TCC returns to in-person meeting format next week

As a reminder, the Toccoa City Commission’s meeting scheduled for next week will be conducted in-person.

The Toccoa City Commission decided in May that it would no longer hold virtual meetings but instead begin meeting in person since COVID cases are at a record low and many of Toccoa residents have been vaccinated.

As WNEG News reported last month, Commissioner Gail Fry recommended the Commission consider returning to the in-person format, after hearing that other organizations have also started to return to face-to-face meetings.

“I’ve had some citizens ask me when we are going back to face-to-face meetings and our counterparts, the county, and a lot of other organizations have gone back to face-to-face meetings with stipulations that citizens must wear masks and things like that. I think that we should go back to that; but also, still have it for Commissioner Carter to call into the meeting,” she said.

Vice Mayor Jeanette Jamieson agreed with Fry, saying at this point, the Toccoa City Commission looks bad for continuing to meet by teleconference.

“Well, I think it’s time for use to certainly consider going back to face-to-face. It sort of makes us look bad when other organizations are opening back up and we’re not. So I would like to go back to face-to-face,” she said.

Commissioner Terry Carter agreed with both Fry and Jamieson, saying he would continue to attend the meetings by teleconference while he finishes up receiving Cancer treatments.

Fry suggested the Commission return to in-person meetings beginning with the first meeting in June to give Carter extra time to finish up his treatments; however, Carter said he did not need any special treatment.

Commissioner David Austin agreed with his fellow commissioners as long as citizens were required to wear masks and be socially distant.

A motion was made by Fry for the Commission to begin meeting face-to-face starting with the first meeting in June, with Austin seconding the motion.

Again, the June 14 meeting of the Toccoa City Commission will be held in the meeting room at City Hall.

As always, the public is invited and encouraged to attend.