Hoover council expands hours for Sunday alcohol sales

People will no longer have to wait until noon to get alcoholic beverages on Sundays at restaurants, hotels and event centers in Hoover, following a recent action by the Hoover City Council.

The council on Aug. 5 voted to amend the city’s ordinance regarding alcoholic beverage sales to allow sales as early as 10 a.m. on Sundays.

Previously, sales or dispensing of alcoholic beverages could not occur until 11 a.m. on Sundays in private clubs and noon at places such as restaurants, hotels and meeting and event centers.

Councilman John Lyda, who led the effort to expand hours of alcoholic beverage sales, said the change was requested by owners of hotels and restaurants and convention hosts who have customers who want alcoholic beverages earlier in the morning.

This allows such businesses in Hoover to be competitive with businesses in other cities that offer earlier alcoholic beverage sales and gives the ones in Hoover an advantage over businesses in cities that don’t, Lyda said.

“I’m excited for our business community,” he said. “I often say that the best ideas come from your constituents and business owners, and this was one of those.”

Before the council could pass the ordinance, it had to get permission from the Legislature, which approved such a bill in May.

Six members of the Hoover City Council voted in favor of the change. Councilman John Greene abstained from the vote, saying he had witnessed the negative impact that alcohol has had on many people’s lives.

Now, alcoholic beverages sales in businesses are prohibited only from 2 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Sundays and 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. on other days. Consumption of alcohol in such businesses is restricted only from 2 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Sundays and 2 a.m. to 8 a.m. on other days.

In private clubs in Hoover, the dispensing of alcoholic beverages to members is allowed only from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays. From Monday through Saturday, alcohol can be dispensed legally between 11 a.m. and 2 a.m. the following morning in those clubs. However, no private club can have more than 50 percent of its gross sales from alcoholic beverage sales on Sundays.

POLICE MOTORCYCLE AWARDS

Hoover city officials also on Aug. 5 recognized the Hoover Police Department’s motorcycle unit for earning first place in a law enforcement motorcycle competition in Hendersonville, Tennessee.

In addition to the team taking first place, Sgt. Brian Nelson won first place in the elite division and first overall, while Adam Dozier won first place in the expert division and sixth overall, and T.J. Denson won first place in the novice division and 10th overall.

Nelson was named “Mr. Rodeo” for having the overall highest score, and Denson won the “last man standing” competition, in which judges saw which officer could ride the longest without making a mistake, Chief Nick Derzis said.

“They really are experts in their field,” Derzis said of the three officers. “They do a heck of a job, and I’m proud to be associated with this group.”

Hoover’s motorcycle unit does a great job with traffic control and, unfortunately, writes a lot of traffic tickets, he said.