Algood Liquor By The Drink Ordinance In Place

Algood’s liquor by the drink ordinance will go into effect after City Council approved the second reading Tuesday night.

Alcoholic beverages can be sold in the General Commercial and Central Business District zones of the city. The ordinance was amended after its first reading to allow for alcohol at special events.

“That special event permit will require the city to be co-sponsor for an event, for that event to take place,” City Administrator Keith Morrison said. “If the city chooses not to be a co-sponsor of the event, then they can not have liquor by the drink at that special event.”

Special event permits will only be allowed within city or county public parks, unless the event location is designated by the City Administrator. When businesses receive a state liquor license the annual privilege tax on alcohol will be paid to the city clerk every 12 months.

Algood Mayor Lisa Chapman-Fowler said this new ordinance will take the place of the city’s old prohibition law.

“We have an entire section in our code book, dealing with liquor by the drink and on premise consumption,” Chapman-Fowler said. “This would basically be repealing that and replacing it with another section, which allows that under certain conditions.”

The privilege tax on retail sale of alcohol for consumption on premises is written to match the state’s tax rate. Anyone who receives a state liquor license will qualify to receive a beer permit from Algood.

Algood also approved an amended civil engineering proposal for phase one of the future 21-acre park. The changes to the proposal will lower the phase one costs for the city by $54,000.

The largest price drop involves construction administration which will no longer be overseen by Clinton Engineering. This will be done by the city, unless it becomes too much for Algood, according to Morrison.

Morrison said the firm believes they can complete the first phase over the next year.