Chattanooga has just implemented a new online system for business owners to apply for a permit to sell beer. The new application process is welcomed by the nine members of the Chattanooga Beer Board who volunteer their time. Many lengthy meetings take place with few beer license applications being approved due to the business owners not having all the required inspections or documentation that is required by the city. Assistant City Attorney Melinda Foster told multiple applicants at the Thursday morning meeting of the beer board that permits cannot be approved contingent upon receiving information later.
On Thursday, just two out of six applicants were prepared with all that is needed to receive a permit to sell or serve beer. The owner of Menlo Park Neighborhood Grocery Store, 3630 Ridgeside Road, had not passed fire and building inspections and the business’ LLC was inactive.
The new restaurant Cherry Street Tavern, had no land line telephone, which is required by the city so the location can be identified by 911. One of the owners of Fuji Steak & Sushi, 5437 Highway 153, had not provided proof of citizenship and documentation of a background check. And Sonesta Select Chattanooga, 2210 Bams Dr., which has bought the former Courtyard by Marriott, had not passed the final building or fire inspections. Each of these applications had to be rescheduled to the next board meeting on Jan. 21.
The new online application process will make sure that all the needed information has been provided before the business owner is scheduled to be at a beer board meeting. As it is filled out, the application cannot move forward to completion if required information has not been supplied.
Just two businesses out of six applications were approved for beer sales on Thursday. Two Ten Jack, 1110 Market Street Suite FC4, located in Warehouse Row, described as a “Japanese inspired neighborhood pub” is an existing restaurant. Because of an ownership change, the new beer permit was needed.
Harry’s #43, 3637 Hixson Pike near Ashland Terrace was formerly a Mapco convenience store. One of the new owners, Saurin Patel, told the board that IDs would be checked with a new point of sale system that will require all employees to enter a date of birth before a sale can be processed. Board member Trevor Atchley encouraged the owner to monitor employees and audit transactions to ensure that fictitious dates are not used.
The beer board members also serve as the Chattanooga Wrecker Board. On Thursday morning, Chattanooga Police Officer John Collins, who is also the wrecker inspector, brought Gudel’s Wrecker Service to the board over multiple issues involving towing cancellations. A wrecker permit holder that is on the city’s towing rotation list “must maintain an operable and properly equipped wrecker and qualified operator on duty at all times to promptly respond to police calls.”
Officer Collins said he receives a list of cancellations from 911 dispatchers ever month. They are categorized as “no fault” if the city cancels the tow, and as “fault” if the responsibility of the cancellation is due to the towing company. Officer Collins listed five incidents in a three-month period that a tow was not available from Gudels’s Wrecker Service when city dispatchers called. The owner, Helen Keef, told the board that the business was 41 years old and has had no prior violations since it has been on the rotation list. She disputed some of the cancellations, saying they had been made by the city, and she admitted a couple were the fault of her company. In one incident, the driver lost a key to the fenced lot at 4 a.m. and did not call the owner. She said, “It’s hard to find good employees,” but now a new driver has been hired for night calls. She said she guaranteed no calls will be missed and pleaded to stay on the rotation.
Attorney Foster said that even though Ms. Keef admitted to just some of the charges and others are questionable, the only choice provided for in the city’s wrecker code is an automatic sanction of taking a company off the rotation list for 30 days if they are found in violation.
Feeling that removal from the rotation list for a month would be a big loss for a small business, and too harsh a punishment, and with no lesser penalty available, Board Members Vince Butler, Christopher Keene, Bill Glascock and Ron Smith voted to dismiss charges with three votes in favor. The motion failed because five votes out of the nine-member board are needed to carry a motion. A second vote to suspend the company for 30 days also failed to pass. The decision was postponed until the Jan. 21 meeting when more members will be present.
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January 08, 2021 at 07:12AM
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New Online Permitting Process Should Streamline Beer Board Meetings - The Chattanoogan
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