On Tuesday, Odenville residents approved Sunday alcohol sales in their city.

The proposal passed by a margin of 91 votes, with 196 for and 105 against.

“I’m glad it passed, I see no difference in selling or drinking on Sunday verses the rest of the week personally. It’s the abuse of it that I disapprove of, and that happens more on Friday or Saturday than Sunday,” said Christi Parsons of Odenville. “After all, Jesus even enjoyed a good glass of wine occasionally and His first miracle was turning the water into wine.”

“I do not drink but I am not so naive to think that people are not going to drink on Sunday. Our city needs revenue. Chain restaurants have bars and want to sell alcohol on Sunday,” explained Odenville resident Vinetta Kemp Blow. “Why should every neighboring city of ours get all the revenue? If we want all the city services it has to be paid for.”

This marks a milestone between the city and its citizens, as the city continues to deliver on an initiative begun over a year ago.

The resolution failed to pass last year on March 21—by a margin of 10 votes with only 132 voters turning out. There are 2,961 registered voters in the city.

The low turnout elicited a backlash from some community members, who claimed that were not even aware the vote was happening.

However, flyers and notices were displayed for months prior in several public locations—including city hall and the Odenville Utility Board. There was also a notice posted on the city’s website.

While the information was available to the public, the prevalent complaint after the fact was its low visibility. 

The city didn’t have a social media presence until opening their Facebook page—three days before last year’s vote. 

The Odenville City Council canvassed the results of the 2016 special election at their regular scheduled meeting a week later.

The very next day, March 29, 2016, the City of Odenville posted to their Facebook page: “Friends, Please know that the Mayor/Council of the City of Odenville realize there is a need for our presence on social media….One reason we have failed to have one is we are limited on staff…We are striving to find ways to get our information out to you in a more efficient manner. We realize that even though we have met all of the State of Alabama’s requirements that people rely on social media for their information. We want this site to function as a line of communication between the City and our citizens…Our employees take great pride in their jobs and this City and would gladly answer questions you may have. If they do not have the answer, they will find someone who does. Help us to get this site out to the people that are looking for this information. We look forward to serving our citizens and developing a better relationship for our future!”

The line of communication is still open. The city has remained proactive in keeping its citizens informed; particularly with Tuesday’s election.

This time, everything from signs to social media was utilized in spreading the information. 

“(It) seems turnout increased a lot— though still not nearly what it should have been based on the eligible number of voters,” commented Melanie Turner of Odenville. “Kudos to the city for more effective notification of the public and happy our town will benefit from the revenue and taxes collected.”

Find the City of Odenville on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OdenvillealGov or visit their website at www.cityofodenville.net.