Friday, April 18, 2024–11:48 a.m.
-David Crowder, WRGA News-
Both Floyd County and the City of Rome are working on ordinances to address coin-operated amusement machines.
Floyd County Public Safety Division Director John Blalock told the county’s public safety committee on Thursday that he has spoken to Assistant Floyd County Attorney Chris Jackson and got an update.
“He is conferring with the city attorney for them to share the information they are receiving,” Blalock said. “They have met with the attorney for the COAM industry to get some input from them. He [Jackson] expects to have something to present to the full county commission within about two meetings. Once that happens, there will need to be reconsideration about what to do with the moratorium.
In March, the county commission approved a 60-day moratorium on new businesses that will contain coin-operated amusement machines or sell vape products while the county attorney works on an ordinance. Since gaming machines are regulated by the Georgia Lottery Corporation, state law is pretty clear about what can be put in a local ordinance.
“Just to summarize what that is, it’s limiting the number of machines, the location and visibility of the machines, and the identification of the locations and the owners of the machines,” Blalock said. “It also includes legal notifications to employees and location owners, having signage and licenses posted in public view, requiring reports and audits, specifying distances from certain locations, and providing for fees, penalties, suspensions, and revocations of other licenses if they violate the law or ordinance.”
Floyd County Commissioner Scotty Hancock, who chairs the public safety committee said the county is facing some issues that the city is not because the city has business licenses and they can regulate a lot of these businesses.
All the county has is an alcohol ordinance.
“We can regulate some of it through penalties with their pouring license and things like their ability to sell alcohol,” Hancock said. “However, we really don’t have a tool out in the county to do anything with this.”
Hancock added that having business licenses in the county would not be about making money, it would be about regulating businesses that have gaming machines, which he believes are tearing at the fabric of the community.
“The personal problem I have with the ‘ding ding’ machines is that you have grown men and women that go down there and spend their whole paycheck on Friday,” he said. “They don’t buy diapers for their baby. They don’t buy formula. They are not taking care of their kids. They are spending all their money on those ‘ding ding’ machines. At the end of the day, taxpayers are the ones who are footing the bill when they can’t feed and take care of their kids. They are not doing what they are supposed to do and then DFCS is involved. Then you have drug use in those areas. Prostitution runs rampant in those areas. We know it.”
Hancock told the committee that he understands that the county is limited in what it can do, but he hopes there is a workable solution around the corner.