Backwards asks Casper City Council to allow delivery of alcohol - Oil City News

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Head distiller Chad Pollock and his father Bill Pollock dump the first barrel of whiskey into a vat at Backwards Distilling Company in Mills. (Dan Cepeda, Oil City)

CASPER, Wyo. — Backwards Distilling Company part owner Amber Pollock, who plans to run for a seat on the city council this fall, told the current city council that she thinks they should allow the delivery of alcohol to people’s homes within Casper.

Pollock asked the council to amend proposed changes to the city’s liquor ordinances ahead of their third reading vote on Tuesday, June 2.

She said the council should “consider adding an amendment that would expressly allow the delivery of alcohol.” Pollock said she was in touch with the state’s liquor division about the idea.

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“They indicated that delivery of alcohol is allowed under state statute,” she said. “I wanted to note that would be a really helpful thing for a number of reasons.”

First, she said the ability to deliver alcohol would be a benefit to businesses amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Beyond that I think it is an appropriate thing to make our ordinances as modern as possible,” she added, noting that alcohol is one of the few items which people can’t receive to their doors via delivery. “This is not a novel concept. It is already happening already across country.”

Pollock added that since a number of other places allow the delivery of alcohol, there are plenty of examples Casper could draw from to ensure the practice was done safely and that alcohol was not delivered to minors.

“Further modernizing our liquor ordinance to reflect state statute makes a lot of sense,” she added.

However, City Attorney John Henley said that in his reading of the state statutes, delivery of alcohol is not allowed. He noted that other attorneys may have different opinions and that council is not required to take his advice.

Mayor Steve Freel asked Henley whether the city could request an opinion from the state attorney general as to whether the statues allow the delivery of alcohol or not.

Pollock said she would appreciate the city pursuing that opinion from the attorney general since the liquor division communicated to her that delivery of alcohol is allowed.

Freel asked Henley to request that opinion.

Councilman Ken Bates suggested encouraging the Wyoming Association of Municipalities to ask the legislature to clarify in state statute that they support changes to clearly allow the delivery of alcohol.

Bates said that if it was clearly allowed under state statutes, he would support Pollock’s proposal.

Councilman Ken Bates (Ward II, Term expires 1/5/21):

Councilman Steve Cathey (Ward III, Term Expires 1/5/21):

Councilman Bob Hopkins (Ward I, Term expires 1/5/21):

Councilman Mike Huber (Ward I, Term expires 1/5/21):

Councilman Ray Pacheco (Ward III, Term expires 1/3/23):

Council members can also be reached by mail at: 200 N. David Street, 82601

If you would like to contact members in your specific ward, but don’t know which ward you are in, a map is available at the City of Casper’s website.