CAPACITY BUILDING

Beginning in January, Georgia Law will require that child support determinations consider the income of both parents in setting how much support should be paid and by whom, meaning that personnel in the Office of Child Support Services will now have to routinely deal with both parents. Based on a proposal submitted by Raye Rawls, the Fanning Institute won a competitive bid to train these OCSS agents on Settlement Negotiation Skills so that they may better assist parents in working out their child support obligations.

Kimberly Anderson, with the support of Debbie Allen, coordinated the final session of the second Georgia Rising collegiate community leadership development program. Georgia Rising leads college students through a process of understanding the issues in community, economic and leadership development, and assists them in finding local issue projects in which they can be involved. To help with the projects, each participant is paired with a local leadership mentor through the Georgia College and State University Educational Mentorship partnership. In addition to community resource persons, Dennis Epps and Karen Holt were also part of the final day’s program.

EXPLORATION

Fanning is involved with several communities around the state on brownfields redevelopment efforts. Mac Brown, Courtney Tobin and Dennis Epps spoke with approximately 20 local officials in Moultrie to discuss brownfield redevelopment priorities in that community and finalize a grant proposal to the U.S. EPA. Courtney Tobin and Mac Brown met with officials in Toccoa for a day-long tour and meeting focusing on planning and prioritizing brownfield sites for redevelopment. Danny Bivins and Leigh Askew joined Mac Brown at a brownfields charette in Lumber City, a recipient of a recent U.S. EPA brownfields assessment grant.

IMPLEMENTATION

Bill Russell continues his work helping communities implement innovative redevelopment projects.

• In Vienna, Bill helped restructure financing to purchase and renovate the Lockermann Building, which has now been sold. Three businesses have already moved in, and the second floor will be developed as loft apartments next year. The impact is three new businesses, 4 employees and $100,000 in investment. Bill also assisted the Downtown Development Authority in obtaining a façade easement to do the necessary improvements, saving the new owners construction costs.
• In Zebulon, Bill worked with the Downtown Development Authority on four contiguous buildings on the west side of the town square, obtaining funds to acquire and restore the buildings and structure the financing so the units could be sold individually. Construction is being completed, with a new and used bookstore open in one of the buildings and the Chamber of Commerce purchasing another. Bill also assisted the owners of the new and used bookstore in obtaining financing.
• In Swainsboro, Bill collaborated with the President of East Georgia College, East Georgia College’s Economic Development Director, the President of Spivey Bank and the Emanuel Arts Council to obtain financing to complete the renovations of a former Methodist Church into a regional center for the visual and performing arts. This effort has already attracted 4 new artists who have relocated to Swainsboro.