TCC to consider meeting in-person during first meeting in March

The Toccoa City Commission rehashed the idea of meeting in-person during its meeting on Monday.

Vice Mayor Jeanette Jamieson suggested the Commission meet in-person during one of its monthly meetings.

She says after receiving phone calls from several citizens, she believes that is the best way to move forward.

“I’ve been contacted about the possibility of holding one of our meetings each month at city hall. I realize that we’ve acted on that but if there’s some way for Commissioner Carter to call in, I’d like for the Commission to, at least, consider having one meeting a month face-to-face. It was a matter of concern for some of our folks and they call me,” she said.

Commissioner Gail Fry said she would be willing to meet in-person during one meeting each month; but recommended the commission discuss it again during the first meeting in March.

“I’d just like to give my thoughts on that and of course anyone else; but, I feel like a lot of our citizens have been vaccinated, the first time, and the second one is coming shortly…We are getting much better, but I’d like to, at least through the month of February, we should look at continuing, maybe through the first meeting in March, and then we could look at it and maybe consider meeting in the last meeting,” Fry said.

Jamieson says that the people who have called her and shown interest in attending the meetings are responsible and would follow the recommended CDC guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“Well, I appreciate that Gail. The people that call me are responsible people and they are people that do attend some of those meetings, and I think it’s something that we need to seriously look at,” she said.

Fry said if the commission decided to meet in-person that everyone should be required to wear a mask.

“When we do start back, we definitely need to have some protocol like wearing mask and social distancing and all that,” Fry said.

Commissioner David Austin agreed with Fry.

Mayor Evan Hellenga said the commission would discuss it again during the first meeting in March.

No action was taken.