GOOD HOPE, Ala. – With Mayor Jerry Bartlett and one council member having tested positive for COVID-19, the Good Hope City Council’s Monday night meeting looked a little different. Bartlett and others joined via Google Meet from home. The council announced the cancellations of both the annual trick-or-treating event at city hall and the community Thanksgiving meal at Good Hope High School due to the numbers of positive cases in the city.
Of the Halloween event, Assistant City Clerk Lori Leusby explained, “We can’t have volunteers, and with some being sick, there’s just not enough folks to put the event together without them.”
The cancellation of the City’s Halloween event is disappointing to all of those who help plan it each year. At previous meetings, Bartlett and the council regularly discussed how to keep the event going despite the threat of COVID-19 while following the State’s guidelines.
Of the canceled community Thanksgiving meal, Rep. Corey Harbison, R-Good Hope said at Monday’s meeting, “We coordinate with the school and the small businesses in the community to do those events. The lunchroom manager of Good Hope was diagnosed with COVID on Thursday. They already told us that we had to have a limited crew in that lunchroom, but it takes everybody we can get in there to do it and to put out so many plates. Another thing, the small businesses that usually donate, they are struggling and we kind of hate to go and try to ask them for money for that. Between those two things, we feel like we don’t have much of a choice but to go ahead and call it off. Maybe we can pick up next year and have the best one ever.”
The council agreed to wait before making any decision regarding the City’s Christmas parade, which is usually held the second Saturday in December.
In other business
Based on the Alcohol Review Committee’s (ARC) letter approving the alcohol license application from the Dollar General, the council approved the business’ request for a license to sell beer and wine.
The council appointed Charlie Gooch to the planning commission.
This year’s donations from the City to area schools and charity organizations will be delivered or mailed rather than presented at a council meeting due to the current COVID-19 situation.
The next regular meeting of the Good Hope City Council, including the oaths of office for the next administration, will be Monday Nov. 2, 2020 at 6:30 p.m.
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