Palmetto Not Lifting Ban on Sunday Alcohol Sales

PALMETTO -- Palmetto’s proposal to lift the ban on alcohol sales on Sunday perished in a deadlocked vote.

In a meeting Monday, the commissioners voted 2-2 to move the ordinance change (PDF, 374 KB) along. Commissioners Alan Zirkelbach and Brian Williams voted for and Commissioners Tamara Cornwell and Tambra Varnadore voted against. Commissioner Mary Lancaster was absent.

Toward the end of the meeting, Zirkelbach and Williams expressed their displeasure at the hung vote.

“I am disappointed it didn’t go anywhere,” he said. “We can’t legislate morality.”

He added that it the city’s unofficial poll showed many residents in favor of lifting the ban. He also indicated that if the votes against were for religious reasons, then it was unfair.

Varnadore shot back.

“My vote was not a morality and a religious issue. My reason was an image issue,” she retorted.

She said that only a small fraction of Palmetto residents out of 14,000 were polled.

The proposed ordinance would let Palmetto residents buy alcoholic beverages on Sundays after 6 a.m. There is a small window, 2:30 to 6 a.m., where alcohol sale would still be prohibited.

In previous discussions leading up to the vote, some commissioners say the lifting of the ban would help local businesses. Some commissioners were reluctant because of concerns over crime.

In the unofficial poll of Palmetto residents, 70 percent of the 1,190 respondents support alcohol sale on Sunday, according to the results. Seventy-five percent think that local businesses would benefit from the sales, and 73 percent said they think the Sunday alcohol sales won’t adversely affect Palmetto residents.

When asked if the proposed ordinance could be reconsidered, City Attorney Mark Barnebey shrugged.

"It's possible it might come back," he said. "Government is a process."