TREASURE ISLAND – Within the next couple of months, Treasure Island residents and visitors may have a couple of extra hours to purchase and consume alcohol.
Addressing the City Commission July 6, Police Chief Tim Casey said a Pinellas County proposal to extend the sale of alcohol from 2 to 3 a.m. would have little or no bearing on law enforcement issues in the city.
Casey also said a city proposal to move back the starting time an hour on alcohol sales from 11 to 10 a.m., would also be no problem.
“I polled my staff and overall there was no significant reaction nor did they believe there would be any significant impact buying alcohol (until 3 a.m.),” Casey said. “However, we had some interesting comments from the larger places (businesses) who said they didn’t think it would be of any major benefit because crowds are sparse at that time. Bartenders didn’t favor it at all.”
Casey said his officers that work the early morning hours backed up what his other staff members said about the county proposal.
“Our patrol officers don’t think there will be any onslaught of additional problems related to alcohol sales because most people are gone by then,” said Casey.
Commissioner Gail Caldwell asked if the city’s proposal to move back the start time for the sale of alcohol would have an impact and Casey said no.
The Pinellas County proposal would establish a countywide uniformity on closing hours for establishments that sell alcoholic beverages.
“Because changes in hours of sale for alcohol will have effects that cross jurisdictional boundaries, the commissioners are interested in whether or not your city would view this change favorably,” Pinellas Commission chair Karen Seel said in a letter to city and town mayors.
Treasure Island will reply to Seel that they have no objection to extending the sale an hour to 3 a.m.
City Manager Reid Silverboard said city staff would draft an ordinance for the change from 11 to 10 a.m. It will be discussed at a future workshop.
In other action, the commission voted unanimously to approve a two-year extension of the current agreement with Pinellas County on the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit, which Treasure Island is a co-permittee to.
Under terms of the agreement, the city is required to monitor its storm water discharge.
The current agreement runs through Sept. 30, 2010 and the amended version will carry the agreement through Sept. 30, 2012.
