City Council decision pending

By Tammy Leytham

The Selma Times-Journal

The hot topic of debate at the Selma City Council’s work session Thursday is one that the council can’t take action on &045; at least not yet.

A number of citizens turned out at the work session to discuss a possible liquor license for a proposed restaurant in the old Kyser Building on Broad Street. But the council has yet to receive an application for a license.

The restaurant owner, Wanda Bush, said the business would be a restaurant with a bar in it, &8220;like Grumbles and other places.&8221;

The First Baptist Church of Selma, located behind the Kyser building, had sent a letter to the City of Selma outlining the city’s current ordinance regarding the distance between a church and an establishment that sells liquor, and asking the city to adhere to its ordinance.

The City of Selma has an ordinance prohibiting the sale of alcohol within 200 feet of a church or school.

From back door to back door Warren’s Restaurant on Broad Street, with plans to also serve alcoholic beverages on the premises, is within 200 feet of First Baptist Church. The church’s front door is located around the corner on Lauderdale Street, and the route from front door to front door exceeds the distance requirement of the ordinance.

The council has discussed the possibility of changing the city ordinance to specify how the measurement of distance is made: whether from front door to front door; back door to front door, etc.

But the discussion went beyond the question of this particular restaurant. Councilman Samuel Randolph pointed out license requests that had been voted down by the council in the past. &8220;We’re trying to turn Dallas County into a dry county,&8221; he said. &8220;This is not a dry county.&8221;

In other business, the council went down the list of agenda items for its regular meeting set for 5 p.m. on Monday.

Among the items to be discussed are:

Progress on the work to repair the

elevator at the Selma police station

Garbage trucks maintenance

Renaming streets committee report

Uncollected garbage fees and court fines

Progress on Striplin land purchase

Liability/policy of having inmates work in the city

E-911 tower

Council meeting minutes

Speed breakers policy

Application for liquor license (Tammy Williams of Cheers).