Pikeville to vote on beer, wine
By Turner Walston
Published in News on August 3, 2005 1:50 PM
For the fourth time in 13 years, Pikeville residents will have the chance to vote for the sale of beer and wine inside town limits. Town commissioners voted Monday night to place a beer and wine referendum on the November ballot.
Mayor Herb Sieger proposed the vote, saying the sale of beer and wine would make the town more attractive to new businesses. After some discussion, the board voted 3-2 to seek the referendum. Commissioners Bruce Thomas and Johnny Weaver voted against the proposal.
"If the citizens of the town said three times that they don't want it, then why are we meddling in it?" Weaver asked.
Pikeville residents voted against the sale of beer and wine in 1992, 1997 and 2002, according to county elections records.
In other business, commissioners agreed to hold a hearing Sept. 5 on the town's grass ordinance. Resident Steve West said he believes there should be a $25 fine per notice sent to citizens who fail to keep their yards mowed. Sieger said the ordinance will be thoroughly discussed at the September meeting.
Board members said they have not decided on a location for the Veterans Memorial at Dees Memorial Park, but Commissioner Lyman Galloway made a motion that the decision be made no later than next month.
Sieger addressed concerns from residents about the town's sewer project. "We're getting closer every day," he said. "Before you can repair something, you've got to tear it apart."
The project would probably be completed by February, Sieger said.
West asked the commissioners to consider implementing an average electric bill throughout the town. The board asked Graves and Town Clerk Kathie Fields to bring complete details of a possible average utility rate to the September meeting. Under the proposal, citizens would have an average monthly bill for utilities, and could settle any remaining portion of the bill at the year's end.
After a lengthy discussion, board members unanimously approved the purchase of a new police car. Pikeville will spend about $24,000 for a Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor from Bobby Jones Ford.
Police Sgt. Jeff Jones told board members and those in attendance that Pikeville would be celebrating National Night Out Aug. 23 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Hamburgers will be donated by McDonald's, and disc jockey Steve Hardy has tentatively agreed to do a live broadcast from the event from 6 to 8 p.m.