The Dekalb County Mayor and County Commission voted Monday night to table discussion of any changes to county beer laws until a public hearing can be scheduled, and further study can be done on the matter.
Foster said he wanted to make sure all sides were heard, and that the progress of the discussion follow all applicable laws.
“We want to fulfill the requirements of the law,” Foster said.“We will set a hearing date for that, and advertise a public hearing.”
He also said he would like to see how the change in beer hours had affected the city before a decision was made.
“We would like to get a couple of months’ history from the city, and see what’s happened there. We don’t want to go into this cold.
The newest chapter in the local beer saga began when several county business owners approached the county beer board at a recent meeting to request that the law be changed to allow beer to be sold 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week, as the city of Smithville recently did.
The business owners asked that the law be changed to “even the playing field,” as some stores in the county have nearby stores inside the city limits whose new sales hours are much more liberal.
Beer is still allowed to be sold in the county from 6 a.m.-midnight, with no sales permitted on Sunday.
The men were informed that the beer board does not make those decisions, and that they should petition the county commission with their concerns.
Then, at an all-committees’ meeting of the commission Thursday night, several businessmen and members of the community who oppose any relaxation of beer ordinances attended to voice their opinions before the board.
Jewel Redman, owner of Jewel's Market and Pizza on North Congress Boulevard, addressed the commission, asking that they change the existing statute.
“I would like the county commission to consider letting us sell beer on Sunday,” Redman said. “Eighty-five percent of the places in DeKalb County sell beer on Sunday now anyway. We would just like to have the same opportunity to compete with our competition. I don't care about all the hours. We just need, say until 12:00 in the morning and Sundays. Being 24 hours, I really don't care about that,” Redman told the commission.
 Roger Sharp, owner of Sharp Lodge on Cookeville Highway near Silver Point, agreed with Redman, but said he thought that it would only be fair to have no limit on beer sales hours, as he also faces competition from nearby Putnam County stores, which are also allowed to sell beer 24-7.
“We would like to have it the same as it is in the city,” Sharp said
Local pastor Bernard Houk, who has publicly expressed his displeasure with the changes in the city law on several occasions, however, asked that the commission not extend beer sales hours in the county.
Houk said that he had never seen any good come from the consumption of alcohol, but had seen many lives ruined by drink.
He urged the commissioners to put the welfare of the people before profit.
At the Thursday meeting, Foster and Sheriff Patrick Ray also mentioned an existing business with a beer permit that has apparently become a thorn in their sides.
Foster said he regularly receives complaints about noise from Chabelita's Sports Bar and Grill on Short Mountain Highway.
“I've probably had 10 phone calls about it, and I know the sheriff has had some. I got a call Monday that they were going until 2 a.m. Sunday. The noise was so loud that they (neighbors) couldn't sleep. I think we need to put a clause in whatever we do to address these type things because that's in a residential neighborhood. I think they've got to use some common sense or lose their license. I'd be the first one to recommend that,” the mayor said.
“They tell me you get calls on the weekends to go out there about the noise,” said Foster to the sheriff.
“Every weekend, probably three times a night,” said Sheriff Patrick Ray.
“I probably get three calls a week, the mayor replied. “It needs to be shut down. I'm for locking the doors or pulling their permit.”
Meanwhile, three Smithville restaurants have applied for permits to serve beer.
El Rancho at 1101 West Broad Street, Mercadito Chabelita Restaurant at 408 Broad Street and Los Lobos at 106 East Broad Street have applied for on-premises consumption permits.
The Smithville Beer Board is scheduled to meet on Jan. 31 at 6 p.m. on the second floor of city hall.

The Smithville aldermen last month changed the city's beer laws to allow eligible restaurants to have an on-premises permit.