Henry County Update - Newsletter

February 12, 2018

Board of

Henry County Swears in Top Law Enforcement

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

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.

Pictured l. to r. County Manager Cheri Hobson-Matthews, Deputy Chief Mike Ireland, Chief Mark Amerman, Sheriff Keith McBrayer and Deputy County Manager Brad Johnson.

County Manager Cheri Hobson-Matthews swore in newly promoted Police Chief, Mark Amerman on February 2 in a ceremony held at the County Administration Building in McDonough.

Amerman, Henry County’s ninth police chief shared his remarks on becoming Chief of Police, after the presentation of a ceremonial pinning.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to be the next Henry County Police Chief. I am truly humbled,” said Amerman. “My vision for the county is to continue to develop the employees that we have and have them strive for excellence. To help me make that happen is my next deputy police chief, Mike Ireland.”

Amerman administered an oath to Ireland, who was promoted from his role as a Major working in the Internal Affairs Unit as Division Commander. Then Ireland expressed his gratitude to the county managers and also thanked fellow officers for their support in helping him reach his new appointment.

The newly installed officers were surrounded by family as they received their pins. Members of the community, elected officials and county department heads and staff were on hand for the recognition ceremony.

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

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February 12, 2018

Swearing In Continued from page 1

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

Henry County Extension Hosts a Lunch and Learn Class

The UGA Henry County Extension will hold a Lunch and Learn class focusing on home grown backyard peaches on Tuesday February 13, in McDonough.

Taylor County’s Extension Coordinator Jeff Cook, the event’s guest speaker, will share his experiences in peach production as it relates to home garden peaches.

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Frank Hancock of Henry County Extension will be there to answer questions after the class.

The Lunch and Learn class will begin at noon in Room A of the Extension Office at 97 Lake Dow Road in McDonough. For more information on this event, please call the Henry County Extension Office at 770-288-8421.

County to Launch Fixed Route in North Henry Move will enhance mobility for area seniors

Citizens will be able to utilize Henry County Transit’s first fixed route to begin on Monday, February 12. The scheduled route will take riders on a 12- mile course through north Henry County, stopping at six locations throughout.

The new fixed route is a pilot program for the county in order to offer citizens enhanced transportation and mobility services. The bus will stop at various shopping venues as well as the Fairview Corners Medical Campus, the Fairview Library and the Fairview Recreation Center.

District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes lauded the new fixed route as a boon to citizens and area seniors in particular.

“Over the years, many seniors have requested scheduled fixed routes from the Henry County Transit Department. Our seniors have had difficulty accessing amenities such as our libraries, recreation centers, Henry County Parks, Hidden Valley Senior Center and doctor’s offices for medical care,” said Holmes. “With fixed routes, our seniors can use our transit schedule to navigate their day. They now know where and when transportation will be available at a specific point in time. I am a champion for our senior population and will continue to advocate to improve sustainable housing, mobility and quality of life for them well into their golden

years. Scheduled routes are an additional option for citizens and could possibly lure universities, medical organizations and other much-needed businesses to North Henry.”

The Fairview Shuttle bus will initially hold 16 passengers and is currently free of charge, however a fare will be set at a later date. The operating hours for the shuttle bus are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Bus stop signs have been installed along the route, displaying the current schedule for each stop.

Early this year, Commissioners approved the purchase of a 20-passenger StarTrans Senator II Shuttle bus that is equipped with a wheelchair lift.

Cost of the bus was $79,280 but was made possible through a Federal Transit Adminsitration grant, costing the county approximately $16,000 as a result of a 20 percent match requirement. Henry County Transit expects to put the new bus in service for the fixed route within the next three months.

For more information on Henry County’s Transit Department, please visit http://www.co.henry.ga.us/ Departments/S-Z/TransitDepartment.aspx or call 770288-RIDE. The bus stop locations and times are below:

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February 12, 2018 HCPD Offers Free Classes to Citizens

The Henry County Police Department is offering both a Citizens Police Academy and Women’s Self Defense class, both starting in March at the HCPD training room at the Public Safety complex in McDonough. Classes are free.

The Citizens Police Academy class will begin on March 20 through May 29 and will meet every Tuesday night for 11 weeks from 6 to 8 p.m.

The Women’s Self Defense class will be offered on March 22 through March 24, May 31 through June 2, September 13 through September 15 as well as November 29 through December 1. These three day classes will meet on Thursday and Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 8 to 11 a.m.

