No Sunday alcohol sales in Inez
BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — The sale of alcoholic beverages on Sunday in the City of Inez is off the table. The question did not make it as far as a call for a motion in a special meeting Dec. 12. When Commissioner Jennifer Wells mentioned it, Mayor Ed Daniels and the remaining commissioners self-polled a resounding “no.”
Discussion of the alcohol beverage control ordinance dominated the meeting and became contentious regarding the amount the city would require for a regulatory license fee. The draft ordinance presented in the meeting set the fee that retailers must pay to the city on gross sales of alcoholic beverages at 3%.
Wells pointed out that Warfield and other cities are getting 5%.
“We should get 5%,” stated Wells.
Mayor Daniels said 5% would be “doubly hard to collect.”
Commissioners Phyllis Conrad and Nita Wells agreed with Wells, directing the mayor to change the amount in the ordinance before the commission votes on its adoption.
“Unless it’s someone who just isn’t going to pay, I can’t see that 3% would make a difference,” Collier stated. “The 5% would be comparable to Warfield and very appropriate.”
Conrad agreed: “If they’ll pay 3%, they will pay 5%.”
Wells reminded the mayor that businesses such as Family Dollar, which has already applied for a license in Inez, are paying 5% in Warfield.
Daniels stated he would change the amount if that was “what everyone wanted.”
“But you all are going to do it. I’m not… I’ll let you go and collect it,” he added.
The mayor has elected to take on the job of Alcoholic Beverage Control administrator.
“I’ll take it on for a while,” said Daniels. “I’m not a workaholic, but we will get it done.”
He plans to attend ABC training in January.
“Whoever gets a license, it’s going to be expensive. I’ll tell you that right now. It’s going to be expensive.”
The city will set up a new bank account for ABC monies.
“There aren’t many things you can use that money for,” said Daniels.
Conrad asked, “Is there a list to that effect?”
The mayor said he would ask Kentucky League of Cities attorney Megan Griffith to provide the city with a list of permittable uses.
The city was set to conduct the first reading of the ABC ordinance Dec. 19, but details were unavailable at press time.
Appalachian Artist Festival update
Commissioner Wells requested the city pay a $430 deposit to book seven bands for the Appalachian Artist Festival set for Aug. 3. The deposit represents 10% of the $4,300 cost, for which Wells plans to seek corporate sponsorship.
City Clerk Lisa Mollett reminded the commission that Tommy Maynard returned the city’s $630 payment for new tires in October at Tommy’s Auto, specifying the money is a donation to the festival.
Wells told commissioners that Jordan Pelfrey of Paintsville is the booking agent. However, she had already booked three artists in advance: Cody Lee Moomey, Hannah Howard, and Brayden Mullins.