Capitol Connection E-Newsletter – August 2018

Join Us at Jekyll for the 2018 Legislative Leadership Conference

Registration for the 2018 Legislative Leadership Conference (LLC) is now available! This year's conference will take place October 10-12 at the Jekyll Island Convention Center in Glynn County. Georgia's county officials will embark on three days full of continuing education opportunities in the ACCG Lifelong Learning Academy and hot topics sessions. County officials will also engage in policy discussions to finalize the 2019 ACCG Legislative Agenda and Legislative Priorities. Contact your county clerk to register today! For more information on the 2018 LLC click here .

Policy Committee Meetings Coming to an End

With five policy meetings down, only two remain. Attending a policy committee meeting is one of the best ways to ensure your county's concerns are being heard, so don't miss out on this important opportunity! Click here to register and for more information.

Please contact Nicole Logan ( [email protected]) if you have any questions. 

Register for District Meetings

Registration is now open for the 2018 District Meetings. Starting in late October, county officials can attend a meeting of their choice in either of ACCG's 12 districts throughout the state for an opportunity to interact with state lawmakers and partake in discussions on significant policy issues as outlined in the ACCG Legislative Agenda and Legislative Priorities. More details on District Meetings can be found here .

Please contact Nicole Logan ( [email protected] ) if you have any questions.

GMA Workshop on Rural Broadband Projects

On Thursday, September 20, the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) will host a one-day statewide Rural Broadband Summit in Houston County to share information with local officials about rural broadband planning in Georgia. Participants will learn from experts and their peers about cultivating a broadband planning approach that engages stakeholders and mitigates risks as well as accessing federal agency resources for technical assistance and infrastructure. More information can be found in the flyer below.

Informational Flyer

GMA – ACCG Regional Workshop Series: Managing Rights of Way in the Wireless Age

ACCG is happy to partner with the Georgia Municipal Association on an upcoming series of five workshops across the state on telecommunications issues currently facing Georgia’s local governments. Topics will include the technology and equipment needed to provide wireless and fiber broadband to both urban and rural areas; current telecom law; franchise and right-of-way (ROW) agreements; and federal and state efforts to preempt local government management of the ROW. County commissioners and staff are encouraged to attend.   

For more information on these workshops, dates and locations, and registration, please click here.

Georgia Smart Fall Workshop

Are you interested in Smart Communities? Would you like to see how your county can get involved? Attend a FREE GA Smart Fall Workshop on Thursday, September 6, 2018, to find out how your county can become a smart community. The workshop will bring various key stakeholders from local governments, government associations, industry, and academic leaders together to explore potential smart community initiatives, opportunities, and collaboration. Registration can be found here.

Remember to Appoint your County Voting Delegate

ACCG is asking for each county to designate a voting delegate to represent their local government during the business session at the 2018 Legislative Leadership Conference. Voting delegates will vote on the 2019 Legislative Agenda and Top Three Legislative Priorities which will guide the association’s legislative advocacy efforts before the General Assembly and Congress. Counties have until Friday, September 7, to appoint their respective delegate.

Click here to obtain the voting delegate form. Once completed, all forms must be submitted to Nicole Butler via fax at (404) 525-2477 or scanned in an email to [email protected]. 

Sign Up For An ACCG Policy Committee

Although policy committee meetings are coming to an end, there is still time get engaged by signing up for a committee of your choice. ACCG has seven standing policy committees and membership is open to all elected and appointed county officials. Your participation is needed to shape the policy positions ACCG will advocate for leading up to the next legislative session! 

Click here to view the committee descriptions .



Sign up today by filling out this form.

U.S. Senators: Why Rush to 5G While Rural Areas Ignored?

In a recent article, the National Association of Counties (NACo) reported that several U.S. senators questioned the race to install the 5G network in large urban areas as rural America continues to languish without high-speed broadband.

The full article can be accessed here.

Local Efforts Key to Census Accuracy

In addition to record keeping and congressional representation, the share of $800 billion in federal funding hinges on results of the census, making it crucial for counties to help ensure an accurate tally.

Click here to learn more.