August 2012 NEWS AND EVENTS Kevin Jones: Exceeding Excellence Save the Date! October 10, 2012 L-R: Nancy Dove, Director, Athens Office of Rental Assistance; Kevin Jones, Family Housing Counselor; Commissioner Mike Beatty. Governor Nathan Deal announced that Celebrating Rural Georgia 2012 will be Wednesday, October 10, 2012 at the University of Georgia Tifton Conference Center. Watch for details in the September newsletter! Congratulations to Kevin Jones, this quarter's Exceeding Excellence winner! Kevin always goes the extra mile to provide customer service to his clients and coworkers. As a Family Housing Counselor in the Athens Office of Rental Assistance, Kevin recently scheduled a housing unit inspection prior to the tenant moving in the following day and discovered that the property owner had not completed the required repairs. Rather than advising the owner and tenant that he would return when the repairs were completed, Kevin rearranged his schedule for the rest of the day and remained at the unit until the repairs were completed, saving both the landlord and the tenant significant time and money. Rome, Georgia: A Thriving Rural Economy Beyond providing excellent service to his customers, Kevin is a thoughtful and kind coworker as well. During the Rental Assistance Division's recent downsizing, the Family Housing Counselors had to readjust their caseloads, and in some instances, take on many new cases far from their original territory. Even though Kevin had the seniority to retain a caseload relatively close to the Athens office, he volunteered to take on the caseload with the highest amount of travel so that a younger Family Housing Counselor would be within a day's drive of her home, allowing her to spend far more time with her young family than she would have had with a more distant caseload. In May 2012, Georgia hosted a workshop called Livable Regions and Communities in Appalachia, sponsored by the Appalachian Regional Commission, EPA, USDA and the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO). Rome Main Street Director Ann Arnold made a presentation on Leveraging and Integrating Various Resources, and it appears that NADO liked her story so much they've started a blog series called "Vibrant Rural Communities!" The Department, the Georgia Cities Foundation and ARC are all proud partners with the City of Rome in its downtown redevelopment efforts, and are honored to continue our work. To read this (great) story of hard work and perseverance, click HERE. Georgia Grown Showcase Saturday, September 15 Atlanta Farmers' Market 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM We at the Department appreciate Kevin's kindness to his coworkers, and are honored to work with him. We also recognize his generous spirit and his willingness to help his clients, meeting their needs far beyond the realm of his daily workload. Thank you, Kevin, for your friendship and helpfulness. You're an inspiration to us all! If you would like to nominate a DCA staff member for Exceeding Excellence, click HERE. Governor's Water Supply Program Funds First Projects On August 1, 2012, the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) and the Department of Community Affairs awarded $90,490,866 in loans and $9,060,000 state direct investment (SDI) for eight water supply projects through the Governor's Water Supply Program (GWSP). "The Governor's Water Supply Program is a great example of the hard work, dedication and partnerships that are necessary to make big community development projects successful," says Commissioner Mike Beatty. "One state agency can't do it all, just like one local government can't do it all. Working together, from the state level down to the local level, is really the only way we're going to continue our successes in Georgia. I appreciate the work of all the partners that have brought the program this far this quickly." "The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority, the Georgia Department of Community Affairs and the Water Supply Task Force worked hard to develop a plan that helps local governments finance water supply infrastructure," said GEFA Executive Director Kevin Clark. "Today we're making our initial funding awards and we look forward to supporting more projects in the near future." Join Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black at the Georgia Grown Showcase in September! Farmers and producers from all over the state will be on hand with everything from fruits and vegetables to plants and nursery items; meats and cheeses to grits and olive oil; specialty food items and honeys to breads and pastries; plus nuts, ice cream, barbecue sauces, spices and more - and of course, everything you'll find is Georgia Grown! Spend an hour or come for the whole day - this event is the perfect opportunity to see what the Atlanta State Farmers Market is all about in a family-friendly environment. Sheds 13-14 will be closed to through traffic, so families can park their cars, mingle with farmers and vendors, help themselves to free taste-tests, enjoy live entertainment, or take part in a cooking demonstration. If you or someone you know is interested in vendor space, contact Paul or Stephanie in the Atlanta Market Office at 404-675-1782. In January 2011, Governor Nathan Deal committed $300 million to the GWSP over four years to align and mobilize the financial and technical resources of the State of Georgia. The GWSP assists local governments with developing new sources of water supply to meet future water demand forecasts. GEFA convened the Water Supply Task Force (WSTF) to provide expert guidance in the program's development and implementation. GEFA, DCA and other WSTF members completed a report outlining program recommendations for Governor Deal in December 2011. Throughout the spring of 2012, GEFA and DCA hosted workshops to assist communities seeking funding through the program. The GWSP received fifteen applications from communities seeking $195,595,758 for water supply projects during the first funding cycle. Local governments may apply in the second and third rounds of GWSP applications, scheduled to begin in January 2013 and January 2014, pending appropriations through the General Assembly. For a complete list of funded projects (including project descriptions), CLICK HERE. Stronger Economies Together in Rural Georgia The Department, USDA Rural Development, Fort Valley State University Cooperative Extension, Southwest Georgia Regional Commission, Southern Georgia Regional Commission and Heart of Georgia-Altamaha Regional Commission have selected two regional teams for the USDA's Stronger Economies Together (SET) program: Southwest Georgia SET Team, (including Baker, Calhoun, Colquitt, Crisp, Decatur, Dooly, Dougherty, Early, Grady, Lee, Macon, Miller, Mitchell, Seminole, Sumter, Terrell, Thomas, Tift and Worth Counties) East Central Georgia Initiative (ECG) (including Montgomery, Treutlen, Toombs, Johnson and Emanuel Counties) SET