Council approves earlier Sunday alcohol sales

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The Mountain Brook City Council on Monday approved an ordinance that will allow Sunday alcohol sales to begin at 10 a.m. instead of noon.

The change, which takes effect in five days, permits licensed businesses within the city limits to sell alcoholic beverages for on-premise consumption. Birmingham made a similar change in 2018, and Hoover is currently aiming to do the same.

Restaurants like Habitat Feed & Social, which serves Sunday brunch inside the Grand Bohemian Hotel, stand to benefit from the ordinance.

“It keeps our own restaurants that much more viable on Sunday mornings,” Council President Virginia Smith said.

The Mountain Brook City Council in February asked the local statehouse delegation to sponsor a bill allowing the time tweak.

That bill, Senate Bill 146, passed through both chambers of the Alabama Legislature in its most recent session. State Sen. Jabo Waggoner sponsored the legislation, which drew support from local restaurant owners like Will Haver.

Haver owns Taco Mama and Otey’s Tavern in Crestline Village. Although neither serves brunch, he said Otey’s periodically opens early enough to be affected by the shift.

“I think it was a great move by the state and the city because it got everybody on the same page,” Haver said. “I don’t think a lot of people were aware of what the law was.”

Haver said past confusion created an unfair advantage for certain restaurants that unknowingly violated the law by serving alcohol before noon. That shouldn't be the case moving forward, he said.

“I think it really makes a difference on the restaurant side in keeping everybody on an equal playing field,” he said.

Also on Monday, the City Council authorized the execution of a one-year license agreement between Mountain Brook and the Red Mountain Search Dog Association. The agreement will allow the association to train at the city’s facilities, including the fire tower, rubble pile and culverts.

Red Mountain is a nonprofit that trains search dogs to track, trail and locate missing persons in catastrophic circumstances and other public emergencies. The group will have access to the facilities on weekends in the late afternoon or early evening.

Mountain Brook Fire Chief Chris Mullins said that collaborating with groups like Red Mountain benefits both parties. 

"Having that relationship is good for us," Mullins said. 

Additionally, the City Council authorized a 5% premium/incentive pay increase effective June 24, 2019, for up to seven police personnel who are certified drone pilots holding a Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Certification. The premium is contingent upon approval from the Personnel Board of Jefferson County.

According to Police Chief Ted Cook, the department's drone program became operational in April. 

In other business, the Council:

  • Recommended the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board issue a license to Abhi, a new restaurant that will be opening at 2721 Cahaba Road in Mountain Brook Village. The space was formerly occupied by Avo and Dram Whiskey Bar before they closed at the beginning of 2019.
  • Increased the compensation rates of the municipal court justices and city prosecutor effective July 1, 2019. Justices will be paid $575 per day, and the prosecutor will be paid $140/hour plus out-of-pocket expenses.
  • Consented to the county personnel board's creation of a new firefighter medic job classification and migration plan of qualifying employees. Firefighter medics are both licensed paramedics and certified firefighters, according to an email from the county personnel board.
  • Authorized the execution of an investment agency agreement with respect to an investment account with Iberia Wealth Advisors, per the request of City Finance Director Steven Boone.
  • Appointed Rachel Barton to the Jefferson County Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Authority, Inc., to fill the unexpired term of Stacey Turner and serve without compensation through Dec. 8, 2020.
  • Approved the minutes from its May 24 and May 28 meetings.

The City Council will hold its next meeting on June 24 at 7 p.m. at City Hall.