Boone Town Council hearing
Mixed-drink issue will be

served Thursday
By Frank Ruggiero
ruggiero@wataugademocrat.com

April showers may bring May flowers, but Boone Town Council meetings are also in bloom, with four special meetings scheduled in the next few weeks.

At the top of the list is a special public hearing on the question of conducting a liquor-by-the-drink referendum.

Stephen “Skip” Sinanian, chairman of the ABC Task Force, appeared before the council at its March meeting, requesting the council’s approval for the referendum, which would allow Boone citizens to vote on whether or not they’d like to see mixed drinks made available in bars and restaurants.

He requested that the council vote on the matter in May to meet statutory requirements, which would schedule the referendum – if approved by the council and scheduled by the Watauga County Board of Elections – in September, when most Boone residents are present.

The public hearing will allow citizens to share their thoughts on the matter to members of the council, and it will be held Thursday, April 24, at 6:30 p.m. in the commissioners’ boardroom in the Watauga County Administration Building, located adjacent to the county courthouse in downtown Boone.

The following Monday will see the council meet with the town of Blowing Rock and various other governmental agencies for an intergovernmental retreat.

The meeting is scheduled for April 28 at 5 p.m. at Chetola Resort.

In May, the council will meet with N.C. Department of Transportation officials to discuss traffic issues in Boone.

This meeting will be held Friday, May 2, at 10 a.m. in council chambers, located at 1500 Blowing Rock Road.

The council will again meet the following Monday, this time with Appalachian State University officials to discuss joint master planning.

The meeting is scheduled for May 5 at 5 p.m. at the Broyhill Inn & Conference Center.

For more information, call Boone Town Hall at (828) 262-4530 or visit www.townofboone.net on the Web.