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Robert T. Carter is appealing the denial by the state and local Alcohol Tobacco Commission (ATC) of his application for an alcohol permit in Mentone.
A legal notice published in Saturday’s Times-Union states the Indiana ATC will conduct an appeal hearing at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13 regarding “the issuance of an alcoholic beverage permit, permit #RR43-43406 Robert T. Carter, 206 W. Monroe Street, Mentone.” The hearing will be held at the Indiana Government Center South, 302 W. Washington St., Room E114, Indianapolis.
Information on the state commission meetings can be found online at https://www.in.gov/atc/public-meetings/commission-meetings
Back in March, ATC excise officer April Tackett tabled Carter’s application to April 2 for further investigation. At the April 2 meeting, the Kosciusko ATC approved a favorable recommendation to the Indiana ATC for Carter’s application after all their questions were answered and there were no remonstrators against it.
At the Indiana ATC’s April hearing, they remanded Carter’s application back to the county with questions and citing concerns from remonstrators. When the state saw the application in April, they had received three letters from remonstrators, which were forwarded on to the Kosciusko ATC.
Concerns cited in the letters included the location’s proximity to a youth league facility, the concentration of alcohol permits within a community of Mentone’s size, Carter’s personal history and Carter’s history of holding liquor licenses and not using them as well as his opposition to anyone else having one in town.
At the county’s June 4 hearing, a remonstrator also spoke out against Carter’s application, in part citing the Carter family’s monopoly of alcohol sales in the town. The county ATC denied Carter’s request, finding there was no need for services at the proposed location.
On June 16, the Indiana ATC upheld the Kosciusko County ATC’s recommendation to deny Carter’s application for a new beer retailer license at the Monroe Street location, saying they didn’t find any reason to overturn the county’s decision.
