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<br />City Council Regular Meeting -11/28/05 <br />Minutes - Page 27 <br /> <br />market; that the industry was highly regulated on a local and <br />state level; and that future license holders should be given a <br />chance for licenses as they become available, but not to the <br />financial hardship and risk of current license holders, by <br />changing the game midstream. <br /> <br />Bill & Jane Cross, current owners of Network Liquors, 2727 <br />Lexington Avenue N <br />Mr. Cross advised the Council that they had put their life savings <br />into the store when they purchased it in 2003; their purchase <br />based on current and potential competition and the ten licenses. <br />Mr. Cross noted that this appeared to be poor economic planning <br />on the part of a City that's prospered from taxes of local stores <br />and donations of those business partners with the community in <br />good faith. Mr. Cross reviewed statistics related to the liquor <br />store ratio per capita compared with state-wide figures; and <br />provided a copy of those statistics for Council review. Mr. Cross <br />noted that the State of Minnesota limited the Cities of St. Paul <br />and Minneapolis to a number licenses per capita; and questioned <br />why Roseville would need more, creating unfair competition to <br />smaller stores and accelerate their demise. <br /> <br />Mayor Klausing sought clarification of Mr. Cross's statement <br />regarding "allowing unfair competition." <br /> <br />Mr. Cross noted that he had received no tax increment financing <br />(TIF) assistance to start his business; that it all came out of his <br />pocket; and questioned whether the rationale for the Council <br />considering expanding the number of licenses was to <br />accommodate big box retail in Twin Lakes. Mr. Cross noted that <br />Costco was the largest wine retailer in the nation; and the <br />impacts to their competition. <br /> <br />Mayor Klausing clarified that the question before the Council <br />wasn't who got additional licenses, but how many the City <br />issued. <br /> <br />Mr. Cross questioned why the City would want another liquor <br />store in the community. <br /> <br />Mayor Klausing questioned the apparent arbitrary selection by a <br />