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Published Sunday, June 07, 2009 in Local

Sharpsburg may tweak its alcohol ordinances

By Winston Skinner

The Times-Herald

City officials in Sharpsburg are looking at the town's alcohol ordinances, streamlining them and putting rules and regulations in place.

Sharpsburg adopted an ordinance in 2001 to allow retail sales of beer and wine. Three years later, Sharpsburg residents voted to allow alcohol by the drink to be sold at restaurants.

The city will hold a meeting Monday at 7 p.m. to look at proposed rules and fees. The council also hopes to combine the two alcohol ordinances into one.

A public hearing on the alcohol issue will be held at the town offices in the A&O Bridges Center in Sharpsburg. Immediately after the hearing, the council will meet in regular session, where the alcohol ordinance is listed on the agenda.

If the first reading of the proposal is approved Monday, a second reading -- and adoption -- will be set for July.

Senoia and Grantville are also looking at alcohol policies. Two men spoke to the Senoia City Council on April 20 about the possibility of opening a liquor store in Senoia. Senoia's ordinances currently do not allow package liquor sales.

Senoia City Attorney Drew Whalen reviewed the process that would allow the city to move forward with allowing package liquor. At the Senoia City Council meeting on Monday, Mayor Robert Belisle said the future of the issue is up to local residents.

"It is not a council action that drives this to a public referendum. It has to be a citizen driven petition," Belisle said. "The local government can't initiate the referendum."

Before the election superintendent can initiate a referendum on package liquor sales in Senoia, there must be a petition signed by at least 35 percent of the city's registered voters who were eligible to vote during the last city election, according to City Administrator Richard Ferry. The petition must then be checked and verified.

To get the issue on the November ballot, the petition and ballot question must be ready by early August, Ferry said. If a majority of city voters vote for the liquor question, "then the mayor and council will be authorized to enact an ordinance" regulating package stores, Ferry said.

Senoia voters approved liquor sales by the drink in 2004, but did not approve package sales.

Grantville officials soon will be looking at the city's existing alcohol ordinance in an administrative committee meeting that will look at several ordinances that may need updating. Grantville's alcohol ordinance may be updated to reflect changes in state law.

Grantville is the only town in Coweta County that currently has package liquor sales. Package sales are allowed in some towns near Coweta's border, including Peachtree City in Fayette County, Luthersville in Meriwether County and Palmetto in Fulton County.

Other items on the agenda for the Sharpsburg Council meeting on Monday include a review of the Solid Waste Management Plan by Dorene Roeglin of Chattahoochee-Flint Regional Development Center, a review of the Emergency Management Plan by Coweta County Emergency Management Director Jay Jones, consideration of resolutions adopting the two plans, discussion on grass cutting in the town and comments by Eric Richards of the Senoia Merchants Association.

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