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Janesville police report bar shutdown for missing licensed bartender; clerk outlines license-renewal changes
Summary
A police welfare check led to one bar being shut down for operating without a licensed bartender, the committee heard; the City Clerk said renewal packets and a new tamper-evident printed license format will be rolled out before March 15 to tighten controls.
Janesville police and city licensing staff updated the Alcohol Licensing Advisory Committee on enforcement and administrative changes at the Feb. 4 meeting.
Officer Ratzlaff told the committee a welfare check at a downtown bar uncovered the absence of a licensed bartender and that the establishment was closed for the evening. Ratzlaff said the Police Department will add problem venues to upcoming random compliance checks rather than relying on warning letters. "Those are happening randomly now," the officer said, and officers credited bartender cooperation with helping investigate at least two recent hit-and-run incidents.
On administration, staff told the committee there was nothing new on the city’s quota report or temporary-license list. The City Clerk’s office is preparing renewal packets and bartender applications for distribution by March 15; licenses will be issued using a new License Manager print format on full-page paper with tamper-evident VOID printing to make photocopies readily identifiable. Staff said the change is designed to help police quickly verify genuine licenses during compliance checks.
Committee members acknowledged the stepped-up enforcement and the tighter printing controls as improvements for public safety and fraud prevention. No public-safety measures or fines beyond routine enforcement were adopted at the meeting.
