October 23, 2020
Board of
Commissioners
Board Amends Criteria for Small Business Restart and Non-Profit Assistance Program
Regular Meetings November 4th, 9:00 a.m. November 17th, 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.
The Henry County Board of Commissioners approved an amended resolution to ease applicant requirements for small businesses and non-profit agencies in Henry County that have been negatively impacted by COVID-19. The action came at the October 20 Commission meeting. At an earlier meeting this month, Board members requested that changes be made to Resolution 20-188. Those changes include the Payment Protection Program restriction, the eligibility of certain elected or appointed officials other than the Board of Commissioners and reconsideration of any imposed deadlines. In addition to the Board’s requested changes, Grants Administrator Kimberly Monast, who made the presentation this week, shared additional suggestions that the Small Business Restart and Non-profit Assistance Review Committee proposed for Commissioners to consider. All revisions are listed below: • Removed Payment Protection Program restriction and added a threshold of $150,000 to differentiate small and large businesses • Removed elected official restriction with the exception of the Henry County Board of Commissioners and members of the Henry County Small Business and NonProfit Assistance Review Committee Continued on page 3
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October 23, 2020
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Accountability Court to Host Inaugural Charity Event The Henry County Accountability Court will be hosting its inaugural Ride for Recovery charity ride event on November 7 beginning at the Veterans Memorial Wall located at Heritage Park, with registration starting at 9 a.m. The charity ride is for supporters and individuals who are in recovery from addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder and mental health. Registration is $20 per rider and $10 per passenger. The 43-mile roundtrip will begin at Heritage Park and participants will travel to Factory Shoals Park in Covington and then back to Heritage Park. henrycounty-ga.org
Lunch plates which include grilled hamburgers and hotdogs, chips and bottled water can be purchased after the ride for $5. Raffle tickets will also be sold. Proceeds from the event will go toward all three Accountability Courts—Veterans Treatment Court, Resource Court and Adult Felony Drug Court. The Veterans Memorial Wall is located at 101 Lake Dow Rd in McDonough. For more information on the Ride for Recovery charity event, contact Bobby Tanner at 404-452-2476.
Restart Program - continued from page 1
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Extended the small business use of fund deadline to December 31 and extended the non-profit use of fund deadline to March 31, 2021 Amended the working capital for non-profits Removed franchise restrictions Amended restrictions for individuals who receive services from non-profits Amended responsibilities and program name to the Henry County Small Business Restart and NonProfit Assistance Program
In related news, the Board also awarded 10 Henry County small businesses for COVID-19 relief funding through the Restart Assistance Program. If eligible, Henry County small businesses and non-profits are encouraged to apply for the Small Business Restart and Non-Profit program to receive assistance. For more information or to apply, visit the county website at www.henrycounty-ga.org.
Henry County Elections Expands Early Voting Elections & Voter Registration Main Office: 40 Atlanta St., McDonough October 24th (Saturday) – 9:00 am – 4:00 pm October 25th (Sunday) – 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm October 26th – 30th – 7:00 am – 7:00 pm Merle Manders Conference Center: 111 Davis Rd., Stockbridge October 24th (Saturday) – 9:00 am – 4:00 pm October 25th (Sunday) – 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm October 26th – 30th – 7:00 am – 7:00 pm Fortson (Hampton) Library: 61 McDonough St., Hampton October 24th (Saturday) – 9:00 am – 4:00 pm October 25th (Sunday) – 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm October 26th – 30th – 7:00 am – 7:00 pm Locust Grove Library: 115 M.L.K. Jr. Blvd., Locust Grove October 24th (Saturday) – 9:00 am – 4:00 pm October 25th (Sunday) – 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm October 26th – 30th – 7:00 am – 7:00 pm Fairview Recreation Center: 35 Austin Rd., Stockbridge October 24th (Saturday) – 9:00 am – 4:00 pm October 25th (Sunday) – 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm October 26th – 30th – 7:00 am – 7:00 pm JP Mosley Recreation Center: 1041 Millers Mill Rd., Stockbridge October 24th (Saturday) – 9:00 am – 4:00 pm October 25th (Sunday) – 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm October 26th – 30th – 7:00 am – 7:00 pm
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October 23, 2020 County Breaks Ground on West Village Road Project
District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes along with Henry County leadership celebrated the West Village Road project with a small groundbreaking ceremony earlier this month . Before breaking ground, Holmes said that the West Village Road widening project is a very important expansion and that it is the last piece of the puzzle to building out the infrastructure for the Town Center. “As everybody knows, we’ve been developing this area for a while,” said Holmes. “Building this road out to look
similar to Fairview Urgent Care with the 8-foot multiuse paths, beautification and street lighting, is going to add a lot of character to this community, and I am so excited that this day has finally come.” The West Village Road widening project is made possible through the shared SPLOST IV and SPLOST V initiative. The contractor for this project is C.W. Matthews and the total project cost $6,472,287. For more information on District V and SPLOST projects, visit henrycounty-ga.com.
