About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (May 13, 2020)
8A Midweek Edition - May 13-14, 2020 The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com LOCAL Hall County Schools to delay budget BY NATHAN BERG nberg@gainesvilletimes.com The Hall County School District will not approve a budget at the end of June as originally planned. During a Monday eve ning meeting, the school board approved a spending resolution that will push the school district’s budget ing decisions back to July 27. The decision comes in response to guidance from state legislation advising all state-funded agencies to expect a 14% decrease in funding. The cutback would account for a loss of around $22 million in school funds, according to Hall County superintendent Will Schofield. “We have such spotty information in terms of what state revenues are going to look like,” Scho field said. “We believe that the legal arm that is avail able to us, which is to pass a spending resolution, a continuation of the FY20 budget if you will, for an additional month while we get more information when the legislature gets back in session, when they start get ting more estimates from OPB, is the wise thing to do.” OPB is the Office of Plan ning and Budget. The Gainesville City School System made a simi lar decision last Monday. Schofield said the school district will look into a number of options to save money in accordance with expected cutbacks, add ing that while there is not currently a hiring freeze on the school district “if there’s any chance we can get through a school year next year without adding positions, we certainly are not adding those positions. ” “We’re going to have to sharpen our pencil in every area we possibly can to make it through this drought we’re going to go through for the next year or two, three years,” Scho field said. Messages of thanks and waves through windows as school supplies returned BY NATHAN BERG nberg@gainesvilletimes.com Those returning checked out school items to Spout Springs School of Enrichment Monday afternoon were met with a message of thanks from Spouts Springs teachers to all parents, grandparents and caretakers. Items checked out from Hall schools, like laptops and library books, are being returned this week, offering staff a chance to — from a distance — see some students and family for the first time in weeks. At some schools, parents drove up to return supplies as masked staff members greeted them and waved excitedly at students sitting in the backseat. At Spout Springs, teachers wanted the experience to be special for the parents. So before every day of the six-day dropoff period, a group of Spout Springs teachers will be placing signs and balloons around the outside of the school thanking the parents for all they’ve done to make school from home run smoothly. “We have a very, very supportive parent group,” said fifth grade teacher Michelle Blaylock. “So we just felt like we needed to show them some appreciation.” Blaylock said it was important to her and the rest of the teaching staff to communicate that they understood the parents’ struggles. Despite much of the community suf fering from the effects of COVID-19 throughout the last couple months of the school year, Blaylock said Spout Springs students were almost always at their virtual classes on time. “We realize that some of these parents have lost their jobs,” Blay lock said. “Some of them are going through some very challenging times that we don’t really know about. But yet, every day, these kids have been logged in. They’re doing their digital assignments. They’re logging into their Zoom meetings with their teach ers... (the parents) have been a very, very important part. They’ve done a great job.” Mia Yeager, parent of a kindergar ten student at Spout Springs, said both she and her kids enjoyed the unex pected welcome waiting for them at the school. “I thought it was very special and meaningful,” she said. “I feel like (the teachers) are the ones that really have done most of the work. But it did make me feel special.” Blaylock said dropoff May 18 — designated for the return of materials checked out by fifth graders — will have a bit of extra flair. Teachers will be putting out extra signs, including messages like “Reach for the stars,” “You did a great job,” and “Next stop, middle school.” Spout Springs would typically cel ebrate the graduation of fifth grad ers to a new school with a cookout, so teachers there wanted to provide at least something for those students and their parents letting them know they will be appreciated and remembered as they move on to middle school. “We just felt like it was something that we needed to show some appre ciation to them,” Blaylock said. “Unfortunately, it’s a different way than it usually is. We’re hoping that this shows them some appreciation. ” Hall schools to deliver meals in June on altered schedule Hall County schools will continue to deliver school lunches in June, though the delivery schedule will be adjusted. Cheryl