Applications for the Citizens Police Academy class must be turned in and completed by March 16. Applications for the Women’s Self Defense class must be completed by March 9 for the March class. Please fill out and return original copies to Henry County Police Department located at 108 S. Zack Hinton Pkwy, McDonough, GA 30253.

For more information, applications and background consent forms, please visit h t t p: // w w w. c o . h e n r y. g a . u s / D e p a r t m e n t s / PublicSafetyEmergencyServices/PoliceDepartment. aspx and look under Citizens Police Academy or Women’s Self Defense or contact jmiller@co.henry. ga.us or 770-288-8285.

Locust Grove Senior Center Closed for Kitchen Renovation

Due to construction, noise, dust and safety reasons, the Henry County Locust Grove Senior Center is closed for renovations to its kitchen during the week, Monday through Friday, however it will remain open on the weekends for special events.

The Senior Services Department regrets any inconvenience that the renovations may have caused and seniors are welcome to visit any senior center in the county which includes the Hidden Valley, Bear Creek and Heritage Park senior centers.

Commissioners awarded the state contract

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for Locust Grove’s new, full service kitchen last year in early October. The project cost was $558,799 and the scope of work includes all design, labor, materials, supervision, equipment, insurance, taxes and overhead, and all other services necessary to construct a new kitchen and purchase equipment.

The Locust Grove Senior Center is expected to reopen in April with a new, fully operational kitchen.

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

Commissioner Dee Clemmons Named Commissioner of the Year by the GMBA

Henry County District II Commissioner Dee Clemmons was named Commissioner of the Year by the Georgia Minority Business Awards, in partnership with the Atlanta Business Journal Magazine, and will be honored at the 21st annual 2018 Georgia Minority Business Awards Dinner and Reception next month.

In her nomination letter, Clemmons was noted for her community service and activism on behalf of Henry County and for her many accomplishments during her first year in office. Some of the initiatives detailed included her efforts to highlight equal economic opportunities and diversity in working with the Georgia Minority Supplier Diversity Council to create a local policy, ultimately helping pass Henry County’s first Supplier Inclusion Program to benefit small, local,

women-owned and veteran-owned businesses. She was also lauded for her work to rebrand the Highway 19/41 Corridor and the county-owned Henry County Airport, benefitting both with a Tax Allocation District and Megasite District to help promote economic development on the south side of Atlanta.

The Georgia Minority Business Awards mission is to develop relationships that reach out to all cultures by hosting and rewarding Georgia’s top business, civic and organization leaders who have promoted and demonstrated diversity in the workplace.

In its recognition, the organization commended Clemmons noting her as a leader in the political and business community, with a growing list of accomplishments and legacy.

Clemmons said she is honored by the recognition and will continue to serve her community and work for more economic opportunities from which everyone can benefit.

“It’s so gratifying and humbling to be recognized for my dedication and service to the community. When I was campaigning, I woke up with wishful thinking of serving my community on another level,” she said.

“Now, that wishful thinking has become an appreciative mode of reality. This award is about serving, and being the recipient of such an honor has given me a new found gratitude for my family, my constituents, my colleagues and especially for God, for granting me the privilege to serve.”

Henry County District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes was named Commissioner of the Year in 2013.

The GMB Awards Ceremony and Reception will be held at the Georgia International Conference and Convention Center in College Park on March 29, 2018 at 5 p.m. For more information or tickets, please visit www.gaminoritybusinessawards.com.

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February 12, 2018 BOC Recognizes Librarian of the Year

The Henry County Board of Commissioners along with the Public Library Directors of Georgia and the Georgia Public Library Services presented Carolyn Fuller with a certificate of recognition and the 2017 Georgia’s Public Librarian of the Year Award at the regular Commission meeting held on February 6, 2018.

Fuller, the recently retired Henry County Library

System’s Director was lauded by the Commissioners for her contributions and dedication to the Library System.

Book distributors, Baker and Taylor also awarded Fuller with a $500 donation.

In other county news, the Board appointed Casey Crumbley as Henry County District I’s Development Authority Appointee.

Small Fruit Sale Jump Starts the Planting Season

It may be hard to imagine, but the spring planting season is right around the corner and so is the annual Henry County Cooperative Extension Office’s “Small Fruit Plant Sale,” with proceeds going to support various extension programs. The plants available for sale this year include Blackberry, Blueberry, Muscadine, Pears, Raspberries and Figs. Some plants are available in limited quantities.

Blueberry bushes are $10 each; blackberry bushes, fig trees and raspberries plants are $9 each; Muscadines plants are $8 each and a 5 gallon container

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pear tree is $15.

