientation, nationality or creed…and WHEREAS, The spirit of J.J. Quinlan’s bravery in the face of terror should continue to live throughout our communities in Henry County.”

Henry County Transit Accepts Bus Facilities Grant

The Henry County Board of Commissioners approved acceptance of a Federal Transportation Administration grant for Henry County Transit bus and bus facilities, after the approval at the regular Board of Commission meeting.

The grant funds will allow

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Henry County to replace one new 16 passenger wheelchair accessible vehicle, one support vehicle and preventive maintenance items.

The Federal Transportation Administration will award up to $96,990. The Transit Department is required to match $24,248 equaling the grant’s total amount of $121,238.

Henry County Libraries Plan Events for Solar Eclipse

Play among the stars and planets at Cochran Library Saturday, August 12 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Stockbridge.

As the solar eclipse approaches and in recognition of it, the Cochran Library will feature an indoor planetarium with an inflatable dome inside of it. A variety of space themed educational shows will play in an amazing 360° view and fun space themed activities for all ages throughout the day will be available. Each show last approximately 30 minutes and seating is first come first serve. Tickets will be handed out up to one hour before each show.

There will also be a Solar Eclipse Viewing Party on Monday, August 21 from 1 to 4 p.m. at both Fortson and Fairview Libraries. Attendees at the Fortson Public

Library Eclipse Party will be able to take a look at the eclipse through a telescope equipped with a solar filter or through their very own pair of solar eclipse safety glasses provided at the event.

People going to the Fairview Public Library Eclipse Party will be able to bring their lawn chairs and enjoy the eclipse through solar eclipse safety glasses provided by the library.

Both events are free and open to the public. Cochran Library is located at 174 Burke St, Stockbridge, GA 30281. Fortson Library is located at 61 McDonough St, Hampton, GA 30228 and Fairview Library is located at 28 Austin Rd, Stockbridge, GA 30281

For details on the programs and times, visit www.henrylibraries.org.

Henry County Library Gives Update to Commission

Carolyn Fuller, Director of the Henry County Library System, presented an update report to the Henry County Board of Commissioners at the regular Commission meeting on August 1, 2017.

Fuller noted that Henry County libraries are thriving, thanks to additional funding received from the county in its annual budget. In her report she detailed library program learning activities and initiatives and presented data for patron use of the county’s five library branches.

She said the increased funds from the county allowed additional staff hires which permitted more open hours. She said that a new teen summer reading program was implemented, in addition to the Build a Better World reading program, and that both have been very successful with a 22 percent attendance rate.

The Library System has also formed partnerships with Henry County Schools to get library cards into the hands of students and Gordon College to serve as their student library for their McDonough campus.

For more information on events happening at your local county library, please visit www.henry.public. lib.ga.us/.

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August 7, 2017 SPLOST Officials Present Quarterly Update to Commission

SPLOST Transportation Director Roque Romero and SPLOST Capital Projects Director Ron Burckhalter, presented an updated SPLOST quarterly report to the Henry County Board of Commissioners at the regular Commission meeting on August 1, 2017, detailing the progress of numerous capital and transportation projects throughout the county.

The presentation gave a breakdown and progression of projects, county-wide, as well as throughout the five districts. Out of 28 capital projects, 13 have been completed and the remainder are still

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in progress. Completed projects include a new Senior/ Recreation Center in Hampton, new fire stations in Locust Grove and Hampton and a new 911 radio system replacement, as well as several new public safety and emergency vehicles. SPLOST officials noted a total of 82 transportation projects, with 38 complete, including several road repavings, intersection improvements, bridge repairs and road widenings.

For a full list of projects or to view the complete Power Point presentation update, please visit http:// www.co.henry.ga.us/Departments/S-Z/SPLOST.aspx.