City Approves Expanded Sunday Liquor Sale Hours

City Commissioners unanimously approved an ordinance that will allow for the expanded hours for cereal malt beverage and liquor sales on Sundays beginning in mid-September during Tuesday’s meeting.

The ordinance allows the retail sale of such beverages on Sundays to begin at 9 a.m., rather than noon, after the state legislature approved the change during the last session. Now approved, the ordinance will be published in the Atchison Globe, after which there is a 60-day waiting period to allow for any public petition that could force the issue onto a public ballot. If no petition is filed, the ordinance would become law in time for the first Sunday with expanded sales to be Sept. 12.

Commissioners also denied a petition to vacate the alley in the 1100 block of Unity Street after staff recommended the denial due to potential utility and emergency access concerns that could arise if the alley were vacated.

In other actions, Commissioners approved the setting of fees for tiedown parking and the rental of the former MGP hangar at the airport, and heard a report on the Atchison Area Chamber of Commerce from Executive Director Jim Rowland.

By consent agenda Commissioners approved a 5-year sledge hauling contract, the North Headworks air handler replacement project, an extended agreement with Network Kansas which administers the E-Community Loan program, and conveyed five properties bought at the April tax sale to the Atchison Landbank. Following the meeting there was a Landbank meeting in which the five conveyed properties were officially accepted into the Landbank.

Two items that had been on the original agenda but were taken off the amended agenda sent out on Tuesday were the possibility of a police review board and a workshop on ATV usage in the city. Those two items may be considered at a future meeting.

The next regular city commission meeting is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on Monday, July 19 in the commission room. The meeting will largely consist of a budget discussion regarding operations and the adoption of the city’s net revenue neutral rate for 2022.