Carson City Supervisors deny appeal of Remedy's liquor license, bar to remain closed
Submitted by Kelsey Penrose on Thu, 04/04/2024 - 12:07pm
The Carson City Board of Supervisors voted Thursday to deny the liquor license application appeal of Remedy’s Bar, upholding a previous denial by the liquor hearing’s officer.
During the initial denial, reasons were cited that Sheriff Ken Furlong did not recommend approval based on the association of the husband of the applicant, Mary Sellars, with a motorcycle club, and the fact that Sellars was not listed on the lease for the business.
The bar has been closed since Oct. 5, 2023 after it was determined that Remedy’s had been operating without a liquor manager and a valid business license.
At least a dozen community members came to support Sellars, stating that Remedy’s is a safe and welcoming establishment and that Sellars has been a “pillar of the community” through the fundraising efforts she has held through the bar.
While supervisors stated they believed Sellars’ heart was in the right place and that their denial was not a reflection of her character, they could not approve the application based on the inconsistencies shown and the fact that Sellars had not followed the rules while she managed the business.
“We hold our liquor managers and licensees to a very high standard,” Mayor Lori Bagwell said. “The selling of liquor is important, and the first thing we have to have is a clear record and the belief that you’re going to follow the rules. I think your heart is there but I just haven’t seen you demonstrate the ability to follow the rules.”
Supervisors chose to deny the license, upholding the decision of the liquor hearings officer, based on the fact that Sellars’ application was incomplete and that information was omitted, “whether intentionally or by accident.”
Specifically, despite Sellars maintaining that she had no ownership of the bar, Sellars and her husband were listed as officers on the Remedy’s LLC., created by the bar’s listed owner Michelle Rodriguez. Sellars said she was not aware that Rodriguez had added them onto her LLC.
The Sellars also created their own LLC., M&M Frogs LLC., in April 2023 with the intention to purchase the bar. At the time, Mike Sellars was listed on the LLC., but was later removed.
At the time that Sellars went before the liquor board, she was not on the lease for the business, but Mike Sellars and Michelle Rodriguez were. She later was added to the lease, but Mike Sellars remained.
The sheriff questioned how Sellars could hold that her husband was not affiliated with or had no vested interest in the bar while also being listed on so many documents, in addition to his claim during an incident at the bar involving the Carson City Sheriff’s Office that he was the owner of the bar.
Sellars maintained during the meeting that her husband was neither the manager nor the owner of the bar.
Sellars also stated that she was the manager of the bar while the liquor license was lapsed, but that since she had no ownership at the time, she was unaware of the lapse and was not made aware by Rodriguez at the time.
Supervisor Maurice White said that he did not believe the omitted information was done intentionally and should not be held against Sellars.
Supervisor Lisa Schuette said that even if omitting information from the forms was not intentional, the application was not correct and therefore it could not be approved.
Supervisors voted to deny the appeal, upholding the previous denial with Supervisor Maurice White voting no.
