Liquor control board delays vote on allowing off-site Class E permits for golf courses

The Liquor Control Board voted to continue consideration of an ordinance amendment that would allow FA Golf license holders to obtain Class E off-site ("ePermit") privileges, after operators and commissioners asked for more time for industry comment.

City staff member Steve Sprague told the board FA Golf rules (created in 2005) require play on a USGA-approved course of at least nine holes and set special seasonal sales thresholds: during the golf season food sales can drop to 25% of total sales for licensed operations. The FA Golf license carries a $60,000 initial fee, and staff said the change would require the City Commission to direct the city attorney to amend the local ordinance and run a first- and second-reading process, a timeline staff estimated could take roughly two months.

The request before the board would also allow certain park-course operators to obtain off-site ePermits for catered events. Sprague noted the Park District does not itself hold licenses because state law prevents a local government unit from owning an alcohol license; instead the district must find private operators for sites that sell alcohol. Courses named during the discussion included Edgewood, Rose Creek and Osgood.

Edgewood operator Keith Stenzgaard told the board that off-site work is a substantial part of his business and that he had assumed ePermit privileges were included for FA Golf when he purchased an expensive license. "I assume that the ePermit with the FA Gulf came with it," Stenzgaard said, adding that delaying action until late summer could cost substantial business and leave event organizers without a confirmed provider. He said he has worked with city staff for years and that he follows rules closely.

Commissioners said they wanted existing license holders and other industry members to have an opportunity to comment before the ordinance is amended. One commissioner said continuing the item would allow time for written objections or input to be included with a staff submittal to the City Commission.

Board members voted to continue the matter to the next liquor-control meeting so staff could collect industry comment and prepare an ordinance change for the City Commission. The item will return to the board after the city commission directs the city attorney to draft an amendment and after the required readings.

Separately, staff noted that the City Commission on the prior Monday had directed the city attorney to modify section 20-5-15-12 to formalize a six-month non-sale extension process; staff said that process and the larger question of how licenses convert from personal holdings to city-held licenses are part of ongoing internal discussions.