HOA Letter to the Membership
Be Informed – Be Heard
RE: Tellico Village Liquor Store May 30, 2018
Hello everyone,
Since the announcement by the POA Board this month that the opportunity to have a liquor store could be possible, you have been asking for more details.
This week, Jim Barton, New Villagers President, and I met with Winston Blazer, POA General Manager, and Mitzi Lane, POA GM Assistant/CI and Special Projects Manager to discuss the open questions you and we your board, have about the potential of a liquor store coming to Tellico Village. Here’s what we learned:
Why pursue a liquor store now?
Since 2009, the POA included the addition of a liquor store within Tellico Village to its list of initiatives that would be welcomed by the community and provide a revenue stream. They based community desire for this on a 2009 article where homeowners indicated they were surprised that a liquor store could not be located in an unincorporated area such as Tellico Village. Additionally, they pointed to a 2010 survey that showed a liquor store was a business many people would like to see in the village. In the last month, as reported in the Telegram, the POA had the opportunity to encourage an amendment that would allow the POA to own and operate its own liquor store. That amendment passed and was signed by Governor Haslam.
Why wasn’t the community made aware of this opportunity earlier in the process?
This opportunity only presented itself very late in the legislative process, almost overnight, so communication was only possible after the state assembly passed the amendment.
What is the process to determine if and how the POA should pursue a liquor store?
Parker Owen, POA Finance Director, and Mitzi Lane will develop a business model to determine the viability of this venture. They expect this to be complete by the fall. This model will consider financial requirements as well as logistical, operational and management aspects.
We were told until this model is developed many of the questions we posed, e.g. start up funding, the need for subsidization, management, could not be answered.
Who will own and operate the liquor store?
As the new legislation is written, the POA must own the license for the liquor store. Winston indicated that the POA will hire someone with the appropriate experience to set up the operation.
What about the competition from nearby liquor stores?
Winston indicated that the liquor store would have pricing competitive with liquor stores in the surrounding area. Including that a loyalty purchase program for property owners could be offered.
What is the timeline?
Once the results of the business model are complete, they will be presented to the POA Board to determine further action.
How will the POA interact with the community on the liquor store initiative?
Jim and I encouraged the POA to consider a townhall or other vehicle to solicit the communities feedback as input to the final decision. Winston indicated that he welcomes the community’s input and your questions. Mitzi and Winston committed to providing regular updates.
The HOA and New Villagers Boards would like your input. Please click here for the survey to answer these questions:
- Do you want a liquor store located in Tellico Village?
- Would you support a POA owned and operated liquor store?
Regards,
Sue English-Kovar, President Tellico Village HOA