VALDOSTA — The city will vote Thursday whether the “Brunch Bill” referendum will be included on the Nov. 5 ballot.

Senate Bill 17, known as the “Brunch Bill,” was signed into law May 8, 2018 and permits counties and municipalities with Sunday alcohol sales, such as Valdosta, to allow earlier Sunday sales beginning at 11 a.m. rather than 12:30 p.m.

It is up to the Valdosta City Council to decide if the public will have the opportunity to vote on the issue. The item was added to the city agenda after members of the public spoke in favor of it at a recent meeting.

If the referendum is approved, establishments eligible for Sunday sales would be able to serve alcohol from 11 a.m. until midnight Sundays only if they have purchased a Sunday sales license.

Businesses eligible for Sunday sales must get at least half of their total annual gross revenue from the sale of food, prepared meals or the rental of rooms for overnight lodging, according to city records.

Also Thursday, the city will consider bids for sanitary sewer rehabilitation for pre-determined sections of the Two-Mile Branch sewer basin. City staff recommends approval of the base bid submitted by James Warren & Associates in the amount of $532,510.

The city will consider a request for a continuation of the design and construction of a secondary equalization basin at the Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant. City staff recommends authorization of payment in the amount of $136,372.50 for the continuation of this emergency design.

City documents state the council will vote on a request for emergency repairs and upgrade of a sewer main on Williams Street. Staff recommends authorization of a payment in the amount of $357,998 for the emergency repair.

Further water system upgrades will be considered for Crawford Lane and Crawford Alley, according to city documents.

The last item up for consideration is a request for the city to consent to assign the sublease from Washington Gas and Light Energy Systems to a subsidiary along with a few hundred other solar projects. 

City documents state that WGL intends to assign its rights under the sublease to a subsidiary and then sell the subsidiary to another large energy holding company. To do so, WGL must secure consent from both the Valdosta-Lowndes County Development Authority and the City of Valdosta.

Thomas Lynn is a government and education reporter for The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be reached at (229)244-3400 ext. 1256