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Braselton council changes name of old library, makes appointments
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BRASELTON — The Braselton Town Council made appointments to numerous positions at its council meeting Monday.

Chief among these was the appointment of Graham McKinnon IV to the post of municipal court judge. McKinnon, a partner in the practice of Fox, Chandler, Homans, Hicks and McKinnon LLP in Gainesville, will succeed H. Bradford Morris Jr., who is stepping down. McKinnon is an Atlanta native who attended law school at Georgia State University and was admitted to the bar in 1989.

"Braselton is a class act, and I’m proud to be a part of it," McKinnon said.

McKinnon has served as the town solicitor for the past "eight to 10 months" and has filled in as the municipal court judge since 2001.

According to McKinnon, Morris is stepping down because he was forced to choose "between his full-time job and part-time job." Morris currently serves as both the municipal court judge in Braselton and the public defender for the Northeastern Judicial Circuit. A new state law, which goes into effect July 1, prevents anyone from holding both positions simultaneously.

McKinnon will appear in Braselton twice a month to adjudicate traffic offenses and city ordinance violations.

Also at the monthly meeting, the Town Council officially named the town’s old library and high school home-economics building the Heritage and Visitor’s Center. The facility will be both a window into Braselton’s past, as well as provide a central information point for people looking to explore the area.

The council also took the following action Monday:

Approved the request of the Friends of the Library for a donation of $5,000 to be used for purchase of furniture and other equipment for library use as approved by the town manager.

Approved the request of Chateau Elan for a special event alcoholic beverage permit for the 12th annual Vineyard Fest on Aug. 24.

Approved a new Peddler Ordinance. Among other things, the new ordinance allows the town to permit unhoused peddlers within the city limits for safety. It also forbids unhoused peddlers setting up on a property without the property owner’s consent. According to Town Attorney Gregory Jay, the new ordinance helps protect permanent unhoused peddlers in the town against more transient peddlers not based in the area.