April 2008 Newsletter DCA Will Sponsor/ Co-Sponsor These Events In April 2008 Great American CleanupTM Continues Through May 31, 2008 Statewide For more information about the Nation's Largest Annual Community Improvement Program, please visit www.KeepGeorgiaBeautiful.Org, contact your local KGB Affiliate or call (404) 679-4940. Community Planning Institute April 8-9, 2008 - Hawkinsville For more information, please contact Leslie Stumpff at (404) 679-3114 or visit www.georgiaplanning.com. Co-Op Meeting - Round 3 April 17, 2008 Hancock County For more information about Co-Op, please contact DCA's Tina Hutcheson at thutches@dca.state.ga.us or (478) 469-3751. Kiwanis/ KGB Beautiful Community Service Cleanup April 19, 2008 Statewide For more information, please visit www.KeepGeorgiaBeautiful.org or www.GaKiwanis.org. Energy Codes Workshop April 22, 2008 - Peachtree City For more information or to register, please visit www.hbag.org. For more information, please contact DCA's Ryan Meres at (404) 679-3109 or rmeres@dca.state.ga.us. Communities Of Opportunity (Co-Op) Co-Op's Round Three Meetings Nearly Complete. The Communities of Opportunity (Co-Op) initiative, a collaborative, locally-driven community development strategy focused on enhancing the economic vitality of rural Georgia communities, concluded its Second Round of meetings in February. Those meetings, facilitated by DCA and UGA's Fanning Institute, focused on working with local leaders to identify two or three significant issues for future community efforts. Co-Op's third round of meetings is nearly complete. Since meetings began on March 6th, Burke, Glascock, Jefferson, Jenkins, Lincoln, McDuffie, Taliaferro, Warren and Wilkes counties have hosted sessions. Hancock County will host its meeting on April 17, 2008. During these meetings, local leaders and stakeholders will finalize issues to be worked on and meet with an interagency resource team that will provide specialized technical assistance. Also during these meetings, local leaders will be given the opportunity to enter into a "Contract with Georgia" that obligates the community to implement the improvement strategies over a two-year period. The "contract" will also commit the state of Georgia to provide the appropriate technical and financial assistance for each of the strategies. For more information, please contact DCA Regional Representative Tina Hutcheson at thutches@dca.state.ga.us or (478) 469-3751. Community Development & Finance News DCA Life Sciences Facilities Fund Program Completes $2M Loan To Emerging Medical Device Development Company CardioMEMS, Inc. DCA Commissioner Mike Beatty recently announced the closing of a $2,000,000 loan to CardioMEMS, Inc. through its Life Sciences Facilities Fund (LSFF) Program. CardioMEMS, Inc. (CardioMEMS) is a privately-held, Atlanta-based medical device development company. The funds will be loaned to CardioMEMS to purchase high-tech laboratory equipment for use in its new research and headquarters facility. "Georgia is committed to supporting our life sciences industry. The LSFF program is for companies like CardioMEMS that want to partner with our state to grow and expand operations," said DCA Commissioner Mike Beatty. DCA's Life Sciences Facilities Fund program regulations require that a city, county or development authority serve as the loan applicant and that an eligible life-sciences company be listed as the proposed borrower. Per LSFF's program regulations, funds may be loaned directly to the borrower company. The Atlanta Development Authority (ADA) supported this project as the applicant and CardioMEMS was listed as the borrower. Funds were loaned directly to the company. "We are pleased to partner with the State of Georgia in the Life Sciences Facilities Fund loan program. The attractive terms of the financing were a true incentive in CardioMEMS' decision to grow our business in Georgia. Our customers, our employees and our investors are delighted to see Georgia actively supporting its rapidly growing life-science industry," said Dr. Jay Yadav, CardioMEMS Chairman and CEO. CardioMEMS will leverage DCA's LSFF loan with private funds of over $33 million. Following its facility build-out, CardioMEMS will occupy over 40,000 square feet in Atlanta's Technology Enterprise Park (TEP). Located adjacent to the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) campus in midtown Atlanta, TEP provides specialized work and support environments for post-incubator and established biotech corporations. TEP is affiliated with Georgia Tech. "CardioMEMS has been successful in securing private and public financial support. We are