Update: Mayor Sherman Ross added that the city council came out of their executive session on Tuesday evening and added one more item as well: the re-opening of recreation ball fields at the Nathan Dean Recreation Center as well. Additional details to following on Wednesday. -KtE

COVID-19 has previously kept city facilities shut down and recreation sports something off the table for a variety of reasons, but the City of Rockmart is looking at how they can start to return to business as normal as other municipalities have around them.

Details still have to be fully worked out, but the city council made a tentative step forward back toward normal business with a vote to approve recreation basketball’s preparations for the season ahead can move forward, along with facility rentals.

The item put forth in a vote during the council meeting by Mayor Sherman Ross does give the city time to work out the logistics and make sure that guidelines are being followed to prevent the further spread of the virus but allow for rentals of facilities for functions as the holidays approach, and to have a basketball season for the recreation department.

It will mark the first city-organized recreation sports to return since shutdowns began in August despite requests to allow fall baseball to go ahead.

City Manager Jeff Ellis when requesting time to put together plans for allowing facilities to be rented again and the league play to organize until November 1. That would also give people time to see about facility availability, which in the case of the Nathan Dean Community Center won’t be available until after the election, and may require more time in case of a run-off

Cedartown has moved forward in a small step by allowing recreation fall soccer to open with teams playing at the new facility at Goodyear Park. Requests were made to allow people to use fields in Aragon as well, but those haven’t been able to be fulfilled because of improvements and repairs previously scheduled during the fall at Jake Belk and Pittman fields.

Additional details about plans for Rockmart recreation basketball and what rules will be in place for facility rentals will be forthcoming, Ellis said.