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County liquor sales to flow, except on Sunday

After a lengthy discussion involving outrage from one business owner, the Fayette County Commission gave the go-ahead for mixed drink sales in the unincorporated county last week.

The outrage came from John Boykin of the Palmer Course at Starr’s Mill. That’s the clubhouse and restaurant once known as Whitewater Country Club.

Boykin was upset because he thought the referendum passed by the county’s voters in July would also allow Sunday sales.

But County Attorney Bill McNally told the commission that Sunday sales require another referendum.

“We specifically wanted Sunday sales and thought that’s what we were getting. That day is one-seventh of our business,” he said.

Boykin said that thirsty golfers might head to other courses on Sunday, which could lead them to competitive courses the rest of the week.

Commissioners Linda Wells and Chairman Greg Dunn were also not aware the referendum didn’t allow for sales on Sunday, but said there was little they could do about it. Dunn said it would be too late to get the issue on the November ballot, and it would have to be scheduled when the next county-wide election is held.

Other components of the ordinance included:

• Setting A fee of $1,500 for selling mixed drinks, beer and wine. The current cost is $750 for beer and wine. Commissioners A.G. VanLandingham and Herb Frady advocated setting the fee at $5,000, but the other three commissioners favored a smaller increase.

“It’s not like the workload is increased that much,” Wells said.

• Cutting off sales at 11:55 p.m. on Saturday nights with one exception. The County Commission decoded to extend the sales to 1 a.m. on a Sunday morning that was New Year’s Day.

The ordinance went into effect Thursday night with the signatures of the commissioners’ pens.