ALRC conditionally approves server license for Sonia Montero pending DOC letter

The Alcohol License Review Committee voted June 18 to recommend approval of an operator license for Sonia Montero, an applicant who disclosed a four-offense OWI history, including a recent felony-level OWI in April 2023.

Montero told the committee she has been sober since the last conviction, is in treatment and in ongoing counseling, and has worked at Badger Tavern and other local taverns. Detectives flagged the application after the Madison Police Department reported Montero has an OWI history. Committee members questioned Montero about treatment, ongoing supervision and whether probation or the Wisconsin Department of Corrections could supply a letter of support documenting her progress on community supervision.

Alder Miss Carter moved approval, and Ald. Oliver Veer seconded with the customary condition that the applicant provide a letter from her Wisconsin Department of Corrections agent before the July 1 Common Council meeting. The committee emphasized that the requested DOC letter is customary when an applicant is under active supervision because agents can corroborate an applicant’s compliance with conditions of supervision. Committee members encouraged Montero to seek the letter and to have her agent or supervisor escalate the request if necessary.

Outcome: The committee approved the recommendation to grant the operator license on the condition that a letter from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections documenting Montero’s supervision status is submitted to the city clerk prior to the July 1 council meeting. The committee recorded no roll-call vote in the transcript; members used voice vote and the chair announced the motion passed.

Context and next steps: The ALRC approval is a committee recommendation to the Common Council; the license will appear on the July 1 council agenda. If Montero cannot produce the DOC letter in time, the committee said the ALRC or council could postpone the matter to a later meeting. Montero said she had requested documentation from her probation officer and would pursue alternatives including contacting a supervisor at the DOC if necessary.

Key details from the record - Applicant: Sonia Montero (applicant for operator/server license, employed at Badger Tavern). - Flag: MPD flagged application for four OWI offenses; most recent incident was 04/19/2023 in Fitchburg (described in committee discussion as a fourth-offense OWI; conviction recorded in 2023). - Condition imposed by ALRC: Letter of support/documentation from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections verifying supervision status (to be submitted to city clerk before July 1 Common Council meeting).