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Council to discuss liquor license requirements Nov. 26

Changes in the methods used by local bars to market alcohol will be discussed by the Mankato City Council Monday, Nov. 26.

2007-11-26
By Dan Linehan, Free Press Staff Writer [published in The Free Press, Mankato, MN, 11/25/2007]

A set of revi­sions to Mankato’s liquor license ordinance that aims to change the way people consume alcohol and how bars sell it goes to a third City Council meeting on Monday.

Previous meetings have seen the issue postponed due to numerous concerns raised by license holders, but the issue may be settled this time around by a council vote. The council is slated to meet at 6 p.m. in the Intergovernmen­tal Center.

City Manager Pat Hentges said the most recent discus­sion, held after a council meet­ing on Oct. 19, drew no con­cerned bar or restaurant own­ers. Drinkers, too, have object­ed to the removal of all-you­-can-drink specials.

And while those specials would still be banned by the revisions, the city has loosened its stance on other specials, which would be banned after 11 p.m., not 9 p.m. as original­ly planned.

Council President Mike Laven said most of the major issues raised by license holders have been resolved, if not entirely to their satisfaction in some cases.

The city has been studying the issue since a moratorium on new bars was declared in February and has been holding meetings with affected parties since June.

The recent death of Amanda Jax, who drank heavily while celebrating her 21st birthday at the Sidelines Bar & Grill, has focused attention on binge drinking, but Laven said it hasn’t affected this ordinance. Police haven’t said whether Jax was taking advantage of a spe­cial that wouldn’t be allowed under the new rules.

Drink specials are just one facet of the comprehensive revisions, and other parts of the ordinance include:

• Server training require­ments
• License fee increases for bars whereby higher food sales equals lower fees, expected to increase total license costs by 10 percent
• “Gold star” program will reward well-behaving establish­ments with lower license costs and reduced penalties for breaking the rules
• New rules about when peo­ple under 21 can be in bars or restaurants. Under the new language, those under 21 must be eating food or participating in a licensed event to be in any bar or restaurant.

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