Fayette County Clerk’s office closes Tuesday; Mayor Gorton suspends most city meetings
The Fayette County Clerk’s office is closing its doors Tuesday and is encouraging people to renew vehicle registration online or by mail. Marriage licenses will be granted by appointment.
Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton also announced Monday that the city has suspended most meetings and asked more employees to work from home.
Fayette County Clerk Don Blevins Jr. said his office will close in light of Gov. Andy Beshear’s announcement that state government will largely close nonessential services. People are encouraged to renew vehicle registrations online at drive.ky.gov or via mail at Fayette County Clerk, 162 East Main Street, Lexington KY, 40507. Voters can register to vote or update addresses by submitting a new registration form online at www.govoteky.com until 4 p.m. on April 20. Registration by mail must be postmarked by April 20.
Marriage licenses will be granted by appointment only at 859-253-3344.
“I am acutely aware that this decision will inconvenience a lot of people so I do not make this decision lightly,” Blevins said Monday. “I also believe that we all need to make a large investment in social distancing to protect those most vulnerable to COVID-19. To do anything less is simply not an option.”
The Lexington Fayette Urban County Council will only conduct essential business before going on a pre-planned break next week.
The council will hold brief meetings on Tuesday and Thursday.
A controversial ordinance that would require short-term rental operators to be licensed in Fayette County will not get its first reading on Thursday as planned, city officials said. That ordinance has been indefinitely postponed.
Yard waste pickup will be suspended starting Monday so waste service employees can concentrate on garbage and recycling services, Gorton said. In addition,fire stations will be closed to the public except for emergency walk-ins.
Only essential city boards will meet. Essential boards include the Urban County Planning Commission, which determines zoning and other land use issues.
During a Monday press conference, Gorton also discouraged panic buying and stockpiling of supplies.
“Let’s all stay calm,” Gorton said.
Gorton said people are largely heeding calls for less social contact by not going to places with large groups of people.
“They’re paying attention to the warnings, neighbors are helping neighbors, and we’re working together to slow the speed of this virus. It will take all of us to get past it, but we will get past it,” Gorton said.
Some city employees will be working with God’s Pantry Food Bank to create prepacked food boxes at the city’s closed community centers. Those boxes are designed for a family for one week. Gorton said. God’s Pantry is expecting 10,000 boxes will be needed each month to keep up with demand.
As of Monday afternoon, there were 22 people who have tested positive for the respiratory illness. Gov. Beshear also announced Monday that a 66-year-old Bourbon County man was the first coronavirus-related death in Kentucky.
Five of the 22 people infected were in Fayette County.
The two most recent Fayette County COVID-19 cases were in close contact with other COVID-19 patients and are in their homes in isolation, health officials said Monday.
Gov. Andy Beshear ordered the state Capitol closed to all non-essential personnel beginning Tuesday as the state and cities move to prevent crowds and other gatherings and stop the spread of coronavirus.
Gorton closed all city senior centers and community centers last week. City youth recreation leagues in parks have also been suspended. The city’s parks will remain open, she said.
In addition, Gorton and Fayette County Health Commissioner Dr. Kraig Humbaugh asked Thursday that all large, public gatherings be nixed to stop the spread of the virus.
This story was originally published March 16, 2020 at 3:50 PM.
