Jones County commissioners review draft to allow four distilled‑spirits package licenses

JONES COUNTY, Ga. — The Jones County Board of Commissioners on May 20 examined a draft ordinance that would authorize up to four licenses for the package sales of distilled spirits, set a $5,000 initial application fee and $5,000 renewal fee, and establish rules on zoning, operating hours and signage.

The ordinance draft discussed by staff and commissioners would limit the county to four total package‑sales licenses, allow up to two of those licenses to be issued to applicants before construction provided the facility becomes fully operational within 12 months, and reserve the remaining two for existing structures. Jason, a county staff member who presented the draft, said, “The way this ordinance is drafted, and the the way we've traditionally done it, we don't have the fee specified in the ordinance, but we have a fee schedule.”

Why it matters: the proposal would be the county's first formal framework for standalone distilled‑spirits package sales. Commissioners said the rules would shape where stores could locate in the county, how quickly a proposed project must open, follow‑up enforcement, and how revenue from sales tax might be tracked.

Most important points

- Fees and limits: The draft sets a $5,000 fee for both initial licenses and annual renewals, and caps countywide package‑sales distilled‑spirits licenses at four.

- Timing and lapsing: Up to two licenses may be issued before construction; those facilities must be “fully operational within 12 months of the issuance of the license,” or the license will lapse, according to the text the board reviewed. Commissioners discussed adding language to prevent repeated applications from effectively “parking” a license indefinitely if a holder lets it lapse.

- Zoning and siting: The ordinance text refers to C1 and C2 commercial zoning as allowable districts and contemplates limiting licenses within commercial “nodes” or corridors to avoid clustering. Commissioners noted state minimums (discussed as a roughly 500‑yard spacing) and discussed mapping zones where licenses could be issued.

- Operating hours and prohibitions: The draft would allow package‑sales licensees to operate 10 a.m.–8 p.m. Monday–Saturday and would prohibit Sunday sales. Jason noted the 10 a.m.–8 p.m. window was what the board had discussed previously and placed that language in the draft.

- Signage, cameras and compliance: The proposed text references OCGA 3‑4‑3 for signage standards (letter height limits and a 16‑square‑foot cap in the draft) and includes requirements for security cameras; staff said they would send the camera language to the sheriff’s office (Earl) for review. Jason told the board, “I took out the 1 about the illumination…Do you all want it to stay permanent?” and the group discussed making freestanding signs permanent fixtures that comply with state law.

- Checklist, permitting and interagency coordination: Commissioners directed staff to create an application checklist that clarifies which prerequisites must be completed before an application reaches the board, and to meet with Tim (permitting) and Shannon (county clerk/staff) to align county permitting timelines with the draft ordinance. Jason said the county should coordinate with the Georgia Department of Revenue because applicants must also comply with state licensing and tax rules.

Board direction and next steps

No formal ordinance vote or adoption occurred during the work session. Instead, the board asked staff to revise the draft, add explicit authority for the board to deny applications (including for previously unused or lapsed licenses), clarify timelines for becoming operational (the draft uses 12 months for pre‑construction issuance and discussed separate shorter windows for existing buildings), and prepare a clean, readable version and a public checklist before applications are accepted. Commissioners and staff agreed to meet again in June to continue drafting and to review model language from Monroe and Stevens counties.

Quotes from the meeting

Jason, county staff member, explaining fee placement: “The way this ordinance is drafted, and the the way we've traditionally done it, we don't have the fee specified in the ordinance, but we have a fee schedule.”

Ashley, board member, on board authority: “I think we could always add in, and it's never a bad idea to add in that this board has the authority to deny licenses.”

Procedure and unresolved items

Commissioners discussed but did not finalize: (1) whether a lapsed license should go to the next person on a waiting list or be subject to reapplication, (2) precise timelines after issuance for an existing facility to open (board members suggested 30–60 days as examples), (3) whether pouring/restaurant licenses should be added or left separate from package‑sales language, and (4) how sales tax from any new stores would be tracked in county accounts (staff will check Department of Revenue reporting categories).

Ending

Staff will return a cleaned and reformatted ordinance draft, propose explicit denial grounds and waiting‑list language, and present an application checklist and recommended departmental responsibilities (permitting, sheriff/code enforcement, clerk) at a follow‑up meeting scheduled for June. No final action on the ordinance was taken at the May 20 session.