Bolivar Changes Liquor Ordinance

The Bolivar City Council voted 6-2 to revise the Bolivar Municipal Code in regards to package stores in the city. The vote took place during the regularly scheduled meeting on December 18 in the Bolivar Municipal Courtroom. The first reading passed 5-2 with one abstaining (Tommy Woods) on November 13.
Voting in favor of the change were city council members Melvin Golden, Larry McKinnie, Tracy Byrum, Jonathan Joy, Woods, and Page Walley.
The successful vote was to remove any reference to the DevCo zone from the liquor ordinance, which established guidelines for liquor stores in Bolivar in June of 2015, and limited liquor stores to spots within the “footprint” of the Bolivar Downtown Development Corporation.
The passage on the second reading included a public hearing where citizens were allowed to voice their concerns. After the public hearing closed, Melvin Golden made a motion to approve the new ordinance, seconded by Larry McKinnie.
Against the change on both the initial reading and the final vote were Todd Lowe and Suzanne Rhea.

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