Wetumpka Pushes For Draft Beer, Sunday Sales Again
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The city of Wetumpka is hoping the third time is the charm.
There’s a bill going through the state house to bring Sunday sales and draft beer to the town, but it’s failed twice before.
The streets of Wetumpka are getting a big facelift.
Mayor Jerry Willis hopes the new look and the addition of draft beer and Sunday sales will be make the city more enticing for restaurants.
“Right now we sit with three major restaurants that have closed and it’s hard to market those properties when you don’t have the ability to sell on sundays after noon and to have draft beer. So a couple of these were built to be able to have draft beer,” said Mayor Willis.
Representative Mike Holmes is carrying the bill in the house this year.
Unlike year’s past, this bill would be just for Wetumpka.
But that doesn’t mean it has everyone’s support.
“I have constituents on both sides of the issue quite frankly and it’s a big deal to all of them. I’ve taken the position and all of our delegation has taken the position that this is a local issue and the city council is the elected authority for that decision. They’ve given us a unanimous decision on both the draft beer and the Sunday sales,” said Rep. Holmes.
The Wetumpka city council passed those resolutions earlier this year.
With a few changes in the delegation, Representative Holmes says he expects Wetumpka to serve draft beer within the year.
“There was some disagreement with former Senator Bryan Taylor that had some issues in the bill as written and he wound up blocking and we need a unanimous consent with the delegation to keep someone from holding the bill, so it got held,” said Holmes.
He says that since the city council already approved it, the city could start selling on sundays and allowing draft sales immediately after the bill passes.
