Jones County reviews draft ordinance to allow distilled-spirits package sales, sets zones and limits

Jones County commissioners and staff on April 21 reviewed a draft ordinance to amend Chapter 6 of the county code that would permit package sales of distilled spirits in specified commercial zones.

At the work session, staff presenter Mr. Resnner reviewed the draft and traced the county's existing pouring-license language for beer and wine to provisions adopted in the late 1970s, noting distilled spirits are not currently covered. He summarized several proposed edits: a new grounds-for-denial clause for licenses not used within a required timeframe; express board authority to deny or revoke licenses; permanent-sign requirements for distilled-spirits point-of-sale; and changes to sales-hours language that currently contains contradictions about Sunday sales.

Why it matters: The ordinance would change where and when hard alcohol can be sold in Jones County and sets a local permitting regime that interacts with state licensing requirements. Commissioners said the local rules must be precise to avoid enforcement confusion and to reflect community preferences about proximity to churches, schools and other sensitive sites.

Key decisions under discussion

- License counts and sequencing: The draft contemplates four total distilled-spirits licenses countywide, with up to two of the four potentially issued before construction or renovation is finished. Commissioners discussed allowing two licenses to be issued for projects prior to building completion but asked staff to clarify language to include both 'construction' and 'remodel/renovation' so applicants remodeling an existing building are treated consistently. The group generally favored starting with four permits while designating multiple allowed zones and revisiting counts later.

- Zones versus permits: Staff presented a map of C2 commercial parcels and proposed defining multiple geographic "bubbles" or rectangular zones where package stores could be allowed to avoid concentrating all licenses in one neighborhood. Commissioners discussed naming eight allowable zones (covering corridors such as Gray Highway, Joy Cliff/129, 49, 18, Haddock, and an Upper River Road area) but limiting issuance initially to four licenses (effectively one per zone as they are taken). Several commissioners supported eight designated zones with a cap of four active permits to balance access and anti-clustering.

- Time to become operational: The draft left blank the number of days an awarded license must begin operations before it is forfeited. Commissioners broadly supported allowing up to 12 months for new construction and discussed giving a similar period for remodels, noting supply-chain and renovation delays.

- Sunday sales and hours: The ordinance contains inconsistent language about Sunday sales windows and whether holders of beer-and-wine licenses may operate while package stores carrying distilled spirits must remain closed on Sundays. Commissioners asked staff to remove contradictory lines and make clear whether beer-and-wine holders and package-store (distilled-spirits) licenses are treated differently on Sundays to prevent policing problems.

- Buffers from schools, churches, cemeteries and funeral homes: Commissioners reviewed state references (noting a 100-yard measure for some school restrictions and 300 feet mentioned for churches) and several elected officials proposed a larger local buffer (discussed around 1,000 feet) for schools and similar locations. Staff warned that increasing the buffer would shrink eligible parcels and could remove some of the proposed zones.

- Conditional-use permitting and licensing sequence: The commission debated whether an applicant must secure conditional-use (zoning) approval before a county distilled-spirits license is issued. Commissioners generally favored requiring zoning/conditional-use approval first so limited licenses are not tied up by applications for locations the board would ultimately disapprove. Staff explained that rezoning or conditional-use timelines (45'to'60 days) and state licensing rules affect how portable a license is and that local and state portability rules differ by license type.

Public comment and next steps

Commissioners acknowledged receipt of an emailed public comment on the draft and discussed signage/anti-clustering language included in the draft. Staff said the ordinance could be prepared for a first reading at the first May meeting and a second reading at the second May meeting, with local code stating ordinances take effect 10 days after approval on two readings. Commissioners asked staff to: clarify the Sunday-sales language; insert consistent wording for construction and remodel timelines; specify the operational deadline (days to open) after grant of a license; reconcile buffer distances with state references; and confirm whether conditional-use approval must precede a license application.

No final vote on the ordinance occurred at the session. The work session concluded with a motion to adjourn.

Sources: Work-session discussion and staff presentation at the Jones County Board of Commissioners work session, April 21, 2026.