October 21, 2016
HCFD Receives Honor from PETA Board of
Commissioners Regular Meetings November 1 at 9:00 AM November 15 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.
Front row (l. to r.) Batt. Chief Luther Phillips, Lt. Chad Schaefer, Chairman Tommy Smith, Fire Chief Nish Willis, Captain Michael Hicks, Captain Michael Black and Deputy Chief Brad Johnson. Back row (l. to r.) District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes, District IV Commissioner Blake Prince, District III Commissioner Gary Barham and District I Commissioner Bo Moss.
For its staff’s effort and courage, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) presented the Henry County Fire Department with a Compassionate Fire Department Award on October 4, which was presented to the Board of Commissioners at the October 18 regular meeting. The department was recognized after its Technical Rescue Team rescued a dog named Bama from a 40-foot-deep well in McDonough on September 26 and reunited him with his family. The letter from the President of PETA, Ingrid Newkirk read, “Members of your community, both two-legged and four-legged, are lucky to have such a compassionate and dedicated fire department.” The letter was accompanied by a gift basket filled with vegan cookies and a copy of The Engine 2 Diet, a Texas firefighter’s 28-day plan for improving one’s health by switching to a plant-based diet. Following the rescue of Bama, Deputy Chief Johnson stated, “We are proud of the hard work and dedication the men and women of the department demonstrate each day on the job. They train to make a difference regardless of what lives may be at risk.”
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October 21, 2016
Published by Henry County Communications Department The Henry County Board of Commissioners
Editor Melissa Robinson
Graphic Designer Meredith Butler Samantha Watson
Layout Designer Samantha Watson
Contributors Melissa Robinson Samantha Watson
Henry County Transit Receives State Funding Capital assistance awarded to Henry County Transit was approved to be accepted at the October 18 Commission meeting. The Georgia Department of Transportation 5311 Rural Transportation Program Supplemental Agreement for Capital Assistance was awarded to Henry County Transit in the amount of $157,561.34. The funds will be used to replace four existing buses that have met their useful life. Henry County will be required to provide a ten percent local match of $19,695.17 and the State of Georgia will provide a ten percent match of $19,695.17 for a grand total of $196,951.68 in capital funds. For more information on Henry County Transit, visit www.henrycounty-ga.org/transit. henrycounty-ga.org
Connecting Henry and the Henry County Non-Profit Collaborative are hosting an education, awareness and networking event entitled the Healthy Children Conference on Tuesday, November 15 at Shiloh Baptist Church in McDonough from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. The conference is a free, educational opportunity open to anyone who wants to learn more about raising healthy children including educators, caregivers, providers, nonprofits, churches and law enforcement. The event will feature group and breakout sessions on child wellness and protection topics including internet safety, gangs, dating violence, self-harm, crisis intervention, child trauma, child development, eating disorders and Darkness 2 Light training. To view the full schedule and to register for the conference, visit www.henryhealthychildren.eventbrite.com. Sponsorships and vendor opportunities are still available. To be included in print recognition, sponsors are required to send their logo to laura.turner@choa. org by November 5. To get more information about becoming a sponsor or vendor, contact Marjorie Lacy at mlacy@henryhavenhouse.org. Partners of the conference include A Friends House, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Connecting Henry, Haven House, Henry County Counseling Center, Henry County DFCS, Henry County Extension Service, Henry County Schools and Raise Me Up
Commissioners Adopt Employee Wellness Initiative In an effort to encourage health and wellness for county employees, the Henry County Board of Commissioners adopted the employee wellness initiative by accepting the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) Health Promotion and Wellbeing Grant. The ACCG has presented a $15,000 grant to the County to be used toward targeted employee health programs. Additionally, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia is providing reimbursable wellness funding in the amount of $75,000 to be used to promote health and wellness programming. Human Resources Director Doris Patterson, who presented the item at the October 18 Commission meeting, said the funds will be used to host wellness and benefits fairs, lunch and learns, healthy cooking classes, flu shots, hikes and other activities and events in order to promote employee wellness and better health.
Bid Awarded for Milling and Resurfacing of Roads A bid for the milling and resurfacing of five roads in Henry County was awarded to E.R. Snell Contractor, Inc. of Snellville at the October 18 regular meeting. The low bid from E.R. Snell Contractor, Inc. totaled $1,194,211.50. The five roads slated for milling and resurfacing include Old Conyers Road – Flat Rock Road to Flat Shoals Church Road, Flat Rock Road – Millers Mill Road to SR 138, Banks Road – Flippen Road to Rock Quarry Road, Tye Road – Banks Road to Red Oak Road, Crumbley Road – SR 138 to east of Creekside Drive. For more information on this or any SPLOST projects, visit www.henrycounty-ga.org/splost.
