Liquor Control Board - August 20, 2025 Minutes

Meeting Date: July 16, 2025
Start Time: 1:30 PM
Attendees: Commissioner Piepkorn, Mark Doyle, Robert Nelson, Scott Brekke
1. Approval of the minutes from the July 16, 2025, regular meeting.
• Motion: To approve the minutes: Brekke
• Second: Nelson
• Vote: The motion carried unanimously
2. Review of Liquor Applications
a. Application to Transfer a Class F Alcoholic Beverage License
• Applicant: La Fiesta Mexican and American Grill LLC, doing business as Casa Mexico Taqueria Express.
• Location: 2511 Kirsten Lane South.
• Discussion: Steve Sprague presented. A new partner is being added to the existing ownership. A background check was completed for both the new and existing partners with no issues found. The applicant is considering a new d/b/a name, which would be changed upon final approval. The Class F license allows for full alcohol sales but does not permit a bar, and food sales must exceed alcohol sales.
• Motion: to approve the transfer of the license: Brekke
• Second: Nelson
• Vote: The motion carried unanimously
3. Police Department Monthly Report
• Discussion: Chief Zibolski provided a general report and highlighted two positive incidents:
a. Kudos to staff at the Bismarck bar who properly detained an individual involved in an assault until officers arrived, preventing the suspect from escaping immediate capture.
b. The North Dakota Supreme Court upheld the city's over-serving ordinance in the Windbreak case, finding the ordinance constitutional and the city commission's previous finding of a violation was not arbitrary or capricious.
4. Consider Allowing "To-Go Cocktails"
• Discussion: Steve Sprague presented the possibility of allowing businesses to sell pre-mixed "to-go" cocktails. Lance Thorson, representing Vinyl Taco, explained the demand for this as an add-on to food orders. The committee raised several points of concern and discussion:
o The city would likely need to modify existing ordinances.
o The drinks would need to be in tamper-proof containers, and parameters like size limits would need to be established.
o The legality of this at the federal and state levels was questioned, including potential federal label approval requirements (TTB) and fines for non-compliance.
o The committee members agreed that it's crucial to check with federal and state regulations first before making a decision at the city level.
o The safety aspect of "roadies" was also brought up, with the committee wanting to ensure safety and ethical handling.
5. Other Business
• Discussion: Steve Sprague provided updates on two ongoing topics:
o B Annexation: The parameters for a license and annexation in this area are moving forward, with a 10-year minimum requirement for the license to remain at that location.
o Limited Off-sale: The city attorney and Steve have had an initial meeting to discuss this, and they are working through the potential unintended consequences of the proposal.

Meeting adjourned at 1:48 p.m.