Council denies liquor license renewal for Stage 1 after extended public hearing

The Green Bay Common Council denied the liquor license renewal for Stage 1, a downtown music and event venue at 231 N. Broadway, following a public hearing on alleged repeated violations and a police department recommendation for nonrenewal. The motion to deny, moved by Alder (Elder) Hutchison and seconded by Alder Morgan, passed on voice vote and the ayes were recorded in open session.

The owner, Alexander Graziano, told the council he would appeal a denial and asked for the chance to demonstrate improved operations. “As I understand, there's little that I'm able to say or do to avoid denial tonight here for a liquor license,” Graziano said, adding he had been meeting frequently with police and was trying to build trust. Employee witnesses and patrons, including Pierre Ashley and Caleb Robertson, testified that Stage 1 provides entertainment and community space and asked the council to allow the business to correct shortcomings.

City Attorney Kochart and Chief Davidson briefed the council on process and records. Kochart said the current step was a staff recommendation to send a notice of intent to nonrenew and that the ordinance-prescribed procedure would allow the licensee an opportunity to request a quasi‑judicial hearing: “This request … is just approval to send out that notice,” Kochart said. Chief Davidson told council the police recommendation rested on the documented history in the department’s memo and, based on that record, the department had not changed its recommendation.

Councilors pressed staff for process clarifications. Several asked whether stipulation agreements (the bar-plans every licensed establishment signs) had been modified or whether a probationary approach had been used; staff replied the stipulations are a permanent set of expectations and additional stipulations can be added, but the facts documented in the police memo formed the basis for the recommendation. Hutchison moved to approve the denial; the motion was seconded by Morgan and carried in open session.

The council and staff also explained the post-decision process: if the owner files an appeal within 10 days, the matter would be scheduled for a formal hearing on a subsequent council agenda and the establishment would be permitted to continue operating until the administrative process is resolved.

The council’s vote concludes tonight’s local administrative action; potential appeals or subsequent hearings would be separate proceedings.