Title 50

As used in this article, the term: (1) “Area” means a standard metropolitan statistical area located wholly within this state as defined by the United States Executive Office of the President, Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area 1967, Part I Criteria, Office of Management and B…

It is in the public interest to create an agency composed of officials of political subdivisions and private citizens to coordinate planning and development within each area of this state having a population of more than 1,000,000 according to the United States decennial census o…

There is created a metropolitan area planning and development commission in each area of this state having a population of more than 1,000,000 according to the United States decennial census of 1970 or any future such census. The chairman of the county commission of the most popu…

A commission shall be, for its area, a regional commission as defined in and with all the powers, duties, and obligations of a regional commission set forth in Article 2 of this chapter and any other law of general application pertaining to regional commissions on July 1, 2009; an…

(a) The members of a commission for an area shall consist of: (1) The chairman of the board of commissioners of each county within the area; (2) The mayor of the most populous municipality within the area; (3) From each county within the area, except the most populous county with…

(a) The public members of a commission shall have terms of office concurrent with their respective terms of public office. Members at large of a commission shall serve for a term of four years, except that one-half (or if an odd number of members at large are elected to a commiss…

A quorum for taking action at a meeting of a commission may be set in such manner as the bylaws of the commission shall provide, but it shall not consist of less than one-half of the total number of authorized members of the commission. The vote of any member of the commission sh…

(a) The chairman of a commission shall be elected by the commission from among its members for a two-year term, but no person shall serve as chairman if, after his election to office, he ceases to be a member of the commission. A chairman may succeed himself. (b) The chairman of …

A commission shall elect such officers as it deems necessary for the conduct of its affairs, including a secretary and treasurer, who need not be members of the commission, and shall be compensated as determined by the commission. Each member of a commission, other than the chair…

A commission shall appoint an executive director to serve at the pleasure of the commission as the principal operating administrator for the commission. An executive director shall be chosen from among the citizens of the nation at large and shall be selected on the basis of his …

A commission may prescribe the compensation, benefits, and all terms and conditions of employment of its officers, employees, and agents. A commission may contract with private individuals or firms for professional services deemed necessary to carry out its responsibilities under t…

A commission may establish and appoint persons to advisory committees to assist the commission in the performance of its duties. Members of advisory committees shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for their reasonable expenses as determined by the commission. Hi…

A commission shall prepare and adopt and from time to time amend, change, or repeal, after appropriate study and such public hearings as may be deemed necessary, comprehensive development guides for its area. The development guides shall consist of policy statements, goals, stand…

(a) It is in the public interest and it is provided by this article that: (1) A commission review each area plan prepared for use in an area by a political subdivision or by a public authority, commission, board, utility, or agency; (2) Each commission be designated as the offici…

(a) Each municipality within an area and each county within an area shall submit to the commission for comment and recommendation thereon every area plan prepared by such municipality or county. The commission shall maintain all area plans in its files available for inspection by …

(a) A commission shall review every area plan prepared for use within the area by a public authority, public commission, public board, public utility, or public agency. Each such area plan shall be submitted to the commission by the public authority, public commission, public boa…

A commission shall review all applications of municipalities, counties, authorities, commissions, boards, or agencies within the area for a loan or grant from the United States, the State of Georgia, or any agency thereof if review by a region-wide agency or body is required by f…

A commission shall engage in a continuous program of research, study, and planning of matters affecting its area including but not limited to: (1) Land use; (2) Transportation within the area, including highways, railroads, airports, streets, and mass transit; (3) The acquisition…

(a) A commission shall have and exercise all power and authority which may be necessary or convenient to enable it to perform and carry out the duties and responsibilities imposed on it by this article. (b) A commission shall have the authority to determine whether or not a plan …

In carrying out the purposes of this article, a commission shall be authorized to contract with, apply for, and accept gifts, loans, and grants from federal, state, or local governments, public agencies, semipublic agencies, or private agencies, to expend such funds, and to carry…

(a) For purposes of this Code section, the term “participating affected local government” means the governing body of a political subdivision which is or will be affected by a regional public project and which agrees to authorize the commission to act on its behalf as described i…

This article shall be known and may be cited as the “Rural Economic Development Law.” History. Code 1981, § 50-8-120, enacted by Ga. L. 1987, p. 1142, § 1.

