The city of Soddy-Daisy is letting liquor out of the brown bag by passing an ordinance on first reading that would regulate patrons bringing their own bottles into licensed establishments. The new ordinance – giving the Soddy-Daisy Board of Commissioners the power to regulate brown bagging for the first time since the 2006 liquor by the drink referendum passed in Soddy-Daisy – will receive its final vote Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. at Soddy-Daisy City Hall.
“We are bringing up brown bagging to regulate it,” said Mayor Geno Shipley, who voted in favor along with Commissioners Jim Adams and David Skiles and Vice Mayor Bob Privett. “It protects our business people.”
Through establishing the new brown bagging ordinance, the city will require establishments to pay a $100 application fee to be considered for brown bagging, which applies to selling setups for mixed beverages as well as offering wine corkage services. An investigation by the Soddy-Daisy Police Department and possibly the Soddy-Daisy Beer Board will follow, and all allowances are at the discretion of the Beer Board. The permit annual renewal fee is $50 and must be paid on or before Jan. 1.
“There were no regulations in place until now to regulate brown bagging,” said City Manager Hardie Stulce. “We’ve had people request a permit for brown bagging. It’s [brown bagging] not something we up and decided to let people do.”
Local licensed establishments can sell alcohol until the state-approved hour of 3 a.m. But licensed alcohol sales are at the discretion of a trained server who must regularly undergo certification classes.