As of this week, new local regulations are in place to allow the sale of locally made foods, such as baked goods, by individuals to resume in Rockdale County.

Rockdale County commissioners approved changes to the zoning ordinance to allow production of cottage foods as a home occupation during a voting session Tuesday. Although the cottage foods industry is regulated by the Department of Agriculture, local counties and municipalities were required to adopt ordinances making the profession legal.  

Planning and Development director Marshall Walker said the regulations allow people to sell directly to consumers but does not allow them to sell products at convenience stores or grocery stores or to wholesalers. The county’s license fee for home-based businesses is $85 and the state’s application fee is $100.

Items covered include: loaf breads, rolls and biscuits; cakes and cupcakes (except those that require refrigeration due to cream cheese icing, fillings or high moisture content such as tres leche); pastries and cookies; candies and confections; fruit pies; jams, jellies and preserves (not to include fruit butters whose commercial sterility may be affected by reduced sugar/pectin levels); dried fruits; dry herbs, seasonings and mixtures; cereals, trail mixes and granola; coated or uncoated nuts; vinegar and flavored vinegars; and popcorn, popcorn balls and cotton candy.

Volunteer appointments 

In other business, the commissioners appointed the following citizens to fill vacant or expired terms on volunteer boards: the reappointment of William Murrain and Daryl Thomas the new appointment of David Shipp on the Water and Sewerage Authority; Mary Carol Broussard and Lori Todd will serve on the Animal Control Board; Larry Wise, Jessie Brown and Mary Alice Phillips will serve on the Keep Conyers-Rockdale Beautiful board.

There is one seat empty on the Water and Sewerage Authority board. The commissioners disagreed over the appointment of Tom Harrison to the Water and Sewerage Authority Board.

Also during the voting session Tuesday, the commissioners recognized four Rockdale Fire and Rescue Department employees who have 30 years of service — Lt. James K. Dunn, Lt. Hank L. Mann, Interim Captain Jeffrey K. Mann and Lt. Ray Murphy. Each employee was awarded a plaque and pin in honor of their service.

“It is real easy and a real pleasure to be fire chief with employees like this,” Fire Chief Dan Morgan said during the meeting.