City Council Approves 11am – 11pm Sale of Alcohol
May 18th, 2013 by Sarah Spencer
The Monticello City Council, Thursday night, voted to pass an ordinance extending the hours that alcoholic beverages can be served in restaurants and private clubs within the city limits. Under the new ordinance, the hours will be extended to allow alcoholic beverages to be served from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The current ordinance allows private clubs to serve liquor between 5 p.m. and 2 a.m.
Monticello Police Chief Eddie Deaton addressed the Council, requesting that the hours not be extended past 11 p.m. Later hours of service increase the workload of the police officers on duty.
Alderman Joe Meeks argued that the hours should be extended from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., to coincide with the hours of service permitted in the county. He stated that it creates an unfair business advantage for private clubs in the county, it causes missed revenue for private clubs within the city, and that if extra police protection is needed as a result of the extended hours, it could be paid for by implementing an alcohol tax.
The ordinance, which passed with a vote of six in favor and two opposed, amends previous ordinances #746, 713, 734 and 743, and will set 11 p.m. as the time for last call. All customers must vacate the premises by midnight, and all employees must be gone by 1 a.m.
Cedric Leonard voted “no”, after speaking strongly in favor of keep the early morning hours in effect..
Council member Tim Chase also opposed the change of serving times, stating that his reason was because of the early opening hours.
The emergency clause was also passed, placing the ordinance into effect immediately.
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Most of this town is so blind when it comes to change. Especially when you say the blasphemous word of alcohol. If anyone thinks that the reason this proposal passed is because of the workload put on police, then they’re absolutely crazy. If they’re working so hard then they can stop congregating at numerous places in town just to talk. I see it ALL THE TIME. This town is just closed minded when it comes to alcohol, because heaven forbid a child know it’s out there. Everyone may not think much of it, but it’s close mindedness like this that makes college grads not stick around afterwards. Like myself, I’m here for half the summer and I’m gone, and so will this town one day.
Yeeeaaa Panorama…I knew you guys would get it approved…..
The city should keep a record of any additional expenses related to the new law and let the people that benefit from the new law pay for it, including police, fire department, hospital and funeral expenses.
Well thats not very smart monticello.!!! Now u will have drunk ppl driving around in the middle of the in the busiest time of the day including when kids get out of school. I truly disagree with this i dont see fit in serving alcohol at 11 a.m and putting more people in harm for drunk driving then keeping it like it already was because who is truly.out at 2 a.m and most people are home from worl at.5 p.m
There is no logic behind these hours. At 11pm there will be drunken idiots on the road looking to become more intoxicated. At least when the bar closes at 2am people usually head home. What about intoxicated drivers leaving from The River? Does this not require a need for more police enforcement as well? Sounds like greed and envy being covered up by “caring for the safety of citizens of Drew county”.
And it’s super smart to serve alcohol at lunch and become severely intoxicated during school traffic. What kind of people voted for this?? It must be the smartest of the smartest running the city council.
You know most people driving drunk just left their houses not the bars.
Pine Hill opens before 11 AM. There are people who go to Pine Hill as soon as the doors are open. People who are serious about drinking are not going to wait until Panorama or Laterazza open to go and drink. They will go to Pine Hill. They will be, and always have been, the real reason we as a society need to worry about being killed by a drunk driver. What people need to be concerned about after 5 PM are the drinkers who decide they are tired of Laterazza and drive over to The River and vice versa. They are the ones who are usually polluted and do not need to be driving anywhere!
Really, if ya gonna have a bar you oughta have taxi cabs, just in case you have a too drunk patron