Henry Count Update - Newsletter

November 19, 2020

Board of

Commissioners

McDonough-Henry County Advisory Board Prepares Operations for Boys and Girls Club

Regular Meetings .December 1st, 9:00 a.m.

December 15th, 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 McDonough-Henry County Advisory Board has been gearing up for the opening of the McDonough-Henry County Boys and Girls Club and held its bi-monthly meeting on October 27 to discuss next steps for the club.

The McDonough-Henry Boys and Girls Club named its inaugural Advisory Board with Henry County District II Commissioner Dee Clemmons serving as its Board Chair. Clemmons was the driving force in bringing The Boys and Girls Club of America to Henry County. Board members also include Connie Baptiste, Henry County Solicitor General Pam Bettis, Attorney Andrea Boyd, State Court Judge David Brown, President/CEO of Boys and Girls Club of Central Georgia Phillip Bryant, Kyana Cannon, Dr. Earlene Crump, Dr. Gloria Dodson, Latisha Flint, Wayne Jeffries, Samantha Jones, April Madden, State Court Judge Pandora Palmer, Erica AntoinetteSlaton, Cletonya Stidom and Eldridge Walker.

Clemmons said the mission of the McDonough-Henry Boys and Girls Club “is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens.�

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November 19, 2020

Download the SeeClickFix App or visit henrycounty-ga.com/ SeeClickFix

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

Henry County Small Business Restart Program and Non-Profit Assistance Program

The Henry County Board of Commissioners are awarding grants for small businesses and non-profits to assist those who have been negatively affected by COVID-19.

Applications are vetted for eligibility through the Grant Administration Unit, and presented to an appointed 6-person Review Committee for analysis and evaluation, then recommended to the Board of Commissioners for approval.

Eligible small businesses and non-profits are

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encouraged to apply for this relief funding to restart their businesses or to provide direct services to Henry County citizens in need. To help facilitate the application process, please see the video below, which details the application process and offers helpful tips to ensure that your submission meets all of the eligibility requirements.

To view an instructional video, find more information and the applications, please visit henrycounty-ga.com/Grants.

Boys & Girls Club- continued from page 1 Due to the on-going pandemic the opening date of the club is still yet to be determined. However, the advisory board will continue to meet every two months and is seeking corporate sponsors and partnerships with

local volunteer organizations.

For more information on the McDonough-Henry Boys and Girls Club contact Michele Weaver at mweaver@ co.henry.ga.us.

Henry County Stormwater to Host Rain Barrel Workshops

The Henry County Stormwater Department is hosting its Make-and-Take Rain Barrel Workshops on Thursday, December 3 and December 17, each from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Stormwater Management Office in McDonough.

The workshops focus on rainwater harvesting, managing stormwater at its source and using it for outdoor chores like car washing, and watering plants, flower gardens, lawns, shrubs, trees, and other landscaping.

This event is $10, but participation per workshop is limited to eight people (four per workshop) who sign up. There will be one barrel per participant and one barrel

per household. Those who participate have to reside in the county and driver’s licenses/state ID will be used to verify county residency and household. Minors need to be accompanied by an adult. Registrants who have previously participated in past workshops are asked not to register for this event.

The Henry County Stormwater Management Office is located at 347 Phillips Drive in McDonough.

For more information and to sign up email ateachout@co.henry. ga.us or call (770) 288-7244.

Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/HenryCountyBOC

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November 19, 2020 Henry County and Metro Fair Housing Services, Inc. to Host Virtual Homebuyers Education Seminar

Looking to buy a home? Join Henry County and the Metro Fair Housing Services, Inc. for a virtual Homebuyers Education Seminar on Saturday, November 21, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Those who attend will receive help to find answers to the important questions regarding the

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purchase of a home.

The free event is open to the public and will be held virtually through Zoom.

For more information and to register, email Marion Thomas at marion.thomas@MetroFairHousing. com. (registration required)

Atlanta Motor Speedway Joins HCWA, Henry County Stormwater for Rivers Alive Annual cleanup helps protect the water quality in the utility’s Gardner Reservoir

When litter hits the ground, it’s only a matter of time before it makes its way into a water body that might be a source for drinking water. That’s why the Henry County Water Authority (HCWA) and Henry County Stormwater Management partnered with Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS) to hold the 2020 Henry County Rivers Alive at the utility’s Gardner Reservoir.

