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Residents press due‑process and fairness questions as liquor commission advances ordinance amendments
Summary
Residents raised concerns about selective enforcement and whether fines were being imposed without hearings; the commission reviewed attorney‑drafted ordinance changes — including requiring BASSET certification for commissioners, converting 'annual fees' to 'license fees,' new video‑gaming cafe classifications, and a five‑year fingerprint resubmission — and voted to forward the package to the village board.
Several residents used public comment at the June 2, 2026 meeting to press the commission on procedural fairness and transparency while commissioners moved to update the village liquor code.
Resident Christine Murphy asked who holds the office of the local liquor control commissioner and whether fines (she cited $500 examples) could lawfully be imposed without a meaningful hearing. "A hearing is not just a word in the code. It's a procedural safeguard to ensure that evidence is presented," Murphy said, urging clear public answers so license holders and residents understand the legal limits of commission authority.
Business owner Maryanne Dulio told the commission she had experienced what she described as selective enforcement and alleged that private individuals were influencing code enforcement against her business. "When private individuals are influencing enforcement actions against a business owner, it raises serious concern about fairness, targeting, and harassment," she said.
Cheryl Tucker urged clearer ordinance wording (specifically asking that liquor revenue be listed alongside gambling revenue in exclusions) and questioned an effective date in fee language that currently reads January 1, 2024.
On the ordinance package, commissioners reviewed multiple changes drafted by village attorneys. The items the commission voted to forward to the village board included: adding BASSET server‑training certification as a qualification for liquor control commissioners, clarifying that a vice chair may preside when the chair is unavailable, replacing references to "annual fees" with "license fees" in fee sections, defining a "video gaming cafe" classification (with a revenue threshold), grandfathering existing family entertainment centers with video gaming while prohibiting new such gaming authorizations going forward, and requiring fingerprint resubmission for background checks every five years.
Commissioner Damaso moved to include BASSET certification in section 3‑202; after discussion and additional technical edits the commission voted to forward the amended package to the village board. Commissioners and staff also agreed to have legal staff review secure ways to transmit applicant files to avoid sending applicant PII to commissioners' personal email addresses; as an interim measure applications will be printed and made available for pickup at Village Hall or redacted before email distribution.
The ordinance amendments and the related technical corrections will be sent to the village board for consideration; the board will determine whether and when to adopt the changes.
