County commissioners spent substantial time Sept. 3 discussing a draft ordinance to limit the number and location of beer-and-wine retail licenses and how to measure required separation from churches or schools.

Staff said one draft approach would cap licenses by population (for example, one license per 1,000 residents, which would translate to roughly 28 countywide under the example in the draft) or set limits by commission district. Commissioners discussed the mechanics of enforcement and measurement. Staff recommended measuring straight-line distance from property line to property line as the simplest, least ambiguous method and suggested requiring the applicant to provide a licensed, stamped survey to document distances. An engineer and other staff suggested the county could alternatively charge a fee to have a county-contracted professional perform the measurement to avoid inconsistent survey interpretations.

Commissioners raised procedural issues and state guidance: county staff said the Georgia Department of Revenue (DOR) interprets measurement and impediment rules in ways that can be ambiguous; staff asked that any local standard align with state guidance. Commissioners also discussed application and license fees, noting the current application fee is low (a $100 application fee was cited) and may need revision.

The board discussed the moratorium: members noted a previously adopted 180-day moratorium is approaching its end (the transcript does not state the exact expiration date). Commissioners directed staff and counsel to prepare ordinance options and measurement language for the next available work session so the board can vote; some commissioners expressed reluctance to extend the moratorium without finishing policy language.

Discussion vs. decision: no ordinance text was adopted at the meeting. The board asked staff, county counsel and the county engineer to draft specific language on measurement, numeric limits (countywide or by district), survey requirements and fee structures for presentation at the next work session.