[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6512180,"mediaKeyId","5116081-64bd121e87f3255c242dd739806ec5d1","parentId",5116081,"title","Madison council rejects ordinance to widen geographic restrictions on new alcohol licenses","audioSeconds",8638,"startMs",1416000,"endMs",10054000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5116081-64bd121e87f3255c242dd739806ec5d1&start=1416&end=10054","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5116081-64bd121e87f3255c242dd739806ec5d1/thumbnail_1416000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6512180/Madison/Dane-County/Wisconsin/Madison-council-rejects-ordinance-to-widen-geographic-restrictions-on-new-alcohol-licenses","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6512180-c96bf259ab5a14049328a6996889eb51/orig.mp4?Expires=1773623024&Signature=lJy65fgh1dk315vxLiDc4VmWMhHhCreTjSyslqbn2ANnMCLoyuLDaKLSA8aOs9uZDJvUjKIFSYVekEkAqV4FkwTb3UcDMlGQ67w2WpATvuAIF0ZPr-0J9vCP9327pA6QqOUug5C2u7uIHikzENIQm2DVuVxDQAVgccofp8Q37mlkABngfC7Yija41LxUkfnL2zhEDkVdmNdq1mbbkvo99TC0N2av-YqFZvDW-zO33J98GlkzT3p~xvX~5~GO7C3rjxSQM1HC~lB2ubuR9QUonoEdzOdVXOZF4wNC2IQigwdfLgrZ3lVLLGoDpndOQgZ1fblLX8-~FfxlPMU8UzbXkA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Madison, WI","date","2025-07-02T15:21:15Z","article","Madison’s Common Council debated and rejected a proposed change to the city’s alcohol licensing ordinance after a public-health presentation and more than two hours of council discussion.

The ordinance, sponsored by Council President Vittiver, would have expanded the city’s current 300-foot geographic restriction on new class A and class B licenses (already applied to public and parochial schools, hospitals, churches and public libraries under state and local law) to also cover places of worship (renaming “church” to “place of worship”), entities with a primary purpose of providing services to unhoused individuals, mental-health treatment facilities and other class A or B licenses. The proposed change also would have required that any waiver of the restriction be made “purposely and expressly” by majority vote of the full council.

The Council heard a public-health briefing describing local alcohol-related harms and patterns before formal debate. Ariel (public health staff) told the council, “Excessive alcohol use is categorically a public health and safety issue,” and public-health staff outlined local data including nearly 350 alcohol-related motor-vehicle incidents in Madison from January 2024 through May 2025 (four fatal), an observed rise in alcohol-related fatalities since 2020, and a Population Health Institute estimate that binge drinking costs Dane County roughly $398 million annually. Staff also reported the city then had about 510 class B licenses and 134 class A licenses.

City attorney Haas explained the ordinance’s effect and legal context, saying the state statute that the council already follows restricts licenses within 300 feet of certain sensitive uses but allows a municipal governing body to waive the restriction by majority vote; the proposed ordinance would add categories and make the waiver requirement more explicit. Haas also noted administrative questions about how staff would determine whether a proposed license fell within a restricted zone.

Council members were split in public comment. Supporters of the ordinance, including sponsor President Vittiver and Alder Madison, said the city’s high rates of binge drinking and alcohol-related harm justify clearer, citywide written standards to guide decisions and reduce density near sensitive sites. \"If you don't want Madison to be the fourth 'drunkest' city in the nation,\" Vittiver said, she urged colleagues to back the change as a modest public-health step.

Opponents, including Alders Knox, Field, Govindarajan, Mayer and others, said the existing Alcohol License Review Committee (ALRC) and council process already provide opportunities to review public-health and neighborhood concerns, and they cautioned the change could unduly harm small, family- or immigrant-owned businesses and reduce competitive certainty for commercial districts. Some alderpersons argued enforcement and education, not added ordinance restrictions, would better address alcohol-related harm.

Alderman Evers offered an amendment to remove the proposed language that would have included entities providing services to people experiencing homelessness and treatment facilities; that amendment failed on a 10–10 roll call. After extended debate, the Council voted on the main ordinance and it failed on a roll-call vote, 4 ayes and 16 noes.

The transcript records multiple concerns raised by alder members about implementation details (how addresses would be measured for the 300-foot limit), equity impacts on historically disinvested neighborhoods, and the pace of public-health work (staff said strategy development on density and other interventions was planned to start in the next calendar year and that full policy recommendations can take multiple years).

The Council did not adopt the ordinance. Several council members suggested alternate approaches — including local alcohol overlay zoning districts that restrict new licenses in narrowly drawn commercial corridors — and urged improved data collection and expanded public-health and ALRC coordination.

