The Casper City Council on Tuesday approved the renewals of all but one of the dozens of liquor licenses held by social clubs, microbreweries, hotels, restaurants, retail stores, and other businesses.

But before the council discussed the approvals, Mayor Steve Freel lectured those establishments to timely file their renewal applications and fees.

City staff mails the applications on Nov. 7 and sets a Dec. 3 deadline, according to a memo to City Manager Carter Napier published in the Tuesday meeting's agenda.

"There's a deadline that is set to get these in place because there are timelines our staff has to follow to get these liquor licenses approved and renewed," Freel said.

"That's a steadfast deadline, you have to meet that deadline," he said.

Between nine and 14 businesses were late, Freel said. "One as of last week, and that's completely unacceptable."

The deadlines and timelines have been in place for years, but past councils have not enforced them as they should, Freel said. So the council soon intends to place it on a work session agenda to improve compliance with possible fines, license suspensions, or putting up a license for another business if the deadline is missed, he added.

"Why have a deadline if you're not going to make people stick to them," Freel said.

The agenda for the meeting reported on 13 liquor license dealers that failed compliance checks by the police department, with all the offenses being sales to minors.

The agenda also noted one liquor dealer -- Don Juan's Mexican Restaurant, 144 S. Center St. -- that failed to pay its sales tax. The Wyoming Department of Revenue then puts a license on a "delinquent sales tax hold" status, which affects an establishment's ability to transfer its license and buy alcohol from the State Liquor Commission.

The council agreed to not renew that application for renewal until the restaurant resolves its issue with the Department of Revenue.

 

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