HR 2087: Northwest Georgia Regional Commission; 65th anniversary; recognize

House Resolution 2087

By: Representatives Dempsey of the 13th, Lumsden of the 12th, Gambill of the 15th, Kelley of the 16th, Momtahan of the 17th, and others

A RESOLUTION

Commending the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission upon its 65th anniversary; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, in the late 1950s, two visionary leaders, T. Harley Harper and Fred F. Starr, traveled the counties of Northwest Georgia promoting the idea of regional cooperation and planning; and

WHEREAS, an area-wide organization was formed at a regional conference at Berry College in Rome, Georgia, on May 7, 1959, with more than 400 area business, industrial, and political leaders in attendance to discuss common problems and opportunities in the Coosa Valley region, with two members representing each of the 12 associated counties; and

WHEREAS, a reorganization plan was developed under the Georgia General Planning and Enabling Act of 1957, and 11 counties joined together to create the Coosa Valley Area Planning and Development Commission; and

WHEREAS, Governor Ernest Vandiver and the Georgia General Assembly agreed to finance the commission at $30,000 per year, and each participating county agreed to contribute 25 cents per capita per annum to supplement the funding; and

WHEREAS, with legal authority and funding in place, the Coosa Valley Area Planning and Development Commission began operation on April 1, 1961, becoming the first multi-county organization of its type in Georgia as well as a model for other regions in the state and across the country; and

WHEREAS, the Georgia Planning Act of 1989 changed the organization's name to the Coosa Valley Regional Development Center, and other legislative acts amended its responsibilities; and

WHEREAS, the North Georgia Regional Development Center was merged with the Coosa Valley Regional Development Center in 2009 to form the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission, which serves Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Fannin, Floyd, Gilmer, Gordon, Haralson, Murray, Paulding, Pickens, Polk, Walker, and Whitfield counties, their 48 constituent municipalities, and almost one million Georgians; and

WHEREAS, the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission works with federal and state partners to provide aging, workforce, economic development, community planning, GIS mapping, small business revolving loan fund, and other services to its members; and

WHEREAS, the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission has exemplified regional cooperation through intrastate and interstate partnerships and initiatives with its peers in Georgia and its neighbors in Alabama, Tennessee, and North Carolina; and

WHEREAS, the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission continues to fulfill its mission statement "to improve the quality of life for every Northwest Georgia resident, through orderly growth, conservation of the region's natural and historic resources, and care and development of the region's human resources."

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body commend the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission for 65 years of official service to the people and governments of Northwest Georgia, the State of Georgia, and its peer organizations in the state and Appalachian Region. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission.