Next Community Conversation on Wed., May 20 at 6:00 p.m. on Housing, Food & Sanitation Supports

Join Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz each week on Wednesday evenings at 6:00 p.m. as he virtually discusses local COVID-19 responses with local staff and community members.

The fifth conversation takes place on Wednesday, May 20 at 6:00 p.m. with:

Mayor Kelly Girtz
District 5 Commissioner Tim Denson
ACCGov Housing & Community Development Department Director Hayley Banerjee
Advantage Behavioral Health Services Street Outreach Coordinator Michael Bien

The first part of the conversation will be a discussion, while the second part will be a Q&A session in which Mayor Girtz will ask and answer questions with his guests related to that week's topic.

This week's conversation will be broadcast and stream live at 6:00 p.m. on:

YouTube (www.youtube.com/accgov);
the YouTube app on mobile devices or TV systems by searching for 'accgov';
Facebook (www.facebook.com/accgov);
the ACCGov website (www.accgov.com/videos or www.accgov.com/actvlive);
ACTV cable channel 180

Coronavirus COVID-19 Update: Mayor & Commission

FY21 Mayor's Recommended Budget

The Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) Mayor’s Recommended Budget for July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021 for ACCGov has been submitted to the Commission for review.

The budget has a number of proposed initiatives that are related to responses to the coronavirus pandemic situation.

The budget is balanced and includes a General Fund Operating and Capital Budget that totals $140.1 million for FY21, which is $52,000 below the current FY20 approved budget.

Additional specific information on the budget, including the full FY21 Mayor’s Recommended Budget and a summary document, is available at www.accgov.com/budget.

Public comment on the FY21 Budget will be accepted online through www.accgov.com/agendas. Public comment for the three Taxpayer Bill of Rights public hearings that are part of the process will also be accepted at City Hall through a virtual public comment setup in the Commission Chamber with measures in place, even if the meeting itself is remote.

A series of budget-related meetings will take place:

Thursday, May 21 - 5:30 p.m. - Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights public hearing #1 (City Hall, Commission Chamber at 301 College Avenue) followed by Mayor & Commission budget review (held remotely)
Thursday, May 28 - 5:30 p.m. - Mayor & Commission budget review (held remotely) - no public comment
Tuesday, June 2 – 6:00 p.m. – Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights Public Hearing #2 and FY21 Budget public hearing Meeting (City Hall, Commission Chamber at 301 College Avenue) followed by the Mayor & Commission Regular Voting (held remotely)
Wednesday, June 3 - 5:30 p.m. - Mayor & Commission budget review (held remotely) - no public comment
Thursday, June 11 (if needed) – 5:30 p.m. Mayor & Commission budget review (held remotely) - no public comment
Tuesday, June 16 – 6:00 p.m. – Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights public hearing #3 followed by the Mayor & Commission Special Called Meeting (City Hall, Commission Chamber at 301 College Avenue) to adopt FY21 Budget and 2020 millage rate (held remotely)

Due to continued uncertainty over coronavirus COVID-19, the Mayor and Commission is currently scheduled to meet remotely for these meetings, although the location is subject to change. However, public comment will be available at the physical locations for some of the meetings due to legal requirements even if virtual meetings are conducted. Visit www.accgov.com/clerkofcommission or call 706-613-3031 for more information.

The FY21 Mayor’s Recommended Budget can be reviewed on Athens-Clarke County’s Web site at www.accgov.com/budget. A budget summary section is available as part of the overall budget document.

200 Positive Cases Confirmed in Athens-Clarke County, 13 Deaths

The state Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) case tracker (https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-19-daily-status-report) confirms 200 positive cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Athens-Clarke County with 13 deaths as of 7:00 p.m. on May 19.

The Daily Status Report is updated three times a day at 9:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. This change will enable more consistent reporting while still providing timely and actionable data.

The case tracker has recently been updated to a new format and provides additional county-level information, including the number of cases per 100,000 people (154.1 for Athens-Clarke County).

If you view the data, however, please be sure to check the area showing the definitions of the information presented. Some have different meanings than what you may expect.

The 13 deaths range in age from 60-98. Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes are at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 and should always consult their healthcare provider if they are sick.

Backyard cookout with friends? Not right now.

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 most days with new information primarily about the ACCGov response and plans. It may also include some local area information of note as space allows.