March 16 Update

There are a significant number of updates for March 16, which is part of the reason the daily update is coming at the end of the day. We hope to provide it earlier in the future.

Mayor & Commission Approves Voluntary Shelter in Place Policy & Prohibition on Gatherings of 10 or More People in Restaurants, Bars, Entertainment Establishments or ACCGov facilities or on Public Property

The Mayor and Commission held an Emergency Special Called Meeting Pursuant to OCGA 50-14-1(d)(3) on Monday, March 16 at 5:00 p.m. 

The purpose of the meeting was to consider adoption of an amendment to Chapter 3-4 of the Code of Ordinances of the Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County with respect to Emergency Management; adoption of a Declaration of a Local Emergency; and any other item in proper order.

In summary, the Mayor and Commission passed an ordinance with two key provisions, among others:

1. A voluntary shelter in place policy requesting that individuals not loiter, wander, stroll, or play in any public place within the territorial limits of Athens-Clarke County (with some exceptions) beginning at 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17 and concluding at 5:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 7 unless otherwise extended.
2. A prohibition on all public assemblages, events, and gatherings within the territorial limits of the Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County, Georgia of ten (10) or more people, not including employees, in restaurants, bars, and/or entertainment establishments or in facilities owned by the Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County, Georgia or on public property. This begins at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17, 2020, and concludes at 5:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 7, 2020, unless otherwise extended.

• Read the full ordinance

ACCGov Reduced Services for Two Weeks

Additional COVID-19 Case in Athens-Clarke County

The Georgia Department of Public Health has confirmed a total of three positive cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Athens-Clarke County as of noon on Monday, March 16.

The best prevention measures are:

• Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds, especially after touching any frequently used item or surface. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your face.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Work or engage in schooling from home when possible.
• Avoid social gatherings in groups of 10 or more people.
• Avoid eating or drinking at bars, restaurants or food courts - use drive-through, pickup or delivery options.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash, or the inside of your elbow.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Be sure to call before going to a doctor’s office, emergency room, or urgent care center and tell them about your recent travel and your symptoms.

For updated information on COVID-19, visit dph.georgia.gov/novelcoronavirus or https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.

ACCGov Service Updates Since Sunday, March 15 at 1:00 p.m.

Here are some updates since the most recent email on Sunday, March 15. There will be additional changes to services in the coming days and weeks (see www.accgov.com/coronavirus for the full list and updates), 

As of Monday, March 16 at 11:45 p.m.:

• On Saturday, March 14, Chief Justice Harold D. Melton of the Georgia Supreme Court declared a statewide judicial emergency for the next 30 days. In order to help minimize exposure and contacts, the courts in Athens-Clarke County and the Western Judicial Circuit will scale back court-related operations through April 13. 
• Clerk of Court for State & Superior Courts
  • Offices will remain open unless Athens-Clarke County is closed for non-essential personnel. Staffing may be limited. Online service is available for a number of items.
  • Real estate deeds, liens or plats may be filed online through https://efile.gsccca.org.
  • Real estate records back to 1988 may be viewed and printed at www.gsccca.org.
  • Civil cases can be e-filed through PeachCourt at https://PeachCourt.com.
  • Civil and criminal dockets are available for viewing and printing at www.athensclarkeclerkofcourt.com. 
  • To contact the clerk of Court for State & Superior Court, call 706-613-3190.
• Juvenile Court
  • Some dependency hearings are cancelled, but not trials with specific time limits. Contact the court with questions about specific cases.  
  • Children will not be transported unless specifically ordered.
  • No children will be admitted to a Regional Youth Detention Center without judicial approval.
  • Delinquency matters may be continued with consent of all parties.
  • Appearances for dependency adjudications and dispositions will be waived if consented to by all parties.
  • Foster parents, Court Appointed Special Advocates and Guardians Ad Litem may file written reports and be excused from attendance.
  • To contact the Juvenile Court, call 706-613-3300. To contact the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), call 706-369-5610. To contact Department of Family & Children Services (DFCS), call 706-227-7021.
• Magistrate Court
  • Hearings involving incarcerated individuals at the Athens-Clarke County Jail will be held as scheduled or rescheduled within a short time.
  • All other criminal hearing and all civil hearing will be rescheduled to a hearing date on or after April 26, 2020. New hearing notices will go out in the mail this week for these pending cases.
  • Judges will continue to issue search warrants, arrest warrants, and hold hearings for release of inmates on bail as soon as possible.
  • Weddings that have already been scheduled on Mondays and Wednesdays may have some guest limitations. Please contact Magistrate Court.
  • To contact the Magistrate Court, call the Clerk at 706-613-3310 ext. 5.
• Municipal Court
  • Arraignments (Criminal, Traffic and Ordinance) from March 16 - April 13 will be cancelled.
  • Suspended sentence calendars set for 2:00 p.m. on March 16, March 23, March 30, April 6 and April 13 are cancelled.
  • The Traffic Violators Impact Program set for March 17 is cancelled.
  • Red light camera and school bus camera cases set for March 18 are cancelled.
  • The Animal Welfare Class set for March 19 is cancelled.
  • The Bike & Bus Class set for March 20 is cancelled.
  • Ordinance and parking trials set for March 24 are cancelled.
  • Individuals who have a court date during the affected time period should contact Municipal Court to reschedule.
  • To contact the Municipal Court, please visit www.accgov.com/municipalcourt to reschedule through the online form or send an email to municipalcourt@accgov.com. Your email should include your full name, your complete mailing address, and a telephone number for receipt of text messages. You should receive an email response within a week or 10 days with information about your new court date. You may also call Municipal Court at 706-613-3690, but email communication is preferred.
• Probate Court
  • New or renewal Weapons Carry License applications will not be processed during the judicial emergency. If your license expires during the emergency period, it will remain valid during the judicial emergency, which expires April 13, 2020 under the Chief Justice’s current order. If the judicial emergency order is extended, we will post the new date the emergency period ends. Licensees will have 30 days after the date the judicial emergency ends to apply for a renewal license.
  • All hearings and trials except those involving liberty or safety concerns will be postponed for at least the next 30 days.
  • Mental health commitment hearings will continue as needed.
  • To contact the Probate Court, call 706-613-3320.
• State Court
  • Juries and jury trials are cancelled. 
  • All matters not involving incarcerated individuals will be rescheduled or continued.
  • Release hearings for incarcerated individuals will be expedited.
  • Parties may request that non-essential matters be conducted via video or teleconferencing.
  • Criminal court search warrants, arrest warrants, initial appearances, and bond reviews will continue as needed.
  • To contact the State Court, call 706-613-3200.
• Superior Court
  • Juries and jury trials are cancelled. 
  • Grand Jury is cancelled.
  • All matters not involving incarcerated individuals will be rescheduled or continued.
  • Release hearings for incarcerated individuals will be expedited.
  • Parties may request that non-essential matters be conducted via video or teleconferencing.
  • Criminal court search warrants, arrest warrants, initial appearances, and bond reviews will continue as needed.
  • Domestic abuse temporary protective orders and restraining orders will continue as needed.
  • To contact the Superior Court, call 706-613-3190.
• Weddings
  • For parties seeking to get married at the Courthouse by a judge, the parties must contact the appropriate court. The number of attendees may be limited or the location moved to accommodate appropriate distance.

