STONECREST, GA– The Stonecrest City Council will hold its upcoming meeting virtually on Monday, Aug. 23, at 6 p.m., city officials announced today (Aug. 19).
The council is expected to consider declaring a Local State of Emergency for the City to continue virtual meetings, the city said today(Aug. 19) in a news release.
During meetings in July and at the Aug. 9 work session, the Council discussed ways to return to in-person meetings including implementing a variety of public health precautions such as installing plexiglass barriers on the Council dais and public comment lectern, spacing audience chairs six feet apart, minimizing in-person staff participation, and encouraging masking by community attendees.
Georgia recently surpassed 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases, according to statistics from the Georgia Department of Public Health. DeKalb County is among Georgia’s top five counties (as of Aug. 18. The two ZIP codes within Stonecrest – 30038 and 30058 – are listed by the DeKalb County Board of Health as having some of the highest number of COVID-19 cases, according to statistics as as of Aug. 18.
Based on the increase in cases, City officials say they want to reassess how they will move forward with Council and other public meetings while maintaining public access.
The city stated:
“Meeting notices will continue to be posted in our legal organ, On Common Ground, and shared with other local media outlets. Additionally, they are also posted ahead of meetings to our City Meetings web page and our social media channels. Residents can watch the meetings live on the City’s YouTube channel and may submit public comments in advance of the hearings to the City Clerk at cityclerk@stonecrestga.gov.”