[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",5973031,"mediaKeyId","5854514-ffdbb6f69808a62c6d93e9f18cd5931b","parentId",5854514,"title","Council rejects SuperOne application for Class B liquor license after residents cite verbal agreement","audioSeconds",2554,"startMs",496000,"endMs",3050000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5854514-ffdbb6f69808a62c6d93e9f18cd5931b&start=496&end=3050","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5854514-ffdbb6f69808a62c6d93e9f18cd5931b/thumbnail_496000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5973031/Superior/Douglas-County/Wisconsin/Council-rejects-SuperOne-application-for-Class-B-liquor-license-after-residents-cite-verbal-agreement","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5973031-60fc816b4d0e0280390f98d8441e32ad/orig.mp4?Expires=1775539255&Signature=EtYFZmeCxqAhs~l0~jBffh5tRYma3pVzTUwK4VHVQ42-HyEmedDEuKF8ElRuKNb-nM8swVOC4ZLfsZfizg-Ryw78w2wJxSbptz8PP9rSOFI~kyzQ4TRukzifBwD9HN7oyAANDJi~hkT1Gk4ir0rTAQkFsUzJgDwWgf~FLb0X0WGZ9XZRkiCqbpuMC-pzaDqfwd05Rxord-U~5agcalZSicU0gaO4IFOrgVECXydVOSPxjf9~nntRLv6w~Zq7htUdrAfeQ9uHGOQ-WBErauk9tASTUvpKqKqTp1sZQ7OuE77XfZojEzxZ0cgu~MXEGaqRgZBSowF93-0NJ3Vmxu~k2w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Superior, WI","date","2025-09-26T17:57:30Z","article","The Superior Common Council on Oct. 6 voted against granting SuperOne a Class B liquor and beer license for its East End store, rejecting the application by a 5–2 margin after extensive public comment and council debate.

The vote followed more than an hour of public comment, including neighbors and business owners who said they were told by SuperOne representatives and brokers at the time of a land trade that the planned store would not include a liquor outlet. Steve Ledeen, a resident who said he represented neighbors, told the council, “I ask that the council vote no.” Walter Hagen, the owner of Pucces Bar in the East End, told councilors that he had relied on that representation when trading property and that “a person's word is worth everything.”

Why it matters: Councilors framed the decision around two issues — how to treat alleged verbal promises made during the store’s development, and whether the city’s ordinance that ties some off-sale liquor licenses to an on-site bar is being applied consistently. Several councilors said the ordinance was originally adopted to limit large retailers such as Walmart from capturing off-sale liquor sales; others said the history of verbal promises and the specifics of earlier discussions warranted more time to investigate.

Discussion and public comment
Members of the public and local business owners took turns at the podium. Steve Ledeen asked the council to deny the license, saying the city had previously discussed and effectively decided the issue. Walter Hagen said he and his wife had traded land to SuperOne in reliance on representations that no liquor store or bar would be part of the project. Several speakers produced a recorded voicemail from a broker, Brian Force, who said he did not recall promising that a liquor store would not be allowed there.

Representatives for SuperOne addressed council questions. Bruce Anderson, speaking for the company, said the latest application reduced seating in the proposed on-site bar by about one-third from the earlier submission (he said the initial plan had about 49 seats). Anderson said SuperOne invested “somewhere north of $12,000,000” in the project and described the change as part of an evolving business plan.

Council debate
Councilors split on process and precedent. Councilor Garfield asked for a two-week delay to talk further with constituents and to investigate the history of the alleged verbal agreements; he said he had received many constituent inquiries and was not prepared to vote yes. Councilor Finsland and others argued the council should apply the city’s ordinance consistently and not create a nonstandard process for one applicant; Finsland said the ordinance was crafted at the request of local liquor store owners to prevent big-box retailers from capturing off-sale liquor business.

A procedural motion to table the license was made and considered earlier in the meeting; after debate the council voted on the substantive motion to approve the license.

Formal action
The council took a roll-call vote on the motion to approve the license. The recorded roll call showed votes as follows: Councilor Fennessy — yes; Councilor Sweeney — yes; Councilor McDonald — abstain; Councilor Garfield — no; Councilor Finsland — yes; Councilor Harris — abstain; Councilor Dennis Dalbec — yes; Councilor Esther Dalbec — yes; Councilor Olsen — no. The chair announced the result as a 5–2 vote in favor of denial; several members’ abstentions meant the motion to approve did not reach the majority needed.

