Flomaton council to hold meeting Monday to approve ordinance to allow Sunday sales
The Flomaton Town Council will hold a special meeting Monday at 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 19, to vote on an ordinance that will allow the sale of alcohol on Sundays within the town limits of Flomaton at the same hours alcohol is now allowed to be served Monday through Friday.
During Monday night's town council meeting the council voted 5-1 to consider an ordinance to allow for Sunday sales. Councilman Roger Adkinson voted no. Under state law if an ordinance doesn't receive a unanimous vote it must come back for a second reading. At the Aug. 19 meeting it will only take a majority vote to approve or deny.
The council had previously passed a resolution to ask the county's legislative delegation to introduce a local bill to allow for the Sunday sales. Mayor Dewey Bondurant, Jr., said Flomaton businesses were losing a lot of money to Century on Sundays and noted Atmore had passed Sunday sales and it really helped the town. The resolution passed on a 5-1 vote with Adkinson voting no. Adkinson said it was against his principles to sell alcohol on Sunday. The Legislative delegation then said it would not introduce a bill unless the council voted unanimously to proceed.
Town Attorney Chuck Johns told the council Monday night that the Alabama Legislature passed a bill in the most recent session that turns that decision over to town councils and county commissions. He said the new law, which went into effect Aug. 1, allows municipalities and county commissions to either pass a resolution and have a referendum vote of the people or pass an ordinance and approve Sunday sales at the council table.
Johns said the new ordinance also clears up some language concerning alcohol within the town limits. He said as of now there is no law or regulation that would prevent someone from taking a cooler of beer to a baseball game at Hurricane Park. He said unless the person got intoxicated and was charged with public intoxication, nothing could be done legally.
The new ordinance forbids the consumption of alcohol in public places.
Mayor Bondurant again said he was personally against the sale of alcohol of Sundays but felt it was the right thing to do for Flomaton due to the current financial situation.
“I'm a Christian, I was raised that way,” Bondurant said. “I've never touched alcohol in my life and never smoked a cigarette. But people all around us are making money off of it. We don't have enough police officers and Shaun (Utilities Superintendent Shaun Moye) needs more people. It puts us between a rock and a hard place.”
“In my heart I disagree with this,” Bondurant added. “But if we don't do this we won't be here long.”
Adkinson said he totally agreed with Sections 1 and 2 of the ordinance that makes it illegal to consume alcohol in public places like Hurricane Park. But he said he disagreed with Section 3 that allows for the Sunday sales of alcohol in Flomaton.
“I'm going to have to disagree with that,” Adkinson said. “To save time, I will vote no on the motion to consider and it will go to the next meeting.”
The council voted 5-1 on the motion to consider the ordinance with Councilmembers Buster Crapps, Jim Johnson, Lillian Dean and Charlie Reardon and Mayor Bondurant voting yes. Councilman Adkinson voted no.
Mayor Bondurant said he would like to hold a special meeting to get the ordinance passed and the council agreed to 5 p.m. Monday.
