Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Carlton Fletcher

ALBANY — Businessman Tom Gieryic and community activist Teresa Knight, who have been among the most visible local citizens involved in recovery efforts in the wake of Jan. 2 and Jan. 22 storms that tore through the community, leaving devastation in their wake, offered a token of appreciation to county officials Monday for their part in storm recovery efforts.

Unveiling one of the chainsaw-carved crosses that have become symbolic of the recovery efforts, Gieryic said the presentation is a reminder of the country’s founding principles.

“I know it’s not proper to get into a religious discussion here, but this is what our country was based on when it was founded,” Gieryic said. “We thought it was appropriate that you receive one for the efforts of Sheriff (Kevin) Sproul and his department, of our Public Works crews and of the work that all of y’all put into this effort.

“I hope it’s something you’ll be proud to display, not put away in a closet somewhere.”

Commission Chairman Chris Cohilas, who accepted the cross on behalf of the commission, assured Gieryic that the carving would be prominently displayed.

“I plan to put this in my office so that anyone who comes in there will see that this is where the county got its strength during these devastating events,” Cohilas said.

Also at Monday’s work meeting, the commission got a report from Aspire Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Services Corporate Compliance Officer Babs Hall and Aspire COO Roger Haggerty.

“The biggest thing we hope you take away from this (report) is that Aspire is a road to recovery,” Haggarty said. “We have around a $20 million annual budget, most of which comes from the state, but I can tell you that (Aspire Executive Director) Kay Brooks’ motto is to overserve. We did that by $2 million last (fiscal) year.

“But our approach is to serve everybody that comes through our doors. We worry about the money later. We start the recovery process when someone comes through our doors.”

Hall said Aspire’s work force includes 350 full-time employees who serve individuals with mental health and addictive disease issues in Dougherty and seven surrounding counties. She said payroll for the 177 employees who live in Dougherty County alone tops $4.2 million a year.

Hall also said Aspire treated more than 12,000 individuals in Fiscal Year 2016, and she noted that the service organization has clinicians in three Dougherty County Schools and in two schools each in Lee and Worth counties.

“Whether one has an addictive disease or a mental health issue, we at Aspire believe every person can live in recovery and live a productive life,” Hall told commissioners.

Asked by Commissioner Clinton Johnson what impact the nation’s opioid epidemic was having locally, Hall said Aspire has received funding to convert the former Calhoun County Hospital building into a substance abuse facility. The facility will include, Hall said, 14 beds for men and 14 for women.

“(Opioid abuse) is an issue locally, and it affects men and women,” Hall said.

County Project Engineer Jeremy Brown outlined details of a memorandum of agreement that the state Department of Transportation is seeking with the county to assure that GDOT receives reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for cleanup work its employees conducted during storm recovery efforts in the community.

Brown said that during its cleanup work, DOT officials used county property as a collection site for 17,000 cubic yards of debris.

“DOT wants to get reimbursement for the work they did,” Brown told commissioners. “And FEMA told them they needed a written agreement with the county to collect those funds.”

County Attorney Spencer Lee said he’d looked at the wording of the agreement and was satisfied with it, but that DOT attorneys wanted to have “one more go at it” before submitting it for commission approval.

“I, of course, will review any changes made by DOT before I present it to you,” Lee said. “But the language is not very technical. It’s pretty straightforward.”

County Administrator Richard Crowdis said such agreements are standard when it comes to dealing with FEMA.

“When the federal government reimburses anyone, they want a written agreement in place,” Crowdis said.