Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Liquor Licenses topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Police review recommends renewal of local liquor licenses; council debates Jack’s Pub ties to DUI incidents
Summary
After a police review, Sergeant Mike Stra recommended renewal of local OLCC liquor licenses. Council discussed recurring DUI incidents linked to Jack’s Pub, praised staff cooperation, and ultimately voted to send a blanket renewal recommendation to the OLCC; the record shows a passing vote and some ambiguity from one councilor about her recorded vote.
Sergeant Mike Stra told the Monmouth City Council on Jan. 6 that the police department’s annual review of local liquor-license holders turned up no OLCC rule violations but identified several incidents connected to Jack’s Pub.
"We did have, uh, about five or six DOIs that we can say directly came from there," Stra said, explaining how officers determine whether incidents originated at a particular establishment. He described one incident in which Jack’s Pub staff drove an intoxicated patron home to prevent him from driving; that patron later returned in another vehicle and was arrested for driving under the influence.
Councillors asked whether the reduction in identifiable DUIs was a durable change or the result of enforcement patterns. Stra said improved staff intervention at bars, visible police presence and available officer time can all influence the number of incidents the department records. "I think when we have time to be able to do it, we see a lot more people come out and then walk away," he said.
Councilor McKielle pressed that five or six DUIs is still too many for a small town and urged bars and servers to act earlier to prevent impaired driving. Councilor Kerry moved that the council send the OLCC a recommendation to renew all of the liquor licenses listed in the report; the motion was seconded. The presiding officer announced the motion passed, recorded at the meeting as 5-0, but one councilor later stated she had intended to withhold approval for Jack’s Pub.
The council and police emphasized that the renewal recommendation to the OLCC is a routine, advisory step and that the OLCC makes licensing decisions independently. Councilors asked staff to continue communication with licensees and to maintain enforcement and prevention efforts.
Next steps: the council’s recommendation will be transmitted to the OLCC as part of the required local review process; police and city staff will continue outreach with license holders and monitor incident trends.
