CountyLine
September 2023, Vol.17, No.9
 
ACCG News
  
Get ready to join ACCG, your county colleagues, and state leaders on October 11-13 at the Jekyll Island Convention Center in Glynn County for the Association’s fall policy conference. Don't miss the opportunity to ensure your county's concerns are considered when voting on the Proposed 2024 Policy Agenda and Legislative Priorities and to participate in several engaging educational opportunities.
  
Get ready to join ACCG as we hit the road for the Fall Regional Meetings. We’re looking forward to seeing you to share some important information and answer your questions about ACCG and other hot issues impacting county government. More details are forthcoming and will be shared soon.
  
Registration is still open for the 7th Annual ACCG Civic Affairs Foundation Golf Tournament! Your participation in this event will help support programs that foster youth leadership, public service oriented internships, and increase understanding of Georgia county government.
ACCG has released new chapters of the Handbook for Georgia County Commissioners.The Handbook is a comprehensive reference guide to county government. It contains hard-to-find statutory authority, best practice tips, maps, tables, and most importantly, information that will assist in the day-to-day operations of the county. 
Fall doesn’t just bring pumpkin spice and college football, it also ushers in the next class of ACCG interns. ACCG is excited to welcome Kellsie Rogers and Lexie Blake as the fall interns. During their internship, they will assist the legal, research, and governmental affairs teams with special projects, research, and data collection and analysis.
  
The November Leadership Institute will take place on November 16-17 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel & Conference Center in Fayette County. This two-day class is only for county officals working on the CORE certification. Registration will open late September, check with your county clerk to register. 
Union County hosted county officials from across the state for the Lifelong Learning Academy (LLA) Leadership Institute in July. The two-day event featured 29 county officials from 25 Georgia counties. 
  
The sun is shining on Elizabeth Peters and her summer internship with Meriwether County. As a rising sophomore, Peters joined Meriwether County as a law clerk. In her role, she worked closely on court cases and assisted in a variety of legal tasks.
  
Now, more than ever, counties are celebrated for their tireless work on behalf of their communities. Help ACCG highlight those efforts by sending in your photos for Georgia's Local Lens, the newsletter that provides a weekly snapshot of Georgia's counties. Visit the ACCG website for more information.
 
Mauldin & Jenkins
 
State News
  
The Emergency Management Association of Georgia (EMAG) is now accepting applications for the 2023 EMAG Awards. Emergency Management agencies and their staff are eligible to apply until October 1, 2023.
  
With fall approaching comes cold weather, leaf cleanup, and most of all the ability to have outdoor burn fires. The Georgia Forestry Commission is reminding residents that the annual EPD Burn Ban will be lifted for North Georgia on September 30. 
  
DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson, along with STAND, Inc., is hosting the 4th Annual Opioid Summit. The event will take place at the Porter Sanford III Performing Arts & Community Center in Decatur, GA.
  
The Georgia Recreational Trails Program Pre-application period is now open. Counties can apply for the 2023 Recreational Trail Grant program as well as the 2023 Georgia Off-highway Vehicle Trails grants. The pre-application deadline is November 1, 2023. 
  
The deadline to pre-apply for the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program is October 13, 2023. Don't forget to make sure your county applies for the ability to get outdoor trail grants brought to your community. 
 
Bo Phillips Company
 
Federal News
  
 
September is National Preparedness Month, as a result ACCG will be participating in a month-long social media campaign to promote the efforts that county officials can take to make sure their community is prepared in case of an emergency. This year’s theme is Preparing for Older Adults. ACCG will focus on how the elderly population in counties across Georgia are affected by emergencies and how to be prepared going forward.