4.4 SR 02-22-2022 - Laserfiche WebLink

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it ci Elk* River Request for Action To Item Number Mayor and Ci Council 4.4 Agenda Section Meeting Date Prepared by Consent February 22, 2022 Tina Allard, City Clerk Item Description Reviewed by Ordinance Amendment: Wine Licensing and Cal Portner, City Administrator Strong Beer Permission Reviewed by Action Requested Adopt, by motion, an ordinance amending liquor regulation regarding wine licensing and strong beer permission. Background This is a housekeeping item and staff is suggesting two changes to the liquor ordinance: 1. Allow the sale of wine up to 24% alcohol by volume (ABV). Current Wine License ordinance states 14% ABV The average glass of wine contains 11-13% alcohol. Consumer demands and alcohol content changes, especially those from warmer climates (Australia and Chile) with longer sugar -producing sunshine time on the vines, have increased ABV. Also, fortified wines can range from 14-24% ABV, such as sherries, ports, marsala, madeira, and muscat. 2. Remove the requirement for a wine licensee who wants to sell strong beer to have to prove 60% of gross sales be attributable to food. Liquor licensing can be challenging to navigate. These changes are more business friendly as licensees wouldn't have to track and provide the data to meet city percentage requirements. Staff time to monitor and account for tracking will decrease. Further, licensees are already required to have a food license. These items used to be requirements in state law but have since been removed. Cities can be more restrictive than state law, but past practice has been to match state law. Financial Impact N/A Mission/Policy/Goal Foster culture of exceptional service. Attachments ■ Ordinance The Elk River Vision A welcoming community with revolutionary and spirited resourcefulness, exceptional service, and community engagement that encourages and inspires prosperity. P I I I R I D li AUR Updated. August 2020