Votes and formal motions related to this item are listed below.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Common Council: Meeting of July 1, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Madison’s Common Council debated a proposal to expand 300-foot geographic limits on new alcohol licenses to include places of worship, providers serving people experiencing homelessness and treatment facilities, but the measure failed on a 4–16 roll-call vote after a public-health presentation and lengthy council debate.","taxTitle","Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin","taxId",2852,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6512172,"Madison council proclaims July 2025 Disability Pride Month, raises flag at municipal building",313,513000,826000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5116081-64bd121e87f3255c242dd739806ec5d1&start=513&end=826","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5116081-64bd121e87f3255c242dd739806ec5d1/thumbnail_513000.jpg","/articles/6512172/Madison/Dane-County/Wisconsin/Madison-council-proclaims-July-2025-Disability-Pride-Month-raises-flag-at-municipal-building","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6512172-a07785e72df33b80f864530df5d72aef/orig.mp4?Expires=1773623024&Signature=IZtw0eAwQbN~6idvFSTNQVFQh29KJybwO3jYez6AQf36xCKK82rQ5rAfcNWfvq2HWN~Btdp74x4jXuq1leykt6WKehvNtR030uJ2w5xyd6Jxyw9voJuJVOkotNmkvXVqoY6XqbkdvxrVMeShmL~JD3Xr4IbKS-77gXczKnHawhA4J8h2pL~9WF0HjF9ghGyn6HFXTe9syPiIZUWoQh-jEOZmjGfRWD3bJjASORhZAhEWfGRZaxxn38Y-ViBKJBTbYryF7ujFA-cURpjIlHJ2UNsbNBMVw8a4-Agh6v80R-NudYjFyc6V1yoRzYsIUvjBIW9bz9dZ6DAjw6FTU6h0Pw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Madison’s Common Council unanimously adopted a resolution recognizing July 2025 as Disability Pride Month and accepted guests who will arrange for the disability pride flag to fly over the municipal building.

Alder Glenn read the resolution, which notes that Disability Pride Month commemorates July 1990 — the month in which the Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted — and describes the disability pride flag’s colors and their significance. Two community members, Nikki VanderMeelen and Denise Jess (representing the Wisconsin Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired and a member of the city's Transportation Commission), accepted the resolution and spoke briefly. Jess said it was “a huge honor” for the flag to fly over Madison’s municipal building and called the action part of “creating a legacy of equity in the city of Madison.”

The Council recorded a unanimous vote in favor of the resolution and flagged that the flag will be flown at City Hall for the month.","The Madison Common Council unanimously adopted a resolution recognizing July 2025 as Disability Pride Month and hosted local disability advocates to accept the proclamation and fly the disability pride flag at the municipal building.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6512176,"Council sends proposed changes to police civilian oversight board appointment process back to PCOB for further review",1484,11038000,12522000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5116081-64bd121e87f3255c242dd739806ec5d1&start=11038&end=12522","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5116081-64bd121e87f3255c242dd739806ec5d1/thumbnail_11038000.jpg","/articles/6512176/Madison/Dane-County/Wisconsin/Council-sends-proposed-changes-to-police-civilian-oversight-board-appointment-process-back-to-PCOB-for-further-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6512176-e87e6b73c6965eda3900fe331bc64134/orig.mp4?Expires=1773623024&Signature=OhwfISqBSZQV9mXHLZAoCBWKIdTKRm5BnHQepMnsXC-HtvLhC0MxFg2dotAWsFu1PMt~slfy4VI3x5xHhRyZhTe71TxdaJB2kESvHsJZg9oRol6E4HorQe7gjJDzjRPJxFcAa1zazddMzsdJe1BBoa3sOjBKtxBjkWlpAhga6agmDcOPTfDmY311DSXK9jF1YWcR1kP26BIGINob9AOOMH1y7d~YPLgnZAoj2KT9~oXog5DksIDYxtZZsmTuRx~WYz1fi1i9ozkS5dvDkPVD8pewvzFrJXgkPWGziXitpmuXXS1fLHvd3TVnwQCP3-MBxlGW4CJ1XPsmpYSYIjSw4A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Madison’s Common Council agreed to re-refer a proposed ordinance amendment affecting the Police Civilian Oversight Board’s appointment process back to the PCOB for further consideration.

Alder Figueroa Cole asked that the draft ordinance be revised to revert a set of proposed changes and instead make two limited modifications: (1) move administrative responsibility for soliciting and assembling candidate applications from council/mayor staff to the Office of the Independent Monitor (OIM), which serves as executive secretary to the board; and (2) remove a preference in the draft text that would have given priority to organizations with annual budgets under $1 million. Figueroa Cole said the amendment would align the ordinance with existing practice and reduce redundant language.

Councilmembers asked procedural questions about whether the PCOB had already considered the revised language; staff confirmed the PCOB had recommended placing the item on file at its last meeting. Some alderpersons said the PCOB had struggled with quorum historically but recent sessions have been meeting consistently.

Given outstanding questions and the late hour, Alder Evers moved to re-refer the measure to the PCOB; the Council approved re-referral to the PCOB (next scheduled meeting in August) on a 15–4 vote. The referral means the board will revisit the draft language and return a recommendation to the council, with the expectation the council would take up the item at the next available common-council meeting after PCOB review.

The re-referral preserves current PCOB composition and appointment authorities; the sponsor said the amendment under consideration does not change the list of organizations eligible to nominate members but instead adjusts the administrative route for assembling applications.

The council did not adopt any ordinance changes at this meeting; the PCOB will now reexamine the ordinance language and implementation questions and report back.","A proposed amendment to Madison General Ordinances governing the Police Civilian Oversight Board (PCOB) appointment process was re-referred to the board for additional consideration after aldermembers raised procedural and implementation questions.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Madison council rejects ordinance to widen geographic restrictions on new alcohol licenses

Madison council proclaims July 2025 Disability Pride Month, raises flag at municipal building

Council sends proposed changes to police civilian oversight board appointment process back to PCOB for further review