The ordinance, adopted earlier this fall, caused bar and tavern owners to band together in protest because of wording that banned the sale of 3.2 beer for on-premise consumption on Sundays.

Wednesday night's work session was to air concerns and discuss solutions. The council will vote on the amended ordinance Nov. 16.

“There are a lot of good reasons to restrict beer sales,” said City Attorney David Carlson. “South Salt Lake has a high incidence of drunken-driving arrests, domestic violence, bar fights and public drunkenness.”

Aimee Williams, owner of the Dawg Pound at 3550 S. State St., brought police statistics for the past six months, which she said showed 19 alcohol violations and 61 arrests for drunken driving. “Only five of these DUI arrests happened on a Sunday,” Williams said.

One resident, 79-year-old Earl Barnett, threatened to sue the city in federal court if they kept the current wording of the ordinance.

“Mr. Carlson went to a lot of effort to kick South Salt Lake back to 1933,” Barnett said, adding that Utah's liquor laws make the state a joke - “and you are adding to the joke.”

Bryan Geertgens, the new owner of Manny's - a bar with decades of history in South Salt Lake - asked that the ban on selling beer on election day also be lifted.

Williams also voiced concerns about the city's efforts to reduce tavern licenses from the current 24 to 15, which would mean she could not sell her business in the future.

In two weeks, the council will vote on the following changes: taverns and other drinking establishments can sell beer on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.; if a tavern changes hands the new owner gets the first crack at obtaining the license; the numbers of licenses will be reduced when a business closes or has its license revoked; and beer can be served on election day after the polls close at 8 p.m.

cmckitrick@sltrib.com