LaSalle County liquor panel reviews license fees, special-event rules and assigns venue oversight

LaSalle County Liquor Commission members on April 8 discussed recent liquor-license activity, special-event fees, raffle rules tied to municipal boundaries and reassigned oversight of licensed establishments ahead of June renewals.

Amanda, licensing staff for LaSalle County, told the commission that Bumpus Boating — the owners who took over Captain's Cove — have received county approval and are awaiting a state license, and that a new restaurant/bar next to JJ’s Gyro in Oakley had inquired about a license. "So right now, we had 1 come in the Boatyard Bar and Bistro. They actually, took over Captain's Cove. Just waiting for their state license. They got got the county. I'm just waiting for them to give me a copy of the state," Amanda said.

The county clarified several fees and categories that govern local licenses. Amanda reported: "A normal liquor license is $500. If they have a beer garden, which means they're serving alcohol or people are outside drinking, that will be $50." She said a one-day special-event license is $25 per day, and gave the example that a three-day event would cost $75. She also described amusement licenses (for items such as dartboards, jukeboxes, pool tables or arcade machines) at $125 and raffle/poker-run permits at $25.

Commissioners discussed how raffle requirements depend on where a winning ticket is drawn: if the drawing occurs inside a municipality’s limits, a local raffle license may not be required from the county; if the drawing is in unincorporated LaSalle County, a county raffle license applies. "Raffles, what the deal is with the raffle license is that's where it determines on where they pull the winning ticket," Amanda explained.

Commissioners also asked whether accessibility compliance (for example, whether a location is accessible to persons with disabilities) falls under county licensing authority. Commissioner Wally Roach raised the question; Amanda and others said that land-use and permit issues — handled by the zoning/land-use process (ZBA or equivalent) — generally address building accessibility, while the county’s licensing staff focuses on licensing compliance. "I think that had to do with the ZBA, like land use, when they get their permit. We don't we just deal with [licensing]," Amanda said.

The commission reviewed routine enforcement and posting requirements. Amanda noted licenses should be posted in a prominent area and said the state typically performs inspections: "Typically what we're doing is helping them pass the state. Because the state is going to require that and they're the I mean we're not ones to dish out fines. I mean we could but we're not that in that idea to do it. The state is going to." She also reminded commissioners about required signage (trafficking, age, pregnancy notices) and referenced the Illinois Licensed Beverage Association as a source that supplies those signs to members.

Ahead of summer renewals, Amanda said she will mail renewal materials before licenses expire in June and asked commissioners to follow up with locations assigned to them if paperwork is late. Commissioners then reassigned specific establishments among themselves (for example, assigning Bumpus Boating / Boatyard Bar and Bistro together and distributing other facilities such as Country Ranch and Jump Run Cafe among commissioners) to balance oversight workloads ahead of checks planned after the July 1 posting of new licenses.

The commission approved the previous meeting’s minutes (motion by Miss Nikki, second by Miss Bush; carried by voice vote) and later adjourned (motion by Miss Brunello, seconded by Miss McNally; carried by voice vote).