Bethel could see its first liquor store in four decades if the Bethel Native Corporation goes ahead with plans to open a package store and it clears regulatory hurdles. BNC President and CEO Ana Hoffman said via email that a wholly owned subsidiary, Bethel Spirits, LLC is in the process of applying for a license to put a package liquor store in a portion of the Kipusvik facility. That’s the location vacated last week by the Swanson’s grocery store.
The application, anticipated to be submitted in April, would go to the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, the organization that oversees liquor licenses. The city government has a critical role in that it can protest applications and, if certain criteria are met, can stop the board from issuing a license.
Bethel Mayor Rick Robb has been public about his support for legal sales locally.
“You can regulate it, we can raise revenue. We can reduce harm, because you don’t sell to children, you don’t sell it to those under 21. We can regulate who we sell it to as in [no sales to] people who have restrictions placed by courts, probation, bail hearings, things like that,” said Robb.
Bethel has a long history of attempts to change alcohol laws over the last 40 years, and had bars and a liquor store prior to the early ‘70s. Most recently, in 2009, Bethel voters by a tally of 615 to 523 removed the local option law that prohibited the sale of alcohol and set limits on importation. In the next year Bethel citizens, in an advisory vote, rejected five different types of liquor sales. The city council then protested all of the liquor license applications filed by businesses, leading the ABC Board to reject them. Residents can currently bring alcohol home and can have it delivered by air carriers.
Mayor Robb is not sure yet what form the council discussions will take and whether there will be special hearings or meetings. He also said he’s not sure about the need for any sort of advisory vote from the public.
“We haven’t talked about liquor issues for a long time, they tend to be very emotional. There’s a lot of strong feelings. There are a lot of good arguments to support legal sales, and a lot of good arguments to oppose legal sales. A lot of people have very entrenched feeling so I think we’re going to have very lively debate in the coming months,” said Robb.
Part of that debate will be Susan Murphy, Chair of the Lower Kuskokwim School District board. She fears that students would suffer if parents spend money on liquor instead of food and clothes for their kids.
“I plan to speak to the council, I plan to write to the council, I plan to ask my council to write a letter of protest to the council. They may not do it, but I’m going to ask them to,” said Murphy.
Bethel is the transportation and service hub for dozens of villages that have totally outlawed alcohol in their communities. The Delta struggles with alcohol-related crimes and deaths well above the state average with disproportionate impacts on the majority Alaska Native population. Murphy argues allowing liquor sales in Bethel would cost the cash-strapped state in the form of increased law enforcement and social services.
“We’re looking at cuts to the education budget, public radio’s looking at cuts, senior citizens are looking at cuts in their budget. It’s a ridiculous time to bring up the idea of opening a liquor store in Bethel. There’s not enough money, number one,” said Murphy.
But the city of Bethel is also looking at decreased state revenue and the prospect of sales tax from a liquor store change the conversation in council discussions, which has three new members.
Bethel Spirits, LLC has published a notice in the Delta Discovery newspaper about its intent to apply for a package store license, as required by law. Filings with the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development show that the company incorporated earlier this month.
The Bethel Native Corporation built the 20-million dollar Kipusvik facility with retail space and a movie theater, which opened last summer. Swanson’s, part of Omni Enterprises, vacated the retail space on Friday, March 13.
