Rangely council suspends Chamber special-event permits for one year after liquor investigation

The Rangely Town Council voted to suspend the Rangeley Area Chamber of Commercespecial-event permits for one year after the townliquor licensing agent presented an investigation finding multiple permit violations.

Marybelle, the townliquor licensing agent, told the council the investigation of the Feb. 22, 2025 "crab crack" event at Colorado Northwestern Community College found three violations: alcohol was left unattended after the event, servers were not instructed to check IDs before serving, and servers were allowed to take alcohol out of the permitted venue area. "As a liquor licensing agent, I take these violations very seriously and ask the council to take actions concerning those violations," she said.

Council member Todd Thang moved to suspend the Chamber's ability to obtain special-event permits for one year, with reinstatement on April 1, 2026; the motion was seconded and carried. The licensing agent recommended steps to prevent future violations including orienting servers, requiring an ID-check system and prohibiting liquor from leaving the permitted area.

The council record shows a formal motion and vote; members approved the suspension with the procedural vote recorded as "Motion carries." The council did not specify any additional civil fines or a timetable for the Chamber to demonstrate corrective training before reapplying.

The council also heard from college-affiliated speakers during public input who said student servers were not oriented to their responsibilities and that unattended alcohol posed safety risks. The town licensing agent told the council that the violations were confirmed by in-person interviews with students who had been asked to serve at the event.