Hearing set for bar hours debate

The public will be heard, but no action will be taken Thursday as the city council plans to let Sealy residents express their views on the debate over extended bar hours in the city limits.

The meeting will be held at the Liedertafel Hall Thursday and the public hearing will begin at 6:30 p.m.

The issue has raised tensions and generated a strong debate, leaving council members exhausted and frustrated as some residents continue to voice their opposition to the plan.

“I’m not sure if this should be voted on at this forum, but I sure want it to end,” said councilwoman Yvonne Johnson. “I’m ready for a vote.”

Johnson, along with councilmen Steve Wilson and Stephen Mieth and mayor Nick Tirey voted in favor of extending bar hours in the city limits from midnight to 2 a.m. at an early September meeting. Councilmen Rick Fogle, Harold Hradil and Larry Koy opposed the change. The ordinance requires two readings to pass and the second reading was tabled two weeks ago because a large crowd gathered to speak out on the issue but council chambers could not accommodate them.

Council members decided at Wednesday’s meeting not to have a vote following this Thursday’s public hearing to ensure there is no knee-jerk decision on the issue.

“I am sure there will be questions raised and comments made that need to be addressed,” Wilson said. “If we vote on it that night, we would not have a chance to address those questions. If we need to come back two weeks later and do it, that’s fine. That way everybody knows it will not be voted on that night and there’s not this feeling that someone made us vote on it or made us not vote on it one way or another.“

Tirey added he wanted time to consider all the comments, but also wants to see what role the county might play in all of this.

“I’d like to have the time to digest that,” he said. “I would also like to think that at that public hearing we can defer some of this to the county. Let’s see what the county does and follow their lead.”

Currently, two precincts in Austin County - one and three - allow bars to sell alcohol until 2 a.m. Tirey has said the reason Sealy must consider changing its rules to match those of the county is to be fair to businesses currently outside the city limits which may be annexed in the future. Without the ordinance change, any bar annexed would fall under city rules and would be forced to stop selling alcohol at midnight.

Much of the discussion has centered around Ropers, located on Highway 36 on the north end of Sealy, but currently outside the city limits.

Koy said the city’s decision should not be based on county action, and added the council could consider other options for addressing this issue.

“I think there are other options besides voting it straight up or down,” he said. “You can always put it on a ballot. As far as waiting on the county or following the county, I don’t think the county has anything to do with this issue right now. The city ought to take the lead and do what we’re going to do.”

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