Georgia County Government - September 2008 - (Page 18)

COBB COUNTY continued from page 17 accessible to all police departments in Cobb, so all will be apprised of what agents are on-site and what emergency procedures are appropriate for, or being utilized for, any incident, including information on emergency shelters proximal to all neighborhoods. Chairman Olens believes the advantages of this comprehensive system cannot be overestimated. “For instance,” he cites, “we’re the first government in the metro region with a full listing of group homes, which require special handling and assistance during emergency events. We are totally prepared.” The county’s Emergency Management Agency has the largest number of Citizen Emergency Response Team members in the state – more than 700. The county also lends its expertise in certain areas for cities, as needed. For instance, the county provides water systems for two cities, Kennesaw and Acworth, as well as fire protection for three municipalities, and parks and recreation for most. Cobb oversees road projects for Austell and for other cities and maintains traffic lights. “Our longstanding relationship of working cooperatively lets us supply the expertise we can, if cities want it,” Olens points out. “The county operates the only bomb squad, hazmat unit and dive team, all available to cities as needed. If there are areas of specialization we can assume for a city, then we can do that.” The county regularly partners with cities to create public facilities when the need for them arises. Recent projects have included an expansive gymnasium and recreation center in Powder Springs and a new Powder Springs Library. Another major joint project was the Smith-Gilbert Arboretum for the city of Kennesaw. Hankerson points out that these fruitful joint ventures between the county and its municipalities are the natural progression of a Board of Commissioners that understands the value of intergovernmental cooperation to the whole jurisdiction, led by a chairman dedicated to reaching out to cities and working with them on an ongoing basis. Quality of life Cleaning up the environment is only part of what we do. We offer services that contribute to the quality of the human habitat — project management, consulting and engineering services. 2849 Paces Ferry Road, Suite 400 Atlanta, GA 30339 Tel: 770.431.8666 Imagine the result g 388970_ARCADIS.indd 1 CONGRATULATIONS Cobb County We are proud to be a sponsor and associate member of ACCG Management Expertise: Another Success Keystone While continually cultivating intergovernmental partnerships with its municipalities, on the outside, county www.arcadis-us.com government within is managed in discreet units, all under the common tenets of high-level customer service, staying Infrastructure, environment, facilities well ahead of service demands, and master planning for the near and long-term future. To outside observers, the seamless 7/3/08 6:18:27 PM orchestration of all these many aspects results in a cohesively-run “whole” rarely so seamless in jurisdictions this large. Also, through careful planning and budgeting, Cobb officials keep infrastructure maintained ahead, and not in arrears, including transportation infrastructure. “We have a proactive approach to government in Cobb County, as opposed to reactive,” County Manager Hankerson asserts. “Foremost, we plan. Planning in Cobb County doesn’t happen by chance, but by design.” Hankerson adds that the county adheres to a comprehensive method known as capital planning modeling, WASTE MANAGEMENT which entails specific and proven strateThink Green.® gies. Master planning and capital planning are used in tandem to control the www.wm.com budget, especially during an economic 7/8/08 1:23:38 PM 18 GEORGIA 387545_waste.indd 1 COUNTY GOVERNMENT http://www.arcadis-us.com http://www.wm.com

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

Georgia County Government - September 2008 Contents President’s Message County Matters Cobb County: Quality of Life is Job No. 1 Innovative Transportation Financing in Georgia Drive Your Fleet into the Next Generation of Efficiency, Profits Spotlight: Georgia Technology Authority Media Productions GEMA News: Hurricane Season Could Cause Natural Gas Spike GDEcD News: Communities Receive Funds to Develop Tourism Assets Georgia’s Grand Old Courthouses: Upson County Extension News: Radon: Georgia’s Silent Danger Research Corner: Conserving Fuel Costs in Your County Staff News County Parade Index of Advertisers

Georgia County Government - September 2008

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