Georgia County Government - September 2008 - (Page 20)

COBB COUNTY continued from page 19 projects, including transportation projects, Hankerson attests that most of the design work is completed in advance, so that when monies are available, construction can begin expediently. The status of all current Cobb DOT projects, and a wealth of other taxpayer-funded projects ongoing in the county, are readily available via the county’s Web site at www.cobbcounty.org. Transportation, too, is a partnership here, not only between the county and state and/or federal funding mechanisms, says Chairman Olens, but also between the county and specialized groups dedicated to problem solving in this progressive jurisdiction. Olens, in particular, points to the enormous innovations and assistance of the Cumberland and Town Center Community Improvement Districts (CIDs), in terms of establishing alternative transportation routes to make these very congested districts more easily navigable for businesses and the working public. The Cumberland CID, in particular, Olens asserts, works very closely with the business community, to promote alternative routes, boost the visibility and usage of public transportation, and promote alliances that will enable the private sector to thrive in these congested locations. Olens comments on the state and regional transportation crisis, also, espousing the views of a regional leader deeply immersed in the effort to find solutions. “Neither Cobb County, nor any jurisdiction, really knows how Georgia DOT’s current challenges will ultimately play out. It’s not clear whether the agency will have anything besides funding to cover road maintenance concerns,” Olens comments. “There is a user fee being discussed, a 1 percent statewide sales tax, but currently the governor, the speaker and the lieutenant governor don’t agree on the way it might be implemented. A State Constitutional Amendment enabling such a measure couldn’t be phased in until 2012. Meanwhile, counties’ ability to implement SPLOST is crucial, and a huge help in contending with the transportation crisis – which lies with the interstates and transit systems, in our view. If there isn’t enough money to fund these key corridors, our job base could be severely compromised.” 20 GEORGIA COUNTY GOVERNMENT Water Supply, Wastewater Infrastructure The Chattahoochee R iver f lows through the count y and furnishes roughly half its water supply, and the U.S. Corps of Engineers impoundment, Lake Allatoona, from which residents also draw drinking water, lies on its northern border, furnishing the other half, roughly. Lake Allatoona, even during times of drought, fills more quickly than larger watersheds like Lake Lanier. Mitigating the effects of ongoing drought is a foremost concern of Cobb County government, and this is one jurisdiction that has consistently strived to implement a conservation-conscious culture throughout the local government’s facilities, and via public and school system educational outreach. Chairman Olens is also proud of the stellar progress of the Cobb CountyMarietta Water Authority (CCMWA), which operates two water treatment facilities having a total capacity of 136 million gallons per day. The $29 million Northwest Water Reclamation Faci l it y ex pa nsion, most recently, increased plant treatment capacity to 12 million gallons per day. The CCMWA serves water customers in all parts of the county including some portions of Paulding County, which, points out Communications Director Robert Quigley, is not unusual for a large water system handling distri- bution from two major watersheds. The Cobb Water system continued to receive honors for outstanding operations and community outreach during 2007, garnering Wastewater Collection and Water Distribution of the Year awards from the Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP). The county also took Gold and Platinum awa rd s for Nat iona l Pol lut a nt Discharge Elimination System Permit Compliance at three wastewater treatment facilities. In 2006, the county garnered GAWP’s Fox McCarthy Water Wise Award and the Georgia Environmental Protection Division’s Adopt-A-Stream Action Award. The system is now filling its Hickory Log Reservoir, located in Canton, which lies northeast of Cobb. CCMWA comprehensively promotes watershed stewardship, backf low prevention, oil and grease recovery, conservation education through schools and civic avenues, stormwater management, water efficiency and more. The county created a Water Restriction Message Center in 2007, a telephone help line that gives customers the chance to leave a recorded message for more information on drought and water use restrictions or to report concerns. “Water supply will be one of the primary challenges of the future in Cobb County and throughout Georgia,” notes Olens, and as a board member of the 16-county North Georgia Metropolitan The Chattahoochee Tunnel. Photo courtesy of Cobb County Government. http://www.cobbcounty.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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