Laserfiche WebLink
Regular City Council Meeting <br /> Monday,November 25, 2013 <br /> Page 29 <br /> fully disclosed in the application, should be treated as such and the application <br /> denied. Mr. Griffith advised that the Association still had a number of open pub- <br /> lic information requests; and disputed the comment made by the applicant, Mr. <br /> Robert Lee Trone, at the November 18, 2013 meeting that his firm had never been <br /> denied a license. Based on his review of newspaper accounts, which he was seek- <br /> ing to more formally document, Mr. Griffith opined that they had actually been <br /> denied licensure. Mr. Griffith stated that the members in the Association were <br /> held to high standards in a heavily-regulated industry at the state and local levels. <br /> Mr. Griffith stated that the Association felt it was incumbent upon the City Coun- <br /> cil to consent to a degree similar to that of the City of Bloomington, MN and treat <br /> this with similar seriousness. <br /> Steve Burwell, 2482 Albert Street <br /> Mr. Burwell stated that he was speaking tonight as a Roseville resident, not as a <br /> business person. Mr. Burwell referenced and displayed the Imagine Roseville <br /> 2025 Final Report. Mr. Burwell noted his participation, that of the majority of <br /> current Councilmembers, as well as staff, and reviewed what had been discussed <br /> and included as community goals. Mr. Burwell noted that that included encourag- <br /> ing small businesses to come to Roseville and the negative manner of big busi- <br /> nesses coming to Roseville that would wipe out small independents. Mr. Burwell <br /> noted that since that report, a big box retailer had located on County Road C and <br /> Cleveland Avenue,which was not in the spirit of those goals. Mr. Burwell opined <br /> that this big box liquor business was also not in the spirit of those goals and com- <br /> munity aspirations, or what the community wanted. Mr. Burwell further opined <br /> that the City of Roseville was going to become known as the "big box city of <br /> MN;" and see more traffic and congestion in the community. If the City Council <br /> votes in favor of this, Mr. Burwell opined that they should be ashamed; and <br /> opined that they did not have their finger on the pulse of the community. Mr. <br /> Burwell questioned how many residents and businesses in the community had ac- <br /> tually been spoken to by the City Council; and suggested they set up a chair in the <br /> lobby of his liquor store to gauge that community pulse, especially on a Saturday <br /> or during the holidays. With all the information brought before the City Council, <br /> Mr. Burwell expressed his lack of understanding in the motivation; and expressed <br /> his disappointment in past and current performance of the City Attorney. Mr. <br /> Burwell referenced a statement by Interim City Manager Trudgeon earlier in to- <br /> night's meeting, with concurrence by Councilmember Etten, that the best form of <br /> economic development was to grow existing businesses, and questioned how that <br /> compared with consideration of this action. <br /> Stacy Bordner, 1989 N Lexington Avenue <br /> Ms. Bordner thanked Councilmember McGehee for looking into this and repre- <br /> senting residents of Roseville, opining that she didn't feel the voices of the com- <br /> munity had been listened to otherwise. Ms. Bordner opined that it was the City <br /> Council's job to listen to its residents and taxpayers and hear the kind of business- <br /> es they wanted in Roseville. Ms. Bordner noted the number of existing liquor <br />