The Piedmont City Council, on Tuesday, shot down a request from a local business to host a car show that would allow the sale and consumption of alcohol in the downtown area.
David and Michelle Cook, owners of Shell’s Downtown Restaurant, approached the council with plans to hold a car show called Downtown Cruise. They also requested a special license allowing them to sell alcohol on the street.
This is the same special alcohol license that the council recently granted the organizers of Blue Day, a fundraiser for Piedmont Police Officer Kevin Blue, held on September 22nd.
Council Member Doug Dickeson said that he had received several complaints concerning the sale of alcohol at Blue Day. Every day since, Dickeson explained, “I’ve gotten a phone call or someone coming up to me and say they wouldn’t bring their kids back down because there was drinking on the street.”
The Cook’s request was denied in a 4-3 vote, with one council member abstaining.
Council Member Matt Rogers, who supported the measure, later asked Dickeson, “You have probably 500 to 1,000 people that visited downtown and four or five who didn’t like it, and it sways your vote?”
The council offered to vote on the car show without alcohol, but the Cook’s turned down the offer, calling the event a “package deal.”
In other business, the council agreed to purchase a Bobcat for a total of $86,652, using funds from the Alabama Municipal Electric Authority (AMEA). The money will be reimbursed through the sale of various surplus items.
The council also agreed to set aside $15,000 to purchase billboards in order to attract tourists to downtown Piedmont.
Bills for payment were approved in the amount of $636,801.06.
The next regular Piedmont City Council Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 16th, following the work session, which is set for 5:30pm.