ANTHONY JONES: Looking back at 2019 as we move forward in 2020

Greetings to my beloved citizens of District 6.

2019 has been a very productive year for the citizens of District 6 and the other five districts in Dougherty County. I would like to take this opportunity to share with you some of the exciting highlights of the work we did on your behalf this year. I consider it to be an honor and a pleasure serving as your commissioner for the last five years. It’s been with great pride for me to advocate for issues which are vital to a better quality of life for each of the constituents I represent.

I enjoy receiving and answering phone calls regarding certain issues/problems. I have tried to make it a policy to return calls promptly with a solution for whatever your needs are, small or large. Please be reminded the work I do for each of you requires teamwork and cooperation from the other commissioners, along with recommendations from the county administrator and his staff. If, by chance, you run into them during your travels, please tell them thank you.

HURRICANE MICHAEL RECOVERY

Early in 2019, we completed the last pass of pickup of debris from Hurricane Michael. Although we are still in recovery, we have made much progress toward storm recovery efforts and will continue to do so.

T-SPLOST

If you recall in the spring, the voters of Albany and Dougherty County voted “yes” to our proposed transportation-special purpose local option sales tax (T-SPLOST). With the passing of T-SPLOST, our first project will include paving the alleyways in our county. Be on the lookout for those dollars to be put to use in your area soon.

FIGHTING CRIME

With the relocation of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation headquarters for the southwest Georgia region to Dougherty County, we were able to partner with the city of Albany to form a crime task force. We believe this initiative will help us to better keep our city and county safe so that you can continue to enjoy the quality of living you deserve.

GEORGIA PACIFIC

Early in 2019, Georgia Pacific held a ground-breaking in Dougherty County for a plant that will provide nearly 100 jobs for our region. The plant will be opening in 2020 and we invite you to welcome our new industry partners to Dougherty County.

RADIUM SPRINGS

Our beloved Radium Springs has been at the top of our list of renovations in Dougherty County. We are honored to be able to erect a memorial in honor of the five lives lost during the tornado of 2017. With the memorial, we were also able to recently complete road resurfacing on the streets of Skywater and Azalea. We are also in the process of finalizing a master plan for the revitalization and restoration of the springs, which will bring back to life this almost forgotten Seven Wonder of Georgia and a gem to our great county. We plan to dedicate our memorial in early 2020 and invite you to be a part of that ceremony.

PARK RENOVATIONS

We are pleased to update you on three park renovations within District 6: Elliott Park, Pine Glen Park and Putney Park. All three of these parks will be renovated in 2020, and we can’t wait for you to be a part of the dedication of those parks upon completion. Stay tuned for those dates in 2020.

FIGHTING BLIGHT

You asked for us to increase our efforts in fighting blight in District 6 and in Dougherty County. We delivered by partnering with the county land bank to take charge of these properties. We promise to continue these efforts in 2020 and for years to come.

ZONING NOTICES

You asked us for better visibility with zoning notices in Dougherty County, and we delivered. We are pleased with the new signage and hope you are as well.

FIRE STATION No. 11 UPGRADE

Just this month, our Facilities Management department was in charge of the installation of a brand new generator to Fire Station No. 11 (Hill Road), which will create a safe place for the community, especially in the wake of another natural disaster to our area.

NORTHWEST LIBRARY BRANCH

In Early November, our Northwest Branch of the Dougherty County Library System opened the expansion to the public, which included an events center that will be available for rental by the public in 2020. Opening date will be announced later in the year.

ROAD RESURFACING

In District 6, we have been able to resurface approximately 3.5 miles on Nelms Road. More resurfacing projects are on the schedule. Stay tuned.

MONTHLY NEIGHBORHOOD WATCHES

We are pleased that all Neighborhood Watch groups in District 6 continued to meet regularly in 2019. We invite you to keep up the good work in working together to keep your communities safe in 2020.

GOVERNMENT CENTER RENOVATIONS

In early 2019, Dougherty County completed several renovations to the Government Center in downtown Albany. This renovation had been delayed for some time due to deferred maintenance. Thanks to SPLOST dollars, we were able to restore and replace several much-needed items.

DOCO IN THE NEWS

Our public information officer has been providing news coverage to you — our citizens in District 6 — for a while now. If you didn’t get to attend one of our town halls to share your email address, please email Wendy Howell your email address to add to her distribution list at [email protected].

NACCO

I had the privilege of attending the National Association of County Commissioners meeting this year as a county voting delegate.

BOARD APPOINTMENTS

I am proud to serve on the Dougherty County Library Board, as well as on the executive board for the Southwest Georgia Regional Commission.

File Photo