Because of a continued surge in COVID-19 cases in the area, a number of Hall County government facilities will be open by appointment only until further notice.
When the county announced the plan to limit access to facilities earlier this month, the plan had been to fully reopen by Tuesday, Jan. 19.; that will not happen.
We have continued to monitor data from national, state and local health officials and believe continuing to operate in this manner will help slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community while allowing us to maintain the delivery of government services to our citizens, said Hall County Administrator Jock Connell in a prepared statement released Friday.
GAINESVILLE – How to safely hold public hearings and afford opportunity for community comment on land-use decisions, in the midst of growing COVID-19 concerns, has the Hall County Commission scrambling for answers.
Monday afternoon a special called meeting was held by the Hall County Commission immediately after adjourning its work session. In that special called meeting all ten items commissioners just moments earlier approved for consideration at the January 14
th voting session were tabled.
Those ten items were tabled for two weeks and added to the agenda for the January 28
th voting session. They join two other land-use agenda items already scheduled for that January 28
Hall County Government Attorney Van Stephens and Emergency Management Agency Director Casey Ramsey will soon serve in new roles.
According to a news release from Hall County Government, Stephens will serve in his role as County Attorney in-house, as opposed to externally with Gainesville-based law firm Stewart, Melvin & Frost.
Stephens has served as the government s attorney since September 2019. His first day as Hall County’s in-house counsel is set for January 18.
“Van brings over 35 years of experience to Hall County, and his expertise has already proven invaluable to our organization,” said Hall County Administrator Jock Connell. “Bringing the County Attorney position in-house is a natural move as this county continues to grow and develop, and it will surely benefit both staff and the public as our need for access to that type of legal advisement continues to grow along with our county.”