Panel clears draft to remove numerical limit on liquor stores and sends it to full commission

The Trousdale County planning subcommittee approved forwarding a proposed ordinance to the full commission that would remove a numerical cap on the number of liquor stores or package stores operating within the old Hartsville city limits.

The chair said historical language in the county code appears to limit liquor stores to two inside the old city limits but that local memory and research differ on enforcement and past court actions. County staff member Rita told the subcommittee she could find the ordinance language but that there had been times in the past when three or four stores operated in the city; the transcript records the chair saying one store “actually went to court and sued the city in order to get theirs put in.” The proposed ordinance before the committee states, in part, that Trousdale County shall not impose a numerical limit on liquor/package stores and includes a compliance section requiring stores to comply with state licensing and other applicable laws.

The chair and staff discussed that the state, which issues liquor permits, remains the authority over permits and can refuse issuance if it finds regulatory noncompliance. The county attorney was consulted while drafting the proposed language, the chair said; the attorney recommended removing the numerical limit rather than litigating historical case law.

A motion to forward the proposed ordinance to the full commission passed with no recorded opposition. The chair said the draft is intended to “clean up” the county code and remove uncertainty about how past lawsuits or inconsistencies should be reflected in the current ordinance text.