The Vandalia City Council postponed action on two of the three new business items on their agenda for Monday night’s first meeting of the year. The first agenda item was the first reading of a liquor license application from Duffy & Associates, Inc. for the Discount Tobacco location in Vandalia as the business is seeking a Class A license in order to have gaming machines at the business. The second agenda item was the first reading of the transfer of a liquor license currently in place for “The Cork” in Vandalia to Meyer Oil Company. Prior to beginning the new business section of the agenda, alderman Kenneth Hubler made a motion to postpone any action or reading on the liquor issues unto the city had put an ordinance in place that the city had begun discussion on in recent months.
After the motion made by Hubler and seconded by alderman Andy Lester, discussion on the motion was held with alderwoman Dorothy Crawford asking city attorney Ryan Connor if the council had the authority to limit what was done with the liquor licenses obtained for gaming purposes.
And Connor responded by saying that liquor and gaming essentially goes hand in hand allowing the city to have a say in the number of liquor licenses.
Following discussion, the motion to postpone any reading of the liquor licenses was put to a vote with the motion carrying by a vote of 6-1 with Crawford casting the lone no vote.