Sea Isle Considers Sunday Morning Alcohol Sales

SEA ISLE CITY — This summer may find wine flowing on Sunday mornings in this sea side city and it won’t be the sacramental wine offered during local church service Communions.
During its March 27 meeting, a majority of members of City Council gave their approval to a first reading of an ordinance that will allow the sale of alcoholic beverages, including the sale and delivery of beer kegs, to begin at 10 a.m. instead of noon. The vote, however, was not unanimous.
“Right now when serving alcohol on Sundays you have to wait ‘til noontime,” said Council President John Divney during his introduction of the ordinance. “What this ordinance does is allow you to start selling alcohol at 10 o’clock in the morning.”
Councilperson Mike McHale cast the sole no vote for the ordinance.
“I kind of thought that this was always a sacred time in this community,” said McHale. “There are thousands of people going to church at the time and I feel this ordinance detracts from that when we start allowing all the bars to be open. Sunday morning is special.”
“I sent out an email to Town Watch people yesterday,” said Ann Organ during the public portion of the meeting, “and asked them for their opinions to see if this bothers them any more than it bothered me.”
Organ said two responses came back stating, “They’re going to do what they want anyway, so why bother?”
Another email response Organ received asked who sponsored the changes to the ordinance.
According to Divney, the Sea Isle City Tavern Association called for changes to Ordinance 1520.
“With our mayor being a part of that, isn’t that a conflict of interest?” asked Organ.
Divney assured Organ that Mayor Leonard Desiderio, a bar owner, does not vote nor does he review any city business which affects alcohol or its sale.
“He (Desiderio) does not express opinions; he does not lobby us,” said Divney.
“We just want to know if this is going to make or break Sea Isle and the bar association for two more hours of drinking?” asked Organ.
Divney told Organ that the ordinance was being introduced at that meeting, it would be published in newspapers, and a public hearing would be held.
The second reading, public hearing and possible adoption of the ordinance are scheduled for April 24.
“As you are doing now, and if anyone from the Town Watch or any other citizen, as always, wants to send us emails or letters, or call us up to lobby between now and the 24th, we encourage them to do that,” said Divney.