Henry County Update - Newsletter

January 18, 2018

Board of

HCPD Implements SWARM Drone Unit Program

Commissioners Regular Meetings Feb. 6, 2018 9:00 AM Feb. 20, 2018 6:30 PM

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 Police Department is making big strides in public safety and service to the community with its newly added drone program called the SWARM (Special Wide Angle Reconnaissance Mitigation) Unit.

The Henry County Police Department obtained authorization and certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in October of 2017, naming Henry County one of the first organizations in the state of Georgia to receive permission to operate drones as a public entity.

The use of drone technology allows officers to record and take still photos of wreck and fatality scenes. It also allows officers to search for missing people and runaways more efficiently and safely from the air with a wide range view.

Captain and Commanding Officer of the SWARM Unit, Vance Rosen explained the purpose of the new drone unit.

“We want to utilize the most cost effective assets at our disposal in order to provide the best service that we can to the county,” said Rosen. “We have a need for aviation style units, and helicopter units are cost prohibitive. Implementing this drone unit is a way for us to get eyes in the air to scan greater areas to find what we are looking for.”

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January 18, 2018 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 Kevin Williams

Drone Program Continued from page 1

Police officials say that operating a drone program with licensed and experienced pilots is highly effective yet cost efficient. Utilizing Federal Seized Assets and Forfeiture funds, the HCPD purchased two drones, including a DJI Phantom 3, which is equipped with an HD digital camera, and a Maxsur Seeker that has the capacity to detect body heat with a thermal camera for approximately $15,000.

“The time it takes to get helicopter air coverage through mutual aid is often prohibitive,” said Rosen.

“Weather is always a factor, but barring bad weather and given a qualified pilot we can have a drone or drones up in minutes.”

Chief Pilot and Training Officer, Allen Harmon will be instructing approximately 20 officers, who will undergo FAA classroom, online, and on-site training that consists of flight safety and working in the field.

With the help of the new SWARM Unit, the Henry County Police Department continues to stay committed to ensure the safety of all its citizens.

For more information on the Henry County Police Department, please visit www. henrycountypolicedepartment.org.

Commissioners Make Board Appointments

During the first meeting of the New Year, Commissioners made several reappointments including the appointment of both the Vice Chair and the County Clerk.

Commissioners approved the appointment of District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes as the Vice-Chair of the Board of Commissioners. They also approved the reappointment of Stephanie

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Braun as the County Clerk and Consuelo Connor as the Deputy County Clerk.

Board members also approved the appointment of Andria Miles as a member of the Board of Health for a term to expire in January, 2024.

For a complete list of a Boards and Authorities, please visit www.co.henry. ga.us/Departments/A-C/CountyClerk.aspx.

Commissioner Aids in Effort to Assist Veteran in Need H e n r y County District IV Commissioner Blake Prince has joined other area veterans and volunteers in assisting a disabled veteran, whose home was in desperate need of repair.

Prince joined the Willie B. Hatcher American Legion Post 516 out of McDonough, along with several veterans and volunteers, to repair and restore John Greene’s home in Barnesville. The 72 year-old Vietnam-era veteran had been living in deplorable conditions for the past several years. His home was dilapidated and he had been spending much of his time in his automobile.

Through an outpouring of support from other local veterans and volunteers and through the generosity of Home Depot, which donated $25,000

to the cause, they were able to completely rebuild the modest wood home, installing a new roof, gutting the inside from water damage and making several other major repairs to make the house livable again. The project took six months to complete and Green was able to spend Christmas comfortably in the only home he has ever known.

Prince, along with American Legion Post 516 are inviting the community to a ribbon-cutting ceremony on January 20, 2018 at 11 a.m. to formally welcome Greene back into his home.

The home is located at 111 11th St. in Barnesville, GA 30204. For more information, please contact Commissioner Blake Prince at bprince@ co.henry.ga.us or 404-556-3321.

Prince is passionate about giving back to veterans and said this effort is the first of several coming in the near future.

“We are looking at starting a number of new projects like this for veterans in Henry County in the next few months,” he said. “We are always in need of volunteers and everyone is welcome to help.”

Board Awards Bid for Elliott Road Project

The Henry County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution awarding Ohmshiv Construction the contract to grade, widen and pave Elliott Road. The action came at the January 3 Commission meeting.

The project cost is $2,847,999.50 and will be funded through SPLOST IV which was approved by voters in 2013. Commissioners also approved a budget amendment in the amount of $1,508,695 using three District IV funds; $1,036,999 from Selfridge over Little Cotton Indian Creek, $230,645 from Hemphill Road at 138 and $241,051 from Kellytown Park.

The project is expected to start in February and the entire projected is expected to be completed by the

end of 2018.

For more information on any SPLOST project, visit henrycounty-ga.com/SPLOST.aspx.

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January 18, 2018 Public Participation Needed for Hazard Mitigation Planning Survey

Henry County is currently engaged in a planning process to become less vulnerable to natural hazards such as winter storms, tornadoes, and floods, as well as manmade hazards, including hazardous materials incidents with the Hazard Mitigation Planning Survey.

The county, along with local jurisdictions and other partners, is working to prepare a multi-jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Update. This plan will identify and assess the community’s natural and man-made hazard risks and determine how to best mitigate, or minimize and manage those risks.