Jones, Hall County School System director of school nutrition, said during a school board meeting on Monday that lunches will be delivered on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in June. Buses will deliver meals for the entire week for roughly 5,000 students on each day of delivery. Jones said that schools would be sending updates in next week’s meal bags alerting families to the new plan and when they can expect June meals to be delivered. Hall County superintendent Will Schofield said funding for the meals would be coming from the federal Department of Agriculture, and the Hall County School District would not need to spend any extra money on June meals. “For a lot of these families, it’s tough enough in normal times,” Schofield said. “Just based on feedback we get on a daily basis, some people wouldn’t be able to eat if (school meals) were taken.” Nathan Berg Rabies case reported in South Hall A rabies case has been reported in the 4500 block of JM Turk Road in Flowery Branch. A raccoon, which has tested positive for rabies, came in contact with two dogs. This is the fourth con firmed case of rabies in Hall this year. Signs will be posted in the area where the rabid raccoon was located. If you see an animal acting abnormally in the area, contact Hall County Animal Services at 770-531-6830 or during non-working hours call Hall County Dispatch at 770-536-8812. Compiled from Hall County Government press release Transportation forum set for May 20 Residents can learn about area road projects at a vir tual transportation forum set for May 20. The event, taking place at 11 a.m. on the Zoom video conferencing app, will fea ture Georgia Transporta tion Commissioner Russell McMurry and Northeast Georgia District Engineer Kelvin Mullins. Registration is required online. For more infor mation, contact Madison Hopkins at 770-532-6206 or 678-971-6224, or at mhop- kins@ghcc.com. The event, being held by the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce, will replace the transportation forum held every March at the Uni versity of North Georgia’s Gainesville campus. At past forums, state and local road planners give updates on projects, includ ing costs and timelines. Jeff Gill Some county government departments to reopen for appointments only May 18 BY MEGAN REED mreed@gainesvilletimes.com Many departments will reopen at the Hall County Government Center Mon day, May 18, but community members will need to make an appointment. Twelve departments will be available to the pub lic beginning May 18 by appointment only: ■ Board of Commissioners ■ Building Inspections ■ Business License ■ Elections ■ Engineering ■ Environmental Health ■ Financial Services ■ Human Resources ■ Marshal’s Office ■ Planning & Development ■ Public Works ■ Tax Assessors To schedule an appoint ment to meet with one of the reopening departments, call 770-535-8288. Appointments will be available between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Appoint ments must be booked by 5 p.m. the day before. The Hall County Tax Commissioner’s Office, which handles vehicle reg istrations among other ser vices, will remain closed until further notice. Many services are available online at hallcountytax. org or over the phone at 770-531-6950. Glass storefronts will be installed in areas of the Hall County Government Center that receive frequent visi tors, and employees who frequently interact with the public will be required to wear masks. Visitors will be encouraged to wear masks and will be asked whether they have had contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 or if they have experienced symptoms. Employees will be working in shifts to minimize con tact, and only three people will be allowed in an eleva tor at one time. The Hall County Library System will be offering curbside service beginning May 18 at the Gainesville, Spout Springs, Blackshear Place, and Murrayville branches. Appointments and more information is available at hallcountyli- brary.org. The North Hall Technology Center branch will remain closed until the North Hall Community Center. Virtual programs are available on the library’s Facebook page. Book drops will reopen to accept returns on May 18. All returned materials will be quarantined for 72 hours. The Hall County Farm ers Market will open Tues day, May 19. Only every other booth space will be occupied, restrooms will be closed, no samples will be allowed and shoppers will not be able to use their own bags. Community centers at county parks have a tenta tive reopening date of June 1, although they will offer limited programming. Court to resume processing gun licenses BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com With Probate Court resum ing processing of weapons carry license applications on Thursday, Judge Patty Laine said certain processes will be changed amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “We try to answer every phone call that comes in to our office, but literally it has rung off the hook since the virus