ROGERSVILLE — Rogersville leaders tentatively agreed Thursday that there should only be two liquor stores in the city, and if there are more than two qualified applicants the permits will be distributed through a lottery.
During a workshop session Thursday the Rogersville Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved some of the liquor store guidelines to be included in an ordinance that comes up for first reading at the Dec. 11 meeting.
Both liquor stores and liquor by the drink (LBD) were approved by Rogersville voters during a Nov. 6 referendum, albeit by a narrow margin.
There’s not much the BMA has to say about regulating LBD which is governed by the state.
Rogersville City Attorney Bill Phillips presented the BMA with sample ordinances using language from other cities. The LBD ordinance is only two pages while the liquor store ordinance is 11 pages.
The BMA didn’t make any changes to the LBD proposed ordinance during Thursday’s workshop.
LBD permits can only go to businesses that serve food with a minimum 75-seat capacity, and new businesses can only be located in proper city business zones.
The city has more to say about liquor stores including how many liquor store permits are issued and where they can go. In setting the number, board members agreed that competition would eventually set the number of stores in the city.
“If we said have all you want, you’d be down to two in about three years at best,” said City Recorder Bill Lyons.
The BMA also agreed that there would only be one liquor store permitted east of Depot Street and one west of Depot Street, which is at the approximate center of the city.
Building inspector Steve Nelson told the BMA there are some available stores on Route 66 that wouldn’t meet the sample ordinance space requirement of 1,500 square feet, and the BMA agreed to reduce the minimum display space to 1,200 square feet.
The ordinance calls for a $500 investigative fee for liquor license applicants, and the state also sets out a $300 application fee and a $800 fee for the actual license.
The city will also receive 8 percent of the proceeds of liquor sold to the retailer from the wholesaler.
One question still to be resolved is the city’s requirements of applicants for a liquor store license. Phillips noted that the state already has stringent requirements for liquor license applicants, but the city can also impose requirements such as requiring applicants to prove financial responsibility, experience in the liquor business, and suitable location.
Phillips said he will provide the BMA with a list of proposed local requirements when it meets Dec. 11.Phillips noted that the BMA must approve three readings of the ordinances before they take effect, so board members have until the February meeting to make changes.
Phillips will also present the BMA with a separate ordinance Dec. 11 changing the name of the Beer Board to the Alcoholic Beverage Board so that one board will govern both beer and liquor.