Council Ratifies Liquor License Revocation
The Council upheld its decision in regards to Randy's Liquor Store after the business sold alcohol to a minor.
Randy's Liquor Store at Roberts Road remains unable to sell alcohol following a decision Monday night by the Kennesaw City Council to ratify the revocation of the business' liquor license.
The Council unanimously voted to revoke the store's liquor license on May 7 as a result of the business selling alcohol to a minor. Owner Randy Ha was already under probation for a previous violation.
R. Scott Estes, an attorney representing Ha, proposed that instead of revocation, Ha's license be placed under suspension for a maximum of 45 days. During that time, Ha would voluntarily take an alcohol awareness course, purchase a new register which would require entry of birthday to process a transaction, card all entrants at the door to ensure no minors enter, and get rid of the store's television—the distraction Estes cited as the reason for the incident.
Mayor Mark Mathews entertained a motion to consider the request, but the Council upheld its decision to revoke the store's liquor license.
In other news, the Council also recognized 17 police and fire and emergency officials for their participation in the funeral procession of 1st Lt. Jonathan Walsh, a Kennesaw soldier killed in Afghanistan in April. The officers volunteered to ride in a motorcade, which also included more than 100 members of the Patriot Guard. The individuals were presented Certificates of Excellence and Appreciation by Mathews.
The Council also received a $6,000 gift from the coordinators of last year's Elf Trot Race for Faith 5k. The race, held in memory of a Kennesaw Mountain High School teen who died of brain cancer, raised funds for the Brain Tumor Foundation with 20 percent of the funds donated to the Kennesaw Development Authority.
The city also recognized the newly-founded Keep Kennesaw Beautiful initiative, which will join the other 1,200 Keep America Beautiful communities in an effort to organize educational efforts and service projects related to the environment.
Cobb Alcohol Taskforce
11:09 am on Wednesday, June 6, 2012
We appreciate Kennesaw City Council for their decision to hold businesses accountable to alcohol licensing and regulatory requirements. We would prefer to see all businesses comply with all alcohol sales laws, but sometimes revoking the alcohol license of a business that has sold alcohol to a minor while on probation for previous violation is needed to protect the quality of life for all citizens. Alcohol causes more harm for youth than all illegal drugs combined. It is incumbent on caring adults to use evidence-based strategies to reduce youth access to alcohol in our communities. Use of effective alcohol regulatory strategies, as this case exemplifies, supports the Cobb Alcohol Taskforce efforts to reduce underage drinking and its associated harms. Our hats off to the Kennesaw City Council.