Gainesville and Hall County are in early talks to establish a land bank authority — a tool giving local governments broad powers to obtain properties that are blighted, vacant or on delinquent tax rolls — and put them back to productive use, The Times learned Wednesday. Gainesville City Manager Bryan Lackey and Hall County Administrator Randy Knighton initiated discussions to form a land bank, but put the issue on the backburner to focus on a pressing deadline to approve a service delivery strategy agreement between the county and its municipalities. The Georgia Department of Community Affairs requires local governments to adopt an SDS and revise it every 10 years to avoid duplication of services.