Council considering limits for Sunday alcohol sales
Published 3:00 am Wednesday, October 25, 2017
The Troy City Council is considering placing limits on an ordinance that would allow alcohol to be sold on Sundays after noon within the corporate limits of Troy.
The council discussed other college town ordinances including Tuscaloosa and Auburn at their executive committee meeting Tuesday. Auburn allows alcohol to be sold until 2:30 a.m., while Tuscaloosa cuts off alcohol sales by bars and lounges at 9:30 p.m.
District 5 Councilwoman Wanda Moultry advocated for barring alcohol sales until 1 p.m.
“We’re unique,” Moultry said. “Let’s set our own boundaries. I think we should respect those who go to church on Sundays and give them time to get out of church.”
Council president Marcus Paramore, District 3, said that Dothan has had issues with restaurants after setting a 1 p.m. start time for Sunday alcohol sales.
“They’ve been trying to push it back ever since because NFL games start at noon and people want to come in and get a drink right when the game starts,” Paramore said. “So that’s something we need to think about.”
District 2 Councilman Greg Meeks and District 4 Councilwoman Stephanie Baker suggested the possibility of limiting Sunday sales for bars, night clubs and lounges.
“I think the intent was to focus on on-premise restaurants,” Baker said. “I’m fine with limiting lounges that, as of right now, are strictly for drinking.”
District 1 Councilman Robert Jones said he wants to ensure fairness in the allowance of the Sunday sales to all businesses and agreed with Moultry about looking into starting at 1 p.m. instead of noon.
Paramore said he prefers to pass the ordinance as was worded in the referendum, but is open to the council’s other suggestions.
The council will draft the ordinance for a first reading to be held at their November 14 meeting and a second reading would be held on November 28. The ordinance could then be approved by a majority vote and would most likely be active for the following Sunday, December 3.
The council moved down to the Council Chambers later Tuesday evening and took care of other business. The council:
• Approved the purchase of three Zoll series heart monitors for the Troy Fire Department to equip all fire trucks, replacing three monitors purchased in 2007. Chief Michael Stephens said the two older models that are still working will be used at special events and games while a broken monitor was declared surplus for a rebate on the new monitors.
• Approved two agreements with the Southern Company (Alabama Power) for use of their transmission lines to bring in power on the city’s new power contract that will begin in January.
• Approved an information security test at the cost of $19,250. A team will attempt to break into the city’s network to test it for vulnerabilities.
• Approved a $25,000 grant to Troy Utilities for the purchase of security cameras.
• Approved an $7,000 ADPH grant to Troy Utilities to fund fluoride monitoring equipment at two of the city’s wells.
• Approved the rezoning of Corman Avenue 307, 309, and 311 from R-2 medium residential to C-4 highway commercial so that McDonald’s can expand it’s parking lot. McDonald’s owned all three lots, which consist of two homes and the back driveway to the business.
• Approved the annexation of the home of Muriel Saunders into the City of Troy. Saunders and the City both believed the home to be annexed in 1979, as Saunders had paid city taxes and had voted in municipal elections while receiving city services. New mapping showed only a small portion of the home to be annexed though, so the city had to take action to bring the property into city limits.
• Reappointed Octavia Jones to the Troy Public Library Board.
The council will meet again on Tuesday, November 14 at 4 p.m. for their executive committee meeting upstairs at city hall. The council will then convene in the city council chambers at 5 p.m.