Toccoa Commission Handles ABC Issues At Meeting

The Toccoa City Commission makes a change to the city’s Alcohol Beverage Control ordinance.

Monday, city commissioners voted unanimously to change the ordinance to eliminate the limit on the number of beer and wine licenses that a single license holder could have.

The ordinance had previously limited it to two beer and wine licenses.

Supporters said the change is needed to allow a convenience store owner to own more than two stores in the city that sell beer and wine.

Toccoa City Attorney John Dickerson said the state requires a limit on how many distilled spirits licenses one person can have of two, but sets no such limit on beer and wine.

The city commission also voted unanimously to waive the second reading the of the ordinance change, allowing it to take effect immediately.

Meanwhile, the Toccoa City Commission also unanimously voted to renew the ABC licenses for the city for 2015 as presented by the city’s ABC board.

Toccoa City Clerk Fredda Wheeler said that list from the ABC board also clarifies that there are a few businesses that still have steps to take to make the renewal take effect.

Commissioners approved the renewals for all, but for some businesses, it was contingent on them appearing before the ABC board and meeting other requirements of the ordinance prior to December 31st.

Last week, the city’s Alcohol Beverage Control board told city commissioners that there were a few businesses that had applied for a license renewal, but did not appear before the ABC board as is required as part of the renewal process.

The ABC board has scheduled a meeting for later this week to provide those businesses with an opportunity to fulfill that requirement in order for their license renewal to take effect.