By ROD ZOOK
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Reno County Commissioners have approved the first steps that could bring a vote on liquor by the drink back before voters as soon as next year.
During Tuesday's meeting, the commission approved having a resolution drawn up that would bring the proposal to remove the required 30% food sales requirement for liquor by the drink.
The proposal comes less than a week after the county commission and staff learned that Sandhills Brewery had an issue with their liquor license as they, at that time, had not sold enough food to maintain compliance. Pippin Williamson, owner of Sandhills was before the commission requesting the vote.
“I would like to see this out on the ballot and allow the people of Hutchinson to vote on it,” Williamson said. “I don’t believe that any business, be it my own, or any other that wishes to include a liquor license as part of their business strategy, should be required to go through this.”
The commission was in agreement that the matter should be addressed.
“In talking to Pippin, talking to at least one legislator, generally nobody understands why this even exists,” Commission Chair Daniel Friesen said. “I think this law was misplaced originally and that certainly is not our place to determine, but it looks like we can ask the public if they feel the same way.”
Three years ago, Williamson was before the county commission expressing the same concerns and asking for the change. At that time, the board asked him to collect enough signatures on a petition to bring the matter up for a vote. Williamson stated then that he didn’t have the time nor the manpower to do that and so the matter died at the time. Commissioner Ron Hirst noted that he’d prefer that process this time around too.
“I think that three years ago we had an alternative, and that alternative has worked before,” Hirst said. “That’s to give an opportunity to bring forth to the commission a definite reason to put this on a ballot.”
County Counselor Patrick Hoffman noted that if all goes well, the earliest the matter could go on the ballot would be in 2023.
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