Watkinsville wades slowly back toward liquor filled waters AGAIN

It's no small coincidence that Watkinsville voters will be green with envy on St. Patrick's Day March 17, 2015 of those who do not have to vote AGAIN for a distilled spirits referendum despite having passed it on the last General Election. 

For that be the day laddie that the voters will flock down to City Hall or the Board of Elections or possibly also the Government Annex to vote again on something that passed by a 2-to-1 margin in these very parts once again. 

The city attorney attempted to alleviate my concerns unsuccessfully, and the city council voted 5-0 to approve the special election March 17 with advance voting as well at the Board of Elections office.

Far be it from me to suggest someone on the city council make a motion to adopt that which already passed in the same contiguous county, and abide by the voters previous sentiments, and having to burden them to rubber stamp that which has already been decided, and please take concrete steps to make sure this level of incompetence is never, ever repeated again.

Green being the operative color for restaurant owners like Patrick Lang of Chops and Hops who will finally get an opportunity to purchase a license to pour liquor by the drink inside the city limit in his eatery. I do not the percentage of people who attend his restaurant to have a glass of beer or wine currently to go with the largely carnivore menu of this establishment, but I can't imagine an expensive  liquor license will do much more than cause it to break even at best.

Perhaps the price point of his new pet day care place cleverly titled Pawliday Inn located on a septic tank field at 48 Greensboro Highway. Really, we still have businesses in Watkinsville with septic systems? I thought we had sewers in this city. The new hairdresser Sarah Bull of the spa/salon Halo voiced her support of the new zoning variance request. Halo received its permit to do business at 10 S. Barnett Shoals Road.

Your author shared his concerns regarding the disposal of animal feces, to which I found out he has a septic system on that property.

I find it highly embarrassing and civically reprehensible that we have not extended the sewer lines to take care of the business and industry in Watkinsville, but I guess that is something the voters will have to contend with in their decision making process. 

Lang wants to model his business after Pawtropolis and basically be a place where animals are dropped off during the day with a few over night residents. It took a variance in the relatively recent Watkinsville zoning map to allow for boarding. 

The restaurant Girasoles received its renewal of its beer and wine license with Council member Mike Link once again actually voting against it this time. 

The Mayor Charles Ivie indicated that there will be a new pipe to help control the flooding behind the Virginia Wells Building in a project with the county that will cost $6,000.00 to the city coffers. 

The Georgia DOT has given conditional approval of the Streetscape II project. 

The municipal police department will get a new officer and vehicle. I hope one day they get a four wheeler too for big events like the Fall Festival and the parades. 

I got up and gave my two cents about a trash can full of crumbled bits of asphalt and to please come up with a better name for the project currently called the 9 Water Street Comfort Station. Council members Link, Huff and Campbell were sworn in at the beginning of the meeting.