started,” she said. Beginning 8 a.m. Thurs day, May 14, the court will resume processing new and renewal applications while limiting the number of peo ple in the courthouse. Applicants are asked to print and complete the check list before arriving at the fifth level of the Hall County Court house parking deck. “There will be information there and an employee of the court will be able to assist you with reserving your spot in line and ensuring you are ready to proceed. We will ask that you remain in your vehicle for your safety and the safety of others,” accord ing to the new Probate Court guidelines. Applicants are asked to have their completed check list and government-issued photo ID with them. Chief Superior Court Judge Kathlene Gosselin signed an amended security order May 4 allowing Hall County Sheriffs Office depu ties to screen those entering the courthouse with an infra red thermometer and ask questions related to COVID- 19 symptoms. Those enter ing the courthouse are also required to wear a mask cov ering the nose and mouth. Any weapons carry licenses that expired between Feb. 13 and June 12 is allowed up to 120 days after the printed expiration date to renew. Laine said there are 498 applications “that are sitting online, waiting for the person to come in, sign their paperwork and answer their questions.” “When we open up, our lobby will look differ ent. We won’t have chairs that are all sitting side by side,” Laine said. Offering ROADS ■ Continued from 1A “This is the MPO’s largest planning document that we do,” transportation planning director Joseph Boyd said Tuesday. The MPO is the Hall County area’s lead transpor tation planning agency. Projects include new roads, road extensions, road widenings and intersection improvements in the agen cy’s planning area, which also includes part of Jackson County. They are divided into time frames, with nearly $400 mil lion in projects slated before 2025. One of the biggest projects in that time frame is the widening of Interstate 985 from four to six lanes between Interstate 85 in Gwinnett County to Mundy Mill Road in Oakwood. The MPO is required to update its project list every five years. The project list can be found on the agency’s website, ghmpo.org. Boyd said that revenue “impacts on projects if state funding projections decline due to the economic slow down ... is a wait-and-see game right now.” Motor fuel taxes people pay at the pump help pay for road projects. The COVID-19 pandemic and April shelter- in-place order have kept peo ple off the roads and fueling up less. Also, demand for oil has collapsed so much due to the pandemic that facilities for storing crude are nearly full. The Associated Press contributed to this report. 2020-25 major projects These are estimated construction costs only: ■ Widening 1-985 from Interstate 85 to Mundy Mill Road: $80.8 million ■ Widening Cleveland Highway/U.S. 129 from Limestone Parkway to south of Nopone Road, three phases: $76 million ■ Widening Spout Springs Road from Union Circle to Thompson Mill Road: $33.6 million ■ New bridges on Price Road/Ga. 136 over Chestatee River, Elachee Road over Interstate 985, Poplar Springs Road over Walnut Creek, Dawsonville Highway/Ga. 53 westbound over the Chattahoochee River: $32 million ■ Sardis Road Connector between Sardis Road and Thompson Bridge Road: $31 million ■ Roundabouts on Green Street at Thompson Bridge Road/Morningside Drive and E.E. Butler Parkway/Academy Street: $2.7 million Source: Gainesville-Hall Metropolitan Planning Organization TESTING ■ Continued from 1A testing anybody that feels like getting tested,” she said. Testing will be adminis tered to those in a drive-thru lane as well as in-person. Though the task force has targeted the Latino com munity, Hernandez stressed that all are welcome. “Atlanta Highway is the heart of the Latino commu nity,” she said. Hernandez said 15 busi nesses have signed on so far to the “no mask, no ser vice” policy, which has been pushed by the task force. Free testing What: COVID-19 testing When: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, May 15 Where: La Flor de Jalisco, 425 Atlanta Highway Cost: Free People can call to register at 770-531 -5600 from 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. CHANGE OF MEETING INFORMATION HALL COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION REGULAR MEETING MAY 18, 2020 IN ACCORDANCE WITH CDC BEST PRACTICES FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING, THE MAY 18, 2020 BUSINESS MEETING OF THE HALL COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION WILL BE LIVE STREAMED WITH CITIZENS INPUT VIA EMAIL.THE LIVE STREAM LINK WILL BE https://www.youtube.com/HallCountySchools. CITIZENS WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD MAY SUBMIT COMMENTS VIA EMAIL AT HCSDBOEMEET.May182020@hallco.org THE MEETING WILL START AT 5:00 P.M. AS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED. MEMBER 1575 DAHLONEGA HWY. • CUM MING, GA 30040 (678) 771-5372 • WWW.HOPEWELL-ROOFING.COM
