Alcohol sales license suspended for 90 days
Those who like to buy alcohol on the way home will need to pass by the Easy Trip No. 3 Citgo gas station at 1205 West Ave. for three months. The Cartersville City Council unanimously voted during its meeting Thursday to suspend the store’s alcohol sales license for 90 days.
The decision came after a store clerk sold alcohol to someone under 21 years old in a Cartersville Police Department sting operation last November. The primary reason for the sales license suspension was that the store owner, Muhammad Chishti, didn’t show up when his case was heard by the Alcohol Control Board. Mayor Matt Santini said there wasn’t an excuse for failing to show and stressed that it wasted the time of police officers and board members prepared to handle the case.
“I’m not the kind to not show up,” Chishti said.
“Well, it’s been shown that you are because you didn’t,” Santini responded.
The council upheld other penalties approved by the alcohol board. Penalties were the strictest the board could issue under city ordinances and include a $1,000 fine each of for two violations, amounting to $2,000, and a total of six years probation.
Chishti appealed the alcohol board’s decision to the council and asked the council for leniency since this was the first time an illegal sale happened at this store. He had a previous violation at another store in 2001.
Chishti said the clerk was distracted by her two children, including a 1-year-old, who was with her. Santini questioned why children were at the store. The video showed the clerk selling the beverage without asking for identification. The clerk was fired and was fined more than $1,000 in her city court proceeding, officials said.
City Attorney Keith Lovell said the sting targeted 83 establishments with alcohol licenses and netted 14 illegally selling to someone underage. First-time offenders pleading nolo contendere were fined $1,000 and put on three-year probation. Second-time and multiple offenders were summoned to a hearing where they faced more serious penalities.
“It’s disappointing we have an inordinate number of people who are violators,” Santini said.
In other action, councilmembers heard a first reading of a proposed electric tariff XXLP-J Expansion Incentive where large electrical power users get a discount. The discount is 30 percent for those businesses that qualify.
The council heard the first reading and had its first public hearing on the special use permit request from Austin Pugmire. Pugmire wants to buy two properties across Tennessee Street from his car dealership to add more mechanical bays. The property is currently zoned general commercial, which doesn’t cover auto work. The request comes with a recommendation for approval from the Cartersville Planning Commission.
Derek Jacobs, who owns a custom audio shop in one of the buildings on the property for sale, told council members he and another small business in another building would likely have to move their businesses out of Cartersville to find a suitable space if the council approves special use request.
City Manager Dan Porta asked that the amount allowed for him to spend without council approval be raised beyond the current $7,500. His reasoning is the agenda is packed with approval requests for smaller purchases that are already budgeted.
Council members said they liked the transparency of doing the city business in public. They agreed to raise the limit that Porta can approve on unbudgeted items to $10,000 and allow him to approve budgeted items up to $25,000 without bringing it before the council. However, he would be required to provide a list of expenditures at meetings.
The next step is to draft an amendment to the current ordinance and for the council to have a first and second reading on it before a vote.
A summary of the December 2025 financial report was given. According to the report, the city had approximately $11 million in revenue and $122 million in expenses. That left the city approximately $11.7 million in the red, according to the report. City financial officials attribute the deficit to spending on several construction projects. The water department was the only department in a net loss because of the cost of the water plant expansion.
The city is halfway-through its financial year with July 1 starting a new year.
In other business:
- The city approved closing out the Pioneer Trail Water Main Project. Officials said it was completed two months early and $115,833 under budget.
- The council approved a resolution to open a Georgia Fund 1 Account, transferring money from US Bank. The move is a part of the $250 million bond project. Officials said the move would save the city $750,000 because of the difference in interest rates
- City councilmembers approved two resolutions that give it federal funding for Cartersville-Bartow County Airport improvements. The project will cost $4.1 million and will include $2.1 million in federal money and $1 million from the city. Bartow County will provide the remaining $1 million.
- The council approved $132,200 for a streetscape project for downtown. The project will cover the entire downtown district and is expectedly to start immediately.
Melody Dareing is a freelance writer for publications in the U.S, Canada, the UK and Germany. She is a former news director of Adelphia Channel 4 and WBHF Radio. She is on Facebook, X, YouTube, content on Substack, and has a podcast on Rumble.