Georgia County Government - September 2008 - (Page 19)

downturn like that currently impacting Georgia. “It’s not business as usual during economic slowdowns,” Hankerson asserts. “We have to keep a careful eye on everything spent. But you will never see Cobb County go through a financial crisis. We make it a point to communicate with department heads – there are never any surprises.” Whenever the county manages a project entailing a large amount of money, Hankerson continues, “We have Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) in the respective managing department, and we work with professional engineers, which we also have on staff. There are 12 CPAs employed by Cobb County. Even our inspectors must hold the same certifications to perform inspections, as they would require to install something.” Cobb County works perhaps as hard as any jurisdiction anywhere at maintaining buildings for which the public purse has paid. “We establish the life expectancy of all our facilities – all physical buildings, from rooftops to elevators, and we adjust our maintenance schedules as needed to keep everything up to par, in terms of its usability and reliability. Everything is very well maintained. At the same time, we focus on new facilities as needed, and when we build a new facility, it is so well planned that it fits into a complex appropriate to its usage.” Rehabilitation and utilization of existing structures is undertaken when possible, too, with results that benefit the government and the community, Hankerson asserts. Five years ago the county purchased a former “big box” store, which it revitalized and renovated into modern county offices. General fund monies paid for the project, and the county’s aim was to make the new facility fit into the community in which it was located, architecturally. The center, known as the West Park Government Center, is now a fully utilized government building. This complex’s “before and after” pictures shown below provide a striking example of what can be done through a revitalization project to reclaim an abandoned retail center and turn it into useful local government space. “It’s now attracting other development to the area,” says Hankerson, beaming. “If we hadn’t revitalized this center, it would be a serious deterrent to positive local development in the surrounding area, now. We’re really proud of this project.” Major capital projects are also planned and executed with careful attention to usage, accessibility and how a new building will “fit into” an existing government complex. For example, in the block off the Marietta Square behind the current complex of county buildings, a brand-new, $55 million, six-floor, 200,000-squarefoot justice center is now planned which will, again, fit “neatly” into the existing county government “campus” to which it will be proximal. The new facility will consolidate the county’s Superior Court and all related functions, which are now housed in two buildings, and include the District Attorney’s offices, Sheriff Neil Warren’s offices, as well as those of all related county and judicial personnel who work together. A new, $110 million jail expansion now under construction will be completed in two phases, eventually doubling the facility to accommodate 3,000-plus inmates. The expansion is slated to be completed in early 2010, according to the county’s communications office. Before After A “before and after” shot of the West Park Government Center, a former “big box” store that underwent renovation in late 2005. Transportation Chairman Olens and County Manager Hankerson acknowledge how much the Georgia Department of Transportation has done for the jurisdiction over the decades, and that now, the county is trying to adapt to recently unveiled state transportation funding fluctuations. However, the Cobb County Department of Transportation’s road program is so strong through SPLOST 5 funding, that, in combination with the county’s ability to leverage state and federal dollars that have been available, the county is meeting local transportation needs that are the most pressing. SPLOST 2005 monies are now funding a host of transportation improvement projects in Cobb, countywide. As of April 2008, according to the county’s Transportation Improvement Projects Update, 212 transportation projects were under way or completed from the 2005 SPLOST, with 99 in the right-ofway acquisition phase, 45 finished and 85 begun. With a total of $60 million in projects in progress or completed, there are 30 additional major transportation projects in design and approximately 50 projects planned to bid. During 2008, the Cobb Department of Transportation has awarded 43 projects totaling more than $30 million. Reflective of the county’s “moveahead” impetus with regard to all capital COBB COUNTY continued on page 20 SEPTEMBER 2008 www.accg.org 19 http://www.accg.org

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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