Woodbury Looks to Tweak Liquor License Policy

Woodbury is keeping its 50-50 policy regarding food and liquor sales at local establishments in place.

But for those bars and restaurants that do generate more money from alcohol, Woodbury officials are looking to establish public-safety criteria to determine how to address their liquor licenses.

“So that we aren’t penalizing businesses, like O’Malley’s, that really have been working with us,” said Mayor Mary Giuliani Stephens.

The way it works now, the Woodbury City Council has a few options regarding liquor licenses at such businesses: continuation, probation, revocation, or elimination of late-night service, said City Administrator Clint Gridley.

The new policy would allow establishments that fall below 50 percent food sales (but above 40 percent) to have decisions on their liquor license based on a review of their impact on : fights, DWIs, disturbances, the condition of the facility and bartender training, among other things.

“The council is saying that there is more to it than just food sales,” Gridley said. “There are other factors that are significant and important.”

Under the proposal, the city at a staff level would be able to grant a liquor-license continuation for a bar whose public-safety record is strong even if its food sales fall below 50 percent, Gridley said. The criteria are still being worked out; right now it’s merely a “conceptual framework,” he said.

The city has taken up the discussion recently as part of its liquor-license renewal schedule, which runs through March 31. For those businesses that fall below 40 percent on food sales, it would “more than likely” mean a non-renewal of their liquor license, Gridley said.

Stephens said she isn’t sure why the 50-50 policy was first put in place, but it “provides a good balance.”

“It keeps true ‘just bars’ from coming here,” she said.

As part of the latest round of liquor license discussions, the city council at a March 21 workshop mulled the idea of allowing to serve booze. (It currently has only a strong beer and wine license.)

There are exceptions to the 50-50 policy for places like theaters, Gridley said.

Being able to serve hard alcohol at the municipal golf course “will make us more of an attractive place to hold a tournament,” Gridley said.

“There is a certain segment of the golf demographic that desire a mixed drink during and after their round of golf,” reads a council memo on the matter. “These customers, in many instances, decide to leave our facility and visit another local establishment to socialize after golf. Eagle Valley would have the opportunity to retain these types of players with the enhanced liquor license.”

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