Ashwaubenon committee upholds denial of operator’s-license application

The Village of Ashwaubenon Public Works and Protection Committee on June 3 upheld staff’s denial of an operator’s-license application from Isabelle Noriega Long, who appealed after staff said she omitted convictions on her application.

Committee members and staff said the application failed to list several offenses that appear on state driving records and that the village’s policy calls for denial when certain convictions fall within the policy timeframes. A staff member explained the policy would recommend denial for “one or more offenses that substantially relate to the licensing activity within the last five years, or two or more related offenses arising out of separate incidents within the last 10 years.”

Staff presented the application to the committee and said the form showed only an OWI but staff had identified additional entries including a paraphernalia conviction and a documented tampering/IID-related offense. The applicant, Isabelle Noriega Long, told the committee she had completed court-ordered requirements related to her 2021 OWI, including installation of an ignition interlock device and an alcohol assessment class. She said she had not realized she could access certain records at the time she submitted the application and that she would have provided the information if she had.

Committee members debated whether the omitted items were directly related to the ability to sell alcohol and whether the village should make an exception. One member noted the village had not previously approved applications with offenses inside the five-year guideline and moved to uphold the denial. The motion received a second and the committee voted in favor; the transcript does not record named vote tallies.

Staff told the applicant she may present further evidence of rehabilitation when appealing to the full board and that the board meets in the evening; staff also said a referral or letters corroborating completion of court-ordered programs could be brought to support an appeal. The committee’s action upheld staff’s administrative recommendation based on application noncompliance with village policy and the presence of offenses within the policy timeframe.

The committee also reminded applicants to complete forms fully and noted staff review is intended to ensure public-safety standards in licensing. No ordinances or statutes were cited by name during the discussion; references were to the village’s operator-license policy and its guidelines.