Proposal to reduce full-service restaurant liquor-license fee dies for lack of motion
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Summary
A proposal to lower the on-sale full-service restaurant liquor-license fee from $95,000 to $70,000 did not receive a motion and therefore did not advance; staff and business stakeholders had opposed the reduction at prior meetings.
A proposed resolution to reduce the fee for on-sale full-service restaurant liquor licenses from $95,000 to $70,000 did not advance at the Oct. 20 council meeting and effectively died for lack of motion.
Staff recounted outreach and a roundtable on Oct. 7 with current liquor-license holders; those stakeholders urged keeping the higher fee. Administration recommended consideration of stakeholders' comments and had earlier proposed setting the fee at $70,000, which prompted discussion among councilors about whether to deny or allow the matter to lapse.
Councilors reported little support among current license holders and local restaurant owners; Councilor Price said participants at the stakeholder meeting and calls with local Mexican restaurants indicated the $15,000 difference would not be decisive in financing decisions. After discussion, the mayor called for motions; none were offered and the item died for lack of motion.
Staff and legal counsel confirmed a motion to deny would not preclude revisiting the fee at a future meeting.
The record shows councilors weighed potential economic development benefits against expressed preferences of current license holders and elected to take no action at this time.