Taylor City Council suspends portion of alcohol ordinance amid COVID-19 pandemic

TAYLOR, Texas — Editor's note: The video published above is a KVUE report on Austin bars reopening on May 22.

On Wednesday, May 20, the Taylor City Council voted to temporarily suspend portions of Ordinance No. 2018-09 to allow possession of an open container or consumption of an alcoholic beverage in the central business district of the City of Taylor. 

The temporary suspension is a measure being taken in response to the ongoing situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, city officials said in a press release. Suspending the ordinance will allow businesses in the central business district that are able to reopen under Gov. Greg Abbott’s plan the ability to achieve greater social distancing and to allow businesses to serve more customers than the indoor occupancy limits of a business’s building would allow.

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Ordinance No. 2020-07 provides the ability to possess and consume open containers of alcoholic beverages in the central business district so long as: the alcoholic beverage is sold to the public by a business licensed by TABC authorizing the public sale of such alcoholic beverage, the consumption of any alcoholic beverage in the central business district does not violate any other ordinance or law and the alcoholic beverage or open container is not on the grounds of Heritage Square Park or Pierce Park (unless otherwise allowed by a special permit of the City), according to the City of Taylor.

City officials said businesses are encouraged to not allow customers to leave the business or area adjacent to the business with a glass container and to provide plastic or paper cups to customers. Unless further action is taken by Council to extend the suspension, the suspension of the ordinance will expire on Tuesday, September 29.

"The City of Taylor continues to monitor the ongoing and fluid COVID-19 situation closely with Williamson County and the Williamson County and Cities Health District," officials said. 

Updates will be posted at taylortx.gov and on social media as they become available. For more information, visit www.taylortx.gov.

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