Approximately 20 volunteers from AMS joined staff from the HCWA and Henry County Stormwater to clean up trails and portions of the shoreline around the 209-acre drinking water resource located in Locust Grove (GA).

Maintaining social distance, or wearing masks when necessary, the AMS volunteers collected approximately 25 bags of trash, which equated to about a quarter of a ton of trash, including items like old car tires, luggage, sheets and blankets, clothing, bottles and cans, as well as plenty of other debris.

“The Atlanta Motor Speedway family enjoys pitching in and helping our community as much as we enjoy race day,” says Brandon Hutchison, AMS Executive Vice President and General Manager. “We all work here in Henry County, and many of us proudly call it home, so it’s gratifying to team up with the Henry County Water Authority to make a difference in neighborhoods we hold dear.”

Henry County Rivers Alive is affiliated with the Georgia Rivers Alive campaign, which is the annual waterway cleanup targeting water bodies all across the state, including creeks, streams, rivers, lakes/ reservoirs, beaches, and wetlands.

Rivers Alive is an outreach program of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD). The objective of Rivers Alive is to create awareness of and involvement in the preservation of Georgia’s water resources.

“While the pandemic has created challenges for all of us, it was great to be able to hold our event because of the dedication of the Water Authority and Cubihatcha Center staff, along with the enthusiasm of the folks from Atlanta Motor Speedway,” says Lindsey Sanders, HCWA Environmental Compliance Coordinator. “As a water utility, we must continually protect water quality and preserve natural resources, and these volunteer efforts helped us do just that.”

Sanders and HCWA officials also took time to remind friends from AMS – while educating the public as well – about some habits and practices that can really help protect local water quality. Some tips include picking up and disposing of pet waste, keeping yard clippings out of storm drains, putting trash in its place to keep litter off the streets, using pesticides and herbicides judiciously, and more. Additional information on protecting water quality is available on the Authority’s website at www.hcwa.com under the “Be the Solution to Water Pollution” tab.

“Rivers Alive is one of our most important community outreach events of the year, because it has a direct impact on the quality of water in our reservoirs,” says Lindy Farmer, HCWA General Manager. “We are very appreciative of the employees from the Atlanta Motor Speedway for taking an active role in helping us protect this critical natural resource.”

Georgia’s waterways, which include more than 70,000 miles of streams and rivers, provide state residents with water for finished drinking water production and recreational opportunities like fishing and boating, while serving as natural resources that add to the quality of life and economic development in the state.

The Authority’s Gardner Reservoir is named in memory of former HCWA Chairman of the Board Howell Continued on page 7

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November 19, 2020 Georgia DOT to Host Virtual Public Information Open House and Public Detour Open House on the I-75 Commercial Vehicle Lanes Project Georgia Department of Transportation

ATLANTA, GA – The Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) is seeking public comment on the proposed I-75 Commercial Vehicle Lanes (CVL) project in Butts, Henry, Lamar, Monroe, and Spalding counties. In concordance with social distancing practices, instead of typical in-person public meetings, Georgia DOT will be hosting a virtual Public Information Open House (PIOH) by posting information related to the proposed project on an online platform at https://majormobilityga.com/projects/i75cvl/. This online platform also includes information on the proposed detours associated with the overpass bridge replacements at Pea Ridge Road and High Falls Road.

“Georgia DOT has released the project’s concept design. Even though we are in a pandemic, the Department is offering several engagement

opportunities for the public to submit comment on the project to keep critical transportation infrastructure improvements on track,” said Georgia DOT Program Manager Matthew Fowler. “We encourage members of the public to participate in the public comment period as we strive to improve the movement of freight and reduce incidents.”

Proposed improvements include: • Constructing two, toll-free, barrier-separated CVLs northbound along I-75 from approximately the I-475/I-75 Interchange near Macon to the McDonough area.

• Beginning just south of the city of Forsyth, the two CVLs grade-separate and overpass the I-75 general purpose lanes to transition to a barrierseparated location to the inside of the existing Continued on page 7

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Rivers Alive - continued from page 5 Gardner. The site of this year’s Henry County Rivers Alive is the smallest of the five drinking water reservoirs owned and operated by the Authority, providing a water supply for the production of clean drinking water for more than 60,000 customer accounts.

Media Contact: Chris Wood, Ph.D., P: 770757-1681, E: chris@jwapr.com OR john.wood@gcsu. edu, HCWA Contact: Lindsey Sanders, Environmental Compliance Coordinator, P: 678-583-3809, E: lindsey. sanders@hcwa.com

GDOT - continued from page 6 I-75 general purpose lanes south of the SR 18 interchange.

