Kenosha License and Permit Committee recommends approvals, denials and deferrals to City Council; several operator applications deferred or denied

The Kenosha License and Permit Committee on July 28 recommended approval, denial or deferral on a slate of business and operator license applications and temporary-event permits, sending most items as recommendations to the Common Council for final action on Aug. 4.

The committee recommended approval of new and temporary liquor and entertainment licenses for several businesses, including Fennet and Lakeshore LLC, Free Hermonos LLC, Airbnb Beer LLC, Revival Room Resale LLC, CD Warehouse and Prestige Energy Worldwide Corp. It recommended denial of several operator (bartender) license applications because of material police records or false information on applications, deferred other operator applications for the applicants to provide additional documentation, and recorded one applicant’s voluntary withdrawal.

Those outcomes matter because the committee’s votes are advisory; the full Common Council makes the final decisions at its next meeting. Several operator-license actions were driven by the city attorney’s review of the city’s point-chart criteria, including how an OWI or failure-to-complete ordered assessments affect an applicant’s score.

Most votes were procedural and uncontroversial, but a handful drew extended discussion. Public commenter Eric Hallgard (resident) spoke in support of item 14, the liquor and cabaret applications for Fennet and Lakeshore LLC, saying he was “strongly in favor” and that previous operators had “a stellar record” and “never had a single complaint for the neighborhood.” Several operator applicants addressed the committee: one applicant…