Your Forsyth 2021: Forsyth County's Annual Report for the year 2020

2021 Forsyth County Government’s Annual Report for 2020

Message from the County Manager The year 2020 could have been defined by one thing In 2020 Forsyth County continued to move – a pandemic. While the virus that spread across forward financially. We maintained our low millage the globe did have an impact on Forsyth County, rate while still growing the tax digest. Because the resilience of our community was on full display. so many want to live in Forsyth, homes in Early on, our Board of Commissioners took decisive our community are at a premium, and action to help our business community. The Board the County experienced a 2.1 percent also took steps that ensured the continued delivery increase in the tax digest due to higher of services for residents while also supporting our reassessments. employees - especially those on the front lines. 2

Photo: Sawnee Mountain Preserve Visitor Center As we look to the future, we will continue to focus on our future and look forward to working with our Board, customers – Forsyth County residents – to ensure they receive employees and residents to make sure our community the best possible service from the County. We’ll have enhanced remains the best in the state to live, work and play. ways for residents to interact with us, as well as receive Sincerely, information about County news and services including a redesigned website and a County mobile app. We are also Kevin Tanner looking to open a call center, so that every call is answered County Manager by a real person. I am pleased to present this report, highlighting many of the things we accomplished in 2020. I am enthusiastic about the 3

2021 Forsyth County Organizational Chart Mission About Forsyth As trusted stewards of Forsyth County’s future, the elected Date of Incorporation.................................December 3, 1832 officials and employees are dedicated to serving the Form of Government..................................Commission-County community and to providing effective, professional public service with integrity and a commitment to excellence. Manager Total Area in Square Miles.........................247 Vision 2020 Population Estimate..........................251,283* Forsyth County is committed to providing and maintaining the County Government Employees most efficient, customer service-oriented county government as of December 31, 2020...........................1,534 Full-Time, possible. The county will be an innovative and strategic leader *Source: U.S. Census Bureau as of April 1, 2020 726 Part-Time in providing essential and effective public services in a fiscally prudent and professional manner. By preserving and enhancing a high quality of life, Forsyth County will remain a healthy, safe and compelling place in which to live, work, recreate, visit and invest. 4

2021 Board of DISTRICT 1 Commissioners Molly Cooper The Forsyth County Board of Vice Chairwoman Commissioners is made up of five members, each living in a DISTRICT 2 specific district and elected Alfred John by their district to serve Secretary four-year terms. Each January, the five members elect officers for the coming year. The mission of the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners is to exercise the powers, duties and responsibilities vested in and imposed upon it as the duly constituted governing authority of Forsyth County. The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners meets DISTRICT 3 in regular session twice a month, on the first and third Thursdays. The board also holds a work session twice Todd Levent a month, on the second and fourth Tuesdays. Member The meetings are held in the County Administration Building. The meetings are open to the public, and they also can be viewed on TV Forsyth (Xfinity Channel 23 and AT&T Channel 99) and online at forsythco.com. County Forsyth County DISTRICT 4 Manager operates under the commission-county Cindy Jones Mills Kevin Tanner manager form of Chairwoman government. DISTRICT 5 County Administration Laura Semanson Member In Appreciation Forsyth County would like to thank Dennis T. Brown, Dennis T. Brown Eric Johnson Doug Derrer who served as the District 2 commissioner from January 2018 through December 2020, Eric Johnson, who served as County Manager from 2018 until 2020 and Tim Merritt who served as Deputy County Manager from 2000 until 2021 Doug Derrer who served as Interim County Manager. 5

