Altamont Discusses Outdoor Liquor Sales, Awards Pay Increases

Altamont city council members are considering how to amend the city's liquor ordinance to accommodate outdoor seating.

The ordinance outlines sales and consumption for indoor events. During the pandemic, city officials allowed outdoor consumption to aid businesses and to provide for social distancing.

Now that Phase 5 has returned guidelines in Illinois to normal, the Council is considering what changes might be made to the ordinance to continue allowing outdoor consumption.

In the meantime, the Altamont Council approved a concert hosted by Sexual Assault and Family Emergencies, or SAFE, in Schmidt Park on July 17. Effingham County native Austin Edwards, who won on "America's Got Talent" this past season as part of the duo, "Broken Roots", will be the featured performer. The Council also approved a special liquor license for a beer garden at the concert, with the proceeds benefitting the upcoming Altamont Sesquicentennial Celebration in September. 

The Altamont Council also approved the annual Effingham County Fair Parade on Sunday, August 1 from Altamont Community High School to the county fairgrounds, and also approved paying Kieffer Brothers Construction of Mt. Carmel for water main replacement work in the area of the Route 40/Route 128 intersection. The Council also agreed to purchase PVC pipe for upcoming sewer improvements. Due to the volatile nature of pipe prices, the Council purchased pipe and will provide the pipe when they award a bid to a contractor to install the pipe. 

Following a closed session, the Altamont Council voted to grant 3% pay increases to all fulltime non-union employees of the city.