What the council did not do
The council did not adopt any ordinance change during the meeting. Councilor Garfield voiced support for tabling the item to allow staff or a committee to review the ordinance that requires an on‑site bar with some off‑sale licenses; other members said revising that ordinance was a separate policy question that should not be used to delay a routine licensing decision.

Next steps and context
No further formal direction to staff was recorded. Several councilors said they would pursue more information from the parties involved; one speaker urged the council to treat SuperOne the same as any other applicant if it meets established requirements. Because the council’s recorded reason for denial will be part of the public record, any challenge in court would require the council’s rationale to be non-arbitrary, as several councilors noted during debate.

Ending: The license application was left off the city’s active license roll following the vote; SuperOne may reapply or seek further action outside the council but the council took no additional formal direction during the meeting.
","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","October 6, 2015, Common Council Meeting, Superior, Wis.","oneSentenceSummary","The Superior Common Council voted on Oct. 6 to deny SuperOne’s application for a Class B liquor and beer license for its East End store after residents and business owners said they were told previously the store would not contain a liquor operation.","taxTitle","Superior, Douglas County, Wisconsin","taxId",69153,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5973022,"Historical society reports new discoveries, carbon dating and recovered artifacts",999,4651000,5650000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5854514-ffdbb6f69808a62c6d93e9f18cd5931b&start=4651&end=5650","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5854514-ffdbb6f69808a62c6d93e9f18cd5931b/thumbnail_4651000.jpg","/articles/5973022/Superior/Douglas-County/Wisconsin/Historical-society-reports-new-discoveries-carbon-dating-and-recovered-artifacts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5973022-9a375bee128e7d19dc44d3159a469c0c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775539255&Signature=gD-zVLego-J~iffEHQ2oe3HSin0mixJneq71EhPUvBNxDQXmEE0P8sVDTHxwcFugFSlSxLdLoVA-Ift-mwOyJqw8ZaigjeutKaM0ibkaNARmfJhmLjNPTbxkv6Dt74HfDyK~DFlLTJlnMvf4CWW-N4mvDY3qVirpWUsA185vj1aeqS5zaeL6garq9E9DkpMgWXv3LPP6NWN1IL6p1e~6MFFzaXjetUmtIXTPU65h2m0myBnmK62BVxP6bezC8YZpBAFlGnYlRQuxyL2f7l0Y3Wfmm4RjA3~2iCYVhiIpTP-plB9T0zN1s~zOguZ7TR4Nce7-WupVQqBZFFzimNIdlw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tony Tracy, director of the Douglas County Historical Society, briefed the council on Oct. 6 about a string of recent finds and programming updates at the society’s museum at 11th and John streets.

Tracy said the museum recently hosted a Wisconsin Historical Society traveling exhibit and that a state archaeologist has identified the society’s dugout canoe as an unusually intact specimen; the society has sent a sample for carbon dating to determine its age. A 1940s scrapbook in the society’s holdings also revealed records of previously donated objects, which led staff and the Superior Police Department to recover an emblem — an eagle element reportedly taken from a larger artifact — that had been offered for sale online.

Why it matters: The canoe may be among a small number of surviving North American dugout canoes; carbon dating and conservation could establish the artifact’s age and significance. The recovery of a historically important emblem from a suspected stolen-goods seller underscores gaps in earlier cataloging and the value of ongoing inventory work.

Highlights from the presentation
- The society is cataloging boxes of uncatalogued materials; a scrapbook from Waconia helped the staff identify donor records and locate items that had gone missing from the collection.
- The dugout canoe was identified by the state archaeologist as a rare, authentic example; staff have submitted a sample for carbon dating and await results.
- A wartime emblem described as an eagle clutching an insignia — reportedly brought back by a World War II veteran and previously cataloged in the 1940s — turned up for sale online and was recovered with assistance from Superior police.
- The society continues programs including “History Saturdays,” vintage movie nights, a recent “living history” cemetery walk and a planned publication project around the photographs of David Berry, an area photojournalist whose prints are in the collection.

Tracy thanked the city for ongoing support and said the society plans to continue exhibitions and community programming.

