Beer on Sunday: New alcohol laws on tap in Franklinton

Alcohol could be sold in restaurants, including on Sundays, if a proposed ordinance becomes law at the next Franklinton Town Council meeting.

Town Alderman Brad Orman introduced the ordinance Tuesday night.

The proposed law would drastically change two areas of how alcohol is currently sold in the Fair City: 1) It would allow alcoholic beverages “containing low or high alcoholic content” to be sold on Sundays between noon and 10 p.m., and 2) It would allow restaurants to sell alcoholic drinks.

Currently no restaurants in Franklinton are allowed to sell alcohol, and nowhere in Washington Parish is alcohol legal to sell on Sundays.

Alcohol is only sold at Franklinton grocery and convenience stores Monday through Saturday.

The proposed ordinance comes on the heels of an announcement that the new Bogue Chitto State Park could open in the next few months and an economic impact study of alcohol sales conducted by Southeastern Louisiana University.

“Combined, the two proposed changes to Franklinton’s regulations are estimated to increase sales revenues of Franklinton businesses by $463,696 (annually) and provide earnings of $160,258, which would support approximately 9.6 jobs,” according to the SLU study. “The increased sales revenue would lead to an increase in Franklinton’s sales tax collections of an estimated $12,612.”

Nearly all of the town aldermen seemed in favor of the ordinance when it was introduced Tuesday.

“Where we’re coming from is strictly income,” said Alderman Florence Manning.

And that income could be even greater than what was stated in the SLU study, which estimated 82,039 people will visit the new state park each year. Manning said she thinks the park will receive quite a bit more visitors than that.

New alcohol laws could also bring in new business, said Orman. Restaurants like Chili’s or Applebee’s may be willing to come to Franklinton if they can sell alcohol.

“They won’t come without that,” Orman said.

Alderman Richard Dillon was the lone dissenter at Tuesday’s meeting, voting “no” to introduce the ordinance.

After the meeting, he said new laws concerning alcohol should really come from the public before being decided by the board.

New Alcohol laws should “not just be pushed through by the council,” Dillon said.

Officials are also going to have to sit down and define exactly what is a “restaurant,” Dillon said.

One thing the aldermen said they don’t want is any bars popping up in Franklinton. They all seemed to agree on that.

Mayor Wayne Fleming said a public hearing on the alcohol ordinance is scheduled for Sept. 8 at 6:15 p.m. at Town Hall. The board may vote on the ordinance at a meeting following the public hearing.