Carbondale bars and other establishments that serve alcohol are going to be able to offer happy hour specials for the first time in over 25 years.
The Carbondale City Council Tuesday night amended an ordinance related to happy hours after Governor Rauner signed a new law in July allowing the discounted drink specials for the first time since the late 1980's.
Carbondale City Manager Kevin Baity says establishments can now start to determine when is the best time for them to offer their happy hour specials.
"Is it 1-3, 1-4 in the middle of the afternoon when they might typically be slower? Or is it over the dinner hour, 4-7, 5-8? The thing is they cannot have it any time after 10 p.m."
Baity says the City Council had to amend an ordinance approved when the state enacted the happy hour ban. The ban enabled the money collected from tickets issued to violators to go to Jackson County and the state.
But, as a home rule community, Baity says the City of Carbondale established its own ordinance so the city could collect the money from violators.
