Fayetteville

officials probably will take a good look at the

city's alcohol ordinance with an eye to making

some changes, said Mayor Mike Wheat Tuesday.

Twenty

of 39 beer and wine licenses in the city will be

suspended for 30 days starting Jan. 1 as a result

of a police sting last June in which the stores

and restaurants were caught selling to a minor.

During

a public hearing on the charges Monday, seven

business owners who had asked for the hearing

admitted that their employees had sold to minors,

but argued that the city's law is too harsh and

arbitrary, and Wheat said Tuesday morning that

council members were listening.

"There

was some valid input," he said. "I

think the council will address that

somehow."

Of

particular concern, he said, was the argument

that a second offense could give disgruntled

employees the ammunition needed to close a

business down for good.

30-day license suspension is mandatory for a

first offense, and a 12-month suspension also is

mandatory for a second offense. And there's no

time limit on that, said Police Chief Johnny

Roberts.

Business

owners said there is no way they can survive a

12-month suspension. Not only do they lose

revenue from the alcohol sales, but many regular

customers would disappear as well, said the

owners.

That

puts a disgruntled employee in the driver's seat,

they said.

"The

council is concerned about that, and I think

they'll address it," said Wheat.

Some

business owners also complained that too much of

the penalty for selling to minors falls on the

business rather than on the employee who actually

sells the alcohol.

Jail

time for workers convicted of selling to minors,

and lesser penalties for businesses if the owners

were unaware of the infraction, would be more

fair, suggested the owners.

Ironically,

Fayetteville's alcohol ordinance was rewritten

two years ago because city officials felt it was

focused too much on the employee and not on the

business, said Wheat.

"We

had had some trouble with at least one

establishment selling to minors several

times," he said. "The ordinance was

punitive to the individual who made the sale, but

not the establishment.

"The

establishment has a responsibility to train the

employees properly," he added.

Restaurant

owners said they can train employees

exhaustively, but they can't be there every

minute of the day to watch them, and there should

be some provision for leniency.

Wheat

said those who feel the ordinance needs to be

changed should make their suggestions to city

manager Mike Bryant, and at some point the

council probably will review the ordinance.

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