Benton Harbor City Commissioners won’t be changing a local ordinance that prohibits alcohol sales on Sunday mornings. At a meeting of the city Legislative Committee this week, members considered a plan that would get city rules in line with state rules, which do allow those sales. Deputy Public Safety Director Michael Clark didn’t object.
“Honestly, from a public safety perspective, it’s really not that big of a deal to us,” Clark said. “That’s an MLCC enforcement issue anyway, whether they wait four hours or they go get it early, on the legal side, it’s not that big of a deal.”
However, commissioners both on the committee and just present for the meeting had their reservations. Commissioner Sharon Henderson said the city has too many establishments that serve or sell liquor.
“Why are the continuing to grant liquor licenses when we don’t want any more liquor licenses in the city? We’ve said that before. They granted one to May Street Market without even telling us…We do not want any more liquor licenses in the community.”
In 2010, the city commission passed a resolution opting out of the state rule allowing Sunday morning alcohol sales. Members of the committee decided to keep things that way and did not advance the plan to line up with state law. The local rule says alcohol may not be sold in the city between 7 a.m. and noon on Sunday.
