County-owned golf course went six months without a liquor license; county didn't know

Fillmore Fairways Golf Course in Cascade, owned by Dubuque County, operated without a valid liquor license for six months, the Cascade Pioneer reports. The course's liquor license expired in March, Brian Preston, executive director of Dubuque County Conservation, told county supervisors Oct. 19. The Conservation Department, which oversees the golf course, did not find out until August. Manager Jeff Morreim applied for a renewal, and Preston said he has seen the receipt Morreim got back from the state, which said no further action was needed at the time, but the license was not renewed. "I'm not sure what the situation was there, but inevitably it was not renewed, and it needed to be followed up (on) to figure out why," Preston said. Morreim opted not to try to renew the license again this year, and the course is no longer selling food and beverages for the rest of its season. Morreim's contract with the county as the golf course's food and beverage provider also ends Oct. 31, and the Conservation Board has yet to decide whether to renew it, with a discussion expected at a November meeting. Supervisor Wayne Kenniker expressed concern at the Oct. 19 meeting, asking how the county can prevent future problems. Supervisor Ann McDonough said she does not see "a failure in Fillmore Golf Course operations," but "an administrative failure in the State of Iowa," noting other local businesses have recently had difficulties getting things processed at the state level. Sheriff Joe Kennedy said he was not notified the license expired; the Sheriff's Department is usually notified by the state when that happens. Alcohol licensing officials with the Iowa Department of Revenue did not respond to a request for comment.