2020 Year in Review 6

Forsyth County Year in Responds to the Review COVID-19 Pandemic Forsyth County leaders announcing a State of Emergency on March 18, 2020. One of the defining stories across the globe in 2020 was the COVID-19 pandemic. Forsyth County elected officials, along Senior Services visiting residents who hadn’t with the County’s Emergency Management Agency (EMA), been able to do in-person programs due to were prepared for a potential pandemic and took strategic COVID restrictions. action throughout the year to maximize safety for residents. The County took proactive steps to promote social distancing Board of Commissioners install dividers to keep and best practices to limit the spread of the virus while also social distancing standards. All employees were continuing to provide the same level of services and customer encouraged to wear masks. support to the community. On March 16, 2020, the public health department confirmed the County’s first case of COVID-19. Two days later, Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Laura Semanson signed a declaration of local emergency calling for all available resources of the County to be used as necessary to cope with the impact of COVID-19 on Forsyth County. On March 24, Parks & Recreation closed various amenities including ball fields, courts, playgrounds, dog parks and others to help slow the spread of the virus. The same week, additional safety measures were taken by the Board of Commissioners, including the closure of dine-in and outdoor/patio services at restaurants. Shortly after, the state issued a shelter in place order for all Georgia residents. While the health and safety of residents during the height of the pandemic was the County’s top priority, providing support for local businesses and restaurants was as well. Working with the Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Commissioners quickly identified the needs of the business community, signed emergency orders to support existing businesses and found ways to help businesses keep their doors open, even if they were open in different ways than ever before. In May, County Parks & Recreation facilities and amenities began opening back to the general public with safety measures in place. In June, residents were welcomed back to the County’s Administration Building on an appointment basis, and various committees and boards began meeting in-person. Locations throughout County buildings and facilities were equipped with protective, transparent barriers to protect members of the public. Various locations required the wearing of a protective mask by both County staff and residents, and a temperature screening station was put in place at the Administration Building’s entrance. Although new processes have been put in place to ensure safety throughout the pandemic, the County has ensured that all essential services are delivered to residents at the highest possible level. 7

Big Creek Greenway Halcyon Trailhead Opens In late 2019, elected County officials and representatives from mixed-use development Halcyon gathered for a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open a trailhead at Halcyon (6265 Cortland Walk). Construction Begins on Phase V of the Big Creek Greenway Construction of Phase V of the Big Creek Greenway commenced in 2020 to expand the greenway an additional 5.7 miles. The project begins at the end of Phase IV of the Greenway located at the intersection of Kelly Mill Road and Johnson Road. Once complete, the Greenway will terminate at the Sawnee Mountain Preserve Visitor Center (4075 Spot Road). Phase V of the Big Creek Greenway is slated for completion in Spring 2021 (weather permitting). A new playground was installed in August at Poole’s Mill Park The cost of the playground replacement project was (7725 Poole’s Mill Road) replacing the park’s previous $210,000 and was funded by the Forsyth County Parks & playground. The playground, designed for ages 5-12, includes Recreation 2020 Capital Replacement Plan Budget. slides, swings (one handicapped accessible), an IKO ball climber, synthetic turf surfacing and more. 8

Coal Mountain Dog Park Opens to the Public Year in Review Forsyth County officials, staff and guests gathered in November to officially open the Coal Mountain Dog Park (4060 County Way). The park is located across from the County Animal Shelter in north Forsyth. The park features synthetic dog turf, dog water Board of Commissioners Vice Chairwoman Cindy Jones Mills fountains, climbing boulder, wooded areas, dog walk ramp, tunnel, sunshades, shaded benches and two family-style restrooms. The four-acre dog park is funded by donations, the Parks & Recreation Capital Funds and by SPLOST VIII. Parks & Recreation Cindy Iacopella, Animal Shelter Manager Launches a Facebook Forsyth County Account Named Healthiest County in Georgia for Parks and Recreation joined the 8th Consecutive Year County’s growing social media platforms with their own For the eighth consecutive year, Forsyth County was named the Facebook page in September. healthiest county in Georgia. The distinction comes as part of Residents can now interact the annual County Health Rankings & Roadmaps study initiated with Parks & Recreation while by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of getting the most up-to-date Wisconsin Population Health Institute. information on all things The rankings are based on two types of measures: County parks. how long people live and how healthy people feel while alive. The new Facebook page joins the County’s social media accounts that includes Forsyth County government (which is now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Nextdoor) as well as the County Animal Shelter on Facebook. 9

