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Does the City of Pequot Lakes honestly need a third off sale liquor license <br />and what good does a third one offer the community? Let me cite two other <br />resort communities. The City of Alexandria for example has a total of three <br />off sale license available, however their population is 12 times Pequot lakes <br />(12,500 versus 1993). Or we can look right up the road to Walker, a very <br />large tourist community that swells in the summer being on the shores of <br />Leech Lake. They have one off sale license within the city limits. I honestly <br />believe that two liquor stores are great plenty for our community and frankly <br />our shopping center and my tenants rely on this draw. Yes it would be a nice <br />gesture to do for the new guy coming to town but please consider the huge <br />impact it will have on the current operators who have been paying taxes for <br />years. This decision would cut into our gross profits and severely impact us, <br />our employees and our tenants. For a new guy to simply ride in on a white <br />horse and have a license handed to him doesn't seem just or fair. <br />On the issue of TIF funding. As a local `retailer' I would be very <br />disappointed if you supported TIF funding to attract a new `retailer' to come <br />`- to town. TIF in my estimation can be a great economic tool to attract <br />manufacturing, industry to a community but to provide this economic <br />advantage to a new retailer is simply not fair or right to the retailers who <br />have invested in the community thus far. <br />Why should a new retailer (who will obviously put the hurts on current <br />retailers who operate in the same sectors) obtain an additional competitive <br />advantage from the city itself? That is truly self defeating to the folks who <br />have supported and invested in this community prior to this point in time. <br />Please put yourself in our shoes, how would you like the city that you pay <br />taxes to provide a strong competitive advantage to attract a new competitor? <br />All I ask is that they have to play on the same field as we do. <br />I appreciate you honest evaluation of my concerns noted and hope you will <br />be guided by your heart in these decisions that have great impact on me. <br />Most Sincere, <br />