Milton: City of Cells And Sobriety.

By Maggie West / Beacon Media

When it's been broke for three years, don't fix it. Just start over.

"We need to simply undo what was done," said Milton City Attorney Ken Jerrad.

Addressing the city council at the end of a special meeting on Monday, March 8, Jerrad suggested re-adopting the original wording of Chapter 7 of the City Code, the Alcoholic Beverages Ordinance, rather than omitting or adding anything.

Ironically, the current code was implemented after three years of omissions and additions.
Section 10 either bars or imposes time limits upon the issuance of a liquor license to persons convicted of certain felonies and misdemeanors. The list includes the sale of controlled substances, sale of alcoholic beverages to minors, gambling, pimping, pandering and solicitation, among others. At present, the wording of the law permanently bars persons convicted of relatively minor offenses from obtaining licenses, an oversight the council intends to rectify.

In addition to section 10 of the ordinance, the council discussed sections 5, 6 and 7, which mandate the distance between licensed locations and churches and schools, delineate requirements for temporary licenses, and require franchises to obtain separate licenses for each location, respectively. Many businesses applying for renewal do not meet the current requirements, potentially resulting in lost revenues to the city.
The council voted unanimously to revise the ordinance.

CELL-MANIA

Driving through Milton, one notices it has its share of massive cell towers.
The plan for three more are in the works, though.

T-Mobile submitted applications for three more cell towers. One for 2880 Mountain Rd. (U09-03), another for 14495 Hopewell Rd. (U09-04), and the last one for 13302 New Providence Rd. (U09-05). The total height for the first will be 149 feet, the second and third will reach up to 154 feet.

The Planning Commission administratively deferred T-Mobile's hearing, originally slated for January, until its March 23 meeting.

The good news? In March, T-Mobile may purpose an "invisible" tower. The camouflaged steel giants should disappear into their surroundings. Who says an elephant can't hide behind a tree?
After seeing the Planning Commission, however, T-Mobile faces Milton's City Council at its April 26 meeting. The applications must be unanimously approved upon by all -- invisible or not.
Editor's note: The Beacon's political bookmaker, John Breech, posted the morning line odds for council approval at 150-1, against. After a week, he had no bets on T-Mobile. Go figure.