Age requirement for alcohol establishments undergoes more changes

HARLAN – The Harlan City Council has pushed back action to its Tuesday, May 16 council meeting on a proposed amended ordinance regarding time and age requirements for alcohol establishments, following lengthy discussion at its Tuesday, May 2 meeting this week.
    Persons under the age of 21 won’t be allowed in a Harlan business that primarily serves alcohol for consumption on-site after 10 p.m. under the amendment to city ordinance.  An exemption is made for employees under that age, and for those persons who have a military/Department of Defense identification.
    Those requirements are changes from an earlier proposed amendment that set the parameters at 18 years old and a 9 p.m. time.  The council took no action on that amendment Tuesday, opting to have a first reading on the new amended ordinance later this month with the new set requirements.
    The new proposed ordinance would not permit anyone under age 21 to remain upon a licensed premise after 10 p.m., if more than 50 percent of the dollar volume of the business is realized from alcoholic beverage, wine or beer sales annually.  The provision does not apply to businesses which sales of alcoholic beverages are consumed off site or holders of a class “C” beer permit only.