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New Streetlights to Illuminate Jonesboro Rd. Motorists will now have an easier time driving on Jonesboro Rd. with the installation of streetlights It was on August 4 that the Henry County Board of Commissioners, in a 3-2 vote, approved the addition of non-revenue producing streetlights after Vice Chair and District II Commissioner Dee Clemmons brought the resolution forward. Clemmons requested the lights from Georgia Power through Henry County’s Department of Transportation, citing safety concerns along the dark thoroughfare. “This is the first time in the history of Jonesboro
Rd. that we have had streetlights on this busy roadway,” said District II Commissioner Dee Clemmons. “The safety of our citizens has always been of the upmost importance to me and these new streetlights are paramount to drivers’ safety.”
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October 23, 2020 Henry County’s Financials Trending Positively David Smith, Director of Financial Services, gave a quarterly update to the Henry County Board of Commissioners at the October 20 regular commission meeting. Smith presented the current state of the county’s expenditure and revenues “to allay some of the rumors of our financial condition,” he said, noting the county’s positive financial outlook. He also presented the latest SPLOST figures and COVID-19 response financials. Through his presentation, Smith relayed that Henry County has allocated $5.1 million to provide a range of resources and services to respond to COVID-19 related needs, including grants quickly mobilized to help small businesses and non-profits. He added that the county is also adapting the mid-year budget to secure a sustainable future if a second spike occurs. “We have awarded (grants) to 36 small businesses and six non-profits to date, and 119 small businesses have applied to date and 34 non-profits,” said Smith. He also detailed revenues and expenditures for the year so far and said that all departments are currently spending below the expected year-to-date
pace. Smith said that total revenues YTD are $19.4 million, or 12 percent of the total budgeted revenue for the year, although property taxes have not yet been collected. He also relayed that it includes Intergovernmental Grants including $5.9 million in CARES funding reimbursement and said that total expenditures are $40.4 million and account for 24 percent of the budgeted expenditures of $167.9 million. He also reported that Henry County is only one of three counties in which local LOST and SPLOST revenues have not taken a significant hit, with SPLOST revenues averaging $3.6 million per month. “SPLOST collection and sales are currently averaging $200,000 per month greater than our budget,” said Smith. Smith gave a brief snapshot of both Cotton Fields Golf Course and the county’s airport and said that revenues are trending higher than they were in FY20, with golf course revenues $31,000 better than expenses this year. “Cotton Fields is no burden on our general fund at this point in time,” said Smith. He added that the airport is operating at $18,000 better than expenditures year to date.
Henry County Development Authority Attracts Over $1 Billion In Investments Within 5 Year Timeframe During a recent sequence of economic development wins that include project announcements from The Home Depot, Purple Innovations and Zinus among others, Henry County Development Authority (HCDA) reports that more than 2,100 new jobs were created during the third quarter of 2020, generating $283.5 million in new investments for Henry County. HISTORIC 5 YEAR ECONOMIC GROWTH BY
THE NUMBERS $1.052 Billion in new investments 6,489 new jobs Henry County’s recent success in economic growth isn’t anything new. Over the past 5 years Henry County has seen some of its greatest numbers of jobs, investments and projects on record. According to population and employment forecasts released Continued on page 9
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Board Approves Appointments, Grants and More
The Henry County Board of Commissioners approved several resolutions at the October 20 Commission meeting. Items approved include:
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Magistrate Court resolution—approved the appointments of judges of the Magistrate Court, including Associate Judge Shalanda Williams, Associate Judge Stephen Norris Knights Jr., and Associate Judge Ted Norman Echols. Public Safety resolutions—accepted the Norfolk Southern Discretion grant in the amount of $5,000 to purchase supplies for the Henry County Fire Department that will aid in decreasing response times; and accepted the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance grant in the amount of $26,532 for the purchase and installation of license plate recognition system for the Henry County Police Department.
