Beer-license rejection upheld

SPRINGVILLE — V's Quik Stop won't be selling beer anytime soon.

The City Council on Tuesday rejected owner Venita Henderson's appeal of the city's denial of her license to sell alcohol, which could spell economic doom for the small business at 480 S. Main.

"I didn't sign up for this," Councilman Jay Knight said.

Councilwoman Dianne Carr expressed compassion for Henderson and suggested that the council take another look at the ordinance.

"I want to see if we are disadvantaging small businesses," she said.

Henderson was cited last June for selling beer to an underage youth who had been sent into the store by police as part of a quarterly sting operation. Four other stores also were cited during the operation.

Had one of Henderson's employees sold the beer, the store would not have lost its alcohol license until the third offense. Because the license is issued in the store owner's name, it requires the owner to pass a background check, which Henderson failed because of the citation. She will not be eligible to reapply for two years. Henderson also lost her beer handlers permit.

The store was forced to pull beer from its shelves as of Jan. 1.

The June sale was her only offense in five years of doing business, Henderson said.

Henderson said she often works the counter because her business is too small to hire someone else to do it, thus putting her at greater risk in getting caught in police stings. Officials suggested she may have a chance at regaining her alcohol license if one of her adult children who works at the business were to take over as manager.

Her daughter, Chari Henderson, said the punishment could cost the business about $100,000 in lost revenue over the two-year period.