Alcohol district vote is tonight
The City Commission is slated to debate the idea of establishing an open-consumption area downtown.
Nine residents, representing a range of viewpoints, have signed up to speak at the Rome City Commission meeting tonight.
The board is slated to consider an ordinance that would establish an open-consumption alcohol district downtown. No public hearing is scheduled before the vote, but time is set aside for citizen comments at the start of each meeting.
Commissioners caucus at 5 p.m. and begin their business meeting at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall, 601 Broad St. Both sessions are open to the public.
Steven McDowell, who chairs the Downtown Development Authority, is first on the list of speakers.
The DDA favors the district as an economic boost and as a way to attract young people.
If adopted, patrons of local restaurants would be able to carry a to-go cup of alcohol as they browse the shops on Broad Street, relax at the Town Green or Bridgepoint Plaza, or stroll across the Chief John Ross Memorial Bridge to the River District on West Third Street.
Open consumption would be allowed from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and from 12:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Sundays.
Another of the scheduled speakers is the Rev. David Harper, who chairs Shorter University’s board of trustees. The school’s director of student health services, Mary Shotwell Smith, was among those who talked to the Alcohol Control Commission about the potentially harmful effect on teens and students.
The ACC took public input for six months before sending a draft ordinance to the city commission for consideration. The document is modeled on open container district regulations adopted in Alpharetta, Dalton, Acworth and Roswell.
Other residents on the list include Hilda Pierce, Clemontene Slack, Mike Britton, Jerry Rucker, Jarrod Roberts, Mike Brown and Dolly and James Babb.
There also are nine city commissioners, who are expected to present their personal viewpoints before the vote — although Commissioner Sue Lee has a broken foot and it’s unclear if she’ll make it to the meeting.
Lee and Mayor Jamie Doss have said they oppose the proposed ordinance, and Commissioner Milton Slack expressed doubts as a member of the ACC. Commissioner Wendy Davis, who chairs the ACC, has emphasized the benefits claimed by officials in nearby open-consumption cities — and there are a number of other pro-business commissioners on the board.
No other major actions are on the agenda for tonight.