The Hazard Mitigation Planning Survey is an opportunity for individuals to share their opinions and participate in the mitigation planning process. The

information people provide will help the county better understand hazard concerns and can lead to mitigation activities that should help lessen the impacts of future hazard events.

The Hazard Mitigation Planning Survey is available through this link, https://goo. gl/forms/Y86b83BiMLk40rh52 and can also be filled out at any Henry County Recreation and Senior Center. Those who participate should complete the survey by February 14, 2018.

If there are any questions regarding this survey or if you would like to learn about more ways to participate in the development of the Henry County Multi-jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Update, please contact Margaret Walton (Atkins) at 803-6224142 or by email at margaret.walton@atkinsglobal.com.

Nash Farm Park Master Plan Approved

The Henry County Board of Commissioners approved a master plan for Nash Farm Park at the January 3 regular BOC meeting. The resolution also designated that 20 percent of all funds generated at Nash Farm Park by rental and user fees, will be retained for use in funding maintenance, improvements and activities at the park.

A master plan for Nash Farm Park in Hampton was developed in 2009 by Lose and Associates, Inc., however it was never formally adopted by the Commission at the time.

County Manager Cheri Hobson-Matthews made the presentation at the first Commission meeting of 2018 and outlined the proposed plan for the 204-acre park, which includes plans for walking trails, parking lots, playgrounds, conversion of the Activity Barn into Activity Building, bike trails, equestrian trails, a covered pavilion and a garden. henrycounty-ga.org

She said that as a result of assessing countywide park needs, both short term and long term, it was determined that there is a desire to implement a number of the recommendations as presented in the “Final Master Plan Area-Nash Farm Park” and by adopting the Master Plan, County Management staff in consultation with the Parks and Recreation staff and Advisory Board can begin to prioritize project needs that are identified in the plan.

She added that when individuals and stakeholders are looking to invest in the county, they often want to know if there is a plan in place. HobsonMatthews said that eventually there will be a master plan for all of Henry County’s parks.

Over the past few years, the park has been used for various recreational activities and there has been an increased demand on the use of its facilities.

The resolution also called for staff to begin assessing Continued on page 5

Nash Farm Park Continued from page 4

the priorities and present a recommendation to the Board of Commissioners during the Fiscal Year 2019 Budget preparations.

Commission meetings are available on-demand through the county website at www.henrycounty-ga. org under the Watch HenryTV button.

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January 18, 2018 Board Approves Body Camera Purchase for Public Safety

The Henry County Board of Commissioners approved the purchase of 180 cellular smartphones for the Henry County Police Department’s Uniform Division, Code Enforcement and Animal Control. The action came at the January 3 Commission meeting.

The Kyocera Duraforce Pro Smartphones are equipped with a digital body camera with access to cloud storage with Visual Labs Inc. application, an audio and video recorder, a GPS tracking device and 24-hour mobile access to departmental email and text messaging. All evidence from the phone is immediately uploaded to the cloud based system through the Verizon network.

With the purchase of the smartphones, Henry County Public Safety will increase officer safety,

document violations, reduce court time and so much more as well as provide transparency for the public.

“This is what we want as a police department, and what we need as a county,” Police Deputy Chief Mark Amerman said. “We want to be held accountable for our actions and we want to be transparent with the citizens we serve. This is a way to have a neutral witness at a scene with every police-citizen encounter.”

The total amount of this purchase is $157,313.40 which includes phone service, a standard phone accessory and the Visual Labs Inc. app that will be downloaded onto each phone.

For more information about Henry County Public Safety, please visit henrycounty-ga.org.

Henry County Employees Receive Years of Service Awards

Long time Henry County employees were recognized and received ‘Years of Service’ Awards at the Board of Commissioners meeting on Wednesday, January 3, 2018.

Employees who were recognized for 20 years of service include Brenda Bennett, Roy Nix, Jason McCullough, Robert English, Jason Maneol, Wanda Maddox, Cyndia Chambers, Barbara Crittenden, Allen White, Levester Sims, Kenneth Turner, Steven Wilson, Julie Vinson, Patricia Delk, Sharon Mitchell, Jimmy Trepainer, Michael Hardy, Harold Hogan, Angela Laslay, Michelle Price, Hutch Purvis, James Going, Jeffery Maddox and Charlotte Allen.

Employees who were recognized for 25 years include Michael Cone, James Burch, Tracy Richardson,

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John Harper, Koweena Starks, Dennis Hall, Mark Henley, Michael Mercer, Lynn Whitt, Stuart Duffey and Vince Farah.

Employees recognized for 30 years of service include David Ritchie, Charles Brooks, Calvin McClendon, Donna Holder, Lora Bagby, Mitchell Scogin, and Mark Spradlin.

Employees who have worked for the county for 35 years include Stan Jones and David Foster, and Sheriff Keith McBrayer was given a special plaque for his more than 40 years of service to Henry County.

The Board of Commissioners along with County Manager Cheri Matthews and Deputy County Manager Brad Johnson thanked each employee for their service.

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Award Pictures Continued from page 6

Henry County Employees Receive Years of Service Awards

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