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Milton wrestles with alcohol code By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com MILTON, Ga. — City staff brought more decision points regarding alcohol restrictions to the table at the Oct. 10 Milton City Council work session. City Manager Steve Krokoff asked councilmembers for more feedback on craft beer and wine markets, small catered events and specific licenses. In addition to alcohol licensing, the council parsed zoning issues for consistency related to alcohol. The City Council is set to vote on these matters at the Oct. 17 City Council meeting. Several residents spoke during the public comment portion of a special called City Council meeting, prior to the work session. Billy Allen, owner of the self-named Crabapple restaurant and piano bar, once again pleaded on behalf of his business investment. “I’m not standing here crying,” Allen said. “I’m standing here confused, drastically confused as to how a city government can do whatever they want.” Allen was given an exception last year that allotted him a limited food service license with operating hours until 2 a.m. At the Oct. 3 City Council meeting, the Planning Commission recommended that the license be discontinued. A few of Allen’s supporters also stood at the podium, advocating on his behalf. Councilwoman Carol Cookerly addressed Allen and his supporters before meeting adjournment to assuage fear over the Oct. 17 vote. “I don’t know of any movement to
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Cities, county in stalemate over sales tax By ALEXANDER POPP alex@appenmedia.com
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Billy Allen appears before the City Council Oct. 10 to advocate on behalf of his local restaurant and piano bar. Allen attended the Oct. 3 City Council meeting along with dozens of his supporters donnint the same pink T-shirt that read, “Keep local music in Crabapple.” shut [Billy Allen’s] down,” Cookerly said. “I really want you to have a peace of mind.” Sunday sales and small events In Milton, businesses that sell alcoholic beverages by the drink must derive 50 percent of their sales from food in order to have a Sunday sales license. A craft beer and/or wine market are retail establishments that permit limited on-
premise consumption Monday through Friday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m., with no opportunity for on-site Sunday sales and consumption. Krokoff’s question to council is whether qualifying markets should be allowed to apply for such a license. The City Council swiftly agreed that those establishments should be able to apply for
See ALCOHOL, Page 16
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Negotiations over distribution of the countywide local option sales tax appear to have reached an impasse. Fulton County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts indicated that the county isn’t prepared to budge on its drive for a greater share of the pie following a second round of negotiations with cities Oct. 7 in Atlanta. Representatives the 15 cities met with county officials at the Georgia Municipal Association offices for the second time to haggle over how an estimated $3 billion in sales tax revenue will be distributed over the next 10 years. Every decade, the county and its cities renegotiate how money collected from LOST is distributed. Over the past 10 years, the pot has generally been apportioned based on each city’s population, while the county has kept about 5 percent for administrative fees. And even though the two parties were once again unable to reach an
See TAX, Page 12
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