Forsyth County Recognized as a “County of Excellence” for Transportation Bond Initiative Forsyth County was the recipient of community needs with a Transportation the 2020 County of Excellence award, Bond. The $200 million general obligation presented by the Association County bond was approved by Forsyth County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG), voters in 2014 to finance a variety of in the category of infrastructure and transportation projects. transportation for the County’s innovative approach to addressing Voter Registrations & Elections Department Provides New Ways to Serve Voters In November, Americans cast their bal- In addition, a new statewide election system lots for leaders and representatives at was implemented for the 2020 cycle. the local, state and national levels. Throughout the year, the Forsyth Due to the pandemic, the department anticipated County Voter Registrations & Elections more voters casting their ballots during the advance Department made appropriate voting periods and prepared accordingly by offering adjustments to accommodate the a new digital wait time tool on the County’s website growing number of voters in the County for voters to see their projected wait time to vote as well as how those voters would cast by location. their ballots during the pandemic. Another new addition to the election cycle was the In late 2019, five additional election day absentee voter drop box located at the Voter polling places were added and in March, Registrations and Elections Office allowing voters the the Presidential Preference Primary was opportunity to safely submit their ballot ahead of an postponed to late May because of the upcoming election. onset of the pandemic. Local and State Officials Participate in a Virtual Transportation Summit A virtual Forsyth County Transportation Status updates on transportation Summit was held in September and projects underway in Forsyth County featured transportation project updates can always be found by visiting the from local and state officials. interactive transportation projects map at forsythco.com/transportation. Speakers included several Forsyth The interactive map features updated County employees, the Georgia details on County transportation projects Department of Transportation (GDOT) including road widenings, intersection and the Georgia Regional Transportation improvements and more. Authority (GRTA). 10

Ground Broken on Year in the SR 369 and SR 400 Review Intersection Project Forsyth County and state officials gathered in November to break ground on a project at the intersection of SR 400 and SR 369. Board of Commissioners Vice Chairwoman Cindy Jones Mills The project will widen SR 369 (also known as Brown’s Bridge Road) from a two-lane road to a four-lane road, divided by a 20-foot raised median. SR 369 will be widened from just west of SR 9 to slightly east of SR 306, approximately two miles. The project will also include sidewalk trails along both sides of SR 369. There will also be an added partial cloverleaf interchange at SR 369 and SR 400. The anticipated duration of the project is 36 months with a planned opening of late 2023. Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan Public Information Open Houses were held 2019 during the planning process of this important intersection project. These meetings were to answer questions about the project to the public and to receive input from nearby residents. 11

Fire Station 11 Opens The Fire Department’s new Fire Station 11 (4655 Pittman Road) officially opened in September to improve service and reduce response times in the west central portion of Forsyth County. Fire Station 11 is a 12,000 square foot, four-stall station, designed to accommodate the personnel and equipment that will operate out of the facility and to allow for future growth. Construction of the new Hallie, an Australian Labradoodle, station was funded by the joined the Fire Department in the voter-approved Special spring to help teach fire safety Purpose Local Option Sales messages as well as to serve as an Tax (SPLOST) VI program emotional support animal for Fire and by Impact Fees. In Sept. Department employees. 2018, the Forsyth County Fire Department was awarded a grant from the Department of Homeland Security/FEMA to support the staff cost at Fire Station 11. The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant funded the hiring of 12 new firefighters for the new station. The grant provided funding for 2019, 2020 and 2021 that was not otherwise fully funded in the Fire Department’s budget. 12

Water & Sewer Year in Recognized for Review Excellence by the State Parks & Recreation Receives Agency of In the fall, the County’s Water & Sewer Department was recognized by the Georgia Association of Water Professionals the Year Award (GAWP) for excellence in multiple areas. Forsyth County Parks & Recreation received The James Creek Water Reclamation Facility received the the Georgia Recreation and Park Association highest score among statewide applicants in its capacity (GRPA) Agency of the Year Award during the classification and was selected as Water Reclamation GRPA awards banquet in October. Facility of the Year in the one to three million gallons per day category. One of the major accomplishments included in the nomination was the Department’s 14 current capital In addition to the award for facility, the department also projects, including renovating older parks, developing received two Gold Awards. The first was for the County’s new parks and adding new amenities to current parks. distribution system, which delivers fresh water to homes, businesses and schools. The second Gold Award was for Other highlights presented in the nomination for the collection system, which, brings the water back to a outstanding programs included the growth of Therapeutic wastewater treatment facility to be reclaimed and returned Recreation programs, the restoration of the Poole’s Mill to the environment. covered bridge and the launch of a Parks & Recreation Facebook page. Improvements System improvements were completed in January at the James Creek Water Reclamation Facility (WRF), including those that would address Made to Two Water reliability and redundancy. The James Creek WRF was constructed in 2006-2007 to serve the residential communities in the drainage basins of James Creek and Daves Creek. Reclamation Throughout the year, the Fowler WRF underwent an expansion to increase capacity Facilities from 2.5 Million Gallons per Day (MGD) to 5 MGD. The expansion is being made to accommodate growth in the area, as well as provide redundancy within the system. The Fowler facility is scheduled to undergo several additional improvements, including upgrades to existing systems and equipment. Like all Forsyth County WRFs, the Fowler and James Creek facilities comply with Georgia Environmental Protection Division requirements regarding the return of reclaimed water into the environment. 13

