SATELLITE BEACH, Fla. – Not everywhere lets you crack open a cold one on the hot Florida sand, but there will be a new discussion in one small beach community.
The rules for alcohol in Satellite Beach are set to be discussed at Wednesday night’s city council meeting.
The city council agenda reads drinking is against the law, “on any City-owned streets, sidewalks, or properties, except under permit at specific facilities such as the Civic Center, DRS Community Center, Samsons Island, Pelican Beach Park, and Pelican Beach Clubhouse.”
The agenda continues to read, “The purpose is to present comparative data from neighboring municipalities and initiate a City Council discussion regarding possible revisions to the City’s alcohol ordinance governing public possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages.”
Mason Merritt told News 6 community correspondent James Sparvero he’d like to be able to drink on the beach.
“As long as people are responsible and able to maintain a certain level of sobriety, I think they should be able to enjoy themselves, their families, their days off, fishing, anything that kind of goes hand in hand with living on the east coast by the beach,” Merritt said.
With Satellite Beach’s reputation for being a sleepy beach town, Merritt said he doesn’t think drinking in public would create a problem.
“I don’t think that drinking creates problems by itself,” he said. “It’s usually pretty harmless and pretty much a communal kind of concept.”
Wednesday’s agenda says the council could also debate whether to allow alcohol at street festivals or markets.
Vice Mayor Mark Boyd addressed alcohol at a meeting at City Hall in May last month.
“I’ve got no problems with 21-year-olds having, 21-plus year-old people, having alcoholic beverages in aluminum or plastic devices, maybe not at the beach, but on the sidewalk,” Boyd said.
Wednesday night’s meeting starts at 6 p.m. and will include public comment.