Ringgold lowers fee for alcohol pouring permits
The city of Ringgold has adjusted the fee attached to acquiring an alcoholic beverage pouring permit.
In late January, the City Council agreed to drop the fee for those renewing their alcohol pouring permit from $87 to $40. At the time, the initial permit fee was still to cost $87 due to the cost of a background check and fingerprinting of the applicant; however, the renewal cost became $47 cheaper due to the background check and fingerprinting having already been performed when the initial permit was applied for.
During the July 22 council meeting, Ringgold City Manager Dan Wright spoke about the fee process and explained that the city is now wanting to lessen the initial fee down to $40 and only charge the other $47 if fingerprinting is needed during the background check.
“Our ordinance says that we may fingerprint, not that we shall fingerprint each person that applies for a pouring permit,” City Manager Dan Wright said. “What I wanted to advise – instead of charging $87 for everybody that comes in, we wanted to reduce that amount down to just the renewal rate which is $40.”
Wright did say that fingerprinting may be required during the background process, but that that would be up to the police department administrators performing the check.
“In the event during the background (check) that the chief of police or whomever in the police department is running the background needs to fingerprint a person – then that person (applicant) would pay the cost of that charge, which is $47.”
The board unanimously approved the fee adjustment by a 4-0 vote.