will help teams develop new approaches to strengthen and enhance regional economic development activities by providing tools, training and technical assistance promoting quality of life and economic strength in rural economies. Georgia's SET communities will receive: Commissioner Beatty is pleased to announce that four new 12 for Life Workplace sites will join the Department of Community Affairs, the Department of Corrections, and Southwire Company in providing opportunities to at-risk high school students: Georgia Student Finance Commission Technical College System of Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice City of Atlanta GPK Community programs in Clarke, Putnam, and Coffee counties begin their second years this month. Additionally, GPK Community is developing a partnership with the Georgia Appalachian Center for Higher Education to pilot high school programs in Union and Chattooga Counties beginning in 2013. For more information out Great Promise Kids, contact Lori Bodine at lori.bodine@dca.ga.gov . Strategic planning training for the regional team Database tools specifically designed to help the regional teams examine the critical drivers of their region and identify emerging growth sectors and regional competitive advantages Technical assistance and educational support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Community Affairs, Regional Commissions and Fort Valley State University Extension Educational and information-sharing opportunities with other SET program participants around the country. For more information on Georgia's SET program, contact Joy Moten Thomas at thomasb@fvsu.edu UPCOMING EDUCATION, EVENTS, OPPORTUNITIES AND DEADLINES HomeSafe Georgia can help unemployed or underemployed homeowners make their mortgage payments on a temporary basis. Please encourage citizens in need to attend one of the following information events to learn about the qualification requirements, or to find information online at www.homesafegeorgia.com August 18 10:00 am- 1:00 pm, Family Resource Fair, Decatur High School Performing Art and Sports Center August 18 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, DeKalb County Foreclosure Prevention and Intervention Workshop, Greater Travelers Rest, Decatur August 21 and 23, 1:00 - 4:00 pm, Carrollton DOL Career Center August 21, 1:00-7:00 PM, Fairburn Youth Center August 23rd , 10:00 am - 2:00 pm, Veterans' Career Fair & Diversity Job Expo, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton August 24th, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm, Fort Valley & New Hope International Church Job Fair, Fort Valley State University Student Amenities Building August 28th and 30th 1:00 - 4:00 pm, LaGrange DOL Career Center Reapportionment Documents Now Available The Office of Research has updated its documents to reflect the new State House, State Senate, and Congressional Legislative Districts changed in the 2012 Legislative Session; as signed by Governor Nathan Deal and as reflected by the Georgia General Assembly - Legislative and Congressional Reapportionment Office on July 9, 2012. Click the following links for copies of Local Governments by State House Districts, Local Governments by State Senate Districts and Local Governments by Congressional District, or see the Office of Research webpage for a complete list of publications, surveys and reports. August 28th 1:00 - 4:00 pm, Griffin Veterans Career Expo, Kiwanis Club of Griffin. Continuum of Care Planning Meetings The Department is hosting Continuum of Care planning meetings for all interested parties during August 2012. We invite homeless providers and other interested parties to comment and assist with planning to address housing needs within their region. Please contact the local host only if you have special needs or if you need directions. You do NOT need to register for these workshops. Albany: Wednesday, August 22, 2012, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm, Arthur Kay Williams Micro Business Enterprise Center, 230 South Jackson Street, Albany, GA. Contact: Ms. Mary Washington at (229) 483-7650. Valdosta: Wednesday, August 22, 2012, 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm, City Hall Annex - Multi-purpose Room, 300 North Lee Street (across from City Hall and adjacent to the new Lowndes County Judicial Administrative Complex). Contact: Ms. Debra Miller at dmiller@valdostacity.com, or by phone at (229) 259-3522. Dalton (Whitfield County): Thursday, August 23, 2012, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm, Dalton City Hall Council Chamber, 300 W. Waugh Street, Dalton, GA 30720. Contact: Ms. Jennifer Shearin, JShearin@dwcdc.org, or by phone at (706) 876-1630. Macon (Bibb County): Monday, August 27, 2012, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm, River Edge Community Service Board, Macon Health Complex, Assembly Room, 175 Emery Highway, Macon, GA. Contact: Ms. Cynthia Patterson at cpatterson@river-edge.org. Georgia citizens need quick and easy access to affordable housing options and we can help! Whether you are searching by price, number of bedrooms, or even proximity to work, school or transportation, finding a home that meets your needs is easier with GeorgiaHousingSearch.org. Landlords can register in a five-minute process or work with DCA staff to register large-scale listings. For more information, please contact Ron Pounds at 404-327-6864 or ron.pounds@dca.ga.gov. GeorgiaHousingSearch.org is the key to linking tenants with landlords. We offer FREE property posting, bilingual assistance, and a toll-free number (877428-8844) available to those without internet access. The Continuum of Care Program promotes community-wide goals to end homelessness by: providing funding for efforts to quickly rehouse homeless individuals (including unaccompanied youth) and families minimizing trauma and dislocation to those persons promoting access to, and effective use of, mainstream programs optimizing self-sufficiency among individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Please contact Housing Trust Fund staff for more information: John Bassett (404-679-3170 or john.bassett@dca.ga.gov); Jonathan Cox (404-6790571 or jonathan.cox@dca.ga.gov); or Tina Moore (404-327-6870 or tina.moore@dca.ga.gov ). COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCE AWARDS July 2012 Region Five Joint Development Authority of Japser County, Morgan County, Newton County and Walton County $13.75MM in OneGeorgia EDGE funds $1.14 Billion in private investment Creates 1,463 jobs Assist with the location of Baxter Healthcare Corporation, a healthcare manufacturing and distribution facility. For previous issues of The Partner Connection, click on our logo or HERE. This email is prepared and emailed by the Georgia Department of Communtiy Affairs. If you wish to be removed from the email list, please be sure to click on the SafeUnsubscribe button below. 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