The Stearns County Board of Commissioners have decided to keep bar closing time at 1 a.m. despite the new state legislation enabling bars to apply for an optional 2 a.m. “special closing license.” At this time, no rural bars in the county’s jurisdiction have applied. This does not include bars located in towns where city ordinances apply. Bartenders had an opportunity to offer public testimonies at the last meeting July 1, but according to Janet Midas, information specialist, no one was interested. “None of the bartenders advocated staying open so the board is going to hold a public hearing to change the ordinance and make staying open until 2 a.m. not an option,” Midas said. So far, nearly 200 bars in the state of Minnesota have been approved for the 2 a.m. license. Over half of the bars issued the 2 a.m. license were from Minneapolis; Kimball was among the remaining 24 locations in Minnesota that were also approved. Main Street Pub manager Deb Reinert appeared before City Council June 16 to request license application approval from the board members. Before the application could be submitted, it had to be signed by the city licensing authority. “Kimball is an incorporated municipality,” said Diane Robinson, city clerk, treasurer and administrator. “We adopt state statutes, so we comply with the 2 a.m. closing.” Unincorporated areas, Robinson said, will be the ones that are affected by the decision of the county board of commissioners. At the city council meeting, Reinhert suggested Main Street Pub may not be open until 2 a.m. all the time, but should at least have the option for special occasions. “We may want to stay open for special events like Kimball Days, and our annual golf tournament,” Reinhert said. In addition to filling out an application for the 2 a.m. license, bar owners are also responsible for paying a fee to the state. This fee is based on the previous annual 12 months of liquor receipts. For residents who are concerned about possible repercussions of this legislation, Police Chief Todd Rohloff offers reassurance. “There aren’t problems at the bar right now,” Rohloff said. “I don’t think this will affect anything.” The county board of comissioners will hold a public hearing August 5 at 10 a.m. to change the ordinance to require county bars to close at 1 a.m.
