THOMASVILLE — A Thomasville City Council action Monday placed a 30-day moratorium on a law the General Assembly approved in 2020.

The law, which recently came to city officials’ attention, allows delivery of alcoholic beverages by businesses holding a city alcoholic beverage license, including restaurants, convenience and grocery stores.

“It would simply be a temporary prohibition,” City Attorney Tim Sanders told the council before the unanimous vote.

The moratorium will provide time to learn more about how the statute works and what other Georgia cities are doing, Sanders said.

Council member David Hufstetler, who provided the second to Council member Wanda Warren’s moratorium motion, asked why the council is just learning about the law.

Sanders responded that as soon as he became aware of the statute, he brought it to the council’s attention.

Council members agreed that avenues for keeping Georgia city officials abreast of legislative action affecting cities have not done so with the beverage delivery law.

A handful of Georgia cities have addressed the law “in one way or another,” the city attorney said.

He said a business delivering alcoholic beverages must receive state approval of training of delivery personnel.

Sanders said he does not know if a business in unincorporated Thomas County could deliver to a location within Thomasville’s city limits if the business does not have a city license.

Prior to the vote, Tommy Patel, owner of several convenience stores, told council members he is concerned about home delivery of alcoholic beverages.

Regardless of what the council decides to do, “I want it to be an equal playing field,” Patel told council members.

At a workshop last week, the council discussed the possibility of a 60-day moratorium on beverage deliveries.

“There’s a lot of apps out there to accommodate this,” Patel said. 

 

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1820