Ending: The council received the report; no actions or votes were required. The society will return to the council or the committee as needed with formal requests for support or preservation projects.","The Douglas County Historical Society reviewed exhibits and recent discoveries at the Oct. 6 council meeting, including a dugout canoe sent for carbon dating, a recovered wartime emblem and ongoing work to catalog the society’s collections.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5973026,"Council approves 2016 general fund budget, directs 1% expenditure reduction and adds $255,000 transportation aid to CIP",1164,3082000,4246000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5854514-ffdbb6f69808a62c6d93e9f18cd5931b&start=3082&end=4246","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5854514-ffdbb6f69808a62c6d93e9f18cd5931b/thumbnail_3082000.jpg","/articles/5973026/Superior/Douglas-County/Wisconsin/Council-approves-2016-general-fund-budget-directs-1-expenditure-reduction-and-adds-255000-transportation-aid-to-CIP","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5973026-916b81e0e7e168df8e5034c0157199de/orig.mp4?Expires=1775539255&Signature=joD5JCam3-5FK5tEUc5-~YPHH5gweLWyv~yzCI0qoUxPyaZZiv3BLUnM-yw07kBhHFgdg0ov08C-Q2REdXNFg6ON8VQpDiRhnCm46YaOgxWV3xi1ey0MpEV8p5KF1s2IJq~2ezppbNaVHAOvyywgHcG2T0am4YqzSYYN4RMBhakR0XcTUfUqQPapqWS9KDFruT18FPk5WUFjgDvBXhXUMJBsuxE0VbjDD~JBhPkGPOblg8aKaGmv~vel-gzq9VkFDNwzyWgPKNweARlosS-pGGJHK3frRUwqyW8vxIgKd714el1ta8WHIEGuWxKtaY-NNPhPdqSekD7WJMbChx2q9Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Superior Common Council on Oct. 6 adopted a balanced 2016 general fund operating budget, approved a council amendment to reduce non‑debt expenditures by 1 percent and accepted an unanticipated $255,000 increase in state general transportation aid for the city’s capital improvement program.

Finance Director Vito told the council the $255,000 was new revenue that could be applied to the capital improvement program (CIP) for street maintenance; he warned that putting the money in the general fund could push the city over the state’s expenditure restraint program threshold and cost the city about $300,000 in state funding.

Why it matters: The 1 percent cut — proposed by Councilor Sweeney and estimated to generate roughly $260,000 — was promoted as a preemptive measure to reduce longer-term deficit risk. Moving the transportation-aid money to the CIP preserves compliance with state expenditure limits while funding immediate street maintenance needs.

Key votes and motions
Councilor Sweeney moved an amendment to cut general fund operating expenditures by 1 percent, excluding debt service; the council approved that amendment. Finance staff estimated the 1 percent reduction would generate approximately $260,000 that would flow into contingency.

Another separate motion to eliminate a proposed clerk-typist position from the general fund budget was considered; the council ultimately approved the elimination and directed the associated funds to contingency. The position’s annual cost was discussed in the meeting as roughly $54,000.

The council then voted to approve the general fund operating budget with the 1 percent reduction and to place the $255,000 in general transportation aids into the CIP’s street maintenance line item. Councilors discussed but did not adopt any levy reduction; staff advised that reducing the levy could create larger budgetary problems in future years.

CIP and other items
Councilors considered referral of the CIP to the Committee of the Whole for department head presentations; that referral failed and the council adopted the CIP with the updated transportation-aid revenue added to the street maintenance program. Finance staff noted the transportation aid allocation is based on a six-year rolling average of street spending and that additional street spending earlier had increased the city’s allocation under the state formula.

Grants and other approvals
Separately during the meeting the council approved a FEMA grant award for the fire department of $19,091 to purchase wellness equipment; the grant requires a 10 percent city match of $1,909, and council approved accepting the award.

Ending: With the votes taken, the council approved a balanced 2016 budget, moved one-time transportation aid into the 2016–19 CIP for street maintenance, and adopted a modest expenditure reduction intended to increase near-term contingency while preserving future compliance with state funding rules.","The Superior Common Council approved the 2016 general fund operating budget after adopting a 1% expenditure reduction (excluding debt service) and directing newly announced general transportation aid of $255,000 be placed in the capital improvement program for street maintenance.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council rejects SuperOne application for Class B liquor license after residents cite verbal agreement

Historical society reports new discoveries, carbon dating and recovered artifacts

Council approves 2016 general fund budget, directs 1% expenditure reduction and adds $255,000 transportation aid to CIP