The city of Smyrna will suspend disconnections for water service and not apply late fees to unpaid accounts for the next 60 days to ease the financial strain residents may be feeling due to the coronavirus pandemic, said Mayor Derek Norton.
Norton made this announcement Monday while unveiling the latest social distancing steps the city of Smyrna will take to decrease potential exposure to the virus.
Smyrna's water utility announcement is similar to decisions made Georgia Power and Cobb EMC to suspend disconnections and bill collections for 30 days, he said.
The City Council’s March 16 meeting was the last public meeting Smyrna will host this month. It has canceled its License and Variance meeting set for March 25.
Norton said city leaders will re-evaluate at the end of the month how Smyrna will proceed with public meetings in April, including the Mayor and Council Committee of the Whole on April 2, City Council on April 6 and Planning and Zoning Commission on April 13.
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One of the options available to the city is teleconferencing. If the city chooses this option, Norton said all meetings will be available to the public to access through listening and review.
Anyone who wishes to file an Open Records request with Municipal Court will be directed to the Smyrna's city clerk office. You can view that process by visiting the city's website.
Public safety and public works services will continue to operate as normal, Norton said. The mayor said Smyrna police and fire officials have implemented “special protocols to keep our citizens and public safety staff safe.”
Administrative services in the police department lobby have been suspended until further notice and all open records requests will be done through email by contacting policerecords@smyrnaga.gov. The jail and the Smyrna’s 911 center will remain fully functional and staffed, however.
Finally, Norton said he’s appointed a task force consisting of citizens and business, faith, education and community leaders to determine how the city can assist the most vulnerable during the pandemic.
“Smyrna is a strong community, and we will get through this together,” Norton said. “As we move forward in the upcoming weeks, please be vigilant and limit your interactions with others. Wash your hands often, and if you must go to public places like the grocery store please use gloves or disinfectants. Social distancing is of the utmost importance to stem the spread of the coronavirus.”
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