Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Local Government Ordinance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council adopts ordinance restricting new specialty retail "vape" and "vice" shops
Summary
The Milledgeville City Council adopted Ordinance O-2605-16 on second reading to restrict the establishment, transfer or relocation of certain specialty retail businesses (including vape shops and vice marts); a council member said definitions exclude traditional grocery stores and allayed food-desert concerns.
The Milledgeville City Council on May 20 adopted Ordinance O-2605-16, a second-reading ordinance amending Chapter 22 to add Section 22-157 that regulates the establishment and transfer of certain specialty retail businesses, including vape shops and vice marts.
Doctor Wills, a council member, said he had been worried the measure might “restrict or create food deserts in certain parts of the city,” but he noted the ordinance’s definition of “food mart” “does not include traditional grocery stores, supermarkets, or full-service grocery retailers,” which he said allayed his concern. The ordinance, as read by the clerk, also includes enforcement and penalties for violations.
The ordinance was moved, seconded and approved by roll call. The clerk recorded Aye votes from members present, and the council declared the measure adopted after the vote.
The ordinance’s sponsors and the city attorney prepared the draft language and the council discussed it during the preceding work session; the mayor pro tem and staff invited any additional revisions to be submitted to the city manager or city attorney before the second reading was finalized.
The council did not specify implementation steps in the meeting beyond adoption; council members said staff would handle notice and enforcement details as spelled out in the ordinance.
