An undercover

police operation that began two months ago in Fayetteville concluded last

week when nine businesses were cited by the City Council for selling alcohol

to minors.

The Police

Department set out in early July to see that the city's alcohol license

ordinance was being followed by the 46 businesses in the city that operate

under it. Officers found that 29 of those establishments did not have

employees properly displaying their alcohol permits, and nine businesses

sold alcohol to an undercover operative under the age of 21, Chief Johnny

Roberts said in his report to the council.

Five of those

nine Cobblestone Amoco, Eckerd on North Glynn Street, Pizza Hut, Pit Stop

on North Glynn Street, and Kwickie/Flash Foods were cited during a similar

operation in 1999, Roberts said, although Eckerd, Pizza Hut and Cobblestone

Amoco were under different licensees at that time.

The other establishments

cited for this operation were Applebee's, Publix, Ruby Tuesday and Texaco

Food Mart on North Glynn Street.

All nine were

issued $1,000 fines by the City Council, with all but two receiving a

warning. The Eckerd location's license was suspended for 90 days, and

Pizza Hut received a 15-day suspension, with a requirement that the restaurant

show proof of stronger measures to educate employees about serving alcohol

to keep the suspension from being extended to 30 days.

"We take

this very seriously," said Mayor Kenneth Steele, a comment that was

echoed repeatedly by council members as representatives of each business

came to plead their case before the council. No one objected to the recommended

fines and penalties.

Council members

questioned each business representative extensively at the meeting and

the previous work session about their policies concerning how employees

are trained with regard to the city's alcohol license.