Monthly News and Events
January 2015
Events
Jan. 1: County offices closed for the New Year's holiday
Jan. 19: County offices closed for Martin Luther King holiday
  
  
Public Works
Jan. 1 and Jan. 19:Landfill and Recycling Center closed


Government

770-535-8288


Board of Commissioners

Work session: Jan. 5 and Jan. 20 at 3 p.m. in the 2nd floor Commission Meeting Room at the Hall County Government Center, 2875 Browns Bridge Road, Gainesville

Meeting: Jan. 8 and Jan. 22 at 6 p.m. in the 2nd floor Commission Meeting Room at the Hall County Government Center, 2875 Browns Bridge Road, Gainesville

  

Planning Commission

Jan. 5 and Jan. 20 at the Hall County Government Center, 2nd Floor Meeting Room, 2875 Browns Bridge Road, Gainesville at 5:15 p.m.

  

Board of Assessors

Jan. 7 and Jan. 21 at 4 p.m. in the HR training room on the 2nd floor of the Hall County Government Center located at 2875 Browns Bridge Road, Gainesville

 
Watch Board of Commissioners meetings on TV18 at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. the week following the meeting, or anytime at www.tv18online.org.

 

 

 

 

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See this month's budget update, a detailed look at department spending and county revenue.

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Hall Co. Administrator reflects on County's major accomplishments in 2014
Randy Knighton, 
Hall County Administrator 

 

Hall County Government is proud to have accomplished many things in 2014 through the leadership of the Hall County Board of Commissioners and the coordination of Hall County staff.  The following represents a sample of those achievements; however, it does not capture every success, including the many that were made by individual County departments and employees. 

 

-  The General Fund millage rate, which is the property tax rate that supports daily operations, was rolled back from 6.25 mills to 5.989 mills. 

-  Kubota Manufacturing of America announced that a new manufacturing facility will be built in the Gateway Industrial Centre off Georgia 365, representing a $100 million investment and creating 650 new jobs.

-  A new Hall County logo and slogan, created with the help of citizen input, were unveiled and implemented across County departments.

-  Contractors broke ground on Hall County's newest park, Cherokee Bluffs in Flowery Branch.

-  The Hall County Board of Commissioners voted to give County employees a 3 percent cost of living raise, which is a reflection of the County's strong financial status.

-  A promotional video, highlighting Hall County's natural landscape, rich agricultural and business community, educational opportunities, healthcare system and more, was released to the public and is prominently featured on the County's website and TV 18.

 Two new Hall County fire stations opened, improving the insurance rating and response times for a large number of citizens.

-  Sheriff Gerald Couch announced his plans to relocate the Sheriff's Office headquarters to the Hall County Government Center campus, furthering the goal of creating a one-stop shop for citizens.

 The Hall County Re-entry Accountability Courts Transition (REACT) program was launched in an effort to reduce recidivism rates.

 

Read the entire list of 2014 accomplishments by clicking here. 

 

Hall County launches redesigned website
 

Hall County has launched a redesigned website, which features a more modern, updated design and provides citizens with easier access to County information and services online.

"The new website is designed to be user-friendly for citizens," said Hall County Public Information Officer Katie Crumley. "It includes an intuitive navigational structure which categorizes County departments based on the services they offer. That means the user does not have to be familiar with the County's organizational structure in order to find what they are looking for."

Crumley said the new website includes a number of new features not offered on the old website. They include a "Notify Me" section that allows citizens to sign up to receive information as it becomes available on the website, such as job and bid openings, jury lists, road closures and much more. In addition, citizens will be able to report their concerns to County Staff online. Users will also have the ability to reserve Hall County Parks & Leisure facilities online and translate the website's content into as many as 80 different languages.

See the new website here. 
Veterans served through specialized treatment court in Hall County
  
Judge B.E. Roberts presides over Hall County State Court Veterans Court

Following conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Superior Court and State Court judges of the Northeastern Judicial Circuit, along with the Hall County Detention Center, began seeing an influx of combat veterans who are returning from deployment, struggling with issues such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and ending up in the criminal justice system. This niche of the criminal justice population requires specialized support and is eligible for services that are often difficult for veterans to navigate alone. Additionally, many struggle with homelessness and employment issues. 

