11.01 - Req by Esther Fruth for Addtl Off-Sale Liq Lic

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OR 1. Years back the City adopted ordinances that two off -sale liquor licenses are sufficient for Pequot Lakes. I would imagine they looked at, and took into consideration the Minnesota statutes designed for larger cities (classified as a population of 100,000 +). Those statues mandate no more than one license per 5,000 of population. This would seem to be a decent measure that cities with less than 100,000 can turn to when determining their number of licenses per population. With Pequot Lakes population around 2,000 the two current licenses issued delivers a ratio of one per 1,000 of population or approximately five times that of large city. 2. With that benchmark in mind, I thought I would look at a couple other destination type communities so as to provide reference cities. Alexandria, MN, with a population six times that of Pequot Lakes, allows a total of three licenses. Walker, MN, whose population swells in the summer, has one municipal license and feels that is sufficient for their city. 3. What message would this send to the youth of our community? Pine `— River/Backus uses a billboard to promote their low percentage of high schooler's who drink and they are proud of that fact. If this new grocery operator is permitted a license there would be two liquor stores stacked on top of each other at the door step of our community. How does that serve the community? 4. Liquor is a controlled substance it is not like gas or groceries. A controlled substance should be controlled for the better of the community. This again begs the question; how will a third license better our community? 5. The real question is, if two licenses have been sufficient for all of these years, then why all of a sudden is it not enough now? As public servants the number of licenses issued should only be expanded if there is a true need and a benefit to the community. It certainly shouldn't be offered as some form of an incentive to further attract a new retail business to town. This particular retailer has already been granted tax abatement money, which was hotly contested by the community; do they really need or deserve an additional incentive?