Kenosha licensing committee concurs on operator applications, defers absent massage applicant and receives massage-ordinance rewrite

The Kenosha Licensing and Permits Committee on Monday recommended approval of a slate of new operator (bartender/attendant) licenses with assigned demerit points, postponed action on a massage-establishment application after the applicant failed to appear, approved a daily cabaret permit for an event Sept. 27, 2025, and received and filed proposed amendments to the city’s massage-establishment ordinance.

Committee members voted unanimously on each action. The committee’s approvals for operator licenses were made “subject to demerit points,” following a recommendation from the city attorney; committee decisions at this meeting were framed as recommendations to the full Common Council.

The committee opened with Item 1, a grouped set of applications for new operators accompanied by city attorney recommendations on demerit-point assessments. The list presented in committee included: Bailey McCreery (25 points); Alexandra White (listed on the agenda with 90 points); Priscilla (Gosar/Gazda — listed on the agenda as Priscilla Gazda) (70 points); Desiree Garcia (35 points); Christy Ratliff (75 points); and Jeanette Daniel (30 points). Several applicants addressed the committee during an applicant hearing.

One applicant who identified herself at the hearing as Alexandra (name recorded in the hearing as Alexandra Blake) explained she had multiple operating-while-suspended entries and said she paid to reopen a case and later had charges dismissed after paying fines and providing insurance. “I paid $50 over the phone to reopen my case… they dismissed it because I did pay off my tickets,” the applicant told the committee. Committee members pressed applicants to list all past offenses in future applications; the chair noted that undisclosed entries can lead to higher demerit totals.

Priscilla Gosar, who said she previously held a current bartending license in Kenosha without violations, asked whether the demerit total could be lowered. A committee member explained that allowing a license to lapse requires reapplying and that demerit points accumulate; the member encouraged applicants to document prior experience and to list all offenses and dates where possible.

After the applicant hearings, a member moved to “concur with the recommendations of the city attorney.” The motion passed unanimously; the committee recorded the action as a recommendation to the Common Council, which must take final action.

Item 2, an application from Chisha Song for a new massage-establishment license at 140160 Fifth Street Upper, was on the agenda with no adverse police recommendation but the applicant did not appear. A committee member moved to defer the item to the committee’s next regularly scheduled meeting; the motion carried unanimously.

Item 3, an application from Gerber’s Republic of K Town LLC for a daily cabaret license for an event to be held Sept. 27, 2025, was listed with no adverse police recommendations. No applicant appeared to speak; the committee moved to approve the permit and voted unanimously to recommend approval to council.

Item 4 brought proposed amendments to Section 13.125 of the Code of General Ordinances regarding massage establishments, deferred from the Aug. 25, 2025 Licenses and Permits meeting. Alderman/sponsor Ronald Pazalo presented the item and said the proposal was not being dropped but would be reworked: the motion on the floor was to receive and file the item while staff and aldermen pursue a different approach and additional input. The motion passed unanimously. Committee members and the sponsor encouraged interested parties to provide input to the clerk’s office, the sponsor and the mayor prior to the proposal’s return to committee.

Votes at a glance: - Item 1 — New operator applications (Bailey McCreery, Alexandra White, Priscilla Gosar/Gazda, Desiree Garcia, Christy Ratliff, Jeanette Daniel): committee concurred with city attorney recommendations to grant licenses subject to demerit points; committee vote unanimous. (Recommendation to Common Council.) - Item 2 — Massage-establishment license (Chisha Song, 140160 Fifth Street, Upper): deferred to next regular meeting due to applicant nonappearance; no adverse police recommendation recorded; committee vote unanimous. - Item 3 — Daily cabaret license (Gerber’s Republic of K Town LLC) for Sept. 27, 2025: committee recommended approval; no adverse police recommendation; committee vote unanimous. - Item 4 — Proposed amendments to Section 13.125 (massage establishments): committee received and filed the proposal for reworking and outreach; committee vote unanimous.

The committee reminded applicants and interested parties that its recommendations are forwarded to the Common Council; members noted the Common Council will act on licensing items at its next meeting. The committee adjourned after the items were disposed of.