Three issues that involved liquor sales created some discussion and three split votes from the Staples City Council at the July 27 council meeting.

Two items involved activities associated with Railroad Days August 27-29. The first was one of several items coming from the Staples Motley Area Chamber of Commerce that required city street closures or other measures. Closing streets for the Saturday parade, for Friday pre-car show events at Nyhus Chevrolet and Twisted Sisters, for the Saturday 5K walk/run and other similar events were all annual requests and would have received quick approval.

The one new twist, which had been discussed at previous council sessions, was the one from Wayne Renn, owner of the former Lincoln Model School, to hold a concert at his location on Sunday afternoon.

Renn, a singer who heads up a country western band under his name, had revised his request from a little over a month ago. Rather than a Friday night concert with liquor sales, he was now requesting a concert from 3 to 8 p.m. Sunday without liquor. Council members, such as Joel Quance and Robb Schmieg, said they were opposed to this idea as well, saying their vote was based on telephone calls and other messages from primarily area residents.

Renn, who said he had gone around the south side neighborhood talking to people, presented a sheet of paper with signatures of people whom he said were not opposed to his plans. Renn made promises of cleaning up the area, which includes the former school playground, now a city park, and his back yard. Council members told Renn he needed to be doing some serious planning and preparation now for the event, including crowd control, fences and cleanup. After much discussion, Don Flaten made a motion to approve all of the chamber’s items, but revising Renn’s proposal by changing the time to 4 to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

That motion passed on a 4-3 vote, with Quance, Roy Miles and Schmieg voting no and Jo Ellen Reeck, Stan Carlson, Mayor Chris Etzler and Flaten voting in favor.

Another liquor request was rejected on a 4-3 vote. Sacred Heart School had filled out a state form requesting a liquor license for Aug. 28 at the Sacred Heart School playground area. The city had no other information available, and no one from Sacred Heart was at the meeting. Council members voiced displeasure at not having more information or documentation, such as time of sales.

The vote on this one was three in favor (Carlson, Etzler, Flaten) and four opposed (Miles, Schmieg, Quance and Reeck).

Still another liquor issue was okayed on a split vote. This started as a request from Colleen Donley, owner of the Batcher building, and stemming from a fairly recent state law change. That law allows liquor to be served in theaters where live performances are being staged. Staples, however, has never re-written its ordinances to allow this as there has never been a request before.

Now, before the city can consider Donley’s request, it has to have ordinance language that allows this. City Administrator Nate Mathews explained he was asking the council for permission to direct the city attorney to prepare an updated ordinance.

This was subsequently approved but not until another 4-3 vote. Voting to send those directions to the city attorney were Carlson, Etzler, Flaten and Schmieg, while those opposed included Reeck, Quance and Miles.