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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

Ely could remain dry on Sundays

Keith Vandervort
Posted 5/5/17

ELY – The state of Minnesota finally scrapped its 159-year-old ban on Sunday liquor sales early in this year’s legislative session. But when the ban is officially lifted in the midst of the …

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Ely could remain dry on Sundays

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ELY – The state of Minnesota finally scrapped its 159-year-old ban on Sunday liquor sales early in this year’s legislative session. But when the ban is officially lifted in the midst of the summer tourist season, Ely residents and tourists alike could continue to find a “closed” sign posted at the city’s three off-sale liquor establishments.

This week, the Ely City Council partially clarified their position on allowing Sunday liquor sales in the city— and it appears councilors oppose the state statute that will go into effect July 1.

Ely is a home-rule charter city and would need to approve a local ordinance allowing the sale of liquor on Sundays. There are three off-sale establishments in the city at this time, and according to Clerk-Treasurer Harold Langowski, the businesses are not in favor of an ordinance change.

He said he planned to have the issue on the agenda for a future council meeting. “We would invite the local liquor stores to see if they would want this ordinance to be changed,” Langowski said. “We are hearing that they are not. We have heard that from each individual owner.”

Mayor Chuck Novak said, “If one of those owners requests that it be changed, we would conduct a public hearing and everything to make the change.”

Meanwhile, the approval of adding an off-sale liquor license to an established Ely business received some pushback this week.

Northern Grounds, a recently-opened coffee house and wine bar, is seeking approval of the off-sale license to sell bottles of wine.

Council member Albert Forsman said he was surprised that there was no comment from the other three off-sale liquor license owners about the potential increase in competition for liquor dollars. “This would be directly competing with them, I would think,” he said. “I would have liked to hear from the owners why someone else would feel it is necessary to get into this market.”

Novak reminded Forsman that the city is allowed to have as many as nine off-sale liquor establishments. “If we have more people who wanted to open an off-sale liquor store, I don’t see how we could prohibit that business,” Novak said.

Forsman tried a different approach. “I was also under the impression that the liquor stores were required to remove their snacks and things like that from their liquor store. You don’t see candy and stuff like that for sale in these stores.”

He implied that because Northern Grounds sells baked goods, that would be an unfair advantage to the three existing off-sale establishments.

“I do think that this (issue) requires a little more thought before we take action,” he continued. “The three liquors stores we do have are all competing at the same level and this (Northern Grounds) would be at a completely different level.”

Novak admitted that he did not know about the prohibition of the sale of candy and snacks at an off-sale liquor store. “A lot of them just got rid of it because it didn’t sell.” He said. “I don’t think there is a restriction on that.”

Council members agreed to postpone taking action on the approval of an off-sale liquor license to Northern Grounds until their next meeting on May 16.

Ely residents and visitors continue to have the opportunity to purchase growlers of craft beer every day of the week at the city’s lone brewpub establishment.

Library expansion

On a recommendation from the city’s Budget Committee, the council voted in favor of sending a letter to homeowner Mary Jane Caspers that the city is not interested in purchasing her home on the east side of the library.

Caspers, the owner of the house located just a few feet east of the library at 240 E. Chapman St. contacted the city in February about the possibility of selling her property for $55,000

According to Library Director Rachel Heinrich, the library’s long-range plans include the purchase of two houses on that block. The new library building was designed for the addition of an expansion to the east that would include a separate children’s area and additional meeting space, she said.

The offer will be forwarded to the Ely Housing and Redevelopment Authority for consideration for possible housing. According to Budget Committee meeting minutes from April 17, Langowski will direct the Building Official to inspect the property to determine if it is suitable for a rental.

“I respectfully request that if (the property) doesn’t work out with the HRA, that somehow it lands back on our table for the Library Board to take a look at that property again,” said Council member Heidi Omerza, “and allow the Library Board and the Library Committee at large the opportunity to do some creative fundraising to have a second shot at this. I realize this is a long shot, and I know it is a ways down the road, but we would like a second opportunity as a safety net.”

Other business

In other business, the council took the following action:

•Authorized the purchase of a 2008 CAT 315 DL excavator from Warren Johnson for $95,000;

•OK’d the purchase of two steam humidifiers for the library for $4,338;

•Lifted the winter parking ban in the city, on recommendation from the Ely Police Department, and made note that two-hour parking limits in the downtown area will be enforced starting May 20;

•Approved the first reading of an ordinance allowing illuminated advertising signs in the business district;

•OK’d an Interim Use Permit for the Great American Canoe Festival at Semer’s Park in June and waived all rental fees.