County Sunday sales require update

County retailers who want to sell beer or wine by the package on Sundays must get their annual alcohol licenses updated by the county’s license & permits office before ringing up any sales on Sundays.

The Barrow County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday night approved an amendment to the county’s alcohol ordinance to accommodate voters’ passage of a countywide referendum allowing Sunday sales of beer and wine by the package.

The amended ordinance immediately requires retailers to get their calendar year 2012 alcohol-by-the-package licenses updated to include Sunday sales. Any doing so this month may sell on Sundays for the rest of 2011 as well.

Still uncertain is whether the BOC will add a Sunday sales fee for 2013 like it already charges restaurants serving alcohol by the drink on Sundays in unincorporated Barrow County. Winder’s city government does not require a Sunday-sales extension or fee for its alcohol licenses, which allow sales seven days a week.

Commissioner Larry Joe Wilburn noted that the county’s existing fee structure for alcohol licenses is confusing. The board authorized the county attorney to review and recommend an overall amendment to the entire alcohol ordinance and possibly to the fee structure.

The amendments for Sunday sales that were approved Tuesday night are effective immediately, which means that retailers with the Sunday sales provisions in their licenses may sell beer or wine by the package as soon as Dec. 18.