pleased that CardioMEMS recognized the advantages of locating and growing in Georgia," said DCA Commissioner Beatty. "Life sciences companies that choose to locate in or relocate to Georgia will benefit from access to our educated workforce, excellent research & incubator facilities and the types of specialized financing tools that support their industry's unique needs," said DCA Commissioner Beatty. "Supporting this project will also have a real impact on Georgia's economic growth. The loan keeps a growing company like CardioMEMS in Georgia, retains 85 jobs and adds 50 new jobs," added Beatty. All of CardioMEMS jobs are based in Atlanta, Georgia. Created in 2005, DCA's Life Sciences Facilities Fund (LSFF) is capitalized with funds appropriated by the Georgia General Assembly. The LSFF provides loan assistance for the purchase of fixed assets to assist with the expansion or relocation of development-stage life science companies in Georgia. Eligible LSFF applicants include local government development authorities, joint or multi-county development authorities and local governments. LSFF loans are intended to fill a financing gap not met by the private sector and provide an inducement for the recruitment or retention of life sciences companies. DCA works with a number of statewide partners to market the program to the life sciences industry, including the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Georgia Research Alliance, the State's research universities and other strategic partners. "We are pleased to offer a strategic and targeted financing tool like the Life Sciences Facilities Fund to this important industry. We look forward to working with other life sciences companies in similar ways," said DCA Commissioner Mike Beatty. DCA's loan to CardioMEMS is the second made through its Life Sciences Facilities Fund. In June 2007, DCA closed a LSFF loan for $2,000,000 to Altea Therapeutics (Altea). Atlanta-based Altea also used its LSFF loans proceeds to purchase high tech laboratory equipment and build-out their facilities. The Atlanta Development Authority also served as the applicant for the Altea loan. REMINDER: Get Certified As An Economic Development Finance Professional First of Four Sessions Scheduled For Early May. DCA, Branch Banking & Trust (BBT), Community Affordable Housing Equity Corporation and the National Development Council (NDC) are partnering to bring NDC's Economic Development Finance Professional Certification Program to Georgia. The four-course program offers rigorous and comprehensive training designed to expand the knowledge of economic development finance professionals. Topics include business credit and real estate finance analysis, loan packaging, negotiating, problem solving, deal structuring and more. Each of the four courses is five days in length. Course topics and dates are: Economic Development Finance (May 5-9, 2008), Business Credit Analysis (September 8-12, 2008), Real Estate Finance (December 8-12, 2008) and The Art of Deal Structuring (February or March 2009 Exact dates TBD). Tuition is $150 per course. To register, please visit www.bbandttraining.com/Training/Registration. Additional questions may be directed to BB&T's Nicole Oliphant at (704) 954-1102 or noliphant@bbandt.com. Construction Codes & Industrialized Buildings News REMINDER: Energy Code Workshops Continue Through Early June. At the end of 2006, DCA's Board adopted the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) with Georgia State Supplements and Amendments as the new Georgia State Minimum Standard Energy Code to replace the 2000 IECC. The new code became effective January 1, 2008. The Georgia Supplements and Amendments to the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code can be found online at http://www.dca.state.ga.us/development/constructioncodes/programs/codes2.asp. The adoption of this Code by the State of Georgia represents a significant step toward lowering total energy consumption. All new residential and commercial buildings and significant renovations will be required to comply with the new code. Building designers, general contractors, home builders and code enforcement officials are strongly encouraged to become familiar with the new codes. To assist in the transition to this code, the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority and DCA are sponsoring workshops given by the Southface Energy Institute. Ten workshops will be conducted across the state between February and May 2008. Workshops will last 4 hours and will address the residential compliance requirements of the new Georgia Energy Code. Interested persons may register