Richmond Hill voters in 2008 approved the sale of alcohol by the drink from 12:30 p.m. until midnight Sunday in restaurants.

In 2015, voters approved the sale of package alcohol sales in the city limits.

Now, Richmond Hill voters will get the chance to decide whether to move the start time for Sunday sales up to 11 a.m., after the city council voted July 17 to put the matter up for a vote. 

The change will only apply to “full-service restaurants,” according to the city. 

Earlier start time

City council members also approved a measure to bump up the start time of regular council meetings to 7 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of each month beginning with the Aug. 21 meeting.

Previously, the council’s regular scheduled meetings began at 7:30 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays each month.

 Promotions, tickets

Richmond Hill Police Chief Mitch Shores announced the promotions of officers Lee Rodriquez and Brandon Tufts to sergeant.

And, in its monthly statistical report to city council, RHPD officers responded to 53 traffic accidents in the city.

Officers also issued 561 tickets, including 114 speeding tickets for speeding. Officer also issued 35 warnings for speeding. 

Fires out

Richmond Hill Fire Department firefighters have responded to 10 actual fires so far in 2018, according to the department’s statistics. 

Two were building fires, one was a cooking fire confined to the stove area, one was a passenger vehicle fire, two were “road freight or transport fires,” two were brush or grass fires, and four were “dumpster or other outside,” fires, according to the stat sheet.

By contrast, RHFD firefighters and first responders handled 101 incidents in June alone, according the department. The bulk were for providing first aid or checking for injuries. 

That and providing basic life support accounted for nearly half the department’s calls in June.