Retired Educators Recognized
Chairman Tommy Smith presents a proclamation in recognition of Retired Educators Day to Kathy Hill with the Henry County Retired Educators Association. Pictured are: front row (l. to r.) Chairman Smith, Kathy Hill and District IV Commissioner Blake Prince; second row (l. to r.) District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes, District I Commissioner Bo Moss and District III Commissioner Gary Barham.
The Henry County Board of Commissioners proclaimed November 6, 2016 as Retired Educators Day, recognizing the contributions retired educators have made to their communities. The action came at the October 18 Commission meeting. Through the proclamation, Commissioners recognized the contributions of educators. The proclamation read in part, “Whereas, the retired educators of Georgia donate thousands of hours of volunteer service and make invaluable contributions to the welfare of their respective communities across the state…It is appropriate that a day be designated for citizens to express their appreciation for the contributions that retired educators have made and continue to make for the betterment of society.” Henry County’s observance of Retired Educators Day coincides with the state of Georgia’s observance honoring retired teachers.
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October 21, 2016 HCPD Hosts Operation Rolling Thunder The Henry County Police Department is hosting the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) Thunder Taskforce this weekend, Friday October 21 and Saturday October 22, 2016. The Taskforce is comprised of multiple officers from regional and surrounding counties, Traffic Investigators, DUI/HEAT Officers, Drug Recognition Experts, and Officers from HCPD. The GOHS Taskforce’s mission, dubbed Operation Rolling Thunder is to “detect Georgia’s highcrash corridors and reduce mounting highway deaths and serious injuries by introducing a high visibility law enforcement presence to help stabilize the extreme and illegal driving behaviors of careless motorists who cause those crashes.” Henry County, with its expansive roadway structure is a prime target for Operation Rolling Thunder. This year Henry County has already witnessed 19 collisions with 22 fatalities, and of those 19 accidents, 12 involved driving while under the Influence (DUI), speeding, or improper safety restraints as well as other
violations as the contributing factor. As a means of reducing fatalities and serious injuries by vehicle, the Taskforce strategy assigns concentrated patrols to state routes, rural roads and interstate highways on alternating schedules for each day of this action. Taskforce officers will conduct safety belt and sobriety road checks and speed patrols while collecting enforcement data to document their lifesaving progress. Operation Rolling Thunder has a documented history of reducing highway deaths since the highway safety project’s inception in 2007. Henry County Police Department, along with our regional and state law enforcement partners are taking a proactive approach by targeting driving behaviors that contribute to fatal accidents, accidents with injuries, and the property damage that occurs as a result. Operation Rolling Thunder is being coordinated by elements of the HCPD Special Operations Division and is endorsed by the GOHS. For more information, contact Captain Chuck Simmons at 770-288-8215.
SCTC Henry Center to Move Forward with Second Building The Henry County Board of Commissioners cleared the way for the second building of Southern Crescent Technical College’s Henry County Campus by approving a measure to accept an easement to satisfy a condition of a valid property interest as set forth in the SPLOST IV referendum. The action came at the October 18 Commission meeting. In a vote of 4 to 1, with Chairman Tommy Smith in opposition, commissioners approved the resolution accepting the easement as valid property interest and eventually allowing for the county’s allocation of $5 million dollars toward an 80,000 square foot building. According to the resolution, the state has apportioned $20.9 million for the building as well, which is slated to open its doors in January 2018. henrycounty-ga.org
Although the Chairman and Commissioners had differing opinions of what constituted a valid property interest, all expressed support of higher education and the technical college’s premier value in Henry County. The Southern Crescent Technical College’s Henry Center officially opened for classes in the summer of 2014. The Henry Center is expected to eventually encompass an eight building campus offering a wide array of technical and skilled educational opportunities. For more information on SPLOST IV, visit www.henrycounty-ga.org/splost. Commission meetings are aired daily on Henry Television, Charter channel 180, AT&T U-verse channel 99 and on demand at www.henrycounty-ga.org.
