A new procedure that was meant to streamline the process for businesses to get a beer license is instead making it more difficult. The forms filled out by applicants as well as documentation of inspections by the Chattanooga Fire Department, the Department of Agriculture and the city’s building inspector along with other records involved with the process now must all be uploaded to opengov.com, an online system.
At the Thursday morning meeting of the Chattanooga Beer Board two out of three businesses applying for licenses to sell or manufacture beer were having problems with the application process, resulting in not being able to access the information on the system.
Edward Williams, Sr., owner of Mr. Ed’s Mini Mart, 2601 Harrison Pike, was applying for a carry-out beer permit. He told the board that the business had passed all inspections. Because the applicant is responsible for uploading all documents, Mr. Williams’ assistant had been given the approved health permit from the Agriculture Department after passing the final inspection. Despite uploading it to opengov.com it was not there. After the meeting was paused for officials to help upload the information, it still was unavailable online.
The board approved the application for Mr. Ed’s to sell carry-out beer subject to the agricultural department permit being in the system. The actual permit will not be available to pick up until the system recognizes the information that has been uploaded multiple times. This mini mart will be open from 10 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. week days and from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Cherry Street Family LLC received a manufacturer/distributor beer license at the Dec. 2 beer board meeting in order for the four-week brewing process to get started. The new brewery, Cherry Street Brewing at 300 Cherokee Blvd., Suite 101-102, is the former location of Heaven and Ale. The space has been remodeled and a kitchen has been added. The business passed the fire inspection - the last thing needed before applying for their consumer/carryout beer license. But it was missing from the opengov.com website because the actual fire approval permit had not been given to the owner who then could not upload it into the system. The beer board approved the beer permit based on Fire Captain William Jackson’s verbal statement that it had been approved. The actual permit will be available once it shows up in the opengov.com system.
This business in based out of Atlanta and the new location in Chattanooga is its third expansion. That will allow a larger distribution in Georgia and Tennessee, said Alisa Tanner, co-owner.
A third applicant Chaudry Ali, for his store Rogers Super Market, 1400 E. Main St., could not be considered on Thursday because a second form of proof of citizenship must be provided to get a beer license. His application was passed to the Jan. 6 meeting.
A meeting with wrecker companies to discuss possible changes to the way they are regulated has been scheduled for the Beer Board/Wrecker Board meeting on Jan. 20. Topics expected to be discussed are having one storage lot for all companies rather than individual lots for each company. Among other things, there will also be a discussion of rates that the businesses are allowed to charge. Officer Phillip Moser, the city’s new wrecker inspector, will send emails to notify all the wrecker companies of the meeting. The multiple companies will be asked to choose a set number of representatives to speak for the industry. One hour at the beginning of the meeting starting at 9 a.m. will be devoted to the wrecker business.