 

As a result, Judge B.E. Roberts implemented State Court Veterans Court to assist the veterans whose primary issues are related to substance abuse in an effort to allow them to live healthy, productive lives and eliminate further involvement with the criminal justice system. By taking what is already working with the Circuit's other accountability court programs, further building partnerships within the community, and joining with the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Court team has an optimal opportunity to meet the needs of this deserving population through links to V.A. services, psychiatrists, medications, counseling sessions, employment resources, housing resources, transportation, and mentors through this specialized treatment court.

 

Judge Roberts took into State Court Veterans Court the first participants at the inaugural court session on Oct. 7. There are currently nine active participants, five of which were homeless upon program intake but all of which now have housing. The Veterans Court Team consists of Judge B.E. Roberts, Nikki Allemani (program coordinator), Stephanie Woodard and John Batchelor (Solicitor's Office), Grey Valpey (defense attorney), Trish Lewis and Richard Bosten (Probation Services), Stephen McGruder (mentor coordinator and Department of Labor), Stephen Sorrells (Avita Community Partners), and Thindwia Cabiness (Veterans Justice Outreach Specialist).


 

Hall Co. C.I. receives grant to combat substance abuse
walt davis
Hall County C.I. Warden Walt Davis

  

The Hall County Correctional Institution has been named as a recipient of an Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant by the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. The $50,000 grant will be used to implement a Residential Substance Abuse Program (RSAT) to provide participants in the Re-entry Accountability Court Transition (REACT) Program with intensive substance abuse treatment. The RSAT program has been used effectively in the state prison system for several years. Hall County C.I. will be the first county correctional institution in the state to offer the program. Read more here


Reminder: business license renewal grace period only 30 days 

 

As a reminder, Hall County business owners now only have a 30-day grace period to renew their business licenses without incurring a penalty. Business license renewal fees are due every year on Jan. 1.   

In the past, license holders did not incur a late fee until after a 90-day grace period, however, that was changed to a 30-day grace period via a vote by the Hall County Board of Commissioners in the fall of 2014.  As a result, anything received or postmarked after Feb. 1 will be subject to late fees.  Anyone with additional questions is encouraged to contact the Hall County Business License Office at 770-531-6815.

 

TV 18: Hall County Juvenile Court


 

Hall County Connection - Hall County Juvenile Court - January 2015
Hall County Connection - Hall County Juvenile Court - January 2015

 

The Hall County Juvenile Court System is undergoing a number of changes as its senior judge retires and two new judges take the bench, increasing the court's total number of judges to three.  On this month's episode of Hall County Connection, find out about the overall mission of juvenile court, how it is supported by local nonprofit organizations and how it has developed its own successful treatment court program.  You can also learn about what makes juvenile probation unique and why there is such a desperate need for foster care in Hall County.  

 

Watch the entire Hall County Connection episode by clicking here or on the video link above.

Animal Shelter puppies provide stress relief to Brenau students

animal shelter logo   
The Hall County Animal Shelter teamed up with Brenau University to provide some stress relief to students during finals week.

Cindy Langman, program coordinator for the Hall County Animal Shelter, brought puppies from the shelter to campus in mid-December to give the students a quick pick-me-up.

''Taking the puppies to campus serves as a stress reliever for the students, and it gives the puppies a chance to socialize,'' she said.

Langman said she's also hopeful the interaction will encourage students to volunteer at the shelter, located at 1688 Barber Road in Gainesville.  
 

 

Hall County 911 staff participates in secret Santa project
Hall County 911 Director Gail Lane receives a check from All Tune and Lube Total Car Care in Gainesville, who helped fund the project.

The staff of Hall County 911 Communications is used to acting as the unsung hero in emergency situations, but this year, they also played the part of Santa Claus for four local families in need.

According the 911 Director Gail Lane, the 911 Center staff raised nearly $1,000 to go toward their first annual Secret Santa Project.

Read more here.
  
Hall Co. Accountability Court participants celebrate Christmas
  

Friends of Recovery is a local nonprofit organization that assists participants of the Northeastern Judicial Circuit's accountability courts. A meaningful alternative to incarceration, these programs exist to provide treatment and stabilizing intervention to people caught in the revolving door of the criminal justice system due to substance abuse or untreated mental illness. The cost of this type of intervention is far less than incarceration and not only removes the fiscal burden from taxpayers, it allows participants to become productive, tax-paying members of society, restores families, and repairs the lives of hurt individuals.

