Tolono board continues liquor law discussions
TOLONO – Village officials would like to see fewer problems with businesses in town that sell liquor. Though they don’t yet agree on the best way to do that, they’re working on it.
The village board on Tuesday held the second in a series of special meetings to update the village’s liquor ordinance. The 19-page ordinance was last reviewed about 25 years ago.
Receiving the most scrutiny were the six license classifications in Tolono’s liquor ordinance.
There is a $25 Class C license for clubs, and the ordinance states that clubs are allowed only to serve members and guests. However, some clubs have been serving the public.
“The best thing to do is to tell them they’re in violation,” Trustee Kent Plackett said.
Trustee Mike Golish suggested limiting club members to one guest each, but village President Greg Cler questioned how that would be enforced.
Village Clerk Dixie Phillips noted that some clubs hold events that are open to the public.
The board discussed the possibility of asking clubs to apply for a Class E temporary license for such events and otherwise prohibiting alcohol sales to the public.
Another issue with the classifications is with the $450 Class B license, for restaurants. The ordinance states that in order to be issued a Class B license, a business can serve alcohol only with a meal.
Though one establishment holds such a license, others in town also serve food, but hold $750 Class A licenses, which are for traditional bars.
Village Attorney Marc Miller noted that many towns use a business’ percentage of alcohol sales versus food sales to determine whether it meets the restaurant classification. For example, Tuscola and Mahomet require that at least 50 percent of sales come from food.
Trustee Jim Snodgrass wondered aloud whether the village should create an extra license in the restaurant category as a way of encouraging more economic development in town.
“Most restaurants anymore do sell some kind of alcohol,” he said.
Plackett proposed requiring a minimum seating capacity for restaurants serving alcohol. He also said the village should discourage restaurants from having a “nightclub” atmosphere and suggested that live entertainment such as bands be prohibited.
Trustee Phil Brown pointed out that such a restriction would mean a restaurant couldn’t bring in a piano player or a jazz quartet.
“So you’re basically dictating what kind of restaurant people can open?” Brown asked.
Golish said that regulating the percentage of alcohol sales should help to encourage the kind of environment Plackett wants.
Golish proposed having a security plan for each business, specifying the number of security guards required and the hours they would be on duty. Snodgrass and Trustee Jeff Holt added that the security guards should be required to have training.
The issue that originally sparked the review of the liquor ordinance was that of the minimum age for entering a business serving alcohol. Several businesses in town allow customers under 21 inside during the day when they serve food, but primarily serve alcohol in the evening.
Last year trustees considered but never acted on a proposal to allow underage customers in bars until 9 p.m., and Golish said such an arrangement should be considered.
“I think that’s a horrible idea,” Plackett said. “We’re changing ordinances to solve problems, and the problem is that the ordinances we have are not being regulated.”
Holt agreed.
“We’re conforming with what they (the business owners) want us to do,” Holt said.
Golish argued that making the ordinances more restrictive would only hurt local businesses.
“I’d like more choices in what I eat,” Golish said.
Trustees also talked about the possibility of offering lower license fees to businesses that offer their employees a certification program such as Beverage Alcohol Sellers and Servers Education and Training. The training would cover such issues as alcohol awareness, physical properties of alcohol, prevention and intervention techniques, state statutes, DUI laws and proper identification techniques.
“It’s a very low-cost thing,” Golish said, adding that he would like to offer the training to licensees in all categories.