Ground Broken on a New Juvenile Justice Center Ground was broken in December for This facility will include two courtrooms, a new Forsyth County Juvenile Justice conference rooms and administrative Center that will replace the current offices with an incorporated design with facility located at 875 Lanier 400 Pkwy. natural elements and lighting to provide a calming effect. The new Juvenile Justice Center will be located at the site of the current facility Funding for the new center is provided by and will be approximately 70,000 square Capital Outlay Funds and total costs for feet with three levels including the project are estimated at $19.9 million. unfinished shell space on the second The new facility is scheduled to open, level for future expansion. weather permitting, in Summer 2022. Chief Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Bagley Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Laura Semanson Juvenile Court Presiding Judge Chris Willis JBuevleonwil:eAJunsatirccehCiteecnttuerra, lsrlaetneddefroinrgcoomf tphleetcioonmipnle2t0e2d2. 14

Year in Review District 2 Commissioner Alfred John and Commissioners John, Semanson and Mills Sworn In In a ceremony held in late December at the Forsyth County Administration Building, the newest member of the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners took his oath of office. Newly elected Forsyth County District 2 Commissioner Alfred John was sworn in during a ceremony by Forsyth County Probate Judge Woody Jordan. John fills the post held by Dennis Brown who did not run for re-election. John’s term runs through Dec. 31, 2024. District 5 Commissioner Laura Semanson District 4 Commissioner Cindy Jones Mills Laura Semanson was sworn in for her second term as District 5 Cindy Jones Mills was sworn in for her third term as District 4 commissioner. Semanson’s term runs through Dec. 31, 2024. commissioner. Mills’ term runs through Dec. 31, 2024. 15

How is the government funded? General Fund Revenue Four sources comprise the majority of the General Fund revenues: Taxes 80.2% Charges for Services 11.59% includes taxes from property, motor vehicles, cable television, includes parks and recreational fees, judicial fees, sheriff alcohol excise, intangible property, real estate transfer tax, and correctional fees, and sales of printed materials financial institutions and the local option sales tax Licenses and Permits 3.95% Fines and Forfeitures 1.4% includes business licenses, a portion of motor vehicle tag related to the courts and restitution fees, alcohol licenses and permits throughout unincorporated Forsyth County Special Revenue Funds Special Purpose Local Funds not primarily supported by the General Fund, O ption Sa les Ta x (S PLOST) SPLOST is a but rather from their own funding source, include the Fire Department, which is funded by a separate millage special one percent voter-approved sales and use tax in rate property tax, and the 911 Center, funded by land and Forsyth County for a specified period of time (up to six years), wireless phone charges. Water & Sewer and Recycling & raising an estimated amount of revenue for designated Solid Waste are Enterprise Funds supported by user fees programs or named capital projects. First approved by rather than tax dollars. Forsyth County voters in 1987, the sales tax has been continuously extended through voter approval by Bonds referendum seven times. Forsyth County voters have approved previous bond Grants referendums to fund specific types of projects. In 2014, a $200 million Transportation Bond was approved by voters. In 2020, the county was awarded grant revenue totaling These bonds fund designated projects and are paid for via $10,081,112 from federal and state agencies. property taxes. How are county funds expended? Public GoGveenrnemraelETnthxpee2n0d2i0tuadreosptceadmGeeinneruanl dFuerndbuedxpgeent daittuaprepbrouxdigmetawtealsy$$114495,6m92il,0li6o7n..* Safety 35.46% (Sheriff, Coroner and Ambulance Services) 21.01% Other & Transfers Judiciary Parks, Housing & Health & 9.51% Recreation Development Welfare 11.12% & Culture 6.29% 4.37% 7.47% Library 4.76% *Unaudited results. 16

