Grocer petitions to sell beer and wine
Council members split vote, mayor breaks tie
By MARCELLA HERNDON Staff writer

Free Press photo by Marcella Herndon TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT-Diboll Primary School sits directly behind the Brookshire Brothers store in Diboll. Brookshire Brothers Chief Operating Officer, Jack Gabriel, assured council members Monday night, that if the City of Diboll granted them a variance to the city ordinance allowing them to sell beer and wine from their premises, trucks making liquor deliveries would make front deliveries only.

With Mayor Bill Brown breaking a tie vote, Diboll city council voted 3-2 last week to allow Brookshire Brothers to sell alcohol.

The split vote allows an exception to a city ordiunance which prohibits the sale of alcohol within 1000 feet of a school.

Jack Gabriel, Brookshire Brothers chief operating officer, assured council members that trucks making liquor deliveries would make front deliveries only. The object for Brookshire Brothers would be to keep the delivery trucks out of sight of the children at Diboll Primary School. Gabriel stressed that sales for the Diboll store have been down and that the sale of beer and wine could assist with customer impulse buying.

"Someone may come in to buy beer and on the way out head by the meat department to pick up meat for a barbeque. Or, someone comes in to purchase wine and stop by the deli to grab items that would go great with wine," said Gabriel.

"We are very responsible in the sale of wine and beer in our other stores. We don't advertise the sale of wine or beer in our windows and we take every precaution to abide by TABC laws and ordinances concerning the sale of liquor."

Council member Don Hendrick went on record with his disapproval of the sale of beer and wine in Diboll. Hendrick stated that this agenda item was a moral issue and that he felt that the store was too close to Diboll Primary School.

Mayor Brown was charged with breaking a 2-2 tie.

"I was against the sale of beer and wine in Diboll but the people voted and this is what they want; There's nothing I can do so I will vote in favor of granting the variance," said Brown. Brent Hawkins, Diboll ISD superintendent, who left the council meeting early to attend another meeting, stated that he didn't know that a vote on the variance was at issue.

Hawkins stated that he was under the impression that the council would only hear what Brookshire Brothers would be presenting as a request. Hawkins' own position on the approval of a city variance was one of "shock and disappointment."

"The school's position has not changed. Just as former Superintendent Horace Williams opposed the sale of alcohol within stores, I hold the same opposition. I know that Brookshire Brothers made a business decision but I'm in the kid business and during the month of October our schools celebrate Red Ribbon Week. Red Ribbon Week is our big push to teach kids about alcohol awareness, being drug free and how to make good choices. To support such a variance is hypocrisy. I'm not upset nor do I hold any malice toward anyone. I know the city council members and they are good guys, I know how hard their decision must have been, I'm just saying that the approval of the variance has forced the school district's hand to logistically minimize the impact of their decision on the students. We all have a duty to the care for the 300 plus students on campus located behind Brookshire Brothers and how this decision will affect them," said Hawkins.

Other items discussed on the agenda were:

- The city discussed and approved advertising for bids to repair and paint the safety center building.

- Diboll City Manager Kenneth Williams, gave a presentation on The Texas Local Government Code Chapter 43 concerning municipal annexation. Williams stated that in considering annexation, council members should "embrace the past and continue to do the things that have made Diboll a great city, while also planning for the future." Annexing land into the city of Diboll would add to the city's growth rate while also generating some much-needed revenues through property taxes. Discussions will continue in next month's city council meeting.

- The council also discussed The Texas Local Government Code Chapter 9 concerning Home Rule Municipalities, which would allow the city to organize annexed land favorably. Discussions will continue in next month's city council meeting.

- Jesse Thompson of Johnson Controls gave a presentation to council members regarding the implementation of an energy savings plan for the city of Diboll. The city council agreed to allow Johnson Controls to perform a survey of the city to determine if the city would benefit from an energy conservation loan from the government.

- Council approved credit card revisions, which will allow funds to pay for travel, city education and training.

See more Diboll City Council at www.cityofdiboll.com. Next council meeting will be 5:15 p.m. January 14, in council chambers.