The Madison City Council approved liquor sanctions and a suspension against a local bar Tuesday, and it referred two other alcohol related policies back to city committees for further drafting of language.
The City Council voted to approve the suspension and sanctions against Kollege Klub, with only one member — Ald. Julia Kerr, District 13 — voting against it.
Kerr said the reason she voted against the suspension was because she believed there should be tougher sanctions against the bar.
“I would have liked to see a longer revocation,” Kerr said. “I think the complaint had substantial evidence and substantial violations — serious ordinance violations and serious safety violations.”
According to the stipulated agreement between the city attorney office, the Madison Police Department and Kollege Klub owner Bruce Meier, the Kollege Klub’s liquor licenses would be suspended for 30 days during the winter and would also have stricter sanctions against the operations of the bar.
“I just felt a 30-day suspension was insufficient,” Kerr said.
The City Council also voted to refer the proposition to add another alder and citizen member to the Alcohol License Review Committee back to the Common Council Organizational Committee, where it will undergo a redrafting.
Ald. Bryon Eagon, District 8, had made a motion during the previous CCOC meeting to have a student have a vote on the ALRC, but the motion to amend the proposal failed.
Currently, the ALRC has a spot for a student, currently being filled by University of Wisconsin senior Mark Woulf; however, the student position is not a voting one.
Eagon said he plans to continuing working on the issue in the CCOC and will redraft language of his proposal for a student voting member to be added.
Eagon said if this does not work, he plans to work with the Mayor Dave Cieslewicz’s office to encourage appointing a student to the open position of an added citizen member to the ALRC, regardless of whether a voting student member is guaranteed by ordinance.
“I’ve put up a fight,” Eagon said. “It would have been easier to just let it die. [The proposal to have a student voting member] lives to see another day.”
CCOC member Ald. Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, District 5, said she is supportive of having a student with the ability to vote on the ALRC.
“I’m hoping there will be a more thorough discussion about making the citizen member (to the ALRC) a student member,” Bidar-Sielaff said.
Bidar-Sielaff said she would like the new citizen appointment to be a student, regardless of whether the appointment is designated as such.
Also referred was the proposal to ban the sale of liquor at establishments selling motor fuels, which City Council decided to refer back to the ALRC.
The ALRC decided to recommend the ban to the City Council in their last meeting Sept. 9.
However, the grocery industry expressed concerns the ban would prohibit future grocery stores that also have a small gas station on their premises from opening up in the city, according to Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4.
When the ALRC decided to vote to recommend the ban to the City Council, current grocery stores with gas pumps in their parking lot — such as Woodman’s in Madison were “grandfathered” in the ban, thereby exempting them, according to Verveer.
“[The gas stations on grocery store premises] are separate enough that they are really not concern to me or, I think, other policymakers,” Verveer said.
According to Verveer, there has been a de facto ban on the sale of liquor at places selling motor fuels for decades, and it has only been in the last 20 years that beer and wine has been allowed to be sold.
The ban is an attempt to codify the prohibition of the sale into law, Verveer added.
ALRC will meet tonight to revisit this ban, along with other alcohol-related policies.
Correction: Due to an editing error, this article cites Eagon as making a motion to add a member to the CCOC. It should have stated ALRC. We regret the error.
