City Moves Towards Approval of Alcohol Ordinance

The city of Easley is a step closer to passing an ordinance that would allow the sale and consumption of alcohol during fundraising events held in Old Market Square.

Despite the request from several concerned residents to vote against it, city council approved the first reading of an ordinance to allow the sale and consumption of beer and wine during approved, non-profit fundraising events.

Only two council members voted against the ordinance — Libby Dodson and Thomas Wright. Council members Brian Garrison, Chris Mann, Kim Valentin and David Watson voted to approve the ordinance.

Pickens County Cancer Association Executive Director Cynthia Smoak once again addressed the council to ask them to approve the ordinance. Smoak originally asked the city to consider allowing alcohol sales in December. The PCCA is planning a barbecue fundraiser in April and Smoak said the group could raise an additional $7,000 through alcohol sales.

"We're excited, this is a great move, a great start for the Pickens County Cancer Association," Smoak said. "This will allow us to have dollars flowing in for our patients who need it."

South Carolina Barbecue Association President Lake High of Columbia, also addressed the council to request approval of the ordinance. High said the group oversees approximately 35 barbecue competitions across the state each year.

"Judges are important, but they're not the most important person there," High said. "The important person there is the cooker. You keep the cookers happy and you've got a festival. No cookers, no festival."

High told the council that an ordinance banning the sale and consumption of alcohol in Bamberg, S.C., had an unexpected negative impact on the annual event.

"They pulled the alcohol, the cookers didn't come, they closed the festival," High said.

Kimberly Albertson, a cancer patient, said she did not want anyone to raise money in her name through the sale of alcohol and asked council members to vote against the ordinance.

"I got on a clinical trial list that God allowed me to get on," Albertson said. "It wasn't alcohol, it wasn't a barbecue and it wasn't money. It was because I was dependent on God."

Brian Hale also asked council members to vote against the ordinance. Hale also suggested the city consider making this the only annual event that would allow alcohol consumption if it was approved.

Former Easley High School Principal Bill Houston said he was supportive of what Smoak is trying to do, but also does not agree with the use of alcohol to raise funds.

"That just appalls me to think that an organization could ask to raise money using alcohol when it's one of the major causes of cancer," Houston said.

The arguments against the passage of the ordinance echoed the sentiment conveyed during a city workshop held to discuss the issue in January.

Councilman Wright said his vote was influenced by several letters and calls he received from his constituents.

"People thought that we'd open up a can of worms and thought that it would create more problems that we'd be able to manage at this particular time," Wright said. 

Councilman Watson said the positive impact of approving the ordinance outweigh the negative. 

"I think it's going to make a big impact on the number of people we get to special events downtown," Watson said.

Easley City Council will review the ordinance for a second time during the next regularly scheduled meeting on March 12. There will be an opportunity preceding the meeting for public discussion.