Green Bay explores banning gas station liquor sales

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GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Green Bay City Council is considering banning hard liquor sales at convenience stores.

Another proposal before the council would give city leaders greater authority to revoke liquor licenses.

The lack of a city policy has led to a piecemeal approach to granting licenses Alderman Randy Scannell told the Green Bay Press-Gazette (http://gbpg.net/2gy9WRO ).

Scannell doesn’t find banning convenience stores from selling liquor is necessary, but he hopes the policy discussion will put an end to arguments for each new license.

Since October, the council has denied three requests by convenience store owners to sell liquor, while approving two others. The owners who didn’t get licenses said the decisions put them at a competitive disadvantage.

Alderman Guy Zima is leading the push to limit liquor sales and has promised to vote against any new license requests. He said too many places sell alcohol, and that’s impacting the quality of life in city neighborhoods.

“My efforts are to not have any more liquor stores or gas stations or grocery stores that will sell in our neighborhoods,” Zima said. “Now, people can get it one way or another, but the easier you make it, the more problems you’ll have.”

Currently, the Green Bay police are conducting a six-month trial run at increasing enforcements in the downtown area, where most of the alcohol-related complaints occur. After the trial is completed in December the police department will report its findings to the council’s protection and welfare committee.