The city of Conyers will be revising ordinances involving alcohol sales and charitable solicitations as part of a months-long effort to tighten ordinances dealing with public safety issues. 

A proposed change to the alcohol ordinance will require each liquor license applicant as well as existing license holders to attend an alcohol education class. The classes will be funded by a $50,000 grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. Police Chief Gene Wilson told the city’s public safety committee Thursday that $20,000 of the grant is allocated for the classes, which cost $100 per attendee, and the remainder of the grant will be used to purchase equipment such as radars and lasers. It is the city’s intention to reduce alcohol-related incidents by educating liquor license holders on safety measures.

“We are going to look at alcohol-related driving offenses, especially accidents, and see if we in fact see a reduction in underage people getting alcohol and people who are obviously drunk continuing to be served,” Chief Wilson said. The city hopes to have the updated ordinance in place by Jan. 1, 2013.

Conyers city council members will also be considering a revision to the ‘charitable solicitations’ ordinance, also known as a peddler’s ordinance, to give the CPD authority to fingerprint applicants to verify identification and criminal history. City of Conyers Chief Operations Officer David Spann said the revision is aimed at reducing door-to-door solicitations and will not affect community-based fundraising by organizations such as local schools, nonprofit agencies and civic groups that generally do not knock on doors to raise funds. 

The ordinance states it is the city’s intention to “serve and protect the health, safety and welfare of the general public and establish uniform rules and regulations that are fair and equitable.”