Rabun to declare state of emergency to be eligible for aid

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Rabun County, Ga.
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CLAYTON— The Rabun County Board of Commissioners agreed to declare a formal state of emergency for the county at a called meeting on Sunday, April 5.

The declaration opens the county to potentially receive state and federal funding.

“It just readies the county for any funding that might come back through GEMA or FEMA,” said Darrin Giles, county administrator, in an interview after the meeting.

Giles said that the declaration also allows the county to possibly recover funds spent during the emergency and gain needed supplies.

Commissioners agreed to allow Chairman Greg James to sign a joint letter from Rabun and surrounding counties to ask Gov. Brian Kemp to shut down state parks, or at least close them to camping.

County attorney Allyn Stockton read a portion of the governor’s executive order and stated that it overturns any local laws that the county previously had in place.

“We’re under this now,” Stockton said. “The governor’s ordinance supersedes local ordinances.”

“All we can do is enforce it,” he said.

Commissioners also addressed public transportation and the Meals on Wheels program and decided that public transportation would cease for the time being. They agreed to reevaluate how the Meals on Wheels are distributed.

Wanda Henry, director of the Rabun County Senior Center, said that she can use funds already on hand prepare enough meals to distribute to seniors to last 4-5 days so that meals do not have to be delivered each day.

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