Sweetwater County commission reelects chair, approves two liquor licenses and consent items

Keaton D. West was reappointed chair of the Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners at the Jan. 6 meeting, after Commissioner Island Richards nominated him and the board approved the election by acclamation.

The board reopened a public hearing and approved a retail liquor license application from 3 74 Liquor LLC, noting the revised application specifies hours of operation Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. County staff said state rules limit retail liquor licenses to a set number per population within a five‑mile radius; this was the last available retail license for the Jamestown area. Applicant Mr. Nemec told commissioners the license is intended for an online wine and liquor store and denied that his intent was to acquire the license for later resale.

Also approved was a restaurant liquor license for the Bodwin Brothers Enterprise (applicant names in the packet include Bodwin/Baldwin and the business was described variously in the record); staff explained a restaurant license permits on‑premises serving in a designated dining area and prohibits package sales. Commissioners noted the location previously operated with a restaurant license and that the prior owners had relinquished that authorization.

The board approved an amended consent agenda covering meeting minutes, warrants, bonds, abates/rebates, and personnel actions; commissioners removed an outstanding warrant for separate consideration and approved it afterward. On two items that routed funds to contractors tied to a commissioner’s place of employment, the board approved the payments and the commissioner involved recorded an abstention on the record for both the outstanding warrant and the hospital lab expansion expenditures.

The meeting closed these organizational and routine business items and moved on to other agenda presentations and reports.