A local group is asking the Selma City Council to make changes to a city ordinance that mandates the distance between schools and churches and any business or vendor that serves alcohol.

During the council’s final meeting of April, officials with the Selma Dallas Prevention Collaborative and the Cahaba Center for Mental Health petitioned the council to change the city’s ordinance that regulates the distance allowed.

Currently, the city mandates “no liquors or alcoholic beverages shall be sold for consumption on the premises within 200 feet of any church, or within 300 feet of any school.”

The requested change would extend the distance between any future alcohol vendor and any school to 500 yards from any K-12 school.

The council decided to not take any action on the request, instead assigning the discussion of any changes to the council’s administrative committee, which has yet to meet since the final April meeting.

According to Selma city attorney Jimmy Nunn, since the rules regulating the distance are included in a city ordinance, the council has the authority to make any changes.

“All they would need to do is suggest the changes and then enter it into a first reading. That would then let them vote on a change at the next meeting,” Nunn said.

But, Nunn said, the administrative committee chairman Angela Benjamin has not contacted him about any future committee meetings or discussions involving this proposed ordinance change.

He also added the city does review all alcohol license requests in conjunction with the state’s Alcohol Beverage Control board.

In addition to proposing the increased distances, the group requested the council amend the ordinance to require new vendors take a “responsible vendor training” program; a program Nunn was not familiar with.

“It might be a state program, but I am not familiar with any such program,” Nunn said.

Attempts to reach Cahaba Center for Mental Health prevention director Tracey Craig, who was among the group requesting the changes, were unsuccessful.

Friday, the Selma City Council released the agenda for it’s scheduled meeting on Tuesday, May 10. The requested ordinance change was not among the items included on the agenda.