Port Allen council votes to limit liquor hours

PORT ALLEN — The City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to follow parish government in strengthening its stand against liquor sales after 10 p.m. on Sundays.

An ordinance adopted during the council’s regular meeting calls for the sale of all alcoholic beverages to stop and the businesses that serve alcohol to close at 10 p.m. on Sundays and not reopen until 6 a.m. on Mondays.

The ordinance is identical to a measure the West Baton Rouge Parish Council approved earlier this year which, like Port Allen’s law, was ratified by voters last fall.

Mayor Roger Bergeron said that the ordinance does not apply to Super Bowl Sunday, a Sunday followed by Memorial Day, Labor Day, the Fourth of July, New Year’s Day, or if the Fourth of July falls on a Sunday.

The city already had an ordinance in place prohibiting Sunday-night liquor sales after 10 p.m.

However, the mayor said, it took up the issue in anticipation that a business owner would challenge the ordinance.

No one in the audience spoke for or against the issue during a public hearing on the item held prior to the vote.

Other matters coming before the council included:

NUISANCE ORDINANCE: The council agreed to consider a proposed comprehensive ordinance pertaining to its handling of issues deemed as public nuisances.

The 19-page ordinance, which Bergeron said is based on a similar ordinance from nearby Brusly, features 12 examples of situations considered to be public nuisances.

These include specifics on overgrown grass or weeds, derelict buildings or structures and inoperable vehicles, among others.

“The definition is pretty broad,” Bergeron said. “It basically covers anything injurious to your neighbor.”

The ordinance also specifies length of time for notices, appeals processes and costs of recovery, the mayor said.

Those found in violation of the law could face up to $500 in fines, 60 days in jail or both for each offense, according to the proposal.

The mayor added that a monthly report would also be provided on the status of nuisance issues in the city.

A public hearing and vote on the matter will take place at the council’s next regular meeting.

REDISTRICTING APPROVED: The council voted to adopt a redistricting plan based on figures from the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau.

The plan will now go to the U.S. Department of Justice for approval.