Henry County Update - Newsletter

December 4, 2015

Parks and Rec Staff Honored At Conference Board of

Commissioners Regular Meetings December 1 at 9:00 AM December 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.

Several members of the Henry County Parks and Recreation Department were recognized by the Board of Commissioners for receiving honors at the Georgia Recreation and Park Association’s annual conference. Pictured (l. to r.) Brandy Sanders, Terry Nash, Chairman Tommy Smith, Kathy Hunt, Joeann Compton, Donna Holder, Richard Castleberry and Kenny Morris. Back row (l. to r.) District III Commissioner Gary Barham, District II Commissioner Brian Preston, District I Commissioner Bo Moss, District IV Commissioner Blake Prince and Henry County Parks and Recreation Director Tim Coley.

Several members of the Henry County Parks and Recreation Department were honored at the Georgia Recreation and Park Association’s Annual Conference in Dalton, GA and again at the December 1, 2015 Commission meeting, for their outstanding contributions in their respective areas of expertise.

Maintenance Specialist III Richard Castleberry received the Distinguished Professional in Facility and Grounds Award and the 6th District Distinguished Professional in Facility and Grounds Award; Therapeutic Recreation Specialist Brandy Sanders received the 6th District Young Professional Award; Therapeutic Recreation Coordinator Terry Nash received the Mike Daniel Award; Kathy Hunt received the Single Event Publication Award for the department’s 2015 calendar; Therapeutic Recreation Specialist Harlon Matthews received the Triumph of the Human Spirit Award; and volunteer Joeann Compton received the Volunteer of the Year in Programming Award. Each winner was also presented with a certificate of appreciation from the Board of Commissioners.

The Henry County Parks and Recreation Department offers a myriad of recreational programs, services and opportunities for citizens, including several parks, rec centers, classes, camps, a Veterans Wall of Honor and Veterans Museum.

For more information on the Henry County Parks and Recreation Department, please visit www.hcprd.org.

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December 4, 2015 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 Samantha Watson Melissa Robinson Kevin Williams

henrycounty-ga.org

Contract Awarded for Pavement Marking Services

Commissioners approved a contract for the Department of Transportation’s pavement marking services needs at the December 1 meeting.

The contract, awarded to Peek Pavement Marking, will allow quick access to services and will guarantee firm prices for the contract period of one year with two mutually agreed upon annual extensions.

The unit/price contract will have no fixed quantities and will be available to all County departments that require pavement marking services.

Citizens Weigh in on Transportation Plan

The first public meeting for the Henry Joint County/Cities Comprehensive Transportation Plan (JCTP) was held on November 12, 2015 at the Henry County Government Administration Building, where citizens had the opportunity to give input on a variety of transportation issues.

Held to coincide with the Zoning Advisory Board’s (ZAB) regularly scheduled meeting, the CTP public meeting was held open house style, allowing people to browse the various displays. The purpose of the open house was to gain a better understanding of how transportation users want Henry County’s transportation system to be developed between now and 2040.

More than 40 people were in attendance and CTP consultants displayed maps of Henry County showing congestion, volume of cars, and density.

Participants were given the ability to fill out surveys, both paper and on-line, to inform Henry County of their transportation concerns and preferences. Participants had comments ranging from congestion to crashes to suggestions for commuter rail along I-75.

The JCTP, including the cities of Hampton, Locust Grove, McDonough and Stockbridge, was originally adopted in 2007, and is undergoing its first update, which is expected to be finalized in April 2016.

The plan is a comprehensive and functioning list of transportation priorities in the County and will help the County prepare for growth, plan future land use and apply for future grant funding.

For more information on the JCTP and the future of transportation in Henry County, or to give feedback on the plan, please visit www.henryinmotion.com.

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December 4, 2015 Henry County EMA Collecting Travel Size Toothpaste to be used in Comfort Kits for Red Cross Relief Efforts

After a house fire or other displacing emergency, sometimes the only thing that might stand between despair and a sense of normalcy is a toothbrush and toothpaste, and along that vein, the Henry County Emergency Management Agency, in coordination with the American Red Cross, is putting together comfort kits to be given to individuals that they serve locally.