 

Each year, Friends of Recovery provides a Christmas party for the accountability court program participants and their families. This undertaking is accomplished through the very generous donations of local businesses and individuals who recognize this opportunity to teach recovering individuals and their families how to spend healthy, sober time together.

 

On Tuesday, Dec. 2 at First Baptist Church's Banquet Hall, approximately 550 adults and 150 children were treated to dinner (served by the judges and treatment teams), musical entertainment, door prizes, photos with Santa, and gifts for the children. Thank you to Friends of Recovery for helping make the holiday season very special for the participants and for your interest in putting recovery within reach for citizens in need!


  
Hall Co. Parks & Leisure Services employees ring Salvation Army bell
  

Hall County Parks & Leisure Services employees participated in the Salvation Army's Red Kettle Campaign again this past Christmas. Parks & Leisure representatives have been participating in the annual campaign for more than 15 years and will be volunteering again next year, which will mark the 125th anniversary of the Salvation Army's holiday initiative. (Pictured right is Officer Derrick Beeson, Hall County Parks & Leisure staff member, ringing the bell during his shift on Dec. 8.)
 

News from the Hall Co. Sheriff's Office

 

Sheriff Couch applauds the A.D.V.A.N.C.E. graduates at Sugar Hill Elementary School.

- Fifth grade students participating in the Hall County's Sheriff's Office's A.D.V.A.N.C.E. (Avoiding Drugs, Violence, and Negative Choices Early) program graduated in December. The ADVANCE Unit offers proactive strategies to enhance protective factors for fifth graders who are actively engaged in the program each year. Sheriff Gerald Couch dedicates five deputies to facilitate the A.D.V.A.N.C.E. program to fifth graders at 20 elementary schools in Hall County. The 10-week A.D.V.A.N.C.E. program has been used as a template for the Georgia Sheriff's Association C.H.A.M.P.S. education model. Strategies include emphasis on development of social competence, conflict resolution, and positive alternatives to drugs,violence, cyber-bullying, and gangs. In addition, informational lessons on personal safety, stranger-danger, internet safety, and water safety are facilitated through the fifth-grade curriculum.

 

 

Capt. Stephen Wilbanks loads a bicycle into an awaiting truck to be transported to CASA/Edmonson-Telford Center.

- Sheriff Couch and members of his staff participated in the "Scrooge Christmas Toy and Food Drive" at the Village of Deaton Creek on Dec. 18.  The Sheriff's Office representatives collected toys gathered by residents and delivered them to CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and the Edmonson-Telford Center for Children in Gainesville. Both non-profit organizations provide comprehensive victim services to abused and neglected children in Hall and Dawson counties.


 

Hall County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Greg Cochran took on the challenge of breaking the previous world record he set in 2010 to benefit the children of the Georgia Sheriffs' Youth Homes. A crowd gathered at Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse of Gainesville last month to witness Sgt. Cochran's 205 tire flips in one hour,  a new world record for the 555 pound tire. 

Sgt. Greg Cochran flips a 555 pound tire at Lowe's in Gainesville.
Bring One for the Chipper is underway
  xmas-tree-icon.gif

Hall County is participating in the "Bring One for the Chipper" event again this year. Hall County's 12 compactor sites and the Hall County Recycling Center on Chestnut Street will be receiving undecorated Christmas trees through Jan. 31. The trees will then be mulched, keeping them out of the Hall County Landfill.

City of Gainesville residents can leave their trees curbside for pick-up. The city of Flowery Branch will collect trees by the caboose on Railroad Avenue through Jan. 9, and Oakwood residents can drop their trees at the corner of Allen and Railroad streets through Jan. 10.

Mulch generated from the trees will be available at the Hall County Recycling Center free of charge Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., weather permitting, beginning Jan. 5 while supplies last. Citizens can also pick up seedlings at the County's compactor sites while supplies last.

Officials ask that all trees be undecorated before drop off. Artificial trees will not be accepted.


Our mission

The mission of Hall County Government is to promote, encourage and develop a strong, viable community and ensure that all citizens share in prosperity by providing efficient, accessible and responsible public service.