Partners2 group lobbied against earlier sales time
By Ed Nadolski
Editor in Chief
Lacking a compelling argument in favor of allowing retail stores to sell alcoholic beverages two hours earlier – and hearing a plea not to do so – the Burlington City Council voted down the measure Tuesday night.
The vote was a victory for Partners2, a local parent-school organization whose main mission is to prevent alcohol and drug use among teens.
However, while several aldermen expressed no strong feelings on either side of the issue, the vote seemed to be influenced by the input of one local retailer.
“I have no intention of opening up at 6 a.m. to sell somebody a six-pack,” said Jim Jante, the owner of Rice’s Liquor, 681 Milwaukee Avenue.
Jante explained that demand for alcoholic beverages at that time of the day didn’t cover the cost of paying a clerk to staff the store during those early hours.
“The doors don’t swing hard until after 11 a.m.,” he said.
The city was able to consider the ordinance change – which would have moved the start time for sales of packaged alcoholic beverages for off-site consumption from 8 a.m. to 6 a.m. – following a recent change in state law.
Mayor Bob Miller said he was approached by two retailers who said they often have to turn away fishermen, campers and people who are heading out of town to tailgate parties prior to 8 a.m.
To those retailers, he said, it was a matter of fairness. Currently, local bars and taverns are allowed to begin sales of take-home beverages at 6 a.m.
Changing the ordinance for traditional retail stores would have created an even playing field, Miller said.
And, unlike a liquor store, grocery stores, convenience stores and gas stations are usually staffed prior to 8 a.m. and may have benefited from the earlier sale hours.
Alderman Bob Prailes said he didn’t envision a scenario where the earlier hours would pose harm to the community.
“I don’t see how this would push kids to start drinking at 6 a.m.,” he said.
However, Christina Converset, director of Partners2, said any expansion of alcohol sales poses a threat to her organization’s mission.
“Consider the teens of this community,” she said. “(It) leads to more availability and the likelihood of binge drinking.”
Converset urged the council to “continue to be proactive and mentor other communities in the state.”
She also read a statement from Megan Kroes, director of the Racine County Youth Coalition, urging the council to reject the earlier hours.
“Take a step back and look at the already disturbing facts,” Kroes said in the statement, citing several statistics on the prevalence of teen drinking in western Racine County.
Alderman Tom Vos said, other than the opposition from Partners2, he hasn’t heard any other arguments for or against the change.
“If it stays at 8 a.m. I’m fine with it and if it goes to 6 a.m. I’m fine with it,” he said. “I don’t really know what time has got to do with the problem.”
Vos said the real problem was illegal sales of alcohol to underage drinkers, which is something that needs to be addressed by law enforcement and store owners.
Mayor Miller agreed. “The same rules are in place no matter what time the sales occur,” he said.
Miller added that the two retailers who spoke to him in favor of the ordinance change declined to attend Tuesday’s meeting.
Miller said they feared they would appear “greedy.”
“I don’t think they’ll be all that upset,” he said of the anticipated reaction to the decision.
The council rejected the motion to approve the earlier time for Class A retail sales of alcoholic beverages on a 4-3 vote. Aldermen Katie Simenson, James Prailes, Steve Rauch and Vos voted against the change, while aldermen Bob Prailes, Peter Hintz and Jeff Fischer voted for the change.
Now that the council has rejected the 6 a.m. starting time, it will have to consider and pass an ordinance restating the 8 a.m. starting time to comply with the new state law. In both cases, the ending time for sales would remain 9 p.m.
The council is expected to consider the updated 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. sales ordinance at its Feb. 21 meeting.
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