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SPLOST resolutions—awarded American Engineers, Inc. for engineering design services for Racetrack Road at Iris Lake Road in the amount of $102,000. Funding for this project is available in the District I and District III SLOST V budgets and the cost will be shared equally; and awarded Kimley-Horn & Associates for design services for the widening of Fairview Road in the amount of $274,500. Fairview Road is an approved District V SPLOST V project and funding is available in the project budget. • Department of Transportation resolution— approved the purchase of a used 2019 Caterpillar asphalt paver from Yancey Bros. of McDonough in the amount of $379,198. Funds are available in the DOT Capital Equipment budget. For more information or to view the meeting in its entirety, visit henrycounty-ga.com/watchTV.
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October 23, 2020 Henry County Police Department Awarded $174,557.20 for Traffic Enforcement Grant The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) is announcing the Henry County Police Department is one of 21 law enforcement agencies in Georgia to receive a Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic grant for the 2021 grant season. Referred to as a H.E.A.T. grant, Henry County Police Department’s award totals $174,557.20. The goal of the H.E.A.T. program is to combat crashes, injuries and fatalities caused by impaired driving and speeding, while also increasing seatbelt use and educating the public about traffic safety and the dangers of DUI. The Henry County Police Department H.E.A.T Unit will use the grant from GOHS to develop and implement strategies to reduce local traffic crashes due to aggressive and dangerous driving behaviors. GOHS H.E.A.T. grants are funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). “The loss of one life on our roads is one too many, and the fact almost all fatal traffic crashes can be prevented is one reason why we are awarding this grant,” Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Director Allen Poole said. “The target of zero traffic deaths in our nation is achievable, and we will continue to help develop and implement educational messages and enforcement campaigns aimed at bringing our state one step closer to that goal.”
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Totaling $6.7 million for 2021, H.E.A.T. grants fund specialized traffic enforcement activities in counties throughout the state. The program was designed to assist Georgia jurisdictions with the highest rates of traffic crashes, injuries and fatalities with grants awarded based on impaired driving and speeding data. “The Henry County Police Department is pleased to announce our partnership with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and other Local Law Enforcement agencies in our continuing effort to save lives and reduce injuries and fatalities on Henry County and Georgia highways,” said Henry County Police Chief Mark Amerman. As law enforcement partners in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over DUI and Click It or Ticket seatbelt campaigns, the Henry County Police Department will also conduct mobilizations throughout the year in coordination with GOHS’s year-round waves of high visibility patrols, concentrated patrols, and multijurisdictional sobriety checkpoints. The grant will continue through September of 2021. For more information about the H.E.A.T. program or any other GOHS campaign, visit www. gahighwaysafety.org or call 404-656-6996.
Development Auth. - continued from page 6 in August 2019 by the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), Henry County will reach a population of 370,000 by 2050. The Development Authority expects that the county’s rapidly growing population will benefit from the increased demand for workforce caused by these new and established businesses for decades to come. The County’s targeted industries from advanced manufacturing, professional services, e-commerce, healthcare and many established businesses have seen tremendous growth during this period. According to Henry County Development Authority Chairman, Pierre Clements, “HCDA has purposely worked to attract more manufacturing and international companies that can leverage the county’s strategic location and skilled workforce to accomplish their business objectives.” Over the past 5 years companies, including De Wafelbakkers, Encompass Health, The Home Depot, Luxottica, and TSYS have decided to choose and expand in Henry. One of the newest additions to Henry’s Advanced Manufacturing sector is Purple Innovation, Inc (“Purple”). Governor Brian P. Kemp announced in July 2020 that Purple, the comfort technology company known for creating the Purple® Mattress, will create 360 jobs and invest $21 million in its advanced manufacturing facility in McDonough, Georgia. Purple designs and manufactures a variety of innovative, premium, branded comfort products, including mattresses, pillows, cushions, frames, sheets, and more. The proximity to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest and most traveled airport, and metro Atlanta location has made Henry County a desired destination for global commerce with foreign direct investment (FDI) from companies like ALPLA, Luxottica, Sangsin Technology America and Zinus, USA. Zinus, an international Korean based corporation, chose McDonough, GA as the site of its first North American advanced manufacturing facility in August 2020. A move that will create 804 jobs and invest $108 million in Henry County. With over 40 years
