Council members surprised by county move to sell jail

GAINESVILLE - Gainesville City Council members were caught off guard Tuesday night when City Manager Kip Padgett informed them Hall County had reached an agreement to sell the old county jail in midtown.

Padgett said while he and County Administrator Randy Knighton had had casual conversations about the possibility of the sale to Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), he had no idea county commissioners were ready to approve such a sale.

Padgett said he got the word from newspaper reporters that commissioners had decided in a work session earlier in the day to vote on the sale Thursday.

"I think the fact that the county commission didn't come and talk to the council was a little surprising and disappointing," said Padgett.

Padgett said maintaining a jail in the midtown area was not what city council members had wanted.

"Because of all the investment and time we've put into Midtown, we'd just hoped that they would make the long-term use of the jail something that was more conducive to what we were doing," said Padgett.

He said he was not sure what action, if any, council members could take, although he said he thought some council members might contact county commissioners before the vote later in the week.

COUNCIL APPROVES TEMPORARY MORATORIUM ON INTERNET CAFES

Gainesville Police Chief Brian Kelly asked, and was granted, a 180-day moratorium on the establishment of sweepstakes internet cafes in the city. City Council gave first-reading approval to the measure, which would give city police officials time to investigate the way such businesses operate.

Kelly said if council would hold off on accepting applications for such businesses, his department would have time to research the way other jurisdictions are handling such businesses.

Kelly said they have plenty of questions about internet cafes.

"Are they illegal? Are there any kind of gray areas that they are operating in? Or is it a totally legitimate business and there are just some other secondary effects that may attach themselves to the business?"


MOUNTAINS CENTER LEASE AGREEMENT WITH BRENAU UNIVERSITY ONE STEP CLOSER TO REALITY

As expected, City Council unanimously approved a resolution to lease and transfer the title of the Georgia Mountains Center to the Gainesville Redevelopment Authority with the intention that the Authority enter into a lease agreement with Brenau University. Brenau plans to use the Georgia Mountains Center as a facility for its new medical program offerings.