Panel delays recommendation on longer bar hours

A request to extend to 2 a.m. the time taverns can stay open on weekends was not voted upon Monday.
The Morris City Council’s Judiciary and License Committee, instead, the request pending further research.

During about 25 minutes of discussion, committee members indicated they thought any additional hours should require all servers of alcohol to receive training on how to tell customers no.

Mayor Richard Kopczick said any expanded hours could not be limited to taverns.

“If the taverns can stay open until 2 a.m., the three clubs (fraternal organizations) will want to stay open. R Place runs 24 hours and they could want to serve the additional hour,” he said.

The mayor added the three liquor stores can stay open until 1 a.m., but choose not to.

Frank Varner of Ebbey George’s said some places would not want to stay open the additional hour and it will work itself out.

“This is not just about more revenue, but more sales taxes, more employees,” Varner said. “The smoking ban really cut our throats.”

It was noted that most of the taverns outside Morris can already serve until 2 a.m. and people drive from Morris, then come back.

“Keeping people in town would be a positive,” Alderman Randy Larson said.

Varner said he did not expect the city to approve the extension without the tavern owners giving something back.

Mayor Kopczick said there are classes for servers (bartenders), one operated locally and one offered through the Illinois Liquor Control Commission and the Illinois State Police.

Locally a training program called Safety Training to Encourage Profitable Services (STEPS) is offered periodically, including last winter at the Fraternal Order of Eagles. To be certified, employees must complete the four-hour class and pass a 50-question test.

Committee members indicated that, if hours are to be extended, all servers should complete the class and receive the certificate.

Police Chief Brent Dite said the longer people sit in a tavern, the more chance there is for a problem.

He added one of his officers is an instructor for a part of the course.

City Attorney Scott Belt said new employees would have to be given time to complete the course.

Varner questioned if someone left a bar and got charged with DUI, would it come back to the server?

“They could be afraid to serve anyone,” he said.

He added that no one wants to see anyone get hurt, so there is already a concern about over-serving.

Alderman Drew Muffler suggested there could be an A-plus license class for taverns that wanted to stay open until 2 a.m. Their servers would have to have completed the class and be certified.

Chief Dite said it would be difficult for officers if one tavern can stay open until 2 a.m. and one across the street is supposed to close at 1 a.m.

The committee did recommend the full council approve an updated liquor license application.

“This is a new version the Illinois Liquor Control Commission is utilizing,” City Attorney Scott Belt said. “It has more-appropriate questions, solicits more specific information.”

He said the new form deals with Limited Liability Companies, which have members, while corporations have shareholders.

The Liquor Control Act, Belt said, requires license holders to be U.S. citizens.

Mayor Kopczick said, if approved by the full council, the new application should be distributed to liquor license holders as soon as possible so they can have it completed by next April 30.