EXTRA CONTENT: New liquor ordinance will allow Sunday sales in Corbin

To view the ordinance click here.

Package liquor sales are coming to Corbin as soon as June. Coming sooner is alcohol sales on Sunday.

In addition to regulating the sale of package alcohol, the ordinance passed unanimously by the Corbin City Commission Monday night and again Tuesday morning regulates the sale of alcohol by the drink. It included a new provision allowing restaurants to sell alcohol by the drink on Sunday, which was not included in the original ordinance passed after voters approved a referendum in 2003.

The ordinance permits the sale of liquor and/or beer between 6 a.m. and 1 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 p.m. until midnight on Sunday.

With London also permitting the sale of alcohol by the drink and Williamsburg voters recently approving a referendum, Corbin commissioners said the addition of Sunday sales will make Corbin more attractive in trying to lure restaurants to the area.
In addition, the new ordinance amended the existing ordinance to permit outdoor dining.

With Corbin voters approving the referendum approving such sales within the city limits on Feb. 14, the city commission unanimously approved the first and second reading of the ordinance establishing the regulations and requirements for the licensing and operations of establishments selling alcohol Monday night and Tuesday morning.

"Friday, Corbin will be legally wet," said Mayor Willard McBurney.

McBurney said the next step is the issuance of licenses to sell hard liquor and/or beer.

The number of licenses that permits the sale of hard liquor by the bottle is regulated by the Kentucky Alcohol Beverage Control Board and is based on the city’s population. The board has previously told Corbin officials that the city is eligible for three such licenses. The city may issue an unlimited number of licenses to sell beer.

The liquor licenses will be issued though the state ABC office in Frankfort, with its officers making the decision as to who will receive them. Beer licenses will be issued through the city’s ABC administrator, Bruce Rains.

Rains told commission members Tuesday morning, he has had more than 25 individuals contact him regarding a license to sell beer.

Under the terms of the ordinance retailers selling package beer and hard liquor must be separate businesses. Businesses selling packaged beer must be part of a larger business that generates at least $5,000 from the sale of other merchandise.

The cost of license to sell beer at retail has been set at $200 per year while a license to sell hard liquor at retail is $800 per year.
In addition, the city will receive seven percent of gross sales from the sale of alcohol by the drink five percent of gross sales from package liquor.

"These percentage rates are reasonably estimated to reimburse the City for the cost of any additional policing, regulatory or administrative expenses related to the sale of alcoholic beverages," the ordinance states

A copy of the ordinance may be found at www.thenewsjournal.net.