Committee receives briefing on alcohol license classes, limits and scoring used for the last full Class B license

The committee heard an educational briefing explaining the different alcohol-license classes and how the committee scores applicants when a limited full Class B license is available.

The clerk explained Class A covers retail take-away sales (gas stations, grocery stores), while Class B is for on-premise consumption (bars) and temporary Class B licenses serve clubs, nonprofits and similar organizations with limitations on frequency. The administrator noted Class C typically covers wine sold at restaurants. The administrator and clerk also described the Committee’s earlier work to create an objective scoring process that considers economic impact, years in business, employees added and whether a proposed business adds a unique service to the area.

Committee members emphasized that only one full Class B license remains in the city and that the state-formula tied to the League of Taverns calculation requires roughly a 500-person population increase or annexation to gain another license—factors that make the committee’s future decisions consequential for potential new full-license applicants.