By DAVID KRIER
In what has become a trend at recent meetings of the Boscobel Common Council, Cenex/New Horizons was the latest city retailer to receive a Class A beer license when its request came before the Council Monday night. Unlike previous meetings, the measure passed 6-2 with little discussion.
“Do they have any issues?” Alderman Roger Brown asked of Cenex.
“Nope,” replied City Administrator Arlie Harris.
“The law’s the law; everyone’s the same,” said Ald. Milt Cashman, who made the motion to approve the license during the Protection & Welfare Committee meeting prior to the start of Council proceedings.
As she has during previous beer and liquor license requests from Kwik Trip and Piggly Wiggly, Ald. Barb Bell voted against granting the license. She was joined in the Council vote by fellow Alder Sara Strang.
During the Council portion of the meeting the only question seemed to be whether or not future beer or liquor license requests would go to committee prior to the Council taking action.
“Do we need to go to committee?” asked Mayor Steve Wetter.
“I think we do because it’s still a hot topic,” replied Brown. “Until it blows over I think we should still take it to committee.”
Cashman said he wasn’t as concerned about future beer licenses as he was with liquor licenses, but still thought future license requests should go before the Protection and Welfare committee first. The rest of the Council informally agreed, with no vote taken.
K-9 coming soon
With over $20,000 raised thus far for the purchase of a drug dog, Police Chief Todd Stenner told the Council he and officer Travis Dregne traveled to Iowa last Thursday and Friday to have a look at several dogs, including German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois and Labrador Retrievers.
“We’ve narrowed it down to three dogs and all are labs, two yellow and one black,” Stenner said. “We don’t want a dog that is either being aggressive or perceived to being aggressive.”
Stenner said the dog would cost between $4,500 and $6,000—depending on which kennel the department went with. Additional costs include about $4,000 for a new video system and $3,000 to $4,000 for a new laptop computer in the K9 squad, which is already equipped with a kennel.
“Our most recent donation, $500 from the elementary school, puts us over $20,000,” Stenner said. “I am really impressed with our community and how they stepped forward.”
Dregne would spend two weeks training with the dog, with a decision on which one expected in a few weeks. He hopes to have it in service by the first week in May.
“It will be trained in the detection of marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine and opiates like heroin,” Stenner said. “It will be a passive alert dog. Once it alerts it will sit and stare at where the drugs are located.”
Annual Building Report
The Council approved the 2013 Annual Building Report, which showed three new homes valued at $445,000 built in the city last year. There were also seven garages valued at $52,650 built, 13 decks and porches valued at $48,000—as well as additions and remodeling valued at $109,000.
The following bartender’s licenses were also approved:
Piggly Wiggly: Holly McGraw, Andrea Zenz, Christina Jenson, Kimberly Sweeney, Gary Brown, Jeff Mara, Cole Sander, John Stagman, Kristina Whiteaker, Wynn Nies and Kathleen McGinnis;
Cenex/New Horizons: Latisha Bray, Lindsay Adams, Cody Trumm, Peggy Dollar, Holly White, Bridget Duve and Christine Bailie.
