St. Paul breweries can fill up their beer growlers on Sundays this summer as the result of an ordinance amendment approved Wednesday by the city council.

By a 5-1 vote, the St. Paul City Council green-lighted Sunday growler sales, which had previously been prohibited, like other off-sale alcohol.

Gov. Mark Dayton recently signed legislation allowing breweries to sell their own beer in refillable 64-ounce growler jugs on Sundays, if permitted by their local jurisdictions.

The ordinance amendment was introduced by council member Russ Stark. Council member Dai Thao was absent from the meeting, and council member Dave Thune cast the sole dissenting vote.

“I’ve never believed in off-sales on Sunday,” said Thune, who said mom-and-pop liquor store owners are under increasing pressure from some quarters of the alcohol lobby, which want to open up store sales on Sundays. The smaller businesses are less-well-staffed and would have a tough time competing with bigger stores, he said.

“I support the small businesses … and they tell me that the only people who want Sunday liquor sales are the big corporations, and this just opens the door,” Thune said.

The city council received letters of support for the ordinance amendment from two St. Paul breweries — Bang Brewing and Burning Brothers Brewing. Proponents have said most taprooms and small breweries are startup operations, and they need all the help they can get at getting off the ground.

“I know for us, the ability to offer growlers on Sunday will have a significant impact on the taproom experience we provide,” Thom Foss, co-owner of Burning Brothers, wrote in his letter. “Routinely on Sundays, we are turning away customers looking to fill growlers, and it is challenging from a financial perspective to justify staffing for Sundays on pint sales alone. Sunday growler sales will help address this on both accounts.”

Growler sales will be allowed in St. Paul between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Sundays. The amendment also allows the Sunday sale of alcohol at restaurants beginning at 8 a.m. instead of 10 a.m., which is the current rule.

The ordinance will take effect by July 5.

Minneapolis is also moving to allow Sunday growler sales. If the approval process goes as expected, sales could begin by June 14.

Frederick Melo can be reached at 651-228-2172. Follow him at twitter.com/FrederickMelo.