The Athens-Clarke County Unified Government will begin to re-open some public spaces and offices for limited public interaction starting June 1, 2020. Additional opening procedures will take place in the coming weeks.

Beginning Monday, June 1, 2020 (unless otherwise noted):

GENERAL PROVISIONS FOR ACCGOV BUILDINGS & FACILITIES

• Departments and offices will continue to provide many services via phone, telecommuting, and online. Residents are encouraged to contact departments virtually through www.accgov.com or by phone whenever possible.

• Visitors are encouraged to wear face coverings when visiting ACCGov buildings and facilities. Some face coverings will be available at certain sites for those who are unable to bring their own.

• Buildings and facilities will have additional hand sanitizer stations for public use. Visitors are reminded to wash hands for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer frequently.

• Building spaces and public areas will be cleaned on a more frequent basis.

• Visitors should limit close contact and practice physical distancing of six feet from other people whenever possible. New customer counter windows are being installed at some locations to help limit close contact.

GENERAL PROVISIONS FOR ACCGOV PUBLIC MEETINGS

• Public meetings of the Mayor and Commission; boards, authorities, and commissions; and other ACCGov-related bodies continue to be held virtually at this time. 

• Live and on-demand recordings of Mayor and Commission meetings are available on YouTube (www.youtube.com/accgov), on ACTV Cable Channel 180, on Facebook, and on www.accgov.com/videos. Links to other live and on-demand meeting streams on YouTube are available through individual meeting links on the ACCGov online calendar at www.accgov.com/events.

SPECIFIC ACCGOV BUILDINGS

• City Hall will remain closed at this time except by appointment with specific offices.

• The Dougherty Street Government Building will be open 8:00 a.m. - noon for Building Inspections & Permits and Planning access (front side) and 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (rear side) for Transportation and Public Works access.

• The Satula Avenue Government Building will remain closed at this time except by appointment with specific offices.

• The Courthouse will open to the public with access to courts and other ACCGov offices with increased entrance procedures within the coming two weeks. More details will be provided on these procedures and hours of operations. While court offices will begin opening for limited transactions, most court functions will not resume until after the statewide judicial emergency ends, which is currently scheduled for June 12.

Some specific provisions for departments and offices are detailed below.

AIRPORT

• Open to essential aircraft business only.

• For more information, visit www.accgov.com/airport.

ANIMAL SERVICES

• Animal Services remains closed to the public except by appointment only.

• For more information, visit www.accgov.com/animalservices.

BOARD OF ELECTIONS

• Advance Voting will take place during the week of June 1-5 at the ACCGov Board of Elections Office (155 East Washington Street), the Athens Regional Library (2025 Baxter Street), the Miriam Moore Community Center (410 McKinley Drive), and the Athens-Clarke County Extension Office (275 Cleveland Road). Visit www.accgov.com/elections for hours and details. 

• During Advance Voting, ten people will be allowed inside each voting location at a time, including workers and voters.

• All voting booths are cleaned between each voter.

• Each voter receives a disinfected stylus pen during voting.

• Disinfectant is sprayed every hour in the enclosed space and on the floor where voting is conducted.

• Counter spaces are disinfected after each voter.

• For more information, visit www.accgov.com/elections.

BUILDING PERMITS & INSPECTION

• Building Permits and Inspection will be accessible to in-person customers from 8:00 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday. Other services will be available remotely.

• The public is encouraged to continue to submit applications online by using the new Citizen Self Service Portal available at www.accgov.com/buildinginspection.

COOPERATIVE EXTENSION

• Agricultural and Natural Resources

  • Monthly gardening classes will continue to be offered remotely. Recordings will be available on the UGA Extension YouTube Channel/Athens-Clarke County playlist available at www.youtube.com/ugaExtension.

  • Client questions will continue to be handled via email and phone.

  • Soil and water samples are accepted via drop off box and by appointment.

• 4-H 

  • Virtual summer program centered around Environmental Education is being offered to Athens-Clarke County 5th-12th grade students.

• Family and Consumer Sciences and SNAP Ed

  • Virtual classes offered when possible.

  • SNAP Ed outreach provided at farmers markets, whenever possible.

  • Agents are available to clients by appointment and virtual meetings.

• For more information, visit www.accgov.com/extension.

