Licensing committee approves renewal after review of past DUI and underage-serving charge

The Waukesha City licensing committee voted to approve a license renewal for an applicant whose record includes a serving-underage ticket and a DUI from a little over two years ago.

Chair opened the invited-application item and asked the applicant’s representative to speak. Jalen Kennedy, the agent for the applicant, said the incident that led to the DUI still “puzzles me” and described arriving at a restaurant for a short visit in which he said a bartender poured additional shots into his drinks. “I was literally at the restaurant for an hour and 25 minutes tops, and I had 2 hambrillas and a plate of food,” Kennedy said, describing why he sought clarification about how the incident resulted in the charge.

Brian, from the city attorney’s office, told the committee that renewal reviews should look at the offense itself, the time elapsed since the offense, any intervening offenses and whether a pattern exists. He said a five-year lapse is a reasonable benchmark to show rehabilitation but emphasized the committee’s discretion to weigh the circumstances.

After discussion, the Chair moved to approve the renewal and a second was recorded; the committee carried the motion by voice vote. The Chair noted the item will appear on the full council agenda the next day and that the clerk’s office will follow up with the applicant.

Why it matters: Licensing renewals balance public-safety concerns about alcohol enforcement against applicants’ claims of rehabilitation. The attorney’s guidance that members consider time elapsed and intervening behavior framed the committee’s decision to approve this renewal.

The committee did not specify additional conditions tied to the approval in the committee meeting. The licensing matter will proceed to the council agenda for final consideration and administrative follow up by the clerk’s office.