Letter: Proposal is sound
To the Editor:
My wife Laurie and I own the Buffalo Gulch Ranchhouse Restaurant in Burns. The Gulch is a Class B private club which opened in August 2002.
There has been a misconception or lack of understanding about the laws of the State of Kansas by which a Class B club can operate. Kansas State Statue 41-2641 reads that one must apply for a membership, pay an annual fee, and wait for a period of 10 days after the completion of the application for the privilege to enter the licensed premises. Kansas State Statue 14-20-14 also states that the guest of a member who is known to and personally accompanied by a member can enter the licensed premises of the club. An individual may not be the guest of the club owner, manager, or employee. These are the laws we must adhere to with no exceptions.
On Feb. 23 my wife and I, Mary Glenn and Randy Dallke, the honorable mayors of Burns and Peabody respectively, attended the Marion County Commission meeting to discuss putting liquor-by-the-drink on the November ballot. We would like to see a change in the current law that would stay consistent with the surrounding counties. I would personally like to eliminate the Class B club requirements, as they hinder our small business and potential for growth. Here is some of my reasoning.
1. "Tourism is economic development." In 2004 we all are facing economic problems. There are many attractions to draw people to Marion County, i.e., historical points of interest, lakes, the beauty of its small towns, and of course the Flint Hills. How can a small business, in a small town, promote economic development or be part of, when they have to adhere to the existing laws and refuse service to those individuals.
2. By amending the law, those individuals who leave Marion County or come in to have a nice meal and a drink, if they so desire, will stay in the county.
3. Tax monies would stay in the county. There will be an increase in the tax base and employment that will benefit all of Marion County.
4. We would like to see the same changes that happened in Harvey, Butler, Chase, McPherson, Morris, Dickinson, and Saline counties where there is a minimum of 30 percent food sales. We are not promoting or advocating the consumption of alcohol, just the ability to compete with those surrounding counties and much needed revenue.
For those who have not been to Burns lately, you need to see what changes have been made over the past year. The new community center, Prairie Arts (hand-crafted gifts), the park next to the Buffalo Gulch, which will host a farmers' market and entertainment this summer, and the many other shops downtown. Burns has won many awards through "Kansas Pride" and the economic development committee has worked long and hard to make Burns a destination point in Marion County. The people of burns are proud of their little community and would like to share with all who would come.
In order to survive in a time of economic rebuilding, we are asking the people of Marion County in November to think about how this amendment would help small businesses, such as ours, to compete with surrounding counties with much different requirements. Let's keep the tax money in Marion County which would benefit all its citizens.
Thank you for your time and consideration. Come see our little town and the Buffalo Gulch Ranchhouse, serving good food with a down home country atmosphere.
Bill Mann
Burns
