by Delta Discovery Staff
“Shall the City of Bethel adopt local option to prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages except through a restaurant or eating place license?” is the ballot proposition that the Bethel City Council discussed during their last regular council meeting, July 23rd, 2019.
Proposed Ordinance 19-15, sponsored by Mayor Fred Watson, is an ordinance by the Bethel City Council submitting to the qualified voters of the City of Bethel, on October 1, 2019, a ballot proposition initiated through alcohol local option petition.
The item was removed from the Consent Agenda for discussion.
The City Clerk’s Office certified a petition application for an alcohol local option question on June 3rd, 2019, states Ord. 19-15. The petition booklets were issued to the petitioners on June 10th, 2019.
According to proposed Ordinance 19-15, a yes vote on the ballot question means that you want the community of Bethel to fall under local option, preventing the sale of alcoholic beverages in the community of Bethel anywhere other than a restaurant, which would only be licensed to sell beer and wine for onsite consumption.
A no vote on the ballot question means you want the community of Bethel to remain out of local option, allowing for the sale of alcoholic beverages through all license types.
The petition sponsors secured 418 qualifying signatures from registered Bethel voters. On July 4th, the petition sponsors submitted to the City Clerk’s Office the petition booklets for certification review.
The City Clerk certified the petition on July 8th, 2019.
“It falls within the law, we are required to do this,” said Mayor Fred Watson. “It is not going to be up to us, we are just voting to put it on the ballot which I am in total favor of.”
Voting on introducing the ordinance passed unanimously. Public hearing for this will be held during the next regular city council meeting on August 13th, 2019.
