The Pasco County Commission has removed the county’s ban on the Sunday morning sales of alcoholic beverages.
Now, alcohol sales on Sunday will be treated like alcohol sales on any other day of the week in the county, said County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder. Previously, the sales weren’t allowed on Sundays before 11 a.m.
No one spoke during the public hearing and commissioners voted 5-0 to amend the ordinance, during the board’s Dec. 8 meeting. The change will take effect within 10 days of the board’s action.
The change was prompted by Commissioner Kathryn Starkey, who raised the issue at a board meeting in September.
“A lot of counties in the state and around the country have kind of moved away from this old-fashioned law,” Starkey said, at the time.
She said constituents had told her they’d like to get rid of the restriction, and said she’d previously witnessed people milling around in the grocery store, waiting so they could purchase alcohol to take with them when they were headed out to go boating, scalloping or to another activity.
She also said people who shop for groceries on Sunday morning shouldn’t be prevented from buying alcohol.
The board also approved the selection of Shawn Foster LLC, doing business as Sunrise Consulting Group, to serve as the board’s outside consultant for a maximum of $60,000 a year. The board listened to presentations by Foster and by a representative for Shumaker Advisers Florida LLC before selecting Sunrise.
At a board meeting in November, a panel of county staffers had recommended Corcoran and Associates, doing business as Corcoran Partners, be selected as the outside lobbyist.
But, commissioners rejected the process and requested presentations before making a selection. Corcoran Partners did not participate in the presentations.
In other action, commissioners:
- Reorganized the board naming Ron Oakley as chairman and Starkey as vice chairwoman.
- Approved numerous small changes to the county’s land development code, including a change in the process to approve permits to sell alcohol. Previously, those requests were heard by the Pasco County Planning Commission, which made a recommendation and then by Pasco County Commission, which had the final authority. Now, those requests will be considered administratively by county staff, unless some sort of exception is requested. The Pasco County Commission will decide on those cases, unless there’s an appeal.
- Approved a unified sign plan for Krate, at the Grove at Wesley Chapel, to provide applicants with an opportunity to create attractive signage having uniform or cohesive design of color, texture, materials, or architectural features which contribute to place-making throughout the development. Krate, which is under development, is an open-air, urban-themed container park with retail shops, restaurants, outdoor seating areas, and live entertainment. The Grove is east of Oakley Boulevard and west of Interstate 75, about 650 feet north of Wesley Chapel Boulevard.
Published December 16, 2020