The comfort kit is a small bag of toiletry items and currently, organizers are in need of donations of new, travel size tubes of toothpaste with an extended expiration date. Individuals or groups are encouraged to assist in the effort by donating the much needed toothpaste, and recently Girl Scout Troop 316 out of McDonough led by troop leader Ty Williams, began their service project by organizing a donation drive to help the collection effort.

Last month the American Red Cross hosted a training session at the Henry County Emergency Operations Center in an effort to build a team of volunteers that will support responders in Henry, Clayton and Rockdale Counties.

The American Red Cross is a non-profit,

Girl Scouts from Troop 316 show donations they have collected for the American Red Cross, which will be used in comfort kits for dipslaced citizens.

humanitarian organization that provides relief to those affected by disasters and helps people across the nation prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.

Donations of travel size toothpastes with extended expirations dates may be dropped off to Shelita Broomfield at the Emergency Operations Center, located at 526 Industrial Blvd. in McDonough, GA.

For more information on the Red Cross, visit www.redcross.org.

County Appoints Interim Fire Chief

County Manager Lyndon Bonner has announced the appointment of Deputy Fire Chief Brad Johnson as Interim Fire Chief for the Henry County Fire Department. Johnson replaces Fire Chief Bill Lacy, who is retiring after thirty years of serving the citizens of Henry County.

Johnson, who joined the Henry County Fire Department in 1988 and brings 27 years of experience to the position, has extensive expertise in emergency medical incidents, resource management, communications, all hazards incident management and human resources.

henrycounty-ga.org

Christmas Program in Need of Volunteers and Donations

Preparations for Connecting Henry’s annual Community Cares Christmas Toy Shop, to be held on December 10 and 11, are underway and officials are looking for donations of toys, money and gift cards as well as volunteers for a number of positions.

The toys and donations collected will stay right here in Henry County and go to families in need to make Christmas a little brighter for those that might not otherwise have anything under the tree. The Community Cares Christmas Toy Shop helps provide Christmas gifts and other resources for families in need. In years past, this holiday event has been a huge success, thanks in part to the generosity of donors and volunteers who made a difference in the lives of

thousands of Henry County children. Unfortunately, the need this year is expected to be just as great.

Volunteers are needed for a variety of jobs, including pre-event volunteering (sorting toys, decorating the warehouse, painting, etc…) as well as on the days of the event (hosting families, wrapping gifts, security, registration) to be held on December 10 and 11.

For those who are interested in volunteering and to find out how your time and talents can make a difference this Christmas season, or for more information, call 770-288-6230 or email Susan Crumbley at scrumbley@co.henry.ga.us.

Commissioner Bruce Holmes to Host 5th Annual Community Appreciation Breakfast & Christmas Celebration

Henry County Emergency Management Agency Receives Funding

District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes will be hosting the fifth annual Community Appreciation Breakfast and Christmas Program, the last of his town hall meetings for 2015, on December 5 at 9 a.m. at the Hidden Valley Senior Center in Stockbridge.

The event will be a morning of fellowship and celebration in appreciation of the community and their continued support. Christmas carols and entertainment will be provided by saxophonist Ollie Patterson, the Fairview Elementary Dance Team and the Fairview and Austin Road Elementary School Chorus’. A hearty breakfast will be served to the community at no cost.

This event is open to the public and all are encouraged to attend to celebrate the holiday season.

The Hidden Valley Senior Center is located at 600 Spraggins Memorial Parkway in Stockbridge.

The Henry County Emergency Management Agency (E.M.A.), that has direct responsibility for the organization, administration and operations of local emergency management, received the Georgia Emergency Management Agency’s Emergency Management Performance Grant in the amount of $61,177. Commissioners approved acceptance of the grant at the December 1, 2015 Commission meeting.

The grant, in the amount of $61,177 requires an in-kind match of an equal amount and funds are available in the Department’s budget.

For more information on the Henry County E.M.A. please visit www.henrycounty-ga.org/911/ema.

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