The Covington Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to allow extended alcohol sales during the early morning hours of Sunday, Nov. 8. The date coincides with a football game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Atlanta Falcons set to take place in Madrid, Spain.
The board completed a first reading of a temporary ordinance last week as a walk-on item on that meeting’s agenda. This week’s vote to allow the sales was unanimous, except for Vice Mayor Shannon Smith, who did not attend the meeting. The commissioners did not discuss the ordinance before they cast their votes.
City Solicitor Frank Schultz told the commissioners last week the ordinance came about after some local businesses had “requested the ability to invite patrons to start the festivities a bit earlier than normal.” The game’s kickoff is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Covington time.
“It would allow them (businesses with licenses) to sell alcohol by the drink starting at 6 a.m.,” Schultz continued. “It would automatically terminate at 9 a.m. and then the normal Sunday liquor license would take over.”
Typically, Sunday alcohol permits in Covington don’t allow sales until 9 a.m., according to established ordinance. The special ordinance passed this week will dissolve after Nov. 8, meaning the extended alcohol sales hours will not continue past that date.
