2005_1017_Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

��r'�� i �� Memo To: Mayor and City Council � Neal Beets, City Manager From: Chris Miller, Finance Director ��+ Date: October 17,2005 Re: Discussion on the Maximum Allowable Off-Sale Liquor Licenses Date: 10/17/05 Item: 9. Rosevia�e's Liquor Code Introduction Under City Code, a maximum of ten (10) off-sale liquor licenses (liquor stores) are permitted in Ro�evifle. Currently, we have nine (9) active license holders, and we've recently received an application for the tenth and final license. We expect a request for approval of that license to come before the Council sometime in the next 30-60 days, subject to planning and zoning review. It has been brought to Staffs attention, that at least one prospective commercial entity within the new Twin Lakes Redevelopment Area has expressed a desire to obtain an off-sale liquor license. Assuming that all existing and pending off-sale license holders renew their license, all new prospective liquor stores would be expressly prohibited. To permit additional license holders, the Council would need to amend the City Code. Background Information While State Statutes places some restrictions on k+�=�� off-sale liquor stores can be located, they are silent as to the number of licenses that each municipality may allow. Therefore, the City has discretion as to how many, or how few, off-sale liquor stores are permitted. On July 9, 1984, the City Council enacted Ordinance No. 956, establishing local regulations for off-sale liquor licenses. Staff has been unable to identify the specific rationale that was used to set the maximum off-sale licenses at 10. Possible reasons include; 1) it was predicated on some Statute that is no longer in force, 2) it was the number of liquor stores that were currently operating at t�e time the City enacted local regulations, 3) it was deemed sufficient to meet local demand, or 4) it was an amount that was judged to be acceptable from a public safety and law enforcement perspective. A couple of years ago, Staff took a cursory look at the local licensing restrictions in other metro- area cities. The findings indicated that there was no widely accepted practice for setting limits on the number of off-sale liquor licenses. Some had restrictions, some did not. It largely appeared to be a matter of local preference.