Cape Girardeau City Council to create new type of liquor license

A new kind of liquor license would allow a new kind of business to open in Cape Girardeau, one where the establishment doesn't sell alcohol but offers customers the option of bringing in their own booze.

The Cape Girardeau City Council is scheduled to vote on the creation of what's known as a consumption liquor license at its meeting tonight.

Assistant city manager Heather Brooks, who drafted a council report, said most of the city's liquor licenses mirror those at the state level, but city officials recently learned that state has a consumption license that regulates such businesses.

"It's an addition to the existing liquor license statute," Brooks said. "To me, this is more a case of we're making ours something that matches the state's."

Brooks said in her report that over the past year the city has been contacted by several individuals wishing to open private clubs that would not sell liquor but would allow patrons to bring in their own alcohol. None of the existing city liquor licenses directly covers this type of activity, she said.

The consumption liquor license would still require the other standards found in the city's licensing procedure such as background checks, location and hours of consumption, she said.

"This is not a loosening of any requirement, but rather the adoption of a license that is specific to this type of narrow activity," she said.

The city staff is recommending the new ordinance be approved.

What the proposal doesn't do, Brooks said, is make it easier for strip clubs to operate in Cape Girardeau. Some communities across the state have adult-entertainment clubs where alcohol is not sold, but customers bring in alcohol. In those cases, the clubs charge an extra fee to bring in the alcohol and provides ice and cups.

But strip clubs are under different regulations altogether, Brooks said.

"This doesn't have anything to do with that," she said. "Our requirements for strip clubs would still be in place. This would more apply to a private club where they offer other kinds of entertainment."

Mike O'Connell, spokesman for the Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, agreed with Brooks. He said the state has 45 consumption liquor licenses issued and none of them are for strip clubs.

"Typically, this type of license is used for church halls, VFW events, American Legion, rental halls, things like that," O'Connell said. "But on our list, I do not see any strip clubs with this type of license."

The state provided a list of all of the consumption licenses in the state, and the list also included events at county fairs, city functions, sportsman's clubs and auction galleries, among others.

An argument could be made that this kind of license would stir some type of business growth, said council member Mark Lanzotti, agreeing that it would likely be on a small scale.

"But I'm all for that," he said.

smoyers@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

401 Independence St., Cape Girardeau, MO