Breaking News
Local News

Vienna City Council rejects brunch bill, hiring deputy police chief

By Jeff Saulton 5 min read

VIENNA -- Proposals to allow early Sunday alcohol sales in businesses with a class A liquor licenses and to hire a deputy chief of police to handle administrative affairs were defeated in 4 to 3 votes Thursday.

In a public meeting prior to the council meeting two speakers, one for and one against, spoke about the proposed ordinance to amend the home rule plan to allow the sale of alcohol beverages at class A license holders at 10 a.m. on Sunday. Currently West Virginia law forbids the sale of alcohol beverages before 1 p.m. Sunday.

Mark Lewis, Greater Parkersburg Convention and Visitors Bureau CEO and president, spoke in favor of the bill.

"During the past legislative session S.B. 298 was passed to allow restaurants, wineries, breweries and distilleries to sell alcohol for on premises consumption beginning at 10 a.m.," he said. "This law intended to allow the sale of popular brunch drinks in restaurants on Sunday morning and to allow wineries, distilleries and breweries to allow visitors to sample their wares during Sunday morning tours."

Lewis said the bill allowed counties to enact the bill by referendum or for cities in the home rule program to ask the state home rule board to allow them to make the change.

Parkersburg City Council is expected to soon vote on the proposal after receiving approval from the state to enact the bill.

Lewis said the bill is a business-friendly initiative that would allow restaurant owners who sell legal beverages to offer that option at the same time on Sunday that they are currently able to sell them during the rest of the week.

Lewis added many other areas allow the sales at the same time.

"It will allow restaurants in Vienna to compete on a more even playing field with similar establishments across the river in Ohio," he said.

Vienna resident Richard Uhl spoke against the bill.

"I am asking you to not consider the proposed amendment," he said. "Leave the law as it is at 1 p.m."

Uhl said he was concerned families attending worship services could be endangered by impaired drivers.

"It only takes one person leaving a Sunday brunch to ruin a Sunday service after church," he said. "The last thing I, and I'm sure all of you want to see, is to see a family leaving church be in an accident because someone was intoxicated."

In the council meeting Councilman Bruce Rogers said he understood the bill was to allow restaurants in the city to compete with those where earlier sales are allowed but he had misgivings.

"I'd like to say it's kind of a sad situation where someone needs a drink at 10 o'clock in the morning," he said.

Councilman Roger Bibbee said he agreed.

"I think the amendment is something we need not consider," he said. "I think  as we travel around the eastern part of the United States, I think you'll find the laws on our books today are very liberal," he said. "As for increased revenue and increased business I, like most of you, like to go out and eat on Sunday, mostly in Vienna, and most of the places I go to are very busy to full so I see very little positive to this but a whole lot of potential negatives."

Councilman Mike Elam spoke against the proposed ordinance.

"It's one of those things where just because everyone is doing it does not mean we have to," he said. "My vote will be no and I encourage the other councilmen to vote no."

Council rejected the first reading on a vote of 4 to 3. Voting for the ordinance were Mayor Randy Rapp and Councilmen Jim Leach and Rogers. Voting against were Recorder Cathy Smith, and Councilmen Roger Conley, Bibbee and Elam.

Later council voted down a resolution to create a new post of deputy police chief. Rapp said the idea of hiring a deputy chief in an administrative non civil service position was the idea of former police chief George Young who retired at the first of the year. Current Chief Mike Pifer said he favors the creation of the post.

Rapp said the position was in Young's preliminary budget for the 2016-2017 budget.

Rogers said he has not heard anything negative or positive about the position.

"I am assuming all the officers I see here are in support of this because I have not heard anything about  it," he said. "I'd like to say when things like this happen I assume the police in force, in general, are in favor."

Bibbee said he was opposed to the new post.

"The first I heard about this was at the last council meeting," he said. "I had an opportunity to speak with Chief Pifer this week and his points are very valid and I explained to him my feeling that certainly he knows better how to run the department better than I do; he explained what his intention was and I told him I really felt if he needed help he should have help."

Bibbee said he had a problem with creating a position while the department has an open lieutenant position.

"That's where I've been struggling," he said. "It was surprising to me and members of the community. I don't know why we'd like to create a new position when we have an open officer position just sitting there."

Bibbee said the next  lieutenant test is set for April 1.

Rapp said the position or similar positions are allowed by state code and many cities, the State Police and sheriff's departments, including Wood County, have the post.

Voting for the resolution were Rapp, Rogers and Smith. Voting no were Leach, Conley, Bibbee and Elam.

Starting at /week.