How are property taxes calculated? Millage Rate The County Maintenance & Operations millage rate funds: A millage rate is the amount per $1,000 of a property’s assessed value. • Judicial System • Tax Assessor The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners sets the millage • Tax Commissioner • Code Enforcement rates for the County Maintenance & Operations, Fire District and Bonds (the Forsyth County Board of Education sets the • Sheriff’s Office • Planning & Community millage rate levied to fund schools). • Board of Commissioners Development The Fire District millage rate funds the Fire Department. • Coroner • Health and Welfare including Senior Services • Parks & Recreation • Libraries The Bond millage rate funds payments on General Obligation Bonds. In 2020, the Board of Commissioners decreased the Bond millage rate by 0.04 and kept the same rate for M&O and Fire, for a total millage rate of 7.896. This rate is used to calculate the property taxes that will fund the 2021 budget. • 4.791 mills – Maintenance & Operations • 2.175 mills – Fire District • 0.940 mills – Bond The county’s millage rate continues to be one of the lowest millage rates among metro Atlanta counties. 19.99 18.02 2020 M&O and Fire 12.56 11.32 12.80 Forsyth 8.50 8.93 8.75 9.89 9.05 10.15 9.78 7.90 7.35 Cherokee Hall Paulding Douglas Henry Fayette Cobb Coweta Gwinnett Fulton DeKalb Rockdale Clayton comparable counties other metro area counties Source: Georgia Department of Revenue 17

Keep up with Forsyth County Government News in more ways than ever before! As we enter a new decade and look towards the future, your County government has more ways than ever to provide you with the latest information, news and updates on what matters to you! Plans are underway for a totally redesigned forsythco.com, the online home for Forsyth County government, as well as a mobile app that will be available for Android and Apple devices providing new ways to interact with the County, watch meetings, meet elected officials, pay water bills and more from the palm of your hand. The County also recently expanded its social media account offering. Along with a general County government Facebook and Twitter account that provides new updates, alerts, videos and County related information, Facebook accounts are now available for those seeking the latest information from the Fire Department and Parks & Recreation. Your Forsyth Your Forsyth made its debut in 2017 as Forsyth County government’s hosted news video series, releasing monthly videos on social media, TV Forsyth and the County website. Since its inception, Your Forsyth has expanded to become the name of the County’s official news - not just videos, but also the County’s monthly digital newsletter and annual reports. TV Forsyth An episode of Your Forsyth on the County’s YouTube page TV Forsyth is Forsyth County’s governments access television channel, available on Comcast ch. 23, AT&T ch. 99 and streaming 24/7 from the County’s website. TV Forsyth broadcasts a variety of County meetings as well as original programming focused on the County. The channel also highlights the latest County news, upcoming events, programs and more. Government Access Cable Television Channel How to Find TV Forsyth: Forsyth’s official YouTube Channel Live, Rebroadcast and On-Demand Comcast 23 / AT&T 99 tvforsyth.com forsythco.com 18

Social Media fb.com/forsythcountygovernment Forsyth County’s Facebook made its public debut in 2015 and has evolved over the years to be the most complete news and information vessel of Forsyth County’s social media offerings. As the county has grown, so has the need to expand and include additional pages for County departments: Forsyth County Animal Shelter fb.com/ForsythCountyAnimalShelter Forsyth County Fire Department fb.com/ForsythCountyFireDepartment Forsyth County Parks & Recreation fb.com/ForsythCountyParksandRecreation instagram.com/forsythcountyga Launched in 2018, the County’s Instagram page has a different direction than the other social media channels - it’s dedicated to celebrating the natural beauty of Forsyth County. News and videos are sprinkled in, but it’s primary purpose is for photos. twitter.com/forsythcogov Running since 2018, Forsyth County’s Twitter page is dedicated to quick news and updates about all County topics, providing the most up-to-the-minute information like traffic impacts and road closures. tvforsyth.com YouTube is the home to all of Forsyth County’s videos, from the monthly series of Your Forsyth to one-off special videos to capturing events. Board of Commissioners meetings are also viewable on this channel. 19

Forsyth County Georgia Government (770) 781-2101 • forsythco.com 110 E. Main Street TV Forsyth - Comcast Channel 23 and AT&T Channel 99 Cumming, Georgia 30040