Gadsden council revokes liquor license for South 11th Package Store after unpaid liquor tax

The Gadsden City Council on Jan. 14 adopted a resolution revoking the alcoholic beverage license for South 11th Package Store LLC, located at 1405 South 11th Street in District 5, after city staff said the owner failed to remit required liquor tax.

During a public hearing, a resident identifying himself as Curtis Thail said the store and its location created problems in the neighborhood and described incidents he attributed to patrons of the business. “There’s a girl at the door... barefoot, drunk as a skunk,” Thail said, recounting an incident in which he called police. He told the council the area near the store — which he called “Flatwoods” — sees people he said he does not recognize and that the location is not appropriate for a liquor store.

City staff told the council for public clarification that the store was already shut down and that the owners had incorrectly assumed they could maintain and transfer the license to another address. A staff speaker said the location met zoning and other qualifications when the license was initially issued, but the owners had ceased operations and failed to make timely liquor and sales tax payments; the revocation was described as a formality to prevent the license from being used to purchase alcohol without a retail storefront.

The chair called for a motion to adopt the resolution; a motion was made and seconded, and the clerk took a voice vote. The motion carried. No individual roll-call vote was read into the record; the clerk recorded the outcome as adopted by voice vote.

The council’s action removes the city-issued license for South 11th Package Store LLC. The resolution and staff remarks describe nonpayment of required liquor tax and the business’s cessation of operations as the grounds for revocation. The council did not record any further penalties or follow-on direction in the meeting minutes.