Those applying for an Alcoholic Beverage Control license in Ripon will have to go through the Chief of Police.
The Ripon City Council designated the office currently held by Chief Ed Ormonde as the one to make determinations of “Public Convenience or Necessity” – or PCN – for persons / premises applying for an ABC license.
No discussion was necessary on the approval by elected leaders at their Feb. 14 session.
In the past, the Department of ABC would ask the City of Ripon staff to complete forms to determine what is called a “public convenience or necessity” in order to issue licenses for the sale of alcohol, according to the report by Planning Director Ken Zuidervaart.
It was Zuidervaart who would check to ensure whether or not the location was zoned for such use and that the premises had obtained any and all appropriate discretionary permits from the City.
Chief Ormonde would then check to make sure there were no public safety concerns in relations to the issuance of the permit.
Staff, in making this determination, would refer to the California Business and Professions Code (Sec. 23958) – ABC could deny any application for a liquor license if issuance would result in or add to an undue concentration of licenses in the area, Zuidervaart noted.
Changes came about at the beginning of the year when staff received a letter from the Department of ABC, requesting that the local governing board for each jurisdiction can now choose as to which option they would prefer in evaluating the determination of “Public Convenience or Necessity” forms.
Options included Council or the Board of Supervisors to either make the determination or designate staff, or even to decline to make the determinations of PCN for those applying for an ABC license.
Under the circumstances for the latter, determinations for PCN would have reverted to the Department of ABC.
Staff members believed the current process had been sufficient to date. However, they gave the go-ahead recommendation for Council designate the Chief of Police, in consultation with the Planning Director, to make the determinations of PCN for all ABC licenses.
