§ 2-44. Departments.

The internal organization of the county government hereby established subordinate to and as administrative instrumentalities of the commission shall be divided into the following departments:

(1)

Finance.

(2)

Water and sewer.

(3)

Public works.

(4)

Public safety.

(5)

Fire.

(6)

Parks and recreation.

(7)

Law.

(8)

Buildings and inspections.

(9)

Zoning and planning.

Additional departments may be created, or any two or more departments may be consolidated from time to time, by a majority of the commission, except that the department of finance shall be maintained at all times as a separate and distinct department.

(1964 Ga. Laws (Ex. Sess.) (Act No. 22), page 2075, § 16)

Editor's note— The buildings and inspections department was abolished by motion passed May 26, 1965. The provisions of 1963 Ga. Laws (Act No. 353), page 3176, creating the planning department, and not specifically repealed, read as follows:

"Section 1. There is hereby created the office of Cobb County Planning Department, whose chief executive officer shall be known as, `Director, Cobb County Planning Department.'

"Section 2. The Director, Cobb County Planning Department shall be appointed by the governing authority of Cobb County and shall serve in said capacity at the pleasure of said governing authority. Said director also to be known as Cobb County Planning Engineer, shall be the holder of a bachelors or masters degree in city or regional planning from an accredited planning school of any college or university accredited by the American or Southern Accreditation Association or shall have had five years' experience in a supervisory capacity in a municipal or county or regional planning department at the time of his appointment.

"Section 3. The duties, power and authority of the director, Cobb County Planning Department shall be the following:

"(a)
He shall make recommendations, either favorably or adversely, upon every application for change, alteration, modification, or amendment with respect to the existing comprehensive plan for zoning in the unincorporated area of Cobb County, such recommendations to be addressed to the Cobb County Planning Commission as created by the Acts of 1956, Georgia Laws 1956, page 2006, approved January 25, 1956, and to the governing authority of Cobb County;

"(b)
He shall act as planning consultant to the governing authority of Cobb County with respect to any changes in the rules and regulations appertaining to the issuance of use permits, building permits, building, plumbing and electrical codes, as well as changes or modification of zoning hereinabove set forth;

"(c)
He shall recommend to the governing authority from time to time concerning the acquisition of, development and locations of parks and playgrounds; the relief of traffic conditions and traffic congestion; the development of housing and subdivisions under sanitary conditions; the establishment of zones and districts therefor; the use, type, area and kind of buildings or structures to be erected in the various sections of said county; he shall prepare and make available statistics concerning the density of population in the various sections and areas of said county; he shall study and propose such regulations as may be advisable for the promotion of the business interests, health, morals, safety, comfort, convenience and welfare of said county;

"(d)
He shall maintain liaison with the Atlanta Metropolitan Planning District as established by the Acts of 1960, Georgia Laws 1960, page 3102, approved March 17, 1960, and shall undertake to utilize the services of said agency for the overall better development of Cobb County and the Atlanta Regional Metropolitan Area;

"(e)
He shall maintain liaison with the Cobb County Board of Education, the state board of education and the City of Marietta Board of Education and advise with them respecting the locations and expansion of school facilities in Cobb County, and assist in furnishing such information, statistics, studies and maps as shall be useful and needful in the better planning of such facilities;

"(f)
He shall consult with the Cobb County Water System, the Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority and the various water systems within the County of Cobb and sewage systems thereof concerning the development of comprehensive long range plans for water and sewage facilities throughout the county;

"(g)
He shall advise and consult with, upon their request, the governing authorities of the various municipalities and public agencies within Cobb County respecting the planning and zoning of areas within the territorial limits of such municipalities and the operational functions of such public agencies with a view to implementing and integrating the future planning of Cobb County as a whole;

"(h)
He shall maintain liaison with the State Highway Department of Georgia and other public agencies concerned with the development of roads and arterial highways of every kind with a view to the better planning of overall county-wide roadway needs;

"(i)
He shall maintain liaison with public and private agencies concerned with the future planning of Cobb County;

"(j)
He shall perform such other duties as may be required of him from time to time by the governing authority of Cobb County in the general area of countywide planning and development.

"Section 4. There shall be assigned to the Cobb County Planning Department under the general supervision of the director such other personnel, including draftsmen and clerical workers, as may be required from time to time in the discretion of the governing authority of Cobb County for the proper functioning of the said Cobb County Planning Department. Salaries of such personnel shall be fixed and paid from time to time by the governing authority from county funds, but the director, Cobb County Planning Department shall be paid no less than $7,500.00 per annum nor more than $12,000.00 per annum in the discretion of the governing authority."