Belleman Wondering About Sunday Morning Booze Sales Applications

Permits Cost $160, Demand Still Uncertain, Officials Say

November 28, 2010
By: Dave Rogers

Officials of the City of Bay City don't know what to expect in applications for Sunday morning liquor sales.

City Manager Robert V. Belleman has written to the city commission:

"Recently, Governor Granholm signed legislation to permit liquor sales on Sunday morning starting December 2, 2010. According to a recent LISTSERV notice, this means that permits can be issued on December 1st for business to sell liquor on Sunday mornings."

The legislation says that as of December 1, 2010, businesses can apply for Sunday morning liquor permits if they already have a liquor license. They pay a $160 fee and are issued the license.

A community can prohibit these permits from being issued, though, by passage of a resolution by the local unit of government prohibiting sales on Sundays, he said.

"There are questions about what will happen if a community passes such a prohibition, but it is after the deadline and after some permits have been issued," said Mr. Belleman.

"It is unclear what then happens to the businesses that already have the permits. There are also questions about what happens to communities who have ordinances or charter provisions that copy state law and have a prohibition on Sunday morning sales."

Meanwhile, the city received its annual performance evaluation from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The positive evaluation summarized:

City of Bay City expended $660,347 on CDBG Housing Rehabilitation projects.

City of Bay City has expended $101,276 through the Crime Awareness program.

City of Bay City expended $30,000 through the Free Medical Clinic.

City of Bay City's current timeliness ratio as of May 2, 2010 is 0.82.

City of Bay City expended $210,005 of HOME dollars on Homebuyer Downpayment assistance.

For the period ending June 30, 2009, the City of Bay City had no audit findings.

"In conclusion, as a result of our analysis we have determined that the City of Bay City, Michigan has the continuing capacity to carry out the Community Planning and Development programs in a timely manner," wrote Louis Berra, acting field office director in the Flint office of HUD.