to attend the workshops at www.hbag.org. The cost is $30 for city or county building officials and inspectors, $50 for HBA members and $75 for non-members. For more information please visit www.hbag.org or contact DCA staff member Ryan Meres at (404) 679-3109 or rmeres@dca.state.ga.us. Date April 22 May 1 May 8 May - TBD May - TBD June 3 Time 1:00pm 8:30am 8:30am TBA TBA 8:30am Location Midwest GA Home Builders Association Peachtree City First Baptist Church Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association Greater Columbus Home Builders Association Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association Southface Office Address 208 Willow Bend Rd. Peachtree City, GA 1484 Brockett Rd. Tucker, GA 30084 TBA TBA - Forsyth County TBA - Henry County 241 Pine St NE Atlanta, GA Customer Service News effort Exceeding Excellence. Did You Receive Excellent Service From A DCA Staffer? New "Exceeding Excellence" Customer Service Recognition Program Allows You To Recognize A Job Very Well Done. In April 2007, DCA announced an innovative effort that would allow DCA team members and our external customers to recognize DCA team members for providing excellent customer service. Excellent customer service goes above and beyond normal job duties. DCA "dubbed" this Previous winners included Jo Childers (Downtown Development), Joseph DeGumbia (Administration) and Angela Gregory (Housing Finance). Please consider nominating a DCA staffer that's gone above and beyond! Information is available from our website's front page www.dca.state.ga.us. Questions may also be directed to DCA Assistant Commissioner Bill Swaim at bswaim@dca.state.ga.us or (404) 679-4940. Downtown Development News Nearly 50 Georgians On Hand For National Main Street Conference. The Georgia Main Street/Better Hometown contingent was "46 strong" for the 2008 National Main Street Conference. Philadelphia, PA hosted the national conference from March 30-April 2. The Georgia group included representatives from 26 Main Street/Better Hometown communities and DCA. The 2008 conference theme was "Entrepreneurship and Diversity." Per conference organizers, a focus on both characteristics adds to the local flavor, creates a true reflection of a community and contributes to an authentic identity and exciting business mix all essential elements to bring customers, tourists, new residents and cool businesses downtown. National Conference Recognizes Georgia Cities Foundation. During the 2008 National Main Street Conference, the Georgia Cities Foundation (GCF) received the 2008 Main Street Ally Award which recognizes individuals or organizations that have taken great strides in partnering with Main Street cities and promoting downtown revitalization. To date, the GCF has invested over $9 million to downtown projects across the state of Georgia. Doug Loescher, Executive Director of the National Trust Main Street Center presented the award to Perry Hiott, GCF's Director, Research & Redevelopment Services. The Georgia Cities Foundation, established in 1999 as a 501(c)(3) organization, is a non-profit subsidiary of the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA). The Foundation's mission is to assist cities in their efforts to revitalize and enhance downtown areas by serving as a partner and facilitator in funding capital projects through a revolving loan fund. For more information about GCF, please visit www.georgiacitiesfoundation.org. Congratulations to the Georgia Cities Foundation and thank you for being a GREAT partner to the Georgia Main Street Program! Environmental News Keep Georgia Beautiful & Georgia District Kiwanis International Announce "Green Is The New Red, White & Blue" Community Service Campaign. DCA Commissioner Mike Beatty and Governor - Georgia District Kiwanis International Mick Maguire recently announced a new, statewide partnership between Keep Georgia Beautiful (KGB) and the Georgia District Kiwanis International. Dubbed "Green Is The New Red, White & Blue", the new statewide community service campaign will coordinate Georgia Kiwanis and local Keep Georgia Beautiful affiliates in a statewide, one day community clean-up effort on Saturday, April 19, 2008. Georgia Kiwanis chapters will be joined by Kiwanis affiliated Circle K, Key Club, Builders, K-Kids and Aktion clubs in this effort. DCA, KGB and Kiwanis leaders officially announced the partnership on March 26, 2008 during a kickoff rally on the Georgia State Capitol steps. "Georgia's natural beauty is one of our state's greatest assets. Keeping our state beautiful depends on the efforts of us all - private organizations, community groups, citizens