Building and Plan Review Purchases New Vehicle Fleet and Amends Timber Removal Code
Early voting for the November 8 General Election/Special Elections will begin October 17 at the following locations and times: Elections & Voter Registration Main Office: October 17th – 21st: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm October 22nd: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm October 24th – 28th: 7:00 am – 7:00 pm October 29th: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm October 30th: 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm October 31st – November 4th : 7:00 am – 7:00 pm Merle Manders Conference Center: October 24th – 28th: 7:00 am – 7:00 pm October 29th: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm October 30th: 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm October 31st – November 4th : 7:00 am – 7:00 pm Fairview Library: October 31st – November 4th: 7:00 am – 7:00 pm Fortson (Hampton) Library: October 31st – November 4th : 7:00 am – 7:00 pm Locust Grove Library: October 31st – November 4th : 7:00 am – 7:00 pm Polls will be open Election Day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at your local precinct. For further information or to request an absentee ballot, call 770-288-6448. The Elections Office is located at 40 Atlanta Street in McDonough.
The Building and Plan Review Department was authorized to purchase twelve new vehicles to replace an outdated fleet. Commissioners also approved amending a section regarding timber in the Henry County Unified Land Development Code at the October 18 Commission meeting. The Department is in need of replacing its whole fleet of vehicles to help promote the general health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Henry County. An increase in land development, commercial and residential, requires replacement of the current outdated fleet. With its own revenue, the department will purchase twelve 2017 F150 Regular Cab Trucks in the amount of $267,630 from Allan Vigil Ford. In related news, the department will update the Henry County Unified Land Development Code to reflect current legislative changes made by the Georgia General Assembly in 2015. An amendment to Chapter 12, Section 12.02.06(H) permits for timber removal, in accordance with Sections 12.02.11 and 12.03.00 will be made by adopting the new State law as written in O.C.G.A. 126-24 Notice of timber harvesting operations. To view the state law, visit www.epd.georgia. gov/rules-and-laws. To learn more about the Henry County Building and Plan Review Department, visit www.henrycounty-ga.org/building.
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October Proclaimed as Fire Gold Shield Foundation Donations Being Collected Over Prevention Month the Next Three Weeks A proclamation recognizing Fire Prevention This weekend the Henry County Fire Department will be out in full force collecting funds for the Gold Shield Foundation of Metro Atlanta. Firefighters will be in public collecting donations for three consecutive Fridays beginning Friday, October 21 and continuing on October 28 and November 4. The Gold Shield Foundation of Metro Atlanta (GSF) was founded in 1997 and is a 501(c) (3), nonprofit organization. The GSF was originally established for the purpose of assisting the surviving spouses and dependent children of law enforcement officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty. The Foundation’s mission has broadly grown as they have listened to the needs from within the fire and police communities in which they serve. Today, the Gold Shield Foundation works tirelessly to provide aid for law enforcement officers, firefighters, their spouses and their children, whose lives have been altered as a result of line of duty deaths and injuries. The GSF relies on the generosity of foundations, corporations, community individuals and income generated through special events to fulfill its mission. Ninety-eight percent of all donations are allocated for the support of law enforcement officers and firefighters. When you see firefighters out collecting donations, please give generously; Donations to the Gold Shield Foundation are essential to their continued work of providing relief to our public safety family. For more information on the Gold Shield Foundation, visit www.goldshieldatalanta.org. henrycounty-ga.org
Month in Henry County was presented at the October 18 Commission meeting. The 2016 Fire Prevention Week theme, “Don’t Wait – Check the Date! Replace Smoke Alarms Every 10 Years” effectively serves to educate the public about the vital importance of replacing the smoke alarms in their homes at least every ten years, and to determine the age of their smoke alarms by checking the date of manufacture on the back of the alarms. The Board proclaimed that the month of October shall be known as Fire Prevention Month and the week of October 9 through 15 be known as Fire Prevention Week throughout the County, during which time all citizens are urged to protect their homes and families by heeding the important safety messages of Fire Prevention Month. For more information on fire safety, visit the Henry County Fire Departments webpage at www.henrycounty-ga.org/fire.
HCPD H.E.A.T. Program Receives State Funding A $60,911.34 state grant awarded to the Henry County Police Department was approved at the October 19 regular meeting. The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety grant was awarded directly to the H.E.A.T. program, which enforces driving under the influence laws, traffic laws and occupant safety laws. The grant will fund 40 percent of the salaries and fringe benefits, regular operating expenses, travel and equipment purchases for one officer and one sergeant. The County’s local cash match will total $91,367.01.