Several Hall County facilities will reopen next week in the next phase of Hall County Government’s reopening plan.
Beginning June 1, Hall County’s three community centers will reopen their walking track and fitness centers with some guidelines in place. On June 2, the Hall County Animal Shelter will be opening their facility to the public for appointment only. The Hall County Extension Office is also open to the public by appointment only.
"This is the next step in the County’s controlled reopening plan, which has been designed to protect both Hall County employees and the public as we seek to maintain social distancing guidelines as set forth by the Centers for Disease Control, state officials and the White House," said Zach Propes, assistant Hall County Administrator.
The animal shelter, extension office, as well as the North Hall, East Hall and Mulberry Creek community centers, are in the second wave of County facilities to ease restrictions after being closed due to the nationwide health crisis. A number of departments within the Hall County Government Center reopened May 18 for appointments only. The Hall County Farmers Market also reopened with new health and safety measures in place.
"We have had an opportunity to evaluate and refine how we serve citizens during this unprecedented time, and we feel confident that we can expand our services to the public in a safe and thoughtful way," said Propes.
The Hall County Animal Shelter has been facilitating online adoptions for more than a month with appointments available Mondays through Thursdays. The shelter will now extend appointment availability to Tuesdays through Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Photos and information about each shelter pet will continue to be available online, which is also where the public can find adoption application forms.
Once an applicant submits their form, they will be allowed to schedule an appointment to see one animal. Appointments may be made by contacting Adoption Supervisor Trey Garcia at 678-450-1587 or tgarcia@hallcounty.org. Members of the public not interested in adoptions may also schedule appointments at the animal shelter using the same contact information listed above.
At Hall County’s community centers, all indoor walking tracks will reopen-- as will the fitness centers but with some new guidelines in place.
"The fitness centers will be available for use in 1-hour increments for 6-8 people at a time by appointment only between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.," Hall County Community Services and Parks Director Mike Little said. "Citizens are asked to call the community center and book an appointment with staff."
Phone numbers for each community center are listed below:
- East Hall Community Center: (678) 450-1540
- Mulberry Creek Community Center: (770) 965-7140
- North Hall Community Center: (770) 535-8280
In addition, the fitness center equipment will be disinfected each hour after each session. Community center restrooms will also be cleaned and disinfected routinely.
"The community centers will not be open on Saturdays with the exception of May 30, when both the North Hall and East Hall community center will be open for early voting only," said Little.
The North Hall Technology Center will also be offering curbside library service beginning June 1, joining all other Hall County library branches. Virtual programs, including story times, continue via the library’s Facebook page. More information is available at www.hallcountylibrary.org.
Additionally, the Hall County Extension Office is open to the public for appointments only between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Anyone wishing to schedule an appointment can call one of the following people/numbers:
- Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent, Garrett Hibbs, (770) 535-8293
- Family and Consumer Sciences, Carin Booth, (770) 535-8293
- 4-H and Youth Development, Judy Tilford, (770) 535-8291
"Staff will re-evaluate this mode of operation in mid-June in order to determine when and how to further reopen County facilities as well as park playgrounds, pavilions and public restrooms," Propes said. "We want to continue to encourage the public to adhere to social distancing guidelines and other health and safety measures as we slowly resume some sense of normalcy here in Hall County."
Meanwhile, citizens are still encouraged to conduct County business on Hall County’s website, www.hallcounty.org, if at all possible. Online motor vehicle services, including vehicle registration renewals, the payment of insurance fines, etc. are all available via the "Online Payments" button on the website. That’s also where citizens can pay their property tax, renew their business license, and more.
The County’s website can also be used to print an absentee ballot application or file property tax exemptions. Taxpayers should note that the deadline for filing a Homestead and Freeport Exemption has been extended to June 15.
The homepage of the website also includes a "Departments" heading where citizens can find links to individual County departments’ contact information in order to contact a department specifically and determine whether or not their Hall County business can be conducted without an in-person visit.
Finally, a number of proactive steps Hall County has taken to date in regards to the coronavirus pandemic, along with a number of other helpful resources on this issue, can be found at ready.hallcounty.org.