Charlotte starts process for licensing liquor stores with vote on ordinance tonight

The Charlotte Town Council takes the first step in creating the process for liquor stores tonight. The council is slated to cast its first vote on a proposed ordinance establishing restrictions for retail stores after the voters approved package sales in a November referendum. Attorney Kirk Vandivort has been preparing the ordinance that could include requirements for distance from churches and schools, restrictions on locations and even a maximum number of stores to be allowed. The council also must approve the application process, establishing fees, taxes and other revenue sources that prompted town leaders to push the issue onto the ballot after it failed in 2010. Much of the application process is established by the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission, which regulates the sale of liquor, but the first steps of the process are on the town level, requiring applicants to have certificates of compliance before filing a state application. Still to be determined is whether the town’s lack of a municipal police department could impact its ability to have liquor sales, as required by ABC rules. The Charlotte Town Council meets at 7:00 tonight in town hall on the square. The liquor store ordinance is expected to face a second and final vote next month and town officials said they anticipate beginning to accept applications as early as March.