ELKINS, W.Va. — Class “A” businesses in the city of Elkins may soon be able to serve alcoholic beverages at 10 a.m. on Sundays, if Elkins City Council passes its second and final reading of its Brunch Bill Thursday.
The city’s businesses designated as Class “A” by the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration currently are permitted to sell alcohol beginning at 1 p.m. on Sundays.
Elkins City Clerk Jessica Sutton said the Brunch Bill would allow only for on-premises consumption and does not include off-premises removal of alcohol.
Sutton said several businesses in the city are hoping the bill passes.
“We had one or two businesses approach us directly and ask us if we were looking at it as something that council had an interest in,” she said. “Once we started discussing it, we had a few other businesses that it sort of peaked their interest. Not necessarily businesses that are even currently open on Sundays, but they do hold Class “A” licenses and may consider opening for special events on Sundays because of it.”
Businesses wouldn’t be the only ones to benefit if the bill is passed. Sutton said she feels the city would also benefit greatly.
“We’re striving to be a tourism-friendly town, and I think it will help us attract more with that and draw people into our downtown on Sundays, where typically some of our businesses may be closed downtown,” she said. “We’re hoping to open that up a little bit more to both local residents and tourists alike.”
While some municipalities in neighboring counties had public concern surrounding their respective Brunch Bills, Sutton said Elkins’ response has been nothing but positive.
“It was part of our Home Rule Amendment application, so it’s been in the public’s purview for quite awhile. When we proposed it for the application, we had the 30 day comment period for that, and we received no comments during that time,” she said. “Now it’s been on our agenda and in our local news, and we’ve received no negative comments.”
If council votes to approve the second reading during Thursday’s council meeting, the Brunch Bill will be enacted nearly immediately.
“That’ll be it, really. That’s the last step,” Sutton said. “Businesses could open as early as 10 o’clock the following Sunday morning.”