Monthly News and Events
August 2015
Events

Fire Services
Aug. 5: Officer pinning ceremony at the Hall County Government Center at 9 a.m.
Aug. 14- 15: Hall County Firefighter Combat Challenge at Stonebridge Village in Flowery Branch (see story/flyer to the right)

Parks & Leisure
Aug. 29: Laurel Summer Fest at Laurel Park; Cost: $10 per person, kids 12 and under are free; event to include live music, fireworks, kids games/activities, arts and crafts vendors, BBQ competition and more!

**Find more Hall County Parks & Leisure events and activities here. 

Tax Commissioner
Aug. 19: Ribbon cutting for new tax kiosk at North Hall Community Center at 2 p.m.

Government


 
Board of Commissioners

Work session: Aug. 10 and Aug. 24 at 3 p.m. in the 2nd floor Commission Meeting Room at the Hall County Government Center, 2875 Browns Bridge Road, Gainesville

Meeting: Aug. 13 and Aug. 27 at 6 p.m. in the 2nd floor Commission Meeting Room at the Hall County Government Center, 2875 Browns Bridge Road, Gainesville

  

Planning Commission

Aug. 17 at the Hall County Government Center, 2nd Floor Meeting Room, 2875 Browns Bridge Road, Gainesville at 5:15 p.m.

  

Board of Assessors

Aug. 5 and Aug. 19 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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Join us for fireworks, music and BBQ at Laurel Summer Fest Aug. 29!

 

Enjoy live music, delicious barbecue and a fireworks celebration during Laurel Summer Fest, Saturday, Aug. 29 at Laurel Park! 

The annual event will feature a number of local musical acts, including Fly Betty Band. There will be plenty of barbeque during the Hawgin' on Lanier KCBS BBQ Competition going on all weekend long. Plus, there will be craft and food vendors, games and activities for kids and much, much more! The cost of admittance is $10, and kids 12 and under get in for free.

In addition, a number of local public safety departments will be cooking alongside the KCBS competitors in their own public safety cook-off.  Teams from Hall County Fire Services, the Hall County Sheriff's Office, the Gainesville Fire Department and the Gainesville Police Department will be among those participating. 

Proceeds from the event benefit Hall County Parks & Leisure's scholarship programs and the Gainesville Jaycees' Gut Check program and Empty Stocking Fund. 

More information can be found on the Laurel Summer Fest Facebook page or at gainesvillejaycees.org.  

Hall Co. to host Firefighter Combat Challenge Aug. 14-15

Hall County Fire Services will host firefighters from across the country as they compete in the Scott's Firefighter Combat Challenge.

 

The challenge is an exciting competitive event in which firefighters simulate the physical demands of real-life firefighting. 

 

The events will take place on Friday, Aug. 14 beginning at 5 p.m. and Saturday, Aug. 15 starting at 10 a.m.  The competition, which is open to the public, will be held at Stonebridge Village, located at 5855 Spout Springs Road in Flowery Branch.

 

Proceeds from the challenge will benefit the Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation.  More information can be found at www.firefighterchallenge.com.   Anyone seeking sponsorship information is asked to email [email protected]

 
Read more here.

 

Hall County Drug Court graduates largest class in program's history

 

Sixteen people graduated from Hall County Drug Court on Aug. 24, the largest number of graduates since the program's inception.

 

As the first accountability court program in Hall County, Drug Court began in February 2001 to provide early intervention to those with substance abuse issues.

 

"Our goal is to provide the necessary structure and treatment to address these issues so our graduates can lead productive and meaningful lives," said Debbie Mott, director of Hall County Treatment Services. Read more here.

 

GHMPO adopts new transportation plan, new website debuts

The Gainesville-Hall Metropolitan Planning Organization (GHMPO) is the intergovernmental transportation planning body for Hall County and its municipalities along with a portion of western Jackson County. GHMPO recently adopted the 2040 Regional Transportation Plan, which includes approximately $1.5 billion in transportation infrastructure investments in the region over the next 25 years. The projects are broken down into three tiers and are made up of the following:
  • 22 roadway widenings
  • 6 intersection improvements
  • 5 bridges
  • 3 roadway operation projects
  • 2 new freeway interchanges
  • Bicycle and pedestrian projects
  • Transit projects

 

Other planning activities and relevant documents can be found on the new and enhanced GHMPO website: www.ghmpo.org.  

