By Dave Fidlin
CORRESPONDENT
The City of Burlington continues to reach out to neighboring municipalities, in pursuit of additional alcoholic beverage licenses it can distribute to interested bars and restaurants.
Mayor Jeannie Hefty on Monday paid the Rochester Village Board a visit to discuss Burlington’s current situation.
Under state statutes, Burlington has reached its quota for Class B liquor licenses. This specific classification pertains to the retail sale of intoxicating liquor and wine for consumption on the premises of the license-holding establishment.
In her discussion with the Rochester board, Hefty said the city has received overtures from several restaurants interested in locating within the municipality, though the would-be businesses are seeking permission to serve alcohol.
Lawmakers in Madison recently made a change in the statutes that permit one municipality to transfer an allotted alcohol license to a neighboring community.
There are a number of provisions, however. Case in point: the transaction must be between two communities that are adjacent to one another. The specific license-holding applicant also must be at least 2 miles from the municipality selling it.
In her visit to Rochester decision-makers this week, Hefty said she viewed the two communities as close partners who have some overlap with one another.
“The City (of Burlington) and Village of Rochester are vested partners, in which our communities frequent our collective establishments,” Hefty said. “By transferring (a Class B) license to the city, our collective residents will have the ability to have an expanded business selection.”
The Rochester Village Board has yet to make a decision on Burlington’s request, though the overture is being mulled over.
At a minimum, Village Attorney Marcy Hasenstab said she believed Rochester should add language to its municipal code to address liquor license transfers.
“Because (the statute) is relatively new, there isn’t anything in our code about transferring licenses yet,” Hasenstab said. “I suggest that a short ordinance allowing it be adopted, along with establishing a fee for the initial issuance of the transferred license.”
The statutes do speak to the recipient municipality paying its neighbor. At a minimum, the recipient must pay $10,000, though the amount can be higher.
“The fee cannot be rebated or given as a grant,” Hasenstab said. “The money would be the village’s to do with what it wants.”
Rochester currently has available three reserve licenses. In addition to this classification, municipalities hold regular licenses.
Municipalities under the statutes are able to increase the number of reserve licenses they have on hand each time the population increases by 500 persons.
The City of Burlington has reached out to two additional neighbors — Town of Burlington and Town of Spring Prairie — as it seeks the additional Class B licenses.
The Town of Burlington has not made a decision on the city’s request, though Spring Prairie’s Town Board recently green lit the transfer of one of its available reserve licenses.
In the Spring Prairie-Burlington transaction, the city paid the town $12,500.
Once a community sells one of its available licenses, Hasenstab said the transaction is permanent.
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