OREM -- City officials changed some of the rules Tuesday involving the sale of alcoholic beverages in local stores -- but the Sunday rule stayed the same.
Beer lovers in Orem still cannot purchase beer at the grocery store, the tavern or even at a restaurant on Sunday.Technically, the city ordinance also prohibits the purchase of hard liquor as well. But since that is in conflict with state law governing the sale of such drinks, it isn't enforced, said city attorney Paul Johnson.
"We still maintain the prohibition of sale of beer on Sundays," he said. "There's been a little flurry about that from people who thought we were changing that. We're not."
Johnson said it would simply work better to begin requiring licensing for both on- and off-premise sales. As of July 1, 1999, Orem will begin requiring and issuing licenses regulating the sale of beer and liquor.
City Councilman David Palfreyman said Orem is the only city in Utah County that hasn't been licensing the sale of beer and liquor.
Johnson said the executive director of the state liquor commission was shocked to discover Orem doesn't already license such sales.
"This gives us more control," said assistant city attorney Steve Earl.
"We're already doing the enforcement," Johnson said. "It just makes sense to require local consent or a city license as state law suggests."
He said it will be more practical also, to issue a warning and then collect fines up to $500 per offense for those who violate the rules, particularly the rules prohibiting the sale of alcohol to minors.
Until now, all such businesses were required to post bonds. Then, if an ordinance was violated, the bond would be turned over to the city as a fine. Johnson said businesses dislike the bond process and the city has a hard time collecting them.
He said instead of requiring violators to appear before a hearing board -- which does not exist and has never been convened -- it makes more sense to appoint the director of public safety to act as the hearing official.
A motion to approve the amendments to Orem's ordinance passed the council without dissent.
However, store manager Steve Allen said grocery stores like his are not treated fairly under the new rules.
Five violations of the rules can occur in a 24-month period before a license is revoked for six months.
Allen said grocery stores have many more traffic lanes to govern and consequently more employees to train and monitor than a convenience store.
Johnson said the problems with sales to underage customers have not been coming from grocery stores but from convenience stores.
He said the public safety department is anxious to move ahead under the new rules because they feel they can start to curb underage drinking.
He said there are still problems to be addressed, such as what to do about places like bowling alleys that mix minors and the sale of alcohol. But Johnson said suggestions for dealing with those problems would be brought to the council at a later date.