Plant orders are being taken from now until March 16 and individuals will be contacted for pickup on the week of March 19. Order forms may be found online at extension.uga.edu/county-offices/henry.html.

Checks should be made payable to Henry County Extension/ 4-H and mailed to Henry County Extension97 Lake Dow Road McDonough, GA 30252.

For more information, please contact the Extension Office at 770-288-8421.

Imagine Henry 2040

Planning for Henry County’s future continues at Comp Plan Update Open Houses

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to participate in helping plan Henry County’s future at one of the five open houses scheduled for the next several weeks.

The Planning and Zoning Department encourages citizens to come out to an open house to discuss views and ideas for Henry County’s Comprehensive Plan Update and Future Land Use Map. People will be able to take a survey as well as ask questions and give feedback on what they would like to see in planning Henry County’s growth. Those in attendance can share their thoughts on how they think Henry County should develop over the next 25 years.

The public forums will be held at four locations and are scheduled for Thursday, February 15 or

Thursday, March 1 at the Henry County Administration from 4 to 6 p.m.; Monday, February 19 at the Locust Grove Police Station from 4 to 5:30 p.m.; Tuesday, February 27 at the Hampton City Hall from 4 to 6 p.m. and Wednesday, February 28 at the McDonough Welcome Center from 4 to 6 p.m.

The Henry County Administration Building is located at 140 Henry Parkway in McDonough; the Locust Grove Police Station is located at 3640 GA-42 in Locust Grove; the Hampton City Hall is located at 17 E Main St. S in Hampton; and the McDonough Welcome Center is located at 5 Griffin St. in McDonough.

For more information or with questions, please contact Stacey Jordan-Rudeseal at 770-288-7526 or email him at sjordan@co.henry.ga.us.

Annual Arbor Day Tree Giveaway Set for February 16

The Henry County Soil and Water Conservation District is partnering with the Henry County Board of Commissioners, the Henry County Master Gardeners, the Henry County Extension Office and the cities of McDonough, Locust Grove and Hampton to host its Annual Arbor Day free Tree Giveaway on Friday, February 16 starting at 8:30 a.m.

The selected species for this year’s giveaway include the Flowering Dogwood, Catalpa, Swamp Chestnut Oak and Willow Oak.

The tree seedlings will be available at four locations including the Aubrey Harvey AG Building located at 333 Phillips Drive in McDonough; Heritage Park located at 97 lake Dow Road in McDonough; Locust Grove Municipal Building located at 3644 Highway 42 S. in Locust Grove; and the Hampton Depot located at 20 East Main Street S. in Hampton.

For more information on the Annual Arbor Day Tree Giveaway, please contact Jill Long at jill.long@ ga.usda.gov or call her at 770-957-5705 extension 3.

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February 12, 2018 United States Cold Storage Expanding in McDonough, GA

January 30, 2018 - McDonough, Georgia United States Cold Storage (USCS) expects by this fall to build a 6.7-million-cubic-foot public refrigerated warehouse in McDonough, GA, located just south and east from Atlanta and right off the Interstate 75 corridor.

USCS already operates an 8.6-millioncubic-foot facility in McDonough, which it began leasing in 2016. This operation, known as McDonough 1, serves the greater Atlanta metro market and provides regional multitemp distribution services to the Southeast.

Located just one mile away, the new “McDonough 2” site will offer 26,154 pallet positions, handle a wide range of refrigerated and frozen products (from -20F to +40F) and provide distribution services from as many as 25 refrigerated, enclosed dock doors and five railcar doors (served by Norfolk Southern).

“Market interest in our first facility in McDonough was incredible,” notes David Butterfield, USCS Vice President-Midwest Region. “Our capacity was quickly filled and the demand continues. We have a great management team in place at our current location.

Those professionals will share their insights with colleagues at the new facility and join forces to service the market together.”

Growing in Georgia

For the record, USCS’ new site will create 80 new jobs with a capital investment of $40 million.

Meanwhile, USCS officials project even more growth. USCS McDonough 2 sits on a 43.3-acre parcel of land that United States Cold Storage purchased in 2014. The land has available space for a Phase Two expansion, which would accommodate plans for an

automated warehouse.

Among those supporting USCS’ plans are Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) Commissioner Pat Wilson.

“We are excited that USCS has found success in McDonough, and is rapidly expanding to meet the demands of their customers across the Southeast,” says Wilson. “It is a win for the state when a company announces an expansion as it puts a spotlight on our probusiness climate. This not only benefits new companies, but our existing industry as well.”

Echoing those sentiments is Charles Mobley, vice chairman of the Henry County (GA) Development Authority.

