MACON, Ga. — Macon-Bibb County says it's working to keep public spaces safe. Tuesday night, commissioners will talk about two ordinances aimed at eliminating some of the violence and keeping roadways and sidewalks open.
Folks who visit downtown Macon say the area is their favorite part of the city because there is something for everyone to enjoy.
"It's crowded, but that's how you meet people, and that's what I love about it. You can meet so many different types of people," says Austin Sanderson.
"Different strokes for different folks. You've got your Hummingbird, JBA. Then you've got something a little more upscale like Niche and Hotel 45," says Joseph Roderick.
Bibb commission wants to keep the fun safe. They're proposing two ordinances they say could reduce violence related to nightclubs.
The first restricts large gatherings of people from standing in a city right of way between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m.
Roderick says he enjoys Macon nightlife daily. He says it's not uncommon for crowds to form on Fridays and Saturdays, but he isn't sure these rules will help any problems.
"A 10-person crowd, and they ain't making no noise, that's something to be concerned about?" he asks.
The drafted ordinance says violators could receive a $50 fine. The county defines a gathering as a group of people standing within arms reach of each other. That doesn't include a group walking down a sidewalk.
"You could have 500 people, you could have one person, it's going to depend on that one person doing something stupid or silly and ruin it for everybody. A crowd is not going to affect that," says Sanderson.
He thinks having a larger police presence like the ones seen at First Friday events would help.
"Regular weekends, you don't see that at all. A bigger police presence would negate that," he shared.
The other ordinance addresses alcohol sales and closing hours. Right now, businesses can sell alcohol until 2:00 a.m. and must close by 3:00 p.m.
The county says they've seen businesses constantly break these rules, and changing these guidelines to reduce that last hour of drinking could increase safety.
As a Macon native, Sanderson says he's seen positive growth in downtown.
"Everyone knows Macon for downtown. Everyone that passes through comes downtown," he says.
However, he worries these rules might turn folks away.
"You don't want to give people a reason not to come down," he shared.
The only exception to the large gathering rule is for peaceful protest. However, the group must receive a permit to meet from the mayor's office beforehand.
The commission will meet about these proposals on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the Macon-Bibb government center.
This past month, the county has put other restrictions in place to curb downtown violence and hold bars and restaurants accountable.
Last month, Mayor Lester Miller told 13WMAZ that some businesses were trying to get around getting an alcohol license by using special event permits.
Commissioners then narrowly passed a vote to change those permitting requirements.
The change increased the application fee from $50 to $250, and businesses must also file applications 30 days before their event.
Just last week, The county sheriff's office suspended two downtown bars' alcohol licenses after a shooting outside their locations.
Sheriff Davis says new evidence from the shooting on August 20th could prove the people involved in the shooting were not at the bars. It could also show the bars did close on time that night.
Davis said the commission will decide about the alcohol licenses at Recess and Hoops.