Holiday Inn

penalized

for liquor

violation

Hotel must shutdown bar for 4 consecutive days

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- The Holiday Inn must shut down its bar operations for four consecutive days in the next 60 days as a result of having an employee serve beer to two under-age customers.

The City Council meted the sentence after listening to testimony provided by a former employee, the bar's general manager and the 18-year-old waitress who committed the crime.

The two individuals who were served were part of a "sting" conducted by two undercover Sleepy Eye police officers for the New Ulm Police Department. The sting was conducted at six bars in New Ulm that night. The Holiday Inn was the only place where an employee was ticketed.

A former supervisor, Carmen Winter, told the council she felt the Holiday Inn management was at fault because "employees aren't given proper instruction." She even blamed herself because she had taken the night off and was out-of-town when the incident occurred.

Councilors Clark Tuttle and Ruth Ann Webster questioned whether the Holiday Inn management had done enough to prepare their employees for handling liquor sales properly. They also questioned the hotel's staffing procedures.

The Holiday Inn's general manager, David E. Brown, told the councilors that the Inn's owner, Torgerson Properties of Willmar, "is committed to an alcohol awareness policy that is given to each new employee. Unfortunately, in 2000-2001, we were unable to carry out such a program, but we have rescheduled alcohol training for every nine months now."

However, the waitress, Ashley Groebner of New Ulm, first started working at the Inn when she was 15 and waitresses under 18 can't serve liquor, Brown explained.

Because Groebner will have to serve four days of a one-year jail term, Tuttle, in making the motion, said it was fitting that the Holiday Inn bar operations be closed down that long.

In other action, the council paved the way for Welcome To Our Home, LLC, Buffalo Lake, developer of the 13.9-acre parcel along U.S. Highway 14 west of Kmart, to get a head start on placing the footings and moving dirt for the catered-living facility before the land is officially taken into the city.

After a short debate in which City Manager Brian Gramentz expressed reservations about the firm moving ahead under a county building permit while the city had to wait to see if the state approves the annexation. John Schnobrich, a Redwood Falls attorney representing the firm, offered to indemnify the city for any staff expense in approving the firm's plans in the case the annexation wasn't approved by the state.

The council also approved a zoning change for the property, from agricultural residential to R-3, multi-family residential that was incorporated into the annexation ordinance approved by the council later in the meeting.

It also directed the City Attorney to draw up an annexation ordinance for the approximately 3.5 acres in Milford Township owned by Henry and Joan Stammler of 23303 Milford St.

The Stammlers requested annexation so they could get their property on city utilities. However, several representatives of the township board spoke in opposition to the annexation, calling it a "piece-meal type of annexation causing continued erosion of the township tax base."

Council President Dan Beranek said the council isn't interested in "piece-meal" annexation, but "we can't turn our backs on residents who are next to the city and have failing septic systems, either."

The council also:

* Approved the Park and Recreation Commission's final draft of its advertising policy and rental agreement governing signage in Park & Rec buildings.

* Ordered in the runway pavement repair and crack sealing maintenance project at the Municipal Airport. It's expected to cost about $26,500.

* Passed a resolution showing the city's intention to participate in tax free zones under the Job Opportunity Building Zone (JOBZ) program.

* Accepted a grant of $5,000 from Save Outdoor Sculpture for conservation analysis of the Hermann statue.

* Approved refunding to Heymann Construction Company $314,111 from the Sales Tax Referendum projects contingency fund, as well as $23,527 change order for the Civic Center.