Feb. 27—CHEYENNE — The Cheyenne City Council voted down a resolution Monday that would have sought to allow the sale of alcoholic beverages under 5% at grocery and convenience stores across the state.

Council member Richard Johnson, who sponsored the resolution, said the change would improve convenience and efficiency for residents and visitors, generate more economic opportunities in large and small communities, increase catering opportunities and allow smaller businesses to sell alcohol.

Alcohol sales at retail stores currently exist in a limited capacity in the community. The only three to have full retail liquor licenses are Big D Conoco on North Greeley Highway, Maverik on Yellowstone Road and Sam’s Club.

Johnson said it is typically only larger corporations that can afford a full retail liquor license, which gives the business the opportunity to cater.

“Retail liquor licenses are an asset,” said council member Dr. Mark Rinne. “I think we wasted three of them by giving them to two convenience stores and Sam’s. I don’t think they’ve really done anything to make the community a better place. And, unfortunately, with the cost of retail liquor licenses on the market nowadays, the only people that can afford those are really large corporations anymore.”

Johnson said the license is currently misused, and this would offer a way around that and provide more catering to the community.

The resolution failed by one vote. If approved, it would still have had a long way to go to become statewide law. It would first be introduced at Wyoming Association of Municipalities’ (WAM) annual summer conference, where it would need a majority support of the 99 participating municipalities to be added to the WAM agenda for next year’s legislative session. Then, it would need approval from the Legislature.

One community member, Suzy Gudenkauf, owner of Outlaw Liquors, spoke out against the resolution.

“I think having alcohol in a grocery store and every convenience store, just about on every street corner in Cheyenne, is not a good idea for several reasons,” she said.

Her two main factors were the sale of alcohol to minors and shoplifting.

“I really feel that if alcohol is that readily and easily available at a grocery store or a convenience store, you will have lots of underage drinking,” she continued. “More than we already do.”

Council member Pete Laybourn supported Gudenkauf’s concerns.

“Not everyone sees alcohol as a quality-of-life mixed blessing. There are a lot of issues related to that that are being dealt with right now over at the alcohol receiving center or with the police department on a number of issues. I don’t believe this, if this was to go to the state and the state was to adopt it, that it would bring any particular business to Cheyenne,” he said.

Johnson said approving this change would make Cheyenne a more attractive market for businesses like Trader Joe’s.

“Just like other types of business, it is a free market economy,” Johnson said. “And some of these entities may not want to participate, and a lot of it comes to liability issue of their staff.”

The council voted 5-4 against the resolution, with council members Michelle Aldrich, Ken Esquibel, Laybourn, Scott Roybal and Jeff White voting in opposition. Council members Bryan Cook, Johnson, Rinne and Tom Segrave voted in favor.

Update to jailable offenses

Also Monday night, the council approved an ordinance on second reading to remove jail times as possible punishment for several charges on first offense, including shoplifting, loitering and excessive noise from pets or machinery.

Cheyenne Police Chief Mark Francisco said he is OK with the change, and that it would help with the core process.

“The ordinances we’re talking about never amount to jail time anyway,” he said.

Casper’s municipal court has no jail time for any first offense except driving under the influence, while 10 exist in Gillette, there are five in Laramie, and Sheridan has six. Cheyenne has more jail offenses than any other city in the state.

A motion by Aldrich to remove all references to shoplifting failed, and the ordinance passed on second reading. It will have to be approved once more in order for the changes to go into effect.

Noah Zahn is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle’s local government/business reporter. He can be reached at 307-633-3128 or nzahn@wyomingnews.com. Follow him on X @NoahZahnn.