 

 

Ribbon cutting for new tax kiosk set for Aug. 19

The ribbon cutting for the new tax kiosk at North Hall Community Center has been set for 2 p.m. on Aug. 19. The kiosk allows customers in the northern end of Hall County to complete their motor vehicle transactions quickly and securly without traveling to the Hall County Government Center on Browns Bridge Road.  The machine will process up to 10 renewals for $3. To find out more about the kiosk, click here

Hall Co. Animal Shelter's 'Adopt-a-Can' bin makes its debut

 

 

A new member of Hall County Resource Recovery's "Adopt-a-Can" program made its debut last month.  The Hall County Animal Shelter is the newest participant in the program, which allows groups to "adopt" roll-off recycling receptacles and paint them in order to increase awareness about recycling in the Hall County community.

 

"This was a wonderful opportunity for the Animal Shelter to promote its new branding while encouraging  the community to do two things: adopt a shelter pet and recycle," said Hall County Animal Shelter Coordinator Cindy Langman. 

 

Langman, along with Gainesville's Main Street Manager Regina Mansfield and Susan Allen with the Shelter Advisory Board, spent the better part of a week painting the bin, which was first moved to the Flowery Branch compactor site, located at 4395 Falcon Parkway in Flowery Branch.  The bin is expected to rotate between all of the compactor sites in the county. 

 

Read more here.

News from the Hall Co. Sheriff's Office

Construction of HCSO headquarters continues 

Construction continues on the new headquarters for the Hall County Sheriff's Office (pictured right).  The build is on schedule, and the new facility, to be located on the same campus as the Hall County Government Center (2875 Browns Bridge Road in Gainesville), is set to open in February or March of 2016.

 


Helmets fitted at YMCA's Back to School Bash

The Hall County Sheriff's Office teamed up with Safe Kids Gainesville-Hall County, Hall County Fire Services and others to provide approximately 750 families in attendance with 200 bicycle and school supplies last month.  The event was hosted at the J.A. Walters Family YMCA.
 


Sheriff Couch honored at school resource officer conference 
Schofield and Couch (pictured l-r)

The National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) hosted its annual NASRO National Conference in Orlando in July. During the conference, Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch and Hall County School Superintendent Will Schofield were presented with the Regional Exceptional Service Award.


 

Regional Exceptional Service Awards are presented to individuals for their continuous and sustained service to the schools community and efforts that go above and beyond the normal school staff member or School Resource Officer.

TV 18: Hall Co. Fire Services hosts 
Camp Lifesavers

 

Hall County Connection - Camp Lifesavers - August 2015
Hall County Connection - Camp Lifesavers

 

What if children in the Hall County community had an opportunity to spend an entire day learning about safety?  Well, that's exactly what they get at Camp Lifesavers, a fun, interactive one-day safety experience for kids, ages six to 11.  Hall County Fire Services sponsors the annual event, which was held this year at the North Hall and Mulberry Creek community centers. 

 

Watch this month's Hall County Connection episode by clicking  here or on the image above.

Former Hall Co. Animal Shelter pet helps USDA

Ryder

A Hall County Animal Shelter pet is now working with the federal government to make sure the foods you eat are safe.

 

The Animal Shelter received a letter of appreciation from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) on July 24, thanking them for their care of Ryder, the canine that now serves as a USDA agriculture detector dog. 

 

"Due to the continued support of animal rescues like Hall County Animal Control & Enforcement, the USDA agriculture detector dog training programs have been able to utilize displaced canines to detect agricultural pests," wrote Michael Smith, director of the National Detector Dog Training Center.  Read more here. 

 

Vehicle registration/renewal fees may be affected by Transportation Funding Act

Alternative Fuel Vehicles are now defined as vehicles fueled solely by electricity, natural gas, propane, bi-fuel or dual fuel, including flex vehicles (such as E-85) and plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles.  The term alternative fuel vehicle does not include hybrid-electric vehicles that are not plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles.  Vehicles meeting the definition of alternative fuel vehicles are eligible for an alternative fuel vehicle license plate but may opt for another type of plate instead.  

In addition, all vehicles over 15,500 pounds (excluding IRP registered vehicles) will be subject to highway impact fees.  Fore more information, please click on the following link: Transportation Funding Act Flyer
 
Reminder: Business License fees have changed 

As a reminder, the Hall County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on June 25 to change the fee structure for Occupational Taxes (Business License fees).  The revision will decrease the number of licensing fee categories from 18 to six and will allow for a more fair fee to be imposed on the business owner.  The new fee schedules will bring the tax to a precise amount per person working in the business.  

Also passed was an approximate 10 percent increase in licensing fees.  Occupational tax rates have not changed since 2004, and prior to that had not changed for 10 years.  This new fee schedule will put Hall County in line with adjoining counties and other counties similar in size. 

The new fees will go into effect for the 2016 licensing year, with 2016 renewal invoices mailed out the last week in November each year, and payments due by Jan. 1 for the license to remain valid.  

For additional information, please contact the Hall County Business License Department at 770-531-6815.

 


 

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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.