Georgia County Government - February 2008 - (Page 16)

NORTHEAST GEORGIA continued from page 13 Danny Lewis, executive director of the Georgia Mountains Regional Development Center, points to the rising numbers of people who have discovered – thanks in part to the advent of wireless technology – that they can have the quality of life they want while living in a rural region, almost anywhere. Perhaps more important, Lewis points out, “People like the idea of moving here because they perceive that the communities in the Northeast Georgia mountains cannot change very drastically. There is a sense of continuity, of knowing what to expect.” Local officials attribute this to the many natural barriers to too much growth, such as the mountains and federally protected forests. “People perceive a very controlled-growth environment here, and they’re largely right about that,” Lewis adds. While “controlled growth” is often a catchphrase among county officials facing an onslaught of incoming residents, pulling it off certainly seems easier with such natural impediments to growth as those Lewis mentions. More often than not, closer to the metro region, the helter-skelter nature of rapid population growth has driven haphazard development, stressed infrastructure and left communities with little of their original character in place. One senses this will not happen here, however. Georgia mountain counties are led by officials with a long history of working together as a region, for one thing. With a unified and well-defined identity as rural mountain communities, with little sense of real separateness from one another, communities here appear to share a tradition of camaraderie, and it has given them quite the head start concerning their ability to plan for, and cope with, the demands of stepped up growth. Today, new initiatives are also in place, bringing all the counties in the Georgia Mountains RDC – Dawson, Lumpkin, Union, Towns, Rabun, Hall, Habersham, White, Forsyth, Stephens, Franklin, Banks and Hart – together with all their municipalities, Lewis asserts. An unexpected bonus, he adds, is that these regular meetings for the past year have sparked something of a friendly, competitive spirit among the jurisdictions hosting them throughout the RDC region. When it’s their turn to host, the cities are all trying to best each other in terms of hospitality – seeing who can outdo the last meeting. It’s all done good-naturedly, and to the outside onlooker, appears characteristic of the region’s people, who all seem very determined to do the best they can with what they’ve got. Economic Development Banding together for economic development tops the list of priorities in Rabun, Stephens and Habersham counties. Textiles, long a staple of the economy here and in many parts of the state, declined precipitously in the past several decades, the most recent hit having been the closing of the Fruit of the Loom plant in Rabun County. Georgia Mountains RDC Planning Director Adam Hazell (left) and Executive Director Danny Lewis are both dedicated to helping unify counties and cities in the region. Planning that will accommodate growth without compromising the region’s exceptional resources or quality of life is a concern for all. 16 361419_Community.indd 1 GEORGIA COUNTY GOVERNMENT 12/19/07 11:28:53 AM http://www.corebanking.net

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Georgia County Government - February 2008

Georgia County Government - February 2008 Contents President's Message County Matters Regional Focus on the Georgia Mountains: Rabun, Habersham and Stephens Counties DNR Commissioner Noel Holcomb Solid Waste Management in Georgia: New Challenges Ahead Essential Elements of Negotiating Professional Service Firm Contracts The Walker County Courthouse at LaFayette Extension News: Partnerships are Key to Conservation Education Research Corner: Interns: An Asset to Every County NACo News: Counties and Climate Change FAQs Georgia Flag to Travel to All 159 Georgia Counties State Announces Regional Recycling Hub Grant Awards Abraham Joins ACCG Support Staff County Parade ACCG Launches e-Magazine Index of Advertisers

Georgia County Government - February 2008

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