The LaSalle City Council voted to adopt an ordinance amending the city code (Section 110.21) to increase the number of Class A liquor licenses, adding four available Class A licenses.

Council members discussed the local marketplace and whether the city should attach licenses to specific buildings or hold them available. One alderman said the extra licenses provide flexibility for restaurants and prospective businesses, noting, "just so the public's aware, if anybody's watching, the liquor licenses aren't just for bars. We get more restaurants." Another council member asked whether the city should consider raising liquor-license fees, saying, "I think the last time we raised it was 18 years ago." The council agreed to revisit fees at a later date.

The ordinance was placed for a roll-call vote and carried unanimously; each alderman present voted "Aye." The code change specifically addresses the limitation on the number of liquor licenses in Section 110.21 of the LaSalle municipal code; council members said adoption preserves the city's ability to approve new restaurant uses without blocking potential operators.

The council did not approve any specific license allocations at the meeting; future license applications will come before the council for individual consideration. The ordinance's adoption restores a small buffer of Class A licenses intended to make downtown properties more attractive to restaurant tenants.

The council will take up fee adjustments and individual license applications in future agenda cycles.