The Leitchfield City Council moved closer to allowing the sale of alcohol in Leitchfield after holding the first reading of the new 12-page ordinance during the council meeting Monday night.

The purpose of the ordinance is to establish regulations and requirements for the licensing and regulation of the sale of alcoholic beverages for any restaurant which seats more than 100 people and derives more than seventy percent of its receipts from the sale of food.

According to the ordinance the city will charge an $800 licensing fee for any business that chooses to sell alcohol and has added an eight percent sales tax on all alcoholic beverages.

Alcohol by the drink may be sold within the city limits at any restaurant with a license on Monday through Saturday between the hours of 6 a.m. and 12 a.m. and on Sunday between the hours of 12 p.m. and 12 a.m.

The only day that alcohol will be allowed to sell later than midnight is on New Years Eve and then the hours are extended until 2 a.m. There will be no alcohol sold during the hours that the polls are open on any regular election day.

All delivery of alcoholic beverages in the city shall be made during normal business hours on Monday through Saturday with no delivery allowed on Sundays.

A complete copy of the proposed ordinance can be obtained at city hall.

The first reading of the ordinance did not pass with out some opposition.

Councilman Jerry Schlosser proposed the sale of alcohol not be permitted on Sundays.

“I respect the 900 people who voted for the sale of alcohol,” said Schlosser. “But I also think we should respect the 700 that voted against it and mot allow the sale of alcohol on Sunday.”

Tim Clark, the spokesman for the Citizens for Economic Growth, was opposed to this proposal.

“The whole issue here is to sell alcohol to promote economic growth,” said Clark, “and by not allowing the sale on Sunday you are stopping that. Most people eat out on Sundays and no restaurant is going to want to come to Leitchfield if they can not sell on Sunday.”

The first reading of the ordinance passed with no changes in a four-to-two vote by the council. Schlosser and Wales Montgomery voted against the ordinance with Steven Elder, Leon Shaw, Billy Dallas and Kelly Stevenson voting in favor.

Mayor William Thomason said if everything went according to plan, the first day of legalized alcohol sales in the city would be May 24, 2010.