“We are excited to see US Cold Storage’s growth in Henry County. This project shows the company’s growing commitment to the county and that we are a part of their long-range plans,” he said.

USCS’ David Butterfield concludes, “With the additional building—and its close proximity to our first location—we create a greater base of customer orders.

Essentially, we can better consolidate and build our USCS Coldshare Consolidation Program (multi-vendor consolidated shipping) to offer competitive delivery options for all our customers. Additionally, we will be able to share resources and familiarity of customers between the two locations. This will only help add to our success in the market.”

About United States Cold Storage

United States Cold Storage, Inc. (USCS), Voorhees, N.J., is a premier provider of public refrigerated warehousing (PRW) and related logistics Continued on page 9

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Cold Storage Continued from page 8 services throughout the USA.

With roots dating back to 1889, USCS has long served a diverse customer base with requirements ranging from primary storage to fully integrated thirdparty logistics. The company offers more than 278 million cubic feet of temperature controlled warehouse and distribution space in 38 facilities located in 13 states including California,

Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia. USCS is the third largest PRW Logistics provider in North America. It is a subsidiary of the U.K.’s John Swire & Sons Ltd.

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. www.choosehenry.com For more information, please contact: David Butterfield, Vice President, Midwest Region (678) 591.4992 dbutterfield@uscold.com Anna Johnson, Director, Corporate Development & Marketing (678) 591-2477 ajohnson@uscold.com

Henry County EMA Offers Free Skywarn Storm Spotter Training Class

The Henry County Emergency Management Agency along with Peachtree City’s National Weather Service is holding a free Skywarn Storm Spotter Training Class on February 20 beginning at 6 p.m. at the Henry County Emergency Management Office.

Skywarn is a volunteer program with more than 230,000 trained severe weather spotters that help keep their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports of severe weather to the National Weather Service.

The class is free and is open to anyone with an interest in weather. This is a great opportunity for amateur radio operators, police and fire personnel, dispatchers, EMS workers, public utility workers, emergency management teams, boaters and the general public.

The session will cover the importance of storm spotters, the basics of thunderstorms, the relationship between NWS, media and emergency management, basic radar interpretation, identifying storm and potential severe weather features, how to report storm information and storm spotting safety and awareness tips. The registration deadline for this class is February 15, 2018.

The Henry County Office of Emergency Management is located at 526 Industrial Blvd. in McDonough.

For more information on the free Storm Spotter Training Class or to register, please contact Henry County’s EMA Specialist Shelita Broomfield at 770-288-7865, or email her at sbroomfield@ co.henry.ga.us.

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February 12, 2018 Henry County Library Systems to Host Food for Fines Drive

The Henry County Public Library System is excited to announce its fourth year of partnership with the Food Pantry of Henry County hosting its Food for Fines Drive, a cooperative venture that benefits the community, the food pantry, and the library system.

Throughout the month of February, all five Henry County libraries will be encouraging visitors to “show the love” to fellow Henry County residents in need. Library patrons who owe overdue fines have the option of donating non-perishable food at the library instead of paying with cash. For every item donated, the library will reduce fines by a dollar. This is a real bargain, since basic food items can be purchased for under a dollar.

The Foods for Fines Drive helps the library by allowing patrons with overdue books and outstanding fines to start over with a clean slate. It also encourages people to return overdue materials so that other people may have access to them, and to correct any past oversights.

The Food Pantry of Henry County distributes food to over 3,100 people every month. They rely on donations, and the first quarter of the year is typically

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a lean time. The holidays are over, the proceeds from canned food drives in the fall have been distributed, yet the need is as great as ever. All food donated through the libraries will go directly to the food pantry to be distributed throughout the community.

Although the food pantry’s mission is to provide emergency assistance with food, the organization also works to connect clients with other agencies that can help them transition to more secure financial, housing, and employment situations. The library system has numerous resources available to help them meet those goals, including job search resources, resume writing help, test-prep services, and access to computers and the Internet.

The food pantry provides a vital link between the libraries and local residents in need of assistance.

Along with their food packages, clients of the pantry receive information about library resources that can help them improve their lives. This ultimately benefits the entire community by helping more people make the transition to stable lifestyles that support our economy and improve the quality of life for everyone.

All library patrons can participate. Donations from those whose library accounts are already in good standing are also being accepted. Everyone is encouraged to “love your library, love your community” during this time.

Please note that Food for Fines can only be used for overdue fines, not for lost or damaged materials.

If you still need to get your account in good standing but can’t take advantage of Food for Fines, please contact or come into your local Henry County library.