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By Joshua Windus

The Cordele City Commission met on June 17. Sonya Alexander, finance director, gave the sales tax collection for the month of May at $429,226.70.

Michelle Murray, owner of Michelle’s Bar at 908 16^th Avenue East, addressed the Commission with concerns about ordinance number 2024-03.

A requirement of the ordinance is for bars to have outside security. When she found out about the requirement for security outside the bar, she hired off-duty police officers. Finances then became an issue. “We can’t afford it.”

However, one of her own employees is a post certified DOC. “But he’s Department of Corrections verses law enforcement. The only difference is, he can’t arrest.”

Murray wanted to be able to use her own security instead of continuing to hire off-duty officers. She also said that people were scared of coming to her bar with the police there.

She asked if she could use her own security or at least have the required hours for hiring off-duty police restricted to peak times, giving after 10:30 p.m. as an example.

Chair Joshua Deriso stated that he was against the policy being so strict.

The Commission also discussed food trucks. Walmart had invited the food truck, Shell’s Seafood. Deriso said there were rumors that officers went and got food at Shell’s, before preceding to shut it down.

City Manager Angela Redding gave the food truck approval process. “They are required to come in and complete the paperwork for food trucks. They are supposed to have a permit and when they are setting up in the City, even if it’s on private property, they come in, they bring a letter, in this case it would have been a letter from Walmart.” She said that Shells did not complete paperwork or come in for a permit.

Deriso commented. “I would desperately like to change that.” Deriso reasoned that if the food truck was invited by a company, responsibility should be shifted to the business inviting them. He also proposed fines as an alternative to shut downs. “I think we can get our money one way or another.”

He addressed stories about the officers who shut the food truck down. “From what I’ve heard from several accounts, they bought food from the place, and then they was like, you got to go.”

Chief Jalon Heard commented. “I’ll definitely address that and find out if that’s the case.”

Redding said the officers were unaware of what was going on when they were getting their food. “Once they were made aware, they were already there, and that’s when, you know, they told them they had to close down.”

Commissioner Isaac Owens recalled a property owner calling after a food truck parked without permission, giving an example of a potential issue if food truck liability fell on the host business.

Deriso suggested they get more feedback from food truck owners.