Rome's Alcohol Control Commission cleared the way Monday for beer and wine to be served at The Dock, a restaurant near the South Broad Street bridge.
“Before we get wrapped up in another controversial issue, this is a good time to look at our ordinance and see what needs to be done,” said City Commissioner Jamie Doss, who chairs the ACC. “We can’t change the rules once we’re looking at some sort of violation.”
The ACC recommended on Monday loosening restrictions on who can hold an alcohol serving permits. Discussion of the food-to-drink ratio and the types of entertainment allowed in pouring establishments are expected in April.
Under the current ordinance, a person on probation for any felony is ineligible to hold a serving permit. ACC members, however, have been moved by several individual pleas for leniency.
In the most recent case, a woman on probation for an offense seven years ago had a chance for promotion at the restaurant where she worked — if she could get a serving permit.
Her manager accompanied her before the ACC, but the board had no option because there is no provision for appeal.
The recommendation to eliminate that restriction will go to the City Commission for a first reading on April 5.
“They did their time. They paid their dues. Let them get on with their lives,” ACC member George Kastanias said.
Restrictions against applicants with felony convictions in the past three years, or violent felonies in the past 10 years, would still stand.
Also on Monday, the ACC OK’d a beer and wine pouring license for The Dock, a barbecue restaurant near the South Broad Street bridge at 1 Broad St.
Licensee Felicia Maner said the owner, Aline Conway, also is considering an entertainment license so she can offer live band entertainment in the outside deck.
At its April 26 meeting, the ACC plans to consider possible changes to the city’s required 50-50 food-to-drink ratio for establishments that serve alcohol on Sundays or liquor on any day.
City Commissioner Bill Collins asked Doss to initiate a discussion, saying some businesses are struggling to meet the standard.
The entertainment ordinance also will be revisited.
I can't begin to tell you how mant recent stories have been about people committing crimes while on probation. It's usually the last sentence in the story that mentions the suspect being also held for probation violation.
Also, please understand that no one with any common sense would suggest a person on probation shouldn't be allowed to work. If that were the case, they'd almost have to resort to crime, just to buy cigarettes or put gas in the car.
No, we're not trying to keep probationers unemployeed, we're only trying to keep them from being in a position to break their probation.
Suppose a person commits a crime while drunk, a common event these days, for example. A condition of their probation might be to keep away from alcoholic beverages. Now, how much more difficult could that be than if they are working, serving alcoholic beverages.
Think, people! Mostly, we'd like to rehabilitate people who break the law. But, we need help with that effort.
In particular, from public officials.
Didn't we go through this same thing a couple of years ago with Jefferson's?