by: Diane Benjamin
Mayor Renner has decided he makes all the rules on liquor licenses in Bloomington. He made himself Chair of the Liquor Commission and appointed 2 others to the board. One of them will go along with whatever Renner wants, not sure about the other one, but it doesn’t matter. 2 votes are all that’s needed.
From the City of Bloomington website:
DESCRIPTION
The Liquor Commission serves as an advisory board to the Mayor and City Council. Members of the Commission are selected by the liquor commissioner (Mayor). There are currently five (5) members on the Commission who serve an indefinite term.
MEMBERS
| POSITION | NAME | TERM EXP | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chair | Renner, Tari | N/A | |
 |
Member | Jordan, James | N/A |
| |
Member | Tompkins, Geoffrey | N/A |
| Indicates Mayor Appointed Position |
|||
In October the Council denied a package liquor license for Pub 1. The liquor commission had recommenced approval.
Last night Smoke Rings was denied a liquor license by a vote of 9-0. The liquor commission had recommenced approval. Tari claimed he didn’t hear overwhelming objections at the Commission meeting.
Both were denied by the Council because the neighborhoods are declining, bringing in more alcohol would exacerbate the problem.
Tari thinks giving out liquor licenses is economic development. Luckily, the Council is smarter.
2 questions Tari:
- Why are there only 3 members of a 5 person Commission?
- Why are the meeting at 4:00? Maybe the public would comment at Commission meetings if they weren’t at work!
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