By Cindy Schroeder
The Cincinnati Enquirer

ELSMERE - This Kenton County suburb may soon join a growing number of cities relaxing restrictions on Sunday beer sales.

HEARING

What: Consideration of earlier Sunday beer and wine cooler sales by Elsmere City Council Where: Elsmere city building, 318 Garvey Ave. When: 7 p.m. Wednesday What's next: If council members decide to proceed with earlier Sunday malt beverage sales, they'll vote at the regular meeting at 7:30 p.m. June 8.

On Wednesday, Elsmere City Council will consider a businessman's request to sell malt beverages, or beer and wine coolers, at 11 a.m. on Sundays instead of 1 p.m., as a number of nearby cities do. If council gives its initial approval, a vote could take place at the regular June 8 council meeting.

Tom Dusing, a part owner of Dusing Brothers Ice Manufacturing Co., asked city officials to consider the change last week for competitive reasons. He said many customers mistakenly think his business is in Erlanger, which allows beer sales two hours earlier on Sundays.

"People come in here and want a 12-pack of beer,'' Dusing said. "They say, 'I thought you could sell it earlier.' I say, 'No, but you can go right across the street and get it.' ''

Elsmere has fewer than a dozen businesses that sell beer, including restaurants, carryouts, gas stations and liquor stores.

In the past three years, Covington, Independence, Taylor Mill and Florence have relaxed restrictions on Sunday beer sales after bars and restaurants complained they were losing business to cities that allowed earlier sales. Erlanger, which borders Elsmere, was the latest to approve the change, on April 6.

"If you can walk across the street and buy it, that's not fair to our businesses,'' said Elsmere Council member Donald Koop. "You've got to level the playing field here. Why say, 'You can buy your ice here, but you can't buy your beer.' "

To give Elsmere residents a chance to have their say, Council member Terry Whittaker suggested that Sunday beer sales be discussed at Wednesday's special meeting. Council also will discuss storm sewer projects and the proposed budget for fiscal 2005, which starts July 1.

"Some of our residents had expressed a concern when other communities considered (earlier Sunday beer sales),'' Whittaker said.

E-mail cschroeder@enquirer.com