Gilmer County’s Board of Commissioners took up two matters in an attempt to help wineries and farmers recover during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.
Chairman Charlie Paris said given the shutdown and closing of businesses, the question has come up about how to help local businesses recover. Cutting back regulations has been part of the answer.
In respect to the local wineries, the idea is to allow wineries to serve Georgia made craft beer in their tasting rooms. No package sales or Sunday serving would be allowed for beer.
“That is something that has come up before and we have just never acted on,” Paris said.
Commissioner Karleen Ferguson said she thinks it is a great time to bring up the change.
“I love the fact that we are restricting it to Georgia craft beer,” she said.
Gary Engel, who owns Engelheim Vineyards, spoke to commissioners at their work session.
“What we are asking for in this particular case is the same thing that is allowed in every other county in the state,” he said.
It won’t equate to a lot of sales, but it will help with people who don’t like wine, but are joining others at a wine tasting. Engle said it would only be about three percent of sales.
“We are not bars, we don’t want to be,” he said.
It is important to do things the right way and maintain the reputation of the industry locally, he said.
“From a perspective of the state, with the number of wineries that are going in to Gilmer County, this county will soon be the most populated county with wineries south of Virginia,” Engle said.
Commissioners unanimously authorized advertising a change to the ordinance. It is the first step before a vote can take place.
Right to Farm
Gilmer commissioners agreed to endorse the “Right to Farm Act” in the legislature with a letter of support.
Paris said it came up in conversations about how to help local farmers.
“What it does is it makes it more difficult for people to, for example, buy some property, move in, decide they don’t like the smell of the chicken houses and file a lawsuit,” he said.
There are a lot of these lawsuits filed, but not won, he said. It cost farmers a lot to defend against these lawsuits he said.
New department head
Art Wlochowski was appointed as Code Enforcement Director for Gilmer County and will head the Code Enforcement and Regulatory Compliance department for the county.
“Art has put in his time and become very familiar with the job,” Paris said.
The appointment was made unanimously.