Council Approves Liquor Permit Purchase

The Common Council tonight approved the expenditure of $60,000 to purchase a Package Store Permit to sell liquor. The permit is currently owned by Capitol Package, which is located in the old theater just south of Main Street Market. The Capitol building itself was recently sold to the owner of Main Street Market.

The city is purchasing the license to eliminate a liquor store on Main Street, and to facilitate the old Capitol Theater building being put to another use. The city will place a deed restriction on the property to prevent any future owner from operating a liquor store in that building.

Quentin Phipps, Director of the Downtown Business District, said that downtown business owners strongly supported the city's purchase, because it would remove the negative impact that the liquor store was having on Main Street.

Earle Roberts, former council member, said it was inappropriate for the government to purchase a license for commerce. He said that if there was a value to the owner of the building or neighboring business, to taking that liquor license out of circulation, then they, not the city, should purchase the license, "That's capitalism, leave it alone!"

The Council voted 9 to 3 in favor of the $60,000 appropriation. Two Democrats, Grady Faulkner, and Todd Berch, and one Republican, Linda Salafia, voted against.