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Gunnison County restores local liquor fees and authorizes on-site tastings under state rules
Summary
The Board of County Commissioners unanimously adopted Resolution 2026-20 to repeal older county liquor-fee resolutions, align local fees with recent Colorado statutory changes, and re-authorize on-site alcoholic beverage tastings for licensed retailers subject to state conditions.
The Gunnison County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously June 16 to re-establish local liquor license fees and re-authorize on‑site alcohol tastings in unincorporated county areas.
Clerk and Recorder Kathy Simillion told the board that recent changes to Colorado law required the county to update its local fee schedule and to reissue authority for tastings. "The County fees remained similar to before, but some State fees have changed," Simillion said during the meeting. The resolution repeals Resolutions 2016-12 and 2016-13 and adopts local fees consistent with the statutory framework in C.R.S. Title 44.
The new county resolution also re-authorizes alcoholic beverage tastings by retail liquor stores, liquor‑licensed drugstores and fermented-malt‑beverage and wine retailers, subject to the terms and conditions in C.R.S. §44-3-301(10). The tasting authorization requires a separate annual Tastings License, a nonrefundable fee (as posted in the Clerk and Recorder's office), and compliance with statutory limits; violations can lead to suspension or revocation of both the Tastings License and the underlying retail license.
Commissioner Elizabeth Smith moved approval; Commissioner Jonathan Houck seconded. The motion carried unanimously.
Why this matters: Local fee schedules and tasting authorizations affect how retail businesses can market products and what regulatory steps they must follow. Under the resolution, future state fee changes will automatically be reflected locally without further amendment to the county resolution; the Clerk and Recorder's office will post any updated amounts.
What happens next: The County will accept applications for the Tastings License on forms available from the Clerk and Recorder and will enforce the statutory conditions described in the resolution.
