Other business
1. The Hall County Board of Commissioners also discussed at its Monday work session the possibility of building a library on the site of the future North Hall park and community center.
Funds were reserved in the last special purpose local option sales tax for a North Hall library; commissioners are considering building the library to connect with the community center. The concept will be heard by the library board at a special called meeting at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
The North Hall park will be near the intersection of U.S. 129 and Nopone Road.
2. The commission considered alternative sewer rate structures for South Hall sewer customers. Currently, all users pay a flat rate of $42 per month. The county is looking to change the structure to combine a flat fee and a charge per usage to more equally recoup costs on the startup system.
3. Commissioner Bobby Banks recommended Jeff Benefield, pastor of Chestnut Mountain Church, to the Hall County Board of Tax Assessors. Banks is charged with filling the vacancy on the board that will be left when longtime assessor Terrell Gaines retires in March. The commission will vote on the appointment at 5 p.m. Thursday.
Melissa Weinman
Laurel Park’s first major fishing tournament is coming soon.
The American Bass Anglers Bassmaster Weekend Series will be March 13, and local businesses hope the attraction will provide a boost for their stores.
"We sell all the artificial bait and the live bait ... and so since we’re only three-tenths of a mile from the route, we hope it projects them toward us," said Amy Reems, owner of Happy Hooks Bait and Tackle. "We’re looking forward to it."
But before the fishing event can benefit local businesses, there’s one controversial issue to settle.
At the Hall County Board of Commissioners work session Monday, the Lake Lanier Convention & Visitors Bureau asked for a special alcoholic beverage and event permit for the tournament. Currently, ordinances do not allow alcohol in county parks.
Betsy Adams, chairwoman of the bureau’s board of directors, said alcoholic beverage manufacturers, like other sponsors of the tournament, want the ability to showcase their products at the event.
Adams said it’s important for Hall County to allow alcoholic beverages at the tournaments in order to stay competitive with other sites vying to host them.
"These tournaments go on in other areas," Adams said. "That’s what we’re hoping to do in order to bring these visitors into the area that will make a significant economic impact."
The permit would be a one-time permit that would go through Hall County’s Business License Office.
"It would be a Hall County business, someone who has already been cleared by the state of Georgia to handle alcoholic beverages. It wouldn’t just be somebody who came up and made an application. It would be someone like a caterer or a restaurant," Adams said.
Larry Poole, chairman of the Hall County Parks and Leisure Board, said though the board has not discussed the issue, he is personally against allowing alcohol at the fishing tournament because it will set a precedent for other events.
"It opens the door for requests for alcohol in any Hall County Parks and Leisure facility," Poole said.
Poole said while he fully supports the fishing tournament, he thinks adding alcohol into the mix will take away the family friendly atmosphere and could create safety issues for other park patrons.
"I don’t think we should do it," Poole said. "There’s no way to separate that venue from anybody that’s there to picnic or play with their kids or participate in any other activity in the park."
Commissioner Billy Powell said if the commission votes to allow a special alcoholic beverage permit, the county will have full power over when and how such permits are issued.
"This still gives us control and everything would go through Susan Rector and the business license department," Powell said. "Everybody is going to have to be qualified and have a catering and a pouring license so there’s a lot of controls that will be in place if we get this done."
Powell said the change will be important to ensure that Laurel Park is a desirable location for fishing tournaments.
"That’s a big investment in that mega ramp out there and I think in order to fully utilize it and get the full return on taxpayers’ dollars we’re going to need to be able to attract huge events like this," Powell said. "Sooner or later it’s going to come down to if we can’t have distilled spirits then somebody’s not going to come."
In April 2009, the commission voted to allow alcoholic beverage catering permits at the Clarks Bridge rowing venue, a popular site for wedding receptions and private events.
"In my opinion, all we’re doing is duplicating what’s in place at Clarks Bridge into the other facilities we have and it makes them a lot more marketable and usable and will bring in those tourist dollars," Powell said.
The commission will hold a public hearing and vote on the issue at its board meeting at 5 p.m. Thursday.