Workshop Item Cathy Sorensen, City Clerk
Title
Title
Lake Region Hockey Association Request to Consider Premises Permit at Fogerty Arena/Moe’s at the Icehouse
end
Background
Scott Jahnke, Lake Region Hockey Association, is requesting consideration of an operational waiver to conduct charitable gambling at Fogerty Arena/Moe’s at the Icehouse.
Lake Region Hockey Association currently conducts charitable gambling at Moe’s American Grill in Mounds View, which supports youth hockey for Mounds View/ Irondale schools. Rob Hall, Fogerty Arena, and Jeff Moritko, Moe’s at the Icehouse, would like to provide charitable gambling at Fogerty once again as they believe it is necessary for business. Spring Lake Park Lions was conducting gambling at this site but stopped in 2021 as it was no longer financially viable for their organization to continue at this site. A waiver was granted to Spring Lake Park Lions in 2014 as their principal business is in Spring Lake Park.
City code states charitable gambling must meet the following requirements:
1. The activities of the organization or its local subdivision directly or primarily benefit citizens of Blaine.
2. The organization or the local subdivision must have had a principal business or operations location in the City of Blaine for a continuous period of at least two years immediately preceding the permit request and maintain such a location as long as the organization operates lawful gambling activities in the city. The organization must have been in continuous existence holding meetings for at least two years prior to the approval of the license.
3. The organization or the local subdivision may be granted a waiver of operational requirement if the city council determines the organization has significant community involvement and such a waiver would have to be granted per location up to the four-location limit.
The trade area for lawful expenditures includes the City of Mounds View and Lake Region Hockey would be required to contribute 10 percent of its net profits from gambling to the City of Blaine if approved. Blaine Youth Hockey had approached Fogerty regarding this site but have reached their maximum of four gambling locations per City code: Ole Piper Inn (2007); Broadway Pizza (2009); Wild Bill’s (2011); and Clive’s (2018).
Staff Recommendation
Is Council willing to consider a waiver of operational requirement to allow Lake Region Hockey Association to conduct charitable gambling at Fogerty Arena/Moe’s.
Attachment List
Premises permit application
2022 premises permit
City code