A new year always brings with it organizational meetings for local governments, and Gainesville and Flowery Branch will get theirs out of the way next week.
The Gainesville Mayor and Council meet Tuesday, and for the first time in nearly half-a-century a new name will be on the Ward 2 nameplate. Zack Thompson will be seated in the spot Bob Hamrick occupied for 46 years before deciding not to seek re-election last year.
Barbara Brooks will also take her place on the council, replacing Myrtle Figueras who also decided not to run again last year. Figueras had been a member of the council for 19 years.
Gainesville's new City Attorney - Abb Hayes - will also take his place in council chambers. He succeeds Bubba Palmour who stepped down at the end of last year after more than 31 years on the job.
The agenda for Tuesday's meeting includes annual first-of-the-year housekeeping items such as appointments of Municipal Court Solicitor and Deputy Solicitor, Administrative Hearing Officer, a city representative on the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission, and the appointment of council members to servce as ex-officio members of various boards and commissions.
Thursday's meeting in Flowery Branch will include the oaths of office for council members Mary Jones and Chris Mundy. Both are incumbents who won re-election in November. Also on the agenda are Mayor Pro-Tem, city manager, city clerk and city attorney appointments.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2016/1/359785/gainesville-flowery-branch-set-to-begin-year-with-organizational-meetings