ATLANTA — During his first meeting as chairman of the Atlanta Regional Commission Jan. 10, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens previewed the year ahead and recognized several local governments as green communities.
The ARC is the official planning agency for the 11-county region, including Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale counties.
The Georgia General Assembly created the Atlanta Regional Commission in 1971, the state’s first Metropolitan Area Planning and Development Commission.
The agency is designed to assist local governments in improving the quality of life of residents by focusing attention and resources on issues affecting the region.
The Atlanta Regional Commission Board consists of the commission chair from each county surrounding Metro Atlanta, mayors throughout the region, 15 citizen members and a representative from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.
In the commission’s 53-year history, Dickens is the first Atlanta mayor to serve as chairman. The 41-member board unanimously elected him Nov. 8.
“I look forward to collaborating with each and every one of you as we work together to fulfill ARC’s vision of creating one great region,” Dickens said. “We are all residents here, and we all want the region to thrive.”
The first discussion item at the board meeting was a presentation on the Green Communities Program, which encourages local governments to…
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