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January 24, 2014 Roseville City Council and City Manager I am writing to you as a longtime Roseville resident to ask you for your assistance. I have been following the situation with Total Wine requesting a liquor license in Roseville. I was quite confused when all but one of my city council members voted to grant them a liquor license while Bloomington has put their approval for a license on hold, due to evidence that appears to show that Total Wine does not follow state laws. In fact,the Bloomington city attorney was on television pointing to a stack of documents next to her(about a foot tall)that she said needed to be thoroughly looked at before considering them for a license in their city. She said that there were so many issues others had brought up against Total Wine that she felt it was her duty to her constituents to do due diligence and look over the paperwork. Apparently neither the Roseville city attorney nor four of the five Roseville council members feel the same way. This is extremely troubling. My city council is allowing a company to operate in Roseville that has a history of repeated violations in other states, has falsified background information (in fact has been fined in the past for this issue)and is known to come in with lower prices to knock out smaller stores,then raise prices once their competitors are gone. How does this way of doing business benefit the Roseville residents? In addition, how does this satisfy the Roseville Comprehensive plan to encourage small businesses with owners who live in Roseville? As a resident I need my council members to oversee the types of businesses coming into the city and follow a comprehensive plan that actively protects the quality of life in Roseville. In my opinion, by rubber stamping this license you are not doing that. If the City Attorney is unable or unwilling to investigate Total Wine as the Bloomington city attorney is doing then you as council members should step in and do this. To put the matter on hold while you look into this matter—is prudent. Once you grant the license you have given up control and most likely cannot get it back. Why not take the to talk to Frank Ball at the Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association and/or Sandra Johnson, Bloomington city attorney to get the full picture of the company that you are going to hand this license to-thus inviting them into our city. Doesn't it trouble you that this company has so many issues in other states? Doesn't it trouble you that city attorney is waving those issues away? Is it worth bringing in a company that has so many violations/legal issues in other states? Is it prudent or appropriate action to bring a national company, with a history of legal violations into Roseville to threaten the livelihood of other long established, some family run ( Roseville residents)stores? Healthy competition is one thing—this is another. Please take the time to look into how Total Wine was able to get the license transferred to their newly formed MN subsidiary even though Network Liquor, whose license they outbid others on had closed. My understanding is that once a store closes- no longer has employees or is paying taxes that by law- THERE IS NO LICENSE TO TRANSFER. Regardless of this, city officials quietly transferred Network Liquor's license to Total Wine's MN subsidiary instead of considering others that have been applying for a liquor license. Does this not bother you or disturb you? That a liquor license goes to the highest bidder, regardless of its past behavior and adherence to laws in other states? Don't you want to encourage small businesses/owners that live and work in Roseville and follow the law? Why do they