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Reports of alcohol at festival
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The fall festival held annually in Dawsonville may be called the Mountain Moonshine Festival, but that doesn’t mean local laws on alcohol don’t apply during the celebration.

  

At a Nov. 1 meeting, Dawsonville officials discussed incidents reported last weekend that may force them to hire enforcement help.

  

At a restaurant in the city limits, Mayor Joe Lane Cox said he witnessed “bands playing music on the back of a truck, who stayed till later than midnight. People dancing out in the parking lot, toting long-neck bottles around and drinking in the parking lot.”

  

Added Cox: “All that’s a no-no.”

  

Cox said city rules allow the council to give authority for a special occasion, to rope off a certain area, “but you still can’t drink outside.”

  

Additional reports included employees of a business “who bought beer at the liquor store, carried it out and resold it,” Cox said. “You’re not allowed to do that.”

  

The mayor said the best solution is to “get somebody to get these people’s attention.”

  

He proposed talking with Dawson County law enforcement to see if they could lend a hand.

  

City Councilman James Grogan, however, was cautious.

  

“I don’t want to keep giving the county too much responsibility for city business,” Grogan said. “It looks like we’re giving our town away, and I’m fearful of that and what the perception might be with citizens.”

  

A city attorney, Kevin Tallant, said the council would need to look at the matter more closely.

  

“What it really boils down to is whether or not what we’re talking about empowers city officials to be able to do all this,” Tallant said. “There would be training necessary.”

  

No action was taken, but the city could further discuss the matter at the December city council meeting.