Dalton council approves one restaurant license, denies two bar applications

Dalton City Council on Monday approved a liquor, beer and wine on-premises license for El Ranchito Mexican Restaurant and denied two bar license applications connected to prior enforcement actions.

The licenses were considered during the council's new-business agenda. Jesse, a city staff member, presented three alcohol license applications: El Ranchito Mexican Restaurant LLC (owner Gerardo Mendiola Flores) at 101 West 1st Avenue, Rosa Negra LLC (owner Manuel Alex Pital) at 323 North Hamilton Street, and Deja Vu Social Club LLC (owner Manuel Alex Vitale) at 224 North Hamilton Street.

The council voted to approve the El Ranchito application after staff and the Public Safety Commission offered no objections. "...we have 3 ALCO applications for your consideration," Jesse told the council before the vote. The motion passed on a voice vote with the chair calling for "all in favor? Aye." No opposing votes were recorded in the transcript.

City attorney Jonathan Lehi explained the denial recommendation on Rosa Negra and related businesses, citing the city's alcohol code. "The denial recommendation comes pursuant to Section 6-107 of the alcohol code, which provides that an applicant who has violated any law, regulation, or ordinance relating to such business or has surrendered its license with a charge pending ... within a 36-month period immediately preceding the date of the application would be disqualified," City attorney Jonathan Lehi said. Lehi said the owner admitted violations at a Public Safety Commission hearing and later surrendered the license, which triggered the disqualification standard.

Following that explanation the council moved to deny the Rosa Negra application; the mayor called for the question and the motion to deny carried on a voice vote. The council later denied the Deja Vu Social Club application for the same reason, with staff informing the council that it involved the same owner and the same disqualifying facts.

The council did not state individual roll-call tallies in the public record of the meeting; votes were recorded as voice approvals or denials during the session.

The council's action implements the Public Safety Commission's recommendations: approval for El Ranchito and denial for Rosa Negra Lounge and Deja Vu Social Club. The agenda packet included a police department letter and the Public Safety Commission findings for the two denied applications.

Minutes show the council handled the three applications in sequence and recorded the outcomes before moving on to other business.