Andrews – The meeting was an improvement and business has reportedly increased.
The newly configured Andrews ABC Board unanimously voted to distribute a total of $21,428.50 to the community out of store profits from the 2019-20 fiscal year. At the Sept. 17 meeting, board members agreed to give $15,000 of that money to the Town of Andrews, with the remaining $6,428.50 going to Cherokee County.
State law dictates that 70 percent of ABC store distributions must go to the town’s general fund, while the other 30 percent must go to the county’s general fund. The county is required to use at least 15 percent of the amount it receives on public education.
After the meeting, store finance officer Jack Frahmann said daily sales so far this fiscal year have been significantly more than the same day last fiscal year. July was a “record month” for the store, and he implied that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic may be the reason for the increase in sales.
When asked why July was a record month – as opposed to April or May, when business lockdowns were more strict – Frahmann said, “I really don’t know. It just got busy. Plus, being summer.”
He said the store has had more large quantity sales than in the past. State law dictates that a buyer must obtain a purchase-transportation permit in order to buy more than 8 liters of fortified wine or spirituous liquor at one time, or 8 liters of the two combined.
“We’ve been filling out a lot more [permit] forms since COVID-19,” Frahmann told the Cherokee Scout.
Interestingly, River Oaks Treatment Center, a drug and alcohol addiction treatment facility based in Riverview, Fla., published an infographic last month regarding a recent study about the number of people who have avoided seeing a medical professional due to fear of contracting COVID-19. The survey of 3,650 adults reportedly revealed that 11 percent of North Carolinians admitted they have used alcohol or non-prescription drugs to treat pain since the pandemic began.
“April was the first month that there was a significant move,” Frahmann said regarding Andrews ABC store sales. “Now, every day is just better than last year for the same day. It’s hard to attribute it to anything.”
At last week’s meeting, the ABC board revisited agenda items from the August meeting that were never certified by a vote. In addition to agreeing to keep the store open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, the group voted to have board members reimburse the store payment they received for the July meeting, which was canceled.
State law says “a local board member shall receive compensation in an amount not to exceed $150 per board meeting unless a different level of monetary compensation is approved by the appointing authority.”
The only Andrews ABC board member to oppose reimbursing the money paid out for a meeting that never happened was Jeff Huls. When asked whether they will seek reimbursement from the two members who resigned last month, board chairwoman Bennie Jo McKinnon replied, “Yes. That’s what we voted – for all to repay.”