Discussions at this week’s meeting of the Edgewood City Council indicated a desire among the local legislators to begin the process of amending the city ordinance regulating the times on Sunday when businesses can legally sell alcohol.
No official action took place at the meeting, but the conversation between elected officials and city staff indicated that a revised ordinance would come before the council in the future.
The discussion occurred following a request from Kroger, which did not have a representative at the meeting itself, to amend the Sunday regulations to better suit their operating hours.
“Currently, they [Kroger] are open from 8 [a.m.] until 10 p.m. on Sundays,” said Mayor John Link, “and they would like to match that to those hours for customers’ convenience.”
“All they are asking is, can they have the same hours they have at the Silver Lake [location] and the new store moving across the street,” said City Administrator Ben Dehner, referencing the new building on Dixie Highway. The new location has already acquired a liquor license and is set to begin operating in mid-September.
Edgewood’s current ordinance specifically prohibits “the retail sale of any distilled spirits, wine or malt beverages in the city” between the hours of 2:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Sundays. Retail sales of alcohol is prohibited on other days between 2:30 a.m. and 6 a.m.
Council members engaged in brief discussions about both the current ordinance and proposed revisions. Councilmember Scott Spille said he wasn’t aware retail alcohol sales were allowed until 2:30 a.m., a time he thought was “awful late.”
“I don’t have an issue with advancing it to 8, but I think on the same side, we need to look at the 2:30 am side, as well,” Spille said.
City Attorney Frank Wichmann pointed out that retail sales include both packaged sales and sales at bars.
“I think that 2:30 a.m. hour was established to accommodate the Edgewood Tavern,” Wichmann said.
“I think I’d be opposed to restricting somebody’s business that’s been doing this for years,” said Councilmember Joe Shreiver.
Discussion didn’t proceed much beyond these points, and the council members agreed in the end to begin amending the ordinance to allow alcohol sales beginning at 8 a.m. on Sundays. Other times, laid out in the current ordinance, would remain unchanged. An amended ordinance will likely come before the council for a final vote in the coming weeks.