Henry County is on its way to having an urban redevelopment agency.
The Board of Commissioners voted January 22 to establish the new governing body, and each district commissioner will appoint one person to serve on the agency’s own board of commissioners. The vote was 4-2, with Chair June Wood and Commissioner Johnny Wilson voting against the move. Wood previously moved to table the issue for further discussion, but that motion failed along the same voting lines.
The purpose of an urban redevelopment agency, or URA, is to find areas of “blight” in a particular jurisdiction and rehabilitate them when it is necessary for the public’s health, safety and welfare, according to county attorney Patrick Jaugstetter.
Georgia code identifies pockets of blight as: dilapidated, deteriorated, old or obsolete buildings (often referred to as slums); inadequate provision for ventilation, light, air, sanitation, or open spaces; high density of population and overcrowding; conditions which endanger life or property due to fire, etc.; conditions which are conducive to ill health, transmission of diseases, infant mortality, juvenile delinquency, or crime.
The primary reason for a URA’s existence is to implement development plans for such areas, Jaugstetter said. An agency can have some leeway in how that is done, including the ability to issue revenue bonds to finance projects. A redevelopment plan can be approved after public hearings are held. A private property owner who believes his or her property is blighted can present a redevelopment plan to the URA for approval in some cases.
Jaugstetter informed the members of the Board of Commissioners that they can appoint themselves or their designees to govern the URA, but the law forbids people in that role from receiving compensation for their service. They can be reimbursed for expenses and for training, which Jaugstetter will be necessary for whomever is appointed. Public hearings will be required in the future as the agency continue to take shape, Jaugstetter said.