and our local governments," said Mike Gleaton, DCA Assistant Commissioner - Planning & Environmental Division. "We applaud the Georgia District of Kiwanis International's decision to support this important effort. This activity will offer a great opportunity for Georgia's citizens to participate in a fun, community-building activities that will help keep our roads, rivers, mountains and communities clean." The one-day event will take place during the state's KGB 2008 Great American Cleanup (GAC) activities. National and statewide GAC activities will continue through May 31, 2008. "We are proud to join our fellow Kiwanis family members around the globe and our community partners with Keep Georgia Beautiful to participate in Kiwanis One Day," said Mick Maguire, Governor of the Georgia District Kiwanis International. "The energy, commitment and camaraderie surrounding this single day make the experience of hands-on service even more gratifying for our members as they make an immediate, measurable impact on the communities across the State of Georgia." Winning Water Festival Encourages Southeast Georgia Students To Learn About Water Resources. DCA staffers, Georgia Southern University President Bruce Grube and Keep Georgia Beautiful volunteers welcomed approximately 860 Georgia fourth grade students to the state's 5th annual Winning Water: Children's Water Festival. Festival activities took place on March 19, 2008, on the campus of Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, GA. "Every Georgia community needs access to clean, safe and reliable water resources. Over the last year, all Georgians have been reminded about the strong link between proper care and management of our water resources and our quality of life," said DCA Commissioner Mike Beatty. "We learn some of life's most important lessons when we're young. The Children's Water Festival continues to offer a useful and unique learning experience. The festival's creative approach provides a fun way to teach our youngest Georgians about an important issue." "Georgia Southern University is a strong supporter of programs that encourage students to stretch their learning limits. We were pleased to welcome the Winning Water Festival to our campus and the Statesboro community," said Georgia Southern University President Bruce Grube. "As residents of one of Georgia's coastal communities, Statesboro provided an ideal setting to discuss the importance of proper care and management of our water resources." As the Winning Water Festival marked its fifth anniversary, the event also hit a new attendance milestone. In its first four years, the Winning Water Festival educated approximately 4,700 students at events in Athens, Columbus, Dalton and Macon. Approximately 860 students participated in the 2008 event. "We are proud that the Children's Water Festival has been so well received. In only five years, DCA, its sponsors and our school systems worked to bring this unique learning experience to more than 5,500 eager Georgia fourth graders. It's great to reach such an important milestone through such a meaningful program," added Commissioner Beatty. Students from a number of southeast Georgia elementary schools were invited to participate. Participating schools were located within the state's Lower Savannah and Ogeechee River Basins. A map of Georgia's river basins is available on the Georgia Planning website at www.georgiaplanning.com/watertoolkit/Documents/WatershedPlanningTools/MapofGeorgias14RiverBasins.pdf. The race-car themed, water education festival employs a fun, interactive learning environment to teach students about ground water, drinking water, surface water and the hydrologic cycle. Upon their arrival at the Georgia Southern University campus, each class of students was greeted by their personal guide. Volunteer guides took them from classroom to classroom as they participated in activities such as "The Irrigation Station," "Take A Ride On The Water Cycle" and "Awesome Edible Aquifiers." Each year, Georgia educators and students give the event very high marks. Stowers Elementary Teacher and 2006 Winning Water Festival attendee Kristin Glenn described the event as "the most organized, educational field trip I have ever attended." Added Ms. Glenn, "Thank you for letting our school attend. Our students and myself learned so many new ways to take care of our water. The students really understood the presentations and they were geared towards their learning level. Once again, thank you so much it was a wonderful, educational day." "The positive feedback we hear from educators, students and parents confirms that the