Baldwin City Council had scheduled an alcohol hearing for Alto Mountain Grocery located in Baldwin on State Route 365. The hearing was set for 4:30 p.m. in the Baldwin Municipal Courtroom. Neither the City Attorney, staff, nor the owner of the convenience store showed for the hearing.
After about 15 minutes of waiting and Mayor Stephanie Almagno making a few phone calls, she announced that the owner of the business had negotiated a settlement with the City Attorney. At which time, staff arrived for the meeting. With pertinent personnel absent, the council did not go into the alcohol hearing as scheduled.
What did happen was the council came to a consensus to accept the settlement terms but did not officially vote on the terms. That will be in an open meeting on May 13.
The council was visibly upset that no one had informed them that a settlement had been reached. Councilmembers Kerri Davis and Joseph Satterfield were unhappy that they had to leave work early to attend the hearing.
Councilmember Alice Venter was the most vocal about the owners not showing up for the hearing. “Los Cerritos showed up last Friday and they had negotiated a settlement prior to the hearing. The least they could’ve done was show up.” she states.
When asked questions about specifics of the settlement, Chief Administrative Officer Emily Woodmaster stated that a press release had been sent to the media.
Settlement terms
According to the press release issued by the city, legal representation for the City of Baldwin and Alto Mountain Express have agreed to settle outside of the hearing scheduled for May 1, 2024.
The press release outlines the settlement arrangement. The settlement comes after Alto Mountain Express sold alcohol to a minor on April 23, 2024. Alto Mountain Gas is to pay a $750 fine, correct all life safety code and zoning violations and pay all outstanding city taxes.
Additionally, as agreed upon, the business will not maintain residence for employees without proper city approval, and all employees must sign an updated handbook stating they will require proof of age before any alcohol, tobacco, or hemp sale.
If Alto Mountain Grocery fails to comply with the terms agreed upon, the City of Baldwin reserves the right to revoke the business’s alcohol license.
“We accepted the agreement to protect the health and safety of our citizens and community,” Mayor Stephanie Almagno said. “We will continue to work with the business owners so they continue to meet the city’s expectations.”
The Baldwin City Council will ratify the terms of the settlement agreement at their Monday, May 13 council meeting.
