The Marietta City Council on Wednesday voted unanimously to place the Sunday sales question on next year’s presidential primary ballot, which has yet to be scheduled by the Secretary of State.
“It’s the first opportunity that there is an election that’s already taking place city-wide, so our citizens have an opportunity to vote how they wish to vote on that issue,” Councilman Philip Goldstein said.
Councilman Grif Chalfant said he also believes voters should decide. Still, Chalfant said whenever he passes Chick-fil-A, which has a policy of closing its restaurants on Sunday, he becomes nostalgic for his childhood, when most businesses closed for the day.
“Back when I was growing up, you went to church and that was all you could do,” Chalfant said. “It was just a different time. Sunday was a completely different day. I like the memory of that. It makes me feel good.”
Councilman Anthony Coleman, an associate minister of Vision for Souls Family Worship in Mableton, said he supports allowing the voters to decide the issue.
“Dr. King fought for people to have a right to vote,” Coleman said.
However, “I don’t think the faith community will be very supportive of it,” Coleman said. “I probably won’t vote for it. Sunday is a day set aside for worship, and I think we should respect that day.”
Council also allowed, 6-1, with Van Pearlberg opposed, Glenn Drake, owner of Drake Realty Inc., to build four homes on the approximately one-acre property he owns on Montgomery Street near Cherokee Street, rather than the three allowed for by zoning.
In other business, council voted unanimously to:
n Appoint Coleman, Johnny Sinclair and Annette Lewis to a redistricting committee charged with redrawing the lines that define the seven city council and school board wards based on numbers from the 2010 Census. Because the council doesn’t have staggered terms, the next election is not until 2013, giving it plenty of time to adopt new maps, Mayor Steve Tumlin said.
n Reappointed Thomas McBrayer, Alice Summerour, Guy H. Northcutt Jr., Harry Lembeck and Danna Kaye to three-year terms on the Marietta Museum of History.
n Approved a resolution to erect a memorial sign for Olive Street spanning from Roswell Street to Chester Street that proclaims it “Bishop Chandler D. Owens Memorial Way.”
Owens, who died earlier this year, led the Greater Community Church of God in Christ located on Olive Street.
n Approved property and liability insurance from August 2011 to August 2012 for a total policy cost of $439,087.
“Through this process and the negotiations with the responding companies the city was able to secure the new policy with our current carrier Trident/Argonaut for a rate that is 1.4 percent lower than what we currently pay,” City Manager Bill Bruton said. “The savings is $6,165 per year.”
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The blame lies directly on the people who have misused and abused alcohol, causing numerous deaths because of DUI.
Selling alcohol in package stores on Sunday does not insure that all alcohol purchased will be consumed at home in a responsible manner.
People who drink to excess are known to be irresponsible in their use of alcohol, causing serious injury and death. That is why many people, both religious and non-religious are against it.
Unfortunately this proposal will probably fail in most cities because the only people who vote are old people and church goers. Ultimately a few cities will pass Sunday alcohol sales in 2012, and reap the tax rewards (tax on alcohol, payroll taxes, etc.). Then every other city will follow suit and allow Sunday alcohol sales because our elected officials want to keep that Sunday tax money in their jurisdiction/pockets.
As a confirmed 7 th Day Atheist, I find Mr Coleman is totaly out of line to deny me of my constitutional right to party on his Pagan Holiday.. I hate religious control freaks who somehow think the Sun is their God and against Wine..