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After much confusion over the last day, Cumming Mayor Troy Brumbalow has clarified what actions the city will take to enforce social distancing.
On Wednesday afternoon, Brumbalow said an emergency order to encourage social distancing that was announced on Tuesday and rescinded early Wednesday morning would still be going forward but without a provision that would allow for “special policemen” to be sworn-in by the city.
Brumbalow said that along with the city issues, he was also going through a loss in his family, which he said led to an “emotional snap judgment.”
"I want to clarify the past 24 hours. First by explaining my mindset," Brumbalow said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon. "Over the past several weeks I have been caring for my dying grandpa at his home with hospice help. He died on Monday. The next day I signed an order to enforce social distancing that had provisions people didn't like. At 3:00 am this morning I rescinded that order. That was an emotional snap judgment. People are mad at you no matter what you do in this situation. I'm grieving and crying over a man that I loved dearly and have to bury today. I say all of this not out of pity but as an explanation. I'm human and not perfect by any stretch.”
On Tuesday, city officials announced an emergency management order to enforce social distancing that would also allow the city to swear-in up to 150 “special policemen,” and penalties including a fine of up to $1,000 and up to 180 days in jail.
“I have signed a new emergency order to replace the first one,” Brumbalow said. “There is no special policemen. There is no fine. In short, it says 'keep 6' from everybody else' and our uniformed officers will be reminding people of that.”
The special police and penalties led to a large number of negative responses from the community on social media.
“Social media can be good and very bad,” Brumbalow said. “Local officials do it for the community. It's not a job that pays the bills. Thank you to all my supporters and to my critics I say 'I love you, too.' Do I wish I could rewind the past 24 hours? Absolutely but I have learned from it and will move forward. All I have or ever will care about is the people in the City of Cumming.”
On Tuesday, Brumbalow and Cumming Police Chief David Marsh signed another order, which went into effect today, to suspend dine-in and patio service for all "restaurants, delis, bars and all other eating establishments."
In addition, the order also allows establishments with a pouring license within the city limits to sell up to six "new, unopened" malt beverages and two bottles of wine with a food order of equal or greater value than the alcohol order. Alcohol-only sales are prohibited.