By Callie Buys
Last week, Payson residents had to drive out of town to order an alcoholic beverage on a Sunday. This Sunday, Nov. 17, however, they can purchase alcohol in Payson restaurants, grocery stores and convenience stores, thanks to a city council vote last week.
The Payson City Council voted 3-2 to eliminate prohibitions of Sunday alcohol sales at a city council meeting Nov. 6. The new ordinance took effect Wednesday, following its publication in the Payson Chronicle, according to Pam Knight, deputy city recorder.
The amended ordinance allows grocery stores, convenience stores and licensed restaurants in Payson to sell alcohol on Sundays. The previous city ordinance prohibited such sales.
Jose Solorzano, owner of Mi Rancherito Mexican Restaurant in Payson, requested the change about one month ago.
'There were a lot of Spanish customers that were coming in and getting a little bit upset about me not selling beer on Sundays when they knew I sold it during the week,' he said. 'I didn''t think that was right to lose the business, and I explained that to the people at the city.'
Solorzano said some of his customers would go to restaurants in Provo, Orem and Springville to order alcohol on Sundays.
'Groups of people (would) come in here, and when they found out they couldn''t get a beer, they got up and left,' he said. 'To me, it (the decision) is good. It''s a great move for some of the people who drink. People are very happy about it.'
According to Utah law, cities can decide to allow beer or liquor sales in restaurants on Sundays.
'I don''t know why it was prohibited other than some other council decided that is what they would do,' Payson councilwoman Colleen Jacobson told the Associated Press. 'Mi Rancherito wanted to make it so restaurants could serve it and instead of just letting restaurants serve alcohol on Sunday, I made the motion that we repeal all of it,' Jacobson said.
After discussing the issue, two council members voted for the ordinance change and two voted against the motion. With one council member absent, Mayor Bernell Evans cast the deciding vote, said councilman Max Roberts, who voted against the motion.
'It wasn''t an explosive issue, it''s just that that''s the way it went,' Roberts said.
'I personally did not want those restrictions changed, for reasons that I think as you begin to do that, little by little you ease those laws ... It grows from one level to another.'
'I personally did not want that chain reaction that eventually loosens those kinds of laws in the state,' he said.
Jacobson told the Associated Press that the city should not legislate morals.
'I don''t feel like we should set ourselves up as the standard of how people should live,' she said. 'I think it is good for our community to be more open.'
Most Utah County cities continue to prohibit Sunday alcohol sales in grocery and convenience stores, while several allow restaurants to sell liquor on Sundays.
In Provo and Orem, restaurants that hold liquor licenses can serve alcohol on Sundays, while convenience stores and grocery stores cannot sell alcohol from 1 a.m. on Sundays to 7 a.m. on Mondays, according to Provo and Orem city codes.
Springville changed its ordinance prohibiting Sunday alcohol sales last year, becoming the first city in Utah County city to allow sales of beer in grocery and convenience stores on Sunday, said Jo Evans, Springville City recorder.
'There really were no adverse effects from allowing it,' she said.
'When the city council got to thinking about it, they realized that there were a lot of beer drinkers in the county who drove out of the county to drink beer,' Evans said. 'They would drive out of the county, purchase the beer and drink it, or a lot of it, and then drive home and either put themselves or someone else in danger.'
In Pleasant Grove, restaurants with state licenses for on-premise alcohol consumption can sell alcohol on Sundays. Convenience stores and other businesses that sell alcohol for off-premise consumption cannot sell beer between 11:59 p.m. Saturdays and 7 a.m. Mondays, said Carol Emery, business licensing official for Pleasant Grove City.
Emery has not received any requests to change the city ordinance, though as new businesses come into the city she expects more discussion about the topic.
'The businesses that have had it have had it for a lot of years,' she said. 'We''ve not really had anybody say that it''s a problem.'
Similarly, American Fork prohibits the sale of alcohol between 11:59 p.m. on Saturdays and 7 a.m. on Mondays, said Richard Colborn, American Fork city recorder.
Lindon is a 'dry city' according to development clerk Lin Bolton, who noted that the city does give special permits for special occasions such as weddings.