By Joseph M. Morgan

joseph@southerntorch.com

MENTONE, Ala. — In the regularly scheduled meeting of the Mentone Town Council on Tuesday, Mayor Rob Hammonds outlined what is to be required for the town to meet the criteria of a “Community Development District.” Under House Bill 69, which was signed into law by Governor Bentley late last month, resorts, marinas, and municipalities in counties where alcohol sales are prohibited will have the chance to apply for alcohol sales under the new law.

Up until the passage of HB 69, many towns and tourist attractions that exist in a dry county had virtually no hope of legal alcohol sales. The larger municipalities in these counties meet the population threshold of 1,000 residents and are able to pass a referendum to allow sales within their city limits. Smaller communities and resorts that are outside of these city limits had virtually no option. With the majority of voters living in the larger towns, it keeps a countywide wet/dry referendum from making it on the ballot.

Mentone, with its original art and restaurant scene, has been stuck in this situation for years. The town’s population didn’t meet the population requirements for a referendum vote. With the new law in effect  and careful planning, Mentone will finally be able to serve alcohol.

Currently, attorney’s are still analyzing the new law to determine all the requirements and how best to set up the district. Mayor Hammonds delivered a report on their findings thus far at the meeting.

“The decision to create the community development district will be up to the landowners, and not the business owners,” Hammonds said. “51% of them have to be on board.”

“The licensing is handled by the Alabama Beverage Control Board. The fee of $1,000 must be paid yearly to the DeKalb County Probate Office,” he added.

The council discussed potential zoning of the district to include most of the town where the businesses reside, but in the end, it’s up to the property owners to decide. Several at the meeting were concerned with corporate businesses such as chain restaurants invading the town. Mentone prides itself on everything local, from the art to the food.

“We want everything to remain tasteful,” Hammonds said, “we will likely have to draft and pass ordinances to address a lot of the concerns.”

The mayor also asked for the business community’s input on drafting the ordinances.

“There is still a lot we are unsure about and the attorneys are still going over it,” he added, “we’re still not sure on things like if we can expand new membership once established or if we can have both onsite/offsite consumption.”