Brewpubs and microdistilleries can begin seeking permits to operate in Baton Rouge after the Metro Council unanimously agreed Wednesday to amend the city-parish code of ordinances to allow such establishments to operate in the Capital City.
The proposal, which was co-sponsored by four council members, allows for onsite brewing and alcohol sales, up to 12,500 gallons a year. Patrons will be able to consume beer and alcohol at the brewpubs or microdistilleries, as well as buy the beer and liquor to bring home.
Councilman Ryan Heck, one of the co-sponsors, could not be reached for comment this morning, but he has previously told Daily Report the ordinance change is meant to further economic development in the city-parish.
The council also unanimously approved an item introduced by Councilman Buddy Amoroso to expand the current wine sampling license to allow for on-site beer and liquor tasting. The cost of the license has also been reduced from $600 a year to $120.
Dan Nash with West Monroe-based Landry Vineyards, a craft wine producer, told the council Wednesday evening that retailers in the area support the item.
“Landry Vineyards believes sampling is a crucial way for Louisiana producers to promote their wines, especially here in our state capital,” Nash said.
Heck said at the meeting that several people filled out speaker cards supporting the item, but did not want to speak. Those names included Blaise Calandro, Randal Leblanc, and Ernie and Dale Matherne, all of whom are owners of local grocery stores.
“This sounds like supermarkets,” Heck told the crowd.
Also at Wednesday’s meeting, the council re-introduced an item to approve a tax increment financing, or TIF, district for the proposed 135-room Courtyard Marriott at the corner of Third and Florida streets. This is the second try by South Carolina-based developers Windsor Aughtry and local partners Gordon Leblanc and Moffet Leblanc Strain to get the council to approve the TIF after the measure was voted down 5-4 in July.
The council also punted once again on addressing the salary for next mayor, moving the item to the Nov. 10 meeting after previously deferring the item. Effective Jan. 1, 2017, the proposal would increase the annual salary to $157,000. Mayor Kip Holden earned $146,590.03 last year, which was 7.1% higher than his 2013 salary of $136,858.16, according to city-parish records. Holden, who is term-limited and cannot run for a fourth term, is running for lieutenant governor this fall. He is set to earn $152,317 this year.
Also Wednesday, the council by a 5-4 vote rejected appropriating $500,000 to fund an operation to keep the misdemeanor jail in the bowels of the downtown City Court open beyond business hours for two-week periods over a year. Opponents who spoke against the proposal pointed to Louisiana’s highest-in-the-world incarceration rate and said it unfairly targets poor, minority and nonviolent offenders.
—Ryan Broussard
