Warner Robins approves starting Sunday alcohol sales this weekend

WARNER ROBINS -- During its Monday meeting, the City Council approved times for Sunday alcohol sales, becoming the first city in Houston County to officially repeal the ban on Sunday package sales.

City Council voted 4-2 to allow package sales and liquor by the drink from 12:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Sundays within the city limits. Businesses can sell alcohol on Sundays beginning this weekend.

Councilmen Bob Wilbanks and Tom Simms Jr. -- backed by Mayor Chuck Shaheen -- voted against the measure because they wanted to allow sales from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. initially to allow the community and law enforcement to get used to the change.

“All this is going to be new to our entire community,” Simms said. The city “should start this in a very precise, slow way and leave it open to changes in the future.”

Councilmen Mike Daley, Daron Lee, Paul Shealy and John Williams said they did not want Warner Robins businesses to be at a disadvantage when Perry and Centerville approve the maximum time period for sales that the state allows. “The people have voted on this, and we should not put any hotels and restaurants at a disadvantage when all the other businesses in the area” will be selling alcohol on Sunday for the maximum time frame.

Neither Centerville nor Perry has passed resolutions to approve their Sunday times. The two cities have meetings Tuesday to discuss Sunday sales.

Centerville, Perry and Warner Robins voters approved Nov. 8 referendums to allow Sunday package sales in their respective municipalities. Warner Robins and Perry voters also approved “by the drink” referendums, while Centerville already sold liquor by the drink before this month’s vote. Businesses in unincorporated Houston County cannot sell alcohol on Sundays, and county commissioners did not put the matter before voters this year.

Daley also pointed out that, with uniform selling times in all the Houston County cities, sheriff’s deputies would be less confused about which laws they’re enforcing.

Shaheen said keeping all the selling times consistent could be discussed at the next Vision 2020 meeting. That meeting, which includes public officials from the county and three cities, is scheduled for January.

The Warner Robins vote Monday also repeals a long-standing early “last call” in Warner Robins. That law said businesses had to stop selling alcohol at midnight Saturday.

A single Christmas Day ban will remain, according to the resolution.

“It’s a sacred holiday,” Shealy said. “The state and the military and the city have always seen it that way.”

Also at Monday’s meeting, the City Council:

unanimously approved a resolution to sign an intergovernmental agreement to allow the Houston County Commission to officially call for a March vote to renew the county’s special purpose local option sales tax. The penny tax is expected to generate about $155 million to be used on projects throughout the county.

unanimously approved an amendment to the “adult business” ordinance. According to the amendment, businesses whose merchandise is made up of 25 percent adult products will be deemed an “adult business.” Previously, it was 50 percent.

To contact Christina M. Wright, call 256-9685.

This story was originally published November 22, 2011 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Warner Robins approves starting Sunday alcohol sales this weekend."