festival works. Although it's day away from school, it's not a day away from learning. Teaching and encouraging our youngest Georgians to learn about our water resources establishes a framework for a Georgia that will be clean, green and growing for years to come," added Commissioner Beatty. "DCA appreciates Georgia Southern University's hospitality and our partnership with the school systems, sponsors and other organizations that have worked hard to make the 2008 Winning Water Festival a success. Working together, we presented another enjoyable learning opportunity for Georgia's students," concluded Commissioner Beatty. Major event sponsors included AmeriCorps, Coastal Rivers Water Planning Policy Center, Environmental Protection Agency - Region IV, Georgia Adopt-A-Stream, Georgia Conservancy, Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Georgia Forestry Commission, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Georgia Power, Georgia Project WET (Water Exploration for Teachers), Georgia Southern University, GYSTC, Keep Bulloch Beautiful, Keep Columbia County Beautiful, Keep Effingham Beautiful, Keep Ft. Stewart/ Hunter Army Airfield Beautiful Beautiful, Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation, Keep Liberty Beautiful, Keep Savannah Beautiful, Keep Screven Beautiful, Ogeechee Technical College, Statesboro Convention & Visitor's Bureau, University of Georgia, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Water Systems Council. For more information about DCA's Winning Water: Children's Water Festival, please visit www.winningwater.org. REMINDER: Strong Volunteerism Energizes 2008 Great American Cleanup Efforts. Since the March 1st kickoff of the state's 2008 Great American Cleanup, Georgians have actively participated in a number of local community activities. National and statewide activities continue through May 31, 2008. The 2008 Great American Cleanup provides Georgia's citizens with numerous opportunities to get involved in community-building activities that offer reminders of our individual and collective responsibility to keep our roads, rivers, mountains and communities clean. Coordinated nationally by Keep America Beautiful (KAB), the Great American Cleanup is the national's largest community improvement program. National and state GAC litter prevention and community beautification activities will continue to May 31, 2008. This year's GAC activities involve Georgia's 71 Keep Georgia Beautiful (KGB) affiliates, Kiwanis International - Georgia District and several other groups in a wide variety of litter prevention and community beautification projects. In 2007, an estimated 2.8 million volunteers donated more than 7.7 million hours to clean, beautify and improve more than 17,000 communities nationwide. These volunteer efforts yielded the collection of 200 million pounds of litter and debris; planting of 4.6 million trees, flowers and bulbs; clean-up of 178,000 miles of roads, streets and highways; and the diversion of more than 70.6 million plastic (PET) bottles and more than 2.2 million scrap tires from our waste stream. Nearly 200 volunteer groups and nearly 300 separate events have been planned in connection with Georgia's 2008 Great American Cleanup. Groups or individual citizens interested in volunteering should can obtain information online at www.keepGeorgiaBeautiful.org or www.litteritcostsyou.org or may call (800) CLEANUP. National sponsors for the 2008 Great American Cleanup are American Honda Motor Company, Inc., The Dow Chemical Company, Firestone Complete Auto Caret and Tires lust, GLAD ForceFlex Trash Bags, Pepsi-Cola Company, Sam's CLUB, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, Sprint Foundation, Troy-Bilt Lawn and Garden Equipment, Waste Management, Inc. and the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company. Joining the 2008 effort as educational partners are ReCellular, Inc. and Rubber Manufacturers Association. Georgia program sponsors include The Coca-Cola Company, Georgia Power Foundation, DCA and Keep Georgia Beautiful. GAC program information, including how you or your organization can be involved in this year's cleanup is available online at www.KeepGeorgiaBeautiful.org or www.LitterItCostsYou.org. Volunteers may also contact one of Georgia's 71 Keep America Beautiful affiliates or call (800) CLEANUP. Georgia Commission On Service & Volunteerism Lights, Camera, Action! AmeriCorps Video Contest Seeks Entries. AmeriCorps recently announced a contest to encourage service in America and to educate people about AmeriCorps. Contest entrants must submit a 60 second video that, in an