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Council OKs 2 a.m. feedings
Mayor vetoes alcohol serving ordinance; Applebee’s opening in doubt
By Pearl Cantrell
Monitor Staff Writer
GUN BARREL CITY– Gun Barrel City council members unanimously adopted an ordinance allowing the service of mixed alcoholic beverages, beer and wine between midnight and 2 a.m. on weekends and holidays during a meeting June 28.
However, two days later, mayor Dennis Wood used his veto powers to reject its adoption.
The ordinance allowed those businesses holding both a state Food and Beverage Certificate and a Private Club Late Hours Permit may serve in the extended hours on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and federally-recognized holidays.
A F&B certificate requires at least 51 percent of total sales come from food.
Economic Development Corporation board chairman Steve Webster assured the council that Applebee’s was ready to exercise its option to purchase property in the city for developing a restaurant should the council adopt the ordinance.
City attorney Julie Fort with McKamie Krueger attended the meeting and tried to answer the many questions council members presented.
Wood raised the question – can the city even adopt a late hours ordinance if the city is dry?
“It’s a gray area,” Fort agreed. Even with a local-option-election, it is still regulated by the state, Wood and Fort agreed.
Wood cited this in his veto, saying that the council didn’t have the authority to make rules for businesses regulated by the state.
In the city, restaurants have gotten around the dry issue by operating as a private club under TABC rules.
Fort said she had tried to contact Applebee’s attorneys to see how they regard this jurisdictional issue, but was unsuccessful.
City voters approved liquor sales in the city for off-site consumption, but not for serving in bars and restaurants, Wood pointed out.
“It is my firm belief that the majority of the voters of Gun Barrel City do not wish to expand the places and hours of alcohol consumption as evidenced by the election last month where alcohol in our city park was an issue,” he wrote in his veto notice.
“I would be in favor of holding a wet/dry election to all voters to decide this issue, as some believe I may be incorrect in this assessment,” he added.
“Had the voters voted us wet for restaurants, I’d have no trouble with this,” Wood said Tuesday. “I don’t want to expand the selling of alcohol or the number of hours to serve it. It’s a moral decision.”
However, the majority of the council saw the vote as one for or against more service jobs in the restaurant industry, so Wood was not called upon to break a tie vote.
Councilman Ronnie Johnson said, “I think Applebee’s is a good restaurant, and that letting them stay open two nights a week will not result in an open saloon situation. They still have to follow state rules, which give us several layers of protection with regard to alcoholic service and over-indulging.”
He added that a person can also be against this ordinance and still be for jobs.
“I’m all for jobs,” Wood agreed.
In other business, council members:
• agreed, 4-1, to hire an expert to assess the pros and cons of purchasing a 1996 Sutphen 75-foot Quint ladder fire truck from Coppell Fire Department for $150,000. Councilman Marvyn Hayes opposed, though he suggested an expert evaluation. “I just think it’s a matter of priorities, and there are greater needs right now,” Hayes said.
• took no action regarding a discussion to possibly annex the Oak Harbor subdivision.
However, most the discussion did not favor the move. “It doesn’t make sense financially to do so, until the city has an ad valorem tax,” Wood summarized.
The Oak Harbor POA is free to gather a petition to present to the city with 50 percent of property owners requesting annexation. The city would then have to set public hearings on the matter before making a decision, Fort explained.

July 4 festivities mark nation’s 235th birthday
Monitor Staff Reports
CEDAR CREEK LAKE–Here’s the rundown on all the Independence Day celebrations on tap for the area.
• Gun Barrel City is hosting its day-long July Fest behind the fire station. The grounds open at 9 a.m. Saturday, July 2, for attractions, food booths, craft fair, bargains, carnival games and pony rides. Did I mention deep-fried Twinkies and Snicker bars?
The festivities also include an evening of Texas Country Music and a free fireworks display choreographed to music.
• The Enchanted Oaks community is having its Independence Day parade starting at 10 a.m., Saturday, July 2, followed by musical performances, hot dogs, bake sale and pie-eating contest. New this year is a farmer’s market, featuring produce from area gardens, a cakewalk and games for the little ones.
• Thunder Over Cedar Creek Lake air show blasts off at 6 p.m. Saturday, July 2, over a one-mile stretch affronting the Pinnacle Club.
• This weekend is First Monday in Canton, for great browsing and shopping opportunities.
• Wings Over Tyler air show gates open at 9 a.m. Sunday, July 3 at the Tyler Pounds Regional Airport with air show to start at noon. Entrance fee is $25 per carload, cash only.
• The Four-Mile Lutheran Church on VZCR 2607 in Prairieville begins its festivities with a solemn ceremony at 11 a.m. Monday, July 4, followed by a potluck dinner on the grounds, silent auction, and assorted games. The colorful affair is a much anticipated event.
• The Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center opens its doors at 4 p.m. Monday, July 4 for free fishing, picnicking and fireworks display at dark.
• A free concert featuring the Allen Brown Band is set for 6 p.m. Monday, July 4, followed by a free fireworks display in downtown Seven Points.

School funds cut $4 billion
Monitor Staff Reports
AUSTIN–Gov. Rick Perry is expected to sign a school finance bill agreed to by the 81st Legislature at the close of a special session.
The deficit-driven school finance plan cuts an estimated $4 billion from the state budget.
For some bigger school districts, such as Dallas ISD, the cuts in funding may reduce their school budgets by as much as 9 percent; locally, the cuts are expected to be much less severe.
Already, Mabank and Kemp school trustees have agreed to freeze salaries for the coming year as they try to shave $1 million from Mabank’s budget. Salary freezes at Kemp will save about $100,000.
School districts are also making do with current staffing levels in most cases to square up their budgets, and are doing a lot of the needed remodeling and building upgrades in-house.
But as Eustace Superintendent Dr. Coy Holcombe said, “We’ve run out of stuff to cut.”
Lawmakers resisted the urge to dip into $6.4 billion from the Rainy Day Fund, anticipating more budget shortfalls next year – particularly in healthcare.
Along with the cuts in school funding, lawmakers have given school district the flexibility to reduce salaries and use unpaid furlough days to save jobs, while balancing their budgets.
All in all, lawmakers shaved $7.3 billion from the budget – shorting school funding by $4 billion, with the remainder coming through two accounting tricks, involving delaying the budget cycle by a few days on school districts’ final payment (bumping it into the next cycle), and collecting tax revenue one month earlier with speed-up payments.
Going into the legislative session, lawmakers faced an anticipated $23 billion budget shortfall on current service levels with inflation and population growth calculations.
“When the people of Texas know what we accomplished in tough times, they are going to be very appreciative,” Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst was quoted as saying in the Dallas Morning News. “When we came in, everyone was glum. But we balanced the budget without raising taxes. We reduced our spending by almost $15 billion.”