Liquor bottle ban request meets opposition

Jun 17, 2023

A request that city officials consider banning or adding more taxes to the sales of travel-sized liquor bottles has drawn opposition from at least two retailers.

Representatives of the two spoke Monday night to the Joplin City Council in opposition to a proposal by businessman Jon Buck and a nonprofit group called the Higher Society. The Higher Society is a nonprofit organization involving a group of local volunteers, including Buck, who work on community projects, most often cleaning trash from public areas.

Buck addressed the council last month about the volume of 50- and 100-milliliter plastic liquor bottles that Buck described as "a major contributor to litter across the city." Those bottles hold 1.6 to 3.4 ounces of liquor. The bottles can be seen strewn on streets, sidewalks and vacant lots across the city, he said.

The group recommended that the council consider a ban on the sales of the "nip" or "shooter" bottles or an additional $1 tax on the sale of them to go toward city beautification costs or other community projects.

The council referred the matter to the city attorney to report back on what measures, if any, could be considered to try to control the littering. His report is expected to come later.

But a liquor retailer, LaNetta Lewis, on Monday night attended the meeting to voice opposition to the group's proposal.

She said that those who buy that size of bottles can go just outside the city limits and find convenience stores, liquor and grocery stores where the bottles would be available. Those who leave the city might make other purchases that would reduce business at Joplin retailers and also would cut city tax revenue.

A liquor distributor, she said, told her that one vendor last year sold more than $3.25 million worth of the travel-sized liquor bottles in Joplin. At a sales tax rate of 3.125%, that would deprive the city $101,000 in tax revenue. She said many vendors sell the product above the recommended retail price, which could result in an even greater loss to the city.

If the little bottles are not available in Joplin or are taxed too much, she said, some people will buy larger bottles that are made of glass instead of plastic. While Buck said that the nip bottles are not recyclable, Lewis said people would still drop the bottles where they finish them or throw them out from car windows, creating broken glass on streets, sidewalks and even playgrounds.

Another retailer, Ayesh Patel, said he believes a ban would do more harm than good.

Two more people filed requests to speak against the proposal, but they notified the city the city clerk they would come to do so at a meeting later in May.

In other action, the council advanced several requests for final readings at the next meeting after holding public hearings approving them on first reading. They are:

• A change from R-1 single-family residential to C-3 commercial for property at at 2927 E. Ninth St. to build a parking lot for a restaurant. Zoning ordinances require a 30-foot adjacent buffer between a parking lot and a residential areas, the council was told.

Councilman Phil Stinnett questioned the need for a 30-foot buffer on a parking lot only 50 feet wide.

City planning director Troy Bolander said a smaller buffer could be built with only a fence rather than landscaping.

• A request for a special-use permit for the operation of a Domino's restaurant with a drive-thru at 2907 E. 22nd St. This location would replace the one on Range Line.

The drive-thru will be located on the north end of the property with a driveway that runs from the east to west sides.

• A special-use permit for a group day care at 4429 W. 27th St. The owner, Carrie J. Swinferd, said she would operate a preschool for 15 to 20 children from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Rezoning from R-3 apartment house to R-3 apartment house with historic preservation at 216 N. Wall Ave. The city's Historic Preservation Commission heard a request for approval of plans for restoration of the apartment house and recommended approval.

The council also approved:

• A construction contract with Rosetta Construction for $794,155 to build the second phase of an East Seventh Street sanitary sewer line under Missouri Highway 249 to serve properties on the east side of the highway.

Dan Johnson, the public works director, said that phase of the sewer line was planned many years ago.

• Demolition of dilapidated property at 2703 W. D St. was approved at a cost of $3,900 by B&D Yardbuilders, the lowest of three bids.

An ordinance that would ban travel-sized liquor bottles proposed by a local group that cleans up litter in public areas will be considered Mon…

I am the City Hall reporter but I cover many other stories in our community as well including historic preservation and feature stories about people and places of interest. You can email me at [email protected] or call me at 417-627-7262.

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