Oconee County, GA Politics

The lunch and dining choices for restaurant goers in Watkinsville expanded with the unanimous approval and addition of The Traveling Hobo Cafe at 20B Greensboro Highway. This is the former location of the Big Easy Cafe and several other restaurants as well as next door to Kiki's Bake shop. Watkinsville street department hard at work Amkee Ervin recently moved to Bishop from Savannah where they developed the concept for the burger based restaurant (Sliverado's Saloon and Kitchen in Savannah) that will be open for lunch and dinner here in Watkinsville very soon. They are hoping for an opening during the first week of September contingent upon health department inspection and approval, per the City Council approval. Mirko Giacomantonio, namesake and recently re-purchased ownership of the Town Center restaurant Mirko Pasta from David Weeks, appeared and received approval for a beer and wine license. He was unaware that Watkinsville voters had approved a liquor by the drin...

Luke Bishop asking for permission to expand The Watkinsville City Council met Wednesday evening at the Community Center with a few blossoming items on the agenda including a home Bud and Blooms flower arrangements business at 36 Harris Lane and the expansion of the Fastenal building owned by the Bishops down on Highway 15, but everyone's mind seemed to be on the overwhelmingly favorable vote to enact the distilled spirits referendum from the night before. Now how to go about enacting that bit of seismic shift in local restaurants being able to pour mixed drinks. As of the time of the meeting after the landslide election mandate, the restaurant Chops & Hops had yet to apply and pay the $1,000.00 application fee. Whether or not there will be a 75-to-25 ratio of food to drinks as in the county, or whether the fee will remain a $1,000.00 for the fee will be decided during the second reading of the proposed language for the ordinance. So far those are the Mayor's prefe...

Watkinsville restaurants such as Chops & Hops will now have the opportunity to compete with other area restaurants such as Cheddar's, where liquor by the drink has been successfully implemented for more than a few months now in greater Oconee County outside of the Watkinsville city limits. So far the only complaints I have heard are for the length of time it takes to get a seat at Cheddar's, and perhaps some whining from restaurant owners that have yet to pay the thousand dollar fee to pour liquor by the drink. The City of Watkinsville is expected to replicate that fee structure for a pouring license. The immediate reason that the March 2015 referendum passed at a ratio twice that of the County results from November 2014 (that included the municipality voters as well) is simply organization.  Postcards were sent, yard signs were made and planted in the yards of restaurants and homeowners, interviews were made, news stories filed, blogs were posted, newspapers were read,...

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...

Oconee County Observations: Challengers For Oconee County Board Of Commissione... : Incumbents Waiting On Input Oconee County voters will get a chance to vote on liquor by the drink if two of the challengers to incumbents ...