Lake City Sunday alcohol sales ordinance to be voted on by residents

LAKE CITY — Lake City voters are one step closer to choosing whether they should be allowed to purchase alcohol on Sundays.

Lake City City Council passed second reading of an ordinance to pose the question of Sunday alcohol sales to the general public via referendum in November.

“This is only the first of four decisions that has to be made before a drink is purchased on Sunday,” councilman Jason Springs, who made the motion to pass the measure, said.

“First, we have to decide whether or not to let the public make the decision. Second, the voters will have to decide if they want to pass the referendum or not. Third, the business owners will have to decide whether or not to purchase a permit and fourth, the individual patron will have to decide to purchase a drink.”

Springs’ original motion only allowed for the sale of alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption. Councilman Billy Brown seconded the motion.

“What’s the benefit to the city if we’re talking about two restaurants?” councilwoman Gloria Tisdale asked.

“There isn’t a lot to choose from to eat on Sunday,” Springs said. “This will possibly bring other restaurants into Lake City.”

“With us trying to build downtown around town square and the museum, we’re going to have to do this to stay competitive with Florence and Georgetown ... A lot of people go to Georgetown on Sunday just so they can have a drink with their meal,” Lake City City Administrator Marion Lowder said.

“If Florence passes it, the only option will be to go out of the city. We need to keep that money from leaking out of town and entice people to spend the money in Lake City,” Springs said.

“You’re asking people to go to two restaurants on Sunday,” Tisdale said. “If we’re going to do it, we need to get some revenue from it and not just do it to be doing it.”

Lake City Police Chief Billy Brown said there are three private clubs in Lake City that would be allowed to serve alcohol on Sunday and would also be required to purchase a permit.

Jimmy Epps, the city’s attorney, explained that the $150 for a 24-hour permit to sell alcohol and the $3,000 permit to sell alcohol for 52 weeks is paid to the state treasurer, but the funds all come back to the city.

“As the old saying goes, it might put some of your bootleggers out of business,” the chief said, adding that the sale of beer and wine for consumption off premises would not pose any additional problems for law enforcement. “It’ll be just as ordinary as Monday through Saturday.”

“If people are going to drink on Sunday, they’re going to drink on Sunday,” Springs said before amending his motion to also allow for the sale of beer and wine for off-premises consumption. He said people would no longer have to make a mad rush to the store before midnight on Saturday to have enough to drink on Sunday.

“I’ve gotten calls on this and the biggest concern seems to be the message this sends to our youth,” councilman Russ Martin said.

Other residents have expressed their desire to “keep the Sabbath holy,” Martin said.

“The idea of keeping the Sabbath holy has fallen through the cracks and is no longer being done,” Tisdale said, adding that passing the ordinance simply allows citizens to decide. “If they agree with us, they’ll approve it. If not, they won’t.”

“I don’t want to sound like I’m selling our Sunday for money, but you do pass the offering plate in church,” Lowder said.

“I looked at the pros and cons and looked at the businesses in Lake City and weighed the economy verses the Sabbath day and I just couldn’t bring myself to vote for it,” said Martin, who cast the only vote against the ordinance Thursday morning.

Councilmen Brown, Springs, Tisdale, Bill Sebnick and Mayor Lovith Anderson Jr. voted in favor of the ordinance Thursday morning.