MORAN With enough money on hand to buy and stock Morans only grocery store, the Marmaton Market is almost ready for business.
Larry Manes, one of the members of the citizen-based cooperative who will have ownership in the store, spoke Monday to Moran City Council members about the changeover.
The most pressing issue, from the citys perspective, is to get the utilities changed over; and to get the Marmaton Market a cereal malt beverage license.
Council members, upon Maness request, agreed to waive the $100 utility changeover fee normally required of all new hookups.
The plan, Manes said, is for a seamless transition, in which Stubs Market closes its doors one evening, and the Marmaton Market opens its the next morning.
The official opening date has not been determined Theres still a lot to be done before were ready, Manes said although it could come by Memorial Day weekend.
That led to discussion about the CMB license necessary to sell alcohol.
Typically, licenses are issued in the name of the store manager. However, Rachel McDonald, who will manage the Marmaton Market, does not yet meet residency requirements set by the city.
The citys rules are more strict than the states, Manes said, because the city requires a resident to have lived in the state for at least a year and a county resident for at least six months.
McDonald was hired in February; prior to that, she lived in Arkansas.
As a workaround, Council members agreed to issue the license in Maness name.
Hopefully, this assists things and helps you move it along, Mayor Phillip Merkel said.
COUNCIL members also:
Agreed to a request from park users to allow volunteers to paint white pickleball lines on the tennis courts at Moran City Park. Pickleball is a variation of tennis, utilizing a smaller court.
Approved a resolution changing the sale and use of fireworks in city limits. The new ordinance conforms to state law, City Attorney Bret Heim explained. The old ordinance banned the sale of fireworks on July 4, while the state allows sales through July 5. Now, the state law changes, our ordinance changes with it, Heim said.
