Council adopts TABC rules

By Randy Grider
randy@casscountynow.com

The Atlanta City Council approved a resolution adopting the Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission codes for beer and wine sales within the city limits at its Nov. 21 meeting.
The city council officially canvassed the Nov. 8 special election results including the passage of off-premise beer and wine sales, which were approved by a vote of 1,019 to 881.  
The TABC regulations specify hours of legal alcohol sales, distance from school and churches as well as permit fees.  
“We cannot be more strict or less strict than TABC statutes,” City Manager David Cockrell said. “We are just part of the process. Those wishing to sell beer and wine come for us to start the application process. The application has to be approved by TABC before we can issue a permit. So really we are the beginning part of the process and the end of the process.”
“On our end, we control zoning. For example, we will not sign an application to sell beer and wine to someone who is not in a commercial district. Some can’t just come and put up a drive-through to sell beer and wine in a residential area.”
According to TABC, qualified retail stores can sell off-premise beer and wine from 7 a.m. to midnight Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 1 a.m., and noon to midnight on Sundays. 
Stores must also be 300 feet from a church (measured front door to front door) and at least 1,000 feet from a school. Stores within 1,000 feet of a school can post a $10,000 bond and legally sell alcohol. Permits are $60.
“To my knowledge, using the way [TABC] taught us to measure, there is no established store that is within 300 feet of a church,” Cockrell said. 
He added that any church within the proximity of a store applying to sell alcohol has the right to file a protest with TABC.  
Once a store is approved by TABC , it usually takes between five and six weeks before that store starts selling alcohol. 
In other business, District 3 Councilman Randy Pennington, who was unopposed in the special election was sworn-in.