of experience in the home furnishings industry, Zinus is renowned for their expertly engineered products, which infuses natural ingredients including green tea, olive oil, and charcoal into their mattresses and home furniture. These projects only scratch the surface of Henry’s economic success. HDCA assisted 34 companies with expansions and locations over the past 5 years. These new and established industries will employ more than 6,489 people and generate over $1 billion in new investments for the county’s tax digest. For comparison the $1 billion in added digest value that HCDA has attracted into the Henry County tax digest equals the entire fair market value (FMV) of City of Locust Grove. The Development Authority expects to see continued growth in industry sectors such as advanced manufacturing, professional services, e-commerce and healthcare. “As our population continues to grow it is imperative that we continue to grow our commercial tax base to keep a balanced tax digest and ease the burden on residential taxpayers,” said HCDA Executive Director F. J. “Josh” Fenn. “As a commercial or industrial property only requires $.60/ tax dollar collected in services and a residential property requires $1.40/per tax dollar collected, these investments are key to keeping balance for Henry County as a whole. For a County of our size and location, the Development Authority’s achievement of attracting $1billion in investments in just under 5 years is a major accomplishment for an economic development agency.” As the lead economic development agency for Henry County, the Development Authority works to help retain local companies and to foster new relationships and opportunities with companies looking to relocate or grow their operations into Henry County. Learn more and connect with the HCDA team by visiting ChooseHenry.com.
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October 23, 2020 Incora to Expand, Create 70 Jobs in Henry County
The Henry County Development Authority and Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) announced today that Incora, formerly Wesco Aircraft and Pattonair, and PNK will make a combined investment of $13 million to expand in Henry County. The expansion project will also create 70 new jobs in Henry County. “Incora has decided it is important to expand our presence near Atlanta, Georgia. We will build a 250,000 square foot state of the art distribution center in a new facility located in Henry County,” said Incora Chief Financial Officer T. J. Gallagher. “This new, larger distribution center in McDonough will include significant capabilities for safely handling a range of products for aerospace and other industries.” “We are grateful to our partners at Incora for choosing Georgia for this expansion,” said Deputy Commissioner for the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s Global Commerce division Scott McMurray. “This project is a testament to our highly skilled workforce, trained by our university and technical college partners, and to our top-notch logistics network. As the No. 1 state for aerospace manufacturing attractiveness, we look forward to continuing to provide Incora with the assets they need to create opportunities and maintain long-term success in Henry County.” Incora, formerly Wesco Aircraft, established operations in Henry County in 2012. The Company will be expanding into a wing of a Spec Building inside the Southern Gateway at Lambert Farms Park developed by PNK. Wesco has two facilities in Georgia, and this henrycounty-ga.org
will be the company’s first expansion in Georgia. “Henry County is thrilled about the expansion of Incora. In addition to the new jobs and investment into the local economy during a global pandemic, this announcement speaks to the strength of our established industries,” said Chairman for the Henry County Development Authority Pierre Clements. “Henry County is primed for success in the Aerospace industry given our central location to HartsfieldJackson Atlanta International Airport and other major aerospace centers including Robins Airforce Base and Dobbins Air Reserve base.” Emily Poole, Regional Project Manager, represented the Georgia Department of Economic Development in partnership with the Henry County Development Authority and Georgia Power on this project. About Incora Incora, formerly Wesco Aircraft and Pattonair, is a leading provider of comprehensive supply chain management services to the global aerospace and other industries. Beginning with a strong foundation in aerospace and defense, Incora also utilizes its supply chain expertise to serve industrial manufacturing, marine, pharmaceuticals and beyond. Incora incorporates itself into customers’ businesses, managing all aspects of supply chain from procurement and inventory management to logistics and on-site customer services. The company is headquartered in Valencia, California. For more information, please visit incora.com. About the Henry County Development Authority The Henry County Development Authority is the lead economic development agency for Henry County, Georgia. The Authority works to help retain local companies and to foster new relationships and opportunities with companies looking to relocate or grow their operations into Henry County. For more information, visit www.ChooseHenry.com.
Henry Transit Offers Free Shuttle Service for Voters With high voter turnout, and to assist voters, Henry County Transit is offering free shuttle service to and from the Elections Office at 40 Atlanta St. to the courthouse parking deck and parking lot. The transit
bus will run on a continuous loop from approximately 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. throughout early voting or for as long as necessary to assist voters.
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October 23, 2020 Henry Night Out 2020
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Henry Night Out 2020
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