Waukesha committee recommends one bartender license, denies another; approves three secondhand-dealer renewals

Waukesha City’s Ordinance and Licensing Committee on Monday, Aug. 11, voted 3-1 to recommend approval of a bartender license for applicant Carter Bell and denied a separate application from Gregory Kasprzak; the committee also unanimously approved renewal applications for three secondhand dealers.

The committee recommended Bell’s application despite questions about his prior underage-drinking and operating-while-intoxicated (OWI) offenses. A committee member who moved to recommend approval cited the amount of time since Bell’s last incident, saying, “given that it has been over 4 years since your last incident, I'm gonna make the motion to approve that.” The committee’s vote to recommend Bell will be forwarded to the full City Council for final action at an upcoming council meeting; committee members discussed the Aug. 18 or Aug. 19 council meetings as possible dates.

Committee members who voted against Bell cited ongoing concerns about judgment and the risk of underage service. One committee member said they viewed bartending as a serious responsibility and indicated they would vote no. Bell told the committee he had not held a bartender license previously and described prior bartending and barback experience.

The committee denied the bartender application for Gregory Kasprzak after a member noted state law restricting issuance of bartender licenses when an applicant has multiple alcohol-related offenses and at least one classified as a felony. As a committee member summarized, the state law “says if you have 4 alcohol related offenses and it 1 has been considered a felony, that basically means you cannot get a bartender's license.” Committee members noted Kasprzak may work under supervision in his gas-station job as long as a licensed person is on the premises at all times.

On secondhand-dealer renewals, the committee unanimously approved renewal applications for EcoATM LLC, Costas Fine Jewelry and Coins, and Watch Circle LLC after brief consideration. Committee members moved and seconded those approvals with no recorded objections.

What happened: motions and votes at the committee

- Carter Bell (bartender license): motion to recommend approval moved by a committee member, seconded by another; committee vote 3 yes, 1 no. Outcome: recommendation to council for final action.

- Gregory Kasprzak (bartender license): motion to deny moved by Alicia (committee member), seconded by another committee member; outcome: denied by the committee (vote tally not specified in the transcript).

- EcoATM LLC (secondhand-dealer renewal): motion to approve; seconded; passed unanimously.

- Costas Fine Jewelry and Coins (secondhand-dealer renewal): motion to approve; seconded; passed unanimously.

- Watch Circle LLC (secondhand-dealer application): motion to approve; seconded; passed unanimously.

Why it matters: Local licensing decisions affect where alcohol may be served and who may be employed as bartenders, and secondhand-dealer renewals maintain the regulatory status of local resale businesses.

Meeting details and context: The committee convened with a quorum present (one member, Alderson Manion, was absent) and handled multiple license applications in a meeting that included applicants, their agents, and committee members asking questions about prior offenses, current employment and supervision, and the applicant’s intended job duties. Committee members explicitly referenced Wisconsin state restrictions when deciding Kasprzak’s application. The committee instructed applicants to attend the full council meeting when a recommendation is being forwarded.

What’s next: The committee’s recommendation on Bell will be considered by the full City Council at its next meeting. The Kasprzak denial is final at the committee level; committee discussion noted he may still work under licensed supervision at his employer’s gas station.