Macon-Bibb Commission 11/1/22

Alcohol license denials dominated discussion during the Macon-Bibb County Commission Committee of the Whole as two stores appealed to commissioners. The county outlawed alcohol licenses for so-called vice marts, or stores that do not sell five types of fresh foods or fuel. Bill Larsen, attorney for the stores, said recent inspections his paralegal conducted showed *Reliance Food Store at 3590 Napier Avenue was complying. (*Some of the following tweets incorrectly spelled the store name as Reliant.) Larsen also argued the Jaya Food & Gas at 1803 Pio Nono Ave. should be grandfathered in for a license despite the store being within 300 feet from a school. Larsen said the business owner thought the store was licensed when he purchased it, as there had been a license issued before Cirrus Academy opened in the old Hamilton Elementary. Commissioners also held a lengthy discussion over street light applications and went into an executive session before their regular session. Commissioners Virgil Watkins asked why an executive session was necessary to discuss school zone speed cameras, but County Attorney Duke Groover said there is pending legal action. Here are the highlights as presented through tweets sent during the meetings.