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Wheeling latest to OK earlier Sunday alcohol sales

WHEELING, W.Va. — Mimosas and bloody Marys may now be added to the menus at Wheeling restaurants on Sunday mornings, regardless of whether Ohio County voters approve a referendum Nov. 8.

On Tuesday, Wheeling City Council unanimously approved alcohol sales as early as 10 a.m. on Sundays. The ordinance takes effect immediately.

In February, the West Virginia Legislature passed what’s become known as the “brunch bill,” to allow businesses with an Alcohol Beverage Control Administration Class A license the opportunity to sell liquor, wine and beer for on-premise consumption as early as 10 a.m. with approval by voters in individual counties.

But some cities throughout the state, led by Charleston and Morgantown, sought to enact the brunch bill through an amendment to their home rule plans, which is the method Wheeling ultimately pursued. The West Virginia Municipal Home Rule Board granted the Friendly City permission to do so on Oct. 3.

Even with council’s action Tuesday, voters still will decide on Nov. 8 whether Sunday morning alcohol sales will be allowed in the rest of Ohio County.

Mayor Glenn Elliott clarified, with assistance from City Solicitor Rosemary Humway-Warmuth, that the ruling would apply to all applicable businesses within city limits and on city property, which includes Oglebay Park. Prior to council’s vote, alcohol could not be sold before 1 p.m. on Sundays.

Representatives from several local businesses spoke to council before its decision to encourage the bill’s acceptance, citing opportunity for additional transactions and a chance to appeal to tourists who visit the city.

Kim Florence, general manager of Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack, said 85 percent of the casino’s business is based on tourism, and said the brunch bill will go a long way toward servicing guests with the expectation of Sunday morning sales.

Delegate Erikka Storch, R-Ohio, president of the Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce, said tourism is West Virginia’s third-largest industry, and the brunch bill is expected to generate an estimated $20 million in additional yearly revenue across the state.

In other business, City Manager Robert Herron reported that the Schenk Bridge in Fulton has reopened following an estimated $1 million repair project. The work was financed with roughly $800,000 from the West Virginia Department of Highways and an estimated $219,000 from Community Development Block Grant funds.

Also, council approved several ordinances to award a variety of local nonprofit organizations CDBG funds for the 2016-17 fiscal year. This is an annual process for the city.

It awarded Catholic Charities $4,000; Wheeling Health Right, $20,000; the Greater Wheeling Coalition for the Homeless, $4,500; the Seeing Hand Association, $2,500; and Grow Ohio Valley, $9,000.

See more from The Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register. 

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