informative, memorable and creative way, encourages individuals to join AmeriCorps. Entrants must be a current or a former AmeriCorps volunteer. The grand prize winner will receive a $5,000 "volunteer vacation" (courtesy of Travelocity's Travel For Good Change Ambassadors program). Second prize is an iPod Shuffle and third prize is an AmeriCorps Alums Prize Pack (2nd and 3rd place prizes are courtesy of AmeriCorps). Entries are due May 2, 2008. For more information, please visit www.americorpscontest.org. Housing News DCA & Local Housing Counseling Partners Co-Host Foreclosure Counseling Kick-Off Events Statewide. DCA and some of its housing counseling agency partners recently served as co-hosts for kickoff events to create awareness of free foreclosure prevention and one-on-one counseling services. Events were held in Albany, Augusta, Brunswick, Gainesville, Macon and Rome. "Today, many Georgia citizens are experiencing financial challenges, including concerns about the ability to pay their mortgages. DCA is pleased to use a recently awarded federal grant to help our housing counselor partners statewide educate Georgia homeowners about their options during these challenging times," said DCA Commissioner Mike Beatty. Events included remarks from DCA staff and local community and business leaders. Housing/ foreclosure prevention counselors and many organizations involved in the "home buying" process also attended. In late February, DCA was awarded $887,004 to support foreclosure prevention counseling efforts. The grant was provided by funds from the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program. Approved by Congress in the FY08 Consolidated Appropriations Bill, the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program is being administered through a competitive application process by NeighborWorks America, within guidelines defined by Congressional legislation. "Many of DCA's housing counseling partners offer foreclosure prevention counseling on an ongoing basis. Although a number of Georgia homeowners have used these services, we know that there are many more that could benefit," continued Beatty. "Many people need a little help to know what their options are when facing tough decisions. We hope these local kick-off events will provide useful and timely information about a homeowner's local resources. In turn, the housing counseling services offered by our statewide partners should help more Georgia homeowners keep their homes, whether they are worried about their finances or on the brink of foreclosure." Georgia homeowners may also access an up-to-date listing and contact information for DCA's Housing Counseling partners at www.dcaloans.com. Homeowners may also contact HUD's Referral Line for a listing of housing counselors in their local area at 800-569-4827 (or TDD at 800-877-8339). Adding More Affordable Rental Units Each Day - GeorgiaHousingSearch.Org Continues Its Momentum. Born out of disaster, GeorgiaHousingSearch.org grows to be the leading resource for affordable rental housing statewide. GeorgiaHousingSearch.org, a FREE online listing and locator service for affordable rental housing in Georgia, was initially established in response to the influx of Hurricane Katrina evacuees that required immediate rental housing. As of early March, the site had more than 63,000 property listings and received more than 5,400 daily searches. On the site, Georgia residents can search for rental properties statewide. Property postings are detailed, current, and updated bi-weekly. Property managers and independent landlords can post listings for free and reach thousands of potential renters. The website is bilingual (English and Spanish) and has a toll-free number (877) 428-8844 - available to assist potential renters or property owners and managers. In addition, the site's unique Special Needs Housing Search feature has assisted Georgia caseworkers locate housing for hundreds of traditionally hard-to-place families and individuals. Planning & Quality Growth News REMINDER: Hawkinsville To Host Spring Community Planning Institute. DCA's Office of Planning and Quality Growth will host the year's second Community Planning Institute (CPI) on April 8-9, 2008 in Hawkinsville. The two-day session will take place at the Hawkinsville Opera House. CPI program topics include: Community Vision and Planning; Getting the Most out of Your Local Plan; The Good, the Bad, and the Legal; Conducting Meetings; and Making Good Decisions. Participants will also be grouped into breakout sessions to complete the popular Quinn County exercise that demonstrates how it feels to face an agenda full of