FINANCE

• Finance will not be open to the public at this time except via phone and email remotely. 

• An exterior drop box is provided for materials that need to be dropped off at the office.

• For more information, visit www.accgov.com/finance.

HOUSING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

• Housing and Community Development (HCD) is currently closed to in-person public visitations, except by appointment.

• HCD is beginning their annual agency monitoring process that typically takes place on-site at funded agencies’ offices. The procedures are being modified to provide this service remotely.

• For more information, visit www.accgov.com/hcd.

HUMAN RESOURCES

• Human Resources is currently closed to in-person public visitations, except by appointment.

• Job applications are accepted online through www.accgov.com/jobs.

• Interviews and orientation procedures are conducted remotely.

• For more information, visit www.accgov.com/hr.

LEISURE SERVICES

• Facilities will operate with limited public access dependent upon occupancy and based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

• Athletic fields and gymnasiums will be open, but no competitive play will be allowed due to physical distancing concerns.

• Pickleball and tennis courts will open.

• Dog parks will open, but access will be limited.

• Facility rentals are cancelled until further notice.

• Virtual programs continue at www.accgov.com/leisure.

• The following areas remain closed at this time:

  • Bear Hollow Zoo

  • Morton Theatre

  • Pools and splash pads

  • Unsupervised amenities, including playgrounds, outdoor basketball courts, volleyball courts, and the beach at Sandy Creek Park.

• For more information, visit www.accgov.com/leisure.

PLANNING

• The lobby will open each day from 8:00 a.m. - noon to allow customers to access the window of the Planning Department to submit plans, fees, and other applications. 

• The public is encouraged to continue to submit applications online using the new Citizen Self Service Portal available at www.accgov.com/planning.

PROBATION SERVICES

• Public access to Probation Services will take place by appointment to see an officer or conduct a drug test beginning Tuesday, June 3.

• For more information, visit www.accgov.com/probation.

PUBLIC UTILITIES

• Public Utilities and the Water Business Office remain closed to in-person public visits at this time.

• Water bills can be paid by mail, online e-check, bank draft (ACH), or dropboxes located at 124 East Hancock Avenue.

• For more information, visit www.accgov.com/publicutilities. 

SOLID WASTE

• Registration and appointment processes remain in place for customers at the landfill (Monday - Saturday) and CHaRM (Tuesdays & Wednesdays). 

• No cash transactions will be accepted at any Solid Waste locations.

• For more information, visit www.accgov.com/solidwaste.

TAX ASSESSOR’S OFFICE

• In-person meetings will be by appointment only until the Courthouse opens with increased entrance procedures. At that time, public access will be provided on a limited basis.

• For more information, visit www.accgov.com/taxassessor.

TAX COMMISSIONER’S OFFICE

• The Property Tax Office in the Courthouse and the Tag Office are open to the public during normal business hours with a limited number of people allowed inside at one time to meet physical distancing guidelines.

• For more information, visit www.accgov.com/tc or www.accgov.com/tagoffice.

TRANSIT

• Transit will continue to operate fare-free at summer service levels with the last passenger drop-off at 7:00 p.m.

• All bus routes will continue to operate weekdays except Route 23 (Park & Ride) and Route 28 (College Station Express).

• Routes 12 & 14 will operate hourly.

• Standard weekend schedule of 10 routes on Saturday and Sunday.

• Riders must schedule weekend travel on Route 30 by Friday by calling 706-613-3430.

• The Multimodal Transportation Center (MMTC) building remains closed to the public. Transfers will continue at the covered bus bays at the MMTC.

• Transit is provided for essential travel to and from a destination. Continuous riding is prohibited.

• Hours of operation:

  6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (last drop-off) Monday through Friday

  7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (last drop-off) Saturday and Sunday

• For detailed routes and time tables, visit accgov.com/transit.

TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC WORKS

• Transportation and Public Works main office in the Dougherty Street Government Building will open for limited public access.

• Streets and Drainage and Traffic Engineering offices will continue to remain closed except by appointment.

• No cash will be accepted as a payment type.

• For more information, visit www.accgov.com/publicworks.

For additional information on schedule changes, visit department and office websites or the ACCGov Service Changes page through www.accgov.com/coronavirus.