COVID-19 Forces Meeting Changes

Jeff Davis County’s governing bodies took special precautions during their April meetings to comply with state and national guidelines relating to the Coronavirus pandemic threat to the nation and world.
At last Monday’s Hazlehurst City Council work session, the council members were spread out along the meeting table at the front of the room, City Attorney Ken Smith sat in the audience, Ward 2 Council Member John Ramay handed out hand sanitizer and audience members maintained the 6-ft. social distancing directive.
For its Tuesday meeting, the Jeff Davis County Commission initially announced that its meeting would be closed to the public and streamed online so the public could view the proceedings. Later, commissioners realized there were people who needed to be present to give information to the them on items coming before them. So they decided to allow up to 10 people to view the meeting in person but maintained proper social distancing.
The Jeff Davis County School Board held its Thursday meeting in the high school auditorium where spectators could easily maintain appropriate social distancing and board members were spread out across the stage to also allow proper social distancing.
Additionally the board streamed its meeting on the school district’s Youtube page.
And the Joint Development Authority of Jeff Davis County, Hazlehurst and Denton has been meeting by conference call with minutes and financial statements distributed to members by email.