challenging development and zoning issues. Attendees completing the two-day training program earn twelve hours of education in land use, comprehensive planning and legal issues. Course completion provides participants "Certified Planning Commissioner" status granted by DCA and the Georgia Planning Association. Advance registration is required for CPI sessions. Registration is $150.00 per person. For more information, please contact Leslie Stumpff at (404) 679-3114 or lstumpff@dca.state.ga.us or visit www.georgiaplanning.com. Drum Roll, Please! Get A "Sneak Peek" Of DCA's New Local Planning Academy At 2008 ACCG Annual Meeting. DCA will offer a "sneak peek" of its Local Planning Academy on April 27, 2008 during the ACCG 2008 Annual Meeting in Savannah. So, what is the Local Planning Academy? Great question. Like many DCA programs, the Local Planning Program is an innovative training session designed to educate local government leaders on what they can expect when preparing/updating their comprehensive plan. Sessions topics may include: Why Do We Plan; Quality Community Objectives; Comprehensive Plan Components; and Choosing a Plan Preparer. Local government with comprehensive plans due in 2010 and 2011 are strongly encouraged to attend. 18 Georgia counties are scheduled to submit comprehensive plan updates in 2010 or 2011. These counties are listed below: Ben Hill Catoosa Charlton Cook Cusseta-Chattahoochee Decatur Dodge Floyd Henry Jackson Marion Peach Putnam Screven Towns Troup Wayne Washington Advance registration is required. For more information, please contact Annette Henson at ahenson@dca.state.ga.us or (404) 679-5279. Get Your Community On Board Let's Work Together To Promote The Benefits of Planning and Quality Growth. The public's involvement in the planning process is crucial to the development of a good plan and the future of a community. As such, DCA's Planning & Quality Growth staff would like to work with local governments to explain the benefits of planning and quality growth to local residents. Planning commissioners, planning staff and code managers face numerous challenges in an effort to inform, educate and get the public involved in the planning process. A DCA Team, led by Chrissy Marlowe, is committed to developing resources to assist local governments in the effort to engage citizens. Examples of available resources include talking points, fact sheets and other published documents entitled Understanding Terminology, Talking Points: Benefits of Planning and Quality Growth, What Can Happen If You Don't' Plan?, Local Planning Process Fact Sheet, Potential Planning Questions and Answers and Techniques for Enlisting the Local Media. For more information, please call DCA's Office of Planning & Quality Growth at (404) 679-5279. Special Projects Team Poised To Help Georgia Communities. DCA's Office of Planning and Quality Growth - Special Projects Team wants to work with local communities in preparation for the next generation comprehensive plans. The Special Projects Team provides direct planning and quality growth Technical Assistance to local governments and stakeholders alike. The team is just a phone call away and can assist local governments with the following: (1) resource teams; (2) short-term work programs; (3) comp plan implementation fund; (4) Team Georgia; (5) Signature Community; (6) Community of Opportunity; (7) contract management; and (8) small area planning. For more information on Special Projects Teams, please contact Annaka Woodruff at awoodruf@dca.state.ga.us or (706) 566-4200. Two New "Entre" Seminars Added To DCA's Lunch `N Learn Menu. Several months ago, DCA launched Plan for Lunch, an innovative lunch and learn series designed to engage local governments in discussions about quality growth. Due to strong customer feedback, DCA's Planning & Quality Growth "chefs" decided to add two new presentations to the menu Best Planning Practices: Rural and DRI: Developments of Regional Impact. Existing and ongoing presentation topics include: (1) What is Quality Growth?; (2) Comprehensive Planning & Quality Growth; (3) Appointed Planning Officials: Roles and How to Make a Difference; (4) Quality Community Objectives; (5) Character Area Identification; (6) Character Area Implementation; (7) OPQG Educational Products; and (8) Why Plan? A typical Plan For Lunch session features a speaker and lasts from 1-2 hours. To schedule a "lunch date" with DCA's planning gurus, please contact Bettina Durant at bdurant@dca.state.ga.us or 404-679-0569. Other Interesting Tidbits That Just Didn't Fit Anywhere Else Nominations Sought for GMA's Municipal Government Hall of