Coronavirus: Alpharetta, Milton Adopt Emergency Ordinance

ALPHARETTA/MILTON, GA — The Alpharetta City Council adopted an Emergency Operations Ordinance Monday that puts in place temporary measures to allow the local government to more quickly respond to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic. The ordinance guarantees the continued provision of essential services and also allows for Alpharetta’s elected officials to conduct meetings, including binding votes, via email.

“This is an extraordinary time in our history,” Mayor Jim Gilvin said. “As the elected representatives of the people of Alpharetta, it is this council’s duty to make sure we can continue to conduct the business of the City of Alpharetta for the people of this community. That is why we are enacting this ordinance today; to ensure we have the ability to continue to serve and protect our citizens and our employees for the next 30 days in the face of the unusual circumstances presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The ordinance allows the Alpharetta City Council to temporarily vote on actions via email without advertising or convening a public meeting. It further provides that the ordinance can be extended for an additional 30 days or repealed by a majority vote of the City Council.

“It gives us the flexibility that the private sector has to make decisions more quickly and enable us to provide services without requiring people to put their health at risk by coming to or gathering in our facilities,” Gilvin said.

In keeping with the guidance issued by federal, state, and county health officials and the emergency declaration issued by Gov. Brian Kemp, Alpharetta has already closed all its facilities to the public and cancelled all city meetings and events through April 12. While maintaining essential services such public safety, public works, and trash collection, the city has instructed all employees who can perform their duties by teleworking from home to do so. Those who must physically be at work are under direction to not gather in groups larger than necessary to complete their assigned tasks.

“We continue to closely follow the guidance issued by health professionals at the federal, state, and county level and will adjust our policies as quickly as possible as that guidance is updated to reflect this evolving situation,” Gilvin said. “We appreciate everyone’s patience as we make these changes, and we assure the public that we will remove the measures enabled by today’s ordinance as soon as possible.”

The City of Alpharetta encourages the public to follow guidance as it is issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and has established a website to make it easy for everyone to access factual information about the Covid-19 situation, CDC guidance, and the city’s response and prevention efforts.

Milton City Hall closed to public; Milton City Council passes emergency ordinance

As part of efforts to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, the City of Milton closed City Hall to the public effective Monday - the same day the city council passed an emergency ordinance that extends for the next 30 days.

There will also be no further access to Milton's Police headquarters and fire stations as well as City Hall, meaning all city buildings will be closed to the public. The city has previously announced that there will be no Milton Municipal Court sessions in the coming weeks, in addition to calling off meetings, programs, and facility rentals due to COVID-19.

"The public's health and safety - including that of City employees - is our foremost priority," Milton Mayor Joe Lockwood said. "We don't want to put anyone at unnecessary risk.

"Still, even if city buildings are closed, that doesn't mean city operations are closed. We will continue to serve Milton residents, providing them with the services they need and deserve, as best we can."

The 30-day time range for these closures and cancellations aligns with the emergency ordinance approved Monday night by the City Council. In accordance with the city's charter, the ordinance aims to "provide for the operation of the city of Milton during the public emergency." Among other elements, this ordinance states that "all matters requiring a public hearing ... are hereby stayed for 30 days."

"We take our responsibilities to the citizens of Milton very seriously, including the need to be as transparent and clear as possible," Lockwood said. "That is why the council approved this emergency ordinance: to legally document actions we want to undertake to slow the spread of this coronavirus."

Any permits that lapse during this time "remain in full force," according to the ordinance.

Initially, the city announced closures and cancellations through April 12. All those - in athletic programs, events, and the like - will now extend a few more days, city leaders will continuously evaluate the situation, and these plans may change at any time.

Even with buildings closed to the public, city employees throughout government will continue to serve our citizens in myriad ways. There will still be inspections and permits issued, for instance. The Public Works Department will maintain right of way and tackle other projects. Police officers will continue to patrol Milton, working diligently to keep the city safe for all. And members of the Milton Fire-Rescue Department will keep responding to calls for fires and medical emergencies.

See more: Alpharetta/Milton: What's Open, Closed Amid Coronavirus Concerns

GA Senator Tests Positive For Coronavirus; Lt. Gov. Isolates

State Senator Brandon Beach, R-Alpharetta, said on Wednesday that he tested positive for coronavirus. Beach was at the Georgia Capitol on Monday for the special session.

He will now be in a 14-day quarantine at home. Beach released a statement:

"After experiencing a fever and cough, I sought medical attention last week. The diagnosis I was given was not coronavirus, but I did get tested for it on Saturday. With medication, I felt better by Monday and thought I was in the clear. Today, however, my test came back positive.

For now, I'm at home. I continue to suffer from a fever and cough, but I'm following doctor's orders, including the admonition to stay away from the hospital unless it becomes difficult to breathe. I know many Georgians are praying hard as we weather this crisis together, and frankly, I'd ask that they pray for me, as well as all the others in our state who are going through this right now – and those who soon will.

I know I face a difficult two weeks, but I'll work to keep everyone updated on my progress. With the support of my wife – who is keeping a safe distance and so far doesn't have symptoms – and my family and friends, I know I'll get through this and get back to work for my constituents."

Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan released a statement Wednesday that said he will be in self-quarantine due to the positive test results from Beach.

GA Coronavirus: 10 Deaths, 287 Cases; Emergency Ordinances Set

New numbers released Thursday from the Georgia Department of Public Health show there have been 10 deaths and 287 cases of coronavirus across the state.

With the new cases, the DPH released the numbers of tests taken across the state, which totaled more than 1,800.

There have been 1,323 tests done in a commercial lab, with 174 coming in positive. The Department of Public Health Lab has done 508 tests, and had 113 positives.

The number of confirmed and presumed positive cases of COVID-19 rose from 197 on Wednesday to 287 cases in 28 counties on Thursday.

Fulton County has the most cases in the state with 66, followed by Cobb County with 37, Bartow with 26, DeKalb with 22, Dougherty with 20, Cherokee with 16, Gwinnett with 12, Fayette with nine, and Clarke with eight.

Globally, more than 222,000 people have been infected and more than 9,100 people have died from the new coronavirus, Johns Hopkins reported Thursday. Of that total, more than 9,400 confirmed cases are in the United States. There have been 150 deaths in the U.S. have been tied to the virus outbreak, as of Thursday morning.