• The two CVLs continue in this location northward to just north of the SR 83 interchange.

• Beginning north of the SR 83 interchange, the two CVLs grade-separate again and overpass the I-75 general purpose lanes to transition back to the barrier-separated outside location just south of the SR 42 interchange.

• The two CVLs continue northward along the outside of the existing I-75 general purpose lanes to approximately Bethlehem Road, where they merge back onto the I-75 general purpose lanes.

The project includes the addition of an auxiliary lane between the CVL merge near Bethlehem Road and the SR 155 interchange and also between the SR 155 interchange and the SR 20 interchange.

Georgia DOT will host a live, virtual PIOH Presentation and Question and Answer Session scheduled for December 2, 2020, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., allowing the public to meet with members of the project team and ask questions following a brief presentation about the project. For the full schedule and details on how to access the live event, please visit the online platform.

As part of the virtual experience, Georgia DOT’s online platform includes an interactive meeting room with displays, videos, and materials that would be found at traditional in-person public meetings. The information in the virtual meeting room will be available throughout the public comment period, which is from

November 18 through December 15.

To view the printed displays, please visit Georgia DOT’s District 3, Area 4 Office at 4499 Riverside Drive, Macon, GA, 31210 or the Henry County Administration Building at 140 Henry Parkway, McDonough, GA 30253. The displays will be available weekdays, from November 18 to December 15, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Georgia DOT representatives will not be staffing these displays; however, the public may submit questions regarding the project using any of the comment options available below.

Public comments can be accepted during the virtual PIOH and until December 15, 2020, by: 1. Leaving a comment in the comment section of the virtual PIOH site.

2. Emailing comments to 75CVL@dot.ga.gov 3. Calling the project hotline at 678-528-7275 to leave a recorded comment.

4. Submitting written comments to the Georgia Department of Transportation; Attention: Eric Duff, State Environmental Administrator, 600 West Peachtree Street, NE – 16th Floor, Atlanta, Ga., 30308.

5. To learn more about the proposed project and to provide input, visit the project website at https:// majormobilityga.com/projects/i75cvl/.

Natalie Dale mediarequests@dot.ga.gov Media and Govt Relations Specialist, Penny Brooks pbrooks@dot.ga.gov, GDOT District Three Communications Officer

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November 19, 2020 Early Voting Schedule For January 5, 2021 Runoff Election

Revised updated notice of advanced voting for the January 5th, General Election Runoff for Federal Offices. Voting will be conducted at the following locations and times listed below. Last day to register to be eligible to vote in the January 5th, General Election Runoff for Federal Offices is December 7, 2020. Voters may check their voter registration at mvp.sos.ga.gov.

For further information or to request an absentee ballot call 770-288-6448. Please visit henrycounty-ga.com/ elections.

Elections & Voter Registration Main Office: 40 Atlanta St., McDonough

Fortson (Hampton) Library: 61 McDonough St., Hampton December 14th – 18th 8:00 am – 5:00 pm December 21st 7:00 am – 7:00 pm December 28th 7:00 am – 7:00 pm Locust Grove Library: 115 M.L.K. Jr. Blvd., Locust Grove December 14th – 18th 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

December 14th – 18th 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

December 21st – 23rd 7:00 am – 7:00 pm

December 19th 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

December 28th 7:00 am – 7:00 pm

December 20th 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Fairview Recreation Stockbridge

December 21st – 23rd 7:00 am – 7:00 pm December 28th 7:00 am – 7:00 pm Merle Manders Conference Center: 111 Davis Rd., Stockbridge December 14th – 18th 8:00 am – 5:00 pm December 19th 9:00 am – 4:00 pm December 20th 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm December 21st – 23rd 7:00 am – 7:00 pm December 28th 7:00 am – 7:00 pm

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Center:

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Austin

Rd.,

December 14th – 18th 8:00 am – 5:00 pm December 21st 7:00 am – 7:00 pm December 28th 7:00 am – 7:00 pm JP Mosley Recreation Center: 1041 Millers Mill Rd., Stockbridge December 14th – 18th 8:00 am – 5:00 pm December 21st – 23rd 7:00 am – 7:00 pm December 28th – 30th 7:00 am – 7:00 pm

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November 19, 2020

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