Fame. Nominations are now being accepted for GMA's Municipal Government Hall of Fame. Inductees will be announced on June 24, 2008 at the organization's annual convention in Savannah. The Municipal Government Hall of Fame was established in 1992 to recognize current and past municipal officials who exemplify the very best in public service and who, throughout their careers, have made extraordinary contributions to their communities and to cities throughout Georgia. To be considered, nominees must have: served a minimum of eight years as either an elected or appointed municipal official; made significant contributions to the quality of life within their city; and been a strong supporter of and provided faithful service to the Georgia Municipal Association. A maximum of three individuals are inducted in a given year, not counting the outgoing GMA president who is automatically inducted. No more than two individuals may be inducted posthumously within a given year. Nominations must be received by April 23, 2008. For further information, please contact Bill Thornton at (678) 686-6230. It's A Fact: Census News Release Confirms Southern Population Growth. A recent release by the U.S. Census Bureau showed strong population growth in the South between July 1, 2006 and July 1, 2007. Highlights from the news release - www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/011635.html include: St. Bernard and Orleans parishes in Louisiana saw the country's fastest rates of population growth. Six of the ten fastest-growing counties in the country are located in the South. Seventy of the 100 fastest-growing counties were in the South. Of the country's 100 fastest-growing counties, 18 were in Georgia. Five counties in the South were among those with the largest numerical gains in population. Similarly, USA Today has an easy to use online map of populations trends in the South and nationwide from 2000 to 2007. Information is available for population growth, immigration trends, domestic migration and natural growth. The "county level" map and related information is available at www.usatoday.net/news/graphics/census_0308/test.htm. Act Fast! Southern Growth Policies Board's "YouTube" Video Contest Deadline Extended To April 8th. The Southern Growth Policies Board is looking for video messages from concerned Southern youth and young adults between the ages of 14 and 24. Tell leaders and adults in your community what you think about the future and where you see your place in it. The creator of the winning video will receive an iPod Nano and two runners up will each receive a $25 VISA Gift Card. More importantly, the winners' videos will be shown to Governors and other leaders from 13 member states at Southern Growth's June 2008 conference, Youth: the Real Future of the South. For more information, including detailed contest and registration information, please visit www.southern.org/conference/2008videos.html or www.youtube.com/group/southerngrowth. The Southern Growth Policies Board is a non-partisan public policy think tank based in Research Triangle Park, NC. Formed by the region's governors in 1971, the Board develops and advances visionary economic development policies by providing a forum for collaboration among a diverse cross-section of the region's governors, legislators, business and academic leaders and the economic- and community-development sectors. Supported by the governments of 13 Southern states and Puerto Rico, the Board provides its members, and the region, with authoritative research, discussion forums and pilot projects in the areas of technology and innovation, globalization, workforce development, community development, civic engagement and leadership. For more information about the Southern Growth Policies Board, visit www.southern.org. USDA Economic Research Service Releases State Fact Sheets. The United States Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service has released its 2008 State Fact Sheets. State fact sheets provide information on population, employment, income, farm characteristics, farm financial indicators and top commodities, exports and counties for each state in the United States. To view these state profiles, visit www.ers.usda.gov/StateFacts/. Reader Information For more information on any of the topics included in this newsletter, please visit the DCA website at http://www.dca.state.ga.us or call DCA's main telephone number at (404) 679-4940 or TDD (800) 736-1155. Look for the next edition of DCA News on May 2, 2008. If you wish to be removed from the DCA Newsletter distribution list, please send an email to unsubscribe@dca.state.ga.us. # # #