City declares moratorium on alcohol licenses

Published 7:00 am Friday, January 26, 2024

Businesses seeking alcohol licenses for distilled spirits and sales by the drink will need to look elsewhere. 

City leaders enacted a moratorium on such licenses in a unanimous vote Tuesday. 

City Alderwomen Jeanette Walden, Denese Shinholster, Shonya Mapp and Alderman Walter Reynolds approved the measure. 

Mayor Pro Tem Steve Chambers and City Alderwoman Dr. Collinda Lee did not attend the meeting.

City Council discussed the moratorium last week during a work session.

“Let me say that [City Manager] Hank (Griffeth) and [City Clerk] Bo (Danuser) got me this resolution way ahead of time,” Milledgeville City Attorney Jimmy Jordan said. “Really, the only changes were trying to make sure it’s clear.”

 Jordan pointed out that the moratorium does not apply to renewals or new applications where the previous business owner had purchased licenses.

“The mayor and alder members of the city of Milledgeville have determined that the increasing density of alcoholic beverage licenses in the city limits of Milledgeville has the potential to create substantial problems for the surrounding neighborhoods, increasing the amount of litter, loitering, unruly behavior, traffic congestion and diminishing the overall quality of life in those neighborhoods,” according to the resolution.

City leaders said the recent number of retail packaged to go (liquor/distilled spirits) license applications in close proximity of each other warranted careful consideration.

City officials have indicated that they need time to study and determine potential changes to chapter 6 of the “Alcohol Beverages” for the city of Milledgeville’s Code of Ordinances.

The changes, if enacted, could impact both retail package to go liquor or distilled spirits and consumption on premises requirements, according to the resolution.

The mayor and alder members “deem it necessary and advisable to enact a moratorium effective for a limited time to bar the acceptance or receipt of applications for new alcoholic licenses for retail package to go of liquor or distilled spirits, as well as consumption on premises.”

The resolution to adopt a moratorium went into effect immediately and will remain in effect for 90 days or until such time as the mayor and city council members adopt proposed changes to chapter 6 of the “Alcohol Beverages” Code of Ordinances.

Griffeth said he had communicated with Georgia College & State University’s Dr. Max Harleman and one of his graduate students, Sara Beth Ratliff, about assisting in updating the city’s policy. 

“[Ratliff] is going to take on the analysis of our current alcohol ordinance for potentially updating it,” Griffeth said. “So, I’m really excited about that. And she’s excited about having the opportunity to work with us.”