Saying the ordinance had insufficient City Council consideration and public comment, Canton Mayor Gene Hobgood has vetoed a bill creating a restaurant district where alcoholic beverages could be consumed outdoors.
“I think this needs to be thought out a little better and planned for and not rushed through,” Hobgood said. He said his action was a “soft veto” that the council could override at its next meeting, Sept. 20.
The ordinance would have permitted outdoor drinking in the restaurant district from 5 to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays for one year starting Oct. 1. Establishments in the district would be allowed to serve alcoholic drinks in plastic cups of up to 16 ounces, marked with the date, for removal from the premises.
The mayor’s concerns included the lack of public restrooms downtown; no provisions for an increased police presence or for trash pick-up; and drinks being purchased, taken outside and possibly given to minors or to inebriated visitors. “Once a drink is served and out the door, you don’t know where it’s going to go,” Hobgood said.
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