At their Oct. 18 meeting, members of the Dos Palos City Council continued the discussion of on-sale and off-sale alcohol licenses.
Mayor April Hogue and Councilmember Armando Bravo excused themselves from the meeting due to a conflict of interest because both are Dos Palos business owners.
Mayor Pro-Tem Debbie Orlando, Councilmember Marcus Porter and Councilmember Thomas Pigg remained in the chamber and continued discussion on this item.
During the discussion the city’s director of finance and personnel, Manuela Sousa, provided some background on a proposed revised ordinance. The ordinance was mostly redone, Sousa said, so that if a new business wants to come in, it either has to step up and get a business license or get put at the bottom of the list.
Mayor Pro-Tem Debbie Orlando asked to update the ordinance to change the current limit of one license per 1,000 inhabitants to one license per 750 inhabitants.
City residents Randy and Claudia Bautista questioned why they need to increase the current limit of one license per 1,000 inhabitants.
City resident Katy Miller added, “I don’t see a lot of business owners here coming to the council meeting to say we want to change the number of licenses that Dos Palos should have.
“There is a lot of chatter,” Miller added, “that if we had more licenses people will come. Like if they build it, they will come. Is it realistic that we need more?”
Councilmembers agreed that further changes need to be made in the proposed ordinance for introduction and adoption at next month’s meeting.
This would include the change of the number of licenses from one location per 1,000 inhabitants to one location per 750 inhabitants. It would also include the stipulation that a change in ownership, title or loss of an ABC license shall be the cause to require a new business license application for the on-sale or off-sale of alcohol.
The council will review the proposed ordinance changes to next month’s council meeting on Nov. 15 at 6 p.m.
