Jones County work session debates draft package-store ordinance; fees, ownership limits and signage get most attention

Jones County officials used an April 15 work session to review a draft ordinance that would set local rules for package-store (distilled spirits) licenses, focusing on signage limits, how many licenses the county should allow, ownership caps, fees and timelines for new construction.

Mister Resnick, county official, opened the discussion by saying “there's a lot that's laid out in state law and in state regulation, that that governs how package stores operate,” and asked staff to clarify what the county could change and what state law controls.

The county’s staff member Ashley went through state code highlights, telling the group that state law allows licensed retail dealers to display unilluminated building-mounted signs and that “Letter height may not exceed 8 inches.” Ashley and other staff flagged OCGA code sections the draft references and recommended the county adopt local provisions only where state law allows additional restrictions.

Signage was a key point of debate. Board member Mister Kitchen said he did not like freestanding signs, adding “I don't like freestanding signs. I think that if you can move them around, that's just not a good problem to me.” Staff and board members agreed to remove the draft language that would permit illuminated signage and to avoid provisions that conflict with OCGA 3-4-3. They also discussed striking a requirement for “channel type letters” because state law requires only that signs be flat against the building and below the roof line.

Board members discussed limits on the number of county licenses and ownership concentration. The draft sets a county cap of four package-store licenses. The group agreed to a stricter local rule than the state regarding ownership: no person, group or entity with similar members (including family members) may hold an interest in more than one county-issued license for package sales of distilled spirits.

On fees and renewals, the board debated the initial licensing fee and the renewal amount. After discussion and a tie-breaking remark from John, the group settled on a $5,000 initial licensing fee and a $5,000 renewal fee.

The work session also covered operational and permitting issues for applicants. Participants said the county should require a minimum building size (the board referenced a 1,000-square-foot minimum previously discussed), confirm zoning and inspections before a license issues, and require that new-construction licenses become operational within a set time window. Staff and members discussed 60–120 days and a longer 12-month window; the board leaned toward requiring new-construction licensees to be operational within 12 months, with progress milestones and permit activity used to prevent applicants from “sitting on” licenses.

Other discussion points included state bond requirements for distilled spirit licenses (OCGA 3-4-22), statutory proximity restrictions to other stores and to sensitive sites, and restrictions on on-site consumption and tastings (not allowed under state law). The county noted state law limits some local choices (for example, minimum distance rules and publication/public-notice requirements under OCGA 3-4-27) and that local rules may be stricter but not more permissive than state law.

The board also addressed operating hours and ancillary rules. There was no final adopted schedule: some members supported an 8 a.m. opening and 8 p.m. closing on most days (with discussion of later hours on Fridays and Saturdays), while others said many existing stores in neighboring jurisdictions operate later. The board agreed to prohibit drive-through liquor sales.

Several items were left for staff follow-up: (1) finalize signage language to align with OCGA 3-4-3, (2) confirm the county’s permitting timeline with the county permitting office (Tim's office) and whether a 12-month operational deadline is feasible, (3) document the bond requirements per OCGA 3-4-22 and public-notice steps per OCGA 3-4-27, and (4) draft distance/proximity language to avoid unintended clustering of the first four licenses.

The meeting closed after the board recessed; a motion to adjourn the work session was made later in the meeting and seconded.

Ending note: The work session produced several policy directions and tentative agreements but left multiple ordinance specifics for the next work session and for staff to confirm against state statute and county permitting timelines.