HOUSE BILL No. 5157

 

September 5, 2007, Introduced by Rep. Hune and referred to the Committee on Regulatory Reform.

 

     A bill to amend 1998 PA 58, entitled

 

"Michigan liquor control code of 1998,"

 

by amending section 521a (MCL 436.1521a), as added by 2006 PA 501.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 521a. (1) In order to allow cities and villages to

 

enhance the quality of life for their residents and visitors to

 

their communities, the commission may issue public on-premises

 

licenses in addition to those quota licenses allowed in cities

 

under section 531(1). The licenses under this section shall be

 

issued to businesses that meet 1 of the following conditions:

 

     (a) Are located in a city or village redevelopment project

 

area meeting the criteria described in subsections (3) and (4) and

 

are engaged in activities determined by the commission to be

 

related to dining, entertainment, or recreation.

 


     (b) Are located in a development district or area that is any

 

of the following:

 

     (i) An authority district established under the tax increment

 

finance authority act, 1980 PA 450, MCL 125.1801 to 125.1830.

 

     (ii) A development area established under the corridor

 

improvement authority act, 2005 PA 280, MCL 125.2871 to 125.2898

 

125.2899.

 

     (iii) A downtown district established under 1975 PA 197, MCL

 

125.1651 to 125.1681.

 

     (iv) A principal shopping district established under 1961 PA

 

120, MCL 125.981 to 125.990m.

 

     (2) The commission shall not issue a license under subsection

 

(1)(a) unless the applicant fulfills the following in relation to

 

the licensed premises:

 

     (a) Provides the activity described in subsection (1)(a) not

 

less than 5 days per week.

 

     (b) Is open to the public not less than 10 hours per day, 5

 

days per week.

 

     (c) Presents verification of redevelopment project area status

 

to the commission that shall include the following:

 

     (i) A resolution of the governing body of the city or village

 

establishing its status as a redevelopment project area.

 

     (ii) An affidavit from the assessor, as certified by the city

 

or village clerk, stating the total amount of investment in real

 

and personal property within the redevelopment project area of the

 

city or village during the preceding 3 years. In the case of an

 

applicant seeking a license under this section within the first

 


license cycle after the effective date of this section, the time

 

period described in this subdivision may be up to 5 years, or 7

 

years for a city having a population between 80,000 and 85,000

 

according to the 2000 federal decennial census and the application

 

is submitted within the first 6 months after the effective date of

 

this section.

 

     (iii) An affidavit from the assessor, as certified by the city

 

or village clerk, separately stating the amount of investment money

 

expended for manufacturing, industrial, residential, and commercial

 

development within the redevelopment project area of the city or

 

village during the preceding 3 years. In the case of an applicant

 

seeking a license under this section within the first license cycle

 

after the effective date of this section, the time period described

 

in this subdivision may be up to 5 years, or 7 years for a city

 

having a population between 80,000 and 85,000 according to the 2000

 

federal decennial census and the application is submitted within

 

the first 6 months after the effective date of this section.

 

     (3) Relative to the licenses issued under subsection (1)(a),

 

the amount of commercial investment in the redevelopment project

 

area within the city or village shall constitute not less than 25%

 

of the total investment in real and personal property in that

 

redevelopment project area as evidenced by an affidavit of the city

 

or village assessor. This subsection does not prevent the city or

 

village from realigning the redevelopment project area in the

 

presentment of verification provided for under subsection (2)(c).

 

     (4) In relation to a license issued under subsection (1)(a),

 

an applicant shall be located in a city or village that meets at

 


least 1 of the investment requirements of subsection (1)(a) during

 

the 3 years preceding the submission of its application, or within

 

the preceding 5 years in the case of an applicant applying during

 

the first license cycle after the effective date of this section.

 

The total investment in real and personal property in the

 

redevelopment project area within the city or village over the

 

appropriate time period described in this subsection shall be at

 

least 1 of the following:

 

     (a) Not less than $50,000,000.00 in cities or villages having

 

a population of 50,000 or more.

 

     (b) Not less than an amount reflecting $1,000,000.00 per 1,000

 

people in cities or villages having a population of less than

 

50,000.

 

     (5) The commission may issue a license under subsection (1)(a)

 

for each monetary threshold described in subsection (4)(a) and (b),

 

and, after reaching the initial threshold, 1 additional license for

 

each major fraction thereof above that original threshold.

 

     (6) The following apply to a license issued under subsection

 

(1)(b):

 

     (a) The amount expended for the rehabilitation or restoration

 

of the building that housed the licensed premises shall be not less

 

than $75,000.00 over a period of the preceding 5 years or a

 

commitment for a capital investment of at least that amount in the

 

building that houses the licensed premises, which must be expended

 

before the issuance of the license.

 

     (b) The total amount of public and private investment in real

 

and personal property within the qualified redevelopment project

 


area shall not be less than $200,000.00 over a period of the

 

preceding 5 years as verified to the commission by means of an

 

affidavit from the assessor, as certified by the clerk of the local

 

governmental unit.

 

     (c) The licensed business is engaged in dining, entertainment,

 

or recreation, is open to the general public, and has a seating

 

capacity of not less than 50 persons.

 

     (7) The commission may issue 1 license for each monetary

 

threshold described in subsection (6)(b), or for each major

 

fraction thereof. The initial enhanced license fee for a license

 

issued under this section is $20,000.00.

 

     (8) The commission shall not transfer a license issued under

 

this section to another location. If the licensee goes out of

 

business, the licensee shall surrender the license to the

 

commission. The governing body of the local governmental unit may

 

approve another applicant within a city or village redevelopment

 

project area to replace a licensee who has surrendered the license

 

issued under this section provided the new applicant's business

 

meets the requirements of this section but without regard to

 

subsections (2)(c), (3), and (4) or subsection (6)(b).

 

     (9) The individual signing the application for the license

 

shall state and demonstrate that the applicant attempted to secure

 

an appropriate on-premise escrowed license or quota license issued

 

under section 531 and that, to the best of his or her knowledge, an

 

on-premise license or quota license issued under section 531 is not

 

readily available within the local unit of government in which the

 

applicant proposes to operate.

 


     (10) As used in this section:

 

     (a) "City" means a city established under either of the

 

following:

 

     (i) The home rule city act, 1909 PA 279, MCL 117.1 to 117.38.

 

     (ii) The fourth class city act, 1895 PA 215, MCL 81.1 to

 

113.20.

 

     (b) "Escrowed license" means a license in which the rights of

 

the licensee in the license or to the renewal of the license are

 

still in existence and are subject to renewal and activation in the

 

manner provided for in R 436.1107 of the Michigan administrative

 

code.

 

     (c) "Readily available" means available under a standard of

 

economic feasibility, as applied to the specific circumstances of

 

the applicant, that includes, but is not limited to, the following:

 

     (i) The fair market value of the license, if determinable.

 

     (ii) The size and scope of the proposed operation.

 

     (iii) The existence of mandatory contractual restrictions or

 

inclusions attached to the sale of the license.

 

     (d) "Village" means a village established under either of the

 

following:

 

     (i) The general law village act, 1895 PA 3, MCL 61.1 to 74.25.

 

     (ii) The home rule village act, 1909 PA 278, MCL 78.1 to 78.28.