Buying Booze Gets a Bit Easier in the Falls

The Village Board on Monday approved an ordinance to allow the sale of alcohol at any register in a store rather than in specified areas.

The new ordinance is particularly relevant for larger grocery stores like Woodman’s, Pick ‘n Save and Sentry, which feature both liquor and grocery sections in the store.

Under the current ordinance, customers could only purchase alcohol in the separate areas designated for the sale of booze.

The new ordinance still requires alcohol to be sold in a designated location with a separate entrance. However, customers can now purchase their alcohol beverages at registers outside of the designated area.

The designated alcohol sections will still be closed off during hours when the sale of alcohol is prohibited, and alcohol cannot be purchased after hours at a grocery store checkout line.

Cashiers in the grocery section of the store can check out customers with alcoholic beverages as long as an employee licensed for the sale of fermented malt beverages approves the sale.

The initial discussion on the ordinance began on Nov. 15 after representatives from Roundy’s and Woodman’s requested the village repeal the restrictions in the ordinance. It remained in committee for two months before the Village Board approved it on a 5-1 vote.

Trustee Dennis Farrell was the only dissenting vote. He said the new ordinance would create hassles in checkout lines as cashiers would need to find a licensed employee for each alcohol purchase. He said the new ordinance has too many logistical problems.

Police Chief Anna Ruzinski consulted other police chiefs in the area who have similar ordinances in their communities. Based on her research, she said it doesn’t appear that underage drinking would spike, and that thefts from the liquor department are actually reduced when customers can purchase alcohol at any register.