North Ogden council approves beer-license renewals and updates city alcohol ordinance

The North Ogden City Council on Jan. 21 approved recertifications for four retail beer licenses and unanimously passed Ordinance 20-25-01, which lets city staff approve routine alcohol-license renewals and adds a definition for full-service restaurants that include on-premise alcohol sales.

City officials said they approved renewal applications for Lee’s Marketplace, Maverik, Smith’s Marketplace (handled under the new ordinance once paperwork is complete), Walgreens and 7‑Eleven, with one other retailer—identified in the meeting as “HUGGES”—still missing paperwork. Administrative Services Manager Bryce Nelson told the council that most applicants complete a yearly renewal but must undergo a full background review every three years. “Once a year, they have to just come and sign their paperwork and they’re done and it renews for the next year. That happens every year. Once every 3 years, they have to go through the whole process of background checks,” Nelson said.

The ordinance change synchronizes city expirations with the state and shifts routine three‑year recertifications to the administrative level unless the chief of police or the business-license office flags a violation. Council Member Pulver moved adoption of Ordinance 20-25-01 with two deletions discussed by staff—removing a section on commercial storage of liquor and an older restriction on alcohol at dance halls—and asked staff to fix statutory references to the state’s current naming (Title 32B/Alcohol Beverage Services). “Motion that we approve Ordinance 20‑25‑01, with the two things, section j and n, as we discussed, to be deleted,” Pulver said.

Under the ordinance as passed, new alcohol licenses and any initial applications for a retail or full-service restaurant license will still be brought to the council for public notice. Renewals that are routine will be handled by staff unless the police chief determines an issue serious enough to bring the matter back to the council. The council clarified that in emergency situations the chief can immediately suspend a license and the suspension would then come to the council; non‑emergency revocations would be handled through the council process.

Council discussion also covered fees and administrative retention of a partial fee when a license application is denied: the ordinance retains a $100 initial fee and a $25 renewal fee; if a license is denied the city keeps the $25 to cover staff time. The ordinance also aligns city expirations with the state so that a state suspension or revocation will be mirrored by the city.

On the recertifications, the council voted to approve the four renewals presented and to exclude a Smith’s application from the vote so staff could complete a background check under the new ordinance language. The motion to approve those renewals passed unanimously.

Staff said they have been in contact with the retailer that has not submitted paperwork and with the distributor to discuss next steps, including pulling product if required. The council and staff emphasized that state licensing rules (including distance limits from schools and churches) continue to apply and that the city’s ordinance is intended to work in concert with state regulation.

The council’s action takes effect immediately as to the city code; state licensing approvals remain a required separate step for businesses selling alcohol.