After a series of discussions over the summer, the Glencoe Board of Trustees has unanimously agreed to a series of changes in the village code as it pertains to liquor licenses, overhauling some rules that had been in effect for more than 30 years.
One such modification to the code includes a provision that allows a retail location to sell alcohol without an accompanying sale of food. That could be beneficial for a salon that might be interested in selling wine or beer.
“This is a significant modernization of our code and much needed,” Trustee Barbara Miller said.
With the changes voted on at the Sept. 17 board meeting, each of the new classifications will have a fee assigned which could range anywhere from $200 to $5,000 depending on the license.
Trustee Jonathan Vree was concerned the fees were set a little low, but went along with the rest of the board as he did not want to put up any potential roadblocks for any businesses.
“I don’t want to discourage anything by throwing a big fee up front,” Vree said.
Some of the new classifications will have the fee determined based on the gross sales attributed to alcohol, said Assistant Village Manager Sharon Tanner.
Among the other changes authorized by the board are a streamlining of license classifications down from the current 22 to 13. Village staff expressed a preference to make classifications more broad so they could apply to a larger number of establishments.
In addition, the updated code will now spell out the need for a temporary liquor license in the case of a special event. That had been a situation staff acknowledged had been vague in the past.
Specifically, if an event is open to the public or alcohol is for sale, a temporary license will be necessary. However, if the event is closed to the public and alcohol is not being purchased, then a license will not be needed. That could become a factor in a private family party or similar circumstance.
The village will maintain a longstanding prohibition of BYOB at restaurants and will in fact, expand that policyto all licensed businesses within the Glencoe borders.
Those businesses that are already in possession of liquor licenses will not need to apply for new licenses until February 2016, when all liquor licenses in the village are scheduled to expire, according to Tanner.
Tanner added there are 16 businesses ranging from restaurants to retail locations that possess liquor licenses.
The village board signed off on these changes after discussing various parts of the code at committee of the whole meetings over the summer.
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
