Statesboro Council to mull regulation of minimum pricing for alcoholic beverages

The City of Statesboro has scheduled a work session for Tuesday, April 18 to discuss additional changes to the city’s alcohol ordinance.

The agenda published on the city website states that the council will contemplate altering the minimum sales price for alcoholic beverages to no less than $1.50 or below wholesale cost – up from the current restriction of no less than $1.00 or below wholesale cost.

Section 6-16 in the Statesboro Alcohol Ordinance currently states that it is unlawful for a business to offer free alcohol to any person and to “sell, offer to sell, or deliver to any person or group of persons any alcoholic beverage at a price less than $1.00 or less than wholesale cost.” $1.50 or less than wholesale cost would be a loosening of the current regulation.

The proposed changes also include striking the limitation to “sell two or more alcoholic beverages during any set period of time at a fixed price,” and replace the language with a prohibition of basing prices on gender, race, creed, color, or national origin.” Example: “Half of [x drink] for females before midnight.”

Finally, changes to 6-16-b(4) would amend how happy hours are conducted and when. Currently, businesses are not permitted to sell reduced-price beverages for a period of time after 11:00 p.m. The changes would permit up to three hour periods before 10:00 p.m. for the purposes of a “happy hour.” The requirement, however, is that the reduced price period must apply to every day of the week. 

Businesses would have to denote the use of happy hours on alcohol license applications and renewals and also post notices of the happy hours in a “conspicuous” location at the establishment.

The meeting is set for 4:30 p.m on Tuesday. in council chambers. The regular council meeting will immediately follow.

The council packet for the work session is below. If you are reading on a mobile device, click here to view the PDF.

http://bulloch.allongeorgia.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2017/04/Stateboro-Council_Work-Session-4.18.17.pdf