It’s a delay for Family Dollar liquor license in Fort Lupton

Acting as the city’s liquor licensing authority Oct. 18, Fort Lupton City Council delayed a decision on an off-premise liquor license request from a Family Dollar business on South Denver Avenue.

The decision could come as soon as Tuesday, Nov. 1, council’s next regular business meeting. If approved, the license would be for beer sales and not wine sales.

The reason for the delay was Tips training, a requirement for alcohol servers and sellers. Mayor Zo Stieber-Hubbard asked if such training was in place. The applicant’s representative, Tim Jackson, just took over as the company’s representative for this area and was not aware of the required training.

“I can’t speak to formal training,” he said by phone from Georgia. “I’m new to the process, but I’m aware of the training so people know what to do.”

“When employees come to work, will they be trained in alcohol sales?” asked City Attorney Andy Ausmus.

“I can’t speak to that issue,” Jackson said. “It’s not my area. I do know there is training.”

“Is there someone in the corporation who is in charge of training?” Ausmus asked.

“I know there is someone who makes sure things are done the way they should be, that we are good corporate citizens,” Jackson said. “I can’t say what his name is. But I know they train and apply the proper statutes.”

Council agreed to the delay unanimously, pending more information on available training for employees.

Ninety-seven percent of those surveyed were in favor of a liquor license, according to a state-required survey by Liquor Licensing Professionals and paid for by Family Dollar. Of those who supported the application, 29 responses came from businesses and 59 were residents. The firm knocked on 273 doors. Almost one-third declined to sign the petition, and 18 people were younger than the age of 21.

  The application met the 500-foot distance requirements from schools and from other retail liquor establishments, according to City Clerk Mari Pena.