By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
In 2016, the Great Bend City Council voted to extend the hours for
alcohol and liquor sales and allow Sunday sales of liquor and cereal malt
beverages. Fast forward to 2023, the city council will now consider extending
the hours in which liquor stores and other retailers can sell alcohol on
Sunday.
The current law within the City of Great Bend is that alcohol can be sold from
12 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. State law has changed to give local governments
the authority to permit 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. for liquor sales on Sunday. Hearing a
suggestion to leave the sale times alone, Mayor Cody Schmidt said there is
already a business in town disregarding the ordinance.
"We're starting to realize there is a certain business in town that is selling it at 9 a.m. on Sundays, and others are not," said Schmidt. "We have some that are already doing because the state said they can. They don't realize there is a difference in state and city."
Liquor sales within Great Bend are allowed from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday
through Saturday but have the restricted hours on Sunday. Councilmember Alan
Moeder was in favor of drafting an ordinance to coincide with the new state law
of allowing Sunday sales to begin at 9 a.m.
"We have to be somewhat consistent with all the other communities in the area," said Moeder. "They can start selling at 9 a.m. six days a week, what difference is one more day?"
City Attorney Allen Glendenning will draft an ordinance for the change, and the
city council can further discuss the topic and vote on the issue at the Sept. 5 meeting.