GRAY CITY COUNCIL
The question of alcohol consumption in the city limits of Gray appears to raise the attention of citizens and puts council members on notice of the impact of their decision.
The March 6 meeting was called to order by Mayor Ed Barbee, and the ordinances addressing alcohol consumption were the first items of business on the agenda.
All council members were in attendance with the exception of Councilman Benny Gray.
The second reading of the ordinance that would allow public consumption of alcohol at city-sponsored events was the first up. The ordinance is two-anda- half pages long, but it boils down to allowing the public to purchase a cup specially designated for the purpose of use at an approved event. The cup could be filled with an alcoholic beverage and carried around the designated area of the event.
The alcohol allowed at the events would be beer and wine only, and the purchase of the cups would be a fundraiser for Main Street Gray.
The ordinance prohibits the cups containing alcohol being carried anywhere other than the designated area of the council-approved event. The events allowing the alcohol consumption would be approved by city council on a case-by-case basis.
Councilman Terrell Fulford made the motion to approve the ordinance, and the vote to approve the motion was unanimous.
Item two on the agenda dealt with alcohol consumption within an Arts and Entertainment District in the city, which does not exist. The idea of the district did not come to fruition, and that made the agenda item a moot point.
No motion was made for or against the ordinance.
The discussion of the first ordinance started with questions from the city council. Councilman Terry Favors asked the definition of a city-sponsored event. Main Street Gray Director Ashley Roberson said it would be a festival or entertainment event open to the public, usually held in the Downtown District of Gray, that had been approved by council members.
The director went on to explain that the alcohol sales would not start until the later in the day, following the children’s events.
Barbee opened the discussion to the public. He said those for and against the ordinance could have three people speak who would each have two minutes.
The mayor asked for anyone who wanted to speak for the ordinances to come forward, and no one responded. He then asked for those against, and James Nobles was the first.
Nobles said he was against the ordinance and asked what good it would do. He said Gray is a family- oriented town, not a party town. The speaker talked about having an office in Buckhead and the effect an Entertainment District had there.
Donnie Melton said the draw to Gray is that it is a family-oriented town. He said alcohol is not family friendly and asked what it will open the door to. Melton said the ordinance would be detrimental to the growth of the town.
Danny Mundy said the City of Gray had passed an ordinance to prevent alcohol in the city, and this new ordinance would reverse it.
“Adding alcohol will not make a festival better. I’ve never seen anything good come out of alcohol,” he said.
The only item of New Business was to ratify authorization for the mayor to sign a letter to GEFA requesting a loan modification and to the project schedule for the Wolf Creek WPCP Upgrade.
The letter requesting the changes explained that the bids for the project came in over budget, and a 10 percent increase in the loan amount is needed. The contractor has experienced significant delays due to the presence of rock and inclement weather.
If approved, the new completion date for the project would be March 1, 2024.
Fulford made the motion for to authorize the mayor’s signature, and the motion was approved unanimously.
With no more business and no public comments, the meeting was adjourned. The next meeting of the City of Gray Mayor and Council is the All Committees meeting March 20.
