As we previously reported, the Kenai Elks Club has been having issues with the state of Alaska’s Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office concerning its liquor license.
It turns out, just days after the Kenai City Council — for a second time — criticized the AMCO for mishandling the license renewal, the office issued the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elk a temporary liquor permit.
Mary Jackson is the chair of the Kenai Elks board of directors and the president of its associated nonprofit organization. She spent much of Tuesday tuning in online to the AMCO’s quarterly board meeting being held in Nome.
“We were able to clear the necessary hurdles for a new license, and we were told that we were going to be on the agenda a for the April 3 meeting, and in fact we are," she said. "And then a week ago Friday, we received a temporary liquor license until the full board meeting.”
Jackson says that with the temporary permit, the city’s support and all their ducks in a row, she’s pretty sure it’s smooth sailing for the license at this point.
“We are on what they call the consent agenda. It shows we passed all the hoops and the hurdles they needed to have us go through, including the approval from the city of Kenai," Jackson said.
"But stranger things have happened in the land of Oz.”
The loss of a valid liquor license had cost three bartenders and a cook their jobs at the Kenai Elks Lodge, and Jackson said the traditional charitable contributions they make each year were endangered, as well.