Mayor Bottoms' State of the City addressed postponed
ATLANTA - The annual Atlanta State of the City address has been pushed back from its originally scheduled date of March 12, according to the Mayor's office.
The postponement was due to a request from Coca-Cola who is sponsoring the event, according to a statement released from a spokesperson for Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
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A rescheduled date was not given, but "Mayor Keisha Bottoms looks forward to updating the public the near future," according to the statement.
The full statement, released to FOX 5 can be read below:
"The State of the City is being postponed, upon the request of its title sponsor, the Coca-Cola Company. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms looks forward to updating the public in the near future of the Administration’s progress and unveiling new policies to ensure a thriving and equitable Atlanta."
Later in the day, Atlanta’s mayor issued an Administrative Order setting up funding for the Mayor’s Coronavirus Pandemic Coordination Team.
“While facing the coronavirus health threat, this Order will ensure the City is in its best posture to conduct day-to-day operations without disruption,” said Mayor Bottoms. “This funding framework will be used to guarantee the City of Atlanta is positioned to deliver services and conduct operations in a seamless manner regardless of what we as a community may face in the days and weeks ahead.”
The mayor asked the city’s Chief Financial Officer to coordinate with the Chief Health Officer and Director of Emergency Preparedness to develop a financial framework for the team which the mayor created last month.
The team is led by the City’s Chief Health Officer, Dr. Angelica Geter Fugerson, and the City’s Director of Emergency Preparedness and former FBI Special Agent, Felipe den Brok.
The mayor also directed the Atlanta Watershed Management to not disconnect water due to late payment for the next 60 days.
She said access to water is crucial in preventing and fighting the coronavirus and no one should be deprived because they cannot pay.
Meanwhile, the Atlanta City Council is preparing in case members are forced to meet through teleconference to run the city. They will hold two mock online meetings, one Thursday and one next Tuesday.
"We want to be prepared for anything that may cause disruptions to our daily activities and access to City Hall," Atlanta City Council President Felicia A. Moore said. "The mock meetings and designated telework day will give us the opportunity to gauge our procedures, train our staff, and resolve any technical issues to ensure there is continuity in our operations in the event of an emergency."