• All Leisure Services buildings are closed.
• Park grounds and trails remain open.
• Bear Hollow Zoo is closed.
• Sandy Creek Park is open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Park entrance fees are waived at this time.

• Due to concerns with social distancing, residents will be able to watch the March 17 Special Called Session & Agenda Setting Session online via YouTube at www.youtube.com/accgov or the YouTube app, via www.accgov.com/videos, via Facebook at www.facebook.com/accgov, or on ACTV Cable Channel 180. Comments will need to be submitted online through the Comment Form at www.accgov.com/agendas or written out outside the room and provided to the Mayor and Commission to be read into the record instead of given at the podium.

• The Water Business Office will close for in-person transactions until further notice. If you need to have water service turned on or off, please call 706-613-3481 and press "0" to speak to an operator. If you need to pay your water bill, there are several options available: mail, online bank draft, or the dropbox located at 124 E. Hancock Ave.

• Central Communications Center will continue to receive and triage all calls for service.
• In cases involving life safety or where other methods of reporting are either unavailable or not feasible, officers will continue to respond in-person. 
• Where appropriate, residents will be directed to utilize other forms of reporting as opposed to receiving in-person responses. Whenever possible, residents will be encouraged to utilize our online reporting portal to report an incident. In other instances, the resident will be directed to our Telephone Reporting Unit that will document the incident. 
• Residents should contact the Police by telephone before coming in to stations for routine police services. As much as possible, routine service requests will be handled online or by telephone.
• For a copy of a police report, call the Records Division at 706-613-3330, option 3.
• Open Records Requests can be made via police_orr@accgov.com or an online form at www.accgov.com/openrecords.
• For online reporting, visit www.accgov.com/accpdsubmitreport. 
• For non-emergency calls for service, Central Communications Center can be reached at 706-613-3330, option 2.
• Since the lobby will be closed, live scan fingerprinting for background checks will also be unavailable. If fingerprints are needed, visit https://www.aps.gemalto.com/ga/index.htm for locations that provide this service in the community.

• Downtown garbage and recycling collection will use collection dumpsters that have previously been used for large events and during the pilot project last May. The dumpsters will be emptied daily. All downtown residents and business owners should place all trash and recycling into the proper dumpsters (blue for trash and green for recycling). ACCGov garbage and recycling bags should still be used during this time. The dumpsters will be located in the following locations:
  • In front of Lay-Z-Shopper (on the Clayton St. sidewalk) 
  • In front of Allgood Lounge (in no-parking zone)
  • In front of Urban Outfitters (near cross walk)
  • In front of Clocked (at curb)
  • Between Boars Head & Wonderbar (alley off of Washington St.)
  • Between Horton’s and Georgia Theatre (Lumpkin St. no-parking zone)
  • Potential additional locations to be added to this list, if needed.
• The CHaRM will be closed to residential customers. Commercial customers can contact the CHaRM at 706-613-3501 ext. 4 or 706-296-7832 for a scheduled delivery time. Staff will be on-site to take commercial customers by appointment only. Staff will process material and clean the facility until normal services can resume. Residential customers should store CHaRM materials safely until regular services are able to resume. Contact the ACC Solid Waste Department for additional information at 706-613-3501.

• Youth 17 and under must have an adult riding with them on Transit.

Information Sources

The response to COVID-19 involves both rapid and extensive changes and also deliberate measures that take some time to consider.

Once official information is released from the Georgia Department of Public Health, the Northeast Georgia Health District, the State of Georgia government, or other local partners, we will report it on www.accgov.com/coronavirus and social media.

Additionally, this COVID-19 update newsletter will go out at least daily with new information primarily about the ACCGov response and plans. It may also include some local area information of note as space allows.