Each regional commission of this state, except the regional commission which is also the metropolitan area planning and development commission provided for in Article 4 of this chapter, shall constitute a rural economic development area for the purposes of this article. History. …

(a) The regional commission of each rural economic development area provided for in Code Section 50-8-121 may conduct a study for proposed major economic development projects within its respective rural economic development area. The study shall utilize the most recent economic i…

(a) Each rural economic development area may submit to the Department of Community Affairs proposed economic development projects by January 1, 1989. All proposed projects shall be endorsed by the appropriate local government and shall be evaluated for funding based upon rating a…

(a) It is the finding of the General Assembly that economic conditions in rural Georgia can be significantly improved through the creation of a focused and coordinated effort. It is further found that it is appropriate for the state to assist in enhancing economic opportunities and…

The Office of Rural Development is charged and empowered to carry out the following duties and responsibilities: (1) To serve as the clearing-house and point of contact in state government for information, data, resources, and assistance regarding rural development. The office sh…

The commissioner of community affairs may appoint employees as may be necessary to implement such powers and duties as are described by this article. The employees of the Office of Rural Development shall be in the unclassified service as defined by Code Section 45-20-2. The commis…

(a) As used in this Code section, the term: (1) “Board” means the Board of Community Affairs. (2) “Department” means the Department of Community Affairs. (3) “E-85 gasoline” means a blend of ethanol and gasoline that by volume consists of not less than 70 percent nor more than 85…

As used in this article, the term: (1) “Adjacent facility” means any facility adjoining a project that meets the requirements of a subparagraph of paragraph (3) of subsection (c) of Code Section 50-8-191 which is not met by the project and that is the subject of a reciprocal use …

(a) The initial application for designation as a REAP shall be made to the municipal corporation or county in which the project will be located. Developers of projects to be located completely within the corporate limits shall apply to the municipal corporation; developers of pro…

(a) Upon submission of a project after approval by the local government or governments, the Department of Community Affairs shall determine whether the project meets the criteria set out in Code Section 50-8-191 for designation as a REAP and complies with any rules and regulation…

The Department of Community Affairs shall certify that a project has received a certificate of compliance as a REAP to the Department of Natural Resources; the Department of Economic Development; the Department of Transportation; the Department of Revenue; the Department of Labor;…

For each project that has received a certification of compliance, the project developer shall submit an annual report to the Department of Community Affairs until the date planned for completion of all phases of the project. The developer’s report shall include a statement regardi…

This article shall be known and may be cited as the “Rural Facilities Economic Development Act.” History. Code 1981, § 50-8-210, enacted by Ga. L. 1991, p. 1712, § 1.

The General Assembly finds that in recent years rural Georgia has undergone a severe economic recession. It is evident that an investment in the economic situation of the state’s most distressed counties would result not only in an improvement in the quality of life for the citize…

As used in this article, the term: (1) “Board” means the Board of Community Affairs. (2) “Commissioner” means the commissioner of community affairs. (3) “Comprehensive plan” means any plan by a county or municipality relating to the facilities needs of such county or municipality…

(a) Not later than July 1, 1992, using the most current data available from the Department of Labor and the United States Department of Commerce, the commissioner shall rank and designate as less developed counties the lower 25 percent of all counties in this state using a combin…

(a) There is created in each less developed county a facilities development committee to be composed as follows: (1) Three members appointed by the governing authority of the less developed county, one who is a member of such authority, and one who is from the private sector, and…

(a) Each facilities development committee shall be known by the name of the county followed by the words “Facilities Development Committee.” (b) The commissioner shall establish policies and procedures by rule or regulation for the facilities development committees necessary for …

(a) Each facilities development committee, in conjunction with the regional commission in which the less developed county is located, shall review the comprehensive plans for facilities needs prepared by the less developed county and each municipality lying therein pursuant to th…

In the event any conflict arises in or with the facilities development committee in the preparation and submission of a local plan, such conflict shall be resolved by the department in the manner provided by subsection (d) of Code Section 50-8-7.1. History. Code 1981, § 50-8-217, e…

No less developed county shall be eligible to receive a grant pursuant to this article until a local plan has been submitted. The commissioner shall provide by rule or regulation for the submission of local plans and the administration of grant applications and shall establish cr…

(a) The commissioner shall review each plan to determine compliance with the criteria established pursuant to Code Section 50-8-218 and within 30 days from the date of submission of the plan shall approve or disapprove such plan. If the commissioner disapproves any plan, he shall…

(a) Each less developed county shall be entitled to receive from the state matching grants in an equal amount pursuant to this article for the implementation of all or part of its local plan of facilities development as approved by the board in the order of priority as establishe…

Each facilities development committee shall have oversight authority of each local plan of facilities development, and the governing authority of the less developed county shall submit annually to the department a detailed written progress report and full accounting of receipts a…