What is a festival?

That was the question on the minds of Vidalia aldermen Tuesday night when they discussed serving alcohol in the new Vidalia Gateway Center.

In December 2003, Aldermen scrapped a proposal to grant the city the ability to grant a liquor license to public festivals to the applause and cheers of residents.

A few months later, aldermen passed a resolution banning the sale of alcohol at festivals on city property.

But does that provision include the new convention facility currently under construction on the Vidalia Riverfront?

After much discussion Tuesday night, aldermen and city attorney Jack McLemore decided it does not.

“How do you define festival?” McLemore said.

He said that he did not think that the events happening at the Gateway Center would be considered festivals.

“This is going to be a convention complex,” McLemore said. “Our ordinance does not prevent the sale of alcohol (in the center).”

Alderman Jon Betts agreed.

“The use of the building is not public,” he said. “The convention center and the festivals are two different animals.”

The current ordinance bans the sale of alcohol at festivals on city-owned property to prevent vendors from coming in and selling alcohol. This is a different situation, McLemore said.

Most of the events in the center would be private and not open to the public.

Mayor Hyram Copeland wanted to assure residents that he understood residents’ feelings about the sale of alcohol in the city.

“This is probably one of the most conservative communities as far as alcohol is concerned,” he said.

“We pretty much have control over the supply of alcoholic beverages in this community and we will continue to do so.”

In the end aldermen determined that the Gateway Center does not fall under the provisions of current ordinance and therefore would allow the sale of alcohol in facility.

“The board is satisfied with the ordinance we already have,” Copeland said.

“We might ought to leave it alone.”

In other business:

4Aldermen approved a Hazardous Mitigation Plan for the city. Doing so makes it easier to receive grants and assistance from FEMA.

4Mayor Copeland said the city will soon begin spraying for mosquitoes around town.

“We are getting our mosquito control machine ready. We will start the first of this coming week.”

4Alderman Ricky Knapp requested that Palm Street be considered for a complete overlay.

Mayor Copeland said the project has already been added to the budget,

4Aldermen discussed problems with 18-wheeler traffic on residential streets, especially Olive Street.

According to Copeland, drive are receiving misinformation from Internet map site saying that Olive Street is a through street to Vidalia Apparel.

Copeland requested that city officials call Internet companies to get this corrected and, in the mean time, discuss the issue with Vidalia Apparel.