Mimosas, anyone? The Little Rock Board of Directors voted to extend on-premise Sunday alcohol sales in Little Rock to accommodate thirsty brunchers at its Tuesday meeting.
Board members also voted to increase taxi fares and authorize grant funding for the Little Rock School District’s Community Schools Initiative.
The ordinance extending on-premise Sunday alcohol sales, sponsored by At-Large Director Antwan Phillips, means Sunday alcohol sales can start at 10 a.m. instead of noon, and Sunday alcohol sales will run through midnight, rather than the current 10 p.m. cutoff. The change passed with seven “yes” votes and two “no” votes from At-Large Director Joan Adcock and Ward 7 Director B.J. Wyrick. The ordinance included an emergency clause, which would have made it immediately go into effect, but there weren’t enough “yes” votes, meaning the ordinance will go into effect in 30 days.
On-premise alcohol sales cover any purchase of alcohol consumed at the same place it was purchased. Restaurants and hotels, for example, will now have a larger window to sell alcoholic beverages for on-premise consumption. Sunday brunch-goers will soon be able to enjoy a mimosa in the morning but Little Rock residents will still have to plan ahead if they want to consume alcohol at home on a Sunday.
Currently, on-premise Sunday alcohol sales are only allowed between the hours of noon and 10 p.m., according to city code.
The board also voted to increase taxi fare rates in Little Rock “to accommodate the rising cost of living and increasing fuel costs,” according to the ordinance.
Braxton Anderson — general manager of zTrip, Little Rock’s taxi service formerly known as Yellow Cab — said the fare increases would go directly to cab drivers. Little Rock taxi fares haven’t increased since 2010.
The new rate will be a $3.25 initial fee, which includes the first eighth of a mile traveled, plus 25 cents for each additional eighth of a mile.
The board passed a resolution authorizing the mayor to accept $225,000 in grant money from the National Education Association Foundation for the Little Rock School District’s Community Schools Initiative, as well as a separate resolution providing a grant for garden educators at Community Schools.
The Community Schools Initiative provides extra support and services for students and their families – like expanded aftercare and job training for parents – at schools in underserved or vulnerable areas. There are currently four Community Schools in Little Rock: Chicot, Stephens, Washington and Watson elementary schools. Plans are in the works to expand to more campuses.
Tuesday’s meeting was the last for Little Rock City Clerk Susan Langley, whose last day of work is this Friday. Several board members gave Langley sentimental goodbyes and thanked her for her service to the city. At the end of the meeting, Mayor Frank Scott Jr. announced that Deputy City Clerk Allison Segars would take over as interim city clerk after Langley’s departure.
Ward 2 Director Ken Richardson was absent from Tuesday’s meeting. On Aug. 1, the city of Little Rock announced that Richardson, who hasn’t been to a board meeting since May 14, is in the hospital recovering from “life-threatening” surgeries. Richardson is on track to fully recover, according to the press release, but it’s not clear when he will return to his public duties.
The city board is the local governing and policy making body for the city. It consists of the Little Rock Mayor, seven city directors representing Little Rock’s seven wards, and three at-large city directors who represent the whole city. It meets every Tuesday at its city hall meeting chambers and alternates between agenda-setting meetings and voting meetings, where the board votes on the agenda set the week before.
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