New city ordinance could regulate liquor license renewals

City of Decorah officials are hoping that some changes in the requirements for liquor license renewals will solve some of the problems the city has been experiencing.

City Clerk Wanda Hemesath says there have been "an overwhelming number of late filings" of liquor license renewal applications in the past year or two.  A new ordinance being reviewed by the Decorah City Council requires liquor license holders to submit renewal applications on a timely basis.

Hemesath says the city sends out notices to liquor license holders 70 days before their license is scheduled to expire.  Liquor license holders can file an on-line renewal application with the State of Iowa.  The City of Decorah then gets a notice from the state and schedules a vote by the Decorah City Council.  "This is NOT a long process," says Hemesath.

A first reading of the new ordinance has been approved, with the third and final reading of the ordinance expected to occur in February.