Cedartown commission sends ‘brunch bill’ to voters
Question will be on Nov. 2 ballot, along with municipal elections
Voters who live in the city of Cedartown will get to decide on more than just three city commission seats in November’s election.
The city commission unanimously approved a resolution at their meeting on July 12 to place a question on the Nov. 2 ballot asking voters to decide whether the city should allow restaurants to serve alcohol as early as 11 a.m. on Sundays.
As the law stands now, those who wish to imbibe must wait until 12:30 p.m. If approved, restaurants with pouring permits would be able to serve alcoholic drinks as early as 11 a.m. on Sundays. The current start-time is 12:30 p.m. The vote would not affect package sales.
“There have been requests by restaurants and residents that the commission would consider at least a referendum,” City Manager Edward Guzman said.
Commonly referred to as the “brunch bill,” the Georgia General Assembly passed a law in 2018 that allows communities to decide for themselves if they’ll allow alcohol to be served with brunch on Sundays.
Once the results of the voting are determined by the Polk County Board of Elections and Registration, the city would either take action and amend the alcohol
ordinance if it passes, or leave it alone if it does not.
Both Rome and Hiram have passed and adopted the earlier serving time in recent years. It is unclear how many Cedartown restaurants would take advantage of the new ordinance if it is approved.
In other business, the commission also approved the conditional use requests for two new businesses set to open along the Main Street corridor in downtown Cedartown.
One is for a new auto repair shop operated by Janeira Orellana at 631 S. Main St., while the other is for an indoor axe throwing venue operated by Kristina and Mark Richardson at 411 and 413 Main St. Both received recommendation for approval from the city’s citizen-led planning commission.
Two upcoming events were
also given preliminary approval by the city commission.
The Cedartown High School Gridiron Club requested the closure of a section of Prior Street where it intersects with Main Street on Aug. 12 from 6-9 p.m. for a community pep rally. The event will also utilize Holloway Park just in front of Polk County Courthouse No. 2.
Also, Life Matters Outreach requested use of the Cedartown Welcome Center for its 5K/1-mile Fun Walk fundraiser on Oct. 9. The race will take place on the Silver Comet Trail and go from the welcome center east to Kimoto Tech and back.
The meeting also included a moment to recognize the retirement of Cedartown police officer Teress Henderson. Henderson spent 15 years with the department and was lauded by city and agency officials for her hard work and dedication.
She was presented with a handmade wood swing by the city in celebration of her retirement.