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The Asbury Park City Council began an initial discussion Wednesday to amend a city ordinance that allows the sale of liquor to start at 7 a.m. on weekdays. The change would move the start time two hours later.

The conversation was initiated by Councilwoman Amy Quinn. Quinn received “a number of emails” from residents who say they walk their children to school past a group of adults standing on line to buy alcohol in the early morning hours on a near-daily basis, she said.

Quinn drove by the location mentioned within the emails twice, she said.

“There was clearly a line of people waiting to buy alcohol at seven or eight in the morning,” she said. “I just think that we should engage in a discussion about possibly moving the liquor stores to sell alcohol at a later time.”

The current city ordinance allows liquor sales to start at 7 a.m. weekdays and Saturdays and noon on Sundays with an exception for restaurants that serve brunch, which are allowed to begin Sunday liquor sales at 10 a.m., said City Attorney Frederick Raffetto.

Raffetto had done preliminary research to identify what times towns in the surrounding area allow liquor sales to begin, and reported to the council that most start at seven or nine in the morning.

Quinn would like to see the hours moved to 9 a.m. weekdays, which is “not unreasonable,” she said.

“I’m not saying we should decide something tonight,” she said, “but I don’t like the idea of children passing a line of people waiting to get liquor at seven in the morning.”

Council members agreed to allow Raffetto to continue his review of local ordinances and state guidelines and requirements, and report back to the council at an upcoming council meeting.

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