Residents Attend Liquor Education Meeting

Director Answers Questions About Licensing

— More than 70 people attended a liquor education meeting sponsored by the Bella Vista Property Owners Association on Thursday night at Riordan Hall.

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Alcohol Beverage Control Board

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Rick Crisman, director of education for Alcoholic Beverage Control Division stationed in Washington County, answered questions about licensing for liquor, grocery and convenience stores as well as restaurants. Benton County voters overwhelmingly approved liquor sales during the Nov. 6 general election.

“We have not idea how many liquor store applications there will be, but the state is pulling agents from across the state to work the permitting process,” Crisman said.

Based on population, Benton County will receive 55 liquor store permits.

The division is taking requests for liquor permit applications, he said. No date has been set for the submission of the applications, but he thought it would be in late January or early February. There will be advertising in local papers when the submission process will begin.

As of Wednesday, there were 137 liquor applications sent out for Benton County. Madison County also is going through the application process and 10 applications have been sent out so far for three liquor stores to be permitted there.

During the initial process, the applications will be reviewed by ABC agents to meet the person submitting the application, take a picture and verify the address of the applicant as well as verify the proposed store site meets the state qualifications, including not being within 1,000 feet of a church or private or public school, Crisman said. Applicants also have to live within 35 miles of the business.

After all the applications are verified, they are placed in a container and the first 55 applicants pulled would be allowed to open stores, Crisman said. The permits are not distributed based on location but by random drawing, so initially some cities could have more than one store per 4,000 residents, as required by state law.

Those already owning a liquor store in the state are not allowed to apply for a permit, Crisman said, pointing out Walmart and Macadoodles are not eligible for another store.

Grocery and convenience stores are already starting to submit applications for beer and small farm wines, Crisman said. Permittees have to attend a six- to eight-hour alcohol education class in Little Rock before they can sell beer and wine.

Agents will check out the applicants like they do for liquor permits, Crisman said. Stores will have to post a notice for 30 days before going before the ABC board to obtain the license.

The first of those licenses could be approved beginning with the board’s Jan. 19 meeting. There is no limit to the number of grocery and convenience store permits issued by the state.

Crisman pointed out liquor-by-the-drink is not permitted in Benton County under the newly passed law.

Private clubs will still have to have people sign in if they are purchasing mixed drinks. However, beer may be consumed on premises without signing in, he said.

In addition, with a retail beer on premises permit, owners may purchase beer from a wholesaler but they will still have to purchase spirits from a federally licensed liquor store, Crisman said.

With the retail beer license, clubs can advertise beer specials, but mixed drinks can’t be advertised because the county does not allow liquor-by-the-drink.

Bella Vista Mayor Frank Anderson said he found the meeting very informative, and the city is going to have to implement some types of laws.

“We’ve talked about it, but we’re going to have to talk a little quicker now,” Anderson said.

Chastity Fitro, attorney for the POA, told the audience the association will compile a question and answer list about the meeting and post it on its website — bellavistapoa.com.

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