January 15, 2025
By: Dwayne Page
Another round?
At the request of Alderman Jessica Higgins, a proposal to change the distance requirement in the Smithville beer ordinance will be back on the agenda at the monthly meeting in February.
Mayor Josh Miller made that announcement during Monday night’s workshop with the aldermen.
“Jessica did ask me to put the beer ordinance back on the agenda for February,” said Mayor Miller. “I am not having another workshop on this. We have talked this to death in the last few months. Its either going to pass or its not going to pass. Its basically what we voted on the last time. There has to be a motion and a second and then I will call the roll. There would have to be two readings and a public hearing before it could pass,” said Mayor Miller.
During the workshop both Aldermen Higgins and Danny Washer said they had been asked by members of the public to bring the issue back up.
In September, the aldermen voted 3 to 2 against amending the city beer ordinance to eliminate the 400-foot distance requirement between a church or school and businesses seeking an on-premises consumption permit. Had it been approved the ordinance amendment would have only applied to the C-2 zone which is the downtown business district and none of the other existing regulations in the ordinance would have been changed.
Alderman Jessica Higgins made a motion to approve the amendment removing the 400-foot distance requirement and Alderman Danny Washer offered a second to the motion, but they were the only two who voted in favor. The remaining three Aldermen, Donnie Crook, Beth Chandler, and Shawn Jacobs voted against changing the ordinance.
Under the existing ordinance, the language states that “In no event will a permit be issued authorizing the manufacture or storage of beer, or the sale of beer within 400 feet of any school or church. The distance requirement shall be measured in a straight line from the primary entrance of the establishment seeking a permit to sell beer to the primary entrance of the school or church”.
During January’s regular monthly meeting last week, Bert Driver, owner of the Harvester Event Center downtown, addressed the mayor and aldermen during the public comments period asking them to reconsider the issue. Driver, who already has a city issued beer permit, said changing the ordinance regarding the distance restrictions would not only level the playing field for downtown businesses who might otherwise qualify for a permit but it would bring in more tax revenue at a time when the county is needing more funding with plans to build a new school.